Category Archives: Apparel + Gear Reviews

Apparel + Gear Reviews, Feel More Gooder

Planetbox Eco-Friendly Food Containers Review

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This is a review + summary of my experience with Planetbox eco-friendly, sustainable lunch boxes and portable food containers.

I’ve always been on the look out for reusable, sturdy food storage options that don’t require me to use disposable plastic bags and give me the freedom to tote food/drinks around with me effortlessly. Planetbox totally fits this bill and then some.

About Planetbox:

  • Easy: PlanetBox will serve as your guide for what and how much to pack. We’ve done the thinking for you. And now your morning routine just got a whole lot easier.
  • Safe: We take “non-toxic, non-leaching, safe from BPA, phthalates, and lead” very seriously – in fact, it’s why we designed PlanetBox! We don’t think you will find safer products on the market than ours.
  • Cost Effective: Why should you pay this much for a lunchbox? Because it’s cheaper to buy food in bulk and pack your own meal. Because your health is worth it. And because it’s an investment your family will use every single day for many years to come – over its lifetime, it will pay off in spades.
  • Great Design: When something actually works well, it makes all the difference. We spent years studying and living how people use lunchboxes. We thoroughly thought through all the details, so you and your kids get the joy and ease of using a superbly designed product.
  • Enjoyable: Think packing lunch is a dreaded chore? Our innovative lunchboxes actually make packing lunch fun and enjoyable – for your kids and yourself!
  • Eco: PlanetBox lunches create a whole lot less trash, which should help you sleep better knowing you’re doing your part to help the planet for future generations.
  • Built to Last: This isn’t your childhood flimsy tin lunchbox. Our high quality stainless steel is warrantied for 5 years, and has been known to survive getting thrown off the school bus (not that we recommend that).
  • Healthy: Forget to pack some veggies? The empty compartment will remind you. Concerned about overeating? That won’t happen – PlanetBox is designed to hold sensible portions. So eat a rainbow of foods, and enjoy.
  • Stress-Free Cleanup: Dishwasher safe? Heck yeah. Peanut butter left for a week? No problem – our stainless steel doesn’t retain yucky food odors or stains like those unfortunate plastic containers do.
  • Customizable: Whether you’re a rock star, a paleontologist, or a flower child, we’ve got a magnet set for you. And when you decide to become an astronaut or fairy lover next year, just change your magnets and you’ve got a fresh new lunchbox to suit your style.

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Here are the products I’m using:

Tall Dipper (dip/sauce container)

Tank (snack container)

Launch (Lunch box) with the Rocket Color Bag and Lotus Magnets

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I am just so pleased with how easy my Planetbox is to pack, how it has pockets on the outside of the carrying bag (perfect for a La Croix or even the Tank snack container), how cool it looks, how many compliments I get on it, how easy it is to clean, how it fits a hefty sized meal and how it makes me feel like I’m doing something small + good for the planet.

The only thing I’ve run into is that I had trouble with leakage when I put a tomato sauce on top of some lentil noodle inside my Launch box. It seeped out the side. To prevent it the next time, I just put the sauce in the Tall Dipper instead. Worked well that way!

planetbox

If you’ve been looking for reusable options that are not plastic, check them out at Planetbox.com.

Apparel + Gear Reviews, Feel More Gooder

Mizuno Wave Rider 21 Review

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This is a sponsored post on behalf of Fitfluential about the Mizuno Wave Rider 21.

I spent a large portion of my life on the volleyball court in Mizuno volleyball shoes and have always had an affinity for this brand. When my running mileage picked up, I coincidentally started my first collaboration with Mizuno, helping promote their blank shoe. You can check out that post here.

These shoes are just downright comfy. Mizunos never disappoint in terms of feel and style. At this point, I can just trust that it’s going to be a solid shoe when I open a box from Mizuno.

The Mizuno Wave Rider 21 strikes a good balance between having a real feel (not too bulky on the bottom) and also providing enough support and bounce to feel like they are adding some extra umph to my stride.

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The appearance and color combination of this shoe are completely different than what I would normally choose for myself, but I am happy about the change of style. The past two colors were more bold (a greenish blue and an electric blue color). I love seeing what Mizuno comes up with. Each new model looks unique enough to get excited about it. What’s consistent is the performance and fit. You couldn’t ask for a whole lot more in a shoe.

I am only running a max of 10ish miles a week right now, as my main mode of exercise is CrossFit, but they are substantial enough to deal with many miles; I just don’t need them for that at the moment.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Mizuno. The opinions and text are all mine.

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Apparel + Gear Reviews, Feel More Gooder

Prana Sustainable Apparel Tank + Tight Review

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This is a review of Prana Sustainable, Fair Trade, Ethically sourced apparel.

Prana October.jpg

Prana

Use code FFJCF17 for 15% off Prana apparel + gear to outfit your adventures 🌲

b i g g e r p i c t u r e s t u f f:

OUR PURPOSE – The Why Pursue sustainable, traceable, and responsible action to protect our environment and inspire the adventurous spirit.

OUR MISSION – The How Inspire, educate, and outfit our audience as we strive to fundamentally change the way clothing is made.

OUR MANIFESTO – The Promise We’re not in the business of making clothes, we’re in the business of setting the adventurous spirit free. We design with a purpose to inspire our audience to do as they will. We distill trends, fit, style, and performance to satisfy our audience’s basic needs, then get the hell out of the way so they can enjoy their own brand of experiences.

