Cold Stone Creamery Facebook Contest-GIVEAWAY

CONGRATULATIONS TO #27, #17, AND #3 AS CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG. PLEASE REPLY TO MY EMAIL WITHIN 72 HOURS WITH YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. Thanks to everyone who entered. Another fun giveaway will be coming up shortly!

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I Scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM! As you know, my family eats ice cream on a daily basis. After all, with osteoporosis in the family you can't be too careful, and ice cream is a great source of calcium! Lately, I've been enjoying the Gold Cone collection at Cold Stone Creamery. Gold Cone flavors are ten flavors that have been and will continue to be unveiled throughout 2010. This summer Cold Stone Creamery is celebrating the Gold Cone collection with the Gold Cone Contest and three delicious fresh fruit flavors: Key Lime, Harvest Peach, and Blueberry. Starting today, fans can leave comments on Cold Stone Creamery's Facebook page about the featured summer flavors. Three lucky winners will be chosen to work with Cold Stone Creamery's Tastemaster in a flavor development competition during a three-day, two-night trip to the company's headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. The winning flavor will be featured in stores nationwide in 2011. Additionally, three ice cream enthusiasts will win a free ice cream party for friends and family in their hometown. The contest starts today June 30 and will run through August 24, 2010.

Some of the different ways you can enjoy the Gold Cone flavors during the contest period are as follows:

Key Lime ice cream: a tangy meringue flavor packed with an extra burst of a tart key lime crunch

• Creation: Key to My Heart – Key Lime ice cream mixed with graham cracker pie crust, raspberries and whipped topping
• Pie: Key Lime Sunshine – Key Lime ice cream with graham cracker pie crust in a graham cracker pie crust with fluffy white frosting rosettes and sprinkled with Key Lime candy pieces
• Shake: Pineapple Key Lime Pucker – Key Lime ice cream with Pineapple

Harvest Peach ice cream: a refreshing taste of ripe, sun-kissed summer peaches as a cool creamy treat

• Creation: Peaches & Creamery – Harvest Peach ice cream mixed with graham cracker pie crust, peach pie filling and banana
• Pie: Sweet as a Peach – Harvest Peach ice cream with graham cracker pie crust in a graham cracker pie crust with fluffy white frosting rosettes and sprinkled with graham cracker pie crust
• Shake: What a Peach – Harvest Peach ice cream with graham cracker pie crust

Blueberry ice cream: a temptingly tart taste of fresh blueberries

• Creation: Blueberry Bliss– Blueberry ice cream mixed with graham cracker pie crust, blueberries and whipped topping
• Pie: Blueberry Crème – Blueberry ice cream with graham cracker pie crust in a graham cracker pie crust with fluffy white frosting rosettes and sprinkled with graham cracker pie crust
• Shake: Blueberry Natural – Blueberry ice cream with blueberries

Once you've tried the flavors, get on Cold Stone's Facebook page to enter. I can hear the Key Lime creation calling my name. I will definitely be entering the contest! To make it easy to enter, Cold Stone Creamery will give THREE lucky Random Mommy readers $20 gift cards so they can try the different renditions of the Gold Cone flavors.

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Contest period runs from Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 12:01 AM (Pacific) until Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Enter by leaving a comment on what is your favorite ice cream flavor/creation, and leave your e-mail address OR sign in to comments using your Blogger ID, making sure your Blogger profile is public and includes your e-mail address.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry, it counts if you've done any of these so leave a comment for each one)
1) Follow me on Twitter
2) Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect by clicking on the sidebar
3) Follow Cold Stone Creamery on Twitter
4) Become a fan of Cold Stone Creamery on Facebook
5) Enter the Gold Cone Contest on Facebook and leave a copy here of the comment you left on the Cold Stone wall

If you don't leave a qualifying comment and your e-mail address or public Blogger profile, your entry will be disqualified. I reserve the right to extend the contest period. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose the THREE winners. Winners will be contacted by e-mail. Winners have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail. If the winners do not respond within 72 hours, the prizes will go to the next place winner(s) as decided by Random.org. This contest is open for US Residents only. A huge thank you and much appreciation to Cold Stone Creamery for its generosity! Good luck!

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a gift card to facilitate my review.

