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Fellowes Air Purifier AP-300PH Review

October 29, 2012 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

As a mom of four school age children and a huge allergy sufferer, I have always searched for a great air purifier. I have tried some, but to be honest, the cost of a big air purifier has always prohibited me from getting one big enough for my bedroom. So, given the chance to try the Fellowes Air Purifier AP-300PH, I jumped on it

The Fellowes AP-300PHis a family-friendly machine ideal for the home:

True HEPA Filter safely removing 99.97% of the bad stuff—pet dander, mold spores, pollen, dust mites, allergens, cigarette smoke and odors.
Air Purity Sensor monitoring the air quality and automatically adjusting the fan speed to keep air purified.
PlasmaTRUE removing airborne pollutants cleaning the air at the molecular level.

We had just moved into a new home. I was worried that having carpet again in our bedroom was going to set my allergies off….not to mention my asthma! The house also smelled like smoke, despite the new paint job/carpet to try and cover it up. When I looked up the information on the Fellowes AP-300PH, the company states it is the ultimate tool for moms looking to reduce the risk of illness and allergies in their home/office, and that it fights invisible indoor air pollutants, including: pollen, dust mites, mold spores, pet dander, cigarette smoke and odors, which is perfect since I am allergic to ALL of those!

After using the Fellowes AP-300PH for just over a month, I am very pleased with the performance and ease of using this air purifier! We like to sleep with the window open (ssshh, don’t tell my allergist!) which can lead to a dusty room and unfortunately more allergens. So what has me sold on this air purifier? I have noticed that our bedroom (where we have the AP-300PH) is not as dusty as the rest of our home. I have found I am sleeping better and don’t have as many coughing fits at night as I used to prior to using the AP-300PH. I also have noticed that the white noise from the air purifier has helped my husband sleep better than before we began using it.

The machine has a built in sensor that monitors the air quality and automatically adjusts the fan speed to keep the air purified. It will usually detect poorer air quality when I am doing something near it (like getting clothes out of my closet) but I try not to take it personally and know that it’s doing its job! I will say the only negative I see about the AP-300PH is the brightness of the display panel. If you can turn it off without turning off the air purifier, I haven’t figured it out. It is quite bright, which did really bug my husband in trying to fall asleep. So he came up with his own solution (which he also has to cover the light to the phone and TV in order to sleep):

I am interested to see how we do through the cold and flu of the fall/winter. So far, knock on wood, I haven’t caught the bugs my children have brought home from school…..hoping this continues! At the current Amazon.com price, http://amzn.to/MBk9V3 (plus free super saver shipping), I might have to pick up another unit for the living area of our home.

For more information on Fellowes Air Purifiers, visit www.fellowes.com/airpurifiers.

About Julie: I’m a 41 year old (and yes that seems old) SAHM, independent demonstrator with Uppercase Living, a self-taught artist/crafter (whichever term you want to put with what I create), and former social worker. My life revolves around myself, husband, son (12), daughter (9), and twin daughters (7). That makes 6 to keep up with! We have an active family who loves the outdoors, scouting, swimming, and volunteering. You can find me at http://juliecorrigan.uppercaseliving.net for uplifting and inspiring words for your life.

I was provided a Fellowes AP-300PH for purposes of this review and the thoughts/experiences are all my own.

O.O.T.W.-Out of This World Girls Review

July 29, 2012 by The Mom Jen 1 Comment

The O.O.T.W. Girls are “Out of This World” trendy and cute and will be released soon! Each girl has a dazzling personality as unique as the stars in the galaxy. They have a passion for interstellar adventure and their vibrant imaginations take them everywhere under the sun. The Girlaxy, a futuristic place filled with bright lights and fun, funky colors, is their playground. An imaginative world where technology and astrology come together to make anything you dream of possible.

O.O.T.W. represents a new world of imaginative fun that merges the collectibility of the vinyl-mation doll craze with the irresistible design and collectibility of small dolls. The O.O.T.W. line leverages low-tech electronic functions to deliver high-tech payoffs – thoughtfully designed to reflect each doll’s unique personality and resonate with today’s kids. The ever-expanding line of collectible dolls and accessories is poised to be the must-have new collectible in small dolls!

Girls can expand their knowledge of the Girlaxy through the website www.OOTWgirls.com, the OOTWGirls on Facebook and through the O.O.T.W. Girls blog.

