I’m sure many of you can attest, our daily lives are driven, in a large part, by the technology we use. That means that technology must be congruous to our lives—constantly changing and adapting based on what’s happening, and simple and effective—enabling us to live our lives and not holding us back in any way.

That’s exactly what AVG has realized and tried to create with its new 2012 edition of its trusted Internet Security software. Protection that works behind the scenes to keep you protected and productive. Protection that anyone can use and then not have to worry about. Protection that enhances, rather than limits, the cool things you do online.

AVG 2012 now comes with the all-new AVG Accelerator and AVG Advice features as well as additional protection technologies. Other new features worth mentioning are:

• Social Networking Protection–each web page and link is checked so you won’t download a virus by clicking on a link you see on Twitter.
• Uninterrupted gaming– Provides continuous protection during non-stop action in multi-player games without annoying lags and freezes.
• An early warning system that identifies and stops new threats–Emerging threats are identified in the cloud and are blocked before they reach you.

If it sounds too good to be true, let’s take a look at what our reviewers who had tried and tested the AVG Internet Security 2012 thought of it:

3 Boys and A Dog – Once again, I am impressed at the ease of use of AVG. It is all I have ever used and I have no desire to switch. As a reviewer, I have tried other virus protection programs, but nothing has compared! Just so you can see what it looks like, I took a few screen shots while setting it up and running it for the first time.

Captain Fussybuckets -My favorite feature of AVG Internet Security is that you can adjust the speed and amount of resources used while scanning. If you’re going to be away from your computer, you can set the scan to run on “High Priority” so it will scan quickly. There are also three other options you can choose, depending on what you’re doing on your computer and how fast you want it to scan. In the picture below, I have it set to “User Sensitive” (see bottom left) because well, I’m typing this blog as AVG scans! It’s not interrupting what I’m doing and I’m not interrupting the scan!

Babas Farm Life – One improvement that I’m loving is the speed accelerator for watching videos! I watch a lot of videos on youtube and normally have no problem but it’s nice to know that a bit of acceleration is there if I need it. This is what pops up when I watch a youtube video now. The AVG accelerator makes downloading faster and watching videos without interruption easy and fast. I love that!

Right Reads - Yay!!! The 4,000 over errors have been fixed! Thank you so much, AVG Technologies, for cleaning up my laptop. Everything’s in tip-top condition now and the laptop does run faster now that it’s all cleaned up. Feels as good as new.

Sewing Mom – The download was super simple and took maybe 10 minutes time. AVG Internet Security 2012 is not just an anti-virus protector, but also helps block spam. What I really like is that it also protects this netbook from picking up malicious links from Facebook. With Facebook recently having been hacked, it made it clear that we do have to protect ourselves even from our favorite websites. The AVG security software also checks links as you surf the web, ensuring that websites are safe before they open up in your browser. With this netbook being something my daughter uses on a daily basis, I feel like I’m not just protecting her computer, but I’m protecting her. Isn’t that my job as a mom afterall?

Jamerican Spice – I was skeptical that this accelerator would work and tried it a bunch of times because I always have buffering going on in the videos I have to watch. I seriously squealed with delight when I realize that it was working and does work! I think this is one of my favorite features because I am always listening to music and watching videos!

Living in Lala Land - Starting up a new internet security can sometimes be difficult to understand and set up. The AVG was easy to get started. I went to the site, agreed to the user agreement, activated my license, selected the custom install and downloaded it. Once it was done downloading I had to restart my computer and I was good to go.

Busy Mommy Product Review – Another piece of technology that I LOVE is the AVG Accelerator. Most of the other security products that I have used slowed down my computer. AVG Internet Security 2012 actually SPEEDS IT UP! It accelerates the download of binary files and minimizes the hangs and delays while watching videos on YouTube. AVG Accelerator is enabled as a default setting when you switch on.

 This Southern Girls Nest - Every once in a while when I have a few things open at once, usually Pinterest, email, Facebook, and a website, AVG will do a little “boost” to help keep things moving quickly. Not sure how in the world it does this, but I’m not complaining. Also when it does get a little overloaded it will pop up and say that I should close such and such and reopen it to get it to move faster. Love this feature!

I have to admit… I am a handbag addict!!  And with that addiction comes many, many really big beautiful bags that I love!!  The biggest problem with these big bags is although they can hold many great items, things tend to get lost in the crevices.  So…. now a solution to that problem “The Callet”!!  The Callet is a great phone case and wallet that features slit pockets on the back of the case to keep your important cards at your fingertips.  No more digging through your bag in the check out line, now you have all your most important items easily accessible.

