Other Parenting Product Reviews

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Disney On Ice is touring the country and there happened to be some stops where I live here in the San Francisco Bay Area. I had the opportunity to take my family for the first time to the SAP Center in San Jose to experience the Rockin' Ever After tour. Here at Lunchbox Dad I always review products and experiences from a whole family's point of view. So you will see if Disney On Ice is worth your hard earned dollars.

Whenever attending an event such as this, I recommend arriving early. Fortunately the SAP Center has easy parking and we were able to find a spot and get to the door in no time at all. Before long, my family and I were wading through the halls looking for our section. Here's a handy tip, don't forget to use the bathroom before you go to your seats, you don't want to miss any of the show.

One of the first things you will notice at this Disney On Ice event is the merchandise and concession booths. They actually have some pretty cool stuff but if you want to invest in toys or shirts find a booth at the end. Every station has the same merchandise and the end booths will be less crowded. The prices are fairly expensive, but not any more than what you would find at your typical ball game or similar special event. The selection includes princess gear, as well as shirts with characters such as Maximus from Tangled, so both your girls and boys will be begging for it. 

We found our seats in plenty of time and were immediately impressed with the setup. My kids were very excited because we didn't tell them what we were doing, we just surprised them when we left in the morning. There were many kids dressed up in their Disney best so don't be afraid to get your children into the spirit of the event.

The show itself started off in typical Disney fashion with an appearance from Mickey and Minnie mouse, as well as a few other assorted characters. It was a good warm up number but my kids were ready to see the main parts of the show. There were four sections of the program and each section summarized the story of one Disney princess. I do have to say my kids were really hoping to see FROZEN characters, but I'm sure Feld Entertainment, the creators of Rockin' Ever After, will include them next year. FROZEN is way too big of a hit and I'm guessing that the movie was released too late to capitalize on it for this year's ice show.

The Little Mermaid was next and Ariel did not disappoint. The whole routine was extremely impressive. The costumes and design were eye catching. For my wife and I, our favorite part was the "Under the Sea" performance. You really have to see it to appreciate the effects and lighting. I have to admit that I am not a figure skating fan, but throughout the morning I was constantly awed at the amount of talent it took these professionals to skate, fly through the air, and act. The Little Mermaid was a tremendous example of that. The skater who played Ariel, Kristin Cowan, was amazing. She not only skated well, but also did an acrobatic rope trick that was unexpected and thrilling. 

The next act featured the characters of Tangled. Obviously this is a popular one, because of the recent hit movie, and my kids would tell you this was their favorite. After the high flying Little Mermaid, this was a bit different. The skaters did well but this portion of the program didn't stand out for me as much. That is with one exception. The character Maximus the horse was hilarious! The costume was spot on and the two skaters inside did a fabulous job moving as one. While my kids loved Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Maximus was the highlight for me.

After a needed intermission the show was back with an appearance from Brave. One thing to stop and mention is that although we love Disney movies, they can be scary in parts. Rockin' Ever After did a good job of including most villains, but not making it too frightening for smaller children. The bears from Brave were not included and I imagine it was because the directors felt it was too scary. However, the actress who played Merida did a fine job and my wife was astonished at how much she looked like the actual character from the movie. Even though I haven't seen the movie myself, it was easy to follow along with the story and the costumes for Merida's brothers were pretty funny. I won't give away what they were, you will just have to see the show.

The last portion of the program featured the story of Beauty and the Beast. Along with the "Under the Sea" performance from earlier, this section contained our favorite time of the morning. "Be Our Guest" is obviously one of the most beloved songs from the movie and the production behind this part was superb. There was so much going on, and from the costumes to the set, it represented the movie well. My kids definitely came out of their shell and sang along for this number. I also have to mention here the actor who played Gaston. He was hands down the all around most entertaining male in the show. He was expressive, funny, and really drew you in. 

I know this is a review and I'm supposed to tell you both good and bad, but as far as the actual performance goes, it was too impressive to be negative. The only drawback for some might be the price of merchandise and food, but it's what you expect from a show like this. As adults, we enjoyed the pageantry and athleticism. There wasn't one mistake and the fun factor was high. However, the main point is to entertain the kids so the deciding factor should be what they thought. My son and daughter both gave it two thumbs up and would excitedly go again. I would highly recommend you attending Disney On Ice Rockin' Ever After if it comes near you. 

