The Shopping Mama » 2009

Adventure Ocean: Youth Programs on Oasis of the Seas

by Kate on November 29th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Blogging, Reviews

As part of the Oasis of the Seas preview cruise, I attended an informational session about and tour of the Youth Programs. The programs and facilities are extremely impressive. Hearing about the activities and seeing the toys, games and beautiful setting for little ones made me want to book a cruise on the spot.

Interesting Facts

  • 37 Youth Staff. Bachelor’s Degree in a related field is required as well as 3 to 5 years experience working with kids.
  • 12 % of passengers on Royal Carribean are under 17.
  • Youth programs curriculum is based on age and there are enough programs so that your child will never do the same thing twice in a week-long cruise.

Youth Facilities

  • Adventure Ocean – Huge Youth Zone occupying the front of the ship. Includes, Play (an area for parents to play with kids independent of formal programs), Nursery, Science Lab, Art Studio, Theater, Arcade with rated G games, and age specific classrooms.
  • Teen Facilities – Located separately from Adventure Ocean so 12 – 17 year olds have some independence and includes Living Room Lounge, Back Deck Lounge, Fuel Nightclub. Situated near the FlowRiders, Zip Line, Putt Putt Golf Course, arcade, basketball and table tennis courts. Many activities are divided into 12 – 14 year olds and 15 – 17 year olds.

Adventure Ocean Program Highlights

  • Adventure Ocean Theater: the first-ever children’s theater at sea – complete with a stage and curtains, audience seating and state-of-the-art production equipment – where children of all ages can learn about theatrical productions, take part in talent shows, or sign up for hip hop dance classes. Features original program Imagine Ocean created by John Tartaglia and Little People Live.
  • Imagination Studio: Arts and crafts connected to ports of call, features Crayola products.
  • Adventure Science Lab: Fully stocked lab for educational and fun science projects.

Video Tour

For more information, and to book your cruise, check out OasisoftheSeas.com and RoyalCaribbean.com.

Our Honda is a Lemon

by Kate on November 29th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Life

2007_Honda_Accord_LemonRemember how I posted about how our Honda Accord engine overheated and basically our had to be rebuilt? Well, surprise, surprise, the car is back in the shop. Lovely. Not.

This time, we noticed the heater not working (ironic since the engine overheating is what caused all this nonsense) and when we took it to the shop they noticed residue throughout the engine compartment. So, they’ve had our car all weekend and don’t know how long it will take to fix it. Sigh.  We knew we were in for trouble when rather than telling us what is wrong with our car they said they were getting us a rental. (And, the funny part about that is our Honda-provided rental car is a Toyota Camry. Ha.)

So, clearly our car is a LEMON. As I suspected and feared, the initial MAJOR manufacturing defect has wreaked havoc on the entire engine and I’m no car expert but I”m pretty sure that’s an important part of any automobile.

Here we are, two years and 18,000 miles after we bought a brand new car and we need to get another new car. We are not so much in a position to buy a car. We’re hoping Honda will do the right thing and help resolve this situation, but I’m not really keen on rewarding this crappy experience by buying another Honda.

We’re thinking about a Chevy Traverse. Does anyone have any experience with a Traverse? If we decide to get another sedan, do you have any recommendations?

Hooded Towels for Kids: BunnySlippers.com Review

by Kate on November 29th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews

Believe it or not, BunnySlippers.com is more than just bunny slippers! In addition to a wide assortment of adorable and totally comfy looking slippers, BunnySlippers.com also carries fun animal Hooded Towels for kids.

Hooded Towels

Hooded Towels

Hooded towel lionMade of 100% cotton, these Hooded Towels are soft to the touch and very generously sized. The towel (without the hood) measures 54 by 28 inches – a great size for kids 2 to 8.  The Towels are available in 14 super cute designs – seriously, what’s not to love about the Bunny, Alligator, and Panda.

