Pleygo via US Family Guide review

I recently spoke about a promotion that US Family Guide was hosting with its bloggers concerning Pleygo. It's a Netflix-like service but for Legos!

We signed up for our account and received our first set, the Friends City Park Cafe.

It's a wonderful Friends set that is incredibly detailed. We sat down as a family to put it together. It came with everything (even the spare parts) and the stickers.

Inside the box, there were instructions on how to play safely, how to use the set, and how to send it back.

We had to upgrade to the SuperFan plan since the regular Fan plan does not include the Duplo Lego sets. They hope to make it more affordable so that even those with the Fan plan can rent some Duplo sets for the younger builders. In the meantime, they were holding a promotion that allowed those with Fan plans to upgrade to SuperFan without adding a charge. Likewise, if you have the SuperFan, you can get a free upgrade to MegaFan but still pay the same price as Super.
My boys had an amazing time building this set!

Granted, their tiny fingers had a little trouble with some of the delicate maneuvers - but I didn't mind helping out.

Once completed, we could all sit back and admire it.

My husband and I have built our own Lego city that we would post updates about on YouTube. And we have decided that this is a set we would like to add to our own collection later on, but would modify to fit our City needs. It gave us the ability to test it out and decide whether or not it was something we liked. Plus, you pay a flat monthly fee and can build several sets whereas, were you to buy them... You'd be paying hundreds of dollars and may not want them afterwards. This way you can play for a time, save money and don't worry about having those dropped pieces underfoot later. Ever step on a loose Lego in the middle of the night? You also don't have to worry about having the extra space for the multiple sets. We currently have our office space overrun with the Lego collection we built up over the past few years. We had to stop since our place now is getting too small. And the Lego itch has taken its toll...

Our boys also have a Rubbermaid bin full of Duplo Legos that we have gotten them in the past couple years. They build their own cities, complete with trains, Disney Cars and all the little details a kid could want.
Pleygo is also having a cool contest. Winner gets a year of MegaFan subscription! That gives you access some to heavy Lego building fun. Also, you can give them your sets to add to their rentals and they will give you credit towards renting from them. So if you have sets laying around collecting dust but want to try out the service... maybe a trade?

Hi I'm Skinny sticks review and giveaway!

I don't tend to follow the "suggested" serving size that bags have. I'm not the type who counts and when I have counted out chips in particular... My eyes tell my stomach that is surely not enough! The average serving size is about 14 chips. Hi I'm Skinny are so much healthier, you could eat double that amount to match the calories! There are six delicious flavors to choose from. These are also multi-grain snacks, which are becoming a favorite for me especially since they are high in fiber. I'll go through each one and let you know what my family thought.

The multi-grain Cheddar sticks are light and crispy. My 1 year old daughter went to town with a double-fisted snack attack. Definitely a noticeable cheesy-ness but not with the yellowed fingertips most cheese snacks bring. This bag didn’t stand a chance against my family or my mom and siblings who had some on a visit.

The Sweet Potato sticks are indeed sweet. I'm not a fan of sweet potatoes though and my kids didn't get past the second one before they were also done. My mother and siblings enjoyed the sweetness. My mom thought they had an almost cinnamon taste to them.

The multi-grain Sweet Onion ones were among my favorites. Like my mom put it, "The onion ones tasted just like Funyuns . Very good and onioney." (See where I get my made up words from?)

(Can you tell what my husband was snacking on when we opened this bag?)

Next we have the Veggie Tortilla Sticks. They are made of spinach, carrots, and tomato flavors, but aren't very strong on the taste buds. They still made a great grab and go snack. I think they might be better with ranch dip…

On top of the list for favorites - the multi-grain Tangy BBQ were amazing! So full of flavor and ooohh soo good! They are indeed tangy. Reminds me a bit of a hickory flavoring. All of my children dug in too. I was sad to see this bag vanish so quickly and can’t wait to get more.

The last flavor was the multi-grain Sea Salt. Definitely able to taste the grains. Not so much the salt. So if you can't or don't like the salty flavor on your chips, these are perfect. I’m more of a flavor seeker, so I’d prefer these with a dip as well.

For the Veggie and Sea Salt flavors, my PR contact at Hi I'm Skinny offered up a suggestion for the dips that she liked most with these: "With the Veggie Tortilla and the Sea Salt, my favorite dips to pair with are Hummus, Jalapeño Greek Yogurt Dip and a good Pico de Gallo! The Jalapeño Greek Yogurt dip that I love is at Costco." Just a suggestion!

Over all they are all natural, vegan, and non-GMO. They are made with whole grains, have no trans-fat and no cholesterol. You can eat more of these than regular chips with the same nutrition facts percentages. I love the "stick" texture and shape better than chips because they are easier to eat with less mess. I think they are more on the kid-friendly side as well. You can find out which local stores are carrying them in your area here. Like them on Facebook so you can keep up with any new flavors or news they might have. They are also on Twitter and Pinterest. Leave me comment about what your thoughts are and if you have tried them too!

Now its time for some fun! Hi I'm Skinny has been gracious enough to offer up two sampler boxes to 2 winners! Each box will contain 6 full sized bags of the various flavors they have. It is open to all 50 States and US territories, as well as to Canada. So be sure and enter and let me know what you think. I look forward to sharing something so tasty with you!

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Kashi Sea Salt and Olive Oil Hummus Crisps review

Being a BzzAgent, I recently received a bag of Kashi's new Hummus Crisps. They were Sea Salt and Olive Oil. The taste was great. Though they are a little better with hummus or dip. Light in texture and weight, they are a great snack to take on the go or share with family and friends.

