VTech Kidioom PrintCam

It’s funny that in a world of digital everything, the idea of having physical prints of photos instantly is making a comeback. This is a cool gadget for the budding photographer in your family. It also plays video games and has over 100 photo templates to jazz up the prints.  You can print up to 80 images per roll, letting kids really play with it and have some fun. You can pick it up at Walmart for $50.

RipRider 360 Lightshow Trike

Even kids of the 2020s appreciate a cool bike. I still remember the Big Wheel from when I was a kid. It was an absolute classic toy. This Trike includes a front wheel that lights up with a bunch of crazy colors, from 60 built-in LED lights. The Trike is also said to be sturdy, ready for some serious riding. You can find it at Target for around $100.

Lego Daily Bugle

OK, this is a ‘toy’ that might be more geared for the grow-up kid on your list. But, we’re talking about a nearly 4,000 piece lego set that creates the iconic Daily Bugle building from Spider-Man, complete with villains and your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Be warned, this one is super-popular and may be out of stock.  Keep an eye on the Lego store for inventory status. It retails for $300.

DC Comics Batman 3-in-1 Batcave Playset

Not every kid is a Marvel fan! So, for the little DC Comics and Batman fan in your house, check out this cool Batcave playset. You can also turn the cave into Gotham City, giving your kiddos the chance to really use their imaginations. You can get this for $45 on Amazon.

Star Wars Snackin’ Grogu

He may have been introduced way back in 2019, on Disney’s The Mandalorian, but who doesn’t love a little Baby Yoda? Yes, we know it’s not Yoda, but that name is hard to stop using. Kids can feed little Grogu one of four included snacks and he will respond depending on how yummy he thinks it is. Sounds cute to us!  You can pick up Little Grogu at Amazon for $79.

My Real Jam Electric Guitar

Who is ready to rock?!  Your kiddo, if you get them this fun guitar. It’s perfect for Preschoolers and maybe a bit older kids. Budding guitarists get to choose from 4 play modes: Play with the Band, Free Play, Solo Jam, and Play Any Song. It uses Bluetooth to connect to enabled devices and play along with your kids’ favorite songs.  You can find it for $37 on Amazon.

Magic Mixie’s Magic Cauldron

It’s really a fun kid’s chemistry set, but with the idea of making magic potions. Some of them create mist and then a little creature appears in the cauldron. You can also use a magic wand to interact with your Magic Mixie. It’s a fun mix of magic and chemistry for your budding sorcerer or alchemist. You can find it for around $70 on Amazon.

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But, in 2021, the event has gone virtual for the first time. With this entirely revamped event, what can we expect from the show?

Personal Health and Fitness Tech

You can expect to see even more home fitness equipment, as people continue working and working out at home as the country slowly comes out of the pandemic as the year progresses. But beyond the Peloton, Mirror, Fight Camp, and other fitness tech gadgets, keep an eye out for more health-focused products, as well.  Think water purifiers, UV lights for disinfecting surfaces and items, and even more wearable health monitors. You can also expect to see more hands-free devices that respond to gestures or voice commands, rather than touch – like faucets or even larger appliances that will integrate with virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant.

TVs and More Tvs

Television tech has been a staple at CES for many years, as manufacturers showcase the latest upgrades to TV technology. Because they lend themselves so well to exhibits, TVs have probably been the most prominent products at a typical CES, filling huge wall displays or ending up looking like works of art, with wildly curving screens. Even with this year’s virtual event, TVs will still be a big part of the show. You’ll still see new technology around MicroLED screens, 8K, OLED, and even transparent OLED. However, it’s challenging to amaze a crowd with the crystal clarity of a new 8K screen, when they are watching the show at home on a 4K device. So, to some extent, we’ll have to take their word for some of the technical improvements.

Robots!

Every year, robots at CES perform more fascinating tasks as the industry continues to evolve. Robot tech will span a huge number of industries across health, manufacturing, and of course, entertainment. We’ll see more companion robots (perhaps more useful than ever before) and plenty of AI pets. 

