Free LeapPad Apps

So I stumbled upon these coupon codes for free LeapPad Apps, and I figured I should share them with you!

How to redeem the codes:
Click on "LeapPad Home". Once you are in the connect software, click on "Go to App Center". On the right hand tool bar, there's a gold button that says redeem code, click it. Enter these codes, one at a time, and it will upload straight to your child's Leap Pad.

Free eBook: "The Book of Super Awesome Stuff":
5813 1140 1518 1413


Free "Alphabet Soup" Game:
5813 0790 4610 4973


Have fun!!

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Mad Science KNOW "Science Magazine for Curious Kids" Review

As a mom of a gifted child I struggle on a daily basis to find things that work for my son. From mathematics, to science, to sports and recreation, every thing that happens in our life I evaluate to see if I think it will pass my son's high standards.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you may have noticed that we've had some problems with the public school system. Last year, academically speaking, he spent bored, reading the same material he had in previous years, completing monotonous work that really taught him nothing. Education wasn't fun, or engaging, and I felt that he needed a change. This year, he's attending a new school with higher standards of curriculum, and he's excited about experiencing new things. He hates being the "new kid", but we're working on that.

When he was younger, we purchased a magazine subscription for him to encourage creative thinking, and thinking outside the box. He enjoyed it for the most part, but craved something more. I had no idea that anything like that existed, until I was presented an opportunity to review the Canadian magazine, KNOW, from Mad Science Publications. Although at first skeptical about a science magazine for kids, I became more excited about reviewing this magazine the more I learned about it.

KNOW is a science magazine for children ages 6-9, which is perfect for my 7 year old. KNOW News brings kids up to date on the latest discoveries and newest inventions; Alex loves creating and inventing, and even has his own invention book.

The 'Science in Action' section covers real scientists working in a field related to the topic or theme of the issue. I love the fact that my son can see a real-life application of science in the world today. The articles are age-appropriate, colorful and fun, and packed with oodles of information for your budding scientist.


One of the best parts, one that sets this magazine apart from others, (aside from delighting in the way my son seems to absorb all of the information from the pages), is the fact that KNOW magazine is free from outside advertising. Yes, you read that right. No ads for noisy, cheap toys, designer shoes, or cartoons with the social skills of a rock. This magazine is full of intelligent, coherent, well-formed stories, articles, comics and illustrations, hands-on experiments, and fun for you and your child.

As your child matures and their love of science grows, Mad Science also offers YES MAG. YES MAG is geared for kids 10-15 and delivers information on technology, biology, archaeology/palaeontology, Earth science, and scientists.

I am excited and eager to see future publications, and as of right now, my only negative critique is that this magazine is only published 6 times per year, simply because my son craves more! While browsing their site, I learned that you can purchase previous issues, and they even have a clearance section loaded with educational books and past issues.. so who knows- maybe Santa will drop a few under the tree this year, as well!

I know that science is not every child's forte, but I truly believe that as the world grows and changes our children need to become more excited about science. Utilizing tools such as KNOW and YES MAG may just be the fire we need to ignite that passion for learning.


"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by  Mom Central on behalf of Mad Science and received the products necessary to  facilitate my review. In addition, I received a gift certificate to thank me  for taking the time to participate."

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Lafayette Puzzle Factory + Crayola= Super Fun for Kids! (And Educational, too!)

As a mom of a gifted child, I am always struggling to find toys that engage my son. It's hard to find the perfect balance of fun and educational, and many of the toys on the market are either 'fun' OR 'educational' no matter how hard the manufacturers try to hit both marks, I've found very few that have succeeded skillfully. Until now.

Over the summer I was introduced to the brand new Crayola Chalkboard USA Floor Puzzle. Manufactured by the Lafayette Puzzle Factory, this colorful floor puzzle is perfect for kids of any age to help assemble, although it's marked ages 6+. The 48 large pieces are perfect for little hands and young puzzle enthusiasts, but make for a very large puzzle. At 2'x3', it's perfect on the play room floor.

