Tag Archives: technology

Whether it’s for your daily workout, a trip to the beach or just having fun at home, music makes everything better and Best Buy has everything you need to make the most of your music experience during August Audio Fest!

Best Buy helps you enhance your home entertainment experience and upgrade your sound with additional components, speakers and headphones.

August Audio Fest is taking place across all Best Buy stores from 8/3/14 – 8/30/14

• Beginning 8/3/14 through 8/30/14 Best Buy will feature one month of deals audio specials, events & more.
• Best Buy is gathering the best offers on the best audio products throughout the entire month of August.
• Visit a Best Buy store to test & try the latest & greatest in audio – from portable Bluetooth speakers and headphones, to home theater solutions and car audio.
• Best Buy has the best selection of audio products – come in and let Best Buy teach you how to upgrade your sound; LOVE THE WAY YOU LiSTEN.

 

Two items you can get during August Audio Fest were sent to me for review.

 

JBL Reflect Sport Headphones:

Sport headphones from JBL to drive you closer to your goals. The ultimate workout partner, the Reflect combines cutting-edge style with innovative features. Providing legendary sound in a workout-ready headphones design, it puts you well on your way to achieving your athletic goals. Designed to stay secure in your ears, these ergonomic, stay-put ear-buds are engineered to withstand the rigors of your most energetic workout, delivering on the soundtrack to push you to drive harder.

I definitely am not a fan of typical ear phones…they just fall out with any type of movement, especially running. SO I’ve always used the kind that wrap around your ear. These provided a new option for me. They have an extra piece that fits in your ear to prevent it from falling out. I also like how there is a clip to attach them to your clothes so they don’t bounce around. They are reflective, giving you an extra level of safety when you can’t run during the day. They are even magnetic, so you can keep them together when not in use without them getting tangled!

With these headphones, you also have the ability to control your music with the buttons attached to the wire…no more fumbling to answer your phone or change the volume! I look forward to utilizing these more when I start working out again in a few weeks! Brett was also a fan!

 

JBL Clip Portable Bluetooth Speaker:

With Bluetooth technology, this JBL Clip speaker enables wireless music streaming and phone calls when paired with a compatible device. The built-in carabiner creates a ready-to-wear design, making it easy to take the speaker on the go.

As the name implies, the Clip is meant to be mated to your backpack, bike, pants – pretty much any clip-able locale – with an integrated carabiner, so it can throw down a soundtrack for your travels. And with summer on the way, hopefully you’ll be going a few places where having a bit ofmusic (or, you know, audio books, if that’s your thing) might make a pleasant addition to your journey.

For times that you don’t want to wear headphones, this clip speaker is perfect! It attaches to plenty of things, making it a great on-the-go device for playing music. This little device produced big sound!

With both of these products, I’ve got my workouts and fun events covered when it comes to music!

 

Be sure to check out all the amazing audio products you can get at Best Buy during August Audio Fest!

 

The reviewer received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. Thanks for reading!

Not like you need me to tell you, but it’s hot here in Florida during the summer. Then, multiply that by 10 for being pregnant in Florida during the summer and it’s no surprise that I drink a lot of water. Our entire family does. Brett likes to use those flavor pouches in his water and I like to water down Trent’s juice so that he gets flavor without all the sugar (in between the cups of water and milk that he drinks).

We’ve joked before how nice it would be to have a water dispenser unit in the house, that way we know we are getting clean, delicious water without using the hard water that is prominent in the tap water here in Florida. But those are only used in office buildings for lawyers and doctors, right?

Wrong!

In fact, why shouldn’t a family get to enjoy and benefit from clean, purified water without using a bunch of plastic bottles that are bad for the environment?

We have had the NewAir WCD-100W Water Dispenser in our home for almost a month and we have benefited so much from it.

A little about NewAir and the WCD-100W:

NewAir specializes in home appliances as well as home comfort products that focus on design and style to fit into any home décor. The NewAir WCD-100W 3 tap water dispenser eliminates all your concerns of H2O shortages. Have the option of hydrating with hot, cold or normal water. This unit has many special features, including its sleek and sophisticated design, which has an allover white base and black trimming.

