Cycleops Keeps you Training, even in Bad Weather

So, I have this friend that does those Iron Man type triathlons or whatever they're called. And he trains constantly. Part of his training is on his bike, of course. He rides for HOURS.

Except - sometimes the weather really sucks. I mean, he lives in central Florida, and it rains a lot. And when it rains, you don't want to be on the road on a bicycle, worrying about all that traffic.

Same thing for snow - or even when it's like 100 degrees outside.

But a stationary bike isn't the same - he wanted to train on HIS bike.

So he got a Cycleops Fluid 2 Indoor bike trainer. It's awesome! He just hooks up the back tire, and this thing raises it up off the ground by a couple of inches and holds it steady while he rides as long as he wants. It's even got this thing that provides friction to the tire, so you're not just spinning in the air - it feels like you're really riding down the road.

He had a different model before, but he didn't like it - he said it was too noisy. But with the Cycleops, he can watch TV with no problem while he rides. He's caught up on all his tivo'd episodes of Lost while he was riding. (He still can't figure the dang show out)

Oh, and if you're worried about feeling like your bike is going downhill because the back tire is raised up off the ground, they've got these cool little risers that fit under the front tire, so you can set it up however you like it. Actually, there's a few handy accessories for it - just check them out at Cycleops fluid 2 indoor bike trainer.

The QUIET Motocross Bike - Dirt Rocket

So, my kid's want a motocross bike so badly, but we live in a residential area where we aren't aloud to just go zipping around with a noisy dirt bike up and down the streets. We'd have the cops here before it got to the end of the driveway.

But that's not a problem with the Razor Dirt Rocket.

It's got an awesome electric motor that's as quiet as a whisper.

But don't let the lack of noise fool you!  This bike is pretty awesome - it can go up to about 17 miles an hour - plenty of speed for your young teens and tweens, and enough power to go over small jumps.

Just make sure they wear a helmet!

The iPool Rocks!

I never knew a thing like this even existed! I want one for my back yard so bad!

What is it? It's the iPool exercise pool!

I used to know these people that had an exercise pool in their back yard - it was about 12 feet long and about 9 feet wide.  You'd turn it on and a huge, strong jet of water would start flowing out of one end.  You got in and swam against the current that provided. it was pretty cool at first, but after a little bit, you'd start getting tired, and you had to readjust the strength of the current. If you wanted to slow down a little, and then sprint - well, you couldn't, because the current was always going at the same speed.

That's why the iPool is so cool. It's small, it's portable, it's above ground and.. it has no motor1 You just strap yourself in with a lightweight velcro harness and start swimming. It holds you in place.  You can swim as hard or as easy as you want.

Check it out at iPool exercise pool.

 

Once you build it, it's still fun!

So, I have this 11 year old kid. He LOVES building stuff. He also likes taking things apart, seeing how they work, and then trying to put them back together again.

That's why I love to buy him LEGO - like this Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle.

What's so awesome about it is that not only does he have something to build (something that keeps him quiet for HOURS, I might add!), but once it's built he can actually keep playing with it! And if he's feeling perky, he can try putting it together in different ways and customizing it.

He has so much frigging fun with this stuff! it's got the little characters and stuff, and I hear him doing those spells (abracadabra levititus or whatever the heck it is) and just playing out scenes from the movie and stuff. That kind of imaginitive play is SO  important for kids.  I love and he loves it!

Get a Vacuum cleaner that REALLY works.

Do you get tired of having to vacuum back and forth, back and forth over a piece of lint to get your vacuum to pick it up?  How many times to you try before you just give up and bend over and pick it up yourself?

Do you ever look at the floor after you finish vacuuming, only to realize it's still kind of dirty?

You know why that happens? It's because you don't have a Dyson.  Go read this Dyson DC-25 review and see why I WANT this vacuum cleaner.

I love that it's an upright and bagless. It's got a HEPA filter, which is awesome, because I'm sick of sniffling with these darn dust allergies all the time. Seriously, go check it out. I bet it'll make you want one too.

 

Bonsai rocks!

Have you ever done bonsai? I have a small ficus bonsai - it's about 8 years old now. I just love it to pieces. When I first bought it, I didnt' really know anything about taking care of it, but after a while I started learning more and more.

One of the first things I learned was about how important it is to have a quality bonsai tool set. I thought I could get by with just a pair of scissors to cut off the little twigs and leaves I needed to prune, but the truth is that if you want your bonsai tree to grow healthy, you need to have the right tools for working with it.

While their are some really expensive tools, you don't have to pay an arm and a leg if you're just starting out. Just get a decent basic set that includes the most common tools. If you later decide that you really love bonsai, then sure, you can go ahead and invest in more expensive equipment.

Give the Gift of a Brighter, Healthier Smile

The Sonicare 5300 Essence can actually help save you money.  You might think, oh, these Sonicares are expensive! But the truth is, this toothbrush does so much more to remove plaque and food particles that it may very well save you a ton of money on dentist bills.

Don't believe me? Head over to Sonicare 5300 and read the testimonials there. Learn all about how this toothbrush works to help whiten teeth and improve gum health. I think you'll agree with me, that it's well worth the price!

Your Kids Can Build Robots!!

Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 is an absolutely amazing toy that lets your kids learn about engineering  - and they think they're just building cool robots with LEGO!

What I really love about this toy is how it makes my kids use their minds. Not only can they use the included parts and instructions to build robots that really walk and perform tasks, they can go on the internet and learn more about the parts, and learn how to expand on that knowledge to do more!

Kids are so fascinated with it, my boys will sit and play together for hours without fighting. This is way better than having them sit in front of the Playstation or with the Gameboy. I'll take active learning over passive entertainment anyday. 

Hate Being in the Dark?

Then you need a great emergency flashlight, like the Rayovac Extreme 3D LED Lantern!

It's high powered light runs off just three D-cell batteries, making it lighter and smaller than most other lanterns that need eight batteries - yet it still puts out a LOT of light with its bright LED bulb. That bulb lasts a lifetime, by the way, so you'll never have to worry about it burning out on you.

The lantern has three modes - High, Low and Strobe. On just those three D cell batteries, you can get up to 72 hours of light on High mode - nearly 150 on Low. And if (God forbid) your family is ever in an emergency situation, that strobe can help you signal rescue workers so you can get help fast.

I grew up in Florida, and know what it's like to go through hurricanes and thunderstorms, and to sometimes be days without electricity. What a comfort it is to have a dependable lantern in the house, that's ready when you need it, easy to find and can shine for days.

Dyson DC25 Vacuum

Image by skylarprimm via FlickrWhen you vacuum your floor, how many times do you go back and forth over a thread or piece of dirt before you just give in, bend over and pick it up by hand? Have you ever finished vacuuming and then looked down only to see that after all that, there was still pet hair and dirt in the carpet?

Why are you wasting your time and breaking your back with a heavy, clumsy, hard to maneuver vacuum cleaner that doesn't get the floors clean? The Dyson DC25 is lightweight and features Ball technology that makes it super easy to maneuver - and it picks up dirt like no other vacuum. Vacuum faster and better with less effort - because you have more important things to do than spend your day picking up dirt your vacuum left behind.

Not convinced? Check out this Dyson DC25 review.