Gift For Parents: I'm Dreaming of A Techy Christmas and #Giveaway

My very tech oriented family has teamed up to bring you a gift guide of our top gift items. These are tech centered and unique. 

August Bluetooth Headphones

Any busy parent needs a great pair of bluetooth headphones. These are comfortable, stylish, and have call capabilities. The bluetooth connectivity allows us to get things done without being tethered to our phones. I'm going to tell you that I'm loving these. In fact the Mr and I have been taking turns with them. The sound is amazing, they are easy to connect, and easy to use. 

Full review coming soon 

Learn more and purchase here. 

Weight Gurus

This awesome scale by the Weight Gurus does it all. It tracks weight, weight loss, and allows for easy entry into their app. Now there is no keeping a log. Just use the scale and app together for an easier way to get the wight off. 

See my review here. 

KuisiWare 

This light will allow grilling late into the night, if that's your thing. My favorite thing about this is that we grill all year long and with days getting shorter, we do not have to get it done so early. We've even used it on our tripods and other equipment. I think we need a few more! 

Full review coming soon. 

Purchase here

Kinivo BTX270

This bluetooth speaker is the best I have seen or used. The sound quality is awesome. We can have family calls with my mom or other family members. We can also watch movies on the laptop without struggling to hear. We even use it for evidence reveals and listen for evidence. It can connect via bluetooth or 3.5 cord. It is awesome. This is the affordable speaker that will wow you! 

Full review coming soon. 

Purchase here. 

Giveaway

August has graciously offered two of these bluetooth headphones to winners of The Palmetto Queen. To win, comment on how they would make your life easier (and don't forget your email address). Winner will be chosen December 17th. 

Gifts For Kids: I'm Dreaming of A Techy Christmas

 My very tech oriented family has teamed up to bring you a gift guide of our top gift items. These are tech centered and unique. 

These kids gifts are fun, educational, multi-purpose, and help parents get things done.

LeapBand

The LeapBand is the best toy this year. Tbomb loves it. I love that it encourages physical activity. It also has parental settings to program quiet time, like sleep and school. During these times, it is simply a watch. Some of the features are caring for digital pets, earning gems, and teaching time. 

You can see my review here. 

TheO SmartBall

TheO SmartBall is a must have for any parent with a smartphone. This amazing invention allows games to be played on a device and keep it protected. they can even throw it around. 

You can see my review here. 

Meet Lulu

Meet Lulu is everything in one. It is a coloring book, stylus, app all in one. There are even QR  codes on each page so they are turned into digital coloring pages. Plus, it teaches about recycling. Amazing. 

Read my review here. 

KidLid

KidLid is on my list too. I love being able to set the kids up with some educational videos while I make phone calls or cook dinner, but I have a problem. The kids get excited and lean on my laptop or decide they want to push buttons. The KidLid fixes all of that. 

Review coming soon

Learn more: http://kidlid.com

BlueBee Pals

Bluebee Pals are my kids favorite. They can watch movies together and snuggle their lion. This is a must have for connected kids. 

See my review here. 

Other Suggestions

Other items that are great for the tech kid in your life are kid friendly headphones, tablet stand for the car, shockproof case for a tablet, and even a fun stylus. 

 

Sunday Sauce with Tuttorosso Tomatoes #CelebrateTheSauce

Disclaimer: I received samples to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

One of the brands that I have come to love over the past year is Tuttorosso Tomatoes. I love knowing what I am feeding my family and giving them quality and great tasting tomatoes, without the hassle of cooking them from scratch. Being a family owned business adds to their appeal.

Their tomatoes are grown by Red Gold, third generation family owned and family grown. They are grown in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio, where the climate and soil are perfect for tomatoes.

Tuttorosso Tomatoes has launched a new website with a lot of resources just for you! This new website (http://www.tuttorossotomatoes.com/) has recipes, an inspirational idea blog, and stories from home cooks. They have even introduces a lineup of Sunday Sauce recipes to inspire home cooks every where. This special campaign is "Celebrating the Sauce."

