Asian American Voices Documentary Addresses Policy Through Personal Stories

As a teacher, I see the struggles that immigrant families face in terms of learning the culture, trying to navigate the school system, and lacking the language to help with homework and know that these are the same issues that my father faced when he came to this country from China at age 10.

As an Asian American who grew up in Silicon Valley, the new Asian American Voices documentary is of interest to me as a teacher and daughter of an immigrant but also to all Asian Americans around the country since the policy initiatives associated with the project impact Asian immigrants and their family members across the United States.



This film follows the stories—the successes, hardships, and hopes—of three Asian American immigrants in Silicon Valley. Despite struggling through language, cultural, and health care barriers, Andy, Nenita, and Iris (pictured below right) readily work to shape the local community. For a region that has thrived on the ideas and labor of immigrants past and present, supporting these populations remains vital toward improving the social and economic health of Silicon Valley. This piece explores the strengthening of community through the support of immigrant populations.

For Silicon Valley readers, this video will be screening at the San Francisco Asian American Film Festival on March 20, 2010. Buy tickets here or win tickets through the Asian American Voices Facebook page.

For readers like me who can’t attend the Asian American Film Festival, visit Asian American Voices to learn more about the project or follow them on Facebook.

Bloggers, please feel free to share the links with your readers and embed the above trailer if this is a topic of interest to your audience. Also contact Sheila if you would like images or additional information about this very important documentary. Thanks!

Thanks to Sheila and Stefania of The Clever Girls Collective for sharing this information with me. While I am part of The Clever 1000, I was not compensated for this post.

The Butterfly Folder

Photo courtesy of e3000

During a career that has spanned just over ten years of teaching, I’ve had some real lows and incredible highs in and out of the classroom. My first year was filled with lows, beginning with a child falling off the play structure and fracturing his arm on the first day of school, an overly defiant student who spent most of his time sitting under a desk, and a kid who decided it was a good idea to set the school on fire. It was hard to muster up enough courage to go back and face my class each day but somehow I made it through the year thanks to my butterfly folder.

Come read the rest of my post on The LeapFrog Community to see why every parent and teacher needs their own butterfly folder!

2010 White House Easter Egg Roll Ticket Lottery on Recreation.gov

Remember my frustration in getting White House Easter Egg Roll tickets last year?

This year The White House has created an online lottery system to assign tickets for the free Easter Egg Roll that will be on Monday, April 5.

To enter the lottery, visit Recreation.gov before this Sunday, February 28 at 11:59 EST and create a login to enter the Easter Egg Roll ticket lottery.

The site will ask you for your name, address, e-mail, etc. and then you will be taken to a screen where you can select the number of tickets you need (up to 6) and request different entry times. Ticket holders will be assigned a two hour window for their visit. Lucky ticket recipients will be notified via e-mail and on the Recreation.gov website on Thursday, March 4.

Having sat obsessively in front of the computer trying like crazy to secure just a few of the highly coveted 30,000 tickets last year, I have to say that this new system was a breeze to use. It took just a few minutes to register and enter the lottery which was a welcome change from last year's system that made me rant about when good technology goes bad.

For more information about the history of The White House Easter Egg Roll, click here.

Good luck and be sure to let me know if you get tickets!

Huge thanks to Jeannine at PBS for sharing information about The White House Easter Egg Online Lottery! Like last year, PBS Kids is a sponsor of the Egg Roll and I'm hoping we get to see some of our favorite characters if we get to go!

I am sharing this information out of pure frustration from last year's failed attempts to get tickets. Mentions of PBS are in no way connected to my consulting role with PBS Teachers.

World Math Day Free Online Math Competition on March 3

Did you know that World Math Day is next Wednesday, March 3? Neither did I!

According to a story in The Washington Post, World Math Day is an opportunity for kids ages 5-18 to participate in a free real time competition with students from around the world to solve problems of varying levels of difficulty for all age groups.

To participate, students must sign up by this Monday, March 1st. After sign-up, students can practice the games right away
 for the real event on Wednesday, March 3.

The Washington Post article reported that there are more than 2 million kids representing 227 countries that have already registered and correctly answered 212 million questions! Like last year, the organizers are hoping to beat last year’s record where 2 million students from 204 countries correctly answered 452,681,681 questions.

Have plans on Wednesday that don't involve being at home in front of the computer? Never fear...You can still participate through the free World Math Day App available on iTunes. As one friend says, this will give her kids the opportunity to tell her that they are really doing math when they are actually playing Doodle Jump!

If you want your child to practice their math skills in a free online environment while trying to set a new Guinness World Book record for the world’s largest online math contest, visit World Math Day to register today!

