iBitz Activity Monitor for Parents and Kids - Product Review

There's been a lot of technical advances in the way that we track our activities and fitness in the past couple of years.  We have graduated from simple pedometers that you clipped on your belt into the realm of technology that you wear all the time and it tracks your steps, activity and even sleep.  Of course, this, along with other factors has lead to a push for a healthier society (which is good imho, as I think children spend too much time watching tv and not being active- which is partly in the fault of the parent!).  I have a Fitbit, as well as I have tried several other monitors as a tester and wear mine almost religiously (except for when I take it off to shower and one of my children makes off with it).  I find that it motivates me to get up and move, which is important since most of my ventures have me sitting down.  

Recently, my daughters teachers all started wearing pedometers and tracking their steps schoolwide.  The teachers all had a contest going on to see who could get the most steps.  This really encouraged my daughter to make sure that she was getting active and she kept asking me if I would buy her a Fitbit.  Not willing to spend that kind of money on something that she was more than likely to lose, I started doing research on buying just a simple pedometer but wasn't ready to buy anything for her yet.  

Then, as if by some cosmic force, I got an email from Best Buy asking if I would like to review a new brand of child/parent combo activity monitors.  Suh-weeeeeet!  Sure thing I said!  About a week later, my daughter got her wish PLUS a whole lot of fun to go with it!!   

What came in the mail was an ibitz Unity- Parent "wireless family fitness monitor" and an ibitz Powerkey Kids "wireless fitness monitor & game."

The adult version came in black and the kids is this neon orange that my daughter loves.  It is iPhone/iPod 5/iPad specific, so make sure that you have one or more of these devices before you get it.  I personally wish it were on Android, as most of the devices in my life are android powered.  We own one iPod and we're lucky it worked for the testing of this device.  It's very specific on which versions it will work with.  I hope in the future that they expand this to allow for android and perhaps even some older versions of ipods.  

The adult version tracks your steps, distance and calories and you can wear it on your hip or your shoe.  It seems pretty accurate.  The kids versions tracks steps, and then uses these steps to allow your children to "earn" game time and power their Geobotz character.  The app for the adult monitor is marketed as "a unified family app", and will sync multiple devices so you can monitor your children's progress.  

Pros: 

 The kids device is pretty awesome.  I love the idea of earning game time through physical movement and the games are ones that kids will love. Parents can set the goals and rewards for the child and even allow for rewards of screen time, adventures with parents or even coins and content on Disney's Club Penguin. 

I also love that it will sync with the parent app, though I'm not sure how it works in terms of distance as we only have the one ipod and I am unable to test syncing across multiple devices. 

It's pretty accurate and the colors are fun for kids (7 different colors, in fact!) rather than just black like the adult version.  

Comes with an extra battery (though gives you no indication as far as how long these batteries should last)

Low cost in comparison to other models, such as the Fitbit or Jawbone Up.

wirelessly syncs to your iOS Bluetooth 4.0® (BLE) phone or tablet

Water resistant.  (I don't need to say more. As a parent, this is important)

Cons:  

Apple only products.  (I really don't like it when companies do this... so limiting!)

No display to show your progress without a device handy (like I'm going to let my 7 year old take the ipod to school)

I wish it came with a band to wear as a bracelet or other form of attachment.  I just don't think children can resist messing with them.  (though that would probably also be true of a bracelet)

No GPS is included on the kids monitor, which would be useful if it was perhaps only used as a locator?

Overall, the concept is so cool and it is a great vision of what is to come in the future to help keep adults and kids (and whole families) active together!

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser and Fragrance Mist Review

As a BzzAgent, I was recently invited to try a new product by Glade.  I have used glade in the past, but recently have only been using wax warmers as my home freshening choice.  I was excited to get some new scents in the house and see how they worked.

As soon as I got home, I got them out of their packages and found them new homes.  My oil diffuser went to my plant shelf, where it lies masquerading as just another one of the plants.  (Forgive the fact that my plants all look ill.  I've been doing my best but they just aren't liking this winter in my house!)

I was a little bummed out that I couldn't smell it more throughout the room.  In order to really catch a good smell, you had to be within about 2 feet of the diffuser.  It's next to a doorway in my house however, which is nice because you smell it when you're changing rooms.

Next up was the Fragrance Spray.  You always need an air freshener in the bathroom, so I plopped it down on the counter in there.  Looks good so far!  I really like the scent of this one.  I was a little disappointed, however, that the scent didn't last for a very long time at all.  I felt I needed to spray it constantly to keep up the nice smell!

Overall, It seems like a good product, I just wish the smell would be a little more powerful.  I loved both of the fragrances I got (Pineapple Mangosteen on the diffuser and Lavender on the Spray)

*Disclosure: I have received this product for free for testing and review purposes.  This has not effected my opinion on the product and you will always receive an honest review from me!

To Buy: Product Review, Play Hut Megaland Tunnel Toy

Today I want to talk about the awesome new toy that Santa brought to our house this Christmas.  It is called Playhut MegaLand, and it is fantastic!  I ordered mine through Amazon, on one of their Black Friday Lightning Deals.

First Impression from the Website:  When I saw this lightning deal open up, I was curious but unsure.  We already have a pop up tent that I HATE because it has all these silly metal pieces that you have to snap together in order to form the frame for the tent.  I was very worried that this would be like that.  The deal though, was fantastic.  I got mine for just $19.99, thought it normally retails (and is currently back at this price) for $59.99.  I mainly bought it because it was such a great deal and it had decent reviews.  Plus, it claimed to be easy to take down and put up.

First impression from the Box:  This box is HUGE!  I almost freaked out a little thinking I bit off way more than I could chew.  I resolved that I wouldn't take it back and that we would chance it and see how things went.

Upon opening:  When you open the box, you'll find the reason for the size is more because of the balls that are included than with the toy itself.  There are five main pieces that make up the tunnel toy and when you start to open them up, they practically pop open themselves.  All that is required for you to put it together is to pull the sides and they pop into their shape.  There are three large sections and two tunnels that you can connect the sections with, and the tunnels can be connected to almost all of the openings on the different "main" sections.  This allows you to make almost any configuration of pieces that you could want and the pieces connect with velcro so that they stay attached.  Each of the main pieces is a little different.  The largest one has an open top, several openings and one mesh "window" that the kids can look out, and a basketball hoop for play.  The second section is pretty much just a cube with some openings, and the last section is triangular and has a wall with four holes that you can use to toss balls in, as well as two other openings. 

Upon playing:  Both of my children LOVE this toy.  My 4.5 year old uses it as a hide out, plays with her animals and loves crawling around and pretending that it is a castle.  My 15 month old likes playing with the balls and poking her head out the various holes.  We recently had a play date and the two big girls loved throwing all of their toys in the ball pit (I was too tired to bring out all of the balls)  They found their own creative use for the holes in the side:

Overall, this toy earns 5 out of 5 hearts from me, and I highly recommend it to anyone!