Sharing with SmileBox

There are times when we get so stuck in our ways, we never realize there are new and better ways to do things. Take photo sharing. I used to email my photos to my parents and family, until Ofoto and Snapfish came along. Then came Flickr, and now Facebook. It doesn't seem like there's any reason to change the way I share photos -- but sometimes we need to step back, see things in a new light and think outside the box.

One company that is helping me think outside the box is the aptly named SmileBox. I first heard of them a couple of years ago, at BlogHer, when they contacted me and invited me to try their service out. I was perfectly happy with Flickr, so I saw no need to change. This year they invited me to a holiday blogger lunch to show me how Smilebox can create holiday cards. I'm always on the lookout for nice online card companies (and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get together with some of my favorite bloggers and friends!), so I accepted the invite and agreed to download the Smilebox application and try it out.

Well, I have yet to create a single holiday card, and I already love Smilebox.

So what is Smilebox, and how is it different from all those other photo sharing sites? Here's a snippet from their website to give you an idea:

At Smilebox we believe that how you share your photos should be as memorable as the photos themselves. So we've designed a new way to bring your photos and videos to life.

Our simple application for PC or Mac lets you quickly and easily create slideshows, invitations, greetings, collages, scrapbooks and photo albums right on your computer. With more than 1000 customizable templates to choose from, you'll find inspiration around every corner. With our new iPhone app you can share your moments on the go as well.

And Smilebox gives you more ways to share: Facebook, email, blog, printing at home or to a store, and burning to DVD. Smilebox makes sharing photos with your family and friends easy, unique and memorable.

With Smilebox, you're not just pointing your family and friends to a whole bunch of photos they have to wade through. Smilebox lets you present your photos (and videos) in a more entertaining, interactive way, all prettied up with pretty frames, stickers, music and animation. You know how animated greeting cards work, right? Imagine all that music and animation applied to a holiday newsletter, or a recipe card, or scrapbook that you send via email, or share on Facebook. Imagine being able to click on a photo in your newsletter and have it come up full size, or being able to click on a video of your kids singing Merry Christmas on your e-greeting card. For that matter, imagine having the audio track of your kids singing Merry Christmas play as you read through the e-greeting card. That's just part of what Smilebox can do.

I just downloaded the Smilebox app yesterday, and already I've come up with two great creations. The first is a holiday newsletter. It has a beautiful design, and I can add text, photos and videos. I can email it, post it to my blog, or share it on Facebook. When people click on it, music will play, and they can enlarge the photos (or play any videos) by clicking on them. I can even print it out and include it with my holiday cards.

Personalize a newsletter design

My second project showcases some of my favorite photos from my favorite month, Halloween. Again, I could share it in all the ways I could share the newsletter. I could also create an avi file and post it on YouTube, or I could create a DVD and give it to my parents so they can watch it without having to huddle in front of their tiny monitor (and I could do the same with the newsletter). The possibilities are amazing! I can just imagine my dad asking me to help him with a slideshow of him and his classmates for their 50th year med school reunion party.

This slideshow design made with Smilebox

Much as I love the results, there are a few things you do need to know about the Smilebox service and app:

* It's not web-based. You have to download the Smilebox app onto your Mac or PC. I was bummed about that too, but other people like it because it means your photos aren't floating around the web for other people to hack into.

* I don't know about the Mac version, but when I downloaded the app on my PC, I realized that I could only run the SmileBox app when I logged on with the user account that I used to download. None of the other users set up on my PC could find Smilebox or run it.

* Gathering photos to use from your hard drive is cumbersome, and if the photo you want is not on your local machine (i.e. it's on another machine on your home network), it's impossible.

* I haven't tried creating all the different kinds of projects, but for slideshows, at least, I have some beefs: you cannot zoom or crop the photos you add to a slideshow, you are limited to 1 photo per slide (i.e. no collages), and all slides must have the same basic design template.

* All you can do with the basic (free) service is create your projects, use their designs and templates, and share them via email, facebook and blogs . You cannot play your creations back on a full screen, and they also run a small ad during your playback. The premium service (Club SmileBox, $39.99 per year) gives you much more functionality, including full screen, ad-free playback, the ability to burn to DVD or save to disk, the ability to print at home or in a store, and unlimited storage.


Some of these issues might go away as I use Smilebox more and become more familiar with it -- and there is no doubt, I will be using Smilebox more. It's such a fun way to share photos and videos -- to think I could have been using Smilebox years ago! Well, it's never too late to see the light.

Disclosure: I attended a blogger lunch hosted by SmileBox, where I received a complimentary 1-year membership to Club Smilebox. I will also be receiving a complimentary personalized photobook courtesy of SmileBox. 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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Whole Foods Holiday Menu 2011

If you've stopped by your local Whole Foods in the past week or so, no doubt you've noticed their Holiday Table set up at the front of the store, where customers can pick up a menu brochure to plan their Thanksgiving feast. You can place your order online at wholefoods.com/shop (by November 22 to get it in time for Thanksgiving, and December 22 to get it in time for Christmas), or at in-store Holiday Tables (48 hours notice).

The items on that list are guaranteed to get your mouth watering -- they have everything from traditional favorites like turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, to gourmet specialties like roast goose and lamb crown roast. They even have vegan entrees, gluten free and Health Starts Here options. You can order some meats raw, so you can work your own magic on them and prepare them according to family tradition; other items pre-cooked, so all you have to do is heat and serve.

You can see the full Whole Foods Holiday Menu here (or pick up a menu at your local Whole Foods). Here are some of the highlights:


* Intimate Goose Holiday Dinner, serves four, $139.99
Slightly richer than turkey, Pitman Farms raises these free-range California geese for the holidays.

* Vegan Holiday Dinner, serves four, $79.99
The star of this delicious dinner is a field roast stuffed en croûte – rich grain meat seasoned with toasted hazelnuts and rosemary stuffed with a sausage style mixture of field roast, cranberries, apples and crystallized ginger wrapped en croûte with a vegan puff pastry.

* Health Starts Here™ Holiday Dinner, serves four, $79.99
Yes, you can eat very healthy during the Holidays! This entire spread fits the parameters of our Health Starts Here program and is so good it’ll keep you from feeling like you’re missing out.

* Build Your Own Hanukkah Dinner, serves four, $119.99
A wonderful choice this time of year, your choice of entrée plus delicious side dishes including Matzoh ball soup, potato latkes, Tzimmes and chopped chicken liver.

* An assortment of Organic Diestel Turkeys – including Heirloom Turkeys!
Choose from large or small turkeys, plain or brined, regular or Heirloom, or turkey breasts to delight your family and friends.

* Foodie Favorite side dishes
When you want to focus on your friends and family and not the oven – these favorites are a great solution! Back again this year are Dungeness Crab and Brie Mac and Cheese, Wild Rice and Cranberry Medley, Apricot Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Butternut Squash Salad and Broccoli Cheddar Potato Gratin, to name a few.


Last week Whole Foods sent us an assortment of items from their Holiday Menu, so we got to try out some of their dishes and have an early Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Whole Foods. My parents are visiting, and they leave before Thanksgiving, so it was a holiday meal in every sense of the word (minus the company china and fancy clothes).



The star of the evening, of course, was the large sized, fully cooked all natural oven roasted Diestel turkey. Everyone agreed that it was one of the most flavorful turkeys we've ever tried! I don't know whether that's because of the brining solution or the superior quality of the Diestel turkey; maybe it's a little bit of both.



The turkey was accompanied by a Broccoli Cheddar Potato Gratin, which everyone loved, even my dad, who hates any kind of cheese. We finished every last bite of that dish, and I just know I am going to be returning to Whole Foods one of these days to order more. Another side dish, the Stuffed Acorn Squash, was not so well received -- mainly because the rice stuffing was dry and stringy, almost undercooked -- but I put it to good use the next day to add some healthy veggies to my leftover turkey noodle casserole (and in that form, everyone loved it -- go figure). And I'm not a fan of sweet potato anything, but I have to admit that the Apricot Glazed Sweet Potatoes was buttery, sweet, and delicious! Unfortunately my mom nabbed most of it for herself, so I had to be content with just one serving.


For dessert, we had Whole Foods pumpkin pie accompanied by Pacific Rim Riesling, and it was a sweet ending to a great meal. All seven of us ate till we were stuffed, and we're still only halfway through that turkey!

There are still a few items that we haven't gotten around to trying yet -- their vegan Wild Rice Cranberry Fig Roast En Croute and Health Starts Here Butternut Posole soup -- so once we finish up the turkey leftovers, we're going to have another holiday test-run dinner (the healthy version this time!). Stay tuned for future posts on the Whole Foods holiday yumminess....


Win a turkey dinner from Whole Foods
Northern California residents, follow @WFMNorCal on Twitter and tag #WholeForTheHolidays for a chance to win a turkey dinner! For more information, along with recipes, tips and guidelines, visit holidayworthsharing.com.

Disclosure: I received assprted samples from the Whole Foods Holiday Menu to facilitate my review. Menu descriptions, in italics, were provided by Whole Foods. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Scrubbing Bubbles One Step

Cleaning toilets can be a drag -- that's why I've gotten my son to take over. Ha! I wish! Seriously, it actually is one of 3Po's chores, but I don't really trust him to do it properly, so I have him wipe down the top and I do the dirty work (pun intended) myself when he's at school.

At BlogHer this summer, I was introduced to Scrubbing Bubbles' new One Step toilet bowl cleaner, which reduces the process of cleaning your toilet to just one step -- literally. One Step toilet bowl cleaner is a foot-pump system that attaches to the rim of your toilet bowl. Just step on the pedal, and it pumps out Scrubbing Bubbles toilet cleaner around your toilet bowl and under the rim. There's a spinning mechanism that ensures toilet cleaner is sprayed all around. All you have to do is step, and flush (okay, it's actually two steps, but just one literal stepping motion).

It's so easy, even a little kid can do it:


I can definitely trust 3Po to step on a pedal twice a day, right? The only downside is that the tubing is visible, even when you put down the toilet seat, and it doesn't fit quite right on our toilet seat. I'm not sure I'll keep using the system once the first can is used up, but for now I'm enjoying leaving the toilet cleaning -- all of it -- to my seven year old son. And if you accuse me of child labor, you're probably just jealous that you haven't got your own Scrubbing Bubbles One Step yet!

For more information about Scrubbing Bubbles One Step toilet bowl cleaner, visit the Scrubbing Bubbles Facebook page.

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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LEGO gift ideas for the holidays

This year 3Po and Jammy are all about LEGO. Their interest in LEGO waxes and wanes, but 2011 is full-on LEGO. Their favorite video game is LEGO Batman, they love to schedule playdates with one of their friends who owns a lot of LEGO, and all they can talk about is LEGO Ninjago. LEGO will definitely be on their wish list, and I'm sure it will be on many other kids' wish lists this season.

I'm not about to reinvent the wheel and tell you the oh-so-novel news that LEGO would make a great gift idea; in fact, any of the products on LEGO's online store would make a great gift idea. But if you want to be truly original -- or if you're looking for a present for the LEGO fan who already has all the sets -- here are some cool LEGO products that definitely belong on someone's wish list:


The Cult of LEGO (No Starch Press, $39.95).

I've always considered myself a big LEGO fan -- but my devotion is nothing compared to the people featured in this book. The Cult of LEGO features the creations and collections of LEGO's most ardent adult fans in a beautiful, full-color coffee table book. You'll learn about the history behind the brick and see some of the most intricate creations of expert buildrs, from scale replicas of Yankee Stadium to robotic chess sets to life-sized dinosaurs. My favorite section is the chapter on minifigures (oops, that's minifigs according to LEGO fans), where you can see dozens of minifigs representing famous people like Elton John and Nelson Mandela. This book is definitely a must for LEGO geeks, but even kids will love it. My kids love leafing through the pages, and this book has already inspired quite a few building sessions in our home.




LEGO Drinking Bottle ($11.99, The Container Store)

Encourage your kids to drink more water with this 400 ml minifig water bottle! The minifig head acts as the bottle top, and the body comes in red, blue, pink and black. The base unscrews for easy cleaning, which sounds like a great feature since the bottleneck is quite narrow. The bottle is BPA-free and top rack dishwasher safe.






LEGO Lunch Box ($24.99, Langton Info)

I've seen many vinyl LEGO lunch boxes with LEGO characters on them, but I've never seen one that's actually shaped like the classic LEGO eight-stud building brick! The LEGO Lunchbox is the perfect complement to the LEGO water bottle; you can store your lunch in it, or use it for crayons, small tools, or -- brain wave! -- LEGO bricks. Unfortunately this item seems pretty rare; I could only find it for sale on a British website, so unless you're from across the pond, you might have to be content with those LEGO Star Wars lunchboxes after all.



LEGO Brick ice cube tray ($9.99, Amazon)

These brick-shaped ice cube trays are so cool (pun intended). Just fill with water, freeze, and pop out 8 perfect replicas of the classic LEGO brick! The mold is made of silicone, so people use it to mold chocolate bricks (although I'm not sure if you can use them as mini-cake pans). The LEGO store also sells a minifigure ice cube tray for $6.99.



LEGO Digital Camera ($59.99, Digital Blue)

Two years ago I was given a pink version of this LEGO digital camera at the Time To Play Holiday Showcase. It is the cutest thing ever. It looks like it is made completely out of LEGO bricks (our version had pink and white bricks), but you can't take it apart -- it's a real working 3 Megapixel camera, with a built-in flash and a color 1.5" LCD screen. The top and bottom of the camera interlock with regular LEGO bricks so kids can integrate it into their LEGO creations. It even comes with 3 LEGO bricks!


LEGO MP3 Player ($49.99, Digital Blue)

Like the Digital Camera, Digital Blue's LEGO® MP3 Player looks like a stack of LEGO bricks, but it's a working MP3 player with 2GB internal memory and up to 8 hours of play time. It supports MP3 and WMA files, and holds up to 1,000 songs.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Cult of LEGO from No Starch Press and a review sample of the LEGO Digital Camera from Digital Blue. I did not receive samples of any of the other products featured in this gift guide. 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 has got to be your lucky day -- November 11, 2011 or 11/11/11! I wonder how many people are getting married or scheduling their C-sections today :) With so much luck floating around, it only makes sense to leave a link to any giveaways you're hosting -- you're sure to get a ton of traffic if you do :) And it makes even more sense enter a ton of giveaways today, right? Hey, it can't hurt! Just follow the links to the giveaways below and enter, because if you don't enter, you can't win!

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

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Pottery Barn Kids Veteran's Day Sale starts today

I live for Pottery Barn Kids sales. They are such a great way to stock up on the cutest decor and bedding at an unbelievable price. I just got an email from Pottery Barn Kids announcing the start of their Veteran's Day Sale, with items for sale up to 75% off. The Halloween candles I reviewed last month are on sale for over half off, along with other Halloween decor (I always buy a couple of Halloween decor items right after Halloween to take advantage of the sale prices) and over 200 items across all categories.

And while you're on the Pottery Barn Kids website, check out their new holiday collection. They have some really adorable stuff! They sent me a few of their items to review, and I can't wait to start decorating. Stay tuned for future review posts and photos of the Candy Cane Stake Set, Stocking Advent Calendar and Holiday Table Runner, but for now here's a photo of The Pea with two giant candy canes from the Pottery Barn Kids Candy Can Stake Set to whet your appetite for holiday decorating!

Disclosure: I received an assortment of Pottery Barn Kids products from their holiday line, which I will be reviewing on future posts. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Tiny Prints holiday cards 2011

You know the holidays are just around the corner when the party invites and holiday cards start arriving in the mail. Both of those came early for me this year with the Tiny Prints Holiday Party for bloggers, held last week at Reposado in Palo Alto. I had a great time reconnecting with friends, way before the pressures of holiday shopping and partying could affect my stress level, and it was a great chance to take a closer look at Tiny Prints' 2011 holiday card line. Since Tiny Prints has joined Shutterfly, we were also given some fabulous ideas for creating themed Shutterfly photo books as presents for family and friends. And it was a great opportunity to sample (okay gorge on) Reposado's amazing tortilla chips!


After introducing so many novel designs to their holiday cards last year, I didn't think they could ever top it, but this year's line up is just as great, if not better, than last year's. They have tons of new ornament card designs. How adorable is this one?



And this year, for the very first time, you can actually build your own holiday photo card from scratch. Just pick your card size, background color and photo layout. Then add photos, embellishments and text (you can resize and move pretty much anything). This is a great option for people who want full control over the design, along with Tiny Prints' great print quality and heavy paper stock. Think Tiny Prints is too expensive? Think again -- their prices can go as low as $0.69 to $1.99 per card. You can save even more with two great deals going on at Tiny Prints right now:

* Get 20% off your entire order with the code 20SAVE (ends 11/15)

* Enjoy five (5) free holiday card samples when you use the code 5HOLIDAY at checkout (limited time offer)


Disclosure: Tiny Prints treated me to lunch, a set of thank-you notecards and a code for a free Shutterfly photo book, which I will be reviewing in a future post. I am also receiving a set of personalized holiday cards as a thank-you for writing this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

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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.

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

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

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

3) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Blue Sky 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

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

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

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

Win an assortment of @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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