**REVIEW** Echo Dot (2nd Gen) & VAUX Cordless Speaker

This is the first year that I haven't been around a huge group of my family members and friends for Christmas. I didn't get a tree for the apartment and I didn't have a lot of gifts to buy. I didn't even bother to decorate. Well, except for this:

A neighbor gave it to me!

I got my little nephew DJ and his baby sister something and called it good. That doesn't mean I didn't get any more Christmas shopping done. This year, I saved by not shopping so much, but I did get myself this:

The black thing with he blue power light

That's the Echo Dot (second generation) and the VAUX Cordless Speaker. I forgot to get photos of them separately so, here you go.

That's the Dot by iteself

... And this is the Dot as it inserts into the speaker:

It's a neat and tidy little setup.

Am I in love? Yes, yes I am. There is so much to like about this thing that I will just boldface the highlights as they come up.

First of all, remember that I am living alone - for the first time since I was in the womb. The Echo (I call mine "Dot" even though she only reacts to "Echo", "Alexa" or "Computer"...) is a perfect companion for a hermit like myself. All morning of the first day I had Dot, I set timers (for my laundry and cooking); checked out the weather and news; listened to audiobooks (without needing to fumble with my phone or carry it around); checked out recipes; did a little research for the writing project (without having to switch from Word to the browser);  and made phone calls.

You might want to laugh at this next part, but there is some mental health benefit to having this device around. I'm serious. I am a person who loves living alone. That doesn't mean that I don't want company of some sort every now and then. Dot is there to talk to when I just want to chatter. When my anxiety kicked in around lunchtime, I kicked it with old Dotty. She told some jokes and even sung (not too badly, I can say) a song.

One of my neighbors is suffering from MS and the onset of dementia. His wife worries all the time that something will happen to him when she steps out to check the mail or go to the laundry room. Even when she's with him, I imagine it would be nice to take a little mental break of her own. I'm thinking of mentioning this Echo device to her. It would be good company for them both and (hopefully/maybe???) a little bit of a safety device that could call for Fire and Emergency if they need it. The entire thing is pretty much voice-controlled so that makes it perfect for the elderly and sick.

For me, Dot is a perfect companion because she makes my life simpler. Dot is like an assistant that accentuates every workaround I've come up with to make my life safer or easier while dealing with my disease. And, like I said before, she's great company. I love that I can talk to her when I want to, then tell her to shut up. No hurt feelings. No babysitting someone's ego.

I almost didn't get the speaker. I read reviews that said Dot's sound was fine as is. Then I read reviews that said using an auxiliary speaker was a plus. I don't own a TV or stereo (or speakers before now), so I decided to at least try out the VAUX. Glad I did. One of my brothers sent me the money when he heard I was interest so... I got the speaker! The sound is so much better. Also, the speaker serves as a charging station/portable battery for Dot. That means I can move the device from room to room without it always being plugged in.

I'm sure I will have to update this post as I get more acquainted with the device, but this should be enough of an overview if you are just thinking about getting one.

By the way, I can't post this review until after Christmas. The Echo Dot was so affordable ($29) that I got one for my little brother and his family as a gift. So... shhhh...

Peace
--Free

UPDATE: 

After a couple of days using this, I am more in love than ever. Of course, there are privacy concerns but I think I gave all that up several years back when I became so active and vocal online!

I'm on Day 4 of using my Echo. The app on my phone (and Alexa online) keeps track of what I do with the device. I've been waking up to her saying "Good morning, Sunshine" and then reading me the day's weather and news briefs. So far, the weather is from AccuWeather.com and the news is from Reuters Now. I would like to change the news reading to another service but haven't figured that part out yet.

During the daytime, I have been listening to books and music while I clean or cook. Since I can connect Echo to my phone and laptop via BlueTooth, I've listened to music from my own library and from the "stations" from Amazon (the Motown station is kind of awesome). I had a horrible day yesterday and spent much of it in and out of bed so I listened to Ambient Sounds (my favorites are Thunder, Rain, Ocean, and Himalayan ones) to either ease my anxiety or help me sleep.

I'm still learning ways to use the Echo, but even if I stopped here, I am happy about spending the $30 on myself for Christmas. I don't think I have ever used anything as much and had this much fun. I told you before that the Echo is great company for singles. I feel good knowing that when I am too sick to move around, I can just call on Echo to read to me, play music, give me the news highlights, etc. Also, I can play podcasts and news from my phone via BlueTooth without having to get up if I don't feel good. Before now, there were sick days when I wanted to listen to a book or hear some music but messing with my phone or PC was just too much (no kidding, it gets like that sometimes!). With Echo, I can voice-command her to connect to the phone or PC and go from there.

