How to Use the iPad to Make Traveling Easier

 Household Management, Money Management, Parents, Teens, The Older Generation, The Younger Generation, Uncategorized
May 172012
 

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/maalokki/

There are so many practical uses for the iPad when one is on the road that it’s difficult to know where to start. In today’s blog entry I’m going to list handy uses for the iPad that are related to travel. Over the next week or so, I will go into detail on these options–offering tips, tricks, and app recommendations and reviews related to traveling.

  1. Research travel destinations to find the perfect match for your family.
  2. Make travel and hotel arrangements.
  3. Find attractions around your destination.
  4. Get discounts for traveling.
  5. Get directions for travel – even without 3G.
  6. Set up a budget and monitor your cash flow as you travel.
  7. Arrange get-togethers with loved ones.
  8. Find great gifts for hosts.
  9. Check road and weather conditions along routes.
  10. Get travel updates.
  11. Find entertainment while traveling.
  12. Locate wi-fi hotspots.
  13. Keep track of health information.
  14. Make packing lists and itineraries.
  15. Capture memories.

 

Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales Around the World DVD

 DVDs For Families, DVDs for Kids, Homeschooling, Parents, Preschool
May 162012
 

Whether you homeschool or just want to broaden your child’s global worldview in a fun way, you might want to check out this latest Scooby-Doo collection entitled Scooby-Doo: 13 Spooky Tales Around the World. True, it’s not exactly straight academia, but as you and your children watch this DVD together, they will see wonderful sites and hear amazing myths and legend from other lands.

Take a Trip Down Memory Lane With Scooby and Scrappy and the Gang

The second we hit the “play” option on the menu of this DVD sent to us for review from Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, my son commented, “Awesome! It’s the old ones!” Suddenly, I flashed back in time to delightful Saturdays spent with my cousins watching Scooby and his nephew Scrappy -Doo. I love that bold, little guy, and it’s been a long time since I have seen him.

As I watched this DVD with my 12-year-old son, I discovered that the show had not lost its magic. Sure, it’s predictable, but that’s a good thing when you are dealing with monsters and magic. We laughed at the jokes and the antics of the cartoon characters such as when Scooby Doo was worried about the Minotaur and exclaims that it was ‘one monster I’ll be happy to myth.” We also had a few chuckles over the sounds of the old laugh tracks.

My son and I both agreed that watching Scooby-Doo and the gang was a fun way to spend the evening. There are some other Scooby-Doo titles that we enjoy more than this one, but we still thoroughly enjoyed these episodes. They got us researching our folklore and dreaming of foreign lands.

What This DVD is About

Here’s the summary from the press release if you want to know the details: Nobody vacations like Scooby-Doo and the gang! Join Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and their canine pal in Scooby-Doo! 13 Spooky Tales Around the World as they visit some of the coolest and creepiest destinations across the world. Prepare to get shipwrecked in the Bermuda Triangle with scary skeleton scuba divers and chased through the canals of Venice by the Ghostly Gondolier, who even kidnaps Daphne! Hop aboard a haunted Aztec barge, but not before Scooby-Doo! wows a vengeful god with his best Mexican hat dance – to say nothing of his airplane cha-cha over the headhunter-happy jungles of Brazil. Along the way you can bet the Mystery Inc. gang will get to the bottom of each mystery with plenty of “zoinks!” (the same in every language), plenty of high-jinks, and a whole lot of international cuisine – leaning tower of pizza anyone?

Disc 1:

Disc 2:

The Fiesta Host is an Aztec Ghost

Shiver and Shake, That Demon’s A Snake

The Harum Scarum Sanitarium

Lock the Door, It’s a Minotaur

The Spirits of ‘76

The Ozark Witch Switch

A Creepy Tangle in the Bermuda Triangle

The Jaguaro

To Switch a Witch

Moonlight Madness

A Menace in Venice

Ghosts of the Ancient Astronauts, Part I

Ghosts of the Ancient Astronauts, Part II

The Avengers and Marvel Super Heroes Magazine Contest Giveaway

 Contests, Parents, The Older Generation, The Younger Generation
May 142012
 

If you are a United States resident and a fan of The Avengers, here’s your chance to win a free one-year subscription to the Marvel Super Heroes Magazine.

Marvel Super Heroes Magazine

Disney Publishing recently unveiled the brand new 36-page publication for its youngest comic readers. Available on newsstands and by subscription, kids can now join forces with their favorite Avengers: Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Incredible Hulk.

Inside every issue there are action-packed comics and a never-ending cast of villains ready for battle. Inviting families to bring home the “Mighty Marvel Universe,” the magazine features:

  • Amazing Comics: All-new adventures of familiar Marvel Super Heroes.
  • Pull-Out Posters: Hang up full-color posters of the Avengers of the Marvel Universe.
  • Mighty Marvel Fun: Games, puzzles, cutouts, quizzes, Super Hero IQs, collectible bios plus loads of other fun pages.

How to Win a Free One-Year Subscription

First, you have to be a United States resident (sorry, everyone else – I didn’t make the rules).
Second, use the comment section on this post to tell us who your favorite hero is and why. Your hero can be fictional or real.

*** One last thing – Make your comment before 11:59 pm ET on Saturday, May 19, 2012 if you want to be eligible for the contest.

How we Will Select the Winner

We will write down the names of the people who comment on a piece of paper then we will pick a name out of a hat. Since we are a TechieFamily, we will video record the drawing and share it with you. After we post the name of the winner, we will wait two days to hear from the winner by email. We will post more instructions regarding that when we announce the winner.

The reason we need you to contact us by email is because we will need to get your name and address so we can give it to Disney. They will begin sending you the free subscription.

If we haven’t heard from the winner within two days, we will announce the next person on the list. You can follow the contest announcements on the TechieFamily Facebook page and/or on the TechieFamily Twitter account. Good luck! We can’t wait to hear all about your heroes.

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