Halloween Tips from Ice Age 3’s Sid (& Win 1 of 5 DVDs)

Can you feel the excitement? Not only is Halloween right around the corner but Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs just came out on DVD! If you are a fan of the Ice Age movies, you can now see all of your favorite Ice Age friends on the new DVD that was released on Tuesday or better yet, leave a comment below to win 1 of 5 copies that I have courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox!

Today Sid from Ice Age 3 has some safety tips to help your family have a very happy Halloween:

• It is best to travel in a herd, preferably in one that includes an adult human-type.
• Stick to familiar neighborhoods and never enter a stranger’s house, car, or cave.
• Carry a flashlight or glow stick to scare off dinosaurs and make yourself more visible at night.
• Bring a cell phone for quick communication in case you are separated from your group.
• Secure emergency information discreetly within your costume or on a bracelet to wear on your paw.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to your costume for greater visibility- it can get dark even in the snow!
• Walk- don’t run or fly- and be extra careful crossing streets.
• Have an adult human-type check for unwrapped or fossilized candy before you eat your treats.

Thanks to the generosity of Twentieth Century Fox, I have 5 copies to give away!

To win, just share one thing you do to make sure your family has a happy and safe Halloween! Easy, right? I'll notify the winners on Halloween morning!

If you aren't familiar with the Ice Age movies, read Sandie’s review on Common Sense Media to determine if Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is right for your family. Not only is Sandie a mom and an in-real-life friend she's a professional movie reviewer whose reviews I trust to ensure that the movies we watch are appropriate for our family.

And congratulations to last week's movie winners!

• Aimee from Smiling Mama won the Blockbuster Movie Trivia Contest
• Heather was our Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs prize pack winner
• Lisa from Workout Mommy will be sent the Snow White DVD Combo Pack with a 7 pack of plus dwarfs!

Giveaways and review copy provided by Twentieth Century Fox. This is not a compensated post.

Once in a Blue Moon- Connect with Author Eileen Goudge on Facebook and Twitter!

Believe it or not, I don’t actually spend all of my time online. I do spend a fair amount of it reading and commenting on the many blogs in my reader (comments are currency in the blog world!) but I also love quiet moments when I actually get to sit down and read a good book or go through my stack of magazines. As you can imagine, those moments are few and far between and I have a whole list of books that I want to read.

After hearing about Eileen Goudge’s newest book, Once in a Blue Moon from One2One Network last month, it was definitely on my list! Once in a Blue Moon has gotten rave reviews from other moms and I look forward to reading it but I just haven’t had a chance to crack it open yet.

Here’s a summary for you Eileen Goudge fans:

Once in a Blue Moon is about two sisters- Lindsay and Kerrie Ann- who have been faced with hardships from an early age. Without guidance from their neglectful mother, their only aid came from an unlikely source, a retired exotic dancer by the name of Miss Honi Love. When the girls’ mother was sent to prison, Miss Honi tried unsuccessfully to save them from being separated and sent into foster care.

Thirty years later, Lindsay is still trying to reconnect with her sister. The owner of a bookstore in the sleepy California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay, she was lucky enough to have been adopted by a loving couple. Unbeknownst to her, Kerrie Ann has suffered a very different life. Bounced from one foster home to the next, she ran away as a teenager before becoming a drug-addicted single mother. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of the little girl who was taken from her.

Neither sister’s expectations are met when they’re finally reunited. But as the two sisters engage in the fiercest battles of their lives, they are at last drawn together despite their differences, restoring belief in the unshakable bond of family.

Sounds great, doesn't it?

I’m looking forward to sitting down and reading it because I have enjoyed reading Eileen Goudge online. She’s quite skilled at using social media to connect with her readers and fans. I love authors that connect with their fans and Eileen Goudge is a frequent Tweeter and posts on her Facebook page are warm and personal. She recently posted a picture of her homemade apple pie that looked scrumptious and often talks about her weekend plans!

So if you are an Eileen Goudge fan and have enjoyed Woman in Red, The Diary, Domestic Affairs, Something Warm from the Oven, and so many more, get to know the woman behind the bestsellers on Facebook and Twitter!

And perhaps we can do an online book club once I start reading Once in a Blue Moon!


I received a review copy of Once in a Blue Moon from One2One Network. No compensation was paid for this post.

Climb Aboard Dinosaur Train for Natural Science & Paleontology

I hate to break the news to Whyatt, Princess Presto, and the rest of the cast of SuperWhy but Dinosaur Train is our new PBS favorite. Ever since the debut on September 7, 2009 (yes, it is only 7 weeks old!), Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer ask to watch it on a daily basis.

Captain Computer belts out the fast paced lyrics at the start of every show and Little Miss Techie can tell me which dinosaurs are herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores and if they lived during the Jurassic or Cretaceous periods. She’s always reminding me that T-Rex is classified as a theropod because of its three toes while Captain Computer tells me that Ned the Brachiosaurus is a quadruped because he has 4 legs. They act as if I, as a parent, should really remember this because they do! Captain Computer even dreams about Dinosaur Train...Last night he was asleep and we swear that he mumbled, "I love you Buddy and Tiny!"

