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Parenting in the Digital Age

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Weekly Reads 10.20.13

October 20, 2013 By Leticia

Weekly Reads on TechSavvyMama.com

Hmmm…the last time I posted Weekly Reads was more than a month ago when I swore this feature was going to become regular once again. Things happen (namely three speaking engagements at three conferences in a row: Type A, Blogalicious, and Digital Family Summit) but I’m feeling more caught up now so here we go with determination to really make this a weekly feature!

{Headlines}

Have you heard that Windows 8.1 is out? It’s a free upgrade if you already own Windows 8. I got a sneak peek earlier in September and it has some things you were wishing Windows 8 had, like the ability to multitask. If you haven’t installed it yet, don’t until you read Michele McGraw’s post on Scraps of My Geek Life called Windows 8.1 Installation Tips for a Smoother Install.

Martha Stewart angered the blogosphere with comments on Bloomberg about how “bloggers are not experts.” Oh Martha. How far you’ve fallen since speaking to this very same group at BlogHer in 2012 and hosting an off-site event for bloggers at her offices in 2010. As Cecily Kellogg writes on Babble Tech, “Becoming irrelevant has to suck.”

{Newsworthy}

Have you heard that Target is launching Target Ticket, video-on-demand service that works with Roku? Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife shares details and has a $50 Target GC giveaway.

With smartphone cameras getting better and better, I love AT&T’s Take Your Shot campaign that’s given aspiring filmmakers the chance to pitch their ideas. As part of the campaign, three finalists were selected to work with famous Asian-American filmmakers to create a short film using just their phones. I love how this campaign has helped make dreams a reality by providing the opportunity for budding cinematographers the chance to work with visionaries in their field using products we use every day. The shorts will premier tomorrow- Monday, October 21 and here’s a trailer from this campaign that will inspire you to take more video, even if just with your phone.

{Recommended Reading}

Fall is here and I’m glad to be welcoming a change of clothes into the mix. My fabulous and always stylish and money savvy friend, Kelly over at Centsible Life, provides 5 Ways to Save on Your Fall Wardrobe. Speaking of fashion…Hillary Chybinski admits to having wavy hair and shares her favorite tools to fake it.

Great things came out of Digital Family Summit including more kids who blog! I roomed with Elena Sonnino and her daughter for an uber-mother-daughter weekend where we spent part of our time holed up in our room researching available domain names. Explore with Spunk is by Elena’s daughter (aka Spunk) and centers around travel, create and do good with Spunk.” Also check out Lolli’s daughter, Reese, blogging at Better in Bulk where her first post is called 10 Ways to Be a Good Safety Patrol.

Image courtesy of Minimalist Parenting

Have you picked up a copy of  by Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest? Not only do I love Christine and Asha and their message that more isn’t better that is a breath of fresh air for all parents, but I love them even more because until October 31, the co-authors are donating 100% of royalties for books purchased viato WOMEN AT RISK, an Ethiopian organization that helps women lift themselves out of prostitution. #HelpWomenAtRisk by purchasing Minimalist Parenting using this special Amazon link:For more information, visit http://minimalistparenting.com/helpwomenatrisk

And finally, where else I’ve been posting!

Babble Tech

If you ever want to find my Babble Tech posts, just click on my name in the byline of the article that will bring you to my contributor page or find them here each week! You’ll find me musing about tech related fodder and some fun slideshows.

  •  Would You Want to be Surprised with a Pinterest Wedding? This guy combed his girlfriend’s Pinterest boards and pulled off a suprise engagement and wedding in a day.
  • Think Siri is snippy? Siri Revealed! Woman Behind Siri Explains Snippiness gives you the inside scoop behind Siri’s ‘tude.
  • Your Social Media Self: Raw and Unedited or a PG-13 Version? Which one are you?
  • Hashtag This Jimmy Fallon and JT! How Hashtags Could Actually Be Good for Kids if educators started incorporating them more into their classroom curriculum
  • And did you hear? The FAA May Lift Ban on Portable Electronic Devices like eReaders just in time for holiday travel.

