Online Internet Safety

Posted by Dawniemom on February 10, 2009

Hi there! welcome back - have you entered my latest giveaways?

I’ll be honest.  I’m extremely protective when it comes to allowing my oldest online in any situation where he’d be able to chat with other people.  The only online he plays, I have full control of his account, and keep it so that he can only talk to me, my mom, my nephew – people we KNOW. 

Perhaps I’ve watched too much Dateline, but the online world for kids is a scary place to me.  To think of what he might be up to if he were online by himself is just too creepy!

That’s why I was so glad when Mom Central asked me to take a look at a site called NSteens.org, a website designed to educate kids about online safety – but not just “don’t talk to strangers” but also covers such topics as cyber-bullying, social networking, and of course, what can happen when you take it offline.

Created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to empower, engage and enducate kids, to encourage them to become responsible online users, NetSmartz and nsteens.org should be your first stop when introducing your children to the Internet.

As always, my thanks to MomCentral for giving me the opportunity to share this with you.

 Drugs.com – a review

Posted by Dawniemom on January 20, 2009

If you are currently taking medications or you are related to someone who is, you hopefully know the possibility of one or more of them interacting negatively.  The results could be catastrophic.  Drugs.com knows that and has a great tool called Med Notes to help watch out for that.  In fact, as soon as I entered my prescriptions and vitamins into it, it let me know right away that there are potential problems with the combination I’m taking, so I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to discuss it!

(Screen shot of my profile)

The other great thing about Drugs.com is that you can look up virtually any medication you can think of, in case you have to empty out that medicine cabinet and can’t remember what you were taking something for, or for an elderly relative with a counter full of medications, but no clue as to why they’re taking them all.  Not sure what a specific pill is? You can even look it up by it’s appearance!

Best of all – IT’s ALL FREE! So you have nothing to lose, and might even learn something!

 within the pages of a book …

Posted by Dawniemom on January 7, 2009

I love movies. I really love fun, exciting adventure movies – and throw in hunky Brendan Frasier and I’m SO there! 

Inkheart looks like such a fun movie, I’m really looking forward to it coming out so I can take Anthony to it.   It opens January 23rd, and hopefully our local theater will carry it that weekend!

 New Year’s Resolutions

Posted by Dawniemom on January 5, 2009

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is getting organized in the new year.  Everyone (including me!) wants to be organized.  But sometimes, it’s really hard to know where to start.  I know I find that making that first step is the hardest.  So I was really glad to learn about Cozi a few months ago. 

Cozi is an online organizational tool that gives you all the tools you need to get at least some part of your life organized.  Color coded calendars, shopping lists, family journals and even an incredible desktop screensaver program that allows you to cycle through your photos in a collage that’s just such a nice surprise to walk in to when you’ve left your computer for a while. (Yes, believe it or not, I really DO leave my computer from time to time. lol)

In addition to the ways that moms can get their shopping lists and calendars already on any mobile phone via text message and using our toll free number, Cozi now has a mobile version especially for the iPhone and Windows Mobile phones.  Families can now sign-in and access their Cozi account using their mobile web browsers.   They can add and edit shopping lists and view and edit their family calendar using the mobile version of Cozi right from their iPhone.  This is a new feature! You can learn more about it here:    http://www.cozi.com/Promo-Cozi-Mobile.htm

But the best part of any blog post is the part about the contest, right? So here it is:

Use Cozi to manage and coordinate all the things your busy family wants and needs to do this year. And if you do so before February 4, you’re automatically entered to win a 2-day in-home organization makeover with one of the country’s top organization pros and author of Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home and Life

How it works:

• Use Cozi before February 4 (add or edit a calendar appointment, add or edit a list, send a quick message, sync your Cozi calendar with Outlook, add or edit a family journal post, or run the Cozi Collage screen saver)
• You’re automatically entered to win
• It’s that easy!

