The MamaZone

You’ve Been Sentenced to Family Fun (WIN)

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:09:00 +0000

Well mamas, I’ve dusted off the “Mama’s Faves” button and carved out a spot for it at the bottom of this post. We’ve added another unique product to our list of family favorites, and I am certain your family will be jumping on the bandwagon too! This time, we’ve discovered a game that has turned our family game night on it's head. Get ready to hear about our fun and to enjoy a chance to bring that same fun to your house!

(Cue the drumroll and spotlight…)

You’ve been Sentenced is an absolutely unique game. On the surface, it might appear to be another run-of-the-mill educational game, but inside that shiny red pentagon, you’ll find a box-load of sentence building fun. The goals are simple: create sentences and justify the most ridiculous ones to the other players. Reach 200 points and you win. We had an unbelievable time getting familiar with game and we were not only building sentences as we played together, we were building our little family.

Here are the basics:

The game is for 3-10 players, ages 8 and up.
There are 540 cards with over 2,500 words to create TONS of sentences, making every game fresh and preventing repetition.
Players begin with 10 cards and use as many words as possible to create justifiable sentences.
If players object to a sentence, they become the jury and vote on whether the sentence should be scored.

Here’s what we enjoyed:

The rules are easy. Although my son is six, he was able to play with a little support.
Scoring is easy, thanks to the score sheets included in the box (and on the site as a pdf).
Laughter is guaranteed. I’ve never seen my kids work so hard to put words together and it was hilarious watching them try!
The game is expandable—there are 6 add-on card decks available.
The game is easily extended with the list of other methods of play available on the website.
The game can be used in classrooms to teach grammar and sentence structure and there is even a lesson plan on their site.

My only suggestion is that they create an add-on deck with sight words for younger kids. This would expand the age range of the game and give the little guys a chance to play and practice key words while they're playing.

Of course, we’ve given it 5 mamas: [1] I love it. [2] It’s kid approved. [3] It works just as described. [4] At $24.95, it’s reasonably priced. [5] It is a very unique game that balances fun and education quite well.

Win it!

I’m so thrilled to offer you the chance to win a You’ve been Sentenced prize pack, which includes the game, plus copies of the six, themed add-on decks (Brain Buster, Sports Highlights, Pop Culture, NASA Space Terminology, Sci-fi/Fantasy and Gourmet Cuisine). The prize value is $75 and entering is easy (just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below). If you don't want to wait until the contest is over, you can grab the game at Amazon.com where it's on sale for $20.59!! Have fun entering, and I especially hope you'll like their page on Facebook. All the best...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a sample product to review but was not compensated in any other way. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

Crayola Washable Crayons

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:30:00 +0000

I just discovered new Crayola Washable Crayons on Calyp today (another app I use for recommending products and finding new recommendations). I'm totally wondering where these were when my son was small enough to write on the walls, and a bit envious that those of you with small kids get to enjoy this luxury!

The 16-pack pictured is large enough for little hands and only $5.27 at Amazon.com. I'm tempted to grab a set just to enjoy the pleasure of washing the crayon marks off the wall! I'll depend on you to tell me all about it, instead, so if you decide to test them out, come back and let me know what you think!

This post contains affiliate links, and as always, I appreciate you shopping through my links. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Discovery Zone is where I share exciting products and services. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Friends-day Wednesday 2/8

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:41:00 +0000

Welcome back to Friends-day. Let's get to it...

The goal of this hop is to give you a quick glimpse into some other great blogs and to give you an opportunity to share a glimpse of yours. Feel free to grab the button and blog hop code to add it to your site as well! Here's how it works:

It's not mandatory, but I'd love to have you follow me at The MamaZone, If Mama Ain't or at Daily Fast Fuel. If you follow me and leave a comment, I'll definitely follow you too!
Add your blog name and a short description. For example, "The MamaZone: great t.i.d.bi.t.s. for mamas!" Feel free to link directly to your blog, or to your favorite post.
FOLLOW AT LEAST ONE PERSON and as many other blogs as you'd like to have follow back. This is what makes FriendsDay work, so if you're not willing to follow, please don't link up.
Remember to leave a comment on the blogs you follow to let them know you found them here at The MamaZone, and if someone follows you, be sure to follow back.
(Optional) Take the WednesDay is FriendsDay button, and if you want to put the blog hop on your blog, click the "get the code here" link under the blog listings. Feel free to tailor your post to your blog rather than copying mine verbatim.
Tweet, blog and yell at your friends about this so it can grow more and more each week.

I'll repost every week, so be sure to return and link up with some new folks and if you're not listed on my Mama'z Friends page, make sure you add yourself now. Enjoy...

PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE A QUICK DESCRIPTION OF YOUR BLOG

I Doubt It...

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Have you stalked me over at Daily Fast Fuel yet? A few friends and I hangout over there each week, sharing quick, yet "meaty" devotionals to help fuel your day.

This week, we're talking about the role doubt plays in your life--how it can often be a good thing, but also serves to rob you of the best life has to offer. I invite you to hop over and dig in and hope you'll spend some time reading some of the posts we've shared in the past.

If you choose to visit, do me a favor and follow on GFC. That widget has been stuck at 95 for the longest, and it's driving me buggy!!

Go and be inspired (and let me know what you think!).

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Insight Zone where you'll find insight and inspiration to keep you going. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Customizing The Start Number in an Ordered List

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Ever wanted to create a numbered list with an image between your list items? I did this week, but as you probably know, the typical ordered list restarts at (1) if you place anything between two list items. I had a hunch there was a way around this. So, I

Searched online and
Discovered an easy little piece of code to get around this little problem

See what I mean?

There’s an easy way around it, but it requires you to be comfortable tinkering with your html.

Here’s the code for the list I made above:

<ol>
<li>Searched online and </li>
<li>Discovered an easy little piece of code to get around this little problem </li> </ol>
<img src="$image_thumb[2].png" width="308" height="246" /></a> 
<ol>
<li>See what I mean? </li> </ol>

Notice how my list ended (/ol) and restarted (ol) when I added my image.

Here’s how I fixed that so the line “See what I mean?” ends up being #3 instead of a new #1:

<ol>
<li>Searched online and </li>
<li>Discovered an easy little piece of code to get around this little problem </li> </ol>
<img src="$image_thumb[2].png" width="308" height="246" /></a> 
<ol start = “3”>
<li>See what I mean? </li> </ol>

And, voila:

Searched online and
Discovered an easy little piece of code to get around this little problem

See what I mean?

As I tell you most weeks, I’m no expert, but when something works for me, I like to pass it on. I usually Google to solve my mysteries, and I find a lot of html answers at w3schools.com. By the way, if the above doesn’t work for you, you can also try to move your image code BEFORE the end of the line:

<ol>
<li>Searched online and </li>
<li>Discovered an easy little piece of code to get around this little problem <"YOUR IMAGE CODE" />< </li>
<li>See what I mean? </li> </ol>

I discovered that by accident today. Hope it helps, and if it does, leave a comment and let me know!

Saturdays are all about Blog Boosts around here. Have a blogging question? Leave a comment!

Monetize Your Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:40:00 +0000

CALYP®

Deals, Fashion & Apparel

This is a new recommendation app I'm trying. Have you used it yet? #Ad

Toyota and Shazam Want to See You in a 2012 Camry

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Oh mamas, I love it when I can give you a heads-up on big news. This time, if you need a new car, have a friend who does, or simply love Camrys, you’ll be totally excited about this announcement.

Toyota and Shazam have joined forces to bring you the opportunity to win a 2012 Camry for yourself and one for a friend. The fun started yesterday for the early adapters and if you dive in today, you’ll enjoy 5 total chances to win. I know you’re anxious to get your entry in, so here’s how:

Shazam is a smartphone app used to discover and share music. I’d say it’s most widely used for finding out the artist and/or title of “mystery” songs you hear on the radio (at least that’s how I use it). If you don’t already have the Shazam app, get it now. You’ll need it to enter the contest. If you don’t have a smart phone, enter here.

After you have the app on your phone, use it to tag Camry’s “Connections” commercial (to do that: turn up the volume, start the commercial, then press the big “S” on the Shazam app). The app will direct you through a quick entry form from there.

You can do this online daily until Super Bowl Sunday AND also when the commercial airs live during the game—a total of 5 entries if you start today. The winner will be chosen on Sunday and notified by phone after 10:30 p.m. Eastern, so make sure you type that phone number correctly!

Following the commercial’s broadcast premiere, you can dive into the Camry experience when you explore the Camry Effect using Toyota’s online, interactive video timeline.

“The Camry Effect is one of the most ambitious social media campaigns we’ve ever implemented,” said Dave Nordstrom, vice president of digital marketing at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.. “Partnering with Shazam allows us to increase awareness of this effort on the national stage and give one lucky winner the opportunity to positively affect a friend and start writing his or her own Camry story.”

If you need more details, check out the official rules. You can also take a sneak peek into Toyota’s new “Kentucky” commercial and a series of documentary clips featuring millions of Camry stories that started at a factory in Georgetown, Kentucky powered by nearly 7,000 people for 25 years.

This post is my way of hopefully starting a little Camry Effect of my own. Here’s hoping one of us wins!!

Share on Twitter: Click on the tweet below to easily share with your Twitter followers.

Someone's gotta win, why not U? Shazam @Toyota’s new commercial 4 a chance to #win a 2012 Camry bit.ly/Shazam30 #camryeffect PLS RT!

Share on Facebook: Click on the link below to easily share with your Facebook friends.

http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http://bit.ly/Shazam30

Shazam it now…

I was not compensated for this post in any way. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Discovery Zone is my place to tell you about the new and unique products I'm reviewing. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Friends-day Wednesday 2/1

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:32:00 +0000

Welcome back to Friends-day. Let's get to it...

It's not mandatory, but I'd love to have you follow me at The MamaZone, If Mama Ain't or at Daily Fast Fuel. If you follow me and leave a comment, I'll definitely follow you too!
Add your blog name and a short description. For example, "The MamaZone: great t.i.d.bi.t.s. for mamas!" Feel free to link directly to your blog, or to your favorite post.
FOLLOW AT LEAST ONE PERSON and as many other blogs as you'd like to have follow back. This is what makes FriendsDay work, so if you're not willing to follow, please don't link up.
Remember to leave a comment on the blogs you follow to let them know you found them here at The MamaZone, and if someone follows you, be sure to follow back.
(Optional) Take the WednesDay is FriendsDay button, and if you want to put the blog hop on your blog, click the "get the code here" link under the blog listings. Feel free to tailor your post to your blog rather than copying mine verbatim.
Tweet, blog and yell at your friends about this so it can grow more and more each week.

By the way, I am looking for some great bloggers to join my Mamas on Life tribe on Triberr. Interested? Visit this post.

I'll repost every week, so be sure to return and link up with some new folks and if you're not listed on my Mama'z Friends page, make sure you add yourself now. I’m also hosting Twitter Tuesdays for those of you who like to party on twitter. Check it out before you leave and link up there as well. Enjoy...

PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE A QUICK DESCRIPTION OF YOUR BLOG

Hopping For Your Honey (WIN)

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:18:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day!! I'm hopping with Couponing and Reviewing in Texas, If Only Life Could Be That Simple and Going Crazy, Wanna Go? in the “Hopping for your Honey” giveaway blog hop!

I'm giving each of you the chance to win a $25 iTunes gift card to help you celebrate love in this digital age!

I hope you'll use it to find an app, a movie, an iBook or a few love songs to help you get a little closer to the one you love. Here are some fun suggestions:

Music:

World's Greatest Valentines Day Love Songs - Various Artists

iBook:
iCook: Valentine's Day Chocolate Peppermint Creams - Becky Sheppard

App:
Be Mine Lite - Valentine's Day Card Creator - Big Blue Clip, LLC

Movie:
Valentine's Day (2010)

TV:
Valentine's Day - The Office, Season 2

To enter, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below. The gift certificate will be delivered electronically, so it's open to U.S. and Canadian residents. There's no mandatory entry, so choose your own adventure. When you're done here, be sure to visit the other blogs on the list and enter to win the grand prize package worth $500 at any of the hosts' blogs. The giveaway ends at 11:59 on Valentine's Day. All the best...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

Unique Valentine’s Day Cards from Tiny Prints

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:09:00 +0000

Love is in the air and I want to help you share it! That's why I'm thrilled to be your source for Valentine's Day cards that are sure to knock your recipients' socks off.

If you’re ready for some sock-knocking, let me point you to Tiny Prints. You already know I love their stuff, and once you see their selection of Valentines Day Greeting Cards, you’ll love them too.

Since my son is all squared away, I have my eye on some more “grown-up” selections. My favorite? “You’re My Superman!” I know my husband would get a kick out of it and it’s a perfect way of letting him know he’s important, while keeping it light.

One of my other favorites is “Breaking Story,” but I’m not posting the picture here—you’ll have to visit the site to see it for yourself, and when you do, you’ll know why I chose it. I’m not sure if I’ve ever sent my husband a personalized card, but I really don’t know why. It’s the perfect way to say, “I thought this through and this card was intentionally made for you and no one else.” What better time to communicate that than on Valentine’s day? I’m kicking myself right now because I hadn’t thought about that before!

Anyway, if after visiting the site, you want even more of Tiny Prints, stalk them on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. If you happen to fall in love with one of their Valentine Cards, I definitely want to hear about it, so leave a comment and let me know!

I will receive a free promo code in exchange for this post. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Discovery Zone is where I share exciting products and services. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Super-Friend Valentine’s Day Cards

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:00:00 +0000

It’s holiday time, and you know that means we’re diving into Family Fun Magazine again. It definitely doesn’t take a holiday to get us on their site, but when it’s time for special occasion crafts, it’s our absolute go-to-site.

This time we set out to find the perfect Valentine’s day card for my six year old. Our choice: “The Caped Cute-Sader.” It was fun to do, easy to complete and an absolutely unique Valentine’s treat. Here are the instructions along with our adaptations. Enjoy…

Grab your supplies:

Family Fun’s cape and mask template
Cardstock or construction paper
Markers
Tape
Glue stick or heart shaped stickers
Hole punch
Lollipops

Get to work:

Decide if you’ll use construction paper or cardstock. We started with cardstock, but my son says capes need to be able to move, so we switched to construction paper.

If you choose cardstock, just print your template directly onto the cardstock and make as many as you need. Skip to #5.
If you choose construction paper, print just one template on cardstock and cut it out to use as your stencil.
Fold a sheet of construction paper in quarters and trace the cape onto the paper.
Trace the masks onto that same folded paper if you have room.
Cut the capes and masks out.

Write your message on each cape. We started with “You are a Super Friend!” and then changed it to “U R A Super Friend!” in the spirit of Valentine’s day treats. Have your little one sign the back.
Cut and glue a heart on your capes or use heart stickers.
Punch a hole in the top center of each cape--not in the middle like my son did!

Slide the lollipops into the holes on the cape. Push the hole over the wrapper to keep it in place.
Draw eyes on the masks and wrap them around the lollipop tops. Secure with tape on the back.

And you're done.

We suggest you get creative—add hair, special eyes, more stickers, and get as complicated as you want. If you’re looking for a way to transport them, styrofoam works great (and this mom blogger has plenty of that laying around)!

We hope you’ll enjoy sharing these with your super friends, and you can see all the details of our project, from shopping trip to finish, in our Google + album! Happy Valentine’s Day super friends. Enjoy...

Have a creative Valentine's Day craft? We'd love to hear about it (and maybe try it). Drop us a comment before you go!

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®: “Fully Charged”

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:52:00 +0000

Very few things remind me of my childhood like the circus. I’m not sure why, but I vividly remember my mom taking me out to see The Greatest Show On Earth, and how excited I was to share that special time with her. It gives me the warm-fuzzies each time I think of it, and it’s a feeling I enjoy passing on to my kids. Surprisingly enough, while we’ve taken our daughter, we’ve managed to deprive our son of this special treat until now. He’ll be getting a huge dose of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Baily real soon in their all-new show, Fully Charged^SM.

Fully Charged^SM, the all-new surge of circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^®where megawatts of thrills explode off of the arena floor with breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-before-seen performances that energize Children of All Ages!

We’re anticipating the excitement and the privilege to share another great family experience. The show will be rolling into our city February 8th-12th, and if you’re in the Raleigh area, you can pick up 4 tickets for $60 when you use the code MOMR12. If you see a short mom grinning ear to ear and severely embarrassing her children with her antics, it’s probably me. Throw me a wave or send me a tweet if you can pull your attention away from all of this:

Tabayara, the animal trainer, will be galloping fully charged on stallions, orchestrating four-ton, dancing Asian Elephants and standing eye to eye with twelve ferocious tigers.
The Ukrainian duo of Dmitry Nadolinkskiy and Ruslan Gilmulin will wow the audience with their feats of strength.
The Fearless Fernandez Brothers will display extreme jumps and twists on the Twin Turbines of Steel.
Watch Guillermo perform a three hundred sixty degree flying forward somersault, three stories in air.
The Human Fuse, Brian Miser, will rocket through the air from his self-made human crossbow, travelling 80 feet at 65 miles per hour.
Of course, the clowns from the world-famous Ringling Bros.^®clown-alley will be their with hysterical silly antics and clownish comedy.

