I recently receive a cute little wifi radio that originates from the UK. It’s only been in the US for a few weeks and it’s called the Q2. The Q2 Wifi Radio is just four inches square and can fit in the palm of my hand. It comes in five fresh colors, and has no dials, buttons, switches or screen. In fact, it’s motion controlled. You simply flip the radio on one of its four sides to change the radio station (you preset using the computer software). The volume is adjustable by tilting the radio up for up and down for down.

We keep the Q2 in the bathroom since we like to listen to music while we shower and groom. The Q2 is the perfect size and eliminates the use of cords (it’s rechargeable or can be use plugged in) and time spent fumbling through controls. Setup is a breeze. All I had to do was download the software, connect the radio to my laptop via USB, connect to our wifi network, and program our favorite radio stations.

The Q2 Wifi Radio is an innovative way to listen to your favorite local, national or international radio stations or podcasts. It requires no subscriptions or fees or a huge level of tech savviness. The Q2 is a unique little radio that I was surely impressed with. Mother’s Day is right around the corner, consider this a great last minute gift!

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The Q2 Wifi Radio can be purchased at Amazon ($119.99) and Radio Shack for $99.99 (Sale valid until: 05/31/12).

She {hearts} Freebies

Be sure to like Q2 on Facebook for a chance to win a Q2 Wifi Radio!

Product Sample Provided

hellomellow products are free of synthetic colors/fragrances, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals, fillers, even water and gluten! Everything’s pure and handmade with avocado-mango butter, packaged in recyclable packaging. hellomellow offers body/lip butters, scrubs, oils, salts, and uplifting sprays in scents that are sure to shift energy, moods, and heal souls.

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Give mom or mom-to-be the gift of hellowmellow this Mother’s Day. Three new Mother’s Day sets are available starting at $55. 5% of of all items in hellomellow’s balance blend will be donated to the Boarding For Breast Cancer Survivorship Fund.

Product Sample Provided

I love meaningful jewelry, especially jewelry that reflects my children. I fell in love with ArtWark‘s gorgeous, handmade jewelry (with a personal touch) the instant I came across it.

ArtWark’s gorgeous “Mother’s Love” necklace is fully customizable.  It’s available in silver, gold, and antiqued finishes, with turquoise beads, rice pearls, or a single Swarovski pearl nestled in the center of the nest.  Sarah made me a custom necklace with three turquoise beads (“eggs” in this mama bird’s nest) to represent my kids- including the new baby in my belly.  I was pleasantly surprised how delicate and dainty this necklace is.  I love the look and the meaning behind this piece of jewelry and I will treasure it forever.

Be sure to check out the rest of ArtWark‘s collection.  Sarah is willing to custom-make every piece to fit your preferences.  I also love the “Generations” necklace, perfect for a grandmother and customizable with birth stones and a hand-stamped initial charm.  Sarah’s jewelry is also ideal for a bride/bridesmaids or any other special occasion.

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ArtWark‘s gorgeous, meaningful, handmade jewelry is perfect for mamas, mamas-to-be, or any other special woman.  Not only is every piece customizable, but Sarah is a beautiful soul and a pleasure to work with.  She definitely puts a little bit of her heart into each piece she creates.

She {hearts} Savings

How about 30% off any “Mother’s Love” necklace in the Mother’s Day Jewelry section of the shop?!  Just leave Sarah a note mentioning She {hearts} It in the “notes to seller” section at checkout and she will refund your 30%.  Also use the code 20FORMOM at checkout for 20% off of everything else in the shop!  These discounts will run through Sunday, May 13 2012.  Be sure to order by Monday, May 7 to receive your order by Mother’s Day!

Product Sample Provided

I received a suite of Kodak products to try: the Easyshare M532, Pulse digital frame, along with an Eye-Fi card. Since there are three products involved, this review may get a little lengthy. Bear with me :).

KODAK Easyshare M532

At first glance, the KODAK Easyshare M532 camera is a slim little camera with a pretty large display. It’s easy to handle and can be slipped into your pocket. Its share button allows for endless photo sharing on popular social networks.

When I first started using the camera, it took me some getting used to since I have been shooting with a DSLR for years now. After my first few shots, I actually expected the quality to be slightly better. I’ve owned an EasyShare 5 years ago and the photos it produced were stunning. After getting my first few shots out of the way, I was able to start getting better shots playing with the settings.

So here are my very first photos straight out of the camera.

Sepia

Normal

And some photos after doing some more customizing. These are also straight out of the camera.

The photos started getting much better after playing with the settings a bit, but I still believe that the quality isn’t as great as my old Easyshare. Getting the camera to focus on detail seems to be a challenge. The Easyshare that I had 5 years ago didn’t give me that problem. So I suppose Kodak paid more attention to social sharing capabilities in this model and not image quality.

The Easyshare M532 has quite a few modes shooting different situations and film effects to enhance colors. Some of those modes are portrait, close-up, night scene, children, and panorama. Some of the color enhancing modes include Sepia (as seen above), Kodachrome (seen below), and Tri-X (dramatic black and white).

The Easyshare M532 is touted for its online sharing capabilities. It has a “share” button which allows users to send their photos straight to popular social sites like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter; email, and Kodak Pulse frames. Using this function is not automatic though. The camera comes with software that you must install on your computer and sync with your wireless network. This will upload the photos straight to your computer and then the social networks and email addresses of your choice. If you are out and about and looking to share your photos instantly, that’s where Eye-Fi comes in.

