Cool Stuff We Dig

Phasing out Cool Stuff We Dig

2010-04-30T10:49:00.001-04:00

Keeping up two blogs is hard work. And for me it's just plain unnecessary. So I've decided to house all reviews and giveaways on my main blog, Fits and Giggles, from now on. I will keep Cool Stuff We Dig going until all current giveaways are completed.

We Dig Babies, and Giveaways!

2010-04-25T20:43:00.004-04:00

You might remember I mentioned a few posts ago that I'm working with BzzAgent to help promote the new Focus Features film, BABIES, which hits theaters Mother's Day Weekend. BABIES and March of Dimes are proud to partner together to help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies! Visit MarchOfDimes.com or text BABIES to 20222 to make a $5 donation. Celebrate BABIES in theatres Mother's Day Weekend and join over 1 million people in March of Dimes annual "March for BABIES" Walk!

To help support BABIES and the March of Dimes, I'm giving away four onesies (size 24 months). To win, all you have to do is Tweet the following: @mommyblogger76 says to visit MarchOfDimes.com or text BABIES to 20222 to make a $5 donation. Please leave a link to your Tweet in the comments section below (Newbie to Twitter? Just click the time stamp under your Tweet to get the link). The contest closes on May 7 at midnight (ET).

We Dig Photo Card Creations

2010-04-21T21:07:00.001-04:00

When our kids turn one, we throw a pretty awesome party. I'm not ashamed to say that I bust my hump to make sure we have a good time. First birthdays around here mean weeks of preparation, hours of cooking (from scratch thank you very much), fun activites for the kids, and best of all, the great company of our family and friends. For the first two boys I made my own flyer-like party invitations, but for the new guy I decided to leave the graphic designing to the professionals, and I'm so glad I did because the great folks at Photo Card Creations came up with this:

Can you even stand it? I want to reach into that invitation and give that baby's cheeks a squeeze!

You can check out the huge variety of designs here: Birth Announcements, Graduation Cards, Birthday Party Invitations, just few of the many occasions for which you can find beautiful cards, which are designed using current trends by talented graphic artists who will work with you to customize your cards. The website is easy to navigate, the ordering system is a snap, and the turnaround time is quick. The folks at Photo Card Creations run a tight ship and truly produce beautiful products.

If you like what you see (and based on the feedback I'm getting from the folks who've received Evan's invitation, you will) Photo Card Creations is offering a chance to win a $35 coupon towards the purchase of Custom Photo Cards. Since they’ve recently launched their new and improved website with hundreds of new card designs, they’d love your feedback! Just leave a comment below telling us which card style is your favorite why you'd like to win this Giveaway. The deadline for entry is May 14 at 3:22 p.m. Eastern Time, the very moment Evan joined the world last year!

You can get an extra entry by Tweeting about the contest.:
@mommyblogger76 is giving away a $35 coupon for Photo Card Creations

Just be sure to leave a comment for each entry. This contest is open to residents of the United States. I will select a winner using Random.org. Good luck!

Disclosure: Photo Card Creations provided me with 20 invitations at a highly discounted rate (as in they were almost free) in exchange for this post.

How to Train Your Dragon Winners

2010-04-21T21:05:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Schlitzie and The Peltons, who each won a copy of How to Train Your Dragon for Wii.

We Dig the Shrek Forever After Video Game

2010-04-16T20:38:00.016-04:00

Last week the very cool folks at Activision invited us for a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released Shrek Forever After video game. Somehow the stars aligned and we were all off from work and school, so we hopped in the minivan and crossed the pond into NYC to check out the game.

For those of you with a short attention span who just want the Cliff's Notes version of my review, here it is: This game rocks. The boys played it for over an hour (special thanks to Noah and Monica at Activision for allowing us to wear out our welcome with dignity . . . and for the cookies). My favorite feature is that you can't succeed at the game without cooperation and teamwork. The boys (ages 6 and almost 5) caught on relatively quickly and loved the challenge of figuring out the puzzles. It should also be noted that during the hour they were playing there wasn't one moment of frustration, which is key because nothing ends a fun night playing video games faster than a meltdown.

So here's the backstory. Shrek Forever After reunites fans with their favorite characters – Shrek, Fiona, Puss In Boots and Donkey. Shrek is duped into signing a pact with the smooth-talking dealmaker, Rumpelstiltskin. Shrek suddenly finds himself in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where ogres are hunted, Rumpelstiltskin is king, and Shrek and Fiona have never met. Now, it’s up to Shrek to undo all he’s done in the hopes of saving his friends, restoring his world, and reclaiming his one True Love.

Players can join in on the action at any time in the co-operative multiplayer mode to form a team of up to four players. Together, teams can navigate through Shrek’s two realities while solving mind-bending puzzles, and fending off Rumplestiltskin’s army of baddies. Shrek, Fiona, Puss In Boots, and Donkey, all have their own unique game skills that will come in handy to progress through the game. A single-player experience is also offered, which allows the player to switch between the four characters as needed at any time.

Throughout the game, players can collect coins to earn new skills and upgrades including a timed blast, a megaphone attack and disco ball that will stun enemies. As players progress, new items will become available. As players explore the various levels, they will find permanent health upgrades and other secret items. After gaining level two skills players can then replay the game to discover new areas and solve additional puzzles.

If you've read this far you'll be glad you hung in there because Activision is giving me FIVE copies of the Shrek Forever After video game to give away. Even better, you can choose from any of the following gaming systems: Wii, Nintendo DS, XBox and PlayStation 3.

To enter, just leave a comment below by midnight (EST) on May 15. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:

1. Linking to this contest on your blog

2. Tweeting about the contest: @mommyblogger76 is giving away five copies of the Shrek Forever After video game http://tinyurl.com/244r8sn
3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed

4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry. This contest is open to residents of the United States. I will select a winner using Random.org.

Disclosure: Activision is providing my review copy as well as the 5 games to give away.

We Dig How To Train Your Dragon

2010-04-03T23:52:00.003-04:00

My oldest son went to see How to Train Your Dragon in 3-D last week and he can't stop raving about it. So when Activision asked us if we'd be interested in reviewing the How to Train Your Dragon video game, we jumped at the opportunity. This third-person action-adventure game lets you play the role of a Viking hero that must embark upon an epic quest to become the ultimate dragon trainer. You can choose to play as one of the two main characters,“Hiccup” or Astrid” on the Island of Berk, which features expanded locales from the film including Vikings’ Village, Wild Zone, Training Zone and Fight Arena.

Players get the chance to train dragons, explore environments and battle in prestigious dragon tournaments as they battle for Viking victory.

We've just started playing the game and so far the boys think it's great. Here are some key features:

Create Your Very Own Dragon – The “Create Your Dragon” feature allows players to customize six different types of dragons, providing virtually unending combinations of ways to modify your dragon’s appearance. We had so much fun making our own dragons and this is especially appealing to younger kids.

Train your Dragon for Battle – “Level Up” your dragon’s speed, power, fire and other abilities through intense training to face the critical Viking challenge of becoming the ultimate dragon trainer. Then use your arsenal of trained dragons to battle friends in a variety of unique environments.

Pick up Where the Movie Left Off – Players enjoy an all-new post-movie adventure as they jump into battle as their favorite characters. Explore the picturesque Island of Berk as Hiccup or Astrid in Adventure Mode or experience fierce battle action in Arena Mode as you fight for your crown as ultimate dragon warrior.

Head-to-Head Multiplayer Mode – Arcade mode allows friends to select their dream team of four individually customized dragons or dragons chosen from the arcade roster, then jump in and battle against each other. In addition to Astrid and Hiccup, additional characters are playable in Multiplayer Mode including Tuffnut T., Ruffnut T., Fishlegs, and Snotlout.

Mini-Games – Mini games include Ice Sculpting, Looping Race, Flying Sheppard, Memory Torch, and Puzzle Dragon. Excelling in Mini-Games earns players experience points toward leveling up your dragon, winning gold and other items to help care for dragons. I find that the mini games are especially appealing to younger children, like mine, who can get a feel for the game before jumping right in.

I'm excited to let you know that in addition to sending me a copy of the game to review, the folks at Activision have offered me two copies to give away. So if you have a Wii and love dragons, you're in the right place. To enter, just leave a comment below by midnight (EST) on April 20. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:

1. Linking to this contest on your blog
2. Tweeting about the contest: @mommyblogger76 is giving away two copies of How To Train Your Dragon for Wii http://tinyurl.com/yh68dvr
3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed
4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry. This contest is open to residents of the United States. I will select a winner using Random.org.

We Dig Babies!

2010-03-27T22:12:00.005-04:00

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who digs babies as much was I do. So you can only imagine how excited I am to work with BzzAgent to help spread the word about this visually stunning new movie that simultaneously follows four babies around the world - from first breath to first steps. From Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo, BABIES joyfully captures on film the earliest stages of the journey of humanity that are at once unique and universal to us all.

Be sure to check out the trailer. The movie hits theaters Mother's Day weekend.

I haven't seen it yet, but critics are giving BABIES great reviews. Click on the image below and check out what USA Today has to say about the film.

We Dig Tropicana's Juicy Rewards Program

2010-03-14T15:11:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I was contacted by MomCentral about a cool new campaign they're working on with Tropicana called the Juicy Insiders Ambassador Program. I figured I'd throw caution to the wind and see what it's all about it. A few days later I was informed that I was selected to be part of the program! We've been a Tropicana household since, well, forever, so I'm really excited to tell you about Juicy Rewards.

In exchange for an honest review of the program, I received 12 free Juicy Rewards points and a $50 Visa gift card to use in redemption of the points and to facilitate my review.

So now you're probably wondering what the Juicy Rewards program is all about. Here's how it works. When you purchase Tropicana Pure Premium or Trop50 you can enter codes found on the carton at Tropicana.com and start saving immediately on thousands of healthy pursuits. Just one carton of orange juice is worth up to $15 in savings and a carton of Trop50 is worth up to $30 in savings.

Tropicana Juicy Rewards delivers with 20,000 ways to save on activities and items the whole family can enjoy together. Examples include savings on Norwegian Cruise Line, Adidas fitness gear, TaylorMade golf equipment, and savings on activities and lodging in Yosemite National Park. In addition, there are thousands of local rewards like discounts from theatre tickets in Chicago to aquarium admission in San Francisco.
It takes just three simple steps to participate and save with Juicy Rewards:

1. Buy Tropicana, find the unique code on the package – either under the cap or on the back of specially marked Tropicana Pure Premium and Trop50 products

2. Register at http://www.tropicana.com/, enter the codes to get points

3. Redeem points for incredible savings on family fun

Over the next few weeks I'll be cashing in my Juicy Rewards points and sharing my experiences with you. Stay tuned!

We Definitely Don't Dig Head Lice!

2010-03-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

Head lice. Ick. Bleck. Gross. Ew. Just the word "lice" grosses me out (along with "moist," "loaf," "chunky" and "ointment," but that's another post for another day. Yet somehow lice has become a right of passage for school age children, much like chicken pox was for me back in the day. I figured I was basically powerless against the inevitable until I was contact by BSM Media about Zippity Doo's line of hair care products formulated to actually prevent head lice from occuring.

There's shampoo, conditioner, detangler, styling gel and shield spray, which can be applied on all surfaces, including hats, helmets, backpacks, pillows, bedding, toys, combs, clips, etc. I was pleasantly surprised by the scent, which wasn't at all what you'd expect from lice repelling products. Zippity Doo's products contain natural ingredients that are mild enough for daily use and provide health benefits to the hair and scalp while helping to prevent creepy crawlies.

BSM Media and Zippity Doo's sent me the entire line of products to try. So far we tested out the hair gel and we really like it! It smells great and can help tame a major case of bed head.

Check out the Zippity Doo's Twitter party if you want to learn more about how you can provide your child with extra protection against head lice through daily regimentation and to share some hair horror stories of your own. And of course, you'll have the opportunity to win great products from Zippity Doo's to protect your little one's locks!

Date: Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Time: 8 p.m. - 9 p.m. EST

Location: #ZippityDoos

Host: @MomTalkRadio (Maria Bailey, Founder of MomSelect)

Be sure to follow @MomTalkRadio, @ResourcefulMom and @MomSelectAmy throughout the evening for updates, prize information and contest details.

We Dig Nurse Barbara Dehn's Sleeping Tips. Find Out What Worked for Us.

2010-03-06T20:21:00.000-05:00

I’m a proud breast feeding mom. I truly believe that breast milk is the best possible food for my baby, which is why I made an effort with all three of my children to provide them with breast milk for as long as I possibly could (10 months with my first two sons, then we switched to formula for the last two months). Baby E is approaching the 10 month mark and he’s fantastic at nursing. However, he could really use some work in the sleeping department.

A few months ago one of the moms I befriended on the playground was listening to me go on and on about how E wakes up every 3 hours at night to nurse despite the fact that his newborn days were far behind him. She suggested I try giving him a bottle of formula at night to help him sleep. I was desperate for sleep and I’d try just about anything (besides letting him cry it out) so I went for it. The first night he slept for six hours straight. It was heaven.

Now I know that there are breast feeding purists out there who wouldn’t be happy with me, but I went with what worked for us and let’s face it, we’re a much happier family when mom gets some sleep. So when the Similac folks asked me if I was interested in trying their new Advance EarlyShield formula and get some sleeping tips from nurse practitioner and award-winning author, Barbara Dehn, I was happy to accept their offer.

