Energizer Weatheready Rechargeable 2AA 3-LED Safety Flash/Power Failure Light

Measuring 5" x 1-3/4" x 1", this handy safety light/nightlight/flashlight combo is something that everyone needs in their home. All you need to do is open the package, flip up the prongs and plug it into your outlet, and you're set to go! Since this safety light can stay plugged in all the time, you always have a flashlight that works on hand, and when the power goes out, the light automatically comes on. No more searching in the dark for candles and that evasive flashlight when the powers goes out!

This unit has 3 lumen settings: a nightlight setting and 2 brightness settings for the flashlight. If you use this unit for a nightlight, you will need to manually turn it on and off. Personally, I find that a bit of a pain, so I don't use the nightlight feature. It works wonderfully as a flashlight. Just pull it out of the socket, fold down the prongs, and go. With its small size, it easily and comfortably fits into the palm of your hand. When you're finished using it, just plug it back in.

This unit runs about an hour on a full charge.


For more information about the Energizer Weatheready Rechargeable 2AA 3-LED Safety Flash/Power Failure Light, please visit Amazon's product page.

I received this product through the Vine program. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

Review: Thule Crossover TCBP-117 Backpack for 17-Inch MacBook Pro

Although advertised for the 17" MacBook Pro, other 17" and under laptops will fit with no problem. The laptop compartment is well padded and is much nicer than the previous backpacks I've purchased in the past. The main compartment easily carries many books with ease and depending on how full you have your pack, can be adjusted on the sides creating a snug fit for the items inside. No more books shifting!

The top has a protected compartment - a nice hard-shelled case to keep breakable items in (glasses, phone, etc.) and if you don't want or like it, the hard shell is removable, creating a soft compartment. This compartment is also lockable, so no more lost items falling out.

There are so many compartments in this back and they were made for easy access. You don't have to open your whole bag to get your books or your laptop out. On the sides are two pockets that have mesh that folds out, and were designed to carry water bottles. When not in use, just zip them closed and no worries about getting them snagged on anything.

The backpack is made of a lightweight but sturdy fabric, and is water-resistant. The handles and straps are stitched on and do not appear that they would easily come apart. The straps are solid and well padded and are comfortable.

The Case Logic Thule Crossover Backpack is perfect for the college student. It's very nicely designed and designed to be well used (and probably abused). I have been VERY pleased with my pack so far!





Click here to find out more about the pack and where to purchase.

I received this product through the Vine program to test and review. I was not required to write a favorable review, but instead one that reflects my honest opinion.

EveryDayWillow Wool Dryer Balls - Favorite of 2011

Going through different stores and websites, I have come across different versions of dryer balls - all claiming that they can soften your clothes and reduce dryer time. I've been skeptical at the very least. Most balls were synthetic and heavy and somewhat pricey (in my opinion), just to put in my dryer, make lots of noise and possibly ruin my clothes and still not make any difference.

When I got the chance to try EveryDayWillow Wool Dryer Balls, I jumped at the chance, because I wanted in the worst way to prove that these things were nothing more than an expensive "gimmick". I just couldn't comprehend HOW a couple balls in the dryer would reduce the drying time of my clothing and not come out all full of static. I was prepared to write a review warning every consumer to save their money.

Well, that's not going to happen. The EveryDayWillow Wool Dryer Balls have blown me away. These very simplistic items ended up being my absolute FAVORITE item that I was able to test and review for 2011!

I received three balls, very well packaged and in a box like the one shown above. They appeared to be very well constructed and in the most gorgeous jewel tones: Spearmint, Dragonberry, and Grape Jelly. They were made of 100% wool and had a somewhat firm feel to them. They came with directions and also a claim that these colored balls would not harm whites. I was skeptical that these beautiful dark jewel tones would not transfer any color to my whites.

The first load that I used the balls with came out full of static. See - I was sure these wouldn't work. I emailed Catherine at The Willow Store and she told me I had over-dried my clothes and to lessen the time next time. I knew that wouldn't work, because we have an OLD dryer (from 1970) that normally won't dry a load of clothes without adding extra time.

The next load, I backed off a bit more and still had static. BUT my clothes were dry the first time through! I continued this experiment and found we were knocking off 20 minutes or more with DRY clothes and NO STATIC!!

