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How to Make a Perfect Pork Top Loin Roast With MEATER: Review & Recipe

December 23, 2017 by Beeb 7 Comments

Pork top loin roast
Sample provided.

I’ve always had the tendency to overcook meat, “Just to be sure it’s done”. When I was 19 and first living on my own, I distinctly remember making a chicken stir fry for dinner that ended up being raw in the middle due to my lack of experience, and from then on I’ve always been paranoid about repeating that mistake. A mouthful of raw chicken really leaves an impression…

I’ve used meat thermometers in the past and was in need of a new one, so when I had the opportunity to try out a MEATER Probe, I thought it sounded like the perfect thing to add to my kitchen. Unlike traditional meat thermometers that rely on long wires hanging out of the oven, MEATER is a wireless meat thermometer that pairs with an app on your phone. Simply place the probe in your piece of meat, and it will “Meter” the temperature and alert your phone as soon as the food is done. Check out my video below to see a demo of my first time using MEATER:

I am so impressed with this product! It was easy to set up and use, and works exactly as promised. To use it, simply open the MEATER app to start cooking, and select the type of meat and how you’d like to cook it – rare, medium, well done, etc. For my first test making this roast, I just selected the USDA standard doneness of 63 degrees, which the default; this resulted in a roast that was crisp on the outside, but still tender inside. Next time, I’m going to try cooking to medium doneness to make it even more tender!

MEATER

Once you’ve selected your cooking setting, inserted the thermometer, and placed it in the oven, the MEATER app will take a little bit to estimate the cooking time, so just let the app do its thing. After maybe 6, 10 minutes, the app will show the time remaining until the meat is done, with a real-time readout of the temperature. It’s really cool! I was able to cook my roast without any guessing – I knew exactly how hot it was, how long it needed to cook for, and when I pulled it out of the oven, it was cooked to perfection.

You can still use your phone while the app runs in the background – when I returned to the app from using Twitter or another application, sometimes the progress of my current dish didn’t show up right away and I was worried that it might have reset, but it popped up again after a moment. The app pairs with the thermometer over Bluetooth and has a range of 30 feet, so I needed to leave my phone in the kitchen while it cooked, but the app makes a loud sound to notify you when the meat is finished so you don’t have to worry about missing it; and the MEATER Block, which is currently available to pre-order, will extend the range of your MEATER as well as having its own readout and the ability to cook multiple cuts of meat at the same time. Ooh, I can’t wait until that product comes out!

When you’re done using your MEATER probe, simply stick it back into its wooden charging block to prepare it for the next use. The charger runs off of a rechargeable AAA battery and has a magnetic backing, so you can hang it off the fridge for ease of access instead of digging through your kitchen drawers going, “I know it’s in here somewhere!”.

The MEATER is an amazing gift for any grillmaster dad or foodie friend; it would also be a perfect wedding or housewarming gift. It’s available for $69 on Meater.com and I definitely recommend picking one up for yourself or a loved one!

And to help you through this hectic holiday season, I’d like to share my recipe for making an effortlessly perfect pork roast using MEATER:

How to Make a Perfect Pork Top Loin Roast

Ingredients:

1 pork top loin roast
Bella Sun Luci Korean BBQ Marinade
Cooking spray

Directions:

Line a baking dish with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Place the roast in the dish and cover with the marinade, turning the roast a few times to coat all sides. Insert the MEATER probe and cook at 400 degrees until the MEATER app alerts you that it has cooked to your desired doneness. Serve with rice or your favorite side dish. Eat, and enjoy!!

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, recipe, review, Tech

This Years Top Little Tikes Toys

December 18, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received samples so we could include little tikes in our holiday gift guide. You can find the videos on The Holiday Gift Guide.

 

Little Tikes has been one of our favorite brands since my kids were little tikes. We received a list of things that are hot items from Little Tikes this year and we chose a few to feature. For example, the kids loved the Pogo It.

 

And the Swim to ME Puppy

 

 

We also received the Little Tikes Light ‘n Go 3-in-1 Activity Walker and Little Tikes Tire Twister which we are giving away as holiday presents and can’t wait to show you photos of those in the new year when the recipient is able to post with the items. Believe me he’s a cutie, he should be modeling.

 

For the Littlest Hands

 

  • Little Tikes Light ‘n Go 3-in-1 Activity Walker Age: 9 – 36 monthsclip_image002
  • Little Tikes Light ‘n Go 3-in-1 Sports Zone Age: 12-36 months

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For Little Builders

  • Little Tikes Waffle Blocks Age: 2+ clip_image008
  • Little Tikes Construct ‘n Learn Smart Workbench Age: 3+

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For Bigger Kids

  • LTXtreme Land/Sea RC Age: 8+
  • Little Tikes Pogo IT! Age: 4-10 years

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For Dog Lovers

  • Little Tikes Swim to Me Puppy Age: 3+ years

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Things That Go Vroom!

