Things. And Stuff.

New Wave Enviro Products

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:57:00 +0000

I have been packing school lunches for my three children for a few years now. Over the course of those years, I have used probably 2000 plastic sandwich bags and a similar number of juice boxes.

That is an awful lot of trash.

I'm a little bit ashamed to say that this is the first school year that I've really put an effort into creating no-waste lunches for my kids. Happily, New Wave Enviro Products contacted me to try out some eco-friendly products that I could use to help reduce the trash produced by my kids' lunches.

New Wave Enviro offers a lot of great products, including BPA-free water bottles and containers made from food-grade stainless steel. They also sell water dispensers and water filters both for drinking and bathtub water.

I tried out one of their stainless steel bottles and a couple of their plastic lunch box bottles. All of these were great sizes for my kids and perfect for their lunch boxes. And instead of packing them a juice box every day, with all of the waste that goes along with it, they can use these instead:

Here is an example of my best (almost) no-waste lunch yet. Yes, I know those GoGurt tubes get thrown away, but I'm new at this. Cut me some slack.

While I've been using Tupperware for things like sandwiches and crackers, New Wave Enviro also sent me one of their stainless steel food containers to try. At 6" x 4.5" x 2", it's too big for my kids' lunch boxes, but it would work really well for an adult. Or it's even big enough to fit enough of a meal to feed a couple of my kids at a picnic. Maybe all three.

It does fit in my favorite thing that New Wave Enviro sent me to try out, which is their new Bamboo Lunch Bag.
This thing is cool. It is big and soft and made entirely out of bamboo, which I've learned is the fastest growing plant on earth, making it kind of awesome as a raw material. I really like this bag. Even though it's a lunch bag, I've used it to carry other things as well because it is large and strong and all-around way cool.

There are lots of environmentally friendly alternatives to sandwich bags and juice boxes. This is just one of them. But they seem like quality products made with safe materials. There is a store locator page on their website to help you find their products, which seem to be mostly available at organic markets and stores like Whole Foods. You can also buy them online at Amazon.

Honesty Clause: New Wave Enviro Products sent me several products at no charge so I could try them out. They are as follows: the 12 oz Stainless Steel Bottle ($14.99), two of the .250 Liter Lunch Box Bottles ($3.50 each), a Stainless Steel Food Container ($19.99), and one of the 100% Bamboo Lunch Bags ($19). (Prices come from Amazon.)

Gardens of the Night

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Stimey is watching Gardens of the Night. This movie is all kinds of disturbing. In the first ten minutes, an eight-year-old girl is tricked into being kidnapped. And it gets worse from there. It wasn't terribly graphic or anything, but it is an absolutely terrifying movie. Terrifying. I just turned it off and I feel like I have a rock in my chest. Now I'm off to chain my kids to their beds and bolt all the doors closed.

The White Stripes

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:49:00 +0000

Stimey doesn't know if you've heard of this little unknown band or not, but she is listening to the White Stripes. Seriously. Why didn't you people tell me about them? I've had Elephant for, like, three years and just started listening to it. Seven Nation Army? Are you kidding me? I love discovering something great that I already own.

Comparing Portable Gaming Systems for Kids

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:36:00 +0000

Reader Aimee at Smiling Mama had an excellent question for me the other day about whether a DSi would be appropriate for a four-year-old. She writes:

"...Someone recommended that Lucas would be a great age to get a DS and that it would be an uber-helpful distraction to have when the new baby arrives. He'll be 4 in December so this could be a birthday or Christmas present. He hasn't played any video or computer games except some find this letter/number/shape apps on Abel's iphone. So my questions are...is he too young? Are there games he could play, etc. Would you recommend it?"

I've reviewed several kids' portable gaming systems, so thought I would take this opportunity to compare them to each other. You can always read my original reviews for the Leapster2, the V.Smile CyberPocket, and the LeapFrog Didj. Although I haven't officially reviewed it, I've also included information in this post about the Nintendo DSi.

Because we've tried so many, I'm frequently asked which gaming system I would recommend for kids. I'm going the easy route here and saying that I think it depends on your child and what you want from the system. But I will give you some pertinent information and pros and cons of each of the systems below.

V.Smile Cyber Pocket ($49.99)

This is a great little system that my kids have really enjoyed. It is simple for small children to use and the game cartridges are compatible with their console game systems if you already have one of those.

There is a good number and variety of game cartridges for this system, many of which feature much loved characters. Our favorites are Thomas the Tank Engine, the Wonder Pets, and Kung Fu Panda.

I've found V.Smile's customer service to be wonderful too. At one point, our Cyber Pocket just stopped working. I called the customer service line and the tech ran me through some troubleshooting. When nothing fixed the problem, he put a return label in the mail to me and they replaced it for free. You can't beat that.

I like this system because the games are educational, but not too hard. My four-year-old has really liked this system a whole lot, but it might be too young for the older set. My now eight-year-old will still play it sometimes, but he is far more likely to chose one of the other systems. I would say that you could get a good, solid two to three years of enjoyment out of this.

LeapFrog Leapster2 ($69.99)

The Leapster2 is the LeapFrog equivelent of the Cyber Pocket. Its games are also educational, and it has some nice features such as a drawing program that you don't even need a cartridge for.

Many of the people whom I've advised on the gaming system for kids dilemma has gone with the Leapster2 and been very happy with it. As with V.Smile, there are many games you can play with it that feature familiar characters. My kids have loved Jedi Math more than any other game.

One nice feature of this system is that there is room to create four different gamer profiles, so that multiple kids can play their own games and keep track of their own rewards. LeapFrog lets you upload your kids' progress to your computer in order to see what they've been learning, and also to download printable rewards.

I've found the Leapster2 to be slightly less intuitive than the Cyber Pocket. Your kids will pretty easily figure out how to operate it and work the different controls, but things like the volume control are easier on the V.Smile system.

LeapFrog Didj ($89.99)

The Didj is intended for a slightly older child. I don't think I would buy it for a child younger than seven. The games are more challenging and are still educational. If you want a system that a pre-tween will accept, but you're not ready to go to a system that offers fewer learning benefits, the Didj is a good way to go.

We've enjoyed Clone Wars and Indiana Jones games on this, and have mostly played math games. The math is definitely too hard for my 4- and 6-year-olds, and is challenging for my very bright 8-year-old. The games have age suggestions on them, which are pretty accurate.

My younger children have been able to play the action parts of the game, but have to hand the Didj to my eldest to have him unlock doors and gates by doing the math. We've also tried out a Hannah Montana reading game that my son sorta liked (you know, it was pink), but you had to have the sound turned up for it, which could be a problem in places like waiting rooms. As with the other games, however, there is a plug-in spot for headphones.

Nintendo DSi ($169.99)

The Nintendo DSi is pretty much the be-all-end-all of hand-held gaming systems. (I don't have, nor have I tried the Sony PSP, so I can't speak to how it compares.) This is a system that will grow with your child and will keep him or her happy until the day that it breaks. I have one, and I've been enjoying it as well.

There are literally hundreds of DS games, so if you're looking for young child-friendly or learning games, you will be able to find them. But there will also be games your child will want to play that have absolutely no educational value. (My son's copy of Math Blaster is sitting idle in its case while Lego Indiana Jones is getting a super workout.)

The DSi has so many other features as well, including a camera, online play, and more. Thus far, we've only explored the camera and games options. All three of my kids, ages 4-8, love the DSi and compete to play it. It is definitely the favored system at my house.

The downsides to me are that it is not inherently education based and that it is much more expensive than the other systems. (You can find games that are comparably priced to the other systems, and more expensive ones as well.) Although if you are looking for a system to grow with your kids for years to come, this just might be the one.

*****

So, Aimee (and everyone else), I hope that helps. I really think that all of these systems are good options if you're interested in a portable gaming platform for your child. To decide which one you want, I would definitely think about what it is you want your child to get out of such a system.

Let me know in the comments if you know of any other pros or cons of these systems or if there is another gaming platform that you think is great.

Honesty Clause: I received the Cyber Pocket, Leapster2, and DSi for free from the companies. (I am also a "Nintendo Brand Enthusiast.") I won the Didj from a blog giveaway. The prices you see listed above are the suggested retail prices, but you can generally find them for cheaper if you do a little bit of shopping around.

FlashForward

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:38:00 +0000

Stimey is watching FlashForward. I am really excited by this show. It has a great mystery at its base coupled with some fun characters. I'm particularly interested in their portrayal of an autistic child. So far, he seems to be a pretty accurate version of autism. I like that the show hasn't gone with blatant stereotypes for him. I'm interested to see where they go from here.

Business Cards: Staples vs. Avery Print-Your-Own

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:06:00 +0000

I use a lot of business cards. I have them for all my blogs, my videography business, and I created some for my (someday...maybe) special education advocacy practice.

I usually make them myself using Avery Clean-Edge Business Cards. Recently I decided to try Staples Copy & Print to make some more professional looking cards for my new blog, AutMont.

The photo above shows cards I made with Avery on the left and the Staples-produced cards on the right.

I have to say, I was not impressed with Staples. First, here is the cost breakdown for each of the above options:

A box of 400 Avery Ink Jet, Two-Side, Clean-Edge Business Cards costs $33.21. Plus you have to add in the cost of ink, and you have to be able to design and format them yourself. I use Photoshop and Quark to do that, although they have free templates you can use as well.

My order for 300 one-sided business cards on basic stock from Staples Copy & Print coast me a total of $44.51. I created my design in Photoshop, although they also have online templates. BUT! If you want to upload your own art and you use a Mac, you are going to have to call the customer service line and get the email address of a customer service rep and send the design to him or her because the Copy & Print website doesn't support Macs.

I have a long story full of sadness, anger, and woe about my Staples business card order. I won't go into the whole story, but here are the highlights: I got my order turned in (through email to a customer service rep) and asked for it to be ready at a nearby Staples store. The website promises same-day pick-up, but I gave them an extra day. When I went in, they said the cards weren't ready, but they would be ready late the next day. I went in two days later to have them tell me they lost my order. So then, I had to wait until Monday when the customer service line was open again, have the guy resubmit my order (to a different Staples), and picked them up the following day.

It was quite a hassle for a "same-day" order.

Once I got them, I still wasn't impressed. I suppose I should have asked for the pricier paper because the basic stock wasn't what I had hoped. I guess I assumed that because they were produced by a print shop that they would be of business card quality. They weren't. Honestly, they looked cheaper and were thinner than the ones I produced at home by myself.

Here I compare a stack of the Avery cards I made (on the left) with an equal number of my Staples Copy & Print cards (on the right).

You may notice that the Staples card stack is shorter, indicating thinner paper.

Then there is the fact that they were inconsistently printed. Here you can see that the cards are not uniformly produced:

The cards I make at home are often like that too, but I make and format the page myself, so I'm okay with it. I sort of figured that Staples would be able to produce a uniform card.

The image quality was pretty good on the Staples cards, however. Here, you can compare cards I made with the same image on Avery blanks (on the left) and the Staples cards (on the right).

After all of this, I will say that I won't be ordering business cards from Staples Copy & Print ever again. Comparing quality, ease, and expense, it makes so much more sense for me to just make them myself.

There are many other options to make business cards that you don't have to print yourself. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time to design, upload, and have them shipped to you. Let me know in the comments what is your favorite source for business cards.

Honesty Clause: I paid for both my Staples business cards and the Avery cards. After an irate letter to Staples, they did sent me a $25 store credit (yeah, thanks a lot). When they sent it to me they were all, "Per our conversation..." We never had a conversation—they never got in touch with me prior to emailing the credit. You should probably also know that I am highly pissed at Staples Copy & Print.

I'm Enthused About Nintendo!

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:29:00 +0000

I wanted to take some time here to let you know that I've joined with Brand About Town to be a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast for the next year or so, so you'll likely be seeing some Nintendo reviews and chatter around these parts in the coming months.

When Brand About Town contacted me, I was thrilled, and not just because of the possibility of free stuff and parties (of which there will be), but because I honest to god love the Nintendo brand.

See, my family are gamers, and we have been for as long as we can remember. I actually started out with the Atari 400, of which I have very fond memories. Alex evidently had the first Nintendo system, the name of which I can't even remember. But our "as a family" gaming journey began together waaaay back in the 90s when I bought Alex a Nintendo 64 as a gift. I cannot tell you how many hours we spent playing on that thing together, especially Mario Kart. (I raced as Bowser, Alex as Donkey Kong.)

When the Nintendo GameCube came out, it was a natural progression for us to buy that and spend hours playing it, which we did.

Since we've had kids, we've had less time to play video games, but as my kids have gotten older, they have started to enjoy them. Last year for Christmas, Alex blew my mind by buying me a Wii and Wii Fit. And I love them. But you know who loves them more? My kids. And you know what I love about them loving the Wii? Unlike with other video game systems (and, yes, we own others), this one actively engages more than their thumbs.

The games my kids really love on the Wii are the ones that get them moving. They love Outdoor Challenge, they love Wii Sports, and Jack has started asking for Wii Sports Resort, which his occupational therapist uses as a reward and a teaching tool. Jack is also super obsessed with the tank shooting game on Wii Play, spending hours drawing pictures of tanks and maps of their environments.

I think that means we own the entire Nintendo line, which is a little shocking now that I look back on this post. Oh, wait! We didn't own the DSi. But now we do. Brand About Town sent me a DSi AND the very game that has made me covet the DS for ages—Brain Age (2). I just about flipped my lid when I opened that package.

Although I might have flipped my lid more had I opened it two weeks ago, when we bought Sam a DSi for his birthday. (But now I have my own as well, and get to mess with Sam who thinks I'm stealing his game to play.) Sam is a good kid and spends a fair amount of his time in waiting rooms because Jack has therapy twice a week, so it seemed like a nice thing to surprise him with the game system that he always drools at when other kids have it.

He had never asked for one (I don't think he was bold enough to think we would agree to buy him one) and was NOT expecting it. After he opened the birthday present, his mind went into overload and he was completely unable to react:

He sat like that for a solid two or three minutes. For a second, I thought Nintendo had flat-out killed him.

All of this is to say that, as a family, we really love Nintendo. And apparently we are a little spoiled as well. But I also wanted to let you know why you would be reading about Nintendo products and events here for the next little while. No, I'm not being paid to write these posts or to host parties, but, yes, there are perks. But, you will still always get my honest opinion about the products. I just happen to really like the products. I think that just may be why they chose me.

So, carry on and happy gaming!

Honesty Clause: To welcome me to their program, Brand About Town sent me a Nintendo DSi, the DS game Brain Age 2, and a copy of Wii Fit Plus. You'll be hearing about the Wii Fit Plus soon. All the other games and equipment mentioned above have been purchased by me or members of my family.

Torchwood: Seasons 1 and 2

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 03:32:00 +0000

Stimey is watching seasons one and two of the British series Torchwood. To my terrible embarrassment, I'm really enjoying it. It's a lovely mix of science fiction, humor, quirk, adventure, and some actual, honest-to-God diversity, including a gay male lead, who is played for zilch shock value. Love it.

Lighting Their Fires by Rafe Esquith

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:50:00 +0000

As far as great teachers go, Rafe Esquith seems to fit the bill. He's a teacher in an urban Los Angeles school who has found ways to help many of his students excel in academia, the arts, and life itself.

Even Sir Ian McKellen is a fan, and, frankly, I could probably end this review right there, because seriously, what more do you want?

Esquith's latest book, Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children is less about Esquith and his kids, who put on well-received annual Shakespeare productions and more about laying out a gameplan of how you can help your kids reach their highest potential.

He presents important ideas to pack in your child's metaphorical backpack. All of his ideas are simple and seem obvious, starting with "be on time." As someone who is perpetually and chronically early, I agree with this and his other tenets, including, watch less (or no) TV, focus and pay attention, and learn to make the right decisions for yourself and not because others expect you to.

All these are lovely ideas and this book is full of great advice. I do have to say that the book and the writing style didn't entirely resonate with me. I felt a little bit preached to, and the tone seemed a little judgy. That's not to say that this isn't a book with great ideas and an important message. I was just hoping for more personal stories about the kids, a la Phil Done.

Even so, there was a lot of food for thought in this book. There are a lot of big ideas, and based on Esquith's success with the kids in his classes, those ideas work.

Honesty Clause: I received a free review copy of this book. "Lighting Their Fires" sells for $24.95, but you can find it for cheaper on places such as Amazon.

Stimey's Sister's Top iPhone Apps!

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:09:00 +0000

You've now spent four days reading about my favorite apps. But enough about me, what do other people like? I checked in with my sister, Ann, (who technically isn't me), who uses her iPhone to do pretty much anything she needs in her personal life and in her professional life as a doctor. She didn't name all the medical apps she uses, but here are her other favorites! (My ~~snarky~~ comments follow in brackets.)

Shazam (Free)

Cool app that you can hold up to the radio—it analyzes the song and tells you what it is. [I think there is more to this app, but I didn't bother to check as I ran to get my iPhone and test it out. Way cool.]

Safe Note ($0.99 or Free)

This is a notebook app with password protection. I use it for passwords and financial information. [But where do you keep the password for the app?]

Pandora (Free)

Radio app where you put in lists of people you like and it comes up with stations for you to listen to based on that. [I have Pandora on my iPhone as well, but I rarely use it. I need to remember to use it, because everyone who does loves it.]

PocketMoney ($4.99 or Free)

Budgeting app—I use it as a checkbook. It keeps track of what you have in your accounts, plus you can clear things that the bank has cleared so you know where the bank thinks you stand too. It's really easy to add notations when you're buying something at a store so you don't have to save receipts. [Plus, its little pig icon is adorable.]

Formula Pro ($4.99)

This is an app with tons of mathematical and other formulas. The neat thing is that you can define and save your own formulas, plus it's really easy to enter info and get an answer (versus having to use a calculator where there's more chance for error). [Neeeeeeerrrrrdddddd!!!! Also, I feel kinda dumb now, because I would never have a use for this in my sad little illiterate life.]

Boxed In ($0.99 or Free)

A simple but very addictive game. Move boxes around to get out of the maze. [Well, I'm glad to see that Ms. Mathematical Formula plays dumb games too. I'm going to go download this now.]

NYTimes, MSNBC, and TimeMobile (Free)

News apps. [Yeah, I wish I had something to add to this, but "news apps" pretty much covers it. However, I can add that I feel kind of embarrassed now that I don't have any news apps on my iPhone as I get most of my news from twitter.]

Apparently no one has any App suggestions for me. Hellooooooo!!!! Is this thing on? Well, if you do have app suggestions, leave them in the comments here so others can read them. And so I can download them.

Earlier on App Week: Scholastic Game Apps, Stimey's Top 10 Utilities, Social Media and More, Simple Games

Honesty Clause: All of these apps were downloaded by my sister and paid for (if there was a charge) by her.

Stimey's Top Twelve Simple iPhone Game Apps

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:41:00 +0000

When I got my iPhone, I was convinced that I would not be filling it up with games. Furthermore, I was convinced that I would never just hand it over to my kids and say, "Here. Keep busy." But I did and I do. The iPhone is a life saver when you're out with your kids and need to keep them entertained. I've found some great games—some for my kids and some for me—and most of them have been free. Read on!

Crosswords ($9.99)

This is quite possibly the app I use more than any other on my iPhone. This app downloads new puzzles everyday, so you will never run out (unless you spent a LOT of time doing crosswords). This has been well-worth the $9.99 it cost. If you want to give it a test run, download the free lite version first.

Sol Free (Free)

This is a great app for some mindless solitaire action, with enough variations to keep you busy. I only use the Klondike Deal 3 version, but there are several other games as well. Maybe the only bad thing about this app is that it keeps track of the amount of time you spend playing it. Oy.

Spazzle Free (Free)

This is a fast-paced Whack-a-Mole game that gets my kids giggling until they can barely breathe. Whack the moles with your finger, but don't get the cats!

Chicks on the Loose ($1.99)

Another make your kids laugh until they gasp game. None of my kids are very good at this game, but they love it. Fair warning: if you download the free version first, your kids will continually touch the "upgrade to full version" button until you give in and just upgrade already.

JellyCar (Free)

Tap the screen and rotate the iPhone to make your Jelly Car do silly things as it navigates a crazy course. I thought it would be hard for my kids to pick this up, but they got it in a snap, and they love it.

BrainTeaser (Free)

The object of this game is to match the pattern in the corner by tapping squares in the upper part. When you tap a square, all the adjoining squares flip as well. I got bored with this game almost immediately, but my husband loves it and will sneak away with my phone to play it.

Trace (Free)

This was my first iPhone game, and it holds a special place in my heart. My six-year-old was obsessed with it for a while, as was I. However, once you've done each puzzle once, it loses much of its appeal. I'm waiting for a sequel.

Pac Man Lite (Free)

The classic arcade game comes back in iPhone form. It's a little hard to navigate using the arrow buttons, but it still keeps my young kids busy and happy.

Lightsaber Unleashed (Free)

This app is stupid and useless. But my kids love it. It makes whooshing lightsaber noises and lets them build different color weapons on the screen.

Pole Position: Remix Lite (Free)

I loved Pole Position when I was a kid, but I had to go to an arcade and cough up a quarter. My kids just have to grab my iPhone and turn it this way and that to drive the race course. I don't think any of them have raced a qualifying time EVER, but they don't care.

Air Hockey Free (Free)

Again, I love air hockey, and while this free game doesn't compare to a big table, it does manage to get some of the flavor of the game in a fingertip version. You can choose from one player, two player, one puck, two puck, kiddie level, easy level...you get the point.

Doodle Buddy (Free)

This isn't technically a game, but I added it here because it is a fun app that keeps my kids busy, and is creative at the same time. You use your finger to draw whatever you want. Why bother downloading tic-tac-toe or hangman? Just draw it yourself with Doodle Buddy.

Tomorrow my sister guest posts with her favorite apps.

I'd like to have my last day of reviews be reader-suggested apps. Let me know in the comments or via email what your favorite apps are and why. Also let me know what apps you tried that were not worth the time.

Earlier on App Week: Scholastic Game Apps, Stimey's Top 10 Utilities, Social Media and More

Honesty Clause: All of these apps were downloaded by me and paid for (if there was a charge) by me.

Stimey's Top iPhone Apps—Social Media and More

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:29:00 +0000

Yesterday, I listed my top ten iPhone utility apps. Today, I'm going to tell you about my favorite apps that I use for social media purposes. (And a couple you can use when you're actually socializing in real life!)

Tweetdeck (Free)

If you know me, you know I love to tweet. And you also might know that my Tweetdeck is always open on my computer at home. So when Tweetdeck came out with their mobile version, I was quick to scoop it up. I love it. I've only used this and Twitterfon (now Echofon), and I like TweetDeck much better.

Whrrl (Free)

Whrrl is a great little social network that lets you create "stories" made up of photos and little blurbs. It's a great way to document an event or an outing. I haven't used Whrrl much, but I did create a story once. Then Alex yelled at me for hanging out with my iPhone instead of participating with the family, and since then I've been afraid to Whrrl in front of him. But some day I'll do it again. It's lots of fun!

BlogPress ($2.99)

When I was on vacation over the summer, I didn't have any internet connections, so I was entirely reliant on my iPhone to update my Blogger blog. I've only used BlogPress once to toss a short post up to my blog, but it was easy to use and seemed reliable. Just prior to downloading BlogPress, I'd tried to use BlogWriter, and I couldn't even get it to log into my account. BlogPress was a breath of fresh air after that.

Flickr (Free)

I don't use Flickr a whole lot, but I like having the option of uploading my photos from my iPhone camera to Flickr. If you are a serious Flickr user, I would consider this to be a must-have app.

Facebook (Free)

I kind of hate Facebook and I'm angry that I use it at all, but it does have its charm. And if you want to use Facebook from your phone, you've gotta have this free app. Easy to use and a fun way to pass time.

Movie Must-Haves: PhoneFlicks and Fandango (Both free)

Whether you're going to the movies or adjusting your Netflix queue for home viewing, these two apps will make sure that you never miss a movie you want to see again.

OpenTable (Free)

And as long as you're out on the town seeing a movie, you might as well used OpenTable to reserve a table at your favorite restaurant. I haven't been able to use this app yet because, frankly, the McDonald's drive thru doesn't use OpenTable, but someday I'll be out with my husband or my friends and I am going to look like a superhero for busting out this restaurant reservation app.

Tomorrow: Game reviews!!

I'd like to have my last day of reviews be reader-suggested apps. Let me know in the comments or via email what your favorite apps are and why. Also let me know what apps you tried that were not worth the time.

Earlier on App Week: Scholastic Game Apps, Stimey's Top 10 Utilities

Honesty Clause: All of these apps were downloaded by me and paid for (if there was a charge) by me.

Stimey's Fave iPhone Apps: Top 10 Utilities

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:31:00 +0000

It's still iPhone Apps Week here at Things. And Stuff. Today I'll be reviewing my favorite utilities and not-just-for-fun apps. I love my iPhone because it lets me do pretty much anything I want to do from wherever I am. Here are some of the apps that help me do that.

mBoxMail ($9.99)

I am one of the last sixteen people on the planet to use Hotmail as my main email account. I mean, I have a gajillion other email accounts, most of them through Gmail, but they all forward into my Hotmail account. So I was pretty sad to discover that the email app that comes with the iPhone doesn't sync up Hotmail. mBoxMail was the first app that I actually paid money for it. It's been worth it.

textPlus (Free)

A free app that lets you send free text messages? Great! I don't text very much—I could probably count my lifetime number of texts sent on my two hands—but every once in a while, it is the best and most efficient way to get in touch with someone. This app takes a little jimmying with to get it the right way, and if the person you're texting doesn't also have textPlus, your message arrives with a little bit of extra baggage. Still. Free texts.

Skype (Free)

I've used Skype from my computer for a while now because my mom lives overseas. You can't beat a free Skype-to-Skype call to Australia. I'm not sure if Skype still requires a WiFi connection to make calls (instead of just using a 3G network), but either way, it still beats landline-to-landline.

Yelp (Free)

Of all the "find a business and give me directions on how to get there" apps, Yelp is my favorite. You can search by category, location, or store name and then get quick and easy directions through the iPhone's map application. I will say that had I written this prior to having Yelp send me to two nonexistent Sears stores the other day, I would have been a little happier with it.

Lose It! (Free)

Studies show that if you write down what you eat, you are more likely to lose weight. This is a great little food tracker that lets you set a calorie goal and helps you search for and list all the foods you eat. It has a lot of options and ways to customize and save your settings. Great app! The only problem is...you actually have to use it to lose your weight.

iXpenseIt ($4.99)

This is an app that you can use in many ways to track your budget. I use it to keep track of the money that I spend day to day. It can generate reports and lets you customize different categories and settings. There is a free version (iXpenseit Lite) that only holds a certain number of records. So you can try it out and, if you like it, transfer your information over to the full version.

Kindle (Free)

My mother was an early adopter of the Kindle, and it nearly threw her over the edge when she saw that I could download a Kindle app for free on my phone. As far as I can tell, it does pretty much the same thing as the stand-alone Kindle. And it's free. I don't use it very much, but I always keep a book on there in case I'm stuck somewhere and need something to read.

iReward ($2.99)

The other day I was in a hardware store and my oldest child was being a pill. So I searched the App Store for a sticker chart app that would let me track his behavior on the go. iReward lets me mark his bad behavior. When he gets a certain number of stars, he loses a privilege. I use it for another son in a different way: every time he finishes a page of homework, he gets to award himself a star. At the end, he gets to play. This is a cool, easy way to track good and bad behavior even when you're out of the house and away from the stickers.

Recorder Pro ($0.99)

Use the iPhone's built-in microphone to record literally hours of audio. You can use this to record lectures, events, or notes. I particularly like this app because you can record in different formats, depending on what you're going to use it for. I recently recorded more than an hour on this app with no problem at all. Here's a tip though: put your phone on Airplane Mode so your recording doesn't get interrupted by a phone call.

NPR News (Free)

I get a lot of my news from NPR, and as far as I can tell, this just might be the best NPR app out there. You can use it to get live streaming of NPR, to create a playlist of stories to listen to when you want to, and find NPR stations by your GPS location or zip code, plus so much more. Never miss Car Talk again!

That's it for now. Tomorrow I'll be back with my favorite social media and social apps!

I'd like to have my last day of reviews be reader-suggested apps. Let me know in the comments or via email what your favorite apps are and why. Also let me know what apps you tried that were not worth the time.

Earlier on App Week: Scholastic Game Apps

Honesty Clause: All of these apps were downloaded by me and paid for (if there was a charge) by me.

iPhone Apps: Scholastic Games

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:41:00 +0000

It's iPhone Apps Week here at Things. And Stuff. Over the course of the next few days, I'll be posting lists of my favorites games, utilities, and more. I'd like to have my last day of reviews be reader-suggested apps. Let me know in the comments or via email what your favorite apps are and why.

I'm kicking off Apps Week with a group of Apps from Scholastic. I'm grouping these separately, because Scholastic gave these to me for free. Plus, because they're cool because they're all based on books.

Clifford's BE BIG with Words ($1.99)

This is a simple app that has young kids build three letter words all by themselves. They are guided toward spelling the words by choosing letters from Jetta the Poodle's paint palette. Once it's spelled, a picture is painted to show its meaning.

Honestly, I wasn't sure how much this would hold my kids' attention. Quinn, my four-year-old, is the only one of my kids that this game was age-appropriate for, but I swear, every time I turned around, he was playing this thing. There is definitely limited action on this, and your kid won't play it for hours and hours, but it's a fun little game—especially if your kid loves Clifford and his buddies.

I SPY Spooky Mansion ($0.99) and I SPY Riddle Race ($3.99)

My family loves the I SPY books, so it was natural for me to want to try these two apps. I thought my kids would like these games, but they've mostly ignored them. I, on the other hand, have really been enjoying them.

Each of the games has its own twist, but basically you need to find certain things in the pictures, just as in the books.

You can enlarge the screen in order to look more closely for your items. I gotta say, these game are tough. I didn't imagine it would be, but it is. Some of the puzzles totally stumped me. They're a fun way to while away some time. As you might expect based on the price, the Riddle Race has substantially more puzzles (60) than the Spooky Mansion game (21).

The 39 Clues Madrigal Maze ($3.99)

This maze game is definitely my oldest (8 years old) son's favorite new game. He loves mazes, so this is a perfect fit for him. The mazes get progressively harder, with more obstacles and time limits, as you proceed farther in the game.

We have a couple of the 39 Clues books, but haven't started reading them yet. I'm hoping that playing this game will get my son interested in them. But regardless of whether it makes him reads books, it does keep him happy while we're waiting for my other kids at swim class, so thumbs up in my book. Of the four apps we tried out, this one is our favorite.

Scholastic has a bunch of other apps based on their books, including Goosebumps and Word Girl.

Honesty Clause: Scholastic gave me codes to download these four apps for free.

Leap Frog Tag Learn to Read Phonics Books

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:35:00 +0000

"These are awesome!"

That was my oldest son's reaction when I plunked 12 new LeapFrog Tag books down in front of him and his two younger brothers.

The books is question were LeapFrog's new Learn to Read Phonics series. There are two sets of six: short vowels and long vowels (plus silent "e" and "y").

These paperback books operate just like other Tag books, but with a focus on phonics for 4- to 7-year-olds. Kids can touch color coded buttons on each page to hear the Tag read the whole page, read a word, or hear the name of a letter or the sound that it makes. Plus, there are games at the end of the books, just like with other Tag books.

The books help kids identify letter sounds and hear how they come together into words. Each set of books introduces a different set of skills. All of them work on phonics skills, word recognition, and reading basics.

But best of all, they're fun.

Plus, I really appreciate that you can fit all 12 books onto your Tag, even if you have the older version with less memory room. I have to admit that when I looked at the boxes of books, I envisioned having to traipse back and forth to the computer to add and remove books at my kids' whims.

This is, I believe, the only major flaw with the Tag. With so many fun books in their library, It's tough to decide which ones to leave on the Tag. Fortunately, I don't have to do that with this set. Yes, if they want to read one of their other Tag books, I'll have to switch things around, but at least while they're into these books, I won't have to go near my computer.

If you have a young child who is just starting to be interested in reading, this might be a fun way to encourage that.

Honesty Clause: I received reviews copies of both sets of Learn to Read Phonics books at no charge. Each retails for $19.99 for a set of six books.

Yummie Tummies

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:08:00 +0000

A few weeks ago Tech Savvy Mama invited me to a get together to meet Heather Thomson, creator of Yummie Tummie shapewear, and to eat cupcakes.

Which I thought was really amusing and sort of self defeating, until I got there and there was a sign in front of the cupcakes that said, "No muffin top zone."

Now, I have more to say about Heather and Yummie Tummie, and I'm going to say it after this, but I need to mention right up top that when Yummie Tummie says, "No more muffin tops!" they mean it.

See?

Okay, it's not a great photo and the lighting is bad, but do you see me sporting a muffin top? No. And trust me, I gots me a muffin top.

The cool thing about meeting Heather was that she told us all about how and why she started Yummie Tummies after having kids. She talked about trying all the shapewears that were on the market and not being able to find one that worked, was comfortable, and/or didn't terrify her husband. Finally she took scissors to her discards and cobbled together the beginning of Yummie Tummies.

She came up with shapewear that could be sexy and could not only be used as a foundation garment, but also as clothing in its own right. The Yummie Tummie line ranges from everything from tanks to nursing tees to dress length shapers to lingerie to...you name it.

Yummie Tummie gave me a gift certificate to try their line out for myself. I chose to try the boyfriend tank in a long length. I gotta tell you, I love it. I bought two and I wear one of them most every day. No, they don't eliminate my tummy pooch (sit-ups are going to have to do that), but they do minimize it. And the pooches on the sides (muffin top!) don't show when I'm wearing this.

Another benefit of the long length of the Yummie Tummie is that I can bend over without worrying about exposing my entire ass if my pants choose that moment to not provide, ahem, full coverage. You can wear the long length over your pants, but I choose to tuck it in, for precisely that reason. Plus, when it's tucked into your pants, it's not going to ride up or bunch in the slightest. Trust me.

Yummie Tummies are comfortable and sleek. You can wear them under a thin shirt without it being noticeable (although they're designed to be seen), and in fact, I am more likely to wear it under a thin shirt because my body will look better that way. It also takes the place of the camisole that I used to wear under low cut clothes.

Can you tell I'm a convert? Yummie Tummie products aren't inexpensive, mostly existing in the $60 to $85 range, but I consider it to be a solid investment in a piece of clothing that I will wear over and over again and will make me feel better about myself. You can buy Yummie Tummie is select stores, but if you buy online and spend more than $100, shipping is free.

Honesty Clause: Yummie Tummies gave me a $100 gift certificate to choose what I wanted. I bought two of the long boyfriend tanks that sell for $62 each.

LeapFrog: Let's Go to School DVD

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:17:00 +0000

I may be a little late on this for this year's back to school crowd, but my family recently watched LeapFrog's new Let's Go to School DVD, and were delighted by it.

This adorable DVD follows Tad and Lily who are nervous about starting school. So naturally, this being a LeapFrog DVD, a magical firefly gives them a tour of the classroom, which is just as nervous as they are.

My personal favorites were the super anxious chalk. Really funny. There are songs and jokes, and lessons in phonics, letters, and counting. It was really cute.

This DVD is targeted at the 3-6 year old crowd, but all three of my kids (4, 6, and 8) had a good time watching it. In fact, it was my 8-year-old who was the first one to ask for a repeat viewing.

There was a lot of giggling and laughing out loud while they watched this. Also, my kids are generally terrified of everything (and I mean everything) the first time they watch it on TV, and they weren't afraid of this.

Let's just pretend Jack's face isn't covered in ice cream, m'kay?
I definitely think this DVD is going to be a staple in our viewing rotation. I like it because my kids like it, but mostly I love it because of how gentle and sweet it is. There is absolutely nothing objectionable in the DVD, which I appreciate so much.

The DVD is about 35 minutes long, which is perfect for a quick and wholesome diversion.

Honesty Clause: I received a free review copy of Let's Go to School. It sells for $14.98, but you can currently get it on sale at Amazon for $8.49.

Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:17:00 +0000

One of my favorite giveaway items that I came home from BlogHer with is the Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera that was so generously handed out at the SocialLuxe party.

This small HD camera has been a terrific addition to my collection of family history tools. I took it with me when my family went on vacation to Wisconsin this summer, and I loved using it to catch snippets of my kids in action.

I always take a lot of photos, but even though I do videography in a professional capacity, I rarely take personal video, mainly because I've never before had a camera that I could fit into my purse.

I loved this. I took it with me everywhere and now I don't just have still images of my kids from vacation, but also footage of their little voices, mannerisms, and spirits that can only be captured on tape. I plan on eventually editing the footage together to share with my family.

The quality on this camera is great. Low light situations are a little tough for it, and that footage is grainy, but still perfectly acceptable for personal use. Here is an example of one of my clips. (The quality is better when not uploaded to this tiny Blogger version of the clip.)

I hope you paid special attention to the careful way that Jack tossed the fish back into the water.

This camera has some nice features, but perhaps most importantly, it is incredibly easy to use. It has, like, three buttons. It is very intuitive. And when you're ready to upload your footage to your computer, you just use the built-in USB plug to connect it to your computer.

You can play back your footage right there on the large 2.4-inch screen on the back.

It also comes with a limited zoom capability. One very nice thing is that the Zi6 comes with rechargeable batteries and a charger, so you don't have to worry about going through batteries like there is no tomorrow. I took more than 30 minutes of footage in short snippets before I had to recharge the batteries.

This camera also comes with software, but it is only compatible with PCs. As I am a Mac user, I just uploaded my videos directly into iTunes. Easy, fast, and simple.

I'm thrilled with the Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera and know that it will be a staple of my personal archival equipment for a long time to come.

Honesty Clause: I receieved the Zi6 for free in a swag bag. It sells for $159.95.

ScanDigital

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:26:00 +0000

Several weeks ago I got a PR inquiry from a company called ScanDigital that takes non-digital media (photos, videotapes, etc...) and converts it to digital formats. I was intrigued for a variety of reasons.

First, because I have a small videography business and I constantly have people asking me about converting videos to DVD. I don't have that capability, but would love to have a reliable place to send clients to.

Second, I was interested because I have thousands of paper photographs that mean a tremendous amount to me but that would be lost if something terrible, like a fire, ever happened to my house. There are too many to grab and take in an emergency (especially considering I'd be trying to save three kids, three pets, and a husband who sleeps through all alarm noises), so having these photos stored elsewhere in a digital format is a big deal. (All of the photos in this post were scanned by ScanDigital.)

My dad and I. I'm a kick-ass card player, by the way.

ScanDigital offered me a gift certificate to try out their services. I decided to use the photo to digital service, but am interested to know how the video service is. If anyone uses it, or has used it in the past, please leave a comment here to let me know if you were satisfied.

I'm going to disclose here that I signed up to be an affiliate for ScanDigital (which means I earn a percentage when people order from their site using my affiliate URL). I did this mostly for my videography business, but wanted to let you know my interest in the company.

The way it works is that you go to the website and download and print a mailing label (and pay a shipping deposit) and then send your photos to them via UPS. I was a little bit worried about sending my precious photos, but I felt better knowing that they had a tracking number attached to them. Also, ScanDigital does a good job of keeping you updated on the progress of your order, so you know when they've arrived, when scanning is done, and when they are being shipped back to you. All of my photos arrived back safe and sound and in the Ziploc bags I sent them in.

They scan all the photos and put them on a disc and in your own online gallery. They are organized in folders according to how you send them in. For instance, I grouped my photos in Ziploc bags and wrote names of the groups on the front. For example, childhood, high school, college, wedding and honeymoon. And that is how they came back. Each photo was named according to the group: "childhood-001," "childhood-002," and so on. It makes it very easy to go through and organize them.

"Childhood-020," a.k.a. me in my favorite shirt.

I sent in 175 or so photos and all of them were successfully scanned, but for one, which my computer was unable to open. However it is available in my online gallery.

The photos were well scanned, with older photos obviously coming back grainier because they were of lower quality to begin with. The photos, most of which were 4"x6" snapshots to begin with, are now available to be reprinted at a larger size.

For instance, this photo of the most adorable puppy known to human kind.
She's still cute, but not this cute.

They will also scan slides, negatives, scrapbook pages, whole photo albums, and other variations. Prices vary depending on the source of the photo, with unmounted photos being the least expensive. Pricing starts 48 cents a photo. It is definitely worth taking a look around their website to see if they offer the service that you need.

I only have one major complaint. The cost. Oy. ScanDigital is definitely comparable and competitive with other scanning services. And the way I look at it is that I would probably never do it on the scanner that I have at home. One or two photos, yes. 175 photos, oh my god, do you know how long that would take? They also have special pricing for packages. But in the long run I figure it's worth it. (Also, their website sometimes runs slow and is difficult to load.)

Especially when the photo I am preserving in a safe place and putting in a format that I can share, print, order, and alter digitally is as important as this:

Honesty Clause: ScanDigital gave me a $75 gift certificate to try out their services. Also, I am an affiliate for their company. Now, because I am so in love with the photos that I got back from them, I'm going to make you look at more below, in sort of random order.

Alex and baby Jack. The scanning is so clear you can still see Jack's tiny little tear.

Jack's first birthday. Sam picked out a cake with a giant fish on it.

At Alex and my wedding reception. I love this photo.
The negatives have long been thrown away by the wedding photographer,
so I'm glad to have it archived.

My favorite wedding photo. Especially because Alex is stepping on my dress.

My mom. Bow-chicka-bow-wow!

More of my mom. I love having these old photos safely digitized.

My dad. Photos of him are the photos I would be saddest to lose.

Can't I do anything by myself, Quinn?

Sam, age one. This photo may be even cuter than the puppy photo above.

My sister and I in college on Halloween.
I was Pippi Longstocking. She was Charlie Chaplain.
Best costumes ever.

My dad in the field. (He's on the right.)
How would I ever feel if I lost this?
Even if you don't use ScanDigital, back up your photos somehow.

Weight Watchers Giant Wildberry & Orange Sorbet and Ice Cream Bars

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:33:00 +0000

I am hesitant to recommend Weight Watchers' Giant Wildberry & Orange Sorbet and Ice Cream Bars because, frankly, they are too good. They just might sabotage your diet because you will want to eat all six that come in the box at one sitting.

I am dead serious.

I have been a fan of Weight Watchers' ice cream novelties for a long time, even when I haven't been watching my weight, but I hadn't tried these particular bars because they didn't look that interesting to me.

But then Weight Watchers gave me a coupon to try out an ice cream treat and I figured that I would go with something new. And...oh...my...god.

They are creamy and light and delicious. The texture is awesome. Each bar is huge and satisfying. But if you try the orange one first, then you're going to want to try the wildberry. And then you just might want to try to cram another one in your mouth for good measure.

Given the option, I will almost always choose chocolate ice cream over fruit, but these may have converted me.

In fact, my next excursion to the ice cream aisle may have me coming home with Weight Watchers' other fruity ice cream treat, their Strawberry, Key Lime and Passion Fruit Sherbet and Ice Cream Bars. And this variety is only one point a serving to the larger bars' two.

In all seriousness, go out an buy these. They are really good. Even if you're thin as a rail, you are going to like these.

Honesty Clause: I received a coupon to pick an ice cream novelty to try at no charge. They sell for about $4.99 in the store.

Play-Doh Burger Builder

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:06:00 +0000

You may not be aware of this, but today (September 16) was National Play-Doh day. Now, I'm flat-out going to tell you that I can't stand Play-Doh. I have all kinds of sensory issues that cause me to freak out when it's around.

Unfortunately (for me), my kids don't share my opinion. They LOVE Play-Doh and everything that comes with it. They can't get enough of the stuff.

They spotted the Play-Doh Burger Builder that I was sent to review and insisted on playing with it immediately. Like yesterday.

Even I, who don't like squishy things, have to admit that this is a cool toy. The first thing that I noticed about it is that, other than the Play-Doh name, there is no branding on the thing. I love that. A few years ago someone gave my kids a McDonald's Play-Doh set and it drove me crazy. I hated the consumerism that came with what should be just a fun, creative activity. Score 1 for the Burger Builder!

The Burger Builder is a fun little set. It's made up of three little presses to make the shapes of burgers, buns, lettuce, pickles, and more. There are six plates that are easy enough for small kids to put on the press and change all by themselves. There is also a little press for kids to make snakes, strips, and that sort of thing.

There's also a chip maker, or something to that effect. Jack (my six-year-old) really liked this. He liked seeing how it worked. I think it was a little hard to use, but he couldn't have cared less. He loved it. Maybe I was doing it wrong.

Another score for the Burger Builder? It comes with five cans of Play-Doh in all the colors you need to make a burger. Awesome.

This is a great toy. If your kids like Play-Doh, they will like this. It is not as complicated as some other Play-Doh sets that I've seen, so it's really functional and practical for all ages. My kids kept pulling this out day after day to play with it. They adore it.

And for that, I'm willing to forgive Play-Doh for being squishy.

Play-Doh is currently running a contest until September 30 that showcases your child's best Play-Doh art. Send Play-Doh a photo of your child's best Play-Doh food creation. Winners get a $5000 playroom makeover and a $5000 Doh-nation (ha, ha, ha) for their school.

Honesty Clause: Play-Doh sent me the Burger Builder and the backpack shown above at no charge. The Burger Builder sells for $15.99.

The Heat is On—Brazilian Heat

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 01:43:00 +0000

The following is a guest review by incredible writer and loyal blog friend Kristen, who writes From Here to There and Back. She also has fabulous hair.

********

About six months ago, my sister, who owns a small boutique PR firm, introduced me to Brazilian Heat hairstyling tools.

Before I go on, let me say one thing about my sister: though she represents some very cool products (like Brazilian Heat), she never sends me free stuff. Or at least, she never sends me free stuff unless I drive her crazy asking for it. So here’s my honesty clause—yes, Brazilian Heat is one of my sister’s clients; no, I did not pay for any of the product she sent me; and yes, I had to beg for it.

It all started like this: A long long time ago, I wanted a flat iron. So, my sister gave me one of her old ones. It was fine. I used it a few times a month when I wanted a more polished look, but I wasn’t particularly attached to it in any way. In fact, it seemed like a lotta effort for so-so results.Then I dropped it on the tile floor and one of the plates fell out, so I tossed it in the trash.

Two other things happened about this same time. Brazilian Heat became one of my sister’s clients, and I let my thick, wavy hair grow below my shoulders.

Though I liked my hair long, I found styling it was a chore. So, I asked my sister for a new flat iron. This is what she sent me.

Aside from the fact that it looks unlike any other flat iron I’ve seen, it is lightweight, easy to control and leaves my hair shiny and smooth. According to press materials, the plates on the Brazilian Heat flat iron are double dipped in ceramic allowing it to glide effortlessly through your hair. Available in both 1” and 1-1/2” plate sizes, the iron features six heat settings up to 450 degrees (heats up in 30 seconds) and has an on/off switch and digital temperature lock. Plus it comes with a great thermal pouch for storage or travel.

The truth is, as much as I like my hair to look good, I’m pretty lazy, so the ease of this flat iron really speaks to me. I don’t get all fancy sectioning off my hair—half the time I only run the iron through the top layer—but the end result is as close as I’ve ever come to having that salon look on a daily basis.

