Mom Central: Hot Parenting Products

Discovery Girls Magazine and Books

Sometimes as a parent, it can be difficult to talk to your children because they feel like an older person can’t relate to their experiences (though we’ve all been there and done that), or they are uncomfortable opening up. And it’s true - no one understands a 12-year-old girl better than a 12-year-old girl. Which is the idea behind Discovery Girls Magazines and Books. Created by girls for girls, they help to bridge the huge generation gap between “us” and “them.”

Discovery Girls Books and Magazines are modeled after the women’s magazines that we all love, but they are meant for girls ages 7-12. They include advice columns on topics from bed wetting to boyfriends, quizzes, product reviews for all the trendiest must-haves, articles on both interesting and difficult topics, and highlights on famous young actors and actresses. Best of all, they’re sure to appeal to any tween, since all of the articles are written by girls just like them. Though the problems might be oversimplified, it’s a great way for girls to get solid advice—and maybe it’ll inspire them to take part by contributing themselves or mediating problems with their friends. It might even open up some lines of communication with Mom and Dad. These magazines are something any girl will love, and all parents will appreciate as well.
Visit DiscoveryGirls.com for more information.

Inchbug’s Bumpyname

Even with just one child, it can be difficult to keep track of things, and any mom with more than one knows that even something as simple as a short car ride or the trip to soccer practice can bring with it any number of problems. Well check one of those off your list - no more fighting over which cup or bottle belongs to which kid.  Thanks to Inchbug’s Bumpyname personalized orbit labels, you can solve the problem permanently. The flexible plastic bands stretch to fit around a variety of drink containers, from 4 oz baby bottles to 20 oz sport bottles, and if you’re feeling particularly clever you can even use the labels on items like shampoo, flashlights, or lotion. You can choose from pre-printed names or customize your own, even adding on information like allergies or a phone number to make sure important information is always close at hand.  The bands come in a variety of colors and can be customized with Braille, and are nontoxic, reusable, and dishwasher and microwave safe. Most importantly, though, while only a small detail, these bands solve a number of problems, from making sure your toddler comes home with the same sippy he took to daycare to ensuring that each child takes the right bottle for lunch. Anyone will find a use for these clever tags, and moms will discover that having one less thing to think about will simplify their daily routines. For more information, visit the website at InchBug.com.

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

Flip Video

Mention videotaping the kids and I would take a pass. It was too complicated to work the switches, set everything up and figure out how the heck to download what you just shot. All those little tapes made for more mess then memories. My husband showed me everything 3 times on our video camera, but I was content to shoot away with my digital cameras.

Everything changed this past week when I got a Flip Video recorder in the mail. And I just, well, sort of flipped for it. It looks like a camera but has the functions of a camcorder. I didn’t need my husband to teach me how to use this!  The manual consists of four uncluttered diagrams:

1) Put in the two A batteries
2) Hit the red button on the back to record (zoom in and out toggles above and below)
3) Done recording? Hit the red button again.
4) Flip the switch on the side and out pops a USB port that plugs into your computer.  I don’t have to worry about not having my USB cord, it’s always ready to go.
5) Watch what you shot! Drag it onto your desktop if it is a keeper. Don’t like it: delete!

It is that darn easy. So why have I flipped for it? It now resides in my purse. I used it to shoot video footage of new Mom Central office space we were looking at, so we could show the staff that couldn’t make it. Next up, 7 spontaneous videos shot during Thanksgiving Day; then there’s Grandma with us for amazing pasta in Boston’s North End; and here comes the video the kids produced goofing around with each other…5 days and 30 video vignettes later.

Did I mention the cable that directly plugs into the TV, so we could laugh uproariously with Grandma at her going back three times for pastry in the Italian store as the kids tailed her in line, asking what’s it going to be this time? Almond biscotti? Pancetta bread?!

Plus, you can upload videos directly to YouTube, AOL, you name it.

No wonder this was recently featured on Oprah, and why my husband and daughter are clamoring for their own for the holidays. And with around a $155 price on Amazon.com, I am thinking this could be my one-stop shopping!

EyeClops Bionic Eye

Remember 5th grade science class when you first used a microscope? The wonder of seeing pre-made slides of various squashed things such as bugs. EyeClops is a cool new educational toy that will bring back the wonder into your own home. It’s a microscope that zooms in 200x, requiring 5 AA batteries and an easy hook-up to the video plug of your television. You just grip the handle and place the big Cyclops-looking eye directly over an object—the smaller the better—which then flashes a super amplified, full color image of it onto your television screen. The handle makes it portable so you can focus the eye on just about anything, but it also makes it slightly harder to control and figure out direction. Kids today are naturally tech-savvy though and your child won’t have any problems getting the hang of it. Soon you’ll both be searching for things to probe and be quite surprised at what you see.

