Back in the mid to late 70s, my mom made my sister and I sock monkeys. Sock monkey dolls have been around since the early 1900s and have always been made with Rockford Red Heel® socks, positioned so that those red heels become the mouths of the cute monkey toys. I loved mine to pieces, literally I think. I cannot find it anywhere and seem to recall the stuffing eventually coming out of the thing. Sadly, I am pretty sure I will not be able to talk mom into making me another.

The good news is that I do not have to depend on mom if I want to get my hands on another sock monkey. You can buy a vibrant, updated sock monkey at www.genuinemonkeez.com. They sent me a Colonial Candle Sock Monkey night light to try out and the entire family has fallen in love with the cute little guy. It’s a little bit of nostalgia in the face of the modern world. And, it’s been a great way to introduce my six-year-old daughter to the classic Sock Monkey of my youth. The updated versions come in red, blue, green and orange and really appeal more to kids my daughter’s age than the classic brown monkey dolls. Plus, this version has magnets in the hands and feet that can cling to one another or any metal surface. The options for fun are endless. The site offers clothing for the dolls and related accessories. That’s where you can find the link to buy one of the night lights like the one I have pictured in this review.

Vibrant, stained-glass style colors.

The warm glow of the light when it is switched on in a dark room.

Call me nuts, but even after conducting a viewing purge that eliminated most reality shows out of my regular TV watching schedule – I really took to this new show Dating in the Dark.

I think there have only been two episodes on so far. I taped it last night, but a minute in I realized it was a rerun and deleted it from the DVR. Even so, those two episodes were an awful lot of fun.

As you may be able to tell from the title of the show, it is a dating experiment where couples get to know each other in a completely dark room. At the end, the each pick who they want to see in the light and after having a few seconds to see the face and body of the person they have developed a relationship of sorts with, thy decide whether or not to meet back up and discuss going on future dates.

The first episode had a semi-attractive female contestant that thought a lot more of herself than I assume most people thin of her, and she decided not to meet back up with her intended. This, despite the fact that the guy was perfectly cute, a great kisser, and charming. She just felt that looks-wise he was below her. I can only hope this hinders her dating out in the real world. She showed her true colors and they were muddled and grey.

The second episode did have one guy decide not to meet up with his very hot partner after he saw her, but not because she wasn’t smokin’ hot (because he agreed that she was), but because she was too religious for him. At least he showed some internal character via his actions. There was also a guy who packed a Kettlebell in his luggage and had to prove to his date that he was more than just a muscle head, but that worked out in the end and was a delightlful show that not all stereotypes are justly founded.

It’s a flimsy summer show, for sure, but good for a chuckle and shines some light on the ongoing debate about whether or not looks really matter when it comes to love.

It is a shame that when we need the library the most, they really are not there for us. Not only do school workers like me not get paid over the summer, I am also dealing with the loss of my postiin at the school and the reality that a lot of us who were laid off might not find slots this fall. I am sure it will work out in the end, but things are tense right now. I depend on the local library more than ever to ensure my daughter and I have lots to read this summer without breaking the bank.

But, our local government is seeing some of the same financial woes that the school bard is seeing and they have cut library hours drastically. Most branches are only open in the evenings a couple of days a week all branches shut down two days out of the week. You should see how CROWDED the libraries are now when they are open. The irony is that more people than ever are using their servers and they have to fit all those people into less hours. Yikes. Don’t expect a quiet place to study at any of the libraries around here. They are mini madhouses filled with people eating in line for computer access, crowding into the video aisles, and jockeying for the best books in the children’s section. Oddly, the people who WORK at the library are the loudest ones of the bunch, but that’s more appropriate for a letter to the editor than a blog article.

Anyway, you can see how much I rely on the library for our household book consumption. Even with my complaints, I would rather see my daughter spend time reading than doubling up her time on the XBox or spending too much time in the hot, Florida mid-day sun. The library is the one local tax-funded amenity I really use and I try to do my part to help. I donate books, help with fundraisers and gladly overpay on fines. It’s just so flipping stressful to go there now and fight the hoards. I have had a stack of books to return sitting on my foyer table for a week. In the meantime, I have actually made two trips to the Barnes & Noble around the corner and purchased some of the books I have been eager to read. It just seems easier. I find that I am avoiding the library for the same reason I avoid the Mall – too many people rudely jostling for position, too many out-of-control kids, and not enough incentive to stay.

On the other hand, my daughter and I are both re-discovering some of the books we already have on our bookshelves. Re-reading is a luxury I rarely make time for and now is the time to remedy that.

