It’s the SuperShell!

I am seriously so stoked to tell you about this amazing new case for the iPad 2. Made by M-Edge, the SuperShell was not only voted one of our CES Best in Show products, it is hands down one of the best priced cases for the iPad 2 at just $29.99.

Check out the bright atomic green color, and eye catching design!

The SuperShell is super kid friendly. The case contours for easy holding, and the awesome dimpled texture promotes easy gripping as well.

The SuperShell is made from ultra-protective closed-cell foam. This means the foam actually absorbs shock for when, not if, your iPad gets dropped. Trust me friends, if you have kids, it’s gonna happen.

The SuperShell fits snuggly over your iPad 2, and still has several openings allowing your rear facing camera, speaker, volume buttons, and power button to still function.

Man, that’s a good lookin’ iPad 2 case.

Now, let’s talk some serious business. I tried out the SuperShell with everyone from toddler to teen. But what really impressed me was when I took it to my sons local special education classroom.

The school district is trying out this amazing new pilot program. They purchased three iPad’s for our autistic classroom – one iPad 1 and two iPad 2′s. The class consists of several teachers, and thirteen adorable elementary aged kids all with various degrees of autism. The kids earn work and play time on the iPads with good grades and behavior. The only problem, the classroom lacked the funding to purchase cases.

Can you imagine three unprotected iPads with thirteen children? Ahhhhh!

Well, M-Edge would not hear of that. Right away they sent two cases for the classroom to use. Nice!

(Since the SuperShell is intended for the iPad 2, Laura over at iLatch is hookin’ them up with a case for their iPad 1.)

I hand delivered the cases myself, and let me just tell you, those are some super duper happy teachers. The SuperShell performed fabulously in class, and this particular cutie did great adjusting the volume and power button.

In fact, the only thing this guy got frustrated over was that he wanted me to show him the screen-lock password so he could turn the iPad back on when his turn was over. So sad! (But seriously smart teachers, don’t you think?!)

Thanks M-Edge for letting me try out the SuperShell, and a HUGE thank you for hookin’ this class up with some much needed cases. The SuperShell is a fabulous case for babes, toddlers, preschoolers, and special needs children too.

To learn more or purchase the SuperShell, visit M-Edge here.

When you buy a smart phone, the first thing you start to think about is protecting your phone, especially when you tend to drop your phone repeatedly.

Or your kids constantly drop your phone.

At my house we seem to have a serious problem with both!

Well, just like you put a case on your phone, now you can put a case on your DSLR too!

This super sleek case on camera is called the Snug-it Pro made by easyCover.

The Snug-it Pro is washable, easy to slide over your camera, and allows you to still access your battery and memory card. The website is simple to search for your camera make and model, and also directs you to find the nearest distributor.

This case on my camera has been on for about three weeks now. I have put it to the test, including ice skating and shooting a hockey team at the same time with my camera. Luckily I never  fell down, but I loved the reassurance that my camera had extra protection.

Retail for the Snug-it Pro varies from $20-$40, depending on your camera model.  You can search the vast array of camera models and cases here.

Thanks easyCover for letting me try out the Snug-it Pro! Can you make a case for my flatscreen too? For some reason my three year old keeps running into our television.

To learn more about the Snug-it Pro, go here.

If there was one thing that really stood out to me at CES this year, it was the Sony Bloggie Live.

And the adorable video the Sony booth was playing of a family watching their daughter get married via Bloggie wi-fi.

I might have cried.

Maybe.

The Bloggie Live is a beautiful camera and HD video recorder that just so happens to be the first fully capable camera able to handle live streaming over Wi-Fi.

No way!

Yes way, my friends.

This means that with wi-fi you can film, and your friends and family can watch live as you are recording.

Just imagine your toddlers next birthday party, with Grandma and Grandpa watching at home while she screams in fright over flamed candles being shoved in her face.

Just imagine all the possibilities!

Mom can’t make it to a school play, or dad wants to join in a parent teacher meeting… seriously I could go on for hours.

The other cool thing about the Sonny Bloggie Live is that you can upload your videos wirelessly too!

Need to connect?  The bottom of the camera has a pop-down USB connection for uploading and charging.

See that? It pops right back up when you are done.

Here are some other cool specs about the Sonny Bloggie Live:

Full HD 1080p video – up to three hours!

