Review: Motorola Droid Cell Phone
March 5, 2010 by Carissa Rogers · 4 Comments
Cell phone? Seriously? I call it my do-it-all-save-the-day
Smart Device.
The Droid has inserted itself into my daily life right next to my toothbrush and my Mountain Dew. We wonder how we lived without cell phones, right? I’m wondering how I managed without a walking hand-held laptop like the Droid.
I made a list of things (other than cell-phone/email) I’ve recently transformed the Droid into and the list was so long my notepad started complaining.
My Favorite Things About the Droid
- Voice Activated Browser: Hands down this is my favorite feature of the Droid. I’ve searched for Easy Oreo Truffles, Gymnastics in my town, Brandon Mull (for the tween reader in my house), and it never fails. Awesome when you are in a hurry or away from a phonebook or laptop. Look at how readable the webpages are.
- Pandora: Think about this. You don’t need radio. Satellite radio? Forget it. With Pandora on your phone you have your own radio station, and with a data plan you take it with you anywhere you travel! The sound quality is fairly good even without earphones. How about at the Gym? I love my tunes while treadmilling, but even with a few hundred songs on a playlist I get tired of the same songs. Pandora on my Droid solves jogging boredom! (Note: You wouldn’t fiddle with it while driving, now would you?)
- In the Kitchen: Seriously. The whole world of recipes in a little black box. Imagine Foodwhirl.com or Epicurious.com or iVillage.com sitting on your countertop, helping you stir creamy alfredo for dinner, or reminding you to whip the egg whites before you combine solids and liquids for Easter morning waffles. This is the digital recipe book I’ve been dreaming about. (Be careful not to drip chocolate cake batter on your friend… I mean phone!)
- Photo to Flickr to Twitter: Sometimes you need to share an image Right That Second. The 5.0 megapixel camera on the Droid spits out amazingly clear images. I never need to miss a shot again. At the park, during a kid concert, after interrupting little wanna be me with lipstick all over her face—CLICK! Picture taken. Set up your Flickr2 Twitter account and you can email, save, and share your image with a few swift taps, beeps, and wooshes!
- Backseat Crabby-Pants: Kids driving you crazy on a long drive? Believe me, I know. We live 75 miles from the nearest Costco. We are in need of serious munchkin entertainment on those trips! Droid Got Apps? (and games?) Oh yeah, Droid Does. Hundreds. Amen. (Good luck getting it back from your tween by the way…)
- On the Go Shopping and Cost Comparison: Let’s say you are looking for shelves for your tween’s bedroom and you’ve walked into a big box store and found something that might work. But, last night you were browsing around a few websites with similar products. What to do? Pull out your Droid, quickly look up the price of the online shop, and compare with and without shipping. Brilliant.
- GPS map program: I’m in the Target parking lot. I need to find the Gymnastics Studio in town. I use the voice activated browser to locate the address, I click the map and Droid asks: would you like to open the Maps App? Well yes I would, thank you. It opens and I click to get directions from WHERE I AM at that moment. Who needs a separate GPS thing-a-ma-bopper?
- I’ve also ask Droid to become my Timer/Alarm Clock, Calculator, and Calendar. It was happy to oblige.
- Social Media: Of course. The phone is all set up when you first turn it on directing you to log into your gmail account or create one, plus Facebook is ready to activate, and Twitter is easy and free to download the app of your choosing. I don’t use text messages a lot but the set up is easy and clear.
My Least Favorite Things About the Droid
At first the soft keys at the bottom of the phone were diving me nuts. They are so sensitive, when you have turned on the camera if you barely move your thumb over the ‘back’ key, it turns the camera off. I’m getting better about how I hold the phone for different functions and that problem is getting better.
I was ALL about the slide out keyboard of the Droid. However I find I’m using the on screen keyboard way more than the pull out keyboard.
How Much Does It Cost?
The Droid is on sale right now when you renew or start a contract with Verizon. You get 2 for the price of one! $199 for two Motorola Droid phones. One for you and one for your kid (who will take your phone anyway…) I think it’s a fabulous price. $100 for a phone that’s really a walkabout laptop. Yay!
Overall— When my Verizon account expires this month, I am all about purchasing either the Droid or the little sister Eris.
This test drive has been brought to you by Verizon. Carissa was given a Motorola Droid to use and enjoy for 4 weeks.Healthy Smoothies Kids Can Pack for School Lunch
February 25, 2010 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 2 Comments
You know all those juice pouch drink thingies? You stab them with a straw, if you can get the plastic off the straw that is. Then, juice comes gurgling out, usually down the pouch and onto your kids’ hands. And, although they do typically end up offering thirst-quenching goodness, the kids usually end up with sticky hands or a bent straw. And don’t get me started on the unheathly-ness of most of these things. Sugar to the max! Right in the middle of the school day if they’ve packed them in their lunches.
So, when I received an offer to review Ella’s Kitchen Smoothie Fruits, I was intrigued. The pouch had a twist off top. No straw. No stabbing. No gurgling. No stickiness. And the crushed fruit snacks were, get this, 100% organic with all sorts of free—gluten free, dairy free, egg free, wheat free, allergen free, spoon free. Seriously! What would be in it? Oh! Fruit! OK! Sign me up.
I shared the ages of my boys—9 and 6 1/2—and waited for the box of goodies to arrive. When it showed up on my doorstep a couple of days later, I found two Smoothie Fruit pouches for toddlers and kids (perfect for my boys, even though my 9-year-old tells me he’s now a teenager). But, I also found six, count them six, pouches of Stage 1 Baby Food. What would I do with those and why didn’t they send more product for my boys to try?
Connor tried the Red One with strawberries, grapes, green apples, and bananas. He downed it in about two seconds and wanted another one. Score! I tried it too and loved it. I’m all about fruit and smoothies and gurgle-free pouches. It passed my test with high scores.
Chase tried the Yellow One, which had bananas, cantaloupe, oranges, and green apples in it. Although cantaloupe is his favorite fruit, he didn’t care for this variety. Bummer!
We snapped some pics and called it good! I had arranged with my friend to have her baby test the Stage 1 Baby Food and was going to deliver it the next day.
Think again!
The next morning, I woke up to six empty or half-empty packages. My boys, thinking the pouches all contained Smoothie Fruit mixes, tried every single flavor and moved on if they didn’t like one. Carrots, Apples, and Parsnips? Gone! Apples and Bananas? Check! Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, apples, and blueberries? Half gone! Strawberries and applies? Sucked dry! Broccoli, pears, and peas. Half gone! Peaches and bananas? Gone and then some!
When Ella’s Kitchen says “Great taste, kids love it!”, they know exactly what they’re talking about. Apparently Stage 1 Baby Food isn’t just for babies anymore!
My kids provided the bottomless pit stomachs and thanks to Ella’s Kitchen for providing the Smoothie Fruits and the Stay 1 Baby Food my boys thought was Smoothie Fruits.Giveaway! Fun and Educational PBS Kids Prize Pack
February 25, 2010 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 347 Comments
The holiday gift giving season is over, kids are wrapped up in school, and homework is on the brain. With that in mind, PBS Kids put together an amazingly fun and educational prize pack for one child in your life to encourage a learning and love of STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math).
Prizes
Three winners will receive a PBS Kids prize pack, valued at $100 each.
Entry Requirements
Please do the following two things to enter for a chance to win and leave a separate comment for each:
- Visit http://www.pbs.org/parents/exploringscience/ and leave a comment here, sharing one game or activity or piece of information from the site you’d like to do or share with your child or another child in your life to help them learn and love STEM.
XXX - Follow @pbsparents AND @pbskids on Twitter.
XXXX - Post these messages on Twitter and leave comments here with a link to your tweets:
GIVEAWAY! Enter 2 win a @pbsparents prize pack (3 winners/ARV $100 each) http://bit.ly/9YyZka #pbskids #gno PLS RT
XXXXCheck out awesome @pbskids site http://to.pbs.org/8NGWsp 4 gr8 kids’ STEM (science, tech, eng, math) activities PLS RT
Extra Entries
The following five entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry each. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed entry.
