Add some color to your photography accessories with MeFOTO

Add some color to your photography accessories with MeFOTO

thumbnailimage-2With both mother’s day and father’s day quickly coming up, I know people start racking their minds what do I get for a gift for people.  If you have a photog in your life then I highly recommend checking into MeFOTO.

MeFOTO has done something really incredible its making photography accessories and making them designed to reflect the user’s personality.  Imagine getting a tripod in almost any color, ok that’s kind of cool but imagine having the ability to totally customize the colors – that’s awesome.thumbnailimage

Pick your favorite sport team colors (imagine going to photography your kids sporting event with a tripod that matched their colors). Are you studying photography in college – why not get something that matches the school colors? or maybe make it totally custom so you know your tripod is yours. Between the different parts and 12 colors to choose from you have over 792 combinations!thumbnailimage-1

The MeFOTO BYO tripod… BYO meaning: build your own. Allows you to customize the MeFOTO RoadTrip Travel Tripod in 12 vibrant colors. Great for point & shoot, mirrorless, micro 4/3 and DSLR cameras with larger lenses. Plus, it converts to a monopod in seconds. Compact, versatile, and light for on the go photographers and filmmakers. http://www.mefoto.com/byo/maker.aspxintro_2

For those that dont always love the selfie you can get the MeFOTO sidekick to hold your smartphone to any tripod but it preticually looks good when you’ve got your color match one with the MeFOTO Tripod. The SideKick will help you with your vidcasts, shooting those unboxing videos, or getting that amazing selfie (using a timer).

top2The MeFOTO SideKick is a smartphone adapter that provides mobile photographers and filmmakers with solid camera support and precision control. Indispensable for creating sharp photos, videos, time lapse and long exposures. The 360° rotating ball joint allows for quick repositioning from vertical for photos to horizontal for video and anywhere in between.  (Oh, and it’s available in super cool colors.) http://www.mefoto.com/products/sidekick360.aspx

While the design your own aspect is so very cool, what really matters is that these are super high quality products.  I was supplied with a demo unit and I’ve shot videos, photos and have traveled around the city with the tripod in its little carrying case!

Mastermind Is The Ultimate Game For Brain Boggling Family Fun!

Mastermind Is The Ultimate Game For Brain Boggling Family Fun!

mastermindMy kids and I loved this game… we played it again and again all week long. Sure, it made our brains twist a little, but who doesn’t love challenging their loved ones in a friendly setting?

Mastermind is like the new-age Battleship. A codemaker will set any code of four colored pegs and hide it behind a pop-up shield. The codebreaker’s mission is to crack the code in 10 moves or less. After each guess, the codemaker will use red and white pegs to offer clues as to whether the codebreaker is getting warmer or cooler. With six different colored pegs and an ability to double the color in a code, no one game can be the same; the kids can never get bored!

Not only is this game conveniently packaged with a storage spot for all the pieces, it is rather quiet. My kids went back and forth switching roles as codemaker, the person who creates the pattern, and codebreaker, the player who tries to solve the pattern, for hours.

I also loved the educational piece to this game. It really stimulated my kids to come up with different problem-solving methods. Mastermind is great for honing logic and deductive reasoning skills, as it teaches the children to think outside the box, assess situations and try different approaches.

I would definitely recommend Mastermind as you plan your next family game night! It is available at Target, Toys R Us, Walmart, Kohl’s and Amazon for an affordable price of $15.99.

ARTHAMPTON 2015 – Another successful season

ARTHAMPTON 2015 – Another successful season

Moving it’s location to ScuttleHole Road and Lumber Lane and having the event on the 4th of July weekend served the community well. We walked the event and met with many gallerists and artists.

FullSizeRender (2)We spoke to gallery owners like Roy Seifert of Contempop Gallery of Tel Aviv, Rachel Teachout of Edgewater Gallery of New Jersey. Michael Joseph of Artblend spoke to us about the photos of a herd of white horses gracefully galloping in the Camargue, in the South of France.

FullSizeRenderWe interviewed artist Paul Gerben, who was represented by Chase Edwards Gallery of Bridgehampton, showing his iconic art of Elvis, Jimi, and coke bottles on surfboards to be hung in the homes of old and young.

