The eKids' Disney Creativity Studio Stylus & App for the iPad is Our Son's Favorite Birthday Gift This Year!

Thank you to eKids for providing a complimentary Disney Creativity Stylus sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

My son, Quinn, is very artsy. He loves anything crafty and can literally spend hours drawing, coloring, cutting, pasting, and creating. For his 7th birthday (on January 22), his dad and I were looking for something fun, different, and creative that we could get him, so when we were offered the Disney Creativity Studio Stylus, I knew it was the perfect present for him.

With the Disney Creativity Stylus, real Disney artists help turn your child’s iPad into an art studio. The app is free to to download via the code included with the stylus. The app itself is really easy to use and the instructions are very clear and the stylus comes out of the box ready-to-use and is also pretty simple and straightforward - just turn it on and it’s ready.

This app has a handy up/down button that you can use to change the width of your pen strokes and it even has a “magic mode” effect when you shake the stylus 3 times.   Doing so transforms your writing into a rainbow. The app has a free writing mode, learn to draw your favorite Disney characters section, and activities such as connect the dots. Plus, it has a whole array of “utensils” to choose from such as paintbrush, spray paint, markers, calligraphy pens, chalk, and more.

When Quinn saw his Creativity Studio Stylus, he was really excited. As soon as his party was over, he downloaded the app and started drawing. At first, his drawings were almost unrecognizable, but after just a few days they were much better, and now they are pretty good. He loves that he can save his work to go back and look at over and over. He also loves trying out the pens, stamps, and other fun things and is so glad he got it. He says it’s his favorite birthday gift this year. Since we homeschool, we have also used the Disney Creativity Stylus in our homeschool as art class.

We are very happy with the Disney Creativity Studio Stylus and how it’s easy to use, well made, stores away easily in it’s protective case, and is really fun. It certainly suits my little artist and I’m glad he has it. You can learn more about the Disney Creativity Stylus and purchase it from eKids, Toys"R"Us, and Amazon.com for $49.99.

Maximize Your iPad mini's Functionality with the Right iPad Case

Thank you to Snugg for providing a complimentary iPad Mini case sample for us to base this review upon. All opinions expressed are my own.

When my husband surprised me with an iPad mini a few months ago and told me what a great deal he had gotten on it from Best Buy, I was pretty happy.  However, when he showed me the paper-thin cover he had purchased for it for the price of $34, I thought he had lost his mind.  The fact was that I would be too scared to use my tablet outside of the house or to let our children use it with such a thin cover.  I've watched them accidentally drop their toy electronics so many times.  I definitely did not want this new tablet to be damaged due to a fall.

The Snugg iPad mini case has all the features I need to make my iPad mini functional and to keep it safe.  This case has a flip stand so that the tablet can rest on a flat surface at two different angles.

At the slight angle, the iPad mini can be used for reading, blogging, gaming, and everything in between.  At the more upright angle, the iPad mini is positioned perfectly for watching a video hands-free.  There is a much smaller chance of our children dropping the tablet if they can watch a video on it without having to hold it.  This position also turns our iPad mini into a great alarm clock while it charges overnight.

There are also a few other features offered by this Snugg tablet case that I consider to be extra perks.  First, it has a magnetic cover which triggers the iPad mini to sleep when the cover is closed and to wake when the cover is opened.  Second, the case has a place to securely store a stylus (which is not included).  Third, there is an elasticized strap on the cover for slipping your hand threw while the cover is flipped opened, minimizing the chances of dropping your tablet while holding it.  This strap is roomy enough to fit even my husband's large hands.

I should clarify that, even though the product title reads "Leather Case Cover", the case is actually made of PU leather (polyurethane leather).  I don't mind this because this material is extra durable and can be wiped clean.  This particular case is available in 10 different colors and is currently on sale for $29.99 (Regularly $39.99).

To view all Snugg iPad, tablet, smartphone, and Kindle cases and to learn more about The Snugg Promise and Lifetime Guarantee, visit www.TheSnugg.com.

Holiday Gift Idea: Discovery Bay Games iPad Accessories

We are tech people, so when I found about the fun and unique games from Discovery Bay, I was excited to get a chance to play these amazing games designed for the iPad. Discovery Bay sent us four of their games, and we were quite impressed with them.

Duo Pinball takes pinball to the iPad with their unbelievable real controller. Just insert your iPad into the pinball pad, connect it via Bluetooth (instructions included) and start playing. With flipper buttons and a spring-loaded plunger for sending the ball into gameplay, this game is a must for any pinball enthusiast. This game is fun, the controller works perfectly, and it really makes iPad pinball entirely realistic. Retail price is approximately $59.99 for the controller and the game is free on iTunes.

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Atari Arcade brings classic games back to life with this new-tech spin on old-tech concepts. Atari Arcade features the “old school” controller to play Atari games such as Pong, Asteroids, Missile Command, and more. My kids loved this game and the nostalgia it brought for my husband and I was nearly as fun as actually playing. The controller is well-made and easy to use with this plug-n-play game. This one has the free app as well and the controller is also $59.99.

Duo Pop puts the fun right into your hands for up to four players. With Duo Pop and the fun, free apps (some have optional in-app purchases) available on iTunes, you compete game show style by “popping in” with your answers to fun trivia questions. With games from Highlights, Guesstimation, Saturday Night Live, and more, both children and adults alike are sure to find something they will love playing. This game is, hands down, our favorite. We love all the apps and we’ve had many hours of fun playing games together with this device. This one retails for $39.99 but is worth more than that in entertainment.

Finally, Duo Plink is a super fun way to connect with friends and family to play easy trivia games. Place your colored token on your guess to the questions and wait to find out if you’re right. Plink rotates and drops the winner’s tokens into the bank so scorekeeping and counting are unnecessary. Designed for 2-6 players or teams, this game gets everyone involved. This one is cleverly set up to interact with the iPad and it’s really fun as well. My 5 year old could easily play because it’s always a 50/50 shot as guessing correctly. Duo Plink has several free apps on iTunes as well and the device retails for $26.99.

These games are all well-made, fun for nearly all ages, and designed to interact with iPads perfectly with no lag that I’ve noticed at all. Even though most of the apps have in-app purchases available, all the apps are free to download and can be used without purchasing anything additional. All of these interact games can be purchased at Apple, Amazon.com, Target, and Sharper Image.


Thank you to Discovery Bay for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.

Holiday Gift Idea: Kipling USA Deadre Crossbody iPad Bag

Named after Rudyard Kipling, the company Kipling features fun carryall bags for every lifestyle. Founded in 1987, this company has grown to the point that 23 Kipling bags are sold every minute! Their trademark monkey logo and keychain with every bag add to the personal and fun touch that the makers of Kipling products had in mind. Kipling sent me a fun and cute iPad bag named Deadre from their new collection.

This awesome bag features a padded compartment specially designed for iPads of all generations as well as two extra pockets on the front side. The smaller of these compartments is perfect for headphones or other smaller items.

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The larger has one large pocket and several smaller ones for a stylus, pen, earbuds, and more. The magnetic clasp ensures that the bag closes securely each time and the adjustable strap makes this messenger-type bag easy to wear on the shoulder or across the body. I got the black variety which looks classy and stylish with it’s stand-out pink logo and bright pink Kipling monkey keychain.

I love this bag! It fits my iPad easily and the padding is just enough so it’s not too bulky but also protects the tablet nicely. The color and shape of it are perfect as well and I love being able to carry it. I usually carry my iPad in my purse, but this is even better and isn’t any harder to tote, even though it’s adding one more carrying item. It is made with durable materials as well, so it’s sure to last a good, long while. If you are in the market for a nice, sturdy, and well-designed bag to carry your tablet in, the Kipling Deadre bag would be perfect. I keep all my iPad supplies in it always so that when I need to leave, I can just pop my iPad in and go.

You can learn more about Kipling on their website, www.kipling-usa.com. The Kipling Deadre Crossbody iPad bag retails for $79 and can be purchased at Macy's.


Thank you to Kipling USA for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Review: Monster Cable CleanTouch for iPod, iPhone, and iPad

Monster Cable CleanTouch is a cleaning product for iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Each $24.95 kit includes a 20 mL bottle of CleanTouch, a microfiber Clean Cloth, and a carry pouch to store it all. It safely and easily removes dirt, dust, smudges, and fingerprints from your i-device. It is alcohol and ammonia free, so it won’t harm your delicate screen and it leaves an invisible fingerprint-resistant coating. Plus, the Clean Cloth is antimicrobial, so it controls the spread of germs and bacteria.

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This product really lives up to its promise. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical about the fingerprint-resistant coating, but I was wrong to be. It truly is resistant for several days after application. Of course, the resistance doesn’t last forever, but far longer than anything I’ve ever seen. It does a great job of cleaning as well, and wiped our iPhones clean very quickly. I have even used it on my eyeglasses, and it worked just as well as with my phone and was fingerprint-resistant there as well. We are happy with this product and the standard that Monster Cable has set.

You can purchase this product on the Monster Cable website, www.monstercable.com, as well as at your local Best Buy.


Thank you to Monster Cable for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.