News & Reviews Archives - Page 21 of 32

On saying goodbye

I don't know when it started, but at some point I began to hate change. Change used to be exciting and I would look forward to the next new chapter that was just waiting to be written. But, somewhere along the way I began to love the story I was creating and starting new began to look less and less appealing.

I guess that's what they mean by putting down roots. And, I loved the roots that I was putting down. But, you can't control what chapters others write, and lately we've been saying a lot of goodbyes. Goodbye to a beloved step-grandma, to teachers and schools, to neighbors we adored, to numerous classmates who aren't returning in the fall, to grandparents who moved further away, and, most recently – to family we saw many times a week and were a huge part of the roots we had put down.

A sleep sack for all seasons from Merino Kids

My first child was born during an uncharacteristically hot June. During her first months, our main goal was to keep her covered, but yet keep her cool enough during naps and at nighttime. As for my son, he was born at the very end of September and the goal was just the opposite as we struggled to keep him warm during the day and at night.

Ironically, the same product that would have worked for my June baby would have also been the one that I would recommend for my September baby. This, my friends, is the brilliance of Merino wool, a natural body temperature regulator that helps keeps your baby cool during hot weather and warm during cold weather. 100% natural, itch-free and allergy-safe, Merino wool captures and circulates air to insulate your child when the room temperature falls, but also releases excess body heat and moisture as the room temperature rises. This means your baby stays warm and dry without overheating.

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron opens today – here’s how to convince your wife to go

by Tyler, editor and reviewer

Today is like a holiday for all Marvel fans as it marks the opening day of one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Avengers: Age of Ultron. I couldn’t be more excited as I love all the nostalgia of the super heroes of my youth and watching them change into what they are today – richer, and more evolved characters that do more than just fight crime.

My wife, who grew up with musicals and chick flicks and then grew to love dramas of all kinds, thinks I’m crazy. This is what happens when I ask her to see blockbuster super hero films with me in theaters: 1) She tells me I can go and she can watch the kids. 2) I insist that it’s more fun to see it together, and besides, we could use a date night anyway. 3) She finally reluctantly agrees. 4) On the way there she asks me what the movie is going to be about as if I helped produce it, not just viewed a trailer or two.

Make any day magical with Pacific Play Tents

If I were designing the perfect childhood toy, it would have two major components. First, it would inspire imaginations to encourage make believe and storytelling. Second, it would be open-ended so it could be played with in numerous ways, which means it would be played with often and be a beloved toy for years.

Take the Painting Teepee from Pacific Play Tents for example. This clearly isn’t just a high quality teepee, it’s a childhood haven. As you can see, it's the kiddos fort.

Meet the beautiful Samsung Galaxy Alpha from AT&T

Love the iPhone styling but just don’t love the iPhone? Join the club.

Introducing the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, the sleek and smart Android phone that has the best of both worlds. I will admit I’ve had a mixed history with Android in the past as I love my Android tablet but I can’t quite give up the functionality of my Windows phone and how well it pairs with my PC, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the Galaxy Alpha design and all the premium features built in.

On siblings and love

Did you know today is National Siblings Day? In honor of the holiday, I thought I would share some thoughts on siblings and love.

Siblings: Talking About My Generation

I am one of 5 children, all born relatively close in age and all unusually close. Growing up, there was always someone to play with and although we fought like brothers and sisters do, our fights were short-lived and we all made up easily. During different times in my life I’ve alternated who I’ve been closest with, and because of this I have developed a strong bond with every single one of them.

Throughout the years we’ve all chosen to live relatively close together {although this won’t be true for long – sob, sob}, and we’ve chosen to remain friends even through the ups and downs of childhood, teenage years, and now into adulthood. When something big happens, they are the first people I turn to. And, when one of them needs me, I will drop everything to help.

Comfort and luxury in the road trip-ready Lexus RX 450h

By Tyler, Editor and Author

Were you looking for us a few weeks ago and expecting to find us holed up at home with our newborn while adjusting to life as a family of 5? If so, you were probably very disappointed to find our car in the driveway but no one at home. But really, how could you possibly sit at home when you have this beautiful Lexus RX 450h waiting for you to drive it? We took advantage of having a fancy new vehicle to explore in and instead spent our time off enjoying the islands around us, visiting family and friends near and far to show off the new babe, and using it as a great excuse to take some road trip adventures to corners of the Pacific Northwest we don’t often see while having some much-needed family time. When you think road trip mobile you probably don't first think of an SUV, but our week with the Lexus RX 450h has certainly changed my mind. Although it has all the comforts and luxury of a bigger car with hidden consoles, reclining rear seats, and ample leg room in both the front and rear seats, as a hybrid it still has amazing gas mileage on par with a sedan.

VOLOOM your hair for lasting volume

I have what my sisters refer to as "baby hair". I believe the official word for my type of hair is “fine”, but on top of that it’s also really thin – like baby hair. As for actual styling, it's just about as frustrating as trying to style a baby's hair and requires a ton of product in order to somewhat hold even the easiest hairstyle. Even backcombing my hair doesn’t work very well because my soft baby hair just won’t hold and soon after it’s styled it ends up limp and lifeless.

But, while there are hundreds of products on the market for thinning or receding hair, my baby hair has always left me wishing I had any other type of hair. The best advice I've gotten from hair professionals so far in terms of managing my fine, thin hair has been to damage it as best I could.

Sounds crazy, right? Really, it's not as nuts as it sounds, but it makes my hair very high maintenance because unless it's basically fried through chemicals, dyes, heat and product, it just lays there limp. Or, at least it used to.While at BlogHer this year I met a company called VOLOOM and it sounded just like what I needed to try to help give my baby hair some real volume – without having to spend hundreds of dollars in a salon damaging my hair. However, it was so popular that every time I passed the VOLOOM booth there was a line of girls waiting to try it and I never got a chance to see it work in person.

When I heard that VOLOOM was working with iFabbo to get the word out about a whole new way to add volume to your hair, I gladly volunteered my locks. You see, I’ve tried volumizing powders, mousse, hair spray, creams, and just about every other gimmick on the market without success, so I’m willing to try anything at this point.

So, what is the VOLOOM? It's not a curling iron or a flat iron; it’s the first hair volumizing iron that was created specifically to add huge volume to hair. Basically, VOLOOM creates hidden layers of texture underneath your style that adds volume to any hairstyle.

Say hello to our newest little reviewer

Baby is here! Our sweet baby girl arrived almost a week ago and all of us are already crazy about her. So far, she’s been a dream. She has spent most of her time sleeping or cooing quietly in our arms while everyone begs to hold her next, and has proven to be quite the good little traveler. She's already slept through a few hours of road trips, a ferry ride, a day exploring the islands, and even made it in time to see our beloved Seahawks in the Super Bowl. All that in 6 short days. The kids especially are over the moon about her and every time she makes even the tiniest noise they come running to help. I know this super helpful phase won’t last forever, but I’m enjoying it immensely right now. What makes me the most happy is that based on what I’m seeing they are going to be truly good helpers when I need them to be, and that’s more than I expected from a 6 and 4 year old. As for her actual birth, it was quick and went smoother than I ever could have dreamt. Even the nurses who helped me deliver her were commenting that her delivery was absolute perfection and exactly what they want for themselves when they have babies. I haven’t seen hundreds of births every year, or even more than a handful, but based on the stories I hear and have read from other moms, my births are what everyone hopes for and this one was the easiest yet.
Our birth story:

Resolve to take better care of yourself

What's your New Year's resolution? Whether it's eating less, exercising more, sleeping better, or simply taking better care of yourself, AT&T and Fitbit have you covered. By now you hopefully know that AT&T stores offer a huge variety of wearable technologies for consumers interested in health and fitness, but I bet you're wondering how an activity tracker can handle your entire resolution list and more.

The answer is that activity trackers have come a long way, baby. With an entire system dedicated to helping you figure out how much you are consuming, how much energy you're burning, and a way to track weight, sleep, and more, the Fitbit system works with the AT&T technology you're already carrying with you to help you stay within your fitness goals and make 2015 the year you take better care of you.