Online Guide to April Fools' Day Pranks

Friday is April Fools' Day!  Are you a family of pranksters or are you lacking inspiration?  

If you want some ideas for some family fun, be inspired by my Ultimate Online Guide to April Fools' Day Pranks for Kids on The LeapFrog Community.  I've searched the web to find fun ways to keep your kids laughing from the minute they wake up from the time they go to bed!

If you're in the mood to cook up some food fun, read how Amy from TeachMama replaced her kids' usual breakfast with a fried egg look-alike for her last April Fools' Day!

What's your family's favorite joke or memorable prank from past April Fools' Days?  

I am a paid contributor to The LeapFrog Community but am not required to share my posts on my personal site.

Middle East Conflict According to Angry Birds

If you're having trouble explaining the current conflict in the Middle East to your kids, break it down Angry Birds style! They are sure to understand this if they've ever played the game or watched over your shoulder impatiently while trying to get your attention. And if the tune is a little familiar, think Disney's Three Little Pigs.

If you are obsessed with Angry Birds, enter my Angry Birds Rio giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 2 $15 iTunes gift cards before winners are drawn on Sunday, April 3.

LeapFrog Explorer Tangled Exposes Young Fans to Critical Literacy Skills Through Engaging Games with Favorite Characters

With Disney’s Tangled coming out on DVD today ($19.99 on Amazon), young fans of Rapunzel and Flynn can learn along with their favorite characters on the LeapFrog Explorer's Tangled Learning Game.  

Tangled for the Explorer is designed for children ages 4-7 and has multiple games designed for practicing spelling, vocabulary, reading, and creative expression to enhance literacy skills through engaging games with favorite characters.

Upon turning on the Explorer and tapping on the Tangled icon, children must begin playing in story mode to unlock game play in 5 minute increments. The story of Tangled is automatically narrated while soft music plays in the background.  Each word turns red as it is read to help beginning readers build on sight word vocabulary.  More fluent readers may elect to turn the sound down to read the story independently.  Games are unlocked at certain points during the story. 

After kids unlock games, they can paint scenes that correspond with the story and practice word families and rhyming by aiming the correct letters at the targets to spell different words in the bow and arrow game.  They can also explore the forest and build sight word vocabulary by labeling objects in the forest and spell by weaving letters on flowers in the correct order while braiding Rapunzel’s hair.  Another spelling game allows children to match letters floating in the sky on magic lanterns to words below Rapunzel and Flynn’s boat.

I like that Tangled game play has been interspersed with reading the story to ensure that children are also spending time reading since the games are appropriate for beginning readers who need repeated exposure to letters, text, phonemic awareness, and whole language through a variety of different approaches. 

Tangled for the LeapFrog Explorer ensures that children will not tire of the stories or games and both will help them build their skills in order to become more fluent readers.

Tangled for the LeapFrog Explorer retails for $24.99 but is available for $14.11 from Amazon.

I am a paid contributor for my weekly column on The LeapFrog Community  and receive items to review as part of my work but am not compensated for reviews on my own site nor does my work for them ever influence my honest reviews.  Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

Radio Shack Offers Discounts via Foursquare Checkins

If you covet your Mayorships or are an avid badge collector, Foursquare fans can use their love of checkins to score great discounts on android phones.

Radio Shack (aka The Shack) has introduced new mobile discount offers for Foursquare and Google Places users on Android devices. By using these applications, shoppers can redeem discounts of 10 to 20%** off by checking in at a RadioShack store between now and Monday, April 11.

Throughout this timeframe, customers will be notified of various offers on their smartphone and receive instructions to visit their nearest store to redeem.  These special discounts include offers for both first-time and frequent RadioShack shoppers, or as The Shack calls them, "Mayors" and "SHACKaholics."
       

The Shack is also offering the Samsung Epic 4G for $99.99 and Transform for free, both with 2-year agreement.

