Our posture is a big part of how we carry ourselves.  When you have good posture, you stand taller, you appear more confident and comfortable.   Not only appear this way to others, but you feel this way too.

The iPosture is your personal posture coach.  It’s a device that uses WINS (Wearable Intelligent Nano-Sensor).  Basically, it’s a microchip that monitors your stance every few seconds.  It’s about 1 inch in diameter and operates on a coin battery.  It will send a warning if it detects a deviation greater than 3 degrees for 60 seconds or more.

For the maximum benefit, wear the iPosture for four hours a day for the first two to four weeks in order to improve your posture.  It is recommended that you wear the device two or three times per week thereafter to maintain the improved posture.  The idea is that once you train your body on the correct posture, it will become second nature.

Given it's relatively diminutive size, it's amazing how effective the iPosture is at detecting the slightest slouch.

Here’s how it works:

• Wear it close to the skin by the chest
• Stand at a good comfortable posture and press the button to set
• Once you press the button to set, it memorizes that posture
• The device will vibrate once if you slouch for more than 60 seconds.  If the slouching persists for another 60 seconds, it will vibrate twice.   If you correct your posture, the vibrating stops.  If you do not correct your posture after the second warning, the iPosture will go into sleep mode for 15 minutes.  When it wakes up, it will vibrate twice and the cycle will continue.
• To turn it off, hold the button for 3 seconds and then lay it down flat.
• You can clip the iPosture to your bra strap or form fitting t-shirt.  It can also be threaded through a necklace (not included) and wore and a pendant.  If none of this works for you, it can be wore directly on the skin using some double-sided tape (included).

I wore the iPosture for a few days and here’s what I found:

In the car

It definitely works better in the car for me when I’m the driver, not the passenger.  As a driver, I normally sit taller with both feet flat.  I wore it to and from work with no problems.  As it’s supposed to do, it corrected me a few times when when it caught me hunched over.  As soon as I sat up straight, the buzzing stopped.  After a few car rides with the iPosture I found that I had to readjust my seat and mirrors in order to accommodate my new and improved posture.

For me,  the iPosture proved to be less effective when I was a passenger.  When I’m not doing the driving, I tend to be in a more relaxed position.  I may sit with my legs crossed or I maybe leaning towards one side.  I know that I should correct my posture, but I didn’t really want to.  After a 2 hour car ride as the passenger, I just took it off.

At the office

While sitting on a backless stool for an hour and a half long meeting, I found myself slumping over a few times.  Each time, I got a little buzz and quickly adjusted my position.   What I found is that even if I cross my legs, it throws my body off alignment and after a minute, I got another quick buzz.  The sound and vibration are very gentle and not noticeable to anyone around me.

At the gym

I wore the iPosture during my workouts.  It’s not really effective when I’m in my abs class where I spend a majority of the time on my back or on my stomach.  It’s also not that effective during my Gravity Class when I’m at a 45-60 degree incline the entire time.  However, I did find the iPosture to be helpful when I was in my sculpting class doing kickboxing and lifting free weights.  The iPosture kept me in check while I was lifting weights.  It helped to ensure proper form and balance.

At home

Wearing the iPosture at home proved to be less beneficial.  Mostly because I don’t tend to sit up straight in a chair at home.  The iPosture does not work quite as well when I’m lounging, lying on the couch, or generally being lazy.  I also found that the iPosture didn’t stay on quite as well when I was lounging at home.  It actually fell off my bra strap two times while I was wearing it around the house.  It buzzed constantly for a while, but I was not quite sure why.  I tried to correct myself and thought I was doing it right, who knows.

The iPosture can also be worn as a necklace.

Final Thoughts

The pitfall of this product is that it depends on the user to be able to set it correctly.  If you have poor posture and don’t have any sort of feel for what good posture really is, the iPosture can certainly help you learn and improve.

I clipped the iPosture directly to my bra strap.  For the most part it stayed put and did the job. On several occasions, it slipped off and fell down my shirt.  No big deal.  I just fished it out and put it back on.

After wearing the iPosture, for several weeks I noticed a few things about myself…I tend to hunch over a lot while seated at the table, during lunch, and while on my computer.   I never really thought about the fact that sitting with my legs crossed can actually throw off my posture.  I’m not sure if the iPosture has improved my posture, but it has certaily made me more aware of it.

For more information, or to purchase your iPosture, visit iPosture.com.  You can also download the free iPosture App from iTunes.

I’m once again dripping with excitement about announcing our 2nd Keurig giveaway at Qwowi Coffee.

Once again we’re partnering with K-Cup Challenge sponsor, Shoffee.com, to deliver one lucky reader a shiny new Keurig Special Edition Brewer (formerly known as the B60).  Last time around our friends at Shoffee provided our winner with a huge assortment of K-Cups as well.  And while I can’t promise you that will happen again, I can guarantee, that our next winner, whoever it may be, it going to love their new Keurig brewer.

Once again we’re making the entry process pretty freakin’ simple (don’t worry, it will get harder in the coming months).  Simply leave a comment at the end of this point and you’re entered.  Just like last time, if I find your comment amusing, I’ll give you a bonus entry.  I’m not done yet…Become a fan of Shoffee on Facebook AND write a post on Shoffee’s wall mentioning this giveaway, and I’ll give you another entry (you’ll also gain access to some pretty sweet deals from Shoffee.com).

Contest Rules

Giveaway is open to US residents age 18 & older, except where prohibited. Qwowi contributors and their immediate family members are also ineligible. Everyone else is free to have at it.

Contest ends Friday, July 17th at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Winner will be selected at random from all valid entries using BuzzMyBlog’s Contest Winner Picker. One lucky winner will be contacted via email, and will have 5 days to respond with a valid shipping address.  Limit one entry per person.   Leaving more than one comment will result in disqualification.  Don’t worry if your comment doesn’t immediately appear, I promise you, it will show up eventually.

About the Keurig Special Edition (B60) Brewer

The Special Edition Brewing System is our mid-luxury home brewing system that offers a blend of styling and convenient features. The Special Edition features chrome accents, a blue, back lit LCD display and three brew size options.

Programmable features include a Digital Clock, Adjustable Temperature and Auto On/Off. The 48 oz. removable water reservoir holds up to eight cups before refilling and for the removable drip tray allows for easy cleaning and the use of travel mugs.

B60 Key Features:

• Three brew sizes:
  • 5.25-oz. more intense cup
  • 7.25-oz. regular cup
  • 9.25-oz. travel mug
• Adjustable brew temperature
• Blue backlit LCD display and water reservoir
• Digital clock, Programmable on/off timer
• Ready to brew three minutes after turned on
• Descale indicator for long life
• Removable 48-oz. water reservoir
• Removable stainless steel drip tray
• Chrome handle and faceplate

It’s also worth mentioning that the capable B60 can brew all of the 200+ K-Cup varieties of coffee and tea.