DVD GIVEAWAY Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

CONGRATULATIONS TO #8, #2, AND #9 AS CHOSEN BY RANDOM.ORG. YOU HAVE 72 HOURS TO RESPOND TO MY EMAIL WITH YOUR MAILING ADDRESS. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!
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Anyone who knows me knows I love science fiction/fantasy. I once wrote up a list of attributes my perfect man would have and it included a love of Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. It's no coincidence that Stewart and I went to New Zealand for our honeymoon--I even took a photo in front of the sign for Hobbiton. So when the trailers for Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief came out, my interest was piqued. Then a friend of mine went to see it with her son who had read the book series by Rick Riordan and they said it was definitely not appropriate for the toddler crowd. The only movies I get to see in the theater these days are ones I think H&R would like (and even those don't work out and we end up bailing) so I didn't get a chance to watch Percy Jackson on the big screen. I was thrilled when 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment gave me the opportunity to review the film and host a giveaway to coincide with the film's release on Blu-ray Disc and DVD today, June 29.

The movie takes the gods of Mount Olympus and Greek mythology and places them in the 21st century. Percy Jackson is a trouble-prone teenager with dyslexia and ADHD who finds himself having problems in high school, but that’s the least of his challenges.  He discovers (when the substitute teacher turns into a Fury and attacks him) that he's the son of a Greek god and needs to run away to a safe haven for demigods like himself. Zeus (played by Boromir!!!!), Poseidon and Hades are brothers who have been rivals since they took over the leadership positions among the gods. Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Learning he is the son of Poseidon, the young teen finds himself caught between angry and battling gods, and embarks on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves. After having seen the fight scenes and the various monsters in the film, I definitely agree with my friend that this movie is for the middle school set or older. My favorite scene was when they go to find the first blue pearl and they find themselves in the middle of Medusa's home.

Directed by Chris Columbus (first two Harry Potter films), Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief stars rising star Logan Lerman (Percy), and features an ensemble cast including Rosario Dawson (Persephone), Sean Bean (Zeus), Uma Thurman (Medusa), Pierce Brosnan (Percy's teacher), Catherine Keener (Percy's mom), and Kevin McKidd (Poseidon). The Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief Blu-ray includes over an hour of special features, 10 deleted scenes, a “Secrets of the Gods” featurette, an “On Set” with Brandon T. Jackson, and much more. The standard DVD includes five deleted scenes, “Bringing The Book To Life” featurette and a “Discover Your Powers” quiz. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will give THREE Random Mommy readers the chance to watch their own DVD copy of this film at home.

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Contest period runs from Tuesday, June 29, 2010 at 9:01 AM (Pacific) until Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Enter by leaving the name of your favorite science fiction/fantasy movie/book/character, and leave your e-mail address OR sign in to comments using your Blogger ID, making sure your Blogger profile is public and includes your e-mail address.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1) Follow me on Twitter (it counts if you're already a follower so leave a comment)
2) Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect by clicking on the sidebar
3) Tweet this contest (http://tinyurl.com/3xlbq87) and leave the tweet url

If you don't leave a qualifying comment and your e-mail address or public Blogger profile, your entry will be disqualified. I reserve the right to extend the contest period. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose the THREE winners. Winners will be contacted by e-mail. Winners have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail. If the winners do not respond within 72 hours, the prizes will go to the next place winner(s) as decided by Random.org. This contest is open for US Residents only. A huge thank you and much appreciation to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for its generosity!

Beating the Heat with Raging Waters San Dimas

Yesterday we celebrated the end of H's preschool year with a trip to Raging Waters in San Dimas. We wanted to go before it got too late in the season since the hotter it is, the bigger the crowds. We got there in good time so were able to park pretty close to the entrance ($15 general parking, preferred parking is no longer available) just after the park opened (10:00 AM). I thought they would love it because every time we've been to the water play areas at Disneyland or Legoland, they've had a great time. I guess I didn't fully understand the enormity of the biggest water park in California. It was a lesson in scale, just because your child enjoys something doesn't mean that multiplying it by 100x in scale will mean multiplying the enjoyment factor by that much. In fact, it can be exactly the opposite. Kids 2 yrs and under are free so R didn't have to pay. I think this is because most 2 years won't be able to try out most of the rides because they won't meet the minimum height requirement. R spent the first half hour crying because he was just too overwhelmed and refused to go into the water even after he calmed down.