My kids' love for Dinosaur Train warms my heart. As a mom and educator, I feel that I would be doing my kids a disservice to not let them watch it because it embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills as they learn about natural science, natural history and paleontology from a mixed species family (Pteradons and Tyrannosaurus Rex). Phew! That’s a lot to cram into each 30 minute episode but my kids love every second and walk away with an incredible amount of knowledge and interest in the scientific process.

Over the weekend PBS invited us to The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History for a screening of a not-yet-released episode, a chance to meet Buddy, and a Q&A session with Dr. Scott Sampson, (aka Dr. Scott the Paleontologist) a real paleontologist who appears between the animated sections of the show to answer questions about the dinosaurs featured in the episodes. At the screening we got a sneak peek at two new stories- “King Cryolophosaurus” and “Dinosaurs in the Snow”- which was a real treat for the dino fans in our house.

In “King Cryolophosaurus”, Buddy meets a fellow theropod named King whose big swooping crest on the top of his head makes him look a little like Elvis. Much to the amusement of the adults in the audience, King also talks and sings like Elvis!

“Dinosaurs in the Snow” takes Buddy and his Pteranodon family to the North Pole. They discover that the air is much cooler and the skies stay dark in winter. Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don get to experience snow for the first time and learn that Troodon (like the show’s Conductor) lived in a wide range of environments, including the cold, dark, snowy northern polar regions of the Earth and some even had feathers to keep them warm.

Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer enjoyed the episodes and were star struck with Dr. Scott the Paleontologist. They loved seeing him in real live and enjoyed knowing that Dr. Scott was sitting right in front of them during the episode. At one point during a Dr. Scott segment, Little Miss Techie leaned over and said, “Mom, Dr. Scott gets to watch himself on TV” and giggled, thinking that was quite funny.

After the screening, Dr. Scott opened up the floor to questions. Captain Computer shouted to me over the hum in the auditorium to tell me he had a question for Dr. Scott. Tripping over the other people in our aisle, we went to wait in like for a microphone among kids who towered over him. Fully expecting our 3 year old to freeze upon being presented the microphone, Captain Computer clutched it and said with no hesitation, “Hi my name is [Captain Computer] and I want to know how dinosaurs grow.” To which Dr. Scott replied that dinosaurs grow the same way we do, by eating things to make their bodies healthy and strong. Talk about a proud mama moment! I was bursting with pride at Captain Computer’s confidence!

At the end there were pictures with Buddy the Dinosaur and a photo with Dr. Scott. Captain Computer walked away beaming after getting Dr. Scott’s autograph on a photo of the Dinosaur Train cast.

If you want to know more about the amazing Dinosaur Train, here are some links:

• Meet the Characters in Dinosaur Train so you will be in the know and never confuse a Troodon with a Pterandon!

• Help your child develop hypotheses about the science of color just like Buddy does on the show with this super simple activity especially designed for ages 3-6.

• Get to know Dr. Scott Sampson, aka Dr. Scott the Paleontologist through his guest post on this month’s Ex?pert Q&A on PBS Parents.

• Read about the educational objectives for each episode on PBS Teachers’ Dinosaur Train: Episode Descriptions

• Learn more about dinosaurs with the Field Guide on the Dinosaur Train portion of the PBSKids.org site which allows them to learn the classification and time period during which it lived, see an x-ray, compare its size to a human, learn what it ate, and hear other fun facts.

• Make your own Buddy costume in time for Halloween so your T-Rex can hunt for candy in either the no-sew or sewn version.

I consult for PBS Teachers and serve as the PBS Teachers Community Manager however I was not paid to attend this event nor was I paid to write about our family's experience as attendees.

Fancast: Free Source of Full Length Movies and TV Shows

Like the popular Hulu, Fancast is a new site that offers full movies and entire TV episodes from the convenience and comfort of your computer. Fancast debuted in January 2008 and now has more than 10,000 hours of online video programming including more than 60,000 videos and over 13,000 full-length shows with more are being added every day!

With the 1 movie at a time option from Netflix, I sometimes find myself wanting something else to watch besides what is on our DVR. Fancast enables me to search for full length movies with their search feature or by genre or look through an alphabetical list. Also choose from recommendations that appear on the right side of the screen like Today’s Top 5, Johnny Depp movies (Benny & Joon anyone?), or get into the Halloween spirit with top movie picks for zombie movies, horror stories, or Vincent Price flicks. It doesn’t take long for me to find something I like and have it playing on my screen whether it is National Geographic: Whales in Crisis or National Lampoon’s: Cattle Call.

Fancast also has an amazing variety of tv shows. I like that I can get my nerdy news fix from 60 Minutes, relive the 90s with classic episodes of 90210 and Melrose Place or watch episodes from the current season, catch up on reality TV (including my MTV!) or get some laughs in during an especially tough day thanks to the antics of my favorite Looney Tunes characters.


It also has all the new shows and episodes that TV fans want to see from The Office, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, Vampire Diaries, Dancing with the Stars, Community, Fringe and more. It also offers classics like Friends, Family Ties, The Love Boat, cooking shows (Nigella, Rachael Ray, Daniel Boloud, Madhur Jaffrey are some of my faves!), soap operas plus amazing-but-canceled shows like Arrested Development.

