On May 8th, Kidz Bop will be releasing their Ultimate Hits CD featuring the most popular releases from their hugely successful line of Kidz Bob CDs, "sung by kids for kids". As I heard about it,
I Gotta Feeling May 8th is going to be Dynamite! We’re going to Party In The USA with the release of KIDZ BOP Ultimate Hits! The California Gurls will be dancing to all 13 hits this Fire Burning summer! You don’t need to be a Billionaire to get a copy, its only $13.98!
As well as these hits, the Ultimate Hits CD contains, Tik Tok, Break Your Heart, Hey Soul Sister, DG Got us Falling in Love, You Belong with Me, Single Ladies and Fireflies. The songs are excellently produced and even contain kid-friendly lyrics (I want to be a Billionaire, so very bad).
My 8-year-old daughter immediately began singing along with the songs. She knew all but two of them already and within two playings, she was singing along with those catchy tunes as well. She gives it a two huge thumbs up and a huge smile!
Special thanks to Kidz Bop for providing a review copy of the CD. No other compensation was received.
February is American Heart Health Month and a great time to think about eating healthier. Tribe Hummus offers a way to lower the risk of heart disease with all natural ingredients and none of the bad stuff like artificial flavors, preservatives, hydrogenates oils or high-fructose corn syrup.
And hummus doesn't have to be boring, Tribe Hummus offers flavors like Spicy Red Pepper and Olive Tapenade. We tried the Zesty Spice and Garlic and were thrilled with the flavor. Living in Massachusetts, we also like to support local companies and was happy to learn that Tribe Hummus is based in Taunton, MA.
So if one of your New Year's resolution is to eat healthier, or if you are concerned about heart disease, Tribe Hummus is a tasty way to address both.
Special thanks to Tribe Hummus for providing samples for review. No other compensation was given.
Here's a cool iPhone/iPad controlled device that's sure to please kids of all ages. I always had my eye on the AR.Drone Quadricopter, but really, who can afford a RC helicopter? The Brookstone Rover Spy Tank is the next best land-based option. Check out the fun my kids had with it.
Adam loved to get up close and personal to it.
Yup, that close. The wi-fi connection to my iPhone was super easy to set up and the Rover was super easy to control, even by 7yo Dova. The streaming video was great for giggles and the snapshot button was well used. Over and over.
Wait, did the Rover spy mom jumping in the kitchen? This super shot was taken by Dova the controls. See? Super easy to use.
In addition to the all important snapshot button, the Rover's movements are easily controlled by using the touchscreen arrows or by G-drive which uses the iPhone or iPad accelerometer. It also has a night vision mode which lights the way in the dark to sense ghosts, or in this case, ghostly kids.
After playing with the Rover, I had a little trouble hooking back up to my home wi-fi, but after a quick reset of my router, it was smooth sailing. For a fun family toy for the holidays, you can get the Rover Spy Tank at Brookstone for $99.99.
Special thanks to Brookstone for providing the Rover Spy Tank for review as part of the Brookstone Review Crew.
I've been a long time online shopper of inexpensive prescription eyeglasses for my kids and myself. The kids still go through glasses every 4 to 6 months and at buying glasses at a tenth of retail is a no-brainer. But my own eyeglass prescription is very strong, requiring significantly more expensive high index lenses. The last time I purchased glasses online, I went for some fashionable rectangular lenses, forgetting the fact that a wide frame make high prescription lenses extremely thick on the edges. Plus the wide lenses gave my face the "smashed in" look on the sides. If I had the opportunity to try these frames in a store, I may have realized that the frames would not have worked on my face with my prescription.
When I had the opportunity to review glasses from GlassesUSA.com, I was glad to search for some smaller frames. The one thing that I really liked about GlassesUSA was their virtual mirror. Other sites also allow you to upload a photo, but you can never really tell the scale of the glasses in relationship to your face. GlassesUSA provides a pupillary distance ruler so you can scale your photo to match the size of the frames. See how exact it is?
You can also compare eyeglasses easily and send photos to friends to check out. Yes, those are the real prices for the frames and basic lenses at $38!
