mamachallenge | Real Solutions for Real Parents | Dallas Blog

Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Picking the Right Name for Your Business

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Tracking PixelSponsoredPostDisclaimer When my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first child, we spent weeks figuring out just the right name. We thought of all the scenarios of how people would receive him, how it would look on his college applications, on his business card, how it would sound coming out of my mouth when I yelled at him…needless to say we thought of everything possible that gave him that  “je nai se qua” (AKA that something special) that would make his footprint on the world memorable when his name was used.

Picking-the-Right-Name-For-Business

Naming and owning a business is a lot like naming and having a baby. It’s something you want so bad to be yours and you’ll work so hard to have it and while in the end it’s totally worth it, there is going to be a lot of tears, not a lot of sleep, and probably a lot of money spent to take care of it. So why would naming it be any different?


Also as part of mom duties and blog duties, I also double as a super agent in marketing, public relations, and social media consultant. I’m pretty lucky that I get to be a part of the growing up process of a business – no matter what age it’s at – and nuture it to the next stage. Also sounds a lot like rearing a child, there’s no such thing as ever being “done” with marketing a business; it just changes the stages it’s in.

Finding the Right Name for Your Business

Notice how close baby and business are even on Google!

But ironically enough many people don’t take the time to think of all the scenarios naming their business (and their website) and why you need to take in account so many different points of view before landing on just the right name for your baby...business.

Picking the Right Name for Your Business 

1. Does it describe what you are? There is something for getting to the point of a name. Calling a company Bob’s Dog Sitting gets to the point of the business and leaves no room for wondering if just “Bob’s” is a dog sitting service or a bakery. It says what it is and thus acts like your own SEO (search engine optimization.) However, you have to think about the big brands and how they became household names. Does Apple, Starbucks or Tory Burch say what their business are in just their name? Nope, they built a brand based on going to the next step.

2. Create just the right recipe for uniqueness, but not too off the beaten path.  Calling yourself “ABC Cleaning” might put you first in ABC order, it doesn’t exactly make your company standout. Conversely, if you use something so unique like “Obelowys” then the name is so unique that it doesn’t have the sticking power you want for building a successful brand. Just like a good song, if you can’t figure out the name of the song in the lyrics, you won’t necessarily go out and buy it later.

3. If you can’t pronounce it, spell it, or it doesn’t fit in a Twitter username, it’s not the right name. This is a pretty easy explanation. Remember that film that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck did together and began their long romance until it fizzled? The answer to that is my first point, but my second is that both the relationship and the movie went down in flames, but that much star power shouldn’t have put the movie on the list of one of the worst ever. The blame here went to its name “Gigli.” Most moviegoers and media didn’t know how to say it, so they didn’t go and see it. This same rule applies to your business name. If your potential customer constantly will misspell the name of your business or it’s so long the name won’t fit on social media, then you know it’s worth throwing back in the pond for another fist.

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4. Do your homework!  This is a huge one…you don’t want to create a name that 15 other people in your city have for a hair salon. You also don’t want to create a business name like let’s say “Apple.” and not expect to have lots of confusion – and if you’re not careful – lawsuits. Recently a restaurant in my neighborhood named their Italian restaurant the same name of a big celebrity chef’s eatery in NYC. When the big restaurant found out the new restaurant had used their copyrighted name, a cease and desist letter appeared in their mailbox. Too bad it was AFTER they had printed menus, secured their social media, and had an expensive sign mounted. That was a lot of money and resource time wasted that could have been avoided if  they had done their homework on the front end.

5. The biggest and most important: Land it and immediately claim your website and your social media channels.  While you’re developing the right name, you should also be checking at the same time if the website and social media channels are available. One company I worked with had done so much work to create just the perfect name and then found out no part of the name or even an acronym could be claimed.

[Tweet “People expect your company name is also how to find your company on the web and social media. “]

I’ve seen it happen so many times that a business works so hard for so long to come up with the right name only to find someone bought your .com several months before you. Thankfully, there are now more creative and memorable options than ever to find the right website domain by using a “not-com name” like .PIZZA, .FLORIST and .COFFEE (and many more!) 

Not-Dot-Com Speaking of food, Name.Kitchen, powered by Donuts, helps to make the process easier for your restaurant, cleaning business or law firm. Designed as a resource to help you create just the right recipe for your company’s name. Geared toward entrepreneurs (aka “business chefs”), Name.Kitchen offers tools and inspiration on cooking up that perfect identity with tons of apps to get your brainstorming going and then to Claim Your Name.

Name-Kitchen

Still a little leery of going with a “not-com?”

See what other companies did creating their name and brand with the Name.Kitchen’s “I am.__” video series from real customers going through the same process of you to create your perfect baby…your business.

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

 

5 Ways to Improve Your Life in the First 5 Minutes of Your Day

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Does every day seem like you’re just catching up with the day before? Do you feel like nothing is getting accomplished and you’re just bigger a bigger hole with no chance of getting out?

While we might not be able to make an immediate change there are a few things in the morning before you even start the day to ensure it gets going in the right direction or at least you can mark one thing off your list even if nothing else gets done that day. Here’s five ways to improve your life in the first minutes of your day.


1. Don’t Get on Your Device. 

I need to practice what I preach here, but many of us find ourselves checking email, Facebook and Instagram before we even get out of bed. Somehow that five minutes turns into 10 and then next thing we know we are 20 minutes deep into Facebook, the kids aren’t up yet and you have to move into mom mode on superdrive to get everyone out the door and hopefully before the tardy bell rings or your boss starts looking at your empty desk.

Mobile-Phone

I know it’s hard to believe, but the world will wait for your to read Facebook when you start going for the day. However, if you do have the kind of job that expects you to read your social media or at least a few emails, try to build that into after you’ve had your shower or while you’re hard at work on number 4.

2. Make Your Bed.

I hate this one, but it works. Several years ago I came to the conclusion that if there was nothing I could get done that day at least I had made my bed. It’s the first thing you get out of and the last thing of the day you get into, so you should make it kinda special. I let myself slide sometimes, especially on the weekend, but I’ve never regretted walking in after a hard day and seeing that bed made up just for me. It’s like that lovely feeling you get when you walk into a hotel room, but better, since no one expect you to pay for it the next morning.

Need a new mattress? Here’s the tips on how you can find the right one for you!

3. Plan Your Day.

Many people think that getting on their device is helping to plan the day; actually the only thing it does is help you pile on more to-dos without actually getting the ones under it complete. So get out a piece of paper and write down FIRST what you need to accomplish today. Then write down the things you’d like to accomplish, but it won’t kill you if you don’t. And then write down the “I wish…” list, the things you know you won’t get to, but want to and build in just 5 minutes that day to think about how this list becomes the “Must Do” list.

Planner

A few years ago my bucket list included a trip to Italy, but it just seemed like it would never happen, but that’s because I wouldn’t sit down and plan it. One day I just decided to put the date on the calendar and that night I would look for a ticket just to see how much they would cost. In two hours (about the time it takes to watch two episodes of Mad Men), I figured out I had enough points to fly for free, I had found a few hotels for super cheap and I had enough time to ask my mom to watch the kids. That quick I was able to make my bucket list happen. All because of five minutes.

4. Move, even if only a little bit.

I’d love to say I start everyday with a workout, but some days just don’t allow for the spin class or even 20 minutes on the treadmill. But getting out of bed to do a few stretches (think sun salutation) to get the blood flowing, will do your body wonders.  If you are going to be in the car or at the desk for most of the day make sure to concentrate on the hip and back area. Let them move around since they will be stagnant most of the day. If you don’t take care of your core, you’ll be hunched over and creating many more problems for your body down the road.

Fit-Body

Check out The Mom Workout for real exercises to work your body and get your list done!

Or you could be curling your hair while you do squats or a few ab exercises while you apply your makeup. Just because you aren’t sweating doesn’t mean it won’t make a difference. Plus even just a few endorphins will give you the feeling of a happy day…and that’s never bad before the day even begins!

5. Eat Breakfast.

Why is this one so hard when breakfast is so good to eat? However, I never make time for breakfast for me even though I make breakfast for the kids everyday. However, my waiting to eat until lunch actually was making me fatter by slowing down my metabolism and basically sabotaging my own day. While I understand sitting down to bacon, eggs and pancakes isn’t part of the AM schedule, but a delicious hand-held one you can take in the car makes eating a healthy, nutritious breakfast possible.