  • Little Tikes My First Drone Age: 4+clip_image016
  • Little Tikes RC Bumper Cars Ages 3+clip_image018
  • Little Tikes Tire Twister Lights Ages 3+

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MORE ABOUT LITTLE TIKES

Little Tikes is a world-leading toy brand that encourages kids of all ages to get active and engage in imaginative play.  Since 1970, Little Tikes has developed a reputation for high quality, safe, and durable toys.  The vast range of Little Tikes products — ride-ons, role play, sports, furniture, outdoor and more — all get small bodies moving, spark curiosity, create wonder and gets kids dreaming big.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, toy review

5 Hot Mattel Toys

December 18, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received samples from Mattel and created videos for our Holiday Gift Guide.

 

 

Road Rippers Street Beatz: Custom-designed vehicles with high-impact speaker-pulsing action!

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Hot Wheels Stretch FX-Dieselboy: Stretch the car and watch it GO! Or pull back the car to reveal the engine with lights, music and driving sounds as the vehicle comes together and drives away.

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Barbie Cruisin Corvette R/C: Control the full R/C action of the car with a joystick remote control. It can fit any size Barbie doll!

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Cat Construction R/C: Running on a 2.4GHz frequency, this rugged R/C dump truck can scoop up and load gravel, sand, and loose dirt just like the real thing.

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Rev-Up Monsters: These 4×4 push-powered monster trucks are one wild ride!

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Thomas Stop & Go R/C: This R/C features train noises, Thomas phrases with just the push of a button, a realistic train conductor and more!

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Cat Machine Maker Jr. Operator: This construction set comes fully equipped with a chunky machine operator figure and pieces to build your very own Cat machine.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, review, toy review

The GOTRAX HOVERFLY Hoverboard: An Out-of-This-World Gift

December 17, 2017 by Beeb 1 Comment

GOTRAX HOVERFLY
Product provided.

Are you looking for a gift idea for the young (or young-at-heart) that is out-of-this-world awesome? Then let me introduce the GOTRAX HOVERFLY hoverboard! These sweet rides include self-balancing technology, a Training Mode option to get you rolling faster, and a variety of space-age colors like Planetary Purple. Talk about living in the future! Watch the Gift Guide video below to see my hoverboard review:

To find a GOTRAX HOVERFLY retailer near you, visit GOTRAX.com.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide

Gifts For Every Woman From 7 Charming Sisters

December 9, 2017 by Beeb 2 Comments

7 Charming Sisters Holiday Gifts
This post is sponsored by 7 Charming Sisters.

Oh, holiday shopping! Are you dreading the crowds? Cringe at the thought of hustling from crowded store to crowded store? Why not save yourself the hassle this year, and find fabulous gifts for every woman on your list from 7 Charming Sisters? You know I’m a big fan of their jewelry, which was the creation of seven women who had been colleagues for years. They created seven different lines of jewelry inspired by each woman’s personality, from edgy to bohemian. Because their jewelry represents every type of woman, there is a gift for every lady on your holiday shopping list! And it’s a purchase you can feel good about, as 7 Charming Sisters is dedicated to helping those with disabilities find jobs; many handmade pieces are created by those with intellectual disabilities who earn commission. Learn more about 7 Charming Sisters and see my top holiday gift picks in this fun video:

These are the pieces featured in the video:

  • Fashionista: Opulent Goddess Necklace
  • Super Mom: Creature of Comfort Earrings
  • All American Girl: Stone Hearted Girl
  • Life of The Party: It’s a Long Story Necklace
  • Sexy Nerd: Blossom Line Necklace
  • Social Butterfly: Know Who You Are Necklace in Purple
  • The Executive: Bug Out Bracelet

Holiday Savings

Save 15% off your total order (excluding sale items) at 7CharmingSisters.com by using promo code: MomStart15

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, fashion, personal, review

Your Holiday Helper: The Epson Workforce ET-4750 EcoTank

November 30, 2017 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Epson Workforce ET-4750 EcoTank
Sample provided.

We’re huge Epson fans in my household – from printing off photos for your Christmas cards to making copies of those holiday to-dos, a printer is a must-have for busy families during the festive season. And as far as tech gifts go, a great printer is a thoughtful item that will help the recipient all year long. For the 2017 gifting season, you can’t beat the new Epson Workforce ET-4750 EcoTank, which can easily transition from home office duties to producing beautiful prints of your favorite photos. Watch our video for more on this fantastic new offering from Epson:

The Epson Workforce ET-4750 EcoTank retails for $399.99 and is available on Epson.com.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, review

5 Best Time-Saving Gifts for Entrepreneurial Moms

November 30, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Who doesn’t like gifts? Be it a kid or a fiercely independent entrepreneur mom of yours. Gifts are a way of showing how much you care and how important a person is to you. When’s it’s a mom we’re talking about, a lot of effort needs to be put. And here we’re talking about an entrepreneur mom, who needs to be more than efficient and ever ready for any situation that comes her way. Here a small list of your sneak peeks to decide what to get her.

