Keely Pals Around With House M.D.

"Doctor! The patient is flatlining! I shall click on her."

I'll admit it, I get to do some pretty cool things via this blog.

For instance, I get to play all sorts of new Ubisoft games, like the new House M.D.: Critical Cases. And it's fun. Really, really, fun.

It hooked up through my Facebook account and I was ready to go- once, that is, I picked out new features and accessories for my avatar. (Anyone else play Facemaker back in the early '80s? No? Well, ever since then I've had a thing for getting to choose features.)

The game sorta tosses you into the middle of the action without too much pre-information or rules. And actually, I really like that. That's sorta how I fly. No Knowledge Flynn, that's me.

It placed me smack dab in the middle of House M.D.'s stomping grounds, Princeton-Plainsboro Hospital. Right off the bat I got to diagnose a stroke victim simply by turning over squares on a board to match images. Turns out, I could've been a stellar doctor. I ROCK at Memory.

My first day, and I even got to use the defibrillator on someone. I saved his life, no big deal.

I spent a goodly bit of time wandering the hospital, picking up items in the pharmacy (for later use, obvie), and randomly treating patients in the clinic. This is definitely a game that you figure out as you go, and I can see how easy it would be to get hooked; skills and levels keep building, and it's super fun to unlock new rooms in the hospital.

"Keely, we don't give amphetamines to five year-olds."

I did get a little annoyed, however, at the fact that you need a certain "energy level" to keep going- and energy can be bought. With real money. (Which I don't do.) Or you can earn energy by completing offers from outside sponsors. (Which I also don't do.)

On top of that, I wasn't able to treat a walk-in patient (who had a runny nose) with meds until I gave her an MRI. What kind of hospital are we running, here?

But, bottom line, it was a fun diversion. Nora liked helping me click on the arrows, and she wanted me to keep poking people to see what they'd do. (Which, full disclosure, is also how I play games like this.)

Want to try this free, fun game for yourself? (I know.) Give it a go here: http://ubi.li/A357z 

And look for the sassy young doctor with sweeping bangs and a stylin' blue labcoat.

I'll be the one giving the itchy poison ivy victim a bag of heart meds.

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps

The Full Catastrophe! The Nields!

Katryna and Nerissa Nields have come out with a new album. For anyone who a) grew up in Western Massachusetts or b) loves good folk music, this is terribly exciting.

I fall into both of these categories.

The Nields were big on the coffeehouse/Lilith Fair circuit when I was an impressionable high-schooler and, now that I'm a impressionable mother of two, they've come out with The Full Catastrophe, their ode to parenthood, marriage, and how good life continues to be.

At first listen, I was pleasantly surprised to find that, while some of the songs were about children, they weren't necessarily for children. (Family-friendly is terrific. But I have a shockingly low tolerance for elephants stomping about. For example.)

Certain tracks jumped out at me; Back At The Fruit Tree, a bouncy ditty about how needs and priorities change once kiddos enter the picture. The Creek's Gonna Rise, a gorgeous song about the inevitability of time. And I Choose This Era, a sweet track about wanting to be right where you are.

The Full Catastrophe's themes of how crazy and exhausting and wonderful this phase of life is makes for a fun listen. And, much like having a sleepy-eyed toddler crawl into your bed at 6am, it's welcomed with a knowing smile.

Want to win your own copy of The Full Catastrophe? Of course you do.

Here's how:
-Comment here. Tell me about your love of good music. Or just say hi. (Worth one entry!)
-Tweet about this giveaway and link back here- but make sure to come back and lemme know you did so! (Worth TWO entries!)
-"Like" Lollygag Blog on Facebook or post about the giveaway on Facebook- but, again, make sure to let me know! (Worth TWO entries!)

I'll choose a winner (with the help of our good friend The Randomizer) on next Friday, June 1st. So, go! Go tell your friends!

I'll wait right here. I've got some good music to keep me company.

Keely Gets Purty. Kinda.

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the
Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/


I kept it simple for 2012.

"Consume more water," I said to myself. "Drink some drinking water," as Nora calls it.

And while this resolution may be easily crossed off of a daily list, perhaps I need to reach a little higher in terms of beauty and wellness goals. (I mean, you all remember my failed attempt at being non-sweatpantsy, right?)

"But beautifying oneself is expensive," you [I] say to yourself [myself]. "And I need to save money for things like food/a fur vest [/patching drywall]."

Thankfully, you [I] live next door to a Walgreens. (And let's be honest, if you live in a decently sized town, you probably do, too.) So let's make a new list for 2012, shall we?

Resolution #1- For The Love Of God, I WILL Do Something With My Hair.

- Whether this means updating my 5th grade hairstyle with sassy new hair clips, using a tourmaline ceramic brush (as opposed to the broken bristles of death that I currently wield), or finally realizing that perhaps to have hair that doesn't look shampooed and air-dried, one needs to put something on one's hair besides shampoo (and air).

Resolution #2- Scrub A Dub Dub, In Or Out Of The Tub.

- If you're anything like me, you're exceedingly dull. But just on the surface. Shallowly dull, that's you. (And me.) I think this is the year to have our skin(s?) reveal our inner sparkliness. (But not in a Twilight kinda way.) I'm talkin' natural facial fruity scrubs, sugar scrubs for all over that smell luscious enough to eat (but don't- neither should you eat lip gloss, no matter how good it smells. You are WELCOME), and all of those fun products that prevent our dry skin from making audible sounds from underneath our corduroy pant legs.

Resolution #3- Show A Little Cleavage. Toe Cleavage.

- Now, unless you can afford weekly pedicures (in which case I either hate you or would like you to become my best friend/sugar Daddy), there's gonna be a time where the heels of your feet could sand unfinished wood. But this is easily amended with those ridonkulously cool PedEgg foot files. Also, a good shea butter can do wonders. (Unless you have to immediately walk on a wood floor. Then- refrain.) And instant gratification can be found in a teensy bottle of bright nail color. Did you know that Pantone declared tangerine to be the color of the year for '12? And it's awfully easy to be both bold and trendy when it's your feet doing the boldy trending.

