Month: March 2016

Summer is almost here. – Norty’s Wave Childrens Kids Aqua Socks.

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Summertime is coming, and my son is getting excited about the beach. He was so looking forward to these shoes. Unfortunately, they did not fit. I had a very pouty boy on my hands. He wears a sz. 4 shoe, and has room in them, but these are definitely smaller! So unfortunate. I like how these water shoes have the toe areas slightly molded into them. It makes for a more natural footing. Inside, if you feel into the tow area, it feels smooth, but the toe area is wide for a natural foot, instead of pushing the toes together like most shoes. They do have a couple styles and many colors available to suit toddlers up to a child’s sz4 shoe. These have the usual black rubber sole, for great footing. They upper is a combination of mesh and Neoprene. The stitching was done alright. It’s not the best, but definitely serves its function. The Velcro piece is approx.. 1 ¾” long and ¾”s of an inch wide, at the widest point. I wish this was a tad larger. These also run a little narrow, so if you have to pull this across the top of the foot, it may not hold. I like how the rubber of the sole, curls up over the tips of the toes. It really helps to protect their little tippies from rocks. Neoprene is a highly durable material, and dries quickly. That’s why it’s the material of choice for water shoes. There is a little loop on the back of the shoe. My son really likes the style of the shoe, and is upset they do not fit. I recommend ordering a size up, and you should be happy with them.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Norty’s Wave Childrens Kids Aqua Socks Pool Beach Water Shoes, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This product arrives as shown.

If you would like to purchase these shoes, they can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CT9DOTS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

A stand out Bluetooth Speaker! – Apie’s Classic Sound Cannon Portable Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Speaker.

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Here’s another wonderful Apie speaker. Since my family goes through speakers, I am happy to see more from them. I really like the other one I just reviewed. Their quality is pretty darn good. Aesthetically, it’s quite sporty too. The added built in handle attachment, makes it perfect to grab and go. The handle is actually integral to the unit. The controls are on it. Bluetooth speakers are great, because they can go anywhere with you, as long as you remember to charge it up. My older son also uses one all of the time in his van. He is a commercial electrician, and has a new van. It has a stock radio, with no ports. He doesn’t even have a 12V outlet. So, he listens to audio books a lot on a Bluetooth speaker. It needs to be small, but loud. This one fits the bill. It only measures at approx.. 9 1/2 inches long by 2 ¾” deep and 5 ½” tall. So, it is highly portable. It is also a 10W speaker, so it can get pretty loud. It has 2 5W drivers. It also has what they call, 3D sound technology in it. This speaker has Bluetooth v3.0 plus EDR technology in it, so if you have an older phone, it should work with it also. This is a very user friendly speaker as well. It has separate buttons for pretty much everything, as well as so many functions. On the back of this speaker you will find your aux port, USB in port, micro USB in port, on/off switch, and micro SD card slot. On the top of the handle you will find a pause/phone button, mode button, fast forward and rewind buttons, as well as volume up and volume down buttons. With the mode button you can choose between Bluetooth, micro SD, FM radio, and Aux in. There are blue LED letters that shows you your selection, as well as the radio stations as you scroll through them. Under the handle there are also blue LEDs, that illuminate the space between the handle and the speaker; so cool. This speaker talks to you in regards to saying where you are: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Disconnected, Radio, and the like. It does not state the telephone call coming in, it rings. It does have a mic, so you can accept calls through the speaker as well. The music quality on this speaker is great. It is loud and clear. It doesn’t matter what I play, be it Italian music to rap, to country, I enjoyed it all. The bass and instrumental are clear, and pretty steady. You can get the typical 10 meters away from the speaker, but it needs to be in room. If you go around corners, or behind walls, the signal will drop. The internal battery is large since it can go for about 10 hours. I could not find the stated battery size anywhere though. The louder you play the music, the less battery time. Also, the louder the music, the clarity is down a little, especially in areas where’s there’s a lot of drumming and cymbals. I find that very normal with Bluetooth speakers, and this is better than a lot of them. It pairs and plays immediately. It comes up as DY25L to pair, and no code is needed. It’s a great overall speaker, especially at its size, and it’s being 10W.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Apie’s Classic Sound Cannon Portable Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Speaker, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. You will get 1 aux cable, 1 micro USB cable, and 1 speaker in your package.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CSM9IDC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Strong Bluetooth Speaker. – Apie’s portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker.

