Girls Gone Gadget

If you are traveling by airplane this holiday season with your child, then you definitely need this!  When I first saw the Airplane Seat Back Valet from Hammacher Schlemmer (via Wired’s Gadget Lab), the first thing I thought of was: “This is so perfect for kids on airplanes!”

The tote simply attaches to the back of an airline seat by sliding over the tray table.  The bag keeps all of your child’s goodies organized with the different pockets, some mesh and some zippered.  The large pockets are great for books, coloring pages or holding their hand-held video games.  The zippered pockets are perfect to secure game cartridges, crayons, or pencils.  All of the other pockets can hold an iPod, snacks, extra tissues or wipes, or whatever it is that will keep your child entertained for the flight.  The Airplane Seat Back Valet even includes a spot to hold their water bottle!

The best part is that the organizer, when not in use, folds in half and becomes a convenient bag that you can tote with the included shoulder strap or handles.  Perfect for when you are chasing your little one around the terminal!

Although I haven’t seen the bag in person it does sound like a great solution when traveling with a child of any age!  The bag itself measures 11.75″ x 8″ when closed and costs $39.95 at www.hammacher.com — definitely an affordable price for a (hopefully) peaceful trip!

Well, Christmas is coming early to one Go Go Gadget Mom reader!  The winner of the Bugsby Reading System is….

Deb K

Congratulations Deb!  I hope your grandson loves the Bugsby Reading System as much as my daughter does!  You should have an email waiting in your inbox from me.  If you haven’t received that email yet, email me your shipping information to stacey (at) gogogadgetmom (dot) com.

Thanks to everyone who entered!  I’m sorry I couldn’t giveaway one to each of you, maybe next year!  In the mean time, don’t forget to follow VTechToys on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!  You can get all the hot new product information, as well as contests, giveaways, and amazing deals!

And thanks again to VTech for sponsoring this giveaway!

When it comes to the holidays, I love hearing tips and tricks from others.  Tips on how to make the most of the holidays with two small children.  Tricks on how to find the best deal on all of those toys on the kids’ wish lists.  And hints on how to survive it all with my sanity intact.

Here are five great holiday tips from the VTech Mom, Pilar Clark, and the VTech Voices that I thought you might appreciate:

1. Get Organized — Bins marked for ornaments and decorations make things easy to find, so more time can be spent decorating.
2. Be Thrifty and Creative — Spend time with your kids making homemade decorations and teachers gifts.  Try these No-Sew Sachets, the teachers will love them!
3. Let the Kids Help — Bake cookies, wrap presents and make holiday cards together.  The kids are kept busy and get a sense of accomplishment and pride for helping their parents out!
4. Get in the Holiday Spirit — Think about how to be your best from the moment you get up, almost like a mantra you’d use in yoga, to tackle your holiday “to-do’s” calmly.
5. Take Advantage of Online Shopping — Avoid the stress of the mall by shopping online.  Great for relatives who live out-of-state, the convenience of direct shipping is priceless.

The idea of taking my two young daughters shopping with me during the holidays makes me cringe!  It stresses me out just thinking about it.  So, needless to say, I’m a huge fan of online shopping!  And the holidays are a time where you can find some amazing deals online!!!

If you are still looking for gift ideas for your kids this year, here are some great products from VTech:

