Q2 Wireless Internet Radio

May 12, 2012 By 2 Comments

What is the Q2?

Internet Radio. WI-FI driven radio with a unique motion control. This radio doesn’t have any buttons or displays. It allows immediate access to 4 preset radio stations. This radio produces a high quality sound from an ultra portable design. Users can listen to the radio from anywhere in the world. Receive stations that cannot be received on traditional radios.

Our Thoughts …

The Q2 was simple to install on the computer. I was then able to pick radio stations and new radio station and then some other radio stations. The local radio stations even popped up on the list which is impressive! I am enjoying digging through the online ones to find different ones though. Shine.fm is a favorite on the Q2 right now! It is so easy to change the station when you bring up the Q2 software by just dragging and dropping the new station to the side of the Q2 you want it on! It doesn’t get much easier than that.

Here is the Q2 sitting out in our kitchen … you need some tunes to wash all of those dishes that Brian makes cooking … trust me!;)

 

There are no buttons on the Q2 which is really neat. You move it forward to turn the volume down and then move it back to turn the volume up. Want to change the station? just flip the side that is facing up to ceiling!

The Q2 will charge when plugged into your computer’s USB port or in the AC adapter. Since it is so small, it is easy to move from room to room in your house and still listen to great music!

The Q2 comes in different colors. It is available for sale on Amazon for a great price right now …

 

Want to win one? Check out this link to enter to win a Q2:  http://a.pgtb.me/cTfG … Good Luck!!

The Q2 would be a great Father’s Day or graduation present so keep it in mind as you plan for gifts! What do you think about the Q2? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Friday Favorite: Cool Gear Insulated Tumbler

May 11, 2012 By 1 Comment

Details …

  • 20 ounces
  • BPA Free
  • Double wall construction
  • Non-toxic freezer gel keeps drink cold
  • TPR band
  • Top shelf dishwasher safe
  • Freeze cup in upright position
  • Item #1209

My Thoughts …

I bought this Cool Gear Insulated Tumbler at Walmart recently. I really love the straw in this cup as I have had a few that have broken due to whatever they are made out of … this one is made out something else which is great! I love that I don’t need ice in the cup … if I remember to put it in the freezer. That is on me though!

Do you have a favorite cup you love? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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Linksys EA2700 Wireless Router

May 10, 2012 By 83 Comments

We recently had the opportunity to review the Linksys EA2700 Wireless Router (for the geeky ones it is the … Linksys EA2700 | Maximum Performance Dual-Band N600 Router with Gigabit).

Details …

  • High speed (up to 300 + 300 Mbps)
  • Extended range with MIMO antenna array
  • Gigabit Ethernet Ports for 10x faster wired speeds than Ethernet
  • Simultaneous dual-band to maximize throughput and help avoid network interference
  • Cisco Connect Cloud (Available summer 2012)- Get anywhere, anytime access to your home network from a browser or mobile device. Plus, optimize your online experiences with included apps.
  • Retail Price: $109.99

Our Thoughts …

We love Linksys products. Honestly all the way back to college when I ran the ethernet cord under the carpet and over my roommate’s door frame in that apartment so my we could be online at the same time, I have owned Linksys products. Man, wireless would have been nice back then! Now thankfully we aren’t running wires under the carpet, over door frames, or anything else crazy like that.

Here is our new Linksys EA2700 Wireless Router in use … sorry for the picture quality but I was NOT going to be the one to unhook it for a picture. As a result, you can see by all of the wires plugged into this right now that it is in high usage at our house right now!

Thanks to wireless technology, our router sits in the basement next to the desktop in the “office” area. We are able to hook up the laptop upstairs, the printer upstairs, the garage door opener (more to come on that!), our iPhones, my work laptop, the iPad, whatever we want to the internet! We love wireless needless to say. Now for the new Linksys router, I wasn’t sure what this router would bring us over our previous one but I knew the one had some vintage age to it so I was excited to the latest and greatest technology … my favorite feature of this router is the guest network. Yes, we have two networks in our house … our family network and the guest network. This is so great because when family or friends come over and want to jump on our WiFi with their smart phones, we can give them some funky password that isn’t our network password. I think we can have some serious fun with this guest password and see what we can get folks to type into their phones!;) I need some ideas though so more to come on that!

This would be a great Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or graduation present for someone who is looking for an upgrade or maybe even starting on out on their own and needed to set-up their own space with a wireless network!

We are super excited to offer a giveaway with of the Linksys EA2700 Wireless Router to one of our readers! Yes, you read that right, you get the chance to win one of these!!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Dole Food Company Garden Kit

April 24, 2012 By 3 Comments

We were recently sent the Dole Garden Kit to review.