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My husband loves Bluetooth speakers. We go through a lot of them, lol. Needless to say, I was so happy to be able to review this Apie 10W portable Bluetooth speaker. Aesthetically, it’s quite sporty too. Bluetooth speakers are great, because they can go anywhere with you, as long as you remember to charge it up. My older son also uses one all of the time in his van. He is a commercial electrician, and has a new van. It has a stock radio, with no ports. He doesn’t even have a 12V outlet. So, he listens to audio books a lot on a Bluetooth speaker. It needs to be small, but loud. This one fits the bill. It only measures at approx.. 8 ¾’s inches long by 2 ¾” deep and wide. So, it is highly portable. It is also a 10W speaker, so it can get pretty loud. This is a very user friendly speaker as well. It has separate buttons for pretty much everything, as well as so many functions. On the back of this speaker you will find your aux port, USB in port, micro USB in port, on/off switch, and micro SD card slot. On the top of the speaker you will find a pause/phone button, mode button, fast forward and rewind buttons, as well as volume up and volume down buttons. With the mode button you can choose between Bluetooth, micro SD, FM radio, and Aux in. There is a little blue LED that moves to your selection. This speaker talks to you in regards to saying where you are: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Disconnected, Radio, and the like. It does not state the telephone call coming in, it rings. It does have a mic, so you can accept calls through the speaker as well. It does not have an LCD screen, so you just move the back and forth buttons to scroll through stations, and choose. The music quality on this speaker is great. It is loud and clear. It doesn’t matter what I play, be it Italian music to rap, to country, I enjoyed it all. The bass and instrumental are clear, and steady. You can get the typical 10 meters away from the speaker, but it needs to be in room. If you go around corners, or behind walls, the signal will drop. The internal battery is large at 2200mAh. It can go for about 8 – 10 hours. The louder you play the music, the less battery time. Also, the louder the music, the clarity is down a little. I find that very normal wit Bluetooth speakers, and this is better than a lot of them. I had a hard time finding FM stations as well. This is more common for me. I live near a Military base, and I need a strong antenna to get a radio signal. It comes up as DY22 to pair, and no code is needed. All the ports worked well. I had no operational issues with my speaker at all. It’s a great overall speaker, especially at its size, and it’s being 10W.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Apie’s portable Wireless Bluetooth Speakers 10W Output Power with Enhanced Bass HI-FI Surround Stereo Sound, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. You will get 1 aux cable, 1 micro USB cable, and 1 speaker in your package.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CSM6YBG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I’m actually excited about this rubber broom from DBroth.

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No one likes to clean, but it’s one of those necessities. I was afforded the opportunity to review the most unique broom I have ever seen. This Rubber Broom by Dbroth is so unique. Even my 21 year old son, came over, and said, “What the heck is this?!”. He then had to feel it, play with it, and used it. I love that since it is made with all rubber bristles, it can easily be washed off. On one side of it is a squeegee. That I have never seen on a broom before. You could wash down your RV with this broom, or your vinyl siding. It’s an easy way to keep a clean broom in home. I love that idea. The handle on this broom can unscrew from the bristle area. That makes it easy to wash off. The handle also is telescopic. Just pull it up and screw it to the right, to lock it in place. There is a hole on the top of the handle to lock it into place. The handle is a painted metal, and there is a hole on the top of it, in case you want to hang it up. Because the bristles are rubber, don’t push down when sweeping. It will feel like it’s hard to move. If you take it lightly across the floor, it does do actually sweeping really well. It may take you a few times to get it down. Because the bristles are rubber, it doesn’t kick up a lot of dust, which is great with my insane allergies. Things stick to it to, so if you had pets, that would be great for cleaning up pet hair. I even used the broom to clean the overhead air intake vents.  I sprayed the bristles down with Windex, and then ran it across the grates. It really helped! It also made it so much easier for me. Normally, I get a ladder out, and then reach to clean it by hand. I so dread it. If you have to do this too, then get this broom, lol! It’s a well-made broom, durable and sturdy. It locks into position well, and is so usable because of how it is made.

