GeckoTech Product Reviews

Duck brand is branching out from more than just duct tape and I am super excited! Find these products and all your other Office Supplies on Shoplet.com.

Duck HP260 Packaging Tape w/Dispenser
Let's me honest, everyone loves Duck brand. I am so glad they finally make packing tape like this. I sell a lot of things on Buy Sell Trade facebook groups and eBay so I send our small packages from my home a few times a month at least. I think this tape unrolled the easiest of any shipping tape I have ever tried. Very little effort and unrolled nicely so it worked great to attached my Paypal labels onto the package without messing up the tracking information. The sharp edge is sharp, but not too sharp that I get accidentally cut when I use it.

Duck GeckoTech - Reusable Hook
I use this for my daughter's school bag and coat (like shown on the packaging) and it works wonderfully! It has a 5 lb weight limit so it might not work for older kids bags that have lots of books in it, but it def works great for my elementary school kid.
My favorite part is that its clear so you don't have to worry about it looking ugly or clashing with your wall decor.
I think the reason that this one works so much better than the similar Command brand hooks is because the area that connects to the wall is much larger on the GeckoTech Duck brand.

Duck GeckoTech Reusable Hooks

I really like that these hooks are removable. They are super easy to move and re-position on the wall. They are also water proof, which I haven't had to test out just yet.
I use this one by my front door for my keys so I don't lose them.
My favorite part is that its clear so you don't have to worry about it looking ugly or clashing with your wall decor.
I think the reason that this one works so much better than the similar Command brand hooks is because the area that connects to the wall is much larger on the GeckoTech Duck brand.

Last Children's Step Stool You'll Ever Buy

When Morgan potty trained last year, we had to get her a step stool so she could reach the toilet and sink easier. Due to urgency, we purchased the first things we found locally, a 2-step stool we got from WalMart. While it worked really well for the purpose, IT WAS SUCH A PAIN. It didn't collapse and so it took up like 12 inches of floor space in my very tiny bathroom. We were always tripping over it, having to move it or put it up and then scrambling to find it when she needed to go potty--not ideal for a potty training toddler at all.

A couple weeks ago I found this on Amazon and just to have it. Why? It folds. It's pink. It will support every member of my household. It has hearts. And its PINK, did I say that? So how did it fair in actual practice? Here's what I think:

It folds/collapses.
The folding feature is not only super convenient and helpful, but its really easy to do. Both my 4 and 1 year olds can fold and unfold it with easy (and do as they kind of think its a toy sometimes). I love that you can just grab the edge of the heart and lift it off the ground to fold it up. But even better is that when they push it over, it just folds up on itself.

Very well-made.
The plastic is wonderful too! It's very thick and sturdy and it also has little bit of a texture with it so I think it helps grip the feet of whoever is standing on it. Much better than the smooth texture of our old one. 

hearts. Pink. Need I say more?
But most importantly, IT'S PINK AND HAS HEARTS! I was soooo excited when I saw it (so was my daughter). The hearts are super cute too and it makes her excited to use it. 

Supports up to 220 pounds and very light!
It is really lightweight and easy to carry around for her. I have also stood on it (being only 5 foot tall) and not felt like I was too much for its weight at all, and it is advertised to support and hold up 220 pounds!

I donated my old step stool (and my easily attached daughter didn't even care) and I would never go back. This is best step stool we have ever used and I'm considering getting more for my house!


I received this product at a discount in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

Meet Lulu!

Meet Lulu is a magical coloring book that includes a stylus crayon for your iPad or Android tablet app (download of the app is free).

Here's how Meet Lulu is different than most other coloring books for kids: you can color on the pages or you can scan the pages into the app and color on your tablet device.

I tested this out with my 4 year old daughter. She looked the pictures and was really excited to have a special crayon that she could use on my iPad. Each page has a QR barcode that you can scan in the app to bring up that page, but it was kind of unnecessary because the app has the whole collection of coloring books listed and the pages easily displayed for the child to choose to color.

The stylus crayon worked, but not the way I wished. It has a rubbery tip and I wish it would slide along my iPad screen a little better, but my daughter didn't notice or care. The worst part is that my daughter decided to put the crayon in her mouth and bit it on the tip so it does not work pretty much at all anymore. However, the app works just fine without the crayon stylus and she still has the coloring book to use real crayons on.

The illustrations in the book were very adorable and my daughter thought they were so cool to color. It's really ideal for traveling or in the car because my child can color without needing any crayons--just her finger and my tablet.

