Category: gadgets

Celebrate Opening Ceremony with Olympic Video Games

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In honor of tonight’s Olympic Opening Ceremony that will officially kick off the Winter Games, I thought I’d mention these Olympic inspired video games.

There’s no shortage in video games inspired by major sporting events, and yes, that includes the most revered sports event of all time, The Olympics.  If you couldn’t make it to Vancouver to see the Olympics in person, Sega has a pair of Olympic-branded video games so that everyone can play along.

In case you’re wondering why only Sega?  Well, that’s because Sega is the sole video game publisher of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, through an agreement with International Sports Multimedia (ISM), exclusive licensee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC.)

Two beloved video game characters, Mario and Sonic, are once again taking their rivalry to the snow and ice in another officially licensed Olympic-themed game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

 

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text4baby Launches

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

To further prove just how digital our world has become, the White House announced the launch of a new mobile health service for pregnant women and new moms that distributes helpful tips timed to their pregnancy or age of baby a text.  

Text4baby is an educational program that was spearheaded by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, which is a resource in maternal and child health.

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Happy Birthday, Elmo! And a Review of the Monster Maker

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’m not sure if you’re aware, but today is America’s favorite fuzzy red monster’s birthday.

Yup, Elmo turns 3 today (again, I know!) Happy Birthday, big guy!

In honor of Elmo’s birthday, I thought I’d mention this new app released by Sesame Workshop, which just so happens to feature the birthday boy himself.

Elmo’s Monster Maker App, which is now available on iTunes, is an app where kids of all ages can create their own monster. With all the different body parts, the choices are limitless as to how many unique monsters can be created. With this app, kids become more aware of several different body parts, with a little Sesame Street-style creativity.

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Happy National Puzzle Day!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In case you weren’t aware, today is National Puzzle Day.  (I wasn’t aware at all, but now I am.)  With that in mind, I’m reminded by how many really great puzzle sets that are out there.  Did any of you play with puzzles growing up?  I know we did.  I remember playing with whatever character du jour and putting it all together piece-by-piece, and feeling so accomplished when I finally laid the finally piece.

My mother-in-law, in fact, has done a great job of keeping many of my husband and his siblings’ old puzzles.  So, when the grandkids get together, all of whom range in age 17 to 2 years old, it’s fun to see them play with these puzzles together.

National Puzzle Day is said to encourage family togetherness, as well as encourage the skills that are involved in putting together puzzles:  reasoning, concentration and teamwork, among others.

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CES Roundup: Mom Tech, Kidos and Sesame Street USB

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Just a few short weeks ago, thousands of techy types convened in Vegas for The Consumer Electronics Show.  This year, more than ever, Moms had a presence at CES.  The industry trade show even had a summit focused on mom consumers called Mommy Tech.  As cringe-inducing as the name may be, it’s true Moms, we are yet again a demographic that companies hope to woo.

If you’re reading this, or perhaps if you tweeted, texted or Facebooked at some point in the day.  YOU are the market that Mommy Tech encompasses.  In a report released by BabyCenter.com, they found that Moms want tech, not toys.  The report, called The 21st Century Mom, Tech Mom is a 36-pg report that essentially divulges the stats that we all confirm, what with our arsenal of gadgets, social media prowess and the role the internet plays in our daily life.

Technology, especially in regards to managing our home life, is hot.  And because I focus primarily on kid products, I wanted to mention a few findings from CES.

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New Tour Dates for Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Last year’s sold out live shows had the nation’s kids and their parents chanting, “There’s a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy”

This year, our friends over at W!ldbrain just announced that even more cities will get to break it down with Lance and the Yo Gabba Gabba crew.

Over the past few days, there’s been a countdown on YoGabbaGabbaLive.com in anticipation of today’s 10 a.m. announcement of the latest leg of the Yo Gabba Gabba Live tour dates.  Well, the day’s finally here!

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! is dancey dancing its way to the midwest and Canada with additional performances in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Toronto, Fort Wayne, Cincinnati and St. Louis for March 2010.

DJ Lance, Brobee, Toodee, Muno, Foofa and Plex are expected to rock out to various tunes, including some that are heard regularly on the show.  The YGG crew knows how to keep their friends on their toes, so be sure to expect some surprises and some special guests at the shows.

The Yo Gabba Gabba Live! There’s a Party in my City was one of our most memorable events of 2009.  We danced, we laughed, we sang and had the most amazing time.  The amount of fun we had at the show solidified our YGG love and proved why shows sell out so quickly.  Word of advice, if you plan to get tickets, don’t delay!  These will sell out!