Fancast is not affliated with any network or studio, instead it aggregates tv content from more than 100 sources (including Hulu!) and has more TV extras than any other site including movies, pictorials, blogs, listings, live chats and Q&A's with stars, and much more!

I love Fancast because it gives busy parents the ability to watch some of our favorite shows whenever we have time wherever we are, as long as we have an internet connection. There are limited commercial breaks but since it isn't a whole block of them, they don't bother me as much as the long set of ads that I avoid thanks to my DVR. I find that a commercial break allows me to multitask since I can reply to e-mail, Tweet, update my Facebook profile, or work on another post for this site in another window until my show or movie comes back on! Plus, that sponsor support is what keeps the site free and I’m all for free!

No compensation was received for this post. Just sharing the fun, free stuff I find online!

Snow White Diamond Edition Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack (& giveaway)

“Some day my prince will come
Some day we’ll meet again
And away to his castle we’ll go
To be happy forever I know…”

-Some Day My Prince Will Come, Snow White (1937)

Whether you believe in fairy tales, true love, or good ultimately triumphing over evil, the Snow White is just as magical as she always was in the new Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition ($24.99). Disney took Snow White from their vault, digitally restored her 1937 self by enhancing picture and sound before re-releasing a combo pack that contains both a Blu-ray and a DVD to create a Diamond Edition that is available for a limited time only.

If you are scratching your head wondering what in the world Blu-ray is and why you might need it, Blu-ray is the high definition version of DVDs. To get super technical a la Tech Savvy Daddy, Blu-ray Disc (aka Blu-ray or BD) is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the standard DVD format. Its main uses are for storing high-definition video, PlayStation 3 games, and other data, with up to 25 GB per single layered, and 50 GB per dual layered disc. The disc has the same physical dimensions as standard DVDs and CDs.

Other highlights about Blu-ray discs and players:

• Up to 6x better quality than DVD
• 7.1 Surround Sound
• Immersive activity with games and special features
• Kid proof-more scratch resistant (hallelujah!)
• Plays both Blu-ray and DVD discs
• Blu-ray also plays on Sony PlayStation 3 players

For those of us not as into the tech specs, Blu-ray is simply a better format to watch a movie on! The picture is clearer, the sound is better and more elements can be put on it (i.e. behind the scenes extra footage, games, etc) for you to enjoy.

See for yourself…



If you are thinking that a Blu-ray might be in your future, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition combo pack with both Blu-ray and a DVD versions is a great way to start your collection. Snow White was Disney’s first full-length animated film ever made and she is the original Disney princess that preceded Cinderella, Briar Rose, Belle, Ariel, Jasmine, and the eagerly anticipated Princess Tiana from the soon-to-be-released Princess and the Frog.

The limited release Diamond Edition contains a ton of extras that includes:

• High Definition 7.1 sound
• All new music video!
• Disneyview expanded viewing experience
• Disney Family Plan for games that everyone will enjoy
• Backstage Disney with a behind the scenes look at this legendary tale
• Classic Bonus features include Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride Game, Karoke Sing A Long, and so much more!

It was certainly a treat to sit down for a family movie night and relive the Snow White I loved as a child with my two children in the new digitally remastered version. I found the classic animation to be even more gorgeous due to the stunning color enhancements. As I watched, I could just see Little Miss Techie falling in love with the animated Snow White, whose story we have read many times, as she snuggled nest to me. Captain Computer enjoyed the story too and especially thought the animals were particularly charming and hilarious as they helped Snow White clean the cottage.

If you love Snow White as much as we do, enter to win a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition. Just leave a comment with your e-mail address and tell me which of the Seven Dwarfs is your favorite and why! A winner will be chosen in a week and contacted via e-mail.

Thanks to One2One Network for providing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Edition for review purposes and Walt Disney World Home Entertainment for providing a copy as a giveaway.

Blockbuster Halloween Costume Contest and Movie Prize Pack Giveaway!

Are you dressing up this Halloween?

If you are going as a TV/movie character or an actor/actress, Blockbuster wants a picture for their Halloween Costume Contest on Flickr. Take a photo of yourself or your costumed child and upload it to Flickr to get a free 30 day subscription to Blockbuster online just for entering and the chance to win the grand prize- a TiVo Series2 DT DVR! Three runners up will be selected to receive Blockbuster gift cards. The costume contest runs until October 28, and four winners will be announced on October 30. For contest details, visit the Blockbuster blog.

If you aren’t dressing as a TV/movie character/actor/actress or uploading pics of your costumed self and/or kids is just not your thing, I have teamed with Blockbuster to put together a Halloween movie trivia contest to give one very lucky reader an amazing movie prize package!

The first reader to answer the below trivia questions correctly will win a Blockbuster Halloween Movie Prize Pack that includes the following DVDs:

• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• Harry Potter Years 1-5 Collection (yes, the first 5 movies!)
• Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.
  

Movies in the prize pack retail for over $150 but that’s not all! The Blockbuster Halloween Movie Prize Pack will also include fun movie treats (aka candy!) from Blockbuster stores, all of which are valued from $3-7 each and make any movie that much sweeter.

Good luck answering these questions and Happy Halloween from Tech Savvy Mama and Blockbuster- your everything entertainment expert!



Thanks to Blockbuster for giving our family a set of these Halloween themed movies and providing another set as a giveaway. No compensation was received for this post.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Gift Pack Giveaway!

If your kids are Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs fans, Burger King’s Club BK has provided one Tech Savvy Mama family a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gift pack that includes:

• $20 BK Crown Card to grab a bite to eat before or after the movie
• $40 movie gift card to see the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs or a movie of your choice
• Full set of Club BK Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs kids toys
• Club BK’s Adventures newsletter
• Original Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs book by Judi Barrett

To enter, visit yesterday's post and leave a comment that includes:

• The name of the charity that Burger King has partnered with to help fight hunger
  
• Whether you preferred the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs book or movie
• E-mail address so I can contact you when you win!
  

Fine print: Entries must include an e-mail address to be valid. A winner will be selected in 2 weeks and will be notified via e-mail.

Wondering if Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is right for your kids? Visit Common Sense Media to read a review written by a fellow mom and trusted film critic and friend, Sandie (aka Urban Mama), or watch a video review of the movie.

Burger King provided me with a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gift pack for review purposes. This is not a compensated post.

Fight Hunger with ClubBK's Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Game

Welcome to Movie Week! This week I'll doing movie related reviews and giveaways some come on back to win some great prizes!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs has always been one of our favorite books. The imaginative story set in the town of Chewandswallow allows kids to envision a place where the it rains orange juice or snows mashed potatoes at least until everything goes awry.

If your kids are fans of the book and have loved the animated movie whose plot is loosely based on the story, they might be interested in Burger King’s newly revamped ClubBK kids’ site that features a portal to the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Food Catcher game by Sony Pictures. Food Catcher allows kids become hunger helpers to support the film’s charitable partner, Feeding America. Helping to end hunger is an extremely important cause and visiting the newly updated ClubBK can help open the door to conversations about the fact that 1 in every 6 kids doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from. Since this is such an important cause, Kraft Foods is supporting Hunger Action Month with a $25,000 donation to Feeding America through game play.



The Food Catcher game is highly entertaining due in part to the carnival-like music that lends a frantic craziness of helping Flint catch falling food for the food bank. Kids will enjoy moving their mouse left and right to help Flint catch hot dogs, hamburgers, meatballs, ice cream, drumsticks, strawberries, etc. for the Food Bank. The game tests hand-eye coordination through mouse skill practice since Flint has to avoid catching sardines and rat birds but find the golden apples to earn bonuses. Through game play, kids can earn codes that can be redeemed back at Club BK for Crowns, the virtual currency for Club BK. Players can choose to give Crowns as a show of support for Feeding America.


Besides the intrinsic value of fighting hunger, ClubBK also offers online incentives for kids. They can earn the Feeding America-themed t-shirt to display on their personal Club BK avatar as a badge of honor. There is also a progress meter that measures the number of Crowns contributed. Once the goal has been reached, those who have donated crowns through the Food Catcher will receive a special virtual item for their avatar's online cabin. While the incentive of a special avatar or more stuff may not sound like a huge motivator, kids love to collect things for their virtual play spaces.

Like every online experience, it is best to do a trial run of the site before turning kids loose on it and have a conversation about the kinds of games that your children will encounter. This is especially true of the new ClubBK site because there is a bit of navigating to get to the game after the initial account setup. The site is probably best for ages 8 and above because the site isn’t naturally intuitive or easy for early elementary ages to navigate. Older kids might even need to have the small Feeding America sign on the left side of the screen with the pink button pointed out to them before game play. Parents of younger children interested in helping to end hunger should click through to the actual game for their kids on Sony Pictures site where the game lives.

If you just want some fun printables for your kids that feature the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatball characters from the movie, you can download word and letter games featuring Mad Libs type activities from ClubBK here.

Come back tomorrow to enter to win a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gift pack that includes a $20 gift card to Burger King, $40 AMC movie gift card, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs book, and more!

Burger King provided a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs gift pack for review purposes. This is not a compensated post.

Devra Renner’s Crash Course on Communicating with Teens for DC Parents

If you are a DC area parent of teens, Devra Renner will be speaking at The Women’s Center on Thursday, October 22 at 7 pm about effectively communicating with your teen. Devra blogs at her Parentopia site and a fellow DC Metro Mom, is the author the popular book, Mommy Guilt, and is a friend. Yes, that’s a picture of her with our turnip at Eno.

I can always count on Devra to have great advice not only because her expertise is highly regarded and often appears in print publications but because she has first hand knowledge of dealing with teens and tweens as the mom of 2 sons.

Here’s information that Devra passed on to me to share:

Every generation of parents stakes the claim, "Teens today are different than we were." With all of the technology available at teens' fingertips today, that statement may be truer than ever. To understand how today's teens communicate and what you can do to communicate effectively with them, join noted parenting expert, author and blogger, Devra Reener, for a crash course covering the ins and outs of communicating with teens the old fashioned way -- by engaging them in conversation. She'll also show you how they use the latest technology from Facebook, Twitter and texting to connect with the rest of the world, including their savvy parents.