I received my glasses within a week and was extremely pleased with the quality of the frames and workmanship. With my new smaller frames, the high index lenses were the thinnest on the edges that I've ever seen. When I wore my new glasses to work, my co-workers complimented me, saying that my face no longer looked "smashed in" and that I didn't look extremely near-sighted anymore. Wow!
Next time you are looking to buy glasses, check out GlassesUSA.com. They are high quality, inexpensive and delivered lightning fast. Also check out these coupon codes!
Buy one pair of glasses and get any other pair for FREE! Use code: BOGOUSA
Take 10% off any order. Code: Blog10
Disclaimer: GlassesUSA provided a gift certificate to cover most of the cost of my glasses for review. No other compensation was provided.
I’ve always known that you need to let wine “breathe” before you pour and drink, but I never had to patience to wait before indulging. Now with the Vinturi Wine Aerator from Brookstone, I can finally taste what I’ve been missing.
In a side-by-side taste tests, the Vinturi consistently makes red wine taste smoother and more flavorful. From bottles of fine wine to less expensive “box” wines, it works with everything. It does require two hands to pour and hold the aerator, which can be challenging with box wines (where you have to hold the glass as well). Otherwise, it is well worth using and takes no extra time to produce better tasting wine.
One drawback is that you really wish to have it while dining out. Thankfully, Vinturi now makes a travel wine aerator, so you can be a wine snob wherever you go.
For the geeks, the name Vinturi is a brilliant play on words between “vin” (wine in French) and venturi, the reduction in fluid pressure that results when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe.
Special thanks to Brookstone for providing the Vinturi Wine Aerator for review as part of the Brookstone Review Crew.
Normally, I carry my huge hobo handbag which has a pocket for my iPhone as well as a slew of other items including... Wait! A women doesn't disclose what's in her handbag! But sometimes I just want to travel light. The Brookstone Universal Phone Holder is the perfect solution. I can take my phone, my license, and my credit card and go without the extra weight of every store card from my area, hand sanitizer, dental floss (I'll stop here).
The description on the Brookstone site states that the Universal Phone Holder fits the BlackBerry® smartphone and Android™-based phone. But I can tell you that it fits my iPhone perfectly, even with a thin hard shell case. There is a slick pull tab on the backside to pop the phone out quickly. It is made with quality leather and is minimalist yet stylish.
If you're looking for the perfect gift for a gadget-obsessed mate or friend, the Brookstone Universal Phone Holder will not disappoint.
Special thanks to Brookstone for providing the Universal Phone Holder for review as part of the Brookstone Review Crew.
Having to travel a fair amount for work, I have settled on a routine using a rolling carry-on suitcase for my clothes and shoes and a large backpack for everything else. The backpack contained my laptop, separated liquids and gels, books and magazines, iPod, noise cancelling headphones, sweater, food, water, and anything else I needed for the flight. The rolling suitcase went in the overhead bin and the backpack went under the seat in front of me. I was an expert at looking the part of the hip professional traveler. Little did I know there was a much better way.
When I first received the Brookstone Rolling Traveler, I was apprehensive about having to pull two rolling suitcases. But it turned out to be much easier than I thought. In fact, my back and shoulders were suddenly liberated from the often crushing weight of my backpack. Sure, I could piggyback my backpack onto my rolling suitcase, but that often made the suitcase tippy and I was always wary of dragging it through puddles. Now with two rolling suitcases, I was able to whiz through airports and parking lots with ease.
The size of this compact rolling suitcase is designed so that it can fit under an airline seat. It fit even on a small commuter jet with plenty of foot room. The suitcase held everything that my backpack used to hold, but with much more flair. There is a perfectly sized magazine pocket in the back and the side zip pockets are great for accessing smaller items. The front top pocket is perfect for holding essential items such as your wallet, passport, cell phone and boarding pass. It is a bit tight to pull out the whole suitcase in the middle of a flight (especially if you're in the middle seat), but it is doable and all items are fairly accessible.
The laptop sleeve worked well for pulling out and replacing the laptop quickly during the security scan. On my outgoing flight I put the laptop sleeve in the back of the suitcase, which left some dead room around the retractable handle, and on the return flight I put the laptop sleeve in the front of the suitcase. Leaving the laptop in the front left much more usable room in the suitcase as whole, but it did make reaching the items behind it more difficult during the flight.
