Review - Great stay at the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel

This was our first time taking our daughter to NYC so we were excited to find a brand new hotel to try with a perfect location, the Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel! (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycsg-renaissance-new-york-midtown-hotel/) We booked a Skyline View Room with 2 queen beds.  Things started a little rocky, when I went to print our reservation confirmation, I noticed the room changed to a Midtown Standard, Guest room, 1 King which was a cheaper than the room we booked and had a max occupancy of 2 guests.  Seeing as how we had 3, I had to call and have this corrected.  While it was taken care of and we were assured we would have the correct room at check in, I couldn't help but be a bit nervous.

We drove into the city, and decided to valet our car.  Immediate as we pulled into the hotel, we were impressed.  All the valet attendants were extremely pleasant and helpful.  They were even very kind to our 2.5 year old daughter, points for them!  Luggage was unloaded fairly quickly, and we went right up to the lobby to check in.  The employees at the check in were extremely pleasant and once again made our daughter feel important as they all talked to her and told her how pretty she was, she is used to being ignored in hotels so she was loving all the attention!  My husband, who is Platinum Elite with Marriott, even remarked how much nicer the employees were at this hotel and he is hard to please! 

Our room was on the 33rd floor.  As soon as we walked in, we were blown away with how beautiful everything was and how spectacular the views were!  No detail (except one which I will address shortly) was overlooked.  The size of this hotel room is large compared to typical NYC standards.  The bathroom is beautiful and includes Aveda shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion & soap.  Very nice!

We heard very little outside noise, except the sirens which no amount of sound proofing could completely remove.  The only noise we did hear was from the air conditioning/heating unit in the room.  It made a very loud sound when it turned on and off.  At night we simply turned it off and the room never reached a temperature that was uncomfortable, not sure it this would be possible when it's warmer outside.  I'm not certain we would've slept through it, but having a toddler in the room, it was a risk we weren't willing to take.  Sleep is important with little kids traveling!

Without a doubt, we will be visiting this hotel again.  Not only for how beautiful the hotel is, or how perfect the location, but mainly because how amazing get employees are!  Keep up the great work Renaissance!

Great Diffuser!

200ml Essential Oil Diffuser Showpin® Ultrasonic Cool Mist Whisper Quiet Aroma Humidifier Waterless Auto Shut-off 4 Timer Settings 7 LED Color Lights Free Cleaning Brush Included (http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Showpin-Ultrasonic-Humidifier-Waterless/dp/B01B2OVMXG?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_cr-mr-title)

Our household is working our way up to a diffuser in every room and this one was perfect for my home office! I choose it specifically because it has a nicer "finish" over the plain white plastic ones. Also, this one holds more than our other diffusers, at 200ML. Since this diffuser would be placed in our living room, a larger space, I liked the larger tank capacity.

On the front of the diffuser, there are 2 buttons. The first controls the light and the 2nd selects the run time. You can either have the light on or off and can run the diffuser for a set time of 1 hour, 3 hours or 6 hours - or let it run until it's out of water and shuts off. Strong/ weak adjustable mist. If you want to run the diffuser without any lights on, just press the light button for a few seconds. 200ml water capacity that can continue use up to 6 hours with low mist. It produces a more visible mist and fragrance. When time is up or there is no water, it will turn off automatically. The cleaning brush was a great addition, this is the first time I have received a cleaning brush with a diffuser purchase.

The diffuser arrived quickly. It was extremely easy to set up and within minutes I was diffusing oils! Maintenance on this unit is typical to other diffusers we own.

For those just searching and wondering if this diffuser is right for you, I would definitely recommend it. Our family uses diffusers for many reasons, which I've listed below based on our research. Hope this review helps, happy diffusing!

Using essential oils in a diffuser is an enjoyable and effective way to experience aromatherapy in your home. Through air diffusion, a few drops of essential oil can deliver therapeutic aromatherapy throughout one or more rooms while clearing the air and creating a pleasantly fragrant environment.

There are many different types of diffusers to choose from, from lamp rings to candle burners to water vapor diffusion. Since heat can cause essential oils to evaporate and degrade quickly, cold air diffusion is typically preferred over heat diffusion to obtain full therapeutic effects. Single essential oils can be chosen for a desired effect, or several oils can be used in the diffuser together to create a custom aroma with multiple therapeutic benefits.

Diffusers disperse essential oils as a fine vapor throughout the air so they can be absorbed gently into the body through the respiratory system. The aroma can prompt the nervous system to transmit signals to the limbic system in the brain – the same part of the brain that houses emotion and memory. The brain may respond by initiating various physiological functions, such as a release of hormones, relief from pain, or a positive boost in mood.

If restful sleep is the goal, try diffusing relaxing lavender, Roman chamomile, spikenard, neroli, mandarin or sweet marjoram in the bedroom for 15 minutes before bedtime. Some diffusers are equipped with automatic settings that can turn off the diffuser after 20 minutes or can deliver short bursts of diffusion at intervals throughout the night.

During times of colds and flu, try diffusing thyme, eucalyptus, rosemary, manuka or ravintsara. Cinnamon and clove are excellent for prevention, and smell lovely with a bit of orange added. Lemongrass, tea tree, eucalyptus, oregano and juniper are specific for air purification, and can also help to clear the air of the smell of mildew.

