Friday, May 1, 2020

DORENITA is a great phone holder and charger for your mobile phone

With the new hands-free driving law that went into effect earlier this year, I was looking for a new phone mount that doubles as a phone charger for the newer wireless (qi-compatible) phones. I had the chance to test out a wireless charger car mount from DORENITA and it has proven to be reliable, flexible and has withstood the bumps and windy roads here in New England.

What I really like about the car mount is that you can attach it to your windshield, but then it telescopes quite far (just around 7.5 inches!) and can fit perfectly out of the way while still swiveling up to 270 degrees and then locking in place. If you'd rather mount it to an air vent, there is an included mount that is encased in silicone which allows it to grip to your car's air vent better than any car mount I've seen.

There are two buttons on the side which clamps the phone securely to the holder and will also release the phone for removal.

If you're looking for a car mount that is fully compatible with the recent generations of Apple and Samsung smartphones, this would be the one to get! For more information you can check them out on Amazon where the phone is currently on sale for $39.99 as of this writing.

NOTE: We were provided with a sample of the case to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided.

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Thank you to our #HealthcareHeroes and a wonderful gesture by the Red Sox for @SomeGoodNews

Still frame from Youtube Video:
 http://youtu.be/Eg08rJGKjtA
In these trying times, I only have the news up in order to catch the weather and the most important information when appropriate. I try not to watch it a bunch and prefer to find some good news or stories of the helpers in our communities.

There is a great new show on Youtube that was started by actor John Krasinski (a Massachusetts native) called "Some Good News" where he features various positive stories that his twitter followers mention.

On the most recent episode, he featured a few healthcare workers at a local Boston hospital to tell them how much he (and all of us) appreciate all of their hard work and dedication. He had a special surprise in store for them and brought David Ortiz, Big Papi, of the Boston Red Sox on the conference call and the Red Sox donated four seats at Fenway for life to healthcare workers who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic at Beth Israel Medical Center in Boston.

I don't know about you, but as I was watching the episode, I was quite moved by the kind gesture of the Red Sox. There are good people in these times and it was nice to see them rewarded.

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Comcast Launches Xfinity Education Destination for Kids K-12 with Thousands of Free Resources #xfinitydads #partner

Comcast announced that it has made nearly 2,000 hours of programming and thousands of free titles available to Xfinity video customers to give children and parents quick and easy access to educational programming by grade level as part of the company’s comprehensive response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The collection is a joint effort with Common Sense Media, the leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families whose trusted age-based ratings and reviews are integrated into Xfinity on Demand. A subset of the education collection is also available on Xfinity Flex and across devices via the Xfinity Stream app and website.

“Today Xfinity is making thousands of hours of educational programming and resources available to our customers through Xfinity on Demand as we know how challenging it is for families right now who are suddenly homeschooling young children – many with both parents working, as well,” said Rebecca Heap, SVP of Video & Entertainment at Comcast. “The programming selected in partnership with Common Sense Media is available in one comprehensive destination organized by grade level to make it as easy as possible for parents to find what is most relevant to their family.”

Xfinity customers with X1 or Flex can say “Education” or, if their voice search language is set to Spanish, “EducaciĆ³n,” into the Xfinity Voice Remote to access content available to them by grades “K-2,” “3-5,” “6-8,” and “9-12” and also “for all ages” currently including:

  • Free programs from subscription video on demand services (SVODS) Bluprint, CuriosityStream, The Great Courses Signature Collection, Grokker Yoga Fitness, HISTORY® Vault, Kids Room and The Reading Corner.
  • Additional free adult continuing education programming from these SVODS focused on the “Mind,” “Body,” and “Soul” spanning biographies; podcasts on a range of topics including technology and business; yoga; dance; food and cooking; fitness; wellness; ballets and operas; and gardening.
  • Educational series from networks and streaming services including Animal Planet, HISTORY®, Nick Jr., PBS KIDS, Smithsonian Channel and more.
  • Spanish language programming available from networks including CBeebies, Discovery Familia and Kids Central.
  • Firsthand interviews and historical narratives from Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, Comcast’s signature commemorative programming initiative honoring the impact and legacy of the movement.

Additionally, Comcast has enlisted the guidance of Natascha Crandall, Ph.D., a psychologist and educator to program the content across English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies based on grade appropriate guidelines aligned with the current U.S. school curriculum.

“When schools close and other community places people congregate are off limits, it can feel overwhelming for families with kids, so we’ve partnered with Xfinity to curate a list of educational recommendations to help kids learn and keep them engaged during their time indoors,” said Ellen Pack, President of Common Sense.

