Kindle Fire

Ah, yes, the Kindle Fire.  It’s no longer just a hand-held eBook device.  It’s now one of the most popular choices for women in electronics.  After much speculation on whether eBooks will survive the tablet war, it seems that the Kindle is a must-have for a geeky mom.  The Kindle runs a base of the Android operating system and you can install multiple applications or games from the Amazon Android marketplace.  You have access to the Amazon Music Cloud as well as instantly play video with Amazon Prime or Netflix.  This handheld is a must-have device for every mom!

A Date with the Avengers

Let’s say your budget doesn’t allow for the expense of the Kindle.  How about a date night?  The funny thing about Mother’s Day is that it’s the one day where moms can say, “hey give me a break, I need some mommy time!”

The Avengers is the perfect way to show your geeky mom you appreciate them.  Mythical comic book legends surrounded by adventure  is the ultimate geeky mom movie.  Fortunately, it premiers this Friday, May 4th.

Flowers

You can always go back to the traditional method of flowers.  But, if you really want to melt the geeky mom’s heart, give her an AeroGarden.  This indoor garden machine allows you to grow vegetables, flowers or herbs all year long! Purchase an extra seed kit to sweeten the deal.  This gift will keep on giving all year long, and will truly inspire her to get in touch with her nature side.  Not only that, the kids will enjoy participating with mom on this project.

Queen for a Day

Imagine your geeky mom’s excitement when she wakes up to breakfast in bed, complete with a hand-picked flower, gentle music and a foot massage?  Appoint your geeky mom “Queen for a Day” and role play!  The kids can wear medieval costumes and act as her court.  Dress her with a new outfit and go for a lovely walk around the “gardens” (aka park.)  Creativity and downright silliness will make any women laugh, and laughter is truly the best gift!

Feed Her Passion

Each mother is unique.  Identify what your geeky mom is passionate about and look for gifts that reflect that passion.  For instance, does your geeky mom love to game?  Then buy her virtual coins, or a new game controller.  Does she love music?  Make a special playlist just for her.  Creativity and spontaneity will always win the hearts of a geek.

Your pocket book doesn’t have to be tapped to show a mom how much you appreciate all she does.  But, if you are out of ideas, buy her a nook or send flowers.  You can’t go wrong with those options!

Geeky Moms, in conjunction with Opportunity Inc., is proud to present the first edition of “A Safe Place for Kaytlind,” a book detailing the life of a homeless child.  Lenore Wilson, Executive Director of Opportunity Inc., wrote the book after being inspired by a little girl staying at Opportunity Place, a shelter program in the panhandle of Florida.  Kaytlind Hale was seven years old when she went to Opportunity Place.  On her journey there, she wrote and drew an inspiring tale about her wonderful visit at Opportunity Place. 

Many people forget that children are often homeless, along with their families.  The basic necessities that many people take for granted, are deeply appreciated by children who have not had those securities.  “A Safe Place for Kaytlind” takes the reader into the lives of children who cope with homelessness, and the struggles they and their families face as they fight their way into a sustainable life.

Please help support Opportunity Place by downloading your digital copy today!  All profits go to Opportunity Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to creating an opportunity to end homelessness, through its emergency shelter for women and families, its veterans’ employment programs, and resource and referral offices in northwest Florida.

3.14 or a slice of applie pie?  Today marks a geeky tradition:  Pi day.  To celebrate the mathematical constant, geeks around the globe are talking over their meals about formulas and ending them with a slice of pie.  Ford is actually putting on a math formula contest to visitors of reddit.com.   Starting at 11 a.m., Ford engineers will post a new math problem every 3 minutes and 14 seconds, for a total of 42 questions in all.  The first person to solve each puzzle correctly will earn coveted "reddit gold," extended features for their reddit accounts.

How will you celebrate Pi day?

Check out the history of Pi Day here.