H was much more relaxed and had a great time at Splash Island Adventure with its 12 levels and 75 activities including five slides, water cannons, web crawl tunnels, spiral cargo nets, and swinging bridge. He didn't like the roaring sound and deluge of water from the 1,000-gallon bucket tipping hundreds of gallons of water over the whole attraction every few minutes so I put my hat over his head whenever that happened. I thought he would love going down the tunnel slides since he loves climbing through the tunnels at any McDonald's Play Place but water seemed to have added a component that made that outside his comfort zone. He did go down slide number one 11 times since that one wasn't covered. H also loved playing in Volcano Fantasea which had an area with spray hoses that kids could use to have water battles. I'm not sure what the appeal is of spraying water, but H had a great time doing it and went back again and again.

After lunch, Stewart took H on the Amazon Adventure, a quarter-mile long, 18-foot-wide Tropical River filled with 500,000 gallons of water. After that ride, R got his ice cream and H went down the slide a few more times at Splash Island Adventure, and then we were ready to go home. We were all exhausted and it was only 2:00! It was a great introduction to Raging Waters. I think the first time you go to an amusement park with young kids it's really about getting them familiar with the new environment. It's only the next time you go that they are comfortable enough to relax and have as good a time as you think they should. For us, the next time we'll definitely know where the better beach chairs are and how the sun moves so we'll be in the shade when the sun is at its strongest. I learned that going to a water park is probably better when your kids are older so they can meet the height requirements for the rides and also feel comfortable with all the sights and sounds around them. Both boys and I fell asleep in the car on the drive back and luckily Stewart drove us back safely before he conked out as well.

If you would like to try out the water park for your family, Raging Waters is offering Random Mommy readers a discount of $7 off a general admission online purchase or $5 off a general admission purchase at the park. Regular general admission is $36.99 and junior admission (under 48") is $22.99.  Here's the link for the coupon and you can use the coupon code 1067 for the online purchase. Stay cool!

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a pair of tickets to the park to facilitate my review.

E3-Marvel Super Hero Squad Online and Pac Man's 30th Anniversary

You know you're a mom of boys when you look for something in your purse and all you seem to have are legos and a Diego figurine. You also know you're a mom of boys when you find yourself buying $50 video games and supporting multiple video gaming platforms--who said boys are less expensive? Last week I was invited to preview a new MMO from Marvel at E3. Before I was a mom of boys, you could have said MMO and E3 to me till you were blue in the face and I wouldn't have known what you were talking about. Now I know an MMO game is a massively multiplayer online video game which is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously globally. And E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is just about the coolest expo for gaming fanatics out there. I couldn't believe how many people from all sorts of backgrounds were at the event. I walked around the LA Convention Center with a dazed look in my eyes. I kept thinking how much Stewart would have loved to be there and I sent him a text with an image of a game I knew he would absolutely love. I felt like I was part of the club since I was able to recognize the next rendition of games that I've seen Stewart and the boys playing.

Marvel's Super Hero Squad Online

At E3, men and women waited hours at times to play the latest and greatest games. Luckily I didn't have to wait to get an introduction to Marvel's new Super Hero Squad Online coming out in 2011. If you've ever wanted to be a superhero, you can make your dream come true with Marvel's new MMO. You can explore the world of Marvel comics, playing as iconic Marvel Super Heroes like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, members of the The Fantastic Four and the X-Men, and dozen of other Marvel heroes including female characters like the Invisible Woman and Marvel Girl. Every hero has their own signature powers, abilities and even some special surprises.

I really liked the family-oriented universe of Super Hero City. There are no dark undertones like many of the MMOs and your character never dies. Super Hero Squad Online seems like a good place to start if your child is itching to jump into the world of MMOs. The characters are varied enough that the whole family can join and go on missions. I know that H will love it because he was mesmerized by the game poster I brought home from the event. He's already decided he's going to be Spider-Man. I was really surprised by how much he liked the poster and how long he stared at it. I don't know if he was imagining Spidey swinging all over Super Hero City, but it really held his attention. Sometimes I'm really surprised at what will click with the boys, but I should have known a superhero poster would do the trick. I can't wait till the whole family gets to try out the game in the beta phase this fall. Thank you Marvel for the demo and getting me on the floor of E3! 

Wakka. Wakka. Wakka. Pac-Man turns 30!