Unfortunately Apple products, gaming hardware/software, laptops, netbooks, tablets, gift cards, services, special orders, and online and phone orders are excluded from this discount offer but if you’re in the market for a new phone and a geolocating app junkie, check in to save some money at your local Shack retail store.

Information provided by Radio Shack.  No compensation was received for this post.

DC Readers: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Delight Audiences in DC Area Performances (w. ticket giveaway)

Going to Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth is a classic throwback to childhood that is always as much fun for me and as for the kids.  This weekend we were guests of Feld Entertainment and attended Barnum 200 Funundrum, a show that evokes classic circus performances from long ago.

The show featured 130 performers from six continents and included the Flying Caceres on the trapeze, the Puyang Troupe from China on a two tiered trampoline, and contortionists who bend to fit inside of a milk crate. There was a strong man (aka Mighty Meetal) who lifted over 1,200 pounds, a woman who swung from her hair high above the crowd, tightrope walkers, a troupe of elephants, seven motorcycles zooming around the interior of a sphere, tigers, a clown car, and more.

As with past shows, we made sure we got to the venue early for the All Access Pre-Show that starts an hour before the main event.  At the pre-show, families can meet the performers, get autographs, and see a paintbrush wielding elephant.

March 30 – April 10 at 1^st Mariner Arena in Baltimore

Ticket prices are $26.00/$18.00/$14.00 for Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats on the following dates and times:

• Wednesday, March 30 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, March 31 – 7:30 pm
• Friday, April 1 – 10:30 am, 7:30 pm
• Saturday, April 2 – 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm
• Sunday, April 3 – 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm
• Thursday, April 7 – 10:30 am, 7:30 pm
• Friday, April 8 – 7:30 pm
• Saturday, April 9 – 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm
• Sunday, April 10 – 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm

April 14 – 24 at The Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia

Ticket prices are $15.00/$9.00/$7.00 for Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats on the following dates and times:

• Thursday, April 14 – 7:00 pm
• Friday, April 15 – 10:30 am, 7:30 pm
• Saturday, April 16 – 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, 7:30 pm
• Sunday, April 17 – 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm
• Tuesday, April 19 – 7:00 pm
• Wednesday, April 20 – 7:00 pm
• Friday, April 22 – 1:00 pm, 7:30 pm 

Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets via charge, by phone at 800-551-SEAT, via www.ticketmaster.com and the Patriot Center box office. 

GIVEAWAY: Feld Entertainment is providing 4 tickets to the Thursday, March 31 show at 7:30 pm. 

TO ENTER:  Leave a comment with your favorite circus act along with your email or Twitter handle.  A winner will be drawn Tuesday afternoon (3/29) and must reply with their full name by Wednesday, March 31 at 9:00 am in order for tickets to be held at will call.             

For more information on Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® visit www.ringling.com.

Feld Entertainment provided my family with tickets to attend the performance.  All opinions are my own.

Tiny Prints Business Cards: Customizable, Professional & Easy to Reorder

Whether looking for business cards to hand out to fellow parents you meet at the park to plan future playdates, market yourself to those in need of your consulting services, share your website or blog, or use as a networking tool, you want cards that reflect your personality.

I’ve recently taken a huge step away from a successful teaching career to apply my skills and knowledge from my previous work to my new love of social media.  It’s only fitting that I start my new business out on the right foot and make a great impression with business cards from Tiny Prints.

Tiny Prints produces high quality printed products, has gorgeous designs to choose from, and makes it easy to create a customized card.  I considered multiple styles for my new business cards that I’ll be distributing at the Mom 2.0 Summit in New Orleans, using the personalization tool to upload my own images and text.  I loved the look of the square and folded styles, but in the end, selected the Refined Band style because they truly allowed me to reflect who I am.

Here are some things I love about my new business cards:

• Space for my photo and blog button for branding purposes.  If you’re like me and at events where you meet many people in a very short amount of time, it’s necessary to stand out from the stack.  I’ve discovered that I’m more likely to remember an interaction with someone if their photo is on their card.  I also included a thumbnail of my blog button on my card so someone can easily tie me with my site.

