Tech Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Tips for Sharing a Workspace at Home

December 4, 2017 by Danielle Leave a Comment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LoveYourPC #Intel8thGen #CollectiveBias

While hubby doesn’t work from home daily like I do, he does have a couple days a month – plus some evenings or weekends when he ‘brings work home’ with him – where he needs to use the office, too. I’m sure I’m not the only one who deals with the potential frustrations that come with having a co-office, sharing their work area with their spouse or significant other. Or maybe sharing with a child who homeschools or has more online work! Whatever the reason, it doesn’t have to be a huge headache – here’s some Tips for Sharing a Workspace at Home to help you out!

Tip #1: Have a Reliable & Flexible PC

Even before I became a full-time blogger (so I practically LIVE on my PC some days), I relied heavily on it for photo editing, online shopping, paying the bills, managing our spreadsheets and family calendars, and so much more. Since I can’t do without it for so many things – and often am multi-tasking on there anyway, I can’t handle if it’s slow or unresponsive, and don’t get me started on the frustrated of a PC that freezes on you! When hubby and I learned about the 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on one because there’s a 40% performance jump between it and the 7th gen, plus 2x better performance compared to a 5-year-old PC. If you’re still dealing with that, it’s time to make the switch like us!

Maybe I’m just impatient for wanting things instantly in this modern life, or just want to utilize my time the best I can since us moms have SO MUCH TO DO, and effort can’t be wasted on old computers. Since Intel’s new 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor is designed to help you and your computer keep pace in this crazy digital world, it allows you to get things done fast and easy – plus you can shop with built-in security and even immerse yourself in leading-edge entertainment. We can’t ALWAYS be working when on our PCs, right? 😉

Our new ASUS ZenBook Flip UX370 we got from our local Microsoft Store, containing the 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor, was the perfect purchase for us in our dual-person home workspace because:

Exceptional performance – unprecedented power and responsiveness, which is crucial in a mom’s (or dad’s) fast-paced digital world
- Editing photos, creating videos, or multi-tasking on all the To-Dos on our list, it makes it faster, easier and more enjoyable to check things off!
- Instant wake experience means no more sitting around waiting for it to start up so you can begin your tasks
- Instantly sync to other devices, which is great for hubby to sinc from home to work!
Security is made simple – the built-in security adds a layer of protection to make password logins, browsing and online payments safe and simple
- The finger pad makes payments simple and secure
- Don’t gamble on old computers with your data – the built-in password and payment security features of the 8th Generation Intel® Core™ processor make logging-in and online purchases safer and simpler
Exciting entertainment – we both love the amazing entertainment hub, which can stream 4K UHD vidoes, power virtual reality and allows us to play our favorite games.
- Theater-like entertainment at home or on-the-go (airports will no longer be a bore – yay!) with a thin & light computer with a long batter life
- No more ‘buffering makes me sad’ or aweful lags
- binge watch Netflix or Hulu for up to TEN HOURS without plugging in (yes, go get one NOW and start that new TV show marathon!)

Tip #2: Have Separate File/Storage Areas

I have planners, bills and notebooks with random notes and thoughts galore – while hubby has software books and office letterhead documents. It’s a nightmare trying to find your stuff amidst the jumbled piles, so get some file folders, shelves, racks, paper towers, etc. so you can each have a spot for YOUR stuff. This way you know exactly where the thing you need is, saving you time (and sanity!). This also comes in handy for cords – like my camera cable – or USB drives. Random objects can easily to in ‘yours’ or ‘theirs’ baskets, keeping things separated. Marriage is often about joining, but some things are best kept separate – like your work and office accessories!

Tip #3: Keep it Mobile & Flexible

Remember when desktops were pretty much the norm, and if you weren’t at your desk then too dang bad? Since we use our PC for so many aspects of our work and home life, we rely on 2-in-1s and laptops because they’re so easy to take on-the-go when needed. When sharing a workspace at home, sometimes you just CAN’T make it worth with both of you at the desk at the same time. Or when I wanted to browse online to purchase hubby something for Christmas, I didn’t want him looking over my shoulder at the desk. My new laptop is perfect for just taking on the go – and I’m absolutely LOVING the flip feature, taking it into mobile-mode for some extra ease and fun!

