Support Music Education (and win an iTunes gift card) from Energizer

This past year, music education has entered our lives in a big way. 3Po and Jammy joined their school choir and have performed at several school concerts and at local senior centers. They're even singing the national anthem at a San Francisco Giants baseball game next month! They also started piano lessons and they practice every day, even though they're not taking lessons in the summertime. The Pea also started recorder lessons in school and she'll be moving on to violin or flute lessons when she enters 5th grade in the fall. Our home is full of the sounds of our kids making sweet music, and for that I have our school's music program to thank!

I know our school is lucky to be able to keep a music program, twice a week (plus the school choir) for students in every grade -- and I know there are many schools and districts that aren't so lucky. I firmly believe that music education is just as important as reading and math -- in fact a music education strengthens students' analytic and math skills! -- so I'm also grateful to organizations like VH1's Save The Music Foundation for their efforts to restore instrumental music education in America's public schools.

I'm also happy to announce that one of my favorite brands, Energizer, is partnering with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, and there are tons of easy ways for you to get involved!

Like the Energizer Bunny on Facebook and Help Increase Energizer’s Support to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation
Now through August 12, people can help support the VH1 Save The Music Foundation simply by clicking “LIKE” on the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page and becoming a fan of the unstoppable icon. For each new “LIKE” through August 12, Energizer will donate $1 to help restore instrumental music education through the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

Help Energizer Pick a Grant Recipient
Energizer is making eight grants to public schools around the country, and fans of the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page will help direct one of these grants by voting for a city where an instrumental grant will be made. Cities vying for the now that’s positivenergy™ grant from Energizer and the VH1 Save The Music Foundation include Philadelphia, Birmingham, Minneapolis, New Haven and Weirton, W.V. Energizer is supporting these grants with a $250,000 overall donation to the VH1 Save The Music Foundation.

Power Your Playlist
In addition to powering music education in America’s public schools, Energizer is also powering Americans’ playlists. Right now in stores, specially-marked Energizer products contain a special code so when someone buys three participating products, he or she can go online to www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/music and redeem the codes for a $10 iTunes Gift Card.

Live Performance in NYC with Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks will perform at a secret location in New York City on July 28. If you live in the NYC-area or will be in the area, come join in the fun. The location of Sparks’ performance is a mystery, so keep your eyes on the VH1 Save The Music Foundation tab on the Energizer Bunny® Facebook page, check out the Energizer Bunny® Twitter handle, @EnergizerBunny or follow #EnergizerSTM on Twitter for the latest news and hints. We’ll reveal the location the morning of the event. The performance is free and open to the public.


You can find out more at http://www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/blog.


Win a $10 iTunes gift card
In celebration of Energizer’s partnership with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and to help power your playlist, Energizer is offering a $10 iTunes Gift Card for one lucky Bonggamom Finds winner.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you think music education in public schools is a worthy cause. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


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

1) Write this on the Energizer Bunny Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Energizer giveaway for an iTunes gift card on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/5JeGM

2) Tweet this on July 28 (1 entry):
RT @bonggafinds: NYC tweeps! Follow the @EnergizerBunny to find out the secret location where Jordin Sparks is playing today! #EnergizerSTM

3) Tweet this (1 entry):
RT @bonggafinds: Like the Energizer Bunny on FB! For each new Like thru Aug 12, Energizer will donate $1 to VH1 Save the Music Foundation

4) Tweet this (1 entry):
RT @bonggafinds: Buy 3 participating Energizer products and redeem the codes for a $10 iTunes card at www.nowthatspositivenergy.com/music !

5) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Energizer giveaway for an iTunes gift card on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/5JeGM

6) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry):
Win a $10 iTunes gift card from @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/5JeGM #giveaways

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


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on August 5, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on August 6 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!


Disclosure: I will be receiving an iTunes gift card from Energizer as a thank-you for blogging about this program. Program information is provided by Energizer and is clearly indicated as such. Thanks to Energizer for providing and shipping the giveaway prize. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Summer Fun with Thomas the Tank Engine

What true blue Thomas the Tank fan hasn't dreamt of riding the rails on the Island of Sodor? Now little engineers will get their chance, because Thomas is chugging into a train station near you! Families can ride on a real (okay, a 15-ton replica) Thomas at a Day Out With Thomas event.

Here's more information:

Pulling out of the station for its 16th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas: Leader of the Track Tour 2011 will visit more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada . Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite No. 1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts. Each year the tour grows, traveling to new destinations, adding new activities and welcoming new visitors.

You can search to see which cities Thomas is visiting and purchase tickets on Ticketweb. Thomas is visiting over 45 cities through mid-November.



We've been invited to attend a Day Out With Thomas next week, and even though my boys are sophisticated 7 year olds, they can't wait! The one nearest us will be held at the Roaring Camp Railroad in Felton, CA, on July 29, 30 and 31. We've ridden the steam trains at Roaring Camp Railroad before, and there is honestly no better way to spend the day than chugging through a cool, shady redwood forest on a train. Grownups love it because the scenery is so beautiful, and kids love it because, well, it's a steam train. I can only imagine how much more exciting it will be for kids when it's not just any old steam train they're riding, but the one and only Thomas! Stay tuned for my Day Out With Thomas post where I'll tell you all about it!


New Thomas & Friends app debuts on the iTunes app store

If you can't make it to Day Out with Thomas event, your child can still enjoy Thomas the Tank Engine this summer with the new Thomas & Friends app for ipad, iphone, and ipod touch. Thomas & Friends™: Hero of the Rails, brings Thomas and his engine friends to life in an interactive app filled with animation, CGI video, painting activities, puzzles and games. It's based on Thomas' animated feature-length movie Hero of the Rails, and it's available for a limited time for $0.99 in the iTunes app Store at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

Disclosure: I am receiving 4 complimentary tickets to a Day Out With Thomas event, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Event information is provided by DKC PR and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

My 18 Inch Doll -- affordable clothes for American Girl Dolls

I first found out about American Girl about 4 years ago, and despite my initial negative reaction, American Girl has become one of my favorite (and my daughter's favorite!) doll brands because of their wholesome image, educational value and quality products. Really, my biggest objection was, and has always been, the high cost. We've been able to manage it by shopping the sales on AmericanGirl.com, buying used, and expanding our horizons beyond AG-branded products.