I was thrilled to recently have the opportunity to try out The Callet for myself.  I am notorious for losing my drivers license or credit card when going out so I knew this might be the answer for me.  I was very pleased when our Callet arrived and it was truly a great fit.  Not only does it come in an array of great colors, it is very durable and does have great space to hold your important cards and money.

The only problem we had with The Callet was that my husband and I couldn’t decide who gets to keep it!!  We received one in black (next time I will ask for pink and then I don’t have to share)!!  But overall we love it and it has been a very useful tool for us.

About The Callet:

Your Whole Life in Just One Hand

Are you tired of having to shove your cash and cards in between the back of your phone and case?
And then having to take your phone out every time you want to get to them?

Are are annoyed when you don’t have anywhere to put your cash and cards? Or you can’t bring a wallet or a bag?
Are you fed up with having to always search through your wallet or dig through your bag every time you want to access your cash and cards?

Now all of your problems are finally solved with the CALLET! The Callet is a new phone case and wallet in one with a newly invented and patent pending design that makes the Callet easy to use and even easier to take your things with you. The innovative Callet comes customized to fit perfectly on many of the the most popular phones that you already use, but it also has easily accessible and ultra-convenient slit-pockets that can hold your cash and cards. The Callet’s unique design allows for easy access to whatever you’re carrying with you. And the Callet has been specifically engineered to take up a minimal amount of space when holding your stuff, so it doesn’t have that bulky feeling when you’re on the go.

We know most of you now have a Blackberry or an iPhone, so the Callet is available for either one! You can get it for any Blackberry or iPhone models.

The Callet was created and founded in 2009 by four young entrepreneurs from the New York Metropolitan area. They come from all different backgrounds with one common idea: to create a new lifestyle product that everyone should use. After a year of research and development these young entrepreneurs have created the first ever convenient, trendy, and affordable all-in-one accessory for the Blackberry and iPhone.

BUY IT: The Callet is available to purchase on their website and at only $19.99 it is truly a great deal!!

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I’ll admit…this is actually the very first time, I’ve ever had cordial in my house. Not because I’m against it or anything..I just never walked down the cordial aisle! When I received the Cottee’s Apple Raspberry, my kids literally jumped on me, and asked if they could have a taste. They were intrigued by the bottle. But, of course! All in the name of a review! I could not help but jazz it up with some sizzle! Added in some mineral water..and wah lah! It was like we were having a mini-party in our home.

The kids loved it. Especially My middle child who keeps asking if we could serve this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s how much he loved it.

About Cottee’s :

Cottee’s was started by a diary farmer, Spencer Cottee, in the 1920s, who also grew too much passionfruit. And he decided to make a passionfruit drink, the very first Cottee’s “Passiona”. It became such a big hit, that he decided to create more drinks from different fruits. Soon, he was also making jams, jellies and even peanut butter!

To read more about the absolutely fascinating history of Cottee’s, please click here. Actually, you should visit their newly revamped website, it’s really interactive with games, downloads and yes..the history!

Buy it! : The new Cottee’s 1L concentrated bottle really means it’s value for money. All you need is 1 part cordial and 9 parts water. That’s a real bonus to me, because it means their drinks doesn’t have to be drowning in sugar, because you can control just how sweet you want it. Unlike prepacked drinks. It will probably take me a while to get through this bottle, because the cordial level doesn’t seem to go down! They have so many other flavours to try and I bet my kids will be dragging me down the cordial aisle. They even have a ‘no added sugar’ range! Cottee’s is available is most supermarkets, and it’s a real life-saver when it comes to impromptu parties or get-togethers.

We had a group of lovely bloggers testing Cottee’s Apple Raspberry Crush as well and here’s what they have to say :

Mumma’s Mini Mes : It was one of those commercials that once you heard it, you would be singing the jingle all day, in the shower, while driving, while you were making dinner. I am sure many of you have caught yourselves doing this, as have I and now you will probably have it stuck in your head all day again!

The Truth About Mummy : Good news friends – it has the same delicious Cottees taste my kids and I love.  The cordial concentrate is thicker and  more syrupy than the old version and does seem to make up well with the lesser amount.

My Happy Place : And the verdict? “Mmmmmm…mmmmm..mmmmmmmm…this is SOOOOOOOO good, Mum. Can you buy us more?”

2 thumbs & a dummy : We received a 1L bottle of Cottee’s Apple Raspberry Crush and I am glad to say that it has been a hit with the girls and myself included. I tried it as soon as we got home and I only had to use just a smidgen to get the full flavour of the cordial.

