Celebrating 100 Years of Service! #FindYourPark

On August 26, 2016, the National Park Service turns 100!

To help celebrate the achievements of the past 100 years, you can enjoy free admission to all 412 national parks during the National Parks Service Birthday Weekend from August 25th through 28th! So get out there & enjoy the natural, cultural & historical gems that our park system offers. 

To help you find ideas of where to go & what to see, just visit www.nationalparks.org for free national park guides & travel ideas. 

#FindYourPark  #NPS100  #ShareTheWonder

Product Review: CREE Super Bright Rechargeable LED Searchlight by WASING

We have lots of flashlights but most of them run on regular batteries so it seems like every time we need to use one, the batteries are dead. I wanted this CREE Rechargeable Searchlight from Wasing because I knew my husband would like it.

This product is Made in China but I guess the company has changed it’s packaging because the box that I got was entirely in English as are the instructions. When this light arrived & I took it out of the box, I thought it looked pretty much like some others that my husband owns but then I started checking it out & found that it really is very different. The light looks like it will be heavy but it is really quite lightweight. It comes with a shoulder strap so that will be handy when we go camping. I really like that this light recharges by plugging it into a regular electric outlet & that the cord stores inside the battery compartment.

The handle on this light has notches for your fingers which makes it comfortable to hold & the on/off switch is right on the handle where it is easy to use. When you want to change the brightness of the light or use the strobe mode, you just have to lightly touch the button but you do have to press all the way down to turn it on or off. The button is white but changes to red while the light is charging & then changes to green when it is fully charged. The box shows that charging time is 8-10 hours but my light came fully charged & we haven’t had to recharge it yet. There is also an adjustable stand on the bottom of the light that can be used to direct the light where you need it for hands-free operation. There is also a really bright (I was looking right at it when I turned it on!) emergency light on the stand that operates with a toggle on/off switch.

This searchlight really lights up the night! It shines a very long distance & has a broader halo than any of the other lights that we own. It has also been really useful while working on the car & other projects around our house. It is definitely the light that we will pack when we go on vacations or camping trips.

You can purchase this CREE Super Bright Rechargeable LED Searchlight on Amazon.

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: TSA Approved Luggage Combination Lock #LuggageLock

We hear stories on the news all the time about airport problems & a lot of them are concerning thefts from luggage. Having our luggage securely locked gives us peace of mind that nothing will go missing from our checked luggage & this TSA Approved Luggage Combination Lock from Alaska Bear is just what we needed.

This combination lock allows us to set a 3-digit code of our choosing. It is lightweight but sturdy & is easy to set & easy to reset. It fits on the zipper pulls of our luggage so that it cannot be opened by anyone except TSA personnel who have the appropriate key to unlock it for luggage inspection. It can then be relocked without disturbing our combination.

I always want my checked luggage to be locked but I also like my overhead bin luggage to be locked as well. When we took an overseas flight, our luggage was stowed in a compartment several seats in front of us where we couldn't always keep an eye on it & I didn't want anything to go missing while I was sleeping.

To insure that all of your belongings in your luggage make it to your destination, this TSA Approved Luggage Combination Lock is just what you need. It can be purchased on Amazon.

#LuggageLock

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Melamine Picnic/Dinner Plates, Set of 4 #theradishstore

I love picnics! It is one of my favorite outdoor activities in warm weather. I keep a tote bag packed with all of my picnic table essentials so that I can just grab it & we can go whenever we get the urge to go to the park or the lake for lunch. These Melamine Picnic/Dinner Plates that I received from The Radish Store make our picnics colorful & fun!

I love these cute plates! The design is called "Papaya" & it looks very vintage to me. I love the colors & it matches my kitchen. There are 4 10" plates in the set. They are lightweight yet sturdy & the best part is that they won't break. I like using these eco-friendly  plates that can just be washed & reused rather than paper plates that we just throw in the trash after one use. The only thing that I would change about these plates is to make a taller lip around the outside edge so that food doesn't slide off so easily because the kids don't always hold their plates exactly level when they're walking from the grill to the picnic table.

I've used these plates a lot since I've had them. They are only dishwasher safe on the top rack but I've been handwashing them. They are also not microwave-safe but we don't take a microwave when we go camping or on a picnic so that's not a problem!

You can purchase these Melamine Dinner/Picnic Plates on Amazon.

#theradishstore

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Nomex Oven Gloves #ovengloves

I have a couple of pairs of oven gloves but they are those silicone oven mitts & they do a good enough job but they are kind of clumsy to wear. When these Nomex Oven Gloves arrived in the mail, my husband immediately wanted them because they are gloves, not mittens.

