{"id":2026,"date":"2011-02-12T22:08:03","date_gmt":"2011-02-12T15:08:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=2026"},"modified":"2011-02-12T22:08:18","modified_gmt":"2011-02-12T15:08:18","slug":"valentines-day-gifts-for-the-loves-in-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/valentines-day-gifts-for-the-loves-in-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentine’s Day Gifts for the Loves in Your Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Lori Cunningham<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span>It’s February…that means…love is in the air!\u00a0 Who’s your love?\u00a0 Your husband?\u00a0 Your\u00a0 boyfriend?\u00a0 Your adorable son?\u00a0 Your precious girl?\u00a0 Your family?\u00a0 I love Valentines Day.\u00a0 It’s a fun day filled with chocolates, conversation hearts, silly Valentines cards for the kids, Valentines parties in the kids’ classrooms, and hopefully a romantic dinner.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Do you have fun traditions you like to perform\u00a0on Valentines’ Day?\u00a0 A girlfriend of mine buys a heart-shaped Baskin-Robbins cake for her family.\u00a0 Her\u00a0 family looks forward to it every year.\u00a0 I’ve taken her daughter to Baskin-Robbins a couple of times and her daughter usually tells me about it every time we walk by the cake cooler case.\u00a0 I keep thinking to myself, “what a great excuse to buy a super yummy cake!”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Maria Bailey on MomTalkRadio.com<\/a> on 1\/30\/11 about my traditions on Valentines Day.\u00a0 Interested in the mom banter? Click here<\/a>.\u00a0 I enter the show on towards the end at 25 minutes, 27 seconds into the show.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

While at the Consumer Electronics Show<\/a>, I stumbled upon a few fun gadgets and accessories that I thought I\u2019d share with you.\u00a0 There’s something for everyone if you’re looking for a fun Valentines Day gift:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the Trivia Buff in Your Life:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Wiki Reader\"\"<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Wiki Reader is really a neat little gadget.\u00a0 It contains\u00a0the contents of Wikipedia.com in one little, easy to carry device.\u00a0 The Wiki Reader delivers over three million interconnected articles in the palm of your hand!\u00a0 It is completely offline; no Internet access is needed.\u00a0 As the WikiReader website declares,\u00a0“the WikiReader is discovery, investigation, entertainment, and inspiration all rolled into one.”<\/em>\u00a0 And you know what, it’s true!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Wiki Reader is a simple device…the two inch display is in black & white and is not backlit, which means you’ll need to have light to read it.\u00a0 This feature saves greatly on the two AAA batteries included.\u00a0 The touchscreen display is very readable and articles include a number of underlined words which jump to their specific topics by pressing the underlined word.\u00a0 The Wiki Reader just announced that a free upgrade is available which will allow readers to view and read over 33,000\u00a0 books free from the\u00a0Project Gutenberg library…straight from the Wiki Reader itself!\u00a0 Although a 16 GB memory card will be needed to store all these great books.\u00a0 The Wiki Reader retails for $99 online\u00a0with free shipping.\u00a0 I will be reviewing the Wiki Reader in a later post.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the\u00a0Music Lovers\u00a0in Your Life:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yurbuds Ear Buds<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>During CES, I would sometimes call my family back home during the evening events.\u00a0 The only way I could hear them is if I used the free pair of mini\u00a0headphones I was\u00a0 given from a vendor.\u00a0 They sure came in handy as\u00a0I would have never been able to hear my kids talk otherwise.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it didn’t take long before both my ears started aching.\u00a0 I found myself pushing the earphones closer to my ears to hear better.\u00a0 After the first use, I was done using those them.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fortunately, a day or two later, I found Yurbuds.\u00a0 Yurbuds\u00a0graciously extended a sample from their Ironman Series for me to try.\u00a0 The earphones fit like a glove!\u00a0 They are uniquely shaped, designed for ultra-soft comfort, exceptional sound, and a secure fit.\u00a0 The sound quality was excellent and literally, I could have the earphones in all day and they’d still be comfortable.\u00a0 Although there are several different series of Yurbuds, the Ironman series is designed\u00a0for\u00a0intense workouts and for runners.\u00a0 Fitness buffs\u00a0will absolutely LOVE these headphones.\u00a0 They won’t slip out, no matter how intense the workout or run.\u00a0 Yurbuds\u00a0were developed\u00a0by a marathon and triathlon athlete, so they are designed to stay put despite the conditions.\u00a0 Featuring extra long cords and a zippered pouch when not in use, the Ironman Yurbuds retail for $49.99<\/a>, however, the less intense Yurbuds Blue retail for less at $29.99<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Safe Sound Headphones for Kids<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Before attending CES, ListenToYourBuds.org contacted me to talk about the importance of lowering the volume when listening to loud music or noises.\u00a0 In a study<\/a>\u00a0initiated by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) on teens using personal electronic devices with headphones, more than half of the high schools students reported at least one symptom of hearing loss.\u00a0 To prevent hearing loss, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)<\/a>\u00a0recommends that children and teens practice safe listening habits such as keeping the volume of their music at a safe level and taking listening breaks when listening to their personal audio\/video devices.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you have younger children, it may be hard to decipher at what level they are listening to their music or DVD when using headphones.\u00a0\u00a0 There are safe sound headphones you can buy such as TUNE A FISH RECORDS “protective Ear Gear”* (on sale now at Amazon.com<\/a> for $10.99) or Maxell’s Kids’ Safe Headphones<\/a> ($11.02 also on sale at Amazon.com<\/a>) which automatically keep volume levels safe for kids.\u00a0 For a four minute video on preventing hearing loss in children, see this segment on Fox News.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the Little Learners in Your Life:<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jump Start<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Many of us are familiar with Knowledge Adventure’s <\/a>\u00a0great Jump Start programs.\u00a0 They started out offering CD discs for the computer and in changing with the times,\u00a0now offer kids an\u00a0online 3D world adventure in addition to games for the DS, Wii, and downloadable apps.\u00a0 From “training dragons to exploring lost islands, JumpStart.com <\/a>includes thousands of games and activities for kids ages 3-12.”\u00a0 Knowledge Adventure knows kids will be engaged and learn more if the learning games they are playing are fun and interactive.\u00a0 JumpStart.com offers monthly plans <\/a>at $7.99, yearly plans at $74.99 and lifetime plans at $149.99.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the Gadget Lover in Your Life:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>OK, you’re probably thinking, REALLY?\u00a0 Who needs another mouse?\u00a0 Well, this one is kinda cool.\u00a0 First off, when you take it out of the box, it lies completely flat.\u00a0 Place the\u00a0two enclosed AAA batteries into the mouse, plug the mini USB thumb drive\u00a0into one of your computer’s\u00a0USB ports and wait for the software to begin loading.\u00a0Once loaded, Microsoft automatically directs you to a “Try Out Your\u00a0Arc Touch Mouse”\u00a0online tutorial.\u00a0\u00a0The tutorial teaches use how to use its slide technology and buttons.\u00a0 The slide strip works really well and can scroll through pages quickly.\u00a0 With it’s BlueTrack Technology, the same technology used in the Swiftpoint laptop mouse<\/a> I reviewed, you can use the mouse on practically any surface except glass and mirrors.\u00a0 The best part about the Arc Touch mouse is that you can lay it completely flat to pack away in your travel bag.\u00a0 It automatically turns off when you lay it flat.\u00a0 The Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse retails for $69.99 online at the Microsoft store, or you can pick it up for $49.95 at Amazon.com<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

