Cell Phone Safety for Kids

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kajeet. All opinions are 100% mine.

As our kids get older, my husband and I try to think ahead and plan for what they will and will not be allowed to do, and why.  I don't want things to catch me by surprise. (Although I'm sure there are plenty of things that will anyway.)

One of the things we have talked about is the issue of cell phones.  Call us old-fashioned, but we don't think our children have any business being able to call or text whomever they want whenever they want, play games all the time, or access the internet on their cell phone.

One of us said how it would be nice if there was a way for parents to set which numbers the phone can call and receive calls from, as well as to control how much the phone is able to be used at all.

Shortly after that conversation, I received an offer to post a sponsored post about Kajeet, a wireless service devoted to kids.  Since I never post anything sponsored just for the money, but truly try to serve you, my readers, and post only things I would buy and use myself, I did what I always do and scoured the information to make sure it was something I could truly recommend.

After looking at all of the information about Kajeet, I can honestly say it offers everything my husband and I were hoping for and more!

*Note: our oldest child is only 6 years old and the only time he is away from home is when we are with him.  We aren't thinking about getting him his own phone — yet.  But we are definitely tucking this information away to revisit when is a little older.

Here is what we found out about Kajeet:

1. Free, unlimited, parental controls that are manageable from a computer and allow parents to:
a.) Set time limits on phone use to prevent late night texting (or simple over-use of the phone.)
b.) Block unwanted calls, but always ensure that those from mom and dad get through.
c.) Manage what websites can be accessed (even on Android™ smartphones).
d.) Decide who pays for certain services, like games or ringtones.
e.) Find your child (or his/her phone if it gets lost or stolen) with GPS locating (included in select service plans or as an add-on)

Note about time limits: If your child's phone is not able to be used during a certain time period, you can set the controls to ALWAYS allow calls from mom and dad to come through, no matter what.  No other service has this ability.

2. Affordable plans that start at just $4.99/month.
a.) No activation fee.
b.) No termination fee.
c.) No long-term contract.
d.) No hassles if you need to change your plan. Change it whenever you need or want to, with no penalty.

3.  Choose a popular Android™ smartphone (including the Samsung Galaxy S III 4G LTE or the LG Viper 4G LTE) or a more basic, “starter” phone (like the Kyocera Domino).

4. 4G LTE coverage is available on Kajeet (on select 4G LTE devices and in regions where 4G LTE coverage is available).

Kajeet has received awards and recognition from PTPA Media, the Mom’s Choice Awards, iParenting and NAPPA (the National Parenting Publication Awards), and it is easy to see why!

You can purchase a phone from Kajeet directly on the Kajeet website. (Be sure to verify whether or not there is coverage in your area.) You can check the Kajeet coverage map here.

I don't think your child's safety is worth messing around with.  If they're away from home, be sure you always have a way to contact them and vice versa.  At the same time, make sure that same safety device is not endangering them in the sense of their being able to access the internet without permission or call and receive calls from questionable friends.

Do you have any other tips for keeping kids safe when they're away from home?  I'd love to hear them!

Our Week In Review

I realized the other day that I focus so much on whatever's on the blog calendar, that I never take time to just post about our life!

So from now on, I'm going to try to post a little bit our past week each Saturday.

I'm doing this for myself more than anything, so I can preserve some memories that will too easily be forgotten otherwise.  But you are more than welcome to take a little peek into our lives!

Monday evening we went and picked blackberries as a family.  I shouldn't have put a good shirt on E. — he had smooshed blackberries all over him.  He even had a bunch stuffed in his pockets!  You all shared a bunch of great ways to use the blackberries over on Facebook.

Tuesday evening we had a baby shower for my sister-in-law.  For some reason I always get chosen to do the games for showers.  I guess it's good for me since I tend to be a little shy.  I'm forced to get out of my comfort zone and come out of my shell a little bit.  Here's me, all out of my shell:

We have been seeing these strange colored birds flying around every afternoon across the street. We didn't have any binoculars to get a closer look, so we used the next best thing: the camera zoom.

That mint green one is especially interesting.

Thursday evening E. wanted to feed K. a mashed banana while I was making supper.  For some reason I said yes, even though I had quite a bit of cleaning up to do afterward!  I'm not sure who was happier.  They both had a great time.