I didn't see an option to save your progress on a page and come back to finish coloring it, but my daughter was a big hog of my iPad so I can't be sure that there isn't one somehow.

Great app and lots of fun for both of us. Neat idea!

Get yours here

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Depression Lies Because I Am Blessed

"Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed got made around 3:30.
The diapers soaked a little longer,
The odor grew a little stronger.
The crumbs I spilled the day before,
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints there on the wall,
Will likely be there still next fall.
The dirty streaks on those window panes,
Will Still be there next time it rains.
Shame on you, you sit and say,
Just what did you do today?
I held a baby til he slept,
I held a toddler while she wept.
I played a game of hide and seek,
I squeezed a toy so it would squeak.
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess that's true.
Unless you think that what I've done
Might be important to someone,
With dark brown eyes and soft brown hair.
If that is true... I've done my share."

One year ago, I was struggling more than I ever have in my life. I was a new mom-of-two and I felt like I was failing more than I was allowed. I felt like Morgan needed me more than I could give and Riley was dependent on me for more than I had. I was in an emotional haze and I was not living up to my own expectations.

One night, I called my husband in a panic and demanded that he come home immediately. I told him the thoughts that I couldn't get out of my head, thoughts that I had NEVER heard in my own mind before. I had looked at my life, and felt certain that everyone would be better off without me in their world, that my children were done a disservice for getting me as a mother and they would be so much better taken care of without me. I thought I should no longer be a part of this world.

Instead of listening my head, I called my husband and asked for help. I wept to him about all my failings and told him how scared I was of all the damage I was doing to our kids by not being a good mother....

And he reminded me that depression lies and that I was dead wrong. My children needed me and he needed me. He helped me take a deep breath and look at my sweet offspring. Riley was laying peacefully on my bed resting with his angelic face and Morgan was adoringly watching a show on her LeapPad next to him. Both of them were safe and healthy and well taken care of. The only person's expectations I was not meeting.... were my own.

So I convinced myself to give myself a break. And I am still here one year later, and my kids? Well my kids are... they are happy and healthy and well taken care of and amazing and smart and wonderful. They make my life worth living and remind of all the good I have done in this world by having them and teaching the best way to be an important part of our society.

I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mom and I am blessed to have these small humans love me so dearly. I am blessed to have a husband who cares about what I think of myself and continually reminds me that I am doing an amazing job.

In short? I am blessed.

Ice Pop Mold Maker Review

My daughter is a Popsicle fiend! Seriously, she wants Popsicle after Popsicle from the moment she wakes up until the time she finally closes her eyes at the end of the day. Aside from the fact that they lack all nutritional value, my biggest complaint is how messy they can be (and if there is a mess to be made, my daughter finds a way to make it--she is only 3 afterall).

While searching for an easy solution (I lack all creativity in every aspect of life), I stumbled upon a new company looking for bloggers to try their product and give honest reviews. That company is BeeSili and they offered me Silicone Ice Pop Mold Container to test on my Popsicle loving kiddo.

I used them in a sort of unconventional way (reminder: I am not crafty at all) by opening the flimsy plastic containers of ice pops and poring them into these ice pop molds. I did one set by pouring the unfrozen liquid Popsicle into the ice molds. They froze quickly and were super easy to push them up and break them into pieces because of the very flexible silicone that the molds are made of.

My other set was done after the popsicles were already frozen in the plastic sleeves that they came in. I just opened the plastic and smooshed the frozen popsicle into the mold. The kind of popsicles I had were not quiet the same size as the molds so I had to force the extra in the mold, or have leftover popsicle in the plastic still.

Some tips for use from BeeSili's amazon listing:

*6 ice pop molds stand up in a cup or glass for easy filling
*Each mold holds 3.3 oz or about 1/3 cup
*Leave 1" at top for expansion when frozen
*Run warm/hot water over sides of frozen pop to loosen for easy push up
*Fill pops: left over smoothie mix, juice, jello, yogurt, pudding, coconut, almond or chocolate milk with berries, left over baby food, leftover sauces & more!
*Adults Only: Margarita, pina colada, daiquiri mixes, jello shots & more!
*Pets: On the go, travel snack keeper for your pet's treats
*Keep snacks fresh: Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, granola, veggies, candy
*Travel: Snacks, vitamins, Q tips, cotton balls, gum, mints

My favorite part of this product has nothing to do with this product, but the company behind it. These silicone products were created to fund a project that benefits soldiers with PTSD. More information can be found here: www.brainbodybalance.com I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.