$35 Registration Fee / $25 Center Circle Donors (Members)

Date: October 22, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM EST - 9:00 PM EST
Location: The Women's Center, 127 Park Street, NE, Vienna, VA 22180
Email: programs@thewomenscenter.org

Eno Restaurant Reservations Made Easy with OpenTable.com

From left to right: Sandie- UrbanMama, Me, Eli Kirshtein, Kim- Passion and Art , and Devra- Parentopia after dinner at Eno Restaurant and Wine Bar in Atlanta

Have you ever used OpenTable.com? The website is fantastically easy and one that I use to make restaurant reservations (or realize that there isn’t anything available for same day gratification!). Now I am a big fan of their new free apps for smartphones. OpenTable has apps specifically designed for the Android phones like myTouch, BlackBerry, iPhone, and Palm but also has another version for other web enabled phones.

Just like on the OpenTable site, the apps allow you to find restaurants nearby and search for available reservations, display the location of the restaurants on a map, see menus and restaurant reviews, narrow choices according to type of food, price, and availability, get directions to the restaurant, and send invitations to members of your dining party. I also appreciate that you can manage upcoming reservations using the app just like you can on the website.

I know that I relied on OpenTable.com to make my recent reservation at Eno in Atlanta. If you are a fan of Top Chef, Eno is the restaurant of cheftestant Eli Kirshtein. When Top Chef Las Vegas started I knew I wanted to go to Eli’s Eno and Kevin Gillespie’s Woodfire Grill.

Both restaurants use OpenTable.com for their reservations and I truly love the simplicity of the system despite having had to change my reservation many times. First my reservation was for 4, then bumped up to 6, and back to 5 before we realized on the way to the restaurant that there would only be 4 of us after all.

All the changes were easy on OpenTable and we were able to change our reservation to half an hour later to accommodate our party of 6. Every time we added someone new to our party, I could send them our reservation through OpenTable so they would get it as an e-mail and know the day, time, and location. When the reservation was updated, I had the option of sending out a revised invitation to keep my dinner guests in the loop.

So to start Blogalicious off right, I made a reservation at Eno using Open Table.

After last year’s BlogHer in San Francisco, I resolved to never ever go to a conference and live off of hor d’ ourves and cocktails all weekend ever again. By Sunday I was ravenous and incredibly cranky. It was not a pretty sight. San Francisco is like home to me and I kicked myself for not taking advantage of the fabulous restaurants I know from having lived nearly half my life in the Bay Area.

A full stomach feeds the mind and certainly helps with alcohol absorption. It also prevents me from frivolously spending calories on fried appetizers and other high calorie hor d’ourves on nights when there are often 3 parties to attend in a row. A fantastic meal starts the conference on the right foot- or stomach.

A year later BlogHer San Francisco, lessons have been learned. This summer I went to Chicago and started BlogHer with a great meal at Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill with friend, fellow Top Chef fan, and blogger Amanda. Heading to Atlanta, I was excited about starting my night off right by eating real food before Blogalicious weekend kicked off with a night of parties.

Real food but really delicious food too.

The photos above are from our fabulous meal of gastronomic amazement at Eno Restaurant…For my fellow foodie readers, our meal consisted of shared small plates: creamy barley risotto with butternut squash and topped with crispy fennel and an just-put-on-the-menu-that-day cured lomo sliced thin, garnished with tiny diced apple bits and the most creamy smudge of applesauce ever.

Entrees featured foam and were expertly paired with delicious wines. The 4 of us got 2 of the same entrees which included a short rib ravioli where fall-off-the-bone tender meat was encased in house made fresh pasta and a 1 ½ pound lobster with fresh corn, garlic scapes, and the most velvety sauce ever. I could have licked the plate for every last bit of that buttery sauce!

And for dessert, mostly chocolate peanut butter all around- one thick, dark bar of ganache rolled in cocoa and accompanied with creamy light peanut buttery goodness with a smudge of sweet peanut (see above left). The only exception was UrbanMama who relished in the ability to have a pistachio-laden dessert (right) in the absence of her pistachio-allergic husband.

Eli was wonderfully nice and wondered, upon telling him that we were bloggers, why we weren't following him on Twitter (@EliKirshtein) and fans of his Facebook page. To which we pulled out our smartphones and found him on Twitter as Devra told him about her previous week's elevator run in with Richard Blaise from a previous season of Top Chef and friend of Eli's. For the full story, ask Devra. And don't worry Eli, you were properly tagged in my Flickr photostream as requested!

Huge thanks to our fabulous server, Catherine, who shared her favorite dishes with us, put up with us, nicely returned our turnip centerpiece that we were so curious about, and not only fetched Chef Eli, but also snapped our photo with him.

Thanks Eli, Eno, and OpenTable.com for starting my Blogalicious weekend off right with such wonderful food!

For photos with descriptions of the food pictured above, visit my Eno Flickr photostream.



As I complimented Eli, I told him I would post about our outstanding visit to Eno where each of us paid for our entire meal. OpenTable.com has no idea I exist and am a fan of their service.
Dress in photo is the Cap Sleeve Dress and was provided by Lands' End as part of my Blogalicious wardrobe.

The Real Blogalicious Recap

This time last week I was eagerly anticipating Blogalicious and almost a week after it started, I am sad that it is over. The conference was absolutely amazing and I am so thrilled that I got to be a part of this groundbreaking experience where a community of women came together to talk about their experience and all aspects of blogging.

