A Mother's Day Gift That Shows You Really Care

Mother's Day is coming up fast, and my inbox is being flooded with emails about what moms really want for Mother's Day with tips for finding that perfect gift. I don't think the talented people who wrote these gift guides have ever met my family, however.

A sentimental gift? Nope, that won't do for my mom. She generally doesn't like a lot of stuff, feeling it's just one more thing to clutter up her house. As for me, I like some sentimental gifts, but I'm also in the process of purging a lot of useless junk from my house, so... not so much at the moment.

A spa day? Yes for me, no way for my mom. She has never liked anything girly, preferring a simple shower to get the dirt off of her after a day of working hard in the garden than anything involving smelly lotions or people touching her.

It's taken me years to figure out my own mother. When I was younger I tried everything to get her to have that big WOW moment with a gift, but I never managed more than a "oh, how nice, thank you," that was in many ways sincere, but clearly indicated it was nothing she really wanted.

As a mother myself, I now understand what I can do to really show how much I care for my mom. Mother's Day now is usually about providing a service for her in some way. She's amazingly talented - she could teach you how to grow the perfect garden, clean your house, shoot a gun, balance your checkbook, cook a fantastic meal, and gather honey from hives without getting stung by a bee. But even though I used to think there was nothing I could ever do that my mom didn't already do better, I've found her one weak spot.

I'm my mother's technical support.

It sounds funny, I know, and probably not very sentimental. But helping my mom build a laptop with everything she needs, or configuring her wireless network so she can take that laptop anywhere in her house, or walking her though the steps to set up her Netflix account? Those offers of help mean a lot to her and make her life easier.

She's done so much to teach me throughout my life, and now I finally have a skill I can teach back to her so she can enjoy all of the advances in technology that she wants to embrace but doesn't fully understand.

So this Mother's Day, I'm setting up an iTunes account for her and teaching her how to use it so she can download her own apps on the iPhone I gave her recently. (It was my old iPhone - she didn't want to spend a lot on her own iPhone.) She's genuinely thrilled about this upcoming event, and can't wait to learn how to get her own apps. My mom doesn't need a lot, but this simple task for me - which is something she would struggle with - shows her just how much I care about her.

As for me? I'm slowly becoming more like my mom each year. Instead of objects, I want someone to do something for me that I can't do myself or provide a service for something I don't like to do. A massage would be nice to help with all of the stress I store in my back. Or a Maid Service gift certificate to unburden me from my least favorite chore, leaving me time to devote to things I enjoy. Or a Time Lord to take me back in time to give me more hours in the day.

Honestly, house cleaning is my ultimate weak area. Not only is my house a wreck, but I hate cleaning more than just about any other chore and I'm sure I'm not alone. Yes, I'm sure there are some people who truly take pleasure from a job well-done in making their house spotless, but many of us don't count ourselves in that group.

This year, not only am I getting what I want for Mother's Day, but you can get the same special treatment!  I'm giving away a $100 gift certificate to Molly Maid so one reader can also relax in a clean home, spending more time on the things she really cares about than scrubbing the toilet.

Giveaway Rules
Win a $100 gift certificate toward a cleaning from Molly Maid!

Please note that Molly Maid does not offer service in the following locations: Louisiana, Wyoming, Vermont, West Virginia, Maine, Montana, and Alabama. Also Molly Maid does not have coverage in the following Metro areas: Madison, WI, Green Bay, WI, Buffalo, NY, and Syracuse, NY. If you live in any of these locations, you can still enter to win, but will not be able to have a home in those areas serviced. Home cleaning estimates will vary. Winner may use gift certificate toward total cost.

This giveaway will end May 7 at 11:59PM PT, so enter now! A winner will be selected randomly from the comments on May 8 and contacted via email.

