Tag: headphones

Must Have Tech Toys

Published on by BriAlys

I own a few tech “toys” that make life so much easier (and funner!). The best tech are those items you don’t really know you need until AFTER you purchase, try it out for a few weeks, then start wondering how you survived without ‘that thing’ for so long. Here are my top tech gadgets/items of 2018 so far – I use them all DAILY!

Apple AirPods – Yes, I know these have been out forever; but, I literally JUST purchased them last month and OMG I have NO IDEA what took me so long to buy in. They are GREAT and well worth the price tag. My personal macbook (gold), work laptop and iPhone all have different connectors for the headphone jacks and it became super annoying to be somewhere (coffee shop, work, mall) and not have the right cord with you. #problemsolved with Apple’s AirPods. They are Bluetooth and can connect easily to all of my devices! Added bonus? The super slim case is also a charger and you can wear one AirPod at a time to extend the listening/talking time. #winning Purchase here.

Burberry Technical Pouch – Speaking of cords … even though I don’t need headphone cables anymore, I still like to carry my iPhone / laptop charger with me, and occasionally my Apple Mouse (another wireless gadget that connects to both my work and personal laptop with ease!). Where’s a girl to store these items?? Enter the Burberry Technical Pouch. It’s nylon, super sheek and holds ALOT (business cards, laptop chargers, iPhone charger, cleaning wipes, etc.). I had been eyeing this piece for a few months and am glad I finally made the purchase.  Transferring these items between my work bag and my favorite tote for the weekend is now a breeze. This pouch is PERFECT for those busy gals (or guys) who are aways on the go!

Pop Socket and iPhone Case for Spring – Must have for texters, selfie takers, web surfers… basically anyone who is on their phone all the time. Everything it says on the packaging is absolutely true: 1) Never drop your phone, 2) Take better selfies and 3) Prop your phone. Purchase a variety of Pop Sockets here and check out the #popsocketmovement on Instagram. Also, I have been rocking a black iPhone case for some time. Why? Because black is my color! For the Spring, I decided to get a light, airy case for #noreasonatall. iPhone cases here.

If you watched the video above (recommended!) and think Pop Sockets are a joke, think again! Per Forbes:

Barnett started by selling PopSockets out of his garage back in 2014. Now it is being sold at Amazon, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Target, Walmart and a number of other stores. Barnett said that its sales went from 30,000 PopSockets in the U.S. in the first year to 35 million PopSockets across 40 countries last year. In the first year, revenue hit $240,000 and PopSockets grew 800% every year. This year, PopSockets is on track for manufacturing 70 million products. PopSockets started out with just one employee: Barnett himself. And now the company employs 120 people across Boulder, Colorado; San Francisco, California; Finland; and Singapore.

Enjoy!!!

#PackWithMe

Published on by BriAlys

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Most bloggers share this kind of information on YouTube. I’ve watched many videos and I’m completely #over watching people take things in and out of bags. 😕

Over the past five (5) years I’ve taken at least fifteen (15) international trips and have had many more domestic excursions. Over time I have PERFECTED MY TRAVEL TECHNIQUE. It’s actually a fun experience for me! So I thought I would share all the fabulous items I take with me on trips (or on holiday as our European friends would say 😘). Before we start, let’s get one thing out of the way: I NEVER CHECK BAGS no matter where I’m going or for how long. I’ve made a carry-on suitcase and a tote/backpack work for two-week trips to Europe so I know you can do it for a weekend getaway or even a week-long trip (with a little a lot of planning).

Travel mantra: Organize! Everything has a place and every place has a thing.

img_0417This is my PERSONAL ITEM (something that will fit underneath the seat). I am currently using the Henri Bendel Jetsetter Backpack. I absolutely ❤️ it and it holds SO MUCH! How much? Everything you see in the picture above! (click the image to zoom in)

gold macbook, gucci zip around wallet, rayban aviator sunglasses, sessa vee pen, marshall headphones, l’occitane hand cream, iPad mini case, louis vuitton pouch, treat yourself pouch & earbud holder (sold out).

from target: gold glitter journal, emergen-c, colgate wisp, glide

in the small black quilted steph & co makeup case: gucci lipgloss, tom ford lips & boys lip color, crem de la mer, dior lip glow, anastasia beverly hills lipgloss, tweezerman tweezer, tom ford perfume

_13475545img_0441Now, let’s move on to the SUITCASE, also known as the meat & potatoes of travel. I use Bric’s Belagio 21″ Roller.

On one side I pack all of my clothes. Mostly solid/plain pieces that I can mix and match. For every 1 pair of pants I will take 2 shirts (remember to count the bottoms you are wearing!) The trip I’m currently packing for is only 3 days (Saturday – Monday) so I packed 1 additional pair of pants besides the jeans I wore on the plane, 2 shirts and 1 jean shirt. See below for the 3 outfits I made from this combination. (see also Meaningful Holidays)

Side 1 of my suitcase was pretty easy. Side 2? Not so much! 😩 This is where my mantra REALLY comes into play (O-R-G-A-N-I-Z-E❗️). Take a look at side 2 below. This is where I pack everything else:

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Looks nice and neat right? That’s because it is! ORGANIZE. ORGANIZE. ORGANIZE! On the left hand side:

On the right hand side is:

  • Get ready for this super travel tip: my Gucci Soho Disco Handbag serves as storage for all of my underwear, socks, comb, hair bonnet and my prescription glasses! (GREAT way to help the bag keep it’s shape while on the go!)
  • The Anya Hindmarch In Flight Case has all of my liquids: makeup, skin care, etc. ❤️❤️❤️ this bag and the contents EVEN MORE! This case has two sides: Take Off (deepest) and Touch Down (more shallow). I ALWAYS buy smaller sizes of the products I use everyday to take with me. #justsayno to those clear plastic containers that can all contain what can appear to be  mystery liquid. #nobueno 👎🏽 I absolutely love all of my things and I want to see them in as close to their original form as possible!!! 😍
  • Finally, I have a Tory Burch umbrella (no longer available ☹️).
  • Did you notice there’s no jewelry mentioned? That’s because I don’t wear much. I usually take 1-2 bracelets and it’s on me at all times: a dainty necklace, my pandora thumb ring, michael kors watch, some form of  studs for earrings and my wedding ring – that’s it!

take off side (deepest): first aid ultra repair cream, amazing grace (travel size at ulta), purity made simple (1 oz at ulta), clinique take the day off, lancome eye makeup remover, SK-II facial treatment essence (night only), SK-II facial treatment clear lotion (daytime only, great for oil control), makeup forever matte primer, urban decay b6 spray, l’occitane almond shower oil (travel size at sephora)

touch down side (shallow): toms deodorant, la mer lip balm, dior nail polish, toms toothpaste, jo malone fragrance, la mer hand cream (night only), crem de la mer moisturizing cream (night only)

Whew!!! That was fun! ☺️ And I still had enough space left to pack Christmas gifts for the kiddos! 🎁🎄 Happy packing!!!

 

see also #pampermesunday and #favoritethings2016

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New Phone in Town

Published on by BriAlys

Brace yourself cell phone users, there’s a new phone in town! London is an Android device made by Marshall’s (the music people) and it is gorgeous! This phone is all about the music and even has a special button at the top so you can easily access your music. The phone comes with a set of Marshal’s awesome-sounding headphones (check them out the next time you’re in Best Buy, or just read the reviews on Amazon). I ♥ the design and the colors!!! The phone has a kind of retroey-moderney-old-skool feel. For Marshall, it’s not about the phone; it’s all about the music. I’d be very interested to know how this phone will work with Spotify, my choice for music streaming. The phone also has a removable battery and microSD slot for extra storage. Check out the pics below!

Source: The Verge

My Black Friday Plan

Published on by BriAlys

My Christmas shopping is just about done. I started a bit earlier than normal this year which is great because I don’t anticipate having any excessive bills during the month of December. That fact alone helps me focus my time and energy during the last month of the year on more important things like refining my bi-weekly budget for 2015 and adjusting my 401(K) contribution to meet the maximum allowed by the IRS, ($18k for 2016).

I’ve got a few more items to purchase – all tech – and I’m waiting for a special shopping day to buy those items. I’ve often found that my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE store of all time, Macy’s, has far better deals a few weeks BEFORE the popular day; but, for electronics, no day beats Black Friday! I’ve got my list and I plan to stick to it pretty closely.

Here’s what I’m on the look out for (notice I have already researched options and picked specific items I want). That makes my day more productive: I can solely focus on finding the best price for each item, rather than spending time perusing through a list of stuff I don’t want or need. I prefer no distractions when I exercise my 10 digits on my blinded out keyboard. 

That’s it – only 2 items on my list so far. I may add one or two more over the next few weeks but not many more. One key to snagging a good deal, not mentioned my previous post, is to be sure and check the manufacturer’s site along with all the major retailers: Amazon, Best Buy, Apple Store, Target, Dell (unlikely source) – basically any store you can think of that might sell the item you are interested in. I recommend against wasting your time on sites like blackfriday.com that publish sales ads for popular stores – you’ll likely end up buying items you don’t really want or need.

Happy shopping (and planning!)

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STREET by 50

Published on by BriAlys

STREET-OES-FEATURE_1024x1024When Beats headphones first came out, I ran out and purchased a shiny new pink pair. A couple of days later, I headed to the gym. The listening experience was awful, mostly because my sweat pooled in the ear of the headphone. This did NOT feel great so I promptly returned them. Yes, they looked cool, but for me they weren’t practical and they also weren’t very comfortable. Enter STREET by 50 – the other cool headphones, headed up by a rapper (50 Cent) and promoted by an athlete (Carmelo Anthony).

We already know 50 is a savvy business man, but you may wonder why he’d venture into the headphone space, knowing that Beats pretty much has made its way into every household in America. In a recent interview with Yahoo, 50 states:

“You get to a broad level where everybody’s owned Beats,” 50 Cent, the consummate pitchman, added, “[Everyone] goes, OK that’s cool, everybody has that — I want to try something else; I’ve had that already.” 

STREET-OES-Melo450 doesn’t want to be the big thing right now – he wants to be the next big thing, after the Beats-frenzy is over and the dust has settled. After all, that’s what fuels the different / not so different yearly iPhone debacle, right? We want something different than what our friend has, event it’s not really so different.

I love the colors STREET offers: yellow, blue and pink. They are much more appealing than  the harsh colors offered by the competition. STREET headphones are sweat-proof, Beats are not. STREET have an oval-shaped design to match your ears, Beats do not. STREET cancels noise, Beats do not.

The thing that I love is that it puts Melo against Lebron (endorses beats). It’s great competition, even if it is off the court. BUT, given the upcoming free agency in the NBA, it’ll be interesting to see if these two superstars decide to team up on the court, even though they’ve already picked sides when it comes to headphones. Or, maybe Melo is finding other ways to make his money so he can afford to earn less on the court… We’ll know soon enough!

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