Is Your Coin Lithium Battery Packaging safe? (Energizer review and giveaway)

September 1-7 is National Childhood Injury Prevention Week!  Obviously kids will be kids, and accidents are a part of childhood (as witnessed by the daily orange juice spills in our kitchen!), but some accidents are more serious than others, and it's those we want to prevent.

Ingesting dangerous materials -- poisons, magnets, batteries -- definitely do NOT fall under the "let kids make mistakes and learn from them".  Core lithium batteries, for example, are found in so many everyday items like remote controls, car keys, flameless candles and kids' books with sound.  They're small, but deadly -- they can cause serious chemical burns in just two hours after accidentally being swallowed.

That's why Energizer has teamed up with the National Safety Council to share some important tips for preventing injuries from the ingestion of coin lithium batteries:

The 4 S’s of Coin Lithium Battery Safety
· STORE devices that use coin lithium batteries out of reach of children
· SECURE the battery compartments of devices
· SELECT battery packaging that meets federal guidelines for child resistance, such as Energizer’s coin lithium battery packaging
· SHARE this information with your friends and family

The right battery packaging is a simple but effective way to ensure kids' safety.  Energizer was the first to voluntarily develop packaging for its 20-mm coin lithium batteries to meet Consumer Product Safety Commission's child-resistant packaging guidelines.  In order to meet those guidelines, product packaging is tested with groups of children ages 42-51 months and senior adults ages 50-70.  A total of 80% of children tested must not be able to open the package within 10 minutes, and 90% of the adults tested need to be able to open it within 5 minutes.

Energizer sent us packages of their coin lithium batteries, along with some other goodies, so we could see for ourselves what "child resistant" truly means. They also sent us a package of coin lithium batteries from another brand so we could see which one was easier to open.

I asked Alfie to try and open both packages; he predicted the Energizer package would be much more difficult to open because it was encased in plastic while the other package had a cardboard backing.  He was right: he ripped the cardboard package open in less than 12 seconds.  The Energizer package, however, would NOT open, no matter how much he smashed it and thrashed it!  He grew bored after a minute and a half, and hopefully your kids will too :)

Of course, both products will open easily with a pair of scissors, but if your child has unsupervised access to sharp scissors, opening and swallowing a package of coin lithium batteries is not the first safety problem you have to address!  Thank you, Energizer, for designing your packaging with children's safety in mind!

Win an Energizer Prize Package
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win an Energizer prize package consisting of:
· Two (2) packages of Energizer Coin Lithium batteries
· One (1) Energizer LED Nightlight (winner’s choice between Sleeping Beauty or Cars)
· One (1) Energizer Weatheready 2-in-1 LED Light

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a safety tip that will help prevent injuries for kids.

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 Energizer prize pack giveaway! http://ow.ly/ouI4x

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
You could win an Energizer prize pack w/ nightlight, torch & lithium batteries! Enter by 9/12 on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/ouI4x

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 September 12, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on September 13 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.




Disclosure:. Thanks to Energizer for providing the giveaway package as well as a similar package for my personal use.  Product information (in italics) is provided by Energizer.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Give your children a CyberSafe future... take the Cyber Survivor quiz

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Did you know that June is National Internet Safety Month?  Now that the internet and social media is a daily part of our lives, it's more important that ever to make sure your children know how to use it responsibly. I am a blogger and Alfie is a web engineer, so it would be crazy (not to mention a bit hypocritical) to ban our kids from accessing the internet when they see us online all day.  But we're still the grownups and the parents, so we do set rules and limits on their internet usage.  Here are some of the things we do:

1) All our kids have email accounts, but as parents we know all their passwords, and they are fully aware that we reserve the right to check their emails at any time (and we do).

2) The kids have various social media accounts -- Jammy is on Twitter and Instagram, 3Po is on Instagram, and The Pea is on Instagram, Pinterest, Kik, Vine and SnapChat. but they adhere to age restrictions (i.e. no one has a Facebook account yet since the minimum age is 13).  I follow all their social media accounts and they follow me.  I also know all the passwords to their social media accounts.

3) We don't allow them to give out any contact information online -- even their user names should not contain any personal information.