Enter up to four times by doing each of the following:

• One Entry - Tweet about the Molly Maid contest (you can even use the handy-dandy Tweet below, if you like) and leave a comment here with either the Tweet or the URL to the Tweet. Please be sure to tag your Tweet with #MollyMaid4Mom.
• One Entry - Post about this contest on Facebook, and leave a comment here saying what you posted. Please tag the post with the #MollyMaid4Mom hashtag.
• One Entry - Write a blog post about the contest and -- you guessed it -- leave a comment here with the URL to the blog post.
• One Entry - Just leave a comment on this blog post!

Sample Tweet: I just entered to win $100 toward a cleaning from Molly Maid! You can too! http://bit.ly/JJCm0B #MollyMaid4Mom

Good luck, and may we all get exactly what we want on Mother's Day!

Full disclosure: Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that we are pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all my own.

Organize It ALL With AboutOne

It was August, a week before school started. I had waited until the last minute to fill out my daughter's required preschool admission paperwork. As I sat there writing my mother's name and phone number as the emergency contact six dozen times, I then came across a paper asking for my daughter's vaccination records.

Where did I put her shot record?

I knew it had to be somewhere in the house. I first tore through the stack of Very Important Papers that had piled up on my end table. Then through the disorganized filing cabinet, tossing aside cell phone agreements from plans we no longer have as I tried to find that piece of paper with those important dates on it. Then I moved to a box of papers in the guest room that had originally started on the end table.

Why did I do this to myself? How could I be so disorganized?

I'm guessing I'm not the only mom who has experienced moments like this. Yours may not be as extreme as mine, but it's very difficult to keep all of our important papers, dates, receipts and items we'd like to remember together in a neat, organized spot. I often feel like my home is slowly being devoured by paper and I have way too many things that I need to hold onto - just in case - but then when that just in case moment comes I can't find them.

It doesn't have to be this way. You'd think with all of the power of the Internet and the "cloud" that someone could invent a better solution. Which is why I'm thrilled to find out that someone has created that solution.

I was recently told of AboutOne, and I think it might be the miracle I was looking for. The AboutOne website and mobile app provide you with the technology to digitally store all of your information - receipts, important papers, dates, photos, kid artwork, health records, or any other important data - in one secure online account where you can easily retrieve it from any location. (We're talking bank-level security here, so you know it's safe.)

For example, have access to your auto insurance policy number and contact information from anywhere. Useful, no?

Your private timeline is as easy to manage as any of your social media accounts, and the technology makes it even easier by entering much of your information automatically and helping you to sort it into practical categories for quick access. Your entire family can have access to your account, too, meaning when you're at work and your husband needs your business travel receipts when preparing your taxes, he can pull up the information without calling you to ask.

Or you can provide your babysitter a detailed printable sheet with all necessary information on your kids and contact information:

Oh, how I've needed a babysitter report for special needs & food allergies!

Along with all that data at your fingertips, AboutOne also can sync your Google, iCal, or Outlook calendar/contact tools to make them more useful.

Birthday reminders! I'm no longer at the mercy of Facebook for birthdays!

If I somehow didn't fully explain it to you, click through this slideshow below for even more information on how AboutOne works:

You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Personally? This is like a dream come true for me. A very organized dream come true. Sign up now and be ready when version 2.0 is released soon!

Full disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with AboutOne. All opinions expressed are my own - my husband's opinion would be that I'm even MORE disorganized than I'm letting on here.

And no, I never found the shot records until two weeks after they were due. Our pediatrician's front office staff hates me. Trust me, sign up for AboutOne and spare yourself the evil eye at the doctor's office.  

With Moby, No One Is Lost

Divide and conquer isn't just a battle maneuver - in my family, it's the only way we can get everything accomplished that we need to do. Whether it's being on opposite sides of town, with me grocery shopping while Aaron picks the kids up from camp, or just on opposite sides of the zoo with each of us entertaining one child we often find ourselves apart from each other.

So how do we keep in touch? Our phones, of course. And there's nothing more frustrating than trying to get an update on where your spouse is only to get a voicemail message because he can't hear the phone or can't answer it at the moment. Those are the moments when I think, "Just SHOW me where you are!"

Well, now that's possible with the Moby app for iPhone.

Moby is a private location sharing service that lets you stay in touch with friends and family without having to call or send a text. You can share your location with a select group, check in at a particular location, or even send out a request for help. Even if another person doesn't have the Moby app, you can still send them updates on your location.

While some location sharing services allow anyone to see where you are, Moby is completely private, allowing you to control exactly who can see your location.

Hey look, there's my husband.

There are so many uses for this app. Parents of teenagers can have their teens check in when out late to make sure everything is OK without that embarrassing call to mom. When meeting friends, you now no longer have to search when your friends say they're at a restaurant you've never heard of - you can simply see their location and know exactly how to get to them. (Assuming you can read a map, of course.)

For us, it's most useful when we're at the same place. Our two daughters are night and day, which often leaves us taking one kid each to a different location. This app is perfect for checking in so we know where the other pair is and can find them quickly if needed.

Moby works best if all family members have the app downloaded to their iPhone, but anyone can benefit from it as long as one family member has the app on their device and others have access to email. The family member who has the Moby app can share their location with any other family member (whether or not they have the app) and the other person can receive messages from you via email.

Downside: At the moment, Moby is only available for iPhone and iPad users. But fear not - an Android version should be launching in the next month or two! Android users can get on the waitlist to be notified when it's available.

Final thoughts: I do like the Moby app. It is a little hard on battery life, but a new version should be released soon to deal with that flaw. I'm hoping I can convince friends at BlogHer to download it so we can keep track of each other at the conference next week!

Full disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Moby and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Find Your Perfect Holiday Card With Shutterfly

Halloween may be my favorite holiday of the year, but the entire month of December is not far behind it. It's hard for me to believe that it's already time to start unpacking the decorations and gearing up for the winter holidays, but as soon as Halloween is past, the remaining weeks until Christmas will be a whirlwind of activity.

Which means now is the perfect time to start thinking about holiday cards. Ever since the rise of the photo card, I've become a fan of sending out Christmas cards each year. We love sending out new photos of the family to distant friends and family members, getting photo cards in return to display on the mantle.

In our house, there are a few rules when selecting our annual card. First, it needs to not be a folded card. (This rule comes from me.) The holidays are already so busy, and a folded card - with all of that beautiful blank space inside just begging for someone to fill it with words- is too much stress for me to handle. I want my greeting to be printed on the card along with our names and have it ready to go. Sounds impersonal, I know, but I think friends would rather receive a card from us without my messy handwriting rather than no card at all.

Second, the card has to keep to a semi-generic "Happy Holidays" theme. (This rule comes from my husband.) My family celebrates Christmas, while my husband's family celebrates Hanukkah, and some of our friends simply enjoy the holiday season. The thought of getting two or more different sets of cards and trying to figure out which ones best suit which recipients makes my head spin. Instead, we choose one design that we hope will offend no one.

Thankfully, Shutterfly has hundreds of gorgeous designs to choose from, and no matter the rules your family may have for picking just the right card - whether they be Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards or just holiday cards - they will have a card for you. Here are three of my favorites:

Mod Snowflakes

Isn't this design gorgeous? The black background with the brightly colored snowflakes is so modern, and the colors just make me happy. Looking at this card, I'm wishing for the snow to get here soon!

Seasonal Chic 2010

I love the color combination on this card as well as the ability to add three different photos. Sometimes I have a horrible time choosing the right photo for a card, but with a card like this, I've got a lot more flexibility. Also, the text is customizable, so I can easily omit the "Merry Christmas" in favor of "Happy Holidays" or simply "With love."

French Vintage

I know, this one really doesn't look like a holiday card, does it? But I love it because it's so different. The interesting color, the flourishes - it's perfect for someone who doesn't want a traditional holiday card.

Which one will I choose? I have no idea. Honestly, these are three of about ten favorites I have saved, and it may come down to simply closing my eyes and picking one. No matter which one I choose, I know it will look amazing on the premium cardstock.

Bloggers - Get Your Own Cards Free!

Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

Full disclosure: This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Just Eyewear Makes Buying Glasses Easy

Welcome my husband, Aaron, to Mommy's Must Haves today as he provides a review of Just Eyewear glasses!

If you had looked on the dashboard of my car anytime over the past nine months, you would have seen a pair of glasses sitting there – with one lens barely hanging on to the frame. That's because I broke my glasses immediately after losing our vision insurance, and while I needed them to drive, I couldn't afford to replace them. So, in the car they sat, able to sit gingerly on my nose as I drove, but otherwise banished from my face.

Fortunately, I was given the chance to order a pair of prescription glasses online from Just Eyewear, and now I'm able to see well all of the time again. This is a great relief to me, and I have to say that I was very pleased with the process.

The first step you'll need to ordering a pair of glasses is your prescription, and some details about the size and shape of your face. The good news is that all of this information can come looking in a mirror, having a measuring tape handy, and being able to lay your hands on another pair of glasses that fit you well in the past.

With your prescription in hand, you'll head on over to the Just Eyewear website, where they will walk you through the process of choosing frames. This starts by selecting your gender and the shape of your face. Using an old pair of eyeglasses as a guide, you can then use the custom frame fitter filter to help you select frames that have the correct lens diameter, bridge and temple measurements.

At this point you'll be presented with numerous frames to select from, in a variety of colors and materials, all perfect for your face. I was quite pleased with the selection they had, and was able to find something very similar in style to my broken pair (which I liked a lot, other then the fact that they were, you know, broken,)

After you've picked the frames, you'll then fill in your prescription information. One thing that you will need that isn't always included in your prescription is your P.D. or pupilary distance (it wasn't included in my prescription). This describes the distance between your two pupils, and is essential to getting a set of glasses that fit you. Fortunately, you can take this measurement yourself or with a friend's help, and the Just Eyewear website walks you through that process.

Once you have the prescription information in, you then get the option to add customization to the lenses, either by choosing different thickness lenses, special coatings, tinting or polarization, or even transition lenses. Finally, you'll check out and the glasses will be on their way in 5-7 business days.

My glasses took just under two weeks to arrive, and so far I'm very pleased with them. They looked exactly as represented on the screen, fit perfectly, and the prescription matched my old prescription identically. By virtue of these being a review pair, I had up to fifty dollars to spend in picking out my glasses, and while I didn't get transition lenses or prescription sunglasses, it was easy for me to pick frames and lenses that fit into that budget. Honestly, it was easy enough that I intend to order another pair of glasses that are prescription sunglasses – and I'm only too happy to pay for those out of pocket.

There are some downsides to the process, of course. First off, these aren't “designer frames,” although they are clearly modeled after them. So, if having a designer logo on the side of your frames is important to you, then you probably want to look elsewhere. Also, using Just Eyewear doesn't eliminate the need for a trip to the optometrist – you still need to have an eye exam and prescription written out for you. For those with insurance, the trip to the optometrist might cover most of the cost of the glasses, and in that case, there isn't a lot of reason to use Just Eyewear in place of the glasses you could order through your doctor.

But for someone needing a second pair of glasses, or who needs replacements between trips covered by insurance, or someone like me with no vision insurance, buying glasses online from Just Eyewear is a good choice. The glasses are high-quality, the price is inexpensive, and their website is extremely helpful in walking you through the process to ensure that you get glasses you'll be satisfied with. I certainly am satisfied with mine.

Full disclosure: My husband received a complimentary pair of glasses from Just Eyewear to facilitate this review. We received this opportunity through my status as a contributing member of the PRIZEY giveaway community, and no further compensation was received. An honest review was promised, but a positive review was neither guaranteed nor required.

Do You Know Your Drugs Well Enough?

Many of you know I'm only a few months away from finishing nursing school. As a student nurse, I've become very aware of just how many medications the average American is taking. If you're over 40, it's a very good chance that you're taking one or more medications on a daily basis. I'm only 32 and take one medication every day.

I've seen people in the hospital who were prescribed one medication by their family doctor, another by a specialist, and yet another by a different specialist. Without a national medical records system (something I wish we had), it's easy for medication errors to be made by taking drugs that interact with other prescribed drugs. Often the pharmacy will catch many of these errors, but if you go to different pharmacies, it can be near impossible to check for interactions.

Drugs.com, a comprehensive online drug information guide that I've used many times, is now offering moms an easy place to keep track of all their family's medications in one place. Their recently released tool, MedNotes, provides a free online personalized medication management program that can be used to track the whole family's medication profiles.

On each personal family member profile you create, you can enter the names of all the medications being taken and then register to receive drug safety or interaction alerts to ultimately help reduce dangerous side effects and avoid unwanted drug interactions. In addition, MedNotes will send you new drug and specific condition news released by the FDA or drug makers related to the medications your family members take.

I've seen patients in life-threatening situations due to taking medications that interacted with each other. MedNotes is a great way to take charge of your own healthcare and ensure the medications you (and your family) take are as safe for you as possible.

Hat tip to Mom Central for telling me about this new service!

Does Your Computer Need A Tune-Up?

My poor laptop is a workhorse. If it were a person, it would be getting hours and hours of overtime each week and taking Ritalin to deal with all of the multi-tasking I put it through. At the moment, I have six windows of Firefox open, with a total of 17 tabs displaying 17 different websites. It's no surprise, then, that the laptop is starting to show signs of wear: crashing occasionally, random errors, and a slooooow processing speed at times.

Mom Central offered me the chance to try out Norton's PC Tune-Up service, where an expert works with you remotely to make sure your computer is running as well as it should be. It's really an easy process. I called the toll-free number, and then the Norton expert walked me through the steps to set up a secure connection between his computer and mine.

I'll admit I wasn't sure how much they could do remotely, but he did find a few places where my computer was running inefficiently - mostly too many background processes running by programs that didn't need to be eating up RAM. The technician suggested several things that I already knew how to do (as a blogger, I know my way around a computer a little bit), but he did have several ideas I haven't considered before. And he was far friendlier than I expected - no "my knowledge is superior" attitude.

Since our chat, my laptop is running better and I haven't had a crash. While it's not as spry as a shiny new laptop, I'm hoping I bought myself another year or two of time before I need to consider a replacement.

If you're not computer savvy, or just aren't sure where to begin with a slow or uncooperative computer, the Norton PC Tune-Up service can assist in getting your system working with you instead of against you.

Try it out! I've got three Norton PC Tune-Up codes to give away to three separate winners. The code will give you one free tune-up for your computer. To enter, leave a comment on this post between now and December 5, 2008 at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be picked via random drawing after Dec. 6.

With SavvySource, You'll Always Have Something To Do

I've already been promoting my new gig at SavvySource, Being Savvy Columbus, but you may not know about the other features of SavvySource. Aside from the city guides, SavvySource also offers preschool recommendations and a chance to rate your preschool. But by far one of the coolest parts of the SavvySource website is the SavvyQuiz and recommended activities as a result of that quiz.

You might have noticed the little SavvyQuiz widget in the sidebar. Clicking on it will start you through a long quiz about where your child is at developmentally. (Don't worry, if you can't finish the quiz in one sitting, you have the option to save and pick up where you left off.) You'll answer questions about your child's ability to do things for himself, number recognition, language abilities, musical recognition, gross and fine motor skills, and more.

Once you finish the SavvyQuiz, you'll receive a customized report showing you your child's strengths and where your child is developmentally compared to preschoolers in general. Best of all, each section has a link to SavvyPicks, where you'll receive a personalized learning guide featuring activities recommended for your child's level of development. These picks include recommended books and toys that can be purchased, or activities created by both experts and parents like you.

I'm a big fan of the SavvyQuiz because Cordy's abilities are all over the map. Cognitively she's sharp and needs to be challenged, but she lags behind in social skills and some gross and fine motor movements. The activities recommended to me are never too easy for her, but provide the right level of challenge to keep her interested and learning. Best of all - the quiz and many of the activities are completely free! The only cost is if you choose to purchase any of the toys or books recommend for your child.

As an example of one of the recommended toys, I was sent the Leapfrog Tag Reading System to try out. If you haven't seen this, it's an electronic pen that goes with a series of books that are designed to work with the pen. When you purchase a compatible book, you can download the book's contents into the pen, and then the magic begins. Your child can then "read" the book on her own with the help of the Tag pen. The pen can be touched to an image to read the entire page out loud, or if your child is already in the beginning stages of reading, she can touch individual words to be read the word, or select to sound out the word.

Knowing that I love cool gadgets, this has to be one of the coolest kids' gadgets around! I enjoy reading books to Cordy, but I don't always have the time to do so. Now she can take the Tag pen and let the pen help her read a book. The pen is chunky and easy for little hands to hold, and so far I have yet to see it not recognize something on the page. (Another cool feature? You can touch the characters in the illustration on the facing page and each character will speak the words they say in that page of the story.)

I'll admit I'm biased, since I work for SavvySource, but I really do believe that their activities and recommended products are high quality and worth a look, and the SavvyQuiz is an incredibly useful tool. I've used several of the activities recommended for Cordy, many of which are quickly becoming favorite games in our house. She loves the Counting Beans activity, where we sort and count dried beans into different cups.

The widget is also something you can have on your blog! The Parent Bloggers Network is looking for more people to spread the word about SavvySource and earn a little money in the process by displaying the widget. If you think this is something you'd like for your blog, leave a comment here with your blog name and I'll let them know you're interested in participating in the widget advertisement.

Never Again Hear "Why Don't You Send Me Pictures Of The Kids?"

As I've said before, my mom is constantly upset with me because I never give her new pictures of the girls. I show her new pictures on the computer when she comes to visit, and each time she asks me to print off some of them for her. I always forget.

While I do give her digital versions of the photos, she has no idea how to get them printed off. (It's not like when she could take a roll of film to the store and have it developed.) Which is why I was interested in trying out Kinzin, a photo sharing service that offers several advanced features to keep grandparents happy.

Kinzin has many of the features that other photo sharing services offer - the ability to keep your photos private, the ability to e-mail photos, etc. But unlike other services, Kinzin specifically is targeting families with children in the services they offer.

When you first set up an account, you have the option to set up separate categories for each child. You can then upload your pictures into each one, adding in information about your child to their "kidstream" if you want, such as a wishlist or your child's favorite things. You can also create virtual books using the pictures you upload, adding in titles and text.

This service is extremely easy for less tech-savvy grandparents to view. Simply send them an invite e-mail, and they can then access the photos. There is very little clicking involved, and each section is clearly labeled, making it less likely to cause any confusion.

Uploading is fast and simple. You can either upload from your computer, or pull your pictures from your Flickr account, and add a caption if you want. My only complaint is that I haven't found a way to go back and edit an image in any way once you upload another image to a kidstream.

But the most unique service from Kinzin is their automated print delivery system. For $2.99 a month (per recipient), you can have your ten most recent photos printed and mailed to the person of your choice. It requires no effort from you other than uploading your pictures and if you have more than ten uploaded in a month, selecting the ones you want to print and send. They do all the work from that point - printing, packaging, and mailing.

I'm really impressed with the automated print delivery, and feel this is what sets Kinzin apart from other photo sharing services. I set up three addresses for my account (you can set up as many as you like, and every third is free): one to my mom, one to Aaron's dad, and one to myself so I could see how well the photos turned out.

My mom received hers first, but only by a matter of hours. Each of us received our package on the same day. She was thrilled to see some of her favorite images on paper, and immediately started putting them in frames. My father-in-law also commented that he was happy to have some printed copies of the photos.

The photo quality is pretty good. It's not the best out there, but then again, my digital camera doesn't take the best shots, either, so the blame could lie with my camera. But the pictures were clear, the colors were good, and I was impressed that the photo paper was so thick. My only complaint is that the photos have a matte finish, and I wish I would have had the choice between glossy or matte. It's a minor thing, but some people really love that glossy finish.

Overall, I like Kinzin, and think it is a great way to keep your family in touch. If you have family members who live far away, getting ten photos of the kids each month will be a welcome thrill for them. If, like me, your family lives nearby but you use a digital camera, they will also enjoy getting hard copies of photos. If you're worried about the safety of your images, Kinzin is also a good choice, because you have complete control over who can see your pictures.

I'm glad that Parent Bloggers introduced me to Kinzin, because thanks to them I will no longer have to deal with nagging grandparents who want more pictures of their granddaughters. For more reviews of Kinzin, be sure to visit the Parent Bloggers Network.

Finding a Caregiver You Can Trust

When I was a kid, my babysitter was an older woman that my mom found in the newspaper. She had no idea if this woman was trustworthy or not, but she needed a babysitter quickly, and didn't have a lot of money to spend. Thankfully, my babysitter turned out to be a woman who was so special to me that I called her "grandma".

Now, though, the thought of trying to find a non-family member to babysit my daughters sends me into a panic attack. How can I trust a stranger? How will I know they're safe? And beyond that, how would I even go about finding a babysitter? Our neighborhood is short on cheery teens who want to spend their evenings playing games with a preschooler in exchange for $5 an hour.

I recently was introduced to Care.com, though, and I think I've found the answer to those questions. Care.com provides listings for babysitters in your area, allowing you to select and contact those who fit your criteria.

The site has a filter that lets you pick specific criteria when searching for a provider. You can search for someone based on the number of years experience, or someone who can handle pets, or someone who has experience with a certain age group. You can also specify if you're looking for part time or full time care, and how much you're willing to pay. I'm really impressed with how well the filter works to eliminate those who aren't a good match, giving you only the best choices for your needs.

As for safety, when you view a profile, you can learn more about the person, and if you think they are a good match, you can view references and even request to see the background check for that provider. You can also rate a provider on the site, giving one more way to see if a provider is a recommended caregiver or not. Being able to see an official background check goes a long way to settle my nerves over contacting a compete stranger.

But Care.com doesn't just have babysitters. You can also find pet sitters, tutors, senior care, and even housekeepers. Each offers the same filter process to select the best provider, and many profiles will show more than one service offered. (Such as housekeeping and childcare.)

If you need to find a babysitter for those oh-so-rare date nights, take a look at the providers available in your area via Care.com. The basic service is free to sign up for, with premium services available for a subscription fee. The security of references, ratings, and background checks will help you feel you're getting the best babysitter for your children. And they'll probably be more reliable than the neighborhood teen.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Sure, I get some great opportunities to review products here on my blog. I like the chance to try out new products before buying. Sometimes I try things I never would have tried, and discover I love the product, other times I find out a product I really wanted wasn't worth the hype. Why waste money on something that won't work out for you, right?

However, I'll let you in on a little secret: product trials aren't just for bloggers with connections to PR reps. You, too, have the opportunity to try new products and give your opinions. You don't have to have a blog, either. All you need is an interest in new products and an opinion you're willing to share freely.

Vocalpoint is a group I signed up with over a year ago. Oftentimes, big companies want input from consumers on new products they're creating, or they have a new product they want to get the word out about. Vocalpoint connects these companies with their members, providing their members with access to product information before it's released, product samples, coupons, and a chance to provide feedback via surveys and forums.

In the past year, I've been able to try out a lot of interesting products. Most recently, I was given the chance to order one of the new line of Kashi snacks for free, and received a razor I might have never tried were it not for the sample. I also got a preview DVD of the new season of Meerkat Manor from Animal Planet. (Not for me, but Cordy loves watching it.)

Best of all, Vocalpoint can be as interactive as you want it to be. You can be active in the forums, participate in every survey, and give your feedback for every product. Or you can just receive the bi-weekly e-mail newsletters, try out samples that are sent to you, and provide feedback only if you really like or dislike something. It's up to you to choose your level of involvement.

If you're interested in getting the inside scoop on new products, click here to sign up for Vocalpoint!

Keep Your Marriage Healthy

While we've had our bumps along the way, I'd generally say that my marriage is in pretty good shape. Before we were married, an issue forced us into counseling, but through that we learned how to communicate with each other and actually address our issues before they blew up into big problems. Even now, Aaron and I often recommend counseling to friends who confide relationship problems to us. We sincerely believe it can help if both partners are committed to improving their relationship.

But what if you don't have time to go see a counselor, or what if you'd simply like to do a little preventative maintenance on your relationship? A counselor isn't always the most practical solution. Which is why eHarmony (yes, the singles site) has created the eHarmony Marriage site. This new program is designed to help you improve your marriage by pinpointing trouble spots and then having a series of exercises, articles, and personalized advice to help you improve those problems.

The program first has both partners answer a detailed questionnaire about their marriage. From that questionnaire, a personalized marriage profile is created for you. This profile focuses on ten relationship areas, such as commitment, family, values, sex, and companionship. Each area shows each partner's happiness level with a smiley face (or frowny face). Clicking on any category gives you an overview of the category, followed by a few sub-categories with personalized information about your situation, and advice on how to improve that area. Also featured on the side are articles related to the topic and exercises you can complete on your own or as a couple.

The questionnaire was very detailed, although Aaron really didn't like the method for answering the questions. Instead of yes or no questions, or little buttons from "Completely disagree" to "Completely agree", there is a little slider bar that you adjust to indicate your level of agreement. I can see his problem with this - if one partner is more likely to slide the bar to either extreme, while the other is more conservative, it can skew the answers.

Aaron and I both completed our questionnaires, and were happy to see the general overview telling us our marriage was in good shape, but had a few minor problems to work on. However, when we clicked on our profile, we were surprised to see so many little frowny faces. We were both conservative in our slider bar action, so I can only guess that this led the program to interpret our responses as unhappiness, when this isn't the case at all. Perhaps better instruction is needed in how to use the slider bar, or less sensitive interpretation at the least.

The articles are excellent, however. It's nice to be reading a personal evaluation about your relationship, and see recommended articles that apply to specific issues you may be having. The exercises, though, are the truly interactive part of the program. They are a blend of videos and guided exercises to help you think about the topic and start the process of making changes. Aaron and I did an exercise together which, while a little general, was thought provoking and interesting, and it convinced us to work on setting some common goals together. You do need some time to do the exercises - the one we did took about a half hour.

As for the cost, the program is $49.95 per month, or you can buy three months access at a time for $39.95 per month. Consider the cost of a marriage counselor, and this is a cheaper option for many.

The beauty of eHarmony Marriage is that you can take it at your own pace. If you only have time together late at night, the program is right there waiting for you - just try to get a counselor at 11pm at night. You can start and stop at any point, coming back when you want to work on the areas you want to work on.

While I don't think this is the ideal solution for a marriage in true crisis, this is an excellent program for those suffering from minor problems or for those who simply want a marriage "tune-up".

To see more reviews of eHarmony Marriage, check out the Parent Blogger Network.