Listen Along Storybook 8 Book Set Giveaway

Sterling Books has some of the cutest children’s books.   My six year old and I have enjoyed reading several of them in the past.   I was excited to learn about their new program to encourage parents and children to read.   They took several of their popular books, including Cesar Takes a Break and Cowboy Camp and made a website of free audiobooks to enhance the reading of these books.

Currently the website has eight audiobooks available.   You can listen or download them for free.   We received Cesar to try out and Nolan (who is six) has read and listened half a dozen times already.   The voices on the audio are adorable and kept his interest the whole time and Cesar is a long book.   At first I was surprised the audio didn’t have beeps to show children when to turn the pages, but Nolan figured it out just fine.   For younger children, a parent would need to help out. It is still important, in my opinion, for parents to read to their children every day, but audiobooks are a fun addition to reading.

 

You can purchase Sterling books on their website or on Amazon. The website for the audiobooks is http://www.listenalongstorybook.com  Here is a link to a video about how the audio books are made.

STERLING BOOKS has generously offered to send THREE of you copies of ALL EIGHT BOOKS in the LISTEN ALONG STORYBOOK PROGRAM! AWESOME!

TO ENTER:  VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AND COMMENT HERE WHICH OTHER CHILDREN’S BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ADDED TO THE AUDIOBOOK WEBSITE.

THIS CONTEST WILL END MARCH 21st. I WILL E-MAIL THE WINNER WHO WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND. RANDOM.ORG PICKS THE WINNER. GOOD LUCK AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR VISITING!

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer /PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own

Modern Bird Studios Personalized Paintings Review and Giveaway

 

I have been writing product reviews and giveaways for almost two years now and this review is my absolute favorite! Modern Bird Studios takes your favorite photograph and somehow captures the image perfectly into a painting.   Gregg Deal is the Creative Director for Modern Bird Studios.   Gregg studied art in college and wanted to find a way to share his God given talent and make a living for his family.   He decided to create art pieces that utilize technology and painting.   Gregg combines his original urban-style with photography, graphic design and traditional painting to create handmade, original art pieces.   Gregg’s wife Megan, who is an absolute doll and a riot, handles the marketing side of Modern Bird Studios.

HOW IT WORKS

1. Pick you favorite photo and e-mail them a jpeg or gif
2. Pick the two colors for the painting.
3. Approve it before they send it, and tada…. a few days later your painting will arrive

I chose to send them one of my favorite photographs of my two youngest boys in a spontaneous moment. I don’t have the best camera, but I love this picture of them kissing, plus I don’t like posed pictures. Below is the picture I sent (aren’t they precious!)

I e-mailed them the picture, picked the two colors (Java Brown and Urban Beige)  I wanted, and they got back to me right away. Megan told me that Gregg was concerned because of the flash that was used, but because he is such a talented genius,   Gregg captured the expressions perfectly!  The painting is just beautiful and I love the colors.    I am thrilled and will treasure this painting forever!   I know this is a review, but I would happily pay the cost, and speaking of the cost, their prices are very reasonable for the quality and the service.  Here is the finished painting!

ABOUT THE PROCESS

Each piece requires a tremendous amount of attention, detail, and time to create.   We take a photograph, and break it down into a two-color image, which results in abstract shapes that make up the form.   We then choose two contrasting colors to create the painting.   We use a thick Oak composite for our medium.   Oak wood composite that has little to no chance of a true warp.   Also, wood is smooth and has a much finer line to it.   You can read more about how the paintings are made on their website FAQ page.  Below are more pictures of our painting showing the back, width, and where we will hang it (when I can get my hubby to do it!)

Have a look at the other wonderful paintings in the gallery page at their website www.modernbirdstudios.com   They also sell a line of pre-designed paintings. You can contact them on the website, Twitter, or Facebook to order your own painting. Go on, you know you want one!  Bonus: They are offering a 15% discount starting today thru March 20th! The code to enter is BOOKROOM.

NOW ON TO THE FUN!   MODERN BIRD STUDIOS WANTS TO GIVE ONE OF MY LUCKY READERS YOUR OWN 12×12 PERSONALIZED PAINTING!!! (WORTH $215.00!) YOU WILL LOVE IT! 

TO ENTER:  VISIT MODERNBIRDSTUDIO.COM BLOG AND LEAVE A COMMENT UNDER ANY POST ABOUT WHAT YOU READ AND TELL THEM I SENT YOU, THEN COME BACK HERE AND TELL ME WHICH POST YOU COMMENTED ON.

 THIS CONTEST WILL END MARCH 19TH. I WILL E-MAIL THE WINNER WHO WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND. RANDOM.ORG PICKS THE WINNER. GOOD LUCK AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR VISITING!  U.S. ONLY PLEASE.

