Category: Gear

My daughter was Ariel for Halloween, so we ended up buying her this wig to finish off her costume. I don’t think it’s a Halloween-only type of purchase. It isn’t very overpriced, and my daughter, like lots of little girls, really enjoys playing dress-up with her old Halloween costumes as well as other types of costumes she’s picked up over the past couple of years.

Dressing up as all the different princesses goes on all year long.

If your daughter wants to be Ariel any time of the year, this isn’t a bad choice for a wig. It’s definitely not without its flaws, but it’s less expensive than some other options. You can see the netting, for example, through the hair in some spots.

The bangs don’t stay perfectly swooped like Ariel’s. I found myself readjusting that bunch of hair as my daughter walked around on Halloween (it doesn’t matter so much if she’s just dressing up and playing around, though). It stays on her head better than some other wigs she’s had, and one good thing about the thinner hair is that it doesn’t make her sweaty and miserable.

I think some people are picky about the color, but I don’t mind the nearly neon red. I think it’s the perfect “cartoon red” and perfectly appropriate for a kid’s Ariel costume. It could work for other characters, like Strawberry Shortcake, too, in a pinch.

It’s not the highest quality wig in the world, but it gets the job done. I recommend watching the price for a while and snagging one while it’s pretty low. I think we got it for around $11, but as I’m writing this, it’s about $18. Amazon prices fluctuate quite a bit.

Photo credit: Amazon

I have a bad habit of taking tons and tons of photos and then never doing anything with them. I upload them to my computer on occasion or share them on Facebook or Instagram, but I’m terrible about actually printing out hard copies.

The Free Prints app for iPhone makes the prospect of doing that a little more appealing. The app itself is free, and you can print up to 85 4×6 pictures per month or 1000 per year for free (you pay for shipping). If you want copies of one photo or a different size, you have to pay a little extra, but free 4×6 photos? Yes, please!

I was given a coupon code that covered 20 photos and shipping. The photos I sent from my photo roll came out as clear as expected, on par with other photo printing stores and services I’ve used before. The shipping was very fast. I think they said it could take up to 13 days, but mine shipped within a day or so, and I had them within a week.

If you send more than 20 photos at a time to be printed, you may face a little bit more of a wait time. I wasn’t charged for shipping, but it’s $1.99 to $9.99.

Is it worth it? Well, it depends on what the shipping costs are for you when you use this app, as well as your proximity to say, a Walgreens, where you can send your pictures from your photo roll to the store, have them printed, and then save on shipping costs by going to pick them up yourself.

As far as I know, you can’t send Instagram, Facebook, Dropbox, or Picasa photos anywhere the same way you can send them from your photo roll, but Free Prints allows you to send those, too.

You’ll need iOS 6.0 or higher and live in the United States to use the app. It’s optimized for iPhone 5 and will work on iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touch.

I highly recommend giving this a try.

Photo credit: iTunes

The Pocksie Temporary Sticky Pockets seem like the perfect solution when you don’t want to carry a big bag (or an extra one) and don’t have enough pockets on your outfit.

When I had to carry around a diaper bag, I hated carrying my purse, too. I didn’t want to toss my wallet and everything else into the diaper bag, either. Something like this would have made it easy to keep my debit card, ID, and a key handy.

They won’t hold much since they’re only 4.1” by 3.35”, but sometimes you don’t need a lot when you’re on the go. The only real problem seems to be that they are only good for one use (you can’t leave them attached and wash the clothing they’re attached to), so if you like to use them very often it could get expensive. Six of them cost $9.95.

They’re also all beige, so they may not look so great when worn on the outside. Inside a jacket or on a pair of pants, hidden under a long shirt, are probably the best bet in most cases. You can also use them to add a convenient pocket inside of a bag or boot.

You can use these to go for a run or stick one inside a reusable grocery bag. They’re also good when you know you’ll be juggling a lot of other items (or a kid) but at least need your ID, debit card, and key. I think it’d be nice to see these in different designs that look cute on the outside of clothing, too.

Photo credit: Fashion First Aid

I really like the idea of getting a discounted outfit per week, and I’m a sucker for workout clothes. I especially love it when there’s no surprise involved and I get to have a say in what I get. A serious say, not just something someone else picks out for me based on my stated preferences in their database (though that can be fun, too).

