Tag Archives: review

biPro 100% Natural Whey Protein Isolate

I recently introduced whey protein back into my diet by being very cautious of the quality of the ingredients. When biPro offered to send me a few samples to try, I did a quick search for ingredients on their site and saw enough to spark my interest.

biPro 100% whey protein isolate

A short list of ingredients is usually a great starting point. Whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin in their unflavored protein is as short as they’ll come. Which makes a very clean supplement facts list….

whey protein isolate

For their flavored products (just chocolate and vanilla), natural flavors, cocoa (for chocolate), monk fruit, and stevia are all that’s added. Stevia is my preferred natural, no calorie, and tasty sweetener of choice, so when I see it in products, I assume some level of quality care is used in the creation.

biPro 100% whey protein isolate

This holds true for biPro, but I would prefer to see the whey come from grass-fed cows and the rest of the ingredients to be non-gmo to truly stand apart. This isn’t a deal breaker, but would make me feel better about implementing biPro as a daily supplement.

biPro 100% whey protein isolate

Nevertheless, I found that their powder mixes easily in any liquid and tastes surprisingly good with such a short list of ingredients. Actually, I love vanilla, and their French Vanilla mixed just in water satisfied my sweet tooth. At first it was a little too much, but I just needed to add a little more water to dilute and it made a perfectly healthy and tasty pre/post workout drink.

biPro 100% whey protein isolate
Perfectly portable packet for a healthy drink on the go!

I used the chocolate to mix into overnight oats which turned out amazing and was a real treat mixed with Greek yogurt and strawberries for a healthy, muscle-building “dessert”. I didn’t have enough to try, but can only imagine biPro Whey Protein Isolate would make a wonderful Protein Microwave Cake or even Whole Grain Protein Beer Bread if you use their Unflavored Protein.

If you’re looking for a high quality, naturally sweetened whey protein isolate that has no sugar, carbs, fat, or lactose, biPro is a good choice. While I wish it were non-gmo and the source of the whey was from grass-fed cows, I would still have it on occasion and offer it to others looking for a healthy whey protein supplement.

One thing that stands out about biPro is how they support giving back to our most precious assets; kids. They have fundraising options that anyone can take part of to raise funds for schools. To learn more on how you can discover a new whey to raise money and give nutritious protein to your kids’ school, click here or on the picture below.

biPro whey protein isolate fundraising

Disclaimer: biPro provided samples free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Bowling Friends Review

The Melissa & Doug line has to be one of the largest eco-friendly kid toy manufacturers around, at least that I’m aware of. My wife and I have brought several Melissa & Doug toys into the home since Avery was born, and the latest is this K’s Kids Bowling Friends Playset.

melissa & doug bowling friends playset

We went a little overboard (by our standards) with buying things for our increasingly active 2 year old this past Christmas. Mainly, as I assume many parents with kids this age know, the books/toys/gadgets your kids have, means you’ll be spending a lot of time with those things too! With that in mind, Going Mom and I made our gift selections something us parents will enjoy while playing with our kid.

As a “surprise” to each other, we both bought things for Avery that the other didn’t know about. Kelley bought this Melissa & Doug Bowling Set and, as expected, we have all spent plenty of time playing with it. Maybe even more than Avery since we keep trying to teach her how bowling really works.

Melissa & Doug K's Kids Bowling Friends
And now the green bear….

At least she understands to knock the pins down. We’ve tried explaining that bowling requires standing back and rolling the ball, but somehow she inches her way to hover right above them and count each animal pin as she knocks it over.

Melissa & Doug K's Kids Bowling Friends

If only we can get her to actually let go of the ball! But then again, the picture on the front of the case does show a kid with ball in hand hovering right over the pins before they meet their doom.

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Maybe we’re the ones in the wrong? I know I’d do a lot better with this style when at the lanes.

Either way you play, this is a fun playset to have around the house. I love that the set comes in a bag that makes it easy to clean up once done, and perfect when traveling.

The set comes with 6 brightly colored animal pins made of soft but sturdy plastic that allows them to easily stand up, even on carpet. The surface is very easy to clean which makes playing outside a non-issue. Avery even enjoys just playing with each of the animals and will carry them around the house making their associated animal noises.

Melissa & Doug bowling

When the ball becomes boring, it’s fun to find different ways to knock the pins over. My favorite is having a “snowball fight” with the animals by using 6 soft “snowballs” to throw at the pins. Avery isn’t quite ready to let go of the ball, so right now, this makes for a great game of Spider-man bowling…

We shall call it. … Spiderman Bowling! #sahd #toddler #playtime #play #parenting

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on

I wish the bowling ball had deeper dents for the fingers (because adults play too!), but it still works okay. Besides, most adults rarely use the finger holes anyway.