The kids loved that they could doodle all over it, and we loved the fact that it provides an excellent opportunity to have fun (while learning the names of the states, locations of the states, and distance between various locations), and get excited about learning about the USA!


The entire surface of this puzzle can be written on with chalk, although some of the colors are better than others. My only "con" with this item is that it only comes with one piece of chalk, so as soon as the kids opened it, they started arguing about who's chalk it was. Thankfully, we use a lot of sidewalk chalk, so I grabbed another colored piece, and we were good to go.

My husband and son enjoyed playing "Guess the State" and then we, (READ: My Husband and I) got into a very competitive round of who could name the most states from across the room. Then it continued to how many state capitals we could name. (I won that, hands down!) Abbie loved learning that Idaho makes potatoes, that Vermont is where we get our syrup from, and that Indiana is where the Lafayette Puzzle Factory is! Alex loved pointing out all of the different states that we have family in, and measuring the distance between them. Since then, he's started memorizing the capitals, and has even engaged in some pretend play with his sister (pretending he's a teacher, but still, pretending!), which is totally not his norm.

We had so much fun playing with this during the overly-rainy-summer, and still do! Very rarely do we have a puzzle last for longer than a week or two in our house, but this one has survived our super-hard-testers, (and our disorganized lives), which is why it has earned our "MUST HAVES" badge.

The Crayola Chalkboard Floor Puzzle is available with three different backgrounds, Playground Fun, Space Zone, and USA Map. The Playground Fun and Space Zone puzzles look as though they have less room to doodle on, but still look fun to play with overall. The Crayola Chalkboard Floor Puzzle has also received the 2010 Puzzle of The Year award from Creative Child Magazine.

I could see all three of these puzzles, (but more-so the map of the USA), being used in classrooms all over the world. Home schoolers or moms on the go could still get great pleasure over watching kids get excited about learning about their country, and have a blast expressing themselves artistically as well. You should start to see these products on the shelves of your local Toys R Us this fall.

Our new friends at Lafayette Puzzle Factory have offered one Chalkboard Floor Puzzle as a prize to one lucky 4BabyAndMom reader!


This giveaway is open to residents of the US. This giveaway will end on September 19, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Please include a valid email address in your comment. If we cannot find a way to contact you we will not, we will choose another winner. We do try to email all winners, but due to the volume of giveaways offered on our site, delays can be expected. If you catch your name before we email you, please feel free to contact us first. :) Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. This product was provided to me at no cost by the Lafayette Puzzle Factory. As always, what you have read is strictly the opinion of 4BabyAndMom. Your opinions may differ.


CONGRATULATIONS!

Please refer to the WINNERS POST for more information on how to claim your prize.

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Jumpstart Online Provides Educational Fun for PreK-age 10! Review + GIveaway!

About a year ago our family was introduced to JumpStart, an online educational program for children from preschool through about 6 years of age. When we first reviewed JumpStart, my son loved it. He went on for about 6 months almost daily.. and then it slowly faded. He went on every now and then, when the themes changed because of a holiday, or because he wanted to play on the computer. He loved seeing the new changes, but the educational games were not so educational for him any more. As a gifted kid, he runs into that problem often.


When summer began, on rainy days or 'boring' days Alex started visiting again, and noticed there were tons of changes. You can have a pet dragon now, (when I visited with him earlier, it was sleeping!), and there are more areas on the map. The Jumpeez (avatars, computer people, characters) can interact with their pet dragon and go through these different areas and worlds ('like Future Land and Story Land', Alex says), on learning adventures. MarineLand, FutureLand, and Uncle Milton’s Amazing Science Land are the new lands, and Alex says 'they're pretty cool', too.

