Bonggamom Finds

Meet SF 49ers player Joe Staley

Sunday, December 14, 2014

I received a prize pack as a thank you for posting this information.

The holidays are here, which means more time to watch football games! To help make your holiday tailgate parties more festive and merry and bright, Procter & Gamble and Lucky Supermarket have partnered up to offer great values on the brands that score a touchdown on game day, such as:

Old Spice -- my husband uses Old Spice bodywash and Old Spice deodorant every day! I love the smell, and it's a great way to get spiffed up for the party.

Tide To Go Stain Remover Pen -- tailgate parties mean lots of barbecue sauce and salsa.... and lots of spills. You can keep a Tide To Go Stain Remover Pen handy for your tailgate party guests. It only takes a moment, and they can keep their team jerseys spot-free!

Bounty Paper Towels -- did I mention spills? I have 3 kids, so I need Bounty Paper Towels not just on game day, but every day!

Here's a great offer: Buy $25 in P&G products in Lucky Stores, and receive a FREE San Francisco 49ers beanie hat! To celebrate this partnership, Joe Staley, 49ers Offensive Tackle, will be appearing at two Lucky Supermarket Store in San Francisco TOMORROW, December 15, 2014:

Location 1:
Lucky Supermarket, 1515 Sloat Blvd, San Francisco
3:00-5:00pm

Location 2:
Lucky Supermarket, 1322 El Camino Real, San Bruno
6:00-8:00pm

You'll get the chance to meet Joe, get his autograph, get some free eye black stickers, and of course take advantage of the free beanie offer! Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: I am receiving a prize pack from Lucky and P&G, via Blue Chip Communications, as a thank-you for posting this information. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Bonggamom's Friday Finds: list your giveaways here

Friday, December 12, 2014

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!

Mail a Letter To Santa and Grant A Wish

Thursday, December 11, 2014

December has barely begun, and my kids have already written out their holiday wish lists. This year the boys are all about Nerf blasters, the bigger the better! They also want extra bullets because those things are like socks -- they're constantly disappearing. The Pea wants Monster High dolls. They also want an extra remote controller for the Wii U so that their friends can play together as a foursome.

With all the different models and varieties, their list has gotten to be pretty long, but they know better than to expect us to buy everything on their list! Alfie and I will pick one or two (most likely the ones that are on sale!), and they'll be thrilled on Christmas morning. They know that even though they're not getting everything they want, they're lucky to get it. There are so many kids whose parents can't afford to get them nice presents for the holidays, and there are other kids who have so many other problems in life, the wish they really want -- health, a united family, a parent home from the war, a safe home -- can't be granted.

That's why it's important to support organizations like Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. They grant more than 300 wishes annually to children who have battled a life-threatening illness. Last year, Make-A-Wish granted the wishes of more than 14,000 children across the United States. A wish is granted every 38 minutes!

Here's how you can help this holiday season: Between November 7 – December 24, visit your local Macy’s store or Macy’s Believe online to submit your child’s letter to Santa in special, designated Santa Mail letterboxes, and help make dreams come true for Make-A-Wish kids around the country.

For every letter received through December 24, Macy’s will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish (up to $1,000,000), to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. You may also submit your letter online at Macys.com/believe.

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

Sharp Aquos smartphone: high-end feel, low-end price

Monday, December 08, 2014

I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence Central for Sprint. I received a sample device to facilitate this review

Everyone knows that Sharp makes great televisions. But did you know that Sharp also makes great phones? As a SprintMom Ambassador, I received Sprint's new Sharp AQUOS Crystal smartphone to review. Sprint is launching it in the US for their prepaid brands (Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA), but the Sharp AQUOS is no cheapie prepaid phone! It's a beautiful, hi-end piece of technology which brings together the best of Sharp's screen technology, Sprint's Spark (enhanced LTE) network, and Google's Android software.

The first thing you notice about this phone is how the screen takes up the whole phone! The screen goes all the way to the edge of the phone, so it has a much larger screen than other phones of the same size.

The second thing you notice about this phone is that it looks and feels like a high end phone. It's incredibly thin and lightweight. The display is sharp and crisp and vibrant.

Did you know that the Sharp Aquos features Harman/Kardon sound technology? That's right, you get that world famous high quality sound! We reviewed another Sprint phone with Harman/Kardon sound a few months ago, and you can really tell the difference in quality. And did you know that the entire screen acts as a speaker? That's right, you can put your ear anywhere on the phone and still be able to hear your calls and music easily. The back of the phone has a regular speakerphone as well.

Another great feature of the Sharp AQUOS is Wifi-enabled calling. This lets users place calls and text messages over WiFi when on a home or public WiFi network. This is a great way to take advantage of WiFi to save money on your phone plans without losing any quality! Whenever I've used the phone, I don't even notice that I'm calling via WiFi instead of a cellular phone network.

The 8-megapixel camera isn't mind-blowing compared to the more expensive Sprint phones that we've reviewed in the past, but it's still pretty decent. Here's a sample photo taken by the camera. The only retouching I did to the photo was to crop Alfie's legs out of the photo. I didn't do anything other than snap the photo to get that gorgeous sky blue color! The phone also has great camera features like Night Catch, which brightens the subject and background for nighttime shots, and Smile Capture, a feature that automatically takes photos when it detects a smile!

See, here's the problem -- the Sharp AQUOS has such great features, it's easy to forget that it's priced in the $149 prepaid phone range! It feels so high-end, I find myself comparing it to high-end but high-priced phones. The reality is that it's a decent phone, even compared to the high-end phones, but it's a fantastic phone compared to other phones in a similar price range!

More about Sharp AQUOS Crystal
SoftBank and Sprint merge to bring the Sharp AQUOS Crystal smartphone to the United States. Sprint and its prepaid brands (Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA) are the exclusive U.S. carriers for this groundbreaking AQUOS device.

Sharp, a company known worldwide for its unique one-of-a-kind electronics is determined to create a balance between work and personal time with products that can benefit customers’ lives.

Sharp AQUOS Crystal breaks the mold of traditional smartphone design. From stunning picture quality and an immersive, vibrant display, to its sleek, 5-inch edge-to-edge HD screen, AQUOS Crystal revolutionizes the mobile phone experience.

Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence Central for Sprint. I received a sample device to facilitate this review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own. #MC #SprintMom #sponsored

Get a Canon DSLR Camera at Best Buy

Sunday, December 07, 2014

When it comes to preserving memories, a good camera is everything. We've all had the experience of taking photo after photo at an important event, only to upload the photos later and discover that all of your photos are blurred. Or too dark. Or too bright. Or with the awful flash glare. Or they just don't capture the colors of the event, the way you saw it in your mind and in the viewfinder! It's so frustrating.

If photos are important to you, I highly recommend purchasing a DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera. To be more precise, I highly recommend purchasing a Canon DSLR! We have had our Canon Rebel for over 4 years, and couldn't be happier with it. The Rebel is sooo much better than a point and shoot camera. First of all, you don't have to wait ages for the camera to be ready or for the camera to save your shot. Second, you can use different kinds of lenses -- macro lens, wide angle lens, with or without zoom features, etc... -- to capture different moods and scenes. Your son's fast action soccer game photo is so different from a still life photo of your latest baked creation! Also, the Rebel has lots of different modes to help you get that perfect shot. Best of all, it's still easy enough for a beginner to use. Yes, they are a bit pricier than point-and-shoot cameras, but it's a great investment -- and when you purchase a Canon Rebel at Best Buy, you can save $100-$150! Check out the features of the Canon EOS Rebel T5i below:

About the Canon EOS Rebel T5i

Best Buy is the ultimate destination for the latest cameras to capture your holiday memories. The Canon EOS Rebel T5i is one of the best-selling DSLRs. This camera makes advanced photography easy and fun, and gives you exceptional image quality, along with a host of features to enhance your creative expression.
• Capture Hollywood caliber full HD video
• Continuous autofocus while taking HD video
• Features an 18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 5 image processor to ensure vivid, crystal-clear images.
• The 3" vari-angle touch screen simplifies navigation.

Save on Canon at Best Buy

Save $150 on the Canon EOS Rebel T5i at Best Buy (offer valid 12/7-12/20)! Visit Best Buy to learn more.

Join the Best Buy Canon Twitter Party

Do you love twitter parties? Best Buy is hosting a Canon Twitter Party on Thursday December 18th at 7pm CST. Feel free to join this party for a chance to receive Best Buy gift cards and other great prizes. Tweet #HintingSeason with your top gifts that you want this Holiday from Best Buy.

Disclosure: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free. The views and opinions expressed here are my own. Product information (in italics) is provided by the featured company/product. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

American Girl Holiday Gift Guide 2014

Sunday, December 07, 2014

After weeks of studying the American Girl catalogue and browsing through the American Girl Store, I've finally come up with my 2014 American Girl holiday gift guide -- and this year, I'm all about the clothes! Of course, as I say every year, ANYTHING and EVERYTHING American Girl would make a great gift, and the best gift is what your girl really wants -- but if she can't make up her mind, or if you want to surprise her, here are my top picks for 2014:

Splurges

First up, the presents for girls who have been very, very good! The Happy Holiday Dress (with matching doll dress) pictured in the photo above would make the perfect holiday outfit. For an extra special holiday event, throw in the matching doll outfit! Of course, if you're lucky enough to live near and American Girl Store, make sure you snap up the Ruby Ball Gown set, which is only available in stores. It features a white fur coat and a long ballgown with a glittery gold top and red tulle skirt, plus gold shoes and a ruby and diamond tiara. Unfortunately, there's no matching girl outfit.

My favorite matching girl-doll casual outfit this year is the Winter White Outfit. I love the solid white color and the layered pieces! I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of the knit shorts, but my fashionista sister (who lives in London) assures me they are all the rage, so I'll tolerate them on the doll -- fortunately, the matching girl outfit has a skirt instead of shorts!

I think the main reason that all my AG gift picks are clothing items is the new BeForever girls' line. I adore the way the girls' outfits are inspired by the dolls outfits, rather than being carbon copies of them. Our girls don't live in the 17th, 18th, 19th or 20th centuries, after all, and they don't want to wear costumes every day! And those colors! Those bright, beautiful colors! All the BeForever girls' outfits are great, but my four favorites are Samantha, Josefina, Kit, and Addy. I'm sure any little girl would be thrilled to wear any of those outfits.

Samantha's pink Victorian outfit is way too frilly for modern girls to play in, but the matching girls' dress loses the puffed sleeves and lacy collar, so it's still pretty, but less frilly. I love how the model is wearing it with red sneakers!

The Josefina girl's dress takes Josefina's traditional Mexican American outfit and gives it a modern, boho vibe. No need for the shawl because it has longer sleeves to keep your girl warm on chilly days!

Kit's dress just screams Spring and Summer -- just perfect for an Easter Egg Hunt or Summer Picnic! I like that the matching girls' outfit loses the huge red neckline buttons but keeps the Peter Pan collar.

The Addy doll dress is beautiful, but it has a distinct schoolmarmish air -- plus, no one wears petticoats! I love how the matching girl's dress was reimagined as a sleeveless dress, but still keeps the beautiful blue color, the black trim, the black shoulder bows, and the gathered bodice. This is one great party dress!

Savings

If you can't shell out the big bucks but still want to give a present that will thrill your girl, don't worry. American Girl has plenty of presents for every budget. Here are my top 3 value presents:

I'm so happy that Samantha is back, but I sure do miss her plaid schoolgirl outfit! If your girl is missing that outfit too, you'll still have Samantha's Holiday Set to console her. It comes with not only a dress, but a tea set as well.

Most of the American Girl doll clothes come in sets, but you can buy separates from the GOTY 2014 Isabelle for $8-$14 per piece! It's a great way to mix and match to suit both style and budget. My favorites are Isabelle's Wrap Sweater, Shrug Pants, and Coral Sweater.... but don't forget, they'll only be here as long as Isabelle is here. In other words, they'll be gone at the end of the month!

I just had to add Addie's pretty Plaid Summer Set -- it's on sale for just $13!!! Hopefully by the time you read this, you'll still be able to buy it, because like all of American Girl's sale items, it won't last long.

The Service Dog Set is the only item on my holiday list that isn't an item of clothing or an accessory I just love the fact that American Girl appeals to girls of all ages and abilities. You can buy this service dog, braces, headgear, glasses, a cast, a wheelchair -- you can even purchase special American Girl dolls without hair! -- to help your girl identify with her American Girl doll.

Stocking Stuffers

Even my stocking stuffer picks are clothes! Okay, technically they're accessories, but hey, they're still for American Girl dolls to wear! My top 3 stocking stuffers are hair extensions, which are perfect for any girl who wishes she had Isabelle's pink-tipped hair extensions for her own American Girl Dolls. Those are only available with the Isabelle doll, but for all other American Girl dolls, you can purchase Accent Braid Clips, Clip-on Buns, or Ponytails, which come in a variety of hair colors and clip on to any doll's hair.

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

Sanus iPad Mount

Friday, December 05, 2014

How do you use your iPad? There are as many applications for iPads as there are apps! You can use your iPad as a magazine, a book, a tv, a recipe book, a family calendar, a typewriter, an internet browser, a camera, a home theater system, and so much more. We use it for all those things and more!

The way you hold or position your iPad also depends on how you use it. When I'm reading over breakfast, I prop the iPad on a cereal box. When I'm relaxing on the couch, I hold it in my hand. When I'm typing, it's either flat on the table or propped up on a book. Many times I need my hands free, so having an iPad stand becomes really useful.

Enter the Sanus iPad mount, an easy, elegant way to prop your iPad up on your desk, wall, or kitchen cabinet! Sanus sent me one for my iPad to try, and it's perfect for reading over breakfast or when I use it to cook! The stand is made of sturdy metal, and it's really nice and elegant. The stand arm swivels and twists so you get exactly the viewing angle that you want. It has a snap on plastic case that attaches to the stand via a magnet. The set also includes a mount and screws for attaching to the underside of your kitchen cabinets or to a wall. Check it out, it makes a great iPad accessory gift!

About the SANUS iPad mount
The SANUS VTM1 iPad® 4-in-1 Mount offers a simpler way to type and swipe. Including a MagFit™ iPad case, an articulated arm and detachable desk stand, users can mount an iPad on the wall, table, and refrigerator or even under cabinets for limitless hands free capabilities. Whether mounted in the kitchen as a source for recipes or sitting upright on a table to watch movies, it keeps the iPad at a comfortable viewing position, providing optimal utilization.

SANUS mounts are available at SANUS.com, Best Buy, Costco, Target and Walmart stores, as well as local audio and video retailers nationwide.

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

Bonggamom's Friday Finds: list your giveaways here

Friday, December 05, 2014

Chocolate Board Games: A sweet twist on Family Game Night

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Family Game Night is a tradition in many families. Who doesn't love getting together for some friendly competition (and crazy trash talking) over Monopoly, Scrabble, or Trivial Pursuit? Now Gamesformotion has made Family Game Night even sweeter, with the introduction of chocolate versions of favorite board games! You can get chocolate versions of classic games like Candy Land, Clue, Monopoly, Uno, Trivial Pursuit, Guess Who, Trivial Pursuit, Pictionary, Battleship, checkers, and chess. There are also chocolate versions of memory games featuring Barbie, Mr. Potato Head, and Mr. Men, plus chocolate Poker and chocolate Santa Snakes and Ladders!

In the chocolate versions, regular game pieces (like the word tiles in Scrabble, the number tiles in Uno, and the property deeds in Monopoly), are replaced with chocolate pieces, wrapped to look like the regular pieces! Some of the games, like Candy Land and Scrabble, also come with a chocolate prize for the winner. And it's not just any chocolate, either; it's good Belgian chocolate.

Be forewarned, the chocolate games are not exact replicas of the regular games. Take, for instance, the Chocolate Monopoly (pictured below). It doesn't come with dice, chance cards or classic tokens like the hat, dog, car, etc... Instead, it comes with a spinner and chocolate pieces wrapped to look like property deeds. Players take turns spinning, and take a chocolate property deed with the same color that their spin lands on. Once all properties of a particular color have been taken, the next player to spin that color wins all of the deeds of that color. And whenever a player's spin lands on the free parking spot, that player gets all the chocolates in the bank! So it works a lot more like Hi Ho Cherry Oh than actual Monopoly... but it's still a lot of fun. After all the properties have been claimed, the player who has the most chocolates wins -- but in reality, everyone is a winner because they get to eat all their chocolate! Now that's what I call a sweet win.

The chocolate games are available at mass retail stores such as Target, CVS, at select SuperValu store locations, Kmart, Amazon.com, Meijer and Fred Meyer, Bed Bath & Beyond and select smaller distributors with retail prices starting at only $9.99.

Frankly, I've had better chocolate, so I wouldn't buy these games thinking you're going to be doing some gourmet chocolate tasting. Also, this is a single use game only (in fact, the game boards are made of glossy paper instead of the usual sturdy carboard). But these games are a sweet twist on the regular Family Game Night, and a great way to shake things up if you've fallen into a game night rut. We certainly enjoyed playing with these games, as well as eating the spoils of victory! Buy them for your holiday gathering, and get ready for a fun time!

More information about chocolate board games
Gamesformotion's classic childhood board game favorites include Candy Land, Monopoly, Clue, Battleship and more, which exclusively feature game pieces that you can eat. All of the chocolate games have the same essential features as their famous counterparts, except that their cards and letter tiles have been replaced with the finest Belgian milk chocolate encased within printed wrappers. Rules for all of the games have been slightly modified by Gamesformotion to ensure they’re always fun and easy to play. Now instead of playing solely for the bragging rights of winning, in many of the games, you now win all of the chocolate that you could hope for in one sitting. Now that’s something to pass go for.

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

Make the Ultimate Sandwich with Oroweat Organic Bread

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Oroweat bread is my favorite brand of sandwich bread. I've been buying their Country Buttermilk bread for years! When we decided to make the switch to whole wheat, Oroweat's 100% Whole Wheat bread was the natural choice. I love the convenience of sliced bread, and Oroweat bread is large enough and sturdy enough so that I can pile on the sandwich fillings and not have to worry about having a soggy mess in my kids' lunchbox when they take their sandwich out for lunch!

So when Oroweat recently launched a line of Organic sandwich breads and invited me to try them, I was more than happy to do so. It's great to have the organic option, with the same great Oroweat taste and texture!

About new Oroweat Organic
· Made with organic ingredients and whole grains, NEW Oroweat® Organic breads are the delicious way to feel better about eating better.
· Available in 100% Whole Wheat and Grains & Seeds varieties, both are USDA-Certified Organic.
· Visit https://www.oroweatorganic.com/ to use the 360° tool to see what’s inside and discover where you can find Oroweat® Organic breads at a store near you

Even better, Oroweat sent me enough coupons for enough loaves of Oroweat Organic bread and a gift card to purchase enough sandwich fillings to feed my friends! My friend decided to host an after-Thanksgiving Nerf war party for her son and his friends, and since 3Po and Jammy were invited, I offered to provide lunch, courtesy of Oroweat.

We laid out bread and sandwich fillings out on a picnic table to form a Sandwich Bar. Kids and parents chose from Oroweat Organic White, 100% Whole Wheat, and Grains & Seeds bread (as well as Oroweat Sandwich Thins). Then they piled on tomatoes, onions, olives, lettuce, avocados, mayo, mustard, cream cheese, peanut butter, jelly, salami, turkey, chicken salad, and a gazillion kinds of cheese. Add some potato chips on the side and mandarin oranges, and the kids had enough fuel to wage a Nerf war that lasted for hours!

Everyone was able to make their favorite sandwich -- the one they made themselves!

Naturally, I like my chicken salad sandwich the best! Personally I think it's the Ultimate Sandwich. It all starts with the perfect chicken salad recipe. Since it was Thanksgiving weekend, I made my chicken salad with dried cranberries! I spread some mustard on both sides of my bread (Oroweat Organic Grains and Seed), then spoon a generous amount of chicken salad on the bottom slice. Then I add lettuce and onions. The final secret ingredient? A layer of potato chips!!

Alfie, of course, begs to differ. He thinks his sandwich is the Ultimate Sandwich. He layers mayo, mustard, sliced tomatoes, cheddar cheese (you have to use real, vintage sharp Cheddar Cheese!), and avocadoes. If you like a bit of kick to your sandwich, spread some wasabi paste on top!

I guess everyone's favorite sandwich is their Ultimate Sandwich, right? The Sandwich Bar was a great hit, and everyone had a great time. Thanks, Oroweat, for introducing everyone to new Oroweat Organic Bread!

Disclosure: I received coupons for free product and a gift card, provided by Oroweat® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Oroweat® Organic bread. Product information (in italics) was also provided by Oroweat®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Oroweat®.