Product Review: Art 2 Frame 16 x 20 Canvas Print

Katie May 3, 2016 0 Comments

I am always looking for new and fun ways to display some of my photography. One of my favorite ways is to get my photos printed and wrapped on to canvas.  Recently I had the chance to try out “Art To Frames” which makes their canvases available on Amazon.com.  I got a 16×20 and after struggling to choose which photo I wanted to use for my canvas, the process couldn’t have been easier.  Simply find them on Amazon, choose which size you want (they are available in 16×20, 24×16, 24×18, 24×20, 30×20 and 36×24 and prices start at $24.95) and then press the “Customize Now” button.  There you can easily upload a picture from your computer and add it to your cart.  ArtToFrames recommends that you use an image greater than 1MB and for best results a 2500 x 3500 px or higher resolution photo shot in portrait mode.  They are currently able to support a maximum file size of 7MB in jpeg or png formats.

Once you’re done, just sit back and wait for your canvas to come in the mail! Mine came in just a couple days and looks amazing! I can’t wait to find the perfect spot to hang it!

I received this product at a discount in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: 100 Gel Pens

Katie April 26, 2016 0 Comments

Recently I had the chance to review a 100 pack of Gel Pens from Artists’ Choice.  They come in a great case so you can keep them all together and it doesn’t take up a ton of room and also there is not any duplicates.  I had previously gotten a set of 60 to review and while there was quite a selection, there were also a lot of duplicates.  This one doesn’t have that – which I found to be both awesome (so many colors to choose from!) and not so great either since I was coloring in a large segment of a scrapbook page (I went on a kick of making my scrapbook pages be coloring book pages too) and needed to use 3 different pens once the first one ran out halfway through.  Fortunately I expected to run out of ink and was doing every other letter so it would look like it was done on purpose – and it only ran out one letter too soon.  See if you can spot it in the future when the page makes it into a scrapbook saturday post (It isn’t done yet so I’m not sure when it will be… but someday!)

All the colors I tried were very vibrant and some even had sparkles in them which is always a plus!  They worked well and I didn’t have to fight them to get the ink to come out and i am looking forward to coloring some more scrapbook pages, writing out setlists and even doing some coloring book pages with them in the future! Definitely check these out if you are looking for some colorful gel pens.

I received a free product in exchange for this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: Beets Blu Heart Rate Monitor

Katie April 20, 2016 0 Comments

If you’ve been following the blog recently you’ll know I’ve been trying to get healthy.  I have been using my Jawbone Up for almost a year now and have recently started trying to do more walking around the neighborhood, starting small but hopefully working my way up to longer distances and without the assistance of my leg brace.

I had heard that the best way to track how many calories you are burning is by measuring your heart rate, as all the other apps just estimates.  Beets Blu has a heartrate monitor that you can use through an app on your phone and bluetooth, as long as your phone is compatible. (iPhone 4S and later, iPad 3 and later and Android 4.3 and later are all compatible)

At first I had some trouble trying to get the app to see my monitor.  Don’t pair the monitor with your phone like you do other devices, just “search” for it in the app and let it connect.  I also found I needed to be wearing it in order for the app to see it. (And if that didn’t work, try wetting the connectors)

The strap of the device is adjustable, like a belt.  I wrapped it just under my bra and it snaps together.  Then I told the app to start monitoring and went on my walk. After the walk, it gave he the details of what I did – my walk was at 1:33pm for 12 minutes and I burned 94 calories. (Runkeeper said I burned 44 calories)  My average heart rate was 132, 137 5 minutes after the start and 127 5 minutes before I finished.  There’s also a graph displayed to show the bpm.  (And I did go a bit faster than usual to try and get my heart rate up)

I did find after my first use I needed to adjust the strap a little bit more as it did get a bit uncomfortable to wear, but once I did that I hardly even noticed that I was wearing it.  It is super easy to use now that the app can see it and I am looking forward to tracking my activity a lot better with it.

I received a free product in exchange for this honest review.

Product Review: Swiffer 360

Katie March 19, 2016 0 Comments

Recently I had a very real problem.  The ceiling fan in my bedroom was covered in dust and in need of a good dusting but I had no idea how I was going to be able to reach it.  Of course, Swiffer to the rescue.  The Swiffer 360 has an extendable handle and it rotates so you can get it in the perfect position to clean off the blades on the ceiling fan.  We also found that it worked really well to clean the dust off the blinds in our house.  Once they are shut, run the swiffer over it and be impressed (or disgusted?) with the amount of dust it cleans off.  Quick and easy and does a great job!

If you want to try this out for yourself, Walmart has coupons!

