Goby’s location-aware app allows users to quickly and easily find fun activities in their locale or fill their next vacation itinerary with fun things to do in just three taps on the iPad-optimized interface. Goby has over four million unique things to do across 350 categories, ranging from local festivals to hiking trails, beaches, restaurants, theaters and live music events. It covers every town and city in the United States, providing a rich set of listings and an interactive map for every category, allowing users to pinpoint the closest activity and learn about new things to do right around the corner. Activities can be selected in a single tap, and specific details including descriptions, reviews and photos appear in a fun, well-organized layout that is easy to view on the larger iPad interface.

With the Goby iPad app, users can be inspired to try new things to do whether they are bored at home, planning their next vacation or just looking for some fun in a new destination. Goby’s findings are time-sensitive, which makes finding out what’s happening today, this weekend or even this summer quick and easy. With one more tap, users can coordinate with friends by sharing their plans via social sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

“We created Goby to inspire people to try new experiences,” said Mark Watkins, CEO and co-founder of Goby. “The iPad allowed us to give users a visually compelling app that empowers them to easily find and explore new things from their own home, in an unknown city or on their vacation, in a fun and simple way.”

Launched in October, Goby’s “What, When and Where” search engine has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the country cure their boredom blues. The iPad application can be downloaded for free from iTunes.

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The post Family Fun Day Winner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

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Goby is simple to use it poses three questions: What, Where and When. By just answering two of the three questions, you can instantly receive an easy-to-read results page that includes not only detailed information about attractions, activities, locations and events, but also an interactive map and photos from sites like Google and Flickr. I spent some time playing on Goby and I found lots of things to do in my town. I found bike trails, museums and family events that would be a lot of fun for my family.

Goby wants one lucky reader of The Mom Maven to be able to plan a fun family day for their family. Goby is giving away $50 to spend on your fun family day.

Mandatory 1st Entry Visit Goby, do some searches and find some new things to do in your area. Then come back to this post and leave a comment answering the questions, “What type of adventure are you looking for and what did you find?”

Bonus Entries may be completed after you complete the mandatory 1st entry-leave a separate comment for each entry.

• Subscribe to my blog (click on orange heart) current subscribers get 1 entry also just leave me a comment letting me know you subscribe.
• Follow @therealgoby on Twitter
• Tweet this – I hope to win $50 for a family fun day from @MomMaven and @therealgoby Enter here http://bit.ly/goby50  (you can tweet this 1x a day)
• Become a fan of The Mom Maven on Facebook

Please make sure there is an e-mail or Twitter name attached to your comments so that I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen by Random.org at 10:00pm ET on 2/1/10.

The post Plan a Fun Family Day Giveaway appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The Glue of Society

Johann Christoph Arnold
for Mother’s Day, May 10, 2009

Thank God for mothers! Mother’s Day is an opportunity to make life special for them. It is a chance to celebrate family. I thank God for my mother, who died some years ago. There is one thing I regret: for too many years I did not appreciate her enough and took her for granted. She was always there for us. I thank God for my wife. We have been married for forty-three years and have eight children. God has blessed us with forty-one grandchildren.

Mothers are the backbone of our society and the glue that holds a family together—their work is vital but often unseen. We all need to show greater appreciation for them. I pity the man who does not have a good wife to take care of him.

My favorite Hasidic saying goes, “God could not be everywhere at once, so he gave each child a mother!” Mothers should be proud to be mothers. It is a God-given task and privilege. Actually there is a mother’s heart in every woman, whether married or single. In the past, motherhood was regarded as the noblest calling of a woman. Today it is too often pushed aside by more “desirable” occupations or careers, and seen as an inconvenience or even an embarrassment.

A true mother thinks day and night about the well-being of her children, and is the first to praise, comfort and protect them. She is willing to sacrifice her life for them. The pains of pregnancy and childbirth are borne by the mother, and she continues to carry the child in her heart her whole life.

Motherhood is a mystery. It is something truly divine for which every human heart longs. This is why mothers provide the most powerful influence on a child’s life, and are the most important role models for positive change in our society. When anyone is in trouble, or knows that they are dying, the first person they think of is their mother. When children start going wrong ways a mother’s prayer is powerful. Mothers remind us that there is a loving God above us who will take good care of everyone, especially children. Whenever a tragedy occurs—no matter where in the world this happens—you will always find mothers both weeping for the dead and bringing comfort and security to the living.

