Colorful robot characters on oversized flash cards are taking learning to read to a new level by helping emerging readers to comprehend nearly four dozen sounds created from the 26-letter English alphabet. The robots are called the Alphabotz, and when youngsters dive into the Superphonic Decoder Cards, they grasp the idea that letters equal sounds, sounds build words, and words tell amazing stories.

That’s the equation for making learning and reading fun, and the inventors behind the Alphabotz felt so compelled to bring their unique, and as it has turned out award-winning, concept to reality that they found a way to do it, despite the challenging economy for starting a new business. Designed for children ages 3+, these 46– 10″ x 4.5″ Alphabotz character cards are colorful, sturdy, and packaged in a sliding drawer box for easy storage.

The Alphabotz are the brainchild of Pat Vining, a mom of two and longtime elementary- and university-level educator. She perceived that a technically sound, multi-strategy approach to reading that was also fun and engaging for children was missing from the marketplace. So like many smart mom inventors, she decided to team up with former colleagues who had complementary skills to hers and a belief in her concept and started a business, Ideopolis LLC. Ideopolis is made up of Kelly Barton, partner for many years with Pat in a strategic design and communications firm, Kelly’s husband, Randy Barton, a chemical engineer with a lifelong entrepreneurial itch; and Nicole Sigsby, their marketing guru.

Let’s face it – phonics can be confusing and daunting to beginning readers. But not with the Alphabotz, whose visual clues, fun characters and stats show youngsters how to use decoding keys when coming across new word patterns. Each Superphonic Decoder Card contains a robot character who wears a letter or letter team on its chest and an icon on its head that serve as constant visual references to the sound the character represents. Each card also contains stats about the character that tell a story about its life and personality in order to make the sounds memorable and aid in development of letter recognition and phonemic awareness skills.

How would you like to win a set of Alphabotz for your child?  They are appropriate for children ages 3 and up.

Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Visit the Alphabotz site and look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment telling me something you learned while visiting their site.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on December14th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on December 15th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

Current Giveaways:

CitiBlocs Giveaway- win a set of 54 red and blue CitiBlocs or 52 pieces of natural CitiBlocs.  Ends 11/27

Shrinky Dinks Giveaway- win your choice of one of the following: Wild West, Tiki Island, Enchanted Kingdom, Circus Jubilee or Christmas.  Ends 11/28

Upcoming Giveaways:

• An item of your choice from FeltTales or the WJ Fantasy line.
• Alphabotz
• iGo Charge Anywhere
• Madeline or Genevieve doll
• HABA game of your choice
• $50 Gift Code for Maukilo
• Tier Toys Noah’s Ark

So as you can see I have some exciting giveaways coming up!  Be sure to stay tuned

Joobli’s Fun Packs come in a handy package that includes a foldout poster, 32+ original images for tracing, 6 sheets of shrinkable plastic, foolproof make-and-bake instructions and 8 ball chains to make bag tags. Shrinky Dinks is an amazing tool for budding artists with just four easy steps: trace, color, cut and bake.

When it’s birthday time or planning a sleepover, grab the Joobli Party Pack, priced at $18.95. Featuring the same four themed kits, each party package includes themed invitations and envelopes, a themed poster to decorate the party room (and get youngsters’ creative juices flowing), 32 original images for tracing, 8 ball chains for guests to make party favors and Shrinky Dinks sheets for 8 friends. Trace, color, cut and bake resulting in a memorable party complete with artistic favors to bring home.

Joobli Studio is a boutique toy development company with a passion for art and design. We develop entertaining products that inspire kids and families to incorporate imagination and creative play into their daily experiences.

I think that the Shrinky Dinks are the perfect addition to any child’s Christmas list- for children ages 6 and up.  If you are looking for something that helps your child’s imagination and creativity then you’re going to want to get some Shrinky Dinks!

How would you like a chance to win a set of Shrinky Dinks?  One lucky winner will get to pick either the Fun pack (ARV $17.95) or Party pack (ARV $18.95) in the following themes: Wild West, Tiki Island, Enchanted Kingdom, Circus Jubilee or Christmas.

Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Leave me a comment telling me which pack you would want if you win.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.
• Become a fan of Joobli on Facebook.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on November 28th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on November 29th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

So- the winner of the giveaway can pick either the 54 piece blue and red CitiBlocs

Or the 52 piece natural wood CitiBlocs.

Here is what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Go to the CitiBlocs site and find something out about one of the 12 awards they won and leave me a comment about it.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on November 27th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on November 28th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

Esther Novis, a mother of five and a former Harvard-trained biologist, started The Young Scientists Club a decade ago as a summer science camp for her then 5-year-old son. Friends from other parts of the country told Novis they felt cheated that their kids couldn’t go, so she naturally packaged the experiments and sent them off. The idea for a science subscription service was born! The subscription kits are now mailed monthly to thousands of children around the world and the company’s retail kits are sold in hundreds of specialty stores.

The young scientist on your Christmas is sure to love the Magic School Bus Diving into Slime, Gel, and Goop, which is what I got to check out. In this kit:

Ms. Frizzle and her students take Young Scientists diving into slime, gel, and goop with fun and fabulous experiments. Young Scientists discover oobleck, produce glue from milk, grow jiggly marbles, make snow from super-absorbent crystals, form a bouncy ball, create slime, expand super-absorbent gel crystals, melt fake snow, learn about polymers, and much, much more! This polymer kit includes extra gels, super-absorbent crystals, and marbles to repeat the fun! Seatbelts everyone! Get ready to dive into slime, gel, and goop!

Sounds fun, right?  Well, one lucky winner will get to pick either the Magic School Bus Diving into Slime, Gel and Goop, the Magic School Bus Going Green or Science on a Gardening Adventure from The Young Scientists Club.  Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Check out The Young Scientists Club.  Leave me a comment telling me which prize you would pick: Magic School Bus Diving into Slime, Gel and Goop, the Magic School Bus Going Green or Science on a Gardening Adventure.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on November 17th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on November 18th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

Anyhoo- I thought that since I’ve never made a turkey before that it would be a good idea to practice.  I had no idea what I was doing.  Apparently I didn’t even know how to buy the right kind of turkey.  I ended up buying some expensive, premium turkey that had already had all of its guts removed.  I was really dreading removing the guts, so it wasn’t entirely a bad thing- but I didn’t even realize that I had bought it that way.

So, the night before I was planning to make the turkey I used a special recipe using Kikkoman Soy Sauce and made a delicious Savory Turkey Brine.  I was so worried about it coming out just right that I completely forgot to take any pictures of the process.  What a bad blogger!!

The next morning I just had to dump out the brine that the turkey had been soaking in and cook the turkey.  Easy as can be!  I made some other Thanksgiving related food to go with our meal, but it wasn’t even close to being a full Thanksgiving dinner.  I was nervous about how my first turkey was going to turn out and once again I didn’t take any pictures.  Very bad blogger!!  When we sat down to eat I suddenly realized I hadn’t taken any pictures.  So I took a quick picture of it before we started to eat:

I have to tell you that I am not a huge fan of turkey, in my opinion it’s just okay.  But I did actually like my own cooking.  The turkey was extra moist and yummy!  We had a lot left over too- and fortunately there are lots of recipe ideas from Kikkoman for your left over turkey.

So, how would you like to win a prize package that will be perfect for making your Thanksgiving dinner extra special? One lucky winner will get a Kikkoman recipe book and 2 full sized bottles from Kikkomans new line of special sauces!

Here is what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Leave me a comment telling me your favorite dish at Thanksgiving.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.
• Become a fan of Kikkoman on Facebook and leave me a comment letting me know you did it.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on November 16th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on November 17th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

I have a favorite new snack.  Seriously- I’m not just saying this.  I absolutely love the new Granola Nut Clusters from Nature Valley.  There are four different kinds to pick from: Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew and Honey Roasted Peanut.  I loved all four kinds- but my two favorites are the Nut Lovers and the Honey Roasted Peanut.  I could seriously not stop eating them!  They were soooo delicious!  They are the perfect blend of a salty and sweet snack- great for satisfying whichever craving you are having.

Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters are a bite size blend of 100% natural ingredients that include select roasted nuts, whole grain oats and a touch of honey – a wholesome and delicious pick-me-up any time of the day. If you love nuts, you´ll enjoy this flavorful little snack featuring the perfect combination of sweet & salty flavors paired with a crunchy texture that you can see and taste. And with the first unique cluster-shaped granola packaged in a handy re-sealable pouch, it´s perfect for sharing on the trails or in your living room!

So how would you like to win this Nature Valley Granola Nut Clusters prize package (ARV $25):

You are going to love the yummy clusters!!

So, here is what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Leave me a comment telling me which of the Granola Nut Clusters you think you would like the best (Nut Lovers, Roasted Almond, Roasted Cashew or Honey Roasted Peanut).

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on November 9th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on November 10th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

Some of Hailey’s favorite things to play with are all of her dolls, little people, princesses, and stuffed animals.  If it’s something she can take care of and love, it’s an instant hit.  If she can take the clothes of it and switch them with another toy- it’s an even bigger hit.

One of her recent favorites is her Calico Costume Critters. She has Simon the Squirrel Brother who is dressed in a chick costume complete with a beak, wings, and a fluffy tail. And Cristy the Cat Sister is dressed in a soft white bunny costume with 2 big ears and a cotton ball tail.  See how cute they are?

Check out this short video for more information on the cute little Calico Critters:

So then- how would you like to have your own set of the adorable Calico Costume Critters (ARV $23)?  Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Stop by Calico Critters and check out their site.  Come back here and leave me a comment telling me something you saw on their site.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on October 30th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on October 31st 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

As you probably (hopefully) know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  And a part of being aware of breast cancer is donating time and money to research to help find a cure.  So, when I was asked if I would like to host a giveaway for a pair of Karen Neuburger Pink Ribbon Signature PJs in order to help bring more awareness to breast cancer research I was thrilled!

I have a pair of these fabulous pajamas, so I know they are great!  Not only are they sooooo soft and comfy- they are also helping with breast cancer research.  Want to know how that is possible?

KN Karen Neuburger® lifestyle brand and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF) are partnering this fall and inviting shoppers to participate in the “Time for Research” program. During the month of October 2009, KN will host “Pink Parties” at over 300 Dillards store locations where guests will get the chance to shop for a cause. For each purchase of KN Karen Neuburger pajamas during the “Pink Parties,” KN will donate 30 minutes of research to BCRF. Shoppers will also receive a free gift with purchase of a pink ribbon key chain. The goal is to sponsor a month of breast cancer research to aid in the development of lifesaving treatments and an eventual cure for breast cancer. In addition, to help KN reach the goal of sponsoring a month of research, donations will also be accepted through their Time for Research page.

So just by purchasing these Karen Neuburger pajamas you are helping to find a cure for breast cancer:

So how would you like to win a pair of these cute and comfy pajamas?  One lucky winner will win a pair of KN Pink Ribbon Signature PJs (ARV $78) and a pair of KN Pink Ribbon Chenille Socks (ARV $15).  And a second lucky winner will win a pair of KN Pink Ribbon Signature PJs.

Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Stop by the Karen Neuburger site and look around. Come back here and leave me a comment telling me something you noticed on their site- anything at all.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on October 28th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on October 29th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

If you read my Livin’ With Me blog then you already know that we went to Disney World a few weeks ago.  If you don’t read my personal blog- you should go check out all of the pictures of the fun we had!  If you have ever been to Disney World, or any theme park for that matter, then you know that you need something with you to keep all of your stuff in. And what you bring to carry all of your stuff around in can either make or break your back!

Fortunately we had an Alpha Sherpa Backpack to bring with us on our trip.  This backpack was great for bringing everything we needed for each day in the parks.  And of course I had to bring a lot of stuff!  Check out all of the pockets and compartments on the Alpha Sherpa Backpack:

I love how this backpack is organized.  There is a large part for your bigger items- that is where I kept Hailey’s change of clothes (and her Cinderella dress and shoes for the day we had dinner with Cinderella), wipes and autograph books. Within the large section there was another zippered section where I kept things like Motrin, Zantac, Dramamine, hand sanitizer and other first aid related items.