If you’re looking for family fun ideas in February, I definitely recommend you add this to your list--create memories, laugh a lot, eat cotton candy until you feel like you’re about to explode, and do it all at a discount when you use the promo code. Get your tickets for high-voltage fun today and come back to tell me all about it. FYI, the code can only be used online, tickets have to be bought in groups of 4 and the code is only valid on non-vip tickets and these select shows: Thursday night (7:00 pm), Saturday morning (11:00 am) and Sunday night (5:30 pm).

How Watching Arthur Can Make You a Better Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Source: socialmoms.com via Anitra on Pinterest

Hey blogging friends, I'm being a little lazy today and sending you off to read a blog boost that I posted on Social Moms this week. It's got some helpful tips on being a great blogger, and surprisingly, it was inspired by the Arthur episode, "Muffy and the Big Bad Blog." Hop on over and let me know what you think. More next Saturday...

Saturdays are all about Blog Boosts around here. Have a blogging question? Leave a comment!

Monetize Your Blog

Earn Kitchen Appliances at NoMoreRack

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:02:00 +0000

I am still very excited about NoMoreRack.com!! I’ve posted about it a number of times, but if you missed my original post, check it out and find out why it’s become one of my favorite deal sites. For the next few days, you can pick up some noteworthy kitchen prizes just for having friends join you on NoMoreRack. Remember, they don’t even need to make a purchase—you get rewarded for simply having friends.

While I can only dream about earning that refrigerator, there’s a Cuisinart Hand Blender available when you have 35 friends. There are other great rewards from brands like All-Clad, KitchenAid, Rubbermaid and Le Creuset and the rewards start at just 15 friends. Visit Friend Rack to log in and remember to share your referral code with your BFFs. If you’re not signed up yet, you can do that here (I can use a few more friends!). All the best…

No Cost Federal Tax Filing with TurboTax

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:07:00 +0000

It’s tax time, mamas! And, if you’re not interested in paying an accountant to do the work for you, you’re probably looking for an affordable way for you to do it yourself. TurboTax Federal Free Edition is a handy way for you to accomplish that goal and the great news is that you can use it to file your Federal Tax return for FREE. Here’s why I’m recommending it:

TurboTax guarantees you'll get your biggest tax refund, with 100% accurate calculations.
Enjoy free help and step by step guidance so you are confident your taxes are done right.
TurboTax Federal Free Edition is the #1 rated, best-selling tax software brand year after year
Receive FREE preparation, FREE printing, and FREE efiling for your simple tax return with TurboTax Federal Free Edition.
Access their free Audit Support Center and live online help.

Jump on this now and at least get started on your taxes so you’re not sitting somewhere at the last minute, stressed out because you waited too long. It’s still January, so you have time to make one more resolution to get your taxes done early this year. Enjoy the free benefits of TurboTax Federal Free Edition, and here’s hoping that this year’s tax experience will be stress free as well.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Savings Zone is where you'll find ideas on how to save, earn and manage your money. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Great Prices for Things You Need at Totsy

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:41:00 +0000

Have you heard of Totsy? It's a great site where you can save up to 80% off the retail price on some great brand named products.

Each sale is brand-specific, and you'll find deals on prenatal care products, gear for your baby, clothing, bedding, toys and a great deal more.

Another reason to love Totsy is their commitment to being 100% eco-friendly. With every purchase made, they plant one tree in the name of your child to help reduce the effect of deforestation.

If you're already a member, I'd love to hear about your experience. If you're not, get over there and get started. Don't forget to return and let me know how much you saved. Happy bargain hunting...

This post contains affiliate links and I appreciate you using them to shop. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Bargain Zone is where you'll find great deals on useful products. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Friends-Day Wednesday 1/25

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:37:00 +0000

Welcome back to Friends-day. Let's get to it...