There’s a lot of things you can do if you’re in a rush: 

For me, I LOVE the new Jimmy Dean Delights Applewood Smoked Chicken Sausage with egg whites and sharp cheese on English muffin. At 300 calories or less, the entire Jimmy Dean Delights line with flatbreads, sandwiches and bowl choices makes it convenient to get a tasty breakfast with protein (the important part of any meal) in just a few minutes in the microwave. So the next time you go to your grocery store and pick up waffles for the kids consider picking any of the different Jimmy Dean Delights sandwiches for the whole family. (If you can score the maple pancake and turkey sausage griddlers or cinnamon glazed french toast and turkey sausage griddlers, you’ll definitely get high fives from the kids!)

Jimmy-Dean-Chicken-Sausage

Five minutes may not seem like much but it can make a big difference to your day and your happiness.

Do you have any suggestions or thoughts what you can do to change your life in five minutes?

New Jenny McCarthy App Teaches Kids How to Behave

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I can remember the first time I saw Jenny McCarthy, I thought she was gorgeous, crazy, hilarious and at times a little inappropriate.

Several years later, big and pregnant, I read her “Belly Laughs, The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth” and almost wet my pants reading through her pregnancy which helped to make my 38-weeks much easier. What I really loved is that she was REAL.


Oh, how times have changed.

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Photo credit: A Celebration of Women.

While she is still mother-funny as you can see with new husband Donnie Wahlberg of NKOTB, Donnie Loves Jenny,” what makes her so respectable and relatable is like many parents, she wants the best for her kiddo and will go to the ends of the earth to make it happen. Frustrated by how difficult it was as a parent to find quality educational products which she could use by herself to help her autistic son Evan, she resolved to use her experience and professional connections to produce quality educational products for moms everywhere.

t2t

Jenny collaborated with Sarah Clifford Scheflen, M.S., CCC-SLP, a practicing speech-language pathologist who specializes in providing therapies to children with developmental disorders, and together they created education resource company, teach2talk™. Recently the company launched the app, Behaviors with Friends (available on iTunes.)

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“Behavior issues are a common complaint from parents,” said founder Sarah Clifford Scheflen. “Behavior with Friends not only teaches children how to behave appropriately, but also provides tips to parents on how to implement their own behavior modifications.”

Behaviors with Friends uses targeted video modeling to help teach your child how to behave appropriately, solve problems, make good decisions, and properly communicate with their friends and other peers in common social scenarios and settings.

Behaviors-with-Friends-App

Using video modeling, lessons focus on common behavior problems for children, such as:

  • strategies to resolve conflicts with peers without resorting to tantrums, name-calling or physical violence;
  • self-management and dealing with anger and frustration in a positive fashion;
  • sharing and taking turns with friends;
  • being a good sport;
  • telling the truth;
  • bullying;
  • not interrupting;
  • being nice to friends and not taunting, and encouraging friends who are less competent instead of teasing; and
  • appropriate body boundaries.

Behaviors-with-Friends-App

“All parents want their kids to have friends,” said Jenny. “So we made these videos to help teach children and their parents how to resolve common behavior problems with friends.”

About the Founders
Jenny McCarthy is a The New York Times® best–selling author, actress, producer and comedian. More importantly, she is “mom” to her son Evan, who received a diagnosis of autism with associated language, social, and play delays in 2005. As a mom, Jenny understands every mother’s desire to help their children achieve their full potential, and was frustrated by how difficult it was as a parent to find quality educational products which she could use by herself to help her child in her own home. She resolved to use her experience and connections in the motion picture and publishing industries to produce quality educational products for moms everywhere, and in collaboration with Sarah, teach2talk™ is the result. http://twitter.com/JennyMcCarthy

Sarah Clifford Scheflen, M.S., CCC-SLP is a pediatric clinical speech–language pathologist who specializes in working with children with autism and other developmental disorders. Sarah is the founder of Scheflen Speech–Language Pathology, Inc., her private practice in Santa Monica, California, and she is also the senior speech–language pathologist on staff at an intensive partial–hospitalization program located at a major public research university in Los Angeles, California. She is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer, and her research focus is on teaching play and social skills through video modeling. http://sslpinc.com/

Share Your Love with Easy Video App OneDay

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Not living close to any family, I work  to keep everyone connected by capturing my kids’ moments – big and small – as a video on my phone.

