I work from home, so to say I’ve been on a huge hiatus this summer would be an understatement. I’ve worked; don’t get me wrong, just not with near as much concentration and certainly with very little consistency. But, my two little guys head back to school on Monday and that means I will do my best to get back in action.
My grand plan is to finish a bit of cleaning, get new routines in gear and get my work done during the day while the boys are at school so I can spend time with them when they are home. The reality will probably be much more chaotic than my simplistic dream. My kids function really well with schedules, as do most children when given the option, but my kids are absolutely routine-driven. Each year we set up a plan of attack for the
new school year and this year we are making some changes.
I recently had the pleasure of being asked to review a premium membership to Zoodles. Initially I was only going create a profile for my youngest daughter (8 years) because the site is recommended for ages 8 and under. That was short-lived when my 9 year old daughter didn't think it was fair that her younger sister had a profile and she didn't so I created a profile for her as well. Soon after my middle daughter was navigating her way around her individualized browser, my son (11 years) asked if he could also have a profile set up...long story short, all of my kids, except the baby, ended up with a profile. I was worried that the options, games and so on would be too young for my older children but this did not seem to be the case. In fact it was pointed out to me that if my older kids had games they liked outside Zoodles, I could add these under the parental control feature. I didn't have to do this however because my kids were more than satisfied with the many selections of games, video clips, etc that were available to them within their browsers. I was suprised the my 11 year old`s favorite games were learning about Malaria, parasites and mosquito`s.
I didn't get to use the parent play-along mode simply because my kids are "too old" for that but once my youngest daughter is becoming a toddler, I would love to be able to play-along with her. Some of my favorite features of the site were the custom selections. For example I can set a time limit for each of my kids on Zoodles. I thought this was fantastic because it's so easy for the kids to get carried away on the computer and before long they've spent way too much time on there, in my opinion. They also fight less. Why? Because they know when they run out of time they've had a fair turn on the computer; they know that their siblings have had or will get the same amount of time. Another great feature is that I get weekly progress reports sent to my email for each child which makes it easy for me to know which subjects each child might need more work with AND all at a glance. I can then login to my parental dashboard and adjust the subjects I think the kids need more work with, based on their progress reports. Personally I know that each of my children need more skill building in certain subjects so when I built their individual profiles, I made sure to adjust the subjects according to their needs. You can view what your child has been up to, any completed art projects, games they`ve played and so on. Another fabulous feature which would be great especially for younger kids, is the option to be able to record your voice reading one of the available stories on Zoodles. This way your kids can hear you read to them anytime they want while following along to the book on Zoodles One other great feature I thought was a really cute idea, was that after one of the kids completes an art project it can be uploaded to my facebook page if I want. This would be really cute to share with family and friends.
I really liked all the great features Zoodles had to offer to me as a parent allowing me to have more control over what my kids view on the computer; more so, my kids loved Zoodles which allowed them to have fun doing while staying safe online. The kids all love Zoodles and continue playing with it almost everyday and with the browser being 100% FREE, you can`t go wrong.
**Please take a moment to view the video and see all the many great features Zoodles has to offer your children. (Overview of Zoodles)**
Features
Zoodles Kid's Browser - By launching the icon on your desktop, your child will enter a full-screen mode of Zoodles that will keep them from exiting out and finding inappropriate content or accidentally deleting your important files.
**Please take a moment to view the video and see all the many great features Zoodles has to offer your children. (Overview of Kids Browser)**
A Playground Full of Fun, Age-Appropriate Games - a virtual "Playground" filled with puzzles, games and all sorts of fun activities. The kid-friendly interface has stripped out confusing Back buttons and URL bars so the browsing experience is easy for kids.
Always Safe with Zoodles Ad Blocking and Violence Filtering - your child ONLY has access to websites and pages that have been carefully screened by our team of educational experts, meaning he or she is always safe inside of the Zoodles browser. If your child ever tries to navigate elsewhere, the Zoodles browser will block them and take them safely back to the Playground.
Always Educational - Our games not only cover the traditional school subjects like Math and Reading, but also more nontraditional subjects like Design, Memory Skills, Computer Literacy, and much more!
**Please take a moment to view the video and see all the many great features Zoodles has to offer your children. (Overview of Parent Dashboard)**
Parental Controls - YOU can customize the games and activities in your child’s Playground. Zoodles lets you ramp up educational subjects in your child's Playground so he or she can spend more time playing games in those subject areas. Additional parental controls include the ability to set time limits, block videos or printables, and even set violence filters.
Zoodles Play Timer - The Zoodles play timer lets parents control how long their kids can play on Zoodles. You can set time limits ranging from half an hour to 8 hours a day, and change these settings depending on whether it's the weekend or weekday. Once time runs out, kids are safely brought back to the family log-in screen, and the browser stays in full-screen mode.
Parental Monitoring - you can view vibrant, detailed reports on all your child's activity inside of Zoodles and stay up-to-date on his or her rapidly changing interests.
Parent Play-Along Mode - Letting parents play side by side with children who can't use a mouse on their own.
Buy It: All parents who download the freeZoodles browser will also be given a free trial of Zoodles Premium Membership. Once the free trial expires, basic Zoodles members can still continue using the browser for free. For parents interested in becoming Premium Members, Zoodles offers a number of pricing plans, including $7.95 per month, $39.95 for 6 months and $59.95 for the entire year.
Win It: Open to US and Canada Residents…THREE lucky readers are going to win a 3 month premium membership each for use at Zoodles.com.
Mandatory Entry: Visit Zoodles.com and tell me which feature is your favorite AND follow the This Lil Piglet blog via google friend connect (if you’re already a follower, state this in your comment/entry it will be considered 1 entry).
Bonus Entries:
1. Subscribe to our mailing list via email located on the right sidebar of this page. (2 entries/2 comments required)
3. Blog about this giveaway with a link to this review and giveaway and post the link in your comment to where I can find your blog post. (1 entry/1 comment required)
6. Follow Zoodles on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Zoodles AND Copy, Paste; Tweet this out on Twitter; must be exactly as stated between quotes " RT Enter to #Win a #FREE 3 month Premium Membership to @zoodles from @thislilpiglet #giveaway #contest http://ow.ly/2ujfj " (Tweeting this on Twitter up to ONCE PER DAY will gain you 1 entry/1 comment required per day)
7. Sign up for a FREE basic Zoodles browser. (3 entries/3 comments required) **Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on September 14th, 2010. Open to US and Canada!**
Rules of the giveaway:
*Each comment counts as 1 entry so if it says 2 entries you must comment 2 times (for example, Comment #1 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #1", Comment #2 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #2". I will check so please make sure before commenting below otherwise your entry will be disqualified. Enter once or more; other than the Twitter tweet entry (once per day) you can enter a maximum of once per entry details specified. You must leave a comment below to enter the contest; the winner will be chosen using random.org from the comments below only.
*Please include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. No email address in your post equals disqualified. To avoid spammers, type your email like this: blog (at) thislilpiglet (dot) com
Disclaimer: The product mentioned above has been provided free of charge from the company for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong solely to This Lil Piglet and are NOT influenced in any way. Other than the review sample product This Lil Piglet has not received any form of compensation for the review of this product.
It’s that time again….back to school! Where has the time gone? Wasn’t it just yesterday the kiddo’s had there last day of school before summer began? When I discovered TicklerTags I was more than excited to have the opportunity to review this product and even more excited that I am able to offer this product to my readers as a giveaway.
I have to admit that I am a bit of an organizing junkie. With 4 kids, 3 of which are in school and extra-curricular activities which include hockey 4 times per week, dance twice per week in the winter months; soccer twice per week and baseball 3-4 times per week in the spring/summer months, I have to be organized if I want to keep sane. Any quality product that helps me keep track of my day, and more importantly helps my kids keep track of their day, has my vote. We have a joint custody arrangement with my older 3 children’s father so for us it’s even more crucial to be organized. Having TicklerTags to help both sets of families keep on top of the kid’s schedules is a huge help. Nobody is left out; nothing is forgotten, unless of course I forget to change the tags everyday, which makes my life a lot easier.