Here are some great tips from Nurse Barb:

• One of the first things I always tell new moms is to lose the guilt! It’s inevitable for new parents to feel nervous, unsure and often guilty when caring for their infant – especially when it comes to sleep. I’m constantly reassuring both moms and dads to go with their gut feeling on all fronts and follow their infant’s lead. If your newborn tends to fall asleep in his swing or rocker – go with it! Not allowing yourself to feel guilty during the first few months will only help your baby acclimate to a schedule. Typically, confidence and a bit of relaxation will follow.

Baby E slept in a cradle swing next to my bed for the first four months of his life. Amen Nurse Barb! Guilt schmilt!

• Moms can maintain their baby’s natural sleep patterns and overall health with a proper feeding schedule. By establishing both day and night feeding routines that follow your infant’s natural hunger cues, you are helping your baby receive the nourishment that will support growth and development.

I get an A+ in the “supporting growth” department. Baby E is a biiiiig boy! He nurses first thing in the morning, gets some pumped breast milk and a bottle of formula while he's at day care, eats about 4-6 jars of baby food throughout the day (Earth's Best and Gerber Organic are our favorites), nurses again after dinner, and gets another bottle of formula between 10-11 p.m.

• Try to remain cool, calm and collected during the first few months of your baby’s life. Infants’ are on sensory overdrive and are attuned to both anxiety and fear. Mood, touch and sound are all stimulators and can interrupt your newborn’s sleep cycle. Keeping a calm atmosphere can help your baby find his natural sleep cycle.

Great advice, Nurse Barb, but Baby E’s two big brothers aren’t conducive to a “calm atmosphere.” I live in a zoo.

• I often tell new moms to turn off the TV! Feeding time is often a good opportunity for mom to kick up her feet and unwind. Use this time to connect with your baby and avoid your regular relaxation routine like flipping on the TV. The light and noise can distract your newborn and interrupt his eating.

I’m guilty of flipping on the TV during feedings, but I’m only 50% wrong because I wait until E’s eyes are closed.

• Bath time does not always need to take place before bedtime. Some infants are extremely agitated from a bath, regardless of the calming scents, soft sounds and soothing touch you use. If you notice your baby is relaxed and calm without a bath before bedtime, go with it! Changing the bath time routine can make the overall experience more enjoyable for both mom and baby. This can also help your newborn develop daytime and nighttime routines.

Love this one! It goes against everything I’ve ever read but it makes so much sense. E plays like a mad man in the bath. There's no way he finds it relaxing.

Disclosure: Similac sent me a sample of formula, Nurse Barb's tips and a few goodies for Baby E.

We Would Really Dig it if Wisk Pimped My Laundry Room

2010-03-01T00:36:00.001-05:00

With three young boys all under age six, it goes without saying that I spend way too much time in the laundry room. I use that term very loosely because my "laundry room" is actually a corner in my very dreary basement where my washer, dryer and slop sink reside. So you can imagine how excited I was to hear from my friends at BSM Media that Wisk Laundry Detergent understands and wants to help!

If your laundry room is plain and boring or a downright dungeon like mine, you just might be in desperate need of a laundry room makeover. Wisk Laundry Detergent is teaming up with TV's Designing Spaces to pimp-out one laundry room in dire need of a face-lift as part of the Wisk Pimp My Laundry Room video contest.

Just enter a short video from March 1 to March 29, 2010 at http://www.laundryhe.com/ explaining why you deserve a laundry room makeover and Wisk could be on your doorstep with their partners-in-design, Whirlpool's DreamLaundry Solutions team led by Bill Thomas and Emily Johnston, owner of the interior design firm EJ Interiors and founder of Materials Girls Blog. Together, they'll take your laundry room from drab to fab in no time thanks to a laundry room makeover complete with a new Whirlpool High Efficiency (HE) washer/dryer set (we already own the Duet Sport set and we love it) and a year's worth of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent. Even better, you'll get to star in her very own episode of Designing Spaces!

The top Finalists will be featured on LaundryHE.com from April 12 - 19 and the Grand Prize Winner will be chosen by popular ballot so be sure to get your friends and family online and voting! Even better, a vote is an automatic entry to a sweepstakes for a year's supply of Wisk HE Laundry Detergent. Good luck!!!

We Dig Bravado Nursing Bras

2010-02-28T19:53:00.000-05:00

Writing this post about the Bravado Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra makes me angry. Really angry. Angry that I didn’t know about Bravado until now—after more than six years as a breastfeeding mom. You see, I had no idea that I’ve been walking around in substandard nursing bras until I tried Bravado, but I have been. Let me tell you, those days are over!

So where on Earth do I start to tell you about all the great features of the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra? Well, it was designed to melt onto your body, and give you comfort unlike any you've experienced from a bra before - nursing or not – and it delivers. The removable, molded foam cups provide a lining when you want it (to hide the headlights or breast pads), and the ability to take them out when you don't. The bra is made from seamless fabric that is virtually invisible under clothing, and has cups that drop fully away from the breast, as recommended by health care professionals.

I'm thrilled to tell you that one lucky Cool Stuff We Dig reader has a chance to win Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra for herself! To win, all you have to do is leave a comment by midnight (EST) on March 15. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:
1. Linking to this contest on your blog

2. Tweeting about the contest

3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed

4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers

5. Following me on Twitter

6. Adding yourself to the Fits and Giggles followers

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry. This contest is open to residents of the United States. I will select a winner using Random.org.

Disclosure: Bravado provided me with a bra to review as well as one to give away.

We Dig Fiscal Responsibility

2010-02-12T14:57:00.000-05:00

With three kids under age 6--even in a household with two full time working parents--we have to be smart about our finances. We're not big spenders, but with a mortgage, daycare, car payments, food and utilities the bills can stack up very quickly if we're not careful. But we are. And as a result we have no credit card debt. We discuss our budget, set financial goals and put off major purchases for as long as possible. And while we might not always agree on whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher, we're on the same page when it comes to our finances.

Apparently we're the minority.

A recent FICO survey found that 40 percent of couples wait until they are engaged to discuss their finances. Some even wait a full year after they’re married –likely a statistic that supports the fact that ½ of all marriages these days end in divorce! The survey also found that 20 percent of couples described their partners’ spending habits as “drastically different” from their own and over 45 percent described them as moderately different. (Only 20 percent of couples rated each others’ spending habits the same.)
With survey findings like these facing Valentine’s Day, FICO’s Credit Cupid has solutions which will help your FICO scores reach tip-top shape:

1) Maintain a good history of paying bills on time. Payment history is the most important component of your FICO score. People with a long history of paying their bills on time, are expected by lenders to continue their good payment pattern, and will be more willing to extend credit in the future.

2) Encourage good spending habits from your partner. Everyone has their own credit report and FICO score; when couples begin applying for credit together their shared accounts affect both FICO scores. This is why it’s doubly important to pay on time when you’re responsible for a shared account.

3) Don’t overspend. While it’s easy to get caught up in buying gifts for your sweetheart, spend within your means. If you have a lot of debt, adding more debt or maxing out your credit cards can hurt your FICO score – and potentially your relationship.

4) Don’t apply for credit you don’t need. Your FICO score not only considers the existing credit accounts on your credit report, but also applications for new credit. Applying for many new accounts in a short amount of time can be a sign of looming financial problems, which can hurt your FICO score.

5) Discuss finances with your partner. Your partner’s financial burdens can ultimately affect your credit if you feel compelled to help out with their debts and obligations. Have an honest financial discussion early and avoid surprises later!

If you would like to learn more about the survey or how FICO can help keep you in top credit shape, please visit myFICO.com

We Dig Tommee Tippee

2010-02-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

Despite my best efforts to freeze time, baby E is approaching 9 months old and we've started thinking about transitioning him to sippy cups. So when the folks at Tommee Tippee offered me the chance to try out one of theirs I was happy to accept. I'm not privvy what the Brits are up to these days, so I'd never heard of Tommee Tippee (Britian's #1 feeding brand) and I didn't know what to expect. The brand is just now available in the U.S., exclusively at Babies "R" Us and coming to Toys "R" Us in March (disclosure time--BRU and TRU are both clients of my employer).

I'll get to my review in a bit, but the PR person in me is a sucker for a good survey, so you should read this first. In a newly released study by Harris Interactive of more than 300 recent and expectant mothers across the United States, Tommee Tippee explored the worries about being a mom and raising children that are keeping moms up at night and found some common and not so common themes. The survey found that feeding is one of the biggest sources of "mom-xiety." Other interesting findings include:

Almost four in 10 moms (39%) are worried that introducing a bottle will cause their baby to reject breastfeeding. I returned to work when E was 10 weeks old and this was a huge concern for me. Luckily he transitioned well and we successfully bottle and breastfeed him.
Forty-four percent (44%) of moms don’t quite know when to transition from bottle or breastfeeding to drinking from a cup.
When moms do transition from bottle or breastfeeding to a cup, 43% are confused about which type of sippy cup spout to use, and when.

Tommee Tippee sent me a training cup from their Explora line, which includes BPA-free toddler drinking and feeding products. Explora products feature advance-flo valves, designed by a physicist to require almost no force to drink from thereby easing the transition to a cup, while still remaining truly spill and leakproof. Each Explora cup is progressively staged with a specific spout and grip to meet the needs of every age while supporting natural oral development.

For baby E, the Explora cup was great for chewing and smacking around a bit. For me, I really like the fact that the spout cover is built into the cup and therefore can never get lost. And after witnessing E throw his cup to the ground six or seven million times without a single drop of liquid escaping, I can attest to the leakproof claim. So while E isn't quite ready to make the move to a sippy cup, I think the Tommee Tippee folks are on to something and I will definitely try more of their products.

Until then, here's video of E's first experience with a sippy cup, shot this morning.

We Dig The Suave Kids Wash Them Grow Campaign

2010-01-20T21:06:00.000-05:00

The folks at MomSelect and Suave Kids have asked me to help spread the word about the Suave Kids Wash Them Grow campaign, which encourages parents to use bath time as an opportunity to teach, nurture and transition their children through the stages of growth. As for me, my main goal is to not end up soaked while giving the boys a bath. I keep my standards low this way I'm pleasantly surprised when it all turns out well in the end.

Anyway, I digress . . . to kick off the campaign, Suave Kids® has launched the Wash Them Grow Sweepstakes, with chances to win weekly prizes of a Family e-Keepsake Kit (that includes a video camera, laptop and digital camera) and the Grand Prize of a family vacation to Orlando. Simply head over to WashThemGrow.com to play the online trivia game (the questions are easy so don't be afraid) and receive an automatic entry into the Suave Kids Wash Them Grow Sweepstakes. You can enter daily until February 22.

So please click the link above and enter. The blogger who drives the most traffic to the sweepstakes will win a year's supply of Suave Kids® products for herself (or himself) and 10 readers.

Suave Kids sent me four bottles of their new bath products to try out on the boys, and I will post a review once I've had a chance to use them all. I'm addicted to the Suave Professionals line, so my hopes are high that Suave Kids will be just as good.

We Dig Affordable Nursing Bras

2010-01-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

While I'm not one of those in-your-face moms who believes that anyone who doesn't breastfeed their children is evil, but I am proud to have nursed all three of my boys. I'm 2/3 of the way to my goal of nursing E for a full year and I'm confident we're going to make it. I've learned along the way that the most important piece of nursing "equipment" is without a doubt a good nursing bra. Without one, as I've found out the hard way, you're opening yourself to a heap of trouble (pain, engorgement and even--gulp--mastitis)! The problem with finding a good nursing bra is that very often good=expensive, but I've just received word from Bravado is introducing an affordable new line of nursing wear in Target stores across the country.

To celebrate the launch, I'm working with Bravado to help spread the word abuot the Basics by Bravado “Spot a Mom” sweepstakes in which participating moms will be entered to win $500 worth of must-have items for their baby.

Here’s how you can enter:
-Find the nearest Target store in their area offering Basics by Bravado nursing wear (a complete store listing can be found on the site).

-Visit the store and snap some photos of you finding the Basics by Bravado store display.

-Email their photo, along with your name and contact details to basics@bravadodesigns.com.

Basics by Bravado is an accessible, comfortable and functional nursing wear collection which includes a sleep bra, t-shirt bra and an inner wear camisole. The Basics by Bravado collection offers women who crave Bravado’s products and the knowledge of breastfeeding that come with them, an option that you can grab-and-go at an affordable price. Bravado is offering this collection as part of the company’s commitment that all mothers deserve a great nursing experience.

I'm excited to try the nursing bra Bravado is going to send me. Please check back soon for a review and giveaway!

.

We Dig The Earth's Best Wishes Campaign

2010-01-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

Evan is an Earth's Best baby, and my older boys were as well. Every once in a while when there's a sale we'll stray and pick up a few Gerber Organic fruits and veggies, but Earth's Best is second to none with it comes to variety. With Gourmet Meals like Chicken Mango Risotto and Creamy Chicken Apple Compote--this kid eats better than me, and and it's no wonder that the women at his day care center nicknamed him "Heavy E."

For the record, he's big boned.

2010 is a banner year for Earth’s Best, and they're celebrating their 25th Anniversary with a Wishes Campaign where they're inviting parents and grandparents to share their own wishes for their baby’s future.

These wishes will be shared with the online community and entered into a sweepstakes where one lucky child will win a $25,000 savings bond from Earth’s Best.

Simply visit http://www.earthsbest.com/ and submit a wish to be entered. In addition to the grand prize, there are 4 First Prizes: Earth’s Best Organic Birthday Bash ($850 value) and 25 Second Prizes: Earth’s Best Gift Pack ($38.99 value). Also, each month 25 winners will be randomly selected to receive a $25 U.S. Savings Bond and $25 in Earth’s Best coupons to help them save for their baby now and in the future. As an added bonus, everyone who submits a wish will be mailed coupons for the complete array of Earth’s best products. We buy ours in bulk at Babies R Us or Buy Buy Baby because they both keep a nice variety of the 12-packs in stock.

When you're done submitting your wish, be sure to click around and visit all the new features on Earth’s Best's newly relaunched web site and stop by their new Facebook page, both of which are worth checking out, especially if you're into coupons (and who isnt?).

The information in this post was provided by Earth's Best.

We Dig Tassimo's Single-Cup Beverage System

2010-01-02T21:46:00.000-05:00

Two days before Christmas I arrived home from work to find a huge Tassimo box on my front steps. My first thought was that my husband ordered a very nice gift for himself and didn't tell me. However, upon further inspection I learned that the good folks at Kraft foods and DKC Public Relations (no contact name or info was included or I'd send a personal thank you, so if you work at DKC and you know who sent this to me, please let me know) sent a Tassmio Single-Cup Beverage System and an assortment of coffees and tea for me to review.

The Tassimo Suprema Bosch machine is a one-cup system that works exclusively with T Discs to make a wide variety of hot beverages. Each T Disc features a special barcode with unique information to tell the machine the size of the drink, the amount of water required, its optimal temperature, and how long to brew it. All the brewing happens inside the T Disc, keeping the machine clean and ready to use.

I'm not a coffee drinker and I rarely stray from my tried and true Lipton black tea, so I wasn't over the moon over the delivery. My husband the coffee snob, on the other hand, was pretty psyched so we went to work setting it up right away. The set up was a breeze and after a few minutes he was enjoying his coffee. Feeling left out of the party, I decided to be brave and brew myself a Chai Tea Latte. I was hooked after the first sip.

There's a beverage for just about everyone, and you can see the full list here. You can also do what I did and gather my stack of 20% off Bed Bath and Beyond coupons and stock up on an assortment of T Discs. Ok, who am I kidding? I bought Chai Tea Latte and lots of it.

The Tassimo Single-Cup Beverage Systems come with a steep price tag (the Suprema costs $170 retail), but if you time it right (i.e. when there's a rebate) and use coupons, you can get a good deal. You can read about how Coast 2 Coast Mom did it and also enter her giveaway to win your own Tassimo Suprema. If you're a coffee lover and a mess hater, you'll be a fan.

Disclosure: Kraft Foods and DKC Public Relations sent me the Tassimo Suprema for free.

We Dig Kiddopotamus

2009-12-23T23:47:00.000-05:00

As I type this entry it is 16 degrees where I live. 16 is really, really freaking cold. If you've ever had the pleasure of having to dress an infant to venture outside in the winter weather, you know how awful it is to cram your precious little one into a puffy jacket that barely fits in the infant carrier. And don't even get me started on getting the buckle to connect.

When my oldest son was a baby I found the greatest product ever--called a Nojo--that covered the entire infant carrier except for an opening for his head. I searched my house high and low for the Nojo and couldn't find it anywhere. Dejected, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a new one, but there was a big problem--I couldn't find the Nojo anywhere. What I found instead was the Kiddopotamus PoshPouch carrier cover, which is so warm and cozy that I no longer have to bust out the dreaded winter coat. I simply cover the baby's head with a hat, tuck him into a blanket and cover the entire carrier with the Kiddopotamus carrier cover. My favorite part is that it easily zips open so when we arrive at our destination all I have to do is unzip and we're set. There's no need to remove the baby from the carrier, which is most excellent when he falls asleep. It also doesn't hurt that everywhere we go people ooohh and ahhhh about how cute and cozy my little guy looks inside the carrier cover.

You can find other carrier covers on the market, but at $30 (I've seen some that cost nearly three times that amount), it's a great value and money well spent.

I know I'm raving like I'm on the Kiddopotamus payroll, but I have absolutely no affiliation with the company.

We Dig 5 Minutes for Mom's Under the Tree 2009 Program

2009-12-01T11:55:00.000-05:00

Our friends at 5 Minutes for Mom are offering some great Christmas giveaways this year. Be sure to check back often as new posts are going up all the time.

In addition to getting some great stuff for the kids in your life, please check out Under the Tree 2009--a chance to spread some Christmas love to families in need through the generosity of the companies contributing to the Christmas Giveaway.
If you know a family who will not be able to provide presents for their children this Christmas, click over and read more about Under the Tree and how you can nominate a family in need.

Enter to Win Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary DVD

2009-11-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Visit Los Angelista's Guide To The Pursuit Of Happiness for your chance to win a copy of Seseame Street's 40th Anniversary DVD.

With over 5 hours of iconic moments, favorite songs, celebrity segments and exclusive never-before-seen backstage footage, this commemorative DVD Collection is a must own for every Sesame Street fan!

We Still Dig Jade Albert

2009-11-19T21:20:00.000-05:00

Several months ago I was lucky enough to have the boy's picture taken by the amazingly talented Jade Albert. I just received word that the Jade Albert Studio is offering portrait sessions with Jade for families in the New York area. During the week Jade works on advertising campaigns but requests have been made to do private portrait sessions. She wants to full fill those requests as well as offer her portrait services to more parents in the local area. Jade took what is without a doubt, the best picture I've ever seen of my two older boys, and if you're lucky enough to schedule a session with her, you won't be disappointed.

Disclosure: I met Jade Albert at a blogger event where she was taking family portraits for free.

We Dig Grover Going High-Tech

2009-11-19T01:09:00.000-05:00

This might just be the app that pushes me over the edge to purchase an iPod Touch. Now iPhone and iPod touch users can share in Grover's zaniness with a new app available from the App Store. This is the first official Sesame Street app for the iPhone and iPod touch.

When I was a kid the hilarious scenes with Grover as a waiter were always my favorite, and the new app is centered around those very scenes! When Charlie, the cook, doesn’t come into the restaurant and the customer wants his lunch right away, Grover, our cute and lovable waiter, needs help! Join Grover in the kitchen to catch—and count—ingredients to make delicious and nutritious meals. All users have to do is tip the iPhone or iPod touch back and forth to move the tray. Grover tells you how many ingredients to catch, and then counts the items with you.
The Grover’s Number Special App includes original Sesame Street video and encourages visual discrimination, counting, and number recognition. The Grover’s Number Special App is available for $2.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

While you're visiting iTunes, be sure to check out select episodes from Sesame Street’s current season. The Season 40 episodes will include celebrity guests Cameron Diaz, Jimmy Fallon, Ricky Gervais, Maggie Gyllenhall, and many more. Also available are brand new episodes of the weekly Sesame Street Podcast, which this week features Sarah Jessica Parker. As always, a growing selection of Sesame Street music is available on iTunes.

We Dig 2K Play and Nickelodeon

2009-11-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

The nice folks at Access PR are doing everything in their power turn me into a video game review blogger, and we love them for it! You might remember how I gushed about the SEGA event we attended over the summer . . . you know, the one with the PB&J sandwiches with the crusts cut off . . . I didn't think they could top that, but they did! This week we received a BOX FULL of new games to try.

So where on earth do I even start? The games we received are the newest titles from 2K Play and Nickelodeon: Ni Hao, Kai-lan: Super Game Day; Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom; Ni Hao, Kai-lan: New Year's Celebration; Dora Puppy and The Backyardigans. These games are made specifically for preschoolers, which is great because Chris, who is 4, is very often frustrated by his older brother's (age 6) games and as a result rarely wants to play for more than a minute or two.

In Ni Hao, Kai-lan: Super Game Day, players team up with Kai-lan and her friends Rintoo, Tolee and Hoho in action games, including Butterfly Bonanza, Soccer Challenge and YeYe's Movin' and Groovin'. Ni Hao, Kai-lan: New Year's Celebration for DS allows kids to match colors and shapes to march in a parade, cook dumplings and put on a dazzling fireworks display. I have to admit that as a mother of three boys, I had no idea who Ni Hao, Kai-lan even was until I made a call to one of my "mom of girls" friends and learned that her 4-year-old daughter is addicted to the show. Apparently Ni Hao, Kai-lan is a very big deal, and I have a feeling these titles will hot this holiday season.

Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom for consoles is based on the prime-time Nickelodeon television event. Players help Dora locate missing crystals in order to restore color to a village that has fallen under an evil spell. Kids fly with butterfly wings, perform tricks with a magical wand and, for the first time, can play as Boots (which is a very cool feature for boys who dig Dora--like mine--but want to still seem macho when their buddies come over to play).

Dora Puppy for DS lets kids care for, train and play with Perrito as you attempt to win a trophy in the Big Puppy Competition. This title has over 10 different activities including caretaking, puppy play, training and dress up. We liked the puppy play feature the best, which allows kids to play fetch, tug of war, hide and seek and bubble popping. The training feature allows you to teach your puppy how to sit, jump, speak, roll over, lay down and backflip. You can also earn puppy tokens and use them to buy new puppy clothes, items for Perrito and picture book pages.

I've saved the best for last. The Backyardigans for DS was our favorite game in the bunch as it takes preschoolers on a music-filled adventure where they can sail the high seas as pirates, blast into outer space as intergalactic garbage collectors, and capture evil villains as masked superheroes. There are 24 mini games and you can even play a song using different musical instruments like the drums, xylophone, guitar, recorder, saxophone and trumpet. I was always impressed with how much tought and care went in to each episode of the Backyardigans TV show, and the video game is no different.

All of the games listed above feature voice actors from the popular Nickelodeon television shows. The games were reviewed for age-appropriateness, fun-factor and quality, and the packaging features a "Kid-Tested" seal. In addition, while supplies last, purchasers of specially marked Wii games will be entitled to a one month free subscription to Nick Jr. Boost, an educational online subscription service designed for preschoolers through first graders. Nick Jr. Boost follows school curriculum, focusing on the major concepts kids need for academic success. Skills range from learning the alphabet to improving reading comprehension; from simple counting to mastering addition and subtraction; and from creative self-expression to conquering the computer keyboard.

We're all about sharing the love, so I'm happy to announce that we're giving away a copy of Ni Hao, Kai-lan: Super Game Day for Wii. To win, all you have to do is leave a comment by midnight (EST) on December 1. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:

1. Linking to this contest on your blog
2. Tweeting about the contest
3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed
4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers
5. Following me on Twitter

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry. This contest is open to residents of the United States. I will select a winner using Random.org.

We Dig Seventh Generation's Million Baby Crawl

2009-11-08T20:22:00.000-05:00

I have a few precious weeks left before Evan becomes mobile, so when my co-workers asked me to help spread the word about Seventh Generation's latest campaign I jumped at the opportunity!

Seventh Generation needs your help making our nation’s outdated chemical law tougher, in order to make the world safer for our children. Please join me in spreading the word about the Million Baby Crawl to help educate and empower parents to raise their voices for stronger standards on toxic chemicals.

Did you know that…

• In the 33 years since Congress passed that nation’s chemical regulatory law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TCSA), the Environmental Protection Agency has required testing on just 200 of the more than 80,000 chemical compounds developed for products used in the home.

• Under the current law, the EPA does not have the authority to demand the information it needs to evaluate a chemical’s risk, and neither manufacturers nor the EPA are required to prove a chemical’s safety as a condition of use.

• 1.25 million kids younger than six are unintentionally poisoned in the home each year by things like cosmetics and personal care products, cleaning substances, pain relievers and cough and cold medicines (American Association of Poison Control Centers)

• Studies show that nearly 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants have been found in the umbilical cord blood of newborns (EWG).

Here's what you can do:

• It’s easy: visit http://www.millionbabycrawl.com/ and create a crawler that represents why you want chemical reform (say hi to baby crawler Evan S. while you're there).

Disclosure: Seventh Generation is a client of the company that employs me.

We Dig PBS Kids and Fizzy's Lunch Lab

2009-11-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

If you're like me and you have kids who are picky eaters, check out Fizzy's Lunch Lab. The Fizzy's Lunch Lab site at PBSKIDSGO.org/lunchlab will feature animated shorts, fun recipes, interesting food facts, and exciting interactive games that guide children towards making smarter food choices.

Launching on November 16 and rolling out over the course of 10 months (40 weeks), each week, there will be a new animated video with a fun printable recipe for kids and parents to enjoy. Monthly food and nutrition themes will help guide the message and menu, while each animated short will teach new concepts pertaining to the featured theme. The site features funny characters in a variety of short video segments and interactive games and is designed to bring kids and parents together to help plan meals, make snacks, and team up to make healthier eating choices for the entire family.

For parents and educators, PBSPARENTS.org and PBSTEACHERS.org will feature resources and activities to help children make healthy choices. PBSPARENTS.org will include family activities, additional recipes and resources. Parents can also connect via a Twitter feed linking to additional health tips, recipes, and articles. PBSTEACHERS.org will include simple lesson plans and classroom activities that correspond with Fizzy's monthly theme and educational goals.

I have a certain middle child whose name rhymes with Schmistopher who honestly believes he's allergic to vegetables, so I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Fizzy.

We Dig Discount Codes to Disney on Ice Celebrations!