While we’ll miss the chance to see many of these products up close and personal, we can still expect to be wowed by some amazing new technologies and gadgets at CES 2021. 

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Mike’s Hot Honey

Do you know someone who likes a little heat with their sweet? Then, this fun chili-infused honey may be just the ticket. You get the great sweetness of natural honey with a little extra kick from the chili peppers. It’s great on wings, pizza, grilled chicken, or just about anything else you can think of.  It’s available on Amazon for about $10.

Oxo Good Grips 3-in1 Avocado Slicer

Lots of people love avocados, but almost no one enjoys slicing them and removing the pit. In fact, it’s a real hazard to try to do it with a knife, hopefully, avoiding cutting your hand. But, this great little tool takes away a lot of the risk and also delivers evenly sliced avocados for sandwiches and salads. Available from Amazon for $10.

Miracase Silicone Airpods Pro Case

If you’re getting someone a pair of Airpod Pro earbuds this Christmas, this is a handy add-on gift to help store their pricey new tech gadgets. Available in 8 colors, they provide an extra layer of protection over the Airpods case.  You can find them on Amazon for $12.99.

Chick-fi-A Sauce

People LOVE Chick-fil-A if the lines in the drive-thru are any indication. So, why not bring a little of that flavor to your fridge? You can buy several Chick-fil-A signature sauces on Amazon, including their standard sauce for $13.90

Meliya Silicone Fitbit Bands (3-Pack)

If you have a Fitbit Charge 3 or 4, these are some great, inexpensive replacement wristbands to add a little color and comfort to your fitness tracker. At only $8.99 they are a real bargain and come in a variety of colors on Amazon.  

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HelloFresh

HelloFresh delivers a wider range of meal selections than any other service currently available and the majority of them are easy to make. The most popular meal kit company in the US provides options across the spectrum of cuisines, from comfort food to vegetarian.  They have been running some great deals for the holidays, so definitely check them out!

Blue Apron

This meal kit company offers boxes with 2 and 4 serving options including 2, 3, or 4 recipes per week. Pricing varies and ranges from about $7.50 to $10 per serving.  Blue Apron also offers a wide range of choices mixing in meat, fish, BeyondMeat and various diabetes-friendly options. They are also running various holiday promotions.

Sun Basket

Options from Sun Basket run a bit more expensive than some of the other meal kit companies, but they focus on strictly organic and non-GMO ingredients. All meals are dietician-approved, and there is a real focus on supporting a clean eating lifestyle. They are also running a holiday promotion this year to make it more cost-effective to get started.

Purple Carrot

Every meal kit from Purple Carrot is plant-based, making it a great option for vegans, vegetarians, or anyone looking to transition to a more plant-based diet. They offer both meal kits and fully prepared meal options that don’t lack for flavor or healthy ingredients. Check them out for a special offer that delivers savings on your first order.

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Nintendo Switch

Technically there isn’t a new version of the Switch for the holiday season (although rumors abound on a potential release of the Switch 2 in early 2021). The current version of the Switch handheld game console comes in at $299 – a significant discount compared to the console platforms from Sony and Microsoft.  While it may not be the new kid on the block, it continues to be a popular seller in the market.  

Playstation 5 (PS5)

The PS5 officially hits the market on November 19, at a price of $499. Pre-orders have been strong and you may struggle to find this new platform in stock right now, but early reviews are outstanding, so it might be worth your while to keep looking or just wait it out.

Xbox Series X

The latest iteration of the wildly successful Xbox video game system came out in September and has been selling out quickly. Reviews for the new system have been strong, making it a big contender for a place in your shopping cart this year. The biggest challenge may be finding it available, since it is already showing as sold out at many retailers.  It also comes at a steep starting price of $499, matching the PS5.

