Shabby Apple

I first heard about Shabby Apple almost two years ago when they were featured on the Silicon Valley Moms Blog. I immediately fell in love with their chic dresses, so I was delighted to be invited to select a product from their current line and review it.

The Basics
Shabby Apple sells dresses for women, girls and babies. As owners Emily and CK put it, Shabby Apple dresses are:

A return to what dresses were always meant to be — a one-piece outfit. No need to add anything...no tank tops, no cardigans, nothing (except accessories, of course!).


The Bongga
Shabby Apple dresses are gorgeous! They have such an vintage vibe about them and a hint of old-fashioned glamour. Not that they're something a granny would wear -- these dresses are sexy and stylish. When I slipped on the navy Bon Voyage dress they sent me, I felt like, well, in the words of Shania Twain: "Man... I feel like a woman".



I don't know what it is; the dress is deceptively simple in cut and color, and my proportions are nothing like the ones of the model wearing the dress in the online photo, but I really feel like the dress made me look good. It would probably flatter almost any figure!



Speaking of flattering, I appreciate how they describe how their dresses fit (i.e. generous, snug, true-to-size) so you can make a more informed judgment about which size to get. They also have a great Fit to Flatter tool:



It gives you suggestions on which Shabby Apple dresses will flatter you most, based your body type. And if you do end up ordering the wrong size, just send it back and order another size: they offer free shipping on exchanges.

The Blah
Did I mention I DETEST ironing? I knew that the Bon Voyage dress had pleats all over the bottom, but I still couldn't resist choosing it, and I guess the price I have to pay for being able to waltz around in this dress is having to iron all those pleats. Sigh.

The Bottom Line
Shabby Apple dresses are stylish and chic and feminine to the core. Check out their latest fashions, you're sure to find a dress you love.


Disclosure: The dress in the photo is a complimentary sample, but I was not paid to review this product or give my opinion. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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54% off a Family Membership to the Bay Area Discovery Museum

Last week's Savvy Discount to the Oakland Museum was a huge success -- over 5000 people signed up! This week's deal is just as good -- a Family Membership to the Bay Area Discovery Museum for just $49. Family Memberships regularly cost $105, so that's a whopping 54% discount!

Not only do you get a great discount, you will also get to earn some money for a deserving preschool. 5% of every purchase will be donated to the Savvy Source Preschool Scholarship Fund for children in financial need. But wait... there's more! An additional 5% of every purchase will go to your specified organization.

To get the discount, just click on this link -- it will take you to the Savvy Savings and Scholarships page, where you can sign up.


http://www.savvysource.com/event/home_san-francisco-bay-area_ca/referrerCode=APB11


Now here's the catch: you have to sign up within the next 3 days, AND at least 50 people need to sign up for the discount to take effect! If less than 50 people sign up in the next 3 days, then the offer expires, and your credit card will not be charged. If more than 50 people sign up in the next 3 days, then the offer will be activated and you will receive a link to a coupon that you print out take take with you to the BADM. So sign up now and tell everyone you know!

Disclosure: I am a city editor for The Savvy Source. If you click on the link above and purchase the deal, a portion of the proceeds will go to me and the preschool of my choice. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Win Two Tickets to the Asian American Film Festival!

Hey, Bay Area peeps! I'm giving away two tickets to the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival! Here's some information to get you all excited:

The Center for Asian America Media presents the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF) every March. The SFIAAFF is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 120 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. Since 1982, the SFIAAFF has been an important launching point for Asian American independent filmmakers as well as a vital source for new Asian cinema.

Thanks to the Clever Girls Collective and Asian American Voices, one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will be receiving a pair of tickets to the movie of their choice (pending availability). To enter, just leave a comment here with your first and second choice of movies. Check out the movies, showtimes and locations at the SFIAAFF website.


I'll draw a winner at random from the list of comments on Wednesday morning. Good luck!

Disclosure: I am receiving two tickets to a movie of my choice at the Asian American film festival, courtesy of the Clever Girls Collective and Asian American Voices. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Le Baby Hair Gel Review and Giveaway

My kids are blessed with full heads of hair that are really easy to style. Too easily, actually -- The Pea's hair gets just as frizzed-up as mine, and when my boys' hair gets long, they only have to sleep on it for five minutes to get those cute, funny, sticky-up patches. But I never really thought I'd need styling products for my kids' hair.

The funny thing is, I don't really use hair gel, and haven't purchased any in years -- until I had kids! The Pea uses lots of it for her dance recitals and skating competitions. A tube of hairgel works also wonders when you're taking holiday card photos or visiting your crotchety old great-aunt who looks at you like you're a bad mother if your kids aren't perfectly groomed. And when Jammy posed for his kindergarten school photo, he insisted on spiking up his hair so he'd look cooooooool. I was recently invited to try out a hair gel formulated especially for kids -- Le Baby Hair Gel. Here's what I thought of it:


The Basics
Le Baby Hair Gel is a styling gel formulated to be gentler for young kids. It is sold in 2-oz. tubes for $9.95, and it can be purchased online or at select baby boutiques nationwide.

From the makers of Le Baby Hair Gel, here are some reasons why Le Baby Hair Gel is a great product for your child:
Hypoallergenic
No harsh chemicals
No parabens
No sulfates
Not tested on animals
Fragrance-free
Thickens baby-fine hair
Tames frizzies & fly-aways
Moisturizes
Softly holds curls
Keeps hairstyles in place
Never leaves hair stiff or sticky

The Bongga
Le Baby hairgel works really well! Check out the cool hairstyle that Jammy sported using Le Baby hairgel!


This gel isn't too sticky, and has hardly any scent at all, which makes it even better for kids. Also, I really like the thought that it's hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. My son 3Po suffers from eczema, so we're always extra-careful about applying lotions and creams on him.

