If you love the latest tech, you’ll be interested to hear that the new 3D Robotics Solo Drone arrived at over 400 Best Buy stores this month! It’s the first-ever drone powered by two integrated Linux computers, making capturing the perfect shot easy for anyone.

 

Two female hikers above the sea of fog on top of a mountain at sunset

The Solo retails for $999.

This is a partnered post with Big Fish Games. All opinions are my own.

Let’s go GUMMY!

I come bearing great news! The hugely popular mobile game Gummy Drop!™ just released a PC version this month and you can find it here on the Big Fish Games website!

Gummy Drop is currently available on iOS and Android and has achieved the distinction of 8^th Top Grossing iPad App and 20^th Top Grossing iPhone Game in the App Store.

If you haven’t played it yet, you’re in for a treat, and, if you already play, now you have more options. I mean I’m not saying you should play it on your work computer or anything (cough, cough).Though so many games these days are being released solely for mobile devices, Big Fish knows that casual gamers also love PC and Mac options.

Gummy Drop is an incredibly delightful, addictive Match-3 game with the added bonus of adventure. I love the crisp, clean graphics and the music which is more like an orchestral score. The game is gorgeous!

You begin in Sydney, Australia where the adventure begins. As you solve fun Match-3 puzzles populated with colorful gummies and resources you will need, you globe-hop around the world, rebuilding famous landmarks. Each puzzle is a bit more challenging so you never get bored, and there are always new tasks to complete and exciting boosts to help you. If you get stuck, you can replay levels to get additional resources. 

My favorite part is when the entire board erupts with fireworks and exploding gummies and completing a level is really satisfying.

Gummy Drop is accessible to all ages, yet not simplistic like some Match-3 games I’ve found to be repetitive. This one keeps me on my toes, excited to discover the next leg of the adventure. There is an increased level of strategy as you balance squishing all the tasty gummies with playing architect, gathering bricks and workers to rebuild famous landmarks.

There are daily events to spice things up even further and you can visit Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, New York, Paris, London, Rome, Berlin, New Orleans, Barcelona, and Shanghai, with new cities added every month. Each city has colorful landmarks to explore and its own unique flavor.

I have to warn you though, this game is incredibly addicting. I’ve been enjoying it on my iPad since it was first released and it’s one I enjoy daily without fail. This game is such an ideal way to unwind. I honestly have a hard time putting it down.

Note: The PC version is not cross platform, meaning that it is a standalone gameplay experience that will require players to start in Sydney.  Players progress on iOS or Android versions will not translate to PC, and vice versa.

Download Gummy Drop for PC free now!

Stay current and connect:

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Twitter @GummyDrop
YouTube  Gummy Drop!
Pinterest  Gummy Drop!
Instagram @GummyDropGame

See you in Paris! À bientôt!

Welcome to the world of Minutia! Ever since the meteor hit, the slugs have taken over, voraciously gobbling everything in their path. It’s not so much that they are evil as that they are greedy and insatiable!

This is where the Best Fiends come in. Feisty, fiendish and fearless, they have taken on the mission of saving their families. Join them in their battle against the Slugs of mount Boom.

Who are the Best Fiends? A motley but marvelous crew of bugs including Temper, a tough Termite, Tantrum, a no-nonsense battle beetle and Howie, a young but learned lizard. And that’s just the beginning. As you progress in the game you will meet lots more and be able to create your ideal team for each level.

It’s a desperate race as you build your crew to demolish the supercilious slugs. Work through puzzles, feed your bug army and level them up quickly to unlock cool new powers to fight before the entire world of Minutia is slimed.

Best Fiends is a totally fun and addictive game by Seriously and they are serious about creating an awesomely produced world that provides a fusion of a wildly fun puzzle game with RPG-like character development. There are gorgeous graphics to delight your eye along with stunning music created by Brazilian composer Heitor Pereira who also wrote the score to the animated feature Despicable Me 2 with writer-producer Pharrell. He based it on insects. How cool is that?

I found the game to be intuitive and to get more interesting and challenging as I leveled up. I love discovering each new character, growing them, and watching their special powers in action. The game is both stimulating and relaxing at the same time. I love picking it up on my iPad or iPhone while waiting in the doctor’s office, and though it relaxes me at night, I have spent many late hours knowing I can crack a challenging level! You won’t want to put it down.

Best of all, it’s free and will keep kids and adults entertained. It’s very user-friendly. The excitement grows as you progress and discover new worlds. In fact, Seriously just added new challenges and levels on June 4, 2015. You’ve got to love game developers that are so responsive to their players and dedicated to making their game the best experience possible.

