CES 2018 brought the Whoa! {2018 CES recap and trends}

DTYOb8IXcAAp-9DI can officially announce that I survived my first ever CES. I’ve been wanting to attend CES and see all the newest technology as it debuts ever since I started blogging, but it just never worked out since it always takes place in early January just before Sundance. Scheduling so much time away each January gets harder and harder as the kids get older, so having one big event on the calendar was enough for me each January. Thus I settled for consuming all of the articles and info I could from afar each CES season.

But, this year I was invited by CTA to take part in their Key Online Influencer program and I couldn’t refuse. So, I embarked on my first CES journey to conferences unknown and braved heavy rains, leaking roofs, never-ending show floors, and power outages.

What is CES? It’s the largest consumer electronics show in the world, put on each year by CTA. It takes place in Las Vegas in multiple different convention centers and halls, spreading out to the parking lots and into multiple hotel conference rooms. More than 3,900 exhibitors showcased this year in 2.75 million net square feet of exhibit space across Las Vegas – the largest show floor in CES’ 51 year history. New at #CES2018 this year was the Design & Source located in the LVCC, South Plaza featuring global design, sourcing and packaging companies.

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Fail-proof cooking with Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker

Anova sous vide cooker

I’m a chronic over-cooker. I know this about myself and still I find that at least a few times a year I over cook to the point of being inedible because I get distracted with kids and life and leave food in too long. My husband is a chronic under-cooker. Which is understandable because he … Read more

Meet Piper, the DIY STEM computer kit for kids

As a parent, I’m always looking for toys that aren’t *just* toys for my kids. I want toys that inspire learning, ones that will resonate with the kids, and mostly I want toys that won’t get abandoned as soon as the shiny luster wears off. Well parents, I found the holy grail of presents for … Read more

Put the focus on science with My First Lab microscopes

My daughter asked for a microscope for years and years, and we finally relented last year for her 8th birthday when we threw her a science birthday party. Ever since that day, she has been “sciencing” everything she can get her hands on, and we love it.  Before we got it for her, we did … Read more

All the best tech gifts from Techlicious Seattle

I was a guest at the Techlicious event with Consumer Technology Association in Seattle this month. We were shown some really awesome tech gifts, given some Aftershokz earphones and treated to an amazing lunch. As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I love knowing all I can about the newest technological advances. … Read more

Ready, aim, fire with the Sky Rover Voice Command RC Helicopter

Have you ever wished that you could take the controls and command helicopters to take off, land, and fire? Now you can with Auldey Toys new Sky Rover Voice Command Missile Launcher. It’s basically a little kid’s dream present, amiright? The Sky Rover is a remote controlled gyro balanced helicopter that you can fly all … Read more

The tablet that just might replace your laptop from AT&T

Go-To Mobile Office with Surface6a0105362badb1970b01b8d26a17bd970c-800wi
Remember a few weeks ago when I showed you a preview of the Microsoft Surface 3 tablet I’ve been dying to get my hands on? Well, thanks to AT&T, I’ve been using it for the past few weeks and it's been great to ditch my heavy weight laptop for a bit and go light, especially with all the traveling we've been doing.

I hate that whenever I travel it’s this big dilemma about whether I will take my 7” Android tablet that is hard to work on or I will cave and take the super heavy and way-too-large laptop that I use for editing photos and videos. Sadly, the laptop usually wins and it’s yet another thing I need to haul around with all the kids. If it's truly a vacation and I don't plan on working at all, the Android tablet is okay, but it’s definitely not a work substitute and it could mean a whole lot of stress if even a small issue comes up.

For everyone who is Windows-based like me, the Surface is the perfect answer to this dilemma. I need to have all my files and work documents while still being lightweight and portable, and the Surface is all that and more. They call it "the tablet that can replace your laptop", and for many that would definitely be the case if they don't need a ton of storage, an entertainment hub, or a large monitor screen for editing photos/videos or designing.Microsoft tablet and phone

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Cleaning made easy with the Shark Rocket Complete with DuoClean Technology

Shark Rocket CompleteSponsored postThere’s a rule I hear thrown around a lot about shopping for women, and every time I hear it, it makes me cringe. Marketing companies for years have been spreading the rumor that women don’t like practical gifts. And, while this might be true at some points in a woman’s life, like when she’s going through tough times or has had a life changing event happen, it absolutely is not a written-in-stone “rule”.Shark Rocket I, for one, love a good practical gift. Really, the more practical, the better. My favorite gifts in recent years have been 1) camera equipment that I needed for work, 2) a bread box, and 3) a new pair of boots. Honestly, the absolute best present ever is one that I really, really need – and maybe one a little nicer than I would be fine with. So, if there’s a deluxe version of a super practical, needed item, go with that.

That’s exactly what the new Shark® Rocket® Complete with DuoClean™ Technology is. 

 

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