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review – Page 4 – Luv Saving Money

Category: review

KiwiCo Box Review: Tinker Crate for Ages 9 – 16+

KiwiCo has been around for a while. I remember subscribing to Kiwicrate when my oldest boys were pretty young. They were great to do on rainy or cold days. It was also a nice option to have when we had unplug time. I am not the mom that comes up with all these creative ideas. I’m the mom that searches Pinterest for ideas with materials I have.

KiwiCo subscription boxes come with the instructions and materials you need for each project. KiwiCo has grown quite a bit and has so much to offer now. When I got it for my older boys it was just craft. Craft boxes are still available but so are: Atlas Crates for Geography and Culture, Eureka Crates for Engineering and Design, Koala Crates for Play and Learn, Tinker Crates for Science and Engineering and more.

I let my youngest son (10 yrs old) handle this review. He chose the Tinker Crate for ages 9 – 16+. He was so excited when it came in, he couldn’t wait to get cracking on it. This particular box gave him the opportunity to build a moving robot!

He started taking everything out of his KiwiCo Tinkercrate methodically. Once he found the directions he started there (I knew he was smart). He sorted through and found each pack of pieces and spread them out on the table. Once he was sure everything was there he begun his project.

He worked so diligently putting his robot together. He carefully punched out pieces, connected wires, realized when he made a mistake and fixed it. It was enjoyable watching him work.

What I liked about it is it seemed to take just the right amount of time. It was challenging enough that he had to figure out how the parts went. But it was not above his level that he was getting frustrated. I waited for him to ask me for help but he didn’t. There was one part where he wasn’t sure about something. Instead of telling him how to fix it I asked him a question “Do you think you have that facing the right direction?” It was then that he realized he didn’t and was able to correct it.

I know I talked a lot about my thoughts here so I want to share some of my son’s thoughts. He told me he really liked the Tinker Crate and said “I wouldn’t mind subscribing to that”. I asked him “So you must have liked it then huh?” He said “yep!” He was so proud of his creation that he made by himself.

There are KiwiCo crates available for all ages and interests. There’s a box for 0 – 24 months called Panda Crate all about Explore and Discover. They go all the way up to Eureka Crate for Engineering and Design and Maker Crate for Art & Design for ages 14 – 104 so yea mom and dad, you could even get one. I love the variety and the quality of the projects. Choosing an age appropriate crate is the key. Some age levels have multiple interests to choose from.

Order your KiwiCo Crate HERE

I received a promotional sample to complete this review. Any opinions expressed are my own. This post does contain affiliate links. I will earn a commission from transactions are completed through my links.

Happy Cornerz Sticky Trap Review and Set Up

Happy Cornerz Sticky Traps help catch and monitor pests

It’s December in Pennsylvania. Most people wouldn’t think bugs would be an issue right now. Outside that might be true but inside is a different story. There’s still flies buzzing in the house, fruit flies that seem to pop up every now and then, occasionally lady bugs that found their way in from the cold. We always have house centipedes and spiders in the basement and garage. We tend to not mind them and the lady bugs so much because they eat some of the other pests. Even though the house centipedes are super creepy looking.

The one pest that drives me crazy though are the stink bugs. We started getting stink bugs in our house about 3 years ago. See, they were brought over in a ship from Japan that docked in Allentown. Not on purpose, they just hitched a ride on a cargo ship. Since then they’ve made their way across Pennsylvania and other states. They have no natural enemies and they multiply quickly. Creatures that typically eat bugs like birds leave them along for the most part because of their stink secretion. They’re sort of like the skunks of the bug world. Other than being creepy you can’t just step on them or squish them in other ways because the omit this terrible smell that seems to last forever. I thought I was being smart one day when I vacuumed up a bunch of them. Two problems with that is, the stink bug smell lasted in my vacuum forever and every time I turned it on it would omit that smell. The other, if I didn’t empty the canister outside right away they didn’t die and would find their way out. They can creep through minuscule cracks including window sills.

