Donate Tag Books to K Classrooms with LeapFrog’s Like. Give. Read on Facebook (w. giveaway)

LeapFrog continues their commitment to early literacy by putting more Tag books in schools with their new Like. Give. Read program.  For every Facebook fan who  “Likes” the LeapFrog page, the company is donating a new Tag book to a Kindergarten classroom up to 50,000 books.  

With so many books to give away, LeapFrog needs your help in deciding where they should go.  LeapFrog is asking fans to nominate kindergarten teachers to be the recipients of the sets of 50 LeapFrog Tag books.  By emailing Like.Give.Read@leapfrog.com, teachers' names will be included in a random drawing for up to 1,000 classrooms which will each receive a set of book.  

This new program is part of LeapFrog's continued response to a growing concern about elementary school students reading below grade level.  According to the 2010 National Reading Report card, almost two-thirds of fourth graders in this country read below grade level.  

Studies show that children who get help early and enjoy reading are more likely to be successful in school.  Research conducted in kindergarten classrooms where Tag Reading systems were donated demonstrated that Tag Readers were not only a fun way to engage kindergarten students in reading but that they were also effective teaching tools.

LeapFrog CEO Bil Chiasson said, "LeapFrog is committed to helping more children to learn to read and to become enthusiastic readers for life.  Teachers have spoken -- our initial donation of $1.5 million in Tag Readers made a real difference for them and their students."

The new Like. Give. Read is similar to the Tag.Give.Read program that started this past fall and put Tag Readers and books into the hands of 30,000 children in classrooms across the nation.  LeapFrog's commitment also included a $100,000 donation to DonorsChoose.org to match donations to teachers who requested Tag reading systems for their classrooms and a Facebook Virtual Book Drive campaign that distributed 25,000 books to classrooms at the start of the school year.

Do you want to help put Tag books in 

kindergarten classrooms?  

Help me spread the word about putting more Tag books in classrooms and enter to win a LeapFrog Explorer Camera and Video Camera ($24.99).  Please note this giveaway is only for the camera device and not the Explorer itself!

To enter yourself in my giveaway, do any of the following to help spread the word.  Please leave your email or Twitter handle in your comment so I can contact you when you win.

• Like LeapFrog on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you are a fan.

• Share Like. Give. Read through your Facebook wall to encourage your friends to Like LeapFrog on Facebook too.  Copy and paste your wall post into your comment.

• Tweet about Like. Give. Read with a daily Tweet: @LeapFrog is donating more Tag books to K classrooms thru LIke. Give. Read.  Help @TechSavvyMama spread the word: http://bit.ly/gPvdOa Leave the link to your tweet as your comment.

• Email Like.Give.Read@LeapFrog.com to nominate a kindergarten teacher to receive a set of 50 Tag books and tell me who you nominated in your comment.

I am a paid contributor for my weekly LeapFrog Community column but was not compensated for this post or giveaway.  LeapFrog did not ask me to share this campaign on my personal blog but did provide the LeapFrog Camera and Video Camera.  Winner must contact me with a U.S. mailing address within 48 hours of receiving my email or Tweet notifying them as the winner or another winner will be randomly selected.  LeapFrog will not ship the item to a P.O. box or addresses outside the United States.  LeapFrog and Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama are not responsible for delayed shipment, lost, or stolen items.  Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

Workout Friday: Special Snow Edition

Thursday's YourShape: Fitness Evolved workout was replaced by a morning of shoveling and an afternoon of sledding thanks to 8 1/2 inches of heavy wet snow that blanketed the DC area on top of a nice coating of sleet.  We woke up feeling fortunate for never having lost power like so many around us!  

Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer have been hoping for a good snow storm and Wednesday's did not disappoint.

That much snow provides a great workout!  For 3 hours this afternoon the kids and a friend trekked up and down the infamous hill in the neighborhood.

See the teeny tiny figure not quite at the top?
That's Captain Computer!
Notice 1) how large the hill is compared to him and 2) he's not carrying his sled!

They only stopped to make a friendly snowman to greet kids in case happened to be school today.  But he'll have to hang out until Monday because school is closed.  Again.

Friendly neighborhood snowperson ready to greet
kids at school someday!