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· A Ninja Blender:

So, your pretty lady entrepreneur is also a fitness freak. She just can’t do without smoothies and has a thing for fruit juices. Getting her a Ninja Blender is one of the best things you do. The blades are as efficient as your lady and can hold up to 72oz of any liquid. What are you thinking, order her one now?

· A Portable Charger:

It goes better unsaid that for a working mom, keeping her phone’s battery up is as important as diffusing a bomb. She can be traveling or busy at the office, there’s an emergency and you can’t reach her. Sounds bad, doesn’t it? So, swing by any digital store and get your lady a portable charger. It would make an amazing birthday or mother’s day present for your mom.

· Briefcase/ bags:

It is highly appreciated when your kick-ass entrepreneur mom is as good with carrying herself and accessorizing as she is at work. Getting her a little sophisticated and smart briefcase might just be the right choice. What can be better than giving the lady a little less run for something like a bag?

· Women’s Subscription Boxes:

These babies can just be the ideal choice for a present. You can get a Jewellery set or a cosmetic set in a subscription box. These women’s subscription boxes are absolutely amazing and will surely make your lady happy. This is a better alternative than going for individual items. This is a great option to consider before buying a present for your lady. Not only is there a wide variety to choose from, but you can get an ongoing delivery so she won’t have to worry about reordering. Once it’s delivered, she can test out the products, and decide if she wants to continue with the subscription box.

· Business Card Holder:

These are smart choices for the lady on the go. Get her a classy card holder and win her heart. She’d love handing her cards out even more. You can choose a little classy or fun collection for your lady depending on how she’d like these.

So, these are some pretty good ideas for a gift. Someone who works both at home and the office needs to cut themselves some slack. You can always get them a present that makes things a little more convenient for them. Instead of buying them expensive Jewellery or a dress they might not get around wearing, get them something which shows that you value them and their choices. After all, gifts are a way of showing efforts and compassion. Don’t let your efforts go unnoticed.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide

The Top Ten Building Toys

November 29, 2017 by Momstart 1 Comment

Kids are naturally curious and creative. One of the best things you can do for your kid is give them a wide range of toys to practice their curiosity, creativity, ingenuity, and logic on. And Building Toys are perfect to begin the logic process with, so we came up with the Ten building toys.

 

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Top Ten Building Toys

1. Mega Bloks 80-Piece Big Building Bag, Classic

The first step to creative building is a good block. The first block for your child, ideally, should be one that is easy to put together. Mega Bloks are large, lightweight, free of small parts, and clip together to make building fun. The colors are bright, and the bag makes them convenient to carry.

2. LEGO DUPLO All-in-One-Box-of-Fun 10572 Creative Play and Educational Toy

For a portable block game, this is a great idea. This all in one box includes a character figure and a mix of different large, easy to use Lego pieces. It even includes instructions for building a house. Combining the raw creativity of free play with the patience needed to follow instructions means your child will get the best of both worlds.

3. PicassoTiles 60 Piece Set 60pcs Magnet Building Tiles Clear Magnetic 3D Building Blocks Construction Playboards – Creativity beyond Imagination, Inspirational, Recreational, Educational, Conventional

A fun and creative alternative to conventional blocks, these tiles are flat and magnetic, and come in a nice range of bright shapes. As they stick together any way, your kid’s ability to create will not be restricted. This is a great way of encouraging free thinking and imagination, as well as of developing core motor skills.

4. Melissa & Doug Wooden Building Blocks Set – 100 Blocks in 4 Colors and 9 Shapes

When your child is ready to further challenge their coordination, the traditional wooden blocks are a wonderful choice. These blocks do not stick together, so your child will have to learn about gravity and balance. This will challenge their mind and motor skills. You get 100 mixed blocks, for maximum play potential.

5. Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears! Deluxe Building Set, 100 Pieces

Gears toys will really challenge your child’s understanding of cause and effect. Assemble gears in the right order and watch them turn! Get it wrong and they’ll get stuck. Your child will develop their critical thinking and understanding of physics.

6. ETI Toys | STEM Learning | Original 93 Piece Educational Construction Engineering Building Blocks Set for 3, 4 and 5+ Year Old Boys & Girls | Creative Fun Kit | Best Toy Gift for Kids Ages 3yr – 6yr

This is a great way of challenging your child’s logic and creativity. The combination of pegs, squares, rectangles, and bars, encourages your child to make machines and moving objects. This kit will grow with them, staying fun for many years.

