Search Results for “tech” – Page 25

3 Tips For Optimal Mental Health

Today, more than ever before, we are recognizing the importance of mental health and the challenges that some people have in this area. We’re also becoming more aware of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia that can almost rob the person of themselves. With such awareness, and perhaps the first-hand experience of such conditions we’re all looking for ways to keep our mind active.

The suggestions below will not negate the need for Alzheimer’s care but they are a good starting point in terms of keeping your brain healthy and in good shape.

It’s important to remember that everyone has the occasional moment of forgetfulness, where they might go upstairs but then can’t quite remember why.

These memory lapses can occur at any age, yet interestingly, we associate this forgetfulness with aging yet aging alone does not make someone forgetful – it’s usually a slippery slope of cognitive decline due to an organic disorder, brain injury or underlying neurological illness.

According to Harvard University, a number of studies have shown that you can reduce the risk of dementia with some basic habits:

staying physically active
getting enough sleep
not smoking
having good social connections
limiting alcohol to one drink a day
eating a balanced diet low in saturated and trans fats.

In addition to these basic health habits, you might want to consider the following prophylactic suggestions that are all scientifically proven to slow down cognitive decline and/or avoid it all together.

SUPPLEMENT

There are a number of supplements such as Ginkgo Biloba and certain oils (e.g. Omega 3, 6 and 9) that are well known for keeping the brain (and in particular one’s memory) functioning healthily. Equally important is that you keep yourself hydrated, as your brain’s composition is predominantly water – which is why people often feel so hazy in their head after too many drinks the night before.

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

There are a lot of ways you can keep your brain active, and the saying “use it or lose it” couldn’t be truer. There are app-based games such as Peak that is developed to stimulate a variety of brain performance attributes such as mental agility and memory. That said, doing a simple crossword can be just as effective in terms of keeping the mind active.

The other consideration is that anytime you learn something new and expand your mind, the brain is like a muscle in that it gets stronger the more you use it. Learning a language, for instance, is a great way to holistically train your brain.

MANAGE STRESS

This might seem like a no-brainer, but managing stress is absolutely essential to your mental health. Think of it this way, each time you have a particularly stressful incident that puts your psyche through emotional stress – this creates physiological stress in your body that can take its toll over time.

Indeed, you can see the effects of long-term stress on people’s faces and bodies. If you want to have optimal mental health you need to find a way to manage your stress.

0 Comments

Easy Ways To Complete Your Bucket List On A Budget

Creating a bucket list is easy, but affording it? Not so much! Your bucket list is usually a list of places you want to visit or things that you want to achieve before you, well, kick the bucket.

Bucket lists aren’t something that should be concerned about your financial situation, especially when not every bucket list item is a grand plan to travel the world. You don’t have to be wealthy to be able to pull off the things that you want to do before you die.

A bucket list is all about adventures and possibilities and is a dream list rather than something you should absolutely do while you’re still kicking. You can create a bucket list on a budget, and we’ve put together some of the best budget ideas out there. We’ve thrown in a couple, though, that do have that little extra expense; life is for a living, after all.

(Photo Source)

Learn To Play Music

For most people, the mastery of a musical instrument is a high achievement and one to be very smug about. Whether your favorite instrument is a piano, violin or even a guitar, the chance to learn how to play an instrument doesn’t have to be kept to childhood.

At any age, you can buy an instrument and get learning how to play. Shop in the thrift stores for a preloved guitar or hit Craigslist or even eBay. Then check out some free music lessons online, or simply use videos on YouTube to follow along and learn to play yourself.

Visit Somewhere You’ve Always Wanted To Go

Travelling doesn’t have to be expensive, but there are two ways that you could go about this one. You could choose to take an indulgent weekend in wine country with a loved one, spending time in the tasting room and getting to know new flavors. If your budget deems that to be too expensive, you could use websites like this one to couch surf your way around the world.

This website connects travelers to people in the community that are willing to host visitors from different countries. The adventures that you have with your friends or family or partner are out there for you, you just have to be a little creative with how you travel and give up a few small comforts.

Master Chess

It doesn’t cost much at all for this one, but it’s a goal in life for many to master the game of chess. The skill that chess takes is often mistaken for a little bit of geekiness, but chess is a game of kings! Get someone to learn with you – this is one of those bucket list items that takes two to complete.

