Healthy New Year- Genesis Today Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 1/14 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, debijot!!!***

her comment...
I like the acai tea.


Last year, I was introduced to the world of superfruits with the arrival of Genesis Today juices at Walmart. Genesis Today Acai Berry Juice quickly became a staple in our household, for kids and grownups alike. I like that it packs a punch of B12 and C vitamins which help to keep you healthy, especially in the damp chill of winter.

I'm proud to announce that I have been asked to be one of fifteen Genesis Today Superfood Ambassadors and, as such, will be bringing you up-to-date information about superfoods and what they can do for you.




Over the past year, Genesis Todayhas expanded their distribution to include not only Walmart and Sam's Club but also Target and Walgreens locations nationwide, making it even easier to find your favorites. (Check out the Genesis Today Walgreens BOGO coupon on Facebook!) They have also introduced plenty of new products to their line, including ready-to-drink teas and chewables. I am totally obsessed with the Acai Vitamin Super Chews and Vitamin C with Zinc Super Chews. They taste an awful lot like Starburst but each 20-calorie chew contains 1000% of your daily B-12 and 200% of your daily vitamin C requirements, making them an excellent secret weapon against flu and colds.

Genesis Today sent me a care package full of superfood items to keep illness at bay: Acai Vitamin Super Chews and Vitamin C with Zinc Super Chews, Veggie Blast Juice and Cranberry Goji Juice. I know that Genesis Today would not necessarily condone this but these superfood juices make excellent cocktail mixes! Finally, a way to drink cape cods and bloody marys and really mean it when you toast "to your health!"

To enter and win a Genesis Today cold and flu care package as shown above, please comment on this post with your favorite item from their website and/or your favorite tip to avoid getting sick.


Entries will be accepted through January 12th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow Genesis Today on Twitter, friend Genesis Today on Facebook, follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***




Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a cold and flu care package as shown above and that Genesis Today is also providing one as a prize for one of my blog readers. I do receive product samples and coupons from them on occasion but I am not compensated for reviewing items nor is my opinion required or controlled by them. Or anyone else, for that matter.

Wordless Wednesday- Christmas Morning

Share your own pictures this week at Wordless Wednesday HQ!

Before you leave, have you entered all of my giveaways?

Last Minute Gifts: Speck CandyShell Cases for iPhone and iPad

If you're out scurrying about, trying to dig up something that will wow your family and friends tomorrow morning, here's a little hint: everyone loves candy. Tech geeks especially love CandyShells, the iPhone and iPad cases by Speck that feature a thin, lightweight outer shell and a rubbery, shock-absorbent center. They're shiny and pretty with easy access to ports and controls. And they come in extra-festive holiday styles:

I received the blue snowman Speck CandyShell for iPhone 4 and GoGo White iPad CandyShell for iPad. I've gotten about a zillion compliments on the snowman case, possibly because it's the only real sign of holiday cheer I've bought into this year. (Bah, humbug!) My kids looooove it. I like the iPad case a lot, too, because it reminds me of stormtroopers, with its glossy white finish, black trim, and subtle badassness.

I think the pierced rubber interior of CandyShells are super cool, don't you? It's almost a shame to put a device inside and cover that up!

Here's a better look at the cuteness of the snowman motif. So cheerful.

The sturdy exterior of "the stormtrooper" installed:

I'm also a big fan of Speck Fitted cases, having received one from Apple when the iPhone 4 signal issues were in the news. Lo and behold, there are holiday versions of those, too! I think the Holiday SweaterBest case would look pretty stylish when you're checking your messages Après-ski, non?

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the two cases shown above for review purposes. My opinion is not swayed by that, nor by adorable snowmen.

eBay Group Gifts: It's Not Too Late!

eBay Group Gifts use Buy It Now and PayPal to create a hassle-free way for multiple givers to chip in for a for a single gift recipient. No more trying to squeeze pennies from other parents in the carpool lane for a teacher gift, now you can do it all via email. Or, better yet, via Facebook Connect. It seems like eBay Group Gifts would also be a great way to get the most out of communal gift cards: if you have roommates, for example, you could pool a bunch of $50 gift cards together on a shared big-budget item like a TV. I can't help you with who gets to keep it when you move out, though…





Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received an eBay gift card to try out using eBay Group Gifts. My opinions are, however, entirely my own- as usual.

Slap-py Christmas!