Year round, Xfinity makes a safe and enjoyable kids and family entertainment experience a priority through a variety of features, including:

  • Kids Zone, which offers a safe environment for children to browse, shuffle and watch live TV, Xfinity On Demand content and DVR recordings that are appropriate for kids ages 12 and under.
  • Common Sense Media ratings and reviews, which help customers find recommendations that are right for their family.
  • Xfinity xFi, the Company’s simple, digital dashboard for Xfinity customers to personalize, troubleshoot, monitor, and control their home WiFi network, offers parental control features such as pausing WiFi and bedtime mode, as well as the ability to set up 30 different screen time schedules per profile, to help families manage screen and viewing time.

Beyond free education content and resources, Comcast has undertaken a comprehensive COVID-19 response inclusive of making its low-income Internet Essentials program free for new families for the first 60 days of enrollment, opening Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country to anyone who needs them for free (including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers), pausing data plans, creating a COVID-19 news destination on X1 and Flex (in Spanish and English), and offering rolling free entertainment previews to Xfinity X1 and Flex subscribers.

NOTE: This release was provided by Comcast and I am posting it as I thought it would be beneficial for you, my readers! No compensation was provided.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

How interconnected we are with technology - so great!

I am just amazed at the amount of live content being shared during this time from people taking the time to have mini-concerts live streamed.

I love technology is now available to keep us interconnected in ways we have never been before and are able to feel like we are literally having a concert performed on the other side of the screen.

Two nights ago was the Dropkick Murphys, then earlier tonight was a dance and movement class with the family (and seeing our friends and neighbors also online!) following Tracie from Fab-YOU-Us, The Indigo Girls performing live, and now I stumbled across a recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber playing "All I Ask of You".

Wow.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Navigating an uncertain time together, as a community

We are currently going through a time that I can only think of describing as a defining time for us. It is one that we will remember for a while. The coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the world, and our country, affecting everyone in many different ways. During these times, as we are going through events with our loved ones, I have many thoughts racing through my head and think of how fortunate I am in so many different ways that it is important to always think of those who are less fortunate and think of how we can all spread the goodness.

Yesterday, a friend of mine posted on social media that he and another friend (both small business owners in the foodservice industry) had many cartons of milk and juice to distribute to anyone who needs or wants them, in our small community. Word spread and people came out to gather items for their families, friends and strangers, and it was a true act of kindness and generosity amidst all of this uncertainty.

I am so thankful and blessed to live in a community where we think to help one another and work together. I'm noticing friends offering tips and guidance of education while schools are closed and parents are left to figure out how to balance work and family in a new setting that we are all adjusting to on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.



Sunday, February 23, 2020

Apex Entertainment is a great place for family fun for everyone offering bowling, karting, arcade games, and more

Apex Entertainment in Marlborough, MA is a great place for family fun for everyone in the family with karting, bowling, arcade games, a ropes course suspended above the games, bumper cars, laser tag and more!

We had the opportunity to check it out and were quite impressed with all of the activities they had. You can easily spend a few hours in the arcade area alone, so be sure to plan ahead with how you want to spend your time otherwise your entire day will go by before you know it!

We went to try all of the activities and had an amazing time. My daughter absolutely loved the ropes course and the arcade. For the ropes course you’re harnessed in and then walk high above the arcade along with a guide to help you get from point A to point B.

While you’re there you can go bowling, visit the arcade, and have a great meal. We tried the largest pretzel in the entire state of Massachusetts and it did not disappoint!  There is truly something for everyone here.

I had a blast going on the karts with my brother in law and thank goodness they gave us the track to ourselves. He was a pro at driving the kart, but it was my first time and I didn’t know what to expect, so I bumped into the side walls a few times. They have a rule, if you hit the side wall three times you’re out. Thankfully, I didn’t do that and let’s just say I drive a car waaaaaaaay better than how I drive a kart.












NOTE: We were provided with passes for bowling, arcades and activities at Apex Entertainment in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. There was no promise made of a positive review and all opinions, as always, are our own.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

A rockin' place for a birthday party! Be sure to check out Rock On Adventure in Norwood!

We were looking for places to host our daughter’s birthday party and found a great location nearby at Rock On! Adventure in Norwood, MA. Located in a small office park type area, this rock gym has everything to let the kids get their energy out in a safe, controlled environment.

The birthday party package let’s you pick three party options for the kids from a list including dancing, tag and obstacle course type things - we chose Rock Climbing, Dodge Ball and Kids Ninja Warrior and they had such an amazing time! The two party hosts took the kids from activity to activity, helping them through each obstacle and guiding them through the fun! We really enjoyed the zipline run for each kid (if they want to participate) as an ending to the activities! So fun!

They only host one party at a time so that ensures that you have full use of the space.

We ordered pizza and had it delivered but they are just as happy to take care of providing food for you! The party room is set up for each party and they even let you use their fridge to store the drinks! More information can be found on their website at https://www.rockonadventure.com/




NOTE: We were provided with a discount in exchange for this review. All opinions are our own and no other compensation was provided.