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Keep Your Family Safe Online With Kaspersky

Lolli — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 14:57:13 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kaspersky Lab for IZEA Worldwide. All opinions are 100% mine.

I run two online businesses and have three teenagers at home who do 90% of their studying and homework online. My 10th grade daughter recently moved to being homeschooled, which really means that she does online high school. My husband is also a business owner who manages his company, from invoices to website maintenance, on his computer downstairs.

To say that my family and I are online a lot is an understatement. We do it all online, from reading to shopping to streaming our favorite movies and TV shows.

My family situation is quite different now than it was when I started blogging in 2007. Back then, I was concerned with protecting my kids’ names and our specific location to keep my little ones safe. Now, I’m concerned about what they see and share online, the purchases they make online with their debit cards, and what they might naively share without realizing the impact down the road.

My family is the most important thing to me, so they’re worth every precaution and protection I can give them.

That’s why I’m thrilled to be protecting our family online with Kaspersky Total Security from Kaspersky Lab, The World’s Most Trusted Protection.

Kaspersky Total Security

Kaspersky Total Security helps protect your family when they do all of the things MY family likes to do (and I’m sure we’re not alone) – surfing the web, shopping, socializing or streaming. Plus, it safely secures passwords and important documents and files for even more peace of mind.

I was able to install Kaspersky Total Security on my Mac in about 5 minutes. It was so easy that I was almost worried I had missed something. Nope! It was just that simple to set up! I’m especially excited about the parental controls that I can set up on the computers that the kids use. Now I’ve got one less thing to worry about.

Kaspersky Lab has several other options available for families and small businesses (ie – people just like us!). Not only do their products meet a range of needs, but they also cater to a range of budgets. I was impressed with how budget-friendly they were! Here’s a little about two of the other Kaspersky Lab products that stood out to me:

Kaspersky Security Cloud

Kaspersky Security Cloud has an amazing new patented adaptive security technology that adapts to your lifestyle and your needs. It even sends you personalized alerts. A couple of the features that stood out to me include:

Removes pop-up ads from your PC so you can enjoy stress-free browsing
Probes your accounts for data leaks and advises you how to fix problems
Helps you give them safe online experiences and manage their screen time and use of apps
Patrols your Wi-Fi network to help you unmask intruders
Stops webcam spies from watching you in your home

Kaspersky Small Office Security

Kaspersky Small Office Security is a must-have for any small business. It’s out-of-the-box security can be installed and set up in just minutes and it’s even easier to manage going forward. Small Office Security protects your business from online attacks, financial fraud, randsomware, and data loss.

Which Kaspersky product sounds like the best fit for your home or small business (or are you like me and your home and small business and school are all one and the same)?

Creation Crate Technology-Based Subscription Box

Lolli — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 22:04:30 +0000

I received a 3-month subscription to Creation Crate for my 12-year-old son to try out. He fell in love! All thoughts and opinions are our own.

My youngest son is what you’d call a Maker Kid. He was always more interested in taking apart the old VCR to see how it worked than he was interested in typical toys. Instead of coloring, he would create complex, working tools and games with paper. He started learning computer programing (and doing it for fun) while he was still in elementary school.

So when I was introduced to Creation Crate at the beginning of this Fall, I knew that it was the perfect product for him.

What is Creation Crate?

Creation Crate is a educational technology-based subscription box for kids 12 and up. The teacher-designed curriculum uses raw electronic components to give kids hands-on programming experience. Each monthly project builds on the concepts taught in the previous month’s box, and each project increases in difficulty, so that by the end of the 12- or 24-month curriculum, students are “fluent in the language of technology.”

After completing a year’s worth of projects, participants will have more hands on programming experience than 99% of current college level computer science students.

And the best part? They’ll have fun while learning computer programming! I haven’t found other interactive, educational subscription boxes geared towards kids in middle and high school; Creation Crate definitely fills a void, and is perfect for older kids!

Check out AJ’s first impression of Creation Crate as he opened his very first box:

I let AJ go to town and see what he could figure out on his own, and found that the instructions provided with the kits was sufficient for him to get everything set up. I loved that they weren’t 5 minute projects, but that he really did need to think. He also needed to go back and fix things a few times (which is the best way to learn!).

The other great sign for me was that he was eagerly excited to open the second and third month’s boxes and get started on them right away!

