Our household of five is busier than we would like most of the time.  Even if we are all home at the same time, we are rarely all in the same room together.  We actually have 3 televisions and more computers than we have household members.  Simply stated, although we enjoy some of the same things, we all have our own favorite list of shows that we like to watch.  When Comcast raised their prices and we switched our cable, Internet, and phone services to Verizon FiOS, the variety of channels that came with the Triple Play plan was one of the reasons I was happy with our decision to make the change.  There are shows appropriate for preschool-aged children all the way to adults everyday from morning to bedtime.

Since our household is always so busy, I like to have the children eat at the table for all three meals.  It is nice to sit together, enjoy a meal, and talk about anything that is on their minds.  I also find that they eat more quickly at the table than when they are seated in front of the television.  Once in awhile though, when we do have two hours to devote to dinner, we will eat in the living room and watch a movie together.  That is what we did tonight using Verizon FiOS Flex View.  We looked through all the new releases available on the on-screen menu and our children chose Rango, which none of us had seen in the movie theaters.

Flex View worked out very well for us because we could pause the movie for bathroom breaks and rewind it to see what we missed when the children were talking too much.  For a family like ours who only has Family Movie Night once a month at the most, a service like Flex View makes the most sense.  We would not get much use out of a monthly unlimited video service.  Paying just $4.99 for the entire family to watch a movie (without having to leave the house) that would have cost us $50+ to see in the theater was perfect!

My husband and I also liked using Flex View to watch movies we are not positive that both of us would like.  That way, we start watching the movie together in the living room, but if one of us does not care for it, then the other can go finish watching it on one of the computers by him or herself.  You should know that you will need to download Verizon Media Manager before you can access Flex View on your computer.  I recommend your doing that ahead of time instead delaying your movie the first time you want to watch one on your computer.  Flex View is also available for mobile devices and you do not need to be a Verizon Wireless customer to use it.  Unfortunately for us, our Windows Phones are not on the list of compatible devices yet.

If you would like to learn more about Verizon FiOS, start by checking to see if 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.

Once in awhile, we put in a CD and the kids just let loose and dance.  You should see some of the crazy things they come up with.  It doesn't even matter what kind of music is playing, they'll go from hip hop moves to square dancing during the same song.

It is very apparent that I feel comfortable sharing watermarked photos of my family on 3G2S and on Facebook.  I realize that not everyone enjoys that level of comfort when it comes to their personal photos and would much prefer private sharing.  If you fall into this category, then you might like to know about the Fotobounce software that is available to download for free to help you share and organize your photos with friends and family.

Some important features offered by the Fotobounce software:

• You can customize your Private Network by inviting friends and family via email to become Fotobounce users (or "Bouncers").  To make this process easier, you can import contacts from your Gmail and Yahoo address books.
• Only members of the same Private Network can view each other's encrypted photos files.
• If you are a Facebook user, then you know what a chore tagging your photos (i.e. labeling photos with the names of those who appear in those particular photos) can be.  Fotobounce's unique face recognition ability allows this software to auto-tag your photos.
• Since so many photo sharers already utilize Facebook and Flicker, it only makes sense that this software is compatible with both sites.  Fotobounce photos can be uploaded to both Facebook and Flicker without the need for re-tagging the photos.  
• Fotobounce is also compatible with Twitter.  You can send a single photo or an entire album to Twitter directly from Fotobounce.

Do you ever feel like you need a little change in your room decor?  By little, I mean nothing major, but rather just changing the throw pillows, getting a new area rug, or finding new wall art.  Well, this project is for allowing your children to become involved in the redecorating by creating color-coordinated artwork that can be framed and will match the colors in your room.  This project is also very budget-friendly.  The only cost most likely will be for new frames and you can always opt to use ones you already own.

Today's Project:  Color-Coordinated Framed Kids Art

Ask your child (or children) to create two original pieces of artwork using all the designated colors at least once, while filling the whole paper.


Supplies Needed:

1)  2 sheets of blank white 8x10 paper
2)  2 empty picture frames meant to hold an 8x10 photo (with or without a mat)
3)  Assorted colors of crayons (carefully selected by you) in only colors that compliment your room
4)  Transparent tape

Tip #1:  Using two identical 11x14 frames containing mats will give the artwork a more polished look.

Step 1.  Determine if you would like horizontal or vertical pictures and help your child to orient his or her blank paper correctly.


Step 2.  Present your child with the pre-selected crayons and ask them to fill the paper with a drawing of their choice.

Tip #2:  Some children will need help with what to draw, so it may be necessary to suggest a theme.  The more your child can do on his or her own, the more special the artwork produced will be.


Tip #3:  Sometimes it is wise to make your child aware that, although they should color all the way to the edge of the paper, they should not put any important elements close to the edges.  Depending on the frame used, some of the edges may be hidden by the frames or cardboard mats.

Step 3.  Place your first frame face down on a clean flat surface and remove the backing.  Using the transparent tape, secure the first drawing in the desired position (if necessary, depending on the type of frame you are using).  Then replace the backing of the picture frame.


Tip #4:  If using frames with mats, then it is best to secure the drawing to the mat with a small piece of tape on all 4 straight sides and on all 4 corners.  Doing so prevents any gaps that may appear between the mat and the artwork.

Step 4.  Repeat "Step 3" with the second picture frame and second piece of artwork.


Here are the results of our project . . . 

Both the children and I were very pleased with the results.  I think the children were surprised at how wonderful the room looks with everything coordinated and they are very proud that they were able to make such a huge contribution.

With young children in our household, Family Movie Night usually only consists of an animated film that is Rated G.  Our oldest son is approaching the age of 8, but I am still wary about what types of films he is able to watch.  The element of danger still makes him very anxious, whether it presents itself in a video game, a television show, or a movie.  Walmart and P&G are about to air their 7th Family Movie Night made-for-TV movie . . . Who Is Simon Miller?  This is a spy film I am considering allowing our son to watch since he has been "playing spy" so often in recent weeks.  I was on the fence until my husband and I attended an online screening.  Now I am confident that Who Is Simon Miller? is a movie that our 7.5 year old son will be able to watch and enjoy.

Who Is Simon Miller is about an average dad (Loren Dean) that is secretly leading a double life as an undercover government operative.  When he goes missing, his wife Meredith (Robyn Lively) along with his teenage son Kevin (Drew Koles) and daughter Sarah (Skyler Day) take off to Europe to track him down.  Finding themselves in unexpected danger, the trio uses their individual skills and knowledge to work as a team to hopefully retrieve their father safely, whomever he may really be.

As you will see from the short trailer below, this film has the intrigue of a light spy movie without any violence and gore.  Who Is Simon Miller? would make the perfect first spy movie for a grade school-aged child.  The only thing I could suggest to make this movie more kid-friendly is the addition of a few more spy gadgets.  You can never have enough of those.



You can watch the premiere of Who Is Simon Miller? on Saturday, August 6th at 8pm EST on NBC.  To learn more about this movie or to stay up to date about future Family Movie Night projects by Walmart  and P&G, visit FamilyMovieNight.com and Family Movie Night on Facebook.


I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Sensitive Sam by Marla Roth-Fisch is the story of a little boy who has sensory integration disorder and needs to see an Occupational Therapist, OT, to help him. It’s a cute, short little book that covers a very serious topic that many children have to deal with nowadays, including my son, Quinn. Part of Quinn’s diagnosis of Asperger’s is sensory issues and, like Sam, Quinn will be seeing an OT. This book did a great job of preparing Quinn for his first therapy visit and letting him know what kinds of fun things they’ll be doing.  It did so in a way that was age appropriate for him and had nice illustrations by the author.

Thank you to Marla Roth-Fisch for providing a complimentary copy of this book for us to base our review upon.

Because the air has been so hot, humid, and unhealthy outside, the children have been cooped up in the house quite a lot.  Blasting some Kidz Bop and letting loose was just what they needed.  Out of all the Kidz Bop CDs we own, Kidz Bop 20 might just be our 7 year old son's favorite.

Out of the 16 songs on this CD, there was only one that he did not care for . . . "Never Say Never".  It was not the actual music that he did not like, but rather the subject matter.  This particular song is very obviously about L-O-V-E and that's just too icky for a boy his age.

My son's favorite songs on the Kidz Bop 20 CD are "Price Tag", "On The Floor", and "Rolling in the Deep." As far as music goes, I think I'm still stuck in the 80's and 90's, so although I enjoyed the music, I only recognized one song.  My son, however, recognized the majority of them because pop music was the school bus driver's choice of music last year.


All the songs on this CD were fun and upbeat with not one ballad.  Even our 4 year old twins enjoyed dancing to them.  This is a great CD for a rainy day or a long car trip.


Kidz Bop 20 is now available for purchase on CD and digital download at most major music retailers.  You can listen to clips from each song on KidzBop.com.


Thank you to Kidz Bop for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Dear Karen,

I know you have noticed that, from a very early age, your daughter has been a girly girl in spite of all the male influence coming from your two sons and husband.  I know your husband has noticed it too and he refuses to accept facts, such as a girl takes longer in the bathroom to get ready than a boy does.  Don't worry, he will eventually come to terms with the reality that he has a girly girl on his hands and not a tomboy.

I know you are not going out of your way to make your daughter into a pink-loving, pretty-things-adoring, tutu-wearing little girl.  So it was perfectly okay that, when you were last walking through the mall with your family and your daughter pointed and yelled out in delight, "Look!  Shoes!!", that you had a brief moment of that's-my-girl happiness inside.

I am a sucker for vampire novels, so when I was given the opportunity to review Always the Vampire by Nancy Haddock, I jumped on the chance. In this novel, it follows vampire heroine, Cesca, as she tries to be the best maid of honor she can for her friend, Maggie. Cesca herself is a vampire princess who kicks butt but doesn’t feel she’s been living up to her vampiric duties as of late. Due to a unique supernatural disease making its rounds, many of her friends, including her lover, are falling ill and she has to deal with that as well.

First I’ll start by saying that Always the Vampire is the third book in this series and I haven’t read the other two. I wasn’t really lost, per se, but did find myself wishing I had read the other two many times.  I probably will read the first two books and return to this one after. That said, I really enjoyed diving into Cesca’s world and learning about her supernatural lifestyle. Cesca is a strong woman and a very interesting one at that, and I loved reading what this well-written novel had to say. The story itself had everything you could want if you’re a sci-fi or vampire novel lover, including romance. Cesca is a feisty vampire who makes for a great main character.

You can purchase Always the Vampire for the Kindle on Amazon.com and in paperback at most major book retailers.


Thank you to Penguin Group for providing a complimentary copy of this book for us to base this review upon.

We only have one contest to draw the winners for today, but there are actually four winners to determine altogether!  Let's see who the lucky readers are . . .

There has been a huge wave of "deal-a-day" websites that bring you one or even a small handful of brand name products at reduced prices for a very limited length of time.  If you like such websites, but are wondering if it is worth your time to check them all everyday just for the chance that one site may be offering something that is a good fit for you or your family, then you might want to checkout Bargain Jill, the sister site to BargainJack.com and OneDayBuys.com.

BargainJill.com offers a large collection of deals, bargains, coupons, and more all in one place.  The content of this site is especially geared towards women.

I think my favorite deal found on BargainJill.com so far is the $10 off a $10 purchase from Pier 1 Imports!  To keep up to date on all of Bargain Jill's finds, visit Bargain Jill on Facebook and Twitter.