Things. And Stuff.

500 Acres and No Place to Hide

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:08:00 +0000

I didn't know much about Susan McCorkindale when I first opened her second memoir, 500 Acres and No Place to Hide, but it didn't take long for me to learn that she is a terrifically funny lady who is hiding some serious depth underneath a whimsical exterior.

McCorkindale's shtick is that she is an out-of-place New Jersey girl whose husband brings her to farm country where she fumbles around her ranch in high heels, sharing her foibles as she goes.

And she is that. She's funny, she's silly, she accidentally kills a chicken in the first chapter. McCorkindale is someone I could hang out with, and her book is all kinds of fun. The pleasant surprise, however, is that she's far deeper than that.

Sprinkled in with the bullfrogs that surprise her in the middle of the night and the cows she has to chase down after they escape through holes in the fence, McCorkindale drops in passages about her autistic son and her own history with depression.

Where I wish she didn't have to show depth is in the second half of the book, where she chronicles her husband's brutal battle with cancer. By the time she starts to relate his story, I was so invested in her life that I felt like I was reading about friends, and I was heartbroken to find out about her husband's illness.

All in all, this is a funny, bittersweet read. I'll definitely be checking out her first memoir as well.

McCorkindale's first book is Confessions of a Counterfeit Farm Girl. She will be signing books tonight (September 7, 7 p.m.) at Barnes & Noble (3040 M Street, Georgetown) in DC. Find her full list of events on her Facebook page.

Honesty Clause: I received a review copy of this book.

A Parenting Book...Written by Kids: Guest Post by Vanessa Van Petten

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Vanessa Van Petten is the creator of RadicalParenting.com and author of the parenting book, “Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?” In her guest post, she writes about her website and her new book.

When I was 16, I thought it was my dad’s goal in life to make me miserable. I was convinced that he had a running list of all the ways he could embarrass me in front of my friends, trick me into doing more chores, or make my curfew earlier.

Our relationship would have continued to devolve until one day I saw my dad reading a parenting book. I flipped through it while my dad was in the bathroom and realized a lot of the things he did that drove me crazy he was getting right out of this book! I looked at the other parenting books on our shelves and realized that they were all written by adults. I wondered—has anyone ever asked teens to write to their parents?

I decided to build a website called RadicalParenting.com where teens could answer questions and write to parents. I couldn’t believe how quickly it grew and how happy teens were to get their voices out and parents were to have a new outlet for connecting with their kids! We now have over 120 teen writers who give advice.

Teenagers, when given a neutral space, LOVE talking to parents and often offer some of the best insight because they are going through it themselves. We have also been so excited to help parents who feel like they cannot reach their kids and teens.

I think teens and parents can work together to overcome their differences and learn to work best together. We have just come out with our book: "Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?" and it is a radical approach to parenting because it is written from the kid’s perspective! We would love for you to check it out—if you are brave enough to see what kids have to say!

Here is what Publisher’s Weekly had to say:

Van Petten, founder of the popular Web site RadicalParenting.com, offers parents a candid view of the contemporary teen’s world in this eye-opening text. Van Petten uses actual stories about teens and their often anxious, angry, or befuddled parents to introduce each chapter.

Pointing out that she is neither a parent nor a teen (nor a doctor, therapist, or counselor), the college-grad author has nevertheless earnestly investigated her subject and includes current research on teens as well as hundreds of “real quotes, interviews, e-mails and advice from actual teens.”

Van Petten explores a variety of timely subjects, including peer relationships, teen/parent communication, bullying, technology, and “risky business” (smoking, drinking, sex, and more). Her outlook on technology and “Internet savvy” is particularly incisive, emphasizing not only the hazards of “time-suck” activities (i.e., Facebook, chatting on IM, and texting) but also the many social and academic benefits of the digital universe.

Like a crafty spy, Van Petten comfortably segues from parent to teen perspective, and while noting that each adolescent is unique, she skillfully opens doors to the collective teen psyche. —Publishers Weekly

Vanessa Van Petten is one of the nation's youngest experts, or "youthologists" on parenting and adolescents. She now runs her popular parenting website, RadicalParenting.com, which she writes with 120 other teenage writers to answer questions from parents and adults. Her approach has been featured by CNN, Fox News, and the Wall Street Journal. She was also on the Real Housewives of Orange County helping the housewives with troubled teens. Her next book, "Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I'm Grounded?" is being released in September 2011 with Plume Books of Penguin USA.

Nintendo 3DS

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:05:00 +0000

So, the Nintendo 3DS. I know I am woefully late with my review here, but because it has taken me so long to write this, my family and I have really had a chance to see how it works and how much we love it.

There are a lot of features on the 3DS that don't come on other versions of the game systems in the DS family, making it a unique and fun addition to our family gaming collection.

Of course, the biggest advance in this game system is the 3D option. You don't need glasses to use this system in 3D mode, and it is really, really cool. Generally I don't care for 3D, even going out of my way to find movies in regular ol' 2D theaters.

Playing Asphalt 3D

As a novelty factor, though, the 3D on this system is incredibly neat. Furthermore, it makes certain games so much cooler. I get bored pretty easily of racing games, but playing a car race game in 3D? I was sold immediately. We also have Nintendogs + Cats in 3D, which is cool, but the 3D seems less important.

The nice thing about the 3DS is that there is a slider on the side of the screen so you can easily go from 2D to 3D and back again. If you don't want your kids playing in 3D (and Nintendo itself says not to let kids under 7 use that feature because they don't know for sure how it affects developing eyes) there are parental controls that let you control that feature.

So how is the 3D? Well, you do have to position yourself in just the right spot to get the right effect, which means that no one can look over your shoulder to watch you play because the screen will be fuzzy for them. Also, some people say that the 3D features makes their eyes tired, but if it does, you can switch right over to 2D.

Me and Mii

The 3DS also has a 3D camera, which is a lot of fun, and you can make your own Miis right on the 3DS. I object to the weird place they put the stylus storage spot (on the back of the system), but that's not that big of a deal, especially considering the 3DS also features a circle pad controller. There are several other neat features built into the system as well.

StreetPass is a feature where, if you set your controls to allow it and you carry your sleeping 3DS with you, you will exchange Miis with other sleeping 3DS' that you come in contact with. I would review this feature for you, but since we mostly play this system at home, we haven't managed to collect any other Miis yet, which is sad because it looks like there are additional games you can play once you collect them. I have taking to semi-stalking this kid who plays 3DS in the waiting room of my son's occupational therapist, but I don't want to be the creepy stranger asking to exchange Miis. That said, I think that once a Mii is on your system, there is no further connection to its original 3DS.