Oh, and the pen/inking allows you to write, draw or erase as naturally as your creativity – maybe the next school science project will be done easily during a break at karate class, or editing family photos for Christmas cards done while waiting at the doctors office! When at home, if you need an extra monitor or larger screen, just get an additional monitor and plug it into your PC – best of all worlds!

Tip #5: Keep it Neutral While Still Adding Personality

Hubby doesn’t care tons for pops of color or decor, while it really helps my mood and productivity to have some attractiveness to my workspace. Try to find a good balance – a little pop of color on the big desk calendar, plus a cute mug for holding the pens, pencils and highlighters was a good compromise when we started sharing a workspace. You could also have different backgrounds on your PC, so depending on who logs in shows a different picture or image – mine’s a bunch of family photos, while he prefers a slideshow of artistic fantasy or sci-fi scenes. That helps keep your space YOURS, while still being just as good for the other person.

Tip #6: Clean Often & Keep it Simple

If I’m not careful, I tend to let papers, notes and printables take over my entire desk space, making it really distracting and difficult to be productive. Just like an old computer clogged with stuff from who-knows-when, a new PC with the 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor can be simple and clean (making it that much faster and easier to work and find things on your computer!). Be sure to clean off your desk and work area often, and utilize filing systems or scanner – I love scanning things into my computer, then filing them accordingly. It saves so much space! And while you do need all your work accessories (pens, pencils, paper, markers and notes), try not to over-clutter with unnecessary stuff. If you let that happen with ONE person’s desk it’s frustrating – with TWO sharing a workspace, it’s just a total nightmare.

Tip #7: Don’t Be Afraid to Have YOUR Chair

For awhile hubby and I shared the same desk chair – which was an awful idea! He liked it to be free to lean all the way back, so when I got into it I’d about fall over when it startled me leaning back. He finds a different level of cushioning and back support comfortable than I do. It’s crucial that you feel comfortable when sitting at your work area, so don’t hesitate to get two different chairs that you can just switch out for whoever’s going to use the desk next. This could save a lot of arguments – and sore backs!

Having an organized, attractive and USABLE desk area can make a huge difference when you’re sharing a workspace at home – for both you AND your other half. Even though it may be frustrating at times, compromising and communicating well with each other will go a long ways to make it as hassle-free as possible. I love when my hubby gets to work from home, even if it does mean sharing my beautiful office!

What’s YOUR best tip for sharing a workspace at home?

Check out Intel on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to learn more about the new 8th Gen Intel® Core™ processor!

Furby Connect: Perfect Interactive Holiday Gift

December 10, 2016 by Danielle

This post was sponsored by Furby Connect as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Christmas is fast approaching, despite my ridiculous begging to nobody in particular that it be pushed back so we can enjoy a few extra weeks of holiday excitement (and prep time!). I’m just about ready, or at least as ready as I’m going to be – especially with the kids out of school for 2 weeks soon! They were thrilled to get a fun family gift early, and I highly recommend the new Furby Connect – it’s the perfect interactive holiday gift to please anybody!

I remember getting one of the original ones growing up, and while it was really cool and fun, it also had limitations. This new Furby Connect works with your tablet or phone using the Furby Connect World app. Yes, it’s available on both the App Store and Google Play, so you’re not limited with the type of device you can use.

In this little ‘world’, you get to do all sorts of creative things right along side your Furby Connect – such as hatching new babies, called Furblings, from their eggs! Once you get an egg from the ‘egg machine’, it pops and once the countdown ends, you tap on it really fast to help it hatch. “Awwww” says our guy, whom we named May-Doo (means Fluffy Marshmallow)!

My kiddos love seeing what type of baby they got, so far there’s a ‘wrestler Furbling’, a ‘sweet tooth’, a ‘sun’ and a ‘lazy’ that’s a sneezing Furbling. There’s even dinosaur Furblings, but we haven’t gotten one of those yet. You can also choose various foods to feed your new magical friend from their world. Choose a food from the side, and it loads into the food canon. Make sure your Furby Connect is placed above your device, then scroll down the lever and release – it shoots the food ‘into’ your little guy’s mouth! Watch his eyes to see how he likes what you picked out for his snack 🙂

The eyes are one of my personal favorite features, since he can show you his expressions and thoughts with the LCD screen eyes that display over 100 animations! The kids get a kick out of how he talks, and love looking up what the different words mean – it does over 1000 phrases! This was especially fun as we choose his name – scrolling through different word combinations to finally agree on one.

