Fitbit Flex Review & Giveaway {Canada Only}

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I recently took part in the #RFitChallenge from Rogers and it required me to try out the Fitbit Flex for a period of a couple weeks to see if it would help with my new found love for not being overweight and tired.

Right off the bat I liked the design of the Fitbit Flex because it was a small black wristband that, after wearing it for a couple hours, you forgot you even had on. My goal was to make it to 10,000 steps a day and because the tracker syncs automatically with my smartphone and computer, I would get updates through the day that helped motivate to get moving a little bit more. I especially liked the badges for attaining certain goals because I am a big fan of shiny things and awards.

My favourite feature about the Fitbit Flex was definitely the sleep tracker. With just a couple taps on the tracker, you set the Flex into sleep mode and it tracks how restless you are in your sleep. In my case, I found that I was only having a good sleep about 1 every 5 nights, which obviously isn’t good. I have since been taking steps to try to create a more peaceful bed time by cutting out TV and snacks right before bed. It even has a silent alarm to help wake you up.

I also appreciated that the Flex was water resistant, so I could wear it in the shower. It sounds trivial but if I had to take that thing off every morning, I guarantee I would leave it on the counter half the time. I also loved all of the options on my personal Fitbit web page. From food intake to weight and heart rate monitoring, they have thought of almost everything here. Combined with my weight watchers program, I am going to be unstoppable!

There were a couple things that could use some work with the Flex. I found the clasp tough to latch on and the battery died a little quicker than I would have liked (every 3-4 days). I also noticed that while on the elliptical machine, it was having a hard time tracking steps but overall I loved the Fitbit Flex and definitely recommend it for beginner and advanced fitness buffs.

FITBIT FLEX GIVEAWAY!

What? You want one of these? Okay, you got it! To enter to win a Fitbit Flex of your very own, all you have to do is leave a comment here telling me one thing you would like to change about yourself in order to live a healthier lifestyle.

Contest is open to residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, and will close at noon on October 13th. Good Luck!

Congratulations to the winner of the Fitbit Flex, Andrea B!

Disclosure: I received the Fitbit Flex from Rogers to facilitate this review. I wouldn’t be giving one away to you guys if I thought it was no good, so it has my official stamp of approval!

And This One Time, At Coupon Camp…

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I have a confession to make. There was a time, back when we only had one child, where I may have been one of those crazy coupon binder people that you see on the show Extreme Couponing. Now, I don’t want to say that I am not proud of this fact, because let’s face it, there’s nothing wrong with trying to save a few dollars for your family. The problem is in the way I was running this elaborate couponing scheme.

I would visit all my favourite coupon sites, like Save.Ca, print out every coupon they had available, even if I didn’t need them, and then store them in my little black book until they expired. Sure, I used the good ones but I was wasting way more than I used and, in the end, my incompetence became way too much work to manage. Fast forward to today and I feel like I have come a long way from those days of sandwiching coupons for allergy medication (we have no allergies) with a coupon for $1.50 off a Lady Bic disposable razor.

These days I do almost all of my online deal searching at Save.Ca because they have a virtual one stop shop for everything from coupons to flyers and other great deals. They even let you create an online shopping list by clicking on items from the various flyers. Just because I didn’t make it a binder carrying couponer, doesn’t mean I can’t still save money on the things my family actually NEED. In fact, as I was typing this post, I popped in to see what was new and found these two amazing deals immediately:

Michaels CouponIndigo Books
 

If you are still reading this, I have to ask you why you haven’t already left to check out everything that Save.Ca has to offer?? Okay, okay, before you go I will leave you with the best advice I can give for new couponing families: Only collect and grab the coupons/deals you need! If you only use one type of laundry detergent, don’t print coupons for three different brands. Yes, they are shiny and remind you of money, but you will end up throwing them out and those detergents will never know what it’s like to feel the love of a shopper who is getting a deal.

I think I’ve rambled on enough, don’t you? Look a little bit lower, watch the video about how awesome Save.Ca is and then thank me after you’ve saved 40% on that new glue gun from Michaels, that you have absolutely no use for.

