Hallmark Reveals New Keepsakes For Fall & Winter

While at BlogHer '12 in NYC just over a week ago, I had the chance to join friends to visit Hallmark for a sneak peak at what was new for the holidays this year.

There were some awesome new products that we sampled, but of course my first interest is always seeing what's new for the Hallmark Keepsake ornaments. Our Christmas Tree/Hanukkah Bush (it's what we call it) is the ultimate geek tree, and there's always at least one new Hallmark ornament selected for the tree each year. I think the oldest Hallmark geek ornament is my Star Trek shuttlecraft ornament with Spock's voice. My mom got that for me years ago - when I was a teen, I think - and it still works just as well as the day I opened it.

Looking over the new ornaments, I immediately saw the ones Aaron and I would want:

Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, The Amazing Spiderman

They also will have an Avengers set, but it wasn't on display. I'm sure my mom will get that set for us - she gets Aaron a superhero ornament every year.

For the kids, there were several new items. I loved the interactive storybooks that actually wait for a child's response and customize the story based on what option the child picks. It's like the old Choose Your Own Adventure books, only these are digital and voice responsive. Mira is going to love trying out one of these books - she always wants to have a say in the story.

Along the same line are the Interactive Story Buddies - they're plush animals who come with their own books. When you read the book out loud, the plush animals "listen" and then respond to key words in the book. The voice recognition is amazing, and it feels like the toy is listening to the story as well. (And chiming in just like any kid who wants to add a little more to the story!) It's quite possible that Nugget and Watson will find themselves at our house very soon.

In their back-to-school line was a cute little bug called Bug 'Em. It's a pint-sized plush that can hold cards and other tokens of encouragement and give an unexpected lift to any youngster’s day. My two girls have already claimed this little guy and asked that I use him to hide rewards for them when they've had good days. So I do - if they find him sitting out, they know they've done something good and look inside to see what goodies he might hold. They're so excited when he appears on the table or the couch!

Hey there, I've got a happy surprise for you!

Another cool kid product I got to try out was Text Bands. Text Bands allow kids to send text messages from wristband to wristband, expressing themselves and spreading encouragement in a fun, new way. How? Kids enter up to 10 characters into the screen on the band and bump fists or shake hands to pass the message. The bands light up and the messages transfer from band to band. They look and feel like an 80's flashback to me - but a good kind of flashback.

Getting a sneak peek at some of the new Hallmark products was so much fun. I love how they're working interactive technology into many products for kids - it's fun, educational, and gives kids a chance to feel like they have some control over their stories. And I know we'll have some new superheroes to add to our tree this year, taking their place among all of the other older ornaments.

Full disclosure: I was invited to attend a gathering with Hallmark to see the new products and received a gift bag with a sample of some of the items we tried out. All opinions are my own.

My (Geeky) Father's Day Gift Roundup

Yes, Father's Day is Sunday, and so this is kinda last minute, but I thought I'd share a few items to consider for that fatherly figure in your life, whether it's your own dad, a man who has been like a dad to you, or the father of your kids. You may not have time to get them for this Father's Day, but hopefully these suggestions will spark some ideas for the geek dad in your life.

Darth Vader and Son - What would daily life be like if Darth Vader was parenting a 4-year old Luke? Adorable picture book for any geek dad to read with his Jedi (or Sith) wannabe child.

Tools - Oh, your geek dad may not be all that handy with a real screwdriver, but chances are he'll know just what to do with a Sonic Screwdriver. Instead of trying to decide which brand of tools to get him, you'll be faced with the harder decision of 10th Doctor or 11th Doctor? Choose wisely.

Power - For the dad who spends a lot of time in the car, yet also spends a lot of time on his electronic devices, this coffee cup charger is a must. Plug it into your car (in what used to be the cigarette lighter), pop the cup into a cup holder, and you've got two outlets and a USB charging port. He'll keep everything fully charged and never run out of battery life when on the phone with you!

