As much as I am in denial that K is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks, to be followed by D next fall, I have been working as much as I can to get them prepared for school. They’re both home with me all day, so we rely on workbooks, computer games and educational TV shows to help them learn the early skills they’ll need to find success in school.

Recently I was given the opportunity to check out the new Team Umizoomi Preschool  Math Kits, featuring one of our Nickelodeon favorites – Team Umizoomi. The boys both love playing along with the show, so I was thrilled to hear that they were offering preschool curriculum, as well. The kit we received teaches sorting, classification and reasoning. All very important skills in math!

The Preschool Math Kits include a great full-color workbook and activity book with fun activities like spotting differences, figuring out order, choosing the right shape, coloring and much more. K is really enjoying doing the all of activities to help get ready for the start of the school year.

One of my favorite features of the kits are the Math Mission cards. Each card gives you a fun activity that you can do around the house. These are great for those “Mom, I’m boooored” moments when the kids are antsy and you’re short on ideas. Each has a fun learning component involved that can turn a few minutes of play into a helpful math lesson.

In addition to the activities within the workbooks and Mission cards, there’s a little math-related storytelling going on, as well. The boys got into the story and activities within the Playground Heroes DVD and storybook that were included in the kit. They were a perfect way to tie learning and fun together.

Each of the Team Umizoomi Preschool Math Kits include:

• A Team Umizoomi DVD
• A full color workbook
• A Team Umizoomi storybook
• 48 page activity book
• 24 Math Mission cards
• Team Umizoomi pencils and eraser

We will definitely be on the lookout for the other two kits that are available and hope to see even more learning fun in the future.

You can find the same Sorting, Classification and Reasoning math kit that we received or purchase one of their other two titles at the  Umizoomi shop and at ToysRUs. Or one of my lucky readers will have the opportunity to win a kit of their own!

Mandatory entry: Comment on this post and tell me what the biggest math challenge is for your kids, that you would like help with teaching.

Additional entries (main entry must be completed for additional entries to count)

• Tweet about the giveaway (no more than 2x per day)
• Subscribe to my feed
• Friend me on Google Friend Connect

Giveaway open to US residents only. Entries will close at 11:59 PM on August 22 and winner will be selected by Random.org and notified by email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize or an alternate winner will be selected.

*product provided for review, opinions provided by me*

Giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Jennifer R, comment #52. You have been emailed and have 48 hours to claim your prize!

Organization is something of a dirty word around my house. I get one area cleaned up, and by the time I get through the next one, the first is a disaster zone again. I’ve never been one to claim to be domestic, by any means and I came by it honestly. I grew up in a house where the house being clean was not the #1 priority, so it’s never been mine either.

One of my biggest organizational challenges in my own home is simply the amount of storage space we have. There can’t be a place for everything when you have more stuff than you have places. The toys are overflowing the bins in the kids’ room, the closets are stuffed full. There are even boxes of junk that we “might need” sitting in the bathroom corner. It’s a bit of a nightmare. I need to weed out and store smarter!

I was recently sent a copy of Pretty Neat by Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch, the creators of Buttoned Up, for review. This book is packed full of organizational tips that might just be the ticket to getting my organizational life on track. While I haven’t yet had a chance to put the tips into practice, I’m excited to dive into reorganizing my life soon.

One of the main focuses of the book is letting go of perfection. I’m something of a messy perfectionist, myself. The chapter about Eliminating Excuses, the authors address one of my own biggest issues, reminding us that it’s okay if things aren’t done perfectly. I tend to put off tasks until I have the time to do them thoroughly, rather than working on them gradually when time allows.

The book includes plenty of tips to make getting your home life, work life and even your inbox under control easier. Even with these great ideas that are shared, I love that this book isn’t a step-by-step, one-size-fits-all instruction manual. It gets you thinking about what’s important for you and what will work for you, to keep your home happy and stress free.

