A Modern Mother -- Reviews

The Isle of Wight: a trip into the past (free wi-fi included)

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The Isle of Wight's Tourist Board is promoting the Island as a family friendly destination and asked if the modern family would please visit and report back. Who could refuse that? I had no idea though, that on the 55-minute car ferry from Southhampton to East Cowes that I would be transported back in time. 

A local we met on the ferry put it all into perspective: "Everyone thinks we're 30 years behind, but we like it that way," he said, as he checked the football scores on his iPhone (courtesy of the ferry's free Wi-Fi). Just the fact that we were having this conversation on a ferry was telling. "We've been against a bridge for ages -- all those day trippers would change the feel of the island," he said and I wondered just exactly what we were letting ourselves in for. 

Our verdict: A mixture of old and new, the Isle of Wight is a fabulous destination for families, even in the rain. It's a living history lesson where kids can experience everything from dinosaurs to castles to Victorian England. I'm already planning our next trip. Below are some highlights:

Is Blu-ray better?

I did it, I'm a Disney Bly-ray Ambassador. With more rain and shorter days on the horizon, the lure of new Disney flicks in the new high definition Blu-ray format was just too much to ignore.

My daughters were so excited when I told them they were official "Disney Blu-ray Ambassadors" they invited half their class over for popcorn and to watch "Hannah Montana on Blu-ray". Of course they had no idea what this meant.

To be honest, neither did I. After some research I discovered that basically the technology can fit way more data on a little disc than a DVD -- which means sharper sound and a higher quality picture. There is also the capability for more interactive features which combined can provide the "ultimate entertainment experience".

So is it better? I'm happy to report that the initial experience is phenomenal. You really do feel like you are in a home cinema. Compared to our soon-to-be extinct analog television, it's like putting on contacts and cleaning out your ears. However, you do get used to it after a while and the affect fades as your eyes and ears get used to the higher standards.

The players do need to be tweaked a bit -- there is a lagged loading time and it makes a strange violin-tuning sound -- but I guess that's the player unloading all those information packets.

With my Blu-ray player in one hand, and Disney videos in the other, I feel like I am ready to look those long dark winter afternoons squarely in the eye.

This is a sponsored post.