As far as I’m concerned, unless you’re one of those hardcore coffee drinkers who roasts their own beans, and brews with a french press or a Vac Pot (like my buddy Ben), there simply is no easier way to brew a great cup of coffee than with a Keurig brewer. Thanks to Shoffee & Qwowi you have the chance to own your very own B60 for the low cost of a comment.

Shameless Plug

This giveaway is made possible by our outstanding sponsor Shoffee.com. If you already have a Keurig Brewer, or while you’re waiting to find out if you won this one, why don’t you head on over to Shoffee.com, the web’s favorite coffee shop, to check out all of the great coffee (and tea) available for the B60 and other Keurig Brewers. If you’re already convinced you’re going to win, I suggest you start reading our K-Cup Challenge reviews so you’ll know which K-Cup varieties to buy, and which to avoid.

I have struggled with organizing my scrapbooking stash ever since I started scrapbooking about 4 years ago. At first it wasn’t too hard, but as my collection began to grow by leaps and bounds it got a little more challenging. I’ve always found it especially difficult to organize my vast (or ridiculous, depending on how you look at it!) collection of stickers, rub-ons, and other embellishments. I’ve tried containers (outgrew them), Cropper Hopper Sticker Envelopes (yep, outgrew them too) and finally, when my shelves were just bursting with this stuff, realized I had found the solution in the Clip it Up from Simply Renee.

If you have never seen (or drooled over) the Clip it Up at your local scrapbooking store or on Two Peas in a Bucket or other scrapbooking websites, you don’t know what you’re missing!

The Basics

The Clip it Up Base Unit is basically a frame that supports a metal ring, which spins easily to quickly bring items to within your reach. Products (up to 12″x12″) are attached with easy-to-use swivel clips, each of which can hold several items. In other words, you can get a lot of stuff on this thing! Plus there’ s a handle on top, which makes the Clip it Up easy to transport (although if you’re going to take it to a crop, you’re probably going to want to buy the storage cover to protect it from weather, dust, kids, etc…).

Each 18.5″ Base Unit includes: a 15.5″ center column, 12″ diameter base, metal ring on rotating arm, 80 chromed metal swivel clips, 25 section tabs with do-it-yourself labels, and an easy-carry handle.

The Upper Tier add-on, sold separately, provides additional storage and is perfect for smaller embellishments like brads, ribbons and flowers.

Pros

I found the Clip it Up extremely easy to put together, and I am generally challenged in that arena. It comes with easy-to-follow directions, plus no tools are required — yay!

I still can’t believe how many products I am able to store on my Clip it Up. And I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have my embellishments both visible and accessible while I am working. It’s SO much easier than trying to remember what I have and going to look for it in a container or an envelope!  I am sure that the Clip it Up will actually help me to use more of my stuff because I can now see it right in front of me.

Cons

I have really enjoyed my Clip it Up and have not experienced any problems with it. It does require a good amount of space, as the base is 12″ wide and product will usually exceed the diameter by 1/2 inch. But if your desktop space is limited, it’s easily stored in the floor or on a nearby stool or chair. (Again, that cover might come in handy if you need to store it in a corner or a closet when you’re not using it.) Let’s face it — if it were smaller, it wouldn’t be as functional!

The Clip it Up is not cheap, and the cost can be daunting, but in my opinion it pays for itself by showing scrapbookers like us what we have — and how little we really need to buy!

The Bottom Line

From the moment I first saw the Clip it Up I knew that it would be the perfect storage solution for me, and I’m sure you will love it too. I can definitely see adding to my Clip it Up with the Upper Tier Add-on at some point to hold my always-growing collection of brads and gems. Then I’ll have to move on to organizing my paper…

The Clip it Up is available from Simply Renee. The Base Unit costs $65.00, while the Clip it Up Upper Tier Add-on is $38.00.

For more information about the Clip it Up and the other great organizational products by Simply Renee, check out the Simply Renee website.

Don’t forget to read our other Scrapbooking Reviews – and to bookmark Qwowi so you can keep coming back for more! Leave a comment if you can; we’d love to hear from you.

Now I’ll grant you that black and white is often boring (there’s a reason why your TV’s got color), but this is PUMA we’re talking about, and as PUMA fans know, PUMA doesn’t do boring.  What PUMA tells me about the Special Edition Collection is that that each piece is “done up in premium fabrics, luxe finishes, and an attention to detail that’s second to none”.  Now once upon a time I thought spandex was a premium fabric (it’s so stretchy), and I still couldn’t tell you what a luxe finish is, but what I do know is that the Black & White collection from PUMA is hotter than Tiger Woods after a double bogey - and I want it - All of it.

Did you watch the US Open?  Did you see Geoff Ogilvy?  How about Johan Edfors?  Actually, if you did, you’ve seen some of cornerstone pieces of the SE collection. You’ve gotta love the new Invisibonding Polos (see Ogilvy & Edfors), the new Cut Out Belt, and of course, the Swing Crown GTX White (my personal favorite from the collection).  Also worth an immediate mention are a handbag for the ladies, and two seriously sexy golf bags (even if it they are $800).  Yeah…that’s right, I think golf bags are sexy.  Again, what’s it to you?

PUMA apparently thinks you can have too much of a good thing, so the Special Edition Collection is available in limited quantities and only from FairwayStyles.com (my new favorite golf apparel site), as well as in a select group of retailers nationwide, including Olympic Golf (Los Angeles, CA) and Golf Headquarters (Reno, NV).

I’ve attached the full press release below, but before you get to that, check out the PUMA Brigade in action at the US Open.  How do I get that job?

PUMA^® GOLF GOES FROM THE GREEN TO BLACK AND WHITE
Black Meets White On and Off the Green

Westford, Massachusetts – You’ve seen gold in 2007, you’ve seen chrome in 2008, and, in 2009, PUMA^® Golf is stepping it up again.  The 2009 Golf Special Edition Collection makes a bold statement in pearlized black and white.  Classic and simple, the collection has an “all or nothing” approach when it comes to style.  

A study in contrasts, the black and white details of each piece give the collection a luxurious touch.  Using premium fabrication and intricate detailing, PUMA Golf continues to produce the lightest and most versatile golf products for on and off the course.  With the mix of texture and surface finishes and matte and shine fabrications, each piece transitions easily from the clubhouse to the club.  

Key Highlights from the 2009 Special Edition Collection

Footwear
Power through the course with speed and edge.  The Swing Crown GTX White features all the benefits of the original Swing style – Smart Quill technology for ultimate traction, comfort and a more lightweight feel – but with an added advantage: the powercage.  This extra medial arch support will help shore up your swing; but with its sleek, minimalist design, you’ll barely know it’s there.  You can tell your competitors, it must be the magic feet!