Disclosure: I received compensation for my work with Save.Ca. That said, I couldn’t have made this up if I tried and the whole thing is 100% true.

Our African Lion Safari Adventure!

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We recently went on our first family vacation of the year and part of that trip included a visit to African Lion Safari in Cambridge. While I’m sure I had been there as a child, I was excited to share the adventure with my own family and the experience did not disappoint.

We started the day off with the Safari Tour Bus ride through the game reserves. I had thought about driving my own car through the reserve but the 6 and a half hour driver there, combined with the thought of monkeys climbing all over my car made the decision an easy one. I got a little worried about 5 minutes into our visit when my son turned to me and said, “I don’t like animals”, but he changed his mind once the zebras came into view. Overall, I really enjoyed the tour bus ride and especially enjoyed this unimpressed looking giraffe.

Lion Safari Giraffe

Our next stops were a cruise aboard the “African Queen”, which was very cool, and my favourite part of the day, the Elephant Swim. It was amazing to watch the elephants marching down to the water, trunks holding the tails in front of them. Their playfulness in the water was very cool to see and they got so close that I was glad we scored front row seats.

Lion Safari Elephant Swim

After the swim, we hit the cafeteria for some lunch and then we were off to the splash pad! This was easily the kids’ favourite part of the day and who could blame them? The splash pad was fully equipped for children of all ages, with water slides, play structures and water towers. The only thing I would have suggested would be changing rooms for the guys as opposed to the one big open room, but it certainly did not detract from our time there.

Lion Safari Splash Pad

We finished off the day with a ride on the “Nature Boy” scenic railway, which capped off a great day for the whole family. After a quick pit stop in the gift shop and trying to explain to my kids the difference between $70 and $7, we were out the gates and on our way back to the hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at African Lion Safari and will definitely be back again.

PercyVites – Invites That Delight And Excite!

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My kids think the internet is hilarious. From Gangnam Style to obscure Super Mario videos, it has just about everything they could ask for. The one thing they love more than anything else, however, is to see themselves in videos. That’s why I was stoked to take PercyVites for a test drive.

PercyVites is a cool new website that allows you to send out video invitations, thank you’s and also lets you create photo compilations of memorable occasions. The best part about it, is that you get to be a part of the action, by uploading your photos to be included in the videos with your child’s favourite character. Parents can also manage all the part details by tracking RSVP’s, communicating with the attendees and map your party for the guests. Check out this short video that explains what PercyVites are all about!

I made a video compilation of my daughter’s Rapunzel birthday party and love how it turned out! More importantly, she has now watched it about 3,000 times and keeps asking for more. In case you are looking for return on investment, the smile on her face is enough for me to know it is worth my while.

Percy Vites Julia Party

Here are a few more details about PercyVites:

* Your child’s photo can be embedded directly into a video with their favourite character. And new characters are being added all the time and will appeal to a broad range of ages and stages.
* Prices range from $0.69-$2.99 each depending on the individual character and product.
* Invitations can be used for any type of event.
* Thank yous can be used for any type of messaging, and they provide a fun and teachable moment about thanking people too.
* Photo compilations can be used for birthdays or as a fun way to share your family photos with friends and relatives, near or far!

That’s all for today! I give PercyVites two thumbs up and hope you’ll consider them for your next birthday party or children’s event! You can catch up with PercyVites on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as well!

Disclosure: I was compensated in exchange for my honest opinion about PercyVites. Everything I wrote is 100% accurate and truthful.

My Big Music Fest Experience; Or, Celebrities Rubbing My Belly

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Big Music Fest

There was a point at Big Music Fest this past weekend, where I was trekking through the pouring rain, quite literally soaked to the bone, and all I could think about was how awesome it was that Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers were on stage, performing One Headlight. In fact, that’s kind of a metaphor for the whole day. It didn’t matter what curve balls could possibly be thrown our way, because music always wins.

