It's coming!

Faster than a speeding HDTV bullet!

In fact, faster than you can say, 3D TV, three times fast!

Family home entertainment is about to get better with the fast-approaching launch of the Sony LCD  3D-Ready Television. Though not the first 3D television on the market, it is highly anticipated to be the best in this category. The new normal-looking Sony LCD television set will have  3D-ready capability to play 3D Blue-ray discs with the ease of a command.

That's right, you and your family may never leave the couch again once you've watched "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" flying at you in your own living room. The sports fanatic in your home will be holding back from flying across the room trying to catch an out-of-bounds ball during the World Cup  this summer. And, the gamer dwelling in the game cave will be immersed in the dungeons of 3D video games to his or her delight.

As a Hollywood observer, I'm personally looking forward to the day when we can watch the Oscars in 3D. I can envision movie stars' gowns slapping my face as I assess their Red Carpet look. Or, having to back-up from the set as Mariah Carey walks by in her revealing one-size-too-small gown. It would make for a far more entertaining Awards TV production.

Admittedly, I'm not your usual gadget-happy gal, but after examining the picture from behind the Sony 3D goggles, I was taken aback by the image quality of the Sony 3D TV;  immaculate, crisp and clear, not at all cheesy  as I skeptically thought it would be.

Wearing Sony's prototype 3D glasses are required to view the full effect of this TV marvel, and instantly draw you into the picture which you will find hard to abandon once you've tried it. However, it does mean you'll need a new set. (Prices and models are not yet available, but will be published soon. Televisons will become available early summer of 2010!)

If you have time, experience Sony's outstanding 3D-ready television at a Sony Style Store. I'm confident you'll agree this could be a fantastic addition to the family home entertainment collection!

I was not compensated for this review. Only invited by Sony to preview the new television.

GOT MILK? Nope. I got Lattes! One too many, in fact.    more »

Wanna hear me, sing? How about dance? Well, I got an e-mail this week from the good people at "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" that the gag order has been lifted and I can finally open my mouth and let you in on a top secret project I got myself into.    more »

We received such a great response on our etnies.com site, that we decided to extend our promotion to your readers. Between now and the end of the year, we want parents to be able to stretch their dollar even more. etnies.com is offering 30% off any purchase, a free stocking stuffer (while supplies last) and free shipping for the holidays! Spread the word and spread some Ollieday Cheer!    more »

Dunkin' Donuts wants you to try their flavourful coffee FREE this Holiday Season. The first TWO people ...   more »

Here's a little something you can use for the little ones in your family just in time for the Holiday Shopping Season. But, you better take advantage of this blog-only promo soon!

etnies exclusive promotion includes $10 off for every $40 spent on www.etnies.com and free shipping.  The promotional code is “ETNIES FAMILY,” and this promotion will run from Nov. 17 – Dec. 4. 
http://etnies.com/shop/

etnies, one of the leading action sports footwear and apparel brands in the world, is proud to announce the launch of the “Grow with Me” fit system, that will be featured in its etnies Kids line of toddler’s shoes, specifically created with growing feet in mind.

Getting your hands on a Nintendo Wii System is less difficult today than it was about a year ago. I remember having to whisper to an employee at a mega store asking if they'd received any systems that day, and then feeling like I'd hit the jackpot when he pulled the numbered ticket from his apron pocket and handed it to me. The get-off-the-couch-and-move video game system stirred an otherwise sedentary video-playing population - which included my teenage son - from sitting prostrate on the sofa mindlessly exercising only their thumbs.

The variety of video games developed for this gaming system is now targeted to all ages: parents, teens, preteens, elementary school aged kids, and even grandparents. With the introduction of video games like Wii Fit and Wii Sports (the bowling game is my personal fav), we've discovered another way to spend challenging family fun time with our teens.

And, just in time for the Holidays Nintendo launched the New Super Mario Bros. Wii game which was introduced to San Diego families at a special event in Oceanside , California. I was invited to attend the Nintendo event at Fairwinds Ivey Ranch, an upscale Retirement Community, where Kumiko Hidaka, Manager of Corporate Communications for Nintendo, and I talked about the wide appeal of the Wii Gaming System with grandparents! 

