Protect Your Kids!

Mason is only five, but he is so drawn to anything that ends is dot-com. It amazes me that every kids show bombards our children with, "Go to blah-blah-blah.com to play, buy, see, check out..." you name it. At five, I'm still very much in control of what he does and doesn't do on my computer, but these days are numbered. That's why I'm so excited to share with you Norton Online Family.

Norton Online Family is a new, breakthrough service that gives parents the tools to protect kids online and connect with their online lives. There's so much to share that I want to encourage you to check out this link to a sneak preview that started February 17th. The service will be officially unveiled this Spring.

Go to https://onlinefamily.norton.com/familysafety/loginStart.fs?inid=us_2009Feb_bloggers_momcentral to check out this awesome service.

If you don't have kids still at home, check it out and send this to your friends and family who do. Besides being very easy to set up and use, just a few of the other key features include:

• Helpful Search Insight: Easily view what words and phrases a child uses to search and where those searches lead online.
• Secured Personal Information: Track, report, and prevent personal information that a child may purposefully or accidentally try to send via e-mail, instant message, or social networking site.
• Useful Time Management: An easy to use time management feature that - if parents find it necessary - gives each child a "curfew" that will limit computer usage.

These are just three of eleven really great key features. If you have kids or know people who do, check this out, it's really good stuff and keeps us parents in the driver seat. With the Internet becoming increasingly dangerous, we need all the help we can get!

I Got The Call!

Oh my gosh! I got a call from the producer for Amilya's new show. I was a little nervous about throwing my hat in the ring because you never know what kind of spin will be put on a reality show AND the application was really long.

Actually, the whole process has infused me with new enthusiasm for my product and business. The application reminded me how much I love my new venture, made me think of some new angles, and in general reignited my passion.The call from the producer made me think the Law of Attraction is alive and well. I got excited submitting and when the call came, he said he could feel my excitement for my business/ product. I know there are no guarantees, it was just a screening call, but hey, it was a call! My application was read! Whoo-Hoo!

If you haven't already, go for it! You have nothing to lose! http://www.zipperbackgloves.com/

Casting Call For Entrepreneurs!

Amilya Antonetti is regarded as one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs of the 20th century. You have heard her straight talk and actionable advice as a CNBC expert on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. You have seen her in magazines like Inc, Entrepreneur, People and Time. You have heard her life altering story on the CBS Morning Show, EXTRA and Oprah to name a few. She’s been featured in dozens of books including the best selling Chicken Soup for the Soul and written a best seller herself.

She’s the Mom who was determined to help her ailing son and in the process started a soap company, took on the world’s largest corporations, helped kick start the green and human friendly movement and demonstrated what one woman with passion and commitment could achieve.

Now Amilya is looking for you, the next great success story to be featured on her upcoming Reality TV Show pilot.

Are you looking for that Lucky Break to overcome the obstacles holding you back in life? Are you interested in having your product or service exposed to millions? Would you like Amilya and her team to jump in to take on your life challenge? Are you ready to make the hard decisions and create a new road map?

If you would like to be considered for Amilya’s upcoming reality TV show submit your great idea or life challenge by clicking the link to www.amilya.com.

E-Mail Surveys

What do you think of the e-mail surveys that float around, you know, the ones that want to know "little known facts" about you? I think they're fun so I do them. I do them hoping that my friends will do them as well and send them back to me. I think I'm going to make March be all about me, or more specifically, stuff that people may find interesting about me and my life. Heck this could just be a whim, but then again, I just might follow it through! Stay tuned.

Send A Cupcake - Raise Money For Charity

This is a repost for a good cause!

What more could you ask for? Be sure to check this out, you can include your best girlfriends, family, coworkers, clients, and your kids! Mason has easily made a dozen and I've sent a few myself. Here's the skinny, and I do mean "skinny."

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Electrolux has teamed up with one of America's favorite moms, Kelly Ripa, to spread a little love via a charitable social media campaign. Go to http://kelly-confidential.com/ to create and send a unique virtual cupcake to friends and family during February.

For every cupcake sent, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) as part of their half million dollar commitment to help support this worthy cause. Which means each virtual cupcake will go a long way.What's more, everyone who logs on and sends a cupcake will be entered for a chance to win the newest front-load Washer & Dryer (an estimated $3,600 value) from Electrolux, the appliance brand used throughout fine homes in Europe for 80 years.

Kelly Ripa also designed a custom "Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve" T-shirt, the perfect Valentine's gift for friends and family, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting OCRF (also available on electroluxappliances.com).Everyone wins with this generous campaign.

This is the perfect way to get in the spirit of Valentines Day and keep in touch with your friends, too! Heaven knows, Mason is doing his part!

Happy President's Day!

Washington's Birthday is the official name designated to what many of us know as President's Day.

During the month of February the birthday of two of our greatest President's takes place. Both George Washington who was born on Feb. 22nd and Abraham Lincoln born on Feb. 12th.

However, Washington's birthday has been publicly celebrated since he was in office, before Abraham Lincoln was even born. Much of the debate over the name of the holiday springs from the fact that state's can follow their own holidays how they see fit and many of them chose to also honor Lincoln, calling the celebration President's Day.

It was in 1968 that the term President's Day came up for legal consideration in the Congress but was shot down, though the holiday was moved to fall between the two President's birthdays.

Again in the 1980's there was a resurgence of the term with advertisers which solidfied the holiday name in American culture. Today, few Americans perfer to call the holiday Washington's Birthday in lieu of President's Day.

Friday The 13th

So how did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day?

Donald Dossey, a folklore historian and author of Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun, said fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in ancient, separate bad-luck associations with the number 13 and the day Friday. The two unlucky entities ultimately combined to make one super unlucky day.

Dossey traces the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.

"Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day," said Dossey. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding.

There is also a biblical reference to the unlucky number 13. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest to the Last Supper. Meanwhile, in ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil.

Thomas Fernsler, an associate policy scientist in the Mathematics and Science Education Resource Center at the University of Delaware in Newark, said the number 13 suffers because of its position after 12. According to Fernsler, numerologists consider 12 a "complete" number. There are 12 months in a year, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles of Jesus. In exceeding 12 by 1, Fernsler said 13's association with bad luck "has to do with just being a little beyond completeness. The number becomes restless or squirmy."

This fear of 13 is strong in today's world. According to Dossey, more than 80 percent of high-rises lack a 13th floor. Many airports skip the 13th gate. Hospitals and hotels regularly have no room number 13. On streets in Florence, Italy, the house between number 12 and 14 is addressed as 12 and a half. In France socialites known as the quatorziens (fourteeners) once made themselves available as 14th guests to keep a dinner party from an unlucky fate.
Many triskaidekaphobes, as those who fear the unlucky integer are known, point to the ill-fated mission to the moon, Apollo 13.

As for Friday, it is well known among Christians as the day Jesus was crucified. Some biblical scholars believe Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit on Friday. Perhaps most significant is a belief that Abel was slain by Cain on Friday the 13th.

Fun, A Good Cause, and A Contest!

What more could you ask for? Be sure to check this out, you can include your best girlfriends, family, coworkers, clients, and your kids! Mason has easily made a dozen and I've sent a few myself. Here's the skinny, and I do mean "skinny."

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, Electrolux has teamed up with one of America's favorite moms, Kelly Ripa, to spread a little love via a charitable social media campaign. Go to http://kelly-confidential.com/ to create and send a unique virtual cupcake to friends and family during February.

For every cupcake sent, Electrolux will donate $1 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) as part of their half million dollar commitment to help support this worthy cause. Which means each virtual cupcake will go a long way.

What's more, everyone who logs on and sends a cupcake will be entered for a chance to win the newest front-load Washer & Dryer (an estimated $3,600 value) from Electrolux, the appliance brand used throughout fine homes in Europe for 80 years.

Kelly Ripa also designed a custom "Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve" T-shirt, the perfect Valentine's gift for friends and family, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting OCRF (also available on electroluxappliances.com).

Everyone wins with this generous campaign. This is the perfect way to get in the spirit of Valentines Day and keep in touch with your friends, too! Heaven knows, Mason is doing his part!

Happy Valentines Week!

I love to celebrate all the holidays and Valentines Day is one of my faves. This year the 14th falls on a Saturday, perfect for morning surprises for our little one and a date night with your sweetie.

Our family will be in Truckee this week so I'm planning to make our day a fun filled day in the snow. These snow covered camillias say Valentines Day, don't they? We'll be making chocolate dipped marshmallows with the kids and after dinner, everyone will gather around a hot pot of melted chocolate to dip strawberries, pineapple, and bananas. Yum!

What do you have planned? If your not in the mood for love, get ready. I'll share some ideas this week that are quick, easy, inexpensive, and one for all your friends that's free! Start doodling hearts and imagining some fresh cut flowers for your table...or bedroom! It's a new year and it's off to a great start.

The Importance of Keeping Documentation

As adults we all know the importance of keeping receipts and paperwork, but you may not realize that now more than ever, you need to keep everything.

Having worked with banks and lenders in the past, the one thing they all want to know when an applicant is trying to explain circumstances surrounding late payments or credit blemishes is, "Do you have the receipts?" Basically, we are in a time when people are losing their jobs or otherwise having their income substantially reduced. Life doesn't stop because times are tough and medical emergencies, auto catastrophes, and any number of other incidence happens that uses our already decreased funds.

Keep your receipts so when you need to explain the middle of night trip to the veterinarian, or the medical bills that you now have because you lost your job and insurance, you have the facts in writing.

It's always a good idea to keep the paperwork of your life, but my feeling is now more than ever, you need to keep your records organized and easily accessible.

Social Networking Sites

Do you use the social networking sites like facebook or linkedin? If you do, how? I'm trying to get in the mix and find the ways I can connect with the right people to find a job and promote our gloves, but it just seems to me that these are grown up social sites like myspace.

Once I got set up on facebook, I was posting what I was doing, writing on walls, and receiving flowers and candy (virtually, of course). What is the real benefit other than just having fun and staying in touch? I certainly get the finding people aspect and that's cool, but we are busy people who don't really have time to be chatting on line. And for those of you who know me, know I would much rather talk to you on the phone or make a date to get together.

If you have some guidance for me to utilize these sites more effectively, please comment and let me know.

What Happened in Vegas

Before you forget, please click the "Vote For Us" button to your left. Thank you!

We went to Las Vegas and had more success than we could have ever imagined! Our meeting with Saranac provided answers to our many questions and in a nutshell here is what we know. They love our product. They feel confident it will sell and believe in our ability to sell it. We made contacts with numerous buyers from all over the united states and the feedback was all amazing. Even a few who said they had no interest in a children's product, got excited when they saw the gloves. The quote that summed it all up for me was when Saranac said, "You have an amazing product. It's smart, innovative, and much needed. You have virtually no competition. There isn't a single reason why you shouldn't succeed."

Our fourth prototype is great. We will tweak it with finishing touches and be ready to go into production. We have orders with several retailers and will have inventory for sale via our website as early as September of this year! Pretty exciting, huh?