Here's an easy way to help in the fight against breast cancer. Just “like” the Energizer Bunny on Facebook, and $1 will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure – up to $15,000!
Disclosure: I am an Energizer Keep Going Blogger for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event in San Francisco. I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Summertime is camping time, and camping isn't complete without S'mores! We love, love, love S'mores -- the combination of sweet marshmallows, crunchy honey graham crackers and creamy chocolate is too delicious to resist. Even Alfie, who doesn't usually like milk chocolate, would never turn down a S'mores. We like it so much that we don't bother waiting for a backyard barbecue or campout. We just pop a graham cracker, marshmallow and square of chocolate in the microwave, and presto! Instant yum.
How about you? How do you and your family enjoy S'mores?
We're definitely an (E) family -- but whichever way you like to enjoy your S'mores, you can go to www.SmoresSmiles.com for recipes and tips!
Disclosure: By posting this, I am eligible to receive a prize pack from Kraft, Honey Maid and Hershey's, courtesy of the Mom Bloggers Club. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Yes, yes and triple yes. It's worth the slight increase in price, especially with young children. When the twins were babies I booked a flight with a stopover from San Francisco to Manila so that I could be on the same flight as my mother, who had already booked. The trip to Manila was fine because she was with me -- but the homeward-bound trip was DIFFICULT. I had two-month old twins in carseats and a snap-on stroller, a three-year old and all the toys, diapers and extra clothes they require. Try hauling all of that through a layover in a busy airport, with all the security checks, boarding pass showings and diaper changes!
Most of the time, you can pre-select your seats when you buy your airline tickets, but there have been times when we have not been able to select seats until 24 hours before departure, or there just weren't any seats together. In those situations, make sure you get to the airport early and let the gate attendants know about your situation. They almost always will be able to do some magic switcheroos to get your family seated together, or as close together as possible. If all else fails, don't be afraid to ask your seatmate if he could do you the favor of switching so that you can be together with your child. People can be very nice about switching -- especially if you have an aisle seat to offer them!
Finally, someone else has come out and said it, so now I can sing the praises of Benadryl without fear of people looking at me like I'm crazy! It's non-habit forming and my kids use it regularly to control their allergies, so I have no problem with giving it to them on long-haul, overnight flights to help them sleep. Just make sure you give them the right dose because it has been known to make kids hyperactive rather than drowsy!
When your potty-training son wants to go potty and your preschooler is whining about the power on your iPod running out and your third child is kicking the seat in front of him, it can be all too tempting to shove one of them to an unlucky flight attendant and dare the poor passenger in front of your little seat-kicker to complain. I totally sympathize and suggest that you treat yourself to a square of chocolate (or the whole bar) when your kids finally fall asleep.
But take heart-- this too shall pass. It did for me; last month Alfie stayed home while I took the kids on a flight to Chicago. We did not have advanced seat assignments so I appealed to the gate attendant. She worked her magic and got the 3 kids together in a single row, while I got an aisle seat about 5 rows forward. I considered asking a person nearby to switch -- then changed my mind. With 5 rows of passengers between us, there would be no parent for them to whine to and they'd have to work out their own problems. And you know what? It totally worked. They got through the 4-hour flight all by themselves, with no problem at all, and I got 4 hours to myself.
Here's the perfect gadget to keep your kids entertained on long airplane flights! One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win an iPod Touch, courtesy of Airlinetickets.org.
Leave a comment on this post and share an airline travel tip. This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.
US Addresses only. This giveaway ends at midnight PST on August 5, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on August 6 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!
Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Airlinetickets.org is providing the giveaway prize and is responsible for prize fulfillment. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Two weeks ago I announced that Sony would be "powering me up" for my third half-marathon. As a Sony Walkman Runner, I'll be blogging about my training and eventual run, using my new W-Series Walkman to entertain me and my new Bloggie PM5 video camera to record my experiences. The Sony people told me that I could choose which half-marathon event to do, which is like asking me what kind of laptop or smartphone I want -- the choices are overwhelming.
Living in the Bay Area, I'm lucky enough to have quite a few runs to choose from. In the last 3 months of the year alone, there are 27 half-marathons scheduled in various places around Northern California, all within easy driving distance of my home! My first choice would have been to do the San Jose Rock N Roll Marathon, the first half-marathon I ever did. It's a really easy, flat, shady course that meanders through the streets of San Jose. Unfortunately, I'm already doing a charity walk on the same day the Rock N Roll is being held.