The two predominant themes that I heard echoed over and over again in different sessions, keynotes, and plenary sessions were determining your own goals and being passionate about what you do. Goals are so personal. Everyone blogs for different reasons. Whether you are a mommy blogger sharing the adventures of parenting, providing a local resource or linked to your profession), or dabble in different blogging communities, our different voices, the passion to write, and share our stories is the commonality that motivates us.

The passion to write is internal but apparent to your readers in what you write. Your readers can tell if you don’t love writing or if becomes a chore, bore, or something that you do not enjoy. If you love what you do, you don’t stop learning about what you do to improve. The constant honing of our voices and craft is how we grow as bloggers.

And once you set your goals, you begin to hone your craft. Honing your craft comes from trial and error, varied experiences, and treating blogging like a job. Accept different blogging experiences whether writing for part of a community or going solo as long as they fit with your goals. Don't be afraid to turn down the things that aren't a good fit. I’ve found that with each blogging experience, I’ve made connections to individuals who have helped provide me with the kinds of professional growth that makes me a better blogger. While blogging may not generate a salary like my day job, the satisfaction I get from blogging is neverending.

Neverending satisfaction is getting to connect with a whole world of bloggers that I never knew existed before the conference and having a chance to talk more to the ones who I read all the time. I met DC area bloggers like WhimsiGal who I need to plan my next social event and has a gorgeous line of cards, fell in love with Rosa and her cousin from Dancing HotDogs (Curious? Check out her site!) because she’s just so sweet, connected with Kathy Sykes, cried as I listened to My Brown Baby talk about her mom, met BabyBuncher 2 after knowing BabyBuncher IRL, got a super cool stainless steel Sharpie (be jealous teacher friends!) from Karen Hartzell, admired Broke Socialite’s incredible flower pin so much I had to get a photo, found a kindred spirit in Aparna who created a site for busy parents who need to keep up with news from children’s classes and activities through Parentella, and realized exactly how little I sleep when Rosemary from The Geek Treatment asked how I work, blog, and consult! I realized that I love Mommy Niri even more than I did before since she was kind enough to give me a call in the Clever Girls Collective Suite to tell me that I won a HP Mini from SunKissed Mommy because I missed their tweet because my phone which was charging in my room.

And speaking of the Clever Girls Collective…Love, love, and more love for the three amazing women behind this new company that launched in June and works with great companies like Little Passports, Yummie Tummie (really truly yummy!), TinyPrints, and more! Stefania, Cat, and Sheila are truly talented women and while this powerhouse trio could be completely intimidating because of their many accomplishments, they are just so nice in person and absolutely hilarious online. For hilarity, see 40 Whatever and that says it all!

So now that I’m mourning the end of Blogalicious, it is time for me to practice what I heard throughout the weekend…Stay true to my goals and keep doing what I love!

For more posts about Blogalicious, read what fellow attendees are saying! See you next year in Miami!

I am wearing the Womens' Original Silk Cotton Pintucked Ruffle Shell in Iris from Lands' End who graciously provided my Blogalicious wardrobe.

My Blogalicious Thank You Speech (& giveaway!)

I’m home from an absolutely amazing weekend at Blogalicious where there was so much love, sharing, camaraderie, and learning that it will take me a couple more days to digest my learning to be able to share it with you.

Now that I am home, I have to thank those who helped me get to Blogalicious in the first place…

Thank you to the ladies of MamaLaw whose had a vision for the conference and executed it with perfection. I truly appreciate them having selected me to be a Blogalicious Ambassador and was happy to help them in exchange for my conference registration. When they asked me to speak, it was a no-brainer! I was honored to speak with Corvida Raven and Angela Benton about how I took my blog to the next level and appreciate their help in defraying my travel costs.

Secondly, thanks to the companies that reached out to me because of the relationship we have developed since I started blogging. While I would have loved to win a fully funded trip to BlogHer2010 in NYC next summer after being chosen as one of their top 10 finalists, I was thrilled that Mabel’s Labels provided Mama Cards for me to use as my business cards and goodie bags full of samples and pens to give to attendees in exchange for help with my lodging. Mabel’s Labels offer a great selection of labels that are as much for the household as they are for moms to ensure that their kids’ clothing comes home every day. As someone who thrives on organization, my new favorite is the Cord Control pack because it helps even a non-technical person become tech savvy so you know which cord goes to which gadget!

Lands’ End is a company that I love and they provided me with great looks for the preconference meetup and also throughout the conference. As a 5’ 4” curvy woman that is sometimes considered a petite and other times not, I appreciate that Lands’ End clothes are consistently sized, comfortable, and fit my lifestyle as a mom and also a working woman. My professional look for my panel was Lands’ End from head to toe and transitioned nicely for all of the late night parties. And for those who complimented me on my purple top, it was the Original Silk Shell in Winter Violet paired with the Original Commuter Jackie Pants! Today’s more casual outfit was the Iris Original Silk Cotton Pintuck Ruffle Shell with a pair of UltraFit Jackie Bootcut Jeans and these great flats.