Creation Crate Curriculum

Here’s what you’ll get in your Creation Crate box each month. There are new projects every month, and each projects builds on the last:

Month 1: Mood Lamp
Month 2: Memory Game
Month 3: Distance Detector
Month 4: LED Dice Game
Month 5: Optical Theremin
Month 6: 2-Player Reflex Game

Check out what else you can expect from your Creation Crate subscription here.

Do you have a Maker in your like that would love a Creation Crate subscription for the holidays? AJ and I highly recommend trying Creation Crate – and what better time of year to get started?!

Create Stand-Out Cases for Your Phone or Tablet with Creative Print House

Lolli — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 19:21:02 +0000

I had the opportunity to try out a new custom-made case for my iPad this past month, and I am so thrilled to share my experience PLUS an exclusive discount code just for my readers. All thoughts are my own.

As a woman business owner who just launched a second business at the beginning of this year, I am all about supporting other women-owned businesses. But this business – Creative Print House – is particularly special to my heart because it is owned by a wonderful woman that I met during my freshman year of college. When she reached out to me recently, I was excited to give Creative Print House a try for a premium custom iPad case, especially since the case that I had on my iPad at the time was quite literally falling apart.

My iPad sees a lot of use. It can often be found sitting next to my computer playing Netflix or another one of the shows that I keep up with while I work. It’s important to me to have a case that makes viewing easy – I like to be able to prop the case up at different angles and not worry about the iPad falling over.

I often carry my iPad with me in my purse, especially at church or conferences or work trips, so a slim fit is a feature I look for. I don’t want anything too bulky that will take up too much space in my bag.

While I’m not using my iPad, it’s probably being used for Pandora or YouTube videos by one of my kids. So durability is another important feature to me.

My case from Creative Print House fit all of my criteria. Slim fit, easy to prop up for viewing shows, and durable enough for the kids! I love that there are two ways to set the iPad up for viewing, and the slim magnetic cover is easy to manipulate but stays exactly where you want it to stay.

But let’s touch on the design for a moment. I often have a hard time picking a case design that fits my personality every day, which means that I usually just go for something totally plain. When I was considering one of my own photos to add to my iPad case, I had one particular picture in mind. This is a shot from Christmas in Florida 2015. The entire family (including my then-soon-to-be son-in-law) was enjoying a peaceful Christmas sunset on the beach in Florida. Although none of my family members were in this shot, I loved the silhouetted bikers rising along the water’s edge just as the sun was going down. The colors and the scene were so peaceful.

This picture makes me happy, and now I can think back on that memorable family trip to Florida every time I pull my iPad out.

Designing an iPad case was easy on Custom Print House. You can choose from a black, grey, white, pink, green, or blue case to start (I chose grey because it matched my photo perfectly). You can easily upload your image, and then center and crop the image to fit the case. After you’d got the image set, you can add text as well (I didn’t want any text on my case – the photo speaks for itself!). You can then preview your design to see exactly how it’s going to look when you get it in the mail.

The same process applies for custom phone cases; you choose your phone model and the style of case that you’d like (plastic, rubber, or extra rugged), the color, and then add a design. It couldn’t be easier!

If you’re in need to a new case for a phone or iPad, I would highly recommend ordering from Custom Print House! For 15% off your order, use code LRFF15 at checkout. And then show me what design you chose!

#PRINTitFORWARD with the Polaroid Snap Touch Camera

Lolli — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 15:54:50 +0000

‘Tis the holiday season, and I’m loving it! In the holiday spirit, Polaroid has offered to include my readers in the #PRINTitFORWARD campaign, so in honor of #PRINTitFORWARD, I have a Polaroid Snap Touch to give away! I was sent a Polaroid Snap Touch to facilitate this post, but all thoughts are my own.

From now through December 31, Polaroid will be giving away one camera a day to those who share their favorite photos on social media and use the hashtag #PRINTitFORWARD. It’s as simple as sharing a photo (which I’m sure you do already!) and adding the #PRINTitFORWARD hashtag! But Polaroid doesn’t stop there!

Join them all season long for giveaways, contests, and other surprises as they celebrate the season of giving. Just follow the #PRINTitFORWARD hashtag and Polaroid on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. Or…scroll to the bottom of this post and win one right here!