Using EyeClops I found that dimes, which look a shiny silver, actually contain flecks of no less than 4 different colors. Moving onto my wallet, I saw that the signature line of a check was not a plain black line but granular, repeated print of “authorized signature.” A dollar bill showed so many endless patterns and textures, I forgot what I was looking at. EyeClops also comes with a covered cone-like tube to hold small creatures, in which you place the small end onto the eye’s center. There’s an endless list of things to discover. Commonplace items become utterly fascinating because you won’t recognize them, like the carpet, any fabric, your skin, the moles on your skin, even your teeth! It’s completely addictive and 100% fun. Visit www.eyeclops.com for more info.

GelaSkins

As busy Moms, both professional and stay-at-home, we have come to rely on our cell phones and computers today the same way we used to hold tight to personal planners and address books. We carry our laptops from place to place and are more likely to leave directions, kids’ snacks, and changes of clothes at home before our electronic gadgets. We spend so much time with our computers and cell phones, in fact, that we want them to reflect to the outside world what’s most important to us. The computer desktop territory has been staked out, conquered, and splashed with our favorite photos, art pieces, and nature scenes for years.

Just recently, I’ve discovered a great way to personalize the outside of my laptop. GelaSkins is an incredibly innovative company that has designed artwork for the exterior of laptops, RAZRs, iPhones, and iPods. The designs are cut to fit each device perfectly and uses a strong adhesive designed for automobiles that leaves absolutely no residue. Whether you are into classical artists like Renoir or more contemporary graffiti, GelaSkins offers hundreds of designs that express who you are. GelaSkins make the perfect gift for friends, your kids, or yourself. In fact, I can envision the iPod skin as the perfect stocking stuffer for any teen in the country this holiday season.

I’m a total road warrior, and I love the idea of being able to personalize the electronics we’ve become so dependent on. Even in just the few weeks since I affixed The Great Wave by Hokusai,to my laptop, I’ve had dozens of people stop me in airports all over the country to ask where I got it. And, in an office where four of us have exactly the same laptop, our individual GelaSkins certainly do help to identify which computer is mine! As the digital age spirals on, a gadget with a plain, metal exterior will become as obsolete as the rotary dial phone. Visit www.gelaskins.com to check them out!

Guardian Wired Headphones

Our kids are a music generation, thanks in large part to MP3 players and downloadable tunes. Kids  are hooked up to headphones sometimes for hours every day. Unfortunately, that’s causing some wear and tear on the ears. The Sight and Hearing Association reports that during a recent ten-year school district study, the incidence of hearing loss increased in 8th graders by 400 percent, the primary cause being noise-induced. More than 5 million 6-19 year olds have hearing loss directly related to noise exposure according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This type of hearing loss can become permanent but is 100% preventable.

Most of us don’t keep track of the volume on our TVs, DVD players, and IPods. If we can’t hear, we turn it up. Especially if you’re outside or in a busy area with lots of noise, you may not notice how loud you’ve actually cranked it. Guardian Wired Headphones are a great new product that warns kids and parents when their ears are entering “the danger zone”. A green or red LED light flashes on the outside of the headphone, depending on the volume. Glowing green is safe; red means the sound has reached or surpassed harmful levels of 85-90 decibels. The headphones’ sound quality is good, and the earmuff style that completely covers the ears helps block outside noise so you can keep the volume down. Its built-in rechargeable battery runs up to 125 hours after just one overnight charge. 

These headphones are basically a monitoring system. It’s up to the parents to talk with their kids if that red light is constantly flashing. Be alert to other clues for out-of-control volume: If from 3 feet away you can hear sound coming out of the headphones or if your child gives you a blank stare as you ask him a question, it’s probably time to pull the plug. Also, if your child has earphones glued to his head on a regular basis, encourage him to give his ears a rest. To order, visit www.projectorscreenstore.com.

Rewarding Kids Responsibility Kit

My kids seemed sincere when they promised (well, more accurately, when I told them they had to) set the dinner table every weeknight and take out the trash every Sunday – but I still always feel like I am nagging them to fulfill those promises? The Rewarding Kids Responsibility Kit helps because it lets a piece of paper do the talking for me.

