Posts Tagged ‘
Web/Tech ’
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Did you see the new bling in GoodyBlog's right sidebar? Yep, that's right: Parents is on Twitter! It's an (awesome) group effort between our magazine and web staffers. We're tweeting about cool stuff that's going on in our offices and on our sites, plus bringing you the must-know parenthood buzz from the twittisphere.
We're @parentsmagazine, and you can click right here to start following. Haven't hopped on the Twitter bandwagon yet? All the cool kids are doing it (hello, Oprah!), so click here to join and then follow us. See you there!
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Web/Tech
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Websites offering coupon codes and online promotions are nothing new . In fact, they're so ubiquitous, there’s practically no excuse for paying full price plus shipping when you’re shopping online (seriously, this April I ordered a bookcase, shoes, and a new TV—and found deals on all of them!). Still, when I heard about CheapTweet—a new Twitter-based search engine that scans for the best steals, coupons and sales that people are tweeting about—I was intrigued and had to check it out.
Here’s what I found: Like other coupon sites, CheapTweet lists deals from major retailers like Overstock and Amazon, but it also connects me to discounts being offered by small-scale vendors—like individual Artfire sellers. Love. This afternoon I found tweets alerting me to a buy-one-get-one-half-off deal at this delightful Etsy kid’s craft shop and that Buy.com has the Graco imonitor Digital Color Video Baby Monitor for only $140 (it’s listed at $200 on Target.com). The verdict: I’m definitely adding it to my list of go-to sites for finding deals.
P.S. My other bargain faves are RetailMeNot, FatWallet and CouponCabin. What are yours?
Tuesday, April 21st, 2009
I'll admit it, the words "John Krasinski" (the cutie actor who plays Jim in the "The Office") caught my eye in a recent press release that made its way to my inbox. When I started reading, though, I realized this product was so much more than just the celebrities who lend their voices to it. The company, Speakaboos, takes classic children's stories and brings them to animated life on your computer screen. You can chose from fables, nursery rhymes, fairy tales, folk tales and lullabies, or you can choose to create a story, play games, send e-cards or color in their play section. Coming soon you'll even be able to create and record your own stories. Watch for the new releases, too: John will be lending his voice to "Aladdin," available now, and "The Gingerbread Man," available May 11. Stories can be downloaded on the website for $0.99, and albums with multiple stories are $8.99 each. There's also a feel-good bonus: 15% of all revenue is contributed to charities that support children's health and wellness, including the National Education Association and The Creative Coalition.
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009
Just a month into my new gig at Parents, I’ve been staying late at the office most nights. And since I seem to have made myself at home in my cubicle, I thought it made sense to make my cubicle a little more, well, homey. The challenge? I don’t have much of a budget for office décor, but I can’t stomach the thought of putting up something mass-produced (no Starry Night poster, please!). So, I turned to my favorite source for affordable, original art: Etsy. While browsing for prints to brighten up my workspace, I happened upon this amazing, graphic Alphabet Pipeline poster. Intrigued, I decided to check out what other cool, kid-friendly designs might be out there. Turns out, when it comes nursery art, chic (and cheap!) options abound. I couldn’t keep my excitement to myself, so I rounded up a few of my favorite finds (from $14 a pop) for you to check out. From left to right: Birds in Tree, Monstropolis, I Like to Rock, Daryl No 78365, and Jungle Animals.
Categories: Babies, Shopping & Gear, Your Child | Tags: art, baby, crafts, Cute Animals, DIY, home decor, kids, little kids, money, shopping, Web/Tech
Friday, March 27th, 2009
One of my favorite computer-related pastimes is checking out our reader site talktoparents.com. I was cruising through the forums when I came across some wonderful webtastic ways to do good, fast. This of course, led to a new, even more obsessive pastime: freerice.com. As reader, attardaz, put it, “It’s a site where you answer vocabulary questions. For each answer you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice to the UN. It doesn't seem like much but they have already donated 59 billion grains of rice. Plus, it helps improve your vocabulary. Be careful, it's addicting!”
And I just found out, you can choose different subjects to be quizzed on. Chemical symbols, here I come!
Photo via.
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
For every mom who's ever felt like throwing a little food-splattering tantrum of her own when her baby chucks the spaghetti off the high chair, there's Huggies MessMaker. Seriously, go make a mess. Very therapeutic.
Thursday, December 18th, 2008
Far away from your family or friends this holiday season? Send a video holiday greeting instead of the usual card. TokBox, which offers free video calling and mail, is a super-easy and fast way to share your holiday wishes. (Not to mention you know that Grandma would be delighted to see a video of your little ones.) To sweeten the deal, for every holiday greeting sent between now and December 25, TokBox will donate 5 cents to the Child Foundation. Nice! If Grammy and Gramps aren't down with the Internet, your kids can "send" a letter to the newly-tech savvy Santa.
Monday, December 8th, 2008
Reading up on charity scams brought me to a few more tips from McAfee that, frankly, I’d feel bad not sharing. Without further ado, things to do before you shop online:
1.) Check out the site. It’s not often that I stray from Amazon or Zappos, but if I’m hunting down, say, a vinyl-to-digital recording device that’s only available from obscure DJ equipment sites (Flashback to my dad’s gift two years ago, now they’re quite common.) I always feel a little leery ordering. If you find yourself in the same situation, get the contact info and call before ordering. You can also actually read the privacy policy (No I have never done this, but I think it’s a fantastic idea.) and make sure they have a decent refund policy posted on the site.
2.) Pay by credit card. You’re protected by the law and liable only for $50 if your credit-card number is stolen and used. Getting cash back from debit cards is not as easy.
3.) Make sure the site uses encryption. Look for a key or closed locked displayed in the web browser or check the URL address. It should begin with https://, not just http://. Note, that “s” won’t show up until after you click the “proceed to checkout” button, but before you enter any personal info.
4.) Check your credit card statement and the package itself right away to make sure you got what you wanted at the right price.
Photo via.
Did you see the new bling in GoodyBlog's right sidebar? Yep, that's right: Parents is on Twitter! It's an (awesome) group effort between our magazine and web staffers. We're tweeting about cool stuff that's going on in our offices and on our sites, plus bringing you the must-know parenthood buzz from the twittisphere. 