Although there are in-app purchases, I haven’t had to use any yet; and if you are stuck, you can keep playing as each time you do you get rewards to help level up your characters and power through.

Additionally altogether awesome: Best Fiends offers in-app donations to help Malaria No More 

Best Fiends is available at iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon, and did I mention it’s COMPLETELY FREE!

So, what are you waiting for? Download now!

Come back and tell me how you’re doing and let’s compare scores and strategies. Though if I don’t hear from you in a while, I’ll know you’re just totally immersed and addicted like me. Speaking of which, I’ll be back, I just figured out how to beat the level that kept me up last night till the wee hours!

Follow:
Best Fiends Website
Best Fiends on Facebook
Best Fiends on Twitter

For phone or tablet!

Often when we think of Spring cleaning, we think of our homes, but Spring cleaning is a smart thing to do for your vehicles, too. A few simple steps can help boost your vehicle’s integrity and beauty while maintaining its value, plus you might even regain that new-car smell.

1. Your car is a reflection of who you are
   There’s no question your car is a reflection of you. Whether it’s all about horsepower, efficient gas mileage or four-wheel drive, your vehicle represents who you are, where you’ve been and where you intend to go. The design, form and function are extensions of your style and personality. So, if you haven’t given it a wash in a while, what does that say about you? You wouldn’t walk out the door without a shower, a shave and a little spruce up. (Would you?) So why shouldn’t you show that same respect for your car?

From dirt and dust to grit and grime, you can give your car its reflective shine at a WaterSavers car wash. WaterSavers professional car washes use an average of 40 gallons of fresh water or less per car, according to the International Carwash Association. As a frame of reference, that 10 minute shower you took used 25 gallons of fresh water. WaterSavers washes also recycle and filter the water to prevent harmful chemicals from entering groundwater supplies that feed rivers and streams.

To find a WaterSavers car wash near you, visit  Washwithwatersavers.com.

2. Regular car washes protect your paint job
   That beautiful factory paint job will dull and begin to chip away if you don’t maintain it. Regularly washing your car and waxing it will help keep your vehicle looking as good as it did when you pulled out of the dealer lot.

3. Professional car washes help maintain the value of the vehicle
   You might be more inclined to spend money on engine issues than on the car’s exterior, but stains and rusting can drastically decrease the value of the vehicle over time. Especially after a long winter, exposure to the elements can cause damage. Professional car washes thoroughly clean the undercarriage of your vehicle, where there may be a buildup of road salt that could cause corrosion to the car’s exhaust and muffler system.

After the awful winter we’ve had in New England, my car really needs a good eco-friendly shower now that we’re finally seeing the sun!

The International Carwash Association (ICA) through its Wash with WaterSavers consumer awareness campaign, is committed to promoting the importance of using eco-friendly carwashes that use less water and return clean water back into the environment.

They are also sponsoring an awesome giveaway for my blog readers, so be sure to enter below!

WIN AN AUTO CARE PRIZE PACK:

• Auto kit with jumper cables, gloves, flash light, reflective cones and other must-have tools ($45 value)
• Sun-shade for protecting your car from the blazing sun ($25 value)
• a $30 Visa Gift Card

 


This is a partnered post with the International Carwash Association (ICA) and I also received an auto kit; all opinions herein are my own.

Summer is almost here and that often means lots of sugary treats and drinks like ice cream and lemonade. Though we often are consistent with brushing our teeth, it’s important to remember that our gums matter too. They matter a lot!

Did you know that about half of Americans 30 and older have gum disease?

Growing up, I watched my Mom suffer through gum disease and frequent visits to the periodontist. She actually was one of the most vigilant people I know regarding oral care, and watching her have to deal with red bleeding gums really made me hyperaware.

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums (Latin: gingivae), and inflammation is simply the body’s immune response to an attack. The main cause of inflammation in the gums is an accumulation of dental plaque, which can cause tooth loss, receding gums, tooth sensitivity and pain.

There are factors that increase the risk of gingivitis. These include smoking, diabetes, stress, hormonal changes (puberty, pregnancy, birth control pills & other medications) as well as genetics (in up to 30%  of Americans).

 Why #YourGumsMatter

• Healthy gums are important for a healthy mouth and a healthy body
• Gum disease changes the appearance of the mouth and can weaken the support for your teeth
• Gum disease has been linked to diabetes, heart disease and other illnesses

Make sure to get the right dental care with Sunstar GUM products and use them daily, schedule regular check-ups, and monitor your oral health. Not only will you have a bright and healthy smile, but, you’ll also be contributing to your overall wellness.