The construction of the suitcase is top notch and has survived a cross country flight as well as an overnight stay without a scratch. Now this hip traveler has finally graduated from the backpack to this Brookstone Compact Rolling Traveler. Hooray!
Special thanks to Brookstone for providing the rolling travel suitcase for review as part of the Brookstone Review Crew.
Looking for a way into your Valentine's heart? These Donsuemor Valentine Hearts will be sure to please. These heart-shaped madeleine cookies are dipped in chocolate and are beautifully presented in their own gold-embossed gift box.
Just look how beautiful they are! They have a delicate taste that everyone in my family loved. If you're adventurous and would like to try making a madeleine parfait, check out this video with Jennifer Bushman.
Special thanks to Donsuemor for providing Valentine hearts for review.
Lately, there has been a push to have simpler foods with natural, wholesome ingredients. This has been the philosophy of Back to Nature Foods since 1960. Not only do they make delicious foods, but they also lead the way in greener packaging by using 100% recycled paperboard with at least 55% post-consumer content. That means 55% from paper recycling from you and me. Even the ink is from renewable vegetable sources such as flax, soy and tree nuts.
But if you're not swayed by buying green, the taste of Back to Nature foods will win you over. My favorite Back to Nature snacks are their seed and herb crackers: Sunflower Basil, Sesame Tarragon and Poppy Thyme.
I tried the Sunflower Basil crackers and they were seriously the best tasting crackers that I've ever had. Delicate and savory, I took these to work so I didn't have to share them with my family. Instead they hoarded the Chocolate Chunk cookies and didn't share any of them with me!
If you're new to Back to Nature Foods, or if you've been an ardent supporter for years, check out their new cookie flavors arriving in stores in January 2011: California Lemon, Madagascar Vanilla Wafers and Triple Ginger cookies. You can find Back to Nature products at Whole Foods and many other retailers.
Thanks to Back to Nature for providing samples for review.
If you have a smart phone with a touchscreen, you’ve inevitably run into the problem of trying to operate it in the bitter cold of winter. I’ve had my iPhone ring and have answered it by rubbing my nose on it. Those ridiculous antics are over with Isotoner’s SmarTouch gloves. These gloves have conductive thread on your index fingers and thumbs which allow you to operate your touchscreen device without removing your gloves. A non-slip palm improves grip as well.
The Isotoner SmarTouch is excellent for basic phone operations such as dialing and answering calls, but don’t expect to have coherent text messages or emails, especially with the iPhone. Here are my test messages: “$6.49 is a good deal fortunes fm trasittes”, which should have been “$6.49 is a good deal for for the fm transmitters”. Another attempt got completely garbled, “Dour gne t u can't really re org his ice?”
But if you’re really just interested in answering your phone or working your touchscreen GPS with your gloves on, the Isotoner SmarTouch will fit the bill. The SmarTouch is available at most department stores and mass merchants nationwide. Check out this hysterical video of life before and after Isotoner SmarTouch gloves:
Thanks to Isotoner for providing a review pair of gloves.
Who knew that hearing protection could be so discreet and cool? EarPeace offers silicone ear plugs that are skin toned so there are nearly invisible. They are meant to enhance concert-going experiences by reduce volume while maintaining sound fidelity.
In our family we use hearing protection from yardwork, to music jams, to automobile and motorcycle races to airplane trips. The EarPeace ear plugs do not provide as much sound attenuation as ear muffs and some foam earplugs, but they are meant to enhance your concert going experience while protecting your hearing. EarPeace gives about 11-17 dB attenuation which is ideal for bringing the sound from nightclubs and concerts down to a hearing damage free level. They are comfortable, reusable and easy to clean.
For more information on hearing loss and the importance of hearing protection, check out their article here. You can purchase EarPeace with a carrying case for $14.95 with free shipping at their store.
Special thanks to EarPeace for providing a review sample.
This is sponsored content from BlogHer and ABC's No Ordinary Family.
ABC’s No Ordinary Family poses the question, If you could give each of your family members or friends a super power what would it be and why? Check out the trailer for this new show premiering on Sept 28, 2010.
In a recent episode of This American Life on Superpowers, the first act featured a story where John Hodgman asks the question,”Which superpower would you choose, the power of flight or the power of invisibility?” How you answer tells a lot about what kind of person you are.
