Tonka Bounce Back Racer

Like any kid, 3Po and Jammy love remote controlled (RC) cars. The problem is that they're really too young for the sleek, hi-tech racecars that tweens and teens send whizzing around obstacles on the street. They don't have the reaction time or fine motor skills to control these sensitive instruments properly, and they are careless with handling and storing it. So fenders break off, wire antennas get snapped off, wheels get torn off. And so another $50 toy bites the dust even before my husband (who has been waiting so patiently, poor dear) gets to play with it.

But they consider themselves too old for the babyish-looking "My First RC Car" -type vehicles out there. Hasbro toys has come up with a great balance of durable and cool in their new RC car, the Tonka Bounce Back Racer.

(Before we get to the racecar, a word about Tonka. I was already predisposed to like this product because of Tonka's great reputation. I have great childhood memories of playing with Tonka trucks. I think of holidays on the beach, playing in the sand with the Tonka dump truck, crane and front loader that my brothers owned. My twins received their own Tonka trucks when they were 2 and have spent many a happy hour in the backyard with them. So when we got the opportunity to try out the Bounce Back Racer, it was a no-brainer)



Unlike other RC vehicles for younger kids, this one looks cool, not cutesy. Its rugged, racecar looks appeal to older toddlers, preschoolers and even kindergarteners. Yet it's incredibly easy for little ones to operate; the remote has just two buttons, forward and reverse. The lack of steering controls (it has free-swiveling front wheels, which make for some pretty unpredictable -- i.e. fun -- turns) haven't stopped the boys from getting the car to pull wheelies, flip over, jump ramps and spin 180 degrees.

One thing that I'm optimistic about with this toy -- thanks to Tonka's great reputation -- is its durability. 3Po and Jammy really subject their RC cars to the third degree, racing them down the stairs and steering them into walls. The Bounce Back Racer has survived so far. The sturdy body doesn't have any delicate parts to snap off. The soft, big wheels not only protect walls and furniture, they also protect the car from the effects of the spectacular crashes the boys like to engineer.

With all that internal wiring just waiting to be bashed around, I'm not expecting this toy to last as long as our Tonka construction vehicles (those I'm keeping for my grandchildren, so that they'll have Tonkas to play with when they visit, just like my kids play with my brothers' Tonka trucks when they visit my parents). But at two weeks, the Bounce Back Racer has already outlasted half of the other RC cars that 3Po and Jammy have owned (one particularly flimsy one only lasted through Christmas Day). It's a great addition to the Tonka line because it's everything I associate with Tonka -- sturdy, tough, the stuff little boys' dreams are made of.

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Melamine and Magic

I recently received a sample of the new Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to try out. Since I'm already a devoted Magic Eraser follower, I didn't really have to try the sample to know how well it works. The thing does its job so well, it's scary. Just dampen the sponge with water and scrub for a bit, and whatever stain you want erased is gone.

Click here to read more... and see the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser at work!

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Test-driving CleanWell

Is it a Filipino thing or does everyone carry tiny bottles of disinfecting gel around? Maybe it's psychological, but whenever a sink isn't handy for washing your hands, I find that a paper napkin and a squirt of disinfectant goes a long way towards feeling (or being?) clean.

I recently discovered Clean Well disinfectant when I received their travel-size spray in one of my BlogHer goody bags. I had never seen disinfectants in spray form before, so I tucked it into my purse when we left for England and used it throughout our vacation. I love that such a tiny spray lasts so long -- it gets way more mileage than wipes (It says 250 sprays per container but I swear the kids have been spraying it on their hands three bajillion times each). It's easier to dispense than gels (my kids love dribbling the goopy stuff all over their hands so inevitably half the bottle is wasted). And it has a nice, pleasant, clean-smelling scent that doesn't make my nose wrinkle when I sniff.


Guess what's in my purse right now?

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Leapster2

I've written at length about how I am against videogames. But as the kids grow up and clamor for videogames, computer games, any electronic games, I'm taking a closer look at what's out there. And the landscape looks very encouraging. There's a whole lot of educational gaming going on --and Leapfrog's products are a great place to start.