I gave Fabletics a try because they let you get your first outfit for $25. You get to pick it out. After that, it’s $49.95 plus free shipping every month. And again, you get to go and choose your outfit (some cost a little more than that, especially if they come with a third piece, like a jacket or scarf).

You go in, choose what you want, and place your order. If you don’t want to buy anything that month, you can skip that month online (no need to call) as long as you let them know before the 10^th of the month. If you don’t order anything or tell them you want to skip, your card will be charged and you’ll be able to spend it when you’re ready.

The quality of the workout clothes rivals anything I’ve purchased from Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, Marshall’s, Victoria’s Secret, or Old Navy. I received my outfit within 10 days. I really have no complaints. I loved the clothes, I love that you have choices, and I love that they make it easy to skip.

I’ll get nit-picky and say these negative things, just so you get a balanced view:

• I wish their clothing was a little more exciting. These are basics. They have pretty colors in some styles, but overall, there’s nothing that will make you stand out.
• They could use more long leggings in the place of some of the capris, especially paired with long-sleeved tops.
• You do need to read the reviews to see how the pieces have fit other customers. I went by the size chart and probably would have gone up a size had I read the reviews first (and if that size had been available, which it wasn’t, so I couldn’t exchange it). You’re able to add a whole outfit to your cart at one time, but to see any reviews, you have to click on the individual pieces and look for them there. That’s why I didn’t know there were even reviews on the site at first.
• It took me a few days to get a response when I emailed them. I expected a quicker response, but when they did get back to me they were polite and friendly.
• At first glance, it looks like you can cancel your account online, but you do have to call them. That’s an inconvenience.

From my experience, I recommend this company. I haven’t been disappointed. These are good quality, inexpensive clothes that quickly make it to your door. They seem to switch up the styles every month, too, so that keeps things fresh.

Photo credit: Fabletics

Getting his shoes to stay tied has been a huge problem for my son. It took him quite some to master the basic idea of tying a knot, but he still can’t get his shoes tied tight enough so they’re not constantly coming undone. Double knotting just gets the laces hopelessly tangled for him.

So, when I happened to stumble across Foot Galaxy laces, I thought they might be worth it if they saved us the aggravation of having to constantly retie his shoes throughout the day.

The Foot Galaxy laces are elastic springs that help keep your child’s shoes on without needing to stop to tie them. The Foot Galaxy laces look really small at first, but they are amazingly stretchy. When you’re threading the laces through the shoes, however, you have to be sure your child is wearing them at the time. Otherwise, they will probably be too tight to get on and off easily.

The Foot Galaxy laces come in many different colors, all the way from basic black to neon orange or a fun rainbow print.

Even though Foot Galaxy laces may seem like a product for children, they’re also stretchy enough to work for older people with mobility issues that make it difficult to bend to tie their shoes or to thread the laces properly.

I’m thinking of purchasing a pair of Foot Galaxy laces for myself so I will have a pair of sneakers that I can easily slip on when I need to step outside to take out the trash or pick up a package from the FedEx man.

You can purchase Foot Galaxy laces on Amazon for $2.49, but you might also be able to find them at a shoe store near you. I purchased mine locally to avoid high shipping costs.

Photo credit: Amazon

Having a dedicated desk for your child to use for doing his homework can be a great way to encourage good study habits. But, not all children have space for a desk in their bedrooms.

If you need a stylish looking desk for your child to use in your family room, check out this attractive espresso finished desk and hutch from KidKraft. The hutch features a cork bulletin board that is perfect for hanging up pictures, papers, drawings, and other important keepsakes. There is a center drawer and wide top shelf to provide convenient storage space. The chair fits easily under the desk.

The desk is 43.5 inches tall, 19 inches wide, and 31.25 inches long. It comes with a 90 day replacement part warranty.

You can purchase the KidKraft pinboard desk with hutch and chair on Amazon for for $171.01. Reviewers give the product a 4 1/2 star rating, saying it is attractive, sturdy, and fairly easy to assemble. However, a few reviewers said that they disagreed with the recommendation that it is for children ages 3 to 8. There was concern that the desk is too big for younger children to sit in comfortably and would be better for kids ages 5 and up.