I'm not usually very fad-happy. Perhaps it was because I wasn't one of the kids who had Swatches from wrist to elbow in high school and I'm still jealous, but anytime something is a cultural phenomenon, I'm skeptical. When I heard that the creators of Zanybandz and Splash Watches had created an interchangeable watch/slap bracelet hybrid, I was a bit jaded. Yeah, yeah. It couldn't be that cool.

I was wrong.

SLAP Watches consist of a brightly colored silicon "slap" band and an equally brightly colored watchface. The faces slip in and out of the bands with ease so you can create your own crazy color schemes. It sounds simple but it is also totally brilliant. It's sturdy, water-resistant, and very cute.

I was expecting Roo and Jasper to go nuts for the SLAP Watch but surprisingly the member of our household who loves it most is Bob! He likes the simplicity of the design. The watchface has no numbers but is very easy to read, although younger kids might just learning to tell time might prefer the SLAP Jr. which is smaller (3/4 scale) and has numbers printed on the face.

Pricing is nice at about $18 for a single SLAP Watch and $40 for one SLAP Watch with two additional bands to mix and match. One SLAP Watch with all five of the other band colors is just $60 and, incredibly, you can get a set of all six SLAP Watches (six bands and six watchfaces) for just $99.

Connect with SLAP Watch on Twitter and Facebook.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received a SLAP Watch for review purposes.

A Virtual Roast of Amanda from Confessions from Household Six

My friend Jerri Ann, in all her wisdom, suggested that in lieu of an ordinary Secret Santa gift exchange, the members of Collective Bias should participate in a virtual online roast to get to know each other better and spread some linky love this holiday season. Super great idea!

So today I am pleased to introduce you to the lovely and talented Amanda, who blogs at Confessions from Household Six and Today's Military Spouse. The latter kind of hints at the meaning of her main blog's title, but you'll have to go there to discover it! (I spent the last two years of high school as a de facto Army brat and I did not know this term…)

Amanda is a stay at home mom, an Army wife and mother of two boys, ages 9 and 4. Since her older son was diagnosed with Asperger's and her younger son is is also on the spectrum, she has become a tireless advocate for special needs and Autism, especially as pertaining to education and the military healthcare system. She writes about what others might consider exhausting with a great sense of humor and understanding. Amanda is not afraid to make fun of herself or admit to using video games as a way to keep the kids at bay. I love how outspoken she is but she also backs what she says up with innate smarts. She is nothing if not pragmatic. Someone should really send her a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer for Christmas. (Are you listening, Santa?)

I'm hoping to meet Amanda in 2011, in real life. Until then, I plan to visit her at Confessions from Household Six, on Facebook and on Twitter. You should, too!

Visit the other CB holiday roasters/roastees:

Hallmark Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 12/27 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #22 Julie !!!***

her comment...
Bastin Birds on Branch cards
thanks for the giveaway


Hallmark threw a heck of a Christmas party at BlogHer last summer, with a roaring fire and a sneak preview of all the good things they had in store for this holiday season. Leave it to me to still be running late on ordering holiday cards and ornaments, even though I had six months to prepare… sigh. If you're anything like me, you will be happy to know that you can still order Christmas cards and even have them personalized, addressed and sent for you. At this late date, though, perhaps New Year's cards would be a safer option since delivery won't be guaranteed for Saturday. Use promo code HOLIDAY30 through Christmas Day to get 30% off all online Hallmark purchases. You can also send e-cards all year for one flat fee of $9.99.

Of course, a big part of the Hallmark tradition is visiting your local Hallmark Gold Crown store to check out the latest in collectible keepsake ornaments, memory keeping supplies and gifts. Click here to find the location nearest you. Kids love the popular characters (Star Wars, Ben-10, Harry Potter…) and musical ornaments– the Jingle Jamboree ornament shown above plays a banjo rendition of Deck The Halls that is hard to resist.  Now through Christmas Eve, all of their recordable storybooks are on sale for $19.95- a $10 savings! We have the Frosty the Snowman recordable storybook and it's absolutely adorable, especially with Roo reading it aloud.

My favorite new discovery at Hallmark online is personalized paper plates. You put your own image and/or text onto a stock design for table settings you won't find at party supply stores. You can even mix and match with coordinating solid colored napkins, cups and utensils. I love this idea! And my kids are going to love the plates I've ordered for them: Star Wars for Jasper and Hannah Montana for Roo. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

For more information, like Hallmark on Facebook, follow Hallmark on Twitter, or download the free Hallmark iPhone app.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received product samples from Hallmark and they are also providing the prize for this giveaway. All opinions, however, are entirely my own.

