"We dish about everything, 'cuz we've got a lot on our plates!"
{Tech Tuesday} Mom Apps from MamaBear Tech Conference
Last Friday I attended the MamaBear Family Tech Conference, hosted by a startup accelerator program here in Silicon Valley called 500 Startups. Even though I don’t own a startup, I felt like the conference was relevant for me in many ways.
First off, as a mom who happens to be a blogger (and would like to make a living though blogging and social media marketing), it was a great networking opportunity. The tech startups at the conference were trying to understand how to best market their product/service to moms, including forming relationships with “mom bloggers” (aaaaaaand, at this point in the post I am going to replace “mom blogger” with “social influencer“, cuz that description is much more accurate, IMHO). There were very few of us social influencers at the conference and after each session we were the hottest commodities. It was nice to have someone pick MY brain for a change!
I also had the pleasure of meeting up with several other social influencers in the Bay Area. These women are so bright and so driven, it was great to be able to ask bloggy questions, bounce ideas off them, and actually feel appreciated and understood. I look forward to continuing professional and personal relationships with these women (who I will introduce to you all over time as they have some AMAZING online businesses!!)
Second, taking place in the heart of Silicon Valley, the conference brought in some top-notch executives and speakers who were passionate about fast-paced business, super-intelligent (like, on a whole new level) and extremely motivational. There is a HUGE demand for digital solutions for moms/families, but so few people in the tech industry want to work in the space. But for those who get it right, you will have loyal followers who will be your best marketers. (Like me! I’m your target AND I’m good at marketing. I can work FOR you 
Anyway, I digress…
Third, the conference was practically in my backyard and I got a sweet deal, so I would have been an idiot to not go and soak up as much tech juice as I could. Oh, and they had free cookies!
There is so much I want to share with you from the conference, so I am going to write a few posts about it. This first one is about some of the awesome apps for Moms (& Dads!) that I discovered while at MamaBear–
The most relevant app, by far, is Story by Disney Interactive. But I’m only 50% in love with it because of one major flaw, in my opinion. I’ll get to that later.
As the name implies, this app helps you tell a story by using the photos you take with your iPhone. So often, those iPhone photos just sit and sit and sit and never get shared. This app automatically bundles your photos together by date and allows you to add, delete or edit photos or videos, caption the images and name your story. You can even choose different backgrounds! The options are somewhat limited, but because this app was just launched last week, I’m sure that will change over time (and probably for a fee, as the app is currently free on iTunes).
Once you create a story, you can save it to the app, then share it. This is where I sort of fall out of love with this app. There are two options to share. Send as an email (to yourself or whomever) or share on Facebook. In order to do so, you obviously must allow Disney access to your list of friends (fine). But then, you must allow them to contact your friends on your behalf, which I am not cool with. (Yes, I know this is nothing new, but I still don’t like it.) If you don’t allow, you can’t move forward and therefore, you cannot share directly to Facebook. Boo.
So I sent a story to myself on email, and when I opened it, the story began to unfold just like I was reading a book. And I was given an “embed” option, so I could show it on the blog. That I like. Check out my story “A Night at the Ballpark” below.
I know, I know, it’s not a story about anything particularly interesting. But that’s what I love about it. It was just a regular night of the week for our family, but it’s nights like those that make up the story of our lives. (Dear Disney, please feel free to quote me in your marketing materials.)
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The next app is called Intuition+, which is a “Personal Assistant App for Busy Moms”. Admittedly, I haven’t had much time to play with this app, but it seems to have a lot of positive qualities.
The main “list” page offers the ability to enter key notes in a handful of areas– Top Reminders, To Do, To Get, Grocery, Medical and Everything Else. I like this better than a regular Notes application, because it allows me to separate my tasks and navigate them by group. In each category, you can add a location with the note, as well as color code it (for different members of the family). And the grocery tab is great because it actually has an automated list, so you can search for your item and check it off (instead of just typing the list).
There’s a calendar function that syncs not only with the items you enter into the app, but also with your Google and iCal calendars as well (I have not had a chance to do this yet).
The really personal touch that this app offers is in the “Mom Tips” section, where top bloggers share information in a variety of areas (from activities to do with kids to recipes, to personal care, to event/holiday information). It’s just a handy resource to have in the same location as your key dates and other lists. I mean, isn’t that what Moms are always asking for, everything in one place?!
