Awair Element monitors the air quality in your home or any indoor space you choose!

These days, we listen to the TV, radio, or read things on the internet that talk about how the air quality is so poor especially indoors. I've been interested in learning how to measure the air quality in our house over time and to improve it or what impacts it. After looking up indoor air quality monitors, I had the opportunity to test out the Awair Element air quality monitor.

The Awair Element tracks five factors that influence the quality of their air inside your home: temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), and PM2.5 (atmospheric particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns). I've had it running over the past few weeks and it gives you a visual representation using a bar graph on the front of the unit (represented in dots) as well as a percentage number out of 100.

If you are worried about your cleaning supplies or forced air system emitting so many chemicals or circulating the same stale air throughout the house, Awair Element will show you if you need to turn on your filter or open the windows to let fresh air in.

I have mine set up in my basement office where I spend a great deal of time whether I am working from home or looking to relax. Since it has been monitoring the air quality, I have been able to rest assured that the things I can control to help the air quality in my house are set up properly, whether its temperature, windows, reducing the chemicals we introduce into the air from cleaning or painting or something else!

Overall, the Awair element is a great air quality monitor if you're looking for something sleek and reliable to track and give you accurate air quality readings. There is a great app for iOS that will let you view more detailed trends and measurements along with giving you great tips to improve or keep the air quality in your space.

NOTE: We were provided with an Awair Element in exchange for this review. There was no promise made of a positive review and all opinions, as always, are our own. No other compensation was provided.

Checked out Supercross LIVE! at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and it was energetic!

This weekend, we checked out Supercross LIVE! at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro and it was so energetic. We got to Patriot Place and walked around for a little bit before entering the stadium. The security and mobile ticketing process was a breeze and we were quickly inside.

We walked around the concourse and watched some of the qualifying matches before we got to our seats to enjoy the start of the show. We learned that they trucked in over 26,000 pounds of dirt to the stadium from over 500 truckloads! There were lots of bumps and jumps for the riders to go on throughout the course. After the national anthem and presentation of the colors, it was show time.

There were two different races that were taking place and it was so exciting to watch them. It was quite exhilarating and there were a few moments where we were captivated by the action. It was definitely a new experience in a location where we are used to watching football games and music concerts.

NOTE: We were provided with tickets in exchange for this review and some social posts. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are our own.

Checking out Imagine Van Gogh in Boston was such a fun treat

Last weekend weekend, we had the opportunity to check out the Imagine Van Gogh exhibit at the SOWA Power Station in the South End of Boston and we really enjoyed it. When we arrived we went into the first area where there were a bunch of floating boards suspended in air and we had the opportunity to read about Van Gogh's life and how the artists' life experiences helped to shape his artwork. We also learned of the techniques the company used to display Van Gogh's artwork in a new immersive exhibit that was literally larger than life!

We were surprised to learn that Van Gogh lived to 37 years old, especially as someone who is older than 37, it was very interesting to learn of the life he lived and the experiences he had to give him the inspiration for the artwork he created. Previously, while in high school and college, I remember learning about the type of art he and other artists created, and the different styles they used but I hadn't thought of the experiences they had that would influence their art. It was also interesting to go through it as a parent and to see my children experience the exhibit as well and to see them enjoy it.

There was classical music playing throughout our time in the gallery and we were able to sit on the floor and take in the entire immersive exhibit at our own pace. We saw kids also run around and be kids and everyone seemed to take in the experience on their own time at their own pace. It seemed that everyone was respectful of everyone else and there were lots of people taking photos and videos throughout their time as well.

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

Looking for fun snacks? Folio cheese wraps, Old Amsterdam Gouda, Walden Farms Dressing and Mighty Sesame Tahini

Are you looking for fun snacks? We had the chance to try some Folio cheese wraps, Old Amsterdam Gouda, Walden Farms Dressing and Mighty Sesame Tahini. 

Folios™ Cheese Wraps offer a low-carb, gluten-free, and keto-friendly option for your meals and snacks. These are the first cheese wraps introduced to the market with only 1g of carbs per serving! We tried the Jarlsburg swiss cheese wraps and the cheddar and parmesan wraps and they were all delicious! The ones we liked the most were when we microwaved them for around 90 seconds and they got crispy - sooooo delicious!

Old Amsterdam Gouda was a delicious cheese and we truly enjoyed it! Old Amsterdam Aged Gouda is aged for a minimum of 8 months and has a perfect balance between sweet and savory. 

Looking to dress things up with your salads or wraps? Walden Farms Salad Dressings have no (zero!) calories, net carbs, fat, sugars, dairy, etc, and add the most delicious flavor to everything! We loved adding it to our salads and the cheese wraps. It was also great as a dipping sauce too!

I have always wanted to make baba ghanouj (a middle-eastern eggplant dip) and found it REALLY easy by mixing roasted eggplant with Mighty Sesame Tahini which comes in an easy-to-use squeezable bottle so just a few teaspoons added to roasted eggplant makes the best baba ghanouj! I added some Absolutely Gluten Free crackers we received to do a quick taste test and it all got rave reviews!