My first thought was invisibility, but then I went back and forth on the flying. I often have dreams of flying, of traveling through the world either by gliding through the air or just over the ground effortlessly, or by shrinking the earth into the size of a map so I could walk into another country with a single step. But then the sneaky suspicious side of me would just love to spy on people when I am invisible.
In the end, how you choose shows whether the gallant person with nothing to hide overcomes the darker, guilty, suspicious person. They said that men choose flying more often and women choose invisibility.
But the superpower that I would want over anything else would be the ability to be in more than one place at a time. I could finally be supermom and work full time, take care of the kids full time, and even split my time helping with homework, piano or violin practicing at the same time. Of course these leads to no down time, but I could choose when and whether or not to split or clone or whatever it takes to be in more than one place at a time.
Just this past weekend, I wished for this superpower again. It was a beautiful Saturday morning, and I drove my convertible to my therapeutic massage appointment. The weather was absolutely perfect, and I put on my music and enjoyed my little getaway from the kids. My husband Doug took my son to his first soccer game of the season, which is something that I’ve done countless times. However, this time my son Adam scored three out of the five goals helping his team to its first solid win in ages! Oh how I wished I could have been there! But if I were able to be in those two places at the same time, would I have relished my getaway if I weren’t really away? I’ll worry about those philosophical dilemmas when I get to them.
The power I choose for Doug is the ability to stop time. In Nicholson Baker’s book, The Fermata, the main character uses this power to do all sorts of kinky sex acts, but there are many more uses for this power. Doug would love to invoke time stopping when the kids get too loud and crazy. He could just stop time and everything would be quiet. He could catch his breath, relax and relish the moment of silence. Plus with his new job, he can finally get everything done despite our jam-packed family schedule.
My son Adam is pure of heart and would embrace flying without question. He loves to defy gravity on the swings. It is completely fitting for him.
My daughter Dova would definitely be the invisible one. She already loves to sneak up on you and scare you any chance she gets. Hopefully this won’t lead to a dark life of deception in the future.
Juice is juice right? Not when it comes to Welch's. The new Healthy Start line of juices take nutrition and flavor to a new level.
Grape
White Grape Orange Mango
Blueberry Pomegranate Concord Grape
Each of these juices have the unmistakable flavor of high quality Concord grapes. With 260% of Vitamin C DV, and loads of natural anti-oxidants from grapes, you can feel good about giving it to your family. Even my son with the fruit aversion loves it.
If you'd like to try Welch's Healthy Start, click the coupon image below to visit Welch's Healthy Start and print out a coupon. Healthy Start will be available nationwide in October and is currently available at Kroger, Safeway, Food Lion and Publix. It will also be available in mid-September at SuperValu, Bi-Lo and in mid-October at Walmart .
Thanks to Welch's for providing juice samples for review.
The Magellan RoadMate App for the iPhone is a full-featured GPS navigation tool. If you're familiar with using a stand-alone GPS navigation system, you will feel right at home with this app.
The main menu is clear and easy to use.
The voice prompts and visual signs are clearly marked and easy to follow.
The ability to play music from your iPhone is an added bonus.
Here are some pros and cons that I encountered with the app:
The app size for the USA version is 1.3 GB. The size is required for the map data. My 16GB iPhone was completely full so I had to remove music and apps to accommodate the Magellan RoadMate. However, the app would not install until I had about 3 GB of free space. After it was installed, I was able to add back the apps and music up to the full capacity.
The sound from the iPhone speaker is not loud enough to hear while driving on the highway. I used an FM transmitter/charger to broadcast the iPhone over the radio. The voice prompts were very clear using this accessory. This worked very well with the built in Music Player as well.
If you have a car with a built-in iPod/iPhone interface, the voice prompts through the sound system work well, but the cable is usually not long enough to view the iPhone screen.
If you don't have a car kit to mount the iPhone to your windshield or dash, the GPS signal may not be strong enough if the iPhone is placed at the bottom of your console.
If you don't charge the iPhone while using this app, your battery will run down after about an hour, as the GPS is energy-intensive.