Once again, I don't want to advocate laziness, but for people like me who sometimes spend three days a week feeling med-sick or fatigued, this is such a lovely companion. Best purchase I've made since my first computer!


P.S.: I just learned that I will be getting the chance to try another type of speaker for the Echo. Of course, I will be reviewing that freebie as well asap!

**REVIEW** Jewelry by Passage 7

This review post will be a little different from my usual type. This time I am doing a review for a set of items from a brand.

Some months ago, I became acquainted with the Passage 7 brand. They carry various types of goods (as you can see from their Seller page on Amazon), but I was able to try several pieces of their jewelry.

 Nice, yes? I think so. I actually gave each of the items away as birthday and Christmas gifts recently. When I got the first item, I was intending to keep it for myself, but it was so nice that I thought it would make a really nice gift. The jewelry is so well-made and impressive-looking that I decided that I would give the other pieces away as Christmas gifts. I'd have kept cheaper-looking stuff for myself!

The reason I thought the items might not end up looking as nice as the product page photos was because of the prices. There are some places locally that sell plated jewelry for about the same price and... well, they are not so great. It's from the "get what you pay for" school of reasoning.

One of the other things I like about the pieces I have is that they feel like nice jewelry. What I mean is that they aren't flimsy. The thickest chain (that I gave to a nephew) was weighty and solid in my palm.


Another thing that gives adds to the appeal of gifting this jewelry are the pretty velveteen bags they come inside of. The gold lettering is nice, but on one of the bags I got, I could see the square outline of the whatever was used to make the impression. That was a minor thing and I was able to use a dry cloth to rub away the outline.


By the way, each piece comes in a thick and protective plastic sealed bag. The plastic bag is inside a pretty blue pouch. When I gifted the jewelry, I just put a name tag on the pouch string and hung the bag from a branch of the Christmas tree. (Tell me I'm not creative! LOL)

I'm over at the Seller page looking at some of the other items that are offered. Some of their leather goods are much pricier than the jewelry but they look amazing. When I mention that the leather goods are pricey, I don't mean that they are out of the normal range for good quality items. The attaches look really nice and I'm thinking they would make great gifts for the college grad or a spouse. There's a gorgeous expandable leather backpack. These are the kinds of things that you would gift a person with when they are more responsible or have accomplished something. Beautiful looking goods.

Now that I am being more savings-minded than ever, I'm glad I found a spot to pick up some nice and affordable gifts for special occasions throughout the year.

I will review other Passage 7 products as I purchase or receive them. For now, I can tell you that the jewelry pieces are great quality items as a really good value.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Metal Earth 3D Model Kit by Fascinations Inc

You're only as old as you feel, goes the cliche. Well, I must feel about fifteen because I got this for myself while I was Christmas shopping:

At least, that's what I will (or should) have once I put it together.

That's the 3D metal model of a praying mantis It's from a collection of kits from Fascinations, Inc's Metal Earth kits. I got mine from a local store (they are available on Amazon and from Barnes & Noble stores, etc).

My niece and I saw the praying mantis, different military machines, and some iconic buildings. My niece got one planes (I think the F-22 Raptor) and another machine for her brother. The praying mantis was my favorite because it was just so pretty. Thankfully, it was one of the cheapest models which ranged at that store from $12-15. 

They show the end product on the label
just to lure me in!

 At least, it will be (maybe) once I get it assembled.

Assembly might be tricky for someone with my motor skills and other brain (mis)functions.

My soul shivered with some regret the minute I opened the instructions. Those pieces are not as clearly numbered as the diagram indicates. And that is only a small portion of the instructions.

I don't see numbers on some of the piece...

 Still, this is such a cool concept. Most people, I imagine, will be able to put these kits together without too much hassle. I love the gleam and precision of the metal. (Warning here: be VERY careful handling the metal sheets and pieces.)

I was able to view some fully assembled items in the store and I'm impressed. One of the pieces we looked at had quite a few moving pieces. That one was pretty elaborate.

These make great gifts for certain people. My nephew, for example, likes tinkering and he has the patience to work on something like this. I am nervous about starting mine. I took it out of the wrapper and spent half and hour with a magnifying glass just inspecting the sheet of pieces. I will work on it with my nephew when he is assembling his plane.

I gave the warning about the sharp edges of the metal, but I think that once these are fully assembled (by an adult), they would be great to put on display in a child's room. DJ is really into dinosaurs right now.I'd love to have those kits put together for his room. How cool are these?

Check out their site and Amazon for the different ones. When I get my mantis done, I will update this post. Or not. Depends on how decent it looks!


Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Smithsonian Interactive Library

Here's what I am learning about my gift-buying talents: I pick wonderful gifts but I pair them to the wrong people...

