New Summer Toy

I have been debating for a while about getting a tablet of some sort. I've played with an iPad and decided that while nice I didn't want to buy one. I started thinking Nook or Kindle Fire or Samsung Galaxy. I have friends that have one or the other and I asked their opinions. For what I wanted though, I decided simple was better. I went with the Nook for the simple reason that it has the micro SD slot. I have enough geeky friends that told me where to find info on how to turn that SD card into a bootable disk for my nook. This allows my Nook to be an android tablet as well as a "regular" nook. So, I can play with all the android apps that aren't available from B&N to my heart's content. I can also put the Kindle reader on it and take full advantage of books from amazon.

I also am part of several point-earning sites. I have no problem cashing out the points that I earned for Amazon or B&N gift cards. That makes that aspect of it that much cheaper. I love to review books (though I haven't in a while), which is another way to maintain my book addiction.

All in all, I'd say it was a good investment for me. I found the Nook on sale, refurbished, for significantly less than it would have been otherwise, even on ebay. I have a great way to earn credit for books and apps. Most importantly, though, for those that know me is that it's a GADGET! Now to go crawl back into my hole and play with my new toy..

Fun at Brookstone

I was given the opportunity to go to Brookstone (my favorite mall gadget store) to check out some of their products. I've always enjoyed wandering through their store to see what was new. So, when I jumped on the chance to go with some blogger friends. Unfortunately for me, my phone wouldn't let me on to twitter, so I couldn't tweet from the event. I'll resolve that issue soon by getting an iPhone.

In the meantime, the first of the items I found that I think is cool was this clock. I have a projector clock, but to maintain the time on the clock and the projector, you have to set them separately. Of course, if the power blinks, the clock itself has a backup battery. The projector does not. This clock from Brookstone was cool because other than the time zone, you don't have to set the time. It uses the atomic clock to set itself automagically.

I gave out digital picture frames to the grandparents one year. I didn't use this particular one, but an offbrand. I have since wanted one of my own. So, for family watching my blog, you can put this on my Christmas list.

The next two items are true toys. They're both controlled via iPad/iPod/iPhone. The first is a little rover. It has a camera mounted on it and seems to be quite sturdy.

This one was pure fun. It's a Hover Drone. Meant primarily for use inside it has a second body that can be put on it for outside. It has a camera on the front and underneath. The camera will send pictures back to your iToy for you to see. Very cool.

These on the other hand are health related. The one on the left is a wake-up/wind-down light. It has an alarm that can trigger the lamp to come up by degrees as your wake-up signal. It can reverse as well to dim. The lamp on the right is what Brookstone called a Happy Light. It's a full spectrum UV lamp. Very nice.

A couple of other fun things I saw, though I didn't get pictures of, were the massage tools. I loved the full foot massage. I sat with that on my feet a good 5 minutes before I decided I should let someone else have a turn. I also enjoyed the shoulder massage items. One was a shiatsu type massage, the other was a percussion. I think I preferred the percussion style better. Then there was the CHAIR. A full body massage chair. I had to tweet my chance to win one of those when I got back from the event. That would be SOOOOO nice to have.

To get away from massages, I loved the soft nap blankets too. I could just curl up under one of those and stay there for a long time. Or the electric hot pad. Not like the type that have to remain plugged in to stay warm, this one uses electricity to get it hot. Then you can unplug it and it will stay warm for 4 hours. It comes with a belt pouch so that you can put it on areas that need the heat.. (like for the ladies that have the monthly issues, or for when you've lifted a child too many times and need help for your back).

So, as usual, I was happy to get a chance to play with the gadgets at Brookstone. I left my kids at home so I could have the opportunity to visit with adults and play with stuff meant for adults and not feel guilty about it. Thank you to those that invited me there and then gave me one of these just for visiting. It will come in handy when I replace my phone.

We're off..

We're off to visit my parents at their new condo for Christmas. We hope you have a happy holiday. As a Christmas gift, here's a sneak peek at what'll go on sale with Discovery Toys on January 1st. We'll be back sometime around the 27th, see you then!

Top 10 Toys

Landismom got this from someone else and I've decided to play along. Here are the top 10 toys from childhood..

10 - My skateboardWe had a great hill in front of the house. I'd take my skateboard to the top of the hill and off I'd go.

9 - My dog

Actually - my dad's dog. Relates to #10. We'd put her leash on, then have her pull us along while riding the skateboard.

8 - My bike

Related to the hill in #10. Along with this hill was a "ramp" on part of the sidewalk that if you hit it fast enough you could launch yourself pretty well going down the hill.

7 - Dungeons & Dragons

Gamer Geek. 'Nuff said.

6 - Magnifying Glass

A simple enough toy. Great for burning paper, ants, and sisters with the power of the sun.

5 - Homemade Swing Set

It was made out of two telephone poles and a huge railroad tie across the top. It had a rope swing on one side for playing Tarzan and a couple of regular swings that were great to see how high you can go and jump out without killing yourself.

4 - Electric Train

It was small, but we had a lot of fun playing with this one.

3 - Electronics Kit

I was a gamer geek, but I also loved playing with electronics stuff. My sister and I would take hours and put together radios, lights, and more with our electronics kit. It was a great toy that had pieces on cubes that you put together and connected with a metal clip. Kinda like this one.

2 - My neighbor's house. She had a porch that could only be reached from the outside (well, there was a door to it, completely blocked by stuff inside). It was approximately 10 feet from the ground. It made a great place to hide-out and play games. If I wasn't up here, I was in the chestnut tree in her yard as far up as I could go.

1 - Books, Books, Books. I'd read Gone With the Wind by 6th grade. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Tolkien, Poe, and Jack London were staples for my reading.

Anyone else care to play along?