Sunday, June 6, 2021

Flows audio glasses make the perfect Father’s Day gift

If you’re looking for a sleek new gift for the tech-loving dad in your life, I have the perfect gift idea.

Flows just launched two Bluetooth audio sunglasses called Bruno’s and Taylor’s which offer high quality built-in bone conduction speakers and microphone pairs up via Bluetooth with your device to operate like any normal Bluetooth headset. 

I had the chance to try a pair of these glasses and they were pretty great. It was very easy to pair them with my iPhone and when I tried calling friends and family everyone said it was easy to hear me and I could hear them. The bone conduction technology is pretty cool and I enjoyed not having anything in my ears but still being able to hear everything around me as well as the conversation on the phone.


It did get a little interesting if I was wearing the glasses and then my little guy borrowed my phone to play a game - I would hear the sound of the game in the glasses even though I wasn’t playing the game! It was an easy fix - just turned off the power to the glasses.


The battery life lasts up to 5 hours and only 1-2 hours to fully recharge, you’ll always be prepared. These glasses are designed to eliminate the issues of wearing normal headphones / headsets when driving, cycling, walking and exercising outdoors, namely, the danger of not hearing traffic or other sounds when outdoors.


One thing I would caution you would be if you’re changing the lenses, you need to be mindful of the way which you pop the lenses out - I don’t usually do that, but if you get the additional lens pack then you can swap the lenses. If you do be sure to pop them from the front/outside in towards what would be your face, which may seem a little counter-intuitive but you wouldn’t want to break the brand new pair of glasses you just bought!


We are giving away a new pair of Flows to one of our readers - so enter the giveaway now and you just might win them for your dad!


Enter the giveaway here

Here’s some additional information about the glasses:

  • Fully polarized and tinted Lenses: Easily pop in and out
  • mini speakers technology
  • Prescription ready
  • Frames: TR-90 nylon with IPX2 water-resistant rating
  • Lenses: Impact- and scratch-resistant premium flexible plastic
  • Built-in multidirectional microphone
  • Bluetooth range: 50 ft (15 m)
  • Open ear Audio engineering
  • Bluetooth version: 5.1
  • Battery life: Up to 5 hours
  • Battery charging time: Up to 1 hour
  • Battery charge method: Proprietary 4-pin charging cable
  • No apps needed.  Seamlessly connect to your devices Bluetooth connection
  • Navigation Ready
NOTE: We were provided with a complimentary pair of Flows glasses in Bruno style to facilitate this review as well as a pair to give away. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are our own.

Sunday, May 30, 2021

Parents - sign your kids up for the WooSox WooCrew presented by Shaws!

Are you looking for a fun way to stay engaged with the new Worcester Red Sox, the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox? Sign your kids up to be part of the WooCrew presented by Shaws, it's the official youth fan club of the Worcester Red Sox. The WooCrew has two tiers, a free (Rookie) and paid (MVP) membership. 


The Rookie membership is free, and includes a member card and lanyard along with access to a special portal where you can earn points and redeem for prizes and experiences. The MVP membership has a fee of $50 and gives you the same benefits of rookie membership along with additional items: a baseball cap, t-shirt, and clear bag, as well as access to an ice cream social with WooSox mascot, Smiley Ball, and access to take batting practice at Polar Park during a mutually agreed upon game date.


NOTE: We are providing this information as a partner with the Worcester Red Sox. As Red Sox fans, we want to give you information we think would be helpful as well!  From time to time we are provided tickets to attend the games, however, no compensation was provided in exchange for this post and all opinions are our own.

Haven't heard from me in a while? A bunch of stuff is coming up!

It's been a while since you've heard from me and that's because I've been helping to move offices for the nonprofit I work for, so I have had less time to collect my thoughts for the blog. I have been testing a few things in preparation for some great father's day gift ideas if you're still looking for them and will be posting those soon. Stay tuned!

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is at Gillette Stadium now through April 18

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live is at Gillette Stadium now through April 18 and we had the chance to tour it. This one-of-a-kind journey lets you drive up close to Monster Trucks and Hot Wheels cars. that are larger than life. We were given four (4!) tickets to giveaway to our readers so be sure to read the whole article to get to the entry form - we will be choosing four different winners.

We drove up to the parking lots across from Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and were directed to open the audio tour recording as we drove into the exhibit. We pulled over to the side and opened the website and listened to the tour on our car stereo.

The kids enjoyed driving past the huge Hot Wheels Monster Trucks and enjoyed playing with the cars that we received when we drove in. Every ticket purchased lets one carload of people in and they give each car three Hot Wheels cars for the entire car to enjoy. If you are looking to get additional merchandise to complement the tour, you can buy merchandise bundles called the Hot Wheels Merch Bundle or the Bigfoot Bundle. You must purchase your merchandise bundle prior to your arrival. 

The tour is open Thursday through Sunday with the last car admitted at 6pm, which gives some really great views as the sun starts to set. We absolutely loved it and have a few tips to offer our readers:

  • be sure to charge your phones since you'll want to take pictures and also listen to the tour
  • bring snacks and toys to occupy the little ones in case they lose interest - there is food available but must be purchased ahead of time when you purchase your ticket
  • be prepared to drive slowly and have it take a half hour to 45 minutes to go through the entire tour
  • while there are restrooms 3/4 of the way through the event, it's a good idea to use the facilities before you leave your house!
  • No part of the experience requires you to exit your vehicle. You must stay in your vehicle during the entire drive-thru. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: We were provided tickets and merchandise so we could go through the event to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are our own.

Monday, February 15, 2021

Great coffee and comfy socks!


Last week we celebrated National Pizza Day (one of my FAVORITE days of the year!) by having some great pizza from Frank Pepe's Pizza (some great New Haven style) here in Boston and I enjoyed the slices in my new comfy pizza socks :) You can get your own pair from Lavely here.

I also tried a new way of making coffee that is more like steeping tea, using coffee-in-tea-bags called Steeped Coffee. It's a pretty neat idea and also makes it a fun way to make the morning cup of Joe! It's a great way to brew single-serving coffee without using single-serve pods and a brewer. All you need is some hot water and time... it took me about 5 minutes to make a great tasting cup of coffee. You also can support a great non-profit, called Feeding America, with each purchase using Steeped's Pack for Good program. Use code FEEDINGAMERICA at checkout and Steeped will donate 20% of total sales to Feeding America and its member food banks.

NOTE: We were provided with samples to facilitate this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions, as always, are our own.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Worcester Red Sox job fair Feb 20 & 21 at woosox.com

The Worcester Red Sox are proud to present their first "Polar Park Job Fair," Saturday and Sunday, February 20 and 21, from noon to 4 p.m. each day. In partnership with MassHire Worcester Career Center, the WooSox will host the event on Premier Virtual, an online platform that allows candidates to browse the various positions, submit their resume, and chat with WooSox recruiters in real-time. These are part-time, seasonal positions, at an hourly wage (typically minimum wage except for some food preparation positions that require particular skill and experience).  

From Parking Attendants, Ushers, and Vendors to Ticket Sellers, Ticket Takers, and Merchandise Staff, to the Concessions Crew, Cleaning Crew, and Polar Park Ambassadors, this staff brings Worcester’s new ballpark to life. A staff comprising more than 300 part-time members is needed to operate the ballpark during the season. In addition to offering these fan-facing positions, the club will also be providing opportunities in facilities maintenance, videoboard and camera operations, and the actors who portray the club’s mascot. The Job Fair will provide more details about these areas of opportunity. To participate, prospective staff members can visit woosox.com to provide information and to then receive registration information. The club will also welcome emails sent to jobs@woosox.com to answer those with particular questions.

You are welcome to read in advance about the positions now on woosox.com. Those seeking positions can update their profile prior to the Job Fair, but cannot enter the “virtual booth” until noon on Saturday, February 20.  You may come and go as desired throughout the duration of the event. For additional questions, please email jobs@woosox.com.

NOTE: We are providing this information since we love the Red Sox and help to promote family friendly initiatives of the Boston Red Sox as well as the Worcester Red Sox (formerly known as the Pawtucket Red Sox/PawSox). From time to time we are offered to take in a game or experience to facilitate the review as part of the Red Sox Parents influencer initiative. No compensation was provided for this posting and all opinions are our own.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

A fun new way to watch football thanks to NFL and Nickelodeon

There is a fun new way to watch football today during the Bears/As saints game starting today at 4p eastern! We will be watching!!

Here is the press release:

CBS Sports and Nickelodeon are getting kids and families into the game with a special slime-filled presentation of the National Football League’s Wild Card game on Sunday, Jan. 10, at 4:30 p.m. (ET). The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will feature one-of-a-kind kid-focused content and Nick-themed elements throughout, including a special halftime presentation, guest reporters and original on-field graphics, virtual filters and more. The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will air alongside CBS Sports’ broadcast of the game on The CBS Television Network. 

Play-by-play announcer Noah Eagle will be joined by CBS Sports’ analyst Nate Burleson and Nick star Gabrielle Nevaeh Green (All That, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered) in the booth to call the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon. Additionally, Nick star Lex Lumpkin (All That, Nickelodeon’s Unfiltered) ­­­will serve as a reporter during the game. Nickelodeon’s coverage begins with “The SpongeBob SportsPants Countdown Special,” a sports-themed compilation special at 4 p.m. (ET) hosted by the Denver Broncos’ Von Miller, highlighting SpongeBob’s best sports moments and featuring pre-kickoff appearances by CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, as well as Eagle, Burleson and Green.

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will also include a special halftime sneak peek of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, which follows 10-year-old SpongeBob SquarePants and his pals as they spend their summer building underwater campfires, catching wild jellyfish, and swimming in Lake Yuckymuck at the craziest camp in the kelp forest, Kamp Koral. The series will debut in 2021 on ViacomCBS’s rebranded streaming service Paramount+ and then on Nickelodeon later in the year. 

This is a first of its kind presentation for the NFL together with Nickelodeon, and we are very excited to create a unique telecast that will maximize the co-viewing appeal for kids and families, while maintaining the integrity of the game and its traditions,” said Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports. “Partnering with Nickelodeon to showcase the NFL Playoffs is a great opportunity to highlight the power, depth and reach of ViacomCBS, as we continue to unlock the true potential of our merged company with the first of many opportunities between CBS Sports and our ViacomCBS family.”

Our game plan is to make sure the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon definitely lives up to its name by infusing the telecast with Nick’s sensibility of surprise and fun at almost every turn,” said Brian Robbins, President of ViacomCBS Kids & Family Entertainment. “We’re incredibly proud to team up with CBS Sports and the NFL to elevate the thrill of this game for kids and families to enjoy together.”

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon will only be available to be streamed on mobile for free for all fans via the NFL App. The game airing on CBS will be streamed on CBS and NFL digital properties across devices, and on mobile via the participating teams’ mobile properties, and Yahoo Sports and other Verizon Media mobile properties.

NFLNickPlay.com will serve as the official online destination for the NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon, helping to educate kids on football basics and entertain them with a variety of NFL-themed content leading up to and during the Wild Card game. Kids will be able to engage with quizzes, polls, fun facts, info galleries, sports-themed short-form videos, Weekly Pick ‘Em printables and more, earning points and unlocking badges along the way. For three days leading up to the game and on game day, viewers can scan QR codes on-air, unlocking sports-themed SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House collectibles and participating with interactive content throughout the live game. Additionally, participants will be able to enter a sweepstakes for the chance to win an exclusive game ball signed by a Wild Card player, along with other exclusive prize packs.

The NFL Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon is produced by CBS Sports in association with Nickelodeon Productions. Sean McManus and Harold Bryant serve as Executive Producers of THE NFL ON CBS. CBS Sports’ Shawn Robbins is Coordinating Producer of the game along with Producer, Ken Mack and Director, Suzanne Smith. Production for Nickelodeon is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.

Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

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