Apparel
Play like a pro in the Golf SE Invisibonding Polo, available in styles for both men and women. Featuring PUMA’s innovative new seamless technology, the polo’s unique color contrast is sure to turn heads.  

Early morning tee time?  Don’t forget to grab the Golf Special Edition Sweater to ward off the chill.  The comfortable yet stylish cotton sweater is ideal for layering.  Never bulky or cumbersome, it’s ideal for layering with the PUMA Golf Polo. The sleek, stylish lightweight design allows for ease of movement.  Ribbing along the hem and cuffs and a PUMA Golf 18-hole graphic tee creates a relaxed but sophisticated look on or off the course.  

PUMA’s Golf SE Invisibonding Polo for women offers a longer length body form that creates a streamlined silhouette, allowing for increased comfort.  Pleated puff sleeves add a feminine touch, and the top’s bold color contrast will turn heads up and down the fairway.  

Accessories
Happy clubs equal a happy golfer.  With the bold SE Staff Bag, even the rustiest of nine irons gets a facelift.  This Special Edition collection centerpiece commands attention on the course, with a sharp black and white block print and exceptionally durable construction.  The bag features a 14-way, full-length divider system with a velvet lined top.  With the SE Staff Bag in tow, you’re sure to develop a reputation as a fashion-forward golf guru.

Ladies, get ready to look good on and off the course and push style to the limit with the Golf Handbag SE. This versatile and inclusive design features a two-way zip opening into a main compartment, slip-in pocket and mobile-phone pocket inside.  The traditional silhouette is constructed from soft leather in black and white contrasting colors.   It’s the perfect accessory for going from the clubhouse to the club.

Fretlight FG-400 Series Guitar, FG-421

The Fretlight concept itself is surprisingly simple. The Fretlight guitar, through a set of 132 LEDs embedded in the neck and some clever bits of software, shows the aspiring axe-god where to place his/her fingers on the fretboard when working up new scales, chords or licks. Instead of presenting the fingerings in standard notation or tablature, the Fretlight guitar puts that information right on the guitar for you in real time. It works with standard, alternate and dropped tunings and can be configured to display for right or left-handed orientation. It is clever – one of those “shouldn’t someone have thought of this sooner?” ideas. But the real power in the Fretlight system is the music education software driving the Fretlight guitar. This suite of six applications takes the player though an impressive array of scale and chord vocabulary building, improvisation, tune learning and music theory exercises. We’ll touch a bit on each of those applications later.

My review system was the FG-421 Standard Electric package. The FG-421 is modeled on the venerable Stratocaster design – 3 single coil-sized pickups, 5 way pickup selector switch, 1 volume, 2 tone controls, fixed bridge with adjustable saddles, 21 frets, strat-contoured body. Fretlight guitars are Chinese-built, apparently alongside guitars from some of the big name foreign builders. All Fretlight guitars feature Optek’s molded Polymer fretboard. To compensate for the loss in stability caused by 132 drilled holes, Optek developed a synthetic fretboard material which, according to the company, “increases sustain and makes Fretlight guitars less susceptible to weather-induced problems such as bowing.” The LEDs embedded in the neck aren’t visible when the guitar isn’t ‘powered on’ so its sometimes easy to forget that the Fretlight is more than just a regular guitar. To my surprise, the material didn’t require much getting used to. It actually had the feel of a new ebony fretboard – silky and fast. The guitar itself did live up to the stability hype. It held tune extremely well during the month I had it (March in Buffalo, NY – no small feat). The only other physical feature of the Fretlight guitar that differs from a standard instrument is the 8-pin DIN jack on the body of the guitar. This port connects the Fretlight guitar via a proprietary 8 pin-to-USB cable to a Mac or Windows computer. Other than that, the Fretlight guitar looks, plays and can be serviced like any standard solid-body electric guitar. From a build-quality and playability perspective, a common response from Fretlight reviewers (I admit it – I read them all before writing mine) is that the Fretlight guitars are solid but not exciting. For a $500 guitar, I’d say you’re getting your money’s worth and then some. The build quality on my Renegade Red FG-421 review guitar was rock solid, to be sure. The guitar was well set-up, frets were level, machine heads twisted smoothly and the control cavity was well-shielded. The satin neck was extremely playable and even unplugged, the guitar had ‘ring’ to it. The pickups initially sounded a bit two-dimensional, but I found they got more interesting when I plugged the guitar into a living, breathing amp rather than into one of those ubiquitous red kidney-shaped guitar processors. In the end, I had found some great SRV tones in the neck pickup and a pretty convincing Clapton sound in the fourth position (middle-bridge). Even without the blinking and the software, the Fretlight guitar is certainly competitive with other instruments in its $499 MSRP price range.

If you’re like me, your first experience with a new gadget doesn’t involve opening a manual or watching a video. It’s all about tearing off the packaging, plugging the thing in and figuring it out. Having tried it, I wouldn’t advise taking this approach with the Fretlight software suite. The Fretlight’s diminutive manual (13 pages front to back) covers the basics of set-up, connection and has a few tips for guitar techs and that’s it. Therefore, let me whole-heartedly recommend the companion ‘Getting Started’ DVD. The DVD functions essentially as a media-rich user’s manual. It quickly lays out the basics of connecting the Fretlight system, installing the software (Windows only – Mac users are left to our own devices) and then gets into an overview of what’s possible in each application. Optek Director of Music Education, Nate Comp, provides the informative (if not a little dry) tour through six applications, providing a succinct overview and a few demonstrations per app – just enough to get you started. For those Fretlight owners wanting to get a little deeper into the system, Optek hosts a blog, knowledge base and video clinics on the Fretlight web site (www.fretlight.com).

The software suite is, in the loosest sense of the phrase, “dual platform,” meaning that some but not all applications are available for both Windows and Mac operating systems. Of the six apps available for the Fretlight guitar, only Lesson Player, M-Player and Improviser are cross-platform (the rumor of an ’09 Mac release of Video Player is still just that). It’s also worth mentioning that the review system did not include installers for the Mac, but this might not be true for purchases through Optek. In any case, installers for the Mac and PC can be found on the Fretlight web site. These installers, with the exception of Lesson Player, provide the user with a demo version that can be upgraded later for a cost. The demo versions are fully functioning and give you 15 days to audition the software.