Mumstrosity :

There’s a couple of things I like about this cordial;

1. It is made up of 50% fruit juice, while it’s main competitor is 30%.

2. It takes up less cupboard space.

3. It tastes good.

Our life in blog form : I love Apple Raspberry and the taste of the more concentrated version is great. They aren’t kidding when they say more concentrated, I had to keep topping up my glass with water to get it to the right strength when I first made it.

Life as we know it : So aside from using half as much to get the same amount of flavour, it makes me pretty darn happy that the kids will be having more water in the glass.  I like the new size of bottle too.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/2

There are so many reasons in the world today for Mom’s to worry.  From food, to water, to air and beyond- it seems as if almost everything we are surrounded by can be potentially harmful to us and our little babes to be!!  It can be overwhelming at times, trying to figure out what information to believe and how to protect ourselves adequately.

I am always thankful when someone makes it easy for us!!  I love companies who take the hard work on for us and provide us with great, easy solutions to some of these difficult issues.  Smart Sense is one of those companies- founded by two mother’s who are concerned about the long term health and well-being of their children and families.

These two fabulous sister’s came up with an easy solution to the problem of radioactive waves caused by our wonderful microwaves.  The SmartCover is made from a specialized fabric that is a blend of cotton and interwoven with metallic stainless steel fibers, enabling it to block radiation.  It takes less than a minute to put on your microwave and after that there is no reason to remove it.  It provides peace of mind for those concerned about their children (or husbands) standing too close to the microwave while cooking their favorite foods (like popcorn)!!

About the SmartCover:

These great ladies have also come up with a great alternative for women who are concerned about the effects of everyday radiation.  The SmartShawl is an anti radiation protection shawl for women to help in blocking the radiation from those items we use everyday- our computers, iPods, and cell phones.  They are also great for pregnant women to help protect those sweet unborn babies.

About SmartShawl:

The Smartsense™ SmartShawl is made from premium quality cotton fibers and lined with our specialized anti-radiation fabric. Our specialized fabric is made from 100% cotton yarn blended with micron thin metal fibers made from stainless steel. The lining is soft and feels just like any other fabric. The specialized fabric has been tested by an independent lab to block radiation.

The Smartsense™ SmartShawl was developed to give women peace of mind while surrounded by everyday radiation.

You can find out more about these great products by connecting with Smart Sense on Facebook or by checking out their FAQ!!

Buy It! : You can purchase a SmartCover and SmartShawl on the Smart Sense website.  They come in a great variety of colors and fabrics so go pick your favorite out today!!

Forget about Silly Bandz.  Zippies, “the pals that hang around,” are becoming the nation’s next kids’ craze. These round, flexible, characters save parents headaches by helping children to identify their things.

All you need to do is  simply clip them onto any belonging — water bottles, lunch boxes, luggage, backpacks, jackets, and even bicycles.  Each collectible Zippies ID tag features a different character on one side with a place for contact information on the other. This allows parents to rest assured that emergency contact information (last name and parent’s phone number) is with their child at all times.

Zippies, the solution to ending kids’ arguments about what belongs to whom, save parents aggravation and stress. Zippies can  even help prevent the spread of germs by identifying water bottles and teach children the importance of being responsible for personal belongings.

BUY IT : Available in 10 different characters, Zippies sell for $4.98 each or $29.95 for the entire limited-edition first series. They can be ordered online at www.zippiesfun.com and found at select retailers.

Our panel of reviewers were lucky enough to be offered the opportunity to test drive the Zippies. Let’s read what they had to say:

Liz Has A Life – My daughter fell in love with Kayla right away, sporting her on her coat and then wanting to have her on her pink water bottle! My son was in love with Tazmo, something about that tough tiger really appealed to a 4 year old! The kids even had me put one on my drink and of course I had to choose the cute bunny Flops!

Red Sox Mom – I think these Zippies are really fun. They look a little angry to me personally, even Chip who is “smiling,” but they’re still cute and my daughters like them. My daughter can’t wait to use them when she starts school again this Fall.

Pookie and The Boys – I know that my kids were excited to get a hold of these and wanted to put them on everything. I told them they could have one, but they were having too much trouble limiting themselves to just one. They said they “needed” more than that. I guess the new craze will be wearing Zippies and not those crazy rubber bands. I love the whole concept of these and definitely think that everyone can use them.

