Archive for the ‘Gifts’ Category

Five top point and click cameras for Fathers Day 2009

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Here are five solid camera choices for Fathers Day 2009:

  1. For HD Lovers:
    Canon PowerShot SD780 IS – Photos and HD Video. $280
  2. Birdwatchers and long-distance viewers:
    Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 – Longest zoom for a point and shoot at 12X. $400
  3. Most portable:
    Sony DSC-T700 Cyber-shot – Tiny and flat with 4GB of internal memory but only a 4X zoom. $400
  4. Most brand conscious:
    Leica C-LUX 3 – It’s a Leica, and very good, but the price shows it. $600
  5. Budget conscious:
    Nikon Coolpix S220 – Good basic camera, but don’t expect a lot of bells and whistles.

Biggest camera buying hint this year. Compare sensor size not megapixel quantity. That will determine the quality of the photo since all cameras are now made so you can blow up photos to larger sizes.

Buddy Talk

Friday, May 15th, 2009

My nine year-old daughter has written a review of the new Buddy Talk, a new conversation starter toy from www.aroundthetablegames.com. She likes books like
Coke Vs. Pepsi , a book that asks people to make choices between two things to get them to talk about what kind of person they are. What seems like silly, surface level questions to an adult, are intriguing to kids. Whether you drink Pepsi or Coke has obviously no real value to understanding who we really are. We adults are smarter, focusing instead on what vodka we drink, car we drive, or shoes we wear.

Buddy Talk, though, looks at loftier things, like kids’ hopes, fears and dreams.

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Around the Table Games has other variations on this theme for families and kids needing new topics to talk from.   

Her (very short) review:

Buddy Talk is fun to play by yourself or with your friends. If you take buddy talk to a restaurant it’s great to entertain you or your friends. It’s also great to start a conversation. It has a cool clip so it can hang from your backpack.

ZipBin mini bin/play surface

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

My son (not pictured here) loves his ZipBin Mini Speedway from Neat Oh . And so do we. These very affordable storage bin toys are a good find for little kids who collect lots of little items like dolls, cars, or farm animals. The carrying case unfolds completely to reveal a play scene. And, the Zip Bin comes with 2 cars (or other item) so the child feels like he’s getting a toy, and not just a storage bin. $9.99 and up on Amazon.

A few more gift ideas for Dad for Valentines Day

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

It’s getting late and maybe you’re sick and tired of yet another reason to buy more stuff. But, it’s hard to break out of this tradition. Most folks give their loved one a little something on Valentine’s Day, even if it’s a hand-written poem or a single rose.

Here are a few more thoughts for meaningful gifts for February 14th.

1. Instead of a material gift, give him an “experience.” It’s amazing the kind of wild adventures there are available for sale these days. Hire a jet fighter, fly in a dirigible, take flying lessons. There’s even a place in San Francisco that gives indoor parachuting lessons, where you can give him the sensation of jumping and flying without risking his life in the process. Other ideas are rock climing, glider rides, and race car driving. Click here to brainstorm other experience gifts.   

2. Don’t buy a gift like a massage, that says you want him to be more like a girl. Guys still like romance but there are plenty of romantic ideas that will energize him that don’t involve candles. Go to a local observatory and see the stars for example.

3. Who says guys always have to buy lingerie for women. Buy lingerie for yourself and give it to him. He selfishly wantst to give it to you anyway. This sends a lot of the right Valentines Day messages.

4. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Even if it’s just one bar of Valrhona for $4, chocolate says decadence, but studies also show it does everything from fighting tooth decay to (mildly) elevating mood levels. Just skip skip the milk chocolate. Your sweetie is sweet enough without getting fat.

5. Buy a book. Not any book, but the perfect book that shows you really care. If he’s a book lover, go to Alibris.com and look for a signed first edition from his favorite author. Even if he’s not the literary type, you can still find a book that says more than “hey, I found this in the discount aisle,” but that really shows your interest. Think “Intro to Italian,” “Magic for Dads,” “Planning a trip to Alaska.” Subjects that are of interest or possible interest, or stir a plan for the two of you for the future.

Good luck. And, if all else fails, there’s always flowers and a coupon for a massage.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Funny Face out on DVD

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Audrey Hepburn is my daughter’s favorite movie star. She has seen all her movies except for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which we continue to think is just a little mature for her.
Funny Face, however, is one of her favorites. Though there are scenes of people smoking, most of it is pretty tame, though it is the kind of love story little girls love.

She has bought three books on Audrey Hepburn with her own money, very quickly realizing that they all use the same photos and have very little new to say. So if anyone is out there thinking of a great book to write for my daughter, an all-new story on Audrey Hepburn would be great. Her birthday is in March, so you have 45 days!

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11 Birthdays – a good book for 8+ girls

Friday, January 2nd, 2009

11 Birthdays is one of my favorite books of 2008.It is the story of a girl named Amanda who always has her birthday with a boy named Leo. For their eleventh birthday they don’t have their birthday together. Then, something odd happens: their birthday starts repeating over and over again. Why is this happening? Read this book to find out! This is a great book and a mind-bending mystery.I think this book is for ages nine and up. I think that Wendy Mass is a great writer and I think she should write other books too!

Hadley ( age 8 )

Sony MYLO Personal Communicator – a good alternative to iPhone and iTouch with some different benefits

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008

Sony MYLO Personal Communicator – (around $200) If you like to surf the internet and need a device that does it all better than most cell phones, the MYLO is a fun gadget. This “Personal Communicator” works on the 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi standard making it easy to join wireless networks. Unlike an iPhone though, it is set up to make free Skype calls (to other Skype users and for a charge to regular phones) right out of the box (iPhone users must download special software and configure).