My son is on the upper end of the age range for this product and already tall for his age, so it wouldn’t be worth the money for me to buy a child sized desk at this point. But, if he was a few years younger, I think this would have been a lovely addition to our home decor. I also like that it coordinates well with the other KidKraft furniture pieces sold on Amazon.

Photo credit: Amazon

Ordinary coffee tables are kind of boring, but this table from Piazza Pisano is sure to liven up your living room. It features game boards on the top so you can easily enjoy a classic board game with your spouse or your children.

The table is made in the USA and features a design by American artist Al Pisano. If you choose the Peace Table design with words around the edges, the table comes with parts for checkers and Chinese checkers. There is also a plain version of the table that comes with parts for playing checkers and backgammon. You could easily pick up chess pieces to use with either table, if desired.

Regardless of what design you choose, the table tops are covered with epoxy for maximum durability. There’s a shelf under the table top for extra storage of other board games, blankets, or whatever else you need for family game night.

Minimal assembly of your table is required. The finished table measures 40 inches x 20 inches x 19 inches.

Visit the Piazza Pisano website to order your table for $199.

We got rid of our coffee table when my son was a toddler because it seemed like a safety hazard to have him constantly tripping over it. Now that he’s older, I’d love to get this table for our living room. I think having game boards readily accessible would encourage us to make family game night a regular tradition.

What do you think of this idea? Would you like a game table for your living room?

Photo credit: Piazza Pisano

My dog has so many allergy issues. We have to be very careful about the food and treats we give him, and if my daughter happens to drop some dry cereal on the floor and he gobbles it up, his skin starts to itch and he starts to smell horrible.

We usually stick to the Blue Buffalo brand for almost everything because he’s never had a bad reaction to anything from the line. However, we found another treat alternative that’s working just as well. It’s the Newman’s Own Organics Medium Size Heart Shape Dog Treats. We got the turkey and sweet potato flavor, though I doubt the ingredients vary much from flavor to flavor.

Others include:

• Chicken
• Salmon & Sweet Potato
• Peanut Butter

The ingredients list for the flavor we got includes: organic barley flour, organic ground turkey, organic sweet potatoes, organic carrots, organic apples, chicken fat, rolled oats, and rosemary extract.

Every now and then, we’ll hear that there’s been an issue with dog treats from China. These treats don’t come from China and neither do any of their ingredients. That’s not to say that the company will never have any issues with their products, but it makes me feel better to give him these over some of the alternatives out there.

Another thing I like about these treats is that they’re small (they’re meant for medium breeds). My dog is a large boxer/bulldog mix, but these are still big enough for him to enjoy. He has a tendency to put on weight easily, so we typically do choose the smaller treats. These even break in half easily, so if you want to give an even smaller treat for weight control or to avoid burning through the bag quickly, that also helps.

These bags are 13 oz. and cost about $5.99.

Photo credit: Chewy

If you’re in the mood to redecorate your child’s room, BirdAve offers a number of affordable modern art prints. My personal favorite print from their children’s collection is the “You Can Be Anything You Want to Be” print featured in this post, which comes in pastel or primary color options.

Another one of BirdAve’s popular offerings is a customizable city skyline print. Parents can choose a background color, then add desired text such as the child’s name, date, and place of birth to the design.

There are skylines available for quite a few cities throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada, so this would be a neat personalized gift if your child’s birthplace is available. Visit the BirdAve website to search for available cities.

Print prices start at just $20 for an 8.5” x 11” print designed with an 8” x 10” image area. The frame is not included in the sale of the print. However, the 8.5” x 11” print is designed to fit in the 8” x 10” IKEA Ribba Frame, which includes frame, glass, and mat for $9.99. It will also work with other 8” x 10” frames, as long as the frame window is 8” x 10” and the mat is larger.

BirdAve prints are digital reproductions of original illustrations that have been printed on high quality matte paper with archival quality pigments tested to last up to 200 years. Orders are shipped via USPS within one or two business days of your cleared payment.

Photo credit: BirdAve