As some of you may know, my brother is living in San Francisco, working for an awesome, small company of 15 called Tiny Speck, as one of the Flash developers.
Stewart Butterfield (who I call "dreamy") is of the the founders of Flickr - the wonderful photo site, now taken over by Yahoo, which gave him leeway to create Tiny Speck.
Mr. Butterfield had the lovely idea to start on a new, wonderful gaming universe called Glitch! From what I have witnessed of the game previews so far - it's like Animal Crossing on crack ... except you live inside the minds of 11 peculiarly, imaginative giants!
Butterfield and co. created this world that you basically build, develop, learn some new mad skills, collaborate or compete with everyone else in "one enormous, ever-changing, persistent world!"
The cool thing about this game is that it is one big world, so whatever you do - it will obviously affect the other players within this worldsphere. I am so pumped about customizing my little avatar :) And to meet the little floating "Street Spirits" :) So cozy!
The characters and objects that I've witnessed so far look so amazing and imaginative (especially this sluggish hottie named Helga - left).
I honestly can't wait to get creative in this game - if I have the time of course. I am so scared of how insanely addicting this looks already!
Any free time in early 2011 (when it is to be released) will be a write-off for me ... in a good way ;)
If you want more information about the game (and sign up early to test it out) - it's an awesome tip to follow them on Twitter @playglitch to get special announcements and queues, since there is thousands of people waiting!
I've signed up and am especially excited to try this genius of a game!
If you want to read a little more about the Vancouver based company, Tiny Speck - check it out here!
Glitch, the mega multi-player game, will be available to the world early 2011 and it'll be free! But, if you want to up the ante to a premium subscription, they will make it uber easy for you to do so. You can read more about this future fantastic game at Glitch.com
Last night we went to my parents to decorate their tree as it is a tradition since we were tiny! There was an awesome food spread where my mother gets all Martha Stewart on us with everything Christmas themed. It was lovely full of good laughs, lovely food and fantastic Wii game fun! We Skyped my brother in San Francisco where he is living with his fiance so they could be a part of the decorating process. :)
The Christmas spirit trickled into the next day as the hubby and I decided to go out and buy a real tree of our own from a local nursery. We listened to some Christmas music and enjoyed our new little family. :)
Well, I have purchased Robyn's Body talk in 3 parts; Pt.1, Pt.2 and Pt.3, in anticipation of each release, as I am always obsessing over her masterpieces. If you haven't followed her Body Talk trilogy, you can now purchase her full album "Body Talk" on iTunes - it was released on November 22nd.
When I hear her production and ridiculously catchy hooks it makes me work harder on music and just be happy I am in it. I listen to Robyn with my heart, as I feel the fat beats pumpin' through my veins!
She is so passionate with her music and when I hear that insane melodic hook it makes me go "Holy F&^#! That is brilliant! I wish I wrote that!". The weird thing is I hear some similarities with my own music - so maybe I need to bust that S#!% out now! :D
Is anyone interested in new Ellemusic? I hope so :)
I can't even pick my favourite tracks - there are too many! You HAVE to pick up this album - or all 3 (body)parts of it! (Ha!) But, seriously. Buy it. Best purchase(s) ever!
Sophie seems to be Edie's go-to toy along with her other little buddy "pie" from the French brand Vulli! Pie (in pink) is part of the collection of 3 named "Chan" "Pie" and "Gnon" after the French word for mushroom all together making them "champignon!"
These are the most softest, finest and natural rubbers made in the French Alps! They have such a distinct rubber smell which is actually good for the little one to recognize the toy by its scent! Very interesting! :)
They are also safe because they are phthalate-free. These, along with Sofie the giraffe are great toys for newborns as they feature little nubs and small limbs for babies to easily grab at and hold on to for the first time! They are wonderfully light, and have a cheery little sound when squeezed as they squeak with delight!
Vulli was founded in 1946 in France and is now popular all over the world with Sofie being the eldest toy of them all! Now they make many products based around her character alone.
Do any of you own Vulli products? How do you like them? You can check out other lovely things that they have up on their site.