All of our big firsts: the first day of school, the first loose tooth, and the first pirouette are few and far between. But it’s the times in between, the regular Thursdays or Sunday afternoons that I struggle with something to share. I mean snack time at our house isn’t exactly movie premiere content, unless you count that one time with the dog and a really slippery mess and I wasn’t exactly in the mindset to record a video for that one. And I definitely don’t have the time or the SKILL to create a video worth sending, but that doesn’t mean my family wants to wait until I’m inspired either.

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Not exactly a scene worth turning into a video with OneDay.

Thanks to a new easy video app, I have a beautiful way to package a sweet holiday message or even just a “Hi Grandma” surprise without any thinking or editing required. The OneDay app is an Instant Movie Maker that helps parents create videos of their children like a pro in seconds with fun, unique and holiday themes with curated, thought provoking, fun story sets.

In just a few simple steps, I had a beautiful Valentine’s Day video that not only did the kids and I enjoyed making together, but made Gigi (grandma) feel like she was with us, even though she was hundreds of miles away.

It only took three easy steps:

  1. You open the app and pick a question from a wide selection of fun story sets like Valentine’s Day,  Merry Christmas and many more.
  2. Next you record your children’s answers with a tap of your record button (don’t worry, it’s created to start and stop with ease (and bathroom breaks.)
  3. Then the app automatically stitches the recorded videos together by adding music to make quality, priceless movies to share on Facebook, Twitter, texting and YouTube with family and friends.

OneDay-Logo
Best of all, this app is FREE and available on Google Play and iTunes and totally worth some space on your smartphone or tablet.

Do you have just five minutes to create a beautiful video to capture a special moment for you or your loved ones?

Make their day with OneDay.

Holiday Hot List: Blogger Gift Ideas Worth Tweeting

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Disclaimer

Bloggers are a special breed. If you are one, you totally know what I’m talking about. If you are the family member of one,  then you know that when you walk into the dining room to a perfectly propped dish on the table or you go out to eat dinner, you need to wait until pictures are taken before you take a bite.


But recipes and restaurant reviews aren’t the only thing a blogger is working on. Actually most bloggers become a little bit of everything – from crafter, to shopper, to stylist and more – bloggers have their hands in a little bit of everything. That’s why when it comes to Christmas, it’s kinda hard to buy for a blogger who’s read or written the review on most the new stuff out there. And by looking at their Pinterest it won’t help you narrow anything down because there’s probably 2000 pins – on just one of those 100+ boards.

So take it from this blogger, if you want to gift your #1 blogger (or actually anyone who really enjoys social media, writing or just being online), these ideas straight from Verizon Wireless will show you’ve done your homework. And more than likely you’ll get a social thank you with a tag just for you.

Droid Turbo by Motorola for Verizon 

First of all, this phone is water repellent. That alone makes it one of the best smartphones on the market – bar none. However, after learning about the Droid Turbo and other state-of-art devices on the market straight from the source last week, I couldn’t help but get real excited when Motorola’s John Miramontes highlighted:

 

  • 48 hours of usage (THE largest battery life of any smartphone)
  • Can be charged in lighting time (15 minutes of charging = 8 hours of use)
  • Comes with a turbo charger for the car for quick charging

 

VerizonHoliday #VZHoliday

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

I can’t count how many times I’ve thought, “man, I wish I could just write a note on the phone instead of type it out. And viola – the Galaxy Note 4 does that – but a lot, lot, lot more. With the finest display in the world (they can’t even replicate it for TV) and an 8X zoom camera with a 120-degree pan capability for the best selfies ever, the Samsung Galaxy Note does almost everything a blogger needs – except write the blog. The S Pen is designed put writing to text and with the ultra Power Saving Mode, your phone will run on the absolutely minimum energy use allows the last 10% to last up to 24 hours (perfect for the last little bit of a blogger event without running out of battery!)

Samsung-Galaxy-Selfie

And the bonus on this phone is a built-in kids mode that allows kids to play on “kid-only apps.” This way you don’t get accidently calls, texts or deleting!

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Motorola Charger 

Designed for on-the-go charging, the Power Pack Slim 5100 has 2.4 amps of power output to charge your devices quickly when you’re in a hurry.  The super slim design lets you easily fit it into a pocket so you can have it with you wherever you go. The dark canvas casing is built to withstand the daily grind.

