apx alarm review by chup!

Good afternoon. Lovely flowers. Have you ever considered purchasing an alarm system for your home? Expensive? Cute dog by the way. Pug? Thought so. Listen, these days, you can’t afford to NOT have an alarm system. Eat at home one night a month that you’d have gone out, and it’s paid for! You need to protect your family, because that’s no German Shepherd you’ve got there. Let me tell you about APX (formerly Apex) alarm systems.

Ok, if you’re like me we probably share the same…affinity for solicitation.


However. We (cjanechupchiefever) have had a decidedly pleasant experience with APX. Hence, the ads I’m sure you’ve noticed on http://blog.cjanerun.com/


Somebody knows somebody, and somebody gave The Chief a cool t-shirt and Ever a cute little onesie and THEN made us pretty darn good offer on an alarm, so we decided to take the plunge. Here’s my take.


The biggest selling point for me was the technology. Yes, I love technology. But not as much as you, you see.

THE PANEL!

I saw a picture of the alarm panel and asked where to sign. It looks like something from the AXIOM on Wall-E. Anybody else’s 2 year old OBSESSED with Wall-E? Everything is wireless. The touch-screen panel communicates with the sensors wirelessly, but, but, BUT! it also communicates with the monitoring station/police/fire/emergency…wirelessly. The thing has a freeking cell-phone sim card in it. So, ya know, no problem when your stalker cuts your phone lines. And it tells you what the weather is going to be tomorrow. Supposably APX is bleeding edge with this stuff. All sorts of new features and abilities are in the pipeline. Home automation, cyborg army control, the usual.


THE SENSORS!

The Gatling Gun Tower was a pretty spendy add-on, so we went with sensors on all the outside doors and one motion detector. So no, nothing like you see on Chuck, but totally adequate for our needs. Like I said, the different sensors they put on doors and windows, and the motion detectors are all wireless. Depending on your doors, the sensors can be installed inside the door and the jamb. Sano. (Total 80’s BMX word.) From the panel, you can select chimes and notifications for when any given door is opened. Kinda like ringtones for your doors. Cool. I’ll use the word tickled. We were tickled with this feature. Thanks to Nick Crossette. Nick installed our system and answered my dumb questions. 110 over phone lines? Pfft.


THE APPS!

Total fail on some awesome E.T. reference here. iPhone and Blackberry apps are available so you can arm/disarm your home when you’re away. If I actually had an iPhone, I could play with the app… Anyone else smile through the tears when your 2 year old spills a 32 ouncer of soda on your iPhone? Mmmhmm. Web access is really cool too.


So. If this sounds like a plug for APX Alarm, I kinda guess it is. Until it goes all HAL on us, we totally dig our system. Now if I could just get my picture on one of those bus ads….



c jane's quick take:

as a mom i must say i really appreciate knowing when any doors in my house are opened. when i am upstairs feeding the baby and the lovely-voiced APX lady tells me my front door just opened, i know i've got to investigate. is the chief jumping ship or did my mother just stop in?

and now my husband can go out of town all he wants.

just kidding, i didn't really mean that.


and i too, love the fact we know the time and temperature anytime of the day on our panel.


plus we look like the jetsons with our technology.


ray bradbury's veldt anyone?

p.s. really cute onesies.


two thumbs up.



Get a special cjanerun.com offer here.

teenager week: shoulder strap bag from target by olivia berry

My favorite product night now is nothing extravagant, nothing like what Oprah would recommend on her talk show. Simply…. my cheapo yellow mustard shoulder strap bag from Target. That I bought… for 10 bucks….

My favorite things are always ones that describe who I am, and make me feel confident. I didn’t think of this bag because the color mustard yellow is just outstanding, or that it was practically a steal, but if I had to choose something that described Olivia Berry, it would be my shoulder strap bag. It fits my personality like a glove. I am a very active person. Not necessarily meaning athletic, but I love to go, period. I don’t have the patience to carry around those dinky little coach purses that girls think they can pull off just because they are designer.