I love hearing him play on JumpStart, and I love listening to him teach Abbie the new worlds. She's starting to get really good at the computer (now that her big brother has given her the ability to work on it alone) and enjoys her little Jumpeez too! The names of the Jumpeez are anonymous and fictional, and always gets a giggle from her as it pops up over her character's head, which is new to her!

Today, we got a "mission" as we signed on, and both of the kids were so excited!

They had to go and find pieces of a treasure map in order defeat an evil Sorcerer that is trying to take all of the energy from JumpStart.

They were even more upset when I told them that they could do their mission tomorrow, as it was bed time.

One of Alex's favorite places on the JumpStart map is the Stadium. At the Stadium, kids can go and play either football, volleyball or basketball (all with an educational twist!). The only thing Alex says that he doesn't like is the fact that they don't have soccer. Overall, he does enjoy all of the new upgrades they have done, and honestly has the desire to play every single day again. He's excited about it, and as a mom, that makes me excited.

I have a tendency to want to try all of the games my kids play, and before they played JumpStart for the very first time screened it completely. That said- I tried playing the volleyball game at level three today, and it was CRAZY! Even though the words are not hard it's like mind-hand-eye coordination at it's finest. Of course, if I wasn't still sick, and had a mouse for my laptop, it may have been easier.. but I digress!

I love the fact that you can link your Facebook account with your JumpStart account, so you can keep track of your kid's progress on Facebook, earn extra coins and meet up with friends (using top-secret-buddy codes to locate them).  If you prefer the traditional way, you can see your child's progress right in your email, or on your account page at JumpStart.com.

The bottom line is, now that Alex is older and brighter, he's found a place that he's familiar with to fit into his world that's both educational and fun. It's fun enough to keep him coming back to it, and once again, advanced enough that he can really learn and sharpen his skills on the educational side of it. The boy is happy, and mom is happy- win, win!

Speaking of winning... Our very good friends at JumpStart have offered one lucky reader their chance to score a 6 month paid subscription to JumpStart online!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER!!

Please refer to our WINNERS PAGE for more information on how to claim your prize!

This giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada. This giveaway will end on August 15, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE and on this post. Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. Disclosure: I received a membership to JumpStart to review at no cost. This did not affect my opinion of the product and any opinions expressed are 100% that of 4BabyAndMom. Your experience with these products, website and companies may differ.

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Sing and Learn Spanish DVD for Children Review + Giveaway

A Second Language is No Big Thing
When All You Have to Do to Learn is Sing!
DVD Release Date:  March 23, 2010

Running Time:  27 minutes
Recommended age: 3 and up

ABOUT THE DVD:

Music and songs have often played an important role in the educational development of young children.  And with the growing importance and relevance of knowing a second language, particularly Spanish, in today’s multicultural society, it’s never been a more crucial time to learn. It’s also never been easier thanks to Sing and Learn Spanish, Sing and Learn More Spanish and Sing and Learn English, available on DVD March 23, 2010 from Master Communications.

Sing and Learn is an engaging and effective tool, whether teaching a second language – in this case, Spanish – or preserving it as a native language at home.  Developed by Agnes Chavez, a language expert, teacher and producer of Spanish DVDs, the DVDs have been proven to teach Spanish to children the fun and easy way.  Children are constantly exposed to multicultural rhythms from around the world and Sing and Learn capitalizes on that, bringing Salsa, Cumbia and Ranchera music to life in these videos while showing youngsters engaged in fun, everyday activities.

In Sing and Learn Spanish, children learn about Los Animales (Animals); Del Jardín (From the Garden); Mi Casa (My House); ¿Qué Hacen? (What Do They Do?); ¿Qué Tiene tu Cuerpo? (What Does Your Body Have?); ¿Qué Buscas? (What Are You Looking For?); ¿Adónde Vas? (Where Are You Going?); and ¿Cuál Es? (Which is it?).

