Category: Product Review

Disney and Nordstrom Launch it’s a small world Collection

As a little girl growing up in LA, I have many fond memories of our family trips to Disneyland.  I can remember the excitement of riding Space Mountain with my father, and the wonder as we sailed through the different countries on ‘it’s a small world.’

This year marks the 45th anniversary of ‘it’s a small world’ at the Disneyland Resort and in celebration of this historic, beloved ride, Nordstrom and it’s a small world‘ will be available in four collections, released seasonally throughout the year.  The collection was inspired by world-renowned Disney artist Mary Blair’s original artwork created for the attraction and Walt Disney’s belief that we are united in our love of children and our dreams of a better tomorrow.

This season you’ll find pieces from the Japanese Spring collection including dresses, tees, onesies, bibs, shoes, totes,

Unlike conventional branded items, the designs are elegant and subtle while still reminiscent of the original art from the ride.  If you look at the prints and patterns on my daugther’s outfits, you’ll notice the butterflies and parasols, with the same aesthetic feel you find in both the artwork and on the ride.

When the collection launched, Nordstrom and Disney collaborated with TOMS Shoes and FEED Projects to offer philanthropic pieces in the collection.  TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need and FEED Projects’ line will benefit UNICEF, which was the original beneficiary of the ride.  Specifically, each FEED Our Small World bag sold will provide 500 children with Vitamin A capsules for one year to prevent deaths associated with malnutrition.

Beginning in June, you’ll find pieces from Indian Summer featuring warm colors and pattern.  Scottish Fall will debut in September and Russian Holiday will debut in November.  Throughout each of the collections, you’ll find items from collaborators such as diaper bags from Petunia Pickle Bottom, shoes from TOMS Shoes, bags and shirts from FEED, sock gift sets from Trumpette, and more.  While you’ll find items in varying price ranges, you can expect wardrobe pieces like shirts to retail for $26-$34 and dresses to retail for $42-$46.  While supplies last, you’ll receive a collectable limited-edition lithography of Mary Blair’s artwork each season with purchases from the line.

While the line is moderately priced, the fabrics are durable and the designs unique and unlike anything you’ll find on the market today.  For more information, just visit Nordstrom.

No compensation was received for this post. Product samples provided.

 

Keeping You Connected and Hands-Free With Motorola’s Roadster

A few years back, California instituted a hands-free law which makes it illegal to use a handheld cellular phone while driving. While bluetooth devices existed prior to this law, I’m not certain they received as much attention as they do these days.  I remember using an older bluetooth device that had to be plugged into a phone.  Companies began to take a look at the existing technology and strived to make it better.  These days you can find a variety of wireless bluetooth devices, the latest being Motorola’s new Roadster.

 

Photo Credit: Motorola

Motorola’s in-car speakerphone is easy to set up and features up to 20 hours of talk time, MotoSpeak Speech-to-text and Text-to-speech technology (on some platforms), dual microphone noise cancellation, auto On/Off, and an FM transmitter. Unlike your mobile phone’s speaker, which is often unclear, the Roadster offers clarity while eliminating background noise.  If you’d prefer to listen to your calls over your car speaker, you can use the FM transmitter (I haven’t tried this function yet).

Because I own an iPhone, I wasn’t able to test out MotoSpeak which makes it possible for users to hear text messages and dictate a reply.  MotoSpeak will also announce who is calling from your contact list.  This technology is only available on Android-powered mobile devices and  Blackberry 4.5+ GSM devices and offers limited functionality on Blackberry 4.5+ CDMA devices.

As I mentioned earlier, the Roadster is easy to set up. I simply scrolled to the Bluetooth section on my iPhone which identified the bluetooth and set it up.  If you leave the device on, it will automatically turn off when you leave and on when you’re in the car.  Set up and use are very intuitive. I only wish I could use MotoSpeak since it’s also illegal to text and drive in California.

Motorola’s Roadster retails for $99.99 and is available at retailers nationwide.

No compensation was received for this post. A product sample was provided.

 

Getting My Dance On! *Giveaway*

Do you ever get bored with exercise?  I do!  And if I’m not bored, I’m tired…or busy. Too often exercise takes a back seat, despite the fact that it’s vital for physical health and emotional wellness.  I’m a firm believer in changing up your exercise routine. Not only will it help you stay motivated, your body will appreciate the change.

