Showing posts with label online fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online fun. Show all posts

Find out your Summer Style with Ross Dress for Less



Looking to update your wardrobe this summer?  With all the brands and styles out there, the choices can be overwhelming.  Fortunately, there's one choice that's easy to make: where you're going to shop, and the answer is Ross Dress for Less!  It's always my first destination when I'm looking for a new outfit, because they have so many great brands, and the prices are so great.

This summer, Ross is making it even easier to update your summer look, with their fun new Facebook App which helps you figure out your Summer Style.  Just answer a few easy personality questions, and the app will come up with recommendations for a summer outfit and accessories!  I took the quiz, and I got "Family Fun Patrol", which is just perfect because I spend my whole summer doing fun things with my kids:

Family Fun Patrol:
You love to take care of everyone in your family! With the kids out of school, summer is the perfect opportunity for more together time and you are definitely taking advantage of each moment. You can bet you’ll be creating memories all summer long and will have a ton of photos to prove it.

So, are you a Family Fun Patrol like me, or are you an Outdoor Explorer, or a Social Butterfly?  Take the quiz and find out!
Ross Summer Style

To make things even more fun, everyone who takes the quiz will be entered into a random drawing, with 2 $150 gift card winners drawn each week!  If you share the results of your Summer Style Quiz with your Facebook friends, you'll get an extra entry.



Disclosure: I received a Ross gift card as a thank-you for posting about the Summer Style quiz.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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American Girl Magazine Special Birthday Coloring Page


American Girl Magazine turns 20 this year, and their latest issue is all about celebrations and parties!  Their Jan/Feb 2013 kicks off a yearlong celebration with lots of tips and tricks for throwing the best party ever.  You'll find ideas for party snacks, favors, games and activities, along with true birthday tales from American Girl readers.

Best of all, the birthday issue has a special birthday-themed pull-out coloring page!  I've said it before and I'll say it again, coloring pages are one of the best activities to keep guests occupied -- early arrivals can color while waiting for everyone else, stragglers at the end of the party can color while waiting for their parents, and everyone can color between party games!  I've scanned the pull-out so that anyone planning an American Girl-themed party can make copies for all their guests to enjoy:






These three pages are actually one long panoramic coloring sheet, so you can print each one individually and connect them, or print the full image below:


Click on each image to access the full-sized image, then right-click and select "Save As..." to download the image to your computer.

If you prefer your documents in Adobe PDF format, here is a link to the same coloring pages on my Scribd account.  To download, just click on the link or on the Download icon (with the downward-facing arrow)


You can subscribe to American Girl Magazine online, or if you just want the birthday issue, you can purchase the American Girl Magazine birthday issue individually at AmericanGirl.com.

For more American Girl party activities, check out the American Girl Magazine archives.  They have some great ideas from past issues for girls to download or enjoy online.

Need more American Girl coloring fun?   Here are links to more of my American Girl coloring pages. Have fun!
Coconut and Licorice
American Girl Fashions
Rebecca Paper Dolls


Disclosure: I received a sample issue of American Girl Magazine 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.

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Cottonelle Name-It and Win contest (and a giveaway for you)




Potty.  Pee-pee.  Wee-wee.  Poopy.  At some time or another, we all have to talk about the ickier aspects of going to the bathroom in public, but most of us use cutesy names instead of the more direct terms so we don't ruin the appetites of the people around us.   That's why Cottonelle is searching for a creative name for their two-step bathroom process of cleaning yourself with Cottonelle toilet paper and Cottonelle wipes.  Which, by the way, is an awesome process -- I'm a bidet kind of girl myself, but since we don't have bidets at home, I like to wash myself with water, then wipe dry, when I pee, but when I'm on the road I think using Cottonelle wipes is the next best thing.

Anyway, back to the naming.  As I mentioned, Cottonelle is searching for a witty, funny-yet-tasteful name for the Cottonelle® Care Routine (paper + wipes), and they need your help!   They have a fun Name It generator on their Facebook page where anyone can create and share a witty name.  You can create a name with their randomizer, customize a name to match your personality and toilet care habits, or come up with a name that's entirely your own.  Submit your name to Cottonelle, and you can enter for the chance to win a year's supply of Cottonelle products!  Two winners will be chosen each week (on Two-Step Tuesday, naturally) until February 25, 2013.  (For full details and rules, go to the official contest rules page).
 
Check out Cottonelle's Book of Names to see what other people have come up with.  Here are my favorites:
Double Booty Duty
Dynamic Duo
2 Step Shiny Heinie
The Clean Getaway
Obi Wan Clean-Obi
The T.P. Tango

Hilarious!  I can't pretend to compete with those names, but since we're going on vacation soon, I thought I might provide some of my own names, inspired by our upcoming trip, to get you started:

* Since we're going to the London Olympics in a couple of weeks, how about Winning Wipe or Gold Medal Grind?

