We think Billy Kelly is most hilarious. Not only is he hilariously witty, he’s also a do-gooder and we like do-gooders.

Check out BK’s newest EP, Dear Santa Claus and you guessed it…it’s an EP full of Christmas songs!

Here is a video for the song Glebells Jing! off of the EP:

Big deal, right? Well…YEAH! It IS a big deal, especially when you’re purchasing it for a good cause (I just bought my copy). Check it:

All proceeds from the sale of this 5-song EP will be donated to Camp Victory, a wonderful non-profit camp for wonderful kids who are chronically ill or physically challenged.

The EP consists of these five cheery, holidayish songs

1. That’s How You Know It’s Christmas
2. A Doozy of a Christmas Eve
3. Dear Santa Claus
4. Glebells Jing!
5. Let’s Make Christmas Last

Dear Santa Claus is available on iTunes and Amazon. All the ohwayoh!

I was asked to join Chicago’s Bump Club and Beyond at the local Microsoft Store to be a part of a panel with three other terrific bloggers and writers.  We each had a topic to talk about and mine was online safety.

My kindergartener is currently familiarizing herself with the online world, so, online safety and privacy protection are topics that cross my mind on a daily basis.  It’s part of my job to keep current on the latest technology trends, so I can effectively do my job as a parent, which is protecting my kids and steering them in the right direction.

That being said, here are some things to keep in mind for online safety and privacy:

• Social Networking – When creating an account online where you’re going to share personal information about your life, research the site’s privacy settings before posting or uploading anything.  Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace or Twitter (to name just a few); each service has privacy options that need attention.  It’s important that you understand how each one works, before you completely dig in.

• Blogging – Blog platforms (ie: WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, etc.) also have privacy settings.  You have the option of keeping your blog unlisted from internet search results or password protecting individual posts.  You can also password protect your blog, so that only the people you specifically give the URL and/or password to will be able to view it.

• Photo Sites – (ie: Flickr, Photo Bucket, Shuterfly, etc.)  You have privacy settings here, too.  The ability to set photo visibility to contacts only, excluding your photos from search results and setting your sharing terms are just a few of the options to review when uploading personal photos.

• Using Names – Depending on how social you wish to be online, you may want to refrain from using yours or your kid’s full names.  For example; I don’t always use my daughters’ first names.  I’ll say, “the kindergartener” or “the toddler”.  A lot of people have nicknames they’ll use for their kids, like, “little miss” or “little mister”.

• Forever is a long time – Remember that anything you post online is there forever.  When your kids are older, they may see what you posted about them when they were six.  Be mindful of their dignity.  I would specifically encourage you not to post pictures online of your babies/toddlers/kids when they are naked.  I have taken thousands of photos of my kids and yes, there is an occasional shot of their cute little bottoms as they’re scurrying past me, but those are filed away for me, not for the rest of the world to see.

• Times are changing/Announcement Etiquette – This tip is geared toward those of you who are having babies.  Chances are, many of your friends and family are using social networking sites.  Be aware, that in their excitement, these friends and family may post their own status updates, sharing your special news.  I think it is important that it is made clear to them whether or not this is acceptable.  You may have to consider sending out an email to those on your friend list, asking them to refrain from posting anything until you give the ok.  We are all pretty immersed in technology but unfortunately, not all of us are up to par on online safety and privacy.  You have no idea who will end up seeing your news if you’re not the one posting it.  The etiquette should be: You shouldn’t post anyone’s personal information or special announcements without permission or before they do.

• Disclosing your location: “Checking in” is all the rage these days.  People use social networking applications like, Foursquare, Get Glue, Facebook, etc. to log where they are at any particular time.  Remember that when you check in somewhere and you’ve made this information available to the public, the wrong people may assume you are not home and act on that.  Please check and double-check your privacy settings and only share your location with trusted contacts.

ONLINE SAFETY RESOURCES

Online safety:

http://safely.yahoo.com/
http://www.google.com/familysafety/
http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Stay current with social media and technology trends:

http://www.mashable.com
http://www.techcrunch.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/social-media/
http://www.nielsen.com

Here is a quick video of how we spent our evening:

I feel pretty fortunate to have been involved in the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. My eyes have most definitely been opened to the hunger epidemic in our country and I now know what I can do to help.

There is still time to show your support to the Child Hunger Ends Here program. You can still purchase select ConAgra Foods brands meals and enter the package’s code online through August 2011.

Text “FEEDKIDS” to 50555 to donate $10 to Feeding America® through June 30, 2011. ($10 donated = 70 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks.)

Although this specific campaign is coming to a close, there are still other ways of showing your support.

You can donate online at FeedingAmerica.org
Start a Virtual Food Drive

Volunteer at your local food bank, shelter, pantry, etc.

Whatever you do to support this cause, thank you. I have had the opportunity to see first-hand what our support means to those serving our local communities.