- Post a picture to the Mom It Forward Flickr pool of your kids doing a STEM activity.
- Share tips in the comment section on this post for ways in which parents can help their kids learn and love STEM subjects.
- Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
- Become a Friend of Mom It Forward’s Google Friend Connect (see box in right sidebar).
- Subscribe to the Mom It Forward RSS feed (click on orange heart at the top of the right sidebar).
Terms and Conditions
Items featured in image may differ from those included in the giveaway. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Wednesday, March 3, 2010. No more than one entry per person via each of the methods listed in the Giveaway details. The odds of winning a Giveaway depend on the number of entries. Winners will be selected randomly by Mom It Forward. All decisions of Mom It Forward are final. Employees of Mom It Forward and the Giveaway sponsor are not eligible to participate. All entries received after the Giveaway closing date and time will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the e-mail. If the winner does not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants who are residents of the US 18 years and older. Void in Maine. Void where prohibited. Taxes on Giveaways are solely the responsibility of the winner. Winner agrees to permit Mom It Forward and the Giveaway Sponsor to use her or his name, voice, photo, or likeness for reasonable promotional and marketing purposes for up to 90 days after the end of the Giveaway. Mom It Forward and Sponsor are not liable for late or misdirected entries, entry errors, or transmission problems. Mom It Forward reserves the right to terminate the Giveaway in the event of technical problems, or to correct typographical or technical errors, or to amend these rules. All participants should review the Mom It Forward disclosure and privacy policies. By entering, participants agree to release and hold harmless Mom It Forward, Sponsor, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability or any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with a Giveaway. Mom It Forward will provide the name of the winner for any Giveaway, upon request, for 90 days after that Giveaway’s entry period ends. Unless otherwise provided by the Sponsor, no substitution, transfer, or assignment of prizes is permitted. Non-winning entries from one Giveaway are not carried forward to future Giveaways.
Balancing Life 101 Part 1
January 20, 2010 by TiaHejny · 10 Comments
By Camille of www.makeitworkmom.com
Of all the occupations in the world today, I believe the one most challenging, emotionally charged, and time-consuming is that of motherhood. It is a full-time job in and of itself. Then, if you add a career of any sort to that occupation, you’re dealing with quite the juggling act! Where is the balance? And how do you find it?
First of all, you need to determine what “balance” means for you. For me, balance is achieved when you find a system that allows for everyone to be happy, while still completing the necessary survival chores. In this balancing act are three main factors: Your children, your partner, and YOU! In a three-part series of posts, I’ll focus on each factor and list ways that can help achieve that balance for which we’re all searching.
Probably the main factor you’re mostly worried about in this balancing act are your children. Am I spending enough time with them? Are they happy? Will our relationship be as strong as if I were to stay at home with them? Of course! Here is what I would suggest:
- Lose The Guilt! It’s not like you’re going to a salon every day, getting pedicures and massages for yourself! Your circumstance requires you to be working, in order to provide for your family. There is nothing wrong with that. You can make adjustments to your lifestyle that will allow for time spent with your children, to strengthen that bond you may be worried about. If you need more convincing, check out www.workingmomsagainstguilt.com where four working moms have collaborated ideas on how to “resist the guilt and embrace the journey.”
- Incorporate your kiddos in your daily chores. Life doesn’t stop because you have kids. Dinner still needs to be prepared, the house (somewhat) cleaned, etc. I keep a play “station” by the kitchen with books and crayons to keep the kids entertained while I make/clean up dinner so we can still interact. Both bathrooms and kitchen have step stools handy for involvement from my little people. And we try to make cleaning together “fun”.
- Schedule “fun” time. No one in your household will survive if you stick to a rigorous routine. Break away from it every once in a while to take your kids to the park, bowling, or on a nature walk. Play dress-up, give piggy-back rides, or read books in a makeshift fort – anything that relieves the stresses you may have felt during your workday and puts the focus on you and your family.
