Baby: Learning the Alphabet

At 2 years old, Allie already knows the alphabet. She knows each letter and says each one, albeit she can't pronounce them perfectly. She used to mix up M and W, A and V, O and Q. But now, she knows them all. I'd like to think that her alphabet toys helped, but I know that interaction with real people as well as some tech stuff assisted as well.

We got her this alphabet puzzle from Boikido. It is this colorful wooden puzzle that lets the baby put in the letters in the space provided. The letters has marks to point out the right side, and Allie can distinguish them helping her find the right position of the letter.

Similar to this toy is the tablet app called Endless Alphabet. It has a selection of longer words like gargantuan, experiment, and hilarious, and toddlers put in the letters to the right space. While doing so, the 'monster' letters makes the phonetic sound. Then it is followed by a cute and funny animation and defines the word.

Allie also has other interactive alphabet toys like magnet letters, wooden letter blocks, foam letters and Play-doh alphabet molds. So you see, she sees the alphabet everywhere, and she is so familiar with the letters that even while we are out, she blurts out letters as she sees them. Well, she's cute like that -- and I'm one proud mama! :P

Crafts/DIY: Digital Embossed Label Image Generator

Are you into the Dymo craze yet? Well, I am, and I've found this online digital embossed label image generator from Fuzzimo that you can use for free. It's so cool. Go ahead, get your fill!

Tech: 8tracks App

Handcrafted internet radio on the rise here. One of the things I missed when I moved back to the Philippines was Pandora. Pandora, as in internet radio, and not the charm bracelets because we have that here.

Well, my sister introduced me to 8tracks the other day. 8tracks is a collection of music playlists. It lets you choose a music playlist based on categories. Pwede na siyang pamalit sa Pandora. First, it would let you choose from the following.

Say you choose 'happy'. Then it will let you choose from these subcategories.

Then you pick the playlist.

Then hit play.

There are lots of playlists to choose from. Maybe you're in the mood for pop + workout... or some breakup + sad music.

Love it yet? Well, you can access it through your laptop (http://8tracks.com) or even your mobile phone by downloading the app.

Technology: Logitech Mini Boombox

This is my favorite bluetooth speaker so far. It's tiny. It's loud. It looks good too!

Touchscreen controls that light up on top.

I think it makes a great gift to the techie lover. This is the perfect companion for tablets and phones. My husband has this and we often use it when we watch TV shows on the iPad. It makes a great deal of difference. I always try to leave technology-related stuff alone with my husband. I got him to install our Logitech Harmony remote control (one remote control to manage our entertainment system in the bedroom and living room) and transfer movies to our media player so I can watch in the bedroom. But this bluetooth speaker was so easy to pair, I paired it myself with my phone so I can play music loud enough while I vacuum the floor. I wish we had one of these in every room of our house.

Now available at Project Happy.

Electrolux HUSH Happier at Home

I lived with my parents until a bit after college. It may be unheard of in other parts of the world, but here in the Philippines, it's pretty common. I grew up having helpers in our home, and that meant having someone cook, clean, do the laundry, and drive for you. Yes, I lived the easy life.

When I went to the US for graduate studies, I had to do everything myself. That meant learning to cook food (and rice), clean the house, and do the laundry. I learned how to drive when I was 16, and I was driving to school almost everyday during college days. I thought doing chores was actually pretty fun, especially with the technology available like dishwashers, rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, food processors, washers and dryers.

I got married a few years later. My husband and I both enjoy staying home during the weekends and relax. He's a movie and video game fan, and I love cooking and baking. We just bought our own place in a nice and peaceful neighborhood. Watching movies on TV and eating home-cooked meals during the weekends was our way to spend time with one another. The best thing about staying at home is we get to talk and have fun without spending a dime, even if it means we have to do housework together. I usually prepare food for both of us, while he cleans our house.

Can you just imagine the noise? We get rewarded after though. We feast on the yummy food, appreciate our clean house, and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Time passed, and now I am a mom -- a mommy to a beautiful little girl who wakes up to the tiniest noise. When she was still an infant, I would go do the laundry when she's awake. Our washer was inside the house and it makes the loudest noise. I couldn't vacuum the floors/carpet because it is louder than the washer. I was dying to get a new washer and a new vacuum cleaner that didn't make so much noise, but we knew we were moving back to our dear old country. Whenever I needed to clean, my husband had to go out to the park with Allie, and I would quickly use the vacuum cleaner on our floors.

I waited and waited for technology to catch up with my silent wish (pun intended), and now it's here in the Philippines. Electrolux brought in a couple of the noisiest home appliances and turned the volume down.

I swear, this is pure genius. How would you like to get your hands on a blender that is about 10 times quieter than an average blender?

With the Electrolux Powermix SILENT Blender, I can now make smoothies and slushes without disturbing anyone, and yes, I can have a normal conversation with family while using it. I don't need to shout or turn the blender off.

Just because it's quiet it doesn't mean it doesn't do the job. It still does.

How about a quiet vacuum cleaner that won't wake up the baby? Sign me up!

This Electrolux Ultrasilencer Green boasts minimal noise level without compromising power and performance. It's environment-friendly as well. It's made from over 50% recycled plastic and very energy efficient. Perfect for the environmentally conscious. Best of all, the exhaust air is cleaned by more than 99.99% before releasing it back. Are you sold yet?

It looks gwapo pa.

If you want to know more about these amazing products, head on to the Electrolux Philippines Website.

You can also follow their twitter account @ElectroluxPH for more updates.

Technology: MyPantone App

Who hasn't heard of Pantone colors? If you're a creative, this is probably a staple. You would also have known that the color of the year is Tangerine Tango.

And yes, they have a Pantone app too. But if you're like me, you wouldn't know about it until the last minute. :P

Anyway, while having my nails done in Lavender Cloud, I was browsing a magazine and I saw it. There it was -- a brief write-up about the MyPantone app. I decided to check it out on my phone, and I instantly fell in love. *wink*

Images via Apple

Get to choose from all the Pantone colors using the fandeck or an image.

This is so helpful when choosing color combinations for your home, crafts and even fashion!

The app retails at the App Store for $9.99.

Freebie: Orla Kiely Inspired Multi-Stem Pattern

There was a lot of Orla Kiely bedding for Bed, Bath and Beyond going around design websites -- I first saw it in Apartment Therapy. I got so excited. I adore Orla Kiely patterns, especially the multi-stem.

via Apartment Therapy

Wouldn't this make a cute desktop wallpaper pattern?

I just had to create one for myself, and I like to share it with you. But please, download it only for personal use. Here's the link. Enjoy!

Technology: Augmented Reality in Manila

Remember GE's augmented reality that buzzed over the Internet a while back?

When we went to the Lego store in Orlando, I saw first hand a demo of their digital box. You bring a lego box in front of the digital box, and see the lego come to life. We loved it!

Augmented reality is now here in Manila. Fully Booked Imagine app gives you augmented reality through your mobile device. Just download the app. Visit Fully Booked. Point your device's camera at the poster and see book characters come to life. Pretty cool for all age groups. Read more about it here.

I can imagine augmented reality being applied in clothing stores too. Wouldn't it be cool to see an outfit you chose worn and modeled through your phone?

Freebie: Tory Burch Hearts Wallpaper

Get your own Tory Burch valentine wallpaper for your gadget from the Tory Blog.

Love: Traffic Status App

Image via aczafra

I always forget about posting about this cool traffic navigator app that my husband and I find so useful.  It's not that fancy as Garmin nuvi or Google maps in the US. But it's pretty helpful. You see, we live in the southern part of Metro Manila, our office is up north, and traffic in Metro Manila is horrendous. We usually use two main routes -- it takes 40 minutes to travel on a normal day, 30 if you're lucky, and at least an hour if not. Knowing which road to take is a gift. So thank you MMDA.

Just sharing the love for this app.

Design: Sun-tanned Paper

If we can tan our skin, why not tan our paper? It's a new printer design concept that uses solar energy to print without ink. I'd be excited to see this in stores.

All images are from Yanko Design.

  

Design: Phoenix by Kenneth Cobonpue

  
  
I am just so enamored with Kenneth Cobonpue's designs. His most recent contribution to the field? Phoenix - the first bamboo / rattan / carbon fiber and steel car that will be introduced in a Milanese exhibit.

Image from Philippine Inquirer

The car evokes artisanship and promotes biodegradability, a complete turnaround from the usual car manufacturing characteristic that we know of today. The only question is about safety I guess. :)

Here's the whole article if you're interested.



    

Love: Dyson Air Multiplier

 
 
It's been more than a year since the launch of the Dyson Air Multiplier, and I still love it. I am still thinking about getting it, but the price tag at about $300 is just too much.

But what is it exactly? It's probably the safest "electric fan" existing out there, because of it's bladeless technology. Safe for children.

Image from Target.com

Yes, Dyson, popularly known for their wide range of vacuum cleaners, has entered the fan business. Some stores, like Pike's Starbucks in Seattle (I think) also has Dyson's Air Blade, which I'm guessing uses a similar technology for drying your hands.

Image from Dyson

Their air multiplier technology actually does not use any blades, which causes buffeting. Instead, it uses pressurized air that goes through the circular slit around, which they claim "multiplies" air 15x without any interruption, hence, the air multiplier.

Image from Dyson

Are you a lover like me?