Lesson Player is the implicit hub of the Fretlight software suite and it is the only full-version program included with the Fretlight guitar. It works as the engine for the Fretlight Lesson Paks, which are collections of interactive music lessons, exercises and music reference materials. Lessons contain interactive pictures, audio instructions and play-along MIDI tracks targeting an impressive range of abilities – every level from complete newbie to advanced player. Cursoring over the interactive pictures not only displays the correct technique and finger placement but will similarly light up the fretboard of the Fretlight guitar. Windows users need at least Windows Media Player 9 for the interactive elements. Lesson Pak I (the Beginner Pak) is included with every Fretlight system. The 30 lessons of Lesson Pak I are really for those who have never played and have never had a music lesson. Starting with a lesson on holding the guitar, Lesson Pak 1 progresses through the foundational subjects of tuning, basic music vocabulary, holding the pick, reading music, etc. Each lesson pak contains companion music theory lessons, a glossary of music terms and definitions (both of which get updated with new material every time a new lesson pak is installed) and a small Help section. There are additional lesson paks available on the Fretlight web site, each tagged at $19.95, including the “Advanced Chord and Scale Library.” With its linked sound byte files and animated GIFs, Lesson Player feels a bit like a 1997 web site, but the lesson material is thorough and professionally presented.

Much of the hype about the Fretlight’s “interactive learning experience” is on display in the Video Player application. Think of Video Player as the 2005 answer to Lesson Player. Rather than employing static text and sound bytes, Video Player presents lesson material through a video interface which also has transport control (Play, Pause, Stop, etc.) and the ability to set loop points. Video Player also makes use of Optek’s Intellitempo technology, which can scale the tempo of the audio and video playback without affecting the pitch, allowing the player to slow down certain lesson material until it’s mastered. Video Player also displays the lesson material right on the neck of the Fretlight guitar: as the virtual guitar instructor plays a lick, his fingering appears right on your Fretlight guitar. Much of the same material from the Lesson Player lesson paks is also covered in the Video Player lessons, giving the student options on how to best practice the material. Additional Video Player lessons are available at fretlight.com for the low low price of $14.95 – at press time just over 20 video lessons are available.

If Lesson Player and Video Player are Optek’s answer to the traditional guitar lesson book, the M-Player app is the “Rock’s Greatest Hits” tab book. M-Player will play back standard MIDI file arrangements of some of rock’s most enduring tunes, specially marked up to display fingering on the Fretlight guitar for the player to follow. These song files have embedded arrangement tags to allow the player to work on specific parts of the tune but there is also the option to create custom markers. Optek bundles a sampling of M-Player files with every Fretlight system and there is an ever-growing library of classic and modern rock staples available on the Fretlight web site, each available for $1.99. As an Allman Brothers Band uberfan, I jumped at the chance to see how M-Player would teach me their 1973 classic, “Jessica.” As with most M-player files, you can choose between lead parts, rhythm parts and what Optek calls “EZ Chords” (what we called cowboy chords in my day), an open-chord arrangement of the tune’s chord changes. Since M-Player makes use of the same transport interface, looping functionality and Intellitempo tempo-scaling technology as Video Player, setting up loop points and slowing down the track made it breeze to get Dickie Betts’ sprawling melodic lead lines under my hands in a short time. The tempo-scaling allowed me to not only work up to the actual tempo but also gave me a chance to really focus on imitating the phrasing subtleties in Betts’ playing. All M-Player files are guaranteed to be 100% accurate, so there’s no time wasted making sure the notes are right.

One of the most difficult leaps for the developing guitarist is learning how to create interesting lead lines while not getting locked into a particular scale form. With Improviser, the player can choose the key, tempo and style he or she wants to work in, and Improviser will “suggest” scales and positions that would be appropriate and light them up on the Fretlight guitar. Improviser also provides backing tracks in a variety of styles to accompany your new scale wizardry. To help develop the creative side of your playing, Improviser displays all of the note possibilities over the entire fretboard and leaves it to the player to discover how to connect them. After playing through a few examples, I was immediately struck by the possibilities suggested by each set of chord changes. As a result, I felt free to explore ways of connecting phrases and creating new lines that were outside my usual comfort zone. Improviser utilizes the same arrangement tag marking and tempo-scaling functionality as M-Player and has a similar look and feel. Additionally, it is the only app in the suite that gives the player the option of working in styles other than rock ‘n roll. I spent some time with some jazz and latin grooves and found myself creating convincing lines in styles I love and admire but have never really studied. Obviously, there is no software in existence that would turn Joe Strummer into Joe Pass (or vise versa), but Improviser will open up stylistic doors for the Fretlight player moved to explore them.

The Windows-only apps AxMaster and Guitarz! offer still more practice options for the Fretlight owner. AxMaster is an interactive chord and scale diagram builder and fretboard literacy tool. Its various functions display single notes, scale patterns and chord shapes across the entire fretboard, allowing the player to create custom diagrams. Accessing the intervals function through a series of drop-down menus, the player can choose a root note and interval and see all them displayed across the range of the Fretlight guitar. The menu-driven interface elements felt a little less-than-slick to me, but considering importance of learning note names and practicing intervals for the developing guitarist, Optek ultimately scores points from me for including a method of studying them. Guitarz! is essentially an interactive music reference guide loaded with countless spellings of chords, scales and arpeggios. On the surface, this app looks like it overlaps heavily with AxMaster, but in truth, it provides a much different way of practicing this material. The “Play” page allows the player to drop chords into a blank lead sheet, displaying each of the possible voicings on the Fretlite guitar. The chord dictionary contains an exhaustive list of chord types from the basic to the esoteric. To select the chord, jump through two menus, hit the “show chords” button, right click a voicing to send it to the play page, drop it on the leadsheet, move onto the next chord. Again, it’s not the slickest of interfaces but it gets the job done. The “Tab” page is clever idea but unfortunately suffers from poor documentation. In this window, you can import ASCII formatted tablature files from the web or your own collection and have them played and displayed in real time right on the fretboard. In theory, you can then edit these files to correct rhythm or note inaccuracies in the original file (tab files on the web are notoriously inaccurate) but I wasn’t able to figure out how. My hope is that Optek fleshes out the documentation on this app because it has some very cool features.

Possibly as a token gesture to its somewhat neglected Mac-using customer base, Optek developed a plug-in to use with the popular sequencing/recording program, Garage Band. The plug-in allows players to create their own cycle of chords or scales in any key. Players can then use this cycle to play along with their Garage Band sequence. Simply create a new track in the sequence and add the Fretlight guitar from the instrument list. Unfortunately the Fretlight footswitch is almost required to progress through the chord cycle (It’s possible to click through the chord cycle with the mouse, but with two hands on the guitar, you might have to click with your toes.). If there were a way to enter chord changes into the Fretlight Guitar track rather than having to click through the sequence with a footswitch, that would be slick. Maybe in the next version? But in its 1.0 version, the Garage Band plug-in is a smart idea with a somewhat awkward implementation.

