reviews

cyber monday!

Go forth and shop!!

Take 20% off and get free shipping at Old Navy and the entire brand family (Gap, Banana Republic, Athleta, and Piperlime) all day today with coupon code MONDAY. The GapKids line is too cute this year!!

6pm.com has digital cameras for 75% off. If you can drag yourself away from the shoe deals.

Ann Taylor Loft is offering 30% off the store today and free shipping on orders over $100. I wear a small - feel free to add a little something for me.

Vera Bradley has The Vera and Large Duffel for $40!

Amazon has some amazing Cyber Monday Deals - check out the latest Bond on Blu-Ray for only $9.99! Don't forget free shipping on orders over $25! AND Apple iPod touch 8 GB for only $158 today only with free shipping!! That's 21% off on an apple product, people!! GO!! 

At DisneyStore.com use the code CYBERMONDAY to get 10% off $59+, 15% off $79+, 20% off $99+, or 25% off $149+. Get free shipping on orders $89+ with code SHIP89.

e.l.f  is offering 70% off all mineral make-up -- use coupon code EHCMM. I LOVE elf mineral makeup - the eyeshadow is amazing!!! Use it all the time! And their make up bags are 75% off - coupon code EH75CE

The Children’s Place is offering free shipping on all orders today with coupon code FSCM9, and has tons of $5, $6, $7, $8 deals.

Restoration Hardware has the coupon code RTGH119  to save $100 off every $500 spent. If you're planning on buying me a new dining room table, you might want to use that.

Ann Clark Ltd: The Cookie Cutter People from Vermont is offering Girlymama readers 10% off your purchases from now until the end of the year! Use coupon code BLGA4 at checkout. (If you buy four or more items, you get free shipping, so go crazy!)

Felix Doolittle stationary is offering Girlymama readers 15% off anything in the Doolittle Junior (check out the Play Date Cards!) line or the Seasonal collection, which features the brand new Correspondence Seals (LOVE these!)!! Use coupon code DoolittleJr when checking out.

Amenity Home  is offering Girlymama readers a generous 20% off site-wide (Muir Collection excluded).  Just use the discount code fall20.

Buy.com has some great deals too. Check out this Tissot watch for only $117 plus free shipping!

ubisoft petz games

This week we tried out a bunch of Petz games from Ubisoft. The Petz games are a Nintendo DS staple, so we were so excited to give them a try. (I'm not going to put the full write up on each game like usual, because that would result in the longest post ever.)

Petz Nursery

Petz Dogz Talent Show

Petz Dolphinz Encounter

Petz Dogz Pack

What we say:
As I've mentioned before, my girls are crazy about animals. They seriously ask daily ask when we are going to get a puppy. So games about animals... and puppies??? Perfect!
They were thrilled with all four games. My 6-year-old loved the Petz Dogz Pack best. She was positively enthralled with creating her own dog. She loves learning about different types of dogs, so this game just fascinated her. She thought the Petz Dogz Talent Show game was "so funny" - it had her laughing outloud at the dogs antics! (It really was super cute.) She really enjoyed Petz Dolphinz Encounter - especially taking care of the hurt dolphins.
My 5-year-old preferred the Petz Nursery game. I wasn't surprised, since she has a nurturing personality and loves babies. Her favorite part was giving the baby pets a bottle... she thought that was just "so cool." This game was the easiest for her to use - she had trouble with Petz Dog Talent Show and Petz Dolphinz Encounter and needed extra help. So if you have a younger player, I'd recommend starting with Petz Dogz Pack or Petz Nursery.
The only problem? My 18-month-old son kept trying to grab the DS to look at the "woof-woofs." (He was laughing hysterically at Petz Dogz Talent Show! I must remember that next time we're stuck in a waiting room and i need to entertain him!
And, once again, I love how Ubisoft kids games are for all ages. My girls are young and just scratching the surface of what these games offer. So I know they'll be still playing them in a few years. Those are the games I don't mind buying!

