Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Sand Gone: How to Remove Sand from Your Body Easily

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Raise your hand if you are already OVER winter. Oh yeah, right here, folks! I’m already daydreaming of a trip to the beach this summer. I really hope we get to go!

Do you vacation at the beach? We have an aunt and uncle who have a beach home in California, and while we don’t make it out there very often, it is always SUCH a treat to get to go! I always want to bring a small gift when we visit, but it is hard to know just what to get. I’m tempted to get beachy decor for their condo, but I think I’m not the only one who goes for that, and they probably have enough of that stuff to decorate 3 homes! Ha! But now I have found something perfect: Sand Gone.
sand gone how to remove sand
This is a powder that you apply to your sandy body and it takes the sand right off. No water needed! If I’m ever at the beach, I always cringe a bit when I rinse off under those showers at the top of the beach. Even though I’m not on the sand anymore, there’s always more sand between that shower and the car (or the house), and so, I always get sand back on me again. Yuck. I seriously can’t stand that feeling.
This is such a perfect thing for a beach home owner to have on hand. It will go very far in keeping sand out of the house. If you are fortunate enough to have a beach home or to know someone who does, I really think this is a terrific gift option. If you have plans to go to the beach this year, consider picking some up for your family; it will save you an extra car detailing for the year. Or if you are like me (cheap), it will keep you from having sand in your car for the next 6 months after your trip.
Even if you aren’t planning on going to the beach any time soon, this also works for cleaning up the kids after playtime in the sand box! I love a product that keeps sand out of my house. Hooray!

Buy it!: Sand Gone is available for $12.95 plus shipping here. It is invented by a mom, so you know that means it works! ;-)<

Cultivating the Potential of Our Babies (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Sometimes, as parents, we get too caught up in imagining what we want our children to be like. In some ways, we want them to be exactly like us. In other ways, we probably hope that they are polar opposites! I will fully confess to the fact that I bought a bib for Darah that said, “Harvard: Breakfast of Champions.” I mean, come on. That’s pretty cute, right?
But I want to be careful to make sure I’m not still putting clothes on her when she’s 10 that say, “Harvard Class of 2031.” That’s just a little too much pressure, don’t you think? No disrespect to the Harvard College alums out there, but as someone who spent some time in the Yard while working on my master’s degree, I wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if that’s where Darah sets her sights. But that’s a topic for another post…

What I do want for Darah is to create an environment where she is challenged, but also supported to explore and pursue her own personal interests, which might vary to some degree from my own. Baby Potential is a company that recognizes the importance of seeing the potential inside every child. This company offers an adorable line of onesies and shirts that demonstrates the potential of children. They have all sorts of career fields listed, from lawyer to artist, scientist to chef.

My suggestion for how to make a purchase from the Baby Potential line is to go for something that might not even appeal to you, personally. Just because I couldn’t possibly have less artistic talent, that doesn’t mean that Darah can’t be a little artist-in-residence at my house, and I don’t want to forget that! It doesn’t always occur to me to plop her down with water colors or sidewalk chalk and let her scribble, but she loves it whenever I remember to do so. I don’t want to limit her, just because drawing isn’t my own cup of tea! Baby Potential shirts can help remind the adults out there that our children have almost limitless possibilities, and we need to encourage them, not limit them, or try to decide for them.

I just have to tell you one major reason that this company rocks: they are supporting the women and children in their community. From their site, “Baby Potential – through a partnership with the Family Service Association (FSA) of San Antonio, has established a Sew Circle to produce the custom patches in our specialty line. Swe Circle associates, who are women receiving services from FSA, earn extra income from home by hand-sewing patches and embroidering career names onto garments. Baby Potential will donate a portion of profits to support various community outreach and educational programs funded through FSA.” Baby Potential is employing local women who need the work opportunity and also giving back to those same women through community support initiatives. I love this in a major way.
And by the way, the hand sewing work that these women do is beautiful! I’ve seen it first-hand, and it is very impressive!

Buy it!: Baby Potential products are available at the Baby Potential website starting at $15, in sizes 3-6 months all the way up to 4 T. They have onesies, shirts, outfit sets, and a whole bunch of other great goodies. Definitely check them out! They also have a limited selection available through Target.com!

Win it!: Ok, here’s your chance to tell the world about your baby’s potential! One lucky reader will receive their choice of a onesie or shirt from Baby Potential! Woo hoo! The contest will run until February 7th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry:

I would love to hear what baby potential patch you would put on your child, especially if you were to go outside your own personal comfort zone!