Friday we had an awesome smoothie for breakfast.  I was pretty impressed since my husband is usually a lot better at making smoothies than I am.  It wasn't too hot out, so we sat on the back porch and drank them (or did we do that because I didn't want purple stains all over the kitchen floor?  I'll never tell!)

If you want to see more of our behind-the-scenes life, you can follow me over on Instagram.

Frugal Role-Play with Preschoolers

Guest post from Imperfect Homemaker contributor, Andrea.

I don’t know about your kids, but my kids absolutely love to play dress-up.  We have more toy bins dedicated to dress-up and role playing than any other type of toy.  When I walk into my kids’ room, the floor is nearly always strewn with hats, scarves, coats, dresses, and accessories.  My kids may love dressing up, but my wallet doesn’t like the cost of buying dress-up outfits at the toy store.  I always get sticker shock, and then am disappointed in the quality of the items.  So we have found other ways to feed their role-playing habits.

I was especially inspired to make my own dress-up items after visiting the children’s museum in Fayetteville, NC on a recent trip.  The kids move from room to room and get to play farmer, supermarket, ambulance, ER, dentist, post office, banker, army man, TV weather forecaster, and more.  Most of the items were “real” items from that profession, and my kids had a blast.  They were willing to forfeit lunch in order to stay and play longer!

Here are some ideas for frugal role-play and dress-up:

—Use “real” clothing that is larger in size.  When we get hand-me-downs, I throw some of the scarves, hats, frilly skirts, and dressy shoes into the dress-up bin.  The kids love it.  They are creative and turn scarves into ropes when they are braving a hurricane from the safety of the bunk-bed.  Purses become shopping bags when they “walk” to the store with their doggies.  They love playing with “real” items.

—Save household and kitchen items.  When we empty an egg carton I give it to the kids to play with.  After a few days it has usually been stepped on and smooshed a hundred times, so we toss it out.  There will always be another one coming!  I rinse out vitamin bottles and save Band-Aid boxes for doctor play.  We have a plastic Starbucks coffee cup and old measuring cups for our “kitchen”.  Dead cell phones go in the toy drawer, and all of my kids love to walk around talking on a “real” phone.  (My husband wears out his phones quickly!)  When I am ready to pass on a scarf or necklace, I usually take it to the dress-up box instead of Good Will.

–-Make your own.  At the children’s museum, in the play Post Office, my kids loved sorting mail and handing out packages.  So I saved envelopes from the mail for about a week, laminated them, taped up a couple of small boxes, and turned an old wipes box into a mail box.  Put on a blue shirt from Daddy’s closet, and voilà!  Instant Post Office.  We play with it for a few days and then pack it away for a few days to keep things new and exciting.

—An old box can become anything you can imagine.  My kids love to pretend it’s a boat.  We usually keep the boxes from our diaper shipment around the house for a few days.  Turn the box upside down and glue on some red construction paper circles for a stove.  Cut a hole for a mailbox.  Make a baby cradle.  The possibilities are endless (and free!).  Two liter bottles become a jet pack.  A towel and clothespin becomes a super hero cape.  An empty toilet paper tube or paper towel tube can become binoculars or a pirate spyglass.  We cut necktie shapes out of fabric scraps and added a ribbon for instant dress-up.

—Play store by setting out some toys on the coffee table.  Print out some paper money and give them a purse.  One child gets to be the shop keeper and one child can be the customer.  We use my daughter's baby stroller to be the shopping cart.  I love spending $5 and getting $20 in change!  (We will work on math skills in Kindergarten this year 🙂

—My daughter loves to play Mommy, Little Girl, and Baby.  She usually gets to be the Mommy and my husband or I is the little girl.  I gave her a couple of real baby bottles, some newborn size onesies, cloth wipes from my diaper stash, and an old receiving blanket.  She uses the tray from one of the twins’ highchair, and we set up a little meal, change some diapers, put the baby to sleep, and have a good time.  No expensive baby doll accessories needed!

–If there is a particular role-playing adventure that you would like to have with your child, you can scour garage sales and thrift stores for needed items.   You could find army items like canteens and binoculars.  Old hats, gloves, purses, etc. can usually be purchased very inexpensively.  I recently found some tiny tin muffin trays at a garage sale for 25 cents.  Perfect addition to the kitchen set!

If you really need some inspiration, Pinterest offers just about every DIY imaginable!  I have a Pinterest idea board with some frugal options, as well as ideas that may take a little more time or money.  They make great gifts!  Now get off the computer and go have some role-playing fun!