MY REVIEW:
I'll be honest, when I first received the opportunity to review this product I was excited. However, when I got the DVD in the mail, I was a little worried. The cover kind of threw me off, with it's 70's and 80's style bland-ness, but I quickly learned that you shouldn't judge a DVD by it's cover. I watched this DVD with my 7 year old and 4 year old, and thought it was very good. The DVD is broken down into the themes mentioned above; each theme starts off with a song in Spanish. The children liked the fact that there was a picture of a dog, and the narrator would say "el perro" and the word in Spanish was on the screen. My children tend to like "See, hear, learn" types of programs, whether on the computer or on DVD format.

What a lot of people don't realize is that I am Hispanic. As a child I spent a lot of time with my mother's side of the family who would sit around and speak fluent Spanish the majority of the day, and eventually broke it down and learned bits and pieces as the years progressed. I took many years of Spanish class, and at one point in time wanted to work in some sort of bi-lingual setting or situation. I loved it, loved speaking it, loved understanding it. When my grandmother passed away, the family stopped speaking Spanish as often as they used to, and after we moved 1500 miles away, long days and family get-togethers started dwindling and the afternoons of eating arroz con pollo y frijoles negro (chicken & rice with black beans) were long gone.


Occasionally, I make some ethnic food for my family, and when Alex was little I used to speak randomly to him in Spanish, but unfortunately the lack of conversation (in Spanish) with others around me often made me uncertain. Rarely do I speak Spanish at home now, but occasionally I try to teach both the English and Spanish names for common items, foods or animals.


Alex was excited while watching this DVD that he remembered several of the Spanish translations. Abbigaile thought that most of them sounded funny, but she tried her hardest to repeat the Spanish words. Alex thought that "Spanish was weird because of all of the extra letters" but I explained to him the best I could the difference between an "r" and "rr" in Spanish.


Although the DVD is only 27 minutes long, I hope that the exposure to it might encourage me and the children to start using some Spanish around the house again. Your child is not going to watch this DVD and become a Spanish speaking super star, however to use this DVD as a tool to instill common items and vocabulary is a great step in the right direction. It's a great way to reinforce lessons learned in preschool through elementary school, and even comes with a teacher's guide- which is perfect for homeschooling parents or Early Childhood Educators. The child friendly methods of displaying real life items in real situations gives your child the association they need for the words to really stick. It's nice to have an alternative for exposure to the Spanish language than just Dora and Diego.


WANT IT?

Sing and Learn titles are appropriate for children ages three and older and have running times of approximately 27 minutes each. SRP is $19.99 for each title in the series. For more information or to order DVDs, call 1-800-765-5885 or visit www.master-comm.com.

WIN IT!
One lucky winner will get a copy of Sing & Learn Spanish for their family!

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Please refer to our WINNERS PAGE for information on how to claim your prize!

This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. This giveaway will end on March 27, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen using Random.org, and all winner information will be posted on our WINNERS PAGE. Any unclaimed prizes will be redrawn accordingly and at the discretion of 4BabyAndMom. Disclaimer: I received this product to review at no cost from the PR firm representing Master Communication. I received no monetary compensation for this review, and any opinions expressed are 100% my own. Your experience with this product may differ.

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Richard Scarry Busytown Mysteries on CBS Saturday Mornings!

Saturday Mornings will never be the same!

When I was younger, I remember having a Richard Scarry book or two. In fact, I remember having this cool little Apple Car toy with Lowly in it.. I used to take that thing every That feels like forever ago, but last Saturday morning my memories came flooding back when I noticed that BUSYTOWN MYSTERIES was on CBS!

The Busytown Mysteries series follows the lives of the most beloved Scarry characters, lead by Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm, as they solve the many every day mysteries of Busytown. Where is Mr. Frumble’s pickle car? The Busytown kids will find out! How can they help a lost parrot find its owner? Leave it to Huckle and friends to solve the case! Busytown Mysteries engages children with fun storylines and lovable characters, while introducing them to deductive reasoning skills. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?