	Bugsby Reading System & Starter Book BundleJoin Bugsby the Book Work on a magical reading adventure! Your children will love reading along and interacting with their favorite characters as they build early reading skills. You can read my review of the Bugsby Reading System in this post! (3-7 years) ERP: $29.99
	Jungle Gym: Ride & Learn Giraffe BikeThis is a great way to get your toddler moving and learning!  As your toddler pedals, they’ll learn letters, objects and more!  The cute giraffe inspired bike includes an adjustable, kid-safe, bouncy seat with three positions that grows with your child! (18-36 months) ERP: $49.99
	V-Motion Active Learning SystemThe V-Motion Active Learning System is a breakthrough gaming console that combines wireless, motion-activated play, web connectivity and educational gaming into a system that plugs directly into your TV!  Your child will love playing and learning with their favorite characters, including Spider Man, Disney Fairies, Pixar’s UP!, and Handy Manny! (3-7 years) ERP: $24.99
	V.Smile Cyber PocketTake your gaming and learning on the go with the V.Smile Cyber Pocket!  The flip top high resolution screen makes way for the easy touch writing pad.  Best of all, the V.Smile Cyber Pocket is compatible with all of your child’s Smartridges from the V.Smile Library! (5+) ERP: $49.99

If you’re interested in more holiday tips or product announcement and holiday savings from VTech, you can join the VTech Mom and other parents on Facebook and Twitter (@VTechToys) or enroll in Club VTech at www.vtechkids.com!

We are giving away one Bugsby Reading System & Starter Book Bundle to one lucky Go Go Gadget Mom reader (valued at $29.99)!

How To Enter:

Simply leave a comment on this post telling me who you’d like to win the Bugsby Reading System for.

Extra Entries:

1 extra entry – Subscribe to Go Go Gadget Mom’s RSS Feed

1 extra entry – Follow me on Twitter (@iamgadgetmom) and tweet about this giveaway:
” I want to win the VTech Bugsby Reading System at GoGoGadgetMom.com! http://tinyurl.com/ygrmfhq #giveaway @iamgadgetmom ”

1 extra entry – Follow @VTechToys on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway (just copy and use the same tweet from above)

1 extra entry – Become a Fan of VTech Toys on Facebook.

5 extra entries - Blog about this giveaway.  Make sure you link back to this post and then leave me five separate comments below!

5 extra entries – Not a blogger?  No problem!  Send an email to 5 friends with a link to this contest.  Make sure you CC me on the email (stacey @ gogogadgetmom.com).  Then come back and leave me five separate comments for doing it!

The Details:

The winner will be randomly selected from the comments posted by Sunday, December 6 (11:59pm EST).  All entries will be verified and must include a valid email address where I can contact you, should you win.  This giveaway is open to US shipping addresses only.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive any products or monetary compensation from VTech for this post.  VTech is, however, providing the giveaway prizing.

I just saw a commercial for this today and had to check it out online! It is the Crayon Maker from Crayola®.

The Crayon Maker is basically the Easy Bake Oven of crayons. You place your broken crayon pieces (or the starter colors that come with the Crayon Maker) in the melting dish inside the Maker and let them melt down, taking about 10 minutes. Then pour the melted colors into the molds and let them harden. Voila! Your new crayons are ready and you’re off coloring again, this time with whatever swirled creation your child made!

The Crayon Maker operates on a clear, colorless 60-watt candelabra light bulb, similar to the Easy Bake Oven. You can watch a short video demonstrating how the Crayon Maker works here.

Although I haven’t actually used the Crayon Maker myself, it seems to be a straightforward and practical way to recycle those bits and pieces of crayon. With two little girls who love to color, we are always left with broken crayons or pieces too small for them to color with. Typically we save them for other art projects but it would be so great if we could recycle them into more crayons!!!

Right now my only question is clean-up. I’d be very interested to see how easy it is to clean-up the melting tray and molds!

The Crayola® Crayon Maker is available at Crayola.com and other major retailers. It retails for $32.99 and is recommended for ages 8 and up.

*Disclaimer: I did not receive any product or monetary compensation to write this post. Nor was I contacted by Crayola® or any of their affiliates.

Earlier this fall I participated in a Twitter contest hosted by @VtechToys and I won! Yay!  My prize — the Bugsby Reading System and two additional Bugsby Reading books!!!

From the moment we opened the box, my daughter was elated.  She loves books and books that came with an adorable book work…let the squealing begin!

