Rave & Review

JJ Cole Essentials Travel Blanket

With fireworks mere days away, you’re probably thinking blankets.  If not, then you should be.  Specifically, you should be thinking about J.J. Cole’s Essentials Travel Blanket for the holiday and beyond.  This is the Blanket for claiming your territory at your favorite park or fireworks display and celebrating the Fourth in style. 

What do you think of when you think Blankets?  Most likely, you think of some big and bulky old comforter that consumes your entire linen closet and only gets touched a few times a year.  At least that’s what I always thought of until I saw the J.J. Cole Essentials line and realized that Blankets don’t have to be boring, or require a whole linen closet shelf.  Really, calling this little padded and portable picnic and play mat a Blanket is the undersell of the year. 

At a generous 5ft x 5ft, the Essentials Blanket is big enough for the whole family to sit on, lay on, or play on without being too big.  Made with an exceptionally durable and heavy-duty ground layer that is lightly padded, the J.J. Cole Essentials Blanket adds a little cushioning between you and what lies beneath and makes it unquestionably more comfortable than your average outdoor throw.  Although the J.J. Cole Essentials Blanket may be durable and rugged, it doesn’t look like a utilitarian throw with its stylish inner fabric options and contrast trim.

Not only is the J.J. Cole Blanket adorable, it’s also extremely practical and destined to be the go-to Blanket for the whole family.  The Essentials is perfect for home, park, beach use or just about anywhere.  You will never worry about where you set the Essentials Blanket since dirt, sand, crumbs and grass shake off with no effort at all.  Instead of having to launder that big and bulky old comforter after each use, the J.J. Cole Essentials remains maintenance free and still looks as great as it did the day it arrived on my doorstep. 

When you are ready to transport the Essentials Blanket, clean up is simple and easy.  Folding so that the inner lining never touches the areas that come in contact with the ground, the Essentials stays clean no matter where you were lounging.  Once folded, the Blanket is secured by a Velcro closure and comes complete with a detachable shoulder strap for carrying.  Compact and lightweight, it is the perfect size to keep in the car or hook onto the stroller when on the go, so you will always be prepared for an impromptu picnic or play date at the park.       

We enjoy our J.J. Cole Essentials Blanket in all sorts of places, including an evening spent lounging in 12 inches of snow with only the Blanket in between us and frostbite.  While snow is probably not what J.J. Cole had in mind when they created the only slightly insulating Essentials Blanket*, doesn’t it just make you feel better to know that it can handle just about any weather or condition you throw at it?  Sure, you’ll probably never need a lounging Blanket for snow, but you might be on similarly cold ground someday if you use your J.J. Cole year-round like we do.  And then you will be grateful that your Blanket is tough enough to handle real life.

http://jjcoleusa.com/

Price: Perfectly priced at $29.95.  Available online and at numerous local stores throughout the US.  Search for stores here. 

Looks: Clean and modern with style to spare

Overall:  A great pick for play date and picnic lovers everywhere.

*J.J. Cole in no way suggests you sit in the snow for any length of time, under any circumstances.  We are professional product testers and took all sorts of frostbite precautions, such as having a heated house 10 feet away.    

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot - What Are Your Ways to Beat the Heat?

Summer is officially here, and with it comes record breaking temperatures for our friends in the South.  As nice as that sounds for all of us Seattle-ites who spent the past week couped up watching the rain fall, our hospitable Southerner friends would gladly share a bit of their rays with us if it meant they could leave the house without melting into a puddle on the pavement.  In appreciation of their willingness to share some rays, I wanted to share some tips to help them beat the heat this summer.  Maybe when Summer finally makes its way North and a bit West and our brains turn into that crazy-from-the-heat mush, we can recall this post and follow a bit of our own advice.

I will start this off with the disclaimer that I have lived in a fairly mild climate my entire life.  Merely visiting scorching temperatures in my many travels, but never bringing them home with us, I've never had to endure days upon days of meltiness.  That being said, it will make sense that I am completely intolerant of extreme heats, which is why I have gathered a list of no-fail summertime tricks to enjoy the sun.