The one thing that you should understand is that learning how to play chess strategically is a huge achievement. This is because you’ve learned something starts to finish and have added new skills of thinking and reasoning to your belt!

(Photo Source)

Complete Your Book Bucket List

A library is a place to be on a bucket list containing titles of books that you’ve been longing to read. These can range from original Shakespeare plays to the works of chick-lit wonders like these. Your book list is going to transport your mind to a whole other world; more than one if you like!

Heading to the library can mean that this particular bucket list item is totally free for you. Reading a few of the classics can change your thinking and expand your mind. Plus, what is more, relaxing than sinking into a comfy chair with a great book?

Go Get Educated

Did you know that college isn’t just for high school grads? If you put off going to college as a teenager, there is nothing to stop you from going now. There are tons of free college courses that you can start online.

You may not get that coveted diploma, but you will be full of brand-new knowledge that could take you further than anything ever has before. It will take you to new places and could change your career for you. It could even prompt you to save the cash to go back and get that diploma yourself.

Fit In A Foreign Language

As with chess, learning a language is a skill. It takes time to completely master a new language and be able to speak it with clarity and fluency in the same way that you do English or your mother tongue. You can check out this link for free language classes, or you could go the whole hog with a Rosetta Stone set.

There’s nothing to stop you from traveling in the place that holds the language that you want to learn, either, and the best place to learn a new language is where you want to speak it! There is so much material online to be able to cobble together enough information to teach yourself a language if you can’t get to an official class. Bucket list item checked and your wallet happy!

(Photo Source)

Do Your Dream Job

Even if it’s just for a day, pick a job you’ve always wanted to do and go and get it – for fun. Have you always wanted to dish out movie theatre snacks? How about learning the ins and outs of behind the counter at Chick-Fil-A?

Either way, choose the job you’ve always wanted to do and go and tell them about your dream to do the job for a day. Keep searching for all the places until you find one that says yes to your dream. Offer your services as a volunteer if you need to – it’s an item to tick off.

Most of these items are totally free. Your dreams can be big and they can be bold but they don’t have to be expensive and crippling on your finances. Bucket lists are there to be a guide, a dream list that you chase. Chase away and grab what you can; we’re not around forever!

0 Comments

Why I’m a Roto-Rooter Ambassador

We’ve all been there. Whether you own or rent your home, I’m sure that you’ve dealt with plumbing problems, including those pesky clogged, gunky drains. As a homeowner, I’ve had to deal with my share of pipe problems. Costly and high inconvenient plumbing problems. Which is why I’m excited to announce that I’ve been chosen as a Roto-Rooter ambassador!

I am by no means any sort of plumbing expert, but I’m always on the hunt to find new ways to maintain my home’s plumbing, which is why I am excited about learning ways to take care of my home through this new ambassadorship.

While I’m sure you already know Roto-Rooter’s reputation for being the #1 company for their in-home plumbing services, however, did you also know that they offer a line of consumer products that you can use at home? This means that instead of calling someone out to the house, I can do some of the jobs myself. Including unclogging drains.

While I’m simply a homeowner and not a professional, I still want products that I can depend on to provide the fastest performance while remaining safer for all of my home’s pipes and plumbing.

What’s truly awesome about the Roto -Rooter’s Clog Remover products is that they are able to clear clogs 50% faster than other national brands. As they are also formulated with a patented gel formula that penetrates deeply to the clog’s source.

What’s even better? With all Roto-Rooter products, it works — or its free. You heard that right. Roto-Rooter is so confident in their products that they offer consumers a satisfaction guarantee on their entire line of consumer products.

Plus, if the clog persists and you need professional help, just give the bottle to a Roto-Rooter services technician and receive 10% off of your service call. How awesome is that? Be sure to visit rotorooter-products.com/our-guarantee.html for more details on Roto-Rooter’s consumer products satisfaction guarantee.

And for these reasons and more, I am so excited to tell you that I have again partnered up this year with Roto-Rooter as an ambassador! So the next time you have a clog or need to maintain your septic tank, be sure to visit your favorite grocery and mass retailer to pick up Roto-Rooter products. Products that will have your plumbing in tip-top fast!