Solutions for a Better Night’s Sleep

Are you finding that you have a hard time getting to sleep or staying asleep at night?  Here are some things you should try:

1.Get your body on a routine by going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning. When you keep your sleep schedule consistent, your body will know exactly when to produce serotonin and melatonin, making you feel much more awake during the day and ready to sleep at night.

2. Make sure the room is completely dark. Any light suppresses your body’s ability to produce melatonin. Additionally, you should discontinue use of electronics well before bed time as the backlight also suppresses melatonin. Dim the lights, keep noise to a minimum, and help your body realize that it is time to sleep.

3. Avoid stimulating activity right before bed as this can suppress sleep
hormones.

4. Exercising during the day helps your body produce sleep hormones
more effectively.

5. Avoid caffeine, preferably all the time, but especially in the afternoon
and later.

6. Chamomile tea can help your body relax and feel sleepy.

7. Do all that you can to reduce stress on your body. Stress hormones affect your sleep cycle just as a lack
of sleep affects your stress level.

8. There are also some aspects of your diet that you should make sure are present if you wish to promote good sleep. These include healthy fats, which give your body what it needs to produce sleep hormones.  Foods high in antioxidants also aid in hormone production and include colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, and green or herbal teas. Sugar and carbohydrates, especially in the evening can give you a blood sugar spike making it difficult to fall asleep and later wake
you in the night when your blood sugar levels drop. Instead, make sure your dinner includes plenty of healthy fat and protein to keep your blood sugar level even. Many people are deficient in magnesium, which can cause your body to feel restless. The best way I have found to supplement magnesium is to use a topical magnesium lotion. (I buy mine from Real Traditions.) It is most easily absorbed by the body in this form and if you happen to give your body excess, it will be eliminated.

Have you joined the 10 Week Healthy Living Challenge yet?  Sign up below and you'll receive the first challenge in your inbox right away.  Increase your health and energy with some simple changes!

Conquering Naptime Mischief

My kids are required to have a quiet time every day.  I personally need that time to recharge in that middle of the day.

They are usually pretty good about staying in their rooms and being quiet.  But there are other things that go on…

Yes, somebody likes to color.  She's so quiet that I think she's asleep.  Then when naptime is over — surprise!  Look at my pretty picture, mommy!  I don't think there is a blank wall left in her room.

Am I the only mom who has a kid like this???

Enter my new secret weapon in the war against naptime mischief:

Yes, baby monitors aren't just for babies anymore!  (Disclosure: VTech sent me a VTech Safe & Sound Pan and Tilt Monitor to review.  All opinions are my own.)

I seriously love this monitor.  (I don't use the word LOVE unless I really mean it.)  It's hard to describe such awesomeness in one short blog post, but I'll try:

1. Instead of just hearing audio, I can see what's going on with this video monitor.  Since my little girl is a pro at stealth tactics, I need the visual element.

This occurred as I was composing this blog post…

The video quality is actually quite a bit better than what you see in the pictures too.  I was having a hard time getting a good picture.  It also has full color video, but the color doesn't really show up if it is dark in the room.

2. If she gets out of my line of vision, I can use the monitor to move the camera that is set up in her room and see whatever I need to see.

Ah, there she is…

I can move it side to side and up and down so that I have a view of the entire room.  I can also zoom in if I need to.

3. If I need to talk to her, I can press the talk button on the monitor and she will hear me from the camera in her room.  It is so sensitive that I can talk in a whisper and she hears me.  I love this because if I go in there her baby sister will sense that I'm there and wake up, but if I whisper through the monitor the baby doesn't wake up.

4. This system can have up to 4 cameras connected to the parent unit (must purchase additional cameras separately).  I would love to get an extra camera for the boys' room.

One of the most important things I wanted to know about this monitor was whether or not it was secure.  After reading a scary news story about a family who had someone hack into their baby's video monitor and watch their child and talk to him in the middle of the night, I wanted to be sure there was no danger of that happening to us.

As it turns out, since this monitor is not connected to the internet in any way, it would be very, very, very, very, (did I say very?) difficult for someone to hack it.  I am happy to know that I can watch my kids and talk to them without some strange creep having that ability too.

So now I can keep an eye on this little artist of mine during naptime!  I wish I had gotten one of these a long time ago; we would have a lot less painting to do!  (But it's a beautiful mess; remember that mama!)

