As I blog about this product, I wonder where my life was before I had this. It's sort of the same feeling I had with my iPhone or my computer. This falls into the catetory of "little technological items that make my life a whole heck of a lot easier that I can't imagine living without".
So recently I was on the phone with my Mom. Everyone reading this review can picture it because you've all been there: two kids screaming over a toy in the background, me trying to load the dishes, the cats screaming from the water bowl and me with just not enough hands to get done what needs to get done. As usual, I tried to end the conversation with a quick "I have to go," out of mere frustration.
My Mom remarked, "You know Whit, you should really get one of those hands-free headsets like Dad has. Then you could talk all you like and have two hands to deal with your life."
Since I'm anything but a hard sell and it was a brilliant idea I hadn't really given much thought to, I ended up in the AT&T store later that afternoon looking at all the Bluetooth products for my iPhone. I ended up with this piece - a Motorola H6880. It was one of the moderate priced pieces $79.99 at my local AT&T store) but the guy told me it's one of the best in his opinion.
I love it. I find myself using my cell at home instead of my home phone because it's just so convenient to be hands free. I'm on the phone a lot - some for work, some not for work, but there's always that constant of craziness in the background and freeing up my hands has made such a difference. I've been using it in the car and even walking around the mall. (Okay so my friend Rachael told me I look like I'm talking to myself but you know what, I really don't care.) I urge every Mama who talks on the phone often and any level of craziness in her life to get one.
So chances are, your phone has Bluetooth. (It's the technology that allows you to go wire-free) If you want to read up about it, you can check out this Bluetooth FAQ on the Motorola site.
Sony Cybershot Clicks and Captures Smiles... Including Mine!
They say every party has a pooper and that's why taking pictures of your family can be a drag. A certain girl-child in my passel -o-four is famous for making us all stand around for ages with our cheesiest grins on, while she frowns gloomily. And then she flashes her wickedly adorable smile sparingly and lightning fast, making the picture taker feel like a contestant attempting their luck at a rigged carnival game. Click... miss! Click... too late! Click...better luck next time! Sucker!
No giant stuffed animal prize for you.
All that is about to change since I came home from a Sony Mommy Blogger Event in La Jolla four days ago with Sony's new Cybershot T2 camera with Smile Shutter Smile Recognition Technology. In plain English this translates to, "takes the picture the very instant the grumpy kid smiles".
My poor tricky daughter. She had no idea what was about to hit her (see smiling photo below). Call it digital prozac without the side effects. This is big. This is going to save us thousands when she shows her therapist all her childhood pictures. She is actually a very happy kid. But until now there was little photographic evidence.
I was so excited in anticipation of this one. We only just got a Wii a few weeks ago and when I was buying it, I asked the employee at the store for some good preschooler game recommendations. He showed me a few but said there wasn't anything really geared specifically for preschool age. Not that that's stopped Nate (4) from playing, he loves a lot of the games on the Wii Play and Wii Sports discs - but I was hoping something that was actually made for him would come out.
So it was very timely when I heard that there was a Go Diego Go: Safari Rescue game coming out last week. We got it the day it released and we've been playing it ever since. The premise of the game is that the evil magician turned all the elephants into stones - so Diego and Baby Jaguar are on a mission to save the elephants. Along they way they of course encounter other animals that need help.
We haven't gone all the way through the game yet but we're having fun trying. It's definitely a wonderful game for the under age crowd - the game is very specific in teaching and showing the kids how to conquer each section with the Wii remote (a little help button on the bottom left of the screen is always on, showing the kids what to do.) What I also really love about this game is that Diego can't "die." When he comes to the edge of a cliff, if my son runs him to the side (and what would be off the edge of the cliff), Diego just stands on his tiptoes and pulls himself back.
It's not exactly the most challenging game - I think anyone over the age of 5 may be a little disappointed with it - but it's perfect for the under-5 crowd.
The game sells for $39.99 - you can get it on Amazon or at most stores that carry Wii products (I've seen it in the past week in Walmart and Gamestop)
I'm so obsessed. Friends came over a few weekends ago and brought their Wii and game Guitar Hero 3 (on sale this week at Toys R Us for $69.99, a great deal). After the kids went to bed, we were playing this game and others late into the night. I had no idea how fun the Wii was. Of course I had heard the hype but really couldn't appreciate how fun it was until I played it myself. The whole Wii thing really does revolutionize "gaming." When I think of a game system, I think of myself at age 8 playing games of games of Pitfall or Pong on our Atari. Or playing Mario Brothers when the first Nintendo came out when I was in high school.
Obviously technology and gaming has come a long way, and I sometimes envy kids today for all the technology they have at their disposal. And the Wii is a great example of a modern product of technology that blows my mind.
This console bucks the stereotype - you can't sit still and play with a Wii. If you play golf, you're swinging your remote like a club to hit the ball. You can box your husband and you literally have to punch into the air (kind of funny). You can play tennis, and if you do, you have to swing to hit the ball and you have to raise your hand (and remote) into the air to toss the ball into the air.
It's definitely something great for the whole family - some of the similar games like bowling are great for Nate, hubby and I have been playing Guitar Hero, and some of the Wii Play and Wii Sports games are fun for the whole family.
So the Wii's pretty hard to find right now - it took me about two weeks of calling various local vendors and showing up places that were expecting shipments only to leave empty handed. In the end, I was in the right place at the right time at a Game Stop that had just received a shipment of 3 Wiis. But if you are looking for one, be persistent! Call local places and ask when they are expecting their next shipment. Or if you have the patience, hopefully the Wii shortage will end soon and they'll be readily available in stores again soon. (You can also get them on eBay for a premium) Normally they retail for $249.99. Toys R Us is currently selling it online in a bundle - you have to buy it with 6 games and it's $499, but that's also an option, especially if these games are good for your family.
I've officially entered my third trimester this week and I have also experienced a bout with preterm labor that has me on strict bedrest. One thing that my doctors have insisted upon is that I vigilantly track my baby's movements and record them in a log. This is an important thing for every pregnant woman to do but in my case, with increased risk, it's even more important. Most doctors recommend that you start tracking your babies kicks from 24 weeks onward.
For those who are unfamiliar with kick tracking, it is a way for moms and their doctors to gage the relative health of the baby. You pick a time each day, preferably an hour when your baby is most active, and simply note how long it takes for them to move or kick ten times. A lack of movement or dramatically slowed down movements, can indicate complications. And the sooner that this is checked out the better. While counting kicks is a simple enough task, it is also one that requires some amount of attention and accuracy. With my past pregnancies I sat with a pen, watch, and logbook, noting each kick, and the time between. It was tedious. I was prepared for the lecture from my doctor's nurse, about how I should be sure I was not distracted by anything, and had a good stopwatch to use with the paper logbook they were supplying,
What the nurse did not know was that this time I have it much easier. My Babykick KickTrak device takes the tedium and much of the tension away. This handy little electronic unit has made what used to seem like a chore, almost a pleasure. I am free to watch tv or type on the computer as I time my kicks. Yes I have to pay attention to the kicks, but I am free to ignore the clock. I have only to press a button each time I feel the baby move and the device keeps track of everything else. It stores my last ten sessions for me. Later,I can quickly and easily transfer this data to the log book for the doctor to keep. If at any time, the pattern of my baby's movements has changed and I need to call my doctor, the Babykick KickTrak sounds an alarm. With all that I have to worry about, it is a tremendous relief to have this little device working on my behalf.
The BabyKick KickTrak also keeps a calendar for me, showing exactly how many weeks and days are left in my pregnancy. So when someone asks whether I am 29 or 30 weeks now, and I have lost track, I know where to look for the answer. When I do go into labor, it can be used to time my contractions.
The nurses at my ob/gyn's office were very impressed with this device and asked me whether I could get them some literature about how they could supply these units to all of their patients. If you or a friend are pregnant, kick counting is going to be an inevitable task. Do yourself, or your friend a favor and get one of these. $39.95 is a small price to pay for peace of mind. You can purchase the Babykick Kicktrak on their site.
According to the game "Brain Age," my brain is 46 years old. Or at least acts like that of a 46 year old. Oh and "you're tired," is what I was told after playing some practice games on Brain Age on the Nintendo DS Lite today. (Gee, thanks!)
The game goes through a series of random brain teasers - testing verbal and math skills and then uses some sort of system that's been developed to figure out the age your brain is functioning at. I was 46, poor hubby's brain is functioning at that of a 52 year old.
Just to be funny, I want to write into the programmers and ask if they've factored in random biases like how taking care of a four and one year old all day may tire your brain as well. But, nothing's perfect, right? And it was fun to do the little exercises (and my four year old got a kick out of watching us play - and I have to figure that his running commentary while I tried to race through the timed challenges couldn't help - right? Anything to make excuses.)
For last minute shoppers, the Nintendo DS with games is always a fun little gift that's sure to be a hit. I hadn't really thought of it as being something for adults but they definitely cater towards the older generation with games like Brain Age and Brain Age 2 (Sudoku on the first one!), and Cooking Mama 1 and 2. This is a great gift for someone who commutes on a train, or by plane and has the time to use one of these.
Of course, there are tons of games out there for the younger generation as well. And the technology is so beyond this Mommy - DS users can message one another and play games against one another using WiFi technology.
You can find it on Amazon (last day for free shipping today). I was in Circuit City yesterday asking for it and they were sold out of all units at my local store so it's obviously a popular holiday gift. It's $129.99. Games are typically around $20 each.
We've all been there. At a restaurant, the grocery store or the doctor's office when our kids get impatient and restless. Maggie Tales offers a new, fun way to keep your kids occupied -- even when you're out and about.
The website offers books that have been converted into digital media files. The books are "read" by professional voice talent and have music to accompany them, too. Your kids can view them online, or you can download them in a variety of file formats for your cell phone, iPod, Sony PSP, iPhone... you name it!
The site currently has a handful of books geared toward kids ages two through eight. They are adding new books each week. Check it out and download a few books for the next time you're out with the kids. The best part? It's completely FREE!
The featured book is These Little Hands. Click on "Other Maggie Tales" to view all of the books. MaggieTales.com.
Last Christmas, my parents gave everyone in the family a web cam. I always had a stigma with web cams (JenniCam still comes to mind) and never looked into getting one. But with the whole family having one, I installed it and was actually sold pretty quickly on the virtues of having one. With parents who live in Florida, and two boys that seemingly get bigger by the day, having a web cam has proven to be a fun way of keeping in touch and letting my parents see us "live" and in-person as best as we can without involving a plane flight.
So I was psyched to find this product to review, the Hue webcam from Clique communications, because I think having a webcam is a great feature for anyone with extended family who lives far away, and I just love the size and cuteness of the Hue cam. You can get it on Amazon and you can use it to capture live streaming video or still images. It comes with a cute little base that it'll click into, but if you are using a notebook you can detach it from the base and clip it straight to the laptop and move it about. The design's pretty simple and small (I love small electronics - less space to take up on my desk) and it comes in a variety of colors including: white, black, pink, red, green & blue.
Dad review: Harry Potter's Order of the Phoenix for the Wii
The following is a guest review by a Mommies with Style Dad, Josh. Josh lives outside of Philadelphia and has two kids, a girl (5) and a boy (1.5)
EA’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the Nintendo Wii is simply magic. Wandwork is front and center in this edition of the Harry Potter franchise, and the Wii’s intuitive, motion-based interface allows players to cast numerous favorites from the franchise (i.e., wingardium leviosia, expelliarmus) literally with a flick of the wrist. The graphics are nothing short of spectacular, offering the player virtually unlimited access to Hogwarts Castle and visits to Little Winging, Grimmauld Place and (eventually) the Ministry of Magic.
Because the “game world” is simply huge, getting lost – particularly in Hogwarts Castle – is easy. Luckily for players, the creators give one-button access to the infamous “Marauders Map,” which, in turn, allows players to maneuver around Hogwarts, locate rooms and fellow students, and avoid that awful Professor Umbridge. As the game progresses, players also have the opportunity to play as other characters besides Harry Potter, including Sirus Black, Fred and George Weasley, and Professor Dumbledore. I was also glad to see the game incorporate several plotlines left out of the 2007 movie due to time constraints (ex. Harry’s angst about being passed over for the prefect post in favor of Ron and Hermoine).
Although the graphics and storyline deserve their “E for Everyone” rating, due to the complexity of some of the spell-casting movements with the Wii remote, children under 10 may need some occasional help from mom or dad. That being said, once everyone gets the hang of it, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be great fun for the whole family, and is a superb addition to the ever-expanding Harry Potter universe.
Of course this happened two weeks after my iPhone purchase (grr), but I thought I'd share in case any of you out there are thinking of getting one. Apple announced a new iPod today, and with it, they slashed iPhone prices.
The iPhone is a great price now ($200 less than before) so check it out. Here's a link to my review of the iPhone from a few weeks back. And be sure to check out the new iPod, it's touch-screen like the iPhone which is such a great feature.
It's hard to believe my children are going to grow up so versed in technology. I still remember my parents first Mac, which we had to boot up with a floppy disc and could do all of about 3 things. I was even still hand-writing (*gasp*) letters to my friends when I was in college to keep in touch.
Today's kids are certainly ahead of our generation. I've got my 3.5 year old doing things on the Internet that his grandparents can't even do. Just the other day, he showed me how to get past a level in a Diego game that even he knew the answer to more quickly than I did. It's a bit frightening but also I also think it's pretty cool.
The latest product we've been testing out for the computer is this Easy PC system from ComfyLand. This is a great into computer for a toddler. It's a "keyboard system" that plugs right into your USB cable. A couple of big colorful buttons, along with a fun little program that's provided, help teach your child how to interact on a computer. It also teaches them how to use a mouse. The age range is for ages 1-5; they obviously have different programs for different aged kids (either ages 1-3 or 3-5 and there are various levels in each age range).
So my cell phone finally died. I had the pretty pink Motorola Razr and I think letting Cole us it as a teething toy finally backfired on me (there's a surprise). It just decided to stop working one day. I took it into my local AT&T store and after proclaiming that they: 1) couldn't fix it and 2) I was beyond my warranty, I started looking at new cell phones.
I stood in front of the Blackberry and Treo section thinking that it was about time I sucked it up and bought something that would give me a means of checking email when I'm away from the house. I played around with both, not too enthused about either (and since my husband has a Blackberry he's always glued to, I'm irrationally annoyed by Blackberrys in general) when the iPhone display came into my peripheral vision.
So it wasn't cheap, but it wasn't a hard sell as I'm somewhat of a techno-junkie (trapped in a Mom's body). 15 minutes later, I walked out of the store with my new iPhone in hand.
In short, it's the coolest thing ever. I couldn't possibly go into every feature without most of your eyes glazing over so I'll just focus on the major ones:
A touch screen. Voice mail that lets you touch and listen to each one without having to go through all of them. Email (free accounts and POP). An iPod. Internet browsing, Text Messaging, the Weather and more. True, it has a ton of features already available in other PDA/cells available today but I find this one to be by far the friendliest and easiest to use of the ones I've played with. It's just made for a Mom! It locks (no kiddies dialing out by accident), it has nice big numbers (easy to use the touch pad when you're in a hurry) and more.
I got the 4GB - my iPod's 30GB so I obviously had to pick and choose what would go on the iPhone. But I basically made a couple mixes for myself, one for my kids and then downloaded a few tv shows for them if the need ever arises. I can get my email, my phone calls and entertain my kids, and it all sits in a small pocket in my diaper bag.
I'm waiting for Apple to make a product that'll change my kids diapers too, then I'd have it all. And they need to make it in pink. It's a little manly looking for my girly self.
The 4GB is $499, so I won't insult anyone by saying it's related to anything remotely resembling a bargain. The only consolation: email service is cheaper ($20 for the iPhone, whereas it was $30 and $40 a month respectively, for the Blackberry and Treo). I got it in-store at AT&T, you can also buy it at the Apple store with free shipping.
I saw this iPod gift set from Best Buy recently and thought it would make a great present for a Mom. Cute little box, a 4GB iPod Nano (fits 1,000 songs) and a bag of chocolate, what could be better?
The set's $199.99 but currently $10 off for $189.99, you can only find it in-store. The 4GB Nano itself retails for $199, so this is a nice little package. (Especially if you're challenged with cute packaging and wrapping like I am.) You can pick pink or silver for the Nano. Dads, you should get all over this one if your woman's birthday is coming up.
Here's a mommy invention that is literally a lightbulb moment. It's called the babeebright and it's about to shed a little light on your life. Just a little though, because sometimes less is more.
Like at 4 am when you want to check on your baby but don't want to wake him. Or at midnight, when you sneak in to do that late night feeding but want to keep her mostly asleep, so hopefully you will sleep.
This smart little light clips onto your clothes and lets you see where you are going, sheds enough light to change a diaper or check on your child, but not so much that it wakes the whole house. It has an automatic shut off feature to preserve battery life. The shut off time is set to seven minutes so it serves as a built in timer when you are breastfeeding, telling you when it is time to switch sides.
Once you have this light, you will want more. The uses are nearly endless - illuminate the contents of your diaper bag, clip it on your stroller for greater nighttime visibility, and keep it on your bedstand for nighttime reading - don't worry, when you fall asleep after one page, it will shut off!
This is a perfect diaper bag stuffer for a shower gift and a thoughtful extra "something" for a new mom. Mommies With Style mention this article in the comments and get free shipping when you order your Babeebright from Mom4Life.
At a recent pre Golden Globes gifting suite, celebs and their tots were showered with gifts from dozens of luxurious baby companies. But it was familiar brand Munchkin that celeb parents got gushy about. Stars flocked to Munchkin to pick out everday must haves and modern necessities from this well trusted manufacturer.
New parents like Dr. Linda Li (Dr. 90210) and Craig Robert Young (Pirates III) lit up over innovative new Munchkin products like the iCRIB - a portable sound and light device that lets you turn your ipod or mp3 player into a soothing sound and light show for your child. Actors Amy Acker (Alias) and James Carpinello had 4-month-old Ava Grace in tow and said they aways bring theirs with them whereever they travel with her.
Actors Angela Bassett, Chandra Wilson (Grey’s Anatomy), Ming Na (Vanished) with son Cooper (15 mos), Tia Carrere and Bill Bellamy chose to get practical with Munchkin's snack catchers. Because we all know there is nothing less posh than a trail of fishie crackers, leading you to a tiny perp.
And actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes) who is the dad of three little boys, scooped up bath products including the Turtle Super Scooper (soon to be available at Target.com), the Gone Fishin’ Bath Toy, White Hot Super Safety Ducky and Bath Squirters. These innovative products may not be the flashiest, but they were definitely the splashiest for those in the know about real life parenting. Other popular items with celebs in attendance included Munchkin's safety certified bling pacifiers and matching cases, teething toys, and a new plush changing pad cover with built in storage.
Munchkin items are always a hit with parents celeb or not, because the company has a long history of anticipating the needs of parents and children. They are constantly finding creative new ways to address those needs and support their customers. And in the end I think that's worthy of a Golden Globe itself - perhaps for Best Supporting Swag.
Get real with the same stuff the celebs chose by checking munchkin.com for online and local vendors.
As I blog about this product, I wonder where my life was before I had this. It's sort of the same feeling I had with my iPhone or my computer. This falls into the catetory of "little technological items that make my life a whole heck of a lot easier that I can't imagine living without".
They say every party has a pooper and that's why taking pictures of your family can be a drag. A certain girl-child in my passel -o-four is famous for making us all stand around for ages with our cheesiest grins on, while she frowns gloomily. And then she flashes her wickedly adorable smile sparingly and lightning fast, making the picture taker feel like a contestant attempting their luck at a rigged carnival game. Click... miss! Click... too late! Click...better luck next time! Sucker! 
The last two weeks of my pregnancy have been tough. But my 
Just to be funny, I want to write into the programmers and ask if they've factored in random biases like how taking care of a four and one year old all day may tire your brain as well. But, nothing's perfect, right? And it was fun to do the little exercises (and my four year old got a kick out of watching us play - and I have to figure that his running commentary while I tried to race through the timed challenges couldn't help - right? Anything to make excuses.)
I saw this 
Like at 4 am when you want to check on your baby but don't want to wake him. Or at midnight, when you sneak in to do that late night feeding but want to keep her mostly asleep, so hopefully you will sleep. 
At a recent pre Golden Globes gifting suite, celebs and their tots were showered with gifts from dozens of luxurious baby companies. But it was familiar brand 
And actor Greg Grunberg (Heroes) who is the dad of three little boys, scooped up bath products including the Turtle Super Scooper (soon to be available at 