Since school is closed again, we'll be repeating yesterday's events again today.  Minus the shoveling, of course.  Sorry, YourShape!  I'll be back as soon as the snow fun ends!

Snow Workout Summary:

• Total inches of snow— 8 1/2"
• Number of times I had to drag Captain Computer's Zipfy up the hill— Too many to count
• Total hours spent sledding— 3
• Number of minutes it took the kids to fall asleep— 5
• Today's snow forecast— Another 1"
• Total number of days the kids went to school this week— 1
• Pounds lost— Hopefully at least 1 lb especially after today's additional snow activities!

Zipfy personally purchased.  Amazon Affiliate links contained in this post in case you need a Zipfy.  And trust me, you do!

Workout Wednesday: Final Results of 12 Weeks of YourShape: Fitness Evolved

It's my last Workout Wednesday post and I'm in disbelief that I've been writing about how YourShape: Fitness Evolved by Ubisoft has helped me work working my fitness goals for the past 12 weeks.  

I admit to being excited but skeptical when I first started.  I've never stuck with at-home fitness programs for too long.  I'm a 30 Day Shred dropout, my yoga DVDs sit in the entertainment center, and my hand weights get picked up and moved more by the kids than me!  Sad, right?

When Ubisoft and Clever Girls Collective presented the idea of me documenting my use of YourShape for 3 months, I thought this would be a good challenge.  Sure, the allure of them sponsoring this series was helpful but so was the weekly online accountability piece.  Knowing that I had to come here and write about some aspect of YourShape Fitness made me delve into the program to share my honest feedback and findings with you.

Today I'm happy to report that on my final weigh in, I lost another pound, bringing my total weight loss to 5 pounds over the past 12 weeks.

Could I have lost more?  Yes, but isn't that always the case!  There's always more to lose but I'm proud that there was some weight actually lost especially since the challenge fell over Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Also, my goals were more about staying in shape over the winter months to run a race this spring.

Did I diet?  No way.  I'm an all-in-moderation kind of gal and have always been a pretty healthy eater.  

How did I do it?  Using YourShape consistently.  

What were my workouts like?  I generally used YourShape 5 times a week for 30 minutes at a time.  I didn't have any one routine.  Some days the kids and I would do games, other times I'd visit my personal trainer.  Other days I skipped my workouts.  Oops.

Do I feel different?  Yes.  I may have not lost tons of weight but muscle weighs more than fat and I do feel stronger.

What's next?  I plan to continue using YourShape and since there have been hints of warmer weather to come, I'm going to get outside more and resume my running workout with a new running partner.

Oliver the Dog!

Meet Oliver!  He's a 3 year old Labrador who we've had for almost 2 weeks now.  He's an energetic guy who loves to be outside.  Having Oliver motivates me to bundle up and get outside to walk Little Miss Techie to school even on the coldest days.  I can't wait for it to get warm so we can spend lots more time outside!


Weekly YourShape summary: 

• Pounds lost/gained this week: 1
• Total pounds lost over 12 weeks: 5

Thanks for following my Workout Wednesday posts and to everyone who commented about their fitness goals!  I was inspired by your comments and wish you all the luck as you achieve them this year!  

Ubisoft provided me with a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and is sponsoring this series of reviews, though the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity. Xbox 360 and Kinect were provided for review by Microsoft.  Ubisoft provided prizes for this giveaway.  Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

Love According to Kindergarteners in Honor of Tiny Print's Valentine's Day Campaign

When Little Miss Techie's beloved kindergarten teacher got married last year, we asked the students in her class to answer various questions about love and marriage for class book.  As you can imagine, the responses by 16 five and six year olds were thoughtful, hilarious, and darling at the same time.  

Today I'm sharing their responses as part of a Tiny Print's Valentine's Day Campaign.  Get ready to laugh and be touched all at the same time!

What does it mean to be in love?

• When you are happy when you are with that person.
• They really like each other and go out on dates. 
• You like somebody a lot.
• To love someone with all your heart.
• To like each other and decide to be married.
• You’re married and you love that person.
• Happy, excited.  You have fun together and spend a lot of time reading newspapers together.
• I don't know.

How do you know you want to get married?