Apple iPhone 12

But wait, it’s not all about new video game platforms. The iPhone 12 was released on October 16, but quickly sold out in many locations.  Pricing starts at $799, if you don’t want to roll it into your wireless carrier bill.  The latest version of the iPhone delivers an improved camera with a better lens, faster processor, or generally stronger wireless connectivity.

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This year, things may be a bit different when it comes to having a big group of family and friends at the house for Christmas, but I am still getting the urge to create my usual playlist.  Maybe I’ll just play it in the house in the days leading up to Christmas and won’t have the larger audience on Christmas morning.  But, it’s a tradition I will continue this year.

If you are like me and enjoy creating a holiday playlist each year, you no doubt have your own methods for compiling the list of artists and songs. But for folks who might be tackling this project for the first time, here are a few tips from my many years of Christmas DJ experience.

Think About your Genre/Era

When it comes to Christmas music, many of us might initially think of the classics – White Christmas by Bing Crosby, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry, or Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer by Elmo and Patsy Trigg Shropshire.  Christmas music spans many music genres and it’s been with us since the early days of musical recording. So, when you consider your playlist, do you want to stick to a particular era? Perhaps one music genre? Or, do you want to make something eclectic that includes some favorites from across the spectrum? You’ll find choices from big band to punk rock, religious to hard rock, country to new wave, and just about anything in between. So, give some thought to the overall makeup of your playlist before compiling songs.

Does it Need to be Kid Friendly?

Wait, isn’t all Christmas music family friendly by definition? Well, most of it probably is, but there are some notable exceptions. Depending on your choice of genre, it’s easier to put together a truly family friendly playlist. But, if you want to include some punk rock, you might have to cut out some really great tracks, if you want the kids to be around while you have the playlist turned up. There are a handful of potentially ‘not-safe-for-kids’ Christmas classics by some edgier bands. Arguably my favorite holiday song fits into this category and I have to think about it every year, as I’m deciding whether to add it to the playlist or not.

Start with a List of Songs you Love

If you’re thinking about making a Christmas playlist, then it’s probably a safe bet that you like at least some songs that would fit the bill. So, by all means, start with some of the songs you know and love. If it isn’t Christmas without hearing Bon Jovi sing Please Come Home for Christmas, make sure that track is on your playlist first. Basically, the idea is to start with some songs you just know you (and hopefully your family and friends) would like to hear over the holidays. These can form the foundation of your playlist.

Do a Little Deep Track Research

Now comes the fun part, for me anyway. Unless you plan on just creating a Christmas greatest hits playlist (which is totally fine), you may want to include more than a few more obscure or at least less often heard tracks. Jump on the streaming music service of your choice and start running searches for Christmas music or look for interesting covers of old classics. Joy to the World performed by a ska band?  Check.  Silent Night with a punk rock twist.  Covered. You’ll be amazed at all the options you find by doing a little searching.

Good luck with your holiday playlist this year!

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A few quick caveats. To make this list, the movie really does have to be about Christmas. So, while Die Hard could be called a Christmas movie, we won’t be including that one here. Basically, we’ll leave the argument of what constitutes a Christmas movie for another post.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

It’s a rare thing when the third movie in a series (sort of a series anyway) outshines its predecessors and becomes a classic. But, that’s pretty much the case with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. From the opening scenes with the Griswolds on their way to cut down a Christmas tree to the arrival of cousin Eddie to the angry squirrel, the movie is filled with memorable scenes, quotable dialog, and general hilarity.

However, a word of warning. A friend of mine showed the movie to her two young kids for the first time last year (they were probably around 10) and they both thought it was lame and not at all funny. So, this might be the movie that helps you discover your kids have no sense of humor.  

A Christmas Story

If you have somehow escaped watching A Christmas Story, you clearly have never had your TV on during Christmas day. For years, at least one cable channel has simply but this movie on repeat and plays it over and over for 24 hours. Another solidly quotable movie (‘you’ll shoot your eye out”), with so many great memorable scenes (the pink bunny suit!), this one has carved out a place on literally every list of top holiday movies.

