Category Archives: Electronics

Gelaskins

Electronics, Fun stuff for parents, Gadgets, Web/Tech

GelaskinsThese are so fun! I recently received a robot laptop skin and a cute ‘Backwoods’ iPhone skin.  For those of us who go to Starbucks to get out of the house and get some work done a few days a week, Gelaskins are a real conversation starter.  I may have an older laptop than some of the ‘hip’ kids at Starbucks buy I sure have a cooler one than they do!  Ha ha.

Gelaskins offer protection and added style for your favorite devices including your iPod, iPhone, MacBook, or PC laptop.

These make a great gift for teenagers, computer geeks, and for those who just need a little extra pizaz!

Where to buy: Gelaskins

We got the new kajeet cell phone for kids and can’t wait to share it with you!

Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Electronics, Gadgets

Kajeetphone_2 Wow! This is a cool cell phone for kids. Complete with a digital camera, text message capabilities, bluetooth compatibility and more, this cell phone is going to be a huge hit!

Look for my review of the kajeet call phone in the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, you can learn more about the kajeet phone on their website here: http://www.kajeet.com/.

The Stress Eraser

Electronics, Gadgets, Relaxation

StresseraserYou’re stress free?  You must not be a parent… or a human for that matter.

Any parent who can tell me that you don’t get stressed (signs of stress: fast heart rate, can’t rest, lock yourself in the bathroom for an hour, have a glass of wine at 11a.m., etc), please email me with your  coping methods so I can try them and share them with The Mommy Insider readers.  Until then, I want to tell you about one of the most wonderful products I’ve had the opportunity to test recently.

The StressEraser by Helicor is a portable iPod-sized biofeedback device that trains you to optimize your Heart Rate Variability (HRV),a measure of your body’s relaxation level and emotional well-being. The StressEraser is not just a gadget. It will change your life if you use it correctly and consistently. Oh.. and I think all newborns should come with one!

During the two months that I tested the StressEraser, I started with about 15 points during a session which is not so good. What was really bad for me was that I was unable to sit still for the ten to fifteen minutes that you should, to give the StressEraser time to work with you.During the first week of testing, when reading a book, I would get about 25 points. By the end of the two months I was up to about 75 points when reading a book which is an awesome change in my ability to relax.

How does the StressEraser work? You place your pointer finger in the pulse sensor, synchronize your breathing to the screen’s Breathwave, and wahlah.. in a few minutes you will feel relaxed. It’s that easy. The StressEraser gives you a 0-3 point relaxation score for each out breath which is ultimately what the StressEraser is training you to work on.. your breathing. It is recommended that you reach 50-100 points every night or during a session in order to reach a long lasting effect. I felt good for several hours, when I reached 60 points in one session. The StressEraser stores your session scores over days or months so you can see how you track which of your relaxation techniques work best for you and to view your progression. The StressEraser helps you figure out your optimum breathing rate so it is personalized for you and you won’t want to share one unit with your spouse or partner!

If you have been reading my posts for the last year, you know that I am easily stressed and have anxiety issues. The StressEraser has been a great tool for me. I use it in the car when I am the passenger (I hate being the passenger), I use it when I’ve had a tough work day, and at the end of the day when I have a hard time winding down. My experiences with the StressEraser over the last few months has made me feel more confident that I can handle stressful situations with ease, as well as calm down from a hectic day a lot quicker than before I used the StressEraser.

It is habit now for me to use the StressEraser for about 15 minutes before I go to bed which has made a tremendous difference in my quality of sleep.

Why would ANY parent not want to TRY the StressEraser? The StressEraser is available for $299, with a 30-night risk-free
trial, from the StressEraser web site at http://stresseraser.com.

Excerpt from Helicor: Helicor’s StressEraser is an award-winning, portable medical device that relaxes the body and calms the mind in 15 minutes. The StressEraser can be used to quiet the mind before sleeping, rapidly relieve intense stress, and even to stay calm during highly stressful situations. The StressEraser is classified by the FDA as a Class II 510(k) exempt medical device.

Where to buy: Stress Eraser

Eneloop Rechargable Batteries

Electronics

Eneloopaa_1
Moms.. if you take as many photographs of your kids as I do mine, batteries are a staple in your house.. and you know it can get be very costly to purchase new AA or AAA batteries once a week.

I recently received AA and AAA eneloop rechargable batteries and a charger and am very impressed. I haven’t charged the batteries yet! I take a lot of videos and photographs both for photo albums and for The Mommy Insider (previously known as Mom Finds) and am used to changing the batteries at least once a week. What’s really great is that eneloop batteries are ready to use right out of the package. I was very impressed that I could open the package, put the batteries in and click away just like with Alkaline batteries but with the added benefit of lasting a really long time.

Once your camera or other product has used all or some of the energy, eneloop can be
charged like a conventional rechargeable battery, 1000 times, before it
needs replacing. How great is that?

Once charged, eneloop retains its charged capacity even after 6 or 12 months of storage
  (90% of Charged Capacity retained after 6 months, 85% Capacity after 12 months).

Currently
available at Amazon.com, Circuit City, Ritz/Wolf Camera, Fry’s, HHGregg.