These friendly and silly guys come in a variety of colors – and you can easily see (and feel!) the fur at the top of the box, making it simple to find the right friend for your kids.

I think the Furby Connect is the perfect holiday gift and is a must-have on this season’s Christmas shopping list because it combines creative play with technology – something kiddos these days sure love! It’s so fun how the Furby brand grows with the times to bring revolutionized, digitally-integrated play with this fluffy new friend and his world full of surprises. You can see how thrilled my kiddos were when they unboxed their special surprise in our video here.

In the world, the Furby Connect can interact right along with your kids with it’s own hilarious take on songs, videos and much more. New surprises are delivered via the Bluetooth®-enabled app, Furby Connect World. You can help him learn lyrics to songs, and teach new phrases, by watching the videos together at the virtual Movie Theater. It’s like getting a new playmate in your stocking, or under the tree!

And for those wondering if you can turn it off – they made that super simple, too, by including a special (and cute) sleep mask! Just clip it on, and your Furby Connect gets a nice little rest. This comes in handy when the kids just don’t want to stop playing – tell them he needs a little rest so he can play more later 🙂

Don’t forget to check out their Facebook page for more fun!

Lots of Circuit fun with Circuit Scribe

November 22, 2016 by Clayton Reeves

We received a Circuit Scribe kit free to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are mine alone.

One of my favorite parts of being a Dad is being able to share things with my kiddos. When opportunities to do that with science, imagination, and curiosity come around I like to grab them by the horns and hold on tight. One such opportunity was Circuit Scribe, an electrical kit that lets you draw on paper and turn it into an electric circuit. How AWESOME is that!

Before I get much farther I probably should introduce myself. Hi, my name is Clayton and I am a Nerd. More importantly I am a Husband, Father, Dad, (yes I think those 2 things are different, so they both must be listed) and many other things to boot. I hope to soon fill up The Nerd Dad with all sorts of questions, comments, suggestions, and concerns, but am starting here today.

So without further fluff and stuff let me tell you why I think that the Circuit Scribe is one of the best things you could get your family.

These kits start talks. You get to sit down with your kids and talk about what to build, why things work the way they do, and how to build what they want. If you are lucky during all of this you will get to talk about all sorts of other things too!
Electricity is important! so being able to understand it and talk about it is a very good skill to have as well. The kit we got, the Ultimate Kit, has loads of stuff in it. We used LED lights, buzzers, switches, dimmers, knobs, blinkers, and the list can go on. All of this is powered by a simple 9V battery. The whole time we did it we found ways to add more to a circuit we had already built, ether giving us more we could do or creating something bigger.
Problem solving skills are one of the best things you can help your kids gain and these kits are a great tool to help with that. There where many times that we would place the last piece on the paper only to find that the circuit didn’t work. Then we would have to go through step by step to see what could have gone wrong.
Science is fun! All too often I have heard kids say or boring science is, and I understand why a bit. If I had to learn about things the why some of our kids do I would probably think so too. With this kit you could even wrap things up with the scientific method:
1. Ask a question – What would happen if we put all of the LED bulbs into a parallel circuit vs a series circuit.
2. Research – Talk about how it would affect the voltage and wattage at each light in each case.
3. Hypothesis – Have the kid(s) write down how they think the lights will be in each case.
4. Experiment (The funnest part) – draw out both types of circuits.
5. Data/Analysis – Have them look at the LEDs and decide together their brightness.
6. Conclusion – Decide whether they should accept or reject their hypotheses.

There is so much more that can be done that what I have listed here, the Circuit Scribe kit we have allows for you to link into an Arduino making your abilities practically endless. I am super excited to get this kit out again with the kids and do something else with them and let them slowly take more control as they learn what they are able to do.