The MYLO also has an MP3 player, plays MPEG-4 videos and has a 1.3 MP camera built in, which makes online photo sharing simple. But the best part is the integration with popular sites like AIM, YouTube, FaceBook (with Facebook Notifier) and ShoutCast, making this a fun electronic toy from the moment you open it up. The MYLO (for My Life On-Line) is definitely targeted to the younger user who is looking for easy integration to these popular social sites. Other devices can be rigged to do the same things, but few are set up to use them as quickly as the MYLO.

If you travel overseas, this could be a great option for portable telephony without outrageous roaming charges. While you’re limited to WIFI areas, these are more and more common, especially in Asia and in urban areas.

Strengths:

1. Fun form factor – slide open keyboard is big and easy to use and has a secret agent feel

2. Easy to use integration with popular online applications

3. Easy to integrate with other Sony devices (memory stick)

4. Finally, a simple device for making Skype calls for FREE

5. Takes advantage of more and more free hot-spots (rather than telephone)

Drawbacks

1. Skype can’t be used in hands-free mode.

2. Memory stick versus more common SD cards (this is not a drawback if you have other SONY devices). Also uses proprietary microphone cable and charger.

3. Limited functionality when away from WIFI hotspots. Fairly short range WIFI signal.

4. Tin-ny sounding speakers (but not any more so than most devices this small)

This may also be a good solution for kids who want portable internet access but don’t want to be tethered to a telephone plan.

Best last-minute gift ideas for moms

Friday, December 19th, 2008

Just a few days left to get your shopping done. Here are some ideas if you’re short on time.

1. Go to the bookstore. Books are a great idea because you can wander the aisles and be prompted by book titles to think of the right subject for the recipient. A trip to a bookstore, even after work, or on a Sunday afternoon, is a relatively peaceful experience and you might even consider it a break in an otherwise hectic shopping day. Books also have an important advantage: they are easy to exchange or return for full refund.

2. Concert DVDs. Here’s an idea that not everyone thinks of especially for women. If you were the one to buy the 55 inch HDTV, a concert DVD is a perfect way to showcase its features. With so many DVDs for rock, classical, jazz, and every other style imaginable, you can find something really original that will bring the music home.

3. Theater, ballet, opera, or anything else you usually don’t attend, tickets. Many women complain that man just won’t go to these types of events. If there is a type of performance that she’s dying to see, this will surely be a hit. You can even suggest you take another friend, but for even larger effect, volunteer, without complaining, to attend with her.

4. Flowers. Don’t forget this old standby, especially if on Christmas eve day there are still no flowers on your holiday table. Even though there’s not a present to unwrap, flowers are never unwelcome as a surprise gift.

5. Don’t forget that spa certificate. While the spa certificate has become a cliché gift, it’s still always a welcome one. What woman doesn’t want to be pampered for an hour or even a full day. To make this gift extra special however, take the extra step of making a tentative appointment in the near future, as well as making childcare arrangements. Then, all she has to do is show up. This is far better than putting the onus on her to find child care and the perfect moment to take a break.

Remember that online services still can ship with just two days, or even one day advance purchase. If you still have lots of shopping left to do, consider an Amazon prime membership, which provides free two day shipping on all purchases for $79 per year. It isn’t cheap, but it is a good deal if you have a lot of shopping and shipping left to do.

Have a great holiday!

Inexpensive and easy-to-make gifts for dad

Tuesday, December 9th, 2008

Dads can be hard to be buy for, but nothing is better than getting a gift from your kids that they made themselves. Here are two simple ideas that kids can easily make in time for holidays. Not only that, but the first is energy efficient!

1. A tie snake – With cold weather seeping in through every door and window, make a snake draft blocker using a colorful old tie filled with polypropylene pellets, or even dried beans (make sure they don’t get wet). Sew up both ends and you have a very long snake. If you want to go the extra distance, make it into a snake-looking object by sewing on eyes, and gluing on a red felt tongue.

2. A silk muscle-warmer made out of a tie.

Fill the tie instead with rice and you have a silky soft and heatable pad for sore muscles, keeping warm in the car, or to drape over your eyes during a nap. Microwave for 2-3 minutes and the rice will stay arem for up to two hours.

Thanks to Make Dad a Tie Snake for Christmas at Mommyland for this tip.

Excite Books – a Netflix for books?

Saturday, December 6th, 2008

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Well, sorta… Excite Books (ExciteBooks.com) is a subscription book service that sends books monthly to your child, along with a few extra toys and goodies to keep him or her interested. Packages start at $4.95 per month and books are selected based on grade level and sex of child.

ExciteBooks is the brainchild of Austin George, a commercial pilot, who has always had a commitment to education. Before founding Excite Books, George volunteered as a motivational speaker in schools, where he was often surprised at the lack of books in the school library. George created Excite Books to “add excitement and energy into a child’s reading activities by allowing the child to be an active participant in all phases of learning and development through responsibility, motivation, and giving back to the community.”

A key element of the Excite Books program is a large plastic return prepaid envelope so you can send used or unwanted books back at the end of twelve months. Unfortunately, you can not use the bag to send all of your extra books to the chosen school since postage weight has already been determined.

Plans are available at a $4.99, $9.99 and $14.95 (one, two and three books per month) levels and comes with an “excitement guarantee.” If the books aren’t interesting to the child, he’ll refund the purchase price. Each package is engineered to excite a child, starting with the red metallic envelope. Three-book subscribers also get added educational activities.

Our sample package had books that immediately interested both my four and eight year olds, though they might not have been books they would have personally picked. This looks like a fun gift from faraway grandparents that want to foster the joy of reading in a small child, but can’t be there to help buy books on a regular basis. The price is right, the message is good, and as parents suffering always from too much clutter, we like the option of easily sending the books to schools that need them.