Crowdtap Review: Blackberry Z10 – Can it compete?

Thanks to Crowdtap and Verizon I was given the opportunity to check out the new Blackberry Z10 Smartphone.

blackberry Z10 Crowdtap2

 

Now if there is one thing I love (besides my family of course), is my cell phone. You will rarely see it out of my hands, pocket, or off my desk. My husband has even nicknamed my cell phone “Josh” and likes to tell everyone I’m having an affair with “Josh” because I spend soo much time with ‘him’. (haha he thinks he’s funny).

What I do hate however, is learning a new phone. I’ve had the Samsung Galaxy S3 for awhile now, and I’m still learning tips and tricks, and honestly, still learning basic stuff. (Yes I’m one of the ones who finally had the lightbulb go off with an ‘OHHH,so that’s how I have been accidentally doing all those screenshots!)

So with that said, I jumped into the Blackberry Z10 and decided to learn what I could, so I could share it with you. Here’s some info you want to check out before you purchase you’re new Z10:

  • The first BlackBerry 10 smartphone, the BlackBerry Z10, packs some unique features and functionality, including an industry-best virtual keyboard.
  • BlackBerry 10 OS addresses basically every issue we’ve ever had with the BlackBerry OS
  • App, Game and Content ecosystem is MUCH improved on BlackBerry 10
  • LTE speeds on a BlackBerry Smartphone is sweeeet
  • Completely gesture-based user interface makes using other operating systems feel dated in comparison
  • Universal to 30 different languages

Does it have what it takes?

Though I wasn’t the biggest Blackberry fan in the past (don’t get me started; the keyboard itself was enough to drive someone foolish- and app store? Let’s not go there) the Blackberry Z10 Smartphone is definitely in the running to be on the top with iPhone & Android users. If you are a Blackberry ‘old school’ user, you’re going to love the new Z10, the sleek look and speed alone is enough to make you a believer.

Have you tried the new Blackberry Z10 phone yet? What are your thoughts?

 

Posted in Reviews/Giveaways | 4 Comments

Happy, Healthy, Clean Mouth with Colgate Total

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

Walgreens: West Chester, OH

My daughter & I headed to Walgreens on Memorial Day to pick up the items we needed to get #HappyHealthySmiles with Colgate Total.

First off I will share a bit of info about myself for those who don’t know:
1. I am very particular about my teeth brushing habits. I had braces and a palatal expander for many many of my teenage years which has made me quite anal about having not only clean teeth, but a clean mouth as well.
2. I have had one cavity my entire life, which was just last year. I got a little lackadaisical with my mouth care regimen – and I paid for it. OUCH! Having a tooth filled is not my idea of a good time!
So when I was given the opportunity to check out Colgate Total – I jumped at the opportunity. With promises of ‘improved mouth health in just 2 weeks’ I decided I would start that challenge (keep an eye out for the before & after pics on Instagram in 2 weeks: follow me here.)

Walgreens Colgate Total Display

As soon as we walked into the store we noticed the Colgate display. Though they had the Colgate Total toothpaste & mouthwash I was in search for a Colgate Total 360 toothbrush as well, so we headed to the back of the store (which was a good thing there were only 2 left! Definitely a popular product!)

colgate 360 TOTAL toothbrush

Of course I didn’t leave with just my Colgate items – Walgreens had a lot of great Memorial Day Sales going on, and you can read more about my shopping trip & deals here.

 

Register Rewards Deal

Register Rewards Deal

Walgreens had a sale on Colgate products – 2 for $6, with the promise of $2 in Register Rewards for each 2/$6 purchase. With that in mind I purchased 2 tubes of Colgate Advance toothpaste, 2 Colgate 360 toothbrushes, 1 Colgate Total Advanced mouthwash, and some Colgate Kid’s toothpaste for my son. $18 with the promise of $6 back for future purchases seemed like a no brainer to me; But at the checkout, when I asked about the Register Rewards I was told by the Cashier, “Well nothin” printed hun” , and with the long line behind me I decided I would check when I got home. (Which as you can see in my pictures I was right. I will be making a phone call in the morning to get my $6 ‘credit’!)\

Even with the mix up, I still saved $31.42 with my Balance Rewards Card for my entire purchase (SCORE!)

BalanceRewards

 

 

 

I am very happy with my deals, and excited to use the Colgate Total. Be sure to check back in a few weeks to see my progress!!

 

 

Colgate Total

                                        How can Colgate Total Help you??

