We Will Always Have Paris

iPad Love: My Top 5 Accessories

My "iPad Love" series was so popular last year that I decided to keep it going in 2012.  I regularly receive e-mails asking for iPad advice (and a number of you received iPads as holiday gifts this year), so here are my Top 5 Accessories:

1.  A good case.  I have bought a couple of cases for my iPad, but the one pictured above is my hands-down favorite.  It props my iPad up, so I can watch TV while doing dishes, it has a great snap closure and it protects my iPad everytime one of my kids drops it.  Most importantly, it is so stinkin' cute that I get compliments on it everywhere I go.  AND it was cheaper than anything I found at Best Buy or Target.  Unfortunately, it is no longer available through Amazon, however, I did find similar cases for iPad 1 and iPad 2. 

If you prefer a keyboard case, my hubby has been tremendously happy with this:

It pretty much turns his iPad into a laptop.  The hard case works well for heavy use (and it really protects it from little hands).  It allows you to do heavy typing without having to deal with the touch screen.  You can find it here at half the price we paid for it!  If you do a lot of travelling, you will probably find this case to be too bulky, but it is perfect for home use.

2.  A 5-in1 Card Reader.  Want to see your digital images on the large iPad screen, instead of the little screen on the back of your camera?  Just use this handy 5-in-1 card reader.  Insert your camera's SD card (it also accepts other formats) into the reader and you can see all of your images in larger format.  I wish I had this when we went to Disney World with the kids a couple of months ago.  Hubby just received one for Christmas this year and I'm sure it will see plenty of use.

3.  A stylus pen.  My mom complains that she struggles with touch screens because of her fingernails.  Here's the solution:  a handy dandy stylus pen that allows you to type accurately and comfortably.  If you're going to get one, why not make it pretty?  You can find them in pink, red, green and so many more colors! 

4.  PQ DVD Software.  Want to watch your favorite DVD on your iPad?  This $40 software will let you convert your DVDs to iPad-playable files.  I found it worth the money because I was able to combine the DVDs I don't have time to watch with my boredom on the gym treadmill!  Look at me!  I'm speed walking to "The Good Wife" on my iPad! 

image source

5.  A Cookbook Stand.  I know I said that my iPad case has it's own stand, allowing me to prop it up to watch TV, surf, etc.  However, I use my iPad regularly in the kitchen.  I share this kitchen with two little people and an oblivious man.  It is so much easier to protect my iPad from spilled drinks and kitchen messes by putting it up on a cookbook stand I already had.  It is a good two inches off the counter and I have peace of mind when my youngest insists on drinking out of a non-sippy cup. 

I'll be back next month with my new Top 5 Favorite Apps!

iPad Love: My Top 5 Games

I have always loved playing games.  I grew up with a wonderful grandmother that played cards with me for hours on end.  My best childhood memories are of her kitchen table (that old school linoleum top with the chrome wrap around the edge), playing Spite & Malice until long past bedtime.  I still play games to unwind, only now they are at the end of the day when my babies are sleeping.  Here are my top five:

 
1.  Words With Friends.  This scrabble-style game allows you to play on-line with your friends.  At any given moment I have three or four games going with various friends.  I love the "chat" feature which allows you to IM back & forth with your opponent while playing.  It's great for talking smack while you lay down another triple word.  Or whining about your lack of vowels.  This game is $2.99, but I believe there is a free ad-driven version out there.

 
2.  Royal Envoy.  This fun time management/strategy game lets you re-build islands by constructing homes and businesses to acheive different goals for each level.  I like games where I don't always get it right the first time.  Although I finally made it through each of the 63 levels, I often had to play the same level over & over again until I figured it out.  My 6 year old daughter is now playing this and humiliating me at every level...  $4.99, but you can try it for free first!

 
3.  Ticket To Ride.  I bought this iPad version of the classic board game last week.  I kid you not, I have been up until midnight or 1 a.m. EVERY NIGHT this week playing this cross-country train game.  It is wildly addictive. I had never played the board game, but several friends had told me that I would love it.  Once I discovered there was an iPad version, I thought I'd give it a try.  They have a fantastic YouTube tutorial and it is an easy game to learn.  I LOVE THIS GAME.  $6.99.

 
4. Serpent of Isis.  I adore most of the games from Big Fish Games, and this is one of my favorites.  A combination of puzzles and look-and-finds, this game allows you to solve a mystery while travelling through six European destinations.  The artwork is beautiful and the puzzles are fun.  $6.99.