"It's something we can play with our 21 grand children", Richard and Ruth Kuh, who've been married for 59 years and also belong to a Wii Bowling League at Fairwinds, told me of the video game system. The retired couple were also the lucky winners of a Nintendo Wii System and the New Super Mario Bros. game raffled during the event,and which will surely make them the coolest grandparents around!

Paula Richards, Fairwinds Marketing Representative, Ruth Kuh and Nintendo Corporate Communications Manger, Kamiko Hidaka.

Here are a few interesting details about this new game:

 .        Consumer Reports recently released its annual holiday spending survey. While consumer spending is expected to be down again this holiday season, people aren’t willing to sacrifice when it comes to video games. Respondents also said they would scale back spending for themselves, but they won’t budge when it comes to gifts for grandparents, grandchildren and kids under 18. Fortunately, Nintendo has everyone covered with one game. The multiplayer fun of New Super Mario Bros. Wii will bring generations of families together for less than $50.

 ·         According to the ESA, in 2009, 25 percent of Americans over the age of 50 play video games, an increase from nine percent in 1999
 
·         New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a great way to spend some quality time with your family this holiday season. Providing endless hours of fun, kids, parents and even grandparents can come together and play, the hot new title in the comfort of their living room
 
·         The largest senior Wii bowling tournament, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records, was recently held in Houston – highlighting the continued popularity of gaming among this audience. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a perfect gift for your grandparents and is an excellent way for them to stay active and socialize with their friends or family
 
·         New Super Mario Bros. Wii encourages social-play and interaction with its four-player feature, similar to the fun found in Wii Sports

How many of us have the organized work desk we see pictured in magazines? Mine is constantly crammed with stacks of files and too many In/Out boxes that never get emptied -- I instead buy another tray in the newest color or design and stack it full of papers to be filed. How about those of you with a garage lined with file cabinets taking up space filled with infrequently to never-used files? The answer to these common household dilemmas could be the HomeDataGuard Online File Cabinet.    more »

Spending a day kicking the tires at the Nissan Design America Center in La Jolla, California with automotive journalists, car bloggers, Nissan designers and executives reminded me of my younger days as a 16 year old when my father MADE me learn how to take care of my own car. This was not limited to washing and polishing or taking it to get the oil changed, and it was pre-AAA Platinum Memberships and Roadside Assistance programs commonly available today. Needless to say, I was one unhappy girly showing up at the auto shop in a skirt and lip gloss. But, after spending a day test-driving the new 2010 Line of Nissan Sedans, I found I had use for the car-speak I’d learned as a teenager after all.

The walk around started with the pleasing esthetic design of the Altima Hybrid. I must admit, I had not been in an eco-friendly vehicle before, and here’s an anecdote to prove it. Once belted and ready to go, my very charming driving partner, Cheryl-Ann Millsap who flew in from Spokane, WA for this evetnt, and I were the cause of a chuckle or two when after starting the car we couldn’t tell if it had stalled or if the engine was running. We could see the head of design’s concerned look as he approached our car, tapped on the window, and said, “It’s a Hybrid”.

Duh! Definitely, the ultimate ‘quiet ride’ because there were no audible sounds from the ‘engine’ what so ever.

Next, I took a spin in the Altima ‘Coupe’ (this particular model had subdued red leather appointed seating). I could picture this sporty car in my garage once the kids are gone and I can get my driving mojo back!

Later, I moved on to my favorite ride of the day, the Versa. This car’s performance was a welcomed surprise. It is compact, has quick acceleration and smooth gear transitions which were almost imperceptible. I also discovered ample storage and back-friendly seats. A good thing, especially for women who require more of these features due to the long hours spent driving family members to and from various activities. Versa must be short for versatility because this model would be my teenaged son’s favorite too.

The interiors were stylish and comfortable in the three models I drove. The Nissan vehicles had state-of-the-art safety features, USB ports, iPod connectivity, and in some models, Navigation Systems which would not normally be included and are now standard or available for much less than expected. One cool upcoming feature in Nissan cars will even let you know where those sly camera-enforced intersections are coming up. Sweet! (As my teen would claim)

With quiet, smooth rides, generously appointed interiors and many compartments to keep my lip stick available, if car-makers could come up with the perfect design for us women to be able to get decently in and out of a car in a skirt would be a real breakthrough!