Tuttorosso is hosting a special competition on Facebook leading up to Christmas. The campaign will end December 23. You will have the chance to win some awesome prizes. These prizes include 1000 Tuttorosso aprons, a daily drawing of an heirloom wooden spoon, and even a grand prize of a Martha Stewart Cookware Set. Visit their Facebook page for details and to enter (http://facebook.com/tutorossotomatoes).

They sent me this awesome pack and I'm telling you guys- you need to get in on these giveaways.

Even better than that prize pack? I get to share one of their amazing recipes with you guys. Oh, and it is so yummy! There aren't many things in the world better than a good marinara sauce.

Perfect Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon Tuttorosso® Tomato Paste
• 1 (35 ounce) can Tuttorosso® Peeled Plum Italian Style Tomatoes with natural basil flavor, crushed with hands
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar 
• 5 whole basil leaves 
• Salt and black pepper to taste 

Instructions

• Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute.
• Add the peeled plum tomatoes with natural basil flavor, sugar and basil. Stir to combine and then add salt and black pepper and bring to a boil.
• Simmer sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally until thickened and reduced, about 30 minutes. Taste and season again with salt and black pepper if needed. Discard basil and garlic cloves.
• Serve over your favorite pasta. Top with fresh torn basil leaves and grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Try this amazing marinara sauce and start your own Sunday Sauce tradition. Don't forget to #CelebrateTheSauce 

I'm Dreaming of a Best Buy Christmas: #HintingSeason

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

Even my one year old is obsessed with all things tech. Her favorite toy? An xbox controller... yes, I have my hands full this Christmas. 

My entire family has techy items dominating their wish lists this year. My secret? Best Buy! Best Buy has expert service and unbeatable prices. These are the items I am shopping for this year at Best Buy: 

Xbox One

Xbox One is on top of all of our lists this year. We love family game night, which usually revolves around one of our many gaming systems. We know that Xbox One would take our game nights to a whole new level. 

Xbox One was built by gamers for gamers. It has exclusive titles (like Halo), the biggest blockbusters (like Assassin's Creed), hottest sports games (like Madden 15), and even top family titles (like Fantasia: Music Evolved). Xbox One truly takes gaming to a new level. 

Xbox One connects consumers like no device before it. Get access to your favorite TV shows and movies through apps and keep all of your media at your fingertips. 

JBL

JBL Charge 2 boasts twin passive radiators for deep bass. The massive 6000mAh battery keeps the life going and the conference speakerphone brings business in. The best feature- Bluetooth social mode. This awesome feature allows up to 3 different users to take turns playing their playlists on one speaker. 

The JBL Flip 2 has dual performance-tuned JBL drivers and a built-in bass port. However, the biggest benefit is the SoundClear echo and noise cancellation combined with the state-of the art microphone system to pick up calls on the speaker.

JBL Reflect Earbud Headphones are the top headphones on my list. The sweat proof ergonomic design is perfect to keep us going all day, especially with all the running us moms do. The battery has a life of 5 hours and they reach up to 40 feet via bluetooth connectivity. There are even magnets to help you keep control of your earbuds while on standby. 

Learn more about the JBL products found at Best Buy. 

Garmin and TomTom

The latest Garmin and TomTom products have bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calling, traffic and weather updates, lane assist, Lifetime traffic, and map updates. They also threw in some voice recognition technology. 

       
Garmin 52LM

• 5.0” display
• Maps of 49 U.S. states, plus lifetime map updates1
• Lane assist with junction view
• Displays speed limit and accurate arrival time
• Easily find addresses and millions of points of interest
• Spoken turn-by-turn directions

Garmin 2597LMT

• 5.0” display
• Maps of 49 U.S. states, plus lifetime map updates
• Lane assist with junction view
• Displays speed limit and accurate arrival time
• Easily find addresses and millions of points of interest
• Spoken turn-by-turn directions

TomTom Go 50s

• Lifetime TomTom Traffic: Drive with TomTom Traffic for the lifetime of your device
• Lifetime Maps (US, Canada, Mexico): Always drive with the latest map
• 3D Maps. See buildings and landmarks in stunning 3D
• 5" touchscreen with advanced lane guidance

Learn more about the GPS products that Best Buy is offering this holiday season. 

No matter who is on your list this year, there is something for everyone at Best Buy. Even Santa would love a new GPS!