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine artist and imagine babysitters to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

curious george: a very monkey christmas

**This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to comment #31 - Susan! Enjoy!!**

This morning, we had a viewing party in our family room of the brand new Curious George Christmas  movie - Curious George's very first holiday movie!  Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas is positively adorable and was a huge hit!

We had a crowd of 11 kids between the ages of 2 and 9. We started out with coloring pages and Curious George tattoos and then moved into the family room with popcorn for the movie. All 11 kids were riveted - they sat for the entire movie and were laughing out loud at George's signature zany antics. (Yes, even the 2-year-old!) And when it was done, they were asking to watch it again. The consensus? "Awesome!" "Super funny!" "I really liked it!" "Silly!" "Mon-kee!" (2-year-old) 

This is such a sweet holiday movie! It will be airing Thanksgiving week - check your local listings. And might I recommend doing this: I remember my aunt sending us a package at Christmas marked "Do not open until Christmas EVE!" She filled it with popcorn and a new movie for the kids to watch. Be a busy mom's hero and provide for a nice distraction for her overexcited little ones at Christmas!

Well, one lucky Girlymama reader will win their very own copy of Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas ! Here's how to enter:

1. Contest ends Friday, November 27.
2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want to win.
3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me your favorite holiday movie.
4. Entry #3:  Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, Tweeting about it, emailing  friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).
5. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

Good Luck!!

disclaimer: i received supplies for the viewing party: a copy of Curious George, coloring pages, games, etc.  i was not compensated financially for this post or for hosting the party.

imagine artist and imagine babysitters

We love Ubisoft's imagine games in our house. Every one that we've tried, my girls have loved. This week we got to try two new imagine games: Imagine Artist and Imagine Babysitters.

What they say:
imagine artist

• Draw, Paint, Create – Learn a variety of techniques for drawing, painting and collage through fun mini-games in color-mixing, shading and composition.
• Live the Life of an Aspiring Artist – Create beautiful works of art, maintain your studio and fulfill clients’ wishes as you build your reputation and your portfolio.
• Share Your Creations – Upload your creations to your own virtual gallery on the Imagine Town website for your friends to see.

 imagine babysitters

• Develop a loving relationship with the babies – feed them, nurse them, rock them to sleep.
• Help the babies learn and grow through 15 interactive mini-games, including memory games, puzzle games, coloring activities and more!
• Organize play dates with other babies in multiplayer mode.
• Give the babies their own looks with a variety of cute outfits.

what we say:

Imagine Artist was a huge hit. Its probably my favorite Imagine game so far. My girls could spend hours on this game drawing picture after picture. They loved drawing on pictures they took of themselves with their DSi (a very cool feature). I highly recommend this game for younger DS players. If I had to pick just one game to keep my girls entertained on a trip - it would be this one.

They both enjoyed Imagine Babysitter but not nearly as much as Imagine Artist. My 5-year-old loves any game where she can pick out clothes for someone, so she spent most of her time picking out outfits for her baby. And I loved how the "helping the babies learn" section is actually learning activities for the kids. Way to sneak in some education!! This one is also great for younger players - my girls are 5 and 6 were able to figure out the basics of this game quickly.

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine artist and imagine babysitters to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

berenstain bears little lights series

We are big fans of the Berenstain Bears on our house: our kids love them and my husband and I love the lessons they teach. They are so classic: I remember reading them as a kid!  Now Michael Berenstain, son of Stan and Jan, has a new line of "Little Lights" books. We recently received several to read and let me tell you: they are fantastic.

The Little Lights Berenstain Bear series helps children learn how God wants them to live every day. The titles range from the Thanksgiving themed The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks to The Berenstain Bears Go to Sunday School, which focuses on the importance of going to church as a family to The Berenstain Bears Love Their Neighbors, which teaches about loving others who are different. (Here's a list of all the Little Lights titles.)

These books are truly a treasure and I am thrilled to add them to our family library. Take The Berenstain Bears Faithful Friends, for example. It was a wonderful story about Sister Bear reaching out to a new cub, who is a little different. But then her best friend gets jealous and is mean to Sister and leaves her out of their group of friends. Sister is advised by Brother Bear to love her friend, ask her whats wrong and to extend forgiveness (all with supporting by Bible verses). Sister reaches out to her jealous friend and they work it out. Then, the book provides discussion questions and activities that relate to the book's lesson.