The show will be in San Jose until Feb. 23, 2014 and in Oakland from Feb. 26-March 2. You can check www.disneyonice.com for more tourstops and go to www.ticketmaster.com to get your tickets.

Disclosure: Feld Entertainment gave me tickets to review this show. I have received no other compensation for this post and the opinions I’m expressing here are solely my own.
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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

"I thought you were bringing that speaker over to the party tonight," My friend asked.  "I did," I replied, "its right here in my jacket pocket."  My friend responded, "What?  You have to be kidding me."  This is the question and answer exchange I have been in a few times now during this busy holiday party season.  I picked up the Carbon Audio Pocket Speaker at the Apple Store and it has provided plenty of music and disbelieving reactions.  Usually the conversation above is followed by, "I can't believe music that loud is coming out of a speaker that small, its amazing!"  This extra small, extra loud speaker has definitely out performed my friends' and my own expectations.  Here at Lunchbox Dad, I always try to pass on my experience with products that help make parent's lives easier.  A great tool, like the Pocket Speaker, can definitely do that.  

I have been looking for a good portable bluetooth speaker for quite some time.  So when I had the opportunity to try out the Pocket Speaker, I jumped at the chance.  My wife and I have had many experiences when a bluetooth portable speaker would be the perfect addition to a party, event, or just to take to the park with the kids.  Unfortunately, many portable speakers sound "tinny" and don't produce the volume to be worth the investment.  Since the Carbon Audio Pocket Speaker is available exclusively at the Apple Store for only $99, I headed there to pick one up...CLICK HERE FOR MY FULL STORY, YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS HEARING HOW THIS WORKED FOR MY FAMILY!

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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client.

Here at Lunchbox Dad I not only want to give ideas help you have healthy and fun meals for your kids, I want to introduce you to products that make your life as a parent easier.  The right tablet can help will help in not just one, but in many areas of your life.  As a parent, I know that a day for your family can run the gamut from looking up recipes, to kids doing homework, to looking up sports scores, to watching a TV show with your spouse.  In short, parents don't need a tablet that can do one thing amazingly well, they need a tablet that can do everything they ask of it.  You aren't just buying a tablet for yourself, you are buying it to be used by your whole family.  Keeping this in mind, this post will tell you about my experience looking for the best tablet for my busy family.  Hopefully it will also help you shop for and decide if the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 will be right for your family and your fast pace lifestyle.

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you go out searching for a new tablet.  Always ask yourself these before going to the store...PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR MY FULL REVIEW, YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THE REST!
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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop

has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective

Bias and their client. #cbias #FamilyMobileSaves

I love finding tools that help make parents' lives easier.  As a family on the go today, I don't know what we would do without a smartphone.  As a dad, I am constantly looking up directions, texting my wife about what I should pick up from the store, and checking my fantasy football scores.  The problem with smartphones is the cost of the plan.  I have had my current provider for awhile but have not been extremely happy with the coverage or the cost.  This lead me on a trip to Walmart to check out their Walmart Family Mobile Plan.  To learn all about my whole trip click HERE.  I was looking for the best wireless combined with the lowest price rate plan.  Our family is on a budget so we are always looking for a cheap wireless plan.  I am also a football fanatic with three fantasy football teams.  It is imperative that the coverage and speed of my cell phone network be up to par so I could make those last minute lineup changes.

When I arrived at Walmart and saw the advertisement for the Family Mobile Plan, I was skeptical.  I had not had a good experience with prepaid cell phone plans in the past.  However, when I read the fine print I knew this was a no risk plan that was worth trying out.  For me, the pros of the Walmart Family Mobile Plan are:

• No contract, 
• Unlimited talk, text, and web 
• Only $39.88 per month.  

Did I mention there is no contract?  This is a HUGE bonus for me!  There is also no credit check and it runs on the T-Mobile network.  T-Mobile gets perfect coverage at my house (my current provider barely gets one bar).  The cons are:

• No visual voicemail
• Only 3G speeds, even with a 4G LTE phone.  