Then it was time to try the whites. I was so skeptical that I used with a load of white work rags to make sure  there would be no transfer of color. I had no problem at all. I became braver, and did out white towels and finally our good clothes.

All this took a lot more time than I had expected to do a review for The Willow Store. My turn-around wasn't as fast as I had originally thought. When I found the balls really did cut down on my dryer time, then it was to see how much I was going to save.  The first full month's electric bill was down $20. The second month was down about the same, even with the per kilowatt price increase!!  That's INCREDIBLE!

The balls are holding up nicely. They did seem to get a little firmer and are getting those balls that wool sweaters get, but outside of that, I see nothing that says these guys won't last a long, long time!

A set of three balls like those that I received cost $19.95 (at the time of this review). We are normally a household of two now that the kids are in college, and with the savings we saw, these guys paid for themselves in the first month, just in the electric bill alone. Imagine the savings one could see over the next year in the electric bill alone. Plus no more smelly dryer sheets or liquid fabric softener and less wear and tear on the dryer. With a larger family, one could see an even more substantial savings!

You will need to experiment as I did to find out how much time you can cut off your drying time, as each dryer is different. You will also find different clothes, fabric weights and types of cloth will also require different lengths of time to dry. It is a bit fussy at first, but in just a few loads of laundry, you will be able to determine how long is needed and for what type of clothing. For me, the hardest thing about using these balls is sometimes finding them. I've found them in pockets, sleeves, and pant legs before, but certainly a small inconvenience next to the savings I see on my electric bill!

EveryDayWillow Wool Dryer Balls are most definitely the best product I've used and tested in 2011! Thank you to Catherine at The Willow Store for providing me a set of these to use and honestly review.

UNO Roboto™ Game

About Uno Roboto™ (description from Amazon)


Meet the interactive wild card that brings Uno to life. Customizable game play begins with recording each player's name and creating a totally unique House Rule. As you start playing cards into the head of this unpredictable little robot, he'll surprise you by calling out Random Rules and funny phrases that change the way you play. He'll call on you by name and tell you what to do next. He'll announce your House Rule then everyone must race to complete it. You never know what Uno Roboto will say next -- but no matter what he says, you still have to say Uno. The game includes 1 Uno Roboto figure, 108 cards and instructions. It's a great family game for 2 to 10 players. It's a must-have for any game night. Ages 7 and up.





My Thoughts:

I grew up with UNO™ being one of THE games we played, especially at family gatherings. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter hold fond memories of sitting around the table after dinner where we all gathered and played and played and played UNO™. One by one the kids would drop out and an adult would take their place until it became an adult game that went into the wee hours of the morning.

When my children were growing up, we followed the same tradition and have enjoyed UNO™. It's a game that seems to belong in our family. So when I had the opportunity to review the UNO Roboto™ Game, I jumped at the chance. My thought was how could they make the game any better? Honestly, I was skeptical and wasn't really expecting much.

When the UNO Roboto™ Game arrived,  the robot came fully loaded with batteries and a deck of 108 cards + 4 additional cards that had suggestions for the house rules, and a rule/instruction sheet. The robot was not extremely easy to get out of the box - both a plus and minus. A plus that he won't get dislodged in transport - keeping him safe and sound, but not so great if you want to keep him in the packaging to store when not in use.

We played/tested the game with all adults. My children are grown up and the youngest is 18, so it makes it a bit more challenging to find games that they consider fun. When I put this guy out, they thought he was cute, but groaned because the house rules and concept seemed "lame" to them. We quickly went over the rules, and then started playing.

When we started the robot, he asks for everyone to record their names, then he repeats them back in a robot voice. We found if you use inflections or drawn out names, they can sound very amusing as the robot repeats them. Next the robot has you record a house rule (if you want to use one) and then tells which person will start the game. When you take a turn, you discard your card on top of his head, push down on the card (which sits over the discard plate) and on to the next player. This indicated that the player's turn is over and has moved on to the next person. While playing like you would in the original game of UNO™, the robot will call out random things for certain players to do, then he chooses the next person who will play - throwing things out of sequence.

