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Posts Tagged ‘Reviews’

  1. A Kindle for your Kindergartener?

    January 18, 2012 by Sharplisa

    I’m a huge fan of anything that gets kids to read. If it inspires them to love learning, I’ll give it a shot.  This applies to video games, TV Shows (Hollaback if you love The Magic School Bus!), board games and other non-traditional educational devices.

    Now that e-readers and discount tablets are all the rage,  Nook Color, Kindle Fire, and various discount tablet manufacturers all have a comprehensive (enough) android platform tablet for less than $250.  And the number and range of applications available is impressive.  All the world is jumping on the educational applications bandwagon.  That being said, I do not suggest a tablet for your child.  But I am all in favor of an e-reader.  Why?

    Price.  The price for a Kindle is now as low as $79. Of course this includes “special offers” which it is worth paying $30 to turn off.  This is roughly the cost of two video games that have a lot less educational potential.  Not to mention that there are a variety of educational games that can be played on the Kindle.

    Capacity. The lowest priced Kindle holds roughly 1,400 books.  I’m going to guess that it will hold even more childrens books because of their shorter length.

    Features.  The addition of library lending makes the e-reader a solid hit.  I make no secret of the fact that I am a Kindle owner and LOVE my device, but the ability to get books from the library in Kindle format was a great addition.  The text-to-speech feature lets your child have the kindle become an  audio book which is nice for quiet time at night or longer car trips.  With my youngest, sometimes me being in the room reading to him is a distraction.  A nice audiobook helps him unwind and fall asleep much more quickly.

    Free content.  In addition to library lending and the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library (if, like me, you have Amazon Prime), there are hundreds of free books available for Kindle.  I take a couple minutes every day to see what’s new and hot, but there are lots of classic books including Little Women, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in Wonderland, The Ugly Duckling…   Hundreds of titles await you and your curious child!

    No clutter!  All the books live on the device and in the cloud so your child can carry an entire library!

    I hear you.  You’re saying  ”But the wi-fi!  I don’t want my kid having unlimited access to my Amazon account.” Simple fix.  You have a couple of options.  One, do not register your child’s kindle to your Amazon account.  Set up one just for the child’s kindle and put a gift card with the monthly allowance on it. My preferred choice: supervise your child when he or she is looking for new books.  Download books together.  If your home wi-fi is password protected, you will always have some control over your child’s access to the web.  Definitely choose wi-fi over 3G for your child.  3G you have no control over.

    I truly believe that before long, all books will be in e-format so the sooner kids get comfortable with this technology the better.  Do I love “real” books?  Sure.  But I love my Kindle too.

    If one book puts the world at your child’s fingertips, imagine what 1,400 books in their hands can do?

    Category LEAN for Your Life, Product Reviews | Tags: ,,,,, | 1 Comment

  2. 18 Minutes – a Book Review

    January 16, 2012 by Sharplisa

    It is rare that I read a book cover to cover in one sitting but that is exactly how I spent yesterday morning and afternoon.  For the past few years I have struggled mightily with finding my purpose and staying motivated to do the things I feel like I should be doing.  This book, with a title including the words “Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done” struck a chord.  I downloaded a trial and then put down my coin for the full kindle version.  I am glad I did.  In case you’re curious, since starting this post 20 minutes ago, I have “made my move” in Words with Friends, researched a financial issue and e-mailed my bank about it and read some totally mindless “this is news?” stories.  Focus is a huge, huge problem.  Why?

    Well, this book hits the nail on the head for me.  If you follow me on Twitter, then you know that I was tweeting quotes from the book all day yesterday.  Here’s an example:

    “To home in on your passion, think about what you love doing—what’s important enough to you that you’re willing to persist over the year, even when it feels like you’re not succeeding at it.”

    What does that mean to you?  How would you change your life to do that?  Peter Bregman asks you to define the most important areas of your life – personally and professionally – and use those to filter where you spend the majority of your time.  95% of your day, he says, should be spent in areas where you’ve chosen to focus your energy.  Basically, your work should support your goals.  The other 5% of your day is for non-related tasks.  Today, for example, I spent the morning getting the tires replaced on my urban assault vehicle.  It doesn’t support my short-term or long-term goals in any other than maintaining my vehicle in safe, operable condition, but it is necessary.  The ratios may ebb and flow day-to-day, but at the end of the week, you should be close.

