Levana Stella 2 Video Monitor (Review)

Disclosure: Items were sent for review purposes only, all opinions are completely honest.

Levana, a brand of high-tech, stylish and reliable baby monitors has came out with the Stella 2 Camera Video Baby Monitor. It comes with two cameras instead of one and has a 4.3” screen. Why choose a smaller screen when you don’t have to? This is something that you can’t afford to see half-way.

 

What's in the Box

• Baby Video Monitor
• Pan/Tilt/Zoom Night Vision Camera
• Rechargeable Battery
• 2 Power Adapters
• Instruction Manual
• 1 Year Warranty
• Lifetime Live Customer Support

A video screen this big is the next best thing to actually being in the room with your child. The screen can show each cameras view just by touching ONE button. That is pretty cool. Whether you have larger rooms or need to monitor more than one room, this is perfect!

The two cameras allow you to monitor more than one room in your home on a single monitor! They are great for babies and toddlers alike.

Stella features:

· Touch panel pan/tilt/zoom video baby monitor

· A powerful battery that will last up to 24 hours

· Talk to Baby two-way intercom

· Three soothing lullabies

· Invisible LED night vision

· Private ClearVu Digital Signal

· Expandable up to 4 cameras

User Interface Assessment

Easy to assemble, mount, and use even without using the directions. Pretty simple to figure out the features, because all the buttons are labeled. The two video monitors run via plug-in, while the parent unit can run via cord OR batteries. 

The parent unit is small enough to fit inside your pocket. This is handy if you need to clean the yard while your baby naps, or check the mail. It also has controls for audio, pan-tilt-zoom and multi-camera mode. The parent unit doesn’t beep but it does flash a red “x” when it’s out of range from the video monitors.

The range on this monitor is insane. So insane, that I ended up walking 4 houses down and audio AND Video was still super clear. I can’t imagine someone needing to leave their napping children at home to go any further than the neighbors house to borrow an egg. (Or so I hope not)

Image quality is very clear. Easy to tell if your babies awake (even in the dark) or what the munchkins are up to. It has a menu (3rd button) that allows you to set up your options such as sound sensitivity and screen brightness. Also has a super cool kick-stand that I use to sit the monitor on my desk or a shelf beside me.

I like that I can easily switch between viewing the two cameras. Seeing both screens at once would make the resolution smaller. One button and I can see the other camera via full size, which is awesome!

It is a color picture but only when used in direct lighting. When used at night or in low light, the picture will appear to be in black and white. This monitor doesn’t have temp reading feature like other monitors I’ve used. It’s not a MUST but handy with small children or large homes. It doesn’t matter in my house because I only have one floor, so all rooms are the same temp.

BEST USES

• Infants
• Naps
• Newborns
• Preemies
• Remote Monitoring
• Sleep

Tilt & Zoom

Using the monitor from anywhere in your home you can adjust the camera view horizontally 270° and tilt vertically 110° so you can see everything in baby’s room with the simple touch of a button.

The pan and tilt mode is a must-have in my opinion, especially a silent one. Pan/Tilt means that you can rotate/move the camera down/up and side-to-side. This lets you basically have eyes in the back of your head. (Didn’t your mama ever say that SHE had them? NOW you can!!) If your child moves to a space within the room that the camera wasn’t set on before, just adjust it with the pan and tilt buttons.

The only drawback I had with the tilt/pan feature is that it isn’t as smooth as some others I’ve had. Which takes slightly more time to adjust to exactly the spot you need it to be. That’s only because it seems to tilt/pan a little too much at a time, but it doesn’t take long to figure out.

Also that the zoom is separate from the tilt/pan. So you can only zoom into the specific area that the camera is selected to view. To zoom into other areas, you have to back out and re-adjust the pan and tilt to the area you want to see and THEN zoom back in. Not that much of a deal, but it would be awesome to zoom into the entire area of the room.

Private ClearVu Digital Signal

ClearVu technology provides you the outstanding precision and clarity of a digital signal from up to 750ft away. Stella has a private, secure and interference-free digital signal that no one but you can access.  Feel free to accomplish tasks inside and outside of your home, all the while knowing baby is safe and sound.

The monitor doesn’t have any background noise (whitewash sounds) or static. Nothing interferes such as cell phones or microwaves- not ours or our neighbors, which I especially like. The audio is very clear and has a very strong signal strength. I can do chores or work in my office without worrying my kids are dumping all their toys out in their toy room or getting into an argument about “she said this, he did that”. I can now listen in and see very clearly what’s going on.