• Multiple lines of text allow me to share my credentials in order for someone to see my qualifications at a glance.

• Customizable back was the perfect place to put my contact information for future correspondence.

• Striking black and white design is vivid yet leaves space for someone to write notes.  I’ve bought glossy cards in the past but will never again since you can’t write on them with a ball point or rollerball pen.

• Heavy cardstock with matte finish feels substantial and professional.

With 100 cards to take to Mom 2.0, I’m already considering ordering more to have just in case.  Luckily my design is saved in my Tiny Prints account so with just one click, I can reorder the exact same design.

Need to place an order with Tiny Prints?  Take advantage of free economy shipping with orders of $45 (code: freeship) or more or 15% off their gorgeous photo books (code: PBOOK15)

And did you hear that Tiny Prints is merging with Shutterfly?  I am excited to see what this new partnership brings in the future!

Tiny Prints is my business card sponsor for Mom 2.0 and provided cards to facilitate this review.  They are also an advertiser on my site but I happily pay for products using my personal funds. All opinions are my own.

Angry Birds Shipped to Rio for New App & Movie (w/ iTunes GC Giveaway)

Angry Birds have been caught and are being smuggled to Rio de Janiero in Angry Birds Rio, the newest app now available through the Amazon App store for Android and Apple’s iTunes ($0.99).

In Angry Birds Rio, the original Angry Birds are kidnapped and transported to Rio where their goal is to escape their captors and save Blu and Jewel, their two rare macaw friends.  Just like the original, Rio has multiple levels for game playing fun and additional content will be released via app updates.  Angry Birds Rio will help ensure that the franchise remains on top download lists, following in the footsteps of the original highly addictive app that is the #1 download in many countries around the globe.

The app release helps build hype for RIO, the movie that debuts in theaters on April 15 and stars the app’s macaws, Blu and Jewel.

Movie synopsis:

From the makers of the hit ICE AGE series comes RIO, a comedy adventure about taking a walk on the wild side.  Blu is a domesticated Macaw who never learned to fly, living a comfortable life with his owner and best friend Linda in the small town of Moose Lake, Minnesota.  Blu and Linda think he’s the last of his kind, but when they learn about another Macaw who lives in Rio de Janeiro, they head to the faraway and exotic land to find Jewel, Blu’s female counterpart.  Not long after they arrive, Blu and Jewel are kidnapped by a group of bungling animal smugglers.  With the help of street smart Jewel, and a group of wise-cracking and smooth-talking city birds, Blu escapes.  Now, with his new friends by his side, Blu will have to find the courage to learn to fly, thwart the kidnappers who are hot on their trail, and return to Linda, the best friend a bird ever had.

  

GIVEAWAY: Feed your Angry Birds addiction by entering to win 1 of 2 $15 iTunes gift cards to download Angry Birds Rio, Angry Birds Seasons, or the original Angry Birds for your iPod, iPad, or iPhone.  You can even download the Angry Birds Theme as your ringtone!

TO ENTER: Angry Birds addiction can pay off because to enter this giveaway, I want to hear an embarrassing obsession with Angry Birds!  Do you have the Angry Birds Ringtone on your phone?  Have you been known to drain your iDevice by overplaying Angry Birds in just one sitting?

Share your story in the comments before Sunday, April 3 and the 2 most obsessed fans as deemed by Tech Savvy Daddy (who drained his iPod battery by playing Angry Birds throughout a cross country flight!) will be the winners.

Good luck and I'm not judging if you can't wait for my giveaway to end in order to download Angry Birds Rio because it's already on our iDevices and Tech Savvy Daddy's Android and was just released yesterday! 

I received an iTunes gift card to facilitate my review of Angry Birds Rio.  No additional compensation was received for this post or hosting giveaways.  Images courtesy of Rovio Mobile Ltd. Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid's Jeff Kinney Talks Movies & Rodrick Rules Giveaway

Dubbed the wimpiest saga of all time, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules hits theaters this Friday, March 25.

