Get the Word out Wednesday-Turkey Technology

I love technology…but not as much as you, you see…but I still love technology…always and forever…(name that movie!).
So let’s talk technology, “Turkey Technology”

There is some awesome technology out there that I would LOVE to get my little hands on…here are some things you might want to pick up, even before Thanksgiving, because how cool is this?

What is it? It is a WiFi touchscreen video phone that doesn’t require you to have a computer to use!

How perfect would this be for Grandma and Grandpa who don’t like to use the computer?

Or on Thanksgiving, when you want to bring the camera in the kitchen with you to show your mom what your gravy looks like, so she can tell you what you did wrong, and how to fix it? (I’m telling you that would come in handy so much in my house!) You could bring it into your kids bedroom as they are getting into bed and let Daddy read them a story when he’s away, or Grandma can sing them a song as they get tucked in. It’s a little pricey, but really cool right?

Asus Videophone Touch ($299.99)/ Skype Video Calling (FREE)

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Want to have some adult talk during the long family car ride to Grandma’s?

We are not going to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving this year, but we make several trips a year to see both of them, one lives 5 hours away and the other lives 10. You can bet with 3 little kids that we have a lot of Dora playing on the DVD players, and as much as I enjoy a good suspenseful Swiper moment, sometimes I wish I didn’t have to hear it and instead have a relaxing conversation with my husband.

Griffin Technology’s Volume-Limiting Headphones for kids ($40).

Myphones are super cute (or awesome if you are a boy), are safe for kids sensitive ears and are customizable to fit your childs style. (Plus it keeps the movie theme songs in their heads and not yours, so you will not be humming, “I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’M THE MAP!”). I’ve got to snag me some of these!

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Whip cream lover? Me too.

My favorite is fresh made, but the problem is that it doesn’t save.

Unless you have one of these beautiful pieces of art.

Williams Sonoma Whipper ($100)

I know I can’t afford one as of right now but imagine the whippiness possibilities! Add clouds of perfect natural whipped cream to your pumpkin pie (or your daily hot chocolate, am I the only one?) with this essential gadget, but don’t worry about leftovers. This dispenser will keep them fresh for 10 days in the refrigerator. (That’s 10 days!!! In the bowl it doesn’t last 10 minutes! This is pure genious!).

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And when you’re resting off the Post-Turkey Food Coma…

Netflix Roku Digital Video Player ($99)

This little gadget is super cool! You can watch Netflix instantly on your TV rather than your computer. You don’t need any extra subscriptions or anything else, you just buy the box and as long as you have a wireless connection, you can watch all your Netflix movies, even in HD! We could have some fun with this!

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for talking about these products.

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Jumpeez! And Giveaway!

Are you all ready for another giveaway?

Read on my friends!

First things first…

I want to tell you about JumpStart.com.

This place is a kids dream come true!

My kids have been playing on it all week and I have barely had a chance to sit at my computer at all!

The first time we first logged in…

I put Bekah on my computer and Topher on the laptop and signed them in, then I went and put Porter down for a nap.

Before I even had the chance to sit down and show them around, they both had characters built (otherwise known as Jumpeez), coins earned and were showing me how they take care of a pet dragon, go swimming, and make a robot to play a kind of dance dance revolution type game using the arrows on the keyboard!

They didn’t need my help at all.

Some of the games were a little too challenging for Christopher (he is 3), but I just showed him Storyland, which is the area for the 3-5 year olds, and he was able to find plenty to do.

Bekah (who is 5), hasn’t found something she doesn’t love, although she is sticking mostly to AdventureLand and MarineLand.

They just released a new land for older kids…FutureLand for the 3rd to 5th graders, Bekah is too young for this one, so I decided to set up my ‘Jumpee’ and give it a go…

Here I am, my name is Autumn GoldenMist, pretty darn cute…I’m standing outside StoryLand at the moment…

I just entered FutureLand.

Now I am a member of the Secret Society of Dr. Brain.

Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone!

This is definitely for the older kids…

I had to guess on a couple of these Geography questions-played out kind of like ‘millionaire’, but I managed to get them all right in the end.

In short my kids love it.

I love it.

I like that it is helping them learn basic, and even some complex things in a fun and safe environment.

I am all about learning through technology.

Obviously I am.

I am going to school online, and I find that there are a lot of pro’s to learning in an online environment.

You can go and play around on the basic JumpStart website right away for free-but if you want full access-you can buy a monthly membership to get all sorts of extras.

The best thing about it, is that it is always changing, they are always adding new areas and fun stuff, and the more you play, the more coins you can earn to buy new clothes, house stuff and all sorts of fun gear for your Jumpee.

They are coming out with a new area soon that looks super fun-here is a blog post about it.

I have loved having the full membership and taking advantage of all it has to offer.

So I am offering you the chance to try it out too!

I am giving away a FREE 3 month Full Membership

to one of my readers.

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me the cutest thing you have seen today.

Want an extra entry?

• Leave a comment telling me you follow this blog
• Twitter about this giveaway with the hashtag #cutergiveaway
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link

Giveaway ends Tuesday November 10 at midnight Pacific time.

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Do your kids need a JumpStart?

A while back, my friend Carissa at GoodNCrazy was promoting a giveaway for a new Wii game by JumpStart.

I entered the contest and won!

The game is “Pet Rescue” and is a game geared towards pre-school aged kids.

I can’t even tell you how much fun my kids have had playing this game!

They get to make their own characters, and dress them and change their hair and eyes and everything, much like making a Mii but cuter, (and hey this blog is all about making the world cuter…coincidence, I think not!).
Then they get to travel around to different areas-listening to the JumpStart friends and following the directions that they are given.

There are lots of fun learning games, that even my ‘Miss Smarty Pants’ has fun with.

It’s intended for ages 3-6, but I can guarantee that my 10 year old stepdaughter will be playing it and loving it when she comes out in the summer, and probably even my 13 year old stepson will get a kick out of it for a bit.

It’s one of those games that gives you lots of praise, and a great sense of accomplishment…unlike when you get creamed on Mario Kart, race after race by your husband…this game actually makes you feel good about yourself! 🙂

I also have a confession to make…I wanted to see what it was like, so I created my own character…and played the game.

My kids sat and watched me for the almost 2 hours that I ran around, completing all the ‘missions’ and rescuing a couple pets.

After all that time, I still hadn’t completed the entire game…(Bekah later took my character and finished up for me)!

It has plenty to do, and lots of fun little extra’s if your kid just wants to play with their pets, by feeding them, washing them and teaching them tricks. Or decorating their houses, or earning prizes like music and decorations for the different levels…seriously the kids can play forever and always find something that piques their interest.

My kids are still pretty young for most Wii games out there that require a little more patience and preciseness with the Wii-mote, but this game is super easy to navigate, and quite fun for them…and heck even for me.

This would make a great Christmas gift.

Now when I won this game, I didn’t know much about the JumpStart brand, but my kids love this game so much that I wanted to get involved in promoting their product in someway, because it’s just that much fun.

I have another fun thing to tell you about tomorrow and it includes a little giveaway from JumpStart!

So be sure to come back for that!

Also, visit JumpStart’s blog right now for a chance to win one heck of an awesome prize package!

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