Let's all resolve to be more lovely in 2012. Within our budgets. Starting with me.

And hey, looks like I've just posted a nice li'l wishlist for easy gifting!

(How lovely is that?)

Gold Pantsuit Optional.

DARN YOU, ANGELEYES!

Last night was a win. I had friends over, wore Real Clothing, drank sangria from breakable glasses...

...and danced like the key to ending world hunger lay on my [flailing] shoulders [and arms].

Our good friends at Ubisoft sent me a copy of ABBA You Can Dance for the Wii, (available on Amazon) and generously gifted me a [pivotal] mirrored disco ball with lights. Turns out, all my daughters' playroom needs to become a Studio 54-esque dance club are shiny lights. And for the complete removal of doll strollers, art supplies, and train accouterments.

This game comes from the award-winning Just Dance franchise and features 26 hit songs to dance to, sing along with (in the karaoke option!), perform as mini musicals, and enjoy along with live concert footage and actual music videos. Dance moves are depicted by rising figures on the sides of the screen, prompting players to sway, jump, and do crazy things with one's arms.

I was lucky enough to have some very tolerant- and ridiculously fun- friends come play. Besides being unaware that I knew that many people with ABBA lyrical acumen, here's what we liked:

Bringin' it. Also, yes, we have a giraffe.

-It's really, really fun. So fun that you barely need to let the sangria kick in before you're dying to jump up and dance.

-Four people could play at a time. This is clutch, especially when making it to Nationals on such group hits as Waterloo. (Okay, there's no "Nationals" in the game, but we were really that good. There ought've been.)

-I won the first round. (That's because a certain Liz didn't know her Wii-mote was on and she missed the first half of the song. She might not view this as a plus, but I sure do. I won!)

-Our friend Sara may actually be a member of ABBA. She won every single round and, when her ABBA avatar unexpectedly dropped to the floor and did a crazy arm-sweep, she didn't even bat an eye.

Things we questioned:

Back right corner. All you need to know.

-It took us a little longer than expected to figure out what the heck we were doing. Like how to get back to the main screen without restarting the Wii, what each upcoming motion actually meant, and how to figure out whom was dancing for whom. Actual dialogue: "I was following the brunette." "I was following the brunette!" "No, you're the dude." "Which dude?" And sure, a lot of this could've been chalked up to user error and/or my inability to "read directions."

-The song Angeleyes is awful and unfairly hard to dance to.

-Dancing ability is measured solely on one's right hand motions. Basically, you could be sitting down, but as long as the hand holding the Wii mote was doing the right moves, you could beat the person beside you who's taking a knee and/or giving it their all. For example.

-It was a general consensus that it wouldn't take too long to jam through all of the offered songs and it would be nice if songs could be unlocked after certain levels of awesomeness were attained. Some of the dance moves were repeated frequently throughout the catalog- which I personally had no problem with. Maybe I'll actually get decently good at them sometime in 2012. (Then- REMATCH!)

We didn't partake in the karaoke options (no microphones), and were momentarily charmed by the mini musical (oh, Butch), but spent a goodly three hours on the actual dance competitions. That's where the real joy is, even when you've never heard the song before in your life and/or you may have just accidentally kicked a good friend.

I'm gonna hafta go ahead and recommend this game. Very little actual skill is needed to enjoy this one, and it more than brings the laughs, entertainment, and toned triceps.

Just don't invite Sara. Not if you ever want to win, anyhow.

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own.

Now She Can Get A Part-Time Job.

Nora is pretty pleased with me.

Part of my review for LeapFrog's My Own Storytime Pad required that she give it a whirl and personalize it to her liking.

And there's a lot of liking.

The thing is pretty cool; a preschooler's version of a tablet, complete with pretend (and individualized!) emails from Mom, Dad, and Suzy, stories that she can choose, built-in playlists and the ability to create her own songs. There's an ABC function that lets her type out letters and learn phonics, and even (the slightly more advanced) ability to "write" her own stories.

As we already own a LeapFrog My Own Pal (Violet, thankyouverymuch), I had already installed LeapFrog Connect on my computer to hook it up with her name and personal preferences. (This is how Violet knows Nora digs blueberry pancakes and The Itsy Bitsy Spider.)

Checkin' out the specs.

I decided to let NJ play with the Storytime Pad and review it as I usually do- with a minimum of direction-readin' and a maximum of seeing how user friendly the thing really is for kids:

Being as my child was born in '09, she already has the techie knowledge so inherent in her generation- so she flipped it over and turned the power on immediately. And regardless of how often I initially showed her the lower buttons of ABC, email, stories, and music, she really just wanted to spend a good twenty minutes pressing the two dogs, cat, and chipmunk(?) at the very top to make them say different phrases. I completely understood.

Once we got into story mode, I showed her how to press the arrow keys to turn pages. This had mixed results as, at times, she'd patiently wait for each page to be read, and other times flip the pages like a windstorm. (I was not surprised, as this is sometimes how she reads her real books, too.)

Nora really, really liked the music function. She thought the songs were cool, but what totally rocked her world was how each letter on the pad turned into a different musical note or sound effect under the Jam Session option. (Although much like at Christmas with repeated playing of Dominick the Donkey, I quickly tired of the 'braying' one.)

The ABC phonics button captured her attention for a bit, and she had fun repeating what each letter sounded like. After a little bit, however, she turned into a bit of a beat-boxer (T-t-t-t-t-t-nnnnnnnnnn) and we moved onto emails.

When she heard and saw the one "from" me, (Nora- I love you SO much! Love, Mommy) she lit up and thanked me. (I do kind of wish there was an option to type out personal and simple messages that departed from the three stock options, but it's still pretty cute. And she looked downright amazed that Susannah had access to an email account.)