Also, if you are looking for Miis for your StreetPass, check out some of the Meetups people are planning on June 25 to exchange Miis all over the world.

The thing that first really pulled my kids into the 3DS is one of the games that comes built in to the system. Face Raiders and AR Games are both really neat, although we've played a lot more Face Raiders because the AR Game requires that you have a physical card on a surface in front of you to play, and I don't carry it with me.

The thing that is cool about both of these games is that they use your environment as part of the game setting. When you play AR Games, you still see your desk and your room—and people in the room—on the screen, but the game builds characters and game play on top of them.

Jack discovers Face Raiders

Face Raiders is even better, and has completely grabbed the attention of my 8-year-old. In this game, you take photographs of people...and then shoot at them. Huh. It doesn't sound so great when I write it like that. But basically it makes people you know—and your PETS, if you want—characters in your game. This is a 360-degree game, meaning you don't just toggle a joystick to move, but you end up rotating all the way around to play, and the cameras on the 3DS make the room where you are sitting your actual game setting.

I didn't do a very good job explaining either of those games, but they both have a real wow-factor. Nintendo explains it better than I do. Check it out here: http://www.nintendo.com/3ds/built-in-software/.

There are a lot of wonderful new games for the 3DS, and you can use your regular DS games in it too. When I went to Seattle to learn about the 3DS, I got to play a lot of the 3D games and they were a tremendous amount of fun.

My favorite is Pilotwings Resort, in which you fly an airplane, hang glider, or jet pack around the Wii-universe island. I know the island has a name, but I can't remember it right now. Regardless, it's fun, has lots of options, and looks awesome in 3D.

Quinn, my six-year-old loves Nintendogs + Cats. He already had an earlier version of Nintendogs, but the addition of cats has changed his whole little world. He adores this thing. It's fun because it has a pedometer, which means you can put the 3DS in sleep mode and go for a walk...with your virtual pet. I know. I thought it was weird too, right up until I saw Quinn doing laps around my house while clutching the 3DS so he could earn treats for his dog.

My kids and I have been delighted by the 3DS, even if the 3D part of it isn't the biggest draw for them. If you are looking for a fancy full-featured portable game system, this might be it. It also has cool factor. You may not be excited about the 3DS, but if you have elementary school aged kids, they know about the 3DS and they think it is awesome. Trust me. I know this based on reaction my own kids have gotten when others have watched them play.

Bottom line: The Nintendo 3DS costs about $250. The Nintendo DSi costs about $150. If you are looking for a basic gaming system, you will probably do fine with the DSi, but if you have the extra cash, the 3DS is a tremendous amount of fun and has a great wow factor.

Honesty Clause: I was given a free Nintendo 3DS, along with Asphalt 3D, Pilotwings Resort, and Nintendogs + Cats. Furthermore, I went on a fully paid trip to Seattle for a bloggers weekend with Nintendo. However, my opinions are my own.

Dunkin' Donuts Has New Iced Drinks for Summer! (With Giveaway!!)

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 02:26:00 +0000

I get a fair number of pitches from PR firms and companies, but it is rare that I get one that is so spot on as the one I got from Dunkin' Donuts a couple weeks ago. They invited me (and several other bloggers) to an iced drinks tasting at a Dunkin' Donuts about 10 minutes from my house

Honestly, it's like the mother ship was calling me home.

My family are big Dunkin' Donuts fans, regularly engaging in "Donut Breakfast" some weekends. My kids are especially enamored of their Coco Confetti donuts, which are chocolate with chocolate frosting and multi-colored sprinkles. Okay, I just looked that up, and Dunkin' Donuts calls those donuts Cocoa Confetti, but I like my spelling better, so I'm going to stay with it.

Just don't get me started on doughnuts vs. donuts, because I get mad about that at least once a month.

Here is the thing: Even with our long track record with Dunkin' Donuts, we only buy, well, ~~doughnuts~~ donuts. Did you know that they have sandwiches of a variety of styles and on a variety of breads, hash browns, an extensive selection of drinks, and more? They're not all donuts and a Box o'Joe, people.

I was invited, along with Laurie, Amanda, Janine, Jill, Anne and Maggie, to taste test a selection of iced coffees, plus a new summer product, details to come! I don't drink coffee. Ever. But I figured I could soldier through a coffee taste test if it got me into a Dunkin' Donuts tasting.

The fortunate thing is that the new summer products are the Coolattas and other Frozen Beverages, which are delicious in their many flavors. The Coolattas are frozen drinks that come in a variety of fruit and coffee flavors. We tested the strawberry, which was very tasty.

Frozen yummy.

By far my favorite things that we tasted, however, were the Frozen Beverages, of which there are three: Frozen Iced Tea, Frozen Lemonade, and Frozen Hot Chocolate. These were all really, really delicious. I would definitely go back and buy more of these on my own dime. I was actually surprised by the Frozen Iced Tea because, although I adore iced tea, it would never have occurred to me to make a frozen drink out of it.

All three of the Frozen Beverages earn a giant thumbs up from me.

I did try the iced coffee, which mostly served to confirm that, yep, still don't like coffee. Not even in tiny blueberry iced coffee form.

I pretended that I was a giant.

Some of the other ladies there liked the fancy iced coffees though.

I was a wee bit jittery at the end of this tasting event, but I was stable enough to grab my gift bag which included a $25 gift card that I get to give away to one of you! To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what is your favorite donut. Mine is lemon filled. Yum.

I'll choose a winner sometime after midnight Eastern time on June 16.

AND THE WINNER (chosen by random.org) IS... KellyG, whose favorite doughnut is raspberry filled jelly!

Honesty Clause: Dunkin' Donuts gave me numerous tiny cups of beverages, plus samples of food dishes at this event. They also gave each attendee a gift bag, including our own $25 gift card, coupons for free products, reusable cups, and coffee. But trust me, I'm a Dunkin' Devotee.

The Imperfectionists

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 16 May 2011 00:40:00 +0000

Stimey is reading The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. This book about a failing Italian newspaper is told in separate chapters, each about a different employee of the paper. It is eloquent and, at times, breathtaking. It's easy to read because of its short story-style set up, but compelling as an integrated whole as well. Recommended.

The Nintendo Wii on Sale Starting Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 16 May 2011 00:34:00 +0000

If you've been waiting for a good time to buy a Nintendo Wii, now might be the time!

From May 15th, the Wii will be available (either in black or white) in stores for the discounted price of $149. It will now come bundled with Mario Kart: Wii and a Wii steering wheel for the game (instead of Wii Sports or Wii Sports Resort, which were bundled with it before).