If you’re still reading this review, you are wondering whether the Fretlight system makes sense for you or if your money would be better spent on a few months of lessons. Let me say this: there is no substitute for a great teacher. Software and flashing lights can never the replicate years of experience a master teacher brings to the table. That being said, the Fretlight system, with its years’ worth of lesson material and engaging way to practice, will help you develop your playing in ways traditional lesson books and videos won’t. The Fretlight is one of those rare products in music education that is both good and good for you. And those blinking lights might just lead you somewhere unexpected.

The bad economy has been good for golfers with money to spend, and for those of you who still have a little something left in your pockets, the deals keep coming.  Take, for example, Cleveland Golf, who has just announced the latest offer to qualify as the best damn golf deal I’ve ever seen.  Simply buy a set of Cleveland irons, play those irons for up to the next two and half years or so (you don’t have to wait that long if you don’t want to).  When a new Cleveland model catches your eye (or when your game has improved to jump from the Tour Launchers to the CG Tour irons), simply mail Cleveland your old set and they’ll mail you a brand new set.  Oh, that new set…yeah, there’s no charge for that.  You don’t have to deal with all that trade-in value crap.  You’re old irons get you new irons.  How awesome is that?

As with any good deal, there is a little bit of fine print, although I must admit, I’m impressed by how simple and straightforward Cleveland has made all of this.  First, you have to buy a qualifying set (which is pretty much every iron - both men’s and women’s - that Cleveland makes).  The deal starts now and runs through December of this year, so you have some time.  Second, that set has to consist of at least 7, in-line (contiguous) club.  Third, you have to register your clubs online, and provide Cleveland with a proof of purchase.  Cleveland will send you a confirmation number, which you’re going to want to hold on to.  All of this seems reasonable enough to me.

As far as getting your new set is concerned, that process is pretty simple too.  When you’re ready for some new clubs, give Cleveland a call, tell them your confirmation number, and provide them with the specs for your new set.  They’ll send you a box for your old irons, along with a pre-paid shipping label.  Once you’ve got the box, mail your clubs off to Cleveland for verification and inspection.  Assuming everything checks out, you’ll have your new clubs in 5 to 7 business days.

The redemption period starts 1/1/10 and runs through 12/31/11.  The offer is good only once, so don’t expect to swap out your clubs every six months.  Nevertheless, this is an awesome deal, and I wish more manufacturers would offer something similar.

In my day job as an IT professional I find myself constantly purchasing software and hardware assurance contracts.  Costs run about 20% of the original purchase price annually, but our agreements entitle us to “free” upgrades every time a new version is released.  I’ve always thought it would be cool if the golf industry offered something similar.  Would you be willing to spend an extra $300 on a set of irons if it meant you could trade in your old set after two years for a new set at no additional charge?  Just thinking out loud, I guess.

Cleveland has become the latest golf equipment manufacturer to offer up an almost too good to pass up deal.  If I didn’t have a new set of Mizuno MP-52 irons in my immediate future, I’d be all over this deal.  More information and specifics can be found on the Cleveland Golf website.

Having already established what I know or don’t know about Nick Faldo, let me share with you some of my history with wine.  Back in college I was a regular connoisseur of fine wine, and by that I mean I drank a lot of Gallo out of gallon-sized jugs.  Sometimes I didn’t even use a glass - so you also know I have class.  Because I thought it was important to diversify my interest in wine, I would bring home the occasional box of Franzia (the square box fit easily in my tiny fridge…what do you want from me)?

Over the years I’d like to think my tastes have grown more sophisticated.  I enjoy a nice Merlot with a tender rare steak, or a fruity Riesling with a light chicken dish.  Still, by no means am I a wine expert.  That said, I did take a wine tasting class on my Alaskan cruise last summer (my Twitter profile pic was actually taken at that tasting).  Of course, I tasted a lot of wine that night, so I don’t really remember much of it.

In my defense, I was honest about my general lack of wine knowledge with the people who sent me the wine, so it’s not like they’re expecting an expert review or anything.  Besides, although I’m neither wine expert, nor Faldo expert, I can assure you, I do know a thing or two about getting drunk.

The Wine

Region: Coonawarra, South Australia
Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon

Here’s what Nick Faldo has to say about it:

Classic golf courses and classic wine are defined by a common ingredient - soil.  When designing a golf course, the nature of the soil substantially determines the character of the course.  It was the ‘red dirt’ of Coonawarra, the famous terra rossa soil, that gained my attention when I first visited this renowned region.  The wines selected for the Nick Faldo Selection - all under the guiding eye of respected Cooonawarraa winemaker Wayne Stehbens - are well balanced with generous fruit flavours and great structure.  Enjoy!

And here are the winemaker’s notes:

Appearance: Deep plum reds with purple tinged edges

Nose: A rich combination of ripe dark berries with subtle sweet oak maturation flavors.  Plums and dusty mulberry fruit with hints of mint are well balanced with light vanilla oak characters.

Palate: Ripe dark berry fruits with sweet oak flavors that are smoothly balanced.  A generous fruit palate of plums and blackberry with hints of vanilla oak flavors.  Soft assertive tannins add to the palate and compliment the long flavors.

The Test

When you get right down to it, tasting wine isn’t a whole lot different than testing a golf club. Sure, you’re not going to hit a golf ball with a wine bottle, and you’re probably not going to taste your new driver, but when all the testing is complete, the final verdict is going to be largely subjective.  While the simple approach would be to simply state that I drank Nick Faldo’s wine and I like Nick Faldo’s wine, within the best of my ability, I attempted to give the wine a thorough tasting.

It’s actually pretty handy that Faldo’s people include some tasting notes on the bottle, since, if nothing else, it turns the wine drinking into a game of let’s see if I can taste…  Fortunately I have literally minutes of formal wine tasting training, so I was able to delve a little deeper than the average golf course schmo.  As most tasters do, I started by observing the color of the wine.  I’d agree that deep plum reds are a fair description of the color, as is that bit about purple tinged edges.  A tip of the glass reveals very little in the way of transparency suggesting a wine with some body to it.  Just like they do on TV, I gave my glass a few swirls revealing the “legs”.  Again, what I observed suggests body.

With eyes as keen like Nick Faldo's, I gave my first glass of Cabernet Sauvignon a thorough examination.

As far as the aromas are concerned…yeah, the dark berries, and plum aromatics were present.  The same holds true for the sweet oak, and that touch of mint they talk about.  I didn’t really get any sense of vanilla (maybe my nose just isn’t ready for that type of subtlety).  This of course leaves us with just the mulberry unaccounted for, and since I honestly couldn’t begin to tell you what a mulberry tastes like (I also have no idea what it looks like either, and wouldn’t stand a chance trying to pick it out of a fruit lineup), I can’t say whether the aromas are there or not.  Mulberry, huh?

