iLive 45-inch HD Soundbar Review

Disclosure: Complimentary product was received for review purposes

My family has movie night frequently, and we're always listening to music in the house. Thanks to the iLive - 45-inch Bluetooth Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Satellite Speakers (ARV $159), our movie-watching and music-listening experiences are elevated!

Set up was a breeze (my husband set it up), and in no time we had surround sound that really made a difference on movie nights and music listening parties.

Here is his detailed review regarding the set-up:

The iLive 45” HD Soundbar is the first soundbar I’ve owned and I’m very happy with it. The soundbar is 45” long with the detachable satellite speakers attached and 32” on its own. It comes with a subwoofer, a wall mount kit, remote control, power adapters for both the soundbar and the subwoofer, charging cables if you keep the satellite speakers detached, and an optical audio cable.Setup was very simple. I plugged in the soundbar and attached the two satellite speakers. Since my TV doesn’t have enough HDMI ports, I used the provided optical audio cable to connect the soundbar to the TV. I plugged the subwoofer into an outlet across the room. I turned everything on and was ready to test it out.

The soundbar was a huge upgrade over my TV speakers. The sound is full and the bass from the subwoofer is more than adequate. The remote lets you choose amongst music, movie, or dialog and they do make a difference in the listening experience. You can also choose amongst the different input options, control the volume, and adjust the bass and treble with the remote.

The Bluetooth is simple to connect with my phone and easy to switch between other sources if someone else wants to play their music. There is an auxiliary port on the soundbar if your music device isn’t Bluetooth capable and you need to connect the old school way.

I do have a few issues with the iLive 45” Sound Bar with Satellite Speakers & Wireless Subwoofer. First of all, the optical audio cable that comes with is only 3’ 4” long. I needed to buy a longer one to be able to run it from my wall mounted TV and through the wall to the soundbar. Secondly, although there are volume, bass, and treble controls on the remote, there’s no visual indication of their levels. You just need to press each up or down and listen to determine the desired level of each. These issues are not dealbreakers.

Overall, the iLive 45” HD Soundbar is a great sound system, especially for the price. It’s easy to setup, has enough features for the average user and, most importantly, it sounds great!

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The Barrier Method Travel Face Mask Redesigned

*Disclosure:  Complimentary item received.  All opinions are entirely my own.

Slate Grey Winged Mask

I first tried out the Barrier Method Travel Face Mask early last year and I loved it!  You can read my review here.  I used it for all my travel until I lost it just 4 months later on a flight to Osaka.  I was devastated!  Lucky for me, Danielle Travis, founder of The Barrier Method and Maui girl, gave me a newly redesigned mask to try out.  In the new design, the Barrier Method's signature mask is sewn into the outer layers.  Which is awesome for me because it used to be removable and that's how I lost it. 

The masks are made of 100% ECO antibacterial polyester and is lightweight and breathable.  I like that it gives me extra warmth during flights.  It's also UPF 50 and water resistant!  Besides the winged mask, there is also a neckie style. 

For more information, visit The Barrier Method's website.

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Fuego Box Makes a Great Father's Day Gift!

Disclosure:  Complimentary product was received for review purposes.

The products come nicely presented in a reusable crate.

Does the Dad in your life like hot sauce?  My kids' dad just happens to LOVE hot sauce, even keeping his favorite bottle on the kitchen counter.  When I got the chance to try out Fuego Box, I just knew it would be the perfect Father's Day gift for him.

We received Fuego Box's The Chile Cause Crate which includes:  Zana Organic Hot Sauce (medium heat), Fat Cat Surprisingly Mild Guajillo Hot Sauce (mild heat), Yellowbird Serrano (medium heat), Hot Hive Spicy Honey (medium heat), and Bravado Jalapeño and Garlic Spicy Seasoning (spicy seasoning) all nicely presented in a custom hand-branded wooden crate.  What's awesome about this curated box is that these small-batch goods focus on flavor rather than extreme heat. 

My daughter and I went straight to drizzling the Hot Hive Spicy Honey on popcorn and peanut butter toast.  The handmade honey is infused with the Carolina reaper pepper - the world's hottest pepper.  We both enjoyed the sweetness and mild heat of the honey.  The label warned that the longer the honey sits, the hotter it gets.  Next time we will let it sit out a little longer for a more intense heat flavor.

Each jar contains an entire pepper!

The entire family was eager to try the three hot sauces so we made a quick run for some takeout tacos.  First up was the Zana Organic Hot Sauce which is described as an everyday hot sauce and can complement any meal.  We agree.  Zana was flavorful and the heat was manageable.  Next we tried Fat Cat Surprisingly Mild Guajillo Hot Sauce and it was just that, mild.  It was my least favorite because I like spicy but it's interesting to know that this mild sauce is created from the ghost chili - one of the world's hottest peppers.  I think this sauce would be fun to use to enhance another sauce.  Lastly, we tried the Yellowbird Serrano which turned out to be our favorite.  We liked the heat of the sauce and really enjoyed the standout flavors of the vinegar and lime.  I had steamed dumplings the next day and they were so much tastier with the Yellowbird sauce!

Taste test!

Fuego Box offers their products in the form of subscriptions, single purchase curated crates, and individual bottles.  The Chile Cause Crate retails for $49.95 and is valued over $65, but what’s awesome is for every crate sold, Fuego Box will donate $5 directly to prostate cancer research.  This Father's Day you won’t go wrong with a gift from Fuego Box.  Certainly in our home, Fuego Box is mom, dad, and kid approved!  

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KonaRed Cold Brew Coffee Review

Disclosure:  Complimentary products were received for review purposes.  All opinions are entirely my own. 

KonaRed Cold Brew Coffee comes in 5 flavors.

I have been struggling to get through the day for the past couple of weeks and it is no lie that on more than one occasion, KonaRed's Cold Brew Coffee has saved me.  First, it got me through the morning when I hardly had any sleep because one of my kids threw up in the middle of the night.  Then, it gave me the much needed perk during some awful Westside traffic.  Most recently, it kept me company while I waited in the car during my daughter's one hour tumbling class.  Life. Saver.

I love coffee in all forms so I was happy to review KonaRed's new 32 oz. bottles of their Cold Brew Coffee, which is also available in cans.  I kept some bottles at home and work which made it super easy to take with me whenever I needed a little extra energy for the day.  I discovered I needed it often as I've already tried each of the flavors (a couple twice over): Original, Espresso, Hawaiian Vanilla, Maui Mocha, and Kauai Caramel.  I really enjoyed the coffees and found them to be smooth and flavorful.  The only flavor I didn't finish was the Hawaiian Vanilla because it was too sweet for my personal preference for coffee.  My favorites were the Espresso and Maui Mocha.  

So easy to take with me and love the low calories!

What I love about KonaRed's cold brew is that each variety is made with premium Kona and Columbian coffee beans and all-natural ingredients.  The fruit and beans are roasted and slowly steeped for 16 hours in cold water.  Since more coffee is used than traditional hot brewing, the cold brew has a deeper flavor and higher caffeine content - a bottle contains 220 mg of caffeine which is about twice the caffeine as a regular cup of coffee.  What's more awesome is that each 12 ounce bottle contains only between 0-25 calories depending on the flavor!  It's also non-GMO, vegan, kosher and free of dairy, gluten and soy.  This is what my busy life was missing!

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