Thanks also to the many sponsors of Blogalicious and the amazing staff of the W Hotel in Midtown Atlanta for your generosity and graciousness that ensured that this would truly be a groundbreaking conference. I will be sharing more about what I learned from the conference sponsors in future posts!

Finally.....Big thanks to all the women who were at the conference this weekend and especially my roommates- Sandie (aka UrbanMama) and Kim from Passion and Art- and honorary roommates Devra and Kim! You made it so fun!

Now that I’m done with my Oscar length speech, it's giveaway time!

I'm offering anyone who wasn’t at Blogalicious the chance to win 1 of 2 Mabel’s Labels prize packs valued at $63. The prize packs contain contain a gift certificate for both the Mabel’s Camp/School Pack and Mama Cards in your choice of design.

To enter, go to Twitter to find #blogalicious09 Tweets. Read some of the conference related Tweets and tell me if you think you would like to be a part of Blogalicious next year and why! Entries must include an e-mail address. 2 winners will be chosen next week.

While you are on Twitter, tweet this for a second entry: @TechSavvyMama went to #Blogalicious09 and is giving away @Mabelhood goodies for those who want to go next year! http://tr.im/BujK Pls RT!

This post was written for the purposes of full disclosure!

Blogalicious Bound!

Tomorrow I’m heading to Atlanta to meet up with 159 other bloggers for Blogalicious. I’m so excited for the MamaLaw ladies who will get to see months of their hard work come together during a weekend which I know will be too short. I’m thrilled to get to see friends who I wanted to talk with more while at BlogHer in Chicago and to meet the people I’ve been chatting with on BigTent or Tweeting with all because of Blogalicious.

I know that there will be a lot of learning this weekend. I’m hoping for honest conversations about race within the blogosphere and an open dialogue to discuss the issues, challenges, and perceptions that plague bloggers and PR/marketing alike. I know that the conversations that start at Blogalicious will need to continue not only at next year’s conference, but throughout the year.

During the 2 years that I’ve been blogging, the issue of diversity has been part of this site. As a mom who blogs, this site has always been my forum for sharing my knowledge about good technology with you and the best websites, software, applications, etc. are ones that reflects the diversity of the world around us. The fact that I am Asian American and the mom of 2 biracial children doesn’t really come into play when I talk about Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer’s use of technology in our home and the educational value of the things that they use but examining technology to ensure that it represents diverse cultures is something that I always look for.

In her post, Women bloggers of color: How are we doing?, Stefania Pomponi Butler (aka CityMama) asks if marketers value diversity and if they seek it out.

Have I heard from them? I don't know. Have I been targeted as an Asian American blogger? Probably. Do I hope that PR and marketing reach out to me because of my knowledge/expertise in my field and the way I write? Yes. Do I hope we will get to work together once they realize that I am Asian American expert in my field and a good writer with ethical practices? Absolutely.

I have certainly learned a lot in the couple years I have been blogging and am honored to be a part of this ground-breaking conference. I’m thrilled that I get to share my experience about blogging with others through the Taking Your Blog to the Next Level panel but by no means am I done learning. There are so many more people that I look forward to learning from this weekend and look forward to sharing what I have learned with you.

Coming Soon- Tech Savvy Mama's Holiday Gift Guide!

Yes, that's right! Just like the major retailers in that it isn't even Halloween yet but I'm already thinking ahead to the holidays and looking for products that will make the cut as part of the Second Annual Tech Savvy Mama Holiday Gift Guide! I'm making my list, checking it twice to make sure that every item on this year's Holiday Gift Guide is something that I absolutely love and think you should know about.

What am I looking for?

Quite simply- anything and everything! I'm looking for items for moms, dads, kids of all ages, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. I'm looking for things that a tech savvy household cannot live without, toys for every age, fun and useful smartphone apps, food items, budget friendly items along with the extravagant.

Last year's gift guide was a huge hit and had separate lists for toddlers & preschool, elementary ages, and teens & tweens plus a guide for gifts for moms and dads! I'm planning on doing something similar and have items already starting to arrive for my review.

If you have an item that you would like me to consider, please send an e-mail to me at tech savvy mama at g mail dot com and be willing to send a sample for review purposes.

In the e-mail, include the following:

• Name of the item
• Target age the item is for
• Press release about the item
  
• Images that you would like to have included if I select it for my gift guide
• Whether you are willing to provide a giveaway of the item/gift certificate to your site because my readers love giveaways and this is a great way to get exposure for your site or product!
• Any applicable discount codes you can provide to my readers
  

Hey readers! Here's your chance to weigh in! What kinds of things are you looking for this holiday season and would like to win through my gift guide? Leave a comment and let me know!

Look for the Second Annual Tech Savvy Mama Holiday Gift Guide in late November or early December!

What's on the list so far? Oodles of DVDs and CDs, the latest and greatest from Leapfrog, fun toys, amazing tech peripherals, iPhone apps, apparel, food items...Excited??? Me too!

I regret that samples for consideration cannot be returned due to the fact that I am a one person holiday operation. Ok, maybe 2 with the help of Tech Savvy Daddy but my point is that there are no elves that live here in the Tech Savvy household to help return products sent to me to review.

Disney on Ice Celebrations- Win Tickets for DC Metro Performances!

