Hallmark has done it again and given us all some very unique and thoughtful ways to show that we care. Any of these options would be especially nice for family and friends whom you won’t get a chance to see this holiday season.
One of my favorites is The Night Before Christmas Recordable Storybook! We got a chance to try this out first hand and I love it. The instructions in both written and spoken form make it super easy to figure out and I really like the traditional story and look of the book. It was easy to record and rerecord each page as needed. Simply open the battery pack and flip the switch to lock and you are all set!
When your child turns the page it automatically plays your recorded voice for that page. Even if you turn the page before the recording for the previous page is over it stops and starts with the new page’s recording. I love that feature! The volume is at what I would say is the perfect level and you can hear my voice clearly, even if I have a slight cold. Here is a just a quick sampling of what it sounds like.
My only complaint is a slight rustling sound at the end of each recorded page. I didn’t do anything to jostle the book when I would hit stop to end the recording. I think this occurred simply because the microphone is very sensitive.
I haven’t yet given this to my boys as I plan to make it a special Christmas Eve gift. I thought another great idea would be for my husband and I to alternate pages so we both read them the story. My husband’s family is all across the country so I know how wonderful this would be from a grandparent who won’t have the chance to read a bedtime story in person.
This recordable storybook retails for $29.95 which isn’t bad when you consider it can become a timeless keepsake. I just received a $10 off coupon for this in the mail a few days ago so keep an eye out for it!
There is also some other great options for showing you care across the miles like this Digital Scrapbook.
The Digital Scrapbooks incorporate music, photos and text with personal photos which can then be displayed on a digital photo frame, computer screen, television or anywhere a USB drive can be used.
Another fun option is this DVD Greetings Card. How cool is this for only $9.99?
Hallmark DVD Greetings are an interactive approach to the holiday newsletter. Each DVD Greeting hosts a template that can be edited and customized with personal photos, burned to the included DVD and sent with a coordinating greeting card (also included)
And of course there is always the Recordable Greeting Cards which is the least expensive but still special option at $6.99.
More than 30 holiday Recordable Cards both With and Without Music are available from Hallmark. Each allows the sender to record a 10-second voice message directly into the card which the recipient will hear when opened. The Recordable Cards with Music also feature a 30-second song clip which plays after the message.
You can purchase any of these items directly from your local Hallmark store. Use the store locator to find the nearest one to you!
{ Giveaway }
Hallmark would like to give TWO of my readers a $25 Hallmark gift card!
MAIN ENTRY: Visit Hallmark and tell me what you’d love to spend the gift card on if you won!
Want more entries? (I know you must!) After answering my question do any of the following and leave a comment telling me what you did. Each is worth one entry unless otherwise noted. Your comment is your entry so please leave the appropriate number of comments for each extra entry.
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Win one of two $25 Hallmark Gift Certificates to show you care @babylovingmama from @HallmarkPR http://tinyurl.com/yl5ano8 #giveaway PLS RT!
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This contest will end on 12/10/09 at 11:59 pm CST. U.S. residents only. The winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification email before I draw another winner or do a live giveaway.
Disclosure: I received a sample for the purpose of this review . This has no bearing on my completely honest review above and was not influenced by any type of monetary compensation. The opinions and experiences I’ve shared with these products are my own and yours may differ.
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I would use it towards getting a Night before Christmas recordable storybook for my boys! They would love it!
hottmomma_03(at)yahoo(dot)com
I like the Hoops and Yoyo cards. They make me lol.
I follow your blog!
hottmomma_03(at)yahoo(dot)com
From your post I love the Night Before Christmas recordable storybook the most! Thanks
hottmomma_03(at)yahoo(dot)com
I follow you on twitter and tweeted!
http://twitter.com/hottmomma_03/status/6181011483
Emily and Victor keepsake ornament is what id get
I know the recordable storybook is what you did your review on, but I’ve had my eye on it since it came out, and if I won the gift card, that’s exactly what I would spend it on!
I’m a subscriber!
If I were a lucky winner I’d purchase some Personalized Party Plates.
Thank you for the contest. Happy holidays.
I would love to get the Lighthouse Greeting ornament for my dad.
I’d get a Caroling Cottage for my mother in law!
I would buy recipe cards and a new recipe box. I have two from Hallmark, they are already filled up…can you tell I like to cook!
I would order the black branch holiday cards.
I like the recordable storybook.
I would love to get the recordable book “All the Ways I love you” for my little one : )
I am a follower of your blog!
I follow your blog.
I am a subscriber!
If I won I would get “The Sweetest Gift” keepsake ornament of the snowmen.
i like their Thomas the Train ornament
The most interesting thing in this post was about the recordable storybook. That’s a cool item. A lot of dads are away around the holidays with the military. It would be sweet if they recorded themselves reading before they went to serve so their kids could hear them while they were away.
Google Friend Follower entry
i think the dvd greetings are really cool, especially when you have family faraway
Email subscriber entry
i follow
e-mail subscriber
The soccer keepsake ornament is delightful and perfect…as are so many of the ornaments…mine from Hallmark are treasures and so precious over the years!
I would get a couple of the Snow Couple ornaments as gifts for family members.
I like the idea of the recordable story books. What a great way for grandparents and great grandparents to live on!
i follow your blog publicly.
My sister and I want to get a few of the DVD Holiday Greetings.
Bright and Beautiful a Child’s Blessing Book would be a very fine thing to spend the $25 Hallmark Gift Certificate on.
The Night Before Christmas Recordable Book interests me the most in your post because not only is the story one you can read to your children year after year, but you have the recording to listen to, and remember back to the first time you read it.
I follow publicly. Good luck to all.
I subscribe via email. Thank you.
The dvd holiday greetings.
I would love to get some gift wrap from the Let it Snow Collection!
I’m a public follower.
I subscribe via e-mail.
Your site button is in my sidebar.
The Holiday Splurge event button is in my sidebar.
I would definitely use the giftcard to purchase some ornaments for my kids to start the collection.
dmb161@aol.com
I love the recordable book you mentioned. My kids are too young to read and that would be perfect for them.
dmb161@aol.com
I am a subscriber!
dmb161@aol.com
I would love to buy “The Office” ornament
I am interested in the recordable story book. What a great way to capture the voice of family members!
Follow Hallmark Pr on twitter (Jamielz)
I would love to get my daughter the The Night Before Christmas Recordable Storybook!
Follow your blog (jamielz)
Email subscriber