The Silent "I"

PS Vita: Living in a Gamer's Paradise

 

Alex Checks out the PS Vita

A few months ago, I was honored to be asked to join PlayStation Family, a group of tech-savvy mombloggers who were invited to work with PlayStation.  I have to admit, we just bought an Xbox last summer, and already had a Wii for several years.  I wasn't sure if we really needed another gaming system. PlayStation was kind enough to loan us a PS 3 for a year, so I figured we would be a good test family since we had some inside scoop on the competition.  Over the years, we've had more than our share of Gameboys, PSPs, DS, DSI and other small handheld gaming systems. Honestly, I thought I'd seen it all.

In February, PlayStation released its new handheld gaming system, the PS Vita, to the US Market.  The PlayStation Family group was offered loaner units to try out.  My 11 year-old son thought he'd hit the jackpot, since none of his friends have one yet.  Unfortunately for him, mama had other plans.

I never really considered myself a gamer.  Sure, I spend hours on Facebook shooting balls out of a frog's mouth and playing solitaire, but I've always thought of gaming systems as things for kids.  We had Pong when I was a kid, which was a little more exciting than watching TV static late at night when the broadcast signal ended for the day.

I decided that the PS Vita was going to be mine first, because I knew that once he got his grubby paws on it, it would disappear into the chasm of doom known as his room and I'd never see it (or him) again. Fortunately, I have a kid with a great respect for property rights, and he has not absconded with it yet.

The only problem with this plan is that I have no idea what I am doing on a gaming system.  It took me at least a week to figure out how to play Wii bowling without making the remote fly across the room and take out a lamp or two along the way.  Despite being someone game-challenged, I decided that the Vita was my baby.

I carefully opened the package and read all the inserts.   My son hovered around me like a hyperactive bumblebee descending on an azalea festival, asking repeatedly if he could play with it, help me set it up, or just observe what I was doing. I banished him to his room and completed my task.  I was quite proud of myself that I was able to set it up in about ten minutes, with no swearing and no tears (except for the kid's). 

The first game I dove into was ModNation Racers Roadtrip, a madcap racing game in which you can choose a location and race around some scenic courses all over the world.  I've played this type of game in arcades and thought I would know what I was doing.

I was wrong. 

I had no idea how to use the tiny joysticks to steer the car and crashed into walls, viewing stands, directional signs and everything else along the way.  My little driver ended up in last place, with a possible concussion.  I realized I needed some coaching on how to use the controls.

Abel Gance's Napoleon, Epic Silent Movie: Guest Post by Frank

My husband, Frank, discovered that Abel Gance's epic silent film, Napoleon, was playing with a live orchestra in Oakland last weekend.  When I found out it was 5 1/2 hours long, I told him, "You're on your own, bub."

This is his account of a classic movie-going experience that may not be repeated.

I had the good fortune to get a ticket last weekend for the final showing of Napoleon, Abel Gance’s silent movie masterpiece. I recall hearing about the version released with a score by Francis Ford Coppola's father in the early 1980’s, but I skipped it then, and always wondered what I’d missed.

Now, for the first time in 30 years, a new, more complete restoration was on offer as part of the 2012 San Francisco Silent Film Festival, It was being shown with a live performance by the Oakland East Bay Symphony, playing an original score conduced by the composer Carl Davis. Billed as a once-in-lifetime experience, I snapped up a ticket online and headed to Oakland on Sunday, April 1.

This French movie was made in the 1920s, and was first shown in 1927. The director, Abel Gance, got funding to make 6 films to chronicle the whole life of Napoleon. He blew the entire budget on just the first installment, which only carries us through Napoleon’s early life, but even with this limited material, the film is over 5 hours long.

At first, we see him as a teen at boarding school, commanding a snowball fight among his peers. We watch the French Revolution and Napoleon’s imprisonment and the effect this has on him. We see his military talent (and defiance of authority) at the Battle of Toulon in 1793, his romance and marriage to Joséphine, who turns out (at least according to the movie) to have been imprisoned with him (and was saved by a judicious bureaucrat who literally ate – yes, tore up and swallowed - her paperwork rather than letting her be guillotined). The film finally ends with Napoleon’s invasion of Italy in 1796.

LiveOn Rewind: Family Photos Digitized & Restored

 

My Mother, As a Teenager in Korea

I've confessed here before that I used to love scrapbooking.  So much so, my husband used to call it my "cult meeting" when I would dash out of the house to join my friends for scrapbooking time together.  Unfortunately, having a full time job, a seasonal job, a volunteer position and a blog don't leave much time for other hobbies, so my scrapbooking gear is gathering dust in a corner.