Clothing, for when he has to look presentable - There are times when dad has to take off the Superman t-shirt and just be a super man, but he probably doesn't want to spend a lot of time caring for his good clothing. So when he has to put on the button up shirt and tie, he can be comfy in these Lee Motion Comfort flat-front pants. They're wrinkle-resistant, stain-resistant and even have wicking technology to keep your guy cool when the temperature rises. These pants are about as carefree as they come for the guy who'd rather spend his mornings checking his Zombie Farm on his iPhone instead of ironing his pants for work. (My husband will be sharing a review of these pants soon - will let you know what he thinks!)

Accessories, for when he has to look presentable - So his boss insists that bow ties aren't cool and requires a standard long tie for everyone. Unless his boss knows binary, only dad will know that his ThinkGeek tie is secretly making a statement while he conforms to dress code. For a slightly bolder statement, try these "more than meets the eye" Transformers cufflinks.

Clothing and accessories, for when he can just be his geeky self - Oh, there's too much to even link to in this category. Just browse through the ThinkGeek clothing section to find dad's particular geek obsession - there's sure to be something for whatever he likes. My current favorite? The Iron Man Power Bands, exact replicas of the ones from The Avengers. I also wouldn't mind seeing my husband in the Captain Jack Harkness replica coat.

Geek food/drink - For those long XBox Live gaming sessions, he'll need some caffeine to keep him going. One of the tastiest options I've tried is RootJack Pirate Root Beer. Not only is there 120mg of caffeine in each bottle, but also a full daily serving of Vitamin C. You know, to prevent scurvy.

So there you are, my suggestions for the best geek Father's Day gifts. Not exactly the lists you'll see everywhere else, but then the geek dad in your life isn't like the other dads, is he?

Chances are he'll love any of these gifts far more than a set of golf clubs...unless he's practicing his swing in preparation for a zombie uprising.

Disclosure: Any products linked to Amazon have my affiliate code in them, meaning if you buy anything through clicking that link I get a few cents for sending you their way. All other links have no affiliate connection, although ThinkGeek is welcome to contact me at any point for future promotions considering how much we love them. All opinions shared here are entirely my own.

It's Time To Play The Music, It's Time To Light The Lights

If you're not already singing the theme song to the Muppets in your head, then you must not have grown up in the US in the 70's or 80's. As a child I loved the Muppets. They were funny, they had great music, and they were a gentle yet smart show for a child to watch, with endearing characters and creative puppetry. (Or muppetry, as the case may be.)

We have some of the old show on DVD, and the kids have watched several of the Muppet movies, including Muppet Treasure Island and A Muppet Christmas Carol. So when it was revealed that a new Muppet movie was being released, I was thrilled at the chance to go see it in the theater with our daughters.

We did go see it, and loved it other than missing the last 10 minutes due to an accident in the theater. We never had another chance to go see it, so instead I anxiously awaited the release of the Blu-ray.

Well, that day is here, and I couldn't be happier! The Muppets was released last week, and in true Muppet fashion they went over-the-top to produce an extravaganza of a product. The Wocka Wocka value pack includes not only the Blu-ray and DVD copies of the movie, but also a digital copy for your computer or tablet and a copy of the soundtrack, along with a ton of extras including commentaries, deleted scenes, the "Longest Blooper Reel Ever Made (In Muppet History)" and much more.

The story of this Muppet movie takes place long after the Muppets fame has faded. Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, goes with his brother Gary to Los Angeles to visit the Muppet Studios, only to find it falling down and about to be bought out and torn down by greedy millionaire Tex Richman. Walter makes it his mission to find Kermit and round up the old Muppet crew to convince them to put on a Muppet telethon to raise the money to save the Muppet Theater. (And I'm sure you can guess that there's a happy ending and the Muppets are reminded just how much people still love them.)

We were so happy to finally see the last 10 minutes of the movie. Like the old Muppet Show, there were several celebrity guest appearances and lots of music, including the Academy Award winning song, Man or Muppet. And the movie proved that the Muppets are timeless - even when competing with CGI graphics and blazing special effects in other movies, our daughters fell in love with the Muppets just like we did when we were kids. The humor is silly, with plenty of moments breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the audience, the songs are sweet and keep everyone humming along, and adults will love the nostalgia while kids develop their own relationship with Jim Henson's greatest creations.

