Gutzy Gear - Review

I thought this was a really cute way to transform a child's backpack or gym back without permanently sewing or glueing additions on. Gutzy Gear came up with a product that allows your child to velcro patches to the arm straps of their backpack and then collect any patches they want. They can remove or add them on whenever they choose.

Each Gutzy Gear starter kit comes with two pieces of fabric that wrap around the existing arm straps of a bag. They are black so you can't really tell the difference. If anything, they give a little extra padding to the straps. The soft fabric allows patches to stick very easily to the surface. Each starter kit comes with one patch. You can purchase others for $4.99 a pack- 2 patches come in each pack.

My son had a great time deciding where he wanted to place the patches and I think it's great that they're easily removeable. As the patches become old or 'boring' you can make way for new ones without ruining an expensive backpack. The arm bands fit a child's backpack but they are also small enough that they fit on my son's mini backpack (He's only 3).

You can visit www.gutzygear.com for more information or to order.

Working While Working Out

I've done some reading that suggests multi-tasking isn't necessarily good for you. Apparently it causes you to become stressed easier, it clouds your thinking and you don't perform tasks as well as you would if you gave them your individualized attention. I'm a stay at home mom that works part time from home so if multi-tasking is bad for my soul then I guess I'm doomed. It's my goal daily to pack in as much as I can and certain things like spending time with my family are never allowed to be put on the back burner. That's why I find it necessary to multi-task for everything else: It leaves more time for fun, quality time.

Another activity I add to my daily to-do list is exercising. If I don't work out at least four to five times a week I'm just not myself so I work out religiously. Unfortunately there are days I simply just can't get to the gym either because the weather is bad, my son is sick and needs me home with him or I'm just too darn tired to make the trek. When a Fit Desk showed up at my doorstep I was positively in heaven with the concept and hoped that the bike would be everything it promised to be.

Fit Desk is an ultra compact exercise bike that comes with a comfortable desk that fits on the handlebar area of the bike. While you sit on the bike and pedal, you can use the desk to accomplish anything you want. In my case, you would never know that right now I'm getting my daily 45 minutes of exercise while I write this blog. You can fit a laptop on the desk area, you can play video games, read a novel or do paperwork.

The reason we never purchased an exercise bike before was that we didn't really have the room for one. The Fit Desk is extremely compact and can even be folded up and stored when not in use. In our house we fit the Fit Desk in the corner of our playroom and our son didn't even notice he was giving up some of his prime real estate. I was a little worried that the bike wouldn't be sturdy because of it's smaller size but I fit on it fine without wobbling all over and my husband doesn't have any issues as well. The price of the Fit Desk isn't too bad, retailing at about $229. This includes the bike, the desk portion and there's also a monitor to track the time, distance, etc.

For more information and to set out on your multi-tasking journey, you can visit www.fitdesk.net.

'Dust-Off' Your Computer Screen - Review

My husband is very particular when it comes to fingerprints on the laptop screen or the screen of the iPad. I guess I can see his quirk with it but that doesn't usually motivate me to wipe the little smudges off. I usually leave the task for him. Luckily, Dust-Off makes some really great products that make cleaning screens and other items really easy.

The Dust-Off line is pretty extensive and features sprays, cloths, compressed air and more to help you see your device better. There are even portable wipes that you can take with you on the road or keep at your desk to have handy whenever you need them. My favorite is the little keychain swiper cloth that you can keep with you at all times. If you're on your phone or you've taken along your iPad and you find it's impossible to see through the smudges and fingerprints, a quick swipe is all you need to keep things clean.

Dust-Off Products can be purchased online at a number of retailers as well as at major stores like Target. Their prices are very reasonable at retail at about the same price as other household cleaners and products. Keeping a couple of these products available for your phones, computers and games is a great idea and they even make great gifts or stocking stuffers.

I LOVE YOGA

I love yoga and everything about yoga. It's a huge stress reducer for me, it helps me center myself and once a week (Sometimes twice if I'm lucky!) I get some time to focus on myself for one full hour and stretch my tired muscles while focusing on nothing but my breathing. I could go on and on about the benefits of yoga but that's not why I'm reviewing I LOVE YOGA's products. I'm reviewing them because they're fantastic and I'm very impressed with the quality and functionality.

Yoga is a hobby for some, a workout for others. Yoga really and truly is a way of life if you decide to practice it regularly and it transforms people every day. Finding comfortable clothing that will help you focus on the practice of yoga is important but it's also nice to make a statement that expresses how much yoga means to you in your life each day. I LOVE YOGA offers a vast line of clothing that does just that including tshirts and pants for both men and women. Their products are colorful but feature really great designs and concepts centering around Om, Namaste and more.

Purchasing clothing online can be tricky but I LOVE YOGA's sizes and quality both stand out among other companies selling the same type of products. Women's tshirts are fitted and I personally liked the fit of one size larger than normal. If you want it to fit completely snug, purchase your usual size. I wanted my shirt a little baggier so I could wear a tank under it so I went up a size. Men's shirts are pretty standard as well.

For more information you can visit www.iloveyoga.com.

Smith and Truslow- Organic Herbs and Spices Review

I love to cook. I was raised by a mother who was an awesome cook and she learned from some great cooks as well. Unfortunately cooking didn't come super easy to me and it took me some time to stray away from my easy go-to recipes and experiment with different flavors and spices. Aside from my basic spice rack which included garlic powder, italian seasoning, seasoned salt and a few other basics, I didn't try many different things and sure didn't try to combine anything that I wasn't used to. Luckily, I received a large set of Smith and Truslow organic herbs and spices and was immediately hooked on a number of new flavors.

Most people now know the importance of eating organic but many people don't realize that you should get down to the very basics. Even spices should be purchased organically to prevent consumption of chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides. Not only is it better to consume spices in an organic form but they also taste so much better than non-organic ones that are mass produced.

Smith and Truslow's product line is extensive and includes single herbs and spices but also mixtures which I appreciated because I'm not always sure what goes with what. They have fantastic poultry and beef rubs that left my husband asking 'Who made this dinner?' (me silly, thank you very much). Even the most simple combinations like garlic and sea salt tasted so much better coming from this high end spice company.

The prices are reasonable. You will pay roughly $6.50 per 0.7 ounce jar for most basic spices and herbs that you would need to get started with a well-stocked spice rack. Start by replacing your most used products and then try something new and see if you can work it into your meals. I found that the spice rubs were a great way to try something new. Instead of cooking chicken breasts like I normally would I could just rub on some olive oil and spices and it was a whole new meal. It helped me learn about new tastes and made my family happy eaters.

You can visit www.smithandtruslow.com for more information or to see their entire product line.

Splendipity

We live in a smaller home and with my son's toys EVERYWHERE I like products that are either compact or multi-purpose. Splendipity's universal cover works as not only a shopping cart cover to keep those germs at bay but it also doubles as a high chair cover, a carseat cover, nursing cover and more!

Storage is easy and I like to keep mine in our van so I have it whenever we're out and I may need it. I like having a spare as well for when one gets dirty so I have one hanging up in the coat closet.
Splendipity's products are extremely well made and many are organic which is always a plus. Most of their covers are within the $40 range which might be a little high for some mothers but the quality makes for a very versatile and durable product.
You can visit www.splendipityinc.com for more information or to make a purchase. Splendipity also carries burp cloths and bibs that you can stock up on!