table for two: savored.com

 Wired Walnuts
May 112012
 

Ah, Mother’s Day…the early morning wake-up call of kisses and hugs, homemade cards and gifts fashioned from tissue paper and other recycled goods and coupons for “being good all day long”–or as long as they can live to their promises (10 minutes, tops?). While some moms may not admit it, this one will: What I’d really like most for Mother’s Day is…to be left alone. And if that won’t work, then dinner for two would be just lovely (notice how I said “two”?”). While I’m only half-kidding, it’s nice that dads have it easy this year when it comes to making reservations. Thanks to the new app from Savored.com, they don’t even have to talk to a real person if they don’t one to, and can set up dinner plans while waiting for the subway. As long as your guy has an iPhone or Android, he can simply click on this app and experience the beauty of hassle-free reservation making. If you’re feeling guilty about an expensive night out and a babysitter to pay when you come home, consider that Savored.com offers special discounts at up to 400 different restaurants across the country. (Surely, he can find something the two of you will like!). Amazing that all it takes is the touch of a button, and dinner is served. Wish it could be like that the other 6 nights of the week…

In a Nutshell: Dinner reservations for Mother’s Day? Yup, there’s an app for that:  Savored.com puts the “app” in appetite.

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h-app-y birthday: elmo reading app

 Reading with Walnuts, The Smart Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Apr 262012
 

If your preschooler is forever calling dibs on your iPad, and you’re in search of a satisfying game that doesn’t give you mommy guilt, check out the latest reading app for the 5 and under crowd. Elmo’s Big Birthday Bash from Random House is packed with plenty of learning-based activities to keep your little party-goer in gaming heaven. With 30 pages of interactive entertainment, kids can celebrate Elmo’s special day as they play guessing games, expand their vocabularies and, best of all, have fun while doing it. There are plenty of surprises along the way, and not just for the birthday boy. Our favorite part? No after-party sugar shock to contend with. We like to think of it as a screen-time reward for anyone who earned a ticket from their teacher this week–or an incentive for those who need a learning boost.

In a Nutshell: Hand over the iPad, and let’s get this party started! The latest reading app starring Elmo is great fun for Sesame fans.

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i see iowa, i see maine: license plate game app

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Mar 152012
 

What would a road trip with the kids be without playing the license plate game? For as long as I can remember, my sister, brother and I passed the time seeing how many different state plates we could spot on those long treks down I-95. The game always seemed to start off slow–how many times could we spot New York and New Jersey before getting out of the tri-state area?–but before long, it got a lot more interesting as we headed south. If you’ve tried unsuccessfully to engage your tech-savvy kid in this classic game, it’s time to kick things up a notch, smartphone-style. Introducing pl8s, a kid-friendly travel app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that gives a virtual shout-out to U.S. geography. When you spot a particular state’s license plate, tap on the state on pl8s and find out how many points you’ve earned, along with a fun fact about that state. You can earn more points depending on the rarity of the state plate or your distance from that state. And don’t worry about your kid hogging up the entire game; pl8s can be played by up to 4 people. (Sure beats watching that same Big Time Rush movie over and over…)

In a Nutshell: A new twist on an old travel game favorite, pl8s takes your mind places, without having to leave the backseat. It’s available for download in the Apple App Store.

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wireless remembrances: safety 1st baby book app

 Wired Walnuts
Mar 092012
 

Digital photos of my kids haunt me like a bad dream sometimes. While I dutifully snap away those milestone moments and (most times) remember to download them to my laptop, they often wind up taking permanent residence on my hard drive, never again to see the light of day–or the inside of a photo album. Now, busy parents don’t have to plagued by such guilt (forget to post your daughter’s first bath on Facebook? How dare you!). Thanks to the Safety 1st Baby Book App, you can have every precious moment chronicled and cataloged, right at your fingertips. Call it your personal scrapbooker, this amazing app lets you take new photos (or import existing ones) on your iPhone or iPod Touch and organize them all in one place. You can select or create your own tags to commemorate each moment, so you’ll never have to blame mommy brain on whether your son took his first steps at home or Grandma’s house. And when you’re ready to show those pix to the rest of the world, this app lets you share them on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. We think the Baby Book App takes scrapbooking to a whole new level–one that doesn’t require a trip to Michael’s when you’ve run out of supplies.

In a Nutshell: This isn’t your first kid’s baby book. The Safety 1st Baby Book App captures magic moments right on your phone.

 

 

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v-day giveaway: sweetyhigh.com

 Cooking With the Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Feb 022012
 

My 13-year-old niece loves to bake, and I like to think that over the years, we’ve helped cultivate her passion. When she was in elementary school, we gave her a recipe box filled with kid-friendly dishes. And this past Christmas, she was tasked with the honor of making individual cakes for dessert. If you know a tween who knows her way around the kitchen, encourage her to dust off her apron and roll up her sleeves. Sweetyhigh.com, a new social networking site for young girls, has offered The Talking Walnut a special Valentine’s Day giveaway. One lucky winner will be awarded a special baking kit that contains the following:

2 Heart Shaped Plates

1 Petite Pie Mold with Heart-shaped cut-out

1 Set of Valentine’s themed confections

1 Heart-shaped cookie cutter

2 Heart embroidered kitchen towels

1 Spatula

Whether she wants to whip up a special dessert for her Valentine or just for Dear Ol’ Dad, this kit will definitely let her capture his heart, not to mention his appetite! SweetyHigh.com members can also enter to win future contests, including a grand prize baking kit, by becoming a friend on Facebook or following SweetyHigh.com on Twitter.

In a Nutshell: To enter your chance to win this kit, contact The Talking Walnut and let us know who you’ll be baking for this year and why your Valentine is so special to you. We’ll select one random winner and post the results on Valentine’s Day. This contest closes on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 5 pm EST, and is open to U.S. residents only. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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raindrops on roses: elmo’s favorite things DVD

 The Playful Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Jan 202012
 

It doesn’t take much to realize that Elmo still resonates with little kids. A quick glance at the minivan ahead of me on the preschool drop-off line confirms his unmistakeable furry frame, whooping it up on the small screen. (What did moms do before the days of portable DVD players?). Because my girls were often too impatient to wait for “Elmo’s World,” their favorite part of “Sesame Street,”  we often turned it on to catch the last 10 minutes of the show. If your kids clamor for that lovable red monster too, they’ll be delighted by the prospect of having all Elmo, all the time in his newest DVD. “Elmo’s Favorite Things” features eight popular EW segments–over 2 hours of Elmo entertainment. EW regulars already know how well the format works: Elmo introducing said topic, followed by nuggets of fun facts and of course, the antics of none other than Mr. Noodle. Featured segments include Birthdays, Pets, Dinosaurs, Schools and the DVD premiere of Building Things.  These digestible vignettes are perfect for short attention spans, not to mention long car rides. So, the next time your preschooler needs his Elmo fix, you can pull out this DVD. “Elmo’s Favorite Things” will be available beginning February 7th.

In a Nutshell: A modern-day Julie Andrews? Hmmm…maybe not exactly. But “Elmo’s Favorite Things” tops the charts on preschool play lists any day…hands (er, paws) down!

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elmo celebrates school: sesame street app

 The Playful Walnut, The Smart Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Jan 052012
 

One week into the New Year, and it’s already almost time for the 100th Day of School (for most kids, it takes place later this month). How apropos then that everyone’s favorite furry, red monster has his own interactive book app out, just in time to celebrate. Specially designed for Nokia Smartphones, the 100th Day of School takes Elmo, Abby Cadabby and the rest of the Sesame gang through a fun-filled day of learning with more than half the school year behind them. Kids will love hearing Elmo ask them questions about the story as they touch the screen. If you’re using this app along with your kids, check out the text-highlighting feature that indicates which words are being read aloud. This free download is a great one for preschoolers who can’t get enough Elmo–and need a more age-appropriate alternative to their big brother’s Angry Birds.

In a Nutshell: Elmo loves school, and now he’s got another app to prove it. The 100th Day of School is a virtual class party that can be played long after school has let out.

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oh my darling: cuties.com

 Feeding the Little Walnuts, The Healthy Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Dec 092011
 

My 3-year-old’s new favorite fruit is the clementine. She can’t get enough of them, and I can’t say I blame her. They are sweet, incredibly juicy and easy to peel and eat. From a mom’s perspective, I like that they’re portable and pack easily when we’re on the go, and don’t result in sticky, orange fingers. In fact, theirs is a rather invigorating, citrusy scent that I much enjoy this time of year. Because I tend to buy clementines in bulk, I am forever experimenting with different brands and currently can’t resist Cuties Clementines. Bursting with flavor and packed with vitamin C, they are the perfect addition to lunch, snacktime or anytime hunger strikes. If you happen to have a resident cutie who also loves clementines, you’ll want to check out Cuties.com. On top of giving you the nutritional lowdown of this fun fruit, you can upload pictures of your little darling and enter to win daily and weekly prizes–everything from Cuties T-shirts and toys, to one extremely lucky grand prize recipient of a college scholarship valued at $150,000. A different theme contest runs every week, and next week’s is cutest dress-up. Time to grab the camera and start filming; your amateur video may just pay for your child’s future education. And that’s a lotta clementines!

In a Nutshell: Orange you glad you captured the time your toddler clomped around in Daddy’s shoes? Now it’s time to upload that footage and enter to win on Cuties.com.

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hi-tech ho ho ho: santa.com

 The Playful Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Dec 062011
 

Has your child written his letter to Santa this year? I can vividly remember dutifully writing out my wish list–and throwing in a “How’s Mrs. Claus?” for good measure–before dropping it off in a specially-marked mailbox at a local garden center. I was convinced that somehow, it would magically arrive at the North Pole, no matter how much postage I affixed to it, and that Santa would bestow upon me everything that I had requested. After all, I had been a good girl all year…well, most of the time. When we recently took our daughters to the very place I had mailed my letters many years ago and I pointed out the same mailbox, my 7-year-old wondered aloud, “There must be a faster way my letter could get to the North Pole.” A bona fide product of her computer-savvy generation, she had a valid point (as much as I hated to admit it). For those like-minded tots with visions of LeapPads and iPods dancing in their heads comes a seasonal site that practically guarantees instantaneous arrival of merry missives. Santa.com is one-stop Christmas communication where kids can craft their wish lists, send letters to Santa and even hear back from Jolly Old St. Nick himself (virtually speaking). You can help your child get started by registering online, helping them select a decorative border for their letter and then letting them type away! When they’re ready to fire off their letter, they can simply click on “Send to Santa” and off it goes (minus the cost of a postage stamp). If you so choose to have Santa respond to your child, he can receive either a virtual note in his Santa.com mailroom–free of charge. Or, for a nominal fee, you can play Santa and compose a response that your child receives via snail mail. I still have the postcard I received from Santa, the now-faded red-inked cursive note that thanked me for my good wishes and that told me to keep being a good little girl. Well, that girl may have changed into a mom, but she’s still a child at heart. Whether it be online or on paper, writing to Santa is one of those moments I recall with pure joy. And receiving Santa’s reply? Pure magic…

In a Nutshell: Santa enters the digital world with a site devoted to corresponding with kids who wait for with him with great anticipation.

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message from mom: million moms challenge

 The Pregnant Walnut, Wired Walnuts
Dec 012011
 

Growing bellies have launched a growing trend–one that celebrates motherhood in all its phases. In the last month, The Talking Walnut has reported on more than a few companies making growth labels for expectant moms to affix to their clothing in proud proclamation of their soon-to-be new arrival. Whether you are three months along or in your third trimester, it’s a fun way to announce your pregnancy progress–and a clever means of putting a stop to all those unsolicited inquiries. If you’re more inclined to profess your thoughts on your belly itself, then we may have be just the venue to share your feelings. The Million Moms Challenge, along with ABC News, the United Nations Foundation, Disney Baby and Anne Geddes (phew!), is holding a photo contest for soon-to-be new parents. Dubbed “Imagine You & Me,” the contest invites women in their third trimester to upload a picture of their baby bump, featuring a handwritten, creative message for their little one, on Facebook. Entries will be accepted from now until December 4, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST, and will be judged between December 6-15. The winning entry will be announced by famed baby photographer Geddes herself on ABC News on December 16. The grand prize is a trip for two adults and their lucky baby to Australia where they will be photographed in Geddes’ studio in Sydney. So grab a marker and start thinking about what you’d like to say to your bundle of joy before she arrives. Good luck!

In a Nutshell: Calling all expectant moms…It’ll be a g’day if you win this amazing contest that awards you with what promises to be an unforgettable experience.

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