“What’s that little icon on your task bar?” He asks, leaning over my shoulder in that irritating way that makes me freeze up and completely forget what I was in the middle of writing.
“Which icon?” My task bar is three lines thick, and it’s definitely not short on icons.
“The smiley guy with the goofy hat.”
“Ah, that’s my Wishpot button. It’s the thing that’s helping me the most this year. Every time I see something that would be perfect for me or the girls I just click on it and it puts it in our wishlists. Then anyone can access the lists and see what we want.”
“That’s cool. Makes it easy. So? What’s on your list?”
“Uh… A sports bra. A steam vacuum. A salad shooter.”
“Wow. Well, at least your little button is cool. Maybe one day you’ll have something cool on your wishlist too.”
“I have a Wii on there. Does that count?”
“Well, it’s better.”
“And I can put a Kindle! Or the mini laptop I’m coveting!”
“OK. Now you’re just getting carried away. It’s a wishlist, not a wishful thinking list.” He moved too fast. The cushion I lobbed at him missed him by a mile. But I put the mini laptop on the list, you know, just in case.
Jessica is the Wishpot “Been there bought that” Mom Expert and a busy writer mama who is constantly trying to juggle writing, childcare, and housekeeping. Let’s be honest, kids and writing usually win which explains the sad state of their home. She blogs every day at It’s my life… and does frequent product reviews and giveaways at The Lemonade Stand.
Today Wishpot Mom Expert Dana of Babyluxe Daily and The Winning Pitch blog gives us her high tech picks for holiday gift ideas. Thanks Dana!
As I browse over my 7 year old and my 8 year old niece’s gift wish lists {to Santa still thank goodness}, I realize my sister and I could possibly spend into the thousands on just gifts for them alone! Seriously, A Nintendo DS {with of course games to go with it}, a $200 digital camera, the Wii and all the accessories, a fancy dancy IPod, a Pink Laptop, to just name a few…how do parents afford it now a days; I miss the days of Legos and Lincoln Logs on their lists!
Let me give you some other ideas and products {more affordable and durable; you know you’ll buy the high end electronic only to have it break when someone sits on it after it falls into the couch no more than a week after Christmas} I have found to replace expensive techy products for kids.
Check out my post on BabyLuxe {daily} the other day on LeapFrog, this company can not be bet! More affordable than the IPod and the DS, try the Crammer and the Didj. Still appropriate for that age group, fantastic graphics and memory, PLUS educational thrown in! These two products are brilliant {as are all of LeapFrog’s products}! They have a similar look as the more expensive ones and have all the same features, and more, so why not stick with a company we all love and save a few bucks.
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Okay, the Wii, I agree this is a fabulous product for “families”, so instead of tagging this one as just for one child, give it as a gift for the entire family. And you certainly do not need all the bells and whistles right away, the accessories and games are all pricey so spread out purchasing them throughout the year.
I would have never thought an 8 year would need her own laptop but the way the schools are run now a days, homework can be completed online and submitted to the teacher electronically, how cool is that??! So, just maybe, an 8 year will need her own “computer”, not necessarily a laptop. Purchase a refurbished computer or of course shop the sales. A desktop is much cheaper and for an 8 year old and up, it will work perfectly for what they need it for. The laptops are for the convenience of wireless and traveling, not something kids need access to as of yet.
Finally, a digital camera. I’ve gone through a few expensive digital cameras over the past couple years as they are extremely sensitive and must be handled with care, again, not something for a 7 year old boy! So, a cheaper more durable solution is the FisherPrice Kids tough digital or Vtech Kidizoom camera for the preschoolers and look at this cute and durable little digital camera for the older kids, the Argus Bean Sprout. Perfect for the younger photographers and durable enough to travel with them to the playground or wherever their fun life’s take them!
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