Mental clarity is supported by peppermint, basil, lemon or rosemary. These are great choices to diffuse while studying or working on a project.

For uplifting mood enhancement, clary sage paired with any citrus can work wonders. For stress relief, add geranium and lavender. To promote some romance, try jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, sandalwood or patchouli. Don’t worry -- nervousness can be soothed with neroli, frankincense, petitgrain, chamomile or melissa.

A special holiday ambiance can be created by diffusing pine, spruce or fir with a bit of spice like nutmeg and cinnamon. Peppermint and spearmint create a refreshing aroma while frankincense and orange promote relaxing contemplation.

No matter what the desired effect may be, and with minimal effort, essential oil diffusion has endless possibilities for supporting health and wellbeing.

tgin Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner for Natural Hair

This conditioner is really good! (http://www.amazon.com/tgin-Moisture-Replenishing-Conditioner-Natural/dp/B00FLI1YLK?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_rdp_product)I have dry curly hair, so it's difficult for me to find conditioners that moisturize my hair enough while not weighing down my curls. This conditioner is one of the very few I've tested that does the job & does it well! I also appreciate that you get a generous amount (14.5 oz) of the conditioner for the price. I would highly recommend this conditioner, especially if you have dry curly hair!

Information from tgin:

tgin Moisture Replenishing Conditioner is the perfect pick me up for even the most dry, damaged hair. Our special formula is enriched with shea butter and sweet almond oil to hydrate, smooth and repair strands with every use. The result is healthy hair that stays soft, moisturized, and easy to manage.

NATURALLY VIBRANT HAIR: Our Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner for both men and women aims to give you soft, shiny, moisturized and manageable hair with smoother cuticles as fast as possible.
RESTORES MOISTURE AND IMPROVES HAIR HEALTH: Made with Shea Butter and Argan Oil to promote new hair growth, ease inflammation, prevent hair loss, protect against heat, and to tame frizz and fly-aways.
EXCEPTIONAL MOISTURIZER: This conditioner works to moisturize all kinds of damaged hair and rejuvenate hair of any type, including dry, straight, curly or color treated hair.
ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS: A combination of three moisturizers, Shea butter, Argan Oil and Jojoba oil, ensures that your hair will be moisturized and sealed from the inside out.
NATIONAL MEDIA RECOGNITION: Our products have been featured in several publications such as Essence, Ebony, Marie Claire, Black Enterprise, USA Today, Heart and Soul, and Sophisticate's Black Hair.

Ingredients
Aqua (Water) , Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera ) Leaf Juice, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus (Lemongrass) Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower, Behentrimonium Chloride, Fragrance, Lactic Acid, Amodimethicone, Disodium EDTA , DMDM Hydantoin,TEA Dodecylbenzene Sulfonate , DPG, Potassium Chloride, PEG 150 Distearate , PEG-7 Propylheptyl Ether, Cetrimonium Chloride, Methylchloroisothiazolinone , Methylisothiazolinone

Directions
Wash hair with tgin Moisture Rich Sulfate Free Shampoo to cleanse scalp and remove excess product buildup. Follow with tgin Triple Moisture Replenishing Conditioner. Rinse out. For extra deep conditioning, finish with tgin Honey Miracle Hair Mask.

Harman Kardon Esquire 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-Esquire-Portable-Bluetooth/dp/B014VCLBF0?ie=UTF8&ref_=cm_aya_orig_subj

Blown away. Period.

I work from home and needed a good speakerphone, I have tried every single bluetooth speaker out there, you name it, I have tried it and returned them all. Anyone that works from home knows that you can't be on a headset all day long, your head will hurt, your ears will hurt, etc. Just doesn't work out.
Blown Away. Amazing audio quality, quad microphones actually work, Perfect Conferencing Speaker!! Music Playback Also Excellent

Use Case Primarily - Speakerphone for WFH Employee
Nice to have - awesome audio playback for jamming between calls

The problem with speakerphones in this price range is they don't have noise cancellation. Only a few manufacturers offer it and its usually not active and tuned. This unit has VoiceLogic and 4x microphones on it. Thank goodness. Someone in the Design Team found out that One Microphone, no matter the position or type simply doesnt do it. You need more then one, two isn't enough, four is perfect.

I have zero echo issues or noise issues with this unit. The call quality using on my cell phone - VoLTE or Wifi Calling (T-Mobile) is amazing, no issues hearing the other party or them hearing me. I do thousands of minutes of calls with this thing, zero issues. There is a top mute button that will turn RED on mute and GREEN off mute. The only compliant is I wish the light was a little brighter and bigger, other wise its fine. Have to have a easily accessible MUTE button!! :)

Playing music through it - actually was not great at first out of the box. After a few days of conference calls and music playback it improved. I am assuming the speakers needed a breakin period. Now I am blown away with the sound quality from this thing. Its full and sounds wonderful to the ear. It doesn't have massive bass but its full, highs are crisp and mid's sound typical Harman Kardon.

Overall - this has met my expectations fully - I use it in the car vs my in car bluetooth system due to the amazing noise cancellation and I play music when not on a call with it. You can't beat it... the sound quality is remarkable and people can hear you!

Great job HarmanK!