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Come smile with Bright Starts “14 Days of Laughter!”

March 10, 2010 By 1 Comment

The absolutely love hearing the sound of my two daughters laughing!  Some of the funniest stories have come out of the mouths of babes, right?  Why not become a Fan of Bright Starts on Facebook and share your stories in order to receive a discount on your next baby gear purchase!

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I am happy to announce that I am one of 14 bloggers chosen to participate in the “14 Days of Laughter” campaign from Bright Starts!  In addition to getting a the great discount mentioned above, you can enter to win some great baby essentials on one of the 14 participating blogs simply by sharing your own “Make Mom Laugh” moment.  While the Ingenuity Collection giveaway on Experimental Mommy does not begin until March 18th, several posts have gone live already!  So, head to the following blogs to share your stories for chances to win ANY product from the Bright Starts Ingenuity Collection!  Each blog is giving away your choice of products: 14 products in all!

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National Geographic Kids “Weird but True”: Review and Giveaway

March 9, 2010 By 170 Comments

hypothesis The National Geographic Kids “Weird But True: 300 Outrageous Facts” will be a fun book to read to my inquisitive 5 year old daughter while being educational, too!

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One National Geographic “Weird But True” book, my 5 year old daughter, and storytime. About National Geographic:

weird“Weird But True is based on the hugely popular magazine page of quirky, fun facts that many readers of National Geographic Kids magazine turn to first. Why? Well did you know that… Peanut butter can be converted into a diamond? The world’s oldest pet goldfish lived to be 43 years old? The world’s longest soap bubble was as long as four school buses? On Neptune, the wind blows up to 1,243 miles an hour? An elephant’s tooth can weigh as much as a bowling ball?

All of the facts in this handy book will amaze friends and family: Animals Superpowers…Chills and Thrills…Eat or Be Eaten…Mini and Mega…Wild and Crazy, and much, much more. Adjacent pages for such facts present a one-paragraph explanation of how that fact is possible or why it is so.  Wacky facts, fascinating information, and lively art combine in this easy-to-browse, casual reference book that is sure to give young readers hours of fun. ~Amazon.com“

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Did you know that New York drifts further from London by an inch every year?  Or that if you run in the rain, you will get about 50% wetter than if you just stood still?  These are only some of the really neat things I learned from reading this book with Lily.  I will admit that I was just as captivated as she and couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what was next.  As you would expect, National Geographic Kids does a great job on photography and layout of this book, but they also did a wonderful job creating a book that appeals to both kids AND adults!

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“Weird but True” is a fast read even though it spans nearly 200 pages because you are just captivated by the information!  I mean, who doesn’t want to know that, “Ladybugs squirt smelly liquid from their knees when then get scared?“

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I am always game for any book that makes my child excited about reading!  Last year, I purchased a National Geographic Kids magazine subscription for Lily and she just dives in when a new one arrives in the mail.  So, I knew anything put out by this company would be first rate, and I was right.  Both Lily and I enjoyed the “Weird but True” book and we both highly recommend this read!

Would your child love to learn 300 Outrageous Facts? National Geographic Kids has generously offered one lucky Not-So-Blog reader a “Weird but True” book of their own!

How to enter:

1. Visit the National Geographic store and tell me another product that catches your eye!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and National Geographic Kids (@NGKids) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Halls on Facebook.

5. Place my button on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on March 24th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This review is the opinion of The Experimental Mommy. Other may have a different experience with the product. Thank you to National Geographic who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: ,

Verizon Palm Pre Plus: Mommy’s Mission Control!

March 9, 2010 By 2 Comments

With two kids, a husband, full time job, and a blog to run, I often feel like I am meeting myself coming and going!  How do I keep my sanity??  Scheduling, planning, scheduling, planning and planning some more.  Anyone that knows me well can tell you that I live by my daily calendar and tend to be an obsessive list maker (oh yes, I even color code my lists!).  I just love feeling of satisfaction when I gleefully cross the next item off my to-do list!

