We recently tried out 3 of the 5 My Living Stories apps and my daughters have enjoyed them quite a bit, especially the Princess & the Pea story. The illustrations are sweet, the animation is subtle, and the stories are familiar, but still entertaining.

The controls are simple enough for even my 3-year-old to understand. Just touch the arrows to go backward or forward in the story, and the X to quit. A great feature of these apps is the ability to record your own voice to go along with the story. There are slots for up to four recordings, so in addition to mommy, daddy can “read” a book to the kids when he’s away on a business trip, or a child can record themselves reading and play it back. We weren’t able to test this feature out, however, because Maya has a first generation iPod touch, and you need an iPhone or iPod Touch with microphone capabilities. It sounds neat, though!

BUY IT!
Visit the My Living Stories page on iTunes to purchase these apps, at $1.99 each.

WIN IT!
Giveaway is closed. Winner has been contacted and is listed here.
Enter to win a $25 iTunes card by leaving me a comment telling me which My Living Stories story you think you’d like the most.

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my feed by feed reader or email (or let me know if you already do).
• Follow me on Twitter (@OhMariana) and tweet about this giveaway (one time): iTunes #giveaway! Enter to win a $25 iTunes giftcard from #MyLivingStories – http://ridingwithnohands.com/?p=10942
• Blog about this giveaway, linking to this post.

Contest ends August 5th, 2010 11:59 pm EST. US and Canadian entries only, one person per household. Leave a separate comment per entry & a valid email address. Winner, chosen at random, has 24 hours to claim their prize. Readers may enter the contest on multiple blogs but are only eligible to win one iTunes gift card as part of the My Living Stories contest.

Disclosure: I am participating in the My Living Stories program by Mom Central on behalf of Decode Entertainment. I received 3 free apps and a gift card as a thank you for my participation.

edited using CameraBag

edited using TiltShift Generator

just for fun! edited using Picturizr (free app)

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit:
5 Minutes for Mom ~ Go Graham Go! ~ Jolly Mom
Latina on a Mission ~ Look What Mom Found… ~ Mom of 3 Girls ~ Momspective
MomStart ~ New York Chica ~ Robyn’s Online World ~ Run DMT ~ Two of a Kind…

My daughters aren’t in school yet, so I don’t keep tabs on the academic calendar, but I’m thinking we’re in the middle of science fair season, yes? Hopefully these tips can help you and your children create a fun project.

5 Tips for Parents for a Successful Science Fair Project

1. Pick a realistic project to complete: All too often kids pick science fair experiments and projects that are difficult to complete, leaving parents with a frustrated child, and students with no project to turn in. When brainstorming possible projects with your child, walk them through the logistics of completing the project so that you can flag any difficulties at the onset.

2. Start early: A science fair project can be a student’s first attempt at time management. Work with your child to plan out when he or she is going to work on their project to meet key deadlines.

3. Keep a record: It is obviously critical to record the data and information collected during the experiment, but you also might want to keep a photographic record that your child can use in their final display board. Pictures are worth a thousand words!

4. Follow the rules and requirements: If the rules stipulate no live animal displays, soil samples, hazardous materials, glass containers or animal products, don’t choose a project that demands such items to be displayed for judging. Always refer back to the rules and requirements of the project to ensure your child won’t be penalized or disqualified.

5. Get the judges’ attention: If you’ve spent countless hours working on a science fair project, make sure that your project gets the attention it deserves with a great poster board display. Check out www.artskills.com for great tips on creating an eye-catching poster that is sure to get noticed.

5 Presentation Tips for Youngsters

1. Practice out loud: Practice may not make perfect, but it sure does help. Aim for giving the presentation out loud to a family or friend in advance of the real date. Reading it to yourself off the paper doesn’t count!

2. No ifs, ands or buts: If you lose your place or get nervous, just pause a second, take a breath and restart your sentence. Avoid the tendency to fill in gaps with speech bloopers such as “um,” “er,” and “uhh.”

3. Keep an eye on your body language: Awkward shifting and hand gestures can be distracting to your audience. Practice your speech in the mirror or videotape it to see just how much you move while speaking.

