McDonalds is giving away FREE merchandise to celebrate McDelivery on July 26

When I first heard that McDonald's will be partnering with UberEATS to offer delivery service, I was excited. Finally, a way for people who can't get away from their desks or homes (I see you, stay-at-home moms with kids napping!) to enjoy their favorite Big Macs or McRibs! Now I'm even more excited because McDonald's will GIVING AWAY FREE McMerchandise on July 26 to celebrate! Think Big Mac onesies, Egg McMuffin hoodies, Quarter Pounder pillows and more. Go to McDeliveryatMcDonalds.com on July 25 to see if your city is one of the lucky ones that will be participating in the freebie bonanza. The McDonald's delivery service via UberEATS starts July 26.


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

Continue reading...

Get a free personalized greeting card from Treat

Thanksgiving Day is Thursday:  do you plan to send someone a Thanksgiving card? How about a Christmas or Chanukah or New Year's card?  Anyone you know having a birthday or anniversary soon?  Now is the time to check out Treat's personalized card services, because Treat is treating you to a free personalized greeting card!

For those of you who don't know Treat, it's Shutterfly's new greeting card brand that lets people create and send personalized greeting cards for any occasion: holidays, birthdays, congratulations, thank yous, anniversaries, graduations and everything in between. It's super easy and and you get a one-of-a-kind card that lets your loved ones feel just as unique and special as they are.

What: One FREE Treat Card

Where: http://www.treat.com

When: Offer is good on Monday Nov. 19 and Tuesday Nov. 20.

How:  Use code TREATBLOGR

Enjoy your free Treat card!




Disclosure:I will be receiving a credit for free Treat cards as a thank-you for sharing this information.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Feed It Forward -- free gift certificates from Restaurant.com

One of the nicest things about the holidays is the spirit of giving and community that abounds in the hearts of kind-hearted people. Even as they're feverishly shopping for the latest toys and gadgets for themselves, they're also taking the time to share their blessings with the less fortunate, through food programs, toy giving programs, and other charitable programs. Even a simple thing like buying a cup of coffee for a stranger can have a ripple effect.

Last year I took part in Yahoo's How Good Grows program to perform random acts of kindness, and it was so nice to see how people would do good deeds without expecting anything in return, then their recipients would do the same to other people, and so on. The ripple effect is never so satisfying as when it's used to spread kindness, joy, cheer!

This year I'm participating in a similar initiative: Restaurant.com's Feed It Forward program. As you would expect, this program is all about sharing one of the most important aspects of the season: celebrating with food. There is nothing so wonderful as being able to share a meal with family and friends during the holidays, but in these economic times, it can really tough to do so. That's why, for the 4th straight year, Restaurant.com is enabling participants to give free $10 Restaurant.com eGift Cards to family, friends, co-workers, neighbors or anyone who deserves a kind gesture.

This is the perfect little treat to add to my kids' teachers' gift bags, because if there's anyone who deserves $10 towards a nice meal, it's a teacher. They work so hard and do such important work, for so little money, that anything parents can do to show them they are appreciated, can go a long way towards keeping them inspired to teach the leaders of tomorrow. Thanks to Restaurant.com, you can send $10 Restaurant.com eGift cards to the loved ones in your life, up to 40 free per day, until December 25!




Started in 2008 by Restaurant.com, as a result of the economic downturn, Feed It Forward enables individuals to give FREE $10 Restaurant.com eGift Cards to friends, family or anonymously send random acts of kindness to the Restaurant.com community. Over the past three holiday seasons, Feed It Forward participants nationwide have gifted more than $43 million in dining experiences.

Participants can give up to 40 certificates per day, now through December 25, 2011.

Here's how to give Feed It Forward Gift Cards:

Visit www.restaurant.com/feeditforward to give FREE gifts. Create, or log into, your Restaurant.com account or use your Facebook account to log in to start giving. You can give via email, Facebook or choose to give gifts to the Restaurant.com community through random acts of kindness. To give via email, just enter the email address for each person you wish to give to - up to 40 different people every single day – or import email addresses from select email providers for easier giving. To give via Facebook, you will be able to select each Facebook friend individually. You can personalize their eGift Card before sending to recipients via email or Facebook wall post.