After my visit to E3, more fun was in store at NAMCO Bandai's 30th Anniversary Party for Pac-Man. My friend Elizabeth and I made our way over to LA Live for the private party. Since it was the same night as game 6 of the NBA Championships, we made sure to watch the clock so we wouldn't get caught up in the craziness at the end of the game. Police were on foot and on horse all around the Staples Center in case the Celtics won and a riot broke out. (I'm really not sure how horses help to control a riot--perhaps the threat of the horse lifting its tail up?) Back to the party--I was really excited to be a part of the celebration of a cultural icon. Through the presentation at the party I learned that Pac-Man has been played more than 10 billion times and was named "best arcade game of all time" by PC World magazine. It's also recognized by Guinness World Records as the "most successful coin-operated game" ever made. The song "Pac-Man Fever" cracked Billboard's top 10 chart in 1982 and Pac-Man himself graced the cover of TIME magazine. Of course it's common knowledge that Pac-Man was originally called Puck-Man in Japan, but the name was changed for obvious reasons when the game was released in the U.S.

The party was about good food (catered by Wolfgang Puck, yum!) and good gaming; all the different Pac-Man games past, present and future were available for us to play on Ipads, Iphones, home gaming consoles, and arcade game machines, even the new Pac-Man Battle Royale. Hollywood Producer Avi Arad took the stage and confirmed the rumors of the new 3-D Pac-Man movie. I didn't see how a movie could be made showing Pac-Man eating the ghosts and the pellets but the trailer, which we watched wearing high-tech 3-D glasses, showed how it could be done. If you love playing Pac-Man as much as I do, one easy place to play is online. I love the Google Doodle (click insert coin to play) game and the many versions of the Pac-Man on Pac-Man's official website. If you're really into Pac-Man and want the whole world to know by driving around in a yellow Pac-Man car, NAMCO Bandai is celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Pac-Man by giving away a 2010 smart fortwo vehicle in the “Win a PAC-MAN Themed Car Sweepstakes!” Wakka Wakka.

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a pass to E3 from Marvel to facilitate my review and an invitation from NAMCO Bandai to the Pac-Man anniversary party to learn more about Pac-Man.

Kinect for XBox 360-Review

One benefit(?) of having boys that fit every boy stereotype is that when there is a video game party, there is a guarantee that will be an afternoon filled with fun and happy boys. (It's also a great bargaining tool--"do you want to go to the video game party? Then stop hitting/biting/kicking your brother!") On Monday we were lucky enough to be invited to preview games on the new Kinect for Xbox 360, formerly known as “Project Natal.” Kinect is the latest development in gaming, no more controller that you might accidentally throw into the TV or fireplace after you make a bad move because YOU are the controller. H&R were bowling, driving, dancing, and pretending to be wild animals all over a very hip penthouse loft in downtown LA. Some of the games they played were Dance Central, Kinectimals, Kinect Sports, and Kinect Joy Ride. I think R had the most fun acting as a back dancer to fellow LA Mom Blogger Bernadette. It's definitely easier when you don't have to worry about landing your feet in the boxes on the foot controller on the floor.

Kinect for Xbox 360 brings roaring rapids, wild tigers, mountainous obstacle courses and zooming racecars to living rooms in North America on Nov. 4 and will roll out to the rest of the world thereafter. Uniquely magical and instantly fun, Kinect for Xbox 360 tracks your body movements and gestures. It even understands your voice. By taking technology out of your hands for the first time, Kinect lets people who have never picked up a game controller join the excitement. See a ball? Just kick it. Want to learn how to dance or get fit? Just follow the moves. With Kinect, all you have to do is be you, no controller required. I think I know what the hot gift will be this winter. Don't tell the boys--hopefully I can delay it as long as possible so it doesn't become a 24 hour video game frenzy during Christmas break. But I know we will definitely be getting one, it's just too cool! Perhaps it can even be the carrot to motivate both of them to be completely potty-trained 24 hours a day.

After the game preview, I left the boys at my sister's place (thanks so much eemo!) and met up with Stewart at USC's Galen Center for a spectacular live performance imagined by Cirque du Soleil to showcase the highlights of Kinect. (Scroll down on the Kinect website to watch a preview of the show.) The anticipation built as we waited in line with another LA Moms Blogger, Amy. When we got inside, we were all handed white ponchos to wear so we could be an interactive part of the audience. The show was pretty neat--we were introduced to all the different aspect of Kinect and the new XBox 360 with visuals. Being shown something is definitely more effective than being inundated with words.

That being said, it's hard to explain in words what the show was like. You definitely felt immersed in the world of XBox 360 and Kinect. It was pretty cool when the elephant first came out (I thought it was real) and the ponchos starting glowing in different colors. The show was televised on Tuesday and I hope it will be televised again so you can catch it. Here is the preview also on youtube. The photos don't even begin to do justice to the experience. Before the event, I read a story about the development of the show in the LA Times and it gave me a greater appreciation of how much work went into the two-night performance.

