Kid Reviewer Miitopia Nintendo 3DS Game Walk Through

August 17, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

As part of the Nintendo Kid Reviewer program, Zoe and Miles are on their own. This is their thoughts on the Nintendo 3DS video game Miitopia.

By Miles Bishop:

Miitopia is a really fun game to play something that I like about the game is that there are a lot of customizations for the characters to choose from. The farther into the game that you get you can build your mii warriors’ relationships between each other. Another feature I like about the game is that you can choose the entire mii cast with your own miis.

Miles also created a video for us:

By Zoe Bishop:

Miitopia is fun game, but I don’t like that I had to delete my brothers game to start my own game. When you play, you can only have one game going at a time, so when it was my turn to play I had to just use his game. The boss levels are sort of hard and you only get to create four characters. I like the characters and that you get to customize them and their outfits I wish the outfits weren’t so expensive in the game. I like the raffle tickets and how you get to win things for your characters but how does that relate to the game otherwise?

Questions About Miitopia

What is your favorite game feature?

Zoe: the costumes

Miles: My favoriate game feature is how hard the enemies are

What is your least favorite game feature?

Zoe: the bad guys are to hard

Miles: I don’t know if I have one

What is your favorite character?

Zoe: the character I make

Miles: My favorite character is me and the mage

What does this game make you think of or remind you of?

Zoe: nothing

Miles: doesn’t really remind me of anything

Would you recommend this game?

Zoe: yes

Miles: Totally!

Zoe is 10 and Miles is 9.

Nintendo Ever Oasis 3DS Kid Review

August 8, 2017 by Momstart 2 Comments

As part of the Nintendo Kid Reviewer program, Zoe and Miles are on their own. So you will be seeing their opinions on games, written by them and videos by them. I imagine as time goes on, the videos and their reviews will get better and better. Here Zoe and Miles are giving Ever Oasis Game Play Tips

First Up is Ever Oasis 3DS Game

By Zoe Bishop:

Ever Oasis is a great game for kids. Its about creating life and helping others while also fighting bad guys. Its great for all different types of kids if your kid likes to fight bad guys or likes creating things they would love to have this game. I loved playing this game my favorite part was when you meet this sort of an ocean goddess/mermaid and when you meet her that’s when you build your oasis. You also get to design your character I like that part as well. I love helping others an in Ever Oasis you help others a lot another reason why I enjoy this game so much. I think Ever Oasis is a fantastic game for all different types of kids.

Kid Review Video of Ever Oasis Including Game Play Tips

Questions About Ever Oasis

What is your favorite game feature?

Zoe: The tornado wind blast.

Miles: That you can kill people with the sword

What is your least favorite game feature?

Zoe: How hard it is to battle the monsters.

Miles: How in the beginning when I slept it didn’t ask me to save, then when I died I had to start all over and that was frustrating.

What is your favorite character?

Zoe: The mermaid water goddess lady.

Miles: me

What does this game make you think of or remind you of?

Zoe: Nothing it really feels super new and not based of anything. Oh wait, a little like Zelda.

Miles: It reminds me a little bit of Zelda, but the map reminds me of pixelated games.

Would you recommend this game

Zoe: yes

Miles: certain ages yes

Zoe is 10, and Miles is 9.

LG Smart Fridge: LG Instaview Refrigerator

July 31, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

I think that houses are getting smarter and smarter, including smart refrigerators like the LG Smart Fridge: LG Instaview Refrigerator. Remember when all you used a refrigerator for was keeping your items cold or cool? Now you can do so much more with your fridge.

LG’s InstaView™ Door-in-Door® refrigerators’ tinted glass panel lets you knock twice to view and select items without opening the door. This is a great feature because when you are undecided about what you want out of the fridge you have to open the door and peer in. Then while the door is open you lose a degree and your fridge had to work harder to cool back down.

Another thing that is important to me with a fridge is how you can organize your food and what you use most. This fridge has a door-in-door feature. This fridge is very energy efficient with the instaview and the door in door feature. Both keep cool air from escaping. And the ColdSaver™ Panel reduces cold air loss to extend the freshness of food.

