*Product Reviews & Deals Archives

December 5, 2017

Monday Must Have Tech Gifts That You’ll Want to Keep for Yourself!

As we head into the holidays, I’m sure you’re busy trying to get everyone on your list a special gift to show them how much you appreciate them this time of year. But let’s face it. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get exactly what you want on your holiday wish list? Well, in case you’d like to slip someone a note or send a text with links to a few must have items, I’m here to give you my top five items for moms that you will thank me for after you convince someone to buy it for you or just throw caution to the wind and purchase it yourself.

For the Fitness Enthusiast Who Hates the Gym: One word. Peloton. It’s life changing. It’s fun. The music is fantastic – especially if you’re like me and are trapped in the 80s. The coaches are great (love love love Jenn Sherman). The community is incredible. And once you start spinning or taking those Beyond the Ride sessions, you’ll never want to set foot into a crowded spin class again.
For the Frustrated Chef with No Patience: Two words. Instant Pot. I purchased the Instant Pot last year and since that time, I have learned how to cook eggs, pasta, chicken, meatballs, apple fritters, oatmeal and much more in my Instant Pot – an electric pressure cooker that cuts the time it takes to cook anything in half. Today I made meatballs from scratch and linguine in under 30 minutes. And I just read an article about one woman who lost 100 pounds this year and saved a boatload of money just by cooking all her family’s meals in their Instant Pot. Skinny and budget conscious at the same time? Pure genius.
For the Ultimate Hair Fanatic: Thanks to my Peloton Community – more specifically, the JSS Tribe (that’s Jenn Sherman’s community on Facebook), I just discovered the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer. It’s a little pricey ($399) but the feedback I’m hearing is pretty amazing – it dries your hair in record time and it gives you a salon quality look at home. Save money on those DryBar visits and invest in this must have item for the straight hair obsessed.
For the Music Lover Trapped in their Favorite Decade: Nothing really beats having an Amazon Echo right in my kitchen. Whenever I want to know the weather, the news or play a song from the St. Elmo’s Fire soundtrack, all I need to do is ask Alexa. My son knows how to operate Alexa from his phone too and there are tons of compatible apps you can activate just by saying her name. The price has been reduced too so it’s a total steal these days.
For the Stylish Smart Watch Lover: If anyone knows me, then they know I am obsessed with Michael Kors. I have so many Michael Kors bags I could open up a pop up shop. But what I don’t have are watches. The moment I saw the commercial for the Michael Kors Access Smartwatch, I was hooked. The watches are gorgeous and you can receive text messages, see social media updates, search Google and more. You’ll look like some trendy spy with your stylish new watch. So put it on your holiday wish list – or just make things easier and buy it for yourself!

September 1, 2017September 5, 2017

College Road Trip…The Official Freshman Drop Off with Ford

It’s been eight days since we officially dropped our daughter off at college and as a Freshman parent newbie, I have to say, there are definitely things I would do differently after seeing other kids arrive with their parents. As our daughter was packing for school and I was busy shopping at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Harmon and Home Goods, the pile of items we were planning to transport to Philadelphia was enormous. So much so that we quickly realized there was no way we were going to able to fit everything into our small SUV.

But thanks to Ford, which had generously offered me the chance to try out their 2018 Ford Explorer, we managed to fit everything into their SUV. The 7 seater white SUV which was tricked out with tons of technology and a dual sunroof, arrived the afternoon before we hit the road – giving us the chance to start putting all of our daughter’s belongings into the trunk as if it was an elaborate puzzle. What I really loved about the car was that the third row folds under electronically – expanding the size of the trunk which also opens and closes with the press of a button. We managed to fit all of her clothes which had been stuffed in huge duffel bags that we had previously used for sleep-away camp. I had also read on the popular college parents blog Grown & Flown that I should buy large plastic Ikea bags to pack more of her things in the car so I of course bought about 6 bags and stuffed as much as I could inside. Take a look…

Thankfully, the SUV had a back up camera so even though we couldn’t see out the back window, we were safe because we were able to see what was behind us. I also loved that the car beeps if you are too close to a car next to you — which totally helps when you’re parking. Another favorite tech option is a light that appears on the side view mirrors which warns you not to change lanes if a car is too close to you. And if you’ve been driving too long, it will ask prompt you with a message to consider taking a break!

While I couldn’t see my family as we drove toward Philadelphia, I still managed to find some room for my legs in the comfy leather seats. One of my favorite options in the second row was the USB charger and plug that’s conveniently placed in the middle console. That came in handy when my son decided to finish his summer homework on the way back from a trip to the Hamptons later that weekend. But I digress…

When your son is 6 feet tall, you wind up in the back seat on college move in day. @Ford #FordExplorer @templeuniv here we come!