This year the competition is also open to teachers, parents, and the media for the very first time so you can finally determine if you are really smarter than your 5th grader!

Congrats to Recent Giveaway Winners!

I've gotten a little behind this month in choosing winners for giveaways so here's the list of recently selected winners for my outstanding giveaways:  

• March On! DVD by Scholastic Storybook Treasures- Benita and Heather
• So You Want to Be President DVD by Scholastic Storybook Treasures- Shannon
• PicPocket Books interactive books for iPhone & iPods- Jodi
• Iolo Technologies System Mechanic Software- Donna B., Katrina, Sharon Jo, Amanda, and Heather S.
• $25 McCormick & Schmick's gift certificate- Julie
• Mirasa Designs Monkey Wristband- Misty

If you didn't win, don't despair!  

I have 2 fabulous giveaways currently going on.  Enter to win a $100 Tea Collection Kids Clothing Shopping Spree (ends 3/8) and the last day to enter my Valentine's Day giveaways is this Sunday, 2/28.  Both giveaways allow daily entries by Tweeting.  Details are in the posts!

Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to all the companies for providing such wonderful giveaways!  

Blogger All Call for New My Blogalicious!

After leaving Blogalicious last year, I just knew that there were big things ahead for the amazing ladies of MamaLaw.  Sure enough, Justice Fergie, Justice Jonesie, and Justice Ny kicked off the year with Blogalicious Bytes, a series of free webinars, assembled an amazing panel for this week’s DC meetup (more on that later!), plans for the 2010 conference at the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach (woo hoo!) are well underway, and are now looking for blog editors to write for the soon-to-be-launched lifestyle destination site: My Blogalicious.

The My Blogalicious opinion, entertainment and news site will feature columns on a variety of topics including: Politics, Relationships, Food, Style, Parenting, Home, Entertainment and Travel (just to name a few!).

Since I’ll be serving as the My Blogalicious Community Manager launching posts and sending out nice reminders, this post is quite selfish since I want to reach out to my own readers to find bloggers who are passionate about their topic, who love to blog, and will commit the time necessary to establish My Blogalicious as a "go-to" site for what's interesting to women of color on the web.

My Blogalicious is asking contributors for a minimum of 2 posts a week on your topic of expertise.  Applicants should have a minimum of 90 days consecutive blogging experience either on the topic or somehow related to the topic.

At this time this opportunity is unpaid, but as I have discovered, unpaid blogging experience has allowed me to gain experience and critical exposure as an expert in your field and can often lead to paid blogging opportunities! (Hello LeapFrog!)

If you are interested in becoming an editor for My Blogalicious, please send a completed application or questions to info@blogaliciousweekend.com.

I am currently serving as Blogalicious' Social Media Manager and will take on the Community Manager role.  Both are paid positions and I am receiving free conference registration for my roles.

My Life Scoop: Top 10 Wired Mom Blogs

Just like the guys on MTV’s The Buried Life, I can now cross off making a Top 10 List from my list of 100 Things to Do Before I Die!

I’m so flattered that Tech Savvy Mama was honored on the Top 10 Wired Mom Blogs by My Life Scoop! 

I'm thrilled to be listed along with techie moms I idolize like TechMamas, Laptop TV Mom, and Who’s the Boss and blogosphere luminaries like BlogHer, Silicon Valley Moms Blog, and Cool Mom Picks.  The list also introduced me to some new reads.  I'm now following fellow wired moms Topsie Techie, Help Me, Obi-Mom Kenobi! You’re My Only Hope!, and Rox and Roll!

My Life Scoop: Tips for a Connected Lifestyle is a site that features “practical, real-time tips, tricks, advice, conversations and how-tos to help you do hundreds of things faster, smarter and better- with technology” by finding useful stories and original content and packaging them in an easy-to-read format.

It is definitely is my kind of site and I’m not just saying that since I’m totally giddy that I made their top 10 list!

My Life Scoop has an entire collection of Top 10 lists.  Other Top 10 lists that deserve a look include:

• Top 10 Wired Dad Blogs- This list gives props to one of my favorite dad bloggers, Chris Cactus from Rude Cactus, who is witty, tech savvy, a writer of Haikus, fellow lover of Sierra Nevada, and the husband of my former Being Savvy DC partner-in-crime, Beth, from So the Fish Said.  The last part isn’t relevant other than it probably would have taken me a lot longer to find him if it hadn’t been for Beth.

• Top 10 Homework Help Blogs- As a teacher, I don’t claim to know it all.  I just know where to go to find the answers so I can stay 3 steps ahead of my students.  This philosophy will also serve me well quite soon as Little Miss Techie starts to do "advanced math in first grade" or so her kindergarten teacher tells me. Egads. This list is genius! 

