Category Archives: Contests

You Don’t Get a Second Chance to Protect Your Child Online! Net Nanny Review and Giveaway

Net Nanny

 

 

Many children are ignorant, and rightly so, to the risks of playing games and socializing with friends online. Whether working on a school paper or playing a social game, Net Nanny will keep your child safe from online predators, pornography, and cyber bullying. Parents, remember this.. you can’t turn back time. If your tween see’s an obscene image just once, that image will be engrained in their memory forever. You can keep that from happening by using software such as Net Nanny. It takes just one image or one obscene comment via a social network to impact and confuse your child. Why take that chance?

Net Nanny
Screenshot of what you'll see if you try to access a blocked keyword

I’ve been working online for over 10 years and was sure I knew how to keep my kids safe online.  But I’m not so sure these days.   A lot has changed in 10 years.  While the internet can provide our children with a lot of educational information, we need to remember that the internet is also full of websites that are inappropriate for children including pornographic and hate websites and once your child sees that material, you can’t make it disappear from their memory.

With Net Nanny, you can filter out harmful websites.  This is priceless to me as a parent.  Net Nanny allows parents to customize what kind of sites our children are able to view and what sites are restricted. This means that we are able to control our child’s activity on the internet even when we are not around.

When it comes to parental control software it is important that the software can monitor your child’s behavior on the internet not just block websites and keywords.  While Net Nanny not only blocks pornographic and other undesired material, it also monitors activity on social media networks, chat, and gaming websites.

From the NetNanny.com website

Did you know that there are many ways your children can access pornography and questionable content on the Internet? Net Nanny provides full internet safety on not just the World Wide Web, but also less known but equally dangerous parts of the Internet like the Usenet, Peer-to-Peer downloading networks, Chat Rooms, Instant Messages, FTP, Forums and email. If you have never heard of some of those areas of the Internet, it is possible that your kids have. But don’t worry. Net Nanny knows about them, and protects your children from the bad content on them.

Features of Net Nanny For PC and/or Mac Include:

  • Blocks Pornography and Protects Families and Children
  • IM Alert & Analysis
  • Customizable “Allowed” or “Blocked” Lists
  • Detailed Logs
  • Schedule Internet Access
  • Secure Website Filtering/Blocking
  • Game and Application Blocking
  • Browser Alerts
  • Configuration Assistant
  • Predator and Cyber Bully Alerts
  • Unlimited toll-free technical support
  • Cell Phone Alerts – Cell phone alerts are sent out within five minutes, giving you the opportunity to intervene.

Net Nanny 6.5 has been specifically designed to address your concerns, here are a few more customer requested features you’ll find in the latest Net Nanny release:

  • View conversations for web-based IM like Facebook, Meebo, and MySpace
  • Receive email notifications in real-time, hourly, daily or even weekly
  • Block uploading of pictures
  • Keyword blocking lets you decide if kids should see pages with specific words
  • Block posting/commenting on Blogs and Forums
Disclosure: Net Nanny provided me with software for review purposes.  All opinions are 100% mine and were not influenced by compensation.
UPDATE!
I  have been blogging since 2005 and just started attending blogging and social media conferences just last year.   I am thrilled to announce that I am attending BlogHer ’11 in San Diego August 4-7th and that I am being sponsored by Net Nanny.   Thank you Net Nanny / Content Watch!

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving two lucky readers a license for a copy of Net Nanny software!  To enter to win, leave a comment below.  Entries accepted through August 25th.  Winners will be chosen by August 27th and will be notified via email.

Earn extra entries by doing the following:
Alicia Hagan, Editor

Frito Lay and ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ Books – Special Promotion and Giveaway

Frito Lay and Choose Your Own Adventure books

Frito-Lay Variety Packs is partnering with the Choose Your Own Adventure series in perfect time for back to school shopping!  During this promotion, you will be able to purchase Frito-Lay Variety Packs that have a code on the packaging to download three original digital Choose Your Own Adventure books online.

Choose Your Own Adventure books online

One of the things that makes being a parent so much fun is seeing my kids enjoy the same things I did when I was young. Correct me if I’m wrong..when you were young nothing was more exciting than mom coming home with a multi-pack snack bag of chips that had all of your favorite flavors in it.  Mix that with a Choose Your Own Adventure book.. Shut Up!.. the fun just didn’t stop! I LOVED Choose Your Own Adventure books when I was a kid and now my 11 year old son loves them too.  These books are a fabulous way to occupy kids for hours and keep kids interested in reading during the summer break which is so important.

During this special Frito-Lay and Choose Your Own Adventure books promotion families can not only choose their own snack adventure but a book adventure to go with it.  Pretty great huh?

Look for the promotional displays in your local store.

GIVEAWAY!

I have a $25 gift card and a boxed set of Choose Your Own Adventure books for one lucky The Mommy Insider reader. Leave a comment below to enter and get extra entries for each item you complete from the list below.
Entries accepted through 11:59 July 23rd.
Winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 24 hours or an alternate winner will be chosen.
Contest open to U.S. residents age 18 and over.  No P.O. boxes.

Update: If you entered this contest before you saw the contest entry form below, don’t worry.. all of your entries will be counted!

Be sure to tell us in the comments below what you’ve done (Twitter, Facebook, etc)!

To enter leave a comment telling me why you want to win these prizes, in the comments below.

Extra entries:

Be sure to tell us what you’ve done in the comments below!
This review was made possible by MomSpark Media. I was given a Choose Your Own Adventure Book and Frito-Lay Variety Packs in return for posting information about this promotion. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

“Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” Movie Release & a $100 Shutterfly Gift Card Giveaway!

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer movie

This year summer may officially begin on June 21, but summer FUN begins promptly on Friday, June 10, 2011, when Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer opens in theaters nationwide!  This summer, third grader Judy Moody (played by Jordana Beatty) is planning the most super-duper, double-rare summer vacation ever with best friends Rocky and Amy. But it turns out Rocky (Garret Ryan) is going to circus camp to learn to tame lions, and Amy (Taylar Hender) is headed off to Borneo with her mom to save a lost tribe while Judy stays home with her pesky little brother Stink (newcomer Parris Mosteller) and second-best friend Frank Pearl (Preston Bailey). Just when she thinks things are as rotten as they can be, her parents announce that they will be going to California and Judy will have to stay behind with her Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) who she’s never even met!  It looks like Judy’s best summer ever has just become her worst summer ever.

But feisty, fearless and ever-funny Judy Moody never gives up!  With help from some unexpected sources, she’s headed for a summer full of surprises in this charming and spirited family film.

About “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” movie:

When her best-laid plans for a summer full of fun go comically awry, an imaginative young girl creates her own vacation adventures in Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer. Based on the beloved, bestselling book series by Megan McDonald, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer is an irresistible and delightfully funny treat for adventure-loving kids and adults.
This summer, third grader Judy Moody is planning the most super-duper, double-rare summer vacation ever with best friends Rocky and Amy. Except that it turns out Rocky is going to circus camp to learn to tame lions, and Amy is headed off to Borneo with her mom to save a lost tribe while Judy stays home with her pesky little brother Stink and second-best friend Frank Pearl.
Just when she thinks things are as rotten as they can be, her parents announce that they will be going to California and Judy will have to stay behind with her Aunt Opal, who she’s never even met! It looks like Judy’s best summer ever has just become her way worst summer ever.

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer arrives in theaters nationwide on June 10, 2011.


GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer, we are giving a lucky reader a $100 Shutterfly gift card!

To enter, leave a comment below telling us what you would do with the $100 Shutterfly gift card and/or what your most fond movie theatre memory is (when you were a child or with your own child).

Entries accepted through 11:59pm June 17th
Contest open to U.S. residents over 18 years old

Earn extra entries by doing one or all of the following:

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor

KrankyKrab Personalized Children’s Artwork Review and Giveaway!

KrankyKrab personalized fairy princess artwork

My 5 year old loves fairies and she thinks she is a princess.  That’s why when she saw the personalized fairy princess print that KrankyKrab sent her, she was ecstatic.   We spent plenty of time figuring out exactly where the print would go on her wall.  First, she wanted it above her bed.  When she realized she couldn’t see the print while she was laying in bed, she changed her mind.  Finally, the print ended up across the bedroom on a spot of a wall that is viewable from anywhere in the room.  Hooray!

Display your little fairy princess’s name using KrankyKrab’s customized original prints. Each illustration is first drawn by hand and finished by computer.
All of KrankyKrab’s prints are made using archival inks on acid-free fine art paper. All materials are non-toxic and lead free.

KrankyKrab

The process of ordering a custom fairy princess print is quick and easy. You can choose what skin tone and hair color you want, frame color, and choose from a few different fairy princesses. Then type your child’s name in a box and wahlah.. you’re done!

You can buy a personalized fairy princess print for just $25 including a handmade custom matted frame!

In addition to personalized fairy princess prints, KrankyKrab also offers original animal prints, monster prints, and posters.

GIVEAWAY!

We are giving two lucky readers a $15 KrankyKrab gift card.  Entrants must live in the U.S., no P.O. Boxes, and be 18 years old or older. Entries accepted through 11:59pm June 14th.

To enter, visit KrankyKrab.com (link opens a new window) and them come back here and tell us what your favorite KrankyKrab product is, in the comments below.

Earn extra entries by doing one or all of the following:

 

Disclosure: This review was made possible by Mom Spark Media.  All opinions are 100% honest and were not influenced in any way.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Wendy’s Berry Almond Chicken Salad.. I Don’t Eat Salad and I Loved it!

Wendy's Berry Almond Chicken Salad

I was lucky enough to be part of a group of wonderful local bloggers here in Atlanta for the second time, to be given the opportunity to try a new Wendy’s menu item, the Berry Almond Chicken Salad.  The Berry Almond Chicken Salad is a seasonal addition to Wendy’s salad line.  Because I’m not a fan of salad I ordered the half sized salad thinking I would have to force myself to eat even that much salad.  Much to my delight, I was wrong!

Boy was I surprised when I received my salad!  I wasn’t expecting to be handed such a fresh, colorful, delicious looking salad (and by a very courteous staff at that!) The Berry Almond Chicken Salad was topped with fresh strawberries and blueberries, shaved natural Asiago cheese and warm grilled chicken.  Yum!!  Seriously, I  don’t eat salad, just ask my sister (@greedygrechen on Twitter), and I really enjoyed Wendy’s Berry Almond Chicken Salad.

Wendy’s Berry Almond Chicken Salad is served with fat-free Marzetti’s Raspberry Vinaigrette and sliced almonds on the side adding great flavor and texture to the salad.

GIVEAWAY!

I am giving a lucky reader a $25 gift card to Wendy’s.  To enter, leave a comment below telling me what you’d like to try at Wendy’s.
This contest is open to U.S. residents 18 and older.  No P.O. Boxes.
Entries accepted through 11:59pm June 15th.

Earn extra entries by doing one or all of the following:

Disclosure: Wendy’s and The Motherhood invited me to try the new salad, and I was compensated for my time, but all the opinions in this post are my own.

 

Alicia Hagan, Editor