Big Bloggy NEWS!!

As you know, I have moved all of our reviews and giveaways over to my main blog, 3Ps in a Pod. What you may not know is...

3Ps in a Pod is Moving!!

That's right. As of February 2nd, all of the fun, family, reviews, giveaways, and more that you have seen here will move to our new and improved 3Ps in a Pod!!!

And you will want to visit us on that day, FEBRUARY 2nd, for some special giveaways, entry options, and LIVE GIVEAWAYS! So mark you calendars now for the Grand Re-Opening of 3Ps in a Pod on Monday February 2nd!!

***This is the FINAL post on 3P's Mama Says...***

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas my friends. You do indeed Light up my life!

Peekaboo, Speakaboo...a Great Set of Stories!

Speakaboos Releases Holiday Classics; Features Storybook Favorites Read by Celebrities, Songs, and E-Cards

All Titles Now Available on iTunes and Rhapsody


New York – December 10, 2008 - Speakaboos (www.Speakaboos.com), a publisher of exceptional digital content for children, today released its holiday classics library, featuring storybook videos of well-known holiday stories read by celebrities, as well as holiday songs and e-cards. All storybook titles are available for immediate viewing on Speakaboos.com for free, and may be downloaded for offline viewing. Additionally, the complete Speakaboos digital library is now available via iTunes.com and Rhapsody.com, making it easier than ever for parents to download educational and entertaining content for their children to their computer, mobile device or DVD.

Currently in beta, Speakaboos already offers over 35 titles such as Arthur, Goldilocks, The Ugly Duckling, Old McDonald and Aesop's Fables with audio provided by talented actors and musicians such as Kevin Bacon, Nick Cannon, Kelly Ripa, Marcia Gay Harden, Harry Shearer and Chazz Palminteri. At least fifteen percent of Speakaboos' revenue is contributed directly to the National Education Association (NEA) to support children's literacy and The Creative Coalition (TCC).

The titles released just in time for the holidays, include stories such as A Christmas Carol read by James Eckhouse, The Fir Tree read by Phil Brock; holiday songs such as "12 Days of Christmas," "Deck The Halls," "Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah," "In The Bleak Midwinter," "Jingle Bells," "Rock of Ages," "The Dreidel Song," "We Wish You A Merry Christmas;" and e-cards for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa.

Speakaboos provides a safe, fun and educational online destination for children and parents alike. For children, each story is accompanied by educational activities, games and contests that they can play alongside their parents. Parents and teachers enjoy story guides, lesson plans based on national education standards, community content and resources that reinforce the educational lessons at home and in the classroom.

"The holiday season is the best time of the year and we are thrilled to be able to offer our first ever library of holiday classics for children," said Noelle Millholt, Associate Publisher of Speakaboos. "With these offerings, children and parents will be able to celebrate traditional holiday classics in a fun, unique and modern way."

The entire Speakaboos library is available for viewing online for free on Speakaboos.com and available for download on the website at $0.99. Select titles that are combined into albums are available for the price of $8.99 per album. All Speakaboos audio tracks are also now available on iTunes.com and Rhapsody.com.

About Speakaboos
Speakaboos (www.Speakaboos.com) publishes exceptional digital content for children. Speakaboos strives to improve the lives of children and their families through education, fun, and funding and features classic stories such as Arthur, Snow White and Aesop's Fables read by today's biggest stars. All of its "storybook videos" are accompanied by original illustrations and music and link to educational activities, games and contests that children can play alongside their parents. Speakaboos partners with premier educational organizations such as the National Education Association and The Creative Coalition, and contributes 15% of all revenues in return for distribution and promotion to over 3 million teachers and administrators. Speakaboos is currently in beta and is introducing a growing catalog of stories, fairy tales, nursery rhymes and lullabies.

Are Your Toys Safe?

Buying toys used to be fun. Now you have to worry about whether that train set or doll necklace is going to poison the kids on your holiday list. Last year, more than 25 million toys were recalled, many because of lead. The good news is that toy recalls have slowed down and, even better, new lead laws have been passed.

However, many of these laws don’t kick in until February 2009 or later, well after the holiday shopping season. And items with worrisome lead levels can end up on store shelves even if they’re not on recall lists and unsuspecting buyers can in turn give them to your kids. So what should you do?

ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, shares 4 safety strategies to make sure your holiday gifts are free of lead and other dangers:

1. Know what toys to avoid. Steer clear of no-name toys and, regardless of your child’s age, don’t buy toys with small magnets, even if the magnets seem safely contained within the toy. Don’t buy metal jewelry, especially the cheap stuff, for young children or allow them to play with key chains or items with metal charms. If you have an infant or toddler who still puts almost everything in her mouth, don’t buy squeezable soft plastic toys or books. Unless it says “no phthalates” on the package, there’s no way of knowing if they contain the chemical or not.
2. Buy according to a kid’s age. Look for manufacturer’s recommended age ranges on toy packaging. Age grading is more than a friendly hint. It can alert you to a possible choking hazard, the presence of small parts, and other dangers. And think twice before buying a toy with small parts for a child older than 3 who has a younger sibling. Keep all small round or oval objects, including coins, balls, and marbles, away from kids under 3.
3. Check for recalls. Before shopping, go to www.cpsc.gov, a government Web site, to see whether the toys you plan to buy (and the toys already in your home) have been recalled. Also, sign up for free e-mail notices of recalls at www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. And if a product you buy comes with a registration card, fill it out and send it in so you will be notified directly by the manufacturer if the item is recalled. It’s up to retailers to take recalled toys off store shelves but, once a recalled toy is in your home, it’s up to you to keep it away from your family or return it ASAP.
4. Watch where you shop. Be leery of drugstores, airports, and dollar stores. They’ve been known to carry flimsy plastic toys with dangerous sharp edges or small parts that can break off easily. Thrift stores, consignment shops, yard and garage sales, and eBay often have toys in excellent condition, but check to see that they’re well made and have no small magnets or parts. Wash the toys before giving them.

Plus, besides using coupons and snagging sale items, ShopSmart has 5 money saving tips:

1. Set a limit. If your kids are flooded with presents from family and friends every year, set a limit on what you spend, whether on one large gift or a few smaller ones. To make less seem like more, pick a toy that starts or feeds a passion, lasts longer and has multiple uses.
2. Spread it out. Don’t give your kids all the gifts at once. Set aside some of the bounty for later, perhaps a snow day when they’re home from school.
3. Be cautious with used toys. Little Tikes sturdy plastic playhouses, ride-on toys, playground equipment, and good-as-new video games are good finds at tag sales, outlets and online at a fraction of the original price. With a thorough scrub, they will look like new. But first, go to www.recalls.gov for recalls on toys. Then make sure they have no rough edges or parts that could break loose.
4. Check out rentals. At www.babyplays.com, you can get four to 10 toys per month, keep them until your child gets tired of them (as long as your membership is current), and return them for a fresh batch for a monthly fee of $26.99 to $64.99. Toys for infants to age 5 come sanitized and assembled. All toys are third-party certified for safety.
5. Look beyond the logo. Many popular toys are tied to TV characters such as Elmo and Dora the Explorer. Ask yourself, ‘If I took SpongeBob off this package, what do I have?’ If a toy has nothing to offer beyond the character, don’t buy it.

Check out the January 2009 issue of ShopSmart for more great ideas just like these!.

Shop+Smart

Take a Survey from Lands' End for a Chance at $100 Gift Card

It takes a few minutes to complete the Lands' End Sun. Life 2008 Survey. The survey consists of 22 multiple-choice questions. Upon completing the survey, your name will be entered to win one of five $100 Lands' End Gift Cards. But hurry! - To be eligible to win, you must complete the survey by midnight (CST) on Friday, December 19th. Good luck!!!

Click here for the survey




Land's+End

Are You a Veggie Eater? Do You Know Some?

I don't know about your kiddos but with mine, vegetables are the typical challenge. Getting them to vegetables, that is. They will look at them, touch them, pick them out at the store, heck, they will even serve them to their sibling but put it on their plate, yeah, well their enthusiasm takes a serious nose dive.

Of course, not all adults eat their veggies either. I am not one of them. I love that not only can they taste good but they are chock full of healthy vitamins, nutrients and fiber! For those (like my hubby) who are not fans of veggies, their is a great campaign underway, designed to help them regain their popularity.

The makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings have now created the Love Your Veggies™ campaign to help children develop a life-long love of vegetables through activities at home, at school and in the community. Although eating vegetables is a true necessity, the Love Your Veggies™ campaign is designed to make the experience more enjoyable by focusing on education, exploration and understanding of healthy eating.

The Love Your Veggies™ campaign works to better educate parents on how to introduce and involve kids in every aspect of a healthy eating experience: education, gardening, meal planning, shopping, and cooking. The Love Your Veggies™ grant program works to support increased access to, and consumption of, fresh produce during school meals. Now in its third year, the grant program will award $15,000 nutrition grants to 10 elementary schools nationwide who demonstrate creativity and innovation in their proposed vegetable programs, as well as a financial need. I remember the vegetables from my school days quite vividly and they were anything but fresh!

There is also a "Search for Veggie Champions Contest" where ten lucky moms will be awarded the opportunity to have in-person training on these subjects. Winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Chicago to attend a retreat hosted by chef Art Smith and some other serious experts where they will learn how to help not only their own children but their communities increase their appreciation and enjoyment of vegetables. These moms will also receive $5,000 to start or maintain a community vegetable garden in their hometown - that can be some garden! For the rest of us, all of the advice, tips and recipes from the retreat will be made available on www.LoveYourVeggies.com.

So head over to http://www.loveyourveggies.com/ and sign up for the Love Your Veggies contest plus find out more about the promotion from Hidden Valley.

