Dinosaur Train wall mural giveaway

I've always thought of Dinosaur Train as being outdoorsy and nature-loving. After all, the show is set at a time when the inhabitants of the planet interacted with nature every moment of their lives. Buddy, Shiny, Tiny and Don are always looking for new ways to explore the world around them. The show's stated goal is to get kids interested in science, particularly life science, natural science and paleontology. And doesn't every episode end with Dr. Scott the Paleontologist telling kids to "Get outside, get into nature, and make your own discoveries"?

So it's really exciting to hear that Dinosaur Train now has an online Nature Trackers Club that kids can join to inspire them to interact with nature! Starting November 14, parents will be able to go to www.pbskids.org/dinosaurtrain to download Nature Tracker activities for their kids. They'll get all kinds of ideas on how to explore the outside world like going on nature treasure hunts or observing small critters or collecting leaves and other natural objects. They'll even receive a special Dinosaur Train surprise to celebrate their achievements.

The new Nature Trackers Club goes hand in hand with some special new Dinosaur Train episodes, airing November 14-18, 2011 on PBS KIDS (check your local listings for times), with a special focus on kids interacting with nature and making discoveries about the world around them. In these episodes, the Dinosaur Train kids -- Buddy, Shiny, Tiny and Don -- form their own Nature Trackers Club and make their own discoveries in nature.

Here's an excerpt from their press release:
HOLLYWOOD, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 1, 2011) - The PBS KIDS EMMY®-nominated animated children's series DINOSAUR TRAIN® will premiere new episodes November 14-18, 2011 on PBS KIDS to encourage preschoolers to get outside, get into nature and make new discoveries by featuring the all new "Nature Trackers Club." DINOSAUR TRAIN is an educational and inspiring preschool series that has been a prominent source of fostering early childhood development while entertaining millions of 3-6 year olds since it premiered in 2009. The series mission is to introduce all kids to the joy of paleontology and discovery. The new "Nature Trackers" episodes have a special focus on inspiring viewers to get into nature and make new discoveries. The four-episode run begins with Buddy, Shiny, Tiny and Don building a beachside clubhouse, and the "Nature Trackers Club" is born. The "Nature Trackers Club" will be featured throughout season two of DINOSAUR TRAIN, and highlights activities such as respecting nature, observing creatures and plants, and collecting natural objects.


Win a Dinosaur Train mural for your child's room


To celebrate the new Nature Trackers Club, one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a Dinosaur Train Mural from Murals Your Way!


These beautiful, full-color wall murals are valued up to $1,000, and you can choose from one of fifteen different Dinosaur Train varieties. They are printed exclusively on SmartStick® Repositionable Wall Covering (so it won't damage walls or peel paint), and can even be customized with your child's name. What a beautiful way to transform your child's bedroom into a Dinosaur Train Nature Tracker clubhouse!

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post telling me which Dinosaur Train mural design you would choose if you win. 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/7oHpb ) in your blog post (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Dinosaur Train wall mural giveaway! http://ow.ly/7oHpb

4) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry):
RT @bonggafinds Watch new episodes of @Dinosaur_Train Nov 14-18 featuring the Nature Trackers Club & sign your child up for the club online!

5) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
Win a @Dinosaur_Train wall mural for your child's bedroom or playroom, from Murals Your Way! Enter by 11/27 on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/7oHpb #giveaways

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 27, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on November 28 and post their name after confirming acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

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

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American Girl Gift Guide

Good news: the American Girl Gift Guide is out, so parents and grandparents across the country can navigate the bewildering array of possibilities for holiday presents for their little angels. The online gift guide is a great way to find that perfect present! You can search for gifts by age or by price (tip for people on a budget: there are tons of great ideas for under $25!). You can check out the top-rated customer items and award-winning products. You can even have your daughter create a wish list and gift registry, and share it with family and friends.

