You are here: Home / 2012 / Archives for November 2012

Enter to win a NetZero 4G Hot Spot! **Giveaway** Ends Dec. 3

November 26, 2012 By 16 Comments

One of the frustrating aspects of traveling during the holidays is reliable internet access. I know it frustrates me, but NetZero has a solution and I am excited to share it with you.

 

NetZero 4G Mobile Broadband provides secure, mobile, super-fast 4G Internet access for your laptop, iPad®, netbook or tablet in over 80 cities across the U.S. With a NetZero 4G device, you become your own hotspot. Is that not cool?! The portable and personal 4G hotspot lets you enjoy secure, super-fast 4G Internet for up to eight devices simultaneously. Just connect your Wi-Fi-enabled device(s), select one of NetZero’s data plans and you’re ready to go.

Also, mark your calendar and join me and the #GNO crew and NetZero on Twitter for a holiday travel chat on Monday, November 26, 9pm, EST.

To help spread the word about their new services NetZero is giving one of my readers the chance to try out their Platinum services absolutely free for three months along with the NetZero 4G Hot Spot! This is a $300 value! Please use the form to enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward blogger network. Mom It Forward and NetZero partnered in support of this campaign. NetZero compensated me forparticipation in this campaign, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Filed Under: Giveaway! Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Be a Fashion Celebrity with Fashion Life **Review**

November 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Have you ever wanted to live the life of a model, designer or shop owner? Well, you can when you play Imagine Fashion Life. My girls had a good time playing this game and selecting a different career path. Apparently, it is highly important that you keep up your social network in Fashion Town as your career evolves. One of the keys to the game is as you rise in fame as either a model, designer or manager, you are going to want to maintain good relationships with the new people you meet. The relationship you have with the characters is measured by a gauge filled with hearts. The way you fill the gauge is by inviting the friend for a drink, offer them a gift or perform a makeover.

I asked my girls their favorite part of the game and my oldest said she liked how she could choose a different career and after the first season, decide whether to try a new career or carry-on for another season. My other daughter, who is 11, said she liked being a model and signing autographs. She played two seasons and both times said her favorite careers were the model and the designer. She also liked the wide variety of clothes the game had and that she could design outfits of her own.

This game is great for being able to see the fashion world from more than one perspective. There is enough activity in each of the careers to keep you coming back to play the game over and over. Again, this looks like another great game for girls to play and for gamers who love interactive games.

Filed Under: Reviews! Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Get Your Dance on with Just Dance 4 **Review**

November 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. #UbiChamps


We have a new holiday tradition in my household and it is a game. Just Dance 4! When the game arrived in the mail, my oldest and I played the game for two hours straight. I was actually sore the next morning because you can get one heck of a workout. After our Thanksgiving meal, the kids and I broke out Just Dance 4 so we could work off the turkey dinner. Needless to say, the game will be traveling with us for Christmas and New Years. I have insisted my friends get this game, as it is perfect for get togethers and family game night.

The goal of Just Dance 4 is to dance in rhythm with the dancers on the screen. I have the Wii version of the game and the Wii remote will sense how closely your body movements are to the professional dancers. Also, the game can detect the amount of energy you put into your dance and will award you accordingly. Not to brag, but I consistently scored 4 stars and an energetic rating.

There is more to the game than simply following dance moves.The game has a pretty simple scoring system that lets you know if you missed a move or performed it really well. There are also Gold Moves which give you a lot of points. You also receive stars indicating your overall performance and a progress bar also lets you see how you are doing with mastering the dance.

There are also various types of choreography types, such as duets, dance crews and battle modes. One of my favorites is the Dance Mash-ups. During one of these, the dancers from all songs team up to create a new mash-up. I like this because dancers from previous Just Dance games can surprise you with an appearance.

You have to give this game a try and add it to your family game night. My kids and I love it and look forward to playing together. Who would have thought dancing with your kids could be so much fun?

Filed Under: Reviews! Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Imagine Babyz are a lot like Real Babies **Review**

November 22, 2012 By 2 Comments

I have to admit, I enjoyed playing Imagine Babyz more than I thought I would.The babies are naturally cute and the game is fun. Here is the basic gist of the game:

You are a pediatric nurse recruited by a famous international au pair agency. Your character travels all over the world taking care of babies and gaining experience to open your own child care center. The game allows you to customize your character and you can choose the babies you want to nurture. You can pretty much take care of them how you want, the goal being to keep them happy and help them grow. As they grow, the babies learn new abilities by performing different activities. If you impress the parents, you build your reputation, gain access to new families and become a preferred nanny.

Other characters in the game are Miss Wilhelmina, who is your boss and president of the agency. She is pretty tough, but it is because she expects the best of her nannies. Lisa, is a friendly nanny who has been working for Miss Wilhelmina for five years. She is not a top level nanny, because she is a little out there sometimes, although, she does try and offer advice to your character and is skilled at keeping the babies happy. Rachelle is another nanny who has been with the agency for about two years. She is not the friendliest or most patient nanny. Right off the bat, she sees you as competition and, the more you improve the more she gets bitter about your success.

To me, the babies are the best part of the game. Like real babies, they all have their own personalities and preferences. Some like their baths hot, while others like their bottles cooler. I found this game to be similar to real life in these babies could be high maintenance. My middle daughter enjoyed the game and said she liked watching the babies grow and learn new things. Young girls will definitely get a kick out of Imagine Babyz and so will you!

Filed Under: Reviews! Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Actively Looking for Daily Surprises

November 20, 2012 By 1 Comment

I know a lot of people do not like Mondays, but I find I am kind of fond of them. They offer a fresh start to a new week, an opportunity to try something different and set the tone for the rest of the week. Today, I was greeted by an entryway full of pigs. Sculptures, actually and I could not resist capturing them in a photo. It literally had me giddy, as I knew how lucky I was to be exposed to art on a daily basis.

This and much of the art I see around me are pleasant surprises. What daily surprises are you excited about?

Filed Under: Photo Life Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Getting Ready for the Holidays

November 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Over the weekend, I picked up all the fixing for our Thanksgiving dinner. This year, the kids and I decided we would have cornish hens instead of turkey. Something different for a change. Otherwise, I will make my usual dishes I only make this time of year. Preparing the first holiday meal is when I start to get in the holiday mood. It is a nice feeling.

My 11-year old daughter told me she is just not ready to hear all this Christmas music. She said it is too soon, can’t we have Thanksgiving first? I have to agree with her.

What are you looking forward to as the holidays approach?

Filed Under: Photo Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Try Something New This Week

November 18, 2012 By 1 Comment

Today was a really nice day. For the first time in months, I woke up energized and ready to tackle the day. I have been working daily on setting my mind about the kind of day I want to have. It is new for me, being this intentional about how I am going to approach my day. It is typical for us humans to let our moods, as fickle as they are, dictate how we feel. That, my friends, is a passive way to approach intentional living, and I have found it is counter productive for me.

So, I challenge you this week. Do something different in the morning. If you normally hit the snooze button, get up and do some stretching or read and pray. If you get up in a bad mood, make up your mind you will have an amazing day. Choose a better alternative for breakfast or arrive to work on time. Just give it a try.

What new thing are you going to try this week?

Filed Under: Intentional Living Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Finding a Creative Space to Write

November 13, 2012 By 2 Comments

This coffee shop is not far from where I work. I like it here a lot. The people are nice, the atmosphere is warm and inviting and it is great for people watching. This may be a place I frequent quite a bit when I need to write. Coffee shops for urban dwellers seems to be what parks are to suburbanites. A place to hang out, meet a few friends or just chill. I admit I love getting outside when I have the chance, as fresh air and nature can be rather inspiring.

I have been struggling the past few months with writing consistently. When I do have these kinds of moments, putting myself in a different space or atmosphere always seems to help. And, changing where I write also gives me permission to write badly. Sometimes, you just have to get something on the paper. Do the work instead of waiting to be inspired. I know for myself, if I waited to be inspired, I would not write a single word.

Do you have a favorite place you go to when you need to recharge your creative batteries?

Filed Under: Writer's Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

How and Why to Write a Personal Manifesto

November 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

Beautiful Artwork created by Mandy Thompson for Goinswriter.com/artist

I have read many manifestos and thought about creating one of my own, but I seem to always put it off. I am not putting it off anymore. This week, I will write my manifesto.

What is a Manifesto?

A manifesto is a public declaration of a person’s intentions, beliefs, motives, and opinions . In it’s simplest form, it is a document a person documents what is important to them. It is a statement of principles and a call to action. The manifesto challenges assumptions and provokes change. It challenges you to commit to what you say you believe in.

A manifesto should not be mistake with a mission statement. It is the mission statements, awesome kick ass, older sister. It is a bold statement that sets the tone for your life, career or your day.

The value of a Manifesto

A manifesto can be a valuable source of inspiration to you. Reading it daily can help you focus on what is important to you before you start your day. I know some people like to share their manifestos publically, but you do not have to do this. It is a declaration for you to use as a guide for future aspirations.

The ideal time to write a manifesto is now. Things do not have to be going wrong in your life for you to sudden write one. You can be very satisfied with the way your life is going and the manifesto then acts as a reminder to keep on keeping on when things get a little tough. Your manifesto keeps you focused and reading it daily will help you no matter what is going on in your life.

Writing Your Manifesto

There is no right or wrong way to write a manifesto. How you choose to do it, is strictly up to you. A good place to start is with a list of topics that are important to you. When I start writing mine, self-care, my children and how I deal with challenging situations will be a part of my manifesto.

After you have a few topics to focus on, write down your intentions, beliefs and motives for each topic. A manifesto gives you the opportunity to put it all out there. Use strong , active words and write in the present tense. This tends to give your manifesto more “oomph” and power.

Finally, write your manifesto down. You can type it up later and make it fancy, but the first time, write it on paper. There is something about actually taking the time to write down something as important as your manifesto. This could end up being one of the most important pieces of writing you do in your life or it could lead to you writing a manifesto for your life.

I am looking forward to this exercise and I hope you join me in creating a manifesto.

 

 

Filed Under: Embrace the Everyday Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Moving Forward the Day after the Election

November 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment


Yesterday, my oldest participated in her first Presidential election. It was really cool seeing her get her ballot and go into the little booth. Before she did, one of the volunteers announced she was a first time voter and everyone cheered. When she submitted her ballot, they cheered again. People have been asking me if I influenced her vote and I have told them no. My children are independent thinkers. My daughter did all the research needed to vote intelligently on the issues. She made me very proud.


I admit, I was a little envious of all the people showing off their stickers on Twitter, Facebook and Google+. So, this picture of my enthusiasm over voting and finally getting my sticker is about as real as it gets. This is better than any gold star!

I am glad all the election excitement is over. Now, let’s move forward and make everyday from this point amazing.

Filed Under: Intentional Living, My People Tagged With: , , , ,
« Older Posts