1. Homemade Popsicles are usually better, and better for you, than store-bought brands, but they require advance preparation (i.e. make them now, not later).  Sure, you can use special popsicle making kits and molds, but you can also easily use ice cube trays and baby food freezer kits like Fresh Baby by adding plastic cutlery, popsicle sticks (available at craft stores), wood skewers, take-out chopsticks or thick toothpicks.  To keep popsicle sticks from slumping while freezing, use plastic wrap to cover the ice tray and then insert the popsicle stick through the celophane.  For individual pops, you can use just about any small Tupperware squares and then you don't have to store 1/2 empty popsicle trays.  Tip from the Test Kitchen: Use a food processor or blender to puree fruit and even a few veggies with minimal water to freeze and you will have a delicious fruit bar instead that is far better for you than frozen juice.  Check out the Dex Baby Food Processor for inspiration.
2. Washcloths = Fun. A trick my mom taught me from her many years of 80s era Jazzercise classes is that when frozen, wet washcloths are surprisingly dual purpose.  In addition to their inherent cooling properties, as they go from frozen to wet they are great for de-syruping a child's face after all those homemade popsicles.  Raves: They are great for on-the-go and are a wonderfully clean toy for babies and kids of all ages with absolutely zero mess even as they defrost.  And, almost everyone already has them in their linen closet already.  Baby loves to play peek-a-boo with a frozen washcloth and then when we're done, we use the wet cloth to rub the back of her neck, wrists, knees and elbows before I let her play with the wet rag. 
3. Order Some Rain.  Everyone knows that a strategically placed fan is one of the best cooling methods available.  The problem is that most fans are anything but portable.  There are companies that make inexpensive portable fans, but I found that the best way to cool on the go is by using a misting handheld fan.  Get a misting fan with foam fan blades so little fingers don't get hurt when your kiddos inevitably stick their fingers in between the blades to see how it works.  Besides being a great and clean toy for kids, misting fans are refreshing for any age.  Unfortunately, it will also make it look like you are excessively sweaty since mist tends to mimic sweat properties on faces and clothing, which leads me to my next tip:  
4. Dress Cool.  Medium toned grey, blue, green and pink shirts that ride high in the underarm should be retired now for the summer. Keeping a spare shirt in the car or diaper bag is a good idea for all parents of young children, but if you find you made a wrong shirt choice midday, you will forever be grateful for your forethought.  
5. Speaking of the mid-day melt down.. always keep a cool down kit in your diaper bag, trunk of the car, or desk drawer if you're one of the unlucky ones with no company paid for A/C.  That kit should include: Moist towelettes for when there's no option to bathe but that's really what you need to do.  Larger washcloth sized towelettes are available on the market, but that means yet another thing to carry. If you already have wipes with you at all times, spare a couple for yourself - I promise baby won't mind. For excess sweating on your face and other sensitive areas, Boogie Wipes are a great option. Keep a stick of deodorant in your kit for reapplications after toweling, and then stuff your emergency shirt in there with it. 
6. Sprinklers are a great day way to pass the day for any age. Late afternoon after the hottest part of the day is a great time to turn on the sprinkler and let your hose wash off whatever sticky and muddy residue remains on your kiddos. But, sprinklers aren't just for kids, they are great way to water the veggies and lawn and a clean way to have fun with your family. You can play games like Red Rover and Duck Duck Goose if you have a large clan, or Ring Around the Rosy and Dance Party (totally made up game that is reminiscent of Red Light, Green Light and involves waiting for baby to nod to start the dancing), Simon Says and Mother May I if you only have a small brood.  

 

Just look at me stealing hubby's hat-made shade.  Lucky for me, he doesn't seem to mind a bit.

 

 

 

 

I loved this article from Popular Mechanics last year, and hope you enjoy these excerpts as well.  It seems focused on beer-drinking, DIYers and other hard-working folks, but hopefully even those who can't swing a hammer or pound a beer can get something from it as well:

1. Grunt work first
Get outside an hour after sunrise, at the coolest time of the day. Minimize your own energy loss by doing the heavy lifting early, so you can spend the hot hours in the shade, slowly patting yourself on the back.

2. Drywall bucket = comfort station
Put an empty drywall mud bucket in the shade and fill it with icy water to keep your beer cans cool (see #4), your washcloths wet (see #6) and your cold packs charged (see #9)—or to give yourself a reason to kick off the work boots for an invigorating footbath. Just don't drink out of it.

3. Switch up your spray
Get a multifunction garden hose nozzle and customize your douse routine. A spritz to the back of the head on the "mist" setting gives a relieving rinse, while a little jet action to bare feet cools you off and cleans you up. The more settings you have, the more satisfying the shower...

4. Rub a beer can on your forehead (but don't drink it—yet)
An icy jolt to the cranium cools the blood in a particularly vascular area. The beer inside the can, although delicious, is a diuretic, which dehydrates you by causing the body to lose more water than it absorbs. Save it for later—and see #11 if you're thirsty.

5. Shield your skin
Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, porous clothing. Choose heat-reflecting light-colored fabrics rather than absorbent dark ones, using long sleeves and pants to shade your skin, absorb sweat and reduce your surface temperature.

6. Mop your pits
Squeeze ice wrapped in wet washcloths behind your knees, on your wrists, in your armpits or on any major arterial lines. In the South, Little League team moms keep cloths in coolers for kids to wring around their necks between innings. In the yard, you can get creative. Chinese medicine cites the wrists as key to clearing the body's heat.

7. Make your own shade
"Approximately 20 percent of your blood supply flows to your face," says Walter Herman, M.D., a retired cardiologist from Philadelphia's Jefferson Hospital. So you can lower the heat to the rest of your body if you just keep a cool head. If you can't move your work to the shade, create your own with a broad-brimmed, light-colored hat: the Panama, Stetson or leafy Vietnamese non la would all work here, as would a kaffiyeh or a bandanna soaked in the bucket from tip #2. Don't overlook any novelty sombreros you may have left over from Cinco de Mayo festivities.

8. Inherit the wind
Use a work fan or a garage fan to keep the air moving over you... In this case, the sensation of coolness comes from sweat evaporating from your skin more quickly than in still air. You may also fan yourself with any of the hats from tip #7. A word of caution: The exertion of fanning oneself in this way, depending on arm strength and hat size, may cause a net gain in hotness.

9. Invest in a Cool Vest
If you're suffering severe heat and seduction by gadgetry, consider a cooling vest. The Cool Vest costs about $130 to $200 and uses chemical cold packs that are inserted into pockets in the vest. After a few hours of exposure raises their operating temperature above 60 F, drop them in the ice bucket for a recharge.