One great website for American Girl outfits and furniture is My 18 Inch Doll, which offers affordable solutions for dressing American Girl and other 18 inch dolls. They recently sent us their Denim & Dots 4-piece outfit so we could see the quality and fit for ourselves.


The Basics
About the site:
My 18 Inch Doll designs and offers exclusive clothing and furniture perfectly sized to fit American Girl Dolls and other 18 inch dolls. If you're looking for adorable doll clothing; doll sized beds or sofas or functional storage like our doll trunk or doll tote bag, you have come to the right place!

The Bongga
My daughter LOVES the Denim & Dots outfit! It comes with a denim jacket, a yellow tee, and a pleated skirt and hat in the cutest polka-dot print ever. It's chic and sassy, and it has become The Pea's favorite outfit for her American Girl dolls.


The nice thing about this outfit is that you can easily mix and match it with other doll clothing. The denim jacket, in particular, is really versatile, and goes really well with other clothes in The Pea's collection. The yellow tee is also really easy to pair, so the whole outfit really goes a long way. It's not surprising that the Denim & Dots outfit is My 18 Inch Doll's most popular outfit!


That being said, they do have quite a few other cute (mostly vintage-style) clothing outfits. I really like the black overcoat and the old-fashioned school jumper -- and if your daughter wants to reenact scenes from her favorite books, they even have outfits inspired by Anne of Green Gables and Little House on the Prairie. On the practical side, the outfit we received was very well made, and fits the American Girl dolls very well. What's more, all the outfits on their site are on sale, and they offer free shipping!


The Blah
The Pea was not interested in the period clothing, and the choices for modern clothing are slim. Also, although the site bills themselves as an affordable solution for dressing American Girl and other 18-inch dolls, a quick price comparison shows that regular price for most outfits on My18InchDoll.com are between $24.99 and $29.99, which is the same price range for most outfits on AmericanGirl.com (some outfits are $30). True, their sale price is cheaper ($14.99 to $18.99), and all of the outfits seem to be on sale -- so why not make the regular price lower and just put the higher price there as a comparison?


The Bottom Line
The quality of My 18 Inch Doll clothing rivals that of American Girl branded clothing -- and the price is certainly right!

Disclosure: I received a sample outfit to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Company description was taken from the My18InchDoll.com website and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

July 30 is National Friendship Day

The United Nations has declared July 30th as the official annual International Day of Friendship.

U.N. Resolution A/65/L.72 calls friendship "a noble and valuable sentiment in the lives of human beings," and notes that friendship contributes to "the promotion of dialogue among civilizations, solidarity, mutual understanding and reconciliation."

We all know how important friends are to our lives, so let's celebrate National Friendship Day by letting our friends know how much they mean to us! Here are five things you can do:

1) Braid a friendship bracelet.

2) Write on your friends' Facebook walls and say "Hi".

3) Have lunch with a friend.

3) Be a friend to someone you don't know and practice a random act of kindness -- pay for someone's bridge toll, or buy the next person in line a cup of coffee.

4) Send a friendship card. You can choose one at your local cardstore, or send an e-card. In honor of National Friendship Day, the creators of the animated movies Ice Age and Rio (which is going out on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 2) have created some Friendship Day e-cards:






Advanced Happy Friendship Day!

I'll be giving away a copy of the upcoming RIO dvd, so stay tuned!

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

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- List Your Giveaways Here

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

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

Continue reading...

Clif Kid ZBar Crispy review and giveaway

Who doesn't love rice crispy squares? The sweetness and crunch are such a classic childhood treat -- but let's face it, they're kind of nutritionally void. As parents, we want every bite that goes into our kids' mouths to do them as much good as possible, but in order to even reach our kids' mouth, it has to be something he wants to eat! That's not going to be a problem with new Zbar Crispy from CLIF Kid. It's an rice crispy snack made with organic ingredients and nutrients for active, growing kids. Our family were given some samples to try, and they're a crispy, crunchy hit.

The Basics
New Zbar Crispy, an organic rice crispy snack. Comes in 3 flavors -- Chocolate, Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter. Zbar Crispy also offers more calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin D than most all-family snack bars. These nutrients are essential for kids' growth but tend to often be missing in kids' meals and snacks.



All natural: no HFCS, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives, no trans fats. 8g of whole grains.


The Bongga
Yum! I'm not surprised that everyone in the family loves these new Zbar Crispies. The Chocolate was the all-around favorite; not only do you get yummy chocolate flavor in every bite, you also get chocolate chunks scattered throughout the bar for twice the yumminess!


The Blah



Neither Alfie nor I liked the Peanut Butter flavor much; I didn't see any peanuts in the bar, just peanut butter chips that didn't really taste like peanut butter, more like butterscotch. But the Peanut Butter was actually the kids' favorite flavor! They liked it much more than the Chocolate Chip Flavor (which was Alfie's and my second favorite), so maybe the sweetness appeals a lot more to kids than it does to adults. I guess I have to bow to the kids' opinion because these are Clif *Kid* bars, after all (although I actually prefer them to regular Clif bars because the servings are smaller).

The Bottom Line
What a great, yummy, healthy option from Clif Kid to add to my kids' lunch box and snack time stash!


Win a box of CLIF Kid Zbar Crispy snacks
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a box with one dozen Zbar Crispy snacks from CLIF Kid (4 of each flavor).