There are two other features that are interesting for the LG Instaview Refrigerator. It has a distinctive styling with fingerprint resistant sleek design and that tinted glass panel. There is also a Variety of large capacity models that give you ample space and keep food conveniently organized and within reach.

Why Buy a Sony Xperia Premium and Xperia Ultra @Sony @BestBuy #AD

July 11, 2017 by Momstart 21 Comments

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free

I love testing out phones and I almost got to test out the Sony Xperia. The Sony Xperia feels really light in the hand and has an amazing screen. These things I do know from experience. What I also know is that you can now purchase the Xperia XA1 Ultra and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium at Best Buy. Two new Sony Phones are amazing and using top of the line technology.

Let’s break the phones down individually shall we?

Two New Sony Phones

Sony Xperia XA1

The Xperia XA1 has a great display. The screen is borderless and a full 6” edge-to-edge with Full HD display. It provides a great way to watch your favorite movies or other videos. I spend a lot of my time on my phone these days watching videos on Facebook, movies on HBO, and tv on Hulu and Netflix.

The Camera on the Xperia XA1 features two outstanding options, one front facing and the other rear facing. The front-facing is 16MP and can be upgraded to 23mm wide angle. This phone is ONLY available at Best Buy.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is the first of it’s kinds as it has a 4K HDR Display and a SUPER SLOW camera. The main camera comes with the world’s first Motion Eye camera system that helps you get the best shot possible. It features a Predictive Capture which is completely new.

The Camera is faster and more powerful as it has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. This is how it performs so well creating slow motion videos and allowing you to watch things in 4K. You can even remote play the PS4 which is AMAZING. I’m signing that word….Ahhh..MaaZiing!!!

Road Trip Ready: Samsung Kids Galaxy Kids Tablet E Lite

July 6, 2017 by Momstart 10 Comments

We received a sample to review.

Samsung sent us a Samsung Kids Galaxy Kids Tablet E Lite fully loaded with games for us to take on our next road trip. We have one planned for later in August. We are traveling to Salem Oregon to see the Solar Eclipse and to attend Beeb’s wedding. You guys know Beeb is a big part of MomStart so of course we had to go to her wedding. I’m super excited for this event. What’s not quite as exciting is the drive, but with the Samsung Kids Tablet in the back seat the kids will be entertained for sure.

The Samsung Kids Tablet is pre-loaded with movies and games and educational software. For background, Samsung Kids service, a NAPPA award winner and recent Tillywig Brain Award winner, is pre-loaded on select Galaxy tablets, including the Galaxy Kids Tab E Lite that comes with a neon-protective bumper designed especially for kids. At first I thought it was going to be too young for Miles and Zoe but really it has such a variety on it and you can get other games for it.

Miles took the tablet and tried it out for me and then made this great video for it.

So when you are planning your road trip and activities for you kids, consider bringing along a tablet like the Galaxy Kids Tab E Lite with preloaded Samsung Kids, which offers parents and children a library of expertly curated, educational games and books mapped to U.S. Common Core standards.

Samsung Kids is a subscription service that offers children a library of top quality, educational content. The service is an ideal way to keep kids busy as they engage with games that promote math, STEM, language and creativity, along with favorite books and characters that help inspire a lifelong love of reading. An added bonus: kids can keep the learning momentum going until school begins again. Samsung Kids is truly a win/win for the whole family!

Also Part of the Samsung Galaxy Tab E Lite for Kids:

7 inch screen
Durable kid case
Parental Controls
Rear-facing camera
Long lasting Battery
Expandable Memory

How To Pick A Perfect Phone for Traveling

June 29, 2017 by Momstart 16 Comments

Your smartphone is something that once existed only in the realm of science fiction. It’s capable of capturing videos and photos so that you can stay connected while on vacation and bring home the memories. You don’t have to waste rolls of film trying to get that perfect shot or rewind a tape only to record another attempt at a great video clip. Some smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, paired with the T-Mobile network, have an app that let you edit images almost immediately. You’ll appreciate being able to deliver those images to family and friends through the nation’s fastest 4G LTE network.