10. Take a mud bath
To stay cool in the equatorial heat, children of the Kakuma refugee camp in northwest Kenya cover themselves in mud, says Alastair Summerlee, who visited the camp as a chairman of the World University Service of Canada. The mud cools on contact, then shields the skin from the sun, and besides, "Making sure the kids are all covered seems to produce a great deal of laughter," says Summerlee. If you've ditched tip #5 to work shirtless, give your shoulders a smear for some low-tech SPF.

11. Drink heavily
Last on the list, but first in importance: Stay hydrated.

The US Army Field Manual warns that you can't use your own sense of thirst as a guide—thirst occurs late in the dehydration process, in many cases hours after you've become dehydrated. If you don't feel the need to urinate hourly, and if your urine has turned from a healthy lemonade color to a jaundiced maize, you're probably already dehydrated. Stop working to take a swig of water, sipping frequently in small amounts rather than the occasional guzzle.

Add a little lemon, mint or cucumber to a cool glass of water for hydration with a twist. Or munch on watermelon, which is 92 percent water, according to the National Watermelon Promotion Board.

You can also chase the water with a shot of hot tea, a standard heat-beating combo in the Middle East. It's not exactly hard science, but placebo theory states that liquids warmer than the ambient temperature either produce skin-chilling sweat, or warm your body to the degree that the external heat feels cool by comparison. As for all that beer you've been keeping cold? Pop one open after a cool shower and dinner.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health_medicine/4276122.html

I hope it goes without saying that all of the above tips should be accompanied by a huge slathering of sunscreen and protective headwear and eyewear (see image of hubby and I above) for you and your little ones.  Don't forget to reapply often, especially after water play.  Set a cell phone timer to remind you to reapply so can focus on fun. 

Have more great tips to beat the heat?  Post them here for everyone else to see and you will have fulfilled your good deed of the day. Good luck, and hopefully cooler heads will prevail! 

Bodemi Superhero Cape and Mask – “I Am My Own Hero”

“Super Cute.  Superhero.”

I dare you to find something cuter than a kid in a cape.  No, I Double Dog dare you.  There’s something pure and simple about a kid who really feels like he could save the world – the twinkle in their eye, the confident stance, an adorable cape.  Bodemi capes are perfect for your not-so-average little one and are sure to inspire the Superhero in anyone – even a little boy who missed his naptime. 

When we were young, my siblings and I would tie blankets and towels around our shoulders and play Superhero all day long, only stopping for quick meals and then it was back to saving the world.  My sisters and I would have adored a real Superhero cape, but my brother, well, he needed a Superhero cape.  Outnumbered 4-to-1, my brother put up with all sorts of girliness from us, and in return, we would play Superhero with him.  But, really we were bit parts in saving the world, my brother was the real Superhero.  So, when I saw Bodemi capes earlier this year, I just knew that my brother’s son needed one.  And, oh boy, did he.   

Bodemi capes are leagues better than the low-cost and flimsy department store models and not even comparable to the blankets we used to tie on to save the world.  Bodemi’s “I Am My Own Hero” capes are 100% cotton and have quality construction throughout.  Fully customizable in your choice of 7 colors for the body of the cape, trim and the initial appliqué, you can quickly and easily create the perfect personalized and handmade cape for your little Superhero… without ever having to learn to sew.  The cape has a snap closure for safety and the flexible mask has an elastic strap that holds it securely on.  Best of all, the cape and mask can be thrown in the wash at the end of the day to clean up whatever the day’s activities brought on.    

And, I guarantee that cape will see a lot of action.  Two minutes after opening the package, Super Boy was saving the world – starting with our family’s living room.  He saved baby from chewing on a slightly dirty shoe, rescued a rolling toy from under the couch and saved us all from collapsing in hunger by bringing snacks over to us at the table.  Call it child labor if you will, but if you saw his excited leaps and squeals, you wouldn’t be worried at all.  Not only did he willingly help out, he was actually thrilled to assist – providing I could think of something Super Boy would be saving if he did whatever task I dreamed up.  Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t think of one thing that could make dusting, sweeping or vacuuming Superhero agreeable. 

It’s unbelievably cute watching him spring to action when one of us laments that we could really use a Superhero and seeing the mask slide down over his eyes with an emphatic “yep” when we ask if anyone knows where we could find a Superhero this late at night.  Even cuter is the look on his face when he returns from his valiant adventure with baby’s lost sock in hand and his cape flapping behind him.  It’s almost as good as being a kid again and wearing that cape yourself.  Almost.

http://www.bodemi.com/

Price: $49

Looks: Super cute, which is perfect for your Superhero.

Overall: It’s hard to go wrong with customizable and personalized products.  But when that product is a Superhero cape, it’s a guaranteed hit. 

A big Super Sized thank you to Bodemi for introducing us to their line of handmade capes and masks!

Topless Undershirt by Blush

For when you want the undershirt, but don't want the bulk.

When I was around 25 weeks pregnant I read about these new little maternity belly bands designed to prolong the wearability of non-maternity tops.  They work by adding extra fabric length to any top and are great for covering up any rubber-band-rigged jean buttons.  I promptly went out to the store to find them, prepared to love them as much as everyone else seemed to.  My very unpregnant sister went with me and was so excited about them, she wanted them for herself.  I tried one on in the store and was so thrilled I wore it out of the store, something I haven’t done since I was a kid.  But, three hours into wearing it my first day and I was ready to take it off and hand it to her.  It rode up, it bunched, and it never was where it was supposed to be.  It seems impossible, but whenever I wanted it up, it would fall down and whenever I wanted it down low, it would ride up.  It defies logic, but it’s true.

