I recently received a Pink Tie Dye Family_Time.Mine day planner and am very pleased with it.  The first and most important feature, to me at least, is the durable plastic cover.  What good is a day planner if someone spills milk on it and ruins it?  The plastic cover gives the Family_Time.Mine day planner that extra durability a mom’s planner needs.  Dotmine’s Family_Time.Mine day planner features one week per page giving me lots of space to write important events and notes for every day of the week.  The page margins are really nice too as they give me lots more room to write random notes and reminders.

Dotmine day planner features:

• Size - It is a good size for keeping on your desk
• Storage - It has a pocket in the back
• Durable - It has a durable plastic cover to protect it from spills (you know what I’m talking about Moms!)
• Views - It has daily, weekly and monthly views, room for notes and for tracking the entire family, and tear-off margins for lists
• Style - 20+ elegant, fun and sometimes funky covers each year

Dotmine day planners have specialized pages for phone numbers, babysitter information, and notes.
One of my other favorite features of the Family_Time.Mine day planner is the stickers.  I love having a visual, colorful reminder of important events like doctor’s appointments, recitals, and birthdays.  The Pink Tie Dye Family_Time.Mine planner comes with plenty of sticks that should keep you covered for a year.

GIVEAWAY – Winner Announced!

Congratulations MaryAnne K.!

We are giving a lucky reader a Dotmine day planner of their choice (not including the Borders exclusives).

To enter, visit Dotmine and choose your favorite design, then tell me in the comments below which Dotmine day planner design is your favorite.

Entries accepted through 11:59pm EST March 5th. This contest is open to U.S. residents. The winner will be notified via email and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Here are some ways to get extra entries, but make sure to post separate comments for each one you do:

1. ‘Like’ The Mommy Insider on Facebook
2. Follow dotmine @timemine on Twitter
3. ‘Like’ dotmine on Facebook
4. Follow The Mommy Insider @MommyInsider on Twitter
5. Subscribe to The Mommy Insider RSS feed here.
6. Tweet this: “I entered to win a Dotmine day planner on TheMommyInsider.com!  You can entere here: http://bit.ly/i4H579″

Dotmine Day Planner Review & Giveaway is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Reusable bags have become very popular with environmentally conscious individuals, but in a busy family, keeping up with eco-friendly bags can be challenging. While an individual may only need a couple of bags to hold grocery purchases, the bustling household usually requires many bags. Inevitably, the bags are left in the vehicle, forgotten until the point of unloading a cart of groceries at a check stand. An organizer would make it so much easier to remember.

Win a Tote Buddy!

Connect with The Tote Buddy:

The Tote Buddy – Reusable Shopping Bag Tote Review and Giveaway! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Last week, my husband packed up our printer and brought it with us on our Spring Break vacation so he could print a few photographs of our 3 year old daughter in his spare time (ha!) during our vacation.
Why?  Because Madelyn, our 3 year old, has been commenting on the fact that we don’t have any framed photographs of her up.   There are a couple of photographs of both kids on the fridge, but that’s it.  There are dozens of photographs of Sebastian (10 years old) all over the house, but not one framed photograph of Madelyn.  See the photograph to the right.. the frames to the right are full of photographs of Sebastian while the frames to the left are empty.  That’s so sad.   Needless to say, Tim didn’t print photographs while we were in Orlando last week.. we were a little busy.  I am however, determined to print and frame enough photographs to fill the blank spaces in the frames to the right.. before her 4th birthday, May 9th.  Please say a prayer for me!

While I am looking through photographs on my computer to print for Madelyn’s frames, I am going to flag a bunch of photos starting from the day she was born so I can finally create a scrapbook for her.  Her scrapbook may not be as elaborate as Sebastian’s, it will most likely be a Photobook.. from Vistaprint (why not?) but at least we’ll have something to look through.  I love both of my kids so much.. it breaks my heart that I haven’t spent as much time on organizing and sharing photographs of her as I did when Sebastian was younger.  I am much busier now than I was when Sebastian was her age, but that doesn’t take the guilt away.  So, enough of the sad stories..

I am so excited about this giveaway because a lucky reader is going to win a personalized 12 x 12 Photobook that will be cherished forever.

These days it seems we all keep our photos online.. as we should for security and longevity of our memories.  However, there’s nothing like having hard copies of your photos to share with your friends & family!

• The winner will get to choose from hard cover, leather cover, or linen cover and will receive instructions for ordering their 12×12 Photobook from Team Mom.
• The Photobook includes 26 pages and a variety of layout and design options and free 14-day shipping.
• The value of the giveaway is over $50.

Here’s how to enter:

• Tell me in the comments below why you should win.. easy, huh?
• Tweet this giveaway (limit 1 tweet per day.. and follow @mommyinsider so I know you Tweeted)
  Tweet this: Photobook give­away – a $50+ value. @mommyinsider @VistaPrint http://wp.me/plszx-13z
• Entries accepted through May 10th, 2010
• OR fill out this form:

Vistaprint also offers such great products as Birthday Invitations, Custom T-shirts, and Personalized Mugs.

Disclosure: TeamMom and Vistaprint are offering this great giveaway to TheMommyInsider.com readers.  I have not received compensation of any kind for this post or giveaway.

Hey mommies! We are giving away a 12×12 Photobook from Vistaprint is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I never thought I would be one of those moms who was always on the go but now I am. My kids are 3 and 10 and they actually do things. How strange. They go to swim class, computer class, Cub Scouts, play with friends, and do other things that kids do. All of that means that I have to plan things. I have to know whether my husband or I are going to take our daughter to swim and gymnastics, and our son to Scouts and computer class. Without help I am not a great planner, but with my BusyBodyBook, life is easier.

Believe it or not, I have anxiety issues. Don’t laugh. My BusyBodyBook helps keep my anxiety and stress levels low. Having our schedules laid out in a grid format and with me all of the time (I take my BBB with me everywhere) ensures that I always know what’s coming up in the days ahead and that I know who, what, where, why, and when.

There are four columns on each weekly page. I have one column assigned to each of us and a "family" column at the end. When I need to show my husband what activities are coming up and that he needs to take our son to Scouts because I am taking our daughter to swim, I just open my BusyBodyBook and show him. No questions, no arguments, no doubts about the date or time.. just easy to read facts.

How BusyBodyBook helps me:

• I can tell if events and activities overlap in time and can plan accordingly
• I know which of us (husband or I) is available to take the kids to which of their activities
• I can log and track past and future events
• I can keep notes
• I can keep and tear out a shopping list with the removable shopping lists

More BusyBodyBook on TheMommyInsider.com:

• I recently featured Busy Body Book BusyBodyBook in my “Things I Use Everyday” post,
• Read my 2006 Busy Body Book review
• Read my 2008 Busy Body Book review

Can you tell I can’t live without my BusyBodyBook?

Visit the BusyBodyBook website to see the different BusyBodyBook Family Organizers, wall calendars, and weekly grid pads.

My organizer.. my BusyBodyBook Family Organizer and Calendar is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Where do your notes start?
My Moleskine notebook is the first place I jot down things from items to add to my grocery list, to to-dos, and random thoughts of which there are tons, important dates, gift ideas, and other ramblings. From there I usually add those notes to the appropriate iPhone app such as Shopper or NotifyMe.
Without my Moleskine notebook, my thoughts may never make it to completion. What a disaster that would be!

What is Moleskine?
MOLESKINE is the legendary notebook that has held the inspirations and ideas of everyone from Van Gogh, Picasso and Hemingway to famed author, Bruce Chatwin. Artists, authors, and geniuses of all variety have long appreciated the simplicity and superior functionality of these notebooks.

Moleskine notebooks and planners are available in several sizes.  The 3.5 x 5.5 in. pocket notebooks are the perfect size to carry in a purse or diaper bag and are great for jotting down your baby’s latest diaper change or that funny thing your toddler said during your playgroup.  I use the large A4 Folio Notebook for work notes and for jotting down thoughts I have while at home or in my office.

Moleskine notebooks, journals, and planners make great holiday gifts!  Get a pocket hard cover 18 month planner for $12.95 or my favorite Moleskine gift idea is the Volant Color-A-Day Monthly Daily Planner (photo above) which is usually $39.95 but our readers get 30% off by using the link below.

COUPON CODE:
Use coupon code COLORDEAL, and get 30% off of the Volant Color-A-Month Daily Planner (no minimum, no maximum). The coupon is only valid on that item, and it’s good through 12/31/09. Use this link to go straight to the Color-A-Month planner page and automatically apply the coupon code to the cart.

GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win a set of these Moleskine items:

• 2010 Volant Color-A-Month Daily Planner
• Folio A4 Ruled Notebook
• 2010 Weekly Notebook Planner

To enter, visit Moleskines.com (opens a new window or tab) then come back and tell me what your favorite Moleskine product is in the comments below.  Get two entries for Tweeting this post and then leave a second comment with your Twitter ID.  Entries accepted until November 30th.

Moleskine notebooks, journals, and calendars + a coupon code AND a giveaway! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

A family information manager for parents, “Kids” is a must-have iPhone app for both parents and those of school-age children.  “Kids” allows parents to save and have quick access to extremely comprehensive and important information including:

• Doctor’s information
• Dentist information
• Teacher and coaches information
• Babysitter information
• List your kids allergies
• Clothing sizes
• Favorite stuff
• Current medications
• and more

When you set up your children’s information page in “Kids” you can add a photograph from your iPhone and each child’s main page can include 2 pieces of important.  It’s easy to make changes from any screen using the “Edit” button and getting back to the main screen from any screen is a cinch with the “Kids” button featured on the left side of every screen.

Some upcoming features include

• Push a contact’s phone number or email to contact them from the Kids iPhone app
• Share information via SMS or email

You can learn more about “Kids” iPhone app via iTunes here.

“Kids” iPhone app for parents is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!