Over the course of the next year, I’m excited to introduce you to even more of the products and services Roto-Rooter has to offer as well as some at-home plumbing fixes. Stay tuned for next my next post in this series where I will share with you several easy at-home plumbing fixes that you can do for yourself!

Now I want to ask, how do you currently deal with all your weekend warrior and DIY plumbing emergencies at home? I’d love to hear about them below!

0 Comments

5 Tips For Protecting Your Curls This Winter

This shop has been compensated by Schwarzkopf. #HolidayHairCare #sponsored

I believe that everything should have a little extra sparkle and shine during the holiday season. Especially your hair! Because nothing quite sets off a fabulous frock like a funky new do! If you’d like to give your lovely locks a holiday refresher, here are 5 tips to get you started:

Tip 1: Refresh your hair color:

A few days before the start of the holiday season, I make sure to refresh my look with Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color. Its one of my biggest secrets to helping me get ready for the holiday season!

And when it comes to picking the right shade of hair color, a general rule of thumbs is to pick a shade no more than two hues lighter or darker than your natural brow color. This helps your color blend in with your skin tone. Helping your hair appear healthy with added dimension and shine.

Now, if you’d like a more show-stopping look, try something in the Auburn family. It’s my husband’s favorite shade and you’ll wow the crowds for sure! Here’s how I step-by-step use Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color to treat my hair at home:

Step 1: Remove the contents of the box. Making sure that you have all the supplies to color your hair. Then determine your coloring needs. If you’ve colored your hair in the last season, follow the instructions listed for touching up your hair. If you have virgin hair or hair that’s not been treated in 6 months or longer, follow the instructions for full head coloring. I used the direction indicated for full head coloring.

Step 2: Open the directions packet. There you’ll find your colorist gloves inside. Put them on to protect your hands during application.

Step 3: Twist off the Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color pre-treatment cap and squeeze some into your gloved hand. Apply to the dry ends of your hair. This pre-treatment is to prevent breakage and has the added benefit of helping to ensure your color is absorbed evenly throughout your hair.

Step 4: Break the Creme color seal. Squeeze the contents of the color Creme into the application bottle. Making sure to twist the cap off of the application bottle first.

Step 5: While holding a gloved finger over the top of the bottle, shake your applicator bottle to combine.

Step 6: Create a part through the center of your head. Squeeze a line of the Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color directly down the part and then smooth out your color with gloved fingers. Continue parting your hair into 1/2″ sections and applying color in the same way. Color all of your roots.

Step 7: Allow your color to sit on your roots for 20 minutes.

Step 8: After 20 minutes, apply Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color to the remainder of your hair. Squeezing the color down the shaft until you reach your ends. Then let your color sit on for an additional 10 minutes. And don’t fret, because Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color is low odor thanks to their advanced ammonia control technology. Thankfully, your house won’t smell of a hair salon while you wait!

Step 9: After your color is finished processing, using your colorist gloves, give your hair a final scalp massage to loosen your color and then rinse your hair. It is easiest for me to do this in the shower, but sink sprayers work well too! Rinse out your color thoroughly.

Step 10: Finish your color by applying a generous amount of the Keratin Care Complex Conditioner tube onto your hair. Working from the ends up to your roots. This helps moisturize your roots and keep your scalp and crown from being overly flat while styling! Leave this on your hair for 2 minutes and then rinse thoroughly. Then dry and style your hair as desired!

Here is my finished color. Perfect for the holiday season! Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color leaves my hair super shiny and soft. Plus, it provides 100% gray coverage with intense, vibrant color. A must for curly girls in our early 30’s!

For my latest coloring, I chose the color Bordeaux Red. This shade gives my naturally dark blonde hair, with some early signs of greying, a more vibrant, youthful look. The darker Auburn shade beautifully compliments my face and makes me feel positively radiant!

I pick up my Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color on the Hair Color aisle at Walmart. The next time your in-store, grab a box for yourself too! Currently, there is also a Try Me Free Rebate to get your hair color for free after rebate!

If amazing looking hair color wasn’t enough, Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color is a partner of support for Dress for Success®, Dress for Success®, an organization that helps women beat the cycle of poverty by entering the workforce looking their personal best, and have pledged a contribution of $125,000 to this amazing cause. Learn more at Dressforsuccess.org. Because upward mobility and a successful workplace interview start with a successful self-care routine!