I really enjoy fitness gaming because I can exercise on my time and have fun doing it.  My favorite types of games are those that involve dance.  THQ recently released Dance Paradise on Kinect for Xbox 360 (more about my new Kinect/Xbox 360 in a upcoming post).  The game features 40 chart-topping dance hits in a variety of genres including Hip-Hop, Rock, and R&B.  Play solo or side-by-side as you mirror the movements of the on-screen avatars.  Because the game was designed for the Kinect platform, you don’t need a controller which means you can focus entirely on getting those moves down.

 

Photo Credit: THQ

I’ve played another dance game on this platform and while this post is not about comparing the two, it’s worth mentioning that Dance Paradise makes it very, very easy for players to pick up the dance moves.  Unlike other dance games, I can definitely see children enjoying this game without getting frustrated. In fact, my nearly four year old son often jumps in to play with me, even though he’s definitely still working on his moves!  The multi-player aspect means that families can play together which I always advocate for with regards to video games.

 

The game is definitely about having fun, but I challenge you to play this for 20 or 30 minutes to see if your heart gets pumping!  Speaking of challenges, try the “versus” mode which has players replicating moves as accurately as possible before their avatar reaches the end of the four colored bars.

For more information, just visit THQ!

Win It! TWO of you will win a copy of Dance Paradise on Kinect for Xbox 360 (ARV $49.99).  Simply leave me a comment with something you like about the game!  Comments will close on June 1st, 2011 at 11:59 PM PST.

US Residents only.  Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

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Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

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No compensation was received for this post. Items for review/giveaway supplied by THQ.

Cascade’s 24 Hour Challenge!

Do you ever doubt your dishwasher?  I do.  The eco side of me says to take all of those dirty dishes, no matter how many days they’ve been sitting there, and load them up without turning the water on.  The germ-a-phobe side of me insists on rinsing…even scrubbing that caked on food off.  In reality, I typically fall somewhere in the middle, despite the fact that the manufacturer of our dishwasher advises owners not to rinse before loading (it’s also greener this way).

My husband and I have tried a variety of dishwasher gels and powders and have never found one to be effective.  We prefer the  pre-filled tabs/pacs that combine the washing and rinsing agents and easily pop into the dispenser.  I have only tried one brand which we like and use, but was open to trying Cascade’s Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs to see how they compare.

These ActionPacs combine the action of both a powder and a gel to tackle tough cleaning.  The combination pre-treats, fights stains, and rinses away food particles while removing grease and preventing leftover residues.  To test the effectiveness of Cascade’s Complete All-in-1 ActionPacs, I had to leave a pile of dirty dishes (no rinsing allowed!) overnight (gasp!).  I can’t stand a sink of dirty dishes so you can imagine how difficult this was.  I loaded the dishwasher the next day, mostly without rinsing and then put these little ActionPacs to the test.

Now, I will say that having used a dishwasher for many, many years, I know there are several things that can assist in ensuring your dishes come out clean and spotless.  I routinely run an empty load with vinegar to clean out the dishwasher and had done that about 2 weeks prior to my 24 hour challenge.  I also ensured that the rinse agent chamber was full (when this is empty, the dishes don’t come out nearly as clean).

Voila! With minimal rinsing (I guess I sort of cheated?), my dishes came out without any food residues.  I don’t rinse everything, but some foods like oatmeal really stick if they’re not rinsed off right away.  I was quite pleased with Cascade’s tough cleaning action and ease of use.  Now…if only a company would develop a greener dishwasher tab/pac that actually works at getting those dishes clean!

For more information, just visit Cascade!

I have a few sample packets to giveaway (5 to be exact).  If you’re interested, just leave a comment!

No compensation was received for this post. Products for review (including a gift card) and giveaway were supplied by Cascade, P&G, and Walmart.

Putting Dyson’s Digital Slim Vacuum To The Ultimate Test…My Kid’s Messes!

Having children means coming to terms with their little messes.  Whether it’s my daughter throwing her Cheerios all over the living room, or my son emptying his sand-filled shoes on our floors, there is never a dull moment when it comes to domestics!  Thankfully, Dyson’s Digital Slim Vacuum is versatile enough to handle these not so teeny messes. Check out how we’ve been using the powerful cordless vacuum:

As you can see, Dyson packs power and versatility into the machine.  I don’t even think I need to use my full-sized vacuum downstairs anymore since I don’t have carpet.

Can you think of other ways to use this innovative cordless vacuum?

Dyson’s Digital Slim Vacuum retails for $299 and is available at Walmart.

Disclosure: I participate in the Walmart Moms program and am compensated for my time and honest opinions.