Designed to work with 2-gallon, 3-gallon or 5-gallon bottles of drinking water, you are sure to never run short again, when it comes to water. This unit does not require a long installation process, simply place the unit on a flat surface away from direct sunlight and plug it in. This is an ideal solution for instant hot beverages in the morning and cold drinks in the afternoon.

I was glad that we had the perfect little convenient spot for it in between the dining room and kitchen.

One concern I had when first getting this was “How expensive are the bottles of water?”

So Brett headed out to the stores to see where he could get them from. Sure, we could sign up for a service, and that is definitely something convenient we will look into (I’m a big fan of being lazy and having things delivered to my door!), but right away, we wanted to know our options. Lo and behold, the large bottles of drinking water are available at many retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Walmart. We chose to get a 5-gallon jug, which costs $12 up front, but $6 is a deposit, which you just keep translating that into your next purchase…essentially making each 5-gallon jug just $6. That’s a pretty decent price for all of that water and much easier than buying and going through a bunch of bottles. I bet we can find it even cheaper if we searched more.

Setup

Setup was simple. Out of the box, it is recommended that you set the unit upright for 30 minutes, just in case of any unsettling by being shipped on its side. Insert the jug of water on top, plug the unit in and then run the valves according to the instructions to flush out any potential dust in the unit. After just a small wait before the hot and cold temperatures are reached, you are ready to enjoy!

Also note, I’ve seen some videos out there of people putting their water jugs in the unit and making a big mess. This is because they took off the cap that comes on new jugs. Proper installation will leave no water spills…promise!

 

Speaking of temperatures, this unit has 3 temperature options: normal, cold and hot. Which led me to my second concern…”We have a toddler. Will he burn himself with the hot water?”

The hot water valve has an extra level of safeguarding compared to the normal and cold valves. You have to squeeze the two levers together and then press down at the same time, which while isn’t difficult for an older child or adult, most would say is a little tough for a younger toddler to do on purpose. You can’t just accidentally pour hot water; it is a deliberate movement that I, as a parent, definitely appreciate.

I also wondered if my toddler, in one of his curious discoveries, would have fun pouring water all over the place by pressing down the other valves. However, so far other than putting some toys in the drip tray while Brett was setting it up, he hasn’t touched the unit. He watches us get our water and that’s it.

In the month we’ve been using it, we are are now on our third 5 gallon jug. We have used the cold water constantly and it tastes delicious. I feel like we drink even more water than before because it tastes good and I don’t want to waste it once I pour it into my cup. Even Trent drinks more water!

The hot water has so many uses. I use it to make oatmeal, hot cocoa, and tea. Instead of using the microwave, I just pour some hot water into my oatmeal and let it sit for a moment, stir in my other ingredients and then enjoy. I can bet that we will be using much more of the hot water function in the Fall and Winter (mmm hot apple cider).

 

Some other things I like about the NewAir Water Dispenser:

-Drip tray: to catch spills

-Small compartment at the bottom: can be used to store a number of things, such as cups, stirrers, oatmeal, cocoa, tea, sugar, etc.

-Hands-free pour: I like that I don’t have to hold down the cold or normal valve when dispensing the water into a cup. I can place my cup underneath the valve on the drip tray, push down on the valve, let my cup fill up and then pull up on the valve when done.

-Sophisticated design: It looks nice in our home!

 

The best part is that we are getting good quality water without negatively impacting the environment (or our wallets). The NewAir WCD-100 is a great investment for any home or office and as a mom, it’s definitely a good way to get your entire family to drink more water!

Here’s a short video I made showcasing the NewAir WCD-100W:

 

To Learn more & Buy:

NewAir Site

Amazon

Connect:

Facebook

Twitter

 

I received this item in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

Trent and I walk to the park all the time. It’s about an 8-10 minute walk from our house, which is just enough time for me to get a good bit of exercise in and for him to stay put in the stroller before he’s itching to get out. It would be nice to listen to music while walking, but I wouldn’t dare use head or earphones while walking or running with Trent. I like being able to hear any cars coming our way or any sounds he makes.