A post shared by RoleMommy (@bethfeldman) on Aug 24, 2017 at 9:47am PDT

We made it to Temple University and unloaded the SUV within 5 minutes and then my husband went to park the car so that we could load everything into the dorm and before we knew it, she was moved in.

Even though I think we moved half our house into her dorm room – which incidentally is nicer than most city apartments I’ve seen–they have a view of Philadelphia from their windows-I still found myself feverishly ordering more items that were shipped to her dorm from Amazon Prime Target, Dormify and Bed, Bath & Beyond. Lesson learned – you don’t necessarily have to take everything with you on the first day, thanks to modern technology, even if it arrives a few days later, it’s still totally fine. Take a look at how her room looks now…it’s so awesome it was even featured on the Dormify Instagram page!

move in day done right 👌 // rg @beccadreww

A post shared by dormify (@dormify) on Aug 31, 2017 at 6:12am PDT

Once we drove back home, we took the Explorer for another road trip – this time a weekend visit to my parent’s house in the Hamptons and on this adventure, we brought our son and our dog Santana, who happens to love driving in the car with us. We made sure to put her dog bed on the floor and covered her seat with a blanket and she obediently took her seat and watched out the window until we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

From Philly to New Ro and now to Southampton. Road tripping with @Ford #FordExplorer and @santanafuentes

A post shared by RoleMommy (@bethfeldman) on Aug 25, 2017 at 3:32pm PDT

Over the weekend, we managed to squeeze six of us in the car, visited a winery, hit the town of Southhampton for ice cream, shopped and before we knew we it, we were back on the road…

Since we have to turn our car back into the dealer within the next few months, I have to say, that I totally loved the Ford Explorer. I may opt for an even smaller SUV but was so grateful to be able to take our daughter to college in one car! Thanks so much to the team at Ford for your generosity…I am officially a Ford fan!

Disclosure: The Ford Motor Company provided a Ford Explorer for our family to test drive for our college road trip and weekend adventure. All opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own!

June 16, 2017

The Diet Chronicles: Week 1 of Nutrisystem

Well, here you go again. It’s the summer and that can only mean one thing. I have to lose weight…and since I’ll be putting on a bathing suit next month, I need to do it fast. So what am I going to try this time? Thanks to Marie Osmond, I’ve decided to try Nutrisystem. I may not have to lose 40 pounds, but hopefully 20 can come off easily.

Take a look at my story and I’ll fill you in each week on how I’m doing with the plan!

May 26, 2017May 29, 2017

Affordable Retail Therapy in the Hamptons

Feeling much better after a little retail therapy!

The summer is almost here and for me, that can only mean one thing – it’s time to hit the Hamptons! Now truth be told, I do not have millions of dollars. Luckily, my amazing parents, who were super smart back in the day, purchased a home in Southampton a few years before I got married and never left. That means that my husband and I have had a summer home away from home where we were able to bring our kids and our dog practically every weekend. I’ve loved getting the chance to visit my parents and one of my favorite things to do is to shop!

Now for those of you who have never been to the Hamptons, the sticker shock at some of those boutiques can be daunting, but if you are a savvy shopper like me, you can track down some amazing finds in between all those ridiculous prices and come back with clothes and accessories that will have your friends constantly asking you, “Where did you get that?” So today, when one of my favorite stores was closed (I’m crossing my fingers she’s not out of business), I found another great store that just moved from Jobs Lane to Main Street that is definitely going to be my new personal fave…Therapy Life & Style.

Day 1 – Therapy Life & Style

The minute I walked into this boutique, I fell in love with all their cute tops, dresses, jeans, sweaters, beach cover ups, pretty much everything. But the best part about the store are the prices!!!! I was totally expecting to see price tags that were out of my range and thankfully, everything in the store is affordable! Take a look at my fabulous finds..

Love these two tops from Therapy Life & Style in Southampton – totally could have bought out the entire store!

Day 2 – Piccolo Bella, 49 Main Street, Southampton

The secret is out – every summer, without fail, I find the cutest tops, skirts, dresses and summer sweaters at Piccolo Bella, a fabulous boutique located right next to my favorite furniture store, Hildreth’s. This year, we stopped by the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend and the store was closed and I was afraid they may have gone out business, but luckily, they were just getting ready for summer season and when they removed the paper in front of the windows, the results were amazing. I picked up a beautiful white silk top that will be perfect for our upcoming trip to Paris to celebrate my daughter’s graduation.

