Category Archives: New posts

Animal Fun Time iPhone app review + 5 readers will get a free copy!

Age 1-3, Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Educational Toys, Games, iphone, New posts, , , , , ,

Animal Fun Time iPhone appI’m having a blast trying out new iPhone apps and what’s even better is that I get to watch my kids enjoy them too! Yes, I try apps for organizing, apps for recipes, apps for travel, but apps for the kids are the most fun because my kids are involved and I love to see their reaction and desire to play or watch them over and over again.  My kids are on iPhone time limits.  I don’t recommend handing your iPhone over to your kids and letting them have at it for hours. I think about 10 minutes at a time is plenty.

Animal Fun Time (iTunes link), brought to us by people operating technology, provides interactive musical on-screen flashcards featuring the animals as the stars. Promoting interactive see, touch & recognition skills, with bright colors and great sound effects, it’s the perfect app for a busy toddler AND for a busy parent who needs a busy toddler!

So what is Animal Fun Time? It is an app that teaches toddlers ages 3+ animal recognition as well as hand-eye coordination.  There are 5 animals on the screen at a time and your child must ‘press’ on the correct animal to move to the next screen. Kids are awarded with realistic (if not real) animal sounds and enthusiastic praise when he/she presses on the correct animal.

Madelyn, 3 years old, has a great time with Animal Fun Time. She loves to hear the noise each animal makes when she chooses the correct animal. The game is randomized so the game is never the same and thus your kids won’t get bored with it. Oh, and don’t worry, there’s no need for instructions so you can count on handing your iPhone over to your toddler to play Animal Fun Time and she’ll be on her way to a super fun time!

GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to people operating technology, we are giving 5 lucky readers their own free copy of Animal Fun Time!
1 entry: Just leave a comment below telling me why you want to win Animal Fun Time and/or tell us a funny story about your child and your iPhone.  Did something crazy happen when your kid had your iPhone?  Let us know!
2 extra entries: Click the green ‘retweet’ button to share this post with your Twitter friends then leave a comment below with your Twitter ID.
Entries accepted until August 25th, 2009.

Alicia Hagan, Editor

[tweetmeme]

KidZui, the Internet for Kids + we are giving away 5 KidZui Memberships!

Age 3-5, Age 5-7, Age 7-10, Games, New posts, Online Fun for Kids, , , , ,

KidZui Internet browser for kidsKidZui is an Internet browser for kids that I recently installed on my laptop and my son’s laptop.  He totally LOVES KidZui.  He has access to his favorite games and virtual worlds like Club Penguin and is introduced to safe online games and educational websites that he might not have otherwise learned about and can even interact SAFELY with other KidZui members. No matter where a user is in KidZui, he/she can get back to the KidZui home screen, and lists of games, virtual worlds, educational sites, and more.  In other words, navigating KidZui is simple.

Great for kids ages 3-12, KidZui users (even non-members) can create their own Zui choosing a hairstyle, clothes, and even the shape of his eyes.  All of the options can make for a very interesting Zui!

KidZui is a stand alone Internet browser meaning that you do not have to have IE or Firefox open to access KidZui.

KidZui FEATURES FOR PARENTS:

  • Parent Account access
  • Find out what websites your child has been visiting
  • E-mailed reports of your kid’s online activity
  • Accounts include all the kids in your family – Sebastian and Madelyn have their own Zui’s
  • Unlimited history of your kid’s activity – MEMBERS ONLY
  • View your kid’s top interests by their online activity – MEMBERS ONLY
  • Block individual websites – MEMBERS ONLY

KidZui FEATURES FOR KIDS

  • Over a million pieces of content
  • Express your style & create your own Zui
  • Share your favorite content with friends
  • Join the community & make parent approved friends
  • Unlock over 100 new Zui clothes & accessories – MEMBERS ONLY
  • Create your own channel with your favorite content – MEMBERS ONLY
  • Unlock extra features by gaining levels – MEMBERS ONLY

GIVEAWAY!
We are giving 5 lucky readers a FREE KidZui Membership!
1 entry: Leave a comment below telling me why you want your own KidZui Membership and you are entered to win!
2 extra entries: Retweet this post using the green retweet button below then leave a comment below with your Twitter user name in the Twitter ID box so we know you ‘retweeted’ this post.  That’s it! [tweetmeme]

NUK BPA Free Learner Cup

Age 0-1 year, Age 1-3, Food and Drink, New posts, ,

NUK Learner Cups - BPA Free

The Nuk BPA Free Learner Cup easy grip handles are ergonomically shaped with anti-slip soft grips, making it easy for your ‘learning to hold a cup’ baby to hold.  My son, now 9 years old, was holding a cup by the time he was 2 months old.  Just kidding.. I was trying to be funny like the competitive moms at those kids gym classes. Madelyn however, was not quite as coordinated from what I remember and didn’t hold her cup until she was a little older, like 3 months.  Ha!

The soft, spill-proof spout is gentle on baby’s gum and is top rack dishwasher safe.  No more hand-washing cup tops!  Available in a variety of colors, NUK Learner Cups ease the transition from breast or bottle to cup while baby enjoys the colorful cup.

  • The NUK Learner Cup is part of NUK system and compatible with NUK wide neck bottles
  • Top rack dishwasher safe. Handles are removable for easy cleaning
  • offer a variety of colors: blue, red, green, in 5oz size

Gerber NUK accessories are now BPA free. Look for the BPA free logo on package.

Learn more about NUK Learner Cups here.

Alicia Hagan, editor

Office Depot’s Project Backpack and Sharpie contest

Age 7-10, Ages 10-13, New posts, School, ,

Office Depot Project Backpack

This is a super fun project for school-age kids!  My son is 9 and he had a blast decorating his backpack.  Granted, he refused to draw a rough draft on a sheet of paper or use a pencil on the backpack first so I was a little frustrated.  But he’s 9.  I’m working on the photographs of his backpack tonight.. check back tomorrow for them!

The Project Backpack contest offers customers a chance to have their Sharpie-Designed backpack reproduced and sold in Office Depot stores nationwide.  A purchase is not required in order to enter the contest but if you purchase a qualifying backpack from Office Depot you get to choose 2 FREE Sharpies to decorate it.  Otherwise, you can download the Sharpie backpack template, decorate it and upload your design. The Grand Prize winner will receive a check in the amount of $5000.

Follow these easy steps to enter the contest:

  1. Go to your nearest Office Depot store to pick out the qualifying backpack (sku 789-795) and select 2 FREE Sharpies to decorate it. Click here to find an Office Depot store near you.
  2. Decorate your backpack and take a picture of it. Need inspiration? Visit www.sharpieuncapped.com
  3. Fill out the online entry form and upload the image of your decorated backpack.
  4. If you do not have a qualifying backpack, there is an alternative way to enter the contest. Simply download the Sharpie Backpack template, decorate it and upload your design.

Contest entries are accepted until September 19th, 2009 and there is a judging and voting phase after that.  The finalists will be announced November 15th.

Grand Prize
One (1) Grand Prize will be awarded to the Finalist who receives the most votes. The Grand Prize will consists of a check in the amount of $5,000 for the winner and the winner’s back pack design will be produced and sold in Office Depot stores in 2010.

First Prize
One (1) First Prize will be awarded to the Finalist who receives the second highest quantity of votes. The First Prize will consist of a check in the amount of $3,000.

Second Prize
One (1) Second Prize will be awarded to the Finalist who receives the third highest quantity of votes. The Second Prize will consist of a check in the amount of $2,000.

Check out the Project Backpack website here for contest rules, prize, contest, and voting information.

You can see some inspirational designs here.  Good luck!

Alicia Hagan, The Mommy Insider Editor

My Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator serves some great filtered water!

Frigidaire, New posts,

Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator

I’ve had a great time with my new Frigidaire appliances. I buy more food, cook more (we don’t live off hummus and carrots anymore!), and have washed more laundry than ever.  I can’t wait for my new dishwasher!   I am much more motivated to do laundry on a regular basis, and to cook since I have a new refrigerator, range, microwave, and washer and dryer.  I’m so much more motivated to do laundry now that I know I’m going to see a brand new shiny red Affinity washer and dryer than I was when I was using a 20+ year old washing machine and several year old dryer.

One of my favorite things about the refrigerator is that we can serve ourselves filtered water with ice, anytime. I know.. a lot of you have had high-tech refrigerators that dispense ice and water from the door for a long time, but I was behind the times when it came to my refrigerator.  We definitely drink more water now that it’s filtered and so easy to get.  I’m not one to buy bottled water so I didn’t drink much water but now I fill my cup up a few times a day, probably still not enough, but I drink more water than I did before getting my new Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator.

I had a regular stainless steel refrigerator before the new Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator and the fingerprint situation was such that the fridge could have been sold as an art piece.  This refrigerator however, doesn’t allow for the smudgy fingerprints as much as the old one so which is great and I can even put magnets on the front of the refrigerator as you can see in the photograph to the left.

Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator

Some features of my Frigidaire Gallery Refrigerator are:

  • SpaceWise™ Organization System
  • Quick Ice
  • Quick Freeze
  • SpillSafe™ Shelves
  • Real Stainless Steel
  • Ice & Water Filtration
  • Magnets can be put the front of the refrigerator doors

More Frigidaire links to check out and how you can win Frigidaire appliances:

  • Frigidaire More Me-Time Guarantee
  • The Frigidaire DAILYDARE
  • Tell Frigidaire what 5 things you would do with an extra hour and you’re automatically entered for a chance to win a suite of NEW Frigidaire appliances!
  • Frigidaire on Facebook