Review - @AcmeMade Union Pack Laptop Bag #Travel-Friendly

There is no better way for me to protect my new laptop than with cushy protection. The wonderful people at Acme Made sent me one of their great laptop bags to review. Right off the bat, I love how versatile it is, I have been using it for class and plan to take it with me as a carry-on for my trip this December, as its perfect for both. I received the Acme Made Union Pack in black. This laptop bag is very sleek and well made, fits laptops up to 16.1" comfortably. My Toshiba has a 15.6" widescreen and fits very snug in the back compartment, which also has a special integrated pocket for an iPad, I use it for my eReader. The Union Pack is so wonderful and withstands quite a bit, its bombSHELL technical fabric that is waterproof, durable & abrasion resistant with a nylon mesh core. The Union Pack has great storage, including a see through mesh pocket, pen and credit/card storage and key holder.

I love using the Union Pack fro school. My laptop fits snug, along with a book and other school supplies I need for the day. I am the type that doesn't always like carrying my backpack on my back, but like to hold it vertically. Thats no problem with the Union Pack, as it has a sternum support strap and a handle on the side and top. The padding on the back helps in not feeling like your carrying bricks on your back, it makes it comfortable when I do carry it on my back. This is especially important for the airport, as I tend to stress out and hate to carry anything while figuring everything out. It will also make it easier to take out my laptop and put it on the screening bin.

Acme Made has many attractive laptop bags, camera cases, and iPad, iPhone and eReader covers. The Union Pack is also available in a beautiful purple. It is very well made and extremely comfortable on your back. I love its versatility and the ease of finding things inside is great with all its storage. I have not spilled any liquids on it, but with its bombSHELL waterproof fabric, I won't worry if I do. A huge thanks to Acme Made for the opportunity to review their laptop bag!

Also, head on over to Acme Made's Facebook Page to enter to win an iPad 2 and case of your choice! Just click on the Sweepstakes Tab. The contest ends November 30th, GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Kensington PowerLift Back-Up #iPhone Battery #Travel-Friendly

Traveling means taking a LOT of pictures, or at least it does for me. I have a camera, but since my iPhone 4 is always at arms reach I tend to use it to snap quick videos or pictures. This is all great, but constant picture and video taking paired with listening to music on my phone will drain it battery. Thankfully Kensington provides useful products to help with that.

I received the Kensington PowerLift Back-Up Battery, Dock & Stand for iPhone. As you can tell from the name, its does quite a bit. It serves as a battery charger in which you can dock your iPhone and use it as a stand. This is perfect for those who are busy at their office/desk areas and typing away and get a notification on their phone. You can have it docked and standing facing you, allowing you to ready your notifications without having to stop typing and pick up your phone.

The Kensington PowerLift is a portable 1200 mAh charger which provides up to 20 hours of music, 5 hours of video, 3.5 hours of talk, and 1.5 hours of FaceTime on the iPhone 4. All this is encased in a handy square case with a kickstand with an LED battery indicator light that lets you know how much battery yo have left. I just throw it in my bag, as it practically weighs nothing. The Kensington PowerLift has a handy attached USB cable to plug to your computer and sync it, while charging both the Kensington PowerLift AND your iPhone at the same time. That is a great feature, but it brings up a huge con, being that the USB cable is far too short. Its fine when plugged on your laptop, but a huge disadvantage for my desktop, as it would have to be left on the floor, plugged into the computer unit on the floor. 