The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer /PR agency. Opinions expressed are my own

Baby Play Mat and Rattle Mouse Review and Sophie Giraffe giveaway

Baby play mats are part of the standard operating procedure for most parents of newborns or young babies.  They are used as a safe and adventurous play space for little ones to roll around during the first weeks and months of life.  However, not all play mats are created equal.

The Baby Play Mat and Rattle Mouse is a unique version of a “play mat” from Magic Cabin.  This play mat is immediately distinct from your usual $15-20 play mat because of the high quality material and feel.  The first thing I noticed after opening the mat was how soft and gentle it felt, with the soft velour fabric and super comfy padding..  This makes me excited to play with my soon-to-be little one.

Along with the gentle feel, the mat has a very inviting design with a friendly mouse with crinkly ears and another very cuddly mouse toy with noisy ears, silky fur, and a rattle for your baby to hold and delight in.  The mat comes enclosed in a vinyl carry bag with velour handles.

While you can find cheaper versions of play mats, the $49.98 price tag on the Magic Cabin Baby Play Mat and Mouse Rattle is an awesome value compared to the more scratchy and less comfortable mats I’ve used with my other kids in the past.

Care Instructions: Machine washable gentle cycle tumble dry on low. Sizes Play Mat 30″ x 44″, Mouse 10″ tall .

More from Magic Cabin

I also got a couple other great products from the Magic Cabin to try out.  The Silk Baby Blankets offer parents that can afford to give their kids the best a blanket that gives new meaning to “security” with an amazing feel.

The Silk Baby Blankets are made from luscious China Silk on one side and cuddly cotton flannel on the other.  The flannel’s softness along with the cool, sanity finish of the silk makes the blankie ideal for babies and little ones.  The blankets are durable and assembles in the USA from the China silk.  They are 40″ and for ages newborn to 6.  The $59.98 may be a bit steep for families on a budget, but if you can afford it, the quality and durability is definitely worth it.

The Sophie Giraffe is a great toy that you can add to your play mat from Magic Cabin to keep your little one entertained.  Picked as a “Martha Stewart Baby Must Have”, this toy is lightweight and easy to grasp.  It’s easy on teething gums and makes a delightful “squeak” when squeezed.  Handmade in France of flexible, renewable rubber, Sophie is the ideal crib companion for ages 4 months to 2 years. Size is 7″ tall with a retail price of $19.98.

Sophie Giraffe Giveaway

Magic Cabin is offering one of my readers a Sophie Giraffe toy.

TO ENTER: Go to www.magiccabin.com and leave me a comment telling me which of the company’s products you like

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on September 26th  and I will e-mail the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

Rosie Hippo Log Cabin Review and Giveaway

The Rosie Hippo Log Cabin is a modern version of what many of us knew as lincoln logs when we were kids.  Rosie Hippo is known as a leading provider of safe products for kids that are also “Earth Friendly”.  Their motto is “Unique, Natural, Organic, Hand-crafted”.  You know when you buy a Rosie Hippo product you are helping preserve the earth as well.

Made of wood harvested from sustainable forests, the Rosie Hippo Log Cabin comes in a nice drawstring bag that helps you keep the many pieces of the set gathered together between uses.  The wood pieces of the set are thin and light, but also generally sturdy so they don’t break easily, even with aggressive kid use.  We did have one of the smaller pieces chip, but have had no other issues.  There are pieces of varying lengths, with three standard length logs for construction.  This enables you to build log cabins of different shapes, sizes, and styles.

You also get flat pieces and roofing pieces to give your log cabin a completed and polished finish.  There are enough logs that you can build either one huge cabin or a couple smaller ones side by side.  One suggestion for the company is to include some directions for constructions to assist parents helping their kids build.  The product is recommended for ages 3 and up.  While we were able to come up with ways to construct, perhaps a guide with models to follow would be nice.  Our 5 year old enjoys blocks with directions to follow.  Otherwise, the Rosie Hippo Log Cabin is a great, fun family product that you can buy for $20.00.

If you would like to get a great deal on the Log Cabin from Rosie Hippo, use this custom coupon code for 15% OFF just for my readers: BOOKROOM0709 (good through 09/15/09)

Rosie Hippo Log Cabin Giveaway

Rosie Hippo has generously agreed to offer one set of the Rosie Hippo “Earth Friendly” log cabin for one of my readers.  You can not only win a great toy set for your kids, but you are also helping the earth by using a product that is made from sustainable forests.

