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Stay Alert in the Ford Fusion

Ford Fusion Alert Driving

Raise your hand if you ever have fallen asleep driving?  Even one of those nanosecond naps counts as falling asleep. It’s estimated that more than 250,000 people fall asleep behind the wheel a day.  As many of you travel in the coming week, I wanted to highlight some initiatives to keep you safe. I went to an event recently to test drive the new Ford Fusion. Part of the new design are a few bells and whistles to help keep you alert and safe on the road. The idea is that the advancement of technology in cars can act as preventative measures, instead of reactive.

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I also got to hear from John Paul, the “Car Doctor” from AAA at the Ford Driving event.  He shared some scary stats about how dangerous the “micro nap” can be. Maybe you don’t fall asleep behind the wheel, but the driver next to you might. He suggests taking a 15-20 minute nap if you are doing long distance driving. The other factors are getting a little exercise and caffeine. A large Starbucks is the most caffeinated coffee you can buy.

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Michael Kane, a Ford Vehicle Engineering Supervisor, shared with us the latest in technology in the Fusion. (also available in some other Ford models)

  • Lane keeping system.
  • BLIS (Blind Spot Information System)
  • Active Park Assist (I did this in the Escape driving event, loved it!)
  • Auto Start Stop (no more idling!)
  • Cross Traffic Alert (gives you a heads up when backing out of a parking lot space if a vehicle is in your way.)

This video about the Lane Keeping System explains it in this short video.

Ford Fusion Lane Keeping System Animation

Ford Fusion Lane Keeping System Animation

Driving the Fusion was a pleasant, and quiet, experience.  Besides the fact that my kids were not in the car, I noticed how extremely quiet the car drove. I love that feature. The drive was great, pick up top notch and it has all the cool Sync technology built in. Plus, I love the commitment to new safety features in an affordable car.

Love the eco friendly options in the Ford fleet!

Love the eco friendly options in the Ford fleet!

I helped coordinate this event and wanted to give a huge thank you to L’Aroma Cafe in West Newton. The scones and coffee were delicious! Urban Sitter kept the kids occupied so we could focus on learning about the Fusion. Thank you to all the participants who brought in donations for the local food pantry as well!

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The Ninja-My Little Kitchen Helper {Giveaway}

Ninja Cooking System Giveaway Random RecyclingIf you are a regular reader of my meal plans, you know that I often use a slow cooker.  What you don’t see is how often I use it for non-dinner meals and for making homemade yogurt. About six months ago, I realized we need a second slow cooker.  Luckily, I got the opportunity to review the Ninja Cooking System.  It has all the features I wanted in a slow cooker, plus a few more.

Here were my requirements in my new slow cooker, which the Ninja is able to do.

  • Programable timer for either low or high heat
  • Ability to saute/braise right in the slow cooker insert (less dirty dishes to wash)
  • Hold a roast chicken that is five pounds
Only one and half hours to cook this chicken.

Only one and half hours to cook this chicken.

Here are the other cool features I like about the Ninja.

  • Oven function. You can set it like a normal oven temp, then set a cook timer.
  •  Stove top function. At low, medium or high, you can sauté and braise without having to clean a second pan.
  • Easy clean up.
  • Steam baking. Haven’t tried this yet but the recipes will get a second look from me in the new year.

Ninja Cooking Chili Random Recycling

When I made chili the first time and could brown the beef in the Ninja without having a second pan to clean was the biggest selling feature for me. I often try to make the chili before heading out to church on Sunday so it’s a crazy rush and not coming home to a greasy pan is just a nice treat. One note to those who love the ease of a slow cooker-when you use the oven or stove top function, it’s considered “active” cooking.  You should still be around when you have the Ninja on using one of these functions.

My baked pasta dish in the Ninja.

My baked pasta dish in the Ninja.

So how would you like to own a Ninja Cooking System for your kitchen?! I get to giveaway one to my lucky readers, it’s the Ninja MC701 3 in 1 Cooking System, a $200 value. Contest is open to US residents only. Ends at midnight on 12/27.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Note: I couldn’t make my yogurt in the Ninja so far. I’ve tried twice. I think because it can heat faster than a traditional slow cooker, my temps are a bit off. The official chefs in the Ninja kitchen may test it out. If I revise my yogurt recipe for the Ninja, I’ll let you know!

Disclosure: I was provide a product sample to help facilitate this review. All opinions shared here are my own.

