All we want right now is NO STAR WARS SPOILERS!!!
| We solemnly swear by this otter holding a lightsaber that we will NEVER publish any Force Awakens spoilers1 |  |
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These are a Few of My Favorite Guys On the 12 Days of Geekmas, my true loves gave to me: 12) Idris Elba Running  11) Sherlock Piping  10) Time Lord a-Leaping  9) Hiddles Dancing  8) Mutants Grinning  7) Mark a-Plying  6) Six Men of Marvel  5) One Smouldering King  4) Gosling as a Nerd  3) French Firemen  2) Two Adorable Guardians  1) Eric Northman in Front of a Tree  Thanks for singing along, and sorry for the lack of image credits.
'Tis the Season for Giving: Help Future Geeks with these Five Education Nonprofits by Brooke The holidays are a time for giving – and I don’t mean handing over our hard-earned cash to Disney for more Star Wars merch. My fellow geeks, ‘tis the season to proudly share our lives with those in need. Looking for a way to end the year by making a difference in a young geek girl’s life? Here are 5 nonprofit organizations that are doing wonderful things for girls’ and boys’ education in the USA and around the world, and how you can help.  She’s The First She’s the First supports 568 female scholars in 11 countries by providing the academic tools and mentorship they need to advance their education. Mission: “She’s the First provides scholarships to girls in low-income countries, fostering first-generation graduates and cultivating the next generation of global leaders.” How you can help: Sponsor a scholar by donating directly to her cause, help the organization raise funds and awareness, or shop at the She’s the First store.
Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a network of local nonprofit organizations that serves 140,000 girls across the USA and Canada. The programs assist girls in achieving academically, leading healthy lives, managing money, navigating media messages and discovering an interest in science, technology, engineering and math. Mission: “Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, providing more than 140,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada with life-changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges girls face.” How you can help: Donate or volunteer for your local Girls Inc. office, or help the Public Policy Office at Girls Inc. advocate for policies that will protect girls’ rights.  Child Empowerment International Child Empowerment International provides educational programs and health care for children in war-torn areas. Mission: “Our mission is to challenge the cycle of poverty in areas of civil unrest through empowering and educating marginalized children. How you can help: Give to help cover costs of disaster relief and care, sponsor a child, or plan a volunteer trip. Khan Academy Khan Academy creates online video classes in math, science, economics, computing, the arts, and even test taking. The programs aren’t just for children - anyone can watch the educational material for free! The information is continuously being translated from English into various languages. Mission: “To provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.” How you can help: Donate to keep Khan Academy running, help review curricula or help translate the classes into your native language. More information here. Happy Giving! Psst… Stay tuned for a new column featuring amazing geek girls who are helping share education and empowerment around the world!
I have six nieces and nephews ages 4-22 to buy for this year. Usually everyone gets "books from Aunt Lauren" (thank goodness they are all readers) and I have systematically introduced them to all of my favorite books and series over the last 10 years. It's become a tradition that we all enjoy. This year I decided to switch up the theme from books to graphic novels/comic omnibus. There have been some great titles out there lately, and it's time to try and start them on the path of not only book readers, but comic lovers. (BTW - they don't read our blog, so hopefully my gift secrets are safe with you all!)
It's Ugly Sweater Time! Christmas, the magical time of year where you can do all sorts of weird ass traditions and everyone pretty much accepts it as normal, like Ugly Christmas Sweaters! To further embrace this odd tradition I have dug through Etsy to find some amusing and awesome examples of geeky ugly Christmas sweaters.
  With the holidays right around the corner, this geeky mom stays busy decorating, baking cookies, shopping, and organizing holiday meals and family travel plans. But while I'm shopping online for gifts (because really, who wants to go to the mall this month if you don't have to?!), I will admit to indulging myself by making a wishlist of my own favorite geeky things! I am frequently late to the party when it comes to tv shows, and the Outlander series is no exception - so at the top of my list this year is the DVD collections of Season One. I loved the books, and everyone I know raves about the show - so hopefully Santa will pop this into my stocking this year! It certainly can't hurt that Amazon has them on sale right now for almost 50% off!  Next on my list is the fabulous new illustrated version of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - currently on sale at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I could lie and say I want this for my children, but we all know the truth - the only reason they are little Potterheads is because I've encouraged them in that direction! This past Mother's Day, my family got me a marvelous charm bracelet from ThinkGeek. So far I have the Firefly, Storm Trooper, Star Trek insignia, TARDIS, and Super Mom charms, but this Christmas I'm lusting after three more - Dobby the house elf (in honor of the aforementioned Harry Potter obsession), a d20 (as a once and hopefully future RPG enthusiast), and Captain America (because, superheroes!).  I'm also in love with these Star Trek TNG A-line dresses, also from ThinkGeek. Any color would do, though I have a personal preference for blue - someday I should write about that one night when we had a TNG murder mystery dinner party where I played Dr. Crusher and I drunk-tweeted Wil Wheaton until he actually replied...or maybe not.
So those are the geeky gifts I'm hoping to find under my tree this year! Since we don't publish on weekends, today is actually 12 workdays from the big day (eve)! So, if you are behind on your shopping (like we are) here are some of the things that top each of our holiday wishlists this year. My Geeky Holiday Wish list 2015By Maria Thanksgiving is over, and my thoughts are turning to the holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Winter Solstice, ‘tis the season for geek gifts! The folks at Think Geek know just how to get you in the spirit - with this Weeping Angel tree topper. Santa needs to be sure not to blink when he comes down the chimney. http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1edd  While we’re on the subject of trees, there’s no shortage of geeky holiday ornaments in stores right now. And nothing symbolizes the spirit of giving like this iron throne ornament, spotted at the local Target.  Who doesn’t like a geeky t-shirt as a gift? This The Martian-themed tee captures the humor of everyone’s favorite fictional astronaut. I found this one at Represent, a custom merchandise shop.  I’m not even attempting to hide my Star Wars fever any more. While others are counting the days until Christmas, December 17 is the date circled in red on my calendar. That’s the night my family is going to see The Force Awakens. Having bought a Jedi sports bottle, an R2D2 tote bag and a Darth Vader coffee creamer, I’ve shown great restraint and have only two SW items on my wish list.
The Han Solo and Princess Leia action figures come in a package together, as they were meant to be. This set is being sold in several retail outlets, including Amazon. The Funko Pop! Rey bobble-head has been spotted at several stores, including Barnes and Noble. I like to think of these two collectibles as “something old” and “something new” for this next generation of Star Wars fans.
Happy geeky holidays and happy shopping! |