So with the swirling and the sniffing mostly out of the way I decided it was high time I actually drink some of Nick Faldo’s Cab.  Again, I deferred to the tasting notes to see if I could actually taste what the bottle says I should (never, I mean never ague with a bottle of wine).  It should come as no surprise that the dark berry aromas carry over to the taste.  The oak carries as over as well, but it subtle-enough and doesn’t overpower the other flavors.  It’s oaky, but doesn’t taste like you’re sucking on a board that’s been dunked in grape juice.  I’ll concede the plums and blackberries too, but still no luck with the vanilla.  As with many reds (at least in my experience), tannins play heavily in the finish, although I found they mellowed a bit as the wine rested.

Final Thoughts

Overall I found Faldo Cabernet Sauvignon to be an enjoyably sweet and fruity (although not light) red.  I figure I must really have enjoyed it because before I knew it half the bottle was gone, and I was the only drinking (not that I’m proud or anything).  I’ve also used the wine as an ingredient in a marinade I threw together for a Saturday night BBQ.  It worked really well on the flank steak I was soaking it in.

Granted, Faldo Cabernet Sauvignon (or any wine for that matter) is a bit of a departure from what we normally review, but give it just a little thought and you can see how a nice bottle of wine is the perfect post round compliment.  Play well; celebrate.  Play poorly; drink until you forget (not that I necessarily recommend that).  Either way, Faldo Cabernet Sauvignon is a great way to relax after a grueling 18, or pretty much any other occasion where a good bottle of wine is warranted.  I’ll definitely be checking out some of the other wines in the Faldo collection.

Faldo Cabernet Sauvignon can be found for around $16 at a wine shop near you.

I first saw Lily Bee Design products at Two Peas in a Bucket and immediately knew I had to have it, all of it. Both debut collections — French Couture and Three Little Birds. Every single piece.

Three Little Birds

This is the first product by Lily Bee Design that I ever laid eyes on, so you can understand why it was love at first sight. This is the 12″12″ sheet of Birdie Frame Die Cuts that coordinate with the 6 12″x12″ double-sided patterned papers in the Three Little Birds Collection. This collection also includes 2 12″x12″ sheets of rub-ons; they are so darn cute you won’t be able to resist!

The Frame Die Cuts are just perfect for photos and journaling; they can also stand on their own as decorative elements and would make great pages for a mini-book. Since I am such a huge fan of shaped paper I absolutely love how Lily Bee included all my favorites on one sheet: the artisan label shape, scalloped squares and a scalloped circle.

I also really enjoy the color scheme utilized in Three Little Birds: pink, blue, brown, green, red and cream — along with the designs: birds (of course), stripes, dots and trees. This whole line has an adorable, whimsical feel to it and could be used for anything from baby and child pages to projects about nature, vacations and all sorts of different relationships. You just have to check out the Lily Bee Design blog to see what their talented design team has created with this collection.

French Couture

Lily Bee’s French Couture line is equally as loveable, but in a different way. The colors here are deeper and richer: orange, blue, green, brown, red and cream, and the designs are more elegant and, well, comparable to haute couture (high fashion)! However, I found this collection to be just as versatile — if not more so — than Three Little Birds.

I thought the colors and the designs would be perfect for pictures I have of my husband and me at the Travers Stakes at the Saratoga Racetrack last summer. I’m not crazy about the pictures (I wish I had one of the two of us together, or one of all the crowds) but I think the paper and diecuts really helped dial it up a notch!

click image to see full size

The French Couture collection also includes 6 12″x12″ double sided patterned papers and 1 12″x12″ sheet of Frame Die Cuts. However, instead of rub-ons like in Three Little Birds, this line includes a 12″x12″ sheet of Fashion Essentials Die Cuts (brackets, borders, photo corners, etc.) I made good use of them on my layout, and I know you will too.

Bottom Line

From the minute I saw the debut collections from Lily Bee Design, I knew that my scrapbooking stash would never be the same.  This company knows exactly what scrapbookers like us are looking for (and drooling over) and they’ve created it! If you are lucky enough to still have a scrapbook store in your area, make sure to ask them to carry Lily Bee Design if they don’t already. And get your hands on this stuff now, before it’s all gone!

Products by Lily Bee Design are available at Two Peas in a Bucket. The 12″x12″ papers are $.80, the 12″x12″ diecut sheets are $1.99, and the 12″x12″ rub-ons are $5.99.

For more information about Lily Bee Design and plenty of fun and inspiration, be sure to check out their blog and website.

Don’t forget to read our other Scrapbooking Reviews – and to bookmark Qwowi so you can keep coming back for more! Leave a comment if you can; we’d love to hear from you.

In my review of Columbia’s Straight Shooter Polo I gave you a quick introduction to the company’s new Titanium Performance Golf Gear lineup.  I don’t want to rehash that too much here except to say that Columbia, a company better known for its hiking and outdoor gear, has entered the golf game.  I’ve also talked a lot about the weather of the Pacific Northwest being the impetus for the golf gear.  For those of you unfamiliar with the Pacific Northwest patterns, let me put it like this…

Have you ever left your house on a beautiful sunny day only to realize 2 minutes later that you forgot something.  So you turn around, go back to the house, and run in to grab whatever you forgot (with my wife, it’s always her water bottle for the gym).  So you’re inside for all of 15 seconds, head back outside and discover that your beautiful sunny day has been replaced by rain and 30 MPH winds.  What can you do?  You simply have to suck it up and adapt to the changing conditions, and that’s exactly what Columbia’s Titanium Golf Gear is designed to do.

Before I share my thoughts, let’s see what Columbia says about the Windcheater (again, shamelessly lifted from the Columbia web site)

Features

• Shell: 100% Water Beater™ polyester ripstop
• Super water and wind resistant
• Zip closed pockets Titanium™ Skin Cancer Foundation UPF 50 +

Titanium™
Columbia Sportswear’s premier product line, Titanium, offers advanced fabrics and technologies for all-weather performance and protection during demanding outdoor action.

Skin Cancer Foundation
The Skin Cancer Foundation has endorsed our sun protection products with a minimum UPF 30 rating, making Columbia Sportswear the first global clothing company to earn their coveted seal of recommendation.

UPF 50
Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) is a measure of the percentage of ultraviolet sunlight that reaches your skin. Omni-Shade clothing protects you by blocking harmful sun exposure. Your safety increases with the UPF. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a rating of UPF 30 or higher. Columbia Sportswear was the first global apparel producer to earn the organization’s seal of recommendation.