Eye-Fi Wifi Card

The Eye-Fi card is an SD card that uploads photos/videos to your computer and then to sharing sites of your choice. BUT… with a hotspot subscription, you can upload photos from any location with a hotspot. This is ideal for chronicling events live as they happen. Eye-Fi also offers an iPhone/iPad and Android app that will allow you to upload the photos from your camera straight to iPhone or Android device and then send them out without having to subscribe to Eye-Fi’s hotspot access. Since I don’t use iAnything or Android, I opted for the hotspot subscription. You can control Eye-Fi’s automatic uploading just in case someone gets a hold of your camera and does naughty things with it *hehehe*.

KODAK PULSE Digital Frame

I am loving our Kodak Pulse frame. I actually want to buy one for my mother because it’s an easy way of sending photos to loved ones without them having any tech experience. You pretty much sync the frame to your wireless network (touchscreen makes it easy!) and sign up for a Kodak Pulse account which will allow you to upload photos from your computer to the frame. Kodak Pulse assigns a custom email address to send photos through email as well. The Kodak Pulse also has slots for SD card and USB drive for instant viewing.

From my Kodak Pulse account, I programmed the frame to turn on at 7PM and turn off at 10PM. When the frame comes on, it’s an indicator of needing to settle down for the day and when it shuts off we (Jayden at least) need to be in the bed. We currently have a collection of our favorite photos taken this spring and will be displaying photos according to season to go with our seasonal decor. The photos look amazing on the LED back lit display!

Buy Them

Kodak Easyshare M532: $89.00
4GB Eye-Fi Card: $39.88
Eye-Fi Hotspot Access: $29.99/year
Kodak Pulse 7-inch Frame: $114.00

I am a voluntary participant in the Walmart Moms program. Walmart has provided me with compensation to share my experience with these products with you. All opinions (if expressed) are my own.

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After exchanging gifts, we got ready and hurried over to my mother’s house to give her her gift, a BHG quilt set. She got me earrings. We spent time at my mother’s house and let Boogie run crawl wild. I wore my Happy Mom tee that PeaceLoveMom sent me. It was a good day, despite it’s late start. We have plans to take our mother’s out to eat this week as part of our Mother’s Day gifts.

To celebrate our engagement anniversary, Greg, Boogie and I had breakfast at Ihop and did some shopping for ourselves today. And for once we didn’t buy anything for Boogie – although it was hard!

Boogie and I had the honor of being featured in the Why Moms Matter eBook compiled by Momfaves.com and ExtraordinaryMommy.com. Be sure to download it, there are some incredible photos inside that represent motherhood. Any proceeds from the purchase of the hardcover version will be donated to The March of Dimes in honor of Maddie Alice Spohr.

Why Moms Matter eBook (MomFaves)

I must go now, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to order online as my gift from Greg, but I’m still on a high from last Mother’s Day.

National Mom’s Nite Out is being orchestrated by Maria Bailey, Host of Mom Talk Radio and author of “The Ultimate Mom Book” as well as top Mom Websites, Newbaby.com, BlueSuitMom.com, and MomSelect.com.

“Our goal in hosting National Mom’s Nite Out is to unite Moms all over the country prior to Mother’s Day,” says Maria Bailey, Author of “The Ultimate Mom Book” (HCI, 2009) and Host of Mom Talk Radio. “Most moms spend Mother’s Day taking care of the other mothers in their lives so we hope to give moms a well deserved night off right before Mother’s Day.”

The evening will consist of over 400 local events held across the country, as well mom-organized parties and virtual activities. Retailers such as Simon Malls, Children’s Orchard stores, and Giggle will be hosting special Mom’s Nite Out celebrations, complete with refreshments, entertainment and special offers. Family destinations Pump it Up and BounceU are even offering discounts to dad and caregivers in selected areas who want entertain the kids while Mom is enjoying her evening. Food and beverages at many of these events are being provided by corporate sponsors, such as Jose Cuervo.

Top mom bloggers and highly respected mom experts are also getting in on the fun by hosting their own events. Hundreds of mom-organized parties and gathering will be taking place that evening, including a Boston-area comedy show hosted by popular mom podcasters, Manic Mommies, a New York City “Daycation” themed party at Giggle and book signing party in Los Angeles with Mom authors and experts such as Kimberley Clayton Blaine, Romi Lassally, Megan Calhoun, Michelle Lamar, and Mallika Chopra.

If Moms can’t attend an event at a physical location, they can still take part in the festivities. To allow moms everywhere to participate, mothers will be invited to throw their own Mom’s Nite Out event by downloading party ideas and elements from the National Mom’s Nite Out website, momsniteout.com. On the evening of the event, thousands of moms will be socializing virtually through online chats, Skype and Twitter tweet-ups.

The Invitation

What: National Mom’s Nite Out is shaping up to be the largest cooperative effort of Mommy groups, Mom-focused organizations, bloggers and vloggers- all coming together for one great night in support of motherhood.
When: Thursday, May 7, 2009 (Thursday before Mother’s Day)
Where: Online, On Twitter, In Social Network Sites, In-home and in Sponsoring Retail Locations
Official Song: Mothers Day Today, available on iTunes and momsniteout.com
Performed by: Jill Gioia
Written & Produced by: Jim Papoulis Conceived by: Alignment Enterprises
In Partnership with: MAMAPALOOZA: Mom-Branded Entertainment
Official Drink: Mamatini, Momopolitan and Mamajitos
Official Food: Chocolate

For event locations and a complete list of partners, visit momsniteout.com.
Help spread the word about Mom’s Nite Out by displaying the button on your blog!