 
 
Whitening
The most common reasons for yellowing or stained teeth are aging and exposure to tobacco, tea and coffee. Colgate Total Advanced Whitening:  contains a unique dual silica technology that helps remove stains and helps prevent new stains from forming.
 
Stains
 Tobacco, red wine, and certain foods can stain teeth. Colgate Total Advanced Whitening effectively whitens teeth by gently removing surface stains.

Bad Breath

 Bad breath or malodor, also known as halitosis, is breath containing an unpleasant odor. One culprit of bad breath is the millions of bacteria that live in the mouth. The mouth’s warm, moist conditions make it an ideal environment for these bacteria to grow. Colgate Total helps kill bacteria that live in the mouth and cause bad breath.

Cavities

 Cavities are tooth decay. Tooth decay is heavily influenced by eating habits, oral hygiene and the presence of fluoride in water and toothpaste. Colgate Total provides fluoride protection against cavity formation and tooth decay.

Weak Enamel

Enamel is the outer layer of the tooth that envelops and protects the main portion of the tooth. The build-up of plaque bacteria and aging may contribute to weakened tooth enamel. Further, many common foods and drinks are acidic and can wear away enamel. Colgate Total contains an antibacterial ingredient and has a unique formula that attaches to your teeth to help reduce plaque. Colgate Total reduces 90% of plaque germs that cause gingivitis. Ordinary toothpastes don’t.

Tender Gums

Tender gums, caused by gum inflammation, is one of the first signs of gingivitis, which left untreated may lead to periodontitis. Colgate Total removes sticky plaque bacteria that cause the red, tender and swollen gums that characterize gingivitis. Colgate Total reduces 90% of plaque germs that cause gingivitis. Ordinary toothpastes don’t.

Gingivitis and Bleeding Gums

Gingivitis is the first stage of gum disease, which, if left untreated, may develop into periodontitis People with gingivitis may have inflamed gum tissue around their teeth, caused by bacteria found in dental plaque. Colgate  Total contains an antibacterial ingredient and has a unique formula that attaches to your teeth to help reduce plaque. Colgate Total reduces 90% of plaque germs that cause gingivitis. Ordinary toothpastes don’t.

Tartar

Tartar, sometimes called calculus, is plaque that has hardened on teeth. Tartar can also form at the gumline. Colgate Total works to fight tartar build-up by preventing plaque from forming. Colgate Total reduces 90% of plaque germs that cause gum problems. Ordinary toothpastes don’t.

 Plaque
 
Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. It is the main cause of cavities and gingivitis and can harden into tartar if not removed daily. Colgate Total contains an antibacterial ingredient and has a unique formula that attaches to your teeth to help reduce plaque. Colgate Total reduces 90% of plaque germs that cause gingivitis. Ordinary toothpastes don’t.

 

Posted in Reviews/Giveaways | 4 Comments

Fitness Friday: Staying on Track during Vacation

It’s been awhile since I spent any long period of time away from home on a vacation, or trip away.  However, when I do manage to get some time away my work out and diet seems to go out the window!  It is never fun to try and get back the healthy habits or loss the weight gained on such trips.  So here are some tips I found from Dr. Wayne Andersen:

 

 

  • Before you pack, be sure to ask the hotel if they have a gym or pool and bring appropriate clothes to get some exercise. (No excuses!)
  • Bring healthy snacks for the road / plane. Items like a Medifast Crunch Bars are great options because they’re satisfying, portable and contain less sodium and calories than airplane snacks or fast food options.
  • Drink lots of water. Any sort of traveling is taxing on the body and you’ll want to keep hydrated.
  • Remember that alcohol will let down your defenses and is full of empty calories and carbs! It is best to choose club soda or a diet drink with your meals.
  • Make healthy choices. Some days you may have to have both lunch and dinner out, so make the best of it and choose wisely.
  • Don’t worry about losing weight; sometimes the stress of traveling will slow your weight loss. The main objective is not to gain weight!
  • Remember to bring your journal to jot down both memories from the trip as well as what you ate to help you keep track of calories.
  • Last but not least – Have A Great Time!

What are some of your tips to stay on track while your out of your element???

Dr. Wayne Andersen is the Medical Director for Take Shape for Life Wellness program. He is board certified in internal medicine and specializes in weight management. Dr. Andersen graduated from University of Florida. Involved with Johns Hopkins in collaborating studies to show the efficacy of meal replacements, Dr. Andersen’s goal is to provide simple, convenient means for people to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. As the chief architect of Take Shape for Life, Dr. Andersen has built an integrated support system that helps people make the necessary changes in their lifestyles to create optimal health.

