I know you love me…

...So please click here to nominate me for the Scholastic Parent & Child Mommy Blogger Awards as many times as you'd like between now and February 13!

This site has always been a labor of love for me and I’d love to be recognized by you as having one of the best mom blogs on the web. I’m constantly looking to find the best web and technology resources to share with you and have never made a cent off this site!
Shameless promotion, I know but I’d really love to be featured in the June/July issue of Parent & Child!

Thanks so much!

*smooches*

Website of the Week: Blog Readibility Test

The Blog Readability Test rates your blog’s readability and the level of education that readers need in order to understand the site.

Congrats Tech Savvy Mama readers! I feel like a mom whose first-born has just received their first A! I always knew you were a savvy bunch but now it has been confirmed!

Bloggers- Want a badge like the one above? Click here, enter your URL, and the site will automatically generate a badge.

I don't know the technology behind The Blog Readability Test and how it worked to score my site but if Tech Savvy Mama had been rated anything less than genius, it would not have earned the coveted Website of the Week designation!

Chinese New Year Crafts, Printables, and Favorite Reads

For our family, Monday, January 26 is an important day. As a Chinese-American, it is the start of Chinese New Year and the beginning of Year of the Ox. Like Korean and Vietnamese cultures, Chinese New Year begins on the Lunar New Year.

How can you celebrate with your family besides ordering Chinese takeout?

• Read my post on Being Savvy Washington DC to learn all about Chinese New Year and a list of great reads to grab from the library or local bookstore.

• Print the story of the Chinese Zodiac to share with your family. Since each year is represented by one of 12 animals figure out which animals you are and read the character traits.

• Make felt fortune cookies, dumplings, or a tray of oranges for your play kitchen

• Recycle your toilet paper tubes into firecrackers to ward off evil spirits

• Decorate your house with paper lanterns or plum blossom branches

• Make or print li see envelopes to exchange with family members

• Have your own parade with dancing lion puppets

Gung Hay Fat Choy (or Happy Chinese New Year!)

Good Reads: Computers vs. Post-Its and Barack's Blackberry

Beth Blecherman of TechMamas shared via Twitter a Forbes post called Why Computers Can’t Kill Post-Its. Despite high-end expensive technology, the Post-It note is an essential supply in the workplace. I don’t know about you but I have little clusters of Post-Its surrounding my monitor waiting in the wings for my next to-do list or big idea and they populate many flat surfaces around my house and office at school

What about you? Can you live without Post-Its?

And did you hear that Barack is keeping his Blackberry? Let’s hope that some hacker doesn’t crack into it a la Paris Hilton’s Sidekick!

DC Metro Readers: Flour Power Desserts- Best (allergy free) Cake Ever!

I’m all about buying local as much as possible so if you are in the DC Metro Area and need a baked treat that is dairy, gluten, egg, or peanut free, read my post over on Being Savvy Washington DC. Jane Brophy from Flour Power Desserts is your go-to person for delectable cakes, bars, breads, cookies, pies, scones, and whoopie pies.

If you aren't in DC....Doesn’t the picture of Little Miss Techie’s birthday cake make you wish you were?

Jane's stuff is so incredibly gorgeous and absolutely delicious that it would be a shame not to share her name with you!

Joe Biden's Teeth Have Their Own Website (Seriously!)

I know we are fascinated by the new adminstration that took over the White House today but when does fascination go too far?

You probably noticed during today’s inauguration proceedings that our new President and Vice President have a great smiles. But did you know Joe Biden’s teeth had their own website?!?

The creators of JoeBidensTeeth.com (slogan: Joe Biden’s Teeth: Teeth You Can Believe In) have posted inauguration-relevant content chronicling the history of Joe Biden’s enamel. If that's too much information about our new Vice President, perhaps you might need a vice presidential song to motivate your young child to brush their teeth or an older sibling would enjoy the Teeth ID challenge.