Here's a synopsis of the movie from 20th Century Fox: In this sequel to 2010’s surprise hit, Greg Heffley, the kid who made “wimpy” cool is back in an all-new family comedy based on the best-selling follow-up novel by Jeff Kinney. (Kinney’s Wimpy Kid” series has thus far sold 42 million books.) As he begins seventh grade, Greg and his older brother – and chief tormentor – Rodrick must deal with their parents’ misguided attempts to have them bond.

Having recently participated in an interview with author Jeff Kinney, it seemed timely to share his responses about the movie and share an awesome giveaway with you. Read my previous post from the interview where Jeff Kinney talks about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and see below for giveaway details!

Question: What do you think about the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies? Do you like them? And also, how much input do you have in the casting and the way the movies are made?

Mr. Jeff Kinney: I do like the movies. If we made movies that just retold the same stories in the same format, I don't think that they would have been worthwhile.

What the movies do is they bring a totally different dimension into the storytelling. What I've really learned is that movies speak in the language of emotion and that if you don't cause your audience to root for the protagonist, you're going to lose your audience.

I think that the approach is very different. I feel great that we're making live action movies, with real kids who are actually in middle school. It's quite different than the rest of the field, which is mostly 3D and computer generated. I think there is something almost retro about these movies.

As far as the input I've had, I've really had a unique relationship with the studio and with the producers. And I'm very involved from the very early stages helping develop the script and I give some input on casting. Then, I'm there for about half of the filming. I get to be there with the actors and develop relationships with them and contribute gags as the movie's being made.

I'm also really involved in post-production with the animation and also a great deal with the marketing. So, it's a very complete experience.

It's very different than writing a book where you're in control of the content. It's purely a collaborative process, which has been edifying. It's really been a life changer.

Question: I got to interview some animated voice actors last week, so it made me have the question, have you thought about an animated series for Diary of a Wimpy Kid?

Mr. Jeff Kinney: I definitely have. I'd love to bring these characters to life on the small screen especially. I think that that feels like the next logical step to me.

I've been really blessed to have success with this series. And this last year, they made a Thanksgiving Day balloon out of Greg Heffley, which was a huge milestone and a lot of fun.

I would just love to create something that's really in lockstep with the series. What's really great about the movies is that the human actors bring a lot of humanity to the characters and you feel and care for them in a way that you don't for the drawings in the books. But, I'd really like to do something to complement the movie effort and to make something that feels very organic to the printed page.

GIVEAWAY: In honor of Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules coming out this Friday, 20^th Century Fox has provided a fantastic prize pack for a Wimpy Kid superfan valued at $79 that will contain the following:

• Zoo Wee Mama Card Game
• Cheese Touch Board Game
• Wimpy Kid Action Figure Set
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid 200 piece puzzle
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid UNO

TO ENTER: Leave a comment about your child’s favorite moment in either one of the books or in the original Wimpy Kid movie before Friday, April 1.

For extra entries, you must complete the above and do any of the following”

• Follow Wimpy Kid Movie on Twitter and tweet this daily: @TechSavvyMama has @WimpyKidMovie prize pack #giveaway ($79 value) I want 2 win! Enter here: www.TechSavvyMama.com #wimpykid2.  Leave a link to your tweet in your comment.
• Change your Facebook status to read: I want to win an a Diary of Wimpy Kid prize pack for my family from www.TechSavvyMama.com! Let me know in your comment that you've done so.
• Like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie on Facebook and let me know in your comment.
• Leave a comment on the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook page about which book is your child’s favorite in the series.

Fine print: All eligible entries must contain either an email address or Twitter handle in the body of the comment. Winner will be selected and notified via Twitter or email on Friday, April 1 and must supply a U.S. mailing address within 24 hours of being notified otherwise an alternate winner will be selected.

It was a pleasure to interview Jeff Kinney.  The first two Diary of a Wimpy Kid books were sent to me for review but I was not compensated for my participation in the interview.  I will be receiving a Rodrick Rules prize pack for my family. Amazon affiliate links contained in this post.