If you like this game, try some of their others.  They regularly go on sale.  I have enjoyed Drawn:  The Painted Tower (incredible artwork -- you'll find some artistic inspiration here!), Death at Fairing Point (a great romance novel/mystery that you solve) and Flux Family Secrets (a wonderful time travel game).

 
5.  Tapper World Tour.  If you are my age and loved playing video games in the early 1980s, you're probably familiar with this cult classic.  I adored Tapper as a kid.  I was delighted when they brought it back for the iPad.  Total nostalgia!  Only $0.99!

There you have it.  My top 5 games.  I'll be back soon with my top 5 iPad gadgets.

Previous postings:
  My Top 5 Everyday Apps
  My Top 5 Apps For Kids

iPad Love: My Top 5 Everyday Apps

I use my iPad as my book, my TV, my day planner and so much more.  Here are the apps I use the most:

 
 
1.  Pocket Informant HD.  I was a die-hard Franklin-Covey user for almost 20 years.  Once I had kids, there was less time for planning and more time spent putting out fires (or diapers).  I love this app because it allows me to sync both my Google Calendar and my Toodledo lists.  Both Google Calendar and Toodledo are free on-line programs.  You do not need an iPad to use them, just a computer. 

I love Pocket Informant because it is incredibly user friendly and it looks like an old-school planner.  Plus, I can see both my tasks and my calendar on the same day.  Love, love, love this. 

This app is $14.99, but worth every penny.

 
2.  Kindle.  I never thought I would love reading digital books.  I love books.  Paper books.  I love to wander through old book shops and breathe in the old book smell.  I didn't think I'd like the feel of a cold, hard, impersonal device over soft paper.  Then I downloaded the free Kindle app for iPad and bought my first digital book.  Oh!

I can read again!

On any given night, there are four people and two cats sleeping in my bed.  I can't very well turn on the lights to read.  Since I've had kids, I've been lucky if I had time to read 3 or 4 books A YEAR. 

A YEAR.

However, the soft light from my iPad allows me to read with no problem, and the kiddos don't mind (neither does my hubby).  This summer I read over a dozen books.  It has been wonderful!

I also love the ability to use the various functions on the Kindle.  I breezed through the the Stieg Larsson trilogy this summer.  However, all the names kind of run together (which Vanger sibling is which? and why can't I tell the difference between Bjork and Bjurman and Bublanski?) and it is hard to keep characters straight.  I loved the ability to pull up the "Characters & People" list for a bio on each. 

This app is free.

 
3.  Evernote.  I've mentioned this amazing app before, but it bears repeating.  I love being able to keep track and clip ideas as I'm out & about.  The image above is something that I clipped out of Pinterest.  I e-mailed it directly to my Evernote e-mail address and it automatically dropped into one of my folders. 

Suni is using Evernote to catalog all of her stamps and attach samples she's seen using those stamps on the internet.  What a fantastic idea!  I am totally going to steal it.

This app is free.

 
4.  Amazon Mobile.  This app allows me to add anything to my Amazon Wish List.  Anything.  By saving a special Amazon page as a "bookmark", I can keep a running list of things I want via Amazon Mobile.  The vintage bridesmaid dress I mentioned last week is not necessarily sold by Amazon, but I can still add it to my Wish List.  Then, when I choose to share my Wish List with friends & family (Hello Christmas!) they can see everything I want... not just the stuff on Amazon.

I have found that adding the things I want to my Amazon Wish List stops me from buying them immediately.  If I add it to the list, I can think about it and treat myself later!

This app is free.  The shopping, however, can be killer.

 
5.  Netflix. For a mere $7.99/month you can purchase a streaming NetFlix subscription and use your iPad to watch some of your favorite movies and TV shows.  I have enjoyed series such as "Doc Martin", "Weeds" and "Sons of Anarchy" via NetFlix.  It is a wonderfully cheap form of entertainment.  I have a number of friends cancelling their cable in favor of NetFlix.  Who has time to watch live TV anymore?

This app is free, although the subscription is $7.99/month.

I'll be back next week with the top 5 iPad games I can't stop playing (Words With Friends, anyone?)

For the first part in this series, "My Top 5 Apps For Kids", click here.

iPad Love: Top 5 Apps For Kids

Recently, I've had a number of friends give in to the god of Apple and treat themselves to an iPad.  Then they immediately e-mail/call/show up on my doorstep asking for app suggestions.  I worship and adore my iPad and I use it for most everything.  Since I'm sharing my favorites with my friends, I thought I'd share them with fellow readers & paper sluts as well.