As for the extras on the Blu-ray: you need this set for the blooper reel and the theatrical spoof trailers. Oh, the other extras are great, too, but I guarantee you'll be watching these two features more than once.

There are many movies that I like that I really don't need as a part of my collection. The Muppets, however, is one I absolutely recommend to own. If your house is anything like mine, this movie will get a lot of play time, and the extras make it even more fun. (See how fast you end up having a sing-along in your car to the soundtrack!)

The Muppets is now available at Amazon and most major retailers.

Full disclosure: I received a copy of this Blu-ray set to facilitate my review. No further compensation was received and all opinions stated are my own. Also? My favorite Muppet is still Animal.

Kingston urDrive: The USB Drive Is Fun Again

Thank you to Kingston for sponsoring this review. Please click here to learn more about Kingston. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Some people call them thumb drives. Or flash drives. Or USB drives. Whatever you call them, they've become a routine way to carry and transfer data in our digital age. Some are designed as cute characters, some come on keychains, and some are built to withstand a beating, but generally all of them have the same purpose: store data to use between devices.

But storing data is generally the limit for most USB drives. They're passive devices, holding the information we need so we can move it to another device, where it can be used by that computer's software. They're really interchangeable to me. I've received so many USB drives from various blog conferences and promotions that I don't even care if I lose one, as long as it didn't have any sensitive data on it. They've become throwaway devices at this point.

However, I recently had the chance to try out the new Kingston 8GB DataTraveler 109 with urDrive software, and I can honestly say the lowly USB drive suddenly has a lot more potential.

The urDrive software makes it possible to carry much of your digital life with you on your USB drive, but also to use that data no matter where you go. Stored on board is an mp3 player, a video player, and a photo viewer for all of your media files. (No need to worry if the computer you're using has the right software or not!)

It also has its own web browser that can save all of your favorite sites and preferences to the cloud, available to you from any computer with your urDrive USB drive. This is incredibly useful for working at public computers where you don't want to leave any of your personal information behind, or for when using a work computer (during lunch, of course) where you can't save any of your favorite sites or preferences.

For kids, the urDrive software also includes Fooz Kids, a kid-safe web browsing application with a parental dashboard to set limits and monitor your child's use of the internet. And for both kids and parents alike, you can access the latest flash games from EA Games and PopCap Games on your USB drive.

Finally, if you're worried about the safety of the computer you're using with your USB drive, you can run a quick scan using the included Norton PC Checkup software.

Additional apps can be downloaded from the urDrive store, allowing you to customize your USB drive to fit your needs.

I often work between several computers, and the Kingston urDrive is a resourceful tool to keep around. I like storing my music on it and having a ready-made playlist wherever I happen to be working. The easy access to PopCap Games is great when I need a short break. And keeping my favorite websites bookmarked on the Maxthon 3 web browser is much easier than trying to save my bookmarks on each computer.

Also? It's smaller than any other USB drive I've ever owned. I mean itty-bitty small - about the length between two knuckles and about as thin as two or three dimes.

Here's a quick video that explains a little more about the Kingston urDrive:




Giveaway!

Want to try the urDrive out for yourself? I'm giving away a 5-pack of Kingston USB drives for one lucky winner - enough for you and your family or friends to try out!

To enter: leave me a comment below telling me how many USB drives you currently own. If you're like me and aren't sure, give your best guess. (I've got an entire jar filled with promotional USB drives, plus one in my purse, two in my laptop bag, and probably one or two hiding in a suitcase.)

One entry per person, US residents only. Be sure to provide a valid email address so I can contact you if you're selected as the winner.

Entries will be accepted until Friday, November 18 at 11:59pm ET. After that date, one will be selected by random drawing and contacted via email. Winner has two days to respond to the email or an alternate winner will be selected.

Good luck!

LeapFrog: Making Learning Fun With Tag & The New LeapPad!

I recently had the chance to try out some new products from LeapFrog in anticipation of the holiday season. I hosted a gathering of friends so we could all try out the LeapFrog Tag reading system and the brand new, ultra-cool LeapPad. As you can imagine, these were big hits with all of the kids.

