+ loving: The anaPad (and some updates from me...)

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Dearest friends, I'm back!! We got back from our little trip away a couple of days ago, but I needed some extra time to sort out the mundane stuffs, like laundry, groceries, and also catching up with my emails and updates from other inspiring bloggers... So it took me a while to get back on track, but here I am, refreshed, and ready to share more new and exciting inspirations with you!

There'll be a lot to look forward to this couple of weeks; a couple of exclusive interviews with some very talented artists and designers, and Page Thirteen will also start hosting some really great giveaways too! So make sure you don't go anywhere, or you'll miss out on all the excitements!

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The digital age is moving at a lightning speed, and our children are growing up too quickly; my 2 year old niece Cadence unlocks my iPhone and her daddy's iPad with a swipe of her finger like it's the most natural thing in the world, when in fact, the world has only adopted the action less than 5 years ago.

The funniest thing, or not, was when Cadence got her hands on the house cordless phone, she attempted to do the same, swiping at the screen, thinking that it's the "universal language" to unlock phones, or any flat, palm size electronic devices. At the moment, the adults laughed and thought it was such a cute thing to do, but as you think deeper... what are we teaching our children, really?

Children who were born in the last 10-15 years grew up with computers, video games and cable TV as their best friends, its the "norm". Kids born in the recent couple of years believe the "digital apple" is something everyone just happens to have in their pockets and handbags. While I can't say I can part with my own slice of apple and the convenience it has introduced into my life, I still believe that children should be allowed to grow up and learn in an environment not entirely governed by technologies and gadgets. What happened to running around in the park, falling down and getting your knees scraped? What happened to playing pretend, serving teas to dolls and teddies, and dressing up in your mummy's heels and drenching yourself with her perfume?

I might have gotten a little carried away there, but all these thoughts were actually provoked and inspired by this very thoughtful product, the anaPad, a children's magnetic white board inspired by the iPad, complete with the most adorable magnetic app buttons. Here's what the creators have to say about it:

The letter "i" has just about run out of suffixes, so we decided to change everything. Meet the anaPad--a children's toy that promotes analog learning and creativity in a digital world. 

A magnetic white board, perfect for drawing, games and learning, is housed inside a wooden frame inspired by the Apple iPad. Companion app magnets and marker are included. 

 It is time to revisit the analog world, maybe?

{Images via twigcreative, found thanks to Design Milk}