4. Look ‘em in the eye: Ensure you make eye contact with your audience several times during your presentation. Eye contact keeps people interested and engaged in what you are saying. Plus, this small gesture will make you seem confident and look like a pro.

5. Don’t let a poor visual ruin your presentation: Make sure any visual, like a poster, is attention grabbing and complements your presentation. If you need tips on creating a poster, check out www.artskills.com for a step-by-step guide on quick and easy poster creation.

Tips above provided by ArtSkills, a company that specializes in posterboard accessories, including poster markers, lettering, and decorative items to make your poster board projects better, faster, and easier!

First off, let me say that I’m a Mac girl. Always will be. I have an old iMac, a new-ish Macbook, and have owned a couple of different iPods. I’ve never bought anything on day one, though, so this was a big leap for me. I usually wait until the second generation of a product is developed. The 2G iPod touch was a huge improvement over the original, for example. Like most people, however, I had high expectations for Apple’s “magical” tablet so I decided to take the plunge… and I’m happy to say that the iPad has met or surpassed most of them.

Yes, it may look like a big iPhone or iPod touch, but it’s so much more than that. Hard to describe, really. Instead I’ll detail a ‘day in the life’ of my iPad, so you can see how I use it. Take into consideration that I’m home with my kids most of the day, so your iPad experience may differ. Below this is a summary of what I like and don’t like about it.

• 7:05am. I wake up a little before my alarm sounds and grab iPad to see if there are any important emails that I need to tend to. I then open up Safari and scroll through Google Reader to see what’s new and interesting in the blogosphere.
• 8:15am. Time for breakfast. While the girls are eating their Cheerios, I read the New York Times “Editors’ Choice” news over a cup of coffee. I see an article that may interest my husband, and email him a link to it instantly. The girls decide they want to go outside and play before it gets too hot. I take iPad with me, and even though I lose my Wi-Fi connection eventually, I can still read the paper because it’s automatically downloaded for offline reading.
• 11:30am. It’s time to clean up the playroom before lunch. I put on some Disney music so the girls don’t whine as much about picking up their toys. Whistle while you work…
• 12:30pm. Lunchtime. A friend is over and curious about the iPad so she plays with it for a bit. You can’t help but touch the screen when you see it. She’s fascinated by the photo app and sees one of our kids playing together. I email it to her with the touch of a button.
• 2:00pm. Naptime for the toddler, and the 5-year old is at a playdate, which equals ME TIME! I jump on the couch with my Snuggie on and iPad in hand, and watch the latest episode of Grey’s Anatomy. The video fills the screen, so it’s easy to get immersed in it.
• 2:45pm. 40-or-so minutes later, the house is still quiet, so I pull up the WordPress app and work on a couple of drafts of blog posts. Typing on the touchscreen isn’t so bad when it’s flat on my lap in landscape mode. In portrait mode it’s a little harder because the keyboard is smaller and I have to type with one hand. iPad corrects my spelling automatically so I don’t have to worry so much about how I’m typing. Oh, and I found that my wireless Apple keyboard is compatible, since it has Bluetooth, so I may not have to invest in the $70 keyboard dock after all!
• 3:15pm. We have a surplus of apples sitting on the counter and I just happen to have half a package of puff pastry in the freezer, so I pull up the Epicurious app and type in “apple pastry” into the search box. A recipe for French apple turnovers catches my eye, and after taking a look at the ingredients, I pull out the puff pastry to thaw. I prop the iPad next to the stove so I can follow the recipe. An hour later, I have a delicious dessert to accompany my afternoon cup of tea.
• 5:30pm. I hear the ‘new mail’ alert while I’m making dinner. It’s an email from Facebook with a friend request. I find myself complaining that there’s no Facebook app for the iPad… but quickly realize I can just pull it up on Safari. Doh. I can even use the chat feature!
• 8:00pm. Bathtime and bedtime for the girls. We sit on the bed and I read The Frog Prince to them, one of Grimm’s fairy tales that I’ve downloaded in iBooks. It’s a short story, so the girls play with Doodle Buddy for a while, and then it’s lights out.
• 9:00pm. While watching TV with my hubby, I grab iPad to use Twitter and catch up on a couple of blogs. I noticed my mom is online with AIM, so I barely get the chance to say hi before he steals it from me to translate a word into Italian and look something up on IMDB. He then glances at AccuWeather to see what to expect the next day (he works in construction) before I take my iPad back.
• 11:30pm. Time for bed. I download a book to the Kindle app to try it out, but I prefer the iBooks interface. The orientation lock, which allows me to read a book laying on my side, is genius! I love winding down the day with a puzzle, so I pull up Sudoku and go through a couple of boards before I start dozing off.

