lilypond Magnolia Hand Bag in Bitterroot Green & Spring Leaf

I am always on the lookout for great new bags to carry all of my “mom-stuff” and then some. I am pretty picky when it comes to finding that perfect bag that I can carry everywhere. I prefer bags that make my life simple. I loathe having to dig for my keys when I have a 3 year old who may just take off across the parking lot at any moment!

Well, I found a great, well-made handbag made by a Colorado company called lilypond. I purchased lilypond’s small Magnolia handbag and I take this bag with me everywhere; meetings, shopping, and chauffeuring the kids. The space inside this “not-so-huge” handbag  is efficiently organized. I can easily store my kid’s water bottles, my water bottle, snacks, extra clothes for my son, wipes, keys, wallet, and  i-Phone with room to spare.  The feature I like the most about the handbag are the large side pockets that automatically “snap” close with a small built-in magnet, really convenient! I have already had compliments about my new bag, and I love showing it off!

Lilypond  has an appealing collection of women’s handbags, luggage and more with unique colors and style.  I was recently so excited to learn that lilypond will carry a women’s laptop bag which will be available next Spring 2011! Yeah, something for the “Techie-Girls” too!  To learn more about lilypond, check them out at  lilypondusa.com or fan their Facebook Page.

One of the most important things for a Facebook Fan Page is to share the Page. There are 2 really easy ways to share a Fan Page with Facebook Friends.

The first way is to suggest the Page to your friends. The “Suggest to Friends” button  is found on the upper left hand corner of the fan page. This will send a direct request to the email that is connected to your friends’ Facebook Account. The request  will also appear on the upper right hand side under the “Requests” section of your friends’ home page.

The second way to share a Page is to “Share” the Page.  At the very bottom left hand side of the Page, there is a “Share” button. This will send the page to to your profile and send it to your friends’ NewsFeed. Your friends will only see the post  if they are viewing Facebook and looking at their feed. So a Fan Page Share can be fleeting, but good.

There are several more ways to spread the word about  Fan Page. I would love to hear suggestions. How do you share your Fan Page?

Aside from learning and writing about great technology tips to help moms, I also like to sometimes share about things I find online. Recently, the Tote Buddy caught my eye on Twitter. It was a funny coincidence, at the same time I was thinking that I needed to do something to organize all of my reusable shopping bags and stop using plastic bags that fill my pantry.  So because of this coincidental Twitter experience, I was able to try the Tote Buddy and share with you how this great “gadget” has helped organize my “mom life” .
The Tote Buddy with Floral design, is a reusable-grocery bag organizer that comes with one free grocery bag. It is made of 100% recyclable materials, along with a velcro closure and it holds up to 10 grocery bags. I currently have 7 bags in my organizer  and I know I can fit more. It is super simple to store my bags in the Tote Buddy organizer, I lay the bags flat, fold it up, velcro it shut and off I go to shop.  I took my organizer on my latest grocery shopping trip and wow the Tote Buddy freed up so much space in my car’s cargo area and my grocery cart, I did not  have annoying reusable bags hanging out everywhere!
For more information visit, thetotebuddy.com and do your part to save our planet and organize yourself at the same time!

Black Acadia Backpack

Overland Equipment has shared another great bag with me, the Acadia Backpack. I gave this backpack a try on a recent family outing, and I have to say, it was super handy and comfortable.  The interior of the Acadia backpack is  light blue, which makes finding objects inside the bag much easier than black interior linings (which drives me crazy when I can’t see inside the bag). Another super convenient feature on this backpack, is a laptop sleeve located in the back section, allowing for more space in the main compartment. I like that my laptop can be tucked away somewhere separate from the other odds and ends in my bag.  As I carried this backpack on my shoulders, I really appreciated the extra cushy padding preventing that uncomfortable feeling when lugging around a laptop. An extra touch that I find great for my sunglasses is a fleeced-lined pocket.  So if you are looking for a backpack with the convenience of a laptop sleeve, check out the Acadia backpack by Overland Equipment.

Did you know that Feb. 8  is Clean Out Your Computer Day? Yep, there is an actual day designated to cleaning up your computer! I was taking a look around my computer the other day and geez I have got a lot on here. So much has built up from routine use that I didn’t notice.

A  helpful software program I used to help clean up my computer is called System Mechanic.* I was able to install and run the System Mechanic program in 35 minutes. I was impressed, it was super easy to use, the program did all of the work for me  AND the best part, I did not even need my husband to help me!

System Mechanic is a program designed to fix, speed up and maintain PCs so they run like new forever. Currently the #1 best selling PC tune-up product, the software combines more than 40 robust tools enabling novices and experts alike to clean out their computers and keep them in peak condition. It is essentially getting a brand new computer.

In spite of anecdotal evidence showing the magnitude of valuable hours wasted because of slow computers and psychological research documenting the negative influences of clutter – digital or otherwise – in our life, few people take the time to proactively clean out our computers. So to help with the process of cleaning out your computer, Iolo Technologies has set up a link to provide tricks and tips for a successful Clean Our Your Computer Day, check it out and hopefully it will convince you to take a few minutes to clean out your computer!

http://www.iolo.com/promo/radio/funstats.htm

* Iolo Technologies supplied me with the program to try and this is an honest review of the product

As a busy mom, organization is so important for me to keep my sanity. Therefore, I wanted to share my favorite brand for bags, Overland Equipment.

Several years ago, I discovered Overland Equipment’s Donner Bag at REI. I wanted a small size bag that could double as a diaper bag and a “purse” when my kids were not in tow.  The Donner Bag was the perfect fit. I still use the Donner bag to this day, it  is perfect to carry all of my mom essentials without having to lug around a huge bag.  The features I like the most are the deep side pockets (great to carry sippie cups) and the handy 5 pocket organizational pouch on the side of the bag, perfect for my iPhone and wallet!  (just wanted to add the Donner bag is technically not a diaper bag, I just used it that way)

This leads me to my next great Overland Equipment discovery, the Cambridge bag . This bag is a tote, a briefcase and a backpack all in one!   I had been having trouble with my old laptop bag hurting my back because I had to carry it on one shoulder and I wanted to find a laptop bag that I could use to carry other items as well. The Cambridge bag was the answer. I really like that I can carry this bag as a backpack OR as a tote. Ahhh, relief for my back AND it does not look nerdy! I even recently took it on an airline trip with my kids, I was able to fit lots of things inside the bag along with my laptop and computer essentials.  This bag is so great that recently a business friend of mine wondered where I got it because she wants one too!

Now  Overland has been kind enough to let me try their best seller the Auburn bag! The Auburn is a body hugging style bag that is very helpful for easily organizing your essentials.  This bag has a 5 pocket front organizer pouch with a fleeced lined cell phone/sunglasses holder that is covered and held closed with electronics safe magnets. Overland added a creative feature on the front of the bag, a leather patch with a fun mini pocket. I really like the way the bag hugs to my body,  one less thing to be in the way when I have a toddler to keep track of in a busy parking lot!  I have a feeling I will be using this bag for several years to come, maybe it will make it to my kids’  High School events!

For more information about these bags and more Overland Equipment products visit overlandequipment.com, they would make a perfect Christmas gift!

* The Donner and the Cambridge bags were purchased by me. Overland Equipment was kind enough to send the Auburn bag to me to try and share my thoughts with you!

Looking for some good apps for your preschooler? Here are 3 that are very simple, age appropriate and educational.

My son(2 1/2 years old) and I recently tried three  apps from Tickle Tap Apps. When we played these apps, I had to make sure I stayed near him, he tends to throw things so these apps were a great activity for us to do together. The first app was Sound Shaker which my son liked the most, anything that he can move and make a sound he likes. Sound Shaker allows children to create and play with a choice of different sounds by tapping and tilting the iPhone. Any preschooler would love this since preschoolers are all about making noises!

The next app we tried was the Count Caddy. Children count by ones with Jinja the cat and quickly progress to counting by twos with Robin the bird and counting by threes with Harvey the dog. This game took a bit more patience on my son’s part, but he does love to count and we will keep practicing with this app.

The third app we tried is Sort Slider which is a shape matching game. Children tilt the device to match objects with silhouettes while Harvey the dog pops up for plenty of encouragement. My son had a hard time getting this game, but I think as he gets older and some more patience it will be good for him to practice matching the shapes.

Overall I really like these apps, I think the simple animation allows a preschooler to focus on the task and not be distracted be too many things going on at the same time.

Tickle Tap Apps are age-appropriate educational games preschoolers can play anywhere. These apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch encourage learning through practice and exploration. All 10 apps in the series are designed to help children:

• Improve coordination, concentration and motor skills
• Practice preschool-level math, pattern, color and spatial concepts
• Tap into creativity and curiosity

I would like to share a very helpful website to help organize your life, Orggit.com. Orggit is a browser-based application to securely store, share and access your life’s essential information – anytime, anywhere.  Families can store everything from their credit cards to their passwords; their critical medical info to their insurance policy in Orggit.  Orggit is divided into 4 different sections Wallet, Medical, Accounts/Codes and File Cabinet.

I have been using Orggit and so far  the site has been very useful. The most appealing feature is the Accounts and Codes section. In this section I can keep all of my user names and passwords for several different sites. I then only need to use my Orgitt info to access the user names and codes. I also like the File cabinet section. In this section I can keep track of all sorts of information including; financial, property, legal, insurance and family.  I can even upload important family photos, which is a great feature since I have had the experience of a hard drive crash a while back and forgot to save my pics! Orggit also has an iPhone app from which you can access your information while on the go!

In case you were wondering about Orggit’s online security, here is a bit more information……

Orggit uses the same security as their parent company, Morgan Street Document Systems. Morgan Street digitizes the information and assets of High Net Worth Individuals and has been in business since 2005.  Here are a few specifics on Orggit’s security:

• Password, anti-phishing and security question guidelines to protect you at login
• Use of the highest-grade Extended Validation SSL Certificates from VeriSign for all data communications
• •Advanced Encryption Standard 256-bit encryption for your password, security questions and phishing image

More information about Orggit can be found in the video below or visit their site at, www.orggit.com

I am so thrilled with all of the choices for iPhone/iPod touch stories on the iTunes store. It is wonderful to see iPhone app developers create educational applications. My kids love reading the books on my iPhone and on their iPod Touches. Recently my kids and I tried StoryChimes narrated story Little Red Riding Hood. The story is very nicely illustrated with soothing colors on pages that my children can turn.

StoryChimes, created by Siena Entertainment, are affordable  iPhone/iPod touch children stories which are an alternative to video games, movies, and TV shows. The stories feature original illustrations, music, character voices, and sound effects are brought to life.  These stories are designed to provide a 3-D interactive and tactile experience for both the child and parent. StoryChimes encourages the user to “turn” pages with their fingers, read along with the story, or auto-play and listen to the narration by professional actors.

Story Chimes has exciting titles like The Red Shoes, Noah’s Moon, Benjamin’s Walk in the Woods, When Words Dream, Mother Goose Fairytales Vol 1 and 2 (both free), and a The Queen Bee.  We also have another free app, StoryChimes Match Game, a simple and fun match game with animal characters from one of our upcoming books, ABC Animals.

Story Chimes has recently been listed as a Staff Pick at iTunes for one of their stories,  When Words Dream, and they are currently #50 on the Top Paid Book apps. The stories can be found on the iTunes store or visit storychimes.com for more information.

Here is an iPhone/iPod Touch app with something extra special, Pigtails and Potbellies by Funji, Inc. . This wonderfully illustrated iPhone story book for children encourages use of prediction skills to make  inferences about what will happen next in the story.  A really unique feature about this iPhone/iPod book, is that each chapter of the book unlocks after 24 hours, so each day there is a new installment for your child to look forward to. My daughter and I tried out Pigtails and Potbellies. We really enjoyed making guesses about what was going to happen next, as a past-classroom teacher I realize how important prediction skills are to develop comprehension.

The artist behind Pigtails and Potbellies is Mike White,  a designer at Funji, Inc who blogs weekly comics at pigtailsandpotbellies.blogspot.com since 2008.

Give Pigtails and Potbellies a try, it really has great educational value and it is only .99 cents. Search Pigtails and Potbellies Kids book on your iTunes Store!

You Tube Preview of Pigtails and Potbellies