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!
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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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About Emilie
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Easy one… the The Night Before Christmas Recordable Storybook interests me most because I know my daughter would love a book where she could here our voices.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/Jamielz/status/6200985291
I would buy the wonderful Magical Christmas Tree!
Happy Holidays!
I Follow the Hallmark’s PR team on twitter.
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I follow you on twitter and tweeted http://twitter.com/dropcqueen/status/6201050116
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I have your holiday button on my blog http://johnnjana.blogspot.com/
Would have to get my nephew the spiderman ornament he was the cutest spiderman for Halloween this year!
Thanks!
Maggie M.
I would get my dad the “fix it” moose ornament for Christmas- he is so “handy” lol
Thanks!
Jen A.
I follow you via email!
Thanks!
Maggie M.
I would purchase an ornament. Barbie if they still make them. I have a few from the eighties.
I would get some of the adhesive gift wrap. I have used a sample of it before, and it makes wrapping gifts so much easier!
The recordable Christmas card to send to my daughter in CA, because she can never make it home for the holidays (she is manager of a retail store and they do NOT give vacations during Christmas!) and we miss her at the gathering.
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I would get the santas magic pen and book!
the recordable storybook because it would be so neat to have my little girls voice on each page!
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I follow on twitter and tweeted!
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I would spend the gift card on a “Baby’s First Christmas” keepsake ornament for my new niece.
i would buy the keepsake ornaments i love them
i like the night before christmas book
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I would get a few 2009 ornaments!
I am most interesting in the book you did a review on- this sounds like something my kids would love!
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I would get my kids a collectable ornament: Teen Queen for my daughter and wired for sound for my son
rhondastruthers at yahoo.ca
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I would spend the giftcard on the “Olive You” for hubby & I & “Like Mother, Like Daughter” for my mommy, keepsake ornaments!
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I just LOVE the recordable story! I think it would be perfect for my inlaws to record one for the kids, since they dont live here in Vegas, or also a great idea for me to record one for my nephew, who lives FAR away from us in New Jersey
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I would use the GC to get a Star Wars ornament for my husband
I follow hallmark on twitter
I really like the recordable night before christmas book… grandma bought us this and it’s great!
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I’d like to get Kissed by a Dog for DD!
I’d like to get the “World of Peace and Love” ornament for my best friend, and a pop up book for my mom (yes, my mom – she loves pop-ups!).
The Night Before Christmas Recordable Storybook attracts my attention. The idea is quite neat, I’d be very interested in checking this one out at stores.
Follow the Hallmark’s PR team on twitter@tcarolinep