This is so applicable to what my girls' are going through at school! We sat and talked for almost 15 minutes after reading about dealing with friends and how to be loving when people are mean to us. We will be coming back to this one again and again! I highly recommend this Little Lights series to any parent as a way to illustrate Biblical principles to their young children.

disclaimer: i received a copies of Little Lights to review. i was not compensated financially for this post.

imagine zookeeper and imagine babyz fashion

We recently got to try out Ubisoft's Imagine Zookeeper and Imagine Babyz Fashion  game for the Nintendo DS. My girls were so excited to give them a try.

What they say:

Imagine Zookeeper

• Run Your Own Wildlife Reserve – Build your own animal preserve while you care for its inhabitants and lead visitors on a fun tour of the park.
• Exploration and Knowledge – Explore your preserve and count the different species as you learn what their individual needs are, photograph them to document the growth of baby animals.
• Wild Animal Rescue – Rescue injured animals and nurse them back to health at the preserve headquarters.
• Preserve the Territory – Prevent poachers from entering your preserve and learn to fight pollution to keep your park safe for all animals.

Imagine Babyz Fashion

• Nurture and Care – Care for and interact with adorable babies! Feed them, play with them, and soothe them to sleep so they are the happiest babies.
• Dress Up – Style and accessorize the babies in the hottest fashions, show them how to strut their stuff on the catwalk and enter them into fashion contests for great prizes!
• Customization – Now you can customize and coordinate all the babies’ toys and accessories to match their outfits and create a matching look from head to toe.

What I (we) say:

Ellie loved the zookeeper game! It was so perfect for her - she wants to be a zookeeper when she grows up. So as soon as she saw the game, she was hooked. She really enjoyed it. It is a little advanced for her (she's 6), but she still thoroughly enjoyed playing it and was still able to navigate the game and do the challenges. 

Gracie, however, preferred the Babyz Fashion game. Of course, picking out the outfits for her baby was the most fun part for her. (Gracie loves any game like that!) And she was able to take care of her baby and play the game without much help from me, despite not being able to read. 

Like the other  imagine games I've seen, I thought they were very well done and fun enough to interest older girls, but still simple enough for younger kids to easily use. I especially appreciated the environmental lessons Ellie was learning in the zookeeper game! And, most importantly, my kids both declared the games "AWESOME!"

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine zookeeper and imagine babyz fashion to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

imagine wedding designer

We recently got to try out Ubisoft's Imagine Wedding Designer  game for the Nintendo DS. My girls were so excited to give it a try. We are in the process of planning my sister's wedding, so they are totally wedding obsessed right now!

What they say:

• Manage the weddings of 6 different brides, each with their own personality and specific tastes
• Design the wedding invitation, choose the dress, veil, bouquet, and more! You can also choose the bride’s hair and makeup, the location of the ceremony, and the music!
• Choose who will be in the ceremony and select the outfits that will please the bride
• Live the big day! Ensure everything goes smoothly and your bride is happy! If not, you may face some unexpected events during the ceremony!
• Unlock new characters, clothing, and accessories with each “perfect” wedding that you design! Exchange the unlockables with your friends via the DS’ WIFI connection.

What I say:

We LOVED this game. The girls' thought it was so fun! They were fascinated by picking out dresses and flowers and make-up! Getting to actually watch the wedding they designed is their favorite part. The "design your own" wedding was a hit as well. I played a round (or two) and I really liked it: can they make a bigger game for grown-ups?

Imagine Wedding Designer is fun enough to interest older girls, but still simple enough for younger kids to easily use. Plus, its not just fun - it's teaching important skills at the same time. This one is teaching my girls' to be detailed-oriented and to focus on others, by picking out what the bride wants, not what they want.  

disclaimer: i received a copy of imagine wedding designer to review and a nintendo ds in order to do the reviewing from ubisoft. i was not compensated financially for this post.

genuardi's new lower prices **giveaway**

This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to #83 Sarah and #63 Lisa!!