This can make a very interesting game. It can get confusing, especially when you have reversals, and no one can remember which way things were going. Then a house rule can be called out, and at first, the kids thought it was "kind of stupid" but after a couple of games, one can get confused trying to remember which house rule to use in which game. This confusion had us laughing as some of us were doing house rules from past games and then quickly going through a few to end up with the correct one. We ended up laughing so hard we had tears in our eyes.

My conclusion is the UNO Roboto™ Game is definitely a fantastic and fun family game that everyone can enjoy - even the most skeptical and hard to please. This is a game that will keep everyone laughing and create fond memories to remember long after the game is over.  As with the original UNO™ Card Game, the UNO Roboto™ Game is truly a game for all ages.

The UNO Roboto™ Game comes HIGHLY recommend from EVERYONE in our family!!!

I received an UNO Roboto™ Game from Mattel to use and honestly review.

Harman Kardon Go+Play Micro Speaker System for iPod & MP3 Players

Harman Kardon is known for quality sound and this system held up to most of my expectations and exceeded in others. The Go+Play Micro Speaker System is designed for iPod but says in the description that it will work with other MP3 players as well. We have a variety of MP3 players in our home: iPod Classic 5th Gen, iPod Touch 2nd Gen, SanDisk Sansa Li'l Monsta, and a SanDisk Sansa View. The Go+Play worked with all with NO problem! I'm especially pleased because we have not found anything that will support the Li'l Monsta - until now. Another thing that pleased me was this system can also be hooked up to other auxiliary devices like a CD player, a PC or laptop and satellite radio!

The Go+Play can be hooked up to your TV or computer to do a slide show or video from you MP3 player, making it really nice to share things with family or friends. It can also be hooked up to your computer and interface with iTunes to sync you iPod. I was a bit disappointed though, as there were no cables of any type included. If you plan on using these features, you will need to purchase a video cable, an audio cable (3.5mm), and a USB cable. (The USB cable is not the normal size, but a larger one like on a printer.)

The Go+Play can be run on both batteries (8 C-cell) or by using the included power supply. This makes it nice to take along, but is lovely enough to have in any room in the home. Another nice feature... It comes with a remote that allows one to control the unit (when using an iPod) from a distance away. The remote will only control volume when using an auxiliary device - everything else has to be controlled directly from the device you've hooked up to the sound system.

The sound quality is very nice, but I find it lacking some in the base. Overall, the Go+Play system is a very nice sound system that I would definitely recommend to both my family and friends.

To learn more about the Harman Kardon Go+Play Micro Speaker System, click here

This product was supplied by Vine for testing and honest evaluation.

Velocity Fitness Magnetic Rower Review

Velocity Fitness CHR-2001 Programable Magnetic Rower allows you to get an effective workout in the comfort of your own home. Features a Drum Magnetic Control System (DMC), electronic tension control and is foldable making it convenient for storage when not in use. It has a large PU mouled saddle for maximum comfort and the beam is made of anodized aluminum profile and rectangular tubing support. Unit is also equiped with built in transportation wheels. The computer monitor has a large LCD all easy to read monitor. Functions include time, count, stroke/minutes, distance, calories, watt & pulse. There are 12 programs: manual, 6 pre-set. Offers a smooth and quiet workout. Rowing is an especially balanced form of exercise that involves all the main muscle groups and increases the efficiency of the heart and circulatory systems.

My Thoughts:

We live in an area that doesn't have a gym, so this is the first rowing machine any of us has used. Keeping that in mind, this is coming from a novice point of view.

The machine itself weighs about 90 pounds, and arrived needing assembly. All tools and materials were included, so it was just a matter of about 30 minutes to get the whole thing out of the box and assembled. The directions were clear and easy to follow. All pieces were made of heavy steel and the bolts were some of the biggest I have ever seen! The main part that houses the electronics has a plastic cover and is of a pleasing design and color.

When fully extended and ready for working out on, the unit measures about 7 feet. The manufacturer's description said the unit can be folded for space saving when not in use. It does compact nicely, with measurements of 54"h x 34"d x 20"w and this is obtained by folding the unit up in front of the seat.

The unit seems to be of good quality. The seat is well padded and very comfortable and the handles are nicely padded and are comfortable to grip. The foot rests are adjustable and fit each member of our family nicely. The seat quietly and easily glides on the beam.