Lately we've been playing with the Leapster2, Leapfrog's latest version of the old Leapster educational gaming system. I first heard about the Leapster around 3 years ago when my friend raved about it to me. She thought it was doing a great job helping her then-4-year-old to learn how to read, and was happy at how he never seemed to tire of it. She loved it so much I resolved to get one for my baby boys when they were old enough. Now that we actually own one and have tried it for ourselves, I have to agree with her. I think the Leapster2 strikes a great balance between electronic learning and video gaming. Jammy and 3Po are psyched that they actually have a real videogame system, like it's some badge of boyhood coolness (which it is). They get intensely involved whenever they play their Cars and Dora cartridges, getting educated and entertained at the same time. And after the initial "new toy" obsession, the kids have been very good at respecting the time limits I've set -- which has erased many of my initial anxieties about owning videogames.

The Leapster2 comes with 1 built-in game, and you can also choose from a wide library of additional games to plug into the console. Each game is targeted to a specific skill (math, spelling, vocabulary, Spanish words, etc...) and age range (i.e. K-1, 3rd-5th grade) so that children of a wide age range can play, with each child still being challenged to their appropriate level.



One of the things I like best about the Leapster2 is its backward compatibility: any cartridge from the Leapster series (Leapster2, Leapster, L-Max) works with this Leapster2 console. The Leapster2 games, however, have the most functionality because they take advantage of the Leapster2's internet connectivity. When you connect the Leapster2console to your computer, information from all the Leapster2 games you played is uploaded. Kids can keep track of the prizes (like special printable coloring pages or the printable certificate that 3Po earned in the photo above) and points they have earned (I have no idea what they can use these points for, but points are good, right?). Connecting the console also allows grownups to track their kids' gaming patterns (which games they have played, how long they have played a particular game, etc..) and learning progress via the Leapfrog Learning Path.


Another way to get more out of your Leapster2 is to install an SD card (available at most electronics stores or retail giants like Target for $15-$20). With the additional memory, you'll be able to download additional games (yay! more free games!) from the internet to play. You'll also be able to use the Leapster2 to create and store artwork that you can upload to the web later.


The Leapster2 costs about $50 and each cartridge costs between $15 (on eBay) or $20 (on sale) and $30 --but it's a great investment. A couple of weeks ago I emailed my friend to thank her for recommending the Leapster to me. I said we were building up our Leapster game library and asked if we could borrow or buy some of their Leapster cartridges (the old games are fully compatible with the Leapster2). Sorry, she said, her kids are still using their Leapster and all their Leapster cartridges regularly -- almost 3 years after her kids first fell in love with it. With new kids' electronics products springing up every week, I can't think of any better proof of Leapster's staying power than that.

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Discounts on our favorite toys

Here's a quick run-through of great deals currently available for some of our favorite toys:

Costco is selling Webkinz in some of its stores! $20 for a pack of 2 -- compare that with $16.99 at our local Limited Too store.

Leapfrog is holding a huge clearance sale on Leap Pad products from their online store. They've also got some great deals on some Leapster cartridges.

Toys-R-Us is offering a Buy 1, Get 1/2 Off all Thomas wooden railway toys. It's a great deal but I don't know how long it lasts, so if you have a train-mad child, you'd better check it out.

Playmobil toys hardly ever go on sale (retailers just knock 5% off the ridiculously high suggested retail price), but Kid Surplus has pretty good prices on Playmobil, and they always have one or two items on clearance.

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Free Shipping offer from Lands End

Hooray! Once again, the folks at Lands End are running a Free Shipping promo for the next 5 days! It applies to all products with no minimum. Oh Lands End, how I love thee.....

Here's how to take advantage:

At checkout, on the Billing Information page, go to the section labeled “Promotion Code” (above the credit card payment box) and manually enter the Promotion Code and PIN.
Enter the Promotion Code FALL and the PIN 775852052 in the space provided.

Or if you have a Lands’ End “Personal Shopping Account”...
1) Make your selections
2) On the Order Review page, click “Promotion Code” in the section labeled “Apply another payment method”
3) Enter your "Promotion Code" and PIN (shown above). That’s it!

Or call 1-800-800-5800 and give your "Promotion Code" and PIN to the customer service representative.

This offer ends September 9, so now is the time to stock up and save yourself some gas!

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Leapfrog TAG

It has been almost a week since we received some Leapfrog products to try out, and things are (pardon the pun) just hopping along. By far the easiest to get started with right out of the box is the Leapfrog TAG reading system. The TAG (and by the way, I still have no idea what TAG stands for; any ideas, people??) works much the Leapfrog Leap Pad product that my kids know and love-- children just touch parts of a book to hear stories/phrases/words/sounds read to them, or to play educational games. Except it's much better, because you don't need to lug around the bulky LeapPad and cartridges, just the small TAG reader and the books (which you can shelve in your regular bookshelf since they look just like regular books).

One unique feature of this new generation of Leapfrog products is that they connect to the online Leapfrog Learning Path, which allows you to track your child's progress online. I haven't played around with it too much yet, but once everything is set up (and aye, there's the rub) it looks like a good way to see what your child is actually doing with the Leapfrog produts, short of looking over their shoulder.



For example, I get to see how many times The Pea has actually read each TAG book we own (in the photo above, it's Click-Clack-Moo: Cows That Type, a hilarious tale about some revolutionary farm animals and their soft-hearted farmer). Her Learning Path also tells me how many questions she answered while reading the book, and how many she got right. This is a great feature because The Pea reads through books at lightning speed (like I used to do). I have no idea whether she is just skimming through the story (like I used to do), and this helps me get a sense of her reading comprehension. You just have to remember to connect the TAG to your computer's USB and periodically upload the information stored in the TAG.

At $49.95, the TAG system is not cheap, but you do get a lot of mileage out of it. The books are $13.99 each but I have seen them on sale at Target and the Leapfrog online store for $11.99 -- not bad for a hardbound book. And the Leapfrog online store puts out frequent sales and coupons to encourage parents to try the system out for their kids, for example:

• Buy 3 TAG books, get the 4th free: Enter promo code FL8TGS before Sept. 30
• Get free shipping on TAG gift packs until December 31, no coupon necessary
• $5 shipping on orders $50 and over, until September 15, no coupon necessary
  

The TAG system comes with one storybook -- Ozzie and Mack -- included, and you can buy extra books at Target, Toys-R-Us and Walmart, or online on Amazon or the Leapfrog website. There are over 20 titles, with more to come soon -- and they can't come soon enough, especially for my 7-year-old. All the books go easy on the words, since they are meant to help pre-readers and beginning readers learn to read, so I'm hoping that Leapfrog will someday add more advanced books to the TAG range, with more reading comprehension activities for older kids.

Speaking of ages, the recommended age range is 4 through 8, but I think 4, 5 and 6 year olds will get the most use out of it. The Pea has fun with it, but she already knows how to read. 3Po and Jammy, though, love being able to "read" books by themselves, just like the Pea. I love that they get to play electronic learning games which don't involve staring into a video screen. And yes, I have to admit, I love that "someone else" can read a book to them 10 times straight (I love Click Clack Moo but there's only so much I can take) Don't worry, the TAG doesn't replace reading time with mama or daddy. It's more like training wheels that provide a fun way for kids to gain the confidence to read on their own.

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Boca Burgers giveaway

We're going camping this Friday -- the first time the kids will be pitching a tent and sleeping in the great outdoors! To prepare, we've staged several camping "trips" in our backyard, complete with tent, sleeping bags and portable grill -- so we know what works and what doesn't, what to leave behind and what to pack. One of the things we'll probably be taking wiht us is a pack of Boca burgers -- yummy and nutritious and oh-so-conveniently-individually-packaged. After all, what's a barbecue campout without hotdogs and burgers, right?

Now, here's a chance for you to try (or if you already love them, to stock up on) some Boca burgers yourself! The first three readers to leave a comment on this post will receive a coupon good for 1 free package of any Boca meatless product. Just make sure you leave your email address or blog URL (or some way to contact you) in the comment.

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Let the games begin

It's like Christmas has come to the Bongga household! We recently received a bunch of LeapFrog products to try out: the TAG, Leapster2 and Didj (how convenient, one for each kid so they don't claw and bite each other's eyes out). We're going to play with them, learn with them, and basically rip them apart to let you know what we think of them.

Will they be able to withstand the grabbing, dropping, not to mention dirty fingers and crayons lurking throughout the house? Will they be able to engage my kids (whose attention spans rank somewhere between flea and guinea pig) beyond the 2-week honeymoon phase? And most important, will their educational value be enough to overcome our distate for video games? Stay tuned for the answers!

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Nut Tree Theme Park

Yesterday I took the kids out for one final summer outing to the Nut Tree Theme Park, a charming little theme park in the middle of the Nut Tree Village, a shopping a restaurant complex in Vacaville, CA. The park is small and low-key with no waiting lines to speak of, so we had a great stress-free afternoon. Despite the burning hundred-degree heat, we kept our cool with the help of some sunblock, hats and ice-cold water, not to mention the park's thoughtfully-placed shade canopies and misting sprays (and did I mention no waiting lines, so we didn't have to stand in the sun?).


The rides, geared for kids ages 2 through 8, are small and simple, guaranteed not to whip the kids up into a frenzy. My kids (ages 4, 4 and 7) understandably preferred the "big kid" rides: the bumper cards, the spinning balloon ride and their favorite, the roller coaster, but are still young enough to enjoy "the rides that go round and round": the carousel, plane, car and train rides.




My favorite was the carousel, mainly because I love the brightly-colored animals (And by the way, did you know the difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round? According to one of the park employees, a merry-go-round has only horses on it, while carousels have different types of animals). This particular carousel had some intruiging animals on it that I've never seen before, including a panda, a frog and a crocodile.

All in all, we had a great day, and the kids are already asking me when we can go back. It's quite a small park --with just seven rides, a games area and some outdoor play areas -- so you can see the whole park in an hour or two-- perfect for leaving Alfie there with the kids while I hit the nearby stores :)

Individual ride tickets work out to be quite expensive ($1.40 to $3.40 per ride, and height restrictions for "big kid" rides mean that most 4-year olds still need an adult to ride with them), so if you're planning to spend more than 30 minutes in the park, your best bet is to buy an unlimited ride wristband for $10.

For added savings, here's a coupon code you can use to receive $3 off each wristband when you buy them online! Just go to Nut Tree's online ticket sales and buy online from the Nut Tree Theme Park website, select the number of wristbands (they're called Fun Passports) you want and enter the Promotion Code BLOG08 to receive $3 off each one.

And here's an even better deal: I'm giving away some Fun Passports to the Nut Tree Theme Park so you can take your kids to the park for free! To enter, just leave a comment on this post before September 30 (and be sure to include your email address so I can contact you). On October 1, I'll randomly select ten lucky winners, who will each receive 4 unlimited ride wristbands (Read the full contest rules here). Good luck!

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Great bloggy giveaways

Just a few of the great giveaways floating around the blogosphere....

This Full House is hosting a great week-long Back to School giveaway. There are some seriously great prizes to be won from August 25 through September 1.

ChefDruck is hosting a Handy Manny DVD giveaway. Entries are accepted till September 1.

Mod*mom is hosting a Whole Foods back-to-school giveaway. Entries are accepted till September 1.

Now Entering Momville is hosting a Jack and Lily baby shoes giveaway. Entries are accepted till August 26.

Good luck!

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Blogging for Blood Cancer

There are just three days left to win prizes over at Goodies for Mom during their Blogging for Blood event. It's such a wonderful way to spread awareness of the importance of cancer research via the blogosphere -- and you have a chance to win some fabulous prizes at the same time.

In addition, the Friends of Heroes are giving away more great prizes on their blog until August 18. Drop by every day and comment for a chance to win!

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Back-to-School giveaway

Only 1 week left for our England vacation and already I'm thinking about the upcoming schoolyear. After we get back to Palo Alto, I've got less than a week to make sure the kids have all the necessary clothes, books, supplies and gear. Fortunately, Land's End has everything we need. The full-price Land's End stuff costs a lot more compared to Target, but they last oh-so-much longer -- and they always have sales, and there's the Land's End outlet! All in all, they're one of my favorite retailers.

Here's another blogger who agrees with me. Kim from Hormone-Colored Days is giving away a Land's End backpack filled with goodies to one lucky reader. Head on over to join her contest!

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Kung Fu Panda crafty giveaway

If your kids are anything like mine, by now (6 or more weeks into summer) they're whining at every available moment,

"I'm bored!"

"There's nothing to do!"

"Can I use the computer???"

"How come you're always on the computer? I want a turn!!"

Unfortunately I can't help you with that last whine (you're just going to have to give your kids a turn on the computer and go do your laundry), but I do have something to shut your kids up if they start with those first 3 whines. I'm giving away 2 Kung Fu Panda craft cd's from HP. Each is filled with Kung Fu panda activities that you can print out and keep your kids engaged with:

To enter, just leave a comment with your email address or blog (By the way, please read the complete contest rules here). I'll draw 2 random winners from all the entries on August 15. Good luck!

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T Mobile HotSpot giveaway

Ahh.... August. The sun is blazing hot, the berries are sweet and we're now in full-summer-mode. If you haven't already, chances are you're planning to get away for a couple of days of well-earned vacation. Whether it's a cross-country trip or a stay-cation where the only driving you'll do is to the local park, it's fun to get up and go. When I'm on vacation, the only thing I really miss about being at home (besides guaranteed hot showers) is a guaranteed internet connection.

Hang on, it's the twentieth century and I live in Silicon Valley for crying out loud! Yes, I've heard of those newfangled things called laptops and wireless modems and BlackBerries and iPhones and WiFi hotspots. For all you bloggers on the road, I'm giving away a prepaid Wi-Fi card (worth $20) courtesy of T-Mobile HotSpot. It's good for 7 continuous days of unlimited Wi-Fi service. To enter, just leave a comment with your email address or blog (By the way, please read the complete contest rules here). I'll draw a random winner from all the entries on August 30. Good luck!

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Snapfish giveaway

Even though the whole world has moved to digital cameras, even with all the digital photo frames around, nothing beats a printed photo. Just like printed books, printed photos are going to be around for a long time. Hey, ya gotta send photos to your kid's preschool so he can cut 'em up and squirt glitter glue on 'em and turn them into plant hangers, right? And ya gotta send 'em out to the grandparents so they can stick in in a frame and add it to the fifty-six they already have on the mantel, right? And ya gotta have 'em printed out for all your Christmas cards, right?

See? You totally need this Snapfish giftcard that I'm giving away! One lucky winner will receive a giftcard for 50 free digital camera prints from Snapfish (and a bonus 20 additional prints if you're a first-time Snapfish user!). To enter, just leave a comment with your email address or blog (By the way, please read the complete contest rules here). I'll draw a random winner from all the entries on August 25. Good luck!

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Discounts from Leapfrog

The Leapfrog booth was quite a popular booth this week at the BlogHer conference vendor area. First of all, they were giving away some nice aluminum water bottles, and second, we got to try some of their latest, neatest games: the Leapster 2, Didj gaming system and Tag reading system. For those who have been wanting to buy any of these Leappad systems for their kids, here are some much-welcome discounts:

* Receive 30% off a Tag book or Leapster2 or Didj game when you order from leapfrog.com when you enter the promotional code SU8BHPR at checkout.

* Buy any Leapster Game and get the Leapster Number Raiders game FREE. Just enter promo code SU8LTNR at checkout.

* FREE shipping when you buy the Leapster 2, no coupon code necessary.

Hurry, they are good only through July 31!

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Class Dis-Missed

I learned my letters from Sesame Street. I learned to read from The Electric Company. Is it any surprise that kids learn faster and retain that knowledge better when things are presented to them in an entertaining way? Following in their footsteps comes a cd that sets elementary school lessons to rap music. Class Dis-Missed, written and performed by Mr. Duey, a teacher and rapper, presents facts -- math (integers, graphing, fractions), language (nouns, adjectives, essay writing basics), science (cells, atoms, matter) and more -- in a way that makes kids want to listen.

Personally, when I listened to the cd I could barely understand the words (I did catch a familiar phrase here and there, such as "Least Common Denominator" or "graphing"), let alone remember them. But then I'm not a rap fan. Kids these days must be able to glean some sense from the music, otherwise numerous teachers wouldn't be praising this cd with testimonials about increases in their students' test scores and enthusiasm.

That aside, I think it's a great idea nd I just hope that Mr. Duey's style of rap music will still be popular when my kids are old enough to benefit from this cd. Or maybe I should just ask Mr. Duey to cut another learning cd in 4 or 5 years time to the beat of the latest hip music.

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I am a Swag Whore

As if all that SV Moms swag wasn't enough, I've collected another bagful of stuff from all the pre-BlogHer party-hopping. Almost all of it came from the Kirtsy/Alltop party hosted at Guy Kawasaki's home in Atherton (hmmmm, I wonder if he and ten other close friends also spent three hours packing the swag bags for his guests).

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SV Moms Swag -- way more than tchotchkes!

Finally, it's the night before BlogHer, and I can at last reveal to the world the contents of our SV Moms Swag Bags..... I'm going to have so much fun trying this stuff out!

First up, beauty and healthcare products. Saks Fifth Avenue sent us a plush spa bag with some luxury beauty product samples. We also got some skincare products from Olay and Emerita, and a teeth whitening pen from Whiter Image. Sigh.... I suppose I have no excuse now to be looking wrinkled and haggard, not with all these pampering products I've been given.

The household products in our swag bag almost reads like a little script: Now, you too can clean your home with Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom scrubber and some organic weedkiller (and don't forget to spray your hands with CleanWell sanitizer afterwards)! And after you're done with all that tiresome cleaning, why not relax and stuff your face with yummy, guilt-free Weight Watchers snacks? OK, just kidding, I guess some dried fruit crisps would be much healthier (and just as yummy).

Since we're all busy, multitasking SV Moms, we also got a bunch of products to organize our chaotic lives, including an internet password organizer (just remember to keep it in a safe place!), Scanalog cataloguing software, and a BusyBodyBook. I was happy to see a chapter book from Precious Moments and a Mr. David music cd, so I'll have something new to entertain the kids with on our upcoming 10-hour flight. Rounding off the "paper products" category are a set of notecards by ji designs and a toddler book from Scholastic,



The items that elicited the most "awwwws" were definitely the baby and kid stuff. The items were just dripping with cuteness! include a chic Mod Mum baby sling, Baby shoes from See Kai Run. a Happy Panda baby shirt. a stuffie from Russ with zippers buttons shoelaces and velcro fasteners (great for introducing kids to self-dressing skills), bisphenol-A free nursing bottles from Medela , and a diaper tower from Sweet Pea Cakes. I would have killed to own things like that when my kids were babies, but I'm past that stage (and have no intention of going back to it, even for all this lovely swag) and there are actually only 2 items I can use personally. I've already raved about Wati Designs for kids, and this hip orange dress is no exception. I can't wait to put The Pea in it when the schoolyear begins. Second is the Snacker Tracker, a nutritional tracking systems for children ages 2-8 years. Will it inspire us to eat more healthily or will it merely induce more parenting guilt? We'll see....

And what did all of this come in? Why, in our new Lands End tote bag, of course! (Actually, there was so much stuff that we actually received it all in two bags -- the second one being a giant Saks Fifth Ave. shopping bag)

And there you have it -- my goody bag breakdown. I'm going to have so much fun trying this stuff out! If I find anything I really like, I'll post about it here. And don't worry, I'm sure I'll have enough left over to host a little swag bag giveaway soon, so stay tuned!

Next up... what's in my BlogHer Swag Bag?

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Introducting the new virtual Borders

I've just been to the redesigned Borders online store and although the page loading time was far from speedy, I like what I see. Scrolling through the books on their Magic Shelf (a virtual bookshelf) is almost like being in a real store -- I just wish they offered the ability to expand the contents of the shelves rather than featuring about a dozen books in each category. Oh, and I'm disappointed that they don't have the very first section I head to when I visit Borders -- books on sale. Where's your SALE section on that Magic Shelf, guys?

Despite those limitations, Borders.com still looks like a good online place to hang out. Three more reasons to visit:

FREE shipping of your purchase to any store.

FREE shipping for purchases over $25.

And for now until August 8, $5 off your online purchase -- just add promotion code BR41925 at checkout.

Now if only they could give us a virtual new-book smell and virtual latte smell.

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Fire Fish

FireFish , written by Davy Liu, tells the tale of three little fish (my kids loved that the eldest fish is a girl and she has two little brothers) who are searching for their parents. They face many dangers along the way but are inspired and aided throughout by the mythical FinMaker and the wondrous FireFish. It is a lovely story about courage and love and family and faith. With its emphasis on faith, FireFish clearly has strong biblical undertones; in fact, you will need to know your Old Testament stories to be able to fully appreciate the Big Picture.

The best feature of the book is the beautiful illustrations -- which is what you'd expect from someone who has worked on Disney animated films like "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King", and for George Lucas at ILM. I love how some page spreads don't have any text at all, just an illustration of eye-catching, vivid sea creatures swimming in a beautiful blue sea. They look just like limited-edition animation cells.

Firefish is actually the second of Davy Liu's series of books -- the Invisible Tails series -- about biblical stories such as Jonah and the Whale or Moses' Parting of the Red Sea , written from animal's perspectives. The first one, The Giant Leaf, is also out, and at least half a dozen are set to follow. If the storylines and artwork are going to be as clever as Fire Fish's, I can't wait to read the rest of them.

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Lost and Found: a gorilla and a "tiger"

If you're writing a book that appeals to children, what could be more captivating than the tale of a little lost animal? We recently read two wonderful environment-themed animal storybooks that courage, love, the importance of family and the ability to make a difference.

The Tiniest Tiger is about a lost kitten who enters a zoo and finds herself in the Big Cat section. She goes from wildcat to cat in looking for one who will become her new family. I loved how each cat -- lions, tigers, leopards, pumas and more -- enumerates the ways they are similar to and different from the kitten. It's quite a long book -- and I must say the long list of big cats made reading it almost tedious for me -- but the kids were so engrossed in the plight of the kitten that they had no difficulty sitting through the whole story. In fact, you could spend quite a bit of time on the book without even reading the text. Just leafing through the lovely illustrations of the wild cats (with animal facts cleverly drawn on the zoo signage) kept us busy.

Looking for Miza: The true story of the mountain gorilla family who rescued one of their own is a book about a baby who is separated from her family, her father, the silver-backed gorilla Kabiziri, who searches the jungle to find her, and her family, who work together to raise her when she is found. The book, which comes out this September, was written by the same authors as Knut: How one little polar bear changed the world, which is still a great favorite of my kids. A large part of the Knut book's appeal was Knut himself. Baby polar bears are universally regarded as the cutest things around; the same cannot be said of baby mountain gorillas. Miza the baby gorilla definitely looked soft, small and fluffy, but my kids weren't really buying the "wrinkled face = cute face" thing. However, they quickly became absorbed in the drama and soon found themselves rooting for little baby Miza.

As with The Tiniest Tiger, Miza includes lots of interesting facts about the animals and their habitat (The Pea was delighted to learn how to identify the nose markings of the gorillas), and does a great job of drawing kids' attention to their plight.

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Livestrong Giveaway

My 5k run with the Livestrong Challenge is coming up this Saturday, and I'm ready to run. However, I'm not doing so well on the fundraising front. I'll admit my primary goal in joining was for personal fitness, not fundraising for a cause, so I haven't been trying very hard.

But I admire Lance Armstrong and I think this is a worthy cause, so I'll make a last-minute effort -- if you are considering a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, please consider donating via my fundraising page! 100% of your money goes directly to the Foundation, I don't see or keep any of it.

If you want a reward for donating to a good cause, here's a small one: if you donate via my fundraising page, I'll send you some nice yellow Livestrong wristbands! They cost $1 each, so if you donate $5 (minimum donation is $5), I'll send you 5 wristbands (to US shipping addresses only). You can find them at the Nike store, but they sell out pretty quickly. Or you can buy them online, but you need to buy them in packs of 10. Or you can "buy" them from me and save the sales tax and shipping/gas. As they say on tv, Hurry, supplies are limited!

*Click here to donate via my fundraising page*

Once you are done donating, please leave a comment on this post (or send an email to bonggamom@Yahoo.com) with the amount you donated, the number of wristbands you want (and specify adult or youth size), and your contact email.

And to make things more fun, I'm also giving away some Livestrong souvenir items. To enter, just leave a comment on this post.

The first five people to comment on this post will receive all the Livestrong items in the photo: postcard, badge, sticker, magnet and wristband.

The next five will receive a Livestrong wristband.

If more than 10 people comment on this post (no double commenting, please!) before July 15, I'll pick 10 winners at random.

And if more than 20 people comment on this post before July 15, I'll raffle off a pack of 10 Livestrong bracelets to 1 person.

Good luck!

*By the way..... click here to read additional giveaway rules*

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Get Savvy!

To celebrate the recent expansion of the popular preschool site Savvy Source , my friend Citymama is holding a great giveaway! The prize package (worth over $200) includes:


* The Sex and the City The Movie (The Book)
* A copy of I Like You by Amy Sedaris
* Norton Internet Security 2008
* A DefCon CL Laptop Lock
* A SpotGlo Seatbelt Light
* 2 or 3 games for the Nintendo DS
* an autographed copy of Sleep Is for the Week when it ships
* and assorted other freebies

To join, just blog about the contest, link to her original post and leave a comment on her post with a link to your own post. But hurry, she's picking a winner on Monday June 30!

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Mommy Cards

Who needs a Mommy Card ? You do! You can hand them out to new acquaintances, playdate friends, babysitters, fellow parenting bloggers, or doting grandparents. Mine arrived yesterday. They turned out so well that I just had to show them off for everyone to see! If you're jealous and want your own set, head over to MomViews for a 20% off Mommy Card coupon. Thanks to MJ and the Mommy Cards company for this totally chic card!

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Father's Day Giveaway

Father's Day is almost here.... quick, what do you get your favorite dad? No, not soap-on-a-rope, puh-leeze! How about a photo featuring his favorite sport that he can hang in his office or workout room or library and look to for inspiration, dreaming that someday he'll be as good as (or reminiscing when he was as good as) the athletic god in the photo?

In honor of Father's Day, I'm hosting a special sports photography giveaway. The winner will receive an 8x10 matted limited edition photo of their choice from Gold Medal Impressions, featuring the beautiful, moving and inspirational photography of Dick Druckman. He's a sports photographer and his website contains images from professional baseball, football, basketball and other sports, as well as one of the largest private collections of Olympic images in the world.

For a chance to win, simply leave a comment here and tell me what sport your favorite Dad (your husband, son, friend, father or grandfather or you!) enjoys most. Don't forget to let me know which image you would like and your contact email. I'll randomly pick a winner (sorry, continental US residents only) from the list on Father's Day, June 15.

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Giveaway: Babies are Boring

Remember when I raved about the book, Babies Are Boring? Here's a little peek at a couple of pages:

It's one of my favorites in the book; as a parent of multiples, I can certainly relate.

If you want to read more, go get your own copy. You can't have mine, but I am giving away another one -- and it's is a signed copy! To enter, just leave your comment on the original post -- and tell me which children's book you enjoy reading to your kids (not just any book that your child likes but you don't, I mean a book that you yourself like reading). I'll pick a winner randomly on June 20, and he/she (sorry, US residents only) will receive a copy of Babies Are Boring, signed by the author and illustrator. Good luck!

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A little southern comfort

Lately I've been receiving some coupons to try McDonald's new Southern Chicken line. Using all of them would probably do irreparable damage to my family's arteries, so I'm giving away several of these coupons (which are actually being auctioned on Ebay!) today. The first 4 to comment on this post (and please leave your email or blog address) will receive 2 coupons -- 1 for a free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit, and 1 for a free Southern Style Chicken Sandwich (US residents only).

Hurry and comment, the coupons expire on June 30!

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Babies are boring... but this book isn't

I just got my hands on a cute little book that is truly great for all ages. "Babies are Boring" is a humorous look at all the trouble (and joy) that babies bring.

The book is touted as "the perfect relief for moms and dads who want a fresh new book to read with their newborns and young toddlers". I can see how that age group would love all the animal pictures and the catchy rhymes, but I actually think this book is even better for older kids like mine (ages 3 and up), especially kids with younger siblings. Unlike babies or toddlers , they can actually relate to the "icky" parts of having babies. Also, my kids enjoyed the illustrations as much as the verse -- because they were hilarious in ways younger kids wouldn't "get". Finally, it's a wonderful way for kids and parents to connect because it provides a natural segue to stories of "when you were a baby....".

As for grownups, well, any parent can relate to it, so it also makes a great gift for new or expecting parents. The book described perfectly my feelings about our kids' first year, especially with the twins. Their infancy was truly a nightmare of exhaustion, sleepless nights, incessant crying, mess and effort. But of course it was all worth it, and reliving the experience as I read this book actually got me quite emotional at the end. Over a little kids book! Well, a supposed kids book. I think this one's going in my bookshelf.

* June 10: Win a signed copy of Babies Are Boring! Leave a comment here and tell me which children's book you actually enjoy reading to your kids (and wouldn't mind reading without them). I'll pick a winner (sorry, US residents only) on June 20.

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