I wore the maternity belly bands whenever it was absolutely necessary during the rest of the pregnancy and then spent the rest of the day pulling it up or pulling it down, counting the hours until I could take it off.  However, once my belly got big enough, the band got useless and wouldn’t stay up for even a couple minutes standing still, let alone all day long and moving.  I retired it until I began breastfeeding and thought it might be useful for covering my belly as I fed baby or for shirts that were too short in the front thanks to my new nursing bust line.  The same issues I mentioned before still applied; big belly or no, the stretchy tube just wouldn’t stay where I needed it to. 

When I found Blush Topless Undershirts, I was so excited I couldn’t wait to try them out.  And once I did, I wondered where Blush had been during my whole pregnancy.  Blush Topless Undershirts are lightweight, super soft and feel good on, in addition to looking good.  But, the best part?  You don’t need to be pregnant to wear Blush Topless Undershirts, which is lucky for me and my still very unpregnant sister (and all of us, really).  Yep, you read that right, they’re not just for maternity wear! 

So what makes Blush Undershirts Different?  Instead of the stretchy tube design of other belly bands, the Topless Undershirt looks like a small a-line skirt made out of t-shirt material.  The top of the Blush Topless Undershirt has a completely sewn in and non-binding elastic that can be worn just under the bust line and then the Blush Undershirt wears like the bottom of an empire waist shirt – not too tight, not too loose.  Nothing clings, nothing rides, and it feels like you are wearing nothing at all.  It’s the kind of comfortable that you will want to wear everyday, and probably will.

The Blush Topless Undershirt is perfect for shirts that are a bit too short, for maternity sanity, or even for achieving the layered look without the added bulk.  I love my Blush for making any shirt a discrete nursing top and for adding a little flair to just about any outfit.  They come in 6 solid colors, two patterns and 4 lace trimmed designs that can go with virtually any outfit. 

Random Rave:  Blush Topless Undershirts come in a color coordinated, take-anywhere pouch that is useful for more than just carrying your Undershirt and can be repurposed for holding nursing covers, baby gear and more.  Mine holds my nursing cover in my overflowing purse and keeps everything tidy and clean.

R&R Tip: There are two tabs on the Blush website, one that says “Maternity” and the other is “For Everyone”, but there is only one line of Blush Topless Undershirts.  Refer to the sizing chart on their website to determine which size works best for those with baby and those without. 

 

http://www.toplessundershirt.com/

Price: $15 for solid colors, $20 for patterns and lace trimmed.  I would recommend you get at least one neutral color (with lace or without) and then a fun bold color, or pattern to help spice up any bland nursing wear or regular t-shirt. 

Looks: Worn peeking out from under any shirt it looks just like an extra layer, only without the bulk. 

Overall:  I wish that I hadn’t wasted my money on all the over priced maternity bands, and instead bought the entire Blush collection for myself.

Thank you to Blush for sending their Topless Undershirt to be reviewed and saving one nursing mama's sanity in the process.

Spindle and Canister – Premium Clothing Line for Father’s Day

Perfect for Father’s Day Snuggles

What do you get for a dad who has everything?  You get him snuggles, of course.  Unfortunately for us wives, snuggles are impossible to wrap.  At least they were until now.  Now they come in a cute presentation canister that can almost get by without any wrapping at all.  Once opened and the contents donned, the snuggle party can begin.  And, Dad will be thanking you all year long, every time he puts on his Spindle and Canister threads.

Spindle (spin-dl) – a device to spin fibers into thread
Canister (kan-uh-ster) – a small box or jar

What is Spindle and Canister?  They are a premium men’s clothing line sold online and in A List boutiques that is both comfortable and stylish and can be worn from work to play and back again.  Each piece is complete with special touches that set their line apart and make their line of classic and modern clothing anything but typical.  A favorite of Hollywood and celebs alike, Spindle and Canister is perfect for our favorite super stars - our husbands. 

The day our Spindle and Canister Crew with Rolled Up Sleeves arrived, our snuggle party promptly began.  Made of preshrunk and super soft cotton, it is just right for spring or summer as it can go from warm to breezy and then is the perfect under layer at night.  During the day, the sleeves can be rolled up and secured with treated wooden buttons that offer a refreshing take on the classic tee.  The sleeves are lined with a just-as-soft striped cotton print that is subtle, yet adds another dimension of flair to the completed look.  At night, the sleeves roll down and you only see a hint of the stripes at the cuffs.  Any way you wear it, the cotton is super snuggly and begs to be cuddled.   

The day before our Spindle and Canister shirt arrived, hubby owned exactly zero shirts that had sleeves long enough to reach his wrists.  I’m happy to report, he now owns exactly one. Your man doesn’t have freakishly long arms, you say?  No problem.  Remember when I told you how cute it looked with the sleeves rolled up; well it looks just as good with the cuffs bunched up as well. 

Spindle and Canister’s style manages to hit a very specific balance between looking comfortable and casual yet well dressed all at once.  With timeless design and intricate detailing in every seam, they are sure to become his favorite go-to clothes that make him look and feel good.  While shopping, bear in mind that their designs are made with a slim athletic cut, so I would recommend that when in doubt you go with the next size up.  