The Kensington PowerLift is so easy to carry around and gives me enough back up battery time to last throughout a day while constantly taking videos, pictures, listening to music and using FaceTime. It certainly is a great back-up battery to have, especially to take on my trip. It retails for about $49.99 and is very well worth it. A huge thanks to Kensington for the opportunity to review their iPhone battery and keeping us connected while out and about! :)

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Polaroid Image Sunglasses #Travel-Friendly

I find it amazing that I didn't look into sunglasses for our upcoming trip. This makes no sense because we're heading to a country that virtually has no Winter or Fall season, it is Summer all year round. Makes sense, it is located in the tropics. Polaroid was kind enough to provide me with a pair of sunglasses from their Best Under The Sun Collection to review. I chose the Polaroid Image Sunglasses in Matte Black. These sunglasses retail for $110 and are of very good quality. The Polaroid Image Sunglasses are styled after the 80s aviator sunglasses. Aviators were extremely popular in the 80s, and not just in the U.S. There are pictures of my dad in Nicaragua rocking Aviators in many pictures, it was a huge style all around the world. Polaroid Image Sunglasses:

• Polaroid polarized lenses for glare-free vision
• 100% UV400 protection - protects eyes from UVA, UVB and UVC rays
• Comes wtih Best Under the Sun case and microfiber cloth

The sunglasses are very sturdy and well packaged in their Best Under The Sun case for maximum protection. I tried these sunglasses out for about a week but just couldn't get used to them. I adore them but they are far too big for my face. They take up about half my face, no joke. My dad has been wearing them lately and took a huge liking to them. We both love the style, but it ultimately looks 100x better on him. It works out great, as he often has long 1+ hour drives and the sun hits him right in the face, but the sunglasses help out with that problem thanks to Polaroid's polarizaion lens technology.

Polaroid's Best Under The Sun collection has many different styles of sunglasses sure to fit everyone's style. Another paid I adore is the beautiful cat-eye frames from the mid 50s, rightfully names Marilyn. A huge thanks to Polaroid for the opportunity to review their great sunglasses, they will be put to great use under sun on our trip! :)

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Audiovox D710 7" Portable DVD Player #Travel-Friendly

Imagine being stuck on a long 6+ hour flight on a plane. Now imagine the hearing the flight attendants announce the featured movie they will be showing and its one you don't like or want to watch. That won't be a problem for me, since I'll have a handy Audiovox product to keep me entertained on the flight. On my last flight, I was stuck watching "Last Holiday"... and I am not a Latifah fan.

We were sent the Audiovox D710 7" Portable DVD Player that can play DVDs, CDs, CD-R/RW and has picture CD playback. We have no need to listen to music via CDs or view pictures on a portable DVD player, but the extra features are a nice perk. The portable DVD player works effortlessly, you pop in a DVD and it automatically plays. Nothing better than simplicity. It is very sturdy and has a nice form.

The portable DVD player has a 7" screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The built in stereo speakers are located right under the screen and have good volume, although at the highest setting it tends to sound a bit garbled. There are handy buttons all throughout the top left hand side of the device. Buttons are nice, identifiable and big. There are handy outputs for audio and video on the side of the device, as well as two, yes TWO headphone jacks. I think that is a wonderful addition, since either me and my sister or my baby sister and little brother will be watching movies on the plane and won't have to share earphones. In the box came came included a car charger which has come in handy since we've received it.

While I find the simplicity of using the Audiovox DVD player a great plus, the screen is not the greatest resolution but does have nice vivid color. At times it looked a bit grainy, but I do like how it is not a shiny screen, but rather matte. Another con is its size, not its weight, but its size. While closed, this portable DVD player is a whopping 1.6" thick. This wouldn't present much of a problem if you're going to a family's house or camping and want to take it (and its charger) with you, but when taking it on a flight, size matters. Overall we have really enjoyed taking the device with us on long 1hr+ car trips for my younger siblings. It will surely be a great thing to have with us on the long plane ride. A huge thanks to Audiovox for the opportunity to review their product.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question,  from the company or their representing  PR company,  free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Giveaway - Zoobies 3-in-1 Blanket Pets #Travel-Friendly

Being stuck on a plane for a 6+ hour flight at night with kids requires sleep, for them mostly. We usually depart around 11pm or later so after all the craziness that is the airport, they need sleep on the plane. I am a HUGE germaphobe though and will never allow them to cover themselves in airplane blankets or use the pillows provided by the airline, I just don't trust them. Thankfully, I came across Zoobies, a company with a very kid-friendly travel product, and they sent me a little buddy to review.