The cons are big deals to me, but it was worth seeing if I could live without those to save money for my family.  I quickly did the math in my head and found out the potential savings I could have over a two year period of time.  I say potential savings because I am always looking for hidden charges or fees.  Obviously your savings could be greater depending on how much you pay for your phone service.

When I realized, that I could save almost $700, I decided I needed to take the chance on this plan.  Then came the surprising part.  There were no hidden fees at the cash register.  I paid $25 for the Walmart Family Plan starter kit.  This was needed because I had to have their sim card put into the phone that I chose.  There was no other activation fee, however.

Check out Walmart Online to See this Deal for Yourself

Before I could go home and try out this new plan, I had to pick out a phone.  Walmart had many smartphone choices.  You can also use your own unlocked GSM phone, but I had the chance to try out the Samsung Galaxy S4.  I had seen the commercials and done my homework.  Many phones can email and lookup movie times, but I had a specific job in mind.  I needed a phone that could do those other things while providing easy to use apps for fantasy football.  I have played for years and know what a difference it can make having a great phone.  When it comes to my three teams this year, I am currently undefeated in one league, middle of the pack in another, and bringing up the rear in my last league.  So I not only must figure out how to stay in first place, but also improve my other teams.  My phone needs to have the capability to give me the insider fantasy information while I'm standing in line at the post office or waiting for my order at the coffee shop.  As a dad on the go, I don't always have the luxury of doing my fantasy football homework in front of the computer.  My phone is my fantasy football best friend.  It was time to put the GS4 to the test.

The last part of my in store experience might have been the most surprising.  When I buy a cell phone I am used to spending 1-2 hours jumping through hoops before I can walk out the door with it.  I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case here.  When I asked questions that the Walmart clerk didn't know the answer to, he handed me over to his co-worker who addressed my concerns.  I had the choice of activating the phone online, over the phone, or in store.  I chose "in store" in case there were any problems.  The clerk had the sim card installed and my new account activated in around 20 minutes.  A little tip, make sure to write down your Walmart Family Mobile Plan PIN number.  You will need it to make changes to your account later on.  I didn't do this and had to figure out how to get my PIN after I arrived home.

Because I needed to find my PIN, it did give me an opportunity to explore the Walmart Family Mobile Plan site.  I found it simple to use but was a little frustrating because it didn't tell me everything I wanted to know.  When I called in to find out my PIN, I also double checked a few details of the plan.  I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting charged extra (I wasn't).  I was put on hold for an extended period of time and the phone menu was a bit difficult to navigate.  This customer support was the only downside I experienced that day.  Click here to see the Family Mobile Plan site for yourself.

I will be testing out this new phone and plan over the next couple weeks.  I want to be able to let you know how it works and how it has helped me in my quest for the fantasy football championship.  I do have to say that the phone has already made it possible to make a key quarterback pickup for this week while I was away from my desk.  I will make sure and put the Walmart Family Mobile Plan to work and share with you whether this really is as good a deal as it seems on the surface.

Part 2 of My 

Walmart Family Mobile Review:

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop

has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective

Bias and their client. #cbias #FamilyMobileSaves

I didn't want to like it.  I tried to resist, I swear.  I was an "Apple" guy and I felt like I was betraying my own.  But man is the Samsung Galaxy S4 nice.  The big screen is beautiful and the phone runs like a cheetah.  But how would it perform using the Walmart Family Mobile Plan?  In my last post about this I told you how much money this cheap wireless plan could save you, but I still needed to do real world testing.  Just as important, I needed it to help me get the edge in my fantasy football leagues.  To read my first post about Walmart Family Mobile which documents my initial experience (including savings chart) click HERE.  

After a month of taking this phone everywhere, and putting it through the ringer, I was pleasantly surprised.  Thanks to Walmart Family Mobile I am also keeping pace in most of my fantasy football leagues!  So here are the results of using the Samsung GS4 and Walmart Family Mobile.

The Coverage:
This might have been my biggest surprise.  Walmart Family Mobile is on the T-Mobile network.  Normally I don't think of T-Mobile as having as good of coverage as the other companies, but in my house the GS4 is now my go-to-phone.  No other network gets more than one bar where I live.  T-Mobile came in loud and clear with full coverage all through my house.  I told that to others in my neighborhood and they were thoroughly impressed.