I received a free Swiffer 360 through bzzagent in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: o.b. tampons

Katie March 19, 2016 0 Comments

I’ve been struggling with how to write a review for tampons for a while now. But I am just going to be as honest as possible while trying not to cross the “TMI” line.  Recently I had the chance to try out o.b. tampons for being a bzzagent.  I was sent several packages of the o.b. tampons which have no applicators.  I liked that because they are more environmentally friendly and you are also able to be more discrete with them.  They fit in your pocket and also came with a nice little case that holds 4 tampons that can easily fit in your purse or pocket without it being super obvious what you have.

I wasn’t sure how I’d like not using an applicator, but I didn’t find that to be a problem at all after a failed attempt at first.  My main problem was that they were not up to par with the absorbency of my usual tampons.

I do have the little case in my purse and would use them if it was all I had, but as far as replacing my usual brand, I don’t think that be happening any time soon.

I received free tampons from ob to try in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: Filippo Berio Delicato Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Katie March 18, 2016 0 Comments

Filippo Berio’s Olive Oil Masters have decades of experience traveling the world seeking the finest olive oils and they have combined their scientific and artistic skills to create three, distinctly delicious, Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil Flavors.  Our new Delicato delivers a mild taste, our new Robusto a bold taste, and our longstanding “traditional” EV imparts a balanced taste already enjoyed by millions of consumers worldwide.

Two more reasons to love Filippo Berio Olive Oil.

Robusto – A bold, full-bodied Extra Virgin Olive oil that adds a lively burst of flavor to a variety of recipes.

An olive oil that contains a select, premium blend of blood-tasting olive oils which provide a strong, vibrant taste.  An intense, fruity flavor is accompanied by a pleasant yet bitter sensation on the tongue and a peppery sensation in the throat.  Robusto offers persistent notes of fresh olives, artichokes, leaves and ripe tomatoes, all of which linger on the plate after swallowing due to this olive oil’s long finish.

Delicato – A milder taste that compliments your favorite dishes, inviting other ingredients to shine through.

An olive oil that contains a select, premium blend of mild-tasting olive oils which provide a smooth, mellow taste.  Delicato delivers a slightly fruity flavor, without the bitterness and pungency often associated with Extra Virgin Olive Oils. A hint of apple and ripe olive notes are present, but disappear soon thereafter, due to this olive oil’s short finish.

We mainly use Olive Oil as our salad dressing and when we made the replacement at Sunday dinner everyone said they thought the salad tasted better, but couldn’t figure out why.

One of the things I learned in the pamphlet I got sent with my package from Influenster was that Olive Oil is also healthy for you in addition to tasting great.  A magnet with conversions for using olive oil instead of butter or margarine was included and while I have not tried any of the substitutions yet, I am looking forward to trying it.

I received this product for free in exchange for this review through Influenster. I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: Aspicio Colored Tissue Paper

Katie March 9, 2016 0 Comments

I love giving gifts in gift bags, it makes awkward sized packages so much easier to carry, but I’m always not sure what kind of tissue paper to use in order to make the bag look even more festive.  Just plain white? Or should I go all out with colors?

For $15.90 on Amazon you can get a package of high quality deluxe colored tissue paper that is used by merchants and craft enthusiasts alike.  The first thing I noticed about this package when I opened it was how much heavier it is than other tissue paper I have used in the past.  The colors are well organized and packaged to avoid being damaged in transit and they are heavyweight and larger than the sheets you may be used to.

The sheets are 19 2/3 by 29 1/2. They won’t tear as easy as other sheets and the package contains 25 colors and a total of 100 sheets.

In addition to using them for gift wrapping, I am thinking about using them for some of my scrapbook projects as well.  You know how much I love confetti… I think this paper would make some great confetti to add to scrapbook pages and I’m sure there are a lot of other possibilities as well!

I received this product at a deep discount in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: Hybrid Hip Leather Fanny Pack

Katie February 28, 2016 0 Comments

The Hybrid Hip Leather Fanny Pack comes in 2 colors, Brown and Black.  It is easy to keep all your essentials within easy reach while keeping your hands free.  The pack is made using supple, full-grain leather to construct a sturdy 3-compartment waist bag. The roomy top-opening is great for holding travel documents, iPhone, USB cables and earbuds, safely and securely with zipper closure.  There are two smaller front pouches, one with zipper closer and one with a toggle fastener. My camera fits easily in either of these pouches but my phone (Galaxy S5) fits but cannot zip or toggle close.  Most of the time I want easy access to it anyway, so having the pouch unzipped is not a problem and if I want to keep it more secure it fits easily in the larger zipper pouch.  All of the pouches are easy to open with just one hand which is great since I’ve been using a cane a lot as of late and typically only have 1 free hand available.