Day 3 – Southampton Farmer’s Market

One of my favorite things I love to do in the summer is visit the Southampton Farmer’s Market which takes place every Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The Farmer’s market is a foodie lover’s heaven featuring local cheeses, wines, baked goods, honey, gluten free items, flowers, pickles, chicken burgers and more. But there’s more than just food – there’s also jewelry and today, I even found an awesome hat vendor. Take a look…

Check out this amazing new hat – super stylish in time for Paris trip!

Day 3 – Westhampton, Chic Boutique

While it’s easy to spend the entire weekend strolling the streets of Southampton, there are a ton of towns to explore and one of my personal faves is Westhampton. There are even more amazing boutiques to visit and today, I discovered Chic Boutique and it was love at first sight. I picked up three gorgeous tops that are perfect for work, vacation and weekends too. And best of all, the prices are totally affordable.

My new favorite shopping addiction in Westhampton…Chic Boutique

While my shopping adventure might be complete this weekend, there’s much more to come when it comes to the Hamptons. Next up…my favorite restaurants. For now, I’m going to try on my latest fashion finds!

December 23, 2016

Hate Going to the Gym? Then Buy A Peloton!

I don’t know about you, but I hate going to the gym. I hate feeling self conscious. I hate going to a class and feeling like the most out of shape person there. I hate seeing my reflection in the mirrors and I hate screaming kids in locker rooms and I hate walking into a spin class and thinking there’s a bike available but in reality, three quarters of the bikes are broken and a lot of the participants are on their third class of the morning and they’re not going anywhere.
My flirtation with Peloton began about three years ago. I was really hating my gym membership at New York Sports Club where I would inhale cleaning fluid every time I was on a cardio machine because I seemed to always pick the precise time the cleaning staff decided to vacuum or spray the machines. At the time, I saw a Peloton showroom open at my local mall and I pretty much thought it was something for the uber rich — sort of like the Tesla showroom that was on the lower level.
But then I started seeing lots of ads about Peloton everywhere I went. If I was on Facebook, it would pop up in the corner of my page and I became intrigued. At this point, I bit the bullet and decided to join an even more expensive gym that came complete with a swanky lockerroom, indoor and outdoor pools, rows and rows of equipment and lots of classes. At first, I really enjoyed the gym, but when the honeymoon was over, I started to realize that I just didn’t like going to the gym. The classes were still too crowded, and I still felt like the most out of shape person there.
At this point, I discovered the Peloton app so I downloaded it on my phone, walked up to a random spin bike in the cardio area, selected a Jersey Boys theme ride and I was off. Instantly, I fell in love with the instructor and the music. There’s something to be said about spinning – as long as you have great music to guide your ride, it makes it go that much faster. I then tried a few stretching exercises with one of their coaches and then drove home.
I used the app for a few more months and then visited the Peloton showroom again. This time, I was way more serious and found out about their financing option – I’d be able to pay a little bit more than what I was paying for my monthly gym membership but this time, I would get to take classes in the privacy of my own home. I didn’t bite the bullet at the showroom but when I saw a Facebook friend had taken the plunge, I finally decided to pull the trigger.
The bike arrived a few weeks later and I have been loving my Peloton bike ever since. From the coaches who are so fun and encouraging, to the theme rides — I personally love the Diva rides and the 80’s rides to the scenic rides where I was able to visit Costa Rica right from my guest room. I’ve had the bike for about two months now and between myself and my hubby we’ve logged about 85 rides.
There’s really nothing that compares to this bike — you can take classes live, on demand, the scenic rides and select the duration of the ride you’d like to take. Plus, there’s another option called Beyond the Ride where you can take yoga classes, shadowboxing, stretching, weight training and more. And if you travel, you can still use the app so that you don’t miss a workout.
For more information, you can visit Peloton.com – trust me, you are going to love it — especially if you’re not a gym lover, this is going transform your life.

December 15, 2016May 23, 2017

Ellie Krieger Talks about the Importance of Gut Health #RenewLifeProbiotics

When I think about the one thing that can stop me from cruising along with my busy life, it’s definitely gastrointestinal pain. While I don’t talk about it among friends or strangers, I typically haven’t had too many issues when it comes to my gut. But when I do, I pretty much dread that feeling where all you do is pray the pain will stop and you vow never to eat whatever got you into that mess in the first place.
For me, the story that comes to mind was the first time I tried carpaccio – if you don’t know what that is, it’s raw meat. I was on my honeymoon in Italy – a time where the last place on earth I wanted to be was in a bathroom. In Florence, my husband and I decided to be daring and try carpaccio but since my body had never digested raw meat, I became violently ill and experienced intestinal pains for the rest of our trip. For the record, I have never tried carpaccio ever again.
That leads me to a really refreshing lunch conversation I had recently with the nation’s leading go-to nutritionist Ellie Krieger. I’m always obsessed with finding out the latest trends in staying healthy and losing weight and I found out about the importance of incorporating probiotics into your everyday diet and how that helps to maintain a healthy gut but also aids in building up your immunity – perfect timing during these winter months.

