Learn about Easy Video Transfer at the YesVideo Twitter Party Tuesday, February 28

YesVideo is the easiest way to get all your video transfered and preserved for future generations.

We used YesVideo a few years ago as the video collection of The Twofer started to pile up. We were worried we'd never really get to watch it because our video camera uses those mini video tapes. YesVideo accepts a variety of formats and you can either mail in your video or drop it off at a retail location (we dropped ours off at a CVS near our house).

The video came back on DVD so we can watch it, share it, and actually enjoy it rather than letting it sit and collect dust in our office.

Now you can learn more about Yes Video and win prizes through a really fun party on Twitter this Tuesday (2/28) at 8:00 pm CST

To join in on the fun tweet using the hashtag #YesMemory and follow @YesVideo on Twitter.  The best way to follow the party conversation is to use the TweetChat room assigned to #YesMemory.  There will be some fun prizes given away during the one hour party as well!
Prizes include:

• DOOR PRIZE - Sony BluRay Player {must fill out door prize form to be eligible}
• 2 - $75 Value Video Transfer Coupon to be redeemed at Direct.YesVideo.com with 60 day MemorySafe membership
• 1 - $75 Value Video Transfer Coupon to be redeemed at Direct.YesVideo.com with ONE YEAR MemorySafe membership
• 1 - $100 Value Video Transfer Coupon to be redeemed at Direct.YesVideo.com with 60 day MemorySafe membership
• 1 - $100 Value Video Transfer Coupon to be redeemed at Direct.YesVideo.com with ONE YEAR MemorySafe membership
• 1 - $50 Gift Certificate to TracerPix.com
• Surprise Final Giveaway!

*prizes will be given away randomly during the Twitter Party to people tweeting with the hashtag.

Twitter Party Panelists:
    •    @RachelFerrucci
    •    @LisaSamples
    •    @CherylBudge
    •    @jonbonjovious
    •    @StacieinAtlanta
    •    @Zipporahs
*follow all the panelists on Twitter to keep up with the party conversation and see important tweets during the party

During the Twitter Party be ready to share favorite Spring memories, discuss Spring cleaning and Spring Break travel plans.  Hope to see you there and good luck in winning some of the awesome prizes!

(You must be in attendance of the Twitter Party using hashtag #YesMemory to be eligible to win prizes.)

RSVP today! http://on.fb.me/z0whVn

Disclosure: I have been compensated to help spread the word about the YesVideo twitter party but the videos we had transfered we paid for ourselves and all opinions are my own. This post was neither approved nor reviewed prior to being published.

The Sisterhood

Tonight I was at a business networking event. I got to wear my big girl pants, talk a little shop, and drink a glass of wine. But the conversation that affected me the most was with one of the attendees who it turns out is in

The Sisterhood.

Oh how sweet it is when they play well together

Twin Moms Stick Together

We moms of twins, as much as we try to blend in, are different.

We have anxieties that only someone with 2 kids who are CONSTANTLY COMPARED can understand.

This woman has 11 year old twin girls.

As soon as she found out I have 8 year old twin girls she gave me

The Look.

The look that says, "I know what you are going through. I understand your fears. And you are right to be afraid. But we are survivors."

Yes, a look can say all that and more.

Because only a moms of twins (and possibly only a mom of twin girls who are about to embark on a trips through the Sea of Hormones) can understand the fear and anxiety that comes with knowing we'll have to manage

2 girls who are constantly compared BY others and By themselves

maturing at different stages

experiencing hormones, changes, drama...

together, and yet, alone.

As soon as I meet another Sister we are quick to bond.

We understand that we struggle to help our kids navigate because we weren't twins. We may have had siblings, we may have experienced comparisons, but there was a buffer in a difference of sex (I had a brother), age, or grade to ease the comparison.

We bond when we discuss the dominant twin and how that role can switch from time to time.

We trade stories of similarities, differences, separation.

We hold onto hope that they stay close, like Mary Kate and Ashley, rather than divided, like Cain and Able (who were not twins but the only reference of sibling rivalry I could come up with for now)

Then we hug each other goodbye knowing we have met someone who understands.

Internet Safety for Kids: Parental Supervision is not Invasion of Privacy

Last week I attended one day of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) annual conference in Washington, DC as a guest of AT&T and I was shocked. Here are just a few things I learned, and my thoughts regarding this very important issue. Be sure to download the FOSI State of Online Safety report to motivate you to address online safety with your family.

Did you know....

46% of US parents studied, wtih children age 8-17, do not use parental controls.

Study conducted by FOSI and Hart Research

As a mom of young girls who are turning into tweens before my eyes, I know the cell phone / texting thing is not far off. As the wife of a computer expert, my girls are already on their 3rd computer, and they can maneuver around an iPad like anyone's business. They are already on the internet, by themselves, sometimes unsupervised.

Lucky for us, computer expert Dad knows how to install parental controls.

Did you know...

58% of teen internet and cell phone users say their parents have been the biggest influence on what they think is appropriate or inappropriate when using the internet or cell phone.

From a study on Teens, Kindness and Cruelty conducted by Pew Research, FOSI, and Cable in the Classroom

I once heard a wise mom say that just when you want to let go of your teenagers because they are all grown up and self-sifficient, that is when they NEED you the most. They need your guidance, your listening skills, and they need you to continue to set boundaries. This is how they learn how to deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly when they are out there in the real world by themselves.

AT&T offers 'smart controls' for TV, Internet and phones help parents create an Internet safety plan along WITH their kids.The biggest issue seems to be getting kids involved in the discussion from the start. No teenager wants to have their parents monitor their texts or online discussions. Yet this is exactly what can help them to understand the importance of thinking before you text, tweet, email, or post. If you don't want your parents to see it, why are you putting it out there on the Internet???

Did you know...

44% of online teens admit to lying about their age so they could access a website or sign up for an online account.

From a study on Teens, Kindness and Cruelty conducted by Pew Research, FOSI, and Cable in the Classroom

 
Kids need to understand that when you click, "I agree" online, it's as valid as signing your name offline. Be careful what you agree to, and be careful who you share your information with. We learned that 30% of online teens reported sharing one of their passwords with a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend. It begs the question, how many teens are not only lying about their age, but about WHO is really behind the online profile? It might not even be the account holder.

We have already had a very serious discussion with our girls about why they cannot sign off on their daily reading log in the space where it says 'parent's signature'. Even if I KNOW they read that night. Even if I forgot to sign it. If I gave them the idea that forging my signature on a homework paper was ok, then it would definitely reduce the importance of an online signature.

Disclosure: I received compensation and attendee pass from AT&T for covering the conference. All opinions are my own and this stuff really does keep me awake at night. This post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published.

Your Family Can Give "Well" Wishes for Clean, Safe Water to a Community in Need

All I want for Christmas is Clean Water

Water.

Turn on the tap, and out it pours. Clean, safe, and the best thing to put into your body.

But did you know...

"Diseases from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war"?

via Charity: Water

The world is in a water crisis. But there are things we can do to help.

Holiday Greetings With Nautica

Starting today, you can upload a photo of your family to the Nautica Facebook Page, include a caption of how your family gives back, and celebrate Nautica's donation of $5,000 to Charity: Water - an organization that brings clean, safe drinking water to needy communities!

Did you know that 100% of public donations to Charity: Water are used for water projects? And, Nautica's donation of $5,000 will bring clean water to an entire village!

Save 30% on Nautica for Your Family Photo

Nautica will choose a few family photos to highlight on the page each day in their Well of Fame on Facebook. You can save 30% on Nautica for your family holiday photo starting today with code: BLOG30 at check out.

Check out the adorable holiday skirts and dresses for girls, or the handy gift buying section.

You can save on using your Nautica photo for your cards over at Hallmark.com by using code NAUTICA25 at checkout there.

Savings abound!

WIN $25 Nautica Gift Card right here!

I'm giving away a $25 gift card to one luck person. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me who you'll spend the $25 on!

For an Extra Entry share this URL link (http://ow.ly/7lIYi )

either on Twitter (cc @JanineNickel) or Facebook, or in an email to your pals...you get the idea.

Contest open to US residents 18 and over and ends November 18, 2011 at 11:00 pm. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries.

In Summary: get your Nautica, upload your photo and tell the world you care, enter the giveaway, then check out Charity: Water for more ways to help.

Janine

Disclosure: I received a Nautica gift card to purchase clothing for my family photo. All opinions are my own and this post was neither reviewed nor approved prior to being published. Also, I care about the world's water crisis. You should too.

Update on Monday, November 21, 2011 at 11:35AM by Janine Nickel

Winner is...

Yvette! Who's going to buy her brother some much needed polo shirts!

Congrats and thanks everyone for playing along and consider donating to Charity Water.

Designate Adult Time for Wii Play: Motion

Wii isn't just for kids, but Wii Play: Motion is one you'll want to hide from the kids.

So. Much. Fun.

That was the theme of our Wii Play Motion slash ice cream party we held for our Brownie troop. Moms and Brownies had a chance to balance their ice cream both on screen (love the soft serve version of the game) and off screen, thanks to Nintendo Wii Play Motion and Cold Stone Creamery ice cream!

mmmm ice cream didn't last long

kids LOVED the Ghost hunter game

The ONLY issue is that the moms has to declare "adult time" so that we could get in there in play.

The Moms LOVED the wack-a-mole game. Maybe it's all that stress we have?

I'm thinking we'll have to find a night to have an adult wii party like my friend Jodi did. With wine. She's smart.

With Wii Play Motion you get 12 games in all and a special 'motion' controller. One of my party moms went home with her own copy of the game and a remote, and the other moms have added the game to their Christmas lists.

Disclosure: I received a Wii Play Motion game, three remotes, and all the fixings including ice cream gift card to Cold Stone Creamery to host the party. The ice cream and sugar high in no way influenced my opinion of the games and you can see from the smiles on the other moms' faces that the adults enjoyed it as much as the kids.