The Spindle and Canister line has much more than tees; they have cashmere and fleece hoodies, button ups, and printed shirts all with their signature treated wooden buttons on the waistband hem.  Should you be so lucky as to find a zippered Spindle and Canister offering, you will love the hand painted zipper pulls that are miniature versions of the canisters they come in.  But, if a classic tee is on your list you’ll be in good company, as the entire wait staff at world renowned restaurant Nobu Malibu is outfitted in a variation of the same Spindle and Canister favorite.  

Savvy shoppers rejoice! Spindle and Canister is having a huge, no make that massive, sale on some of their most delectable designs.  Fair warning for bargain hunters, you will find it hard to pass up their premium cashmere zip hoodie (shown above), marked down to under $100, which is about 70% off retail, as well as other great finds.

http://www.spindleandcanister.com/

Price: Ranging from $46 - $310 MSRP, but sale prices that are huge discounts off retail.

Looks: Classic and timeless designs that can go from day to night.

Overall: Sure to be a well loved favorite for you and your favorite guy. 

Layers Clothing Swimwear Collection Review and Giveaway

Swimwear that’s about more than looking adorable

I have 5 swimsuits.  Five teeny, tiny bikinis for sunbathing, very deliberate dips in the pool and not much else.  Sure, they are cute and fun, but they aren’t very good for the one task they should be – actual swimming.  You know, with movement.  I was sick of missing all the mommy and me play dates at the local pools and water parks because my juniors sized bikinis couldn’t keep up with the mom sized task of chasing around the kiddos. 

I found Layers Clothing and promptly retired all of my itsy bitsy teeny weenie (hold the yellow polka dots) bikinis for good.  And you know what?  I wasn’t even sad to pass them down to my junior-sized friends because my new Layers Clothing tankini is just as cute and a thousand times more practical for swimming.  Anyone who thinks that tankinis have to be dowdy needs to take a good look at LayersClothing.com and check out their water play approved swimwear collection that does more than look good.  Where most swimwear collections have one tankini style amidst their dozens of bikini models, Layers Clothing has a full line of tankini styles to choose from. 

Each and every Layers Clothing style undergoes intense scrutiny from their panel of experts and the result is a line of swimwear that is made for real bodies.  Bodies that do more than stand there and look pretty.  Bodies that run after kids, cannonball into the deep end, and even water ski while looking pretty.  No tugging, pulling or constant adjusting necessary; these suits are feminine and flattering and stay put while you move.

Layers Clothing sent me the Farrah swimsuit that is everything I was looking for in a swimsuit and more.  This suit is the perfect mix of flirty and fun and drapes flawlessly so as not to cling or ride up as you move.  The cups are not underwire, but I found that they were more supportive than all of my other swim tops, while still being extremely comfortable.  The best part about it, though, is that the bottoms have a fold over band at the top that adds yet another element of fun to the suit.  Even better is that the folded over band is just the right amount of stretch and support and keeps you from having muffin top or swimsuit lines visible through the tankini top.  Ahhh, perfection.  

So go ahead and rsvp for the playdate at the water park and order yourself a swimsuit that will make you forget all about your teeny tiny two pieces from your pre-mom days.  Who knows, you might actually like being free to move while swimming.

www.LayersClothing.com

Price: Tops and bottoms are sold separately, so you can actually get a swimsuit that fits everywhere.  Tops are $46 and bottoms are $26.

Looks: From modern to retro, there is a Layers swim style for everyone.

Overall:  I love the Layers line and I literally want all the styles on their site. 
 
Layers Clothing has a great blog where they offer a giveaway every Friday and periodic specials like free shipping. You can also follow them on all your favorite networking sites: Twitter, Facebook and Myspace.

Can’t wait ‘til Friday?  Enter to win our $25 Shopping Spree at LayersClothing.com….

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Pulse SmartPen with Livescribe Dot Paper

A Pen that just might be smarter than you are

Very rarely does a product come along that I completely don't understand, but I have to admit this was one of those times. When I first heard about the Pulse SmartPen and prepared to do this review, I had mistakenly thought that it was similar to an electronic drawing pad, like a Magnadoodle aimed at adults that just happened to be electric.  I had thought the pad was going to be perfect for getting doodles and minimalist drawings converted to electronic files and not much else.  Imagine how thrilled I was to be completely and utterly wrong.

To start with, the Pulse Pad, or the Livescribe Pad, itself is not electric at all. Rather, it looks, feels, and responds like a normal heavy stock and college ruled pad of paper and has 100 different pages to scribe on.  So, instead of having an electronic pad that you draw on, send to computer, and then erase, the Livescribe Pad is meant to be drawn on like normal paper and retained like normal paper.  But there is nothing normal at all about this paper – at least when it is combined with the Pulse SmartPen.

So, what is the Pulse SmartPen?   From first glance it looks just like a hefty pen, about the size of a cigar and expensive-looking.  But, as I’m sure you have gathered, this is anything but an ordinary pen.  On closer inspection, you will see the front side of the pen has a small digital display with a small on/off button, and a built in speaker below.  On the ends you will find an audio jack on one side and a ballpoint pen tip on the other.   On the backside of the pen is a communication port imbedded into the pen that lies flush so as not to interfere with writing, but when set into the cradle it transfers data to the computer effortlessly.