We have 4 in the family - 2 teens and 2 adults. The unit works well with each having different strength programs that each family member prefers. My husband, who was far from interested in a rowing machine, is using it daily and has customized his own workout. He LOVES it, and is amazed at how much of a workout one can receive for the small amount of time that is spent on the machine.

A real plus for us is how quiet the unit is. One can work out and not disturb the rest of the family. I like using it early in the morning, and my husband likes using it late in the evening and it doesn't disturb anyone. The kids like using it when they are watching TV or listening to music and being quiet as the unit is, they can listen at normal levels.

There were a few drawbacks:

*Since we are new at using a rowing machine, we found no instruction in the book on how to use it. I know that it's not rocket science, but there were warm-up exercises included, but nothing else. If you know how to use a rowing machine, wouldn't you also know how to warm up? That, of course, was easily remedied - online videos are easy to find.

*The heart monitor that belts around the torso doesn't agree with my husband. Not sure why, but he has had trouble with it from day one. He doesn't like how it fits so he doesn't use it. I'm wondering if it is because of his broad chest. Other family members don't have this complaint.

*My husband thinks the handles should be bent forward a bit, instead of straight across. He thinks it would be more comfortable to use. The rest of us don't have a problem with them the way they are.

*My husband is over 6ft. tall with long legs. He has come close to the end of the beam when he was enthusiastically working out. There is no stop at the end and could be a problem for a very tall person.

*The directions on how to use the programs could be a bit more clear and easier to use. A little more in-depth explanation about each program would be nice.

I love the design, the ease in use, and the compactness of the Velocity Fitness Magnetic Rower. It has been nothing except a wonderful addition to my family's workout routine. If you have only enough money to buy one machine for your fitness program, this is the only one you really need. It works all your muscle groups and gives you a wonderful aerobic workout.

Product was sent through the Amazon Vine Program for me to test and honestly review.

Giveaway & Review: Me Time CD

Me Time: Positive Day - Peaceful Night CD

Authored and Narrated by : Suzanne Jessee

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In a world full of work, schedules, meetings, stress, running the kids everywhere, taking care of the family and trying to make ends meet, there just doesn't seem to be any time to take care of the most important person of all... yourself! Me Time is a wonderful tool to help nurture and take care of yourself in just a few minutes a day!

Using Me Time in the morning and/or afternoon with relax and rejuvenate you, making your ready to face the day. At bedtime, it will help you unwind and relax, and you will be asleep in no time. Me Time uses beautiful guided imagery techniques, a guide with a calm and soft voice, soothing music, relaxation exercises, and the peaceful and calming sounds of nature. Two of the 3 tracks are guided, but the last is just music and nature, creating almost 30 peaceful and relaxing minutes to calm you and ease you to sleep. It is a wonderful tool to help people that have trouble falling asleep.

My Comments:

In college, I took a class on relaxation techniques, and learned how to do self-guided imagery and how to relax. It was wonderful, and it worked - when I worked it. After marriage, children, responsibilities and just plain old life, I lost sight of how to center myself and relax. Honestly, as time went on, I totally forgot about the class and all that I learned. When I had the opportunity to try out this CD, I was very excited. All I needed was a nice quite place to relax and get comfortable, and a CD player. I've been using the CD for a good week now, and I can honestly say, it does make a difference! I feel much less stressed, my sleeping habits are improved, and I feel like I have a lot more energy - all giving me a better and more positive outlook on things.


Suzanne Jessee is a Mental Health Coach that was once a victim of chronic stress and panic disorder. Today she is a recognized figure in helping thousands nationwide to reduce and eliminate stress in their lives. If you would like to learn more about Suzanne or her available products, please visit her website at: http://www.SuzanneJessee.com

Giveaway:

Rules:

1. You must be a follower of this blog.
2. You must leave your email address so I can contact you.
3. Open to US (sorry!!)

BONUS!!! Extra entry - Blog, Tweet, FB, or Sidebar about this contest and leave the URL(s) in your comment. (you can get up to 4 extra entries!)

To protect you from email harvesting, I am using a form instead of comments.

To enter - Fill out this form.

Contest ends April 1st at 11:59pm EST.

Good Luck!!!!

(Please note: These will be sent directly to you from SSA Public Relations. I will not be mailing this prize, but will be passing on your mailing information to SSA Public Relations.)

This product was sent to me by SSA Public Relations to honestly review .