11 Birthdays is one of my favorite books of 2008.It is the story of a girl named Amanda who always has her birthday with a boy named Leo. For their eleventh birthday they don’t have their birthday together. Then, something odd happens: their birthday starts repeating over and over again. Why is this happening? Read this book to find out! This is a great book and a mind-bending mystery.I think this book is for ages nine and up. I think that Wendy Mass is a great writer and I think she should write other books too!

Hadley ( age 8 )

Sony MYLO Personal Communicator - (around $200) If you like to surf the internet and need a device that does it all better than most cell phones, the MYLO is a fun gadget. This “Personal Communicator” works on the 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi standard making it easy to join wireless networks. Unlike an iPhone though, it is set up to make free Skype calls (to other Skype users and for a charge to regular phones) right out of the box (iPhone users must download special software and configure).

The MYLO also has an MP3 player, plays MPEG-4 videos and has a 1.3 MP camera built in, which makes online photo sharing simple. But the best part is the integration with popular sites like AIM, YouTube, FaceBook (with Facebook Notifier) and ShoutCast, making this a fun electronic toy from the moment you open it up. The MYLO (for My Life On-Line) is definitely targeted to the younger user who is looking for easy integration to these popular social sites. Other devices can be rigged to do the same things, but few are set up to use them as quickly as the MYLO.

If you travel overseas, this could be a great option for portable telephony without outrageous roaming charges. While you’re limited to WIFI areas, these are more and more common, especially in Asia and in urban areas.

Strengths:

1. Fun form factor - slide open keyboard is big and easy to use and has a secret agent feel

2. Easy to use integration with popular online applications

3. Easy to integrate with other Sony devices (memory stick)

4. Finally, a simple device for making Skype calls for FREE

5. Takes advantage of more and more free hot-spots (rather than telephone)

Drawbacks

1. Skype can’t be used in hands-free mode.

2. Memory stick versus more common SD cards (this is not a drawback if you have other SONY devices). Also uses proprietary microphone cable and charger.

3. Limited functionality when away from WIFI hotspots. Fairly short range WIFI signal.

4. Tin-ny sounding speakers (but not any more so than most devices this small)

This may also be a good solution for kids who want portable internet access but don’t want to be tethered to a telephone plan.

Just a few days left to get your shopping done. Here are some ideas if you’re short on time.

1. Go to the bookstore. Books are a great idea because you can wander the aisles and be prompted by book titles to think of the right subject for the recipient. A trip to a bookstore, even after work, or on a Sunday afternoon, is a relatively peaceful experience and you might even consider it a break in an otherwise hectic shopping day. Books also have an important advantage: they are easy to exchange or return for full refund.

2. Concert DVDs. Here’s an idea that not everyone thinks of especially for women. If you were the one to buy the 55 inch HDTV, a concert DVD is a perfect way to showcase its features. With so many DVDs for rock, classical, jazz, and every other style imaginable, you can find something really original that will bring the music home.

3. Theater, ballet, opera, or anything else you usually don’t attend, tickets. Many women complain that man just won’t go to these types of events. If there is a type of performance that she’s dying to see, this will surely be a hit. You can even suggest you take another friend, but for even larger effect, volunteer, without complaining, to attend with her.

4. Flowers. Don’t forget this old standby, especially if on Christmas eve day there are still no flowers on your holiday table. Even though there’s not a present to unwrap, flowers are never unwelcome as a surprise gift.

5. Don’t forget that spa certificate. While the spa certificate has become a cliché gift, it’s still always a welcome one. What woman doesn’t want to be pampered for an hour or even a full day. To make this gift extra special however, take the extra step of making a tentative appointment in the near future, as well as making childcare arrangements. Then, all she has to do is show up. This is far better than putting the onus on her to find child care and the perfect moment to take a break.

Remember that online services still can ship with just two days, or even one day advance purchase. If you still have lots of shopping left to do, consider an Amazon prime membership, which provides free two day shipping on all purchases for $79 per year. It isn’t cheap, but it is a good deal if you have a lot of shopping and shipping left to do.