Tim and Angi’s Blog – This isn’t a new problem nor a new idea. There are lots of ways to identify your stuff. However, these are unique in their multiple options in one cute little bundle. On the back of Zippies, you can write your contact information. I discovered that our Oliver Labels clothing labels fit tightly in that spot as well. We received Tazmo (pictured), Faina, Flops, Kayla and Chip. The boys were excited to pick out their own. Drama King grabbed Tazmo, Little T took Chip, Grandma Deb got Kayla, Tim has Faina, and I was assigned Flops.

Reviews & Reflections – Zippies® make a great alternative to plain nametags and labels, and are fun for kids. They are bright and easy to see. They are easy to use – over and over again.

Adventures In All Things Food – I love how versatile they are! I can put them on my children’s luggage, drinking bottles, toys, keys or just for my children to wear. On the back is a place to add your child’s name and contact info. My daughter would love to wear the whole collection at once

Bless Their Hearts Mom – I have to admit, the Zippies have held up pretty well to a WHOLE lot of of 4 year old abuse! I love their versatility and being able to switch to where we need them, but that Kiddo can recognize which item is hers at a glance! With the cousins all coming over during the Summer for play dates, they will definitely come in handy to keep everybody drinking out of their own water bottles.

Sewing Mom – Whenever we head out to the softball fields we tend to pack a lot of gear, and the hotter it is, the more gear we pack! Of course, my daughter’s bat bags and water jugs look just like every other players bat bags and water jugs. Imagine how happy I was when I was asked by Parent Reviewers to use & review a wonderfully cute and practicial product, Zippies, the pals that hang around to help kids (and moms) identify their personal belongings. There are so many every day uses for these adorable little tags. This is Kayla, the one I hung on my daughter’s water jug.

Jumpin Beans – Also, you can take the loop off and use it on your keys! Add it to your belt loop for a little “bling.”You can even add it to your book bag to spice it up a bit!!!On the Zippie site, they even have a little girl wearing the Zippie as a charm type on her necklace! The opportunities to show off your zippie seem to be endless!!!!

Momanthology – My kids are older but still really liked these. (Even my teen wanted one!) The girls liked that they could easily use these for their backpacks but then move them to be used on something else. This is great for school, scouts, althletics, traveling and other activities. We did have a couple arguments over the more popular colors/characters (in our house that was Flops, Faina and Kayla). We think Zippies are cute, fun and useful

One House Schoolroom – My children are in love with these little guys and have found so many places to clip their new pals. Considering that my children are notorious for losing their possessions these funny new friends have insured that those important items “accidentally” left out in the world will find their way home again!!

Just A Mom’s Take On Things – Overall, I’m very happy with the Zippies tags – they’re easy to use, quick to attach and detach (something I greatly appreciate as sometimes it’s so much harder to remove tags than to apply them!), and the girls love the cute animal faces. They’ve already divvied up the ones we received and there was quite the negotiation process to determine which animal would belong to whom.

Happy Healthy Families – What is so great about these ID tags is that kids love them, they are cool and trade-able (such a big plus!) and parents can feel better about knowing important information is within reach if needed. But also important is the fact that these cute little tags can help prevent kids from spreading colds and coughs as well. I personally like the idea of attaching Zippies to water bottles to help prevent germs from spreading around! Not to mention it helps prevent arguments between the kids too!

Mommy’s Minute – My hubby thought they were so neat that he snagged one for his laptop bag. They really are a neat product. Great for tagging your kid’s belongings at camp, day care, or school. I was really impressed. Put up that permanent marker and pick up some Zippies, the “Pals that Hang Around.”

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My newest little one, Juliana (7 months) and I got to try out some Green Babies brand organic bath products this past week! The products we received included Energizing bubble bath, Calming bubble bath, Lotion Potion moisturizer, Baby Me shampoo and wash and Smooth Me Detangler.

The detangler I promptly gave to my friend (with 3 girls) because Juliana’s hair isn’t really long enough yet and I barely have time to brush my hair in the morning anyway! She said that it worked pretty well but it left a fragrant that didn’t go away.

I tried out the Calming bubble bath the other night and then used it on Jules tonight for her bath. It smells beautiful! Not at all strong, just enough scent and lots of bubbles! A little goes a long way with these soaps which is great because they will last awhile.

The lotion has a sweet baby scent according to the label and it’s so right. Again, not a strong scent but a nice scent and it made Juliana’s skin nice and soft.

Green Babies’ new body care line is plant and fruit derived, vegan, hypo-allergenic and tear-free. These products contains no SLS, no paraben, no petroleum by-products, no synthetic fragrances and no eye irritants and they are also completely not tested on animals.

I really loved the Green Babies bath products, and what’s even better is that they aren’t expensive!