- Maximize the quality of time spent with your children. Because of your work schedule, and by the time your kids go to sleep, you really only get to be with them 3-4 hours every day. Be creative with dinnertime, bath time, bedtime, etc. Take time to have conversations, sing, and play with them. These times you spend with your kids are the memories that will stay with them throughout their lives, much more than memories of a dirty kitchen floor!
About the Author: Camille is a thirty-something mommy with two beautiful daughters, Ad and C8, living in two worlds. By day, she works full-time as an employment recruiter/ staffing supervisor, with a 100-mile daily commute, living in a world governed by policies and professionalism. And by night, she transforms into a mother, living in a world where everything is governed by “Eenie-Meenie-Miney-Moe” and fun. Like so many other moms, she wishes she could stay at home with them, but certain situations require her to work full-time. To learn more about Camille visit www.makeitworkmom.comor contact her via twitter @makeitworkmom.
Changing Your Community Starts at Home With Secret Service Agents
November 15, 2009 by Marie LeBaron · 1 Comment
When we think of service, we tend to think of giving to others outside of our home. Serving in your own family is sometimes harder than it seems. So our family came up with this fun way to give service to each other, right here at home. We now have our very own “Secret Service Agents”!
My daughter drew a fun picture for her brother, we slipped it in a note paper pouch, then we secretly put it under his bed. When my son goes to sleep, he’ll see the fun pouch, open up the note, and see that his little sister gave him a special picture.
The Secret Service Agent pouch is then passed on to my son to choose who’s going to get a fun note from him. Someone in our family is going to get a fun surprise under their pillow almost every day! It’s been a fun way to serve right here in our home!
**To make a little note pouch, fold a piece of paper up and glue the two sides together. Write some fun words on the top or write, “Your Secret Service Agent”. Draw/write your special note and slip it in the pouch.**
GIVEAWAY! Win a PBS KIDS Gift Pack Perfect for Holiday Gift Giving!
November 13, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 346 Comments
With the holidays right around the corner and with names like Electric Company, Curious George, and Sesame Street, the PBS KIDS gift pack would arrive right in time and be the perfect present for the kids in your life this holiday season.
Prize
Three lucky winners will receive the following prizes in this PBS KIDS gift pack (retail value $100 each):
- Electric Company Backpack on wheels
- PBS Kids baseball hat
- Curious George plush
- PBS Kids T-shirt
- Steve Songs CD
- Music from Dinosaur Train
- Sesame Street Playground (Songs and videos from Around the World)
- Martha Speaks book
- Super Why book
- PBS Kids Color Foil book
- Super Why Hidden Word Puzzle
- PBS Kids USB port
- Sid The Science Kid Toy Microphone
- PBS Parents photo envelop
Entry Requirements
To enter for a chance to win, you are required to do the following three things. Make sure to leave a comment here linking to each one:
- Check out the http://pbskidsgo.org/lunchlab site and leave a comment here about your or your child’s favorite part of the site.
- Comment on the PBS Kids Healthy Eating for the Holidays Whrrl story and leave a comment here, letting us know you did so.
- Retweet and/or post the following two messages on Facebook and Twitter and comment here, linking to your update/post:
GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win $100 gift pack from #pbskids (3 Winners!). http://bit.ly/3PlZta PLS RT
Visit http://pbskidsgo.org/lunchlab 4 gr8 healthy eating/cooking w/kids tips just in time 4 holiday cooking/baking! #pbskids PLS RT
Extra Entries
You can earn up to two extra entries this week. Leave a comment for each one on this post!
- Follow @pbsparents on Twitter.
- Become a fan of the PBS Kids Facebook page.
The Fine Print
No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. PBS and Mom It Forward employees are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Wednesday, November 18 at midnight PT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered. Winners will be notified and will have 24 hours to confirm receipt of the e-mail. If they do not reply within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Open to participants in the US and Canada 18 years and older. One entry per person.
RSVP for #GNO for a Colorful Chat on Creativity & Kids Crafts Tuesday on Twitter
July 27, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 118 Comments
Want some tips on how to survive the season and create your own affordable fun to fire up kids’ imaginations before they head back to class? Then tweet the night away with other Mom It Forward gals at #gno this Tuesday on Twitter.
