Archives for February 2015

Simon Youth Foundation Seeks Local Applicants for Scholarship Program

For a 16th straight year, Simon Youth Foundation, a national nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for at-risk high school students, is proud to support deserving students in the Orange County and Los Angeles-area communities through the Simon Youth Scholarship Program.

 

This May, one student from every community that is home to a Simon property is eligible to receive a one-time scholarship award up to $1,500. In addition, 10 designated Simon, Mills and Premium Outlets centers will grant an Award of Excellence – a $2,500 scholarship that is renewable for up to three years.

 

Simon Youth Foundation Community Scholarships are awarded through the Simon Youth Scholarships program and in partnership with local Simon properties. The application period for the 2015 Simon Youth Community Scholarship Program is December 1, 2014 – February 25, 2015.

 

Any student who will be graduating in the class of 2015 and lives within 50 miles of a Simon property, including Brea Mall, Westminster Mall, The Shops at Mission Viejo, Del Amo Fashion Center and Camarillo Premium Outlets, is eligible. The program will award a one-time scholarship of up to $1,500 to students who plan to enroll in an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school.

 

Applications also can be downloaded at the SYF website at: http://programs.applyists.com/syf/.

 

To-date, SYF has awarded more than $12 million in scholarships to more than 3,700 students in 42 states.

 

The 2015 SYF Community Scholarship recipients will be selected by Scholarship Management Services, a third-party administrator. Students are selected based on a variety of criteria, including financial need, academic performance, leadership skills and participation in school and community activities. Those students who are the first in their family to pursue a post secondary education will also be given close consideration.

 

The completed application, along with official school transcripts and parents’ most recently filed tax form, must be sent to Scholarship Management Services by February 25, 2015.

 

About SYF

Simon Youth Foundation, established in 1998, supports 23 Simon Youth Academies in 13 U.S. states that give at-risk students the same education they would receive in a traditional classroom while offering the flexibility that their individual circumstances require. Recipient of the Crystal Star Award of Excellence in Dropout Prevention from the National Dropout Prevention Center, the foundation has helped more than 10,000 students earn their high school diploma and provided more than $10 million in college scholarships to 3,900 students in 42 states. The Education Commission of the United States has recognized the foundation with its Corporate Award for sustained and substantial investment in improving public education.

 

About Simon

Simon is a global leader in retail real estate ownership, management and development and a S&P100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our industry-leading retail properties and investments across North America, Europe and Asia provide shopping experiences for millions of consumers every day and generate billions in annual retail sales. For more information, visit simon.com.

 Credit: Simon.

DecalGirl for Valentine’s Day Gifts!

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Looking for a great gift for a loved one this Valentine’s Day?  How about a gift that offers great stylish protection for all your gadgets! I just love the variety of DecalGirl skins that you can choose from!

DecalGirl skins are designed for maximum coverage and lightweight protection from everyday scratches. I received a skin titled “Oceans for Youth” by David Dunleavy. I love this design! It really makes me think of an ocean paradise! But, actually my son selected this one for his Nintendo 3DS. He loves Sting Rays and ocean creatures. It is available for the Nintendo 3DS in two finishes: Matte or High Gloss. I received a sample in both and not sure which finish is my favorite. My son was really impressed at the quality and how simple it was to apply. We also received a skin titled “Ocean Serenity” also by David Dunleavy. I love it so much that I just may have to get my own Nintendo 3DS! But, my son says he may want to trade-off eventually so guess I may have to buy my own.

DecalGirl has such a great variety! I love that they have so many ocean skins to choose from! There really is something for everyone! So, what exactly is a skin? They are made of premium automotive-grade cast vinyl with a special adhesive backing to prevent air bubbles when you are applying it and it leaves no residue when you remove it. What I also really like is the skins are so easy to apply! 

The DecalGirl products are 100% Made-In-The-USA. Another thing that really impressed me is the quality for the amount of money.

Check out DecalGirl this Valentine’s Day! I am sure you will find something for anyone on your shopping list! They are also currently having a Valentine’s Day Sale! You can save 25% on skins, cases and even create your own. Check out their website to learn more!

