product reviews

Dec

2017

Jord Watch: A Review.

**Disclaimer: I received this product for free from Jord watches in exchange for 
social media and blog posts. All opinions, however, are mine and uninfluenced.**

My father in law got married last fall and I was lucky enough to be part of the wedding party. I had a dress, shoes, earrings, necklace, rings, and a beautiful shawl. I even had a watch. Except, my watch was actually my Fitbit, and while it matched the colour it didn’t really suit the occasion.

That was when I came to the conclusion that I needed to get a “dress” watch for just such an occasion. That is when Jord came into the picture. I had been eying them up for a while, their unmistakable beauty at a more than reasonable price point made them a perfect addition to my jewellery box.

Their options are seemingly endless and each just as or more beautiful than the last, and so the hardest part was probably trying to decide on which one to get. I ended up with the gorgeous Zebrawood Emerald square face watch from their Reese collection.

Let’s just take a moment and talk about the box this came in. This is an intricately built wooden box that is something to be appreciated. Complete with a bottom pull out drawer to store your polishing cloth. But we’re not here to talk about the box.

The watch is… wow.

THE FACE

The square face is emerald coloured and is a classic, is stylish, and the fold numbering is easy to read. There is a slight texture on the face which can be distracting. I frequently thought it was a plastic protective layer I forgot to pull off. Overall, I believe it is just something I needed to get used to.

THE BAND

The band is flawlessly put together in a lightweight manner, not at all heavy. Knowing it was made of wood, this was my fear. The zebra wood is unique, making each an every piece different and therefore no two-time pieces are the same. The links are a larger than average, making the band a little looser than I would prefer but a size smaller would be too tight I believe.

THE CLASP

The clasp was a huge seller to me. Due to the fact that I am extremely uncoordinated, I can’t manage most clasps. This one, however, was simple and I was able to do it one-handed. It is a double fold so it is secure, but still easy to do.

This is a conversation piece. When we went to my husbands Christmas party I had at least a half-dozen people ask about my watch. All of them with admiration. Perfect for dressing up for a night out, or even for dressing down on a night in. You could wear this any day of the week, and have it blend with any attire.

Check out the Men’s line, the Women’s Line, or take a closer look at my watch, get 25% off your order; and make sure to let me know your favourite in the comments down below.

Wooden Wrist Watch

Aug

2016

The breeza: a review.

When I first heard about the Baby Breeza Formula Pro we had just taken Hunter off of formula, but I was certainly intrigued. I loved the concept. Bottles at the touch of a button, mixed and to temperature. It sounded almost too good to be true, but alas, I had no reason for it anymore. When I got pregnant with H.D. I thought of it almost immediately. I began researching it, and the reviews I found were mixed, but positive seemed to outweigh the negative. I wanted to try it for myself but the price of $199.99 it was far out of my price range. Then a wonderful friend of mine bought it for me as a gift.

About a week before H.D. was born I set it up. First I read the directions cover to cover, they were well written and easy to follow. Then I sterilized all the pieces that would be exposed to water or formula, and I left them to dry overnight. I filled up the water canister and ran a full container through it to ensure all the inside pieces were clean as well. Nothing happened. That is when the first swear came in. Turns out the directions only help when you read them, and I didn’t give them to Blayne before asking him to put the formula dispenser together. They have to be in the exact right order or it doesn’t work. Once that was fixed it worked perfectly and I was immediately impressed with how quickly it made a 10 oz bottle. It took seconds compared to the minutes it would take to do the same by hand.

When filling up the formula holder I discovered that it held a full container of formula. This was great news, as I now knew that I wouldn’t have half full containers of formula on my counter. From the minute we mixed our first bottles, even Blayne was impressed, and he was my hardest sell, he wasn’t comfortable with losing “control” over how the formula was mixed.

My biggest complaint is the size of the water canister. At 50ml even when making bottles for a newborn it empties quickly. When bottle size increases I know it will have to be refilled often.

My biggest rave would be how quickly it makes bottles. While we are only using it for 2/4 oz bottles at this point the time it takes to make bottles is even less than it would take to even warm up a bottle our old way.

Notes

The mixing of the formula to the water causes it to be dispensed in a ‘swirl’ motion, so if the holder isn’t high enough it doesn’t all make it into the bottle.
There is no alarm if something isn’t right. If the water canister isn’t right you get a bottle of straight powder.
The bottle holder has to be moved up or down to accommodate the size of the bottle needed. Unless the bottle holder is firmly locked into place you risk losing the whole bottle onto the counter. Something we learned after losing 2 bottles worth of formula.
Powder formula is sticky, so it needs to be cleaned daily. This only takes about 15 seconds but it does need to be done.