As Lily gets older and has activities of her own, as the blog continues to grow, and as my life becomes more hectic, I have found the need for even more calendars and lists.  It is starting to get to the point where my calendars need calendars and I can’t help but think that there just has to be a better way to organize it all!

verizonbuttonAs you know by now, I am fortunate enough to be a Verizon Palm Pre Plus Mommy Blogger.  In my first two posts, I introduced you to some of the features including the camera on the Palm Pre Plus.  As I explore and learn more about the phone, I found that it can help me organize my life (now if it could only do my dishes, too!).  The Palm Pre Plus can sync ALL of my calendars into one convenient view so appointments and reminders can seen at a glance.

As a review blogger, I have to stay organized and have found Google Calendar to be very useful to track shipments, schedule posting dates and keep track of contest ending dates (all color coded of course).  Without even telling the Palm Pre what to do, my Google Calendars appeared on my phone as if by way of magic!  Love it!  I can now tell instantly which reviews are scheduled on any given day and which contests need to be closed and pulled.  The Palm Pre even allows you to set an alarm to remind you of certain events (a feature that was most helpful while both my daughter and I were on antibiotics).

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Another great feature is the Memo Pad which allows me to quickly jot down ideas for fabulous blog posts or just remind me that we need more milk.  And bread.  The memos even look like cute little Post-It notes on a bulletin board!

The calendar feature of the Verizon Palm Pre Plus has certainly passed the test of this list-making Mom!  Syncing, updating, scheduling and editing were extremely easy to use and did not require a learning curve.  The touch screen makes navigating the calendar a cinch and helps this Mom stay sane while on the go!

Next time, I plan to talk all about surfing the Internet from the Palm Pre!  Don’t miss it!

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience. Verizon Wireless supplied me with the Palm Pre Plus and one month of service for review, but all opinions are 100% mine
Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: ,

Wordless Wednesday

March 9, 2010 By 25 Comments

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Aubrie’s 2nd Birthday party at a local carousel was a HIT! She had a blast riding the ponies with her Daddy and friends!

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday

Lego: The Adventures of Clutch Powers DVD Review and Giveaway!

March 8, 2010 By 144 Comments

My son, age 8, is a Lego Maniac.  For the last four Christmases and birthdays, it’s all he wants.  We have quite a collection going and I love how he uses his imagination to build endless creations and play with them for hours.  He wants to be an architect when he grows up and I think spending time building and creating with Legos can only help facilitate this goal.  When he heard Lego was coming out with a movie, he almost couldn’t contain himself.    Lego:  The Adventures of Clutch Powers did not disappoint!

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From the website:  Meet Clutch Powers, the best builder and explorer in the LEGO® universe as he heads off on his most dangerous mission yet. Join Clutch and his team of LEGO® experts as their adventure leads them from LEGO® City to the Space Police prison planet to the medieval world of Ashlar where they must help the rightful heir to the King’s throne find the courage to regain the kingdom from the evil wizard Mallock the Malign.

Nicolas watched the movie as soon as we had it out of the box and loved it.  It held his full attention for the full 1 hour and 22 minutes.  Clutch Powers has terrific graphics, bright colors, and smart dialogue for the kids.  I liked that it was age-appropriate and sparked his imagination to build more Lego creations when the movie was over.  He kept saying stuff like “Cool!” and “Awesome!” while the movie was playing.  He made mention several times at how the scene on the screen was exactly like his actual Lego sets.  It was really neat for him to see some of his creations in real life motion!    Nicolas says his favorite part was “All the parts with the Space Police……and Mom, when are they coming out with another Lego movie?”  I’d say that equals two thumbs up!

We have an extensive movie collection and I can’t tell you how many movies we own that have been watched only once.  I can’t see that happening this time!  Nicolas has asked several times to watch Lego: Clutch Powers again and it had his full  interest each time.  The Bonus Features are equally engaging.  I would highly recommend Lego:  The Adventures of Clutch Powers to any Lego Maniac living in your house.  It exceeded my expectations and I hope there are many more Clutch Powers adventures to come.  Want to see for yourself?  Check out the trailer below!

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You can order the DVD for your own collection here but of course we have one to give away!  We can’t be the only Lego Maniacs around!

How to enter:

1. Tell us what your child loves to build with Legos!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on March 23rd. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by Lego. All opinions are 100% mine.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , ,

I’m a Tropicana Juicy Rewards Insider!