Also, like so many toys, it’s made in China, and I have not seen anything saying the plastic is bpa-free. But I still trust the Melissa & Doug brand for their quality and think this bowling set is well worth it for the fun it provides.

Avery has had a blast with this bowling set and will ask us to “play bowling”almost daily.

Play bowling?
Play bowling?

This makes a perfect gift for any baby/toddler. And for only $22.49 on Amazon, it’s well worth the fun you and your kid will have. Maybe they’ll even be a bowling pro one day. Or maybe not….

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I give this bowling set my seal of Going Dad-proval and am sure you’ll do the same.

Buy the Melissa & Doug K’s Kids Bowling Friends Playset on Amazon by clicking here!

Merax 36″ Foldable Mini Trampoline Review

With our daughter seriously upping her energy levels as she neared the 2 year mark, Going Mom and I decided an indoor trampoline would be a perfect birthday gift. The search, as with most kid things nowadays, took a while to decide which would be the best quality/value. I use Amazon for almost everything, and after reading a novel’s worth of mini trampoline reviews, we finally decided on a trampoline worthy enough for us Avery; the Merax 36″ Mini Trampoline.

mini trampoline, amazon

She turned freakin’ 2 back in November, and took right to her new trampoline when we brought it out.

mini trampoline, birthday

I assembled it the day of her birthday and found it rather easy to setup. Took me longer than expected because of the vague instructions that came along with it, but in retrospect, the entire process was hardly an issue. Just unfold, fit the cover over the elastic bands, screw on the legs and foam-covered handlebar (optional) and you’re good to go. Getting the cover to fit properly was probably the biggest “challenge”, but that didn’t take too long.

Having thick elastic bands instead of springs is a major plus, and I feel the trampoline doesn’t even need the cover as a result. But, to prevent any little feet from falling through, it’s probably a good idea to just put it on. The handlebar is optional too and can easily be removed, but Avery seems to like it right now, so it stays. Other than a great stabilizer, it works as a perfect mini-blankie rack too.

jumping, trampoline, toddler

With a max capacity of 220 lbs, the Merax 36″ Mini Trampoline is great for adults too looking for a fun fitness option. Kids or no kids, the current price of $79.99 makes it a viable and affordable option for any adult looking for a way to keep active. My wife and I can never get on to jump without Avery quickly joining in, but with the high weight capacity, we can bounce with our kid without the fear of breaking the trampoline.

So far, we have both bounced with Avery and have had zero issues with stability. The only thing we find ourselves saying is how we wish it were bigger. When there’s two people jumping, you’re basically limited to your exact foot placement, and if you shift around, you run the risk of jumping on the other person. Sorry, Avery. No worries though, she never seems phased when she’s stepped on and would rather have us keep bouncing her.

Since she’s had it, this trampoline has been in our living room and is used every day. It’s the perfect addition to any toddler obstacle course creation which helps an easier transition to naptime….usually.

Our little obstacle dominator! #playing #fun #toddler #exercise #loveher

A video posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on

I love having the ability to quickly and easily fold the trampoline up for storage or to take along when travelling. Really the only major complaint is the small size, but that’s more of a nitpick since the price alone makes it well worth it to me. A trampoline with the word “fitness” in front can easily go for twice as much, but I would find the Merax can do the job just as well.

Avery has found her trampoline useful for doing yoga…

trampoline, yoga
Upward dog, toddler style!

…..playing “hide-and-seek”….

Avery on Trampoline with Mini Blankie

…..and just relaxing after an intense jumping session.

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The Merax Mini Trampoline is not the top-notch rebounder you might find for well over double the price, but for a quality kid’s item that adults can use too, it’s well worth it to me. It’s also a great way to gauge interest on a full-sized trampoline for the backyard, which, after using this, has moved to the must have list in our family. Come summer time, we’ll be flying high in the sky!

Buy the Merax Mini Indoor Trampoline on Amazon!

Do you have or are you currently looking for an indoor trampoline?

Do you have any other products you find useful to keep your kids busy inside?

I purchased the Merax 36″ Mini Trampoline myself and all opinions are strictly my own, but there are affiliate links within this post. If you use the links to make your own purchase, I will earn a small commission which helps keep Going Dad going.