We received the Zoobies Wyatt the Wolf Blanket Pet. He is super adorable, my siblings and I chose him because he remind us of our dogs, which we will be missing when on our 1-month long trip. Two of three of our dogs are Siberian Huskies, and this Zoobies Blanket Pet reminds us of them, as Huskies have a resemblance to wolves. Although named, we promptly changed his name to "wolfie", which fits him much better.

I have to say, this is one well made product. His gorgeous eyes, tail, color combination and other features are beautifully detailed. The fur is extremely soft, so soft you just might find yourself petting him as if he were a very obedient dog. This little guy comes with many perks, the best being he transform into a blanket, plush pet toy and pillow.

Wolfie has a 44" x 34" coral fleece blanket inside, the size is great for my both my siblings on the plane. It is very soft. I also adore the fact that you can unzip and completely undetach the blanket from the rest of the pet. It makes it much more versatile. When done, it is very simple to zip it back, fold it up and stuff it back in. The velcro tabs are very sturdy as well, they keep him nice and plump for plush toy-mode. So convertible, easy to unzip and wash the blanket and just a beautiful detailed 3-in-1 blanket pet. This is a wonderful product for traveling or any other occasion really. We absolutely love it.

Zoobies has a variety of Blanket Pets, from Wyatt the Wolf to Bobo the Baboon. There's one for all animal lovers. Zoobies also has Slumber Pets, Blankie Babies and Storytime Pals, which are special editions of popular children's book characters and include Curious George. A huge thanks to Zoobies for the opportunity to review their great product. They have been generous enough to provide 1 lucky Student-Saving-Bucks reader with a Zoobie Blanket Pet of their own!

Want to win a Zoobies Blanket Pet? Click "read more..." to enter the giveaway!

Review - @Energizer AP1201 Energi To Go iPhone Charger

Energy. I need a LOT of it. I remember on my last trip to Nicaragua my phone would die so I wouldn't be able to receive or make any calls. This wasn't too much of a problem, since I was with plenty of people with working phones. Now, m phone acts as a backup device for almost everything... including "cell phone services". So if it dies... I'm out of luck. Not anymore! :) Thanks to the great people at Energizer, I received a pretty cool little gadget that will help ensure my phone won't be without power on my trip.

I received the Energizer AP1201 Energy To Go iPhone Charger. This is no ordinary charger, its a charger that doubles as a skin for your iPhone. The case is made of recycled silicone rubber. Most of the back is a harder type of plastic and inside the bottom is where you'll find the 30-pin apple connection where you'll slide your phone into. This skin is meant to protect your phone while being a portable charger as well. The one con I have is that the skin itself attracts a lot of dust and lint. I don't usually have a case on my phone, I have a Tokidoki-theme sticker skin which protects it from scratches but not falls. So, the change is quite dramatic for me. It feels a bit thicker in my hand with the case on, as its a little more bulky around the middle, where the harder plastic is located. The charger is about 1/2" longer than the phone itself, but does not look or feel like a dramatic extension. On the contrary, its shaped to redirect sound to you while watching videos or movies.

I loved the packaging it came in, included inside was the Energizer AP1201 Portable Charger, the USB Charging Cable, a users manual and welcome card. The charger itself is great, very lightweight. Although its a bit bulkier, I have gotten used to it in the past month. It is non-slippery so my phone has not fallen out of my hands since using the AP1201. I do not use it on a daily basis, but have found that carrying it in my bag (fully charged) works out better for me when I won't be away from a power source for long. As for how much extra power its given me, I have estimated it at about 4-6-hours, depending on many things. With WIFI on and running a couple apps, browsing the internet and listening to music or watching youtube videos, I got at least an extra 4-hours. It was longer without the extra apps, youtube videos and/or WIFI. It is very reliable. The cut outs were cut cleanly, especially the wide cutout for the camera and flash. There is a cool feature hidden on the back plastic area of the AP1201; when you press the button on the bottom corner, blue LED lights will appear indicating how much energy is left on it. When pressed for about 2-3 seconds, a red LED light will appear and the AP1201 goes into "quick charge" mode, in which it charges your iPhone faster.