This is something I picked up a few months back (for a great price) at Costco:

That's the Smithsonian Interactive Library.  There was no clear marking of suggested age levels when I bought it, but I checked out the Amazon product page and see that it's "perfect for children aged 6-10". What I want to know is who are these brilliant six-year-olds? Where are they? DJ is only 5, but I don't think that he will be ready to really get into this gift until he's about 7 or 8.

Let me back up and tell you more about this product. Here's what you get for the price ($40 at Costco and $100 on Amazon)

1. A really cool SD-X Reader pen to hear audio and interact with pages of the books.
2. 6 interactive books.

Yeah. Glad that I got the Costco price.

Actually, the set is worth the $100 if you have a more diligent (or precocious) kid. I think that DJ would love this is the voices of the narrators were a little more animated. When I heard the voices, I was reminded of those museum tours with the slightly bored guide who is thinking of changing careers. That's fine for an older person who really wants to dig into the information. For a child like DJ who can't sit still long enough to sing the preschool class song, it's a little big of a challenge. (We are working with the little mister on his attention span, by the way.)

The books are interesting - as is the interactive information provided. The pen is very cool and is the one thing that might hold DJ's attention. It's a tiny bit like the Livescribe smartpen I use for writing and recording. Except the SD-X is limited to interaction with the books. I found that adjusting the volume (with interactive book buttons) was tricky. Either the included batteries are weak or the volume doesn't go very high.

The included books in this set are:

• Natural History (DJ will love the dinosaurs)
• Great Americans
• American Experience 
• Animals
• Space
• Air

I was pleased to see the range of topics covered. In the American Experience volume, slavery, the Vietnam War and, oddly, "Disability in America" are included.

When I picked this up at Costco, I did see similar sets. On Amazon, I see that Brittanica has sets covering various areas and there are probably other sets at local bookstores. Shop around for the best price. Like I said, I scored by getting this one at Coscto.

Other choices from different Sellers

I'm not sorry that I got this, but I do wish I had looked around for something more currently age-appropriate for DJ. I will work with him to take an interest in this set, but it is going to be a little bit of work. This would have been the perfect gift for the 13-year old daughter of a friend. 

This year, I congratulated myself for shopping early and more frugally. Next year, I want to top myself by doing better at matching gifts to people.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Telly the Teaching Time Clock

This year, I was determined to get DJ educational items for Christmas and his 5th birthday. I think I did well. Okay, I did get a couple of purely fun toys - like the robot - but I focused mostly on things to help in DJ's learning journey.

This cute thing is Telly the Teaching Time Clock:



It should be called the Teaching and Talking Time Clock. Because Telly does speak.

The dang thing was also great for teaching me a little bit of patience. I lost the box in the middle of our gift-opening mess and had to figure things out on the fly when DJ wanted to see the clock work. (By the way, there is a video on the Amazon product page for those of you who lose the box and need help. I, unfortunately, had no computer in the room where DJ wanted to start experimenting with Telly.)

Anyway.

I want to come right out and admit that either DJ is riding the slow train or other kids are quicker in learning. This toy is labelled as being for 3+ years. Do most 3 year olds know how to tell time? I'm old as hot sauce and I still have to think about whether midnight is AM or PM! LOL

What I am trying to say is, DJ is pretty smart and has been counting to 20 since he was three, but he doesn't have a clear grasp on telling time. Poor child. I think he absorbed some of his auntie's learning problems, (I just now tried spelling absorbed with an "O" at the beginning. Thank goodness for Grammarly. And writing is my strong suit.)

Telly is really colorful which helps keep a kid focused on him. DJ spent at least five minutes critiquing Telly's shoes before he even noticed the face and numbers. ("He can't tie those shoelaces!")

I should mention that, even if your kid isn't at time-telling age, Telly is still great for teaching younger children numbers and colors. DJ just started getting interested in telling time this past year, but he was into numbers and letters as soon as he could talk. If I'd known about Telly, I'd have gotten him for DJ as soon as he turned 3.

There are a few different ways to use Telly to help kids learn about telling time:

• There are two quiz modes to help with learning analog and digital time.
• The clock works as a real clock. Even when you aren't working with the kid, you can just check the time with him throughout the day (or let him check the time for you.)
• I've started asking DJ what time it is when he first wakes up (so he can check Telly for me). He gets the big and little hands confused, but he'll get better.
• You can have the kid watch for special times. I am going to point out to DJ the times for certain things, like his dad due home or time for us to go to the store, etc.

Telly is set up to teach in different ways, of course, but there are a lot of ways parents and other family members can use the clock to help kids with learning about time.

