Monthly Watch Club (Review/Giveaway)

When it comes to men's fashion I will be the first to tell you that I'm not great at it. I feel most comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans. And that's how I tend to dress most of the time. Now that my current profession in the Army is coming to an end though, it's time to step up my game a little and prepare for a respectable civilian career.

One thing I've been learning from research is that when considering a professional wardrobe, it's a general rule of thumb for men is that you can wear two accessories: a ring and a watch.

Anything more than that can look sloppy and juvenile, or overdressed, especially if you don't know what you're doing.

I wear my wedding ring all the time, so the only thing that leaves open for me is a watch; of which I own approximately zero.

Watches are hard for me to choose.

I have exceptionally small wrists and I admittedly tend to prefer smart watches over conventional analog or digital designs. And when it comes to fashionable, analog wins, right?

Lets face it. I need some help.

I could go to a store and have the sales people try to push me their most expensive product, sure. But that's not who I am. It's not so much about the money spent for me, but about the quality of the product and its aesthetics. I would happily wear a $5 watch as long as I didn't have to buy a new one in a few days and I found it visually appealing.

Monthly Watch Club is a company based out of Canada that helps to take the guess work out of watch shopping. They provide a unique, custom made watch every month that is yours to keep. They work with watch makers from around the world to provide quality products for $25.00 USD ($33.00 CAD) a month.

When the opportunity to review them came up I was happy to be the one to give it a try, especially after I saw what they did for my fellow RCH writer, Jessica, with their Watch Club for Women.

This could be exactly the help I've been looking for.

The watch I recieved was their men's watch for the month of September 2017. It features a 41mm gold colored front enclosure, stainless steel back, glass face, and a 23cm brown leather band. The watch weighs only 50 grams, uses the PC32 Quartz movement, and is even water resistant.

The watch is very elegant in appearance. I will say, though that it feels a little feminine with the smaller 41mm face even on my small wrists. But maybe that's just me (remember, I'm used to big smart watches, if I wear any at all).

Another thing to note is that this watch is kind of loud. Maybe I'm just not used to hearing the ticking on my wrist but it feels a little distracting in times of quiet.

But with two kids, who really gets that any more? Ha!

On first impression, the watch didn't feel to be of a terribly high quality, due to how lightweight it is. That's again possibly because I am used to smart watches which are generally MUCH heavier than 50 grams. Close to triple that for some of the ones I've owned.

But lets face it, I'm not really a watch guy. And at only $25.00 for an attractive watch, I really can't complain much about it.

And a subscriber to the Monthly Watch Club would get a new watch every month, so you could build a wardrobe of watches to choose from on any given day - they don't need to be tough enough to withstand daily use over a long period of time.

It definitely feels more like an adult watch than I'm used to.

With all that being said, I would certainly continue a subscription with them. I've looked over some of their past watches (which can be purchased from their website in addition to the subscription) and am quite intrigued by their selection.

While I don't feel that this particular watch is really my style there are plenty of other past watches that I feel look great and would be a daily accessory for me, so I know a good percentage of the watches received on a subscription would quickly find a place in my (new, adult, professional) wardrobe.  And I'm confident you'd find the same!

Monthly Watch Club has generously agreed to do a giveaway for our readers! They are providing a watch to 3 winners anywhere in the world! Read on to see how you can enter to win!

You can check out Monthly Watch Club and everything they have to offer at the links below.
Until next time...

http://www.monthlywatchclub.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/MonthlyWatchCA/
https://twitter.com/@MonthlyWatchCA
https://www.pinterest.com/MonthlyWatchCA/
https://www.instagram.com/MonthlyWatchCA/

Three Winners in World Wide will win a watch from Monthly Watch Club in their choice of Men's or Women's, valued at $39.99 CAD (approx. $25.00 USD). 

This Giveaway ends at just before midnight ET March 7, 2018

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Giveaway Tools Entry Form below. This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning. (If you don't leave a comment, any additional entries will be void.)