Sure we tried the bug traps marketed specifically for stink bugs. We even tried bug bombing but it didn’t work. They’re resilient little suckers. The only thing that somewhat helped was to make a spray bottle up with water and a tablespoon of Dawn dish liquid. When you see one just spray it. It couldn’t omit its terrible smell then, it would eventually die from suffocation.

Do they bite? No they don’t but they have no regard for personal space. They’ll sit on your pillow, they’ll fly into your hair (yes they fly), they’ll chill out on the outside of your cup, they don’t care. They make this buzzing sound when their wings beat too that creeps me out. Oh and they smell bad when you try to kill or swat at them.

If we’re not talking about my own personal annoyances with stink bugs they also eat crops and trees. I think that’s one reason we have such an issue compared to our neighbors. We have huge butternut trees that tower over our house. In the fall you can see them in droves climbing up the sides of the house to get to the attic for the winter. I don’t even like to go into the attic anymore. Those nasty things are everywhere.

Introduction to the Happy Cornerz Sticky Trap

Happy Cornerz sticky traps comes along and we decide to give that a try. It’s not poisonous, can use it almost anyway, easy to install, when it’s full just take it down and throw it out.

Sticky traps are versatile in that, you can use them as flat sticky traps or corner traps. they can go in cupboards, on wall joints, shelves, where you need little creepy pests taken care of. If you’re not sure what kind of pests you’re dealing with IE your cereal is disappearing in your cupboard, Happy Cornzers sticky traps are also great for insect and pest monitoring.

Happy Cornerz has been university tested at the Texas A & M Department of Entomology in the Rollins Urban and Structural Entomology facility. They’ve also been tested by a few pest control companies. The hope is that Happy Cornerz sticky traps will be a helpful addition to both pest control experts and private consumers as well.

Installation and Use

I created a video talk to you about the Happy Cornerz glue traps. The video will give you a better look at how you’ll receive the traps, how to use the traps, and where you can use the traps.

Opinions on the Happy Cornerz Sticky Trap

I’m intrigued with how well these worked in the winter time in PA. I’m eager to try these in the spring and summer for ants, mosquitos, etc. I can see where these could also be helpful in sheds, barns, garages, and other buildings. Do you have an ant problem in the cupboard? Use a Happy Cornerz sticky trarp as a flat trap and catch those little buggers. I’m betting you could catch loads of them in that way.

If you’re dealing with a cockroach problem they like to gather in the corners which made the corner placement option fo these idea. They can be set up at ground level or the upper wall corners. They can be placed in the back corner of a cupboard. Wherever you’re dealing with your pests.

Because they’re glue traps, there’s no concerns about safety with pets or children. Worse case scenario is it getting stuck to a pet’s fur. I have 3 cats though and they haven’t bothered with the traps.

They could even be cut if you wanted a better fit in a certain corner or shelf if necessary. Using them as a flat trap would work out nice for the top of refrigerators or high kitchen cupboards. The could also slide easily under microwaves stands, couches or beds.

I was happy to see that at least one of the traps we set up did capture a stink bug. That’s my #1 pest issue so if this trap can do that I’m happy to have it in my home.

I received free samples of the product in order to complete this review and video. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Aposen Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Review

Do a search for handheld vacuums and you’ll come up with a long list. Everything from name brand to brands you never heard of before. It’s hard to decide which ones are worth buying sometimes.

Aposen is a brand sold on Amazon. They make several different styles of vacuums including hand held vacuums. In this post I will be talking about the Aposen Hand Held Vacuum with HEPA filter wet/dry vac.

The Aposen comes shipped in a sturdy box. Upon opening the box you can see that the Aposen Handheld Vacuum cleaner comes with several attachments and accessories, as well as a short manual.

The contents include:

  • Aposen handheld vacuum
  • AC power adapter
  • crevice tool
  • soft tube and tube adapter
  • rubber nozzle
  • extra HEPA filter
  • storage bag
  • brush nozzle
  • cleaning brush
Aposen handheld vacuum cleaner with accessories

The Aposen handheld vacuum is convenient for cleaning furniture, vehicle interior, small spills, and cleaning out drawers and containers.