First Impressions

When I unboxed (unbagged actually) the Windcheater, my first thought was “damn!  this is lightweight”.    I own a few different pieces of rain gear; including one of those popular pullover style rain jackets.  The Columbia is far and away the lightest of them all.  A closer inspection leads me to believe that most of that weight is tied up in thread.  Although it’s not something I would probably check if I was buying off the rack, as a reviewer I figured it might make some sense to check out the stitching.  Seams are double, if not triple-stitched in places.  It’s very clear that Columbia has put a ton of effort into making the Windcheater durable.  I’m fairly certain it’s not the kind of jacket that’s going to tear on you if you happen to have a little too much of it hanging past your butt when you plop yourself into the golf cart.

Esthetically, we’re basically talking about a black jacket (although it’s also available in Navy and Hot Pepper (Orange)).  There’s very little flair, and not a trace of bling.  With the exception of Columbia Logos on the chest and back, and the Titanium logo on the left sleeve, there’s absolutely nothing to visually distinguish the Windcheater from 500 or so other jackets on the market today.  Truthfully, this suites me just fine.  Once it starts raining, I’m really only concerned with staying dry.  That’s not to say the Windcheater is ugly.  It’s not.  I’m simply saying that it’s a jacket, a relatively ordinary looking jacket.  If you want to stay dry…well, more on that in a bit, but if you’re looking to make a fashion statement, this probably isn’t the right way to go.

Getting back to the weight…while I was fairly certain the Columbia Windcheater wouldn’t be the least bit cumbersome on the golf course, the ultra-lightweight design did raise some immediate concerns about the jacket’s ability to displace wind, and more importantly water. I actually emailed my contact at Columbia and basically told him that I didn’t think it could possibly do what Columbia says it does.

The Fit

Based on the information on the Columbia web site, I ordered my Windcheater in large (I’m about 5′ 11″ and weight somewhere between 205 and 210).  I find the fit to be just about perfect.  It’s big enough to not restrict movement in the least, but small enough - and has enough shaping built into the design - that it doesn’t fit like a hefty bag.  By comparison, the rain jacket I’ve been carrying for the past several seasons, has a much boxier cut, and at times feels like it hangs off the body more than I would like.  The Columbia is definitely the more functionally comfortable of the two.  What I mean by that is that if I’m hanging out eating a slice of pizza I don’t much care if my jacket is a little baggy - baggy is comfortable, but if that same jacket is dangling while I’m trying to swing a golf club, then it’s not so comfortable.

I was actually on the fence about wearing a lightweight, sleeved rain jacket.  My current rain jacket is sleeveless; a decision I made largely because of concerns that sleeves might impact my ability to shank hit the golf ball consistently.  In that respect, I’ve been very happy with my sleeveless jacket.  My arms have never felt restricted.   Of course, my arms have never stayed dry when it rains either, so let’s call it mixed feelings about not having sleeves.

With the Windcheater, Columbia has done an excellent job of providing enough room in the sleeves so that my arms don’t feel restricted, but again, they’re not so roomy as to be flapping all over the place while I’m trying to swing a golf club.  It should go without saying that my arms also stay dryer in the rain.

Columbia has provided a couple ways to adjust the fit of the Windcheater to adapt to your current conditions.  First, the Windcheater features Velcro closures at the cuffs.  With a quick little flip of the strap, I can secure the sleeves just above my hands (which keeps the cuffs from creeping over my palms).  When swinging the club isn’t an issue (like when I’m having a beer in the clubhouse, or driving home), it’s just as easy to release them and let the sleeves be sleeves.  Yeah, Columbia could have gone with elastic cuffs (which are fairly common in rain gear), but Veclro is a bit more functional, and oddly enough, makes the jacket a bit more fashionable off the course (who wears elastic?).  Fashionable Velcro?  Yeah, I said it.  We’re not talking about grandpa’s sneakers here.

Second, there are a couple of cinch straps on the bottoms sides of the jacket.  They’re tucked away on the inside, so they’ll never get in the way.  What they do is allow you to tighten the jacket around your waste when the need arises.  Most of the time I let the jacket hang fairly loose around my waist, but when the wind picks up, it’s nice to be able to tighten things up a bit to keep from flapping around.  If only my stomach had a similar feature.

In the Wind

As I’ve already said, the Windcheater is exceptionally lightweight.  With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as any real surprise that it’s not a particularly warm jacket.  If you’re facing a cold wind, expect to be cold.  If you’re looking for a jacket to warmth is your biggest concern, Columbia has other PGG for that.  The Windcheater does do a pretty good job of deflecting the wind, and keeping it off of your skin, and I think that’s what it’s designed to do.  It can’t make the wind stop, but it will certainly make you more comfortable when playing in windy conditions.

In the Rain

I’m actually starting to believe that the Windcheater’s greatest feature is that it can actually prevent it from raining.  Seriously, I’ve been out on the golf course no less than 5 times this year on days when it was supposed to rain.  One of the days I was in Ocean City, the forecast called for an 80% chance of rain - all day long.  I was fully prepared to play in the worst conditions of my life.  Instead, I got nothing, hardly a drop.  The Windcheater is so effective that rain is actually afraid of it.

Now just because I haven’t been able to make it rain on me while on the golf course, I have had a few opportunities to “test” the Windcheater out against actual rain (I’ve also worn it several times on a windy course).  The first of those opportunities came as we were leaving the Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Glen Riddle in Ocean City.  While we didn’t get rained on while on the course that day, during dinner we did get nailed with some of the heaviest rain I’ve ever seen in my life (the streets of Ocean City were flooded).  None of us wanted to walk across the parking lot to the car, so the decision was made that one of us would have to go get it.  As it turns out, when you’re the guy that’s been running off at the mouth for 3 days about your awesome rain gear; when it comes time to man up, you don’t really draw the short straw so much as it’s handed to you.  And so off I ran, in a monsoon no less, to get the car.

What the Windcheater lacks in warmth it more than makes up for in wet conditions.  What impresses me most about the Windcheater is that it doesn’t so much create a barrier between you and the weather, as it actually repels rain.  With my other rain jacket, what happens when the water hits the jacket is that it disperses into the fabric.  It has never soaked through on me, but the jacket most definitely absorbs some water.  The Windcheater reacts much differently.  When water hits the Windcheater it beads, and then rolls right off.  If rain drops were bullets, the Windcheater would make you Superman.  I’m feeling mighty right about now.

After my mad dash to the car, my torso was completely dry.  Unfortunately, my Old Navy Khakis don’t offer any sort of water resistance, so everything south of the border was completely soaked.

Since I haven’t yet found away to get wet on the golf course, I’ve been wearing the Windcheater to work (it’s been raining all week).  While not quite as dramatic as the conditions I faced on my parking lot dash in Ocean City, the Columbia Windcheater has done its job, albeit less dramatically.