As we seek to improve the education of our children, let us start by taking better care of our mothers. This will enable them to provide better homes for all of us, and ensure the survival of our society. Never before in our history have so many men abandoned the children they fathered. Fathers are vanishing from their children’s lives, not just physically, but legally as well. Therefore, congratulations to all single mothers and grandmothers who do their best to raise children on their own. They often struggle under the most difficult circumstances. They are the real heroes of the family—and not just on Mother’s Day.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!

You can find this and other articles at http://www.plough.com/articles/theglueofsociety.html

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“What more could a son ask from his mother than her continued support and love?” writes Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons contributor Johnny N. Ortez. “Nothing can compare to a mother’s love, and being a mama’s boy is a good thing. My mom has been the rock of my life.”

Inside Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons, you’ll also read about:

• How Connie Hill’s son honored her for being a working mom

• The meaning behind Cheryl Costello-Forshey’s “no hug” rule – and how a son decided to break it

• Why Kirk Hill took his mom out on a date

• Why dinnertime is the favorite time of day for Lynn Fredericks, single mom of two sons

You can buy the book here or you can enter to win it from The Mom Maven.
How to Enter Since today is Mother’s Day I’m not going to ask you to jump through any hoops. Just leave me a comment telling me how many years you have been a mother and the ages of your sons. That’s it, no bonus entries either.

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be drawn on Friday, May 15th at 10pm. Good Luck

The post Day 10 of 10 Days of Celebrating Moms-Giveaway for Moms with Sons appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Featured Products

Chic and Carry Wristlet – Make mom’s quick trips out with baby much easier with this great product.

Miessence Organics Mothers Day Set – Every mom deserves to be pampered once in awhile, and these organic body products allow her to do just that.

Sara Lee Simply Sweets Pies – Sara Lee’s Simply Sweets line gives you a delicious way to treat Mom this Mother’s Day with a fast, easy and delicious dessert.

Children Should Come With Warning Labels – Patti McKenna offers a humorous take on motherhood, giving mom a chance to laugh, cry, and identify with her tales.

Roundhouse Designs Desktop Mobile – Roundhouse Designs origami mobiles and wall art are handcrafted creations that make a unique Mothers Day gift.

Roundhouse Designs Jewelry – Roundhouse offers a wonderful selection of handmade jewelry, with styles that are perfect for every mother on your list this Mother’s Day.

Heart of A Mother – Heart of a Mother is a gift book filled with touching tributes to Mothers and Grandmothers, inspirational short stories, poems, proverbs and quotations.

Protect-A-Bed – Protect-a-Bed waterproof mattress covers provide protection from allergens, dust mites, and bedbugs, helping to extend the life of your mattress and mom to sleep a little sweeter.

Ultimate Woman Vitamins– Make sure that mom is getting everything she needs to stay healthy and active with the Vitamin Shoppe’s Ultimate Woman vitamins.

More Great Gift Ideas

April Cornell Shoulder Bag

BabyPlus System

Not Just Any Old Day Keyrings

Menu For The Week Subscription

For My Mother Reflection Journal

Vintage Body Spa

No Throw

Me Time Sportswear

Peek-A-Boobs

Kind Notes

Aventine Hill Bath Products

Treadlight Eco Snack Kit

Name Your Tune CDs

Things Remembered Charm Stories

Diaper Clutch

Pedometer

Lia Sophia Riverside Necklace

Lia Sophia Beaujolais Necklace

Lia Sophia Mandalay Bay Necklace

Lia Sophia Athena Necklace

Lia Sophia Love Dust Set

More Great Gift Guides

The Mom Maven

MomECentric

All reviews listed in the Momfluence gift guide were product provided. 

Featured positions were purchased by sponsors.  Member gift guides are not affiliated with Momfluence. 

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While reading “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter,” I was struck by how similar, yet how different we all are. As I read about:

• How contributor Lizanne Southgate was reunited with her daughter after nearly 20 years
• How cyclist Peggy Newland recreated her mother’s cross-country bicycle ride
• How contributor Shana Helmholdt battled-and survived-leukemia, with her mother by her side
• Why contributor Sylvia Rosa-Casanova describes the period that her mother moved in with her as a time of “the most grief and the most joy”

I could connect to each story, each person-even though I haven’t walked in their shoes-I am a mother, I am a daughter and we are all connected.