Tip 2: Deep condition your hair bi-weekly. Deep conditioning masks help deeply penetrate your hair with moisture and promote growth, moisture, and luster. Essential for curls, as our spirals are prone to drying out. A simple 20-minute mask of half a mashed up banana, 1/8 cup organic agave, and 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar will do wonders for keeping your hair looking its best!

Tip 3: Trim Your Ends. Keeping your hair regularly trimmed is a cardinal rule for any curly girl. Colder temperatures can cause hair to become dry and brittle which can lead to breakage and split ends. Trimming your hair can greatly reduce breakage and help prolong the look of your style. I have my ends trimmed at the start of each season with a professional trim.

Tip 4: Eat & Drink Healthy. As the old adage goes, you are what you eat. That includes your curls! Eating well-balanced meals, heavy in plant-based nutrients, will help to provide your curls with the essential nutrients your hair needs to increase growth, promoting shine, and stay moisturized and healthy. This also includes drinking water! Eight 8-ounce glasses of water are sufficient, but when it comes to moisturizing your curls at home, the more the better!

Tip 5: Change how you wash your curls. During the colder months, consider co-washing your curls. Co-washing, or washing your hair with only conditioner, will give your hair a gentle cleanse without totally stripping and drying the hair of essential natural oils. Because most shampoos and conditioners contain trace amounts of detergents called surfactants, that when mixed with water, wash away dirt, conditioner can cleanse your hair without stripping essential natural oils from your hair and scalp. If you’re not a fan of co-washing, make sure you use a good moisturizing shampoo instead.

A quick tip: Co-wash your curls from the ends to the roots. This allows your ends to be extra conditioned and your scalp to not be overly dry!

Tip 6: Plop Your Curls. Looking for a way to decrease the drying time of your hair? Then plopping is for you! Plopping involves putting your hair up in a cloth, which encourages your natural curls to dry without them losing their spiral shape. To plop your hair, you begin by washing or c-washing your curls. Then apply any leave-ins or styling products, as needed. Then bend over and place your curls into a cloth or turban. Position your curls within the cloth, pressing your curls into the cloth. Finally, securing your plopped hair with a button or bobby pin. Then just wait for your hair to dry. After 30-60 minutes, remove your towel and diffuse to separate curls, if needed. Then, rock those curls!

Looking for an easy DIY Plopping Towel? Here’s a quick pattern for you to try:

Materials:

Cotton yarn skein (around 240 yards)
Size G Crochet Hook
Elastic Band

Pattern Terms:

Ch = Chain
HDC = Half Double Crochet
Hdc2tog = Half Double Crochet Two Together

Pattern:

Side 1:

Row 1: Ch 10, hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each across. Ch-1, turn.
Rows 2-18: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 19: hdc in first 8, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 20: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 21: hdc in first 9, 2hdc in stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 22: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 23: hdc in first 10, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 24: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 25: hdc in first 11, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 26: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 27: hdc in first 12, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 28: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 29: hdc in first 13 stitched, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 30: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 31: hdc in first 14 stitched, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 32: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 33: hdc in first 15 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 34: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 35: hdc in first 16 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 36: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 37: hdc in first 17 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 38: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 39: hdc in first 18 stitches, 2hdc in last. Ch-1, turn.
Row 40: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 41: hdc in first 19 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 42: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 43: hdc in first 20 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 44: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 45: hdc in first 21 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 46: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 47: hdc in first 22 stitches, 2hdc into the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 48: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 49: hdc in first 23 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 50: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 51: hdc in first 24 stitches, 2hdc in last. Ch-1, turn.
Row 52: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 53: hdc in first 25 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Row 54: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 55: hdc in first 26 stitches, 2hdc in the last stitch. Ch-1, turn.
Rows 56 – 63: hdc in each stitch across. Ch-1, turn.
Row 64: hdc2tog, hdc in next 26 stitches. Ch-1, turn.
Row 65: hdc in first 25 stitches, hdc2tog. Ch-1, turn.
Row 66: hdc2tog, hdc in next 24 stitches. Ch-1, turn.
Row 67: hdc in first 23 stitches, hdc2tog. Ch-1, turn.
Row 68: hdc2tog, hdc in next 22 stitches. Ch-1, turn.
Row 69: hdc in first 21 stitches, hdc2tog. Ch-1, turn.
Row 70: hdc2tog, hdc in next 20 stitches. Fasten off, weave in ends on your first side.

