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Noblo Beach Umbrella Buddy – Review

Erin Sluka

I have partnered with Noblo for feature

Noblo Beach Umbrella Buddy - Review

Living in the Pacific Northwest we love heading to Ocean Shores or Seaside, Oregon for weekend getaways. If you have ever visited the West Coast you know how windy it could get here. You want the shade but the wind is such a hassle with a beach umbrella. The makers of the Noblo (get it? ‘No-Blow’) understand this and so they have a solution and I tried it out. Only, I have not driven to the beach quite yet so I decided I need this for a different reason. I use it to hold my patio umbrella on our windy days so I don’t have to keep taking it up and down depending on weather.

We bought a new home last summer and this spring we finally got the concrete poured to elongate our patio. That means I finally got to shop for patio furniture and utilize our backyard to entertain. I chose a table that is a glass top because in my experience they last and clean well. However, living at the Cascade foothills we get those downhill winds. If we have them in the forecast I have to take my umbrella out. If it were to tip the table would go with it and the glass will shatter.

I decided that because I like the way Noblo looks and attaches it could work to save me having to not lug that patio umbrella on and off. I was able to attach it just like on a beach umbrella and then it sits under the table. I attached mine through the umbrella table hole as pictured and it holds. No one could trip over it. Set up is so easy so why not use it on the patio? *Note it is not labeled anywhere to be a patio umbrella anchor so guarantee on your table safety, but I decided to use it as a hack this way and so far so good on my table.

  1. Fill the Noblo bag with sand up to the labeled fill line and cinch closed
  2. Attach velcro strap  above umbrella spokes
  3. Set Noblo aside and keep your shade

The Noblo is available on Amazon. It is available in blue or red. You can also visit the Noblo website to learn more.

Deals, Home

Key Duplication While On the Go with KeyMe

Erin Sluka

I have partnered with Key.Me for feature

Key Duplication While On the Go with KeyMe

Sometimes it’s the littlest things that excite your child and you had no clue they would react in such a way. Our latest little moment was when our duplicate house keys arrived in the mail. We bought a house at the end of summer and with all the move-in and home decor tasks I am still getting to some things I have not checked off my list. One is getting our oldest a house key and a spare key made. This way our oldest can come over if ever we are away and need him to and if power were out and the garage code won’t work he needs to have a key. So I found a KeyMe kiosk and that’s when I found out how exciting it was to a 9 year old to be handed a house key ( at least this 9 year old was super excited)!

I went to my local Bed Bath and Beyond because they have a KeyMe kiosk and I needed a few things from there anyway. Their kiosk is right in the entrance so I touched the screen, chose my design which I chose a Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks key from their sports designs and followed the instructions from there.

It was very easy and quick. After selecting my designs it prompted me to stick my key in the port and hold it there for maybe 3-5 seconds. The KeyMe kiosks require a fingerprint scan and/or a credit card swipe to access scanned keys. It scanned my fingerprint in a few seconds and now my key print is secure and cannot be copied by anyone but myself.

In 3 days my keys were in my mailbox in a discrete white envelope. It didn’t even give the KeyMe name or logo on the outside and the keys are inside a yellow envelope. There is no way for anyone near your mailbox to know there are keys inside that envelope.

This is where a 9 year olds excitement comes to play. I am taking the keys off of the paper so I can get our spare tucked away and the second key onto a ring to give to our oldest when he comes for dinner in a few days when our youngest son comes into the kitchen and sees the keys. He excitedly asked if those are our house keys and as if I had just brought home a bag of candy his eyes got so big when he asked if one was for him. He knows the garage code and is very seldom home alone except maybe a 2-5 minute layover after school on rare days so I never thought about him needing or wanting one. I told him if he really wants one to pick one and the grabbed the Seattle Seahawks key. Then he went running upstairs to find a lanyard and proudly wore his very first house key around his neck that afternoon.

Well now I just gave him our spare key so I need a third one made after all. It’s a good thing KeyMe is also an app. I just log in and it remembered my key I scanned that day at the store and I don’t need t go back there. I just pick another design and it is on its way! Reordering is so easy and I don’t leave my home.

Find a KeyMe kiosk near you by visiting their kiosk locations.

Gift Guides, Holiday Gift Guide 2017, Home

35 Handy Uses For Your Handheld Steamer

Erin Sluka

I have partnered with Nugeni for feature. Opinions and story are my own

With all the talk about the effects of harsh chemicals can you blame those of us who need alternative cleaning methods? I don’t want to use all of those in my home and I have spent a lot of time mixing essential oils to create my own cleaners when I have those extra messy jobs. Now all I need is my handheld steamer.