My family is no stranger to LeapFrog. Each of my daughters has a Leapster with several games, and we already had a Tag reader. I love the educational games they get to play, and it's a great feeling to see my kids learning while having fun at the same time. For the party, I received a Tag reading pen for the guests to use, but I brought out the pen we already owned as well to give everyone more of a chance to use them.

The Tag reading system is designed for pre-readers through beginning readers. The pen works with special Tag books to either read each page to the child, or help the child with individual words or sounding out a word. You only need to touch the pen to the word and it immediately speaks the word for you. (After using a USB cable to connect the pen to your computer and download the book's information to the pen.)

But there's actually so much more the Tag pen can do beyond reading the words. Touch the pictures and the characters talk or sound effects are given. And most books contain games near the end that work with the pen to reinforce reading skills.

Mira can read just like her big sister now - and she's starting to recognize words thanks to Tag!

The Tag pen can also be used to learn geography. The LeapFrog Interactive World Map teaches about the different countries of the world as well as directions and distance through exploration with the pen and games available to play with the map.

My seven year old wasn't very interested in this product because she's already an advanced reader, but my four year old is obsessed with Tag. She loves to read the books "all by herself" with the help of the Tag pen, and it's helping her learn to recognize sight words. One of her friends also loved the Tag system so much that we sent his parents home with our extra pen and a couple of the books to get them started.

The big hit of the party had to be the LeapPad learning tablet, however. Several of us commented on how often our kids want to play with our smartphones or iPads, but we worry about them being broken or cluttering up our screen with nothing but apps for the kids. (Personally, I have barely been able to use my iPad because my kids love it.) The LeapPad, however, is the solution to win back our smartphones and tablets!

Mira even relaxes with her LeapPad like I do when using my iPad

The LeapPad is a tablet computer designed for kids 4-9 years old. It's smaller than an iPad but larger than a smartphone. The touch screen responds to both a finger touch and the included stylus. Like the grown up versions, you can download different apps for the LeapPad, including games, ebooks, and videos. (Apps are downloaded by connecting it to your computer with the included USB cable. And also like the grown up version, apps aren't free.)

It features a camera on the backside that can take still photos or video, and an editing program to create silly faces or add digital scenery to your photos. It has a cartridge slot at the top to allow you to use Leapster Explorer cartridge games as well.

I like the versatility of the LeapPad. It's simple enough for a non-reader like my four year old to navigate and use with little to no help from me, yet there are plenty of challenging games and activities for my seven year old. My younger daughter already considers herself a photographer now thanks to the camera app, and is now starting to dabble in shooting video.

All of the kids at our house had no trouble working the LeapPad. The youngest of the group - three years old - quickly found the drawing app and in no time was creating a masterpiece using the different drawing tools provided on the screen. The older kids played games and loved the interactive Cars ebook.

Reading ability is optional with the LeapPad - every kid loved it!

As for the parents, we all agreed the thick plastic case looked sturdy enough to handle rough play from our kids - far better than a iPad would fare! And the $99 retail price is a fair price for an electronic device that can do so much.

The one downside we noticed is that the LeapPad is battery powered. With heavy use, it needed new batteries by the end of the day, which can really add up. A rechargable battery pack would have been a better choice - we can only hope that it might be an option in the future. But since the party, my daughters have only been using the LeapPad for an hour or less each day, resulting in a longer timespan between battery changes. (Note: an AC adapter is available, which is great but limits the portability of the device when plugged in.)

Overall, I'm really impressed with the new LeapPad learning tablet and I predict it'll be one of the hottest toys for the holidays. I also like how many books and interactive products are available for the Tag reader now - my younger daughter has already pointed out several new Tag books she'd like Santa to bring her.

Take my advice - shop early for these educational toys! My daughters can't get enough of their LeapPad and Tag books, and I like that they're learning new reading and math concepts while they play. 

Full disclosure: I was provided with the above LeapFrog educational electronics and accessories to facilitate this review and demonstrate to guests at a play party. My party guests were also provided with coupons for discounts on LeapFrog products. All opinions stated here are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of LeapFrog. 