A girl needs a bag that lets her be her with out holding her back, AKA falling of her shoulder and stupid zippers getting in the way. These bags can hold as little as your phone and lip gloss to all the books you need for your classes. No matter what you load them with, you can trust them to be efficient and on your side. Plus they are perfect for long days at the beach. When I’m wearing my bag, I don’t even know its there. I’m totally hands free and I don’t feel constrained. I get tons of complements about it too, and really, who doesn’t love that kind of attention?

My shoulder strap bag defines who I am… in a purse’s way. Trust me and get one of these in an amazing color…..

Preferably mustard yellow.

teenager week: covergirl lash blast mascara by emily clark

review by my sweet-hearted niece emily clark 16 years old:

I have had people come up to me and ask if I have eyelash extensions to which I want to reply, “Are you kidding me? I’m sixteen! Of course I don’t have lash extensions!” But I usually just say, “Nope. I just use CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara.” You can create different looks all with the same brush. You can get long and thin and spread out, medium and bold, or long and extra EXTRA bold. It just depends on the number of coats you use. I wouldn’t suggest the waterproof version though; it doesn’t give the same effect for some reason. But even just the regular version doesn’t smudge too much when your eyes get wet. Ultimately, I would definitely recommend CoverGirl’s Lash Blast Mascara to any women because it adds definition, volume, and length.

teenager week: the nikon D40 by lindsay clark

review by my visually-talented niece lindsay clark 16 years old:

I LOVE my camera--the Nikon D40. It is one of my best friends. I got it for my birthday a couple years ago and it is awesome! It takes great pictures and my friends and I love to take funky pictures with it. It is the perfect size and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a good camera!

Some of Lindsay's Photos:

teenager week: full tilt ski boots by clark checketts

I am often honored and impressed with the teenagers who email or write comments on my blogs. They are often thought-provoking, interesting and quite clever. Because of them, I decided to dedicate this week on c jane, dear c jane and c jane's Guide to Provo for their wit and thought. Besides, we are all eighteen inside anyway.

The teens this week are going to talk to us about their favorite products. This one comes to us by Clark Checketts- my sixteen-year-old, ski-adventurer nephew:

I like Full Tilt ski boots. Everyone who skis knows about them and anyone who is a good skier wants them, boys and girls. They are a little bit expensive but they are completely worth it. They are called full tilt because the tongue of the boot tilts down. This makes it a lot easier to put them on but it is mainly for freestyle skiers. Every skier who does big jumps gets sore shins because when you land your shins bang against the tongue of the boots. These boots TILT a little when you land making it easier on your shins. They are super stylish and they are technologically advanced too.

just taking a small a break

due to a slight family emergency,
i am going to take a small break on this blog
i'll be back soon!

thanksomuch.

stuff i like giveaway winner!

chup picked the number
i did the counting
sarah did the winning
(just like she promised she would):

Sarah said...

I will win. I will win. I will win. I will win. I will win.

May 15, 2010 2:28 PM

congrats sarah!

email me? cjanemail@gmail.com

thanks everyone for entering

look for more motherlodes soon

(that's another promise!)

stuff i like motherload giveaway!

looky here
another motherload giveaway
this one is titled
"stuff i like"

1. a signed copy of
no going back
from author jonathan langford
this novel is from
my favorite small publisher
zarahemla books.

i posted about
no going back
here.

2. pick out something
from annily green's shop
like a retro pillow
or gorgeous wall art
or even a memory pillow
(in memory of your t-shirt).

read more about
annily green here.

3. you need redmond clay
in your house,
so i am going to include one
in this motherload.

read more about why
i love redmond clay
here.

4. oh snap!
the down east sundail dress
i will wear mine at the same time
we'll be twinzers.

how is that motherload for you?
to enter this giveaway
make a statement in my comments section
(anon commenters must leave email address)
you have until sunday night
5/16
midnight mdt.

i am c jane and i am just giving stuff away.
contact me:
dearcjane@gmail.com

. . . yellow chairs?

we've been collecting donations
for a local yard sale
which benefits the young women
in our ward
(church).

these fancy yellow chairs came
wheeling in
(on rollers, chairs are on rollers!)
and they had to be mine.

they are studded front and back
and as bright yellow as the
photo above suggests.