If you have kids in your life, your own or those you just borrow for a while, having kid-friendly items on your iPad can be a lifesaver.  Purchase a couple of kiddie shows on iTunes and keep them around for those times when you're waiting at the DMV.  I also keep a ton of kid-appropriate applications on mine.  Here are my top five:

 
1.  Nighty Night.  My kids love this interactive bedtime book.  In truth, I think I love it as much as they do.  It is both soothing and engaging at the same time.  My youngest was able to turn off the lights for each animal before she was two!  Hands down, this is my favorite kids app.  $1.99.

 
2.  The Monster At The End Of This Book.  I loved this book when I was a kid.  I think we all did.  I don't think you even need kids to justify buying this app!  It will take you right back to your childhood as you listen to lovable, furry old Grover beg and plead with you to not turn another page.  My kids love it because they can untie his ropes and knock down his brick walls.  They have taken a childhood favorite and made it even better by allowing your kids (or you!) to interact with it.  Fantastic!  $3.99.

3.  Highlights Hidden Pictures.  Remember sitting in the doctor's office with a battered copy of "Highlights" magazine, trying to spot items in the Hidden Pictures section?  Now you can share that memory with your kids with this classic game from an age-old magazine.  My six year old LOVES this app.  $1.99.

4.  Kids Finger Painter.  Both of my kids love the finger painting AND stamping in this great app.  With over 35 colors and 25 stamps, my kids are entertained for hours... or at least for the 15 minutes we are sitting in the lobby at the dentist's office.  $0.99.

 
5.  Mickey's Spooky Night Puzzle Book.  We are planning an October Disney World trip (including a night at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party).  I bought this app to get them excited about our upcoming trip.  I was delighted by the quality of this great Disney app.  There are several interactive jigsaw puzzles included within the book.  Both of my kids love to drag and drop the pieces into their appropriate spots before moving on to the next page of the book.  $0.99.

Join me next week as I share my favorite "grown-up" apps!

Join Me In Going "Unplugged" June 7 - 13, 2010, part II (Getting Ready)

 

(This is part of my on-going series leading up to "Unplugged 2010".  For Part I, click here.)

Here's my list of suggestions to help you get ready for your "Unplugged 2010" week:

• Get your hubby/significant other on board.  My husband was skeptical at first (& he listened to his iPod at night to get to sleep), but he could understand the benefits that come from less TV/internet time.  Having his backing was key to a successful week.  If he came home at night & turned on the TV, all of my "Unplugged" efforts would be lost.
• Don't worry so much about the kids getting on board.  Chances are that they won't come around until the end of your "Unplugged" week.  I will tell you that when I mentioned going unplugged again, my daughter actually clapped her hands and jumped up & down, exclaiming "It's game & reading week!".  This from the girl who went on a hunger strike when I turned the TV off last year.  Every person I know who has done this fights with his/her kids in the beginning, but the kids always seem to come around.  It turns out that they like all the extra attention.  Who knew?
• Prepare your friends/family.  I pre-warned all of my friends that I would be unavailable for the week.  I also let them know that I was going to try to cut back on my phone calls (I get a TON of personal calls every day).  They are all still going to be there the following week.  So will you.  Let them know that they can certainly call you in an emergency.  My in-laws happened to visit during our last "Unplugged" week.  My MIL was not too thrilled with the fact that we wouldn't turn on the TV while she was here.  My hubby gently reminded her that we were doing this for our family, not as an inconvenience to her.
• Make it work at work.  If you need to use your computer at work, use your computer.  Just don't blog-surf during breaks.  Turn off your Pandora radio.  Shut off your personal IM systems.  You might just find you get more work done!!
• Plan some alternate activites.  Hubby & I came up with a list of things we could do as a family.  I collected a ton of craft supplies and picked up a couple of new games.  The week we went "Unplugged" in 2009 was also the week our oldest daughter got her "big girl bike".  That filled up quite a few hours in our day.  Go to the library and get some new books for the entire family.  I read 2 1/2 books in our last "Unplugged" week.  I've read 1/2 of one since then.  Hmmmm...
• Keep a journal.  Why not blog the old-fashioned way?  With pen & paper?  I love looking at our little mini-album from "Unplugged 2009".  It was a great way to record the changes in our family.  I also made sure I included stories about doing things the hard way -- I had to go to the post office to mail a package!  And I sent a fax from our public library!!
• Physically put your electronic devices away.  I actually had to hide the remote to our bedroom TV in a drawer because I kept turning the TV on every morning.  It was sheer habit.  Go ahead & put your laptop, remotes and iPods in a drawer.  I'm not expecting you to box up your TVs, but why not unplug them?  That being said, I don't unplug mine b/c I count on my DVR to record my favorite shows while I'm unplugged.  God forbid I should miss my favorite summer programs (hello Drop Dead Diva on Lifetime!).  If you have DVDs in your car, make sure you turn them off too! 
• Think old school.  Get your news from the newspaper.  Pick up the phone & call a friend, rather than sending them an e-mail.  Scrapbook without your computer (gasp!).

As you prepare friends/family, you'll constantly be met with the question "Why would you want to do this?".  Most people simply cannot understand why someone would want to go to a quieter and simpler time.  Technology is good, right? 

Remind people that it is simply a seven day experiment.  You're not planning to live "off the grid".  You're not going to quit your job and start raising goats to sell chevre at the local Farmers Market.  You're not going to shave your head and head off to do some serious medititating.  Instead, you're going to let a little quiet into your life.  You're going to focus on yourself or your family.  You're going to read books and relax. 

So, I ask you, why wouldn't you want to do this?

Join Me In Going "Unplugged" June 7 - 13, 2010, part I (Overview)

 
(remember when TVs had knobs?)

"American children and adolescents spend 22 to 28 hours per week viewing television, more than any other activity except sleeping. By the age of 70 they will have spent 7 to 10 years of their lives watching TV."
-- The Kaiser Family Foundation

Last year, I decided that our little family should unplug from the world for a bit, seven days to be exact.  We locked up the entertainment center, put away our iPods & powered down our PCs.  You can read about our experiences here, here and here.  It was an amazing experience for us as a family.  I was astounded by how much information comes into our house through television, podcasts and the internet every day.  It is next to impossible to think clearly with such an information overload. 

After our experience, I was approached by a producer at PBS' Frontline about my "Unplugged" week.  They are running a series called "Digital Nation" and taking an in-depth look at whether our 24/7 wired world is causing us to lose as much as we gain.  Although I opted to not be interviewed, I think it is fascinating to look at how much damage is being done to the psyche through information overload & multi-tasking.  (Sidenote:  My hubby and I regularly disagree about the necessity of multi-tasking.  I understand his point that there are studies that show that multi-tasking doesn't accomplish more than single tasking.  My point to him is that you DON'T HAVE TO STAND THERE AND WATCH THE FRICKIN' POT BOIL!  DO SOMETHING ELSE WHILE YOU WAIT!  If I did one thing at a time, we'd live in a house of filth and nobody would be fed.  I digress....)

I have a girlfriend who regularly goes on "cleansing" diets, claiming that it purges all the toxins from her body.  Why not purge all of the mental toxins that are coming in at you through your television & computer (yeah, even from me)?  Now, when I say "Unplugged", I don't mean that you'll be cooking by campfire & reading by candlelight.  The electricity stays on (at least in our house it does -- it's summer and mama needs her air conditioning!).  The telephone still rings (though not as much).  And we do listen to the radio in the car.  As I mentioned last year, I'm not trying to go Amish.  I'm just trying to cut back on the technology in our house. 

Won't you join me in going unplugged for seven days in June?  It's just one week.  And I promise you that it will change your life.  Or at least clear you mind!  Who's with me?

I'll be back next week with suggestions to help you get ready.  Meanwhile, here are some interesting websites for you to check out:

• http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/
• http://www.insteadoftv.com/
• http://www.screenfreeweek.org/

 

Information Overload

Our "Unplugged" week was a fantastic experience!  We had a couple of minor setbacks (my 3 year-old declared a hunger strike on day one -- "I'm not eating until you turn the TV back on!), but we made it through the week unscathed.  Here's what I learned this week:

• Our kids live in an "on demand" world.  DVRs and iPods allow children to believe that everything they want is right there for them whenever they want it.  Want to watch SpongeBob at 3 a.m.?  It's on the DVR!  Want to listen to the new song you like?  Download it to your iTouch and listen away!  Well, you know what kids?  You don't always get everything you want.  I had to explain to my daughter what a radio (we did listen to the radio) was.  She had no concept of having to listen to someone else's programming. 
• It's not that I don't have enough time to read anymore, it's that I use that time on other things.  I read two and a half books this week.  TWO AND A HALF BOOKS!  (The Leisure Seeker, The Ladies' Lending Library and The Creative Family)  Apparently I do have time when I'm not playing Sodoku on my iTouch or surfing my favorite blogs.
• Technology has made our lives sooo much easier and should be appreciated (without letting it take over your life).  I've grown so used to using USPS.com to mail packages, that it was a big huge hairy pain in the ass to drag my two kids down to the post office to mail off a package (I must reaaaaaallllly love you Louise!!).  I screwed up our flexible spending paperwork and needed to fax something in for reimbursement.  It slowly dawned on me that I had no idea where to go to send a fax if I couldn't use mine at home.  (BTW, my public library had a fax machine.  Who knew?).  And Mapquest.  I bitch about you constantly Mapquest, but you have truly changed all of our lives.
• I get way too many e-mails.  I had over 1,000 new e-mails when I turned on my computer this morning.  And over 1,100 blog feeds.  And twitters.  And instant messages.  Ugh.  Too much information coming at me. 
• Things are much calmer in our house when the TV and computer are not on.  We played games.  We read books.  We ate at the dinner table EVERY NIGHT.  AS A FAMILY.  EVEN THE BABY.

