Holiday Hotness

I am proud to announce to you all that we have another great swarm of Hot Mamas being crowned today. Yeah…I know…some of these hotties should have been added quite some time ago…but none the less…here they are!

I am please to introduce you all to Hot dads’ Holiday selection of Hot Mamas!!

Cristin of Tiptoeing Through The Tulips

georgie of Decisionally Challenged

Julie of 47 And Starting Over

Nic of MyBottlesUp


Now go check them all out…add them to your blogrolls and show them the love that they deserve.

Cyber Monday's Hot Holiday Gift Guide

Today I am not only telling you all what you should be getting for your loved ones this holiday season....no....I am also going to give away products from each of the below companies. Yes...as long as you comment and indicate in each comment what item you are interested in...You may just save a buck or two . Tweet the giveaway to receive an additional entry.

The rest of you are going to have to go to the store or shop online like the rest of us.

Now, I tried to pick products that would be of the utmost importance to us as parents....and am starting with dads...of course.

For Dad

FreeAgent - by Seagate
The first product that I’d like to share with you (and please notice how (For Dad) comes first) is a product by Seagate. Seagate has been around, seemingly, forever and I have always seen the company as one who consistently provides quality consumer products without worrying about all of the media hype and bells and whistles. Anyway, I was sent an external hard drive to check out for this review and HOLY… (I need to make up a term for “The absolute best thing to hit my desk since…well let’s just say since Mariah and I have used the desk for things other than work.”)

I got the package, immediately pulled the drive out and couldn’t help but to marvel at its size and sleekness. (ladies…keep your minds out of the gutter…we are talking about technology here.) Roughly the size of an 8-track cassette this little monster (Seagate’s FreeAgent Go 1TB drive) is absolutely massive! Not only does it offer immense storage space, it is set up to perform automatic backups, secure specific files and even synchronize files between computers with its desktop manager.

After I finished checking out all of the cool features and stuff, I went straight to offloading all of the crap from my computer. I grabbed all of the folders of music, pictures and other old files and just dragged them into the drive. After both Mariah and I transferred all of our clutter to the FreeAgent Go, the drive still has around 80% free space on it. Sage, Hubman and Dadshouse….do you know how much….adult material can be stored on 1,000 GBs? I have the drive set up on my computer and with our network, Mariah and all of the kids can store and retrieve all of their music and pictures on it with ease.

As I fell in love with this drive…and rekindled my love for Seagate. They offered their FreeAgent Go 640GB to Hot Dads as a giveaway on the site. For entry details please go to the bottom of this post.

Seagate’s FreeAgent products can be purchased at: Seagate and range from $90 to $230.

TuneBase - by Belkin
As all of you out there already know…I am WAY behind the times when in comes to cell phones. Over the years I have gone through the whole smart phone thing but I always keep reverting back to phones like my current one…Motorola Razor…that being said…for me to truthfully give you all an honest review of Belkin’s TuneBase – for the iPhone/iPod, I had to (yep) give it to our daughter…cuz she is the high tech phone, texting, apps, music genius of this humble abode.

Needless to say, she was thrilled when I handed her the kit which includes everything needed for an 18 year old high school senior to achieve mastery in multitasking…while driving. Aside from the fact the only thing I want her doing while she drive is to KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE DAMN ROAD, I know the truth…which entails; calling friends, flipping through her 1,000+ songs on her iPod and trying to navigate her way to the ‘hottest party ever!”

At any rate, when I got in the car with her, I was actually kind of amazed at the amount of ‘stuff’ she was doing …while keeping her eyes on the road. She first showed me how the TuneBase connected her iPhone to the car stereo and made a quick, speakerphone, call to her boyfriend…just to show me how cool it was. Then she proceeded to start some (rather confusing) music playing blasting throughout the car and then she flipped the unit sideways, with a quick flip, and hit the button for her navigation app. Suddenly, as I was being inundated with sensory overload Amanda asked me to hand her the USB cable so that she could charge her camera. I handed her the cable and she hooked it right into this elaborate, technological masterpiece.

At the end of the car ride, I have to admit that if you have an iPod or iPhone, this is one Hot Product that should be on the list for the holidays this year. The tune base is available at Belkin for $99.00
*Giveaway details at the bottom of this post


For Mom

FotoBox Plus - by Honestech
Now, I don’t want to make any enemies here, but it is a Hot Dad consensus that the wives and even some of the Hot Mamas are… a bit on the slow(er) side when it comes to technology. That is why this next product tops my list for moms. FotoBox Plus from Honestech is one of the coolest little gadgets that I’ve seen lately. Yes ladies, this cute little USB device will allow you to turn all of the beautiful photos, of your kids, trips and even your husbands, into state of the art slide shows and videos.

It is a rather small device that you just slip tour media card for your digital camera into and then the super easy software walks you through the process. There are even two modes; Easy and Advanced, which allows both novice and computer-savvy, PC-using people can get creative with and easily edit their photos and videos. By the time you are done tweaking your masterpieces with the themes, background music and narration options they can then be shared with the world by uploading the content directly to websites to share with family and friends…or leave it on your computer, burn DVDs or load files onto your iPod.

Any of you who take a lot of pictures and who like to share them with others…trust me…YOU WILL LOVE THIS HOT PRODUCT!!!!

FotoBox Plus is available at www.honestech.com and retails for $79.95
*Giveaway details at the bottom of this post


EyeClops Mini Projector – by JAKKS Pacific!
I have put this product, though kind of techy, into the moms category because if most households are like mine…Mom is the entertainment queen, organizer and coordinator.

When JAKKS Pacific approached me with several products, this mini projector jumped right out at me as a must have for every home.

The concept is simple…attach A/V cables to the mini projector, plug it in, press the power button….it transforms any simple viewing into big screen fun. The unit can be plugged into TVs, DVD players, VHS, iPods, video games…anything with the red white and blue A/V cable outputs.

After receiving the product we bolted straight to the living room to test it out. The girls were watching some Hanna Montana thing (not recommended viewing) so I just pulled the plugs going to the TV and popped them into the EyeClops. Within a minute they were laying on the floor looking up to the ceiling at their show…on a 4’ by 4’ ‘screen.’ We tried it on the walls, drapes (not so good), ceiling, etc and it all worked well. The image from a distance of more than 5 feet was definitely not as crisp as an HD TV…but I would not expect it to be…the experience was a blast and we now plan on using it for our weekly movie night.

Tip…If you buy one of these guys…make sure to have a long A/V cable. It adds mobility to the unit and allows you to have a ‘drive-in’ just about anywhere. Additionally, I would suggest (with larger crowds) to have some external speakers to plug into the headphone jack. The speaker was enough for the 4 of us, but with more people or a larger room…you might want to boost the sound.

As avid campers, we are planning to bring this awesome invention with us on our next trip and have a movie night on the side of a tent. At only about 3X2X1 ½ …or slightly bigger that a normal bar of soap…you can take this Hot Product pretty much anywhere.

Available at stores such as Wal Mart, K Mart, Amazon.com and KB Toys for an MSRP of $99.00, I say that this is definitely one Hot Products for families. Find more info on the EyeClops and other Jakks Pacific products HERE.

*This product is not currently available for the giveaway.


FOR ...OFFSPRING

Unotron Keyboard
As I am not the biggest advocate of kids and technology….I mean I’d much rather see the kids outside doing jumps on their bikes, getting gashes in their appendages and sporting raspberries the size of grapefruit on their thighs than watch them surf the web and fiddle with their video games…but…nobody asked me…and I know that schools are making the kids embrace the Internet.

SO….I wanted to introduce you all to a product that has made my days at least 30% more stress free than they had been.

I am the kind of guy who has things in their certain spot and I like my stuff clean, unbroken and ready to use when I need them. (I am hoping that many people out there are like that…otherwise I just admitted to the world that I am an obsessive compulsive, neat freak with greedy tendencies.)

When the kids come running up and start shouting that they NEED to use my computer, flashes of me being on tech support with someone in India for the better part of the next day begin to fill my head.

We have been through about 5 keyboard, 3 computers and 4 mice in the past 2 years. Food and drinks on the desk, downloads, viruses, dirt in the keys, etc tend to do wonders on tech products…..UNTIL NOW!!!!

Unotron has created a kid proof keyboard!! This absolutely normal looking keyboard is my new favorite thing ever!!! I was wary at first with its claims, but we indeed put this guy to the test.

After hooking it up and playing around for a bit, noticing nothing out of the norm for a keyboard, I called our 10 year old over to my desk. I told her that we were going to do an experiment together. Smiling, she looked up and just nodded.

I handed her a list of things to bring me from the kitchen (orange juice, apple sauce, soda and jelly.) Then I asked her to get me one teaspoon of dirt, after looking at me a bit weird, she took off.

After she returned I told her to one by one pour the ingredients onto the keyboard. Yes…she gave me that look…you know, the one that says, ”Really? Can I?...and I won’t get in trouble?” Upon reassuring her that it was just an experiment and it was OK…she proceeded to, like a mad scientist, pour everything onto the keyboard. Once done I told her that we now had to wait 10 minutes.

When we returned to the seemingly lost keyboard, I unplugged it and we carefully walked it over to the kitchen sink. I turned on the warm water and ran it over the keyboard…back and forth. After thoroughly rinsing the whole thing and rubbing it a bit with a dish cloth, I set it aside to dry.

20 minutes later, we returned and plugged the keyboard back in…looked at one another and then booted my system. I don’t think either of us expected it to work right…but it did. No grit, no sticky keys, nothing.

All I am going to say is…if you don’t win this keyboard in this giveaway…go buy one. This thing ROCKS!!!!

Unotron’s patented SpillSeal® technology and airtight structure prevents any germs from getting stuck in hard to clean areas, which is also what makes it waterproof. You can literally rinse this product right under the sink! At an affordable price of only $45.99, Unotron washable antimicrobial protected keyboard is a reliable product and is conveniently sold at most retail locations all over the U.S. as well as online.

***Giveaway entry guidelines....
To enter the giveaways mentioned above, leave a comment (mentioning the products that you are interested in winning) for one entry and tweet this giveaway URL for another entry (please make sure to comment again with your tweet).
I will have an unbiased 10 year old draw the winners from 4 different hats on Saturday, December 5th, 2009.

Good luck everyone...and happy Cyber Monday shopping!!!!!

There Is So Much I Am Thankful For

My Thanksgiving post is gonna be simple…and inspired, in part, by Frosty Heidi and Frank’s apologies.

Today, I am thankful for:

My boys, Jaden and Jack

My love Mariah

Kids; Amanda, Cody, Megan & Christie

Parents; Janet, James, Charles, Margaret, Peggy, Don and Bonnie

Siblings; Whitney (and family), Matt (and family), Becca & Rob, Kaethe (and family) and Jaime

Notorious relatives…on Mariah’s side; Noel, Phil, Rhett, Candy, Uncle Dick & Sheila

Friends; Anna, Cathy, Gavin

My health

Fishing

Camping

The ocean

Blogging

Twitter

Most naked things

Great schools

A great home

Food on the table

Samuel Adams

Sex

Quality time

Happiness

Love

Hula dancers

Hot Dads and Hot Mamas

Prime time TV

Good movies

The US Armed Forces (troops)

And…

The United States

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving and hope that you are able to share it with all those who you love.

Ingenuity...That Vibrates - and Booze

As any “real” man would…I have, for some time now, taken on the responsibility of cutting my own hair. Though I suppose maybe I wouldn’t if I were single and looking…I screw it up from time to time. At any rate, I have used several different electric razors for the job. It is not a difficult task as long as I have different sized guides and a functioning razor.

That being said, I feel as though I have recently mastered that art of keeping my head in a shape that is at least somewhat visually appealing to those around me. As for facial shaving…I have a mustache and goatee and love to make the excuse that I like the ‘scruffy’ look…as opposed to daily shaving. I have to say that this whole face shaving thing stinks…and I hate all of the guys out there who can run an electric razor over their face while driving to work…and arriving with a face that is smooth as a baby’s butt.

I am that guy who needs a standard hand razor, an electric razor and scissors to keep my face looking as hot as the rest of me.

Now, the folks at Remington were nice enough to send me one of their new razors to review…it is the new PG-360, 8-in-1 personal groomer. Once the package came, I immediately brought it up to my bathroom and plugged it in. While it was charging, I looked over the paperwork which listed all of its functionality. I was impressed, but still skeptical.

Later in the evening I decided to take a beer into the bathroom and take my new little toy for a test drive. The razor is small…not what I had been used to, but it was strong and functioned well. I will say that the trimming and edging took a little getting used to, but after a few mishaps, I was looking good. The interchangeable heads are a great touch to the product as I do not need to have scissors and regular razor at hand while grooming.

I, after perfecting my skills with this handy little guy, took the razor ‘downtown’ and did a bit of ‘manscaping’. Which turned out quite well… Mariah says that it makes me …sexy!!

I will just put this out there up front ladies…The only pictures that you are gonna see are ones that the folks at Remington gave me.

