Apple boo boo fixer – Antenn-aid

2010-07-28T06:27:12Z

Too funny not to post … in case you didn’t see this when I posted it to my facebook page:

Combining traditional with digital crafting

2010-07-13T21:52:52Z

I got this super-cool packet in the mail of Glue Dots to try out, I love being a part of the Twitter Mom’s Network (click this link for info: http://www.twittermoms.com/forum/topics/2000-in-prizes-up-for-grabs?) and boy I’ve been having fun using them to create everything for my son’s Thomas the Tank Engine-themed 3rd birthday party. I created his invitation myself (of course) in Photoshop and utilizing some of my own digital scrapbook materials, and some from Kathryn Baliant’s Pappa’s Trains digital scrapbook kit.

Front of the Thomas the Train Invitation

I used the Glue Dots in two ways – the front piece I printed on heavy card stock and cut out and used permanent Glue Dots to adhere it to the front of the card. Then I used the mini Permanent Glue Dots and stuck on the blue polka dot ribbon on top of the image of the ribbon on the print out. (I love combining digital and physical scrapbook materials!) On the inside of the card, I created what looked like a ticket and also printed that on heavy card stock. I stuck the ticket down with removable Glue Dots, so the guest can pull off and get their ticket punched as they enter the party. One last permanent mini Glue Dot to hold on the red polka dotted bow, and it was done.

Your ticket to fun - adhered with removable GlueDots

How cool is that?

I’ll be using more GlueDots to decorate my house and yard, and put together thank you cards, along with checking on the Glue Dots facebook page for more ideas.

FYI: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Glue Dots blogging contest to be eligible to receive a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Even puppets love the iPhone

2010-06-28T21:08:10Z

Click the image to view a hilarious viral clip from Apple where a muppet-like creature named Limer with an iPhone 4.0 taped to his hand calls customer service. He’s seeking help with the new video conference feature (a front and a rear facing camera on the new iPhones, don’tcha know) and was very happy with is experience.

Awesome Marketing from RealSimple

2010-06-25T19:21:56Z

The subtitle for this should be “Magazines fight harder to gain subscribers” because that’s exactly what it seems RealSimple is doing. I’ve been a longtime fan of this magazine and website – www.realsimple.com. I have to admit, although I’m a techno-freak, I still love magazines. And I really love well designed magazines like RealSimple. (No, I swear they’re not paying me for this.) It’s a nice size, slightly squared as opposed to 8 1/2 x 11 and looks like a coffee table book. I have held on to my issues over the years instead of ripping out the articles that I’m interested in because they are not just packed with great info but are beautiful too. That being said, I rarely subscribe to anything, and usually get magazine subscriptions as gifts from my mom who knows how much I love them. When I moved, I got an offer to “try” RealSimple for two issues and of course I said yes and sent in my little postcard.

Was I shocked when in the mail today I got a thank you letter from them, along with a really cool magnet for my fridge that lists how long several different types of veggies can last in the crisper bin. Gotta love it! It reminds me of what Amazon did very early on for their first purchasers. If you bought a book from Amazon.com in their first year (which of course, I did) they sent out a thank you at Christmas time with a mouse pad. And not just some stupid mouse pad with AMAZON emblazoned on it, but a really cool quote, “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside a dog, it’s too dark to read.” Mark Twain. It’s been years, but I’ll never forget that thank you, and have really been fairly faithful to amazon ever since. It helps that they usually have decent prices and are responsive in their shipping.
Kudos to you, RealSimple marketing folk. This might be the first magazine that I subscribe to!

Don’t know what to cook for dinner? Look online!

2010-06-24T01:47:03Z

Every week it’s the same problem – trying to decide on seven days of meals for the family of four I have to feed and then grocery shopping what I need without forgetting something. Out of ideas? My persistent magazine reading unearthed two sets of useful links for online food resources and references.

For inspiration, Consumer Report’s ShopSmart magazine had a few great recipe sites listed that I use frequently to help put the ingredients I have on had to use. Their picks of the best of the best: Allrecipes.com, Eatingwell.com, Epicurious.com, and Recipe Central. Tonight I’m using these sites to look up simple recipes for mac and cheese to see if I can put an interesting spin on my usual preparations for these things.

Need to find a particular ingredient, or more earth-conscious food sources? Consumer Report’s ShopSmart also had a list of “Five Great Destinations for Special Ingredients” which of course included Amazon. I discovered how useful Amazon is for food when obtaining some of my favorite Gluten-Free mixes for much cheaper than in the health food stores. But in addition, there are some other pretty good resources out there, including:HeritageFoodsUSA.com for finding farm raised meat, Igourmet.com for artisanal foods, LocalHarvest.org for locally sourced food and TheSpiceHouse.com for reasonably priced seasonings.

Too much hulabaloo for a hot pocket

2010-06-23T22:07:03Z

I’m about to chow down on my meatball sandwich hot pocket when I see it: the url printed on the heating sleeve. Really? Is this what we’ve come to as a society? I wonder what url I’ll put on my headstone …

I digress. So of course I had to fire up my computer and check out http://www.eatfreely.org, a fully fictional website dedicated to the love of eating things while on the go. It’s just a tad over the top, with lots of streaming video and flash. Who is really looking at this site, and do they really want to buy a hat with eatfreely.org emblazoned on it? Is anyone really that into hot pockets? Please, leave a comment and prove me wrong!

iPhone 4 – Fewer dropped calls?

2010-06-16T17:13:31Z

Today’s Wall Street Journal held a promising article – one that outlined how the new design of the iPhone 4 will help eliminate one of the previous verions major issues: dropped calls. According to the Journal, “the most dramatic design changes in the latest iteration of Apple’s smartphone, the iPhone 4, is a stainless-steel antenna that wraps around its sides.” That anteanna is doing more than just taking care of your calls, it also handles the iPhone’s Wi-Fi and GPS.

Another reason for the decrease in dropped calls? The new iPhone also puts out more radio-frequency radiation, and I’m not to sure how I feel about that although it apparently meets the FCC guidelines. I also have been very frustrated with repeated dropped calls, sometimes when I’m sitting still! I’d love to believe this has been remedied.

The Journal also reported that “Apple said it took pre-orders for more than 600,000 of its new iPhone 4 on its first day of availability” – insane!! So many, in fact, that it took down Apple’s site for a little bit and orders could not be completed. I read rumors on twitter and facebook that Apple Store employees had begun taking orders with paper and a pen! My word! I haven’t pre-ordered, but I am eligible and will be upgrading to the 4 (I’ve got one of the first 3G models) in the next few months. I’m not interested in being a part of this frenzy, I’ll wait until the next set becomes available.

Fave Blogs: Daddy Blogs

2010-06-14T08:19:44Z

Everyone is talking about mommy blogs (ahem, like mine) and how it is all the rage to be a mommy blogger as of late. But we’ve forgotten about a significant portion of people who could also be working to raise little humans: Daddys. And, as I’ve just discovered from July’s Parents issue, it may be worth a few daddy blogs.
Here’s what Parents magazine rated as the top five, and it’s a good place to start:
daddy-dialectic.blogspot.com
dadsanddaughters.blogspot.com
dadcentric.com
dadwagon.com
dadtalk.typepad.com

Says Who? SaysHer! Searching Mommy Blogs Made Easy

2010-06-13T01:03:11Z

I ran across a really cool iPhone app (and web site) today while cruising www.mechanicalturk.com for some fun projects. It’s a search engine for mommy bloggers – you can put in a topic (I searched for potty training since I’m currently trying to potty train my son … which is a challenge when you don’t have the same equipment!) and it will return results for what mommy bloggers are currently talking about these topics. How very cool, because it can get overwhelming to try and navigate the blog world without an engine of some sort. And as a mommy blogger myself, I’m hoping that I turn up in those results occasionally.

SaysHer iPhone app

The app is at http://saysher.com/ and is very intuitive to use. It uses RSS feeds from mom blogs, so you’re seeing the most current conversations. If you have a mommy blog, you can add yourself to their search and be included in the results. They only list blogs from women, go girl power!

Check your iPhone for upgradeablity

2010-06-08T19:35:18Z

Want that new iPhone now, but aren’t sure if you’re eligible for an upgrade at the reduced prices? ($199 and $299 vs. $599 and $699) Engadget had a great post today with info on how to get that answer from your phone. Just “Dial *639# on your current phone. You’ll be returned a text message from AT&T detailing your situation.”

For more info, check out Engadget’s post at: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/08/how-to-check-your-iphone-4-upgrade-eligibility/