ZippEarz Earbuds Review & Giveaway

The ZippEarz folks sent me a pair of their earbuds to review and giveaway. They also gave me a hoodie that can be used along with the earbuds, and although it was a nice hoodie it was too big, so I gave it to my brother.

ZippEarz earbuds feature a 10mm speaker diameter, a conical fit (resting almost inside the ear canal vs resting in your ear like Apple earbuds), 3 sizes of soft ear cones for a perfect fit, detachable and adjustable ear loops to keep your ZippEarz in place during exercise, and a "zipper" feature to manage the cord.

At first, I wasn't sure how well these would work for me. The earbuds I use rest inside the ear instead of going deeper into the ear canal, so I didn't know how I'd like the fit and the fact that the sound would be a little more intense.

To begin, I fitted the earbuds with the smallest ear cones. I don't think my ears are very big, though perhaps the next size up would help keep them in place better.

I attached and adjusted the ear loops, then put them on. This wasn't easy; I needed to look in the mirror to see what I was doing since I had a hard time getting the loops to fit snugly over my ears.

The cord on the ZippEarz features a zipper to keep the cord from tangling. This is a really nice feature, as sometimes I forget to take my necklace off, resulting in a massive knot with the cord of my regular earbuds that I have to figure out post run. While the cord may seem long, the benefit is that everyone regardless of height can wear it.

I didn't want to run with excess cord flying around, so I tucked it under the waistband of my shorts and headed out for a run.

Unfortunately, my braid knocked off one of the ear loops. Once it fell off, I couldn't get it back on. For the first half mile it stayed in place, though. The sound was a little intense so I lowered the volume much more than I would with my regular earbuds. Had it not been for the braid incident, I think the earbuds would have stayed in place, but I'd have to try it again to be sure.

The pros for me: Despite the above, inconclusive incident, the sound quality is good. ZippEarz retail for $24.95 a pair and come in 3 colors (they sent me green, which works out nicely as its my favorite color!). For the price, you get good sound and a lot of extras, like the loops. I don't expect inexpensive earbuds or headphones to have the greatest sound, but when they do it's a nice surprise.

Update: After listening to tunes with Zippearz for the past few months, I've come to the conclusion that the sound quality is great. The music sounds deep, I can hear notes I never picked up as deeply with my standard Apple earbuds (cheap piece of crap). So if you're looking for quality with a good price, these are it.

The zipper feature is pretty neat. It keeps the cord near your neck together so it won't tangle or fly around.

I'm still unsure about the fit. I have stayed away from conical style earbuds because they push further into the ear. After listening to music with these for a little bit , the sound became more annoying earlier. In doses, I'd find these to work great, and they aren't uncomfortable to wear.

Second Update: I've been able to wear these earbuds while running without the attachable ear pieces by pushing the conical buds deep into my ear. This means I have to turn the volume down even lower than usual, but that's probably for the best.

Unfortunately, one of the cords somehow is partially sliced in half and that earbud went out. Luckily, my sweetie pie bought me a new pair. That's how much I've come to like these earbuds.

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ZippEarz Giveaway

Would you like to win a pair of ZippEarz? Enter for a chance to win! You'll get a pair of ZippEarz, a pouch, 3 sizes of soft ear cones, and ear loops. The value is $24.95.

To enter, follow these steps:

• Leave a comment. Tell me when you're most likely to listen to music - while you workout, during your commute, cooking in the kitchen?


• For an additional entry, Tweet the following: Win a pair of @zippearz from @RunningFoodie http://bit.ly/qsSspM. Leave a comment letting me know.


• Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post. Include the link in your next comment.

Three ways to enter!

Giveaway ends Friday, August 5, at noon. Good luck!

Swedish Rice Porridge

What makes rice porridge different from rice pudding? It's not as sweet and isn't made with traditional custard ingredients, such as milk or cream and eggs, as some recipes do. The recipe I use comes from an old American Girl cookbook. I used to make it twice a month, but stopped a few years ago. I thought about it again during the end of my run on Sunday because I was hungry, tired, and wanted something filling to eat. The only downside is that it takes an hour or longer to prepare, but I had no problem nibbling while I waited.

To begin, jasmine rice gets cooked with butter, a cinnamon stick, and water. As that mixture simmered, I prepped the remaining ingredients. I measured out 4 cups of milk, chopped an apple, and measured the brown sugar and dried cranberries.

I've really been loving the pinch bowls I got from Wayfair.com. They're nice for snacks because there are measurement markers, so you can easily figure out how much you're portioning out. For backing and cooking, I can dump ingredients right in according to the lines.

Once the rice is ready, milk is added and heated just until it begins to simmer. The rest of the ingredients are stirred in and the porridge is cooked for 30-45 minutes, until the consistency is of a thick pudding. You can cook it a bit less if you want a somewhat runnier consistency.

I always have trouble with this step. Milk isn't supposed to boil because it will curdle. The recipe tells you to reduce heat to low and cover with a lid, stirring occasionally. Even after doing this, the liquid still sometimes boils! I guess I should leave the lid off next time. However, it didn't get too curdled, though it took just 25-30 minutes instead of 45. I can deal.

This rice porridge is comforting, delicious, and lightly sweetened. You could drizzle the top with honey or stir in more brown sugar, if you'd prefer. It might not be the most nutritional start to the day, though if you used brown rice it would be better for you.

Recipe after the jump.

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Print this recipe

Swedish Rice Porridge
From American Girls Cookbook

If you would rather use brown rice, try preparing it the day before, proceeding to step 2.

ingredients -

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup white rice
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cinnamon stick
4 cups milk
1 large, firm apple, chopped
1/2 cup dried fruit, like raisins, cranberries, blueberries, or cherries
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
Addition milk and sweeteners, if desired

directions -

1. Rub the finger onto the bottom of a 3-quart saucepan. Put the rice, water, cinnamon stick and salt in the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed.


2. Pour the milk into the saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. When the milk begins to simmer, turn heat down to low. Carefully add the apple, dried fruit, and brown sugar. Stir gently.


3. Cover the pan and simmer the porridge for 30-45 minutes. As it cooks, it will thicken. Stir occasionally.


4. When the porridge is the proper consistency, take the pot off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the extract. Serve with additional milk and honey.

Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownie Prize Pack Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway! The winner is commenter 12:

Sarah @ The Pajama Chef, 18 July, 2011 17:23

right now my fave healthy snack is fruit.

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Congrats, Sarah! I'll be contacting you shortly for your info. Stay tuned for another giveaway coming soon.