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which flavor of CLIF Kid Zbar Crispy you or your child would like to try the most. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


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

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

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

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

I entered the CLIF Kid ZBar Crispy giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

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

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

6) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Win a dozen CLIF Kid ZBar Crispy bars from @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 30, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 31 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Changes at Disney's California Adventure

Last week I blogged about some exciting changes going on at the Disneyland Hotel. Actually, there are changes happening all around the Disneyland Resort, and some of the biggest changes are happening at Disney's California Adventure. Disney wants to give DCA more family ride experiences, a greater immersive experience and more connections to beloved Disney characters (like with the Toy Story ride and Ariel's Undersea Adventure ride).

Last month I got a chance to speak with two Disney executives about some of those changes: Mary Niven, Vice President at Disney California Adventure Park and Guest Services at the Disneyland Resort, and Bob Weis, Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering and Portfolio Creative Leader for the expansion of Disney California Adventure.

This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and I wasted no chance to ask the question that was burning in my mind (and no doubt in many other Disneyland fans' minds): What happened to those giant "C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A" letters in front of the park?

(Remember those letters? They were still around in September 2010, the last time we took the kids to Disneyland, and as always, they enjoyed posing with the letters. I also added a follow-up question: Can I buy the "N"?)

Fortunately for everyone, Mary and Bob assured me that the letters are in storage, safe and sound. Unfortunately for me, the "N" is not for sale, nor are any of the other letters; they were removed to make way for the new DCA entrance they are constructing. Mary and Bob told me they are definitely aware of the emotional attachment that many people have for those letters, so they're not going to throw them away, but they're still thinking about where to put them.

One of the biggest changes happening is the construction of the new Cars Land, which is scheduled to open sometime in 2012. Kathy Mangum, Executive Producer and Vice President at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Kevin Rafferty, Senior Concept Writer at Walt Disney Imagineering, told me it's going to be amazing: 12 acres of pure Radiator Springs fun. Eleven of those twelve acres are pure expansion; they're using the old parking lot in the rear, so DCA is about to get a whole lot bigger! Cars Land is going to resemble radiator springs, complete with Flo's V8 cafe and a great view of the mountains, just like you see in the Cars movies.




I can't wait to get back to Disney's California Adventure once all these changes are complete!

Disclosure: I received a media invitation to attend the opening of Star Tours and other events. Transportation, lodging and park tickets were provided by Disneyland Resort Public Relations. The views and opinions expressed here are my own..

Continue reading...

See what Phineas and Ferb are up to this summer vacation

According to Phineas and Ferb, there are one hundred and one days of summer vacation -- trust me, I know. I listen to their theme song often enough! Phineas and Ferb is my kids' favorite animated series, and they're not alone; "Phineas and Ferb" is TV's number one animated series in Prime among kids 6-11 and tweens 9-14, and has been for tweens for the past 3 years. They love watching Phineas and his stepbrother Ferb cook up all kinds of crazy schemes and gadgets while their sister Candace tries repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) to get their parents to see what they're up to. I think they must feel a special affinity because Phineas and Ferb look like they're the same age -- kind of like 3Po and Jammy, who are twins -- and they have an older sister Candace -- kind of like The Pea! I never hear so many peals of delighted laughter coming out of our living room as when Phineas and Ferb is turned on!

Anyway, it looks like Phineas and Ferb are going to be busy for all one hundred and one of those days. Just look at what they have planned for the summer!

* Disney's Emmy Award-winning hit series "Phineas and Ferb," TV's #1 animated show among tweens for the past three years, has announced the premiere of the Disney Channel Original Movie, "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension," set to debut Friday, August 5 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel XD.

* Take Two with Phineas and Ferb", a series of two-minute interview segments in which the animated stepbrothers host their own animated/live action talk show by interviewing real, live celebrity guests, is premiering its second round of interviews in July 2011 on the Disney Channel. Guests include David Beckham, Larry King, Howie Mandel, Jason Segel and Shawn White.

* Disney is launching "Perry the Platy-bus On Tour", a 27-foot long Airstream trailer decorated to look like Perry the Platypus. It will be making a coast-to-coast journey from New York City to San Diego for Comic-Con (July 21-14), then on to the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim on August 19-21.

* The soundtrack "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 1st and 2nd Dimensions" is being released on August 2, and a two-disc "Ultimate Fan Pack", including a DVD of "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension," will be available on August 23.

* Phineas and Ferb action figures, apparel, grocery, junior novel, novelty book, magazine and other products are appearing in stores.

Disclosure: I received a Phineas and Ferb gift pack from the Disney Channel as a thank you for posting this information. Iinformation is provided by Child's Play Communications and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Skin MD Natural +SPF 15 review and giveaway

I've been a fan of Skin MD Natural Shielding lotion ever since I first tried it in 2009. I love how it glides on my skin without a hint of greasiness and I'm amazed at how it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. This was not one of those products that I review once and then promptly forgot: when my original supply ran out, I searched far and wide to find it, and I still use it to this day. It's not cheap, so I use it sparingly, on my knuckles, elbows, calves, all the driest, roughest spots. And of course, I use it on my son whenever he has one of his eczema flare-ups.

For all my experience with Skin MD, I've never tried their Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF 15. So Skin MD sent me a 4 0z. bottle to try, and I think it's a great option for skin care with light sun protection.

The Basics
According to the makers, Skin MD is not just a moisturizing lotion or protecting cream. It's a shielding lotion. So what's a shielding lotion?

A shielding lotion is unlike any other conventional, artificial moisturizers because it works with the skin to naturally moisturize and heal. Most conventional, artificial moisturizers only add moisture to the surface of the skin, but do little to repair the skin's natural barrier against moisture robbing irritants. Skin MD Natural breaks the dry skin cycle by working to help restore skin's natural protective abilities by bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier against toxins and irritants that can dry the skin, while locking in the skin's natural oils.

Here's more information about Skin MD Natural with SPF15:

Skin MD Natural + SPF 15 is never greasy and won't clog pores making it perfect for all over use including the face. It is formulated with out Oxybenzone, a common sun screen ingredient that made the news last year when it was found to be a hormone-disrupting chemical which penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. Skin MD Natural + SPF 15 is made using solar power and contains natural ingredients that are vegan and cruelty free making it the eco friendly choice for summer skin protection.



The Bongga
The Natural Shielding lotion with SPF 15 feels great! To be sure, it's a bit thicker and not as silky as the regular lotion, and it doesn't absorb as easily, but it's still remarkably light when you compare it to other lotions with SPF 15 (and I'm not even going to compare it to sunscreen lotion). In fact, if it weren't for the smell, you wouldn't know it was an SPF lotion. I know many people use the icky feel of sunscreen lotion as an excuse not to apply it year-round (okay, I admit, I'm one of those people) -- but now that you know about Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF 15, there's no more reason not to be sun-safe every single day.

The Blah
Like its non-SPF counterpart, this lotion is not cheap ($15 for a 4-ounce bottle). It's at the price point of department store brands like Clinique (which sells a 5-ounce tube of SPF 15 face/body lotion for $21). But in the case of Skin MD Natural, you definitely get what you pay for: a wonderfully moisturizing lotion that keeps you safe in the sun.

A final word on sun safety: this lotion is *not* waterproof, and as far as SPF goes, a factor of 15 is pretty low, so I wouldn't use it as a replacement for your regular, waterproof sunblock lotion when you go to the beach or the pool or plan to spend a prolonged period of time in the sun.


The Bottom Line
Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion with SPF 15 gives you everyday sun protection without that icky greasy feeling!


Take the Pledge to Stop the Burn and enter to win Skin MD Natural +SPF 15
With more and more people each year being diagnosed with skin cancer, Skin MD has started an awareness campaign to help people become more sun savvy and find out more about the dangers of skin cancer. Take Skin MD's Stop the Burn pledge at http://www.skinmdnatural.com/pledge/ and you'll be entered to win a bottle of Skin MD Natural +SPF 15! One person who took the pledge will be randomly chosen each week.


Win a bottle of Skin MD Natural + SPF 15
Here's another chance to win a bottle of this wonderfully non-greasy sun lotion! Skin MD will give one bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion +SPF 15 to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader.

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a sun safety tip. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

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

1) Take Skin MD's Stop the Burn pledge at http://www.skinmdnatural.com/pledge/ then leave a comment on this post telling me you took the pledge (1 entry).

2) Write this on the Skin MD Natural Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Energizer battery and gas card giveaway on Bonggamom Finds! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Skin MD Natural giveaway! http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes

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

5) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Win a bottle of @Skinmdnatural lotion with SPF15 on @bonggafinds http://tinyurl.com/bonggaprizes #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 30, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 31 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Blue Sky Home Series planning products review and giveaway

Wow, summer is already halfway gone, and it won't be long before we go back to the daily school routine and all the craziness of homework, playdates, soccer practice and dance class.

Having my online calendar synched to my phone is a lifesaver, but now that the kids are getting older, I want them to start taking responsibility for their own schedules. At the very least, I want them to know what activities they have for the day, week and month! I'm not about to get all 3 of them smart phones, so paper calendars and planners and notes still very much a part of our lives.

Blue Sky, makers of stylish planning and business products, recognizes the role that paper-based organizing products still play in family organization -- which is why they've created the new Blue Sky Home Series, a collection of calendar-based organizational products for modern households. The series offers 14 products, with designs from Susy Jack* Contemporary Paper, all under $10. It's available at Target stores nationwide.

I was given a few of the items from the Blue Sky Home Series product line to review, and I love their clean design (each product comes in a warm pink or cool blue color tone so you can pick one that doesn't clash with your decor).


My kids love the Door Notes, with its unique door hang design. My husband frequently writes notes to himself and tapes them up on the cereal cabinet door, so with these Door Notes all he has to do is hang the note on the cabinet knob!



Their mouse pad is a multi-tasker, just like a mom! It doubles as a tear-off note pad. I'm always searching for notepads to jot things down on, so this is ideal for me.



I really like all the products with magnetic backings (Activity Tracker Board, Family Weekly Board, Grocery Checklist Pad) because they stick on our fridge, which is where everyone ends up looking anyway.


I like that their Weekly / Monthly planner starts in July and ends in June -- it's perfect for the schoolyear -- but it doesn't work for me since it doesn't hang on the wall and it's too big for my purse. But that's the beauty of this Blue Sky Home Series. You can just pick the products that make sense for you and your lifestyle.

View the Blue Sky Home Series product line here.


Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win an assortment of Blue Sky Home Series products.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which product in the Blue Sky Home Series product line is your favorite. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

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

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

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

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

I entered the Blue Sky Home Series giveaway! http://ow.ly/5A7Pd

4) Write this on the Blue Sky Facebook page wall, telling them Bonggamom sent you, and telling them which of their new card designs you love the best (1 entry).

I entered to win an assortment of Blue Sky Home Series products on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/5A7Pd

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

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

7) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Win an assortment of #blueskyhomeseries planning products on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/5A7Pd #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 28, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 29 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received assorted product samples to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Disneyland Hotel Enhancements

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about a great reason to stay at the Disneyland Resort this summer: if you stay at one of the 3 Disneyland Resort Hotels from June 3 to September 5, 2011 and receive 2 FASTPASS tickets* for each person in your travel party, per stay.

As if that weren't enough reason to stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel, here's another one -- the Disneyland Hotel is better than ever. Their brand new pool area with an amazing slide, poolside restaurant and poolside bar are so nice, you may not want to leave the hotel.

Here are the deets:
As part of an exciting renovation project, the Disneyland Hotel gets a retro theme with a contemporary twist. Along with beautiful new decor in the rooms, guests will enjoy historic and nostalgic elements of Disneyland park, circa the 1950s. In keeping with that spirit, the new Tangaroa Terrace restaurant will open this spring, along with the new bar called Trader Sam's. The tiki-inspired design and storyline for this restaurant and bar tie in thematically with the mid-century modern architecture of the Disneyland Hotel and the adjacent Dream Tower, soon to be renamed Adventure Tower.


I first saw the new Disneyland pool in early June, when I was invited to a poolside party there. This was my first view of the slide:

It was absolutely spectacular. The wall of water flowing all the way from the top of the retro-style Disneyland sign, down to the bottom of the pool, was impressive indeed. I went back to the pool area in the morning and was even more impressed:



The structure is designed to resemble a Disney Monorail station. It contains two corkscrew water slides (you climb up the stairs to the top of the structure to get to the start of the slides). I love how they incorporated the two Monorails into the slide design!

It's quite ironic: I was staying at the Grand Californian, which is something I have always wanted to do, and now that I was actually there, all I wanted to do was stay at the Disneyland Hotel again so I could try out that amazing slide! When my kids saw these photos they were so excited, it was all I could do to stop them from booking a stay at the Disneyland Hotel themselves!

Disclosure: I received a media invitation to attend a party at the newly renovated Disneyland Hotel pool and was given a tour of their special themed suites. Transportation, lodging and park tickets were provided by Disneyland Resort Public Relations. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Freaky Pets review and giveaway

Have you ever felt like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde? Do you have a secret personality that can't wait to burst out? Here's a new, fun toy that knows exactly what you're going through! Check out these unique line of transformable Freaky Pets:

About Freaky Pets
Freaky Pets are the first-of-its-kind line of transformable plush creatures that come to life in an online virtual world. The cute creatures turn into creepy critters just by turning the animals inside out, two toys in one! Kids will love to collect and play Freaky Pets with friends! Freak Pets can be purchased at select Hallmark stores and after purchasing you receive a code which allows you access into the fun online virtual 3-D world where your stuffed animals come to life! Kids can let their imagination run wild while caring and training their Freaky Pet. After their pet learns enough tricks, kids can put them into a competition with other users. They can also play mini-games winning coins which can be used to personalize their pet. The plush pets and 3-D game combine the timeless fun of collecting stuffed animals with age-appropriate content online.

My kids adore the Gweek we received to review. They fight over him all the time! They call him Gweeky, and he's a firmly established member of their stuffed toy family. I find him kind of hilarious, because in many ways Gweeky is just like my kids.


Most of the time, Gweeky is meek and mild-mannered. So adorable and soft!



Occasionally, he reveals a different side of his personality. Just open up the velcro closure on Gweeky's back and turn him inside out to see Gweeky when he's cranky!



Meet the evil-tempered Gweeky. You do NOT want to mess with this guy. Chocolate ice cream and a good night's sleep will help sweeten his temper. Oh hang on, that's Jammy, not Gweeky.

There are just 2 quality issues I have with this toy. First, Cranky Gweeky's fangs are pretty crumpled and rumpled from being squooshed up inside Cute Gweeky most of the time. Second, the velcro closure doesn't shut properly, so Cute Gweeky always has a bit of Cranky Gweeky popping out of his butt. But the kids don't care about that, they only care that Gweeky is the adorable little guy they can play with in real life and online.


Freaky Pets releases first single and album

Freaky Pets just released the first single called ‘I Feel Good’ featuring the Black Eyed Puffs, from the album ‘New Pets on The Block’ which is filled with 5 kid friendly tunes! ‘I Feel Good’ is a fun, pop dance tune which celebrates feeling good, feeling positive, and knowing that even when things get a little rough, they will get better! The first 5,000 people get a free download by visiting www.FreakyPets.com. The full album filled with fun music for kids will be released on July 12th and will be sold on iTunes and Amazon.com.


Win a Freaky Pet
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Freaky Pet stuffed toy.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which Freaky Pet is your favorite. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

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

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

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

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

I entered the Freaky Pet giveaway! http://ow.ly/5A9R2

4) Write this on the Freaky Pet Facebook page wall, telling them Bonggamom sent you, and telling them which of their new card designs you love the best (1 entry).

I entered to win a Freaky Pet on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/5A9R2

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

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

7) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Win a Freaky Pet plush toy on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/5A9R2 #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 28, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 29 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received assorted product samples to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by Freaky Pets and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- List Your Giveaways Here

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

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

Continue reading...

Christmas in July

There are still six whole months left until the holiday season, but that's no reason to be a humbug. Christmas is all about celebrating with your loved ones and being thankful for your blessings, so why not keep that holiday spirit alive all year? Here are four easy ways to celebrate Christmas in July:

1) Browse through a Christmas store.
When the sun is hot, the last things you may be thinking about are Christmas trees and stockings -- but all that changes once you walk into a year-round Christmas store. There are 3 that I know of in the Bay Area --Seasons at Pier 39, San Francisco, Kris Kringle in downtown Carmel and Christmas by the Cove, Pacifica . There's also one called Dorthea's in Folsom, near Sacramento. These stores sell all kinds of Christmas ornaments and decorations all year round, so you're sure to find a special one to suit your taste.

2) Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen
When the holidays come along, toy barrels are overflowing and volunteer spots at food banks, shelters and other non-profit organizations fill up quickly -- but you can help your community any time of the year. You can spreed Good Cheer and Gill Will To All Men by serving up food at a soup kitchen, packing school supplies and backpacks for needy kids or just cleaning out your house and giving the stuff you don't need to a homeless shelter.

3) Plan a trip Down Under
Don't forget, July is wintertime in the Southern Hemisphere! If it's your year to splurge, you can go skiing in New Zealand, build a snowman in Chile or make snow angels in Australia. So dig out those earmuffs and gloves and get ready for a White Christmas in July!

4) Beat the holiday card rush
It's never too early to start planning your Christmas cards! I always like to send out photo cards, so around this time of the year I like to start thinking about the kind of photo I want on my holiday cards. Good photographers' schedules fill up quickly starting in September, so if you book early you get your choice of photographers, dates, times and locations. You can even start checking out card designs -- check out the ones on Storkie.com.




Merry Half-Christmas, everyone!

Disclosure:This is a compensated post, courtesy of Storkie, via Global Influence. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Billy Elliot The Musical is showing in San Francisco

Bay Area Broadway fans, rejoice! Billy Elliott the Musical is playing at San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre through September 17. There are even rush seats available (30 per show, first come first served, 2 per person, cash only) that you can get at the box office 2 hours before showtime at $40 per ticket.

About the show:
BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL is a joyous celebration of one young boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls BILLY ELLIOT "THE MOST INSPIRING SHOW I'VE SEEN IN YEARS."

Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community. A big musical with an even bigger heart, BILLY ELLIOT will enchant the dreamer in all of us.


I was given complimentary tickets to the show, so I took the other person in our family who loves to dance -- The Pea -- for a Girls Night Out, dinner and a show.

We LOVED it. I watched the movie several years ago, and loved that, so it came as no surprise that the musical was brilliant -- but even if you've watched the movie, you'll find something new to enjoy about the musical:

* You'll laugh a lot more, because there are many more one-liners and funny scenes that weren't in the movie.

* I think you'll also cry more, because the musical explores Billy's relationship with his dead mother in much greater depth. Every time Billy spoke with his mother, she came up on stage and I started sobbing at the thought of such a young boy missing his mummy.

* The dancing was also more prominent (hey, it is a Broadway musical, after all); in the movie, most of the dancing is done by Billy, but in the musical there are all sorts of musical dance numbers featuring Billy, his best friend Michael (I don't think Michael was in the movie, but he's a big part of the musical, and he's amazing), the miners, and the little girls who take Mrs. Wilkinson's ballet class along with Billy. The dancing was absolutely amazing, and I can't say enough about Billy!

You must watch it. You simply must.

Now, some caveats. Actually, they're only caveats for people thinking about taking their kids to the show:

1) The show, including intermission is 3 hours long. It started at 7:30PM and I was expecting it to end by 9:30, but it was 11:00 by the time the applause ended and the house lights went back up.

2) The show description includes the following parental advisory:

Billy Elliot is most appropriate for children 8 years of age or older. It contains strong language and some scenes of confrontation between policemen and miners.

Take it seriously. When they say "strong language", they mean it. Shit, stupid, Jesus, Christ and the F-word are used frequently -- by children as well as adults. Kids hurl insults at grownups and grownups swat and cuff the kids. It's totally appropriate for the play -- they're uneducated miners in Northern England, and that's how they speak, after all, and hearing the kids talk a blue streak was kind of funny -- but I did feel like covering The Pea's ears half the time! I made her swear, I mean promise, that she wouldn't use language like that in the real world :)

Also, the background story is quite a mouthful for a young child, and the clashes between policemen and miners were intense. Even The Pea, age 10, had a job trying to understand what was going on. She couldn't quite understand why it was such a big deal for Billy's father to go back to work, or why people were demoralized when the strike ended, or why it began in the first place.

There was a big posterboard about the British coal miner's strike with background information in the lobby, and it was quite an interesting read, but it was still difficult for The Pea to read through. I had to explain to her in simpler terms about labor unions, strikes and demonstrations before moving on to the actual events.

So if you've got young children who love to dance, I'd suggest waiting a few years to take them to see this musical. But it's a wonderful source of inspiration to older kids, especially those who love dance. Seeing all those young kids performing on stage really showed The Pea how far you can go with talent and dedication. And it's a wonderful message for kids everywhere to be true to yourself and follow your dreams.

Disclosure: Show information is provided by SHN and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Win the contents of your shopping bag at Company Kids

Company Kids usually has a good sale section (I've gotten quite a few bedding and home decor items for the kids' bedroom that way), and their clearance sale events (there's one going on right now) has even better bargains.

But the best bargain of all is getting Company Kids stuff for free -- and for a limited time, five lucky Company Kids shoppers per day will win the contents of their online shopping bags for free! Here are the deets:


Company Kids: Win Your Shopping Bag
Now through August 8th, Company Kids will be selecting five lucky purchasers daily to receive their entire online shopping bag for FREE! All shoppers can fill their bags with desired Company Kids goodies, checkout, and complete their purchase. Once the purchase is submitted, they are automatically entered to win.




You can also enter this sweepstakes without purchase here.

Disclosure: I am receiving a gift from Company Kids as a thank-you for posting this information. Contest information is provided by Company Kids and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

New HALO bars by ProBar - review and giveaway

These days I'm making a real effort to eat healthier foods (see my Forty Before Forty list, items #1 and #2), and although I think I might actually be on my way to breaking my addiction to junk food, those mid-morning and mid-afternoon munchies continue to be a real challenge. When you're starving and/or stressed, it's all too easy to end up with a bowlful of potato chips or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because all you're concerned about is satisfying that hunger, and you don't stop to think (or don't want to think).

The solution, of course, is to rid your pantry of unhealthy foods -- but deprivation is never the answer, because after weeks with only celery in the fridge I'm just going to drive over to Sprinkles Cupcakes or Cold Stone Creamery and pig out. Besides, I've got kids, so I need to keep some snacks like bagels and graham crackers, which are okay in small quantities, especially for kids, but all too easy for grownups like me to overindulge in.

This summer ProBar launched a new line of adult and kid-friendly snack bars called HALO. Like the name suggests, they are a healthier snack option you can indulge in without too much guilt. They're low in sugar, only 150 calories, with zero trans fats, 2 grams of fiber, and 3-5 grams of protein. The primary sugar used is organic brown rice syrup, which has a low glycemic index value so it gives you sustained energy without a dramatic spike (and dip) in blood sugar. They're vegan, dairy-free and all-natural.

Oh, did I mention they taste great? They come in four yummy flavors -- Nutty Marshmallow, Honey Graham, Rocky Road and S'mores. Who wouldn't want to try flavors like that?

The Basics
HALO- Satisfying your sweet tooth with zero grams of guilt. Introducing Halo™, the delicious between meals treat that’s designed to do your body good. With natural whole food ingredients and heavenly taste, these bars have such big flavors they take on a personality all their own.

HALO sent us samples of all four flavors so we could try them out. Here's what we thought of them:

The Bongga/The Blah
I didn't think I'd like this flavor -- I thought it would be sickly sweet -- but I was pleasantly surprised at the balance struck by the sweet marshmallow and the nutty flavors. There were peanuts scattered throughout the bar, giving it a nice crunch.


The Honey Graham bar had the most indistinct flavor out of all the four bars. It was sweet and satisfying, but it didn't really taste like a graham cracker. My kids were lukewarm about this flavor, and it did sort of feel like we were eating a regular, run-of-the-mill energy bar.


The rocky road flavor is my personal favorite. Hey, who doesn't like chocolate? The bar is dark and dense, which immediately fools my brain into thinking it's a lot more decadent than it really is. It has a strong chocolate flavor with a hint of nuts, just like any rocky road bar should be. If you close your eyes, you can easily imagine that you're biting into a brownie with nuts.


This was the all-around winner! Every single person in my family loved it! It's filled with chocolate chips, so every time you bite into one you feel like you're really indulging in a treat. I must admit I did not quite taste the "graham cracker" in this S'more (that was the same problem with the Honey Graham flavor), but it's still a really great-tasting bar.



The Bottom Line
HALO bars are a great between-meals option for adults and kids because they fill you up with good, healthy ingredients and taste a lot more decadent than they really are. You can actually have one without feeling guilty that you're cheating on your diet, or give your kids one without worrying that you're setting them up for a lifetime of junk food addiction!



Win a HALO Bars prize pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds winner will receive a box of HALO bars with a women’s Osprey Courier bag embroidered with the PROBAR logo.

Required entry:
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which HALO Bar flavor you would most like to try. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

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


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

2) Retweet my HALO bar giveaway tweet (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet).

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

I entered to win a box of sinfully delicious HALO Bars on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/5xr2t

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

I entered the HALO Bar giveaway! http://ow.ly/5xr2t

This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 21, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on July 22 and post the winner's name on the comments section soon after. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Miracle-Gro Kids ModPots

My thumb is blacker than black. I can barely keep a cactus alive! Still, every summer I try to grow a few vegetables or herbs -- and whatever manages to sprout never lasts the summer.

This year, I decided to involve the kids -- with a little help from the Miracle-Gro Kids ModPots set that was given to me for review.

The Basics
About ModPots:
Welcome to gardening with a modern twist! The Miracle-Gro Kids ModPots gardening set can be arranged again and again with snap-able, switchable plant pots. The ModPots set also includes Gro-Pod containers wtih Miracle-Gro Gro-Mix, seed packets, plant marking stakes, a planting stick, a Gro-Chart and plant care instructions. ModPots sets are available in both flower and vegetable varieties that can be combined to create an even more exciting garden design.


The Bongga
My kids really took to gardening with these ModPots! I have to admit, the fact that their grandmother was visiting may have had something to do with it -- she's an experienced gardener, and taught them now to germinate the seeds in the pots and care of the seedlings once they sprouted. But while Nana provided the expertise, ModPots provided the fun. The kids loved the brightly colored pots and cute little plant marking stakes (and I was thankful the kit came with multiple pots and seeds so each kid could "own" a plant).

They experimented with different layouts for the ModPots (you can snap them together in a variety of configurations) and decided to lay them out in a line so they could use our windowsill. They were so excited when their seeds sprouted:




It only took about 10 days or so. My mother'-in-law was surprised and impressed that it took so little time! I guess that's the Miracle-Gro potting mix for you. By the way, that photo was taken just over one month ago; take a look at these babies now!



They've outgrown their Miracle-Gro pots and are ready to go outside. I'm terrified these plants will die because I don't think I've ever grown a plant from seed to this advanced stage, but the kids seem to have it in hand. They water the plants and make sure they have enough space to grow. They even did the transplanting and staking! I'm happy to see them taking responsibility for growing these plants and happy to see their sense of accomplishment with each new leaf, stem and flower that sprouts.

And what of our ModPots? I've washed them off and they are on the gardening shelf in our garage, waiting for next year's vegetable garden!


The Blah
The ModPots do interlock -- but only "sort of". They do not actually snap together to become one unit. If you try to pick them up, they'll separate immediately (as we found out, to one poor little eggplant seedling's detriment).


The Bottom Line
Miracle-Gro Kids ModPots is a fun and easy way to introduce kids to gardening and keep them motivated and engaged throughout the whole growing process.

Disclosure:I received a product sample to facilitate my review, but have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by Litzky PR and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Free Food

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

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


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


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


Happy eating!

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

Continue reading...

A Galaxy's Worth of Adventure on Star Tours - The Adventures Continue

This is the first press blurb that I read about the hottest new ride at Disneyland, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue:

For those who dare to venture into the deep, dark corners of the universe, Star Tours - The Adventures Continue officially launched on June 3 in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park, taking guests on interstellar adventurers to Coruscant, Tatooine and other destinations in the "Star Wars" galaxy. With the return of favorite Star Wars characters and the addition of more familiar faces and destinations, guests will experience Starspeeder travel in an all-new way... in 3D!

But that hardly says anything, does it? I attended the opening of this attraction at the beginning of June and had the chance to go on the ride along with other members of the press, and the ride deserves a better description! I think the summary I wrote gives you a much better bird's eye view of what the new Star Tours ride is all about:

Just like the original Star Tours, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue is a flight simulator ride that takes you on a wild flight through the deep space of Star Wars , but that's where the similarity ends. Instead of the bumbling pilot droid Rex, you now have C3Po in the cockpit and R2D2 up on top of the shuttle. The old Starspeeder 3000 is now a Starspeeder 1000 (actually the 1000 is the older version, since this ride is set earlier in time than the old one). And with all the advanced technology at their fingertips this time around, they're able to create an experience far better than anything anyone could ever dream of -- anyone, that is, except George Lucas and the Disney Imagineers. Now you experience it all in HD and 3D. There are special effects inside the cabin (lights, smoke), that give an extra degree of reality to all those laser shots and explosions. Best of all, there are alternate story lines, so you'll rarely experience the same ride twice!

If you only have five minutes, you can stop here and leave this post with my enthusiastic recommendation for Star Tours ringing in your ears. But for those of you who haven't experienced the ride -- yet -- here's a detailed description of what you can expect:


The Queue
The ride itself is about 4 or 5 minutes, but given how popular it is, you can probably expect at least an hour's wait time (can you believe, the Star Tours line was 4-5 hours long on opening day??). Fortunately, Star Tours has probably the best queue entertainment and pre-ride shows of all the attractions in Disneyland. This is one of the things that I feel distinguishes Disney from any other theme park: they try to make waiting in line a little less agonizing with animatronics, videos, and decor so there's always something interesting to look at.

The first thing you see when you get into the Star Tours building is a huge replica of the Starspeeder 1000 that visitors will be boarding. R2D2 is on top of the ship, and C3P0 is beside it, and as usual, they are bickering at each other. Nearby is a big video screen playing a Star Tours promotional video, showcasing all the wonderful places that travelers can visit.


Along the way, you'll see another video of silhouettes of characters walking past -- stormtroopers, droids, people, etc.. -- making it look like they're just wandering around the spaceport and they're on the other side of a backlit window.

Further on, you'll see another animatronic droid who is supposedly scanning the people in line, entertaining people with his wit and wisdom.


Once you finally get to the loading bay, you get to see a video of droids getting the Starspeeder ready for its journey. Again, it's something you can imagine seeing if you were about to board a flight and happened to look out a window.

The final pre-ride video is their safety video, patterned after the ones we see on airplanes, but themed to the Star Wars universe. So instead of just a video of people buckling their seatbelts, you see Wookies and other creatures from Star Wars alongside humans with robes and crazy hairstyles. The droid who voices the safety video even does it in Spanish at the end! It's clever and funny and it certainly puts you in the right mood to immerse yourself totally in the experience and enjoy the ride.



The Ride
Finally, after all that waiting, you're one of the lucky people who have made it onto a Starspeeder! You've fastened your seatbelts and your 3D goggles are on. The pilot's privacy screen rolls down to reveal none other than C3Po, who becomes our pilot for the journey (though not by his choice!... but we're getting ahead of ourselves). Throughout the ride C3Po will be talking to R2D2, who supposedly is on the roof of the Starspeeder.

Much has been made about the 50+ ride combinations, so let's go through the ride sequence and explore all the possibilities:

You start out in a flight hangar........

1) Darth Vader approaches your Starspeeder and insists there is a Rebel spy on board. He and his storm troopers try to prevent your ship from leaving, so R2D2 gets the Starspeeder out of the hangar, into space and jumps to light speed.

2) A droid scans your Starspeeder and identifies one of your passengers as a Rebel spy. Han Solo, whose Millennium Falcon is parked nearby, gets into a firefight, which gives R2D2 the chance to get the Starspeeder out of the hangar. Your ship follows the Falcon into space and jumps to light speed.

After you get out of light speed, you land on one of 3 worlds......

1) Your Starspeeder lands on Tattoine, the dusty planet where Anakin Skywalker was born, and joins a pod race.

2) Your Starspeeder lands on Kashyyyk, the Wookie planet, and is chased by speeder bikes through the forest (this was one of the worlds I encountered, and everyone loved it when Chewbacca hit our windshield!)

3) Your Starspeeder lands on Hoth, the ice planet, dodging AT-ATs and sliding down glaciers (this one was so much fun, it felt like we were expert snowboarders!)


R2D2 gets the ship back into light speed, then comes out in deep space. Then one of 3 holographic images appear, pleading with you to join the Rebel Alliance and help get the Rebel spy to safety

1) Princess Leia
2) Admiral Ackbar
3) Yoda

R2D2 makes the decision for everyone and takes the ship to the rendezvous point given to him by the hologram....

1) You end up in the midst of a battle on Coruscant, dodging vehicles throughout the city, finally landing on a platform, sending droids scurrying here and there.

2) You end up in the Geonosis asteroid belt, chased by Boba Fett, fly right through the Death Star, chased by Darth Vader and his TIE pilots, then meet up with the Rebel fleet and land in one of their ships' landing bays.

3) You end up in Naboo, Queen Amidala's home planet, diving deep into the ocean, where you evade sea monsters, run into Jar Jar Binks near the Gungan underwater city, then resurface and crash land in a hanger, where a Naboo starfighter's nose crashes through your windshield (this was my favorite part, it was 3D at its best!)

So, if you do the math,

2 openings * 3 planet detours * 3 holographic images * 3 endings = 54 possible combinations!

Sadly, your ride has come to an end. It's time to unbuckle your seatbelt and drop your 3D glasses into the bins -- although I was really tempted to steal one, because these are the best 3D glasses I've ever worn! They fit so nicely over my regular glasses so I don't have to keep fiddling with them, or settle for inferior vision that gets me even more dizzy and nauseated.

The ride is really a lot of fun. I rode it twice; the first time, I felt quite nauseous but enjoyed myself so much I had to do it again, and the second time I hardly felt any motion sickness at all. The combination of HD video, 3D effects, stereo sound, motion and special effects (lights and smoke around the cabin) really make it feel like you're really a part of the action, looking through the windshield and flying around in a Starspeeder. When you're at Disneyland, make sure you head straight to Star Tours first thing in the morning so you can ride Star Tours again and again!




Disclosure: I received a media invitation to attend the opening of Star Tours and other events. Transportation, lodging and park tickets were provided by Disneyland Resort Public Relations. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- List Your Giveaways Here

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

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

Continue reading...