Mom Central: Hot Parenting Products

Honestech VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe

Remember those first camcorders? Big, bulky numbers that used a full-size VHS tape and cost a small fortune? We thought we were state-of-the-art when we had a friend use one to videotape our wedding. And later we were thrilled to catch our kids’ first steps, first words, and first dance routines on tape forever, or so we thought. And though we’ve long since switched over to DVDs and digital downloads for our movies, we have been holding onto our old VHS player for years so we will still have a way of sharing these great family memories. Well thanks to Honestech, we now have a better way to accomplish this. Honestech’s VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe is a new, inexpensive software that allows you to transfer your VHS tapes to a DVD/CD format at home. The package, currently only available for PCs, comes with software, the MyVidbox capture device, a high-speed cable, and easy-to-follow instructions. The only things you need are a computer, your VHS player or camcorder, a recordable disc, and the tape you want transferred. This ingenious gadget is terrific, both easy to install and simple to use. Best of all, it ensures you’ll be able to save and share all of your home videos, no matter how long ago they were taken, making this new software not just practical, but indispensable.
Click here to buy now!VHS To DVD 3.0 Deluxe.

Lights, Cameras, Action!

I am always looking for ways to get the whole family involved in activities together, and with the holidays coming up, I can already hear my kids saying “I’m bored!” two days into break. My new solution, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action for Xbox 360. It’s so easy to use. Even for a video game beginner like myself I was able to set the console up to begin challenging my family with their movie knowledge. You simply plug the receiver into the back of the Xbox console, aim your controller and play. Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action includes more than 1,800 questions and twenty-one different types of games, so it’s fun for everyone in the family to play. The games include  "Credit Roll," a game in which you guess the film based on a list of characters and actors, "Child’s Play," where you guess the name of the film based on a child’s drawing of a film scene, and "Quotables," where you are challenged to finish a famous line from a featured film.

The game comes with four wireless Big Button Pads, so each player has his or her own buzzer. Buzz in with the colored A, B, X, Y buttons to win points based on how quickly you can answer each question. The longer it takes you to answer, the fewer points you are awarded. Some of the questions might be a little more difficult for younger children (they may not know who Humphrey Bogart is) but this is also a great reason to play in teams, involving all generations who have gathered for the holidays. The only problem I noticed was that the points don’t add up from level to level, so if you play for a longer period of time, you’ll have to add your score after each round to determine who wins overall.

I would definitely recommend this as a great holiday gift for any family with an Xbox – or as a gift to yourself, guaranteeing lots of laughs whether you’re playing with friends at a holiday party or your kids after dinner. Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action is available anywhere Xbox games are sold for $59.99, which is a little more then most Xbox games are sold for, but the 4 wireless controllers and the hours of entertainment make it more than worth it. May the force be with you!

Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action