I was afforded the opportunity to review DBroth’s Rubber Broom – Soft Natural Rubber Bristles with Built-in Squeegee Edge, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to order this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016X5EP8S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

There’s nothing like homemade pizza! – Kit-Chef’s Round Cordierite Pizza Stone.

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Stoneware has been a big part of my kitchen for around 15 years now. I love cooking on stones. I needed a new pizza stone though, so I am thrilled about this new one from Kit-Chef. It is wonderful. This stone is also the thickest stone I have ever had. It is 14” in diameter and ¾’s of an inch thick! That is thick. It is quite substantial in weight and size. It works like a dream too. I can’t wait to see how much better it gets with seasoning. Seasoning occurs over time. The more you cook on it, the better it gets. This is definitely a product that gets better with age, just like us cooks, lol.

When you first use this stone, you need to rinse it thoroughly with water only. Never, ever, use soap on this stone. It will soak it up, and your food will taste off. Then, let it dry overnight. The next day, cook it in your oven at about 450 degrees, for up to 2 hours. They state as high as your oven can go. Now, you are free to cook on it. Don’t rub oils on your stone, they can end up smoking a little in the oven. If you want to put something down on your stone so your food doesn’t stick, place some cornmeal on it. My pizzas came out beautifully on this stone. I need another one now, lol. I cook two at a time. Of course, you can cook anything on a stone. I just have fresh made pizza on my mind. Included in the box with the stone, is a great instruction sheet. To get a crisper crust, you can preheat your stone, and then place you pizza down on it, or rolls, breads, etc.. Do not place a hot stone into water though. It will crack on you! You need to make sure it cools off before you wash it off with water only. I love how evenly stones cook. They really do add a special something to baked goods.

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I was afforded the opportunity to review Kit-Chef’s Round Cordierite Pizza Stone 14″ x 3/4″ – Thick Sturdy Stone, at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this stone, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011FNLO6Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

The easy way to straighten your hair. – Simply Straight Ceramic Hair Straightening Brush.

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I personally think that ceramic hair straightening brushes are a brilliant invention. I love them. This one, by Simply Straight, arrives with a great instructional book. So, if you have never used one before, or even if you have, I recommend perusing it before you use it. This one has its controls on the back of the handle. They are semi inserted into the handle, and are impossible to accidently hit while using the brush. That is a great feature. I have a couple brushes, where it’s easy to change the settings, accidently. It is so annoying. I have thick, wavy hair, and need the higher setting. I hate when I keep lowering the heat on myself, lol. There is no worry of this on this brush. You can easily straighten and de-frizz yourself with this brush. You can even style your hair, with practice, with this brush. There are three main settings on this brush: Low, Medium, and High. Low is 365 degrees Fahrenheit and for delicate, fine, or colored hair. Medium is 410 degrees Fahrenheit and is for natural hair. High, which is what I use, is 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and is for thick or curly hair. It doesn’t but a couple minutes to heat up, and then you want to section of your hair as you brush. To straighten, they suggest in the pamphlet, to brush slowly from underneath the section of hair. This keeps the bristles off of your scalp, as well as giving you more control getting the brush through your hair. Just slowly move the brush through your hair. You will be so pleased at how well it works. It helps to calm your hair. I live by the coast, and in seconds, my hair can get so frizzy and wild. Even though these still get very hot, they are still a lot safer and use then regular straight irons. There is an LCD screen on the handle which lets you know the temperature. The automatic shut off on this unit is 60 minutes, if not used. It’s nice to know there’s a built in safety feature, but I think the time frame should be much less. Remember to let it cool off before storing it. Never rinse this unit off to clean it either. Use a cloth to clean it off, when it’s cool.  The cord has the 360 swivel built into it, so it’s easy to use. The handle is comfortable to hold. Overall, it’s a great working ceramic straightening brush.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Simply Straight Ceramic Hair Straightening Brush, Black/Pink, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This product arrives as shown.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BCNH7DQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

A fun baking set. – BrilliantChef’s Complete Bundle.

