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The Granola Strolla Portable Solar USB Charger

Posted on September 19, 2014 5:50 pm by TheAngelForever

Imagine having a dream to create a device and making it come true. This is the story of Granola Strolla founders Irene and Benjamin Rodda. The husband and wife team wanted to make a portable USB battery that was affordable and able to be charged with solar power.

We all know that keeping our smartphone, tablets, and other devices charged can be a challenge when we are on the go. Many locations do not have plugs for us to recharge and if you are walking around an amusement park you may not have time to stop. That’s the beauty of the Granola Strolla, you can clip it on a backpack, diaper bag, or stroller and it will be ready to give devices that extra boost that they may need during your outing.

We met three of the four Rodda family members in May 2011. Since that time, I have kept in touch with Irene and she has been featured on my blog several times. I have been able to see all of the steps that Granola Strolla has done to make this moment happen. During this process, Irene and Benjamin have relocated from the Boston area to Tennessee. In addition to this, they have welcomed their second son into the world. Even during tough moments in their personal life, they never gave up. They kept working on the prototype, registering for trademark, and all of the other business milestones.

Now Granola Strolla has hit the big leagues and they have launched a Kickstarter campaign. Rather than list all of the details about the Granola Strolla here, be sure to read more information on the Kickstarter page. Disclosure: I was sent a Swag Pack with Granola Strolla items for my support, but honestly would have done this post without it. It is my pleasure to help another family to get the word out. This Kickstarter campaign just started and they already have 128 supporters and close to 40% of their funding. Please take a moment to watch their video to learn more about Granola Strolla.

The Granola Strolla Kickstarter campaign ends on October 12, 2014. Please consider donating toward their project and making this dream come true. FYI this is the Granola Strolla Swag Bag that will be sent to those that pledge $25.

Wishing Irene and Benjamin much success with Granola Strolla in the future.

Disclosure: I was sent a Granola Strolla swag bag as a thank you. As noted, I would have shared this information with my reader to help another family. All opinions are my own.

Categories:
bloggy friends Going Green Technology

Searching for Educational Apps

Posted on September 17, 2014 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Raise your hand if app searches within iTunes or Google Play leave you feeling overwhelmed.

I admit that my hands were waving high in the air. While I am comfortable looking for apps, it can be time consuming to research ones for my children. I do not want to put just any item onto their devices. As a teacher and parent, I allow my boys to have fun games, but I also want apps that expand their academic interests and also work on skills in a fun way. I know that using technology can motivate children and have seen it with my own kids and those I have taught in the past.

When I was asked to be a #VZEducation blogger, I was excited to learn more about this often forgotten resource for families that have Verizon Wireless.

What is the Verizon Educational Tools App?

Verizon Education Tools is a resource available to Verizon Wireless customers. The app may be downloaded onto iOS and Android tablets or smartphones. The app costs $2 a month per line. Those who have a MORE Everything Plan will be able to download the app for free. If you install it on devices before the end of September, it will continue to be free to use for the lifetime of your service. We recently upgraded and now have this app on all of our lines so we can research items on the go.

Helping to Organize Your Search

What I really appreciate about the Educational Tools is that it helps me to narrow down my search. Here is an example of a search I tried. My sixth grade son really wants to learn about coding and programming. In Google Play, I searched for 6th Grade Computer Science Apps and it returned 250+ apps. Meanwhile, when I went to Grade 6 –> Apps by Category –> Science –> Computer Science in the Verizon Educational Tools app, it gave me five apps, with scores from Spencer Riley.

This narrowed my search down to a reasonable number to look at more closely. Then, parents are able to click on each of the recommendations to read more about them. Each app receives a score and you can read more about:

Why we love the app
What it teaches and how it works
Why your kid won’t be able to put it down

In addition to this, those that are curious about how the apps measure up to the Common Core Standards may look at that and also look at the report card score and how it was rated. As a new service, the Educational Tools area is growing each month. More content and apps will be added over time to cover even more academic areas.

What I appreciate as a parent is the way the Educational Tools app is organized. When I select the Apps & Videos area, I am able to pick from Kindergarten to 12th Grade, Testing, and Special Education. From here, you may look for apps or videos based on category or Common Core. My preference is definitely the category and I like that it further breaks down Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Creative Expression, and Productivity.

What areas are you looking for apps in for your children? I would love to know as I head off to find some Digital Storytelling items for my second grader. You never know what you may find and how it will inspire and motivate your kids.

Disclosure: I am participating in a paid campaign about Verizon Educational Tools. I will be sharing how I have used this with my family. I am a long time Verizon customer, and all opinions are my own.

Categories:
Educational sponsored post Technology

Goodbye Hoffman’s Playland

Posted on September 15, 2014 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Hoffman’s Playland in Latham, NY is officially no more. For 62 years, the Capital District favorite has been a treasure for families to go to. Many children rode on their first amusement park ride while at Hoffman’s.

I remember going to Hoffman’s as a child with my parents and extended family. We rode on our favorite carousel horses, celebrated being tall enough for the bumper cars, and loved getting dizzy as a family on the Tilt O’ Whirl.

It was only natural that when NHL was born eleven years ago that we would want to take him to Hoffman’s with Nana and Papa. His first visit was in the summer of 2004. He was just shy of one and still unable to walk. Still, he loved riding on the Merry Go Round and other rides. We actually started a tradition that year where Papa would take NHL onto the horses for their annual photo together.

Hoffman’s was a place where we could all be a kid at heart and let our hair down. We could scream at the top of the roller coaster hill, or watch the beautiful scenery while taking the classic train around the park.