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this feature. Photo Credit: DecalGirl.

New Valentine’s Day Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Episode Premieres Monday, 2/9 on PBS KIDS!

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Snuggle up with your young valentines and tune-in to a very special Valentine’s Day episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, premiering Monday, February 9, on PBS KIDS (check local listings) and re-airing all week long. The heartwarming new episode of the top-rated series for preschoolers from The Fred Rogers Company helps reinforce Fred Rogers’ enduring messages of love and acceptance for all little tigers.

 

The half-hour Valentine’s Day show features two endearing stories that encourage children to find their own unique ways to say “I love you.” Below is the episode description and as a special treat, here’s a link to a sneak peek of “Daniel’s Love Day Surprise.”

 

 

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Valentine’s Day Episode Description

It’s Love Day

It’s Love Day in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe so Daniel and all of his friends come up with their own special ways to show their love and care for one another. The kids dance, sing and tell jokes to say “I love you.”

Daniel’s Love Day Surprise

Grandpere is coming to visit on Love Day. How can Daniel find a way to show how much he loves his grandfather? With a treasure hunt, that’s how! Daniel hides little hearts all over the house for Grandpere to find…that is, unless little Margaret finds them all first!

Strategy: Find your own way to say “I love you.”

And don’t forget to tune-in to Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
each day on PBS KIDS (check local listings) and:
Visit: pbskids.org/daniel
Like: facebook.com/danieltigertv
Follow: twitter.com/danieltigertv and pinterest.com/danieltigertv/

Credit: PBS KIDS.

Puro Sound Labs Officially Launches Hearing-healthy Headphones for the Entire Family to Enjoy

Puro Sound Labs - BT2200 Kids Wireless Headphones -white on white closeup      Girl with BT2200 Pur Sound

The Puro Sound Labs BT2200 are Bluetooth headphones created specifically for kids and designed with the health and safety of a child as a priority. They are the first ever and only studio-grade Bluetooth headphones on the market made especially for kids with volume limiting ear protection. Volume levels over 85 decibels (dB) have been known to cause hearing loss over time. Their unique headphone design protects children’s ears, while delivering studio-grade sound. With hearing health and education in mind, Puro Sound has committed to donating a portion of every sale of all Puro Sound products through 2015 to the Hearing Health Foundation.

I received a pair to review and am really impressed! I love that they limit sound output on most portable devices to 85 dB. Hearing health is very important! My 11 year-old son likes them because they are comfortable, look cool and have great sound. He also likes that they are Bluetooth Wireless. These really are a Must-Buy for kids!  I highly recommend them.

More information:

 

Puro Sound Labs headphones are designed with a unique frequency response curve called Puro Balanced Response®, designed to recreate the natural sound produced in a perfectly tuned listening room in the headphone listening experience. This helps to maximize the satisfaction of Healthy Ears® hearing protection. 

Great care has gone into the design and materials used in the headphones. A soft and supple cushioning material and durable lightweight aluminum are used to make the headphones comfortable for young ears and to stand up to everyday use. Their design also attenuates over 82% of ambient noise, eliminating a need for higher volume limits. When combined, Puro’s Balanced Response® Curve and the headphones’ noise attenuation design, kids can enjoy their music with no need to exceed safe playback levels.

BT2200 features:

  • Unique volume governor system that limits sound output on most portable devices to 85 dB for parents’ peace of mind
  • Puro Limiter cable insures 85 dB sound limit for the auxiliary wired experience
  • Puro Balanced Response® equally balances bass, mids and highs, delivering clear, understandable vocal reproduction without excessive volume
  • Ambient noise limiting by up to 82%* – even in noisy environments like an airplane, allowing for reasonable listening levels
  • Integrated microphone for seamless use with a phone
  • 18 Hours of Battery Life for Music Playback & 200 Hours Standby
  • Durable, Lightweight Aluminum Construction
  • Supple Protein Leather Ear Cushions and Headband
  • Puro EQ App for iOS (Android coming soon)
  • Folds Flat for Travel

Puro Sound has also developed the Puro Sound Equalizer App, an iOS 16-band EQ application that allows headphones to be customized to the listener’s sound and genre preferences. A version of the app for Android devices will be available after the first of the year.

The “Kid-friendly” Puro Sound Labs BT2200 are available for $79.99 in White/silver and Tan/gold colors and available through authorized online resellers including amazon.com and purosound.com.

 

*Source: Puro Sound Labs

 

About Puro Sound Labs

Established in 2014, Puro Sound Labs is a premier consumer electronics audio company that designs innovative and audiophile quality audio products. Using only the very best of science and engineering available, Puro Sound Labs engineers have been able to master the art of methodically replicating big room sound and fine-tuning audio and introducing a new generation of premium sound entertainment. You know great sound when you hear it – Puro Sound Labs know the science behind creating it. For more information please visit www.purosound.com.

Self Disclosure: I received a free sample product to facilitate this feature. Photo Credit and addtional info provided by Puro Sound Labs.

Picture Collage Maker Valentine’s Day Giveaway!

The giveaway includes Picture Collage Maker (both Windows & Mac), which enables fans to create stunning collages on both Windows and Mac OS X this Valentine. You can know more details about the giveaway here:http://www.pearlmountainsoft.com/promotion/giveaway.html

This is a fun way to be creative for Valentine’s Day!

 

Self Disclosure: No compensation was receive to post. 

1st baby zebra sharks born from artificial insemination now on exhibit

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The Aquarium breeds a large shark species through artificial insemination!

The Aquarium of the Pacific  recently announced that it is the first to be able to successfully reproduce zebra sharks through artificial insemination. More than 100 million sharks in the wild are killed annually due to human impact. Being able to artificially inseminate large shark species like the zebra shark can further research in helping dwindling shark populations in the wild. The 10-month-old sharks are now on exhibit in the Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon shallow pool. Fern, approximately 20 years old, is the mother of the two female sharks.

Fern arrived to the Aquarium in 1997. She was inseminated in September 2013, and both babies hatched from their eggs in late March of 2014. The Aquarium’s experts have been caring for the youngsters in their behind-the-scenes shark nursery. The zebra shark pups are now about 2-and-a-half to 3 feet long and are now ready to be introduced in the shallow pools in Shark Lagoon.

The 140-pound and 7-and-a-half-foot long mother zebra shark can be seen swimming in the Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon exhibit with other large sharks. Aquarium experts have been working with Fern, who is trained to come to the surface for food as well as to voluntarily participate in her own medical exams.

Zebra sharks, often called leopard sharks in Australia, are found in the Indo-West Pacific. This includes the Red Sea, East Africa, New Caledonia, Japan, Australia, and Tonga. This species of shark prefers inshore marine or brackish water. They grow to be 5.5 to 11.5 feet in length and are 9 feet long on average. These sharks are nocturnal foragers, feeding on snails and bivalves, crabs, shrimp, and small bony fishes.

Young juveniles are dark brown or black with narrow pale yellow or white vertical bars resembling a zebra’s stripes. When they begin to develop their adult features, the juvenile shark’s bars fade, becoming dots or open circular designs no longer resembling a zebra. These sharks reach maturity when they are about 5 to 6 feet in length. Pups normally hatch in about five-and-a-half to six-and-a-half months and are only about 7.9 to 10 inches when they emerge from their egg cases. Once hatched, they are immediately independent, able to swim and hunt on their own.

Zebra sharks can live about twenty-five to thirty years, but face many threats in the wild. This species is listed as vulnerable to extinction under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List mainly because of human activities. Overfishing poses a big threat, as these sharks are sold for human consumption or fish meal. Livers are processed for vitamins, and there is a large market for their fins. In Australia, where zebra sharks are not a target species for fishing, their population for that region is listed under IUCN Red’s List as Least Concern. For more information about the Aquarium and zebra sharks, visit www.aquariumpfpacific.org or call 562-590-3100.

 My son and I visited the Aquarium today to see the baby Zebra Sharks and were surprised to see how big they are.  In my son’s words..they are just really cool! Of course, we also had to see all the other wonderful exhibits at the Aquarium of the Pacific. My son just loves to see the Harbor Seals! I really can not quite choose a favorite! Although, I do love Sea Lions!

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Self Disclosure: I received media tickets to see the Zebra Sharks and to feature the Aquarium of the Pacific. Photo Credit: Top photo: Aquarium of the Pacific. Bottom photo: SoCal City Kids.

“Good for One Mediocre Shoulder Rub”

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Looking for an unique and creative Valentine’s Day Gift for the one you love?  The days of long-stem roses and fancy dinners are over. Sometimes the most thoughtful thing you can do for your partner is as unsexy as thoroughly cleaning the bathroom.

Running the gamut from sweet and unique (“Redeem for a high-school style make-out session”) to realistically hilarious (“Redeem for 30 seconds of my undivided attention”), “Good for One Mediocre Shoulder Rub” is a charming, funny, and original compilation of real-life love coupons for committed couples.

It’s never been easier to say “I love you so much that I’ll give you complete control of the remote.”

I received free samples and I love these! They are just simply a fun way to tell someone you love them! Some of my favorites are: “One week of Luxurious Poop-Free Livin’.” Great for the pet lovers out there! I also love “A Night Free From Cooking and Dishwashing!” It is a book of 20 fun coupons for $7.95!

To find out more, check out UlyssesPress.com.

We have teamed up for a Valentine’s Day Giveaway! To enter, leave a comment below telling us one thing you would love to receive as a coupon! Deadline to enter is February 7, 2015 at noon PST. Three winners will randomly be selected via Random org and will received a free Good for One Mediocre Should Rub coupon book.

 

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this feature. Photo Credit: Ulysses Press.

Rock’n’Rainbow

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Soon the world at large will know what Toronto families already know from years of sold-out performances:  Rock’n’Rainbow —led by Parents’ Choice® Award winning musician and music educator Mike Whitla — is the most energetic, glitter-saturated band for kids to hit the stage since the ’70s.  The time has come forRock’n’Rainbow to share its music internationally with the release of the band’s debut album, Let’s Boogie!

While the Rock’n’Rainbow band recording is a new project for Mike Whitla, it stands on the shoulders of his award-winning body of work in children’s music, which includes six previous albums honored byParents’ Choice®, NAPPA and more, and produced by his company,Rainbow Songs.

Masterfully produced by GRAMMY® nominated veteran children’s producer Tor Hyams, Let’s Boogie! is a dazzling “call to action” — a family dance party of high energy tunes with catchy lyrics and funk-rock rhythms that celebrate Rock’n’Rainbow’s favorite forms of exercise:  biking, heading out on scooters, and boogying-on-down with glam kindie style.

Says Mike Whitla, “We’ve all seen technology overtaking our day-to-day lives, and, as a longtime music educator and a dad, I felt a need to respond to this.  Let’s Boogie! is designed to encourage healthy habits, active lifestyles, and lots of personal interaction within our family groups, while also having a barrel of fun.  From the energetic rhythms of the album’s title track to the exuberantly adventurous ‘I Like To Ride My Bike’ to our updates on activities like the classic tag game ‘The Freeze’ and ‘The Hokey Pokey,’ we want to suggest that everyone put down their phones and dance together!”

Recorded at Toronto’s legendary Canterbury Music Company, utilizing an array of the studio’s classic vintage mics and state of the art equipment, and engineered by Jeremy Darby, who has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Mick Jagger, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, and many other notables, Let’s Boogie! shines with outstanding sonic quality, first-rate musicianship, and wonderfully imaginative layers of detail.

We received a copy of the CD and it will definitely make younger children want to get up an dance! Check out the video below!

Let’s Boogie! will be available at the Rainbow Songs website online store and at CDbaby.com, iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon.

Self Disclosure: I received a free CD to facilitate this feature.