The Blah
Before you open up a tube of Le Baby Hair Gel, BE CAREFUL -- it's very runny, and on my very first use I ended up squirting half of the contents of the tube into my hand! What a waste! Also, I wish Le Baby Hair Gel also came in more economy-sized (and economy-priced) sizes.

Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a tube of Le Baby Hair Gel! To enter this giveaway, you must become a fan of Le Baby on Facebook AND leave a comment on their Facebook Wall, saying you joined the Le Baby giveaway on Bonggamom Finds. Then come back to this post and leave a commentwith your Facebook id.

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

1) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook AND leave a comment on my Facebook Wall, saying you joined the Le Baby giveaway (leave a comment on this post with your Facebook id).

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

Win a tube of gentle, hypoallergenic Le Baby Hair Gel from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/yleubfn #giveaway

Maximum of 3 entries per person. US residents only, please. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 26, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on March 27 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- The Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere

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

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

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SciGirls premieres on PBS

I suppose I'm lucky; growing up, it never occurred to me that I couldn't enter traditionally male-dominated fields like science and math. My dad is a doctor, with many female doctor friends. I went to an all-girls elementary and high school, and I loved math and science. I hold an engineering undergraduate and graduate degree. And if The Pea decides to choose a path in science, math, or engineering, I plan to encourage her every step of the way!

But despite all the progress that has been made, I know that many young girls, especially those belonging to families in lower economic brackets, don't always get the encouragement and mentorship they deserve. And I know that it's more important than ever to engage girls' interest in science and math at a young age. So I love programs that fire girls up about science and math, like Mills College's Expanding Your Horizons (which I volunteered at every year from the time I left grad school until I moved to Boston) . And now, my favorite kids' channel, PBS, has come up with a cool science show what middle-school girls engaged in science, technology, engineering and math activities: SciGirls.

The Basics
SciGirls, a new PBS science show, is premiering this month. The show features live action videos of girls and their mentors exploring various scientific fields like marine biology, archaeology, ecology, engineering and more. The accompanying website, SciGirls, features videos of the show as well as projects that have been uploaded by SciGirls online members.

Here's how SciGirls describes their new show:
Does your tween girl realize that Madame Curie is as cool as Miley Cyrus? That she can be an athlete and a "mathlete"? That she and her friends can explore the world and the mall?

They'll learn all of this and more on SciGirls, the new weekly science show premiering on PBS stations and online nationwide in February / March 2010. The program's half-hour episodes and its destination website at pbskids.org/scigirls showcase bright, curious girls putting S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) to work to make the world a better place.


The Bongga
It looks like PBS has done it again and found another program that both kids and parents will like! The dolphin episode we watched is great! They've chosen topics that kids are interested in --dolphins, turtles, puppets, fashion -- and kids love to see other kids doing cool stuff, so I can't imagine that any kid would be bored watching this program. As a parent, it's even more gratifying to see these young girls taking the initiative to come up with questions and find ways to answer those questions. I get the sense that a girl (or a boy!) could come away from watching this show thinking, if these kids can do it, so can I.

The Blah
SciGirls doesn't premiere on our local PBS station until the end of this month, so we're loving the videos on the website. However, I'd love to have some of these episodes in a downloadable podcast format! I'm also a bit disappointed with the website -- it takes way too long to load, it's difficult to navigate (the pages are designed to look like a girl's scrapbook, so you don't realize that some of those stickers are actually links or controls like "Previous", "Next", and "Help".

The Bottom Line
SciGirls is another entertaining, educational PBS show that parents can feel good about letting their kids watch. Seeing real girls and women embark on fun learning adventures can really help inspire girls to pursue careers in science, technology and math!

Win it!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a SciGirls goody bag which includes a SciGirls button, bracelet, magnet picture frame, pencil and plastic egg with a fun at-home experiment. To enter, leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite subject when you were in elementary school.

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

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

2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

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

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

Win a Sci Girls goody bag from @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/1lo2n

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 25, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on March 26 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample SciGirls goody bag as a thank-you for writing about the show. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Piggy Paint Nail Polish

Little Girls love to paint their toes and nails, but most of the kiddie nail polishes out there aren't very good, and parents don't like using regular nail polish on little girls' nails because they're so toxic, and the thought of girls putting their painted nails into their mouths is enough to make parents as dizzy as the fumes from the nail polish itself! Piggy Paint recently sent my daughter a bottle of their nontoxic, kid-friendly nail polish in Forever Fancy, and a bottle of their Nail Polish Remover; here's what I thought of it:

The Basics
Piggy Paint nail polish is water-based, non-flammable and non-toxic, which makes it safe for kids. Founder Melanie developed Piggy Paint when she noticed that the solvent-based polish she was using on her daughters' nails was actually eating a hole through a foam plate! It comes in 14 colors and a variety of gift pack combinations. Piggy Paint also has a no acetone, hypoallergenic nail polish remover.



The Bongga
Piggy Paint Nail Polish is the cutest thing ever! They've really got their whole package together -- the adorable piggy emblem, the shiny finish, the vibrant colors, the girly names -- everything that's sure to make it appeal to girls from ages 2 to 22. The Pea couldn't wait to get that nail polish on to her own little piggies:


Judging from the sample they sent me, the colors on the website are true-to-color. And even though it's water-based, it looks and feels just like regular nailpolish -- but it doesn't smell like regular polish! It isn't odorless, but the polish has a pleasant smell that doesn't make you recoil when you sniff it.

The Blah
I have no complaints about the nail polish, but boy, when the directions on the nail polish remover say, "Soak nails for 30 seconds..", they really do mean 30 seconds! If feels like it takes forever to remove the polish, but I guess that's the price you pay for doing away with acetone.


The Bottom Line
Piggy Paint nail polish is a safe, non-toxic nailpolish that little girls will love to use on their own little piggies.

