Monthly Archives: August 2011

Review: Acoustic Research App-Enhanced Docking Station for iPad – On My Things I Use Everyday List

Electronics, Gadgets, iPad, iphone, New posts, , , ,

I work from home and it can get really quiet around here when the kids are in school.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.   I do get lonely though and I feel a little disconnected when there’s no sound around me so I like to have music or a TV show on in the background while I’m working.  I don’t watch TV but hearing it makes me feel less alone. The TV is actually in another room. I can’t even see it.

Acoustic Research iPad Docking StationI was when I received an App-Enhanced Docking Station from Acoustic Research to review.   I ripped the box open, set it up, and was listening to music within minutes of getting the delivery from FedEx.

When I plugged my iPad in to the docking station for the first time, I was prompted to download the free Dock Plus app from the app store.  Dock Plus brings the ultimate in functionality to the docking station.  The app allows me to listen to local FM stations, set my favorite stations, and play and control my iPod/iPhone/iPad music library.  It’s also an alarm clock and has a snooze function.

My 5 year old daughter loves to dance and so she’s always asking me to play songs that are on my iPhone. I love that I can plug my iPhone into this docking station and blast the music super loud so she can dance all over the house and still hear the music!

 

The Acoustic Research iPad Docking Station:

  • Charges your iPod, iPhone or iPad
  • 5 adapters included for iPod, iPhone and iPad
  • Rotates 90 degrees for two portrait and landscape viewing options – I love this!
  • Comes with a remote control
  • Emits high performance sound
  • Will enable you to view iPod/iPad video content on your TV
  • Comes with an iPad, iPod, iPhone, and iPhone 4 adapter

To connect to an external device such as a TV, you’ll need  a VIDEO cable (not supplied).  AUX connection requires a 3.5mm audio cable (not supplied) to connect your external audio source to the AUX input on the back of the main unit.

Here is a very brief (20 second) video demonstrating two features: rotating and song switching.

 

You can buy the App-Enhanced Docking Station on Amazon.com or on the Acoustic Research website.

Disclosure: I was provided a unit for review purposes, free of charge. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by compensation.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Food Tip: How Do You Spice Up Your Pasta? A Tip for Picky, Pasta-Loving Families

Food and Drink, New posts, , , ,

I am a huge fan of pasta.  I could eat pasta 21 times a week (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) if I had enough in the house to fix.  Maybe that’s why these extra 10 lbs won’t come off?  I’m also a huge fan of sauce!  Yet another reason why I’m struggling with these extra 10 lbs.

As you might know, I am a Ragu “Mom’s The Word On Dinner” Ambassador, and I’m very proud and excited about that as you’ll see in this post.

Ragú® - Brand Ambassador campaign

That brings me to this week’s featured “Moms the Word on Dinner” video on the Ragu Facebook page which is about how families spice up their pasta.

How do I spice up my pasta you ask?  Good question!

Because everyone in my family has differing taste buds (to the extreme!), I prepare what I call ‘meals with options’.
For example, I cook angel hair pasta or my daughter’s favorite, rigatoni.
Then I will place a few sauce options and pasta ‘toppings’ as my kids call them, on the table.  Pasta toppings might include sautéed chicken, shrimp, red peppers, peas, and cheeses, to name a few.  Sauces include red pasta sauce, alfredo sauce, and lemon butter, most often coming from a what I like to call.. a jar.. full of ingredients that I can pronounce.

I don’t believe in forcing a child to eat a meal or a food that they have tried and don’t like so I am OK with offering my kids variations of a meal at dinner time.  I have found ‘meals with options’ to be a good solution for my family.

Plus, the table looks really pretty when it’s covered in small bowls full of colorful ‘toppings’.

Chime In..

How do you spice up your pasta? Do you have a special sauce recipe, favorite sauce or  pasta topping?  Please share in the comments below.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Sale: Oceanhouse Media’s Back to School Sale Kicks Off with Ten Dr. Seuss omBooks for $1.99 Each

iPad, iphone, , , , ,
Dr. Seuss digital book sale
Our kids LOVE Dr. Seuss books.  What child doesn’t?  My 5 year old daughter’s favorite is “There’s a Wocket in my Pocket” and my son’s favorite when he was younger was “Ten Apples Up on Top”.  Now, the kids enjoy ‘reading’ Dr. Seuss on my iPad and iPhone.
Oceanhouse Media is kicking off its Back to School Sale with ten Dr. Seuss omBooks (Oceanhouse Media digital books) reduced to $1.99 each now through September 4th.
For a five week period, from August 29 through October 2, a new selection of omBooks will be on sale each week from popular series such as The Berenstain Bears, Little Critter, Five Little Monkeys and Smithsonian Collection.
Visit the Oceanhouse Media Facebook page each Monday in September to find out which omBooks will be on sale for that week.
This week’s sale includes the following Dr. Seuss classics:
  • Oh Say Can You Say? (released today)
  • Dr. Seuss’s ABC
  • Green Eggs and Ham
  • The Cat in the Hat
  • The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
  • I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
  • One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
  • Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
  • There’s A Wocket in My Pocket!
  • Fox in Socks
Oceanhouse Media’s corporate focus is to uplift, educate and inspire through technology. For more information, visit http://www.oceanhousemedia.com. Follow Oceanhouse Media’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/OceanhouseMedia and  on Twitter here http://twitter.com/OceanhouseMedia.
Alicia Hagan, Editor