Minor Gripes

I really can’t complain about what the Windcheater is.  I can only whine about what it isn’t.  I suppose it would be nice if it came with a fold away hood, or if it was part of Columbia’s Interchange system, but again, the Windcheater is designed to be an ultra-lightweight jacket (which it absolutely is), so it’s not surprising that some features were left out, presumably to keep the weight down.  Besides, as I’ve said a few times now between my two Columbia reviews; if you’re looking for something interchange compatible and/or that has a hood, Columbia most definitely has a jacket in the PGG lineup to meet your advanced needs.

Final Thoughts

For everything I like about the Windcheater (weight and water resistance being the biggest two features), what I really love about the Windcheater is how easy it is to forget that you’re wearing it.  Yes, it keeps you dry.  Yes, it keeps the wind off of you.  Most importantly to a golfer, however; it doesn’t get in your way.  Apart from securing the cuffs, I haven’t had to hitch, yank, pull, or twist the jacket to get it into a place where it won’t interfere with my golf swing. It fits like it was actually designed to be worn on a golf course.  Go figure.

The ultra-lightweight, wind and water resistant Columbia Men’s Windcheater Full Zip Jacket is available from Altrec Outdoors for $69.99 (which is a lot less than some lesser performing rain jackets).

Back in the footwear section of my 2009 Golf Gear Guide, I talked about Cleatskins‘ entry into the golf market. Cleatskins, which have been around for a while now for sports like football, soccer, and baseball, are basically slippers for your spiked shoes.  Now it may sound silly to put your feet inside a pair of socks, into a pair of shoes, and then into a pair of rubber slippers, but give me minute and I’ll explain why this all makes sense.  For now, just know that; made of  a durable rubber compound, Cleatskins Golf easily slip on over your golf spikes, creating a barrier between your shoes and the ground.

So Why Cleatskins Golf?

Now you may be wondering, “why the hell would I want something between my golf shoe and the ground”?  I’m glad you asked (if you didn’t, just play along).  There are several reasons why you might want to keep a pair of Cleatskins on your golf shoes whenever you’re not actually on the golf course.   Let’s start with the golf course itself.  As it happens, despite being lush and green, golf courses are actually pretty nasty places.  They’re full of sand, mud, pesticides, and other unmentionables that some disrespectful goose might have left behind.  Golf courses are filthy places, and even if you don’t care; there’s a safe bet there’s someone in your life who doesn’t appreciate it when all that golf gunk gets tracked into your car, or worse yet, into your house.

If cleanliness alone doesn’t sell you on Cleatskins, how about durability?  Cleatskins can help improve the lifespan of your cleats.  Since Cleatskins eliminate direct ground contact with hard surfaces (like the parking lot at the golf course), they can help to extend the life of your spikes.  Although I’ve been lackadaisical about it at times, since I’ve switched to the PUMA Swing Crown GTX shoes (which don’t have replaceable spikes), I’ve been a little more religious about having the Cleatskins on my shoes any time I’m not on grass.  I’ve also found that Cleatskins make the Swing Crown much more comfortable over hard surfaces.

I’ll be perfectly honest with you.  When it comes to playing golf, I’m both lazy and impatient.  I don’t like “wasting time” in the parking lot taking off my regular shoes and putting on my golf shoes.  I want to play golf as quickly as possible.  Even if it’s just getting out to the putting green, or the range, I want to get started the second I pull into the parking lot - hell, I’d like to roll out of my car while it’s still moving if possible.  Admittedly, I may be in the minority here, but I absolutely hate traveling with two pairs of shoes.  With Cleatskins, I can wear my golf shoes to the course, even if I’m the one driving.  And since Cleatskins are slip resistant, I’m not risking anyone’s life by doing it.

Once I’m at the course, I walk right across the parking lot and into the pro shop.  When I’m checked in, settled up, and on grass, the Cleatskins get peeled off and tossed into my golf bag.  It takes all of 5 seconds before I’m ready to go.

Now maybe you don’t care about tracking golf course goop wherever you go.  Maybe you don’t care about getting a little bit more life out of your golf spikes.  And maybe you don’t care about changing your shoes in the parking lot.  Even if that’s all true, there is one more reason why you might want to consider a pair of Cleatskins Golf…

I won’t pretend to know how your brain works.  For all I know your mind is tack sharp.  It’s quite possible you’ve never left the house without everything you need for a round of golf.  You very well may never have forgotten a thing in your life.  Me (and I highly doubt I’m alone here), between grabbing my clubs, water, snacks, rangefinder, GPS, and whatever else I might be bringing to the course on a given day, I have a tendency to forget something.  On more than one occasion, that something has been my golf shoes.  For some, playing in sneakers isn’t a problem (some guys do it all the time).  Me, I think it sucks.  That’s where Cleatskins Golf come in.  If I’m wearing my golf shoes to the course, there really isn’t any chance I’m going to forget them.  I mean…I may have forgotten my golf shoes, but I’ve never showed up to the course barefoot.

My actual golf shoe with the Cleatskin on. Rest assured Cleatskins fit as snuggly as they do in the marketing photos. Maybe I should have got them in white. By the way, how sweet are those PUMAs?

Minor Grips

There are a couple of things you should probably know about Cleatskins Golf before you go out and buy a pair.  First, and of less consequence, they’re not easy to put on when you’re not wearing the shoe.  It’s not a big deal, but just know going in, it’s much, much easier to slip them on your shoes when your shoes are already on your feet.  Like I said, it’s not a big deal.

Second, Cleatskins are made of heavy duty rubber.  The trade off for durability is weight.  While they’re not quite like wearing cement shoes, Cleatskins will definitely add some bulk.  Since they’re designed to come off once you’re at the course, the weight most definitely won’t impact play.

Final Thoughts

I’ve been wearing Cleatskins Golf for most of this golf season.  At a minimum, they’ve saved me a few trips up the stairs with the ShopVac to clean out my trunk.  I’ll admit to not conducting any sort of scientific durability experiments, but it stands to reason that, if you can cut back on the contact between your spikes and abrasive surfaces, those spikes will last a bit longer - but honestly I can’t swear to it.  That said, since my new shoes don’t have replaceable spikes (when they’re done, they’re done), I’m certainly going to make every effort I can to increase their lifespan, which means the Cleatskins will be on them until it’s time to tee off.  It also doesn’t hurt that the rubber makes walking over hard surfaces a bit more comfortable (not to mention less like skating).  I love that I can wear my shoes right to the golf course, and I love that Cleatskins totally eliminate the possibility that I’m going to show up for my round without my golf shoes.

For less than$36, Cleatskins Golf are the best way I know of to prolong the life of golf shoes (and keep your house and car a little cleaner).  They’re available in a variety of colors in both men’s and women’s sizes.  Unless you’re going to be at Doral Resort anytime soon, your best bet it to buy directly through the Cleatskins Store.