What I do I like about iPad?

• Portability. It’s small enough to carry everywhere in my purse, yet it’s solid and well-constructed.
• Simplicity. There’s a home button at the bottom of the display, volume control and orientation lock on the side. Not much else.
• Speed. It’s fast. Web browsing, games, going from one app to the next… almost instantaneous.
• Battery life. Apple said to expect 10 hours on a single charge… I’m getting 12 at least. I received it on Saturday afternoon, and didn’t charge it until late Sunday night. The battery was at 9%. And this is with it being connected to Wi-Fi all day and played with on and off throughout the day. Considering I could barely get 3 or 4 hours out of my iPod touch, 12 hours is pretty awesome. It recharges completely in 3 or 4 hours.
• Web browsing. Being able to browse the Internet by touch is spectacular. Other than issues with Flash on Pizza Hut’s website, I haven’t encountered any problems. (Yes, I realize there’s a Pizza Hut app, but thought it was faster to use the website. Obviously not.)
• Email. It’s so easy to use. Whereas I used to dodge my inbox, I now find it hard to stay away. I can knock out emails in seconds with a few swipes of my finger. I can read and respond offline and the emails will be automatically sent once I’m connected to Wi-Fi again. You can add basically any email account – Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, and your personal domain email accounts.
• Video. YouTube. Netflix. ABC Player. It’s all there. On Easter we sat around the table and watched old videos of my daughters on YouTube. They load almost immediately.
• Sound. It’s better than I expected. Definitely superior to that of my Macbook, but not quite as good as an iPod, though I haven’t done side by side comparisons. It does tend to vibrate a little when the volume is high.
• Calendar and contacts. I’m going to be so organized now (I hope).
• Microphone. I can make Skype calls! Not something I’ll do often, but cool nonetheless. I’ll probably use the mic more to record voice memos when I’m too rushed to type a note.
• Ultimately, I love that iPad’s always at the ready… I don’t have to shut it down or turn it off. It feels good in my hands and doesn’t get hot like my laptop! Not even after hours of use.

What don’t I like?

• It’s heavier than I expected. 1.5 pounds may not seem like much, but it takes its toll on my wrists. This is something you don’t realize until you’ve had it for a few days.
• Wi-Fi is buggy. Sometimes it disconnects after I wake it from sleep, and doesn’t want to reconnect automatically. And it asks me for the password again, even though it’s saved. This is kind of annoying, but I hope it’s something Apple can fix.
• Glare. It’s a little hard to use outside, or near a window with direct sunlight. Just like my Macbook’s glossy screen.
• When it’s off, the iPad looks dirty. Fingerprints everywhere. I find myself polishing it with my sleeve before I pass it on to someone else. I don’t seem to notice this at all when I’m using it, though. And I don’t think there’s a solution.
• Google. It’s not my friend. The search feature if fine, but I can’t edit Google Docs. I’m also not a fan of Google Reader. I have to do a weird swipe with two fingers to get the page to scroll.
• I use Twitter a lot, but haven’t found a Twitter client I’m happy with on the iPad. Yet.
• It can’t print.

The two biggest complaints I’ve heard from others are that there’s no camera and no multi-tasking, neither of which seem to bother me much. If I need to do a vlog, I have my Flip, which is much more portable and easier to hold. Video conferencing? I have a webcam on my Macbook. I’m not sure it would be comfortable to hold the iPad at the right angle if it did have a camera anyway. I don’t want someone looking up my nose, ya know? Regarding the multi-tasking, there are rumors that multi-tasking will be added in iPhone OS 4.0. There will be an announcement on this later this afternoon. Yes, just heard multi-tasking is definitely in the new OS – one of 100 new features! I find I kind of like only focusing on one thing at a time, though.