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! U.S. Tour Dates

 

Minneapolis:

Saturday, March 13, 2010 – 3PM
U.S. Bank Theater at Target Center
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-29 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 30 – 10AM

Milwaukee:

Sunday, March 14, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Riverside Theater
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 12PM

Fort Wayne:

Friday, March 19, 2010 – 11AM & 4PM
Embassy Theatre
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

Cincinnati:

Saturday, March 20, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Aronoff Center for the Arts
American Express Pre-Sale –January 20-28 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

 

St. Louis:

Sunday, March 21, 2010 – 2PM & 5PM
Fox Theatre
American Express Pre-Sale – January 20-29 – 10AM
Public On-Sale –January 29 – 10AM

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!:  There’s a Party in My City! Canadian Tour Dates

 

Toronto:

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 – 11AM & 3PM
Wednesday, March 17 – 11AM & 3PM
Elgin Theatre
Public On-Sale –January 30 – 10AM

Tickets and VIP packages for Yo Gabba Gabba Live There’s a Party in My City are available at www.Yogabbagabbalive.com. Children under one year of age will be admitted free to sit on a parent’s lap.

NKT’s Best of 2009

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Without a doubt, in 2009 I researched, tested and reviewed more baby and kid products than I could comprehend—truly.  Some of the products I wanted to share with you just didn’t make it on to the blog because of time, especially with the madness of the holidays and wrangling an active kid.  And because of this, I wanted to do my roundup of innovative gear, gadgets and goodies of 2009.  These are all products that I thought made an impression to me and certainly companies that I will watch in 2010.

I’ll post the products in the following days in no particular, with a few giveaways to boot.

First up:

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New year, new horizons

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy Monday and happy 2010, everyone. I hope you had a lovely holiday break and are recovering/transitioning ok! Our family enjoyed a very nice Christmas and quiet New Year; it was just the right amount of family time. After a hectic fall and holiday season, I took a much needed break from blogging and writing. Apologies for the lack of posts, but things will be back to normal this week.

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photo credit: Selva Ganapathy

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Music Monday: A Family Christmas

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Way before tracking trends and kid’s products even became a blip on my radar, I stumbled upon Putumayo Kids music at a local gift store.  A huge advocate for diversity and lover of all things music-related, falling in love with Putumayo Kids was a given.

There are children’s music compilations and then, there is Putumayo Kids.  Putumayo’s various cds, which are geared to entertain, educate and inspire cultural curiosity in children, boast upwards to 3 million cds sold and stands apart from other children’s cds.  The compilations are well-thought out and enjoyable for both kids and adults—a must for our music-loving family.

616FLxA340L._SL500_AA240_This fall, Putumayo released A Family Christmas, which I found to be one of the best recent kid-centric Christmas music collections.  Putumayo’s A Family Christmas is a melodic departure from all the character-based songbooks, shows and cds that seem to monopolize the storeshelves, especially this time of year.  The songs on this cd are ones that we know and love, but the artists featured are none that I can recognize aside from Big VooDoo Daddy, (though you might recognize a few) which makes it even more appealing.  Can you think of a better way to enjoy the songs you hear a billion times over during the holidays than with a new fresh take on the classics for kids?

From Johnny Bregar’s acoustic take on “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy retro-swing version of Louis Armstrong’s song, “Is Zat You Santa Claus?,” to The Christmas Jug Band featuring Angela Strehli and Maria Muldaur’s “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” Putumayo’s A Family Christmas covers all the music genre on one fun collection.  This compilation truly appeals to music lovers of all ages and from all walks of life!  My only complaint is that I can’t seem to locate Putumayo on iTunes.  Maybe the next one?

My personal favorite on the cd is definitely Mele Kalikimaka by Debbie Davis & Matt Perrine, which I consider a kind reminder and shout out to one of our family’s highlights of the year—our trip to Hawaii this summer to celebrate the kid’s Godmother’s wedding!
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Be sure to check out the Putumayo Kid’s site to check out their other award-winning cd collections.  Also, head on over to Amazon to give a listen to A Family Christmas, which is where I sampled this cd myself.  Music is a wonderful gift for everyone, especially cd compilations that have garnered awards like, Parents’ Choice Awards, National Parenting Publications Gold Awards, iParenting Media Award and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award.

Without a doubt, after I pick up this cd from Barnes and Noble, Putumayo’s A Family Christmas will be blaring from our speakers on our drive back to Virginia for the holidays.  Putumayo is so cool, they’re offering a free MP3 download!  Just sign up here to receive your free download of the song “Jolly Old St. Nick” by Brave Combo from the new Putumayo CD A Family Christmas.

A Family Christmas can be found at retailers like Barnes and Noble, as well as online.

Gift Glossary: great video games

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In the video game sector, titles and technology are constantly evolving. With many new handheld titles and fun family titles to choose from, I had a tough time narrowing down NKT picks. I could go on and on with this exhaustive list for great family video games, but I chose many of the ones below because I had the unique chance to experience them first hand. For the ones that I didn’t try out myself, I felt that their family-friendliness and entertainment value coincided with NKT’s scope.  And as far as giveaways go, this is a biggie!  Enter for a chance to win these recently released video games and NKT picks!
So, here they are:

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