My only complaint with this otherwise superbly cool toy is the lack of a backlight function or option to change brightness. The small screen on the tablet is pretty dim and the text doesn't have much of a contrast. Nora and I both found ourselves squinting at times to read the text or see the cartoon characters. It's certainly not a deal breaker, but I was a little disappointed by tech support's answer that the brightness had been set to optimize battery life. (I'm a parent. I can change a darned battery when need be. But if she's gonna learn her ABCs visually, she might want to be able to see them.)

All in all, it's a really cute product, and one that Nora already refers to as her "computer." And retailing at roughly thirty bucks, it's a much cheaper option than letting a toddler potentially destroy an iPad in the pursuit of dominating some angry birds.

For example.

Thank you to LeapFrog for sponsoring this review. While LeapFrog provided the product to me for this review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest point of view.

Yippee ki yay!

Thank you to Cube Dog for sponsoring this review. For more information about Cube Dog please visit the Facebook page or download it on iTunes. (And the Facebook page has a sweet contest running June 13th-17th!)

***

I was rather excited to review the new Cube Dog app, available now (for free!) at the App Store. But no one- no one was more excited to "help" me play/review/play/play/boss/review this little guy than 4 year-old Lily and 1.5 year-old Nora.

This thing is pretty cute. The basic Cube Dog app includes the options to customize your own puppy; head shape, eyes, ears, facial expression, and color.

My helpers and I created a reddish dog (although not too red, one of the shorter members of my crew would like me to point out) with humongo eyes and a sweet square mouth. Against the protestations of the minis, we named him J. McClane. (Anyone?) Lily had wanted to name him something noun-related, and Nora pretty much wanted to agree with Lil. But as it's still my iPhone- for now- I had veto power on this [one] option.

McClane. Being coy.

Once we had created the little guy, it was time to play. There's a little toolbar on the bottom of the home screen that lets you choose how to play with your pet. We started with the 'ball' icon, figuring it was to start a game of catch- but it incited our guy to grab a ball, run away, and hit a line drive with a baseball bat he had apparently stowed under his fur. We were impressed.

During one game experiment, we apparently either bored him or inspired him to communicate- because he whipped out an iPhone of his own and called us. Seriously. The call screen came up on my phone as an incoming call from Cube Dog. (I got stoked for this one...but sadly, it wasn't a real call. Once I "answered," the image went back to McClane, who pocketed the phone under his positively tent-like fur.

Lily also wants me to include the fact that, when you tickle McClane, he laughs. And squirms. It is quite cute. She also is apparently the only one who can cause him to go all heart-eyed. I think they're in love.

And I'd definitely like to include his ability to turn into a ninja. That's right. When you touch one of the toolbar playing options, a throwing star appears at the pup's feet. (Also inexplicably- or for a reason which I have not yet discovered- when you touch a certain part of the screen too hard, he goes into Battle Mode.) This is great. He looks momentarily alarmed and then gets out weapons and a headband for, you know, combat.

Ninja pupper.

You can shrink or enlarge the puppy by pinching or expanding- pretty standard fare for an iPhone app- but it also lets you go all 3D and turn him any way you choose. That's right, you can play games with your dog while he's facing away from you, leaning back at a 45 degree angle. (I have no idea why you would do this, but my point is that you could.)

This app is compatible with the iPhone and iPod Touch 4 with the camera; you're gonna need the cam to document your puppy as well as I did. Obviously. The camera also gives you the option to have the puppy's background be what your phone sees. Like the coffee table where you and two tiny helpers are creating digital art. For example. (Again, I have no idea what purpose this serves other than to elicit an- "Oh, look at the coffee table" reaction from one of the girls...but time will tell.)

It looks as if there are some pretty cool toolbar features available in the advanced (read: paid) packs at the App Store...but for our usage, the (free) games we have are good enough.

In short, this thing is fun. Nothing earth-shatteringly wild, but certainly toddler-mesmerizing for at least ten minutes.

Which I'm pretty sure is all the impetus some of you will need.

***

While Cube Dog provided me with the app to review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Cube Dog, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.

Playing favorites.

Thanks to Trop50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 Fabulous Wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous!

***

Okay, so I get to list five brilliant bloggers? Instead of being intimidated by this challenged, I was actually a little worried. Only five? (I do love me some interwebz-readin'.) So, with apologies to the eleventy other close, personal pals with terrific bloggy stylings, here are some perk-up-your-day, never-fail-to-make-me-smile reads from gals that I adore. (Also, hyphens.)

Kate at Grant Wishes has, hands-down, the most charming blog in the cosmos. Here's why: her subject matter (her three little dudes) are positively edible, she takes great photos of their life outside of Boston, and she has various themes that I truly dig; a daily thankful thought (even on those days that can be less than stellar) and two new columns that never fail to make me wet my pants. (Did I really say that and Did you hear that are primo examples of how strange and rad parenting can be.) Her husband Tom- who travels a lot for business- has his own column featuring adventurous pix of Leo, the boys' finger puppet lion, who gets to go on all of Dad's business trips. (Leo lives well.) All of these features- plus the fact that Kate updates nearly every day- makes for a good daily check-in. Also, she knows more about trucks and machinery than she ever could have planned for back in college.

Brie writes Pat and Brie Plus Three, which- yes- is technically another blog I love written by a mother. However, I wouldn't exactly call her a Mommy Blogger. She's more the Post Your Bail After Buying The Last Round Of Shots Blogger. What's more, she makes me guffaw. Guffaw, I tell you. Her stories are dirty, inappropriate for work, and quite possibly some of the funniest stuff online. Her Christmas memories post makes me cry with laughter. And sure, I cry a lot, but you know how sometimes I cry until I wheeze and hyperventilate and shake with spasms of tears? Like that. Brie's kids are also ridiculously cute, so there's that, too.

They even made their own wedding cake.