What a great way to share the holiday cheer! Don't forget, the program ends on Christmas Day, so get your Santa hat out and start the giving!

Disclosure: I am receiving a Restaurant.com gift card as a thank-you for posting this information. Program information is provided by Restaurant.com and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Tiny Prints Holiday Card Giveaway

I am so, so excited -- our Tiny Prints holiday cards have arrived! Check them out:


This year we had our family portraits done (by the talented Erin of ErinLeigh Photography), and they came out so beautifully that I knew I wanted our photo to take center stage. Fortunately, the Tiny Prints website has a ton of adorable designs (you can check them all out at the Tiny Prints holiday cards online ) and a ton of ways to filter them so you aren't overwhelmed with a multitude of choices. You can filter cards out by the number of photos on the card, photo orientation, card size, price, paper type, and many more. You can even view cards from your favorite designers or look at Tiny Prints co-founder Laura's favorite picks.

I wanted a folded card with a single photo on the front, portrait (vertical) orientation, and voila: I found Banner of Dreams. I love the simple but striking Merry Christmas greeting banner, and the retro candy cane stripe on the back. Our photo printed out beautifully, and we have our names printed on the inside.

Best of all, I was able to print out our annual newsletter on the back of the card! There isn't a standard option for a full block of text on the back; the closest choice they offered was a photo + text on half the page, and my newsletter did not fit. But Tiny Prints lets you write down special requests and notes on your order, so I asked if they could nix the photo and print a full page of text. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate my request and print out my perfect card. Thanks, Tiny Prints, for being so accommodating!

Get a free Tiny Prints greeting card
Want to see Tiny Prints' quality for yourself? Visit the Tiny Prints Facebook page tomorrow, 11/9/11, to find out how you can receive a FREE card to your kids from Santa! On November 19 only, Tiny Prints Facebook fans will be able to personalize a Checking It Twice or Santa's Scroll greeting card



Win 50 holiday cards from Tiny Prints
It's time to get your holiday cards done, and you could get them done by Tiny Prints for free! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win 50 free holiday cards from Tiny Prints, just in time for the holidays!

Required Entry
Visit the Tiny Prints site, then come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me which design you would choose if you win (please leave the link to the design!). This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

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

1) Add the Bonggamom Finds blog button to your sidebar (1 entry).

2) Blog about this giveaway, making sure you include a link to the giveaway (http://ow.ly/7njHK) in your blog post (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Tiny Prints holiday cards giveaway! http://ow.ly/7njHK

4) Write this on the Tiny Prints Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win 50 personalized Tiny Prints holiday cards on Bonggamom Finds! Enter by Nov. 21 at http://ow.ly/7njHK

4) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
Win 50 free holiday cards from @tinyprints! Enter by 11/21 on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/7njHK #giveaways




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 21, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on November 22 and post their name after confirming acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!
Disclosure: Tiny Prints sent me a set of personalized holiday cards as a thank-you for a previous post I wrote about their holiday card collection. Tiny Prints is also providing the prize for this giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Free Halloween Pancakes at IHOP

No matter how old my kids get, they never seem to tire of smiley-face pancakes. They love the ones at IHOP, and this month they're going to love IHOP's Funny Face Pancakes even more. Throughout October, IHOP will be serving Count Spatula Scary Face pancakes instead. You still get the regular whipped topping mouth and strawberry nose, but you also get two mini Oreo cookies and candy corn on the side to decorate the pancake face with. And on October 28, kids 12 and under get an IHOP Count Spatula Scary Face pancake for free! Now that's one yummy treat the kids would love to sink their teeth into.

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

Continue reading...

Dance Pocoyo Dance DVD giveaway

Guess what, Pocoyo fans -- there's a new Pocoyo DVD coming out soon! Dance Pocoyo Dance is Pocoyo's latest DVD, and it's hitting stores on August 15.

About the DVD
The Dance Pocoyo Dance! DVD, based on the Pocoyo animated television series, will encourage kids to get up and dance, jump and have fun for hours. The music provides high-energy participation, and Pocoyo and his animal friends, Elly the elephant, Pato the duck, and Loula the dog, add to the excitement. It’s a good workout for Mom and Dad, too.