Disclosure: I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Justice 40% off coupon

The Pea's favorite clothing store, Justice, has sent me a 40% off coupon, which makes the clothes there actually quite affordable! Just enter code 563 in your online shopping bag at shopjustice.com, or use ring code 563 when you call in your order at 1-866-246-5822. Hurry, the coupon expires on March 22, 2010.

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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Bella Sara Sunflowers Collectible Cards Review and Giveaway

Bella Sara fans, rejoice! Bella Sara has recently launched a whole new series of trading cards and Miniature horses. We've already reviewed Bella Sara cards in the past, and we think they're a fun, inexpensive way to introduce girls to card collecting. This time around, they kindly sent us a couple of packs of trading cards and a velvety Mini horse so we could see what the new series looks like. The Pea was only too happy to add it to her collection!

The Basics
Bella Sara is an online world of horses for kids aged 5-11. Registering and creating your own baby foal is free. You can also purchase Bella Sara collectible cards at Target, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us and other retailers. The cards have codes that you enter online to unlock more adventures and games.

Here's how Bella Sara describes their latest collectibles:
Bella Sara is a safe, fun-filled magical world of horses & other characters for kids ages 5-11. Much more than just a toy, Bella Sara inspires pro-social dialogue & inspirational thought with positive messages.

Bella Sara invites girls to partake in their new Sunflowers series, the first-ever journey to find a lost herd of horses. Young girls will learn more about the magical Sunflower Herd as they unlock new adventures online using secret codes.

As secret codes are activated, girls will be able to nurture horses in their stables, earn horseshoes to spend at the Bazaar, and receive gifts to aid in their search for the Sunflower Herd. Each secret code will help bring Bella Sara users one step closer to helping Emma and friends find and reunite the magical herd of horses.

To coincide with this event, Bella Sara is also introducing the Miniatures 3 (Minis) set and new Horse Keepsake Cases. Featuring 20 new velvety figurine horses, the Miniatures set includes a secret code in each pack to expand online play through Bella Sara Adventures.


The Bongga
Here's The Pea with her latest Bella Sara collectibles! The Sunflower series cards have a yellow background and all-new horses. I think this series is great because it has a built-in goal: to find the lost Sunflower Herd of Horses, and each set of cards she buys gets her closer to completing the quest. She also likes putting in the online codes that come with each pack of cards so she can get new presents for her online pony, and more horseshoes to buy stuff for her online world.

Also, her little velvety horse is so cute! It has a little stand with holes to stick the legs in so it doesn't topple over. It also comes with a tiny poster with photos of all the other Mini horses in the series, with a check box so she can keep track of the horses she has and the ones she wants.

The Blah
The only thing I don't really like about the Mini is that the accompanying stand has only 3 holes and we have no idea which legs are supposed to go in which holes.

The Bottom Line
Bella Sara's online world is lots of fun for young girls, and the Bella Sara collectible cards keep the fun alive while away from the computer. The new Sunflower Series of cards would be great to tuck into a little girl's Easter basket!


Save 10%!
Get 10% off your purchase at BellaSara.com with the code SUNFLWRS. This discount is valid until March 31, 2010.


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a pack of Bella Sara Sunflower collectible cards and collectible Mini from Bella Sara's new Miniatures Series 3 set. To enter, head on over to the Bella Sara Easter gift guide , then come back and leave a comment saying which gift your daughter or niece or granddaughter would love to find in her Easter basket.

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

1) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

2) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (leave a comment with your FB id).

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

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter AND Tweet the following (leave a comment here saying you follow me AND leave the link to your tweet):

Win a Bella Sara trading card set and velvety collectible Mini horse from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/ybxyqhb #giveaway

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 28, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on March 29 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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53% off a Family Membership to the Oakland Zoo!

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area (or are planning to visit), have I got a deal for you! The Savvy Source is offering a Family Membership to the Oakland Zoo for just $40. Family Memberships regularly cost $85, so that's a whopping 53% discount!

Not only do you get a great discount, you will also get to earn some money for a deserving preschool. 5% of every purchase will be donated to the Savvy Source Preschool Scholarship Fund for children in financial need. But wait... there's more! An additional 5% of every purchase will go to your specified organization.

To get the discount, just click on this link -- it will take you to the Savvy Savings and Scholarships page, where you can sign up.


http://www.savvysource.com/event/home_san-francisco-bay-area_ca/referrerCode=APB


Now here's the catch: you have to sign up within the next 3 days, AND at least 50 people need to sign up for the discount to take effect! If less than 50 people sign up in the next 3 days, then the offer expires, and your credit card will not be charged. If more than 50 people sign up in the next 3 days, then the offer will be activated and you will receive a link to a coupon that you print out take take with you to the Oakland Zoo. So sign up now and tell everyone you know!

Disclosure: I am a city editor for The Savvy Source. If you click on the link above and purchase the deal, a portion of the proceeds will go to me and the preschool of my choice. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Cleaning the Green Way with ActiveIon's Ionator HOM: Review and Giveaway

Update! This review is now a review AND a giveaway! To find out how you could win your own Ionator HOM, keep reading..

When I first tried out Activeion's amazing hi-tech spray-clean system last year, I knew without a doubt that I was seeing the future. It's a wonderful example of how science can be applied to practical use; imagine, a sprayer that uses tap water to remove stains and dirt and smudges just as effectively as all those harsh chemical sprays, and kills 99.9% of bacteria! The only drawback I could see was the high $299 price tag -- but now they have come up with a $169 home version (the original version was developed for commercial/professional use), so mass adoption can finally begin! I was so excited to be invited to test-drive the new Ionator HOM, and after using it for several weeks I can say honestly that it's an amazing cleaner that I recommend without hesitation.

The Basics
The Ionator HOM turns ordinary tap water into a powerful cleaning agent by introducing a tiny electric charge into the water. This "ionizes" the water so that dirt and germs attach themselves to the water in the same way that they would attach themselves to soap or detergent. If you want a better explanation, watch a video of Bill Nye the Science Guy explaining it. To use it, just charge the sprayer, fill up the reservoir with tap water, and spray away.


The Bongga
I'm already a big fan of the Activeion Pro (the original version for professional/commercial application, which I tested last year and still use as my one and only cleaning agent today) , so I was curious to see how this HOM version compares. Here are the differences:

1) Price: the Activeion Pro costs $299 and the Ionator HOM version costs $169, a significant drop in price!

2) Physical appearance: the HOM is smaller and sleeker, with a wider base that keeps it from tipping over.


3) Maintenance: the HOM has a smaller water reservoir and a shorter charge life. This is one of the tradeoffs you make for the difference in price, and I think it's one that home users will be more than happy to live with. After all, professionals spend all day cleaning and spraying, so they don't want to be charging and filling their units all the time.

4) Sanitizing capabilities: Believe it or not, the Ionator HOM actually has improved upon the sanitizing powers of the older Activeion Pro! Activeion's marketing folks tell me that the Activeion Pro is "tested and certified to REMOVE greater than 99.9% of harmful bacteria through a spray-and-wipe process", while the newer Ionator cleaners (the Ionator HOM and the Ionator EXP, a commercial/professional version) are "tested and certified to KILL more than 99.9% of harmful bacteria, even the H1N1 virus, through a 6-second continuous spray".

As far as stain removal is concerned, I honestly don't see any difference; the HOM does the job as well as the Pro does! Even tough stains like red Kool-Aid are no problem:


Finally, I can't say enough about how happy I am that it's so safe for kids. It uses no chemicals whatsoever, just tap water, so I know they aren't breathing in or ingesting anything harmful. Now I don't ever have to feel guilty about telling my kids to clean up their spills and messes with the Ionator HOM :)



The Blah
I'm not a big fan of the HOM's water reservoir, which must be detached from the main unit before it can be refilled. Reattaching the reservoir can be tricky, especially when it's full of water! I much prefer the EXP's water reservoir, which is a part of the main unit -- just unscrew the cap, hold it under a faucet, and fill -- no additional parts to break!


The Bottom Line
The Ionator HOM is a safe, non-toxic, eco-friendly way to clean your home that really WORKS. This new HOM version is more affordable than ever and the best cleaning investment you'll ever make.



Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive an Ionator HOM, courtesy of Activeion. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me the feature of the Ionator HOM that you find most useful when it comes to cleaning your home.

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

1) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

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

3) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook AND write on my Fan Wall, telling me you've joined the ionator HOM giveaway (leave a comment here with your FB id).

4) Become a fan of ActiveIon on Facebook AND write on their Fan Wall, telling them that Bonggamom sent you (leave a comment here with your FB id).

5) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter AND tweet the following (leave a comment with a link to your tweet):

Win the eco-friendly, non-toxic, kid-safe Ionator HOM spray cleaner from @bonggafinds and @active_ion http://tinyurl.com/ybrn5n9

6) Follow @active_ion on Twitter AND tweet the following (leave a comment with a link to your tweet):

@active_ion I just joined the Ionator HOM giveaway on @bonggafinds! http://tinyurl.com/ybrn5n9



Maximum of 7 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 22, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on March 23 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample in order to review this product. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Be Seen at BlogHer 2010!

Budget lean?
You can still be seen
at this year's BlogHer
if you become my Spons-Her!

My current list of sponsors:



The premiere blogging conference of the year, BlogHer 2010, is just five months away, and every blogger wants to be there! Official conference sponsorships and exhibitor booths may be out of your budget, but you can still make your presence felt at BlogHer with me to represent you. I'm seeking sponsorship to this year's BlogHer conference and I'm hoping we can help each other out.


What can I do for you?
I'll be the face of your company before, during and after the BlogHer conference. Whether you're introducing a new product, increase your brand awareness or looking to expand your network of bloggers, I can help. I hang out with some pretty amazing bloggers -- I write for the Silicon Valley Moms Blog, the Savvy Source, and Yahoo! Motherboard. I'm a member of MomSelect, Team Mom, BlogHer Reviewers and BlogHer Family Connections, and I've been invited to some pretty exclusive blogging events, such as last year's Ford Ride and Drive, Disney Mom Blogger weekend, and Time To Play Winter Showcase. I plan to be out there nonstop, mingling with great bloggers, meeting new ones, seeing and being seen -- and if you sponsor me, you'll be seen right along with me. And I'll make sure that everyone who stops by my blog, follows me on Twitter and fans me on Facebook will know who you are and what you do.



What do I need?
I realize times are difficult and every marketing dollar counts, so I'm not looking for sponsorship to cover anything except the bare necessities. I've already got my BlogHer conference pass, and I figure I still have to feed myself whether I attend the conference or not -- but I do need help covering the cost of my plane ticket from San Francisco to New York ($350) and a hotel room for 3 nights ($199/night = $600).



How can you help?
Let me represent your company at BlogHer 2010! You can book my services via an exclusive sponsorship (available until April 8, or until I obtain a partial sponsor) or on a partial basis -- In-Kind, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum levels (available after April 8). Below is a description of sponsorship levels and benefits:

note: I apologize in advance that I cannot offer to pass out sponsor materials or swag bags during the conference as it is prohibited by BlogHer this year.


Bronze Sponsorship - $25 and up (available after April 8, 2010)

• Your text link in a special "BlogHer 2010 Sponsors" section, located on the sidebar of my personal blog, Finding Bonggamom, from time of sponsorship until August 30, 2010.


• Your text link in a special "BlogHer 2010 Sponsors" section, located on the sidebar of my review blog, Bonggamom Finds, from time of sponsorship until August 30, 2010.


• Your text link on this "Be Seen at BlogHer 2010" post, which is accessible via special navigation tabs on the Finding Bonggamom and Bonggamom Finds blogs, from time of sponsorship until August 8, 2010.


• Your text link in a special "Meet My BlogHer Sponsors" post, which will be posted in July 2010 on Bonggamom Finds. This post will be a sticky post which will remain at the top of the Bonggamom Finds home page until August 8, 2010.

Silver Sponsorship - $50 and up (available after April 8, 2010)

• Your 125 x 125 logo in a special "BlogHer Sponsors" section, located on the sidebar of my personal blog, Finding Bonggamom, from time of sponsorship until August 30, 2010.


• Your 125 x 125 logo in a special "BlogHer Sponsors" section, located on the sidebar of my review blog, Bonggamom Finds, from time of sponsorship until August 30, 2010.


• Your 125 x 125 logo on this "Be Seen at BlogHer 2010" post, which is accessible via special navigation tabs on the Finding Bonggamom and Bonggamom Finds blog, from time of sponsorship until August 8, 2010.


• Your 125 x 125 logo in a special "Meet My BlogHer Sponsors" post, which will be posted in July 2010 on Bonggamom Finds. This post will be a sticky post which will remain at the top of the Bonggamom Finds home page until August 8, 2010.

Gold Sponsorship - $100 and up (available after April 8, 2010)

All the benefits of a Silver Sponsorship, plus:

• A one-paragraph description of your company and product or service in a special "Meet My BlogHer Sponsors" Post, which will be posted in July 2010 on Bonggamom Finds. This post will be a sticky post which will remain at the top of the Bonggamom Finds home page until August 8, 2010.


• Your text link in three posts on Finding Bonggamom, devoted to the BlogHer 2010 experience - Before, During and After - crediting you as a Gold Sponsor.


• Weekly mention in special #BlogHer2010 #followfriday tweet from time of sponsorship until August 8, 2010.


• Your company logo printed on a shirt that I will wear during conference hours (8:00AM - 4:00PM) of Day 1 *OR* Day 2 of BlogHer (deadline to avail of this benefit: May 30, 2010).


• Ad space on Bonggamom Finds for a year! Your text link in the "Bongga Sponsors" section from time of sponsorship until 1 year later.

Platinum Sponsorship - $300 and up (available after April 8, 2010)

All the benefits of a Gold Sponsorship, plus:

• Your text link in three posts on Finding Bonggamom, devoted to the BlogHer 2010 experience - Before, During and After - crediting you as a Platinum Sponsor.
• A review of your product or service on Bonggamom Finds, the week before BlogHer 2010.


• Weekly #followfriday tweet devoted exclusively to your company, from time of sponsorship until August 8, 2010.


• Your company logo printed on a shirt that I will wear during conference hours (8:00AM - 4:00PM) of Day 1 *AND* Day 2 of BlogHer (deadline to avail of this benefit: May 30, 2010).


• Ad space on Bonggamom Finds for a year! Your 125 x 125 logo in the "Bongga Sponsors" section from time of sponsorship until 1 year later.


• Premium ad space on Bonggamom Finds for a year! Your 125 x 125 logo in the "Featured Sponsors" section from time of sponsorship until 1 year later.

Full Sponsorship: $950 -- available until April 8, 2010, or until I receive a partial sponsorship

If you become my exclusive BlogHer 2010 sponsor, there'll be no need to share the limelight with any other company! You'll get sole rights to association with Bonggamom Finds for BlogHer 2010 (with the exception of in-kind sponsors). You'll get all Platinum Sponsorship benefits plus:

• Inclusion of your company logo on the business cards that I will pass out to people at BlogHer (this is not prohibited at this year's BlogHer conference).


• Daily #BlogHer2010 tweets mentioning your company from August 1 - August 5, 2010 and August 8 - August 9, 2010.


• Live tweeting at #BlogHer2010 mentioning your company, three times per day on August 6 and August 7, 2010.


• Three of your company's Press Releases to be posted on Bonggamom Finds, at any time until 1 year from time of sponsorship.


• Special product giveaway to be conducted at BlogHer, if desired.


• Guest post on your blog, if desired.


• I'm open to ideas, let's talk!

In-Kind Sponsorships
I know I said I wouldn't ask for help for anything except the bare necessities.... but.... hey, a girl's gotta look good, right? So if you are a clothing or shoes or handbag or accessories company, interested in showcasing your products at BlogHer 2010, let's talk about my wearing your products at the BlogHer conference and various BlogHer social events!

What's in it for you? You'll get all the benefits of a Silver Sponsorship plus a review post on Bonggamom Finds of whatever item you send for me to wear at BlogHer 2010. Naturally, I'll mention your company any time there's a discussion about what to wear to BlogHer 2010, and every time someone at the conference compliments me on your product!



Please contact me at bonggamom@yahoo.com if you are interested in any sponsorship level or if you have any other ideas you'd like to incorporate. Thank you for considering a sponsorship for Bonggamom to BlogHer 2010!

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Hair Coverings review and giveaway

The Basics
Haircoverings.com sells a variety of Hair Accessories and headcoverings for women, girls and children. They sells lots of different styles including modern and traditional, and serve many different purposes, such as fashion accessories, religious haircoverings, for patients with medical conditions (i.e. hair loss coverings).


The Bongga
The best thing about this site is the variety: it's almost too difficult to choose from all their lovely products! We received the Rainbow Wide Pre-tied Headband to review, and The Pea absolutely loves it. The material is lovely and silky, and it's very well made, with no stray threads or crooked seams. Check it out below:


Here's The Pea, wearing her new headband. She loves wearing it this way because she thinks it makes her look cool and hip (shhh, don't tell her that the beautiful rainbow colors look absolutely sweet and young and girly framing her pretty face!).


Here she is again, with exactly the same thing on, only this time it's scrunched up to show more of her hair. I personally like this look better, but that's the beauty of it -- you can arrange these headscarfs to look just the way you want. And since they're pre-tied, The Pea doesn't have to deal with double knots and loosening bands, which makes this great for absentminded little girls.

The Blah


The Bottom Line
Haircoverings.com has beautiful hair accessories that complement women of any age, ethnicity, and culture. It's a one-stop shop!

Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds Reader will win a free $25 box of surprise Hair Accessories from HairCoverings.com!

Required Entry
Visit www.HairCoverings.com, then leave a comment here and tell me which of their hair accessories or fashion accessories you would love to have.

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


1) Become a fan of Hair Coverings on Facebook (leave a comment here with your Facebook user name).

2) Follow @haircoverings on twitter AND tweet this contest:

Win a pack of @haircoverings hair accessories worth $15 on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/ykn89x6


3) Subscribe to the HairCoverings.com Blog feed (leave a comment with the email address you used to subscribe)

4) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

5) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (leave a comment with your FB id).

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


Maximum of 7 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 19, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on March 20 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- The Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere

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

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

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E is for Ethics

Organized religion doesn't play a big part in our household, even though I believe in God and was raised a Catholic in one of the most devoutly Catholic nations in the world, the Philippines. The Catholic Church's response to all the molestation scandals and their hardline stance on birth control, condoms and AIDS have left me disillusioned and alienated from Catholicism (the organized body, that is, not the people who practice it). Also, having lived among people of different beliefs and cultures for so long, I've come to believe that good values and morals are not the exclusive property of any one religion, or of religion itself.

So when our kids were born, Alfie and I decided to raise them not by following the teachings of any one religion, but by helping them form good values and ethics and morals. We try to teach by example, of course, but it's also necessary to talk about values in order to reinforce them. But these these topics are usually considered the jurisdiction of Sunday schools and other religious instruction programs. That's where books like "E is For Ethics" come in. I was given a copy of this book to review and I think it's a great way for parents to begin talking about values and morals to young children.

"E is For Ethics" is a collection of twenty-six short stories about everyday situations faced by two children, Elliott and Lucy. Each story deals with a particular value such as Fairness, Honesty, Gratitude, Acceptance and so on. I like how the author, Ian James Corlett, makes each story simple and real, so any child can relate to the ethical dilemmas that Elliott and Lucy face.

For example, in the "Honesty" story, Elliott finds five dollars at the video store and a couple of minutes later, overhears a lady looking for five dollars that she dropped. It's definitely a situation any kid might face in real life. Each chapter ends with some questions to help parents can children discuss what they've read about. What should Elliott do? What does he want to do? What would you do? How might Elliott feel if he kept the five dollars? Each story is a wonderful conversation starter for parents who want to teach their children some good, sound values! You can read one story each night, skip one or two, go back to one of the stories when your child has encountered a similar situation -- how you use this book is really up to you. It's really a great tool to reinforce good morals in your children, whether you're Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, or any religion, or no religion at all.


Free Coloring Book!
Download a free coloring book from the E is for Ethics website:

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to review. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bummas baby cloths

Even though my kids have moved past the diaper stage (and thank heaven for that), we still have sticky hands and faces that need to be wiped, so I was happy to receive a sample package of Bummas cloth wipes to review. Every household with babies or kids needs wipes, and these can be washed and used again and again. They are so soft, I wish these things had been around back then to wipe my little ones' bummas!


The Basics
Bummas are small multipurpose cloths (5"x7") that come in packs of ten; each cloth is edge-stitched in a different colored thread and there are 4 different color schemes available. They are 100% machine-washable, cotton-woven velour terrycloth.

Here's how the makers of Bummas describe their product:
Bummas are small, soft, luxurious, eco-friendly baby-sized cloths made especially for drying baby bottoms, as well as for blocking those surprise squirts. You can virtually eliminate irritating diaper rash without the use of powders, talcs and ointments by simply drying your baby's bum with a Bumma.


The Bongga
I love how soft these cloths are. The terrycloth material feels so nice and fuzzy, not rough at all. My kids used to hate being wiped with those disposable wet wipes, they always made them wince because it made their skin sore! A damp Bummas cloth is much, much gentler to the skin. And even though there are no more babies in this household, I've still found quite a lot of uses for Bummas! Right now I use them to wash the fingers on Jammy's right hand, since his arm is in a cast and he can't put his right hand under the sink. They're the just the perfect size!

Here are some other ways you can use them ....
* You can keep a couple in the car for wiping dirty hands on car trips.
* They make a great washcloth for giving sponge baths to sick children.
* They're the perfect eco-friendly nose wipes since they don't irritate the skin.

And of course, since they can be washed and used again and again, they are a great eco-friendly alternative to disposable wipes.

The Blah
If you're serious about going green and replacing disposable wet wipes with Bummas, you're going to need a whole lot more than ten cloths, so it would be nice if they came in larger packs that cost a bit less per cloth -- ValuPaks, if you will.


The Bottom Line
Bummas baby cloths are a great eco-friendly alternative (or complement) to disposable baby wipes. Their luxurious, plush material and cute colors put them a step above ordinary terrycloth squares, and they're packaged nicely enough to make a great baby shower gift.

Disclosure: I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Let's Make Music review and giveaway

When I received a review copy of Sesame Street's Let's Make Music, I assumed it was just another collection of the usual episodes. Don't get me wrong, I adore Sesame Street and I still think it's the gold standard for kids' tv programs, but I didn't think I'd see anything out of the ordinary. Boy, was I wrong! Read more to find out why (and win a copy for yourself!):

The Basics
In Let's Make Music, the Sesame Street characters explore music and rhythm with the cast of Stomp. Telly Monster is despondent over losing his tuba, but the Stompers teach him (and everybody else) that you can make music with everyday items. Like all Sesame Street episodes and most Sesame Street videos, Let's Make Music is a compilation of segments tied to a single theme: in this case, sounds, rhythms and tunes.

The Bongga
The second the opening sequence began I knew this DVD was going to be special. The Stomp cast's rendition of the Sesame Street theme song -- with clinking pots and pans and muffin tins, whistling, banging on doors, and well, stomping -- was amazing!

I think this DVD has some wonderful messages for kids: first, that music is fun, and second, you don't need fancy electronic doodads to make music. And who better to teach this than the cast of Stomp? They can make music out of anything -- oil drums, brooms, ---- so featuring them in this DVD was a stroke of genius. Their rhythms are so infectious I don't see how any little kid could watch this without jumping off the couch and dancing (I must confess to tapping my feet and grooving to the beat myself). I've seen Stomp on Broadway, and believe me, they did not tone down their performance one bit just because it's a kids' DVD: you see them in their full glory.

The rest of the video segments are pretty entertaining: videos of African kids playing on Congo drums, little girls playing rhythmic hand games, Oscar teaching preschoolers to bang on garbage can lids and more. The music isn't limited to rhythms or percussion either; there's a great segment featuring Baby Bear and friends blowing into empty bottles to make some sweet tunes. Of course, I always enjoy seeing the vintage Sesame Street cartoon segments, such as the groovy "1-2-3-4-5...6-7-8-9-10...eeeelven-twelve.....", one of my favorites from my childhood (even now, that psychedelic pinball machine fascinates me). I swear, I enjoyed this DVD as much as my kids!

The Blah
Um, yeah, sorry, nothing. Don't make me say bad things about Elmo because my kids (and yours) will never forgive me.


The Bottom Line
With percussion performances by Stomp and classic Sesame Street segments, Let's Make Music is one DVD that parents will actually enjoy watching with their kids.


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a copy of the DVD, Sesame Street: Let's Make Music. To enter, leave a comment here with your favorite Sesame Street Character.


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


1) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (leave a comment with your email address).

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

Win a copy of Sesame Street: Let's Make Music from @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/1dNOm

Maximum of 3 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 14, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on march 15 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received a sample in order to review this product, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Disney on Ice: Worlds of Fantasy

Last Wednesday Feld Family Entertainment treated my family and I to the opening night of the latest Disney on Ice show touring the Bay Area: Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy at San Jose's HP Pavilion. This is the second Disney on Ice show we've watched since last year; the first was Disney on Ice: Princess Classics, and once again, Disney and Feld have set the gold standard for family entertainment. Once again, the skating was amazing, the costumes and sets were beautiful, and the special effects were out of this world -- in a world of fantasy, to be precise!



The Worlds of Fantasy show features stories with some of Disney's most beloved characters: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Cars, and Tinkerbell. It must be one of their newer shows, since the second half is fully devoted to the tale of Tinkerbell's first adventure in Pixie Hollow, which I hadn't watched before.



The show opens with Mickey and Minnie and Donald and Goofy, driving (or skating) their red jalopy into a World of Fantasy. The jalopy is discovered by the residents of Radiator Springs -- Mater, Sally, Ramon, Flo and McQueen, who skate (or glide) around to a musical number, Rascal Flatts' "Life is a Highway". This was Alfie's and the boys' favorite number, and I have to say the cars were a perfect replica of the ones in the movie, complete with moving eyes. You couldn't even see the people who were driving inside!



Next up was a condensed version of The Little Mermaid, with beautifully costumed undersea creatures dancing along with Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder and Ursula to the fun and familiar tunes of "Under the Sea", "Part of Your World" and "Kiss the Girl". This segment was also done in the Disney on Ice: Princess Classics, and just like in that show, the audience just lapped it up in this one.



The third story featured was The Lion King, and I have to say this was my favorite part. I absolutely loved the costumes -- I have just got to see The Lion King on Broadway!! -- and just like the fish in the Little Mermaid segment, I think the natural grace of the animals are perfectly showcased by the gliding motions of the skaters.



The powerful music of The Lion King made it even more special. Even Alfie, who doesn't usually go for musicals, liked the infectious rhythms of "The Circle of Life", "Be Prepared", "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".



The final story of the night was about Tinkerbell, how she met the fairies of Pixie Hollow and how she eventually saved Spring. This was The Pea's favorite part because she loved the beautiful, delicate pixie costumes. I have to commend the producers, though, for resisting the temptation to go overboard on the girly stuff -- there's actually a lot that boys can relate to this part, with the male pixies in their brown-and-green outfits, the Tinker fairy gadgets, and the chaotic action sequence when the thistles destroy the Pixie Hollow. Nothing was held back for the finale, which featured curtains of flowers falling from the ceiling, flying fairies and huge flowers that bloomed (okay, inflated) right in front of our eyes on the edge of the ice! I really liked that this show had something in it for everyone. It was truly a magical show, and we all went home with pixie dust in our eyes.



Save with a Special Offer!
Feld Entertainment is offering discounts for select tickets to Disney on Ice: Worlds of Fantasy:

1) Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 for weekday shows (excluding Friday evening, VIP, FR)

*or*

2) Receive $4 off weekend tickets (excludes VIP/ FR)

To avail of this discount, phone 1-800-298-4200 or log onto http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/7qk2w7 and use the coupon code: MOM. The discount does not apply to front row or VIP seats, and facility charges, service fees and handling fees still apply.


Buy tickets now!
The Disney on Ice: Worlds of Fantasy run at the HP Pavilion has ended, but the show moves to Oakland's ORACLE Arena starting Wednesday, March 3. Details for the Oakland shows are below; if you don't live around here, go to www.disneyonice.com to check out which performances are scheduled for your area. Enjoy the show!


Oakland (ORACLE Arena) Show Dates:
Wednesday, March 3: 7:30pm
Thursday, March 4: 7:30pm
Friday, March 5: 10:30am, 7:30pm
Saturday, March 6: 11am, 3pm, 7pm
Sunday, March 7: 11am, 3pm, 7pm

Disclaimer:My family and I received complimentary tickets to attend this show. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Wisk Pimp My Laundry Room Video Contest

I just heard through the bloggy grapevine that Wisk detergent is sponsoring a laundry-room makeover contest -- and coincidentally, I've just posted about How Much I Hate Laundry over at the Silicon Valley Moms Blog ! Since it's all about laundry for me this week, I thought I'd post about the Wisk Contest. Below are all the details I received. Good luck!

Contest information from sponsor:
If your laundry room is plain and boring or a downright dungeon, you just might be in desperate need of a laundry room makeover. Wisk® Laundry Detergent is teaming up with TV's Designing Spaces to pimp-out one laundry room in dire need of a face-lift as part of the Wisk® Pimp My Laundry Room video contest.

Just enter a short video from March 1 to March 29, 2010 at www.LaundryHE.com explaining why you deserve a laundry room makeover and Wisk® could be on your doorstep with their partners-in-design, Whirlpool's DreamLaundry® Solutions team led by Bill Thomas and Emily Johnston, owner of the interior design firm EJ Interiors and founder of Materials Girls Blog. Together, they'll take your laundry room from drab to fab in no time thanks to a laundry room makeover complete with a new Whirlpool® High Efficiency (HE) washer/dryer set and a year's worth of Wisk® HE Laundry Detergent. Even better, she'll get to star in her very own episode of Designing Spaces!

The top Finalists will be featured on LaundryHE.com from April 12 - 19 and the Grand Prize Winner will be chosen by popular ballot so be sure to get your friends and family online and voting! Even better, a vote is an automatic entry to a sweepstakes for a year's supply of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent.

Disclaimer: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Baby Star Totes Sale

Online baby boutique BabyStar.com is having a sale on their Diaper Bag Totes. They usually sell for $60, but they are now 50% off, only $29.99! This offer ends March 3, 2010, so take advantage and grab one of these chic little babies while they're on sale.

Here's how Baby Star describes their totes:
It's time to rock the tote with the new diaper bag from baby star. it's a modern classic, beautifully crafted with the modern mom (or dad) in mind. this diaper bag has room for what you need on the run, even a lap top. features a wide zipper pocket on one side and two open pockets on the other side that can hold a wipe case, bottle or cell phone. also includes a BPA free wipe case. all baby star products are safe for baby and the environment.

Disclaimer: I will be receiving a Starbucks giftcard as a thank-you for posting about this offer. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Princess Party Giveaways at 3KidsandUs

Hey moms of princesses (that would make us queens, right?): 3 Kids and Us is hosting a great Princess Party Giveaway Bash from February 24 till March 17th. You can win some of the best birthday products on the market for your own little princess’s upcoming birthday party. Prizes include a Wilton Party pack, Popcorn Factory party pack, Betty Crocker party pack, Dilly Giggles lip gloss, Things Remembered water globe, and more.

Disclaimer: 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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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- The Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere

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

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

Continue reading...

Zhu Zhu Pets game for Nintendo DS

I just heard that Zhu Zhu Pets, one of my kids' favorite furry friends, are going to be the stars of their very own Nintendo DS game! They'll be able to care for and play with virtual Zhu Zhu pets -- race them down mazes, collecting carrots, coins and friends. It sounds like something my kids are really going to enjoy.

Even better, the initial game release will come packaged with Baxter, an exclusive Zhu Zhu pet hamster baby. It's going to be a Collector's Edition -- limited quantities, and once it's gone, it's gone. The Zhu Zhu Pets Special Edition game for Nintendo DS will be available at the end of March 2010. Watch out for it!

Disclaimer: 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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Win a TCM 31 Days of Oscar Party Pack!

There are only 10 days left until everybody's favorite awards show, the Oscars, and I'm sure all the actors are actresses are busy trying on their gown and subsisting on cigarettes and air so they can fit into them. But more importantly, are you ready? You've got 10 days to join (or create) your office Oscar-winner-picking pool, plan your Oscar-viewing party, and watch some Oscar films!

To celebrate the Oscars, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has been hosting a month-long "31 Days of Oscar" festival, which features 360 Academy Award-nominated and winning movies. To make things more fun, each movies they're showing is linked to the next movie in the lineup through a shared actor or actress. For example, tonight's 8PM movie is "The Diary of Anne Frank" with Richard Beymer and Shelley Winters, the 11:15PM movies is "Alfie" with Shelley Winters and Denholm Elliott, the 1:15AM movie is "A Room with a View" with Denholm Elliott and Judi Dench, and so on.

Figuring out the links a la "Six Degrees of Separation" (or even better, "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon", since the series starts and ends with a movie starring Kevin Bacon) might just keep you glued to the tv until Oscar night. Best of all, it's all uncut and commercial-free, which means you get to see all the good bits that those corny old censors have decided are too much for your delicate sensibilities, and you don't have to see lame car commercials that last longer than the movie itself.

You can find the complete 31 Days of Oscar schedule on their website. Happy viewing!


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a 31 Days of Oscar Party Pack courtesy of TCM. It has everything you need for your very own movie night, including popcorn, candy, a martini shaker, coasters and more!


Required Entry
Visit the TCM 31 Days of Oscar website, then come back here and leave a comment saying which movie in their lineup you would most like to watch.




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

1) Leave a comment on this post and tell me your pick for best picture of 2009 (click here for the nominees!)

2) Become a fan of Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (leave a comment with your FB id).


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


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

Win an Oscar Prize Pack from @bonggafinds and @tcm http://tinyurl.com/yhwn5fg

Maximum of5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on March 7, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on March 8 and post the winner's name as soon as the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I will be receiving an Oscar Party Pack courtesy of TCM. I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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