Sesame Street Spoofs

I'm a big fan of Glee, but my latest favorite Glee episode doesn't even involve Mr. Shuester or Rachel or Coach Sylvester -- sort of. I'm talking about the latest Sesame Street spoof of Glee. They've got the "G Club", headed by Mr. G (complete with cleft chin!), practicing for "G-gionals". They've even got Coach Sue and her Cheerios (or is it G-rios?) arguing over whether G makes the hard or soft G sound! Of course, the spoof ends with the G-Club's take on Don't Stop Believin.

Priceless!

If you can't get enough of these muppet spoofs, Sesame Street has a DVD collection of their best spoofs throughout the years: Sesame Street Spoofs. It's a special 2-disc set featuring their best satires.

Here's more information about the set:
Sesame Street has always focused on ABCs and 123s, but what happens when the Muppets on the Street become “Mad, Mad Men” teaching emotions on Madison Avenue, or emergency room doctors helping letters in “A’s Anatomy?” Hilarity ensues!

Education mixes with entertainment in this special 2-disc set that includes both recent favorites like “30 Rocks,” “Preschool Musical” and “True Mud,” as well as old school classics like “Hill Street Twos,” “Hey Food” and “Twin Beaks.” All of the best Sesame Street Spoofs have been gathered in this treasure trove that the entire family will enjoy! Includes the Internet sensation Grover “Smell Like a Monster” Spoof, a never-before-seen “Jon and Kate Count to 8” Spoof, and classic “Beat the Time” game show clips starring Guy Smiley!

We received a copy of Sesame Street Spoofs to review, and it is fantastic. I think I enjoyed it more than the kids! I had the pleasure of reminiscing over the old clips from my childhood, and I got to laugh over the spoofs of my favorite contemporary shows. The kids loved it, of course, but they didn't have that additional appreciation, that special thrill of being in on the joke, that comes with understanding what is being parodied. But really, there is something in Sesame Street Spoofs for everyone!

* Little kids will love the cute and funny muppets
* Bigger kids will appreciate the humor, and if they already watch the shows being parodied (like High School Musical or The Braidy Bunch), they'll love the cleverness and the wit
* Grownups will love the cleverness and the wit, as well as the nostalgia
* Parents will love how these clips combine education and entertainment.

Here's a list of all the spoofs in the DVD set (I've also written down which TV show or movie is being spoofed, in italics).

DVD 1 revisits the old-school classics:
Dragnet (the tv show Dragnet)
King Minus (King Midas from Greek mythology)
Here Is Your Life: Oak Tree (the tv show This is Your Life)
Beat The Time: Cookie Monster(the tv show Beat the Clock)
Count It Higher (The Isley Brothers' song, "Twist and Shout")
Six Dollar Man (the tv show Six Million Dollar Man)
Born To Add (The song, Born to run, by bruce springsteen)
Family Food Game (the tv show Family Feud, with host Richard Dawson)
Hey Food (the song Hey Jude, by the Beatles)
Rebel L (the song Rebel Yell, by Billy Idol)
Hill Street Twos (the tv show, Hill Street Blues)
Gone With The Wind (the book and movie, Gone With the Wind)
High Twelve (the movie High Noon)
King and I (Rogers & Hammerstein's The King and I)
Oooo-klahoma! (Oklahoma the musical)
Casablanca Alphabet (the movie Casablanca)
Cereal Girl (the song Material Girl, by Madonna)
Twin Beaks (the tv show Twin Peaks)
Ronnie Trash (the songs I Walk The Line and Ring of Fire, by Johnnie Cash)

My favorite from this DVD was the Beat the Time episode, where Cookie Monster has a few seconds left to find one last thing that rhymes with rain -- and crashes a train into the TV studio! My kids had never seen it before, and were laughing hysterically. I also loved the animated King Midas, who makes everything he touches disappear, helping kids learn the basics of subtraction. I loved these episodes when I was a kid, and I still do.

DVD 2 includes more recent favorites:
Colambo (TV series Columbo)
Spaceship Surprise (the tv series Star Trek)
Braid-Y Bunch (the tv series The Brady Bunch)
Six Feet Under (the tv series Six Feet Under)
Dr. Phil Meets Dr. Feel (the tv talk show Dr. Phil)
Desperate Houseplants (the tv series Desperate Housewives)
24 (the tv series 24)
Law & Order, Special Letters Unit (the tv series Law & Order, SVU)
Outrageous Makeover Home Addition (the reality tv series Extreme Makeover Home Edition)
A's ANatomy (the tv series Grey's Anatomy)
GNN (the news channel CNN)
RSI (Rhyme Scene Investigation) (the tv series CSI)
30 Rocks (the tv series 30 Rock)
Pre-School Musical (the movie High School Musical)
Dirtiest Jobs (the reality tv series Dirtiest Jobs)
Mad Men (the tv series Mad Men)
True Mud (the tv series True Blood)
The Closer (the tv series The Closer)
O Network (the Oprah Winfrey Network)

I haven't seen any of the episodes from Disc 2 before, but it's clear that Sesame Street has not lost its touch over the decades; if anything, their satires are just getting better. I love the episode where Mike Rowe from Dirtiest Jobs is looking for the dirtiest job on Sesame Street, and Oscar challenges him to try being a grouch. Mike has to sort trash, count stinky cheese, even give a pig a mud bath! I also like the O Show, where an animated letter O hands out oboes to the entire audience, and the Dr. Feel show, where guest star Dr. Phil meets the muppet Dr. Feel, and they have to work out their differences as they fight for ownership of the show.

But the best innuendos are in the Desperate Houseplants episode, which features two houseplants who complain they're not getting what they need..... water and sun, of course! (what a dirty mind you have!). At the end of the episode, a gorgeous gardener muppet wanders by and tells one of the plants: Your soil looks.... DRY. I wish I could have blushed, but then I'd have to tell the kids why!

My absolute favorite from the entire collection? The GNN episode. I love Anderson Cooper, and it was delighful to see him in Oscar's trash can, filling in for Oscar at Grouch News Network. Anderson interviews 2 celebrated grouch newscasters, Dan RatherNot, Walter Cranky, going over G words to decide whether the letter G is grouchy or not grouchy. It even has the CNN (sorry, GNN) ticker at the bottom!