The Pulse SmartPen is surprisingly sleek and slim, considering that it is by far the smartest pen I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Other than the headphones for optional increased sound, the SmartPen is remarkably free of wires, cords and accessories to get in the way, which adds to the ease of use.  Contained in the Pulse SmartPen is a rechargeable battery that automatically recharges when placed in the SmartPen cradle, but can record or play back audio and notes for hours without recharging.  It sounds complicated on paper or in print, but the Pulse SmartPen is surprisingly intuitive and easy to use.

To start using the SmartPen, simply press the on/off switch, tap the “record” button on the special Livescribe paper, or SmartPad if you will, and start writing.  The pen will record audio in the room until you tap the “stop” button on the SmartPad.  Sure, you say, sounds like a pretty smart pen - a functional audio recorder and pen all in one.  But, what makes the pen brilliant is that the audio the pen records is linked to the notes as you scribe them.  To play the audio back, you merely tap on the notes you have written and the audio that was recorded while you were writing begins to play through the SmartPen speakers. 

Let’s say you are at a hypothetical meeting that is jumping several topics and covering multiple points of business.  To hear the audio for each topic, you would just need to tap the SmartPen on the notes on that subject.  Instead of having to listen to the entire meeting from start to finish searching for what you need, the SmartPen plays the audio that corresponds to the notes you have written quickly and easily.

After the meeting is over, you can dock the SmartPen in the cradle and upload the meeting’s notes to your Livescribe Desktop or publish them on the Livescribe website.  If published, you could email each participant in the meeting with a link to your notes.  They could then click on any of the handwritten notes to hear the audio through their computer with the same brilliant technology, but no SmartPen is required.

Once you get the hang of the Pulse Smart Pen, you can utilize the more advanced features of the Pulse and increase or decrease the audio volume, change the audio quality and microphone sensitivity, bookmark your text and audio for quick reference, jump around your audio playback, increase or decrease the speed of your audio playback (warning, this is as fun as changing the speed on a record player, and something I was dreading the kiddos figuring out.  It’s still my secret that I can make them sound like Ben Stein or Alvin and the Chipmunks… at least for now). 

A few applications:

1) Financial Meetings:  My brother is one of those brilliant guys (don’t tell him I said that) that can run through numerous financial and legal scenarios in his head, throwing out numbers and talking a mile a minute while jotting down numbers without any explanations attached whatsoever.  He tends to lose me right around the three minute mark every time we are running through a complex scenario, or one that can have numerous variables.  This all makes him a great guy to schedule a quick meeting with if you’re figuring out whether to put an offer in on that duplex you saw, but the problem is deciphering your notes after you walk out the door.  I tend to leave a meeting with him understanding whether it’s a good idea or not, but then when hubby and I sit down later and I start to explain the reasoning, I end up with a lot of “and then for some reason we lose 5% here” and a lot of “then if we get lucky and, uh, something else happens, we end up recouping 2% of that loss, or maybe we receive back 2% of the loss from another source” and the conversation always ends with “maybe you should just go talk to Ryan, too”.  With a Pulse SmartPen, we can merely flip to the page in our Pulse notebook and tap on the notes to hear Ryan telling us that the duplex is a great deal, and more importantly it tells us why.  If we have questions on why we wrote down some random amount, we can click on that and play what was happening in the room as we wrote it, giving us the explanation and information around the figure.

2) Sharing your notes: Group meetings are great because they offer different perspectives on a subject or situation, but meetings usually happen at such a fast pace that it can be hard to take accurate notes of everything being said.  The Pulse SmartPen makes truly interactive notes possible; but even better, it makes them accessible to groups of people by posting them in the Livescribe online community.  For those security conscious, you can password protect the files you upload, or you can keep them on your secure Livescribe Desktop if you are really crazy about security. 

3) School use: When I was young, I was a notoriously bad student, missing days or even weeks at a time.  So it wouldn’t have helped if I had the Pulse SmartPen, but I sure would have loved it if I had had a sympathetic lab partner who did, and would have offered to take audio notes for me.  That way I could have missed the crucial lesson on the importance of underwater basket weaving throughout the ages and still pulled off my B+ average, without having the added task of deciphering other people’s notes.  As I got older and actually attended my classes since I cared about the subjects I was studying, I would have loved the Pulse SmartPen for recording all those notes and lessons to be recalled easily and on the go.  Since I still reference some decade-old notebooks from school from time to time, I can’t help but wish I had them all catalogued in my Livescribe Desktop and could access them without digging.   

4) Interviews:  The potential of the Pulse Smart Pen to change the way interviews are done is huge, as the requirement for a clunky recorder and a notebook will become a thing of the past.  Why on earth would you search through hours of audio to find that one gem of a quote when you could just create a symbol on a page that signifies a brilliant quote being uttered and then tap on that symbol later?  Better yet, you could paraphrase the quote and then keep it in your handwritten notes for later, too.

5) Drawings and Doodles (My favorite!): We all know how cute little kid’s drawings are with their uncanny ability to pull creativity from anything and end up with these random snapshots into their minds and hearts.  But, I have stacks and stacks of scribbled sketches, all in varying degrees of artistic expertise, from the overly abstract to the definitively drawn.  Unfortunately, it is almost always impossible to make sense of the scribbles even a few days after it is scribed.  I came up with the solution of captioning each image with various arrows, labels and tags to help me recall the sketch’s subject days later, but that involved marking up the masterpiece.  The Pulse SmartPen is perfect for catching those delightful doodles with dictation that can be recalled days, weeks, even years later. 