Little Miss Techie snuck up behind me one day and was scanning the contents of my inbox. Most of the time I love that she can read but other times it can spoil surprises. Case in point- “Mommy, that says Disney on Ice. Remember when we went last year? I loooooved that show! Is it coming again? I’d really like to go!”

Don't tell Little Miss Techie but we are going this year and I'm looking forward to the new Disney on Ice Celebrations brings over 60 characters for a party on ice that celebrates 100 years of Disney and special occasions that occur throughout the year.

I’m looking forward to going to see the show right before Halloween and have the Disney villains to put us in the mood for Halloween night with their Halloween haunt. I know Little Miss Techie will be wowed by that will feature the Disney Princesses. I can’t wait to hear Captain Computer’s burst out in laughter at Very Merry Unbirthday Party from Alice in Wonderland! And we’ll get to reminisce about last year’s great Hawaiian vacation when we see Lilo and Stitch in their version of a Hawaiian luau. Just as last year, I am sure that this year’s Celebrations show will be action-packed and full of some of my favorite Disney songs from my childhood visits to Disneyland.

Disney on Ice Celebrations has 2 performance locations in the DC Metro Area. The first set of performances will be at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA. Show times are as follows:

• Wednesday, October 21st – 7:00 p.m.
• Thursday, October 22nd – 7:00 p.m.
• Friday, October 23rd – 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 24th – 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, October 25th – 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Then Celebrations is stopping in Baltimore for shows at the 1st Mariner Area on these dates and times:

• Wednesday, October 28th - 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 29th - 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, October 30th - 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31st- 11:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1st - 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

DC Metro Readers can win a 4 pack of tickets to the Fairfax or Baltimore Disney on Ice Celebrations shows!

Feld Entertainment has generously provided 4 tickets to the Thursday, October 22nd show at the Patriot Center AND the Thursday, October 29th show at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore! Each 4 pack of tickets has a value of up to $240!

If you would like to enter to win a set of 4 tickets to the Fairfax or Baltimore Disney on Ice Celebrations, check your calendar, choose the show you would like to attend, and then leave a comment telling me the following:

• Favorite celebration or a memorable Disney moment
• Which performance you would like to attend (Fairfax on October 22 or Baltimore on October 29th)
• E-mail address

For an extra entry, tweet this and leave a comment with a link to your tweet: Hey DC Tweeps! @TechSavvyMama is giving away 4 packs of Disney on Ice tickets for Fairfax & Balto shows. Enter here 2 win: http://tr.im/AOxH

Please note that tickets are for the Thursday performances beginning at 7:30 pm and are only good for that date and show time. For more giveaway details, please see the bottom of this post.

If you would prefer to guarantee your family tickets to Disney on Ice Celebrations performance or don't live in the DC Area, MomCentral has discounted pricing available to shows around the country. Thanks to MomCentral, get 4 tickets for $44 by entering the code "MOM" in the MC Promotion box through select online ticketing agencies. This offer is good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.

For a complete list of national Disney on Ice performances that will accept the MomCentral discount and 2 other discount options, please visit Mummy’s Product Reviews for details.

And now I leave with you with A Very Unmerry Birthday from Alice in Wonderland....

Giveaway fine print: The winner will be chosen on Tuesday, October 13 and contacted via e-mail. Once contacted, the winner will have 24 hours to reply with their full name and phone number so the tickets can be held at will call. If I don’t hear from you after 24 hours, another winner will be selected.

Huge thanks to Feld Entertainment for providing Disney on Ice tickets for my family to attend the performance and also for this giveaway. Thanks also to MomCentral for the discount and Mummy’s Product Reviews for a list of national performances that are part of the 4 tickets for $44 promotion.

Websites of the Week: Donating to Breast Cancer Related Causes

October may be breast cancer awareness month but really, this is an issue that needs to be at the forefront every day of each month in the year. In my last post about breast cancer, I mentioned shopping pink and supporting companies who are donating a portion of their proceeds towards breast cancer awareness. Sure pink products are great but what has troubled me about supporting the cause is how little money actually goes towards breast cancer related causes.

Dr. Len Lichtenfeld from the American Cancer Society, wrote a post called “Think Pink And The Doughnuts: Caution Ahead” which strengthened my desire to donate directly to breast cancer related causes because not all of the promotions make sense. For example, Dr. Lichtenfeld writes about a disconnect between pink frosted doughnuts in the shape of ribbons and a well known vineyard donating $1 for ever bottle sold towards breast cancer research. Did you know that obesity and increased consumption of alcohol can lead to a greater risk of breast cancer?

While the American Cancer Society does benefit from some promotions, Dr. Lichtenfeld strongly urges consumers to take a close look at the promotion and to see how much money is actually going directly to the breast cancer related cause. Some companies state a minimum dollar amount and maximum donation towards the cause.

For example, the annual Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives promotion will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. They will donate at least $500,000 and a maximum of $1.5 million for all the lids sent in between now and December 31, 2009. Other promotions that feature pink products don’t actually state that any money is being donated towards breast cancer related causes through your purchase!

If shopping pink, be sure to read the fine print and if you are at all wary then please donate directly to organizations like the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and National Breast Cancer Foundation because the full amount of your donation will go towards breast cancer related causes.

Stepping off my soap box now.