Coming out of this, we're going to try to capitalize on these learned lessons.  During the week, the TV will be turned off before Daddy gets home.  We're going to keep playing games at night.  (I'm getting really good at Don't Wake Daddy and Rhino Rampage).  I'm thinking of making Fridays "Unplugged" days for the entire Summer.  And we're certainly going to do this again next year.

I did finally read the giveaway book from February -- The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian.  I loved this book.  I know that I had mentioned that the movie rights had already been purchased.  Please read the book before the movie comes out.  Let Zadoorian's words and your imagination give faces to these delightful characters before some Hollywood actor is given the reins.   It's a great summer read.  Go grab yourself a copy!

I have a number of things planned for this week (including a new limited edition kit).  I leave you with some pictures from our "Unplugged" week:

 

This armoire holds our TV/DVD player/DVR/etc.  We locked it up (with an antique key) on Sunday night and didn't unlock it for seven days.

 

Rhino Rampage.  Lots of Rhino Rampage.

 

My menu board.  I made it using a white platter from Wal-Mart and chalk paint.  Easy peasy.  And the chalk markers make all the difference.

  

G's reading nook.  She managed to thumb through all of those books in one morning.

Good times!

Powering Down...

After a day of intense car hunting, we finally found my replacement minivan yesterday.  A new & improved version of my old beater.  Stow & Go seats!  Power sliding doors!  No duck tape on the side where I slammed into a fire hydrant!  Cup holders galore!!

Now that the car issue has been resolved, we are gearing up for "Unplugged 2009".  Everything gets turned off/locked away at midnight tonight.  I'm kind of looking forward to the mental vacation.  In anticipation of our going unplugged, I threw together a journal to document the week.

 

 

 

 

Oh how I love my Bind-It-All!  If you're looking to duplicate a staggered album like this, here's how I did it:
  Cut 9 sheets of bookboard to the following measurements:
6.5" x 4" (this is your cover)
6.5" x 4.75"
6.5" x 5.5"
6.5" x 6.25"
6.5" x 7"
6.5" x 7.75"
6.5" x 8.5"
6.5" x 9.25"
6.5" x 10"
  Cut 3 sheets of ivory cardstock for each section of the book, making it 3/16" less than the bookboard page before it.  So, the papers behind the 6.5" x 4" cover will be 6 5/16" x 3 13/16".  The papers behind the 6.5" x 4.75" bookboard page will be 6 5/16" x 4 9/16".  And so on...  There aren't papers behind the 6.5" x 10" bookboard page, because that is your back cover. 
  I covered each bookboard page with an assortment of Foofala and Jenny Bowlin papers.  Then, I used my Round-It-All to round two corners (the right hand corners, both top & bottom) of each sheet of bookboard. 
  I used my Bind-It-All to punch the covers and pages, using the correct guides.  I layered the pages as desired and bound my book!  I decorated the wire ring with tulle from Andrea Singarella's 100wishes (the colors of her tulle are to die for!) and spare ribbon.
  The spacing on the staggered pages was perfect for my Scrabble tiles, spelling "Unplugged".  A little Diamond Glaze, and they are down for good!
  To make the medallion on the cover, I used my Sizzix Big Kick and my Stampin' Up Top Note die.  The smaller medallion (June 2009) was made with bookboard and the interior cut from my Stampin' Up Movers & Shapers die.  The chipboard alphabet/letters were Basic Grey & Making Memories.

I printed out last Thursday's blog post and included it in the first section of the book.  The rest of my journal will be filled out during the week and photos will be added later. 

I'll be back next Monday.  Hopefully Baby G. and I will not have killed eachother -- that's my biggest worry!  I'm losing my electric babysitter (aka SpongeBob).  We'll be skipping this week's Favorite Five.  Any orders placed this week will not be fulfilled until next week. 

See you soon!