Tech Savvy Parents on Parents.com

My two most recent Parents.com posts on my Tech Savvy Parents column can always be found listed in the right sidebar of my blog but if you don’t want to click over, here they are!

  • 6 Spooky Science Experiments for Halloween
  • PBS’ new Peg+Cat Brings Math to Preschoolers Through New Multiplatform Media Experience
  • Believe it or not, all that time with Angry Birds can be educational. here are 5 Things Angry Birds Can Teach Kids About Physics
  • Love Captain Underpants? We do too! How Challenged (aka not quite banned) Captain Underpants Encourages Reluctant Young Readers to Love Reading

Have a great week!

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DC area blogger & middle school computer science teacher focused on edu, family tech & teens. ❤s= 🚀 #STEM 🏃 #StJudeHeroes #legacyteamnuun 🏝 #Haiti

It was such a joy to be able to celebrate this mil It was such a joy to be able to celebrate this milestone! 🎉 Huge congratulations to Thomas and the Class of 2024! 🎓 #classof2024 #graduation
Happy Global Running Day! 🏃🏻‍♀️If you Happy Global Running Day! 🏃🏻‍♀️If you know me, you know you can always find me in Memphis running a race the first weekend in December for @stjude . I ❤️love ❤️ love ❤️ love ❤️this race because the race course is pretty flat, the weather is amazing, and the whole city of Memphis comes to cheer you on, you get to run through the St. Jude campus which is always inspiring, and it is just SO fun! 🎉 If you’ve ever thought of running a 5K, 10k, half, or full marathon, I invite you to register! Sign up to join me to run/walk/run+walk any distance and not only will I cheer you on as you get race ready but I will be your Marathon Weekend buddy. 🙌🏼 I promise to help get you race ready, will take you to all the best places in Memphis before the race, and to celebrate after with post-race drinks at the Peabody Hotel. 🍹Who is going to join me? Link to register in the first comment! 🏃🏻‍♀️ #stjudeheroes #globalrunningday #memphis #stjude #stjudedmv
The best part of @solairesocial is the incredible The best part of @solairesocial is the incredible variety of delicious food available in one place! 🎉 Our family of adventurous eaters has been anxiously awaiting the opening of this culinary collective and our first visit did not disappoint! 💕 Here’s a look at the diverse food concepts that @chefakhtar has carefully curated to be part of the Solaire Social culinary experience. 👀 Huge thanks to Solaire Social for inviting us to their influencer preview to enjoy the amazing culinary cultural concepts that we’re happy to have right in our backyard! I know the hardest part about our next visit will be choosing among all the incredible food at these 8 amazing restaurants! 🍽️ 

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Chincoteague = Our island in the sun ☀️ Until Chincoteague = Our island in the sun ☀️ Until next time! 💕 more than #fifteensecondsofsummer #chincoteague #assateague #loveva #islandlife
The best way to start any day in Chincoteague is a The best way to start any day in Chincoteague is at @amarin_coffee_usa ! Their fresh baked buttery croissants (that are almost as big as your head!) are always such a treat when we’re here! 🥐❤️🥐 #fifteensecondsofsummer #chincoteague #civa #esva #coffeelovers
Fifteen seconds of sunset for #fifteensecondsofsum Fifteen seconds of sunset for #fifteensecondsofsummer ! 🌅 #chincoteague #loveva #esva #sunsetlovers
Is it officially summer for your family? It is for Is it officially summer for your family? It is for ours! ☀️Thomas finished his last day of high school and Emily is home from college for a bit so it’s summer in our house. 🙌🏼 We kicked off our summer at a @nationals game that included a win with 3 home runs! ⚾️ This year I’m joining @lashawnwiltz in 15 seconds of summer, sharing 15 seconds from my days so at the end, I can look back and remember the great things we did as a family before Thomas heads to college in the fall. 😢 Join in the fun by recording and sharing 15 seconds of your summer days and use the hashtag #fifteensecondsofsummer. It officially starts June 1 but join in whenever your summer begins! 🕶️🍉⛱️ #washingtondc #washingtonnationals #nats #baseball #summer
Today we’re celebrating National Rescue Dog Day Today we’re celebrating National Rescue Dog Day because we’re so glad Goldie and Murphy are part of our family! 🐶 We gave Goldie her forever home when she was 6 months old. She had been given up by her original family because she was just too much for them. She was an enthusiastic pup who loved to jump straight up in the air when she got excited and she used to hop the fence in the mornings to go visit her best dog friend, Katy, over our back fence. She still jumps from standing when she sees a deer, meets a favorite dog friend, or gets a visit from @lisatasch but now at age 5, she’s more calm and forever faithful. 🦮We met Murphy and his 9 brothers and sisters just days after he was born although we didn’t know he would be the puppy we’d claim as ours. Murphy has that puppy energy but in his quiet moments is a total love bug. He hogs the free space in our king bed (he even has his own pillow!) and loves nothing more than to press his body into me or lie directly on me. 🐾 Goldie and Murphy came to us through @labrescuelrcp and we couldn’t be happier that they’re part of our family! ❤️ #rescuedogday #labrescue #labrador #adoptdontshop
After 3 days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hos After 3 days at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, I’m leaving Memphis so very grateful to be able to support St. Jude’s mission of working to end childhood cancer. ❤️ Spending time connecting, brainstorming, and absorbing the wisdom of fellow Hero Ambassadors from around the country was inspiring because the work we do fundraising through our endurance events helps St. Jude do the incredible work they do to ensure families never receive a bill for their child’s treatment, housing, travel, or food and continue important research that will continue to reduce rates of pediatric cancer and other childhood diseases. I am so looking forward to running in Memphis again this December! 🎉 If you’ve ever thought of running a race that does so much good in the world, join me! I’d love to have you come to Memphis and run with me! Or you can always donate through the fundraising link in my bio. ❤️ #stjude #stjudeheroes #memphis #stjudedmv
Prom 2024! ❤️ #prom #classof2024 #senioryear # Prom 2024! ❤️ #prom #classof2024 #senioryear #lastfridaynight #latergram
When we bought our house 24 years ago, it came wit When we bought our house 24 years ago, it came with many things we didn’t love like rotted porch boards, 1 bathroom, and peeling paint (inside and out!) but it also came with things we did love like old, mature trees, crazy shaped boxwood bushes, and these spectacular peonies! 🌸 Every year when they bloom I’m so glad that these beauties conveyed with the purchase of our house and I’m glad we rebuilt our porch so we can step out our front door to admire them in their glory! 🩷#peonies #peonyseason #garden #blooms #spring
As a teacher and parent, I am well aware of the me As a teacher and parent, I am well aware of the mental health challenges our youth face and am really pleased to share that over the weekend I became certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid through the National Council for Mental Wellbeing! 🎉 I’ve always worked to build relationships with the young people in my life- whether my kids’ friends or students- and this certification has made me more mindful of the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges so I can have important and supportive conversations when symptoms first start to appear. 🗣️A big component of the training also included developing a self-care plan which is critical when supporting others. 💕 I’m so grateful to have taken this certification for free through the University of Maryland whose blended learning format (2 hours of self paced online work + 5 hour instructor led class over Zoom) was fantastic! 💻 The teacher in me really applauds the course design and I’m glad to join the 3 million+ in the U.S. certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. 🏥 If this is something you’re interested in doing, University of Maryland has free courses on Saturdays or Sundays from 10-4pm between June-October. Swipe ⬅️ for more information, including a QR code with more information and a survey to take as part of the sign up process. And if you have any questions- leave a comment or DM me. I’m happy to help you get certified too! ❤️ #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthfirstaid #youthmentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth
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