The winner will be notified by email 24 to 48 hours after the end of the giveaway by email. In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Entry-Form

Review: Monthly Watch Club for Women

Ask somebody what time it is and you just might get the sarcastic reply of “time for you to get a watch”. While our phones will tell us what time it is in any part of the world, there is something classic and classy about having a good, old fashioned wristwatch.

My signature watch for years now.

I remember my first watch, which I got in early elementary school. My grandparents gave it to me for my birthday.

It was an analogue white watch face with a purple stretchy wristband that had embroidered flowers, and I wore it until it could no longer work and the flowers on the band were so frayed they became unrecognizable.

After that watch, I found a new staple. My go to watch style for many many years has been simple: a silver analogue face with a thin black leather band.

While this style is simple, I now find that as I have gotten older, I wish to expand on my watch designs.

Unfortunately, when I go to a store or look online, I get a bit overwhelmed with options and don't even know where to begin. 

With Monthly Watch Club, subscribers can get a beautiful watch in the mail every month, saving the chore or shopping for a new look, and building a lovely wardrobe of accessory timepieces!

Monthly Watch Club is a monthly subscription service that sends out a wristwatch with plans starting at 39.99 CAD (approx $32 USD). Each month they will send you a new watch, and you will never receive the same watch twice. They offer services for both men and women. You can even purchase past watches on their website!

I received the November Women's Watch, which is a beautiful work of art. The entire watch is a bit larger than my go-to style, but I really like it.

It has a wide black leather band and a black face with a floral pattern around the edge. The hands and visible metallic pieces are all also black. There is also a small Monthly Watch Club logo on the face.

This logo is also etched in the back of the watch. While the overall coloring may be a bit dark, the floral pattern adds a clear feminine touch to this watch. Some may find this particular watch a bit dark for their tastes, but I could not ask for a more perfect watch. I've honestly worn it everywhere and am happy to have it become a regular part of my wardrobe.

If you also love this watch and would like to order it, you can find it on their website for 89.99 CAD (approx $72.50 USD)

I would highly recommend trying out Monthly Watch Club if you are a fan of quality watches. The value per month is unbeatable.  The Monthly Watch Club would also make a wonderful gift for the watch lover in your life.

http://www.monthlywatchclub.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/MonthlyWatchCA/
https://twitter.com/@MonthlyWatchCA
https://www.pinterest.com/MonthlyWatchCA/
https://www.instagram.com/MonthlyWatchCA/

GlassesShop.com Glasses Online (Review/Discount)

I have probably needed to wear glasses for at least the last 6 years or so, but it's been just slightly under two years since I have been. It got to a point where I realized I should probably be scared that I was basically passing street signs while driving before I was able to read them.

So. Now I'm a glasses wearer.

Since that initial purchase, I've only had that one pair of glasses, and they've stood the test of time thus far.

I recently had an updated eye exam and while my glasses were still offering much better sight, my new prescription was ever so slightly different. I knew I was going to purchase a second pair of eyeglasses, as I do often worry that something like... I dunno, a zombie apocalypse is going to occur and I'm going to be totally screwed... so having a backup pair  just seems like the best bet at survival.

Within the same week of that exam, I was offered the opportunity to review GlassesShop.com -- perfect timing!

(As always, while I received a product to review, all comments and impressions are my own.)

I was given a special link to use for blogger reviewers, so I do hope that my review is true to what any paying customer would receive, but I want to be transparent that I seemed to be on a special side of their website.

That said....

I have many pros and cons about my experience with Glassesshop.com.

For starters, they have a TRY ON feature which is very important for shopping for glasses online in my opinion. I won't even bother with eyeglasses sites that don't, to be honest.

However, their feature was very much not to scale. There are measurements on the description of each pair of glasses, and yet they all tended to look the same, or even just WRONG (things that claimed to measure larger would appear must smaller than others on try me feature).

On the plus side, they have many search options for customized preferences. Gender, adult/kid, frame shape/style/material, width/height, color and price.