Cranes for Kids: Sending Hope to Children in Japan via Free Virtual Cranes

As soon as the quake in Japan happened, I knew what I had to do- write a post that would share age appropriate ways to talk to kids about the current events happening on the other side of the globe and provide resources about how to help children understand something that still seems so unreal, even to us as adults.  Read my post called Teaching Kids About Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Japan Through Online Resources.

Today I’m joining the women who are part of Social Media Moms and using today’s post to make a difference.  While we’d love for you to donate to Save the Children by clicking on the button at the top of this post and on my blog’s sidebar, I realize that this isn’t always possible for all families and wanted to offer an alternative way that you and your children can send hope to the children in Japan without spending any money.

Teach your children about the Japanese tradition of folding 1,000 cranes and visit Cranes for Kids to send a virtual message of hope from your family to the children of Japan through your customized crane. Cranes for Kids allows kids to select their crane color, write a message of hope, and send it to the children of Japan.  

Cranes for Kids is a simple, yet visually appealing site, that makes it easy to create a crane in just a couple of minutes.  It’s the brainchild Jim Robinson and Kurt Dommermuth, the dad duo behind the popular baby-preschooler site Kneebouncers. 

Cranes for Kids links to a site with animated instructions for folding a crane and a PDF of Japan earthquake and tsunami relief charities that focus on helping children.

Special thanks to Heather from Cool Progeny who shared Cranes For Kids with me and has the inside scoop on how quickly Kneebouncers came up with the idea to send 1000 virtual cranes to kids in Japan from children around the world.

Please pass this great site along with others you know by tweeting:

@TechSavvyMama encourages you to use www.CranesforKids.com to send a free virtual message of hope to Japan’s kids thanks to @Kneebouncers

No compensation was received for this post.  Just participating along with the rest of the Social Media Moms to help the children of Japan.

Join Me on Monday to Blog for a Purpose

DC Readers: Blue Man Group Ticket Giveaway & Discount

As a family, we’ve enjoyed live theater performances including those at our local children’s theater as well as The Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker, Mary Poppins, Stomp, and I'm so excited to take Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer to see Blue Man Group at the Warner Theater. A Blue Man Group performance is unlike anything you have ever seen and a show you have to see to believe. I've been to two of their shows and have loved each one.

If you aren't familiar with Blue Man Group, they're best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. 

Imagine three blue-headed men clad in black shirts and pants using non-verbal communication throughout the performance to entertain and awe. It is a stunning show for people of all ages, languages, and cultures.  Take a look!

The use of pipes as a musical instrument has always been one of my favorite parts of the performance. It’s an innovative use of plastic plumbing materials and a study in the science of sound.  

I know it will inspire Little Miss Techie and Captain Computer after the performance much like Stomp did and am fully prepared to make a trip to Home Depot following the performance to pick up plastic pipes and fittings so the kids can recreate this in our yard!

Blue Man Group is performing at the Warner Theater on the following dates and times:

• Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 pm
• Thursday, March 24 at 8:00 pm
• Friday, March 25 at 8:00 pm
• Saturday, March 26 at 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 9:00 pm
• Sunday, March 27 at 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm
• Wednesday, March 30 at 7:30 pm
• Thursday, March 31 at 8:00 pm
• Friday, April 1 at 8:00 pm
• Saturday, April 2 at 1:00 pm, 5:00 pm, and 9:00 pm

GIVEAWAY: Since Blue Man Group is something you truly have to see to believe, I am giving away a pair of tickets to the opening night performance on Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 pm at the Warner Theater!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment about who you will take to the show along with your email address or Twitter handle! Please note this is a very quick giveaway and I’ll be drawing a winner Sunday night and contacting you immediately so you must leave your email address or Twitter handle for your comment to be valid.

For extra entries you must complete the required entry above and do any of the following:

• Be a Tech Savvy Mama Facebook fan and change your status to read: @TechSavvyMama is giving away 2 tickets to the opening night performance of Blue Man Group and I’d love to go!  http://bit.ly/fgf8Q9

• Leave a comment about which part of the performance you are most excited about on the Tech Savvy Mama Facebook wall.