Wish List

Lower price – at $199.99 it is a very big purchase for a lot of families, especially when there are already so many other large purchases to make at this time, and this one is a luxury, not a necessity.
Small water canister – My coffee pot has a bigger water canister, this already needs to be filled up daily and we are only making 2 and 4 oz bottles.
An alarm – or even a light to tell you if something isn’t proper before you get a bottle full of nothing.
Glowing Buttons – Specifically the mix button, it would make those middle of the night feedings slightly easier.

Love it

Directions – The directions are wonderfully laid out and easy to follow, so even in a sleep deprived state you’re able to follow them,
Fast – less than 30 seconds and you can have a 10 oz bottle warm and ready to drink. When you have a screaming baby at 3 am there is nothing better than quick.
Formula – Holds a full container, of my brand anyways, so no half full containers on the counter deceiving you about how much you have in reserve. Something you don’t want to find out you’re out of in the middle of the night.

Swear Factor

2/10 – This is mostly due to my inability to read, or pass directions. Still, even at that, I would say that this is a fantastically low rating.

When we first were talking about the Breeza, Blayne was against it. Making bottles isn’t necessarily a hard or time-consuming task but by day one he was sold. He can not speak highly enough of the Breeza and brags about it at every opportunity. I have to agree, the pros far outweigh the cons , and if it wasn’t for the price is would be our go-to baby gift.

Opinions expressed here are solely mine and/or my husbands. In no way have I been approached by this company to endorse their product, and I have written this review at my own discretion.

Jun

2016

The pregnant cold.

Sometime in the middle of the night I seemed to have developed a cold. This is the second cold I have gotten this pregnancy. All and all it could be worse, but a pregnant cold seems sooo much worse that a regular cold. At least while you’re experiencing it. Now I will be the first to admit that I am a giant tit when I’m sick, and while pregnant.. and almost all the time…. Where was I? Ah yes, these are my top items to get me through a cold. all of them are currently within reach.

Puffs Plus Lotion with the Scent of Vicks – I don’t know who invented these but I hope they got a raise. Lotion is a must in a facial tissue but when you’re sick the last thing you need is to be rubbing the equivalent of sandpaper on your nose. Add in the light scent of Vicks and this tissue opens up your airways and allows you to BREATHE. Even if it’s only for a moment.
Orange Juice – I always increase my vitamin C intake when I’m sick. Maybe it helps, maybe it doesn’t. Either way it tastes good, and it’s not bad for you so why not. I’m partial to Tropicana Lots of Pulp, but really as long as it says NOT FROM CONCENTRATE somewhere on the bottle I’m probably okay.
Vitamins – Okay so I’m pregnant so I’m already on a plethora of vitamins, but pregnant or not I always take a few extra when I start to feel a cold coming on. My doctor suggests vitamin C and zinc. Once again, who knows if it helps but it certainly can’t hurt.
Eucalyptus wax melts – This one definitely helps. As soon as nasal congestion hits this goes in my wax-warmers. I started using it when Hunter was younger and was so plugged up he wasn’t sleeping. I recently tried a Eucalyptus Mint tart which is fantastic, but my usual is the Just Breathe Scentcy Bar.
Sprite – I’ll admit this one is odd, but when I get sick I get phlegmy. The best thing I have ever found to cut its way through that is carbonated beverages, and Sprite, in my opinion works the very best.
Ginger-Ale – This generally is only when I have the stomach flu, but during this pregnancy my morning sickness has never really gone away so I have leaned on this a lot more that I would usually. I usually hate ginger-ale but I found if I steep a little fruit tea in it and it’s divine. My favorite is Canada Dry and Jenna Cherry Jubilee but I’m sure any combination is fantastic.
Blistex – It has to be the Original Lip Medex. This is my also my go to day-to-day lip medication but when I am sick I cannot be without it. I obviously use it on my lips but I also use it on my nose. It does wonders in healing the sore nose you get from continuously blowing it. Plus its cooling … flavor? Scent? .. whatever it’s called it helps your chafed nose with out the burning lotion gives you.

Those are my go to remedies, at least when I am pregnant. What are your tried and true home remedies? Share them in the comments!

In the interest of full disclosure I will tell you that I am a rep for both Steeped Tea as well as Jewelry in Candles, however, these and all other items here are just my personal favorites. In no way have I been approached by these companies. In addition to this, I am in no way a doctor and these opinions are not medically endorsed at all. Always consult your doctor or health care professional

THE FACE

THE BAND

THE CLASP

**Opinions expressed here are solely mine and/or my husbands. In no way have I been approached by this company to endorse their product, and I have written this review at my own discretion.**

Opinions expressed here are solely mine and/or my husbands. In no way have I been approached by this company to endorse their product, and I have written this review at my own discretion.