• When you like the person a whole lot.
• Because he’s nice and he’s like a good friend.
• When you are in love and you can’t live without your partner.
• Someone asks you and you get married.
• Because they love oatmeal.
• Because it is the boy that you feel more comfortable with.
• You just like that person when you look at them.
• Because you know you want to have kids.

Where do you want to get married?

• A church.
• Outside, but only if it's good weather.
• At the beach at Ocean City.
• In a church.
• At Target.
• Under the water.
• Egypt.  In a pyramid.
• Texas.  That is a real fun place.
• At home.

What does it mean to get married?

• You live together and have a family.
• They have a pretty white dress.  The boy wears a rose on the right side of his chest.
• It’s kind of like a graduation but people kiss and it’s romantic.
• It means for better or worse
• Live together and be happy
• You kiss someone and you love that person
• To share everything together and care for each other and have fun together.
• Does it mean you fall in love?  She should really love him.  He should be a good husband because she’s really nice.
• It means you love that person a lot, it means a boy and a girl. 
• They have wedding cakes.  Wedding cakes look like cylinder steps. 
• People get married when they love each other and want to spend their life together.
• Promise to care.   

Aren't those great responses?  Of course the bride and groom to be were absolutely thrilled when presented with a photo book containing these quotes and pictures from the year!  

If you aren't familiar with Tiny Prints, they provide simple, modern and unique stationery from Valentine's Day cards to personalized greeting cards to thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations. Offering exclusive designs from the nation's top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. 

With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch!  They offer perfect party invitations for every occasion and memorable personalized photo-gifts like notebooks, photo books and calendars.

I am a huge fan of their high quality products to both send and give but also to receive!  They have tons of wonderful gift items to personalize for loved ones for Valentine's Day including calendars, day planners and notebooks, and other great photo gifts like custom wall art, with many styles currently on sale!  Love the gallery wrapped canvases!  Hint hint!  :) 

This post is part of a Global Influence Tiny Prints Valentine's Day campaign and I am receiving Tiny Prints credit in exchange for my post.  Tiny Prints is also an advertiser on my site.

E-mail & Blogging as Way For Young Writers to Hone Skills

Sammy is 6 years old and has a weekly column on Mama C and the Boys, his mom's blog, where he writes Sammy Saturday.

Inspired by this Sammy's LeapFrog Explorer camera review that was this week's post  I've shared ways you can use the computer to practice different parts of the writing process through this week's LeapFrog Community column.

Visit my post titled Digital Communication Provides Young Writers with Opportunity to Hone Skills for some tips to engage even the most reluctant writers!

I am a paid contributor on The LeapFrog Community.  There is no obligation to share my posts on my personal site.

No Princess Fights Alone- Join the Army Against Cancer!

Amie from MammaLoves created this rockin' button in honor of my friend Susan (aka WhyMommy).

Yes Susan!  My friend who is undergoing a clinical trial to rid her body of cancer in the soft tissue surrounding her lungs and who created an amazing partnership between LympheDIVAs and Crickett's Answer to provide breast cancer survivors with lymphedema garments. Yes, THAT Susan!

And oh, this isn't Susan's first battle with cancer.  It's actually her fourth.

So it's fitting that she has this little Lego woman warrior on her desk who she has aptly The Princess-Who-Can-Defend-Herself who lives inside her, fighting cancer with her miniature sword and the new medicines from this clinical trial.

The Princess now adorns a button that I'd love for you to place on your own site to show your support for our growing army.

Just like Amie, Jessica, and Kristen, if you join me in putting this button on your site and leaving a comment before this Wednesday, I'll donate $1 for every comment to Crickett's Answer so more lymphedema garments can find their way to people who need them.

Join us! Kick Cancer’s Ass

<a href="http://toddlerplanet.wordpress.com/2011/01/22/us-lucky/"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5126/5379798874_d4ea53e42d_m.jpg" alt="No Princess Alone button" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Now go visit Susan's site and read "Us Lucky," a truly amazing post about a the kind of day that is hard for any parent but is so touching thanks to her beautiful writing.  

Love you Susan!  :) 

***And if you have already placed the button on your site and commented on Amie's post,  yes, you may comment here as well in order for your comment to raise another $1 for Crickett's Answer.