• Top 10 Life-Work Balance Blogs- When people ask how I do so much/get it all done, I have to admit that I probably lack a healthy life-work balance.  I work, I blog, I parent, I go to sleep way too late.  Time to start reading these blogs to achieve an inner zen to improve my quality of life!

I also like Your Guide to the Olympics Online, an essential guide for anyone recording the Olympics on their DVR and obsessively following what is going on in Vancouver from the computer.

Thanks so much to My Life Scoop for the nod!  I’m truly thrilled!  Now like the guys on The Buried Life, I have to go help a stranger accomplish something  on their list of things to do before they die...

I wasn’t compensated to share this site.  I just wanted to pat myself on the back!

Tea Collection for Fun Spring Kids Clothing (w. giveaway)

UPDATE: Congratulations to Andrea who won the $100 gift certificate to Tea Collection! Happy shopping Andrea and thanks to everyone who entered!

Having been blanketed in snow, I’m eagerly anticipating spring by shopping for some fun new kids clothes that will reflect the new season. Tea Collection is one of my favorite lines to browse because of their beautiful designs with a global influence “for little citizens of the world.”

As I wait for the snow to melt and for the buds of cherry blossoms to appear throughout the DC area, I want to snap up pieces from Tea Collection’s girl collection to accelerate the process. I can see Little Miss Techie wearing the gorgeous floral patterns that are inspired by traditional Asian designs. My favorite is the Gyeongju Floral Skirt (pictured right, $45) Check out the bold stripes and fabulous prints in the Korean Breeze collection! I love that that many of the dresses in the Seoul Play line are under $30 and Tea Collection has an entire section dedicated to spring dresses under $30.

3 ½ year old Captain Computer is growing like crazy and could use some hip Ts to spice up his spring wardrobe. I have my eyes on shirts like the Scooter Tee ($19) and Kimchee Delivery Tee ($25) but my I truly love the Dragon Double Decker long sleeve tee (left, $25) that gives a nod to our Chinese heritage. I also adore these Origami PJs. I'm also browsing the sale section to stock up on some great deals for next year. Come fall, he'll want to return to the coziness of graphic hoodies and striped sweaters.

Tea Collection also has luscious items for babies that I love to pet whenever on a shopping jaunt to Nordstrom for a baby present. This Chinese Jacket ($42) comes in a slate blue or petal pink and is a perfect pick for a new spring baby.

Regardless if you are shopping for babies or children up to age 8, Tea Collection has truly unique kids clothing for your little citizen of the world.

GIVEAWAY: Win a $100 shopping spree courtesy of Tea Collection! To enter, browse the Tea Collection site and leave a comment with the name of the item(s) you’d most like to get for your child(ren). Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address or Twitter handle in your comment!

For extra entries, do any of the following:

• Tweet this daily for extra chances to win: @TechSavvyMama is giving away $100 to @TeaCollection! Enter here: http://tr.im/PfiY

• Share this giveaway through your Facebook page and leave a comment letting me know you have done so.

• Blog about this giveaway and leave a permalink to your post in your comment.

**And be sure to leave your e-mail address or Twitter handle in your comment

Thanks to Tea Collection for providing this giveaway! In exchange for blogging about Tea Collection, I received a gift card for my own shopping spree.

Mirasa Designs Local Launch w. Giveaway and Special Offer

Last week I posted about Mirasa Designs in my Last Minute Valentine Gift Guide kid picks section and am back to let local readers know that Mirasa is hosting a launch party in DC to share the My Fun line. 

DC Metro area Tech Savvy Mama readers are invited to bring their kiddos for playtime with My Fun animals and pillows and juice boxes and snacks.  Parents are welcome to shop for toys and enjoy some wine, courtesy of Mirasa!

When: Saturday, February 27 from 4-7 pm

Where: Past Tense Studio
     3253 Mount Pleasant Street, NW
     Washington, D.C. 20010

RSVP to aashumi@mirasadesign.com

GIVEAWAY: In honor of their launch, Mirasa Designs has provided a Monkey Wristband ($16.50) as a giveaway.  Enter by clicking over to Mirasa’s site and letting me know which of their products you would love to have in your home.  Leave a comment with your favorite product and your e-mail address or Twitter handle for a chance to win.  This giveaway is for all Tech Savvy Mama readers!

Mirasa Designs is also offering Tech Savvy Mama readers a wonderful gift with purchase.  Get an exclusive set of 4 notecards (My Hippo, My Rhino, My Monkey & My Giraffe) with any purchase.  Just write “Tech Savvy Mama Giveaway Participant” in the special comments section of the Mirasa website when you checkout and your Mirasa product will be sent along with your note cards in an 100% cotton tote.