If you need your own secret weapon, you can check it out right here.

So tell me, moms — What kind of naptime mischief do your little ones get into?

Baby Essentials for the On-the-Go Family

Soccer games.  Piano lessons.  Grocery shopping.

When you have kids, there are always places to go.  And when you're trying to keep up with your big kids' activities while at the same time bringing your baby along, there are several things I can think of that will make your life a little easier.

1. Diaper bag.

Okay, so this one's probably obvious!  But, what are the things that you need to keep packed in your diaper bag at all times so that you can grab and go and never be without the things you need for baby?

• Diapers and wipes – I cannot tell you how many times I think we are just going to “run to the store really quick”, so I don't bother to make sure the diapers and wipes have been restocked.  Let me just say that every time I don't make sure there are plenty in there, we end up regretting it!
• Extra clothes – Those times you regret not bringing the diapers and wipes are very likely to be times when you'll wish for an extra pair of clothes too!
• Plastic bag – See above if you can't figure out what it's for!
• Pacifier – When your family is on the go, you may end up being out during baby's naptime or feeding time.
• Blanket – If you're out during naptime, a familiar blanket may help baby fall asleep somewhere besides his bed.
• Hat – If you're taking baby to ballgames or other outdoor activities, you'll need to make sure his delicate head is protected from the sun
• Toys – Soccer games may be fun for the rest of the family, but they may not interest your baby nearly as much.  Make sure you bring something fun for him to do too!
• Snacks – when your baby is starting to eat solids, having a little snack and drink in the diaper bag will do wonders toward keeping him happy while you're out and about.

2. Nursing cover – if you breastfeed and you'll be out when baby is hungry, you may want to bring a nursing cover with you.  (By the way,  you can get a free one here!  Just use the coupon code ENBABY when you check out and you'll get one for the cost of shipping only.)

3. Shopping cart cover – when your baby is old enough to sit up, I recommend using a shopping cart cover.  Shopping cart handles have nasty germs on them and babies like to put everything in their mouths!  Not a good combo!

4. Car seat – I guess this is another obvious one!  You can't take your baby anywhere without a car seat!  I recommend the Combi Shuttle, which can be paired with any of Combi's strollers to create a travel system.  I really like that it is specifically designed to offer protection from front, rear and side impact collisions with its Combi Tru-Safe® Side Impact Protection and anti-rebound bar.    It also offers lots of comfortable padding for baby and has straps that are very easy to adjust.  You can learn more about the carseat here.

5. Car seat cover – These are so nice to have!  When baby falls asleep in the car seat, you can keep the cover down to help keep it dark and quiet so he can get a better nap while you're out.  They're also nice for keeping sun and wind off of baby when you're walking between the car and the store, and they're great for keeping random strangers from reaching down and pinching your baby's cheeks!  You can get a free shopping cart cover as well when you use the coupon code ENBABY at checkout.  You'll pay shipping only, which is somewhere around $12.

6. Stroller – When you've got older kids, a stroller is invaluable.  You need about 8 arms to keep track of everything and everybody, and trying to hold a baby at the same time just adds to the chaos.  All of the Combi strollers can be used along with the Combi Shuttle car seat to create a travel system.  Instead of having to unstrap your baby and buckle him into a stroller, you can just clip the car seat right into the stroller with the baby still in it.  (This is especially a lifesaver if your baby is asleep!)

Combi sent us the Cabria stroller, which is perfect for the on-the-go family because it folds up so small.  I have never seen a travel system so compact, but I'm glad it is because there is so much else that needs to go in the back of the van!  It's got a smooth ride, and that nice big shade keeps the sun off the baby.  It's also very easy to fold up. (Remember that part about needing 8 arms?  A stroller that's easy to fold is a big plus.)  The only downside is that the storage basket underneath is very small.  I'm assuming it wouldn't be able to fold up so small if it were bigger.  Oh well, I guess you can't have your cake and eat it too.  You can see more about the Cabria stroller here.

(Please note: Combi sent us the Shuttle car seat and Cabria stroller free of charge to faciliate this review.  However, I sought them out and requested it because I thought this would be a great stroller for a family with lots of kids -and it is! )

You can order the Shuttle car seat and/or a stroller on the Combi website, where you'll receive free shipping on orders $50+.  I also recommend following them on Facebook and Twitter so you can keep up with giveaways and specials!

What did I forget?  What else do you need as an on-the-go family?