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I do all of the cooking in my house. Since I have insane life threatening food allergies, I do it all from scratch. I really enjoy baking though. This is a fun set from BrillianChef. I do love silicone bakeware and cookware. It’s so easy to store, especially if you have a smaller kitchen like I do. It can be smashed together, folded, and piled, a lot easier than metal bakeware. This particular muffin pan is made out of 100% food grade silicone. It is nontoxic and BPA free, as well as FDA approved. They included some liners, as well as a spatula and pastry brush too. You can choose to use the liners or not. If you do not, I always grease the cups, so It’s easier to pop them out. To pop your cupcakes out without liners, just push slowly from underneath. You can also do this when washing them, to get all of the cake residue off of the pan. You can make candies, chocolates, cupcakes, brownies, meatloaf cakes, mini potpies, soap, and more in this pan. I love how temperature friendly silicone is. It can go from freezer to microwave to the oven. It is even dishwasher safe. This silicone pan can tolerate temperatures as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It cannot handle open flame! I like this muffin pan. The walls are nice and thick. They really hold their shape. They did not skimp making this pan. It has 12 slots, just like any other muffin pan. You do, however, need to play it on top of a cookie sheet, or something like that. It’s flexible, since it is silicone, and when filled, can be easy to spill getting it in and out of the oven. The included spatula is also silicone, and has a plastic handle. The same goes for the pastry brush. They clean real easily, and are made well. It really tops this off as a nice baking set.

I was afforded the opportunity to review BrilliantChef’s Complete Bundle, Cupcake Pan + Spatula + Pastry Brush + Paper Cups, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This product arrives as shown.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015J64GO0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Beach Time. – Kids To Discover’s Beach Toy Set in Reusable Zippered Bag with Mesh Bag.

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It’s almost beach time here in NC, so excited. We live by the coast, and beach toys are a Spring thing. We all start gathering up our summer essentials. I even know a lot of adults that like to have a shovel and a sifter to look for shark teeth with. That would include myself. I love, love, love that this Kids TO Discover set comes with a mesh storage bag. It makes getting those toys to and from the beach, so much easier. My son is not a massive helper when it comes to these things. Give him a bag like this though, and all of a sudden, he can manage it. This set arrives in a clear, vinyl storage bag, and the mesh bag is stored inside of it with the toys. The toys that arrive with this set are: 2 Sand Castle Molds (7″x5″) and (6″x5″), 6 sand molds (alligator, crocodile, turtle, bunny, dinosaur, castle wall), 1 sand sifter, 1 watering can, 1 rake and 1 shovel. The larger sand castle mold is the bucket with handle. My items were different colors from the pictures posted on the ad page, so know that you will get a random color selection. All of my items were yellow, red, green, blue and orange. The sifter is really a lid attachment for the main bucket. It doesn’t snap on, but fits on well. If you want to rinse off your seashells, you can hold the hold the lid on the bucket while tipping the bucket upside down. You can sift a lot of sand through this lid. It also has 2 holes it in, so it’s not just a sifter. It’s definitely a different set up than a lot of beach toys like this. Otherwise it has a lot of similarities. The items are made out of plastic. The shovel and rake are larger than most. Adults can comfortably hold the handles. These are sand quality items, not for digging in dirt and rocks. This is a fun set, and we can’t wait for it to stay warm, lol. Two days ago it was in the 80’s and today it’s in the 50’s and raining. Come on Summer time fun!

I was afforded the opportunity to review Kids To Discover’s Beach Toy Set in Reusable Zippered Bag with Mesh Bag, at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UVVM45M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Telling time with elegance. – BINGER’s Women Pearl Quartz Watch with Date Display.

