Who won the Tooth Tunes Jr?

And the winner of the Tooth Tunes, Jr. giveaway is comment #8, Terrie. Congratulations! I'll be contacting you soon for your mailing address. Remember, please respond within 5 days or I'll be forced to draw another winner.....



If you didn't win, don't despair. You can still join my open giveaways:

* Turbo Tooth Tunes (ends Dec. 4)
* PlayDoh Magic Swirl playset (ends Dec. 12)

* Come back for more giveaways in December!

Go, go Poingo!

In the world of interactive, read-along systems, there's a new kid on the block: The Poingo. A product of Publications International, creators of the popular StoryReader preschool books, the pen-shaped Poingo works with Poingo's specially-designed books and brings them to "life". When kids touch the text on the books, the Poingo reads the story out loud, complete with music and sound effects. When they point to pictures, they get music, funny phrases, and other fun sounds. We recently got a chance to test the Poingo, and the vote is unanimous: it's a great toy. My kids love going back and discovering all the "treasures" on each page. I love how it gives me a break from reading out loud from time to time.

Comparisons with the Leapfrog Tag are inevitable, so let's get it over with. Here are the results of the Tag-Poingo smackdown:

Features (winner: Tag)
Features are very similar. Even their selection of books is very similar, with lots of popular kids titles from the Disney line (Poingo, being newer, has less available, but more are on the way). The biggest difference is that kids can use the Tag reader to read individual words to them, while the Poingo reader can only read the entire page of words. So while both brands foster the love of reading by making stories interactive and fun, the Tag also (i.e. kids can try to read individual words on their own and use the Tag to see if they've read it correctly). And the Tag connects to the Leapfrog Learning Path, which lets parents keep track of what their child is doing with the product when they're not looking.

Ease of use (winner: Poingo)
Both systems are pretty straightforward -- just point the reader at the words and it "reads" out loud. So they're both easy to use -- as far as the kids are concerned. The difference lies in the grownups' involvement. Both require parents to download the audio files for the books into their respective readers. But the Poingo has space for 50 different books (versus about 6 for the Tag), which means you can build up a good-sized library without having to constantly move titles on and off the reader.

Price (winner: Poingo)
This is another big plus for the Poingo; it's way more affordable. For $34.99 you get the electronic reader and two hardbound books; additional books are $9.99. The Tag costs $49.99 for the reader and one paperback book; additional books are $13.99.

Age range (it's a tie)
Poingo says it's suited for ages 3 thru 7, Tag says 4 thru 8, which is consistent with my own opinion: the content, physical size and font size of the Poingo books suggest that they are targeted to a younger audience than the Tag. And while the entertainment value is no age limit (hey, even I like having a story read to me), I would argue that the educational benefits for either of these brands don't really apply to kids 6 and up.



And the overall winner? Hmmmm..... I'll let you decide. Is budget a concern? Go for the Poingo. Do you hate messing with downloads? Again, the Poingo is better. Are you looking for more learning features? Go with the Tag. With either product, your child ends up a winner.

Play-Doh Magic Swirl playset giveaway

The good news is.... Today is Black Friday!! The busiest shopping day of the year! The start of the Christmas shopping season! What fun!

No, hang on... waking up at 5am and fighting with other parents for the latest "in" toy? Fighting the crowds and spending tons of money? That's not the good news. The good news is that you don't have to leave the house to get started on your Christmas list. Just join today's giveaway for a chance to win a Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe playset.

Yes siree, a Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe playset, a big box of sweet, squishy fun (read my review of this toy here). The folks at Hasbro are generously awarding this prize to one lucky winner. Here's how to win:


* Leave a comment on this post. Tell me what kinds of confections you can make using the molds included in the playset (Hint: you can visit my review post for some answers!). Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.


I'll draw a winner at random on December 12, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. (BTW, my Tooth Tunes, Jr. giveaway and Turbo Tooth Tunes are still open; you can still comment here and here for a chance to win)

I've given you the good news first, now for the bad news. Today is the last in the series of my Hasbro toys giveaway :( ...... So far, we've given away an I-Dog Dance, I-Dog Tunes, Sea Pals, Busy Balltivity Center, Tooth Tunes Jr., Turbo Tooth Tunes, and now this Play-Doh set.

But wait! More good news (this post is kinda bipolar, isn't it?) -- I still have lots of other products to give away in December, so keep visiting this site!

The Trendy Bebe Giveaway

What do you give the child who has everything? Something personalized, of course! Unique and personal gifts are all the rage these days, and online boutique The Trendy Bebe offers a great selection of personalized gifts for any occasion. Trendy Bebe features all the hottest "it" brands and hard-to-find labels.

For the love of that fluffy pink tutu skirt , I wish they had stuff like this when mine were babies. It almost makes me want to give birth all over again. I'm really digging the infant onesies with clever sayings like "Fresh out of the oven", "Just Hatched" or "I'm not a boy" (waaaay better than those awful infant headbands for baby girls). And how I WISH I could squeeze 3Po and Jammy into those adorable twin "1 of 2" / "2 of 2" onesies!



Thanks to the good folks at The Trendy Bebe and Mom Blog Marketing, one lucky winner will receive a free small personalized shantung album. The album comes in pink or blue. You can even personalize the cover with a name, birthdate or monogram in chic brown or white writing, and a brown or white grosgrain ribbon.

Here's how to enter:

* Go to the The Trendy Bebe website and select your favorite two products (my faves? Those twin onesies I mentioned, and anything with polka dots on it).

* Leave a comment on this post -- tell me which two Trendy Bebe products you like best. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.

* I'll draw a winner at random on December 9, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here.

Only one person can win, but don't despair. Trendy Bebe is giving my readers free shipping on purchases made on their website. Just enter the code WINTER at checkout.

Good luck!

Who won the Playskool Busy Balltivity Center?

And the winner of the PlaySchool Busy Ball-tivity giveaway is commenter #4, Shangrila. Congratulations! I'll be contacting you soon for your mailing address. Remember, please respond within 5 days or I'll be forced to draw another winner.....


If you didn't win, don't despair. You can still join my open giveaways:
* Tooth Tunes, Jr. (ends Nov. 30)

* Turbo Tooth Tunes (ends Dec. 4)

* Come back on Nov. 28 to enter my PlayDoh Magic Swirl giveaway!

LAST DAY for Free Shipping on American Girl

Okay, I lied. I just wanted to make sure I had your attention. American Girl's standard Free Shipping Code (GIFTSHIP) does end today. However, since I'm all important and well-connected and stuff, I've got another Free Shipping Code that is valid until November 29th. Just enter Key Code # PA82024.

You know that's about all the discount you're going to find on American Girl products, so go log on to their online shop and go crazy. Because I can't.

(Really, I can't. Oh, no. The Pea already has 2 dolls, I SWEAR I'm not getting her any more. Even though she adores Nellie and they won't be selling Nellie or Samantha any more after this year. Even though she doesn't have Mia's accessories, which also won't be available after this year. God, I wish I could win the lottery.)

Here's all the legal stuff:
To redeem this free shipping offer, please enter the free-shipping code GIFTSHIP at checkout. Offer valid on all orders. No minimum purchase required.

Offer valid through 11:59 p.m. Central Time on 11/25/08. Free standard shipping and processing applies to orders to US addresses only; Canadian and/or rush charges, as well as surcharges for large items, are additional. If shipping to more than one address, offer only applies to the first “Ship To” address. Discount will appear at checkout.

Offer not valid on any previous purchase or order placed after promotion expires. Cannot be combined with other offers that utilize a special offer code. Does not apply to Day at American Girl Place packages, American Girl® magazine orders, Doll Hospital admissions, or shipments made from American Girl stores. Offer not valid on future exchanges, returns or requests for delayed shipping.

Turbo Tooth Tunes Giveaway

How's this for a tongue twister: Today I'm treating you to a Turbo Tooth Tunes toothbrush! Read more below to find out how.

Here's Part Two of my Tooth Tunes giveaway. Today it's a Turbo Tooth Tunes -- it's a lot like the Tooth Tunes Jr., except the brush is sized for older kids, and the brushes feature songs from hot pop artists like Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, The Jonas Brothers and Aly & AJ.

In addition, the brand will introduce special edition brushes featuring songs rerecorded exclusively for TOOTHTUNES including “Brush It” recorded by Devo and “Waking Up Is Hard To Do” recorded by Neil Sedaka. Of course TOOTHTUNES ‘greatest hits’ will still be available including Black Eyed Peas, KISS, Queen, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus as “Hannah Montana,” High School Musical, and more.

To win your own Turbo Tooth Tunes, follow these simple instructions:

* Leave a comment on this post. Tell me which Turbo Tooth Tunes song your child would like best (click here for more info on Turbo Tooth Tunes). Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.

I'll draw a winner at random on December 4, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

(PS: The Playskool Busy Ball-tivity and Tooth Tunes, Jr. giveaway are still open; you can still comment here and here for a chance to win! And in 4 days, I'll be giving away a PlayDoh Magic Swirl playset.... )

Win a Hollywood vacation from Leapfrog!

Leapfrog's See the Learning Photo and Video Contest is running until December 17, 2008. Just upload a video or photo of your child demonstrating a learning moment before the deadline. Then come back to vote for the best entry (hopefully yours!) from January 1-31, 2009. The winner gets a family trip to Hollywood and behind-the-scenes studio tour!

Even if you don't win the grand prize, you still get other chances to win:

* When you cast a vote for your favorite entry, you'll automatically be entered for a chance to win $5,000 for college from Upromise.

* After you submit an entry or vote on an entry, your confirmation page will display an exclusive promo code for $5 off a $50 purchase at http://www.leapfrog.com/.

Hmmmm.... time to start thinking of a great learning video that my kids can star in....I'd better get to work on the script, sets, and music.....

Who won the Russ Seapal?

And the winner of the Russ Seapal giveaway is Bettina -- Congratulations! I'll be contacting you soon for your mailing address. Remember, please respond within 5 days or I'll be forced to draw another winner.....


If you didn't win, don't despair. You can still join my open giveaways:
* Playskool Busy Ball-tivity Center (ends Nov. 26)


* Tooth Tunes, Jr. (ends Nov. 30)


Don't forget to come back on Nov. 24 to enter my Turbo Tooth Tunes giveaway!

Guides and Giveaways Galore

I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week! Before you know it, the holidays will come and go. It's going to be another whirlwind season.

Thank goodness for all the gift guides that come up around this time of the year -- let other people do all the tough research for you. I was thinking about publishing one myself but chickened out due to the mountain of possibilities out there for kids and moms. With all the guides around and all the great stuff in them, it's tough enough having to pick from the gift guides themselves. To all you gift guiders, thanks for the tips!

Here are some of the great gift guides around the blogosphere:

Parent Sphere Holiday Guide

Cool Mom Picks Holiday Guide

The Housewife's Holiday Gift Guide

From Dates to Diapers Christmas Gift Guide

An Ordinary Life Christmas Gift Guide

Chic Shopper Chick Christmas Gift Guide

Busy Mommy's Christmas Giveaway Event

Because It's Christmas Giveaway Event

Happy shopping!

Burberry Sale

Nothing says classic and chic to me like a plaid Burberry Trench Coat. Unfortunately, even their "cheapie" packaway trench is waaaay out of my price range. Today Burberry begins their annual sale at Santana Row, with items discounted up to 40% off. It's still too much of a splurge for me, but I can dream, can't I?

Tooth Tunes Jr. Giveaway

I'm giving away a Tooth Tunes, Jr. toothbrush! Read more to find out how...


The Tooth Tunes Jr. concept is simple but brilliant: the toothbrush plays a minute of music while your child is brushing his teeth so he knows (and you know) how long he needs to keep brushing -- and he's motivated to keep brushing all that time.

Let me tell you, it works -- we've been trying this toothbrush for about a month now, and the kids love it. 3Po was humming "The Bear Necessities" the other day, and I asked where he had learned the song. He replied, "My toothbrush!". He's already told me which song he wants on his next Tooth Tunes Jr. brush: the Transformers theme song (the line also includes such as ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It Brush Your Teeth;”, “Hakuna Matata,” “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” , and from My Little Pony) .

So try it on your own child with the free Tooth Tunes Jr. that I'm giving away! Here's how to join:

* Leave a comment on my Oct. 22 Tooth Tunes review post -- Not on this post! On that post, tell me which Tooth Tunes, Jr. song your little one would like best. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog. Don't forget, don't the leave comment here -- leave it on my Oct. 22 Tooth Tunes review post!

I'll draw a winner at random on November 30, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

And once again: Click here to get to my Oct. 22 Tooth Tunes review post and leave your entry comments there.

(PS: The Russ Seapals giveaway and Playskool Busy Ball-tivity giveaway are still open; you can still comment here and here for a chance to win. And in 4 days, I'll be giving away a Turbo Tooth Tunes toothbrush.... )

Trendy Bebe giveaways around the blogosphere

Heads up: Next week --just in time for the holidays! -- I'll be featuring a giveaway hosted by Mom Blog Marketing and the ultra-chic online retailer The Trendy Bebe! They sell unique, hard-to-find children's clothing, accessories and personalized items that make great presents for the holidays. In the meantime, check out these other Trendy Bebe giveaways:


Win a Trendy Bebe personalized wipes case at Cow Girl Critiques;

Win a Trendy Bebe personalized receivivng blanket at Cool Moms Rule;

Win Trumpette Mary Jane socks from Trendy Bebe at A Frog in My Soup;

Win a Trendy Bebe personalized tutu at Goodies for Mom.

SF 49ers Kids Club: magnet giveaway

At last week's Mommy and Me on The Row event, the kids insisted on lining up for a free 49ers foam football. Of course they told us all about their latest promotion, the SF 49ers Kids Club. The $20 membership includes lots of 49ers-logo stuff including a yearbook, t-shirt, pin, backpack, wristbands and other tchotchkes. It also includes entry to win tickets to a 49ers home game and entry to their Kids Club Training Camp Day. For little football fans, it sounds like a great deal. Since my kids are fans of that other sport they call football, we took the pigskins and passed on the memberships.

Be the first or second to comment on this post and I'll send you a 49ers magnet featuring Frank Gore!

Who won the I-Dog Clip?

And the winner of the I-Dog Clip giveaway is Exotic 1. Congratulations! I'll be contacting you soon for your mailing address. Remember, please respond within 5 days or I'll be forced to draw another winner.....

If you didn't win, don't despair. You can still join my open giveaways:
* Russ Seapals (ends Nov. 22)


* Playskool Busy Ball-tivity Center (ends Nov. 26)



Don't forget to come back on Nov. 20 to enter my Tooth Tunes, Jr. giveaway!

Mommy's High Heel Shoes

Mommy's High Heel shoes is one of those books that get you saying, "Awwww!" or "Wow" at every page.

Awwww.... aren't these kids cute?
Awwww.... isn't it fun to look for ladybugs and cupcakes and hearts on each page?
Awwww.... aren't they a loving family?
Wow.......... I just love how the modern story and retro illustrations work together so well!
Wow...........doesn't that mom have some kickass shoes!
Wow .......... look at all those yummy cupcakes (shall we go to Sprinkles now and get some for ourselves?)!

The story is about a little girl who tries on her mommy's shoes after mommy has left for work; in the process, she thinks about all the different kinds of shoes that mommies wear. Kids will like it because it gives a fresh, funny look -- from a kids' point of view -- at what moms do at work. Since Mommy's High Heel Shoes looks at the literal and figurative shoes that moms have to put on, moms everywhere -- not just moms who work outside the home -- will find themselves breathing a silent Amen, sister! as they read the book to their kids. It's definitely a feel-good kind of book for both kids and moms -- as light and sweet as a cupcake.


Here's a sweet deal: to get 15% discount off your order off the book's official website, just type in the coupon code SVMOMS.

The icing on the cake: 50 cents from each Mommy's High Heel Shoes book purchased through their website will be donated to Kiva.org, a microlender that assists working moms and other entrepreneurs in developing countries.

Now kick off your own heels, and enjoy this treat!

Playskool Busy Ball-tivity Giveaway

Want to win this toy? Keep reading to find out how..

Here's a great gift idea for the holidays: the new Busy Ball-tivity Center, Playskool's latest musical, jungle-themed activity playset. There's plenty for baby to do: stack the alligator and hippo, make the monkey pop up by pushing on the ladybug, roll the balls around. Heck, just give them the balls to chew on: that should keep 'em busy. The cutest thing about this playset is the air-powered lagoon and "ball-cano". Your baby will love placing balls in the lagoon as they swish round and round. And she'll love positioning a ball on top of the "ball-cano" to make it hover in the air. And you'll love watching her.

The next baby in our household will probably be my grandchild -- and I don't have enough storage space to begin storing toys for events that may or may not happen 20 or more years into the future. So one lucky winner will have to test the Busy Ball-tivity Center for me. Whoever you are, I'll be imagining you playing with your oh-so-cute baby and this delightful little toy -- and sending you a big, virtual "Awwwwwwww......"

Here's how to enter:

* Leave a comment at this post -- tell me what activity your baby loves best. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.


I'll draw a winner at random on November 26, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

(PS: The I-Dog Clip giveaway and the Russ Seapals giveaway are still open; you can still comment here and here for a chance to win! And in 4 days, I'll be giving away a Tooth Tunes, Jr. toothbrush.... )

Let's get started on those Christmas cards!

My friend Linda of Solheim Photography is offering a great Christmas Card Special: just $100 for a 45-minute photo shoot, 10-20 images, and 25 5x7 holiday cards! Book your session now, and start figuring out what to wear and where you want to take the photos! (for help with locations, check out Linda's great tips for Bay Area photoshoot locations!).

Who won the I-Dog Dance?

And the winner of the I-Dog Dance giveaway is Baba! See, people, it was that extra comment of hers that won, which proves that spreading the word about my giveaways means nice things will happen to you :)

Kari, I'll be contacting you soon for your mailing address. Remember, please respond within 5 days or I'll be forced to draw another winner.....



If you didn't win, don't despair. You can still join my open giveaways:
* I-Dog Clip (ends Nov. 18)
* Russ Seapals (ends Nov. 22)



Don't forget to come back on Nov. 16 to enter my Playskool Busy Balltivity Center giveaway!

Tea Sample Sale

One of my favorite hip kid brands, the Tea Collection, is holding their Sample Sale on November 14 and 15 up in San Francisco. Expect the usual Saks Fifth, high-quality, uber-cute clothing at Target prices. Could I possibly squeeze The Pea into a size 6? Not since she was 5! I'll just have to hope that they'll have something as cute as the Travelers Vest or Dragon Hoodie for 3Po and Jammy.

Russ Seapals Giveaway

My kids are suckers for plush sea creatures. So far, we've got a clownfish, seal, orca, walrus, and 3 sea stars. From time to time, I try to stem the tidal wave of plushies that make their way to our house, (by donating some to charity when they aren't looking). However, 3Po, Jammy and Pea love playing with stuffed toys so much that when a good quality stuffed toy comes knocking at our home, I usually let it in.

Our latest stuffed adoptees: SeaPals™, a new line of marine-inspired plush toys by Applause® from Russ. Much like Webkinz or Build-A-Bear, they come with a unique online code that allows kids to log on and play with a virtual version of their SeaPals. Kids can personalize their own virtual aquarium, care for their SeaPals, earn points via games and activities, spend points on "stuff" for their SeaPals and aquariums.

The best thing about the SeaPals world, though, is the additional educational component: while playing with their virtual pets, kids get a chance to learn about marine life as they explore virtual coral reefs, coves, and other marine habitats. In addition, you can feel good knowing that Russ makes donations to local aquariums to support marine preservation.

Now here's your chance to entertain and educate the little Jacques Cousteau in your life: I'm giving away a Russ Seapals toy to one lucky winner! Here's how to enter:

* Visit the SeaPals website and check out all of SeaPal's fishy friends.

* Leave a comment at this post -- tell me which one(s) you like best. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.

I'll draw a winner at random on November 16, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. And come back on November 8th-- I'm giving away a Playskool Busy Ball-tivity Center!

(PS: The I-Dog Dance giveaway and the I-Dog Clip giveaway are still open; you can still comment here and here for a chance to win!)

The White Trash Mom Handbook

Could you be a White Trash Mom? Have you ever picked your child up late from school? Do you give them plain ol' PBJ sandwiches on white bread -- but are afraid to admit it in front of the other mothers who brag about serving only trans-fat-free, organic produce? If so, you may be a White Trash Mom -- so embrace it!

Written by mommyblogger Michelle Lamar, The White Trash Mom Handbook summarizes the philosophy of her popular White Trash Mom blog -- that perfection is just a myth that makes moms feel lousy -- and goes on to dish some parenting advice that's irreverent, down-to-earth, and always funny. This book is a great soul-refresher for anyone feeling like they're getting failing grades from the Universe-ity of Motherhood, because it reminds you that perfection is overrated and unachieveable -- and you are not alone. If you like Vicky Iovine's Girlfriends Guide books or anything by Erma Bombeck, you've love this book.

Cramming a whole lotta learning

Ever since I got my iPod last Christmas, The Pea has been after us to buy her one of her own. Lo and behold, here comes Leapfrog to the rescue with the Crammer, a learning tool for school-aged kids that just so happens to store and play mp3 files. Designed for ages 8-14, the Crammer allows kids to study on the go -- while listening to music! -- in two ways:

1) downloading over than 1,000 quizzes for various subjects, for grades 3 to 8.
2) creating your own flashcards

As with all other latest-generation Leapfrog products, the Crammer can be hooked up to your childs Leapfrog Learning Path so parents can keep track of what their kids are learning.

Although the cool click-screen is fun to navigate with, the cheap-looking, monochrome display belies the $60 price tag. I'd love to see more downloadable Crammer games on the Leapfrog site. And I wish a belt clip came standard (they do sell a carrying case for $10) so it didn't keep pausing or forwarding my music every time the screen bangs against my hip when it's in my jeans pocket.

Despite these flaws I think it's a nifty device for our always-on-the-go-lifestyle, an easy way for us to tie Pea's love of music to developing regular study habits. In fact, I think I may have given the game away with my last complaint -- I've actually been using the Crammer myself. While The Pea is at school, I've been creating flashcards for myself so I can use the Crammer to cram -- er, study -- for my upcoming US citizenship test. Don't tell The Pea!

I-Dog Clip Giveaway

For my second pre-holiday giveaway, I'm featuring the I-Dog Clip -- the only portable music speaker with waggable ears. How cute is that? One lucky winner gets to find out, with their very own I-Dog Clip. Here's how to enter:

* Visit the I-Dog website and check out the whole menagerie of I-Dog products.

* Leave a comment at this post -- tell me which one(s) you like best. Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.

I'll draw a winner at random on November 18, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

(PS: My I-Dog Dance giveaway is still open; you can still comment here for a chance to win! And in 4 days, I'm giving away a Russ Seapals stuffie....)

Po's Tasty Training

One thing I really like about the Tag Reading System by Leapfrog is that the books compatible with the Tag reader can be enjoyed just like regular storybooks -- and cost about the same as the regular hardcover versions.

Take Po's Tasty Training, Tag's Kung Fu Panda activity storybook. 3Po and Jammy love Kung Fu Panda but are too scared to watch the movie. So they like reading Kung Fu Panda books; they get the story without the scaredy. Po's Tasty Training isn't available on Amazon; it seems to be an exclusive Tag product, so they could enjoy it even if they didn't have a Tag (or if their Tag's batteries were dead, or if it had gotten thrown in the toilet).

Walter the Farting Dog

As if I don't have enough to do, I'm toying with the idea of joining NaBloPoMo (posting every day in November) for this blog as well as for Finding Bonggamom. After all, it's not as if there aren't tons of kids' and moms' products out there to talk about. Why, the contents of last weekend's LeapFrog Party goody bag alone could keep me going for several days....

So let's start with a Tag book: Walter the Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise. With a name like that, what kid wouldn't enjoy it? The book is available in a non-tag version (along with the rest of the Walter the Farting Dog books) , but if you've already got a Tag, guess what -- the Tag version and regular hardcover version cost about the same (actually, the full-price hardcover costs more than the full-price Tag version). And it's worth buying the Tag version just to point your Tag reader on Walter's butt and hearing him fart.

Leapfrog discount code

At last Sunday's party, the Silicon Valley Moms bloggers got a preview of Leapfrog's latest and greatest education gaming products. It's pretty amazing how the line has grown since I first heard of the brand in 2000 (when when I received a photo of my niece hugging a stuffed Baby Tad).

Now they've got practically a whole aisle at Target, with products for kids from birth till age 8. There's all the infant toys and toddler toys, and the preschooler series (Clickstart, LeapPad, Little Leaps). They've got Tag and Leapster2 for the pre-K crowd, and Didj and Crammer for school-aged kids. Whew!




We also received an exclusive coupon that I'm sharing with you (I'm allowed -- I checked!). To receive $10 off any order of $50 or more at Leapfrog.com, use promotional code HY8BHPR at checkout (valid till November 15, 2008). Check back here for more of my Leapfrog product reviews, including the Didj and Crammer. And who knows..... I might even be able to arrange a little Leapfrog giveaway!

I-Dog Dance

Want to win this cute little dog? To find out how to enter, read on.....

I've already blogged about how my kids think the I-Dog Clip is kewwwwl..... Now check out its super-kewwwl big brother, the I-Dog Dance. He's fun to play with on his own: you can make him sit, stand, tap his paw and obey several other commands by touching his face. But plug him into your iPod or MP3 player, listen to music on his speakers, then watch him reeelly git funky witcha.

Here's how my kids play with the I-Dog Dance:

1) as a lava lamp (they are totally mesmerized when the lighted dots on his face blink in various "mood" patterns)

2) as a robotic pet (along with Tumbles the Fur-Real Friend, since Alfie and I won't let them have a real dog)

3) as an excuse to borrow mama's iPod (as if they can't use the cd player... but as they like to whine, this is so much more fuuuun!)


How would you play with the I-Dog Dance? Tell me how, and you could win your very own I-Dog Dance! Here's how to enter:

* Visit the I-Dog website and check out the whole menagerie of I-Dog products.

* Leave a comment at this post -- tell me which one(s) you like best and/or how you would use your I-Dog Dance.

* Don't forget to include your email address so I can contact you.

* For an extra entry, blog about this giveaway on your own blog and include a link to this post. Leave an extra comment with your name, email address and a link to your blog.

I'll draw a winner at random on November 14, 2008. For the full giveaway rules, click here. And come back on November 8th-- I'm giving away an I-Dog Clip!

Here's the Scoop.... Get out and Vote!!

As if you needed an extra reason to vote..... go to participating Ben & Jerry's shops on voting day -- that's tomorrow, November 4 -- tell them you voted and they'll give you a free ice cream cone.

Solheim Photography

As the Christmas Card Season draws near, I just wanted to give a little shout out to my friend LindaDLR, who has just started her own photography studio, Solheim Photography. She's such a talented photographer -- as you can see by the photos I shamelessly stole from her site -- who has a way of putting people at ease, even when they're posing (or should I say, NOT posing) in front of a camera. Check out her website, and if you're in the SF Bay Area, book her for a photo session to remember!

Tis the Season to Win Prizes!

After all the Halloween Hoopla, it's tempting to indulge in the post-holiday blues (namely, gobbling up all the candy because I tell myself there's nothing to do). In order to slap that out of me, I have to find something to keep my mind occupied and my spirits lifted. So I'm participating in NaBloPoMo (via my personal blog, Finding Bonggamom).

And what about on this blog? Well, November is my blogaversary month (I started Finding Bonggamom 2 years ago on November 20), so I've decided to celebrate all month long -- and y'all are getting the presents! Here are some of the things I'll be giving away on Bonggamom Finds this month:

I-Dog Dance
I-Dog Clip
Playskool Busy Ball-tivity Center
Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe
Russ Berrie Sea Pals
Tooth Tunes, Jr
Turbo Tooth Tunes

Yes, people, 'tis already the season for giving. Win something for yourself, your child, or someone on your holiday gift list. Check back here for all kinds of bloggy giveaways all throughout November!