4) Only The Pea has a cell phone -- now that she is in middle school and bikes to and from school on her own, I want to be able to contact her.  But her phone plan is extremely limited (Kajeet's $5 per month plan) so she can't really spend any time texting or chatting with her friends.  I know it's a bit draconian and I intend to increase her talk/message/web time as she gets older, but for now I'm perfectly happy "forcing" her to access the internet on a wifi network -- she certainly does enough chatting and social networking with her friends from home! -- and being the mean/cheap mom.

5) No one has a laptop in their bedrooms (not even Alfie or I!).  Since she can't really access the web from her cellphone, I've been a bit lax about letting The Pea stay in her room with her iPad to chat and network with her friends on Instagram/Vine/SnapChat (her 3 faves).... but I make it a point to frequently enter her room unannounced so she knows we're watching.

6) We talk about internet safety A LOT.  Stories on the news and on the internet give us many opportunities for this!  When stories about identity theft or hackers appear on the news, we talk to our kids about protecting their passwords and never sharing them with friends. When stories about teens who commit suicide appear, we talk to our kids about the forms of cyber bullying, how to handle cyber bullying if it happens to them, and how they might be doing the cyber bullying even if they think it's just a joke.  When online scandals (Anthony Weiner) or feuds (anything Donald Trump tweets!) make the news, we talk to them about how posting certain kinds of photos online can haunt them forever, even if they think they've deleted the photos.



As an organization committed to helping all kids have safe and happy futures, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America are fully committed to spreading the word about internet safety.  Their #CyberSafe Program, in partnership with Sprint, helps educate young people and their parents or caregivers on internet safety issues and ways to ensure that they have a safe, happy experience online.  Their CyberSafe Futures website is a wonderful resource, with information on cyber bullying, cyber stalking, identity theft, sexual exploitation, and other online issues.

The site also has tips for teen cell phone use, social network use and other ways you can help a child safely navigate the complex online world.  Think you don't need this site?  Take their Cyber Survivor Challenge Quiz and find out!  I thought I was pretty good about ensuring my kids' internet safety, but I took the quiz and learned I wasn't doing 2 important things:

1) I should be Googling my children's names more often!  I've Googled their names a couple of times, but information changes so quickly that it's good to check periodically.  And it's not just articles or social media sites you have to patrol.  In fact, just a few days ago I saw a baby photo of the boys on The Pea's Instagram feed, and she told me she got the photo just by Googling their names and looking through the resulting images!  I was surprised at how many images of my kids came up when I Googled their names!

2) I should be setting my kids' Facebook privacy settings to "Custom".  Okay, this doesn't really apply since all my kids are under 13 and none of them have a Facebook account.... but it's something that I should keep in mind once they do get Facebook accounts (and for The Pea, that's just 1 year away!).  Setting their Facebook viewing privileges to "Friends" or "Friends +" still doesn't give you or your teen complete control over who sees their photos and posts.

The quiz is just 7 questions, so it won't take up too much of your time, and as you can see from my own experience, it can be quite an eye-opener.


Disclosure:This is a sponsored post on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Boys & Girls Clubs of America.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Sanus TV Wall Mount Giveaway

I am receiving a product sample for review

Did you know that just like dresser drawers and bookshelves, flat screen televisions can pose a safety risk to childen?  They are thin and tall, so they can easily tip over. To reduce TV tip-over related injuries, SANUS TV wall mounts has partnered with Safe Kids Worldwide to educate parents on the importance of securing their flat panel TVs to the wall. Check out the video and information below (and enter to win a SANUS TV wall mount!):


For many Americans, a flat panel TV is a great way to enjoy family time and entertainment. However, most parents are unaware of the safety risks that flat panel TVs pose for kids. Due to increasing size and new ultra thin designs, today’s flat panel TVs can easily tip over when bumped or pulled, toppling off of furniture and causing injury or even death.

Bringing this risk to the forefront, SANUS, the leading designer and manufacturer of flat panel TV wall mounts, has partnered with Safe Kids Worldwide. By educating consumers on the risk of unsecured flat panel TV’s, SANUS and Safe Kids Worldwide offer safe solutions for families across the nation by reducing TV tip-over related injuries and fatalities.