2009-10-24T20:52:00.000-04:00

Attention Jersey families! Disney on Ice Celebrations! will be coming to the IZOD Center and Prudential Center in November. I've never taken the boys to an ice show before, so I'm really looking forward to it, especially since their dad had a hand in building the Prudential Center.

From what I've been told, Celebrations! is one colossal party on ice with all your favorite Disney friends. The audience will enjoy a winter wonderland with Mickey and Minnie, a Halloween haunt with the Disney Villains, a Very Merry Unbirthday Party, a Royal Ball with the Disney Princesses and more in a magical medley of holidays, celebrations and festivals from around the globe.

To find out more about Disney On Ice and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.disneyonice.com/. Just use the coupon code MOM—code is valid for four tickets for $44 for Monday-Friday matinee shows (any additional tickets are still priced at $11), and $4 off Friday night and all weekend shows.

Disclosure: My family received free tickets to Disney on Ice from MomCentral.

We Dig Star Wars AND Leap Frog

2009-10-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure why I'm sharing this information with you because my boys want to win this party in a very big way, which sort of makes you the enemy. Ah well, maybe you'll invite us over if you win!

LeapFrog is hosting a $3,500 Star Wars Sweepstakes! The winner will receive an All-Out Star Wars Party Kit for their child and 10 guests, including

- Costumes and light saber toys (my boys already busted theirs out--we have one in every color because one just never knows when the urge to fight for the Dark Side will strike)

- Deluxe party kit, with life-sized wall graphic and R2-D2 trash can (you mean R2-D2 isn't alraedy a trash can?)

- Amazon gift card

- And, of course, a LeapFrog Tag, Leapster2 or Didj system with Star Wars game or book

But the best part? The winner will receive a Merry Maids gift card to clean up the mess! Maybe if I squint my eyes and wriggle my nose the Merry Maids will show up just for the heck of it. Hey, a girl can dream!

After you've entered the contest, check out this interesting LeapFrog Community post written by Learning Team member Carolyn Jaynes, who discusses children, pop culture, and learning.

Disclosure: No compensation was exchanged for this post. I have a great relationship with the PR folks at Leap Frog and I have accepted products from them to review in the past.

We Dig Earth's Best Baby Food

2009-10-15T20:37:00.000-04:00

Tonight was an exciting night in our house. Baby Evan ate his first peas! I highly suggest you stop reading this and visit my other blog, Fits and Giggles, to see some serious cuteness in action. Evan's first baby food was Earth's Best Stage 1 Peas, and he gobbled them down like a champ. We've been an Earth's Best family since Paulie started eating solid food in 2004, and last month I was invited to attend a luncheon hosted by Earth's Best to celebrate the company's 25th anniversary and preview some of the products they have coming out next year.

As a full-time working mom, it takes a lot for me to get myself out to blogger events. When the invitation arrived from Earth's Best, I knew I couldn't miss it. I have dozens of jars stockpiled in the basement from a particularly appealing sale at Babies R Us, and our freezer is stocked with Earth's Best waffles for my older boys. This is a brand we really love. We're not a particularly "green" family, but we do what we can when we can, and Earth's Best has always been a part of that equation.

During the event I learned that pound for pound, babies consume two to four times more vegetables than adults and therefore are exposed to higher levels of contanimants. Organic ingredients like those used in Earth’s Best products are grown in soil not treated with harmful synthetic herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers or sewage sludge (yes, that really says sewage sludge). No genetically engineered ingredients are used. So while it cost a few cents more per jar to buy organic baby food, we couldn't imagine doing anything else. Besides, if you shop smart you can always find a good deal.

Right now Earth's Best is running a really great contest asking parents and grandparents to share their most memorable videos of their baby’s feedings. Whether cute, messy or a little of both, the contest will celebrate babies and Earth’s Best commitment to nurturing them the purest way. The contest will be featured on the Earth’s Best website at www.earthsbest.com/feeding-contest.php from August 15 to November 30 and at its conclusion, 25 lucky babies will be selected as the new faces of the “Earth’s Best Generation Pure.” Parents will win a month’s supply of Earth’s Best baby food, diapers and wipes valued at more than $200.

For each video entry uploaded, Earth’s Best will also donate an Earth’s Best product to support Feed The Children, a non-profit organization that delivers food and other necessities to children and families who lack essentials due to famine, poverty or natural disaster. Earth’s Best has committed to a 5,000 jar minimum donation and a 10,000 jar maximum donation.

Be warned, there's some stiff competition!

Disclosure: Besides the goody bag given out at the luncheon, no compensation was exchanged for this post. We really do love Earth's Best THAT MUCH!

Just in Time for Halloween, We Dig Free Trial Memberships to BJ's

2009-10-11T10:22:00.000-04:00

I'm a sucker for a good bargian, so when the nice folks at BJ's Wholesale Club asked me to help them spread the word about their Halloween deals, I was happy to do so. In the spirit of honestly and fairness, you should know that I've never actually been inside a BJ's Wholesale Club. We've been a Costo family for years, mainly because that's the store that's closest to our house. However, BJ's offered me and the Cool Stuff We Dig Readers a free 60-day trial membership, which I will certainly take advantage of so I can check out the store once and for all!

If you're in the market for Halloween costumes, treats or decor, BJ's has some really great deals that you can check out:

BJ’s offers Disney heroine costumes – think Aurora, Cinderella, Ariel and Tinker Bell – for $29.99 for kids ages 4-8.
And to ensure there is enough candy on hand for the trick-or-treaters, BJ’s offers several types of bulk packs of candy favorites for $9.99 (such as a 172-count bag of Starburst and Skittles or a 105-count variety mix of M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, Milky Way and 3 Musketeers).
For anyone hosting Halloween parties, BJ’s can assist with décor as well: they offer jumbo pumpkins for $4.99 each, and Halloween-themed candy or chip-and-dip bowls for $9.99 each. A bubble fogger for $34.99 boasts large or small bubbles that turn into fog.
And for those going all out, BJ’s offers an inflatable Halloween train (complete with a moving skeleton engineer, a ghost and a vampire) for $149.99.

Happy shopping!

Disclosure: Besides the 60-day trial membership, no form of compensation was exchanged for this post.

We Dig Fisher-Price Infant Toys, and Discounts!

2009-10-06T20:25:00.000-04:00

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that the very cool people at Fisher-Price sent me two of their newest infant toys to review. However, Evan isn't doing very much in the moving around department quite yet, so a full review about these specific products will have to wait until he and his pint-sized buddies can really put them to the test. In the meantime, I can tell you that for the past six years, Fisher-Price toys have been a staple in our house, and we haven't been disappointed yet.

We have lots of favorite Fisher-Price toys, but Peek-A-Blocks rank up there with the best toys we've ever had. Both Paulie and Chris spent hours upon hours shorting, stacking, and yes, hurling these interactive cubes. Here's a retro video of Paulie from the winter of 2004.

Peek-A-Blocks, along with our massive collection of Little People, are among the few items that have survived the multiple toy purges of the past few years. The boys enjoyed them so much, I just couldn't part with them. Little did I know that a couple of years later we'd be dusting them off again for Evan.

When Christopher was a baby a friend of ours gave us her daughter's Laugh and Learn Learning Home because she had outgrown it. Not only did Christopher love this toy, but Paulie did too. They would each sit on one side and play with all the fun features, especially the mailbox and the doorbell. You can actually still buy the Learning Home, but if you're looking for something a little more farm-ish (farm-esque? farmy?), new for this year is the Laugh and Learn Learning Farm, which is the same concept as the Learning Home. When baby opens the gate and crawls through, it triggers sing-along songs, dancing lights, music, sounds and fun phrases. There are veggie shapes to sort, chicken eggs to count, plus lots of put-and-take, flipping, spinning, pressing, sliding and turning activities. The Learning Farm teaches the alphabet, numbers, shapes, animal names and sounds, colors, opposites, greetings and weather. I have a feeling this is going to be a huge hit with Evan!

Fisher-Price also sent us the Go Baby Go! Stride-to-Ride Lion, which encourags walking progress with rewarding lights, sounds, and upbeat music. Once walking is a sure thing, toddlers can hop on the lion’s back and ride all around for a roaring good time. Designed with a wide wheel base for sturdy support when baby is learning how to walk or enjoying a ride! If you're like me and you have an aversion to loud toys (aren't the kids already loud enough?) you will appreciate the on/off switch plus volume control for quiet play.

So you might be wondering why I rushed to get this post up when I haven't even had a chance to try the products. Well, I assure you there's a good reason! Fisher-Price is offering my readers a generous discount on their Laugh & Learn and Go Baby Go toys, and I didn't want anyone to miss out on the savings! Click here to get $20 off your next $100 purchase.

Disclosure: Fisher-Price sent me these toys for free to review. No additional payment was accepted for this post except for the products.

Suave Professionals Giveaway

2009-09-30T21:22:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that I don't know a whole lot about beauty products. What I do know, however, is that I love the way my hair looks, smells and feels after my twice-yearly trips to the salon. So when Suave contacted me a couple of weeks ago to help them promote the fact that they were styling Kate Walsh's hair for the Emmy's, I was happy to oblige!

The good people of America have spoken and decided that Kate should sport the Modern Bob style at the Emmy's. The results were spectacular, although I'm pretty sure Kate Walsh would look good with a parrot on her head.

The folks at Suave want to give you a chance to recrate Kate's look at home, and I'm excited to tell you that I'm giving away a prize package with everything you need!

Modern Bob - Get the Look!
- Begin with Vibrant Shine shampoo and conditioner from Suave Professionals to restore shine and luster to dull hair.
- Next, blow dry hair in sections with a large round brush.
- For the side-swept bangs, take the front section and blow-dry back with a large round brush, swooping to the side.
- Finally, apply a dollop of Suave Professionals Sleek Anti-Frizz Cream. Apply first to ends and work your way up to control fly-aways.
- Finish the look with Suave Professionals Extra Hold Hairspray.

To enter to win your Suave Emmy's prize pack that includes the Suave Professionals Vibrant Shine Shampoo and Conditioner, Sleek Anti-Frizz Cream, and Extra Hold Hairspray, leave a comment here by midnight (EST) Wednesday, October 14. I'll select the winner at random the next day. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:
1. Linking to this contest on your blog

2. Tweeting about the contest

3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed

4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers

5. Following me on Twitter

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry. This contest is open to residents of the United States.

I have to admit that I've never tried any products from the Suave Professionals line, but I'm excited to do so! You should know that Suave is sending me some free samples to try, and if I like them I will post a review too.

We Dig Suave, Kate Walsh, and the Sleek Updo

2009-09-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

I have a platonic girl crush on Kate Walsh and I'm not ashamed to admit that I still think Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy are great shows, despite rumblings that they may have jumped the shark. I also thought Kate was fantastic as Will Ferrell's wife in Kicking and Screaming, which is a hilarious kid flick that my husband and I actually enjoy watching. We still crack up every time Will calls Mike Ditka the juicebox guy. Good stuff.

Anyway, in addition to Kate Walsh, I'm also a big fan of saving money. I was impressed when I was introduced to Suave's line of economically-priced hair care products at BlogHer this year. So I'm happy to share information about the company's latest promotion.

To celebrate the Emmy’s (Sept. 20), Suave has teamed up with Kate to showcase that Suave Professionals are salon proven to work as well as salon brands. Suave is going to style Kate “for a steal” before she walks down the red carpet at the Emmys, and you can vote on her final look. Just log on to www.SuaveStyledForASteal.com to view and vote for your favorite hair style for Kate to rock on the red carpet. I picked the Sleek Updo because it's the style I'm sporting these days. Well, to be truthful I'm really sporting the messy ponytail, but I'd rather not bog you down with semantics.

After voting you can enter for a chance to win one of 100 red carpet swag bags stuffed with styling tools, products and other fantastic Emmy goodies. Plus, you can also download a Suave Professionals coupon.

Happy voting!

We Dig Stride Rite Shoes

2009-08-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

I love Stride Rite. Always have. Paulie and Christopher's shoes for the first two years of their lives were exclusively Stride Rite because I always believed they made the best shoes for beginner walkers (now they torture me and make me buy them Skechers--the latest pair started to fall apart four days after we bought them and no one at Skechers customer service cares enough to return my emails . . . grrr). Anyway, back to Stride Rite. The company continuously conducts testing and research to improve its products and is dedicated to developing the best technology in children’s footwear. So you could imagine how excited I was to get an email from Stride Rite's PR rep asking me if I wanted to try out the company's new Sensory Response Technology (SRT) shoes. Knowing that Evan isn't about to get up and start walking any time soon, I asked the Stride Rite folks if I could give them away instead. Only the best for my readers!

SRT shoes promote a healthy lifelong walking pattern and improve baby's ability to respond to their environment, and Stride Rite has the studies to prove it. Highlights of the SRT line include greater feel of terrain, more natural support and freedom of movement. Shoes in the SRT collection are also designed to make baby comfortable. They feature moisture-wicking linings, which help keep baby's feet drier longer, and eco-friendly materials such as a recycled EVA heel cup and a partially recycled outsole. The fall SRT collection is comprised of baby sizes 3 to 8in various widths, and you can win yours here!

To win a pair of Stride Rite's new SRT baby shoes (retail value $50) leave a comment here by midnight (EST) Wednesday, September 16. I'll select the winner at random the next day. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:

1. Linking to this contest on your blog
2. Tweeting about the contest
3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed
4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers
5. Following me on Twitter

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry.