Thanks to Mirasa for providing the Monkey Wristband for a giveaway.  Photos courtesy of Mirasa Designs and Stacey Vaeth Photography.  No compensation was received for this post.

Overheard in Our Home...

Just like a true digital native, Little Miss Techie has had her own e-mail account since she was born. 

Her e-mail has always been filtered through my account until a few days ago when Tech Savvy Daddy decided that composing e-mail would be a great way to encourage her developing writing skills. He set up her account to accept mail from select known accounts from friends and family members (sorry spammers!) and after a quick lesson about how to check and compose e-mail, turned the computer back over to her.

Tech Savvy Daddy sat down at his computer with his back to Little Miss Techie to do some work of his own. She opened a new mail message, had the auto-fill enter her grandmother’s e-mail address from the address book, and then paused before saying, “I want to send a picture. How do I send a picture?”

Ah, sending an attachment. That was clearly missing from the initial e-mail lesson!

2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Best Sites for Kids

From now until February 28, many eyes will be watching Vancouver, the site of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.  Our children were captivated by the opening ceremonies and as we watched, their natural curiosity fueled their questions about where in the world the countries are located, different athletic events, and the athletes to watch.  To satisfy their curiosity, we’ve been looking at some of the content on the official Vancouver 2010 website together to learn more and I thought I would share some of our favorite links with you.

• Learn about Vancouver – The Canadian Olympic School Program is not only a treasure trove for teachers (once you create a login) but also has a fabulous informational page about Vancouver and Whistler.  Originally designed for use by teachers with students for an activity where groups are asked to design a brochure, this also serves as a great way to learn more about the places where the 2010 Winter Games are being held through a printable PDF with fabulous photos of both Vancouver and Whistler Mountain. 

• Up to Date Medal Count- Keep current on each country’s medal count with breakdowns of gold, silver, and bronze and totals for each competing nation.  The country with the highest number of medals will appear at the top of the list.  Fans of Fantasy Football will like making daily predictions about which team will be victorious in the day’s events in the Olympic Fantasy Game.  Choose winners in all trials of events from round robins and preliminaries to the finals.  Since you need to create a login to make your picks, this is a perfect parent-child activity for the winter games fanatic. 

• Olympic Photos- Browse the Vancouver 2010 official online photo gallery for pictures from the day’s events or view photos according to event through the Featured Gallery section located in the lower right corner of the screen.   

• Olympic Blog by Kids for Kids-  The Scholastic Kids Press Corp is on the job again and this time Scholastic Kid Reporter Daniel Wetter is in Vancouver covering all the excitement with in-depth blog posts.  Check out his lead story about the start of the games on the Kids Press homepage.  This site extremely friendly for all reading levels since it allows kids to double click on any word on the page to get a definition or to  look up a word by typing it into the Look It Up field in the Scholastic Word Wizard pop up box on the bottom right of the screen.  Speaking of Scholastic, the science nerd in me loves learning about the science of skis and aerial physics involved in aerial skiing through the short videos from NBC on The Science of the Olympic Games on the Scholastic Teacher site. Thanks to On Our Minds for the tip!

• Olympic Themed Games- The Olympic Playground on the official Olympic site has Olympic themed games that are fun for elementary ages.  There are 5 different games- Village, Cafeteria, Gym, Competition, and Podium.  In Village, players must drag and drop the correct flag on to each team’s building in the Olympic Village before going to the Cafeteria where you drag healthy foods on to your tray to show your coach you know show your coach that you know healthy from unhealthy foods.  Players must progress through each game before moving on to the next one. 

• Meet the Olympic Mascots- Miga the sea bear, Sumi an animal spirit, and Quatchi the Sasquatch-like creature are the mascots of the Vancouver games.  Learn about their homes, hobbies, favorite foods and color, and their dreams on their profile page.  Then take a fun quiz to determine which mascot you are most like. The quiz says I’m most like Quatchi, the Sasquatch.  Hmmmm….

• Olympic Crafts- If you are snowbound like we were last weekend, you will love Olympic crafts like making your own snowboarder out of chenille stems and tongue depressors, rating the performance of your favorite athlete with homemade score cards from the comfort of your couch, or an Olympic diorama inspired by this Ski Jump 3D Art. 

• Closing Ceremony Party- Kaboose has wonderful ideas for throwing a fun and easy gold medal party on February 28 to celebrate the conclusion of the games with ideas for decorating and recipes, including Canadian inspired treats. Don't forget to make some wearable and edible Gold Medal Cookies and your own Olympic Torch a la AlphaMom.  Thanks to Aimee from Smiling MamaOut by Ten for the cookie idea!