The Best Family Apps – Free on Amazon Underground

September 30, 2016 by Danielle

My kids’ youth is so much different than when I was young. They LOVE their screen time, and I’m often amazed at how skilled they can be with today’s technology at such a young age. Now, we try to moderate how much time they get to spend playing on their tablets, and use it as rewards quite a bit. Since it’s not a daily thing, we want the time they DO spend on it to be valuable – but of course fun at the same time! My biggest thing? I don’t want to spend money getting new apps! Luckily we can find The Best Family Apps FREE on Amazon Underground! Yes, even awesome ones for us adults, too.

When I first heard about Amazon Underground from hubby awhile back, I just shrugged it off, thinking there was probably just a few random apps in there and nothing of real quality. Boy, was I wrong! There’s TONS of choices – perfect for back-to-school season. All of the 100% FREE apps & games from Underground have an “Actually Free” sash on them….

Amazon Underground is generally compatible with all Android phones with version 4.0 or greater. Just go here and follow the instructions – again, it’s FREE! You never have to worry about your kids downloading apps or games that will cost you money – they’ll now have access to more than 3,000 apps and games that are 100% FREE with your Amazon Fire tablet or Android smartphone. You can look at your ‘recommended’ items, or check their ‘most played’ section…

You can search more specifically, too – I found several great apps for myself and hubby in the ‘productivity & lifestyle’ area!

I was thrilled about finding ‘Cut the Rope: Experiments’ because my kids absolutely LOVE that game! I’m not too bad at it, either 😉

So many great FREE apps in Amazon Underground! #ad #amznunderground #apps
A post shared by Danielle (@busymomshelper) on Sep 30, 2016 at 11:02am PDT

I’m really fond of games that are really fun for them, but also help them use their minds – like ‘Where’s My Water?’ They have to arrange things just right to get the water to the waiting alligator.

Since some of my kids are now in dual language programs, I was really glad to find ‘Learn Spanish Pro – Phrasebook’ in Amazon Underground. Now I can learn with them, and understand what they say!

I’m eager to try this ‘iRewardChart’ – no more running out of stickers or having to find a place for reward sheets! I can just track their rewards and progress easily in the app.

The Amazon Underground catalog of 100% free apps & games is part of the Amazon Appstore. It gives you access to great content that you’d normally have to pay for in “other” App and Play Stores, but now it’s yours for zero cost! You’ll have access to premium apps & games that provide fun, convenience and a break your family’s busy day.

Since we’re huge Disney fans around here, check out this NEW breathtaking puzzle game – Frozen Free Fall: Icy Shot – from the makers of Disney’s #1 mobile games! Join Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, Olaf and even a few mischievous Snowgies on a little journey – shoot snowballs with ice magic, earn unique boosters and discover special surprised around every turn. For the ‘first time in forever’, you can enjoy Frozen like never before with 100+ enchanting levels across the Kingdom of Arendelle. Get Frozen Free Fall: Icy Shot here!

Learn more about the Amazon Appstore, the Amazon Underground catalog of 100% free apps & games or to get access on your Android smartphone VISIT HERE!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

IDo3D: Easy 3D Drawing for Kids!

September 27, 2016 by Danielle

I received an IDo3D kit to assist this post. All opinions are mine alone. #3DPen #FunWith3D

When I was a kid, I never would’ve thought about drawing with a pen to make 3D creations. It was about all I could do to shade my drawings the right way so they’d look somewhat 3-dimensional! Little did I knew we’d spend a weekend letting my kids create their own projects – in 3 dimensions. IDo3D is a great kit for Easy 3D Drawing for Kids!

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure for more info.

If you recall, last week I shared about the Atmos Flare 3D Drawing Pen, which is aimed a bit more for older kids and adults. The IDo3D is much easier to work with for the younger bunch, so our boys had a blast! One thing I loved was it came with some molds – so you could create arched pieces, then put the pieces together….such as a chest piece, globe, or even a curved hand!

The instructions were clear and simple to follow. You can use the different colored pens on a surface, then when you’re done with the flat you use the LED light to cure it into a solid. Then peal it off and you can use the pen and light to fasten things together at joints.

This IDo3D pack came with purple, green and orange pens, then that blue thing is the light. It can be used on the pens, or we just held it separately sometimes for convenience.

Here’s an example – they drew the alien or astronaut pieces flat, cured them with the light, then peeled them off. They then used the pen/light to fasten the arms to the body, feet sticking out, etc. to make it a more 3D figure.

