Zeta Citi Stroller Review

Earlier this year I began looking for a new stroller for my 16 month old daughter (Izzy). Ideally I wanted something light weight with an umbrella fold that could be put away in a cupboard if we needed hallway space as we live in a flat.

I wasn’t happy with the stroller i had for tons of reasons and my main one being Izzy just wasn’t comfortable or happy in it which made going out stressful , so I started googling purple strollers, prams buggy’s etc in the hope of finding something comfortable for the little one and easy to push that i could fit a few bits underneath, could handle a few bags of shopping on the handles too and purple.. Of course!

I spent months researching different strollers but i found most were well out of our budget even second hand. I wanted something around the £60 mark whether new or used. Preferably in purple. I spent a good few months googling purple strollers/buggy’s/prams/pushchairs.

I came across the Zeta citi stroller on Amazon. I had seen one or two go past in town and loved the extended hood. Sunlight in Izzy’s eyes make a quick trip to town seem like a very longggg trip to hell and back.

Zeta citi stroller review

That pretty much sold it to me but the fact it came in purple! Amazing! I decided to give it a go as the price wasn’t bad at all at £29.95 & £10.59 delivery. I showed Izzy and she shook her head.. And pointed to the RED one!! :'( Of course I tried bribery but after a few tantrums (from me) I gave in and agreed she could have the red one.

I opted to buy the stroller without a rain cover as I already had a universal one ill blog about later. I did choose to add on the black & red foot muff for £7.95 from the same seller so I only paid one delivery fee, still under my limit of £60! At least there was a win for me even if it wasn’t purple.

When it arrived we pulled it out of the box, popped the front wheels on and put it up with ease. Izzy instantly went crazy and tried climbing in. She was over the moon bless her!

Izzy climbing in
Izzy loves climbing in by herself

Straight away the frame seemed much sturdier than the hauck stroller we had been using. The seat was deeper making it easier to get her strapped in without me having to wedge my knee between her legs whether the foot rest is up or down.

The seat reclines fully and easily by pushing down the two levers either side underneath the seat and can be adjusted to several angles, the foot rest adjusts too by 2 little levers underneath, meaning no matter how fussy Izzy is being I can move it around until she’s comfortable enough to stop moaning loudly.

Our previous stroller had a drawstring to adjust the recline which isn’t easy to do if you have a ton of shopping and a child screaming at you. Now I can adjust the seat quickly and easily, the adjustments are smooth meaning she doesn’t notice if I lay her back when she falls asleep upright.

One thing my Mr does find annoying is that when the seat is fully reclined you cant get into the shopping basket underneath without popping the seat back up which for some children is likely to wake them, for me its not an issue as Izzy doesn’t notice if she is asleep but I can see his point and know a few people whose little ones wouldn’t tolerate it at all.

Asleep within minutes of getting in

As I mentioned the main reason I was drawn to this stroller was the extending hood which has been extremely handy and one thing I hadn’t noticed on Amazon was that there is a small clear window across the hood allowing you to keep an eye on your little one even though they are world facing. Its the perfect position for me to see Izzy, however my Mr finds it a struggle and he says it would be better if the window was moved up the hood by an inch or so.

Being a shorty at just over 5ft and having a partner who is a good few inches taller we needed handles that weren’t too short making the Mr bend as he pushes and not too high for me, again I absolutely love the height of the handles personally but again the Mr would prefer them to be an inch or so higher and tilted back ever so slightly.

We attached the foot muff to check how it fits the stroller and Izzy as it is a universal foot muff. We found it fits lovely and comes right up to Izzy’s chest meaning on a cold windy day with her foot muff right the way up and the hood right the way down I can keep the majority of the wind and cold away from her without needing to put her rain cover over and making her moody. Since its got colder we are using the foot muff regularly and found it is soft and warm for Izzy and much better than our previous one.

Spot the baby!

We bought the Zeta citi stroller back in September and we’ve put it through its paces over the last 2 months doing shopping & school runs in all kinds of weather and overall I am very pleased with it. The Mr obviously would prefer a few changes because he is taller than me but for us short mums that just want something lightweight, easy to store for nipping around town in that can handle a few bags of shopping on the handles then its almost the perfect stroller. If only I had been allowed to order it in purple…

SmartThinking with Samsung SmartThings

Last week I revealed the Samsung smartThings package sent to me from TheInsiders, I explained how I had used the SmartThings Power outlet to control the table lamp in my living room. It was so simple to use via the SmartThings app on my phone.