A photographer at heart

Even before I learned my way around a fancy camera, I loved taking pictures of anything and everything. I feel like I’ve always seen the world better through a camera lens. I am fascinated by all types of cameras – from film to digital, small and simple to big and fancy. And my latest obsession has been Polaroid cameras. In fact, Polaroids are on TWO of my family’s Christmas wish list this year, so I’ve been able to check off one of our items with this super fun camera!

My husband says that getting a Polaroid is a “step back” but I completely disagree! There’s something so special about having a print of a favorite picture. In fact, I have a Polaroid shot of me and two friends that I keep paper clipped to my calendar page and move it up each month. It always makes me smile. My friends don’t even know that I see and think about them every day, but thanks to our picture, I do!

I’m having a blast with my new Polaroid Snap Touch. My favorite thing, hands-down, about the Snap Touch is that it has a dual use. Not only can you take pictures with the Snap Touch and then print those photos, but you can connect your smart phone to the Snap Touch via bluetooth and print the photos you’ve taken on your phone. Brilliant!

My *other* favorite thing about the Snap Touch is that you have a choice about what you print and how many copies you make, so you no longer have to worry about wasting precious photo paper with a shot that didn’t turn out. Because the Snap Touch is a digital camera (with a micro SD card slot so you can add a TON of pictures!) you can take pics now and print them later.

About the Polaroid Snap Touch

SNAP, PRINT & SHARE – The Snap Touch is a digital camera that features a built-in printer so you can instantly develop your photos on 2″ x 3″ Polaroid Zink Zero Ink Paper

COOL TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY – The Snap Touch has a 3.5″ LCD viewfinder that makes capturing still photos, video, and selfies a breeze (selfie mirror located next to the flash). Then after you’ve captured your shot, you can use the touchscreen to edit, add borders, stickers, or text to your pics before printing.

ZERO INK, ZERO TONER – The Snap Touch uses Polaroid Zink Zero Innovation; all you have to do is add 2″ x 3″ Polaroid Zink Zero Ink Paper and watch your photos come to life!

SMARTPHONE COMPATIBLE – Just connect your Snap Touch to your smart phone via bluetooth, through the Polaroid Print app for iOS & Android. Within the app, you’ve got even more filters, text options, emojis, stickers, and borders to add to your photos.

CHARMING DESIGN – The Snap Touch comes in a variety of fun, bold colors, like my BLUE (love!). It also comes with a handy wrist strap, micro USB cord for charging and a 10-Pack of Zink Zero Ink Paper.

Enter to win a Polaroid Snap Touch Camera (ARV $179.99) HERE!

Enter to WIN your own Polaroid Snap Touch camera on the widget below! The giveaway will run through December 18 at 11:59 pm ET. One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck and spread the word!

Entry -Form

Give the Gift of STEM This Holiday

Lolli — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 11:00:31 +0000

This post is sponsored by Sylvan Learning, but all thoughts and ideas are my own.

Are your kids into STEM education? What are some of their favorite STEM activities? How would you like to give the gift of education to your child this holiday season? From December 1st through December 21st visit Sylvan’s Facebook page to enter to win your own STEM-themed educational holiday stocking!

The weather has turned cold for good, the kids are well-established in the not-so-new-anymore school year, the holiday cards are ordered, and it is officially time to get the holiday shopping done. As my kids have gotten older, finding the “perfect” gift to put under the tree has become more and more difficult.

I used to be the cool mom that knew what to get my kid and now I feel like a fish out of water, trying to figure out what that perfect gift might be. The last thing I want to do is waste money buying them gifts that will be forgotten in two days. And although I know that they could all use new socks and underwear, I don’t think they’d be too thrilled to open those gifts on Christmas morning. Luckily, I did a little brainstorming and I have some ideas for filling their stockings this year that I’m so excited about, and I know they will be, too.

My kids are all about hands-on activities. I love seeing my kids excited about learning (especially when they don’t even realize they’re learning because they’re having so much fun). Whenever I can incorporate learning and fun together, I’m on it. We’ve always been a STEM family (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), but even more so as they get older.

Getting a STEM education is something that is becoming more important in today’s educational system, especially as we consider how prepared our kids will be for the future job market. STEM classes and activities help them master critical skills for their future careers.

American kids are already behind their peers from other countries when it comes to STEM proficiency, and the earlier they get involved in and excited about STEM, the better.