I was invited to attend Big Music Fest, in order to be one of their featured bloggers. At first, I thought it was a joke, because I would have gladly paid for the opportunity to see some of my favourites acts, such as the Counting Crows, the Wallflowers and Hedley. I giddily accepted the offer, sent the kids to Nana and Papa’s house and scooped my wife up for a, much needed, weekend getaway.

I really wanted to provide an unbiased review of the festival, but other than the rain, which they had no control over, I couldn’t really find any flaws. I guess if I had to pick a negative thing, the walk from the parking lot was kind of far, but I could definitely use the exercise. Otherwise, the bands were all amazing, I had an unbelievably good ‘steak on a bun’, and, I got to hang out with some of my favourite online personalities, like Trina from Life’s a Blog, Christella from Crawl the Line, Candace and Eric Alper, and their always inpiring 10 year old daughter, Hannah, from CallMeHannah.Ca.

The Big Music Fest Blog Crew

The Big Music Fest Blog Crew

To save you the time of reading a million more paragraphs, I have decided to bullet form my highlights from the festival and will shoot some pictures down below as well.

* Seeing The Wallflowers live for the first time was a cool experience for me. One Headlight is one of the first songs I ever covered, so they have a place close to my heart.

* Being allowed in the photo pit for the first two songs of the Counting Crows set was an experience that I will never be able to put into proper words. To be within an arms reach of Adam Duritz during “Round Here” is something I will never forget.

* Mr. Jones. That is all.

* We had the opportunity to meet Hedley backstage and to say it was awkward would be an understatement. Imagine 20 teenage girls and one 34 year old dude waiting patiently for their arrival. Luckily for me, the guys had a sense of humour about it and we ended up taking a funny picture.

* While waiting backstage, the guys from Bleeker Ridge stopped by to sign autographs and take some photos. They were really cool guys and you could tell that they appreciate every single one of their fans, which is so important.

* Teenage girls crying everywhere. I’m pretty sure that I was the only one who didn’t cry after meeting Jacob and the Hedley crew. That includes my wife, who I have never seen so flustered in my entire life. Very adorable.

* Being in the photo pit for Hedley wasn’t as defining of a moment for me as the Counting Crows, but it was still incredibly amazing.

* My favourite part of the Hedley show was when Jacob mentioned that some band members had birthdays coming up and gave the fans 30 seconds to throw as much stuff as they wanted on to the stage. It was hilarious to see them dodging everything from pennies and sunglasses to chicken fingers and underwear.

Jacob Hoggard HedleyJakob Dylan Wallflowers
 

I have to say thank you and give a huge kudos to everyone who made Big Music Fest the outstanding event that it was. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen a collection of music that incredible, and all in one day. Whether it’s as a blogger or a spectator, we will definitely be back to Big Music Fest next year! Rock on!

Jacob Still Hasn't Paid For The Lucky Belly Rub!

Jacob Still Hasn’t Paid For The Lucky Belly Rub!

Putting Sailun Tires To The Ultimate Test

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PTPA Sailun Tires Event

I recently had the opportunity to participate as a PTPA Ambassador for Sailun Tires. Part of that program was the chance to test out the tires at an event on a closed track at the Powerade Centre in Brampton. Not being a tire expert, I was skeptical about whether or not I would be able to tell the difference between the Sailun’s and the competing tires, but I surprised even myself.

The day started with a presentation from the Sailun team, where they explained that their goal is to provide a product for families that combines Safety and Performance for an amazing Value to them. As someone who is very interested in keeping his family safe, especially on the road, I was impressed to hear the lengths Sailun Tires were going to, to ensure that safety.

Next we were off to the closed course, with our race car drivers, Travis and Matt. There were two cars with Sailun Tires and two with competitor tires and we weren’t told which was which before we took our test drives. After each round, we would fill out a survey about how we felt the tires handled. In my opinion, there was a massive difference in the two different tire sets, and as I found out at the end, I chose the Sailun tires as the better of the two after each of my 4 runs. After finding this out, I was impressed at how well the Sailun’s handled the course, while making very little noise on the hard turns around the pylons.