You can purchase the book here or you can enter to win it from The Mom Maven.

Mandatory EntryLet me know in your comment if you would keep this book for yourself, give it to your mother, give it to your daughter or give it to another significant woman in your life.
Bonus Entries
*Sign up for Gravatar, because I like to see who I am connecting with-leave a comment that you signed up or if you already use it.
*Tweet about this giveaway and copy the tweet url in your comment
*Subscribe to my RSS feed and leave me a comment letting me know.
This giveaway is open to US residents only and the winner will be chosen 5/9/09 at 5:30pm. Good Luck!

The post Day 3 of 10 Days Celebrating Mom-Giveaway Like Mother, Like Daughter appeared first on The Mom Maven.

The Secret Keeper Girl Pak is made up of 3 main components: the “Secret Keeper Girl-8 Great Dates for You and Your Daughter” kit, the “Secret Keeper Girl: My Best Friend Jesus” Bible Study and “Danika’s Totally Terrible Toss-The Legend of the Purple Flurp” fiction book.

The “Secret Keeper Girl 8 Great Dates for You and Your Daughter” kit includes 3 items. It includes a book for mom, a “Secret Keeper Girl Diary” for the daughter and an audio CD that accompanies each date. The audio CD includes interviews with BarlowGirl on the topic of friendship.

Written to moms and their 8-12 year old daughters,the “Secret Keeper Girl 8 Great Dates for You and Your Daughter” is the ultimate tool to help moms connect with their daughters. The “Secret Keeper Girl 8 Great Dates for You and Your Daughter” guides mom as she has important conversations with her daughter about vital truths. Each of the 8 dates follows a similar format.

• SKG-Prep Talk: This gives mom an overview of the date. Mom should always read this at least a week before the date is to take place so that plans can be made and supplies can be gathered.
• SKG-CD: A 7-10 minute going out track on the CD to listen to in the car while you are on your way to the destination of the date.
• SKG-Diary Girl Gab: guides you and your daughter through some of the activities in her diary.
• SKG-Challenge: This is the really fun part of the date and could include a slumber party, the mall, the beach or a park depending on the date.
• SKG-CD: A 3-4 minute heading home wrap up on the CD
• SKG-Driveway Prayer: Each date ends with prayertime in your car in your driveway.

Every date is based on a friendship theme common to teens such as mean girls, BFFs, siblings and boyz. This kit is an amazing way to keep communication open with your daughter and create special memories with her.

The “Secret Keeper Girl: My Best Friend Jesus-Meditating on God’s Truth about True Friendship” Bible Study is a book of 6 age appropriate interactive lessons that do way more than just focus on what the Bible says about friendship. More importantly, it teaches the girls how to study Scripture, meditate on it and make it’s truths real in their lives.

From the Secret Keeper Girl fiction series we have “Danika’s Totally Terrible Toss-The Legend of the Purple Flurp”. This is a fun fiction book with the friendship themes of popularity, mean girls and how to be a true friend. This book is great to read with your daughter. In the back of he book there is a Mother-Daughter Girl Gab section with questions for you to talk about together.

As a mom who is always looking for ways to help my children grow in God’s likeness, I love tools like these that allow us to learn, grow and have fun all while continuing to solidify our relationship as parent and child. I wish there was a kit like this for boys! I am going to take some of the activities here and tweak them to discuss the topic of friendship with my sons. As always, Dannah Gresh’s love of young people shines through in these books. She writes in a fun and open way, like she is talking to her own daughters.

I know you want to get these books into your home. You can buy them at the Pure Freedom website or you can win this entire set-a $35 value, right here at Mom Maven. For your first entry you must check out the Secret Keeper girl website, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me what excites you most about the Secret Keeper Girl products. You must also leave a valid e-mail address or twitter name so that I can notify if you win.

If you would like extra entries you can earn 3 entries each for doing any or all of the following:

• tweet this contest and post the url of the tweet as a separate comment
• follow or subscribe to this blog and leave a comment here telling me that you have done this
• stumble this post with a review and link it here in a comment

The winner will be chosen by Random.org on Friday, January 30th at 10:00pm**time of drawing had to be pushed back due to a church reponsibility.
Good Luck!!

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