My daughter is one of these kids that needs to be in constant motion.  Her little brain moves a mile a minute, but if she doesn’t have anything to do, she goes onto a path of tantrums and self-destruction.  Its quite disturbing at times, and some days I join in and have my own little tantrum.  One day, I felt my daughter going down this path once again.  “I’m soooo bored.  There’s NOTHING to do. I’m soooo bored,” over and over again she ranted.  Feeling inspired by Jeannette’s post, I decide to try a different tactic.  Usually, I will try to come up with ideas or activities for her.  Most of the time she rejects them, because she really just wants attention, not a solution to her problem.  On this day, I chose a different approach.  “Let’s see if we really can do nothing.  Maybe if we do nothing, then you’ll think of what you want to do.”

We went into my bed, and cuddled up.  I announced that we were going to try to do nothing. 

“Stare at the ceiling.  Don’t talk.  Don’t do anything.  When someone talks or giggle, then we are done doing nothing.” 

We laid in the bed, staring at the ceiling, barely blinking.  Suddenly, my daughter started to giggle.

“Oh! You are giggling!  That’s not doing nothing” I exclaimed.

“But, we are still staring at the ceiling.  And we are blinking.  We aren’t doing nothing,” she replied.  Her little eyes tinkled.

“That’s true, and we are laying in bed together.  What if we closed our eyes and went to sleep…”

“Then we are sleeping!  And when I was really bored, I still was doing ‘something!’ I was walking around being bored!”  We started to giggle hysterically then. 

“It’s impossible to do nothing!  Because, even if you are doing NOTHING, you are still doing SOMETHING!” She laughed.  We laughed and giggled for a long time, and talked about inanimate objects not being able to do nothing either, merely because they exist.  As we tried to do ‘nothing,’ her entire vibe changed.  We spent the rest of the day together having fun and enjoying each other’s company. 

My daughter’s epiphany was truly amazing and life changing.  Now, if she gets “sooo bored,”  I only have to remind her that she’s still doing something, no matter how mundane it may seem.  And when those moments start to come, I summon her back to my bed for a cuddling, trying to do ‘nothing’ session.  Works like a charm.

Are you ready for another holiday spending spree? It seems like so many new games have hit the shelves this season. How do you know what to purchase for your kids? What would thrill your geeky spouse? Are your toddlers ready for some gaming too?

Geeky Moms sat down with Jonah Lantto, gaming expert and general manager at our local Gorilla Games, for some in-depth coverage of this year’s best gaming gifts.

Geeky Moms: We are thrilled to see such a selection of games this year. What do you think will be your biggest game seller for the Holidays 2011?

Jonah, Gorilla Games: A month ago I would’ve told you the year’s best seller would unquestionably be Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, but Elder Scrolls Skyrim released on November 11th and is crushing in sales. I think MW3 will edge it out because it has the Call of Duty name and its also available on a few platforms that Skyrim is not. The Wii, DS, and 3ds.

Geeky Moms: My teenage boy is so hard to buy for but he does have all the game systems. What game should I definitely buy for him this Christmas?

Jonah, Gorilla Games: If he’s a PC gamer/MMO player, you should let him take a shot at Star Wars the Old Republic which releases on December 20th. So far this year, every kid seems to be asking for one of two games; Skyrim or Modern Warfare 3. Both games are available on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. If swords, sorcery, and FPS are not his thing, the sports games of 2011 are the best class we’ve seen since 2005. Madden, NHL, and NBA 2k12 are at the top of their game.

Geeky Moms: Are there any new fantastic games for Mom this season?

Jonah, Gorilla Games: The most awesome geeky moms will be playing Skyrim A lot of moms I meet are still big fans of action platforming games similar to Mario and Crash Bandicoot. If you own a 3DS, you can’t go wrong with Super Mario 3D Land. Don’t expect anything new or groundbreaking, but it totally delivers the classic Mario experience. On the PS3, Ratchet and Clank is as good as it gets for platforming. The newest release, Ratchet and Clank All 4 One keeps the franchise tradition of utterly shaming every other platforming game of this era. For the fitness moms there is Zumba Fitness 2, Just Dance 3, and Dance Central 2.

Geeky Moms: What about for the little ones? My 4-7 year old kids love gaming on the Wii, but they need a game that is fun and keeps their attention.