Since 1994, Green Babies ® has offered an extensive line of natural and organic baby products, including certified organic cotton clothing, wooden toys and natural parenting books. On the frontlines of the organic movement, mom of three Lynda Fassa conceived Green Babies ® when she found a dearth of healthy baby products for her then newborn. A former Ford Model, Lynda wasn’t always the crunchy-granola type, but “greened up” her act while pregnant with her first daughter—veggies and organic smoothies replaced diet soda and cheap takeout.

BUY IT : You can find Green Babies products for sale at their website (http://www.greenbabies.com/catalogue/cat1.htm)

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/2

Some of you may remember how our panel of reviewers raved about the fabulous Sleepy Wrap baby carriers as well as the Organic Sleepy Wraps that we had reviewed many months ago. Well, babies do grow up and we are proud to introduce to you a toddler carrier called Boba which is brought to you by Colorado based NAP, Inc. the very same company who introduced the Sleepy Wrap to us.

The Boba Story:

We are a big advocate of baby wrap carriers for infants and small babies and our son virtually lived in the Sleepy Wrap for his first 16 months of life. As he became bigger we started looking for something more practical to be able to continue carrying him.

Soft structured carriers were new to us. We experimented with a few different carriers available on the market. It wasn’t so much that they were digging into our shoulders, but more the feeling of our son not being secure and leaning away from our bodies in the back carries. He also complained that his legs didn’t feel good even when seated facing our back in a wide seated carrier.

So for one year he refused to be carried. Most would think that a blessing. Well, the problem was that he still wanted to be carried, but only in our arms. We started toying around with the idea of creating our own soft structured carrier for toddlers after successfully launching Sleepy Wrap more than 3 years ago.

We were always brainstorming and trying to figure out how to make our design better and ended up first adding a safety buckle so there would be no spontaneous releases. Then a light bulb went on. We just had the best idea- foot straps- to get that digging fabric off of little hamstrings, prevent bigger legs from just hanging and just give them a place to rest- just like the rungs we rest our feet on when we sit on a bar stool. After eleven different prototypes and almost one year of going back and forth, we finally got it right. Our son turned 3 by the time our final prototype was made and although he’s a big guy, he loves it.

We couldn’t compromise; we had to get it right. They had to be butter soft and we even took the extra step of making them with only certified organic cotton. To top it all off, we decided to make them right here in our home town of Boulder, CO with the help of local mountaineering professionals.

And the Boulder Baby carrier- the “BoBa” was born.

Our panel of reviewers tried and tested the Boba  and were full of praises for this wonderful carrier. Check out why they are giving Boba carrier the two thumbs up (click on the links to read their individual reviews):

November Sunflower – It’s even comfortable for the one who has to wear it. At least I felt it was. The straps that go on your arms are very well padded, broad straps. Not tiny little things that would dig into your shoulders. Plus, I love how they have little foot holders for the child’s feet. This way they aren’t daggling out. My son felt a little more comfortable once he put his feet in the foot holds-it made him sit up a bit more and the balance was better for both of us.

I feel confident in this product. Especially if you’re active and want to bring your child along for the ride. Walking, hiking or even chasing after a soccer ball with your older child in the backyard…..it’s comfortable for both you and your child. PLUS, it’s made of ORGANIC cotton. Beautiful!!! So damn soft.

Thanks Mail Carrier – Opening up the Twilight Carrier from Boba, I was immediately impressed with just how soft the cotton truly was, not to mention the thickness of the padding around the waist and shoulder straps. This is one carrier that screams comfort before even having it on!

Just by having the Boba laid out, I found it pretty intuitive as to how you would place it for both the front and back carry positions – something that I appreciated. I have tried a wide variety of carriers over the years and there were some that I felt as though I needed to study a thick manual before even attempting to pick up and that isn’t the case with this one.

Blessed Beyond Words – At $100 per carrier, the price may seem a little steep. But, I have to tell you that this carrier is absolutely worth every penny. It can be used from 15 – 45 pounds. (Do you know how long my kids take to get to 45 pounds? My 7 year old just barely makes it over that!) It is so well made that it seems as though it will last forever. (Now, I cannot attest that it will indeed last forever, as I have only had mine for a few weeks. What I can tell you is that in my opinion, this baby carrier is very well made, and I will personally use it for my children for as long as I possibly can.)

Overall, I am quite impressed with the Boba Baby Carrier and would recommend it to any mom or mom to be that wants to carry her baby without the back pain. I will continue to use my Boba Carrier with my 2 year old and will also use it with my newborn once he reaches the appropriate weight.