This was also true when Brett and I would run together with Trent. We liked listening to music, but we also wanted to be safe and be able to communicate with each other without headphones blocking the sound.

We have found a great product to help with that and so much more…the iFrogz Tadpole!

The iFrogz tadpole:

• Convenient: Ultra-small and powerful, the Tadpole delivers big sound everywhere you go.
• Long-Lasting: Its rechargeable lithium-ion battery powers over two hours of continuous play.
• Versatile: The Tadpole is compatible with all Bluetooth 3.0 devices

The iFrogz Tadpole is the ultra-small, super-portable solution to mobile music. It delivers big sound from a tiny package; and with its ability to clip onto keys, purses, belts, and more, the Tadpole brings the party where no other speaker has gone before. Its lithium-ion battery can power over two hours of continuous play and a simple micro-USB charging port makes recharging a snap. And with a variety of fresh colors to choose from, there’s a Tadpole that’s perfect for every style.

It uses Bluetooth 3.0, allowing up to 100 meters of distance before disconnecting from your smartphone. But if it does happen to disconnect, you can just press the button on the Tadpole to reconnect and your smartphone automatically does the rest!

In contrast to a larger bluetooth speaker that would be great for parties and larger spaces, the Tadpole is perfect for a more personal listening experience…because not everyone wants the world to hear their music. It’s battery provides up to 3 hours of music, allowing plenty of time for many uses:

-Working out: Perhaps you are working out with a friend and want to be able to hear each other, or you want to be safer while running in a neighborhood or with a child, or you just want the music as background noise but still want to hear what’s going on around you. It’s definitely a safer way to workout outside…hiking, cycling, running, etc. You can clip it to your clothes or your jogging stroller.

-Cleaning: I can bring it from room to room and still be able to hear it no matter what I’m cleaning. When I use the large stereo in the living room, I am not able to hear it when I’m cleaning all the way in the bathroom with the water on.

-Yard work: Clip it onto you and you’ll be able to hear your music all over the yard and while using lawn equipment. It has a 1-watt speaker inside, so it is loud enough to be heard over the roar of a lawnmower if you have it clipped close to you.

-Listening while baby is asleep: You can keep your music close and low while relaxing without waking up those around you.

-On-the-go: The Tadpole can clip to your purse or keys and go with you anywhere!

-Pranks: I’m not sure if I’m the only one who is this bad, but you could hide the Tadpole and play tricks on people! I’ll let you come up with your own creative ideas for that one!

-For kids: Trent has enjoyed walking around with the Tadpole and dancing to his favorite songs, while Brett or I control the music from our phones!

At just $19.99, the iFrogz Tadpole is an affordable and fun device with so many uses!

To learn more, see color options and accessories and to Buy, you can visit the iFrogz website.

***GIVEAWAY!***

FIVE lucky readers will win an iFogz Tadpole!

Prize: 1 iFrogz Tadpole

Eligibility: Worldwide

Ends: Sunday July 20, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST

How to enter: Use the Rafflecopter form below! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

Our house is becoming quite the technology-driven location. We’ve got more tablets than people, new phones, laptops of years gone by, and a different way of watching tv on each one of our 3 tvs. It sounds like a lot, but technology has gotten so much easier and makes things much easier as well.

We love being outside and having music playing while outside, whether it’s just our little family hanging out in the pool or a big birthday party, which is why I was so glad to have the opportunity to try the Kinivo Digital Wireless Bluetooth Speaker!

This little speaker packs a punch! It’s small, but delivers amazing sound.