In the end, after my experience on the closed course and judging by my test results, I would definitely trust Sailun Tires with my family’s safety. And if my endorsement isn’t enough, we managed to flag down an ice cream truck as the event was coming to a close and you can imagine my surprise to see that the truck was sporting, what else, but Sailun Tires. There you have it, Canadian Dad and Ice Cream Trucks both trust Sailun Tires.

Just a couple more items to get to. I’ll get to the amazing giveaway, but first, I decided to shoot a video of race car driver, Matt Pritiko, as he took a couple of us on a very fast test drive of the closed course. I am the one giggling like Beavis and Butthead for the entire ride. Not. Scared.

On to the good stuff! One lucky reader is going to win a Grand Prize of a set of Sailun Tires. There are also 3 runner up prizes of a $100 gift card to Petro Canada. You can enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Please read rules and regs prior to entering.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received compensation for my participation in the Trust Sailun Ambassador program.

My Thoughts On The HP Envy X2 Tablet/Laptop Hybrid

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HP ENVY x2

I’ve been testing out the HP ENVY x2 tablet/laptop and the HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One printer and what follows is my very untechnological review of these devices. I say that because I often read reviews that are filled with fancy terminology that I just don’t understand. I figure if I get confused by all that, then there must be others who feel the same way I do. That said, I am going to speak to functionality of these devices as they related to me.

I have never owned a tablet before but after learning how to use Windows 8 on my smart phone, I felt I was up to the challenge of navigating the ENVY x2. The first thing I noticed about the tablet/laptop hybrid, is that it is very comfortable to carry around. I do a lot of my writing in local coffee shops and I immediately noticed the difference between the ENVY x2 and clunky mess that is my regular laptop. It might sound trivial but there is a lot to be said for comfort and personal space, especially when you are writing on small cafe tables.

Although I’ve heard complaints about the Windows 8 functionality, I happen to think it’s great to be able to slide the screen and customize the live tiles any way I want. I especially enjoyed the Netflix tab and the HD touch screen made watching the new season of Arrested Development that much more exciting. I think if you give Windows 8 a chance, you’ll see how cool it really can be.

One of my favourite things about the HP ENVY x2 is the battery life. On my recent road trip, I got almost 11 hours of use out of it before I needed to recharge and as someone who travels to conferences now, I can tell that this is going to become one of my favourite features. Another thing I loved is how easy it is to convert between tablet and laptop, with my only real complaint being that there is no USB port on the tablet portion of the device.

Overall, I loved the sleek design of the HP ENVY x2 and most of the features it offers. I am learning to really like the Windows 8 design as well, but wish there were more apps available for it. As a blogger, this device suits my needs for writing on the go and that’s all I can ask for, so I am incredibly happy with it. The added bonus of the HP ENVY 120 e-All-in-One printer has been amazing for the quick printing my photos and invoices as well.

Disclosure: I received compensation for my participation in the HP Loves Dads program.

Get Ready For Microsoft Canada’s #SummerSwitch Program

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Nokia Lumia 920

It’s Baaaack! Due to the great feedback from the Windows Phone “Holiday Swap”, Microsoft Canada has decided to start up a “Summer Switch” program. They have asked me to nominate two bloggers to swap out their smartphones for the Nokia Lumia 920, to see how they like the Windows Phone’s functionality.

Before we get to the nominations, though, I have a few updates from my final review of the Holiday Swap Program. A recent update to the Twitter application has made the functionality a lot better and although there is still no Instagram available, the Windows Phone is slowly becoming my go to device. I was unable to completely switch over at the end of Holiday Swap due to contractual obligations, but that time is almost up and I have some decisions to make. In the meantime, I’ll be mentoring the new recruits and hopefully be learning a bit from them as well.

Now, with further ado, watch the video below to see which two bloggers I thought would be perfect fits for the Summer Switch Program.

There you have it. I’m happy to report that both Julie (Sober Julie) and Rebecca (A Little Bit Of Momsense) have accepted the challenge and can be found by tracking the #SummerSwitch tag on Twitter, or by following them on their blogs. Good Luck, Ladies! Have fun with it!