The soft tube attachment and adapter was helpful for cleaning out my car. The crevice tool comes in handy for the couch, dining chairs, car, and lots of other places.

using soft tube and adapter

The convenient indicator lights located just above the power button on the handheld vacuum lets you know when the vacuum is fully charged and about how much charge is left.

The dust tank and filter are easy to take apart to clean and empty the handheld vacuum. The vacuum itself has a little weight to it but not so much that it can’t be handled easily. Now if I was to have to vacuum with it for a half hour I could see it getting cumbersome.

I do have another name brand hand vac. I feel that the Aposen hand held vacuum is comparable in performance, suction, maintenance, and battery life as he name brand one that I have. In fact, the battery life might be a little better on the Aposen. The Aposen handheld vacuum actually came with a lot more attachments than the name brand one I have. The Aposen hand held vac also works wet/dry unlike the other one I have.

I’ve been using the Aposen handheld vacuum for about 2 weeks now for small areas and convenience cleaning. I’ve not had to recharge it yet. All in all I’d say I would consider Aposen again when in the market for a vacuum cleaner.

This little vac comes in handy for cleaning up broken Christmas bulbs, glitter from crafts, little spills from guests (wet or dry) and so much more during the holidays. It’s also a great gift for the newlyweds, new parents, or housewarming.

Save 15% on the Aposen Handheld Vacuum with code: QUETFYOH on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2REjCe2 code expires 2/7/20

I did receive the Aposen handheld vacuum at no cost in order to complete this review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Winter is Coming! Be Prepared with BePrepared Emergency Essentials Kits

Weather-based and other natural disasters are increasing in frequency – and severity.  The result is more and more people impacted and even displaced by extreme weather and natural disasters.  Along with 72-hour emergency kits, FEMA recommends that families be prepared with a 2-week supply of food, water and other essentials (https://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf). 

Every family needs to be prepared for the inevitable unforeseen circumstance, especially when it comes to stocking up on emergency essentials.  Although no one can prevent or avoid unexpected events, everyone should prepare for them. While other emergency food options fall far short of nationally recommended caloric content, Emergency Essentials created its own certification: the Quality Survival Standards™ (QSS™). QSS-certified meals are guaranteed to contain a minimum of 1,800 calories and 40 grams of protein (per person, per day), and often provide far more. That’s why the 2-Week Be Prepared Survival in a Pail kit from Emergency Essentials is the country’s go-to 2-week survival kit. It delivers the basics families need for 14 days, featuring delicious and nutritious chef-crafted meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a shelf life for up to 25 years – plus all the required cooking gear to cook the meals…an 80-gallon, heavy duty survival grade water filter for food rehydration and drinking…and life-saving supplies for warmth and weather-protection.  Be Prepared Emergency Essentials has established itself as a national leader in emergency preparedness for good reason.  Families across the country have come to depend on Be Prepared Emergency Essentials and the company’s popular2-Week Survival in a Pail kit for the highest quality, stored-to-last emergency foods – healthy entrees that are easily prepared in only a matter of minutes and packaged in durable containers to withstand a major event.

Catastrophes can strike at any time – and Be Prepared Emergency Essentials is there to meet the critical needs resulting from the unexpected.  For more information on Emergency Essentials visit the https://www.beprepared.com/emergency-essentials-2-week-survival-in-a-pail.

I live in southwestern Pennsylvania where we can experience all 4 seasons in the same week. We can have 92 degrees with 90% humidity in August then -10 with 3 week old ice on the ground in February.

In the winter it can be hard to leave the house because of the cold and ice. Sometimes ice accumulation on the power lines will cause a line snap. Car accidents causing utility poles to go down is another thing that happens. So I ask myself, with a family of 6, what do we do if we have another “snowpocalypse” lose power for days? Cooking would be difficult, heating the house would be hard, leaving the house would be hard.

Each area of the country has their own real disaster threats: floods, hurricanes, tornados, wildfires, etc. How would you prepare in an emergency?

BePrepared Emergency Essentials Kits give you almost everything you need to survive including food kits, cooking utensils, fire starters, water purifier, and more.

