I have been a Verizon FiOS customer for almost 4 years.  We even combined our cellphone service last year into the Quad Bundle to save even more money on our monthly bill.  My family switched to Verizon when it first became available in my area. We were excited to try the new fiber-optic network with low prices & are glad we did.

My entire family agrees the DVR is the best feature.  My husband and I don’t spend much time watching television, so we love to be able to fast forward through all the commercials.  More importantly, we can watch the shows we want to watch, on our schedule.  I like having the DVR for my children as well because I can control the shows they watch.  It’s much easier to put on a recorded cartoon and know the exact show they are viewing instead of having to monitor potential commercials and content.

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Facebook has become one of the most popular social platforms on the web.  But it’s not all about connecting with friends anymore.  Any avid Facebook user knows there are games galore to tempt your time online.  ToonUp Your World has a different kind of game out there with over 120,000 players.

A Better World is a Facebook game that rewards players not just for in-game activities but also for real world acts of kindness and expressions of gratitude.   The game activities are designed to make players feel better about themselves and to make positive choices in their everyday lives.  This unique “do good” game helps improve mental, spiritual and emotional well being. 

A Better World offers more than 15 locations to explore.  A few of these encouraging locations are:

• Department of Do Good – A place you can share real world good deeds you’ve performed and see what other members of the community have done
• Gratitude Grotto – A charming area where you can reveal what you are thankful for and express your support for messages left by others
• Sanctuary of Hope – A building where you can communicate your hopes and dreams and send encouragement to other players
• Arcade – A play area with uplifting mini-games to enjoy alone or with friends

I love that you can “shop til you drop” with rewards earned by simply telling what you’re grateful for or by playing an earth friendly arcade game.  I doesn’t hurt that the characters are cute and the game’s background just makes you feel cheery.  The games does take some getting used to as you navigate the world, but you can catch on quickly and earn rewards to customize your character and home.

Finally, a game that rewards kindness not violence.

Watch the clip below to learn more about ToonUps, A Better World.

Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on A Better World. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The challenge is on; find a way to save the most amounts on your purchase.  Where do you start?  Many sites have coupons, but what about double or even triple dipping on savings.  Check out this idea!  Go to MyCoupons.com.  They have hundreds of online coupon codes and discounted gift cards. 

Here is what you can do!  Click on the discounted gift cards tab.  You will find gift cards for purchase at a price below face value.  Here is a quick example.  Need to send flowers or a gift?  You can buy a 1800Flowers gift card with a $50 balance for $40.  Instant savings of $10!  Then grab 1800Flowers Coupons for 15% off your purchase.  That will save you $7.50 off your purchase and add that to your instant savings with a gift card and now you saved 35% on your order.  How great is that?  Plus, if 1800Flowers is offering any type of online promotion, you might be able to get an additional bonus or further discounts.  This is only one example of the savings at MyCoupons.com. 

They have tons of offers, so make sure to start your online shopping at their site.  Pick up the coupon codes to use at all you favorite merchants and they even have exclusive savings like Drugstore.com Coupons and Harry & David Coupons.  Have fun shopping and if you come across a great deal, let us know, we love to hear about the best ways to save money using coupons.  

Monique Rowe is a guest writer for My Coupons.com and also writes about stretching a dollar on her own blog-The One Income Dollar.

The new Wii Play: Motion was released on June 13th,  just in time for summer fun!  I know, many of you are thinking kids shouldn’t be sitting in front of a video game all summer.  I agree!  However, sometimes it’s rainy or just plain too hot outside.  This is where the Wii comes in.  The kids can play a video game that requires them to MOVE!  No couch potatoes over here!

The Wii Play: Motion includes a Wii Remote Plus Controller in addition to 12 awesome games.  Start playing the first few games to unlock more motion-controlled games.  I found it hilarious to watch everyone play the Wind Runner game.  Players must use the controller to tilt an umbrella to ride gusts of wind along a race track.  Trust me, it’s very entertaining to watch! 

My children have each chosen a favorite game for this review:  Monkey (7) loves the Cone Zone game where you have to balance ice cream on a cone as it is stacked higher and higher.  LuLu (4) is the champion of Skip Skimmer.  If you’re like me and have never been able to skip stones across a lake, then this game is for you! 

The Wii Play: Motion is also perfect for a family game night.  The 12 motion-controlled games allow everyone in the family to pick their favorite game all on 1 disc.  Plus up to 4 players can play a variety of the games to keep you laughing and competing together.  Family time just got more interesting!

The Wii Play: Motion sells for only $49.99. Keep in mind that you’re getting a Wii Remote Plus Controller with the 12 games for this price.  Purchase on Amazon and save by using swagbucks and get it shipped directly to your door.

Disclosure:  I received a Wii Play: Motion to review and keep.  No other compensation was received.  All opinions are 100% my own and my differ from others.

I was going to review this new app that looked like my kids would love playing.  As it turns out, it’s not compatible with my Droid.  I’m going to give it a brief mention just because I thought it looked cool, and I was looking forward to the review.  Even better?  The download is free!

The Cube Dog App gives the ability to create your own unique cube dog by selecting various parts and colors; full 3D graphics with ability to rotate and zoom; high-quality 3D animations; compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch 4 with camera.

Make sure to watch for a fun contest running on the Facebook Page going on until June 13th.

Disclosure:  I will be compensated for my time in writing this post

If you’re a fan on Facebook, you may have noticed that I just became an auntie.  My step-brother had a baby boy last month and my brother’s baby is due just before the end of the year.  I’m looking forward to having my new nephew around.  I miss having a baby in the house, but I love the idea of being able to give the baby back when it’s time for a diaper change! 

I’ve already started looking at baby products online for my brother.  Babies require so many gadgets now-a-days!  Some are a necessity and others are just plain frivolous (in my opinion).  It may just be me, but do you really need ALL those toys? 

Things have changed so much in the 4 years since my youngest was born.  Especially since most of the items we used with my daughter were items from my oldest and he’s about to turn 7!   The strollers today are a far cry from the cheap umbrella stroller that’s still in my trunk as a “just in case”.   The Maclaren pushchairs (above) are sleek and lightweight.  These modern pushchairs even have a 4 position seat unit which is suitable from birth up.  You can say good-bye to that over-sized newborn stroller system! I remember what a bear it was to lug that thing out of the car. 

Here are some of the features of these cool new strollers or prams:

Suitable from birth, Sovereign Lifetime Warranty™, Lightweight at only 7.5kg, 5 point harness for added security, One-hand recline, Height adjustable shoulder harness, Removable washable seat, Compact umbrella fold, Water resistant extendable hood with storage pocket, UV protective viewing window and sun visor, High-performance aluminium frame, Handy mesh shopping basket, Carry handle for easy portability, 5 second one-hand fold, Lockable, front swivel wheels, Foot-operated linked parking brakes, Extendable leg rest, Ergonomically optimised extendable handles, Reflective accents for night safety, Raincover, Boot, Seat Liner, Head Hugger and Shoulder Pads included. Coordinates with Maclaren Soft Cot and Recaro Young Profi Plus car seat, creating a versatile full-featured travel system.

I’m looking forward to browsing the aisles of baby retail stores to find all the hip accessories to spoil my new niece or nephew.  That is what aunties are for. Right?

Disclosure: I was compensated for my time writing this post.  All opinion are 100% my own and may differ from others.

If you have school-age children or children in an athletic program, chances are you’ve seen your share of fundraisers.   My kids bring fundraisers home several times a year.  We participate in most school fundraising programs to help support our school.  My son’s school does an amazing job of providing extra learning and fun materials for each classroom. 

At the end of the event, the kids come home with cheap and junky prizes that look like they’ve come out of a gumball machine.  I wait a few days until the kids tire of them (or they break) and I throw them in the trash.  I hate being wasteful, but these toys wouldn’t even sell at a yard sale!

Big Event Fundraising sets themselves apart from other fundraising companies when it comes to motivating students to sell items.  They offer 4 unique prize programs that are designed to be motivational incentives that students earn admission to as a result of selling items out of their sales brochure to family and friends.  I know my kids would enjoy any of these FUN programs:

• Magic Show Prize Program – This prize program is educational and fun
• Super Party Prize Program – Includes 2 hours with a selection of inflatables
• Reptile Adventures Prize Program – Creative way to learn about reptiles with a hands-on experience
• Super Party Prize Program – Includes 2 hours of wet inflatable games

If you’re looking for school fundraising ideas, check out Big Event Fundraising to find quality merchandise for your next fundraiser.

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Disclosure:  I was compensated for my time writing this post.  All opinions are 100% my own and may differ from others.