The folk at Hallmark sent me a recordable storybook for Tricky and they've come a LONG way since then. With the old ones, the tape would keep going whether you were keeping up or not... with these, the sound is recorded, in your own voice, and is only played when on that page (fancy light sensors).
We had a bit of a play:
Now nothing beats sitting down and spending time reading, sounding out the words and interacting with the story, but these would be good as a 'sometimes' reader (like a sometimes food, ya know?) perhaps when you've left the kids with a babysitter, or if you're on a road trip and the second you look at a book in a moving vehicle you throw up... or something.
The musical introduction for each page is a little long and distracting for someone as young as Tricky, who just wanted to turn the page for more music, so I think it would suit a slightly older child more. So these are going on the shelf for a few months and they'll be brought back down when he's ready.
Thanks to Hallmark I have TWO books to give away and you can choose from one of five titles. To enter leave a comment below telling me what you'd do in the five minutes of free time you would get when the book reads to your children. I'd play on twitter, obviously.
Entry is open to Australian residents only. Entries close at 10pm AEST on Monday 19th September 2011 at which time a winner will be chosen using a random number generator. Make sure you sign in to the comment platform with a valid email address/twitter handle or leave your details as part of your comment so you can be contacted. Winner has one week to reply to notification, failing that, the prize will be redrawn. The prize is provided by Communicado and Hallmark and is not transferable.
Winner to choose from the following available titles: Winnie The Pooh’s Plan Bee, All The Ways I Love You, My Little Princess, Hey Diddle Diddle, and Lightening McQueen and His Winning Team.
I would sneak into the pantry and eat chocolate without anyone noticing.
ReplyDeleteOMG could Tricky BE any cuter?
ReplyDeleteFive minutes to myself means five minutes more to eat bacon.
What a funky monkey you have jamming to all the music. Thanks for the vlog review! x
ReplyDelete5 free minutes.... hmm, I'd probably eat sitting down... at the dining table! That is, NOT at the kitchen bench behind the protection of a child gate scoffing handy snacks down my throat as fast as I can LOL
Trickey bops to music the same way my boys do !
ReplyDeleteI'd be on Twitter. Blogging. Trying to figuring out Tweet Deck :-)
I'd go to the toilet in peace! OMG imagine that!.
ReplyDeleteTricky is so cute!
ReplyDeleteIn the five minutes I get I would sit down and have a coffee uninterrupted, ah bliss!
Tricky is such a little groover!
ReplyDelete5 mins? The three C's - Coffee, chocolate and catalogues.
Doing household chores as usual
ReplyDeleteI'd be blogging, FBing, Tweeting, I wonder if they'd be happy to listen to it a few times, I need longer than five minutes. Perhaps I could talk really really slowly.
ReplyDeleteFive minutes to read the junk mail. Yep, I heart junkmail!
ReplyDeleteI was going to say I'd try to catch up on my own reading, but Courtney's idea is better. How great would an uninterrupted toilet visit be?!
ReplyDeleteI'd use the 5 minutes to type you a really nice email saying that I think you might have accidentally put the wrong date for the closing of the competition, and if I finshed that with time to spare I'd cruise around the blogosphere a bit
ReplyDeleteOh Glowy this is gorrrrrgeous! I am touched by how this could change things - really change things - with mums' voices immortalized for their kids. Gosh, the possibilities.... *sniff*
ReplyDelete5 minutes? I would just lie down in bed shut my eyes and just be still...
ReplyDeleteLike most of us, I would be on here, blogging or on twitter, jeering at the pile of ironing that is taunting me!
ReplyDeleteI'd go and have a quick nap! Some beauty sleep never hurts!
ReplyDeleteIn five minutes, I'd get dressed, go to the toilet and start making a cuppa. Yes I am like lightning when I need to be :)
ReplyDeleteR- read my catalogues
ReplyDeleteE- eat my lunch in peace
S- sit on the toilet without a mad witch hunt to find me
T- take some time for a hot cup if tea!!
I'd record the book really slowly, include some songs and side stories, so I had half an hour for a shower, a bit to eat and a power nap!
ReplyDeleteA nice relaxing shower. Without a little man staring up an me saying "shower, shower, shower" until I give up and get out!
ReplyDeleteI would boil the kettle, have a hot cup of coffee, probably drink it to fast, burn my tounge, swear from here to high water and then have a rum... so lets make my 5 minutes after 5!!
ReplyDeleteI would have a hot cup of tea and maybe sneak a little treat.
ReplyDeleteI like this book idea.
In five quiet minutes I would probably go and chat, uninterrupted, with my darling husband. Who knows, we might even manage to squeeze in enough time to make another baby. ; )
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe I have only found you NOW! I can't wait to see more of you and the gorgeous Tricky in more vlogs!
ReplyDeleteWith 5 minutes to spare, I think i'd put my feet up and watch more of your vlogs!!!!! :-)
I'd wash dishes. I live to wash dishes. All I ever do is wash dishes. It's official I have lived 37 years to be a professional dishwasher. Damn you small kitchen and no room for a fancy machine to wash dishes.
ReplyDelete5 mins free... a 5 minute bath with a large glass of wine
ReplyDeleteid do absolutely nothing. How id love to have nothing to do for five minutes lol.
ReplyDeleteMy kids are older, so I'd love one to give to my nephew who is 19 months & getting in to books. I'm sure my sister would appreciate 5 minutes in the toilet without her son interrupting her!
ReplyDelete5 mins all to myself........ i think i'd go sit outside and enjoy the silence
ReplyDelete5 minutes away from the 15 month old triplets i would be able to drink my coffee while it was still hot!
ReplyDeleteMmmmm.. a tea and a chocolate biscuit!
ReplyDeleteI will go quietly and give my hubby a tight hug and share a bite of chocolate with him.... :)
ReplyDeleteIn those 5 minutes I will log on to my facebook account and update my status that if you want to have some free time of your own then go and buy Hallmark recordable story books :)
ReplyDeleteProbably unload and reload the dishwasher
ReplyDeleteAWESOME!!! we love story time!!!!
ReplyDeleteFive minutes of free time would equal 300 seconds of silence, sitting in my sunny lounge room and letting the sunshine warm and inspire me. Alas, book or no book I try to do that every day anyway but depends on generosity of child and whether I'm allowed out of his sight for even a second!
ReplyDelete5 minutes.. hmm an extra long shower to wash my hair without hurrying!
ReplyDelete5 mins more to go to sneak chocolate from pantry and not having to share because they don't hear the paper rustle . Haha I just saw Nicole's
ReplyDeletetheese new hallmark recordable books are great especially if the kids dont see some family very often and they hear that person speaking to them from a book ist great to see the expression on their face
ReplyDeleteI would spend mins looking for more titles to buy as I think this is a fabulous product!
ReplyDeleteI would lie in my outdoor lounge and just relish the silence.
ReplyDelete5 min mmm a litte siesta or rest in the couch closing eyes and recharging batteries!
ReplyDeleteWINNER #1
ReplyDeleteWINNER #2
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