LED & Night Vision

            

Invisible infrared LEDs provide a clear image of your child in the dark up to 12ft away. Your baby will sleep more soundly without the distracting red LED lights found on traditional baby video monitors Smart LED Indicator Ring Sound indicator ring changes color with the sound of your baby’s voice alerting you if she if crying out when you have the volume turned down and features adjustable sensitivity.

Two-Way Talking

Talk to Baby and calm them down  with with two-way communication. Let them know that your on the way the sound of your own voice as you head to the rescue. Levana parents also love this feature for communicating to each other when they need some help in the nursery.

Although my kids aren’t babies anymore, I still LOVE this feature. If they are playing in their playroom, I don’t have to constantly get up and check while I’m working. If they are doing something they shouldn’t be, I can warn them with the two-way talking feature. I don’t have to constantly get up while I finish up my work for the day. Makes working from home during the weekends 10x easier.

My kids think this feature is funny though. They try to use this as their own “walkie talkies”. One will come in my office and try to talk to the other through the Levana System. They also make weird faces at each other and do crazy stuff, it’s pretty funny to watch!

3 Remote-controlled lullabies

                                      

Does your baby love the sound of lullabies before bed and cry out for more when the music stops? Stella has three lullabies that can be remotely activated and changed by your parent unit.

Disclosure- I was given this product for review purposes and was not financially compensated otherwise.  All opinions are my own, based on my own use of this product.

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SmartDeco SmartStand: Join the Furniture Revolution <Review>

SmartDeco Furniture pieces are like no other furniture that I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. SmartDeco Furniture has 3 different pieces of furniture, which consist of an Intellidesk, a SmartDresser, and a SmartStand. They even offer bundles of the different furniture.

The SmartDeco furniture pieces are simply designed and easy to put together because they require absolutely no tools at all. The best part about it is they are 100% recyclable and made right here in the great United States of America!

I was hoping to get the SmartDresser, but ended up getting the SmartStand instead. The SmartStand is available in 2 colors; cardboard brown and white. They send me the white SmartStand.

I received it in no time flat, within a week/ week and a half to be exact. I was super excited when I seen the box being delivered to my house and I got a sneak peek at the label and it said SmartDeco Furniture. I immediately (of course) opened the box and started putting the SmartStand together. Of course, I had a very small 4 year old assistant who definitely thought she needed to help out.


All you have to do when the furniture (whatever piece you choose) arrives go to the SmartDeco website and click on assembly at the top of the page. Then just click on the piece of furniture that you received and get to building!

The video is super amazing. It shows you exactly which piece to choose first and an exact step-by-step tutorial of how to put the furniture together. The lady in the picture below puts it together, so that you can see how it’s done!

I laid the furniture pieces out on my couch and just took a piece at a time and followed the videos advice. For each piece that contained a duplicate (such as the drawers) I just rewound the video a little and replayed it if I forgot a certain step. The instructions are very easy to understand and follow along with!

The pieces pop right into place without a problem. Even putting the entire thing together by myself (I’m very handy lol) I had it fully constructed in less than 15-20 minutes. Of course about 3-5 of those minutes was spent laughing my butt off when I looked over and she had already taken the stand hostage as her “fort”.

She loved hiding inside of the stand while I was putting the other pieces together! She is absolutely adorable and she had fun “helping” and that’s all that matters. I definitely want to buy 2 more of these stands (one for each kid). It definitely makes an awesome desk for small kids.

Of course, since it’s white.. I let her decorate the sides of it anyway she wanted to. She had tons of fun coloring and designing Mama’s new <side desk>. I love how durable this is. She colored and colored and not once did it sway!!

I also love the fact that I can take either drawer out of the SmartStand and turn that space into something else. It has the potential for so many things. In my crafter mind I could totally see decoupaging fabric inside a space used for books, the drawers and sides painted contrasting colors, or just random “magazine” style clippings that fit your style in random spots! I love personalizing things and making them “mine”.. so I will definitely do something like that!
 
See how the top is glossy? It comes with a clear plastic cover that expands over the entire top of the SmartStand. I really like that because it protects the top from water damage (if you place drinks on the top), and natural wear and tear!

Of course she had to take her “own” pictures of the Smartstand! She’s amazing growing inside a 4 year old body, I tell ya! This fits perfectly inside our home! It is re-usable, so when we are done with it (should it ever tear up 5-10 years later) we could just recycle it. As someone concerned about the environment I’m raising my kids in, this is truly important to me.