Here’s the boys’ awesome first creations! They had so much fun, and can’t wait to try more complex projects. Maybe we’ll tackle the T-Rex project on the box next – they’d sure love that!

Grab the IDo3D HERE and make your own 3D creations!

3D Printing in Your Own Home?

September 20, 2016 by Danielle

We partnered with The Women Bloggers to bring you this awesome post. All opinions are mine alone. #3DPen #FunWith3D

When we were teenagers, 3D printing seemed like something from Star Trek. When it became a bit more common, we still never thought it’d be realistic to actual do 3D Printing in Your Own Home – but it’s now true! With the awesome AtmosFlare 3D Drawing Pen, you can create so many things, all according to your imagination, in the comfort of your own living room!

Yup, you heard it right – this new 3D pen allows you to build – well, technically, DRAW – 3 Dimensional creations without some fancy machine or heavy equipment! We gave it a good test, and after a few minutes got just the right speeds and angles needed to make it sturdy.

Black Widow even got in on the fun and created her own AT-AT (Star Wars, for those that don’t know – and if you don’t, I’m so sorry!) with the blue color ink! Her biggest issue was just going slower, since she’s use to regular drawing at whatever speed she wanted. This requires a little more patience, but once you’ve got that down you’re set to go.

So how does it work? We were eager to open the box to find that out, too! First, it comes with the large ‘pen’ portion, which has an Ultra-Violet light (there’s a button you can turn it on/off as needed) that heats the pen ink when it comes out to ‘cure’ it so it’s then a solid. You can switch out the ink cartridges to your desired color – this pack came with red and blue. Just hold the pen, squeeze the sides of the ink cartridge and it comes out! One trick – you can draw portions of your overall design flat with the light off to give you time, then cure it with the light. Then connect your different sections upright with a little more ink/light. Viola!

I was pretty proud of my palm tree I created – it was my first try with the pen, so entirely judge my artistic capabilities on this one project 😉

While it’ll take all of us awhile before we’re 3D drawing things like the amazing creations on the AtmosFlare 3D website (check out their turtle!), I know we’ll get better as we practice.

For some bonus help – they have FREE courses for 3D drawing at Create In 3D! It really makes a difference being able to SEE the tips and tricks, plus some other projects starting at beginner (yup, that’d be me right now!) on up to advanced. You can nab your pen on Amazon, Walmart.com, BestBuy.com and Toys R Us, so hurry!

What’s the first thing YOU’D make with a 3D Pen?

Skylanders World Games Coloring Pages

August 11, 2016 by Danielle

Are your kids Portal Masters? Do they LOVE the awesome Skylanders characters and game? Mine sure do, so when I showed them these Skylanders World Games Coloring Pages they were so excited! You can nab these free printables and let your kids share their love of Skylanders with their love of the summer games in Rio!

This post is NOT sponsored – we just love Skylanders & wanted to share these fun printables!

There’s several different fan favorite Skylanders you can choose, plus cut outs of flags, jerseys and more so they can decorate these fab characters to feel like they’re part of the team!

Plus check out this EXCLUSIVE Opening Ceremony Skylander – a great version of the torch!

Skylanders wants to help you train for 2020! Share your (or your kiddos’) training videos, especially if they’re using Skylanders toys to get there! Here’s more details on how to get in on the fun:

“Calling all families! Inspired by this year’s games? Skylanders invites you to participate in a global campaign to get kids moving and #TrainingFor2020. We want you to share photos or short videos of your children training for the 2020 summer games. Here’s the challenge: they have to incorporate a Skylanders toy into their training. For example, if they’re doing a pushup, they have to go low enough for their nose to touch a Skylander stationed on the floor. If they’re running a relay with siblings, they can hand off a Skylander instead of a baton. Like Skylanders Imaginators itself, the creative possibilities are endless! Show us what your future athletes are made of as they get inspired by this year’s World Games in Rio!”

To participate, please post your photos and videos to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook using #TrainingFor2020 #Skylanders. Please keep videos within 15 seconds. Show us your videos before the closing ceremony on Sunday, August 21st!

Download the Skylanders World Games Coloring Pages HERE

More Printables…

LEGO NEXO Knights App

June 6, 2016 by Danielle

As y’all probably know, we’re HUGE LEGO fans here. Building, playing, watching, creating – it’s awesome! So when we received an invite to see the new 4D movie LEGO NEXO Knights at the Legoland Grapevine, we jumped on it. It was really close to Hulk’s birthday, too, so the perfect celebration. They also let us nab a few shields for the new LEGO NEXO Knights App, so we downloaded it to give it a try. The kids (and hubby) have had a blast playing it ever since!

While I was provided a free viewing of the new NEXO Knights movie at Legoland, this post and my thoughts on this app are entirely my own.

The app is available for both Android and iOS, so no worries for whatever device you have 😀 It IS a big download, so I’d recommend it on a tablet instead of a phone – but that’s totally up to you, of course. It’s a fun LEGO adventure game, with a team of NEXO Knights that have technology on their side – such as Merlock 2.0 the AI.

You collect the different shields – available around Legoland centers or in the playsets. There’s tons of different ones, such as Broccoli Tornado, Chicken Power, Mech Master, and other crazy-yet-awesome power up type shields. I swear I’m going to start hearing ‘Broccoli Tornado’ screamed loudly in my dreams on repeat soon, as that seems to be my boys’ favorite to use in battles thus far! Because there’s over 170 shields, LEGO made it so you’re able to share your shields with your friends at the tap of a button – they can just scan and use!

They’re able to level up their armor and gear with points they earn from each battle. There’s five playable characters they find and bring into their team, working together to defeat Jestro and his evil minions.

Full of plenty LEGO humor that kids and adults alike enjoy, it really helps give them a challenge, sense of accomplishment AND a great time!

You can check out the other fun characters in the story and learn more about the LEGO NEXO Knights HERE. My little 5 year old, on up to my 9 year old girl AND my hubby really have been having a blast, and can’t wait to find more shields to test out new abilities and powers!

More LEGO NEXO Knight App Info HERE

Easy Solution for Screen Time Stress

June 2, 2016 by Danielle

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of OurPact. All opinions are mine alone. #OurPact

We have a tablet for each person in our house. Not that every one of us HAS our own (we adults do, but not all the kids) but we have THAT MANY. As summer is creeping up on us, I’m starting to worry about how much time they’ll spend on there, and what they’ll be doing. Luckily there’s an Easy Solution for Screen Time Stress that may help keep THIS mom sane!

I can’t count how many times I’ve told my kids ‘only X minutes on Minecraft’, only to lose track of time. Or I set the timer, feeling all responsible and adulty, only to be right in the middle of something so I let them continue after it goes off. Yup, slacker mom right here! I’m so glad I found the FREE app to give me some help, since the kids will be around pretty much 24/7 all summer long. OurPact to the rescue – and they just released their iOS 2.0 Parent App! This allows parents to manage their kids on iOS and Android devices from ANY internet-enabled device!

So what exactly IS OurPact, and how can it help us manage our kids’ screen time? In a nutshell, it’s a super simple iOS app created to help parents (like me) who want to guide the internet habits of our kids, along with teaching responsibility that comes with technology. It’s true that tech is AMAZING – but it can also be overused or misused, right? This makes it much easier to balance the usage, as well as provide helpful, age-appropriate barriers as we see fit for our own family.

You can have a profile for each person/device, then set schedules that give them access to the internet and assigned (by you) apps only at times and limits you set. Dinnertime? Blocked access. Free time for thirty minutes? Granted! Don’t worry, you can always go in and change it, in case the schedule got changed a bit – as we all know happens constantly during the summer.

Here’s a really simplified list of some of the things you can do:

Schedule app and internet use based on your child’s daily routine, and whether it’s a weekday or weekend.
Set time limits, like the number of minutes or hours, your kid can spend on the internet and within apps.
With a simple touch, you can block the internet and apps (great way to get their attention if they won’t look up from their Minecraft game – definitely useful in my house!)
Again, with just a touch, allow internet and app access – if they earned more time, or their ‘scheduled blocked time’ changed and they’re now free
Block apps as you see fit (Facebook, SnapChat, etc. are always off-limits for my kids right now – not until they’re much older)

OurPact can even recommend the best internet and app blocking schedules for your kids’ specific age based on child research. This makes it really easy to quickly set up, then just tweak as you see fit for your own child’s needs. Oh, and if you’re worried about a sudden meltdown from your kids because they didn’t save their game before it shut off? Set it to give them a 5 minute warning – or 10 minutes or 3, just whatever works best for you!