Cube Dog: Your New Virtual Best Friend

Thank you to Cube Dog for sponsoring this review. For more information about Cube Dog please visit the Facebook page or download it on iTunes.

My daughters have been asking for a dog, and my answer is always no. We already have three cats, which is plenty of pets for me. Add in taking care of the cats as well as the kids, and I've got all of the responsibility I can handle.

However, there is one kind of dog I'm happy to let my girls have: a virtual one. With all of the iPhone apps out today, it only makes sense that someone would think up a virtual dog app, and now it's here. Cube Dog is an adorable app that lets you build your 3D animated dog from lots of different pieces and parts, choose its color, name it, and then interact with it. The building process is very simple, letting you try out different eyes and ears and face shapes before settling on the choices you like best.

Once your dog is built, it's time to play with it! The 3D animations are really, really cute. You can drag your finger to see your cube dog from all angles, and touching your virtual canine will result in a variety of responses. I got such a kick out of petting it on the head and watching hearts replace its eyes as it responded to my touch. My coworkers loved to poke it in the belly and watch it laugh from being tickled.

A cool feature that comes with the app is the ability to take photos of your cube dog in your actual surroundings. Want a photo of your child and the dog? No problem - just select the camera option, zoom in or out to get the proportions just right, and snap the photo. Cube dog can be perched on a park bench, on a table, or on your head if you want.

Downside: At the moment, this app is only available for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPod Touch (3rd gen) running iOS 4.0 or later. My iPhone 3G wasn't able to use it, so I had to borrow an iPhone 4 to download and play with it. (Note to self: time to upgrade my phone!)

Best feature of all? This app is free! You can make in app purchases to buy more features and options for your cube dog, but even the basic, free version has plenty of options to keep you and your children occupied for hours. And hey - no need to take this dog out for walks!

Here's a short video explaining a little more about Cube Dog:



The app and any app add-on purchases can be downloaded through iTunes. Cube Dog is also running a fun contest on their Facebook page through June 13.

So the next time your kids ask for a dog, just download this app and let them have their fill of playing with their new virtual best friend!

Full disclosure: While Cube Dog provided me with the app to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Cube Dog, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Smart Gloves For Your Smart Phone

I never thought I was going to become an iPhone junkie, but now that I've had it for over a year, I often wonder how I lived without it. That phone is my lifeline when I'm out of the house - anyone I could ever need to reach, in just about any method, is available to me at the touch of a finger.

Of course, winter in Ohio can make my love for my smart phone a little difficult. Anyone in cold weather has likely faced the dilemma of using their phone versus risking cold fingers. More than once last winter I was seen furiously trying to answer my phone with my gloves on, only to remember that the gloves block the ability for the phone to sense touch and so I had to quickly tear off my glove to answer the phone.

And don't get me started on those fingerless gloves for smart phone users. Of all parts of my hand, my fingers are precisely the parts most prone to cold and therefore what I want to keep warm the most!

I was recently made aware of a new product called Agloves, however, and it's like my blue-fingernail prayers have been answered.

Agloves make it possible to keep your gloves on and use a touch screen phone at the same time. These stretchy, knit gloves are made with silver-coated nylon thread throughout (hence the name - Ag is the elemental symbol for silver) to provide the connectivity needed to operate any touch screen.

I always thought that touch-sensitive screens were based on body heat, but actually they're made to react with the bioelectricity in your skin. Put a barrier between your skin and the phone, and those little ions can't flow the way they're supposed to. Agloves, however, allow those ions to flow freely thanks to the highly conductive silver thread.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: metal coated thread? Sounds uncomfortable, right? I can tell you that when I received a pair of these for review, the first thing I noticed was how soft they are. They feel just as soft as any knit gloves, and they are just as warm, too.

I'm really impressed with these gloves. I can use my iPhone without taking my gloves off, and the phone responds to my gloved finger just as well as it does when it's skin to glass. The gloves can get wet, are also washable, and the silver will not wash off or wear off. They're available in three sizes, with a sizing chart to help you pick the right fit.

