Surfing the Amazon with Little Passports

June has come and gone, and our globetrotting adventures continue... even though we haven't spent a dime or plane tickets or gasoline! Little Passports is a monthly subscription service that follows the adventures of characters Sam and Sofia as they travel to a new country each month. Each month children get their own package in the mail containing games, toys and activities, all related to the country that Sam and Sofia are visiting. The Little Passports company has generously sent us a couple of mailings to try out. and it has been a wonderful way for the kids to "travel" on a staycation budget.

My kids really enjoyed the First Month Explorer Kit , especially my 8 year-old daughter Pea, so when our first Monthly Adventure Kit arrived in the mail, I knew I could look forward to an afternoon or two of peace and quiet while they were engrossed in fun, educational activities. This month, Sam and Sofia visited Brazil, so everything in the mailing featured something about the geography and culture of Brazil. We received a worksheet, a geode, Sam and Sofia's Brazil diary entry to read, some cute stickers, a wooden toucan puzzle, and a boarding pass with a code to access some fun online games.

The only problem we're having with the Little Passports packages is kind of a good one, because it shows that The Pea is actually using and enjoying it: with all the activity sheets she has gone through in just 2 Little Passports mailings, the cute little cardboard travel suitcase that came with the First Month Explorer Kit is already a mess. So if there's anything I'd add to the product line, it would be a folder to store all of the activity sheets and a ring binder where kids could collate the Sam and Sofia diary pages that comes with each monthly mailing (and they would have to be small enough to fit into the suitcase, of course). They could could be available for parents to purchase separately. Or even better, they could be included in succeeding Monthly Adventure Kits, which don't contain as much cool stuff as the First Month Explorer Kit -- even though each month costs the same, $10.95.

Of course, you could always just do what The Pea did and staple all the diary entries together and all the activity sheets together. That solved the paper problem in a cheaper (though not as pretty) way, and now it'll be easier to organize future mailings. And that's the nice thing about Little Passports -- that each mailing is different, so your children look forward to each and every package. And they keep learning about new countries every month. Keep up the good work, Little Passports!

Cover this Belly Button Up with a SlimPerfect Dress!

It's now two weeks to BlogHer '09 , and thanks to my love affair with a couple dozen Peanut Butter Cookie Bombs, I don't think my tummy flab is going to get any less flabby for those BlogHer parties . So I'm still hoping I make the cut for the Little Black Dress Model Search contest, the amazing brainchild of Muffintopless , Girlfriendology and Slimperfect -- they're awarding 4 ladies with the perfect Slimperfect Little Black Dress, as well as a $250 Slimperfect giftcard and a makeover for BlogHer party night (July 23).

I've already outline my reasons for why I would be the perfect '10' Slim Perfect BlogHer model in my previous contest entry post, but for reason # 7 I promised a "possibly humiliating but probably funny" video entry as well. Well, I always make good on my promises, so here it is: a video of my daughter and my bellybutton pleading my case.

Note: this video is not for the faint of heart, and it's guaranteed at least an EWWW rating (don't worry, there are no naughty bits). But humiliating as this video is, it's not nearly as humiliating as showing up at those BlogHer parties looking like I'm 5 months pregnant -- even though my twins are now 5 years old. So, without further ado, here's my video entry:



The four most enthusiastic contestants get to be SlimPerfect for BlogHer, so if you want to help 'lil 'ol Bonggamom win this Little Black Dress, just send out this tweet:

@muffintopless @girlfriendology Please make @bonggamom look hot for #blogher by making her SlimPerfect!


Thanks to Slimperfect, Muffintopless and Girlfriendology for the fun contest and the chance to win!

My Secret Circle review and giveaway

The Pea is a social butterfly-in-training, a social catterpillar, if you will. She'd go on a playdate every afternoon, and a sleepover every weekend, if I let her. Her interest in hanging out is starting to drift online -- she recently asked me whether she could have a Facebook account. Control freak that I am, I don't think I'm ready for that just yet. There are all kinds of spammers, fishers, marketers and crazies out there, and she's only 8!

