If you know me well, you know that St. Patrick's Day Science has always been one of my favorite things. When the boys were knee high to a grasshopper I would pull leprechaun tricks like making all the faucets poor out green water. But as they have gotten older I have really had to step up my game. That is why I was clicking my little green leprechaun heels when my buddy Susan invited Carter and I over for a St. Patrick's Day Science Play Date with Steve Spangler. What was fun is that Carter came and learned how those tricky Leprechauns work and may have some sneaky up his sleeve for Connor this year. But I am not telling. Steve shared all kinds of fun leprechaun tricks to bring science to life at home. And the good thing is that most of it can be done at home with simple materials OR if you're pressed for time you can buy a ready made kit-giving parents options! One of the things I never did with the kids was set up a Leprechaun trap. This would have been so much fun. Here is one great model that I saw at the Spangler workshop. The model on the table could easily be made from a grow light stand if you have one and a funnel. If you don't, this is an easy ...
Samsung Galaxy S4 VS LG G2 VS Droid Ultra. Who Wins?
When switching over from the world of Apple to the Android market you will be faced with dozens of choices. How does a confused shopper know which is the best model for them? They are all shiny and new and completely different from the trusty iPhone. Here is a secret: Android models really aren't that different from one another. At the core they are basically the same phone with tweaks that make one a better fit than the other for individuals. Over the last 6 months I have tested the following three Android phones as part of the #VZWBuzz program with Verizon Wireless: Samsung Galaxy S4, LG G2, and the Droid Ultra. While each phone has it's pro's and con's, read on to find out which one is currently in my purse and why. In the end, it is completely unscientific in finding the "best" Android. The 13 megapixel rear camera on the Galaxy S4 wins hands down for its ease of use for me. While all three of the cameras have similar shooting modes and software (the Droid camera is 10 megapixel), Samsung's layout worked best for my brain. I've come to learn that I can't live with any camera that doesn't have an action shot (burst, drama, etc...-called different things on different ...
Jet-setter Update
After just returning from Texas, I am setting off for a weekend in Detroit. While both trips have very different goals-Texas was for Carter's health and Detroit is for work, they have one thing in common-I am pulling my hair out trying to stay organized in the air, on the road and inside my suitcase. Which is good news for you. I have picked up a few more tips and tricks that may help make your upcoming holiday travel a little bit easier. While I am not really jet-setting, I do feel like I am hitting the road hard lately and from how sick I keep getting, it is hitting back. My Phone Holy Moly y'all (my new Texas word) I did it. I cut the iCord. Verizon sent me the new LG G2 and I fell in love. Of course the love may have been helped by my new loathe of iOS 7. I'm sorry, but ever since Steve Jobs has passed Apple just cannot stay competitive in my mind. Where they were once an innovator, nowadays it seems like all they are doing is playing catch up to the Android market. The G2 uses Snapdragon technology (don't worry, its just a fancy word for fast) to make everything load so much faster and multitask between all my social networking. Google Talk makes Siri sound like my ...
Stepping Up the Spook Factor
Halloween is always a to-do at our house. Since moving to Colorado Carter has not been able to trick-or-treat. Too many stairs and inaccessible hills to peoples houses. Instead we stay in, buy full size candy bars for ourselves and scare the pants off the neighborhood children. We have fog machines, creepy decorations, spooky music, sound system on a mic that Carter yells things through and cameras to catch all the action. These are some of the things that are staples: I have a plethora of hanging skeletons that are all named after former evil children I have known. Seriously. I could tell you their names but I am not that mean. The problem with the skeltons is that they are all trained to howl, moan and talk at the slightest bit of motion. It gets pretty annoying hearing them talk all night (much like their live namesakes were) and honestly, if it snows the switch is pretty darn cold and inconvenient to get to. This year I have them on a WeMo switch so that I can turn them on and off from my phone. It will be awesome to be able to do this even when we aren't home. In past years, we have used a camera to tell when kids are getting close to the house. Then Carter would turn ...