Cindy and Julia are good friends of mine. My husband married them. (This is true. Well, actually, they married each other, but he facilitated and got to stand up there looking all cute and cheerful with the brides.) They write a blog entitled What's for Dinner...but that may change shortly, as they're gonna expand into all levels of craftiness and awesomesaucity. I look forward to this, because these ladies are seriously talented. Besides being gourmands (if you're really nice, they might just make you a tart. And this tart might just make you cry) and fashionistas (they started a business called Crafty Broads wherein they design and tailor your clothes), they are also stage managers. Which means they are in charge of everything.

Huckleberry Flynn is penned by a gal named Emily whom I've known for her entire life- even before she was big enough to steal all of my toys. Regardless, she writes some of the funniest lyrical dissection this side of the Mississippi (although, to be fair, I haven't checked in recently with the other side of the river lately). Even though she occasionally strays back into the world of Sustainability (where she gets paid, yo), and traveling (she once slept tied to a ship's crow's nest while spending a semester at sea- but having seen how deeply she can sleep, it's not really that impressive), she endeavors to post as often as her glamorous life allows. Every single time a new link appears, I know I will laugh until I pee. (This is clearly the highest compliment I know.) Check out her take on Bruno Mars' Marry You. Her Skymall recap is also hilarious- and disturbingly informative.

Bogglingly joyful.

Laura and I have been friends since grade school. Even though we haven't lived in the same state (or time zone) for many years, I adore keeping up with her travels on I'll Take You In My Backpack. Recently, she's lived in Alaska, Japan, and now Guam. (The other day I went to a city park on the northside of town and was exhausted by my jaunt. For an example of my own comparative non-traveliness.) She remains upbeat and incredibly cool, despite the recent natural disasters in Japan- and, more recently, a burst eardrum while in her new locale. In fact, her arrival to each location has been marked by a separate earthquake each and every time. Alaska. Japan. Guam. Yep. So, good God, don't just go give her a gander...give her some love. (Also ask her if she remembers my Jonathan Brandis Trapper Keeper from seventh grade [mandatory] shop class.)

So there you go. You have no more excuses for doing your job or going to bed on time.

Get readin'.

And then come back here. 'Cause I'll always love you best.

***

Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to celebrate a friend with a refreshing attitude about looking and feeling fabulous. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

Please buy me a toy.

I'll admit it.

I got really excited when I was asked to review Ebeanstalk.com's Toys For 2 Year Olds. Sure, Nora's barely a year and a half, but you have to think BIG when it comes to the stuff you'll be Playing. With. All. Day. Every. Day.

In the past, we've been the lucky recipients of Ebeanstalk's stellar Grow And Learn series, which gave us gifts all throughout the first year of her life. Right after she was born, Nora received the sweetest barnyard animal rattle shapes. (The lion even clocked some air miles with us.) The series ended with soft nesting cubes, all featuring the alphabet and adorable pictures- and an accompanying book. (C for Cat and S for Strawberry had to be taken out of rotation for a bit. They were getting tired.)

So yes. The site.

You can just go ahead and get me the first item on the Toys For 2 Year Old Girls page- it's the Forest Fairy Treehouse by Happyland...and yeah, we have a ton of stuff from this company. They're the cutest things ever, you can chew on their faces and they stay intact, and sometimes I even let Nora play with them.

And yes, at first I was all prepared to debate whether or not the Girls page necessarily needed all of the pink and frilly stuff up top, as opposed to the Boys page that featured trucks and car mats and riding stuff. But, I scrolled down to the bottom of the fairly comprehensive list and was pleased to see that those kinda things were there on the Girls page as well. Lime green Rody horses. Dudley Dump Truck (and his pal Bumpity Bump Bernie). The Road Hog trike. Plus a really good assortment of some of my favorite childhood books- with the exception of The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers, which really freaks my shizz out.

So then I checked out the Toys For 2 Year Old Boys page...and it's also really awesome. And full of stuff that Nora [I] would like; stacking trains, Rub A Dub Pirate squirters, more Happyland figurines, a garden fruits n' veggies shopping bag (Hey, has someone been following my husband around?), and a few really sweet Calin dolls. And as anyone who has been to my house recently can attest, Calin a.k.a. Baby Dot is an extraordinarily good addition to anyone's home. And she can really take a beating. Okay, that sounds wrong.

Since you- most likely- know your child way better than I do, I recommend checking out both the Boys and Girls pages. Or you can take even more of the guesswork outta your decision by heading straight to the Top Selling Toys For 2 Year Olds page, which has a nice cross-section of all of the aforementioned goodies. You'll definitely find something perfect for your toddler.

Or favorite 30 year-old blogger.

It's Diptictastic.

Folks, it's happened.

The fine folks who brought us the Diptic app have combined two of my greatest loves: documenting my child and not using Photoshop or GIMP.

What's Diptic, you ask? It's a photo manipulation program that lets the user resize, colorize, collage, and border images together. You know, the kind of thing that takes me a good weekend in Photoshop and GIMP. (And the kicker is- I know how to use those programs! Kind of.) Turns out, flicking an image bigger or smaller on one's iPhone or iPad is more my speed. I had a feeling.

My first attempt was nothing to write home about. Unless you're writing home about the cutest toddler, EVER. I pasted and resized two pix of Nora's that I really dug- and was stalling on cropping, editing, etc., for printing out. It took me three minutes on my phone.

Here's what I got: super cute big pic, super cute small pic. Dust bunnies and uneven paint cropped out. Zoom in on that toothy grin. Border it in grey. Brighten it up a tad (and pretend the "natural" light wasn't a rather yellow foyer jobbie.)

Pretty cute, also pretty mug-shotesque.

Next I put a skinny pic of a field (taken by my youngest sister Em- photographer extraordinaire) with a recent photo from our neighborhood playlot park. It was the first really spring-like day in Chicago and we both had a raging case of Spring fever. I like the image of the sunny field against a picture of my daughter, moments before she happily slumped to the ground to rest in a pile of wood chips. Brought out the green in both pix and adjusted the lighting a tad. Gave it the slightest of Spring green borders and ta-da. 

