Bonggamom Finds: April 2013

Mosaic photo books: the fastest, easiest way to create a photo book

With the advent of smart phones, it has gotten way too easy to take a photo! Nowadays, I probably take more photos in a month than I did in a whole year, ten years ago. Everyone I know has tons of photos on their phones, and for the most part, those photos end up taking permanent residence on that phone, so no one ever gets to admire them.

One great solution to get those photos off your phone and in front of admiring friends and family would be to create photo books from your favorite photos. But I have to admit -- even with autocreate software, it takes me ages to create photo books because I'm always tweaking the layout, captions, background decor, photos, etc... I know the software can do it all for me, but I'm such a control freak that I just have to meddle!

Sometimes it's nice to get all of those decisions out of the way, and that's just what the Mosaic photo app does. Mosaic creates photo books out of 20 photos on your phone -- all you have to do is select the photos, and Mosaic does the rest. Each 7x7 inch book costs a flat $20, with $4 shipping. You don't even need to create a Mosaic account (thank goodness, that's one less password to remember). Ours arrived in just 5 days, and it turned out gorgeous.

Seriously, the hardest part about creating a Mosaic book is selecting the photos that you want to appear. You'll need to pick out 20 photos, no more, no less. Just tap on the photo you want, and it will appear in the bottom bar. You can change the order that your photos will appear by dragging and dropping. When you're done, select "Next", and your Mosaic book is created. That's it!

On the very first page, Mosaic showcases out a selection of your photos in a beautiful collage. The selection and layout is random but if you don't like what appears you can reshuffle the photos and try your luck. Your 20 photos appear on pages 2 thru 21, one photo per page.

There's no zooming or cropping: Mosaic will print the photos on the pages in their original proportion (which means that if you want the largest possible photo, use square photos!).

Many people don't like the 20-photo restriction, but I actually don't mind it. I worked around it by using a photo collage!

Pretty much the only thing users can do is select the photos, select the order of the photos, and select the background color (black or white). No tweaking, so meddling. It takes less than 5 minutes.

I do wish that users could add captions to the photos (I don't need fancy banners or stickers, just plain text would be great!), and I do wish that users could choose from two or three sizes (maybe 7x7, 12x12, 20x20?). But I do get it: simplicity does have its trade-offs, and there is beauty in simplicity: you can't beat that clean, uncluttered look. It takes so little effort and time, you just want to keep creating Mosaic books!

Disclosure: I received a code to create a free Mosaic photo book for review purposes.. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

CollageIt Pro for Windows and Mac -- review and giveaway

There's nothing better than a beautiful photo -- unless it's a group of beautiful photos. Photo collages are a great way to combine similarly themed photos into one great visual that conveys your message at a single glance. Whether it's for a greeting card or a poster or a blog post or a Facebook update or a living room wall, I find myself creating photo collages almost every day. For example, I'm doing a review for Dragonfly Designs (they run jewelry making camps, parties and classes), and I took so many photos of their beautiful beads and the beautiful jewelry that the girls made, that collages are the only way to showcase them all!

Until now, I've had to create my photo collages on my iPad, with some photo collage app, or online. I hadn't really looked at photo collage software for my laptop until PearlMountain software invited me to try their CollageIt Pro software for Windows (it's also available on Mac). I took the software for a little test drive, and was able to create the beautiful collages you see on this post with no effort whatsoever.

About CollageIt Pro
CollageIt Pro is an automatic and easy to use collage maker on Mac OS X & Windows. It excels with its ease of use and hugely reduces manual work. CollageIt Pro is a TOP 10 Photography APP on App Store! Some features:

Making collages is as easy as 1-2-3 with only 3 steps, choose template -> add photos & customize -> export collage.
Various layouts and diverse templates.
Easily personalize collage by cropping, adjusting photo number, photo space, page margin, rotation, sparse, and so on.
Save collage as an image file; set as desktop wallpaper; share through Email; or print it out.

The software lets you drag photos from your computer and drop them into a list. Then you can drag the ones you want onto the template. You can switch the photos around, or the software can shuffle the photos around for you. You can also crop each photo to fit it into its frame or have the software select the best fit for the photo.

Your collages are completely customizable: you can vary the page size, the number of photos in your collage, the spacing between photos, the border thickness and color.

You can even choose a mosaic-style layout, with your photos tilted randomly so they look like prints haphazardly pinned onto a message board!

Despite all the customization options, a few that I really want are lacking: the ability to customize the photo sizes inside the layout (they are generated by the software, so for example I can't seem to create a collage with all-square photos!). Also, I can't flip or rotate the photos, and I can't adjust the tilt of the photos in the mosaic layout about. These are all features that come with the free CollageIt app for the iPhone, iPad and iPad touch -- but the tradeoff is that the CollageIt app for iOs can only create collages for up to 9 photos, while the CollageIt software for Windows and Mac can accommodate up to 200 photos.

There is also a free version of CollageIt for Windows and Mac; the difference between the two is that the Free version generates your collages with copyright watermarks. That alone is a great reason to splurge on the Pro version ($19 for a personal license), but in addition, the Pro version lets you crop your photos and export your collages in larger sized formats.

Win free codes for CollageIt Pro
CollageIt Pro has 20 license codes to give away -- 12 for Windows and 8 for Mac -- to 20 lucky Bonggamom Finds readers! All software includes lifetime support.

To enter, please leave a comment with your email address and let me know whether you are in the drawing for a Windows version or the Mac version. That's it! No location restrictions this time. I'll draw 20 winners on May 14, 2013. Good luck!

Disclosure: CollageIt provided a code for me to download and review the app, as well as codes for giveaway. Product information (in italics) was provided by PearlMountainThe views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Moms, Dads and Grads personalized gift ideas from Tiny Prints (Giveaway)

Late April and May is the time of year when we start thinking about moms, dads and grads. Last year The Pea graduated from grade school into middle school, but this year we don't have any big graduations to celebrate -- but we love to celebrate Mothers' Day and Father's Day every single year! If you're looking for a present for that special person you are celebrating, look no further than Tiny Prints personalized photo gifts. You can create them all online and personalize them to your heart's content -- and if you are anything like my mom and dad, you will be absolutely delighted!

Here are my top 3 Tiny Prints personalized gift ideas for my mom this year:

My mom couldn't care less about receiving a store-bought greeting card, but she has been known to frame and display greeting cards with photos of her grandchildren on them! With Tiny Prints' beautiful easel art products, my mom won't even need to look for a frame.

When it comes to organization, my siblings and I have been trying to get my mom to go digital ever since the Palm Pilot went on the market, but she stubbornly clings to her paper planners. Oh well, if that's what she wants... but at least a personalized Erin Condren day planner created online through Tiny Prints counts as high tech!

My mom thinks custom-printed address labels are a huge indulgence; she would rather hand-write the return addresses on each and every envelope she mails out. That's really not good for her arthritis -- but these custom self-inking stamps and custom embossers will cut out all the work for her, and they will never run out!

My mom has a collection of about half a dozen photo mugs that I've gifted her over the years. The kids change so much as they grow older, so I have to keep updating her mug -- and she just loves to display the ones she doesn't use!

By the way, all of the above gifts work equally well as Father's Day presents-- my dad is even more of a sap for his granchildren and treasures any present personalized with photos of them. Check out all the Tiny Prints Photo Gifts for more great gifting options for moms, dads and grads!

Win a Tiny Prints Personalized Prize Pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a personalized prize pack consisting of:

* 30 Personal Thank You Cards/Notes
* 1 Personal notebook
* Free shipping for both products

Required Entry
Visit the Tiny Prints Personalized Gifts page and leave a comment here telling me your favorite item that you'd like to give or receive as a gift.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the Tiny Prints giveaway! http://ow.ly/ksTma

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)

RT @bonggafinds U could win a set of personalized note cards + journal fr @TinyPrints! Enter on @bonggafinds by 5/2 http://ow.ly/ksTma

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on May 2, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on May 3 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: Tiny Prints is providing me with complimentary product as compensation for this post. They are also providing the giveaway prizes. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Save up to 20% at a Disneyland Resort Hotel

A visit to the Disneyland Resort is truly a magical experience, and when you stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel, your trip becomes even more magical. Not only are you as near to the parks as you can possibly be, you also get early entry to the parks on select days. Everything in the hotel contains special Disney touches like Disney characters on the bedspread and shower curtain, or little Disney chocolate coins on your pillow in the evening. It all helps extend your immersion in the Disney world long after you've left the park for the day.

As someone who is a very money-conscious traveler, I get it: their rooms aren't cheap. But believe me when I say they ware worth an occasional splurge. If you think you can't afford a hotel room at the Disneyland Resort, think again: if you book select rooms for stays between April 7 and May 22, you can get up to 20% off the regular rate at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel! You'll save 20% on a 2 night stay on most weekdays (Sunday through Thursday night) and 15% on most 2-night weekend stays (Friday and Saturday night). But hurry, you have to book your stay by April 27 in order to take advantage!

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

It All Adds Up with PBS Kids {Giveaway}

Last weekend PBS KIDS invited us to San Jose's Tech Museum to learn about their new "It All Adds Up" program and check out their latest educational apps. My kids have been watching PBS Kids since they were small, so I'm already a big fan of how their TV shows help kids learn important pre-kindergarten skills in a fun, engaging way.

This time, though, the focus was on learning away from the television screen. Many parents help their school-age kids with math and reading homework, but parents of younger children are missing the opportunity to develop important pre-kindergarten reading and math skills. PBS KIDS recently released a study revealing parents' anxiety about supporting math learning at home -- yet math skills at kindergarten entry can be an even stronger predictor of school achievement than reading skills!

That's where the "It All Adds Up" program comes in. This awareness program showcases the best resources created through the Ready To Learn initiative (a joint effort between PBS KIDS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting aka CPB, to support the development of early math and literacy skills), including:

Over 100 games and apps developed by PBS KIDS and CPB
A new app for parents called PBS Parents Play & Learn
A team of early childhood educators and bloggers -- Math Mentors -- with tips and ideas for parents to integrate math activities into their everyday lives

All these resources are available online at PBS KIDS Lab.

Their favorite was the Cyberchase 3D Builder app, which lets kids build virtual 3-D structures from 2-D images. Think about trying to create a 3-D cube by cutting a piece of paper, then folding and taping it together, and you'll have a good idea of what this app is about -- only you're not just building cubes, you're building pyramids (tetrahedrons) and diamonds (octohedrons) and dodecahedrons and other polyhedrons. Personally, I liked Curious George's Bubble Pop game -- when kids play it on a laptop with a camera and microphone, they pop bubbles by jumping up and down (the camera records their movement and makes the bubbles pop) or count the bubbles out loud as they pop! Unfortunately it's not available on any mobile devices -- but if you like virtual reality apps, check out Dinosaur Train's Camera Catch app, which features Buddy and other dinosaurs flying across your room.

If only PBS KIDS had had these apps when my kids were younger!

We also had a surprise visit from Buddy, the T-Rex who stars in Dinosaur Train. Dinosaur Train is one of our favorite PBS Kids shows, so we fawned over him like star-struck fans. It's not every day you get your photo taken with a big celebrity like Buddy, right?

As a special bonus, we also got a sneak peek at PBS' new series, Peg + Cat. It's an animated math-based adventure for 3-5 year olds, starring Peg and Cat. In each episode, organized Peg and free-spirited Cat work together to solve a word problem to get out of trouble. Preschoolers will learrn measurement, shapes and patterns -- but even more important, they'll see that math can be useful and fun. Watch out for Peg+Cat on PBS this fall!

So many ways for parents to help their kids develop math skills at an early age! Take advantage of each and every one at the PBS KIDS Lab!

Win a PBS KIDS activity pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a PBS KIDS activity pack featuring the following (value $17) :

Download codes for the following PBS KIDS apps ($1.99 each)

Dinosaur Train Camera Catch! for iPhone
All Aboard the Dinosaur Train! for iPad
Cyberchase 3D Builder for iPad
Martha Speaks Word Spinner for iPad
Martha Speaks Story Maker for iPhone

PBS KIDS activity sheets

Paperback book: Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins ($6.99)

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a tip for helping young children develop math skills.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the PBS KIDS app giveaway! http://ow.ly/kopkE

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
RT @bonggafinds You could win a set of PBS KIDS apps for iPhone/iPad! Enter by May 7 at http://ow.ly/kopkE

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on May 7, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on May 8 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: My family received complimentary admission to the Tech Museum and lunch, but I have not been paid to blog about the event or any PBS product. Contents of this giveaway pack came from a goody bag given to attending bloggers. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Home, Sweet Home

When Alfie bought our home fifteen years ago, he was a swinging single and had no idea he would be sharing it with three kids and a wife. All he cared about was location, location, location: he wanted to be near downtown so he could walk to restaurants and shops whenever it suited his fancy.

It turns out that he made exactly the right decision: location, location, location are truly the 3 most important factors when it comes to buying a house! When I came along and the kids followed some time later, we added a second floor to accommodate our growing family. Our home is small in comparison with most of the homes around us, but there is no way we would trade it in for a bigger house in a different location. Here are just some of the things I love about our location:

It's in Northern California, so we enjoy mild winters, warm summers and endless amounts of sunshine. Living in NorCal also means that beaches, mountains and forests are just a few hours drive away.

Trees! We've got tons of trees in people's back yards, lining our sidewalks, and in our parks. I love being surrounded by so much green!

We live in a diverse, multicultural, well-educated, community that shares our values.

Our home is within walking distance to the kids' school, so we use muscle power instead of gas every day, which is good for our health, our budget and the earth.

Our home is within walking distance from downtown, and all modern-day conveniences (banks, groceries, shops, salons, gas stations, etc...) are easy to get to.

Our home is on a quiet street that doesn't get much traffic, so it's easy for us (and visitors) to park, and I don't have to worry about the kids being run over every time they step outside.

We could easily sell our home and buy a bigger house for less money, so we'd have more in the bank (not to mention paying less in real estate taxes) but we love our home and we love our life here. We are here to stay -- it's Home, Sweet Home indeed!

Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own..

Hip Dysplasia Q&A with Dr. Charles Price

When I gave birth to The Pea, I shared a hospital room with a woman who also had given birth within a few. Unfortunately her birth was not as uneventful as mine; I learned that her new baby had just been diagnosed with hip dysplasia. I remember hearing her talk about it with her doctor through the curtain that separated her bed from mine. Fortunately hip dysplasia can be corrected, and with knowledge of proper swaddling techniques, hip dysplasia can be prevented from developing after birth! Here are some important facts about hip dysplasia for new parents:

Hip Dysplasia affects thousands of babies a year. Left undetected, it can cause hip arthritis and is the cause of over 10% of hip replacements in the U.S.

Pediatric Orthopedist Dr. Charles Price has been asked about hip dysplasia by many new parents and offers this information on the condition. Dr. Price is head of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute which was founded by Larry the Cable Guy and his wife Cara after his son was successfully treated for the condition.

Ask Dr. Price

Dr. Charles Price is a Pediatric Orthopedist at the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Director of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute.

Q: What is hip dysplasia and when does it occur?

A: Hip Dysplasia occurs when children are born with the hip out of the socket or when the bones of the hip joint are not aligned correctly. This prevents the hip joint from functioning properly, thus causing the joint to wear out much faster. When babies are checked for the condition at birth about 2-3 babies per 1000 will require treatment, making it the most common newborn condition. Recently orthopedists have also discovered cases of hip dysplasia developing after birth as a result of tight swaddling.

Q: Can hip dysplasia be corrected?
A: The earlier hip dysplasia is detected, the easier it is to correct without surgery.

Q: How can post natal hip dysplasia be avoided?
Although swaddling an infant has many positive effects, often parents are taught to swaddle the baby's entire body tightly to create a cocoon. The restriction of movement in the lower half of the body can lead to post-natal hip dysplasia. To help avoid post natal hip dysplasia, swaddle just the top half of baby's body and allow legs freedom of movement. Parents can learn more about safe swaddling here:
http://www.hipdysplasia.org/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip/hip-healthy-swaddling/

Q: Is hip dysplasia painful?
A: Hip Dysplasia can be a "silent" condition meaning that pain is not normally felt until much later in life. Undetected or "hidden" hip dysplasia is the most common cause of hip arthritis in young women under the age of 50. It also accounts for about 10% of all total hip replacements in the U.S. each year, or approximately 35,000 from hip dysplasia.

Q5: How can we learn more?
A: For additional information on hip dysplasia, including safe swaddle tips and how to recognize it in your child, visit www.hipdysplasia.org

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Information (in italics) is provided by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute via KMC. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Amy Lupold Blair publishes her first book: Raising Digital Families for Dummies

Amy Lupold Blair is one of my blogging idols. She pretty much singlehandedly invented the Twitter party! She founded her Global Influence network four years ago after hearing bloggers complain about not being able to find paid post opportunities; last year Global Influence paid out nearly $150k to bloggers. I'm a member of Global Influence and thanks to Amy and her team, many great blogging opportunities have come my way! I first met Amy in 2009 at a Time to Play blogging event and despite her rockstar blogger status, you could not find a nicer, friendlier, more approachable person.

With all of Amy's experience in family product reviews, blogging and social media, who would be better at writing a book about families in the digital age than Amy? That's right, Amy has just published her first book: Raising Digital Families for Dummies. In this book Amy shares her tips for keeping up with your kids in the digital age and strategies for managing the unique problems of the internet age: screen time, gadget ownership, safety and more. Congratulations Amy on this wonderful resource for parents!

To celebrate the book's first day on store shelves, Amy will be hosting a Twitter party on April 29 -- be sure to drop by to learn more about the book, win some great prizes, and congratulate Amy on a job well done!

What: Raising Digital Families For Dummies Book Launch Twitter Party

When: Monday, April 29th from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. ET/5:00 to 6:00 p.m. PT

Where: #RaisingDigitalFamiliesFD on Twitter

How: Tweet with the tag and follow host @ResourcefulMom. Please also give a shout out and a follow to @ForDummies

Prizes have been donated by amazing prize sponsors including Nintendo, Disney's Club Penguin, and Build-A-Bear Workshop. See the full list of prizes for more information. RSVP here!

You can also learn more about the book here: http://resourcefulmommy.com/pr-media/raising-digital-families-for-dummies/

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

Join the Funky Monkey Twitter Party on April 23 (and a giveaway for you!)

Having food allergies sucks when you're a kid. Trust me, I know: I had a childhood allergy to chocolate (which thankfully I outgrew!) and I could only look on enviously as my friends gobbled chocolate bar after chocolate bar. But as much as it sucks for kids, it sucks even worse for parents. Keeping your child safe from food allergens can be challenging!

For parents whose kids have food allergies, Funky Monkey is hosting a Twitter chat on Tuesday, April 23rd at 2:00- 3:00 pm CST. The chat is going to be about dealing with food challenges, restriction and allergies. The chat will also give great tips about how to get in the habit of choosing healthy snacks, as well as the chance to win some sampler packs of Funky Monkey Snacks. Come and join!

What: Funky Monkey Twitter party
When: April 23, 2:00-3:00pm CST
Where: Twitter -- follow and tweet with hashtag #funkychat
Why: Learn strategies for dealing with food challenges, restrictions and allergies

Win a sampler pack of Funky Monkey Snacks
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a sampler pack of 7 Funky Monkey snacks, 1 in every flavor! If you haven't tasted Funky Monkey freeze-dried fruit, you're in for a treat. My kids and I are big fans of Funky Monkey snacks, and we buy them every chance we get. They are super yum-o, so sweet and crunchy, and you're going to love them!

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me the Funky Monkey flavor you most want to try.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the Funky Monkey giveaway! http://ow.ly/keTTe

6) Tweet this (1 entry):
RT @bonggafinds Do u or someone u know have #foodallergies ? Join the @FunkyMonkeySnck #TwitterChat on 4/23, 2pm CST for tips & strategies!

7) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
@bonggafinds is giving away a sampler pack of Funky Monkey snacks! Enter by 4/28 at http://ow.ly/keTTe

8) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on April 28, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on April 29 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Funky Monkey is providing the giveaway prize. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

Welcome to Bonggamom's Friday Finds! I'm glad so many of you are finding this to be a useful way to get more traffic to your giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I have to admit it's a great, easy way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter everyone else's, too!

New Cozy Cone Hat at Disneyland Resort

One of the coolest pieces of merchandise we saw at the Disneyland Resort last year was a Luigi's tire hat in Cars Land. This April the Disneyland Resort is introducing another fun hat: the Cozy Cone hat, inspired by the Cozy Cone motel from the Cars movie. It's bright orange and lightweight, and it even has a brim so you can enjoy the shade! You can get it at Sarge's Surplus Hut in Disney California Adventure park, but it's part of Disney's Limited Time Magic event, so it will be on sale for a limited time only (all of April or while supplies last). Unfortunately I won't be visiting Disneyland this month, so here's hoping they decide to extend the promo, because I think these are AWESOME!

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

Mo Willems' Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! celebrates its 10th Anniversary

I received a sample for review

It's spring cleaning time again, and I've been poring over the kids' old books, figuring out which ones I can donate or sell at our upcoming citywide yard sale. I've been pretty ruthless about weeding things out, but there are some books that have a place of honor in our library. I can't ever bear to throw these books out; they will probably still be there when my grandchildren come to visit: anything by Dr. Seuss, Richard Scarry, Margaret Wise Brown three authors I loved as a child, and a relative newcomer to the scene: Mo Willems. We bought his first children's book, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, when The Pea was a toddler, and it quickly became one of our favorite books. I loved reading this book to the kids. It was so much fun taking on the voice of the pigeon, pleading with his audience to let him drive the bus, and the kids never grew tired of screaming NO!!! to the pigeon on every single page!

It's hard to believe that Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus is celebrating its 10th anniversary -- but then again, The Pea is now 12, so we must have bought the book when it was first published! We're not the only Pigeon fans around: Willems is a multiple award winner and NY Times bestselling author. Everyone loves the Pigeon, and to commemorate his 10th anniversary, Disney Publishing Worldwide has published a special boxed set featuring the first 3 Pigeon titles (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!, The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog) in a smaller size, along with a special bonus Pigeon poster. It's the perfect collection for a whole new generation of Pigeon fans!

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

M-Edge introduces designer Trina Turk collection of cases {Giveaway}

I received a sample for review
I bought a brand-new laptop in January, and I couldn't be happier with it -- or more protective of it. I'm forever dusting it off, guarding it from scratches and bumps, and the kids are NOT allowed to even breathe on it! My laptop is a big investment, and I don't want anything to happen to it, which is why getting a good protective case was a high priority. Fortunately gadget cases don't have to look like armored tanks to provide good protection; they can be stylish as well.

Case in point: M-Edge's new collaboration with fashion designer http://www.trinaturk.com/. Trina is known for bold, brightly colored prints, and that's just what she brings to M-Edge's new Trina Turk collection of cases for the iPad, Kindle, iPhone and laptops.

M-Edge sent me a Trina Turk laptop sleeve, and I adore it. Chevron patterns are so trendy nowadays, and I'm thrilled to bits that my laptop sleeve is so fashionable and functional!

(Honestly, I'm not a big fan of huge designer labels on stuff, but I will say that the brass label plate does add to the luxury look and feel, and even though it's shiny, it's fairly discreet... see photo below).

The inside is lined with a soft microfiber that protects your gadget. It is lightly padded throughout to protect it from scratches and dents. Obviously it won't save your laptop it it falls off a table, but if you have a nine year-old with a toy robot in his hand who's being made to zoom around and save the world and accidentally bumps into your desk... or if you have a twelve year-old with a bad habit of slamming your iPad (that she took without permission) onto a wooden coffee table... well, those scenarios, the M-Edge case could probably handle. In fact, that last scenario is exactly the reason why my iPad has been protected by an M-Edge case ever since I got it in 2011.

I can't wait for the next time I have to pull out my new Trina Turk M-Edge case at a conference or coffee shop -- or airport security line or airport lobby :) How fashionable am I going to look!

You can find Trina Turk for M-Edge at the M-Edge store or at the AT&T store.

Win a Trina Turk for M-Edge gadget case
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive one case from the Trina Turk collection -- winner's choice!

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post with a link to you favorite item from the Trina Turk for M-Edge collection.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the Trina Turk for M-Edge giveaway! http://ow.ly/k0Kfx

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
@bonggafinds is giving away a Trina Turk designer case from @medgestore! Enter by 5/3 at http://ow.ly/k0Kfx

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on May 3, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on May 4 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.