Luckily, we’ve discovered STEM programs available through Sylvan Learning that encourage kids to “find their edge” and experience how STEM learning can be fun. I’ve always believed that the first step in creating confident, life-long learners is to help them feel confident and recognize that learning can be enjoyable as well as rewarding. The latest Sylvan EDGE STEM classes – focused on robotics, engineering, coding, and math – do just that. Best of all, they’re fun!

That’s why I’ve decided that the perfect holiday gifts for my kids this year includes fun, hands-on STEM-related toys or activities and an EDGE course certificate for a Sylvan EDGE program of their choice. The courses are six weeks long and I’m sure my kids will have a great experience!

Here are a few stocking-stuffer ideas that will go perfectly with a Sylvan Learning EDGE course:

Insta-Snow Powder: This stuff is so cool! You literally get to experiment with snow. There are tons of activity suggestions. I can’t wait to watch this stuff expand (it expands up to 100 times its original volume). I think we might need to save a little snow to wow their friends next summer!
Solar Robot – Grasshopper: My son loves robotics, and he was drawn to the solar robot grasshopper. He carefully read the instructions and was able to put it together by himself.
Water Vanish: This is one of my favorites. It’s simply science, but it’s also magic. My wanna-be magicians love tricks that can be explained with science but still look like magic.
Energy Stick: Exploring electricity and circuits is fascinating, and my kids had lots of fun seeing how they could complete a circuit. I love seeing my kids working together to test ideas out and make discoveries about how things work.

Instead of spending money on things my kids will just forget about, I’m excited to invest in their future with STEM activities like Sylvan EDGE and learning toys that will keep my kids active and growing.

Tween & Teen Mobile Device Addiction #TOPsBalance

Lolli — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:59:55 +0000

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TOPs Balance for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

My oldest daughter didn’t get her own cell phone until she was 16 and had a summer job. We were the strict parents, holding out on getting our kids a cell phone or a tablet until WE needed them to have a device to communicate with US.

We knew that once we put a cell phone in the hands of our teens or tweens, we were opening our family up a ton of issues like too much screen time, inappropriate use, isolation and distraction from family time….the list goes on and on.

The Problem:

The older our kids have gotten and the more devices we now have in the house, the harder it’s been to keep control of everyone’s screen time. Just last week, at the beginning of our family’s summer break from school, we sat down with the kids and made a summer device time schedule. Each kid gets a specific block of time during the day and at night to get on a device.

I’m sure my kids are not the only ones that would sit around all summer long watching YouTube videos or playing games ALL DAY, every day if there were no rules set. And guess what? It’s OK to set rules and limitations for device use!

Those of you who are parents of teens or tweens will probably relate with me here: 16 hours is a LONG time to keep older kids occupied. We try to keep the kids active – and things like swim team certainly help – but since I still have to work during the summer, I can’t be carting them from one activity to the other all season long. Not to mention the fact that teen activities tend to be pricey!

It really IS a problem!

According to this CNN Story, “Half of teens think they’re addicted to their smartphones.” A new poll (conducted for Common Sense Media, a nonprofit focused on helping children, parents, teachers and policymakers negotiate media and technology) confirms just how much teens depend on their phones. The poll involved 1,240 interviews with parents and their children, ages 12 to 18. 59% of the parents interviewed said their teens were addicted. Fifty percent of teens feel they suffer from cell phone addiction.

According to NBC News, teens spend nine hours a day in front of screens and children ages 8-12 spend six hours. How do your kids stack up?

The Solution

This past week, as we discussed how we could make screen time a more positive thing at home (ie, something that’s fun and positive instead of something that’s draining and addicting), we introduced the kids to TOPs Balance.

TOPs Balance is an app, available for iOS and Android that balances mobile device overuse with bursts of knowledge delivered throughout the day, every time a user seeks to unlock their device. They’ve got a database of over 50,000 knowledge bursts and kids must engage with the knowledge burst to get access to the device.

I installed the TOPs Balance app on my iPad, because that is the device that the kids use most often. I created profiles for my 3 youngest kids (going in to 6th grade, 8th grade, and 10th grade). My FAVORITE thing as a mom about TOPs Balance is that I can see how much each child has interacted with the TOPs knowledge bursts and how much time they’ve spent on the device all day. When my kids pick up my iPad to play, they swipe to open with the TOPs Balance prompt and choose their user profile. Easy peasy!

