Monkey Business Sports - Review & Giveaway

Our family loves toys that are hands-on & get our kids outside to play. Toys that require a little physical gumption to make them work (and don't involve the tv or video games). We also like toys that everyone in our family can enjoy using! Being that we have four kids, sometimes finding those types of toys are not easily accessible...or often are quite pricey. However, we found a solution to our problem...

http://www.monkeybusinesssports.com/

I was contacted by Monkey Business Sports a week or two ago, telling me that they had products that they thought would be perfect for a family like ours. Interested and intrigued to find out what they offered...I replied back very curious and excited. After checking out their fantastic website, I found toys that our whole family truly would enjoy playing with. Toys that resemble some that I played with when I was little. Traditional fun for the whole family. These toys required a little bit of work & activity on our part for them to be fun & enjoyable, but are worth the added effort.

So they sent us a product called "Stomp Walkers" to review. This took me back to my childhood when we used to try walking on stilts. This version is much safer than the type we used when I was little (if I remember right, they were metal). These Stomp Walkers are made out of plastic and foam. When the box arrived, I couldn't wait to get them put together (assembly only too about a minute, once I had the tools ready) and watch my kids go to work trying to figure out how to use them. Makes me giggle inside a little...cause walking on stilts, or "stomp walkers" can be quite a bit of a challenge. You must have balance and coordination to get them up and moving.

My 8 year old was the first to try it. I figured that he would probably have the easiest time figuring it out. He was a little shaky at first, but got the hang of it pretty good after a few seconds.

Then the 5 year old hopped on and tried them out...she struggled a little more than my 8 year old but loved every second of it.

Of course, then my 3 year old had to give it a shot. She's going to have to work at it to get them to move right, but they all had a great time trying.

I am very impressed. I have to admit...I even tried them out. The weight limitations on the box says 100 pounds, however, being that I weigh a shy over that...I thought I'd try it and see if I could do it. They worked for me and my childhood memories swamped my mind. LOL!

Even our little guy checked them out...although he didn't try to stand on them. LOL!

I am so convinced that you're going to be impressed with the fantastic & fun toy selection at Monkey Business Sports. They are so excited too, and because of that, they are offering (1) Lucky viewer the chance to win a pair of Stomp Walkers for their own family to try out. Want to win?

To enter this giveaway:

• 1st - Visit Monkey Business Sports website and tell me what other product besides the Stomp Walkers you & your family would want to try out
• 2nd - Sign up for their newsletter (which also enters you to win a $100 Gift Certificate) & let me know (this will be confirmed upon winning)
• 3rd - Follow Monkey Business Sports on twitter: http://twitter.com/mbstoys & comment that you do
• 4th - Follow this blogspot & comment that you do
• 5th - Follow this blogspot on twitter at: http://twitter.com/oneboredmommy & comment that you do
• 6th - Tweet about this giveaway & comment that you did (this can be done daily)
• 7th - Blog about this giveaway & comment that you did with a link, so we can check it out

This giveaway will end on September 11, 2009 and is open to US Residents only! MAKE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH EACH ENTRY, so I can contact you if you're the winner. Also, LEAVE INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS FOR EACH ENTRY...so you have more chances of winning!

Thank you Monkey Business Sports for our new Stomp Walkers and for bringing a little bit of nostagia back to our family (at least my husband and myself). My kids are going to enjoy those Stomp Walkers for many years to come!

Scholastic Story Book Treasures "A Very Brave Witch" DVD Review

We are a lover of stories in this house...especially ones that really captivate our kids. What child doesn't love HALLOWEEN? Dressing up, the spookiness, thrills & chills that goes along with it. On September 29th, Scholastic Home Entertainment is releasing their newest edition to their Story Book Treasures DVD Series. This one is titled, "A VERY BRAVE WITCH… AND MORE GREAT HALLOWEEN STORIES FOR KIDS".

We got the opportunity to have a sneak peek of this fanastically put together DVD. A compilation & variation of story book stories brought to life. My kids were so intrigued by them...they were glued to the t.v. LITERALLY! I have to tell you, when my 5 year old first saw the DVD case...she said she didn't want to watch it, "because it was a baby movie". LOL! I showed her that the dvd case said that it was for ages 3-9 and since she was in the middle of that...she would probably enjoy it as well. Sure enough, she loved it! Check out what she had to say after she watched a few of the stories:

If you are looking for a way to enhance your child's reading (the videos offer the opportunity for captions to be onscreen, so the child can read along), give them an entertaining story and stretch their vocabulary and excitement for the coming Halloween season...then you must get this DVD when it's released September 29th.

The Dick's Sporting Goods $100 GC Goes To:

The winner of the Dick's Sporting Goods $100 GC Giveaway is:

Aimee said...
I follow Dick's on twitteraimee_ireneaimeebernard@gmail.com
August 23, 2009 9:29 PM

Congrats Aimee! We hope you have a blast spending your $100 at Dick's Sporting Goods. You now have 48 hours to claim your prize. Thank you to Dick's Sporting Goods for sponsoring this giveaway on the One Bored Mommy Blogspot! Thank you to the overwhelming response of participants in this giveaway! I was thrilled with the results!

Pamper Your Feet With The HomeStead Company Foot Spa Gift Set...

We had an overwhelming response to the last HomeStead Company review & giveaway and one of the most popular products, it seemed, was the Foot Spa Gift Set. We must have some readers with some intensely abused feet...LOL! The HomeStead Company Foot Spa Gift Set features:

• All natural Hand & Foot scrub is made with dead sea salt, and raw shea butter. It's sure to soothe dry and cracked skin on hands and feet.
• Use the Peppermint/Eucalyptus Hand &Foot Lotion to soothe tired feet and help to heal dry skin throughout the day.
• The pumice stone is great for sloughing away calluses and rough skin.
• Most lotions have ingredients that actually dry out the skin, causing your skin to need more frequent applications.
• Once you try our lotion, you will experience the difference, and in the end actually save money.

Anyway, because of the outcome of the last giveaway, the HomeStead Company felt prompted, because of the celebrated response of the last review, to offer another generous giveaway on our blogspot. So, we are giving away (1) Foot Spa Gift Set to one lucky reader. I'd love for it to be you!

To enter this giveaway:

• Head over to the HomeStead Company and tell me another product you would be interested in trying (besides the Foot Spa Gift Set)
• Subscribe to their newsletter (if you did this last time, let me know) this will be confirmed upon winning
• Make a purchase from the HomeStead Company and comment that you did & what you bought
• Follow this blogspot & comment that you do
• Follow this blogspot on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/oneboredmommy
• Tweet about this giveaway & comment that you did
• Blog about this giveaway and comment that you did

This giveaway will end on September 9, 2009 and is open to US Residents only! BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH EACH ENTRY and leave seperate entries for each thing you do.

Thank you HomeStead Company for offering a fantastic selection of natural body products for families just like ours.

The BagelPod ~Review & Giveaway~

How many times have you been frustrated with having to slice a bagel, only to find that the pieces are not even (which means they won't toast even)? How many times have you accidentally cut your finger, trying to precisely cut your bagel in two equal halves (I have!)? When I came upon this next product...I had to get one for our family:http://www.bagelpod.com/

What is a Bagel Pod? An innovative product that gives you easy bagel slicing, with easy & safety in mind. This product was made durable, dishwasher safe and simple...which is perfect for our family.

We received a red Bagel Pod and got to try it out. Unfortunately, when it arrived...we did not have any bagels in the house. But even minus the bagel or bun, I could tell that this product is perfect for the problem I have been having with bagel slicing. There is no possible way for me (or my kids for that matter) to slip and cut my finger. And...because it goes in a product that is shaped just like the bagel, it gives it a much more precise cut in the middle...better than I could do with a knife.

Because I am confident that you're family will love this BagelPod as well, we are giving away (1) BagelPod to a lucky One Bored Mommy Reader. Could that reader be you? Not unless you enter...so follow the directions below and this innovative BagelPod might be arriving at your front door for free.

To Enter This Giveaway:

• Please head to http://www.bagelpod.com/ and tell me which one you would choose
• Purchase a BagelPod and leave a comment that you did
• Follow this blogspot and comment that you do
• Follow this blogspot on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/oneboredmommy and comment that you do
• Tweet about this giveaway & comment that you do
• Blog about this giveaway & comment that you did, with a link, so we can check it out

This giveaway will end on September 7, 2009 and is open to US Residents only! Make sure to leave your contact info with each entry and leave seperate comments for each entry as well.

If you don't win, you can still pick up an amazing BagelPod for only $19.95. This would also make the perfect holiday gift for that person in your life, that already has everything else! LOL! Please head over to their store and pick up a few for yourself, your family and your friends.

Nico & Zoe ~ $20 Gift Certificate Giveaway

Not sure if you guys remember or not, but a few weeks ago, we featured a toy store that offers fantastic wooden toys & much more for kids. Our boys got to review a truck that we put together and my son got to color & decorate for his "OWN". I was thrilled with the quality of the toys, the creativity that was involved in my son personalizing it himself, etc. http://www.nicoandzoe.com/

At Nico & Zoe Toys, their aim is to offer uncommon, made in USA, European, local, handmade, modern & wooden toys at reasonable prices! They carry many wooden toys for toddler, baby, educational & classic toys, from the UK, Thailand, and many with Fair Trade. Their toys are made of safe & tested materials. And your kids are going to love them!
Because I am so confident that you're going to love Nico and Zoe's products as much as our family did...we are giving away (1) $20 Gift Certificate to their online store to one of our faithful readers. So get excited and enter this giveaway so you can win this $20 and go shopping!

To Enter this giveaway:

1st - Head over to Nico and Zoe's site and tell me what you would buy with your $20
2nd - Sign up for their newsletter (left side of their homepage) & comment that you do (this will be confirmed upon winning)
3rd - Follow this blogspot and comment that you do
4th - Follow the One Bored Mommy Blogspot on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/oneboredmommy & comment that you do
5th - Tweet about this giveaway & comment that you did
6th - Blog about this giveaway & comment that you did with a link...so we can all check it out
7th - Enter one of the other giveaway & comment that you did

This giveaway will end on September 8, 2009 and is open to US Residents only!

Thank you Nico & Zoe for offering such an amazing selection of fantastic toys for our kids. We look forward to purchasing more of your toys in the future!

Pacifier Sterilization Will Never Be The Same Thanks to Pipila

All four of my kids took pacifiers at some point in their infant stage of life. Some longer than others, but we always had extras laying around just in case. One thing that I really wasn't fabulous at was keeping them sterilized. I was known to stick them in the dishwasher to clean them, but I probably didn't do it as often as I should have. http://www.pipilausa.com/

That's where innovative products like the Pipila (Portable UV Pacifier Sterilizer) come in extremly handy for new mommies & daddies. CHECK OUT THIS AMAZING pacificer sterilizer that works with UV light and sterilizes the pacifier in 6 minutes. Hard to believe? Check it out:

The Pipila UV/O3 light kills 99.9% of germs on the pacifier. AWESOME & totally worth the investment. This little machine is easy to use, quick & painless & will help keep your baby healthier. It's also portable, so you can take it with you, wherever you go. Some parents might even choose to keep it in their diaper bag. You know, as well as I do, that the baby always drops their pacificer when you are out and about. It is also NATA approved and a winner of the iParenting MEdia Award.

We got to review the Pipila and I feel 100% more confident about giving Mason the pacifier to chew on, after it's been in the Pipila for sterilization. I think the PIPILA is an amazing invention...just wish I had, once again, found it four kids ago! So easy to use, so quick & convenient...


Please check out http://www.pipilausa.com/ and purchase one for your household or an "expecting" family today! I think you'll appreciate the peace of mind and your baby will appreciate the good health benefits.

Thumbuddy Special - You Must See This video...

Have you ever thought about how much impact your words have on your child? I mean...seriously...think about it? Please take a second to watch this video...

https://thumbpeople.infusionsoft.com/go/kidsneed/OneBored/

It's extremely touching & moving...at least for me it was!

Thumbpeople.com offers amazing books & products that are inspirational to both you and the children you share them with. Be it your child, your grandchild, your neice or nephew or even just a little friend that needs encouragement...THUMBPEOPLE will brighten their day and yours as well.

I encourage everyone I know to check them out:

"Fit Factor Kids" Is Getting My Kids Moving...

We try to be a physically fit family for the most part! We also put forth the effort to make sure our kids eat right, with a healthy diet of fruits & veggies as well. Sometimes it's hard to be active when it's really humid & hot, when all we want to do is lounge. But we try to remind our kids how important it is to stay physically fit. Their bodies will feel better, they will be healthier and they will grow strong & be fit. http://www.fitfactorkids.com

Fit Factor Kids offers an amazing DVD workout that is broken up in segments. You can do the whole video or you can do it in parts (which I really love because sometimes my kids have a short attention span). They have amazing exercise activities that children of all ages can participate in and they offer little segments regarding nutrition and more. LOVE IT!!

So we received the Fit Factor Kids DVD in the mail the other day and no sooner did I pull it out of the package, my kids wanted to put it in and try it out. Since we've been a little busy, we had to wait until this morning, but they were super excited about seeing what it was all about. My 5 year old has been doing my FIT MOM dvd's and I figured that this might be a little more age appropriate. LOL!!



So we put it in and checked it out! The excercise activites are exciting and fun! The kids (all three that are old enough) enjoyed acting like animals, etc. As you'll see from the video below: These videos also make great "get up and move" videos for school classrooms. In fact, they are running a special right now, because of that very fact. If you purchase a video using the promo code: TEACHERS, now through September 8th, 2009, you can get the video for 50% off. ONLY $9.95!


Do you think your kids would enjoy this workout/exercise video as much as my kids did? Well, Fit Factor Kids is going to give one of my viewers the chance to find out! They are giving away (1) video to one lucky One Bored Mommy reader!


To Enter this giveaway:

1st - Tell me why you think you need this video?
2nd - Follow Fit Factor Kids on twitter at http://twitter.com/fitfactorkids & comment that you do
3rd - Follow Fit Factor Kids on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fit-Factor-Kids-DVD/102683714608?ref=nf & comment that you do
4th - Follow this blogspot and comment that you do
5th - Follow this blogspot on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/oneboredmommy & comment that you do
6th - Tweet about this giveaway & comment that you did
7th- Blog about this giveaway and comment that you did


This giveaway will end on September 5, 2009 and is open to US Residents only! BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH EACH ENTRY.

So please, head over to http://www.fitfactorkids.com/ and pick up a video or two for your family, friends or even your classroom for this coming school year!

Thanks Fit Factor Kids for letting our family try out your fitness video. My kids are hooked and are looking forward to working out daily to your DVD.

Want to Win 500 Business Cards from UPrinting.com?

Business cards aren't just for "BUSINESS" people anymore. LOL! Mommies carry business cards with their personal info to hand out at play dates. Mommy Bloggers have business cards to promote their blogspots. Business cards have a plethora of uses and can tend to be a little pricey sometimes. http://www.uprinting.com/

Have you ever checked out Uprinting? They have amazing die cut business cards! You can even choose your own size (they offer different business card sizes). Another bonus, they show you an exact proof of your card before you order...so you can make sure you are IN LOVE with the product before you buy it! They are also a company that does not put their logo on the back of the cards. Great, right? They not only offer business cards, but they meet the whole spectrum of printing needs! They are a one-stop-shop!

Well, UPrinting really loves the One Bored Mommy Blogspot and wants it's readers to feel that way about them, so they are offering (2) Lucky readers the chance to win 500 business cards. The amazing details on what you win?

500 Business Cards
Choose size: 2x3.5”, 2x3”, 2x2";
Choose paper: 14pt cardstock (matte or gloss coating) & 13 pt cardstock uncoated
Choose Color: (4/4) Color both sides; (4/1) Color 1 side , B/W backside; (4/0) Color 1 side, black backside
Shipping must be paid by Winner.

Offer Valid for UNITED STATES SHIPPING ONLY.

To enter this giveaway:

1st - tell me how you would be using these business cards (for business, pleasure, etc.)
2nd - follow UPrinting's blog at: blog.uprinting.com & comment that you do (this will be confirmed upon winning)
3rd - follow UPrinting on twitter at: www.twitter.com/uprinting & comment that you do
4th - tweet about this giveaway
5th - follow this blogspot and comment that you do
6th - blog about this giveaway & comment that you do with a link, so I can check it out
7th - enter any other giveaway & comment that you did to get an extra entry.

This giveaway will close on September 6, 2009 and is open to US Residents only! BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS WITH EACH COMMENT & leave seperate comments for each entry!

Thank you UPrinting for offering such an amazing giveaway to my readers!

Dr. Hylands Teething Gel Is The Key For Teething Toddlers...

I have a teething child out our house right now and sometimes that's not a pleasant thing! He can get fussy and whiny and horribly upset over nothing. He just turned one and is getting those painful 1st year molars. UGHHH!! I love my teething jewelry, but sometimes it takes more than that to calm him down and soothe his painful gums! http://www.hylandsteething.com/


In our "virtual swag" Blogher pack from BSM Media, we received a sample of Hyland's Teething Gel. The things I like about it, it provides "NATURAL" pain relief and is free from artificial flavors and parabens. It also contains chamomile, which is a natural soothing agent.
We tried the Hyland's Teething Gel on Mason and he was very intrigued with it at first. His fussy nature had gotten out of control and as soon as I put the Hyland's Teething Gel on his gums, he got quiet. Possibly, because he was curious if it was going to numb his gums (like other products I have used in the past). Regardless, he calmed right down and went on to play very well for several hours without pain (or that's how it would appear since he was far less fussy). VERY NICE!

If you have a teething child at your house, please consider Hyland's Teething Gel as your pain relief option for your sweet baby. It's nice to know that we, as parents, have a natural alternative for teething pain relief.

Also, while you're visiting their website, enter your teething child in their "Before & Happily After" Hylands Teething video contest to win a Flip Video Ultra Series Camcorder (approximate retail value: $149.99)!

What A Great Day Yesterday In NYC...Kick off to the 2009 Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Yesterday morning, we left via Metro North (the train) and headed to NYC. The trip takes about and 1hr and 20 minutes from where we live & goes straight into Grand Central Station (right in the heart of NYC). Now...keep in mind that we were riding the train (my husband and I) with four children, 7 and under, so it is always interesting & entertaining for most of the people in our train car. LOL! But we made it there in one piece and without to many meltdowns, which was nice. Then, we headed down the street for 51st and 6th Avenue to find the Radio City Music Hall. We were suppose to meet the greeters of the event at the golden doors. After finding we arrived a few minutes to early, I hung out with the kids, while my husband scouted for a $1 hot dog vendor (most of them were telling him $2 and he was determined to only pay $1). I chatted with a few other blogging mommies, including Candice from http://www.mamanista.com/ (the site I won the tickets from). The doors opened and we were invited into the Grand Entrance of the Radio City Music Hall. It was amazing. They had the place all decked out for Christmas. Christmas music was playing in the background and we got seated and ready for the fun & festivities.

We got to see a few Rockettes, Santa & then we broke into our groups for our "private" tour of Radio City Music Hall. We learned about the hydralics for the stage, got to sit in the theater and learn more about all about the details that went into this amazing place & what makes it tick.
Then we were escorted back, so we could eat lunch (they had an amazing catered lunch) and cupcakes from the Magnolia Bakery (the girls from the bakery were SO SWEET). What a cool spread they had...every Christmas decoration & frosting you could think of, for the kids to make their own cupcakes. MY KIDS loved that part. Not only do they like cupcakes, but they love to be creative and really put in effort to make their's extra special.
That didn't end our time at the Pre-Party. We got to head upstairs to meet Santa and the kids got their picture taken with him. Since Mason was only a few months old last Christmas...he didn't appear to be to terribly excited about Santa holding him. In fact, he looked absolutely terrified. He screamed and the rest of my kids smiled and told Santa what they want for Christmas. SO SWEET!! As we left, we were given Swag Bags that included a pass for a free ticket to the opening night of the Radio City 2009 Christmas Spectacular! AWESOME! Opening night is November 17, 2009 & tickets went on sale yesterday! Then we headed outside to participate in the "Christmas in August with Radio City" event & the Longest Kick Line in NYC with the Rockettes. Santa was there and so was NFL kicker Lawrence Tynes. There were so many people there & the excitement filled the streets. My oldest son wanted to participate in the kick line, so the baby and I went too and it was fun! At the end, confetti went all over 6th avenue and it was a great end to our time in NYC.

As we were leaving, we ran into Miss Teen New York and our oldest daughter got her picture taken with her. Then we headed back to Grand Central & home. We had so much fun! Thank you http://www.mamanista.com/ & Radio City Music Hall for our fabulous 2nd visit to NYC.