Jumpin Beans – I am telling you…

I will be telling everyone about this!!!
If you do not have a carrier (and you have a little one)
BOBA BABY CARRIERS is THE answer!!!!

Mommy’s Minute – All in all I was pleased with the Boba carrier. It was quick and easy to put on and comfortably distributed my 25 lb son’s weight. I look forward to trying it out again with baby #2. Thanks to my handsome hubby for modeling the Boba. My growing baby bump has been impeding my baby wearing in the last couple weeks. As you can tell, it works great for both guys and gals!

Heavenly Sayings – I was able to use the Boba Baby Carrier with one of my day care kids and it was wonderful! Little M fit into the carrier perfectly and he acted like he was very comfortable. I liked that the straps were in easy access and I could adjust them to accommodate Little M and I without hassle. I was also able to slip him from my front to my back in no time at all. Which was another feature that I was surprised about as Little M is only 2 years old and I expected to have a hard time getting him on my back comfortably.

Kaki Shopping – All in all, I have had a very pleasant experience with the Boba Carrier. My kids love it too, and my daughter especially, will request that I carry her in it, even at home! This carrier has certainly changed my perception of baby carriers, and in addition, it looks pretty darn cool too. For long-haul travels when you need to move around from place to place and need your hands free while taking care of kids, the Boba Carrier is the answer.

Acting Balanced – I love that this is adjustable and fits me, darling hubby and even Robyn to carry Erik around. I love the padded straps and waist support – it really distributes my chunky monkey’s weight around so that it doesn’t center on one part of my body. I also really like that the carrier itself has a high back which supports and cradles Erik nicely against me. The organic cotton is really soft and although we’ve only tried it for front carry, I like that as Erik grows it can be used for rear carry options and the removable foot straps will be good too…

We are providing our readers 10% off the Boba carrier by using Promo Code “PARENT10“.  So, remember to key in “PARENT10” before you checkout. You can find Boba on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BobaCarrier or keep updated with their product changes, new designs, contests via their Twitter page at  www.twitter.com/BobaCarrier.

Mom Of All Trades – I’ve never tried a soft structured carrier that completely buckled so I was a bit skeptical that it would provide the support and comfort I needed. That skepticism faded the instant I put the Boba on. I was amazed that I was able to get my son into a back carry, all by myself, within minutes. And best of all – I was comfortable, happy and feeling secure and so was he! The only issue I ran into was that the chest strap sat right at my neck, but soon after I realized that too was adjustable and I was able to slide it down to a comfortable position.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/2

My kids are huge fans of Trebellina. HUGE. They cannot get enough of Trebellina…. I tell ya, the DVD cover is pretty much shredded, because my youngest loves taking it out and looking at it. Tries to stuff it back as best he can, but obviously his fine motor skills are quite there yet. Can’t blame him, he’s not even 3 yet! We have been patiently waiting for the Trebellina sequel, as we’ve reviewed it during our blog tour in May 2009. We hope that we’ll be able to see this new sequel, in the coming 2011!

Just a recap of Trebellina, we hope you’ll take a few moments to read on :

The Trebellina DVD occupies a special place in a modern baby’s musical development.  Trebellina fills the gap between the mommy-and-me music classes currently offered to young children and the formal music lessons that young children typically wait years before they can begin.   Trebellina also helps round out the musical experience for young children who study Suzuki through its emphasis on reading written music. Moreover, with Trebellina, parents jumpstart their children’s music education at a fraction of the cost of just one typical music lesson!

A batch of fresh new eyes, got their chance to review Trebellina, from across the globe, and here’s what they have to say :

Sasha’s Bla Bla Bla : They love it when the character- Rock Bassey calls out Trebellina’s name “TREBELLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINA” and they would giggle and giggle. I have no idea what the dvd was about so I asked my kids in the car the other day. “So what has Trebellina taught you?” and they replied “I know about music instruments..Cabasa, Maracas, Wind Chimes, Bongos, Triangle, Piano, Congas, Cow Bell…..”

Rambling Moo : Though she is still so young, the music and the characters (Trebellina, Rock Bassey and Rhytmo) attracted her attention and made her glued to the screen a good 5 minutes! Since she is still a baby, she still do not have a very long attention span.

Montisorri Mum : We put on the DVD the moment we received it. JS immediately recognizes the treble clef and bass clef. (But she couldn’t guess what the green swirly thing is..neither do I). Since we are so use to singing “DO RE MI FA” at home, the kids need sometimes to get use to the English Note Names ( as in C, D, E, F, G etc). I have to keep telling them that C = Do, D = Re . But it is good reinforcement for jiejie who is now learning to read notes as in English form instead of solfege.

