GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

A couple of weeks back, I received a music CD of Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights’ “I’m a Rock Star”. Since both the younger boys were with me, I quickly popped into my Mac, and the first song, “I’m a Rock Star” rocked on. Now, my youngest son is very much into guitars (and drums) right now. He’s barely 2, but when I say he’s into guitars, he’s INTO it. He’ll pretty much take up anything and pretend he’s strumming a guitar.

So, when this song played on, he kept on shouting, “KEE-TAR! KEE-TAR!”. Let’s just say, this song, along with “More Cowbell”, “Popcorn” and “Jump Jump” has been on the repeat list on my iPod Touch. Luckily, there are different genres (hip hop, jazz, folk to classic rock) within the album, which makes it lively, and strangely, colorful especially when the soccer-mom has to do the mundane school run. But, we must remember, this is for the kids (or so I tell myself).

About Joanie Leeds :

Steadily growing as one of Manhattan’s most recognizable kids singer, Singer/Songwriter Joanie Leeds has worked as the UWS Manager and most popular teacher at Gymboree Play and Music programs, and also as the music specialist for the JCC Nursery School of Manhattan. Currently she teaches at two Upper East Side Nursery schools (Central Synagogue and 5th Ave Synagogue) as their music specialist and freelances at a few other schools in the Manhattan area. Branching out and going on her own, Joanie can be seen all across the city at your special events and birthday parties!

Buy it! : This infectious hand-clappin’, finger-snappin’, thigh-slappin’, and a whole host of body movements, album CD “I’m a Rock Star” has been written and sung by Joanie Leeds and it’s only released on March 23rd. The full length DVD “City Kid Live” will also be released in March as well. Her album “City Kid” is also the “Parent’s Choice” Recommended Award Winner 2008! I pretty sure that “I’m a Rock Star” will win yet another award next year! All CDs and DVDs are available at her website, joanieleeds.com, iTunes and Amazon.

Win it! : How fantastic is this? Our wonderful sponsor will be giving away TWO of Joanie Leeds’ “I’m a Rock Star” CD to two lucky readers! You guys will be rockin’ with Joanie in your living rooms soon! Here’s what you need to do:

One mandatory entry – Visit Joanie Leeds’ website and tell us one fact about Joanie.
Three additional entries – Be our Facebook Fan, leave your FB name and Share4
Three additional entries – Tweet, tweet, tweet! Leave your twitter ID please.
Entry is open to all shipping addresses.
Giveaway closes on 8th March 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Dolcetto Designs is a wonderful, family owned company based out of the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada that creates some of the most wonderful photo greeting cards on the market.  Thanks to Parent Reviewers, I was recently given the opportunity to learn more about this great company and even sample some of their work.

About Dolcetto Designs:

After searching for birth announcements for her first child and coming up empty handed, Shari- designer and owner of Dolcetto Designs, decided that she would have to create her own cards.  She wanted something that would reflect her own style and be something she would be proud of giving out.  During the process of creating that first card she realized her passion and soon began creating cards for every occasion.

Dolcetto Designs was birthed out of her belief that everyone should be able to have beautiful birth announcements, invitations, thank you cards, etc, regardless of the individual budget. Their goal is to provide beautiful products with great customer service at affordable prices.

Ordering a photo card from Dolcetto Designs is as easy as choosing as design from their fabulous gallery (each can be customized with colors, fonts, etc), uploading a picture with their easy to use Photo Uploader, choose a quantity, and check out.  You will receive your first proof via email within 24 hours and the entire process can take less than 2 days.

Dolcetto Designs has a full array of wonderful products to offer their customers. I was so excited to be able to sample first hand the wonderful creations of Dolcetto Designs. Considering that my little ones are not so little anymore, I asked Shari to create a birth announcement for my newest niece, Elle. I emailed her a picture and a little bit of information and within hours she sent the most beautiful card. I was so wonderfully surprised with the ease of the process and so amazingly delighted with the end result.

Dolcetto Designs offers cards for all occasions:

• Baby Photo Cards
• Baptism/Christening Photo Cards
• Birthday Invitations
• Wedding Photo Cards
• and Holiday Photo Cards.                                                        (photo courtesy of Jessica Sims Photography)

Buy It!: Take time to browse the great selections of cards offered at Dolcetto Designs.  You can purchase any of Dolcetto Designs wonderful creations on their website.  They will ship printed products throughout Canada.

Win It!: Dolcetto Designs has generously donated a photo card creation for one of our lucky readers. Here’s how to enter:

• One Mandatory Entry- check out Dolectto Designs and leave a comment telling us which product is your favorite.
• Two Additional Entries- follow us on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please leave a separate comment and include your twitter id and the tweet url.
• Five Additional Entries- blog about this giveaway and include a link.  Please leave a separate comment and include the blog post url.
• Entry is open to US and Canada shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway ends on 3rd March 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

Good luck!!

I could not help but read this book to myself first. Normally, whenever I get a book to review, I’d read it with my kids. But, this book, “Catty Wompus : A Tale of Friendship” written by Julie Howe, reminded me of my schooldays many years ago. I remembered girls who were too haughty and pompous, and how I always felt inferior to them.

“Catty Wompus” the character is a well-to-do girl who has everything she ever wanted, but nay a single close friend. The voice of the story, “Lucy Hope”, a simple 9 year old girl, tries to befriend “Catty Wompus” but is immediately hurt by “Catty’s” spiteful words.

“Lucy’s” immediate reaction is to mirror that hate, and runs home after school, and shares this with her mom. Thankfully, mom sees beyond the wall of meanness, and shares a very good piece of advice with Lucy. How it ends, is rather amusing, and I must say, I do like it very much.

I’m sure we’ve all met a “Catty Wompus” in our lives and if we didn’t know better, we’d normally shrug it off, and don’t bother making such friends. However, if we are a parent or educator, I’d have to say, we all must always plant seeds of love, hope and faith. Show our children that people who display hatred, are people who are really scared inside. They may seem loud and obnoxious on the outside, but inside, they are as tiny as a mouse.

About The Author :

Hi there. I’m Julie Howe and I live on the Monterey Peninsula of Northern California with my husband and two large, cuddly dogs. Books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I love stories of all kinds but I especially love kid’s books. To be even more specific, I love kid’s books told in rhyming verse so it’s obvious why Shel Silverstein is my hero. Having always wanted to write one of my own, I decided to take the plunge and write Catty Wompus: A Tale of Friendship. I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it.

Buy It! : I must say, this book is a very valuable resource for parents, counsellors and educators, who can share this with young kids (and some big kids, like me), that giving love (although not always accepted at first), is better than being hateful. It is also beautifully (and unusually) illustrated by Chasom Matthoms. I quite like his big-headed (with big eyes!) people alot.

My kids’ verdict : They loved it. There were so many questions about “Catty” (and why sometimes her head was bigger than the rest – that’s from my 4 year old), but I believe my 7 year old gets it, as he too may have a “Catty Wompus” in his class. We were actually discussing this, before we got this book. So, this book came at the right time, if I might add!

We have some wonderful reviews from our panel of reviewers that we’d like to share with you :

Pookie and the Boys : I found this story to be a life lesson for many of us today. Just because someone may have the best of everything, they may be very lonely. It shows how we can try to make good friends by being one.

The Sewing Mom : Catty Wompus is a wonderfully written story for tweens. I think every girl and boy has met someone like Catty, they may not have realized though why they were so unhappy. In today’s environment of having so much, it can certainly be difficult to understand that having things isn’t what makes us happy.

She Scribes : I really like the moral of this story and how important friendship can be to someone, especially those who have no friends. I think the books sends out a powerful message to children about friendship and I would encourage children to read this book.

Crunchy Green Mom : Then we read “Catty Wompus” by Julie Howe. I love this book, my girls love this book, my teens and my boyfriend love this book. It is awesome to have such a great book about everything we all deal with. The “mean” girl, the one who looks pretty but speaks ugly and the pain that is causes everyone around her, most importantly her.

Heidi Strawser : I’m a sucker for a children’s book that is set to rhyme (this probably stems back to my early days of listening to my mom read Dr. Seuss books to me!) There’s just something super fun about reading a rhyming story, and Catty Wompus was no exception!

Connie’s View : From an adult point of view, you can see that Catty is lonely. From a child’s point of view, she comes across as mean, especially when she tells a girl that her clothing was “ugly”. This girl, Lucy Hope,  feels sad and angry about this offense.

The Plus Size Mommy : It is very important that children give other kids a chance, even if they seem like they are mean or miserablefriendship or love might be the one missing link in their lives that they do not have, that can completely change their little World for them.

Blogmania : This was a great book about tolerance, friendship and looking beyond what is on the surface. The illustrations were really great – very quirky and fun.

Ang’s Chicken Coop : The illustrations are very colorful and fun. Melina, who is 7, was delighted with the book. I was, too. It tells a great life lesson in a way that makes sense to a child. This is definitely a book that could easily become a family classic.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

“Snow Takes the Checker” is the first story in the “Snow The Race Horse” series written by Demi Clark. “Snow” is a 10 year old horse that grew up in a family that races competitively. He has a close friend, a turtle named, “Tuga” who also races and is the fastest turtle on the East Coast!

Together, “Snow” and “Tuga” trained hard to compete in the hardest race of the year – the Animal 500. There is always a bad guy in the story, and his name is “Robbie the Race Raccoon” who tries very hard to thwart their efforts of winning!

However, in the end, the spirit of friendship rides high in this race and there is a feel-good end to it.

About the Author :

After a successful 5-year career with the company, leading teams & projects plus launching 60+ communities for the homebuilder, Demi Clark chose to venture out on her own in a “down economy.” She started her own woman-focused/based PR firm, Girl Friday. In its infancy, she already has five major clients (and no free time!) – with her first major clients in the motorsports arena. Always challenging the “girl power” banner, she has two “chicks” of her own at home who fuel her fire – Maizie, 5, and Willa, 3. Demi makes her home in Fort Mill, South Carolina – a suburb of Charlotte, NC and the heart of motorsports.

Buy it! : I especially liked the part where “Snow” and “Tuga” are determined not to retaliate against “Robbie” and display good sportsmanship throughout the race. My boys certainly love this book, as it reminds them of racing car competitions and the colorful illustrations. Check out and/or pre-order the future sequels to the “Snow the Race Horse” series here.

Here’s what our panel reviewers have to say about it :

Pookie and the Boys : I enjoyed the short story and the details that were added to help the story along. I would recommend it to children in the ages of 6-8 and who love the idea of racing.

The Sewing Mom : I thought this was pretty thoughtful on Snow’s part, but it also show Robbie in the background looking exhausted and losing the race. So, while Snow was quite polite during the race, she certainly didn’t do any favors for anyone other than her friend.

She Scribes :I thought this book was really cute and very easy to read, even for beginner readers. The pages are filled with large, colorful illustrations that make the story come to life.

Crunchy Green Mom : It is a great story to teach kids about sportsmanship and a supportive family.

Reviews & Reflections : If your family is into any type of racing (NASCAR, dirt-track racing, horse racing, etc.), this book will be a big hit!  Children will appreciate the cute storyline about Snow and Tuga, while enjoying the simple, yet colorful, illustrations.

Connie’s View : Snow Takes the Checker will keep your child’s attention easily. It’s as if you are hearing a sportscaster talk you through the twists and turns of a race. The illustrations are colorful and inviting.

The Plus Size Mommy : When the book Snow The Race Horse came in the mail, my near 2 yr. old daughter was so excited that a new book came for her. The pictures in the book are so cute, and my daughter just loves horses. This alone was enough to catch her attention.

Blogmania : This was also a book about friendship and working together. These are traits that all children learn through guidance and trial and error.

Ang’s Chicken Coop : This is a cute story about Snow the Racehorse. He isn’t a racehorse in the traditional sense. He is more like a mix between a race car and a race horse. That was a bit confusing for my daughter who understands horse racing.

One House Schoolroom Review : The story is delightful as we watch Snow and Tuga race against some tough competition.

Mom Start : The fun whimsical  pictures appeal to children like my own and that’s why she keeps asking me to read it to her.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

Right, I’ve read about it from a member of our panel of reviewers and I know for a fact that many other bloggers have came across companies not sending prizes out to their winners. BUT we’ve been pretty lucky so far. For the past 1 year plus, we’ve worked with some of the most professional companies and PR reps around….that is of course, until we ran a review & giveaway for this company, Ultimate Cloth.

Since our giveaway post went live until now, I’ve sent several emails to the company representative who sent us his PR pitch as well as directly to the email contact listed on its’ site but not a single email was responded to.

Though our contests & giveaways terms states that we are not responsible for non shipment of prizes by sponsor, it peeves me that our readers who have won will not be getting the prizes.  So, we have decided to remove the review and giveaway post which Su did earlier on. Parent Reviewers absolutely refuses to endorse companies that cannot hold their end of the bargain.

TO THE WINNERS OF

ID Me Labels School Combo Pack

Danetta #43

AND

SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion 

Mariel #60

The winner is required to do the following:

1. Submit your relevant info via the Winner’s Submission Form Below; AND
2. Leave a comment in this post to let us know you have submitted.
3. If any winner does not claim her prize by the 23rd February 2010, we will do a second draw.

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAD PARTICIPATED!

cforms contact form by delicious:days

I have one kid, two cats and one dog – so I’m always worried that the bug spray that I am using will hurt them in any way. We’ve got spiders in the garage, the occasional ants in the living/dining room and wasps in the bushes in our backyard. In other words – I am always spraying some type of creepy crawly!

I was thrilled to have the chance to try out a great  organic bug spray from EcoSmart – I received two bottles of EcoSmart Wasp and Hornet Killer for our bushes out back. Unfortunately, I wasn’t really able to give them a good try because all the cold weather (and out-of-the-ordinary snow) that we’ve had in Virginia lately has chased all the creepers away!

I did spray some in our garage just to check out the smell and was happy that it smells kinda awesome! The spray has peppermint oil in it! As it is made from organic plant oil, this particular spray is also safe to use around children as well as pets. Though recommended  for outdoor (and attic) use, it’s not supposed to be “directly” sprayed on plants – but I think spraying around my bushes will still get rid of some of my wasps. Hopefully this spring I will be able to really try out the product.

About EcoSmart products:

EcoSMART’s technology is based on the natural defenses that plants and trees use for their self-protection against insects and pathogens. Unlike other botanical pesticides, EcoSMART’s formulas are composed of the most effective combinations of organic plant oils. EcoSMART’s patented technology combines plant oils that target and block a key neurotransmitter receptor site found only in insects and other invertebrates.

A great thing about the EcoSmart products is that they are not much more expensive than the name-brand products that most people buy anyway. There are also cool “bundle’s” available – like the “personal care” bundle or the “plant and garden” value bundle.

BUY IT : You can purchase EcoSmart products like  organic weed killer and more at local stores including Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Home Depot or you can shop online at the EcoSmart website.

WIN IT :  Thanks to EcoSmart, we’re giving away a “Safe Lawn and Outdoor Value Bundle” worth $31.00  to one lucky reader of this blog. To enter for a chance to win, this is what you need to do:

• One mandatory entry – Name one of the product in this “Safe Lawn and Outdoor Value Bundle“.
• Three additional entries – Follow us on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please leave your Twitter id.
• Five additional entries - If you blog about this giveaway and link back to this post. Please leave your post url in the comment section.
• Entry is open to US shipping addresses only.
• Giveaway closes on  22nd February 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

The winners of our January 2010 email subscriber draw are:

1. Jane Maritz
2. Candace Trino
3. Sarah Champeau
4. Kay Heitfeld
5. Pending reply from winner
6. Pending reply from winner

And for the month of February 2010, our giveaways are 6 copies of Chicken Soup For The Soul : True Love.

From the beloved, bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul brand, Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love is the latest addition to their popular collection of love stories, featuring 101 heartwarming and humorous love stories from people of all walks of life.

This title is  not only meant for the young but suitable even for a mature hopeless romantic  like me Though I am a pretty big fan of Chicken Soup For The Soul series of short story collections, I have to admit that I don’t read every one of them from cover to cover BUT True Love drew me in from the start and kept me reading page after page. Each story is so personal and unique and most important of all, they are REAL….stories you can relate with…..not those sappy, saccharine, and predictable made for the movies kind of stories. These are heartwarming, humorous, and poignant stories that I believe, may even be reflective of  some readers’ own relationships. It is an excellent book to find inspiration whether you’re just starting out in a relationship, going through a difficult one or simply want to find reassurance that there is such a thing as “ever lasting love”.

True Love includes chapters about love which develops over time with a close friend,  commitment, intimacy, and the unmatched beauty of old relationships that have been rediscovered. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, True Love will definitely be an ideal gift and perfect token for family members, a beloved spouse or just anyone who is passionate about love.

YOU CAN WIN THIS AWESOME TITLE COURTESY OF CHICKENSOUP.COM RIGHT HERE AT PARENT REVIEWERS. JUST SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED VIA EMAIL….WE’RE GIVING AWAY 6 COPIES. NO CATCH, IT’S THAT EASY!!!

* Prizes will be shipped to North America only.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

If there’s anything I absolutely can’t do without is, moisturizers. In Australia, it is reknown for its’ strong sunny weather. During summer, UV levels are constantly at the “Extreme” levels, which means, my skin is constantly in danger of getting drier and burnt to crisp. Having the love for the beach, doesn’t help it at all! YIKES!

I was more than happy to try out the SkinMD Natural : Face, Hand & Body Shielding Lotion on every part of my body. Yes, even my crocodile feet. I say, crocodile, because it is probably the most neglected part of my body, hence it is super dry, crackly and ….my sandals curl in disgust when they see my feet! After just a few days of trial, I noticed a remarkable difference. My skin (especially the feet), was very much smoother and it didn’t look like parched land (screaming for water) anymore!

I’m also very excited to learn, that SkinMD Natural has launched a new product with the sunscreen of SPF15! Slapping on sunscreen on a daily basis, is an absolute must for me, although I really hate the sticky feel of it, I don’t normally have a choice. The sponsors were so kind to send me a sample sachet, and I was so relieved to find that it was exactly like their original SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion. It just felt silky smooth upon application and none of that sticky icky feeling. This is one lotion, I’d slap on my kids anytime (they’re always giving me a hard time, telling me how yucky some sunscreens are!)!

Buy It! : SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion is extremely easy to apply. A small dollop on any part of your body goes a long way. If it is drier than normal, apply every few hours. Within a few days, there will be a noticeable difference, and you’ll feel it too. If used continuously, your skin will thank you, and you’ll look better.

It has also been recently awarded the “National Home Gardening Club Member – Tested & Recommended Seal of Approval”. SkinMD lotions are available in most pharmacies, or you can use their store locator here . I really love their website, it is so informative. Every ingredient is listed and they actually tell you why it’s in there!

Win It! : The sponsors are generously giving away 1 SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion to a lucky reader. All you have to do is :

One mandatory entry – Visit SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion and tell us one of their ingredients.
Three additional entries – Be our Facebook Fan, leave your FB name and Share4
Three additional entries – Tweet, tweet, tweet! Leave your twitter ID please.
Entry is open to all shipping addresses.
Giveaway closes on  15 February 2010 and a winner will be picked using Random.org. We will not be emailing winners, so please make sure you subscribe to our feed or check back here for the winner announcement post.

Disclosure of Material Connection : http://cmp.ly/0

Parent Reviewers is celebrating the love of books every month at our Facebook Fan Page. If you love books as much as we do, join in our new contest!

Hurry, contest ends in a couple of days!!! Ships to all addresses!

Read here for more info and be a fan of Parent Reviewers!