A 2011 US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report on flat panel TV safety revealed:

· A child is killed every three weeks from an unsecured TV
· Every 45 minutes a child visits an emergency room due to a TV tip-over related injury
· Between 2000 and 2011, 215 fatalities have resulted from TV tip-over
· An estimated 17,000 people each year, the majority of which are children, are treated for injuries from TV tip-overs
· Reported cases have increased almost 25% from 2006 to 2010, and over the last 10 years, injuries have increased by 31%

Win a flat panel TV Wall Mount
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a flat panel SANUS TV Vuepoint Mount F180, courtesy of SANUS!  The reader can receive a mount that fits their respective TV (note that the prize does not include installation of the equipment)


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post telling me which room you would mount your flat panel tv on.
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 SANUS tv wall mount giveaway! http://ow.ly/m18lD

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
RT @bonggafinds Win a SANUS flat panel tv wall mount!  Giveaway ends 6/30 on http://ow.ly/m18lD 

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

Update 6/28/2013: At the giveaway sponsor's request I have had to move the giveaway end date up a few days.  Entries will now be accepted until June 30, 2013.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 3 June 30, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on July 4 July 1 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.




Disclosure: Thanks to Sanus for providing a TV Wall Mount to give away, and a second for my personal use. Product  and program information (in italics) have been provided by Sanus. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Giveaway: Five Tips for Getting Your Car Ready For Winter

Winter is coming, and families who live in snowy areas know how important it is to prepare for months and months of snow.  From weatherproofing the house to getting out the winter gear to preparing vehicles for winter weather, proper preparation will do wonders for your safety and comfort when the world freezes over.

Safety is especially important when you're out driving, because icy roads and poor visibility can easily spell disaster to drivers, passengers and pedestrians. I lived in Boston for two years and learned quickly to make sure my car was safe to drive before going anywhere in the winter.  Even now that I live in sunny California, we still drive up to the mountains to enjoy the snow several times a year, and every time we go, I make sure we're prepared for driving in winter conditions. Here are 3 things I always do:

• If it has been a while since our van's last checkup, I take it in for an oil change and service.  
• I make sure we have our snow chains in the van with us.  
• I make we have a squeegee and ice scraper, and I make sure our wipers are good, so that we'll be able to see clearly out of our windshield in the event of heavy snow or sleet.

Here are 5 more great tips from the International Carwash Association (ICA) for getting your car ready for winter:

1. Wash and wax your car at a professional car wash – It may seem counterintuitive to get your car nice and shiny for what’s often the sloppiest season, but a thorough wash can remove harmful compounds that may cause damage when mixed with sand and road salt. Experts from the International Carwash Association also recommend a coat of wax for an extra layer of protection from the elements.

· Professional car washes can also save up to 20 percent of the amount of water you’d use by washing your car at home. They do this by treating and reusing their water, rather than releasing toxic chemicals and grime into the storm drains, which can often occur with pavement washing. Check out www.washwithwatersavers.com to see how professional car washes save water and help prevent pollution.

2. Check fluids – Check your coolant to make sure you have enough, as you’ll be left without heat if you don’t. Consult your owner’s manual to find the correct blend if you need to add more. It’s never a bad idea to keep extra coolant in your trunk in case of an emergency. Don’t forget about extra wiper fluid, either. It’s not expensive, so stock up!

3. Winter emergency kit – In addition to stocking your car with a scraper and brush, it’s a good idea to include a few provisions in case you get stranded in snowy and cold conditions. Pack extra blankets, hats and gloves, high-energy snacks like granola bars, drinking water and a first-aid kit.

4. Test your battery – The next time you have the car in for an oil change, ask the mechanic to test your battery to make sure it can provide enough starting power once the temperature plummets.

5. Check your wipers – When sloppy weather hits, you’ll want to make sure you have strong wiper blades to see through the elements. Checking your wiper blades for wear and replacing them if needed can prevent huge visibility headaches once snow and sleet arrive.


It really pays to be prepared. Driving through a winter storm is scary enough, and if your vehicle isn't all set to weather the storm, it can get much, much scarier!  Stay safe!

Win a Winter Emergency Kit
One lucky Bonggamom Finds Reader will receive an exclusive Winter Emergency Kit courtesy of the ICA to help them prepare for winter.  The prize pack includes:

· 32 oz. WaterSavers branded water bottle
· Carabiner key chain
· Medium flashlight
· 2 heavy duty AA batteries
· 19-piece first aid kit
· Survival tool
· Pocket knife
· Emergency poncho
· Emergency blanket
· 2 tea light candles
· Safety matches
· Survival instruction card
· Mesh sack

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a tip for preparing your car or home for the winter.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following (note the bonus entries for following me on Instagram!!). 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 (5 entries)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (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 Winter Emergency Kit giveaway!

6) Follow @Water_Savers on Twitter (1 entry)

7) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry ):
RT @bonggafinds Win a Winter Emergency Kit for your car from @Water_Savers ! Enter by 12/20 at http://bonggafinds.com #giveaways

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on December 20, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on December 21 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US  residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.



Disclosure: The International Carwash Association provided the giveaway prize pack as well as a second prize pack for me. Winter tips (in italics) were provided by the International Carwash Association via Blue Chip Communications. ICA, through its Wash With WaterSavers consumer awareness campaign, is committed to promoting the importance of using eco-friendly carwashes that use less fresh water and return clean water back into the environment.The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Parrot Minikit Review and Giveaway

For decades, one of Alfie's and my pet peeves has been distracted drivers. Eating, drinking, reading the newspaper, playing with the dog, shaving, putting on eye makeup (that's for the experienced bad drivers only, okay people?).... there's no end to the crazy things you see people doing behind the wheel.

Of course, the most common thing behind-the-wheel pastime (second to driving, of course, but it certainly seems to be a close second) these days is talking and texting on the phone. Sadly, only 37 states, DC and Guam prohibit texting while driving, and only 10 states, DC, Guam and the Virgin Islands prohibit handheld cellphone use for all drivers! Fortunately California is one of those state that ban texting and handheld calling, but we still see drivers on the road paying absolutely no attention to these laws. What's even sadder is that it is sooo easy to follow the law and stay safe -- just get yourself a hands-free phone kit! It only takes a second to set them up, and they're so easy to use, there's just no reason not to use them.

To show us how easy it is to set up and use a hands-free mobile phone kit, wireless device manufacturer Parrot invited me to review their Parrot MINIKIT+. Two years ago I reviewed (and loved) a Parrot hands-free device before, so I was eager to see the new and improved version.

Like the Parrot Minikit Chic I reviewed 2 years ago, the Minikit+ has complete hands-free call management capability. Once you pair up your phone with the Minikit+ (and it's a super-easy process), it will act like a wireless speakerphone whenever both devices are turned on and within range. The Minikit+ clips to your car's sunvisor, so you don't have to hold your phone to your ear when you're making or receiving calls. You don't even have to turn the Minikit+ on; it has a vibration sensor so it can turn itself on when you open your car door!

To make a call, just press the green button on the right. The Minikit+ will ask you who you want to call (in a cultured French voice, no less). Speak the first name of a contact in your phone book slowly and clearly, and the Minikit+ will confirm the contact name. I did have some problems with voice recognition, even with my simple name (Eva? Una? No, it's ANA!!) so be warned: expect some frustration if your contact has a long or unusual name. If the Minikit+ does have the correct contact name, say "Yes", and it will dial your contact. To end the call, just press the red button on the left:

Accepting calls is even easier. When someone calls your mobile phone, the Minikit+ will ring along with your phone; if the person calling is in your phone's contact list, it will identify the caller and ask whether you want to take the call. If you say "Accept", the Minikit+ will connect you; if you say "Reject", it will end the call. To end the call, just press the red button on the left.

Since 2 years is an eternity in technology, the new and improved processors in the Minikit+ have made it more powerful and less energy-consuming than the Parrot Minikit Chic I reviewed 2 years ago. What's more, it's got some great new functionality:

Simultaneous management of two mobile phones
Thanks to Parrot "Dual Mode" multipoint technology, the Minikit+ can be used with 2 phones, so both Alfie and I can use it when we're in the same car without having to reset the Bluetooth connections on our phones. So convenient!

Vocal Service for SMS and emails management

The Minikit+ not only gives you hands-free call management, it also lets you manage emails and SMS text messages through voice commands. With their new TextFriendly™ service, you can say the action you want to take -- listen to or write emails or text messages -- while keeping your hands on the steering wheel. This is a separate paid subscription service (they do offer a free 6-month trial), so I didn't try it out, and I'm not altogether sure I want to.

More than a hands-free kit

The Minikit+ is truly like a wireless speaker -- it's not just for phone calls. It has an integrated loudspeaker, so you can listen to driving directions from your smartphone's GPS, and even listen to music on your smartphone! Our van is 8 years old, and it doesn't have the capability to plug our iPods or smartphones into our car's speakers, so we're really loving this functionality. The sound quality is nice and crisp, and when a phone call comes in, the music stops for the duration of the call so we're not all bombarded with too much noise pollution.

These extra features make the Minikit+ a great choice; they're useful enough to be a deciding factor when choosing the Minikit+ over another model. Like the Minikit Chic, the Minikit+ is better for taking calls than for making calls -- but when you're driving, that's all you should be doing anyway. If your vehicle is not equipped with a built-in voice-activated phone system, the Minikit+ is a must -- isn't driving with kids enough of a distraction!?

Win a Parrot MINIKIT+

One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Parrot MINIKIT+!

Required Entry

Leave a comment on this post and share a tip for avoiding distracted driving.

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 via Google Friend Connect.

2) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Parrot MINIKIT+ giveaway! http://bit.ly/IZicTw

3) Share this giveaway (http://bit.ly/IZicTw) on your Facebook page (1 entry).

4) Give Bonggamom Finds a +K on Klout (1 entry per +K given -- you can give +K up to once per week, per topic. Still confused? Here's how to give K+ on Klout!).

5) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter (1 entry).

6) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
RT @bonggafinds: Win a @parrot MINIKIT+ hands-free car kit! Enter by 5/4 at http://bit.ly/IZicTw


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on May 4, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on May 5 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: 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.

Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Back to School safety tips from Coppertone Kids

The kids are back in school, and it's nice to know that they are busy and happy and in the care of teachers I know and trust will look after them. It's tempting to release all parental responsibilites once they walk into that classroom, but we all know parenting is a 24/7 job, and we have to be thinking of our kids' health and safety, even when they're at school. To that end, Cooppertone Kids has provided me with a few back-to-school safety reminders that I think are useful enough to repost and share with you:

· Comfort, convenience, and safety are important in a backpack. Find one with wide, padded shoulder straps to distribute the weight over a large area of your child’s shoulder; an abdominal strap to distribute the pack's weight evenly on his/her back, waist, and hips; and reflectors or reflective fabrics to add visibility at dusk or dawn.

· Students spend so much time staring at paper, it may surprise you to know that the higher the contrast, the more strain on your son or daughter’s eyes. If the school allows it, give your child yellow or green paper. These colors actually offer reduced contrast and brightness, easing the strain on their eyes.

· The sun’s rays are the strongest between 10a.m. and 4p.m. and although summer is waning, the sun remains strong in fall. It’s still very important to make sure your child is properly protected during recess. Try a wide brimmed hat, and Coppertone Kids Pure and Simple, which is gentle and tear-free or Coppertone Kids Stick, which is quick and easy to apply.


I posted a similar plea to parents to keep their kids sun-safe in the fall, and I'm doing it again. I think it's even more important to be vigilant about kids' skin during the fall/ Indian Summer days, because we no longer have the awareness of sun, sand, surf -- and skin cancer. The kids are sill wearing exactly the same clothes they did during the summer, and they still play out in the sun during recess, lunch and P.E.

So we still ask the kids to put sunscreen on their exposed areas (face, neck, ears, arms and legs) before we walk to school in the morning. And each of them has a stick of Coppertone Kids Sunscreen Stick so they can reapply during lunchtime. We all love the stick because it's not messy. If it's not a hassle to put on, kids are more likely to reapply sunscreen on their own! It make me feel a lot better knowing that my kids' skin is protected from the sun, even when I'm not there to help them.

Disclosure: I received some Coppertone Kids samples as a thank-you for posting this information. Back-to-School safety tips were provided by Coppertone Kids and are indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Get Sun Certified with Banana Boat (review and giveaway)

With all the rain and clouds we've been experiencing in Northern California lately, it's difficult to believe that summer is actually here -- but make no mistake, that sun is hot and your whole family needs to protect their skin each and every day. We take sun safety very seriously in this household, especially in hot weather when we're outside so often, and so much skin is exposed. Not that the sun's rays aren't dangerous in the fall and winter, of course, so when we do go outdoors during those times of the year, we still make sure we have sunscreen on our faces and necks, and we wear long sleeves and pants (cotton material has an SPF of about 8, and we're not really outdoors as much).

Knowing stuff like that is important. I think everyone should educate themselves about sun safety as much as they can -- and this summer, Banana Boat is here to help with their Sun 101 education campaign. You can go to their website at www.bananaboat.com to see sun care tips, sun safety tips, SPF tutorials, FAQs and more. Their Facebook page also has a quiz on the basics of sun protection; if you take the quiz, they'll even donate $1 to the Skin Cancer Foundation (more info about that below).

Here are some of the ways that Banana Boat is working to let families enjoy a safe and happy summer in the sun:

New Banana Boat products for 2011
Here's an overview of Banana Boat's new sun care products for 2011:

Tear Free, Sting Free – the #1 line of Tear Free Sunscreens, Banana Boat® Kids & Baby, adds a clinically proven “Sting Free” claim to its products.

SPF 110 UltraMist® Sunscreen Continuous Clear Sprays – Continuous Spray sunscreens with SPF 110, the highest protection available in a continuous spray.

Family Size Sunscreen – 12 oz. Family Size Pump bottle. Available in Banana Boat® Sport Performance® SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion and Banana Boat® Kids Tear Free Sting Free SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion.

I received a bottle of the Kids Tear-Free Sting-Free UltraMist Sunscreen Continuous Lotion Spray (SPF 50) and a bottle of the Ultra Defense UltraMist Sunscreen Continuous Clear Spray (SPF 110) to try out. I love the new Ultra Defense UltraMist Sunscreen because it's a continuous clear spray, so it's so easy to cover my kids in sunscreen. I don't even have to get my hands all icky and sticky. Just make sure you're in an outdoor area when you spray this stuff on, because you don't want it getting in your eyes or lungs. The smell of alcohol is quite powerful, and you need a couple of minutes for it to dissipate.

The smell of the Kids Tear-Free Sting-Free Lotion UltraMist is much, much better. It's a mild, gentle scent -- the bottle says it is fragrance free, but whatever combination of ingredients it has does emit a scent that reminds me of a warm day at the beach. Maybe it's because we always have Banana Boat lotion on at the beach! The tear-free, sting-free formulation is great, too. The only thing is, I'm not a fan of lotion sprays -- what's the point of the spray if you have to rub it in anyway?

So what I really want is the ease and convenience of the no-rub Clear Ultramist, with the great scent of the Kids' Lotion Ultramist. Which probably means that the right product for me is the Kids' Ultramist Sunscreen Continuous Clear Spray (SPF 110)!

In any case, whatever Banana Boat product you decide is right for you, it's good to know that Banana Boat products have been recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation -- so you know it has been tested, evaluated and judged to be safe and effective. (you can view the full list of suncare products that have earned the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation here).


Help Banana Boat raise $101,000 for The Skin Cancer Foundation
This sun season, Banana Boat® sun care is setting out to raise $101,000 for The Skin Cancer Foundation by “sun certifying” 101,000 Americans. As part of the brand’s Sun 101 education campaign, Banana Boat® is helping to teach Americans about the basics of sun protection. Readers can get sun certified on http://www.facebook.com/BananaBoatBrand, by taking a short “Sun Certification” quiz. They will receive a “Sun Certified” badge to display on their own Facebook wall and trigger a $1 donation to support The Skin Cancer Foundation’s sun education initiatives, for a total donation of up to $101,000.


Join Banana Boat's 101 Days of Summer Promo
From May 27 till September 4, Banana Boat is giving out summer goodies on their Facebook page. Daily prizes include Banana Boat® sun care products, Visa gift cards, gas gift cards, iTunes gift cards and other summer fun surprises. Enter at www.facebook.com/BananaBoatBrand.


Win a Banana Boat Summer Fun Pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Banana Boat Summer Fun prize pack, which includes:

A canvas tote bag
A water bottle
A bottle of Banana Boat Kids Tear-Free Sting-Free UltraMist Sunscreen Continuous Lotion Spray SPF 50
A bottle of Banana Boat Ultra Defense UltraMist Sunscreen Continuous Clear Spray SPF 110

(ARV: $30.98)

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you and your family plan to stay safe in the sun this summer. 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) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry).

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

3) Write this on the Banana Boat Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Banana Boat giveaway on Bonggamom Finds! Enter by 6/30 for a chance to win a tote bag with Banana Boat products http://ow.ly/5hKoU

4) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Banana Boat giveaway! http://ow.ly/5hKoU

5) 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):
You could win a @bananaboat_ Summer Fun prize pack! Enter at @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/5hKoU #giveaways

6) Follow Banana Boat on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
RT @bonggafinds Help @bananaboat_ raise $101k for The Skin Cancer Foundation by taking their Sun Certification quiz http://on.fb.me/iplxOJ

7) Get Sun Certified on Banana Boat's Facebook page (1 entry).



The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 30, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 1 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Energizer Personal Care provided review samples and is providing the prize pack for this promotion at no cost to me. This promotion is not being administered or sponsored in any way by Energizer Personal Care or its affiliates, but solely by Bongga Mom. Any questions or comments regarding this promotion must be sent to me at Bongga Mom and not to Energizer Personal Care. Product and program information have been provided by Energizer Personal Care. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Be Sun-Safe this Fall with Coppertone Kids

Sun safety is a Big Deal in our household. Alfie is English, and my kids are half-English, and we all know fair skin is particularly vulnerable in sunny places like California. Alfie lived in Australia for 5 years, and he saw first-hand how the strong Australian sun have sent melanoma incidence rates skyrocketing in the fair-skinned Australian population.

THAT is what happens without sunscreen, and it's a very bad thing. I still feel pangs of parental guilt looking at it.


The sun always shines here in California, even in the fall, so sunscreen application doesn't stop after Labor Day. UV rays are present year-round, even cloudy days; in fact, those cloudy days are even more dangerous because they lull you into a false sense of security! I periodically blog about the things we do to keep our family safe in the sun, and most of those summer tips apply to the rest of the year. Okay, we don't exactly seek shade -- quite the opposite, in fact -- during those nippy fall days, but covering up is a no-brainer, so give yourself a pat on the back for that one! But we still wear hats (to protect us from the cold as much as from the sun) and put sunscreen on our faces.


In my very first sun safety blog post, I mentioned my favorite sunscreen for kids is
Coppertone Kids Continuous Spray, and that hasn't really changed. I HATE applying sunscreen lotion, so being able to just spray it on my kids is a godsend. But in the fall, I only need to put sunscreen on their face, since they're in long sleeves and pants anyway, and the continuous spray doesn't really work for faces. It gets in their eyes and stings, so I prefer the Coppertone Kids Sunscreen Stick SPF 55. It's just as effective as sunscreen lotion or spray: you get 55 SPF, waterproof formulation, and broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection -- but I don't have to get any icky-sticky lotion on my hands. I just swipe the stick all over their faces and necks, and voila, they're protected!


When Coppertone offered to send me a stick of Coppertone Kids 55SPF Sunscreen Stick to try out, I gladly said yes, because we go through a ton of these sticks. We keep them in our hallway closet, in the kids' schoolbags (so they can apply it on themselves at lunchtime) and in the car, so we can be sun-safe everywhere, even if we forget to apply lotion before leaving the house. They're hardly take up any room at all, so there's no reason not to stash one in every car or soccer bag or purse!


Coppertone also sent me a bottle of Coppertone Water Babies SPF 100 Sunscreen Lotion, which I admit is not my favorite medium -- I've already said I hate the stickiness of lotion -- but it's probably your best choice for applying lotion for babies and toddlers because it's got an SPF factor of 100. They do have a Water Babies spray and a sunstick, but they only go up to 50 and 55 SPF, respectively -- so getting lotion on your hands is a small price to pay for protecting your baby with the highest SPF rating possible.


So before you go apple picking or head out to watch a football game, don't forget to apply sunscreen! With so many options, why wouldn't you take just a couple of minutes to protect your family against the sun's rays?

Disclosure: I received product samples from Coppertone, but was not paid to review the products 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.

Continue reading...

Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery -- and win a Fire Safety Prize Pack

BEEP...... BEEP....... BEEP........ BEEP......... Every now and then we get woken up in the middle of the night by our fire alarms going off. It's a heart-stopping moment, and one that always gets Alfie and me rushing around in a panic (the kids never wake up -- which is one of the reasons why Alfie and I hate spending more than 2 or 3 nights away from them!). Fortunately, it has never been due to a fire, just our high-tech smoke detectors warning us that the batteries are running out. Panic quickly recedes to extreme annoyance, and we always chide ourselves for not remembering to replace the batteries before they actually run out and scare us half to death. Somehow we never seem to remember when we last changed our smoke detector batteries!

I was recently introduced to a program that could silence those low battery beeps in our home forever -- Energizer's and the IAFC's Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program, a simple but important reminder to check and change the batteries in your smoke alarms when Daylight Savings Time ends in the fall. What could be simpler or easier to remember?


Here's a snippet of their press release:
Daylight-saving time ends Sunday, Nov. 7, and marks the 23rd anniversary of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® program, created by Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), which reminds people to check and change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors during the fall time change. This message is simple, and the habit can be lifesaving. Forty percent of fatal fire injuries occur in homes without working smoke alarms, while 23 percent occur in homes in which at least one smoke alarm is present but fails to operate.

Firefighters work tirelessly to help reduce the risk factors by educating their residents on the importance of having a working smoke alarm. In many communities, fire departments are able to distribute free batteries to citizens in need as a result of the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program. Over the past 22 years, Energizer has donated more than four million batteries to local fire departments.


23 years? Yikes, I must have been living under a rock or something. But all that is ancient history, because now we have blogs, Twitter, Facebook and the internet on our side, and we're all going to work together to spread the word and hopefully reach more people with this message than they've ever reached in the past 23 years! Who's with me? You? And you? Yeah, baby, we are on Fi-yah! Here's how you can help:

1) Visit the CYCCYB tab on the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page, www.facebook.com/energizerbunny, and make the pledge to change your batteries on November 7, and Energizer will donate 1 battery* to a local fire department to distribute to citizens in need.

2) Share this information with your Facebook and Twitter friends, and Energizer will donate 3 more batteries*.

3) Share your family's home escape plan and Energizer will donate 5 more batteries*.

4) Enter the Energizer sweepstakes to win a smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector for you and a friend.


Need more incentive to spread the word? How about a giveaway?


Win a Fire Safety Prize Pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Fire Safety Prize Pack courtesy of Energizer, consisting of a First Alert smoke, along with a 2-pack of 9volt Energizer Max batteries.

Required Entry
Get Energizer to donate a battery via their Facebook program -- basically, visit CYCCYB tab on the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page and do either #1, #2 or #3 above. Then come here and leave a comment telling me which one you did. 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) Send an email to 5 friends and remind them to change their batteries when they change their clocks, then leave a comment here telling me you did (1 entry).

2) Share the link to this giveaway (http://tinyurl.com/2g5mjk5) with your Facebook friends, then leave a comment here telling me you did (1 entry).

3) Write on the Energizer Bunny Facebook Page wall and tell them Bonggamom sent you, and tell them whether you pledged, shared the message, or shared your escape plan. (1 entry)

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

@bonggafinds and the @energizerbunny are reminding everyone to Change Your Clock Change Your Battery on 11/7 http://on.fb.me/cD0S6

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

Visit @energizerbunny on FB 2 donate batteries http://on.fb.me/cD0S6, enter 2 win a smokedetector on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/2g5mjk5

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

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

8) Join any of the giveaways currently running on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined).


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 7, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on November 8 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!







* Note: Energizer will donate up to a total of 400,000 batteries

Disclosure: Energizer will be sending me a smoke alarm and battery pack similar to the one they are providing as a giveaway prize. Program information is provided by Energizer and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

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.

Continue reading...