Our house is extremely busy with our four daughters. There is constantly a little one that needs to be wiped, repaired with a band-aid, broken up from a potential brawl with their sister…you name it. There is always something going on. I love the excitement. With that said, there is also a constant battle of who controls the living room and entertainment devices. The girls outnumber me so more often than not; Disney Channel is coming through the big screen TV, while another kid’s show may be occupying the tablet device. Because of things like those pesky college savings I haven’t built my man cave…yet, so my mobile device is extremely important to me, it’s like my mobile man cave.

I’m absolutely a gadget hound. I have owned and played with all kinds of smartphones. My new favorite might be the new LG Nitro™ HD. What immediately makes the device so cool is the screen. The phone came loaded with 3 sample videos and the picture was so astounding that I wanted to show everyone I know. I didn’t know I needed real RGB striped pixels and a 329 pixels per inch screen in my life, but I do. The color and sharpness of the screen is truly amazing. My wife and I joked that we could prop this thing in our family room and make it the media centerpiece of the room.

With the sample videos being so impressive I immediately downloaded some of my favorite apps like HBO GO and Netflix. My favorite shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Breaking Bad never looked so good. On Monday mornings, I run through all of the highlights from a weekend of NFL football and again, the 16:9 aspect ratio for widescreen make the device perfect for HD quality sports. Definitely excited now that the NBA is back. The visuals are also great for HD movie experiences.

IMAGE: BREAKING BAD ON NITRO

I love the size and weight of the device too. Let’s say I’m taking my oldest daughter to her dance classes, which I feel like I’m doing all the time these days, and I have some time to spare while I wait in the sitting room until they’re done. The Nitro is perfect in this scenario–the 7 hours of talk time means I have plenty of time when waiting. The visuals are so stunning that I feel immersed in the entertainment like you would a tablet device. But you don’t have to lug it around like a big ole tablet.  The Nitro fits right in your pocket. It’s the perfect balance of giving a big-time entertainment experience while still keeping the device small.

What makes LG Nitro’s True HD IPS Display so amaing? 16:9 Aspect ratio for widescreen entertainment, sharper, crisper images, amazingly accurate colors and more. Exclusively available on AT&T’s 4G LTE network. Find out more at www.NitrobyLG.com

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
I was one of the bloggers selected by LG to review the LG’s Nitro HD. They provided me with product to test and compensation for my time. However, my opinions are entirely my own.

I don’t like Barbie much. I don’t like that my daughters ask for them and I have to push back about why I don’t want to buy them.

We’ve done a pretty good job as my kids ask for them less and less. But for some reason, I kinda like this one. The doll still probably weighs like 80 lbs in human weight, but at least it breaks out of the typical Barbie mode a little. Thoughts?

From the Barbie Collector website:

tokidoki® Barbie® doll is always ready for cutting-edge fashion! She pops on a pink miniskirt, logo leggings and black top with signature skull heart and bones, carries a large bag from the brand, then adds bracelets, a belt, and sky-high sparkly silvery shoes! This funky fashionista features trendy tattoos and a pink bob. With cactus friend, Bastardino, by her side, she’s ready for fun in fashion-forward form!

The ever popular and famous “Easy Bake Oven” which first appeared in the early 1960s is back, and has a few modern twists. The two most noticeable changes are that is looks like an actual oven (to a certain extent) and the other is the steep price tag.

“This gave us a reason to do it completely differently,” said Michelle Paolino, a vice president of global brand strategy and marketing at Hasbro.

“We wanted it to look more like a real appliance, not a plastic toy,” she said.

About the size of a big bread box, the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven is clearly designed to fit on any kitchen counter, assuming a parent is willing to shell out $49.99, a steep hike from the last model’s price tag of $29.99.

“It looks sort of like an Art Deco toaster with wings – a purple one,” said Patricia Hogan, curator at The Strong, which includes the National Museum of Play and the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y. “It’s just so cool.”

I respect that Hasbro updated the Easy Bake Oven, but in me head there will be nothing like the original. Did you have an Easy Bake Oven growing up?

via Huffington Post

My 3 and 5 year old daughters wore these backpacks recently when we went to go visit the grandparents in Houston. I have never experienced so many people stopping us in the airport and asking where we got them. The girls were loving the attention. Besides the obvious fashion of the packs, my daughters basically packed their entire room in these things and they’ve held up beautifully. Extremely sturdy.

My daughters are looking forward to invading their kindergarden and pre-school classes this year with their new packs.

You can learn more about MadPax here.

The weather is starting to get nice and families are starting to spend more time outside. It’s a great time of year. But, we all know that the nice weather is not truly here until dad breaks out the grill. Forget the groundhog, when I roll out that grill for the first time, we know spring is here.  And when I bring it out more than once in a given week? That, my friends, is summertime.

In my house, I’m always warning my 4 daughters to stay away from the grill because it’s hot, but they want to be where the action is. That’s why I was so excited to bring in the Little Tikes Backyard Barbecue. The Backyard Barbecue is the absolute perfect companion for the kids while I’m overcooking meat on the grill throughout the summer. It comes with two levels and a side burner so that my girls can pretend they’re cooking some sides with the burger and dogs…just like I try to do.

Dads will also love this product because it’s easy to put together. Easy assembly is huge. This one requires no batteries or weird tools. Your kids will be up and running and imitating you on the grill in 10-15 minutes.

