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Hot Summer Movies for Kids 2012

May 24, 2012 By 4 Comments

As the final days of school tick by I am already getting super excited about the Summertime with the girls.

Yep, I am that crazy Mom that looks as forward to Summer as the kids do.

Since I work from home I have the ability to HAVE a Summer – and I plan on packing this year full of Beach Days, River Days, and for the days that are just TOO hot to be outside – Movie Marathon Days!

Here are some of our top pics for Movies this Summer:

BRAVE

In theaters June 22nd

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

In theaters June 8th

Ice Age 4: Continental Drift

In theaters July 13th

Finding Nemo 3D

In theaters this Fall

Mike and I have a list of movies we want to see as well…. and yes, there is a Fondue Night on June 29th – Centered around Magic Mike.
Yep, we are totally that shallow.

What movies are you looking forward to this Summer?


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Do You Really KNOW Hunger? #TysonBreakfast

April 17, 2012 By 4 Comments

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Last week I was asked to participate in a Shopper Insight Study with Collective Bias for the new #TysonBreakfast Bread Bowls available at my local Sam’s Club.  (and others of course – check the list here)  The second part of this campaign however is one that I will not soon forget.   I have loved Tyson for years, but learning about the Tyson KNOW Hunger campaign has me loving (and respecting) them on a whole new level.

Even with knowing the economy in the state that it is in, some of these numbers dumbfounded me.

  • More than 25 million Americans—including 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors—receive emergency food assistance each year from the Feeding America Network.
  • About 70% of the clients seeking emergency food assistance are living below the federal poverty line, and nearly 40% have at least one adult working in their household.
  • 30-40% of the clients served report having to make choices between paying their rent/utilities/heat/medical bills… or eating.
  • Nearly one in four (24%) Americans worries about not having enough money to put food on the table at some point in the next year.

Simply reading through this report put me in tears.  Growing up in an affluent family in Florida made me very naive to how things really are.  Even our very own home state is suffering.

The numbers nationwide are staggering and it is hard for me to even imagine this is really happening – IN AMERICA.   I am baffled that it isnt on the news more – I think people are “blissfully unaware” in most cases.  But it just adds to why I respect when huge organizations like Tyson join together to do their part in helping out. I’ve always had a soft spot for those less fortunate, so I was happy to do even what little I did to help someone in need. Just imagine if we ALL did that.

I have said for months that I wanted to take the Tween to our local Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen to volunteer.  I think it is an incredible learning experience for an overly spoiled Tween to get a look at just how fortunate she is when I am “ruining her life”  by taking her cell phone away.   Sadly, I have kept her very sheltered from some of the harsh realities of the real World.   Our church goes on Tuesday nights to volunteer for the dinner service, and sadly I have conference calls every Tuesday night so I have been unable to go… that is until now.

As part of my mission for the Tyson KNOW Hunger campaign I was asked to buy an extra box of the #TysonBreakfast Bread Bowls to share with someone less fortunate who might KNOW hunger in a way that I pray I never will.   This seemed like the perfect opportunity – especially since I just wrapped my Conference Call Series – to take a Tuesday night to volunteer at Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen.

We have begun collecting items to take when we go along with the Tyson Bread Bowls and have had many talks about hunger and people who are less fortunate and choices people make in life and such.  Its been quite an experience already and we haven’t even gone.  I even overheard the Tween telling her friend on the phone that she wasnt going to waste food in the lunchroom anymore because she realized she was taking it for granted.  Talk about a Proud Mommy Moment.

You can see more about Tyson Foods Hunger Relief and see how you can get involved by checking out http://www.tysonhungerrelief.com/, following them on Twitter, Liking their Facebook Page, or simply by volunteering at your local homeless food shelter.  And get your children involved – it will not only be a great experience for them, but a very humbling experience for you as well.

Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias All opinions are 100% my own.

 

 


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ZillyDilly Child Safe Browser for iPad

March 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When I began working in Texas, my very first purchase was an iPad.   I am still amazed at how much of my business I was able to do on the go with my awesome little tablet.  With apps like DocsToGo, TeamViewer, and DropBox, I was literally able to work from anywhere – any time.

