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.

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. 

Plug n Play Kids Headphones Review

I have recently discovered the need for an option to have quiet listening for my oldest, who is beginning school and sometimes needs to hear sight words on the iPad.  With the chaos of younger kids in the house, it is difficult for her to focus.  When these headphones arrived, she was thrilled!

Very simply made, with no bells or whistles, these headphones are great for kids.

While on the flimsy side of things as far as how they feel, they function well.  Simply plug them in, fit them on the child's head with the adjustable headband, and hit play.  They contain the sound well and do equally well blocking out external noise.  The ear covers fit well over the child's ear, and I like that they are not internal ear buds, which can do damage to ears much easier than this format.

My one complaint with this product is that the ear pads easily come off, as my toddler has proven over and over.  They go back on easily enough, but are not attached any further than to fit around the speaker.  I remedied that with a bit of hot glue around the edge, and now they are working well for my family.  I'm not sure how long these will last because they do feel cheap, but since they don't cost much to begin with, I'm not out much if I do need to replace them.  

You can find a pair for yourself here

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

Portable Bluetooth Outdoor/Waterproof Speaker

I love having the ability to play my music through a Bluetooth speaker.  One of the things I can't do much with my current Bluetooth speaker is take it outside for fear of it getting dirt inside, wet, or even dropped.  Thankfully, I now have an option!

 The Soundfit speaker by AYL (Accessorize Your Life) is a handy little speaker that packs a big punch.  Complete with a storage bag and the cords needed for connecting and charging, it comes in a perfect little package.

I love this little speaker and it's big volume.  There is no need to have it cranked indoor, it is just too loud.  Outside, it can be heard well from quite a distance away.  This speaker has up to 12 hours of continuous battery life and recharges in a quick 3-4 hours with the included micro-USB cable.  It also comes with an adapter cable so the device you wish to play from can be connected if Bluetooth capabilities are not available.  Both ports are conveniently hidden under a panel that easily removes for access.

The bottom of the speaker has a spot that could be screwed onto a tripod for mounting.

Buttons are all protected under the case, but push easily with little effort.  With this speaker, you can power up, adjust volume, and even answer phone calls.

It also has a handy strap attached for hanging in the shower, on a bike handle, or anywhere else you might find.

The speaker works up to 33 feet away, giving you a good range with Bluetooth active.  It is universally compatible and easily pairs with any Bluetooth device.  Once the speaker is turned on, pairing is as easy as selecting the device.  With my phones, it quickly located and connected to them, without any fuss on my part.

One of my complaints is in advertising.  It is indeed NOT waterproof, but water resistant.  It is able to withstand a drop in the water if retrieved quickly.  The speaker can withstand a low pressure water stream from any angle, so the shower or a light rain should not hurt it.  I chose to play it safe and use it in the bathroom, knowing that the humidity would not harm the speaker.  

I am also a bit disappointed in the volume at which it chimes when powering on/off or pairing.  It cannot be adjusted and is very loud.  However, this little speaker is heavy duty and durable.  My kids have already put it to the test, dropping it on several surfaces and from different heights and it still works just great.

3 Year Warranty

You can find this speaker here

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

iClever® 4.8A 24W Dual USB Travel Wall Charger

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 dual USB travel wall charger and we now have twice the charging capability from a single outlet.

 The iClever charger comes in a compact design, complete with a lightning cable.  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 two ports and charging begins.

 The dual 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. 

Leo's Pad Enrichment Program Review

From the Manufacturer:

For the first five years of their life, your child’s brain is plastic, or malleable, meaning this early learning stage is where creative, thinking and social-emotional skills should take root so that these learning outcomes will last a lifetime.

Leo’s Pad Enrichment Program is an award winning learning series for preschoolers designed by Stanford early learning scientists and an Emmy Award-winning creative director. The games in Leo’s Pad address over 25 skills essential to early learning and adjust to each child’s skill level as they play, so content is always highly relevant and engaging.

Parents can download the free Learner Mosaic iPhone app to use with Leo’s Pad Enrichment Program. It provides you with insights about your child’s learning strengths and struggles and then offers personalized research-based tips and activity suggestions you can do together to help your learner thrive.

My Review:

Leo's Pad, created by Kidaptive, is an iPad app that has 6 chapters and a finale which introduce preschoolers to creative learning and fun as they follow Leo (young Leondardo DaVinci) through adventures with his friends (young Galileo Galilei, Marie Curie and more).  Children paint, help build items in a puzzle format, trace and work on hand/eye coordination as well as direction following.

An accompany app, Learner Mosaic, is downloadable for the iPhone and gives parents additional insights on their child's progress and learning stages.  After a short survey of the child's current skills, it suggests activities and other ways to enhance and grow skills for the individual child.

The app plays out much like a movie, with breaks in the story for children to participate and help Leo and his friends accomplish tasks and reach goals.  My children were absorbed in the first couple of chapters for some time, and before I was aware almost 45 minutes had gone by.

I really wanted to like this app, especially since it has a price tag I would never pay for any app.  While I see value in the child participation games, they are not anything my kids cannot get from other apps I have.  The stories are engaging and the "movie" is well played out, with encouraging life lessons and moral messages.

I was unhappy to see how much time had passed.  There is a lot of screen time needed to get through each chapter, and a lot more waiting to finish the entire story.  I cut my kids off after a while and have not allowed them to finish the story yet as I  dislike how easily they are sucked in and become oblivious to life going on around them.  This will be a sick-day or long trip kind of app for my kids, definitely not a daily or even weekly thing.

That said, you can check out the first chapter for free and get 20% off the program if you would like to check it out and form your own opinions, which I strongly encourage everyone to do.  My preferences are not by any means the end all of parenting or learning.

To check it out for yourself, go here.
and enter the code TRYLEO at checkout to get a 20% discount on your purchase, if you choose to do so.  This discount code is only valid through the link above (Kidaptive) and will not work in the App Store or anywhere else.

This is an app ONLY for iPads and iPhones - it is not available for other platforms at this time.


Through the BzzAgent program, I was been given the opportunity to try a new app for my kids.  The Leo's Pad Enrichment Program, normally $25 to purchase, was provided to me for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.