12.8MP camera

8MB built-in memory

3.o” Touch screen display

Built-in LED lighting for photos and video

In hand the Bloggie Live feels great, and we can’t forget the necessary accompanying camera wrist strap that is legally obligated to be sold on all camera’s purchased by families.

Okay, having a camera strap is not exactly a written law, but it should be.

And, I cannot forget, my absolute favorite part ever when it comes to Sony and photography.

White balance!

Sony, I don’t know how you do it, but your camera’s always produce the perfect color in photographs.

Bless you for not turning my children and their friends into a grotesque shade of magenta like another brand who will not be named.

To learn more about or purchase the Sony Bloggie live for $249 go here.

Thanks Sony for hookin’ me up with a Bloggie Live. Though given this uber cool camera, I was not financially compensated for this post, and all opinons are mine. So is the dinner placement that I shot these pictures on. Just so ya’ know.

I really thought the Kindle Fire rage would die down after Christmas, but that tablet is still flying off the shelves! I wanted to show you another case option for the Kindle Fire, and this company is one of my favorites. Case-Mate makes protective and stylish cases for phones and tablets. They also have a huge line of accessories like speakers and headphones.

This is the Venture Case for the Kindle Fire. My teenage daughter owns the Kindle Fire in our home, and she loves this case!

The Venture case secures with a button closure, and protects the Kindle Fire from all sides.The outside is a sleek textured leather-inspired finish. The inside is super soft, and I love that it allows the Kindle to easily slide in and out of the case.

Once your Kindle Fire is inside, the case boasts a velcro side closure, keeping your case from sliding out. At CES I saw many tablet cases that were not a snug fit on the devices they were made for. I am happy to report the Venture case fits the Kindle Fire like a glove!

My favorite feature with the Venture case is the built-in stand. I didn’t think that would be a necessity with such a small tablet, but have found my family uses the stand more often than not. In fact, I caught my teenager using a calculator application with her home work, and she commented how nice it was to have her “calculator” standing up while she did her homework!

We have been using the Venture case several weeks now, and as a mom of four I can tell you it has already  taken some beatings. It has done a fabulous job protecting our Kindle Fire. The quality of the case has not diminished at all as well.

The Case-Mate Venture case retails for $50. To learn more about or to purchase this case, you can visit Case-Mate here. Thanks Case-Mate for sending us the Ventre Case to review. I won’t be surprised if my teens friends will all be sporting the same case sometime soon!

My camera lens is constantly getting dirty. Last year, I purchased a Lenspen to help keep it clean and fingerprint free. While I was at CES  I was thrilled to see Lenspen there, and was quite surprised at how many new products they were showcasing.

The SideKick is the cool new cleaner for tablets and laptops.  Besides the Original Lenspen, now there is a Lenspen for your camera filter and your camera viewfinder.

Let’s take a look at the Sidekick first. It comes in this slick little case, and the cleaning carbon pad pops open for use.

This is my teens Kindle Fire. Scary!

You just use your pointer finger and glide the Sidekick back and forth.

Yes, these are real photos my friends.

That is seriously amazing.

The Lenspens come in several different sizes. The Original Lenspen is round to contour the shape of your lens, the FilterKlear Lenspen is flat since filters are a flat surface, and the MicroPro is perfect for small lenses and viewfinders.

I am always finding fingerprints on my compact camera lens, and the MicroPro is perfect for that itty bitty glass.

All of the Lenspen products are made to clean with carbon. Carbon molecules have the unique ability to absorb huge amounts of oils and contaminants. The cool thing about these products is there is no liquid or cloths involved.

Thanks Lenspen for letting me try out these cool new products! To learn more about how Lenspen works, visit their website here. The Original Lenspen retails for $14.95, and can be purchased along with other products here.

Your never going to believe who was at CES.

The Amazing Flameless Candle, that’s who!

Don’t get me wrong, I lurve technology, but I am a DIY home decor girl at heart.

(I love it so much, I have a whole ‘nother blog dedicated to it.)

That’s why when they contacted me about trying out one of their LED candles,  I could not resist.

Look at how purdy it is!

The Amazing Flameless Candle company has pillar candles, tealights, and votives. I tried out the pillar candle called “Mandarin Spice”. It smells heavenly!

