Car Kick Mat Seat Back Protector Review

With three little kids, a small dog, and a fabric interior, my mini-van is a prime target for all sorts of dirt and grime anywhere little feet can reach.  I am ok with people knowing I have children, and even a sticker here or there on occasion, but filthy car seats from muddy feet are not acceptable to me.  So, seat back protectors are a must in my vehicle.

These new seat back protectors are so-so in my book.  I have a couple of others from different companies, but went with this set because there were to in a pack, a better value.

First impression was that the package was to thin to have two inside.  I opened it up to find two folded into squares.

Upon unfolding the protector, it felt even thinner.  This is a basic vinyl fabric piece with edges sewn and two buckles.  The bottom buckle is elastic to fit around various seat widths while the top is a fabric strap with room to adjust.

These are advertised to be extra big to cover any seat.  I would say average size.

I tried them out in my van, one on either side of a chair to protect the seat front from my rear-facing infant's feet and the seat back from my precocious toddler's feet.

The protector does cover the majority of my seat back (and front), but was not nearly as nice to install as others.  With the fixed length buckle on top, meant to go around seat headrests, I found myself with a problem.  The seat I wanted to install it on had the headrest removed for visibility, so I had nowhere to really hook it.  I ended up flipping the protector upside down to use the elastic belt at the top, but then there was no good way to attach it to the bottom of the seat.  I tucked the buckles into the seat, but they pop out every so often.

Because I had a unique situation, I will not base my opinion of these on that only.  I say they are so-so because of their basic size which compares as the same or a bit smaller than others I have.  I also have a less than ecstatic opinion of them due to buckle and strap limitations.  The thinness of fabric is the biggest reason I am not real thrilled but just feel so-so about them.

That said, they do protect my seats and seem to be wipeable or washable if need be, so I guess they do the trick as they advertise.  For someone who needs a budget friendly option and does not need specialized installation adaptations or care about how thin the fabric is, these will do just fine and function as they should, to keep the car seat fabric clean.

My so-so feelings aside, I am glad to have them as they are definitely helping to keep my seats clean.

You can get a set for yourself here

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

Running Belt Review

I enjoy taking walks quite a bit, but always have something I need to carry along - keys, a phone, kleenex, etc.  So, I looked into a running belt to help make myself more visible and to give my hands freedom from carrying stuff.

The RunBaby running belt offers me the opportunity to do all of that and more.

 Made of expandable, soft, stretchy lycra and an adjustable heavy duty strap with clasp, this belt has lots of potential.  It is reflective and brightly colored to add visibility to exercise as well.

 Inside the belt, there is a key clip sewn into the liner to help hold keys securely.  The clip is a thick plastic that seems able to handle several keys at once or a key ring.

 There is a bunch of room in this belt.  I was able to put my iPhone 6, complete with bulky Otterbox case, into the belt with no trouble at all.  The opening has ample room to place larger objects into it, while the stretch of the fabric holds it securely in place and eliminates bouncing and sliding of objects.

 The adjustable strap is wide and has a very large buckle.  This is where I have some issue with the belt.  I did not like how large the buckle was.  While it definitely is secure and seems able to withstand some abuse, it seems overkill and can be a bit of a task to buckle if one has smaller hands.  Change the size of the strap and buckle and I would like this belt more.

However, it is comfortable when worn and did not slide around or bunch up while I was wearing it.  For this low-impact user, the RunBaby running belt works just fine!

You can check it out for yourself here 

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

Healthy Baby Home Party

I am really hoping to be chosen to host a Healthy Baby Home Party!  Seventh Generation is gearing up to give some lucky bloggers a chance to have a fun and informative party, where attendees can learn about creating a healthy family environment together.

The Healthy Baby Home Party Kit contains:
- Educational Information from a non-profit partner Healthy Child Healthy World
- a fun game to help share tips
- products and coupons from Seventh Generation, Bobble, Zarbee's Naturals and other brands.

Hosts and guests will also be invited to join Seventh Generation in asking our U.S. Senators to reform chemical policy.  For more info, visit: www.seventhgeneration.com/responsibility

Sound interesting to you?  You can apply too
- Go to generationgood.net to join the Generation Good community first
- Accept the Healthy Baby Home Party Application offer on your Generation Good dashboard and complete the application
- Applicants will be notified mid-August on whether they have been accepted or not via email.

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.