* Since we'll be in the UK, I thought it would be good to use the local lingo.  Everyone in London will understand  Lovely Loo!
 
* We're going on a road trip from the UK to France and Belgium, so we'll be stopping at lots of roadside restrooms along the way, which means we'll have to do the Road Trip Rub to stay clean :)


Now it's your turn -- what name would you choose?  Share your name and you could win the giveaway below!



Win a Cottonelle Clean Care Kit
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Clean Care Kit from Cottonelle, which includes:
1 tub of Cottonelle Flushable moist wipes
1 pack of Cottonelle Ultra Care toilet paper
1 travel pack of moist wipes
1 solo pack of moist wipes
1 pack of Name It post-it notes

Required Entry
Come up with your own name using the Name It widget above, then leave a comment on this post and tell me your name.   This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

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 Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

5) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Cottonelle giveaway! http://bit.ly/OEKK8U

6) Host the Cottonelle Name It widget on your own blog (1 entry).

7) Follow @Cottonelle on Twitter and tweet your Cottonelle Care Routine Name (1 entry)
@Cottonelle my Care Routine Name is _____________________!  #NameIt

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Share Ur Cottonelle Clean Care name & u could win a Cottonelle Clean Care Kit! Enter by 7/22 at http://bit.ly/OEKK8U #NameIt


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 22, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on July 23 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.


Disclosure: Thank you again to Cottonelle for sponsoring my post. Visit them on Facebook to share your name! I was selected for participation in this program by the Clever Girls Collective. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Free American Girl printable activities



Last week I posted a link to some great American Girl learning activities that will keep your daughters busy throughout the summer.  Here are a few more American Girl downloadable activities from -- these don't have a specific educational focus, they are just for fun (and as the song says, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!). There's a set for each American Girl historical character, which makes them great for themed birthday parties or sleepovers,



Click here to enter my American Girl Read-a-Palooza giveaway -- You could win an assortment of American Girl books!


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

 

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American Girl Read-a-Palooza Book Giveaway


Summer is almost here!  Everyone is looking forward to long, lazy days with nothing to do -- until it all gets too boring and kids get restless and parents find themselves wishing school were in session!  Reading is great way to keep your child occupied and keep her mind from turning into mush.  You can sign her up for a summer reading program at your local library, online, or at select bookstores, groceries and other stores with summer reading programs (I have a great list of 2012 summer reading programs here!).

If you have a daughter ages 6-14, I cannot recommend American Girl books highly enough.  My daughter has been reading them since first grade, and they have played a huge part in teaching her to read, and to love to read.   American Girl has series for all ages and stages, all interests and hobbies, including:

Historical Fiction -- Stories featuring American Girl historical characters teach girls about the past and help them learn some lessons for the present.  The Pea really enjoys their mystery collection, which combines the suspense of a good old-fashioned whodunit with some truly poignant human interest stories.

Innerstar University series -- Stories set in Innerstar U, American Girl's online site.  These are interactive, choose-your-own adventure style books with multiple endings.  The Pea really likes them because she can read them again and again and enjoy a different story each time.  She's a lightning-fast reader, so this lets her get a bit more mileage out of her books!

Advice & Self-help books -- Being a kid isn't easy, and they need all the help they can get.  We like American Girl's Smart Girl Guide books, The Care and Keeping of You, journals, body books and other advice books because they address so many issue important to girls -- school, friendship, growing up, etc.. --  in a no-nonsense, from-one-girl-to-another way.

Activity books -- Sometimes girls just want to have fun, and there's no better way to keep busy during the summer than with American Girl's quiz books, craft books, and doll craft books!  The Pea especially loves the craft books that teach her how to make cute things for her American Girl dolls, like doll tees, purses, jewelry, hairstyles, party good, and more.  I'm especially eyeing the Doll Travel book, since we'll be doing lots of traveling this summer!


American Girl book fans will also be glad to know that American Girl has kicked off a great summer reading program called Read-a-Palooza.  Their Read-a-Palooza website has all kinds of wonderful resources designed to get your girl excited to read this summer -- downloadable bookmarks, McKenna activities, quizzes, a list of American Girl Store events, even some tips for starting your own book club!  What's more, $1 from every book purchased from American Girl will be donated to Save the Children's U.S. Literacy program, until September 3.  What a great way to share the joy of reading with not only your child, but other kids as well!