For You, the Memory Keeper in Your Life:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Muvee Reveal<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Moms are the memory keepers of the family.\u00a0 Do you have tons of photos and videos but never seem to have the time…or inclination to put them together into a snappy video?\u00a0 With Muvee\u00a0Reveal software, moms can create amazing personalized videos in just three steps.\u00a0 First, upload your photos and videos, next choose a style (there are 10 included), and lastly add music from your music files.\u00a0 The amazing thing about Muvee\u00a0Reveal is that it was designed\u00a0to accentuate\u00a0pictures and videos to the beat of the music.\u00a0 So the flow of the music enlivens the story line as it plays out.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

I had the opportunity\u00a0to talk to one of the cofounders and CEO of Muvee, Terrence Swee, while at CES.\u00a0 It was a great interview, Swee\u00a0is very passionate about his product and he understands well that moms have limited time to put together movies.\u00a0 Muvee\u00a0Reveal\u00a0is designed\u00a0to make movies “automagically” as\u00a0Swee\u00a0says.\u00a0 For those moms who like to tinker with their movies more to make them even more customized, Muvee\u00a0Reveal offers more advanced features.\u00a0 Muvee\u00a0offered me a copy of the software to put together some of my videos from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011).\u00a0 See WellConnectedMom’s channel on YouTube to see a movie on some cool home technology from CES <\/a>\u00a0I put together using the Muvee Reveal software.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Well, there you have it.\u00a0 Some fun and different ideas for Valentines Day for your favorite people in your life.\u00a0 I will be traveling to New York City this week to attend the annual International Toy Fair.\u00a0 It’s been a goal to go to the Toy Fair since my college days, so I’m REALLY looking forward to it.\u00a0 Follow me on Twitter @wellconnectdmom<\/a> and on Facebook – Well Connected Mom<\/a>\u00a0as I scout around to find the hottest toys for Christmas 2011.\u00a0 Thousands of new toys will be introduced at the show.\u00a0 Which ones will be\u00a0the hits?\u00a0 I’ll let you know!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Natasha was super excited to receive her new TRON LightCycle USB Drive!<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Also, congratulations to our TRON LightCycle USB Winners!<\/strong>\u00a0 Natasha, Peter, David, Jennifer from MadMooseMama.blogspot.com<\/a>, Jackie from FreeIsMyLife.com<\/a>, and Marie from TheNewXmasDolly.blogspot.com<\/a>\u00a0 all won super cool TRON LightCycle USB’s from our\u00a0 TRON giveaway.<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

* The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)<\/a>\u00a0sent me a pair of TUNE-A-FISH ear gear headphones for kids and promotional materials to learn more about the ListenToYourBuds.org campaign and help spread the word about decreasing hearing loss in children and teens.\u00a0 I have used kids safe headphones before and I am a big believer in them.\u00a0 kids safe headphones give me great comfort in knowing that my five-year old is listening to his DVD player at an appropriate audio\u00a0level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Looking for something different for the loves in your life? Know a music lover? Trivia buff? Little learner? See the WellConnectedMom.com’s list of gift ideas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,8,13,14,21],"tags":[516,522,54,525,521,520,517,2783,147,518,523,519,515,178,527,510,511,423,526,512,514,513,524],"class_list":["post-2026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dads","category-gadgets","category-kids","category-moms","category-videos","tag-arc-mouse","tag-asha","tag-ces","tag-ear-buds","tag-ear-gear","tag-headaphones","tag-jump-start","tag-kids","tag-kids-safe","tag-knowledge-adventure","tag-listentoyourbuds-org","tag-maxell","tag-microsoft-arc-touch-mouse","tag-mom-tech","tag-momtalkradio-com","tag-muvee","tag-reveal","tag-tron","tag-valentines","tag-video-editing","tag-wikipedia-com","tag-wikireader","tag-yurbuds","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}