As a crafter, the design possibilities are endless! That’s something else that matters to me. If I were getting just a regular stand, there’s no way I would feel comfortable painting it, drawing on it, or decoupaging fabric to it. I need furniture in my “office” to reflect who I am and this is just what I was looking for. Of course, you could always leave it the way it is if that’s what you like. It’s all up to you!

I truly love how modern and beautiful it is standing inside my office. It just captures the light with it’s amazing angles and the openness “air” feeling it has to it. I love that it can be used in many different ways, for so many different things, in any room in your home!

Specs :

• Made in California
• Bedside table / file cabinet
• 23” W x 30” H x 17” D
• 13 lbs
• Tested to hold over 300 lbs
• Made from high grade cardboard
• Folds together without tools
• 100% recyclable

Buy it: SmartDeco SmartStand $59.00 $41.00

To assemble the SmartStand

Connect with SmartDeco on Facebook and Twitter


Jessica Renee

Home Review: Febreze™ Hawaiian Aloha Deodorizing Powders™, Endorsed by BISSELL

Summer is here, and we all know what that means. More get togethers, more people coming in and out, and MORE kids. With so many people going to be coming in and out, I want my carpets to look and smell their best!

Febreze™ Deodorizing Powders™, endorsed by BISSELL will do the trick every time! It’s easy to keep your carpets smelling AMAZING with these carpet sprinkles because they are so easy to use. Just sprinkle a little bit on the carpets and let it sit for about 5 minutes and vacuum them up.

I love that there are two options on the top of the lid. It reminds me of a parmesan cheese shaker. You have a bunch of tiny little holes, or the big gaping hole- and you just turn the opening to whichever you choose and sprinkle away.

The smell is fabulous, everything you think of when you think of Hawaii. Flower blossoms, pineapples, and a nice summer breeze. The powder is amazing because it doesn’t leave a white residue on my carpet (which is black and white), it doesn’t clump up when vacuumed, and it has absolutely no problem being sucked up by the vacuum (or even getting the carpet clean with a broom).

These little sprinkles aren’t just made for carpets though. Did you know you can sprinkle them on your furniture (if you have cloth or upholstery), use them in your car carpets, and sprinkle them on curtains/draperies?

They eliminate even the toughest odors; whether it be garlic, smoke, or mold. BUT most of all I love them because they eliminate the everyday smells of having two kids who are always getting into something and might accidentally spill it.

I have a shampooer for my carpet, but sometimes the scent of whatever was spilled can linger behind. Now I can shampoo the carpets, wait until they dry, and sprinkle this and vacuum it  up and the odor is gone!

I love that I can clean the house and use the sprinkles on my carpet and leave. As soon as I walk into the house you can smell the freshness and cleanliness of the Hawaiian Aloha scent! Very pleasant!

Buy IT: Febreze™ Hawaiian Aloha Deodorizing Powders™, endorsed by BISSELL for only $3.49

Connect with Bissell on facebook and twitter

 

Jessica Renee

Airwick NEW! National Park Collection <Limited Edition> Plug-in Scented Oils

Spring is in the AIR! Literally. With the new Air Wicks National Park Limited Edition Scented Oil Plug-ins it smells like spring/summer ALL the time. Having your house smell absolutely wonderful is something that everybody wants to enjoy; whether they use candles, scented oil, air freshener..etc.

I think the easiest and most convenient way to achieve having a great smelling home without the perfume or alcohol smell attached to it is scented oil. Air Wick always hits it right on the nose with their scents. They always smell so amazing, invigorating, and never give off a "JUST sprayed" smell.

The Airwick scented oil plug-ins slowly heat up the oil to release the scents a little at a time but it smells great all the time. I've had people walk by the plug-in (LOW to the floor in my living room) and tell me my home smelled so good. They didn't know they were about a foot from the plug-in.

It's a compliment I take seriously. Nobody wants someone walking in and saying "hmm.. Your house smells a little weird today" lol. You want people to associate your home as clean, fresh, and smelling good.

These new National Park scented oils all smell amazing. I got to test 4 of the 6 that are new. I was sent the Hawaii, Denali, Grand Canyon, and American Samoa. They all have their own unique, distinct, amazing smell.

The Hawaii Scented oil smells like a mixture of Exotic Papaya and Hibiscus Flower. When you walk near the plug in, it smells like pineapples and exotic flowers though (or so I thought). It does take you to a place with ripe amazing smelling fruit, beautiful flowers, sun, and fun.