How To Make Awesome Crafts With Your Kids: Dad Edition

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Dad's Book of Awesome Projects

I am not handy. There, I said it. I don’t know how to build a deck or a planter. I can’t fix a car or figure out how to fix a leaky pipe. Heck, I am not even confident in my ability to paint a room properly. That’s not to say I don’t try these things. I’m just not good at them.

That brings me to today’s topic. I picked up Mike Adamick’s, “Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects”, mostly because I was tired of making the same old crafts with the kids and I thought it might help me with my aversion to crafts and general unhandiness (it’s a word, get over it).

Where most “How To” books fail due to lack of information on the “How To” part, Mike’s step by step instructions make it so that even “accidentally glue gunned my fingers together” old me can complete any project with ease. Case and point, this weekend my children and I took to the dollar store to complete our latest Awesome project: Canvas Art!

Dollar Store Craft Materials

You’ll notice I mentioned the Dollar Store. That’s because this entire project, with all the supplies you see above, cost us a whopping $11! I used to make fun of my wife for keeping the old egg cartons but as it turns out, they are pretty good for holding multiple paint colours. So…sorry, hunny. I simply turned to page 139 in the book and went to work on everything we needed to create our very own Jackson Pollock. As you can see, while my son chose to stick to the book’s task of flinging the paint at the canvas, my daughter had a different idea about what Mike should have written about.

Dad Awesome Paint Project Completed

In the end, the best part is the quality time we got to spend, flinging paint, laughing and creating incredible works of art for my “half man garage, half day care toy pile”. So if you are looking for something to get for your husband this Father’s Day and beyond, I highly recommend Dad’s Book of Awesome Projects. If I can take this book and create something amazing, anybody can! On top of that, it has inspired me to take on a few more projects I have been thinking about. Stick around and I’ll be posting them once they are done.

And Now A Grown Man Gets Excited About Hasbro’s Iron Man 3 Collection

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Hasbro IronMan 3 Tpys

You’d think I accepted the opportunity to review some cool news toys because I knew my son would love them. For the most part that’s why I do it, but this time was a little different. I am a huge superhero geek and the second I saw the full sized Iron Man 3 mask, I immediately went into selfish mode by thinking about all the hilarious places I could bring that mask, for myself to wear…

My evil plan was foiled when the box arrived while I was at work, and my son noticed the Iron Man logo. Without a leg to stand on, I gave in and let him and his daycare friends play with the toys. They obviously had a blast, as I looked on with toy envy. We were fortunate enough to receive three different items, and they are as follows:

MARVEL IRON MAN 3 ARC FX Mission Mask

Hasbro Iron Man 3 Mask

 

 

As previously mentioned, I was most excited about the mask and the plethora of places I could wear it around town. There’s something satisfying about watching people’s brains try to figure out just exactly what it is I am trying to accomplish by wearing this thing to the local grocery store.

 

 

MARVEL IRON MAN 3 Avengers Initiative ARC STRIKE Iron Patriot

Hasbro Iron Man 3 Patriot

 

 

Having already seen Iron Man 3, I was excited to get this Iron Patriot figure, ven if my son had no idea who it was. Don’t get me wrong, I love Iron Man but I also enjoy having a variety of different characters at my disposal. No lie, we had about 6 Iron Man’s after the last movie..

 

 

MARVEL IRON MAN 3 Avengers Initiative Assemblers Battle Vehicle

Hasbro Iron Man 3 Car

 

 

This turned out to be the big ticket item. I know this because my son’s eyes bugged out so much when he saw it that I almost got knocked over. The only thing cooler to a little boy than cars, are cars that shoot rockets out of them and this fits that bill.

 

 

For the most part I am kidding about stealing my son’s toys. He plays with them all the time and loves them more than most of the things I have purchased for him. The mask however…

Daddy Iron Man

Disclosure: I was provided these toys by Hasbro for review purposes. While my son did love the toys, I may underplayed how often I actually wear the Iron Man mask. It is addictive for adults and you should proceed with caution.