At the heart of the kit is a Family Job chart listing basic household chores including making lunches, helping with meals, watering plants, and feeding pets. Since the surface is erasable (it comes with its own markers and reusable stickers), assignments can be made by the day or the week and rotated frequently by anyone in the house (just be careful you you hand out the erasers to!). Better still, the chart shows kids all the niggling little tasks that it takes to run a household – something they usually fail to notice. The chart can be prominently posted on the wall or the refrigerator, and pointed to when the cries of “I forgot!” or “I can’t do that now, I have to do my homework!” become particularly obnoxious.

Along with the family chart comes an erasable chart for jobs that children can do on their own, such as brushing teeth and picking up toys, and blank charts that can be customized for your household. A booklet gives even more tools including cut-out cards that can be laminated and hung from hooks, lists to be posted inside of cabinets, and another section with list ideas for incentives and rewards. Though the plain typography is decidedly old-fashioned, the message that kids need to pitch in – and need to be reminded constantly – never goes out of date.

Babeebrite Nightlights

There are lots of mini flashlights out there but this one is tailored with helpful features geared toward new moms. If you have a baby, you’ll know that as your newborn passes the 3-month mark, you’ll do just about anything to get him to sleep longer through the night. Maybe even resort to changing his diaper or giving his feeding in the dark so he won’t wake up. The Babeebrite light is perfect for those times because it shines just enough concentrated light to perform these midnight tasks. It’s completely portable, clipping onto your shirt pocket or to any surface up to an inch thick. Fasten it before bedtime onto your nightshirt or pajama pants for quick and easy access later on. Babeebrite gives off a better quality white light than most mini lights that emit weak yellowish rays. It’s strong enough for when you need to quickly check on a sleeping baby, change a diaper, or give a feeding and then want to return to sleep. With exposure to a regular room light, even for just a few minutes, you and your baby are more likely to be completely awakened and have difficulty falling back to sleep. The Babeebrite light is adjustable up to 90 degrees so that after you find the perfect angle and clip it, you’ll have both hands free to complete your tasks. Be aware that it automatically shuts off after 7 minutes, which is useful for conserving battery power, but for longer tasks you’ll need to know exactly where it is to switch it on again.

Babeebrite also comes in a mini pear-shaped nightlight version for kids and adults, which attaches to any flat surface or keychain. It has the same strong focused beam of light that is adequate even for reading. It’ll get much use on your keychain when you’re arriving home in the dark and fumbling for the right key while trying to find the door lock. Both versions run on two button batteries, which are included. Visit www.mommybeehappy.com for more info.

FLY Fusion Pentop Computer

It's remarkable how far computer technology has come...and just keeps on coming. A perfect example is the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer by LeapFrog, a digital pen that can do seriously amazing tricks. It has a camera built into the tip that reads your handwriting and then, when plugged into your computer, converts it to text in Word, an e-mail, or an image, which you can then save, edit, or e-mail. This is a must-have for heavy note takers. Other available programs and features include English, Foreign Language, Math and Fractions, Science, Test Prep, Music Studio, an MP3 player, and games.

Admittedly, I usually learn how to use new computer gadgets not by reading hefty manuals but to wing it and then yell for my husband to show me a quick fix if I'm stuck. This time though, I downloaded the application and figured out how to use the pen without his help. The 38-page user manual is written in language aimed at teens, so the instructions are generally easy to understand. Definitely at least skim through the manual and watch the video tutorial first: the product is so unusual, it's not intuitive. Using the Control Panel card, you tap the pen over icons for the program you want and it prompts you with audible instructions. It talks you through the FLY Compass system, which uses FLYcons (handwritten icons you write on special paper) that you tap above, below, or beside to navigate a menu within that program.

The Pentop is suggested for ages 10-16 but honestly, who couldn't find a use for this cool tool? It's perfect for jotting down meeting notes, brushing up on Spanish (translates, pronounces, and spells out words), playing games (try the Harry Potter Marauder's Map) and MP3s, and even setting audible reminders for daily or yearly appointments.

There were small annoyances I encountered such as not realizing that you had to turn on and connect the pen to the computer to create a username and password, which you need to begin the program (this small but essential step took me a half-hour to figure out because the instructions weren't clear). Other downsides are Mac-incompatibility and the need for special paper and ink cartridge refills that cost about $8 each. There's also a possible issue of test cheating since the pen can be silenced with an earphone. However, a keen teacher could quickly spot this large and space-age-like pen. Lastly, this is an innovative product to enhance your child's learning but it shouldn't be substituted for other resources, such as learning research methods with good ole' textbooks and the Internet—basics your child will need to know through college and beyond. Visit www.flyworld.com for more info.