*WIN IT*

I have been given the opportunity to give away a copy of Pretty Neat to one of my readers! That winner will also be entered in a giveaway for a $200 gift card to help with their organizational goals and a selection of Buttoned Up products ($50 value), being drawn from winners across this blog tour.

To Enter: Tell me the biggest organizational challenge in your home. What’s the one area or flaw that keeps you from being your best?

For extra entries (main entry must be completed first)

• Tweet about the giveaway (no more than 2x per day)
• Subscribe to my feed
• Friend me on Google Friend Connect

Giveaway will end at 11:59 PM on 3/21. Winner will be drawn by Random.org and will have 48 hours to claim their prize or a replacement winner will be drawn. US Entries only, please.

*Product provided for this review, opinions are my own*

Here’s the post where I admit my addiction to coffee. Shocking, right? I sorta kinda have to start my day with coffee (or some other form of caffeine) or I am seriously not a fun person to be around. Besides the addiction, I find nothing more enjoyable than relaxing with a latte…or cappuccino…or some other delicious coffee-based concoction. It’s my vice, what can I say.

Besides my dependency issues, I have another issue with coffee – waste. I cannot stand the thought of wasting perfectly good coffee, even if it’s gone cold in the pot. Only once it’s gone cold in the pot, it’s hardly perfectly good coffee anymore, is it?

Every morning, A gets up and makes a pot of coffee. He drinks one cup and leaves for work. I get up an hour or two later and can’t bring myself to toss the coffee out. I nuke it and go on with the day. Yep, every weekday I get stuck with secondhand coffee. It’s sad. I know.

When the opportunity arose to review a Tassimo T20 Brewbot, thanks to the Holiday Extravaganza, I couldn’t turn it down. I’ve been lusting after a single-serve coffeemaker for ages, but just couldn’t bring myself to take the plunge.

The Tassimo T20 is very easy to use. Fill it with water, pop in your T DISC of choice and push the start button. Within a minute or so, you’ve got a fresh, hot cup of coffee, all ready to go. You know what this means? No more reheated coffee for me! We can each make our own fresh cup in the mornings! And without pouring a drop down the drain!

The coolest thing about it is that you don’t need to adjust the water amount for each cup. The T DISCs are barcoded and the machine reads each bar code and knows just how much water to use to make the perfect beverage. Want yours a little stronger? You can adjust the strength manually by holding down the start button when the indicator light comes on.

One of the things that worried me the most about a single-serve coffee maker is the cost of the discs. I’ve seen other brands whose products are very pricey, but Tassimo carries a wide range of coffee brands, giving options for most any budget. The Maxwell House Café’ Collection T DISCs start at $5.99 for 16 servings. While that’s a bit more expensive than a standard can of ground coffee, it’s still quite reasonable. Higher end brands are available, as well, including specialty drinks from Starbucks, Gevalia and more.

The first thing I tried when I opened up my Brewbot was the Starbucks Cappuccino Primo. Making the cappuccino was a two step process, with one  T DISC for the steamed cream and a second for the espresso, but it took almost no time at all. The result? A very tasty beverage, comparable to what you would get in a coffee house. Good stuff!

Not a coffee drinker? There are T DISCs available for a number of different teas, as well as hot chocolate. I plan on picking up some hot chocolate soon, to enjoy with the kids over the holidays.

Want one? You can find the Tassimo T20 Brewbot, as well as the full line of T DISCs at the Brewbot website. The T20 retails for $129.99.

Want to win one? Tassimo has generously provided a T20 Brewbot for me to give away to a reader!

To enter to win: Visit the Brewbot website and come back and tell me what type of T-disc you would like to try.

For extra entries, you may tweet about the giveaway and leave a separate comment for each entry. (No more than 2 tweets per day, please)

US entries only, please. Giveaway will end on 12/22 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be drawn by Random.org and contacted by email. Winner will have 24 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

As a member of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign, this post has been sponsored by Playmobil. I have received a sample of the product and the company is sending one to my winner.