The kit contains …

  • 12 different seed varieties
  • 12 peat pots
  • Trays
  • Row Markers
  • Garden Journal with tips, nutrition information, and recipes!

 

The little pots have a soil disc in them. You wet the disc and it expands to fill the little pot. It is really neat (I saw some of these discs at Walmart recently so they are available if you are looking for a kid friendly potting solution!) Sophie (who is 4 years old) was the key participant in this activity. She really loved “reading” the pictures on the seeds to see what in the packages and then putting the seeds in the pot and covering them with dirt.

Here is our little garden kit as of this morning. We are in a cold front here in VA suddenly so the seeds and little plants are inside for sure! Last week, they were taking a walk to sit on the front sidewalk during the day to get lots of sun light though. Hopefully the warm weather comes back to VA and they will get to sit outside some more later this week!

We find that our garden is a big budget saver plus the kids love to learn about planting and the growth of plants. We hope to share lots of pictures this summer of what is in our garden and how it is doing. Hopefully those little pepper pots in the front row in that picture decide to grow. Brian said he thought he saw something in there this morning so there is hope!

Do you have a garden? What do you grow? Do your kids help? Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Maggie’s Direct Shopping Spree Event Reminder

April 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Remember our post earlier this week about the Maggie’s Direct Pillows? Well the shopping event is still going on … until tomorrow, April 15th!!

Take time to explore Maggie’s Direct and look at their quality linens and bed items to fit in your budget! We want to remind you about the Exclusive Shopping Event for friends of this blog. Get 50% back in Social Bucks (1 Social Buck = 1 dollar in product credit) on any of these items! A few points about this sale is there is no minimum order and free shipping to the lower 48 states! One amazing deal is the Queen Warmer level comforter has a normal MSRP (compared to their parent company’s website) of $239 plus shipping. Maggie’s Direct normally retails this comforter for $149 for the equivalent material and same factory here in Maine.  Then the customer gets 50% back in Social bucks or $74. This is like getting a $239 comforter for $75!

So remember … Anything on the hotel collection page will earn the purchaser 50% back in Social Bucks!!

 

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Maggie’s Direct Synthetic Pillow – Soft Fill

April 10, 2012 By 2 Comments

We recently had the opportunity to review a Maggie’s Direct Synthetic Pillow. We went with the Soft Fill version of the pillow because I have this thing for soft fill pillows.

About this pillow …

  • Soft cotton blend fabric
  • Hypoallergenic synthetic fill – lofts and clusters just like down
  • Oeko-Tex certified to be free of all harmful chemicals

My Thoughts …

I really love how soft this pillow is. It lives up to its soft description for sure. I do have to admit that Sophie claimed this pillow shortly after it arrived so its seems my love affair with soft pillows has been passed along to another generation. From what I can tell, she is enjoying it and will even let Matthew nap on it in the living room from time to time!

We are enjoying the opportunity to review and explore Maggie’s Direct because quality linens and bed times can be hard to fit into a budget! We excited to announce the Exclusive Shopping Event for friends of this blog. Get 50% back in Social Bucks (1 Social Buck = 1 dollar in product credit) on any of these items! A few points about this sale is there is no minimum order and free shipping to the lower 48 states! One amazing deal is the Queen Warmer level comforter has a normal MSRP (compared to their parent company’s website) of $239 plus shipping. Maggie’s Direct normally retails this comforter for $149 for the equivalent material and same factory here in Maine.  Then the customer gets 50% back in Social bucks or $74. This is like getting a $239 comforter for $75!

So remember … Anything on the hotel collection page will earn the purchaser 50% back in Social Bucks!!

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Thursday Thought: Nature’s Accomplishments

April 5, 2012 By 1 Comment

I loved the picture of our willow from last week’s Wordless Wednesday post. When Brian found this quote, we knew they were a match.

 

If Nature isn’t in a hurry, why are we? Leave us your thoughts on this quote!

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Bringing the Shine Back to Your Hardwood Floors

March 30, 2012 By 1 Comment

We are excited to bring you a series of guest posts by Lou Manfredini, host of House Smarts TV!

I am a big fan of hardwood floors. It is really the only renewable flooring you can put in your home. And it is one that will add overall value. Hardwood floors, when taken care of, can last decades. And if they really get beat up you can have them sanded for a fraction of the cost of replacing say…a tile floor or even carpeting. But what if you just cannot afford to have the floors refinished or you just don’t want to deal with the mess? I have a few tips.

