SMART Boards In Our Classrooms For Techie Kidz!

Our Savior Lutheran School in St. Petersburg FL installed amazing new interactive whiteboards into many of the classrooms this school year. We held special fundraising activities throughout the year to assist with funding for these amazing tools for our children. Everyone was very excited to add this resource to the classrooms, especially the kids!

My daughter will begin 6th grade this fall, and will have the good fortune of experiencing the SMART Board throughout the next three years in their middle school program. I asked the students at the end of the school year summer picnic about their reaction to the Boards this year. Each mentioned their wonderful interactive nature and how they felt like their were getting more out of the topics covered while using the Boards. One 7th grader noted that he was definitely more connected in the classroom, and that the SMART Board seemed liked a next step for all the kids since they are all so "wired" these days...I started to feel like a dinosaur!

All the teachers at Our Savior are totally "a buzz" about the Boards, too! Now all the faculty of this private, Christian school have asked to receive the new classroom resource to elevate their lessons to a new dimension.

SMART Technologies is the world's largest provider of interactive whiteboards - a "touch screen" board that functions like a blackboard does, but with the technical capabilities of a computer screen. Truly amazing and like nothing we've seen before!

The company has just launched the "SMART Love of Learning" campaign. It acknowledges and celebrates all of the teachers who have impacted individuals around the world. There is a great facebook page that has been developed for this campaign and an opportunity for contest winners to win a SMART Interactive White Board for their own child's school or the school of their choice!

You can check out their website - www.SMARTloveoflearning.com to learn more.

Some additional links to learn more and explore their YouTube and Facebook applications are:

The link for the Smart Love of learning website is: http://tiny.cc/8lrjf
The link for the Youtube videos is: http://tiny.cc/xpz26
The link for the Facebook page is: http://tiny.cc/0tje2

Be sure to enter to win a SMART Board for your school of choice...I entered today! My favorite teacher was Mrs. Edelman from 7th grade. She was absolutely fearsome, but the lessons she provided me in the classroom were invaluable to my communication skills EVERY DAY! TEACHERS TOTALLY RULE!

Happy Summer Vacation Everyone!

One eskimO CD Review and Links

I recently discovered a fun music CD to listen to while driving the kids around for our summer adventures! One eskimO's self-titled debut album is a nice mix of light and heavier sounds and emotions. They're a British band that can run from pop to a more alternative sound without getting too serious. I liked the popular track "Kandi", but also enjoyed many of the others including Hometime and Chocolate (I can never resist this!). I wasn't able to catch them when they played Ybor City in Tampa recently, but I've heard the show was good. There's a free download of "Astronauts" from the CD, and I'm providing the link below - courtesy of the band!


Tracklisting:
Hometime
Astronauts
Kandi
Slip
Simple Day
Givin Up
Chocolate
All Balloons
Chosen One
UFO
Amazing


Visit their website and other awsome resources:

One eskimO Website: http://bit.ly/bCAfYE
“Kandi” Video: http://bit.ly/9CkEsg
Tour Dates: http://bit.ly/bQa94y
Band’s Facebook: http://bit.ly/906Gp3
You Tube Channel: http://bit.ly/bgZM8P
Deluxe Edition on iTunes: http://bit.ly/agXgTj
Free Download of “Astronauts” via Twitter: http://bit.ly/97B94S

One eskimO is a critically-acclaimed English band fronted by singer-songwriter Kristian Leontiou and includes musicians Pete Rinaldi (guitar), Jamie Sefton (bass, horns) and Adam Falkner (drums).


They currently have the #1 adult alternative song called 'Kandi' which you may have already heard since it's the most played song on all adult rock radio 4 weeks and counting


Billboard Magazine calls One eskimO's self-titled debut album "...catchy, ambient pop." and Los Angeles Times Magazine hails the song "Kandi" “a beautiful, aspirational track.” The album is available in stores now.


The album release comes in tandem with a full length animated film. “Hometime”, one of the tracks that an animated short was first done with proved to be quite a sensation. It received numerous honors at film festivals around the world, as well as a 2008 British Animation Award.


Band is on tour May/June/July supporting Michael Franti and in addition to festivals and headlining shows


Tour Dates
May 14 Miami, FL Fillmore
May 15 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird Live
May 18 Orlando, FL House of Blues
May 19 Tampa, FL The Ritz Ybor
May 22 Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
May 24 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
May 25 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Jun 01 Toronto, ON The Guvernment
Jun 03 New York, NY The Beach at Governor’s Island
Jun 04 Boston, MA House of Blues
Jun 05 Essex Junction, VT Camplain Valley Expo
Jun 06 Hunter, NY Mountain Jam Festival
Jun 08 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Thtr
Jun 09 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Jun 12 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
Jun 13 Kansas City, MO Crossroads
Aug 14 Denver, CO Mile High Festival


I received a copy of the music CD One eskimO courtesy of One2One Network to help facilitate this review.

Pillsbury Brownie Contest

The Perfect Summer Treat:
Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream....the ideal summer treat is now easier and fudgier than ever!

With a taste as delicious and authentic as if you baked them at home, Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies are a blend of 3 types of cocoas with real chocolate syrup and milk chocolate chunks to make a delicious fudgy brownie-they´re the perfect solution when you´re pressed for time. Add personal flair to these already-baked brownies with your own decorations, frosting, caramel or powdered sugar! With a straight-out-of-the-oven flavor without the time or clean-up, Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies are a great treat for any occasion!