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Cypher Kids Club Reality Cards Review

As you work through your holiday shopping list, here is something for the tech savvy kids in your house to check out.  My tech savvy kids are little, but they do love playing around with my iPhone and iPad.  We use it as a treat but careful to make sure what they are doing is educational in some way. When I got the chance to review the new Cypher Kids Club Augmented Reality Cards, I was curious to see if my (nearly) four year old would enjoy them.

Cypher Kids Augmented Reality Cards

My daughter is learning how to identify her numbers so we started off with the interactive Numbers learning cards.  We downloaded the app from the iTunes store quickly and got started. (The app is free.) It’s easy to find if you have a QR scanner on your phone. The front of the box has a code that will direct you to the right app in the Apple App Store.

QR code to scan for the app

I played with the program first, which I always recommend when you are going to let your kids use a computer program. Also, I turn the phone to the airplane setting.  This reduces any possible radiation exposure to the kids using a phone.

She had fun testing out the numbers cards.

The flashcards themselves are bright and colorful. The application allows you to scroll through and pick the numbers you want to find. I mixed up the cards 10 and under for Madison to work on. Once we matched the number on the screen to the number on the flashcard we flipped it over so my phone’s camera could identify it. It’s like a kid’s version of a QR code on the back. Then the fun starts with an animated 3D-like experience where you can count the number of items from the card and watch them in action.

Screen shot from Numbers

It took me a few tries to get the hang of seeing the 3D images.  The trick is to hold the card a little further away until the entire image fills the screen.  When Madison tried it, she often held the card too close so we worked together on it so she could see the “reward” image once she was able to match her numbers.

She figured it out pretty fast.

The other cards we have are the Wild Animal Adventures and Letters. My little guy had some fun flipping through all the flash cards of the animal set without using the phone. Making the animal sounds is all he needs to practice!

Cypher Kids Augmented Reality Cards

The cards are available at Target and Best Buy. They would make a unique present for kids ages 3 and up. You can learn more about the Cypher Kids Club by visiting their Facebook or Twitter pages. Remember, any time kids are on a phone or tablet, this counts towards their daily screen time.  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children 2 years old and younger be exposed to no screen time. For older children, the AAP suggests limiting screen time — including TV, video games and computer use — to one to two hours a day of active viewing time. (source)

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and  Cypher Kids Club #CypherKidsClub #CBias #SocialFabric  All opinions shared here are my own.

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Making Eco-Friendly Choices Even During the Holidays

As we start to decorate our home for the holidays, I’m trying to be mindful of the products we choose to use and display. There are so many whimsical (and cheap) plastic holiday decorations in the stores, it’s easy to get caught up in buying them. This year I’m trying to keep our holiday design space simple and healthy. For us, that means no toxic smelling candles, no synthetic fragranced lotions and excess plastic decorations. This year it will be a lot more glass, fresh pine boughs and cranberry filled vases.

As a mom, and the shopper in our house, I am responsible for creating a healthy home. I try to educate myself by learning which ingredients to watch out for, and which products might pollute the air in our home. With two little ones in the house, I want to make sure the air we breathe is as clean as can be. Did you know many laundry and dishwasher detergent release fumes into the air that can create a toxic environment for your family? Once you start learning about this stuff, it’s really hard to go back.

I recently tested out The Honest Company line of products and they fill my need to buy green products for our family without breaking the bank.  There are so many questionable ingredients from the brands we grew up with and trust. We are lucky to have new companies join the movement to offer a healthier choice for our kids. Jessica Alba started The Honest Company once she became a mom and questioned some of the ingredients commonly found in kid’s products. She did something about it and created options that are safe, but also work. I’ve tried so many green products over the years and there is nothing more frustrating than realizing the item you spent extra money for doesn’t even work. No one of the “green” mindset wants to be wasteful. I want the products in my home to be effective, but hopefully pretty!

Madison loved her special body wash!

I make a lot of exceptions for other things around the holidays, like more TV time to watch holiday favorites and loads more sweets than usual.  At least if I can keep our environment at home less toxic, that will give us all a head start on staying healthy this holiday season.

The Honest Company was started by a mom and a dad who, like many modern parents, were increasingly worried about products made with questionable chemical ingredients. But the alternatives they found were often expensive, inaccessible, bland, or ineffective. In response to this clear need for something better, they created The Honest Company to ensure that parents (or anyone for that matter!) could easily find natural and non-toxic eco-friendly products that are beautiful, effective, and affordable. From customized product bundles to diapers and wipes to an ever-expanding line of cleaning and personal care products, you can find everything you need at Honest.com and have it delivered directly to your front door.
Give it a try! Click here to become a member of The Honest Company community and start your free trial today.

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Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Honest Company. The opinions and text are my own.

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