March 7, 2010 By 2 Comments

With two small children in our home, one of the staples on our grocery list each week is orange juice. My girls both love Tropicana No Pulp for it’s great taste, and as an excellent source of Vitamin C, I love it, too! At BlogHer 2009, I was introduced to Trop50, a new orange juice with half the calories, half the sugar and no artificial sweeteners made by Tropicana. Trop50 also has all the health benefits (full day supply of Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin E) that can be found in regular Tropicana products, so I have been reaching for Trop50 at the grocery store lately and we love it! And and added benefit, is that Trop50 carries double the rewards!!

JuicyInsider125x125Rewards for buying orange juice? Confused? I am excited to announce that I am a new Tropicana Juicy Rewards Ambassador and can answer all of your questions! In the coming weeks, I will be telling you all about how you can earn points just by selecting Tropicana products at the grocery store and redeeming those points for valuable coupons for great products and services.

In the meantime, follow the conversation on Twitter by using hashtag #TropicanaOJ, following Tropicana on Twitter and becoming a Fan on Facebook right away!  You can also start earning points by signing up for the Juicy Rewards program.  As an added bonus, as soon as you sign up, use the code MOMCE-NTRAL* to receive one FREE point right from the start!

Stay tuned for more great information on the Tropicana Juicy Rewards program!

I wrote this review while participating in the Tropicana Juicy Insiders Ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf of Tropicana. 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.
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Punkaboo: Review and Giveaway

March 6, 2010 By 67 Comments

hypothesis Punkaboo Labels will be an adorable and easy way to tag birthday gifts from my youngest daughter and avoid buying expensive specialty store cards.

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One package of square (2.75″) glossy sticker labels for birthday packages in the pink ice cream cone pattern, and two birthday parties to attend! About Punkaboo Labels:

punkaboo“Dishwasher safe labels that can be washed 50+ times! Durable labels for bottles, sippy cups, lunch box gear, school supplies, water toys & more. Labels are microwave & chlorine safe.  Labels are popular for Gift Tags, Book Plates, School Supplies, Toys & Address Labels.  We offer a variety of styles for whatever you need to personalize.  Check out the stylish and durable double-sided  tags for backpacks, sporting gear,strollers, luggage, diaper bags, and ID cards.”

results Now that both girls are in school, we are invited to an insane amount of birthday parties.  Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE to attend and the girls always have a blast, but let’s face it….birthdays are expensive!  Not only do you bring a gift, but most of the time, the wrapping, tissue and card can cost as much as the gift!  I recently found the awesomeness of personalized gift tags and haven’t looked back since.  I recently received a set of gift tags customized for my daughter, Aubrie from Punkaboo Labels.

The labels are square (2.75″) and come in a set of 27 labels for only $18.00!  That’s way cheaper than a typical store bought birthday card! When they arrived, I immediately noticed the packaging….so cute!  The labels or package sets would make a perfect gift in themselves!

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We have two birthday parties to attend this weekend, so I was thrilled to try out the labels.  They are so easy, inexpensive and totally cute!

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I was totally impressed with out Punkaboo gift tags, but check out the other great products they offer as well including waterproof labels, notecards and bag tags!  Want to place an order?  Use code BLOG10 to receive 10% off your order!

Want to win?  Punkaboo has generously offered on Not-So-Blog reader a Gift Package including 1 Sheet of Small Waterproof Labels, 1 Sheet of Large Waterproof Labels and 2 Bag Tags!  Items will be personalized for up to two people.  and winner can select from any Punkaboo design!  Waterproof Labels are Dishwasher, Microwave, & Pool safe!

How to enter:

1. Visit Punkaboo Labels and tell me which pattern you love! Also tell me how you would personalize the blanket (blog logo, sorority, school, athletic organization, etc).

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog and Sweatshirt Blanket (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @PunkabooLabels on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog and Punkaboo on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

6. Subscribe to my Feed.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on March 22nd. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This product review was made possible by the Double Duty Divas.  I was not compensated for this review other than a product sample provided by Punkaboo. All opinions are 100% mine.
Filed Under: Giveaways Tagged With: , , ,

Smile! You’re on the Verizon Palm Pre Plus Camera!

