First Wagon! - a review

I got this On the Edge 900124 Red Folding Utility Wagon from Amazon last week during one of their Lightning Goldbox Deals and I must say it is everything it said it was. It came already put together and folded up in a very compact size and I was able to get it out of the box and put the little girl in the wagon within 3 minutes.

Our 8 month old little girl had her first wagon ride on Sunday since it was such a lovely day and she absolutely loved every minute of it. It was so much more spacious than her stroller and she was able to roll around and play and even wanted to take a nap in it as we pulled her along. She thought it was her new moving crib.
It pulled very well and we also tried pushing it which was just as easy and the wagon seemed to roll over grass, concrete sidewalk and a paved street without any issues. I love the long handle as I am 6'4" and I didn't have to lean down at all to pull her. I also love the handle clip that allows you to keep the handle in the upright position when not in use. There is also a nifty little basket on the back for things like a cooler or a diaper bag.

I can't testify as to the longevity of the product as we just got it but as far as ease of use and convenience it doesn't get any better. To be able to fold it up so easily and compact was a must for us as our garage is already too full plus we also wanted a wagon we could travel with. So this fits that purpose very nicely.

My wife really loved the canopy and it was also very simple to put on. Simply raise the four corner rods and pull the canopy out of the pocket in the front of the wagon, unfold and place it on top. No snaps, buttons or hooks to deal with of any kind just the simple taught pressure of the fabric keeps the canopy on. Again this being new, I don't know if the fabric, as it gets older, will begin to stretch and lose some of it's tightness around the 4 poles which could then lead to issues with the canopy staying on in higher winds.

My little girl has not yet learned to walk, crawl or pull herself up so I may be singing a different tune about the wagon when she does since there no straps on the wagon of any kind for child restraint. This would be the only downside I could see for the wagon except maybe I exceed the weight limit and therefore can't ride in it myself.

Overall for $85 this is one of my better purchases for our daughter and I am well pleased.

Great Kite Deals Going on Now at Amazon

OK so my favorite hobby, of which there are many, is flying Kites unfortunately I don't get to fly as much as I would want because the winds here in Raleigh are just not as consistent as one would like to truly enjoy hobby on a regular basis. But I do get to fly several times a year when we go to the Outerbanks of North Carolina and I have built up quite a quiver of kites over the lasts several years. Why would you need more than one kite? Well because they can be beautiful to look at but more importantly you need to have the right kind of kite for the wind that you will be flying in. There are kites designed to fly indoors with no wind, in low wind, in medium winds and even in high winds. So if you really want to be able to take advantage of the wind presented to you on a particular day then you will want to have the right kind of kite in your quiver to fly in that wind. You can however as a beginner buy a kite that will have a broader wind spectrum but obviously the performance level of those kites will not be as good as one designed specifically for a certain type of wind. As you progress in the sport you will want to start building your quiver for the various types of winds and flying styles you prefer.


Now the type of kites I prefer to fly are two line stunt kites mostly manufactured by Prism out of Seattle, Washington. I am a big Prism Kite fan, I guess because the very first stunt kite I bought was a Prism Quantum and thus I became familiar with the line and the level of support offered by the company. I have just about every Prism kite they make both stunt and single line with a few exceptions mostly on the Parafoil end. I do own a few other brand of kites though but my favorites are always the Prisms.


I happened to notice today on Amazon that there are quite a few Prism Models available right now at greatly reduced prices and thought I would share them with you incase someone might be interested.


The first model is the one that I first purchased back in 2004 from Kitty Hawk Kites which is the Prism Quantum and back then it retailed for about $80 bucks but now they retail for $112. Amazon is selling a few Prism Quantum models in the low $60 range which is a great deal on this entry level kite. It is big, durable and has a strong pull so it is easier to control because you feel the movement of the kite. It also has a built in shock absorber in the spine to help ease the effects of the inevitable crashes that beginners will have. It also has an adjustable bridle that allow for more radical settings one you progress in your flying skills. This kite performs well in a variety of winds although Prism states as little as 3 mph I would suggest 6 mph or more to be more realistic. I have flown this kite several times in high winds around 25 mph and been very pleased with it. I highly recommend this kite to anyone as their first kite and at this price it is very hard for even me to resist buying another one. Here is the link to the kite on Amazon http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Prism-QUANTUM-Quantum-Stunt-Kite/dp/B003H34NBO/ref=pd_sim_sg_1 and your price will vary depending on the color you chose but there are some colors that are really great deals.


