My Weblog

I Can't Believe It's a Video Camera!!

The Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera

I can honestly say it was love at first sight....

Here's a little background and you'll understand why: We are going on 2 years now of having no video of our kids because, sad to say, their just never seemed to be a convenient time to lug around our old clunker of a video camera. So when the battery died we never got around to replacing it. That's 2 years in the life of an 8, 6 and 4 year old.  Sure I have tons of pictures, but I've been increasingly sad that we don't have any recent recordings of their little voices, or of their funny jokes (that often make no sense!) or of the contageous joy of their laughter.

So when I saw this wonderful little pocket video camera I new that it was the solution I've been looking for. It's both small and light, so it finds a great home in my purse.. and it's easy, ridiculously easy.  As a side note I should also mention, it's cheap, only $179.  Even my frugal (read: cheap!) husband didn't wince. I am now the happy mom of three great little movies and, assuming my kids continue to cooperate, I will no longer miss out on recording those priceless moments. I'm thrilled with my new toy!!

Rocking out on Video Game Night

  I never thought I'd let my young kids play video games.  And I certainly never thought I'd advocate, and even initiate, family video game night.  But here I am.   My techno-native boys get a big kick out of Lego Star Wars and Viva Pinata, and nothing beats rocking out more than mom and dad on Guitar Hero.  So if I can't beat them, I'll join them, and that has led to a series of family game nights that have really been a blast.  My biggest concern is making sure the games we get are age appropriate and I have found a big comfort purchasing my games from Game Stop because they are vigilant about following ESRB guidelines and do a terrific job of sharing with parents which games are appropriate for given age groups. Now my only challenge is sticking to my weekend-only video game rule.   

Eye-Popping Paper Products

 

 

Lucky me… I was just sent a package of notepads, folders and journals to try and review and unbeknownst to me they are the paper products I’ve been using and loving for a year or so now.  They are the Simply Chic and Eye Candy Collections of organizational products by Carolina Pad and Paper and designer Jacqueline Savage McFee.  I love the colorful geometric and modern patterns… I swear they make organizing more fun.   As a work-from-home mom of three I have the lovely challenge of trying to be on top of the kids and the household papers all while keeping my work environment uncluttered and clean.  I have failed miserably in this effort the past couple of months and as the summer has been winding down, I’ve been having some increasing anxiety about the desperate need to get myself organized. Well, school started today, and with it arrived backpacks full of paper,… so tonight I organized my little heart out and I even did it with a smile.  

 

In my pre-kids life we lived in

New York City

for 12 years.  We had the luxury of time and (some) money so we ate out a lot. At that time Zagat’s was my bible for all things food.  Now that I’m a suburbanite Mom and I travel with a focus on casual family fun it’s great to once again rely on Zagat’s.  I’m referring to the new Zagat Guide: Out & About with Allergies: An Insider’s Guide to Enjoying the City.  This is a terrific complimentary (yes, it’s free!) guide showcasing chic restaurants, rooftop bars and outdoor attractions in 20 cities across the country.  And for those of you that suffer seasonal allergies this guide, co-developed by GlaxoSmithKline, offers great tips on how you too can enjoy all the outdoor activities you want to enjoy, even during the allergy season.  While the weather is beautiful and there’s still time for summer road trips, get your complimentary Out and About with Allergies Zagat Guide.  It’s easy to do, just click here. Enjoy!

Dancing with Your Little Ones

 

 

My husband and I play a lot of music in the house but when it comes to kid’s music we are a bit stumped, and quite frankly, just not that into it.  That’s why I was psyched to hear of Disney’s new Music Block Party CD because it is a compilation of some of today’s preschool artists singing some of the classic Disney tunes we sang as children.  My kids love it, especially Danny, who with his 4-your old exuberance always tries to get me up and dancing. Check out the Disney Record website for more information and to listen to sample tracks from the album.  Soon you too will be dancing around with your little one!

 

Thanks for Giving Me Confidence in This Connected World of Ours!

It’s hard to imagine life without my computer.  I use it for work, shopping, correspondences,  playdates, game schedules, school updates, paying bills, for banking, product researching, news, photo sharing…. you get the idea.  It is quite literally the tool that keeps my work, personal, and family- life ticking. And my kids use it too! This is why it makes all the sense in the world to protect my computer and all I entrust it with. Luckily, Norton from Symantec makes it easy to do just that.  I tried the new Norton 360 Version 2.0 and found it to be both easy and efficient to install, so easy in fact, that there is no excuse for having an unprotected or poorly maintained system. It keeps my documents, files and identity all safe from both viruses and hackers. I was especially pleased to hear that this new version also helps me maintain my computer by removing unnecessary files and that the free AntiSpam, Parental Control and Network Monitoring downloads provide additional services for both my convenience and security.  I love having this peace of mind.  Thanks Norton!

SUPPORT.COM IS TRULY A SANITY SAVING TECH SUPPORT SERVICE!

I found a great service that all households without around-the-clock, tech support should definitely know about… Support.com!  I can’t tell you how grateful I am to find this service given I don’t have an ounce of computer know- how and I am completely stumped when my computer doesn’t simply obey. 

This convenient service is provided remotely and offers solutions for your PC technology problems.  And it’s so easy.  All you do is call 1-800-PC-SUPPORT or 1-800-727-8776 and a Solutions Engineer is available when you need help, 8am to 2am, 7 days a week. The service I signed up for was the System TuneUp, the goal of which is to optimize the performance of my computer.   First, the Solutions Engineer launched a support connection to my computer and I could actually see him maneuvering about on my screen. He was terrific at explaining everything as he went along and I love that I was given the chance to ask questions, that he was wonderfully patient and gracious with his explanations, and that he actually spoke in plain non-tech English.  I was terrifically happy with the service and now my computer does indeed perform faster. They also offer a range of problem resolution services and virus and spyware removal. It’s so comforting to know that PC support is just a phone call away. In 2007, Support.com was the only service to receive a 5-star rating from Network World.  I see why!

Froose Your Way to Nutritional Peace of Mind

It may strike some people strangely that a children’s beverage is being covered on “Cool Finds for Moms”… because it’s not for Moms.  Or is it?

Actually, I chose Froose because I view it as a gift for moms.  That's right, a gift. Sure, kids love the taste, but for me it offers a convenient and healthy alternative to sugar-laden juice while providing me the gift of peace of mind.  As the mom of three juice-guzzling young boys, Froose has lessened the nutrition strife in my home.  The kids love the taste (think freshly picked fruit!) and given it’s organic, sweetened with brown rice syrup (a complex carbohydrate… so “no sugar high”) and it’s a “whole food beverage”, it has all the natural goodness and nutrition of an actual piece of fruit. 

I enjoy the fact that I no longer need to be on drink patrol and "help yourself" has become a wonderful addition to my Mom vocabulary. Froose comes in three flavors: Perfect Pear, Playful Peach and Cheerful Cherry.  In our house it’s a close contest, but Cherry seems to be the winner today.

Townhouse Flipsides

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not much of a cook and when it comes to entertaining I am definitely not Martha Stewart.   That’s why, when it was my turn to host “girls night out” last weekend I was psyched to discover Townhouse Flipsides.  I was able to simply bring out cheese and couple of my tried-and-true spreads and I felt like I dished out something entirely new.  These new yummy crackers had everyone talking.  They are part cracker, part pretzel, and they really are good!