Cats, Dogs, Hamsters -- whatever you call-em, the Tasty Baker makes'em

When I host a themed party, I can get pretty anal about taking it all the way and making sure the theme is reflected in every aspect of the party. So at this weekend's hamster party, I had to think long and hard about what to serve the kids to eat. I thought Ham(ster) sandwiches would be clever (even if the younger kids didn't appreciate my wit, they appreciated the sandwiches!), and we found that Captain Crunch cereal looks just like (but fortunately tastes better than) hamster kibble. But I have no idea what hamsters eat for dessert.

Lucky for me, the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker came to the rescue. No, it doesn't have a hamster mold, but the dog mold was pretty close. I poured brownie batter into the dog mold, told the kids they were hamsters, and the kids loved it! The Tasty Baker also has train, heart, cat smiley face, birthday cake and alphabet block molds, which give you dessert options for a multitude of themed parties -- Baby's First Birthday, Valentine's, Thomas the Tank Engine, halloween, pinky kitty, etc...

Of course, it does take a while to prepare if you only want that one design (which is why I wish the Tasty Baker had removable mold plates and the option of purchasing extra molds so I could make seven of one style). But the kids were only too happy to have me pour batter into all the molds, save the dog-hamster ones for the party, and eat the rest.



I received a product sample in order to review the product and write this post, but no monetary compensation. The view and opinions expressed here are my own.

A (Paper) Fantasy Come True

Holy cow!! I'm a winner! I just got word that my Woodland Fairy Outfit has been chosen as the winning entry in the Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy Design Challenge!

Here's the story: Klutz invited craft bloggers from near and far to submit their very own original fantasy outfit created using their new book, Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy. I was given a copy of the book to review and invited to enter as well. The book is so much fun for little girls (and now you know, big ones too) because it contains stencils and patterned papers and embellishments and everything you need to create fantasy fashions out of paper.

I'm still flabbergasted that I won! I certainly don't think of myself as a craft blogger, just someone who loved doodling and creating so much as a little girl that she still occasionally dabbles in it when she thinks no one else is looking. There were so many amazing designs! Alfie, loyal soul that he is, told me he didn't think any of the other designs was any better than mine. I was told that Klutz chose my design because it used the most materials and elements from the book. But I'm so happy they liked it, I'm going to accept and say thanks before the Klutz people change their minds! So thank you, Klutz, Thank You!!

Mickey Mouse enters the Blogosphere

I love how Disney is getting more and more into online social networking. They've always been great to bloggers of all kinds, and earlier this year they launched two Twitter accounts, @DisneyParks and @DisneylandNews . Now they've got their own blog, The Disney Parks blog!

Here's some more information about the blog, from Disney's PR department: The Disney Parks Blog will be managed by the Public Relations team with Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, as the leading voice. Cast members from Disneyland Resort will also be blogging from Disneyland. There will be a number of other Cast Members from all areas of Disney Parks.

The Blog will be a source of information on our destinations that our Guests can rely on to learn about new attractions, new programs, and experiences that make a Disney vacation so magical. You'll also find exclusive video and images, coverage of in-park events and profiles of unique cast members who make magic for our guests every day.

Welcome to the blogosphere, Mickey!

I did not receive a product sample for this post, or monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Check out these Zhu-Zhu-Zhuuuper Cute Pets!

This weekend I had the opportunity to host a fun Zhu Zhu Pet Party, thanks to Mom Select. My kids amd their guests had so much fun playing with the Zhu Zhu Pets! You can read more about how the party went on Bonggamom Finds, and here's what we thought about the Zhu Zhu Pets:

The Basics
Zhu Zhu Pets are furry electronic, interactive hamsters. They have a little sensor on their nose that makes them back up whenever they bump into something, so when they are in Explore Mode, they will scoot, scamper, and zhu-zhu-zooom everywhere. They also have a Loving Mode where kids can pet them and listen to them make cute little chattering sounds. We received four varieties of Zhu Zhu Pets -- Chunk, NumNum, Pipsqueak and Mr. Squiggles -- each with his own unique personality and whimsical sounds. We also received a bunch of Zhu Zhu playsets to try out:

* Hamster Funhouse
* Hamster Wheel & Tunnel
* Hamster Car & Garage
* Spiral Slide & Ramp
* Skateboard & U-turn ramp
* Go-Go Adventure ball

Each playset is a mini habitat for your Zhu Zhu pet, where it can scamper back and forth and around. Each playset can be played standing alone, but for even more fun, they can be snapped together to create a whole hamster "habitrail".


The Bongga
My kids absolutely love their Zhu Zhu Pets! They treat them like real pets, chasing them around, cuddling them, talking to them and making sure they're settled into their little cardboard boxes at night. They make great pets -- they don't need to be fed or cleaned, and they make such cute chattering sounds. Best of all, I love that these little pets have inspired a whole new realm of creative play. My kids and their friends spent half the afternoon making hamster homes out of cardboard, and the other half of the time setting their pets up in their new city, making them go shopping, take other hamsters on tours of the hamster wheel and slide, even holding hamster elections!




The Blah
While we all adore the pets, as far as the accessories are concerned, we could probably take it or leave it. I do agree they are lots of fun -- it is super entertaining to see the Zhu Zhu pets scamper through them. It's even more fun when there are 3 or 4 pets inside, because they bump into each other and back up into each other and somehow manage to sort themselves out, just like real pets. My kids and their guests did enjoy it -- but after ten minutes of watching the hamsters run through the playsets, my kids and their guests moved on and spent the rest of the afternoon creating their own cardboard playsets.

And from a practical perspective, the playsets are pretty bulky and difficult to store. So unless you have the space, think long and hard about splurging on the whole set. Okay, I'd make an exception for that Spiral Slide and Ramp. We can't make that one out of cardboard, and it is the coolest thing ever.