The half-hour program is made up of two 11-minute stories per episode. You can watch Busytown Mysteries on CBS weekend mornings in the Cookie Jar TV block of children's programming. To check when the series is airing in your area, click here for the schedule.

Busytown also entertains and educates fans at home with the fun, interactive website BusytownMysteries.com where kids can explore different neighborhoods in Busytown, interact with the Busytown characters and play 14 games and activities designed for preschoolers, including interactive games, a Fan Club and “My First Email,” which lets little ones email their progress to pre-approved friends and family addresses.

Richard Scarry’s books have sold over 150 million copies and have been translated into 30 languages over the last 40 years. If you grew up reading these books, you can now share the fun with your children watching brand new TV series check out all of the Busytown fun online at their comprehensive website BusytownMysteries.com.

The kid's experience: Alex was intrigued at the storyline and mysteries Huckle was trying to solve. Abbigaile enjoyed watching it- although the story line was a little "above" her age range, she thought it was hysterical, and even guessed where Lowly's Apple Car was before Huckle solved the mystery. The both of them sat and watched the episodes, and were excited to see them again.

We haven't had an opportunity to visit the BusytownMysteries website yet, but from the poking around that I was doing the other night, I can tell you I forsee Alex having a lot of fun on the website. I love the fact that even though the show is entertaining, it's educational. Finally, quality children's programming, real life lessons, and a cartoon that makes children think- THANK YOU CBS for listening to parents!



Thank you to the One2One Network for providing our family with a DVD copy of Busytown Mysteries, and for allowing us to post our review on this entertaining new show. By posting this review, I have been entered to win one of 3 Visa/Mastercard giftcards. This does not affect my opinion, as it is just that- my opinion. Your experience may differ.

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IBW-Books Review and Giveaway!

Early literacy is the key to success. You will hear me say this many times over the course of a year, especially when I find a great book, program, or activity that encourages children to read, and have fun while reading.

Recently, 4BabyAndMom was given the opportunity to review IBW-Books. Over the summer, my goal was to help Alex with writing. He has such an inventive imagination, but hates to write. He can write, but as a gifted child, he gets very frustrated because he can read these enormous words but when he writes and mis-spells a word, doesn't want to complete the task at hand because he knows it's just not right.

Interactive Book Webscenes allow for children, parents and teachers to explore and expand the lesson beyond the words of the book. I personally feel that IBW books would be great assets for home-school moms, and a great tool to encourage creative writing. For our family, that was exactly what I used the IBW books we received with Alex for.

At one particular webscene, a little lost bee meets a bear on a bike, we stopped reading the book and I asked him to brainstorm and tell me what he thought was going to happen next to "Wee Bee". Alex actually stopped for a moment to think and then told me his whole theory. I asked for him to draw me a picture, and write a couple of sentences under it, and he did! It was the first time all summer that he wrote willingly.

I love the fact that the IBW-Books are in both English and Spanish, as we are trying to build the childrens bilingual vocabulary little by little, and own very few books in Spanish. The webscenes are even in Spanish as well, which help to reinforce the key words we are learning or concentrating on.

Both Alex and Abbie enjoyed the IBW-Books that we received to review, and I look forward to seeing what new titles become available. Also, if you're looking for a new way to earn some extra money from home, IBW-Books offers a work-at-home sales position selling their fun and educational books!

Want it?
Visit IBW-Books.com and order now to take advantage of the save 75% for 75 days sale! This fabulous sale ends on September 30th.

WIN IT!
Our friends at IBW-Books have offered one 4BabyAndMom reader their chance to EITHER:

The Busy Preschooler’s Guide to Learning – fun activities built around the 26 letters of the alphabet, with step-by-step help to guide parents in how to use everyday situations to teach 105 skills their kids need before they walk in the kindergarten door.(Retail value $60.)