We received the 2 week survival in a pail emergency kit. It contains enough food and supplies for 2 weeks. While it does not include water it does include and water filtration system. BePrepared Emergency Essentials does offer kit that contain water as well.

The BePrepared 2 Week Survival in a Pail is an easy grab and go kit for a true emergency situation. It has a variety of dehydrated foods. My son helped me do an unboxing video of the kit so you can see everything included:

How do you think you or someone you know could use this kit? Products from BePrepared.com are great for the survivalist, adventurer, or outdoor enthusiasts.

This post is presented by SSA PR

TrustBrothers CBD Review + FREE Product Offer

This post is not intended to give medical advice. What I have written about is my own personal experience. As with any supplement it’s always a good idea to talk with your doctor if you have concerns.

I’ve written about CBD products a couple times on my blog and social media. I’ve also mentioned in a few posts that I deal with IBS and Ulcerative Colitis. I am on prescription medication for my moderate ulcerative colitis. I also deal with anxiety and depression which tends to be a vicious cycle with the IBS and UC as my anxiety can kick my symptoms up or if I’m having a UC flare up it can kick my anxiety up.

I see my GI doctor regularly. Worried about the side effects and long term effects of some of my medications I started searching for more natural options to supplement my current medications.

In my research, CBD oil kept coming up again and again. There are several research studies and articles about the effect of CBD as an anti-inflammatory. There is also some research out there about a number of other benefits. I’m not a doctor or a pharmacist and I encourage you to do your own research and talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.

With that being said, I turned to CBD supplements when my anxiety meds were starting to make my blood pressure drop and my GI doctor wanted me to go on an even stronger med for my UC. The current medication I’m on for my UC was still allowing me to have periodic flare ups, several a year. I would also have horrible burning pain in my colon and my anxiety was getting difficult to manage at times. Since I’ve started using CBD oil in addition to my UC medication I’ve not had any flare ups. I’ve been using CBD products for a little over a year. I’ve also not had to take the anxiety medication that was causing my blood pressure to drop.

Not all CBD product are created equal though. I’ve tried a few brands. There was one direct sales CBD product that was super expensive and wasn’t worth the bottle in was in. There are also different mg dosages so keep that in mind.

See offer before for FREE CBD oil just pay shipping deal

I tried the Hello Happiness CBD Oil 750 mg from Trust Brothers. The oil has absolutely no taste so it’s not unpleasant to put a few drops under the tongue or mix into your drink. One serving size is considered 15 drops and there are about 60 servings in a 30 ml bottle.

I usually take it in the morning before I go to work.

Because of my anxiety I sometimes difficulty sleeping which is why I also requested to try the Trust Brother CBD Sleep Spray. One or two spritzes under the tongue before bed. Again there’s no flavor to it so you don’t have to worry about going to sleep with a bad taste in your mouth. My only complaint with this is that it tells you to spray under the tongue but the type of sprayer on it kind of makes it go everywhere in your mouth.

It typically takes me about 2 hours of laying in bed before I can actually fall asleep. I noticed after only about a half hour or so after the spray that my eye lids became heavy and I was able to fall asleep more easily.

In comparing it to other CBD oil brands I’ve tried this is higher up on the list of quality for me.

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Visit 499cbd.com and use code: LuvSavingMoney to get your free 250 ml bottle (value at $25.99) and pay just $4.99 shipping. That’s $4.99 for a 250 mg bottle of CBD oil shipped to your house!

About TrustBrothers

TrustBrothers is the “Land of the FREE CBD” 0% THC “Not High, Just Healthy” They are proud to offer America’s Most Trusted, Lowest-Cost, Ultra Premium CBD products.

You can learn more about CBD itself from this YouTube video:

Will I Feel The Effects Right Away?

According to Trust Brothers: Every person (and pet) is different and will experience the effects of CBD in different ways. Most will experience the effects right away when taking the proper dose, but the greatest benefit of CBD will be experienced over time when using the product consistently .

I received the above mentioned products at no cost in order to complete this post. Any opinions expressed are my own.