SOL REPUBLIC DECK Speaker Giveaway & Review!

Do you want a sound booming, portable, party favorite speaker? Then the SOL REPUBLIC DECK speaker priced at a modest $199.99 is the audio device for you.  These are available in array of colors to match your personality too. They come in blue, black, yellow, or red. I have put this sleek looking little sound echoing device thru a battery of field tests in which it conquered like an Olympic athlete.

First, I took this little sound monster down to our apartment pool for a little mood music while the kids were swimming. Transporting this speaker to your favorite hangout couldn’t get any easier as I placed it in the top zipper compartment of my soft-side cooler. I was pleasantly surprised at the volume level this stylish speaker could reach all the while not comprising sound quality. I was also not expecting the blue tooth distance this device afforded me as I forgot to take my iPhone out of my pocket when I took my youngest in for a bathroom break almost 100 feet away from the pool!

Second, I took my SOL REPUBLIC DECK speaker with me to the golf course for a relaxing day at the links. My golfing buddies were in awe of the powerful sound this dynamic speaker could belt out in such a vast outdoor setting. The Deck speaker fits perfectly on the cup holder of the golf cart tucked in right behind your favorite tasty cold beverage and the rubber anti-slip backing on the Deck will prevent your speaker from sliding off into any potential water hazards!

Next up for the SOL REPUBLIC DECK speaker was a trip to my local poker night. My buddies were all-in when they discovered the “heist” feature on the Deck which allows up to five devices to be paired at one time and to hijack the speaker to their favorite song. There was no bluffing when I informed them of the unheard of battery life of the Deck which can last an amazing 10 hours on a single charge!

Lastly, I decided to take the SOL REPUBLIC DECK speaker with me on one of my many business trips. I’ve had trouble in the past watching Netflix on my iPad and actually being able to hear the audio without the use of a hearing aid! Not a problem anymore with the DECK! I can simply lay back and enjoy my cartoons and never again have to strain my eardrums to get a refreshing audio quality that the Deck delivers.

So if you want a portable, clear, sound rocking, trendy audio speaker then the SOL REPUBLIC DECK speaker is the next must purchase item for you. Trust me, you and more importantly your eardrums will thank you!

Lucky for you... you can possibly win one of your own. If not so lucky, you can also purchase them HERE as well. 

* Only one winner per 6 month period of a SOL REPUBLIC device. I love all the SOL REPUBLIC fans but we have to spread the love around:)

SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air Headphones Review AND Giveaway!

The SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air headphones are superb compared to most similarly priced items on the market. For a cool looking pair of headphones under $200 you can't find anything better.

Comfort:
These headphones utilize a new idea in the way headphones are placed on the headband. They actually slide up and down the headband itself. For an on ear pair of headphones they are surprisingly comfortable and do a great job of blocking out ambient noise when listening to music.

Quality:
The build on these headphones are fantastic. The headband is a virtually indestructible plastic and come with zipper carrying case for easy transporting. I especially like the volume controls and multi-function button on the headphone for ease of answering phone calls and switching music tracks both forward and backward.

Sound:
The most important thing of all in my opinion. The SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air headphones are easily comparable to my Bose headphones that I paid twice as much for a year ago. Overall, the Tracks Air offer good highs that bring out the vocal track without distorting the sound quality, a decent mids section, and a booming bass that gives a sweet bass thump to any track that has it. These headphones perform equally well on all kinds of music from rock to country to classical.

Functionality:
The SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air headphones also come with a cord enabling you to plug in on airplanes. They also have the ability to connect to 2 different devices at the same time allowing you to switch back and forth between devices seamlessly whether it be a phone call or simply listening to music. I was amazed at the ease of setup of the SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air headphones. I set up both my devices in 2 minutes and especially like the NFC method of turning on my Bluetooth connection and simply tapping my device on the right earphone for pairing. The SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air also comes with a USB charging cable allowing you to tap into your devices for charging. These amazing headphones also have a remarkable 12 hour life when fully charged and upon powering up you are advised by a smooth voice on your headphones exactly how much battery life is remaining.

In summary if you want a cost effective pair of wireless headphones with excellent sound quality, durability, stylish look, and awesome functionality than the SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air are the headphones for you. Do yourself or someone you love, since it is the Christmas season, a favor and put a pair of SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air headphones under your tree this year and watch the excitement as they power up these amazing ear friendly headphones. Available for purchase HERE!

Want to win a pair this Christmas? Enter below for your chance to win!

WINNER!!!!!!!!
Belle C
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*** I was provided a pair of SOL REPUBLIC Tracks Air Headphones to facilitate my review but All opinions expressed here are my own.

Safety 1st 3-in-1 Elite Air 80 Convertible Car Seat - Giveaway & Review!!!

*** I was provided a car seat to facilitate my review but All opinions expressed here are my own.

We bought a Britax Marathon for Payton when she was ready to move up from her carrier car seat and we loved it.  I continued to use it with my second baby, Emmy.  That is a no no.  Uh oh.  Did you know car seats have an expiration date of 6 years?  Well, since Payton is now 7 that means that the car seat is out of date.  Every car seat should have a manufacturer stamp of date of production so you can figure out if your is too old also.  Some also have them stamped into the plastic. When I was sent this seat to review I was able to see first hand how much a car seat can change in 7 years.  Let me tell you it is a lot! The thing that impressed me the most is how much more full body protection they have.  Safety First states they are positively the safest choice in full body protection. Believe me they are accurate. Look at how Emmy's body is cradled and hugged just like you want it to be in a car seat. Check out those things beside her head. That is air technology to help if you have a side impact collision.  Wow.  Technology is amazing.

Did I mention that this car seat is a 3-in-1 meaning it can be used for when baby is newborn up until they are 80 pounds.   Now, I've had reservations about a car seat like this for a newborn before but let me tell you we took out all the inserts so Emmy could fit in it.  There is plenty of support and contouring for a new born too. It also can recline really far back like a typical carrier style car seat would.  Below is a picture of when it came straight of the box you can see all the additional supports that were included. Let me tell you this car seat is heavy.  Which I like.  You want some weight to car seat to know that is solid built. The size  is comparable to the Britax Classic we had previously so you may have a hard time if you have a compact car. One more feature I want to mention that I love is when your child grows it has a latch at the top center that you can use to adjust so need to rethread the harness.

I could go on and on about this car seat for days.  We love it. 

Emmy's favorite part as you can see below is the dual cup holders.  Of course, that is just a happy extra.  Our #1 concern is how safe our baby will be in case of an accident and this car seat has her as safe as she can be. Hands down. 

 Here is some more specifics of the car seat from the manufacturer: 

· Safety 1^st Elite 80 3-in-1 car seat

The Elite 80 works in rear-facing mode for babies up to 40 pounds, then converts to forward-facing with harness, but features an extended weight range to keep children safely in harness all the way to 80 pounds. In its 3rd mode, the Elite 80 goes beyond the traditional convertible seat to convert into a belt-positioning booster car seat for children up to 100 pounds. Additionally Air Protect + combines the advanced protection of our Air Protect® cushion system with patentedGCell HX™ foam designed with hexagonal shapes for 100% full body production.

Car Seat Safety Tips From JulieVallese, Safety 1^st Consumer Safety Expert.

Importance of Rear Facing

In March of 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their car seat recommendations advising that children should remain rear facing until the age of two, or until they reach the maximum height and weight requirements allowed by their car seat. According to a study in the Journal of Injury Prevention children under the age of two are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in the event of a car crash if they are rear facing. When a child is rear facing their head, neck and spine are better supported and in the event of an accident, crash forces are distributed over the child’s entire body.

Installation

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, 75% of car seats are installed incorrectly. Every car and car seat has different requirements for the safest installation so before you get started it is important to read both the car seat and car manual.

Typically the center rear seat is the safest place for a car seat, and never install a car seat in the front seat. If your car does not have a latch connector for the middle seat, you can use the middle seat belt to properly secure the base. When installing, make sure the base of the car seat moves no more than an inch from side to side. An easy way to test this is to hold at the belt path.

New parents and grandparents are encouraged to attend a car seat check before the baby is born. However, don’t just rely on the experts. You’re likely going to be taking the car seat out and installing it somewhere else at some point, so make sure you’re comfortable with the process too.

Car Seat Expiration

Never use used or old car seats. Car seats do have an expiration date and it is to understand the risks associated with using an expired or old car seat. The reason for an expiration date is because plastic can warp and materials can fray, which can make car seats less safe to use. Car seat technology and state and federal car seat regulations change. A car seat deemed safe more than six years ago may no longer meet federal testing regulations. Important warning labels may wear out and instruction books may get lost, which can lead to improper use of the car seat.

If you would like to find a car seat check near you can go to safekids.org or seatcheck.org

These car safety tips are brought to you by JulieVallese, Safety 1^st Consumer Safety Expert in honor of Child Passenger Safety Week. I was provided a car seat to facilitate my review but All opinions expressed here are my own.

WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!

WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!WINNER!!

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Review: Swiss Colony.com

Swiss colony sent me these mouth watering, heavenly chocolate covered macadamian nuts to review and let me tell you if you love chocolate then you will LOVE these.  I couldn't get my husband and daughter out of them.  Swiss colony products are sourced locally in Wisconsin, near the company's headquarters in a small town called Monroe. Swisscolony.com is definetly the place to stock up on gift tins of cookies and candy for teachers, instructors, delivery people, co-workers - all the people that help make your life easier. And, there are great hostess gifts too such as Red Velvet Petits Fours or Butter Toffee. I'm always in such a hurry to get to all of the holiday parties we go to during the season. The last thing I want to worry about is what to bring.  So that's why swisscolony.com is so perfect. Before your party place your order and then it shows up at your door in a cute little tin and then voila all you have to do is smile and take it to your lovely host.  What could be easier?

Peppermint bark is always a holiday favorite around my house. Look at the dog on the top of the tin, isn't it adorable?

Who could resist these snowmen?