Unlike other tech gloves on the market, these keep all of your fingers covered and warm while still providing full, 10-finger conductivity with your smart phone. (Some only provide conductivity with your index finger and thumb.) The black is stylish and looks great with winter sports wear as well as a formal wool coat. Cost-wise, these are extremely well-priced gloves, at $17.99 a pair.

And if you needed one more reason to love Agloves, consider that they were created by a "mom-preneur" looking for a solution for a common problem. Support your fellow mom-run small businesses!

Win a pair!

Agloves has graciously provided me with one pair of gloves to give to one lucky reader! The winner can choose which size works best for them.

To enter, leave a comment below telling me your favorite outdoor winter activity. (Mandatory entry.) Be sure to leave a valid e-mail address so I can contact you if you're selected as the winner.

For additional entries:

2. Follow me on Twitter @mommystory and tweet this contest leaving me a link here in the comments. (one entry)
3. Follow @TheAgloves on Twitter. (1 entry - leave a comment here with you link)
4. "Like" Agloves on Facebook. (1 entry - leave a comment here with your Facebook username)

One of each entry per person, US residents only.

Giveaway will close on Sunday, November 28 at 11:59pm ET. One winner will be selected by random drawing to win the pair of Agloves. Winner has three days after being contacted by e-mail to respond or another winner will be chosen in his or her place.

Get FREE SHIPPING on Agloves!

If you can't wait and want to get some of your holiday shopping done, Agloves has also provided readers of Mommy's Must Haves with a great promo code for free shipping on any order from Agloves. Simply enter the code mommusthave in the coupon code box to get free shipping on your order through December 15, 2010!

Full disclosure: I received a pair of Agloves to facilitate my review, and no further compensation was received. A positive review was not guaranteed - all thoughts are my honest opinions. You can bet I'll be taking advantage of that discount code, though - I've got a lot of holiday shopping left to do.

Eye-Fi Makes Backing Up Photos Even Easier

I've listened to several people at blog conferences rave about their Eye-Fi cards, and for the longest time I never knew what they were. Wi-fi for your camera? How does that work?

I recently had the chance to try out an Eye-Fi card, and now I think I understand a little better. The Eye-Fi card is an SDHC memory card with built-in 802.11n wireless ability. That means that when you're in your home wireless network, you can easily upload your photos from your camera to your computer with no cables, and no need to remove the memory card.

Setup for the Eye-Fi card is a breeze. Put the card in the included USB card reader, plug it into your computer, answer a few questions, and you're ready to go. It took about 10 minutes to completely set everything up and take a test photo to make sure it was working properly.

I put the 4GB Eye-Fi Connect card to work at Halloween, as I took many, many photos of my girls in their superhero costumes, snapping away safe in the knowledge that the 4GB card could hold hundreds of images. The Eye-Fi software gives you the option to upload all photos directly to a website like Flickr or Picasa, but I prefer to edit and pick and choose which photos I want share so I didn't enable that option.

However, each photo was quickly transferred to my computer only seconds after being taken. At the end of the night, I turned off the camera and went to my photos folder on my computer, where all of my photos were waiting for me. Perfect!

Eye-Fi cards can transfer video as well as photo, too. All Eye-Fi cards also feature the Endless Memory setting, freeing up memory on the card as soon as photos are securely transferred to your computer. Upgraded features include Geotagging and the ability to upload photos to your computer from any Wi-Fi hotspots in the US.

Overall, I like the Eye-Fi card. Being able to transfer photos without taking out the memory card is a nice feature, and the Endless Memory setting is nice, too. But unless you have the upgraded Hotspot Access feature, the card will only transfer photos when in your home wireless network.

Also, one disadvantage to me is your computer and camera have to both be on and awake in order to transfer photos. I have a laptop, so I have to keep it open while photos transfer, and my Canon Rebel has a tendency to go to sleep mode if not used for 30 seconds. When I wanted to transfer several photos at once (taken outside of my home wireless network) I had to keep hitting buttons to keep my camera awake so the photos would continue transferring.

