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Allstate’s Good Hands Roadside Assistance Program

Sabreena will be 16 very shortly which means she will be getting her driving permit and then license. I worry about everything under the sun when it comes to her driving, like distractions, other drivers and her breaking down on the side of the road with no assistance.

Thankfully I will no longer need to worry about one of those with the introduction of Allstate’s Good Hands Roadside Assistance program, a new service offering pay as you go roadside assistance.

Here are a few things to know about the service:

  • You do not need to have Allstate insurance to use this service
  • You only pay when you use it, there are no monthly fees
  • Anyone can call at any time and use this service when needed by calling a 1-800 # and asking for roadside assistance

You also do not need to sign up beforehand, but there is a significant benefit in doing so. You can register for up to 5 users on your account, and also enter your credit card information if you wish. So if you enter your children’s information and they run into an issue on the road, they are set up so that all they need to do is call the number and it will be charged to you, and only for that use.

To me as a parent there is a lot of value in this service because now I only need to pay when I have a problem where with other services there are yearly fees involved as well as the repair costs.  To me this is a great money saving program which is great for me and my family.

It is very important to make sure your child is protected on the road in case of an emergency but it is also important that your child knows how important and how much of a responsibility it is to be behind the wheel of a vehicle.  Kids these days think driving is a right but in my opinion it is a privladge.  I know in my daughter’s school they take a drivers education class but for me that is not enough and I plan to sit her down and talk about the importance of safe driving and why it is so important and I feel ALL parents need to do this.  Today kids have so many distractions like the radio, friends in the car, text, phone calls which just adds to the dangers of driving.

Kids need to understand that traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens with nearly one-third of them alcohol-related and driving needs to be taken seriously.  At least with the Allstate Good Hands Roadside Assistance program I have one less worry as a parent of a soon to be new driver.

If you have a child that is about to start driving soon are you talking to them about the important of safe driving?

I was compensated to be an Good Hands Roadside Assistance member but the opinions in this post are my own.










My Phone Does Double Duty

My smartphone is smarter than yours. Yes it makes phone calls, receives texts, can direct me to the nearest Starbucks and play a mean game of Turbo Granny but it can do more. I can use mine to change the channel, set a show to DVR and view a slideshow of the day at the park.

verizon-fios-widget-mobile-remote-appVerizon FiOS Mobile Remote is a cool new app that I have downloaded to my phone so when those moments of laziness(remote is on the tv, not the end table) I still have the power. A quick install and configuration of the cable box to my phone and I’m all set. The entire process took minutes and I was ready to “flick” pictures on the big screen to share with Rob who couldn’t go to the park that day.

I heard about this app through twitter. During a twitter party a Verizon spokesperson/twitter handler mentioned I should try it out. It was very new at the time, like days old. I instantly tried it out and loved the ability to control the tv, my channel and show favorites and the DVR from the phone that is always connected to my hand. I’ve even gone and changed the channel while Rob was watching something just to annoy him. Shae loves the ability to view the pictures that are stored on my phone on the tv. She even knows how to “flick” them up on the screen.

Verizon boasts other fun features too such as TV Widgets. These are on-screen apps that let you tweet, catch up on news, shop and play. We’ve installed on our living room television, Climb and Slip; it’s a take on Chutes and Ladders. Sabreena is a Sudoku fan so she has that game on her set-box top. We have tons of gadgets for gaming and news and reading but nothing beats something on a big screen.
verizon-tv-widget-games
Learn all about the Verizon FiOS features, phone compatibility and service availability in your area by visiting the TV Home site. Please note that Verizon FiOS is only available in select parts of the country, find out if Verizon FiOS is available in your area.

“I wrote this review while participating in a brand team campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Verizon FiOS.Verizon will send me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”




Adding Fiskars to Craft Time

Craft time is probably one of Shae’s most favorite times of day. We don’t get to do a project everyday but a couple times a week is good progress for us. We’ve been stocking on supplies but were lacking tools. Fiskars sent us some great additions to help with embellishing and adding those fun final touches.

Edgers- decorative shaped scissors that add flair to any project
Squeeze Punches-easy to use punch to create instant shapes
Paper Trimmers- get straight cuts in a snap from almost any type of paper
Border Punches-instant grass without specks of paper flying around

With the above tools and our existing stash of supplies Shae has been able to create some really fun new projects all part of our #300CraftsforKids Campaign along with GummyLump.  Here are a couple crafts that we’ve accomplished over the last couple weeks.

cutting legs for the jellyfish

see the grass, made from fiskars border punch

hawaiian lei flowers made with punch

Shae’s able to use the scissors and punches with just a little assistance. Her lines may not be straight, her painting my not provide full coverage and her cuts may be off center but she’s enthusiastic about creating things to show off to others. She loves the flower punches and carries stacks of them in her purse to hand out to anyone that she thinks deserves one.
Thanks Fiskars for taking our crafts to a whole new level.

 

 

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Early Father’s Day Gift

For Rob, Father’s Day came a little early. I presented him with a custom framed canvas of him and the kids from our Carnival Cruise family vacation last year.

rob and the kids on our family vacation cruise 2010

close-up of frame and canvas finish

that's where the picture will be going, it just arrived this weekend

Gallery Direct has provided a really high quality finished product that is proudly being displayed on our living room. Using a heavy duty canvas and beautiful dark wood frame ensure this will last many many years. We can glance at this picture 10 years from now and remember the great time we had that week at sea. As a family we aren’t art collectors but when it comes to family photos they are in every space available. Having this canvas is a beautiful addition to our growing collection.  I contemplated going larger but glad I didn’t; anything larger than real0life would have been overwhelming for the space.
john-lennon-abstract-artI know Father’s Day is literally right around the corner but I recommend Gallery Direct not just for “turn yourself into a work of art” prints but also themed photography, abstracts and illustrations. Spruce up his mancave with a gorgeous canvas of John Lennon or vintage golf. Put the finishing touches on the home office with Americana art. What every theme, subject or artist you choose you’re going to be delighted with the superior finish, order process an selection of features available.

Come back and see the other great pieces we’ll get to review as LookWhatMomFound…and Dad too! has been invited to be a Gallery Direct Blogger Ambassador. We’ll focus on seasonal and holiday art and hopefully bring you great specials and deals for gift-giving for others or for yourself.

 

 

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Big Sound from a Little Package

Music is a staple in Sabreena’s life; her iPod can always be found on her body. Zazzle just made listening to her music more fun. The Doodle is the first ever customizable speaker. Think walkman but cooler; think boombox but smaller. Zazzle lets music lovers play their tune everywhere they go without the constraints of size, cords and bulk OR teeny tiny earbuds.

When the box for Sabreena’s Doodle arrived I was a bit shocked; no I was way shocked. I never looked at the dimensions but for some reason assumed it would be more like alarm clock size. It’s not, it is more like iPod size. The Doodle is tiny, like laughable tiny but it’s adorable and the cupcake design I chose for Sabreena is bright and colorful and unique. Sabreena literally awwwww it to death and immediately found 2 batteries and hooked it up. She loves it, says its perfect for her room and her needs and says now she can share her music with her friends instead of doing that dorky unhygienic sharing earbuds thing I see so many kids doing. It comes with a USB power cord to get juice from the computer or the option to install batteries.

The Doodle is totally customizable too.Whether you are celebrating Father’s Day or have a special event coming up, simply uploading your own photo takes it to a complete different level. Check out the plethora of images already available to pick out the perfect picture or phrase to make it your own.

 

 

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Extra Special Shoes

Pink and white shoes for a little girl are special but when they change color to pink and purple they are extraordinary. Crocs Chameleons Color Changing shoes are the shoes we are talking about today.

Just a couple seconds in the sun and Shae’s shoes transform from pink and white to pink and purple. Each time it happens she squeals in excitement and shows them off to anyone within earshot.

The Chameleons are made with the same trusted Croslite™ material to ensure a formed fit against your child’s feet. The top color changing material is different than the original shoes. Its firmer texture is less giving when inserting Jibbitz; especially for those unfamiliar with the twist and shove action needed. The helpful people at a Crocs store were able to get all of our Jibbitz into Shae’s new shoes.

Crocs Chameleons were released May 13 but are a limited edition. Get yours today and choose from the below color changing options:

Oyster (white) clog changes to pink lemonade in the sun.
Yellow clog changes to lime green in the sun.
Celery clog changes to sea blue in the sun.










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What Would You Do?

What would you do if you inherited a penguin or 2 or 3 or more? Mr. Popper’s Penguins starring Jim Carrey is an adaptation of a children’s book from the 1930’s of the same name. While the plot differs from the original it’s sure to add smiles and giggles to all. Here’s a sneak peak but be sure to check out the movie when its released June 17, 2011.


 

 

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Summer Skin Care with UNT

Each spring I make my my annual pilgramage to the salon and get my first mani-pedi of the season. This is where I usually indulge in the newest colors that I don’t typically purchase myself. Last week was my appointment and I and brought along UNT Nail Lacquer. I was sent 2 shades of pink from the Pink Fiction Reverie collection; a bubblegum shade called Hot Pants and a bright shimmery fuchsia called Running in Stilletos.

sorry for the bad pic

I got my toes done in Hot Pants and it’s a fun contrast to my natural tan and black sandals. The color itself needed about 3 coats for a smooth dark finish. No chips so far either. UNT Nail Lacquers are made with no formaldehyde, toluene and phthalate esters. This makes me comfortable painting Shae’s nails when she wants to be a girly girl.

I also received the Tip Off Acetone Free nail lacquer remover. I used it on my fingertips a couple weeks ago and felt it wasn’t aggressive enough to remove the color. I used a huge amount of remover for one hand and then went to my store brand to finish the job. It’s not that it didn’t work; it just didn’t work as quickly and easily as I was used to.

UNT products are made using the latest medical and technological advances. With a team of experts in every field they’ve been able to develop a line a health and beauty products that can work with every skin condition.








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Joeshopping.com Is The Place To Save

In this economy it is imperative that we try to save ever penny we can and sites like Joeshopping.com are trying to help make that possible.

At first glance you know Joeshopping.com is all about saving you money and allowing you to get great deals with the newest Hot Dealsand Coupon section on their website. Joeshopping.com helps you compare products and prices by listing the prices for the same products from several different online stores allowing you get the best deal possible. Joeshopping.com holds no inventory and owns no warehouses so when you buy a product you are buying it directly from the site that it is linked to.

A few things I really like about Joeshopping.com are that they require no membership to shop and save. All you need to do is search their site via the search box or by categories via the Home or Shopping homepage. Joeshopping.com also allows you to review items which I find cool because that allows you to let other shoppers know what you think about an item you purchased. I always try to read other peoples reviews prior to purchasing an item to make sure that I am well informed on what I am about to purchase. Joeshopping.com also offers a forum where shoppers can chat and interact about stores and products which is a great place to become more informed and connect with other users of the site.

It is really hard to tell you EVERYTHING that Joeshopping.com has to offer because they offer a lot. For example while I was searching their site for Shae’s upcoming birthday I found the newest Birthday Express coupon codes which I plan to use to save some cash. They offer so many different coupon codes almost everyone should be able to find what they are looking for. I wanted to put the site to the test so I checked for musical instruments and I found Musicians Friend coupon codes. So like I said Joeshopping.com has something for everyone.

If you are thinking about buying a new TV, golf clubs or whatever your next purchase is be sure to stop by Joeshopping.com first because you will find the best deal that is available.

Also be sure to check out Joeshopping.com on Twitter and Facebook!!!!

This post was brought to you by Joeshopping.com!!

 












We Had An Awesome Green Lantern Party

In preparation for the Green Lantern Movie which will be hitting theaters on June 17, 2011 we were lucky enough to have been invited to host a Green Lantern party. Knowing how excited Shaun and Shae would be about this party got me excited to have this party as well.

Shaun and his friends from the neighborhood plus Shae and Sabreena attended the party that we held Friday night. We served chips and homemade pizza and had a blast watching the Green Lantern First Flight DVD. All of the kids had a blast playing with the Battle Shifter figures like Blade Attack and Scorpion Assault. They also had a blast taking turns playing with the Green Lantern Colossal Cannons. I think the cannons other then the food might have been the biggest hit at the party. The kids did find it hard to share the cannons and I think that was because they were having so much fun shooting the power discs but in the end everyone got a turn with the cannon.

In our party box were other cool items that they kids were excited to receive like the Green Lantern Power Ring as well as the Green Lantern Secret Origins Comics. Before this party I have to be honest I didn’t know there were so many cool Green Lantern toys but our party showed me that I was 100% wrong.

I was also given a recipe that I didn’t get a chance to try but from the description sounds like something Shaun and I would enjoy.

Intergalactic Power Slime – The classic Jello Recipe with a Green Lantern Twist! Perfect for intergalactic warriors!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg lime Jello
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 large green apple peeled, cored, chopped
  • 5 oz pkg mini marshmallows

Instructions: In a glass pan, stir the hot water into the powered Jello mix until it is completely dissolved. Next, stir in the cold water. Add the apples and marshmallows. Chill until firm. For easy serving, pour Jello mixture in individual serving bowls before chilling.

So our Green Lantern Party was a huge hit and the kids were excited that they got to leave with toys, rings and a comic book. Shaun and I can’t wait for the Green Lantern to hit theaters. We are totally there.










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