Should you buy an iPad? It depends on what you’re looking for. My sister-in-law, for example, is a real estate agent and would love the 3G version to check her email on the go, and share MLS listings with her clients while in the field. My father-in-law wants one to check email and listen to music, and read his Bolivian newspapers online every morning. If you want an eReader, get a Kindle. If you want a portable computer, buy a netbook or a laptop. If you want something that can do a little bit of everything, buy an iPad. It’s in a category all its own.

I think I’ve said a lot in this post, but I’m sure I missed something. Feel free to ask me questions! You can also go back and read why I decided to buy an iPad in the first place.

Updated at 5:25pm: UPS guy just delivered my iPad! He said he had never had so many people greet him at the door as he did today. It almost made him want to buy one of these “contraptions” to see what it’s all about. LOL!

As I sit here waiting impatiently anxiously for UPS to deliver my iPad, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts and news I’ve gathered about it over the past week.

So why did I decide to buy one? I read a review of the iPad today that said “If you’re mainly a Web surfer, note-taker, social-networker and emailer, and a consumer of photos, videos, books, periodicals and music—this could be for you.”

And that is exactly who I am. I didn’t buy it to replace anything, though I did give up my iPod touch, and won’t be using my Macbook as much. I’m hoping that it will be a virtual notepad that I can pull out of my purse at anytime. A bookshelf. A TV. A music player. A photo album that I can show off whenever I feel like it. A bottomless recipe box. I have a feeling it will not disappoint.

• According to a report by leading market research company The NPD Group, the demographic groups most interested in buying an iPad are: current Apple owners, (82 percent), consumers with $100,000 or greater income (80 percent), and 18-34 year olds (78 percent). I fall into 2 out of 3 of those categories.
• For those of you that think the iPad is expensive, look at this chart of entry level prices for past Apple products (accounting for inflation).
• Flash is not iPad’s friend, so Apple kindly compiled a list of a handful of iPad-ready websites… CNN, New York Times, The White House, People Mag, etc. Nice. There are also some cool guided tours.

Accessories I need want to buy:

• a case… I’ve been looking at several but will probably wait a week or two to see if anything new comes out. I want something that protects iPad when it’s in my purse, but also looks stylish and can be used as a stand. For now I’ll probably keep it stored in a Ziploc bag when it’s not in use.
• a stylus… this would let me write on the pad itself and take full advantage of the drawing apps! I’ll probably go for the Pogo Sketch.
• camera connection kit… so I can upload my photos and edit them on the iPad. It’s available now and at $29, not too expensive.
• keyboard dock… maybe. But it’s like $70. So maybe not. It doesn’t come out until later this month so I have a while to think about it. And I have to see how it really feels to type on the touchscreen.

Apps I’ve downloaded:

• ABC Player – I purposely didn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy this week so I can watch it on my iPad. CBS is also streaming their shows on Safari.
• AccuWeather – Everyone needs a good weather app.
• AIM – To chat with my hubby on the couch next to me. Haha! And my mom in Texas.
• Boingo – with this app I’ll be able to get wireless access for $1.99 an hour at Boingo Hotspots worldwide. Also available for the iPhone and iPod touch.
• Craft Finder – From FamilyFun magazine. Tons of craft ideas!
• Epicurious – A digital recipe book. Cool.
• iBooks – A book reader!! Yay!
• Kindle – I just want to try it out and see how it compares to iBooks.
• Netflix – Looking forward to watching The Proposal in bed tonight! I hear it’s coming to the iPhone and iPod touch soon, too.
• Pandora – Love creating my own radio station.
• The Wall Street Journal – I think I have to subscribe to this.
• TweetDeck – It’s my fave Twitter app, but I may try a few others to see if anything better is out there.
• USA TODAY – Free newspaper, yay!
• WordPress – Duh.
• and a bunch of other free apps. As for paid apps, I’d love to buy iWork, Scrabble, Brushes, and a few more… but that will come later. I’m hoping that prices will go down a bit with time.

Earlier this week it was featured on David Letterman:
Top ten questions to ask yourself while waiting in line for the iPad.