All images are courtesy of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games © VANOC/COVAN.

Chronic Multitasker Ponders Effectiveness vs. Hinderance to Success

Two weeks after watching the culmination of months of research that became the film called Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier, I'm still thinking about some of the issues explored on the program such as the implications of spending 32 hours a week in front of television and computer screens.

Digital Nation begins at M.I.T, home to some of the smartest kids in the world who are also unbelievable multitaskers. This generation of college students has grown up multitasking so it's now second nature. The film shows students engaged in numerous tasks at the same time including sending and receiving texts during dinner and sitting in lectures with laptops open and running applications in the background while learning. Life on the Virtual Frontier asks if all that screen time affects our ability to focus. Certainly current research at Stanford University is attempting to prove that our multitasking in front of a screen prevents us from doing any one thing well.

I wonder if the same findings about my brain receiving input from multiple channels while in front of the screen apply to parenting. Like the MIT students profiled on Digital Nation, I have multiple applications running on my computer at a time. I sit down to write a blog post and update my Facebook status for my in real life friends, run TweetDeck in the background so I can chat with my friends in the blogging world or perhaps participate in a Twitter party, while also monitoring my e-mail inbox out of the corner of my eye.

As a mom, I feel that I'm forced to multitask. These days it just seems like if I weren’t thinking 10 steps ahead about the multitude of things that need to be done during my waking hours, I probably wouldn’t get anything done whether in front of the computer or not.

Read more about why I feel that I successfully multitask on the computer and in every aspect of my life in this week's LeapFrog Community post called Multitasking- Learned Behavior for Busy Parents or Hinderance to Success and leave a comment letting me know what you think!

I am a paid contributor to The LeapFrog Community but am not compensated to publicize my post on Tech Savvy Mama. I have not been compensated by PBS for any mentions programming on this site since it is outside my role of Community Manager for PBS Teachers.

Last Minute Valentine Gift Ideas (w. giveaways!)

In college, my boyfriend of 2 years broke up with me right before Valentine's Day saying that he couldn't find me a gift. Yes, really!

If you find yourself out and wandering aimlessly about the mall trying to find that special something, flowers, candy (See's please!), and non-tangible items are wonderful but why not surprise them with something truly unexpected like any of the following items from my list of last minute Valentine Day gifts.

Enter to win one of the highly coveted items below as an extra special treat for your Valentine or if you can't wait to see if you've won, just be sure to click on the picture of whatever you have selected so you can print it and stick it in the card!

After all, a late gift is better than no gift and any gift is better than breaking the heart of your beloved!

For Loved Ones Living Far Away

Toshiba Digital Picture Frame (8” frame $179.99, 10” frame $229.99) - Toshiba has created a new trend-setting product category with its new Digital Media Frame. Before you think of this as just another digital frame, I can assure you it is anything but. The new Toshiba frames display crystal clear images but are fun, interactive products. Sure, it displays photos and allows users to automatically share priceless memories with friends and family anywhere in the world but it also works with FrameChannel. FrameChannel allows users to upload images or link favorite photos, music and videos from popular sites like Flickr, Photobucket, and Facebook so friends and family can stay updated with new photos whenever their frames are connected to the account. FrameChannel also takes users beyond the regular digital picture frame experience of the ability to subscribe to 1000+ free channels update with real-time information to the Toshiba Digital Media Frame.

Setting up the frame took less than 15 minutes once I got it out of the box. I logged on to Toshiba’s Frame Channel site, registered my device, and started choosing channels to display on the frame. Very quickly I was able to browse and subscribe to favorite channels and their Toshiba Digital Media Frame will automatically update with real-time information. I liked that I could select channels like various National Geographic image sites, headline news from The New York Times, and real time weather from AccuWeather to display along with my pictures. With 19 different categories, there are endless channels to choose from.

I like that Frame Channel allows me to specify a timeframe for displaying each one of the channels. I can set each channel to display during morning, afternoon, night, or anytime and then have the ability to set the hours for each time period. This was especially important because while my husband and I like viewing images from current events via Getty News or headline news, I didn’t want my kids to happen upon inappropriate content. Being able to restrict certain content from appearing after the kids were in bed was just as important as setting the cutesy National Geographic Pets channel for day time hours only. I mean I love pictures of furry animals along with our family Flickr photos but I like that I can turn them off in favor of seeing the news, content from People.com, and even my Facebook page when the kids are tucked in bed. For easy operation, the frame also features touch sensitive light up controls that fade to the color of the frame when not in use and a remote control. Win your own 8” Toshiba Digital Media Frame courtesy of Toshiba by leaving a comment below. Toshiba sent me a Digital Media Frame for review purposes.