Have a great holiday!

Dads can be hard to be buy for, but nothing is better than getting a gift from your kids that they made themselves. Here are two simple ideas that kids can easily make in time for holidays. Not only that, but the first is energy efficient!

1. A tie snake - With cold weather seeping in through every door and window, make a snake draft blocker using a colorful old tie filled with polypropylene pellets, or even dried beans (make sure they don’t get wet). Sew up both ends and you have a very long snake. If you want to go the extra distance, make it into a snake-looking object by sewing on eyes, and gluing on a red felt tongue.

2. A silk muscle-warmer made out of a tie.

Fill the tie instead with rice and you have a silky soft and heatable pad for sore muscles, keeping warm in the car, or to drape over your eyes during a nap. Microwave for 2-3 minutes and the rice will stay arem for up to two hours.

Thanks to Make Dad a Tie Snake for Christmas at Mommyland for this tip.

Well, sorta… Excite Books (ExciteBooks.com) is a subscription book service that sends books monthly to your child, along with a few extra toys and goodies to keep him or her interested. Packages start at $4.95 per month and books are selected based on grade level and sex of child.

ExciteBooks is the brainchild of Austin George, a commercial pilot, who has always had a commitment to education. Before founding Excite Books, George volunteered as a motivational speaker in schools, where he was often surprised at the lack of books in the school library. George created Excite Books to “add excitement and energy into a child’s reading activities by allowing the child to be an active participant in all phases of learning and development through responsibility, motivation, and giving back to the community.”

A key element of the Excite Books program is a large plastic return prepaid envelope so you can send used or unwanted books back at the end of twelve months. Unfortunately, you can not use the bag to send all of your extra books to the chosen school since postage weight has already been determined.

Plans are available at a $4.99, $9.99 and $14.95 (one, two and three books per month) levels and comes with an “excitement guarantee.” If the books aren’t interesting to the child, he’ll refund the purchase price. Each package is engineered to excite a child, starting with the red metallic envelope. Three-book subscribers also get added educational activities.

Our sample package had books that immediately interested both my four and eight year olds, though they might not have been books they would have personally picked. This looks like a fun gift from faraway grandparents that want to foster the joy of reading in a small child, but can’t be there to help buy books on a regular basis. The price is right, the message is good, and as parents suffering always from too much clutter, we like the option of easily sending the books to schools that need them.

1. Electric Grill Brush - $28 - Boy, do I wish I had one of these. We’d grill outside more often. Our grill is caked with who-knows-what caked over the chrome. I brush most of it away, but a lot always remains. To the hardboiled, I know that means good barbecue flavor, but I can’t get over eating burnt meat grease.

2. Laguiole 6-Piece Steak Knife set - $42 - This is a treat for steak lovers. These French knives, which look like the famous Laguiole pocket knife look great at a table set for meat.

3. Wireless talking BBQ thermometer - $49.99 We’re not saying you really need it. I mean, does anyone barbecue that much? But maybe the dad on your list does like to bbq while watching the news and needs a reminder call if you really want to consistently hit medium rare.

4. Grilling Tool Set - Even the best of tools need to be replaced. Dads will appreciate this storage case when everything is put back the way they found it ready for next time. We can’t vouch for this set, though it looks like the one we use. You don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a good set, but make sure the tools are more than 20″ long so dad doesn’t burn the hair off his harms when cooking dinner.

5. Weber Chimney Starter - $14 - If the dad on your list is still using lighter fluid, this is a simple tool he has to have. It uses just one page out of the newspaper to get the fire started. That means less noxious fumes and less chance you’ll be eating lighter fluid in your burger.

Astronomy and star-gazing has always been a great dad and child experience. Nothing beats lying on the grass on a warm August evening staring up in the sky and conveying the majesty and mystery of the heavens to a small child. This is a completely free activity, there are also plenty of accessories around if you’re so inclined. Here are a few of our favorites this year:

1.
Moon in my room - $39 - This light up moon hangs on your wall and shows the moon in 12 different settings, controlled by an infrared remote control. An audio CD tells more about the moon.