When you’re looking for a smartphone upgrade, you’ll want to take all of your potential uses into consideration. Those uses include the images you take while you’re on vacation. Ask yourself what specifications are most important to you. Do you want a large screen for easy viewing or the latest processor that sends your files to storage in seemingly no time at all? Do you need the most onboard memory possible so that you can keep taking pictures without lag from the smartphone? Some devices address all these issues while others only cover one or two.

Ultimately, the smartphone you buy is the one that reflects your needs and wants. Learn more in the infographic above, which lays out the latest smartphone models and the strength of each one. Use this handy guide to help you make the smartphone purchase that’s right for you and right for your vacation needs.

Amazing Quality & Sound Bose Wireless Headphones @Verizon

June 19, 2017 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received samples from Verizon to create this review.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling over the past few months. I also like to hit the gym and during both things I LOVE to listen to my phone. While traveling I’ve been using the Bose SoundSport Pulse wireless headphones. These wireless headphones have saved me in a few different ways.

Reasons To Buy Bose SoundSport Pulse

One: The quality is amazing. The sounds comes through very well. Bose SoundSport Pulse features precision-engineered volume-optimized EQ.

Two: Fit and Comfort compare to no other earplugs I’ve ever used. I enjoy how they fit into the hear and then you can twist them with the little piece that fits just right to keep them in place within your ear.

Three: The lack of pesky wires simplifies my life. When I would work out, I would always get tangled in my cord. Yes I’m that person. I’m also that person that has to untangle the cords every single time just to use the headphones. These are perfectly connected in a cord that fits around my head but it’s not so long as to cause tangling. It’s also a thicker cord than other headphones have, making them more durable.

Four: They came with a pouch that makes it easier to keep them protected and easier to find. I put everything in the bottomless pit of my backpack that I travel with. I have to also mention that they track your heart-rate and they have an in-line mic.

Five: The battery life is amazing. They are ideal for the long run. The lithium-ion battery provides up to five hours of power per charge.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX
Bose SoundSport Pulse wireless headphones (with removable clothing clip attached),one carry case, StayHear+ Pulse tips large and small (medium tips are attached to the earbuds), one USB (micro) cable, one manual, safety instructions, support numbers and warranty information.

Meet Circle With Disney: Completely Manage Your Home Wifi

June 16, 2017 by Momstart 16 Comments

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I never thought my kid would be the one that wants to go on-line and look at things that aren’t a good idea to look at. Yep, that’s my kid so we now have a Circle with Disney device along with a subscription to Circle Go.

The Circle with Disney wirelessly connects to your router and then manages every device in your home. So we are mostly using it to limit my overly curious child.

Circle-Product-BlueBG-4

My husband said the difficult part for us is that we have so many un-named devices that it’s hard to figure out which device is which. When he was setting it up he had to make sure that my device was not affected at all. I HAVE TO BE on-line.

One thing I love about it is that it’s quite easy to just turn the wifi off for specific devices.

In less than five minutes, Circle pairs wirelessly with your router and manages every device in your home — including smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming systems— and provides a single view of the family’s online experience all from an app.

To Set everything up you download the app Circle Go. The App then puts you in control of everything.

What you control with Disney Circle

1. SET TIME LIMITS

You are able to create daily time limits on apps and popular sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. My daughter likes to spend all her time on Instagram, so this has been useful to use on her phone.

2. FILTER CONTENT

You can set individual filter levels by age, Pre-K, Kid, Teen, and Adult. For each member of your family and each category has a different set of rules that are filtered.

3. SET A BEDTIME

With Disney Circle you can choose a Bed Time for your family’s devices to avoid late night surfing. My kids have been pretty good about putting their phones and computers down. We allow them to keep their kindles so they can read but that’s the only one. I suppose with this we could even turn off their wifi on their Kindles but what’s the point in that, it would only keep them from getting a new book.

4. PAUSE THE INTERNET

You can pause the internet for a single family member or the whole home. I can’t see us ever pausing the internet for the entire home. Circle manages all the Wi-Fi devices in your home smartphones, tablets, gaming systems, laptops, computers from a single iOS app.