Are you thinking about getting an iPad? Already have one? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I remember, when I was a teenager, staying up late into the night listening to the radio. CDs were still fairly new and expensive, so sometimes I’d record my favorite songs onto a cassette tape. That changed once the price of buying music went down, and as my priorities changed. Once I bought an iPod touch and realized I couldn’t load my entire collection of songs on it, I looked for alternatives.

I’ve rediscovered my love for radio with an app called iheartradio. I’ve had it on my iPod for months now, and still use it almost daily. iheartradio streams hundreds of stations from all over the U.S, from rock to country, and everything in between. You can even listen to your favorite talk shows and American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest. Bookmark your favorite stations, tag songs for purchase on iTunes, and view lyrics to some of your favorite songs. The sound quality is good. I can listen to my favorite radio stations in Texas. Or see what’s going on in Hawaii. I like variety, and that’s exactly what I get with iheartradio.

Want to learn more? Visit iheartradio Online or download iheartradio on your mobile device. It’s free to download and free to use. Have an iPhone/iPod touch/iPad? Get it on

My 5-year-old has a new iPod touch. Well, it’s new to her. Her daddy bought her a used 1st generation one and we gave it to her last night. Since it’s the original model, it doesn’t have a built-in speaker, which I love! She’s not a fan of headphones, so she has to either play her games silently, or plug it into her iDog which isn’t very loud to begin with. Yesterday, I loaded her iPod up with her collection of songs and a bunch of free apps.

I did take a moment to purchase one app – SpinArt.

SpinArt is based on one of our favorite childhood crafts – remember putting a piece of paper on a turntable, spinning it around, and squeezing paint on it? I recall doing something with a salad spinner at home once, but that didn’t turn out as well as the ones I did at school. But I digress… the SpinArt app provides you with all the fun of the original, but without the mess!

It’s easy to use. You start off with a blank canvas in your choice of colors. To get things started, press the spin button, and either move your fingers across the screen, or double-tap to get it spinning really fast. You then choose a color, as well as the thickness of your paint splatter, and touch the screen… over and over. When you’re all finished with your masterpiece, double-tap to stop the spinning, and then you can save it to your photo library, share it with friends by email, add it to the flickr SpinArt group, and more.

It’s as fun for me as it is for my daughter! I think I made this obvious, as she told me, reassuringly, “You can borrow it when I go to bed, mom. I don’t mind.” And that’s just what I did.

BUY IT!
SpinArt’s on sale for 50% off for a limited time – well worth the 99 cents. Buy it on

Here’s a video review by iStartMacRumors so that you can see how SpinArt works…

I want one. I do.

BUT I have an iMac (which I rarely use). I have MacBook (which I use constantly). I have an iPod touch (which is always in my pocket or within reach). So I don’t need an iPad. But I want one. Really bad. It’s like a super-sized iPod touch. And I adore my iPod touch.

So… here’s the deal. My husband’s been wanting to get a new iPod for a while now. An iPod touch, to be precise. After watching yesterday’s presentation by Apple, I suggested that instead of him buying a new iPod touch, that we put that money towards an iPad for ME, and I’d give him my touch. Not that great of an arrangement for him, I know, but we’d both win! Right? Right?! He laughed. And then he decided to up the ante a bit.

“I’ll get you an iPad if you give me your iTouch AND your MacBook.” He was serious.

My MacBook is my baby. Could I possibly give it up? {tears swelling in my eyes} My first instinct was to say “No way!” but then I paused. The wheels started turning… I could use this on the couch while watching TV, or to catch up on my favorite blogs in bed. I can carry it everywhere in my purse, use it as my planner, and for blogging of course!

What I like about the iPad:

• The size. At 9.5×7.5 inches and 1.5lbs, it seems the perfect size to fit comfortably in my hands. In comparison, my MacBook weighs almost 5lbs and is twice as thick.
• The price. I’d be happy with the $499 version, as I honestly expected it to cost a lot more. I think Apple wants to put this in the hands of as many people as possible right now. Next year they’ll probably come out with another one with more features, at a higher price point.
• 10-hour battery life. I can barely get a couple of hours on my MacBook and iPod touch when using wi-fi. 10 hours would mean I could use it throughout an entire day without having to charge it!
• Apps. Close to 150,000 apps at my fingertips! I already have my favorites on my iPod touch, but I can just imagine how much more can be done on a bigger screen.
• iBooks. I’ve always wanted a Kindle, but it didn’t make sense to me to spend so much on a “one-trick pony” – the iPad is so much more than just an e-book reader!
• Keyboard dock. Costs extra, but a nice option to have if I find myself typing a lot. Which I probably will if I use the iPad for blogging.
• Camera connection kit. Also costs extra, but the SD card reader would be very convenient. I could upload my photos easily and edit them by touch. By touch.