A few weeks ago, I was invited by some of my favorite Philly bloggers to join them in a fabulous fundraiser for Toys for Tots. Unfortunately, due to timing and logistics, I wasn’t able to join them at the Holiday Extravaganza on December 9^th, but instead I, along with several other fabulous bloggers, was given the opportunity to share a virtual version of the celebration with all of you!

On Thursday evening , Chester County Moms Holiday Extravaganza event collected more than 1300 toys for their local Toys for Tots program. That’s 450 children who will have gifts on Christmas day! Today we’re taking the campaign to a national level by sharing with you a bit about Toys for Tots.

The Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign and Marines have conducted successful nationwide campaigns at Christmas each year since 1948.

I’m sure you’ve seen the Toys for Tots collection bins placed in local area stores or heard about events to raise money and gifts for this organization. Dropping off toys at a donation center isn’t the only way to support this fantastic cause, you can also donate online, as well. Visit http://toysfortots.org/donate/default.asp to see the many ways that you can donate or to find local toy drop offs for your area.

As a part of the Virtual Holiday Extravaganza event, I am able to give away some fantastic prizes from several great sponsors to my readers. Let the fun begin!

THREE lucky winners will walk away with one of the following prizes.

Playmobil Firestation – retail value $74.99

AboutOne membership – One year’s subscription to their online family management system. Want to try it out? Check out the site for a 15 day free trial.

Backyard Safari Outfitters prize pack – Cargo Vest, Field Binos, Mega View Periscope, Bug Vacuum, Adventurer Kit Approximate Retail Value is $91.95

To enter to win, leave me a comment telling me a little something about your own experiences or thoughts about Toys for Tots.

Want some extra entries? Tweet about the giveaway and come back and leave me a another comment! (no more than 2 per day)

Giveaway will end on 12/17 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be selected by Random.org and notified by email. Winners have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be selected.

*Please note – we cannot guarantee holiday delivery of prizes for this giveaway.

As a member of the Holiday Extravaganza Digital Campaign, this post has been sponsored by Playmobil. I have received samples of all of the products and the companies are sending them to our winners, with the exception of Playmobil which I will be shipping upon address confirmation.

Anyone who has spent even five minutes at a conference with me this year knows I have battery issues. Between tweeting and obsessively checking email and taking pics, my battery drains within a few short hours. When I met the people from iGo at the Type-A Mom conference back in September, I was seriously impressed with their products and knew I just had to have one. When they contacted me later to review the Charge Anywhere, I just couldn’t say no!

Little did I know that the Charge Anywhere was going to become a very hot commodity around our house. My hubby and I both use it regularly, taking it along with us on any outing that could last more than a few hours. There have been occasional heated discussions over who gets to use it, in fact. While the charger is equipped to charge two devices at once, we have not tried to charge both phones off the battery simultaneously. I can imagine that it would work, but wouldn’t give a full charge to both batteries. The ability to charge two things is very convenient, however, when you only have one outlet, but two devices to charge.

The iGo Charge Anywhere has the capability to charge thousands of devices, thanks to interchangeable tips. Tips are available for everything from Blackberry and iPhone products to MP3 players and handheld video games. I’m looking forward to being able to charge the Nintendo DS for the kids when we’re on roadtrips in the future. That should save a ton of whining and tears!

One of my favorite features of the Charge Anywhere is its size. It’s small and lightweight. I can toss it in my purse or tote bag and it takes up very little space. The plug prongs fold down, so there’s no chance of them getting in the way while stored.

The bottom line? I love the Charge Anywhere. It’s taken a bit of frustration out of my life and made things a little easier for me. If you’re a plugged-in, on-the-go family, I think you’ll love it, too!

Want one? You can purchase the iGo Charge Anywhere at the iGo.com website, along with any tips that you might need to fit your devices. The Charge Anywhere retails for $39.99 and tips vary in price by device. Use code iGoblogger for 20% off your order!