    A light went on for me as I read these words.  I have a terrible time focusing because “Why Bother”?  I have not had measurable success in any area of my life since I can’t remember when. (Oh look! It’s my turn in Words With Friends)  All this moving means that whenever I get traction, the Army pulls the plug.  Bye job!  Bye Friends!  And I’m starting to think I’ll have to pay people to talk to me in real life and on my blog.  So. Maddening.

    Here I am now:  forty-something, my BMI nearly matches my age, I have kids who are driving me nuts and for the last few months, a job I don’t feel like I’m particularly good at.  In fact, I think I am horrible.  I am quite bored, lonely and our social calendar is consistently empty unless we try to throw a party.  Which we normally do marginally well (meaning we can get a few people to show up and all have fun).  But I am still working on what/ who I want to be when I grow up.

    So here are the five areas I want to focus on in 2012:

    1.  Fix our financial situation.   Saving money, of course, but there are other important things I have to do.  I’ve been avoiding them because they are painful and frustrating.  My husband has entrusted me to be the primary steward of our financial future and supports my efforts 100%.  Now is the time we right the ship so we can sail smoothly into retirement in six years.

    2.  Stimulate creativity.  I’ve posted about this before, but I to spend more time being creative and be more fearless with my creative efforts.

    3.  De-clutter and get back to the basics.  Build experiences not material wealth.

    4. Be healthy.  Eat well.  Exercise.  Connect.   I know that I am a people person.  I need to have more contact with people outside of my home.  Look for opportunities to support and connect with people both in person and online.  Volunteer more time and less money.

    5.  Strengthen and improve my online presence.  I have another blog with great potential that is languishing.  That must stop.

    Disclaimer:  Clicking on the image above and buying the book might make me a little money because I am an Amazon Associate.  

    I appreciate it.

    Category LEAN for Your Life, Product Reviews | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  3. Sony Cybershot Product Review

    January 6, 2012 by Sharplisa

    I recently felt the need to replace my point-and-shoot with a smaller, more user-friendly model.  I love my DSLR, but the bulk of my old point and shoot made it hard to accomplish my goal of always having a camera handy.  While in Hawaii, I got a chance to see some fantastic photos taken by an older version of the Sony Cybershot 16.1 MP Digital camera.  So, I set out to make this little baby my own.

    DH and I skipped Christmas  and Anniversary presents for the most part and he wanted me to treat myself to something from my wishlist after the new year.  We had recently replaced cell phones so when the gift cards came for the rebates, I saw my opportunity (here’s a tip:  Take the Visa gift cards and use them to purchase Amazon.com cards so you won’t have to worry about an unused balance) and placed the order.

    In a nutshell, I LOVE this camera.  It’s very small.  Smaller than an iPod and less than an inch thick so it definitely fits in pocket or purse with ease.  I will never miss a photo opportunity again!  Hopefully.  At 16.1 MegaPixels, I can print photos in any size I can foresee wanting or needing to print.  This is my first point-and-shoot with a rechargeable battery which makes me very happy.  I am hopeful that the battery life will get me through the 3Day next year but the charger is super compact (no cord!) so it is packable.  The image stabilization feature is a must for me and the 5x Zoom helps me reach out and touch what I’m photographing.   The iAuto function does a fantastic job adjusting the settings to match the subject and lighting.

    I have only had this camera about 24 hours so there is a lot more for me to learn but with the crisp photos I’ve taken so far and the fact that I can also shoot video in HD, this little camera is my new handy sidekick.  The feature I’m playing with the most right now is the option to shoot panoramic photos like this one:

    I wish I’d have had this in Hawaii!

     

    Disclosure:  I did not receive any payment or product in exchange for this review.  This is simply my opinion on a product I recently purchased.

    Category LEAN for Your Life, Photography, Product Reviews | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

  4. It’s Like a Computer Game for Grammar Nerds!

    November 3, 2011 by Sharplisa

    I was recently asked to have a look at Grammarly, an online grammar checker. Of course I pooh-poohed the idea because of my flawless command of the English Language but after checking one of my posts and scoring 67% further urging, I agreed to give it a try.

    Interface: Grammarly has an online option as well as a downloadable plug-in to use with Word. Since I primarily use Google Documents, I opted not to download the plug-in and will not comment on it. The online interface is smooth and easy to use. Pages load quickly. Analysis takes only a few seconds depending on the length of the passage. In theory, I could paste a lengthy thesis into the tool and receive a comprehensive analysis. I was unwilling to prepare one for this review. When checking sections of text, be sure to select the type of writing you are doing as well as whether or not you want to check for plagiarism.