- What: Crayola Creativitycast on #gno (Click here to learn more about #gno!)
- When: Tuesday, July 28, 9-11 p.m. EST
- Where: Tweetgrid (Use hashtags #gno & #crayola.)
- Topic: Affordable Fun 101
- Who: @ajpassey from Because Babies Grow Up, @cerisecheri from Crayola, @cindyhopper from Skip to My Lou, @emom from Woo! Jr., @makeandtakes from Make and Takes, @razzmatazzrob from Crayola, @skybluestacy from Crayola, @youcanmakethis from You Can Make This
- Party Favors: Click here to check out this week’s giveaway sponsored by Crayola.
- RSVP: The link list is not working this week, so please leave your Twitter ID in the comments.
Giveaway—Crayola Color Wonder Gift Package ($200 Retail Value)
July 26, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 450 Comments
Do you and your kids love art, creativity, and all things Crayola? Then this giveaway is for you, because Crayola is excited to reward one winner with an amazing Crayola Creativitycast gift package, including tons of classic as well as new products, perfect for arts and crafts and back to school.
Prize
This week, everyone’s a winner. Whether you win the grand prize or not, you can enjoy a discount toward Crayola products by downloading a Crayola coupon here (good through August 31).
One grand-prize winner will receive the following products in a Crayola Color Wonder gift pack (approximate retail value: $200).
- Color Wonder (CW) Coloring and Fingerpaint Art Set (Dora the Explorer)
- CW 3-D Glitter Kit
- CW Magic Light Brush
- CW Glitter Paint
- CW Stow & Go Studio
- 2 30-page Drawing Tablets
- CW Fingerpaints & Paper
- CW Large Paper
- CW Twist-Up Crayons & Coloring Pad
- CW Markers & Coloring Pad (Disney-Pixar Cars)
- CW Markers & Coloring Pad (Disney)
- CW 6 Mess-Free Markers & Coloring Pad (Disney-Pixar Finding Nemo)
- CW 6 Mess-Free Markers & Coloring Pad (Disney My Friends Tigger & Pooh)
- CW Learning Book (Numbers)
- CW Watercolor Paint Set
- CW Markers & Paper
- CW Glitter Paint Set (TinkerBell)
- CW Glitter Paper Set (Disney Princess)
- CW Markers & Coloring Pad (Disney Princess—Sleeping Beauty)
- CW Mess-Free Paint (2 Paint-filled brushes)
- CW Mess-Free Soft Sticks
- CW Watercolor Paint Brushes
- CW 10-ct. Markers
Entry Requirements
To enter for a chance to win, you are required to do three things:
- Leave a comment on this post, including your e-mail address.
- Join the new Crayola Facebook Page.
- Post these messages on Facebook and on Twitter and leave comments here, linking to your messages:
Talk affordable fun 101 (kids arts & crafts) Tues on #gno w/ #Crayola 9-11 ET. RSVP: http://bit.ly/IrbM8
Enter to Win @Crayola’s Color Wonder gift package @ http://bit.ly/INj9Q (ret val $200) PLS RT
Extra Entries
Take advantage of all the many fun ways to earn extra entries this week. Leave an additional comment for each.
- Tweet and/or Facebook the following:
- Love Crayola? Become a Fan of the brand new Crayola Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Crayola.
- Post something you learned during #gno this week on the Crayola Facebook Page wall.
- Take the Summer of Service Challenge this week and comment on that post.
The Fine Print
No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. Crayola and Mom It Forward employees are ineligible to participate. All entries received after Sunday, August 2 at midnight PDT will not be considered. Entries that do not follow all of the entry requirements will not be considered.
Enjoying Theme and Water Parks on a Budget This Summer
June 10, 2009 by Jyl Johnson Pattee · 2 Comments
Summer means something different to every family be it a trip to Europe or backyard camping. This summer, most families are looking for ways to cut back on costs while not cutting back on family fun this summer. Here are some great tips from Kathy Peel to help you spend summer together with your family at amusement parks while staying in your budget.