7. LEGO 31045 Creator Ocean Explorer Science Toy for Kids

Your child doesn’t need to leave blocks behind just cause they’re getting older. Lego kits mean your child can learn a new way of using blocks: following instructions to make something specific. This encourages ingenuity, but also patience and focus.

8. LEGO Friends Heartlake Puppy Daycare 41124 Popular Children’s Toy

If your child is a creative soul but less mechanically inclined, this may be a better choice for them. This kit includes several accessories and characters so your child can imagine different scenarios playing out.

9. LEGO Juniors Batman & Superman vs. Lex Luthor 10724 Superhero Toy

A great way of encouraging your child to build, create, and imagine, is using their favorite heroes. This kit involves superhero figurines so they can play out epic battles, but also spare pieces so they can build creative places and items for the story.

10. Leonardo da Vinci Catapult Kit

If your kid is burning through all their toys and finds none of them challenging any more, it might be time for something serious. This kit is a great one for beginner model makers, with easy to follow instructions and no cutting required. Your kid can carefully assemble a working miniature catapult.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, toy review

Give The Gift of Fashion From Justice

November 20, 2017 by Momstart 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Justice.


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My daughter has starting spending over 12 hours of her week every week in acting classes. At least four of those hours are dedicated to dance. So we have found that she is in need of more dance clothes and her favorite place to go is Justice. As a mom, I love the way the clothing at Justice fits her. She is comfortable and dressed appropriately. Having a slender tween body we often have issues finding clothing that fits her mid area while being long enough for her. Which again is just one of the reasons why I LOVE Justice. image

But the biggest reason for both of us would be the fun and lively options they have with their partnership with Mackenzie Ziegler. Mackenzie Ziegler is a singer and dancer that used to be on Dance Moms. Her line “Mackenzie Ziegler for Justice Active” is the perfect selection for active girls. JU17_HOL1_MS27_1094_07_

We love her clothing line.

The prices on the collection range from $6.90 to $29.90 offering a wide assortment of mix and match options that are perfect for any budget. Along with this amazing new line, Mackenzie created a new song and video called “Perfect Holidays” it’s all about embracing the holiday spirit and sharing love with people you care about during the holidays. You can watch it here:

The line is now available nationwide at Justice stores, on-line and you can even shop from your phone on the Live Justice App. You can also create a wish list which I’m going to make sure that Zoe does for her grandma. Her grandma is coming here for Christmas and will more than likely just take her to Justice and buy some clothes for her, but if I know my mom and I do, she will want to show up with something too. This is the easiest way for Zoe to share with her what she wants. It’s really easy to do.

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I just downloaded the app to my phone and found some really great holiday fashion items. Their clothing is so age appropriate from active wear, lounge wear, to everyday wear to dressy.

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Justice clothing is the #1 destination for all things tween girl, and that’s all my daughter wants for her Christmas gifts this year is either clothing from there or gift cards so she can pick out her own outfits. And we recommend this gift for all tween girls.

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Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, fashion, personal

A Monthly Subscription To STEM

November 18, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received a sample

For the longest time my daughter was not interested in STEM at all. She hated math and science until this year. She now is really starting to get more and more excited about STEM. She took a small coding class at school and fell in love with it. On her Christmas list this year is a monthly subscription of something in the electronic field. I began searching for something for her at the same time this review came in.   Thimble!

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Choose a Subscription Length

Choose a 1, 3, 6, or 12-month subscription. Your first kit ships within 2 days

Delivered every month

Each box contains parts to build a fun device. Soldering and programming are involved.

Hands on Fun and Learning

Follow step-by-step tutorials that teach you how to build each project. No experience needed.

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I guess it’s normal for kids to constantly shift their interests and to explore their curiosity. Which is why I’m going to take advantage of this current phase she is in. Thimble came to life so that children 13+ could learn how to build electronics through a monthly subscription box. Zoe is 10 and really looking forward to doing it with her dad. But we need to get a soldering gun/tool. We used to have one because my husband would put things together, but I didn’t realize he got rid of it. So once we have that we will be set, so yes this is for a little more experienced. Watch our quick thoughts on the box in this video:

 

In the past, Thimble has developed engaging kits for projects such as wifi-robots, LED cubes, alarm clocks, quadcopters, and more. Every single month your child can expect an exciting new project delivered to your door.
Once they have received their kit they can sign into Thimble’s Learning Platform to follow along with simple video instructions and code lessons. Kids can customize their projects to improve their skills and share their work with the rest of the private online community.

I think this is a great kit, it’s challenging and educational. Everything you need including a video tutorial is on-line, or comes in the box. Well except for a few tools that you might need. But the tools are very easy to find.

Filed Under: 2017 Gift Guide, Tech

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