Ok, if that doesn’t do it for you then how about free stuff?

If you just happen to be curious enough to click over, you should also know that Trident is collaborating with JoeBidensTeeth.com to celebrate the new VP’s smile by giving gum to any American that uploads their grin to JoeBidensTeeth.com.

And if you don’t want to post a photo of your smiling mug on the site for your free gum, crop your photo to reveal teeth like I did in this photo of Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer!

Don’t they have great smiles! And no mom, they won't be chewing the gum!

Does this mean that the same website will be bringing us The First Family's Flossing courtesy of Glide???

Inauguration Crafts and Printables for Toddlers and Preschoolers!

After heading into DC today to take in the pre-inauguration sights, I was inspired to find some more printable worksheets and crafts to keep Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer entertained while we attempt to watch tomorrow’s historic inaugural address.

Click here to visit me on Being Savvy Washington DC for great worksheets and printables to help your kids practice ABCs and 123s during tomorrow’s history lesson!

Or if you have older kids, check out my post about the best inauguration websites for all ages.

Website of the Week: Mommie 911

I’m over on Mommie 911 today talking about how to find the right childcare for your family. There are tips and links to online resources you can use to help you with your search.

Mommie 911 is a great new site to founded by moms to help moms everywhere be the best moms they can be. The site includes tools, resources, articles, and more to “help you keep your sanity, happiness and family intact while juggling 500 things at one time.” There's an entire sidebar of categories that includes topics like food allergy info, best kids' toys, product reviews, special needs resources, top kids' books, green and eco-friendly, and more!).  There are also links at the top of the site for freebies & coupons and cool stuff.

And while I may be a little biased because they asked me to be a guest writer, I'm flattered because I think there's tons of fabulous stuff for moms on the site even it was launched only a couple of months ago.

Visit Mommie 911 by clicking here! And if you are a blogger or writer you can be a guest writer too!

Happy Birthday Little Miss Techie!

I remember the night you were born like it was yesterday. It all started early in the morning on January 8th. Day lapsed into night and you greeted us in the early morning hours on the 9th. There are certain things I know I will never forget about those hours like wanting the time to go faster because I wanted to meet you so badly. I wanted to know what it felt like to become a mother and to finally hold and meet the little girl inside of me.

I never could have imagined that the tiny baby I held that morning would turn into such an incredible individual. You continually amaze us with your wit, dazzling smile, kindness, and love for everyone who is part of your world.  You fill your days reading books, writing and drawing pictures, and having great adventures with your brother when you aren’t at school with your friends.  You tell me that all you want to be when you grow up is a mommy.  You take such great care of others that I know you will be a wonderful mother some day.

This year’s letter to Santa sums up your personality perfectly. You had your own ideas for your letter and wrote all the words yourself, only asking for help spelling North and carrot. I hope you don’t mind that I translated your writing into dictionary spelling.

Dear Santa,

What is it like at the North Pole? I have been a very good girl. I will be happy with whatever you bring me. I think Captain Computer would like a Jack-in-the-Box. I am going to leave some cookies and a carrot for your reindeer.

Love, Little Miss Techie

Even though the years have slipped by and that little baby I held in my arms on the freezing cold and snowy night is long gone, I hope the person you are today never disappears. You are truly a treasure and we will love you forever!

Happy 5th Birthday!


This blog post is original to Tech Savvy Mama and may not be reposted without permission.

Mabel’s Labels Giveaway

Confession: I like to label things. One might call it an obsessive compulsive tendency but I prefer to think it is because I was a teacher who loved to have an organized classroom. The only part of my first grade classroom that wasn’t orderly were my students’ cubbies. Cubbies were their domain and often a mess of forgotten papers, broken crayons, chewed on pencils, and abandoned clothes. Lots and lots of clothes!

Fast forward to motherhood and the year that Little Miss Techie entered preschool. No one had to tell me to label her stuff. Out came the Sharpie to mark everything with her name. I was determined not to have a stray mitten, lost sweater, or displaced hat in the school’s lost and found bin.

Thanks to Mabel’s Labels you can label your child’s belongings without the worry of using your best teacher handwriting on your kids’ stuff. You can obsessively mark everything by slapping a label on it which will survive the dishwasher, microwave, or washer and dryer. They are also UV resistant.

Win a Camp/School Pack of Mabel’s Labels to use for the rest of the school year, for summer camp, or for next fall. The Mabel's Labels Camp/School Pack is a $34 value and consists of:

• 15 Sticky Labels
• 40 Iron-Ons or 50 Tag Mates™
• 8 Shoe Labels
• 2 Bag Tags

To enter:

• Leave a comment about how you prevent your child’s belongings from getting lost.
  
• For a second entry, subscribe to the Tech Savvy Mama RSS or e-mail feed and leave a comment letting me know you have subscribed.

All comments must be received by Midnight on Tuesday, January 13.

Special thanks to The Giveaway Connection for providing this giveaway!

Websites of the Week: Inauguration Websites for Kids

Living in the DC Metro Area, it is difficult to escape Inauguration Fever. Trips into The District over the holidays revealed bleachers that are set up for the inaugural parade and continued progress on the platform for the inaugural ceremony where Barack Obama will be sworn in on January 20.

While the swearing in of Barack Obama is indeed historic, any inauguration is a fabulous opportunity to take a real life event and turn it into a teachable moment. With the inauguration quickly approaching, I thought I’d compile a list of the best inauguration themed sites as this week’s Websites of the Week.



My selections educate about past inaugurations through factual text, personal accounts, audio, and trivia. There are links to biographies about Barack Obama, information about the first ladies’ inaugural ball gowns, and what the day will be like for the First Family. I have found websites with age appropriate crafts and activities for the preschool and toddler set. And there is no shortage of inauguration themed worksheets. Here are my top picks to get you ready for January 20.

Most Informative Inaugural Resources

• The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies site is THE official site for all things related to the inauguration. It provides the dos and don’ts for anyone planning to come to witness the inauguration but is also a wonderful resource for kids. This site features slideshows of previous presidents, walking through the President Elect’s inauguration day events (morning worship service, swearing in, parade, etc), and learning inauguration trivia on the Facts and Firsts page. Be sure to check back each week from now until January 20th to watch the construction progress on the platform for the inaugural ceremony. Preschoolers will enjoy viewing the slideshows with parents while older kids can browse this ad-free site themselves.
  

• PBS News Hour has a wealth of resource including the history of the presidential inauguration and a quiz featuring presidential trivia (with both a novice and expert version), and photo galleries from past inaugurations. This site is best for elementary ages and up.
  

• If your child is wondering what former presidents said in their inaugural addresses, then you will want to visit the Presidential Speech Archive. The University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs has an extensive collection of some of “the more important presidential speeches of the past 60 years.” The speeches are available in their entirety in full audio and some transcripts are also available, including recently added ones from the late 18th and 19th centuries. This site is best for elementary ages and up.

• If you really want to know what it is like to attend inauguration but don’t have the means to shell out money to come and stay in DC or the will to stand out in the cold, read Noah McCullough’s My First Inauguration: An Experience to Remember. Now a teen, Noah McCullough has been fascinated with presidents ever since he was in kindergarten. He attended President Bush’s inauguration in 2005 and provides a kid’s perspective on what it is like to attend an inauguration. This site is best for elementary ages and up. Or paraphrase the text for younger kids.

The First Family

• Wondering what the day will be like for Barack Obama and his family? The Inaugural Schedule provides a timeline of the day’s activities for the new president. There’s also an article on Scholastic that, despite being written for the 2005 inauguration, provides details about the swearing in ceremony, parade, and the evening’s balls and festivals. This site is best for elementary ages and up.
  