So, it definitely seems like a great idea! I am going to play with it some more and let you know if it falls short of its promises (I hope not!) This app is also available for free at iTunes.
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The last app is called Life360, which is a family connection/communication/safety tool that boasts over 36 million customers! I have not used this app at all yet, but I am very curious to see how it works.
The app allows you to see real-time locations for all the members of your family (or whomever you’re connected with, I assume) as well as other key “safety” locations (hospitals, police stations, and key “threat” areas). It has functionalities for you to check-in to locations and receive alerts when certain people reach certain destinations, as well as chat with one another within the app. There is also the ability to send emergency alerts.
Those are the free services. For $5/month, you can upgrade to the “premium” services which include things like roadside assistance service and stolen phone protection.
I can imagine this would be an extremely useful tool for parents with children who are of “smart phone age” (something my children are only a few years shy of, I imagine). I know it’s easy to text people with your location and such, but kids are kids and they probably forget. A lot. This would give parents peace of mind knowing that their kids are where they are supposed to be, and are alerted immediately when they are not. Unlike the first two apps, this app is available on iPhone, Android and Blackberry.
If you currently use this app, I’d love to hear about your experiences! Pros & cons.
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I hope you will find some of these apps useful to you. I wasn’t aware of any of them before last week, and I was super excited to hear about them, so I figured I’d share them with you as well. Next week I’ll talk about the kid apps I discovered at MamaBear, and let me tell you now, there are a TON!
(Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for mentioning any of the apps above.)
Read More{Moonlight & Mason Jars} Monday Night Link-Up Party #6
Welcome to a new Monday Night Link Party called Moonlight & Mason Jars!
We are 5 BLOGS that have come together at 5PM (CST) every Monday night for a little “show and tell”. Link up anything to our link party that you have created or written yourself and it will show up on all FIVE of our blogs! Please don’t link up any items for sale.
Each week we will choose 5 of your projects to feature at the next Link Party. We will also pin our 5 featured projects it to our group Pinterest board next week. The party closes at midnight on Wednesday.
1. Display our link party button (or text link) on your post or somewhere on your site. You will find them at the very bottom of this post.
2. Visit all 5 of our blogs & follow us in some way (Twitter, RSS, Facebook, etc.)
3. Visit as many fellow partiers as you can and leave comments. That’s what makes it fun!
4. If you have been featured, please display our featured button on your post.
We can’t wait to see all of your amazing projects!
Here’s the latest & greatest from your Moonlight & Mason Jars hostesses.
Mickey Mouse Paper Lantern Tutorial
1. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
2. Festive Party Supplies
DIY Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas
Thank you to those who linked up last week. We are pleased to announce our
1. Pom Pom Fringe Mania @ My DIY Habits
2. Custom Bleach T Shirt @ Sugar Bee Crafts
3. DIY Bridal Shower Stamped Macaron Bags @ The McBaileys
4. Mason Jar Themed Wedding Shower @ Sweetpea Lifestyle
5. Garage Sale Checklist @ Michelle Lea Designs
We have pinned these to our Group Pinterest Board:
Now for this week’s link party:
{DIY} Create A Team Banner
The day we signed up Brady for t-ball was a glorious day, not just for him (the boy LOVES playing baseball!), but also for me. The Boy Mom in me was bubbling over with excitement filling out his registration, especially when I got to the “parent participation” portion…
“Would you like to be a Team Parent?”
Would I? WOULD I?!?
I was born to be a team parent.
So imagine my excitement when my first order of business as a team parent was to create a banner for the kids to carry at the town’s spring parade!
My mind was immediately filled with grand images of team logos, t-shirts, baseballs, etc., but I went ahead and consulted Pinterest anyway, for a little inspiration. Luckily for me I came across this banner from Blue Susan Makes, and I used it as my starting point. Since I don’t own a sewing machine, and I have a Mac, our process and end product is a little different.
Here is how I went about making my banner–
{I probably should have ironed that felt first. Oops!}
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Materials
One large piece of felt (our finished banner was 3′ x 5′)*
Half-yard of white felt (for logo and baseballs)
Half-yard of colored felt to match your team’s logo
Pre-cut felt letters and numbers (like these purchased at Joann Fabrics or Michaels).
White dimensional fabric paint (aka, “puffy paint”)
Red marker (or red “puffy paint” if you want that extra flair)
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Fabric glue (like Tacky Glue)
Fabric shears
Scotch tape
Circle stencil, or something round like a bowl (for baseballs)
6′ Wooden rounder
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How To
Print your team’s logo in a “poster” size. If you have a PC, you can use Microsoft Publisher and follow these directions. I have a Mac, so I downloaded the Mindcad Tiler App ($4.99 on iTunes) and created a logo that was approx. 20″ x 15″. The logo prints on 4 sheets of paper, so you will need to line up the outline and tape them together to form the logo. To save on ink, I suggest printing in black & white.
Carefully cut out the paper logo and secure it to the felt with tape (however you feel comfortable), then trace the outline with a marker. Cut out the felt logo with fabric shears. If your logo has two different layers/colors, trim the paper logo and retrace on the second (inside) color felt. (Note: Once I cut the bottom layer, I decided I wanted to swap colors in the logo. So I just cut out the large logo again in white, then trimmed down the orange logo to fit inside it.)
Layer the logos on top of one another and glue together with fabric glue. Place the logo aside and let dry completely. Creating the logo was the most time/labor intensive. The rest is super easy!
Using a circle stencil, or another round object like a bowl, trace outlines for your baseballs onto the white felt. My circles were 4″ round. I made enough balls for each player on the team and the coach, as well as one extra for good measure
Cut out the circles and create the ball stitching by using either a red marker (I used my son’s Crayola) or red puffy paint. I had intended to use the paint but defaulted to marker because it was approx. 11pm at this point and I didn’t have time to let the paint dry. They ended up turning out just fine! Then, I put the 1″ felt sticker numbers on each of the baseballs.
At this point I decided to wrap the felt over the wooden rounder, so I knew exactly where my center point was before adhering the logo, letters, and baseballs. Because I don’t have a sewing machine, I just folded over approx. 3 ” of fabric at the top of the banner and used my glue gun to secure the flap. Be careful not to use too much glue as it can show through to the front of your banner.
Now it was time to lay all the pieces on the banner. I started with the logo and placed it directly in the center, securing it with the fabric glue. Then, I used the felt stickers to spell out the town and the year. If you don’t want to use the stickers (which believe me, saves a TON of time), then you can always hand write everything with puffy paint. Next, I glued the balls in a random fashion on each side of the logo.
Once all the baseballs were placed, I wrote the first name of each boy, and the coach, above the corresponding number/ball. Then I went to bed, ‘cuz it was late. Everything finished drying overnight and we were ready to go first thing in the morning!
I was really pleased with how it turned out, and more so that I could do it all in one evening (~3 hours) without being totally overwhelmed. If you have time and want to space it out, go for it!
Oh, and one last piece of advice… if you are making your banner for a t-ball team, you may want to go a little shorter than I did (maybe 4′ x 2′), otherwise, they may end up looking like this in the parade…
{gotta love them shorties!}
Thanks again to Blue Susan Makes for the inspiration!
If you’ve made a team banner for your kiddos, share the link in the comments and I’ll pin it to our {DIY} Ideas board on Pinterest! And if you have any suggestions to add, please feel free to do so as well.
** We’re linking up with House of Hepworths, The Taylor House & Skip To My Lou. Check out their blogs and all the other awesome posts in their link-up parties! **
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{Tech Tuesday} Last Minute Gifts For Mom
I meant to get this post up for last week’s Tech Tuesday, but my boys and I were slammed with the worst cold! Sinus infections, ear infections, fevers, coughing… the works. I am barely coming up for air, which is why this post is going up so late in the day. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts, right?!
As you know, Mother’s Day is just 5 short shopping days away! If you’re a man and you’re reading this (kudos!), here are some great last minute “tech gift” ideas for your beautiful and talented wife/mother of your children. If you are a woman reading this (we love you too!), well then, forward on to your husband because if he’s anything like mine, he’s still searching for ideas!
And because I want this post to actually be useful, all of these products can be purchased at an actual store. That you can drive to. Tonight. And walk out with the item. Because with 5 days left, you ain’t got time for shipping!!
Belkin Chef Stand & Stylus
I don’t own one of these, but I sure would love to! I always use my iPad in the kitchen when making dinner and I have to prop it up on a variety of different things. And when my fingers are covered in raw chicken juices, the last thing I want to do is touch the iPad screen. This product is pure genius!
Can be purchased at: Best Buy (on sale for $21.98) I’m not even going to suggest it elsewhere because this price is a steal!
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“Dreamy” Universal Case (Marc by Marc Jacobs)
This neoprene case is the perfect size to store a smart phone, ID and some cash, for quick runs to the store or the park (when you just need the necessities). It can also be tossed in a diaper bag and can withstand the accidental spillage of a little one’s sippy cup. Comes in a variety of fun & practical colors.
Can be purchased at: Nordstrom ($52.00), or on sale at Neiman Marcus ($34.00- Violet only)
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Retro Handset Phone
Maybe I’m a total dork, but sometimes I miss talking on a phone. A real phone. I first saw an ad for one of these in the Bed Bath & Beyond catalog and I immediately wanted it. Now, I’ve never actually purchased one, and I can’t vouch for the quality of the product, but they just look like so much fun! The ones pictured above are from Neiman Marcus, so maybe you can get away with one from there (“but it’s desiiiiiiiiigner”).
Can be purchased at: Bed Bath & Beyond ($19.99) and Neiman Marcus ($20)
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Lilly Pulitzer iPad Case
Pink. Flamingos. Need I say more?! I mean, how adorably feminine is this iPad case? And if you’re not into pretty pink flamingos, there are other styles to choose from (most of which are pink, but not with flamingos).
Can be purchased at: Lilly Pulitzer ($40) or Nordstrom ($40)
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What tech gifts are you hoping to get this year? Are there any other tech items you would recommend for a last minute shopper?!
{Moonlight & Mason Jars} Monday Night Link-Up Party #5
…
Welcome to our Monday Night Link Party called Moonlight & Mason Jars!
We are 5 BLOGS that have come together at 5PM (CST) every Monday night for a little “show and tell”. Link up anything to our link party that you have created or written yourself and it will show up on all FIVE of our blogs! Please don’t link up any items for sale.
Each week we will choose 5 of your projects to feature at the next Link Party. We will also pin our 5 featured projects it to our group Pinterest board next week. The party closes at midnight on Wednesday.
1. Display our link party button (or text link) on your post or somewhere on your site. You will find them at the very bottom of this post.
2. Visit all 5 of our blogs & follow us in some way (Twitter, RSS, Facebook, etc.)
3. Visit as many fellow partiers as you can and leave comments. That’s what makes it fun!
4. If you have been featured, please display our featured button on your post.
We can’t wait to see all of your amazing projects!
Here’s the latest & greatest from your Moonlight & Mason Jars hostesses.
1: Mother’s Day Dessert Ideas
2: Turkey Travel Tips
3: Cinco de Mayo Guacamole
4: Flowers in Bloom
1. DIY Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea: Thank You for Helping Me Grow
2. DIY Teacher Appreciation Gift Idea: I’m One Smart Cookie
Thank you to those who linked up last week. We are pleased to announce our
1. Blackberry Lemonade Cupcakes @ One Sweet Appetite
2. Pottery Barn Knock-Off Clock @ Decorate Me Diana
3. DIY License Plate Map @ CRAFT Blog
4. Mother’s Day Printable @ Two Bobbins Later
5. Vintage Inspired Painted Mason Jars @ Live Laugh Rowe
We have pinned these to our Group Pinterest Board:
Now for this week’s link party:
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thenewlywedpilgrimage.com/moonlight-mason-jars" title="Moonlight & Mason Jars - Monday Night Link Party"><img src="http://www.thenewlywedpilgrimage.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/MMM-250-x-250.png" alt="Moonlight & Mason Jars - Monday Night Link Party" style="border:none;" /></a></div>Read More
About Mama Dish
With all that you have on your plate, do you feel like you have Mama ADD, OCD and PMS all at the same time?
Mama Dish is a blog that's as... eclectic as you are. Looking for ways to entertain your toddler? We have some ideas. You like decorating, fashion and reading? We have a little bit of that. Crafts? Yep. Recipes for two, and recipes for two-year olds? We've got those. Need a good laugh or a virtual hug? Well, we hope you'll find that here too.
Powered by women who have strengths and talents in a variety of areas (and happen to be friends for the last 20 years!), we hope to bring you useful tips, new ideas, and refreshing points-of-view that help make juggling all the different pieces of you a little easier.
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