$15 each.
don't be jealous.

if you live in utah county
you can come to the yard sale
this saturday.

there is plenty more
retro goods to be had.

more info about the yard sale here.

chairs from this post thanks for asking.


i am c jane and i believe good things come to those who don't mind hand-me downs.
contact me:
dearcjane@gmail.com

annily green etsy shop

i married the most sentimental
man on this planet.

he doesn't throw away things
because he has such
tender
and hopeful
feelings for his stuff.

("that shirt will fit again someday!")

this includes clothes
toys and pencils.
you should see his basement office . . .

i was looking at the etsy shop
annily green
and read that she is
making memory pillows/
wall art
out of old shirts
baby clothes
blankets etc.

with chup's love of
stuff
and my love for pillows
and wall art,
this might be a resolution
to our situation.

check out her goods here.





i am c jane, and i am a self-professed non-sentimentalist
contact me:
dearcjane@gmail.com

. . . that black dress?

i am a sucker
for a down east dress,
they even call me when
a new shipment arrives.

fairly cheap,
soft materials
(this one is rayon/spandex)
and easy to wear.

this black dress is called
sundial
you can see it here.

i like how it gathers at the waist
and has a hispanic-inspired
crochet neckline.

(though, not the best
for breastfeeding.

it must be said.)

dress from this post, thanks for asking.

i am c jane and i am a down east-aholic.
contact me:
dearcjane@gmail.com

scott wiley lullaby albums giveaway winner!

it was a really hard choice,
but we've decided to send
these three great cds to
christina
here is why:

What a great giveaway! I am a unique mother because I'm not only a mother to 3 kids, but also in a way a mother to my father who suffered from a stroke 11 days after baby #3 was born. When my baby was not quite 6 weeks old my dad moved in with us. I've watched my baby learn to roll over and my dad learn to walk and talk again in the last few months. My calendar is full of appointments, whether it be well-checks for my baby or therapy appointments for my dad or play dates for my older two. My life is very full, but also very blessed. Over the past 5 months I've learned new things about myself as a person and as a mother, and I hope I can continue to improve and do right by my kids and by my dad.

May 6, 2010 9:47 AM

christina,

as a woman who recently gave birth
my heart totally goes out to you.

i hope you
and your entire clan
enjoy these tunes!

love,
c jane
p.s. email me? cjanemail@gmail.com

product review: joovy caboose ultra light stroller

a couple months ago
i started to get serious about a stroller
that could fit my two children comfortably.

we walk a lot
(it's good for the constitution
i say!)

one day while visiting with my newest neighbor
--rachel of darlybird fame--
she convinced me i needed to try a
joovy caboose ultra light stroller.

a newborn car seat sits right in front
and the toddler has a place to either
sit or stand on the back of the stroller.

you know how there are people
in your life who you completely trust
with certain things?
rachel is a person i trust when it comes
to good design.

so we got the stroller.
in green.

here is chup's product review
in case you are in the market as well:

Well, ahem. I’m fine reviewing the stroller as long as everyone remembers I’m much more at home reviewing things like knives, and cars, and explosions.

And can I get a suggestion on manly font? Calibri sounds like a women’s summer shoe.

So the Joovy is pretty groovy, overall. It’s well designed, sturdy….one child can sit in front one can sit or stand in back. Very cool. Or, buckle your whole car seat (baby carrier) in the front. Sweet. Ma lists:

Pros:

• Handle height. Better (for me) than any other stroller we’ve had. I am 6’5”, but don’t think that all the shorty’s shorties out there won’t be able to reach. Have you met my wife?
• Materials.
• Nice, thick cordura (or similar?) that’ll outlast your cheap chicco anyday. I kid. We’ve got a chicco too.
• Square tube metal construction. It’s metal, mostly. I hate how plastic strollers flex. Pushing the thing up steep grass hills, it’s solid.
• Fasteners and fittings: good tolerances that don’t feel like they’ll develop slop over time.
• Foam rubber on all grab surfaces. Including the handles for your little rear passenger.
• Stowability. The Joovy, twice as big as our “plastic” stroller folds up smaller. Nice.
• Huge adjustable sun shade. Love it. Seriously.
• It handles great. We’re not talking go-cart here, but it seems to require so much LESS effort to push, and to turn, and even to stop than other strollers.
• Bearings! Very little assembly required, but you can bet I noticed the ball-bearings in the wheels when I put them on. Not bushings. Hoo-freeking-ray. Rolls easier, and longer.
• Modularity. Configurabliltarity. Drink tray snaps in, or out to accommodate the car carrier cradle (alliterate much?) Sun shade snaps in. Seat (front and rear) adjust for your current mode, one -or two- chillins.