Around town coverage was pretty good.  You never get perfect coverage everywhere but for the most part it was as good or better than the other major carriers.  At my work, my signal was up and down.  This was strange since my current cell provider gets perfect 4G LTE.  I was able to get good coverage at my desk, but walking around the campus it was all over the map.  I don't know why this is.

Overall, I was very happy with the coverage, even though Walmart Family Mobile does not provide 4G LTE.  The 3G speeds were fast enough to load pages in a good amount of time.  Even when it said I only had one bar, I was still able to surf the internet and send texts with no problems.  I did have a few dropped calls, which was a little annoying, but not enough for me not to give the Walmart Family Mobile coverage a high recommendation.  To check the coverage map for your areas click HERE.

The Phone:
I said before that I was an Apple guy.  I immediately liked the look of the Samsung Galaxy S4 but it took a few days to get used to the Android operating system.  I downloaded a few apps, starting with the three that I needed for my fantasy football leagues.  My favorite feature of Android is the notification center.  I love having new email, Facebook messages, and fantasy football news right at my finger tips.  I did find the native email app to be clunky and not practical to check email quickly.  One of the best features of the S4 is the large screen.  It is five inches and the resolution is 441 pixels per inch.  I thought it would be heavier than it is, but it feels light for its size.  The tradeoff is not being able to fit the phone in your pocket easily.  You can read about my in-store experience buying and activating my Galaxy S4 HERE.

Below you can see the beauty of the screen and 

the size of the phone relative to a standard size DVD case.

The Football:
One of the most important features of a phone for me, is being able to stay up to date in my fantasy football leagues.  The GS4 and Walmart Family Mobile definitely accomplished this purpose.  I was able to offer trades, make lineup changes, and check scores when it wasn't possible for me to be at a computer.  For example, On October 5th, I picked up tight end Brent Celek when I realized at the last minute that I had no tight end to play the next morning.  He helped for a week but wasn't a long term solution.  The next week, in a staff party, I used my phone to complete a deal with a coworker to bring Tony Gonzales to my team.  I knew I needed to negotiate and close the deal right there.  I found my new tight end and I couldn't have done it without my phone.

One other highlight came on Sunday, October 20.  This of course was game day and I thought my lineup was ready to give me the win.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize I had a player who had suddenly become inactive.  Minutes before game time, I was able to sub him out and put in wide receiver Cecil Shorts.  Once again, Walmart Family Mobile saved my week.  For the record I am currently tied for first in my division in one league, and a close second in another.  We won't talk about the third league I'm in, but its not the phone's fault, it it my own.  A great phone and plan can't help bad decisions.  Is this the best wireless option for fantasy football fans?  I'll just say this fantasy season would have been lost if I would not have had my phone with me.

Conclusion:

Walmart Family Mobile is a great cheap wireless plan when you want to save money and need up to the minute details on your fantasy team.  Most smartphone plans are expensive, but this unlimited no-contract plan gives you an affordable alternative.  At only $39.99 per month I was able to cut $45 off my normal smartphone bill.  Online account management is very simple but won't always give you every little detail you need.  To see for yourself what their account management is like click HERE.  The T-Mobile network isn't perfect, but it does provide reliable coverage.  You won't get 4G LTE or visual voicemail with Walmart Family mobile, but if you can live without those options then you should give this plan a shot.  Your fantasy football season depends on it.

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I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop

has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective

Bias and their client. #cbias #licensetospill

There are two things that I love to talk about on this blog: good food and things that help make parents' lives easier.  When I visited the License To Spill tour event, at the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival, I found both!  I was excited to meet Chef Ryan Scott and taste his chicken sloppy joes.  Ryan Scott was a contestant on Top Chef and stars on his show Food Rush.  However, when I was waiting to taste his recipe my family and I had the chance to put to the test a tool that all parents could use--Mohawk SmartStrand stain resistant carpeting.

The License To Spill booth had a fun area setup for kids to smash food and drink into the Mohawk SmartStrand carpet.  My kids made good use of the time by messing up the carpet as much as they could.  Chip Wade, from HGTV's "Elbow Room," was running this area.  He was great with the kids and gave them some messy tips.  The Mohawk people promised to clean it all up later in the day.  I was skeptical the carpet would come clean.