It's not mandatory, but I'd love to have you follow me at The MamaZone, If Mama Ain't or at Daily Fast Fuel. If you follow me and leave a comment, I'll definitely follow you too!
Add your blog name and a short description. For example, "The MamaZone: great t.i.d.bi.t.s. for mamas!" Feel free to link directly to your blog, or to your favorite post.
FOLLOW AT LEAST ONE PERSON and as many other blogs as you'd like to have follow back. This is what makes FriendsDay work, so if you're not willing to follow, please don't link up.
Remember to leave a comment on the blogs you follow to let them know you found them here at The MamaZone, and if someone follows you, be sure to follow back.
(Optional) Take the WednesDay is FriendsDay button, and if you want to put the blog hop on your blog, click the "get the code here" link under the blog listings. Feel free to tailor your post to your blog rather than copying mine verbatim.
Tweet, blog and yell at your friends about this so it can grow more and more each week.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE A QUICK DESCRIPTION OF YOUR BLOG

Protecting Your Kids Online with Fooz Kids (Freebie)

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:46:00 +0000

I’ve heard some very scary things about kids and online dangers. It seems most parents are still in the dark about online safety, and children are being left to fend for themselves. Since I’m a parent who is constantly online, I’m acutely aware of the weirdoes lurking in the internet shadows. It forces me to be hyper-protective when my kids are on the internet and I’m always open to new ideas and resources to help me protect them.

Cue the Fooz Kids jingle.

Fooz Kids is a clever application that provides a secure setting for kids to access the internet. Parents can use Fooz Kids to control a child’s access to the internet, while offering him/her the opportunity to create, play games, connect with friends and even learn a few things.

I set up accounts for both my six and eleven year old and we dove in. Before the fun can start, parents use the parental dashboard to set up permissions for each child. Parents can also monitor each child’s activity from the dashboard and track their progress in Fooz Kids U (the educational portion of the site). In short, anything essential to managing your account or child’s access can be done here.

Fooz Kids includes a ton of sites, videos and activities that parents can choose to approve, and gives parents the option of adding sites and activities that are not already included. I used this feature to add access to the sites we use for homework, and while adding new sites is quite simple, navigating to those sites is not. I wish there was a way to rearrange the icons on the child’s dashboard, so that those sites they use the most are easily accessible. Instead, sites you add are listed on the child’s “My Channel” page and kids have to do a little extra navigating to get there.

Inside Fooz Kids, children can create their own avatar, set up their own “place,” connect with friends, read books and even send email and video mail. While I love the idea of knowing who my children are emailing, children are not given an emaiI address and can only exchange email with friends who are also on Fooz Kids. This works well for smaller children, but my 11 year old could never stand the embarrassment of having me send each of her friends an email asking them to join the site so they can communicate online. I would much prefer each child having an email address @foozkids.com that I could monitor with the option of blocking and allowing specific senders.

In addition to allowing kids to enjoy the internet safely, Fooz Kids also offers them an opportunity to be rewarded for what they know. Fooz Kids U is a series of educational activities and quizzes that rewards kids with coins that they can use for great real-life prizes from the Fooz Kids Treasure Box. We LOVED this component of the site. I loved that the kids were using their brains and the kids loved that they could be rewarded for it. This is a benefit for premium members, so you’ll have to pay the yearly fee of $69.95 to access it. This is a perfect use of online time and a great incentive for learning.

Our rating? 4 mamas.

[1] With the exception of the “My Channel” and email difficulties, I really like the application. [2] It’s kid approved and both kids enjoyed the games, activities and rewards. [3]We encountered a few glitches early on, but other than that it works as described. [4] You can purchase a basic membership for $11.99 and a premium membership for $69.99. If you’re certain you will use it often, it’s definitely worth the price. [5] The application as a whole is pretty unique, as it combines the functionality of several different applications in one place.

Who wants to try it FOR FREE? Click this special link to access a free basic membership! Give it a try, get your kids set up and stop by to let me know what you think. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and you’ll find that you feel more confident about your child spending time online. I really do want to hear your opinion and I’m looking forward to it. Enjoy!

I received membership to the site to facilitate this review. My opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Technology Zone is where you'll find reviews on technology products that I’m using. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Free BeeSavy Tips & Tricks!

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:53:00 +0000

Are you one of the thousands of people already saving and earning with BeeSavy? If not, click here to join for free now! Once you've joined, BeeSavy wants to make sure that you are getting the most out of their free shopping site. To help new users get started, they are holding FREE training sessions this week! The sessions should last about 30 mins each and each class is the same so there is no neeed to attend more than once. Topics to be covered include how to shop with BeeSavy and tips for growing your referral cash back as quickly and easily as possible. Each session is limited to 100 people so be sure to register as soon as possible!