My answer: Artist, obviously. But my second choice (as a reach for me!) would be Engineer!
Additional entries:
1. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

A Fogless Shower Mirror that Really and Truly Works

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Have you ever had a mirror in your shower? I have. They are such an awesome idea, in theory. The problem that I have experienced with them, though, is that they don’t stay put, and they don’t stay clear. They get fogged up and they fall down. So basically, they are a hunk of junk.

Best Fogless Shower Mirror

I’ve been hearing about this fogless mirror from the company ToiletTree. I thought I’d give it a try, but had my suspicions that it wouldn’t be any better of a product than the ones I’ve tried before. And as hard as I tried to make this mirror not work for me, I failed. The mirror won. Let me tell you about my experience.

best fogless shower mirror First, I knew that I would have to decide who would be getting to use the mirror: my husband or me. Tim is almost a foot taller, so there’s no way we could install a mirror that we could both see out of. But ToiletTree anticipated this problem, and made the mirror easy to adjust. I was very pleasantly surprised by this, because I had already decided that Tim should install it for himself.

Second, I just knew this mirror would fall down within a handful of days. But it didn’t. In fact, it has been installed for almost 4 weeks now, and hasn’t budged. I’m just as shocked as you are.

But then I found something that I thought I was going to be able to complain about. When I read on the instructions that I had to fill the back of the mirror with warm water before every use, I was less than thrilled. I thought, “Ah. So using this is actually going to be a pain in the rear.” You know what? I was so wrong. Can we all just think on this for a minute….when you are in the shower, is there a steady supply of warm water within easy reach? Why yes, there is!

Ok, but then I thought, “Yeah, but I’m not going to remember to dump out the water, and then it is going to get all gross.” It is true that I never remember to dump out the water. However, between myself and Tim, the mirror is getting used every single day, so water is sitting for, at most, 24 hours. It isn’t even remotely gross by the time we throw it out. Also, I have to say that getting the mirror on and off its stand is super duper easy.

So all my griping and bemoaning was for absolutely nothing. This mirror truly is user-friendly. And Tim is loving it…he shaves in the shower and that saves him a few minutes every morning!

Buy it!: If you value efficiency, this is a terrific product to help you shave off a few minutes from your daily routines like washing your face or shaving! The ToiletTree Fogless mirror can be purchased for $29.95 on Amazon.com.

Edit: This giveaway has ended. 

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag a ToiletTree Fogless Mirror! Hooray! The contest will run until February 6th at11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me one trick you have to save time in some way throughout the day.

My answer: I live by my timer, especially when Darah is napping and I have more control over how time is spent. I give tasks a certain amount of time, and then work like mad to get them done within that time frame!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like ToiletTree on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. I only recommend products I love! 

Wooden Play Kitchen for Toddlers

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I have been blown away with my little girl over the past 6 months. She has really blossomed when it comes to how she plays. When she had just turned one, she definitely loved to play. But her games were very simple things, like pat-a-cake, peek-a-boo, and just crawling around, investigating stuff on the floor. She was still very much a baby in that regard.

But now, oh my goodness. She’s a child. With an imagination. She PLAYS. And I just love watching her. As she has grown in this area, we’ve actually been able to weed out a good number of toys. We had so many different toys just hanging around just in case she developed an interest in them “later on.” We can get a sense for what she likes and is drawn to now, and as a result, we’ve taken some toys to be donated, and we’ve also put some away for later. So as she has become more into her toys, we’ve pared them down. Seems counter-intuitive, but it actually makes a lot of sense!

Wooden Play Kitchen for Toddlers

wooden play kitchen for toddlers from HearthSong But there is one major toy that we added to her collection, and it has really been a HUGE hit. Darah now has a play kitchen. I originally thought that I would be getting a kitchen for her when she turned 2, but The My Size Kitchen from Hearth Song is just perfect for her now. It is petite, so a young toddler is not overwhelmed with it. She will outgrow it in a few years, but not before she gets a heck of a lot of use out of it.

We have her kitchen set up in the spot where her pack ‘n play used to live, in our dining room/kitchen (sort of a symbolic swap, don’t you think?). She will often pretend to cook while mom or dad is in the kitchen actually cooking! She loves to check on the progress of anything she puts in her oven, and she also loves to have us taste-test whatever she has simmering on the stove, which she wisely points out to be, “hot.” She usually blows on the spoon before “tasting.” Love it!

