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Share Your Family Movies With Vimeo #YourVideosBelongonVimeo

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Thank you Vimeo for sponsoring this post. While this was a sponsored opportunity from Vimeo, all content and opinions expressed here are my own. #YourVideosBelongonVimeo

When I was growing up, “Family movies” meant footage shot on VHS tapes – the kind you’d store in dusty boxes and tote out every once in a while to watch special events like family reunions, weddings, or the like. Things have changed a lot since then, and these days a lot of families are shooting video every week on their phone. No longer are “Family movies” an expensive affair reserved for occasional important days – now, we share everything from baby’s first word to a funny thing that happened at the grocery store!

The nice thing about this is that is really can make us more connected. As someone with family all over the world, it makes me happy to be able to literally see what my loved ones are doing with more regularity – it does lend a comforting familiarity that you miss when you can’t “See” someone in person every day.

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How do you share your “Modern-day” family movies with relatives? Most people post their clips on their social media profiles – but you may find that certain people don’t get to see it. For example, Grandma may not want a Facebook profile, or maybe it’s you who feels uncomfortable putting personal videos in a more public medium. This is where Vimeo might come in handy!

You may have heard of Vimeo before: A video hosting website, Vimeo is known for its high quality. I know a lot of video editing professionals who use this site, and in fact, the last time I uploaded something there was a reality show demo tape that the casting agency had requested I place on Vimeo privately. You see, on Vimeo, you can password-protect videos, which makes it ideal for many professional needs and perfect for parents who would rather keep their family movies strictly in the family.

Vimeo gained a following due in part to the fact that it was began by video professionals and caters to the film aesthetic with a clean layout to highlight the videos. There are also no ads popping up on the videos, which I think everyone appreciates! A basic account is free, and the PRO account – which gives you 20 GB a week and priority video conversion – is just $17 per month. And right now, you can save even more: Save 10% on Vimeo Plus or PRO! Use promo code: MOMSTART10clip_image004. So what are you waiting for? Get your precious moments off those memory cards and start sharing them with the people who matter most!

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That Time I Visited France #MyMemoryLane @YesVideo

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This is a partnered post with YesVideo.com.

I had this great opportunity to work with YesVideo.com to explore some memories from my past. I picked two videos, I chose my wedding video and the video footage I took while I was in college of a trip to France. YesVideo.com is a video service that transfers VHS to digital DVD’s and to your own private digital channel on-line at YesVideo.com. YesVideo’s process is very safe & secure. They handle customers’ memories as if they were their own. Their Memory Factory contains surveillance cameras at every stage, and digital copies of the transferred videos are archived for added security.  YesVideo accepts VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, movie film reels and 35mm slides.

As much as I love re-living my wedding day, I was much more interested in looking at and remembering my trip to France.

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Looking at the video from my trip to France was like uncovering a lost treasure. It was January of 2002 that my roommate, very close friend and I all went to France for our Winter break. We spent three weeks in France. We explored Paris on foot for days. Then we took a rental car and explored the country side, it was an amazing experience.

 

These really bring back a smile. Remember these videos are over ten years old, they are closer to 15 years old than they are 10 so the quality is low. The lighting was low and I was using an old camera. This is before HD people but the memories are there. I haven’t seen these videos since we got back from France.  I love the architecture, culture and just thought of being back there in France. I hope that I can take my family there one day and we can all enjoy it together.

Find your memories and share them. For your convenience, you can place your order at the photo counter of any Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart or CVS/pharmacy.   All media must be received by YesVideo on December 2nd to transfer and return DVDs in time for holiday gift giving on December 24th. Home movie memories make a special and unique holiday gift. While orders typically take 3-4 weeks to complete, please allow extra time as Holiday season is a very busy time in the Memory Factory. Learn more about Holiday ordering deadlines at www.yesvideo.com/yvsymmary_social.html. The holiday deadline is actually December 2nd.

Cooking Mama 5 Nintendo 3DS Video Game

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Can we play it can we play it. This is what I hear when Cooking Mama 5 www.CookingMamaUS.com comes into the house. We received a sample from the brand and off we go to play. The original kitchen diva that created the cooking genre is set to school you with brand new mouth-watering recipes and household mini-games. Cook your way through classic fare, exotic cultural dishes and sweet treats to delight the palate! Fun stylus-based activities will keep you busy around the house and prove to Mama that you’ve got the culinary chops to play in her kitchen!

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Zoe loves being in the kitchen, her play kitchen, mom’s real kitchen and even in any virtual kitchen she can find so playing this game is enjoyable to her.

Key Game Features include:

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· The latest addition in the successful Mama franchise: 13 million+ games sold worldwide!

· Unlock 60+ recipes as you progress. Test your skills with new appetizers, drinks, main dishes and desserts including: pork cutlet rice bowl, chicken nuggets, BBQ skewers, pumpkin gratin, raisin bread, Hawaiian pancakes, gingerbread cookies and much more!

· Step out of the kitchen and help Mama with more than 30 new activities around the shop and house: feed the pets, deliver orders, make change, serve ice cream, wash dishes, pick apples, organize, draw and more.

· Six gameplay modes feature intuitive stylus-based activities:

o Let’s Cook: Create recipes step-by-step with Mama on hand to help you.

o Cooking Dojo: Earn medals in timed challenges that reward you for quick and accurate preparation.

o Help the Store: Work the register and play waitress at Mama’s Burger Shop.

o Help Harvest: Gather your recipe fixins’ before you cook.

o Let’s Help Mama: Step outside the kitchen and assist Mama as CEO of the household with fresh activities that make “chores” fun and rewarding.

o Let’s Study: Number and word games mix up the kitchen fun.

· Earn furniture and decorations via SpotPass to customize your menus and game screens. Make your kitchen your own with stained glass, wallpaper, picture frames, plants, holiday items and more. You can even customize Mama’s outfit!

· Single cart download play offers multiplayer cook offs for up to four players.

· Gyroscope and accelerometer support for certain recipes.

The Boxtrolls – Official Trailer Debut!

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The Boxtrolls is an adorable new movie from LAIKA and Focus Features coming in September. Check out this new trailer that was just released for a hint of the fun in store! MomStart will be sharing more fun Boxtrolls information in the coming months, but in the meantime, keep up with the film on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TheBoxtrolls.com.

More on The Boxtrolls:

A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family.

Take A Look At The Volvo Backseat Drivers: KIDS

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In my car, my son is the backseat driver, I’ve been pretty relaxed about it too. He always knows when I’m going the wrong direction and when I’m using my GPS app on my phone, it beeps if I even go 1mph over the speed limit and if he hears that beep he reminds me not to speed. It doesn’t bother me, we usually have a good time talking about mommy’s driving. My husband though, he hates a backseat driver, even if it’s his four year old son. Kids can be so opinionated with no filter, you know? So when Volvo told me they let some kids be the backseat driver I had to share it.

Volvo prides themselves on creating cars that are truly designed around drivers AS WELL AS the passengers. So, they put their design team to the test and asked for reviews from a group of people who rarely have their opinions about vehicles heard…the kids in the backseat! They invited families in the Northeast to bring their children to a Volvo dealership and let their kids tell them what they think.

Dove Hair Color Care Therapy: Two Deep Treatment Options Video

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As someone that likes to color my hair often I know what can happen when you don’t properly care for your hair. My hair has been dry, it has faded and it has turned. When I say turned I mean it turned orange instead of the color I wanted it to be. So I try to take care of my hair, most importantly when I color it.

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Dove Hair Color Care therapy products are designed to nourish your hair and lock in color so it stays vibrant for longer. The new line includes shampoo and conditioner that are gentle enough for daily use, plus two deep-treatment options for thirsty hair: Dove Color Care Daily Treatment Conditioner and Dove Color Care Leave On Conditioner.

 

NEW Dove® Color Care is specifically formulated to protect against dullness and nourish colored hair to keep it vibrant for up to 8 weeks (40 washes)*.

*Shampoo and Conditioner vs. non-conditioner shampoo

 

 

We are receiving a sample as a thank you for posting this information with you.

Making Your Own Commercial is EASY & Fun with The Give ‘Em Ragu App #Giveaway

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Make Your Own Commercial! I Did…And it Was Fun! – Ragu App and #Giveaway

By: Ashley

I guess I should start out by explaining this whole commercial thing. The first thing I’d like you to do though, is take a look…

 

I think that is pretty hilarious. First of all, we have all heard that phrase “like a kid at Christmas” a million times. My son is definitely bringing that phrase to life this year… and I love it. This is the first year that he’s really been into the whole Christmas season. He is full of Christmas spirit, Christmas joy, Christmas love, and very obviously, Christmas energy.

So how did we make our own Ragu commercial? We did that with the new ‘Give Em Ragú’ App. This is an app that lets parents act as commercial directors and filmmakers during the holidays this year. I definitely wouldn’t be able to use this app if I didn’t actually like Ragu… but we do! I love making my own sauce, but sometimes that just isn’t possible. There’s also a dish that my mother in law makes that calls for Ragu. I tried it once with a different sauce, and it just wasn’t the same. So, Ragu is really a product that we keep in our home.

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So what’s the app all about? “Give Em Ragu” lets you take a picture or video of your own family moment and turn it into a Ragu commercial. All you do is select the media you want to use, give a brief description, and it does the rest. You then have the option to share it to Facebook, Twitter, or email it. Making this video was actually a lot of fun. My son does so many silly things that it’s neat to have a different way to share it.

Head into the app store ( For iOS visit the ITunes APP store or to download the app for Android, visit the Google Play store) and try out the “Give Em Ragu” app with some of your own holiday memories. It’s always fun to play with pictures and videos. We’d love to see what you come up with! Our friends at Ragu are even letting us giveaway a month’s supply (4 product coupons) or Ragu! When you’re tired of cooking holiday dinners, you can let Ragu do the work for you! Follow the directions below.

Enter to Win:

A month’s Supply of Ragu

To Enter:

Tell us what you like to make with Ragu

Extra Entries:

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

This giveaway ends January 1st. Please see the giveaway rules.

About Ashley (Managing Editor at MomStart): Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010

Disclosure – A product was provided in return for this review. All opinions are my own.

Trying Diet Pepsi For the First Time

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It should be no secret that I want to be in a commercial or do another TV spot; so when I see opportunities to practice being in front of a camera I jump at the chance. I’m quite a shy person and it takes quite a bit to get myself to do this but I’ve found that over the last year it’s become increasingly easier, I would even say I can’t describe myself as shy anymore either.

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At Blogher 12 there were opportunities to practice getting in front of the computer. This particular opportunity was at the party Getting Gorgeous. I’ve never tried Diet Pepsi before because I was convinced that I didn’t like diet drinks at all. Anytime I’ve had them I just cringe with disgust. So not only did I have to try something I was terrified to try, I also had to do it on the camera.

 

SURPRISE! I actually liked it and think I did a great job on camera. Actually I’m just saying that because I haven’t seen it. I can’t watch it after I’ve done it. So you tell me???

I found Diet Pepsi to be good and it wasn’t overly sweet like most sugar free drinks are to me. I will drink Diet Pepsi again some time.

Maclaren Globetrotter Video – The Latest and Greatest Maclaren Lightweight Stroller

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By: Ashley

With a toddler who would rather be toddling than riding, finding the perfect stroller is a tough battle. Maclaren has always delivered a winning stroller for both me and my little guy – and still does! In the past, we were big fans of the Maclaren Quest Sport, but that was before I took the NEW Maclaren Globetrotter out for a stroll.

The Maclaren Globetrotter has all of the perks that you would expect from a Maclaren: lightweight, easy to fold, durable frame, and a secure 5 point harness. The Globetrotter also brings with it an even lighter design along with a reclining seat! In fact, the Maclaren Globetrotter is the lightest stroller in its class.

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With all of the traveling our family does (especially lately!), lightweight is the number one priority in choosing a stroller. When I found out that the Maclaren Globetrotter was only 10.6 pounds, I knew it would be a great match for us. The great carry strap on the back of the Maclaren Globetrotter stroller is a fantastic addition that works great with the lightness of the stroller. You can quickly fold the stroller down. Then, throw the strap on your shoulder for getting around and carrying whatever else you need to be carrying.

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In addition to the durable lightweight construction, I am always shocked and amazed at the maneuverability of ANY Maclaren – and the Globetrotter does no t disappoint. Several different people in my family, including Atticus, have used it and everyone is always amazed at how easy it handles. You can even push and steer with one hand in those crazy mommy, multitasking, hands full moments in life.

If you are looking for a user friendly, kid friendly, great all around stroller, the Maclaren Globetrotter could be EXACTLY what you’re looking for.

Want to know more about the Maclaren Globetrotter?

Check out more of my new favorite stroller in my Maclaren Globetrotter Demonstration video… and stay tuned in on MomStart to see where we’ve trotted in our Globetrotter.

 

 

MomStart is an Ambassador for Maclaren and received products for review.

About Ashley: Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at http://www.momicles.com/and follow her @Momicles2010 .

Making Life Simpler My Resolve All-Stains Commercial

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I am a brand ambassador and I am being compensated for my participation. I received free product samples in order to do this stain torture test. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own and are not influenced in any way.

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I’m not sure if you know this about me but I’m really interested in doing more TV appearances and in doing a commercial for a major brand. When Resolve asked me to create my very own commercial as part of the Resolve Ambassador program I was super excited to give it a try. I recruited the help of my husband, because I was having trouble holding the camera, remembering what I was going to say while trying to smile. It was just too much to do alone. He was happy to help. Let me describe the scene…

 

Picture this:

You’re a mom
Laundry is everywhere
On the couch
On the floor
In the laundry baskets
In need of being folded
In need of being put away

IT NEVER ENDS

Here is my Resolve All-Stain commercial tell me what you think.

What I love about Resolve All-Stains is that it makes one thing in my life easier, getting stains out of these clothes that need to be washed. Fore more information go to the Resolve Facebook page and to enter the Stain Gambler contest.

So, was that just like your life? What do you like about my commercial and what do you think about Resolve All-Stains?

 

 

I’m a resolve brand ambassador.