6) Leap Pen.  You know, for kids: One use of the SmartPen that I am really excited about is when baby is learning to read, I want to write her stories in my own hand that she can learn to read with.  If she is having trouble sounding out “facetious”, she can tap on the word to hear me say it as I had written it.  That way, I can write her personal stories that are specific to her interests and, most likely, star her and her cast of pals.  I can already imagine all the fun we’re going to have making up crazy stories using her spelling words, newly acquired knowledge, or even just fun nonsense with a sense of humor. 

As you can see, there are so many applications that a Pulse Smart Pen can fit in your life, from business, to children’s drawings, to finally recording your Grandmother’s story to pass along for generations.  The Pulse Pen will absolutely revolutionize the way you think about pens and make you wonder why you wasted so much time with all your old unintelligent pens up until now. 

Here's what happens when kids meet the Pulse SmartPen.  Be prepared to share

Bill and Family
brought to you by Livescribe

http://www.livescribe.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/LDApp.woa/wa/MLSOverviewPage?sid=VQJm0hvbt8Cp if the box above is not active

And now for the technical specs from the Livescribe website:

Bundled Smartpen Software
Paper Replay	Record and replay synchronized ink & audio
Notes	Ink capture (without audio)
Quick Record	Quick access audio recording application
Printed Calc	Printed calculator for scientific, financial, and statistical equations
Quick Calc	A simple calculator that can be launched and used on any dot paper
Other Utilities	Time, Date, Storage, Battery and other settings
Nav Plus	5-way navigation and menu system using pre-printed or drawn plus sign
Demo Card	Includes: smartpen movies, 3-D audio samples, translator demo, and paper piano
Additional Software	Additional applications will be made available for sale at livescribe.com

Included Paper and Accessories
100 sheet dot paper college-ruled notebook Smartpen case   3 black fine point ink cartridges + 1 stylus cartridge

Hardware
Product Design	Sleek ergonomic design with anodized aluminum housing Charcoal blue with silver band & black accents
Processor	Samsung ARM 9 (32-bit, 150 MHz)
Screen	96x18 OLED Display
Camera	High speed infrared camera (over 70 images/sec)
Storage	1GB NAND (over 100 hours recording time)* 2GB NAND (over 200 hours recording time)* *Actual available memory will be less. *Actual recording time varies by audio quality setting.
Battery	300 mAH rechargeable lithium (non-removable)
Audio - Record	Smartpen embedded microphone - mono recording 3-D Recording Headset - binaural or stereo recording
Audio - Playback	Embedded speaker Audio jack (2.5mm) for 3-D Recording Headset
Computer Connectivity	USB mobile charging cradle
Size & Weight	Length: 155mm (6.1 in.) Width: 14mm or 0.55 in. (bottom) to 16mm or 0.63 in. (top) Weight: 36 Grams (1.3 oz.)

Desktop Software
Livescribe Desktop	Computer Desktop Software (download) ·                            Page Viewer to search, view and replay notes ·                            Pen & application management ·                            Gateway to your account, store, and online community

Online Community
Web Apps & Services	My Livescribe Account 250MB Online Storage Community for posting and sharing content

Things I’m not crazy about: The fact that the Pulse Pen requires the special Livescribe paper.  Super intelligent paper, of course.  The paper is made with a barely perceptible pattern of dots that is “read” by the pen’s internal camera as you write.  It’s the science that makes the Pulse able to connect the audio with the visual and sets this pen apart from any other portable recording and note-taking device on the market.  I should note that it is not that the Pulse notebooks are extremely expensive or anything (4 packs are available for $19.95), but it is somewhat of a pain to have to use their special paper.  Also, it means you can’t take notes in books or on other documents and still have the tap to hear feature.  You can still write with the pen and record audio, they just won’t be linked for easy reference later.  I have heard rumors that Livescribe might eventually offer printable Livescribe paper, but nothing definitive as of yet.  I have my fingers crossed.  Correction: The rumors are true, you can now print your own paper! This is only available on the Windows version for now and it does require a laser printer that can print 600dpi and has Adobe postscript.

http://www.livescribe.com/

Price:  Available in two capacities, the 1 gigabyte model (35 hours of audio at its highest setting, or 100 hours at its lowest setting) retails for $149 and the model with twice as much memory costs $199.

Looks:  Like a pen.  A super smart pen.

Overall: A great tool for just about anyone who takes notes - from kids, to students, to anyone that ever attends meetings and more.  If you have a pen, you should also consider getting a Smart Pen. 

Rave Reactions - Got a use for Pulse that isn't listed?  How would you market the SmartPen?

A big thank you to Livescribe for sending your Pulse SmartPen to be reviewed.
 

Roku Digital Video Player - Top Pick for Father's Day

"For On-Demand Movies at Plan-Ahead Prices"

We might have been the last family in our town to get a Netflix account. For years we were harassed by well-meaning friends and family members touting how great the Netflix service was. And, I’ll admit it sounded great, but I just couldn’t get past the monthly invoice whether you were fully utilizing the service or not. As a family that has sporadic schedules and spends very little time at home, I was doubtful we would use the service enough to warrant signing up for it.     

Hubby likes to watch movies based on suggestions by friends, family, or random strangers in the check out line. You name it and he puts it on his watch list. Me, I’m more selective about my movie watching since I have so few viewing hours available each month. Which brings us to our main problem with renting movies: coordinating the time to watch that works for both of us and coordinating which movies to have on hand for those nights. We knew that with a regular Netflix account it would only be a matter of time before we stalled out on a movie we both wanted to watch but couldn’t find the time for, or that we would end up with all movies only one of us wanted to see.  