Enter gaming and entertainment leader, Senario, to the rescue. Today they are launching My Secret Circle, the first-ever secure online social network for girls ages 8-12. Just like regular social networks like Facebook or MySpace, girls can log on, chat, share pictures, post notes, and play games. But get this -- it's completely private and safe from advertising and strangers.

Because My Secret Circle is NOT a public Web site. To enter the network, you have to purchase an access key with a unique code, and your daughter and her friends can connect only by exchanging private codes. But this access key is not just a virtual code, it's also a physical device, like a flash drive, that plugs into your computer's USB drive. So it's invisible to the online world in general. The key stores the virtual code and all the girl's personal information, which further enhances the security of the network.

As a parent, I love the concept, because it allows me to "let go" a bit without really letting go. I can let her network online with some peace of mind, because there's no way some person surfing the web at Starbucks could hack into the network; he or she would have to purchase their own physical access key AND know your daughter's virtual code. And to get that virtual code, your daughter would have to give it to them herself.

We were sent a My Secret Circle access key for The Pea to play with, and let me tell you, the product is really designed to appeal to girls. First of all, the packaging is very Girly with a capital G, with lots of Pink and photos of clique-y looking tweens. The access key is attached to a silver chain with some cute charms, and clips onto a purse or backpack (as modeled by The Pea above). You can also purchase a separate headset and microphone, which lets your daughter safely voice-chat with her friends on the My Secret Circle network. And because, like a telephone, the fun truly begins when you have lots of friends to connect to, My Secret Circle also comes in a BFF pack containing two online access keys, one for you and one for a friend. It's a whole lot of safe, girly fun -- and it's all available for purchase at that girliest of girly stores, Justice.

Stay tuned for my future post on all the cool features My Secret Circle offers and how The Pea is using them..... but for now, we're giving you a chance for your own budding online networker to try it out for herself! Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a My Secret Circle Online Access Key. For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following:

1) Leave a comment on any of my blog posts on Finding Bonggamom (leave a comment here with the link to the post that you commented on).

2) Join any of the other giveaways currently running on Bonggamom Finds (leave a comment here with the name of the other giveaway you joined).

3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

My Secret Circle giveaway from @bonggafinds http://www.bonggafinds.com/

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 20, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on July 21 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Sweets 'n Treats cd review and giveaway

With the name Singer, what else could he be? Tracey Singer is a San Diego-based singer-songwriter, and he's releasing his first children's CD, Sweets 'n Treats, on July 7. The disc, produced by two-time Grammy nominee Buck Howdy, features 13 of Tracey's original songs, largely inspired by his own experiences as a work-at-home dad to four children under age nine.

We were lucky to receive an advance copy of Tracey's cd to review, and we've been enjoying his music for about a month now. The songs are entertaining and fun to listen to. My kids love the first song, Sweets 'n Treats, simply because it's all about every kid's fantasy -- eating nothing but sweets and junk food. We all love the Camping Trip song because the beat and tune are so catchy -- you can just imaging hiking on a trail while singing it -- and because the lyrics are so hysterically funny. I also like Swimming, with its cool Beach Boys vibe.

This is a great cd to listen to in the car because grownups can listen to it without tearing their hair out. The songs draw from a diverse range of styles (including the sounds of Motown and the Brian Setzer Orchestra, among others), and adults will certainly appreciate some of the gentle humor in the lyrics (one song is about a Mall Mom, who hangs out at the mall and tries to be like her daughter). But even kids can't miss messages in two of the songs, Nana Nana Boo Boo and Stinky Smoke -- that both mean people and smoking stink! It's that combination of clever lyrics and catchy music that makes Sweets 'n Treats a sweet addition to your children's cd collection.