And remember, you can access the Web App on ANY internet-enabled device, iOS or Android. This is great since we’re a big mix of both types of devices! I feel much less worried about their screen time now that I can manage it all ahead of time – no setting a timer (hoping I follow through when it beeps), checking over their shoulders to make sure they’re only in the apps I said were okay, and all of that screen time stress that makes me hate technology.

Get the FREE OurPact app here

Another neat thing you may like for older kids: The Contract Every Family Needs

OurPact iPad Air2 Giveaway

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of OurPact.

Take Control of Your Internet using Circle with Disney

May 6, 2016 by Danielle

I was provided a free Circle with Disney to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Computers. Tablets. E-readers. Smart TVs. The list goes on and on with devices that are becoming so commonplace in households. It’s great – goodness knows we love technology in our home – but it also comes with a risk. The internet can be such a great tool and resource, but it also holds many dangers, especially for kids who may not know better. Keep your family safe and Take Control of Your Internet using Circle with Disney! You can track their online actions, put certain blocks in affect, and even pause internet to a specific device with the push of a button.

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure for more info.

I’ll be honest – I don’t understand all the ‘technical’ behind Circle with Disney. That’s hubby’s department, and I’m sure he’ll do a post on his side over at The Nerd Dad soon enough. This is just my own observations and understandings of how it works. Perhaps it’s the ‘dumbed down’ version? Anywho – I love it, that’s what matters! Circle with Disney is a little square box device (I would think it’d be circle because the name, but just bare with me here) that can connect wirelessly to your home internet. We leave ours wired since we use a lot of bandwidth, and don’t want it slowing it down. Unless you use lots like us, though, wireless is just great!

It has about an 8 hour battery life, but we keep ours plugged in most of the time.

You set it up using the Circle app so every device is on it – computers, tablets, even phones. You can then set up unique profiles as you see fit. Hubby and I have our own, our Black Widow has her own since she’s a little older – and has her own Kindle – then the boys have a profile together.

In the app, we can assign settings for each profile – such as Black Widow may get more search capabilities than the boys. You can also set:

Time Limits
Bedtime
Filters
Insights
Pause

Time Limits

While we don’t let our kids on the tablets every day, Black Widow does have some math games and such on her Kindle. We can set time limits to how much of this she can do, or set limits on how much MineCraft/etc. It’s also really nice with the boys, so we don’t have to watch the clock. Select from category, app or platform to set the time you want them limited to. You can even do a ‘total time limit’ for the day!

Bedtime

This is very nice, since bedtime is already a struggle! When it’s time for the kids to get ready for bed, even the devices go ‘to bed’ for the night and internet is paused to them for the night. The kids will argue less if they see the tablet won’t even work, so may as well go to sleep for tomorrow! Don’t worry, you also put in a ‘wake up’ time when the internet will resume.

Filters

I touched on this above, such as Black Widow being allowed a little more search freedom for homework purposes. Circle with Disney has a few pre-set ones: Pre-K, Kid, Teen and Adult – but you can go in and customize as you like. I don’t have to worry about inappropriate content popping up, or something accidentally searching for sites I don’t want in my home.

Insights

At first I wasn’t sure if I cared about the insights feature, but now I absolutely love it! You can go into each person’s profile and see their insights – letting you know exactly what sites were visited, what apps were used, etc. and how long was spent on them. And guess what? Anything that touches the internet goes through Circle, so even Incognito searches show up. LOVE IT!

Pause

Kids not listening? Did they loose some privileges with their screen time? Just go into your Circle app, click on their profile/device and hit the handy PAUSE BUTTON. Internet now is turned off for that person/device until you turn it back on. Handy, right? I have yet to use this – but I’m sure it’ll be great as they get older.

More Handy Features

So why ‘Circle with Disney‘? Glad you asked!

So nab yours today, and take control of your internet using Circle with Disney!

Buggaloop: Fun Family Game for All Ages

March 21, 2016 by Danielle

I received a Buggaloop game to facilitate this post. All opinions are 100% mine alone. See my disclosure policy.

