TwinkieMommie

Review and Giveaway: GreatCall 5star Urgent Response

2012-01-24T14:37:00.000-06:00

In the last few weeks, I have been involved in the great debate over whether or not my 10 year old needs a phone.
Pros for a phone...I can get in touch with her if I need (assuming she has it on) and if she has an emergency, she can use it to call 911.

Cons...definitely the price! And of course then there is the price of replacement if you loses it, and there is all the rules that come along with the responsibility of a phone (who she can call, when she can use it, limits of minutes and texting...)

Funny about the time I was going to get her the phone, I was asked to review a new product called GreatCall 5star Urgent Response Responder. This great new product takes care of all I need for my daughter at a low price and with less rules and responsibilities for her and it attaches securely to her backpack, so I don't have to worry about her losing it!

The responder is a little GPS enabled device that you carry with you and you can use to contact 5star Response Agents or 911 depending on the situation. If she gets home from school and is locked out she can press the button and talked to an Agent, they will use the personal profile I set up online to get her help. If it is a real emergency she can press and hold the button and be connected directly to 911. There is also a free LiveNurse service included and an online locator that allows you to track the user.

The service is only $14.99, which is much cheaper than what I would be paying for a phone, texting and possible overages!

GreatCall 5star services are available on a Jitterbug, Responder or you can download an app on your phone and it's available online here or at BestBuy, Wal-Mart or Sears.

Giveaway: GreatCall is giving away 1 5star Responder with 2 months free service to one of TwinkieMommie's lucky readers!

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CONTEST ENDS Tuesday January 31, 2012 @ 11:59pm EST

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer – GreatCall supplied me with this product for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are that of my own.

Book Review: Wille's Slippery Feet

2011-11-10T08:24:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to review a wonderful new children’s book called Slippery Wille’s Stupid Ugly Shoes. The story is very inspirational. It touches on the delicate issue of being different; and how it is okay if you are different. It is a truly sweet and funny story.

The story:

Willie Wiggles hates his slippery feet. He just slips, slides and spins all over the place. But what he hates even more are the special shoes that have been made for him that will help him to walk just like all the other kids. Willie thinks that they are the "stupidest, ugliest shoes in the whole world."
Discover how sometimes we worry about things about ourselves when actually there is nothing to worry about in the first place.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The story and illustrations were quite enjoyable. I would recommend this book for children, parents and teachers.

About the Author Larry Peterson:

Larry Peterson was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. As a freelancer, he has written many newspaper columns for local publications. Slippery Willie's Stupid, Ugly Shoes is his first children’s book. Peterson has lived in Pinellas Park, Florida for the past 28 years.

Links:

Author’s Website

Larry Peterson Facebook

Tribute Books website

Tribute Books Facebook

Tribute Books Twitter

Purchase the Book

Preview the book

Wordless Wednesday October 19th

2011-10-19T16:50:00.001-05:00

Best Friends

Wordless Wednesday-September 7, 2011

2011-09-07T07:19:00.002-05:00

Allison, Ella, Emily, Abby acting like baby bears at the top of the Smokey Mountains :)

End of Summer Giveaways

2011-08-26T12:16:00.000-05:00

Don't miss out on all of these great giveaways!! All end 9/5...

Swingline Stack and Shred Shredder (great for any home office or big family!)

Virtuoso Tablet Stylus (works for all Tablets, works on touch screen phones too!)

Ipad Band (Great for protectiong your iPad)

EvoraPet Breath Freshener (gets rid of kitty or doggy bad breath!)

Swingline Stack and Shred Review and Giveaway

2011-08-25T13:24:00.001-05:00

Okay this has to have been the most fun review I’ve done in a while!! I am reviewing the Swingline Stack and Shred. I just spent the last few hours cleaning out my filing cabinet and for the first time I didn’t have to tear up papers so no one could see my private information in the trash. First, I did credit cards, they go in a little slot on top, one at a time, it pulls them through and shreds them up! Then I did old bills. I did them one at a time through the top, as I looked through them. What was nice is it shredded them while they were still folded! The top feeder shreds up to 6 pages at a time. Last, I had an old manual from some electronics we no longer had. I put that in the automatic feeder, which does up to 100 pages. The manual was about 40 pages and stapled at the top. It was shredded in seconds! Everything neatly shreds in a paper container (one was provided) in the bottom of the shredder, that when it’s full I can recycle! It doesn’t get any easier than that! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has a house full of papers to get rid of that has personal info on them, like I did!

Giveaway: I will be giving away 1 Swingline Stack and Shred to 1 of my lucky readers!

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CONTEST ENDS September 5, 2011 @ 11:59pm EST

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer – EvoraPet supplied me with this product for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are that of my own.

Kensington Touch Screen Stylus Review and Giveaway

2011-08-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

I got a Kensington Virtuoso Touch Screen Stylus and Pen for review as well as the other products reviewed yesterday. This is my favorite of all the products I received! It came in really handy during our trip. I have a Motorola Xoom that I got a few weeks ago that I used for accessing the internet in the car on the trip. A Xoom is touch screen tablet. Before receiving this new stylus, I had been using my finger to navigate through the screens. I cannot tell you how much having the stylus made a difference!! It keeps the screen cleaner; the fingerprints from using your finger are annoying! It also makes it so much easier to type. When you use your finger you wind up typing two letters at a time or clicking on the wrong place on the screen. The price is really reasonable too, $24.99 with one that also has an ink pen in the other end and $14.99. The stylus works on all tablets, including iPad!

Giveaway: I will be giving away 1 Kensington Virtuoso™ Stylus for Tablet to one of my lucky readers!

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CONTEST ENDS September 5, 2011 @ 11:59pm EST

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer – Kensington supplied me with this product for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are that of my own.

Kensington Product Reviews and a Giveaway

2011-08-24T13:34:00.002-05:00

As I said before I was given the chance to review some great products. One company that I received a few products from is Kensington. Kensington sells really cool computing accessories. I was given a wireless mouse, computer lock and a tablet stylus to review.

Kensington Ci10 Fit Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse Review

The Kensington Ci10 Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse is great. Coming from someone who wore out the buttons on my last laptop’s touchpad, I know you need to have a regular mouse too! The Kensington mouse is great. It plugs into your USB, it is wireless so you don’t get tangled in cord. It’s small and lightweight so it’s portable. It has a rubber grip so it’s easy to hold. It has a wheel for scrolling. Overall, I would definitely recommend this mouse.

Kensington ClickSafe® Anywhere Keyed Lock 2 Pack Review

A Laptop Lock is a must for anyone who travels. This package actually has two locks that are both keyed the same, one that you can use while in the office and the other for when you are traveling. They are made of steel cable and are tamper resistant. I would also recommend this lock.

Kensington BlackBelt™ Protection Band for iPad 2 Giveaway: The BlackBelt Protection Band protects the corners and edges of your iPad. I will be giving away 1 of these Bands to one of my lucky readers!

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CONTEST ENDS September 5, 2011 @ 11:59pm EST

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer – Kensington supplied me with these products for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are that of my own.

EvoraPet Oral Care Review and Giveaway

2011-08-23T15:38:00.002-05:00

Stash

Besides having 3 kiddos, animals are also a big part of our family. My number one animal buddy is my cat named Stash. Every now and then though Stash’s breath can be a little intense, like he’s been eating fish or something! I was so excited when I was given the opportunity to try this new product, EvoraPet. EvoraPet is an oral care product for animals that you sprinkle on their food and it freshens their breath.

The powder has no smell. My cat had no idea it was there. And sure enough, a few days after using it his breath seemed fresher!

EvoraPet Discount: Are you ready to give it a try? Use the code EPET811 through August 31, 2011 and receive $5 off at checkout.

EvoraPet Giveaway: I will also be giving away one 30-day supply of EvoraPet to one lucky reader!

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CONTEST ENDS September 5, 2011 @ 11:59pm EST

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer – EvoraPet supplied me with this product for review purposes only. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are that of my own.

Just Bling Watches

2011-08-23T13:54:00.001-05:00

I am back from vacation! We survived and had a wonderful time! It’s really been hard getting back into the groove, and it didin’t help that school started Monday!

Here is the first of many product shout-out as promised…

There is a new watch out there called the G4 by Just Bling Watches. JBW is an attainable diamond watch brand that defines urban luxury for young-minded people seeking to achieve greatness and take on the world. The American brand was founded in 2006 with the desire to fuse modern design aesthetics with premium watch making. Their watches are amazing!!

This isn’t a giveaway just yet…first you have to go to JBW Facebook Page and like them. Then post on their wall that TwinkieMommie sent you. If enough people are sent through my page I will get to give away one of their beautiful watches!!

Upcoming Cool stuff :)

2011-08-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

I’m back  Well for a day anyways! Just wanted to let everyone know that I am going out of town and have some great things coming up when I get back.

First though I need your prayers for my sanity!! My family and I will be traveling over 1000 miles. It will be me and the hubster, the twins, my 9 year old and my 16 year old step daughter. We will be in the car for more than 16 hours! I’m sure everything will be just fine right??

Anyways back to next week, I have received some really awesome products to review AND some will be giveaways!

Swingline Stack and Shred

Kensington Ci10 Fit Wireless Notebook Laser Mouse

Kensington Virtuoso Touch Screen Stylus and Pen

Kensington ClickSage Keyed Laptop Lock

Evora Pet Oral Care

Shushbye and Goodnight Book and CD

Endangerbles Review and Giveaway

2011-06-07T14:32:00.002-05:00

I just had a great opportunity to review a new music CD called The Endangerbles.

