Tag Archives: iPad

Best Tablets For Kids

If you are shopping for a child this holiday season, choosing the right tablet for him/her might be on your to do checklist. Children love technology and manufacturers love to make their products the most appealing. Since my daughters were born, they have been introduced to various technological products through the years. Being a technology lover myself, I never really shied away from buying them the latest products on the shelves. Unfortunately, my excitement has been known to get the best of me, and my choices have not always been suitable for their age.

Now, I am not saying that I buy inappropriate things for my children… I have bought them products that were a bit too advanced for their little hands though. Once again, the gift giving season is here and both girls want their own tablets. I decided to investigate and share the results with my readers.

Fuhu NABI & NABI2 Tablet

The NABI and NABI2 are popping up everywhere. Although the NABI has been around for more than a year, it was not until a month ago that I heard about it. I decided to find out what the excitement over this 7 inch tablet was all about. Manufactured by Fuhu, the NABI is an Android Tablet specifically designed for kids. I love their motto “Learn. Play. Grow. For Life.” Based on customer comments, the NABI is also suitable for toddlers. Similar to the iPad, NABI has a cloud for syncing and storing information. Other key features include an e-reader, a treasure box, chore list, parental controls, top billboard songs available for download, and even live streaming for those Saturday morning shows while mom and dad have to run errands. Overall, it is one of the most robust tablets specific to children yet, also enjoyable for mom or dad.

LeapFrog LeapPad2 Explorer

Although my girls already have the LeapPad, I had to include it on my list. Last Christmas, the LeapPad was one of the hottest sellers. Finding one to buy was nearly impossible. Fortunately, I stumbled upon 2… IN PINK! Christmas morning came and my girls had no interest in their LeapPads. It was disappointing to say the least. Little did I know then, but they just weren’t ready for them. This year, the LeapPads have become their traveling companions. The games are great but can be pricey. If you have an early reader, the LeapFrog website has great books available for download. What I love most about the books is the various ways your child can read them. The words can be highlighted as the LeapPad reads to your child. If your child is trying to read a book by him/herself and get’s stuck on a word. Simply pressing on the word will make the tablet read it out loud. Overall, a great purchase for children 5 and up.
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Fisher-Price iXL 6-in-1 Learning System

Starting with the 6-in-1, the Fisher-Price iXL features a Digital Reader, Game Player, Note Pad, Art Studio, MP3 Player and Photo Viewer. This rugged system comes in 3 colors (silver, blue and pink), and is great for kids new to technology. Kids can add their own music and photos, personalizing with fun drawing tools and digital stickers. And they’ll love all the different ways to play, learning important fundamentals from preloaded games and animated story books. iXL™ comes with a Media Manager on CD-ROM, making it easy to load and manage photos, music and other content. With so many options, the iXL will keep children busy for hours.

VTech InnoTab 2 Learning App Tablet and VTech InnoTab 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablet

The VTech InnoTab 2 and 2S Wi-Fi Learning App Tablets are durable, built for kids, offer a built-in digital camera, a plethora of games and much more. Vtech recommends children ages 4-9 years can use these tablets although my friend’s 3-year-old refuses to put hers down. The tablets include apps, and you can download more on-line. The camera is actually a rotating camera for photos and videos. They even have an interactive e-reader for new and seasoned readers. These tablets are multi-media products, with educational games as well as an amazing creative outlets for children. After testing these tablets out, I couldn’t help but include them on my list!

Kurio Kids Andriod Tablet

The Kurio Kids Tablet is an Android Tablet specially designed for kids with a drop-safe bumper! This tablet can also be enjoyed by adults with its a capacitive multi-touch touchscreen, front and rear facing cameras, HDMI & USB connections, integrated Mic, Wi-Fi, and Flash 11 support. Kids, teens, and parents alike can watch videos, write emails, surf the web, take photos & record video, read e-books, play music, and more. Adults can also exit the Kurio Interface and switch to the sleek Android System through the Parental Area. Packed with Preloaded Kids’ Content, it even offers premium versions of some of the most popular apps.

That’s it for my top tablets for kids… until next year… Happy Holiday Shopping!

Posted in Apps, Children, Education, Family, Kids, Media, Mom, Parenting, Shopping, Tech | Tagged christmas, fisher price, gifts, holiday, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kurio, leapfrog, NABI, NABI 2, presents, tablets, tech, VTech | Leave a comment

Elfster – Holiday Shopping Made Easy

I’m Making A List… Checking It Twice… Too bad nobody else is…

Shopping during the holiday season is hard enough. Making sure you buy just the right gifts and don’t give a gift that someone already has makes it even tougher. With technological advancements being on the rise, it only seems logical that developers would finally come up with a great app to solve everyone’s holiday shopping dilemmas. Hence, the arrival of Elfster!

Elfster is one of the cutest and most useful apps this holiday season! The best part… it’s FREE! So, you ask, what is so great about this app? Elfster simplifies gift giving, and makes your gift shopping and wishing more fun and social. While on the go, you can easily see your friends’ wish lists, ask them secret questions, check out the hottest trending gifts, or check in on your “secret santa” style gift exchange with friends, family and colleagues scattered far and wide. Anytime. Anyplace. And bar code scanning lets you add wishes to your own list anytime you run across something cool while out and about. Join millions of happy gift givers and party lovers using Elfster, the leading free, online gift exchange organizer and wish list site.Simplify birthdays and holidays and every gifting occasion with the official Elfster app for iPhone.Features: Add anything from anywhere to your wish list. Find and follow friends wishlists (and they can follow yours). Participate in a “secret santa” style gift exchange. See who your “secret santa draw is. Check out trending gifts and get inspired. Like gifts on Facebook. Tweet cool gifts. Send secret questions to your friends. Enough said. Just get the app and enjoy!

Posted in Apps, Family, Kids, Media, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Shopping, Social | Tagged birthdays, christmas, elfster, gifts, holiday shopping, holidays, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, presents, social, tech, wish list | Leave a comment

Vintique – Photos Gone Vintage

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A Rare, Yet Stylish Find – Take your pictures back in time with the Vintique Photo App. No matter how technologically advanced we are, it’s amazing how many people, like myself, prefer the look of pictures before the forward movement. Fortunately, … Continue reading →

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Writer – Best Tools For Writers

The Writer… Whether you write for a living, for fun or simply because you have to, there are some tools that are a necessity. Below are a few that have helped me meander through the wonderful world of writing…

	THE APP… WriteRoom Finding WriteRoom was one of the best things that happened to me during my writing career. WriteRoom created something I rarely had being a mother, wife, having a full time job and trying to write on the side… peace. Sounds odd for an app but WriteRoom created a perfect setting for me to write peacefully. Oddly enough, WriteRoom is one of the most basic apps I have ever used, yet genius. The name of the app says it all. Open the app and start writing. The app has been set up so that you have NO distractions while you write. Whether the spelling is incorrect, or you haven’t decided on a font yet, it just doesn’t matter. All of that can be dealt with at a later time within the app itself. The idea is to write. That is it! Just write!
	THE NOTEBOOK… Moleskine Before finding the Moleskine journal/notebook, I was a journal/notebook hoarder/junkie. Every time I went shopping I seemed to come home with “yet another” notebook. Rarely did I fill the last page with my writing… Here are the top 3 reasons why I love Moleskin notebooks so much: They come in all sorts of colors. My preference is the Moleskine Kraft journal because I can duct tape it however I like! They are so light, that I bring them everywhere with me. They are handmade, yet very durable.
	THE INSPIRATIONAL NOTEBOOK… Smash Folio My Smash Folio is my FAVORITE! It even comes with a great tool attached… Pen… AND Glue Stick! Things I add in my SMASH Folio: Things that make me smile, Concert tickets/Events I go to, Color combinations that tickle my fancy, Design ideas, Quotes I love, Things my children do, Memories I never want to forget, and more… When I lose a bit of inspiration, I take a peek at my journal… Always ignites a spark! I love how K&CompanySMASH Folios claim the Smash Folio is the “unscrapbook” for people who don’t have time or think they aren’t creative!
	THE BOOKS… Inspirational Books For Writers I have a few… The book I read which helped me decide to start my blog and more is The DIGITAL MOM HANDBOOK. Written by two successful Mom Bloggers, this book is the real deal. The second book… WRITING DOWN THE BONES. This is a recent read/love of mine… The moment I started reading, everything Natalie Goldberg wrote resonated with me. Life as a full time mom, wife, career woman and writer, finding time to write is difficult. Finding time to read is even harder… unless you find a book like this one! Then, you make time to read. I sure did!
	THE GRAMMAR BOOK… THE BLUE BOOK OF GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION Experienced editor or not, we all need a great book on grammar. The Blue Book of Grammar and Style is clear, easy to read and breaks everything down in a simplistic way.
	THE THESAURUS…The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus Experienced editor or not, we all need a great thesaurus. My favorite is The Merriam-Webster Thesaurus. It’s affordable and I really like how it is organized. How often I find myself trying to describe something… and then it happens… I read what I wrote and realize that I used the same descriptive word 3 times. Well, since that descriptive word is on the tip of my tongue, stuck in my head, nearly causing writers block… I have no choice but to resort to a trusty thesaurus! It also helps when you are trying to sound smart… (wink, wink)…

Posted in Apps, Blogology 101, Get Organized, Tech | Tagged bloggers, books, digital, folio, grammar, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, journal, moleskine, read, scrapbook, smash, tech, write, writer, writeroom | Leave a comment

Children And The Internet

Managing Your Child’s Online Reputation

Before allowing your child to use the Internet, it is important that you educate them about the potential dangers associated with using the Internet.
- Explain to them why they shouldn’t visit certain websites and how they can compromise your child’s safety.
  - Teach them about the dangers of chat rooms and social networking sites.
  - Tell them about online strangers and predators. Explain that they should not communicate with any strangers on-line just like they are not supposed to in the real world. Make your child aware that although an online profile might show that the person is the same age as your child, the person may be an adult posing as a child.
  - Explain the importance of keeping personal information private. Their profile should not show things like the school they go to, the town they live in, their email addresses and more.
  - Stress that your child should never post future plans or their whereabouts.
  - Your home computer should be in a room that is commonly used by your family.
Use parental controls available to you.
Familiarize yourself with checking the history of internet usage on your computer.
Communicate regularly about your child’s online usage.
Approve all websites before your children access them.
Be sure to check the content and make sure it is safe before letting your child create any profile on it.
Be aware of all websites your children access. If they are social networking sites, parents should have the passwords so they can watch their child’s usage.
Your computer should always have some sort of antivirus and Internet security software on it. Make sure it is always updated.
Check that all of your child’s social networking profiles are private.
Encourage your child to use your email address for their profile so you can monitor friend requests and messages.
Make sure you discuss friend requests with your child to make sure that strangers do not have access to your child’s profile information.
Remember, to protect your child online, parents must educate themselves about the risks associated with the Internet. If parents are not aware of the potential dangers, it will be harder to ensure your child’s safety.

Posted in Apps, Children, Education, Family, Kids, Media, Mom, Motherhood, Tech | Tagged cell, cellphone, cyberbully, cyberbullying, facebook, i-stuff, internet, iPad, iPhone, iPod, online, parents, predator, safety, school, sexting, social media, social networking, tech, twitter | Leave a comment

Free Greeting Card – What A Treat!

Treat is offering a free greeting card (for any occasion) to everyone today.

Whether you need a personalized card for a birthday, boss’ day, anniversary, or for any of the hundreds of occasions on Treat’s site…or even just to say hello, you should check out this offer.

Head on over to Treat now and choose from one of their thousands of designs. Then personalize. You can change the text, the font, and the colors, add a picture or four, and truly make it your own. Then just use the code TREATXOXO at checkout to get it completely free (including shipping). You only have to pay if you choose to have Treat send it to the recipient ($0.45 for the stamp).

That’s all there is to it. The offer expires tonight at 11:59pm PT so head on over now!

Posted in Apps, Children, Family, Kids, Mom, Motherhood, Shopping | Tagged anniversary, baby, birthday, card, cards, favor, free, gifts, greeting, halloween, holiday, i-stuff, invitation, iPad, iPhone, iPod, personalized, shower, Stationary, tech, treasure, treat, trick, wedding | Leave a comment

Starbucks At Home With Verismo

Starbucks, my morning wake up call… Our morning shuffle includes waking up much too early, arguing with my little one about here attire for the day, desperately trying to find matching uniform socks for my eldest, and trying to get out the door before my husband can. Why, you ask? Obviously it has to do with something self-serving… something like Starbucks maybe?

There are two ways I can get to work in the morning. The first, being the most streamline route, gives me the opportunity to pass by a few decent coffee shops on the way. The second, which incorporates dropping my daughter’s off at their school, puts me in close proximity to a local Starbucks coffee shop. Clearly, the latter route is more appealing. Back to my morning shuffle… each morning, I time myself whether in the shower, brushing my teeth or putting on my face. Yes, I time myself so that I can make sure to be able to get out of the door before my husband can. It’s my only excuse to meander over to my local Starbucks and order a little something special for myself.

Fortunately, Starbucks has once again thought about my needs and desires, adding yet another incredible item to my “I WANT THAT” from Starbucks list. IT’S CALLED VERISMO! Verismo is the ULTIMATE in tech! Better than the latest iPhone… Better than waiting in a line for coffee… Better than sleeping through my morning… And WAY better than timing my every move just so I can lead my family out the door each morning. Instead, this contraption is going to allow me to enjoy ALL of my favorite caffeinated concoctions in the luxury of my home… Nom Nom! Another bonus for you… Get FREE shipping and a box of coffee pods when you order any Verismo machine.

Posted in Apps, Family, Humanity, Mom, Motherhood, Parenting, Shopping, Women | Tagged alarm, caffeine, coffee, coffee maker, cook, drink, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, keurig, luxury, morning, nom nom, recipe, school, starbucks, tea, tech | Leave a comment

Organize Without Tech – My Top 3

Organization without the use of technology in the year 2012?

Although most people cringe at the thought, I embrace it! Although I am a technology junkie, I still love being able to see, feel, touch and of course… make it look pretty when it comes to keeping my life organized. Do I still use technology, you ask? OF COURSE (no, that should not read off course… Off course is when your car or any other vehicle is not “on course”… get it?) I do! Sidenote: I only added that little note in parenthesis because If I get another email telling me I should have written offcourse or off course, I might scream.

So, back to the topic at hand… I love technology. I also love being organized. I don’t always have technology with me. I don’t always have a pen to write with… I also have a tendency to break things such as my iPhone and my latest gadget here and there… Hense, the need for two places to enter my day-to-day happenings. Being a visual person, I love being able to see my life in front of me and determining my availability based on that. I also LOVE all things cute, beautiful and inspirational which is why a FANTASTIC book/journal like the SMASH Folio I own, is one of the BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER PURCHASED! For writing my latest musings or thoughts, ideas about my blog and anything else for that matter, it is necessary to have some sort of journal available at all times.

My Top 3 Organization Tools, with the exception of my technology products are listed below… 1st, my K&CompanySmash Folio, Mod Black. As you can see, they come in all sorts of adorable colors and themes. 2nd, my Moleskine 2013 Weekly Notebook Diary Planner Soft Cover
book. I prefer a weekly planner and the Moleskine weekly planner has a page with dates and a page for taking notes… ♥ THIS! 3rd, my Moleskine Ruled Cahier Journal Kraft Pocket: set of 3 Ruled Journals. They are light, easy to carry everywhere and truly, I just love jotting EVERYTHING DOWN IN THEM!

The product List…
Moleskine Planners
Smash Folios
Moleskine Notebooks

Posted in Apps, Family, Get Organized, Tech | Tagged calendar, crafts, creative, diary, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, journal, moleskine, notebooks, planner, scrapbook, smash, tech, write, writing | Leave a comment

Best In Music, Books, Movies And More – The Daily

The Daily… 9.17.2012
Best In Movies, Music, Books And More!

Movie Of The Day… Snow White & The Huntsman

Book Of The Day… No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

Music Of The Day… Tempest

Posted in Apps, Bookworm, Mom, Music, Shopping, Women | Tagged books, dylan, Huntsman, i-stuff, iPad, iPhone, iPod, music, no easy day, osama bin laden, read, rock, september, snow white, tech, tempest | Leave a comment

Wrath Of Grapes

9/12/2012… The Daily… Wrath Of Grapes (Yes, WRATH of Grapes)… Read on…
The Quote – The Product – The Book – The App – The Music

+ The Product…Shop Our Charm Of The Month – September
Spreading Positive Energy Worldwide – AlexandAni.com

If you haven’t heard about Eco-Friendly Fashion from Alex and Ani it’s time you visit their website for some Positive Energy!!!

+ The Book… The Grapes of Wrath
Of Course I could not suggest any other book when discussing grapes! After almost 40 years, John Steinbeck is still considered one of the greatest writers worldwide!

+ The App… Wine101
Who doesn’t need the greatest beginner’s guide to wine! Wine 101 not only helps you familiarize yourself with various wines, it helps you pair them with food and more!

+ The Music… Listen My Friends: The Best of Moby Grape

And of course… The Playlist…