Here is how TOPs Balance works:

The new TOPs unlock method has effectively reimagined a mobile device as a powerful and effortless knowledge delivery system. Whenever the user reaches for a device, TOPs delivers a “Knowledge Burst” — a 10-second infusion of grade-specific educational content — prior to launching the users’ home screen.

“Knowledge bursts” include moments in history to vocabulary and science, all combined with dramatic imagery and drawn from partnerships with content leaders such as Encyclopedia Britannica, Merriam Webster and Getty Images. The iOS version of TOPs also features an “audio read” function.

Parents and users first customize the intensity of learning by selecting either optional or mandatory delivery of Knowledge Bursts. Then, users are prompted with Knowledge Bursts at every device unlock, thereby balancing their mobile device overuse.

The optional delivery method (low intensity) gives the user a unique prompt or persuasive option for a 10-second Knowledge Burst at every unlock screen.

The mandatory delivery method (high intensity) is a more dedicated balance strategy and requires the completion of a 10-second Knowledge Burst at every unlock prior to gaining access to the home screen.

The app is available in both the App Store and Google Play for $4.99. As an introductory offer, the app will be available for just $2.99

How do you balance your kids screen time and combat technology addiction?

Cool New Tech Products for the Summer

Lolli — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 03:12:25 +0000

This past week, I spent the day at the Tech and Travel Luncheon at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington DC (check out the VIEW from this room that I posted on Instagram!).

While at the luncheon, we were able to meet with major tech brands showcased by the Consumer Technology Association as well as tour the gorgeous historic hotel (just down the street from the White House, no less!). The luncheon, a small travel fee, and some fun tech swag were provided but all thoughts within this post are my own. Amazon affiliate links are used in this post.

I love being introduced to new tech products. I swear I felt like I kid in a toy store when I met with the men and women from the Consumer Technology Association and had the chance to play around with some of their favorite tech products.

Here are a few of the products that we got to test out (and some, we even got to bring home!):

HButler Orbit Key Finder

Did you know? The average person loses 9 items per day…and the most misplaced items are cell phones, keys, and paperwork. While I can’t help you with your lost paperwork, the Orbit is better than a mom at finding lost things!

Put it on your keys and use your phone to find your missing keys. Can’t find your keys? Open up the Orbit app on your phone and find your keys. Voila!

But perhaps my favorite part of the Orbit? You can use the Orbit device on your key ring as a selfie remote. We had lots of fun testing that out!

You can get the Orbit HERE

OlloClip

I LOVE taking pictures with my phone, but sometimes I wish I had a little more control over the pictures I take. A few years ago and as many phones ago, I had a lens that I could attach to my phone’s camera with a little magnet ring I attached to my phone. Once I got rid of that phone, I could no longer use the lenses.

I fell in love with the OlloClip – the lenses stay together in a convenient clip that fits right onto your phone. It has a FISHEYE lens; unscrew fisheye lens to reveal MACRO 15X. On the other side, it has a WIDE-ANGLE lens; unscrew wide-angle lens to reveal MACRO 10X. How awesome is that?

Buy the OlloClip HERE

Waka Waka Power+

Does your phone ever run low on battery when you’re out and about? I’m guessing it does – I know it’s a constant problem for me. The solution…carry along a portable power source! Waka Waka showcased two devices that stand out above the rest, and I’ll let them tell you why…

When you buy a WakaWaka, you give Light! With every purchase, a solar light will be given to leading humanitarian aid organization, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), to provide to a child or family living without access to electricity. Included in each WakaWaka Power+ package is a unique Give Code, which allows you to go online and choose which project around the word you want your Give One to go.

1.2 billion people around the world have no access to electricity, and hundreds of millions more face regular blackouts. The effects of this energy poverty are enormous. Lacking power and light severely reduces the quality of life. Kerosene lamps are widely used for lighting, yet they are very inefficient, dangerous and expensive, and have extensive health and environmental drawbacks.

WakaWaka (‘Shine Bright’ in Swahili) develops, manufactures and markets high-tech low-cost solar powered lamps and chargers that are indispensable products both in the developing world and in developed markets. Using the latest in patented solar technology, developed by our partner and market leader Intivation, the WakaWaka Light and WakaWaka Power are true lifesavers for those without electricity.

You can get the Waka Waka Power+ HERE or find out more about Waka Waka products, including the Waka Waka Base 10 on their site.

TinyPhones by JVC

Tinyphones are compact kids headphones ideal for travel…and perfectly fit and designed for kids’ ears. How often do your kids ask to use your headphones on trips? I worry about hearing damage from too much headphone use….but not anymore!

Get TinyPhones by JVC HERE.

Knomo Elektronista Clutch

About the gorgeous Knomo Elektronista Clutch: Designed with Danish blogger and Broadcaster, Christiane Vejlø, the Elektronista is a luxury clutch bag that unfolds into a practical organiser to keep digital devices, cables & other essentials sorted. An integrated battery keeps you charged on the go.

I wish I could have taken this beautiful clutch home. It looks incredibly stylish, has a place to hold all my tech, AND charges my devices? Who wouldn’t love this purse?

You can get your very own Knomo Clutch HERE.

Adobe Spark

See that graphic up at the top of this post? That was created using Adobe Spark (along with a coordinating featured image to be shown on my home page (go take a peek – I love how it turned out!). It’s so easy to create gorgeous images for social media and blog posts. The coolest thing about Adobe Spark, other than the fact that it’s FREE to use, is that you can create one image and with a click of a button create different sized images for your different platforms. Try Adobe Spark out for yourself HERE.

Future City Competition 2016: Waste Not Want Not

Lolli — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 20:00:08 +0000

Have you heard of Future City Competition? I hadn’t heard of it, either…before this month. Now I am fascinated and HOOKED!

This past Tuesday, my two youngest kids and I had the opportunity to head down to Washington DC for the day. School was cancelled because of ice, but the metro was running so we took advantage of the day off to do a little learning of a different sort. Although I was compensated for my time to cover the event, all thoughts and opinions and photos are my own.

When I woke up on Tuesday morning and realized that the kids didn’t have school, I was thrilled about the prospect of having them experience Future City Competition Finals with me. My almost-13-year-old daughter is extremely conscious of environmental concerns. She’s our resident activist. I knew that she would get excited about this year’s Future City challenge – Waste Not, Want Not. And my 10-year-old son might be a little younger than the middle school kids who participated in this year’s competition, but I knew that his interest in all things math, science, and engineering would make this an inspiring day for him.

As we left, both kids were imagining what it would be like to form teams of their own for next year. Fun note: the team that won our region was from are cluster’s magnet school, just around the corner from us!

What is Future City Competition?

Future City asks students to answer the question, “How can we make our world a better place?” This year, Future City challenged students to design and build models of “future cities” with innovative solid waste management systems. The systems had to be safe, environmentally sounds, and energy efficient.

Teams from the United States, Egypt and China started gathering, brainstorming, researching, and working on the Future City challenge back in September, and the groups that gathered in DC this week represented the very best designs from all of the students (over 40,000 this year!) that participated.

These students work together in teams of at least 3 fellow middle school students with educators and mentors to guide them. The students are tasked to think like engineers as they identify problems, brainstorm ideas, design solutions, test and build. Then 3 students present their city’s model and concept to be judged for design, description, model, presentation, and project plan.

Here are just a few of the Future City models that we saw:

Why Future City?

The kids that I saw and heard on Tuesday were smart, engaged, dynamic. They were thinkers. They were builders. They were problem solvers. A few years ago, Concord Evaluation Group conducted an independent evaluation of the Future City program. This is what they found:

84% of students said that Future City helped them see math and science as important to their future.
85% of students said they learned they could create something on their own, without an adult.
90% of students said that Future City helped them appreciate all of the engineering that goes into building and running a city.
65% of students said that they could see themselves as engineers someday.
46% of Future City participants are girls.
95% of educators said that Future City helped improve students’ ability to work in teams.
92% of mentors said that students’ project management skills were improved from participation.

They learn. They actively work together in a group. And they have fun while doing it.

And I love that my own middle school aged kids got to feel their passion and excitement.

Find out more about the Future City Competition HERE. You can find Future City on Facebook and by searching #FutureCity2016 on Twitter

I love that I captured the look of shock on the faces of the students from Alabama when they realized that they had won!

What Every Family Road Trip Needs #LifeConnected

Lolli — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 23:25:21 +0000

This post is sponsored by Netgear, but all thoughts are my own.

We are a family of road trippers. We love our road trip adventures – from the unique sights that we see outside the car window to the extra family time that we get to spend together while we’re crammed into a small space for hours on end (sounds amazing, doesn’t it??).

Our family’s needs have changed over the last 19 years of traveling by car with kids, and frankly the world has changed right along with us. When we took our first cross country trip in 1997, we just had one baby girl. We had no cell phones. No idea that the internet could be anything but slow dial up on our desktop computer at home.

We’ve gone from a family of three to a minivan full of teens and tweens…and lots of devices. While I am still the type of mom that encourages the kids to pull out a book or chat with the person sitting next to them, I am also a firm believer in staying connected where ever you happen to be heading. For the kids, being connected means that they stay entertained during long hours on the road (that goes for our night time stops at campsites and hotels, too), less sibling fighting (I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard complaints about so-and-so touching or breathing or making noises) and far fewer cries of “I’m bored” heard coming from the back of the car. For me, being connected means that I can get a little work done while the husband drives (yay for being productive and having a TRUE mobile office!).

We’ve taken 2 cross country trips over the past 2 years, and I’ll just say that having the whole family hook up to my phone’s wifi was not a great alternative. It ate up my battery like crazy and I ate through my phone’s data allotment pretty fast. But as we prepare for our next family road trip in a little over a month, I know exactly what I’ll be packing: my Netgear mobile wifi device.

The AT&T Unite Express wifi hotspot by Netgear lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge, and you can connect up to 10 devices (ten!?) at a time to fast 4G LTE wifi. That’s even more than my family needs, which is incredible to me. What’s better is that you can pay as you go with flexible data plans and no contracts. In other words, I can add data when I am traveling (with the family or without) and only pay for the times when I need it wifi on-the-go.

I was able to test out the AT&T Unite Express wifi hotspot at Type-A Conference earlier this month, and I was in heaven. There are a few common problems that I run into when I’m traveling (and my hotspot helped me avoid all of them!)…I’m sure you’ve experienced a few of these travel woes yourself:

You have a layover at the airport and hate the idea of hooking up to the less-than-secure airport wifi.
You get to the hotel only to find out that the hotel wifi only works in some areas…and it keeps asking you to log back in (annoying!).
You are one of 300+ digital influencers trying to tweet your heart out and the conference center wifi just isn’t able to handle your awesomeness.
You keep having to check your phone’s data usage to make sure you’re not getting close to your limits.
Your phone has no signal and you have work to do.
You have a signal, but it’s too weak to upload pictures, and the pictures are the most important part.
You’re worried that you’re sharing an internet connection with hundreds of people, and your information may not be secure.

Have you ever had those worries when traveling? I know I’ve experienced each of those problems and more, and I didn’t have to worry about any of them while I was at Type-A. In fact, more than once I was able to let my blogging friends connect to my wifi to share the love.

I am convinced that every family road trip needs a wifi hotspot. And every blogger who travels or attends conferences needs a hotspot. And since I’m both, I definitely needed one.

A hotspot may just be the perfect holiday gift – for anyone who travels, blogs, or works on-the-go.

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How Your Phone Can Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Lolli — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:00:36 +0000

This post is sponsored by AT&T GoPhone, but all opinions, tips, and app recommendations are my own. AT&T GoPhone has not endorsed any of the recommended apps or non-GoPhone products in this post.

It wasn’t too long ago that I would have called myself a staunch New Year’s Resolution avoider. I hated the idea of following the crowd – both in setting lofty goals and in dropping those goals before February even hit.

This year I swear I am jumping on the New Year’s Resolution bandwagon with both feet – but I’m doing it for the right reasons this time. This time, I’m making changes for me and for no other reason. And I’m loving it.

During these first few weeks of 2015, I’ve realized that I have so many fantastic resources right at my finger tips. Almost everyone – including the younger generation – has a cell phone. In our house, we’ve got 2 Androids, 2 Windows phones, 1 iPhone, and one of those ancient phones that only receives calls and texts (I know!).

I love having an AT&T GoPhone for my kids because it has everything they need – unlimited talk and text – and everything they want, too, like 1GB of high-speed data and all their favorite apps and games. Having cell phones for the older kids has become a mom-necessity since it is next to impossible to keep track of where and when everyone needs to be picked up and dropped off. Staying connected and having good communication among the members of our family is one of the things we worked on a lot last year after my oldest daughter left for college out of state this past summer.