And don’t worry – this charger works with Android™ and iOS® USB-powered devices to charge your device two times without a recharge.

motorola-power-pack-slim-5100-droid-ballistic-nylon-drdunipwr7

Freebies + Discounts

Most bloggers know where to get a deal, so really wow that “socialite” with some of the amazing deals from Verizon right now. Verizon is offering free phones, free tablets, and free data for new and existing customers. Get a free phone with the trade-in of a working smartphone (up to $200 value). Plus, get a free tablet (or $200 credit toward your tablet choice)!

ellipsis7-sub-portability-3

Right now this Verizon Ellipsis 7 is FREE with a 2-year contract! (Free gift is the best gift!)

Not instead of, you get both! And check out this BOGO – With any plans with 10GB of data or more,  you will get double the data every month for a year.

But that’s just the beginning – I’ve found tons of deals on the Verizon Wireless website, so make sure you check it out!

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 What are you wishing for this Christmas? 

Holiday Hot List with Verizon

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Holiday is a busy time for everyone. And for a blogger it’s “go time” and that means I often get the inside scoop on hot list items like toys, gift ideas and a lot of stuff in between.

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Some of the fun coming up includes a look at some of Verizon’s best tech for Christmas. While I’m part of the unveiling, I won’t know until I go what devices will hit the shelves just in time for the holidays.


However, I did find out a few biggies to be on the watch out for this season:

Wednesday, Nov. 26 is Connection Day
Verizon is giving its customers the gift of 1GB of data at no extra cost and providing amazing giveaways and discounts for Verizon customers and NON-Verizon customers the day before Thanksgiving.

Here are a list of the discounts:

  • Apple: $4.99 credit toward any app store/iTunes purchase*
  • Amazon: Selection of 10 free/discounted apps, two free Audible book downloads (new members) and $10 Audible credit (current members), Amazon Prime 30-day free trial (new users)
  • Conde Nast: Free Digital Edition downloads of all 18 Conde Nast Publications, including Wired, Vanity Fair and GQ
  • Free Wi-Fi: 30-minute complimentary Internet sessions through Boingo Wireless (at airports) and Gogo Technologies (inflight)
  • JetBlue: Free internet for the duration of flights between November 27 and December 24.
  • Pandora Media: Free seven-day trial of Pandora One**
  • Verizon FiOS: five to seven full length Video on Demand titles available through the FiOS preview app (iOS /Android/Kindle) 11/26 – 11/30

VerizonHoliday #VZHoliday

Droid Turbo by Motorola
Remember when I went to my first Dallas Cowboys game and realized my only real connection was my friend’s Verizon phone?  With it comes a turbo processor with 2.7 GHz speed. Keep going all day and night with Turbo charging† and up to 48-hour battery life*. See every detail with the 5.2-inch Quad HD display and 21-megapixel camera. With Metallized Glass Fiber, it’s as strong as it is quick. Only on Verizon.

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As I get more info, especially on December 4, I’ll make sure to update you on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

BJ’s New Mobile App Makes Happy Family Dinners Out POSSIBLE

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This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and BJ’s Restaurants, but all my opinions are my own. #DineInOrderAhead #pmedia http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Before kids, my husband and I enjoyed dining out often. We loved celebrating with friends and family as well as trying out new hot spots.



After kids, our dining out moments as a family are few and far between. Not because we don’t have life moments to celebrate, but more out of the whole chaos that comes with going out to eat – keeping the kids patience while we wait in line, taming the hoodlums while we get something ordered and to the table and by the time we actually get the entrees to the table, my hubs and I are so ready to pack it in that we get our food to go, while holding on to whatever we have left to keep the kids maintained until the check comes to the table and we can rush out the door.

Not really worth all the effort, right?

However, after four LONG years of law school, my hubs FINALLY received his graduation ring, the moment needed to be celebrated. But was the effort going to be worth it and would my honey wish we’d just stay home when it was all over with?

I was determined to make it a nice evening; it would just need a little preplanning.

Enter: BJ’s Restaurants New Mobile App! Available on both iPhone and Android. This new app did everything I’ve always wanted a restaurant to do and didn’t even know it! By opening the app and using the Dine in Order Ahead feature, I was able to not only order our food in advance, but as soon as we checked in and seated at BJs Restaurant, they would already start our food! 


Our reservation even let me include it was a special night, so they seated us in a big booth for fun! In less than 15 minutes, we had drinks and appetizers. The kids didn’t even have time to complain or ask for mom’s reserve snack stash (I always have to bring something when we go out to eat just in case, but with the BJ’s Restaurant Mobile app, I didn’t need it!) 

In less 25 minutes, dinner was served just as ordered! I couldn’t believe it! Normally at a restaurant we would be hitting that moment where the kids are starting to get fidgety, but everyone was happy and just enjoying the moment. AHA moment, really. I took a breath at this moment to appreciate a happy dinner out! 

And no experience at BJ’s Restaurant would be complete without a Pizookie, right? The perfect gooeyness, warmth, sweetness and chocolate, we all scooped up our bites and somehow mustered up the strength (or lack of willpower) to finish almost every bite. 

After around 40 minutes and close to bedtime, we didn’t want to let a good thing go bad, so as we finished up what we could (with the generous portions that BJ’s Restaurant gives, we had leftovers), we were ready to go. However, we didn’t have to wait for our ticket or our waiter/waitress to come over, take the card and return with the final receipt. I just went to my now favorite Bj’s Mobile App, opened up Mobile Pay and, viola! our ticket was already waiting for me to type in my payment! And even better – they already calculated several levels of gratuity so I could tip our waiter! One, two, click and done! 

Don’t think there won’t be more nights with the BJ’s Restaurant Mobile App to create a great family dinner out with no regrets! 

Now why didn’t I think of that?


Get yours now for Free! BJ’s Restaurants New Mobile App! 
Available on both iPhone and Android




11 Monthly Subscription Boxes For Everyone {As Seen on TV}

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affiliate-linksI’m getting to go a little out of my own box this week on Good Morning Texas with a look at the coolest trend to hit your inbox and mailbox: subscription boxes! 

I’ve scoured the Internet to find some of the coolest, my unique, and downright just too much fun to pass up subscription box concepts for the ladies, the gents and even Fido, too!
 
Here’s my rundown! 


For the Ladies:
 
Fabletics // Women’s Active Wear
 
Kate Hudson’s new line of stylish active performance clothing at half the price. Take an assessment and either stylist sends you full outfits or you can online shop as normal.
Starts at $49.95 for full outfit
 
Sent Her Way // Feminine Products
 
Sent Her Way takes the chore to the store out of every woman’s routine by shipping all her customized supplies each month! 
            
$9/month
                 
Stitch Fix // Styling and Clothes                
               
Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. Complete your style, size, and budget preferences, and they will send you a package of stylish goodies to try on at home, choose what you like and return what you don’t! And there’s even suggestions to how to wear it!
 
$20 styling fee goes towards your fix if you buy clothes. Each fix is priced in separate pieces or as discount when all are purchased.
 
For the Men:
 
Carnivore Club // Cured meats
 
Straight from Canada, each month members receive a faux-wood box filled with 4-6 handcrafted cured meats themed around French charcuterie, Italian Salumi, Spanish Chorizo, South African Biltong and Artisnal Jerky, etc.
 
$50-$55               
 
Dollar Shave of the Month, www.dollarshaveclub.com
Personal Shave Care
 
“Shave Time, Shave Money.” Get your personal grooming products sent monthly starting with you choosing the blade!
 
$1, $6, $9            
 
Mystery Tackle Box, www.mysterytacklebox.com
Sporting goods/fishing
 
“Discover Baits to Build Your Confidence.” Perfect for your fisherman for special tackle and bait options.
 
Starts as low as $13.75/12-month subscription    
 
For Everyone on Your List: 
 
Birchbox, www.birchbox.com
Makeup              
 
Each month subscriber received a box of carefully selected deluxe samples for women/men to try. Then they can purchase the full size versions on the Birchbox Shop.
 
Women’s $10/month for 4-5 deluxe samples. Men’s $20/month for 3-4 deluxe samples.
               
Escape Travel Box, www.escapemonthly.com
Travel-themed food/fun items
               
Can’t go vacation, then get one sent to you. A destination-inspired monthly delivery of luxury products to help you relax, renew and escape!
 
$49.95/month
 
Barkbox, www.barkbox.com
Pet Snacks         
 
Tell us how big your dog’s bark is. Toys, gifts & gadgets for every dog size.
$18-29/month, plans available at every length. 
 
Stunner of the Month, www.stunnerofthemonth.com
Sunglasses                         
 
Fun sunglasses of every shape, size and look.
 