The interactive reading system features pen touch technology wrapped up in a cute bookworm character shaped pen — Bugsby!  Simply click the software cartridge that comes with each book into the Bugsby pen and let the reading adventure begin.  My daughter loves that there are so many different options with each book.  She can let the pen read the story to her; she can tap each individual word to help her as she reads the story herself; or she can choose one of the interactive activities in the story.  She never gets bored!

I was amazed at how Abbi was able to start using the Reading System without any explanation from me.  The Bugsby Reading System is so user friendly and straightforward that a three year-old will have no trouble using it.  However, the system also grows with your child in the sense that your child can read the books on their own, using the Bugsby pen to help them with the words they are struggling with.  The reading system also offers an assortment of books targeting specific ages from 3 to 7 years.

And your child is going to love recognizing their favorite characters in the Bugsby Reading System books — from Dora to Olivia to Scooby Doo!  My daughter loves the Wow Wow Wubbzy book we received with our prize pack!

As a parent there are key features of the Bugsby Reading System that I love, besides the fact that my daughter loves it and it is educational, of course!  I appreciate so much that the designers thought about parents when they created the Bugsby pen.  They put a volume control button on it!!!  AND, this is where I believe there will be a place reserved for them in heaven, it has a headphone jack!!!!!  These may seem like small things but, when you’re in a car for more than two hours or on an airplane and your child wants to use their Bugsby Reader, you’ll be singing Vtech’s praises!

The Bugsby Reading System requires no additional software or extra set-up.  It truly is that easy and that fun!

I would highly recommend a Bugsby Reading System for any child ages 3 to 7, whether they love to read or not…whether they can read or not.  And, priced at just $29.99 for the Reading System and $12.99 for additional books, this will be a great gift this Christmas season.

*I received the Bugsby Reading System and two additional books as a prize from a contest I entered and won.  This review was not solicited by Vtech® and no compensation was received for the review.

Hippo Hooray! is actually three separate apps for the iPhone that are handcrafted to entertain and educate your little one. And my daughter loves all three — Hippo Hooray! Shapes, Hippo Hooray! Colors, and Hippo Hooray! Letters!

Each app presents your child with a screen with different options of shapes, colors, or letters, depending on the app. Then the little voice of the app asks your child to select a specific shape, color, or letter, again depending on the app. If your child selects the wrong shape, for example, that shape disappears from the screen, giving your child a chance to still find the correct shape.

My daughter loves that after selecting the correct answer she receives verbal affirmation — “Super Cool” “You Rock”!!! And, after getting a few correct answers in a row, the app shoots off fireworks for her or throws her a party! She loves it!!!

I love that the apps not only verbally asks her to pick a color (letter or shape) but it also has the printed words on the screen. She is quickly learning to recognize the spelling for the names of the colors and shapes as well as the actual colors and shapes. It is a great learning experience for her!

The downfall of the Hippo Hooray! apps…I wish the three apps were combined into one. It would be nice if I just had one Hippo Hooray! button on my iPhone and, when opened, the app would allow the child to select which “game” they want to play — shapes, colors, or letters. It’s really just a picky detail because I have a lot of apps on my phone and like to keep things clutter free!

Regardless, the Hippo Hooray! apps are great for toddlers and preschoolers and are very, very affordable!

The Hippo Hooray! apps are a product of Jackson Fish Market, a company based out of Seattle, WA.  Each app costs $0.99 and are available at the iTunes App Store.

I was checking out some of the blogs I read regularly and this caught my eye: Breaking News – Baby Einstein is issuing full refunds on their DVDs (from Cool Mom Picks).  What?  Why?  Are they leaking some sort of poisonous gas when my kids watch them???

It turns out that the refund is part of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. I guess, somewhere along the way, Disney was asked to recant the claim that the Baby Einstein videos were educational to children. Since then members of the CCFC has been pressuring Disney to offer reimbursements to Baby Einstein customers…assuming these customers felt they were wronged by Disney’s claims.

You can see all the reimbursement details and how to claim your refund here.