 

Still, preserving my family's memories is important to me.  I have boxes and boxes of old photos that haven't made their way into scrapbooks yet.  With the advent of digital scrapbooks making it so easy to create and duplicate beautiful scrapbooks with a few mouse clicks, all the time and energy spent on paper books seems like a waste.

Unfortunately, most of our family's photos pre-2000 are in paper form.  Who has time to stand over a scanner and scan hundreds of photos? 

Enter, LiveOn Rewind...A few months ago, Clever Girls Collective asked me to be a brand ambassador for a new photo sharing, digitizing, and restoration service called LiveOn. As part of learning about the company, they offered to digitize some of my family photos without charge to me. It was an incredibly easy process, and I am completely sold on their services.

The first thing I did was figure out which photos to scan.  I decided start with photos from before 1990.  I ordered a postage-paid box from LiveOn Rewind, which arrived in a few days.  I was a little surprised at how small the box was, but I was even more surprised that I could fit nearly 500 photos into it.  I included some that were in pretty bad shape, thinking that someday I would learn Photoshop well enough to fix them.  Some of these are photos of my mom from the 1950's, when she was a young girl in Korea.

I filled up my box and slapped on the pre-made UPS label and dropped it off at a local UPS store.  A few days later, I received an acknowledgement that my photos had arrived safe and sound at the LiveOn Headquarters.

While I was waiting for my photos to return, I got an email from someone at LiveOn stating that they could fix my damaged photos.  (Note: there is an extra charge for this service).  I was beyond thrilled.  They sent me a sample of their work, which I posted.  I couldn't wait to see the rest.

A few weeks later, all of my photos were returned to me, with a DVD enclosed containing digitized versions of them.  There are copies of both the original image and the restored ones. There is also a gorgeous musical slideshow of photos that is like watching your life flash before you (or in this case, my mother's life). The results brought tears to my eyes. 

Original Photo, Before LiveOn Restoration

Photo After LiveOn Restoration

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year.  I can't think of a better belated gift to them than a scrapbook of their early years together, and this way, I can keep a copy for myself and my brothers as well.  I can't thank the folks at LiveOn enough for the precious gift they have given me and my family.  I plan to put the DVD in our safety deposit box for safekeeping.

 

If you would like to let your family photos LiveOn, use this code at checkout for a 30% discount at Liveon.com:  cgc65 

Thank you to LiveOn for sponsoring this blog post. Please visit LiveOn to learn more about sharing and preserving your most important memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Country Inns & Suites: Home Suite Home

Ever hear of Country Inns & Suites?  I hadn't until about a year ago, when they generously offered us a voucher to stay in one of their fine establishments.  We were not able to take them up on the offer until our Christmas roadtrip to Austin, and I was pleasantly surprised by the accomodations they offer at reasonable prices.  We enjoyed a complimentary overnight stay  at the downtown location in Tucson, Arizona, during our long journey through the desert.

Like many of the better highway hotel chains, they offer free Wifi in the rooms, complimentary breakfast, and a pool.  What sets Country Inns and Suites apart are the little things, like complimentary cookies and bottled water on arrival, a full hot breakfast (not just microwaved sandwiches and cold cereal, but bacon, eggs, the whole works), and a homey, charming decor.  We found the staff to be friendly and efficient, as well as knowledgeable about the area.

On our December roadtrip, we left the Salton Sea Recreation Area and headed east on I-8 through the dusty California border towns toward Tucson. We were hoping to be in Saguaro National Park before sundown.  Unfortunately, we arrived too late for the park.  I dubbed this our "Too Late Tour," since it seemed like we always arrived at our destinations just after the sunset so we couldn't see anything.  Frank said that he planned a perfect itinerary for summer, or anytime the sun stays up a little past 5:00 pm.

Anyway, we arrived in Tucson after dark and couldn't get to the Saguaro National Park on time, so we went straight to the Country Inns & Suites.  We were welcomed with freshly baked sugar cookies in the lobby, a homey fireplace, and some bottles of water, which were great after a long, dry drive through the desert. The front desk staff was extremely friendly and answered all of our questions.  There were some kids running around the lobby, and the hotel seemed to be extremely family-friendly.

Our room was nicely furnished and large enough for the three of us. The furnishings and decor were nicer and more traditional than some that we encountered later on our trip at similar hotels. It seems that the latest trend in hotel decor is blinding florescent lighting and migraine-inducing neon green bedding with fuschia accents and large black and white photos of doorknobs and exposed pipes in the hallway.  I was happy to find the room to be comfortable and not over-done, with more muted colors and soft lighting.  During our trip, we used Marriott and Hilton loyalty program points to stay at Fairfield Inn and Hampton Inn in different locations along the way.  We liked Country Inns the best for food quality, service, and general ambience, although the three were pretty similar in locations, space, and pricing.

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa: A Desert Oasis

If you're looking for a true oasis in the desert, with luxury spa, swimming pool complex that includes a mini-beach for the kids, and an excellent restaurant, the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, California is the place for you.  Thanks to Klout Perks, we were fortunate enough to spend the night in this luxury resort, and enjoyed every minute of our brief stay here.  We booked a special rate that included a "Kids Eat Free" promotion. We enjoyed two meals at the Cava Restaurant, with their fresh, well-prepared menu items and well-stocked buffets.

After driving all day into the wilds of Southern California and Los Angeles, we finally made it to Palm Springs on our Holiday Road Trip 2011. We passed through the glittering lights of swanky downtown Palm Springs, home of movie stars, golf courses, and Sonny Bono, and ventured a bit further to Indian Wells and the Renaissance Esmeralda.  The lobby decor was tastefully simple, and I liked the display of candles in the entryway. The Renaissance Esmeralda was the exact counterpoint to the glitzy, over-the-top Madonna Inn we stayed in the night before.

Our room overlooked the massive swimming pool, with a view of the mountains in the distance.  The room was decorated with clean simple lines in muted desert tones. The beds were comfortable, with plenty of soft, cushy pillows. We had a small balcony overlooking the pool area, and in the morning, could see the mountains off in the distance.

The hotel did not seem terribly busy, so the pool was empty most of the time we were there.  It is heated year round, but the chilly air probably kept most of the guests at bay.  Our son, who must have been raised by dolphins in a past life, is never deterred by a little cold when it comes to swimming.  He insisted on trying it out the night we arrived.  He was particularly fond of the little sand beach, a great place to build a sandcastle.

Renaissance Hotels are part of the Marriott chain, but on of the higher-end of the spectrum.  Even so, the price for a night was only $129, including free meals for kids with the purchase of an adult entree.  There is a separate resort fee of $25 that covers parking, internet access and other amenities. The prices vary from $99 to $329/night depending on the season and check-in dates.

Alex was so enchanted with the place he asked,"Can we come back here and stay for a week?"

I was inclined to agree with him, and would love to go back and check out the Spa and other restaurants, and see more of what the Palm Springs area has to offer.

Disclosure: Thanks to Klout for sharing a $200 gift card with us from Renaissance Hotels as a Klout Perk. I received no other compensation or incentive to write this post.  All opinions expressed herein are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Klout, Renaissance Hotels, or Marriott.

Holiday Entertaining with Fresh & Easy

This weekend, I was thrilled to host a house party for some of my blogger and work friends sponsored by Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets.  The folks from Fresh & Easy brought in some of their best holiday fare for us to try out, including Brie & Cranberry Pastry Puffs, Mini Beef en Croutes, and Bacon Wrapped Shrimp appetizers. The appetizers are in the prepared foods section of the store, and are uncooked when you buy them. Just pop them in the oven for about 10 minutes, and you have tantalizing, decadent appetizers that seem like you've been slaving all day to prepare. I mean, seriously, how could you go wrong with brie cheese wrapped in butter pastry? Or anything at all involving bacon?

A few months ago, I went to an event in San Francisco to launch new Fresh & Easy stores in Northern California.  I had never heard of Fresh & Easy before that, and was delighted to learn that they offer fresh, wholesome foods at reasonable prices. Fresh & Easy is owned by the British supermarket chain Tesco.  They are in the middle of opening stores in California, Nevada, and Arizona. In addition to their own branded products, they also offer some of the top name-brand items and fresh bread from Il Fornaio bakery. 

Aulani Resort & Spa: The Disney is in the Details

I had the opportunity to visit Disney's new Hawaiian Resort & Spa, Aulani last week.  It is a gorgeous resort that was much more Hawaiian than Disney, but a little Disney magic thrown in for good measure.  The decor and ambience pays homage to the Hawaiian culture, without being over-the-top or kistchy. There isn't a tiki bar in sight (which is not authentically Hawaiian anyway), nor is there an anthropomorphized animal wearing a grass skirt and doing the hula at every turn.  Instead, it's a restful, rejuvenating place where familes can relax and have fun, while learning a little about Hawaiian culture along the way.

 

The standard room with two queen-sized beds is big enough for a family of three or four to enjoy without tripping over themselves. There was a folding crib in the closet and an empty mini-fridge that you could fill up with your own snacks and drinks. Each room comes equipped with a DVD player, so you can bring along your favorite Disney movies to enjoy when you need a little down-time. It's those little touches that make this family-friendly resort even more friendly to families traveling with small kids.

The decor is fairly simple, with accents of koa wood, batik-style prints, and Hawaiian quilt patterns.  The only noticeable Disney reference was a cute Mickey Mouse lamp, carved out of wood and distressed to blend in with the rest of the room's Hawaii-centric theme.  It reminded me more of upscale version of the Volcano National Park Lodge than the Disneyland Hotel.

My room had a balcony with a "partial ocean view", meaning the ocean was right behind the parking lot.  Luckily, the room was on a higher floor, so the view of mountains and ocean were not obstructed when I sat out on the balcony.

As if Hawaii itself were not enough, the main attraction of the resort is the incredible pool/waterpark within the resort itself. Fashioned to look like lava tube structures, the xxx square foot pool features a giant slide through the rock structures, a climbing structure and a "lazy river" where you can float around in a large innertube.

Sony Cybershot Photo Fun Mom Event: Turning Moms into Rock Stars

 

Jeannette Kaplun of Todobebe taken with Sony Cybershot DSC-WX9

 Ever wondered what it would like to live like a rock star for a day? I had the chance to experience a little of the star-treatment just before the BlogHer Conference this year, courtesy of Sony Electronics.  I was one of about fifteen lucky bloggers invited to attend a special event hosted by vlogger Kimberly Clayton-Blaine of The Go-To Mom fame.  When she invited me, I had not idea what to expect, and was surprised to find what they had in store for us. 

When I was first invited, all that I knew was that we would be given a Sony Cybershot camera to test out and we would have our pictures taken by world-renowned celebrity photographer Brian Smith.  What I didn't know was that we would be wined, dined, pampered, primped and photographed like we were rock stars. They had me at "camera".

I arrived at the San Diego Airport and was greeted by a rep from Sony who escorted me to a car to take me to the Hard Rock Hotel.  Arriving at the Hard Rock, I was greeted by another Sony representative, who helped me get checked in. Even though it was early in the morning, my room was ready and I was able to unpack and get settled in prior to the evenings festivities. All I needed was an entourage to carry my purse and drive me around in a Hummer, and I would have fit right in there.

App Review: Karizmac Luminous

Thank you to Karizmac Luminous for sponsoring this review. For more information about Karizmac Luminous please visit http://www.karizmac.com/luminous.html.

When the Clever Girls asked me to review the Karizmac Luminous iPad app, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had it in my head that it was some kind of astrology thing, but what I found was something delightful and unexpected.  Luminous is more like a personality, lifestyle map than an astrology chart, although personal characteristics are mapped out on a celestial star map with various points of light to guide you. It has nothing to do with the signs of the zodiac, and is a great deal of fun.

You start out by selecting two categories and take a short quiz in each. Each of your answered is matched up to a famous woman (historical or fictional) who embodies that quality.  The first time I took a quiz, my answers showed Agreement, Reasoning, Social Intelligence, Tradition, Acceptance, Control and Autonomy. The women who popped up in the quiz as embodying these qualities were women I admire and respect, like Madeline Albright, Bette Midler, Suze Orman, Caroline Kennedy, Dr. Sally Ride, Ann Curry and...Taylor Swift?  They had me up until Taylor Swift.

After you take the quiz, your answers are plotted out on a map of stars with the words floating on the screen. If you click on the star, it corresponds to an inspiring woman, and tells a little bit of her story and why she was chosen to represent that attribute.  I thought this was more insightful than a normal horoscope reading, where you get some vague concept that "change is coming." 

Overally, I thought the app was fun, and a little more enlightening than I first thought.  I think if you're faced with some major life decisions or pondering next steps in a project, it would be good to take a look at what you value and how these values impact your decision-making.  I recommend this app as a fun, inspiring, and illuminating way to help your dreams take shape.

Who knows? Maybe Taylor Swift and I have more in common than I thought.

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

Disney Wonder Comes to San Francisco

For the first time ever, the Disney Cruise Lines fabulous Disney Wonder arrived in San Francisco, en route to Vancouver.  The ship was on a repositioning cruise, moving from it's southern base in Los Angeles up to Vancouver for its maiden Alaska voyage in May.  Several of my favorite fellow mombloggers and I got to spend some time aboard the Disney Wonder on Friday afternoon, while most of the passengers were off exploring San Francisco.  Kimberley from Tippy Toes & Tantrums, Ana from Finding Bonggamom, and Whitney from Rookie Moms were all along for a special press tour and luncheon.

Each Disney ship features a character statue at the main floor landing, and Arielle is the star of the show on the Disney Wonder.  Ana was nice enough to pose with her. The ship, like Disneyland and Disneyworld, featured themes in every restaurant, hallway, and common area.

I really loved the giant Dale Chihuly blown glass sculpture hanging over the main atrium in the ship.  It was like hundreds of giant technicolor blue and gold poppies hanging from the ceiling.