Want to win one? I’m giving away an iGo Charge Anywhere plus one device tip to one lucky reader!

To enter: Leave a comment and tell me why you need to be able to Charge Anywhere.

For extra entries (main entry must be completed first):

• Follow @iGo on Twitter
• Become a Fan of iGo on Facebook
• Tweet about the giveaway (no more than 2x per day, please)
• Subscribe to my feed

Please leave a separate comment for additional entries.

US entries only, please. Giveaway will end on Friday December 17^th at 11:59pm. Winner will be drawn using Random.org and notified by email. If the winner does not respond to claim their prize within 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Disclosure: Product provided for this review and giveaway. No other compensation was received.

One of my favorite memories as a child was reading the comic strips in the Sunday paper with my grandfather, grandmother, dad or whoever else I could sucker into getting into a chair for some snuggling and giggling. Marmaduke was always a hit. Every week, that big, lumbering Great Dane would find himself in another little fiasco, exasperating his people to no idea, but always coming out as loveable as ever.

Recently, Fox Entertainment brought the Marmaduke comic strip to the big screen with a live action/animation feature film. With a cast including Owen Wilson, Emma Stone and George Lopez, viewers get to see the real personality of Marmaduke and his friends. I’m so excited that I get to share this childhood favorite with my kids, updated for the 21st century.

Throughout the film, Marmaduke gets into all kinds of shenanigans, as always. What I love most though, is that sweet, gentle Great Dane spirit that he possesses. He reminds me a bit of the St. Bernard that lived down the street when I was growing up. He was best friends with my itty bitty knee high mutt. To see them palling around was such a Mutt and Jeff scenario, it would leave you in stitches. One of my favorite memories was the Bernard (I’m old, I can’t remember his name now) backing himself into Barkley’s tiny little doghouse and Barkley wedging himself between the horse sized dog’s front paws. There they would sit for hours, just hanging out…or stuck, who knows! If that doesn’t sound like a Marmaduke moment, what does?

I’m excited to include the a copy of the Marmaduke movie on DVD, courtesy Fox Entertainment, in my backpack giveaway, along with all of these other amazing prizes:

Sample tastes from Arizona Kids, Bear Naked, Cal Naturale Svelte, …

… and more to come! This list will grow as more products are added by our sponsors

To Enter to win a backpack overflowing with these great prizes:

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite dog (or cat) story. Whether it’s about a childhood pet, the neighborhood menace or even a silly story told to you by a friend or co-worker, I want to hear it!

For extra entries, you may tweet about the giveaway and leave the link to your tweet in the comment section. Please, no more than twice per day.

Giveaway ends on Wednesday, September 22nd at 11:59 PM EST. US entries only please. Winner will be selected by Random.org and will be notified by email. If prize is not claimed within 48 hours of email, another winner will be selected. One backpack per winner, across the campaigns.

Fill the Backpack is sponsored by Ziploc and 20th Century Fox. Our sponsors have generously contibuted to this campaign through products, monetary compensation, and have made The Dream Classroom Contest possible (cash prizes to be awarded through classwish.org). Participating brands have contributed products to all 8 bloggers and to all 16 backpacks.

Remember how I told you I was part of a really fun project that could make two of my readers a big winner? Well, it’s time for one of you to get your chance!

One of our partners in the Fill The Backpack program is Classwish.org – a wonderful non-profit, dedicated to helping teachers fill their classrooms with the things that they need for a successful learning environment.

ClassWish.org unites teachers, parents and communities to provide the classroom resources children need to thrive.  Teachers create Wish Lists.  Visitors see exactly what’s needed and make tax-deductible contributions to help.  The result?  All of us are united in helping children meet their potential.  See how easy it is a http://ClassWish.org.