A lot of what I plan to do while I have the whole summer off work is catch up on my reading. I want to re-read at least four on my Truman Capote books (I have multiple copies of all his books – he is my favorite author). And, I want to get going on the books I have added this past year to my time travel fiction collection. No, not time travel romance novels (Ick), but thoughtful time travel fiction generally residing in the science fiction or fantasy. I finally got a copy of Time Camera by Terence Lee (so far, it looks awkwardly written, but holding to a cool premise) and the first in the Time Travelers, Inc. series – Reflections of Toddsville by Hollie Van Horne.

To me, the greatest pleasure of writing is not what it’s about, but the inner music that words make.
–Truman Capote

OK, here is where I admit, with much shame, that I have been watching the Bachelorette. I don’t like the Bachelor shows, but have liked the ones with the women making the decisions in the past. This batch of guys the Bachelorette has to choose from, though, is pathetic. Without a doubt, this is a sorry bunch of guys.

They are all shaved from chin to toe, bulked up muscles, frat-boy clothing, and lots of dim-witted bathroom humor. Even if a few of them are indeed intelligent, the producers sure are not going out of their way to highlight those particular characteristics.

My question is: do the producers have all the say in choosing the pool of men ore are the guys picked based on some sort of questionnaire Jillian filled out? I hope it’s not the latter, because then it just means the poor girl is simply getting a reality dose of her own yearnings. Yikes.

Last week Jillian and one of her men (who she ultimately ended up sending home – despite the fact that he seemed a lot more down to earth than most of the other guys) got to choose between a vintage car and a slick Ferrari. Jillians’s date chose the Ferrari and I had a flash image of Ferrari parts flying all over the highway as the two dolts took off at warp speed. Thankfully, all was safe.

I really want to stop watching the show, but then last week Jillian also kept psychopathic David around for another week of train wreck entertainment. I feel oddly compelled to tune and watch him drunkenly bandy around the house with his eyes popping out of his head as he makes violent threats about other contestants. I almost WANT to see the stronger bachelors tell him he is a nut job while the obviously wimpy bachelors buddy up to him and tell David they agree with his conspiracy-theory-esque rantings.

What a mess.

We did not have much in the way of video games when I was a kid. We had arcade games, but you had to be at an actual arcade or maybe the local Pizza Hut to play them. My dad had Pong and my friend Kathleen had Intellevision. That was it. Other wise, we actually went outside and rode our bikes, built forts in the woods, made dams in the little creeks out by the park, roller-skated, and sat in the willow trees and read. That was how I and the other neighborhood kids kept ourselves occupied when I was young.,

Now, I have to battle my daughter to get her to play with something aside from online computer games and watching television. She loves her dolls and books, but not as much as she loves the fact that at her dad’s house he lets her play with his xbox 360.

How can I compete? I am after her all of the time to be active and run. She thinks my idea of fun is boring. Despite that, I am going to continue to keep on her about being outside and being active, because I want her to have effortless fitness. I want her to be able to see that with the right amount of physical activity she can eat a healthy amount of food and still look great. I want her to LIKE being active, derive joy from movement and activity. Why is that such a battle?

As I always state, if you want a synopsis of the film, you can probably get it on a hundred other blogs and websites. I am not going to repeat that information.

I just want to talk about my experience as a mother of a six-year-old girl. We went to see the Hannah Montana movie early this morning. My daughter really wanted to see it last night, but I reminded her that if we see a movie before noon on a weekend, we can both get in for $5 each. It would have cost me considerably more last night and although the movie was actually very good, I think it was much more worth my money at the $5 price.

The movie is chock full of references to family devotion, honesty, and the search for humility and looking for your dreams in your roots. The superstar side of the character (Hannah Montana) is not the focus of this movie. The story revolves much more around Miley Stewart and her family. She struggles with her desire for the lifestyle her fame as Hannah affords her, but we ultimately watch her discover that her family is a nobler pursuit.

When taking my daughter to a movie, I am much more concerned with the small details, like any use of questionable language, the way the young female characters dress, and how love relationships are portrayed. In true Disney style, we don’t see belly buttons or short skirts in this movie. There is no objectionable language. And, though there are a couple of onscreen kisses, the camera angle is such that actual lip-lock is obscured.

The movie uses many of the same characters and inside jokes as the Hannah Montana television show, but the movie also gives us some of the back story many of us may have misses – the story of Miley’s mother, how Miley got her nickname, and why Miley’s dad keeps such a tight hold on his county roots.

All in all, it is completely appropriate for a young child. Though a bit simplistic for adults, the movie still made me smile.

When I really, really like a TV series, it generally gets cancelled. Last season it was Journeyman. This season, Life on Mars. Tonight they aired the series finale.

And tonight, my DVR filled up and it did not record Life on Mars. I have not been keeping up with old episodes of some shows and I just plain ran out of space. But the irony! This is the only show that did not record tonight. Lost ended one minute early and I can live with that. Life on Mars, though, I was really looking forward to watching this final episode.

I know I can go to the ABC website and watch it, but I am not sure when they will put up this last episode. It is not on there now.

I have small pleasures in my life, as it stands. Little things. This was one of them.

And, by the way, why can’t TV watchers be a more savvy bunch? Journeyman and Life on Mars were both *smart* shows. And still, crap like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol run season after season.

Not that I have a whole lot of fee time now that I am working again, but I still like to take some time every day and unwind with some online gaming. Come to think of it, I stopped having much time to game once my daughter was born. Still, I like to fit it in when I can.

My style is to find a game I can play online preferably for free, and then find a group of like-minded players to team up with for a more interactive game experience. I’m not particularly into super aggressive or violent games, and now that my daughter is interested in online games as well, I look more often for games we can enjoy together. May as well make it a family event and work in more quality time with my daughter.

Virtual paper dolls and online games based on cartoons only interested Gigi for so long. She has her eye on the generation ahead of her, just like any young child. I have no desire for her to zip right into teen oriented games, so I’m always on the lookout for age appropriate games for her.

MEGA Brands has some very cool, very kid-friendly online games available. We’ve signed up for several. The latest in our family gaming venture is MagNext Virtual. It’s a MMORPG based on MEGA’s popular MagNext toys. My daughter’s cousin has an impressive collection and they are always the toy of preference when we are there to visit – which is often. So, you can imagine that we were sold on the concept as soon as we found the game portal.

While you are playing, you can hang out in virtual social rooms, chat safely with other players and earn Magz that allow you to “purchase” new skills and cool game gear. Because the system is multi-player, you can challenge other players to contests and learn new game skills.

The best part, aside from the fact that it is action packed and kid friendly, is that you can play free forever. Sign up and join in on the fun. We enjoyed it so much my daughter and I had to make an agreement about a daily time limitation.

Want to Star in Your Own Film?

Well, it’s not such a far-fetched concept these days. We live in a society where most people have direct access to digital video cameras and sophisticated editing software. Starring in your own film is only a matter of your own motivation.

So, how would you like to win a cool $500 just by writing, directing and starring in your own digital short? Yeah, I know, it rocks. And, it’s as simple as creating your own digital commercial starring yourself (or even family or friends) and submitting it to Scour.com. Not only will the winning commercial win $500, it will also be featured on the Scour website.

Essentially, Scour will be paying the winner AND giving them an amazing amount of free exposure. That alone is worth more than you can imagine. Scour is a great platform for exposure, too, because the site is a sophisticated online search portal that allows users to vote and comment on relevancy, which adds the human touch that so many other search engines are lacking.

So, take a seat in your director’s chair and get going on a winning idea for a new Scour Commercial. You can check out their website for all of the nitty-gritty. Give them 45 seconds and they might just give you $500.

My title indicates I will be talking about free online games for kids, but after giving it some thought I realized the games in question are definitely not JUST for kids. MEGA Brands’ has a section of their website called Kids Zone and its positively hopping with completely free online games that pretty much anyone of any age will love.

Unlike so many websites on the internet that offer free games, MEGA Brands Kids Zone is safe, secure, and completely kid friendly. My daughter and my nephew have used the site several times and they generally sit together in one chair and take turns watching the other play games like Treasure of the Lord Pyrate. My nephew’s favorite is Shark Attack, where he has to dodge sharks in a pirate ship. My daughter usually chooses the Pyrates Navigation game (she is pretty awesome at mazes).

I’m more partial to a quest-style game, like Legends King Arthur. I like to take my time, think things out, and work toward a goal. And, more often than not, my daughter ends up on my lap coaching me as I play. I like that I do not have to worry that the content will get to a point where it is no longer appropriate for family play.

Believe me, a resource like the MEGA Kids Zone is invaluable when it comes to finding quality family entertainment that fits into a budget that’s taken a beating in our current economy. It’s free, it’s safe, and it’s fun. What more could I ask for?

Oh, man. I completely thought we were set for the halftime commercials being aired during the Superbowl tonight in 3D. I had a couple of pairs of the glasses we got when we saw Journey to the Center of the Earth in the theaters. My daughter and I had them, all set to see the commercials in 3D…and they did not work.