SmartThinking

I was sat for a while struggling to think of ways to test the other SmartThings and I had no suggestions. (hardly surprising after a 2yr break from blogging and a slow start!) Then a delivery driver annoyed me by posting a card through without knocking last week, he gave me an idea of how to use the SmartThings

Missed Deliveries

I’m sure we have all had it in the past where a sneaky delivery driver tries to silently push through a missed delivery card. I guess it saves them the few minutes it takes for you to answer the door and sign for a parcel. Its happened to me several times, some I’ve caught out and managed to get the parcel. Others I’ve missed and ended up having to collect from a sorting office. I was trying to think of a way to catch him out using the SmartThings. Living in a tower block of flats I wasn’t keen on the idea of attaching anything on the outside to alert me of their presence so the Multi-Sensor was out of the question.

SmartThinking Motion-Sensor

Motion Sensor

Eventually, I decided to try the Motion Sensor. I figured if I attached it to the inside of my letterbox, I could probably set it up to send me a notification on my phone if anything came through. At least this way I will know as soon as the card is put through the door. Then I can get to the door before they jump in the lift!

Letterbox Motion Sensor

Setting Up

I attached the monitors and synced them to the SmartThings app This really is simpler to do than I thought it might be! I chose to be alerted whenever the letterbox opens and closes. Then I set the notification tone to the noisiest one I could find. Now, whenever I receive letters or ‘Miss’ a delivery I receive a notification saying ‘You’ve got mail!’. This has helped us out loads this week as we have begun ordering presents ready for Christmas. I have already managed to catch a delivery driver before he got in the lif,t, so I’m really pleased!

Easy To Use

I have been majorly impressed by how quick, simple and easy it has been to set up & use the SmartThings and control them via the SmartThings App. Admittedly I get notifications whenever the door is opened and closed however as I have a 5yo daughter who has recently begun to try answering the front door alone it has actually been more useful than annoying. It also lets me know when my 16mo daughter is trying to post toys and pegs out the door too!

More SmartThinking Needed!

I’m still unsure how to use the SmartThings Multi Sensor and Presence sensor so if any of you have any idea’s you’d like me to try I’ll give it a go! Otherwise I shall hopefully have something figured out by next weekend!

Samsung SmartThings

I previously posted here that I had been selected to test the Samsung SmartThings starter kit thanks to The Insiders!

So after a few weeks of having the Samsung SmartThings and trying to work out what to do with them, I eventually braved opening the parcel to see what The Insiders had sent me.

SamsungSmartThings
Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit

Inside the Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit

  • SmartThings Hub
  • SmartThings Multi-Sensor
  • SmartThings Motion Sensor
  • SmartThings Presence Sensor
  • Smarthings Power Outlet
SmartThings Plug

Setting Up

The Hub itself is a simple design. It connects to your router enabling all your Things to wirelessly connect allowing you to control them via the SmartThings app.

It is easy enough to set up the hub and connecting the SmartThings app to it is done by entering a short code that is supplied in the box.

Once you have connected the hub and set up the SmartThings app your ready to go!

SmartThings Power Outlet

The first thing I tried was the SmartThings Power Outlet to control our table lamp in the living room. To do this I plugged the lamp into the Power outlet which goes into your usual Plug socket.

I then went into the SmartThings app and Added ‘Living Room’ as a room. Then I had the option to turn the outlet on and off.

I was instantly impressed I could just simply use my Smart phone to turn the outlet on or off, set a timer or set it to interact with another product such as the Presence sensor or Motion detector. This means the possibilities are almost endless allowing you to use your imagination to come up with all sorts of useful ideas. After playing around with the app I also discovered you can see what the power usage is of the Power outlet.

Having Fun

I considered testing out all the Things and sharing the results all in one blog post. Instead I thought perhaps I could make this even more fun. Since I will be testing this for a few weeks I’llask my readers for some suggestions! So, What would you do with the Samsung SmartThings? What Should I test next and what should I try to do with them? Leave a comment with your suggestions and ill try them out!

Watch this space…

Watch this space! The Insiders have once again allowed me to participate in one of their amazing campaigns. I can’t wait to share it with you all!

In a previous post I mentioned I received the LGG4 and LG Infinim headphones to test and review and posted a short & sweet review here.

This time However I have been invited to test out the Samsung Smart things! Im very excited to see what is in the box as the description describes the Samsung Smart things as being “the best way to cheaply and easily keep you connected and in control of your home.”.

