Can't Figure Out How Your Children Grew Up So Quickly? . . . Relive Those Precious Moments Through Photos

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

This photo was taken on Mother's Day 2010!  Our twins were just 3 years old then and their big brother only 6.  Can you believe how much they have changed over the past 3 years?  It is actually extremely easy for me to remember what our children were like when they were first born.  It's everything between then and now that's a bit of a blur.  When people warned my husband and I that time flies by too quickly when you have children and that they would be grown up before we knew it, they were right.  Luckily, I take lots of photos.  By "lots", I mean boatloads.  In fact, I take so many photos that some people think I'm crazy.  Well, I have many more precious photos, like the one I've shared with you today, to help me remember all those blurry moments.  I'll never regret taking the extra time to capture as many of the big and small moments in our children's lives as possible.

If you take as many photos as I do, then you understand where I'm coming from.  If you don't . . . well, it's never too late to start!

No matter how old your children are, there are still new memories made daily.  There will be to come many more Mother's Days and Father's Days, proms nights, graduation days, wedding days, and everything wonderful that happens in between.  This Spring, Best Buy can help you get on the right track to capturing as many special moments as possible.  As much as I love the camera on my Nokia Lumia 920, I still bring out my D-SLR camera when I'm taking photos at home and during special occasions . . . basically whenever I want my photos to be outstanding and not just very good.  Best Buy has a vast selection of D-SLRs, compact cameras with long zoom, Wi-fi cameras, point-and-shoot cameras, and camcorders with the latest technology to fit all budgets.  They also carry digital photo frames ranging from 7" to 10" LCD screens.

7 reasons to shop Best Buy and BestBuy.com for your digital imaging needs this Spring . . . 

• There is currently Free Shipping on all cameras at BestBuy.com.
• Best Buy has a low price guarantee.
• You can bring in your old camera to Best Buy and trade it in for a Best Buy gift card.
• Save an additional 25% off select digital photo frames through June 22nd with promo code.
• You can get a free 8x8 Shutterfly Photo Book with a purchase of a qualifying camera or camcorder.
• Select point-and-shoot cameras come with a free camera bag or a free camera bag plus memory card.
• If you need something quickly, you can purchase online and pickup in-stock items at your local store.

As always, if you shop, be sure to come back and tell me all about what you purchased!

Holiday 2010 Giveaway: Things Remembered Digital Photo Key Chain [CLOSED]

Do you know a man or a woman who needs to give up those space-consuming photos in their purse or wallet? Here is an elegant, personalized, and affordable gift. I speak of the Digital Photo Key Chain from Things Remembered. If you are a fan of gifting picture frames with your favorite photo in it, then this is just a modern version of that gift. The only difference is that you can give not just one photo, but up to 100 photos and the recipient can carry these photos with them everywhere they go.

The software is easy to use. You simply connect the key chain to your computer with the included USB cable. It is best that you put all the photos you would like to upload into a separate folder otherwise it will create thumbnails for every photo in your folder and that could be time-consuming. Once loaded, the key chain will automatically provide you with a slide show of all your photos when powered on. You can also use the arrows to tab through your photos one by one. This key chain has a 1-1/2 hour battery life and can charge through the USB cable while connected to your computer.

What sets this digital photo key chain apart from others is that it can be engraved with a name, date, or a personal message on the back. Ours will be a gift for my mother-in-law from our children, so we engraved it with a message from all three plus their names.

To view their vast selection of personalized gifts, visit ThingsRemembered.com . This digital key chain retails for $30.00, but is being offered for a limited time for just $19.99 . Currently, you can receive Free Ground Shipping on orders of $100 or more.

Thank you to Things Remembered for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive one of the following personalized items of their choice . . .

• Things Remembered Compact
• Things Remembered Digital Photo Key Chain
• Things Remembered Playing Card Set
• Things Remembered Make-A-Wish Bracelet
• Things Remembered Make-A-Wish Necklace

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing. Winner must not have won a Things Remembered contest within the past 60 days.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me which item you would choose if you won this contest AND what would you have engraved on it. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, sign up to receive email updates from Things Remembered (on bottom right of homepage). Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did so.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow Things Remembered on Twitter and/or "Like" Things Remembered on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, December 6th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Star Wars Children's Digital Camera Kit (92022) [CLOSED]

Our 6yr old son had received a digital camera about three years ago for Christmas. It was one of those big chunky plastic indestructible toy cameras. He thought it was great at the time, but he really has not touched it for at least year. Since our son is pretty tech savvy, I welcomed the chance to review this Star Wars Digital Camera.

The Star Wars Digital Camera Kit (Model 92022) by Sakar retails for approximately $29.99 or less. The camera kit comes with a digital camera, 3 changeable face plates featuring Anakin, Obi Wan, and Yoda from Clone Wars, a USB cable, a wrist strap, photo-editing software, and the user manual. Of course the faceplates were what attracted my son to this camera initially.

What we thought about this Star Wars digital camera:

1) The size is compact and perfect for a child's hands.

2) The changeable faceplates will definitely win over any Clone Wars fans, however, they were difficult to remove from the camera, so a younger child may not be able to change the faceplates on his or her own.

3) This camera takes just two AAA batteries, which helps to keep it lightweight for a child. However, I have not had the camera long enough to attest to how quickly it goes through the batteries.

4) The camera has a built-in screen for previewing, which is nice, but its resolution is on the lower side.

5) As I had mentioned previously, changing the faceplates would be difficult for a child. However, when they have been put in place, they are very secure.

6) This camera requires a lot of light to take a decent photo and is not fast enough to take photos of moving objects. Below is an example of the best photo quality we could achieve indoors. I would expect that the camera would do a little better outdoors. I would have liked to have seen a built-in flash for this camera.

7) The Star Wars Image Master photo-editing software that came with this camera was excellent. It has features such as adding text and clipart to your photos, adding sound, enhancing your photos, the ability to create calendars and other graphic projects, a storybook maker, and even games.

8) The feature about the software that impressed my son and his friends the most was the ability to turn themselves into Galactic Heroes. We were able to print the pictures out for each child. Here is a picture created with one of the photos taken above showing our son dressed as Rex. I did think it was strange that there were no female characters available, which excluded my daughter from this activity.

9) We did have one instance where the camera would not turn off without our taking the batteries out to reset it. Other than this, we had no technical problems with the camera.

I think this camera is fine for a child's first camera. For the price, I think it is decent, especially with the software that accompanies it, which can be used with any photos you have loaded onto your computer from other cameras. It would be fun for my son to take this camera to the park or the beach. Although the photo quality is good for a 6yr old, the process of loading the photos onto the computer with the USB cable and using the software would be something more geared towards a child one or two years older than our son. This camera also has webcam capabilities, which my son is still a little young to use as well. When my son gets a little older, I would want a camera for him that has better picture quality, which will probably cost us 3 or 4 times as much as this camera's retail price.

You can currently find this camera on Amazon.com and other retailers where Sakar digital imaging products are sold.

Thank you to Sakar for providing a sample camera free of charge for us to base this review upon and for providing another camera for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive their choice of either a Star Wars Digital Camera Kit (92022) or a Hello Kitty Digital Camera (87009).

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Leave a comment telling me what other Sakar digital imaging product would be perfect for someone in your household. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2) For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Sakar.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Friend me on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 2 extra entries, share the link to this contest post on Facebook. Then leave TWO separate comments with the link to your Facebook profile.

6) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9) Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, May 3rd, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Father's Day Fling Giveaway: Best Buy Digital Imaging Prize Pack [CLOSED]

If you ask anyone who the leading electronics retailer is of 2009 is, they would probably tell you Best Buy. Whether you are shopping for HD products, a new computer, the latest in digital imaging, household appliances, or just need some advice about any of the above, you can find what you need at Best Buy or BestBuy.com .

Blogs participating in the 2009 Father's Day Fling:

Momstart

Life Starring Ellie and Eve

Blessings Abound

3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires

What you can win:
One lucky person will win BOTH Prize #1 and Prize #2!

Prize #1: Insignia® - 7.0-Megapixel Digital Camera - Blue (ARV $79.99)
Snap clear portraits using this 7.0-megapixel digital camera with 4X digital zoom. High ISO sensitivity means even low-light pictures turn out bright and natural, and face detection technology optimizes exposure and ensures you will always be focused on the faces in your photos. Burst mode lets you take pictures quickly so you can capture the best possible image, while smile capture mode allows you to shoot automatically when your subject laughs, smiles or grins. Coupled with digital image stabilization, these features ensure vivid, detailed photos without blurring.

Camera Features:

- 7.0-megapixel CCD
- 2.5" color LCD screen
- Scene modes include portrait, landscape, sunset, backlight, children, night, fireworks, snow, food building and text
- Built-in autofocus uses programmed autoexposure modes
- Auto, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent and manual white balance controls
- Flash modes include auto, flash-on, flash-off, fill flash and red-eye reduction for great images no matter what the lighting
- Color modes include black-and-white, sepia, color, negative, red, green and blue
- High-quality video mode records AVI video with audio
- 16MB internal memory with support for Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity and MultiMediaCard memory cards
- PictBridge compatible so you can connect your camera to a compatible printer and print photos directly without using a PC
- Comes with 2 AA alkaline batteries, A/V and USB cables, wrist strap and owner's manual


Prize #2: Rocketfish™ - 2.0-Megapixel Autofocus Webcam (ARV $59.99)
Add a little fun to your Web chats with this Rocketfish 2MP Autofocus Webcam that easily clips onto your notebook or LCD monitor. The intelligent face tracking technology focuses on you, while autofocus always ensures a sharp and precise image. It lets you chat using the most popular instant messenger software and includes Advanced Video FX so you can add exciting visual effects to your chatting.

Webcam Features:

- Up to 8.0-megapixel still image capture and 2.0-megapixel video capture
- Built-in microphone for videoconferencing and recording
- Works with instant messenger software including AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger
- PC and Mac compatible


Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.


How to Gain Entries:
To enter, go to BestBuy.com and take a look around. Then come back here and leave a comment in the form provided at the bottom of this post telling me one product you like from any department on the site(excluding the 2 prize items). You MUST do this to be eligible to win.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, enter another one of my "Father Day Fling" contests. Then leave FIVE separate comments telling me which one you entered. You will earn 5 entries for each contest you enter provided you leave a separate comment for each entry.

2) Add this blog to your Technorati Favorites. Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so and under what username. Add to Technorati Favorites

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this giveaway linking back to all four participating blogs. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4) Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

5) Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this as many times as you would like.

6) Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

7) Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

8) Add my "Graco Twin Stroller" giveaway button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

9) Add the "Father's Day Fling" giveaway event button to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

Now go visit the other 3 participating blogs for more chances to win this great prizes!

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:
This contest will be closed on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!