Posted in Fitness/Health, Travel | 1 Comment

Safety Tips for Summer Vacation

With summer approaching and already arriving for most, next will come traveling.. and with traveling comes lots and lots of driving!

My friend Anjanette over at MommaYoung & Friends has some excellent travel tips for your vacation and weekends away!

travel

 

Safety First:

Make sure everyone, children, parents, grandparents, and even the dog is buckled up! (They sell some great dog harnesses for your travels with your furry friends!)

 

But what about simple things like the condition of our vehicle and the tires we are driving on?  I was going to give my thoughts on it, but here are some tips from tire expert and Michelin subjective test driver, Sarah K. Robinson.

  • Check you tire pressure – Check your tire pressure at least once a month and before and after a long trip.  Tires can lose 1-2 psi per month.
  • Examine your treads – Always make sure your tires have at least 2/32” of tread depth (the penny trick). Examine the wear patterns; the wear patterns can tell you whether your tires are over or under inflated and if your alignment is off.
  • Avoid hydroplaning – Simple adjustments to driving including reducing your speed and avoiding wet spots, especially standing water can reduce your risk of hydroplaning.
  • Rotate – Tires should be rotated every 6,000-8,000 miles.
  • Keep deepest treads in the rear – Make sure when replacing just two tires that you put the two tires with the deepest treads on the rear axle regardless, whether you have front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

About Sarah K. Robinson – As the first female test driver at Michelin North America, Sarah K. Robinson is paving a new road for women in the automotive world. Robinson’s current responsibilities as a subjective test driver for Michelin include evaluating tire performance in both objective (e.g., wet braking) and subjective tests (e.g., wet and dry handling, noise) then delivering her results to Michelin’s designers and engineers to ensure the best possible tire is brought to market. She also develops and coordinates all visitor demonstrations, product launches and promotional activities occurring at Michelin’s test track, Laurens Proving Grounds (LPG) in Greenville, South Carolina.

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Yard Sale Tips & Tricks

Every year here in Butler County Ohio a local city has the infamous “Trenton Yard Sales.” The entire city, block after block, for 4 days, will have a citywide yard sale  and every year my Mom & I make it our tradition to make their junk our treasure.

yard sale

 

After walking around the many neighborhoods block after block for an entire day, I started to notice some things I wanted sure to keep in mind for our yard sale in a few weeks. So to get the most buck for your junk keep these tips in mind:

  • Marketing: If you sell it, they will come. But first they have to know about it. Let everyone when, where, and what. Advertise on Craigslist, the newspaper, even your social networks (our community has a yard seller Facebook page. It’s been very successful. They sell anything from DVD’s  to cars!). Don’t forget to let people know what you have! For example this past weekend I was looking for boys size 5t/6x clothing, and we made sure to hit up any sale that had those particular things listed!
  • Signs: Unless you live on a main drag, your shoppers may have a hard time finding you without the proper signage. Buy some poster board at your local dollar store – bright colors are recommended – and BIG LETTERS – to point them in the right direction.
  • Organize: Organize your ‘junk’ like you would a retail store. Hang nicer items, fold clothing and line up shoes by size, and make sure prices are marked. I would highly recommend avoiding the use of totes for clothing, and keeping higher priced items near you. After you’ve organized your tables and hanging items walk out to the road and see how it looks as a customer might.
  • Price It:  Price everything. No one likes to ask about the price for every item. Buy price tags, or use masking tape. If your short on time and can’t price every item, use signage to advertise what items might cost, such as “Shorts, pants, shirts $1 each, or 6 for $5.” Make sure that the signs are visible at each table, etc., 
  • Prepare to Haggle: This used to be the hardest part for me; Last year I had a brand new pair of Hurley tennis shoes still in the box marked $8, and someone wanted to ‘haggle’ me to $3. I was soo thrown off, I allowed it, but those shoes easily would of went for $30 or more on eBay or Craigslist. Make sure to mark your items a little bit higher then you’d actually take to leave room for the ‘hagglers.’ They walk away feeling like they got a deal, and you pocket those extra few bucks 
  • Give it Away: This by far is my best advice. Do not, I repeat, do not take that junk back into your house. Trust me on this one. Take it to Goodwill, donate it to your local church, there are plenty of people that will even come and pick up your junk! Just for the love of God, please do not take it back in the house. Unless it’s a higher  value item that you may be able to sell online individually get rid of it! You will come back and thank me for it, trust me!

garage sale

What are you yard sale tips???

Posted in Cleaning & Organizing | 6 Comments