What I dislike:

• No camera. All macs have built-in cameras now, so I, like so many other consumers, naturally expected one. Video-chatting over Skype would have been fun, but not essential.
• No multitasking. In this aspect, it’s almost exactly like my iPod touch. On my MacBook I have Firefox, TextEdit, TweetDeck, Thunderbird, Adium, and Skype running practically all the time, so it’ll be quite a deviation from what I’m used to. On a positive note, this might be a good thing, as it’ll get me to focus on what I’m doing and follow it through until I’m done. Less distractions. Because saying I’m easily distracted is an understatement.
• The case. It looks kind of cheap. I’ll be looking out for new versions by other companies in the coming months.
• The name. But it makes sense, I guess. It’ll grow on me.

Can an iPad replace my iPod touch? Of course. I use my iPod mostly for checking email and all the apps, specifically TweetDeck, Facebook, etc. You know, all the important stuff.

Can an iPad replace my MacBook? Um, no. But I have a good alternative. Once I play with the iPad a little bit, I have a feeling that it won’t be too hard to give up my MacBook and go back to using my iMac. I’ve never bought any gadget blindly, so I’m not sure if I’ll be ordering this as soon as Apple notifies me the iPads are available (yes, I signed up for notification). But I might. Only time will tell. Maybe I’ll lose interest over the next 58 days. But I doubt it!

What do you think of the iPad? Will you buy one?

The collectible cases each have their own unique look. From the flirty Zoie Jane, to the tough Skull Rojo, you’re sure to find one your child will love! There’s even a holiday collection, with an adorable snowman, elves, or Santa to choose from! CUTE!

iPod and iPhone compatible, these earbuds have 13.5mm drivers for superior sound quality. The small bud size is perfect for little ears. Choose your favorite packaging, or pick a bud color to match your kid’s mp3 player. Pink, blue, green, etc.

You can find them in-store at Toys “R” Us and at select Wal-Mart stores for around $14, and online at Amazon.com for $8-12 (with free shipping!). At this price, you can easily pick up a couple of pairs. I know I always like to have extra headphones on hand, because you can never find ‘em when you need ‘em! A set by my bed, one near my laptop, and another in my purse…

WIN IT!
Comments #50 and #100 will each get one of the special holiday earBudeez. I’ll try to ship ASAP, so you’ll get it in time to toss in your kids’ stockings. Two more earBudeez will be given away at random on Christmas Day. Contest ends at noon December 25th.

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my feed by feed reader or email (or let me know if you already do).
• Follow me on Twitter (@OhMariana) and tweet about this giveaway: I just entered to win earBudeez headphones from @ohMariana! http://tiny.cc/earBudeez (Tweet as often as you’d like & leave a comment each time!)
• Grab my button (at the bottom of the page) and link to me in your sidebar or blog roll.

US entries only. One person per household may enter. Leave a separate comment for each entry & a valid email address. Winners have 3 days to claim their prize. earBudeez samples were provided to me at no charge by Audiovox.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a list of all my latest giveaways!

WIN IT!
What music are you listening to lately? Leave a comment and be entered to win an I-Dog Plush Puppy!

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my feed by feed reader or email (or let me know if you already do).
• Follow me on Twitter (@OhMariana) and tweet about this giveaway: I just entered to win an I-Dog Plush Puppy (great gift idea!) from @ohMariana! http://bit.ly/7syFhn
• Grab my button (at the bottom of the page) and link to me in your sidebar or blog roll.

Hasbro provided the I-Dog Plush Puppy pictured above for review and giveaway.

Contest ends December 16th, 2009 NOON EST. US entries only.
Leave a separate comment for each entry & a valid email address/blog URL.
One person per household may enter. Winner, chosen at random, has 3 days to claim their prize.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a list of all my latest giveaways!