If you have an FM Transmitter/charger and have used a GPS before, I would recommend the Magellan RoadMate App for the iPhone. Magellan offers a Car Kit with a charger for an additional $99.99, however it does not include the FM transmitter, which I feel is necessary.
The Magellan RoadMate 2010 is available at the iTunes store for $49.99 for USA, $34,99 for Canada, and $59.99 for USA and Canada.
Thanks to Magellan for providing the RoadMate app for review.
Did you get some cool electronics this holiday season? How would you feel if they accidentally got lost forever? TigerTag offers a FREE global lost and found network. For a mere $1.99 to cover shipping and handling, you can receive a set of TigerTags, which is a small, permanent sticker, each having a unique serial number. Stick these tags on your cell phone, laptop, gaming device, register them online, and they have a good chance find their way back to you if you lose them.
"75% of lost items which carry a TigerTag ID sticker are returned by Good Samaritans. Our mission at TigerTag is to provide a reliable way to safeguard valuables by harnessing the power of goodwill," said Eric Lagier, CEO and founder of TigerTag.
After the holidays, I spent some (surprisingly fun) time tagging all my family's gadgets including cameras, cell phones, and my daughter's new Nintendo DS. It's quick and easy to register devices. The peace of mind knowing that your device will probably not be lost forever? Priceless.
Special thanks to Tiger Tags for sending me a set of Tiger Tags.
Want to get more exercise out of every day tasks? Banglz are comfy half pound weighted bands wrapped in different stylish interchangeable sleeves. One pound Banglz ankle bands that fit comfortably under your pants are also available.
I tried a set of wrist Banglz for several days and received many compliments on the new accessory. After a few hours, they felt fairly comfortable and I could definitely feel the extra workout in everyday tasks. I wore them to an aerobics class and boy did they make a huge difference! At times they can get in the way, for instance when typing on the computer or washing your hands. I would probably opt for the ankle bands for every day use.
Banglz are available at www.banglz.com at $24.95 for wrist bands and $27.95 for ankle bands.
Special thanks to Banglz for loaning a set of Banglz wrist bands.
When my 9-year-old son saw the packaging for Lego Rock Band, his eyes lit up like never before. Two of his favorite things, Legos and Rock Band, all in one? You bet. I thought it would be hard to beat The Beatles Rock Band (still my favorite), but the Lego version has taken the top place on his list.
One of his favorite new bands is Queen. Look at them all dressed up as Legos.
Check out David Bowie in a Lego concert.
The gameplay is much more intense than previous Rock Bands, where you can knock down buildings and a "Rocktopus" with your awesome playing.
With your earnings, you can buy costumes, figurines and even an entourage and tour bus! Check out the "Cal C. Fyde" costume.
My son said that his favorite things about Lego Rock Band were that the music bars were Lego pieces, the songs, and that you can "buy cool stuff". My favorite thing is that the songs are finally family-friendly for the younger rockers, as well as the "super-easy" mode for the real newbies. I had a hard time trying to explain that the song "Raining Blood" from Guitar Hero III was meant to be metaphorical. If you have a Rock Band and Lego fan on your shopping list, this game will be sure to please for this holiday season.
Special thanks to Harmonix for providing a review copy of the game.
Parents magazine has just released the iPlay n' Learn application for the iPhone / iPod Touch. It is the perfect distraction, I mean instructional tool, to keep your preschooler occupied.
My daughter is five years old in Kindergarten, and she liked the Tracing section most, especially since she is learning to form letters and numbers correctly in school.
For less dexterous younger children, the Flashcards give a great introduction to letters, numbers, shapes and colors. There are entertaining audio messages and animations to go along with each section.
My daughter also enjoyed the quizzes, where she could "beat the question" by tapping the answer after reading the word instead of waiting for the audio.
Does this application hold the interest of the young set? The proof is in the pudding. On another occasion, my daughter she went back to the iPlay n’ Learn app for more tracing and quizzes. Yay!
The iPlay n’ Learn app may be purchased in the iTunes app store for $0.99. Just click this link to open it in the iTunes Store.
Special thanks to Parents.com for sending an iTunes gift card so I could review the iPlay n' Learn app.
, his eyes lit up like never before. Two of his favorite things, Legos and Rock Band, all in one? You bet. I thought it would be hard to beat 