In the meantime, I had the chance to test out the carpet myself.  Mohawk gave me a carpet square and let me spray it down with Powerade and soy sauce.  The last spray bottle they gave me contained red wine.  This bottle was especially interesting to me because it reminded me of my own wine and carpet story.  

Two years ago we instituted the "Terry" rule at my house.  This rule is no red wine in the living room.  Terry is my father-in-law.  He loves exuberantly telling stories and also drinking red wine.  Sometimes he combines the two.  On this particular occasion we were sitting in the living room and he was telling us about something that had happened recently.  All I remember was seeing his hands waving in the air, his full glass of red wine sitting on the edge of the end table  and then catastrophe.  It was one of those moments that seem to happen in slow motion.  His glass went flying and red wine spilled everywhere covering the carpet around where he was sitting.  It took one trip to the store for cleaning supplies, two hours of our time, and a ton of elbow grease to partially hide the stain.  Our carpet was never the same.  Spraying red wine on the Mohawk carpet samples brought back bad memories.  The amazing thing is, the stain washed right out.  With a little water it was as good as new.  

The Mohawk Flooring representative told me about how it has SmartStrand technology built into the carpet fiber itself.  It has permanent dirt and stain resistance that won't wear off.  Most carpets just have this applied topically and it wears off over time.  I was also surprised that she only used water to clean the carpet.  On tough stains you can add a little mild detergent.  I needed this carpet two years ago in my house!  

Chef Ryan Scott had his sloppy joes ready, and the line was growing, so I went to go wait my turn.  They smelled incredible but I had to hold tight a little longer.  The BetterTV crew was there to film the event.  Even Samantha Harris, from Dancing With the Stars, was there interviewing Ryan Scott about his food.  She then did a spot with Chip Wade.  Samantha took a sloppy joe, rubbed it into the SmartStrand carpet, and Chip cleaned it.  Once again, the food came right out.  Then it was finally time to taste what I had been waiting so long for.  The sloppy joes were being served and they didn't disappoint.  The tasty morsel consisted of tender chicken enveloped by a crunchy biscuit, topped with a couple Fritos, and smothered in a creamy cheese sauce.  I had to go back for seconds.  The recipe was fantastic and Chef Ryan Scott was very personable, even while trying to get everyone through the line.

All-in-all it was a great day.  I was able to taste a great recipe and find out about Mohawk, who makes a great stain resistant carpet.  Mohawk is even giving away a free 6'x9' SmartStrand Silk bound carpet rug.  Just go to their site HERE for a chance to win!  On my way to explore the rest of the festival, I grabbed a few more carpet squares to test them out at home.  After home testing, I was able to clean up coffee and red wine very easily.  

Oh wait, you never did see how that carpet cleaned up did you?  You know, the one that my kids threw food on and then trampled in the stain.  The picture is below and I personally watched the cleaning process.  They had to use a small carpet cleaner (the kind you rent at the grocery store) because the stains had been sitting in the sun for hours.  You can see the clean stripe down the middle.  I never thought it would come out but in a matter of minutes it did!  

If you are in the Phoenix area you need to check out the License To Spill tour because they are headed to you next.  Click HERE to find out all the details or check Mohawk out on Facebook HERE.  

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ThrifTee Gear Upcycled Backpack Review

We all have those t-shirts that we just can't get rid of. They don't fit, have that awkward stain, or just hold too many great memories to throw out. Of course, there is no way we will ever wear them again and our spouses have threatened to get rid of them multiple times. This is where ThrifTee Gear comes in. They upcycle old t-shirts and jerseys and give them a second life—as a bag!

I was suspicious at first. I liked the “idea” of it, but how great of a bag could you produce from an old shirt? I decided to try it out. I had the perfect shirt. It was almost new, but it was too small. I really liked the design so I didn't want to give it away. It had basically been taking up space in my closet for months. If there was a t-shirt I wanted transformed into a new bag, this was it! The process was very easy. I signed up online, chose the eco-friendly bag I wanted, and ThrifTee Gear send me a postage paid envelope. I then sent my shirt to them. I received my bag back in about a week!