6 Year Old's LeapFrog Explorer Camera & Video Recorder Review

If you are thinking about getting a LeapFrog Explorer Camera & Video Recorder, you have to read the review by Mama C's 6 year old.  Sammy has a weekly column on his mom's site called Sammy Saturday and today's post is his honest review of the Camera & Video Recorder

I love how authentic his review is and also that his Saturday posts are his mom's way of engaging him in informational text writing!

I could tell you how much we've loved the LeapFrog Explorer Camera & Video Recorder but don't take my word for it....See what Sammy has to say in his review called Hitting a Leapster Explorer Homerun!

Sammy has inspired me to write about kids and blogging for my weekly LeapFrog Community column!

Thanks Sammy and Mama C!

I am a paid contributor on The LeapFrog Community.  There is no obligation to share my posts on my personal site.  I just love what Sammy has done and want his review to be noticed by LeapFrog and other parents considering this device for their children!  Amazon affiliate links included in this post.

DC Readers: Adventure Theater's Mirandy and Brother Wind (w. ticket giveaway)

Congratulations to Nancye B. who will be attending the show of her choice with her family courtesy of Adventure Theater!


We love Adventure Theater so when they contacted me to offer a ticket giveaway for the world premiere musical of Mirandy and Brother Wind, I couldn't resist the opportunity to share it with you.

Performed by the Dance Institute of Washington, the only professional African American theater company in Washington, D.C., Mirandy and Brother Wind is based on the Caldecott Honor Book of the same title that celebrates Black History Month. This new children’s musical geared towards ages 4+ celebrates a series of firsts for Adventure Theatre including its first partnership with African Continuum Theatre and the first time the theatre has produced an African American show. 

Here's a synopsis of the show:

Who will take the cake? Why, Mirandy of course. The junior cake walk happens soon and Mirandy needs a dance partner. Who can high step and kick the best? Why Brother Wind! But how can Mirandy capture him? Grandmother Beasley says, "Can't nobody put shackles on Brother Wind, chile. He be special. He be free." Leave it to Mirandy, she’ll catch him; she'll grab hold of that Brother Wind and win that delicious cake! Through her journey to capture Brother Wind, Mirandy learns something special - freedom and kindness.

Mirandy and Brother Wind runs at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, MD from January 24-February 13, 2011 and at the Atlas Performing Arts Center as part of the Intersections Festival: A New America Arts Festival, February 25-March 13, 2011. This show is an exciting addition to children’s musical theater, and is a unique celebration of Washington, DC’s artistic talent.

A free special community event at The Atlas Performing Arts Center on February 26, 2011, at 2:30 pm will feature a cakewalk and dance demonstration, lesson and mock-cake-walk competition, as well as a meet and greet with Author Patricia McKissack and Illustrator Jerry Pinkney. Washington DC’s own Cake Love will also be part of the day with a special Mirandy and Brother Wind cake.

To prepare for the performance here are a few things that you can do before you go:

• Check out a copy of Mirandy and Brother Wind out from your local library to familiarize your family with the story
• Visit the Adventure Theater site to listen to the songs from the show
• Read over my tips from our trip to The Nutcracker last month to talk about good audience behavior at a live performance

Adventure Theater is offering 4 tickets to any of the following upcoming performances of Mirandy and Brother Wind:

• Sundays: January 23, 30 and February 5, 12- 11am & 2pm
• Tuesdays: February 1, 8 - 10:30am
• Wednesdays: January 26 and February 2, 9 -  10:30am
• Thursdays: January 27and February 3, 10-  10:30am
• Fridays: January 21 (Pajama Party w/ Free Milk & Cookies) -  7:00pm and January 28 and February 4, 11 -  10:30am
• Saturdays: January 22, January 29 (Book Club Performance) and February 5, 12-  11am & 2pm

Additional performances will be held at Atlas Performing Arts Center on these days:

• Sundays: February 27 and March 6, 13 -  2:30pm
• Fridays: February 25 and March 4, 11 -  10:30am
• Saturdays: February 26 and March 5, 12 -  4pm

Tickets for the Glen Echo performances can be purchased through the box office by calling 301.634.2270 or online through their website.  Tickets for the Atlas Performing Arts Center can be purchased through the box office by calling 202-399-7993 or online at www.atlasarts.org. Tickets are $15 each.  Group rates are also available. Children under the age of 1 are free. 