If you didn’t know already, the “gut” is considered the core of your body’s overall health and well-being and can affect your entire body, including immunity, digestion and more. According to a recent survey**, nearly three-quarters of women (72 percent) have experienced
a digestive/gut issue in the past 12 months and nearly two-thirds (64%) of women aren’t willing to talk about it with their friends.
There are more than 100 trillion live cultures of many diverse strains inside your digestive tract that can be easily disrupted by stress, diet, aging, certain medications and even the environment. At the luncheon, Krieger shared that one of the most efficient and impactful ways to bring balance to the digestive tract is with a probiotic like Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics.
It turns out that while we can get probiotics from a variety of sources, including yogurt, dry kraut (not the kind that you store in the fridge), kafir and many more food, Renew Life Probiotics come in supplement form so you can easily take them every day along with your multi vitamin. They even have a women’s formula that also helps with urinary tract health too and they also highly recommend that kids take probiotics too. Probiotics are vital to everyone’s health and Renew Life’s Ultimate Flora Probiotics offers formulas specially designed for everyone in the family, from kids to seniors, to support digestive balance and immune health everyday.
Since 70% of the immune system is located in the intestinal tract, maintaining gut health is a key part of maintaining your overall health.
To help keep your complex digestive system thriving and restore good bacteria, Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics deliver unique potent, multi-strain formulas to help achieve good health from the inside out.

During our discussion, many of the attendees came clean with their own gut issue stories and what we discovered was that we weren’t alone. Krieger shared that nearly three quarters of women (72 percent) have experienced a digestive/gut issue in the past 12 months with gas/bloating (53 percent) being the most reported issue, but nearly two in three women (64 percent) aren’t even willing to talk about gut issues with their friends.
Ever since we had the lunch, I’ve been taking probiotics every day and I have to say, that I my system has become a lot more regular if you know what I mean! I also gave Renew Life to my daughter who typically has a sensitive stomach and has to avoid certain foods and she’s been taking it regularly too.
Here’s hoping that this year, I’ll finally get my gut in gear with the help of Renew Life Probiotics and Ellie Krieger! Renew Life Probiotics are available at health food stores and major retailers, including Target and Walmart. Visit RenewLife.com for more information.
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer’s Network

February 13, 2016

Having Fun with #KillerSpin During the February Freeze

Recently, my husband and his good friend opened a 25,000 square foot sports facility in New Rochelle, New York called A-Game Sports. The space is pretty amazing with indoor turf for soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball, strength training and more. If you play on a team sport, there’s always something for everyone. But what I happen to love about the space is that there are tons of places for parents, grandparents and kids to hang out or in the words of the world’s largest table tennis brand Killerspin…it’s time to #UnPlugNPlay!

The team at Killerspin, which had sent us a portable table tennis set for our home, set up a professional style table at A-Game Sports and it’s been a huge hit. The really cool thing about the table is that it’s super easy to assemble and you can even split it in two so if you don’t have anyone to play with, you can literally push it up against the wall and play yourself! The Killerspin paddles are also super cool and my son says when you play it actually seems like the speed is faster than with one of the older tables we had been using at home. Take a look and check out this recent match between father and son…

Killerspin is the world’s only luxury table tennis experience brand. They have tons of great options for families and businesses and what I love is that they are encouraging families to spend time together with a fun game of ping pong.

So far, we’ve found the Killerspin table to also be a hit with kids, parents and the coaches at A-Game Sports who have played several high energy matches in between their sessions. Honestly, the thing I love most is not seeing kids glued to their tablets or phones when they are at A-Game Sports. Finally, we have an indoor space for kids to run around, get some great exercise and #UnPlugNPlay! A big thanks to Killerspin for adding even more fun to the newest home for sports enthusiasts!

To find out how you can find the ideal Killerspin table for your family, visit their website today for some really amazing deals!
Disclosure: Killerspin provided my family with a complimentary ping pong table for review. All opinions are 100% my own.

February 12, 2016May 24, 2017

Remember Hunting for Hidden Pictures in the Highlights Magazine as a Kid?