Theme parks and water parks are gearing up for summer, and the owners (not to mention your kids) are hoping that your family and others don’t cut this summer ritual from your entertainment budget. Some parks are offering massive discounts. According to Robert Niles, editor of ThemeParkInsider.com, families can get more for their money in 2009 than ever before. “Universal Orlando is offering free tickets for kids, Disney World is offering free dining for the whole family, and Busch and Sea World parks are offering year-long passes for the price of one-day ticket,” says Niles.
Families in other areas can reduce day-at-the-park expenses, as well. Here’s how you can cut costs without cutting out fun:
- Shop for discount coupons. Comb the Internet for coupons and check the Web sites of parks in your area; many parks offer Internet-only specials. Also look around for deals at local grocery stores, fast-food restaurants, and drugstores.
- Consider attendance dates. Parks are busiest on weekends, so sometimes you can get better deals on weekdays. If you live near a park and plan to attend more than once this summer, check into season passes. They often pay for themselves by the second visit.
- Try arriving and staying later. Some parks offer a 20 to 50% discount for late arrivals, at 4 p.m. or after. (Check with the park for the specific time they offer twilight discounts.) You can still enjoy five to seven hours of fun before the park closes.
- Pack your own food and drinks.
- Meals inside parks are pricy and often have little nutritional value. Check out the park’s policies. Some have picnic tables, and others don’t allow you to bring in food. If you can’t bring in outside food, have a tailgate picnic in the parking lot. Pack sandwiches, fruit, cold drinks, and bottles of water in a cooler and make quick trips back to the car for sustenance during the day.
- Bring snacks from home in a backpack that family members can take turns toting. We made a mixture of M&Ms (they don’t melt), Orville Redenbacher Kettle Korn (sweet taste rather than salty), and unsalted peanuts, and put the mix in self-sealing bags.
- Take your own rafts and water toys to water parks so you won’t have to rent them. Bring some self-adhesive patches so you can repair punctured inflatable toys on the spot.
Make a Difference at Home by Focusing on Your Family This Week!
June 7, 2009 by jyl johnson pattee · 30 Comments
Make a meaningful difference this summer by taking the Summer of Service (SOS) Challenge. Here’s how:
- Commit to do one act of kindness each week based on the week’s challenge.
- Leave a comment with ideas relating to the week’s challenge as well as your experience(s) performing it.
- Grab the SOS button at the bottom of this post and put it on your blog or social networking site.
- Enter to win each week’s giveaway. Check out this week’s family focused giveaway by clicking here.
- Join #gno to connect with other Mom It Forward moms about the challenge. (Note: 10 lucky winners will receive popcorn gift packs during #gno!)
10 Ways to Make a Difference This Week
Here are 10 ideas to help you Focus on Family that will make a meaningful difference this week!
- Choose your favorite games and set aside an hour to play them together as a family.
- Enjoy mealtime together, having each person take a turn sharing about his or her favorite part of the day.
- Have a talent show where each person in the family is encouraged to participate. Talents can include simple things like doing a karate kick, juggling, or telling a story to more complex things like playing a musical instrument, reciting a poem, or performing a dance number.
As a family, write a letter or send a package to a family member that lives far away, expressing your love and gratitude for that person.- Decide on your favorite at-home family activity and plan some time this week to do it. For one extra step, assign each family member a day of the week and allow him or her to choose which family activity to do. Set aside an hour to Focus on Family each day this week.
- Make a treat together as a family and share it with a neighbor or other relative.
- Create a CD with all your favorite family songs. Listen, sing, and dance to them together.
- Choose a favorite family movie and set a time this week to have a family movie night. Don’t forget your Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn! Mmmmm!
- Come up with a family mission statement. Identify your family goals and short- and long-term goals. Remember to include fun stuff in your plans like vacations, at-home family activities, etc.
- Make time every day this week to spend one-on-one time with each of your children, telling them how much you love them. Do the same with your spouse!
This week’s SOS Challenge is sponsored by Orville Redenbacher’s. What other ideas do you have for Focusing on Family? Please share a comment here, letting us know how Focusing on Family has made a meaningful difference for you and your family this week.
Photo used with permission from Flickr.
