Qlubb.com—A Great Tool for Any Group

I received an invitation to try out Qlubb.com and read comments from others who tried it saying that it was fast and easy, so I thought, "Hey—fast and easy! That was my nickname in high school!" (Kidding!) (Well, at least as far as I know...)

I'd describe Qlubb as kind of like facebook, but without all the "friend clutter." It's a way to keep in touch with specific groups of people, share information, post photos, and leave messages without having to send a million and one emails to different people.

I think Qlubb describes itself very well.

"Qlubb is a web-based group utility that enables real-world groups to easily connect, share and get stuff done. Qlubb brings all aspects of group interaction to one simple and intuitive place. With event calendaring, sign-up sheets, photo sharing, member rosters, file sharing, task reminder service, and bulletin boards, Qlubb provides all the functions needed to easily and actively participate within a group.

Recognizing that busy people don’t have time or patience to “figure out” another web application, Qlubb has made it a principle philosophy to keep everything SIMPLE (simple interface, simple Qlubb creation, simple task creation, simple account management, etc.). It only takes 2 clicks to create a Qlubb, an 1 click to join a Qlubb."

SIMPLE. Yes. Great philosophy. And it really was as easy as they claim to set up a group. In literally about two minutes I had set up a page for our half-marathon training group. I gave us a name "triplethreat," plugged in the date of our first half-marathon this year (Lincoln, May 3) and invited my two running buddies. I think it will be a great way to keep track of our progress, send messages about our training schedule, and even post articles related to other marathons or fitness.

If you have a group that could use a little organization, give Qlubb a try!

These Aren't Your Dad's Model Cars

I was so excited when I found out I'd been selected to try out and review a new build-your-own-car experience called RIDEMAKERZ®. But that was even before I knew just how incredibly cool this concept is. Now I'm wishing Des Moines would lure in a RIDEMAKERZ retail store! (Jordan Creek—are you listening?)

First off, I have to tell you that when I received my press packet via FedEx, I'm pretty sure the delivery man thought I was a bit weird. Why, you ask? Well, because it was the first time I'd had something delivered to my address in care of "Boogers and Burps." I had to laugh as I imagined what the FedEx guy must think I do!

But I digress...so after I read the info sheets and saw my generous $75 gift card, I quickly made my way to ridemakerz.com to check out just what kind of cars we'd be designing. And as soon as I clicked through the "Build Your Ride" section and saw all the options, I knew my boys would flip out when they learned they'd each get to make one of their own!

And, of course, i was right. They loved scrolling through all the different makes and models, as well as the insane number of ways they could customize their chosen ride. If I had only one boy, or chose to "play favorites," he could've splurged and tricked out his ride to his heart's content. But since I was making three different cars, the boys had to choose only a few "extra" options, and there were still plenty of ways to make their cars unique.

Boy #1 went with the classic Chevy Corvette C6RS in Piston Fire Red. Boy #2 chose the RZ-X Heatwave (because it was "Vikings colors"), and Boy #3 opted for his namesake, the Mini Cooper. (hee hee)

The cars are available in Radio-Control and Free-Wheel. We went with the Free-Wheel since I was buying for three, and even though I know they'd have a blast with the R/C, they've actually been playing with their Free-Wheel cars way more than I even thought they would! Another cool feature is that the kids can fill out a "title" for the car, along with a customized license plate. They were so excited to see their little license plate stickers when the order arrived. That may have been their favorite part! It's a great way to really let the kids personalize the vehicles.

More facts about RIDEMAKERZ:

• The company is actually backed by the founder of the Build-A-Bear Workshop!
• Customizers can choose body style, color, tires, wheels, lights, sounds, accessories, and decals. It's estimated there are more than 649 million possible combinations!
• RIDEZ are priced from $12 to $29; Radio-control and custom accessories and kits cost extra.
• RIDEZ measure 10 to 12 inches, about the size of a shoebox. I was surprised at how big and substantial they really are!
• There are currently 12 retail shops across the country, and I really hope they are able to continue expanding! Check out this video to see just how much fun this would be for kids—and adults! They even organize birthday bashes. Move over, Libby Liu! If you're lucky enough to live near one of these locations, you really have to make a trip so you can experience it first-hand! Then write me and tell me how cool it is!
  Myrtle Beach, S.C.
  Fredericksburg, Virg.
  Indianapolis, Ind.
  Baltimore, Md.
  Hagerstown, Md.
  Schaumberg, Ill,
  Novi, Mich.
  Auburn Hills, Mich.
  Branson, Mo.
  Appleton, Wis.
  Friendswood, Tex.
  Phoenix, Ariz. (Ooh, Mom and Dad!
  
  The only negatives I can think of about RIDEMAKERZ isn't even about the product itself. They could work on their shopping cart process on the Web site. It got a bit tricky to go back and forth between the cart and back to the accessories. And the other negative is about the shipping. Although we received three really cool boxes full of the "parts" to put together (reminded me of a box you'd get when you pick up chicken from the deli), all of the parts for one car weren't in one box. They were distributed among all three boxes. This got confusing and a bit frustrating for my kids when we were trying to sort it all out and figure out what parts went with which car. However, if you're only ordering one car at a time, this would eliminate the problem.

I would highly recommend a RIDEMAKERZ gift card as a fabulous gift for anyone—boys, girls, and even adults! My kids are already making their Wish Lists for their birthdays—more accessories to really trick out their RIDEZ. These RIDEMAKERZ definitely bring model cars into the 21st century!