I discovered Genuardi's when I moved to Philly almost ten years ago. They are known all around the Delaware Valley for their gorgeous stores, superior produce and wonderful customer service - none of which changed when they were bought out by Safeway. (Whew!)

Now Genuardi’s is expanding its long-term commitment to great quality and value by offering its customers lower prices on thousands of new everyday items across the store.

To help get the word out, they offered several local bloggers a gift card to use to shop at our local Genuardi’s to experience their new low prices and to blog about our shopping experiences. So this week I made my list and headed to Genuardi’s to do some shopping.  There were lots of “new lower prices” signs on items throughout the store. And, of course, the whole Genuardi's experience was just as it always is: high quality, friendly people and terrific prices.

The sales this week were super - I stocked up for Thanksgiving, refilled my pantry and snagged some killer deals. Like free breakfast! This weekend, customers could get a dozen eggs, orange juice, a pound of bacon and a loaf of bread for FREE with the coupons in the ad and a $50 purchase. And I stocked up on brand-name cereal for only $1.50 a box. And the store-brand organic milk is a great price! And the produce was gorgeous as always.

In addition to my own gift card, Genuardi's generiously  offered me 2 $50 gift cards to Girlymama readers. Here's how to enter:

1. Contest ends Friday, November 13.
2. Entry #1: Leave a comment just saying you want to win.
3. Entry #2: Leave a SEPARATE comment telling me your trick to keeping your grocery bill down.
4. Entry #3:  Leave another comment telling me in what way you promoted this contest (i.e., posting about it on your blog or Facebook, Tweeting about it, emailing  friends, and/or subscribe to my feed by email or in a reader).
5. Winners will be selected by Random.org, announced back here on this post, and notified via email with further instructions.

Good luck!!!

jolly llama squeezable whole fruit sorbets

I recently got to try out Jolly Llama's new squeezable whole fruit sorbets. As my family and I are very fond of the frozen treats, we were eager to give them a whirl!

What they say:

-- they come in fun-to-eat individual 3 oz. squeeze-up tubes
-- all natural (no genetically modified corn sweeteners)
-- low in fat and average just 75 calories per serving
-- high in fiber and vitamins A & C
-- four flavors: strawberry, mango, acai, blueberry
-- available nationwide for home delivery thru the company's website
-- currently in grocery stores throughout the Western US

What we say:

YUM! I set up a taste test for my family so we could try every flavor. They were a huge hit. My kids were gobbling them up and asking for more - and so were the adults. I LOVE the acai berry one - so yummy. And it had me at "70 calories." My husband and younger daughter both preferred the mango, while my older daughter liked strawberry. My 19-month-old son liked them all and was sporting a bluish-purple mustache after inhaling the blueberry one and kept giving himself brain freezes from eating too fast.
I love the ingredient lists: all natural. Real fruit, sweetened with pure cane sugar, plus vitamins A & C and fiber. Now that's a dessert I can feed my kids. We had friends over for dinner the other night and gave the kids Jolly Llama sorbets for dessert and they were a huge hit. The parents were all asking where they could buy them! 

bath and body works sale!

I LOVE Bath and Body Works Antibacterial Foaming Soap. Even before H1N1 and such, I was a loyal user.  If you came to my house and visited all three of our bathrooms and my kitchen, you would see one on every sink. Its one of the only antibacterial soaps that doesn't leave my skin super dry. And the foaming soap is perfect for my little ones!

My two very,very favorite scents are Japanese Cherry Blossom and Midnight Pomegranate. But my kids bathroom has Sweet Pea in it, because its pink. And you know how my girls are about pink! Its one of those little, tiny indulgences that makes me smile!

Right now, Bath and Body Works is having a sale! All their antibacterial soaps are 3 for $10!! And 4-packs are only $12! Small pocket hand sanitizers are only $1!!! Go forth and stock up!! These make great stocking stuffers and teacher gifts as well!

Disclaimer: I'm just posting this because I love this product. No compensation was received.