Teachers can sign up their classrooms and create a wish list of items that would help them to create a classroom that would enhance their students’ experience. Parents, alumni and other supporters can go to the site and donate the funds to the classroom of their choice or choose to purchase a specific item from the teacher’s list with their donation. It really makes helping out your child’s classroom a quick and easy process!

As a part of our Fill The Backpack campaign, we will also be giving away two Dream Classrooms from Classwish.org to deserving teachers. If you would like to enter your classroom or your child’s classroom to have a chance to win $500 toward the classroom of their dreams, visit our Dream Classroom giveaway and submit your essay.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to offer a $25 credit to Classwish.org, among the many amazing items in the backpacks that I am giving away!

What else will my winner receive? Take a look!

Sample tastes from Arizona Kids, Bear Naked, Cal Naturale Svelte, …

… and more to come! This list will grown as more products are added by our sponsors

To Enter to win a backpack overflowing with these great prizes:

Leave me a comment letting me know what YOU would like to supply for a classroom in your area if you were to win the backpack and the Classwish.org $25 credit.

For extra entries, you may tweet about the giveaway and leave the link to your tweet in the comment section. Please, no more than twice per day.
Giveaway ends on Thursday, September 9th at 11:59 PM EST. US entries only please. Winner will be selected by Random.org and will be notified by email. If prize is not claimed within 48 hours of email, another winner will be selected. One backpack per winner, across the campaigns.

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED – Winner being drawn and will be notified by email shortly.

Fill the Backpack is sponsored by Ziploc and 20th Century Fox. Our sponsors have generously contibuted to this campaign through products, monetary compensation, and have made The Dream Classroom Contest possible (cash prizes to be awarded through classwish.org). Participating brands have contributed products to all 8 bloggers and to all 16 backpacks.

If you haven’t been avoiding the calendar like the plague, I’m sure you’re well aware that Back to School is just around the corner or might even have hit you like a ton of bricks already. While we still have a few weeks of summer left around here, back to school prep is in full swing. We’re getting AJ ready for his sophomore year, J ready for another year of homeschooling and the little guys set up for some learning at home with mom.
But we want to help you get ready for another school year of fun and learning, too! I have teamed up with 7 other amazing bloggers for some fabulous back to school treats! We’ve been preparing for weeks and are so excited to share with you…

“Fill the Backpack”
The Parent. The Student. The Teacher.

“Fill the Backpack” is an exciting back to school online event taking place across 8 blogs from August 16th – September 16th . We have partnered with Volunteer Spot and this event will be sponsored by Ziploc Brand and 20th Century Fox as well as other brands that have contributed to filling the backpack!

We will be giving away 16 backpacks overflowing with back to school surprises and hosting a Dream Classroom Contest for teachers and parents to submit a 200 word essay describing their dream classroom. Two entries will receive $500 to classwish.org to help assist in the building of the classroom of their dreams.

Meet the Bloggers!

Tech Savvy Mama – Leticia Barr

Just Precious – Julie Meyers Pron

The Centsible Life – Kelly Whalen

Detroit Mommies – Courtney Valasquez

It’s My Life – Jessica Rosenberg

Savvy Sassy Moms – Andrea Fellman

From Crib to Car Keys – Shannan Powell

Clueless Mama – Laurie Cooper

VolunteerSpot’s free online signup sheets save time, eliminate reply-all email, and make it easy for more parents to get involved at school. Register at VolunteerSpot before October 1, 2010 using promo code ‘“TeachersSave” for a chance to win $100 in free classroom supplies for the teacher of your choice from ClassWish.org.

Meet the “Fill the Backpack” Official Sponsors

Stay tuned to find out how you can enter to win a backpack or how you can enter your favorite teacher for a chance to win a dream classroom…

Sending cards is something that I always have great intentions to do, but something always goes terribly wrong with the execution. I either buy them early then forget to send them, or completely forget about it until the special date has passed and I am left apologizing for overlooking someone or something.  I really do try…I just forget. It’s not you, it’s me.

