iPhone

“Mother” is a word that means something different to each individual, but it is one universally recognized and revered by all. The title is one that we should honor every day, but on one day in particular every year—Mother’s Day—we give some extra (and well deserved) lovin’ to mothers around the world.

We know there are countless ways to show your mom that you care, but why not do it with a little Social Citizens twist? Today, we share with you some of the hottest tech tools, accessories and applications that any Social Citizen would be proud to share and are a sure fire way to make your mom smile.

How are you celebrating Mother’s Day this year? Tell us about your great find in the comments box below!

iPad 2
It’s one of the most sought after items on the market right now… The iPad 2 is built 15% lighter than its predecessor, and with two cameras that allow for FaceTime and HD video recording this tool is exactly what the multi-tasking mom on-the-go needs to help keep things in order. Everyone we know who has one loves it and we think your mom will too!

We're also giving away two iPad 2s™ this Mother’s Day. If you win, you can keep it for yourself, or better yet, gift it to that great mom in your life. Enter today! (No purchase necessary, contest ends May 17, 2011.)

Price: Starting at $499

Apps for Mom
When it comes to moms who know about tech, we turn to none other than Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase who run Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech. Recently the two shared their favorite apps on the blog Boston Mamas and we liked their recommendations so much we had to share with them with our readers. With Liz and Kristen’s stamp of approval, you can’t go wrong.

1. Intuition: This free, simple app allows you to track your calendars, appointments, and to-do lists all in one place. We especially like how you can add tasks based on location, which is great for when you've got multiple errands to run.
2. Moms Made Easy: Keep all your kids' vital info -- everything from social security numbers to medical information -- all together with this secure, password protected app. You can even have it send you reminders for birthdays, appointments, or you know, Real Housewives premieres. Ahem.
3. TeuxDeux: To-do lists never looked so good (and organized) with this app from design guru and Swissmiss author Tina Roth Eisenberg. Nothing fancy here -- just add your tasks on the corresponding dates and cross them off when you're done. But it's about 400 times better than using the old envelope that's sitting on your desk.
4. Red Rover: This app may be the new standard in location-based apps for parenting. Sort of FourSquare for the play date set, but it's less about checking in and more about spontaneous meetups when you find yourself at the library or the park with a few hours to kill. Plus it feeds you local activity ideas, restaurants with clean changing rooms, and it looks fantastic.

Price: Free - $2.99/each

Instagram Photobook
Surprise your mom with a special photo book filled with stylized prints that are sure to make her smile! Keepsy now allows you to use photos taken with the Instagram app on your smartphone and turn them into your very own printed photo books. What’s so unique about this is that unlike your standard digital photos, the Instagram app that you use will allow you to apply various filters that give your pictures different retro looks, shading and tones. The ease of use with Instagram and the minutes it takes to create your own Keepsy book means that you can make your own photo book in no time at all. Your photos will surely be a blast from the past for your mom!

Price: Printed hardback books starting at just $29.95 for 30 pages (additional pages cost extra)

Michael Kors Wallet Clutch for iPhone
When your mom finally gets a night out on the town, make sure that she’s got this chic gold pebble Michael Kors clutch. The pocket book/wristlet is not only stylish, but also carries everything today’s moms need while out… including a special slot for her iPhone so everything is safe in one spot.

Price: $79.99

Scratch
We’ve all heard our moms say at one point or another, “stop playing that video game!” Now, with the platform called “Scratch,” families can share some quality time together and have fun at the same time playing computer games. Scratch is a “programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web.” I first learned about this in a Mashable article and was drawn to the fun and educational elements that the program is designed to foster.

Price: Free

I am now a member of a new breed … the millennial mom.

Millennials are growing up and the generation now includes folks in their late 20s and early 30s, like myself, who are starting their own families. In fact, according to Pew Research, 21% of US Millennials are married. And, in a study by Mr. Youth, roughly 30% of Millennials in the US and UK have at least one child. Pew also found that Millennials place their two highest life priorities on being a good parent and having a successful marriage. That sure sounds like me.

Another key characteristic of Millennials that sets them apart from other generations is technology use. Based on the same study from Pew, the majority of Millennials feel that new technologies makes life easier, makes people closer to friends and families and allows people to use their time more efficiently. Yup, sounds like me again.

Using technology to access the online world is a huge chunk of how I stay connected to friends and the world around me. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my smart phone for emails and messages. Once I have my cup of coffee, it’s time to turn on my computer and open up my saved tabs (Case Foundation website (of course!), Gmail, Google Docs, Facebook, Twitter…), log into AIM, Yammer and Outlook, and let the compulsive checking of and communicating via emails, status updates and tweets begin.

Now that I am a mom, it's no suprise that I am recording and sharing all of my baby's milestones, smiles and giggles, and daily outfit changes via photos, videos, emails, blog posts and Facebook updates. The online world is also where I first turn to for everything from parenting advice to finding childcare. Apparently, I am not alone. It turns out 65 percent of Millennial moms utilize five or more separate technologies each day, according to an article by David Stillman. He also notes that many say participating in online communities that provide support and information helps relieve their anxieties of entering the new stage of mommyhood. Again, that’s me … I never realized I was such a stereotype!

But, as most new moms know, the challenges of sleep deprivation and 24/7 attention and focus on your newborn leaves little time for reaching for that computer to get online. And, if your baby is anything like mine, who is a motion junkie that doesn't like to sleep and demands being held at all times, then you’ve really got some logistical problems preventing you from sitting in front of a computer. It has forced me to learn how to live life with one arm/hand, because the other one has turned into baby's personal carrier and cradle.

Enter: the mobile device, this new mom’s best friend.

If you can picture this, I actually drafted this post with one hand on my iPhone while holding baby with the other and simultaneously bouncing on an exercise ball to keep her happy! My handy iPhone had been the only way for me to connect to the outside world the first couple months after giving birth. With one hand, I could email, text, set Facebook status updates, browse the internet, take and post photos and videos - all things necessary for this Millennial to live happily, connected and informed. Not to mention all of the helpful apps for everything from keeping track of feeding schedules to educational kids games. Isn't technology wonderful? Honestly, I don't know how mothers of other generations were able to multi-task without the great gizmos and gadgets that I and other Millennials have readily at hand and are dependent upon.

Are you a Millennial mom? Or mom of any other generation? What are your strategies for staying connected and favorite tech tools for balancing the challenges of mommyhood?

A week from now the world will be descending on Washington, DC for the inaugural festivities.  The NPR Social Media desk staffed by Andy Carvin will be repurposing the guts of Twitter Vote Report for use on Election Day for attendees to share their travel and inauguration experiences.  

So, if you're in DC next week, or on your way, use use the hashtag  #dctrip09 to describe your roadtrip in and  #inaug09 on Inauguration Day to share your experiences. Tweet it or use the really cool iPhone app that will enables you to report and automatically map where you.

Also, for the latest help in planning for the big day you can follow twitter.com/inauguration for up to the minute details.  What are some other ways you're using Twitter to share the Inaugural festivities more broadly? Who else should we be following?