    Testing: To do the first test (after the blog post), I dug up from the dust a piece from my PhD program days. I won’t bore you with the subject, but using the menu in the screen shot, I checked that it was academic writing, check for plagiarism and did a check of it. I scored 69%! After my initial shock, I pored over the detailed analysis of my writing.  I was quite impressed with the depth of analysis and detailed explanations.  Like other grammar checkers, you must take the result with a grain of salt. I initially rejected some of the suggested changes but did change my mind after considering the explanation (What can I say?  I’m an arrogant grammar nerd, too).   By far the largest point of disagreement between Grammarly and myself related to synonyms. I chose not to change anything. I am not the sort of writer who chooses to use “parsimony” when “simplicity” will do.

    However, I do give Grammarly big, big points for clearly explaining possible issues and offering alternatives.

    .

    Grammarly is for you if:
    1. You are a student at the high school level or higher and want to make sure your writing reflects your intelligence. It is particularly helpful for College and Graduate level students.  Grammarly is also a great way for college-bound students to prepare themselves because many top schools subscribe to this exact service or a similar service designed to prevent plagiarism.
    2. You’re a business professional who struggles with the written word and wants to appear professional.
    3. Non-native speakers of English would benefit greatly from Grammarly.
    4. You’re a homeschooler or homeschooling parent. I particularly enjoy the explanations of errors. Grammarly is an exceptional supplement to any language arts or writing curriculum for the upper grades.

    There are a variety of subscription options ranging from $19.95 for a month to month option to $95.45 ($7.95 per month) for the annual subscription.  Given the importance of excellent communication skills for professionals and students alike, I would say it is a worthy investment for students and professionals alike.

     

    Once again, I was asked to review Grammarly, an online grammar checker. I received a trial membership valued at $40 for the review. All opinions expressed about the product are, as always, my own.

     

    P.S.  This post scored 87%  How did your last article do?

    Category Product Reviews | Tags: ,, | No Comments

  5. Product Review: Bil-Jac Dog Food

    October 4, 2011 by Sharplisa

    Disclaimer:  I am a BzzAgent and received a free sample of Bil-Jac Dog Food to review this product.

    First, let me admit that I was a bit blase about this particular campaign.  I had always thought that dog food was dog food, you know?  Other than avoiding the super cheap stuff (big-box store house brands, for example), I felt fairly certain that all dog food was the same.

    I have two lovely English Springer Spaniels:  Champ who will be 11 in a few days and Maddie who is 8.  So, when the Bil-Jac coupons arrived in the mail, we picked up a bag of Senior Chicken and Oatmeal ormula.

    From the website:  As dogs mature, they may become less active and their nutritional needs change. More oatmeal – a “heart healthy” food for humans – is included in our Senior Dog Food formula for its many exceptional health benefits. Our enhanced senior formula also contains guaranteed levels of naturally occurring glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate to promote better joint health.

    I have always fed twice a day and did not change that.  I followed the feeding guidelines for what the dogs are supposed to weigh (don’t go there), not what they do.  In other words, I changed nothing but the food.  My dogs, on the other hand….

    I can’t speak for Maddie, because she’s always been an “Inhaler”.  She eats all her food as fast as she can.  Then she will pick up her dish and carry it around the house trying to convince someone she needs more.    Yes, it’s adorable.  Until it is time to feed her and  play “Where’s the bowl, Madeline?”.

    Champ, on the other hand, has been a grazer all his life.  Until now.  Bil-Jac must be different because he was excited about being fed and promptly cleaned his bowl completely.  He loves it!

    As an owner, or as I prefer “Doggie Mother”, I have noticed that both dogs have more energy and their coats look good.  This tells me that the nutritional value of the dog food is very good.    I’m more of a behavioral scientist so I will believe what I can observe and that is that Bil-Jac is good for my dogs and they LOVE it.

    I hadn’t heard of the brand before but after I fell in love with it, I was telling a friend how much my dogs loved Bil-Jac and it turns out t hat is all she has fed her dogs for many years.   I hate feeling behind the power curve.

    Bil-Jac retails for between $14.50 and $45 (depending on variety and bag size) at a specialty pet retailer near you.  Check the Petco posting here where reviews are 100% positive.

    Category Product Reviews | Tags: ,,, | No Comments

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