Microsoft also showcased the new Xbox 360 console. Back in black, the new Xbox 360 is sleek, silent and sexy. Connect in seconds to the always- expanding world of Xbox LIVE through built-in Wi-Fi N and store twice as many games and entertainment on a 250GB hard drive. The newly designed console is whisper-quiet, so the silent tension of a game or movie is never broken. The new Xbox 360 system also comes with everything you need to get started, including an Xbox 360 wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, HDMI input, USB flash drive storage capabilities and more, and a one-year limited warranty on the console, available this week and priced at $299.99 ERP.

If you want to stay up to date with all things Kinect for Xbox 360, the social media links are below. Game On!

Tumblr: www.xboxprojectnatal.tumblr.com
Twitter: @experienceMSFT, hashtags: #XboxKinect, #Sneakpeek, #DRUM, #XboxCirque
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/projectnatalxbox360
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Xbox
YouTube: www.youtube.com/Xbox360info

I did not receive compensation for this post. I was invited to the preview party and Cirque show in order to facilitate my review.

Summer Activities in SoCal-Pretend City, Raging Waters, Barnum's FUNundrum, and more

As the school year winds down, I'm definitely looking for special things to do with my kids. We just celebrated H's 4th birthday so I'm really getting the feeling that this is the last summer of freedom. Next summer he'll definitely be enrolled in all-day pre-K five days a week, and of course there will be summer school or camp every year after that until college (hopefully the service academy in Colorado Springs!). For now, this summer will be about good times and exploring more of Southern California. Over the next couple of months, these are a few of the fun things in store:

1) Pretend City Children's Museum-H missed the special Sid the Science Kid Way to Play event because of preschool so I'll have to make it up to him with another trip to Pretend City in Irvine. He loves all the different rooms that let his imagination run wild, whether it's pretending to shop at Ralph's supermarket or giving someone a check up in the hospital room or serving up a meal at the Middle Eastern cafe. R loves watching the chicks so we'll definitely try to time it to catch another brood after hatching. If you're in the area, we'd love to see you at the next Way to Play Friday, which is the second Friday of every month when the 2-for-1 coupon below applies.

2) Raging Waters in San Dimas-June gloom has been playing tricks with the weather so we haven't been able to go to any water parks yet. Hopefully the minute it officially becomes summer next week, we'll have some sunny days. We're looking forward to making a trip to Raging Waters in San Dimas. Stewart has fond memories of going to the San Jose location when he was young. Kid's Kingdom, a 30,000 square foot water playground with a maze of plastic tubes and tunnels, slip down slides, swinging bars, and waterfalls sounds perfect for H&R. R just reached 36 inches so we'll also be checking out Splash Island Adventure, featuring 12 levels and 75 activities including a 1,000-gallon bucket atop a five-story tower that tips hundreds of gallons of water over the whole attraction every few minutes. Raging Waters is offering Random Mommy readers a discount of $7 off a general admission online purchase or $5 off a general admission purchase at the park. Here's the link for the coupon and you can use the coupon code 1067 for the online purchase.

3) Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey's "Barnum's FUNundrum"-This year The Greatest Show on Earth will feature 130 performers from six continents, almost 100,000 pounds of performing pachyderms, 13 athletes on a Russian bar, seven motorcycle riders in a Globe of Steel, and more clowns that you can see with two eyes. Last year R wasn't old enough to handle the circus. This year he can say the names of the animals and make all their sounds so it'll be interesting to see how he does when he meets an elephant face-to-face at the All Access Pre-show that takes place one hour before show time (FREE with a purchased ticket). H hasn't been to the Ringling Bros. circus so this should definitely elevate his expectations of what going to the circus entails. Random Mommy readers can take advantage of a special multi-ticket discount with a $48 Family Four-Pack Offer on select performances or $4 off single ticket prices on select shows. The discount can be redeemed using the discount code “MOM” online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. Barnum's FUNundrum will perform at STAPLES Center (July 14-18), Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario (July 21-25), and the Honda Center, Anaheim (July 28-Aug 8). 

And last but not least, we're definitely going to schedule in as many events as we can from The Open Daily's list of free days at Los Angeles Museums. So much fun, so little time!