For the Practical Lover of Clean

Dyson DC31 ($219.99)- Would you rather get a vacuum or diamonds for Valentine’s Day? Believe it or not, 1/3 of women recently surveyed by Dyson to get a Dyson Vacuum Cleaner over a diamond, massage, or monthly cleaning service! Having requested a second fridge/freezer for our basement for my first anniversary gift, I don’t mind great appliances as gifts but I also love a good piece of jewelry. In the past vacuuming has always been Tech Savvy Daddy’s domain but since Dyson send me their DC31 to try, Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer have been fighting over cleaning the floors!

When I’ve wrestled the DC31 away from the kids, I can see the appeal of this handheld vacuum. The Dyson DC31 is just as powerful as our upright vacuum thanks to the patented Dyson motor and keeps allergens at bay for our family thanks to the HEPA filter but is still compact enough to tuck away in a corner. The kids love transporting the DC31 all over the house and sucking up dirt, crumbs, and dust with a single touch of a button. I like that this model comes with a variety of attachments good for our hardwood floors, carpets, and hard to reach crevices where crumbs inevitably hide. Now that Tech Savvy Daddy has his upright vacuum and the kids have taken vacuuming duties thanks to the DC31, I could either sit back and enjoy my clean house or start shopping for a Dyson of my own! Dyson sent me the DC31 for review purposes.

For the Strong Hearted

Polar Heart Rate Monitors ($99.95-119.95)- Whether you are getting back into your exercise groove, are an avid Wii-Fit player, Shredhead, recreational runner, or push your body to the limit like my Ironman brother, it is always important to keep your heart strong. Polar has two heart rate monitors that are designed to help any exerciser improve their fitness. The stylish FT4 ($99.95) is an affordable choice for accurately identifying and measuring varying levels of exercise intensity. It features the Automatic Target Zone that calculates exactly what heart rate range is best for each user and continuously reminds the user to stay within the target and has memory large enough to store up to 12 training files.

I prefer the FT7 ($119.95) because it has all the features of the FT4 along with an expanded memory that stores up to 99 training files and 16 weekly training summaries. While that’s more than I need as a recreational runner, I like that the FT7 also includes Polar’s EnergyPointer program, a visual display that identifies whether the user is working in their fat burning zone or fitness improvement zone. The FT7 also allows me to upload workout data to PolarPersonalTraner.com, a free exercise journal and online community, which I find helpful to maintain my motivation. The FT7 is easy to use, incredibly useful, and a healthy alternative to chocolates since keeping a healthy heart is the gift that literally keeps giving. Polar provided a FT7 for review purposes.

For the iPhone Lover

Cygnett Jellybean Cases ($13.99)- I’m super picky when it comes to dressing my iPhone and prefer the harder cases that will allow my phone to keep its slim profile. My new favorite case are the translucent Cygnett Jellybean cases that come in fun tasty colors called dotted, watermelon, strawberry, coconut, and licorice. I love my dotted case (pictured left) because it has a translucent rubber finish with a little bit of grip but isn’t too grippy to prevent it from sliding into my purse or pocket. The 2 part shell features a clip together design with rounded edges that is designed to protect all surfaces of my phone from daily wear but doesn’t hinder access to the screen, camera, charging or synching functions. The case also comes with a screen protector to apply before snapping your phone into the shell. Win your own Jellybean case courtesy of Cygnett by leaving a comment below. Cygnett provided a Jellybean case for review purposes.

For Those Passionate About Music

Cygnett Grove BassBall Mini Speaker ($29.99)- Any music lover will love this pocket sized lightweight yet powerful little speaker that allows you to play music from your iPod or iPhone anywhere on the go. I love that this ultra portable speaker fits in the palm of my hand and has rechargeable battery that gives me 3 hours of music in a single charge. Twist it up to expand it for incredible sound and bass and then twist down to lock and stash in your pocket. The bright red version is certainly my favorite and is sure to delight any loved one this Valentine’s Day. Also works with any MP3 player, laptop, CD player or PDA through a 3.5 mm jack. Win your own BassBall Mini Speaker courtesy of Cygnett by leaving a comment below. Cygnett provided a BassBall for review purposes.