I made a mental list the other day of the types of apps my family and I use to keep ourselves on track with our goals (whether it’s the first of the year or the middle of the year, we’ve always got something we’re working on!). There is a lot of cross-over in apps that are available across the 3 major phone types, so there’s something in this list for everyone.

How does YOUR phone help you keep on track with your New Year’s Resolutions?

Use Your Phone to Stay on Track With New Year’s Resolutions

Set reminders and alarms. My daughter loves using Cortana on her Nokia Lumia 635 Windows phone to set reminders for doing just about anything. She just tells Cortana what she needs to remember and Cortana takes care of the rest. I have alarms on my phone that help me remember meetings and pick-up times. Oh…and when to wake up.
Speaking of alarms, one of my current goals is to get more sleep each night. Instead of only using your phone’s alarms to wake you up in the morning, why not set an alarm at night to remind you to go to bed earlier? When I get enough sleep at night, I function so much better during the day! If I can just master the good night’s sleep, I know I can stick with the rest of my goals.
Whether you need to remember appointments or blog posts that are coming due, use the calendar on your phone (or a calendar app) to schedule things that you need to do. I have a pretty detailed calendar with all of the assignments that I’ve got coming up, and although it changes frequently, I love being able to see the month or week at a glance to see just how busy I am. It helps me plan my time better.
Use a personal finance/budgeting app (like Mint.com) to keep track of money coming in and going out. Budgeting apps come in all levels – from the most basic to very the detailed finance tools that are connected to all your accounts. It’s so much easier to track expenses in real time than go back over receipts and bank statements later.
Track the food you eat with a meal tracking app (like MyFitnessPal). An added bonus – a lot of the food-tracking apps also have an exercise and water tracking component. I am loving my 2 newest apps – Weight Watchers Mobile, which helps me track all of my food to keep me on target for my daily WW Points+, and the FitBit companion app (available for just about any mobile phone), which lets me see how much I’m moving throughout the day when I’m wearing my new FitBit Charge (which I absolutely love!). I am so motivated to get at least 10,000 steps a day, so I’m moving a lot more than I used to. I love it! Last weekend, a few blogging friends and I joined together in a weekend step challenge. I was excited to come in 2nd place, just behind the runner! Speaking of running, my teenage son loves to run and always runs with his GoPhone so that he can track his speed and distance.

Most people have Facebook installed on their smartphone. I think Facebook groups are a hidden gem and one of my favorite resources! Join a Facebook group with other people trying to make similar changes. I’ve joined forces with some friends who are trying to drop the soda habit. We share struggles and successes and offer tips and alternatives. If Facebook groups aren’t your thing, then gather a group of friends who check in via group text or phone calls of through email.
If reading more books throughout the year is one of your goals, don’t forget the value and the ease of downloading ebooks onto your favorite e-reader app, like Kindle. Because I’m stocking my Kindle with books I want to read this year, I always have a book to read when I’m on the treadmill at the gym (and sometimes reading time is all the motivation I need to head to the gym!).
If you’re like me, you’ve got hundreds of passwords to remember. I hate remembering passwords (and I tend to be rather bad at it, too!). Add a little organization to your life this year with LastPass, which organizes and manages all of your 50 billion passwords (Ok, I may have exaggerated that number just a little). Instead of forgetting passwords on a regular basis and then having to reset and come up with new passwords (that you’ll forget in a week), let LastPass take care of it for you.
Maintain a good balance with your social, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. I recently discovered an app called Balanced that helps you set and achieve daily-weekly-monthly goals for improvements in all areas of your life. It’s a feel-good app that makes me think positively about the improvements I want to make (instead of letting them weight me down).

Commit to a resolution, not a phone contract

Last month I introducing the new $45 a month smartphone rate plan with AT&T GoPhone, including nationwide unlimited talk, text and data usage with 1GB of data at high-speed. You can add an additional 500MB of high-speed data to this package for just $10.

Did you receive a new phone over the holidays? If you’re considering handing down your old device to a child or other family member, GoPhone is a perfect option because it’s compatible with almost all phones, including iPhones.

Maybe you’re in need of a new device, or you’ve decided that your child is finally old enough to have a phone. It’s not too late to save big on GoPhone devices! AT&T is offering up to $30 off 4G LTE smartphones through February 28, 2015. That means you can get a new 4G LTE smartphone for as little as $69!

Visit www.att.com/shop/wireless/gophone.html to learn more about the GoPhone rate plans.