I'm sure people could easily find ways to take more advantage of this software- it's kind of like I borrowed a rocket ship to go to Taco Bell.

There's also a cheap upgrade to more- and customizable- photo layouts, but I dig the six offered ones.  And I cannot stress enough how ridiculously easy this stuff is. I take pictures of Nora all day long on my phone- and now it's cinchy to create a new pic and upload it to Flickr, Facebook or Posterous. 

Word on the street is that one can use it for non-kiddo photos, too.

Like I even know what those are anymore. 

The Art of the Lull.

Music is a constant in our house. We have cleaning mixes, Sunday morning albums, and classic vinyl on rotation. Nora can usually tell the who, what, and where of a situation by what's currently playing: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros? Time to dance with Dad before supper. '40s on 4, Sirius XM? Mom's doing a project in the kitchen. Sweet Baby James up in her bedroom? Time to line up the Beanie Babies and Trolls- it's playtime.

We've been compiling and collecting lullabies and our favorite kids' albums since the day we found out we were expecting. Some all-time favorites include In Harmony, any of the classic Sesame Street albums, Free To Be You And Me, and a still gender-nonspecific iTunes playlist entitled "Kid."

Nora loves them all. She digs a good melody, harmony, key change and rhythm. Here's what she doesn't like- pandering lyrics, saccharine sentiments, and downright boring composition. (Oh, did I say Nora? I meant me. But based on her refusal to stay in the room when something of that ilk is played...I can guess that she feels much the same.) So many kids' albums are that way. And most little ones I know can tell the difference between good and bad music, especially if they've heard a ton of it in their fifteen months.

I was beyond excited when I was approached to take a listen to Jane Roman Pitt's new album, Midnight Lullaby. She's a singer/songwriter with strong folk/country/classical roots, and her latest is a compilation of non-traditional lullabies from some pretty big names. It's already gotten some great reviews- at HuffPost, among others- so I figured that I'd give it to one of the toughest critics I know. She's 30 inches tall, has crazy hair, and a penchant for thumbs and frogs. Here's what Nora thought of the album.

We played Midnight Lullaby in the playroom, about an hour before I wanted to settle Nora down for a nap. It was a tall order, I realized, as she was darned busy laying waste to every puzzle and pretend piece of food in a three-room radius.

It started with Josh Ritter's Baby That's Not All- a song that warranted a bit of a hip wiggle (the universal sign for I Acknowledge The Music You Have Selected.) She also began to rock and pat her Valentine's Day cards. So, maybe she was feeling soothed. Or needing to soothe. Either way, those cards were getting the treatment.

Wilco's My Darling- a great tune- actually made me well up a little bit. It was so lovely. Nora paused the coddling of the cards to come give me a pat on the shoulder. Empathy! Or maybe embarrassment. Either way, the puzzle-flinging had ceased.

Tom Waits is an extremely welcome guest in our speakers, so when his Midnight Lullaby played, I decided to spread out a blanket on the floor and just enjoy. And yes, we've proven that this album succeeds at lulling the Exhausted Mother set...but Nora joined me, too. (I think the last time that she'd willingly snuggled in my arms was during her raging fever. Before that? Five months of age.)

Maybe it was the quiet time with Nora, or perhaps it was the sweetness of the song, but Bob Dylan's Forever Young got me sniffling again. And Nora even joined in with her nondescript 'ah' singsongy voice which I love. By this point I was ready for a nap, eighteen more children, and a pony for Nora if she'd just keep singing and cuddling.

There are so many highlights on this simple and gentle album: Donovan's La Moora is a soothing Scottish melody, Jane's own original tracks on the album add beautiful instrumentation and harmony, and the classic Beatles' Goodnight/Golden Slumbers is a must-have for parents, anyhow.

Here's the full track listing:
1. Baby That's Not All- Josh Ritter
2. My Darling- Wilco
3. Dreaming Sweet Dreams- Hugh Prestwood
4. Lullaby- Dixie Chicks
5. Midnight Lullaby- Tom Waits
6. Welcome Home To Love- Jane Roman Pitt
7. The Sweetest Gift- Sade
8. La Moora- Donovan
9. Whisper Warm- Jane Roman Pitt
10. Forever Young- Bob Dylan
11. Goodnight/Golden Slumbers- Lennon/McCartney

I have a feeling this one's gonna stay in our rotation. Want it to be in yours? I have an album for giveaway that I'm really stoked to share. Leave a comment below and tell me who needs lulling in your life. I'll choose a winner next Tuesday, so tell your friends, caregivers and discerning toddlers!

By the way, it worked. Sleep came- quite easily- a mere ten minutes after the album ended.

Oh yeah, and Nora napped, too.

 I made it to the Top Five for Parenting Blogs! Go vote!

I also made a really sweet frog! Kinda.

Chewing it over.

Today's blog posting is about a toy.

A really rad toy.

One that you could win. (Curiosity piqued? I know.)

Thanks to our pals at thenewtoy.com- a nifty online site that only features nine handpicked toys at a time- Nora and I received a fuzzy set of awesomeness known as Brain Noodles. They're humongo pipe cleaners with a twist (and that you can twist)- they're silky, non toxic and sans any sharp edges. (This is crucial in our household. For me, mainly.)

The Noodles come in a big ol' bunch and are brightly colored. My favorite is the zebra striped set. (Try finding that on a pipe cleaner. That's right, it doesn't exist. Unless you have a very fancy pipe with specific cleaning needs.)

Here is why this product is brilliant: it's an extremely simple toy. Its predecessor was a basic staple of craft projects in my childhood. You could glue them, twist them, decorate edges, poke your sister in the nostril, sky's the limit.