I did not receive any compensation for this post. I did/will receive complimentary tickets to facilitate my past/future review.

The Barnum Award-Nominations Open

As you know, I'm a recent convert to the belief in accessibility of online contests, especially those that aren't random but are based on how a person has been living his/her life. I recently found out about a great way to recognize children who are making a difference in their communities. One person CAN make a difference!
2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the greatest showman of all time, P.T. Barnum, and Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey’s will present “Barnum’s FUNundrum” throughout the Southland this summer as a celebration of his living legacy. In celebration of P. T. Barnum’s bicentennial birthday, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has created The Barnum Award to recognize children whose selfless dedication has made the world a better place. Do you know a child or group of children age 6–14 who have exhibited strength and agility (like the performers pictured from the show) to give back to their community in creative and innovative ways? Three winners will be honored with:

• Tickets for them and their family to the Opening Night performance of The Greatest Show On Earth® at the Honda Center
• A chance to meet the stars of the show
• The Barnum Award ceremony before the show
• A gold, silver or bronze Barnum Award medal
• $1,000, $750 or $500 to be used towards continued public service

You can nominate a child or a group of children between the ages of 6-14 who demonstrate the entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit of P.T. Barnum. Nominating is easy, by answering a few brief questions on the online application at www.thebarnumaward.com. The award ceremony will be on opening night of "Barnum's FUNundrum" at the Honda Center, July 28th.

sootheTIME Snooze Wrap and Snooze Sack GIVEAWAY

CONGRATS TO TEXAN MAMA!  PLEASE RESPOND TO THE EMAIL W/IN 72 HOURS. THANKS EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING! Another fun giveaway coming soon!
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When you're just spent the past 23 hours in labor with your first child and you are covered in sweat and blood, the nurse coming in and doing the show and tell, "this is how you swaddle the baby, 1, 2, 3, it's so easy," goes in one ear and out the other (unless you became temporarily deaf like I did the week before and after my first labor, then you won't hear it at all!). I can't even tell you how many times I cried out in frustration as what I thought was a tight swaddle undid itself seconds after I completed the task. So when I was invited to an afternoon at the Treehouse Social Club to get introduced to sootheTIME and its fool-proof swaddler, I knew I had to see it to believe it. My kids love the Treehouse Social Club so that's another reason why I was willing to make the drive to Beverly Hills.

We were introduced to the company's zzzTIME products, among which was the perfect swaddle blanket, the Snooze Wrap. The feature that sold me on the product is its built-in pressure relief ring for the head that acts both to give the parent or caregiver a target to center the baby every time and to help prevent flat-head syndrome. Anyone whose child has had flat-head for even a couple of months knows how time-consuming it can be to reverse it, even if you don't end up going the helmet route. Another differentiating feature of the product is its comfort belt that keeps the baby warm when you have to change her, minimizing the likelihood of her waking up while you undo the swaddle. NICE!!!! I almost wish I had a new baby so I could test this out on her. Then I am reminded by Terrible Twos R that I need that like I need a hole in the head. But I digress.

We also learned about the Snooze Sack, the wearable blanket for when the baby gets past the swaddle stage. I've had my kids in wearable blankets till they were 18 months old. It was the only way I could keep them from kicking off their blankets. It would be so funny to watch them get out of bed in the morning and shuffle around in the blanket till I unzipped it. The thing the boys didn't like the most about the blankets, though, would be the heat that would build up during the night and make them wake up. The Snooze Sack has comfort vents to release excess heat. It also has the comfort wrap found in the Snooze Wrap, which has helped relieve the symptoms of colic in some babies. Diaper duty is a snap with the convenient Bottom Up Zipper. You can do checks and changes without removing baby from the comfort of the blanket.

I enjoyed learning about sootheTIME and the company's commitment to spreading the word about healthy infant sleep practices that can help keep the whole family well when welcoming brand new babies. As they launch zzzTIME, they'll be working with the best pediatricians in the US and organizations like First Candle and the CJ Foundation to execute a national media campaign about SIDS awareness. One Random Mommy reader can spread the word by winning her very own package consisting of a Stage 1 Snooze Sack and a Stage 1 Snooze Wrap. Both products are for babies 0-3 months. The Snooze Sack is green and the Snooze Wrap is mostly white with green design accents.

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Contest period runs from Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 7:01 PM (Pacific) until Monday, June 14, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Enter by leaving a comment on who is/was the expert swaddler of your kid(s), and leave your e-mail address OR sign in to comments using your Blogger ID, making sure your Blogger profile is public and includes your e-mail address.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1) Follow me on Twitter (it counts if you're already a follower so leave a comment)
2) Tweet this contest (http://tinyurl.com/296jvbm) and leave the tweet url

If you don't leave a qualifying comment and your e-mail address or public Blogger profile, your entry will be disqualified. I reserve the right to extend the contest period. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose the winner. The winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, the prizes will go to the next place winner as decided by Random.org. This contest is open for US Residents only. A huge thank you and much appreciation to sootheTIME for its generosity!

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received product samples that facilitated my review.

International Moms Club-Founder's Day

I moved to Southern California during the summer of 2008. I was transitioning both from working at the office full-time to being an at-home mom and from East Coast to West Coast. I've mentioned the moms club a few times before as being the lifeline that got me through the transition, but it's definitely worth mentioning again for the new readers of my blog. If you a full-time or part-time at-home mom, you and your kids would probably love being a part of the International MOMS Club. It's a support group and play group for at-home moms. My city's local chapter is very active and boasts 90+ moms of every color and walk of life. We meet for playdates with our kids and for our much needed monthly Moms' Night Out. We share about our lives through our message board; swapping doctor notes and tips on great deals on all the kid-related products and programs in our community. There is also an annual meeting called Founder's Day for all the MOMS Clubs in Southern California.

Last year Founder's Day was a very welcome break--it was the first time I spent more than a couple hours away from my younger son. I sat in a hotel banquet hall and ate a meal in its entirety without being interrupted or someone grabbing something from my plate. I listened to Dr. Laura Schlessinger give an inspiring and heart-felt speech on why being an at-home mother was such a valuable contribution to society. It was just the affirmation I needed at that time in my life. I returned home recharged and refreshed, ready to tackle the challenges of being a mom. This year's Founder's Day took a different, but no less special, turn. 700 moms met on the field of battle one Saturday last month in Irvine. Each local branch of the MOMS Club put up their own village to represent the unique aspects of their club. Moms formed teams to go through a fun scavenger hunt, even making up cheers and going on camera to celebrate how excited we were to be a part of the event. Moms also had an opportunity to bid on raffle baskets put together by each local MOMS Club. My club's basket was supported generously by many local and not-so-local sponsors. I was so excited because Lanie-The American Girl of the Year 2010 was donated generously by American Girl as one of the prizes in our raffle basket. I've always wanted an American Girl for myself, but sadly I didn't win. A very lucky mom from one of the Irvine MOMS Clubs was the winner. Next year I'll have to buy more raffle tickets!

My team--the Mai Tai Mamas--was one of the winners of the scavenger hunt and we received a very cool MOMS Club lunch tote as our prize. We returned home tired but the spirit of camaraderie that had been generated by all the time spent together and activities accomplished was well worth the trip. Thank you MOMS Club for being such a rich part of my life!

Sid the Science Kid at Pretend City in Irvine on June 11-GIVEAWAY

CONGRATULATIONS NO 1: SANDRA! SEE YOU TOMORROW!
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A couple of months ago, the boys and I were lucky enough to attend a media event at The Jim Henson Company. Among other things, mom bloggers and I watched the filming of an episode of Sid the Science Kid. It was very cool--you might not want to tell your kids but the person who does the movement for the CGI motion capture and the voice of Sid are two different people. It definitely gave me new respect for how much work goes into making each episode. My boys don't think about think about those things, naturally, they just know that they like watching Sid with his microphone. I'm sure they will be thrilled to meet Sid the Science Kid live when I take them to Pretend City Children's Museum on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a very special Way to Play Day! (To learn more about Way to Play Days at Pretend City head over here.) They already love Pretend City (especially the water play pictured left) so Pretend City + Sid the Science Kid will probably have them seeing stars.

Special activities taking place during Way to Play Day with Sid the Science Kid include:

• VIP viewings of a BRAND NEW Sid the Science Kid episode titled “No School Singalong Special” – this episode will not air until June 21st, so this special event invites your kids to see it first!
• “I’m looking for my friends” sing-along parade with Sid
• Photos with Sid
• Prize giveaways from Sid the Science Kid and Pretend City Children’s Museum
• Special activities with Sid and much more!

Here is a preview clip of the brand new Sid the Science Kid episode.

Good To Go From Head To Toe at Pretend City Children’s Museum will provide one lucky Random Mommy reader with three tickets for this event. In addition you will win a goodie bag and a Sid the Science Kid Gotta Know Microphone. You can also use this special 2-for-1 coupon for admission to the event. Hope to see you there!

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Contest period runs from Friday, June 4, 2010 at 12:01 AM (Pacific) until Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Enter by leaving a comment on why you would love to attend this event, and leave your e-mail address OR sign in to comments using your Blogger ID, making sure your Blogger profile is public and includes your e-mail address. If you don't leave a qualifying comment and your e-mail address or public Blogger profile, your entry will be disqualified. I reserve the right to extend the contest period. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose the winner. The winner will be contacted by e-mail. This contest is open for Southern California Residents only.

Cold Stone Creamery-Review and Father's Day Giveaway

CONGRATS TO WINNERS: 39-Michelle, 11-Parentingbydummies, 16-Thien-Kim, and 24-Amy@selfishmom!
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 I LOVE ice cream. So does everyone in my family, including my in-laws. My mother-in-law gained 5 lbs when she lived in Sweden because she ate ice cream everyday. When you start from a weight of 89 lbs, that's pretty significant. My sister was diagnosed with having too high a calcium level in her blood (didn't even think this was possible for women) so she stopped eating ice cream as meals. I think it's pretty telling when your sister-in-law expects you to have three different kinds in your freezer. And ever since the pediatrician said that ice cream is a good source of calcium (a cup has 20% RDA for kids), my kids have eaten it every day. R was below the 10th percentile for weight and refused to drink milk when this started so we were happy to find something fatty with calcium we could give him. If weight ever becomes an issue with the boys, we'll stop, don't worry!

Cold Stone Creamery was one of my favorite companies at the LA Mom Blogger Event in April, so I was thrilled when the opportunity came up to taste Chocolate Peanut Butter, the June flavor of Cold Stone's Gold Cone Collection, super-premium ice cream line. I half expected it to taste like the ice cream version of a certain chocolate peanut butter candy that comes in pieces, but it was much better. It actually tasted like chocolate and real peanut butter, yum! I love real peanut butter (the kind that has two ingredients: peanuts and salt) and that's the flavor that came through, which is pretty amazing scientifically since freezing peanut butter makes it too hard to eat. Then the oils separate upon thawing turning whatever you made into a goopy mess. I don't know how Cold Stone got around this problem, but whatever they did, they produced one delicious ice cream. Stewart and the boys loved it from first bite like I did so I had to hide it in the garage freezer so they wouldn't eat it all in one day. (If you didn't already know, every Korean family with space for one has a garage fridge to hold the dried anchovies and fish they bring back from trips to Korea.)

In honor of Father's Day, Cold Stone Creamery will give FOUR lucky Random Mommy readers $25 gift cards so they can have the chance to taste the June Cold Cone flavor (perhaps as the Chocolate Peanut Butter Creation pictured to the right, which is Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream mixed with brownies, fudge and peanut butter) or maybe treat dad to the Cold Stone Father’s Day cake (which will be made with the Oreo Creme Filling ice cream I tried at the blogger event). In addition to the giveaway, everyone is a winner in June because E! Online is celebrating 20 years of E! with a coupon (available only for a limited time) for 20% off any Cold Stone purchase (scroll down to find the coupon link).

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:  Contest period runs from Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 12:01 AM (Pacific) until Monday, June 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Enter by leaving a comment on why your husband/partner/father is a super dad, and leave your e-mail address OR sign in to comments using your Blogger ID, making sure your Blogger profile is public and includes your e-mail address.

Bonus Entries (leave a separate comment for each entry)
1) Follow me on Twitter (it counts if you're already a follower so leave a comment)
2) Tweet this contest (http://tinyurl.com/2bap2dp) and leave the tweet url
3) Follow Cold Stone Creamery on Twitter
4) Become a fan of Cold Stone Creamery on Facebook

If you don't leave a qualifying comment and your e-mail address or public Blogger profile, your entry will be disqualified. I reserve the right to extend the contest period. At the end of the contest period, I will utilize Random.org to randomly choose the FOUR winners. Winners will be contacted by e-mail. Winners have 72 hours to respond to my e-mail. If the winners do not respond within 72 hours, the prizes will go to the next place winner(s) as decided by Random.org. This contest is open for US Residents only. A huge thank you and much appreciation to Cold Stone Creamery for its generosity!

I did not receive compensation for this post. I received a product sample in order to facilitate my review.