The belt of the pack is fully-adjustable fitting waist sizes from 30-40 inches.  I had no problem easily adjusting it to perfectly fit on my waist in a way I felt was comfortable. It is made in black to compliment motorcycle accessories or brown to compliment horse riding accessories.

I received a free fanny pack in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Product Review: RFID-Blocking Passport Wallet from LemurGear

Katie February 14, 2016 0 Comments

A lot of times when I am traveling I see an older couple show up wearing some sort of lanyard/wallet around their neck with their ID and passport in it.  I used to make fun of them. How touristy of them!  Except that now the more that I travel, the more time I have spent trying to juggle all my important documents and keep track of where the heck I last put them.  How did my boarding pass end up at the bottom of my purse? Which pocket did I put my ID in? Is my passport still on my person?  Now that I’m getting older I am realizing that maybe these older couples are on to something!

Recently I received a free Lemur Gear roomy passport wallet.  It can easily fit my passport (in 1 of 3 areas), credit card, boarding pass, and ID out and at the ready.  The wallet can then be worn around my neck so I am hands free! And even better yet, the wallet has RFID-blocking technology which can help prevent the theft of your credit card numbers.  Keep everything organized and easy to grab when you need them.  If you want, you can even tuck the wallet inside your shirt where it is so thin, it will hardly be noticed.

• Adjustable lanyard for a customizable fit.
• RFID-blocking material prevents data theft.
• Lightweight, water-resistant nylon protects against spills.
• Holds multiple passports, money, phone, credit card & more.
• Wear around your neck or cross-body style.
• Clear front window lets you view ID, passport & more without removal.

I received a free product in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are 100% mine.

Product Review: Up24 vs Up2

Katie February 10, 2016 0 Comments

Last year I decided I wanted to get something to more accurate track the steps I was taking at work than just my phone.  In May, I ended up buying the UP24 on Amazon.  I set up the app on my phone and I was off.  I liked that in addition to tracking my steps, it also kept track of how long I was sleeping and that was very helpful in figuring out when to go to bed to make sure I could be somewhat productive the next day even when I had to wake up early.

There were a few things that I didn’t really like about the UP24 which were:

• Remembering to tell it I went to sleep by pushing a button
• When you charge it, you have to remove a cap that can easily be misplaced
• It easily could come off my wrist (mostly when retrieving snacks from vending machines)

For 8 months I really had no problems with the UP24.  It did seem to lose some of the early data from when I first had it which was annoying as I liked to go back and see my most active days, but oh well. I wasn’t sure it was going to survive the trip to Jamaica.  The button where you push to let it know you went to sleep or switch modes seemed to be pushing on to the band in strange ways and it had a bump in it and I figured over time, whatever was inside would just pop right out the side of the band.

Well, I was right in that there was a problem in Jamaica, but not the one I thought.  The button you press popped off at some point and I didn’t notice, so now it was lost.  I could still manage to push the button if I stuck my finger in the band, but I figured getting a new button was the way to go.

When I went to the Jawbone website to figure out what to do to get a new button, it said first I needed to update my Firmware.  I had tried this before the trip because the update supposedly made the charge last 14 days instead of 7.  None of my computers recognized the band when it was plugged in and when I contacted customer support they said they would send me an Up2 as a replacement since I was still under warranty.

I was bummed that the Up2 was black because I loved my orange (persimmon?) UP24.  But immediately when I pulled it out of the packaging I knew that most of the problems that I had with the 24 were resolved with the 2.

• There is no cap on it for charging
• There is no button to press to let it know you went to sleep
• The clasp keeps it tighter on my wrist

Another feature of the UP2 is that you don’t need to tell it when you went to sleep, it just “knows”.  Most of the reviews I read say that it is typically off about 30 minutes for them, and after a couple weeks or so I think that mine is off by about the same as well.  Laying in bed watching TV before going to sleep seems to come across as being asleep.

One of the downsides is that it seems to take forever to let me know how long I actually slept, sometimes several refreshes on the app (Which is a different app than I had used with the 24, but it seemed to import all the info from the old band)  The 24 usually would immediately let me know “Good Morning!” and how much I had slept the night before.  This obviously isn’t a deal breaker as the update does eventually come through.

I’m also not a fan of how you charge the UP2.  The up “balances” magnetically on the charging USB, which is fine if you’re at a desktop computer and it’s plugged into a tower not near anything.  Charging it on my laptop doesn’t work so well. I also have a USB port near me when I sleep and found that I knocked it over during the night when I was charging it and it fell off the charger.

Overall, I am quite pleased with the UP2 replacement and will just have to work through the things that are not as appealing to me.