Win it! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of Tracey Singer's new cd, Sweets 'n Treats. To enter, simply leave a comment here and tell me what your child's favorite song is. For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) For two extra entries, head on over to Tracey's website, play the jukebox, then come back here and leave a comment telling which song you like best (leave 2 separate comments). You can also listen the Sweets and Treats music samples on Amazon.

2) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(leave a comment with your Blogger profile name).

3) Leave a comment on any of my blog posts on Finding Bonggamom (leave a comment here with the link to the post that you commented on).

4) Join any of the other giveaways currently running on Bonggamom Finds (leave a comment here with the name of the other giveaway you joined).

5) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment with a link to your tweet). Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Sweets and Treats cd giveaway from @bonggafinds and http://www.bonggafinds.com/

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 25, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on July 26 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

The Scrunch Bottle Bib review

Who says aunties can't invent baby products? Jennifer Edison, inventor of the pediatrician-recommended Scrunch Bottle Bib, begs to differ: she came up with the idea when she grew tired of juggling bottles and bibs and towels when feeding her infant niece. Sure, you've put the bib on. Problem is, that pesky formula doesn't drip onto the bib like it's supposed to. Unless you attach that bib to the baby's chin, it dribbles right into the baby's neck and stays there.

Enter the Scrunch Bottle Bib. I received a sample to review, and it's basically a small terrycloth towel that straps onto a bottle and tucks right under baby's lips to catch any drips. Catch my drip? I mean, drift? The 100% cotton absorbent cloth is super-soft -- it feels like a plush stuffie animal -- and won't irritate baby's skin at all. And the strap comes in several adorable gingham colors, and will strap to any size bottle. As a mom, I can relate to the problem of having too many things to hold, so anything that attaches to anything is a welcome convenience. Since my baby factory is closed, I won't be using this product as a mom, but as an auntie (my brother and his wife are expecting their first born this year), just like Jennifer. Let's face it, cleaning a baby's sour-milk neck is icky, even when it's your own baby's neck and your hormones and genes have already predisposed you to adore that neck. So I sure do appreciate having the Scrunch Bottle Bib to minimize my niece's milky mess.

The Scrunch Bottle Bib retails for $7.99; you can purchase it online at www.ScrunchBottleBib.com. And the company is offering 10% off your entire order until August 1, 2009 using the coupon code BOSPR616.

I'm in the Momfluence Summer Guide!

The Momfluence Summer Guide has come out, and I'm so happy to see that my Swimways Submergency review is on their list! Here is the text of the guide for anyone who's looking for some fun products for the summer:

photo by G Viciano

Looking for some great products to make your summer that much more fun and enjoyable? Looking to pamper yourself while the kids are off at camp? Or maybe you're dealing with summer bumps and bruises. Momfluence has collected some reviews of great products that you need to know about! Check out what our reviewers had to say about these great summer finds. And don't forget to stop by the Momfluence member giveaways listed at the bottom for some summer winning!

Featured Products

FishBites Swimmies - Spending time in the water is one of the most fun and exciting parts of summer. FishBites Swimmies by Swimways is a great solution to give the little ones the extra security they need in the pool, in a fun and exciting way.

Delsey Helium Fusion Carryon - If you are hitting the road or flying the skies this summer for your family vacation, the Delsey Helium Fusion carry-on offers a lightweight solution for packing your travel essentials.

Do Something Daily Calendar - Tired of hearing the kids say they have nothing to do? The DoSomethingDaily Calendar offers fun and exciting suggestions for things to do on each and every day of the year. Make memories with your family, every day!

Perlabella Pearls - Want to combat some of the wrinkles cause by sun damage? Perlabella's Retinol solution helps to fight the signs of aging, that can be caused by excessive sun exposure and other factors.

More Summer Fun

iTurtle
Playdoh Spaghetti Factory
Submergency
Nerf NFL Progrip Football
SuperSoaker 50
Boochie Game
Good For The Kids
Talking To Toddlers
Two Belles and A Bead Engraved Necklace
Cardstore
Jumeau Handbags
Staphaseptic

Member Reviews/Giveaways

Bonggamom - $50 Tiny Prints Gift Certificate
IceFairy's Treasure Chest - KiNeSYS, Purex 3-in1, and more
Eccentric, Eclectic Woman - Bra Barrette, Skipping Hippos
Riding With No Hands - 20 Piece Rubbermaid Set
Consumer Queen - FurBuster
PlusSizeMommy - Giant Hershey Bar, Zensoy, and more
MommyNotGuilty - KidBanz Sunglasses
Robyn's Online World - Kodak Digital Frame
Simply Being Mommy - EA Sports Active
Lattes and Life - Oscar Meyer Hot Dogs & Parent's Choice Formula
Motherhood Moment - Summer Fun
A Simple Kinda Life - Summer Soiree of Giveaways
From Cribs to Car Keys - EcoStore $25 Gift Certificate and more

All Momfluence guide reviews are product-provided, feature positions were purchased by vendors. Member reviews and giveaways are not associated with Momfluence.

Introducing the Leapfrog Tag Junior

Back in January I wrote a little teaser about Leapfrog's Tag Junior: a younger version of the popular Leapfrog Tag, for toddlers and preschoolers. Well, the wait is over, and Tag Junior is now in stores!

The good folks at Leapfrog sent me a Tag Junior as part of the Ambassadors of Summer Reading Program, so I've been able to take a good look at it. Believe it or not, at the ripe old ages of 8, 5 and 5, my kids have been having a grand old time with the Tag Junior and the Tag Junior books! In fact, since there is no resident baby or toddler in the house, I asked Jammy to demo some of the cool features of the Tag Junior:



(I promise you, as soon as I can rent, beg, borrow or steal a toddler, I'll take some adorable photos of him or her playing with the Tag Junior, but for now consider this as a product demo brought to you by a leading Leapfrog Expert).

The Tag Junior uses the same cool infrared technology that recognizes words, symbols and pictures printed on the special Tag Junior Books. Like the Tag, you can use the Leapfrog Connect software to upload data from the Tag Junior to Leapfrog's Learning Path, and gain insights into what your child has been using the Tag Junior with, how often, what skills he's learning. But Leapfrog has thoughtfully tweaked the design to make it easy and fun for 2-4 year olds to play and learn with. Here are, to my mind, the three biggest differences between Tag and Tag Junior:

1) Instead of the pen-style Tag reader that kids use to point to words on the Tag books, the Tag Junior features a chunkier reader that's easy for chubby little hands to grasp. The "pointer" was changed to a flat bottomed "stamp",just right for developing fine motor skills. And I adore the Tag Junior's beady green eyes: it looks like a cute plastic toy that a baby might want to grab and start gnawing.

2) The Tag Junior books are chunky, sturdy board books with large type and colorful illustrations, just right for the 2-4 age group. Again, the books feature well-loved toddler stories and characters -- Dr. Seuss, Winnie the Pooh and Curious George, to name a few -- that kids would ask their parents to read even if the Tag Junior ran out of battery juice.

3) Instead of teaching literacy skills, the Tag Junior focuses on more basic preschool concepts such as colors, shapes, letters and numbers. Unlike the Tag, you can touch an area on the Tag Junior book multiple times, and you will get a different sound each time. It keeps kids entertained and guessing, even mine.


I've always admired the way Leapfrog merges learning and entertainment, and the Tag Junior is no exception. Your little ones are going to love it -- and even more important, they're going to associate books with fun and enjoyment. Which brings me to the BEST thing about the Tag Junior: even the most reluctant readers will start reaching out for books. And if the Tag Junior can set a child onto a lifelong path of reading, that's a smashing success in my book.

I want to be SlimPerfect! (for BlogHer, at least)

I totally stole this photo from Muffintopless because I wanted to fantasize about how hot I would look in a SlimPerfect little black dress. I would totally check myself out if I saw me wearing this at BlogHer. Of course, I'm hoping that wearing the dress will shrink my arms and legs and grow my boobs to the size shown on that body. But if that doesn't happen, the SlimPerfect dress is still All Kinds of Awesome.


All you blogging chicks, listen up! BlogHer '09 is less than one month away, and the question on everyone's lips is..... what do I wear? Especially for the all-important BlogHer parties (and oh sweet Jesus, there are so many of them)?

But I haven't bought a little anything in years, and I'm not sadistic enough to try and squeeze into one of my pre-baby little black dresses. And there's no way in hell I'm going to lose the thunder thighs or tummy flab before the big party night. So what does a girl who's a cheapskate, figure conscious, swag ho, lover of bloggy giveaways and contests, do? Why, join the Little Black Dress Model Search contest, of course!

The awesome ladies of Muffintopless and Girlfriendology have partnered with Slimperfect to find four fabulous, fine (but not-too-fit) ladies to become Slimperfect models during the BlogHer '09 conference in Chicago. Don't worry, the winners won't be pushing the bounds of public decency by wearing a few pieces of lycra held together by safety pins. Slimperfect will be providing these 4 ladies with the perfect Slimperfect Little Black Dress that skims over the bulges and holds you in, as well as a $250 Slimperfect giftcard and a makeover for BlogHer party night (July 23). And that's why I'm throwing my name in the hat: I want one of those babies, and I want to live like a rock star for a night!

So without further ado, here are 10 Perfect Reasons why I would be the perfect '10' Slim Perfect BlogHer model:

1) I'm not slim and I'm not perfect.
2) I gave birth to twin sons weighing 6 lbs. 10 oz. and 7 lbs. 5 oz., and I haven't lost the baby weight yet... and that was 5 years ago.
3) I never in my life thought there was such a thing as a saggy belly button.... until I saw my own.
4) My stomach is bigger than my boobs.
5) My thighs are bigger than my husband's.
6) When I suck my tummy way, way in, I think I look hot -- but I would pass out after a couple of seconds, so I need SlimPerfect to suck it in for me.
7) The only jiggling I want to see on me are the tassels on my cone bra when I do a Madonna striptease for my husband (yes, I bet that's more than you wanted to know......)
8) I promise to get my act together and post a possibly humiliating but probably funny YouTube video before July 10.
9) I want to look Slim Perfect for BlogHer... and beyond.
10) I sure could use some help from SlimPerfect to help me find my inner BONGGA mom!


The four most enthusiastic contestants get to be SlimPerfect for BlogHer, so if you want to help 'lil 'ol Bonggamom win this Little Black Dress, just send out this tweet:

@muffintopless @girlfriendology Please make @bonggamom look hot for #blogher by making her SlimPerfect!


Thanks to Slimperfect, Muffintopless and Girlfriendology for the fun contest and the chance to win!

More Summer Fun with the Swimways Submergency

Now that they can swim, 3Po and Jammy love jumping in and spending time with their big sister in the deep end. We've been making good use of our Swimways Dive Dudes because they love shimmying down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve anything I throw in. So I was quite excited to be notified by Momfluence that I was being sent another Swimways pool toy, the Submergency , to review for the Momfluence Summer Toy Guide. Woohoo, even more diving fun!

Until I received the Submergency.

Granted, it's a wonderful idea -- set the timer, throw the ball into the pool, and have the kids race to find it, retrieve it and deactivate it before it goes off. But geez, the thing weighs a ton! It's like a mini bowling ball -- okay, it weighs more like a Costco-sized shampoo bottle or a couple of bars of soap. But if it falls on your kid's toe, that toebone is going to break. And if it falls on the ground, the toy is going to break. And even though the ball has a tiny warning in raised transparent letters that says No Throwing Into the Pool, who would like to take a bet that in all the excitement, that ball is going to get thrown eventually? It could conk someone on the head!

I showed the Submergency to Alfie when he got home from work, and virtuously listed all of its faults. He looked at the ball. He read the instructions and was fascinated with the sink-float feature (you can adjust the Submergency to sink to the bottom of the pool, float at the top, or suspend somewhere in between). He put the batteries in (the battery case, by the way, is like Fort Knox, so if you're worried about the batteries getting soaked.... don't). He filled up a pail of water and tested it.



Okay, even I have to admit that the beeping sound that the Submergency makes as it counts down (you can hear it underwater) is like a drug; I wanted to dive into that bucket and retrieve it myself. And the laser light show when the timer goes off is cooooool.

We took a family vote: who wants to keep playing with the Submergency? It was four to one, in favor of "This is so cool, and I wish it would really explode, and when can we take it to the pool?". I finally switched my vote because they were starting to call me a killjoy and fuddy-duddy.

Traitors.

Precious Girls Club review and giveaway

Win this book! To find out how, keep reading....

In a world where little girls dresses are getting skimpier and bling-ier, and the characters marketed to them resemble mindless fashion plates (can you say Bratz??) it's great to have a series of characters and books that celebrates girls for the precious beings that they are. We recently received a copy of Operation Kindness, which is the second book in the Precious Girls Club Series, along with an adorable plush pet from the Precious Girls Club store. The Pea already has a copy of the first book, A Little Bit of Faith , which she enjoyed reading, so it was no surprise that she loved the second one as well. I think she likes it because she can really identify with the characters. I like how the series tackles issues that young girls face -- dealing with mean girls, wanting new, cool clothes, finding new friends, and so on --and celebrates some core values like honesty, thankfulness, kindness and helping others.

(Be aware, however, that this is a Christian series, so you'll find lots of references to God , i.e. "God wants us to be thankful for what we have", "God gives people second chances, so, why shouldn't you?", references to prayer and other Christian traditions. So even though the series teaches good morals, families of other faiths may not be comfortable with these books.)

The book has another bonus: it comes with a secret code that girls can use to get a free Premium Membership trial to the Precious Girls Club online, http://www.preciousgirlsclub.com/, a fun site where girls can enter the world of the Precious Girls Club characters by creating their own characters. They can decorate their rooms, explore our town, socialize, play games and even shop "virtually" using the points they earn on the site. PGC games reinforce such virtues as helpfulness, kindness, responsibility, loving and caring. In addition to points, many activities award "virtual" virtue charms. Precious Girls who earn all five virtue charms are awarded a pair of angel wings and the ability to fly - good for a limited-time and only online, of course! Basic membership is free, and Premium Rainbow membership (with lots of added features) is $3.95 per month (or free for a limited time when you enter the special web access code found in an official Precious Girls Club product like a book or plush toy or figurine).



A unique feature of the PGC online site is how they encourage parent involvement. parents can participate in their daughters' online activities by sending email from the "real" world to their daughter's "virtual laptop" in her Precious Girls Club room, or awarding her Precious Points when she does something nice in the real world. It all reinforces the PCG values-based message!



Giveaway time! Thanks to Mom Select and the Precious Girls Club, I've got ten special online web access codes for a trial premium Rainbow membership to the Precious Girls Club online. The first ten people to comment will get a web access code -- just make sure you include your email address so I can email you the code. And one lucky reader will be given a copy of Operation Kindness, the second book in the Precious Girls Club series!



To enter, simply visit the Precious Girls Club online site, then come back here and leave me a comment, telling me what you think of it. Be sure to include your email address so I can contact you. For an extra entry, tweet this contest and leave me a separate comment with a link to your tweet. Here's a tweet you can copy and paste:



Precious Girls Club giveaway from @bonggafinds http://www.bonggafinds.com/


This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 12, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on July 13 and post the winner's name on the same day. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!