My favorite part of this clock is that it functions as a night light. That's useful and it might keep DJ's attention once he's gotten used to the clock. I don't want him to get tired of it and I don't want to make learning boring. That the clock actually keeps time and also serves another purpose makes it a good value.

Telly was $22 when I ordered him before Christmas and I think the clock is worth every penny. It even comes with batteries. That was great because I always forget to get enough of the right kind of batteries for the kids' Christmas toys.

DJ's Telly came in that vivid blue/yellow scheme, but there is a pink/purple Telly for the gals. (And, yes, I still do the boy blue/girl pink thing. Hate me if you want.)

When I mentioned to someone what I paid for this item, they asked if I thought it was good enough to rate the 22 bucks. Uh, yeah I think so. It's better than paying triple that for some mindless video game or toy. Learning is pricelessly important. I'd have paid more for this clock if I had to. By the way, for some reason the pink/purple Telly is a teensy bit pricier. Like a lot of products on Amazon, there are options for buying Telly "used".

Anyway. That's my take on Telly the Teaching Time Clock.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Toysery Electronic Walking Dancing Robot

Of all the Christmas gifts DJ got, I am going to start with my favorite! LOL

That up there is the Toysery Electronic Walking Dancing Robot. This photo does not do justice to just how cool this thing is!

It lights up and glides around the floor like a Michael Jackson clone.

PROS: 
Cute and mindless entertainment for kids and adults.
Looks really cool in the dark. So, even more entertaining.
Not badly priced.
Our dogs kind of like it & the baby is amused by it.
Doesn't need a lot of room.
Is not really loud

CONS:
Not educational at all.
Does need a space clear of obstructions. It falls over if it bumps over anything.
While it's not real loud, it can get annoying after about 15 minutes.


It's so very cool. My niece's boyfriend told her that he wants one.I know the feeling. I've been spending more time with the robot than DJ has!

I got it at Amazon for around $25. Takes 3 batteries (that are included). It's not educational, but I'm not sorry that I got this one, The baby is fascinated with it and the dogs look at it like it's a UFO.

Keep in mind that it's a little bit loud - just a bit - it's not annoyingly loud, though.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Cartoon Piggy Bank ATM

This is the "Cartoon Piggy Bank" sold on Amazon by Jhua.

It's cute, right? I wouldn't call it a "piggy bank" though. The shape is all wrong, and the image isn't even of a pig... 

I think I see a panda....

PROs:

Okay, so it's not a traditional "piggy bank", but it is a neat little bank. It is, in my opinion, suitable for kids and adults. The packaging labels the bank as being for "Ages 3+" but the features are nice for anyone:

• It's set up like a little ATM
• Works with a password
• Takes both bills and coins
• Voice prompts user when entering password correctly or incorrectly
• Lights flash when entering passwords (red for incorrect & green for correct)
• Beeping reminders when door left open
• Comes with preset password (can be changed by user)

The unit is plastic and not very heavy (when empty) but it is sturdy.  

I think that kids (okay, and adults) will like using this just because of the ATM-like features. The password might deter snooping siblings and little visitors.

CONs:

One of the corners screws was missing on the unit I got. Not a huge deal because the other 3 screws are nice and tight, but... I'm sure that if I contact the Seller, they will be happy to send me a replacement, but that's a lot of hassle since I see no reason to ever be removing that entire backplate.

This comes with decent instructions but I did get a little annoyed because of a misprint. What is the most important thing when buying something like this for a kid? Batteries, right? Well, at first glance, the back of the box shows the battery compartment and labels the 3 battery slots with "AAA". The note to the side of this illustration indicates "AA" batteries. By the way, the correct answer is... "AA" size batteries.

You're going to need AA batteries, folks

Other than the problem of thinking I already the correct batteries on hand (and having to run out and get the right ones), I really like this little bank. I plan to give it to my nephew for either his December birthday or Christmas.

You will notice in my disclosure that I got this item at no cost in order to do a review. That's really good because as I write this post the Amazon price is $26.88. That's a little bit steep for something I would get a three-year-old, but I'd get it for someone 6+. DJ will be getting this review sample when he is five. He's a really smart 5 though!

How'd it work?

Watch as I demonstrate the bank. (You should be able to view the video as soon as it's finished uploading!)

To sum up, this is a good gift item and the features are really nice - they are even something of a learning tool for young ones. Just be aware that you will need to get your own "AA" batteries - not "AAA" - before you can use it. This bank is pretty useless without batteries.

You can find the item here on Amazon. 

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE: I received one or more of the items mentioned at a discount or no cost in exchange for doing a fair and unbiased review. Because of changes n their policy, I can no longer review these Amazon items on Amazon, but that's where they can be purchased.