Win a set of American Girl Books
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive an assortment of American Girl books!  The winner will receive a shipment of 4-7 books (titles will likely differ from the ones pictured below) available at the American Girl Bookstore.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which American Girl book(s) you or your daughter/niece/granddaughter would love to read this summer.  This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

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 Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of the pins on my American Girl crafts Pinterest pinboard (1 entry for each repin).

5) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

6) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the American Girl Read-a-Palooza giveaway! http://bit.ly/IXCwFQ

7) Write this on the American Girl Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win an assortment of American Girl books on Bonggamom Finds!  Giveaway ends May 30 at  http://bit.ly/IXCwFQ

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win an assortment of American Girl books!  Enter by 5/28 at  http://bit.ly/IXCwFQ #giveaway 

9) Tweet this (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds: Readapalooza! Buy a book via American Girl, and $1 goes to Save the Children's U.S. Literacy Program! http://bit.ly/IXCwFQ

10) Enter any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on May 30, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on May 31 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!




Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

 

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New free American Girl learning activities!




American Girl's Readapalooza website has lots of downloadable activities for the summer, but did you know that American Girl has many more worksheets, lesson plans and guides?  Their parents & teachers page has free downloadable activities for every American Girl historical character, as well as select Girl of the Year characters:


Here's a sample activity, from Lainie's activities:


They're great for birthday parties, playdates, or just spending a quiet summer afternoon!



Check out my other American Girl crafts and coloring books:
Coconut and Licorice coloring pages
American Girl Fashions coloring pages
Rebecca Paper Dolls activity sheets


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

 

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What's New on Jumpstart: Review and Giveaway




My kids' love affair with Jumpstart, Knowledge Adventure's 3-D virtual world for kids, has been going for almost 2 years, ever since I was first invited to review the site. They really love "jumping" into their virtual selves and going off on adventures all around the Jumpstart world! There are tons of fun and educational activities that kids can enjoy; when playing games on the site, kids can even earn "coins" that they can "spend" on outfits, accessories, vehicles and even pets for their Jumpeez, or virtual selves.

But last August, school got in the way, and my boys were too busy adjusting to first grade to spare much time for online games. Before we knew it, a couple of months had gone by without visiting JumpStart, so when they returned it was like a whole new world! Jumpstart always has fun seasonal tweaks -- like falling snowflakes in the winter, hearts during Valentine's, and now shamrocks for St. Paddy's Day -- but there are so many exciting new things going, which is why they will probably be playing on Jumpstart for years to come :) Here are some of them:


New Rides

There are so many new ways to get around in the JumpStart world now, and I'm not just talking magic carpets. My sons are drooling over all the cool vehicles in the Ridez Shop, including Flying Saucers shaped like hamburgers, pink llamas, winter sleighs, and the latest Pot of Gold cruiser. And they're definitely enjoying the sweetest ride of all -- taking their Jumpeez on the new virtual Roller Coaster ride!


New Petz
Who can resist a pet that follows you everywhere, even in a virtual world? Get your kids to check out the latest pet friends at the Petz Shop. They can use their JumpStart coins to buy cool new pets like Oliver the Icy Owl. And don't forget all those cool dragon eggs that you can "incubate" and "hatch" into cute baby dragons! I think the dragon eggs and dragons must be my kids' favorite part of JumpStart world right now.


New Games

Knowledge Adventure is just as well known for their Math Blaster series of educational children’s games as they are for the JumpStart Learning System, so it was only a matter of time before the two worlds collided, and I'm so glad they did! MathBlaster.com is a new online adventure where kids can play arcade-style math games and complete missions with fun aliens and high-tech gadgets. Kids can easily switch from one world to another using the space portal in JumpStart's DownTown.




New Lands

Jumpstart is adding new lands to their virtual world all the time, and one of the brightest and best additions so far is Windy Hollows, a magical land where kids can let their inner wizards out. Kids can hunt around the area for secret ingredients they can use to brew up a potion and turn their Jumpee friends into fun things like Hocus-Croakus Frogs! My sons love this new area because they get to test-drive magic broomsticks and fly down Main Street!



Win a 3-month subscription to JumpStart

Would you like to try Jumpstart? Jumpstart is providing TWO lucky Bonggamom Finds readers with a free premium 3-month subscription to the Jumpstart website!


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which of the JumpStart features I blogged about on this post that your child would enjoy. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


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) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates (1 entry).

2) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry).

3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

4) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the JumpStart giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

5) Write this on the JumpStart Facebook page wall (1 entry):
I entered the JumpStart giveaway on Bonggamom Finds! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

6) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
Win a 3-month premium subscription to JumpStart.com! Enter at @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes #giveaways


7) Join any of the other open giveaways on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway joined).




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on March 25, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on March 26 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!



Disclosure: I was provided with a JumpStart membership at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.
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SWAGG Download Drive and $50 SWAGG Giftcard Giveaway


I love swag. I'm one of those bloggers you'll see at blogging conferences, feverishly stuffing swag into suitcases, spending $25 in extra airline baggage fees and $25 to ship home boxes of free stuff that would cost me $20 to buy at home. Yes, I'm what some people might call a swag wh*r3, um, lady of the night.

So is it any surprise that I'd be tickled pink when the Clever Girls Collective invited me to be a Brand Ambassador for a company actually called SWAGG?? After the SWAGG sponsored post I did a couple of days ago, I was selected to be a SWAGG Brand Ambassador so I could help spread the word about the coolest new shopping app to hit your smart phone since, well, ever.

Here's a description of the application / service from SWAGG:
SWAGG has launched a new app that deals with the troublesome problem of how to deal with the overabundance of gift cards, loyalty & membership cards that clutter up your wallet or handbag. Basically you can load all those gift cards, loyalty points, etc into your iPhone or Android mobile device. Voila, now you can shop from your phone. Did I mention the app is free? Another cool thing is that the app allows you to "give or get." Wondering what to give your sister-in-law Stephanie? You can give a gift card directly from your mobile device. You can also enter your zip code upon downloading and get offers that are redeemable at stores in your area.


And here's how it works:

* You sign up for a SWAGG account online and download the SWAGG app onto your phone via the iPhone app store or Android marketplace.

* You import your old-school plastic gift cards from over 200 merchants onto SWAGG, or purchase a SWAGG gift (i.e. a mobile credit you can use to purchase things at participating retailers through the SWAGG app).

* You enter a florist (or some other participating merchant) and find something you love.

* You line up to pay. The sales clerk scans your bouquet and says, "That will be $21.75, please".

* You bring up the SWAGG app on your phone and show it to the sales clerk.

* SHAZAM!! A tanned, muscular genie (looking surprisingly like Brad Pitt) pops out of your phone, hands $21.75 to the stunned sales clerk, and disappears back into your phone.

* Okay, I was lying about the genie part. What really happens is that the sales clerk scans your phone or types in the numbers, and $21.75 gets deducted from your SWAGG account.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be playing around with SWAGG and letting you know what I think of it! I'm pretty sure a genie won't be popping out of my phone, but I have a feeling I'm going to have lots of fun with the app.



So, why do I think should you download the SWAGG app right now?

1. It's free. And as you already know, I love me some free stuff!


2. Credit cards and gift cards are soooo 20th century! Show your friends you're the coolest, most tech-savvy shopper around.


3. You’ll be giving to a good cause: for every download through December 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a non-profit that funds cancer research, up to a total of $125,000.


4. You could win a $4,000 trip for two to the Sundance Film Festival -- The Ultimate SWAGG Getaway Sweepstakes, offered exclusively through the Clever 1000! Join now at http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/82357


5. You'll be helping me win a $100 SWAGG gift to give away on my blog! SWAGG is holding a Download Drive contest, and the SWAGG Brand Ambassador who gets the most readers to download will win a prize for herself as well as a $100 SWAG gift prize to give away here! If I do win and get the $100 (and as Cinderella's stepmother likes to say -- "IF. I said IF."), anyone who enters the $50 SWAGG giveaway below will receive an extra entry to that future $100 SWAGG giveaway!


6. You could win a $50 SWAGG gift prize right here! Keep reading.....



Win a $50 SWAGG Gift Credit
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a $50 SWAGG gift! This is a credit that can be used with your SWAGG account. Please note, at this point the gift credit being awarded can be redeemed with the following participating merchant partners exclusively:

* 1800Flowers.com
* American Apparel
* American Eagle
* Omaha Steaks
* Crocs
* Wet Seal
* Arden B
* Buckhead Life Restaurant Group
* Steve Madden
* Live Nation



Required entry
Sign up for a SWAGG account via this link:

http://bit.ly/theSWAGGapp

Then come back here and leave a comment with the phrase "I signed up for SWAGG!", and your SWAGG username. Please note, it is very important that you sign up using the link provided (http://bit.ly/theSWAGGapp) because it's a trackable link and we want to verify your signup.

Don't forget, you don't need to own an iPhone or Android device to sign up for a SWAGG account! You can sign up from your regular old web browser! (note, you will need to download the SWAGG app to your iPhone or Android device in order to use the SWAGG gift).


Extra entries
1) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Download the SWAGG app and you could win a $50 SWAGG gift card! Enter by 12/31 on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/33vkmyn #cleverswagg

2) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

RT @bonggafinds Download the SWAGG app at http://bit.ly/theSWAGGapp thru 12/31/10, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer #cleverswagg

The Rules
This giveaway ends at midnight PST on December 31, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on January 1, 2011. I will post the winner's name in the comments section after he/she confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!


Disclosure: I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. This is a compensated program, but all of the opinions I share are my own.

Additionally, I am providing the $50 SWAGG giftcard prize in this giveaway (it was partial compensation I received for a previous SWAGG-sponsored post).
Download Drive, sweepstakes and charitable giving program information has been provided by the Clever Girls Collective.
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Style Lab Fashion Design Review and Giveaway


I've always loved painting shirts. A custom painted shirt is one of the best ways to express individuality, and all it takes is a shirt and some fabric paint. I still have one of the first (and the best) shirts I've ever painted, of an elephant with red painted toenails, that I did when I was fourteen, and I've personalized many shirts since then. Here's one that my sister, my friend and I did when we got together with our kids to organize an at-home "cousin camp" (we made ourselves "camp counselor" shirts):


The Pea has grown up in my footsteps, and there's nothing she likes better than to paint and personalize her own shirts. Here's one she did a couple of years ago:

Her flair for creativity and personal expression is one reason why The Pea loves Ubisoft's Style Lab line of games for Nintendo DS. Style Lab Makeover lets her experiment with different makeup and hairstyle looks (without the mess and fuss of actual makeup), and Style Lab Jewelry Design lets her create one-of-a-kind jewelry. Both games have given her many hours of entertainment! From design-your-own jewelry, it's just a short step to design-your-own fashion -- and I'm so happy to see that Ubisoft has made that step with their introduction of their newest Style Lab game, Style Lab Fashion Design.

Ubisoft (though the Clever Girls Collective) recently sent us a copy of Style Lab Fashion Design to review, and I have to say this is the best Style Lab game of the three. It is so much fun being able to design your own shirt, hat or bag! You can choose any color from the color wheel, choose fonts, and choose from a library of hundreds of images. Images can be resized, flipped, moved around, and you can put multiple images on your clothing item. You can save each item you design, and try it on your virtual model:

The Pea has already created quite a few clothing items, and she's only been playing with it for a week! She says she loves it because she gets to create exactly the design she wants, and it makes her feel special to think that no one in the world has the same design as hers.

But the coolest part of Style Lab Fashion Design is the ability to upload your design to an online Boutique, and then have that design come to life in a shirt, bag or hat through Zazzle! It's almost like painting your own shirt, since your own design is on the shirt, but it's printed neatly and professionally so you don't get all the paint smears and the mess to clean up!

The Pea has not yet ordered any of the Style Lab shirts she has created on the DS -- yet -- but I think Ubisoft made a great choice with Zazzle. Zazzle is a company I know and love -- I'm in charge of tshirts at our kids' elementary school, and all our shirts are made by Zazzle. My experience with Zazzle has been nothing less than perfect, with crisp, clean designs printed on high-quality shirts and bags. My kids have worn their school shirts countless times, and the design has not faded even after countless washings. If my experience (and the experience of tons of happy parents at our school) is anything to go by, whatever item your child orders through Zazzle will come out exactly as she designed it on Style Lab Fashion Design.

Will The Pea ever order one of her Style Lab Fashion Design creations on Zazzle? I wasn't really tempted to do so with Style Lab Jewelry Design -- it was enough fun to just create jewelry on the DS -- but the thought of seeing The Pea in a shirt that she designed herself is too irresistible. Pretty much the only reason we haven't done it yet is that she hasn't settled on the design (and at the rate she creates them with Style Lab Fashion Design, it's just going to get more difficult). Maybe I can convince to create a design of an elephant with red painted toenails!



Here's more information about Style Lab Fashion Design
Ubisoft's innovative Style Lab brand brings you another game-to-reality title, Style Lab Fashion Design! Now, not only can players design their own fashions in the game, but they can wear them in real life, too! Develop your own distinct style of customized clothing and accessories, share your unique creations with friends in your own web gallery, and wear the designs that you've made!

Key Features

Create AND Wear Your Own Fashions! — Players can design t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and bags using a variety of colors, tones, fonts, and hundreds of images that can be resized, flipped, and re-colored. Then they can order, own, and wear their unique in-game creations by uploading them to the Style Lab website and purchasing them. Prices range from $9.95 to $39.95 depending on the item.

Develop Your Fashion Design Technique — Players can explore a variety of styles through fun creative challenges and show off their designs in fashion events.

Share Your Creations with Friends Online — Players can easily upload their creations from the Nintendo DS™ system into their online Boutique via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, share designs with friends, and showcase their unique fashions in the online Style Lab gallery

More information about ordering your customized creations — Ubisoft has partnered with Zazzle to manufacturer the clothes and accessories. Zazzle is the world's leading platform for quality custom products, and our unique partnership allows users to order their one-of-a-kind designs on a wide array of products, the majority of which are manufactured to order within 24-hours.


Style Lab Fashion Design retails for about $29.99; you can find it in stores like Target or Toys R Us, or on online sites like Amazon.



Win a Style Lab Fashion Design game for Nintendo DS
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Style Lab Fashion Design game for the Nintendo DS, courtesy of Ubisoft and the Clever Girls Collective.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which of the Ubisoft Style Lab line of games your child would love to receive for the holidays.


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


1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook wall (1 entry):

I entered the Style Lab Fashion Design giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/22khbav

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry).

5) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

6) Follow UbiParents on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Enter to win a Style Lab Fashion Design DS game fr @ubisoft @ubiparents @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/22khbav #giveaway #ubichamps

7) Join my Petz Nursery 2 giveaway (1 entry).




The Rules
This giveaway ends at midnight PST on November 30, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on December 1. I will post the winner's name in the comments section after he/she confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!


Disclosure: This is a compensated review. I also received a sample game to help form an honest opinion of the product. While Ubisoft sponsored this review, the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity.
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American Girl Activity Sheets -- Rebecca Paper Dolls


Here's a little pre-Thanksgiving treat for all you American Girl fans -- some American Girl activity pages! Remember the American Girl activity books that McDonald's gave away in their Happy Meals in August 2009? At the time, the Happy Meal website also had some free American Girl downloads, which I naturally downloaded. I meant to share them here -- since I know my previous American Girl coloring page posts (#1 and #2)have been fairly popular -- but I guess I never got around to it. Well, better late than never!


Here's a JPEG image of the Rebecca paper doll. You can click on the image to access the full-sized JPEG and download it, but I have a feeling the printout will be blurry. If I were you, I would download the full 6-page PDF document which includes instructions, a cutout Rebecca doll, 2 outfits, and a printable backdrop so you can make a play scene for your Rebecca paper doll. You can download the Rebecca Paper Doll pages from my Scribd page:

American Girl Rebecca Paper Doll


This is a great activity for an American Girl themed birthday party, or a playdate, or just to keep your daughter busy when classes are out and she's whining about being bored and having nothing to do.


Here are links to all my American Girl coloring pages. Enjoy!
Coconut and Licorice
American Girl Fashions
Rebecca Paper Dolls


Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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New Disney Online Web Series: The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora


Bloggers
About a month ago I attended a blogger event to celebrate the launch of Disney Online's new web series, The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora. It has great recipes and cooking tips brought to you by Iron Chef Cat Cora and The Muppets. Each webisode is just like an episode of the Muppet Show, with hilarious appearances by Gonzo, Fozzie and other Muppets. They've even created a new chef muppet, Angelo, just for the series!

The event was held at the Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell, and rather than just chatting and sitting down to dinner, all the bloggers gathered in one of the Institute's test kitchens and cooked our own dinners. Bloggers were divided into groups and put in charge of making one item; each item was a recipe that can be found on The Muppets Kitchen website.


Mini Greek Burger Gyros
Dishes ranged from Greek Burger sliders to Thai Chicken spring rolls to Orzo Pasta to cold Watermelon Soup. We rushed around like we were contestants on the Food Network (fortunately no one dropped anything, and the chefs from the Professional Culinary Institute were extremely helpful, not pompous like Alton Brown or rude like Gordon Ramsey!) and got everything done in about an hour (which says wonders about how easy these recipes are).


The Cookie Team
My group was in charge of dessert: yummy Lemon Shortbread Cookies, made with lemon juice and lemon rind. We cut the cookies in rounds, but couldn't resist making three Mickey-shaped cookies just for us.


Farfalle & Herb Salad with Peas
Every dish looked amazing, and tasted as good as it looked. Now that the holiday season is approaching, I'm definitely going to The Muppets Kitchen website to look up those dishes.



My little chefs
While we were pretending to be Food Network Challenge competitors, our kids were having some fun of their own, doing some arts and crafts, watching old Muppet Show reruns and assembling their own pizzas to eat for their dinner. Each of them received a kid-sized Muppets cooking apron (which was great, since they've outgrown the orange Home Depot aprons I got for free about 5 years ago!). They also took home a DVD of The Muppet Show, and they're now big Muppet fans (Alfie and I find it so amusing that our kids are now fans of Kris Kristofferson and Leo Sayer)!

I was so proud of my kids that night, because they didn't stick to their pizzas for dinner; rather, they tried each and every one of the dishes the grownups cooked. They loved the sliders, the watermelon soup and the thai chicken rolls -- which proves that the recipes on The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora can be enjoyed by both adults and kids.


Click here to see more photos from the event. Oh, and speaking of the Muppets, I just heard that there's a new Muppet Movie coming out in December 2011. Here's a sneak photo from the upcoming film:

Disclosure: My kids and I were treated to dinner and sent home with an assortment of promotional products. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Win a Webkinz Jr. plush pet



I've got some great news! Two days ago I started a Webkinz Jr. giveaway for a Webkinz Jr. gift pack because I had some extra party supplies from my recent Webkinz Jr. party. I guess someone must be reading my posts (oh yay, it's not just my husband and great-aunt!) because Ganz contacted me and offered to add a plush Webkinz Jr. pet to the giveaway prize package!

That's right, my Webkinz Jr. giveaway prize package now includes:
* 1 Webkinz Jr. plush pet (winner's choice of pets from the Webkinz Jr. online catalogue)
* 1 sheet of Webkinz Jr. stickers
* 1 Webkinz Jr. coloring book
* 1 Webkinz Jr. audio cd, "Bebop & the Beats"


Win this great Webkinz Jr. prize pack!

I've also extended the giveaway deadline by 2 days so you can get more chances to win. Remember, I'll be drawing 3 winners (that's three, tres, troi, drei, san, tatu, III, три), so your chances of nabbing this great prize pack are excellent. Click here to go to my giveaway post and enter!


Disclosure: I hosted a party for Webkinz Jr. courtesy of Ganz and MomSelect. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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You're Invited to a Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party



Oh boy, the parties keep coming! I'm hosting a Twitter party on July 1 to celebrate the release of the new Wheel of Fortune Platinum game for the iPhone and iTouch. We'll be playing everyone's favorite TV show game, the Wheel of Fortune, on Twitter, and those who solve the puzzle first will get to win some fun prizes!


About Wheel of Fortune Platinum
Are you ready to spin and win? Sony Pictures Home Entertainment today announced the new Wheel of Fortune Platinum game for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will have fans across America shouting "WHEEL – OF – FORTUNE!" This advanced Wheel of Fortune Platinum iPhone game virtually transports users to the current set of the iconic television series, now in its twenty-eighth season. With just the click of a button, 'Wheel' loyalists will extol those magic words, "I'd like to solve the puzzle."

Weighing a whole lot less than the 4,000-pound TV wheel, word-solving enthusiasts can use the iPhone and iPod Touch to spin the virtual wheel with a simple whirl of the finger. The game features an updated set backdrop where users can see the illuminated puzzle board letters revealed right in front of their eyes. To further enhance the game show experience, users play the game from a contestant view, complete with special podium screen animations.

Use Bluetooth or the online multi-player capabilities to compete against your friends and see who can claim the $1 Million wedge. The "recommend to a friend" option also allows players to invite more iPhone gamers to the game. Leaderboards track the competition against other players as puzzles are solved and prizes earned.

Wheel of Fortune Platinum is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch starting today, followed by the iPad this summer. The game will retail for $4.99.



What: a Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party

Why: To play everyone's favorite game -- the Wheel of Fortune -- and win great prizes!

When: Thursday, July 1st 7:00-8:00pm EST (4:00-5:00pm PST)

Where: on Twitter (You will need to have a twitter account, it is extremely simple to sign up)

How: Follow the #WheelofFortuneMobile hashtag (You can use services like TweetChat or TweetGrid to follow the conversation) -- and don't forget to follow your host @bonggafinds on Twitter throughout the party for contest details, updates, and prize information.




Here's a list of all the great prizes you could win at the Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party! We'll be giving away:

... Wheel of Fortune hats!









.... Wheel of Fortune shirts!









... and codes to download the new Wheel of Fortune Platinum game for the iPhone!








But that's not all.......


Enter to Win a Pre-party prize!
We've got a great pre-party prize up for grabs for a Bonggamom Finds reader who attends the #WheelofFortuneMobile party on July 1 -- a Wheel of Fortune Shirt! To enter this giveaway, you must do all of the following:


1) Add your twitter id to the Mr. Linky RSVP list at the bottom of this post.
2) Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you RSVP'd
3) Tweet at least once with the hashtag #WheelofFortuneMobile between 7:00PM and 8:00PM EST on July 1, 2010


Extra Entries
For each extra entry you complete, please leave one comment in the comments section of this post with some way that I can verify the extra entry (either a link to your tweet or your Facebook name).

1) Write this on the Wheel of Fortune's 5K Fan Page Wall (1 entry):

Wheel.... of.... Fortune!! I'm ready to solve the puzzle and I'm joining the Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party on July 1, 7-8PM EST. I can't wait to win some fun prizes, so I've RSVP'd over at Bonggamom Finds: http://tinyurl.com/23x3mdy


2) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Fan Page Wall (1 entry):

Wheel.... of.... Fortune!! I'm ready to solve the puzzle and I've RSVP'd to the Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party on July 1, 7-8PM EST! http://tinyurl.com/23x3mdy

3) Tweet this (1 entry per day until 6:59PM EST on June 24):

I RSVP'd to the #WheelofFortuneMobile Party (7/1, 7PM EST) and entered to win a pre-party prize on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/23x3mdy

4) Tweet this (1 entry per day until 6:59PM EST on June 24):

Join the @WheelofFortune twitter party, win fun prizes! Jul 1, 7-8PM EST RSVP @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/23x3mdy #WheelofFortuneMobile



Good luck, and see you at the Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party!


RSVP to the Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party here by leaving your twitter id and link to your twitter page:


Giveaway rules
The pre-party prize giveaway ends at 3:59 PST (6:59 EST) on July 1, 2010; I will draw a winner at random from the pool of valid entries in the comments section of this post at 7:00PM EST. I will also check to make sure that this person has tweeted at least once between 7:00PM and 8:00PM EST on July 1, 2010 with the hashtag #WheelofFortuneMobile. I will announce the winner's name on Twitter at the end of the Twitter Party. Winner has 48 hours to respond to my tweets and/or emails, otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn at random. For additional giveaway rules, click here.



Twitter party prize drawing rules
Party prize winners will be drawn from valid twitter accounts tweeting with the hashtag #WheelofFortuneMobile between 7:00PM and 8:00PM EST on July 1, 2010. Criteria for winners is at the discretion of the sponsor, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment , and/or the Twitter party host, @bonggafinds, and may include fill-in-the-blanks contests, random drawings, trivia question-and-answer contests and Nth-to-tweet races. RSVP on the Mr. Linky list on this post is greatly appreciated, but not required, to be eligible for Twitter party prizes. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes before the start of the Twitter party. Winner has 48 hours to respond to my tweets and/or emails, otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn at random.



Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in this Twitter party. I did not receive product samples for this post or the party. All prizes are being provided to winners courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Contest Fun on Yoursphere




We've been busy these past couple of weeks with end-of-school parties and an out of town trip, so The Pea and I haven't really had a chance to sit down and continue our exploration of Yoursphere, the safety-first kids social networking site. As a MomCentral Yoursphere Test Drive Mom, I appreciate all the parental controls Yoursphere has to make sure our kids' online experience is safe, yet fun. The Pea appreciates all the fun things to do on Yoursphere, like their virtual world, spheres, and now contests.


When she logs onto her Yoursphere home page, she can easily see all the contests that are currently open. All she has to do is click on them to see if she wants to enter or not.


Entry is limited to Yoursphere users so again, your child's email and information are kept safe. The entries are simple and easy so kids don't feel discouraged. And the prizes are nice enough to get them juiced up to enter and win. What kid wouldn't want $20 to spend at Pac Sun? Heck, I'd want $20 to spend at Pac Sun!


I think they need to check some technical deets for some contest entries, though. This one says you can email your entry essay of 200 words or less to yourfavoriteplace@yoursphere.com. But then it also has a "Submit an entry" button, which brings up a Submission field. I assume the child types in his essay into this field -- but this field is limited to only 122 characters, not 200 words. Why even have this field if you can't submit a 200-word essay?

Other than that, these contests are great fun, and a great way to keep kids interacting on Yoursphere. If your kids likes contests, or prizes, or both, sign him or her up now on Yoursphere.com!


Enter to win a $50 gift card
Anyone who registers on Yoursphere.com (don't worry, it's free!) using my unique Test Drive Mom code -- YSMC-0045 -- will be entered into a weekly drawing to win a $50 gift card.

Don't forget: sign up with referral code YSMC-0045and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift card!


Disclosure: I wrote this post while participating in the Yoursphere Test Drive program by Mom Central on behalf of Yoursphere. I received a free lifetime Gold membership on Yoursphere.com; I will also be receiving Yoursphere t-shirts, and a $50 American Express gift card to facilitate my review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Note: I am not administering the $50 gift card giveaway.
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