Pretty Please Press - Review and Giveaway

Miss E. is a bookworm like her mommy (<---- pride!) and my only “reader” of the bunch so she is the one that gets all of the wonderful books I bring home. I was excited to do a review with Pretty Please Press. Miss E. is in Hapkido, and one of the books, Kick, Block Punch was focused on martial arts so I thought “perfect! A book that she can read about martial arts!" Pretty Please Press was also formed on the belief that reading together helps parents and children foster good communications and solid relationships. Reading also gives kids a solid base for success in the future.

We received 4 books for this review. Bella Basset Ballerina, The Scritchy Little Twitchell Sisters, Kick Block Punch, and Pynx. All of the books are high quality – very unique and different from one another.

As much as I thought Miss E. would LOVE KickBlock Punch, she immediately gravitated to Pynx. Then I watched as Miss N., who usually is not interested in reading, immediately grabbed Pynx also. I think the illustration on the front cover of a smiling, purple alien was intriguing

Here is the description of the book from the website.

Pynx
Written and illustrated by Jeffrey Greene

In a distant galaxy, on a very colorful planet, a brilliant purple Pynx settles into her new home in the jungle. But her noisy arrival upsets the other fanciful creatures who are already living there quite happily. When the Pynx expands her family with dozens of new babies, her neighbors are very upset. The very vocal Pynx has had this problem before, but this time, with a little luck, she finds a real home. This is a story about being tolerant, learning to appreciate differences, and about finding ways to communicate.

Kick Block Punch
Written and illustrated by Jacquie Hann

Kick Block Punch was also a great book - my husband teaches martial arts and this is a great resource for the children he teaches:

Sam arrives at his first karate class all ready to receive his black belt. To his surprise, he has a lot to learn about karate, and there are many other belts to earn before he attains the rank of black belt. With the help of his patient instructor, he learns how to work hard toward his goal and to master this new skill. This story shows that patience and practice are important when we are approaching a new challenge.


The Scritchy Little Twitchell Sisters
By Laura Aimee Garn
Illustrated by Erik Brooks
Lavinia and Emmeline Twitchell look like perfect little angels, but their behavior is anything but angelic! They squabble constantly, and their poor parents suffer in a noisy, divided household. ...The Twitchell Sisters demonstrate that someday the fights may yield to understanding and appreciation. (I need to make sure to read this to Miss E. and Miss N. - sounds a little too familiar...Dejavu???)

Bella Basset Ballerina
By Laura Aimee Garn Illustrated by Valerie Sokolova
Bella Basset is a pup when her mother takes her to see the famous Royal Borzoi Ballet for the first time. At the ballet, a dream is born: Bella wants to become a dancer! But in Bella's world, only Borzois can dance, so she has many obstacles to overcome before she can realize her dream. This is a story about dedication and perseverance, which may give children (and grown-ups) the inspiration to pursue their dreams.

Current offer: Buy 3 books, get 1 free!
Pretty Please Press offers books directly to customers at discounted prices, with a special offer for shoppers to buy three books and get the fourth book free!
*Expiration date unknown

Price for individual books: $15.95 Currently on sale for $12.96 (Hardcover)
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours.

Pretty Please Press has offered one blogmania reader the set of 4 books. Here are the rules:

Main Entry - Head over to Pretty Please Press and tell me something about one of the authors, illustrators or publishers.

* Please also include an email address if you do not have a public email address in your blogger profile. If you win and I cannot contact you, another winner will be selected.

* Giveaway starts 11/11/2009 and ends 11/29/2009 at 11:59pm EST.
One winner will be selected on or before November 30, 2009

* Winner will be selected via random.org

* Blogmania is responsible for prize fulfillment.

* Winner must respond to email notification within 48 hours or another winner will be selected.

* Open to US residents age 18 and older.


EXTRA ENTRIES (please post for each extra entry):

1 extra entry (each) available for faving on technorati, following me in blogger/google friends, following me in twitter, sharing on facebook, subscribing or grabbing a button.

3 entries for tweeting - please include @misaacmom in your tweet.
Hint: Use Share this for easy tweeting.

5 extra entries for blogging about this giveaway

Thank you to Pretty Please Press and The Product Review Place. Outside of a set of books to review, I did not receive any form of compensation for this blog post. For more information on this blog and my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy below.

Fashion Angels Design Studio - Review and Gift Guide

Growing Tree Toys is partnering with bloggers to spread the word about the high quality, educational toys that they carry in their online store. The girls and I were able to review the Fashion Angels Design Studio


TheFashion Angels Design Studio is an arts and crafts set that your child can use to create new trendy designs! The Fashion Angels Design Studio gives kids all of the supplies they will need to design clothes and accessories just like real designers do.

Fashion Angels Design Studio
Retail value: $24.95
Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Included in the Fashion Angels Design Studio are:
- sketch pads
- a style guide to help with designs
- a blank "fabric pattern" swatch card (your child colors his or her swatches)
- a pad of tracing paper
- a pad of newsprint paper
- textured fabric "swatches" for crayon / pencil rubbings
- colored pencils
- colored markers
- a portfolio to hold all of your supplies AND finished designs.

My kids LOVED this toy. Miss E. and Miss N. had a blast creating fashion creations including outfits, handbags and shoes. They really had fun picking out the girls, creating the designs, coloring them in, etc. Even Miss C. joined in at one point, helping her little sisters out and creating her own design).

My girls mainly used the fashion design sketch pad which included templates to work off of. The only negative was that my girls went through the design pad in 2 days! I am going to have to order more of these.

We have used other fashion design sets through the years, but we enjoyed this one so much more than others that we have owned. Some sets have been to complicated for kids their age. Others did not hold their interest. The Fashion Design Angels Studio was simple enough for them to figure out how to use the supplies on their own without getting frustrated, but complex enough to keep them interested for more than 5 minutes.

This toy has won several awards, including the National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold and Parent's Choice Gold. I have to say it won an award in my house too! It kept my girls busy, arguments were at a minimum (they actually played nicely together with this - sharing and collaborating) and they were proud of their creations.

I would definitely recommend this toy. If you have an 8 - 12 year old girl on your shopping list, this is a fun and affordable toy that will be sure to be received with excitement and appreciation. As such, I am officially adding to my 2009 gift guide!

This review was done in partnership with Growing Tree Toys. Outside of receiving a toy to review, I did not receive any form of compensation to do this review. For more information on this blog and my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy below at the bottom of this page.

Kellogg's makes fiber fun!

I was suprised to learn that like adults, 9 out of 10 kids lack enough fiber in their diets!

Busy Mothers (and fathers) struggle to find ways to increase the fiber intake in their family's diet. Kellogg's recognizes this and and they came up with a great solution by adding a boost of fiber to a few of their most popular kids' cereals. They have started with two kids' favorites: Apple Jacks and Froot Loops cereals, which now have three grams of fiber per serving and are currently available on grocery shelves. These cereals include ingredients such as whole-grain corn flour and oat flour, oat fiber and soluble corn fiber. In addition, Kellogg Company plans to extend the added fiber benefits to their other cereal lines over the next year.

As parents we constantly try to replace our kids' favorite unhealthy eating habits with healthier options. Kids may or may not go along with this plan.... We can sometimes cave to picky eaters and allow them to eat what tastes good. Now, Moms and Dads don't have to choose. Froot Loops and Apple Jacks cereals have added fiber while maintaining the same great taste, making breakfast an easy place for kids to get the fiber they need without the battle.

Thanks to MomCentral and Kellogg's I was able to try the new Apple Jacks and Froot Loops with fiber. Here are my "taste-test" notes.

- the cereal tasted the same for the post part. There was slightly less sweetness in the cereal with fiber. If I was eating the cereal and did not know it was with added fiber, I would not have noticed the difference at all.

- the texture was more dense. Again, not hugely noticeable.

- the logo looked the same. the box looked the same. the cereal looked the same. My kids did not notice a difference!

On weekends I tend to cook a big brunch but during the week we go for the fast and easy route - we make quick meals during the week for the girls - for breakfast that means oatmeal, waffles or cereal. I think that this is a great option for moms trying to provide quick, affortable healthy and nutritious meals for their children. Kellogg's cereals with added fiber will definitely be on my shopping list for the girls!


Want to learn more about fiber and see if you have enough fiber in your diet? Check out Fiber-pe-dia . Please visit www.kelloggsnutrition.com or www.Kelloggs.com/Fiber to find out more information about the cereals.


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kellogg’s and received boxes of Froot Loops and Apple Jacks and a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.

MyPunchbowl.com - your holiday greeting and gathering organizational tool

The holiday season conjures up many feelings - joy, nostalgia, sentiment, and the desire to carry on past traditions and create new ones.

Often times, holiday hosts will adorn their Thanksgiving tables with treasured family heirlooms like Great-Grandma’s gravy boat, Papa’s Silver Carving Platter, or China received as a wedding gift – each with its own precious memory.

Yet, many hosts also want to infuse their own unique personality into their celebrations and look for creative ways to make guests feel just as warm and welcome as the celebration itself.

MyPunchbowl.com, the leader in start to finish party planning, offers FREE online Thanksgiving invitations that will immediately engage the recipient and generate such excitement and anticipation, they’ll think they can already smell the turkey roasting! And remember, the etiquette pros always say to send invitations out a month in advance!


Here is just a small sample of the FREE online invitations for Thanksgiving:

Who wouldn’t love to receive a warm, welcoming online Thanksgiving invitation to join in the celebration?

A MyPunchbowl.com membership is absolutely free and offers a huge array of standard invitations templates and eCards for any celebration or occasion. They have everything you need from online invitations to party supplies, personalized favors and much more.
And online invitations save times, money, the environment, and, let’s face it, your writing hand!!

Here is a free recipe from MyPunchbowl.com

Cinnamon Apple Muffins for Thanksgiving Day Breakfast

Muffin or cupcake liners
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ tsp. of baking powder

¾ cup of sugar

1.5 tsp. of baking powder

1 tsp. of ground cinnamon

½ of a cup of whole milk

1/3 of a cup of melted butter

1 egg

1 cup of peeled, cored and diced Granny Smith apples

1 cup of cinnamon chips

To make: stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon together in a medium-sized bowl. Add the milk, butter, egg, apples and cinnamon chips next, stirring together until the mixture is smooth. Fill each muffin liner about 2/3 full, then bake in a 365 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving them.

Holiday Gift Guide - Spreadshirt

With the holiday’s right around the corner, there seems to never be enough time. That is the ruling sentiment in many busy moms’ lives, especially if you work full time outside the home. Help has finally arrived!

Through their worldwide creative platform for customizable apparel, Spreadshirt has taken the stress out of holiday shopping. Spreadshirt is the leading online platform for creating, buying and selling “me-shirts” which allow the consumer to create one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on their holiday list. You can now produce personal, unique me-shirts expressing your thoughts and feelings instead of scouring the shops to find just the right gift.

Spreadshirt’s platform is extremely user friendly allowing you to quickly and efficiently search their site to find the right option to customize—from shirts to hoodies to pants to gifts for the dog or gourmet cook! Whether choosing from the thousands of designs created by their user community or starting from scratch to design your ideal message, holiday shopping has never been easier.

If apparel is not on your list this year, Spreadshirt has dozens of additional gift options. From cozy sweatshirt blankets and bathrobes to wine totes and laptop sleeves, Spreadshirt truly provides you with all you need for holiday shopping.

The holidays are also about giving and receiving, right? All orders placed by November 30th will receive FREE SHIPPING.  And, every order placed by December 17th will arrive by December 24th.


I did this post in partnership with Kel and Partners.  I did not receive any form of compensation for sharing this information with my readers.  For more information on this blog and my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy below. 

Sleepyheads - Giveaway

Sleepyheads.com is a retailer that specializes in pajamas and lounge wear for the entire family! With the exception of my hubby, we (the girls and I) are Pajama People. The first thing I do when I get home is put on my PJs. My girls usually do the same. Thus I have been stalking sleepyheads.com for a while.

What I love about Sleepyheads.com is that they offer pajamas in all styles for the entire family in every style imagine able. I am able to find something for my girls AND myself in one place. How great is that?


Sleepyheads.com has generously offered to award one Blogmania reader 1 pair of Sleepyheads Brand pajamas - This can me any pattern, any size, kids, adults, men's, women's. Yes, that is one pair for you, your kids, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife, mom, dad, etc. (Or yourself!)


Main Entry - Head over to Sleepyheads.com and select which pair of Sleepyheads Brand pajamas you would like to win (please include size). Please select carefully because if you win, this is the information forwarded on to Sleepyheads! Please also include an email address if you do not have a public email address in your blogger profile.

* Giveaway starts 11/08/2009 and ends 11/14/2009 at 11:59pm EST.
One winner will be selected on or before November 16, 2009

* Winner will be selected via random.org

* Sleepyheads.com is responsible for prize fulfillment.

* Winner must respond to email notification within 48 hours or another winner will be selected.

* Open to US residents age 18 and older.


EXTRA ENTRIES (please post for each extra entry):

1 extra entry (each) available for faving on technorati, following me in blogger/google friends, following me in twitter, sharing on facebook, subscribing or grabbing a button.

3 entries for tweeting - please include @misaacmom in your tweet.
Hint: Use Share this for easy tweeting.

5 extra entries for blogging about this giveaway.

Uprinting.com - Customized Card Giveaway

Uprinting.com provides so many great ideas of making customized gifts. Turn your photos and artwork into something special!

Greeting Cards

Envelope Printing



Prize Offered: (50 ct.) 7 x 5" (folded to 3.5 x 5") Custom Thank You Cards with plain envelopes
Shipping: Free UPS Ground within United States



Please leave a comment telling me what you use your customized greeting/thank you cards for! Be creative......

* Giveaway starts 11/08/2009 and ends 11/14/2009 at 11:59pm EST.
One winner will be selected on or before November 16, 2009

* Winner will be selected via random.org

* Uprinting.com is responsible for prize fulfillment.

* Winner must respond to email notification or another winner will be selected. Prizes will be awarded via coupon code which will be sent out to the winner directly from uprinting on or around November 20.



EXTRA ENTRIES (please post for each extra entry):

1 extra entry (each) available for faving on technorati, following me in blogger/google friends, following me in twitter, sharing on facebook, subscribing or grabbing a button.

3 entries for tweeting - please include @uprinting and @misaacmom in your tweet.
Use share this for easy tweeting OR copy and paste the message below!

~~New giveaway! ~~ Win thank you cards from Uprinting.com and Blogmania! @uprinting @misaacmom http://bit.ly/4rukRo

5 extra entries for blogging about this giveaway.


Uprinting.com is so great to bloggers - mommy bloggers, graphic designers, web designers, artists, etc. I am proud to be a member of the Uprinting.com Blog Sponsorship Program and offer so many great giveaway opportunities to my readers.



I am eligible to receive fifty (50) thank you cards from UPrinting.com for hosting this giveaway. I did not receive any other form of compensation. To find out more about this blog and my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy below.

Free to Be You and Me- why the 70's were great.... Gift Guide 3

I hope to post a few more of my personal recommendations.  Here is one for the kiddos (or the kid at heart)

If you are looking for a great CD or DVD for your child, I highly recommend Free to Be You and Me by Marlo Thomas and friends.  In typical 70's fashion, Free to Be You and Me promotes love and acceptance, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, marital status, sexual preference, etc.  These are all values that I try to teach my kids every day - people should be accepted for who they are.  I embrace learning about new cultures and focusing on discovering similarities instead of on cultures differences.  

The star studded cast is pretty great -  Marlo Thomas, Mel Brooks and Alan Alda headline but the "friends" are much more expansive.  When the credits roll it is a treat to see everyone that contributed to the effort.  Example: included is a fun clip of the late Michael Jackson as a teen singing a duet with the powerful songbird, Roberta Flack.  Appropriate as Jackson and Flack are both iconic figures of the 70's.  Even more ironic the feature is about how he will always remain a kid at heart. 

Promote Peace and Love!  If you are looking for an innovative gift for that special kid in your life, consider Free to Be You and Me. 



 

Free to Be You and Me may not align with your beliefs.  My recommendation is a matter of personal preference and opinion  I did not receive any compensation for this post.  For more information on this blog and my posting practices, please refer to the disclosure policy below at the bottom of this page.

Today we went to the magnet school fair to look at high school options for Miss C. I REALLY did not want to go - I am pretty exhausted due to work and the kids being tracked out. My husband convinced me that we both needed to go and I am glad we did. The school we had in mind for Miss C. would not have been a fit. We are looking at a different school in which the odds of getting in are much better. We will have to wait until February to apply but are excited about the prospects!

Late this afternoon I just dyed my hair and did my nails. Going to the nail salon is too much coordination with DH so I usually do manicures myself at home. I hands looked bad all week but this is the first time I have had the time or energy to do something about it. Of course Miss N. and Miss E. had to get in on the action, so the bathroom is a mess - nail polish bottles everywhere. Of course Miss E. insisted on doing her nails herself and was also not satisfied with the results. I hate doing nails with her because it is such a production:
- Each nail a different color
- If the results are not satisfactory, you have to start over
- At least once she cries. Usually more than once.

At least all of the nail polish stayed in the bottles or on our nails. My nails look lovely if I do say so myself - I started with a barely black with a hint of shimmer (more of a midnight plum) and put on a coat of chocolate-copper frost. The result is a very deep, shimmery auburn-chocolate. I would take a picture but I have not cleaned up the sides yet so it looks rather sloppy.

I have a few reviews and 2 giveaways to post. I am going to be moving to my own website early December or January and was playing around with that. Unfortunately it is a totally different format and is going to take quite a bit of work to get the look and feel I want.

What is your expression?

Downy and TwitterMom wants to know what scent defines you. I struggled between Peace and Creativity but finally went with latter because I feel that creativity promotes love, peace and hope.

My scent was built on the the concept of meshing conflicting elements together to create something entirely new and original inspiring scent that "works".

First stop by Twitter Moms and then meander over to Downy to create your custom scent! (but before you do, vote for me!)