Overall, this Energizer AP1201 iPhone charger is a GREAT lightweight solution for me. It is travel-friendly and will serve me wonderfully on my trip in December. Although I do not like the fact that it easily attracts lint and dust, it keeps me in the loop by keeping my phone from dying. A huge thanks to Energizer for the chance to review this product and the Energizer Universal USB Wall & Car Chargers.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Stop Bugging Me! Bed Bug Spray

As I have mentioned, I am going on a trip in December and will be stuck in a plane for over 6+ hours. I am a HUGE germaphobe and get chills thinking about germs, insects and bugs, so you can imagine how worried I'd be about sitting on a plane seat. They do not wash them after each flight, and I do not know who sat in the seat prior to myself. I won't even get started on the pillows and blankets they hand out, yuk!

Thanks to the wonderful people at Stop Bugging Me! I received five bottles of their Stop Bugging Me! Bed Bug Spray bottles; two 12oz. bottles and three 3oz. bottles, which retail for $19.99 and $7.99 respectively. The 3oz. size bottle is travel-size and you will want to take one with you if you are flying. Stop Bugging Me! is safe to use around kids and pets, which sold me immediately. The 12oz. bottle can treat up to 7 queen-size mattresses, and the 3oz can treat 2 queen-size mattresses. So how does this work? You simple spray it on your mattress, where it kills over 50% of bed bugs in 30 seconds and 100% within 15 minutes. The smell of the spray is not offensive whatsoever, it has no strong chemical-type smell, but it still leads me to leave the room until it dies down.

I am especially happy that this product in naturally derived, 100% biodegradable and safe for use around kids and pets. The spray is specially marketed to kill bed bugs but can also be used to control other pests like ants, dust mites, cockroaches, spiders, termites, ticks, carpet beetles and other skin-tingling crawling pests. I have used it on my queen-size mattress over the month AND used it to rid my room of ants. Ants are horrible over the summer, you leave a piece of candy out and in the morning my room is crawling with ants. I vacuum the ants and then spray the area with Stop Bugging Me! spray and they don't come back. It was wonderful to have handy.

The travel size bottle is great to carry around in your bag for use on plane seat, theater seats, luggage, your bag and many other surfaces. I will def. be using this on mine and my families plane seats and our luggage as soon as we arrive at our house in Nicaragua. A huge thanks to Stop Bugging Me! for helping germaphobes like not worry about getting infested with bed bugs on a long flight! :)

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Coby SNAPP CAM5002 HD Digital Camcorder #Travel-Friendly

There is no need for me to mention that we want to be able to record our trip to Nicaragua in December, because everyone that travels like to have digital memories. During our hunt for travel-friendly products, Coby has been a strong contender, as we previously reviewed the Coby VZon MP957 HD Media Player, which is ideal for the plane ride. Now we get to review another great Coby product I think everyone who is not too tech-savvy should have without sacrificing sleek looking device OR its ability.

I'll be recording our memories with Coby's SNAPP CAM5002 HD Digital Camcorder. Off the bat I will say this is a great digital cam for the non-tech savvy people. It is extremely easy to use. There is a switch on the top left hand corner that hides an integrated USB plug that allows you to easily plug it into your computer and upload whatever photos or videos you took. There is only 32MB of internal storage on the device, but there is a handy SD slot for an SD memory card (up to 32GB) to record much more. If you're not tech-savvy, chances are you can't get around to editing your videos, but Coby includes Muvee software which makes editing very simple, so simple my parents can actually edit videos.

On to the specifics of this device. The camera came handy with an A/V cable, USB extension cable, hand strap, CD and a handy black pouch to keep it from getting scratched up. The SNAPP CAM5002 comes with an integrated battery, so no need for AA or AAA batteries to carry around. It has a 2" color  LCD viewfinder to allow you to see what you're filming, 4x digital zoom, integrated speaker and the ability to take pictures (5MP) and record in 720p HD resolution. The battery allows you to record a little over 1-hour of video (when set to HD recording).