$9
 
Naturebox, www.naturebox.com
Natural Snacks 
 
Full size healthy snacks sent straight to your door. Three box sizes that fit your diet like No-GMOs, no-gluten, no-dairy.
 
Pick size/price. Starts around $20/month              
 
 

4 Apps Made to Help You Make Your Kids Safer

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Being a parent is a challenge. (Hence, why we are reading mamachallenge.com, right?) 

Especially when they get to that point where they can open up your iPhone or iPad and begin navigating the Internet. And while using technology can be scary, there are a few apps out there designed to help you keep up with your kids, check them out when you are near and even show off their artwork from your phone! 

1. Life360
An accurate and powerful family locater app, Life360 eliminates the need for worrying about the whereabouts of your family. This app keeps millions of families and close friends connected, no matter what chaos life throws your way. With Life360, you can see where your family and friends are on a private map, stay in touch with group and one-on-one messaging, and get help in an emergency.



2. KIDO’Z
A popular app designed to provide a fun and safe environment for kids, KIDO’Z transforms phones, tablets and computers into kid-friendly devices. The best part? Kids playing on the KIDO’Z app can’t accidently or purposely wind up where they shouldn’t be on a device. KIDO’Z brings several layers of unique security, including a child-lock system, ads blocker, and apps filter to ensure that kids can only download suitable applications.




3. ICE: In Case of Emergency
This life-saving app allows parents to store important health data (allergies, emergency contacts, prescriptions, list of health conditions, etc.) for first responders and health staff to use in case of a medical emergency. The app can even be accessed when the phone is locked with a password code.



4. Baby Monitor & Alarm
Loaded with unique features, this easy-to-use app not only alerts parents when there is a noise in a baby’s room, but helps parents calm their child no matter where they are through a mobile device. Loved by parents, Baby Monitor & Alarm has received great reviews from newspapers and online technology websites.


Ditch the Dictionary – Get Your Own Online Editor with Grammarly

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Tech Tuesday:

Ever read a Facebook status and wished you had an online spell check before you pressed ‘enter?’

 Sent a resume and realized you misspelled Dear for Deer, but your spell checker never caught it? 

 Posted a blog post and then got an email you had four typos, and you needed to change them pronto? 

 Wanted to figure out if you were using the right word in a report and didn’t have anyone to bounce it off of? 


Yes, me too. (Don’t think about going through my posts to start counting…)

 I think we all wish we had a second pair of eyes to look over our writing, especially when we are multitasking between text, email, documents, Facebook and Twitter and never feel like we have the time to run it by someone.

 Well, folks, the sad thing is, everything you write is a major thing.  It’s what you are writing that says you are thoughtful, you are detail-oriented, you are professional and most of all, you aren’t an idiot. 

 That’s why it’s wonderful that there is an option available besides your college English teacher from 10 years ago to ask if that Facebook post is written correctly: Grammarly. 


Not only does this automated proofreader and grammar coach help you find up to 10 more mistakes and 250 more typos than word processors programs, but it also is your plagiarism checker online for free by checking your text against eight million web pages.  

 Pretty impressive, right? 

 There’s lots more it offers, too. 

 What I love about Grammarly is that it can be customized for your style of writing: General, Business, Academic, Technical, Creative, or Casual, so depending on if you are whipping out a report or a blog post, Grammarly can still help you. 




Also, when you check your grammar using Grammarly, all of the grammatical errors are categorized, clearly displayed, and organized for your review and revision, so it’s easy to read and understand. 

 And it doesn’t just correct your mistakes, it tells you why it is making the suggestion. So you are learning how to be a better writer by using it as well as having the opportunity to utilize its online Writing Handbook for more knowledge. 

 So basically why aren’t you using Grammarly? 

Do you feel like Microsoft Word is already enough for you or you don’t want to go to the trouble of opening up another browser? Don’t worry, there’s a Microsoft Word plug-in so you can use it while you are working in Word. 

 Wonder if it works in blog posts and Facebook? Then download it and see how it can integrate into all your platforms including Twitter, Facebook, WordPress and more. 



 The Grammarly online grammar check tool is not only good for discovering what to fix in your writing, but how to fix it. 

 And best of all, you don’t have to delete anything or apologize for your poor writing skills when you have Grammarly at your fingertips! 

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