Cheap movies for kids this summer

The Pea, chillin' at a 3D-movie

I don't usually reprint any of the multitude of articles or press releases that are sent to me, but I'm making an exception for this one.  It's a list of movie theatres that are offering cheap kids' movie tickets this summer!  I don't know any of the details or restrictions of the individual programs, but it's certainly worth checking out.  What a great (and inexpensive way) to entertain the kids when school's out!

1. Carmike Theaters
From June 7 through Aug. 9, the Summer Kid Series at Carmike Theaters offers $2 tickets which include admission, popcorn and a drink. Eligible movies show at 10 a.m.


2. Cinemark
The Summer Movie Clubhouse and Cinemark shows children's movies for just $1 per show, or $5 for 10 shows when purchasing tickets in advance. Cinemark operates 298 theaters in 39 states, so there's a good chance you can find one nearby.


3. Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theatres
All movie lovers can enjoy $1 tickets to select G and PG rated films on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. through the Summer Movie Express program. Participating theaters include Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theatres.


4. Malco Theatres
From June 5 to Aug. 1, enjoy $2 tickets to kid-friendly movies beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the Kids Summer Film Fest at Malco Theaters. With locations in Ark., Ky., Miss., Mo., and Tenn., proceeds from the program benefit various children's hospitals throughout the region.


5. Marquee Cinemas
A special selection of family films will be offered at no charge at various locations of Marquee Cinemas (operating under a variety of names). Though schedules vary by theater, showtimes generally run at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.


6. Cinema de Lux, Showcase or Multiplex Cinemas
Kids have to earn free tickets to participating Cinema de Lux, Showcase or Multiplex Cinemas during Bookworm Wednesdays. By submitting a book report, kids receive free admission to select children's movies on Wednesdays. Accompanying adults and children


Thanks to MrFreeStuff.com for the information!



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


Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Energizer Rewards for Reviews Sweepstakes (and a giveaway for you!)

I've done a lot of reviews for Energizer batteries, so I know they truly value their customers' feedback and love to hear what customers have to say about their products.   This month, Energizer is showing everyone just how much they want your opinion, with their Rewards for Reviews Sweepstakes.  Just go to their Rewards for Reviews Sweepstakes and submit your opinion for a chance to win an Energizer® Ultimate Lithium Prize Pack, which includes:

- (8) Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries
- (8) Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AAA Batteries
- (1) Energizer® Ultimate 2AA LED Flashlight
- (1) 18” Energizer Bunny® Plush

You can choose from almost 200 Energizer products to review, including batteries, chargers and lights.  Select a product, and    .  I chose to review Energizer® Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries, because that's what we use most often, and the review process couldn't be easier.  There is just a bare minimum you have to fill out -- a nickname, an email address, an overall 1-to-5-star-rating, a brief review.  You can choose to be more detailed, even add photos or videos if you want, or you can keep it short and sweet.  Easy peasy!



WIN Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive two 4-packs of Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite Energizer product. 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) Submit a review on Energizers Rewards for Reviews page, then leave a comment on this post telling me which product you reviewed (1 entry for each product you review).

2) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

4) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

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

I entered the Energizer  giveaway! http://bit.ly/Lksyim

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win 2 packs of @Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries! Enter by 6/20 at http://bit.ly/Lksyim #giveaway

9) Tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Submit a review of your fave @Energizer product for the chance to win an Ultimate Lithium Prize Pack! http://bit.ly/Lksyim

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 20, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 21 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: Thanks to Energizer for providing 2 battery packs for the giveaway, as well as 2 additional battery packs for me. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Tweet this!

Continue reading...

P&G / Family Dollar Olympic Games giveaway

The Procter & Gamble "Best Job" video clip on YouTube has been passed around the internet for weeks now, and each time I see it posted on Facebook or YouTube, it's always accompanied by comments like "Couldn't stop crying" or "Tears flowing" or "I dare you to stay dry-eyed" or something of the sort.  I avoided watching it for a while because I had an idea of what it was about, and I knew I'd be a  mess.



I finally watched it, of course, I started sobbing almost from the first second.  The video shows the sacrifices that moms of Olympic athletes have made for their kids -- getting them up early, driving them to practices and meets, bandaging their injuries, comforting them when they lose, rejoicing when they win, hiding their own stress for their kids' sake.  Every mother will relate to this video, even if your child is not an Olympic athlete, because whatever level your child is at, that's the kind of sacrifice a mom makes for her little athlete. And really, it's the kind of sacrifice all moms make for their kids in general.

Here are some other Procter&Gamble Olympic videos.  Make sure you have a box of tissues ready!
Thank You, Mum -- Mum, mom, mama, whatever you call her, it's time to say Thanks
Thank you Mom -- you don't need to speak Romanian to understand the sacrifices that moms make (also in Spanish, French and other languages)
Raising an Olympian -- Let's hear it from the moms!

Lolo Jones is one elite athlete who wouldn't be where she is today without her mother.  Jones attended eight schools in eight years while her single mother often held down two jobs to support her family of six. In third grade, the Jones family settled in the basement of a Des Moines-area church. Lolo attributes her success to the support of her mom and community, as well as hard work and determination.  Now Lolo is a world champion hurdler and U.S. Olympic hopeful!

You can find out more about Lolo Jones and her journey at www.followlolorun.com.  You'll read about how  her mother has supported her, how P&G products and Family Dollar helped them stretch each and every dollar -- you'll also be able to enter to win a Panasonic TV!



Win a Procter & Gamble Thank You Mom prize pack
Once lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a special prize package which includes: Tide® Pods, Febreze® Auto Air Freshener, Downy® Unstoppables (full size), Crest® 3D White Toothpaste, Clairol® Lash Blash Mascara – all in a reusable Family Dollar shopping bag.


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you'd like to thank your mom for.   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)  Upload a video about your mom to Dollar General's website atwww.dollargeneral.com/everydayheroes (1 entry)

2)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

4) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry). 

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Thank You Mom giveaway! http://bit.ly/Lk5LEg

8) Write this on the Family Dollar Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win a Thank You Mom prize pack from Procter & Gamble and Family Dollar on Bonggamom Finds! http://bit.ly/Lhp6U3

9) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win a Moms Prize Pack fr @ProcterGamble & @MyFamilySavings! Enter by 6/16 at http://bit.ly/Lhp6U3 #giveaway 

10) Enter any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined)


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 16, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 17 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only.For additional giveaway rules, click here.



Disclosure: Thanks to Procter & Gamble for providing the prize pack for this giveaway, as well as a second prize pack for me.  Promo information (in italics) was provided by Blue Chip Communications. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.



Tweet this!

Continue reading...

American Girl Getaway Sweepstakes

Wow!  American Girl is holding a sweepstakes, and the grand prize can't get any grander!  One lucky winner will win a trip for four to the American Girl store of your choice, complete with airfare, hotel accommodation, a $250 American Girl gift card and $250 American Express gift card.  You can join the  American Girl Getaway Sweepstakes on Facebook before it closes on July 2!



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

Continue reading...

Schwan's Thaw & Serve Yogurt review and giveaway

The kids and I adore frozen yogurt, but I swear, all these trips to our local froyo joint are bankrupting me!  So I'm really happy to announce that I've found a great substitute -- new Schwan's Thaw and Serve yogurt.  It's yogurt that you store in your freezer and thaw in your fridge or lunchbox.  I agreed to try it because I thought it was cool that this yogurt lasts for up to 49 days versus 21 days for regular yogurts -- which means you can stock up without worrying about waste -- but what I've really fallen in love with is the rich, creamy texture -- not the texture of pudding, like most yogurts have, but the texture of ice cream.  Store it in your freezer, and after about 8 hours of thawing in your fridge, it will be slightly icy/firm.  Stir it up, add your own toppings and pretend you're at your local froyo store.   The only difference will be the price tag -- Schwan's Thaw and Serve yogurt is just $5.99 for a pack of 4.  Magnificent!

Schwan's tells me that if you take this yogurt from the freezer and put it in your kids' lunchbox, it will thaw in about 2 hours to regular yogurt consistency -- but we haven't been able to test that because we all want to eat this yogurt in its ice-cream stage :)

The only catch I can think of is that you can't buy this product in your regular supermarket or grocery store.  It's only available with Schwan's online food delivery service.  Then again, they also have tons of frozen foods to choose from, and home delivery charge is just $1.75 -- you'd pay more in gasoline costs to drive and get it yourself!   And if Schwan's doesn't deliver to your area, you can get it sent to you by mail.

Win 2 boxes of Schwan's Thaw & Serve Yogurt
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive 2 boxes of Schwan's Thaw & Serve Yogurt -- 1 box of Strawberry flavor, and 1 box of Vanilla flavor.  Each box contains 4 samples, so that's 8 in total.

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite frozen summer treat.   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)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry for each repin).

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry). 

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Schwan's  giveaway! http://bit.ly/LsNH61

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win 2 boxes of rich, creamy Schwan's Thaw & Serve yogurt!  Enter by 6/15 at  http://bit.ly/LsNH61 #giveaway 

9) Enter any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined)


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 15, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 16 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.


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


Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

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

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

Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Toyota 100 Cars for Good

I remember watching those "donate a car to charity" ads on TV when I was a kid and wondering, Now why would a charity be asking for a beat-up old car that doesn't even have to be running?  What they really need is a good working car so they can keep on doing good!

Salvage values and junkyards aside, there's something to be said for a child's view of car donations.  There's no denying that any nonprofit organization would love a sturdy, dependable car -- a van for a meals-on-wheels program, a car for a social worker to travel from client to client, an SUV for an animal rescue program to take dogs to the vet.

Fortunately, companies like Toyota still have a bit of a child's sense of right and wrong, because their 100 Cars for Good program addresses this exact need.  Toyota is in the midst of their 2nd Cars for Good program, giving away 100 cars to 100 nonprofits between May 14 and August 21.  Each day, 5 organizations are being profiled on the 100 Cars for Good Facebook page, and each day you can vote for one of them.  At the end of the day, they tally up the votes and the one with the most votes gets a car.

There are so many things that I love about this campaign.  I love that so many nonprofits get a new car.  I love that it's so easy to vote.  I love that the voting period only lasts for 1 day.  I love that the winners get to choose the car that will best fit the needs of their organization -- a Camry Hybrid, Highlander SUV, Prius v hybrid, Sienna minivan, Sienna Mobility or Tundra full-sized pickup.  I even love that the other 4 nonprofits don't come away empty-handed -- they each get $1,000 from Toyota. 



See how much a new car can mean to a nonprofit:




Which nonprofit do *you* think can do the most good with a new car? Put your money (or Toyota's money!) where your mouth is and go vote at www.100carsforgood.com !


Disclosure:I am posting this information as a member of the Toyota TWIN community.  I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of Toyota.





 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

I'm a Toyota TWIN Member!

I've ridden in Toyota cars all my life.  In fact, I was probably taken home from the hospital in a Toyota car, because my parents bought a yellow Toyota Corolla the year I was born. It became known as (what else?) The Yellow Car.  A couple of years later, my 2 younger brothers were born only a year apart, so The Yellow Car was joined by The White Car, a white Toyota Corona, to accommodate our growing family.  The Yellow Car and The White Car drove us everywhere throughout our childhood and into high school.

The Yellow Car was the first car I drove, and that was the car my sister and I drove in our first few years of college. Yup, it was still up and running after all those years!  True, the gas tank cap had somehow gotten lost or broken along the way, but we replaced it with the cap from a Cheez Whiz jar, which only added to its quirkiness and vintage factor among my college friends.  I was almost sorry to see it go -- but not too sorry, because my parents replaced it with the latest Corolla model. Finally, a car that was up-to-date with the times!  Our new Blue Car (guess what color our new Corolla was?) was soon joined by a red Toyota LiteAce (for some reason, we broke tradition and called it simply, The LiteAce).

That was over 20 years ago.  The Yellow Car, White Car and Blue Car have moved on to that great Toyota parking lot in the sky; my mom now drives a Toyota Yaris in her old age.  The LiteAce is still around.  The sliding door doesn't work properly but my parents refuse to get rid of it.  It's much too useful and it still runs great, they say.  Whenever we visit the Philippines, our parents pick us up at the airport in it. 

With so many Toyotas in my past, is it any wonder that we chose to buy a Toyota Sienna when Alfie and I started a family of our own?  Toyotas are practically in my blood! So when Toyota invited me to join their Toyota Women's Influencer Network (TWIN), I was beyond honored.  Toyota recognizes that women play a huge role in purchasing -- and using! -- their cars, so they'll be picking the brains of some pretty influential bloggers to find out what women think about the Toyota Brand, and how they can improve their cars to better reflect the way women use their cars today.  I can't wait to share all the experiences with Toyota cars, all the great memories I've enjoyed with Toyota cars, and all the ideas I have for making Toyota cars even better!


Disclosure:I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of Toyota.



 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Discovery Girls magazine giveaway

Who wouldn't want to see their face on a magazine cover?  There's no shortage of photo booths or kiosks at theme parks and carnivals and arcardes that will take your photo and put it on the cover of a magazine, but you'll probably be charged anywhere between $5 (for self-service booths) and $15 (for stalls with a photographer) for the privilege.  You could always do it yourself with any self-respecting photo editing program, but it's too much work for just a little bit of fun.

Enter Cover Creator, an app from Discovery Girls magazine, one of my daughter's favorite publications.  In fact, when we first got our new iPad, Cover Creator was one of the first apps she asked me to buy for her (that and another Discovery Girls app, Embarrassing Moments).  Imagine my surprise when Discovery Girls contacted me and asked me if I wanted to review the app!

DG really has their pulse on what girls enjoy, because this app is so much fun -- just take a photo (or use one from your photo album), and Cover Creator will create a magazine cover with it!  You can choose from 5 ready-to-go templates or create your own from scratch.  You can edit your magazine layout by adding premade text elements, changing their colors, moving them around your layout, or adding your own text or drawings.  It's a bit like a greeting card creator, or a very simple photo editor.

Once you've saved your magazine cover to your photo album, you can email it to yourself, your friends, or to Discovery Girl Magazine.  It's very easy and lots of fun, and best of all, it's only $1.99!  Beat that, expensive photo booths!

Just a couple of things that could be improved:

• You can't change the size of the ready-made text elements
• You can't go back and edit your magazine cover once you've saved it and moved out of the app or started on another magazine cover.
• It's only available on iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod touch), so Android tablet and phone users can't share in the fun
• You can't share your magazine cover via Twitter or Facebook or other social channels directly from the app (the workaround is to go to your photo album and share it from there, or email it to yourself, download and share it from there)

But those are minor inconveniences, certainly nothing to stop me from wholeheartedly recommending this app.  Because everyone deserves their moment in the sun!



Win a subscription to Discovery Girls Magazine
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a 1-year subscription (6 issues) to Discovery Girls Magazine.

(I just had to get my own magazine cover.  Hey, I'm a girl too, aren't I?  Who said the kids had to have all the fun?)


Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me what magazine cover you would most like to appear on.  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)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry for each repin).

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry).

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Discovery Girls giveaway! http://bit.ly/KY90fo

8) Write this on the Discovery Girls Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win a 1-year subscription to Discovery Girls magazine on Bonggamom Finds!  Giveaway ends June 15 at http://bit.ly/KY90fo

9)  Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win a 1-year subscription to Discovery Girls Magazine!   Enter by 6/15 at http://bit.ly/KY90fo cc @DGmagazine #giveaway


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 15, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 16 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance. Continental US residents only.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.


Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. I purchased the app myself, but Discovery Girls is providing the giveaway prize.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Treat cards Father's Day giveaway

It's funny how, even in English, people call their fathers by so many names.  Alfie called his father Daddy when he was a boy, then switched to Dad as he grew older.  I've always called my father Daddy (I remember when we were kids, he told us he doesn't mind what we call him, as long as it isn't Papa, because it reminded him of Papa Piccolino, a popular brand of soup at the time!).  My kids also call Alfie Daddy; we'll see whether that changes.  (Actually, when 3Po was learning how to speak, he couldn't really say "Daddy", so the best he could do was "Tati".   "Tati" eventually became the name for his special bedtime blanket! )   What you do call your father? Whatever you call him, make sure you send him a greeting or a phone call this Father's Day, June 17, to let him know how what a special person he is in your life!


Send a Father's Day Greeting Card via Treat
Have you heard of Treat? Treat is Tiny Prints new partner site offering personalized greeting cards, including some great Father's Day cards for the special dad in your life.  Treat is the perfect way to manage greeting cards in today's online world -- you can import birthdays from Facebook, schedule cards for delivery up to 1 year in advance, and add a gift card to top retailers like Amazon, iTunes, Target and more in your greeting card.   For more information, follow Treat on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+.

Get a free greeting card from Treat
Sign up with Treat, and  your first Treat card is free! Use code FREETREAT at checkout.

Win 10 free greeting cards from Treat
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive 10 free tokens, good for 10 free greeting cards, from Treat!

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you plan to do this Father's Day.  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)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry for each repin).

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry).

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Treat Father's Day greeting card giveaway! http://bit.ly/JJNG2b

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win 10 free greeting cards from @Treatcards !   Enter by 6/14 at http://bit.ly/JJNG2b #giveaway



The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 14, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 15 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: Treat is providing me with 10 free cards as a thank-you for hosting the giveaway.  Giveaway prize is also provided by Treat.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

10 Things You Need to Know About the PS Vita

Summer vacation is almost here, and that means a lot of road trips!  In June, we have a Disneyland trip and a camping trip, then in July and August we'll be in England, Wales, France and Belgium.  There are going to be a lot of boring hours in cars, trains, planes, and waiting rooms, so we're definitely going to be taking the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) that kept the kids so well occupied the last time we were abroad.  And this year, our PSP is going to have a rival  --- its younger and newer version, the Sony PlayStation Vita!  As a PlayStation Family Member, Sony sent me a PS Vita and some games to try out, and let me tell you it's so much more than just a handheld videogame! 

In fact, the PS Vita is so rich in functionality, it's difficult to know where to start raving about it.  Fortunately, the PS Vita social media team sent each of the PlayStation Family Members a list of 10 Thing You Need to Know about the PS Vita -- a "cheat sheet" of the PS Vita's best features, if you must.   I'm reprinting the list here, so if you are curious about the PS Vita, or if you're wondering what all the fuss is about, you don't need to look any further:

1) LIVING COLOR
The Vita's 5" touchscreen display is powered by cutting-edge OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) technology which harnesses organic electroluminescence instead of backlit design in LCD displays (means brilliant color, deeper blacks for even monochromatic games, different shades of grey)

2) NO COMPROMISES
First and only portable gaming platform to incorporate dual analog sticks, which grants first-person shooter and hardcore action players the precision and responsivenedss.

3) NEW WAYS TO PLAY
Another video game first: a precise rear touch pad that puts powerful new tools at your fingertips.  front-and-back VGA cameras and sophisticated sixaxis motion sensors for world's most advanced augmented reality entertainment platform, blending virtual world and real world.

4) CROSS-PLATFORM PLAY
Enables PS Vita and PS3 players to play with and against each other in supported multiplayer games.  Also, players can transfer progress between their PS3 and PS Vita versions of the game.

5) STAY CONNECTED
Features 3G/Wi-Fi model, allowing players to play with other people on the PLayStation Network, login to the PS store to download add-ons or new games or content, all on the go.  Uses AT&T Data Connect plans, which are month by month and not contract based! 250MG for $14.99
3GBfor $30

6) THE WORLD IS IN PLAY
Connect with your friends, use "near", PS Vita's geosocial networking app, to check in.  Also use "Party", a cross-game voice chat for up to 8 players, enables users to send messages and photos

7) SOCIAL EVOLVED
PS Vita comes pre-installed with Paint Park (way to share notes & doodles), Facebook, Twitter, Skype, flickr & foursquare!

8) TOUCHING IS REVEALING
Tactile user interface takes full advantage of the gorgeous 5" OLED touchscreen, making navigating digital content fun and easy.  User interface is speedy and transparent, can hope form a game to an app and back again fluidly (as a bubble)




9) YOUR STUFF HERE
PS Vita Memory Card can store game saves, plus thousands of games and movies. 4,8, 16, 32GB options.

 MP3s, podcasts imported from PC or PS3 -- you can listen to them in the background while you're playing a game or browsing a web

10) GAMES, GAMES, GAMES
There are nearly100 PS Vita games in development worldwide, including:
Here are the I'm most excited to try:
Hotshots Golf
Super Stardust Delta*
Little Deviants*
ModNation Racers Roadtrip
Uncharted Golden Abyss
EA Sports FIFA Soccer*
Michael Jackson The Experience
BEN10 GALACTIC RACING

Also watch out for these upcoming titles:
Gravity Rush
Little Big Planet
Reality Fighters
Marvel Pinball
Plants vs. Zombies
Super MonkeyBall
Ridge Racer

* Sony sent us copies of these titles, so watch out for a future review!



Disclosure: Disclosure: As a PlayStation Family blogger, I have been loaned a PS Vita Unit and several PS Vita games. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Free American Girl printable activities

Last week I posted a link to some great American Girl learning activities that will keep your daughters busy throughout the summer.  Here are a few more American Girl downloadable activities from -- these don't have a specific educational focus, they are just for fun (and as the song says, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!). There's a set for each American Girl historical character, which makes them great for themed birthday parties or sleepovers,

• Mystery Printable Activities: Marie-Grace, Cécile, Rebecca
• Marie-Grace and Cécile Printable Activities
• Kaya Printable Activities
  Felicity Printable Activities
• Josefina Printable Activities
• Kirsten Printable Activities
• Addy Printable Activities
• Samantha Printable Activities
• Rebecca Printable Activities
• Kit Printable Activities
• Molly Printable Activities
• Julie Printable Activities
• Mystery Printable Activities: Rebecca, Julie, Kit
• Innerstar University™ Printable Activities
• Oodles Printable Activities
• Just for Fun Printable Activities

Click here to enter my American Girl Read-a-Palooza giveaway -- You could win an assortment of American Girl books!


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

 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

McKenna's Gymtastic App

I just got a new iPad this week, so naturally one of the first apps I loaded onto it was an American Girl app! American Girl apps only work with iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), so this is the first time 

we've been able to play with it.

McKenna's Gymtastic, like all good apps, is based on a pretty simple concept: McKenna is running on a balance beam  (a very long, long balance beam!), and you have to keep her from falling down when she encounters a gap between beams.  When you tap the screen, McKenna jumps (actually, she jumps and twists and twirls in mid-air).   She has to catch purple stars to get points, and if she falls 3 times, the game is over.  The Pea says it's a lot like Ice Runner; easy to learn, surprisingly addictive, and a great way to help pass the time.

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

Continue reading...

Monsuno Battle Toys review and giveaway

Have you heard about Monsuno?  It's the latest animated action-adventure series for boys on Nicktoons, combining science fiction, dinosaurs and arena battle:

About “Monsuno”
Millions of years ago, “Monsuno,” a living DNA, hitched a ride to Earth in a concentrated asteroid pocket. When it landed on Earth, the impact drove the dinosaurs into extinction. The “Monsuno” DNA lay dormant until a scientist named Jeredy Suno activated it, sending a rippling wave of movement back into action. By doing so, Jeredy may have reignited the end of the world but he also created its salvation, the “Monsuno” monsters. Now, it’s up to his son Chase to learn the secrets of “Monsuno” and help save the world from impending destruction.

If you want to see what Monsuno is all about, tune in to Nicktoons on Monday, May 28th from 4p.m. to 7:30p.m. ET -- they are hosting a Monsuno Madness Marathon so you can get your fill of Chase, Bren & Jinja.  They're also premiering all-new Monsuno episodes on May 29, 30 and 31.

Fans of the show will be happy to know that Monsuno is also available as a line of action figures, combat set, accessories and trading cards from Jakks Pacific!  Jakks Pacific sent me a Monsuno party pack so that 3Po, Jammy and their friends could check it out. They each invited a friend to come to the house for a Monsuno party, which we held last week.  3Po and Jammy could hardly wait, and spent the whole week learning all about Monsuno and how to play it.

The Monsuno action figure is a tiny battle animal (like a tiger or wolf or scorpion) that folds into a tube-like case (the "core").  You can play the Monsuno battle game with the action figures, cores and trading cards.  Opponents battle each other by spinning Monsuno cores with Monsuno figures inside the core.  If both Monsuno figures emerge from their cores, opponents lay down cards to determine who wins.  The full rules are on the Monsuno website, but from what the boys tell me, it's a lot like Pokemon (which, by the way, is another Jakks Pacific toy brand!).

At the party, each boy received a Monsuno core, action figure, trading cards and collectible metal core to play with. They lost no time dividing up the loot, going through the cards and setting up their action figures.  They must have spent an hour just folding their battle figures, spinning their cores and letting the figures spring to life!  Once they started playing the actual game, things got serious.  Since each game is played with just 2 people and there were 4 boys, they decided on a tournament system, with the winner of each "semi-final" moving on to play in the final match.  They had so much fun!  Thanks, Jakks Pacific, for introducing my boys to such a great new toy!

Win Monsuno trading cards
We have a few extra trading cards left over from our Monsuno party, so we're giving them away!  One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive 3 packs of trading cards (with 12 cards per pack).

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which Monsuno action figure you or your son think is the coolest.   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)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry for each repin).

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry).

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Monsuno giveaway! http://bit.ly/LrbouM

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Win 3 packs of Monsuno trading cards!  Enter by 6/11 at http://bit.ly/LrbouM #giveaway


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 11, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 12 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.
 

Disclosure:Thanks to Jakks Pacific for providing me with a Monsuno party pack to share with sons and their friends.  Giveaway prize was taken from the party pack..  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

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

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

Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's 40th Birthday Giveaway (part 2!)

Yesterday I celebrated my 40th birthday with a $40 Amazon gift card giveaway -- but I'm not done yet!  Today I'm giving away a $40 Safeway gift card, which can be used at store in the Safeway group (Safeway, Vons, Dominick's, Genuardi's, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Pavilions, Carrs).  I figured that if I'm having a virtual birthday party, someone needs to buy the birthday cake :)

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your ideal birthday cake would look and taste like.   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)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry for each repin).

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry).

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Safeway gift card giveaway! http://bit.ly/Jq7x58

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
@bonggafinds is celebrating her 40th birthday with a $40 Safeway gift card giveaway!  Enter by 6/13 at http://bit.ly/Jq7x58 #giveaway

9) Leave a comment on any Finding Bonggamom post tagged with "Turning Forty",  up to once per day (1entry per day)


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 13, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 14 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.
 

Disclosure: I purchased the giveaway prize myself.  All views and opinions expressed here are my own.

Tweet this!

Continue reading...

Bonggamom's 40th birthday giveaway

Today is a very special day.... my 40th birthday!  I'm not into big birthday celebrations (the last time I had a birthday party was 17 years ago), but this is a milestone birthday, so some kind of festivity seemed to be in order.   I thought about a special birthday trip, but jetting away to Vegas or Mexico with a group of girlfriends just isn't my style.  Actually, the truth is, that kind of trip is out of my budget, especially since we're going to the UK this summer and to the Philippines over winter break.  But I really want to take the kids to Disneyland once school lets out, so that's going to be my big birthday trip, and I couldn't be more excited.  What better way to celebrate turning forty than by visiting the land of eternal youth?

But I couldn't let my birthday pass without some kind of giveaway on this blog, because I'm so grateful to the support I've received from all of you great Bonggamom Finds readers.  I'm far too busy and challenged to worry about approaching middle age and all that stuff, and this blog is a huge, huge part of that!  It has given me purpose in life, and I couldn't have done it without you!  I wish I could send each and every one of you a birthday goody bag, but I can't, so to celebrate my 40th birthday, I'm giving away a $40 (of course it had to be $40!) Amazon gift card.  Thank you for helping me grow Bonggamom Finds to where it is today!

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you celebrated your last birthday.   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)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry for each repin).

5) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this post -- 1 entry).

6) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

7) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered your birthday giveaway! http://bit.ly/Jw99vf

8) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry per day):
@bonggafinds is celebrating her 40th birthday with a $40 Amazon gift card giveaway!  Enter by 6/12 at http://bit.ly/Jw99vf #giveaway

9) Enter any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined)


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on June 12, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on June 13 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.
 

Disclosure: I purchased the giveaway prize myself.  All views and opinions expressed here are my own.

 
Tweet this!

Continue reading...