As I am thrilled with this new found friend of mine…enough to have cleared off an area of the sink for it...I am happy to announce that Remington is happy and willing to send a PG-360 to one of you.

Now...as you all can imagine...Booze is a great mix with vibrating cutting utensils....I am now going to hip you to another MUST HAVE for this...and every holiday season.

I am not a big liquor drinker…though the ability to offer up some goodness to guests, if they so desire, is not out of character for me. I, as you all know am the kind of ‘gent’ who enjoys a nice sudsy brew as I kick back and watch me some football.

At any rate, the folks at Sobieski asked if I wanted to try out a few of their new flavors. What kind of Hot Dad…or human for that matter, would turn down free booze?

Once the package arrived and the ripping and shredding settled, I realized that I did not know any drink recipes to test the stuff on. I was not about to go old school, college days and make a pitcher of screwdrivers or Vodka Cranberry (I don’t even know what that drink is called).

Being that within the walls of Hot Dads, there is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom…so I turned to brother Dad’s House for virtual guidance with his two recipes

Vodka Martini and Cosmopolitan
I used the cytron flavored vodka in the martini and the vanilla in the cosmo…both turned out exceptionally well.

The unbeatably smooth vodka was virtually undetectable in the sweet goodness…so much so that one minute I was sitting back and enjoying the (two) drinks and the next minute…I’m not sure what I was doing. Make note…this stuff is not for the lame…not for the amateur…not for the weak of heart…but strictly for professionals. Space em out, and don’t let it creep up on you.

I give a huge thumbs up to Sobieski…for providing us with a superior vodka…and for the two new flavors. Additionally I thank them for agreeing to ship a gift basket of Sobieski promotional products (sorry - no alcohol) to the lucky winner of this, Hot Dads’ newest giveaway.

Comment for one entry and Tweet about this giveaway for an additional chance to win. The winners will be selected and notified on Sunday 11/29/09.

Sobieski Facts:
o Sobieski was introduced to the U.S. market in August 2007
o Sobieski is the # 1 premium vodka in Poland and the world’s # 7 best selling premium vodka
o Sobieski received a Gold Medal, 95-point "Exceptional" rating, and "Best Buy" award by the Beverage Testing Institute
o Awarded Impact’s 2008 Hot Brand Award in the Spirits category and recipient of the 2008 and 2009 Beverage Information Group Growth Brand Awards

The new PG-360, 8-in-1 personal groomer. Great for use in between visits to the salon or barber, this cordless groomer makes it easy for guys to create and maintain their own stylish facial hair – from precision trimming and styling to close shaves. It features the world’s first neckliner (an exclusive detail) that easily maintains a straight, clean neckline. The 10 adjustable settings are great for clipping sideburns, necks and a variety of hair lengths, as well as five adjustable settings for all styles of facial hair – goatees, soul patches, light two-day stubble, moustaches or beards of any length. It also has an ear and nose hair trimmer for, um, that not-so-stylish hair. More versatile than Norelco, this rechargeable unit comes with self-sharpening, titanium-coated blades for sharp, precise cuts. Cost: $19.99. The PG-360 is now available nationwide at Target and WalMart stores and online at www.remingtonproducts.com.

Thumpity, thump, thump! another Holiday Giveaway!

Being that the holidays are rapidly approaching, I thought that it would be a good idea to ‘hip’ you all to one of this year’s ‘must haves’… The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition.

Now I did not know this before…and quite frankly I don’t much like the thought of it…but I am freaking older than Frosty the Snowman!!! This is a ‘guy’ who I grew up with and always figured he’d been around for ages…like Santa. Now I have been told that Frosty turns 40 this year…and I turn 42…WTF!?

OK, back to the point of this post. I was sent a really cool DVD set to review and, as a member of an avid Christmas movie family, we were very excited when it arrived. Not only does this slickly packaged set have my buddy Frosty, but it features more than 4 ½ hours of holiday bliss including; Rudolph, Santa Claus is Comin to Town, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty Returns …and several more favorites.

All of the above titles have been digitally remastered (and now include guest appearances by Alien and Jason Bourne) to enhance the picture and sound quality so that we can sit comfortably with our little ones and a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy these classics.

I liked the set so much that I asked if I could do a giveaway for another set. So there it is...Leave a comment for an entry and tweet this giveaway for another entry…you could soon be the envy of the neighborhood with your own brand-spankin-new Christmas Classic collector’s set. Deadline for entries is Sunday 11/22/09.

