A seed swap, a whale festival, motorcycle bootcamp and a wine country tour. What do all of these things have in common? They are all experiences that you can find and book on RAVN –  a newish website and app that helps you discover fun and interesting things to do near you.

You search for things to do by mood (I’m feeling “artsy” today,)  who you’re going with (perfect for date night or “me ” time,) or price (free options abound!)

I searched for “solo” activities that were “unique,” and RAVN suggested:

100 Things to Try Before You Die Culinary Tour

Explore the best of the best with this day long eating fest, sampling the most infamous and top rated dishes in SF

This would have been perfect were it not for the $300 price tag. Yikes!

So I sorted by price and found:

Sailing Adventure for Interested Beginners

See what sailing is all about when you join this relaxing excursion designed to introduce interested beginners to the sailing experience

The sailing adventure was a much more palatable $10. Perfect!

So whether you are looking for something to do with your friends, your significant other, or all by yourself, RAVN can turn you on to some new adventures. RAVN is available on your computer or as an app in the iTunes store – both are free.

With all these fun things to do, what are you waiting for? Schedule your sitter and get out there!

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We haven’t seen it, but based on a stellar cast and the fun premise, we are really looking forward to this new movie opening Friday.

Hey look - it's the policeman from Bridesmaids!

Starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Jon Hamm, Ed Burns and Jennifer Westfeldt, “Friends with Kids” looks to be a great ensemble movie with lots of laughs.

In an effort to have their cake and eat it too, two friends decide to have a child together, but keep their relationship platonic, in hopes of completely avoiding the toll children can take on one’s romantic life. Will they succeed? We’re guessing it’s complicated, and we can’t wait to find out.

Log on to SitterScout, schedule your babysitter and get out! A little date night will do you good. Come on, you deserve it.

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I often find myself signing up for loyalty cards and then promptly losing them….or I stash them somewhere in my wallet, only to fumble around looking for them when it’s time to check out at the store.  That really pleases the folks in line behind me.

Luckily, this no longer has to be my way of life, because as with many things in life, there’s an app for that!  Carley Knoblach from Digitwirl provides the scoop:

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For many parents, February 14 is "just another night"

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and we surveyed parents to find out what they have planned.  We were surprised to learn that many parents are struggling to get “couple time” on this romantic (or not!) occasion.  In fact, when asked what occasion is celebrated with an “adult only” date, Valentine’s Day came in a distant third behind anniversaries and birthdays.  Nearly half of parents surveyed characterized Valentine’s Day as “just another day/night” and a mere 4% called it “the most romantic night of the year.”

The planning and logistics create a barrier for some parents.  Dinner with spouse/partner was by far the most popular way respondents celebrate Valentine’s Day and yet “dinner at home” was more common than “dinner at a restaurant.”  For those couples that do make it out, half use babysitters that are typically scheduled 1-3 weeks in advance.  More than a third of parents said they include the kids in the celebration while 15% felt the holiday is a “burden – one more thing you have to arrange.”

All hope is not lost for the annual Valentine’s Day tradition.  Nearly a quarter of SitterScout parents thought it is a “well-deserved night out” and are “happy to have a night without the kids.” Perhaps most tellingly, more than 20% “wish we could do this more often.”

Stop wishing and start Scouting!  Use SitterScout now and book those babysitters.

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Should you be fortunate enough to find yourself in a postion to get out for a last-minute date night (and with SitterScout you may very well be in that position!) – deciding where to go and wondering how long you’ll have to wait for a table can hinder your plan making.

Got a babysitter? Make last minute reservations in a snap.

May we suggest acquainting yourself with OpenTable? OpenTable makes it super-easy to make last minute plans.  You can search restaurants near you that have tables available at a time of your choosing.  Refine your search by neighborhood, cuisine, or price.

Instead of calling around to a bunch of restaurants looking for one with an opening, log on and let OpenTable do the work for you!  So what are you waiting for? Grab a babysitter and go.

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You don’t have to be a geek to know that technology can make your life a whole lot easier.  Nevertheless, we were absolutely thrilled to be called out by none other than Cali Lewis of GeekBeat.TV on the latest edition of her show.  Find out what she has to say about SitterScout and learn about a new technique for cleaning up oil spills, all in the video below.

Did you ever think you’d read about those two things in the same sentence?  Neither did we, but what fun!

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Wow!  We are totally overwhelmed by the love and support we are seeing today.  So many people are giving us amazing feedback and so many people are learning about SitterScout, then sharing with their friends.

THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

This could be you!

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We aren’t exactly spontaneous in our family.  Asking anyone to do anything out of the ordinary (e.g., cleaning out a closet) usually requires advance notice measured in weeks. So when a friend mentioned to me that I should consider flying to Atlanta for her baby shower to catch up with all of our college friends, and that it was just a couple of weeks away, I was really surprised to hear myself saying, “Sure! Sounds like fun. Let me look at flights.”  I was even more surprised to find that we had a free ticket on United and that my husband was on board with me taking the trip.

And so I found myself flying from California to Atlanta for a meet-up with my college girlfriends.  I hadn’t seen them in about five or six years…so long ago that I couldn’t even recall the details.  I have to admit that I was a little nervous.  Would it be weird?  Would we get along?

We all met up at the baby shower to kick things off and immediately started catching up on all that had happened in our lives.  My children are a bit older than most of my friends’ kids, but I had a great time hearing about all their little ones, and they mine.  We shared pictures and stories, marveling in the fact that we have known each other for twenty years!  Was it possible? Were we really that old?

After the baby shower, we went to a spa and indulged ourselves a bit, taking time to relax before our big night out.  We then headed to a tapas restaurant where we knew there would be live music.  We ordered TONS of food and ate until we were stuffed.  We were hoping to dance it off to the live music, but it was not exactly our style.  We headed out to a quiet coffee shop, but thought better of it and decided to look for another Plan B.

Our very own dance floor time machine

Thank goodness we did!  We were able to find another restaurant close by that had a dance floor and a DJ who was willing to play what we liked.  The dance floor became a time machine, transporting us back to our college days and allowing us to pretend for a moment that we were still those girls.  And we are.  Only better.  We’re wiser, more comfortable with ourselves; and sometimes, we’re even still a little bit spontaneous.

Could you use a little more spontaneity in your life?  Let SitterScout help.

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One of the biggest challenges parents face is finding great babysitters.  And these days, with sitters busier than ever with school and extra-curriculars (and thus not always available when you need them,) one great sitter isn’t even close to enough!

We’ve got some ideas to help you build your roster of sitters — so you can get out of the house.

So without further ado, here are the Top Places to Find a Great Babysitter:

1. Places that provide childcare – think your gym, church, even your nursery/pre-school.  If you “click” with one of the childcare providers at any of these places, ask them if they are looking to do more babysitting outside of their job.  If they say yes, then grab their number – quickly!
2. Online Sitter Services - Care.com and others like SitterCity provide an opportunity to review sitter profiles and find a great fit for your family. Use this link to get 15% off a Care.com membership.
3. Your sitter’s friends – one great sitter can lead to another.  Chances are, if you like your babysitter, you’ll like her friends, too.  The best time to ask is when you’ve invited your babysitter to sit and it doesn’t work with their schedule.  They’ll probably be happy to help you out by sharing some names with you.
4. Your friends – Like-minded friends can be your very best resource for great babysitters, but be sure to share the names of any sitters you know, too, because believe us – karma is a boomerang!
5. Older siblings of your children’s friends – do any of your children’s friends have older siblings?  Hit them up!
6. Your local college – try calling the sorority houses on campus (especially if you are an alumnus).  The Education Department at the school is another great place to contact.
7. Around town – ever see a great babysitter in action and think, “Wow – I wish I had a sitter like that?” Make your wish come true by complimenting the sitter on her skills and asking if she might be available to babysit for you sometime.

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As a mom, I sometimes get stuck in a rut of throwing on whatever is comfortable (read: “schlubby”) and not thinking too much about what might look nice/flattering on me.  And I often find that I act the part.  If I dress in a lazy, “schlubby” way, then that’s how I feel.  The converse is also true: When I take the time choose clothing that makes me look confident and attractive, then I feel more confident and attractive.  And even better, I feel a lot more energetic!

It’s not always easy to get motivated or inspired to dress the part of the “confident”, “attractive” woman, though and I find that I often need a kick to get me there.  So in today’s Just for YOU, we’ve got resources to help you kick your style up a notch.  These ladies have gotten us more motivated and we’re sure they’ll do the same for you:

Everyday Mom Style

This blog takes an OOTD (outfit of the day) approach to chronicle one mom’s “journey into style” and provide motivation for the writer to focus more on her own style.  She shows you what she’s wearing each day, often with before & after shots.  She also tells you where she purchased each item that she’s wearing.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Totally motivating and relatable. We can see ourselves wearing these clothes.

The Stylish Housewife

This site focuses on being stylish on a budget.  She talks about the latest trends and shows you just how to wear them.

WHY WE LOVE IT: Beautiful photographs! And the “Shop My Closet” feature is super-fun.

Shoe Are you & JC Report

Miss Meghan is America’s Shoe Expert and her new book dishes on just what your shoes say about you.  It just might make you think twice before you put on your next pair.  Miss Meghan has been a long-time contributor to the JC Report, which delivers the latest on cutting-edge style, while uncovering key trends.

Shop it to Me

You choose your favorite stores and designers and Shop it to Me emails you the items that are on sale.

WHY WE LOVE IT: What’s not to love about your favorites on sale?  And you can select your preferences for how often you get their emails, too. Brilliant.

Rock on Mommies

The premise here is that you can be a mom without losing yourself in the process. (Yes, it’s true – you really can!) Rock on Mommies provides style inspiration from fashion, to home, to beauty.

WHY WE LOVE IT: The fashion section includes tips on make-up and other style boosters.

So read up, get inspired and kick your style up a notch!  We can tell you from first-hand experience that you’ll fee a heckuva lot better!

What are your favorite resources for style inspiration?

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