Side two: Repeat Steps from Side 1.

Creating your towel:

Lay the two pieces together and line them up. You’ll slip stitch around your seems with a single crochet border. Then flip your towel inside out and stitch a single stitch from the inside of the towel out to secure your elastic band to your towel. This will help you to secure your towel to your hair while your hair is inside.

To use the towel, place on your head, with the larger side cradling the crown on your head and your elastic band facing away from your face. Then gather your hair in the towel with your ends positioned into the towel end of your towel. Then gather your hair together by gently twisting your ends backward, towards the back of your head and secure inside the elastic band.

This pattern works up pretty quickly and would make a great holiday gift-giving idea for other curly girls on your list this year!

So, those are my top 5 tips for caring for your curls this winter. Give them a try! Be sure to also visit Schwarzkopf® to see what shade you will pick to color your own hair at home, product information, and even more curly hair styling tips too! You can also check out my other natural beauty and hair care tips here!

Friends, now I want to ask, do you plan to refresh your look this holiday season? And if so, what shade of Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color will you be going with? I’d love to hear about it below!

Connect with Schwarzkopf® Keratin Color:

Facebook | Instagram

Connect with Dress for Success®:

Facebook | Instagram

0 Comments

Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum Review

Disclosure: This review is sponsored by Shark. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you!

Convenience. My go-to mantra when it comes homemaking and cleaning. As a work-at-home blogger, I need valuable cleaning products that help me maintain my home each day with little effort or difficulty. Helping me get back to juggling the myriad of other hats I wear each day!

When it comes to cleaning convenience at home, one thing is for sure. Cordless vacuums are key. They give you the freedom of movement that upright vacuums simply can’t provide.

However, all cord-free vacuums are not made the same. Some cordless vacs, particularly stick-vacuums, work well enough but lack floor nozzles. Leaving you unable to tackle everyday messes, such as sugar, cereal, crumbs, and coffee at home.

Many cord-free vacuums are limited in their functionality. Geared for use for only one type of flooring, either carpeting or hardwood floors. As most homes include both types of flooring, this is very problematic in design.

Others aren’t able to reach under furniture. And, worse still, as every cordless vacuum runs off battery power, few cordless vacuums provide power packs with enough power to allow you to finish cleaning an entire floor of your home. Making you chose between cleaning or charging each day.

With so many issues surrounding cordless vacuums, it’s hard to know which vacuum to choose from reviews. However, there is one cordless vac that eliminates all these problems – the Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum.

What I liked about the vacuum:

Upon opening the vacuum, it’s easy to see how sturdy and well designed the Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum is.

This vacuum can help you clean every surface of your home. From household floors and stairs to playrooms, vehicles, workshops, and sheds, this vacuum has you covered. With the durability and power of a standard vacuum with the convenience of a stick vac.

The IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum delivers a powerful clean with dual brush rollers that work in tandem to clean carpets and hard floors while providing you with the ability to customize the needed suction levers for both surfaces depending on your specific cleaning needs.

Weighing in at only 8.7 pounds, this Shark delivers the power of an upright vac with the ease of a stick vac. Making it easy to move from room to room with ease. Perfect for busy gals like me!

Cleaning Tools:

This vacuum also features several awesome attachment tools, including its MultiFLEX Wand. This wand is unique to the IONFlex cordless vacuum and features technology allowing the wand to bend halfway across the main cleaning tube. With just a single press of the unlock button, the hinged cover opens up, revealing a bendable hose. Perfect for high cleaning.

The MultiFLEX Wand also allows you to maneuver in and out of tight spaces. Such as under cabinets and beside major appliances, all without bending over or having to move heavy items in order to clean unsightly debris out of the way. Particularly important for those with back issues or for more heavy-duty preparatory cleaning during the holiday season.

You’ll also receive a duster-crevice tool. This 8-inch combo attachment features soft bristles and a tapered nozzle to help you dust narrow spaces. Moreover, you can customize your dusting with this tool by sliding the duster head. This takes you from brush to crevice dusting instantly.

