GeoSafari Tuff Cam- A Review

First of all, let me state that this is just a simple review from one mom. GeoSafari did not ask me to do this review; neither did I receive this camera from the company to review.

Big Brother has been asking for a video camera for quite some time. Anytime I have the camera opened on my phone, he wants me to make video of him and the girls. He received a Fisher Price Kid Tough camera when he was three. We have been pleased with that camera and it’s durability, but it does not have a video option. I was nervous to get him any kind of nice camera because he is so rough on toys. He’s seven … so he’s outgrown most of the little kid cameras out there.

We actually got him a Nerf digital Camcorder for Christmas. I thought, surely Nerf is a good, solid brand. I hoped it would be durable and stand up to the test of the boy. It turned out to be a complete bust… seriously… don’t waste your money!!! It was poorly made and did not turn on easily. It worked for about 20 minutes and then was done. We couldn’t get it to turn on, even with fresh batteries.

Needless to say, Big Brother was disappointed. We got a refund on the Nerf camera and I started my search again for a good, durable digital camera for an older child.

This is what I came across:

The Geosafari Tuff Cam.

12 megapixel quality. Up to 100 minutes of record time. Easy point and shoot trigger. 2″ high-quality screen. 32 MB memory with 2 GB SD card (included). Docking station for simple PC connection.

I was a little nervous to buy a Geosafari toy. Last year, we got him the GeoSafari Sea Scope and it turned out to be a bit of a let down. We decided to give it a try. It’s normally close to $200, but I found it through Totsy for much less. (It’s currently on Amazon for $41)

I’m in love with this camera. Seriously…. this is a GREAT camera for a young photographer/ videographer. It has all the fun features of a digital camera…

– different scenes like action, portrait, landscape, etc.

-different color options like monochrome, sepia, vibrant

-you can change the white balance

The camera switches easily between video, camera and play modes. It is easy and comfortable to hold. The plastic casing has held up well against my son’s roughness with toys. And with 12 megapixels, the photos and videos taken are actually of a decent quality!

The camera comes with a rechargeable battery system. It comes with a docking station that connects via USB to the computer. You just click the camera into the station and plug it into an active USB port.

We did have a little bit of an issue the first couple of days and perhaps it is because the battery was on they way out (it arrives with a partial charge) and just needed a charge… but I did have to press the reset button (which is located just above the battery indicator light and has to be pressed with a pin). The problem was solved and everything has been working well ever since.

My son is thrilled with this camera. He has been exploring the easy to navigate menu and learning about how to work his new toy. I hesitate to call it a toy because it really is a nice camera. Some of the features are a little above Big Brother’s head, but that hasn’t stopped him from documenting his life for the last couple of weeks. The battery life of the camera is pretty long as well.

I would totally recommend the GeoSafari Tuff Cam for a child who has outgrown a kiddie camera, but may not be quite ready for a fully adult digital camera.

Freebie Friday- Fitness Apps

I am by no means a fitness fanatic. I love my food, my couch, my bed and my “me” time. But here’s the thing… I’ve had four kids. I’ve tried fad diets and have dropped weight quickly only to have it come right back. I have been a YMCA member and worked out like a mad woman with little to no lasting results. I also have a fun little thyroid disease to throw on top of all that which makes losing weight an uphill battle, to say the least.

I’m not going to launch into all my issues with weight gain and weight loss or my history of fitness. I will say that after baby sis was born last year, I had a resolve that I can only say must have come from the Lord… a resolve to take an example from the tortoise and go slow and steady in the weight loss/ exercise race. I resolved up front to know that results wouldn’t be instant or significant. I resolved to stick with exercise and portion control (I’m not going to say dieting… because that’s not really what I’ve been doing). Here I am 8 months and 20 pounds less… still going… slow and steady. I had hoped for more result by now, but that’s just not the case.

Two apps have been extremely helpful in keeping me on track.

The first is My Fitness Pal

This is a calorie counter/ food and exercise journal. You start by putting in your stats, your goals and how much you’d like to lose (or gain) per week to attain that goal. After entering your information, you find out how many calories you should eat in a day to reach your goal. It breaks things down into how many fats, carbs, etc. that you need.

You can record your foods into this free app (it’s also on the computer… so you can still use it if you don’t have a smart phone or tablet). It has a huge data base of so many brands, restaurants, etc.

One of my favorite aspects of this app is that I can plug in my own recipes and it tells me all the nutritional information. I can save my recipes and favorite meals in my account so I don’t have to keep putting in the information.

The exercise journal is nice too and has a huge data base of exercises as well. Plug in your workout and it will tell you how many calories you burn!

Now… I haven’t lost a pound a week, even though that’s my goal… but I chalk that up to my thyroid. My husband, however, has had great success as he has stuck to his plan. He did in fact lose 1- 2 pounds a week!

The other app that I have used it Sworkit.

This is a circuit training app. I was explaining it to someone and he said “oh… it’s like having crossfit in your pocket.”… I’ve never done crossfit, but I suppose this is like it.

The app has a rotation of exercises like lunges, push ups, burpees (I hate these), mountain climbers, crunches, jumping jacks, plank, etc. You can set the app in 5 minute increments. You can choose your focus area… core, upper body, lower body, full body, stretching or yoga. The thing I like about this app is that it is never the same workout twice. The order of exercises is random. Each exercise lasts 30 seconds. Every two minutes, you take a thirty second break. I think the idea is to do as many reps as you can in that thirty seconds. You can get Sworkit Free or Upgrade to Sworkit Pro and hear the exercises called out as they change as well as track your progress and calorie burn.

I use sworkit to supplement my workouts. It’s nice for rainy days, but my go to workout is to run up and down stairs for 5 minutes, then sworkit for 5… I repeat this rotation for about 35-45 minutes.

Happy Friday!

What are your favorite fitness apps?