I’m expecting the box to arrive within the next fortnight and will be sharing with you all just what exactly is in the box and my thoughts on the product itself so watch this space!!

My Favourite product tests so far this year

I’m sharing my favourite product tests so far this year as it’s quite nice to see what is possible. The world of product testing and reviews is huge and I’m so glad to be a part of it.

My Favourite product tests:

LGG4

As I mentioned previously TheInsiders sent me my lovely LGG4 along with the LG Tone Infinim Bluetooth headphones back in may which was a lovely surprise as I entered the Campaign unsure if the site was legit or not even after doing some research.


Luckily for me TheInsiders really are legit and I was able to test both items. For the campaign I had to enter a photo competition which unfortunately I didn’t win as I was stuck indoors with a teething baby most of the time, I also had to write a review for them and was then allowed to keep the phone and headset. I have really come to love the phone as it covers the main things I look for in a phone, Good camera, good battery & speedy with good connectivity. 

The LGG4 has an amazing 16MP Camera as well as an 8MP front facing camera which is used daily by myself and both my daughters who now love a good selfie haha! The battery in comparison to my HTC ONE X I previously owned is impressive even with my overuse. The system keeps up with me at least 98% of the time even with my photo gallery overflowing and killing the memory.

I had a lot of problems with the ONE X when it came to wifi however with the LGG4 I’m not only able to connect via wifi anywhere in my flat but also approx 100-150m range from my home! Rather handy for friends with no credit/data to let us know they are here haha! All in all a perfect phone for me and one I would most definitely recommend!

Relentless

My second favourite isn’t technically a product test of my own but my Mr’s, He completed a survey and we received a 4 pack of relentless which just so happens to be my favourite drink 😉

Jacobs Cracker Crisps

Doing a campaign for Bzzagent I received a box containing Jacobs cracker crisps in all 3 varieties, Thai sweet chilli, Sea salt & balsamic vinegar and Cream& chive along with a few vouchers to hand out. I like the Thai sweet chilli but I can’t eat too many at once, Sea salt & Balsamic vinegar isn’t a flavour for me at all, however, the Cream and chive were absolute heaven! I could (and did!) eat a whole bag to myself, they are so moreish and lovely dipped in Philadelphia, these are going to become a regular snack for me.

Garnier Ultimate Blends

Another Campaign run by Bzzagent was the Garnier Ultimate blends nourishing repairer collection, In the box, I received a lovely big bottle of Shampoo, Conditioner and 2x 1-minute hair treatment. After testing them for a few weeks and having impressive result’s I have swapped to the range but I am currently trying out The marvellous transformer collection and again I am pleased with the results and has even made me make time to straighten my hair regularly. There is a wide range of collections available to suit every hair type I would most definitely recommend finding the right collection for you and trying it out for yourself!

Product Reviews & WOM Campaigns

I take part in Product Reviews and WOM campaigns alongside taking surveys. With most of these, I also receive vouchers to hand out to friends and family. I hand these vouchers out when I tell people about the product I have received.

Product Reviews

Several of the Survey site’s I use randomly invite me, however, there’s also 2 specific product reviewing sites that I use and have absolutely loved reviewing for.

Buzzagent

The one I use the most is Bzzagent you regularly check the site for surveys and once invited to receive a product you are given several ways to spread the word and write reviews earning you reputation points towards your Bzz Score. The higher your Bzz score the more likely you are to receive products to test and review. I’ve been with this site now since 2013 and have received a range of products from Ribena, Vanish, Jacobs amongst others. You usually get a few money off vouchers to share with your friends to help spread the word too! If you are a Tesco Clubcard holder you can register to earn points for Bzzing too!

TheInsider

The second site I’ve joined within the last year, TheInsider has invited me to join 3 campaigns so far, one for Purina Cat food which I never received but admittedly forgot to chase up and the second is the reason I’m still signed up… An LGG4 phone with an LG infinitim Bluetooth headset!

I signed up to test the phone thinking I would never actually receive it until to my amazement it arrived! For 6 weeks I had to take part in competitions testing the phones camera capabilities (amazing even for a total amateur like me!), reviewing both products and showing friends and family the phone and asking them to take part in a questionnaire on the phone once I’ve let them have a play with it. All 200 participants got to keep both products in the end. You earn points based on your activity throughout campaigns, the more active you are, the more points you earn and the more likely you are to be chosen for future campaigns. The third campaign I have just signed up for and if I’m lucky ill be blogging about it soon!