Our Experience

We received the Lion Hooded Towel for Toddler Boy. The towel is very soft, much softer than many of our other towels, actually. It’s also quite large, and honestly it would probably fit me. So now to the fun stuff, the towel is so cute! I love that the lion’s mane is fluffy and adds some dimension to the towel. We have a hooded towel from a popular and well known kid’s store and I now prefer our Lion towel. The towel from BunnySlippers.com is larger, softer, more colorful and has more detail.

lion hoooded towel

Bunny Slippers!

bunnyslippersNot surpringly, BunnySlippers.com has a huge selection of bunny slippers! How comfy do those slippers look for the whole family? A lot of families do the tradition of giving pajamas on Christmas Eve (we do!) and adding some fun slippers would be a great extension of that tradition. There’s a whole section of Kids Slippers – from poodles, to monkeys to monsters – that would make a fun and functional gift.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… I am really impressed with the quality and feel of the Hooded Towel. It’s large, soft and adds a little fun to bath time. All of the designs are really cute and have more details and dimension than similar products I’ve seen elsewhere.

Or Not Buy… The only area where this towel falls short of the Hooded Towel from the well-known kid’s store is lack of design on the body of the towel itself.

Shop! Visit BunnySlippers.com to find slippers of all sorts for the family and Hooded Towels for kids. The Hooded Towels are $36.95.

Thank you to BunnySlippers.com for providing a sample product for the purpose of this review. The opinions in this review are my own and uninfluenced by receipt of product. Others may have a different experience.

More Winners

by Kate on November 28th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Giveaway Winners

giveaway winnersAnother big round of awesome giveaway winners! Thanks to all who entered. It is really fun to be able to offer such great prizes and I am only able to do so because you all continue to read The Shopping Mama and enter the giveaways.  As usual, all winners have been emailed. Make sure you’ve entered all the Current Giveaways for your chance to win big!

Jeep Stroller: kristi blackstone

Beaba Babycook: Sarah Marturano

aden + anais: Susan

Bebe au Lait: Marci

Elfing Around: Tamara B

$100 Target GC from ShopatHome.com: Donna

Gerber DHA Prize Package: Sarah Muarturano & Joanna Price

Boon Flair Highchair: Jessica (My Silly Monkeys)

Graco Pack n Play: Charlotte

Blurb Books for the Holidays

by Kate on November 28th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews

blurb logoIt’s approaching last minute holiday shopping time. If you’re like me and save the hardest for last (in laws and parents, for example) but I have a great idea for you: publish a personalized book using Blurb.It’s totally customizable and affordable and you can even make a book of your family blog!

About Blurb

Blurb is a company and a community that believes passionately in the joy of books – reading them, making them, sharing them, and selling them. … So we put our minds together, and developed a creative publishing service simple and smart enough to make anyone an author – every blogger, cook, photographer, parent, traveler, poet, pet owner, marketer, everyone. (This means you.)

How Blurb Works

Making a Blurb book is pretty easy, and there are three basic steps to making your own book.

  1. Download the Blurb Book Smart program. It’s pretty self explanatory and quick to download.
  2. Add photos and artwork. Arrange your book and add text, captions and titles. I found the editing to be a little more difficult than other programs I’ve used, but it did work very well when I got the hang of it.
  3. Order your book! I received my book very quickly – a matter of only a few days – but make sure you check holiday ordering deadlines.

Before you make a book, you have to decide what kind of book and Blurb has many options at varying price points and sizes in square, landscape and portrait layouts. You can make a softback, hardback with jacket cover or hardback with image wrap book.

My Blurb Book

First, I should mention that this review is not my first experience with Blurb. We received a softback book – of full page photos of Toddler Boy when he was young – as a gift and it is awesome. It’s held up very well and the print quality is top notch. It’s such a great keepsake and I think any new mama would love a quality book or great photos like it.

Blurb book

For this review, I had the opportunity to personalize a book and I opted for a 7 inch square hardback with image wrap. I actually personalized the book for my mom about our trip to Disney World. It turned out better than I imagined. It’s mostly photos, but I also added some text to describe and caption some of the photos. The book includes a title on the front cover and on the binding so you can identify it even when it’s on a bookshelf. I love that I had complete control over the content as you can pick from tons of layouts ranging from no photos to several photos on each page. It took a while to customize and get it the way I wanted, but the end result was worth the time.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… The finished product is awesome. I can speak for both the softback and the hardback books and the quality is fantastic. The process isn’t the easiest, but you do have total creative control once you figure it out. A book is the perfect gift for grandparents, or new parents – really anyone who loves photos.

Or Not to Buy… I don’t like that you have to download the program to make a book and the interface isn’t the easiest for editing the book.

Shop! Check out Blurb Gift Center for ideas. 7 inch square softback books are only $12.95. The hardcover image wrap book I personalized only $24.95 for up to 40 pages. Shop now and use the code BLURBJOY for 20% off any book you make until December 1.

The Fine Print: Thanks to Blurb for providing a sample product for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed are my own and uninfluenced by receipt of product. Others may have a different experience.

Black Friday: Sales, Coupons, Discounts & News

by Kate on November 26th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Deal & News Roundup, Weekly Features

black friday shopping bag

Happy Black Friday! As you know there are countless shopping deals and steals today. I am merely skimming the surface, but here are some great sales to check out today.

4 Tips for Online Black Friday Shopping from Savings.com

  1. Your best bet is to check the Web at midnight on Thanksgiving to see if these deals have gone live. One important note about shopping Black Friday deals online:  they work very much like traditional Black Friday shopping, i.e. these are one-day only sales with limited supply, just like the regular brick and mortar stores.  Don’t just assume that because it’s online, you can be more leisurely about it.  Many online Black Friday deals expire the day of.
  2. Don’t go by percentage off. A larger percentage off at one store can actually be more than a lower percentage off at another.  Have a calculator handy to see just how much you’re saving – and be certain to factor in shipping costs.
  3. Look for a low-price guarantee. Though Black Friday has the reputation of having the lowest prices, don’t just assume that to be the case.  Prices could go down in the future (especially if retailers get desperate).  With a low price guarantee, you can get a refund on the difference of the future sale price.
  4. Check newspaper/online ads about brick and mortar deals and compare those to the available website deals, factoring in shipping and coupon code discounts.  Savings.com is no doubt vigilant about gathering together Black Friday deals, so check us out.

Black Friday Resources

Black Friday Sales

  • Old Navy Gobblepalooza: Open at 3 AM, Free LEGO Rockband with $20 purchase on Friday, Entire store on sale Saturday.
  • The Children’s Place: 12:01 AM until noon – $5, 6, 7, 8 Sale, plus entire store 25% off.
  • Gymboree: Save 30% off everything! Valid online NOW through 3 PM, in stores from opening to noon.
  • Bravado Designs: 25% off online order with code TH09-175. Expires November 30.
  • Baby Dipper Bowl: Purchase at Amazon.com. Use the code BLKFRI25 for 25% off up to 5 bowls in one purchase. Only valid November 27 from 12:01 AM to midnight.
  • Agoo Clothes for Active Kids: 30% off everything with code XMAS012.
  • Kushies: Save 25% off your purchase with code blackfriday.
  • Dittany Baby: Lots of great markdowns, including “Skid Pants” (leg warmers) for only $4.
  • Shop Amazon.com for Black Friday sales.

amazon

Coupon Codes

  • Blurb: 20% off purchase minimum of $39.95 with code BLURBJOY. Expires December 1.
  • Silikids: Use code OHBABY for 15% off your order. Expires December 31.
  • Piggy Paint: Great stocking stuffers! Save 15% off entire site with code THANKYOU15L through February 14, 2010.

Exclusive Discount Codes

I’m Thankful

by Kate on November 26th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Life

Over on Facebook, a lot of my friends have been participating in a challenge to update their status daily with something they are thankful for. I didn’t participate, as I was afraid that a) I wouldn’t be able to come up with good (witty or thoughtful) things every day and b) it’d be so cheesy that I’m embarrass myself.