I have actually purchased several battery operated candles before at both Costco and Hobby Lobby. I paid about the same price, around $20 retail, but I must say, this LED candle is soooo much better. It flickers like a real flame, is much brighter than other candles I have purchased, (it has 4 LED lights instead of the typical 1), and the batteries so far have lasted much longer. In fact, this candle boats a whole 450 hours of battery life. Nice!

Another cool feature is the adjustable timer. I can set the candle to stay on for four hors, six hours, or even eight. Automatically it will then turn on and off for that specific amount of time, every twenty-four hours. Now every evening around dusk it turns on by itself, and by bedtime it turns off. How cool is that?

I also love that the Amazing Flameless Candle is made from real bees wax. It feels and looks like a real candle, but is much safer for families and children.

Thanks Amazing Flameless Candle for asking me to try one out! I can’t wait to pick up a few more before our next dinner party. To purchase The Amazing Flameless Candle go here. To learn more about The Amazing Flameless Candle go here.

Several weeks before going to CES, I was bombarded by e-mails from companies showcasing products that would be unveiled at the show. One particular e-mail I received caught me off guard. It was from none other than the home improvement giant, Lowe’s.

Lowe’s at the Consumer Electronic Show? What the what?

As a DIY junkie myself, I just had to check this out.

Lowe’s was at the show promoting something new called MyLowe’s. MyLowe’s in an integrated online experience that helps customers manage their biggest asset – their homes. Here’s how it works: In-store or online you register for a MyLowe’s card. Your card is then scanned every time you make a purchase. You can even enter your ID number online to track purchases. All purchases are stored in your customer profile.

Oh, my awesomsauce.

Do you know what this means???

You can now keep track and organize every home improvement purchase you make.

You can easily look up which appliance you bought and see if it’s still under warranty.

You can create a home profile online. Within your home profile you can list floor dimensions, window sizes, and more!

You can make notes for specific products you purchased.

You can create shopping lists.

You can set and access reminders for things you need to buy regularly. Hello air filters!

You can make a future project list too!

Ready for the best part???

No more taking messy paint cans in-store with you! Not only does it track what brand and finish of paint you bought, it knows what color as well! Whether it was one of Lowe’s custom colors, or a color you had matched from a different brand, all the information is stored right there on your card.

Now, I must tell you, there is one very bad things about this whole idea.

Your husband can now track what purchases you are making every time you have a inkling to repaint your bathroom or buy another pair of gardening gloves.

Don’t worry. There’s an easy solution!

I had my husband get his own account and card.

To learn more about MyLowe’s or to sign up, go here. A very special thank you to the MyLowe’s crew who helped me sign up at CES. I am very sorry I was giddy with an embarrassing amount of joy over this concept. I am not however embarrassed that I have bought six cans of different colored paint over the last six years for the same wall in my living room.

Chances are you or someone you know got hooked up with a Kindle Fire this Christmas. Whew! Those babies were hot for the holidays. Today I am featuring this Kindle Fire case made by Incipio.

Incipio has a huge selection of tablet cases for the Kindle Fire. (Go here to view them all.) This one is called the Kaddy Folio, and it retails for just under $30.

The cool thing about the Kaddy are these four sturdy clips that securely store the Kindle Fire inside. It also has an elastic band enclosure giving it a professional, yet chic look.

It also makes the Kindle Fire appear like a book when the case is closed, which is perfect when you are at church playing on your tablet instead of reading your scriptures.

Not that I am speaking from experience.

Okay, I might have done that once.

I love the feel of the Kaddy. It’s actually made from nylon, and has a sturdy sleek feel to it. The inside lining is microsuede, which actually works towards cleaning your device every time you shut your case. Brilliant!

Quality is always important when purchasing a case to protect your device. Incipio doesn’t disappoint when it comes to quality stitching and aesthetics.

To learn more about Incipio cases for the Kindle Fire go here. To view Incipio cases for other Tablets, phones, computers, and more, go here.

Want to meet one of my best friends in the whole wide world?

Yup, that’s him.

He’s been a big part of my life for the last seven years.

I use him for every project, every repair, every fix-it job around my house and more.

He’s such a good friend I have lent him out, dropped him repeatedly, even left him out in the cold, and he keeps on sticking around for me.

Although we have been through a lot together, (Remember that time I dropped you in a bucket of concrete?) , my 18V orange beauty is sometimes difficult to get along with.

For starters, sharing him with my husband is sometimes a drag. (Three’s a crowd you know.) And secondly, as much as  I love this drill, it’s bulky size is often to big and heavy  for my small hands.

