Indulging myself

I (accidentally) bought myself the most fabulous present last month (I always seem to know what I'd like!) - a Flip Ultra video camera. I bought my kids the Flip Mino last year, and they say they like it, but I guess I was swayed by the yellow and white outer shell that was only available on the Ultra

These are cool little cameras. They fit in your pocket, they cost less than $200, and they are absolutely point-and-shoot. When I'm done, I plug it - with its own little automatic "flip" plug - into my Mac and the video downloads automatically. No software to install, it just happens like magic. The one advantage to the Mino is that it has a rechargeable battery that automatically recharges while it's plugged into the computer. The Ultra uses AA batteries, but the rechargeable battery pack is available as an add-on. Because the Ultra is so small (just slightly bigger than the very petite Mino), I can take it with me everywhere. I'm taking little clips of the grandkids and they've turned out pretty well, which is amazing when you consider how fast they move!

I bought the Ultra from a home shopping network, where they encouraged me to try it for 30 days with the option of returning it. I intended to do exactly that, just to see what it was like. Time slipped away, emergency trips interfered, and 30 days came and went. Now I'm glad I didn't send it back -- after all, I have certain duties as a Grandma! The kids are growing up, and so many little accomplishments are waiting to be captured as videos. And all the cool things on Sanibel that I can show them. I must try to remember what a good idea this was when my Mastercard bill comes in the mail!