For my review, I chose a set of 5 TicklerTags that I felt would best suit my kids, with a blue backpack carabineer clip (pictured here).
The first thing I noticed was the cute package it came in; a yellow feather (the TicklerTag symbol) included in the packaging was a nice touch. The second thing I noticed was that each tag is made out of a plastic which is great for all weather and will survive kid’s rough hands. There are 30 different tags, including transportation, activities and tickle tags with 4 different colors of clips to choose from. Get a set of 5, 10 or 30 for one or each of your children; at $1.50 per tag you’re not going to break the bank. A couple of the other great features, in my opinion, are the tickle tags and the customize options. Add words of encouragement using the tickle tags to your child’s TicklerTags set or customize (customized tags are $5 each) a tag with a picture and feel good knowing you have put a smile on your child’s face during their school day.
Company Background:
For many children, after school activities and transportation arrangements can be a bit confusing and stressful once the bell rings at the end of the school day. Not remembering if Mom was going to pick them up or if they should ride the bus home can present a variety of problems and anxiety for children, parents and even teachers. That’s exactly how the simple two-tag TicklerTags system got its start. After a couple of missed buses and misunderstood intentions, TicklerTags developer, Nicole Budleski developed a basic set of tags to help her daughter remember the day’s plan. After testing TicklerTags with local friends and other busy families, Nicole decided to share this solution with other families.
What are TicklerTags and How Do They Work?
TicklerTags are interchangeable backpack reminder tags that parents attach to their child’s backpack each morning to remind them of the days after school activity and transportation arrangements. TicklerTags are also used to communicate words of encouragement, positive feedback or to remind your little one of a task they might otherwise forget. Kid’s love them because they understand the day’s plan, parents love them because there’s no more confusion; Teachers love them because they know the “official” after school arrangements.
• After school athletics and activities
• Joint-custody arrangements
• Doctor and dentist appointments
• Fluctuating daycare arrangements
• Early release school days
• Words of encouragement
Checkout TicklerTags for a simple solution to a complex day!
Win It: Open to US Residents only…One lucky winner is going to win a 5 TicklerTags (customized tags not included) and 1 clip of their choice from TicklerTags
Mandatory Entry: Visit TicklerTags and tell me which 5 tags and color clip you would choose if you won (this choice will be your winning set so be sure before commenting) AND follow the This Lil Piglet blog via google friend connect (if you’re already a follower, state this in your comment/entry it will be considered 1 entry).
7. Follow This Lil Piglet on Twitter on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/thislilpiglet (1 entry/1 comment required) AND Copy, Paste & Tweet this out on Twitter; must be exactly as stated between quotes " RT Enter to #Win a #TicklerTags set from @thislilpiglet sponsored by @ticklertags #giveaway #contest #backtoschool http://ow.ly/2r0fR " (Tweeting this on Twitter up to ONCE PER DAY will gain you 1 entries(1 comments required) PER DAY for each day of the contest)
**Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on August 20, 2010. Open to US residents only!**
Rules of the giveaway:
*Each comment counts as 1 entry so if it says 2 entries you must comment 2 times (for example, Comment #1 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #1", Comment #2 would read: "I subscribed to your mailing list #2". I will check so please make sure before commenting below otherwise your entry will be disqualified. Enter once or more; other than the Twitter tweet entry (once per day) you can enter a maximum of once per entry details specified. You must leave a comment below to enter the contest; the winner will be chosen using random.org from the comments below only.
*For shipping reasons, please include your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. No email address in your post equals disqualified. To avoid spammers, type your email like this: blog (at) thislilpiglet (dot) com Shipping charges associated with the giveaway will be paid for by the company.
Disclaimer: The product mentioned above has been provided free of charge from the company for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong solely to This Lil Piglet and are NOT influenced in any way. Other than the review sample product This Lil Piglet has not received any form of compensation for the review of this product.