Hey, even though I own a saw, I’m still a girl you know!

So, I passed off my old friend to my husband, and decided to try something new.

It’s good to make new friends, right?

Ain’t she purdy?

This is the Black and Decker 20V Lithium Max drill.

Do you know what lithium means?

It doesn’t matter, we’re girls. Just remember it means lighter, and more powerful.

And perfect for tough small hands.

This drill is ah-freakin-mazing. It holds its charge for up to 18 months, and it’s 35% smaller, and 25% lighter than traditional drills. Just look at the size difference below!

Man oh man, I am exicted to try out this drill!

(Ahem, I mean woman.)

Ready to see my new friend in action?

My girls were itchin’ for an art table so I made one all by myself.

Okay, the drill helped too.

First, I started out with two wood stair tread boards. Do you know what stair treads are? They are pre-cut boards intended for wood stairs. They are a fabulous piece of wood to work with because they require little or no sanding, they are cut to a great size for projects, made from high quality wood, and have a lovely rounded edge on one side.

These two I picked up at Home Depot for around $10 a piece.

I also found some metal table legs at a surplus sale. These beauties cost just a few dollars. I know not everyone is a scavenger, so if you want to make your own table check Ikea. They sell very inexpensive table legs in a variety of styles.

Next I turned over the wood and placed the legs where I wanted them to go.

Then I used my handy drill to attach the legs. I did not have clamps big enough to hold everything together while I drilled. Luckily the 20V Lithium Max drill was stable and easy to grip so I didn’t bump anything while I drilled the legs into the wood.

Then I gave the table two coats of clear wood finish. I could have stained the wood darker, but I wanted an unfinished look while  still protecting the wood from crayons and markers.

Last step, wait for the finish to dry at least 48 hours. This particular brand is very strong smelling, so I waited an extra day before bringing it in the house.

Ta-da! The table is the perfect size for little ones. We have a few more yellow chairs for when more than one of my kids wants to color or work on a project.

Man, I love those stair treads. I am going to have to come up with some more projects with these.

And I love this drill! My husband loves using it too, but I am claiming it as my own. This baby is seriously made for girls hands. It’s just the perfect size for women!

To learn more about the 20V Lithium Max drill made by Black and Decker go here.

I have a teenager, and my teenager has friends.

Have you ever had a teenage girl plus multiple friends at your house before?

It’s loud. It’s crazy. It makes you grateful you bought Excedrin last Tuesday.

It’s also a lot of fun.

The problem with teens is, they aren’t alway so easy to entertain. I don’t mind kids coming over to play video games for a few minutes, but hours of TV entertainment just doesn’t fly at our house. Plus, I hate that my kids don’t interact with friends when they do it.

My teenage daughter loves technology. I need something she can do with friends that forces her to actually get to know them, and socialize with them. That’s why I was stoked to hear about Skanz Jr Bandz.

Skanz Jr. Bandz sell for around $10 and come in multiple colors. They are each imprinted with a unique QR code, and each can be used online to build a mobile website and create a unique profile for the person wearing it.

My teen and her friend were super excited to get online and try it out.

The first thing you do online is enter the code that came with your Skanz Jr bracelet.

You then choose a profile picture and name your Skanzsite. Kids and teens are encouraged not to use their real name, but to be creative in choosing their username. Also, parents are sent a permission request by e-mail before the bracelet can be used.

The next thing you do is create a profile full of favorite items. So when your friends scans the QR code on your bracelet, they get a whole list of fun information about it. No personal information is given out when the QR code is scanned.

You can also add your favorite music videos to your profile, and new content is added each week so that your child’s profile can easily be updated.

The girls had a lot of fun creating their sites, and then practicing scanning their bracelets afterwards. I loved that they were able to sit down together and create fun profiles, all the while getting to know each other better. They were both really excited to share their Skanzsite with other friends.

There is no cost to register or maintain your Skanzsite. If friends or family don’t have a smart phone, they can enter the bracelets alphanumeric code located on the back into the QR decoder at SkanzJr.com to view your child’s profile.

Though I felt like the price per bracelet was a little high, overall I love the idea of kids being able to do this together with friends. This would be such a fun birthday gift or party favor for kids!

Thanks Skanz Jr. for letting us try these out! You can learn more about Skanz Jr. here, and view all the different Banz available to purchase here.