In addition, the vacuum comes with an anti-allergen dust brush, which works well for removing fine dust from decor objects, such as picture frames, figurines, lampshades, bed frames, and books.

If you’re a pet owner, like me, you’ll appreciate the included multi-tool that can not only lift piles of debris from carpets but also removes pet hair from fabric without damaging fabric or clog your wand. Altogether eliminating the need for wasteful, expensive lint rollers at home.

The dust cup is also easy to open. Just press the wand-release button to open the dust cup lid. Perfect for emptying your dust cup in the compost bin or when your hands are full with little ones or fuzzies at home.

Power and Performance:

In terms of overall daily cleaning performance, this cordless vacuum works incredibly well. Utilizing dual brush head technology, with both a strong-bristled brush is able to reach deep into carpet fibers and a softer roller brush that not only draws in large debris but also lightly polishes hard floors.

With both brushes, you’ll be able to bring in larger dirt and debris to the surface. Since they operate in unison, you get the benefits that both brush rolls provide no matter what type of floor you’re cleaning.

The IONFlex also features a brush roll indicator light that glows green when the brushes are in working order and red when they are jammed, so you’ll know right away if your brush heads need cleaning. Saving you the time spent on troubleshooting.

Removing the brush rolls is also super simple. Simply slide the two door-access buttons and pull the tab to release the brushes.

As we all know, every flooring requires a different level of care. Which is why Shark integrated its Smart Response technology, that gives users the ability to adjust the vacuum’s power settings.

From the display panel, you can choose from among two surface settings and two suction settings. Making the brush rollers spin faster for high-pile carpeting or slower for hard surfaces. You can also control the suction strength. Ther’s also the extended run-time feature. Perfect for doubling the battery life between charges during daily 1-hour power cleaning.

I also love that with just one touch of the release button, you can detach the handle and canister from the wand and floor nozzle, instantly turning the floor vacuum into a handheld vac. This allows you to clean everywhere around your house, including ceiling fans, door frames, cabinets, mantles, and more.

Battery Life:

With the Shark IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum, you get twice the length of vacuuming time without battery-life restrictions as this cordless vac comes standard with two batteries, so your vacuum will always be charged. Making you ready to go at a moment’s notice for all of life’s mom moments.

Both power packs come with a rechargeable 25.2-volt lithium-ion battery and Single Battery Charging Dock. Allowing you to charge a single battery while using your additional power pack in your vacuum while the other battery is charged and waiting to be swapped.

Each power pack is equipped with a battery light indicator, so you check its power status at a glance. It’s also worth noting that it took me only 3 hours to fully charge a depleted power pack at home.

Shark’s integrated Smart Response technology gives the ability to quickly switch over to heavy-duty vacuuming too. In extended runtime mode, you can get about 23 minutes’ worth of vacuuming time before the battery must be recharged, without sacrificing speed or dirt-lifting performance.

Best still, each power pack comes standard with its own individual 2-year warranty. Should either power pack fail to charge, Shark will replace your pack for free!

In terms of performance, this cordless stick vacuum works incredibly well. It glides across carpets and doesn’t drag on tiled or wood surfaces. Making it even easier to keep my hard surfaces clean at home!

Storage:

Storage, especially for those living with minimal available storage space, is super simple with the IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cordl-Free Vacuum. As this vacuum can be lowered and folded in half, it allows you to store the freestanding vacuum in small areas such as pantries, closets, or playrooms.

When you are ready to return the wand to its upright position, pull the handle until the hinge locks into place.

Warranty and Affordability:

The IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cordless Vacuum also has you covered with a 5-year warranty on all parts except the batteries, which again, have a separate warranty.

This Shark Cord-Free Vacuum is also affordably priced. With a price point nearly $100.00 less than its next comprehensive competitor. Making the IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum is your best-buying bet this holiday season.

While I’m an already existing Shark owner, having purchased and used their products in my home, including their standard, upright vacuums, steam mops, and handheld steamers for nearly a decade, I’ve been over the moon with this IONFlex 2x DuoClean Cord-Free Vacuum. It’s upped my cleaning game beyond measure. Taking it to a whole new convenient level!

Friends, I encourage you to check out this awesome product and the other awesome Ninja and Shark products for your gift-giving list this year!

lean Cordless Vacuum. And, if you’re looking for other cleaning tips, check out my cleaning tab for more frugal tips too!