When I was sent the nugeni STEAMPAC+ Handheld Steam Cleaner I actually had to research how to use a steamer and what I can use a steamer on. I was a bit ‘steamer’ illiterate and I was amazed at what this lightweight, handheld cleaner can do and without any chemicals!

What can I clean with my Handheld Steamer?

  1. Sanitize Mattress
  2. Clean Draperies
  3. Clean Ceiling Fans
  4. Freshen Clothing
  5. Clean Windows
  6. Clean Tile & Grout
  7. Clean Around Toilets
  8. Shower Doors and Water Spots
  9. Bathtub Scum
  10. Vanity/Mirrors
  11. Toothbrush Holders
  12. Window Screens
  13. Pet Cages
  14. Litter Box
  15. Clogged Drains (Washer/Dryer)
  16. Dirty Desks
  17. Laminate Floors
  18. Disinfect Doorknobs
  19. Sliding Doors
  20. Mirrors & Frames
  21. Mini Blinds
  22. Sealed Hard Flooring
  23. Patio Doors
  24. Pet Stains/Odors
  25. Window Coverings
  26. Coffee Table Stains
  27. Sanitize Toys
  28. Ovens/Cooktops
  29. Stainless Steel
  30. Sinks and Faucets
  31. Backsplash
  32. Baked-On Messes
  33. Car Interior
  34. Window/Slider Door Tracks
  35. RV’s/Boats Interior

Tell me, which of the above surprise you most? Before we moved into our new home this summer I traded mattresses for my son with a neighbor. She had a full and needed a twin for her daughter and I had a twin and wanted to upgrade for my older son. I knew they were clean, didn’t smoke and it was in thee garage for a bit. It still has a musty odor anyway to me.

What a perfect test for the Nugeni Handheld Steamer than to see how well it eliminated that mattress musk. The best part is that I don’t need to use any chemicals or harsh products. I steamed using only the steamer.

contents nugeni handheld

I then went on to attack those hard water spots on my shower. I have been using 2 chemical products to keep these sports and bay. One to eliminate build up and one to clean as no matter how well you spray to protect the build up it happens anyway.

steam clean showers

nugeni steamer handheld

What a great gift! Think of how handy this would be to a family you are shopping for this season or all year long! PS-this steamer also is great to keep in RV’s while traveling away from home! nugeni also has lightweight vacuums too! Visit nugeni to learn more including where you can purchase.

Back to School 2017, Gift Guides, Home, Kids, Moving with Children

Children’s Crazy Carpet Circle Seats – Review

Erin Sluka

Thank you to Koeckritz for product sent for feature. Opinions and story is my own

Children's Crazy Carpet Circle Seats - Review

This has been such a hectic moving week. The movers came Wednesday for our items and they will be stored in a vault until our home build is complete late July. We are in a hotel until then near our new town. If you have recently moved you know about boxes, planning and the cleaning. We were renting where we lived so we really had to deep clean as we left. One of my last tasks was shampooing carpets. I did some shampoo where I could so that after the movers came I would just have the few spots under big furniture on the last day. That was a huge time saver.

We had a huge yard sale weeks ago and sold a lot of our older furniture including the dining table. Then I went to shampoo the carpets where our son has to sit and eat. That was pretty nerve wrecking. I am handing him cereal and soups over a nice clean carpet with stern instructions on being careful. Then my carpet circles arrived!

Koeckritz has brilliantly turned the soft cut pile – Polyester Filament Fiber into seats and in my case, floor savers! Initially I thought about my Mom’s classroom when I knew they were coming. But, when I was standing on clean carpets with lunch warming up and the doorbell rings to some boxes. The carpet circles I opened up turned on a light bulb, “Wait! Anthony, I have something to put under that chicken bowl!”

There is no way liquid would meet my fresh carpet even with a spill over this rug circle. These do make great sitting circles for classrooms, daycares and even churches, but are also great at home. As a 2nd grade teacher my Mom says, “these would be great to keep the kids more still… to give them special floor spots that are much more comfortable than the floor we use at reading and activity time”. As a Mom I thought, “how great for sleep overs when a movie is on. The kids can sit on these instead of the hard floor or can use them like placemats to save my carpets”.

No matter how you see a use for these they are built to last. They are made in the USA and the edges are sewn with fabric tape so they should not fray. There are a few sizes and colors to choose from and you can buy 1 or a set of 6 that saves you if you buy the bulk.

You can find the Children’s Crazy Carpet Circle Seats online. Want to save? You can use the code: blog17 to save 15% on your entire order (excluding clearance).

How would you use your carpet circles?