Earthworm Ensemble ($15.99)- Earthworm Ensemble is a brand new family music project featuring members of I See Hawks in L.A. and many more of the best contemporary folk/country artists working in Southern California today. The CD features 11 witty eco-friendly songs that my grow-your-own-produce Audobon camp loving self just loves. Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer love listening to songs about the earthworm’s role in the plant cycle, buying fresh corn at the farmer’s market and taking it home to cook, making pizza from scratch, and walking in the woods because of the wonderful vocals because the songs combine different styles of music from country rock, old timey beats, New Orleans funk, folk, and classic Americana. Earthworm Ensemble is due in stores on February 16. Preorder your CD here (or via Amazon) or enter to win 1 of 2 copies courtesy of Earthworm Ensemble by leaving a comment below. Earthworm Ensemble provided a CD for review purposes.

For Those Who Adore Simplicity

ClickFree C2 Automatic Backup ($119.99 for 250 GB, $159.99 for 500 GB)- Backing up the data on your computer is a gift you need to give yourself. You never know when your hard drive might die or when your little darling might drop a stack of magnets on your laptop, erasing absolutely everything. No one needs a complicated backup system and thanks to ClickFree C2, backing up is as easy as plugging in the device and leaving it plugged in for continuous backup. The C2 comes with a built in USB cable that you plug in to your machine back up everything automatically. The drive will instantly organize all of your files according to how you have named them so there is no guesswork in locating files. C2 backs up over 400 file types including photos, music, video, presentations, e-mail messages and any attachments, artwork, spreadsheets, documents, tax returns, accounting documents, and even your favorite websites. It works with Macs, PCs, netbooks, and even Windows 7. I could write more but really, C2 makes it so easy there’s nothing more to say. ClickFree provided a C2 for review purposes.

For the Kids You Adore

Mirasa Designs My Fun Animals ($29.99- 39.99)- Mirasa founder, Aashumi Shah, incorporates the colors of the Indian landscape and traditional kantha and ari style embroidery in her handmade My Fun line for infants and toddlers. Aashumi starts with familiar animals like the elephant, hippo, monkey, lion, giraffe, and zebra, and gives them textures thanks to embroidery that is a delight to a child’s senses and unconventional colors since “a child’s world goes beyond pink and blue.” All My Fun products are produced using fair trade practices and are eco-friendly—made from 100% cotton, filled with polyfill and using Azo free dyes and a portion of the proceeds go to Room to Read,
a non-profit that partners with local communities through out the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children’s literature, constructing schools, and providing education to girls in India. Mirasa Designs also has beautiful handmade pillows that are large, cushy, and a perfect addition to a young child’s room. There is also a line for babies that includes wrist bands and wall hangings. Mirasa Designs provided animals from the My Fun line for review purposes.

Good Nite Lite ($34.99)- This Valentine’s Day give your child the gift of healthy sleep habits courtesy of the Good Nite Lite so you can enjoy a full night’s sleep without being woken up during non-daylight hours. The Good Nite Lite is designed to teach children ages 3-5 to stay in bed when it is dark and to wake when it is light outside. The Good Nite Lite uses a blue night light that looks like the moon to help children understand that night time is for sleeping. The blue moon’s transformation into bright orange sun aids
kids in understanding that morning has come and it is time to get up and get ready for the day. The idea behind The Good Nite Lite is that kids in the 3-5 age range are still trying to understand the concept of day and night. The Good Nite Lite’s moon changing into a sun helps reinforce sleep patterns associated with routine rest. The Good Nite Lite allows parents to pre-set the Good Nite Lite according to their child’s bed time and wake time so the moon and sun will
come on at corresponding times. I love that the Good Nite Lite allows families to try it before you buy it through their money back guarantee. The Good Nite Lite guarantees that your child's sleeping routine will improve within 30-days and offers a full refund of the purchase price if there are no changes as long as the product is returned in the original packaging. The Good Nite Lite is available through the company website. The Good Nite Lite provided a sample for review purposes.

For the Movie Lover

Whip It ($17.99 DVD, $23.99 Blu-Ray via Amazon)- Ellen Page, the memorable heroine from Juno is back as Bliss Cavendar, a somewhat rebellious blue-haired teen stuck in a tiny Texas town in Whip It. Bliss is tired of following her mother’s dreams of her being a beauty pageant winner and sneaks off to Austin with a friend where she becomes enchanted by the rough-and-tumble world of roller derby tea. She tries out, makes the team, and not only finds a way to put her life on the fast track but is finally able to find her own way in the world. I loved watching the transformation’s of Bliss’ character go from a meek teen to a strong woman in this 2 hour film. Whip It is Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut and has an all star cast consisting of Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden, Juliette Lewis, Daniel Stern, and Jimmy Fallon. Win 1 of 3 copies of Whip It courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment by leaving a comment below. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment provided a copy of Whip It for review purposes.