All agreed the show was successful both in viewers passing by, excitement of all who came but most importantly to the galleries and artists were sales. Art is moving and all were happy to have been there. First year participants were ready to sign up early and those that have been at ArtHampton for eight years will be back again next year.

IMG_6448 The Evan Lurie Gallery represented the work of Cuban artist Alexi Torres. The oil on canvas piece entitled Lincoln Peace sought $36,000 and according to Mr. Lurie the piece was sold.

IMG_6458Alex G. Cao was represented by the Center Space Gallery of Allen Street, NYC. Alex’s American Flag was actually pixels of JFK and his family. Flag vs. JFK is not only patriotic and a centerpiece but a conversation piece that can take hours to inspect for the detail of each pixel.

FullSizeRender (3)We spent some time with Tom Gramegna of Gallery 270 of Englewood, New Jersey. What first caught our eye were the pieces of the Jersey shore before and after Sandy. The famous roller coaster in it’s glory and then underwater, shot from the same vantage point by Michael Massaia. The Boardwalk, pier and other images captured about 4 years apart showed the destruction Sandy wrought in a way that only art can capture.

FullSizeRender (1)He also represented Terri O’Neill who became a photographer of note based upon his photos of Frank Sinatra. Ask Tom about the note of introduction that Terri shared with Frank and how that note, bonded the two for a lifetime of friendship.

Night at the Museum 3 is out now on Blu-ray/DVD & Digital Download

Night at the Museum 3 is out now on Blu-ray/DVD & Digital Download

NATM-e1425154547409-817x1024I must have visited the American Museum of Natural History a ton of times and even recently spend the night sleeping there…

Which is why I loved the first Night at the Museum movie. It’s just ridiculously fun. I enjoyed the sequels and this 3rd edition Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb is a great capping off of the series.  Its now out on Blu-ray/DVD and on digital downloads (theres a great priced 3 pack of the movies on iTunes).

If you want to hear more about the movie be sure to read our review and our interview with the cast of Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb.

If you’d like to have some fun with the little ones… click on the activity sheets to print them out.

 

Maze

WordSearch2

And be sure to check out twitter and instagram using #TrackDexter to see where that cute little monkey ends up…

Sleeping Beauty awakens on a screen near you

Sleeping Beauty awakens on a screen near you

sleeping beauty bluraySLEEPING BEAUTY DIAMOND EDITION awakens on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on Oct. 7.

Beauty, wonder and adventure spin together in a grand legend that transcends time as Maleficent, one of animation’s most spectacular villains, sends the kingdom’s beloved Princess Aurora into an enchanted sleep. In a majestic story that awakens all your senses, Good Fairies arm brave Prince Phillip to defeat a fearsome fire-breathing dragon and rescue Aurora. But success in battle may not be enough, for the only way to awaken the Princess is with True Love’s kiss!

Finally releasing from the Disney Vault, Disney’s ultimate princess fairytale classic “Sleeping Beauty” will be available for the first time on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on October 7, 2014. Experience all of the pageantry and power of this wondrous tale on Blu-ray – and for the first time on Digital HD – with incredible high definition picture, thrilling, soaring sound, and all-new Diamond Edition special features that make this a must-own for every family’s classic collection!

Creating the ultimate at-home viewing experience, Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) contains digitally restored picture and sound, a digital copy of the film, and a variety of magical new bonus features, including “Once Upon A Parade,” in which “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland tells us the tale of Walt Disney World’s new Festival Of Fantasy Parade, “Art of Evil: Generations Of Disney Villains,” a legacy piece spotlighting Disney’s favorite villain animator and Maleficent creator Marc Davis, and “@DisneyAnimation: Artists in Motion,” in which Walt Disney Animation Visual Development artist Brittney Lee goes through the process of creating a three dimensional sculpture of Maleficent, completely out of paper.

Additional all-new bonus features include never-before-seen deleted scenes “The Fair” (with Deleted Character The Vulture,) “The Curse is Fulfilled” and “Arrival Of Maleficent,” plus the Beauty-Oke sing-along to “Once Upon A Dream.” The Blu-ray Superset also includes classic DVD bonus features and more!

Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes:

  • The Fair (With Deleted Character – The Vulture) – In this version of the story, the fairies do not take the Princess to live with them in the forest. Convinced that King Stefan’s order to burn all the spinning wheels in the kingdom will not prevent Maleficent’s curse, the good fairies put a magic circle around the castle and cast a spell: “No evil thing that walks or flies or creeps or crawls can ever pass these castle walls.”
  • The Curse is Fulfilled – The three good fairies have just returned Aurora to the castle and give her a crown. They leave the room to give Aurora some time alone…but Maleficent pays her a visit.
  • Arrival Of Maleficent (Alternate Scene) – Maleficent arrives uninvited to the christening of the Princess Aurora.

 

Sleeping Beauty awakens on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere onOctober 7th! To celebrate, A few blogger friends of mine got together an are giving away an incredible ‘Sleeping’ prize package that’s perfect for your princess’ bedroom. This special promotion was created by Killerbdesigns.com, Mythoughtsideasandramblings.com, Dadarocks.com, Formulamom.com and Redlotusmama.com and is valued at over $220!

The Grand Prize (1) giveaway includes:

  • A copy of Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition

o   Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

  • Baroque Pink Glass Night Light

o   A handmade item that emits a beautiful and soothing light

  • Princess Bedtime Stories (Storybook Collection)

o   A storybook collection filled with stories featuring the Disney princesses

  • Absolute Ruffle Princess Pink Canopy

o   Sleep like a princess under this princess canopy

  • Colorful Butterfly Night Lights

o   Changes to seven different colors!

  • Girls Sleep Mask

o   Sparkling sequin-trim mask

  • Disney 4 Piece Toddler Bedding Set, Princess Dress to Shine

o   Bedazzled princesses in blue, lavender, pink, yellow and white

  • Pink Princess Throne

o   Now your princess can sit on this polyfoam pink throne!

  • Disney Princess Beauty Kit with Make-Up

o   A fun makeup and beauty kit for your princess

Runner-Up Prize (5):

  • A copy of Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition

o   Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest will run from Oct. 2 1:00 p.m. PDT to Oct. 7 11:59 p.m. PDT
Download Slumber Party Kit

Clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus, one  of the  nation’s  top  sleep  experts, has  some advice to  offer  parents!

Tips On Helping Children Sleep

  1. Be consistent. Going to bed and waking up at the same time (even on weekends) will help your children keep Maleficent’s evil henchmen out of their dreams.
  2. Use Flora’s gift of beauty.Help your children finish up whatever they’re doing, clean up their toys and make the room neat, comfortable and ready for sleep.
  3. Use Fauna’s gift of song. While everyone’s getting ready for bed, sing a few favorite soothing songs while they bathe, brush their teeth and put on pajamas.
  4. Use Merryweather’s gift of true love’s kiss. Dim the lights, turn on a night-light and read a book. If kids still have trouble quieting their busy brains, try the “relaxation game.” And then give your little ones that loving kiss good night.
  5. Embrace Maleficent’s color of darkness. The color black is best for sleep, though most children like a little light at night. Keep in mind that some night-lights (LEDs, for example) contain “blue light” and that can actually keep a child awake by preventing the brain’s production of melatonin, which starts the engine for sleep. So make sure your child’s night-light is one that filters out blue light.
  6. Follow Sleeping Beauty’s name, Aurora. She is so named because she fills people’s lives with sunshine. When children wake up in the morning, stop by a sun-filled window or take them outside for 15 minutes of brightness. Sun exposure helps reset their internal biological clocks each morning. Parents can also leave the window shades open so the child can wake with the morning light.

 

Dr. Breus notes, “For tips two through four, I recommend ‘The Power Down Half-Hour Technique,’ which I created for children, with 10 minutes spent on each of the activities mentioned. The consistent routine helps calm them down and unconsciously signals the brain to get ready for sleep. Roughhousing and other similar ‘fun games’ often initiated by parents who haven’t seen their children all day usually result in poor sleep.”

 

Finally, here are three rules for napping for infants and toddlers:

  1. Set a specific nap time, or make it three to four hours after they last woke up.
  2. Have a consistent pre-nap routine (it will not be as long as the pre-bedtime routine).
  3. Let children soothe themselves to sleep, even when napping.

 

For more sleeping tips and information from Dr. Breus, visit www.TheSleepDoctor.com