2.
Planisphere watch - $59.95 - This watch glows in the dark for 2-3 hours. It’s a great present for the astronomy geek who always wants to take advantage of a dark night sky. The watch shows northern constellations only.

3.
Celestron Skyscout - $199 (50% cheaper than in 2007) - The Skyscout uses GPS to ID and 8000 starts and planets and then will even tell you about via audio or text. All the astronomer has to do is point this gadget into the night sky and it actually finds constellations for you. As one reviewer on Amazon says, “This is the astronomy device I’ve been waiting for all my life.”

4. Orion Star Target Planisphere ” target=”_blank”>Orion Star Target Planishere - $11.00 - This stargazing the old fashioned way, with a map of the heavens you hold up in the night sky. You’ll also need a red flashlight to read the map in the dark.

5.
Barska Travel Telescope - 59.95 - Savings priced telescope for aspiring astronomers with 300X magnification and a 5×24 finder scope. Don’t expect the world, but this is a good intro telescope. Minor to major inconvenience is the table level telescope. It’s perfect for setting up on a picnic table and taking turns looking from there, but impossible to use at ground level.

Happy stargazing!

The Cloud B Sea Turtle is a fun addition to the nighttime routine. My kids say it helps them get to sleep because is has a soothing light. I like it because it turns their entire room into a planetarium, with choices of blue or green stars (and a moon). Stargazing has always been a special time for me with the kids and, while they can’t always figure out what I’m pointing at, they like the time lying on the grass staring up at the sky with daddy and talking about ’stuff.’ While the Cloud B Sea Turtle, and it’s other endangered animal constellation brothers, can’t replace that experience, it reminds of good times we’ve had and to come. The lights turn off after 45 minutes, which is usually long after they’ve fallen asleep.

The Renaissance of the Sling is in full effect and with many, many brands available, which ones are worth your money – and your time? Through the next few reviews, I will focus mainly on the ins and outs of various slings – pros and cons from both a parent’s point of view as well as my perceived pros and cons from my child’s point of view. Today we focus on the popular HotSlings.

So, with newborn in arm, I tried the HotSlings over a couple of days. With the informative DVD and step-by-step picture instructions there was no way I could do anything wrong and it left my mind at ease about dropping baby! I practiced putting it on and taking it off to make sure I had a fluid motion.

While, in the end, the
HotSlings is not my cup of tea, I can see its benefits for those who it does work for.

A note on picking your size and tip on using the Hotslings should keep you in good stead: it is imperative make sure you buy the correct size, not only for your comfort, but for your child’s safety and avoid overly baggy/loose clothing which may bunch and bundle under the shoulder area if user is not careful.

Pros:

• Contemporary design
• Keeps baby extra snug
• Ability to hold baby or toddler a minimum of 3 different ways

Cons:

• Price

Slings are so individual – each one and every company has a different feel and style. What is good for one, another family will dislike. The HotSling is a popular choice – it comes in 9 different sizes (from Petite to 3X), many choices between fashionable designs, and comes with an informative DVD which helps anyone become a HotSlings master.

While this sling is not my cup of tea, I can see its benefits for those families it works for. A crucial component to find the right sling is to ask to try them out in-store to see what you think of that particular model. If the sling is unavailable near you and you have to buy one online, make sure you know the company’s return policy.

LEGO City Advent Calendar 2008 - If you wait very much longer this cool advent calendar will be sold out for Christmas. This calendar has absolutely nothing to do with the holiday, but kids love to open up the little parts every day at breakfast, counting down the days ’till they have more stuff to open. Make sure to get a little plastic box as well to hold all the little tiny parts. Once the tiny pieces are assembled, they come apart and end up all over the house.

Lego CASTLE Advent Calendar 2008

LEGO City Advent Calendar (2007)