I’m not sure what to think about this.  I mean it’s great that Disney is stepping up and offering good customer service.  And, sure, the Baby Einstein dvds probably shouldn’t be labeled as “educational”, but really?  Did parents really buy these videos thinking their children would become geniuses?

We have a handful of the Baby Einstein videos and my girls love them.  They love the animals and they love the music.  The videos did actually help facilitate them learning different animals but, more importantly, those videos bought me 10 minutes to take a peaceful shower!  And it’s really nice to have my kids watching videos that don’t have cartoon characters talking in very loud voices or some weird guy running around in an orange jump suit and a furry orange hat!

Yes, I’ve purchased Baby Einstein dvds that I wasn’t thrilled with.  There was a languages one that was really annoying to me and I sold it at a garage sale.  So, sure, it would have been nice to get a refund on that one.  But for the most part these dvds are great in comparison to some other options out there.

And never once did I expect my kid to solve some crazy mathematical problem or become musical prodigies because they watched some mouse puppets throwing flour at each other.  If anything I think I should be awarded some sort of ‘pain and suffering’ prize for having to listen to the whiney voice of Caillou and my daughter mimicking him!

What do you think?  Are you happy with Disney being pressured into this refund or are you just fine with getting 10 minutes of peace while your kids watch that non-educational Baby Einstein video?

I’m beginning to wonder who uses my iPhone more: me or my kids? It’s probably leaning more towards me but, if I keep finding these great kid apps, the scales are going to start tipping towards my kids. And fast!

Kid Book by Stolen Lunch (don’t you just love those names) is one of those “great kid apps” I was taking about!

Kid Book is a very simple app that helps kids learn colors, shapes, and animal names and sounds. The app is simple enough that my 18month old can use it with ease but interesting enough to keep my 3.5 year old wanting to play it over and over again. My youngest daughter loves the animal noises and learning how to say some of the words as the app says them, while my oldest loves to try to name the shape before the app can. And she LOVES that the sheep loses his wool! What is it about kid apps and sheering sheep?

As a mom I love that my kids are learning as they are playing. I also really appreciate that the game shows variation. One time the Monkey may appear on a Blue Heart and the next time you see the Monkey he is on a Green Hexagon. It means that my girls aren’t just memorizing the order of the screens. They are really learning the shapes, colors, and animals!

Kid Book (priced at $2.99) is available at the iTunes App Store, along with other Stolen Lunch apps.

The weather is getting colder. The days are getting shorter. And, since I’m a total wimp when it comes to cold weather, it looks like I’ll be turning my exercise to the indoors.

Two years ago I bought my husband a Nintendo Wii™ for Christmas and last year my parents bought me the accompanying Wii Balance Board™. And that has been the source of my workouts in the cold months this past year. Since having two small kids I just don’t make going to the gym a priority and that Wii™ and Wii Fit™ has been my saving grace.

Recently I had the opportunity to review a new workout game for the Wii™ for 5 Minutes for Mom, a site I often write for. The exercise game? Daisy Fuentes Pilates! I must say, I am a fan of the workout! It has been so nice to switch up my exercise routine with something new and, if you have a Wii™, I think you’ll love it, too!

You can read my review of Daisy Fuentes Pilates for the Wii™ and even enter to win your own copy over at 5 Minutes for Giveaways!

My girls love Sesame Street.  Pretty much everything about it keeps them entertained.  And, since I am usually stuck watching it with them, I so much appreciate how Sesame Street writers use their creativity to entertain the parents as well!

One of my favorite Sesame Street skits is their version of Law and Order: SVU.  I believe it’s ‘Special Letters Unit’.  They capture my favorite personalities from that show so well!  You know Sesame Street has to be doing something right when they get hundreds of actors, musicians, and celebrities to come on their show!

When I came across this short video from Sesame Street I knew I had to share it here.  It’s not exactly a gadget but, well, it’s just too fun: