Tom’s of Maine: Silly Strawberry Toothpaste $100 Giveaway
This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Tom’s of Maine.
We were recently offered to try Tom’s of Maine Silly Strawberry toothpaste. Actually, my kids were offered the chance to try it and I agreed to videotape it.
I had a feeling they would like it and my suspicions were confirmed when my daughter said she liked it better than what we normally use because it’s not mint. She doesn’t care for mint; says it burns her tongue. How she can actually be my child is a mystery to me because I LOVELOVELOVE mint anything but regardless, she hates it and asked after we were done videotaping if she could use the Silly Strawberry toothpaste EVERY time she brushes. I’d say that qualifies it as an official hit with my older child.
My younger child is four and we still brush his teeth. While his ability to eat an entire box of spearmint Tic Tacs in about 9 minutes flat tells me he doesn’t hate mint, he was also quite keen on the Silly Strawberry toothpaste. Watch the video to see his ultra cute response to it!
Silly Strawberry Toothpaste! from Janet on Vimeo.
Overall, the Tom’s of Maine Silly strawberry toothpaste got a big thumbs up from both kids, while I like it because it’s got less chemical crap in it than your average toothpaste. I personally have not tasted it but the fact that the kids dig it is reason enough to consider buying it for them—anything that makes toothbrushing more appealing to my children is a WIN in my book.
Tom’s of Maine says: Only one natural oral care company carries the ADA Seal of Acceptance for a children’s toothpaste, Tom’s of Maine Anticavity Children’s Silly Strawberry with Fluoride. And because we care as much as you do, we’ve never tested it on animals or added artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. It’s flavored with natural oils for a great strawberry taste they’ll love.
Giveaway Info: To enter the $100 giveaway, leave me a comment below and tell us how you get your kids to brush - or you may leave a link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. The contest will begin at 12/15/2009 and will end 1/15/2010. Make sure that the e-mail address you leave is correct.
Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
Please see the official rules here.
HP Photosmart Premium Touchsmart Web All-In-One Printer
My HP Photosmart Premium printer arrived one fine day last month and the box sat in the family room for a week or so while I waited for my husband to set it up for me.
I finally got tired of waiting and decided to go ahead and set it up myself. Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant. It’s not that I have issues with technology so much as I have issues with reading instructions. They’re so dull and they’re all bossy, too, “Do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t forget to do that!” *rolls eyes*
But I bit the bullet and proceeded to set it up. First I plugged in all the cables. Then I loaded the set-up CD and from there, it totally told me what I needed to do. It was, quite honestly, idiot-proof. I wasn’t even sure what options to choose for the wireless option but apparently I chose correctly because I was immediately able to print from my computer—WIRELESSLY. Printing WITHOUT wires!
Since the first time I used the printer, I’ve had zero issues and that? Is huge. Historically, printers hate me and rarely cooperate but I’ve scanned things, copied things and printed Aiming Low luggage tags on shrink plastic (think homemade Shrinky Dinks) without any issues at all. I also let my kids play with all the stuff on the internet touchscreen. It took them about five seconds to get into the Disney section and print out Aladdin coloring sheets and and crafts, which, in turn, bought me a good 30 minutes of uninterrupted internet time. WIN.
Also? It faxes. IT FAXES, people. No more asking my husband to send and retrieve faxes for me at work. I realize faxing isn’t quite so sexy to the rest of you but whatever… Don’t judge!
Oh, and the Photosmart Premium with Touchsmart Web (HP Web Printer for short) goes on the internet (via the touchscreen) and GETS STUFF for you, like maps and newspapers and other things, and then prints them and it will even print them double-sided if you so desire—without you having to flip the paper when it comes out and pray that you did it correctly. Would it be weird to say it’s magical? Yes? Okay then…it’s just really cool.
So far, I’m very much digging the new printer and if the idiot-proof trend of the first month continues, I’ll be enamored with it for years to come because seriously…who doesn’t like feeling all smart and efficient and LOVED by their magical really cool printer?
The printer was supplied for review by HP, however, the opinions expressed, are 100% mine.
The Penny Pinchers Club
The Penny Pincher’s Club by Sarah Strohmeyer is the story of a woman who decides to kick her spending habits when she starts to suspect her husband is contemplating divorce.
I was offered a review copy and unlike some of the other books I’ve received this year, I ended up really enjoying it. It was a light, easy read…perfect for the beach or a long trip and the characters reminded me of people I’ve known in real life so it wasn’t completely unbelievable.
There’s some romance and some great plot twists and turns but honestly, as someone who goes into a store for one or two things and comes out with a WHOLE lot more, what I found most fascinating was the way the members of The Penny Pincher’s Club saved money and controlled their spending.
In short, it was a cute book, it held my interest, I liked the characters and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys chick-lit or quirky, romantic stories.
Hot Wheels Harbor FAIL
My son just had his 4th birthday and he’s at an age where he now LOVES little cars (Hot Wheels, Matchbox etc) I mentioned this to a family member and so they got him the Hot Wheels Harbor playset. It’s one component of a whole Hot Wheels city and you can buy them all separately to make a complete city. At $39.99, however, I was less than impressed. For one thing, there are things mentioned in the instructions and pictured on the box that were either different or not in the box at all. Lame. Add to that the fact that the whole set is so incredibly flimsy that I’m putting it back together for my son every five minutes and I’m ready to trash the whole thing. That’s saying a lot because I’m a big believer in passing on or consigning toys whenever possible to keep them out of the landfill but this is one piece of junk I wouldn’t want to make someone else’s problem. Rest assured, if I’d had the foresight to keep the box, I’d box it up and send it back to Mattel with a note demanding they replace it with something of comparable value that won’t repeatedly fall apart and disappoint my son. The verdict on Hot Wheels Harbor? FAIL.
Discover & Donate
I love charitable endeavors that let you choose how you want to help, as is the case with the Discover & Donate widget (I have one in my sidebar for you to check out).
Mom It Forward has a summer full of fun giveaways planned and is kicking it off with the mother load of all prizes this Tuesday night, June 2. Sponsored by singer/songwriter Diane Birch and S-Curve Records, this giveaway not only gives you the gift of music, but also supports one of five great causes that you can read about here.
Giveaway Prizes
Three winners will be randomly selected to win one of these prizes:
- Grand Prize: iPhone 8GB, 2 Diane Birch concert tickets, an autographed Diane Birch CD
- First Place Prize: $50 iTunes gift card and autographed Diane Birch CD
- Second Place Prize: Autographed Diane Birch CD
Discover the critically acclaimed debut album from new artist Diane Birch. Donate $1 to charity. Automatically.
S-Curve Records and Diane Birch are proud to present Discover & Donate. You discover Diane Birch’s soulful debut album, Bible Belt, then you choose one of six charities to receive a $1 donation from your purchase.
PLUS, who ever raises the most money for charity through their widget by June 23, 2009, will win a FREE PRIVATE PERFORMANCE in the winner’s hometown!! (We’ll even throw in a few refreshments.) More albums sold means more money donated. How cool is that? Want to start sharing?
Then go to the Discover and Donate page to learn how you can help as well as enter to win the aforementioned great prizes!
Also check out The Summer of Service challenge!
Linden Street at JC Penney
In a promotion designed to draw attention to their new Linden Street collection of goodies for the home, JC Penney teamed up with BlogHer and gave yours truly $500 smackers to blow on Linden Street gear.
The stuff? It’s way nice. Me? Way indecisive. My home? Needs more than $500 of help. And thus I had to really think about where to put that money.
At first I was all “Oooh! Oooh! I want some fancy new 300 thread count sheets!” but then I decided what I really wanted was this awesome leather chair…except that it was a wee bit out of my budget. Sooo…I decided on an area rug because the one I have? It’s ugly. And it has stains on it—unidentifiable stains that won’t come off. And they embarrass me. So yes, a nice big rug by the name of Chelsea (in red multi) was ordered and delivered to my front door. She’s so purty. I love mah new rug.
But a new rug wasn’t all I got. Oh, heck no. There was a big old sale so I also scored a whole new bathroom ensemble. Ensemble? Did I really just type that? Anyway, it’s mostly a pretty rust color with some gold, brown and cream accents. The whole thing, put together, is really quite lovely. Oh, and now my bathroom doesn’t feel like a hospital anymore. Watch the video below and you’ll see what I mean.
Thanks JC Penney and BlogHer for this fun and very generous opportunity. Without you, we’d still be in stained, ugly rug/weird, sterile bathroom land 
Flip Video
I recently got a Flip Video Ultra camcorder and to put it simply, I’m in love. It’s about the size of a cell phone (okay, a cell phone from 3 years ago) so it’s infinitely portable and it will take thirty to sixty minutes of video, the quality of which is far better than my little Nikon camera.
The kicker is that it plugs right in to your computer with a little USB thing that flips out of the side of it (it FLIPS! Get it?). NO cables or cords are necessary and get this — the software needed to get it into your computer and onto Youtube, MySpace etc. is built into the camcorder so no more install disks or any of that nonsense. It’s really so idiot-proof that anyone (you know, like your barely computer literate in-laws for example) could use it.
It also comes in different colors, for the style conscious, and a few different configurations for the price conscious. Additionally, Flip Ultra Video was recently touted by Oprah for it’s awesomeness and I recently heard someone on the radio talking about it, too.
I do believe this is THE HOT GIFT of the season and while I personally won’t be dropping $120-$150 on one for anyone, you can bet teens, tweens and proud new parents everywhere will be sporting one of these after the holidays.
The Daring Book for Girls
The Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz was like a stroll down memory lane for me. The kinds of things they have included in the book really do hearken back to a simpler time when kids actually played outside all day long and the secrets of “Bloody Mary” and “Light as a Feather” were exchanged amidst scared yet giggly girls at slumber parties.
I feel really old saying this but times sure have changed. But this is why I love The Daring Book for Girls so much; for it’s potential to maybe, just maybe, bring back a little bit of those simpler times.
Here’s the description from Amazon.com, which will give you a good idea of what’s covered in The Daring Book for Girls:
The Daring Book for Girls is the manual for everything that girls need to know—and that doesn’t mean sewing buttonholes! Whether it’s female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all. But it’s not just a guide to giggling at sleepovers—although that’s included, of course! Whether readers consider themselves tomboys, girly-girls, or a little bit of both, this book is every girl’s invitation to adventure.
If you have a girl who seems to be growing up a bit too quickly or would rather be instant messaging on her computer, texting with her friends or watching way too much Hannah Montana instead of DOING things, maybe this is the book that can turn that around. We can hope, can’t we?
Peppa Pig on DVD
Meet Peppa Pig! She’s five years old, loves to play games, fly kites, play dress up and jump in mud puddles and she does a funny little snort when she’s excited!
Originally an award-winning British show for the preschool set, Peppa Pig has just made her US debut with the DVD Peppa Pig: Muddly Puddles and Other Stories in which she learns lessons about life, family and friends in twelve colorful episodes.
My son is two and a half and was immediately taken with Peppa and her little brother, George and even my seven year old has enjoyed watching the Peppa Pig DVD.
I liked it because it’s a fun, low-key show without a lot of fast-moving imagery, overstimulating graphics and sound, obnoxious singing or syrupy sweet and preachy story lines and yet there is always something for children to learn or glean from it.
I would put it in the same category as Oswald (Nick Jr.) and maybe the earlier episodes of Curious George (PBS), which are really the only two kid shows that don’t make me want to close my eyes and plug my ears as I run from the room (I’ve been watching children’s programming for seven LONG years!)
Winnie the Pooh Holds Up
Of all the character-driven shows and movies I’ve enjoyed (or in some cases endured) with my seven year old daughter over the years, my favorite has always been Winnie the Pooh. There’s just something about Pooh Bear and his friends that always makes me feel happy and if you pay attention, you might note that some of the humor is also rather clever!
We recently picked up The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh: The Friendship Edition
- The Very First Episode Of The New Series MY FRIENDS TIGGER & POOH (finally with a female character besides Kanga!)
- “The Story Behind The Masterpiece” Featurette
- Winnie The Pooh Art Gallery
- “The 100 Acre Wood Challenge” Game
- Disney Storytime: “Pooh’s Shadow”
- “The Winnie The Pooh Theme Song” Performance By Carly Simon
- Sing Along Song: “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers”
- Pooh’s Pop-Up Fun Facts
- “A Day For Eeyore” Classic Short
The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh is actually three animated shorts, Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966), Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968), and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too! (1974), edited together to form a film and the tales are narrated by Sebastian Cabot, who some of you might remember as Mr. French, the beloved butler from A Family Affair.
The three shorts still hold up and to me, are as charming as ever but with better sound and a nice clean look. I highly recommend this to anyone who has small children (that are allowed to watch TV, of course. I know some parents are opposed to it) because it’s truly wholesome, and for lack of a better term, heartwarming entertainment from an era where a kid’s movie was TRULY a kid’s movie.