Hearth Song is a company that I was unfamiliar with until recently. I’m so glad to know about it now. They are a company that has been around since 1983, “committed to helping parents follow their instincts to provide their children with age-appropriate, wholesome, quality playthings.” I always appreciate when a company understands the difference between a toy that will be cherished and a toy that will likely be overlooked. They offer an impressive selection of toys that I would be thrilled to get for Darah, or to give to other children as gifts. AND….right now they are having a blow out sale in their outlet! You absolutely must stop by and see if you can snag some amazing finds for your gift closet, for upcoming birthdays, or even for Christmas 2011. The Jumbo Monkey Mat has definitely caught my eye, and it is 42% off!

Buy it!: There are so many fabulous finds at Hearth Song, and the prices are right. The play kitchen is a total steal, you guys. It is just $49.99, and it isn’t made of plastic! WOO HOO!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: One super lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is about to get a kitchen makeover! That’s right, you’re going to win a My Size Kitchen! Pretty awesome, huh?! The contest will run until February 6th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Two things: 1. You must follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect, and 2. Tell me one other toy or game that Hearth Song offers that you would love to bring to your home. (These two things together count as one entry)

My answer: The Under the Sea canopy is so amazing. Can you just imagine the hours of fun children can have playing in it?

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Hearth Song on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by email or RSS

rare bonus entry: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter and send out a tweet about the contest (leave the tweet url in your comment here) (you can only do this once)

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Decorating Cupcake Ideas: Try a Sleeve!

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Even though Darah isn’t even in preschool yet, I already feel the shame that comes along with being the un-crafty mom. I swear, Darah’s daycare program, that only meets twice a week, has a party every single month. For real. There’s always a party happening, and when a party is happening, parents are asked to bring, “goodies.” GROAN! I’m just not the mom who is going to make something really cute and fun. But it seems I’m the only one in this boat. Darah has come home with some really cute stuff. And I know I’m long overdue to reciprocate.

Decorating Cupcake Ideas

decorating cupcake ideas: cupcake sleeve Thank goodness for products like Roundabout Cupcake Sleeves. For the upcoming Valentine’s Day party, they are going to not only save me from major embarrassment, but they may even give folks the impression that I’m not horrible at putting together cute food. Hooray!

Roundabout Cupcake Sleeves are pretty much what they sound like: wraps that go around your cupcake to turn it into something extra special, with minimal effort on your part. What’s so fabulous about this product is that they have over 70 designs, and can help you turn a cupcake into, well, just about anything! They show you how to use certain toppings in conjunction with the cupcake sleeves to create hamburgers, sushi, popcorn tubs, ice cream cones…you name it! While there are a few design ideas that exceed my own abilities (which, as a reminder, are non-existent), I have spotted many things that, gasp, I can actually do! Woo hoo!

Buy it!: Roundabout Cupcake Sleeves are absolutely adorable, and can be purchased online for $8.99/dozen.

Edit: this giveaway is now closed. 

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will score one package of cupcake sleeves in your choice of design! The contest will run until February 5th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Post a link to your favorite cupcake sleeve and why you want it (choose wisely, as you will get what you post here if you win!).

My answer: I like the icy igloos, found in the kids party section! Super easy and super cute! I’d send them to Parent’s Morning Out with Darah and totally relish my moment of being the crafty queen. Just being honest! 🙂

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Follow Roundabout Cupcake Sleeves on Twitter
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Google Friend Connect

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the side bar of my home page.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf Video for Kids

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Classic children’s stories are often classic for a reason: they teach very important lessons. One of the stories that I took quite seriously as a child was The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I understood all too well that if I caused a scene I could quickly get the attention of my parents. But if nothing was really wrong, I was putting myself at risk in the future. Something might really go wrong but my parents might not believe me!

boy who cried wolf Truth be told, I think my parents would have always come to check on me if I asked for help. But the point the story drove home for me was a good one: lying doesn’t help you in the long run!

Scholastic has put this classic tale on dvd, and while Darah is still a bit too young to really get the story, I’m so glad to have it in our collection as she gets older. There are also some other fantastic stories on this set, such as Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (this story is so suspenseful!) and Stone Soup, which is also a classic, in my book. I should also mention that Stone Soup is narrated by Mandy Patinkin, and we’ve already established how much I love him.

The stories in this collection also have discussion questions, so that families can really talk about what is going on and the meaning the stories have. All the stories combined run 74 minutes and the dvd is available for $14.95 (but you can snag it much cheaper on Amazon). The stories are real keepers, so I definitely recommend adding this one to your collection!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. 

Charlie Banana Diaper Review: One Size Diaper

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I have several very dear people in my life who are expecting at the moment. 2011 is going to be a banner baby year for me. I get to have all the fun and none of the pain! 🙂 Hooray for being an auntie!!!

I remember all too well how overwhelming (or even annoying) it can be when someone tries to convince you that they know what is best for you and how you should go about the business of raising your kid. And for those of you out there who are pregnant with your first, just know that such advice doesn’t stop after you have the baby. I’m pretty sure it never stops. Ever!

So of course, I don’t want to be one of those people. But here, on the other side of the fence, it is just so dang hard, sometimes! Especially when it comes to the world of cloth diapering. In the blog world, cloth diapers aren’t really unheard of. They still aren’t used as much as disposables, but if you read blogs, then you most assuredly know someone (at least virtually) who is cloth diapering. But outside of the blogosphere, it seems to be MUCH more rare. I forget that sometimes. Most couples never even consider cloth diapering because they don’t know anyone who does it and don’t have anyone in their lives encouraging them to try it. If anything, they have the opposite, which is parents or grandparents telling them how awful cloth is and how disposable diapers are the greatest invention since sliced bread.

And they do have their place, as I’ve mentioned before.

BUT……

Cloth rocks, and the cloth of today is not the cloth of even 10 years ago, let alone 30 years ago!
I’ll just stop there, because do you see what I’m saying? It is SO HARD not to get on a soapbox and yell, “Just try it! You will love it! Promise!”

Charlie Banana

So for now, I’ll just introduce you to an absolutely fabulous cloth diaper company and let their cute dipes speak for themselves! The company is called Charlie Banana, and they have many fabulous organic baby products, including a one size (OS) cloth diaper, which is what I’m reviewing today.

Charlie Banana diapers do not contain any chlorine, perfume, chemicals or gels, which is just part of what makes them so much more wonderful than disposables. Their entire line is made with 100% certified organically grown cotton. Only the best for your little bunny’s tush!
charlie banana diaper review
Charlie Banana diapers are called 2 in 1 diapers, which means that they are designed to be used with either reusable or disposable inserts. Very handy! You can use a Charlie Banana disposable insert for those moments when you might have reached for disposable diapers in the past (such as a visit to Grandma’s house). The insert is just thrown out after use, and the shell can be used again and again (unless it gets really messy, and then you might want to change the shell). You can also put a reusable insert inside the sleeve of the diaper, which is what we do.

charlie banana diaper review

We have found the fit of Charlie Banana diapers to be terrific, and the color selection to be fabulous. They even have some adorable prints! My only complaint is that the insert sleeve for the diaper is at the front, which can make it a little bit harder to make sure that you have full protection all the way to the front. All my other diapers have a sleeve in the back, so I’m used to making sure that I get the inserts all the way to the front. With Charlie Banana diapers, that same move puts my inserts all the way in the back, and depending the specific insert I have grabbed, could leave a bit of space at the front. The Charlie Banana inserts don’t leave any gap, by the way.

If you are someone who likes the idea of cloth, but finds yourself reaching for disposables more than you’d like, Charlie Banana diapers are definitely the way to go! Even if you are in full-time cloth, they are still a very reliable diaper. I don’t hesitate to grab this diaper out of the pile at changing time!

charlie banana review Buy it!: Charlie Banana diapers are available for purchase individually through Target, or in packs of 6 from Amazon. You can expect to pay around $22 for 1 diaper, or around $115 for a pack of 6.

Edit: Giveaway is closed

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need Reader is going to win a OS diaper in your choice of color from Charlie Banana! The contest will run until February 1 at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the color/print you would choose AND tell me the #1 reason you love cloth!

my answer: I love cloth because it saves us a whole lot of money, which means we can breathe a little bit easier every month.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Charlie Banana on Facebook and post on their wall that Stuff Parents Need sent you!
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need by RSS or email

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links included at no cost to you. 

Drink Your Vitamins: Ola Loa Vitamins

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Do you ever wonder if product reviewers are just lying through their teeth most of the time when they sing the praises of a product? I can’t speak for other review bloggers, but I can tell you that if I don’t like something, I won’t ever lie and tell you that I do. Typically, if a product disappoints me, I contact the person I’m working with on the review and share my concerns. I prefer to give my feedback to the company directly so that they can seek to make the needed improvements.