These gloves are so different from the others that I have. These are made from 100% Dupont Nomex fibers so they will block heat up to 662 degrees F. The gloves are covered in little blue silicone dots for added heat protection & to help get a better grip. The inside layer is made of 100% cotton so it is really soft & comfortable. The cuff of the gloves is long & covers my entire wrist plus part of my lower arm which helps when removing dishes from the oven or from under the broiler.

The fact that these oven gloves are not mittens makes a huge difference. Having fingers in the gloves makes it so much easier to grab whatever hot object I'm picking up. And the silicone dots really help with grip. I've used these while cooking & baking in the kitchen, outside when we're grilling & my husband even took them to work because they are a big help when he has to pick up the big metal sheets that he handles at the waterjet machine & the press brake machine. In fact, once he took them to work I haven't seen them again!

These gloves are hand washable or machine washable which is great. The only thing that I don't like about these gloves is that they are so big. The fingers are too long for my hands but they fit my husband. I wish this company made different sizes so women could have gloves that fit better.

There are so many uses for these gloves. You can purchase a pair of your own on Amazon.

#ovengloves

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Large Flip Top Insulated Cooler Bag by Sacko #coolerbag

Summer has officially arrived & going on picnics is one of my favorite weekend activities. That is where this Large Flip Top Insulated Cooler Bag by Sacko comes in handy!

This bag is HUGE! It is 15" tall, 14" wide & 8" deep. It is made of thick durable nylon & the bottom is polyester. This bag can be carried with the hand straps that are secured with velcro or with the adjustable shoulder strap. The straps are strong & sewn tight to the bag. The top of the bag opens & closes with a zipper but also has a window that is secured with velcro. This makes it easy to reach in to grab a snack or drink without opening the entire bag. There are 3 storage spaces on this bag. The front has a flat zipper pocket, one side has a small velcro pocket & the other side has a large mesh pocket. These are great to carry all of the little extras that you need at the park or on a picnic.

The inside of this insulated bag will hold a LOT! When we first tried it out, we had a case of beer in there! When we took it on a picnic, we packed it with ice packs, beer, sodas & water bottles. It kept everything cold the entire time we were gone & when we got back home the unopened bottles were still cold. We will definitely be using this cooler bag a lot during the summer & into the fall when we go camping, on picnics, to the walking/hiking trails & on road trips.

You can purchase this Large Flip Top Insulated Cooler Bag by Sacko on Amazon.

#coolerbag

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Super Bright 11 LED Hat Clip Light #rayburnfishing

The first time I saw one of these hat clip lights was when a friend of ours who delivers pizza at night bought one so his face would be somewhat illuminated when he rang doorbells at night. I remember thinking that was such a handy little gadget & wishing that I had one. But then I forgot about it until I received this Super Bright 11 LED Hat Clip Light.

This light runs on 3AAA batteries which are not included. The battery compartment is easy to open. I clipped the light onto the brim of a cap & tried it out. It is very lightweight so it doesn’t pull down on the cap & the on/off button is easy to operate. The light is very very bright & worked great when my husband had to go into our attic to replace some pipe insulation. The light held tight to the brim of his cap & didn’t slide around. It made it so easy to work with both hands & have the light directed exactly where he needed it.

This is now being stored in our camping backpack so we’ll have it ready when we go camping because we don’t tend to plan but a few hours in advance when we decide to go. It will be so handy around the campsite & especially for walking to the toilets/showers in the dark.

This Super Bright 11 LED Hat Clip Light can be purchased on Amazon.

#rayburnfishing

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Multi-Function LED Headlamp for Hands Free Lighting #headlamp

How many times have you been working by yourself & need to put a little more light on the subject but you’ve only got two hands so you can’t do the work plus hold a flashlight? Well, that is where this Multi-Function LED Headlamp from Aennon comes in handy!

There are so many times that my husband is working on a project around the house & he has to come find me because he needs someone to hold a flashlight because he can't see well enough. This headlamp is really handy to have for these situations. The headlamp is lightweight & is attached to elastic straps that fit around & over the top of your head. The straps are adjustable so you can wear this directly on your head or over a cap. It has padding on the back of the headlamp where it rests on your forehead. It is comfortable to wear & stays put once you have it adjusted to the proper size. This headlamp comes ready to go with batteries included so you can use it as soon as it arrives.

There is a black button on the front that you push to cycle through the different lighting modes: low, medium, high, red & off. The headlamp also swivels up & down so you can get the light directly where you need it most without having to constantly shift your head. This has really come in handy since we've had it & has saved a lot of frustration. It will be great to have when we go camping too.

Another product that I received from Aennon is the Large LED Worklight Flashlight. As soon as I saw this worklight, I knew that my husband would love it! This product also comes with batteries so you can use it as soon as you get it & I tried it out immediately. One push of the power button turned on the flashlight & another push turned it off. Push it again & the really really bright worklight comes on & then another push turns it off. I’m really impressed with how bright this light is.