Now, I want to ask, are you currently a Shark user at home? What has your experience been with the brand? I’d love to hear about it below!

Connect with Shark:

0 Comments

‘Tis the Season for Samsung & Target!

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SamsungTargetTech #CollectiveBias

‘Tis the Season for a new Samsung Phone! Stay connected with friends and loved ones and capture those great holiday memories with a new Samsung device. For a limited time only, receive a $300 Target GiftCard™ with Purchase and Activation of the Samsung Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S8 or Galaxy S8+ at Target! Valid 11/19/17-11/27/17 and 12/3/17-12/9/17 only.

Purchase and Activation Required. Available in-store only.

0 Comments

Creation Crate Subscription Review

If you’ve had the opportunity to scout out many STEM-based subscription boxes online you will have noticed one glaring similarity. Most of these subscriptions are geared towards younger children. But what about STEM-focused activities for tweens and teens? The market until recently has been pretty abysmal. Which was why I was excited to be asked to review a subscriptions box from Creation Crate, a STEM-based service geared towards kids aged 12 and up!

What’s the service all about:

Creation Crate is geared towards bringing experiential learning to tech-education methods for students and educators alike, in a learning curriculum geared towards helping students learn the basics of engineering, robotics, and computer programing strategies.

Creation Crate includes monthly boxed crates that contain both the hardware of electronics and the programming for each specific project. Like with many other services, because of the programming required, you will also need a computer or laptop to download and use the Arduino software, the software that runs each programming grid. Projects are sent on a relatively simple start and as time goes on students will receive harder boxes as their subscriptions continue.

Each box included an instruction pamphlet to help guide you through the initial hardware setup, programming instruction, common errors suggestions, and exercises to utilize your finished programming project. You’re also given the URL to their online project support page, extra parts for your kit (something nonpresent in a lot of other kits), and diagrams and instructions for downloading the software for each kit.

The Creation Crate that we received was the Mood Lamp project-in-a-box. A fun choice for both my family and my husband’s middle school classes. As a family, we took turns assembling the kit and my husband programmed the kit for us.

It was my husband’s first time using the Arduino system but after two hours of trial and error, an hour of re-study of the setup diagrams, a quick rewiring of two cables, and we were back in business!

The finished lamp, with it’s with ever-changing red, blue, and green LEDs was fun to watch. It was neat to see the colors gradually and independently change brightness which gave us the perfect opportunity to discuss the process by which we used specific attachments to the circuit board to the battery caused this homespun light show to commence!

Our Experience:

Though the kits say that no experience is required, we did not find this to be the case. My husband’s knowledge as a STEM, Robotics, ICT I & ICT II, and Project Lead the Way Educator, his previous knowledge for conceptualizing this build, is what eventually saved this project for us as a family. As well, the instruction pamphlet that comes with the box is pretty small, as are the diagrams, and in my opinion, neither delves deep enough into the detail needed to help beginners know how breadboards are designed using the Arduino system. Another nice touch would be telling users to program their kits before building.

It’s also worth noting that my initial shipper box did come somewhat stained and partially opened. Though this is not a reflection of the Creation crate service, packaging still plays into the initial impression of a service and it is worth noting in this review.

The Creation Crate subscription box is a wonderful gift or project for an older child or student wanting to learn more about electrical engineering and electronics. More sophisticated than something like Snap Circuits and Vex kits, learning with these kits will help lay a foundation for future study. If you have a budding Arduino or electronics master in your house, try Creation Crate to encourage your kids’ interests. If your kiddo is a beginner, come back to this service once they have a new other vex kits under their belt first!

With a cost ranging from $30.00 each month to teaching kits starting at $200.00 for numerous projects, there’s an affordable price point for everyone on your list! So be sure to check this service out as with Creation Crate projects, you’re putting together a real project – not theory, but an actual working lamp! And I think that’s pretty great!

Friends, I encourage you to check this service out for yourselves and to consider the gift of discovery for your budding engineer at home this holiday season! To find out more about this service, click here, and if you’re interested in our other home engineering projects to take a look at our education page here! Now I have to ask, do you have a favorite engineering or robotics kit at home? I’d love to hear about it below!

Connect with Creation Crate: