Black Mountain Jewelry Honors Moms with Tree of Life Charm Giveaway!

I recently heard about Black Mountain Jewelry Company and not only have fallen in love with their products but also their wonderful philosophy.

Handmade by Mark and Carla Mead, Black Mountain Jewelry Company helps customers celebrate their milestones with gifts of jewelry that honor the special people and times of your life. While their spectacular jewelry is indeed one of a kind, I’m impressed by this little mom and pop company’s commitment to fair trade and environmentally responsible business practices.

Carla and Mark practice fair trade and responsible sourcing while minimizing the impact on our environment and are concerned about their own practices on their local environment. Black Mountain jewelry uses reclaimed and recycled materials and purchases responsibly sourced gems from companies whose mining practices don’t violate human rights. They also give 5% of each sale to Children’s charities.

In honor of Mother’s Day, Black Mountain Jewelry is honoring one lucky Tech Savvy Mama reader with a custom Tree of Life Charm. The Tree of Life jewelry line is made from 100% recycled metals and fair trade gemstones. This collection was designed to help people find strength, feel connected and to celebrate life in a way that becomes possible when you have a tangible talisman, a physical reminder you can touch and be reminded of what touches you.

One reader will receive a Tree of Life Charm made of sterling silver, 14k gold, and semi-precious stones (code TCS1) of their choice. The charm can have up to 5 smaller accent stones to symbolize their children on 18" sterling snake chain. This meaningful jewelry amulet is semi-custom with a birthstone on the front and custom stamping on the back and has a minimum value of $81.95.

To enter, leave a comment telling me what the Tree of Life Design means to you along with your e-mail address.

Ponder the gorgeous image and share your thoughts! Carla says that they “have many different customers - mom's, nurses, survivors- and they share their stories with us. Recently I sent out one to an old dear friend. We put her stone in the roots of the tree and her three children in the branches. She lost one of her children who's stone we set in the human heart in the branches - because he's always in her heart.” Isn’t that just beautiful?

Other ways you can enter to win the Tree of Life Charm:

• Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your Tweet in your comment. Feel free to Tweet this: @techsavvymama is honoring moms with a jewelry giveaway from Black Mountain Jewelry. Enter here: http://tiny.cc/3S9tq
  
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with your permalink
• Add the new Tech Savvy Mama button to your site and leave a comment with your blog's URL
• Join the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook blog network and leave a comment with your Facebook name
• Subscribe to my feed and leave comment telling me you’ve subscribed
• Add me to your blogroll and leave a comment containing the URL of your blog

Leave a separate comment for each entry!

I’ll select the winners from all the comments using Random.org and get in touch with you before Mother’s Day so you can let your mom custom create her Tree of Life Charm on Mother’s Day!

Also, Tech Savvy Mama readers get free shipping on any Black Mountain Jewelry order placed by 5/31/09. Just enter FS315 on your order form!

Huge thanks to Black Mountain Jewelry for sponsoring this amazing giveaway!

And don’t forget to make sure to enter my other Mother's Day giveaways here and here!



Fine print: To be eligible, enter by completing the above tasks and leaving your comments by Wednesday, May 6 at 5 pm EST. One person can enter up to 7 times by completing each of the tasks as outlined above. Winner will be chosen at random by Random.org and will need to reply with their mailing address 24 hours to claim their prize. Due to the custom nature of the Tree of Life Charm, winner will receive within 2 weeks of communicating stone choices to Black Mountain Jewelry Company. Products will only be shipped within the United States.

Website of the Week: Google Map of Swine Flu Instances in US

Some of the moms' listservs I'm on are all abuzz about how to protect kids from swine flu but I'm not going to get into that here.

Instead I thought I'd share this very interesting Google Map that details suspected cases, confirmed/probable cases, negative cases, and deaths with color coded pins in the US and Mexico.

Now go wash your hands, kiss your kids, and come back and enter to win some great items I'm giving away in honor of Mother's Day and a T-Mobile w233 Renew phone.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide with Amazing Giveaways!

UPDATED: For 2 more giveaways, click here!

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching and if your loved ones have repeatedly said they don’t know what to get for you or you are racking your brain to find the perfect something for the special mother figure in your life, I present the Tech Savvy Mama Mother’s Day Gift Guide.

This guide represents products that either I use or covet. I've also included ideas for gift certificates. Happy shopping!

For the Accessorized Mom:

GIVEAWAY: Trufflebeads a new collection of unique jewelry that exudes color and creativity for the woman who has a palate for spectacular taste. Handmade by the Zulu women in South Africa using the traditional craft of beadwork, this collection of contemporary jewelry offers mouthwatering colors of beautifully beaded truffle balls using thousands of tiny glass beads. The unique Trufflebeads jewelry collection is composed of various styles of necklaces, bracelets and earrings. The collection features nine individual styles, in a wide assortment of color combinations to match any outfit. And I just love that each piece is individually made by the African women to help support their lives and their families. One lucky Tech Savvy Mama reader will win this Trufflebeads bracelet (worth $45) by commenting below.

Julian + Co.- Last year Tech Savvy Daddy bought me a Birth Necklace ($59 and up) for Mother’s Day and I love it. Not only do I get compliments whenever I wear it but it goes with everything and it is a nice way to keep my kids close to my heart at all times. With a wide selection of personalized jewelry it is easy to find something for every mom and budget. Order by April 27th for Mother’s Day delivery!

Or get a gift certificate to:

• Sundance whose droolworthy catalog is full of truly unique jewelry.
• Tiffany & Co. because there’s just something about that little blue box and their gorgeous website makes it almost too easy to shop!

For the Rockin’ Mom:

GIVEAWAY: Rocknoceros' PINK CD- Tired of listening to the same old kids’ music in the minivan? Update your collection with Rocknoceros’ newest album, PINK! A tried and true Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer favorite. And yes, one of my faves too!  Download from iTunes ($9.99) or order from Amazon ($13.99).  Click here for my full review and leave a comment to win your very own copy.

GIVEAWAY: Billy Jonas Happy Accidents CD ($21.49)- This brand new CD is sold out on Amazon and has gotten rave reviews from fans. We always love listening to new music and Billy Jonas is right up there with Rocknoceros’ PINK! as a new fun family album! I have 2 copies of Happy Accidents to give away! Comment below to win!

Or get a gift certificate to:

• iTunes to download the latest non-kid music!
• TicketMaster for a date night concert of her choice

For the Gourmet Mom:

Taste This! Cookbook by Gina von Esmarch ($30) - Simple tasty food with fresh ingredients is the mantra in our house so I’m always on the lookout for wonderful new cookbooks that will meet my criteria. One new cookbook I adore is Taste This! Author Gina Von Esmarch’s new book is filled with delicious easy to follow recipes whose everyday ingredients are probably pantry staples. I love that none of the ingredient lists for Gina’s 65 recipes are long. The layout is very friendly with the recipes on the right side and a gorgeous picture of the dish on the left. The pictures certainly are fun for my children to see and serve as great visuals for the finished product. Available from BowlLicker.com.

GIVEAWAY: See’s Candies- If mom has a sweet tooth like me, only See’s will do. I absolutely adore See’s and you will too after you taste their delectable chocolates. Win a $25 gift certificate to choose your own custom mix or pick a selection of goodies from their website.

GIVEAWAY: The Fragrance Collection by Glade ($5.99 and up)- The Fragrance Collection by Glade is a new line of affordably priced high quality line that includes multi-wick soy based candles, single wick candles, and reed diffusers. I recently received a Currents & Acai soy based multi-wick candle with three wicks that is housed in a glass container with a shiny silver lid, and has a burn time of 35 hours. Being a fan of candles that don’t overpower the room, I have to say that the scent is marvelous and makes a great kitchen candle. I can’t wait to pick up a candle in the Sheer White Cotton, Lotus Bamboo, and McIntosh Apple scents! Win your very own Fragrance Collection Candle by commenting below!

Or get a gift certificate to:

• Williams Sonoma because Mommy needs the bigger 7 quart Le Creuset to keep our family well fed. Hint hint Tech Savvy Daddy!
• King Arthur Flour which is THE resource for amazing products for the home-baking enthusiast and their catalog is simply droolworthy.
• Stonewall Kitchen- Home décor, the yummiest jams, products from The Barefoot Contessa herself, and amazing mixes. Mmmm…The Mimosa Jam makes me want to move to Maine!

For the Snap Happy Mom:

GIVEAWAY: CVS Photo Center has a wide selection of gifts that make it easy to take all those digital pictures and do something with them. We recently had professional photos taken by the very talented Aleksandra Gajdeczka (highly recommended to you DC Metro families!) and transformed a family photo into a photo canvas. CVS’ Online Photo Center made it easy for me to crop, drag, and drop. Our canvas was done and ordered in 10 minutes and arrived at our door 3 days later. Yes, 3 days later! CVS has affordable gifts that even a procrastinator can make in time for delivery for Mother’s Day! Win a photo book from CVS Photo Center by commenting below!

Casio Exilim Digital Camera ($249)- This 12 MP camera just arrived on my doorstep for me to review and already I love its compact size, huge 2.7” screen and cool features. I don’t know of any other camera that has anything like Dynamic Photo which allows the photographer to cut out the main subject of interest in an image that has just been captured and then combine it with another image to form the background! Look for a full Tech Savvy Mama review soon!

T-Mobile Cameo Digital Picture Frame ($39.99 plus $1.99/month service)- This is something Tech Savvy Daddy reviewed over the holidays and I just loved because of the ability to e-mail pictures to the frame. Yes, e-mail pictures to the picture frame! The ability to share pictures by sending them to the frame makes this a wonderful gift for a long distance relative who loves seeing pics of your kids! Read the full review here to see how it works.

Or get a gift certificate to:

• procure a local professional photographer for a family photo shoot

For the Tech Savvy Mom:

GIVEAWAY: Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000 ($29.95)- Being a mom on the go who is constantly connected to the computer, I love my Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse 3000s. I keep one in my laptop bag at all times and love that mine is a dazzling pink, is compact, and is one of the most comfortable mice I have ever used. I also like that it functions as a wireless mouse but has a snap-in receiver that plugs into your USB port to help conserve battery life. Win a Mobile Mouse in the color of your choice!

Eye-Fi- While I haven’t tried this myself, I love the idea that Eye-Fi allows users to instantly upload pictures and video to wifi networks and sites like Flickr and Picasa. As much as I love my digital camera, when I plug it in, the pictures go directly into my photo library and I have to transfer them into Picasa. Perhaps Eye-Fi would save me some time by eliminating that final step.

GIVEAWAY: Nectar Bluetooth Headset Holder- Tired of digging for that pesky Bluetooth headset? Nectar has developed stylish jewelry to hold your Bluetooth headset for when it isn’t being used. Wear your headset as part of a Nectar necklace and never fumble for it again. Win a Swarovski® crystal model ($24.99) to keep track of your Bluetooth while still remaining fashionable!

Vivienne Tam HP Mini 1000 ($699)- Reading Beth Blecherman’s reviews little “digital clutch” of this darling makes me want to get one. Read her TechMamas reviews to hear about the tech specs, see how stylish it is, and how easy it is to tote around everywhere!

Or get a gift certificate to:

• iTunes to shop for new iPhone applications like the fun Tamagotchi: ‘Round the World or practical Baby Super Tracker.
• ThinkGeek because mom might really need an I’m Tweeting This Babydoll T

For the Literate Mom:

What to Read When- The Books and Stories to Read with Your Child and All the Best Times to Read Them ($16.95) by Pam Allyn. This is a great new guide that celebrates storytelling and reading aloud to your children. Allyn is a mother and educator who wrote her book to help parents create memories through reading stories aloud. I highly recommend placing this indispensible guide on your bookshelf along with Barry Brazelton because it provides an annotated list of over 300 titles that address childhood themes and provides recommendations for children at every age from birth to 10 years.

GIVEAWAY: Little Scholastic's books are a favorite in our house. Captain Computer has been in love with the titles that we have from the Little Scholastic line because the books features rhyming, repetitive, or predictable text, interactive components, and familiar subjects which are formatted to delight babies, toddlers, and parents. I like giving the Little Scholastic books as baby gifts because each book has a guide for parents on how to introduce the concepts to kids depending on their age on the back. Win a bundle of Little Scholastic books by commenting below!

The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl by Karen Burns ($14.95)- Little Miss Techie was born and I bid adieu to the work world in favor of staying home. A year and a half later, I was back only to leave in another year when Captain Computer was born. So in my 5 years as a mom, I’ve been a SAHM, WAHM, WOHM, and PT WOHM. Regardless of what mom acronym you currently are and what stage of your career you are in, Working Girl offers practical advice in an easy to read format for all women. Using her many adventures in the working world, each of Karen Burns’ chapters pairs a story from one of her jobs with career and life lessons that will make you feel better about the work world!

Or get a gift certificate to:

• alibris for that rare first edition she's always been looking for

For the Mom with Gift of Gab:

VTech DS6121 Cordless Phone ($49.95)- This lightweight, sleek phone with large buttons and a built in speakerphone is a stylish compliment to any home décor. It uses a different frequency (DECT) that Tech Savvy Daddy says is the new standard in the US which prevents it from interfering with wifi. This phone also has excellent range. While I really love its phone's silver metallic finish, Captain Computer is a fan of the blue backlit keypad.

GIVEAWAY: T-Mobile MOTO w233 Renew is a wonderful new phone that is the world's first mobile phone made using plastics comprised of recycled water bottles. Treat mom to a new eco-friendly phone and get it free with a 2 year contract or win one by commenting on this post.

OverBoard Waterproof Gadget Cases from ThinkGeek ($24.99-34.99)- Even though these gadget cases are designed to be use for cameras, GPS systems, and MP3 players, I highly recommend that iPhone users get one. I’ve had two friends whose iPhones have gone for a swim and while one recovered, the other one has died a water logged death, making it a very expensive iPod Touch. Don’t let that happen to your mom’s beloved iPhone!

For the Mom with the Green Thumb:

GIVEAWAY: Who doesn’t like flowers? 1-800-Flowers.Com has launched a new movement for Mother’s Day called Spot a Mom that celebrates all the unique types of Moms in the world. Since no two moms are the same use their fun digital guide to find the floral arrangement that would best suit your mom’s personality and lifestyle. Visit the 1-800-Flowers.Com Facebook page, become a fan, and get a promo code for 15% off all Mother’s Day floral arrangements from their website. Comment to win a $50 gift certificate!

Smith and Hawken Mobile Composter ($250)- Last year we started composting and our compost bin has served as a deer feeding trough because it is open at the top. I covet this Mobile Composter that takes composting to a whole new level. This closed system has mixing fins to break up clumps, vents, a strainer, is critter proof, and has wheels so you can easily transport your new own organic soil around your yard. I’m also a fan of this BioStack Composter ($129).

Or get a gift certificate to:

• Renee’s Garden - Whether planting a container garden on your back porch or tending to a plot of land, Renee’s offers seeds from around the world, organic seeds, and varieties for the home gardener. I love the gorgeous watercolor paintings that adorn the seed packets.

For the Fit Mom:

Casio Solar Atomic Baby G ($130)- Working out is easier with the new stylish and eco-friendly Solar Atomic Baby G. This new watch features a non-stop tough solar power system that generates electrical power from the sun. The new Beach Baby G is also shock resistant, and has 4 daily alarms, countdown timer, full auto calendar, and has a world time function for 27 cities.
Or get a gift certificate to:

• Lucy or Skirt Sports for fashionable and comfortable workout gear.
• Front of the Pack for everything that the triathlete in your life could use for their next race.
• Stroller Strides for a great workout you can do with your child.

For the Organized Mom:

Green Remember Boards ($42)- This 16” x 16” vintage inspired board will help Mom remember things on her to do list, important dates, or just be a place to hold darling pictures of your loved ones. The hand painted solid wood Remember Board has a hanger in the back and is made by artisans in a 100 year old building that was once a general store, located on the Delaware River about two hours from New York City. Available from The Pajama Squid.

The Sanctuary Charging Haven ($119-139)- With so many gadgets to charge, get organized and have them all in one place and ready to go at all times. I love this simple compact design and the fact that it has a universal charger which enables your cell phone, PDA, Blackberry, iPod, MP3 player, and Bluetooth headset together in one place.

Anne Taintor Fancy File Folders- Spice up the workplace or home office with these file folders with attitude. The retro style and cheeky humor makes working fun. I’m a big fan of their “Stop Me Before I Volunteer Again” file folders but view all captions here.

Or get a gift certificate to:

• MomAgenda for the most awesome paper calendars and supplies to keep your family organized! MomAgenda is the reason why I can’t give up my spiral bound calendar and next year I’m getting the mine with the new and fabulous metallic cover!

With all these great items being given away, here’s the deal on how to win one of the items above:

Leave a comment below telling me a great gift you have given or received for Mother’s Day and what products above you would be most excited to give/ get this year.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following:

• Add the new Tech Savvy Mama button to your site and leave a comment with your blog's URL
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with your permalink
• Join the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook blog network and leave a comment with your Facebook name
• Subscribe to my feed and leave comment telling me you’ve subscribed
• Follow me on Twitter (@techsavvymama) and leave a comment with your Twitter ID
• Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your Tweet in your comment. Feel free to Tweet this: @techsavvymama has a great Mother’s Day Gift Guide full of fab giveaways!  http://tiny.cc/bVAkP 
• Add me to your blogroll and leave a comment containing the URL of your blog

Leave a separate comment for each entry!

I’ll select the winners from all the comments using Random.org and get in touch with you before Mother’s Day so you can surprise that special mom in your life with a little something extra this year!

Fine print: To be eligible, enter by completing the above tasks and leaving your comments by Wednesday, May 6 at 5 pm EST. One person can enter up to 8 times by completing each of the tasks as outlined above. Winner will be chosen at random by Random.org and will need to reply with their mailing address 24 hours to claim their prize. Products will only be shipped within the United States. All giveaways have been graciously provided by the companies. No compensation was received for any products mentioned in this guide.

Earth Day Giveaway: EcoFriendly T-Mobile MOTO w233 Renew and Mobilize Campaign

In honor of Earth Day, I’m giving away a newly released MOTO w233 Renew courtesy of T-Mobile who just kicked off a new campaign called Mobilize that helps customers keep the planet a little greener.

MOTO w233 Renew is the world's first mobile phone made using plastics comprised of recycled water bottles. Called the phone for “eco- conscious consumers committed to going green,” the white and green bar phone is a Carbonfree® - carbon neutral product and is uniquely designed to reduce the environmental impact of the phone by using sustainable materials in its design and recyclable packaging. The Renew allows users to make a positive impact on the environment by reducing their carbon footprint, without compromising the quality or reliability of their phone. The phone is made using plastics comprised of recycled water bottles and the plastic phone housing is 100 percent recyclable. Since the phone has nine hours of talk time, users can talk more, charge less and reduce energy usage. Customers are also encouraged to recycle their previous mobile phone with an included in-box postage-paid recycling envelope.

Features of the MOTO w233 Renew include:

• Eco-friendly bar phone available in an eye-catching color scheme: white with green trim
• Motorola’s CrystalTalk Technology
• Music player
• T-Mobile myFaves®-enabled
• Text and picture messaging
• Expandable memory card slot (microSD)
• Predictive text input
• Speakerphone
• USB 2.0 Port
• Display: 1.44 inch, 128 x 128, 65K colors
• Dual-Band GSM (850/1900 MHz)
• 1.8 x 4.4 x 0.6 inches, 3 ounces

As part of the Mobilize campaign, T-Mobile is offering the MOTO w233 Renew for free to customers who sign up with a two-year service agreement. Customers also have new options for easily recycling their phones and signing up for T-Mobile paperless billing. Customers who participate in the campaign also have the chance to win eco-friendly prizes, such as a 6-day eco-adventure in North America.

Now through May 31st T-Mobile invites you to join in helping make the planet a little greener with 3 simple ways to have a tree planted on your behalf.

• Reduce: Sign up for a T-Mobile Green Account as free, no-hassle way to save paper by combining paperless billing, EasyPay and e-mail updates in one simple choice.
• Reuse: Choose the MOTO w233 Renew, an environmentally responsible phone made of recycled water bottles, makes for an earth-friendly upgrade. T-Mobile is offering the MOTO Renew free with a two-year service agreement through May 31.
• Recycle: Recycle your handsets and accessories with T-Mobile. This helps the environment and the community. Drop off phones at any T-Mobile retail store or send them in using prepaid labels available on T-Mobile's Web site. Not only does recycling help keep useable materials out of landfills and incinerators, 100 percent of net proceeds go to community programs.

Through a partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation, T-Mobile and the Arbor Day Foundation will be planting trees in fire-damaged areas of California's San Bernardino National Forest and tree-deprived areas of Michigan's Hiawatha National Forest.

In addition, customers who participate have the chance to win an eco-friendly prize.

• Grand prize: 6-day eco-adventure trip to a North American destination that includes transportation, accommodations, and select activities for the winner and up to five guests.
• First prize: 100 first prize winners will receive a cool outdoor bike - an incentive to lower their carbon footprint as they pedal.

To enter the MOTO w233 Renew giveaway, leave a comment below telling me something your family does, or plans to do, to be more environmentally friendly and include your e-mail address.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following:

• Add the new Tech Savvy Mama button to your site and leave a comment with your blog's URL
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with your permalink
• Tweet about this giveaway and include a link to your Tweet in your comment and feel free to Tweet this: Celebrate Earth Day & win a TMobile MOTO w233 Renew @techsavvymama http://tiny.cc/dJn15
• Join the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook blog network and leave a comment with your Facebook name
• Subscribe to my feed and leave comment telling me you’ve subscribed
• Follow me on Twitter (@techsavvymama) and leave a comment with your Twitter ID
• Add me to your blogroll and leave a comment containing the URL of your blog

Leave a separate comment for each entry!

This giveaway will be ongoing throughout the rest of April. I’ll select the winner from all the comments using Random.org on May 4.

Good luck and go be green!

Fine print: To be eligible, enter by completing the above tasks and leaving your comments by Sunday, May 4 at Midnight. One person can enter up to 8 times by completing each of the tasks as outlined above. Winner will be chosen at random by Random.org and will need to reply with their mailing address 48 hours to claim their prize. Products will only be shipped within the United States.

Listen To Your Buds Educates About Preventing Hearing Loss

DC METRO READERS: Get free tickets to a concert featuring Billy Jonas! Details below!

With so many kids using personal audio technology all day long listening to music, playing games, and talking on the phone, the length of time and volume levels may pose a threat to future hearing. With the increased popularity of personal listening devices (MP3 players), the risk of developing noise induced hearing loss is greater than ever. The prevalence of hearing loss in the United States will rise significantly due to the growing use of personal audio technology, among other factors. More than half of high school students in the U.S. currently report having at least one symptom of hearing loss according to a 2006 poll commissioned by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA).

The technology itself is not the problem but parents should help kids develop habits that will prevent hearing loss.

The ASHA, together with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Parents’ Choice Foundation, offer a new educational campaign directed at kids of elementary school age to educate kids, their parents and teachers, and society as a whole on hearing loss prevention. Called Listen To Your Buds, the campaign has tips for kids, parents, and educators.

The kids portion of the site has footage of a Justin Roberts concert that was held for the Listen to Your Buds campaign and animated music video games called Turn Down the Volume and Bump ’n Hustle which are aimed to educate children about appropriate listening levels.

The parent and educator portion of the Listen To Your Buds site is full of resources. Parents can read about how to protect their children’s ears, warning signs for hearing loss, see an animation of how the ear works, and the correlation between MP3 players and hearing loss. Teachers can learn how to prevent hearing loss in the classroom and ways to support children with hearing loss.

It isn’t too late to curtail further hearing loss entirely in younger kids who are just starting to use portable music players and similar devices. It's critical that children learn good listening habits, and that parents set guidelines for headphone usage, monitor noise levels and watch for warning signs of hearing loss.

As part of the Listen To Your Buds campaign, ASHA and the Parents’ Choice Foundation have developed a national coalition of children’s music recording artists, each of whom act as advocates and spokespeople.

As part of the effort, ASHA presents Billy Jonas, a Parents’ Choice Award winning artist at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington DC on Wednesday, April 29 at 10:30 am.

ASHA and Listen To Your Buds have graciously reserved 24 tickets for DC Metro Tech Savvy Mama readers to attend the Billy Jonas concert at Lisner on April 29. These tickets cannot be purchased anywhere and tickets will be given away on a first come first served basis to local readers who leave a comment telling me how many tickets they would like. Be sure to include your e-mail address!

Fine print: Your comment must contain an email address so I can reach you. I will update this post when all tickets have been taken.

Websites of the Week: Best Earth Day Websites for Kids

Image from NASA and the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC)

Did you know that when surveyed about the environment at home, in their communities, and around the world kids said:

• 48% of kids said that "global climate change" is the most important environmental issue facing the world today, followed by "energy resources" at 19%, "water resources" at 17% and "wildlife conservation" at 16%.
• 66% of kids believe that it is "mostly my generation" who are responsible for the environment.
• 51% of kids said in 10 years they want to see their communities add "solar panels on new public buildings."
• 37% of kids said that in the future, environmental problems will be "Better! I think people will change their behaviors."*

*Statistics selected from 2009 Environmental Report Card. Click here for the full report with all results.

Interesting, don’t you think?

Even though Earth Week begins today and Earth Day is on Wednesday, April 22, learning about the environment, practicing conservation of resources, and reducing our carbon footprint needs to be an ongoing practice. Whether you are trying to be more green or already are, here are my picks for Earth Day websites that will reinforce a love of the environment into the current generation.

Best Overall Earth Day sites:

Scholastic Act Green encourages kids to be Green. Children can learn 100 ways to act green and sign up to become one of the Green Team Greeniacs who are working together to make the world a greener place. Best for elementary ages.

Educate about environmentalism with The Scholastic Kids Press Corps, a team of student reporters ages 10-14 from across the country, is also reporting on Earth Day and the environment. In their Earth Day 2009 special report, Kid Reporters are covering everything from “green” cars and young environmental activists working to save the earth, to tours of a recycling plant, the El Yunque rainforest and a luxury home powered by geothermal and solar energy. Kid Reporters will also be reporting on Earth Day activities in their own hometowns on the Kids Press Corps blog, where other kids are invited to join the conversation. Best for elementary and middle school ages.

The Energy Star page teaches about energy in a fun and kid friendly way. The well designed website isn’t overwhelming and has just the right combination of graphics and text on a page for kids to be able to successfully navigate each area of the site. Kids can learn why our planet is in trouble and what we can do to keep Earth healthy by finding alternate energy sources and making big changes to the way we live. I think the word bank is an especially useful feature since it provides friendly definitions to some difficult words. Photovoltaic cells or biomass, anyone? There’s also a wonderful page of factoids. Best for elementary ages.

Disney’s Earth is coming out on Wednesday the 22nd in honor of Earth Day. The film, narrated by James Earl Jones, is about three animal families and their journey. On the accompanying website you can find dazzling images in the gallery, an educator section full of printable materials about migrations, Earth and Sun, adaptations and habitat, predators and prey, and live cycles, and transform your computer desktop background with an amazing picture of whales, elephants, or polar bears. If you are planning to see Earth, be sure to purchase a ticket during opening week so Disney will plant a tree in your honor. Younger ages will enjoy the images and the printables are geared for elementary grades and up.

Younger kids will enjoy the Go Green Challenge on PBS Kids Arthur where they can select among different challenges to be more green. Challenges include water, getting around, clothes, energy, outdoors, everyday choices, and food. Personalize the challenge, print it out, and mark the box as each of the three tasks are completed. Also check out The Rain Savers where young conservationists can learn how to save water. Best for preschoolers or early elementary ages.

WasteManagement’s Think Green site has differentiated activities for those in grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Powered by Discovery Education, this site features puzzles, educational videos on current environmental topics, and interactive activities, links to resources, and books that are specially designed for each age group. If you are a teacher or parent who homeschools, be sure to check out the teacher resource page where you can search for materials by grade, topic, and resource. All ages.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Recycle City features an interactive map of how its city’s residents reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. Best for elementary ages and up.

Tell your child’s teacher that they can download a free copy of an electronic version of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax from KidThing to share with the class on Wednesday. Best for preschool and elementary ages.

Games and Puzzles:

Preschool ages:

• Grow your own groovy garden with Marc Brown’s Arthur in his Groovy Garden Game.
• Create an original Earth Day-centered tale at Dot’s Story Factory and enjoy games and activities with environmental themes.

Elementary Ages and Older:

• Play Scholastic.com’s Virtual Forest Game and be faced with choices about what will have the best impact on the environment around them.
• Locate energy hogs within certain areas of your home in HogBuster.
• Choose from one of four environmental issues and select a fact to include on your Tree Free eCard from Scholastic.
• Test your Water Sense with Flow The Water Efficiency Hero from the Environmental Protection Agency. In this PacMan-esque game, Flow has to get through the water pipes to the sink, toilet, glass, and sprinkler while avoiding water wasting monsters. It is your job to snswer questions about how to conserve water during everyday tasks.
• In DumpTown, kids get to be the new city manager in charge of cleaning up the city and encouraging residents to reduce and recycle.
• Complete an Ozone Science Crossword Puzzle
• Test your knowledge of UV radiation and its effects in this crossword puzzle.

Videos:

• In honor of the 4th annual PBS KIDS Share the Earth Day, videos featuring favorite characters like Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Clifford, and Curious George are available on the web-based Earth Day Channel. Also look for new episodes premiering with Earth Day themed content on shows like Curious George, Arthur, CyberChase, Super Why!, Sid the Science Kid, Maya and Miguel, and more on your local PBS affiliate station. Best for preschoolers and early elementary ages.
• BrainPop's Science section on the Earth System features favorite animated characters Tim and Moby covering topics like groundwater, the greenhouse effect, ozone layer, water cycle, Earth’s atmosphere, and many more. Sign up for a free trial for access to the videos throughout the duration of your trial period. Best for elementary ages and up.
• Earth Day Television features channels with content on topics like global warming, alternative energy, and greener living. Best for middle school and up.

Printables:

• Earth Day Activity Book containing 11 pages of things you can do to make Earth a better place.
• Download printable signs, stickers, and door hangers to encourage others to be green from Scholastic’s Act Green site.

Now go forth and conserve and celebrate the Earth this Earth Week!

I'm Featured on PBS' Digital Nation Blog!

Digital Nation not only quoted my reaction to the CNN article and referenced my concerns about one day becoming like South Korea but also compiled all of Dr. John Grohol's relevant responses about internet addiction from the live discussion into one post. 

Topics related to internet addiction include:

• The stigma of internet addiction
• Pros and cons of considering internet addiction an official disorder
• Whether internet addiction should be compared to other addictions like to chemical substances
• Connection between adult ADD/ADHD and internet use

Interesting stuff!  Read the entire post here!

Website of the Week: Rocknoceros PINK! Video

Little Miss Techie is responsible for this week's Website of the Week. Since she has been consumed by Rocknoceros this week, it is quite fitting. Enjoy!



See you at tomorrow's show and if you can't make it, connect with Rocknoceros on Facebook, YouTube, or their website.

Little Miss Techie’s Latest Addiction- Rocknoceros’ PINK!

So while I’m addicted to the internet, Little Miss Techie is addicted to PINK! Not the color but the brand new Rocknoceros album.

It is no secret that Rocknoceros is our favorite band. Sure my kids like Laurie Berkner, Steve Songs, and old school Sesame Street mixed with James Brown, Peter Gabriel, the Go Gos, and a little Fergie but Rocknoceros is near and dear to their hearts.  Whenever we can, we bring friends like Jessica and her crew to their shows and magically they become Rocknoceros lovers too.  

We’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of PINK ever since we caught wind that there would be a third album released in April. Since we are the ultimate Rocknoceros groupies, we scored an advance copy of the CD from my good buddy and lead singer, Coach. Since our copy came a couple of days ago, Little Miss Techie has been listening to it non-stop. In her room, in the car, in the kitchen... She's working on memorizing every single song to be able to sing them at the CD release party this Saturday. Details below for DC Metro dwellers!

Now we love Rocknoceros’ debut album and their second album, Dark Side of the Moonbounce, but we adore PINK! Why PINK? At Rocknoceros’ live shows, the band always asks fans about their favorite colors, and invariably, the shouts for “Pink!” are overwhelming. So, due to popular demand (especially from their young female fans), the title track of the new CD reflects the rosy color of little pigs, bubble gum and selected flowers known as perennials.