• Daily tweet: Win @BlueManGroup tix to the 3/23 DC performance from @TechSavvyMama: http://bit.ly/fgf8Q9 #giveaway and leave the link to your tweet in your comment.

• Subscribe to my feed via email and let me know in your comment!

If you can’t wait until Sunday to hear if you've won tickets, get $5 off with the promo code: BLISSFUL either by phone at 800-551-7328 or online at ticketmaster.com  


And if you are looking for another chance to win, go visit my friend, Kim, since she's giving some away at I'm Not the Nanny.

Fine print: Tickets are only good for the performance on Wednesday, March 23 at 7:30 pm. No substitutions are available. Winner must provide their full name by 9 am Monday morning or another winner will be selected from valid entries. Winner must also show ID to claim tickets at Will Call.

Blue Man Group provided tickets for this giveaway and also for my family to see the show. Images courtesy of Blue Man Group.

Tooth Fairy 2 Set Visit in Orlando: A Recap with Photos & Video

Traveling to Orlando as a guest of Fox Home Entertainment for time on the Tooth Fairy 2 set was incredible. Like the original, Tooth Fairy 2 follows a similar premise as the first one but stars Dan Whitney (aka Larry the Cable Guy).  Dan's character is a tooth fairy skeptic who finds himself sentenced to serving time as a tooth fairy.  The sequel is sure to add a new dimension to the franchise because he’s a natural comedian who did his best to stick to the script but also ad libbed lines.

While I loved how personable, down to earth, and unpretentious

Dan was and the way producer Alan Blomquist asked for an explanation of Twitter after our interview, I was most inspired by our interview with April Mackin, an animal trainer from Birds & Animals Unlimited.  

April is part of the team who works to train the pigs for their appearance in Tooth Fairy 2.  Crusher, the pig we met, was absolutely darling but April’s story about how her dream of being an animal trainer became a reality was inspiring and one I want to share with you.

Here are some additional trip highlights:

• Dinner at Emeril’s — Fantastically delicious and makes me anxious for my trip to New Orleans for Mom 2.0 mid-April.

• Meeting Dan Whitney (aka Larry the Cable Guy) — I loved his hilarious tweets he personally sent he between shoots and his pride in his family led to a reprimand by his director for showing us family photos on his iPhone.  We got an inside look at his swanky home on wheels but missed him in his pink tutu and tights.

• Interviewing acclaimed producer Alan Blomquist (Walk the Line, Cider House Rules, and Chocolat) — Despite his impressive resume and work with incredible stars, he had an honest curiosity about Twitter.   I was ready to give him a lesson!  And yes, the photo in my Flickr photostream of us probably makes it seem like he didn’t like me although he did say he had been reading our blogs.

• Spending time with Fox PR and 11 other amazing bloggers — Wonderful because of the opportunities to get to know each other thanks to the intimacy of the event.

• Entering Universal Orlando from the back lot, being escorted to the front of the line, and bypassing an hour long wait for the Forbidden Journey of Harry Potter ride — Totally awesome.  In the interest in disclosure, I was a guest of Universal and personally purchased way too many packages of Bertie Bott’s Beans and Chocolate Frogs and indulged in Butter Beer!  Tip for anyone going over spring break- Butter Beer is non-alcoholic and kid friendly. I loved the frosted version!

My piece on Mom Blog Magazine (Bloggers on Set for Tooth Fairy 2 Filming as Guests of Fox Home Entertainment) shares links to the sites of my fellow bloggers and shares their perspective on the event. 

Tooth Fairy 2 stars Dan Whitney (aka Larry the Cable Guy) and builds upon the premise of the original The Tooth Fairy plot starring Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock, and will be distributed by Fox Home Entertainment in 2012.

I was a guest of Fox Home Entertainment who covered travel and meal expenses during my trip.