Jonah, Gorilla Games: The most innovative children’s game release in years, hit shelves about a month ago, Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure. It’s available on all platforms and its completely awesome. The game includes a few Spyro action figures, a portal of power, and the game software. By placing your figure on the portal the character is uploaded into the game. Each character is unique with its own powers and skills. All the information is stored on the figure itself and the figures are compatible across all platforms, a sweet mixture toys and video games. This is the must have game for kids in that age group. Its not the only one though. Mario 3d Land and Mario Kart will both be available on 3DS. The other big kids release is Disney Universe a fun exploration of Disney worlds and adventures with characters that progress. What I love about these games is they’re all playable by 2-4 players. 2 player limit on Spyro, but up to 4 on the others.

Geeky Moms: The geeky men in my life are on top of any new game that comes out, so I have to be more creative in my gifts. Any ideas on awesome gaming hardware that they would love?

Jonah, Gorilla Games: If you really want to spoil the gamer in your life check out the G155 Mobile Gaming Environment. I want one and I don’t need it even a little bit. It’s a hard shell briefcase contained gaming unit with a built-in LED HD monitor. All you have to supply is the console, the game and electricity. Plug it in anywhere and you’re gaming in beautiful HD. If your husband is an Xbox 360 player I’d encourage any mom to check out the custom controllers available at Gorilla Games. You can design your own controller and we build it for you!

Geeky Moms: What do you think the the top game is for each console this season?

Jonah, Gorilla Games: Xbox 360 – Gears of War 3 is the best console exclusive title money can buy on the 360.

Playstation 3 – Uncharted 3 is the definitive PS3 experience. If you own a PS3 and don’t/haven’t played Uncharted 2/3 – shame on you!

Wii – Zelda Skyward sword is all you need!

Nintendo 3DS – Mario 3d land or Mario Kart 7

PC – The Witcher 2 or Star Wars the Old Republic

Geeky Moms: If you were to get only one present this year, what would it be?

Jonah, Gorilla Games – Oooh man, just one? I would want the Darth Vader bread imprinting toaster from www.thinkgeek.com.

Spoken like a true geek! 

Thanks again Jonah for your time and expertise.   Check out Gorilla Games on Facebook for more gaming updates..

The other bundle includes a slightly older game in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, which is considered to be the best game available on 3DS. It comes with a special edition, Zelda-themed system previously announced by Nintendo of Europe; it has the same color as the Cosmo Black 3DS that’s been available since launch but with a special gold trim and and the Hyrule emblem.

Both bundles go on sale in the United States on Thanksgiving, this Thursday, November 24. They’ll each be priced at $199.99, a minor discount over buying the system (which is $169.99 post-price drop) and a new copy of either game. Nintendo describes the bundles as "limited edition," although we don’t know just how limited either will be. With Friday being one of the biggest shopping days of the year, those who wish to ensure they get their hands on either one (especially that nice Zelda system) will want to purchase it as quickly as possible.

(dramatic music.) 

I can see all of these events, masked in costumes and dramatics, as a reflection of a 20th century soap opera. Suddenly, it dawns on me.  The fall of the daytime tv soap operas is far more than just people’s choice for Reality TV.  Reality Web is your new form of entertainment.  Its your own social network or community giving you constant updates to their lives.  With the help of online media, journals, and time-based updates, Reality Web is your real life drama playing out right before your eyes.

My favorite part about daytime soap operas are the familiarity with the characters.  They grow old with you.  Sometimes super fast aging, but that’s besides the point.

The characters experienced their own ups and downs which sometimes reflected your own life. This interpersonal bond is what makes soap operas addicting.  The same holds true for social networks, with an added bonus:  you care about everyone on your list.  Even if you aren’t exactly fond of them, or they are just acquaintance, you at least have some interest in their life or else you would have de-friended them years ago.

With the advent of my driver’s license, I was able to go home for lunch during my senior year.  Coincidently, my soap opera started during my lunch.  This is pre-dvr age.  If you didn’t have a VHS available, you would just have to read about it in tomorrow’s newspaper.  Harsh reality of the 1990s.