Amelia ($17.99 DVD, $24.99 Blu-Ray via Amazon)- Experience the romance, struggle and triumph of legendary aviatrix Amelia Earhart as she chases love and lives her dreams Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s Amelia. Hailed as “The Queen of the Air,” Amelia boldly flew into the annals of history with her solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Bound by ambition and love, her enduring marriage to George Putnam could not be broken by her determination to fly, or a secret passionate affair. Equal parts gripping drama, stirring romance and epic adventure, Amelia will take your breath away and send your spirit soaring! A perfect Valentine’s Day gift, Amelia stars two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank, Golden Globe winner Richard Gere and Golden Globe nominee Ewan McGregor. Win 1 of 3 copies of Amelia courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment by leaving a comment below. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment provided a copy of Amelia for review purposes.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

To enter to win the above giveaways, please leave a comment about your favorite all time Valentine's Day gift that includes your e-mail address or Twitter handle so I can contact you when you win!

For extra entries, make sure you have left a comment and then do any of the following:

• Tweet this daily for an extra entry per day and leave the link to the Tweet in the Google Doc: @TechSavvyMama is giving away a Toshiba Digital Frame, iPhone accessories, DVDs & more for Valentine's Day! Enter here: http://tr.im/O6jI
  

• Link to this post through your Facebook update by going to Profile, entering what you most want to win in the text box, and clicking on the down arrow to select Link and then pasting this URL in the link field: http://tr.im/O6jI After you click share, add your entry to my Google Doc.
  

• Write about this giveaway on your blog and leave the permalink in the Google Doc for 5 extra entries.
  

Extra entries must be entered through this Google Doc to be valid. Thanks and good luck!


Also, don’t forget to enter my other current giveaways:

• VTech DS6321-3 Digital Expandable Three Handset Cordless Phone System (ends 2/14)
  
• System Mechanic Software for your PC (5 winners, ends 2/16)
  
• McCormick & Schmick’s $25 gift card (ends 2/19)

Many thanks to the above companies who sent me items to review and also to use as giveaways. Images are courtesy of the companies. No compensation was received for any of th mentions in this post. All opinions are my own.

McCormick & Schmick’s Offers Above & Beyond Service for Your Valentine (w. giveaway)

One of the most romantic Valentine’s dinners was one that Tech Savvy Daddy made at the last minute to a fabulous little neighborhood spot called The Wild Mushroom. With limited seating and reservations booked well in advance, Tech Savvy Daddy called the day of and scored a great table due to a cancellation. While I’m a plan ahead kind of gal, our dinner date proved that sometimes things are better if left to the last minute!

If you don’t have a special restaurant selected for Valentine’s Day, McCormick & Schmick’s is offering an “above and beyond service” in addition to a romantic Valentine’s Day menu all weekend long (today through Sunday).

How does it work? When a guest calls to make a reservation, he or she will be given the option to have roses from a local florist ordered and delivered to the table upon the guests’ arrival for dinner. McCormick & Schmick’s will take care of coordinating the bouquet order and the cost can either be included on the dinner bill or billed separately. Guests can also choose to add a unique touch by having a specially tailored message included on their dinner menu or a personalized note card on the table at arrival. It sounds like one-stop-shop for all things Valentine’s Day which is perfect for notorious multitaskers like myself!

Valentine’s Day reservations can be made from their website or by calling your local McCormick & Schmick’s.

View the special Valentine’s Day menu below and then keep scrolling to enter to win a $25 gift card giveaway courtesy of McCormick & Schmick’s!

"Indulge Your Taste for Romance. Valentine's Day Weekend February 12 - 14.
Because romance deserves more than one day."

Set the Mood
Pan Fried Oysters Rockefeller-Style
On a bed of anise-flavored creamy spinach, glazed with hollandaise
8.95

Create The Perfect Pair
Soup or Mixed Green Salad
~
Choose Filet Mignon or Lobster Tail
and
Choose a Crab Cake, Grilled Filet of Salmon or Skewer of Shrimp
~
Seasonal Vegetables
29.95

Local Seasonal Side Dishes
3.95 each

Delectable Desserts
Sweetheart’s Crème Brulee
Chocolate Silk Pie
6.95 each

Now that I’ve whetted your appetite for some delicious food, enter the McCormick & Schmick’s gift card giveaway by visiting the website to find the location of the closest McCormick & Schmick’s to your home and then leaving a comment with the closest restaurant to your home. Don't forget to include your e-mail address so I can contact you when you win!

Thanks to McCormick & Schmick's for providing the gift card for this giveaway. In the interested of full disclosure, this is not a compensated post and I have never actually eaten at a McCormick & Schmick's. Maybe I will this Valentine's Day!