Do I recommend the Eye-Fi card? While I don't know how useful it would be if you only take a single photo here and there, I think it would be very useful for someone with a taste for photography, whether hobby or professional. If you take a lot of photos away from home, I'd recommend the 8GB Eye-Fi Explore or Eye-Fi Pro, both of which include Hotspot Access.

Eye-Fi cards are available in 4GB and 8GB memory, and can be found in many retail locations, including Amazon. They'd make great gifts for the photography fans in your family!

Full disclosure: I was provided with a 4GB Eye-Fi connect card on loan to facilitate this review. No compensation was received and the Eye-Fi card was returned after writing the review. The links above include an Amazon Associates code, meaning that if you click them and purchase anything at Amazon, I get a tiny percentage of the sale. (And thank you if you do!)

Meet Your Fitness Goals With Game Stop

Probably half of us made some New Year's resolution to get fit earlier this month. I was one of them, and to assist me in my goals, I have gathered an arsenal of tools. I have water bottles, weights, workout DVDs, my Wii Fit and the Nintendo DS game My Weight Loss Coach.

A few years ago I never would have considered video games to help me get fit. But advances in game development have changed that, and I have to admit I'm glad they did it.

If you're considering using a video game or two to help you get fit, either mentally or physically, you should check out Game Stop's new Sharpen the Mind, Shape The Body promotion. Playing popular videogames like Wii Fit, My Fitness Coach or Dance, and Dance Revolution make exercise fun, while games like Brain Age or Crosswords DS give your brain a workout. GameStop stores offer these titles and more and have associates on hand to help you and your family find the titles that are right for you.

As a special incentive, all shoppers who spend $35 or more on designated products will receive a free 12-month trial subscription to their choice of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping or Esquire.

I recently purchased My Weight Loss Coach from Game Stop and so far I've been impressed with the game. It lets me record my daily food and exercise, and offers challenges and encouragement.

So if you're looking for a new fitness game, for body or mind, stop by a local Game Stop and demo a game soon! (PS - They also buy back used games! Grab all of those unused games from your kids - or husband - and trade them in for something you want!)

Does Your Computer Need A Tune-Up?

My poor laptop is a workhorse. If it were a person, it would be getting hours and hours of overtime each week and taking Ritalin to deal with all of the multi-tasking I put it through. At the moment, I have six windows of Firefox open, with a total of 17 tabs displaying 17 different websites. It's no surprise, then, that the laptop is starting to show signs of wear: crashing occasionally, random errors, and a slooooow processing speed at times.

Mom Central offered me the chance to try out Norton's PC Tune-Up service, where an expert works with you remotely to make sure your computer is running as well as it should be. It's really an easy process. I called the toll-free number, and then the Norton expert walked me through the steps to set up a secure connection between his computer and mine.

I'll admit I wasn't sure how much they could do remotely, but he did find a few places where my computer was running inefficiently - mostly too many background processes running by programs that didn't need to be eating up RAM. The technician suggested several things that I already knew how to do (as a blogger, I know my way around a computer a little bit), but he did have several ideas I haven't considered before. And he was far friendlier than I expected - no "my knowledge is superior" attitude.

Since our chat, my laptop is running better and I haven't had a crash. While it's not as spry as a shiny new laptop, I'm hoping I bought myself another year or two of time before I need to consider a replacement.

If you're not computer savvy, or just aren't sure where to begin with a slow or uncooperative computer, the Norton PC Tune-Up service can assist in getting your system working with you instead of against you.

Try it out! I've got three Norton PC Tune-Up codes to give away to three separate winners. The code will give you one free tune-up for your computer. To enter, leave a comment on this post between now and December 5, 2008 at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be picked via random drawing after Dec. 6.

Don't Forget To Backup Your Data

Last week, Aaron's computer was attacked by a root kit virus. I don't know if you've heard of them, but they are mean little computer viruses that infest the deepest levels of your system. Often the only way to get rid of them is to completely erase your hard drive and start over, and after trying several options, Aaron had to erase everything. Thankfully, he had a backup of some of his data, but he still lost several programs and files.

I know the importance of backing up our data, and we have an external drive that we share to back up our files. But I never know which files to back up, aside from the obvious photos and iTunes songs. I also can never remember when I last backed up files, so I can't be sure it's all on the drive.