NOTE: We were provided with samples of these products to facilitate this review. No other compmensation was provided and all opinions, as always, are our own.

Fun times with Blue Man Group, Disney on Ice for February Break

This February break, we had the opportunity to check out Blue Man Group at the Charles Playhouse and Disney on Ice at the TD Garden. 

BLUE MAN GROUP

We were excited to see Blue Man Group come back to performing since the start of the pandemic.

The check-in process at the Charles Playhouse was seamless and we were comforted knowing that they were still checking vaccination records as well as requiring that people wore masks during the performance. There was a great area by the bathrooms where kids could play with the same pipes that the Blue Men were making music with.

While the Blue Men were celebrating 25 years in Boston, the last time I went to a show was easily 20 years ago. It was just how I remembered - a lot of fun beats and music along with zany antics and the best part? The Blue Men are able to communicate without saying a word! It is so great! They also had some fun videos that would be shown where you could see the crazy stuff that goes on inside your brain (the hellawack shiznit) and they also showed if one of the blue men swallowed a camera. 

One of the most amazing parts was when one of the Blue Men caught marshmallows in his mouth - we counted and out of the 31 marshmallows thrown, he ate all of them and kept them all in his mouth, except for TWO, which he then carefully spit out of his mouth in a mountain of marshmallow which he then put a $5,000 price tag on it as a piece of art. Ha!

The kids absolutely loved it and my little guy was laughing most of the time from the silly actions and the fun music. We didn't take any pictures inside the show because they had asked us not to, but we did take pictures before and after. I felt bad for the cleaning crew since there was a lot of paper to clean up but then again, I realize this is a really clear explanation of why you pay facility fees for these types of shows!

DISNEY ON ICE

We had the opportunity to see Disney on Ice at the TD Garden in Boston. There were a lot more people there than I had expected but the show was equally as good as the one during the holiday break, with different characters and a different story line.

It had a bunch of songs from classics as well as some of the newer shows and we enjoyed them all! It was neat to see the great costumes as well as the special effects for some of the numbers.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time and strongly recommend it for a fun thing to do during break!

NOTE: We were provided with complimentary tickets to attend these shows. All opinions are our own.

The New England Boat Show is BACK and we have your chance to win 4 tickets! #partner @neboatshow

The New England Boat Show is BACK with the most comprehensive selection of boat brands and types in New England, from center consoles and family cruisers to pontoons and wake sports boats. The New England Boat Show is the perfect opportunity to browse, compare and place orders for your first or next boat.

• Gear up for #boating season with sales on the newest boating accessories, marine electronics, and on-the-water must-haves.
• Kids can splash around a mini lake in a paddleboat or build their own toy boat!

• Free #Boating101 education for new boaters at Fred's Shed How-To Center, featuring a variety of daily seminars and demos covering everything from getting started, to service and maintenance, to updating and operating.

• NEW: New England Boat Show Keeping Our Waters Clean: #Conservation Village features the first annual "New England Says No to Plastic Clean Water Contest" featuring local elementary and middle schoolers' projects showing how reducing plastic will help protect our water resources. Conservation Village will also display the latest in electric boat #innovations; a mini beach clean-up station from The Clean Earth Project, and more!

SHOW DATES/HOURS:

Wednesday 2/16: 12-8 pm

Thursday 2/17: 12-8 pm

Friday 2/18: 12-8 pm Saturday 2/19: 10 am - 8 pm

Sunday 2/20: 10 am - 6 pm

COST: $18.00 adults purchased online; $20.00 at door. Kids 12 and under are free.
WEBSITE: www.neboatshow.com (TIP: use the website to peruse and plan ahead!)
LOCATION: Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, 415 Summer St., Boston, MA, 02210 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOTE: We were provided with tickets to attend as well as giveaway. This text was provided by the New England Boat Show. No other compensation was provided.

Monster Jam was SO MUCH FUN - we got to go right next to the TRUCKS!

This weekend we had the chance to go check out Monster Jam at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence. It was so fun! You have the option to add on to your ticket and go to the Pit Party which is totally worth it if you want to get up close to the trucks and have the chance to meet the drivers!

The fun thing about it being at the Dunkin Donuts Center in an enclosed arena is that you actually got to go on the floor and step on the same dirt that the trucks will ride on. The Motocross bikers were also there to talk with fans and answer any questions. It was relieving to see that folks were masked (as required by the venue) and there were activities for the kids. On the way to the seats after the Pit Party we walked past the truck part graveyard - that was fun to see and amazing to see how much dirt dust was all over everything. I can't imagine the cleanup that must go on!

We brought protective earphones since we knew it was going to be a loud time and sure enough it measured over 100 decibels on my phone with an app. The kids had an absolute blast and enjoyed seeing trucks where the tires were bigger than them! We can't wait for Monster Jam to come back to the area - hopefully at Gillette Stadium next!

NOTE: We were provided with tickets to the event in exchange for this post. No other compensation was provided and all opinions, as always, are our own.