Oh, Happy Day!  There’s a brand new Video Phone company taking the Nation by storm and not only did I get to do a Vlog Review with the Co-Owner of the Company, but they’re offering all my wonderful readers a Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) Free special!  Click Here for more info on that!

The Following is my Flip Video Review of the Vidtel Video Phone Service.  I had a chance to speak with Mariette Wharton, co-founder of Vidtel and mom of 2 boys, aged 8 and 5 about the product and what value it brings to families.

I’d like to say on the record that after conducting this review and trying this service out, I am officially switching from my current carrier to Vidtel.  Mariette brought up very valid points on choosing her Video service over an Internet messaging Service like Skype because although a lot of our generation has computer knowledge and access, our Parents and Grandparents don’t and using Vidtel is as simple as picking up a phone and dialing-because that’s all it is! (more…)

Check this out!  The innovative people from Vat19, “Purveyors of Curiously Awesome Products” have created these fantastic iPod Building Block Speakers that combine modern technology with the retro style we all grew up with and love.

The timeless Lego, often found underfoot as you wade through your child’s play room as you gather up laundry for cleaning has been turned into something stylish and useful! Just be careful to not let your little ones get a hold of this cool gadget! (more…)

Limited Giratina Origin Forme Figure Available to Fans who Pre-Order Pokémon Platinum Version

I’ve written a few posts about Pokémon, both some reviews and I had the pleasure of interviewing Nintendo’s resident Pokémon expert, Seth McMahill about how to be a Pokémom.

Well, Nintendo just released some info for all the Pokémon fans out there. Beginning Feb. 15, Pokémon fans who reserve a copy of the upcoming Pokémon Platinum Version game for the Nintendo DS™ system will receive a Giratina™ Origin Forme figure, while supplies last.

The Giratina Origin Forme has never been seen before and appears for the first time in the Pokémon Platinum Version video game, which launches in the United States on March 22. The figure will be available nationwide through participating retailers, which might require a deposit to reserve the game. Most retailers will provide the figure when a reservation is made, though consumers are advised to check with their preferred retailer for details. (more…)

When Jenna McCarthy’s book, The Parent Trip: From High Heels and Parties to Highchairs and Potties came my way I was eager to get started reading.   Not only do I appreciate a good read but before this, all we had were the celebrities, Doctors and the ‘What to Expect’ series bringing us the same material over and over.

Then we have the parenting JOURNALS.  There are hundreds of them and they’re all exactly the same.  Write your thoughts, enter possible baby names here…what we as expecting mothers really need to expect is “Did I get those hemorrhoid’s in the first or second trimester last time?” and this book combines both Jenna’s journey into parenthood and provides a humorous journal section WAY more relevant to the entries I had filled out when I was pregnant!

I have a confession to make.  For YEARS, I’ve been wanting to write a book about my journey to parenthood and pregnancy because I read every parenting book and wrote in every journal available throughout both of my pregnancies and was SO let down by the content. (more…)

I can’t say enough about how wonderful Nintendo is.  This company has found a way to improve nearly every facet of my life.  From my 60 pound weight loss using the Wii Fit to expanding my repertoire in the kitchen with the help from Personal Trainer: Cooking.

Now they’re taking it one step further and have introduced Personal Trainer: Math, new software for the Nintendo DS^â„¢ that provides a fun and rewarding way for people to improve their basic math abilities.

“Personal Trainer: Math provides a fun antidote for math anxiety,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “People can keep their math skills sharp while tracking their progress every day to see how they improve.”

When I first got this, I thought it’d be perfect for my almost 4 year old to help him learn the basics of Math.  He’s still a little too young to do this on his own, but since receiving Personal Trainer: Math, both my husband and I have worked with Jacob to teach him the basics of addition and subtraction through playing this game on our Nintendo DS.

I decided to try this game for myself, since I’m absolutely terrible at Math and hear that activities like these keep the mind sharp as a person ages.  Since I’m about to hit the ripe old age of 32, I thought I’d better get cracking and stimulate the parts of my brain I just don’t use on a daily basis (mainly, 2/3 of it he he he).

I played Personal Trainer: Math for over an hour and had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed!  I started with the basic tests and worked my way up.  Let me tell you this, folks, this game can be used for kids just starting to learn Math (with help from their parents) all the way to the graduate students looking to test themselves on elaborate multiplication tables and calculation ladders.

According to Nintendo, a new survey, conducted by Wakefield Research for Nintendo, confirms that math anxiety is alive and well among U.S. kids. In fact, of 400 children surveyed, one in five believe that they are more likely to grow up to become a professional athlete, actor or singer than they are to get A’s and B’s in math next year. Other results of the survey conducted Dec. 12-23, 2008, include:

• More than one-third of kids surveyed say that math is their most difficult subject.
• Nearly one-third of kids have very negative feelings about math: 18 percent called it “boring,” while 13 percent actually called it “torture.”
• 86 percent of parents surveyed say that math is important to their careers, even though more than half of them admitted they thought they’d never need the math they learned in school.

Personal Trainer: Math includes 40 fast-paced exercises, from basic addition and multiplication to more extensive multiplication tables and calculation ladders. Daily math drills keep skills sharp, while attendance records provide ways for users to see how they improve week to week and month to month. The Nintendo DS touch screen interface allows users to input their answers quickly and easily. Using wireless DS Download Play, up to 16 players can compete to finish their problems with the fastest time, even if only one player has a game card.