My second half-marathon was the Nike Marathon in San Francisco, and I wouldn't mind doing that again. It's quite a hilly course, but with the great views, the Chocolate Mile, the silver Tiffany finisher's necklace and the tuxedoed hunks who hand it to you at the finish line, who wouldn't? In fact, the race is so popular that you have to enter a lottery to get in, and sadly I didn't get picked this year.
I looked over the list of the other events and saw quite a few I liked. The Disneyland Half Marathon sounded great because, well, it's in Disneyland, but I doubt if Alfie would be willing to drive all the way to LA and spend lots of money with Mickey Mouse for the second time this year, and besides, the event is in September, which wouldn't leave me much time to train. There are various half-marathons in wine country (the Wine Vine Run, the Grape Stomp, the Napa Wine County and the Healdsburg Wine County Marathons), but the courses sounded quite hilly.
I finally decided on a run that seemed relatively easy and undoubtedly scenic -- the Big Sur Half Marathon in Monterey, CA. It's in November, which gives me plenty of time to (pardon the pun) get up to speed. It's got plenty of gorgeous scenery, which will come in handy when I'm aching and tired and need some inspiration to get me through the next few (or many) miles. We can drive up to Monterey the night before and stay in some quaint bed-and-breakfast, and Alfie and the kids can cheer me on and see me cross (or stagger across) the finish line. It's going to be a great weekend, and I can't wait!
Disclosure: Thanks to Sony for sponsoring my registration fee in the Big Sur half-marathon. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
BlogHer 2010 is less than 3 weeks away -- I'm ready and raring to go! The BlogHer conference is a big deal, but it's also a big investment, and I wouldn't have been able to go if not for a bit of luck and some help from some great companies. I won my 2010 BlogHer Conference Pass from Frito-Lay snacks -- they had a booth at last year's BlogHer conference and I was so excited to find out I was going to the next BlogHer conference even before the previous one was done! I also won $250 to help offset the cost of my flight to New York from thredUP, an online kids' clothing exchange site.
AJ Wrappers makes personalized candy wrappers, party favors, and gift buckets, as well as a wide variety of gift items for weddings, anniversaries and baby showers. I thought it would be fun this year to hand out chocolates along with my business cards at BlogHer, and who else but AJ Wrappers could make the perfect customized wrappers for the chocolates? I did a review and giveaway for their Baby Sushi Socks some months ago, and I was so blown away by the cuteness of it all that I asked the owner, Alice, if she wanted to team up. Fortunately she did, so if you're at BlogHer this year and you find yourself feeling the need for a sweet pick-me-up, look for me and I'll hand you some chocolate in a package that's as sweet as the chocolate.
Jizo and Chibi are the stars of designer Valerie Johns' latest collection of wholistic jewelry. I fell in love with their delicate, whimsical pieces and I love the message of calm, serenity and love that they represent. Valerie sent me a couple of pendants and I'll be taking them along with me to BlogHer. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of New York, the craziness of the BlogHer conference, I'll have Jizo and Chibi with me to keep me centered and focused, to remind me of my own little ones waiting for me back home.
Twisted Orchid is a premium shopping destination for stylishly chic purses and handbags. From the pages of People Style Watch to Lucky, Elle and Oprah, trendspotters and fashion provocateurs alike are buzzing about our incredible selection. I've been using my Twisted Orchid tote almost every day since I got it, and I've gotten many compliments about how stylish and practical it is. There is no doubt that it will be accompanying me to BlogHer!
To all my sponsors, thank you for all your help!
Disclosure: My in-kind sponsors sent product samples for my trip to BlogHer 2010. I was not paid to review their products or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured companies/products and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
And here's one of 3Po and the PSP at the Tower of London. 3Po got tired of trying to get the guard to crack up (I think he's probably used to little boys clowning around to get a reaction) and we were in line to see the Crown Jewels, so I let him whip out the PSP to play a quick game -- and, I admit, to take this photo. Our PSP has been to quite a few places in the 6 weeks that we've owned it -- and we've got a lot of traveling left to do. Maybe I should start a whole "Where in the World Has Our PSP Been?" photo series!.
Which countries would you take your PSP to? Any comment you leave here counts as an extra entry into my $50 PlayStation Network gift card giveaway!
A couple of days ago I asked The Pea to tape a video interview of me saying what I like about the PSP. The problem was, I happened to be getting a rare turn on the PSP and was busy improving my pathetic Rock Band Score. Here's a tip: never agree to be interviewed while you're playing Rock Band on a Sony PSP; who knows what you'll end up doing! I thought I'd get my revenge by interviewing The Pea while she was on the PSP. But I think she may have ended up getting the last laugh.