• If you want to know lots of details about Barack Obama, Kaboose has a biography of Obama that details his early life, college years, bid for the presidency, and contains fun facts is best suited for older elementary ages. While the articles are factual and written for elementary ages and up, the site is littered with ads and popups. While the text is appropriate for grades 3 and up, elementary students would be less distracted if the individual articles about each portion of Obama’s life were printed out rather than having the read them via the website. This site is best for grades 3 and up.
  

• What will Michelle Obama be wearing as she becomes First Lady and who will she wear to the inaugural balls? Budding fashionistas should read PBS News Hour’s article about inaugural fashion with links to videos featuring the curator of the First Ladies’ exhibit at the National Museum of American History. The National Museum of American History blog also has a post that answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the First Ladies collection including the oldest gown in the collection, if the first ladies are requited to donate inaugural ball gowns, and why all gowns aren’t on exhibit. This site is best for elementary ages and up. Or paraphrase the text for younger kids.

• Take a virtual panoramic tour of The White House and West Wing to see where the Obamas will reside for the next four years. The tours are 360 degree movies that feature The Oval Office, Press Briefing Room, Blue Room, Cabinet Room, and many more! Preschoolers will enjoy viewing the tours with parents while older kids can browse this ad-free site themselves.

Send President Obama your thoughts…

• So maybe kids can’t cast a vote to express their choice for president but they sure can send a message to President Obama to share their opinions on important issues. Through PBS KIDS Speak Out kids can type a short message and share their thoughts about the Earth, schools, and being healthy while casting a vote for an idea written by someone else The site encourages civic involvement about issues as they issues as they most relate to kids’ lives. Community discussion and the democratic process are modeled by allowing kids to choose which ideas they like best. Ideas with the most votes are featured on Speak Out in the form of a message to our President. This active, digital message will reflect the youth’s changing concerns and proposed solutions over time. This site is best for elementary ages and up.

Looking for inauguration crafts and printable worksheets?

• Try Scholastic’s memory-type game where the goal is to match the presidents’ names with their numbers (like George Washington = #1). Then for an added challenge, line up the presidents in the order that they served our country. This game is best for elementary ages and above.

• Enchanted Learning is your source for inauguration themed worksheets. Find Barack Obama alphabet code worksheets and word hunts with spaces for 30 or 50 words that can be found using the letters in our next president’s name. Thanks to Enchanted Learning you won’t be racking your brain to come up with words since they provide an answer sheet! Worksheets are great for fluent elementary readers and beyond. Enchanted Learning is free but if you choose to subscribe for $20 a year, you will have access to their ad-free version with printer friendly pages. I highly recommend purchasing a subscription if you have older children that will be browsing the site on their own or for ad-free worksheets. This site is best for elementary ages and above.

• As I mentioned before, Kaboose has some great content hiding among the banner ads and pop ups that litter the site. Get beyond the flashing ads and pop-ups for fun crafts that would be enjoyed by preschoolers and early elementary ages such as an Obama stencil silhouette and a pattern to create the Obama symbol on a paper plate. The crafts are best for preschoolers and early elementary ages.

Virtual Tours and Photo Galleries

• There are tons of pictures on the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s Flickr photostream. Images include the Capitol Building, Lincoln’s Bible which will be used for the swearing in, the President-elect and future First Lady, and Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address. Preschoolers will enjoy viewing pictures with parents while older kids can navigate this site independently.

• PBS News Hour has a photo gallery from past inaugurations featuring pictures of Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, William Taft, John F. Kennedy, and many more! Preschoolers will enjoy viewing pictures with parents while older kids can navigate this site independently.

If all this talk about the upcoming inauguration has led to questions about the democracy and the presidential election, you will want to take a look at my picks for the 2008 Election Sites for Kids. My selections educate about democracy and elections through animated movies or factual text, provide links to age appropriate crafts and activities for the preschool and toddler set, and current election coverage for your budding politician.