How We Fixed Our “Lack Of Outlets” Problem – At Least The Majority Of It

 

 

Disclaimer: The following post is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links. I received the product for free in return for an honest review. Opinions are that of my own – see Disclosure page for more info)

Ever since we moved into our temporary home here in Las Vegas, we had a “lack of outlets” problem. You see with two children who basically own every gaming machine out there and multiple laptops, as well as phones, cameras, and a very necessary Kindle Fire (mine), most of our plugs are occupied with tech, all with varying needs.

I am not a fan of the traditional power strips, even if they do the job, the tend to fall over, have too short cords, or take too much space away, and most importantly none of them have USB outlets  for those devices that do not have standard AC plugs.

iclever BoostCube

So, when I had the opportunity to receive the BoostCube Desktop Power Station by iclever, I jumped at that chance. This small yet powerful charging station fits perfectly into my den/office, allowing me to centrally charge 5 phones via the USB plugins, and two other devices via the standard AC plugs. Which brings me to the only complaint I have about this little item: It has only two AC power outlets, which means I still have to plug my printer into the wall, after plugging in my desktop computer and monitor. And there is no way I can charge my laptop in the same area like I would like to ideally. It is a small inconvenience, but three AC outlets would have made this compact item even more powerful.

A short summary of my thoughts on the iclever BoostCube Desktop Power Station:

Pro:

1. I love how compact it is, a sturdy little black box that is heavy enough not to fall over, tilt or move under most circumstances. It stays nicely put, up against the corner by my desk, out of the way, yet easily accessible.

2. It has five USB cord plugins. Even for our family, that is enough to keep our phones and devices charged to their max. No more looking for a plugin or a special converter that allows us to plug them into a standard outlet. Perfect.

3. The USP outlets fit for all devices – thanks to a SmartID Technology, the power station can adjust itself to the individual needs of the plugged in device. It charges that way our Androids, iPhones, iPad, camera and Kindle at the same time, in the fastest time I ever had them charged.

4. It is surge protected, keeping all of our devices safe from surges, and voltage spikes. I like that peace of mind.

5. It is small enough, that I am considering taking it with me the next time we are taking an overnight trip – makes hunting for outlets in a hotel room, a thing of the past.

Con:

1. Like I mentioned earlier, it only has two AC outlets. Three would have been the ideal number to fit my personal needs.

You can get the iclever BoostCube Power Station right now at Amazon! 

 

The Office – A Flash Fiction

The Office

Closing the door behind her, she took a deep breath.
The irritation of the last few hours had no place here, in her sanctuary, that was reserved for the pleasure of words, and the creation of stories.
In this room, nothing mattered, but the dance of her fingers on the keyboard, and the voices of her characters. She relaxed, leaving behind all burden, away from this safe, gentle place somewhere between reality and imagination. Sitting at her desk, for the first time today, she smiled, as she re-entered the worlds of her own making.

Copyright Claudia H. Blanton 2014

This post was inspired by the Five Sentence Fiction prompt “Irritation”.

Messy Little Home Office – A Daily Prompt Post

Today, the Daily Prompt asks us about our messes:

What’s messier right now — your bedroom or you computer’s desktop (or your favorite device’s home screen)? Tell us how and why it got to that state.

Well, to be honest, this morning, that was my home office. You see, I work from home – run our business, homeschool two children and write, all from the same space. That can get chaotic, and we have been working on increasing the space from which I can work out of (new house in the Hollywood Hills, here we come!). But until then, we have to make do with the space we have.

This morning – just like  every Tuesday during Fall show season, the desk is not at its finest. I would like to pretend that it would look like the following:

but reality is, that it looks more something like this:

You see, Monday evenings are not spend on cleaning. They are spend together as a family watching our favorite shows, and playing some video games. They are reserved for fun, for discussion, for moments we will remember. Because I have different goals for our family, not the goal of having a spotless home – which will happen once I can afford a maid – but the goal of togetherness, of reaching our potential, of setting and reaching our personal goals, and having a safe and warm space of connecting, that will have nothing to do with how organized my desk looked. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a neat, and clean space, but it is not the most important thing.

My family is.

Here is what other people wrote for today’s prompt:

http://abozdar.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/swimming-at-the-speed-of-sound/

http://dragoneystory.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/if-2/

http://designersophisticate.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/neither-im-not-a-slob/

Sweeping Motions: What’s messier?

http://itsmatthewburgos.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/too-much-daily-prompt-short-story/