Webinar Schedule:

Tuesday January 24th 7:00PM-7:30PM EST: Register Here
Tuesday January 24th 9:00PM-9:30PM EST: Register Here
Thursday January 26th 7:00PM-7:30PM EST: Register Here
Thursday January 26th 9:00PM-9:30PM EST: Register Here

VA Mortgage Loans for Military Families

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:26:00 +0000

If you’re a military family looking to purchase or refinance your home, there are low VA loan rates available to you. MilitaryVAloan.com has a wealth of information to help you make the right decision and access the resources you need. VA loan rates have dropped, so this might be the perfect time for you to do a little research and take advantage of these great offers.

If you’re refinancing…
Visit to learn more about the VA streamline refinance home loan (also called an interest rate reduction loan or IRRL). It’s a government-backed mortgage loan program that’s available for active duty military and veterans who already have VA mortgage loans. The process is simple and will help you take advantage of lower interest rates. You can refinance with no money out of pocket and roll your closing costs into the loan amount. If you’re purchasing… According to the site, VA loan rates are at record low levels. If you’re purchasing a home, you can buy a new home for up to $719,000 with no down payment. When purchasing with a VA loan, the seller is allowed to pay all of your closing costs and if you’ve had credit difficulties, a VA home loan can help you continue to rebuild. Visit the site for information on getting pre-qualified and taking advantage of the low interest rates.

If you’re researching…
You’ll find the answers to many of your questions on the site, but you can also visit HousingPredictor.com for real estate news and information and data on your local real estate market. Buying a home can be challenging, but it becomes easier when you take the time to do your research. Here’s hoping you find the home (or loan) you’re looking for and save big while doing it. I hope this little bit of info helps you—thanks for your service to our country.

This advertorial was made possible by MilitaryVAloan.com. My opinions are always my own.

Planning a Wedding? There’s An App For That! (WIN)

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and I have a hunch that some of you will be hearing those four magic words. And, while you'll be floating on air for a few days after you hear them, you’ll eventually descend back into reality. You're gonna need a little help when you do, and I think I've found a great tool to make sure you don't come crashing to the ground.

WeddingHappy is an iPhone wedding app that will help take some of the stress out of planning your wedding. Although it’s been some time (18 years!) since I planned my wedding, I remember how overwhelming it was, and having a mobile wedding planning app would have definitely made a massive difference. WeddingHappy will help you keep track of all the details of your big day, from researching vendors to determining your budget. It’s a free app that will keep you from lugging around that big binder and covering yourself with sticky notes. Here are some of it’s best features:

Enter your wedding planning tasks into the task list and visually monitor your progress and percentage completed from the pie chart on the front page
See suggested tasks based on your wedding date and be sure you don’t forget any details
Manage all of your vendor contacts and details on the “Vendors” tab
Add appointments and tasks to your calendar from the app
Receive push notifications for tasks
Share your planning updates with Facebook, Twitter, e-mail integration
Upgrade the app for just $2.99 to add unlimited tasks and a wedding day countdown

Grab it! The WeddingHappy wedding planning app is available in the app store. Try the free version for a while, then I recommend you upgrade to the full, ad-free version. Before you run off to do that, enter to win a $25 Nordstrom gift card to get you started on your wedding shopping. To enter, simply follow the rules in the Rafflecopter form below.

By the way, nope, you don't have to be a bride-to-be to enter, I know how irresistible a Nordstrom gift card is. You do have to follow the instructions carefully and you need to be a U.S. resident, 18 years or older to enter. The giveaway will end on Valentine's Day 2012. Best wishes...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway was made possible by WeddingHappy. I have not received any compensation and my opinions are always my own. For more information, read the Guide to Mama'z Product Reviews or read my Disclosure Policy. I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I love bringing you great T.I.D.B.I.T.S. The Discovery Zone is where I share exciting products and services. Sign up for email or RSS updates to stay current.

Protecting Your Blog From Plagiarism

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:04:00 +0000

You’ve done the hard work of writing great posts, now make sure they’re protected. Here are few steps to take to protect and monitor your content, and a few resources to help you if your content is stolen. Please chime in if you have other tips or resources!

Clearly indicate that your work is protected.

Use a standard copyright statement such as © 2009-2012 Anitra Elmore. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the express prior written permission of the copyright holder. For permission, contact [insert e-mail or mailing address]. Learn more about copyright.
Get a Creative Commons license. In contrast to the “all rights reserved” copyright statement, Creative Commons provides what they call, a “some rights reserved” approach. A CC license allows you to indicate how you will allow your content to be used and gives you six licensing options from which to choose. This makes your permissions clear to readers without them necessarily having to contact you.