Here’s a video of my warehouse walk-through with Jarrod Daab, NIFB’s Senior Development Officer.

We talked about how the food bank operates and serves 13 counties in northern Illinois and over 600 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and youth feeding sites in those counties. It’s incredible what they’re doing to help feed the hungry in the Chicagoland area.

I’m honored to be hosting an acoustic benefit show at the Northern Illinois Food Bank tomorrow night. I can’t wait for people to get inside and see for themselves what a great organization our local food bank is! If you’re in the western suburbs of Chicago tomorrow evening, May 24th, please stop by!

Here is the event information on our Facebook Page.

On Tuesday, May 24th, we are hosting an acoustic benefit show where all proceeds will be donated to the Northern Illinois Foodbank and the Child Hunger Ends Here initiative. (Wow, that felt good!)

Check out the details in our flyer below and if you’re in or around St. Charles, IL on May 24th, we’d love to see you there! You can RSVP and purchase tickets below the flyer by clicking the Donate button. Space is limited, so please try to RSVP before the night of the show. However, if you can’t, we will still accept donations at the door.

To RSVP, click the Donate button below and you will be taken to PayPal.

Artist information:

Tim Rogner (of Allister, performing original material and selections from the Allister catalog)
Eric Mueller (ex-Allister, author of CanYouSeeTheSunset.com)
Jim Hanke (of Kid, You’ll Move Mountains)

I’ve been in on a little secret about a cool project for a while and now that the secret’s out, I’m all smiles.  Ok, maybe it really wasn’t a secret but I can pretend!  You know me, I always want to be in-the-know.  My favorite thing to do is spread the good word.

Here’s the good word about A World of Happiness for Autism – the phenomenal track that includes a dozen or so amazing kindie/children/kids & family musicians is out and available on iTunes for $1.29.

Here is the important, do-good-er stuff.  That $1.29 you’re spending goes directly to the Autism Speaks organization.  We recently had a poll at KindieCast so people like you could help decide which charity would get the proceeds from the song.  Getting something for giving something is grand; You support a cause and get a fantastic tune in return.  #WIN!

The individuals with the vision for The Happiness Project are Tor Hyams and Joanie Leeds.  I have had the pleasure of working with both of them and creating this video with the footage they provided to me.  This quick video gives you a sneak peek at some of the artists on the track during their recording sessions and their take on The Happiness Project.  Take a look:

Download A World of Happiness for Autism here.

This is my favorite part. I am GIFTING the track to the first ten people that comment on this post. *Please remember that you will need to have iTunes installed on your computer to redeem your gift code and to be able to listen to the song. I am thrilled to donate to Autism Speaks in this fashion during Autism Awareness Month.

Once I have received the first ten comments, I will email the gift code for the A World of Happiness for Autism single.

A big thank you goes out to Tor, Joanie and all of the artists who were involved in The Happiness Project.

It’s good stuff, people.

17.2 million children in the United States don’t get enough food to live active, healthful lives – that’s one in four kids who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. That’s why ConAgra Foods is encouraging people across the country to rally together to help end child hunger in our communities.

I recently shared with you how you can play a part in ending child hunger just by grocery shopping.  After purchasing the specially marked packages of ConAgra Food brands and entering the code online at www.childhungerendshere.com, you have helped!  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

A monetary donation will be made enabling one meal to be secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks, up to a maximum of 2.5 million meals for codes entered through 8/31/11. Valid in US only. $1 donated = 7 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks.

While I think that grocery shopping is an excellent way to feed your own family and give back, it isn’t the only way to show your support for this critical cause.

You can also Text to Donate.  Simply text “FEEDKIDS” to 50555 to make a $10 donation directly to Feeding America through June 30, 2011.  That is also quite easy.

Get involved locally. You can call or visit your local Food Bank to find out how you can help people in your neighborhood.  This is a GREAT idea for teens and young adults.  There is so much even young people can do to get involved and help raise awareness about child hunger.  Volunteering is an excellent way to show your support.

One other thing you can do is help Spread the Word – Maybe you’re not able to participate in a monetary fashion and that’s ok!  You can still let others know about this great cause and maybe they can help by donating or spreading the word.  That is what matters the most.  You can get more information on the child hunger issue by following ConAgra Foods on Facebook and Twitter.  Between these two social media outlets, you will see how your donations are making a difference.  You can even share your own photos and stories there.

These are just a few ideas.  I have recently reached out to my local Food Bank about ways I can get involved and look forward to sharing the information with you.  I would love to hear your thoughts!  What have you done or have organizations done in your area?

*I am being compensated as an active blogger correspondent for ConAgra’s Child Hunger Ends Here campaign.  Any opinions and experiences shared here are my own.  I am honored to play an integral part in this initiative!

*Congratulations to our winner, commenter number 110 – Erica!