The 3-position stand lets you rotate the light to the best angle for whatever you are working on & it stays balanced. There are also a couple of magnets in the base so that it will hold to metal surfaces. There is also a swivel hook to hang the light when there is no place for it to stand. My husband loves that he can hook it under the hood of the car for extra light when he’s working on it. We’ve used this light inside the house for repair projects & outside in the work shed. This worklight/flashlight is also nice to have for power emergencies & to take on camping trips.

I also received the Compact LED Worklight Flashlight. This compact LED light is a perfect addition to the emergency kit that we keep in the trunk of our car. When we travel, we always take a flashlight of some sort that I can grab to toss in a backpack when we go walking or hiking, to take into the hotel room to find things at night when others are sleeping & a million other reasons.

This light comes with the batteries that you need to operate it so it’s ready to go as soon as you receive it. Just push the power button & it turns on the flashlight, then push it again to turn it off. Another click turns on the really bright worklight & one more click turns it off. There is a swivel hook so you can hang this light wherever you need it & position it where you need the light to shine. There is also a magnet on the back that will hold tight to metal surfaces. You will find so many ways to use this compact LED light.

All of these lights would make a great gift for a birthday, college graduation or Father's Day. They can all be purchased on Amazon & they are all currently marked down for a Father's Day sale.

Multi-Use LED Headlamp:

http://www.amazon.com/led-headlamp-lightweight-comfortable-money-back-guarantee/dp/b00sr20jls/ie=utf8?m=axetf2wishgd4&keywords=best+led+headlamp

Large LED Worklight Flashlight: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VQC1SQQ/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1434391233&sr=1&keywords=Aennon

Compact LED Worklight Flashlight: http://www.amazon.com/30%25-Off-Fathers-Day-Sale/dp/B00VRNQ5IA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1434391233&sr=8-2&keywords=Aennon

#headlamp #Aennon

I received these products for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the products.

Product Review: Digital Luggage Scale Bundle from Gear District #luggagescale

When we travel, we prefer road trips. But sometimes it's just not an option like when we went on our vacation to South Africa or if we want to take a long weekend & driving would be too time-consuming. Those are times that we have to fly & since we don't do it very often we are always surprised to see how much tickets have gone up but also how many more fees the airlines charge. Any way that we can avoid extra charges is something that we want so this Digital Luggage Scale from Gear District will help avoid those overweight baggage fees.

The first thing I had to do when this luggage scale arrived was to install the battery. Simple enough right? Wrong! The instructions say to "pay attention to the polarity signs inside the battery compartment" but I couldn't find them. It's one of those flat round batteries so I didn't know which way it went & neither way seemed to work. I waited for my hubby to get home from work & asked him to help me. He had a bit of trouble as well, not figuring out which way the battery went but just getting it to fit. But he got it done & I was ready to test the scale.

This luggage scale has a sleek stainless steel design & is easy to grip with just one hand or with both hands (if your luggage is really that heavy). The buckle & strap are sturdy & easy to attach to the handle of your bags. Press the power button & the digital display lights up. It is a large display with a blue backlight that makes it really easy to read. You can toggle through the different units of weight: Kilograms, Grams, Pounds, Ounces. There is also an overweight indicator in case you've packed way too much into that bag! And the scale has an automatic shutoff if it is left unused for more than 90 seconds.

But don't just use this to weigh your bags & then go on your trip! Toss it into your carry-on bag & take it with you so you can weigh your bags on the way back home once they're packed with all of your trip souvenirs!

You can purchase this Gear District Digital Luggage Scale on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Luggage-Scale-110lb-Backlight/dp/B00PSI5G76/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433774878&sr=8-1&keywords=Gear+District+Luggage+Scale

#luggagescale

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Flat Pack Toiletry Kit #Roadwarrior AND Luggage Scale #Valhalla

If you're planning a summer vacation, then you know that there are a lot of travel gadgets out there to make packing & planning a bit easier. I've got two of those travels products right here to tell you about today.

First is the Flat Pack Toiletry Kit that is perfect for packing those small liquids so that you can easily pull it out of your carry-on luggage for TSA inspection. This toiletry kit has a mesh front that is actually more storage space with a Velcro closure. Then just unclip the latch & the whole kit unfolds.

At the top there is a hanger to keep your kit conveniently hanging on the doorknob or towel hook in the hotel bathroom. There is a zipper compartment for storing smaller items & a detachable mirror. The middle section has 4 pockets of various sizes with elasticized tops to keep hold your items securely in place plus 4 elastic bands that could store longer items. Then the bottom section is a mesh zipper pocket that comes with several TSA travel bottles. Once the kit is rolled up, it takes up very little space in your luggage. I wish I had traveled with this kit when we flew overseas last year instead of the baggies that we used for our liquids.