Disney Mobile Phones and Service

Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, Electronics, Fun stuff for parents, , , , , ,

UPDATE —

Disney Mobile will discontinue its service December 31st, 2007.  Verizon Wireless has an exclusive offer for Disney Mobile customers. The offer will give Disney Mobile customers three free months of Verizon Wireless Chaperon Service. (this is not guaranteed as information may be incorrect or out-dated). I received a letter in the mail from Disney Mobile & Verizon stating that when you sign-up your family you can get up to five phones free!

The offer is available to Disney Mobile customers only and can be accessed here: www.verizonwireless.com/disneymobile.

———————————

I am so excited to introduce you to Disney Mobile phones and service!

Sebastian is at the age when he likes to go to his friends house after school, but he doesn’t want me
to go inside to talk to the parents anymore. I guess he’s embarrased of his mom!?  How can that be? I am really bad about keeping up with his friends parents names and phone numbers so having his own Disney Mobile phone has been wonderful. Instead of having to search through the desk drawers for the little piece of paper that has his friends moms name on it, I can call him and tell him it’s time to come home.  I think it is always more effective when kids hear the bad news from their own parents and not their friends parents.

Sebastian, myself and my husband have been using our Disney Mobile phones for a few months now. There are a lot of great features. I can’t imagine going back to my regular cell service after using the Disney Mobile phones and service.  The phones are easy to use, nice looking, and best of all, can provide vital information when needed.

I was impressed from the minute I turned on my Disney Mobile phone. When I turned my phone on, a really neat Disney tune played and the animation on the screen was amazing.

The functions are very easy to access and use.. even for Sebastian who is 7 years old.

Sebastian’s favorite feature is the Family Alert feature. With Family Alert, he can send me ‘template messages’ such as ‘yes’ and ‘no’ (and many more) or he can type a message. First he chooses a recipient. Then he can either choose a ‘template message’ or type his own message.  The next screen allows him to check his message and then send it.  He thinks it really fun to send me Family Alerts while we are at home. 

Likewise, parents can send a Family Alert to their child’s phone. The child is alerted with a sound and when he or she opens the phone, the screen lets them know that they have a Family Alert waiting for them. Your kids can no longer use the "I did’t get your message" excuse because the Family Alert message will be the first thing they see on their screen.


One of my favorite features is the Family Locator. With this feature, I can locate Sebastian where ever he is as long as his phone is on. When I first tested the Family Locator feature, I had Sebastian’s phone on the desk next to me. If the phone could talk, it would have told me I was crazy!  The message that appeared on my screen was "Sebastian is within 10 yards of your phone"!  I couldn’t believe it pinpointed the location so perfectly. The Family Locator also gave me the address. If your child has a few friends on your street that he plays with, you can find out who’s house he is at with the Family Locator. If you have a pre-teen who is supposed to be at the mall but you think she walked to the movie theatre, you can find out with the Family Locator!

I am impressed with the durability of the phones.   Sebastian’s Disney Mobile phone has been through a lot… even the washing machine (sorry Disney!). We simply laid the phone out to dry and now it is as good as new.

Another great feature is Call Control. With Call Control, parents can limit their child’s phone usage by the time of day, and by days of the week. This is great for kids who take their phones to school. You can use Call Control to make sure that they don’t use their phone during school hours.  The really neat thing about the Call Control feature is that your child’s phone can have ‘always allowed’ numbers that he can call even during hours that you have restricted which is great for emergencies. Your child can call you, but not their friends.

Ok, you are going to LOVE this feature. Family Monitor. The Family Monitor feature allows parents to set monthly spending allowances for calls, text messages, and downloads.  When your child has reached his spending limit, both your child and you are notified.

Other FUN features include:

  • Awesome ringtones. Ringtones include "Bare Necessities", "Electro", "Granted Wish" and a classic telephone ringtone.
  • Camera
  • Voice recorder
  • Notepad
  • Alarm clock
  • Scheduler
  • Themes – Give your Disney Mobile phone a new theme.  Themes include Floral Fantasy, Mickey and Friends,  eXtreMe and more.
  • Radio Disney.. yes, that’s right!  Just click on Radio Disney and your child can vote for their favorite Radio Disney song, send a shout out, find your local Radio Disney station, and keep up with the top 30 Radio Disney songs
  • Ringtones – additional ringtones can be purchased and downloaded right from your phone.  There are several categories to browse include Disney Favorites, pop, top downloads, and hip hop. Parents will appreciate the ‘super star’ ringtones which include songs by Gwen Stefani songs, The Killers, and The Fray.
  • Images – download additional images to your Disney Phone. Images can be used as your phone background or can be sent to a friends phone. Images include "Flaming Heart Tattoo", "Tinker Bell Name", "Thumper Peeved" and many more.
  • Web – access popular websites such as ABC News, USA Today, AccuWeather, ESPN, horoscopes and many more.

Way to go Disney Mobile!  ‘The Mommy Insider’ gives Disney Mobile two thumbs up for great phones, excellent mobile service, and wonderful customer service!

There are too many features to mention so go on over to Disney Mobile and take a look at all of the great features today!