On my down time though, my iPad is mostly used by my girls – ages 5 and 12.   I created a specific page for them full of all kinds of fun games and storybooks that are age appropriate.  But even after many warnings, my daughters still venture online, perusing the internet at will.  Our computers at home have child-friendly browsers, but I had no idea there was the same type of software for the iPad until I was asked to review ZillyDilly – an app for the iPad that allows parents to control the sites their child can visit, limiting them to only the best and most educational sites the Web has to offer.

From the author of “Kids, Parents & Technology: A Guide for Young Families” and MyDigitalFamily.org,  Doctor Eitan Schwarz – “Dr S” – has more than 40 years of continuous practice in Chicago as a board certified child and adolescent psychiatrist.   Dr S has done extensive research regarding the uses of technology and digital media in therapy with children.  With that research, Dr. S has developed ZillyDilly, an app for the iPad that allows parents to control the sites their child can visit, limiting them to only the best and most educational sites the Web has to offer. Parents may set time limits, block unsafe or inappropriate sites and adjust restrictions as their child grows, all ensuring that their child has a healthy online and offline life.

I absolutely love this, and love that I can have the peace of mind to not be constantly checking what the girls are surfing on my iPad thanks to ZillyDilly.   I also love that I can set the age bracket so depending on which child is surfing, she will only see sites that are appropriate for her age group.  And I love that I can limit their time with it as well – something I should probably also consider setting for myself!  Ha!

For a limited time, ZillyDilly is free and can be downloaded directly here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zillydilly-for-ipad/id492673037?mt=8

Disclaimer:  I was not compensated in any way, shape or form for this post.  All opinions are my own.

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Which Poofin Would You Pick?

October 24, 2011 By 5 Comments

Finding a Christmas Gift to “surprise” my Tween daughter is next to impossible.   Gone are the days of picking up something from Target, wrapping it up pretty and putting “Love, Santa” on the tag.   Plus I always want to get her something unique, something that she can tell her friends about that 3/4 of them will not have received as well.   That is why when I discovered Poofin, I knew I had found the perfect gift from Santa.

A Poofin is like a soft treasure chest, filled with all of your favorite things.  Shaped like the Star that you are, in your choice of red, pink or blue, you can fill your super soft cuddly Poofin with “charms” of all of your favorite things.  The more charms you collect, the softer your Poofin becomes!

Poofin is a new developmental toy meant to inspire self-esteem in children by inviting them to create a unique charm collection kept inside a hollow, plush toy star.  Children pick charms featuring images of things they like – pizza, baseball, butterflies, anything they want!  The charms can even be customized to feature personal images of your choosing.  The result is a huggable buddy that helps kids tell the world all about themselves!

My favorite part about the Poofin – besides how soft it is – is that you can create your own charms by uploading images right from your computer into the Poofin Factory.   Last month we lost one of her little beloved pets - Sugar the Gerbil - so I am uploading a picture of her to give the Tween something she will have to forever remember her little pet.  I am also making charms with our recent trips, extended family we do not get to see often, and some of her other favorite things.  Since the custom charms are only $3.50, it is easy to get caught up making several!

I also love that she can take her Poofin with her wherever she goes – sleepovers, camp, road trips, and even just to her Dads on the weekends.

Poofin was created by two very “opposite” Moms – one tall, one short; one with all girls, one with all boys – who embrace their “yin and yang” type friendship and have created a toy to highlight such differences.

“We think our differences make our partnership strong. Differences are also what make families, schools, and communities strong. Poofin, in turn, reflects the belief that by embracing one another’s differences, the world really can become a more peaceful place.” ~Ann and Julia, Creators

You can find a retailer near you, or order directly online at the Poofin Store.  Orders normally take 7-10 days to arrive, but faster delivery is available.

I am very excited to find Poofins and to start her collection of Poofin Charms.   I’m thinking *I* might need one too…

Which Poofin would you pick?