Spring is here and slowly but surely, the weather in this beautiful country is warming up.  You know what that means – it’s time for your toes to come out!  You should paint your toenails with some Piggy Paint and then get yourself a new pair of shoes.  The shoes?  We can help you with that.

We’re pleased to host an incredible giveaway courtesy of Naturalizer.  One winner will receive a $100 shopping spree at Naturalizer.com!

Huzzah! You are so very welcome.

You ask, Why?  What’s the special occasion?  Here is the answer:

“Feel Good” is the philosophy of Naturalizer shoes, and their new charitable program is no different. Designed to help women feel good by being able to buy shoes and give back at the same time, the Friends of Naturalizer program will donate $1 for every shoe and handbag sale (up to $20,000) between April 7-11. During this time, anyone can vote for the charity they think should get the $20,000: World Wildlife Fund, Boys & Girls Club or WaterCan.

Now, pay attention!  There are several opportunities to enter this giveaway.  This is important stuff.  This is $100 toward a new pair of SHOES we’re talking about here, people!

To enter our $100 Naturalizer giveaway you must do the following:

1. Edit 4/13: Voting has ended – thank you to all who voted! First, vote for the charity or cause that means the most to you. You can click here to vote.  (Psst…it’s easy voting, just one click to get to Naturalizer’s site and then one more click to cast your vote – no registering or signing in.)

2. You can enter for a first time by “Liking” Naturalizer on Facebook.  After you go and “Like” Naturalizer, come back to this giveaway post and leave a second comment letting us know that you’re totally a fan of Naturalizer on Facebook.

3. You can enter for a second time by “Liking” ParentSphere on Facebook.  Why?  Well, because we like offering giveaways like this one and the more fans, the merrier!  After you go and “Like” ParentSphere, come back to this giveaway post and leave another comment letting us know that you like-like us on Facebook!

Edit 4/13: THIRD ENTRY OPPORTUNITY! You can score yourself a fourth entry if you have a Twitter account and you scroll to the top of this post and click the little green “retweet” button.  Come back to this post and leave a comment letting us know that you’ve Tweeted about the giveaway.

We will choose a winner on Friday, April 15th.

This is $100 for shoes, people.  We don’t mess around.

Here are the specific prize details:

The winner of the giveaway will receive a gift code for the Naturalizer site with $100. The code will cover the shoes, tax and shipping and will be good for any pair of the spring line (excluding the specialty Naya brand). The code will expire June 15, 2011.

*This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada

Lastly but not least, we weren’t compensated for offering this giveaway, nor were we given product.  We just like honest-to-goodness awesome giveaways and support for charities.

*Go Grocery Shopping – From March through May 2011, ConAgra Foods will embark on its largest branded initiative to fight child hunger in the United States. Consumers can purchase select ConAgra Foods brands and, when they activate their purchase online at http://www.childhungerendshere.com by entering an eight-digit code, a monetary donation will be made enabling one meal to be secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local food banks, up to a maximum of 2.5 million meals for codes entered through 8/31/11. Valid in the U.S. only. $1 donated = 7 meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks.

Look for the red “Child Hunger Ends Here” push pin logo on the following ConAgra Foods brands:

• Banquet
• Chef Boyardee
• Healthy Choice
• Fresh Mixers
• Kid Cuisine
• Marie Callender’s
• Peter Pan

Enter the 8-digit code found on the specially marked packages online at:  Child Hunger Ends Here (or just click the big red push pin on my sidebar)

Get it?  Got it.  Good.  You’re smart, so, I figured you would.

Stay tuned for more ways to help this important cause.

*I am being compensated as an active blogger correspondent for ConAgra’s Child Hunger Ends Here campaign.  Any opinions and experiences shared here are my own.

This week, our topic of discussion pretty much revolves around the 30 minute special with Al Roker that airs on NBC tonight. Hopefully you’ll be able to tune in to see first-hand what this initiative is all about.

Jolly Mom – Child Hunger Ends Here, Join us for an important Twitter chat this Saturday

The Shopping Mama – Child Hunger Ends Here

Momspective – Child Hunger Ends Here – Let Me Tell You What I Saw

Love to Shop Mom – Child Hunger Ends Here

Hollywood Mom blog – Watch NBC Special “Child Hunger Ends Here” Saturday, March 19, 2011

Lille Punkin Reviews – Child Hunger Ends Here

The Dirty t Shirt – Child Hunger Ends Here With ConAgra Foods

Cha-Ching on a Shoe String – Child Hunger Ends Here: A Special Report and #ChildHungerEndsHere Twitter Chat

rockin’ mama – What You and I Can Do To Help End Child Hunger

STL Mommy - Help End Child Hunger Saint Louis Event March 19th

Eighty MPH Mom – Childhood Hunger Ends Here Television Special this Saturday

*My apologies if I missed your post!  Leave me a comment and I’ll add it or I’ll catch you next time around.