*sigh*

I guess that means I am out of luck for tomorrow night’s episode of Chuck, too.

I never bothered to pick up 3D glasses in the Supermarkets, because I thought the ones I already had would do the trick. What comes to mind is that age-old adage about the word ASSume.

I met my ex husband years and years ago on an online dating site. That was back when it was a little less accepted as a means to meet people, but I was brand new to Florida and not sure how to meet men outside of my office since I was adverse to going to bars to do so. It worked out fine, I met a lot of people, and I found that in general the quality of those men was astoundingly high.

Online dating is so commonplace now that I find most dating sites to be too widely focused. With so many people signed up at any given site, I am having trouble narrowing the field and have given up for now. Of course that actually has more to do with the fact that I’m not really interested in dating again right now

Anyway, my theory is that the dating sites that really work are those that focus in on one set of interests or attributes. Religious or regional focuses are good. Hobbies or professions are great as well. I was looking at EquestrianCupid.com as a great example. Quite specifically, it is a huge site dedicated to making romantic connections between horse lovers. You get absolutely FREE sign-up. You can go ahead and set a profile right now and if a Gold Member happens to like your profile, they will be able to contact you and you can begin communicating. I love this little detail. It reminds me of how dating sites operated back in the day, before financial profit was all the companies were interested in.

The site also offers chat, forums, and some very good safety features. Plus, who wouldn’t be inspired by reading some of the real life equestrian cupid success stories on the site?

In a world where all things are supposed to be equal, I still see how much harder women sometimes have to work to make a name in the professional world. I enjoy celebrating those women who have made it in the eyes of society. I think of the female news anchors I worked with back in the late 90s, or the women I worked with who made it to the top position in one of the marketing and public relations firms I worked with a few years later. I have worked at women-owned business and for women who have taken over businesses. Each time I look to see what qualities those women have that I might emulate.

Look at CBS news anchor Laura Diaz, for example. Right out of college, Diaz began conquering the Southern California news market, moving quickly into a full-time anchor position at a top network affiliate. By 1997, Laura Diaz made history when she was made lead female anchor for that station’s 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts. If you know anything about television news, you will understand just what kind of coup anchoring those timeslots is. Additionally, her new position meant that she was the first Hispanic woman to anchor weekday newscasts at an English language television station in Los Angeles.

In September 2002 anchor Laura Diaz joined Los Angeles’ CBS 2 for their 5 and 11 p.m. newscasts. She represents both women and the Latino community, while still making a connection with the community as a whole. When you consider that Diaz came from a family that spoke little English, the importance of her accomplishment of disseminating the news to an English-speaking community is evident.

In addition to her anchoring and field reporting responsibilities, CBS’ Laura Diaz also finds the time to serve on the advisory board of trustees of “The Joyful Child Foundation.” The foundation works to organize neighborhood watches around the country and keep child predators off the streets.

When you hear “Laura Diaz, CBS Anchor” – it is generally a clear indication that you are talking about one of the leading Hispanic news anchors in the nation, not just in Los Angeles. Her career is a celebration of being a woman in the completive field of television news.

Learn more about Laura Diaz here.

Do you love video games? Are you the first one in line the night before a new version of Halo is released? Does your entire family find yourselves spending more time together now that you have Guitar Hero at home? Is the Wii Fitness part of your New Year’s Resolution?

Video games conventions aren’t just for the diehards anymore. Gaming has become a family pastime and a part of our modern era. So, if are looking for somewhere to take the family next weekend, consider the video game fest Otronicon @ Orlando Science Center January 16-20, 2009 at the Orlando Science Center. Even better, Otronicon is open for school trips and groups from January 21-23, 2009.

It’s appropriate for the entire family. There will be tournaments for Rock Band, Wii Fitness, and Guitar Hero. You can try your hand at racing, medical, and flight simulation; experience Wii on a big screen; and get in on the free-play for Super Smash Bros and GameCube. Hang out at the Dance Dance Revolution disco or perform for a live audience in the Rock Band Concert Hall. For the little ones, there are games like V-Smile and a chance to design your own storybook adventure. For those of us who have fond memories of the classic arcade games, there will be a longue where you can play Donkey Kong, Pacman, Frogger and more.

Don’t miss the Machinima film festival to get a first look at this emerging genre. There is even an art show where you can see submissions from local artists and students.

Otronicon even has a soft side. A couple who met while playing Halo 2 will be having “A Match Made in Halo Wedding”.

Admission is $17 for adults and $12 for children under age 12. OSC members get in free.