Opening this toy produced an 'aha' moment for me, like when I realized that no matter how awesome the birthday present, Nora was always gonna want to play in the recycling pile afterwards. Having Brain Noodles around equates having that fabulous refrigerator box in the kitchen- minus holes in the side, packing tape stuck to your hair, and metal staples gouging your forehead. That's right, buying this toy is like buying your favorite childhood activities...but bigger, cooler, and with less forehead-gouging.

And it comes with an instruction booklet! I've never been much for those, but having grown up with a sister who very much was- she could actually make the Lego car- and having married a guy who thinks methodical directions= a pitch perfect sonata, I decided to give it a go.

First off, I had to convince Nora that it was totally cool to touch the Brain Noodles. (Sure, she'll kiss her reflection in the oven window, but grab a soft toy? Mother May I?) After we did a series of patpatpat and kisses, it was on.

We started by forming a puppy. Kinda. Granted, written directions make my head a little wonky, but it didn't really look like a dog so much as an anemic wombat. Plus, Nora was "helping" me make the woofie. The tail may be a little over-bent. With love. I accept full responsibility for the wombat.

Then we went all freestyle and made a crown with antennae. We both wore it. And one of us may have chewed on it. (Note- Nora may be a little too young for unsupervised play with this toy, non toxic though it may be. However! She definitely got a mouthful of orange Noodle with ZERO side effects. Score!) I was also hit by one of these and am pleased to report that the claim of no sharp edges is correct. I've definitely been thwacked by worse things (a wet noodle, for example.)

Later, we straightened the Brain Noodles back out and laid them in her toy box (patpatpat) for later use.

So, by the numbers:
26 Brain Noodles
For ages 5 and up (or a really awesome almost 1-year old)
7 idea booklet instructions (with snippets of trivia!)
3 trillion creative options
1 really great toy store (they have hilarious product videos AND, with packaging, send stickers and notes about recycling. Awesomesauce.)

0 reasons why you shouldn't try to win this set

And now, How You Can Win This Set!

In honor of the Nora Jane First Birthday Extravaganza, The New Toy will generously donate a brand new set of Brain Noodles to one of my readers. Here's how to score it:

1) Vote every day at Top Mommy Blogs. (One click to the page, one to vote.)
2) Tweet about this blog, the giveaway, whatever you like. But it has to be nice. I can give you tons of ideas. For example- Isn't Keely looking trim today?
3) Facebook about the blog, the giveaway, whathaveyou. (And no, 'whathaveyou' is not a legit thing to post.)

Once you do all that, comment below and lemme know how many chances to give you on randomizer.org. (It's on the honor system- after all, did you know that 'Nora' is derived from the word for 'Honor?') The contest is open from now until her actual birthday on Friday, October 29th (and the winner will be selected on Saturday the 30th.) You could potentially score three votes a day until then.

And then we could all have a playdate. And thwack each other with Noodles. Just like in the old days.

BYORefrigerator Box.

I think we all know who really needs the night light.

Let's take a trip down memory staircase, shall we?

I love you, Graco. Give me another chance. 

If you'll recall, a few weeks back I [accidentally] chucked my beloved monitor down the stairs with all the grace (and holding back) of an irate bison. Shockingly, it broke.

Even more shockingly, kismet and the kind souls at Graco sent me a brand new digital monitor to try for free- if I'd be so kind as to write a few words about it. (I have arrived. Maybe I should break something bigger next time?)

So. The Graco Direct Connect digital monitor. Lights, sound, temperature, vibration, a 'talk' option to the nursery- a belt clip. It showed up, all shiny and full of promise. Nora and I were understandably excited. While I figured out the charging action and gave the directions a cursory glance, she made short work of the packaging. 

I decided to go about my review the way that I tend to treat new techie purchases in my life: flying by the seat of my pants and seeing just how "user friendly" the product really is. The results?

I should really start reading the directions. For I'm rather below average on the user error scale. 

The first night we had it, Peej and I had a glass of wine outside after Nora fell asleep and brought the monitor to the backyard. The audio was crystal clear- granted, her bedroom was directly above us a couple of floors, but still. Crystal clear. At one point I wanted to check the temp in her room and pressed the button for light to see what the display read (it was pretty dark out, after all.) Nothing happened. Pressed it again. Turns out, I had been activating various levels of a night light on her monitor. Whoops! 

Later that night as I was charging the jobber, it crackled slightly. And once every now and again it would cut out for the shortest of milliseconds. Then again, I also have an iPhone in the city of Chicago. Slight gaps in communication shouldn't phase me at all. 

On to the temperature gauge. I REALLY like this action. I am, in no small manner, obsessed with this feature.  Glancing over and knowing in an instant if Nora needs an extra blankie or a cracked open window? Rad. Although I do bug Peej with the slightest temperature fluctuation- and he reminds me each and every time that she survived July in the city. (This makes me feel like a bad parent, retroactively. And presently. Maybe even a little bit for the future.)

The 'talk to baby' option is hilarity incarnate. I love walkie talkies. Always have. (Kate and I used to rock them in bedrooms that shared a wall. "Can you hear me?" The NEIGHBORS could.) That said, Nora hasn't needed my soothing voice over the intercom- yet- but I can totally see it having future uses as she gets older: "Make smart choices, Nora Jane." "...God?" "...Yes." Also, my voice sounds really good over this monitor. This is neat. 

The size of the parent base is slightly bigger than my palm. A good size for something that you'll be hefting around in the evenings and at naptime- especially if you use the belt clip. Which I currently am. Granted, I still miss the incredibly teensy size of my lamented mini Graco. I kinda liked having an object that made me feel like I lived In The Future. However, this trumps the smaller one insomuch as it looks like it could totally take a fall down some steps. (I'll let you know, eh- in about a month. That's my rate of household incidences these days.)