The Bottom Line
I'm a big fan of the Zhu Zhu Pets - their lifelike antics and adorable sounds warmed my kids' hearts and have inspired lots of creative pretend play. The Zhu Zhu playset accessories are fun add-ons, but make sure you have the space for them!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Here's a Fresh Deal for you

Does anyone wish they lived in the Good Old Days? Not me. Because the Good Old Days didn't have the internet, and I don't think I could survive without the internet. I rely on it for communication, information and entertainment.

Oh, and shopping. With the variety and price of stuff online these days, you almost never have to get up and go to a physical store anymore. Of course, it doesn't do any favors to my waistline, but I figure I'm paying for my gym membership with all the money I'm saving by finding great deals online. I'm the kind of person who likes to research and comparison shop, so rather than drive from store to store (wasting all that gas, I might add), I just click from site to site trying to find what I want.

Which is why I like shopping comparison sites. I get to be even lazier and let the site search for all the great deals for me! I recently reviewed a new comparison shopping site called FreshDeals.com, that looks like it could be really useful in finding great deals and doing all the research you need on products you want to buy.

For example, I've been thinking of buying a pair of Fit Flops lately, and I went to FreshDeals.com to do my research and see where I should buy it. Like most shopping comparison sites, FreshDeals.com shows me a ton of places where I can find Fit Flops on the web, along with how much they cost. I found a really sweet deal -- I mean, Fresh Deal -- on FitFlops at Piperlime.com for $29 (versus the regular price of $49!).


But what's unique (and great) about FreshDeals.com is that they actually have a Q&A forum integrated into each page, so that users can ask each other questions about the product, comment and answer questions. It's a step beyond a regular review since you can actually follow up on what people have written. You can even log on to Facebook from the site and share the deals you find with your Facebook friends, which turns the shopping experience into an interactive, shared experience -- which is half the fun of shopping anyway!

So don't tell me you'd rather live in the Good Old Days. Who needs to walk a mile in a snowstorm to gather firewood for the hearth? I'd much rather get a heater delivered straight to my doorstep -- and thanks to places like FreshDeals.com, find the cheapest way to get it!

This is a compensated post from FreshDeals.com. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

List your giveaways here!

For some time now I've been toying with the idea of doing a giveaway roundup post where bloggers can leave links to their giveaways, like MomDot or Reviews and Giveaways.com, or Mission Mommy. As a giveaway blogger, I've found it's a great way to get more traffic to my giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I've found it's a great way to find out where all the best giveaways are!

The two main reasons I've never done it are, (1) I was too lazy to set up Mr. Linky's widgets; and (2) I'm afraid no one will leave any links. I finally kicked my lazy, insecure self into gear and decided to just do it. So I'm starting up a giveaway roundup, which I'll run every Friday. Why Friday? Because your work is done and you don't need to feel guilty about kicking back and surfing the internet for all kinds of cool giveaways to join.

So here it is, my first Mr. Linky. Feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter all those giveaways!

Feeling Yummie at Type-A Mom (even though I'm not going)

This weekend, a bevy of mom bloggers are descending upon Asheville NC for the Type-A Mom Conference, and if it's going to be anything like last July's BlogHer conference, you can bet these women are gonna Bring It. And since the food and drink and merriment is probably going to be flowing, Bringing It is going to be a lot easier if you're wearing shapewear like Yummie Tummie.

Trust me on this one. I'm a Yummie Tummie Brand Ambassador and I was given one to wear at BlogHer. I loved how it squeezes me in without feeling like a corset, and I love how it's thin enough to slip on under a shirt. In fact, the only thing I would have improved on was to make the tank a bit longer, given my long torso and fat ass wide hips.

Et voila, next thing I know, I've got Yummie Tummie sending me a Long Skinny Tank in black! Just in time for Type-A Mom Conference -- except I'm not going. So I just have to sashay around in my Yummie Tummie tank layered over the teeny Fast Girl tank that Alfie gave me (this is the only way I could wear it without giving everyone a free peep show), and pretend I'm strutting my stuff at some Type-A Mom party. I'm too wimpy to show my "before" photo (I'll leave that to the very brave, bold -- and Bongga -- Moosh in Indy) but here's the "after" photo. Now I'm just waiting for Yummie Tummie to start making the Long Skinny Tank in something other than black and white, like purple or brown or leopard print (can you say Mrrrrrrawwww?!).

If you're at the Type-A Mom conference this weekend, watch out for Yummie Tummie Brand Ambassadors -- they'll be giving away 10 Skinny Tanks during the conference! If, like me, you're stuck at home, follow YummieTummie on Twitter because they're giving away one Skinny Tank a day.

And if you're not quite so lucky as to win a Yummie Tummie Skinny Tank, here's a 20% off discount code:

TYPEAMOM

You don't have to be a Type-A Mom conference attendee to use this coupon, but it's only valid during the conference weekend, 9/24 till 9/26. At 62 bucks per tank, the 20% off coupon really helps!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Razor Scooter Review and Giveaway

When it comes to scooters, our family has always had a bit of a math problem. Specifically, we have 3 kids and 2 scooters. One is an original A-series Razor, and one is a Razor knockoff. Both were purchased from neighbors whose teenage daughters had outgrown them after years of use. They are great scooters, but since we only have 2, the kids always fight over them have to take turns. Now that all 3 attend the neighborhood school, they want to scooter to school like all their friends.

S we were absolutely delighted to receive an A2 Razor scooter to review from CSN Stores (more specifically, their online toy store, ToysAndGamesOnline.com). CSN has over 200 online retail sites selling just about anything under the sun, from wall sconces to water bottles. Every CSN store that I checked out offered really high-quality products, not junky, cheapy stuff. What's more, all stores have competitive prices (with lots of discounts !), easy ordering, and free shipping for orders over $69.

As for the Razor itself, what can I say that hasn't already been said? Razor created the modern scooter craze in the USA almost single handedly (or should I say single brandedly), and they're one of the most popular scooters in the country. And with good reason:

* Our Razor is lightweight and foldable, so it's easy to carry around and store.

* Anyone from age 4 to 84 can learn to ride one.

* The quality is second to none. My kids are not brand conscious at all, they don't know the difference between Razor and any other brand, but all of them preferred our old Razor over our old Razor knockoff. It just gives a better ride!

* They're a bit like the Energizer Bunny -- they last and last. Our old A series Razor is about 10 years old. The foam handgrips are torn from constant use, and it doesn't fold so well anymore, but other than that it's still going strong, and I expect our new Razor to last just as long.

Here's what Razor has to say: Producing some of the most popular and visually recognizable scooters in the country, Razor has been credited with the recreation of the scooter craze in the USA. Starting with the original kick scooter, Razor has used its distinctive patented single lever folding system and rear fender brake through the evolution of their kick scooters.

Each scooter is constructed of Aircraft-grade aluminum to provide maximum durability without weighing the rider down. Features such as the foam grip handlebars and durable grip tape are engineered to achieve a system that allows riders to utilize every inch of their scooters. In 2000, the ever popular A Series Kick Scooter won the coveted Toy of the Year award.

Win It! CSN Stores is giving away an A Kick Scooter by Razor to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader!

Required Entry:
Go to the list of CSN Stores, then leave a comment here with the name of one CSN Store. Easy? Here's the catch -- no duplicates allowed! If another commenter with an early timestamp has already mentioned a store in his/her comment, you have to pick another CSN Store. It shouldn't be too hard -- after all, there are over 200 CSN stores!

Extra Entries:
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Go to the list of CSN Stores, then leave a comment here telling me which online store you would be most likely to shop at. Unlike the required entry, it's ok to mention a store that another commenter has already mentioned -- it will be interesting to see which stores are the most popular!

2) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment here with your blog URL).

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

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

Win a Razor scooter from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/ydlzkrs

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 15, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on October 16 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Pearl of Wisdom Campaign and Giveaway

I adore pearls. Most of my real jewelry has some kind of pearl on it; my most precious piece is a pearl necklace and earring set from Mikimoto, creators of the most beautiful cultured pearls in the world . Call me old-fashioned; I think a strand of pearls on a woman's neck just screams grace, beauty and classic elegance. So when I was wandering through the vendor expo at BlogHer '09, it's no wonder that this pearl pin from the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer caught my eye. It's easily one of the prettiest pieces of swag I've ever gotten.


But this post isn't about reviewing the Pearl of Wisdom pin (even though I love it). No, I'm posting this because cervical cancer sucks -- but with proper screening and vaccination, almost every case of cervical cancer can be prevented. And the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign was founded in order to raise awareness of this fact. And if spending a little bit of time to put up a post on my blog can help do that, I'll gladly do it. So I have.

Women all over are wearing the Pearl of Wisdom pin to show their support of the campaign. You can view our photos at the Pearl of Wisdom photo gallery. Everyone who posts a photo before October 31, 2009 is eligible to win some fabulous prizes.


Want to join in? You can purchase this beautiful pin online for $6.95. Or win one here! Five lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will receive the Pearl of Wisdom pin. To enter, simply visit my Pearl of Wisdom interview post on Finding Bonggamom and leave a comment or a message of support for Michelle (then come back here and leave a comment telling me that you did).

For extra entries, you can do either or all of the following:

1) Send a virtual pearl to a woman you care about and let them know how they can prevent cervical cancer (leave a comment here with the email address you used to send the virtual pearl).

2) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (leave a comment here with your blog URL).

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

Win one of *five* pearl pins at @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/y9jcrsx


Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 8, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on October 9 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Other than the pin handed to me at BlogHer, I received no product samples or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Cooking Eggs with the Tasty Baker

We've had the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker for about a week now, and it's still so much fun to "play" with our food. However, this post's featured Tasty Baker dish isn't even one of the five top foods you can cook with the Tasty Baker (hence the name 5-in-1: pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, or breads). I read on the box that the Tasty Baker can cook eggs, too!



The thought of heart and smiley-face scrambled eggs was just too irresistible, so I heated up the Tasty Baker and cracked half a dozen eggs (the molds are small, so you could use just one or two). I whisked them with a splash of milk and some grated cheese, then poured the mixture onto the mold. The eggs puffed up beautifully...........

.... but, as anyone who has baked an egg or made a souffle will tell you, they collapsed almost as soon as I lifted them off the mold. The molded eggs got more and more wrinkled as they cooled, but they did hold their general shape, if not the detailing. It certainly didn't affect their taste -- my kids loved them -- and I think it might be cute if you made biscuits or bread using the Tasty Baker, then sandwiched these eggs between the same-shaped biscuits, so you get teeny little egg sandwiches shaped like a birthday cake, dog, cat, train, heart, smile face and blocks.

I did make one batch with some Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, which thickened the batter and made the eggs hold their volume and detailing much better -- but my kids didn't like the taste of the Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs. I think I'll try adding plain or panko breadcrumbs next time. And yes, there will be a next time for these Tasty Baker eggs!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Grab Me!

Don't worry, there's no groping required. This is just an invitation to everyone to come and grab my new Bonggamom Finds button. After eighteen months of posting reviews and giveaways on this blog, I've finally gotten around to creating one that I'm happy with.

So here's my button, all ready for you to post on your own blogs. Because you know you've got to have Bonggamom on your blogroll, right? Feel free to grab away (but be kind, I'm ticklish).

<a href="http://bonggafinds.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img width="125" alt="Bonggamom Finds" src="http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr260/bonggamom/blog%20buttons/BonggaFindsButton-2.png" /></a>

Name Your Tune Personalized CD -- Review and Giveaway

Win a personalized music cd for your child! To find out how, keep reading...

I'm one of five children, and I have three children of my own, so I know how challenging it can be for a parent to make each child feel special. One great trick is to personalize each child's things. Personalization lets everyone know that the object belongs to that child, and that child alone -- and it gives children a special feeling to see their name printed out everywhere.

When The Pea was about two years old, my in-laws bought her a wonderful gift -- a personalized cd, which featuring songs singing her name. The Pea absolutely loved it, and she still likes to listen to it today. My in-laws bought that cd at Harrod's in England, and they never got around to having one done for 3Po or Jammy, so they've always been a bit jealous of The Pea for having special songs on a cd. So I was delighted when Name Your Tune , an online destination for personalized gifts, contacted me offering to send me a personalized cd to review.

The Basics
Name Your Tune is a kids' music cd featuring well-loved children's songs, with a twist -- each song is personalized with your child's name. You and your child get to hear the musical artist sing your child's name multiple times throughout each song -- over 80 times in the whole cd. There are over 4200 names you can choose from, including different pronunciations of the same name (for example, Reegan and Raygan), so chances are you'll find your child's name on that list. You can even specify multiple names on the cd, which is what we did for 3Po and Jammy.

Here's what the creators of Name Your Tune have to say:
Name Your Tune is an exciting new children's music compilation that is made-to-order and personalized for each child. The child's name is the feature part of every song making this CD all about them! The songs are familiar and much-loved tunes for children, parents and grandparents and are a great way to learn and have fun together.

The Bongga
Finally! A personalized kid's music cd that you can order online! No more hoping the in-laws get the opportunity to make the 2-hr. journey to Harrod's in London! I love the fact that you can incorporate multiple names -- this makes it great for parents with multiple kids on a budget. Our sample cd was personalized for both 3Po and Jammy, so all the odd-numbered songs sang 3Po's name, and all the even-numbered songs were for Jammy. The musical artists were great, and their names were pronounced very clearly so the kids could tell when their names were being sung. They had lots of fun listening, singing along, and dancing!

Best, best, best of all, Name Your Tune really does make children feel special. You should have seen 3Po's face light up when he first heard his name sung on the cd. His look of surprise and delight was absolutely priceless.

The Blah
The tunes on the cd are timeless children's classics -- which means they're probably more suited to toddlers and young preschoolers. I'd love another edition with more modern, edgier kids' tunes that they can keep listening to, even as they get older!

The Bottom Line
Name Your Tune makes a wonderful present for any child. Each song will make your child feel special every time he or she hears it!



Win It!
Name Your Tune will send a personalized kids' cd to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader! To enter, simply check out the Name Your Tune Playlist, then leave a comment here telling me which of those songs your child would love to hear his name on.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following:

1) Join the Name Your Tune mailing list (leave a comment here with the email address you used to sign up for the mailing list).

2) Blog this giveaway and include a link to this post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment here with a link to your tweet) up to 3 times, no more than once per day. Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a personalized kids' music cd from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/nx27wv

Open to US and Canada residents. Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 12, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on October 13 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Get ready to win a Razor scooter!

We received a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday -- a sweet Razor scooter from ToysAndGamesOnline.com! The kids were so excited because all they have are 2 old imitation brand scooters that we got at a garage sale for $5. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's great to have the real thing, and once you get on it, you can really tell the difference.

I'm saving my full review for a future post; I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I'll be giving one of these Razor scooters away very soon! Yup, the folks at CSN Stores (the ones who sent us the scooter to review) have generously offered to host a Razor scooter giveaway. They're the parent company of ToysAndGamesOnline.com, as well as a bunch of other online stores. And when I say "a bunch", I actually mean over 200 other stores selling practically everything under the sun! They've got Cookware.com, Luggage.com, Strollers.com, AllModern.com selling -- guess what? -- Cookware, Luggage, Strollers and Modern Furniture. The list goes on and on.

Start checking out some of their stores, because I'm going to be asking you to name your favorite ones in order to enter the Razor scooter giveaway -- stay tuned, the giveaway post will be going up next week!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Happy National Play-Doh day!

Did you know that today is National Play-Doh day? I can't believe that Play-Doh is 53 years old! And of course, there's no better way to celebrate than with a Play-Doh hamburger or ice cream sundae :)


I did not receive a product sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Making Tasty Treats with the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker

Anyone who cooks for kids knows that the cardinal rule is: Looks are Everything. Kids are far more likely to try new foods if it's presented in a fun, appealing way. Hence the popularity of broccoli "trees", smiley-face pizzas, and mashed potatoes shaped like Spongebob Squarepants.

But what if you're not the creative kind? What if your attempt at a heart-shaped pancake always ends up looking more like a shapeless blob? We recently reviewed an appliance that lets even the most challenged baker turn out baked treats worthy of Martha Stewart: the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker.

The Basics
The 5-in-1 Tasty Baker is a bit like a waffle maker -- except it's not. You can use it to make not just waffles, but also pancakes, muffins, breads, cakes and brownies. Just pour batter onto the nonstick molds, close the lid and let it bake. When it's done, you end up with cute, bite-sized treats in cute, kid-friendly shapes.

The Bongga
Today we made whole-wheat pancakes. The recipe couldn't be simpler:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Just dump everything into a bowl and mix. Plug in the Tasty Baker and set it to a 3. When the green light comes on, open it up and pour the batter into the molds. The little batter scoop that comes with the Tasty Baker is perfect because one scoop is just about the right amount you need for each mold. Close the lid, wait for 3 or 4 minutes, then lift the lid. This is what you'll see:


Now use a silicone spoon to lift each little pancake off the molds. The nonstick material is wonderful! I initially sprayed the mold with cooking spray, but I don't think I actually needed to. The recipe above made about 4 batches, and each batch lifted off the molds beautifully (and since nothing really stuck to the surface, clean-up was a breeze).

Aren't they adorable??? Can you imagine the Oooh's and Awwww's at our next playdate or party? Our version has seven shapes -- birthday cake, dog, cat, train, heart, smile face, blocks -- and they're perfectly bite-sized (or two-bite-sized, if you're being polite and trying to refrain from stuffing them into your mouth) and so much fun to eat. My kids loved preparing them with me, and they loved eating them even more!


The Blah
Any pancake recipe will do, but it would have been nice if the instructions had included a couple of recipes, or recipe ideas. Also, I wish the molds could have been interchangeable, so that you could buy extra molds and make 7 of a single design, instead of 7 different designs (for example, for a Valentine's Day party, you're only going to want the heart mold).


The Bottom Line
The 5-in-1 Tasty Baker is easy to use and clean, and kids love the results!

So we've done pancakes, but they don't call this the 5-in-1 for nothing. We've still got cakes, brownies, muffins, breads and waffles to make! Stay tuned for more review posts as the kids and I continue creating all kinds of yummy treats with the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

"It's All Too Much, so Get It Together" Review and Giveaway

There's something about Peter Walsh that inspires me to get organized. Maybe it's his friendly demeanor. Maybe it's his practical advice. Maybe I just really dig his philosophy: that clutter is first and foremost a state of mind, and you first need to visualize what you want your life to be, what you want to use your space for, before you can really get around to getting some order in your life.

Whatever the case, I find that whenever I listen to him, I get shit DONE. After his workspace organization blogcast, I organized the kids' artwork projects. After I joined him as a panelist on his back-to-school organization blogcast, I organized the kids' toy bins, lunchboxes, and school paperwork. Slowly but surely, I'm clearing up my physical clutter, and in the process, streamlining my life. So I have no hesitation whatsoever about reading (and afterwards, recommending) his latest book.

The Basics
Peter Walsh's latest organization-advice book, "It's All Too Much, So Get It Together", is directed towards older kids and teenagers. He offers practical advice on identifying clutter, clearing up clutter and preventing clutter from coming back.

The Bongga
The book is as well-organized as Peter Walsh! He starts the book by giving readers a summary of what they're about to read, so they know what they're gettting into. Afterwards, he finishes with a summary, so readers remember his key points. And since this book is for older kids and teenagers, he writes in a friendly, informal style, with lots of fun quizzes, funny illustrations and easy-to-follow advice.

The best part about this book, in my mind, is that you don't have to memorize the whole book in order to get some use out of it. Whether you read a little or a lot, you'll find some great advice that can work for you. After reading just a couple of chapters, I was inspired to clear up my own clutter. I tackled my little laundry room and made 3 piles, just like he said -- Keep, Throw Away, and Out the Door. In less than an hour I had a huge Throw Away and Out the Door pile! Of course, the laundry room is still messy, but that's because I haven't folded up the clean clothes. I did get rid of a LOT of junk, and at least now everything in the laundry room is stuff that I actually USE.

So, come to think of it, the best part about this book is that the advice Peter Walsh gives actually WORKS.


The Blah
The title is quite a mouthful, which makes it way too difficult for people to remember.

Girlfriend: My kid's room is a pigsty.
Me: I just read this book, "It's All Too Much, So Get it Together". You should buy it for her.
Girlfriend: What's the book's name again?
Me: It's All Too Much, So Get It Together.
Girlfriend: What? Say that again? That title is all too much!


The Bottom Line
This book can be a great tool to help your disorganized, stressed-out teenager regain some control over his stuff. It won't turn their lives around -- they have to do that themselves. But it's filled with practical, doable advice that can certainly inspire them to make a change. And it wouldn't hurt the adults in the house to read it as well!


Win it! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will be selected to receive a copy of Peter Walsh's new book, "It's All Too Much, So Get It Together". To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and share one tip you have for preventing clutter from taking over your life. If you have no advice to share (which is why you want to win this book, right?!), tell us which part of your home you'd most like to organize!

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

2) Fave Finding Bonggamom on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

3) Follow Finding Bonggamom on Blogger (leave a comment with your Blogger profile name).

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

5) 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).

6) Blog about this giveaway and include a link to the giveaway on your blog post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

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

Win a copy of @Peter_Walsh latest book at @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/ndrfbm

Maximum of 8 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 6, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on October 7 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams DVD Review and Giveaway

When I was a little girl, I always wanted more stories about the princesses in the fairytales, but I had to rely on my own imagination, because there was no such thing as sequels or spinoffs. Little girls today are so lucky because not only do they get a bucketful of beautiful Disney princesses to choose from -- from Cinderella to Ariel to Jasmine to my favorite, Sleeping Beauty -- but they also get to delve deeper into each princess's life and learn about more fun adventures they had. Not that imagination is a bad thing, but Disney's beautiful animation, catchy music and funny can certainly help a little girl's imagination take flight! Their latest Princess DVD offering, Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, is now available in stores. Here's what we thought of it:

The Basics
Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams contains two films, one featuring Princess Aurora (from Disney's Sleeping Beauty) and one featuring Princess Jasmine (from Disney's Aladdin). Here's a description from Disney Home Entertainment:

If you wish with all your heart and imagine the loveliest place you've ever dreamt of, you'll find yourself in a dazzling fairytale castle. Cross the drawbridge, step inside and experience Disney's spectacular Princess adventure!

Accompany Princess Aurora on her first new "Once upon a time..." since the cherished classic SLEEPING BEAUTY. And take a magic carpet ride to Agrabah, where Jasmine and your favorite characters from the Academy Award® winning masterpiece ALADDIN (1992 -- Best Original Score; Best Original Song: "A Whole New World") return for a whole new world of never-before-seen enchantment! Spend some golden moments with Aurora and Jasmine as each discovers what it takes to be a true Princess. With magical storytelling, memorable new songs and "...favorite Disney Princesses, animated in the classic Disney style" (Roger Moore, ORLANDO SENTINEL), this delightful gem celebrates the power of believing in yourself. Join the Disney Princesses as they realize that when you FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS...they just might come true!

The DVD also includes a bonus disc containing a Cinderella music video, a Mulan music video, and an exclusive sneak peek of Disney's upcoming movie, "The Princess and the Frog".

The Bongga
Jasmine and Aurora are as smart and sassy as ever, and I love the positive, girls-can-do-anything attitude that these stories promote. I'm especially happy to find out more about Aurora, since there was so little character development in the original Sleeping Beauty.

The Blah
I'm a big fan of Disney movies, and I find that none of the Disney Princess sequels and spin-offs quite compares to the movies they originally appeared in.

The Bottom Line
What little princess wouldn't want more stories about Disney Princesses! They will love Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, and before this DVD ends they'll be asking for more.

Win it! Each day from September 11 thru 14, I'll be starting a giveaway for one Disney DVD! Today's giveaway is for a copy of Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your child's favorite Disney Princess character. This is required for entry and must be completed before any extra entries will count.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

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

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

3) Blog about this giveaway and link to this giveaway in your blog post (leave a comment with the link to your blog post).

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

Win a Disney Princess DVD from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/nadd6e

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on Sept. 28, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on Sept. 29 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff DVD Review and Giveaway

I've always had a soft spot for Disney's Little Einsteins. I think it's because I keep making the association with Baby Einstein (also a Disney brand), which my kids loved practically from birth. The music was lovely, the images were fun, what's not to like? Little Einsteins continues the tradition of exposing kids to classical music, and adds age-appropriate storylines for toddlers and preschoolers. My kids haven't watched Little Einsteins in a while, but they thoroughly enjoyed previewing Disney's latest offering, Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff, available now on DVD.

The Basics
Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff contains five episodes from the tv series Little Einsteins, including a never-before seen episode, "Fire Truck Rocket", that's set to air on tv on November 23. Here's a description from Disney DVD:

Sound the siren and hold on tight as the world's biggest little heroes embark on their most amazing adventure ever!

Full speed ahead for fun as Rocket transforms into a flying truck! A rumbling volcano on the island of Java is about to blow, and the Team needs to free a monkey stuck in a tree before things get really hot. Can they get there in time? They'll need all of Rocket's special firefighting gadgets - and YOUR help - to save the day! Then, whoosh off to a thrilling car race in Monaco, dash to the top of the Eiffel Tower, and chug superfast up the Andes Mountains when Rocket transforms again - into an ice-cream train! Bursting with music, action and fun, FIRE TRUCK ROCKET'S BLASTOFF is a whirlwind of nonstop adventure!

The Bongga
At first, my kids thought they were too old and sophisticated for this DVD. But they fell in love with the cute little musical creature that Leo befriends in the second episode, "Melody The Music Pet", and when I turned the DVD off after the third episode, they howled in protest. Kids just really like the friendly characters and gentle storylines! As a parent, I also love how Little Einsteins exposes kids to the fine arts. They feature real works of art in all episodes, and they play real classical music on their episodes, not some dumbed-down kid version. Anyone who can get my kids humming Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture while they're drawing pictures of ninjas throwing flameballs deserves a star in my book.

The Bottom Line
Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff is a fun DVD that fans of the tv show will love. It's a great way to make sure that your little one can watch an episode whenever he wants! Hopefully all that classical indoctrination will stick -- maybe one day when we'll be walking through the National Gallery in London and my kids will surprise me by saying, "Look, mama, it's the Sunflowers painting by Van Gogh!"

Win it! Each day from September 11 thru 14, I'll be starting a giveaway for one Disney DVD! Today's giveaway is for a copy of Little Einsteins: Fire Truck Rocket's Blastoff . To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your child's favorite Little Einstein character. This is required for entry and must be completed before any extra entries will count.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

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

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

3) Blog about this giveaway and link to this giveaway in your blog post (leave a comment with the link to your blog post).

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

Win a Little Einsteins DVD from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/mhe6hb


This giveaway ends at midnight PST on Sept. 27, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on Sept. 28 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Power Rangers RPM: Race For Corinth DVD Review and Giveaway

3Po and Jammy love Power Rangers. They were Power Rangers two years ago and often take their costumes out to play dress-up. We have a couple of Power Rangers books which they like to read now and then, and their drawings are littered with Power Rangers. Which is kind of strange, considering they've actually watched an episode of Power Rangers -- until now. We were invited to preview the newest Power Rangers DVD (out on September 8). I was a bit worried that it would be a bit scary for them, but they actually loved it! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they ask to be Power Rangers again this Halloween :)

The Basics
Power Rangers RPM is the seventeenth and current season of the ever-popular Power Rangers TV series, and Power Rangers RPM: Race For Corinth is a DVD compilation of 4 episodes from the series. It's actually the second DVD that Disney has released (Volume 1, Power Rangers RPM: Start Your Engines contains episodes 1 thru 4; Race for Corinth is Volujme 2, and contains episodes 5 thru 8). In Race For Corinth, we get to see how Scott (Ranger Red), Ziggy (Ranger Green), Flynn (Ranger Blue), and Summer (Ranger Yellow) became Power Rangers.

Here's a short clip from the DVD to get you all revv'ed up:


The Bongga
This DVD is a little boys' dream! After it ends, my sons love to relive all the episodes, and I've gotten used to hearing all kinds of strange explosive and/or karate noises coming from their mouths. They loved all the fast karate action and the cool vehicle-to-robot transformations. And since I've got pretty sensitive kids, I'm glad that there's just enough silliness in the plot to overcome their fear of the bad guys and keep the tears (or worse, nightmares) from showing up.

The Blah
I wish they had also included the Black Power Ranger's story on this DVD because all my kids (okay, their mom as well) were left hanging! Oh well, his story is on Volume 1, so I guess we'll just have to buy Volume 1 to find out.

The Bottom Line
Power Rangers fans will love this DVD! Even better, buy it along with Volume 1 so you can get the complete back story of how these Power Rangers and their allies started out.

Win it! Each day from September 11 thru 14, I'll be starting a giveaway for one Disney DVD! Today's giveaway is for a copy of Power Rangers RPM: Race to Corinth. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your child's favorite Power Ranger. This is required for entry and must be completed before any extra entries will count.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Follow Finding Bonggamom on Blogger (leave a comment with your Blogger profile name).

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

3) Blog about this giveaway and link to this giveaway in your blog post (leave a comment with the link to your blog post).

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

Win a Power Rangers DVD from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/pqarvx


This giveaway ends at midnight PST on Sept. 26, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on Sept. 27 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Bonggamom's Klutz paper fashion creations

I've finally gotten around to posting my Klutz paper fashion creations! My favorite is this witch's gown. Since Halloween is my favorite holiday, I created something I'd want to wear to a spooky Halloween ball.



I also had a lot of fun creating this woodland fairy outfit. Those shoes were so dratted difficult to cut out!

You can see more beautiful designs created by bloggers and crafters at the Klutz Design Challenge website. And don't forget to enter my Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy giveaway for a chance to win your own Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy book and create some fantasies of your own. FIVE winners will be selected on September 17th!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland DVD Review and Giveaway

Is that Mickey Mouse, or Alice? And who's that playing croquet: the Queen of Hearts or Clarabelle Cow? No, you're not crazy, Mickey Mouse has entered Wonderland in his latest DVD! We were given a sneak peek at the new Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie, Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland, available on DVD starting September 8.

The Basics:
Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland is a full-length movie (runtime=50 minutes) starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and all the friends from the popular tv series Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Children can watch the movie in regular mode, or in one of two special interactive modes, where they use the remote control to answer fun, age-appropriate questions about colors, shapes and sizes. The DVD also has a bonus episode of "Goofy Goes Goofy".

Here's a description from Disney DVD: Get ready to join Mickey and friends on their most amazing adventure ever -- a new movie classic inspired by Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND! Don't be late for a very important date: Daisy's surprise birthday party! Her present is a magical cuckoo clock, and when the cuckoo bird flies away, Mickey and Donald set off through a fairy tale wonderland to find him. Will they choose the right mouseketools to locate Cuckoo and get home in time? Find out as you set off on a remarkable journey. Meet Tweedle Chip, Tweedle Dale and Goofy Hatter, play croquet with Queen Clarabelle and more! Packed with friendship, laughter and surprises, MICKEY'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND is topsy-turvy fun for everyone.

And here's a trailer:


The Bongga
Young fans of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will be happy to see all the familiar faces (Mickey, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pegleg Pete, Toodles, etc..) and scenery (the clubhouse) from the tv series. The plot, while based on Alice in Wonderland, also follows the familiar format of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, i.e. the characters interact with the viewer and ask for their help to solve various problems that crop up in the story. Even my kids, who fall just above the target preschool demographic, had lots of fun watching this movie! They loved seeing how the different Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters showed up as Alice in Wonderland characters (Chip and Dale as TweedleDee and TweedleDum, Goofy as the Mad Hatter, etc..). On a more practical level, I loved the Fast Play option, which gets the DVD playing automatically so I can just pop the DVD in and not worry about fiddling with the controls.

The Blah
Unfortunately, that same Fast Play option also forces kids to watch all the previews and trailers -- I wish it just went straight to the movie!

The Bottom Line
If your child likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, he'll like this DVD!

Win it! Each day from September 11 thru 14, I'll be starting a giveaway for one Disney DVD! Today's giveaway is for a copy of Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse character. This is required for entry and must be completed before any extra entries will count.

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

2) Fave Finding Bonggamom on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).

3) Blog about this giveaway and link to this giveaway in your blog post (leave a comment here with the link to your blog post).

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

Win a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/q69g4q


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

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Temple Touch Thermometer Review and Giveaway

Flu season is about to rear its ugly head, and I'm bracing myself for the usual round of sniffles, sore throats and sick days. I was recently invited by Mom Select to review ReliOn's new Temple Touch thermometer. Here's what I thought of it:


The Basics
The ReliOn Temple Touch Thermometer is a non-invasive thermometer that reads temperatures from the temple in approximately 6-8 seconds. It samples heat flowing from the blood vessels to the skin surface and accurately translates it to body temperature. Unlike other forehead-type thermometers, the Temple Touch is unaffected by local ambient conditions, resulting in more accurate readings.


The Bongga
The Temple Touch makes taking your child's temperature soooo easy! I've always been nervous about my kids biting through to the mercury in the oral thermometers, and I find it awkward to position it under their tongue. Holding it there and waiting for the darn thing to beep is even more agonizing. No such problems with the Temple Touch -- you just press it to your child's temple, and it's blazingly fast, you don't have to pin her down for very long! You can even use take your child's temperature while she's asleep. It's so easy to use (turn it on, wait for 2 beeps, press to the temple, wait for the next beep, read results) and even if you do forget how it works, the instructions are clearly written on a little sticker that's stuck to the back on the unit. Brilliant!

The Blah

When I tried out the Temple Touch, my temperature read 99.1 F. My temperature with a regular oral thermometer came to 98.7, and when I stuck the oral thermometer under my arm, it read 96.1. The variation of temperatures is so confusing! I don't have much faith in our old oral thermometer, so I'll have to take the Temple Touch with me to our next doctor's visit to check how accurate it is. Also, I wish the thermometer came in a little case to protect it from water and curious little hands!

The Bottom Line
Use the Temple Touch thermometer is easy to use, easy to clean, fast, non-invasive and gentle -- which means hassle-free temperature taking. Which means parents will love it!

Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Temple Touch thermometer courtesy of Mom Select. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and share your best remedy for the common cold. (This is required for entry and must be complete before any extra entries count).

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):


1) Blog about this giveaway on your blog and link back to this post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

2) 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).

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

Temple Touch Thermometer giveaway from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/m99toq


This giveaway ends at midnight PST on Sept. 24, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on June 25 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!


I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Zula Patrol DVD Review and Giveaway

This schoolyear, my kids are going to be learning lots of stuff, and I just have to cross my fingers and hope that some of it sticks. So when my kids have some downtime and unwind with a little bit of television, it's always nice to find educational shows they can watch. We recently reviewed 2 DVD's featuring episodes from The Zula Patrol, and I found them to be both entertaining and educational, a perfect combination!

The Basics
“The Zula Patrol” is an animated science-and-astronomy series for kids that airs Saturday mornings nationally on NBC, as part of qubo, as well as weekdays and weekends on public television stations. The main characters are a gang of aliens that patrol the universe, blast off on adventures and keep the peace -- while learning about science and astronomy along the way.



“The Zula Patrol: Animal Adventures in Space” contains 5 episodes from the tv series and 5 bonus sing-a-long Zula songs. Kids who watch this DVD will learn about different animals -- like frogs, bees, butterflies, worms -- and their life cycles.

“The Zula Patrol: Moons Mayhem” contains 6 episodes from the tv series. Kids who watch this DVD will learn about including planets, their moons, phases of the Earth's moon, Venus, and more.

From the creators: “The Zula Patrol” features a gang of lovably wacky alien characters including stalwart Captain Bula, brainiac Professor Multo, feisty hot-doggin' space pilot Zeeter, the amazing space pet Gorga, and twin flying explorers Wizzy & Wigg. They take kids on a roller coaster fun ride across the Universe, helping them discover interesting facts about science and astronomy in the process.

The Bongga
I really love how each episode incorporates a science lesson! The science facts seamlessly woven into the episode's plotline (for example, in one of the episodes on "Animal Adventures in Space", a grasshopper is searching for his worm friend, only to find out that his friend is actually a caterpiller who is changing into a butterfly), then at the end of the lesson one of the characters does a recap of the science facts that the kids have just learned.

Also, each DVD contains a bonus offer for 200 free Zlinkies (worth $10), the official currency of ZulaWorld.com, an new online destination where kids can create their own aliens, play games and explore galaxies. We actually tried out ZulaWorld.com when it was in its beta testing stage, and my kids really enjoyed it! They'll really appreciate the additional 400 Zlinkies (2oo per DVD) to "purchase" spaceships and other stuff for their ZulaWorld.com aliens.

The Blah
There's not much I don't like about this series, or the DVD -- both get high marks from me!

The Bottom Line
These 2 Zula Patrol DVDs are great for helping kids learn about science, and have fun while doing it!

Win it! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a set of 2 Zula Patrol DVDs: "The Zula Patrol: Moons Mayhem" and "The Zula Patrol: Animal Adventures in Space!". To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me which branch of science you find most interesting. Do you like astronomy? Biology? You tell me!

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

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) Blog about this giveaway, and include a link to the giveaway on your post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

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

The Zula Patrol teaches kids about science and astronomy! Win 2 Zula Patrol DVD's from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/lexosw


Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on September 23, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on September 24 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Kids Coats Giveaway

Last week I raved about the beautiful yet practical Corky and Company coats we received from KidsCoats.com. They have the most stylish Winter Coats, Rain Coats, Winter Hats and other Outerwear you can imagine! Check out these photos of my kids in their new coats:

They offer free shipping to the US and up to $50 off when you join their mailing list, so there's no time like the present to get your orders in and make sure your kids brave the cold winter in style.


Win It! Today we've got a great giveaway, courtesy of KidsCoats.com. One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a $150 shopping spree on KidsCoats.com!! To enter, simply visit KidsCoats.com and take a look at their fabulous children's coats. Then add one or more items to your Kaboodle Wishlist (You will need to create a free Kaboodle account to do this). Just scroll down the page of the coat you like until you see the Kaboodle button:


The Kaboodle button is displayed just below each coat. Click on the Kaboodle button to add the coat to your Kaboodle account. This is a required entry and must be completed in order for any extra entries to count!

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (please leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) Sign up for the Kids Coats mailing list (leave a comment here with the email address you used to sign up).

2) Leave a comment on my Kids Coats review post and tell me the feature you like most about Corky and Company coats -- style, design, washability, variety, you decide!

3) Fave Bonggamom Finds on Technorati (leave a comment with your Technorati id).


4) Blog about this giveaway and include a link to this giveaway in your blog post (leave a comment with a link to your blog post).

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

Win a $150 KidsCoats.com shopping spree from @bonggafinds! http://tinyurl.com/mwkbnr


Maximum 6 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on September 29, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on September 30 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!


I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow. No, it's Just Sorrow.

This weekend I test-drove a Lincoln MKT, courtesy of the Ford Motor Company. Before this, I thought Lincolns were for airport limos and Fords were for rental cars. But after 3 days with this baby, I can honestly say that it has changed my perception of those two brands.

This car is luxurious and elegant and sophisticated, something I never thought I'd say about Lincoln and Ford. The interior rivals that of any European luxury car. And the technology behind the car is impressive. The kids are crazy about the reverse camera and SYNC features. Alfie doesn't know how anyone could have survived before voice-recognition navigation systems. And once I stopped freaking out myself, I enjoyed freaking other people out when I used the Active Park Assist (Is that chick crazy, parking with no hands?! Keep her away from my car!). When they came to pick the car up, they almost had to pry the keys from my fingers. Dang, one could get used to driving this car.

To be perfectly honest, I don't like the exterior styling, especially those teeny-tiny rear windows and huge front grill. I've got small issues here and there. Most importantly, I can't vouch for how the quality and performance holds up over time -- I only have word-of-mouth and reputation to go on, which, at least in the places I've lived, is not stellar.

Yet.

If Ford keeps making cars like this, and if this car stays as great as it is five, ten years after today, they'll be changing a lot more minds everywhere.

You can read more about what I thought of the Lincoln MKT on Bonggamom Finds:
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

I did not receive a product sample for this post, or monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.