I love this flat iron so much, that I asked my sister what else was in the Brazilian Heat product line that I should know about. She offered to send me a curling iron for the days when I want to give my hair a little extra flippiness and a set of round brushes. She also sent me the blow dryer. I haven’t used the curling iron much (I’m just so crazed for this flat, smooth look right now...) but the round brushes (in four sizes) are incredibly easy to handle and the blow dryer is lightweight, powerful and again, just so easy to control.

The dryer features ionic conditioning—less drying time, healthier hair—a turbo boost and cool shot setting as well as a super long 9 foot power cord. I really like the way the dryer feels in my hand and the fact that I can control the heat setting beyond the traditional “low” and “high” of other dryers.

The truth is, I get a pretty polished look from the dryer and the brushes alone, with very minimal effort on my part. The brushes grasp my hair without pulling or tangling and the ceramic barrel heats up (from the heat of the blow dryer) changing color when it gets hot. All of which adds up to very happy hair, very happy me.

Brazilian Heat products come with a two year warranty, and though they aren’t cheap—the flat iron retails for about $80, the dryer for $100—I think they are definitely worth it. I love the way these products glide through my hair, doing the job in half the time it used to take with my old styling tools. And I really love the white and orange color scheme. Very cool.

VTech's Bugsby Reading System

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 16:49:00 +0000

We already have and love the LeapFrog Tag reading system, so I was very interested to see what VTech's similar toy, the Bugsby Reading System was like.

I assumed that it would be almost exactly the same, but I was wrong. There were some very different—and cool—variations with the VTech version.

First, and most obviously, the "pen" is a character: Bugsby. This is really fun, especially for younger kids. Plus, many of VTech's books feature Bugsby, which makes for fun interaction between the pen and the book.

I thought Bugsby was incredibly adorable. His little antennae light up when you turn him on, which I thought was extremely fun. My kids liked him too.

The other major difference between Bugsby and the Tag is that the Bugsby system doesn't require a computer audio download to read the books. Each book comes with a cartridge (in a handy little compartment attached to the back cover) that you can put into Bugsby's back and then immediately start reading.

I LOVED this. The thing that bothers me the most about the Tag is that you have to download the audio for each book into your Tag before you can use it with your book. Honestly, it's not that hard, but each Tag Reader only holds five to ten books, depending which version you have. So if you have a lot of books, you have to go back and forth to your computer to switch the audio files in and out.

This is much easier. It is a little difficult for kids to get the cartridges in and out of Bugsby (my kids couldn't do it by themselves), but it is much easier than dealing with audio downloads. The downside is that cartridges can get lost, so you have to be very careful to stow them away back into their books when your child is done.

The books themselves are really cute and a lot of fun for young kids. Kids can touch Bugsby to any page in the book to hear the story or sounds. Plus there are games for every page, as well as a game at the end of the book that has the child look for things throughout the book, which is great to teach kids about the structure of books, page numbers, and the like.

There are a lot of Bugsby books to choose from. They are hardcover with thick, quality paper. Some are new and feature Bugsby. Some feature popular characters that your kids already love, such as the Wonder Pets, Max and Ruby, Scooby Doo, Olivia, and more.

All three of my kids (ages 4, 6, and almost 8) liked Bugsby. But Quinn (4) and Jack (6) loved it most.

I have to say that I was really pleased with the Bugsby Reading System and would definitely recommend it for young kids.

Honesty Clause: VTech gave me a complimentary Bugsby Reading System (which comes with a book) and two additional books. The Bugsby Reading System sells for $29.99. The books sell for $12.99 each.

Thomas and Friends: Hero of the Rails

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:14:00 +0000

Having three boys, my family has done our share of Thomas the Tank Engine. We've collected the wooden trains, created elaborate tracks, gone to Day Out With Thomas, and have tried to watch the DVDs and TV show.

I say tried, because my kids have always been slightly deathly afraid of the traditional Thomas DVDs, voiced by George Carlin or Ringo Starr. They always claim to want to watch them, but then run away and watch them by peeking around corners.

Anyway, all of this to say that HIT Entertainment recently sent me a copy of Thomas and Friends: Hero of the Rails, which is a brand new CG-animated 60-minute special that is airing on PBS Kids all through September. News that we would be watching a Thomas video was not met with glee by my four-year-old, who ran away screaming. (Let's be honest here. I think the old-style Thomas shows are cool, but they are a little creepy and dark.)

I put on the TV show and my little guy started edging his way back forward...

...until eventually he was happily sitting in the same room as the TV, laughing and smiling at the TV.

I think he liked Hero of the Rails because it is a little more natural than the original show. Because it is animated, the facial expressions are more fluid and easy. Also, the characters all have their own voices, which was fun. The story is cute too. Thomas helps save an abandoned, broken-down train from being scrapped. However, as might be expected on the Isle of Sodor, mishaps abound. You can watch a trailer for it on YouTube.

It really is worth a look if you have a child that loves Thomas the Tank Engine. If your child watches and likes the original Thomas shows, s/he will LOVE this.

Find out when PBS Kids is showing Hero of the Rails on the PBS website. (They also have a new CG-animated Angelina Ballerina and a new Barney special airing this month.)

Honesty Clause: I received a review copy of Hero of the Rails at no cost. You can watch it for free on PBS Kids or buy it at a list price of $19.98 (although it is currently on sale at Amazon for $13.99).

LeapFrog Tag Junior

stimeyland@gmail.com (Stimey) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:39:00 +0000

My kids love their LeapFrog Tag reader, so I was excited to try out the Tag Junior, which is a new version of the Tag intended for younger kids, ages 2-4.

I have a four-year-old so I used him to test the reader, which came with a very cute little book called "If I Were..."

The Tag Junior differs from the regular Tag in that it is shorter, chunkier, and easier for a small child to hold in a fist. Plus, the books intended for use with the reader are sturdy board books, which is a way better bet for the 2-4 year old set, which is not necessarily known for their avoidance of page tearing.

My four-year-old liked the Tag Junior, but it didn't hold his attention the way the regular Tag does. I would definitely recommend this system for younger children. I imagine that a two- or three-year-old would be delighted by the ability to make a book talk to them.

The Tag Junior is very easy to use (once it's set up and you've downloaded the audio from the internet, which does take some time). A toddler could easily "stamp" the page with the reader to be rewarded with animal noises, music, and the story.

At this point, LeapFrog offers 13 books for the Tag Junior, including some classics, such as "Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?", "Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?", and "How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?" Each book focuses on a different preschool theme, including sounds, colors, letters of the alphabet, numbers, and social play.

The Tag Junior can hold the audio for up to five books at one time, and parents can swap the audio files in and out with their computers. The Tag Junior works with both PCs and Macs.

So if you have a young kid and you are tired of reading the same book over and over to him or her, or you just want to let your child explore a book alone, the Tag Junior might just be for you.

Honesty Clause: LeapFrog sent me a review sample of the Tag Junior at no charge. The Tag Junior sells for $34.99. Tag Junior books sell for $10.99 each.