We have a CRAZY set up and it works with ours.

Make Organizing Your Life a Picniic: Be a Picniic Ambassador #PicniicAmbassador

June 14, 2017 by Momstart 20 Comments

This is a sponsored post with Picniic.

I’m working with Picniic to get the word out on the new opportunity to become a Picniic Ambassador. You don’t have to be a blogger to do it, you just like to be organized.

Picniic is a great way to keep all your organization in one place. (I’ll share more below) In addition to using such a great service, you can become an ambassador for Picniic too. All you have to do is one simple thing.

One, get 5 families to sign up for Picniic with your unique link, that’s it. Then you get to benefit from becoming a Picniic Ambassador.

Picniic Ambassador Perks

ONE: Picniic Ambassadors get Picniic Premium free for one year.

TWO: If a family you referred makes a purchase, you will receive a cash % of that purchase

20% cashback for every referral that makes a purchase
5% cashback for every referral of a referral
3% cashback for every referral of a referral of a referral

Even though Picniic is available on the phone as an app, Picniic Ambassador program is WEB ONLY. So get your friends to sign up on their computer before they download the app to their phone.

What are the perks of purchasing Picniic?

Picniic allows you to import your calendars, all your family calendars. I love seeing what everyone in my family is doing all in one place. Electronic calendars are my top way of keeping my family organized. This makes it easier to visualize all my family commitments, and to see where there are available openings. The additional value is that the Picniic calendar connects into the family dashboard, along with the other Picniic features, making it easier than ever to keep the whole family on the same page.

You can see your to-do lists, shopping lists, and family news and search for recipes. My family loves searching for recipes, my daughter especially. While I love just being able to share our grocery list between the four of us so we can all add what we need and I can access it from my phone.

When you pay for Picniic you get even more. You then also get a meal planner, the info locker, a family locator, special events and TeamSnap Sports.

A LOVE family locator apps. Knowing where my children are at all times gives me a piece of mind.

The KitchenAid Shrunk: The Artisan Mini Stand Mixer

June 9, 2017 by Momstart 19 Comments

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I LOVE my KitchenAid!! I have been using KitchenAid since the day I married my husband which was 15 years ago yesterday. I received one as a wedding gift, then I decided that I wanted a red one and my husband bought me one for Mother’s Day. He purchased the bigger one. I think it’s the Professional series one. And now thanks to Best Buy, I have the new KitchenAid Artisan Mini.

MEET THE MIGHTY MINI – MINI MIXER. POWERFUL PERFORMANCE.

The KitchenAid Artisan Mini is just like it’s bigger siblings. It has the same quality and strength. It is compatible with all the attachments, it’s just smaller. It’s perfect for smaller spaces. It would have been perfect in the apartment we stayed in when we lived in DC. We had low cabinets and not much space. Just because you might be low in space, doesn’t mean you should have to sacrifice your baking and cooking needs and I think everyone needs a KitchenAid and you can get your KitchenAid Mini at Best Buy.

It’s Smaller

It’s Lighter

It’s Powerful

The iconic KitchenAid® Stand Mixer you know and love, is now 20% smaller and 25% lighter* making it great for smaller kitchens. With a 3.5-Qt bowl to make up to 5 dozen cookies and with over 10 available attachments, make everything from fresh pasta to burgers, veggie noodles and more.

We made a video using the KitchenAid Mini as we made some Rum Flavored Whipped Cream. The KitchenAid Mini is perfect for making such amazing creations like whipping cream, mashed potatoes, and with an attachment, Ice Cream. The Possibilities are endless.

Rum Whipped Cream RECIPE:

Heavy Whipping Cream
Rum Extract
Powdered Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Put ingredients in the bowl and set to high.

The compact size and lighter weight perfectly suit the needs of a city dweller who loves to cook in their smaller spaces. Artisan Mini is made for your lifestyle, made for your kitchen, made for you. The Artisan Mini Stand Mixer also features 10 mixing speeds and comes with a coated flat beater, dough hook and 6-wire whip.