My thanks to Mom Central for allowing me the opportunity to share this with you

 A whole new level of gaming

Posted by Dawniemom on

Through some pretty amazing luck on my part, we are finally the proud owners of a Nintendo Wii and WiiFit and can I just say I LOVE IT!   We all do.  Fortunately for us, we have a GameStop store in town, and we’re in there every few days checking out all the cool stuff you can get for the Wii & Wii Fit.

One of the things I’ve been waiting for them to get new stock on is the silicone cover that goes on the Balance Board – but they have such a great selection of accessories for the Wii, as well as every single other game system you can think of, that we rarely walk out empty handed.

With the huge popularity of “active” gaming, this January, GameStop is offering a “Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body.” initiative for the whole month that includes a special incentive to discover active gaming. So you can stop by a local store and demo a range of titles that match your interests and skill level.

As a special incentive, all shoppers who spend $35 or more on designated products will receive a free 12-month trial subscription to their choice of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping or Esquire.

Now we parents can get in on the fun AND benefit from it!  I love seeing Jimmy & the kids up on their feet, playing games that get them moving.  Watching Libby bowl or box – too funny – and then there’s me – actually boxing, getting out of breath, and enjoying it LOL

for allowing me the opportunity to share this with you

 Have you met Hal & Holly? (+ Giveaway -closed)

Posted by Dawniemom on December 24, 2008

Congratulations to winner – Carla!

Hal & Holly from Build-A-Bear are two of THE most adorable stuffed moose I’ve ever seen.  We received Hal and I couldn’t stop hugging him!  Seriously.  Hal’s decorated for Christmas with lights that really light up, and you can also select all sorts of other features to have added, such as music, a heartbeat sound, etc. But I think the best part of this whole idea?  You can get Hal, Holly and their Uplifting Christmas Adventure Storybook for LESS THAN $25!! Seriously.  They’re 16 inches tall!  Also, you can register them online at get all this virtual stuff FREE when you bring this friend to life online at buildabearville.com™

• 4,000 Bear Bills
• An extra room & wallpaper for your Cub Condo® house
• An exclusive reward
• An animal adventure

I even have a really awesome giveaway for you!  I have a $10 Build-A-Bear gift card for one lucky lucky reader!  If you’d like to enter, please leave a comment below.  That’s all.  It’s easy. I’m tired, and it’s Christmas. 

 Time’s up~

Posted by Dawniemom on December 13, 2008

All giveaways are now closed. I will announce the winners on Saturday

 Today is the day!

Posted by Dawniemom on December 12, 2008

You have until midnight tonight (EST) to enter my FOUR giveaways to win 1 of 7 prizes!  Get to it!

• Twilight Collector’s Edition – has had a HUGE response to it.  (1 Prize)
• Norton PC Tune-up – It’s amazing how many people need it!  (3 Prizes)
• Cutest Little Tax Deduction Onesie – I so totally love them!  (2 Prizes)
• Hot Blogger Calendar – I’m actually pretty surprised at the pretty low numbers on this one.  (1 Prize)

All giveaways have LOTS of ways to earn extra entries, so it’s worth the little bit extra time & effort!

These will (most likely) be my last giveaways before the holidays, so grab them while they’re hot!

 Can you say Ca-CHING?

Posted by Dawniemom on December 10, 2008

Apparently, there are a few women hanging around the blogosphere that just so happen  to have a nice little purse containing some gift cards for Wal-Mart.  FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS of gift cards.  I don’t know about you, but I Really REALLY R E A L L Y  could use one of those.  Not only would that do my entire holiday shopping, but would also just provide such a huuuuuge sigh of relief to me. 

So I’m visiting them all – and blogging about it, so go check out The Centsible Sawyer  for the contest, plus lots of very cool money-saving tips!

 Organized? What’s that??

Posted by Dawniemom on December 8, 2008

As hard as I try, I cannot get my house or my life organized anymore.  Something happened when we added the 3rd child – something …. evil. LOL  No, HE’s Not Evil – but this force inside my head that just doesn’t allow me to get ANYTHING accomplished or organized is.

So I’m hoping to win this Mom’s Ultimate Organizer – maybe it’ll help!  It certainly can’t hurt LOL