Becoming a mom, has changed my life in so many ways that I never thought would change. For example, finding time….close to impossible! Or eating immediately after cleaning up poo.

But, what I never thought I’d go through were the little accidents that I would have whenever I sneezed, cough, laughed too hard or doing jumping jacks with my kids. And… believe you me, it was an embarrassing problem to have. It’s almost the same as saying.. *and she whispers*, “I only occasionally did my kegel exercises”.  What I’m talking about is the occasional oopsies.. I must stress that it’s not a chronic situation for me, one that warrants proper medical treatment.

When I received the STRIDE femme panties, I was in the middle of a bad cold. Lots of coughing (hard coughing) and sneezing. It was.. suffice to say, a good time to test these out. I had with me, two of STRIDE femme products; a mid rise brief and a seamless pair of panties, both with light leak protection. The built-in protection felt very comfortable, and it never felt like I was wearing a liner or a pad. Just like my everyday panties. I never had that wet feeling or, did it feel ‘soaked’.

What I really liked.. were the seamless pair. No VPL panty is always a winner with me..and the fact that I didn’t have to wear a pad whenever I had a girls’ night out, knowing that it would be a night of hilarity and laughter, I could wear my STRIDE with pride.

The best thing about STRIDE Femme..is that, you can wash and wear it without thinking twice, whilst saving our landfills.

About STRIDE femme :

STRIDE femme panties are developed with a patented OQUOS™ technology. The first layer of the OQUOS™ technology wicks away moisture 8 times more effectively than cotton for superior dryness. It is designed to maintain its shape to improve body contact during normal activity (such as walking, running or sneezing) and will continue to provide comfort and protection for up to 100 washes. Plus, it’s so discreet no one will know you’re wearing it!

The patented OQUOS™ sub-layers rapidly disperse light leaks, naturally deodorizing while the super-absorbent fibers contained in the liner absorb up to an ounce of moisture.

Buy It! : STRIDE does offer various other types of panties, namely French Cut Brief, Sport Bikini, Lacy Thong and also STRIDE homme (for men!). It’s very comfortable, wicking away moisture, staying dry to touch and breathable. You can find a list of retailers here, in US, Canada or get it delivered internationally to your doorstep, here.

We’ve had a group of reviewers that had a chance to test them out as well, and here’s what they have to say about STRIDE femme.

Mom 2 BB Reviews : To be perfectly honest, I was a little worried about the issue of odour due to not wearing any panty liner. However, after a full day of trial, it appears that the OQUOS™ patented fabric technology proved to be excellent. It was able to absorb moisture, deodorize it and keeps me feeling fresh and confident.

Almanac Queen : It was excellent! This panty is so, so seamless, so light, you’d never notice you are even wearing one! *blush* The underside layer is soft and comfy and throughout the days of trying it on, I’ve never felt anything less than uncomfortable because the material is so silky smooth and is cool to the touch and feel.

A Pregnant Pause : Cloth-diapering mothers – STRIDE underwear is like an all-in-one? Like all-in-one cloth diapers, there is a waterproof layer underneath the gusset. If there’s one thing I could change in the STRIDE underwear, it would be to remove this waterproof layer because I had a bit of “scrunch-scrunch” feeling when I put it on;-)

Rambling Moo : When I put it on, I found it was really soft against my skin and I don’t feel weird or anything with the thicker layer of built in liner. After putting on for a full day, I found at the end of the day I was feeling dry and fresh.

Sasha’s bla bla bla : My first time wearing this was to the gym with my husband. I was running, cycling and working my Non VPL butt happily because I know that everything is A-Okay.

Coming up soon, we have something exciting to share with all of you… so stay tuned and make sure you subscribed, so you’ll get our latest updates!

It goes without say that bloggers like us, who spend half (or more) of our time online every day, are highly at risk of having our laptops or desktops exposed to spam mails, adware, malware and virus attacks. These threats not only can  ruin our computers, they can also pose a high security risk for those  who shop online. Given the prevalence of these online threats, an antivirus program is undeniably the best safeguard measure to minimize such dangers. However, choosing the right software can be a tough decision as there are so many softwares by different vendors that claims to be the best. Thus, when approached by AVG Technologies to review their AVG Internet Security 9.0 Software, we quickly jumped at the chance.  As AVG  Free is the #1 download on CNET at 277 million, it was a wonderful opportunity to test drive their premium version of the software.