The CD features 10 original upbeat songs, all composed by Fred Bogert, the three-time Emmy-nominated musician-performer widely acclaimed for his musical contributions to the popular kids-based folk-rock duo Trout Fishing In America. Inspiring children to “respect and protect all the species of the world including each other “ is the mission of The Endangerbles. Its endearing cast of animal characters effectively entertain and educate children of all ages about the wonderful world of animals, specifically relating to those that are endangered, threatened or vulnerable.

My girls absolutely LOVED the CD (I find it quite catchy too.) They listen to it all the times and I love that they are learning something too!!

Visit the site and check out all the great things it has to offer. Once your child becomes an Official Deputy Endangerble, they can play games, download fun stuff, color online, see real animals and receive their own emails. When you sign up, it will ask for how you found out about the Endangerbles, select “SSA” and you will receive an email with a link to download a FREE Endangerables song.

Win Endangerbles Music CD & Plush Pal Toy!

Endangerbles would like to give one of my readers your very own Music CD and Plush Pal Toy!

Mandatory Entry – Check out the Endangerbles website sign up your little one to be a Deputy! IT’S FREE! Please post the first 3 characters of your child’s Deputy Badge Number in the comments! (1 entry)

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**Please leave a separate comment below for each additional entry.

CONTEST ENDS June 19th @11:59pm EST

GOOD LUCK!

Disclaimer – Endangerbles supplied me with this product for review purposes only via SSA. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are that of my own.

Sun Safety Week

2011-06-06T08:26:00.004-05:00

School is out for summer and it’s hot and sunny here in Houston! This week is National Sun Safety Week so here are some interesting facts and some helpful sun safety tips to use while you are planning your outdoor activities.

Did you know?

• Using Insect repellent with sunscreen can reduce the SPF, so use a higher one.

• UV Rays are strongest from 10am to 4.

• You can burn even on a cloudy day.

• One blistering sunburn can double a child's lifetime risk of developing skin cancer.

• UV forecast is issued each day by National Weather Service and EPA, if there is a UV alert plan indoor activities: http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html.

Sun Safety Tips

• Keep infants 6 months and under out of the sun.

• Use sunscreen that is at least 15 SPF and at least 30 SPF for kids under 6.

• Read the label for directions on how often to reapply and water resistance

• Check your sunscreen’s expiration date. A good rule of thumb is to get new each summer.

• Reapply sunscreen often especially after sweating or swimming.

• Wear protective clothes, hats and sunglasses.

• Drink lots of water.

• Seek shade when possible.

• Check the UV forecast, http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html, before planning outdoor activities

Time flies Part 2

2011-04-26T08:19:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted! I was just saying that Emily was done with the TAKS test. How funny is it that, agian today she has another TAKS test. She has the math test today and the writing tomorrow. I guess I should start looking for a spanish tutor since the next time I might have time to post she will probably be in high school!

Anyways, quick catch up...Little girls turned 3, had their first real Easter and went to see their first movie!

Here is their 3rd birthday party...

My three princesses

Here's to hoping the girls won't be in college by my next post!

Time Flies

2011-03-02T17:37:00.000-06:00

TAKS test is over for Emily!! She had writing for the first time this year. Maybe she's gong to follow in her moms footprints, she seems to feel confident she made the highest grade!!

Everyday I'm amazed with what all my kids are going through...Emily and the TAKS, then we had a "pre-school" meeting for the twins and my youngest step-daughter is talking SAT tutoring!!

How time flies!!

CSN Stores $35 Giveaway !!!!!

2011-01-27T14:28:00.001-06:00

CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from great cookware, kids toys, or a corner TV stand and MUCH more!! If you haven't shopped with CSN yet you must go check them out!

I found this bunkbed set. It would be great for when the twins outgrow their toddler beds!

Here is the giveaway...

1 lucky TwinkieMommie reader will win a $35 gift code.
Mandatory Entry: Become a TwinkieMommie follower.
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CONTEST ENDS February 14th @11:59pm CST

GOOD LUCK!

Free On-line books from Story For Me

2011-01-20T12:23:00.002-06:00

Sponsored by Tomoson.com

Here is a great site for FREE Books: Story Time For Me

Each book Features:

Word Highlighting: The episodes highlight the word or sentence being read by the narrator to help children follow along, keep their place in the story, and develop their reading skills through active listening. This feature can be turned on or off, according to the child's preference.
Practice Makes Perfect: For children who want to practice their reading skills out loud, the reader can click on any word in the story to have the narrator repeat the word with perfect articulation.
A Customized Reading Experience: The stories can be read either in auto-mode or manually, allowing children to turn the pages at their desired pace. This gives young readers the flexibility to enjoy our stories according to their reading ability.
Professional Narrators: The stories are narrated by professional voice actors and actresses who bring excitement and drama to their narrative. The narration is enhanced by spectacular sound effects and music, which furthers the listener's experience and adds atmosphere to the tales.
Building Vocabulary for Toddlers: In our stories for toddlers (ages 1-4), the reader or child can click on designated words within the story to activate a picture pop-up. This feature will teach children word associations and increase their vocabulary.

There are 30 titles available and more to come. Also sign up on Facebook to win a free book!

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 am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Dishwasher and Laundry safe Lables

2011-01-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

I wish I would have had these when the babies were little! I reviewed these dishwasher and Laundry safe labels. You stick them on and they will actually stay on after washing! I know when the girls were using bottles we tried everything we could to be able to tell their bottles apart.

Applied Labels are Applied Labels LLC's flagship and most popular product. They're extremely tough, ultra versatile and perfect for labeling:
*bottles
*sippy cups
*shoes
*school supplies
*gadgets
*summer camp gear
*all those little things that go to early childcare centers

Their labels are available with and without icons or with a second line of custom print.

To label clothing, sandwich an Applied Label (TM) with one of our blank backers. For shoes, stick on a Shoe Shield (TM) that will keep labels in place all year long.

Website
Twitter
Facebook

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com and the Tomoson weekly featured sponsor Favorite Wigs - Shop Name Brand Wigs at Low Prices! Large Wig Selection of Forever Young Wigs, and other Quality Wigs. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Printables

2011-01-03T08:42:00.000-06:00

Over the holidays I had a great opportunity to review these Christmas Printable Games. These kept my whole family busy over the holidays. We used them at our Christmas get together and my daughter used them in her free time. Python Printable Games has printables for all kinds of holidays and have great prices. All you have to do is pay and them print them from your home computer. You can check out the free samples here.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com and the Tomoson weekly featured sponsor Favorite Wigs - Shop Name Brand Wigs at Low Prices! Large Wig Selection of Forever Young Wigs, and other Quality Wigs. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

More Year in Review

2010-12-31T09:13:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of more lists of my articles over the past year...

Health and Safety

Multiple Support Groups

Multiples in the News

Just for Multiples

2010-12-27T15:50:00.000-06:00

I'm doing a series on Examiner to sum up my year in articles. My first is Year in review Houston Parenting Multiples: Multiples 101

Articles include:

Managing your time with multiples

Handling birthdays with multiples

Surviving bedrest

Preparing for hurricane season with multiples

What to register for when having multiples

Traveling with multiples

Making your own babyfood

Potty training multiples

Shopping with multiples

Bathing multiples

Separating twins in school

Back to school for multiples

Twin to Twin transfusion

Halloween costumes for multiples

Breastfeeding multiples

Here is the link: http://www.examiner.com/parenting-multiples-in-houston/year-review-houston-parenting-multiples-multiples-101

Drop-side Cribs Outlawed

2010-12-15T16:15:00.002-06:00

The drop-side cribs we all grew up with and many still use for our kids are being banned:
http://www.examiner.com/parenting-multiples-in-houston/drop-side-cribs-outlawed

Texas blogging network

2010-12-05T08:15:00.001-06:00

I just found this great Forum! I am always looking to find Texas Bloggers and came across the Texas Blogger Forum. If your looking for GREAT new blogs to follow go on over t the Texas Blogger Forum and look around.

2010-12-02T13:18:00.000-06:00

Congrats to "A Woman," she won the Rock and Learn DVD Giveaway!

AND

Congrats to "Liza767," she won the TenMarks subscription giveaway!

The Versatile Blogger Award

2010-11-30T13:17:00.004-06:00

This my second blog award! Thanks so much to Harvest for Tomorrow for spreading the blog love! This truly made my day!

*To accept this award, there are 4 rules*

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

Again, this is great and I truly appreciate this!

2. Share seven things about yourself.
I am a mom of 3 girls, two which are twins.
I also have 3 step-daughters.
I have recently started writing as a hobby.
I absolutely love to cook and would become a chef if I had time to go back to school.
I would really like to have my own business.
My husband is my best-friend.
I have a cat that has a black mustache, named Stash.

3. Pass the award on to 12 bloggers you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.

Two Little Cavaliers

The Wide World of Everything Cute and Cuddly

Smart Stuff

Songberries

Simply Stacie

Sifting Through the Noise

Bella and Gracie's Blog

Free Stuff, Fun Sites, Contests and more

It's Time for more Coffee

Joe's Place

Mi Savings Mama

A southerner, a yankee and a mixed breed (or two!)

4. Contact the bloggers you picked and let them know about the award. Thanks again Harvest for Tomorrow, !!!!