Review: Scotch-Brite Bathroom Cleaning Products Make Cleaning the Bathroom EASY! #scotchbrite

Cleaning & Cleaners, New posts,

Did you know that Scotch-Brite has a line of 7 bathroom cleaning products to help you tackle even the toughest bathroom cleaning tasks and that every single one of them is extremely useful?

Scotch-Brite bathroom cleaning products

Each of Scotch-Brite’s bathroom cleaning products serves a very specific purpose.  For example, the  Shower & Bath Scrubber, my favorite, has a heavy duty extendable handle that allows you to clean from the ceiling to the floor without getting on a step stool.   I scratched out tub once when I put a wooden step stool in it.. not good.  The Shower & Bath Scrubber is the perfect way to make your bath and shower sparkle from top to bottom easily.  My 11 year even old uses it.. not because he wants to.

My husband’s favorite Scotch-Brite bathroom cleaning product is the Grout Scrubber.   He got great satisfaction watching the tile grout go from a grungy brown to it’s original off-white color.  It’s such an easy tool to use.  I know I’m very lucky that my husband enjoys cleaning.

I used to use q-tips to clean around the faucet base but now I use Scotch-Brite’s Non-Scratch Angle Scrubber.  This is a great product for getting that orangy build-up off the base of the faucet and tub stopper.  Don’t tell me I’m the only one who has that  problem?   I use the scrubber side to get the grime off then the sponge side to wipe it away.  This also works well on awkward areas like the little bolt covers on the toilet.. ew gross.

Having a cleaning tool for each area of the bathroom saves moms time.  I have found that the more specific the tool, the more efficient it is and thus, it saves you time.  For example, if I use a big fork to strain pasta, that doesn’t work well, right?  I lose a lot of pasta! 😉  But when I use a strainer to strain my pasta, I don’t loose the pasta and that saves me time!  You get what I mean, right?  Use the right tools for the job and you’re bound to save time and energy!

Scotch-Brite Bathroom Cleaning products

You’ll find these and other Scotch-Brite products at local retailers nationwide. Check out Scotch-Brite Special Offers and contests!

Like Scotch-Brite on Facebook 
Follow Scotch-Brite on Twitter

 

Chime In:

Do you have a favorite bathroom cleaning product or tip?  Share it with us in the comments below.

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media. I was provided product in exchange for the review.  Thoughts are my own.  

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Happy Birthday Desiree! @stressfreebaby

New posts

I’ve been working online for over 10 years on AtlantaMoms.com and for five years on TheMommyInsider.com and working online unfortunately means that I don’t have much social interaction with other people on a regular basis.  I was lucky enough to have met Desiree about a year ago and have grown to love her like a sister since then.

Happy Birthday Desiree

Desiree has taught me to crawl out of my shell or to try at least. Desiree is the life of any party.  I’ve learned from Desiree that “it is what it is”.  That’s what Desiree always says, and you know what.. she’s right?  As much as I hate it when plans change, when my husband doesn’t help with laundry, when I get two entries on a blog contest, or when I can’t fit into a pair of jeans I wore three months ago.. it is what it is and there’s no use in complaining or stressing about it.  Thank you for that little life lesson Desiree.

Here are a few more things I want to thank Desiree for:

  • Thank you for being someone I can call when I am stressed, excited, or bummed about something.
  • Thank you for trying to prepare me for BlogHer ’11.  🙂
  • Thank you for allowing me to help you when you need it.
  • Thank you for being a great travel buddy!
  • Thank you for showing me that it’s ok to talk to complete strangers.. except drunk guys with dogs in Miami! 🙂
  • Thank you for not telling me that the phone call I received from Madelyn’s dr. the Sunday we came home from BlogHer, worried you, until after the fact.
Desiree is an amazing woman.
She will help others before herself.  She works hard for her family.  Desiree is always coming up with new projects even though she doesn’t have an extra two minutes in the day.  Desiree is a wonderful mom.

Happy Birthday Desiree!

XOXO,

Alicia