When JSL was born, we took both of the boys to Hoffman’s and continued the tradition. Of course, big brother loved showing JSL all of his favorite rides.

A few weeks ago, NHL decided that he wanted to go to Hoffman’s on his birthday. We knew it would likely be our last adventure to the park several generations of our family have grown up with. It was bittersweet walking around and thinking of this piece of local history gone.

While we will miss Hoffman’s, I am thankful for all of the memories. We still do not know if the rides may be in another location next year, I know that the boys and I will always have the magical moments from years gone by.

If you have ever been to Hoffman’s Playland and have memories to share, I would love to hear them in the comments below.

Categories:
birthday family Local Business looking back

Tuesday Tales: Belches, Burps, and Farts–Oh My!

Posted on September 9, 2014 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Imagine getting excited about an email that has belches, burps, and farts in the title. This kid at heart actually squealed when author Artie Bennett wrote to say that his new book was being published. So I…–er we eagerly waited to receive the review copy. When I opened up the book, the message to my boys was priceless.

Belches, Burps, and Farts–Oh My! – Written by Artie Bennett – Illustrated by Pranas T. Naujokaitis – Published by Blue Apple Books

September 2014 – ISBN 978-1609053925 – 17.99 – Ages 4-8

So what is this book about? Well, I think you know the gist of it from the title. What you may not expect is the way that it goes about giving children of all ages scientific information. Belches, Burps, and Farts—Oh My! truly is educational. Readers will learn why we pass gas via different routes of the body.

I must confess, I read this book aloud to TechyDad the evening it arrived while he was cooking dinner. I wanted to preview the silly and educational tale before reading it with the boys. The two of us laughed a lot. Sure it talked about bodily functions that many are not comfortable with, but they are a fact of life. There is just something wonderful about the rhyme and rhythm of the book that dishes out fart jokes and facts side by side. Add in the hilarious and colorful illustrations by Pranas T. Naujokaitis and you have a fantastic combination.

While reading the book to JSL, he was fascinated with the fact that you can’t burp while on your back. I have a feeling he may try to see if he can do this. Meanwhile, I hope neither of my kids attempt what is depicted in the picture above. Admit it, we have all burped an answer to someone once or twice before.

One of my favorite moments was when I was reading this page to JSL:

TechyDad heard the page again and yelled, “So, does that mean that SpongeBob does not fart?” The laughter from the seven year old was priceless as everyone thought about episodes they may have seen.

I won’t spoil the rest of the book. All I will say is I highly recommend it to others. While it may not be on a traditional topic, I think it’s important to have fun while learning about the body and science. Just remember the more comfortable you are now talking about belches, burps, and farts, the easier other talks may be in the future about other tricky topics. FYI other Tuesday Tales on books written by Artie Bennett are Peter Panda Melts Down and The Butt Book.

Have you read any books by Artie Bennett? If you have not, what are you waiting for? As always, Tuesday Tales is all about sharing our love of books. Please let me know what you have read recently. Be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else.

Disclosure: As noted above, I received this book from the author, Artie Bennett, to review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. Once again, it was my choice to kvell about this book and Artie never pulled my finger twisted my arm.

Categories:
books Tuesday Tales

Back to School Message

Posted on September 6, 2014 12:36 pm by TheAngelForever

Dear NHL and JSL,

Two days ago, you started back to school and it honestly tugged at my heart. While the last few weeks were filled with bickering between the two of you, there were many sweet moments. In addition to this, it was nice not to have a hectic schedule. It was fun to read what we wanted, go to the science museum almost any time, and relax without school worries. Ah, the school worries. It has been difficult hiding my own worries from the two of you the last few months. The reality of never again taking you to the same school and watching one of my babies head to middle school was hard.

On the first morning, you were so excited for the start of middle school NHL. I really do hope that this enthusiasm continues throughout sixth grade and beyond. You keep going back and forth about what your favorite subject is and which teacher you like most. I keep reminding you that there is no reason to have a favorite and you can enjoy all of them while learning. It’s fantastic to see you come out of school energized and excited to learn science and social studies each and every day. Common Core’s focus on Math and Language Arts took away a lot of this over the last few years. No blame on your past teachers, they did what they were told to do by the district and NYSED. I look forward to watching you spread your wings and grow academically while exploring new math concepts, novels, and more. Everyone that we met at orientation and after have been so kind and helpful. I am encouraged and hopeful that it will be an amazing year for you.

JSL when you heard that your big brother was leaving for school that first day, you jumped out of bed. You wanted to get dressed quickly for our back to school traditional photo. I think this really meant a lot to you, not just me. The last few weeks, I watched as nightmares returned and questions popped up. I think the reality of no big brother at the elementary school was hard for you. Not walking into the building together and knowing that you won’t see his face during the day is a huge change. We enjoyed the quiet time in the morning together as we waited to go to school. My heart broke watching you cry that first morning as you walked up to your classroom alone. At the end of the day, you told me you were sad. I stopped and asked you why. You told me you loved school and did not want to leave. Finally, I was able to exhale because I knew you were happy being back with friends. Like your brother, I hope to see you smile each and every day when you come out of school. I missed seeing you rush home to write stories and being creative. I saw all of that come back this summer, along with your love for reading chapter books by yourself.

Boys, always know that I am here for you. I am cheering you on to do the best that you can and always here to help you. If something happens in school, never second guess being able to talk to us at home. You are the reason we fight so hard to make sure the educational world gets back on track. We want both of you to have the opportunities that we had and more.

Love,

Mom