Tiny Prints has just launched a new line of greeting cards that just might make me look a little more thoughtful. Their personalized cards offer customers the chance to personalize their cards with names, photos and even write their own greetings. You can send grandma a Mother’s Day card with a picture of all the grandkids, or remind your best friend of her most embarrassing moment by personalizing a fun birthday card.

Even if you don’t care to personalize the card, there are tons of great styles for just about any occasion that may come along. If you’d like, Tiny Prints will even mail the card for you, preventing the embarrassing problem that I have of leaving the cards sitting on the kitchen table for weeks on end.

And the best part? Tiny Prints also offers a reminder service that will email you and grab your attention to let you know that someone in your life has a birthday or anniversary coming up. Forgetful oafs like me won’t get caught unaware when someone’s birthday rolls around! Genius!

I have yet to physically put my hands on one of the new greeting cards, but have received cards from people using Tiny Prints before, I am confident that they will be of the same high quality that we’ve come to expect from the company. They simply produce beautiful work.

Want to learn more about the new Tiny Prints Greetings line? Join us tonight (Friday, April 23^rd) for their first ever Twitter party! Head on over to ResourcefulMommy to find out the details and RSVP.

If you would like to try out Tiny Prints Greetings for yourself, you can sign up for a subscription plan and get 3 free cards right now.

OR

You can win 25 cards from me! That’s right! I am giving away 25 greeting cards to one lucky reader.

Main Entry: Leave me a comment, telling me what your most embarrassing “Oops I forgot” moment was. Did you forget a birthday? Leave a kid at daycare? Come on, we want to laugh at with you!

Bonus Entries: Please leave a comment for each entry!

• Visit Tiny Prints and let me know which of their fantastic new greeting card designs is your favorite.
• Tweet about the giveaway.
• Subscribe to my RSS feed
• Follow me on GoogleConnect
• Blog about this giveaway

This giveaway will close on Saturday, May 1 at 11:59 PM. Winner will be chosen by Random.org and notified by email. If the winner cannot be contacted by email, a new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: I will be receiving product from Tiny Prints in exchange for posting this giveaway. Any stated opinions on the product belong to me.

I’ve said before that we are all gamers in this house, from the littlest who are just learning how to hold a controller or maneuver a mouse, to A and I who take turns with fight over the PS3. Not to mention the two teen boys who are constantly talking about and playing the latest games on the market.

It can be tough to know what games kids have, so gift cards are usually the best way to go when buying these gifts. This can be a bit problematic for those who play computer based games, however.

I was recently contacted by One Power Up, a company that has created a game card that can be used to purchase credits for a number of online games. They offered me a card to try out, so that I could see the variety of games that can be purchased with their cards.

I visited their website and found that there are a number of games available with the One Power Up card. At the moment, you can purchase credits for 21 games, and I am sure that number will increase in the future. There are a variety of genres available, from sports to adventure to RPGs, appealing to a wide variety of gamers.

Loading an account is simple, all you need to do is create an account and add the funds from your card to your desired game. When you are ready for more, simply purchase more credits from participating retailers, such as RiteAid, Freds, or FYE.

My only initial concern about the One Power Up cards were that there are games available on the site that wouldn’t be appropriate for a younger audience. However, they have recently released a Safe Card, which can only be used for family friendly games appropriate for children under the age of 13.

I have been given FIVE $10 One Power Up Game Card PINs to give away to five lucky readers. All you need to do to enter is visit the One Power Up website and come back and let me know in a comment which of the games available would be the most appealing to you or your favorite gamer.

For additional entries (main entry must be completed first)

• Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter/Share on Facebook (Limit 3 entries)
• Subscribe to my feed (email or RSS)
• Friend me on Google Friend Connect
• Blog about this giveaway.

Please leave a separate comment for each form of entry.

This contest will close on Sunday, December 28^th at 11:59 PM and codes will be distributed to winners selected by Random.org as soon as is possible.

Product was provided for this review.