We had the chance to play with Vizi. Each girl has a description of her personality on her packaging. Vizi tells us “I’m super curious. I can read faster than the speed of light and have an extra-ordinary amount of knowledge stored up in my head. Got a question you need answered? Just ask me. I don’t like to tell everyone, but sometimes I can even see the future. I might seem a bit shy, but that is just because I am always trying to unravel the next mega mystery in my mind.” Her feature is that she can see the future – so ask her anything. I have to say my 7 year old took this to heart! She sat asking Vizi all kinds of questions and giggling at some of answers she got. Vizi has her hair in a bun that lights up when you push the button on her stomach. A die then gives you an answer to your question (For older generations think what fun you had shaking that black ball to get answers to your most pending life questions). Vizi was part of many conversations and participated in some dramatic play with other dolls/characters around our house. She went on trips in the car with us and found a prominent spot on my daughter’s bed at the end of the day.

The O.O.T.W. website has a catchy song, great colors and a few games to play. You can check out all of the girls there too. The blog has just been released but offered some information about Saturn, so it has great potential to help educate girls about astrology while keeping things hip and fun with the bright colors and personalities of the O.O.T.W. Girls. My daughter isn’t old enough to do any of these things on her own, but they are things we can check out online together.

Look for Astra, Gigi, Techno, Vizi, and Flix (the O.O.T.W. Girls) in major retailers this July and August. At $9.99 SRP the O.O.T.W. Girls are an affordable friend for your daughter’s imaginative play.

Product was sent for honest review, all opinions our own.

Safeway just for U Program and New Shopping App Saves You More!

July 20, 2012 by The Mom Jen 4 Comments

Just for U is Safeway’s revolutionary targeted marketing program that provides relevant, personalized offers, coupons, weekly specials and tools for each individual shopper. What does that all mean to you? SAVINGS of 10-20% at Safeway when you use their just for U program.I spent a great day in San Francisco with 17 other bloggers learning the ins and outs of the just for U program from those most knowledgeable about it, representatives from the Northern CA executive team of Safeway. We had access to those that helped develop the website and the new Safeway App (iPhone and Android users) that run the just for U savings program, as well as those individuals that oversee the Northern CA Safeway stores.

I have used the Safeway just for U program for over a year, and I have to say I LOVE the new app for my phone. I still use the website when I am at home and building my shopping list, but the convenience of having the app in the store with my list stored in the Safeway App saves me time and I don’t have to print my list (which helps cut down my paper clutter!). Not to mention that it just makes me giddy, when shopping for a family of 6, and I’m at the check stand and I save over $100 on my grocery bill or I hit more than a 20% savings every time I shop! So here is what I learned to help you maximize your savings with Safeway’s just for U program:

If you don’t have a just for U account, you can go to www.safeway.com to sign up for one, download the Safeway App on your smart phone, or go into any Safeway store and they will be happy to get you set up and start saving today. All you will need is your Safeway club card number OR the phone number associated with that club card.

Safeway uses your 6 month purchase history to build the offers you see in your personalized just for U account. When you are signed into your just for U account, you will get your offers in three different ways: Coupon Center, Personalized Deals, and Your Club Specials. Let’s look at the difference between the categories.

Coupon Center offers you “digital coupons with no clipping required.” In this section you will find manufacturers coupons and Safeway super coupons grouped together. Safeway brings all the national deals to you in one place so you don’t have to spend time searching other sites for these deals. In order to take advantage of these deals, you need to click on the “ADD to my CARD” button to get this offer loaded onto your Safeway Club Card for use at your local Safeway. Once a deal is added, you can choose to then add the item to your list by clicking the button again.

Personalized Deals are “savings you won’t find anywhere else.” These are offers that are based where you live, what you buy and are often times unlimited in quantity. The items you purchase most are first in your list and other items that may be of interest to you based on your purchase history are also in this category. There is usually at least one FREE item offered in this category as well. There are usually 5-7 new offers in this category each week, so it pays to check it often. Check the offer dates to make sure you don’t miss out, and as with the Coupon Center, you must click the “ADD to my Card” button to load this to your Safeway Club Card.

Your Club Specials shows you “the things you buy that are currently on sale.” There is no need to add these to your card. These deals are the ones you are used to seeing at the store with a yellow tag, and they are automatically offered by using your club card at the checkout stand. You can add these to your list to help your organize your shopping. The your club specials are not currently part of the Safeway App but are planned to be released in an App update in the near future. You can still add them to your list from the website and they will appear on your list in the Safeway App.

The Coupon Center and Personalized Deals sections will work on all varieties of an item. So if Nature Valley Granola Bars are one of your offers in either of these sections of just for U, you can use this deal on any type of Nature Valley Granola Bars. This does NOT hold true with the Your Club Specials. These can have select varieties. Make sure to check the details of your coupons to get the most for you dollar.

If you have a paper coupon and a digital coupon for the same amount, you cannot double up these. If you have coupons for different amounts, the system will automatically take the greater savings coupon and you will either be handed back the paper coupon or the digital coupon will remain on your card (whichever is lesser) for use on your next shopping trip. Also, if an item has a price listed (called price point) you can use another cents off coupon along with that price point deal for more savings. There can be limits on amounts, so be sure to check the details (a handy button is provided with each coupon/offer in the just for U system and the details answer many questions such as if an offer is specific to your store). So for instance, on my shopping trip I purchased Motts Fruit Snacks that were regularly $3.59 each. They were on Club Special for $1.99 each (price point) but I also had added a J4U coupon in the coupon center for $.50 off when I buy two, making one of the boxes $1.49 and one $1.99.

Safeway provided us with a $50 gift card and set us loose on a store in San Francisco. I saved 29% on this shopping trip. I didn’t buy the best deals on everything because this store had different items than my local store, so I stocked up on a few of those. But I did pick up the large jar of Safeway peanut butter we use all the time for a savings of $4.79! In fact, everyone in our blogger group saved 29% or more, and a few saving more than 50%!

Other things I learned the Safeway App can do:

Using the store locator, you can one touch call your Safeway pharmacy
You can expand and collapse categories
That there are plans to organize the list based on your store layout (which will speed up your shopping!)
That the list can be synchronized if you are using the same club card account number with another app user (so if you send your teenager to one side of the store and you start at the other, as you check items off the list and then synchronize, you will know what each other has picked up)
That you should have your own club card account for your family since the personalized deals are based on your shopping habits (so if you haven’t purchased diapers in 15 years but they are always on your list it may be because someone else is buying diapers with the same club card number)
If you have any problems or want to update your purchase/store history, call the call center listed on the back of your club card
If you ever need anything in the store, don’t hesitate to ask the store manager….they really are there to help you and keep you a loyal Safeway shopper.

I was provided with Safeway gift cards, groceries, and savings knowledge in exchange for this review. These really are my own thoughts and opinions.

Cavalia’s Opening Night in San Jose

July 19, 2012 by The Mom Jen Leave a Comment

If you have traveled along Hwy 101 near the San Jose Airport, you can’t miss the White Big Top which is currently home to Cavalia: A Magical Encounter Between Human and Horse. Cavalia is an innovative multi-media and multi-disciplinary production created by Normand Latourelle, one of the co-founders of Cirque du Soleil. It truly is an amazing show!Opening night was Wednesday, July 18, 2012 and the show will run in San Jose, CA through August 12, 2012. My three daughters and I were lucky enough to be among the sold out crowd on opening night. The big top tent is amazing to see! At 110 ft. high, it is equivalent to the height of a ten-story building, and the stage is the width of an NFL football field. Be prepared for a walk up a few flights of stairs if your seats are not at ground level. Seating is tight as the audience is on one side of the tent and the rest of the arena is used for the magical performance. My daughters were worried they wouldn’t be able to see past the taller individuals in front of them, but this all passed as they were mesmerized by the horses, dancers, acrobats and riders and didn’t notice the obstruction with so much taking place throughout the show.Cavalia explores humankind’s longstanding relationship with the horse. The story line evolves with no spoken words. A singer guides you through transitions in time along with some incredible scenery changes projected around the big top that left me wondering how they did it! The 49 horses in Cavalia were beautiful. It was amazing to watch them with their riders and see how they all responded to each other. The precision in which the horses, riders, acrobats, and dancers interact leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat.

I loved watching my girls clap after every stunt or act was performed. And they each had a different favorite part of the show. One loved the acrobats, one the Roman Riding, and the last the Grande Liberte. There was something magical for everyone. The show wasn’t perfectly performed with a few minor falls and a horse getting too close to the ring, but this brought the reality of how difficult the tasks the performers and the horses were executing and helped the audience appreciate this a bit more.I was a bit disappointed in the concessions for this event. While I liked getting cotton candy and popcorn as if we were at the circus (and my girls LOVED this), I thought that $4 for a bottled water was a bit pricey. There was also wine and beer available for purchase. The show was 3 hours long with a 30 minute intermission, which made for a late night for my girls. If you are planning to take young ones, I would recommend one of the matinees, as the second act is not to be missed. Also, allow yourself plenty of time before the show, as it’s not an easy arrival at 7:25 to get to your seat by 7:30 venue. We gave ourselves an hour which was plenty of time to get our snacks and check things out before going to sit.