The olive oil taste was surprisingly good, though light. And they aren't very salty. I brought them to work and shared with a coworker who's immediate joy was evident. Try some, or their other flavors and let me know what you think! Kashi does stand for wholesome and tasty.

noblo review

I finally made a trip to the beach after receiving my noblo for review.

It's essentially a sack that you fill with sand.

Then you use the attached leash to Velcro around the top of your umbrella near the spokes. You put this bag of sand in the direction of the wind to hold your umbrella in place.

We followed the steps (except my husband attached the strap too far down). I only had one issue with this product - when I went to move the leash down and pulled on the Velcro, it detached from the material it was sewn to. It still works to do what it's meant to though. After alerting the owner to this, she informed me that they have a quality control unit, but sometimes, as with anything manufactured, the defects aren't always caught. She offered to ship me another one. We love having the umbrella shade since our family is mostly made up of fair-skinned children. Burning under the Florida sun is easy when you are fooled by the cool breezes.
We had some light breezy gusts on our trial day. The noblo kept the umbrella in place. No chasing after it for us! This was great since the babies were sitting under it with my husband. Hard to run after an umbrella with a toddler in hand. You can get your own noblo on their website for $16.50 each. Shipping was prompt and it came within a week for me. I love the blue, but there are some other nice colors to choose from as well. Each one is made of sturdy nylon with a Velcro closure. My final reason for liking this company? Made right here in the States, New Jersey to be precise. Started by moms ;-) So check them out and leave a comment telling me what you think about them!

BuildASign.com business cards review

I just received 250 business cards as a review promotion from BuildASign.com.

I created a personalized design using the easy to understand tools they provide. I didn't have to download anything. It took less than 10 minutes to create the cards for my husbands Lego business. They have designs you can use as well with imagery and preset boxes where you add your own texts. The cards are on durable card stock. They look so professional. My husband is thrilled.
As a blogger looking to expand my audience and my husband who is looking to take his Lego selling from a hobby to an actual home based business, business cards are a welcome way of advertising. Especially since they are far more portable and less pricey than other ways. BuildASign.com has other advertising options as well such as banners, various magnets, signs, bumper stickers, license plates, decals, stakes and frames, and more! Some of these are even shipped free. I did the math for the business cards. 250 cards for $13.99 = .05 each! Not bad when you consider the return you'd get for your business being promoted.
I great recommend you checking them out. I even have a nifty button on the side of my blog so if you want to get to them quick and don't want to search for this post, just check the right side there! Let me know what you think about them. I love hearing from my readers.

Fellowes products review via Shoplet.com

Shoplet.com has once again sent products to review. These are office supplies by Fellowes, designed to add comfort and ease to your office experience.

One of the products I received was the Laptop Riser. As you may know, typing daily is something most people do as technology has taken over most homes. However, typing with your wrist laying flat has given way to concerns of developing carpal tunnel. One suggestion is to raise the wrist at an angle. This lift helps you do so comfortably by tilting the laptop forward.

The angle is a little steep for me. I do like that it is a light weight plastic. It has grips in the front that keep the laptop from sliding off the lift. Make sure if you do use it that you hold the laptop with one hand as you lift it open with the other. I find one-handed use doesn't work well as it pulls the laptop off the stand (as a mom, I had to try, you know).

I like that it keeps the laptop cool by keeping it up. The fan won't be blocked by anything and can circulate the air as needed. It also has grips on the bottom to keep it from sliding around.

The other product I received was the Document lift with dry erase surface. This is a multi-function office item that I absolutely LOVE!

First, it can be used as a dry erase board. It's portable and strong, but still light.

It also wipes off easy without leaving a stained appearance behind.

Add the clip to the top, and it instantly transforms into a clipboard.

Add the stand at the bottom and you have a document holder that allows you to work/type while checking your document at the perfect level. All hands-free! It comes with the three pieces that are easily assembled as well as disassembled.

The stand is heavy enough to keep it stable. It has grips on the bottom to keep it from sliding around. This is great for in the office. As I type, I can have my page clipped and ready for me to glance at as needed.

I really love that I can take it apart and on the go easily. It has three uses that I need often. I use the dry erase board for leaving messages and for teaching my boys at home. My husband uses the document stand for pulling orders or adding to his inventory without having to look down at the paper all the time. And I can run through my lists while on the go with the clipboard function.

I hope you find this useful! Be sure and check out the other items provided by Fellowes that are available at Shoplet.com. 

Easy Canvas Prints review and giveaway!

I was recently offered the chance to review some canvas prints from Easy Canvas Prints. I ordered three: 2 8x10" and 1 16x20" canvases.

Creating and preparing them for my order was so simple. There are multiple options to choose from. Uploading my photos was quick and didn't require downloading anything.
Shipping was done through UPS Ground so I could check my UPS account and see when and where they were. They came pretty quickly too.

 I did upload a photo for the 16x20" canvas that wasn't optimal for the size. The Art Team emailed me to let me know and give me the option to either approve of it anyway, or to substitute another picture that would be better.

 They were absolutely beautiful! Each canvas is wrapped around a sturdy wooden frame. They add a simple elegance around our home. There is also no worry of breaking glass should my children knock them off the wall (which we have had before). No worries of moisture seeking between glass and picture as I've also had with a very special picture of mine.

There are quite a few specials going on as well, so definitely check in on them. As an extra bonus, they have agreed to host a giveaway just for you guys! So get your entries in and good luck. It will run from August 15-29th and only open to those in North America.

***I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GIVEAWAY. That is completely being handled by Easy Print Canvas. THEY will be the ones collecting your information.***

 

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