To enter and win a $40 one-time use online gift code, please comment on this post with your favorite Hallmark memory or item from their website.


Entries will be accepted through December 26th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Red Robin Kids Cookoff Recap

Yeah, I know I already told you who won, but I just caught wind of this super cute video showing a play-by-play of the 2010 Red Robin Kids Cookoff and I thought it was worth a gander.

Donovan Duggins is the 2010 Red Robin Kids Cookoff Champion!

Last week, I had the honor of attending the fifth annual Red Robin Kids Cookoff in Denver. I was there as a blogger/correspondent in support of 12 year old Wichita seventh grader Donovan Duggins. Donovan ended up winning not only the juried Grand Prize (a trip to Universal Orlando and his winning Mt. Vesuvius burger featured on menus at Red Robin nationwide next summer, with all sales benefitting the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), but also the Fan Favorite prize (Red Robin and Toys'R Us gift cards) which was decided by online voting.

It's never hard to back a winner and Donovan is a kid with a great heart, sharp mind and phenomenal sense of humor! He had a trial run of his burger preparation the day before the live-broadcast competition and he was already a total pro in the kitchen. He showed his sous chefs exactly how to assemble his Mt. Vesuvius burger, from arranging the crispy bacon strips and sprinkling blue cheese to bathing it in his secret recipe lava sauce and then wrapping it in paper or– as the Red Robin crew call it– putting on the diaper…

I truly enjoyed spending time with Donovan and with his family, including his two older sisters who are just as smart and funny, but also …babysitting age. (I am definitely keeping their number!) They're a tight knit clan and it was fun getting to see them support the baby brother of the Duggins family. I loved the matching shirts they wore on the day of the Cookoff. They said "Team Donovan" on the back, so cute!

In the end, to best express Donovan's charm and wit, you have to see him in motion. I dare you not to immediately fall in love with this kid! Here is a video recap of his performance in the 2010 Red Robin Kids Cookoff:



Here's an exclusive video interview that Red Robin arranged for me to do with Donovan right after he won. Bear in mind that he had already done about 10 interviews for mass media in the hour or so since his big win and that all of his answers are totally off the cuff. I am fairly certain Donovan needs his own talk show. He even made me moderately comfortable on camera, which is a rarity.



Did I mention the lovely and talented bloggers I was honored to be included among? No?

Top: Katie, Kim, me, Keilah, Kristi, Kristin

Bottom: Jacqueline, Danielle and Fiona

photo courtesy of Kristin

This year, for the first time, each Kids Cookoff finalist had a blogger from their local area reporting on their experience. How cool is that? Very cool for me, since I got to hang out with some lady friends, old and new.


Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that my travel and accommodations were provided by Red Robin but that my opinions as an event correspondent are entirely my own.

Wordless Wednesday- Elementary School Musical

Before you leave, have you entered all of my giveaways?

Iams Home 4 The Holidays

Iams has launched their annual Home 4 The Holidays campaign to encourage animal lovers to donate to and volunteer with rescue organizations this holiday season. Last year, over 1.3 million pets were adopted; this year’s goals are to find forever homes for 1.5 million pets AND provide 5 million bowls of food to shelters in need. Over 3,500 partner animal organizations in 21 countries around the world will participate! For more information on how to get involved, how to find a participating shelter in your area as well as other important tips for new pet parents can be found on Facebook and on the Home 4 The Holidays website. You can also enter your zip code into this handy widget to find opportunities to help near you!



Disclosure: I am not being compensated for this post, it's just a public service announcement for animal lovers like myself. Although, in all fairness, I should mention that we go through a lot of bags of Iams, with five kitties and a hungry basset puppy.

Winter Necessity: Dry Hair

I attended the Getting Gorgeous party at BlogHer last summer and received, among many swoon-worthy items, a Remington Wet 2 Straight flatiron. I thought it was novel upon my return home but didn't think too much about it. When the weather is balmy, or outright hot like summers in Kansas typically are, I'm a wash-and-go kind of girl. I rarely think about blowdrying or straightening my hair unless there's a specific event I'm expected to look pretty at. Sad but true.