The idea that your drama was available at the very same moment every day is comforting.  Its a routine you use to Zen through your day.  Reality Web thus holds the same power, yet it is instantaneous.  Hundreds of devices now give you the comforting knowledge that your world is only a click away.

You decide your own level of involvement. Tyler Durden, Fight Club  Tyler lived a life of drama and made and sold soap out of lipsuction left-overs.  Btw,  Brad Pitt got his start on Another World. 

I would take a long break from my soap and then come back.  The characters remained mostly the same, with some significant changes, but usually a friend could completely catch you up with back story.The idea that I could even take a break, just to live an actual life away from the tv, but still come back for entertainment kept me on this cycle. 

With advances in internet technology, I completed stopped the cycle and switched to Reality Web.  I still get a small soap update from a friend every now and then, but its always out of jest and humor.  They could never resolve any problems.  It took weeks to find some sort of resolution.  At least in Reality Web, everyone ends up with a happy ending.  Most of my facebook friends, including myself, have perfect abs, a yacht and an amazingly joyful life. (Dramatic Music.)

Before

After

New Customizations

You can customize how the email fits to your screen.  Choose cozy, comfortable or compact options.

New Themes

The new Gmail look also comes with new themes. You can access the new color options by clicking on the Gears icon, then Themes.

Chat Window

You can now modify the size of your chat window.

Better Search

The search box has been enhanced to include more filters.  You can now search throughout your email and conversations with more granular options.

Revert Back

If you aren’t ready to use the new look, you can revert back to your old Gmail look temporarily.  Click on the Gears icon, then choose Revert to old look temporarily.  Eventually, Gmail will make the switch for you.

Buy a Blacklight

Blacklights are super cool for kids (hippies love them too.)  Switch out a lightbulb with a blacklight, pour some tonic water into a glass, and voila you have a glow in the dark drink!  If you use tonic water for jello jigglers, the jigglers will glow as well. 

Make Your Own Slime

Ooooh slime.  There’s something about icky, gooeyness that children love.  The results is a polymer that contains qualities of both a solid and a liquid.  It can take the shape of any container that holds it, yet you can hold it in your hand like a solid.  Keep the slime in a plastic bag so it retains its properties.

You will need:

• Elmer’s glue
• 2 disposable cups
• Food coloring (preferably green)
• Borax Powder
• Plastic spoon
• tablespoon

Instructions:

1.  Fill one cup with water and add a spoonful of Borax powder and stir.  Set aside.

2.  Fill the other cup with 1 inch of glue.

3.  Add three tablespoons of water to the glue and stir.

4.  Add a few drops of the food coloring to the glue and stir.

5.  Add on tablespoon of the Borax solution to the glue and stir well.  The slime will form.

6.  After the slime forms, let it sit for about 30 seconds and then pull it off the spoon and play with it.

Screaming Cup

A cup that makes an eerie screaming noise!  Your kids can carry these while trick-or-treating for the added effect.

• You will need:
• Large plastic cup
• Piece of string 24’’
• Water

1.  Poke a hole in the bottom of the cup.

2.  Thread the string through the hole and tie a knot at the end of the string to hold it in place.

3.  Wet the string.

4.  Hold the cup in one hand and pinch the string between your thumb and forefinger.  Squeeze tightly on the string as you slide your thumb and forefinger down the string.  The string will stick and slide between your fingers causing a screaming sound.

Enjoy these projects and have a fun Halloween with the kids!

Special thanks to http://www.stevespanglerscience.com and http://www.sciencebob.com for the great ideas!

By engaging a million Americans with millions of mothers in the developing world around issues that directly impact pregnancy, childbirth and children’s health, the Million Moms Challenge will raise awareness and funds to help women and children everywhere survive and thrive.

The Million Moms Challenge brings together a coalition of more than a dozen world-class partners working around the globe to improve the lives of women and children. The Million Moms Challenge will focus on crucial issues that are a priority for all mothers, including access to proper nutrition to support healthy pregnancies, trained midwives to assist in safe deliveries, and vaccines that enable children to survive to their first birthdays and beyond.

Take the challenge!