Other songs on PINK! offer a fun mix of Beatles-esque vibes and old-school pop styles. Captain Computer is a big fan of The Train Song. “Gonna Cut My Hair” is the perfect pop tune about good grooming. “Can You Tell Time?” is as fun as it is educational, and the song “Playground” has an inviting alternative rock sound. “Crossing Guard” is a Sgt. Pepper style tune, complete with a horn section, and the album ends sweetly with a touching, hymn-like tune called “Always Tell Your Grandma,” complete with three part harmonies and a pipe organ.

And though we live in Maryland, the tune Virginia is amazing! We recently took a road trip to Charlottesville to visit Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello and drove home Skyline Drive. For Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer to hear about Thomas Jefferson and the other places we visited in the song was very cool!

You don’t have to be local to the DC Metro Area to love Rocknoceros. As the fan base has grown, Rocknoceros has employed a range of technology to reach out and connect with their fans all over the country. Last fall they launched a video podcast, “The Saturday Morning Rocknoceros Podnoceros,” Rocknoceros also uses the power of Facebook, MySpace, Reverbnation, their own website and e-letters to reach out in a personal way. And they can be found on YouTube and XM Radio.

I honestly never thought I’d love a kiddie rock band so much to be able to tolerate them as our primary source of music let alone singing along even when my children aren’t in the car. Is it totally dorky to admit that? If it is, I don’t care. Rocknoceros totally rocks!

PINK! ($15) is currently available for preorder and will be available through iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon on Saturday, April 18. Until then, you can listen to Rocknoceros’ songs for free on their website.

CD release show details for those in the DC Metro Area: You are invited to Rocknoceros’ PINK! CD release show at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia this Saturday. Shows are at 11 am, 2 pm, and 7 pm. Get your tickets here and see you there!

And a very happy birthday to Tech Savvy Daddy!

PBS Digital Nation Covers Internet Addiction

After yesterday’s disclosure about my internet addiction, PBS’ Digital Nation staff offered to help me and anyone else who may have a little problem with time spent online.

I may have been making fun of the CNN article for its sensational nature, but internet addiction is very serious in other countries like South Korea.  Last night I watched the South Korea segment on FRONTLINE/World which is called "the most wired place on Earth" because 97% of the houses in country have internet access.  I learned that gaming is a big problem in the country where internet cafes, called PC Bang, are dedicated centers for online gaming where people come and play all night long, often forgoing sleep in favor of playing.  

South Korea is the first country to recognize internet addiction as a psychological disorder because of its negative affects on health and performance in school.  Widespread internet addiction caused the South Korean government to intervene by establishing Internet Rescue Camps, 2 week detox programs where addicted youths come to unplug.  Schools are starting to provide education to young children about netiquette in schools.  To learn more about South Korea and see some of the same footage I saw last night, visit the Digital Nation website.

As I watched, I couldn't help but wonder if this is where we might be headed in a number of years.  Perhaps South Korea is facing these problems first because they are more wired than we are.   As I've been blogging I've come to realize that it is a reality in many homes due of the sheer numbers of parents who ask me about curbing their children’s time on the internet and hear my students talk about the time they spend on the computer doing things other than homework.   While our country may not be where South Korea is now, I have to wonder if we get there at some point in time.

If internet usage is a problem, the Digital Nation blog has a wealth of links about internet addiction. Follow these steps in order and consider it your 5 step program to recovery.

Step 1: Determine if you are truly addicted to the internet by taking a free online Internet Addiction Test by Dr. Kimberly Young.

Step 2: Read the Internet Addiction Guide by Dr. John Grohol of PsychCentral.

Step 3: Play this interview with Dr. Jerald Block who advocates classifying Internet addiction as an official disorder and read why he thinks it should be included as a mental disorder.

Step 4: Participate in Digital Nation's live discussion at 11 am EST about internet addiction with psychologist Dr. John Grohol. Since it is a live discussion occurring on their blog, everyone is welcome to ask him questions about internet addiction.

Step 5: Pull the plug like those who attend Internet Rescue Camp. Unplug for a day or two, or even a week.  While it may not completely curtail your internet usage, it might make you think about it a little more.  To see the Digital Nation video footage of the Internet Rescue Camp go to the tab under the video player in the features section.

Even though I'm not planning to take a trip to South Korea anytime soon, I find the discussion about internet addiction fascinating. I almost became a clinical psychologist before I realized I could help more kids as a teacher and spent a great deal studying the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for my college and gradute level psychology classes.

If internet addiction does become classified as a mental disorder, it will most likely be listed as a clinical syndrome since it is a compulsion that will be defined by excessive gaming, sexual preoccupations, and e-mail/text messaging both on and offline. Characteristics include excessive use, withdrawal, tolerance, and negative repercussions.* It will be listed with other disorders such as anorexia, bipolar disorder, exhibitionism, obsessive compulsive disorder, and schizophrenia.


*From Dr. Block's Editorial: Issues for DSM-V: Internet Addiction.

TONIGHT! PBS Digital Nation Broadcast

Last month I named PBS Frontline's Digital Nation site my Website of the Week. I've loved following the blog as this project emerges.

Tonight the broadcast component to the South Korea stories, "South Korea: The Most Wired Placed on Earth," will air as the second segment on FRONTLINE/World tonight, Apr 14, at 9 pm on PBS (check your local listing). The segment touches on issues of netiquette, gaming, and internet addiction, and ends with a visit to one of South Korea's 'internet rescue centers' that provides digital detox for at-risk kids. Hmmm...Maybe that's what I need to cure my "addiction."

Tomorrow a panel of expert guests to take questions via Digital Nation's news blog, tomorrow morning, Apr 15 at 11 am EST. Guests for the live online forum include Howard Rheingold, long-time commentator on the digital world and author of the 2002 book "Smart Mobs;" Donald Kirk, a journalist who has covered South Korea for over 35 years for publications including the "International Herald Tribune" and the "New York Times;" and Dr. John M. Grohol, founder of the influential website Psych Central, the Internet's largest and oldest independent mental health social network, and a frequent writer on the topic of Internet addiction. Everyone is invited to submit their questions by leaving a comment on this blog post.

According to CNN I’m Addicted to the Internet

Here’s a surprise, I may be addicted to the internet.

According to a recent CNNHealth.com article called Why Moms Are At Risk for Internet Addiction, you may be at risk if your internet usage includes the following:

-Being online while your family sleeps
-Reading the news online
-Using the internet to foster your real life friendships
-Reading blogs or writing your own blog

Are you addicted too? I know I am guilty of all of the above and more.

In the article author Rachel Mosteller says that moms like me are “contributing to a growing global addiction.” She states that psychiatrists are moving to recognize the internet as an addiction just like alcohol dependency which would make it an official mental disorder.

A mental disorder?!? I find that insulting. I’m online a lot both personally and professionally but I don’t think my use of the internet should be classified as a mental disorder. Why is a mom’s reliance on technology any different from that of a digital native?

I am more likely to sit down at the kitchen table and open my laptop to read the news online via The Washington Post or CNN’s homepage than turning the pages of the actual paper that is thrown on our front steps each morning. Rather than picking up the phone to arrange a playdate or to call a babysitter for a night out, I message on Facebook. I select greeting cards from sites like JacquieLawson.com rather than in the Hallmark aisle, purchase clothes for my kids from a bookmarked list of favorite online retailers, browse iTunes for favorite music, and commonly turn to Google for directions and to answer my questions. When Captain Computer was hospitalized in December, I relied on mobile Twitter and Facebook to update concerned friends and family through my iPhone in the absence of wifi. And there's always the online bill paying and ability to fill my virtual grocery cart for Peapod deliveries. Is this so wrong?

Besides my personal use of the internet, I also rely on it professionally as an on online course instructor, freelance writer, and community manager for an online professional community of teachers. And my day job as a Technology Magnet Coordinator doesn’t exactly keep me away from the internet either. It is my job to work with students to create podcasts, update our school website, find appropriate websites to enhance classroom instruction, and I teach kids how to use the internet.

Oh and the blogging...Well it's my creative outlet and far cheaper than therapy.

So obviously I’m hooked. But what do I do?

The CNN article suggests that I keep a journal of how often I am online for a week. Do you think I should create a Google doc so I can update it at home, work, and wherever else I have access to the internet? If so, I’ll be sure to write that in my journal too. *sarcasm*

But would I really want to have a detailed account of every single minute I’m online? I think not. I'd rather blog about it. Or Tweet. Or wax poetic on my Wall.

An abbreviated version of this post can be found at DC Metro Moms.

Website of the Week: The Washington Post’s Peeps Show III

Tomorrow the Easter baskets in your home will either be with or without Peeps. I’ve always preferred chocolate eggs and never really cared for the sugar coated marshmallow confections until The Washington Post’s Peeps Show diorama contest was introduced three years ago.

Whether you like to consume Peeps or not, chances are you will be amazed at what people create out of those little marshmallow bunnies and chicks. So in honor of Easter, I present The Washington Post's Peeps Show III as this week’s Tech Savvy Mama Website of the Week.

This year over 1,100 entries were submitted for the Peep Show III contest and the top 40 are featured on the Washington Post’s website. Top entries include notable current events like Captain Sullenberger’s emergency landing on the Hudson River, the Beijing Olympics, an inauguration scene complete with Aretha Franklin’s hat, and another depicting Purple Gate. There are scenes that delight my inner art historian like the winning entry and M.C. Escher’s Relativity, nods to the performing arts (Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Peep Street), and movies scenes featuring Peeps in flicks such as Peeps of Wrath, Mary Peepins, Peep on Wire, Thelma and Louise, WALL*E, and many more. Mac fans will appreciate Steve Jobs Presents iPeep Nano and anyone who has ever lived in the DC Metro Area will appreciate the Peep Metro dioramas.

If you love this year’s submissions, be sure to visit last year’s Peep Show II and the original Peep Show which will inspire you begin thinking of your own creation to submit for next year’s contest.

Streaming Content- The New Way to Watch

We’re reaching an age where today’s children are less likely to watch live television. Between DVRs, YouTube, Hulu, and streaming content available on Netflix, Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer won’t know what it was like to be in front of a television at a certain day and time to catch newest episodes of their favorite shows.

No more double header of 90210 and Melrose Place or the bonding in college common rooms over Thursday Must See TV. They won’t have the nail biting experiences that my housemates and I experienced in grad school as we rushed home from Friendly’s with ice cream sundaes as to not miss a minute of the latest South Park episode.

DVRs enable our kids to have episodes of their favorite shows accessible ready to play at a whim. Tech Savvy Daddy and I stream episodes of Lost on a laptop if we are traveling and can’t wait to watch it at home on the DVR. Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer can watch clips from favorite PBS shows on PBS Kids or PBS Kids Go or skits from Sesame Street on YouTube.

And while Netflix introduced the ability to stream movies and TV episodes for instant gratification back in November, they just announced that South Park and Nickelodeon shows like Dora the Explorer, Blues Clues, iCarly, True Jackson, VP, and SpongeBob SquarePants are now available for streaming.

The ability to stream is a wonderful thing. The content you want, ready when you want to watch it. Instant gratification.

But for me, 139 episodes of South Park I can stream off of Netflix is more Cartman, Kyle, Stan, and Kenny than I ever needed in graduate school. In this case, delayed gratification was probably a good thing!