Product Features

• Wireless Bluetooth speaker seamlessly streams music from bluetooth-capable smartphones, tablets, and computers
• Class-D amplifier provides high output sound performance; Speaker features bass boost, volume control, and forward/reverse buttons
• Included 3.5mm audio cable allows use with iPods or other non-Bluetooth devices; Features suspension-cone speaker drivers with passive subwoofer
• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 5 hours of wireless music; Includes USB charging cable for use while battery is charging
• Sleek, portable design; Measures 8 inches wide by 3 inches high by 2.25 inches deep; a small footprint to seamlessly blend into your surroundings or pop into a bag for travel-while still providing rich, clear sound
• 1 year limited hardware warranty
• Ideal for indoors and outdoors

Device compatibility

• - iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and 5, all iPads
• - Android smartphones - HTC, All Droids, Samsung
• - Blackberry smartphones
• - Tablets like Galaxy Nexus, Samsung
• - All Bluetooth (A2DP) capable devices
• - All MP3 players, CD players, Laptops, Tablets and Other Music Devices with a 3.5mm audio socket

What’s in the Box

• - Kinivo BTX350 digital wireless Bluetooth speaker with built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• - USB Charging Cable
• - 3.5mm Audio Cable
• - User manual

 

With Brett being home during the day, he got to be the first one to try it out and he even called me at work to let me know how great it was and how it would be perfect to use during Trent’s birthday party.

There are no wires and it can connect wirelessly to your device (i.e. our phones). We placed it on our back porch facing out towards the yard, connected it to Brett’s phone and streamed music for everyone to enjoy during the party. The next day, we even brought it outside to listen to music while we swam in the pool. No matter where you were in the yard, you could hear the music perfectly…clear and loud.

While writing this review, we also took a trip to the beach and brought along our Kinivo speaker. It’s a perfect speaker for the beach. We had a few teenagers with us, who of course all have phones and plenty of music to play, so they just connected to the speaker and played music for all of us. We could hear it over the wind and waves crystal clear.

No matter where we were in our little section of the beach, the speaker stayed connected to the phones. Even while Trent was sleeping and everyone else was in the water, I moved it closer to me and enjoyed the music while relaxing with my toes in the sand.

Anything you play on your phone can play through the speaker, so whether you prefer your downloaded music, Pandora or even the new Amazon music library, you can customize your listening experience. We just chose a playlist from Amazon and let it play without having to do anything else with it the rest of the time. We also really like how our phone lock screens turn into a remote for the device without having to actually go into an app or anything.

I can see the Kinivo Bluetooth speaker becoming a much-used item in our house…gatherings with friends, outdoor barbecues and pool time, and even cleaning the house (not a fun time, but made bearable with the addition of good music). It’s lightweight and convenient, so you can bring it pretty much anywhere!

To learn more and buy, check out the Kinivo website!

You can also buy on Amazon!

 

I received this product in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

As the weeks pass by and the thought of having two little ones in the house gets closer to becoming a reality, I am savoring any relaxing moment I can get. However, with a toddler that likes to wake up late and go to sleep even later, those moments often come unexpectedly…which is why I tend to prefer watching a good tv series on Netflix as opposed to a full 2+ hour movie.

Don’t get me wrong, I love movies, but since we cut our satellite subscription, we rely on Netflix to give us some of our favorite shows…whether they were our favorites before or newfound favorites, if Trent goes down for a nap or even when we sit down to eat dinner, we can quickly select the next episode and watch it in less than an hour without any interruptions.

Ahhh…the life of a mom!

We just finished the entire Breaking Bad series from start to finish and absolutely loved it. Brett gets a little more free time than I do at night, so he recently just caught up on the Once Upon a Time series and Orange is the New Black. I have had Scandal, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black on my watch-list ready to go…I just need to decide which one I want to start! Which one would you pick?

Here are some ideas for shows you can enjoy on Netflix…save them for when the little ones go to sleep and enjoy some ME time!

1. Orange Is the New Black
2. Scandal
3. Pretty Little Liars
4. Sherlock
5. Breaking Bad
6. Parenthood

 

They also have some series’ from years past to watch in case you missed them while they were on tv.

1. Weeds
2. Call the Midwife
3. Freaks and Geeks
4. Shameless
5. Top of the Lake

 

I wish I could say I sit down with a nice adult beverage and a Pin-worthy snack to bring the entire experience together, but this pregnant gal can’t do that. Instead, it’s milk and Oreos, or something else that I probably shouldn’t be having, but enjoy oh-so-much. Whatever makes you happy, right?!

Of course, I have a party-animal child with a late bed time, so this is how my snack time usually goes…

 

This post was written by me as part of my membership in the Netflix Stream Team. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!