Guilt Free Poolside Treats

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GIVEEXTRAGETEXTRA #CollectiveBias #Walgreens

The lazy days of summer always include a trip or two each week to our neighborhood pool. We usually take a small cooler to pack our drinks and treats in. This summer one of my goals is to plan ahead and not just end up buying junk food for me or my kids at the concession stand. I was shopping at my local Walgreens the other day, checking out and saw these super cool new Extra® 35-stick pack and was pretty impressed by how they were in their own plastic packaging and thought they would hold up well in my pool bag. I mean, there is nothing worse than opening your purse or pool bag to find 20+ stick of gum dumped out and to top it off, covered by a wet towel. YUCK! We've all been there, am I right?? So I decided to give this bigger pack a chance. 

I quickly realized too that there are 35 sticks in each pack. Which is super nice, because I have some majors gum stealers at my house! Now there is plenty to go around. I thought why not "Give Extra, Get Extra".  I have always been a spearmint girl through and through, but I also bought the Polar Ice® flavor and I really liked it! It definitely have more of a cooling type flavor, which is perfect for summer. 

In addition to bringing gum, I like to cool off with a low calorie drink. I have been obsessed this summer with making my own fruit water using fresh fruit, stevia and a sugar- free coconut syrup. I even have to hide it sometimes from my kids who are always begging for some!

The best part about this recipe it is super easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for the ice cubes to set, which takes about 4 hours. I like to make this the night before we head to the pool, so they are ready to go in the morning. 

Berries happen to be my favorite to use, because I like the taste and they are low on the glycemic index. For this round I used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and a little mint. Some other good options are cubed mango, basil and even some orange segments. Basically you can use whatever fruit you like, just make sure to cut it up fairly small.

I used some basic ice trays and placed my fruit inside, leaving some room for the water. I have found that using a pitcher of filtered water make it easier to pour. 

Fill up the trays until completely full. Place in the freezer overnight or for at least 4 hours. When they are done, pop out the fruit cubes and add them to your water bottle. Then add:

- 2 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)

-splash of sugar free coconut syrup 

Place the top on and shake up. Your refreshing, guilt free drink is now ready to go!

Another thing I really love about this new packaging, is that it is recyclable! Which we have loved teaching our kids the importance of sustainability. Also having the bigger packs mean less trips to the store (for me) because I go through a lot of gum...and I mean A LOT! Chewing gum is one of my biggest secrets to curbing my chocolate cravings. In fact, I have a pack in my car, my purse, my pool bag, and even my church bag. Gum helps to cleanse the palate, which helps with resetting your taste buds so that if you have a sweet tooth like me, it can curb those cravings. Don't believe me? Try it here for yourself!!