First, it is important to clean your floors with the right stuff. While oil soaps do a nice job you typically have to get down on your hands and knees to do this chore and if you do not rinse the floor well enough it can leave a film and dull the finish. Look for PH balanced cleaners. Makers like Bona Kemi and Holloway House offer both cleaners and polishes to bring back the shine.

And here’s how you do it: first clear the room of all furniture. Then clean the floor very well with one of the above cleaners and a micro-fiber mop pad. Then using one of the polishes apply a liberal amount and work from one end of the room to the other and evenly coat the floor. These are water based products that have low VOC and have a very low odor too. These polishes will fill in any small scratches and give the floor an even semi-gloss finish. They take about 2 hours to dry and then you can gently put the furniture back in place. Make sure any chairs that are on the floor have felt pads installed on the legs to keep that shiny, new floor from scratching. The polish can last up to 6 months and even longer. The best
part about it is this whole project will cost you less than $25.00 all in. If you need more information or have additional questions about your home you can reach me at www.housesmartstv.com.

 

Manfredini began his media career in 1995 when WGN-AM Radio 720 Chicago launched his idea for a home improvement call-in radio show, called
Mr. Fix It. 15 years later, Mr. Fix It is still the number one Saturday morning radio program in Chicagoland. Manfredini also hosts and co-
produces a Nationally Syndicated television show called HouseSmarts, is a regular home improvement contributor for NBC’s “Today Show” and
a contributor on NBC 5’s morning show in Chicago. He has authored five successful home improvement books for homeowner’s who want to
understand how their homes work.

In addition to his media engagements, Manfredini represents Ace Hardware and Marvin Windows and Doors and other companies related to the home. He continues to run his own hardware store in Chicago, keeping him up-to-date on the homebuilding industry’s latest trends and technology. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Mary Beth, and four children.

 

Does Lou’s tip help you with a project you need to do at your house? Our hardwood floors could use this tip for sure! Leave us a comment and let us know!

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Wordless Wednesday: Spring Time

March 28, 2012 By 5 Comments

Grace has made sure we know it is now spring. So here is Spring here in our yard here in Virginia …

Let us know where your Wordless Wednesday post is …

Is it Spring time where you live yet? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Memes, Simply Life, Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: , , , ,

Your Furniture Needs a Facelift

March 23, 2012 By 5 Comments

We are excited to bring you a series of guest posts by Lou Manfredini, host of House Smarts TV!

Your dining room table is a mess, the coffee table looks like milk is permanently imbedded in the finish and even your kitchen cabinets have this film around the knobs you just cannot get off. Never fear, “Howards Restor-A-Finish” is here! (Note: I have no working relationship with this company. I just really like their stuff!)


I discovered this product at an antique store about 15 years ago. This was their secret to getting all of their wares to look spectacular. It is now available at good hardware stores across the country. Here’s how it works. You buy a bottle of this stuff in the approximate color of the piece of furniture or cabinet you are going to be working on. They also make a neutral product that works on anything. Then you buy some #0000 steel wool. The more zero’s the finer the wool. Then pour some of the refinisher in a bucket or small bowl, wear good rubber gloves and some safety glasses (safety never takes a vacation) and soak the steel wool in the bucket. Ring it out a bit and then apply even pressure with the grain of
the wood to essentially peel a little bit of the finish off. Use a clean cotton rag after a few passes to see how you are doing. Do not push too hard as you may remove all the finish and then my easy fix just got a whole lot harder. This works great on small scratches, heat rings and that funk that is on your kitchen cabinets. This fix will cost you under $12.00. Good luck! If you need more help or have any other questions about your home you can visit me at www.housesmartstv.com.

 

Manfredini began his media career in 1995 when WGN-AM Radio 720 Chicago launched his idea for a home improvement call-in radio show, called
Mr. Fix It. 15 years later, Mr. Fix It is still the number one Saturday morning radio program in Chicagoland. Manfredini also hosts and co-
produces a Nationally Syndicated television show called HouseSmarts, is a regular home improvement contributor for NBC’s “Today Show” and
a contributor on NBC 5’s morning show in Chicago. He has authored five successful home improvement books for homeowner’s who want to
understand how their homes work.

In addition to his media engagements, Manfredini represents Ace Hardware and Marvin Windows and Doors and other companies related to the home. He continues to run his own hardware store in Chicago, keeping him up-to-date on the homebuilding industry’s latest trends and  technology. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Mary Beth, and four children.

 

Does Lou’s tip help you with a project you need to do at your house? I know we could use this tip on our dining room table! Leave us a comment and let us know!

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Simply Life
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