To foster a spirit of goodwill and help make the world a brighter place, American Girl is introducing Shine On Now™—a new charitable initiative that harnesses the collective power of girls to help others in need. Through Shine On Now, American Girl is calling on girls across the country to help the company give $1 million in clothes, books, dolls, and money to the following four organizations: Kids in Distressed Situations, Save the Children U.S.A., National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions, and National Wildlife Federation.
Beginning July 13, 2010, girls can visit shineonnow.com to contribute a free ‘star’ to the effort. The goal is to collect one million stars by the end of the program on July 31, 2010. In addition, for every star a girl contributes (she can donate up to 100 each day!), her name will automatically be entered in a daily drawing to win a new My American Girl™ doll.
As part of the Shine On Now initiative and to further encourage girls to let their spirits shine, American Girl is also launching a brand-new virtual campus, Innerstar University™—a fun, safe online world where girls learn to be their best through a variety of games, quizzes, and other enriching activities that help boost their confidence and strength. Access to the new virtual world is free with each 18-inch My American Girl doll—the company’s newly enhanced contemporary product line that allows a girl to create a special doll as unique as she is.
Well, guess what -- it's July 13, the program has started, and you can now go to ShineOnNow.com and begin donating stars to this great cause! I encourage everyone to take their daughter to the website, become an American Girl Ambassador and begin donating stars. You can donate up to 100 stars each day until July 31st -- for each star you donate, American Girl will donate $1, up to $1 million total.
I'm so grateful to American Girl for giving girls everywhere the opportunity to make a difference. They could have just donated the $1 million outright, but instead they're getting girls involved and aware of all the good that they can do, just by giving a little of their time.
Okay, that's enough reading -- now go to ShineOnNow and start making a difference!
My American Girl doll giveaway is still going on, and with this post you can get even more extra entries to increase your chances of winning.
You must enter this giveaway via my first American Girl post -- this post is for extra entries only. To enter, leave a comment on that post to nominate a special girl in your family or community who you think deserves to win this American Girl Doll, AND write about why she deserves this doll -- share with us what kinds of activities she is involved in, how she helps others, etc..... This entry must be completed on my first American Girl post before any extra entries will count.
Don't forget, you can still gain extra entries on my American Girl Shine On Now post #1 by completing the extra entries on that post -- it all adds up to many, many more chances to win this great prize!
This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 31, 2010; I will draw the winner at random on August 1, from the list of eligible entries on my American Girl Shine On Now post #1 and this post. Winner has 48 hours to respond to my tweets or emails notifying them of their win; otherwise, an alternate winner will be selected. I will post the winner's name in the comments section after he/she confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!
Disclosure: I am an official Parent Partner of the American Girl Shine on Now program. I will be receiving an American Girl doll as a thank-you for participating in this campaign, but was not paid to review the product, administer this giveaway, promote the program or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Well, the World Cup final game was played yesterday, but football carries on at our house, especially on the PSP. I bought the kids the FIFA 10 football videogame for the PSP, and they are absolutely loving it. They would play on the PSP all day if I let them -- but what kind of a parent would I be if I let them do that?
I may have relaxed my attitude towards videogames considerably in the last few years -- I can see how entertaining the PSP can be for them during car trips and vacations when the inevitable downtime occurs -- but I still believe in moderation and a balanced lifestyle. I believe the PSP can enhance, but not completely dominate, their entertainment options -- so I have some rules that the kids have to follow if they want to play on the PSP or any video game. These rules also apply to watching television or getting on the computer, so when I say "video games", I'm actually referring to any and all kinds of screen time.
1) No video games during playdates. I'm happy to have my kids play with/against each other but I want to respect other parents' rules with regards to video games, and I don't want any child to feel left out during a playdate while one or two are crowded around the screen.
2) Reading comes first. I ask my kids to read a book before they start playing video games. This is one of my favorite video game rules because it has really helped 3Po and Jammy improve their reading skills, and it's a great way for me to take a break from blogging and spend some quality time with them.
3) Get moving. This is just like rule #2, but with bikes instead of books. My sister asks her kids to pedal around on their bikes or scooters before they can get any screen time, and I liked it so much that I adopted a modified version of her rule. I just make sure my kids get some kind of physical activity every day.
4) Set limits. Our official limit is an hour a day for each child, but I'm not draconian about enforcing it, especially when we're on vacation or we're traveling (in the car or plane, etc..) or a child is sick in bed. In addition, the kids love watching each other play videogames almost as much as they love playing the games themselves, so they do get quite a lot of game time and they know when they've had enough.
I don't think there's anything too complicated about these rules; they're just common sense. You don't want to tire your eyes out with staring at a screen for too long, you don't want to live a sedentary lifestyle, and you don't want to let your electronic life rule your real life. And despite my kids' love for the PSP, I have never really had a problem enforcing these rules, so I'm hoping my kids realize it too.
X marks the spot when Super WHY and the Beach Day Mystery heats up the summer on PBS stations from coast to coast this July 12 (check local listings)! Preschoolers and families will tune in for an all-new interactive adventure as they help Whyatt and the other fairytale buddies figure out the exciting clues leading to treasure. The Super Readers set off on a swashbuckling scavenger hunt filled with clues, pirates, and of course, treasure. But will Super Why and his friends be able to outsmart the trickiest pirate of them all?
* Visit the library or bookstore.
* Encourage preschoolers to read the signs they see.
* Create your own book.
It's summertime, and one of our favorite summer activities is getting out the grill, slapping some chicken or fish on it, and eating dinner on our back porch. Somehow grilled meat and vegetables tastes so much better outdoors! But grilling can get messy, so I like to don an apron to protect my clothes from all the grease and charred bits. This month's Cafe Press giveaway on Bonggamom Finds is perfect for those summer barbecue parties -- a personalized apron!
Use coupon code SUMMER20 to save 20%* off your next Cafe Press purchase! The discount ends July 11 so you need to act quickly!
* Save 20% off minimum orders of $40 USD, £35 GBP, $50 CAD, or $60 AUD, excluding shipping charges, gift wrap charges and applicable sales tax. Excludes Gift Certificates, Flip Minos, CafePress Groups purchases and bulk orders. Coupon code SUMMER20 must be entered at check out. Promotion starts on July 7, 2010 at 12:00 a.m. (PST) and ends on July 11, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (PST). All orders must be from the CafePress Marketplace. Offer cannot be combined with any other coupons or promotions and may change, be modified or cancelled at anytime without notice.
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a CafePress apron in their choice of design!
Check out all the great aprons available on CafePress, then come back here and leave a link to your favorite design. Choose carefully, because this is the design we'll be sending you if you win! This entry must be completed before any extra entries count.
1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry, leave a comment with your blog URL).
2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates by email (1 entry, leave a comment with your email address).
5) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry, leave a comment with your FB id).
6) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry, leave a comment with your Blogger profile name).
7) Leave a comment on any of my blog posts on Finding Bonggamom (1 entry, leave a comment here with the link to the post that you commented on).
8) Join any of the other giveaways currently running on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry, leave a comment here with the name of the other giveaway you joined).
This giveaway ends at midnight PST on July 25, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on July 26 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!
What's my idea of a catastrophe? Losing my internet connection. I run my household (i.e. pay bills, order groceries, schedule package pickups) online. I parent (i.e sign the kids up for summer camp, register for school, shop for bathing suits and books, get parenting advice) online. I work (i.e. blog) online. I play (i.e. read blogs, tweet, watch movies, catch up on news, go shopping, download songs, plan a roadtrip from Britain to France) online. Practically the only things I don't do online these days is apply bandages, brush teeth and paint nails!
So I'm always in front of the computer. With all that I do online, I could sit myself down at 8AM and not get up until 8PM! (If I had a toilet installed beside the printer, I could go even longer). I know it's a bad habit, but I really tend to lose myself -- food on the stove could burn, my kids could run away, civilizations could rise and fall while I'm doing whatever it is I'm doing online. When that happens, I end my day with tired eyes, an aching head, cramped muscles, a bloated feeling (from gobbling down junk food because I was starving didn't make the time to eat something nutritious), not to mention hungry, rowdy kids and an exasperated husband. Not good. So I do make an effort to take a breather, break up my day and remind myself that I do have a life away from that screen.
Click here to read the three things I do to give myself a break -- and enter to win a $100 Visa giftcard.
For almost a month now we've been trying out the Sony PSP as part of Sony's PSP Summer Family Fun blogger program, and one of the most unique features I've discovered about the PSP is the ability to download and read digital comics (see my review of the PSP's digital comics reader). They have a whole bunch of comic books that you can download onto your PSP, and I got swept up in a wave of nostalgia just browsing through their online digital comic book catalog. I had such a great time remembering my old favorites that I wrote an Aloha Friday post about it on Finding Bonggamom!
I was happy to find a huge selection of digital comics available to download on the PSP, from Xmen to Mickey Mouse, even some of my favorites like Spiderman and Archie. Surprisingly, my kids weren't that excited about it. Or maybe not so surprising. Nowadays comics don't seem to be as prevalent with kids, maybe since they're all animated now on TV. Wow, I actually used the word "nowadays" -- I feel like an antiquated curmudgeon! Next thing you know I'll be talking about how we used to walk a mile in a tropical typhoon to get to the library and milk the cow borrow comics.
Which comics would you walk a mile in a storm for?
Disclosure: I am participating in Sony's PSP Summer Family Fun blogger program; I received a "Summer Fun" kit which included a Sony Playstation Portable (PSP-3000) , an assortment of content (games and movies) for the PSP, as well as a journal and videocamera to capture our summer adventures. I have not been paid or required to review the product or give my opinions or publish this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
I'm an Energizer Keep Going Blogger!
Who walks 20 miles one day, goes to bed, then wakes up and does the very same thing the next day -- and the day after? A masochist? A lunatic? How about one who's fighting cancer? Or one who wants to honor a loved one who fought cancer? Or one who's raising money for the cure?
Starting October 3, add me to that list of crazy, motivated people. I've been selected by Energizer® as San Francisco's Keep Going® Blogger for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure® 3 day, 60-mile walk. The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure® is an event where participants walk 60 miles over the course of 3 days to raise funds to end breast cancer forever. I will be walking in the San Francisco Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure which will take place on October 1 - October 3, 2010, in honor of my aunt, who beat breast cancer and is alive and kicking today, and in memory of my grandmother, who beat breast cancer when I was a child and passed away a decade ago.
I'll be blogging about my experiences, both during training and during the event itself -- so stay tuned for more posts both here and on my personal blog, Finding Bonggamom. Energizer® is sponsoring my participation fee in the event, but the more money raised in the fight against cancer, the better -- so I'm hoping you can donate any amount to the cause by clicking on the widget below. If you can't, no worries, just wish me luck!
Disclosure: Energizer is sponsoring my participation in the San Francisco Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
One of our favorite summer activities is packing a picnic dinner and heading to a park for one of the great summertime evening concerts that our city, or one of our neighboring cities, puts on. It's so much fun to eat outdoors, then relax on a picnic blanket and watch the kids dance to the music! Sometimes we even go together with friends to make it even more fun. We're usually pretty informal, but now and then we like to dress things up and use silverware and real plates, even if it's kind of a pain to carry such heavy stuff and wash it afterwards. Recently I was introduced to a great new concept that gives your summertime picnic the nice look of real cutlery without the hassle -- plastic tableware by Diamond Brilliance Cutlery that actually looks like silverware!
Diamond Brilliance cutlery adds a stylish flair to any summer gathering with its elegant design. The reusable plastic cutlery looks just like real silver with an intricate design and polished finish. At only $4.49 per box, Diamond Brilliance is an affordable way to spruce up a barbeque or summer party.
I would totally use these at large, formal gatherings like a summer evening barbecue or a Thanksgiving dinner. Even on occasions when the grownups prefer the heavier feel of silver cutlery, I would let the kids use these instead of mismatched kiddie cutlery.
And here's a bonus we didn't think of -- the kids can use these Diamond Brilliance knives to cut their food! Alfie and I don't like 3Po and Jammy using our regular knives because they're heavy and unwieldy and more than likely to end up falling off the table and stabbing the boys in the foot. But these Diamond Brilliance knives are safe to use, so the kids can start practicing to use knives when eating. And they look like they belong at the dinner table, so we don't feel like we're on a picnic.
When all is said and done, it's still plastic. We're really trying to be responsible eco-citizens and cut back on our waste production, so this kind of cutlery is just more temptation to add to the landfills. Still, I can't help thinking, every now and then, for big parties when I know I won't have the time or energy to load the dishwasher 3 times in order to clean up. And you don't even need to throw these away -- Diamond Brilliance Cutlery is dishwasher safe!!
Diamond Brilliance cutlery is well worth the price when you want to impress without any hassle!
When Bender Hammerling invited me to sample and review Chloraseptic Lozenges, I was game, but didn't really expect to be using them anytime soon. After all, it's summertime: who's thinking of colds and flu and sore throats?
I forgot about all the germs swimming in the cabin air during our flight. I forgot that English summers are almost an oxymoron; cold and damp are present no matter what time of year. I forgot that the kids never wear jackets unless I chain the jackets on. And what I've ended up with is poor Jammy sniffling and sneezing on a summer day.
Chloraseptic’s new Sore Throat Lozenges can provide that instant relief to any summer seasonal bummer. With its great taste and liquid center, there is a second burst of medicine that works to clear the throat and nasal passages. For kids, Chloraseptic created a wonderful line of on the go products easy for travel or just a day in the park. The line includes kid’s relief strips and sore throat sprays. Chloraseptic lozenges, kids relief strips and sore throat spays are easy, portable solutions to take with you for your family on your summer journeys.
Jammy's throat was a bit scratchy, and since he's already six years old I let him try the Wild Berry-flavored lozenges. He said they tasted nice initially, but after the medicine kicked in, he said it was bitter and his throat felt thick. I told him that was the medicine, so he gamely kept on sucking (in retrospect I'd say the kids' Chloraseptic would be more suited to him!).
I personally thought they tasted much better than the Chloraseptics of old; they were less like medicine and more like a boiled sweet. I did feel my throat go numb after a minute or two of sucking the lozenge, and I was expecting the runny center to flood my mouth with benzocaine, but to my surprise it didn't. My favorite party was the cool minty aftertaste and the breath of fresh air that flooded my nose while I was sucking on the lozenge. I've always bought Chloraseptic lozenges so I'm not surprised that they work so well -- I can't think of any other sore throat lozenge that I'd rather have inside our medicine cabinet, summer, winter or anytime of the year!
I'm a Sony Walkman Runner!
At the beginning of this year I resolved to balance out my life and turn off the computer more often so I can make more time for fitness and family in 2010. But I have an obsessive-compulsive nature, and when I'm deep into blogging I find it all too easy to tell myself that I simply must finish a post or reply to a potential lead in order to put off my workout. Alfie all too frequently points out that it seems I'm as deep into my blogs as ever, something which I would vehemently dispute -- but now, I'm putting my money (or my motivation) where my mouth is.
Fortunately, Sony has come to the rescue and is giving me some much-needed motivation to get fit and healthy by combining two things that I love to do -- blogging and running. They've selected me to participate in their Marathon Sponsorship Program this fall! They are sponsoring the Rock 'N Roll Marathon series -- my very first half marathon was the San Jose Rock 'N Roll several years ago, and I'm so excited about this great opportunity!
My body doesn't have the stamina to do a full marathon, but I'll be running in a half marathon in November and blogging about it all the way. Sony will be providing me with a W-Series Walkman to entertain me during my training and during the run itself, as well as a Bloggie PM5 video camera so I can record my experiences and share them with everyone.
Stay tuned for future posts -- I've still got to choose an event and register for it. And, oh, yeah, there's that little matter of training for it! Pardon the pun, but I've got a long road ahead of me and I hope you'll be with me every step of the way.
Disclosure: Thanks to Sony for sponsoring my registration fee in the marathon or half-marathon of my choice. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
One of the fun things about review blogging is the chance to try out some of the hottest new products before most people do (sometimes even before they hit the shelf). One such opportunity was the Zhu Zhu Pet Party we hosted last September; it was a huge success, and in fact Zhu Zhu Pets went on to become the hottest toy for 2009. I'm the person who's known for saying DVD's and scooters wouldn't catch on, so it's nice to finally be right in predicting a trend for once.
A couple of months ago, MomSelect contacted me again and invited me to host another Zhu Zhu Pet party. This one was for Cepia LLC's latest toy, the Kung Zhu Pets, which are mild-mannered Zhu Zhu Pets with secret lives as ninjas or special forces. The kids and I were thrilled! 3Po and Jammy were extra-psyched because the toys and the party were decidedly more boy-themed, which meant they got to invite lots of their friends to try out the Kung Zhus and do battle.
As before, we received a gigantic box of toys -- enough Kung Zhu hamsters and armor for everyone on our guest list, as well as enough Kung Zhu playsets to form a gigantic training and battle ground for this action-loving group.
I had all sorts of extra activities planned -- paper plane flying contests, coloring crafts, Pin the Samurai Sword on the Kung Zhu -- but the boys and their guests only had eyes for the playsets, the vehicles and the battle arena. They barely even touched the snacks I made for them (and with my boys' appetites, that's saying a lot about the entertainment value of these pets) because they were so busy putting their hamsters into the battle arena and defeating the other hamsters (i.e. getting them to turn over).
Our back yard was filled with the sounds of boys mimicking explosions, gunfire, crashes and battle cries, mixed in with the Kung Zhu Pets chatter. It was delightful to watch the Kung Zhus scurrying around the playsets, being pushed here and shoved there by their excited little owners!
Thanks, MomSelect, for the opportunity to host such a fun party!
Want to find out more about Kung Zhu Pets? Read my Kung Zhu Pets review post.
Disclosure: MomSelect generously provided the toys for this party. I was not paid to review the product or give my opinions. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
3Po and Jammy love LEGOs, but the real LEGO wizard in our family is my nephew, Mr. Math, who was building LEGO X-wing fighters all by himself at the age of 6. At the age of 10, he's moved on to sets like the Guggenheim Museum and the Taj Mahal. He received a MINDSTORMS® NXT 2.0 when he was eight or nine and he really loved it, but he never really got much further with it than the basic robot. So when I received an invitation to review The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book, I knew Mr. Math would be the perfect person to try it out and let everyone know whether it was a good buy or not.
MINDSTORMS® NXT 2.0 set brings robot building to a wide range of hobbyists. But the NXT kit doesn't come with a how-to guide and it only includes building instructions for four robots. Users new to building complex LEGO models or lacking experience with the NXT programming language need guidance to help them reach the next level. The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book is the introductory book that they've been waiting for.
In The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book (No Starch Press, May 2010, 320 pp., $29.95, ISBN 9781593272111), readers learn how to harness the capabilities of the NXT 2.0 set to build and program their own robots. Author Laurens Valk begins by walking readers through the set, describing the pieces and explaining how to get started with the software used to program NXT robots. Once readers understand the basics of the NXT programming language, the book's tutorials show them how to build robots that move, monitor sensors, and use advanced programming techniques like data wires and variables. With crystal clear, step-by-step instructions, readers will find it easy to create working robots in no time.
At age ten, it's getting difficult to think of presents to get for Mr. Math (he's my godson, so there's extra pressure to get him cool stuff) -- and I think this book hits the nail right on the head. It's perfect for him because he loves LEGO, loves to read, loves to follow methodical instructions, loves complicated building projects. The projects in this book only require one NXT 2.0 set to complete, so there's no frustration for him and no pressure on my sister (or me) to buy her son extra pieces so he can start building.
Even better, the instructions are clear and simple and don't presume any knowledge of the NXT 2.0 at all -- it's great for kids and adult beginners. Mr. Math can use this book all by himself, without help from his parents (both of them have MIT graduate degrees but their son probably understands this stuff way better than they do, in any case!). The only drawback I can see at this point is the lack of color illustrations -- they're all grayscale. Not that Mr. Math seems to mind. It looks like The LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0 Discovery Book will be giving him hours of entertainment and learning!
Kung Zhu Pets, like their predecessors the Zhu Zhu pets, are furry electronic, interactive hamsters that scoot and scamper everywhere. They have a little sensor on their nose that makes them back up whenever they bump into something so they don't get stuck. Kung Zhus also have special battle mode sounds that get activated when they are "swiped" against a special magic key.
We received an assortment of Kung Zhu pets and armor as well as an assortment of Kung Zhu playsets, including the Ninja Dojo Base, Special Forces HQ, Training Grounds (Alpha, Bravo, Ninja and Samurai), Missile Attack Tower, Dragon Hammer and Battle Arena.
My kids already love their Zhu Zhu Pets, so I wasn't surprised that they got into the Kung Zhu Pets like a hamster would dive into woodchips. They make all the usual cute Zhu Zhu pet noises I love, plus they make additional special Kung Zhu noises when they get into battle mode (they're supposed to be "tough guy" sounds like a "Haiiiiiii-ya!" karate yell, or a military bugle call, but they end up sounding adorable!). Who wouldn't love them?
What surprised me is how much they enjoyed the Kung Zhu playsets and accessories -- they are really entertaining! You can buy armor for your Kung Zhu pet, which makes them look like furry fighting machines -- which my boys absolutely love. They also love the fighting vehicles, with their little missile launchers and moving buzz saws and other battle features that will delight any bloodthirsty little boy's heart. They've hit on the perfect recipe for making these hamsters appealing to boys -- get their pets to do battle! And since these pets are so cute, all that violence stays in the fantasy world, where it belongs -- making Kung Zhu pets the perfect outlet for little boys' action play.
And I have to say, the Kung Zhu playsets are way better than the original Zhu Zhu Pet hamster runs, which are cute, but the kids have always favored creating their own hamster bedrooms and apartments out of cardboard, tape and glue (which I really like because they get to be so creative). These new playsets are not just plastic paths your pet can run through -- each one has obstacles that the Kung Zhu pet must get through (for example, they have to smash through a wall, cross a swamp with a special boat, scurry through some exploding fireworks, etc..) before getting to the Battle Arena, where they try to flip each other over (and avoid the missiles and smashing hands that might flip them over!) in order to be the last hamster standing. The accessories are sold separately, and can all snap together to form one giant, awesome Kung Zhuniverse.
I can't really find any drawbacks to the Kung Zhu pets! As for the Kung Zhu playsets, even though they're much more entertaining (and consequently, better value) than the original Zhu Zhu Pet hamster runs, they're still big and bulky plastic pieces that are a hassle to store.
Little Boys will be drawn into the Zhu Zhu world (or should I say Zhu-niverse?) with these tough-yet-cute Kung Zhu pets and their action accessories and playsets! They're great for pretend play and action play for all aspiring ninjas, both the human and the furry kind.
Last week I reviewed the PSP , the great portable entertainment device that Sony gave our family to play with this summer. That's all well and good, but this week I wanted you to hear from the real reviewers in my family -- my kids. After all, they're the ones that use the PSP the most!
Oh boy, the parties keep coming! I'm hosting a Twitter party on July 1 to celebrate the release of the new Wheel of Fortune Platinum game for the iPhone and iTouch. We'll be playing everyone's favorite TV show game, the Wheel of Fortune, on Twitter, and those who solve the puzzle first will get to win some fun prizes!
Are you ready to spin and win? Sony Pictures Home Entertainment today announced the new Wheel of Fortune Platinum game for the iPhone and iPod Touch that will have fans across America shouting "WHEEL – OF – FORTUNE!" This advanced Wheel of Fortune Platinum iPhone game virtually transports users to the current set of the iconic television series, now in its twenty-eighth season. With just the click of a button, 'Wheel' loyalists will extol those magic words, "I'd like to solve the puzzle."
Weighing a whole lot less than the 4,000-pound TV wheel, word-solving enthusiasts can use the iPhone and iPod Touch to spin the virtual wheel with a simple whirl of the finger. The game features an updated set backdrop where users can see the illuminated puzzle board letters revealed right in front of their eyes. To further enhance the game show experience, users play the game from a contestant view, complete with special podium screen animations.
Use Bluetooth or the online multi-player capabilities to compete against your friends and see who can claim the $1 Million wedge. The "recommend to a friend" option also allows players to invite more iPhone gamers to the game. Leaderboards track the competition against other players as puzzles are solved and prizes earned.
Wheel of Fortune Platinum is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch starting today, followed by the iPad this summer. The game will retail for $4.99.
Why: To play everyone's favorite game -- the Wheel of Fortune -- and win great prizes!
How: Follow the #WheelofFortuneMobile hashtag (You can use services like TweetChat or TweetGrid to follow the conversation) -- and don't forget to follow your host @bonggafinds on Twitter throughout the party for contest details, updates, and prize information.
... Wheel of Fortune hats!
.... Wheel of Fortune shirts!
... and codes to download the new Wheel of Fortune Platinum game for the iPhone!
Enter to Win a Pre-party prize!
1) Add your twitter id to the Mr. Linky RSVP list at the bottom of this post.
For each extra entry you complete, please leave one comment in the comments section of this post with some way that I can verify the extra entry (either a link to your tweet or your Facebook name).
Good luck, and see you at the Wheel of Fortune Twitter Party!
The pre-party prize giveaway ends at 3:59 PST (6:59 EST) on July 1, 2010; I will draw a winner at random from the pool of valid entries in the comments section of this post at 7:00PM EST. I will also check to make sure that this person has tweeted at least once between 7:00PM and 8:00PM EST on July 1, 2010 with the hashtag #WheelofFortuneMobile. I will announce the winner's name on Twitter at the end of the Twitter Party. Winner has 48 hours to respond to my tweets and/or emails, otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn at random. For additional giveaway rules, click here.
Party prize winners will be drawn from valid twitter accounts tweeting with the hashtag #WheelofFortuneMobile between 7:00PM and 8:00PM EST on July 1, 2010. Criteria for winners is at the discretion of the sponsor, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment , and/or the Twitter party host, @bonggafinds, and may include fill-in-the-blanks contests, random drawings, trivia question-and-answer contests and Nth-to-tweet races. RSVP on the Mr. Linky list on this post is greatly appreciated, but not required, to be eligible for Twitter party prizes. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes before the start of the Twitter party. Winner has 48 hours to respond to my tweets and/or emails, otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn at random.
Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in this Twitter party. I did not receive product samples for this post or the party. All prizes are being provided to winners courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.