Perhaps your family received the magazine at home each month or read it in the doctor’s office. Either way, Highlights for Children has been a part of many of our childhoods. Devoted fans know that the Hidden Pictures puzzle has always been on Page 14. It’s still there after 70 years! Can you believe no two puzzles have ever been repeated?
A new Highlights Hidden Pictures mobile game was just released in the app stores, and the game has been reimagined for our kids’ mobile play habits. It was designed in partnership with Fingerprint, the top expert in children’s edutainment apps. You can try it with your kids and see who’s quicker at finding the toothbrush, banana or pencils! Odds are that your kids will find the objects faster than you!

The new mobile game includes timed and challenge modes to let kids test their search skills against the clock. The puzzles have a range of themes from sports and amusement parks to travel and history are added regularly.
Anyone wanting to check it out, can download it for free for 7 days on either their iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet. Afterward, it costs $2.99 a month, and new puzzles will be delivered regularly.
Can you guess what the top 3 hidden objects have been over the past 70 years?

The total number of toothbrushes hidden since the beginning of Hidden Pictures is 1478! Maybe the new game, will give us a new way to talk to our kids about brushing their teeth?

To check out the mobile app and download it, visit the iTunes store today!

January 23, 2016

#UnPlugNPlay with Killerspin!

Recently, I was introduced to an amazing company called Killerspin which offers a diverse array of ping pong table options for enthusiasts and professionals. The team at Killerspin was nice enough to offer two different options to try out. One was a professional table that we’ll be sharing details about soon, but the first is a portable table that’s perfect for living rooms, dens, basements and even when you’re visiting friends and family!

Forget the XBox and the Wii – it’s time to go back to doing the things we all used to love as kids where we can get up off the couch and start playing. Take a look…

Killerspin is the world’s only luxury table tennis experience brand. Killerspin produces highly designed table tennis products and experiences that allow institutions and individuals to connect with people they care about. Family, friends, co-workers and customers can #UnplugNPlay with Killerspin.
One of my favorite things about my family is that we are totally old school – we love playing games that are fun for everyone and we don’t spend hours on end with video games. That’s why getting the chance to play ping pong in our living room was just the trick for a snowy day at home.
This winter, Killerspin is encouraging families to #UnplugNPlay – turning off those electronic devices and turning any room in your home into a full fledged ping pong tournament. Considering we are in for another 10 hours of snow, my family is going to be gathering around our Killerspin table where the four of us will face off in a Blizzard of 2016 ping pong match!
So this winter, why not convince your kids to put down the devices, pick up the paddles and play ping pong. To find the best Killerspin table for you, visit their site today.

We’re also offering an awesome giveaway for our readers. Sign up today and you’ll be entered to win your very own portable Killerspin table that you can use in your home, at family events and even at the beach — if you live in a warm weather climate or counting the days until summer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

December 19, 2015

Acer Cloudbook Review: Affordable Computers for Your Middle Schooler

When it comes to computer usage in our home, I have to admit, we are all hopelessly addicted. My husband and I rely on our computers for both of our businesses (yes, two entrepreneurs living under one roof can be stressful to say the least). My daughter, who is a junior in high school is always using her computer for homework, research, group chats, Netflix streaming and much more. And then there’s my son. As an eighth grader, we’ve made it clear that we won’t be investing in an expensive computer for him until he heads to high school but he does still need one to complete homework assignments and projects.
Thankfully, I was recently contacted by the PR team at Acer who introduced me to a brand new affordable computer that’s less than $200 that comes complete with Microsoft Office. When they offered me the opportunity to try it out, I jumped at the chance and knew exactly who would be super excited to give it a try.
Acer Cloudbooks are ideal for anyone who wants an online-oriented notebook with a full-fledged Windows 10 experience. The Cloudbook includes a full version of Windows 10 along with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal and OneDrive online storage. The Aspire One Cloudbook 14 features a 14-inch HD display, Intel Celeron processor and 32GB of internal storage. It also provides up to 14 hours of battery life and weighs just 3.5 pounds, so it’s a great solution for kids who may want to carry their notebook between home and school. The model I received for review (AO1-431-C8G8) is priced at just $199 and is available at Walmart.
So far, my son has really enjoyed the new Acer Cloudbook and has already used it for his homework assignments and he even took advantage of the games featured on the computer. He also showed me the option where we could connect our XBox to the computer so that he can play his games on the Cloudbook and not monopolize one of our TV’s. Overall, the Cloudbook is an affordable option for kids in elementary and middle school and I’d highly recommend it to families in need of an extra computer for their kids.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Acer Cloudbook for review. However, all opinions are 100% my own.