The SNAPP CAM5002 retails for about $99, but can be found for as low as $40 on sites like Amazon. We used a 4GB SD memory card and have comfortably recorded many things since we received the camcorder. We don't have a need to record for hours so its perfect to use on 10-30min. clips for us. I can't stress how easy it is to use. You turn it on, the menu is simple, then press the record button to capture it all. I can't lend my parents my iPhone 4 to record, but they can certainly use the SNAPP camcorder, as it is 1000x easier to get around. As for quality of videos, Its not HD channel on your TV-type quality, but the video is rich. When plugged into our HD tv it certainly shows rich colors, the zoom does not have a choppy effect on the video and the audio is very decent. The device is VERY light in your hand, so much that it feels a little unsturdy, but we have not had a problem with it. The only con I have about the device is that it does in fact feel light, as if there is a lot more empty space in there than should be. If that were the case, a slimmer casing would be ideal.

Overall, for the price, the Coby SNAPP CAM5002 HD Digital Camcorder is great! Especially for the non tech savvy people who want to capture special moment in life here or while traveling. I honestly can't wait to head to the Isletas de Granada in Nicaragua and video tape the boat ride on this device! A huge thanks to Coby for providing us with both great devices! They will be coming in handy on our trip! :)

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Energizer Universal Wall & Car USB Chargers #Travel-Friendly

Continuing my journey of finding some travel-friendly products for our trip in December just gets better. There is nothing more convenient than coming across a products that you can use for traveling, and is JUST as handy at home. I found one! Energizer was kind enough to send over their Universal USB Wall Charger and Car Chargers. I have them in use now, and they will be in my bags when we leave as well.

The Energizer Universal USB Wall Charger and Universal Car Chargers are perfect for me. The majority of things I own or carry with my on a daily basis has some sort of USB cable I can charge it with, but along with each of those cables comes a bulky AC adapter. I was not looking forward to lugging all of those with me on my trip so the Energizer USB Wall Charger is a PERFECT product for me to have.

The Energizer Wall Charger I received to review was a double. The wall charger itself was a little bulky, compared to the smallest single one I have, which is for my iPhone 4. The convenience of being able to charge two of my electronics via one USB wall charger is absolutely great! It can charger USB powered devices up to 5W of power, this means most of your Cell and Smart Phones, MP3/MP4 Players, Digital Cameras, etc. The Energizer Universal USB Car Charger is just as great, but in a convenient single or double USB device you plug into your car's cigarette lighter outlet. For those of you who are international travelers, the wall charger is 100-240V, 50/60 Hz, meaning you can use it anywhere in the world, provided you have the right plugs.

They are available in single (MSPR $14.99) and doubles (MSRP $19.99), as are the Energizer USB Car Chargers. Both have a fold-out plug for easy storage and a 1-year limited warranty. They are worth the purchase, I highly recommend them if you have many electronics that require charging via USB. A big thanks to Energizer for the chance to review these great products

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Coby VZon MP957 HD Media Player

I've been on the prowl for some great products for our upcoming trip in December. Since we are traveling with the entire family, we need things to keep my 5 and 9 y/o siblings entertained during the 6+ hour flight. Naturally, a portable DVD player came to mind, but when I got the chance to review Coby's media player, I didn't know which would be better! We received the Coby VZon MP957 HD Media Player to review. Off the bat, this thing looks great, handy size, but with a small 5" screen, I didn't know if it would be worthwhile. I'll start off with the contents available in the box, and this was a big plus for Coby, as the VZon MP957 comes with handy cables. Included were Stereo Earphones, USB Cable, AC Adapter, Black Protective Pouch, Remote Control and an HDMI Cable.