The Wii Remote™ Plus controller, Nunchuk™ controller and Wii Wheel included in the package will all match the hardware, meaning they will be either black or white. The new black Wii wheel will also be available separately at a suggested retail price of $9.99.

Also on May 15th, Nintendo is releasing a bundle of ‘favorite’ Wii games for $19.95, including: The Legend of Zelda™: Twilight Princess, Animal Crossing™: City Folk (see my Animal Crossing review on Momicillin), Mario™ Super Sluggers and Wii Sports, which is available for the first time as a separate software purchase.

#nintendoenthused

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 02:29:00 +0000

I just can't NOT talk about it. Last week I flew to Seattle—well, near Seattle—with a bajillion other bloggers and we went to Nintendo America's headquarters to celebrate the launch of the Nintendo 3DS. It was AWESOME.

I am going to spend a few days playing with the Nintendo 3DS before I write my official review of it, but I can tell you that it is a cool little machine. You can use it in 3D or 2D mode and it works without 3D glasses. It's kind of amazing. (And by "kind of amazing," I mean, "super incredible amazing.")

We got to spend the day playing all kinds of different games, from nintendogs + cats to Super Street Fighter IV to the game I bought for "my kids," Asphalt 3D (plus a bunch more cool games).

Me, playing something awesome.

They set us loose in the Nintendo store with a gift certificate, an employee discount, and more merchandise than we could possibly stuff in our suitcases, even if we could afford it all. I bought some well-received little plushies, some birthday gifts, and that one game. Much of that came from my own wallet, but how could I NOT buy something that would make my kiddos so happy?

See? Well received.

We had been divided into groups to move around all of the different stations they had set up for us over the course of the day. I tend to be a Yoshi or Bowser girl myself, but I ended up in the Diddy Kong group, led by the lovely Lili.

Team Diddy Kong!

One of the coolest things about our day at Nintendo is that we got to talk to a lot of the company's employees. I can't tell you how many people referred to their work there as their "dream job." That's pretty cool. They all seemed so excited about the company and their part in working for it. I don't think that's something you see at a lot of humongous corporations.

I was hoping to stake out a little cubicle or two for my kiddos to move into when they mature into working age. Quinn even had a whole list of things he wanted me to tell the Nintendo people about games he was going to design for them.

And it wasn't even just that the employees were so happy there, but also that the building itself was one of the most amazing and whimsical places I have been in my life. Sadly, we were under strict orders to NOT PHOTOGRAPH ANYTHING outside of the main conference room or THE ENTIRE DAY WILL BE CANCELED FOR EVERYBODY!

My camera hand was twitchy the whole day, but in order to NOT be THE PERSON WHO RUINED IT FOR EVERYONE, I restrained myself. This is what I have instead of photos:

Lest you think I exaggerate, let me give you some highlights. Instead of silhouettes of men and women on the signs for the bathrooms, they had silhouettes of Mario and Princess Peach. (And, yes, they had employees escort us to the bathroom.) Their conference rooms were all named after Nintendo characters or locations: Toad Conference Room, Bowser Conference Room, Star Road Conference Room.

The building is divided into four quadrants based on Nintendo characters. Yoshi, Donkey Kong, and other characters were all over the walls in a very tasteful but delightful way. The building sports a huge living roof. Even blank walls were painted ridiculously bright and happy colors. The seating in the hallways is shaped like the D-Pad control pad.

I could go on, but I can't remember everything I saw because I wasn't allowed to take photos. Did I mention that?

Everything about this building was phenomenal. I badly wanted to stow away there. I could have very happily existed there for many years, as long as they allowed my kids and Alex to visit. Especially if all I had to do was play Nintendo games.

Let's see, what else? Oh, yeah, every time I turned around, they were giving us more food and drinks and I got to meet or hang out with fantastic bloggers. Maggie and Kimberly and Amie and Shash and Kimberly and Marisa and Ilina and Jen and Maria and Julie and VDog and all kinds of Katies and everyone else.

Dinner at Black Bottle in Seattle on Friday night is one of the most fun meals I have had in months. It was extra cool because Jen and Marisa, who are food bloggers, told Maggie, Ilina and I all about our food. I laughed more that I have in a long time. Also, I got really drunk and then was driven back to a comfy hotel where I had a room all by myself, which is not a situation I have been in for probably ten years. Awesomesauce.

Now I just have to catch up on all the dull, non-brightly colored things I missed while I was out of town. As soon as I do that, I am giving myself permission to play Nintendo 3DS for hours and hours in the name of research so I can write my review.

Honesty Clause: I am a Nintendo Brand Ambassador and received much for free last weekend, including airfare, hotel, food, a Nintendo 3DS, and margaritas. Why, yes, I have sold my soul to Nintendo, but I would have given it to them for free. All opinions expressed are mine and no one told me I had to write about this trip. Thank you to Nintendo, Brand About Town, and Justine Meek. Y'all are awesome.

Kings of Pastry

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 01:19:00 +0000

Stimey is watching Kings of Pastry, a documentary about the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) competition. Basically, it's a documentary about badass pastry chefs. I'm not a Food Network girl or anything, but I was completely on the edge of my seat for this. It was terrific!

Graphic Novels for Young Readers

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Jack, my son with autism, is a very good reader, but incredibly resistant to reading chapter books. I think that long pages of nothing but text are difficult for him. As a second grader, he still prefers picture books, comics and graphic novels.

With this in mind, I recently asked my networks to offer graphic novel suggestions for an almost-eight-year-old with autism. Suggestions poured in. Most of these we haven't had a chance to read yet, but we have a lot to choose from now. I hope these suggestions might help some of you as well.

Note: Things & Stuff Reviews is not responsible for any echolalia/scripting that results from your children reading these books. Things & Stuff is also not responsible if, after reading Calvin and Hobbes, your child tells you he wants to show you something outside, no a little bit farther outside, and then locks you out of your house. Not that that happened or anything. Ahem.

Bone by Jeff Smith: This is a nine-volume series about three "blobby creatures who have stumbled into a valley full of monsters, magic, farmers, an exiled princes and a huge, cynical dragon." (From Publishers Weekly)

Meanwhile by Jason Shiga: This is a pick any path story with 3,856 possibilities stemming from an initial decision of whether the main character wants chocolate or vanilla ice cream. I remember reading "choose your own adventure" books when I was a kid and they drove me crazy, but I can definitely see the appeal.

Geronimo Stilton series: This extensive series seems to be made up of more than 40 novels about mice having adventures. On a personal note, if you know my family, you probably know that I plan on purchasing these immediately. Check out the "Look Inside" feature for these books on Amazon. They look ideal for drawing a child into chapter books.