-OR-

THREE (3)KA Readers – beginning readers that use a new kind of storytelling where kids see an animation unfold at the close of every chapter! Dr. Seuss-like rhyming hooks kids on the fun of words. Online activities help parents assess a child’s reading and comprehension. (Retail value $60.)

Here's How:
Visit IBW-Books.com and find something that interests you about the company, a particular product, or the business opportunity. Come back here and tell me about it, and why YOU want to win!

Extra Entries:

• Become a FAN of 4BabyAndMom on Facebook. Leave a message on my wall, and then tell me here.
  
• Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count, & your comment will be deleted. Please include email in your comment.
• Follow 4BabyAndMom on Twitter and tweet about this review & giveaway. You may tweet something on your own or R/T: "Make reading fun with IBW books online, at home or in the classroom! WIN books now @4BabyAndMom http://bit.ly/7SUeS Ends 9/18 #IBW" Leave the link to EACH tweet in your comment, please. (Up to 3x/day, please!)
• Grab our button and post it on your sidebar or blog roll. Please include link.
  
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• Fave this post on Technorati and leave comment with your ID/link.

This giveaway is open to residents of US & Canada and will end on September 18th, at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Special thanks to IBW-Books for sponsoring this review and giveaway.

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Barney Book Fair Review and Giveaway!

I have a confession to make. It's rather serious. In fact, it's something that I swore I would never do.. long before the plus sign.. I swore that I would never be a Barney Mom.

My confession is, that not only do my kids adore the big purple dinosaur, but so do I! I love the way the songs and dances captivate the children's attention, the morals and lessons in the stories are wholesome and appropriate, and that I never need to worry about hearing or seeing anything that might make me (or the kids) uncomfortable.

My niece is about 11 years old, and I remember when she was little, how she knew every word and every dance move to every Barney song ever. After Alex was born, the thought of Barney made me shudder, because I couldn't envision listening to him all day the way my sister had with my niece. Alex was about 11 months old and I had a moment where he was starting to chip away at my nerves. The only thing I could think of was Barney. I figured it was worth a shot, so I put it on, and instantaneously he stopped his whining, and complaining, and stared in awe at the purple dinosaur dancing on the screen.

It was absolutely amazing, and from that moment on, I became a Barney Mom. My son loved Barney, and watched every episode, the first full length movie he ever sat through was Barney's Great Adventure. Although it didn't contain the normal fun, educational content, it was a cute movie for a child who loved Barney as much as he did. I grew over the last 6 and a half years, and now sing and dance along to every song with the kids, and enjoy being a Barney Mom!

Now that he's older, he'd never admit it, but he still likes to watch Barney.. Abbie has followed her brothers footsteps and lights up with glee as soon as the first note starts to play.

Recently, we were able to review several Barney DVD new and upcoming releases including, Sharing is Caring, Barney's Jungle Friends, and Barney Book Fair, a new DVD + Book Collection.

From the press release:
Barney’s^™ friends are holding a book drive in the park and you’re invited to attend in Barney’s Book Fair available on DVD since July 14, 2009 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. This special DVD release packages a full-length DVD inside the custom-sized reprint of the 20-page hardcover Barney storybook, Count to 10, for a low SRP of $14.98. Little ones will love the combination of Barney fun, on screen and on the page, and moms will love the incredible value!

Trusted by moms and adored by children, Barney^™ displays sharing, caring, imagining, dancing and learning on television, online and through live events, home entertainment and publishing. The Emmy award-winning series, Barney and Friends^™ changed the face of children’s programming when it first launched and continues to be one of the top-rated preschool shows today, airing on PBS KIDS^® and PBS KIDS Sprout^SM.

DVD SYNOPSIS

Every time the kids in the park open a book, a new tale begins in Barney’s Book Fair DVD. Reading helps their imaginations grow and inspires the kids to build a make-believe rocket, put on a circus and create their own books.

