FitBit Alta 12 Pack Screen Protectors

Ever since I got my FitBit Alta, I have been nervous about scratching the screen.  I was very happy when this package showed up in my mailbox.

 This package comes with 12 screen protectors, 12 dust absorbers, a cleaning cloth and a cardboard "tool" to help press the screen protector in place.

 Installation is very basic and easy.  Once the screen has been cleaned with the enclosed cloth, you put a dust absorber sticker over the screen to pull up any last remaining specks.

 The final step is placing the screen protector film over the screen.  This step left me wishing there was a bit more to the screen protector to hold onto.  It is a clear sticker with a film cover on a clear sticker sheet.  The protector is just a bit smaller than the screen.  To pull the sticker off, you have to peel it off the sheet and end up touching the sticky side as there are no tabs on the side to aide with this, which frustrated me because then I had finger prints.

Once the sticker is in place, and hopefully not to gummed up from being touched that it will not adhere (as happened with the first attempt and resulted in me throwing one away from the start), it is time to press the protector down to get air bubbles out.  I found out through my first attempt that it is better to apply from one end to the other instead of putting the full sticker on and then trying to work out bubbles.  The included applicator tool was pretty useless in this step since it is a thin cardboard that bends with any pressure.  My fingernail worked much better.  After it was all in place and bubble free, I pulled the top film off to reveal the screen protected.

The screen protector is not hard, simply a thin plastic sticker.  It does help with surface scratches, but any serious dings are going right through it.  It also gets marked up easily, so I can see myself going through this 12 pack pretty quickly, especially if I have to waste some to get it right each time.  There is no forgiveness with applying these, unfortunately.

However, for now, I feel a little better about wearing my Fit Bit and am hopeful for the protection it promises to offer.

You can find these here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Fitbit Alta Replacement Bands Review

Recently I received a brand new Fitbit Alta for my birthday.  It came with the basic black band, which is fine, but I wanted something fun for an option on occasion, so, I purchased this pack of two bands.

 This pack comes with 8 pieces: a left and right band strap, clasp and silicon securing strips.

 Patterned in an owl print and a floral print, they are bold and fun.

 My original band did not come with the securing strap.  When I put the one included with these bands on, I wasn't really sure what the point of it is.  Since the band secures from the top and pins the bottom strap in place, it is kind of awkward to actually secure the bands together.  It also seemed un-necessary since I have yet to have the bands move around when wearing it without the securing strap, and I wear my Alta almost as tight as the band will allow because I have small wrists.  Therefore, this piece seems pointless to me and I will not be using it.

 These replacement bands attach just as any branded bands do.  They simply snap into place over the Alta's tabs.  I did not hear the tell tale click with these like I do with my original band, but they are securely in place when I try to wiggle them loose.

 I noted that these replacement bands are a bit shorter than the Fitbit branded bands you can buy.  It doesn't make much difference when wearing them except that it adjusts where the holes sit for securing it and might make it a little tighter or looser than the branded ones, but it is not of much consequence.

Overall, these bands are just fine and work as well as the Fitbit branded bands.  If you are looking for a fun print alternative, these will do the job.

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

LED Night Light

With little people in my house, a nightlight is a necessity.  I have used the kind with replaceable bulbs that get turned on and off, but never found that as convenient as the idea of a self-regulating light.  I decided to purchase these LED night lights by Lunara and give them a shot.

 The lights come two to a pack, and are packaged in a thick plastic case that needs to be cut away.

 Inside are two lights that plug into outlets.

A photo sensor on the bottom of the light signals when to illuminate.

 When lit, these lights give off a soft yellow glow.  Bright enough to see, but not overpowering, blinding or disruptive.

We have placed one of these in our children's room and another leading up the stairway for easier night travel.  For those who are sensitive to lights in the room, this light will bother you.  It is best in a passageway or outside in a room that does not directly connect to the sleeping area.  Though it is not bright, it is still a constant light that stays on from dusk until dawn.

So far, I am impressed with these little lights.  They have eased bedtime troubles for my little ones and illuminate stairs that can be dangerous in the dark.  Easy to use, easy to maintain, there is no reason not to give these lights a shot for yourself.

You can find them here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

TV and Furniture Anti-Tip Straps Review

I purchased some new TV straps because I have always been afraid that one day my little ones are going to knock over our big screen TV on themselves and get injured. When I got them in the mail, please see that they were very simply packaged with very little extra stuff to deal with. 

Installation was a snap! The two straps simply screwed in-place to the back of the TV with included bolts. From there, one simply attaches the bottom half of the strap to the TV stand with also included screws. Straps are adjustable fort. Heights televisions which was very nice as well. Now that they are a catch, I feel very secure that my TV will not tip forward. We have even tested this a little bit by gauging on the TV gently and it is not going anywhere. I am very pleased with this product and will be recommending it to my friends with children.

You can find them here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and in-biased review.

iCleverSmart Universal 3-Port USB Wall Charger Review

We have a lot of Apple products in our home, so the charger battle is a regular occurrence.  When we travel, it is a problem sometimes to find enough outlets or to even remember enough chargers.  Thankfully, a bit of help is available to us now.  I recently purchased this 3-port USB travel wall charger and we now have three times the charging capability from a single outlet.

 The iClever charger comes in a compact design.  When not in use, it folds up into a little cube.  

When one is ready to use it, the prongs simply flip out and it is ready to be plugged in.  

Plug your USB cord into one of the three ports and charging begins.  Ports are lit by a dim blue light when the unit is powered.

 The triple USB ports are really handy, freeing up valuable outlet space.  The included "SmartID" technology claims to recognize your device to maximize charging efficiency.  I don't know how to review or back that claim up other than to tell you this is what the seller claims.

This product comes with a 30 day money back guarantee, a 12 month replacement warranty and a lifetime support guarantee.  With that, it's a safe bet to try one out.  

You can find them here.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review. 

2 Pack iPhone Lightning Cables

With multiple Apple products in our house, we have several charger needs.  Unfortunately, some of the cheaper spare lightning cords I purchased have already failed and have left  me searching for something more durable and longer lasting.  So, when this package arrived in the mail, I was excited to test it out.  A set of two cords offered my family just what we needed.

Very securely packaged, this 6 foot (yes, 6 foot, not the usual 3) cable was packaged in a big enough box to keep from having it kinked or scrunched into pinch points as others I have purchased did.  Instead, it was nicely coiled with plenty of room to move within the well sealed box.  Both boxes were nestled tightly together within the bag.

I immediately loved how durable this cable feels.  The braided cord is super strong and flexible and the ends feel as if they are made of quality materials, not cheap.  The USB and 8-pin plugs do not bend in their cases as some others I have used do.

This cord is super long!  More than 6 feet (really, I measured!)

It plugs in to my phone just as it should, and immediately connects.  No need for jiggling or wondering if the error message will pop up saying it is incompatible.  Even with my Otterbox case on the iPhone 6, it plugged right in with no trouble at all.

The USB end plugs right in as expected as well.

The case on the cord is not only pretty, but protective and strong.  It holds up to bending, stretching, kids, pets, and all of the abuse I could think to reasonably throw at it.  While I cannot speak to the longevity of this cord yet, I am absolutely thrilled with the construction and materials and have very high hopes that this cord will outlast my need for it (given Apple's constant changing of such things)

You can find one for yourself here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review

allreli 8-Pin USB Cable Review

With multiple Apple products in our house, we have several charger needs.  Unfortunately, some of the cheaper spare lightning cords I purchased have already failed and have left  me searching for something more durable and longer lasting.  So, when this package arrived in the mail, I was excited to test it out.

Very securely packaged, this 6 foot (yes, 6 foot, not the usual 3) cable was packaged in a big enough box to keep from having it kinked or scrunched into pinch points as others I have purchased did.  Instead, it was nicely coiled with plenty of room to move within the well sealed box.

I immediately loved how durable this cable feels.  The braided cord is super strong and flexible and the ends feel as if they are made of quality materials, not cheap.  The USB and 8-pin plugs do not bend in their cases as some others I have used do.

This cord is super long!

More than 6 feet (really, I measured!)

It plugs in to my phone just as it should, and immediately connects.  No need for jiggling or wondering if the error message will pop up saying it is incompatible.  Even with my Otterbox case on the iPhone 6, it plugged right in with no trouble at all.

The USB end plugs right in as expected as well.

The case on the cord is not only pretty, but protective and strong.  It holds up to bending, stretching, kids, pets, and all of the abuse I could think to reasonably throw at it.  While I cannot speak to the longevity of this cord yet, I am absolutely thrilled with the construction and materials and have very high hopes that this cord will outlast my need for it (given Apple's constant changing of such things)

You can find one for yourself here

* I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review

Phrase Party Review

Sometimes I find myself wishing I had a game on hand with me while I am on the go.  For instances like vacations with rain, road trips, or long appointments, even small group meetings, I don't often have physical games on hand.  Now, with Phrase Party, I have that option!

Phrase Party, which I have downloaded on my iPad and iPhone, is much like Catch Phrase or Taboo.  This is a word game in which requires the player to guess the word without gestures, saying what is sounds like or starts with.  The cool thing about Phrase Party, is that it can be played three ways; by yourself against the computer, with other people in the room, or online.

When played alone, the computer says clues, which also flash across the bottom of the screen, and blanks are given to show how many letters the word or phrase is.  A scramble of possible letters is also shown at the bottom of the screen, so players simply pick letters and put them in order to spell the word.  For people who are good with word scrambles, this is an advantage as often the word can be determined by this alone, but not always.  A 1.5 minute timer beeps and the screen flashes momentarily to signal time remaining, speeding up as time gets shorter.  At the end, a beep sounds to signal the end of the round.  Scoring is automatic based on how many words are entered correctly

When played in teams, with other people, the electronic device is simply passed back and forth between teams.  The person holding the device explains the word to their partner or team, continuing. Once a category is chosen (one is given automatically, the players have the choice to choose another), simply press the start button and game play begins.  The screen offers clue prompts while the word to guess is on screen. A 1.5 minute timer beeps and the screen flashes momentarily to signal time remaining, speeding up as time gets shorter.  At the end, a beep sounds to signal the end of the round. Scoring is done by the team, but tapping a + to add points.  Both team's points are shown on screen.

Online play requires a Facebook sign in.  Once logged in with Facebook, any friends who also have the game installed are shown.  If no friends are showing, there is the option to "make a new friend" by allowing the app and Facebook to search players to pair you with.  Once an opposing player is found, game play begins similarly to the single player method.  Coins are earned for wins.

The game has many customizable options, including the ability to record game play (in case you are super competitive and need to review), game difficulty, sound schemes, timer length, points per game to win, number of teams, even the ability to name teams.  Users can also create custom phrases for the game and purchase new phrase packs if so desired.

There is so much potential in your hand with this game, and hours of laughs and fun - all without having to carry around a box and loose cards or game pieces.  I am a big fan of this new app and have already put it to great use for a recent weekend party with friends.  I definitely recommend this app!

*I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.