The story of how everyone’s favorite snowman magically came to life on Christmas Day, “Frosty the Snowman” has signified the arrival of winter since his TV debut in 1969—and he’s still melting hearts! The series remains one of the most popular animated holiday TV specials of all time. To celebrate, Classic Media is inviting kids and families to “chill out” with Frosty, Rudolph, and Santa with the ultimate holiday DVD gift set: The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition.

The box set contains seven of the most beloved holiday TV specials of all time, including the Rankin/Bass classics “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “The Little Drummer Boy,” among others.

Watching these iconic TV specials are part of the American holiday tradition, just like baking cookies or trimming the Christmas tree! As you begin to work on your November and December holiday-themed articles and posts, we thought it might be “cool” to include Frosty and The Original Christmas Classics DVD set.

The Original Christmas Classics: a wallet-friendly, must-have holiday gift suggestion, whether you’re 2 or 92!

The Original Christmas Classics Limited Keepsake Edition is available wherever DVDs are sold for $39.98.

Let The Haunting Begin

As Mariah and I were walking on the sidewalk in front of our house, we paused to look up at the big spider web that we have been passing for the last week. Every day, the web was getting a little bigger, but we never saw the spider. I am...not so into spiders, but in this house…you do NOT kill (or even “relocate”) spiders. (more on that…see ManicaMariah.)

Tonight, there it was….a monster! Simultaneously, we both jumped back, as if we were in “Attack of the Killer Spiders” and the thing was going to jump onto our faces and suck our brains out through our noses. We stepped back and I knew I’d have to photograph this one. I ran inside to get the camera…and of course our 9 year old. Christie is one of those….nutty, animal-freak kids. We remove “unwanted” critters from her room on a daily basis. Snails, lady bugs, worms, rollie pollies…anything she can catch. Christie is that girl who would need therapy if she (even by accident) stepped on an ant.

I asked her if she wanted to go see the big spider while I took pictures. She was out the front door before I had a chance to turn around. We walked up to where the spider was, I pointed, she looked up and (with her mouth gaping open said, …”Oh My.” I started taking pictures (knowing I had to get the perfect shot for you all. Once I had about 5 shoots, I showed them to Christie who responded to me with…”Wow! He’s HUGE!”...(then I got to a good close up) she looked at the picture and then turned to me and said, “That’s sep-spatula…I mean scepatula…um….slaptulaR. Wait, what is that word?” I responded “spec tac u lar”
“Yeah! That’s it!”

Then I said…...”Hey, let’s go check out the one on the other side of the house.” We trotted down the driveway to the side of the house, Christie chanting under her breath, “spectacular, sptcatipillar, ...UH… do you think this one is gonna be as big?”

Chuckling, I said, “Hold on to your britches Little One….we’re about to find out.”
As we turned the corner, we looked up to the web (that we had really only seen from far away …until now. We (both of us with jaws dragging the floor) stared and as I said, “Holy Mackerel” she barked (like an army sergeant), “That thing is a...MONSTER!”

I clicked away and now, even though I have some cool photos, I don’t even know what kind of spiders these are. I kinda hope that one of these super-sized, creepy-assed spiders bites me. I'd be the ultimate Spider-Man!!!!!!

Dear Santa

Those of us with children have to understand the annual Dear Santa letters. These are the letters that we ask our children to write to Santa well before Christmas asking for a few very special things. We do this NOT to reinforce the belief in Santa Clause but for our personal gain.

This is how we, experience and knowledgeable parents get a reasonable list of what the kids want for Christmas. If we ask the kids to make a list for us of what they would like for Christmas…it would read something like this;

I want: a pony, plasma TV for my room, a new laptop, Uggs, Vans, Xbox 360 (with Internet connection), gift cards (to A & F, American Eagle, Vans, AMC, Baskin Robins and Blockbuster) the new iPod, the Blackberry Storm and some cash. (or something like that)

The dear Santa letters look something like this:

Dear Santa –

I know that you must be very busy this time of year, but I wanted to write to you to tell you that I have been very good this year and I have kept my grades up.

There are only two very special things that I would like for Christmas this year and they are; a new bike (because mine is much too small for me) and some new clothes……oh and…for mommy and daddy to have the best holidays ever…and I love them.

Love, Kid

There is a significant difference in what is wanted when talking to parents vs. the infamous Santa Clause…no kid wants to be seen as selfish or too needy to Santa.

Get them to write letters!!!!!!

And that is my wisdom for the day.