And then I received an e-mail about the Clickfree HD 801, and after reading the description I asked to try it out. This portable backup device requires practically no effort - just plug it in and sit back as it creates a backup of all of your files automatically. There is no software to install, and no settings to fuss with. (Unless you really want to.)

I was doubtful of the claims of this drive being truly "clickfree", so I connected the USB cable and waited to see what happened. The drive automatically started up, scanned my system, and began backing up files. I didn't have to do a thing.

It did take a very long time, but I have a lot of files to backup. Two weeks later, I plugged it in again, and it quickly scanned my system for new or changed files, updated them to it's hard drive and was finished within minutes. It's also small and easy to stash in a drawer between uses.

I have to say I love my Clickfree backup device! This is honestly the easiest electronic device I have ever owned, and it serves a very important purpose. As long as I can remember to update it every week or two (which, as I said, is very easy), I know my files will be safe in case of computer viruses or a massive hard drive failure.

The Clickfree HD 801 holds up to 160 GB of data - enough for two computers for some families - and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

A Rockin' Mother's Day

Traditional Mother's Day gifts usually aren't my thing. I'm allergic to most flowers. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, and when I do wear it, I already have a good stash to choose from. I certainly don't want anything for the house, since I'm not a domestic goddess by any means.

However, I am a geek, and I love music. Which is why I was so impressed when my promotions pal Nichole sent me the Best Buy Mother's Day gift set of the iPod Nano to try out. First, it is a 4GB iPod Nano in either hot pink or silver. That alone is awesome, but Best Buy was smart: they added chocolates and packaged it in a polka dot gift box. An iPod and chocolates? It's like they were thinking of me when they put this gift set together.

I've had an iPod before, but mine is ancient. When I say ancient, I mean it was purchased when you had no color choice other than white, the screen was black and white, and it was a lot weightier than the ones made today. It also was full of technical problems. While it would sync with a Mac without issue, it didn't get along with my Windows computer, and it refused to connect with my computer about 75% of the time. It was a great music player - it was just a pain trying to get music onto it.

When I received my hot pink iPod Nano, I was excited to see how things have changed. First off, this thing is tiny! It fits in my palm, and is about as thick as three credit cards. For those of you lucky enough to be past diaper bags and back to itty-bitty purses, this iPod will easily fit into your purse. For the rest of us, it's nice to not add weight to my already full diaper bag.

The screen is small also, but brilliantly clear and bright. It's in full color, too, so you can view album covers for the songs you're playing. I worried that I might not be able to read the menus well on such a small screen, however the text is clean and easy to read. The click wheel is also smaller, but still just as easy to use as the larger models.

I've had no issues with connecting the iPod to my computer and downloading music. Long gone are the install CDs - now you need only have iTunes on your computer, and it automatically takes care of the setup for you. This iPod is a 4GB model, meaning it will hold about 1,000 songs. Fully charged, it has about 24 hours of battery life.

My only complaint is I wish it came with a cable to recharge the iPod by plugging it into an outlet, instead of recharging via the USB cable and the computer. I have a laptop, which cuts off power when I close it, meaning I can't charge the iPod with it closed. This can be fixed by buying the extra cable - I just wish it would have been included.

And finally, the music quality is as good as it has ever been. I appreciated the clear digital quality of music from my old iPod, and it seems Apple has been successful at keeping this high level of quality, even while making the iPod smaller and smaller.

If you're still looking for a gift for that music-loving or tech-savvy mom in your life, consider this iPod Nano gift set from Best Buy. It's a great MP3 player, and with the addition of the chocolates and the cute gift packaging, she'll think you didn't just grab something off the shelf as you were looking for that new computer game for yourself.

Oh, and the chocolates? They're not Godiva, but they're pretty good! (It's hard for a pregnant woman to ever criticize chocolate.)

Win one! Two other sites are giving these away. You can either go here or here (or both, really) to enter the contests and win your own iPod. Sorry, I'm keeping mine - it's coming with me to the hospital when I go into labor, loaded up with my best relaxation and distraction music.