ThrifTee Gear did a great job of centering the main image on the front of the bag. I especially like the liner that was placed inside. It feels strong and is sewn in well. There are two large compartments and one small velcro pocket inside.
The part that sets it off from a homemade bag made by your aunt are the strap holders at the bottom. These also double as tags so that the bag looks professionally made (because it is). The drawstring closes easily at the top, but I wouldn't put anything small and valuable in it as there is still a small hole in the top when closed.

The only drawback that I see is the small size. This cannot be helped because we are talking about a bag made out of your old lucky t-shirt. Just don’t think you can fit two days worth of clothes in there. This bag would be perfect for going to swim lessons, school lunches for teens, or play dates at the park. I also like how the bag is machine washable and water resistant. You can choose from the Eco-Cool Lunchbag, Backpack, or Jersey Backpack. Prices start at $15.95 from thrifteegear.com.

Disclosure: ThrifTee Gear sent me this product to review. I have received no other compensation for this post and the opinions I’m expressing here are solely my own.

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Lunchbox Love Review

(Note: I put this review on this page because it has many more applications than just in a lunchbox)  Sometimes you barely have enough time or energy in the morning to throw some food in a box and send it to school, much less go the extra mile.  Hopefully lunchboxdad.com can help you with tips and recipes for making your kids' lunches healthier and more fun.  

However, if you want to express your love in words, that can be difficult as well.  I write a personal note for almost all of the special Monday lunches I make for my daughter.  But, it can be a struggle to think of something to say sometimes.  This is where Lunchbox Love comes in.  Each volume contains 12 different notes that are about the size of a business card.  On one side of the card is an inspirational saying such as, "There is nothing you can do or say that would change how much I love you."  On the back of each card is an interesting fact or a joke like, "Owls cannot move their eyeballs."  My daughter loves fun jokes and facts like these.  Each volume comes in a recyclable plastic case to hold all the cards.  To see the recent lunch I made with Lunchbox Love click HERE.

As I was looking through the volumes I was sent to review, I realized that these don't just have to be limited to your kids' lunches.  They can be put in backpacks, binders, or even on someone's dresser to remind them of just how special they are.  Lunchbox Love comes in varieties suitable for teens and adults as well.  They also are available in seasonal notes.  

I'm a big believer that words can build up or tear down your kids.  You can never tell your kids enough how much you love them or how special they are.  Lunchbox Love is great for that.  I think that a personal note to your kids is best, but when you don't have time, or the words, Lunchbox Love works great.  

The drawback is that they are made of paper so they can't be washed, and depending on the lunch, might not be reusable.  One of the notes I used soaked up moisture from food in the box, but didn't discolor and was fine for the day.  I threw it away that night.  The good news is that they are only $2.99 a volume (from sayplease.com) and there are 64 volumes available, and thats just in the kids section.  So if you want help encouraging your kids and giving them some fun facts at the same time, order some Lunchbox Love.  My suggestion would be to spend some extra money and order a whole set, not just one volume.  That way you can save on shipping but also have plenty around for when you need them.

Disclosure: Say Please sent me this product to review. I have received no other compensation for this post and the opinions I’m expressing here are solely my own.

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Printcopia Canvas Print Review

I have had my eye on a canvas print for a long time.  So when the people at Printcopia contacted me to do a review and giveaway for one, I jumped at the chance.  After I logged onto the website the process was very simple.  I chose the size (8x10) and uploaded the picture.  We had some family pictures taken not too long ago, so that choice was easy.  After I selected the border and finish options, I checked out and waited for my canvas print to arrive.

It was economy shipping so it took awhile to get to me.  Sometimes economy gets to you faster than expected, but this did not.  I suppose it was because of the printing time.  So, if you need the print fast you will need to choose a faster shipping method.

When the packaged arrived, I eagerly opened it.  The canvas print picture quality was really clear and true to the original picture.  The canvas was wrapped around a wood frame and the build was solid.  I was impressed by how tight the corners were wrapped and how securely the canvas was stapled to the wood on the back. 

The only thing I wish I had done differently was to choose a larger size.  8x10 seemed big enough in theory, but in reality it looks a little odd having a canvas picture so small.  We will probably have to frame it somehow.  I would recommend getting a larger print if you can, unless you want to pay to have it framed.  Otherwise the quality and sturdiness were impressive.

Disclosure: Pictopia sent me this product to review. I have received no other compensation for this post and the opinions I’m expressing here are solely my own.