Important note; In two kid (car seat) mode, the car seat takes up a ton of space. So much so that the rear position is no longer really viable as a seat. The front seat reclines all the way into the space of the back seat. Good and bad. This was an insurmountable peeve for me until tonight when cjane detailed how much The Chief enjoyed hopping on and off during their walk to her Mom’s house. Hrmmm. More below.

Cons

• They were out of orangie.
• This is the big one: The back seat doesn’t have a back. It’s more of a bench than a seat, really. So, when seated, your little guy or girl HAS to hold onto the handles. Fine, unless they’re totally knackered from your epic walk around the park. Really no way they could fall asleep. The seat part slides quite a bit fore or aft to adjust to a more comfortable position, but still…no recliney, no relaxey, no nappy. CAVEAT: Like I said earlier, Janer told me that The Chief is loving the standing part. So, YMMV. Different children: ages abilities etc.

My fix in two parts;

1 - Re-design the carseat cradle. If it was a little lower and/or extended a little further forward, the front seat wouldn’t have to recline so far.

2 - A semi-rigid, removable piece to connect the back seat seat to the back of the front seat. Following me? Velco or zipper to allow access to the cargo space. Confusing, I know, but within 5 minutes of configuring your new stroller, you’ll see what I mean.

CLIFFS NOTES: The Joovy Caboose Ultralight. Not perfect, but far, FAR better than your average plastic stroller. If you’re expecting #2 anytime soon, check one out.

check out the joovy caboose ultra light here!

i am c jane and i feel sassy with my new stroller.

contact me:
dearcjane@gmail.com

scott wiley lullaby albums giveaway and blue lily enlighten winner!

i really wanted to do something nice
for the women in my life
in celebration of mother's day.

(you know,
we are all mothers
of varying methods,
so this weekend is for
all of us.)

my friend scott wiley
produced three of my favorite
lullaby albums:
baby mine
mary's lullaby
&
a child's prayer

i asked him if we could give away
all three to one lucky woman/mother
and he agreed.

would you like to win
these three albums in one shot?
because i'd like to give them to you.

enter by telling me what makes you
a unique mother
(in my comments section.)
you have until sunday (5/9),
midnight
mdt.

we'll annouce a winner on monday (5/10)!
good luck
&
happy mother's day!

and the lucky randomly-chosen
winners of the
blue lily enlighten giveaway are:

kristen said...

New York New York! I have a great camera but don't use it well. Would love to come! Thanks CJane.

Steph H said...

I have a new SLR camera and new baby twin girls... help oh help!!

Bree Johnson said...

I absolutely love wendy's style and would adore learning something new from someone so talented. I live in Calgary and would be so excited to get to attend one of these!
breejohnsonmodevents@gmail.com

bree, steph h and kristen
will you email me at
cjanemail@ gmail,com
and we will get you set up!

of course,
we hope you'll use your
new-found skills
to bless the internet with
your sharp photos!

thanks everyone for entering
and thanks wendy and the blue lilies
for the giveaway!

nie's mormon message

it is sure to go viral . . .

. . . that colorful chandelier?

for my birthday
my mother surprised me
with this whimsical chandelier.

after i posted about it
more than one email came in
asking where she got it.

my mother actually bought it
locally at a place called
cherry lane boutiques
we've found them online as well
here.
lucy found one at our local
thai pan trading company
(bless her heart).

i had chup put my chandelier
in our bedroom
where i spend most of my time
these days.

i like to stare at all the colors
and shapes
--the whole thing mesmerizes me.

when guests come into our room
they always point out their
favorite color.

(a conversation piece, to be sure)

i like the light violet best.

thanks for asking.


i am c jane and i usually like the color red best.
contact me:
dearcjane@gmail.com


p.s. you have until tomorrow night (midnight mdt)
to enter the
blue lily enlighten giveaway
good luck!