Thanks to Mom Central for sharing this terrific campaign!

Love+Veggies

Weekly Roundup of Giveaways, Contests 'n More! 12/16

Hi All -

So sorry to have been MIA recently. My health managed to make me feel like I lost an entire week last week...every Woman's favorite thing this time of year, eh?

Due to that and just all that remains to be done for Christmas, the 3 P's Mama Says... Weekly Roundup will be on Hiatus through the end of 2008.

I know there are still some great Giveaways out there right now through the end of the year so I am going to leave you with a few places to stop by for your usual 'fix' in the meanwhile -

What's That Smell?, MomDot, Red Sox Mommy, and An Island Review always have great stuff going on.

For other great options, you can check the following:

A Blog of Goodies
Contesting Mondays
Scribbit Message Board
Contests Live
Contest for Moms
Prizetron
Laura Williams' Musings
Contests for Mamas
5 Minutes for Mom - Giveaways
PRIZEY

BIG CHANGES Are a COMIN'!!

That's right folks...BIG CHANGES AHEAD!!

Hopefully ALL for the BETTER!!

Effective 1/1/2009, all of the great things you have found here on 3 P's Mama Says... will be moving and becoming part of 3 P's in a Pod! That means you will get Twice as Many Reviews, Twice as Many Giveaways and MORE and it will ALL BE in ONE PLACE!! Plus you will still find my Weekly Roundups plus Wordless Wednesday, Aloha Fridays, and some other yet-to-be unveiled activities!

So please bear with me throughout the rest of December as I work on that in between spending time with my Family. I have a BIG NEW GIVEAWAY Announcement coming soon after the 1st of January so keep on visiting...You Won't Want to Miss it - PROMISE!!!

They Are Making a List and Have Checked it Twice...Mom Central, that is!

You probably know that I am lucky enough to work with those wonderful folks over at Mom Central from time to time on Reviews and such. Since I began working with them, I have made a point of reading their newsletter and visiting their blog every month to see all of the wonderful things they have in store. Stacy and gang over there really do care about women and moms especially. I know they took a poll to see how many of us were having financial concerns regarding spending during this Holiday season and a whopping 91% of the moms who replied say yes! Well, Mom Central to the rescue!

If you have not yet visited Mom Central, especially their Holiday Giveaways, then you are in for a real treat! Just like their press release says...

"“Making a list and checking it twice” serves as the mantra of the Mom Central team as
they alleviate the burden on Moms to research gift ideas by introducing their First Annual
Holiday Gift guide. The staff at Mom Central has done the homework for Moms,
evaluating hundreds of products in the following categories: for him, for her, for
baby/toddler, for tweens, for teens, and even for pets. The Mom Central team assesses the
quality, availability, the claims each advertises and, of course, if it will put a twinkle in
the eye of the receiver.
Since Mom Central receives some of these products before anyone else, providing Moms
exclusive access to new and innovative gifts. Products include affordable gift ideas from
Sony, Philips, Nautilus, Casio, Playskool, Baby Einstein, Netflix, Hasbro, Razor, A&E,
and more.
Mom Central will also give away thousands of dollars worth of products in multiple daily
drawings. Each provides the chance to win an entire gift package that includes gifts worth
hundreds of dollars – a great way to combat financial stress this holiday season."

Now the giveaways may have started December 1st but you have f-a-r from missed out! Take a look at what they still have planned!

Day 7, December 9th: Toys for Toddlers Gift Package
Day 8, December 10th: Little Book Lovers Giveaway
Day 9, December 11th: Being a Kid - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages
Day 10, December 12th: Furry Friends Gift Package
Day 11, December 13th: For Tweens - Boys' and Girls' Gift Packages
Day 12, December 14th: Teenage Fun Gift Package
Day 13, December 15th: Health and Wellbeing Gift Package
Day 14, December 16th: For Him Gift Package
Day 15, December 17th: For Her Gift Package
Day 16, December 18th: Family Night Gift Package

WOW!!
So hurry on over and visit
Mom Central's First Annual Holiday Gift Guide,
visit http://www.momcentral.com/gift-guide/

On an additional note, I am often asked how to get started doing Reviews and Giveaways. The answer I give is to start reviewing what you have at home already and blogging about it. That gives you experience and might just get you noticed. Secondly, keep your eyes open for opportunities to join in testing and reviewing communities like the one HERE at Mom Central because you just never know where that might lead.

Good luck and Merry Christmas! See ya over at Mom Central!




Mom+Central

Build-a-Bear Workshop Game for Nintendo Wii WINNER!!

Boy oh boy, y'all really want this game! Well okay, let's see who the winner is!


CONGRATULATIONS TO....

Annie !!!

Annie said...

I really like the bear that Raven Symone designed!

Thanks so much!

Annie please be sure to email me back with your mailing address within 72 hours.

Thank you to everyone who entered! Watch for more new and exciting Giveaways soon!