Near East Pearled Couscous

I first tried Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food about fifteen years ago, when I first came to the US.  I have no idea how I survived so long without it!   Now I adore hummus, tabouleh salad, gyros wraps, lamb with couscous and more.  We usually buy this kind of food at restaurants, but I always have boxes of Near East's couscous and tabouleh, for when I want to add a bit of ethnic flavor to our dinners.  I recently received some boxes of Near East's new Pearled Couscous variety; here's what I thought of it:

The Basics
Near East makes boxed grain dishes like couscous, pilaf, tabouleh, and other grain dishes that incorporate flavors and cuisines from around the world.   Their new Pearled Couscous is made with pasta pearls that are larger than traditional couscous.

Here's what Near East has to say about their product:  New Near East Pearled Couscous brings the elegance of Mediterranean cuisine straight to the kitchen. Near East Pearled Couscous, made with all-natural ingredients and Certified Kosher, is ideal for consumers looking for a flavorful and versatile side dish.  It adds elegance to any meal in just 20 minutes.



The Bongga
I'm a gal who likes to decide what we're going to have for dinner an hour in advance, then throw everything together -- so there's nothing like the convenience of Near East couscous.   It's so easy -- just boil and add spices. Even better, the Gourmet Meal Kit allows me to have a fancy-tasting Middle Eastern meal on a whim.  I don't usually have these kinds of spices readily available. I'd have to decide I wanted to prepare a Middle Eastern dish days in advance, get a recipe, shop for ingredients, hope everything turns out well, etc....  so the Gourmet Meal Kit really works for me.

I was a bit surprised by the gummy texture of the pearls, but I have no complaints about the taste whatsoever.  We've tried it plain, as a side dish, and I'm dying to try the Sicilian Caponata and Couscous salad by Near East chef Michael Psilaskis (go to NearEast.com for the recipe).  Stay tuned for the results!

The Blah
Pearled couscous can take some getting used to if you don't have an adventurous palate.  Half of my family liked it, the other half didn't (interestingly, the 3 girls -- me, The Pea, and Alfie's mum -- liked it, and the 4 guys -- 3Po, Jammy, Alfie, and Alfie's dad -- didn't).  Everyone liked the taste, but the boys weren't too fond of the pearls.  I guess the pearled texture isn't for everyone. 

The Bottom Line
New East Pearled Couscous and Pearled Couscous Gourmet Meal Kits are a great way to add some sophistication and global flavor to your meals, without much work!


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

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Joshua Bell "At Home With Friends"

I recently received a copy of violinist Joshua Bell's new cd, At Home With Friends.   He's the artist who performed the music in the movie The Red Violin, so I was quite excited to check it out!  Here's what I thought:

The Basics

From the producers of the album:
At Home With Friends represents the Grammy Award-winning violinist's life-long dream of recording an album of instrumental and vocal duets with an amazing roster of musicians and friends and includes collaborations with Regina Spektor, Josh Groban, Sting, Kristin Chenoweth, Chris Botti, and more!

The album covers all of the genres, from classical to pop, bluegrass to Broadway, jazz and ethnic World Music. There are even a couple of seasonal tracks in there, just in time to celebrate the holidays.

The Bongga
I love this album!  Fans of Joshua Bell and the other artists will enjoy being a part of one of his musical gatherings.  I'm not a celebrity stalker, but the idea of Joshua Bell jamming with other talented artists is just too irresistible.  And the music is great; I love that it's such an eclectic collection of pieces, with something for every taste.  My favorite tracks are Left Hand Song with Regina Spekter on vocals, and the unique, amazing duet with sitar player Anoushka Shankar.  Oh, and Come Again with Sting.  I can never resist an album with Sting on it -- the man is a musical god.

The Blah
The big selling point of this cd is the idea of getting a peek into the musical gatherings that Joshua Bell holds with his artist friends, so I'd have loved to hear more about it -- maybe more photos of Joshua Bell's home performance area, quotes or interviews from the artists he collaborated with, stories of why they chose a particular piece.   Okay, maybe I'm a bit of a celebrity stalker.  Just a bit.

The Bottom Line
If you're a Joshua Bell fan and you close your eyes while listening to this cd, you might actually be able to pretend that you're in one of his eclectic musical gatherings.  Even if you're not a fan, it's a great collection of easy listening tunes, and I'd recommend it for your own gatherings.

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Think Pink with Label Daddy

I think this is a great idea: you know you need those labels anyway, so why not do something worthwhile while you're buying them? October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (thank goodness there's lots of pink stuff on Bonggamom Finds!) and every dollar donated to raise awareness or search for a cure helps.

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

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

As a giveaway blogger, I've found it's a great way to get more traffic to my giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I've found it's a great way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So I've started a weekly giveaway roundup post that hopefully people will find useful. Feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter all those giveaways!

Oh, and click here to see the even more giveaways....

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Coupon for AllAmericanDirect.com

I just received a coupon code for AllAmericanDirect.com that I wanted to share with everyone. From today until October 18, you can save $10 on a $50 purchase by using the code

savebig

They sell everything online from electronics to Halloween costumes, so if you're stocking up on anything from home decor to holiday items, that coupon is gonna come in handy.

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

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The New Family Portrait, by ErinLeigh Photography

It has been 4 years since we last had a good family portrait session, and I've been meaning to schedule one before the kids grow up even more and become completely unrecognizeable. Picking a portrait photographer isn't an easy task. I'm done with the unnatural "tilt your head this way and place your hand on his shoulder" style of Sears and The Picture People, but I didn't want half-closed eyes or anything too wacky. Several weeks ago, Erin of ErinLeigh Photography offered to show us a new kind of family portrait -- one that can be casual, spontaneous, real, but still stylish and beautiful and maybe even a little bit Bongga -- and we couldn't be happier with the results.


The Basics
Erinleigh Photography specializes in children and family portraits. Erin will travel to your home or to a location that you find especially picturesque or meaningful, like a local park, a neighborhood square, or your home. She mixes traditional images with candid, informal shots with a dash of her own relaxed, natural style. No stiff posing or cheesy grins here. As Erin puts it herself, "Family pictures doesn't have to equal Olan Mills anymore ... Messy hair is okay. Perhaps even the occasional peanut butter sandwich crumb. It's just real life".
ErinLeigh Photography specializes in environmental, documentary portraiture for families, babies and children.  Erin will travel to your home or other locations around the San Francisco Bay Area that you find especially picturesque or meaningful (like a park, a favorite beach, street corner, etc...).  Her style is relaxed, real and definitely not run-of-the-mill.  As Erin herself says, "Family pictures doesn't have to equal Olan Mills anymore ...  Messy hair is okay.  Perhaps even the occasional peanut butter sandwich crumb.  It's just real life".

The Bongga

I was so happy with the results of our photo session! I love my family and I think we look terrific, but I didn't think we looked that terrific. She made everyone's messy hair look cute, and somehow managed to do away with my wrinkles, zits and belly fat. Hmmmm.... maybe we need to be submitting some headshots to model agencies? Then again, maybe not -- Erin would have to be in charge of each and every photo shoot.

Here are four reasons why I think Erin's work is great:

1) I LOVED how Erin incorporated our home into the shots: almost every photo features something that we love about our house, like the front porch, the back porch, the staircase, and the driveway. We've put a lot of time, money, effort and love into making our home a special place for our family, and Erin immediately recognized that.

2) Check out Erin's portfolio, and you'll see that her photos run the gamut from black and white to full, vibrant color -- so I have no clue how she could predict that I would love the grainy texture and vintage tone of our photographs. Maybe she just knew that this is what would work best with what we were wearing, with the colors of our home, whatever. Or maybe she just flipped a coin. I don't care -- the result looks great.

3) Erin worked really well with kids, Also, she's very approachable and easy to work with. She's no artistic diva; she definitely takes your preferences into account.

4) Her rates are reasonable compared with other great photographers in the Bay Area. I'm a fan of Martha Bruce and Anna Mayer , and I have to say that Erin's work is right up there with theirs -- but thank goodness for our budget, her rates are more affordable.

Oh, and here are four more reasons why I love Erin's work:




The Blah
Affordable rates were on my list of Bongga things about ErinLeigh Photography, but I realize that "affordable" is a relative term. I would budget a minimum of $500 for a session, $250 for the session fee plus the cost of whatever prints and digital images you purchase (I'd say $250 covers a basic mix of prints and digital images -- but believe me, you're going to want to purchase way more than a basic mix!). Her rates are definitely higher than strip mall studios but the unique quality of her photos just proves that you get what you pay for, and then some.

Oh, and if you want to check out Erin's website, make sure you type in the right URL:

http://www.erinleigh-photography.com/

Judging by the number of results that show up when you Google "ErinLeigh Photography", it's like anyone with that name is destined to become a professional photographer. So make sure you type in the URL above to get the right (and most talented) one!


The Bottom Line
ErinLeigh Photography offers in the San Francisco Bay Area at a fraction of the price of other portrait photographers. Book her now before her calendar fills up!



Our session fee was waived and we received a discount on orders, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Learning to Read in Leaps and Bounds

We've just had our initial parent-teacher conferences, and I'm happy to note that 3Po and Jammy couldn't be doing better. Their teachers are very pleased with their progress in reading, and I'm giving credit to all the reading Alfie did with them over the summer, and to the reading they did on their own with the Leapfrog Tag. Now Leapfrog has come up with a series of phonics books for the Tag, and I think it's helping them even more. We were sent 2 sets to review; here's what we thought of them:

The Basics
The Tag Learn to Read Phonics helps beginning readers set out on their own by letting kids use the Tag to help them identify words and letter sounds. Series 1 is all about the short vowels. Series 2 tackles the long vowels, silent E and Y.

Here's what Leapfrog has to say about the Learn to Read phonics books: Use your Tag™ Reader to make phonics skills spring to life! The Tag Learn to Read Series combines fun stories with rich audio to help children identify letter sounds and hear how they come together to form words. Each six-book set introduces a different series of skills, helping children build confidence with the fundamentals of reading.


The Bongga
I think this is what the Tag was born to do. It allows 3Po and Jammy to practice without me hovering over them, so they get a nice mix of learning with mom and dad, and learning on their own. The books have just the right mix of easy and challenging words for my sons' reading level (as in, they've figured out how to sound words out, they can already sight read some simple words and they can sound out almost all the rest). They have moved beyond the BOB books but aren't quite ready for beginning reader books, and this series gives them the confidence to read on their own.




Note on the video that 3Po only uses the Tag if he's unsure (and kids seem to know when they're reading the word wrong), he doesn't use it for every single word. I think kids really do want to read on their own -- but the great thing about the Tag is that it is there to help them out if they get stuck.


The Blah
I could not for the life of me figure out what the yellow-highlighted words or letters (such as "ea" in the word "Leap" in the photo below) were on these Tag books! There was no explanation on the box nor on any of the books. It took me ages to understand that the yellow-highlighted words are words that the Tag does not break up phonetically; if you point the Tag on them, it will read out the word or letter blend in its entirety (such as "ur" in "turns" in the photo below). A parent guide with explanations and tips would have helped!




The Bottom Line
The Tag Learn to Read phonics series combine good old-fashioned sounding words out with the coolness of the Tag to help kids learn to read.

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Vote for Efren, a CNN Hero!

Have your heard of CNN Heroes? Every year, CNN gives $100,000 to the winner (from a field of ten finalists---winnowed from 9,000 nominees from all over the world) of its "Hero of the Year" award. This year, a 28-year-old Filipino, Efren Peñaflorida, made it to the top ten. (A panel of 12 well-known personalities from various fields picked the finalists. Colin Powell was among the judges this year). If Efren wins this year's award (based on how many votes he gets, which will depend on us), he will be able to expand his mobile school program, Dynamic Teen Company, for the children of the slums in the Philippines. What this young man is doing to improve the lives of the kids in the slums is truly inspiring, and I think his efforts are worth my vote.


Voting is open between now and Nov. 19, and it takes less than a minute to click a button to cast your vote. The more votes Efren gets, the greater his chances of winning the "Hero of the Year" award and the $100K. Let's all vote for Efren and help him continue to make a difference in those slum kids' lives! Please don't forget to pass this on to everybody you know---Filipinos and non-Filipinos alike----so more people can vote for this young man with an extra big heart.

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Get a Head Start on Holiday Shopping

Last week I had the time of my life visiting Santa's Workshop. Okay, I lied. But I did get the next best thing: the opportunity to visit New York and attend Time to Play Magazine's annual Holiday Showcase. Time to Play's chief Toy Guy, Chris Byrne, must have apprenticed with Santa himself, because he and Time to Play head Jim Silver have come up with the 2009 Most Wanted List of toys for the holiday season.


The highlight of the event was the press conference where Jim and Chris did a roll call of the 16 toys that made the list, and told everyone why they thought these toys were so great. You can see their list here, or keep reading below to see all 16 toys and my initial take on them. Be sure to check these toys out; they're sure to sell out soon!

Center: Eyeclops Night Vision Goggles. Clockwise, from left: Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Helios, Transformers Constructicon Devastator, Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CD-35 Blaster, Printies, The Beatles Rock Band, Battle Strikers.

(and by the way, I've listed the toys in the order that they appear in my photos, so #1 doesn't imply that it's any better than #16)

1) Eyeclops Night Vision Goggles: Utter coolness for young spies-to-be allows them to see in the dark (as in, monsters-in-the-closet dark, boogeymen-in-the-basement dark) up to fifty feet.


2) Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Helios: This will probably be on 3Po and Jammy's Most Wanted List. It's 7 Bakugans that all work separately (place each little ball on a magnetic card and they pop open to become little dragon/robot figures) as well as connect to form a huge Bakugan Beast.


3) Transformers Constructicon Devastator: This is another 3Po/ Jammy favorite, although at age 5.5, they're still not too adept at transforming the Transformer toys they already have.


4) Nerf N-Strike Raider Rapid Fire CD-35 Blaster: Hmmm. I'm not a gun fan, so Santa won't be showing up with one of these anytime soon.


5) Printies: Print and stuff your own stuffed toy -- without pricking your finger on a single needle! When I saw this, I immediately began making plans to feature this as a craft activity at The Pea's next birthday party.


6) The Beatles Rock Band: I like the concept of introducing the Beatles to a new generation, but since the only video game consoles we have in our household are the Leapfrog Leapster and Didj, I can't really form an opinion on this video game anytime soon.


7) Battle Strikers: A spinning tops game, with a twist -- you can actually control your spinning top via a magnetic finger glove, and use it to spin your opponent's top out of the battle arena. Looks like great fun, but I'd need some practice to get my top spinning for longer than 5 seconds.

Clockwise, from left: Barbie Fashionistas, Rocky the Robot Truck, Candy Land Sweet Celebration, Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Jewelry Factory, Air Hogs Switchblade.

8) Barbie Fashionistas: Barbie does street glam with pop-fashion outfits. Barbie was my #1 toy when I was a little girl, but sadly enough, The Pea seems to have moved on from Barbie. Maybe these dolls will bring her back.


9) Rocky the Robot Truck: A moving, grooving truck with a personality, this is something that would definitely have been on my boys' Most Wanted lists three years ago.


10) Candy Land Sweet Celebration: It's an updated Candyland that, unlike other "updated" versions, actually improves upon the original! Now you can set your own path -- great for parents who want to slit their throats because the game goes on forever.


11) Lego Star Wars: Everybody's favorite building toys meets everybody's favorite sci-fi movie. What's not to love? Well, maybe the fact that the Legos always break off and get lost once 3Po and Jammy build them (with considerable adult help at this point), but give it a few years and I'm sure we'll be up to our ears in Lego x-wing fighters and AT-AT's.


12) Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Jewelry Factory: The product is sweet, sweet, sweet, and girls will love using it. But the apparatus is bulky, bulky, bulky, and parents might hate storing it.


13) Air Hogs Switchblade: A flying remote-control toy that can hover like a UFO and fly like a plane. I didn't get a really close look at this one, but I'll bet that Alfie, I mean 3Po and Jammy, would love to get their hands on it.

Clockwise, from left: Dora's Explorer Girls, Star Wars Lego, Transformers Constructicon Devastator, Eyeclops Night Vision Goggles, Battle Strikers, Bakugan 7-in-1 Maxus Helios, Zhu Zhu Pets.

14) Dora's Explorer Girls: I have mixed feelings about the idea of the new, tweenie Dora; I think she looks much better than the old, big-headed Dora, but I'm concerned about the over-sexualization of preschool cartoon characters. I know the introduction of New Dora is supposed to make little girls grow up with Dora, not out of Dora -- but I wonder whether the older girls will continue to shun Dora in either form while the 3-year olds simply abandon Old Dora for New.


15) Zhu Zhu Pets: I'm not surprised this made the list; these cute, chattering hamsters have already found their way into my kids' hearts, and I hear they're already sold out at Target and Walmart.

Clockwise, from left: Crayola Crayon Town, Rocky the Robot Truck, Barbie Fashionistas, Candy Land Sweet Celebration, Lego Star Wars, Girl Gourmet Sweets Candy Jewelry Factory, Air Hogs Switchblade.

16) Crayola Crayon Town: A cute, inexpensive craft activity that lets kids use crayons to color in the town background and set, then stick the crayons onto plastic pieces to make play figures for pretend play on the town.


I'll be reviewing some of these toys in the near future, so watch out for more detailed descriptions and opinions!

I received product samples but no monetary compensation in conjunction with this event and post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Cheer Detergent Review and Giveaway

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Cheer.
Keep reading to find out how to win a bottle of Cheer detergent!

It's well after Labor Day now, and I'm being a good little girl and following the No White After Labor Day rule. Actually, I follow that rule pretty much every day of the year, at least when it comes to my kids. I hate getting them white shirts because I just know that after a while those whites are going to get all dull and dingy. I recently participated in BlogHer's Cheer detergent review, and I was pleasantly surprised at how Cheer's new formulation made our whites look really clean and bright.


Click here to keep reading and enter to win a bottle of Cheer detergent.....

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Win a $100 giftcard and a Year's Supply of Wonder Bread!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Wonder®.
Keep reading to find out how to win a $100 Visa gift card and a year's supply of Wonder® bread!

Alfie was raised on soft, white English sandwich bread, and Wonder® bread is one of the few brands that passes his rigid (no, actually soft) standards, so we're already big Wonder® bread fans (our favorite is Wonder® Whole Grain White Bread). But when we were invited to review their bread, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that even Wonder® Classic White Bread has lots of vitamins and minerals, and as much calcium in 2 slices as a glass of milk!


Bonggamom Finds is giving away a $100 Visa gift card and a year's supply of Wonder bread! Click here to continue reading and to enter......

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Win Tickets to Disney on Ice at Oakland's ORACLE Arena!

I'm so excited that Disney on Ice will be coming to San Jose and Oakland next week! With The Pea doing so well with her skating (she's now in Freestyle 1!), I don't think we can afford to miss this show. The kids are going to enjoy the stories and the costumes and music and the production, but The Pea will have the added excitement of seeing professional skaters do moves that she's working on (and other moves she sees the bigger girls do).

Win It!
Thanks to Mom Central, one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a family 4-pack of tickets to see Disney On Ice at the Oakland Arena on opening night (October 14, 7:00 pm)! To win, simply leave a comment here and tell me which Disney princess is your favorite. Don't forget to leave a valid email address. This giveaway ends on Tuesday, October 6, at midnight PST, so hurry!!



If you can't wait, or don't want to rely on chance to get your seats, don't worry -- you can still buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com -- and thanks to Mom Central, I've got some great ticket offers to share with you! Just look for the box marked "MC promotion" when purchasing tickets and enter the coupon code

MOM

You'll get four tickets for $44 for Monday through Friday matinee shows, and $4 off Friday night and weekend shows. This coupon is good for shows in both Oakland and San Jose, and at least four tickets need to be purchased for the code to be valid. The code is also valid when purchasing tickets for Disney on Ice shows in the following cities:

Anaheim/LA/Ontario
Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy
December 16-January 3

Atlanta
Disney On Ice presents Celebrations!
October 14- October 18


Boston
Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic
December 26- December 30

Charlotte
Disney On Ice presents Celebrations!
October 7-October 11


Cleveland
Disney On Ice presents Celebrations!
January 8-January 18

Newark/East Rutherford/Uniondale/New York City
Disney On Ice presents Celebrations!
November 10-November 29

Philadelphia
Disney On Ice celebrates 100 Years of Magic
October 14-October 18

Sacramento
Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics
October 28-November1

San Jose/Oakland
Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics
October 14-October 25

St. Paul/Minneapolis
Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics
December 10-December 13

Toronto
Disney On Ice presents Princess Classics
December 18-December 27

Washington D.C./ Fairfax, VA/ Baltimore, MD
Dinsney On Ice presents Celebrations!
October 2009



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

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Winter's Tale review and giveaway

If you want to tell your child an inspirational storiy, look no further than the animal books by Craig, Juliana and Isabella Hatkoff. They're the New York Times Bestselling Authors of Owen & Mazee, as well as two other books that my kids have read and loved: Knut and Looking for Miza. I jumped at the chance to preview a copy of their latest book, Winter's Tail, because I was sure our whole family would love it -- and we have.

The Basics
Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again tells the true-life story of a young dolphin named Winter. Here's a video of Winter being featured on NBC news:




Here's a synopsis of the book, from the publishers:

Winter is a dolphin. Just over two years ago, when she was a baby, she was rescued from a crab trap, her tail seriously damaged. Winter was rushed to Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a marine animal hospital. It wasn't clear that she would survive. She did, but eventually the tail fell off and Winter compensated by swimming more like a fish than a dolphin which was seriously damaging her spine.

But for the last year, Winter has been learning how to use a prosthetic tail. The idea came from a company that makes prosthetics for humans. It was very challenging but Winter is thriving and using her new tail with great command. The word has gotten out about Winter. Visitors are traveling in droves to Clearwater to visit Winter who has become an inspiration to adults and children alike, especially to children who are amputees themselves. The tale doesn't end there. The special technology used for Winter's prosthetic tail is being used to develop prosthetics for Iraq war veterans who have especially sensitive injuries.

And if you want to find out even more about Winter, you can "meet" her on Wednesday, October 7 at 1:00pm, on a Virtual Field Trip to her home at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium! Scholastic is featuring a Winter Webcast featuring some fun facts about dolphins, author Craig Hatkoff, the CEO of Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Winter herself!


The Bongga
I can't say enough great things about this book. I love the gorgeous photographs, the informative facts in the afterword. Even the little tail-less dolphin sketch on the inside cover is adorable.

Best of all, of course, is Winter's tail -- I mean tale. Oh, you know what I mean. It really touched me, especially when I thought of all the children who get to read about Winter. I can't even imagine how inspiring this story could be to children who are struggling to overcome adversities or learning to cope with disabilities. If this little dolphin can do it, maybe they can too.

My kids absolutely loved this book, just like they love all the Hatkoffs' previous books. The great thing about all their books is that although their books are about animals, they're really about overcoming adversity through a can-do attitude and the help and support of family and friends. That's something even humans can relate to and admire.


The Blah
How could I possibly say anything negative about Winter, her tail, or her tale? That would be like bashing kittens and puppies and fields of daisies!


The Bottom Line
Like all of the Hatkoffs' animal tales, Winter's Tail combines a heartwarming and inspiring story with a generous dash of animal cuteness -- the perfect recipe for a great children's book.


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will be selected to receive a Winter's Tale prize pack, featuring:

* Dolphin Plush
* Dolphin Keychain
* Copy of Winter's Tale: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again book
* Winter's Tale game for Nintendo DS

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

1) Grab my button -- it's on the left hand sidebar, or click here to get it -- and post it on your blog! (leave a comment here with a link to your site).

2) Leave a comment on any of my blog posts on Finding Bonggamom (leave a comment here with the link to the post that you commented on).

3) Blog about this giveaway and include a link to the giveaway post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

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

"Winter's Tale" giveaway: dolphin toy, keychain, book, NintendoDS game -- from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/ybpk3f5


Maximum of 5 entries per person. US mailing addresses only. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 20, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on October 21 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!



I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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

As a giveaway blogger, I've found it's a great way to get more traffic to my giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I've found it's a great way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So I've started a weekly giveaway roundup post that hopefully people will find useful. Feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter all those giveaways!

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Win a $100 Visa Card from Ragu!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Ragu.
Keep reading to find out how to win a $100 Visa Card!

My family loves tomatoes, and there's nothing like a simple, fresh red sauce on pasta al dente. But I don't always have the time or energy to make it all from scratch. So one pantry staple I cannot live without is jarred pasta sauce. I recently participated in a BlogHer review of Ragu pasta sauces, and I have to say it's great to know that I don't have to sacrifice convenience to feed my family well. According to their website, half a cup of Ragu's red sauces contain a full serving of vegetables. And unlike many jarred foods, these sauces have no additives or preservatives. All those delicious, healthy tomatoes already peeled, seeded, sauteed and simmered for you -- what's not to love?

Bonggamom Finds is giving away a $100 Visa Gift Card courtesy of Ragu! Click here to continue reading and to enter.......

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Cats, Dogs, Hamsters -- whatever you call-em, the Tasty Baker makes'em

When I host a themed party, I can get pretty anal about taking it all the way and making sure the theme is reflected in every aspect of the party. So at this weekend's hamster party, I had to think long and hard about what to serve the kids to eat. I thought Ham(ster) sandwiches would be clever (even if the younger kids didn't appreciate my wit, they appreciated the sandwiches!), and we found that Captain Crunch cereal looks just like (but fortunately tastes better than) hamster kibble. But I have no idea what hamsters eat for dessert.

Lucky for me, the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker came to the rescue. No, it doesn't have a hamster mold, but the dog mold was pretty close. I poured brownie batter into the dog mold, told the kids they were hamsters, and the kids loved it! The Tasty Baker also has train, heart, cat smiley face, birthday cake and alphabet block molds, which give you dessert options for a multitude of themed parties -- Baby's First Birthday, Valentine's, Thomas the Tank Engine, halloween, pinky kitty, etc...

Of course, it does take a while to prepare if you only want that one design (which is why I wish the Tasty Baker had removable mold plates and the option of purchasing extra molds so I could make seven of one style). But the kids were only too happy to have me pour batter into all the molds, save the dog-hamster ones for the party, and eat the rest.



I received a product sample in order to review the product and write this post, but no monetary compensation. The view and opinions expressed here are my own.

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A (Paper) Fantasy Come True

Holy cow!! I'm a winner! I just got word that my Woodland Fairy Outfit has been chosen as the winning entry in the Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy Design Challenge!

Here's the story: Klutz invited craft bloggers from near and far to submit their very own original fantasy outfit created using their new book, Klutz Paper Fashions Fantasy. I was given a copy of the book to review and invited to enter as well. The book is so much fun for little girls (and now you know, big ones too) because it contains stencils and patterned papers and embellishments and everything you need to create fantasy fashions out of paper.

I'm still flabbergasted that I won! I certainly don't think of myself as a craft blogger, just someone who loved doodling and creating so much as a little girl that she still occasionally dabbles in it when she thinks no one else is looking. There were so many amazing designs! Alfie, loyal soul that he is, told me he didn't think any of the other designs was any better than mine. I was told that Klutz chose my design because it used the most materials and elements from the book. But I'm so happy they liked it, I'm going to accept and say thanks before the Klutz people change their minds! So thank you, Klutz, Thank You!!

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Mickey Mouse enters the Blogosphere

I love how Disney is getting more and more into online social networking. They've always been great to bloggers of all kinds, and earlier this year they launched two Twitter accounts, @DisneyParks and @DisneylandNews . Now they've got their own blog, The Disney Parks blog!

Here's some more information about the blog, from Disney's PR department: The Disney Parks Blog will be managed by the Public Relations team with Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, as the leading voice. Cast members from Disneyland Resort will also be blogging from Disneyland. There will be a number of other Cast Members from all areas of Disney Parks.

The Blog will be a source of information on our destinations that our Guests can rely on to learn about new attractions, new programs, and experiences that make a Disney vacation so magical. You'll also find exclusive video and images, coverage of in-park events and profiles of unique cast members who make magic for our guests every day.

Welcome to the blogosphere, Mickey!

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

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Check out these Zhu-Zhu-Zhuuuper Cute Pets!

This weekend I had the opportunity to host a fun Zhu Zhu Pet Party, thanks to Mom Select. My kids amd their guests had so much fun playing with the Zhu Zhu Pets! You can read more about how the party went on Bonggamom Finds, and here's what we thought about the Zhu Zhu Pets:

The Basics
Zhu Zhu Pets are furry electronic, interactive hamsters. They have a little sensor on their nose that makes them back up whenever they bump into something, so when they are in Explore Mode, they will scoot, scamper, and zhu-zhu-zooom everywhere. They also have a Loving Mode where kids can pet them and listen to them make cute little chattering sounds. We received four varieties of Zhu Zhu Pets -- Chunk, NumNum, Pipsqueak and Mr. Squiggles -- each with his own unique personality and whimsical sounds. We also received a bunch of Zhu Zhu playsets to try out:

* Hamster Funhouse
* Hamster Wheel & Tunnel
* Hamster Car & Garage
* Spiral Slide & Ramp
* Skateboard & U-turn ramp
* Go-Go Adventure ball

Each playset is a mini habitat for your Zhu Zhu pet, where it can scamper back and forth and around. Each playset can be played standing alone, but for even more fun, they can be snapped together to create a whole hamster "habitrail".


The Bongga
My kids absolutely love their Zhu Zhu Pets! They treat them like real pets, chasing them around, cuddling them, talking to them and making sure they're settled into their little cardboard boxes at night. They make great pets -- they don't need to be fed or cleaned, and they make such cute chattering sounds. Best of all, I love that these little pets have inspired a whole new realm of creative play. My kids and their friends spent half the afternoon making hamster homes out of cardboard, and the other half of the time setting their pets up in their new city, making them go shopping, take other hamsters on tours of the hamster wheel and slide, even holding hamster elections!




The Blah
While we all adore the pets, as far as the accessories are concerned, we could probably take it or leave it. I do agree they are lots of fun -- it is super entertaining to see the Zhu Zhu pets scamper through them. It's even more fun when there are 3 or 4 pets inside, because they bump into each other and back up into each other and somehow manage to sort themselves out, just like real pets. My kids and their guests did enjoy it -- but after ten minutes of watching the hamsters run through the playsets, my kids and their guests moved on and spent the rest of the afternoon creating their own cardboard playsets.

And from a practical perspective, the playsets are pretty bulky and difficult to store. So unless you have the space, think long and hard about splurging on the whole set. Okay, I'd make an exception for that Spiral Slide and Ramp. We can't make that one out of cardboard, and it is the coolest thing ever.


The Bottom Line
I'm a big fan of the Zhu Zhu Pets - their lifelike antics and adorable sounds warmed my kids' hearts and have inspired lots of creative pretend play. The Zhu Zhu playset accessories are fun add-ons, but make sure you have the space for them!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Here's a Fresh Deal for you

Does anyone wish they lived in the Good Old Days? Not me. Because the Good Old Days didn't have the internet, and I don't think I could survive without the internet. I rely on it for communication, information and entertainment.

Oh, and shopping. With the variety and price of stuff online these days, you almost never have to get up and go to a physical store anymore. Of course, it doesn't do any favors to my waistline, but I figure I'm paying for my gym membership with all the money I'm saving by finding great deals online. I'm the kind of person who likes to research and comparison shop, so rather than drive from store to store (wasting all that gas, I might add), I just click from site to site trying to find what I want.

Which is why I like shopping comparison sites. I get to be even lazier and let the site search for all the great deals for me! I recently reviewed a new comparison shopping site called FreshDeals.com, that looks like it could be really useful in finding great deals and doing all the research you need on products you want to buy.

For example, I've been thinking of buying a pair of Fit Flops lately, and I went to FreshDeals.com to do my research and see where I should buy it. Like most shopping comparison sites, FreshDeals.com shows me a ton of places where I can find Fit Flops on the web, along with how much they cost. I found a really sweet deal -- I mean, Fresh Deal -- on FitFlops at Piperlime.com for $29 (versus the regular price of $49!).


But what's unique (and great) about FreshDeals.com is that they actually have a Q&A forum integrated into each page, so that users can ask each other questions about the product, comment and answer questions. It's a step beyond a regular review since you can actually follow up on what people have written. You can even log on to Facebook from the site and share the deals you find with your Facebook friends, which turns the shopping experience into an interactive, shared experience -- which is half the fun of shopping anyway!

So don't tell me you'd rather live in the Good Old Days. Who needs to walk a mile in a snowstorm to gather firewood for the hearth? I'd much rather get a heater delivered straight to my doorstep -- and thanks to places like FreshDeals.com, find the cheapest way to get it!

This is a compensated post from FreshDeals.com. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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List your giveaways here!

For some time now I've been toying with the idea of doing a giveaway roundup post where bloggers can leave links to their giveaways, like MomDot or Reviews and Giveaways.com, or Mission Mommy. As a giveaway blogger, I've found it's a great way to get more traffic to my giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I've found it's a great way to find out where all the best giveaways are!

The two main reasons I've never done it are, (1) I was too lazy to set up Mr. Linky's widgets; and (2) I'm afraid no one will leave any links. I finally kicked my lazy, insecure self into gear and decided to just do it. So I'm starting up a giveaway roundup, which I'll run every Friday. Why Friday? Because your work is done and you don't need to feel guilty about kicking back and surfing the internet for all kinds of cool giveaways to join.

So here it is, my first Mr. Linky. Feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter all those giveaways!

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Feeling Yummie at Type-A Mom (even though I'm not going)

This weekend, a bevy of mom bloggers are descending upon Asheville NC for the Type-A Mom Conference, and if it's going to be anything like last July's BlogHer conference, you can bet these women are gonna Bring It. And since the food and drink and merriment is probably going to be flowing, Bringing It is going to be a lot easier if you're wearing shapewear like Yummie Tummie.

Trust me on this one. I'm a Yummie Tummie Brand Ambassador and I was given one to wear at BlogHer. I loved how it squeezes me in without feeling like a corset, and I love how it's thin enough to slip on under a shirt. In fact, the only thing I would have improved on was to make the tank a bit longer, given my long torso and fat ass wide hips.

Et voila, next thing I know, I've got Yummie Tummie sending me a Long Skinny Tank in black! Just in time for Type-A Mom Conference -- except I'm not going. So I just have to sashay around in my Yummie Tummie tank layered over the teeny Fast Girl tank that Alfie gave me (this is the only way I could wear it without giving everyone a free peep show), and pretend I'm strutting my stuff at some Type-A Mom party. I'm too wimpy to show my "before" photo (I'll leave that to the very brave, bold -- and Bongga -- Moosh in Indy) but here's the "after" photo. Now I'm just waiting for Yummie Tummie to start making the Long Skinny Tank in something other than black and white, like purple or brown or leopard print (can you say Mrrrrrrawwww?!).

If you're at the Type-A Mom conference this weekend, watch out for Yummie Tummie Brand Ambassadors -- they'll be giving away 10 Skinny Tanks during the conference! If, like me, you're stuck at home, follow YummieTummie on Twitter because they're giving away one Skinny Tank a day.

And if you're not quite so lucky as to win a Yummie Tummie Skinny Tank, here's a 20% off discount code:

TYPEAMOM

You don't have to be a Type-A Mom conference attendee to use this coupon, but it's only valid during the conference weekend, 9/24 till 9/26. At 62 bucks per tank, the 20% off coupon really helps!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Razor Scooter Review and Giveaway

When it comes to scooters, our family has always had a bit of a math problem. Specifically, we have 3 kids and 2 scooters. One is an original A-series Razor, and one is a Razor knockoff. Both were purchased from neighbors whose teenage daughters had outgrown them after years of use. They are great scooters, but since we only have 2, the kids always fight over them have to take turns. Now that all 3 attend the neighborhood school, they want to scooter to school like all their friends.

S we were absolutely delighted to receive an A2 Razor scooter to review from CSN Stores (more specifically, their online toy store, ToysAndGamesOnline.com). CSN has over 200 online retail sites selling just about anything under the sun, from wall sconces to water bottles. Every CSN store that I checked out offered really high-quality products, not junky, cheapy stuff. What's more, all stores have competitive prices (with lots of discounts !), easy ordering, and free shipping for orders over $69.

As for the Razor itself, what can I say that hasn't already been said? Razor created the modern scooter craze in the USA almost single handedly (or should I say single brandedly), and they're one of the most popular scooters in the country. And with good reason:

* Our Razor is lightweight and foldable, so it's easy to carry around and store.

* Anyone from age 4 to 84 can learn to ride one.

* The quality is second to none. My kids are not brand conscious at all, they don't know the difference between Razor and any other brand, but all of them preferred our old Razor over our old Razor knockoff. It just gives a better ride!

* They're a bit like the Energizer Bunny -- they last and last. Our old A series Razor is about 10 years old. The foam handgrips are torn from constant use, and it doesn't fold so well anymore, but other than that it's still going strong, and I expect our new Razor to last just as long.

Here's what Razor has to say: Producing some of the most popular and visually recognizable scooters in the country, Razor has been credited with the recreation of the scooter craze in the USA. Starting with the original kick scooter, Razor has used its distinctive patented single lever folding system and rear fender brake through the evolution of their kick scooters.

Each scooter is constructed of Aircraft-grade aluminum to provide maximum durability without weighing the rider down. Features such as the foam grip handlebars and durable grip tape are engineered to achieve a system that allows riders to utilize every inch of their scooters. In 2000, the ever popular A Series Kick Scooter won the coveted Toy of the Year award.

Win It! CSN Stores is giving away an A Kick Scooter by Razor to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader!

Required Entry:
Go to the list of CSN Stores, then leave a comment here with the name of one CSN Store. Easy? Here's the catch -- no duplicates allowed! If another commenter with an early timestamp has already mentioned a store in his/her comment, you have to pick another CSN Store. It shouldn't be too hard -- after all, there are over 200 CSN stores!

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

1) Go to the list of CSN Stores, then leave a comment here telling me which online store you would be most likely to shop at. Unlike the required entry, it's ok to mention a store that another commenter has already mentioned -- it will be interesting to see which stores are the most popular!

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

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 Razor scooter from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/ydlzkrs

Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 15, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on October 16 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Pearl of Wisdom Campaign and Giveaway

I adore pearls. Most of my real jewelry has some kind of pearl on it; my most precious piece is a pearl necklace and earring set from Mikimoto, creators of the most beautiful cultured pearls in the world . Call me old-fashioned; I think a strand of pearls on a woman's neck just screams grace, beauty and classic elegance. So when I was wandering through the vendor expo at BlogHer '09, it's no wonder that this pearl pin from the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer caught my eye. It's easily one of the prettiest pieces of swag I've ever gotten.


But this post isn't about reviewing the Pearl of Wisdom pin (even though I love it). No, I'm posting this because cervical cancer sucks -- but with proper screening and vaccination, almost every case of cervical cancer can be prevented. And the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign was founded in order to raise awareness of this fact. And if spending a little bit of time to put up a post on my blog can help do that, I'll gladly do it. So I have.

Women all over are wearing the Pearl of Wisdom pin to show their support of the campaign. You can view our photos at the Pearl of Wisdom photo gallery. Everyone who posts a photo before October 31, 2009 is eligible to win some fabulous prizes.


Want to join in? You can purchase this beautiful pin online for $6.95. Or win one here! Five lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will receive the Pearl of Wisdom pin. To enter, simply visit my Pearl of Wisdom interview post on Finding Bonggamom and leave a comment or a message of support for Michelle (then come back here and leave a comment telling me that you did).

For extra entries, you can do either or all of the following:

1) Send a virtual pearl to a woman you care about and let them know how they can prevent cervical cancer (leave a comment here with the email address you used to send the virtual pearl).

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

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

Win one of *five* pearl pins at @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/y9jcrsx


Maximum of 4 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 8, 2009.; I will draw a winner at random on October 9 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Other than the pin handed to me at BlogHer, I received no product samples or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Cooking Eggs with the Tasty Baker

We've had the 5-in-1 Tasty Baker for about a week now, and it's still so much fun to "play" with our food. However, this post's featured Tasty Baker dish isn't even one of the five top foods you can cook with the Tasty Baker (hence the name 5-in-1: pancakes, waffles, muffins, cakes, or breads). I read on the box that the Tasty Baker can cook eggs, too!



The thought of heart and smiley-face scrambled eggs was just too irresistible, so I heated up the Tasty Baker and cracked half a dozen eggs (the molds are small, so you could use just one or two). I whisked them with a splash of milk and some grated cheese, then poured the mixture onto the mold. The eggs puffed up beautifully...........

.... but, as anyone who has baked an egg or made a souffle will tell you, they collapsed almost as soon as I lifted them off the mold. The molded eggs got more and more wrinkled as they cooled, but they did hold their general shape, if not the detailing. It certainly didn't affect their taste -- my kids loved them -- and I think it might be cute if you made biscuits or bread using the Tasty Baker, then sandwiched these eggs between the same-shaped biscuits, so you get teeny little egg sandwiches shaped like a birthday cake, dog, cat, train, heart, smile face and blocks.

I did make one batch with some Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, which thickened the batter and made the eggs hold their volume and detailing much better -- but my kids didn't like the taste of the Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs. I think I'll try adding plain or panko breadcrumbs next time. And yes, there will be a next time for these Tasty Baker eggs!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Grab Me!

Don't worry, there's no groping required. This is just an invitation to everyone to come and grab my new Bonggamom Finds button. After eighteen months of posting reviews and giveaways on this blog, I've finally gotten around to creating one that I'm happy with.

So here's my button, all ready for you to post on your own blogs. Because you know you've got to have Bonggamom on your blogroll, right? Feel free to grab away (but be kind, I'm ticklish).

<a href="http://bonggafinds.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img width="125" alt="Bonggamom Finds" src="http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr260/bonggamom/blog%20buttons/BonggaFindsButton-2.png" /></a>

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Name Your Tune Personalized CD -- Review and Giveaway

Win a personalized music cd for your child! To find out how, keep reading...

I'm one of five children, and I have three children of my own, so I know how challenging it can be for a parent to make each child feel special. One great trick is to personalize each child's things. Personalization lets everyone know that the object belongs to that child, and that child alone -- and it gives children a special feeling to see their name printed out everywhere.

When The Pea was about two years old, my in-laws bought her a wonderful gift -- a personalized cd, which featuring songs singing her name. The Pea absolutely loved it, and she still likes to listen to it today. My in-laws bought that cd at Harrod's in England, and they never got around to having one done for 3Po or Jammy, so they've always been a bit jealous of The Pea for having special songs on a cd. So I was delighted when Name Your Tune , an online destination for personalized gifts, contacted me offering to send me a personalized cd to review.

The Basics
Name Your Tune is a kids' music cd featuring well-loved children's songs, with a twist -- each song is personalized with your child's name. You and your child get to hear the musical artist sing your child's name multiple times throughout each song -- over 80 times in the whole cd. There are over 4200 names you can choose from, including different pronunciations of the same name (for example, Reegan and Raygan), so chances are you'll find your child's name on that list. You can even specify multiple names on the cd, which is what we did for 3Po and Jammy.

Here's what the creators of Name Your Tune have to say:
Name Your Tune is an exciting new children's music compilation that is made-to-order and personalized for each child. The child's name is the feature part of every song making this CD all about them! The songs are familiar and much-loved tunes for children, parents and grandparents and are a great way to learn and have fun together.

The Bongga
Finally! A personalized kid's music cd that you can order online! No more hoping the in-laws get the opportunity to make the 2-hr. journey to Harrod's in London! I love the fact that you can incorporate multiple names -- this makes it great for parents with multiple kids on a budget. Our sample cd was personalized for both 3Po and Jammy, so all the odd-numbered songs sang 3Po's name, and all the even-numbered songs were for Jammy. The musical artists were great, and their names were pronounced very clearly so the kids could tell when their names were being sung. They had lots of fun listening, singing along, and dancing!

Best, best, best of all, Name Your Tune really does make children feel special. You should have seen 3Po's face light up when he first heard his name sung on the cd. His look of surprise and delight was absolutely priceless.

The Blah
The tunes on the cd are timeless children's classics -- which means they're probably more suited to toddlers and young preschoolers. I'd love another edition with more modern, edgier kids' tunes that they can keep listening to, even as they get older!

The Bottom Line
Name Your Tune makes a wonderful present for any child. Each song will make your child feel special every time he or she hears it!



Win It!
Name Your Tune will send a personalized kids' cd to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader! To enter, simply check out the Name Your Tune Playlist, then leave a comment here telling me which of those songs your child would love to hear his name on.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following:

1) Join the Name Your Tune mailing list (leave a comment here with the email address you used to sign up for the mailing list).

2) Blog this giveaway and include a link to this post (leave a comment here with a link to your post).

3) Tweet this giveaway (leave a comment here with a link to your tweet) up to 3 times, no more than once per day. Here is a sample tweet you can copy and paste:

Win a personalized kids' music cd from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/nx27wv

Open to US and Canada residents. Maximum of 5 entries per person. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on October 12, 2009; I will draw a winner at random on October 13 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Get ready to win a Razor scooter!

We received a wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday -- a sweet Razor scooter from ToysAndGamesOnline.com! The kids were so excited because all they have are 2 old imitation brand scooters that we got at a garage sale for $5. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's great to have the real thing, and once you get on it, you can really tell the difference.

I'm saving my full review for a future post; I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that I'll be giving one of these Razor scooters away very soon! Yup, the folks at CSN Stores (the ones who sent us the scooter to review) have generously offered to host a Razor scooter giveaway. They're the parent company of ToysAndGamesOnline.com, as well as a bunch of other online stores. And when I say "a bunch", I actually mean over 200 other stores selling practically everything under the sun! They've got Cookware.com, Luggage.com, Strollers.com, AllModern.com selling -- guess what? -- Cookware, Luggage, Strollers and Modern Furniture. The list goes on and on.

Start checking out some of their stores, because I'm going to be asking you to name your favorite ones in order to enter the Razor scooter giveaway -- stay tuned, the giveaway post will be going up next week!

I received a product sample for this post, but no monetary compensation. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Happy National Play-Doh day!

Did you know that today is National Play-Doh day? I can't believe that Play-Doh is 53 years old! And of course, there's no better way to celebrate than with a Play-Doh hamburger or ice cream sundae :)


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

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