In addition, when purchasing Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies at Sam´s Club, you have the chance to support your local school with Box Tops for Education. Each package of Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies has 6 Bonus Box Tops that can be redeemed to earn cash for the K-8 school of your choice.

I am hosting a blog giveaway contest courtesy of Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark:

One winner selected at random from those posting a comment in the Comments will receive a Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies gift pack that includes $25 Sam´s Club gift card to use to purchase the brownies, Betty Crocker frosting, and a large container for transporting the brownies.

One entry per person. Please tell me your perfect summer event, gathering or activity you will be hosting or attending in which Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies will be a star attraction. All entries must be received by June 15, 2010. Winning entry will be contacted - please include your contact information. If non-responding, an alternate winner will be contacted. Prize winner will be mailed prize directly. Must be a U.S. resident. Good luck and thank you for participating!

I received a Pillsbury Chocolate Chunk Fudge Brownies Gift Pack to help facilitate my review. I was also provided an additional Gift Pack as a prize giveaway from Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark.

Uncle Ben's Rice - Delish!

Memorial Day holiday weekend is here - we're planning a family BBQ filled with sights, smells and tastes of summer. I pulled together some favorite recipes that are quick and easy since it's back to work as ususal for me tomorrow. I always include one or two dishes that feature rice since it's a family favorite.

Uncle Ben's has helped me out with an expanding line-up of rice varities and slections. I have always loved Uncle Ben's as a trusted brand - it's great that they are constantly considering today's busy families with their microwave packages as well as the Long Grain White Rice. It looks and tastes like white rice but has all the nutritional benefits of whole grain! We love it - it cooks up perfectly every time: nice and fluffy, without sticking or clumping. I use it for my traditional Miller Family Rice Pudding, rice and vegetable salad (perfect for the summer picnic!), and a new family request, Chicken and Rice in the pressure cooker!

Visit the Uncle Ben's site at: http://www.unclebens.com

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Uncle Ben’s and received samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

SmartMom Solutions Roadshow with Maria Bailey Update

I mentioned previously, that I attended the SmartMom Solutions Roadshow with Maria Bailey in Tampa earlier this month. It was a great 1/2-day event and I was impressed with the organization and great representation. Maria and her team are amazing! Some outstanding products and brands were in attendance.

I was particularly taken by Precious Moment's lovely line of books and accessories for young girls - perfect inspirational messages for my daughter! The Pandigital Photolink One-Touch Scanner is now on the very top of my special, "Mommy Wanna's List"!

I'm providing a list with their links for you to check them out at your convenience. I know I will be revisiting them in the coming weeks...

Designed to bring moms and companies together, the roadshow showcased an array of items, from shampoo to clothes to digital scanners. It was a great opportunity to discover these brands and products:
Zippity Doo's - children's daily-use hair care products that prevent lice (zippitydoos.com)
BioGaia probiotic straws and tablets - safe, effective probiotics that promote healthy tummies (childrensprobiotics.com)
B-Natal Therapops - sweet relief from morning sickness (bnatal.com)
Parigi - popular kid's clothing line (Puma, LRG for Boys, Akademiks, Apple Bottoms)
Pandigital Photolink One-Touch Scanner - scan all your photos in seconds without a computer (pandigital.net)
Milson Road - give the perfect gift of "The Daily Portrait" for special occasions (milsonroad.com)
LikeWear - fun, boutique children's clothes that children love. (likewear.com)
Huggies MomInspired Grant Program - helping inventive moms turn their business ideas into reality (huggiesmominspired.com)
Precious Moments - childrens coloring books (preciousmoments.com)


Thanks again to Maria Bailey and MomSelect for a wonderful time spend with like-minded bloggy moms!

Freshen Up with Unilever/Dove: Don't Fret the Sweat!

Summer is upon us, and OMG it's HOT!!! The kids are outside running around and working up a sweat - that's great for them physically, but not so fresh for everyone within range afterwards!

My daughter and I have shared our freshening philosophy together, and she's "takin' it to the streets" with her friends...it's time to invest in some deodorants...NOW!! She's at the perfect age to instill good grooming and hygiene habits, including the use of shower gel, powder, anti-perspirant deodorant and body mists. I'm not bashful to tell our kids (and occasionally my hubs...) that they're stinky, and better do something about it NOW! Dove Ultimate Go Fresh line is perfect for us - fresh, clean and light! She loves the new "Revive" scent duo of Anti-perspirant Deodorant and Body Mist with a hint of moisturizer. It's a pomegranate and lemon verbena scent, crisp and inspired by nature - it smells heavenly!!!! The Unilever Dove family of products is a brand I trust for my family.

Recently, Unilever released the Tween Confidence Index, which suggests that tween confidence is short-lived but can be safe-guarded by maintaining strong communication between tweens and parents. With this and more resources available at DontFretTheSweat.com, Unilever hopes to show parents that they can talk to their tweens about how the right deodorant can keep them free from odor, embarrassment and discomfort along the way.


Be sure to visit their site to learn more at:

DontFretTheSweat.com


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Unilever and received the items necessary to facilitate my review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Join Us On Yoursphere.com - see code provided

Great family friendly social networking site: www.Yoursphere.com Use our referral code for free registration: YSMC-0063

We're learning a lot and planning to create our own "spheres"~ we hope you'll join us to connect!

I wrote this review while participating in the Yoursphere Test Drive program by Mom Central on behalf of Yoursphere. I received a free lifetime Gold membership on Yoursphere.com, Yoursphere t-shirts, and a $50 American Express gift card to facilitate my review.