This small but powerful device packs 4gb of internal flash memory with an additional expansion for micro SB cards. The internal memory was enough for me to pack 2 seasons of Are You Afraid Of The Dark, which has a total of about 22 episodes about 25min. in length, with room to spare. All this is viewed on a 5" TFT LCD screen (800 x 480 resolution) that has the ability to display movies in 1080p HD quality. One thing I love about it is that it is a true MEDIA player, I have loaded a couple ebooks to read, it has a functional calendar, FM radio and storage to view pictures and listen to music. Loading media on the device is simple, you can also load it onto an existing microSD card and pop it in.

The Coby VZon MP957 comes with handy cables, ports and outputs, including 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD slot, video output, MiniUSB port, and HDMI output to watch your content on a big screen. That is where the handy little remote control comes in, and handy it is. It feels a bit delicate to me, but we don't really use it. The device also has integrated stereo speakers, and the volume is quite loud when set at highest volume. I've tested out its rechargeable internal battery and have gotten about 3-1/2 hours of play time on the highest brightness setting, which isn't really enough, I wish it were able to give more play time on its charge. Its small size is what I love about it. It will surely be on my carry-on luggage loaded with movies and shows for my siblings to watch.

As for the MP957's interface, it takes some time to get used to it. Holding it in your hands you can't help but touch the screen to click something, but it is not a touch screen. Everything is done with the handy navigational button on the top of the device, where the power button, ESC, forward, back and menu button are located. Its interface is difficult for kids to use, my little brother who is 9 had a hard time, and he is very handy with electronics. The screen, despite only being 5", it surprisingly accommodating. Also, big pro is that the LCD is NOT glossy whatsoever, which tends to glare when watching or reading off the screen. No messy fingerprints to wipe off either. A huge thanks to Coby for the opportunity to review their MP957. Although we have found a few cons with the product, we think the pros outweigh them. This is a great little device with a wonderful high resolution screen that will surely keep little eyes busy and entertained when traveling in any form. It retails for about $99.99 but can be found cheaper on Amazon or other online retailers.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Travalo Classic Perfume Atomizer Spray Bottle #Travel-Friendly

I have taken some perfume bottle in my luggage before on an international flight, only to open my suitcase and find it spilled all over my towel. Once, I put tape around the cap hoping it wouldn't spill, but it did. The last time I took it on my carry-on luggage and the TSA monsters trashed it because it was against regulations to take a full-size perfume bottle aboard. That was a very expensive perfume bottle too.

Thankfully I won't have that problem this December when I board my flight. Travalo contacted me and sent me their Travalo Perfume Atomizer Spray Bottle. What the Travalo is, is a pocket-sized travel-friendly container made of aluminum to hold your perfume, cologne, body mist spray, etc. If your fragrance has spray nozzle, you can most likely fill up your Travalo with it. No need to use funnels and have spills, or guess how much liquid you poured inside.

To fill up your Travalo, all you do is place the bottom of the bottle on top of the spray nozzle of your fragrance bottle and pump away. The Travalo bottle has a clear-window so you can see how much liquid is inside. Travalo has three size available, Pure (5ml.), Classic (4ml.) and Excel (5ml.) which retail from $9.99 - $19.99) in many different colors. I received the Travalo Classic, which is a mere 3in. long, weights only 0.5oz. and holds about 50 - 65 sprays of your fragrance. It is extremely lightweight but does NOT feel cheap in your hand. Since its made of aluminum it is very strong, and its unique pressure regulating system allows it to adjusts to changing air pressure during flights, preventing any leaks. It is Aircraft Approved for your carry-on/hand luggage.

I hate carrying my perfume bottle in my bag, so I have been using the Travalo for my favorite Burberry perfume and its wonderful. I haven't needed to refill it yet but filling it up took a mere minute. Its extremely easy and fast to use. It doesn't weight down my bag and works fine. A huge thanks to Travalo for the opportunity to review their Travalo Classic, which retails for $15.99. It will definitely be traveling with me this December. Any product that a company backs with a lifetime guarantee is surely to make someone happy.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Dr. Drip Coffee and Vapur Fun-Size Anti Bottles

Traveling to other countries is fun... lugging around a coffee maker isn't. I wasn't looking forward to finding a place in my suitcase for my bulky coffee maker, but now luckily won't have to. I recently got the chance to review some Dr. Drip Coffee products and have to say, this is one ingenious idea! I also had the chance to review some fun new Vapur Anti-Bottles, I love these things!