March 5, 2010 By 4 Comments

Yesterday was my daughter’s second birthday. When did my baby turn into a toddler? Time has flown by so fast, so I try to take lots of pictures in order to preserve the memories we have made together. My camera never leaves my purse….except for yesterday….oops.

Aubrie had a birthday party at school so I left work a little early to meet her and help celebrate with her classmates. When I realized I left my camera at home, I was so upset! I decided I would settle for taking pictures with my cell phone, but I figured they would come out horribly. Still, I figured something was better than nothing, right?

During the party, I was pleasantly surprised as to how easy it was to pull up the camera and start snapping pictures (and I didn’t even read the manual!). I didn’t miss a thing! After taking a picture, I also had the option of emailing it to family and friends or sending as a text message. I loved having the option to immediately send a picture of Aubrie to my husband who could not leave work to be with us. He really appreciated the picture!

I emailed myself the pictures from my phone so I could check out the quality. I was not expecting much, but the 3 megapixel Palm Pre Plus camera really came through! I think the pictures came out fabulous and I even printed one from home!

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The Verizon Palm Pre Plus even allows you to make the picture your background or assign the picture to one of your contacts….that is a very fun feature! 

After a hectic morning of getting the kids to school and getting myself to work, I was so upset that I had forgotten my camera.  I am very thankful for the camera on the Palm Pre Plus which allowed me to not miss capturing an important memory!  I am looking forward to exploring more features soon!

This product review is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy. Others may have a different experience. Verizon Wireless supplied me with the Palm Pre Plus and one month of service for review, but all opinions are 100% mine.
Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With:

Disney Family helps Moms find their Inner Beauty and Outer Glow! Giveaway!

March 4, 2010 By 195 Comments

Raise your hand if you are a Mom who has had time to relax and get a pedicure.  Manicure?  Facial?  Haircut?  More than a 5 minute shower?

No one?  I completely sympathize!  As a Mom of two who also works full time outside the home, I have little to NO time to concentrate on myself.  And even if I do find time, my pocketbook doesn’t allow extravagant spa visits.  Because Disney Family recognizes that many moms are short on time and cash, they provided tips and advice on easy and inexpensive ways moms can shine.

DisneyFamilyLogo5To help moms find their inner beauty & outer glow, Disney Family.com recently added new beauty-related content to their site in the Makeover Mom section, including how to build a better wardrobe, how to make the most of drugstore makeup (check out the 15 makeup must-haves under $20.10!), how to find the perfect little black dress, and more.  They are also hosting a Mom’s Makeover Madness Sweepstakes for a chance to win a glamorous trip to LA for you and a girlfriend!

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To spread the word about the new beauty resource, Disney Family.com is offering one Not-So-Blog reader a beauty must-have kit!  Included in a Family.com branded makeup tote are a sleep mask, mini manicure set and Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy candle (approximately a $60 value).

This post was sponsored by Disney Family.com

How to enter:

1. To enter, please leave a comment telling me how you make the most of “me time” or let me know your biggest indulgence when it comes to pampering yourself.

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway with the hashtag #DisneyFamily.comTravel. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.

5. Visit DisneyFamily.com Travel and check out their destination suggestions!  Where you would choose to go?

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on March 19th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

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Happy Birthday, Aubrie!

March 3, 2010 By 13 Comments

Can she really be TWO?  My baby is becoming her own person and a little more independent each day (despite my attempts to hold on tight).  Aubrie is talking up a storm, especially sentences like, “No, Mama!” or “That’s mine, Lily!”  Could I have a control freak on my hands?  Even though we are feeling the effects of the “terrible twos” already, Aubrie is such a sweet, confident, funny and cuddly little girl.  She loves to dance and perform (gee, wonder where she gets that from?), and completely cracks us up when she sings “One, Two Buckle my shoe….Three, Four shut da do-wah!”  Her New Orleanian accent is in full force now!

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The last two years have been exhausting, fun, endearing…did I mention tiring?  But, Aubrie has definitely completed our family and my husband and I thank God for her every day.  Happy Birthday, my sweet baby!

Filed Under: My So-Called Life Tagged With: ,
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