Disclosure: Stride Rite provided the giveaway prize for this post. No other form of compensation was exchanged.

We Dig Hugamonkey Baby Slings

2009-08-21T21:03:00.000-04:00

I'm not a sling wearer. In fact, slings used to scare the hell out of me. I left the expansive length of fabric and the shiny double rings to the professional mommies out of fear that I'd get a random body part stuck in a position from which I might not recover. But I needed a sling--or at least something sling-like--so I didn't have to lug Evan's stroller everywhere I went during last month's trip to BlogHer. So I did what any non-sling-wearing person would do. I turned to the professional baby wearers on my Twitter friends list. I received all kinds of very helpful advice from some incredibly wise women, but I still didn't know what to do because it seemed like everyone had a different sling they liked best and I wasn't about to go and buy them all.

Thanks to the miracle of the interwebs, the good folks at Hugamonkey caught wind of my plea for help and they kindly offered to send me not one, but two Hugamonkey slings to bring to BlogHer--one for me and one to give away. I used the sling several times during our trip because it isn't easy to maneuver a stroller through a cocktail party and it was fantastic (and that's coming from a non-sling wearer).

These snazzy baby slings are streamlined, with no extra fabric or bulky rings to get in your way, and fashioned from a single cut of breathable, durable, soft natural fabric. There's very little room for error and Evan loved being snuggled in the sling. I wish I had some pictures of us to share, but I don't. But look how happy this mom and baby are.

This is the exact sling I'm giving away! Here are all the details from the Hugamonkey website:

•100% Kona Cotton
•Comfortably holds child up to 3 years or 30 pounds
•Durable yet streamlined design
•Fade and wrinkle resistant

Intoxicating style exudes from basic black, but that’s not the only benefit of this simple sling. Its straightforward, minimalist design perfectly meets the needs of today’s chic mama, and will enable you to do more than you thought possible while holding a baby. So whether you've planned a trip to the grocery store or a night out on the town, this sling will get you and your baby there—in comfort and in style.

To enter to win a Hugamonkey sling (size medium), leave a comment here by midnight (EST) Wednesday, September 9. I'll select the winner at random the next day. You can get extra chances to win by doing any or all of the following:

1. Linking to this contest on your blog
2. Tweeting about the contest
3. Subscribing the Cool Stuff We Dig feed
4. Adding yourself to the Cool Stuff We Dig followers
5. Following me on Twitter

Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry.

Happy 60th Birthday, Candy Land

2009-08-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

This week Lombard Street in San Francisco was transformed into Candy Land. I'm pretty darn proud to sit in the office next to the team that made this all possible. Happy 60th birthday, Candy Land. Check out the video below.

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs for Wii Winner Announced

2009-08-18T08:26:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Andrea, who won the Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game for Wii! I still have two great giveaways going on now, one for Seventh Generation and another for Daisy Fuentes Pilates.

We Dig Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii

2009-08-14T20:38:00.000-04:00

The boys and I attended a great event hosted by SEGA this week, where we had the opportunity to preview their upcoming holiday titles. You can read all about it on Fits and Giggles.

The SEGA folks hooked up Cool Stuff We Dig with a copy of Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii to give away. They gave one to me to try as well, but I'm being a bit of a chicken about the whole thing because I've never tried pilates before, so I can't give you a fair review until I dust off my Wii Balance Board that I swore I'd use every day to get off the baby weight. Sigh. What I can tell you, though, is that Daisy Fuentes Pilates is built around 10 core-strengthening Pilates exercises that players craft into individual workout routines depending on their level of intensity (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced).

Here are some of the key features:
•Ten Pilates exercises –Using the Wii Remote and Balance Board, players will learn 10 core-strengthening exercises. Once players become familiar with exercises at the Beginner level, they can increase the intensity to to Intermediate and Advanced levels.
•Customizable workouts – The game includes five pre-set workout routines and five routines that players can customize. The pre-set routines are more geared to those who are new to Pilates, though there is plenty of room for people to progress into the more challenging Intermediate and Advanced levels.
•Players track fitness results – Players can monitor their score and exercise results in five-day increments. They are rated on the total amount of exercises completed or by how well they performed the individual exercises.
•Health and fitness tips – Daisy Fuentes’ useful exercise and healthy diet tips are designed to help keep players motivated.

So I was thinking that maybe we could do this together. I'll give away a copy of Daisy Fuentes Pilates to one of my readers, and in no time I'll be able to put away my chubby girl clothes for good. Baby Evan is three months old today. It's time to get my butt in gear. Won't you join me?

To enter to win a copy of Daisy Fuentes Pilates for Wii, leave a comment here by midnight (EST) Thursday, August 27. I'll select the winner at random the next day. You can get extra chances to win by linking to this contest on your blog, Tweeting about the contest, subscribing to my feed and adding yourself to my followers. Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry.

We Dig Jade Albert Photography

2009-08-11T21:01:00.001-04:00

My head is still spinning from what can only be described as an awesome day of mommy blog events with my two oldest boys. My favorite moment of the day was the photo shoot with the lovely and talented Jade Albert, who took a picture of my boys that belongs in a JCrew catalog (her words, not mine, although I can't say I disagree).

Photo by Jade Albert

A million thanks to Beth at RoleMommy for inviting us to the Kool-Aid/Kaboom event. I will post a full recap of our day on Fits and Giggles by the end of the week.

We Dig Seventh Generation's "Under the Sink Makeover Contest"

2009-08-10T12:38:00.000-04:00

Seventh Generation (full disclosure--they're a client of the company that employs me, but this isn't a review and I hate turning down great giveaways for my readers) is hosting an “Under the Sink Makeover Contest” from July 22 to August 14, 2009 that asks you to reveal your best friend’s dirtiest secrets – those hiding under the kitchen sink, that is! With the area under the kitchen sink as a family’s typical dumping ground for chemical products, Seventh Generation wants families nationwide to know about – and detox – this potentially hazardous area, usually within arm’s reach of kids.

The “Under the Sink Makeover Contest” is seeking nominations on www.SeventhGeneration.com/under-the-sink today through August 14, for under the kitchen sink areas that are in desperate need of organization and detoxification. Submit a photo of the area under a friend’s sink and a 250-word description on why they deserve an under the sink makeover (e.g., she’s concerned for the health of her family and the environment, the area under her sink a toxic wasteland, she’s overwhelmed by the chaos of motherhood and wants to change but doesn’t know where to begin, etc.), for a chance to win great prizes.

One lucky grand prize winner will receive a package that includes:
• An in-home consultation at the friend’s house with Dr. Alan Greene, practicing pediatrician and specialist in green living
• A one year supply of Seventh Generation products for both the entrant and the friend in need
• A trip to New York City for the entrant and her friend that includes a one-night stay at the W New York – Times Square hotel
• A day of pampering at New York’s Green Spa that will include a Body Polish, Wellness Massage, Ocean Vegan Spa Manicure/Pedicure along with a one hour make-up application and lesson

Four other finalists and their friends will receive a Seventh Generation Living Home Starter Kit containing a variety of home-cleaning products for their own under the kitchen sink makeover, in addition to a luxurious Lavera home spa kit containing Lavera’s customer favorite BODY SPA shower gel, body scrub and bath salts, and premium LAVERÉ Anti-Aging body lotion to pamper themselves.

As an added bonus, the good folks at Seventh Generation are offering Cool Stuff We Dig readers a chance to win their very own Living Home Starter kit ($35 retail value), which includes:

Glass Cleaner- Ruby Red Grapefruit
All Purpose Cleaner- Green Mandarin and Leaf
Shower Cleaner- Green Mandarin and Leaf
Toilet Bowl Cleaner- Emerald Cypress and Fir
Tub and Tile Cleaner- Emerald Cypress and Fir
Kitchen Cleaner- Wild Orange and Cedar Spice
Natural Paper Towels- 120 Count
Seventh Generation Reusable Tote

To enter to win, leave a comment here by midnight (EST) Monday, August 24. I'll select the winner at random the next day. You can get extra chances to win by linking to this contest on your blog, Tweeting about the contest, subscribing to my feed and adding yourself to my followers. Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry.

We Dig The Accidental Swag Bestowed Upon Us at BlogHer

2009-08-07T20:24:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that two weeks have already gone by since BlogHer 2009. I've been meaning to write this post since Evan and I got home, but life kept getting in the way. Despite the fact that "swag" has become a new four-letter word, I have to take a moment to thank the incredibly generous companies who were kind enough to share their products with us during our stay in Chicago. Most of the swag we collected during our time at BlogHer was accidental. Now I might not have been invited to any of the unofficial parties at BlogHer, which is just fine by me, but I have to say that walking around the Sheraton with a baby automatically made us swag magnets.

Before we even set foot in the Windy City, the awesome folks at Hugamonkey responded to my Twitter plea for sling advice by offering me not one, but two slings for BlogHer (one for me and one to give away, so stay tuned for a giveaway here very soon). Now keep in mind that I'm not a sling wearer. In fact, I'm quite intimidated by slings. Anything that requires an instructional video for me to wear usually goes way above my head. The folks at Hugamonkey make slings that are so easy to wear that instructional videos aren't needed (although they are provided on their website). Also, with a very reasonable price tag of $25, you don't have to worry about breaking the bank to get a really great sling. Thank you, Hugamonkey, for making a sling that a newbie like myself can use. It came in very handy at the SVMoms Cocktail Party when I needed to carry both my ice water and my fruit kabob. Yeah, I'm wild like that.

Janice from 5 Minutes for Mom gave Evan an adorable onesie from Faith Baby Wear and the nice folks at Turbo Tax gave us a onesie that says "Cutest Little Tax Deduction," which I think has magical powers because Evan wore it last night and slept in his bassinet for the first time (as opposed to the swing, his "bed" of choice these days). In addition to giving out cute onesies, we are big fans of Turbo Tax after using the service for the first time this year, saving us from the small fortune we'd been spending on our accountant for the last five years. Now I have to be honest and tell you that I had absolutely nothing to do with preparing the taxes. I leave that to my husband. You should know, though, that there was little to no cursing during the process, so I'm giving Turbo Tax my full endorsement.

Also among my favorite accidental swag encounters happened on our way up to the room when we were told that we must must must head to the lobby because Jessica Gottlieb was giving out amazing gift baskets from Brainy Baby. I'm not sure which excited me more--the cool baby swag or the opportunity to meet Jessica, a fellow SVMoms blogger. Needless to say, we headed straight downstairs. We were absolutely floored by the incredible assortment of baby music, books, toys, and clothes Jessica was giving on behalf of Brainy Baby. There's so much stuff, in fact, that we haven't had a chance to open everything yet. I can tell you, though, that the Peaceful Baby CD is a big hit with my music-loving Evan. Now that he's almost three months old, he's starting to grasp and reach for objects, and I have a feeling the goodies in our Brainy Baby collection are going to be a big hit. I will be sure to post a review when he starts to show interest in anything other than his binky and the ceiling fan.

A big thank you to everyone who worked so hard to share their products with us at BlogHer. Despite all the swag drama, please know you are appreciated.

We Dig Working Moms Who Make Video Games, Enter to Win Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs for Wii

2009-07-28T01:18:00.000-04:00

Many of you know that I returned to work today after a glorious 12-week maternity leave, so when Activision approached me with the opportunity to hear from Nicole Willick, another busy working mom who loves her job (she creates video games!), I couldn't say no. The timing was just too perfect and Nicole gives some great insight into how she handles mommy guilt and the work/life balance. In addition, the kind folks at Activision gave us two copies of the new Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs game, and I'm excited to announce we're giving one away. Now you can scroll down to the end of the post for information about the giveaway, but then you'd be missing the inspiring Q and A session with Nicole Willick.

How did you end up at Activision? How long have you been there?
I was in television production for 4 years prior to Activision. I wasn’t happy at my current workplace, so someone I knew at Activision clued me into an open Associate Producer position. My multitasking skills transferred well as I dove into the video game world. I have now been at Activision for 10 years.

Have you always worked on kid-friendly titles? Why?
My first video game projects were on the Tony Hawk series (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1-3). After working on a Disney licensed title, I then segued onto the DreamWorks properties and most recently Fox’s Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. There was no “choice” involved in my project selection; I work where I am needed most. I am open to any genre and don’t wish to limit myself to any one type of game.

How old are your children?
I have one daughter who will be starting 3rd grade in the fall. She is almost 8 years old.

What is most important to you when producing a children’s video game?
The fun factor! Can a kid pick up and play the game quickly without reading instructions? Is the game or the mini-games within the game fun for the parents to play with their child? The overall experience should be engaging and rewarding for the whole family.

You are definitely a busy, full time working mom. What kinds of things do you tell yourself to get over the mommy guilt?
The bottom line is that I love my job. I make video games for a living. It keeps me young and there is definitely a cool factor with my daughter and her friends. As with any job, there are sometimes long hours, but I always make it a point to be home every evening to have dinner with my family and tuck my daughter in at bedtime.

Do you think you’d be as invested and passionate about your job/company if you weren’t a mother? (If she only does children’s games)?
Yes! I was at Activision for over 2 years before my daughter was born. I grew up playing video games and can’t believe I’ve made a career working on them.

Have you ever gauged the success or likeability of a product based on your children’s reactions?
Not really…my daughter is not a huge gamer. She prefers simulation games that let her cook or design clothing; she’s not much of an action-adventure gamer. But she does love to come in to my office and help test the games and see if she can break them.

How do you ensure the FCC ESRB rating stays at an appropriate level? Do you have kid testers?
We are quite familiar with the ESRB ratings process and requirements, so we know what content to avoid. The European rating standards are actually stricter than the US and prove more challenging to adjust gameplay to comply. We do use kid testers, but not to gauge our ratings. The kids come in to help us tune the gameplay and validate the fun-factor.

What do you say to people who criticize video games for children? What is your advice to parents when selecting appropriate video games for their children?
Everyone has a right to their opinion, and I am not offended in any way if someone does not wish their child to play videogames. I think it is the parents’ responsibility to gauge the appropriateness of a game for their child. Of course the parents should read the ESRB labels for the cautionary descriptors, but it’s up to the parents to decide if their child has the emotional maturity to distinguish a game from reality.

What makes the Ice Age 3 video game so different from the other two releases?
For the first time in an Ice Age game, you can play as multiple characters. The game allows players to master the unique abilities and combat skills of six playable characters through a wide variety of gameplay including action-platforming challenges, side-scrolling missions and puzzle solving. Another first for the Ice Age game franchise, players will go head-to-head with friends and family in the all-new competitive multiplayer mini-games.

And now for the giveaway . . .

The Ice Age™: Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game reunites fans with Scrat, Sid, Manny and Diego in an all-new quest based on the upcoming film from Twentieth Century Fox. As the unlikely herd travels across the tundra and beyond, they stumble upon another world - a lush Dinosaur World teeming with jungles, mysterious plants, fierce dinosaurs, wild new adventures and several new friends. Taking on the role of more than six playable characters, including everyone’s favorite Ice Age friends and newly introduced characters, players master their unique skills and abilities across more than 15 action-packed levels. In addition to the expanded features of the single-player gameplay, for the first time in an Ice Age game, players can team up with friends and family in eight competitive multiplayer mini-games.

Key Features of the game include:

Revisit the humor, characters and prehistoric environments from the movie – Players relive adventures from the film and beyond with all their favorite characters – earnest but goofy Sid the Sloth, big-hearted Manny the Mammoth, courageous Diego the Saber-toothed Tiger and inadvertent troublemaker Scrat – as they all return and join new friends on a wild quest across the frozen Ice Age to the lush Dinosaur World.

For the first time in an Ice Age game, play as multiple characters – Offering more than six playable characters, the game allows players to master the unique abilities and combat skills of each through a wide variety of gameplay including action-platforming challenges, side-scrolling missions and puzzle solving.

Introducing competitive multiplayer mini-games – Another first for the Ice Age game franchise, players will go head-to-head with up to four friends or family members in the all-new competitive multiplayer mini-games.

Experience continuously changing gameplay through more than 15 levels – Every level presents new and exciting challenges as players learn and master each character’s abilities in order to defeat enemies, traverse dangerous landscapes, avoid obstacles and escape from perilous situations.

Suggested Retail Price: $49.99
ESRB Rating: “E10+” (Cartoon Violence)

To enter to win, leave a comment here by midnight (EST) Monday, August 17. I'll select the winner at random the next day. You can get extra chances to win by linking to this contest on your blog. You can also Tweet this contest for an extra entry. Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry.

We Dig Organically Grown Baby Layette

2009-07-06T21:06:00.000-04:00

There's currently a great Organically Grown baby layette giveaway happening here. I just entered and you should too.
All of the products from Organically Grown are made with organic cottons. From their website:

According to the Organic Exchange, an estimated 170 million pounds of pesticides, and 25% of the world’s insecticides are used in the production of conventional, non-organic cotton. 7 out of 10 of these pesticides are on the EPA’s “known” list of “likely” or “probable” carcinogens. These chemicals result in work-force illnesses, water contamination, and the devastation of farmland. All of the problems are eliminated though organic farming practices. Organically Grown is proud to be a part of the solution.

Guitar Hero Winner Announced

2009-07-04T15:13:00.000-04:00

Random.org selected luckly number 13. Congratulations to PaulZak2! Your Guitar Hero will be delivered next week. Thanks to everyone who participated and stay tuned for my next giveaway very soon!

We Dig Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits

2009-06-25T12:19:00.000-04:00

The good people at Activision and RedOctane kindly sent me a review copy of the newest installment of Guitar Hero for the Nintendo DS--Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits. I've been a Guitar Hero fan since winning the On Tour: Decades version from Amy at Selfish Mom last year, so I was thrilled to have some new songs to try out. Notice I'm saying "I" a whole lot here. That's because Guitar Hero is too difficult for the boys, who are 4 and 5. The game is rated E10+. However, they do love watching me play. Chris even dances along and plays air guitar. I can't wait until they're old enough to play themselves! For now, though, Guitar Hero is all mine. Except for the stickers. The boys used them to decorate their DS cases.

Modern Hits offers 28 master tracks from a variety of bands I love including Coldplay, The Strokes and Weezer. There are also a host of new features including the ability to jump right in where all the songs are unlocked in Quickplay mode. You can also choose your path and select between Headline, Opening and Fan Request songs. Speaking of Fan Requests, you can play songs while attempting specific goals, such as Star requirements, bass part requests, Guitar Duels, whammy bar counts, all-strum requests, 100 note Streaks and no Star Power. Another new feature, which I haven't tried out yet but sounds great, is song sharing where you can battle it out with songs from all three versions of the game.

In addition to creating an all-around great product, I have to give props to the folks at Activision and RedOctane for really knowing their stuff when it comes to PR. The press materials they sent are thorough and having access to the press website made it easy for me to grab all the information and images I needed. As a PR person myself, I admire companies that get it, as Activision and RedOctane most certainly do!

Now here's the exciting part. I have a copy of Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits to give away. To enter to win, leave a comment here by midnight on Thursday, July 2, which also happens to be my 33rd birthday. I'll select the winner at random that day. Forgive me for not committing to an exact time, but I'm at the beck and call of a newborn these days. I will do my best to announce the winner by July 3. You can get extra chances to win by linking to this contest on your blog. You can also Tweet this contest for an extra entry. Just remember to leave me a different comment for each extra entry.

We Dig Warmies

2009-05-25T13:18:00.000-04:00

It's a fact. Babies poop. A lot. It's obscene, if you think about it, the amount of poop that shoots out of a 10 lb. human on any given day. While I wish I was woman enough to take the plunge and switch to cloth diapers, I just don't have it in me. So in an effort to at least slow down the pace at which I'm killing the planet, I purchased the Prince Lionheart Warmies cloth wipes and warmer. The unit itself, which retails for $29.99, comes with four wipes which barely gets us through one poop. So I bought several 8 packs of reusable wipes ($9.99), which are made of bamboo but are quite soft. I just throw the soiled (what a terrible word) wipes into the wash and they're good as new. Considering a jumbo package of Pampers wipes costs about $10, the Warmies have already paid for themselves tenfold.

We Dig Seventh Generation

2009-04-02T16:28:00.000-04:00

As you probably already know, I'm not a big fan of house cleaning. In fact, I pretty much avoid cleaning entirely, and luckily my husband is willing to pick up the slack. In my defense, I do all the cooking and the laundry, and I give birth to all the babies, so I'm not a total deadbeat wife.

In my home, where we have two young boys and a baby due in a few weeks, keeping my children out of harm's way is of the utmost importance. Yet somehow I manage to relate all too well to a recent survey conducted by Seventh Generation (full disclosure--Seventh Generation is a client of the company that employs me) that found:

More than half of U.S. adults (58%) don’t always check the labels of cleaning products to determine if they contain ingredients that are harmful to their health. Guilty

Nearly three in five adults (58%) clean their home by wiping the surfaces with a cleaning solution/product at least once per week, nearly half (47%) can’t name at least one ingredient in those cleaning products.
Yep, that's me too

The majority of people (75%) store their household cleaning products/solutions under the sink, followed by 37% that store their products in the bathroom and 33% in the laundry room.
Under the sink, used to have a safety lock before we moved, but not anymore

Sixty-seven percent (67%) of adults believe that companies are required to disclose all of the chemical ingredients contained in their products, which isn’t true.
Scary

While more than half of adults believe that household cleaning products (e.g., window cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, kitchen cleaner) cause substantial damage to the environment (53%) and think that if used daily products that contain dyes or fragrances can be harmful to their health (59%), only 21 percent of parents opt for cleaning products with natural ingredients.
Time to change my ways, that's for sure

In order to help out folks like me who clearly need to do some major revamping to make my home safer for my children, Seventh Generation—in collaboration with WebMD, the most trusted brand of health information, and Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit leader that aims to inspire parents to create healthier environments for their children—is providing a personalized educational platform on WebMD called the Health eHome, found at www.webmd.com/healthyhome.

Set up as a virtual tour, Health eHome enables users to visit each room of the home to uncover potential dangers and hazards that are identified as “hot spots.” Clicking on the “hot spot” opens an information window which explains the potential hazard and tips on eliminating it to improve both personal and environmental health. The information window also provides documentary-style video with real families confronting these issues in their homes. An expert blog provides trusted information on creating a cleaner, greener lifestyle. Parents can also test the safety of their home by doing a “Health eHome Check,” where they can get personalized results and an action plan for their home.

The folks at Seventh Generation recently sent me a goody bag filled with cleaning products that I should have photographed and posted here, but we couldn't wait to start cleaning (and by "we" I mean my husband) and it was disassembled as soon as it came through the front door. However, if you Google "Seventh Generation Giveaway" you will find dozens of active contests. As for us, we kept everything ourselves because, quite frankly, we need all the help we can get.

We Dig Tennis Night in America

2009-03-01T20:03:00.000-05:00

Quick disclaimer: The USTA is a client of the PR agency that employs me, and the team was kind enough to give us what we need to get the boys going with Quick Start Tennis. I had every intention of peppering this post with adorable photos of the boys having a blast with their Quick Start gear, but winter refuses to end and we don't want the boys swinging racquets inside the house, so that will have to be another post for another day. The boys can't wait to get started!

Tomorrow night is National Youth Registration Night, and it will serve as the first-ever coordinated national “opening day” for kids and their parents to sign up for league and team tennis play in their respective local communities. More than 700 local tennis programs around the country will host signup events in their community that night. To find a facility near you go to www.tennisnight.com and enter your zip code.

National Youth Registration Night is a key component of the USTA’s “Tennis Night in America,” which also includes that night a winner-take-all “BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup” at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Showdown features four of the top women’s players in the world—Venus and Serena Williams, Ana Ivanovic and number one-ranked Jelena Jankovic—playing in a one-night, single-elimination tournament for the inaugural Billie Jean King Cup before a live national TV audience on HBO.

In a time where there are more children involved with team or organized sports than ever before in American history (according to the Women’s Sports Foundation’s October 2008 report), USTA’s Jr. Team Tennis program gives parents a healthy, cost-effective outlet for their kids that also provides the important social and parental benefits endemic to team sports.

Jr. Team Tennis’ sole purpose is to bring kids together in a fun environment where they can develop social skills and important values. Just like other youth sports, Jr. Team Tennis fosters unity, but it also promotes individual growth and teaches that success is really based just as much on how the game is played as it is the outcome.

• Cost Effective- Tennis, when compared to equipment costs for other youth sports, is less expensive than football, baseball, softball and lacrosse by nearly 50%. The only added equipment that is required is a racquet and a ball.

• Social- In Jr. Team Tennis, kids ages 6-18 interact with both boys and girls in similar age groups by playing singles, doubles and mixed doubles against other teams.

• Accessibility- Matches can be held anywhere from a local park or school to a commercial or private club.

• Parental Involvement- Jr. Team Tennis strongly encourages parents who are interested in coaching to start teams in their area. Simply go to www.jrteamtennis.usta.com to either find a league near you, or to find your USTA section representative to contact about creating a team.

More than 80,000 kids participated in Jr. Team Tennis in 2008, and tennis is currently the fastest growing traditional sport in the country with 27 million participants this year (according to the 2008 USTA/Tennis Industry Association study conducted by the Taylor Research Group).

We Dig Quaker State's World's Worst Commute Contest

2009-02-20T10:54:00.000-05:00

Quaker State (full disclosure--one of the clients at the PR agency that employs me) is looking for video entries for their World's Worst Commute contest. There are some really cool prizes, including the chance to be driven to work by Jimmie Johnson and two suite tickets to the Bank of America 500.

While I'm fortunate to have nothing to complain about with my 20-minute drive to work, a few members of the automotive team here in the office put together their own video, which is quite hysterical.

We Dig Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Discounted Tickets

2009-02-20T00:31:00.000-05:00

Come experience the all-new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents ZING ZANG ZOOM playing Prudential Center & IZOD Center with your family! If you decide to go to the Prudential Center location, allow me to brag about my husband and the huge role his company played in getting that place to open on time.

A SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU!
Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM.**

Newark Show Dates:
Thursday March 5: 7:30pm
Friday March 6: 7:30pm
Saturday March 7: 10:30am, 3:00pm, 7:30pm
Sunday March 8: 10:30am, 3:00pm

East Rutherford Show Dates:
Wednesday March 11: 7:30pm
Thursday March 12: 10:30am, 7:30pm
Friday March 13: 10:30am, 7:30pm
Saturday March 14: 10:30am, 3:00pm, 7:30pm
Sunday March 15: 10:30am, 3:00pm

Here's some fine print**Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code “MOM” at select ticketing channels. Minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Not valid on VIP Gold, VIP, and Circus Celebrity seats or combinable with other offers. A $3.00 facility fee is applied to all tickets at the Prudential Center. Other handling fees and service charges may apply.

Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOMSM, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion.

Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, the alluring Levitytia, lead audiences through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing extraordinary worlds of fantasy, flight and phenomena that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus and wards off a cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of “heavies” who try to bring everyone down.

Be mesmerized when a four-ton elephant disappears before your eyes, and a gravity-inducing nemesis transforms across species into a ferocious tiger. Stand in awe as a dazzling trapeze artist performs a perilous, anatomically unimaginable one-arm speed-spin high atop the arena floor, and two formidable, female human cannonballs are blasted through the air in a daring, awe-inspiring display of bravery. Become electrified as the dangerous double wheel of steel, the gasp-inducing high wire and soaring gigantic swings defy both gravity and logic.

Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world of infinite possibilities where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with a wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as the high flying circus is (literally) turned upside down. Perhaps the most magical of all, watch in amazement as an incomparable array of exotic animals including a herd of majestic Asian elephants, magnificent Bengal tigers and elegant Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with our human performers to create an experience that will surprise and delight Children of All Ages, rendering us speechless and reminding us that the magic of The Greatest Show On Earth® lives forever in our hearts and imaginations.

We Dig Milkbank Products, and a Giveaway

2009-02-15T17:02:00.000-05:00

As a mom who pumped for both of my boys, I know all too well the issues associated with storing breastmilk. I'm looking forward to trying the new products from Milkbank, which unlike traditional milk storage bags, uses a vacuum sealing process that preserves the nutrients and flavor of breast milk.

Knowing that Evan isn't due until May, the MilkBank folks were still kind enough to send me some products to give away and information to share with you. All you have to do is leave a comment below and I will choose a winner at random on Monday, February 23. One lucky winner will receive the Milkbank Storage System pictured here.

FAQ's for MilkBank Storage Bottles
1. How long can I store my breastmilk using MilkBank compared to traditional milk storage bags or regular bottles?
As long or longer than traditional storage bags and bottles. However, the first clinical trial done using the MilkBank storage system (with the air removed) compared the vitamin, nutrient, and taste loss in breastmilk and formula that was stored in a freezer for 10, 20, and 40 days without the air removed. The study reported that MilkBank retained the vitamin, nutrient, and taste of the breastmilk and formula significantly better than when stored with oxygen present.

2. Do any breast pumps on the market fit the MilkBank system so I can pump directly into your storage bottles?
There are currently no breast pumps on the market that fit our MilkBank storage system, however, we will be introducing a new line of revolutionary, patented breast pumps later in 2009 that will of course be compatible.

3. Why should I use your MilkBank bottles for storage since I would have to transfer the milk from my storage bags that I pump directly into?
Since you can't feed from a storage bag, you eventually have to pour the milk from the bag into a feeding bottle, so either way there is one transfer. Plus, with MilkBank, you get to remove the air from the storage vessel which protects the precious vitamins and nutrients and preserves the flavor of breastmilk.

4. Can I buy MilkBank parts/components separately??
Yes, just call Milkbank toll-free at 800-546-1996.

5.Are all your components lead, phthalate, PVC, and BPA free??
Yes, all dexbaby items are free of lead, phthalates, PVC, and BPA free -- including our packaging!

6. I prefer to wash bottles in my dishwasher on the highest heat setting -- is that okay for MilkBank bottles??
Yes, all MilkBank storage and feeding bottles can be cleaned in the dishwasher (top rack only). They can also be boiled for 2-3 minutes if desired.

We Dig Chefdruck's Saturday Giveaways

2009-02-12T03:08:00.000-05:00

Not only is Chefdruck a really cool lady, but she consistently offers great giveaways to her readers. This week's features include David's Cookies Cookie Play Dough and Cat Cora's latest cookbook, Cooking from the Hip. Your chances to win are generally very good, so go enter now.

We Dig Sesame Street Live Discount Tickets

2009-02-11T02:52:00.000-05:00

We interrupt your reglarly scheduled "25 Things" blog post and encourage you to take advantage of a terrific offer on tickets to Seseame Street Live: Elmo Makes Music THIS WEEKEND! Thanks to the folks at Hybrid Mom for the information.

2009 Offer:
25% Off on select performances Feb 5 – 16, 2009.

Website:
http://www.wamuatmsg.com/tickets/promotion.html?p_id=ELMOGIFT

Pricing:
Regular Price – Non-Peak:
$37, $26
** Price inclusive of $4.50 facility fee

Discount Price:
25% off
$28, $20

Discount Code:
ELMOGIFT

Expiration:
February 15th, 2009, 6:00 PM

Available at:
Madison Square Garden Box Office, Radio City Box Office, Internet and phones

Notes:
Offer subject to availability; may not be combined with any other offer, does not apply to VIP seating, Prime Seating or previously purchased tickets. Offer only valid on $37 and $26 dollar tickets. Tickets are non-refundable or exchangeable. Eight (8) ticket limit per order. Ticketmaster orders are subject to separate service charges. Other restrictions apply. Offer expires February 15th, 2009

VALID PERFORMANCES
Friday, February 13th, 2:00 PM
Saturday February 14, 5:30 PM
Sunday February 15, 5:30 PM

We Dig The Liberty Science Center

2009-01-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

What's a family of four to do on a Saturday afternoon when it's too frigid to step outside without six layers of clothing? Head to the Liberty Science Center, of course! We joined a few dozen other families from the New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia Moms blogs for a day of learning and fun.

We started our day at the Eat and Be Eaten Encounter, where we were lucky enough to witness a live animal presentation and even pet a snake and a turtle. We also learned quite a bit about a toad who is pretty much ruining the entire country of Australia.

After the animal exhibit we headed over to Sub Zero, where we got to witness the "coolness" of liquid nitrogen. Get it? Nitrogen is super cold. The boys were really engaged and even got to participate in an experiment!

We left the confines of our VIP awesome mommy bloggers area and joined the crowd to check out the rest of the center. We got to use a microscope, play with some molecules, create wind energy, and even climb a rock wall.

By the end of the day the boys were so tired that Chris actually fell asleep with a mouth full of astronaut ice cream. Special thanks to the Liberty Science Center for showing us a great time!

We Dig Holiday Giveaways

2008-12-16T09:42:00.000-05:00

And this one is the best I've seen so far. Click here to enter to win an XBox 360!

We Dig Disney's New Viral Video

2008-12-10T12:22:00.000-05:00

Get your own personalized video by visiting www.sun7news.com

Leap Frog Give Away

2008-12-02T18:40:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago I attended an event hosted by the generous folks at Leap Frog, who graciously loaded me up with great products for my kids. However, because 'tis the season for giving, I'm excited to announce that Cool Stuff We Dig is hosting a Leap Frog give away. All you have to do is leave a comment about your favorite Leap Frog product by Monday, December 8 at 12:00 noon (EST) for your chance to win. The lucky winner will be chosen at random and will walk away with these two cool items:

Letter Crazy!™ Game
Ages 3-6 years
Match the letters as they appear on the lighted screen by bopping a critter with a word or sound that begins with the same letter. Game includes 3 levels of play so children learn at their own pace and allows for up to 2 children to play at the same time.

Learn & Groove® Alphabet Drum
Ages 6 months-3 years
Each tap on the drum introduces baby to the English and Spanish alphabet—the building blocks of language. Music Play mode lets baby explore and create music—inspiring creative interaction and open-ended play. Engaging Music and Interactive Play modes encourage baby to tap, crawl and dance.

WINNER ANNOUNCED
Random.org selected lucky #13, so congratulations Cara Fox. I'll be contacting you shortly for your mailing info.

Big News Coming Soon

2008-11-30T18:54:00.000-05:00

Cool Stuff We Dig will be undergoing some major changes very soon, namely the addition of Maven, who will offer his very un-mommy blogger perspective on the cool stuff he digs.

We Dig The Boss for Supporting the Community Food Bank of New Jersey

2008-11-17T16:59:00.000-05:00

Please click here to find out how you can help.

We Dig Leap Frog

2008-11-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

The good folks at Leap Frog threw one heck of an event for NYC/NJ mom bloggers Sunday afternoon at the Four Seasons. After eating more than my fair share of finger sandwiches (lobster!) and tiny desserts, we were invited to an insightful discussion on how technology can help kids learn, led by Dr. Elliot Soloway (with his uncanny resemblance to Bruce Vilanch), University of Michigan Schools of Education and Information, and Dr. Cathleen Norris, University of North Texas College of Education and former president, National Education Computing Association.

There were some feisty moms (my favorite kind) in the audience who shared their insight about early reading, media consumption, wooden blocks and even book licking. After learning that the Nintendo DS we bought Paulie for his birthday is causing his brain to slowly seep out of his ears, my guilt subsided when the Leap Frog folks loaded me up with their hot new educational products to take home and try.

My key takeaway from the event is that there are many different parenting styles, but you have to find the balance that feels right for your family. As much as I'd love to say I spend three hours a night reading The New York Times to the boys, the truth is we prefer curling up on the couch for an episode of Scooby Doo before bed. If loving Scooby Doo is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Check back soon for a Leap Frog giveaway.

Update November 10
Feeling guilty about how much TV the boys were watching while I battled the stomach flu this weekend, I busted out the Tags on Saturday afternoon, as well as Fridge Phonics. Paulie was so excited that he actually did a Leap Frog dance (who knew he had one?). He and his brother are now Tag addicts. They even wanted to bring them to school this morning.

We Dig Mary Kay's Kiss for Country Campaign

2008-10-22T10:39:00.000-04:00

The beauty and grooming team at my company is currently working on a PR program to support Mary Kay and its role as Official Beauty Sponsor of the CMA Awards (Nov. 12th). They've been working with singer Jewel who recently made her debut in the country music scene. With her help, they kicked off the “A Kiss for Country” campaign, enlisting country music superstars like Wynonna, Kellie Pickler and Reba to help kiss domestic violence goodbye by kissing specially designed Kiss Cards that will be auctioned off with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting domestic violence prevention causes.

This is where I need YOUR help . . . as part of the campaign, they created a Facebook application that generates awareness about preventing domestic violence using a unique vehicle – kisses! The application allows you to choose from five kisses, including the casual “innocent smooch,” flirtatious “first kiss” and the romantic “lovin’ liplock.” With your participation, we can to spread the word and make this viral application a huge success.

So please join the cause by adding the application and becoming a fan

Add the application using this link.

Send the application and as many kisses as possible to your friends, family, colleagues, etc. When you are in the application, a banner appears on the left side … we recommend you first “invite your friends” to join the application. After that, choose “send kisses” to help spread the word about domestic violence prevention one kiss at a time.

We Dig the DonorsChoose.org Blogger Challenge

2008-10-01T09:43:00.000-04:00

Please visit the New Jersey Moms Blog for more information about how to donate to help public schools in New Jersey.

From the website:
DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

Proposals range from "Magical Math Centers" ($200) to "Big Book Bonanza" ($320), to "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling. In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.

We Dig Maskers Orchards

2008-09-22T20:47:00.000-04:00

This weekend we braved the warm weather and visited Maskers Orchards to pick our own apples. Despite the fact that I missed the exit and drove 30 miles out of our way, it was well worth the trip to bring the boys on their first apple picking expedition. Maskers is unique because cars are permitted to drive throughout the 200 acre orchard, which we certainly took advantage of after we realized we were a bit too ambitious to think we could walk all the way through with the kids. There are plenty of activities like pony rides, face painting and live music. The view was amazing, and I'd imagine it's nothing short of spectacular once the leaves start to change. We left there with a HUGE bag of apples and some apple cider donuts, many of which didn't make it all the way home.

Our pal Joe (who happens to be part of the family who owns Maskers) suggests arriving early to beat the crowds.

We Dig Wat-Aah

2008-09-19T23:21:00.000-04:00

My new found blogging fame went straight to my head when I was approached by a company that produces a product called Wat-Aah to review their vitamin enhanced waters for kids. Before agreeing, I visited the website and read the story about how the product was invented by kids and their parents. Intrigued, I asked for some samples, which arrived the very next day. We received several of each of the three formulas: brain, bone and body, and I put my taste testers to work. Right off the bat the boys loved the sleek design of the bottles and the neon colored labels. The boys drink plain old water on a regular basis, so I wasn't sure how they'd take to the flavor of vitamin water. The thing is, Wat-aah tastes just like pure water with no hint of vitamins at all, so the boys loved it.

You can find Wat-Aah at health food stores across the country.

We Dig Transformers the Animated Series

2008-09-12T23:55:00.000-04:00

When I first heard that the Cartoon Network was coming out with an animated version of the Transformers, I assumed it would be too violent for preschoolers and wouldn't let the boys watch it. However, after months of endless whining, I reluctantly agreed to sit through one episode with the understanding that if I saw something I didn't like it would go off immediately. As much as I hate having to admit when I'm wrong, er, well, I was wro . . . you know where I'm going with this. We can't get enough of Transformers the Animated Series, which manages to stay cool while keeping the violence to a minimum. I also gained some major "cool mom" points by impressing the boys with my knowledge of the Transformers theme song, but quickly lost them when I added in air guitar.

We Dig Moe's Southwest Grill

2008-09-09T21:55:00.000-04:00

There's something about Mexican food that makes me happy. Unless, of course, it's bland Mexican food (ahem, Tinga), which makes me sad. When I worked in the City, I was a loyal Burritoville devotee. So much so, in fact, it's rumored that Paulie's genetic make up includes 6% black beans.

Shortly after Paulie was born I happily ripped up my train pass and found employment on the other side of the pond. While the 15 minute commute to work was a dream come true, I mourned the loss of Burritoville. Then one glorious day last year a co-worker introduced me to the joys of Moe's Southwest Grill, and I haven't looked back since. I'm a big fan of the Joey Bag of Donuts Combo, which includes a burrito (I get chicken), tortilla chips with queso and a fountain drink. Your order is assembled before your eyes by a friendly staff, who all yell "Welcome to Moes" when you walk through the front door.

I'll always be a Burritoville girl at heart, but Moe's comes in at a close second.

We Dig Costco's Executive Membership

2008-09-07T20:46:00.001-04:00

If you love Costco as much as I do (to put things in perspective, I'm there so much that my kids know I have a favorite check out lady and they get upset when we're not in her line), consider an upgrade to the Costco Executive Membership. For just $50 more than a regular membership, you are privy to special offers not available to commoners (that's what we Executive Members call those who still carry the white card) and at the end of the year you get a check for 2% of your total purchase. Now I'm no math major so you should know that it took me nearly 30 minutes to figure this out, but if you spend $5,000 a year--which is about $96 a week--your membership pays for itself. Whew that was exhausting, but my engineer husband would be proud. Unless, of course, the math is wrong. Then I just brought shame to my family.

We Dig The Community Food Bank of New Jersey

2008-09-05T14:19:00.000-04:00

This compelling post on the New Jersey Moms Blog prompted me to share information about the Community Food Bank of New Jersey's BackPack Program. The program provides backpacks full of supplemental nutritious, kid-friendly food to children who are at risk of going hungry over the weekend.

According to the food bank's website, last year the program served nearly 500 students per week in 21 schools located in Newark, Elizabeth, Piscataway, and Atlantic City. Overall, they provided 10,800 packages of weekend food to children in need.

Please click here to donate. For just $14.00 you can sponsor a child for an entire month.

We Dig The Garden of Awesome

2008-09-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

I'm a loyal lurker of Matt Logelin's blog and I'm thrilled to learn that today he launched an online shop called The Garden of Awesome, where you can find really great t-shirts for grown ups and onesies for babies. Here's the one I just ordered:

I encourage you to visit Matt's blog, read up on what an amazing father he is, then go buy as much cool stuff as you can to help support him and his beautiful baby, Madeline.

We Dig Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD Giveaways

2008-09-02T12:06:00.000-04:00

Visit Chefdruck Musings for a chance to win a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD.

Noodleboro Winner Announced

2008-09-02T09:25:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to holedigger! Your Noodleboro game is in the mail.

Here's the winning entry:

I couldn't wait for the day my son and I could actually have a conversation...I dont really think he came out with his first sentence until he was 2 1/2...Now he just can't seem to stop wanting to hear the sound of his own voice.
So yes, most of the time he's quite polite but those few times in between I most certainly desire a huge hole to crawl in...Like at the gym a few months back:

"Mommy, I wanna go home now!"
"Why sweetie, we just got here?"
"Cause that lady smells stinky!"

Then there was the time we were grocery shopping and the man behind us had a sneezing fit:
"Mommy what that noise?"
"The man is sneezing!"
"Oh, that brown man?"

Two holes in two days....Fabulous!

We Dig "Many Shades of Black" by the Raconteurs

2008-09-01T20:00:00.001-04:00

It's not very often that I hear a song and love it instantly. In fact, the last time this happened was 1997 when I reached track #3 of the Foo Fighters' "The Colour and the Shape" and heard "Hey, Johnny Park" for the first time. Crikey, that was 11 years ago! Anyway, during our very long road trip we stumbled upon "Many Shades of Black" by the Raconteurs and realized we were hearing something very special. I was never much of a White Stripes fan, and quite frankly Jack White creeps me out. However, I've got to recognize that this song is a masterpiece. Don't believe me? Ask Paulie. He insisted I purchase it tonight on iTunes and being that he's the coolest kid about to start kindergarten tomorrow, I happily obliged.

We Dig The Unexpected Side Effect of Sirius

2008-08-30T20:57:00.000-04:00

I've been a fan of Sirius Radio sinse my husband installed it in my car three years ago. Overwhelmed at first by the vast array of channel choices, I quickly found my groove and programmed in my favorites: Howard 100, Lithium, Alt Nation, E Street Radio (yes, an entire channel devoted to the Boss) and the Spectrum.

I could go on to tell you about the joys of 100% commercial free music, but you can visit the Sirius website for that. What they won't tell you there, however, is that Sirius is teaching my four-year-old son how to read. If you're not familiar with the service, the songs and artists playing at any given moment are displayed on a screen. Paulie has taken to reading the words on the screen, and after our very long road trip this week, he's getting pretty damn good. He started small at first, identifying U2 and 311, but soon he could distinguish between the Clash and the Cure before the songs even began. That's my boy!

Here's to hoping Paulie's kindergarten teacher uses old copies of Rolling Stone as a reading tool.

We Dig Clean Clothes

2008-08-30T20:26:00.000-04:00

We can't get enough of Tide to Go, which is, in my opinion, among the top 10 inventions of the 21st Century. Kids spill ketchup on the new white Gymboree t-shirt you just bought (on sale, of course)? No worries. We've got TTG. Just got your braces off and spilled Indian food all over your shirt on your way back to work because you were trying to eat it and drive your manual transmission Jetta Wagon? Not a problem. Laugh so hard at the talking stain Superbowl commercial that you almost peed your pants? Well, I don't know if Tide can help you with that, but it's worth a shot. If you've got kids, wear clothes and/or eat food, you should keep a Tide To Go with you at all times.

We Dig Vacations

2008-08-22T21:23:00.000-04:00

We're taking a short break to visit a certain New England tourist destination. We'll be back next week, possibly kicking off our return with a "We Dig Cape Cod Potato Chips" post.

We Dig Chances to Win Free Stuff from Lands End

2008-08-22T09:10:00.000-04:00

Lands' End is one of those companies that really value moms' opinions. Here's a way to have your voice heard and really make a difference when it comes to preparing for the upcoming winter months.

Please take a few minutes to complete the 2008 Lands' End Outerwear Survey. The survey consists of 19 multiple-choice questions. Upon completing the survey, your name will be entered to win one of five $100 Lands' End Gift Cards. To be eligible to win, you must complete the survey by midnight (CST) on Thursday, August 28th.

Take the Survey Now!

We Dig Thermos Funtainers

2008-08-20T21:06:00.000-04:00

In an effort to reduce the ungodly number of juice boxes we plow through every week, I started to look for PBA-free beverage containers that were a bit more advanced than sippy cups. Because sippy cups are so, like 2007, you know?

Anyway, I came across the Thermos Funtainer while backpack shopping for the boys and picked one up to try out. The boys appreciated the cool design and the "big kid" straw, and I loved that the Funtainer keeps liquids cold for up to 12 hours. When we went back to the store to buy another one they were sold out, so it looks like I'm not the only one who was impressed.

We Dig Smoked Meat

2008-08-19T22:33:00.000-04:00

Our friends the Barrys turned us on to the joys of the Brinkmann Deluxe Gourmet Charcoal Smoker on Memorial Day. We were so blown away by Kevin's ribs that I bought one for Paul for Father's Day because I couldn't stop obsessing about smoked pork. Sad, I know, but don't judge me until you try it for yourself. It will change your life. Trust me.

I have no working knowledge about how this thing actually functions, but something magical happens in there that transforms plain old meat into art. Meat art, but art nonetheless. From what I can tell, the process involves charcoal, soaked wood, water, a digital probe thermometer, and lots of patience because cooking meat at 200 degrees takes a loooong time, but it's well worth the wait.

We Dig The Ultra Stomp Rocket

2008-08-19T22:01:00.000-04:00

Chris got the Ultra Stomp Rocket as a birthday present (the Barrys come through yet again) and we set it up in our backyard right away. The boys love jumping on the launch pad and watching the rockets soar into the air. When dad gets in on the action, the rockets can go as high as the trees. My only complaint is that the rockets fall apart pretty easily, but that's nothing a little Crazy Glue can't fix.

We Dig Verizon Fios

2008-08-19T21:59:00.000-04:00

When we moved to our new house we had to choose between Optimum and Verizon for our phone, internet and cable provider. We went with Optimum because I had read countless Verizon horror stories (sluggish internet, nonexistent customer service, painfully slow On Demand feature, etc). We signed a year-long contract with Optimum and as soon as the service was installed I was counting down the days until we could make a change. We were Comcast people for over a decade and we didn't realize how good we had it until we had to change services. However, Comcast isn't available in our town so we had to deal with Optimum's sub-par channel and On Demand selections (no Sprout!), as well as frequent outages and weird digital blips on our HD channels.

So when August came around I started looking into Verizon again. I read that they were adding 50 HD channels to their lineup and decided to throw caution to the wind and give them a shot. We're three weeks in to our 2-year contract and we're loving Verizon. The channel selection is outstanding, we get Showtime, Stars, TMC and Encore for free for the first three months, the On Demand selection is robust and the click-through speed is great. We were able to keep our old phone number, which is a big plus because who wants do deal with the hassle, and the internet connection is a dream.

As for Verizon's customer service, once you get through the annoying automated system (here's a hint--just hit zero to speak to a real human), there are some very knowledgeable customer service reps who are actually pleasant to speak with. I've had to call twice and my problems were resolved swiftly both times.

We Dig Lookydaddy.com

2008-08-18T22:05:00.000-04:00

I can't get enough of Lookydaddy, the musings of a local stay-at-home dad with three young daughters. I'm not even going to try to sum up The Dad because my words couldn't possibly do him justice. Just go visit his site and you'll be hooked too.

We Dig Imaginarium's Marble Race

2008-08-18T21:52:00.000-04:00

Two weeks ago the boys and I went to Toys "R" Us to celebrate the fact that Paulie survived his first Jiu-Jitsu class. I allowed the boys to each pick out one toy. Paulie, of course, headed straight for the action figure aisle and grabbed The Dark Knight. Chris, however, couldn't make up his mind. I tried steering him towards a Lego set I've been eyeing, but he wasn't interested. As we wandered aimlessly through the store, he spotted the Imaginarium Marble Race and finally made his decision. Costing under $20, I wasn't expecting much from his selection. However, as soon as we got home and put it together we were hooked. All of us. It was so easy to put together and the boys got excited every time their marbles went through the course. While they're not really interested in disassembling and rebuilding the structure, I can see them growing with this toy and eventually exploring new ways to make it even more engaging. For now they're content racing their marbles, which keeps them occupied for at least an hour. So the next time you're stuck wondering what gift to get for yet another kiddie birthday party, pick one up. The price is right and the product is terrific.

We Dig The Turtleback Zoo's Family +1 Membership

2008-08-18T21:44:00.000-04:00

We live a mere 15 minutes away from the Turtleback Zoo, which has undergone quite the makeover in the past few years. After having a terrific experience throwing Christopher's 3rd birthday party there, we decided to make a commitment and finally became members. We went back yesterday and were pleased to find the new penguin exibit and Australian aviary were open (both new additions sinse we were there in June).

We opted for the family #1 membership, which runs $75 for the year and pays for itself after two visits. For additional rates, click here.

Side note: We don't dig the lady who runs the pony rides. She's rude, she sounds like she eats lit cigarettes for breakfast and she scares the kids.

Enter Here to Win Hasbro's Noodleboro Learning To Listen Pizza Palace Game

2008-08-18T11:48:00.001-04:00

We dig well-mannered children. So to celebrate Paulie's first day of Kindergarten (September 2!), I'm excited to annouce that we're giving away one of Hasbro's newest games, Noodleboro Learning To Listen Pizza Palace.

Noodleboro games let you nurture kids’ social skills naturally through multi-sensory play that leaves everyone laughing! Each Noodleboro game comes with a storybook and audio CD so kids can see, hear, play and then live each Noodleboro life lesson.

In the fast-paced Learning To Listen Pizza Palace game, children practice listening by taking pizza orders from a “customer” and then making and delivering the pizzas. Pizza orders might include standard toppings such as pepperoni and olives or quirky toppings such as stinky socks or eggs! If they get the orders right, players will become the Master Pizza Maker.

To enter, post a funny story in the comments section about a time your child wasn't particularly well-mannered. The winner will be announced here and on Fits and Giggles on Tuesday, September 2.

Editor's note: Full disclosure alert--The PR agency that employs Mommy Blogger is doing some work for Hasbro, but we seriously dig this game.

We Don't Dig Soapy Eyes

2008-08-18T09:52:00.000-04:00

Best. Invention. Ever.

S.C. Products' Shampoo Rinse Cup, where have you been hiding these past five years?

This clever cup has a flexible rubbery panel that conforms to your kid's head so the shampoo and water run off the sides instead of onto the face. Happy kid in tub=happy parent.

Hands down the best five bucks I've ever spent. Gone forever are the days of the washcloth over the eyes water deflecting method, and we couldn't be more pleased.

Welcome to Cool Stuff We Dig

2008-08-18T09:35:00.000-04:00

In my thirty two plus years (gasp!) on Earth I've come across quite a few nifty gadgets that have changed my life for the better, and I've decided to showcase them here in the brand-spaking-new Cool Stuff We Dig blog, a sister site to Fits and Giggles. Check back often for updates.