Nora and I decided to road-test it. With the nursery base on, we took a stroll down to the corner pub. Not in, mind you. (It was closed.) Sadly, the monitor only had range past the neighbor's house. But still- that's awesome. Especially if you consider that our home is on a double lot and her room was 2.5 floors up. In the back. Through brick. And lots of stuffed animals. Then we took it into the backyard, past the garden, through the garage and into the alley. Total range. Which is great for those times when- wait a sec. I will never ever be alone in this alley. Ever. Especially not at night. Not even with a glowy monitor to protect me. 

But I could be, and that's my point.

So then I took a look at the actual spex for this monitor. (A good time for it, no? After I've taken it all over the neighborhood and used it for two straight nights?) Beside the features I've mentioned, here's what else it does:

-If Nora cries (not that uncommon of an occurrence), a bar on top of the parent unit lights up to the degree of her yells. (It can go up pretty high. So can she.) It also vibrates, much like her head and body do in the midst of a [rare] tantrum. 

-There's an out-of-range [2000 feet!] alarm. Like for when you're at the bar. (KIDDING, MOM. I just said it didn't reach that far.)

-I cannot mention the belt clip enough. I love to accessorize.

-The 900MHZ frequency means there's no other gadgety interference. (Although, again, in Chicago, this cannot be said 100% of anything. Not even on an Etch-A-Sketch.)

-There's a parent unit finder button on the nursery base. This is clutch! I lose things much bigger than this thing all the time. (I initially read it as "parent finder." That would be unnecessary in this household. Her other parent is the one who gave her that giant grin and furrowed brow. He's been "found." Unless they mean a Search Out P.J. function. Like if he's at the bar.)

-The digital technology on this baby is secure, ensuring that no one can listen in on my kiddo's shrieks of dismay. (Whatever. It's my feeling that if Nora has teething pain, we should all teething pain. Especially my neighbors.)

I'm pretty stoked with this baby monitor. It does the job very well- and has enough new stuff to make me feel futuristic. (That is important.)

The only slight design flaw is the lack of lighting on the parent unit display. It's a pretty sad state of affairs when, at 2am, I have to read the monitor from the light of my phone. (But at least there's no interference!) Maybe the lesson is that I should stop checking the temp in her room at 2am. 

Or at the very least stop hitting the light bulb button.

The mini nursery rave is very distracting, and she's trying to sleep.

I'll be the one stuck in the squad car.

During the time I've been a nanny- almost a decade- I've seen just about everything that goes in, on, or around a child- and most places in, on or around which a child can play.


I've carted kids to lessons, playdates and child "friendly" locales in the dead of winter and the sloshiest of springs, knowing full well there's only so many blanket tents and PBS reruns one can tolerate.


In some of these locales I've spent the entire time in fear; for the child's safety, for the strep virus he's licked off a toy, and for my brain cells. (Seriously. An hour and a half of structured play for an 18 month old? Time...ticks...by...) And sometimes, when you have to wake the kiddo to make a class for which you've already pre-paid, it can equal an overtired, pricey, dirty, boring mess.


And that's no fun.


The antidote to that is Fantasy Kingdom, an indoor playplace conveniently located in the bustling North/Clybourn area of Chicago.

This space is so great for kiddos ranging from six months to six years (although some of my older charges have dug it, too). And truly, I've been hanging out here for years. My most active dude has sprinted off his excess energy before naptime. My shyest boy has made friends. My independent-minded gal has done her own thing- thankyouverymuch- storming a castle, dressed like a firefighter.


They have a police station, firehouse, cottage, and grocery store, not to mention a humongous castle with interior stairs (yep, been up there- didn't even get stuck) plus a gallery of costumes.


And there are toys- lots of them. Superbly clean toys. Like- I've seen people wipe and spray things down. (And there's sanitizer and wipes and tissues and and and....) The music is always good, too. That's huge for me. Music in play areas is SO important. And so often lame.


The vehicles for ridin' are pretty rad as well- though, sadly, I cannot fit in those. But that frees them up for the kids I've brought. Which I suppose is the whole point.


One of the BEST parts is the sectioned-off play area for Little Littles. Yes! You no longer have to choose between letting big kids have fun and a non-smooshed infant! The toys in there are pretty spiffy, too, and the Bigs and Littles can see each other over the separating wall. If they want to. But they'll be pretty busy.


Okay, I lied- the real best part is the free coffee.


Or maybe it's the fact that my admission is free with a kiddo. Unless it's a drop-off locale or unless I get a really sweet craft project of my own, nothing is more irksome than having to pay to be there with the kids.


There's also a separate area for lunch or snacks or coffee or whatever you purchase. (They have lots of goodies for sale.) With a fridge. And a microwave. And- more wipes. The neato part about this area is that you're still mere feet away from the main play area. Meaning everyone doesn't have to take off their costumes just because I want a juicebox.


They have all sorts of membership and admission packages- including day rates- and additional sibs under the age of one are free. And the multi-pass cards do not expire. (I really enjoy non-stressy memberships. A lot.)


Birthday parties are a big deal here, and they have all sorts of packages and ways to make the day super easy. I've been to multiple events at Fantasy Kingdom. Three words: Well. Oiled. Machine.


Still feeling the need to educate and artsify your child? They have projects and storytelling and activities with local artists. And you can attend when you like, let your kid sleep in when you don't, and no one looks at you like you've squandered the equivalent of college tuition for a twice-weekly dance class.


And now that my darlin' Bitsy is extremely active- and, let's be honest, the 8 month hibernation known as Chicago Winter is imminent- I'm going to need a regular place to run around. (With her, I mean. I'm gonna bring Nora.)


Just imagine- parking in the attached garage, waltzing in to have coffee with a pal, enjoying a clean, bright, friendly environment, letting your little one dream and dance and run wild...and then scooping her up for naptime that you didn't have to reschedule...


...Bring on the bad weather.

Little Gorilla Design, a.k.a. P.J. Write This Down.

When I was a little kid, my Mom and I used to pretend to "shop" various catalogs. We'd have cups of tea and wield big ol' pens, circling home goods, knickknacks, clothing, and the Wish Book. I circled and craved everything- not because I was greedy (pipe down, sisters) but because I could genuinely make room in my heart for every single item in completely different ways. When I love something, I really love something and it becomes part of my Things (or 'Fings', as the Little Littles say.) Due to this all-encompassing love [for awesomeness], it's been said that I'm exceptionally easy to shop for.

It just got easier.

Cindy Perkins at Little Gorilla Design has taken the guesswork outta what you can purchase for my Christmas, Valentine and birthday presents. Maybe even Saint Patrick's and Arbor Days as well. She has created wearable works of art- not to mention seriously sweet kiddo products- that are simply fabulous.

Sure Keely, you scoff. You're reviewing their product. You hafta like it!

To that I reply- Nope and yeah. No, I am not obligated to love anything...but yes, I am compelled to love these belt buckles. They are completely covet-worthy. Especially if you've only recently gotten back into pants that necessitate an actual belt buckle.

Let's start with this one.

Yep. I could easily begin and end with this one. I'm gonna go ahead and call it Pink FancerPants. (If I wore this, it would easily be the fanciest thing on my person. By a lot.) The inspiration and design behind these began with Cindy creating her own scrapbook papers and working from there, adding Swarovski crystals and other magic along the way. (Anyone who has ever received one of my handmade Valentines circa 1987-Present understands that I'm welling up at this point.)

But you know what? I'd happily take this glorious one as well.

I don't speak French- yet. Though I would sure as heck mangle my way through it for you if you purchased this Parisian beauty for me. You're welcome.

This was originally my first pick-

-But then an immediate list popped into my head of folks who would steal it from me [cough*Nat/Vicky/AtLeastFiveOthers*cough], perhaps even while I was learning French or donning fancier pants.

While I work off the self-induced hurt from hypothetical thievery, you all should seriously check out the rest of their catalog here (they even sell supra cute belts!) I could hyperlink and paste images all day, but I think you get the idea. I dig this line. You should, too.

I'd hate to be this fancy (pants or otherwise) on my own.

Awesomesauce Advertising: Let's give this a go, shall we?

And now for something completely different.


Except, not so much.


I've been contemplating the idea of ads and things of that ilk for a goodly bit. Would it change my content, overmuch? Might people resent the sponsorrific nature of certain posts? Will you still respect me in the morning? (Although, let's be honest here. If you're a repeat reader even after my Michael Bolton post and with the knowledge that I can eat a bag of tamales in one sitting- you're not in it for the hard-hitting journalism.)


Then it hit me like a pile of cash: my blog postings are peppered with ads, billboards, titles and random media just because I think things are hilarious. No gain whatsoever. Except for the fact that you can't put a price tag on a smile. (Unless you mean orthodontics. And since I did that twice, that would be- oh, about twelve grand.) So what would be the worst that could happen if I posted occasionally about someone else's minutiae? And what if I kept it on a separate day from my other postings, keeping Mondays as my weekend recaps and my Thursdays for...whatever it is that Thursdays are supposed to be about? (If I go from past tags, I'm seeing a lot of soft rock and binge eating.) And how about if I only posted about humorous nouns, nouns that I believed in, or nouns for which I had a really good story? Yeah? Are we cool?


No? Fine. I'll see you on Thursday.


Yes? Let's begin.


Oh, I'm getting a really good feeling about this one. Ladies? Gentlemen? I give you- the tiki torch.


Or, as I will now refer to them: Kiki's Tikis.


Okay, apparently I "can't say that." I didn't have "anything to do with" the creation of "any tikis."


But good grief, I really love a good tiki torch. I've built entire parties around this singular idea (and by "singular," I mean that Peej has been forced to buy truckloads and line the yard with military precision. And by "military," I mean "doing exactly what I say," a.k.a. "marriage.")


Note: No one has asked me to put anything in quotations. That's just kinda something new. I hope it goes away.


Back to the tiki torch. I am nothing if not prepared, so I did a little research. Okay, I Googled. Oh, God bless you, Internet. And I discovered that what we [Americans] consider Tiki Culture is actually...a made-up thing. That's right. Americans, inspired by the South Pacific and all things Polynesian, began taking aspects we dug and shoving them right into popular media. So eventually, that became more "Tiki" than anything going on at a luau. Kinda like American pizza, I imagine.


(And right now would probably be a bad time to admit that I perpetuated this stereotypical misappropriation by staying at Disney World's Polynesian Resort. Repeatedly. It was great.)
But I needed- craved- more knowledge. So I searched some more. (Because what's more factual than multiple things posted on websites?) Here's how my "research" went:


-I kept coming up with the suggested keyword "gouging torch," which apparently has something to do with building or destroying or something like that...but it made me think of Vlad the Impaler.
-And then I remembered that horrid "special" I saw on the Real Dracula. My mother most likely remembers this. I was scarred.
-So I tried to block out the images by scrolling down for more keywords. I discovered a very troubling series of comments that discussed how polluting any backyard fire is.
-Someone countered with the FACT that people were harming the environment even more by being on the internet AT THIS MOMENT.
-I began to think about my carbon footprint. I got depressed.
-Turning on all the lights in the house, I went back to the kitchen and made myself a vodka tonic.
-I sat in the yard and admired the lawn and the tiki torches, drinking the tonic, still kinda upset.
-Enjoying the atmosphere made me remember what I supposed to be doing.
-I powered through the guilt. And I found a really lovely [and expensive] tiki torch that I am simply coveting right now. Halfway down the page. There yet? Yeah. Okay. It's not so much a "torch" as it is a "tiki hut." I may have found the priciest backyard object ever, short of something sculpted by Bernini. [P.J.: No. Keely: FINE.]


So there you have it.


That's right. My investigative skills are a cross between Nick n' Nora and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.


The description for the torch I liked insinuated that one's party will never be the same.


After this glimpse into how I "research," I think that could also be said for your brain cells.