Will the kids like it? Hard to say. It is set in the 1940s, which may make it funny for parents and grandparents, but some of the content may be a bit dated for the kids today. When a kid’s favorite Christmas gift is a BB gun instead of a video game system, you know it’s probably a bit out of date.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

It wouldn’t be a proper Christmas movie list without some animation, but we’ll go a bit off the traditional Rudolph track (a fine movie in its own right) and go straight to Tim Burton with The Nightmare Before Christmas. Using classic stop-motion animation, the film introduces an unfamiliar cast of spooky Halloween characters to mix with Christmas favorites and delivers an original take on the holiday.  

Here’s one the kids might actually like. It’s a little edgy compared to the rest and mixes Halloween and Christmas like no other movie. But don’t worry. Despite its general creepiness, it comes through with a message about the Christmas spirit in the end.  

It’s a Wonderful Life

I’m pretty sure there is a law somewhere that any list of Christmas movies must include Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life from 1946. Before they ran A Christmas Story marathons, this movie was the one you could find running on some broadcast TV channel at just about any time from Thanksgiving until Christmas every year. 

The kids will probably be pretty bored by this one, honestly. It’s in black & white (so they will wonder if your TV is broken) and at least a decent portion of the movie is fairly sad. But, you never know. Maybe they will be thrilled when Clarence gets his wings. 

A Christmas Carol/Scrooged

OK, cheating a bit here, but both are based on the same story written by Charles Dickens. At this point, most of us know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, written in 1843. To date, there have been 135+ visual adaptations of the story. That in and of itself makes the story worthy of inclusion on any Christmas movie list. But which adaptation to pick? I would suggest bookending it with the 1951 version and then Scrooged from 1988. You get an older (it’s in black & white) more serious adaptation and then Bill Murray’s take on the classic.

The kids might not like the black & white version, since they may wonder if your TV is broken, but they might get more of a kick out of Scrooged.  

The post Top 5 Christmas Movies appeared first on At Home Daily.

What I learned fairly quickly is that while there were quite a few options available for cord-cutters, there wasn’t always an easy path to effectively drop out of the cable TV ecosystem, replace wanted channels, and still keep costs lower.  There are now quite a few streaming services that will deliver the majority of the channels you used to get from your cable TV subscription.  But, in some cases, they don’t represent a huge saving.  My goal was to accomplish a combination of things – cutting the cord, finding good channel access replacements, and also reducing costs.  Below are some tips on how I managed to accomplish all three.  

Addressing Broadcast TV

One of the first things you may want to replace when cutting the cord, is access to your local broadcast TV stations. Fortunately, broadcast TV is relatively easy to access without a subscription.  In a move back to the days before cable TV, you simply get an antenna and pull those signals right out of the air and send them to your TV screen.  The antenna may look different (being HD instead of analog) but the concept is similar.  The trick here is to find a decent HD antenna and then see how many local channels you can access.  With any luck, you will be able to get all the major networks and maybe a few more local stations, all for the cost of an antenna.  

You do have other options to add local broadcast channels with packages from various streaming services, but if you’re looking to cut costs, the antenna is probably your best route.

Add a Few Streaming Subscriptions

We live in a world with a wide (and growing) selection of streaming services to consider.  Whether you go with just one or pick a couple, you should be able to add access to quite a bit of streaming, on-demand content while still cutting the cord with your cable provider. Whether it is Netflix, Hulu, Prime, AppleTV, Disney+, or some other option, you have many choices when it comes to streaming content.

For the most part, these streaming services still offer inexpensive monthly subscription fees for access to their content. Some have extra bells & whistles, like providing access to local channels, that can drive up the price.  But the basic versions deliver a lot of bang for your buck.  I went the route of including 3 full-time streaming services and then added a fourth now and again, for short periods in order to watch specific content they offer exclusively. 