However, it seems no matter how broad I was in my search, if I specified anything at all, I'd get the dreaded NO RESULTS FOUND message, even if I located such items through tedious page flipping.

I have few strong convictions, such as no metal. I'm allergic to many types of metal, so I definitely want only plastic frames. But for the most part I left fields as open as possible.  I hope they eventually allow for all the amazing customization they seem to, but for now I think its a bit buggy.

My temple distance measures as 124.5. My previous pair of glasses were 125 and honestly pretty loose. I got used to it, and frankly I think I chose them just for look and don't remember measuring anything! I don't think I was aware that was even a thing.

Luckily, I've learned. I narrowed my possibilities down to handful of options chosen that were within my range and style preferences.

One thing I noticed was unlike previously used websites, I couldn't share my try-ons via social media.

And if I right-clicked saved the pic, it wouldn't save it WITH the glasses on as they were just an overlay.

My only option was to screen shot.

So these issues all had to do with the website itself.  How about the glasses?

After I received a few opinions based on looking at my screenshots, I ultimately chose Peoria Rectangle - Black.

The temple distance on the ones I chose were 120mm, with no other options available.

They arrived about 2.5 weeks after ordering in a sturdy box inside a bubble envelope. (I live overseas and use an APO address so the arrival time make me a bit shorter for US residents)

Included in the package were a case containing the glasses and glasses cleaning cloth.

When I removed them from their plastic case I was shocked. They looked so small! I was really afraid they had sent child specific glasses ( though now I see that the CHILD glasses are simply size SMALL (anything less than 130mm) so in essence they were, but  still right for my face as well.

When I first put them on, they were a bit stiff, though since they were new that was to be expected.

But - and this is important - I also noticed how crispy clear my vision was. The lenses were phenomenal!  They got my prescription done wonderfully.

I shot my contact at GlassesShop.com an quick email update, as I try to with all of my assignments, to let them know they arrived safely and I would be started my time with working with them them.

I did note the size issue, and expressed my hopes that they would 'break in' a bit. I wasn't asking them to do anything about it, just giving them a head up on my initial reaction. To my great surprise I received a very rude response. I was told I clearly should have chosen a bigger size, that these were a small and I needed a large, and “next time pay more attention.”

Hrm. Thanks for that.

A medium or large would have been far too big for me, and their search function doesn't work well enough to find the perfect fit.

In fact, if you put in “Womens glasses” as well as “under 125” the pair I chose was the ONLY one that comes up.  I strongly feel that online vendors need to make sure their websites adequately help customers (who are not likely to be experienced at handling their particular quirks) locate and purchase what they need without having to fight their set up.

Now, a month of using my new glasses, I can say they fit fabulously. I was sure they just needed to lose the new crispness, and they have. So, next time I shop for glasses I will have more experience with selecting what's right for me.

In addition to needing to spend some time getting used  to the size and breaking them in, I also noticed the side wings (which are really cute!) were much thicker than my previous pair, as I knew they would be, but I definitely struggled with peripheral vision for a little while.

These are not high quality frames by any standard, and GlassesShop.com doesn't claim to provide anything other than inexpensive, discount frames.

The plastic is very creaky, and I fear a lens is going to pop out every time I clean them.

This pair about $20 when I ordered them, and have now been discounted to $10, so you get what you pay for!

I prefer the quality of other online glasses retailers my husband or I have used, but if I were looking for a extra pair at a great price, maybe for vacation, or to have a spare set, I would use GlassesShop.com again.

They also carry a variety of prescription sunglasses, which will likely be a future purchase of mine, since I've avoided getting a pair until now due to cost.

GlassesShop.com is offering an excellent introductory offer to our readers - you can get a pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses for 50% off with FREE LENSES!  This doesn't include any frames that are on sale, but what a great way to check them out at very low cost.

To claim your discount, just use the code GSHOT50 when you check out!

All in all, in spite of my frustration with the website and the response I got, I think anyone looking for glasses that don't cost much would find that they got fair value for the price here.  I think the better prepared you are to know your size and which shapes best fit your face before you tackle their website, the more likely you'll be to have a satisfactory outcome.

https://www.glassesshop.com/

https://www.facebook.com/iGlassesShop/

https://twitter.com/glassesshop

https://www.pinterest.com/glassesshop/

https://www.instagram.com/glassesshop_com/

Review: Clockwork Synergy

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by timepieces. Not digital clocks or watches, which are a dime a dozen, but the unusual, the unique, the innovatively designed.

So, before I tell you about Clockwork Synergy, let me tell you about the watch that led me to discovering them:

The first time I saw an ad for the one-handed Slo Watch, I was immediately drawn to it, and eventually, I got one as a gift from my mother. I began wearing it every day, because it is elegant and, for those who notice the single hand, eye-catching. 

There was only one problem with it — the band was just barely long enough to fit my larger-than-average wrist, so wearing the watch for a full day would leave deep impressions that would take a while to fade. Their company offers other bands, but they are all the same length as the original one, so there was no help there. (Note to watch companies - your customers are not all one size!)

I had resigned myself to only wearing my favorite timepiece occasionally, when I was given the opportunity to review Clockwork Synergy, which offers a wide variety of watch bands and straps in various sizes, designed to be easily attachable to a wide variety of watch brands. 

The company first sent me a leather band that was well-made and attractive, but still too short.

However, they allowed me to swap it for a nylon NATO strap, which is just what I needed.  All through this review process, I found my two points of contact at the company to be responsive and available. Good customer service is one way in which a business sets itself apart from competitors, so that is a strong point in their favor, and is the sort of thing that will make me a loyal, repeat customer.

The band arrived in a sharply-designed box with the company’s logo printed on it, silver letters on the black box. The impression is refined and stylish.

Changing the band turned out to be easy, even without included instructions.

The company provided the tool needed to remove my watch’s spring pins and detach the original band.

The NATO strap simply threads through the pins, snaking along the back of the watch.

The NATO Straps are inexpensive (the one I received sells for $14.95 at their website) and available in a wide variety of colors and patterns — I might need to pick up a couple more so I can color-coordinate my wardrobe and my watch bands.

Once on, the strap fits comfortably around my wrist, and buckles with an ample length of strap to thread through the keepers. It seems well-made, with stitching that is not likely to unravel anytime soon. I can now go back to wearing my Slo watch daily, without any uncomfortable wrist constriction.

Significant difference in length!

As a side note, Gear Patrol has an interesting article about the origins ofthe NATO strap. As the name implies, it began as a military issue item, but it has grown far beyond its genesis.

Based in Ellicott City, Maryland, Clockwork Synergy began in 2005, selling its wares through eBay, according to the company website. Eventually, the sales channels have expanded to include Amazon, and then Best Buy, along with the company’s own site.

Clockwork Synergy carries a wide variety of watch bands, in every material you could expect, natural and synthetic. Most of their choices are under $20, though a few are more, and the styles range from casual and fun to formal and elegant.

They also offer straps specifically made for Apple Watch, the Pebble Steel watch and several varieties of Android watches. Another section of the website provides bands for some premium brands of watch, such as Tag Heuer and Philip Stein. As with everything else here, they are available in a variety of colors and materials.

Finally, the company sells spring bars (starting at five pairs for $4.95) and spring bar removal tools (as low as $3.95) so you can change your own bands whenever you want without a trip to a jeweler. 

Clockwork Synergy offers a broad selection of choices, good customer service and reasonable prices. For people who need to replace a band or just want to add some variety to their accessories, their website is worth a look, and I highly recommend the company.

Clockwork Synergy is offering a 10 percent discount for RCH readers through March 31. Use code rch10 at checkout.

http://www.clockworksynergy.com/

https://www.facebook.com/clockworksynergy

https://twitter.com/cwsynergy

https://www.pinterest.com/cwsynergy/

https://www.instagram.com/clockworksynergy/

Review: Catherine's Treasure Box

Like most women that I know, I enjoy pretty jewelry. I like getting it for my birthday, a holiday, or my personal favorite, just because. I have also made it a point in my life to become less reliant on big box stores for my needs, preferring to patronize small businesses. Etsy stores offer me a great way to do that, without the need to put on real pants or strap the children in the car. Catherine's Treasure Box combines the two, making me very happy.

Catherine's Treasure Box is an Etsy store that offers handmade jewelry made with elements such as gorgeous stone and recycled glass.

 Each section of the store is labeled as a type of “box”, such as the whimsical box, the holiday box, and the giving box, each having bracelets, necklaces, and earrings that fit the description.

The piece I received was a stunning pink and black beaded necklace with a dyed stone pendant, which had a tag pricing it at $65.

 It arrived tucked in a lovely green silk pouch, which was wrapped in festive tissue paper, and was accompanied by a handwritten note and a smattering of business cards.

I'm not always the worlds biggest fan of the color pink, but this necklace is in such a wonderful shade, I can't help but be drawn to it.

 The dusty rose of the beads actually complements my milky winter complexion perfectly, bringing out a subtle flush, making me look somewhat closer to human. Every time I wear it, the Mister remarks on how well it looks on me.

One of my favorite components in this necklace is actually the toggle piece. An element that is often overlooked and plain, this toggle piece is decorated with banding and a rose in bloom. This little detail shows how much attention is paid to making each piece special.

I find myself choosing this beautiful piece over and over, because it is so very pretty, but also because it is durable, standing up to my darling daughter using it as a fidget when she nurses. The swirling striped stone fits almost perfectly in her little hand.

This necklace has stood up to everything my life has had to throw at it.

I know that next time I'm thinking of finding a unique piece of jewelry for a friend, family member, or even for myself, I'm going to be checking out Catherine's TreasureBox!

Right now, Catherine's Treasure Box has a posted sale - use the code SALE30 to get 30% off your order! That's a great deal, and just in time for a bit of romantic gifting, too.

Etsy Store

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Review/Giveaway: Lewis N. Clark Outdoor Gear

So some of y’all may recall that I am an avid mushroom-hunting fan. Yes, the boring little things that pop up in the yard after it rains—the ones that you attempt to prevent your toddler and/or dogs from indiscriminately shoving down their gullets for simply being things in the yard.

See? I really found this a couple days ago, and it is cool.  Ahem. Anyway.

So. I got these little guys in the mail from Lewis N. Clark and I was like SQUEEEE!!! Just LOOK at these things. I knew they were actually much larger when you opened them up to their real size, but they are so cute and little and weigh next to nothing. And I knew EXACTLY what I was doing with them.

When you're exploring the great outdoors, sometimes you find stuff you want to take home, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you’re gonna be gone all day needing food and water and whatnot, sometimes you’re just going for a quick scout and you don’t need to carry a bunch of stuff with you.

Me, and the ElectroLight backpack.

Sometimes (here, at least) it’s hotter than the devil’s drawers and you’re not interested in toting a big, sweaty pack around. And sometimes you don’t necessarily know if you’re going to actually need a bag to carry stuff in, but you know you’re probably going to need one if you don’t bring one, because that’s the way life works.


Lewis N. Clark’s ElectroLight Series is fantastic for those times that carrying around a bulky bag or backpack is impractical or just annoying. 

All of the items in the series weigh 3 oz or less and stuff down into a little bag (it’s even attached, so you can’t lose it!) that can fit in your pocket when you’re not using it. 

I went on a weekend camping trip and found that the ditty bag was perfect for storing dirty laundry in my backpack, so I could keep it separated from the clean stuff. 

If you’ve ever been backpacking (or schlepped a diaper bag around), you know that both space and capacity to carry around heavy crap is limited, so the fact that the bags weigh practically nil and stuffs down to a tiny size is extremely convenient.

It is worth remembering, however, that they are also light-duty, so not a great choice for hauling around loads of bricks if you are so inclined. Fortunately for me, fungus doesn’t typically weigh that much, and Lewis N. Clark has a whole host of other traveling and outdoor carrying-stuff-around/making-life-easier products for your traipsing pleasure. 

If you'd like to check out their full line of travel and outdoor products, check them out via the links below, and read on for a Giveaway!

Website: http://lewisnclark.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LewisNClarkProducts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LewisNClarkGear
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lewisnclarkgear/


 

 Lewis N. Clark has generously offered one ElectroLight Ditty Bag to five different lucky winners. Each winner can select which version they'd like: 

Small (Neon Lemon)  9"x4"

Medium (Red) 11"x5"

Large (Bright Blue) 13"x6" 

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

FIVE WINNERS!
This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY
and will end just before midnight ET on 7-19-15. 

The winners will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway.  In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck everyone!
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review/Giveaway: My Booty Belt

Ever been worried that your undies or butt crack was showing at the most inconvenient time?
Or are you tired of having to pull up your son’s or daughter’s pants up in public?

I had the opportunity to review the product that everyone who's been in that situation will love…MY BOOTY BELT.

Now when I first saw this I just thought, "Why not just put on a belt? Then all that stops anyway."

How wrong was I.  I have too many memories of my back end peeping out to feel the breeze. The times a plumber bending down at the sink and showing everyone his crack - some people are nice enough to look away, others point it out with laughter.

Or even my son playing at the playground and I have to yell "I see your undies!" or "pull up your pants!"

After recalling all that, I couldn't pass up the chance to try this.

So, in the month that I've this product, this is my experience with My Booty Belt:

First off, shipping was super fast!

Once I received the product, I went the whole day taking pictures of my family without My Booty Belt.
I also got the family to take some pictures of me and as you can see, I even had some flashing problems of my own.

So, then I wanted to make everyone in my family wear the belts. Oh happy me! No cracks I can see!

But then I thought, what about when we do more then the average day things. So off we went to try to see what activities we could do that this belt would cover us.

Shopping and bending to the bottom shelf… CHECK

Taking the dogs on a walk….make that run… CHECK

Gardening.... CHECK

Riding a bike… CHECK

This thing is AMAZING! I for one never really thought about how many times I pull my own pants up fear that my crack or undies will come out.

And installing the belt on your pants is so simple.

When you buy your My Booty Belt, you first need to check what size you are and for me I found the small to be useful for my waistline. I currently wear a size 7 and the small fit nicely into my jeans and dress pants.

Per the website:

"The size of the Booty Belt should be shorter than the distance between the belt loops.  This makes the elastic work to keep the wais tight.  Belts come in small (10in), medium (12in) and large (14in)."

Through I found it easy to attach once you put on your pants, you can also install beforehand.

Now, when you do put on your pants, you will find that the belt is in a straight line and your pants are pushed down a little. Like this..

All you do is pull your pants up a little and the belt will rest in place nicely and stay that way until you take it off.

So overall I think this product is a must have if you find that you are having the same issues. Great product for children, men and women.

Also if you do want to cover it, as sometimes our shirts do not cover the belt line you can easily place a belt over it and you don’t have to tighten giving you more room to breath but also knowing the My Booty Belt is holding your pants nicely against you.

If you'd like to try My Booty Belt, they are available for purchase on their website for only $9.95 and currently come in sizes X-Small, Small, Medium and Large.  In addition, My Booty Belt is letting us give one away to one of our US readers - look below to enter!

My Booty Belt on Facebook
My Booty Belt

The winner will receive one My Booty Belt ($9.95) in the size of their choice.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this entry as instructed by the Rafflecopter, then leave the name you commented under and your email in the box in the Rafflecopter entry. (This allows us to contact you if you win!)  This will open up additional optional entries to increase your odds of winning.

This giveaway is open to US RESIDENTS ONLY
and will end just before midnight ET on 6-24-15. 

The winner will be notified by email within 24 hours after the end of the giveaway.  In order to claim the giveaway prize, the winner will need to respond within 24 hours of notification, or an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway