Reviews Archives - Page 18 of 24

Never miss a moment with the Lumix G7 lightweight and compact DSLM camera

I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Influence Central for Panasonic. I received product samples as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. As someone who has a camera with me at all times, the struggle is always between whether I want quality pictures or I want lightweight options, because up until now there was no real compromise in my eyes. That means I typically end up going the DSLR route because I need to have good pictures for blog posts and for capturing all those important milestones with the kids, but I hate that I end up carting around bags of gear as well as all the stuff we need on our adventures.

In my never-ending search for a lighter weight camera, I earmarked the Panasonic Lumix G7 because it has interchangeable lenses as well as being mirrorless {which is quite possibly my favorite advance in cameras in the recent years}. The fact that it has a touch-enabled screen so it is really user-friendly was the tipping point. But it wasn’t until I tried it that I truly fell in love.

The Lumix totally blew me away in the DSLM (M= Mirrorless) category and it has proven to be the perfect compromise of losing the bulk and weight of traditional DSLRs without sacrificing image quality. In fact, it has so many features that I adore that it’s now my most-used camera. This is because it can do basically everything I need but can fit easily in my purse or diaper bag for days out so I can capture gems like this one I snapped last night while berry picking.

Peripop: the perfect blanket, play mat, and cushion for baby and beyond

As someone who is always on the go with kids, I feel like I am constantly shuttling belongings from point A to point B, then to point C, and back again. It used to be that I would arrive at my destination and unload bags and toys and gear just for a few hours and then would cart it all back home again when I was done. But, my years of doing that are over now that I have three darlings who all need gear and I still only have two hands.

Since baby items are traditionally big and bulky, they were the first things to get abandoned for the sake of not feeling like a pack mule. But, then the problem arises of where I can set baby safely once we get to our destination so that I can actually use both those hands every once in a while.

That's why I love Oribel, a brand that completely understand that parenting often happens on the go. Their new line of baby gear is not only lightweight and portable, but also multi-purpose so that it solves numerous problems at the same time. Introducing Peripop, the coolest baby mat, ever.

A whole new way to have fun while building with Geomag Toys

If I was describing the differences between my toys growing up and the toys my kids love, the biggest differences wouldn't be what you would probably expect. It isn’t technology, computers, or gadgets that set them apart. No, the biggest difference I see is the intelligence in the design of toys these days that takes learning toys to a whole new level.

Instead of basic blocks like I used to play with, now children's building tools are more advanced and so much cooler. Just look at Geomag, the maker of awesome magnetic construction toys that have been huge in Europe for years and are just now re-entering the US market. Using super strong magnets within magnetic rods and non-magnetic spheres as well as accessories, the Geomag sets allow you to build not just up, but also out, around, and within so you can build so much more than ever before. Because the magnets hold your design in place, you don’t have to worry about a strong gust of wind knocking everything down and can build in all directions until you have created your masterpiece.

Getting sporty with the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport

By Tyler, Editor and reviewer

We’ve tested, borrowed, and rented quite a few cars in the past few years. But never have we been asked so many times whether we were thinking about buying those cars than with the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport that we borrowed this week. Maybe it was the bright blue color, or the fact that it’s a bigger car without being too big, or maybe it was because we’re due for a car that can handle the kinds of adventures we love to go on, but whatever it was, it seemed to be the consensus that we belonged in a vehicle like the Outlander Sport.

Iconic Ambi developmental toys for baby and beyond

Do you remember these toys from Ambi from when you were young? I’m betting you do, because every single person that has come over and seen my kids playing with the set of Ambi Toys has remarked about how they used to play with them when they were little. Notice how I said “my kids”? Not “the baby”, but “the kids”.

In fact, I had these toys all set aside waiting for when the baby was old enough to play with them, thinking that my older kids were well past the Ambi Toys stage. Then, one day when we had a house full of kids, the box got torn open and the toys were immediately pounced on – by all the kids, from age 3 months to 7 years. How could you possibly be mad when the toy thief is this adorable? You just can't.

Mix and match fun with custom Modarri cars {& discount code}

We discovered Modarri cars last year, and we quickly became obsessed. Basically, they are everything my son loves.
Fixing things: check
Racing: check
Designing stuff: check
Things with wheels: check So, what are Modarri cars? They are build-it-yourself custom cars that you can mix and match and customize to your heart’s content.

Each car even comes complete with a special hex tool so you can break down each car into its multiple parts: a chassis, hood and windshield, seat pan, seat, fenders and frame, and wheels with front and rear suspension. And, each of those parts can be used with other Modarri car models so you can build and rebuild as often as you like to create whatever car strikes your fancy.

Kid tough dress up gear from Aeromax {Junior Fire Fighter Suit review}

In our house, dress up day is any day that ends in a "y". We don’t merely have dress up time – pretty much all play time these days is done in costume. And, for us, dress up isn't limited to just inside play. My kids wear their costumes to stores, to parks, walking to and from school, and so much more.

This is just a small snapshot into the last year with my little man.Obviously, we can't get by with cheapy costumes designed for one day use; we need Get Real Gear from Aeromax. My son has become so famous for his amazing Aeromax costumes that I swear I could sell their dress up clothes right out of my car and retire for life.

Clean up in seconds with Lay-N-Go ~ a totable mat for everyone in the family

Now that we’re in the early stages of re-baby proofing our house for our new little one, I’m realizing more than ever all the small choking hazards that litter my floor as the kids play. Since getting rid of toys that have small parts isn’t really an option with a LEGO fanatic and a whole house full of miniatures, I’ve been brainstorming ways to corral the toys and keep the little ones safe. I’d be mad at all the little pieces everywhere but it’s not entirely their fault as our current system involves dumping bins which causes small pieces to scatter. And, in all fairness, they are actually quite good about picking up the pieces when they are done playing, which is why the bin system works for us. It was an obvious improvement upon the toy box system which had little pieces in thin layers along the bottom of the box, but clearly neither option is going to work well once we have a mobile baby.

While looking for something that allowed the small toys to be put away while still allowing them to be accessible, I found an awesome company called Lay-N-Go. Not only do they solve the problem of how to store all those small toys, their products also add the benefit of giving the kids a safe place to play with those toys, and an easy clean-up process.

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.

Celebrate the power of play with the Gymboree Hop ‘N’ Roll collection

I know play time for children is vital as it helps them learn about the world around them in ways I can’t teach them in a book, so I always make play time a priority. From unstructured playtime to working together to create a talent show, a fairy garden, or a circus, we fill our days with as much play as we possibly can. So, I was a little taken aback the other day when I told my kids I wanted them to wear play clothes if they were going to be out digging in our backyard and they both looked at me like I was crazy. “Do you mean dress up clothes?” my daughter asked. Clearly, they aren’t of my generation where we had two categories of clothing: play clothes and fancy. To my kids, everything is play clothes, even if they really shouldn’t be. We’re talking fancy holiday dresses year-round at the beach and white button-up shirts and dresses while gardening. After looking through their closets it became really clear that they could both use some new “play clothes” for summer that would allow them to swing on monkey bars, skip rope, and do all the other things kids should be doing all day without worrying about restrictive clothing getting in the way.