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I love seeing people wear watches. I live and breathe with my cell phone, but a watch is also a piece of jewelry, for both man and woman. It’s definitely more refined than always glancing at your phone. Don’t we do that enough already. When we are out with friends and family, do we need to constantly be glancing at our phones. If you are at a business meeting, it is unconscionable to be glancing at your phone. Some companies will even fire you for that. I like the reliability of a watch also. My phone battery runs down fast as it is, lol. 

This watch has a Japanese VX12 quartz movement in it. The casing is stainless steel, and the crystal is a sapphire crystal dial window. The band is approximately ¾’s of an inch wide, and tapers slightly down. The hardware is a warm gold tone. The watch strap is made out of leather. It is thick calfskin, and has a crocodile pattern to it. I love the watch band. It is stiff at first, and you need to give it a break in period. The stitching was done well on the strap. There is a B etched on the strap buckle itself. It’s a nice touch. The watch face is so pretty. The center of it was done in Mother of Pearl, and it’s beautiful. The XII and VI are the only numbers spelled out. The rest are done with Rhinestones. The background is done in a subtle texture. The texture is really, little tiny clovers. It is a beautiful watch. Also on the watch is the day setting of the month. Changing the day setting is a little temperamental, lol. You need to find the sweet spot between pulling the dial all the way out to pushing it back in. Every time I thought I found the half way point, I had not. It’s there, just keep trying. Do the date before setting the time. Otherwise, you will have to reset the time. To set the time, just pull the dial all the way out, and push it back in when you are done. This is a silent running watch. It does have a second hand, which is very important for tasks like pulse and respiration taking. Yes, I used to be a Nurse, lol. It is water resistant. They state up to 330 ft. Just not suitable for Diving. I washed all types of dishes with it. I wash them all by hand, all of the time. I’ve done a ton of hand washing as well. My watch is still working perfectly. It’s still too cold here for swimming. But I can shower with it. If you do this, condition your leather to keep it right. Like I said, it’s a beautiful watchband. The watch is so pretty out in the sunlight. I have always been a Mother of Pearl fan. It has a beautiful luminescence to it. The slight hint of changing colors. It speaks to the artistic heart. It’s very romantic in nature. This watch would make a lovely gift. It’s beautiful, and it’s a well working machine.

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I was afforded the opportunity to review BINGER’s Women Pearl Quartz Watch with Date Display Romans Numerals, at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. This product arrives very nicely packaged as shown.

If you would like to buy this beautiful watch, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01C5P374I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Yea, coloring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! – CrownArt- 24 Pack of Colored Pencils.

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Yea, coloring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s fun for both adults and children. Even if you think you don’t like coloring, I bet you still have fun helping your kids, lol. That’s what we adults do. Drawing is fun, whether it be free hand or in one of those new Adult Coloring books going around. This is a set of 24 colored pencils. They used high quality pigments, and it shows when you are drawing. The coverage is great, and they are soft to write with. You can do shading well, hard line drawing well; full spectrum colored pencils. These are water resistant, fade resistant/light resistant. They arrive pre-sharpened and ready to go. Mine sharpen easily as well. I absolutely love how vibrant the colors are. They really make your pictures come alive. My son is 8 and likes the adult coloring books as well. He thinks kids coloring books are too childish for him now. I’m so glad there’s this option for him now. With adult coloring books, you need better quality pencils. The areas to color can be so fine and dainty. You can layer with these and blend. Wait till you use them the first time, you will be so happy with them. I, until recently, have only been using low end pencils, that I buy for my son. I always hated using those. They just do not cover well at all. After moving on up to high quality colored pencils, I can never go back again. I used them years ago in Art School. I am so glad they are back in my life. There is no comparison. My son is now officially spoiled too, lol. Coloring, drawing, creating, is so relaxing. I am so glad there are quality colored pencils like these from Crown Art. The colors are just so vibrant in this set.

I was afforded the opportunity to review CrownArt- 24 Pack of Colored Pencils, at a reduced price, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase these pencils, you can find them here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BG6QYD8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage