With every new Apple product that comes out, I pretty much sit and drool over my computer screen. iPhone 4 is no exception. I still have the ol’ iPhone 3G… not the 3Gs… I wish… As I watched the Gizmodo Live Blog during WWDC ’10, I knew that at some point, I will have to get iPhone 4.. Well, This time, I’m sitting tight. I’m learning from everyone else, just how long I need to wait till Apple works out the bugs..

Here’s just a couple of examples..

Reception issues:

If you buy iPhone 4, get a case with it… One customer bought the iPhone 4 and noticed that when you grip the phone around the sides (which are now the antenna) the reception drops dramatically.

Check out his video here

Another customer found that if you put a case around the iPhone 4 (he used otterbox) it helped out a lot! I’m going to fathom a guess and say that just about any case around the phone will help.. I still plan on buying a battery case when I finally get my iPhone 4…

Some people are guessing it’s a software issue, others blame it on the faulty hardware… Have you noticed this issue? Let me know!

Screen Discoloration:

Some people are experiencing a strange yellowing on the screen. Part of the new Retina Display? Perhaps. They had a similar issue with the iMac 27″…

Do you have an iPhone 4? Are you experiencing any issues? Let me know!

If I hear of any more issues or fixes, I’ll update here!

If you’ve been watching the news at all, you’ve probably seen the crazy flooding in Oklahoma City & Edmond, OK… Well, a very dear friend of mine lives there… and if she knew I was doing this, she’d probably kick me… but… She lost everything in this storm.

You may know her as Consumer Queen.. I also know her as Melissa Garcia… a fellow Walmart Mom … and a truly hard-working, selfless, giving mom, wife and daughter. She has a pretty nifty blog, and uses her coupon and money saving powers to stock up on some awesome products that she donates to people in need. Well this time, she’s the one in need. She is a working mom, her husband works from home due to his disability. She recently sold her home in order to buy a new home with more room so she could take in her mom who has been very ill… They moved in about two months ago, and were finally settling in…

Well, today, while she was at work, her children called her screaming and crying. Water had come in and flooded her house….. Her boss took her home in her vehicle since it would get through the flooded streets. Melissa came home to Firefighters rescuing her pets and family.

I just got off the phone with her, and her family is safe at another family member’s house, but she’s lost everything in her home. Over 2 feet of water came in (red mud and all) and covered all of her new furniture, and electronics. Her appliances are yet to be determined. They are waiting for the water to recede so they can go back and pick through what’s left. They didn’t have flood insurance… They don’t live on a flood plain. Their only hope now, for relief is if they get government aid from disaster relief.

If you can, please help. She gives so much and asks for so little… Please use the chipin widget in my sidebar to donate directly to her…

Thanks so much!

If you blog about this, feel free to link to this post. Please retweet this.

• Update (6:30pm): I spoke with Melissa earlier, and it is pretty bad. Everything under 3 feet was under water.. and it’s not just water, it’s red muddy water. Her entire house is going to have to be gutted, floors replaced, sheetrock replaced, everything. The beds are going to need to be replaced as well as just about all of the furniture and clothing. Her kids lost their Wii and XBox360, hubby lost his new lawnmower and weed eater. Their electronics are gone, including their family room TV, and BluRay Player. The donations you’ve made today (and any further donations) are going directly to her, and you don’t even know how much they are going to help. Thank you so much for your continued generosity!

I was recently chosen to be an Aquafina Mom Ambassador at Mom Central, and have been getting a chance to try out all of the flavored waters in the Aquafina Flavor Splash line of products. So far, we’ve had Lemon, Mixed Berry, Kiwi-Strawberry and Grape…

I know that many times, I look for something flavored rather than just plain water… but that’s not always the best option. I have found a good alternative that just may help you (and your kids) drink more water! Aquafina has the Flavor Splash series of waters that we’ve been able to try out as part of the Aquafina FlavorSplash Ambassador program. I was selected to try out some of the flavors they have available and let you know what I think about them!

So far, we’ve been able to try out 3 flavors, and I have to say, they are very tasty. My favorite so far is the Kiwi-Strawberry. The only thing I have to say I’m concerned about is the fact that they contain artificial sweeteners. I asked about why they add sweeteners, and their response was this:

The sweetener does change the profile of the product. Essence waters are primarily water with just a hint of flavor. FlavorSplash is for someone who likes a little more sweetness.

It’s a great way to get more water if you’re looking for an alternative to sodas, juices and other drinks that aren’t so good for you…

What do you think? Do you drink enough water? Have you tried FlavorSplash products?  Let me know!

** I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for Aquafina FlavorSplash and have received various FlavorSplash samples to facilitate my participation. Mom Central will send me a gift card at the end of the program.

Everyone can help change the world for the better, one step at a time. American Express has joined with TakePart.com to bring you opportunities to make a difference and provide a platform to express your passion – in small manageable steps. Whether it’s voting for your favorite charity to receive funding from American Express, Volunteering time, donating, or just telling your friends, everyone can take a small step on Members Project and start making a difference.

I joined Members Project, and had a chance to look around the site.

Your Vote: A step closer to a big difference.

Vote every week for your favorite charity. Why? Because every three months, the charity with the most votes in each of the five categories (Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education, Environment & Wildlife and Health & Wellness) will receive $200,000 in funding from American Express.

Voting is open to everyone… All you have to do is register for Members Project and log in to cast your vote. Voting for the first round ends on May 24, 2010.

Volunteer: When an hour is more than just an hour.

Any amount of time is worth so much more than you know. Members Project can help you find the right volunteer opportunity for you. If you are an American Express cardholder, you can earn Membership Rewards Points by volunteering through Members Project. You can use those Rewards Points towards things you need, or you can donate them right back to the charity of your choice. To find some amazing volunteer opportunities in your area, go to the Members Project Volunteer Page.

Donate: Made simple

If you’d like to just give monetarily, Members Project  has made it easy to do that as well! You can search for your favorite charity by name, or narrow it down to certain areas. If you are an American Express cardholder and would like to donate Membership Rewards Points, you can do that through the Members Project Donation Page.

I highly encourage you to join and do you part.

** This is a post supporting Members Project from American Express. I have not been compensated for this post, however, by posting about Members Project, I am eligible to win a gift card provided by One2One Network.

So, hubby and I were doing some spring cleaning this weekend… I came across one of my old utility bills from November ’09. I mentioned how I was really surprised about how our water bill recently went from $100+ per month to around $30 per month. I thought.. “Wow.. really? did we cut back that much?? ” I didn’t see how we could have, considering we were already pretty frugal and hadn’t really changed our habits too much. Anyway.. after finding this bill, I thought I understood… I saw a charge that really shouldn’t have been there…

The area we live in has our own little sewer system so we don’t have to pay the city for it. We do still pay the city for our water though.. Well, this old bill showed a charge of around $30 for water and around $70 for sewer! Well, I pay our community system $38 per month for sewer already… I thought, it had to be a long shot, but I called the city today. I explained to them about finding the bill, and how I was concerned about the large difference in charges. Whether I was supposed to be paying it, and I wasn’t now, or if I wasn’t supposed to be paying it, and was owed a credit. They agent that took my call was a little confused, so I gave her my account number, and told her my November bill was over $100, and my most recent bill was just over $30. I told her what community I lived in and explained how we had our own system that the residents paid for. She started looking through everything and realized that something wasn’t right. She told me that she’d go through our billing history and give me a call later with the results, but it definitely looked like we were due a credit. Later on yesterday, she called me back and told me that she was still going through the bills, and would call me back in the morning.

Well, I just got that call. She went through the last year of bills, since we moved in… and get this… I now have a credit of $448.51. No kidding… That’s just about a year’s worth of water for us. Holy Cow!

I know situations like this can be rare… but you never know! I find it a little frustrating that the city would basically find a mistake, fix it in their system, but not notify me, or just credit my account. Why did I have to call them to get this little interest free loan of theirs paid back to me? Did they hope I’d never find it? I’m sure. But it’s taught me a lesson…

I use e-bills through my bank. I don’t get paper bills (Go Earth!)… so I tend to log into the system, see the amount due and just pay it. I don’t usually go through the bills line by line, trusting that the company knows what they’re doing.. Not anymore. I’m going to make sure I check them out from now on, especially if I notice a huge discrepancy like I did on this one. If I would’ve looked earlier, I would’ve noticed I was being charged sewer when I shouldn’t have been, and would’ve saved $450-ish over the last year… and that’s a lot!

Has this ever happened to you? How did you get it fixed? Was the company willing to work with you? or did they give you a hard time?

This post is going to be written in blue.. Yes.. Blue… Today, April 2nd, and Mommy Brain Reports is turning the posts blue in honor of Autism Awareness Day.. I encourage you to do the same!

The campaign has given me the opportunity to give away 5 Autism Awareness bracelets! Leave a comment to enter one! Follow me on Twitter to win, and Facebook! Sorry, but you must be a resident of the USA! Giveaway is today only!!! Enter until midnight EST!

Autism affects one in every 110 children and many parents are still uninformed about the prevalence and early warning signs of autism. I must admit, I’m not very educated on Autism either, so I’m going to defer to the Press Release  for stats and more information so I get it right…

From the Press Release that was sent to me:

Autism Speaks, the world’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the launch of its inaugural Light It Up Blue campaign – a unique global initiative to help raise awareness and shine a bright light on autism as a growing public health crisis in support of World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and Autism Awareness Month. Iconic landmarks around the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City and Willis Tower in Chicago along with the CN Tower in Toronto and Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia – as well as airports, bridges, museums, concert halls, restaurants, and retail stores, are among more than 100 structures in over 16 U.S. cities and nine countries around the world that will light up in bright blue on the evening of April 1 – the first night of Autism Awareness Month and the eve of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD).

As part of its ongoing, award-winning public service ad campaign and to promote awareness of, and participation in the Light It Up Blue initiative, Autism Speaks and the Ad Council have produced web banners that will be distributed to hundreds of web sites.  In addition, Autism Speaks has launched a special web site, www.lightitupblue.org, to highlight the campaign. The Light It Up Blue website provides unique and fun ideas about how people can get involved in their local community, from hosting autism-themed gatherings to viewings of autism-themed films and TV programs. The site also accepts donations to fund autism awareness and research efforts.

“We are excited that these landmark buildings will be illuminated in blue to show support for World Autism Awareness Day and Autism Awareness Month,” says Suzanne Wright, co-founder of Autism Speaks. “We are also incredibly grateful to these dedicated corporate, retail and media partners for the commitment and generosity they have shown to this cause. Together, we will light the skies like a beacon of hope and ensure that our message of autism awareness will reach millions around the globe.”

To commemorate World Autism Awareness Day and the Light It Up Blue campaign the following Autism Speaks corporate sponsors, retail, and media partners will participate:

• The Toys“R”Us “Geoffrey-Tron” jumbo screen in Times Square will light up blue and feature Autism Speaks promotional materials throughout the month of April, as part of its annual campaign.
• Nest Fragrances, created the “Blue Garden Autism Candle,” specifically for Autism Speaks, which can be purchased at www.neimanmarcus.com. Nest Fragrances, owned by Autism Speaks Board Member Laura Slatkin, is donating a portion of proceeds to benefit Autism Speaks.
• Saks Fifth Avenue NYC headquarters has donated one of its signature windows to Autism Speaks and will light up blue.
• The Tommy Hilfiger store on Fifth Avenue in NYC will illuminate its store staircase and Stone Wall blue and have its sales associates wear the puzzle piece pins.
• The NBA Store and NBC Experience Store in NYC will turn its lights blue and feature a special message in the store windows.
• Lord & Taylor 47 stores around the country will participate with employees wearing blue and the Autism Speaks pin. In addition, the NYC headquarters will devote one of their windows to autism.
• ASK.com will turn its home page blue and provide “skins” with information about Autism Speaks available for download.
• Scholastic.com will turn its family page wallpaper blue: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/familylife.jsp

Participating Buildings include:

National buildings

• Nevada State Capitol, Carson City, NV
• Governor’s Mansion, Carson City, NV
• Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL
• Willis Tower, Chicago, IL
• One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL
• Wrigley Building, Chicago, IL
• Fountain Square, Cincinnati, OH
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH
• Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• Denver City & County Building, Denver, CO
• Pennsylvania Capitol Building, Harrisburg, PA
• Montana Capitol Building, Helena, MT
• JP Morgan Chase Tower, Houston, TX
• Kansas City Downtown Marriott Hotel, Kansas City, MO
• Los Angeles Airport (LAX) Pylons, Los Angeles, CA
• L’Etoile Restaurant, Madison, WI
• Miami Tower, Miami, FL
• Empire State Building, New York, NY
• Madison Square Garden Marquee, New York, NY
• New York Stock Exchange, New York, NY
• Radio City Music Hall Outdoor Façade, New York, NY
• FUSE Networks, New York, NY
• John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower, New York, NY
• Brooklyn Borough Hall, New York, NY
• Barclays Capital, New York, NY
• The Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel, New York, NY
• Boqueria Restaurant, New York, NY
• Corton Restaurant, New York, NY
• Mas(farmhouse) Restaurant, New York, NY
• Abe & Arthur’s Restaurant, New York, NY
• Copeland Restaurant, Morristown, NJ
• UpRoot Restaurant, Warren, NJ
• Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia, PA
• Secretary of State Howlett Building, Springfield, IL
• Soldiers’ Memorial Military Museum, St. Louis, MO
• The Civil Courts Building, St. Louis, MO
• College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
• Clematis Street Fountain, West Palm Beach, FL

International Buildings

• The Bell Tower, Perth, Australia
• Bangabandhu Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
• CN Tower, Toronto, Canada
• Nicosia Town Hall, Nicosia, Cyprus
• Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, New Zealand
• Kingdom Tower Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• The Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Bermuda’s City Hall, Hamilton, Bermuda
• Shaheed Hussain Adam Building, Maldives

About World Autism Awareness Day

On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139, tabled by the State of Qatar, declaring April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day in perpetuity. This UN resolution established WAAD as one of only three official disease-specific United Nations Days, with the goal of bringing the world’s attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions.

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health concern. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism crisis and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of people with autism, and features community events around the world where individuals with autism and their families are warmly welcomed and embraced.

About Autism

Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 110 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The prevalence of autism increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

About Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is North America’s largest autism science and advocacy organization. Since its inception only five short years ago, Autism Speaks has made enormous strides, committing over $142.5 million to research and developing innovative new resources for families through 2014. The organization is dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. In addition to funding research, Autism Speaks also supports the Autism Treatment Network, Autism Genetic Resource Exchange and several other scientific and clinical programs. Notable awareness initiatives include the establishment of the annual United Nations-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on April 2 and an award-winning “Learn the Signs” campaign with the Ad Council which has received over $210 million in donated media. Autism Speaks’ family resources include the Autism Video Glossary, a 100 Day Kit for newly-diagnosed families, a School Community Tool Kit, a community grant program and much more. Autism Speaks has played a critical role in securing federal legislation to advance the government’s response to autism, and has successfully advocated for insurance reform to cover behavioral treatments. Each year Walk Now for Autism Speaks events are held in more than 80 cities across North America. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.

About the Co-Founders

Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism. Bob Wright is Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman, General Electric, and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than twenty years. He also serves on the boards of the Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation, RAND Corporation and the New York Presbyterian Hospital. Suzanne Wright has an extensive history of active involvement in community and philanthropic endeavors, mostly directed toward helping children. She serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations and is also Trustee Emeritus of Sarah Lawrence College, her alma mater.  Suzanne has received numerous awards such as the CHILD Magazine Children’s Champions Award, Luella Bennack Volunteer Award, Spirit of Achievement award by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine’s National Women’s Division and the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2008, the Wrights were named to the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world for their commitment to global autism advocacy.

Lands’ End, Islands Of The Bahamas and iexplore.com

Host Travel Twitter Event

Travel Advice and More Than 25 Giveaways and Blogger Promotion

Join Lands’ End and representatives from the Islands Of The Bahamas and iexplore.com for a Twitter Event to celebrate the Lands’ End’s Bahamas Adventure to Harbour Island promotion at The Hubwww.landsend.com/thehub.  The site features engaging content focusing on travel through the summer as well as the chance to win a trip for four to the pink-sand beaches of Harbour Island.

Be a part of this exciting Twitter Event and tweet with representatives from Lands’ End, the Islands Of The Bahamas and iexplore.com.  The event will feature more than 25 fun giveaways ranging from Lands’ End luggage, beach towels, travel kits, beach bags and gift cards.

Lands’ End Harbour Island Twitter Event

Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Time: 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. CST

Location: #landsend

Join the fun and follow:

@LEprMichele, @LEprMolly, @LEprLibby, @VisitTheBahamas,

@iexplore and @iexplore_Amanda

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a child, I wasn’t a very big fan of eating fish… of any sort. But since living in Japan, I’ve grown to love many types of seafood. One of my favorites being tuna. It’s so easy to use, and it’s a great source of protein, Omega-3 (which is a good type of fat) and Vitamin D… and I’ve just recently found out that it’s been part of a couple of scientific studies with pregnant women!
I took a look at these studies with tuna and pregnant women, and was quite impressed with the results.

First, a study at Harvard Medical School, that was published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition stated that they studied over 25,000 Danish mother/child pairs to determine the overall effect of maternal fish intake during pregnancy on child development. They found out that based on their interviews the women with the highest intake (2 oz per day on average) had children 25% more likely to have higher developmental scores at 6m and nearly 30% more likely to have even higher scores at 18m. I’m sure that these results are probably not typical, but if it’s even remotely true… I think I’m very glad that I ate my fish when I was pregnant with my girls!
The second study I read about was regarding depression in women, especially pregnant women. They stated that they found moms-to-be who ate no seafood were 50% more likely to have symptoms of depression than those who ate seafood at least three times per week. Not a good statistic! Recent science is suggesting that depression during pregnancy can increase the risk of

• Having a caesarian section
• Delivering prematurely or a low birth weight baby
• Lowering cognitive test scores and babies’ brain & behavior development
• Having depression following pregnancy.

It sounds like seafood is healthier than many people think.. and it’s so easy to get those recommended servings into your diet, especially with tuna fish!

We sometimes make a simple green salad and add in some healthy tuna on top of it. We’ll add in carrots, red onion, olives, some cheese, and then only a light sprinkling of some red wine vinaigrette dressing. It’s perfect as a side dish or make it a larger salad, and it’s a meal! For snacking, I’ll often grab a handful of whole grain crackers, and put some tuna on top. It’s healthy, and good!

For more information about the benefits of Tuna, or seafood in general, check out healthy tuna.com!

Future bestselling authors from North Carolina (WOOHOO!) and New York

On January 15th, 2010, MrsP.com announced the names of the two Grand Prize winners in its first annual “Be a Famous Writer” contest.  Gabrielle Fuller, 8, from North Carolina, takes top honors in the 4- to 8-year-old category with her comic fairy tale, “Pretty Princess and Funky Frog.” In the 9- to 13-year-old category, Isabella Penola, 12, from New York, charmed the panel of famous judges with her poignant tale of an elderly gardener, “Spattered Mud and Crushed Petals”.

“Like everyone, I’m concerned about the state of education in America.  But based on the quality of writing for my contest, I’m happy to say a lot of teachers out there must be doing a wonderful job,” said TV star Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P and is one of the creators of the website.

The Grand Prize winners will have their stories produced as videos featuring Mrs. P, which will be presented on her popular free, interactive digital website. Original artwork by award-winning illustrator, Robin E. Kaplan, will help bring the stories to life. The videos will be posted for a limited time on the website (www.MrsP.com) beginning in March for viewers all over the world to watch and enjoy. In addition, each winner will receive an actual bound copy of the story and illustrations as a keepsake to treasure for years to come. Powell’s Books (www.Powells.com), the largest independent bookseller and the sponsor of the contest, will provide the Grand Prize winners as well as the 8 other finalists with gift certificates to its store.

The judges for the writing contest included four top professionals in the writing field: Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist and author of dozens of bestselling books; Andre Bormanis, writer and producer of the popular fantasy series, Legend of the Seeker and author of Star Trek: Science Logs; Craig Ferguson, host of the CBS Late Late Show and author of the acclaimed novel, Between the Bridge and the River; and Diana Leszczynski, author of Fern Verdant and the Silver Rose, a comic adventure recently selected as a Smithsonian Notable Children’s Book and currently being developed as a motion picture.

The MrsP.com writing contest is an annual event and runs every September. It was created along with the website to encourage a love of reading.

Next year…. my girls are so totally entering!!! Your children should too!!

A very dear friend and colleague just found out this past weekend that her very beautiful 4 year old daughter has leukemia. Thankfully, it’s a more common and more cureable form of childhood leukemia called A.L.L. (Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia), but it’s still going to require a great amount of treatment and doctor visits, and God only knows what else. They found out that she’ll have an 85-90% cure rate, but among the blessings, there’s also a down side. They don’t have medical insurance.

Her husband lost his job a few months ago, and she is self employed.They were in the middle of applying for the state children’s medical insurance, but it didn’t come through in time, and now there’s nothing they can do but bear the weight of the impending medical bills.

I’m going to add a chip-in widget to my sidebar (campaign created by Jenn of Frugal Upstate), and I ask that you do chip-in if you can. Skip your morning coffee at Starbucks and bring in your own from home for a couple of days, or brownbag it and donate what you would’ve spent that day… Anything you can donate no matter how little will make a HUGE difference in this family’s life.

To find out more about my friend Jennae and her family, please check out her site: Green Your Decor

To donate, please use the widget in my sidebar. Thank you!