Using bright, bold colors and a simple story line for young eyes, Barney’s Count to 10 storybook will excite even the youngest readers to count to 10 again and again!

Want it?
Visit your local movie store or visit the HIT Entertainment Shop to purchase your copy of Barney's Book Fair DVD, and other great titles from characters you know and love. Plus, right now, save with Free Shipping on orders over $49!

WIN IT!
Thanks to HIT entertainment, one lucky reader will have the chance to win a copy of Barney's Book Fair DVD + Book!

Here's How:

Visit the HIT website for some free games, printables and more and while you're there sign up for the newsletter. Tell me after you've confirmed your newsletter subscription!

Extra Entries:

• Become a FAN of 4BabyAndMom on Facebook. Leave a message on my wall, and then tell me here.
  
• Subscribe via e-mail. Your email must validate or it will not count, & your comment will be deleted. Please include email in your comment.
• Follow 4BabyAndMom on Twitter and tweet about this review & giveaway. You may tweet something on your own or R/T: "I just entered to win BARNEY'S BOOK FAIR DVD+BOOK @4BabyAndMom! Contest ends 9/5 http://bit.ly/nhfdo #Barney" Leave the link to EACH tweet in your comment, please. (Up to 3x/day, please!)
• Grab our button and post it on your sidebar or blog roll. Please include link.
  
• Post about this giveaway on your blog or website! Please include a link to 4BabyAndMom in your blog post. Add the link to your post on your comment.
  
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• Email at least 3 of your friends and CC 4BabyAndMom [at] gmail [dot] com
• Fave this post on Technorati and leave comment with your ID/link.

This giveaway is open to residents of US & Canada and will end on September 5th, at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Special thanks to Andrea Blain Public Relations Inc. and HIT Entertainment for sponsoring this review and giveaway.

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Cloud B Twilight Sea Turtle Review and Giveaway!

My kids used to go to bed with no problem. Lately, they've wanted night lights. I hate traditional night lights, I feel that they are a fire hazard, and often kids climb out of bed to play with something that's plugged into a wall. My husband's an electrician, and he agrees traditional night lights are just no good. My son is a science geek in training, and loves the stars, and even has a telescope, so I knew when I found Cloud B and the Twilight Sea Turtle that we were in luck!

We received our beautiful Twilight Sea Turtle, and immediately the kids wanted to tear it out of the package. The green and blue turtle comes with a story book about the endangered species that are illustrated on the shell of this sleepy time turtle. There are three buttons on the rear end of the turtle that control the light features. The single circles of endangered species light up individually every time you push the fish button, the blue and green buttons allow the lights shine through and illuminate your child's ceiling with constellations.

It is not a squishy-lovey type toy, but my daughter was carrying around the turtle non stop for the first three or four days. My son loves hitting both the blue and green buttons and seeing the whole room in stars. The only thing that would make this turtle even cooler is if it was offered with a sound button to play rolling waves, or whale sounds or something of the like. The simplicity of the turtle makes it easy for Abbie to love and operate, and the illuminated sky in their room makes bed time that much easier.

Want it?
Head over to Cloud B and view their many sleepy time animals and pick out your favorite one!

Win it!
Our friends at Cloud B have offered one lucky reader the chance to win their very own Twilight Sea Turtle!

Here's How! (mandatory entry)
Head over to Cloud B and browse their selection of tools that help babies and children fall asleep. Fan Cloud B on Facebook, and then come back here and tell me which product you love best!

Extra Entries:

• Follow 4BabyAndMom AND Cloud_B on Twitter and tweet about this contest. Please re-post "Twilight Sea Turtle Review and Giveaway~Ends 5/18 http://bit.ly/PHsb @4BabyAndMom @Cloud_B" on your tweet!
• Follow 4BabyAndMom and add our button to your site, include link in your comment!
• Subscribe to our Email feed!
  
• Blog about this contest and include a link to 4BabyAndMom. Post your blog link in your comment, please. (3 Extra Entries for this one!)
  
• Email at least three of your friends and CC: 4BabyAndMom {at} gmail {dot} com
• Fave this post on Technorati, Stumble this post, or DIGG this post, include link if possible.

This contest ends on May 18th, 2009 at midnight, EST. Winner will be chosen at Random, using Random.org. Winner will be announced on May 20th. Special thanks to Cloud B for sponsoring this great giveaway!

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Eco-Friendly, Frunchy, Educational- Children's Music? Bobs & Lolo Review and Giveaway!

Children's music lately has been saturated with and abundance of "knock-off" popular mainstream music, and frankly, is starting to drive me crazy! The classic three note songs of blind mice, boats and stars get old super quickly in my house, and there's only so much Mouse type music I can handle. Searching for music for my kids that meet all of my criteria (educational, fun, easy for Mommy to listen to), has been a super pain, and my children usually just listen to the sounds of each other singing their ABC's. Then I found the music of Bobs & Lolo!
You would expect to hear the catchy tunes of Bobs & Lolo in between Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Little Einsteins, but not yet! The Canadian Duo have recently debuted on Treehouse TV (February 6th) and they currently have three CD's, and one entrancing DVD available on the market. Since we received our package from Bobs & Lolo, my kids haven't stopped singing and dancing! Abbigaile's favorite song is Raindrop Pop, or "My Raindrop?!" This song teaches about how the rain helps to feed the trees, and how the water cycle works- in a fun and exciting toddler tune! Alexzander loves Right Track, a song about friendship, and we even "Choo-choo" with our arms around the house, or in the car. *My* favorite is the Litterbug Jive, a story of a litter bug named Clyde and how he turns his bad habits into something great! Brian thinks the songs are wonderful- but that we've all gone too green for his liking. Don't be fooled, the other evening when I walked in the door from running errands, he was singing a song while he was loading the dishes!Bobs & Lolo not only have great music, but exceptional customer service. I emailed them with some questions and they responded super quick, and super sweet! Our package even came with some Bobs & Lolo stickers and temporary tattoos, which my kids tore into right away. I am so excited to share Bobs & Lolo with my readers, and my friends, (seriously- if you knew me in real life, you'd know I do *not* get excited about children's music- EVER!).

WANT IT? Check out the official Bobs & Lolo webpage for samples of their albums, and to find the retailer nearest you!

WIN IT! Lorraine & Robyn, the voices behind Bobs and Lolo have offered 4 Baby And Mom readers their chance to win a Bobs & Lolo Gift Pack!

Here's how!

• Head over to Bobs & Lolo and sample their music. Let me know which song is your favorite!
• Go to Bobs & Lolo's blog, and subscribe to stay in touch and find out when new and exciting things are happening by you, and with them!
  
• Blog about this contest on your website and mention 4BabyAndMom!
  
• Add our button to your sidebar!
  
• Email this post to at least three other friends and CC us at 4BabyAndMom [at] gmail [dot] com!
  
• Tweet, Digg, Technorati or Stumble this giveaway, please include the link! (As much as you want, more than 1x per day is a-ok!Just make another comment and link back!)
  
• Follow this blog and/or subscribe for our feeds!
  
• You get an extra entry in ALL of our giveaways if you follow the directions in this post!!

Special thanks to Bobs & Lolo for sponsoring day #17 of our Fabulous February Fiesta!

Fine Print: Please include your email or contact information in your comments. YOU MUST post separate comments for each one of the tasks above that you complete. This drawing ends Friday 2/20/09 at 11:59pm EST. Any comments posted after that time will be deleted. If you post one reply saying you did all methods of entry, you will only receive 1 valid entry. One lucky winner will be selected using Random.org. Winner will be announced on Sunday, 2/23. Any questions, please click on the Contact Us button on our sidebar. Thank you for participating!

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