TICKET GIVEAWAY: To enter to win 4 tickets to see Mirandy and Brother Wind performed at Adventure Theater, visit their website and take a look at their upcoming performances.  Leave a comment saying which other show you'd most like to see and I'll choose a winner from the comments on Wednesday, January 26.  Don't forget to leave your contact information in your comment.  Thanks!

Thanks to Adventure Theater for providing this information and the tickets for giveaway.  I was offered tickets to the performance in exchange for this post.  No additional compensation was received.  Amazon affiliate links are included in this post.

Workout Wednesday: YourShape Evolved's Online YourShape Center & iPhone/iPod App (giveaway link)

It's week 11 with YourShape Fitness Evolved and I've been making my way through workouts to unlock more difficult levels while still enjoying the challenge that the game presents in the comfort of my living room.  Besides the game itself, there are other ways to track fitness goals including a new iPhone app and the online YourShape Center.

YourShape Center is an online portal that maintains your exercise history and statistics.  By logging in with a Ubisoft login or through your Windows Life ID, players monitor calories burned during each session, has a community component dedicated to conversations about fitness, workouts completed, and provides a visual of how close you are to your fitness goals.  YourShape Center also allows users to share and compare results with friends.  This creates a sense of competition and inspiration by allowing you to see where your friends are in reaching their fitness goals.  

New content is also released through the online portal to keep workouts fresh and challenging including Dance Workout: Bollywood which is available to purchase using Microsoft points.  See a preview here.

Here's a video that provides a comprehensive overview of YourShape Center.  The video starts after the Cheerios commercial!

I like that YourShape Center uploads data from my workouts as I complete them.  I can turn off our Xbox and Kinect and then head upstairs to log on to track my progress in real time.  

Right now I'm not using the friends feature since I'm always very guarded about sharing my information but if you are using YourShape and would like to give it the Challenge Manager component a try, let me know!  I am only ever friends with people online who I know in real life so if I haven't met you yet, I apologize!  I'm just more comfortable allowing IRL friends access to my info!

New iPhone/iPod app!

YourShape fans with iPhones can also access the new Fitness Evolved app through the iTunes Store.  I downloaded the app late last night but haven't had much time to use it.  The press release about the app says the following:

In celebration of the New Year and a "New You," the Your Shape: Fitness Evolved App lets users view and manage their Your Shape profile and stats on-the-go, allowing them to quickly and easily track how many calories they’ve burned and monitor progress made towards their fitness or weight loss goals. 
The Your Shape: Fitness Evolved App is available for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at  www.itunes.com/appstore.

More information on the app next week!  Speaking of next week....

Have you entered to win my Ubisoft Prize Pack featuring a copy of YourShape and other great Ubisoft items? 

Ubisoft prize pack winner announced next week!

Just leave a comment on last week's Workout Wednesdsay post and the reader with the best comment about how YourShape will help them achieve their fitness goals in 2011 will receive:

• A copy of YourShape Fitness for the Kinect

• A choice of either the pink cat or blue dog Petz Accessory Set for a Nintendo DS containing a soft case that fits the DS like a glove, 6 game cases, cleaning cloth, case leash, and a Petz charm from Ubisoft's popular Petz game franchise.

• And a Just Dance 2 headband!  Did you know that Just Dance is a Ubisoft product too?  It's also an awesome workout- hence the need for the retro headband.

Another winner will be randomly selected to win the second Petz Nintendo DS Accessory Set.

Weekly YourShape summary: 

• Pounds lost/gained this week: 0 
• Total pounds lost over 11 weeks: 4

Ubisoft provided me with a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and is sponsoring this series of reviews, though the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity. Xbox 360 and Kinect were provided for review by Microsoft.  Ubisoft provided prizes for this giveaway.  Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

Fine print:  Kinect and Nintendo DS not included.  Winner will be selected among the comments best stating how YourShape will help them achieve fitness goals.  Winning comment must include an email address or Twitter handle for notification purposes.  If winning comment does not include either, another winner will be selected.  Winner must reply with a US mailing address within 24 hours or another winner will be selected.  No P.O. boxes will be accepted.  Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama, Ubisoft, and Clever Girls Collective are not responsible for lost or delayed shipments of items.