The Denali Scented Oil smells like soft cotton grass and spring air. I love the soft smell that this gives off. To me, it smells like recently washed and clean clothes. It smells like a nice spring day with the clothes blowing on the clothes line.

The Grand Canyon Scented Oil smells like cactus flower and Warm Breeze. To me this smells like freshly grown flowers, summer time, and a slight breeze. Those long summer days filled with picnics, barbecues, family, and hanging out. Nights filled with campfires, lightening bugs, and lots of conversation.

The American Somoa Scented Oil smells like Sweet Coconut and Island Palms. This smells more like coconuts mixed with a pretty homegrown flower. Although I don't like how coconuts taste, I LOVE how fresh and milky they smell. This scented oil has captured the essence of that milky thickness that coconuts are known for.

It’s hard to choose a favorite even between these 4. They all are very different scents, yet all smell so amazing. Each one captures different aspects of the place it represents. I am a huge fan of these and wish they weren’t just a limited edition, I’d buy them all the time. I guess it’s time to stock up NOW! LOL

They each come with their own cap, so that you aren’t wasting the oils when they aren’t in use. When you get ready to change it to another, just unscrew the top and snap it in the plug-in and plug it in! Easy and simple as that! Hmm.. nice smelling house in a snap!

The National Park Collection is available in Air Wick’s full range of products, including Scented Oils, Freshmatic Auto Spray Refills, Scented Candles and Reed Diffusers.  Retailing from $2.99 - $5.99, the National Park Collection can be found at all major retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit: http://www.airwick.us/ and www.facebook.com/AirWickUS.

Buy them for yourself! You can buy them from the Airwick website or at your nearest retailer; Walmart, Dollar Store, Target..

Jessica Renee

Review: CandleWarmer.com Cream Emboss Warmer

I LOVE scented candles. Every time I go to the store I stop in the candle aisle and smell every single ONE! Although I do LOVE the scents, I hate worrying that my house might catch on fire if my rambunctious kids accidentally knock into one.

When I was given the opportunity to review a warmer and a couple pack of tarts from Candle Warmer, I was absolutely thrilled. I’d never had the experience of not having to set a candle up VERY VERY high so that the kids couldn’t possibly get to it.

Having lit candles around the house is a fire hazard. There are thousands of fires that start each year due to people not remembering to blow out their candles. They come back home and see fire trucks lining the front of their homes.

I DO NOT want to experience this. So I was excited to learn about the very safe, effective candle warmers. It came within just a couple days, and I was excited to get to try it!

It comes with a bowl that you can slip the tarts in, they melt and fill the entire house with their scented greatness. OR you can take the bowl off, and stick a candle right on the warmer. It starts melting the candle, and letting off the scent without the hazard of a flame.

LOVE the idea. I got to choose which candle warmer I wanted to review-so I ended up choosing the Cream Emboss warmer. I love that I can stick it in any room and it matches the décor. The have MANY MANY more that I want to add to my collection.

Since I’ve opened a business in town, I definitely want to get one to place in there. There’s nothing that says “welcome” better than scented goodness pulling them in and greeting them with a smile!

They are very easy to use!

I love that they have so many options, colors, and variety. No matter what style or décor you have in your home- they will definitely have something that complements that!

I also love that they have so many choices of the Wax Melts. I loved looking through all of them! I just wish I could get one of each! I love the vibrant colors and that each smells JUST like what they say. YOU know what I mean- when you’ve picked up a candle and it smells nothing like what the package says it does. These do!

I ended up getting Pumpkin Spice and Ripe Blackberry. The Ripe Blackberry is my absolute favorite! I’d never smelled Pumpkin Spice before, so I was going for something “fall” related. I didn’t really like it, but MANY MANY people do. You can see their Fall 2012 catalogue, which has TONS of new items.

I love that they not only offer Holiday scented wax melts, but they also offer Holiday Warmers! I LOVED each and every one of their choices. They are all unique and beautiful! They will look cute for your holiday gatherings.

They also have accessories; like candles! That way if you would rather burn a candle- you can! Candle Warmers has totally made me aware of how much better it is to have candle/wax melt warmer than to be burning candles.

YOU still get the same great smell, just in a safer more convenient way!

Connect with Candle Warmers on Facebook,

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Disclosure: This isn’t a sponsored post, products were sent for review purposes only. The opinions in this post are mine and mine only

 

Jessica Renee