Anyway, now that the weather has stayed below freezing for a while, I find myself requiring dry hair. Since I'm one of those folks who must shampoo daily (yes, I know it's bad for the color and texture, blah blah blah) as well as being habitually late, anything that speeds up my routine is a bonus. I am officially in love with the Remington Wet 2 Straight. It steams the moisture out of your hair while imparting it with a smooth, glossy shine. Total genius. I highly recommend it for any lazy fashionista on your gift list.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the Science on a Tracking Expedition kit in order to write a balanced review.

The Young Scientists Club - Kits to Crush Holiday Boredom

The Young Scientists Club was founded in 1999 by Esther Novis, a Harvard-trained biologist and mother of five, as a fun and educational way to keep her kids entertained and engaged over summer break. She created activity kits with one specific goal: to spark kids' interest in science by offering An Educational Science Adventure That Lasts A Lifetime.

Kits from The Young Scientists Club can be used individually or as components of a sequential curriculum, making them great for both the casual science lover at play after school or for a whole class, when bought in a School Pack that includes teacher instructions and enough supplies for 30 students to participate. The Young Scientists Club kits are offered in four categories: The Young Scientist (each set contains three complete kits and can be completed sequentially to expound on the knowledge learned from each one), Magic School Bus (Mrs. Frizzle and her students from the popular book/TV series help introduce scientific concepts), Nature (plenty of hands-on experiments for kids to get their hands dirty with!) and Adventure Science (experiments for young scientists who like to live on the edge!). There are also some games and mini-kits that defy categorization, like the Go Green - Save the Earth kit that teaches kids about acids and bases and the three Rs of recycling.

We received the Science on a Tracking Expedition, which teaches kids to identify animal tracks, learn about the animals that make the tracks, cast animal tracks, play a tracking game, create animal track prints, design an animal track poster, and explore real animal tracks in nature. It comes with eight animal track molds that you use with sand and plaster to create realistic casts, just like real scientists do in nature.

Roo and Jasper are all about spotting tracks in our yard and on walks, so I knew Science on a Tracking Expedition would be a fun project for them. The Animal Tracking game and full-color sticker poster were great but the plaster casting was perhaps a bit advanced and messy for Jasper! I appreciated how the instruction booklet is written for parents or teachers to be able to facilitate the experiments without doing them for the kids. I also think it would be fun to use the track molds to press into cookie dough, maybe for a safari-themed party in the future. I can definitely see how The Young Scientists Club kits would be great for keeping kids busy over school breaks. I especially like how they introduce concepts that parents can embellish with peripheral materials and trips to the library, so if kids gravitate to a specific topic you can continue the conversation.

The Young Scientists Club kits are sold at independent toy stores nationwide. Check their website to see where to find The Young Scientists Club is available near you.

Disclosure: In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the Science on a Tracking Expedition kit in order to write a balanced review.

Gummy Lump Toys- Wooden Tool Bench Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 12/22 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #65 susanlanai!!!***

her comment...
My favorite toy are the Automoblox Wooden Cars.


I've written before about Gummy Lump and their proclivity toward selling wooden toys that last and last and instigate imaginative play rather than encouraging rote memorization of cartoon dialogue. It's pretty hard to overstate how awesome their selection is, everything from arts and crafts to building blocks and cooking kits. They have a bunch of phenomenal holiday offers, too, including free shipping for offers over $50 through midnight on December 16th (Orders placed by December 22nd will be guaranteed for Christmas delivery, with expedited shipping, FYI!).

When Gummy Lump approached me about reviewing a holiday item, I jumped at the chance. I chose the Wooden Workbench Pretend Play Set by Melissa and Doug because Jasper and Roo love helping their dad in the studio. Bob and Jasper put it together pretty easily and we're impressed with how sturdy it is. Both kid have enjoyed making things and they should be able to use it with their real tools, like a hand drill and hammer, farther on down the road– Roo is already an old pro with tools but Jasper is still learning how to use them safely. Scroll past the admittedly huge number of photos to see how you can win a Wooden Workbench Pretend Play Set by Melissa and Doug of your very own.

To enter and win a Wooden Workbench Pretend Play Set by Melissa and Doug, please comment on this post with your favorite toy at Gummy Lump.


Entries will be accepted through December 21st and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow Gummy Lump on Twitter, Like Gummy Lump on Facebook, follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***