Next is the Luggage Scale which will really help you save money by not paying any overweight baggage fees or risk having your carry-on luggage checked because it is too heavy to store in the cabin. This scale is really easy to use & easy to read. It works on 3 AAA batteries which are included. I love when a company includes the batteries necessary to operate their product so I don't have to go searching to see whether I have them at home or need to go buy some.

It is easy to drop the batteries into the battery compartment & the scale is ready to use. You can choose between pounds/ounces or kilograms/grams. There is also a tare function. The large digital display has a pretty blue backlight that makes it easy to read. The strap & clip that hold the luggage are very sturdy. This unit is lightweight & will weigh bags up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds). But the best part is that there is also an LED flashlight! This is very handy for finding things in your luggage when the cabin of the airplane is dark.

Both of these travel products will make your trip easier & save you some money. You can purchase both of them on Amazon.

Flat Pack Toiletry Kit: http://www.amazon.com/Valhalla-Hanging-Toiletry-Bag-Compressible/dp/B00QX4TCLU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

Luggage Scale: http://www.amazon.com/Luggage-Scale-Valhalla-Compact-Waterproof/dp/B00NEHTH8C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432918951&sr=8-1&keywords=Valhalla+Luggage+Scale

#Roadwarrior #Valhalla

I received these products for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Reusable Tote Bag #GroceryToteBag

I love tote bags! Some women love clothes, a lot of women love shoes, but I have a weakness for tote bags. I've got all kinds of bags in different sizes made of different materials in a variety of colors & patterns. Whatever I'm doing, I've got a bag that fits the bill. And now I have this Reusable Tote Bag to add to my collection.

The bag that I received is red but it is also available in blue and in black. This roomy tote is 14"  x 16" x 4". The top zips closed & it has a front pocket with a velcro closure. The stitching is straight & even with no gaps or spaces. The straps are attached with reinforced stitching & are sturdy. The bottom sits flat so it is easy to pack the bag with whatever you will be carrying.

This handy tote bag is perfect for a quick grocery shopping trip. I can take my grocery ad, coupons & list in the front pocket & then the bag doubles as my shopping cart plus my carry-home bag. And it is much sturdier than those reusable bags that the grocery store sells. This bag is great when we're going to be out all day at a festival or a farmers market. I can carry my essentials & have a way to carry any purchases that we make during the day. It is good for a trip to the park, a driving trip or a picnic. There are so many times that this tote bag will come in handy & I've used it a lot since I've had it.

Reusable bags are a great way to be more environmentally responsible. You can purchase this Reusable Tote Bag on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shopping-Tote-Front-Pocket-Sacko/dp/B00W5UVNR2/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

#GroceryToteBag

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my experience and use of the product.

Product Review: Eco-Friendly BPA Free Sports Water Bottle #Mindbody

One of the easiest things that I do to try to stay healthy is drinking water every day. I try to drink at least 64 ounces or more daily. When I'm at home, it's easy to do because I just get water from the tap on the fridge. When I'm away from home I usually take a few disposable plastic bottles with me. I always try to remember to bring them home & use them again, but they usually end up in the recycling bin. So I really like these Eco-Friendly BPA Free Sports Water Bottles from MindBody that I received to test & review.

I know that there are reusable water bottles because I've owned a few. A couple were hard plastic & they eventually cracked so they were no longer usable & the other was "shatterproof" glass that broke. But I had no idea that there are reusable water bottles that I can roll right up & put in my jacket pocket or backpack once they are empty! These are the coolest water bottles I've ever seen!

When the package arrived, the bottles were rolled up & held in place with a plastic loop that is attached to the bottle. As soon as I took the top off, the bottle expanded & filled itself with air which made it really easy to fill with water. The bottle caps flip up for drinking & screw off for filling. These bottles hold 20 ounces of liquid so by just drinking both of them I'm over halfway to my daily quota of water. And the carabiner clip makes it easy to attach them to a belt loop or backpack when we go camping, hiking or just walking on our local walking trails.

I love the pink color! It also helps me keep these bottles for myself....hubby doesn't want to use pink products! These bottles are made of FDA Approved food grade silicone & are BPA Free. They are dishwasher, microwave & freezer safe. They are portable, foldable & I have not had a problem with either of them leaking. And they definitely won't break!

You can purchase these Eco-Friendly BPA Free Sports Water Bottles in sets of 2 blue, 2 pink or a set with one of each color on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eco-friendly-Foldable-Collapsible-Silicone-Sports/dp/B00U89JNII/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

#Mindbody

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own and are based on my personal experience and use of the product.