Dr. Drip is a single-serve brewing system that is portable, much like instant coffee from one-time use pouches, BUT Dr. Drip has come up with an ingenious way to make it so we can brew coffee portably. How is this possible? They have this super-cool packaging that includes the coffee and filter. It is individually wrapped as well, so its truly portable. Crack open a box, open the pouch and follow the instructions on the packaging. All you need is hot water and a cup. I wanted to see how portable Dr. Drip was so the other morning I took a pouch with me and went to class. My professor has a handy little microwave in the class so I heated up some water, opened the pouch, placed it over a disposable cup and brewed coffee... IN CLASS. Crazy fun! Everyone seemed to enjoy the smell of fresh coffee floating around the class, even the smell of coffee wakes you up :) The coffee itself is a 100% Arabica bean mix, I preferred the Double Daily Remedy I received over the Organic Tonic, as it didn't have a rich flavor.

I also received the Vapur Fun-Size Anti-Bottles in Purple. These BPA-free anti-bottle hold 14oz. of liquid and are a great size for kids and their lunch bags. My sister who just started Kindergarten has been using the white/purple Vapur fun-size anti-bottle and loves it. She can open it easily to drink and likes that it doesn't take up much space after its empty in her cute lunch bag. The Vapur Anti-bottle is freezable, washable, foldable and reusuable.

Overall, I think both are great ingenious products that are very eco-friendly. I had previously reviewed Vapur (regular-sized Anti-Bottle) and loved it. I use it very often and have even bought some for friends of mine that seemed to adore the idea of its foldability (lol). The Dr. Drip's packaging, filters and coffee are recyclable, compostable and biodegradable, making it that much more appealing. Huge thanks for the opportunity to review both these products!

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Nonni's Biscotti and Old London Snacks

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but I do like my snacks. After being on Nutrisystem I now take a close look at calories and am not crazy enough to eat more than 150-calorie snacks. So naturally I was wondering what snacks I’d be able to take with me on the plane that wouldn’t go over my limit. Thankfully I was sent several snacks to try from Old London and Nonni's, which uses the original family recipe including real eggs, butter and gourmet bittersweet chocolate. Yum!

I received Old London’s Melba Toast Sesame, Melba Snacks Toasted Garlic and Bagel Chips Spicy Cheddar. Old London has many recopies on their site and I decided to try the Chinese Chicken on the Sesame Melba Toast and it was great! I couldn't think of a way to make them so I'm glad I now have that recipe. The Spicy Cheddar Bagel Chips were wonderful by itself. They aren't really spicy but have a great smoky cheddar taste. The Toasted Garlic Melba Snacks were wonderful with some fat-free cream cheese. These snack were great and all are fairly low-calories, the Melba Snacks were a mere 60 calories per serving (4).

I also received Nonni’s Biscotti in Decadence and Turtle Pecan and Biscotti Bites in Almond Dark Chocolate and Classic Almond. The Biscotti in Turtle Pecan and Biscotti Bites in Almond Dark Chocolate were my absolute favorite. The consistency of the biscotti is wonderful, it has crunch but wasn't too hard to chew. Both varieties have the bottoms dipped in chocolate. The caramel bites in the Turtle Pecan is a wonderful chewy and sweet treat. Biscotti Decadence is the perfect companion with a cup of coffee in the morning, or iced coffee drink in my case. I found the Classic Almond Bites to be quite plain but love the other 3 biscotti products. Biscotti Decadence and Turtle Pecan are only 100 calories per biscotti and individually wrapped so I've taken them in my bag for a fast snack.