Use Google to help you monitor your work.

Set up Google alerts. When I first began blogging, I read about using Google alerts to monitor the use of my blog button. These alerts come in an email each time your specific term appears in search results. I set up an alert telling Google to notify me each time my button’s alt tag appears. I receive daily notifications so I can track where my button is being used and these alerts can be used for any term specific to your blog or even a particular post on your blog.
Search for key phrases. If you have a catch-phrase, tag-line or even a specific post you’re concerned about protecting, use Google to search for it and see if you’re being copied somewhere. It may seem like a looking for a needle in a haystack, but it won’t hurt and could also result in finding that your content is being misused.

If you’re robbed…

Do a little snooping. This entire post was motivated by a blogger who found that her content had been plagiarized by following a trackback link in her comments. If your comment form provides trackbacks, follow it to the bad guy’s website. You’ll need that information to take the next step.
Contact the right people. Start by contacting the offender and asking them nicely to take down the post. If that doesn’t work, the real work has to begin. It involves contacting the site’s host and gets a little more challenging from there. I stumbled across this post with all the information you need from that point. Let’s just hope you’ll never really need it!

And that’s all I have this week. I fell like the guy from Hill Street Blues because I can’t resist saying, “let’s be careful out there.” Here’s to keeping your content safe. More next Saturday…

Saturdays are all about Blog Boosts around here. Have a blogging question? Leave a comment!

Monetize Your Blog

Who Wants A Kindle Fire?

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome to BeeSavy’s Heat Up Your Valentine's Day Event!

I am so excited to be joining BeeSavy, as they offer you a chance to heat up your valentines with a new Kindle Fire. Hopefully, you’ve read about how excited I am about this new deal site. They offer great cash back bonuses on your online purchases and you earn 40% commission on all of your referrals' cash back and 10% commission for all of the people you refer, up to seven levels.

I won’t repeat everything from my other post, but I want to emphasize what BeeSavy offers:

Search for stores and products and compare prices on the site
Shop through the BeeSavy site and earn cash back from the stores listed
Save more with coupons listed on the site
Earn 40% commission on all of your referrals' cash back and 10% commission for all of the people they refer, up to seven levels

This is another great site for saving and putting a little cash in your pocket. I hope it turns out to be a steady stream of cash flow to help me get out of debt and to help you pursue some of your financial goals as well. Now, on to the contest…

I found a Kindle Fire under my tree at Christmas and it has become my new best friend. Not only am I reading great books, but I'm enjoying a free paid app everyday as well. You will thoroughly enjoy having one of these little friends! To enter, follow the instructions in the rafflecopter form below (give it a second to load). You have to be a BeeSavy member to enter, so make sure you join using the link in the form. If you win, you just have to come back and tell me about it!! All the best…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friends-Day Wednesday 1/18

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Welcome back to Friends-day. Let's get to it...

It's not mandatory, but I'd love to have you follow me at The MamaZone, If Mama Ain't or at Daily Fast Fuel. If you follow me and leave a comment, I'll definitely follow you too!
Add your blog name and a short description. For example, "The MamaZone: great t.i.d.bi.t.s. for mamas!" Feel free to link directly to your blog, or to your favorite post.
FOLLOW AT LEAST ONE PERSON and as many other blogs as you'd like to have follow back. This is what makes FriendsDay work, so if you're not willing to follow, please don't link up.
Remember to leave a comment on the blogs you follow to let them know you found them here at The MamaZone, and if someone follows you, be sure to follow back.
(Optional) Take the WednesDay is FriendsDay button, and if you want to put the blog hop on your blog, click the "get the code here" link under the blog listings. Feel free to tailor your post to your blog rather than copying mine verbatim.
Tweet, blog and yell at your friends about this so it can grow more and more each week.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO LEAVE A QUICK DESCRIPTION OF YOUR BLOG

FamilyFun Magazine for $6

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:06:00 +0000

I’ve shared about FamilyFun magazine a time or two, so you know I love it. It’s full of creative ideas, crafts and activities and it’s our go-to guide for all kinds of good times.

If you hurry, you can pick up a one year subscription for $6 or a two year subscription for $12 when you purchase today’s deal from Moolala. It will be available for the next couple of days, so jump on it and leave me a comment to let me know you did.