Take just a few minutes each day to brush and floss and you can be rewarded with a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

Enter To Win Because #YourGumsMatter

To get you started, you can win a prize pack of Sunstar GUM products to help promote gum health including a Technique Deep Clean Toothbrush, a bag of Flossers, a package of Proxabrush Go-between cleaners in Tight, a package of Soft-Picks, and eez-thru floss.

Simply enter below:

Here’s to a bright and healthy smile!

This is a partnered post with Sverve and Sunstar GUM, however all opinions are expressly my own.

I received compensation from Recovery Unplugged for this sponsored post. Any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

Whether you yourself have struggled with addiction or have a friend or loved one who is suffering, the world can oftentimes seem cold and confusing.

When I was younger, I worked and lived at a hot springs resort up in the California mountains. Over time, I fell in love with my best friend there. He was part Native American and a brilliant healer. Whenever an animal was hurt or a snake was around, people called him because he was able to communicate with them and was very in tune with nature. It was quite amazing and I loved our time together as we understood one another without words.

I would often visit him after work, at night, and started to notice a pattern. He had slipped back into using and was like a completely different person. I tried talking, listening, but, nothing seemed to work. I would end up leaving and after a while realized I had to leave for good. That was one of the saddest and hardest days of my life.

I wish I had known more about Recovery Unplugged’s drug rehab therapy and about some of the truly wonderful alternative resources available. Recovery Unplugged is a drug rehab facility in Florida that uses music as a catalyst to help facilitate change, to motivate and inspire long-term recovery and sobriety.

Music is the language of the soul that reaches the places inside where words can not go. It speaks to our universal humanity.  Babies respond to it as do those at the end of their life’s journey.

Music has always been so near and dear to my heart. It inspires me when I’m feeling stuck, brings me back when I’m feeling lost, uplifts me when I’m feeling down and helps me to not feel alone.

Over the years, the particular music I relate to changes, but not the incredible healing it brings.

Some of my favorites:

Neil Young – Needle And The Damage Done (Unplugged)

Recovery by James Arthur (Stevie Tonks’ version)

Make It Rain by Foy Vance (Ed Sheeran version)

Brett Dennen – Blessed

Foy Vance – Homebird

Marc Broussard – Home

I found this performance by Richie Sambora at Recovery Unplugged to be beautifully honest.

If you or those you know and care about are battling addiction, Recovery Unplugged is a wonderful resource.

Connect and Learn more:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Pinterest

Google+

You Tube

I participated in this sponsored campaign on behalf of Firefly® and the One2One Network. All opinions stated are expressly my own.

If you have kids, then you know that getting them to brush their teeth regularly is not often an easy task. Statistics have shown tht 90% of moms have admitted to using extreme measures to ensure their kids brush such as ultimatums, bribing with gifts, or even taking away TV or computer time.

But Firefly doesn’t want all the Moms and Dads out there to stress! Making things fun for kids can transform routines into enjoyment, whether it be cleaning up their room, doing homework, or brushing their teeth. Healthy oral care habits are so important and starting early is key to overall wellness for now and the future.

Firefly is a trusted leader in Children’s Oral Care solutions and introduced the Ready Go Brush. This brush has a light-up timer and is the #1 selling kid’s manual toothbrush. Interactive lights guide your children through 60 seconds of brushing for each row of teeth. Their products are ADA-approved and affordable. You can’t beat that!

Recently Firefly sent us a fun bundle of products to try out!

For the girls, the oh-so-fabulous Hello Kitty! They’re so cute that HK fans of any age would love them.

The toothbrushes light up, flashing green, then yellow and red after 60 seconds when it’s time to stop. Having a goal seems to really work and brushing becomes not a chore but actually a pleasant part of the day or night!  The anti-cavity mouth rinse is sugar-free, alcohol-free and safe for kids. We tried out the melon kiss flavor which I’m told was ‘delicious’.  The Firefly Fun Pump rinse comes with a super cute cup that fits right in as part of the bottle and helps keep your counters mess-free.

Of course, Firely didn’t leave out the boys! They sent along these rad Star Wars brushes. With the caps on them, they look like Light Sabers. They have light-up timers, and they make noises and talk, really they do!

You can find these fun brushes and mouth rinses at Target, Walmart and Walgreens, in-store and on-line.

Also check out the Firefly #BrushBattle sweepstakes on Firefly’s Facebook page where you can win a great trip to a theme park in California.

When your child is asking you if it’s time yet to brush their teeth, that’s a win in my book.

PS: The other morning, I woke up early and found the Star Wars brushes encouraging one another before the day began. Although they primarily speak their own language, you’ll surely recognize the words at the end! Check it out: