A Review and the Giveaway

Once again MomCentral has made a product available for reviewers to check out and tell the universe what they think. Even though my laptop is only a year and a half old, I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of the Norton PC Tune-up blog tour because hey, we all want our computers to run even better, right? At least, I don't think it's just a geeky thing that only I get excited about....

Today we had absolutely nothing going on around the house (except for some serious Laser Tag between my son and husband) so I grabbed the phone and called the toll-free number. I was immediately connected with Peter who was obviously Canadian and every single time he said "aboot" instead of "about" I giggled with glee. The info included with the promo code said the service takes about 30 minutes. Whether it was due to my slow internet connection or El Nino or the fact that Venus is in retrograde, the whole conversation, start to finish, took just right under 55 minutes. Not that it bothered me (Frankly, I was enjoying everything aboot it) but I'm just saying it did take a bit longer than I anticipated.

He took remote control of my computer, but didn't warn me before he did it. I knew he was going to because I had read a few other blog tour particpant reviews, so I was expecting it, but to someone completely clueless that might a little disconcerting. While he was zooming my cursor all over the place he proceded to show me the inner workings of my blessed laptop. I have geeky aspirations, so any time I get to see someone tweak around on a computer I nearly get light-headed. (My dad and brother run and hide when they see me coming because they know I'm going to ask them if I can sit at their knee and watch them work.) Peter the Canadian showed me the unnecessary files that were bogging down my computer, showed me how to create a new recovery point, suggested I add some RAM sometime soon, explained why he was doing everything and making sure I was okay with it before he did it. He was just generally professional, humorous and courteous. I think the $69.99 price is a little steep for the service, even though I think it truly is a neat service. However, he explained everything he did so well I can now do it on my own as I need to in the future. That's worth a lot, but I'm not sure it's worth $70.

That all being said, because MomCentral is so gracious and giving right here at the holidays, three of you are going to get to try out the Norton PC Tune-up service FOR FREE! Free is always a good thing, right?

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment here, telling me what kind of computer you have. Easy as pie, right? (Actually, I find making pies time-consuming and messy, but that's just me...)

If you shout me out on your blog, linking to the link here on my review site, I'll give you another entry - just leave the link in the comments so I can check it out. (Jesus knows if you're lying and so will I.)

The contest is open until Wednesday, December 3rd at 7ish PM.

Gimme a boost, wouldja?

I have two kids still in booster seats, so when MomCentral announced a blog tour for a device that makes boosters not so wobbly and unstable, I nearly broke my "reply" button trying to get included in the tour. I was tickled beyond belief when they announced that everyone who responded got to be a part!

Enter SeatSnug.

If you have kids in boosters you know how they seem to sliiiiiiide toward the front edge of the car's seat or how they somehow always manage to be off-kilter. We drive a Dodge Caravan with bucket seats in the middle row and oh, how those bucket seats hate my kids' boosters. There are honestly some days I wonder if them just sitting in the seat would be safer. Check out the SeatSnug website and watch the video of the test done at parking lot speed and ... oh heck, you probably see that every day in your rearview mirror if you've got a child in a booster seat. I know a booster puts them up where they need to be, but it doesn't keep them there very well at all.

Before I go further I need to say that installation was very easy. I put it on while standing on my driveway in my pj's and sock monkey slippers in 40 degree November weather and it only took about 5 minutes. My fingers weren't even numb by the time I finished. (In Oklahoma that is a feat sometimes.)

Kady's booster so longer slips, slides and aways; it stays exactly where I want it to stay - right under her hiney. No tipping, no wobbling, no more me having a panic attack when I look in the rearview and see her seatbelt across her neck because her booster has slid out from under her. It's also easy to turn off when you have a non-booster-using person in that seat. A simple push of the tab either way, to turn it off or on, and it's done.

A big thank you to the makers of SeatSnug for giving parents a product to keep our kids safer and big thanks to MomCentral for making it available to review. Be sure to check out both websites!

Barbie, sparkles and snugglin' with my kids

With the excitement of Halloween and various other things that get in the way - namely LIFE - the kids and I just had the opportunity to sit down tonight and snuggle up to watch our newest DVD, Barbie and the Diamond Castle. MomCentral gave me the opportunity to watch and review the movie and let me tell ya, Kady has been in near fits since the day we got it in the mail (you know I've mentioned doing crazy, joyous dances when the UPS man brings me my happy boxes - Kady is as excitable as her momma, obviously).

Barbie and the Diamond Castle is the latest in the ultra-cool, amazing CGI-animated, let a little girl's imagination go wild videos. Now, Abby is 12 and SO above watching a Barbie video, but Kady is the prime age for Barbie-watching. From the minute it started, that baby was glued to the set and when she'd catch me checking email or answering a text on my phone she'd whisper "Momma! You've got to LOOK! At the TV!" Toward the end, when the two heroines find the diamond castle their dresses turn into fancy, sparkly gowns I'm telling you, the child literally gasped.

The story is about two best friends, Liana and Alexa (played by Barbie and Teresa) who don't have much in the way of posessions or money, but their friendship is more than enough to see them through. Because of her kindness to a stranger, Liana comes to own an enchanted mirror which is actually the unfortunate home to a displaced muse, Melody. Of course, there's plenty of adventure as they search for the Diamond Castle and a way to release Melody. Lydia is a perfect villainness, along with her bumbling-but-eager flying serpent, Slyder. And along the way the girls meet up with a set of guy twins ( when they were transformed into their sparkly outfits at the end, Kady looked at me and said, "Hubba hubba!") and a pair of cute puppies that also get sparkly at the end of the movie. Sparkly is always good at this house.

I actually enjoyed watching this one, whereas some of the earlier Barbie movies have been a little hard to watch for me. Kady loves them all, of course, but she seemed to be way more engaged in this one. Sam also watched it with us ("Because I, ya know, want to give you a man's perspective, Mom") and he laughed when it was funny and declared it to be "not as yucky as some of Kady's DVDs" so I think all in all, Barbie and the Diamond Castle gets six thumbs up from the Diva family!

Christmas is coming - if you've got a Barbie fan in your family I think this one is a winner. Check out the official Barbie and the Diamond Castle website.

And don't forget to check out MomCentral!