The Boxcar Children Graphic Novels by Shannon Eric Denton, Gertrude Chandler Warner and Mike Dubisch: I loved the Boxcar Children when I was a child and my oldest is madly in love with the series now. These graphic novels might be a fantastic compromise for Jack.

Akiko by Mark Crilley: This is a series starring a ten-year-old girl who sets off on interplanetary adventures featuring aliens and a quest to save a kidnapped prince.

Missile Mouse by Jake Parker: Another sci-fi series, this one starring a mouse. According to Booklist, Missile Mouse is "a gruff loner ideal for deep-space adventuring."

Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson or Garfield by Jim Davis: Fair warning: although Jack adores both of these series, the characters are sassier than you might remember. While they make for some hilarious "scripting" incidents, some of those incidents are not well received at, say, school.

Classics Illustrated: If you want to be really sneaky and expose your child to literary classics, check out this series, which features books from Great Expectations to Treasure Island to The Count of Monte Cristo and The Invisible Man.

Star Wars Graphic Novels: There are a plethora of these available, from Clone Wars books to books of the movies to The Force Unleashed. Just search for "Star Wars Graphic Novels" on Amazon and you will find something for your little Jedi.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: Not technically graphic novels, but easy to read books, with cartoon drawings on most pages, this series is a good transition for kids moving from picture to chapter books.

DC Super Pets: Another series, this one featuring superheroes, but in pet form. Think Ace the Bat-Hound instead of Batman and Krypto the Super-Dog instead of Superman.

Wuv Bunnies from Outers Pace by David Elliott and Ethan Long: Recommended by a friend and written by a friend of said friend (follow that?), this book looks like a fun tale of fuzzy space aliens and word play.

Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunders by Michael Townsend: For kids into Greek myths (like my oldest son), this looks like a fun way to learn about the stories, the morals and the history of the myths, using contemporary language and jokes.

Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack by Dean, Shannon and Nathan Hale: These are graphic novels that put a fresh twist on fairy tales.

Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi: This is a series of graphic novels focused on two children trying to save their mother. Based on the descriptions I found, this looks like it has some dark themes, so check it out before giving it to sensitive children.

Super Chicken Nugget Boy by Josh Lewis and Douglas Holgate: Proving that there is a book about everything, this series is about two elementary school kids who invent an imaginary crime fighter named Super Chicken Nugget Boy. In the first book, the kids' school is attacked by a giant French fry. I might have to check this book out just out of sheer curiosity.

The Legend of Zelda by Akira Himekawa: Fans of the Zelda video games will surely love these books featuring Link, the hero.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick: Described as "a novel with words and pictures," this book has traditional pages of text interspersed with intricate drawings that do not just illustrate the story, but help to tell it, according to the author. At 550 pages, this book will either make your kid feel awesome for reading it or will be overwhelming. I think it looks fascinating.

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi: This collection of comic shorts, taking up only a few pages each, about a kid and his talking dog could be perfect for children who don't have the attention span for an entire cohesive book. By the author of the Amulet series.

Owly by Andy Runton: This series is the nearly wordless story of Owly and Wormy and their black-and-white adventures. This might be great for pre-readers as well.

Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata: Another series, this one follows a sixth grader in Japan whose consciousness becomes fused with an ancient master of the game Go. Having not read this book, I'm curious as to how the authors make it work. If I were to buy it though, I would also buy a Go set and start teaching my kid about the strategic game.

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel: Yet another series, this one about a bad cat, who really seems like pretty much every other cat in the world. I liked the hairball puking on the pages I saw. It reminded me of my lame cats. I think my kids would laugh hysterically while reading these.

Stone Rabbit by Erik Craddock: For slightly younger readers (ages 4-8), this series is about a bored rabbit who goes on zany adventures through time and space.

Asterix by Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo: There is a lot of dense writing in this comic book for kids, so make sure your child can handle all the words on the page. There seem to be dozens in this series, so if your child likes them, you are in luck!

Tintin by Herge: These stories featuring Tintin and his dog, Snowy, span historical and political events, fantasy and science-fiction adventures and mysteries.

PS238: A comic book series about young costumed heroes and villains.

Babymouse by Jennifer and Matthew Holm: There sure are a lot of mice in graphic novels. This series, which is decidedly pink, if that matters to your child, is about a mouse who uses her vivid imagination to take her on incredible journeys.

Lions, Tigers and Bears by Mike Bullock and Jack Lawrence: This is a story of stuffed animals charged with protecting their children from the monsters in the closet.

Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley: A series comic about Amelia, a young girl who has to move to a small town after her parents divorce. This is a coming of age series for girls.

Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce: A series about a middle schooler convinced that he is destined for great things.

If your child loves these graphic novels and comics and wants to try to create his or her own, check out Cartoon Cool, Cartooning: The Ultimate Character Design Book or one of any number of other books to help your child learn how to hone the craft.

If you haven't found what you're looking for here, you can always stop by your local comic shop to get their personal recommendation based on your child's age and interests.

Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions. There were a couple of suggestions I got that I wasn't able to find online, so I might be missing some fantastic ideas. I think this is a good list to get started with though! Please let me know in the comments if you other great suggestions for graphic novels for young children.

Frye Boots and the Stretching Process

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:03:00 +0000

Hello! I had this great experience with my new Frye engineer boots and I didn't really have a place to put the story, so I figured I'd but it here.

I got some awesome black Frye engineer boots for Christmas. I have a very similar pair in brown that I have owned and worn regularly for more than ten years. I don't think the brown ones are Frye, but they look almost identical. Anyway, they are the most comfortable shoes I own.

I was very excited when I got my new boots and I loved them upon sight. I put them on and they fit perfectly except they seemed a little bit tight, especially across the top of my foot. I briefly toyed with the idea of exchanging them for the next size up, but because they otherwise fit so perfectly, I was reluctant to do so.

Also, the GIANT size that was the next one available was out of stock at Zappos.

I poked around online a little bit, Googling "Do Frye boots stretch?" and mostly came up with yes. I decided to put in my time working the boots in, knowing that once they relaxed a little they would be awesome.

Then I decided to jump start the breaking in process by taking the boots to a shoe dude to get them stretched. I dropped them off and left them there for about five days, paid my $7 when I picked them up and voila!

Awesome boots.

I was skeptical that it would make a difference at all, but it really did. If you have boots that slightly don't fit perfectly, give it a try!

I'm so excited about these boots now. I'm pretty sure they will last as long as I'm still into wearing black engineer boots.

Splice

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Stimey is watching Splice. This is a terrible movie. Please don't watch it.

Life From Scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:04:00 +0000

Stimey is reading Life From Scratch, the fantastic debut novel by our very own Melissa Ford of Stirrup Queens. This was such a fun book with a truly emotionally satisfying ending. Bravo, Mel! I think you've earned a pony!

The Prestige

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 04:17:00 +0000

Stimey is watching The Prestige. Going in, I didn't have any idea what it was about, just that it was directed by Christopher Nolan, whom I have adored since Memento. Turns out that it is about magicians. Imagine that. It was a mite confusing at first, but by the end, I was entirely wrapped up in it, sitting motionless, practically agape. Loved it. Also, it stars Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Michael Caine. Nothin' wrong with that.

Wii Party

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:59:00 +0000

If you like your video game experience to be more social than solitary and you are looking for a family-friendly game that all ages can play, I would like to suggest Wii Party to you.

I had a chance to try out Wii Party a few months ago as part of my work with Nintendo as a brand enthusiast. They sent me the game (and a disco ball, which was kind of weird, but, if you are my kids, AWESOME) to try out and to use at a party I was to host with some of my friends. More on that later. First, the game.

Naturally, I didn't wait for the party to bust out the game, but popped it into my Wii one afternoon, gave my kids remotes, and started to play. The whole concept of Wii Party is that there are a multitude of social games for you to choose from, and each of those games is made up of smaller "mini-games" you play along the way.

For example, Board Game Island is basically a roll-the-dice and move-forward-that-many-spaces game that you play on the Wii. However, before each round, you play a mini-game (which is chosen seemingly at random) with all the players to see who gets to roll first and with how many dice. Many of the squares your Mii lands on are interactive and lead to further fun. My seven-year-old is obsessed with Board Game Island.

My favorite is Balance Boat. Unlike many of the other games on the disc, Balance Boat has you work cooperatively with a partner to balance Miis on the mast of a ship. Within the game, you play cooperative mini-games to determine what size Mii you each place.

Honestly, talking (or writing) about this game doesn't do it justice. Here are my main points about why I like this game and wholeheartedly recommend it:

• It is absolutely family friendly. There is no violence. Yes, there is some competition, but it is adorable, funny, and silly.

• It is social. There are single player options, but the most fun with this game comes from playing with one to four players. You're going to laugh when you play it. Promise.

• You know how if you have kids, someone always gets upset that they don't win? Each game here is made up of the game itself and a multitude of mini-games. Each player is going to be able to win some and lose some.

• There are endless options of how to play the game. There are many game options and dozens of mini-game options. You won't get bored.

The only negatives that I see in this game is that sometimes the games can last a little too long—45 minutes to an hour (although there are 5, 15, and 30 minute options for games as well). Every once in a while you will get caught in a game of Board Game Island or Spin Off that just lasts a leetle bit tooo long.

Also, there is one mini-game where you are supposed to "rock" your remote to get the on-screen baby to stop crying. It's fairly horrible. I don't go to my Wii for screaming babies. That's three minutes that I wish they had cut from the game.

Seriously though, if you're looking for a fun Wii game that the whole family can play, go to the Wii Party website and look at all the different ways you can play this game. It is a tremendous amount of fun. I might even suggest that if you have difficult visitors coming to your house this holiday season, this might be a good way to kill a few hours with them. The game is easy to learn and would be fun for pretty much everyone.

List price for Wii Party is $49.99.

Okay, commercial over. Obviously I like the game. I play with my kids in the afternoons sometimes and my husband and I like to play Balance Boat together in the evenings. But I also really enjoyed having a Wii Party with Wii Party and inviting some of my friends over to play the game with me.

These are the people I invited.

Knowing I was going to have to stuff all of these people into my tiny TV room, I was a little agitated about the guest list. I hate narrowing the list down. I ended up inviting mostly people who lived extremely close to me. Except for Canape, who came all the way from North Carolina to come to the party. Although I can't take full (or any) credit for that. She was in town visiting WhyMommy, so we forced her to come.

I put out some pizza, some candy, some margaritas, and my disco ball and we had a blast.

We drank a whole bucket of margaritas. Classy.

I purposely invited people from a variety of sources: neighbors, "real life" friends, and bloggers. Wii Party made it easy for everyone to get to know each other and relax. It was a fun excuse to get some people together for a pre-holiday party. Thanks to everyone who came!

Honesty Clause: I am a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast. I got a copy of Wii Party, a (blue!) Wii remote, a gift card for pizza, and a disco ball at no charge for hosting the party. I bought all the booze myself. :)

Coloring Outside Autism's Lines by Susan Walton

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:25:00 +0000

When you have a child with autism, there is always a lot to do. There is speech therapy, occupational therapy, social skills group, ABA, special education law research, and so much more. The thing that gets forgotten sometimes is fun.

Susan Walton reminds us right in the introduction to her book, Coloring Outside Autism's Lines: 50+ Activities, Adventures, and Celebrations for Families with Children with Autism, that all our kids need to have fun. We can incorporate learning and therapy into that fun or we can just have fun. Walton uses the pages in this book to give parents of children with autism a plethora of ideas on how to to do that with their kids.

Walton offers tips from how to generally prep for an outing to specific ideas for places to go. As the parent of a child with autism (plus two more), Walton has covered this territory in her own life and can offer advice based on experience.

A lot of this advice is common sense information that you might have already thought of and incorporated in your own life, but you are sure to find something new to do with your kids in this book. Walton's ideas range from the simple (set a goal of visiting every park in your area) to out of the box (if you pass landscapers cutting down a tree, stop and grab some stumps to create circle games, such as stepping stones, hot potato, and more).

There were a couple of sections that really grabbed my attention. One of them was the section on managing playdates. For my son with autism, playdates are a wonderful way to practice social skills in a controlled but real life environment. That said, it can be excruciating to facilitate those playdates, especially if the other child also has special needs. Walton offers some wonderful and specific ideas for these playdates.

I also really loved the section offering suggestions to grandparents and other relatives for how to connect to a child with autism. If you, as a parent to a child with autism, have a relative who doesn't quite know what to do with your children, this section is a must-read.

Full of resources and featuring an appendix of helpful websites, this book has plenty of ideas and pointers for relaxing and having fun with your kiddos!

Honesty Clause: I received a review copy of this book at no charge. List price for the book is $14.99.

ZipBin: Boxes, Bins, and Backpacks

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Here's a question for you: When was the last time you walked through your kid's room and stepped on a Lego, rending you unable to stand (without cursing) for several minutes?

The Lego City ZipBin Toy Box and Playmat may not eliminate this hazard, but it might help a little. Basically, the ZipBin is a playmat (which comes in MANY styles) that zips into a storage box when your kid is finished. This means they don't have to pick up their Legos (or cars, or dolls, or whatever), but can just zip up the sides of their ZipBin and be done.

Basically you can go from this:

To this:

(But with toys inside.)

I think the best application for the ZipBin is travel. If you're headed out of town this Christmas, this would be a great way to take along some toys for the road.

There are several Lego City ZipBins to choose from, but they also come decorated with dinosaurs, space, cars, aquariums, zoos, farms, a house, unicorns, and more. They are really cute. ZipBin also offers regular playmats as well as backpacks and bags that double as racetracks, barns, and dollhouses, like the Doll House Back Pack PlayPack seen below.

I think this is a really clever idea. The backpacks in particular would be great for plane trips. So many kids I know have plenty of toys. Why not buy them something instead that looks like a toy, but is really an organizational system? Pretty sneaky, no?

For about $20, which is about how much most of these cost, it's a great gift idea. If I did a holiday gift guide, ZipBins would definitely be on it.

Honesty Clause: I received review samples of the Lego City ZipBin Toy Box and Playmat as well as the Doll House Back Pack PlayPack.

Team Stimey's Top Ten Wii Games

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:27:00 +0000

My family is made up of gamers. My friends know this and will frequently ask me for recommendations for Wii games for their kids. I've decided to share my advice with all of you in the form of a Top Ten list. Without further ado...

Team Stimey's Top 10 Wii Games:

1. and 2. Super Mario Bros. Wii and Donkey Kong Country Returns: Both of these side scrolling action games are super fun, have minimal cartoon violence, and are simple enough for kids to play. That said, they are challenging enough to be fun. (Sometimes my kids have to help me pass a level.) I like that even if you complete the levels, you can still go back to collect all the extras (coins in Super Mario and puzzles pieces in Donkey Kong) to make the game last longer and to unlock other features.

3. (and 3b.) Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2: I've never played these games, but my kids love them. They didn't look as fun to me as Super Mario Bros. Wii, but my kids (ages 5, 7, and then 8) were obsessed with them for a long time. My five-year-old even spent his birthday money on the second one.

4. Wii Party: LOVE this one. Think family games on the computer. There are board-style games, bingo games, cooperative games, competing games, and dozens of mini-games to choose from. It's a little hard to explain this one, but I think it's really fun (my husband and I play it at night sometimes—our favorite is Balance Boat) and my kids adore it. My seven-year-old particularly loves Board Game Island, which is basically a video game version of a board game with lots of interactivity and a set of mini-games each round to keep it exciting. Because you get to compete in many mini-games, hopefully the kids who don't win the whole game will be less upset if they've had small victories along the way.

5. Wii Fit Plus: This one is an oldie (from last year), but a goodie. I use it to exercise because it lets me choose what parts of my body I want to work on, and it will vary my workout every time so I don't get bored, not to mention that some of the silly exercises (skateboarding, hula hooping, flapping your "wings") really are quite a workout. Plus, I often do the Free Step or Free Run option, which cues me with audio from my remote while I watch TV on another channel. You don't just have to use Wii Fit Plus to exercise, however. There are many fun games for you and your kids to play that get you up off of your couch and moving without making you realize that you're exercising. My kids have a lot of fun with this game. (You will need the Wii Balance Board.)

6. Animal Crossing: City Folk: This game is a ton of fun. It is not as fast-paced as some of the others here, but it is extremely fun. You get an avatar, a house, a mortgage, and have to set about picking fruit, fishing, collecting, and otherwise futzing around town in order to make money and keep your town humming along. And, yes, you do have to pay your mortgage if you want a bigger house. It doesn't sound like something that would be great fun, but it is. I especially recommend this for kids who are a little older, maybe seven and above. I like this game too. You can while away many a lazy hour fishing in the streams of your town. Use your internet connection and Wii Speak to visit a friend's town and steal some of their fruit. Trust me, if your town only has apple trees, your buddy's peaches are going to sell at your store for a lot more!

7. Endless Ocean: Blue World: This is a lovely calming game for older kids and adults wherein you scuba dive in various locations around the world, identifying sea creatures, salvaging treasure, and solving a mystery. I really like this game because it is not violent at all, it is soothing, and my kids learn about sea life. Endless Ocean is proof that you don't need a game to be action packed to be exciting.

8. EA Sports Active: I love to work out with my Wii, and of all the games I've used, my favorite is EA Sports Active. The workout is varied enough that you don't get bored, but tough enough that you work hard. Occasionally the Wii struggles to follow your motions with the remote, but for the most part it does a really good job. New this year is EA Sports Active 2, which I haven't tried yet.

9. Epic Mickey: I was going to put Mario Kart or Wii Play here, because those are both good, solid games that kids love, but I have heard nothing but good things about this Epic Mickey game. Even though I've not played it, seen it played, or know the contents of it, I heard a story about it on NPR and was intrigued enough to list it here. If I had to guess, this will be the new hot Wii game this year, especially if your family is into Disney.

10. Bonus DSi Section! There are several games that we play on our DSi that are a lot of fun, most of which are also available for the Wii, which is why I am calling this number 10. My kids have really enjoyed Drawn to Life, Lego Harry Potter (or any of the Lego games—Batman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones), and the Zelda games. As an adult who enjoys puzzles, I like the Professor Layton games.

Disclosure: I am a Nintendo Brand Enthusiast. I received copies of the following games at no charge: Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Wii Party, Endless Ocean: Blue World.

127 Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Stimey is watching 127 Hours. That was an intense movie. I thought my movie-going companion was going to jump out of her skin and abandon me in the theater. James Franco is a great actor. If you see this movie, I recommend Pineapple Express as a palate cleanser afterward.

Jillian Michaels: Fitness Ultimatum 2011 (for the Wii)

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 15:39:00 +0000

I love working out with my Wii, so I was really excited to try out Jillian Michaels: Fitness Ultimatum 2011, a new workout game that includes not just a training element, but a mission mode to make the work out fun.

I ended up with mixed emotions about the game. On the plus side, the exercises were challenging and made me work hard. I could really feel my body working while I was doing them, and after doing the game for three days, I was so sore it hurt to sit down. I consider that to be a success.

Fitness Ultimatum has a Wii MotionPlus and Wii Balance Board option, although you don't need to have that equipment to use the game.

However, the thing that was most frustrating for me was that the interface was hard to work with. It was hard to tell if it was tracking my movements, even though there is an onscreen green/yellow/red tracker that is supposed to show how well you are keeping your form. It didn't seem to really correspond to what I was doing.

This was not so bad in the training section of the game—where you can choose circuits or individual exercises to work out to. Missing a few reps, or having the game not recognize your movements didn't make much of a difference. As long as you kept at, you could do your workout and be fine. (Although if that's how you're going to do it, you might as well do Michaels' 30-Day Shred exercise video instead. That will also make you sore. Trust me.)

There are five built in training circuits: two whole body and three that focus on upper body, lower body, or abs. There are also five slots where you can create your own circuit. They were good circuits, but one of the reasons I like to work out with my Wii is because it varies the exercise regimen without me having to program it. I like workout games that will switch up the exercises for you, so you don't get bored doing the same circuits over and over.

What I was excited about was the mission mode. In mission mode, your avatar is out to defeat the evil Cureall Corporation, which produces fast food out of one side of the factory and medicine to treat obesity-caused illnesses out of the other. I was hopeful that this would be a fast moving and fun way to make me exercise without realizing I was exercising.

There are ten missions, which you can unlock in sequential order. The first couple, which is as far as I've gotten thus far, are recon missions, meaning that Jillian Michaels has tricked me into doing a circuit training workout mixed in with stretches of running in between.

Very sneaky, Ms. Michaels.

It's actually a great workout, but here's where I got frustrated. In mission mode, if you don't do the reps fast enough, you will fail the mission and have to start over from the beginning. That's all fine and good if you can't do it fast enough, but the problem comes when the game doesn't "see" that you are doing the exercises. For example, when you do 30 jumping jacks or 18 squats and the game only recognizes three of them and then says you failed your mission, it gets really annoying.

There were times that I spent more energy trying to position the remote correctly than do the exercise correctly, which is not a good way to prevent injury and get the most out of your exercise.

Honestly, when it worked, it was really fun and I loved the missions. The interval-style training is great for your body and really keeps you moving. When it didn't work, I wanted to break my television.

Considering that every time the game uses the balance board or the Wii MotionPlus, it makes you recalibrate (only a few seconds, but still a little bit annoying), it seems like it should be better at tracking your movements.

One other thing that bothered me a little bit about the game in both training and workout mode is that there were no audio prompts for doing the movements. This meant that when I was doing an exercise, I had to make sure I could see my TV to make sure the timing was right, especially on the mission mode. For some exercises, craning to see the TV is awkward and not conducive to the exercise.

Things that I liked about the game, other than the fact that it is a great workout, is that you can choose your intensity level, plus as you unlock the missions, you also unlock fitness, wellness, and diet tips.

So. I guess my final assessment of the game is that it is a fantastic idea and I love Jillian Michaels' workouts, but I wish the execution were better. I will probably still mix this game in with my other Wii workouts, but will do my main exercising with my standbys, like EA Sports Active, which is still my favorite Wii workout game.

Honesty Clause: I received a review copy of this game at no charge. List price is $39.99.

Tony Hawk: SHRED

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:41:00 +0000

I like skater kids. I've been hoping that one of my kids gets into skateboarding. It seems like a healthy—although semi-dangerous—obsessive sport that would keep my kids busy after school.

Unfortunately they haven't been all that interested in it yet. I'm hoping that our new copy of Tony Hawk: SHRED will encourage them to want to try the real thing. (Am I the only mom in America who wants her kids to be skater punks?)

SHRED, because that's how you say it—in all caps—comes with a skateboard controller with which you can navigate through all of the controls just by moving the board around and doing ollies and nollies. At least I think that's what they are called.

Using the board to navigate is a little tough and learning to skate takes a while, but it's fun. It's okay if you screw up, because you just try again. My kids that played the game are 7 and 9 and they were able to make it work fine. I was too, although I'm sure I looked ridiculous. Teens or tweens that are already into skateboarding will probably love this and, because it's so active, it will get them up and off the couch, which is always a good thing.

Honestly, the thing I found most frustrating about the game was figuring out how to use the menus to get to the action I wanted to choose. My kids got stuck on one particular skate route because we couldn't figure out how to get out of it.

We haven't played the snowboarding function yet, but that looks like it's going to be fun. For sure I'll keep pulling this out and encouraging my kids to play with it because if I can't encourage them to skateboard in my driveway during the long winter months, at least I can make them skateboard in my living room.

Shred, little boy! Shred!

Tony Hawk: SHRED is available for the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 3. List price for SHRED, including the board controller, is $99.99, but you can find it online for less.

Honesty clause: I received a review sample of Tony Hawk: SHRED at no charge.

Power Gig: Rise of the SixString

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 03:42:00 +0000

Okay. First off, Power Gig: Rise of the SixString is awesome. AWESOME. My husband and I are having so much fun with it. If you haven't heard of Power Gig yet, think Rock Band, but more AWESOME because the guitar is actually a real guitar. With strings.

AWESOME.

Now, I'm going to be honest here and let you know that I've never played Rock Band, nor do I play the guitar (although I've tried, oh lord, how I've tried...), but based on the game play I've experienced thus far on Power Gig, this seems like the way to go.

The guitar is a real guitar, as in plug-it-into-an-amp-and-play-it-if-you-want-to guitar.

That's pretty cool. Possibly even AWESOME. When I'm done playing, the tips of my fingers hurt from playing, just like on a real guitar.

Although you don't need to know how to play the guitar to get started, Power Gig makes you feel like you know how to play the guitar. There is a game play tutorial that walks you through basic controls. Once you get better, or if you already know how to play the guitar, you can add power chords—which are more complicated and involve substantially more coordination.

The cool thing is that if you already have Rock Band, or one of the other music games on the market, the Power Gig guitar is compatible with most of them. Check out the compatibility chart to see if your game is one of them.

The premise of the game is that music has been banned in the world of Ohm and Rockers have been oppressed. You and your trusty band of musicians have to play gigs to save rock and roll. The game is full of busty cartoon women and rocking dudes and includes terminology like "mojo flask" and "mojosplosion" and "mojomorphosis." Power Gig believes in the power of the mojo.

I played one gig where I achieved Maximum Mojomorphosis. That was AWESOME.

There is a lot of music on the game that I don't know, but that probably has more to do with my inherent uncoolness than that of the songs. There are some great artists featured—artists like Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, and Kid Rock. Overall, the music is really fun, and there are plans to regularly release more tracks.

The Power Gig software sells for $59.99, but the game and guitar sells for $179.99. If you want to take advantage of the additional instruments so you can have a whole band in your living room, you can get the game, guitar, drums, and microphone for $229.99. Power Gig: Rise of the SixString is available for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation3. Of course, there are multiple accessories you can also buy for the game.