As you can probably tell, I LOVE this DVD. It makes a great present for anyone of any age!

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.

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Holiday Deals at Grocery Outlet

My parents are visiting from the Philippines, and every time they are here we spend hours upon hours on shopping trips, searching the stores for presents to take to the family back home. They return to Manila in mid-November, so the timing is perfect for me to send back Christmas presents for my aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. We have a huge family (my mother is one of seven kids, and each of her siblings has at least 3 kids; my mother already has 8 grandchildren!), so I have to be really careful with my budget. I stick to small presents, and search far and wide for deals.

Armed with a $25 gift card that I received at the recent Grocery Outlet Blogger Summit (plus an extra $10 gift card they gave me for being on the winning team of the Grocery Outlet Shopping Challenge!) , I decided to visit the nearest Grocery Outlet store to my home to see what sorts of holiday presents I could get.

Finding a great holiday present was as easy as walking into the store.

Grocery Outlet stores are already filled to bursting with holiday items -- decorations, gift bags, and food. Everything looks so nice, and the prices are great!!

It literally took me one minute to find these Ferrero Rocher holiday gift tins, filled with luscious Ferrero Rocher chocolates. I'm sure the stores in Manila will have Ferrero Rocher as well, but they'll probably be just the regular kind. These have 3 different kinds of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, and they're packed in festive holiday tins. I know the folks in Manila will appreciate these, because they're yummy and unique! And they're just $6.99 each! According to the sign, the regular price is $9.99; I did a quick search on my phone and found them for sale as low as $8.99, so $6.99 is still a great bargain. I used up my whole $35 gift card on seven of these babies, and voila! My shopping for my mother's sisters and brothers, and my grandmother, is done! Easy-peasy, thanks to Grocery Outlet.

Here are some other inexpensive gift ideas I found at Grocery Outlet. Of course, you might not find the exact same deals, but you're sure to find similar (if not better) ones, but these should give you a general idea of what you might find:


Truffles always carry an air of refinement and good taste, and these are just $3.99. They come with in plain, hazelnut, and salted toffee chips varieties. Salty toffee chips -- that sounds so divine, I am tempted to buy these truffles for myself.

Panetonne is an Italian sweet bread traditionally enjoyed during Christmas and New Year. You can add a touch of international flair to your holiday table for just $4.99.


All of these gift ideas look fabulous on their own; all you need to do is add a gift ribbon and a tag. But if you want a really festive-looking present -- or if you want to combine several small gifts to make a gift bag or basket -- Grocery Outlet has holiday gift bags, baskets and boxes for sale as well.


Unfortunately, Grocery Outlet had run out of milk chocolate Lindor truffles; when I visited the store, they only had the white chocolate variety left. Oh, well; that's how it goes at Grocery Outlet. I might go back in a couple of days to see if they've restocked on the milk chocolate variety. Actually, make that I'll definitely go back -- I took my parents with me to Grocery Outlet, and they are hooked! They bought tons of stuff on our visit, and they want to go back before they leave!

Win a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card and a Frugal Friends Bobblehead!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card and five Bobble Bucks which can be traded in at a Grocery Outlet for a free Frugal Friends Bobblehead! If you're already a Grocery Outlet fan, you already know what a Bobblehead is, and you're all excited about this giveaway. If you don't know what a Bobblehead is, this should help:


The Grocery Outlet Frugal Friends Bobbleheads are based on the Grocery Outlet puppets, and they have attracted a huge fan base. Every time you spend $20 at a Grocery Outlet, you get 1 Bobble Buck. Once you have 5 Bobble Bucks, you trade them in for a free limited edition Frugal Friends Bobblehead! As I mentioned, my parents bought a whole lot of stuff at Grocery Outlet -- so they earned enough Bobble Bucks for me to give some away here!


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me what sort of holiday deal you would love to find at a Grocery Outlet store. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

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

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

2) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Grocery Outlet giveaway! http://ow.ly/7iDbd

3) Write this on the Grocery Outlet Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card and 5 Bobble Bucks on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/7iDbd

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger/Google Friend Connect (1 entry).

5) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
Win a $25 gift card to @GroceryOutlet + 5 BobbleBucks for a free Frugal Friends Bobblehead on @bonggafinds! http://ow.ly/7iDbd #giveaways




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 17, 2011; I will draw 1 winner at random on November 18 and post the winner's name after he/she confirms acceptance. Bobble Bucks and gift card will be sent to the winner in separate mailings. Please note that winning the Bobble Bucks does not guarantee you a Bobblehead, as in-store supply may be limited. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received a gift card from Grocery Outlet to purchase the items mentioned in this post. Grocery Outlet is providing the $25 Grocery Outlet gift card prize; the 5 Bobble Bucks for a free Bobblehead is provided by me (or to be more precise, my parents!). The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Holiday Photo Cards from PhotoCardsDirect.com

The holidays are almost here, and it's time to get your holiday cards done! I look forward to sending and receiving holiday cards every year. They decorate our house, filling the spaces above our windows, doorways and fireplace with messages of friendship and love. Even in these tough economic times, I like to set aside a little bit for holiday cards. It's nice to know that there's an online card company that's still within most people's budgets: PhotoCardsDirect.com. Check out their line of holiday cards, they have great designs at a great price!

PhotoCardsDirect.com invited me to print out some holiday cards so we could try out their ordering process and see how the cards turned out. I chose the Scrolled Panel Christmas card because I love the way the photo bleeds all the way to the edges of the card, and I love the scrollwork on the "Season's Greetings" logo. Ordering is super-easy, with lots of little perks like free printed return addresses on the envelopes and free e-cards. Here's how our card turned out:

The Bongga
Here's what I love about PhotoCardsDirect.com:

* It's easy to narrow down your search for the perfect holiday card -- you can select filtering options like the number of photos you want on the card, the photo orientation (i.e. portrait or landscape), the size of the card, even the color scheme.

* You can choose from a variety of greetings inside your card, and you can personalize it with your family's name or names.

* PhotoCardsDirect.com will even give you a link to the electronic version of your card, so you can send a holiday email to people on your email list (let's face it, many of them are going to throw those paper cards away, so you can watch your budget and only send paper cards to the few special people who will cherish it the most!).