Prior to the show there is a short presentation about the burrowing owl population in the Santa Clara Valley. Cavalia has teamed with the Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society and is donating $1 of each ticket sold to support preserving the burrowing owls. After the show, we stayed to hear a question and answer session that was meant for those waiting to go on the stable tours as part of their Cavalia experience. We really enjoyed this and learned a lot from the rider about the show and the riders relationships with their horses in the show. We also learned that two of the horses in the show were rescued and Cavalia will find them new homes soon and then take on two more horses as rescues.

Tickets are available online at www.cavalia.net or by calling 1-866-999-8111. Tickets range in price from $44.50-$139.50 + applicable fees, with an additional extended experience from $169.50-$239.50 that include items such as stable tours and a cocktail/dinner reception. *Note:photography not allowed, press photos were given.
About Julie: I’m a 41 year old (and yes that seems old) SAHM, independent demonstrator with Uppercase Living, a self-taught artist/crafter (whichever term you want to put with what I create), and former social worker. My life revolves around myself, husband, son (12), daughter (9), and twin daughters (7). That makes 6 to keep up with! We have an active family who loves the outdoors, scouting, swimming, and volunteering. You can find me at http://juliecorrigan.uppercaseliving.net for uplifting and inspiring words for your life.

Tickets to the show were provided, but the experience and opinions are my own.

Summer Popping Fun with Hog Wild Toys

July 17, 2012 by The Mom Jen 60 Comments

What are your kids doing this summer? Animal Poppers and the Rapid Fire Power Popper from Hog Wild Toys are the perfect way spend those long summer days! From the scurvy Pirate Popper to the prehistoric Dino Popper, a great time is guaranteed. The foam balls are soft enough for indoor play, but take Animal Poppers outside for even more fun! Play fetch with the Dog Popper or chill out with Penguin Popper at the pool!

With the squeeze of the tummy, these quirky characters launch foam balls right out of their mouths. The harder you squeeze, the further it shoots! Each Animal Popper comes with six soft foam balls and a convenient carry net. Take it from the Moo Popper, this summer is going to be legendairy! Animal Poppers are $9.99 each. For even more high powered fun, take out the Rapid Fire Power Popper from Hog Wild. The faster you slide the handles back and forth, the farther and faster this Power Popper shoots 12 balls!

This video is hilarious!

Hog Wild has this family going hog wild over their Rapid Fire Power Popper and the Pig Popper! My twelve year old son couldn’t wait to get his hands on the Rapid Fire Power Popper! I had to stop him so I could get a picture of it before he tore into the packaging and began shooting the foam balls at me and his sisters. He is a big fan of anything that shoots balls at someone, but this one was a hit! The actual quote was “this is AWESOME!” And with 12 balls to shoot as fast as he could slide the handles we were in for it!

So while he was reloading the Rapid Fire Power Popper, his sister (age 7) got her hands on the Pig Popper and after one misfire was popping balls right back at him! We had balls flying everywhere and somehow nothing got broken. The Pig Popper was easy to load the ball into the pig’s mouth, squeeze and shoot. This would be great for all ages and there are lots of characters to choose from. I know a certain friend that would love the Pirate Popper, and at $9.99 it’s a great gift!

Everyone in the family (ages 7-45) got in on the fun with Pig Popper and the Rapid Fire Power Popper. The foam balls are soft and don’t hurt when you hit your target, which is important in this family since aim isn’t always right on! Both of these would make great gifts, stocking stuffers or fun to have around the house or at a party. Now I’m off to find the foam balls and sneak up on my son…….

Designed for kids ages 4 and up, the Rapid Fire Power Popper is available for $16.99 and the Pig Popper is $9.99 at Amazon, Learning Express and Vat19.com.

My Giveaway: One lucky reader of Jen is on a Journey will win a Pig Popper and Rapid Fire Power Popper of their own! (enter below on Rafflecopter, allow a few moments to load)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Julie is a writer for Jen is on a Journey, about Julie: I’m a 41 year old (and yes that seems old) SAHM, independent demonstrator with Uppercase Living, a self-taught artist/crafter (whichever term you want to put with what I create), and former social worker. My life revolves around myself, husband, son (12), daughter (9), and twin daughters (7). That makes 6 to keep up with! We have an active family who loves the outdoors, scouting, swimming, and volunteering. You can find me at http://juliecorrigan.uppercaseliving.net for uplifting and inspiring words for your life.

Product was sent for honest review, all opinions are our own.