There is another compartment on the back of the backpack that can fit up to 14 inch laptop- I used it for Hailey’s bathing suit and a towel in case she wanted to play in the water.  The mesh pocket on the side was perfect for Hailey’s sippy cup.  The other side pockets were used for things like the camera, batteries, cell phones, and other miscellaneous stuff.  There is also a cooler section where we kept water bottles and snacks.  It was so perfect for carrying around everything we needed. Not only that- but it was comfortable to carry.

See me with the Alpha Sherpa Backpack on while I’m holding Hailey.  It was lightweight and easy to carry- and it didn’t feel really hot to have it on my back even in the very hot Florida weather.

My only complaint about the backpack is that it was a pain to go through the check points upon entering the parks. Each park does a search of all backpacks as you come in to the park- so opening all of the pockets for security to check was kind of a pain.  BUT, it was well worth those few extra minutes to have all of the extra pockets instead of having everything floating around in the backpack.

Here’s a bit more information about the Alpha Sherpa Backpack:

Award winning Baby Sherpa® is pleased to announce Alpha Sherpa, the newest addition to its growing family of products aimed at families on the go.

For such little people, babies sure do have a lot of stuff. Think about the last time you took a trip with your little one. How many “essentials” did you have to bring? More importantly, could you fit everything into one bag? If you’re a serial over-packer (or if you actually need a lot of gear on the go) Baby Sherpa’s most versatile backpack, the Alpha Sherpa, is a much needed answer to your packing woes.

Parenting requires gear that multi tasks and Alpha Sherpa is one backpack that will work with your parenting detail, sporting events, commuting or travelling. Each ruggedly designed Alpha Sherpa Backpack has nine pockets plus a laptop sleeve. But these aren’t your average compartments; they are designed to serve a specific function for carrying your gear.

Here’s a look at a few key features:

• A padded laptop compartment safely holds most 14” computers
• Soft-sided cooler compartment with capacity of 8 cans
• Rugged construction
• Video camera and DVD padded pouch
• Ergonomically designed with padded shoulder straps
• Padded air mesh back panel with ventilation channels for breathability
• Heavy duty lug handle
• Spacious main compartment

“Our customers have been asking for a backpack that they can use for carrying their laptop and other mobile devices. Alpha Sherpa ™ adds this feature to the Baby Sherpa ® original design,” explains Heather Campbell-Dewar CEO and founder. “Parents with an Alpha Sherpa will lead the way, no matter what pack they prowl with!”

In addition to the features above, Alpha Sherpa Backpacks come with ultra-tough zippers, a Bungee X cord for extra storage (perfect for towels on beach trips!), key retrievers, loops and clips, two accessory pouches for smaller items or your mobile devices, sternum and waist belt straps for added support, and reflective tape for added safety in the dark. Comes in unisex Black Graphite ripstop nylon that’s easy to clean and water resistant, MSRP $119.

So then. Now that you know how fantastic the Alpha Sherpa Backpack (ARV $119) is, how would you like to win one? Here’s what you need to do for a chance to win:

• Stop by the Baby Sherpa website and look around.  Come back here and leave me a comment telling me something you noticed on their site- anything at all.

Want some extra chances to win? Leave an ADDITIONAL COMMENT FOR EACH thing you do- your comment will be your entry.

• Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then leave me a comment with the direct URL.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed and then leave me a comment letting me know you’re a subscriber.
• Tweet or Stumble this post and leave me a comment letting me know what you did.

This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses and will end on October 16th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be chosen on October 17th 2009 via random.org and notified by email. Please read all of my giveaway rules here.

****Can’t wait to see if you win- use this coupon code to save $20 off the Alpha Sherpa Backpack: Blog20.  This coupon code is good until October 31st, plus they are offering free shipping right now too!