Well, here it is Thanksgiving and I’m feeling sappy. So here is a list of some of the things for which I am thankful.

  • I am thankful for my family. My healthy, beautiful children, who bring me joy and love every single day. My husband who works harder than anyone I know and loves me unconditionally. I am also grateful for our hilarious and thoughtful extended family.
  • I am thankful for my friends. I only wish we lived closer.
  • I am thankful for my husband’s career in the Air Force. Though his job takes him away from us and is extremely taxing, it is rewarding beyond belief and, frankly, in this day and age, I appreciate the job security.
  • I am thankful for the sacrifices of every military family, and for all the active duty military who serve our country.
  • I am thankful for my blog. It is such a unique outlet for me and I love that I can work from home and connect with other mamas while staying home with my kids. It has provided me and my family with some really amazing opportunities.
  • Finally, I am thankful for YOU. Thank you for reading, commenting and supporting me and the blog. It wouldn’t exist without readers and I wouldn’t enjoy it as much without getting to know you.

thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for?

Growing Tree Toys: Great Source for Educational Toys

by Kate on November 26th, 2009  |  5 Comments  |  Reviews, Toys

I have a blast shopping fogrowing tree toysr toys and games for my kids for the holidays. It’s a great excuse to get the latest and greatest for them. However, I do make an effort to mix in at least a few educational toys so they can learn while playing. Growing Tree Toys has an amazing selection of toys and games for your kids – and many of them look so fun that your wee ones won’t even realize they’re learning.

About Growing Tree Toys

GrowingTreeToys.com is more than just a toy website – it’s the perfect virtual representation of our store, offering customers the amazing service, wonderful toys and robust features they deserve while shopping online. Featuring a carefully chosen, well-rounded toy selection, unique product details and descriptions, great information on play, helpful suggestions for gift givers, the best gift finder available, and so much more, GrowingTreeToys.com is truly a specialty toy website with the health and happiness of children at heart.

Make Your Own Sock Puppets

We received the Make Your Own Sock Puppets Kit by Creativity for Kids from Growing Tree Toys. It’s a fun set that includes 3 super fuzzy and soft socks and lots and lots of self-adhesive accessories likes googly eyes, feathers, and felt shapes. The Make Your Own Sock Puppets activity has many developmental benefits: Physical, Logical, Spatial, Intrapersonal and Verbal. The finished product also encourages Creative, Dramatic and Manipulative play.

Make Your Own Sock Puppets

Toddler Boy had a great time making puppets with me and his grandmother. We did lots of silly, imaginative talking about our puppets when we were decorating them, which is good, because he’s not quite as into actually playing with them now that they’re finished. The accessories and decorations included in the Kit are great – very colorful and there were tons of them. Our puppets didn’t look quite as cute as those on the box, but we had fun nonetheless.  I admit that I am not at all crafty so a Kit like this is perfect for me because it contains EVERYTHING you need to make your puppets.

Hard at work making sock puppets with his "Memere"
Toddler Boy hard at work making sock puppets with his “Memere.”

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Shopping at GrowingTreeToys.com couldn’t be easier – you can shop by age group, type of toy or brand. And I love that each toy description includes information about its developmental benefits and the types of play it encourages. Not to mention the fact that many of the toys are very affordable.

Or Not to Buy… The only thing I don’t like about the Make Your Own Sock Puppet Kit is that once you decorate, you’re done decorating. And, obviously you can play with your puppets when you’re done, but since Toddler Boy prferred the decorating it would be fun to be able to do it over and over again.

Shop! If you want to throw some educational toys in the mix this holiday season, check out the amazing selection at Growing Tree Toys. The Make Your Own Puppet Kit is $17.95, and get FREE UPS SHIPPING on orders over $75. Plus, keep your eye on the Deal of the Day where one toy is 40 – 60% off every day.

The Fine Print: Thank you to Growing Tree Toys for providing a sample product for the purpose of this review. The opinions expressed in this review are mine and uninfluenced by receipt of product. Others may have a different experience.
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