TO ENTER: Leave me a comment telling me why you’d like to own the Rosie Hippo Log Cabin

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on September 21st and I will e-mail the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

Pete’s Dragon: High-Flying Edition DVD Giveaway

On August 18th, you can enjoy a classic musical adventure that debuted in 1977 and was an Academy Award nominated combination animation and live-action movie. PETE’S DRAGON: High Flying Edition soars onto DVD for the first time!

To help celebrate the release of the Pete’s Dragon: High-Flying Edition DVD movie, I am excited to offer you a chance to win a copy of the DVD release. To enter, simply follow the guidelines below!

TO ENTER: Leave me a comment telling me why you’d like to own the Pete’s Dragon: High-Flying Edition DVD

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on August 21st and I will e-mail the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

For another chance to win, visit our DVD Reviews partner’s giveaway of Pete’s Dragon

Hannah Montana: The Movie DVD Giveaway

August 18th fans everywhere will celebrate the release of HANNAH MONTANA: The Movie on DVD! Miley Cyrus stars in the first full length feature film released in theaters from the hit Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment classic.

To help celebrate the release of the Hannah Montana movie, I am excited to offer you a chance to win a 2-disc edition of the DVD release. To enter, simply follow the guidelines below!

Watch Hannah Montana: The Movie trailer

TO ENTER: Leave me a comment telling me why you’d like to own the Hannah Montana movie

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN SEPARATE COMMENTS TO COUNT)
FOLLOW @bookroomreviews on twitter and tweet this giveaway
SUBSCRIBE to Bookroom Reviews by Newsletter or Feed
STUMBLE this giveaway

This contest will end on August 18th and I will e-mail the winner. You will have 48 hours to respond. Make sure and check back for more giveaways all this month!

For another chance to win, visit our DVD Reviews partner’s giveaway of Hannah Montana: The Movie

Confessions of a Shopaholic DVD Giveaway

On June 23rd, Touchstone Home Entertainment releases CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC on Blu-ray and DVD! Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher) takes a job for the less-than-glamorous Successful Saving in order to support her out-of-control spending habit. Hilarity ensues and romance blossoms with an amazing supporting cast including Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, Kristin Scott Thomas, John Lithgow, Krysten Ritter, and John Goodman! Bonus material includes bloopers, deleted scenes, a music video, and much much more!

To learn more about the movie, visit our Blu-ray Reviews partner and read the Confessions of a Shopaholic Blu-ray Review!

We are excited to offer one lucky winner a DVD copy of the romantic comedy movie.  Simply follow the guidelines below for entry!

TO ENTER: POST A COMMENT AND TELL ME YOUR FAVORITE ROMANTIC COMEDY MOVIE OF ALL TIME

FOR SECOND ENTRY: STUMBLE, TWITTER (FOLLOW ME AND TWEET THIS) OR SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE THE LINK IN A SEPARATE COMMENT.

THIS CONTEST WILL END JUNE 27TH AT MIDNIGHT. RANDOM.ORG WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER AND I WILL E-MAIL YOU. PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS OR I WILL HAVE TO RE-DRAW. U.S. AND CANADA ONLY. GOOD LUCK AND KEEP CHECKING BACK, I HAVE SOME AMAZING GIVEAWAYS COMING UP

Sensei Giveaway: Free Membership and Grocery Cards!

You know about all of the On-line Weight Loss Programs, but did you know there is a new one that will keep in constant touch with you? Well, in our busy lives we seemingly can’t live without our cell phones or Blackberries and SENSEI.COM will deliver your personalized diet plan directly to your cell phone. Not only that, they give you daily menus with recipes, shopping lists, and fitness plans. How cool is that! I was excited to get the opportunity to review Sensei! I agreed to review it because it looks like a practical, inexpensive and healthy support system for people who want to eat healthier and lose weight. Especially busy moms like me, who needs all of those aspects. You can read my review here.

Not only is Sensei one of the most affordable weight loss programs on the market, it is one of the most nutritious. Sensei’s Healthy Eating Index (the measure of diet quality that assesses conformance to Federal dietary guidelines) score is an astounding 90 out of possible 100, compared to the American median score of 49 and the 69 for the top 10% of American diets.

Sensei’s highly anticipated new platform, released last month, includes the new budget-friendly feature, which automates the creation of healthy, personalized and cost-effective meals. Also new is the “Favorites” function and “My Coupons” tab, featuring users’ local grocer sales conveniently available on the site, and affords them to select and repeat favorite foods and meals for their meals to further leverage savings.

Current subscribers to Sensei, a program that transforms a consumer’s mobile phone and desktop into their own “virtual weight loss coach” (PDC), will notice a newly enhanced Web site that is richer in functionality and easier to navigate. The new program will be priced at $15/month for Web-only access, and $20/month for mobile and Web access.

Sensei for Weight Loss is available on most BlackBerries, as well as on most AT&T and Sprint mobile phones. The program is also now available in the App Store for iPhone and iTouch users. To enroll in Sensei For Weight Loss™ or for additional information, visit www.sensei.com

GIVEAWAY

SENSEI.COM has generously offered to give THREE Bookroom Review Readers a free SIX MONTH MEMBERSHIP TO SENSEI.COM. NOT ONLY THAT, THOSE THREE WINNERS WILL ALSO GET A $50.00 GIFT CARD TO WHOLE FOODS!!! AWESOME!

ALSO EVERY PERSON WHO ENTERS TO WIN CAN TRY OUT ONE MONTH OF SENSEI.COM FOR FREE!  ANYTIME YOU WANT YOU CAN SIGN UP, JUST ENTER THE PROMO CODE BOOKROOMREVIEWS. YOU WON’T HAVE TO ENTER YOUR CREDIT CARD NUMBER.  NO STRINGS.  HOPE YOU LIKE IT!

TO ENTER: VISIT SENSEI.COM AND COMMENT HERE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT.

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: SUBSCRIBE AND LEAVE COMMENT IN A SEPERATE ENTRY

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AND TWEET THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE YOU TWITTER ID IN A SEPERATE ENTRY

ADDITIONAL ENTRY: POST ABOUT THIS CONTEST SOMEWHERE AND LEAVE THE LINK IN A SEPARATE ENTRY

THIS CONTEST WILL END JUNE 15TH. RANDOM.ORG WILL CHOOSE THE THREE WINNERS AND I WILL E-MAIL YOU. PLEASE RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS.  THIS CONTEST IS OPEN WORLDWIDE!

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button DVD Giveaway

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is one of the most hotly anticipated DVD releases so far in 2009.  Available May 5th in a 2-Disc Special Edition, from Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, the movie tells the compelling larger than life tale of one man who just happens to live his life in reverse.

Benjamin Button is born an old man and amazingly progresses through life by getting younger.  This epic story includes romance, humor, drama, and an appealing character portrayed by Brad Pitt.  Directed by David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won 3 Academy Awards.

Read The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Blu-ray Review by Movie Room Reviews

I am excited to offer one copy of the special edition DVD of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to one lucky winner.  Entry in the giveaway is free and easy, simply follow the following guidelines for entry and you could get a copy of the DVD.

TO ENTER: POST ANY COMMENT IN RESPONSE TO THIS BLOG POST

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AND TWEET THIS GIVEAWAY, SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG, OR STUMBLE THIS CONTEST.

Contest will end MAY 23rd – U.S. And Canada only please. Good Luck! Winners,Please respond within 48 hours to my e-mail.

StandnBang Review and Specialty Shirt Giveaway

Did you know that mixed martial arts (MMA) is one of the fastest growing amateur and professional sports in the US.  Big professional MMA events now receive as much, if not more, attention, promotion, and coverage as major boxing fights.

Picking up on the growing trend, Des Moines area MMA fight promoter and announcer Gavin Jerome developed a new clothing line centered on MMA clothes and MMA gear.  His specialty shirts are fashion-forward and MMA-themed and appeal to both men and women for different reasons.

According to Jerome, the StandnBang concept is derived from the more audience-friendly fighting style where the fighters literally stand facing each other and duke it out.  The specialty shirts offered by the come come in various styles and are customized by the customer using one of three popular logs and 5 popular trademarked “Smack on the Back” sayings.

The logos form the image on the front of the shirt, while the sayings are placed on the back of the shirts and serve as MMA fighting themed trash talk expressions.  The clothes are trendy, fun, and stylish and come in both mens’ and womens’ sizes and are unique to the preferences of each customer.

StandnBang has generously offered to provide one customized shirt giveaway to one of our readers.  You can have fun and build your own shirt.  Simply visit the StandnBang home page, look through their “new April shirt designs”.  Select the style you prefer and tell us your style (and color – black or white), your preferred logo, and preferred “Smack on the Back” expression.

A winner will be selected at random on May 9th and the winning entry will receive their self-described shirt.

TO ENTER: GO TO WWW.STANDNBANG.COM LOOK AROUND AND COME BACK AND LET ME KNOW YOUR SHIRT PREFERENCES AS INDICATED ABOVE.

FOR ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER AND TWEET THIS GIVEAWAY, SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG, OR STUMBLE THIS CONTEST.

Contest will end May 9th. U.S. only please. Good Luck!

For another chance to win, our movie reviews partner has a StandnBang Giveaway as well!

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