Nissan, the Japanese automaker, invited me to spend one night at the W Hotel in downtown San Diego, California for the ...   more »

“Grab your iPod and go study for the SAT!” I certainly never thought I’d hear myself say this to my college-bound teen since it’s usually the exact opposite coming out of my mouth during study time. Taking advantage of the widespread use of the iPhone and iPod Touch apps, a new vocabulary-building game could be just the thing to help increase any student’s SAT scores.

Modality, maker of popular iPhone and iPod Touch apps, teamed up with the Princeton Review and recently launched the SAT® Vocab Challenge, a study application for prospective SAT takers to use on the go. This innovative study game was just awarded the “Editor’s Choice Award” by the Children’s Technology Review, a leading authority on children’s technology products.

Four timed, fast-paced games challenge the user to master 250 words and their synonyms, antonyms, definition and connotation, including the Princeton Review’s “Hit Parade”, the 100 most likely words to show up on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Using the mobile device's touch, shake or swipe alternatives, the user selects the correct answer and the app keeps track of each mastered section.The app makes “aggressive game play” out of the otherwise wrote memorization of vocabulary words and is simple to use, fast, effective, and best of all portable, which is exactly what today’s students are after; smaller, or better yet, non-existent cumbersome books to tie them to a desk!

Speaking with Robert Franek, Vice President of Publishing for the Princeton Review and author of “The Best 368 Colleges”, I couldn’t help but join him in his enthusiasm for this innovative test-taking tool. “For testing geeks like me, this application could be the way to move SAT scores, which is key to getting into college” he told me over the phone from New York. Franek is also an SAT teacher, worked as an admissions officer, and is in charge of the Princeton Review’s website: www.princetonreview.com

The SAT® Vocab Challenge, at $4.99, is available from Apple's iTunes and is cheaper than a class or test prep book - certainly lighter too. A student can take advantage of idle time to learn as they play, especially while sitting on the bus, car or other transportation, when kids today tend to immediately plug into their music (during summer vacation, you can take your modern equipment to the beach and learn while you tan too!). The learning curve for this game is pretty flat given even my incoming high school freshman could use it with relative ease. Fun, addictive, easy and cool are a few words both of my high schoolers used (pre-SAT vocab mastery game, of course!) when I asked them to describe the iPhone/iPod SAT app.

I see additional benefits to this handy test tool:

·        Technology and our kids go hand in hand. It’s probably a true statement to say that a majority of high school students, regardless of socio-economic level, own some kind of technology, and not because it’s a luxury, but a necessity: laptops, computers, cell phones or iPods are part of kids’ assortment of accouterments they can’t survive without in today's technology-dependent environment. The new SAT Vocab Challenge app can fit right in with students' regular use of the favored iPod or iPhone.

·        Not all kids can afford a college test prep course, tutor or those robust Princeton Review college editions. At $4.99, and available at Apple’s App Store, practically anyone could take advantage of this new service by the Princeton Review, experts at helping students prepare for the college admissions process.

·        Swiping or shaking the devise to select the answers in the game makes it fun and interactive. Besides the four basic games, all 250 words can be accessed to find out the definition, part of speech, an example of its use in a sentence, and by touching the “listen” option, a little voice (and not your parents) will tell you how to say it!

·        The app can also help ally fears or apprehension about what is in the make-or-break college entrance exam and how it works. Frenak pointed out that an added advantage to this product is learning speed, accuracy and the process of elimination. “The [SAT® Vocab Challenge] game mimics the test taking environment incorporating the use of these skills which we teach in the classroom”.

Accessible to all, a snap to use and certainly a lighter version of any test prep book around, this new study app can be used practically anywhere and anytime. I asked Robert about future SAT related apps, and the good news is there are more in the works! After testing The Princeton Review’s new SAT® Vocab Challenge app, I’m convinced this handy learning tool will be changing the way kids and parents tackle test-prep study time.

BOOK GIVEAWAY! The frst two readers to correctly answer the following question in the comments section will win the publication titled Princeton Review's Guide to College Visits! A $20 value, yours FREE for doing your homework! I'll be verifying your answers using the SAT® Vocab Challenge app, but you can go old-school and use ... a dictionary! Make sure you leave your name and e-mail along with your answers too.

What are the synonym, antonym, connotation and definition of the word Supercilious.

All four answers needed to win. Good luck!