Today I’m bringing you a product that I originally thought I didn’t like. It was through my conversations with the PR rep for the company, though, that I was able to try the product in a different way, and in the end, I really and truly liked it, after all. I wouldn’t be telling you about it if I didn’t!

ola loa vitamins It’s called Ola Loa, and it is a powder that you can add to water to give you a big ‘ole dose of nutrients that will absorb into your system better than any pill or tablet. The supplements are basically a way to drink your vitamins. I loved the concept, because I’m always sipping on a drink, but I’m terrible at remembering to take my multi-vitamin.

So what went wrong, at first? Well, I found the drink mixes to be just really intense, and not super sweet and awesome. What can I say? They didn’t taste like iced coffee or a super cold coke (the two things I’m normally drinking) and so, my taste buds just weren’t having it. After I talked with my contact, she said that she had a similar problem the first time she tried it. If your body is used to sugary drinks (and mine is…I like a little coffee with my sugar and cream), then the mixes might taste funny/weird. But there is a solution! She suggested that I mix the powder with half water and half orange juice to sweeten it up a bit.

I tried it. I liked it. A lot, actually! And I’m pleased to report that after downing my second drink (rather quickly, I might add), I did feel a bit of an energy boost for the next few hours.

In doing some research about Ola Loa’s supplements, I learned that the Physician’s Desk Reference (PDR) says you only absorb 10-20% of the nutrient content of a pill or tablet. I guess I shouldn’t feel as bad about not taking my multi-vitamins…doesn’t sound like they were giving me much, anyway. Ola Loa has an advantage from the start: the contents are already dissolved! Roughly 98% of the nutrients in a supplement like Ola Loa get absorbed by the body. That’s much better!

Buy it!: Do you need to add something to your diet that really and truly will help you get your daily needed vitamins? Ola Loa has what you are looking for. Just add a little orange juice to it! 🙂 In my experience the two places to buy the vitamins (for the best price) are Amazon and Drugstore.com. Prices fluctuate, but these two stores seem to be competitive with each other, and depending on which flavor/type you want to try, one of them will have a slightly better price than the other.

 

Edit: giveaway is closed! 

Win it! Ola Loa is giving one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader a 5 pack of their supplements! The contest will run until January 31st at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me what you do currently to try to get all the daily vitamins you need.

My answer: not much, unfortunately. I eat things that are green whenever I can, but I have a long way to go on this on.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Ola Loa on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Like Stuff Parents Need on Facebook

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. 

Kaspersky PURE Review

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How much time do you spend thinking about protecting your computer(s) from all those crazy viruses that run rampant on the internet? If you are like me, probably not much…until you get one. And then you curse yourself for not investing in some quality internet security software.

Kaspersky is a company that offers the absolute top of the line when it comes to protecting your computers. They have some new software out called Kaspersky PURE, and it is seriously awesome. I’ve never seen such a comprehensive approach to protection packaged in such a user-friendly format. It works just as well for those who want to set it and forget as it does for those who want to “geek out” and customize every feature.

My own favorite geek, Tim, has put together a video review to give you a good idea of what Kaspersky PURE has to offer.

To summarize, Kaspersky PURE has these awesome features:

·Run scans on any PC in your household to make sure they’re secure

·Automatic file backup and restore functions

·An integrated Password Manager to protect your identity

·Data Encryption and File Shredder to make sure your private information stays private

·Perform file backups remotely, to protect your data no matter what machine it sits on

·Fix security issues before they become problems

·Administer parental controls so kids are never outside of your protection, even when they’re out of view

·Control over when and for how long your children can be online, or on the computer at all

·Limit access to the Internet, web content, applications, games, or social networks

·The ability to keep important information from being shared

·A communication-safety hub

Kaspersky PURE will be available for purchase beginning January 24th, but right now you can

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will snag a copy of Kaspersky PURE, which comes with a 1-year license that can be installed on up to 3 computers. It retails for $89.95. Woo hoo! The contest will run until January 30th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Two things: 1. You must follow me in Google Friend Connect (see the sidebar to get signed up…super easy, I promise) and 2. Tell me about a time when you weren’t prepared and your computer suffered the consequences. (these together count as one entry)

My answer: We had a laptop that got so loaded down with little bugs and viruses. I don’t think any one of them were deadly in and of themselves, but the sheer volume of them caused that computer to slow down to a depressing crawl. It was ugly, folks.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like Kaspersky on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own and my husband’s.