Nearly all of the issues I had with the Netflix service were solved by one little box that is roughly the size of a paperback Stephen King novel. That little box is the Roku digital video player, which lets you watch all the videos Netflix has available for streaming on your TV instead of just on your computer. On demand? Check. Good for traveling? Check. We finally caved and signed up for the Netflix service, which wasn’t painful at all. A few minutes of fill in the blanks and we were off choosing movies.  Hubby couldn’t contain himself, but I was still reserved. 

The next step was hooking the Roku up to our television and syncing it to our Netflix account. We took the Roku out of its package, put batteries into the remote, hooked up the included video and audio cables to the TV and plugged in the power cord – all without looking at instructions, because hubby is that good. When you first turn it on it asks if you have wired or wireless connection, ours was wireless, so we entered the code for our home network. The Roku then gives you a code to enter online with Netflix and you are up and running. Minutes after tearing open the package and we were ready for viewing.

Hubby couldn't wait to fully search the Netflix site, choosing from over 12,000 movies and TV titles to add to our instant queue to watch on our TV whenever and wherever we want, over and over again. No scheduling conflicts or worrying about who wanted to see which movie. And how do the videos look? That is completely dependant on your internet connection, but it ranges from so-so all the way up to HD (720p). Our internet speed is fairly slow at 768kb/sec, which we thought would be a good trial for the Roku.  Even at half the recommended minimum speed and we still get two out of the four quality dots, which translates to about VHS quality viewing. Not bad, considering we thought the Roku wouldn’t even work on such a minimal connection.

Part of what attracted us to the Roku was the promise that more channels would soon be available. We had a we'll see attitude about “coming soon” features, but were shocked when the updates and upgrades were ready far quicker than we imagined. Not only did they arrive mere months after they were announced, but they arrived automatically, sneaking into our Roku as we slept like a little Roku fairy. The updates came in the form of improved video quality and an added Amazon.com Video On Demand channel. Yesssssss, no need to upgrade internet connection speed and thousands more titles to choose from. 

With the Amazon channel you can either rent movies or TV shows with no monthly fees. The rental fee ranges from $.99-$3.99 for a 24hr period, easily comparable with your local video rental store but much more convenient and with no need to return. Let’s say you fall in love with the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie and can’t imagine life without it {which my nephew swears will be the case}, then you’ll be pleased to know that movies are available for purchase as well. The purchase prices are surprisingly reasonable, ranging from about $4.99-$14.99. 

And Amazon has over 40,000 movies and TV shows available, with new shows available the day after they air and movies the same day as the DVD release date. With the Roku there are no sold out new releases, no waiting for your favorite TV show to release the full season, just true on-demand viewing. Billing is simple through Amazon.com as well, you just enter your credit card info as you set up your Amazon account, create a password, and then use that to rent or purchase right from your couch through your Roku.   

Operating the Roku is simple through its included remote which has keys for play/pause, rewind, fast forward, directional arrows, select, and home.  Just enough to do everything you need and nothing more. All the functions work like a DVD player would, you can even stop a movie, then come back days later and pick up right where you left off, even if someone watches something else in between. This feature is perfect if you have more than one movie viewer in the house or if you tend to get distracted and leave movies half watched as I do. 

Another great aspect of the Roku is its portability. You can easily bring it along on vacation or over to a friend’s house and as long as there is an internet connection you can have access to ridiculous amounts of entertainment. We have even dragged our old TV into the back yard gazebo with just an extension cord and our wireless connection and had outdoor movie nights. The kids love it and it’s a way to feel as if you’re far from home and still have all those home comforts – like fresh popped popcorn and a crib for the baby.

In the few months we have been Roku-ing, the only problem we have come across is that some movies that are in English but have parts that are in other languages don’t have subtitles during those parts, and there is no way to turn subtitles off and on. Movies that are fully in a foreign language have the subtitles on automatically, which is great, but it would be nice if they popped up automatically on partial-foreign films as well. Not sure how many casual movie watchers would even notice this inconvenience, but hubby likes to do crazy things like watch partially foreign films.

Yep, only one complaint. One dangerously specific complaint that 99.9% of the population would never even run into with years of viewing. Not bad for the new kid on the playground in the world of digital entertainment. Not conviced you need a Roku? They graciously offer a 30-day money back guarantee to help convince you.   

From the Roku website on product comparisons for Digital Video Players:

Roku Player is Netflix Members' #1 Rated Streaming Device

What I’m raving about: Paired with a Netflix Unlimited account, which is the most common plan, the Roku enables you to watch movies, TV shows and more on demand from your queue – for no additional charge.  This means that you don’t have to plan ahead and have DVDs mailed ahead of time.  If a guest turns out to be a film noir fan or mentions they were dying to watch the new chick flick, or perhaps if a lazy Sunday opportunity presents itself unexpectedly, you will be ready with your Roku. 

www.roku.com

Price: $99

Looks:  An easy to hide cute little black box that takes up almost no space in an entertainment center.

Overall:  A great investment for movie fans as the Roku has the potential to save you hundreds each year – especially if buying and renting movies was your splurge previously.

A big thank you to Roku for sending the Roku unit for review. Written in collaboration with Hubby {which is quite possibly our second best collaboration ever}. As always, all opinions are 100% ours.