My New Toy & Why It's SO Cool

When I re-entered the workforce part-time, in addition to helping with the household expenses, I decided to treat myself to something special. Would it be jewelry? Clothes? No. I have enough of both. But there was one thing that had been in the back of my mind for some time.

Now, our kitchen is small so our refrigerator is, too. Freezer space is always limited, especially in the summer, what with ice pops and ice cube trays taking up a lot of space. I sip cold drinks CONSTANTLY and always keep ice water on my nightstand.  So my new toy is (drumroll, please):

AN AVALON BAY PORTABLE ICE MAKER

 

Yeah, sexy, I know. But I wanted one to help keep me cool during the summer. After researching all of the portable machines out there, I was convinced that this was the unit for me. 

The pros:

1. It's portable, so I can bring it outside for use during a BBQ.
2. It makes ice that is just soft enough for use in smoothies that it doesn't kill the blades of the
   blender.  It's also great for snow cone machines.
   
3. I always have ice on hand. I just make ice the day before I need it, place the ice in a Ziploc freezer bag and it's great for the next day.
4. The ice it makes is the perfect size for drink and to put in a water bottle.
   
   
   
   

The cons:

1. It doesn't keep the ice frozen, so you do have to place it in the freezer, but any ice not used just melts back into the reservoir.
2. It takes a while to make a good amount of ice. I've had it running about 2 hours now and the ice contain is full.
3. While it has two sizes of ice, I honestly don't see much of a difference in size. Not a problem for me, but just an FYI.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

All in all, this is a great machine. I was even more comforted when my daughter came home from school one day and said her school nurse had the same machine – school nurses KNOW quality. 

I'm using my Avalon Bay Portable Ice Maker every other day and I love it!

During a recent BBQ, it filled up a good-sized cooler. Now there's no scrambling with ice cube trays.

It's SOOO COOL! Now excuse me while I go back to my nice, cold drink!

What do you sip to keep cool during the summer?