If you’re a grillmaster like I think I am, this is a great addition to the backyard this summer. Go easy on the lighter fluid.

You can pick up a Backyard Barbecue here.

The little tikes Backyard Barbecue was provided by Kmart.

Critically acclaimed author Adam Mansbach and father of 2 year old daughter Vivien wrote the book that many parents have been wanting to write for years. Sometimes you’ve done everything right at bed time: you’ve read their favorite book, sang their favorite song, been nothing but patient; fulfilled the last minute request for more milk; positioned their blankets exactly to spec….and they still don’t won’t sleep. Mansbach’s book is for you…

Here’s a passage:

“The cats nestle close to their kittens.
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
You’re cozy and warm in your bed, my dear
Please go the f@#k to sleep.”

From Mansbach:

“Hopefully, the honesty of this book will open up the conversation. These are legitimate ways that we feel, and we should laugh about it, and be honest about these tribulations.”

The book doesn’t release until October and it is already pre-selling well on Amazon. Just to be clear, Mansbach doesn’t want you actually swearing at your kids. The book is more of a support group for parents who can’t see straight during the day, because their kids want go to f*cking sleep. Looking forward to this one.

(via Today Moms)

Game Informer reported that Nintendo might be announcing a new Nintendo Wii this summer. Names flying around the interwebs for the new console include Wii 2, Nintendo HD, Wii HD, Super Wii, GameCube 3…all just rumors of course. Game Informer sources say Nintendo will make the announcement at the video game’s industry E3 conference in LA in early June.

Popular gaming blog Kotaku suspects (or hopes) we’ll see some of the following features from the new Nintendo gaming console:

- HD graphics…finally
- Premium content support at launch
- Online connectivity on par with XBOX Live and Playstation Network
- Integration with newly launched handheld 3DS
- Lots of storage space
- Support for original Wii games
- Motion based and traditional controllers
- Rechargeable controllers

It’s been a long time since we had a new console for the living room. Will be interesting to see if Nintendo can deliver what lots of dads we’ve talked to are looking for: family fun content and control coupled with HD displays for movie watching and core games as well.

A bit late to this one, but was sent this video over the weekend. Commercial is for Athenos Hummus. I’m not a big hummus fan, but I hear it’s good stuff. The traditional Greek YiaYia is confused by the couples “untraditional” working arrangement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

To help celebrate BabyBjörn’s 50th Anniversary and the company’s “Love Me. Love My BabyBjörn” contest, we want to give YOU the chance to win a brand new BabyBjörn Babysitter Balance.
The product that started it all, the BabyBjörn Babysitter Balance is fun for your baby, helps them to develop motor skills and balance, requires no batteries for operation and gives your child the correct support for their back and head.

How to win it: Contest ends 11:59pm EST on April 30th, 2011.

1 lucky winner will win a BabyBjörn Babysitter Balance (approx. $189.99 Retail Value).

You get 1 entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: @playgrounddad @BabyBjornUS and you must also comment with the link to your twitter message.

Example:I want to win the Babysitter Balance from #pgdbjorn from @playgrounddad & @BabyBjornUS

You get 1 extra entry for following us on twitter – twitter.com/playgrounddad

You get 1 extra entry for following @BabyBjornUSon twitter –twitter.com/BabyBjornUS

You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN on facebook -facebook.com/playgrounddad or facebook.com/BabyBjornUS

You must comment on this post that you’re a Facebook Fan or Twitter follower

The selected winner will have 24 hours to reply and claim their prize. After that we will pick a new winner.

Contest is US & Canada only.

After you enter our Playground Dad giveaway for your chance to win, head over to the BabyBjörn site for a chance to win the ultimate prize as part of the Love Me. Love My BabyBjörn contest.  Submit a photo of your baby and win one of ten incredible prizes, including a grand prize of BabyBjörn products including: the Travel Crib Light, Babysitter Balance, Baby Carrier Original, Smart Potty, Plate & Spoon, plus a Soft Bib!

Enter for a chance at the grand prize: http://bit.ly/hcWFu8

Back in December of last year, before the highly anticipated Nintendo 3DS hit retail shelves, Nintendo warned parents that the 3D device could damage the eyesight of kids under the age of 6. They posted the warning on their website saying:

“Vision of children under the age of six has been said [to be in the] developmental stage…3D images with different left and right images, has a potential impact on the growth of children’s eyes.”

Many optometrists said that Nintendo was getting ahead of itself with the warning and there was no evidence that 3D games would ruin eye development. Now some optometrists are saying that it’s actually a good idea to get your kids in front of a 3D screen before the age of 6 to determine if they have any  visual disorders. From the Associated Press report:

“The 3DS could be a godsend for identifying kids under 6 who need vision therapy,” said Dr. Michael Duenas, associate director for health sciences and policy for the American Optometric Association.

If your kid doesn’t see the 3-D effect on the 3DS, that’s a sign that he or she may have a vision disorder such as amblyopia, or “lazy eye,” or subtler problems that can cause problems with reading, Duenas said. Kids who experience dizziness or discomfort should also be checked, he said.

These stories are usually similar in the fact that too much of anything can be be bad for the kids. If they’re playing their new 3DS so much that their eyes hurt, eye strain is probably the least of our concerns.

More on the story here.