Expand your Lunch Ideas with a PackIt Lunch Bag {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Jade =)!}

Each week when our playgroup gets together and the kids have lunch, we all get a laugh over the number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that are pulled out.

"Even if I wanted to, what else could I bring?" One of of the other moms asked once. Lunch meat? Hummus? Cheese? All of those options were nixed because here it was lunchtime and the meals had been packed hours ago - and that immediately eliminates just about anything that needs to be refrigerated.

Unless, of course, we tried putting one of those large freezer packs into our lunchbox... which end up not only taking up most of the room, but keep the foods unevenly cooled depending on their proximity. And that's all assuming that I remembered to put the freezer pack actually back in the freezer after using it the time before (something that is somewhat rare).

So imagine the other moms' surprise when we showed up the following week with fruits, vegetables, and cheese that were all chilled to perfection. As I pulled each item out, there was no worry of our meal not being crisp and delicious or, even worse, spoiled from having sat out. Not when it had all been easily placed and transported in our PackIt Freeze + Go cooler bag.

The innovative and modern version of a traditional lunchbox, PackIt has a major advantage in its revolutionary eco-gel liner. By taking the freezer pack and incorporating it right into the bag itself, the entire thing turns into a flexible cooler that can not only cool but keep items cold up to 10 hours.

Ten hours of having your own personal cooler wherever you go? Sounds pretty nice to me!

I have to admit that I was slightly skeptical that the PackIt would be as easy and convenient to use as the company claimed, but when it arrived I could see right away that the concept just makes sense.

By folding down compactly (and staying closed due to a well-placed strip of Velcro), you simply place the entire thing right in the freezer overnight and, when you're ready to use it, unfold it and it is ready for you to put your meal right inside.

Really, this couldn't be much easier.

The lead-free fabric and non-toxic cooling gels used in PackIt ensure that they're completely safe and just the sheer number of times that you can reuse them adds to the overall eco-friendly aspect. But for us, my kids' happiness over the increased number of foods that we can now bring with us is what is key.

Since there is no separate cold pack to remember, it is much easier to fold our PackIt up and stick it right into the freezer when we come home... ensuring that it will be nice and cold when we need it next.

Initially I wondered if there was going to be enough room inside for everything, but found that there was no need to worry because this bag is quite roomy. Not only can I stack up plenty of containers of food, but two sippy cups fit in as well - which makes Big Sister E extremely happy as she is very particular about her water being extra cold.

As well as being impressed by the stylish innovation, ease of use, and ability to keep food cold for up to 10 hours, I love the overall versatility of a PackIt. It can be used for children or adults for so many different situations: lunches, picnics or BBQs, trips to the beach, sporting events, bringing salads to a potluck, transporting baby bottles or breastmilk, a day trip outdoors camping or hiking, road trips... and those are just off the top of my head.

Designed by moms, PackIt really is the most handy lunch bag that I've seen. The collapsible design makes them small enough to store easily, the earth-friendly gel works over and over again to keep food cold for 5x longer than a traditional freezer pack, and the wipe-off lining is a snap to clean.

As much as we have enjoyed PackIt now, I imagine that this summer we'll use and love it even more for keeping drinks, snacks, and food cold even when we're on the go in the heat. Available on Amazon or directly off of their website, right now PackIt is running a Buy One Get One Free special where you can choose any two of their colorful designs for $19.95. With two you'll always have one chilled and ready to go!

Thanks to their generosity, one person will be soon transporting their own or their family's meals in chilled style as well, because...

One lucky person will win their choice of Packit!

To enter to win: Visit PackIt and tell me something that you learned or the name of the stylish color choice that is your favorite.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

3 Extra Entries (per method) if you follow PackIt on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a PackIt Freeze + Go Cooler Bag - keep food chilled and fresh for up to 10 hours! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/fX7s5d #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on April 8th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to Packit for providing a Packit for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.