* The price is right! Flat, photo-paper cards start at $0.99 per card when you order the minimum amount of 20, and can go as low as $0.55 per card. If you upgrade to cardstock, the price starts at $0.75 per card; folded cards start at $1 per card. Only the flat, photo-paper cards have a minimum order -- if you choose folded cards or flat cardstock, you can order just 1, 2 or 3 cards! I really love that you can get folded cards on cardstock, even if you're on a budget.



The Blah
Here are some things that could be improved:

* I love having pre-written greetings to choose from, but it would be nice for people to be able to compose their own greetings as well.

* Our photo printed out beautifully, but unfortunately there was an error in the design template, and the "Seasons's Greetings" logo did not print out properly. The good news is that when I contacted PhotoCardsDirect.com's customer service, they promptly offered to reprint the cards. Now that's what I call good service! Stay tuned for an update on the revised cards!



The Bottom Line
PhotoCardsDirect.com is a great option for the value-conscious consumer who wants real, beautiful holiday cards, not cards printed on photo paper, but doesn't want to pay high prices.



Win a discount code at PhotoCardsDirect.com
I have a promo code for $15 off an order of 25 cards at PhotoCardsDirect.com, and I'm giving it away to one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader!

To enter, simply follow @PhotoCardsDirect on twitter, and tweet this:

@bonggafinds has a code for $15 off an order of 25 cards from @PhotoCardsDirect -- who wants it? RT this to win it!

Just 1 tweet per person, please. I'll do a search for all valid tweets and draw a random one on November 10. Good luck!

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

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MEGA Bloks Blok Squad

Who needs superheroes from Krypton and Mars when you have everyday heroes helping people right here on earth? I love the idea of building sets themed to people that young kids can look up to as role models -- and MEGA Bloks does a great job of letting kids build and imagine their own missions with their Blok Squad line of building sets.

The Basics
The Blok Squad is MEGA Bloks' line of everyday hero building sets for boys ages 5 or 6 and up. It's set in the town of Bloktopolis, where there are three Blok Squads: the Fire Patrol, the Police Force and the Construction Unit. Each squad has 5 heroes and a number of vehicles that boys can build and send the heroes on missions with. We received the 190-piece Fire Patrol Rescue set, which includes 2 Blok Squad Firefighters and all the pieces you need to build a Fire Rescue Pumper Truck and Fire Patrol ATV.






Here's more information about the Fire Patrol Rescue Set:
All missions are possible when you team up with the two Rescue vehicles of the Blok Squad Fire Patrol Rescue! Build the Fire Rescue Pumper Truck and roar through the streets of Bloktropolis with sirens blaring, carrying hundreds of gallons of water to help put out a fire. Have your Blok Squad Firefighters hook up their hoses and put out fires in even the most remote areas of Bloktropolis! Construct the Fire Patrol ATV and have your Blok Squad Firefighter ride through the toughest terrains to reach any country or city fire! Scout ahead to remote regions of Bloktropolis and help save trapped civilians in an emergency!

Team up both Fire Patrol vehicles and race at top speed to save civilians fenced in from a blazing wildfire!

Ideal for children ages 5 and up!

Collect them all and combine Blok Squad vehicles to create super rescue trucks to complete any mission and save the day!


The Bongga
The Fire Patrol Rescue set is so cute! Here's what I love about it:

* It's fairly easy to put together, and it kept 3Po and Jammy nicely occupied for a number of hours.

* The price is right! Playsets range from just $4.99 to $39.99, so you can afford to give your kids a whole world of heroes to build.

* You can play with this set on its own, or collect more Blok Squad sets and assemble your own Bloktopolis. 3Po and Jammy have their sights set on the Fire Patrol Station so they have a place to park their new Blok Patrol fire rescue vehicles.

* I love how the sides of the fire truck swing open, so the boys can store all the little tanks and pickaxes inside.

* The fire ATV is small enough for one of the boys to take it with him and play in the car, or at a restaurant while waiting for the food to arrive.

* The blocks click together and stay interlocked well enough for the boys to be able to play with the assembled vehicles and pretend their rescue figures are going on firefighting missions. Okay, the top of the fire truck has come off a couple of times, but it's nothing they can't fix in a jiffy.



The Blah
What? Not a single female in the entire Bloktopolis? All of the Blok Squad characters are male -- since when are females not heroes and role models for little boys? We're going to have to borrow female minifigures from our other sets to go on rescue missions with them!

The Bottom Line
Boys have a new set of heroes collect, play with, and look up to, with MEGA Bloks Blok Squad line of buildable playsets and vehicles.

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

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Creative themes and background ideas for family photos

The holidays are coming soon, and it's time to start planning your family's holiday photo! This is the time of the year when family and portrait photographers are booked solid, but even if you're relying on your old point-and-shoot camera, you can still get an interesting shot. Shutterfly has a great online site, Family Photo Days, with tips and tools for taking great family photos. They also have days and times when families will get together to share ideas, take each other's photos, and give the kids something to smile about and make capturing that perfect photo easier.

This year we had our photos taken by the amazing Erin of ErinLeigh Photography, but there have been many years when we took our holiday photos ourselves. Here are some things we did to make our holiday photos more interesting and fun:

* One year, we dressed the kids in the same red holiday sweater. This looks really cute with young children, not so much with older kids and grownups!

* Another year, we dressed the kids in coordinating holiday outfits and identical Santa hats.




* One year, I decided to do a photo collage of the kids. To give it a holiday theme, I painted holiday designs on their faces.



* We still haven't done this, but one of these years I want to dress the kids all in red, and arrange their bodies to spell out the word JOY. We've already done something similar to celebrate Alfie's aunt's 100th birthday, so I'm sure it would be a big hit.

* Two years ago we showed off our house, posing on our front steps and in our back yard. Alfie and I have put a lot of work into getting our home the way we want it to look, so we wanted to show our labor of love to family and friends.

* This year we went for a red background using the red metal outline of the Golden Gate bridge! We had our photo shoot at Crissy Field. Unfortunately, it was a really foggy day, so our Golden Gate Bridge shots didn't turn out so well -- but it's such a lovely park, our photos turned out great anyway. The natural light in outdoor locations always looks great, your kids can run around and get those ants out of their pants, and the photographer always gets great action shots.

Stay tuned for photos from our latest family photo session with Erin -- and good luck with your own photos! Say cheese!

Disclosure: I will be receiving free photo cards from Shutterfly as a thank-you for writing this post. Check out Shutterfly.com, they have tons of holiday cards and photo gifts , and visit Shutterfly's Family Photo Days site for tips on how to take great photos, a list of professional photos, Photo Day events and even a contest to win free cards for a year! The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Take a stand against Type II Diabetes

So Halloween has come and gone, and we're left with four carved pumpkins, plastic skeletons and tombstones, and a houseful of candy. With all the sugar floating around, November -- and National Diabetes Awareness month -- could not come at a better time. Most people know that people with diabetes have high blood sugar, but it's important to be aware of what causes it, so we know how to treat, and in some cases, prevent it: * A person with Type 1 diabetes has high blood sugar because his body fails to produce insulin. * A person with Type 2 diabetes has high blood sugar because their body cells have become insulin resistant. * Pregnant women can sometimes develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually resolves after the woman gives birth, but Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are chronic conditions that cannot be cured. And while Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease, Type 2 diabetes is actually preventable in most cases. Type 2 diabetes affects 25.8 million children and adults in the US, and it's on the rise, not coincidentally with the rise of obesity rates. It often affects obese individuals, but you don't have to be obese to be at risk for Type 2 diabetes. My grandmother has Type 2 diabetes. She has never been obese, but she has not been active in her old age, and at 92, it has caught up with her. It is not easy living with Type 2 diabetes: she has to constantly monitor her blood sugar and avoid her favorite chocolates and other high glycemic foods. As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure, and living a healthy lifestyle can really help towards lowering your risk of getting Type II diabetes. That is why AllWhites and Better’n Eggs ®, two fat-free, cholesterol-free, and low calorie alternatives to shell eggs, has partnered with Oprah's trainer, Bob Greene for a Fit2Fight campaign designed to make people aware of the healthier choices they can make to their diet and exercise. Just a simple switch from regular eggs to AllWhites or Better'n Eggs will help lower your cholesterol and calorie intake, keep you feeling full longer, and provide lean, high-quality protein. They're made from real eggs, so you'll hardly notice the difference! Check out this yummy-looking turkey meatloaf made with Better'n Eggs:
You can find the recipe for Mini Turkey Meatloaves, Vegetable & Grain Quiche and other yummy, healthy recipes at AllWhitesEggWhites.com. Here's how you can help generate some buzz for this campaign: Load the Fit2Fight Type2 Twibbon Load the Fit2Fight Type2 Twibbon for the month of November to let your Twitter followers know you are supporting the campaign Join the #betterneggs Twitter Party Join @bookieboo, Better'n Eggs and celebrity trainer Bob Greene on November 15, 8-10pm EST for a #betterneggs twitter party. They will discuss Type 2 Diabetes, how you can prevent it, or how you can manage it should you be living with it today. Go to Bookieboo's Mamavation twitter party post for more information.

Disclosure: This is a compensated post from Better'n Eggs. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Jake and the Never Land Pirates holiday episode

Now that Halloween is out of the way, it's time to get ready for the holidays! It doesn't take much to get my family into the holiday spirit, but we've been laid low by a bad case of the cold and cough. Everyone in the family has had it, and we're sick of being sick, but it's difficult to think about saying fa-la-la-la-la when we have to sneeze or cough between la's.

Fortunately we do have enough energy to watch some telly, and there's no better way to get into the holiday spirit than by watching a holiday special. We're looking forward to those, and I think my kids will probably be setting our DVR timer to the Disney Channel from now until January.

Think it's too early to start thinking about tv holiday specials? Ha! We were actually lucky enough to receive an advance screener of the new Jake and the Never Land Pirates holiday episode, which premieres on Friday, December 2 on the Disney Channel. It's really cute; we watched it this weekend and I highly recommend it. Here's a brief synopsis:

In the holiday episode of Jake and the Never Land Pirates, titled It's A Winter Never Land! / Hook on Ice, Jake, Izzy and Cubby awake to find that Peter Pan has left the crew some presents and a tree to celebrate Winter Treasure Day, and Captain Hook invites Jake and the crew on a winter treasure hunt. The episode premieres FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 (8:30-9:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.




It was funny to see snow and ice on Never Land! The boys loved watching Jake shred the snow on his snowboard (not to mention his cool skull helmet).

By the way, in case you have a young child who found the original Peter Pan movie a bit scary, Jake and the Never Land Pirates is perfect for little kids. Captain Hook is a lot friendlier-looking here! I'm not surprised that Jake and the Never Land Pirates has become so popular so quickly (it's actually cable's #1 series for boys ages 2-5, and on its way to becoming the Disney Channel's #1 preschool series ever). And once Disney Junior becomes a standalone channel in early 2012, your kids will be able to catch their favorite episodes of Jake and the Never Land Pirates more easily!

If you've never seen the show before, here's a brief synopsis:
Available exclusively on the new Disney Junior channel, Jake and the Never Land Pirates quickly became cable's #1 series for boys 2-5 and is on track to be Disney Channel's #1 preschool series ever! The show currently is one of the most co-viewed preschool series, with 45% of moms watching with their preschoolers. A music-filled interactive treasure hunt, Jake and the Never Land Pirates introduces a crew of kid pirates and follows their Never Land adventures as they work to outwit two infamous characters, the one and only Captain Hook and Mr. Smee, from Disney's classic "Peter Pan." Along the way, the children model teamwork, problem-solving and physical activity.


Win a Jake and the Never Land Pirates DVD
Disney Junior and Child's Play sent me a Jake and the Never Land Pirates DVD, and I'm giving it away! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive the DVD + cd of Jake & The Never Land Pirates: Season 1 V.1.



Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share your favorite character from Jake and the Never Land Pirates. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

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

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

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

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Jake and the Never Land Pirates giveaway! http://ow.ly/7fFaL

4) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
@bonggafinds is giving away a Jake and the Never Land Pirates DVD! Enter by 11/15 at http://ow.ly/7fFaL #giveaways

5) Join any of the open giveaways on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined)



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

Disclosure: I received an advance screener of the Jake and the Neverland Pirates holiday episode, as well as a Jake and the Neverland Pirates-themed gift bag from Disney Junior via Child's Play Communications. Show information is provided by Child's Play Communications and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Have a Very Hexbug Halloween!

Maria Bailey and MomSelect really have their finger on the pulse when it comes to kids' toys. Every blogger toy party I've hosted for them has been a huge success, and the kids who attended have all gone out and spread the word about the toy in question, telling their friends and buying toys of their own. It's the perfect example of how bloggers and companies can work together to spread the word!

Our latest MomSelect party was no different. Hexbug, the company that makes those fabulous vibrating, scurrying robotic bugs, has a new line of glow-in-the-dark bugs and Zombie bugs, just perfect for Halloween -- so we hosted a Halloween costume party for the boys and their friends, and made Hexbug the star attraction.

MomSelect sent us some Limited Edition Hexbug Nano Zombie bugs, Glows in the Dark Hexbug Nano Galileo Collection bugs , spare batteries and Glows in the Dark Hexbug Nano sets (the Habitat and Elevation Habitat) for the bugs to scurry around in. Creepy crawlies and Halloween go hand in hand, so for a special treat, I made worm-in-the-dirt cupcakes (chocolate cupcakes and chocolate icing with chocolate cookie crumbles on top, made to look like dirt, and a gummie worm peeping up from the middle). I also made up goodie bags for the kids with gummie worms and gummie bugs inside them, along with the Hexbugs and tracks for them to take home -- but not before playing with the Hexbugs first, of course!

We've hosted one Hexbug party before, so we know that boys go crazy for these bugs. They love the way these bugs flip over, vibrate, and travel around just like real bugs. The glow-in-the-dark tracks look awesome in the dark, so we closed the shutters in the playroom and turned off all the lights. The Glow-in-the-Dark bugs all have patterns that glow in the dark, and the Zombies have glow-in-the-dark skeleton covers, so our darkened playroom was alive and glowing.

At the end of the afternoon we had eight very tired but very happy little boys -- I mean clone troopers, sherriffs, ninjas, zombies and grim reapers!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. All Hexbugs and Hexbug sets for this party were provided by Hexbug, throuh MomSelect. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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AeroPress Coffee Maker review

Alfie loves a good cup of coffee, but he doesn't have one every day, so it's difficult to justify the expense of an espresso machine or good drip machine. Besides, we don't have the counter space. We recently reviewed a coffeemaker that's making waves on the internet: the AeroPress coffee maker by Aerobie. It's small in size but big in taste, and it's just right for us!

Here's more information on the AeroPress: The AeroPress coffee and espresso maker is a $30 coffee press that has become popular with coffee lovers because it brews an absolutely delicious cup of coffee or espresso. The AeroPress utilizes a rapid, total immersion brewing process that is unlike that of other press-type coffee makers. AeroPress brewed coffee is smooth and rich, without the bitterness and high acidity found in coffee brewed by traditional, press or drip processes.



The AeroPress is kind of like an upside-down French coffee press. You start by placing the main chamber on top of a cup, with a filter paper at the bottom. Then add a couple of scoops of ground coffee into the chamber, add hot water, and stir. Then you plunge the airtight syringe into the chamber, which forces the water through the coffee grounds, and into the cup underneath. Here is a video we made of how it works:




It's the highest rated coffee maker on the internet. It has gathered over 700 five-star ratings on Amazon alone. Even coffee experts have given the AeroPress rave reviews, like this one:

I also have to add my enthusiastic recommendation to that of so many others about the brewer. The quality of the coffee it yields has to be tasted to be believed. I own every brewing device known to man and my plunger pot, Technivorm drip brewer and two vacuum pots have done nothing but gather dust since the AeroPress made its way into our house. -- Kevin Knox, 28 year specialty coffee industry veteran and author, Coffee Basics

Is all the hype justified?

According to Alfie, it is. He absolutely loves the AeroPress, and like Kevin Knox, the coffee expert I quoted above, sees no need to own any other coffee maker ever again. He gave me a taste, and I have to agree. There is no bitterness, just good coffee taste.

It's easy to use and takes up hardly any storage space at all. It's perfect for making just one or two cups, which is all we need. And it costs just $30! Who needs those expensive coffee makers, when the AeroPress makes such a great cup of coffee?

Okay, I'm starting to sound like an infomercial -- but unlike an infomercial, I will point out that AeroPress isn't for everyone:

* If you need or want to make coffee for lots of people at once, you're probably better off with a coffeemaker.

* As easy and foolproof as the steps are, it's still a lot of steps -- not good if you're the type to "set it and forget it".

* It requires a bit of strength to get the plunger down. You don't have to be Hercules, but you have to watch out because you could end up tipping your cup with the force.

* It uses a lot more coffee than a drip machine or a regular French press, which can add up for serious coffee addicts. I wish the parts were dishwasher-safe; it gets tedious to clean out all the little plastic pieces.

But when you're AeroPress fans like we are, it's easy to come up with a counterargument. Too little coffee for a crowd? Each person will get their own coffee brewed exactly to their liking! Too many steps? A good cup of coffee is worth the extra effort. Uses too much coffee? One good cup of coffee will give you more pleasure than three bad cups of coffee (quality over quantity, people). There's a reason that so many people rave about the AeroPress, and that's the taste.

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 Aerobie and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

Welcome to Bonggamom's Friday Finds! This is my 101st Friday Finds post, and I'm all set to feature the Bestest Giveaways Around the Blogosphere a hundred times more, and beyond. Don't forget, we're still celebrating the 100th Friday Finds post with a giveaway for a PS3 game, a DS game and a music cd. And if you leave a link to a giveaway on the Mr. Linky list below, you'll get an extra entry to the giveaway! So leave a link to your giveaway below, then head on over to my 100th Friday Finds post to enter the giveaway. The giveaway ends next week, so get cracking!

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Biggest Online Shopping Mistakes

Two weeks ago I shared my biggest online shopping mistake, and asked you to share yours. I had great time reading through all your stories! Not that I enjoyed your misery, of course, but you know how misery loves company, and it's somewhat comforting to know that you're not alone. Here are some of my "favorite" ones:

• Ordering beauty products online from a less than reputable site. It turned out my order was an auto renewal program and I got charged bi weekly for new shipments. Who orders the same make up products bi weekly!?!

• Pressing the "buy" button three times by accident. My card as charged three times, and I had to call the bank to resolve this issue.

• Putting my social security number online with a purchase. I will never do that again.

• Buying something on a site that was not secure. My cc info was stolen and a bunch of charges were racked up...I am more careful now!

My favorite one is by andie@multiplemama. None of my Savvy Shopping Tips could have prevented this one, and it's a classic:

• I was once looking at jumpers on AMAZON and walked away from my computer. With three children aged three and under in the house. One of them ordered it with one click shopping that automatically accesses my credit card info. and it appeared at my door two days later. It took two weeks to figure out how it all happened!

Thanks to all my readers for being brave enough to admit your mistakes! Reading through all your stories really brings home the fact that it's all too easy for even the most intelligent, internet-savvy person to make an online purchase they regret.

Fortunately we have cards like American Express, which helps mitigate the negative effects of those mistakes. They offer protection against fraudulent purchases, and they even let cardmembers return items even though the merchant's return policy has expired (up to $300, up to 90 days). Even better, there are simple things you can do to help ensure that you don't end up making mistakes in the first place! Last week I shared some tips for savvy online shopping -- it's a post well worth reading, so you can avoid the kinds of experiences I mentioned earlier.

Aaaand now, the moment we've all been waiting for....the winner's name! Let's give a big round of applause for commenter #124, JC! She won $250 in gift cards and merchandise from American Express -- and now that she's all savvy with so many safe shopping tips, I know she'll make that $250 go a long wayl Congratulations, JC, on your win, and thank you to American Express for sponsoring such a fun and informative set of posts. Have a safe and happy fall shopping season!



Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated series with American Express. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery (and a giveaway for you!)

It's that time of year again.... time to change your clocks! On November 6 everyone has to "fall back" and move the clocks back one hour. I for one am glad, because it has been so dark in the mornings, so moving back the clock will mean I can wait for daylight to wake me up. Of course, it means that it gets dark earlier, but we only have a few months of that before we "spring forward" again.

The fall time change is also the perfect opportunity to do something that could save your family's life -- change the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. It's the perfect reminder -- Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery -- and for the 24th straight year, Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) are reminding people to get in the habit of changing their old batteries for fresh ones at least once a year. The key thing is to pick a date that you will easily remember, like a birthday or an anniversary -- or the "fall back" date, which is great because so many people are doing it on that day, and so many people are reminding each other to do it. Last year I reminded people to change their batteries, and I'm doing it again this year.

For more information and helpful materials, visit Energizer's Change Your Clock Change Your Battery page, or visit www.facebook.com/energizerbunny and click on the CYCCYB tab to join the Energizer Bunny Brigade. You'll be entered to win smoke detectors, batteries, or even the grand prize -- a home fire safety makeover worth $5,000.


Win a Fire Safety Prize Pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Fire Safety Prize Pack courtesy of Energizer, consisting of 2 smoke alarms, both equipped with Energizer batteries.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post telling me that you have already changed the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors this year, or telling me when you plan to change your batteries. 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) Share the link to this giveaway (http://ow.ly/7caxR) on your Facebook wall, with a reminder to your friends to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks, then leave a comment here telling me you did (1 entry).

2) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page: (1 entry)
I joined the Energizer Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery giveaway! http://ow.ly/7caxR

3) Join the Energizer Bunny Brigade (1 entry)

4) Tweet this (1 entry):

@bonggafinds and the @energizerbunny are reminding everyone to Change Your Clock Change Your Battery on 11/6 http://ow.ly/7caxR

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

Enter 2 win a set of smoke detectors + batteries on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/7caxR



The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 7, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on November 8 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Thanks to Energizer for providing the items for giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Halloween pumpkin template: The Lorax

If you're looking for an original Halloween pumpkin to carve, how about a pumpkin that looks like The Lorax from Dr. Seuss? Everybody's favorite environmental activist is easy to carve into a pumpkin with the template from Universal Pictures' The Lorax Movie (scheduled for March 2012).

Click on the image below to access and download the full-size image:

Happy Carving!

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

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Santé Nuts review

I love nuts. They're packed full of protein and good oils, and they fill you up quickly so a little goes a long way. I add them to stir-fries, toss them into salad, top baked goods with them, or eat them just as they are! They are perfect for nibbling along with cheese, olives and fruit. And just like cheese, olives, and fruit, I've come to realize that most nuts taste good -- but not all kinds are created equal. Quality matters, and the difference in taste when you have a high quality nut is definitely worth the extra cost. I recently received some samples of Santé gourmet nuts, and right from the first bite you can tell that these nuts are a cut above the rest. These nuts are roasted by hand, in small batches, in organic canola oil. They are crunchy and light, with just enough salt or sugar to enhance, not overpower, the flavor of the nut. Santé sent us some candied pecans, candied walnuts, roasted salted pecans and garlic almonds. I have never really liked pecans, but I soon found myself wolfing down the candied pecans and salted along with the rest of the family. They are fantastic! The candied walnuts are even better -- I could probably eat the whole bag in one sitting (fortunately, these fill you up quickly!). But my favorite has got to be the Santé Garlic Almonds. They are salty, with a spicy zing. Santé nuts cost between $4.29 and $5.29 for a 4 or 5-ounce bag, which is not bad at all for gourmet nuts. They are a real treat, and almost too good to put in salads and other recipes -- but I'll bet they'd be the secret ingredient to make those recipes taste out of this world!

Disclosure: I received a product sample 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.

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Moonpig Personalized Greeting Cards Review

We send holiday cards to a lot of people every year -- friends, teachers, cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings. Most of the time, especially for people we don't see very often, I like to send a photo holiday card with a short update on how we are doing and what sorts of things we were up to for the year. I certainly like receiving these kinds of cards, and I know that most other people do -- but I also realize that they aren't appropriate for every type of recipient.

For example, we always send a card to Alfie's sister and to each of her three sons. They range in age from eighteen to twenty-six years old, and I doubt if they'd appreciate receiving a holiday card with our boring old photo in it! If they get struck by lightning and forget what we look like, they would immediately head to Facebook anyway, so a photo holiday card is just not what we'd send them. We like to send them more humorous cards, but I have to admit I miss the personal touch of a photo card.

I was recently introduced to an online card service that's perfect for sending cards that still have a personal touch, but also have more of an edge to them. MoonPig.com sells the kind of fun greeting cards that you can find at stationery stores or drugstores or big retailers -- but you can actually personalize the cards with custom text, fonts and more! There's a card for every occasion -- birthdays, Christmas, Hannukah, Halloween, Valentine's, congratulations, anniversaries, you name it. You can buy just 1 greeting card, just like you would at a store. You can personalize it and have it mailed directly to your recipient, or have it mailed to you with a blank envelope so you can send it (or give it) yourself.

What makes MoonPig so unique? Take this holiday card below. It's the type of card you might typically find under "humor" in your local drugstore or Target.

This is a funny card, but it would be even better if the names "Fred" and "Penelope" could be changed to the names of the people you were sending it to -- and with MoonPig.com, you can! You can edit some or all of the text in front, and add a personalized message inside. It all adds up to a truly unique card!

The humor and the language is distinctly British -- I recognize some typical"we had a row about it", "slushed again", "a drop of wine", "she was gagging for it" -- which is fine by me, since Alfie is from Britain, but again, if you think the person you're sending it to might not "get" the humor, you can change the text, or change the card. I'm really going to enjoy sending holiday cards to Alfie's nephews this year -- these MoonPig.com cards are really going to stand out from the crowd!

Disclosure: I received a $20 credit at Moonpig.com to purchase cards to review, via the Mom Bloggers Club. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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LeapFrog Tag Solar System Adventure Pack Review and Giveaway

The holidays are coming up -- and I'm giving away a LeapFrog Tag and Solar System Adventure Pack! Keep reading to find out how to enter....

My kids are getting older but our house is not getting any bigger, so last year we reluctantly said goodbye to our collection of LeapFrog Tag readers. Thanks in part to all the hours they spent with their Tag readers, my kids are already good readers, so our Tags and Tag books have found a good home with their younger cousins.

Then LeapFrog sent us a Tag Reader and Solar System Adventure pack some weeks ago, and I'm kind of regretting that we didn't keep at least one of those old Tags -- because the Solar System Adventure pack is awesome! This pack, along with Leapfrog's Tag USA Map and Tag World Map, is great for my 7 year olds and even my 10 year old. Keep reading to find out why (and enter to win a set of your own!)....


The Basics

About the Tag:
Learn to read with the #1 selling reading system! The amazing touch technology of Tag brings books to life to teach phonics, vocabulary, comprehension skills and more. And a library of 40+ interactive storybooks, maps and more feature characters to help inspire children to learn to read.
About the Tag Solar System Adventure Pack:
Take off on an out-of-this-world adventure with the interactive, two-sided Tag™ solar system map! Play more than 40 activities and family-friendly games with this 2-in-1 map that unfolds to over 3 feet! Learn solar system terms and planetary facts, and log your journey with bonus interactive stickers! Appropriate for children ages 4 to 8 years. Parents can follow their child's play and learning progress on the LeapFrog® Learning Path


The Bongga
I've praised the Tag so much in the past that I'm in danger of sounding like a TV informercial, so I'll just point you to some of my past Tag posts so you can read all about it. I have to say, though, Leapfrog has made so many improvements to the Tag, I hardly recognize it! The latest Tag is smaller and sleeker, so little hands can hold it better. We received a standard green colored Tag, but it now comes in many other colors: pink, purple, purple-and-green, orange, teal, even a Toy Story branded Tag. Leapfrog expanded the Tag's memory from 16MB to 32MB a couple of years ago, so you can keep 10 books stored in the Tag at any one time. When I first blogged about the Tag in 2008, MSRP was around $50, and three years later, it still the same price.

But I haven't blogged about the Solar System Adventure pack yet, so I can rave about it all I want. It's really a nifty little reference book -- or should I say map, because although it's about the same size as a regular Tag book, it actually unfolds to a long-narrow, 2-sided map of the solar system, full of information and facts about the planets, asteroids and more.

It works just like a regular Tag book -- touch on an image, say, of Saturn, and you'll hear all kinds of fun facts about the planet (it has at least 64 moons!). All the information is up to date, including Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet, along with Ceres, Haumea, MakeMake and Eris. I had no idea those other dwarf planets even existed, so I'm learning right along with my kids.

In addition to all the facts, the Solar System Adventure pack has activities, games and quizzes. Kids can test their knowledge of solar system facts, listen to clues to find the mystery spot, or play a board game by themselves or with a friend. It even comes with several sticker pages -- and get this, the stickers work with the Tag reader too!



We're really enjoying the Solar System Adventure pack. The age range says 4-8 years, but this is something kids of any age can look at, again and again. My 10 year old likes it, and so do I!


The Blah
Honestly, nothing! They've thought of everything, down to the velcro-sealed box where you can store the game board, stickers, passport and instructions, all in one place.


The Bottom Line
With the Solar System Adventure Pack, Leapfrog has extended the life of the Tag Reader to beyond the 4-7 age range. It's a reading tool, game board, activity pack and reference book, so everyone in the family will love it!



Win a LeapFrog Tag Gift Pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Leapfrog Tag and Solar System Adventure pack -- just in time for the holidays!


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me who which member in your family would enjoy the Solar System Adventure pack the most, and why. This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

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

1) Blog about this giveaway, making sure you include a link to the giveaway in your blog post (1 entry).

2) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Leapfrog Tag giveaway! http://ow.ly/78M0R

3) Leave a comment on my Solar System Adventure Pack video on YouTube (1 entry).
4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger/Google Friend Connect (1 entry).

5) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggamom Win a @LeapFrog Tag & Solar System Adventure pack on @bonggafinds! Enter by 11/27 at http://ow.ly/78M0R #giveaways

6) Enter my LeapPad Explorer giveaway (1 entry).

7) Enter my Leapfrog Story Time Pad giveaway (coming soon! -- 1 entry).

8) Enter my Leapfrog Peek-a-Shoe Octopus giveaway (coming soon! -- 1 entry).




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 27, 2011; I will draw 1 winner at random on November 28 and post the winner's name after he/she 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.

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Extreme Facepainting

I love painting faces. I've always liked to draw, ever since I was a little girl, and my childhood pastime has manifested in the form of face painting. I've painted faces at my kids' birthday parties, my sister's kids' birthday parties, class parties and charity events. I've donated my face painting services to raise money for the PTA. Parents who see my work always say I should offer my services for hire, but I know better. I've seen some truly amazing designs, so I know where I stand. I'm an amateur, and happy to stay that way -- but that doesn't mean I don't want to learn and improve.

Here is the sort of face paint design I like to paint on little girls' faces, on the fly (you can see more of my face painting work on Flickr):

It's sweet and simple, and every little girl I've ever painted this kind of design on has loved it. But I'm ready to take it up a notch, and I've found the perfect book to teach me how to do it.

Nick and Brian Wolfe are superstars in the world of face and body painting. They're the reigning World Bodypainting Champions. They travel the world, teaching workshops on face painting, body painting, special effects make-up and mask making. They're the original founders of the make-up company Wolfe Face Art & FX, the very same company that makes the face paint I've been using for years. So when I was invited to review their book, Extreme Facepainting, I was so excited.

The book begins with a run-down on the most common face painting materials, tools and techniques. The rest of the book is devoted to showing you how to paint fifty common face paint designs, divided into 25 "friendly" and 25 "fiendish" faces. I say "common" in the sense that they're probably some of the most requested face paint designs -- dogs, cats, lions, rainbows, clowns, vampires, flowers, witches and so on. But the designs themselves are anything but common -- they are intricate and beautiful, and truly worthy of the adjective "extreme".

This mummy? Common? Ah doan think so.

The book does a great job of breaking down a complicated full face paint task into seemingly manageable smaller sections. Each design has step-by-step photos and instructions, as well as a photo of the finished face. Conceptually, the instructions are really easy to follow -- in practice, you need to be a fairly decent painter. If you want to replicate the designs exactly, you'll need a steady hand, a good brush and sponge, and an ability to blend colors. It can be intimidating.

But if you're confident and willing to practice, this book is the perfect way to learn how to paint the most amazing designs you've ever seen. Even if your design doesn't turn out looking exactly the way it does in the photos, that's okay. True artists never copy, anyway; they use other artists for inspiration! And as the book says, there is no bad face painting.

Here is one of the designs from the book, a Simple Swirl:


Or, to be more accurate, this is my interpretation of their swirl design. I'm not talented enough to copy their design exactly; my hand is too shaky to make perfect swirls, shadows and highlights. Also, I don't have the proper colors or tools (I really should get the right sponges and brushes, and this design is just begging for some gold glitter). But it's fairly close, and I think I'll get better as I practice. It is so dainty and delicate, and it's really not difficult to do. I think it only took me about 5 minutes to complete.


Here is the Cyborg design on page 79, or once again, my interpretation of the Cyborg design. The most noticeable difference between the book design and how it turned out on 3Po is the dark black area around the eye. Kids are usually very sensitive about having that area painted, so I knew I was never going to get every single part of it covered in deep black paint. My shading is crude compared with the actual design. But I'm still really happy with how it turned out.




I'm looking forward to trying out more of the designs in this book!

Disclosure: I received a product sample 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.

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Introducing the new Children's Creativity Museum (formerly Zeum)

For years, one my kids' favorite places to visit in San Francisco was also one of the most difficult to pronounce. Was it Zee-yum? Was it Zoom? Whatever it was, we won't be having that problem anymore, because the museum formerly known as Zeum has changed it's name to the Children's Creativity Museum. And that's not all that's new: after a five week remodel, the museum also has a new look, new exhibits, new, expanded hours and a new emphasis that includes younger children ages 3 to 5.

Last week the museum invited a group of bloggers to celebrate the reopening, and we were lucky enough to be included. A party at Zeum -- sorry, the Children's' Creativity Museum -- is one of the few things that could persuade 3Po and Jammy to skip their soccer practice, so we made the trip to San Francisco to see all the new features and attractions.

The museum has kept all the things that made it great -- namely, that unique focus on creativity and technology -- and added some new features that kids of all ages are really going to love, like the new Imagination Lab on the ground floor.

The Imagination Lab is a great place for young kids to sculpting station, where children can mold dough into rice bowls, tacos, and other foods. If some of that clay gets into their mouths, it's okay -- the dough is soy based. There's also a dramatic play area with a puppet theater, costumes, and plenty of mirrors. Beside that is a recording booth where kids can film their own plays, interviews or mini-movies. The smallest kids will love the soft play area, which has lots of ramps and tunnels and soft blocks and tubes. It's bright and cheerful and airy, with plenty of space for little ones to roam (and plenty of space for parents to step back and watch). It's just the kind of place that parents will want to take their toddlers on a weekday morning; the older kids will be at school so the young'uns will get the museum to themselves.


Besides its new name, the museum now has a bunch of mascots -- the Creativity Critters. They are colorful monsterlike creatures that represent the diversity, inspiration, and innovation of the Children’s Creativity Museum. You'll find each of them hanging around their favorite museum areas. Zump, the big yellow creature, loves playing with clay, and can be found in the Animation Studio. Rockto the octopus loves rocking out to the latest tunes in the Music Production Lab, and so on. I think kids will love the Creativity Critters, and it's only a matter of time before they begin clamoring for a stuffed Rockto or Kromas or Blooper from the Museum Gift Shop.

I'm glad to see that all the fun things for older kids are still there. My kids absolutely adore the Animator's Studio, where they get to build creatures out of clay and have them star in an animated movie. My kids can spend hours in this area, wrapping grey clay around a twisted metal frame to form a body, then covering that with colored clay to make the creature. Once they're done, a helper leads them to a bunch of dioramas and teaches them how to take a series of pictures with their creature in different positions, then shows them how to play back the sequence of shots in quick succession, so it looks like the creature is moving. You can even take a cd of the animation sequence home with you, or have them email it to you! Check out the video that The Pea made:



Cool, huh? I'm already looking forward to our next visit to the Children's Creativity Museum; it's really a lot of fun, it teaches kids about technology and unleashes their imagination at the same time.

Disclosure: My family and I were guests of the Children's Creativity Museum at their reopening party, and I received a free pass to visit the Museum at a future date. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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