About  AVG Internet Security 9.0:

AVG Internet Security 9.0 is a security suite intended to provide comprehensive threat protection and prevention for home and small business computer users. It addresses traditional threats such as viruses, spam, spyware, and Trojans as well as newer threats including identity stealing malware, web exploits, drive-by phishing, and rootkits. AVG Internet Security 9.0 guards the major connection points into your computer: web browsing, instant messaging, and local area networks.

Since its first introduction in the fall of 2006, AVG Internet Security has won accolades from users and reviewers alike for its low resource requirements, excellent security protection and unobtrusive operation. AVG Internet Security 8.5 took these benefits a major step further by adding identity theft prevention in the form of AVG Identity Protection, using the behavioral technology AVG acquired with the Sana Security acquisition in November 2008. AVG Internet Security 9.0 features tighter integration for more enhanced security. Designed for novice and experienced users alike, AVG provides great protection out of the box for less-experienced users without the need for any configuration while also providing extensive granular configuration options for more advanced users.

About AVG Technologies :

Founded in 1991, AVG Technologieshas corporate offices in Europe, the US and the UK and over 80 million active users in 167countries. The company is focused on protecting computer users at home and in small businesses against disruption and loss causedby a wide range of security threats. AVG’s award-winning products are distributed globally through resellers and over the Internet aswell as via third-party use of the company’s Software Development Kits. AVG supports all major operating systems and platforms.

If you are on the lookout for a premium security software to protect your computer, why not check out what our reviewers had to say about AVG Internet Security 9.0 before making that purchase! To read their full reviews, just click on the respective links below:

3 Boys And A Dog – My favorite part is the ease of use. Some virus programs make it nearly impossible to access ANYTHING on the web, connected to your computer, etc. With a simple click, I can save the settings to allow something (like my HP printer) to make changes. Plus, it is all in terms even I can understand!

Nugglemama’s Handful - After playing around with it a bit I discovered how very easy it was to use. Installation was quick and painless and within minutes my system was protected. On set up it runs an optimization scan which helps future scans be faster after this you have the option to run a virus scan. Always a must when installing new Antivirus.

Brain Foggles – Once you set up AVG, you’re good to go. It updates automatically, warns you of threats and scans on schedule. AVG does not take away from the speed of your computer while scanning. It can save you a great deal of money by keeping your computer safe.

This Little Family - After getting all of the software installed – which was remarkable easy – it started up and I then started playing around with it.  The very first thing I noticed was how user it friendly it is. There’s no guessing and wondering if you are in the right spot. Everything is very clear, concise, and easy to find.

Fab Find Foodie – I can honestly say, I am incredibly happy with AVG Internet Security Software 9.0. There is nothing confusing or complicated about using the software. Knowing that I no longer have to worry about identity theft, spam or viruses truly makes my life a heck of a lot less stressful! Now I can feel secure logging into my bank account and not have to worry about being vulnerable. Plus, having such a public email address leaves me open to hundreds of suspicious emails every day. Not one thing (or person!) has been able to sneak into my computer since getting AVG! Wonderful software, from a trusted name.

To Be Thode – Since installing the AVG Internet Security 9.0 on my netbook, I have had no problems. The installation was very easy and there were clear steps to follow. My computer is running fast but is still catching some issues before they become real problems. LinkScanner® is checking web pages when it is most important – right before I click on them. Knowing I am protected before I even get to the page is a huge relief to me.

The Sewing Mom – I do recommend AVG intenet security for all your home computers. It is a solid, easy to use software that can protect my home network from outside attacks. Remember, it doesn’t just scan your email, AVG also scans the sites your visiting on the web to prevent your private information and your computer from being hacked.

Acting Balanced – Several things that impressed me about AVG Security 9.0 were the speed with which it scanned for viruses – I’ve used both Norton and McAfee software and have found their full scans to be disruptive and slow when trying to use the computer, particularly the internet – but not so with AVG. I also like that it scans links before you click on them, not after the damage is done!

Thanks, Mail Carrier – I love how easy it is to use AVG software and how it not only keeps you informed of the security of your computer but that it doesn’t slow things down one bit. Any updates are done automatically, you receive warnings for any suspicious threats and you can even schedule it to scan at a particular time that is convenient. At any point you can browse their window of options to make sure that your computer world is safe and sound.

Bless Their Hearts Mom – And it keeps doing it’s job- everytime you search or run a program, it let’s you know if there is a problem. The pop-up screen tells you to be cautious, to run the other way or go ahead and click enter (if box is all in green). The program is VERY simple to use and it is almost too easy! You think with it being so simple to use, it doesn’t work, but it works GREAT!!

For those interested, you can also get the FREE trial download here.

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