Mommy Plannerista

Planning. Passions. Parenthood.

#MyStarKidAdventure: Star Margarine’s Star Dino Story Book

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Our kids have their own favorite apps on their gadgets. Of course, their dad and I regulate all the apps that they use and make sure that they are age-appropriate and safe for them. Well, we recently discovered one that is definitely made for kids and that is the Star Dino Story Book app by Star Margarine.

I grew up with Star Margarine in our house. I love it on toasted bread but we also sometimes used it on rice. Star Margarine has always been known as something that helps keep kids healthy, strong, and taller too! It consists of Vitamins A, B, D and E as well Iodine. So it’s not really a surprise that it’s still a staple in a lot of Filipino households these days. The only difference is that there are a lot more Star Margarine flavors now including Chocolate, Strawberry, Garlic, Caramel, Vanilla, Sweet Blend and of course, the Classic one.

Anyway, Star Margarine recently came up with a new web app called the Star Dino Story Book and my son, Ziggy (That’s his nickname, by the way. His real name is Zeth, which is what we used on the app.) and I were able to try it. It allows your child to star in his or her own fun adventures. We first had to go to StarMargarine.com/login and created our account. You can do so using your email address or via Facebook.

Then we each had to type our names and upload our photos. Here’s how it will turn out. It’s like a cover of your own personalized story book. Cool, right!

After that, it was time to try on the different adventures. There were four in total – Coaster Hills Adventure, Cheer Valley, Boulder Bridge, and Hero Canyons. We tried them all of course. The stories are very short ones but feature different stories where kids are able to go on fun adventures with the help of Star Margarine which keeps them healthy and strong.

Here’s Ziggy in one of the scenes on Coaster Hills.

Here’s another one from Hero Canyons.

Then, here’s a scene from Boulder Bridge.

When you and your child are done with each adventure, it will automatically be saved on the app. Then when all four adventures are done, you will have the option to rearrange the sequence of the adventures as you want them to appear before sharing them on social media. You can share it via Facebook on Twitter. We chose to share ours on Facebook.

I like that the app was really very simple and easy to use. It’s also very kid-friendly. It was really fun for my son because he loved being the star of his own story books. We even showed the story books to our two-year-old, Zander, and he was amazed seeing his mom and brother on the app! He kept on pointing to our dino characters and even kissed them. Haha!

Try out the app too! Your kids will enjoy their own #MyStarKidAdventure. For more info, follow Star Margarine on Facebook.

Connect with Teens Digitally Through Parental Control App!

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Teens today live in a digital world. A world that moves at the speed of light and a place where risks are high and privileges are many.  One thing is for sure – teens enjoy this digital environment.

Teens feel more comfortable in their online space rather than in the real world. One major reason behind their cyber priority is the freedom that they enjoy there. The freedom to become the person they want. The freedom to become friend with anybody they like, the freedom to say whatever they want. But is not safe for them. Posing themselves as a person who they are really not can make them live in their fantasy world that is far beyond the reality. Also, becoming friends with just anybody can expose them to online predators which can land them into serious problems. Last but not the least, saying anything online can destroy their digital reputation.

Most teens aren’t mature enough to realize that what they post today can affect their reputation tomorrow and beyond. Hence, it is really important for parents to check on what their teens do online. To keep a close check on them, parents can use a parental control app such as FamilyTime. Using the app, they can not only connect with their teens’ digital world but also control what they can and can’t do. Here is what the app offers:

  • Monitor the web browsing history of your teen with the details of URL and the time of visit, etc.
  • View the list of bookmarks and favorites saved on their devices
  • Monitor the list of apps installed on their devices
  • Check the details of the app installed, such as date of installation, version of the app being used and the category the app falls in, etc.
  • Analyze the time spent on each application
  • Blacklist unwanted or inappropriate apps from their app list.
  • Have a look at the contact book and their additional details saved in it, such as email address, home address, date of birth, relation and organization, etc.
  • Check call logs with the complete information of dialed, received and missed calls, etc.
  • Monitor SMS history and see who your kid talks to and what do they talk about
  • Watchlist suspicious contacts and get notified every time the contact is made between your kid and the watchlisted contact either through a call or via SMS.
  • If you find your teen using the devices during odd hours, especially at night or while having lunch, you can put auto-screen locks on their devices and schedule it on a daily basis for specific time intervals, say from 9 pm to 6 am etc.
  • You can also put locks to restrict the use of the device immediately using the remote lock feature of the app.

There are a bundle of other features too. To explore them yourself, give this app a try for free. To download this app on your phone, go now to Google Play Store on your phone.

Monitor Teens To Set Them Free!

Give your teen what they demand most – Freedom, with the help of the parental control app such as FamilyTime that lets you monitor your teens from a distance.

So take the digital route now and ease parenting!

Unleash Your Creativity with the New HP Spectre X2

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Last March 22, 2018, I went to attend the launch of the new HP Spectre X2 at Okada Manila. I’ve been scouting for a new laptop and I heard this one was really designed to push creative boundaries and unlock new opportunities.

As I, together with other bloggers and media reps, went inside the ballroom, we were greeted with a display of beautiful furniture masterpieces by world-renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue. He later gave a presentation on his other designs and told us all about his inspirations.

There was also a fashion show showcasing creations by fashion designer Michael Leyva.

Finally, the HP Spectre X2 was revealed to all of us and it was indeed also a masterpiece! Just like the creations of both Kenneth Cobonpue and Michael Leyva, the HP Spectre X2 is indeed on a higher edge.

HP’s new premium detachable Spectre X2 delivers performance, design, and innovation that empower today’s generation of digital creators to inspire the world like never before. It is actually HP’s first luxury detachable designed for Windows Ink, which includes a precise pen experience that was curated by the artist community.

 

The HP Spectre X2 has the following features:

  • 7th Intel Core processors, durability of a stainless steel hinge and ability to create Windows Ink to a premium detachable PC
  • Ink with precision in any mode. The Windows Ink certified pen is pressure sensitive so emerging artists and creators can produce a wide range of artistic effects, from varying line weights to creating subtle shading and coloring. It has a U-shaped stainless steel kickstand with the ability to function flat and up to 165 degrees optimized for inking in any angle, and for lifestyle, while providing exceptional durability to stand up to everyday use.
  • Reinforced design with premium materials: A CNC-machined aluminum chassis and dark ash silver coloring with a copper kickstand provides more durability in each curve and contour for a refined design.
  • Bright, strong display: a brilliant 12.3″ diagonal 3K2K (3000×2000) display with 6 million pixels, bringing HD entertainment to the next level and providing a wider range of ambient light options, giving photographers or graphic artists better screen readability and visibility.
  • Durable detachable keyboard: providing a strong magnetic force to stay attached in any mode, along with a full-sized keyboard and responsive glass trackpad.
  • High resolution cameras: bringing a 13MP rear camera, SMP WDR wide-view front camera and an IR camera for Windows Hello biometric authentication.
  • Long battery life with HP Fast Charge. Stay entertained and productive with up to 8 hours of battery life and HP Fast Charge technology moving from 0% battery life to 50% on a 30-minute charge.

The HP Spectre X2 is now available, starting at PHP 79,999.00. I love the look of it because it’s so thin and light, perfect for people on the go! And while I’m not an artist, I know it will still be so beneficial for my work and for my blogging. I definitely want one.

Learn more about the HP Spectre X2 on www.hp.com.

 

Learn and Play at SmartKids Asia Philippines 2018

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Our family loves attending educational yet fun events. That’s because we believe that learning is best done through play. Well, this month, we’re going to attend one such event with the return of SmartKids Asia Philippines.

SmartKids Asia Philippines (SKAP) is set to go on its fourth run on January 27 – 28, 2018 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City to once again treat Filipino families to a uniquely fun and educational experience.

After enjoying immense success in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, SmartKids Asia conquered the Philippines in 2014, 2015, and 2017, bringing together interactive booths, engaging classes, exciting stage performances and many other innovative activities for the whole family to enjoy. SmartKids Asia offers unparalleled opportunities to help parents discover the potential and strengths of their child; whether in music, arts, sports, culinary arts or in other fields.

On January 2018, SmartKids Asia Philippines will take families Around the World in Two Days, giving them a unique opportunity to experience other nations’ colorful culture under one roof.

Here’s something else you can also look forward to at the event.

METAS

Discover a different kind of play with METAS bricks at SKAP.

METAS, exclusively distributed by Microdata, is an educational toy that comes in the form of bricks, or input and output bits that allow kids to learn by building. The toy has two product lines. The METAS Innolab for schools, and the METAS Techno, the retail line which comes with motors, sensors, a dimmer, and rechargeable batteries.

METAS helps kids integrate the concepts of math, engineering, technology, arts and science into everyday living and helps build understanding on how and where things fit. It also comes with activities and lesson plans that are aligned to the K-to-12 curriculum.

Microdata has prepared exciting booth, stage, and classroom activities for the two day family extravaganza. They will also give away exciting prizes to fair-goers.

Polaroid Pop

Like a lot of moms, I love taking pictures. It’s just a great way to capture precious moments with our family, right? But what if your digicam can do so much more than just take pictures? Well, learn more about Polaroid Pop.

Polaroid Pop, the latest addition to Polaroid’s wide range of gadgets, has features that stand out from most digicams. It has its own program called “Pop App,” available for iOS and Android gadgets, which enables users to edit, add extra details, share, and print any pictures directly from the smartphone or tablet.

The 3.5×4.25″ prints come with the Polaroid border format but can also be customized with a wide array of borders, fun stickers, filters, and touchscreen drawings. Its 3.97-inch LCD viewfinder touchscreen display allows users to have a complete and full view of the photos to be edited. The photos can be stored in the internal camera roll for printing.

Polaroid Pop’s integrated printer features, which has the ZINK® Zero Ink® printing technology, produces full-color, high quality, long-lasting, and smudge-proof images.

Other outstanding features of the camera include Wi-Fi connectivity function, built-in flash, image stabilization, and high definition video recording capability. The sleek Polaroid Pop will come in fun colors such as blue and yellow.

You guys will be able to experience the METAs and Polaroid Pop firsthand at the SKAP. So don’t miss it! It’s going to be such a great way to not only discover new fun and educational products but also find out more about what your kids are interested in. Hope to see you there!

SKAP tickets are available at MetroDeal and can also be purchased on the event days. For more information, visit SKAP’s Facebook page.

Review: FotoJet Online Graphic Design App

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As a blogger, I am often editing photos for use here in the blog as well as on my social media channels. To do this, I need to use a good graphic design tool or a photo editing app. I have tried quite a few over the past few years and recently I was asked to try another one called Fotojet.

FotoJet is a free web app that enables users to quickly create amazing photo cards, collages and social media arts without any downloading or installing. You can simply create an account at www.fotojet.com and you’ll already be able to use it. However, in the free account, you will be limited to using certain functions only.

There are three categories you can use Fotojet for and they are DESIGN, COLLAGE and EDIT. I tried doing all three . But before I show you the outcome, let me show you first the FotoJet interface.

As you can see here, the interface is simple, clean and easy to understand. I found it easy to navigate even without reading or watching any tutorial on how to use the app. Should you need tutorials though, they are also made available on the site.

On the upper left portion, you can just click on DESIGN, COLLAGE or EDIT depending on what you wish to do. Below that are the different editing tools you can use. Take note though that not all tools will be available for you to use if you’re using a free account. If you want to have full access, you’ll have to get the upgrade.

At the top center part of the interface, are the Open, Save, Share and Print functions.

EDIT

I first tried to edit photos because, as a blogger, this is what I most often do. I chose a photo of my son from one of the events we recently attended. As you can see here on the BEFORE, the photo is a bit dark and grainy and needed a bit of cropping.

So, after logging in to my account on FotoJet, I just clicked EDIT on the top left portion of the screen. From here, you can already upload a photo straight from your computer or even from Facebook. I chose my son’s photo from my computer and it appeared like this below.

On the left side, I used some of the editing tools available to me, such as crop, resize, exposure and color. I wanted to sharpen the image and remove some of the noise on the image as well but those were not available in the free account. You can also have the option to add effects, text, clipart, overlay and frames.

I decided to keep mine simple because I wanted to use my son’s photo on a blog post. Here’s the AFTER shot.

The photo has now been cropped to a better size and is now brighter and with colors that are more vibrant.

COLLAGE

For this I decided to make a Father’s Day card for my hubby which I wanted to post on Facebook. You can actually choose to make just a classic collage or something more creative, such as a photo card such as the one below.

I chose a creative one. There are several templates to choose from already. All you need to do is to click on your choice then add photos on to the template. You can likewise add text, clipart and backgrounds.

Here’s what I came up with.

Not bad, huh?

DESIGN

For design, you can choose to make several things including posters, flyers, cards and even Facebook ads, social media headers and posts. Because I’ve started using my YouTube channel officially last month, I thought I needed to spruce my channel up with YouTube channel art.

Like the collage option, there are also ready-made templates already that you can use. You can also add on some text, clipart and backgrounds. There were several themes to choose from. I chose a lifestyle one and added some stock photos that are also available already on the app. Here’s the final output.

So pretty, right?

Overall, I really liked this app for the following reasons.

  • It’s simple and the interface is easy to navigate.
  • You can already use it for free and even the upgrade option is not expensive at all if you plan on using the app a lot.
  • It’s web-based. I don’t really like editing photos on my phone or iPad because the screens are smaller than my laptop. Also, apps on mobile phones and tablets tend to use up a lot of memory and uses up your battery faster.
  • This one has a lot of templates already that are ready-to-use, which makes designing and editing quicker and more convenient.
  • It allows you to upload photos not just from your computer but also from Facebook. There are lots of stock photos also available.
  • When saving your work, you can even choose the quality level (Low, Medium, or High). You can likewise choose to save either as a JPG or PNG file.
  • You can immediately share your work as well on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr. Alternatively, you can choose to print your work directly from the app.

The only things I didn’t really like are the ads that appear on the outer sides of the interface. However, you can do away with those if you choose to upgrade.

For more information about FotoJet, visit www.fotojet.com.

Disclosure