It’s Disney Time!

by Kate on September 19th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Life
We started planning this trip in February. And we’re leaving tomorrow. I can’t believe it’s finally time to go!

Toddler Boy is getting so excited. I know he has no idea the sheer joy and fun in his future at “Dissssner Weird.” He only seems to know that the gang from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse lives there. Although, I’m pretty sure he thinks we are going to THE Clubhouse. Nonetheless, I’m sure he won’t be disappointed.

One of the special events we have planned for next week is Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party. It’s going to be a blast – other than the fact that it starts at bedtime. But, you have to see their costumes. I now present Tinkerbell and Peter Pan!
I bought the Peter Pan costume from the Disney Store through ShopAtHome.com (and earned double cash back, thank you very much), but the Disney Tinkerbell costume was just not that cute. I found Baby Girl’s Think Tink! costume at My Fairy’s Closet on Etsy for only $26.

I also have to give a huge thanks to Kandi from The Baby’s Bundle for sending along the most adorable Disney clips for Baby Girl’s hair. Aren’t they so cute? They are the perfect way to add a little mouse action to an outfit without Disney-overload. (Not that going Disney crazy is bad. I mean, I am putting my kids in these shirts next week. The red Mickey silhouette clip will look perfect with Baby Girl’s shirt!)
When I return I’ll post about our meals and favorite rides and everything I can remember to share. Let me know if you have any specific questions or things for me to check out before we leave. I’m not sure what kind of internet access we’ll have while there, but I hope to update a couple times with photos.

And, just because I’m out of town next week doesn’t mean I won’t have some fun stuff for you to read so make sure you check in and see what’s new.

Well Thanks for Nothing, Honda

by Kate on September 19th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Life

We bought a brand new Honda Accord in the fall of 2007. It was the year end clearance so we got a lot of car for a good price. We knew we wanted a Honda and were excited with the fancy Accord we received. Fast forward 2 years and 18,000 miles and the card died. DIED.

My husband noticed the car was overheating so we called the Honda dealer and they told us to bring it in. No big deal, right? Probably needs some coolant, we thought. We dropped it off, called 30 minutes later to hear that our engine “ate itself.” Excuse me?

Um, isn’t that why we bought a freaking Honda? To avoid this crap. Seriously? Seriously!

Turns out there was some massive combustion leak thing that led to overheating and our engine block melting. Or something like that. They think. Whatever.

All I know is we bought a Honda because they are supposed to last forever. 18,000 miles is not forever. It’s nothing.

Thanks for nothing, Honda! So glad we got the one lemon on the tree.

TGIF: Sales, Coupons, Discounts & News (9/18)

by Kate on September 18th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
Okay, so today is just… news. I am hoping to update with sales and coupon codes when the kids nap this afternoon. (Yay for nap!) In the meantime, I do have some great tidbits to share.

Free Samples!
ShopAtHome.com now offers free samples. The ShopAtHome.com team does all the hard work researching and finding the best free product and free samples available. Check out the free sample products to find something you want to try before you buy!

*New* Free Aurora Program
You may remember my review of Lightcraft’s Aurora Photo Editing and Organizing software. Well, Lightcrafts has just released a free version of its software: Aurora Quick Fix. The program includes the Relight tool, as well as crop and straightening tools. And, you can even upload your edited photos directly to online photo-sharing sites like Flickr, Snapfish and Facebook.

Custom Made for Kids Book Review

by Kate on September 18th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews

Custom Made for Kids offers a perfectly sweet personalized children’s book called The First Adventures of Incredible You. Now, I’ve seen children’s personalized books before (and, in fact, my kids have received them as gifts), but I’ve never seen a book quite like The First Adventures of Incredible You.

About the Book

The First Adventures of Incredible You is a delightful, rhyming personalized children’s book about the everyday experiences and sensations of a young child. From splashing in rain puddles to cheering on a favorite team to smelling a favorite family food, the personalized storybook tells the story of this child’s first several years of life.

The Process

The website is easy to use and the process of personalizing your children’s book is quite simple, but extensive. You enter over 20 details about your child – everything from your little one’s birthday to parent’s names to a local zoo and beach – that are incorporated into the story. It’s not like Mad Libs, though. The website provides the context so there’s no guess work about whether your detail will sound weird and out of sorts.

For example, question number 6 reads:

Please fill in the blank with the local park the child is likely to visit near his or her home:
[ place you enter ] will be one of your favorite places. It’s where you’ll zoom down the slide and run many races…” (e.g., Outdoor local park with slides and swings)

The Result

I admit I was quite excited to receive the book, and it exceeded my expectations. I literally squealed when I opened it and started reading. Seriously squealed (almost as much as when a cockroach crawled out of my washing machine). The very first page has a dedication to my son, including his full name date of birth and sweet sentiment from his parents. From there, the story continues with lots of personalized outings and stories with mentions of family and friends.
“The day you were born was a dream come true.
It began the lifetime adventure of incredible YOU.”

The illustrations are colorful, whimsical and abstract. The non-specific pictures make the book appropriate for kids of any race, age or gender and also allow your little one’s imagination to go to work.
It’s so fun to read this book to Toddler Boy. The first couple times I read the book, which includes his full name, he would say, “Just like me!” It took him a couple times to catch on to the fact that the book is about him and not someone like him, which I find to be just precious.

To Buy… While the questions are specific and easy to answer, they leave room to fill in details specific to your child. For example, when you pick your child’s parent or guardian name it goes beyond “Mom” and “Dad” allowing for same sex parents, adoptive parents, foster parents, etc. to seamlessly fit in the text. It really is a great gift for any child, and I like the book so much it’s one of my Holiday Gift Guide Top Picks!

Or Not to Buy… I *love* this book so my only suggested improvement is a little one. It would be to change the placement of the text box. It’s currently on the left hand side of every single page making it feel a little repetitive.

Shop! To get a sneak peek at your little one’s customized book, check out the Virtual Book Tour on CustomMadeforKids.com. You can purchase your personalized book, The First Adventures of Incredible You, for $32.95. It’s also sold on Pottery Barn Kids.com!

Thank you to Custom Made for Kids for providing a sample product for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and others may have a different experience.

Thursday Giveaway Linky

by Kate on September 17th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized

Thanks for stopping by to link up your giveaways and browse some other great contests. While you’re here, check out my current giveaways:
$25 gift certificate to Baby Cachet * $50 Quote the Walls gift certificate * $25 Macy’s gift certificate * Keurig Platinum Brewer + K-Cups * Bumbleride Indie Twin Stroller

If you’re looking to do a little reading, you can read about my awesome trip to the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas!

Now, get your link on! And, don’t forget to link up on Baby Loving Mama, too.

More from the ABC Kids Expo

by Kate on September 16th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Blogging
Here’s a quick video of the 4Moms Origami Stroller – the world’s first power folding stroller. It is a full size stroller that only weighs 22 pounds, has an LCD display, built-in generator and numerous other innovations. It’s pretty freaking amazing!

Here are some more photos from the Expo that I shared on Twitter.

The Valco Ion stroller – so cool!

Stephen Joseph heaven…

Sporting the BabyHawk. I am still perfecting the back carry so she was sagging a little.

BabyHawk unveiled a couple new original designs created just for them by a team of some guys from the show Miami Ink.
The Dorel Juvenile Group Car Seat Safety Briefing. The (air) protect car seat with technology developed at Kettering University.

I look forward to learning and sharing more information about all these products.

ABC Kids Expo Day 2

by Kate on September 16th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Blogging

So, what do you think? I’d love to hear your reaction to my ABC Kids Expo trip.

Disclaimer: I’m speaking from memory after two long days full of details and information.

Come Together with Macy’s and Feeding America + Giveaway (Closed)

by Kate on September 16th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Uncategorized
Macy’s recently launched an ambitious program aimed at feeding 10 million people through the organization Feeding America. I am really excited to tell you more about this awesome program and help you get involved. The best thing about the Come Together program is that everyone can help!

About Feeding America
Feeding America is the nation’s leading hunger-relief charity. As a national nonprofit organization with more than 200 food banks serving 63,000 agencies across the country, Feeding America supplies food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 millions seniors.

There are three ways you can participate in Come Together and help reach the 10 million goal: Host, Give & Shop.
* Host: Throw a party and ask your guests to donate to Come Together. Macy’s will match every dollar you contribute! If you and your friends get together and donate $100, Macy’s will donate $100 and you’ve really helped to raise $200. The Come Together program is a great excuse to throw a little party for friends.
* Give: At every Macy’s checkout you can donate $1. Every dollar makes a difference – Feeding America can provide a dinner for seven with only $1!
* Shop: Head to Macy’s on October 17 on national Shop for a Cause day. You’ll find special savings and a portion of $5 in-store ticket sales will benefit Feeding America.

Learn More! Check out the Come Together website to find out details about hosting your own party, learn more about Shop for a Cause day and donate directly to Feeding America.

Win! To help spread the word about Come Together and to help you participate in Shop for a Cause Day, Macy’s is offering a $25 gift certificate to one reader – it can be used in stores or online!

How to Enter: Check out the Come Together site and tell me one celebrity supporting the cause.

Bonus Entries:
* What’s one thing you’d like to buy with a $25 gift certificate to Macy’s.
* Follow Macy’s on Twitter
* Connect with Macy’s on Facebook
* Post the Holiday Gift Guide button on your blog and leave two comments telling me where to find it.
* Follow The Shopping Mama on Twitter and Tweet about giveaway. You may do this every day, just leave a comment every time you tweet: Learn how you can help Macy’s provide 10 million meals w/ Feeding America and win a $25 GC to Macy’s @TheShoppingMama http://bit.ly/1a16bG
* Be a Shopping Buddy – follow The Shopping Mama in Google Friend’s Connect
* Subscribe to The Shopping Mama in email or a reader

The fine print: Please leave a valid email in the comments so that I can contact you if you win. If you prefer, you may email me directly with your contact information. Open to US & Canadian mailing addresses. Giveaway ends September 30. Winner will be notified and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.