The second model is the Prism 4D Ultralight Stunt kite and Amazon has one of the Yellow color for sale around $80. This is a pretty nice deal based on the retail price of $105 for this kite. As the name implies this kite is for low wind or even an indoor kite and actually is quite a good kite for flying in Raleigh as the winds tend to be relatively low here. I don't have this particular model but I do have it's predecessor the Prism 3D Ultralight and have been very pleased with it so far. I just want to mention that since this kite is designed for little to no wind it's construction is not going to withstand the physical abuse most beginner fliers will give a kite so I don't recommend this one as your first kite but if you have been flying awhile and are ready to start building your quiver then this is a good first kite to add. Here is the link to the kite on Amazon www.amazon.com/Prism-4D-Ultralight-Stunt-Kite/dp/B003L2THA8/ref=pd_sim_sg_5 and as mentioned the Yellow color is the one that is on sale for the best price.


The third and final kite I am going to mention is really more for the intermediate to advance fliers but it also is my favorite kite in my quiver and that is the Prism Zephyr.This kite retails for $280 and right now Amazon is selling the Prism Zephyr in the Eggplant color for about $146. This is an amazing price for this kite and probably your best overall deal as far as the savings are concerned. One of the biggest things I like about this kite is the wonderful hard shell kite case that comes with it. The case alone is worth $50 so you are getting a really superb deal on the Zephyr kite at this price. In my Zephyr case I can carry all my line sets, the Zephyr and one other kite and that is usually the Quantum. I can also fit my Prism 3D kite on the outside of the case strapped on by the the bungee cord lacing down the side if I wish. The kite itself is a low to medium wind kite and there is also an included weight set that can be put in the spine to help in the higher wind range. Being an higher end kite you will have some features not available on the lower end models such as a fully adjustable bridle, adjustable leech line and leading edge tensioners and yo yo stoppers making this a great competition kite. At this price even though it is designed for intermediate to advance fliers I would almost recommend it to new fliers who had the money because it is such a great kite. But my real recommendation would be to buy both the Prism Quantum and the Prism Zephyr that way you have something good to learn on now the Quantum and then also have a kite that you could grow into later the Zephyr and all for about the normal street price of the Prism Zephyr. Here is the link to the kite on Amazon http://www.blogger.com/www.amazon.com/Prism-ZEPHYR-Zephyr-Stunt-Kite/dp/B003L7TQB8/ref=pd_sim_sg_7 and as mentioned the Eggplant color is the one that is on sale for the best price.

As a side note I mentioned having different types of kites in your quiver based on the wind but please also be aware of the need for different types of linesets depending on the wind conditions and the length of line you desire to fly with.

I hope this helps someone looking to buy a kite soon. I don't know how long these prices are good for and Amazon's prices fluctuate greatly so take advantage while you can. Now I just need to resist the urge to take advantage of such great deals myself as I really do not need another kite unless someone really just wanted to get me one for my 37th birthday coming up soon then I could always use another kite.

Works For Me Wednesday

Today I'd like to review FLYlady's feather duster.  This is another product that is a winner for me!  Honestly, I've never had a feather duster so I really have no other duster to compare it to but my experience has been positive.  I really didn't think it could possibly make a difference - it's just feathers, right?  But, it actually does a fantastic job with dust, and let me tell you we have alot of that so I feel qualified to speak on this topic!  So, here is a silly picture of me and my purple feather duster - obviously a pose, but it's a good representation of what I've been doing constantly since the duster arrived in the mail.  I bought two - one for upstairs and one for downstairs and I can tell you that I've dusted a lot more than I used to because the feather duster makes it so much fun.  Hubby giggles at me when I start going with it but it's perfect for someone like me that likes quirky things!  Two thumbs up for the feather duster!  You can go HERE to purchase your very own FLYlady feather duster!

Works For Me Wednesday

Okay, first let's just get it out of the way...yes, I know it is Thursday.  I'm a day late, so shoot me!

I have agreed to review some FLYlady products for my FLYbaby group so rather than just post my thoughts there I decided it made more sense to post to the blog and then post that reference to the group.  My plan (ha ha!) is to blog on Wednesdays about a different product I am trying until I have covered all the ones I have.....don't hold your breath....my follow through is notoriously poor!  (Just a comment, I am not being compensated for this review.  This is a product I purchased for my own use and I am just sharing my thoughts about it with you.)

So first up is the Rags In A Bag product.  This is a set of three purple microfiber cloths that arrive in a mesh laundry bag with zipper.  I have been using these for a few weeks now and have decided that they are a winner!  I really like them.  I have used microfiber cloths before but these truly are a superior product in my opinion.  One thing I am really loving about them is that I can dampen one corner and clean mirrors or glass without using any cleaning products.  If necessary I will wipe over at the end with the dry end to make sure there is no smearing.  Something like this really comes in handy when you have a child.  Seriously, who has time to go get the paper towels and glass cleaner?  Not me!  I also like that they are generously sized whereas ones I have purchased in the past were not.  The only negative thing I can say about them is that they do shrink in the dryer; however, I failed to read the instruction about air drying them so I am entirely to blame!

You can find this product in the FLYshop for $9.95 plus S&H.