Consider your Tech Solutions

This is an important piece of a successful equation when it comes to cutting the cord. First off, you’ll want to make sure you have good, high-speed internet access.  You don’t want issues when streaming content and accessing the internet at the same time (especially if you have kids who might be on their phones or playing video games while you are trying to watch a movie). So, remember that cutting the cord may not mean you don’t still have one cable still connected to your house, delivering high-speed internet access.

You’ll obviously need at least one TV, but fortunately, the TV screen market has become so commoditized that even a large high-definition TV is relatively inexpensive.  Next up, you’ll need a device that delivers access to various streaming apps.  Many TVs now come with this feature built-in, but you may also want to look at options like Roku or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.  

Lastly, you may have become very used to recording broadcast shows on a DVR with your cable or satellite provider to watch later. Well, that is replaceable as well.  You could go with an option like Tivo, or buy another company’s broadcast TV box (like Tablo) that comes with either a hard drive or cloud storage so you can still record shows for later viewing. This TV tech ‘stack’ is probably the trickiest part of setting up your own custom TV content package.  However, it is entirely possible to put this all together yourself and save a few bucks every month for your trouble.

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This game’s premise is simple – a team of chefs works together in the fictional Onion Kingdom to complete orders for hungry diners. However, endless recipes and kitchen layouts provide novel challenges in each level. If you can’t complete the orders in time, unhappy customers storm out in a huff.  Can you and your fellow players save the Onion Kingdom while becoming master chefs in the process?

Unlike other split-screen experiences, all the characters remain in one viewing pane. The game includes various kitchen layouts that force team members to work together to complete tasks such as chopping lettuce, washing dishes, or pulling a simmering pot off a stove. Things get interesting if you leave the pot on the stove for too long and need to find a fire extinguisher before adding more ingredients. Also, you never know when you’ll be cooking from a moving bus where falling onto the road might mean a brief timeout as you regenerate in the game. 

The developers at Team 17 Digital really nailed it in creating a truly shared gaming experience for families with children ages 7 to 12. The graphics and storytelling are compelling. The challenges are easy to learn for new players. Overcooked also challenges more experienced players to learn more nuanced skills to complete various tasks within the game.

Overcooked has already turned into a series of games, including the original Overcooked! and Overcooked: Gourmet Edition, along with Overcooked! 2 and Overcooked! 2 – Gourmet Edition.  

Final Review: 

A solid choice for some family fun.  You should consider adding Overcooked! to your Xbox game library. 

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Here are two family-friendly group games for you to check out with your family.

Minecraft

Minecraft has been a game staple for the 6-9-year-old age group for the years.  The game is comparable to building with legos, and it is easy for novice players to pick up. Up to four players can play from a single console using split-screen viewing. Additionally, family and friends can join the same Minecraft world from other devices. For example, separate households can have multiple players across several devices, all wandering about and building in the same virtual world during the winter when reduced daylight limits outdoor play. Plus, the chat feature encourages youngsters to practice reading and writing without even being aware they are building lifelong skills in the process.

Roblox  

Another popular multiplayer game that allows for cross-device group gaming is called Roblox. While Roblox does not support local multiplayer, users across devices can join each other in games.  Roblox allows users to program their own games and play games designed by other users.  Like Minecraft, which relies upon an Xbox username to establish a group of trusted friends, a Roblox username identifies offline contacts for safe-group gaming. 

As always, it’s important to monitor young players on Xbox games even when they are playing in solo mode. Some games, such as Roblox, may be family-friendly overall, but user-generated mini-games may contain mature language or violence. 

Bonus! Wii Games – Various

While we’re talking about Xbox games, we thought it would be fun to highlight one other gaming console to consider. It may not be the cool new gaming system it was when it was first launched back in 2006, but it remains one of the most family friendly video game consoles. Many of the games still involve players getting up and moving around with the game controllers, making it more interactive and a fun family activity for game night. 

Thanks to the connectedness of our devices, gaming can be a great shared experience. Consider checking out one of these family-friendly group games the next time you want to spend time with your kids on their turf.   

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