Here is a video of Edie with Sophie that I took today, and I added a picture that I took a couple weeks ago (above) :)
I love the holidays - especially when you get those special magazines in the mail around this time of year! You recall how happy I was when I got the Victoria's Secret Magazine in Norway (read last year's post) - and this year I got the Tiffany & Co. Gift Book! I am just enjoying and dreaming over a cup of tea :)
I wish I could circle things like I used to when I got the Sears Wishbook, which was the children's bible of toys! ;)
This year I won't be getting anything Tiffany (perhaps this one thing for the tree), because when I had baby Edie (and since I had a "drug-free, all natural birth"), I got a very pretty open heart pendant and chain by Elsa Peretti in sterling silver.
I got to pick something - within budget, of course - and I wanted there to be a story behind it. I also wanted it to be something gorgeous and timeless, to pass on to little Edie when the time comes. One day I can tell her what it was for and what I did for her. I hope she will enjoy it :)
For now, I wear it as mine, as it was for me. I just like to think ahead a little ;) (I decided to put it on and take a picture of it)
If anyone is wondering, I am wearing the 18 inch, as the 16 inch falls too high on my neck ... I feel.
There is something I am getting of Tiffany's that I am excited about, considering the circumstances suck so bad!
Yes, I found out I am almost blind (not really) in my left eye and my right eye is also not doing so fantastic these days. I found this awesome Optometrist that trained in England and brought his amazing knowledge to London, Canada! He prescribed me some prism lenses, as the muscles around my eyes are straining, causing me to cross them when I am tired! Hence the prism shape to bounce light and to "fool" the eyes to work together.
So, in light of the whole situation, I have to Lisa Loeb my way through life and wear them almost all the time - unless it's a fancy night out with the ladies (and I would take fashion over short-term blindness any day). Who knows - as there might be some things I don't want to see on those nights anyways ;)
I will wear them mostly for in front of the computer, watching tv and driving use - which I guess is all the time. I'll post my new Tiffany glasses when I get them in next week!
Back to the Tiffany & Co. Holiday book! There is a really cute crystal Angel, puffed heart and french horn for the tree and they are only $35 dollars! I mean for Tiffany's. Hmmm... ;)
There is a lot of great ideas in there and you can always check out all the gorgeousness on their site too!
While watching this hilarious baby listen to Florence's "Dog Days", Edie was screaming in excitement every second of it - which was pretty funny as well!
But, you have to watch this little one listen to the song and enjoy his emotions throughout. Oh - and make sure to catch when they turn it down - and when the song is over, and they have no choice but to repeat it again! I love this little guy!
Last week I tweeted about putting up some Christmas decorations around the house and that it was a jolly good time! A very close friend, Fonda Lashay, who I met it Norway, mentioned that she didn't see any decorations yet, but then a few days later told me they had amazing, purple, beautiful Christmas things in the Nille store!
Well, Nille followed our tweets, thus caught us in our excitement - and was cool enough to actually write an Advent blog, inspired by me - as they linked to my page!
Check out the wicked purplepost! I miss Norway and all of their awesomeness! Thank you so much Nille! You truly made my (and my friend's) Holiday season!
If you understand Norwegian, or get the just of the story (like me ;) you can visit their homepage and follow their blog here (just click "BLOGG" in the menu).
One of the most concerning things that was on my mind (and most new mothers) - almost obsessively so - was trying to figure out how I would cut the little girl's nails. I was pondering this even before she was born.
I heard so many horror stories of parents cutting the skin and I knew it would be my job to do this, since the hubby puts on the Soft Paws for our cats.
After a little bit of research, I came across the oh-so-innovative Buzz b. by ZoLi! It's essentially a little sanding machine for babies' finger nails. It spins one of four interchangeable, soft, emery board type pads. They have corresponding colours depending on how old your little one is, with extra tough sandy scratchiness - as baby's nails get harder with age.
Edie graduated from the pink pad (0-3 months) to the blue pad which is a little rougher, for 3-6 months - even though she is only 2 months old. I take these suggestions as a guideline as you will know your baby's nails best - and feel what is working for you or what isn't anymore. Edie has crazy strong nails so I felt it was fitting to move up.
But, no matter what - this machine is so amazing and it just "tickles" their little fingers as they sit there, as it neither touches nor harms the surrounding skin. Edie actually falls asleep, she loves getting her nails massaged down so much! What a relief!
I remember the second morning of her life, buzzing down her fragile, paper-thin, little nails with the pink pad. I recall testing it on myself first as I was a little skeptical and scared - being a new mom - how this would work on an infant so tiny! The Buzz b. worked its way around her little nails so gracefully, that I knew it was one of the best inventions ever!
My favourite baby store Babybot carries this life-saver for the new mom here - and offers, of course, free shipping!
I have been so impressed with ZoLi and the buzz b. that I also bought a 100% silicone munch-clover teething ring and a pack of 2 gummy sticks. These gum-massagers will be a great introduction to dental hygiene and a good, soft transition to the toothbrush.
I haven't opened these yet, as we are waiting for her to get a little older and teething :)
Everything ZoLi makes is BPA and phthalate free, too!
I highly suggest the Buzz b., along with other ZoLi products, as they are pretty amazing and innovative!
The next thing on my ZoLi list? The "breathe" nasal aspirator :)
Oh my! I almost forgot to post what I made for dinner last night! Well, as some of you celiac and gluten intolerant folk - we all know how hard it is to find some good bread crumbs! Well, I found some by Schär and they did such a wonderful job coating my chicken pieces.
I didn't know what recipe to do, so I checked on the bag and what do I discover? Probably the easiest recipe for breaded chicken in the world! It was so "Savoury" as the recipe insists, you could even do this with normal bread crumbs if you aren't intolerant as they were just that tasty!
I took a picture of my nugget goodness before throwing it in the oven. I suggest you get yourself these wonderful tasting breadcrumbs! I've wrote about their goodness before, but you can check out their site for amazing information on gluten-free products. :)
Right now, I am listening to some Bing Crosby along with other great artists doing Christmas songs, after failing to find some seasonal music on iTunes Radio (still love the Baroque Classical stations!).
I discovered "Shoutcast" free internet radio where you can just type in whatever you like and listen! It looks like it's run by the MP3 people themselves. Remember Nullsoft? "It really kicks the llamas a$$"... No?
So, now I am singing some sweet oldies to Edie while dinner is baking in the oven (I'll write about what I made tomorrow!).
If there are any early bird holiday listeners out there (mom?), or anyone just wanting to listen to their favourite genre or artist, I highly suggest checking out Shoutcast.com, where you can search - and broadcast yourself as well, if it strikes your fancy!
Stokke has become a household name, as all of baby Edie's nursery stuff is of this fantastic Norwegian brand!
We have the Bassinet that turns into a lovely crib, then to a young child's bed. We also rock the changing/care table that will turn into a desk when she gets older. The Norwegians know how to think ahead!
They are very well-made, solid wood products, while the craftmanship is amazing! We have nothing but good things to say about them!
We recently read in the Norwegian paper that Stokke has come out with yet another addition to the Tripp Trapp chair family and I WISH they came out with it sooner! We got the Tripp Trapp chair from my in-laws as they have a couple and one from when my hubby was a baby and it's still going strong!
As you can see, they added an infant seat that connects to the chair, or that you can take off to enjoy on the ground. I really feel the need for this as I feel awful when Edie is so low and basically under the table when we eat.
It would be nice to have her at eye level with the rest of us to engage in "The Sims" language with coo's and gurgles that we can enjoy :)
We bought our Stokke Products on AllModernbaby.com and it's a pretty awesome site that has just about everything (except this infant chair - which I check for every day). I really hope they bring it in soon so we can use it for a little while, and then use it for the next little person (who is quite a ways down the road, still :)
I suggest to invest in these products for sure! Especially the Tripp Trapp chair which you can basically sit on for your whole existence - literally. Now that's getting your money's worth!
As some of you may know, my brother is living in San Francisco, working for an awesome, small company of 15 called Tiny Speck, as one of the Flash developers.
The characters and objects that I've witnessed so far look so amazing and imaginative (especially this sluggish hottie named Helga - left).
If you want more information about the game (and sign up early to test it out) - it's an awesome tip to follow them on Twitter @playglitch to get special announcements and queues, since there is thousands of people waiting!