Bottom line, this game is really fun—quite probably AWESOME, maybe even SUPER AWESOME. My husband also loves it. After playing this, I can't imagine playing a music game that doesn't have an actual guitar as a controller—and, yes, you can navigate all of the controls and menus with just the guitar.

If you can't tell yet, I highly recommend this game. It's all kinds of fun and more of a music experience than a video game one.

(AWESOME.)

Honesty Clause: I received a review sample of Power Gig: Rise of the SixString at no charge.

Nintendo Black Friday Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 03:30:00 +0000

I don't normally post deals, but because I love Nintendo (I am a Nintendo Brand Ambassador), I now present to you some deals if you're planning on going out on Friday to battle the crowds. I will be at home in bed, but YOU should go and have a great time.

Unless specified otherwise, these deals are only valid on Friday and while supplies last.

At BestBuy you’ll be able get a black or white Wii for $169

GameStop is offering a free game (Fossil Fighters or the Legendary Starfy) with purchase of a new, special release Orange or Green DSi bundle

At Kmart if you purchase a black or white Wii console on Friday or Saturday, you’ll receive a $25 Gaming Coupon. Also, from 5am-11am on Friday only, they’re offering a $25 Gaming Coupon with purchase of an orange or green DSi bundle.

At Target you’ll be able to get a new Fling Smash bundle for $39, Wii Fit Plus bundle for $67, and if you purchase Super Mario Bros Wii, you’ll receive a $10 gift card.

If you purchase an orange or green DSi bundle at Sears, you’ll receive a $20 Award Card. You can also get Metroid: Other M or Super Mario Galaxy 2 for $39.99

At Walmart there is a $50 gift card with purchase of a Black, White or Red Wii console, and they’ll be offering the Nintendo DS Lite for just $89

Happy shopping!

Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:35:00 +0000

This one might seem weird. A pillow? With a speaker in it? Huh? Why? Wha—?

I'll tell you why: Snorers.

The Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow, which features a built-in speaker, is targeted at people who like to listen to music when they are going to sleep or people who want to listen to audiobooks.

I, however, found it ideal to drown out the snorer in my life.

See, if you know me, you know that I have some auditory sensory issues. If I am sleeping in a room with someone other than my husband, I keep an iPod clutched in my hand in case of snoring. As for sleeping in a room with Alex? Well, I have a white noise machine and have been known to put pillows over my head—and kick Alex in the shins if he starts to snore.

I have to tell you though, sleeping on a pillow is a lot more comfortable than sleeping with your hand cupped over headphones.

Now, this pillow has worked out for me and I love it. So, if you're exactly like me and plan to use it exactly like I do, you should go now and purchase it. However, this pillow might not be for everyone. Following are some questions I had about the pillow and the answers that I came up with.

So, really, how comfortable is it to sleep on a pillow with a speaker in it? Pretty comfortable. The speaker is small enough and buried deep enough within the pillow that you don't really feel it. I mean, yeah, if you're digging for it, you can find it, but when you're just resting your head on the pillow? It might as well not be there. I'm not very picky about my pillows, but I am completely happy with this one. Even when I'm not using it as a speaker, this is one of the pillows I use to sleep on at night.

What devices can you use the pillow with? The materials I got say that the pillow can be used with any MP3 device with a stereo socket. I used it with my iPhone. But do you wanna hear something else that's cool? I was able to plug the pillow into my white noise machine, which I find far less distracting than music to fall asleep to. I just plugged it into the headphone jack.

Does the pillow require batteries? Nope. It runs off of the MP3 (or white noise!) player's power.

How loud does it go? I had actually hoped that it would play a little louder. I would prefer that my white noise be a little louder to drown out the sounds of my husband, who insists on existing in the bed next to me. It does mask the sounds of him breathing so inconsiderately, but would not cover a full-on snore.

The music was loud enough for me. Remember that the pillow isn't a set of headphones; other people in the room will probably be able to hear it too.

How is the sound quality? I was skeptical about how good the speaker would sound playing my music. It is, after all, a speaker in a pillow. Honestly, it sounded fine to me. It wasn't scratchy or tinny at all. I was pretty happy with it.

In sum: Yay, Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow!

You can buy the pillow at Bed Bath & Beyond. It is also available online at BB&B, Amazon, CVS & Linens-N-Things. Although all of these sites claim that the list price is $49.99, each of them sells it for $29.99 (except Linens-N-Things, which sells it for $34.99).

Honesty Clause: I received a review sample of the Sound Asleep Comfort Pillow at no charge.

Kodak EasyShare M580 Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:09:00 +0000

A couple of years ago my husband gave me a Canon Rebel for Christmas and my days of using point and shoots were over. I love my awesome camera. I don't really know how to use it very well, but I love it.

It is, however, quite large. There are times when I don't want to lug a large camera all over or there are times when I don't remember to take my camera with me, but I want a better camera than the one on my cell phone.

Enter the Kodak EasyShare M580 Camera. This is the camera I keep in my bag at all times so I'm never caught without a camera. For a point and shoot, I'm really happy with it.

The new cool thing about this camera is that it makes it really easy to share photos on social media sites and through email. If you take a photo that you know you'll want to post on Facebook, you can mark it as such right after you take it. If you take a photo of a friend's child, you can enter your friend's email address right there on the camera. Then, when you upload your photos to your computer, the pictures will automatically be sent to the places you designated.

The camera can share via email and on YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, and Kodak Gallery sites. The interface is really easy to use and it only takes a few minutes to set it up.

The camera also takes video, but I haven't used that option yet.

Also, it's purple. I like that a lot. (It comes in other colors too.)

When I went to BlogHer in August, Kodak invited me (and a lot of other bloggers) on a bus tour of New York. They gave each of us their EasyShare M580 with which to take photos on the tour. At first I was sad that I couldn't take my SLR, but I was really pleasantly surprised with the photos that the camera took.

Here are a few from that tour—taken from a moving bus.

I also tested the camera by taking a photo of my kid from all the way across a hockey rink—and through plexiglass.

It's good with details too.

This camera also took one of my favorite photos of all time.

Now, I do have to say that I am not 100% thrilled with the button placement. The button you use to take the photo is a little small, not raised, and close to some of the other buttons. Even so, I chose this point and shoot as the camera to keep in my bag at all times over the one I owned previously.

I feel good knowing that I have this camera with me so in case a great photo op comes up, I'll be able to get a good shot.

Honesty Clause: Kodak provided me with a free Kodak EasyShare M580 camera. They also took me on a free bus tour of New York City and fed me lunch. The camera sells for $169.

The Walking Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Stimey) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 04:06:00 +0000

Stimey is madly, madly, madly in love with AMC's The Walking Dead. Madly.