If your budget is a wee bit stretched (and whose wouldn't be, what with all those summer camps, trips to the amusement parks and increased air conditioning bills!), your little Pocoyo fan can still enjoy this latest DVD, because Pocoyo has teamed up with Langer's juice for a great promotion:


Get a free copy of Dance Pocoyo Dance DVD from Langers Juice!
Beginning August 1 through August 31, parents can receive an all-new Pocoyo DVD – Dance Pocoyo Dance!–with the purchase of 10 Langers Juices (plus $1.99 shipping and handling), while supplies last.





About Langers Juice
Parents know that sodas, sports drinks, sweetened juice or fruit-juice cocktails have too much sugar, too many calories or too many additives. That’s why Langers 100% fruit juice is the smart choice for parents and their kids.

Langers Juice, in kid-friendly juice flavors like orange, red grape, white grape, grape with vitamin C, and pineapple, are available nationwide at retailers including WalMart, Albertsons, Econo Foods, Food 4 Less, Lucky, Market Basket, Miners, Ralphs, Smart & Final, Sprouts, and Staters, among others.



Win a Pocoyo DVD
To celebrate the release of Dance Pocoyo Dance and Pocoyo's new partnership with Langers juice, Pocoyo is giving away a copy of the Dance Pocoyo Dance DVD to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader!



Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share your kids' favorite kind of 100% juice. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


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

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

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

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

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

5) Write this on the Pocoyo Facebook page wall (1 entry):
I entered to win a Dance Pocoyo Dance DVD on Bonggamom Finds! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

6) Follow Pocoyo (@pocoyo_us) on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
Win a Pocoyo DVD from @pocoyo_us and @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes #giveaways

7) Join any of the open giveaways on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry per giveaway joined)




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on August 15, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on August 16 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Product and promo information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Free Food

Who doesn't love free stuff? Here are some deals for free treats that I discovered this week:

Free ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery
Northern California Cold Stone Creamery stores are offering a free Kids' ice cream (3 oz.) with 1 mix-in for every purchase of a Love It or larger size. I found out about this at our local Cold Stone Creamery store, but I couldn't find any information about this online and there was no expiration date on the sign.


Free kids' meals at IKEA
Kids under 12 get a free $2.45 combo meal from July 1-4.


Free ice cream at Walmart
Selected Walmart stores are offering free samples of NESTLÉ® DRUMSTICK® LIL’ DRUMS™ Sundae Cone at your local store, while supplies last.


Happy eating!

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

Continue reading...

Celebrate Earth Day with Procter & Gamble and Target

Next month is Earth Month, and Procter &Gamble is making it easier than ever to go green. They are partnering with Target during Earth Month to highlight these “future friendly” products:

Tide Coldwater
This detergent offers up to 80% energy savings in every load. *

PUR
By switching from bottled water to PUR faucet filtered water, you can save up to $600 a year** and make over a thousand bottles disappear***.

Pampers Cruisers
Made with Dry Max, these disposable diapers contain 10% less average material weight****. Moms using Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers today have generated 15 million fewer pounds of waste than in 2007*****


*By switching from warm/cold to cold/cold for all loads in a standard top loader machine with an electric water heater set at 140F. **Comparing the annual capacity and average price of PUR pitcher system and 3 refills to the corresponding number of average price of 16 oz. water bottles. ***Based on average consumption of 3 bottles of water per household per day. **** Cruisers with Dry Max versus Cruisers 2007. *****Based on 2010 sales volume for Swaddlers/Cruisers.


To celebrate Earth Month, P&G is offering valuable brandSAVER coupons and Target will offer guests a mobile coupon for $1.00 off Tide Coldwater. You can sign up for for this mobile coupon (as well as others in the future) by texting COUPON to TARGET (827438).

What a great way to celebrate Earth Month -- saving the earth and saving money at the same time!






Win an Earth-Friendly Prize Pack from P&G and Target
Two lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will each receive a sample package of Pampers Cruisers and tide laundry detergent, as well as coupons for PUR and Tide compacted powder laundry detergent (total value of coupons: $7) in a Target reusable shopping bag

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share your favorite tip for reducing your carbon footprint. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


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

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

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

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

4) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Target/P&G Earth Day giveaway! http://ow.ly/4koHT

5) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
2 Winners will receive an Earth Day prize pack w/ samples & coupons fr P&G and Target! Enter at @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/4koHT #giveaways

6) Join any of the open giveaways on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you've joined).

7) Vote for Bonggamom Finds in the Circle of Moms Top 25 Product Review Parents


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on April 8, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on April 9 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: As a thank-you for posting this information, I will be receiving a prize pack similar to the ones being given away. Thank you to Procter & Gamble for providing these prize packs to myself and the 2 winners of this giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Redbox "Lucky to Have Friends Like You" Free DVD promo

What's better than renting movies for $1 per night? How about renting them for free? From now until St. Paddy's Day, Redbox -- you know, the company that rents out DVD's via the kiosks you see in grocery stores and other places -- is giving everyone the chance to score free movie credits! When you sign up for the promo, you'll be given a custom redbox link, and every time someone rents a DVD via your custom link, you get a free one night DVD rental credit. It's time to put your vast network of friends to use!


Here’s How it Works:

o Sign-up at www.redbox.com/luckyus

o Redbox will email you a unique web address

o Every time someone reserves a movie online through your unique web address, you’ll receive a credit for a free one-night DVD rental

o If it is their first time reserving online, they’ll also receive a credit for a free one night rental

o Spread the luck! Email it, post it to Facebook, Tweet about it


The promo ends on March 17, 2011, and rental credits are valid for ten (10) days after they’ve been deposited into your account. Go spread the word, and -- dare I say it? -- good luck!

Disclosure: This is a compensated post, courtesy of Global Influence. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Get free DVD rentals from Redbox

Have you watched a movie lately? If you're a parent who can't afford babysitting, I'm betting it has been a while. For anyone who needs a movie break, it's your lucky day -- Redbox, the company that rents DVDs and video games via kiosk vending machines, has a great promo gets you free redbox movies from now until Thursday, March 17! Here's how you can take advantage:

* Sign-up for a redbox online account at www.redbox.com/luckymoms. By signing up for an online account, you can see what movies are currently in redbox kiosks near you and reserve your picks to guarantee they’ll still be waiting for you when you get there (until 9 p.m. the next day).

* Redbox will email you a personal web address link

* Share the link with your friends

* Every time someone reserves a movie online through your personal web address, you’ll receive a credit in your online account for a free one-night DVD rental

* If it is your friend’s first time reserving online, they’ll also receive a credit for a free one night rental

* Spread the luck! Email it, post it to Facebook, Tweet about it

Remember, the more friends who sign up and reserve, the more free rental credits you'll get!

Disclosure: By posting this information, I am entering a giveaway for free redbox movies and movie snack packs as a member of the Mom Bloggers Club. Promo information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Dinosaur Train Valentine Giveaway

Every year my kids exchange Valentine cards with the kids in their class, and every year I'm struck by how different each family's approach to Valentine cards is. Some buy their cards from the store, complete with candy or stickers. Some put together a little Valentine's Day goody bag. Some buy cards and attach their own candies (which is what we do). Some are handmade. All are handwritten, and it always makes me sentimental to see their friends' penmanship improve as they grow older.

If your child likes to make his or her Valentines cards but likes the polished look of store-bought cards, these Dinosaur Train Valentine cards are the perfect Valentines Day craft. You can print them out on cardstock paper and have your child cut them out and decorate the back in her or her special style! You can download the Dinosaur Train Valentines here. Happy Valentines Day!


Win a Dinosaur Train Make A Match game
To celebrate Valentine's Day, one lucky Bonggamom Finds winner will receive a Dinosaur Train Make A Match game!


In the Dinosaur Train Make A Match game, Buddy and his friends sharpen children’s memory skills in this special matching game that features a Buddy figure! To begin play, 48 game cards featuring favorite Dinosaurs from Dinosaur Train are shuffled and laid face down in 6 rows of 8 cards each. Players take turns turning over any two cards—so all players can see them—to find a matching pair. The game features “Take Buddy” cards, “Wild Cards” and “Lose a Pair” cards to add to the excitement. Players count their matching card sets at the end and add extra points for the player holding Buddy to determine who wins. The Dinosaur Train Make A Match Game is for 2 to 4 players, ages 3.



Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you and/or your child plan to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. 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) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

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

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

I entered the Dinosaur Train Valentine's Day giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

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

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

6) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):
Win Dinosaur Train Make a Match game on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on February 14, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on February 15 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. 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...

Coldstone Creamery Make A Wish

For my family, Cold Stone Creamery is the ultimate ice cream treat. We each have our favorite creations (mine is the Founder's Favorite with almonds instead of pecans and I dare anyone to name a better flavor) but now and then we like to try new flavors. Lucky for us, Coldstone Creamery was a sponsor of the Child's Play Bloganthropy Awards, so I was given some gift cards to Coldstone Creamery so I could take my family out for some ice cream.


This time around, we stuck to our favorites, but on September 30 we're going to be trying out a new flavor at Cold Stone Creamery's ninth annual "World's Largest Ice Cream Social": Kate's Creation, a heavenly concoction of caramel apple ice cream mixed with graham cracker pie crust, chocolate shavings and apple pie filling. During the social, Cold Stone Creamery will be giving away three-ounce portions of Kate’s Creation from 5-8 p.m., while encouraging guests to make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. You don't even have to wait till September 30 to make a donation: throughout September, every Cold Stone store nationwide will sell paper wish stars for $1 each.

What a great cause, and what a yummy flavor! See you at the ice cream social!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary gift card to Cold Stone Creamery at the Bloganthropy Awards. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Silicon Valley Peeps: Join the Speck-ster Case Hunt!

Guess where I'll be on Friday morning? Down on my hands and knees, scrambling through the grass and marching through the shrubbery at our local park -- because iPhone and Blackberry case maker Speck is hosting an Easter hunt that grownups will be hopping up and down for! The Easter Bunny will be hiding 350 Speck iPhone 3G/3GS and BlackBerry Cases around Palo Alto's Rinconada Park, along with a special Golden Case that entitles the finder to a free iPad! Here are the deets:


WHAT:
In an Egg-cellent twist on a favorite Spring holiday, Palo Alto ’s Speck Products hired on the Easter Bunny to stash 350 iPhone and BlackBerry cases all over Rinconada Park ! Not only is the public is invited to come search for fun, festive spring-colored cases for their portable gadgets, the lucky hunter who finds one “golden” iPhone case will win a new Apple iPad. Always thinking out of the box, this is the Palo Alto-based company’s Specktackular way of kicking off spring while giving back to its hometown!


WHEN and WHERE:
8 a.m. Friday, April 2 at Rinconada Park – 777 Embarcadero Road , Palo Alto



DETAILS:
Speck, a leading designer and manufacturer of cases and bags for popular consumer electronics, is treating its home town to a lot of free cases and a little community bonding. Three-hundred and fifty cases for iPhone 3G/3GS and various BlackBerry Smartphone models will be hidden throughout the park. The hunter that finds the golden iPhone case can redeem the case for an Apple iPad, sent the following week to the winner’s home. Attendees will also receive a 25% off coupon for Speck’s online store.

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

Continue reading...

Klutz Fashion Origami Review and Giveaway

The Pea got started with origami when she was in first grade. Her amazing first-grade teacher realized all the educational benefits of origami -- it helps students with mathematical reasoning, spacial reasoning, following sequences, fractions, geometry, as well as enhancing fine motor skills, patience and attention to detail -- so not a week went by that The Pea went home with some origami creation or another. She's got quite an origami repertoire now, but even though she has a couple of origami books she hasn't really gotten back into it -- until we were invited to review Klutz's new craft book, Fashion Origami. Now she has a book that shows her how to fold dresses, purses, shoes and more, she's on fire!


The Basics
Klutz's Fashion Origami book lets girls create beautiful fashion items using the Japanese art of paper folding, origami. The book contains step-by-step instructions, beautifully printed origami paper, sequins, ribbon and glue.

Here's how Klutz describes Fashion Origami:
Turn single sheets of paper into sassy fashions that are anything but flat. Super-clear, step-by-step instructions show how to fold ten unique pieces, from party dresses to pajamas. The results are cute, cool, and uniquely dimensional. Custom-designed origami paper in an array of bold and bright patterns gives each project an up-to-date look — a fabulous fusion of fresh style and timeless craft. The included sequins, ribbon, and glue make it easy to add your own flair.

The Bongga
What a great concept for a Klutz book! I've seen origami books that provide instructions for animals (and Klutz already has a great Origami book), but this book really goes right to the heart of many girls' interests -- fashion. The projects in Fashion Origami are adorable, which means every girl is going to want to create one, and they're far more likely to keep using it.

The book takes things one step further by providing sequins, ribbon and glue, which The Pea loves since she can really bling her creations out. The results are nothing short of amazing:

I really think The Pea has me beat on this one; I really couldn't do any better. She's enjoys folding and decorating dresses and purses much more than she ever enjoyed folding rabbits and stars and cranes, and it makes me feel good that all the while she's folding, she's also learning, learning, learning. And she can keep using Origami Fashions even after the origami paper is gone. We can always buy more paper, but this book is irreplacable!


The Blah
The Pea had quite a difficult time with folding those shoes, and she said she would have liked it if each project had included a difficulty rating (i.e. 5 stars for expert folders, 1 star for beginners, etc..). To be fair, the origami shoe project did say that it was a difficult project, but I agree with The Pea: a star rating would be an easy, visual way for kids to know which projects they are comfortable attempting.


The Bottom Line
Klutz Fashions Origami combines girls' love of fashion with the exquisite art of origami. It's a wonderful way to occupy their time and develop crucial math, fine motor, behavioral skills. Parents will love the way this book exercises their daughter's creativity and sparks her imagination!


Enjoy a Free Origami Craft from Klutz!


Here's a fun, free project to get you started with fashion origami. Click here to download and print everything you need to fold a beautiful origami coat: step-by-step illustrated instructions and patterned paper included!


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds Reader will be chosen to receive a copy of Fashion Origami by Klutz! To enter, simply visit the Klutz website, then come back here and tell me which other Klutz books would catch your child's fancy (this is the required entry and must be completed for any extra entries to count).

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

1) Sign up to be a Klutz Insider and leave a comment here telling me the email address you used to sign up.

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 a Klutz Origami Fashions book from @bonggafinds! http://ow.ly/1pqHm #giveaway

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on April 6, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on April 7 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 complimentary product sample, but was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Unless clearly stated, the views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

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.

Continue reading...

Get a Free Picture Gift Bag

You know what they say: it's all in the presentation. That's why people make a big deal about gift wrapping. When you give someone a beautifully-wrapped present it elevates gift giving and receiving to a whole new level, because the recipient begins enjoying their present from the moment they set eyes on it. I recently received a coupon for a FREE personalized Picture Gift Bag that I'm excited to share with everyone because I think the product is so unique.

The Basics
PictureGiftMart is an online site for personalized products -- yes, they have the usual calendars and photo books and mugs, but they also have some really unique items like personalized sweets and gift bags. The Picture Gift Bags allow you to create a one-of-a-kind paper gift bag, with your own text, photo and design.


The Bongga
These picture gift bags are so original! You don't find these in most online photo sites (that applies to the photo cookies as well) so they're really a unique idea. It's the perfect gift bag for grandparents' birthdays, Mother's Day presents, wedding or shower presents. The recipient will value the bag as much as the present! They have a good selection of designs to choose from so you're sure to find a style that fits the occasion. I can't comment on the quality of the finished bag but I found the idea so unique (and the Free Bag offer so good) that it deserved a mention on this blog.

The Blah
I do have several caveats about this site, and all of them have to do with the availability of information. They have no "About Us" section on their website, and their "Help" section is quite threadbare. Second, the design selection process is a bit confusing. It took me a while to figure out that you must first select the design of the gift bag (i.e. the sides and the back of the bag) before selecting the design of the front of the gift bag. A 360-degree preview of the bag would also be nice so that the customer can make sure there are no surprises (other than what's going to be inside the bag!).

Finally, it is very difficult to find pricing information; I had to spend time to create a gift bag and click on "Add to My Order" because I could figure out that a Medium Picture Gift Bag costs $6.50 per bag. And to find out the shipping costs, I had to enter my shipping address -- which meant I had to create a login account. All this before I've even made the decision to purchase!

The Bottom Line
Despite the difficulties involved, I really like the idea of a photo gift bag -- it's a really unique way to personalize a present and give it that final zing. I just hope they improve the site to make browsing, designing and purchasing a bit easier.


Get a FREE Picture Gift Bag!
To get a free medium-sized gift bag from PictureGiftBag.com, just follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.picturegiftmart.com
2. Log in or create an account
3. Select Picture Gift Bags and choose MEDIUM
4. Follow prompts to create your product
5. Use coupon code FREE11PCGM

This code allows for a maximum of one free medium picture gift bag per person; shipping charges are extra. The coupon expires on July 31, 2010.

I was invited to use the coupon above to try the product out for free (excluding shipping charges) but otherwise did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Free Cookies!

What's better than six yummy cookies? How about six free yummy cookies!? Cheryl and Co. is offering customers a gift box of 6 cookies plus a $10 Reward Card for free (customer pays shipping fee of $6.95), through November 20. If only the cookies were zero calories too.

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

Continue reading...

Try ZulaWorld for free!

Are you a parent who blogs? Are you feeling left out because other bloggers get asked to review cool, new stuff? Do you want your own Sneak Peek? Have you run out of things to blog about? Or do you just want to try something cool with your kids? Then Get Ready....Set....Blast Off!!! A new virtual world is about to launch into orbit, and the engineers want YOU to be a part of it.

From the masterminds that brought you the hit TV series The Zula Patrol comes Zula World, a new, out-of-this-world virtual destination for kids ages 5 and older. Kids can create their own aliens, fly their own spaceship, purchase pets and food, play games -- and discover that when it ocmes to science, exploring does NOT rhyme with boring. We've been testing the site for a couple of days and the kids are all having lots of fun finding their way around. I've even got my own alien, cutiepie, interacting with my kids' aliens!

Here's where you come in -- the engineers at ZulaWorld are inviting YOU to try the site out for free! You'll get free Zulaworld VIP Membership (normally $5.99 per month, $49.99 annual) during this exclusive beta testing period so your child can try it out and you can blog about it if you want to. Here's how to sign up:

1) Go to the beta testing site: http://beta.zulaworld.com/#ref=bbmom509

2) Build your child's alien by creating a free Zulaworld account (click on "Free Member"). You'll have to enter your email address because they'll send you a confirmation email that you have to click on to activate the account.

3) After you've activated the account, go back to the beta testing site and click on "become VIP member".

3) "Purchase" a premium membership by entering the alien name and password you just created, and a parent name and email address. Go through the "payment" process using one of the "prototype" credit card numbers posted (note: they aren't real numbers so you're not scamming some innocent victim, and they will work, so you don't have to use your own credit card and you're sure no-one is scamming you!)

Go on, space rangers, try ZulaWorld out and let us know what you think! And hurry, this offer expires on June 1st, 2009!

Continue reading...

Download Up

Here's another free Disney Download to share. It's a scene from Disney's new movie Up, which opens May 29. The movie tells the story of 78 year-old Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner, but from the trailers I've seen, I swear he's channeling Walter Matthau) who ties thousands of balloons to his house and floats away to the South American wilderness, only to discover he has taken a nine year-old stowaway with him. I'm a big fan of Disney animation, so you can bet I'll be watching this one.

Continue reading...

31-cent Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins

Heads up, everyone, it's time for some ice cream! Baskin-Robbins® is holding a 31 Cent Scoop Night on Wednesday, April 29th from 5 to 10 P.M. in honor of the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) National Junior FirefighterProgram. Participating stores will reduce prices of small ice cream scoops to 31 cents. Yum yum!

Continue reading...