Here are just a few of the gift ideas from American Girl that are sure to make your own American girl's wishes come true:




Historical dolls
All of the historical dolls, from Kaya to Julie to the latest, Cecile and Marie-Grace, are great role models for your daughter. They're beautiful to look at, fun to play with, and interesting to read about -- you can't go wrong with any of them!


Speaking of Marie-Grace and Cecile, American Girl is offering 25% off any Marie-Grace or Cecile product until November 13. I've never heard of a new American Girl doll being on sale before, so this is an incredible deal! If either of these dolls is on your daughter's wish list, get them NOW.



Holiday outfits
The holiday outfits for dolls are so pretty, it almost doesn't make sense to wait until Hannukah or Christmas to give them to your daughter. After all, a doll has to have something to wear to those holiday parties and Nutcracker shows, right?

For this photo, The Pea dressed Marie-Grace up in the Merry & Bright outfit and accessories that American Girl sent us. She's hosting a holiday cookie swap party for her friends and their American Girl dolls in early December, and this is the natural choice of outfit for her doll. It's so pretty and festive, and the accessories set (capelet, mittens and snowglobe in a gift box) set it off perfectly. I'll post more photos of the dress and accessories after The Pea hosts her party -- but for now, just know that this one is a must-have!



Matching girl and doll outfits
There is just something so special to a little girl about being able to dress like her doll. A couple of years ago I bought matching American Girl satin pajamas for The Pea and her American Girl doll for Christmas. I can't find a photo of them in their matching outfits, but here is a photo I took of her that Christmas day. The Pea's Just Like Me doll is wearing the pajamas, and The Pea's pajamas look just like that: oriental style in blue satin.

She wore those pj's until they literally wore down!

Disclosure: I product samples from American Girl. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Holiday DVD giveaway from NCircle Entertainment

I'm really looking forward to the holidays, but I'm not looking forward to the winter weather. All that rain and cold and snow mean that the kids need to spent a lot more time indoors, and everyone is sure to get a bad case of cabin fever. And once winter break starts, look out!

The trick is to find fun indoor activities that everyone will look forward to, especially ones that come only with the season, such as gingerbread house decorating, trimming the tree, making holiday crafts, or snuggling with the kids underneath a cozy blanket, with a bowl of popcorn and a mug of cocoa, in front of the tv. Throw in some fun holiday DVD's, and all of a sudden the kids are happy to stay indoors! Here are some great holiday kids' DVDs from NCircle Entertainment that are sure to get your whole family into the holiday spirit:



"It's Always Christmas With You!" - This brand new holiday DVD includes a mix of 14 original new tunes and seasonal favorites. It’s the first holiday DVD in seven years from the beloved platinum-selling band from Down Under, and it features celebrity guests including ‘N Sync's Joey Fatone, who sings a sweet rendition of “O Holy Night.” (If you were an ‘N Sync fan, you may remember their version of the song, which became a mega hit in 1998!) "It's Always Christmas With You!" was filmed on location on three different continents, and introduces children to the diverse ways different cultures celebrate the holidays.


“The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That: Told From the Cold” – This brand new DVD contains four episodes from the popular PBS Kids series. “Starring” the voice of actor-comedian Martin Short, the four episodes on this learning-and-fun-filled DVD are: Snowman’s Land, Flight of the Penguin, A Long Winter’s Nap and Reindeer Games.



“WordWorld: New Happy Holiday WordFriends" – A brand new DVD from the multiple Emmy Award-winning PBS Kids series, WordWorld, featuring three holiday-themed episodes: The Christmas Star, A Christmas Present for Dog, and Duck’s Family Reunion – plus a bonus music video, Dancing Dog.


“Chloe’s Closet: Winter Wonderland” - The debut DVD from the charming PBS Kids Sprout series will unlock preschoolers’ imaginations as they try on all the fantastic winter treasures in Chloe’s Closet. The DVD features four episodes: On Frozen Pond, Best in Snow, Getting to Snow You, and Icing Escapades.


“The Fairies: Christmas Wishes in Fairyland” – With a sprinkling of fairy dust, love and friendship, Fairyland is transformed into a magical Christmas setting. Tinytots will sing and dance along to their favorite Christmas carols and learn new songs as they celebrate the joys of the season with Harmony and Rhapsody!

Hmm... now that I think about it, the cold weather isn't looking so bad after all.


Win a holiday DVD gift pack from NCircle Entertainment
Just in time for the holidays, one lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive all 5 DVDs featured on this post!

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post telling me which of the 5 DVDs you and your child would watch first if you win. 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/7ns4N) in your blog post (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the NCircle Holiday DVD giveaway! http://ow.ly/7ns4N

4) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
Win a holiday 5-DVD gift pack featuring The Cat in the Hat, The Wiggles, WordWorld and more! Enter by 11/27 on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/7ns4N #giveaways



The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 27, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on November 28 and post their name after confirming acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I will be receiving a copy of each of the DVDs featured in this post as a thank-you for posting this information. Thanks to NCircle Entertainment for providing sample copies for me and for the product giveaway. Product information is provided by NCircle Entertainment and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Tiny Prints Holiday Card Giveaway

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


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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

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VTech Holiday Basket Giveaway

I guess you know by now that the holidays are coming up -- every time I turn on the television, I'm being inundated by ads from stores trumpeting their latest gift ideas and holiday layaway plans. The temptation to go all out and spend lots of money on presents is enormous, but in this economy it's important to remember that the holidays is all about celebrating life with the people you love -- and although your parents and siblings are certainly not going to turn their noses up at a new e-reader or gift card to their favorite store, taking the time to write out a card, or better yet, spend some time catching up over the phone, is what really shows them you are thinking of them during the holiday season.

In fact, according to a new survey conducted by independent market research firm Toluna on behalf of leading U.S. cordless phone manufacturer, VTech® Communications, 45 percent of respondents said a phone call to catch up is the best present a distant friend or family member could give them during the holiday season. In fact, a phone call outpaced gifts under the tree, holiday cards and emails!

Here are some interesting excerpts from VTech's press release:
For people over 55, the gift of a phone call was especially desired with nearly 60 percent citing it as their number one choice over other forms of holiday communication. The majority of respondents also ranked a phone call as the top choice, when considering the best way to stay connected with friends and family during the busiest time of the year. Additionally, calling family and friends more often was at the top of their wish list of things to do during the holiday season (28 percent).

Other key findings of the survey, which took a pulse on holiday season attitudes and behaviors, include:

Shoppers are still feeling the effects of the economy, with nearly half (40 percent) of respondents ranking having “more money to give presents” as their top wish during the holiday season. In addition, 47 percent of consumers said not having enough money is the most stressful thing to worry about during the holidays.

A special moment with family and friends is all consumers want for the holidays. The holidays are known for great food and special traditions, so it’s no surprise that consumers embrace the season for its togetherness. Survey respondents ranked a holiday meal (24 percent) as the No. 1 thing not to miss during the holidays, followed by a special family tradition (22 percent). The holiday spirit rings strongly, as the overwhelming majority of consumers don’t want to miss out on any seasonal festivities with only 13 percent of consumers saying “bah humbug” to holiday cheer.

“A simple phone call is a powerful way to connect with loved ones during the holidays,” said Matt Ramage, senior vice president, product management, VTech Communications. “The consumer data shows us that in today’s frenetic world, sitting down with a reliable home phone to have a good conversation with a distant relative or friend is still a simple desire people want and need in their lives – especially during the busiest time of the year.”


Go ahead, pick up the phone and call!


Win a VTech Holiday Basket
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a holiday basket from VTech! The basket will be filled with must-have holiday items such as:

Colorful, hand-threaded shopping basket
Chocolates
Festive holiday candle
Long distance calling card
Keychain digital photo frame
VTech Connect-to-Cell phone system
Fun holiday trimmings



About the VTech Connect to Cell phone system For people who rely primarily on mobile phones but experience problems with spotty reception at home or have trouble hearing their cell phones from another room, VTech’s DS6421-3 (MSRP: $99.95) Connect to Cell™ phone system is a great solution. This all-in-one phone system allows users to make and receive cellular and landline calls, while enjoying the high-definition audio sound clarity, comfort and ease of a VTech cordless home phone.




Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me who you will be calling this holiday season. 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/7ngLu) in your blog post (1 entry).

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the VTech Communications giveaway! http://ow.ly/7ngLu

4) Write this on the VTech Phones Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win a holiday gift basket with must-have holiday goodies and a VTech Connect to Cell phone system on Bonggamom Finds! Enter by Nov. 27 at http://ow.ly/7ngLu

4) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
@bonggafinds is giving away a gift basket (worth $100+) w/ holiday items + a phone system fr @Vtech411 ! Enter by 11/27 http://ow.ly/7ngLu




The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 27, 2011; I will draw a winner at random on November 28 and post their name after confirming acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Thanks to VTech Communications for sharing the tips above and providing the giveaway prize. Product information (in italics) is provided by VTech Comunications. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Space Adventure

Mickey Mouse is already famous throughout the world, so it was only a matter of time before he conquered the galaxy as well. Mickey and his friends are blasting off into space today, November 8, with the release of the all-new DVD, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Space Adventure.

Here's some information about the new DVD:
Get set for a thrilling, full-length outer space adventure aboard the Clubhouse rocket. Packed with songs and surprises, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Space Adventure will transport you to a whole new dimension of fun!

Blast off with Mickey and his crew and race across the galaxy on an interplanetary quest for hidden out-of-this-world treasure. Twinkling treasure stars will help point the way, but first you'll have to find them -- with a little help from Toodles -- and the right Mouseketools! Meet Moon Men Chip and Dale, Martian Mickey from Mars, and Pluto from Pluto, but watch out for crafty Space Pirate Pete, who wants the treasure all for himself.

This is a really cute DVD, one that all preschoolers will enjoy. Like all the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episodes and DVD's, Space Adventure is very interactive, and your child will love counting stars with Mickey and the gang, or shouting, Oh Toooooodles! They'll also love the not-too-scary antics of Space Pirate Pete (their usual nemesis Pegleg Pete), especially when he pretends to be Martian Mickey (by taping green circular mouse ears to his space helmet!), only to run into the real, green Martian Mickey and his dog, Pluto from Pluto. There are also some clever "inside" jokes to entertain the grownups watching with their kids, like the depiction of the Milky Way as a bunch of milk cartons floating around in space!

The DVD also comes with a digital copy (so you can watch the movie from your laptop or iTunes-compatible device) and a set of glow-in-the-dark stickers, so your child can go on a space adventure with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang in more places and more ways. What fun!

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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Blue Sky + Egg Press Collection at Target this season (and a giveaway for you!)!

I've just had a parent-teacher conference with The Pea's teacher, and I'm oh-so-proud of my 5th grader! I fully expected to hear the teacher give all kinds of constructive comments about her lack of organization -- so I was really pleased to hear that The Pea is actually improving in the neatness and general "togetherness" department. While I'm sure it's all because of my superior parenting skills :) , I have to give partial credit to some of the Blue Sky paper organizing tools I gave her. She's making good use of the Door Notes pad that Blue Sky gave me this summer to remind herself of the school projects that need to be done, and the tear-off notepad/mousepad is great for jotting down ideas and lists.


Speaking of Blue Sky, they are once again pairing up with letterpress design company Egg Press to launch a series of 2012 planners and calendars.

Egg Press is well known for their letterpress stationery, sold in stationery boutiques, and they've brought their whimsical designs and fresh colors, and they've brought their distinctive look to Blue Sky's organizational products. Their latest collaboration with Blue Sky features modern botanical designs and patterns in a cool color palette. Blue Sky sent me an assortment of products from the Egg Press collection, and they are so pretty.



Even though I rely on online calendars and mobile apps to organize my schedule, my kids all need to see what they are doing, so we need the visual assistance that paper calendars provide. I love their wall calendars, since we want everyone's schedule all in one place, where everyone can see it. I'm giving The Pea the 11x8.75 tablet calendar; it has 3 holes punched out at the top so she can easily slip it into her binder, and write out her schedule even when she's at school. She really loves the teal-brown-mustard color combination and the abstract dot/flower design.

Now is a great time to start organizing your 2012 life -- you can start entering your family's birthdays, anniversaries, upcoming trips, and important school dates in advance. You can find the Blue Sky + Egg Press collection for sale at Target, so get a head start and make your 2012 as fresh and pretty as it is organized!


Win an assortment of products from Blue Sky's Egg Press collection!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a large desk calendar, wall calendar, large planner and small planner from Blue Sky's Egg Press collection.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and share a tip for organizing your schedule for 2012. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.

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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.).

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I entered the Blue Sky Egg Press giveaway! http://ow.ly/7lP6W

4) Write this on the Blue Sky Facebook page wall (1 entry).
I entered the Blue Sky Egg Press giveaway on Bonggamom Finds! http://ow.ly/7lP6W

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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 @eggpress for Blue Sky planning products on @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/7lP6W #giveaways


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 21 2011; I will draw a winner at random on November 22 and post 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.

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Review: The True Story of Puss 'N Boots

Everyone these days thinks of Puss in Boots as Shrek's friend, but Puss has been having adventures of his own even before Shrek was a gleam in the Dreamworks eye! I recently received a DVD copy of The True Story of Puss 'N Boots to review, and since my kids want to see Puss in Boots the movie, I thought it would be nice to watch this DVD to remind the kids why exactly Puss in Boots is a fairytale character.

I thought it was an interesting time to be releasing an animated DVD of a Puss in Boots story, just before the release of the Dreamworks' animated movie, Puss in Boots, starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. I guess they hoped the interest stirred up by the movie would spill into purchases of this DVD as well. The comparisons are inevitable and the competition is formidable, especially since millions of kids already know Banderas' version of Puss from the Shrek series.

I haven't watched Puss in Boots yet, but I know that the story doesn't follow the plotline of the classic fairytale at all -- and here lies the strength of this DVD. The True Story of Puss 'N Boots does follow Charles Perrault's story, the one I grew up on, the one I've read to my kids countless times. The synopsis reads:

A young farmer's son inherits a strange talking cat with magical boots. With his cunning wit, Puss helps him win the heart of the Princess while battling devious suitors that are after the throne.

The True Story of Puss 'N Boots was originally a French-language film, released in December 2008, and I kind of get why the US release (William Shatner voices Puss in the English version) was limited to DVD. It's a relatively dark sort of fairy tale (Puss is kind of a rogue!) for kids to begin with, and this version features a hint of nudity (when the farmer's son comes out of the water with no clothes, covered by just a hat) and a lot of princess cleavage. Personally I don't think it's anything too scandalous, but American audiences are far more conservative. Unfortunately for The True Story of Puss 'N Boots, I think they would prefer to read the fable to their kids and let the imagination handle the details, rather than show them in plain sight on the TV screen. As for our family, we enjoyed seeing the actual fable come to life on the tv screen -- but we'll probably enjoy the movie screen version more.

Disclosure: I received a preview DVD of The True Story of Puss 'n Boots from Child's Play Communications. 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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Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

Welcome to Bonggamom's Friday Finds! My 100th Friday Finds giveaway has ended, and I will announce the 3 winners on next week's Friday Finds post. Even though the links you leave this week no longer count as entries into the giveaway, I hope you continue to visit this site every Friday to leave those links -- you'll get more exposure for your own giveaways, and you'll get the heads up on other great giveaways to join!

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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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