The BEST Gift for Mom

When you buy a gift from Hammacher Schlemmer, you have a have a lifetime guarantee.  I don't think any other company offers that.  So, it is smart to purchase all of your gifts from Hammacher Schlemmer.

 I was excited to get The Best Micro Cut Shredder for my Mother's Day Gift Guide. I am not a huge fan of traditional gifts, I want something I can use.  I will be putting this shredder to work, that is for sure.   I still get tons of junk mail and other things that have my name and address on it.  In these days of identity theft, shredding any document with your information on it is pertinent to keeping your identity safe.

Only available from Hammacher Schlemmer, this micro cut shredder earned The Best rating from the Hammacher Schlemmer Institute because it produced the smallest shreds, was the easiest model to use, and generated the least amount of sound. It cut paper into unrecognizable confetti as little as 12.3mm x 4.8mm, while lesser units shredded paper as large as 54mm x 12.2mm. Ranked as the easiest unit to use, it had a feeder that easily accepted paper, a light and window for the receptacle, and simple forward/reverse functionality to unclog jams. The Best model only generated 63 dB of noise (about the level of normal conversation) and was the quietest unit tested. It chews through 18 sheets of paper at one time, completely destroys CDs and credit cards, and has an 8 1/2 gallon bin. Rolls on four casters. AC plug. Black. 22" H x 14 1/2" W x 11" D. (38 lbs.)

While I think flowers are beautiful, I prefer a more useful gift.  What are you buying for your Mom on Mother's Day?

Need some last minute Easter Basket ideas?

I was given these products to review.

This is the Animal Jumble 60 Piece Set from Magformers.  The set includes 20 additional shapes and animal accessories for hours of fun!  There are 8 triangles, 27 squares, 2 pentagons, 2 hexagons, 2 isosceles triangles, 2 trapezoids and 17 clip in animal accessories.  These are compatible with all other magformers shapes and accessories.  They are guaranteed to connect thanks to the neodymium rare earth magnets and are made of BPA free plastic.  It encourages STEM learning and inspires your child to use his imagination.  The magnets help make cleanup and storage easy as well because you can neatly stack them to take up less room.  An added bonus is the fact that your child will actually enjoy stacking them!  I love watching my kids play with this.  They come up with some of the funniest animal combinations.  This would make a wonderful alternative to candy for a last minute Easter gift.  Recommended for ages 3 and up.  The suggested retail price is $59.99.     

This is the Ooze Labs Slime by Thames & Kosmos.  This is another toy that encourages STEM learning and would make an awesome Easter Basket filler.  Each container is a big plastic test tube that allows your child to make slime that is safe to create and play with.  All kids love slime, right?  I know mine do!  Creating the slime is a simple and basic lesson in chemistry.  I received the Glitter Slime Ooze Labs, but there are also 6 other varieties which include Magnetic Slime Ooze Labs, Hot Ice Crystals Ooze Labs, Magic Sand Ooze Labs, Hypercolor Slime Ooze Labs, Glow In The Dark Slime Ooze Labs and Sunshine Slime Ooze Labs.  All varieties are available on Amazon, at Nordstom and at your local toy school.  This is recommended for ages 7 and up.  The suggested retail price is $4.95.

This is Elmo's Wagon by Green Toys.  Load it up with all of your favorite things.  The wagon is sturdy and durable for indoor and outdoor toddler play.  It features fun Elmo faces on each side of the wagon.  The 100% cotton rope handle makes it easy for little ones to haul around their most prized possessions.  It also tucks away inside for convenient, safe storage.  It is made in the USA from 100% recycled plastic with no BPA, phthalates or PVC.  It comes packaged with recycled and recyclable materials printed with soy inks.  It is recommended for ages 18 months and up.  The suggested retail price is $24.99.      

I love my Power AirFryer Oven and Power Grill Smokeless Indoor Grill!

I was given these products for review.

This is the 6 Quart Power AirFryer Oven.  It replaces 7 different appliances and cooks up to 75% more food compared to ordinary air fryers...with just one touch!  I received the 6 Quart AirFryer, but it is also available in a bigger 8 Quart size.  Both models are available in your choice of color:  White, Black or Red. 

The secret of this AirFryer is its Rapid Air Technology.  It cooks food with a whirlwind of super heated air.  This gives the food that great crispy fried taste without all of the added fat and calories you get from frying in oil.  The super heated cyclonic air gives you 360° crisp circulation, which is perfect to air fry, rotisserie or dehydrate. 

