Trying on eyeglass frames is certainly more fun than trying on a pair of jeans or a bathing suit, but after checking out more than a dozen or so pairs, the experience can begin to grate on your nerves. I recently decided to treat myself to new glasses after my prescription changed and while I relished the alone time (if you have two young kids, I know you can understand me), suddenly the designer labels were all beginning to blur together. Not good if your vision is as bad as mine. The Design Your Own Eyewear Web site puts the rather tedious chore into perspective by letting you “try on” different frames virtually. The process is relatively straightforward: upload a photo from your desktop, choose a frame style (tortoise shell or Clark Kent?), select frame color and lens color and voila! Instant design. What’s cool is that you can experiment with different sizes and shapes to best fit your face…all in the comfort of your own home before you go shopping. And if you plan on laying out extra bucks for a designer label like I did–hey, moms like us need to look our best–then this extra perk makes all the difference. Did we mention that this service is free of charge?

In a Nutshell: If you’re in the market for a new pair of glasses and can do without the glare of a pressuring salesperson, this site will open your eyes to the possibilities.

Remember your trusty Chatter Telephone toy? The one you dutifully pulled behind you as you toddled around the house back in the day? Well, fast- forward to the present where your tech-savvy kid can tap on your iPhone faster than you can check your e-mail. Fisher-Price has tweaked its telephone for a new generation that can do more than talk in real time. Now you can download the Chatter Telephone App, along with one for See ‘n Say and the Little People Farm, from iTunes and let your preschooler play to her heart’s content. The Chatter Telephone features three screens–Numbers, Music and People in Your Neighborhood–that help kids count, listen to different instruments and learn about grown-ups at work. Hey, in this world, busy signals just don’t exist. Warning: If you hand your iPhone over to your kid with this app loaded, you may not get it back.

In a Nutshell: Long lines at the grocery store? With the Chatter Telephone App on your phone, we say: bring ‘em on.

History can turn off some kids faster than you can say, “Time to pick up your room.” Chalk it up to living in a fast-paced world where instant gratification is the norm…kids just don’t get that jazzed about stuff that’s happened long ago, let alone 5 minutes from now. PBS Kids must have had this in mind when it recently launched its new Web series, Wilson & Ditch: Digging America. It’s an activities-packed online destination that aims to make American history, geography and culture a little more…well, lively. The series stars two fun-loving gophers who road-trip across country and learn quite a bit along the way. My 5-year-old and I checked it out and, considering our limited real-world traveling experience, had quite an adventure. Games like Road Quest take license plat spotting to a new virtual level, while Picture Yourself let us drop our own digital photos into various backdrops. (Now, Peyton can feel like she’s been to the desert, minus the dry heat!) There are also downloadable activities, podcasts and travel journals that will undoubtedly inspire wanderlust.

In a Nutshell: History, boring? We’d never utter those two words in the same sentence. Plus, we have a new list of places we’d like to visit that don’t require a passport.

Less than one month to Valentine’s Day and counting…if you’re looking for a different kind of way to let your special someone know how much you care (think: long-neglected spouse who’s done his fair share of nighttime feedings), check out the latest trend in greeting cards. Hallmark’s Webcam Greetings take an ordinary paper card and turn it into a three-dimensional experience that makes characters and images practically come to life. After receiving your specially marked card, you follow the directions off the designated Web site and then hold it up to the site’s webcam. It doesn’t matter which way you turn the card; the animation will track and follow your movement. It’s like watching a mini movie and believe me, you’ll be a captive audience. There are currently 10 Valentine’s Day webcam cards available, and additional cards for other occasions will be rolled out later this year.

In a Nutshell: When candy and flowers just won’t do, here’s a gift that’s more than memorable. Get your (virtual) groove on by telling your sweetie you love them in cyberspace–and beyond.