Our family’s been putting an emphasis on quality time together lately. Not that we didn’t have family time before, but we wanted to make it MORE often, and MORE quality. Board games and such have been great, since we not only have a good time together, but we can laugh and discuss together. We were thrilled to try out the new Buggaloop game – it’s a great family game for all ages, especially if your kids like Hexbugs!

It’s really simple to play Buggaloop, and all of our kids got it right from the start, even our 4 year old. Since my voice was struggling (been battling a cold lately) I had The Nerd Dad explain how it works…

It was a blast – the kids trying to get their bugs on the ‘safe spots’ as they made their way to the other side. The Hexbug would come out and they’d squeel and yell ‘freeze’, then try to ‘convince’ the Hexbug to not bump their color out of the circles. So cute!

The multiple path options did confuse my youngest a bit – as he’d try to loop backwards, but with a little help from us he did just great. I think the bug pieces are just the right size for the kids, easy to move and perfect for that mischievous Hexbug to bump around. I do advise not rolling the dice onto the game board, as you could bump the bugs yourself – just roll it on the table.

The game got SUPER exciting any time the Hexbug would start climbing back out of the tubes – the kids would scream to hurry and try to fit as many turns as they could before he emerged onto the board and they had to freeze play while he wiggled around.

I think it took just the right amount of time for a game of this type – about 10-15 minutes to play. The kids stayed entertained the whole time, but it didn’t drag on like some games do. And don’t forget, there’s 2 sides to the board game – a simpler one and a more complex version – so you can up the challenge for older kids and adults! We’ll definitely be playing Buggaloop plenty more!

Family Fun with Skylanders SuperChargers

January 29, 2016 by Danielle

I received a Skylander Superchargers Starter Pack to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

My family loves video games – being married to a computer nerd, I should’ve expected that, right? While we really watch the amount of time they get on the Xbox, we also make sure the majority of the time they do get is spent together, whether as siblings or as the whole family. I’m loving Skylanders SuperChargers because it encourages co-play and working as a team, plus many more reasons!

As I said, you work TOGETHER in this game – one person can drive while the other mans the weapons system (canon, gun, whatever that vehicle has). It also doesn’t let one person wander off from the other; it’s a single shared screen so they have to stick together. This is especially helpful so my more-advanced kids are ‘encouraged’ to wait, be patient and help the younger ones.

I’ll admit, we’ve never tried regular Skylanders, so all I know is the SuperChargers version. It’s vehicles, so that’s PERFECT for my boys! When you match certain Skylanders with their vehicles, they get ‘supercharged’, meaning more powerful, basically. In our starter kit we got SpitFire with his vehicle Hot Streak, so he’s our current supercharged character…

While there’s more than 40 characters and vehicles you can collect, there’s less that can be supercharged. That being said, you’ve still got LOTS of options, as you can see in the poster below!

And in case you’re worried, any character can drive any vehicle 🙂 While the characters have different elements, such as fire (Spitfire) or magic, water, life, tech and others – the vehicles can be either land, water or air based. Our kids are learning which elements/vehicles work best for each obstacle or level. It’s great seeing their minds working as they problem solve!

It’s easy enough to understand that our 4-year-old gets it just fine (with minor help from Dad), but also challenging enough that our 9-year-old finds it exciting.

We all agree that the variety of characters, vehicles and things makes it really fun – all the colors, different powers, abilities, etc. really let you play the game YOUR way.

Upgrades – what’s a game without upgrades, right? With Skylanders Superchargers you have multiple options – you can upgrade your CHARACTER, but also your VEHICLES. More shield power, different weapon systems, new tires, etc. The kids thought choosing new items was a BLAST!

The starter pack includes the Portal, two characters (Spitfire and Stealth Elf) as well as one vehicle (Hot Streak). This way you can get a supercharged guy right from the start! I did find the portal was really crowded and occasionally we had to adjust the placement of all three things on there at a time, but it worked out fine.

I also think that while you CAN do the game with just what comes in the starter pack, it’ll work a lot better (and be more fun) once you have more characters and vehicles to work with. If you only have two, then if one gets a lot of damage you have to wait while they heal. If you had more, you could just swap out as you needed. Overall, though, we’re loving this game and the kids are already saving up for certain characters and vehicles to play with!