Make healthier fried chicken, french fries, roasted chicken, stuffed pork loin, candied bacon and beef jerky with up to 70% less calories from fat vs. deep fried fast food!  A blooming onion  made the traditional way has about 1950 calories.  But when you make it in this AirFryer it has only about 380 calories!  Traditional chicken fingers have about 780 calories.  Chicken fingers made in the AirFryer have only about 250 calories.  And fast food french fries have about 340 calories compared to about 70 calories when made in the AirFryer. 

Other features of the Power AirFryer Oven include an innovative LED digital display panel, pre-set smart buttons so you don't have to guess what setting to put different foods on, it includes the Entire AirFryer Oven Library, multiple air flow racks for 3 cooking layers, an extra large easy grip handle, an extra large crystal clear viewing window on the front so you can watch your food as it cooks, automatic shut off and and it cooks at a heat of up to 400°!

The 6 Quart AirFryer is available for $159.96 and the 8 Quart is available for $199.96.  You can purchase this at major retail stores nationwide, on Amazon and HERE.   

This is the Power Grill Smokeless Indoor Grill With Lid.  It lets you grill your favorite foods indoors without the smoke.  And you still get the authentic outdoor BBQ taste!  Grill your favorite foods to perfection year round.  The grill comes with a stainless tempered glass lid, interchangeable griddle plate with non stick coating and 2 recipe books.

Grill and sear practically anything to restaurant style perfection.  Cook steaks, chicken, seafood, paninis, burgers or vegetables.  It has an advanced smoke extracting fan with air flow technology and the drip tray catches excess fat.  It has a cooking area of 13.5" x 8", an LED smart temperature control that is adjustable up to 450° F, made of heavy duty die-cast aluminum, removable parts that are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning and 1200 watts of power.  It heats to a constant, even temperature for even cooking.

You can purchase the Power Grill Smokless Indoor Grill complete grilling set for $119.85 at retail stores nationwide, on Amazon and HERE. 

Your child will love this Playtime Pad DVD Combo!

I received the Playtime Pad DVD Combo from PBS Kids in exchange for a review.

If your child loves playing on a tablet or watching movies, then he will love the Playtime Pad DVD Combo.  It is a 7" HD kid safe tablet and DVD player suitable for children as young as 2 years old.  Older children will enjoy it too, thanks to all of the awesome features.  It's on the go family entertainment on one device!  It comes preloaded with over 23 educational games, 120 video clips, songs and music videos with teacher approved subjects including literacy, math, science, social skills, school readiness and FUN! 

This combo is perfect for keeping kids entertained while at home or on the road.  It comes with a strap so you can attach it to the headrest of a car seat for kids to watch while traveling.  It features parental controls so you can customize and manage your child's entertainment experience.  You can approve or block content, manage apps, customize what is allowed for each child's profile and set a daily usage time limit and daily time frame for use.  With Google Play, you can access over 1 million applications and games, as well as having access to thousands of movies, books, songs, TV shows and magazines.

Features include a 7" HD multi touch display screen, 16 GB flash memory, 1GB RAM, WI-FI ready, Bluetooth and a Micro SD slot.  Each Playtime Pad DVD Combo comes with a USB Cable, Wall Plug, Strap, Word of the Week DVD, Quick Start Guide and Parents' Guide.

You can find the Playtime Pad DVD Combo at Walmart, both in store and online.  The manufacturers suggested retail price is $99.99.

Fend off Mosquitoes the easy way with Para'Kito

If you live or play in an area that is infested with mosquitoes, you're going to love these refillable wrist bands from Para'Kito.  

Just wear on your wrist and enjoy the outdoors without mosquitoes.  These bands are stylish and effective.  They use a blend of essential oils and patented slow-release technology to keep you from getting bitten.  Just insert one of the pellets in your band and you are good to go.  Each pellet lasts for up to 15 days and offers constant protection.  Each band comes with 2 pellets.  The bands are water proof and fully adjustable.  You can wear them on your wrist or ankle.  They are available in several different styles, colors and fashionable prints.  

The kids' bands have a special ID label for their name and your contact details.  Sports bands come in a lycra material and are reflective.  They also have an ID tag.  The new party edition bands come in lycra and feature fun, flirty designs.  

They also offer clips that you can clip on to your backpack, stroller or belt; as well as a roll on gel that you can apply to your skin.  The gel is designed for highly infested areas.  One stripe on your arms, legs or neck will give you up to 5 hours of protection.  I like the bands because you don't have to worry about reapplication.  Just put it on and forget about it.  

I live in an area where the mosquitoes are really bad.  I put one of these on and spent the whole day outside in my yard playing with my kids.  I didn't get a single mosquito bite.  These things are amazing! 

You can buy them HERE or at mass merchandisers like Amazon or Whole Foods.  Good for the whole family, all ages.  The suggested retail price is $19.50.  The Neoprene costs $19.98 and the gel costs $19.50.