Old London Products include Snacks, Toast, JJFlats Flatbreads and Bagel Chips in many different varieties. Nonni's Products include Biscotti and Biscotti Bites in many varieties. A huge thanks to both for the opportunity to review their great snacks! These will definitely be coming with my on my carry-on for my trip this December! They are delicious and very light snacks for on-the-go eating.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Oxylent Multivitamin Drink

I am so exited for our month-long trip this December, the jet lag is another story. As soon as I get off the plane I feel that humidity, hot sun and hot weather slap me in the face. Going from 30-degree weather in Los Angeles in December to 100-degree weather in Nicaragua puts a real strain on me. I'm usually in front of the fan 24/7 for the whole trip, its really draining. Thanks to Vitalah, the makers Oxylent, we received a bunch of Oxylent goodies to keep me nice and alert!

I received Oxylent Children, Prenatal and Original. Now, I'm not pregnant, nor do I want to be any time soon, so I couldn't personally review the Prenatal Oxylent. The Children's Oxylent was the victim of my siblings. I took one of their aluminum bottles, filled it with water and mixed it with the Children's Oxylent. I didn't tell them what they were drinking, but they swore it was the Hawaiian Punch drink mixes we use. Taste-wise, they loved it. They drank it the 1st day back to school and they were pretty hyper coming home. This is not an everyday thing though, they are usually wanting to rest or take a nap as soon as they get home so the difference in energy was very noticeable.

I got to try the Oxylent Original Multivitamin Drink mix. Its so simple, you just mix it in with water and drink up. Oxylent drinks boost your immune system and energy levels without the 100 calorie energy drinks loaded with sugar. They are packed with great vitamins like Vitamins C, B6 and D, calcium, zinc, potassium and Niacin, among many others. I loved the flavor of the drink, I had to add more water so I could thin out the taste a bit, I like my drinks light. I have had quite a few right before heading to my classes and have found myself not yawning during class. I absolutely love it! Oxylent was originally meant for those who travel frequently but has evolved to a nutritional supplement for everyday life. Oxylent comes in effervescent form, and its effervescent delivery system offers nearly 100% immediate absorption of its vital nutrients. 

A huge thanks to Vitalah and Oxylent for the opportunity to try their products. I'm glad to know I'll have something to combat jet lag and fatigue when I go on my trip. I'm happy to know I'll be able to spend more time going out and exploring rather than staying indoors in front of a fan.

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.

Review - Bounce, Tide, Dryel and Downy; Travel Essentials

My upcoming month-long trip is still 3 months away but I can't help and start stocking up on things that we'll need. Being away that long will definitely require some planning. Aside from that, I am having fun looking for all kinds of travel-related products that I can be a big use to us. We got the chance to review a travel essentials kit containing:

*A 3 oz. version of Downy Wrinkle Releaser 

*A Dryel Stain Pen
*Tide Odor-Absorbing Travel Bag.
*Bounce Lint Roller.

This was a perfect little box full of travel essentials to have on hand. The last time we went on the same month-long trip together was almost 4 years ago. We were traveling with an almost 2 and 6 year old which seemed to wrinkle their cloths on the long 6 hour plane ride. At the time we didn't have a handy Downy Wrinkle Release spray, but we are armed with one now.Its ha a light fresh scent that smells delicious! Its only 3oz. which makes it perfect to take on a carry-on, as it meets the FAA liquid requirements. 

The bounce lint roller smells as if I'm rubbing dryer sheets all over my clothing, and I love the smell of bounce. It has 30 sheets and seems to last very well. The Dryel Stain Pen works very well. I've used it on an unfortunate Orange Julius drink spilled on my little sister's white shirt. It works very fast and is very easy to use. The one item that brought a lot of joy to me was the Tide Odor-Absorbing Travel Bag. I'm used to living out of my suitcases for a month and dirty or clean, all clothing ends up in the suitcase. I am very happy I'll have a place to separate them, and it doesn't hurt that its odor-absorbing. Its bright and blue, microbial resistant and made of breathable fabric. A huge thanks to OneCARE Co for sending me their wonderful travel essentials kit to review!

Disclaimer: I was NOT paid for this post, however I did receive the product in question, from the company or their representing PR company, free of charge in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and I have provided a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation for my review nor was I under any obligation to give a positive review.