OUR VISION – The Way Transcend the Trends We’re more than makers; we’re doers. Our designs are inspired by our own experiences and built for our shared journey. We strive to make clothes that help us all thrive in any environment and embody our collective adventurous spirit so we can focus on what really matters. Whether you’re commuting to work or wandering the globe, rest assured we’ve been there and used those moments to design a better product

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My Experience:

No exaggeration; working with prAna is a dream scenario as a blogger. Ever since working in women’s apparel a few years back, I’ve been crazy about this brand. Not only is the fit exactly what I’m looking for, but I appreciate their commitment to sustainable fabrics. Don’t know what I mean, you can read a bit more on that here.

They are truly so unique in what they’re doing. They’re not sacrificing anything on their mission to create beautiful clothing while being mindful of where it comes from and how it’s made.

Even before being asked to participate in this campaign, I am the owner of 3 pairs of prAna jeans, one of my all-time favorite tank tops and close to 10 prAna dresses.

The Caraway Tight and Filament Tank were both two new items for me to try. I was immediately drawn to the Caraway Tight mainly because of the high-rise feature of the pant; I also thought the pattern had a subtle uniqueness to it that is rad.

Wearing a tank that has such beautiful detailing and is somewhat fitted was a new concept for me. I wouldn’t normally pick this tank out because I typically go for a loose fitting top and a skin-tight bottom (after typing that out, I realize how weird that sounds).

That said, I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised with how this one performs and feels. Though it lets your figure show, it’s not so tight that it feels uncomfortable, restrictive, or like it’s cutting in. You can tell there must be quite a bit of design work going into creating these pieces.

As a taller gal with long legs (almost disproportionate to my torso), I really have to rely on a high rise pant to have the top of the pant sit where I’d like it to so that I’m not tugging on them the whole time I’m working out. I love that prAna came out with a pant that has a higher rise. They provide a good amount of compression that’s flattering on the body and also pulls everything in tighter for workouts.

Learn more about the empowering message + information that prAna is spreading in these inspiring videos: The Not Impossible Mission of the Conscious Consumer and Why Hemp Matters.

Apparel + Gear Reviews, Feel More Gooder

Eat Smart Digital Kitchen Scale Review

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This is a review of the Eat Smart Digital Kitchen Scale for tracking macros and working towards your nutrition goals. Great for Crossfit enthusiasts and individuals looking to follow IIFYM (if it fits your macros).

Eat Smart Digital Kitchen Scale

About:

  • Professional food scale – Extra large lighted display and stainless steel platform
  • Max weight 15lbs; Displays ounces/lbs/grams/kgs; Graduation .05 oz / 1 gram
  • Includes FREE EatSmart Calorie Factors guide – Portion control and calorie counting made easy!
  • Tare feature eliminates the weight of a plate; 3 Minute Auto-Shutoff lets you prepare ingredients while maintaining battery life
  • 4 AAA batteries included; 100% EatSmart Guaranteed Satisfaction

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My Experience:

Measuring food was a foreign concept to me not long ago, but I gained an interest in it after learning more about how consuming certain macronutrient ratios may be able to maximize health and performance during workouts.

I came across this opportunity to try out an Eat Smart Scale and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I’m new to using scales (thus, I don’t have much to compare it to), but I wouldn’t see a need to ever get a different scale. This one seems to do an excellent job and is easy to store (we keep it on top of our microwave).

I like that could can measure in various ways like grams, ounces or pounds. My routine has been to the scale on with the bowl I’m using already on it, that way the scale is at zero with an empty bowl on top (it doesn’t weight the bowl this way).

I’m excited to have this fancy tool in our kitchen and have found it useful espescially for measuring out fat servings (like nuts) as well as measuring ground coffee for consistent brewing. If you do any kind of measuring in your kitchen on a regular basis, this is definitely worth having.

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Wanna get your hands on one? Check out Eat Smart’s social channels:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EatSmartProducts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EatSmartScales

Instagram: http://instagram.com/eatsmartproducts

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/eatsmartscales

 

Apparel + Gear Reviews, Feel More Gooder

Mizuno Wave Sky Running Shoe Review

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This is a sponsored post on behalf of Fitfluential of the Mizuno Wave Sky running shoe.

Mizuno Wave Sky

Overall Rating: 5-stars

About:

Maximum cushioning meets maximum comfort in the new Wave Sky, built for neutral runners. A full length U4icX midsole works in harmony with new cloudwave technology for a plush and lively ride.

  • All new Mizuno SmoothRide: New maximum cloudwave technology coupled with full length, articulated U4icX midsole delivers a plush, flexible ride
  • New thicker and premium anatomical sockliner for improved fit and comfort
  • U4icX strobel lining for added comfort
  • Mizuno DynamotionFit: 3 panel upper construction with skin-like seamless midfoot and minimal forefoot for a disappearing fit

My Experience:

Mizuno made my go-to pair of volleyball shoes back when I was competing. Because those were my staple, I was eager + quick to accept the chance to try their running shoes. This pair of Wave Sky’s is pair #2 of running shoes I’ve tried by Mizuno; you can read that first review here on the Wave Catalyst.

What I love most about the Mizuno Wave Sky is that from the second I slipped my first foot into the shoe, it felt comfortable. I didn’t have to wiggle my foot around a bunch to get comfy and I didn’t feel like I needed to break them in. That’s HUGE to be able to take them for a spin right out of the box. For me, that’s rare.

I’ve done a few sprint workouts and a longer (3 mile) run and these shoes suited both distances great. I’m sure at a higher mileage, they’d be perfect.

With the Crossfit I’ve been doing, I don’t run more than a few miles at a time. I actually feel like a much better runner when I’m focusing on shorter distances at a faster pace while being super mindful of form. I’ll be keeping these in my gym bag especially for days when the WOD calls for running.

They provide enough of a cushion that they will sufficiently absorb the shock of several mines, yet low-profile enough to feel sleek and smooth; not clunky. That combination of not clunky + adequately cushioned seems like a hard one to come by. Mizuno knows what they’re doing in constructing this shoe.