Win Princess Protection Program on DVD with a Slumber Party Gift Package

Princess Protection Program on DVD

This Princess Protection Program DVD Giveaway comes with a free BFF necklace set, and the prize package includes an awesome slumber party viewing kit which includes tiaras, boas and makeup kits!

Win Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience 2 Disc DVD Set

Jonas Brothers Concert Experience DVD

This Jonas Brothers concert DVD is filmed in 3-D, and includes 4 pairs of 3-D glasses for the lucky winner!

Pop on over to the new Cartoon Jr. to enter to win these awesome Disney prize packages!

Brenda Strong

Since I’m not much of a TV person, I know Brenda Strong best from her role in the movie A Plumm Summer, which was just released on DVD last week. I got the chance to speak with Brenda recently about her role as Viv, who is Happy Herb’s wife in the movie.

Wendy: Brenda, my kids are very unpredictable when it comes to their taste in movies. A Plumm Summer obviously didn’t have a lot of action, special effects, or glitz & glam. But I have to tell you that they were absolutely enchanted by this movie, watching it over and over again. Why do you think kids love this story so much?

Brenda: A Plumm Summer is based on the true story of Happy Herb, a puppeteer who had a very popular TV show in the 1960’s in Montana. Someone thought it was a ‘good idea’ to kidnap the main character of his show, a puppet named Froggy Doo. It actually involved the FBI as the kidnappers faced embezzlement & extortion charges.

But the real story in this movie is the Plumm family, and how they heal through the story. Two young brothers, who couldn’t be more different from each other, set out to find the puppet themselves. Their journey evolves as the family is nearly torn apart, culminating with a loss of innocence which was portrayed in a very elegant way. I believe kid’s imaginations are quite stimulated by the emotions and the connection they feel with the young brothers Elliott and Rocky Plumm.

Wendy: I loved how the movie dealt with the very serious issue of alcoholism, which touches millions of lives every day.

Brenda: The family dynamic was extraordinarily well played by William Baldwin and Lisa Guerrero. The alcoholism was dealt with in a very mature manner, yet was never too much for a young child to understand. Though, I know as a parent that kids can handle a lot more than we give them credit for.

Wendy: Not to give too much of the story away, but your character ended up being somewhat of an antagonist in the story. Do you like being the ‘bad guy’ as an actress?

Brenda: I love being the antagonist, it is so much fun! But I do love how this character was used as a tool to teach that almost anything is forgiveable, and that sometimes people do bad things as a way of getting love.

Wendy: What was your favorite part of being in A Plumm Summer?

Brenda: Working with Henry Winkler, William Baldwin, and the rest of the amazing cast was wonderful. And I loved being in Montana, it was such a beautiful setting. I also loved how this movie returned us to a simpler time, as the story was set in the 1960’s. It proved that emotion, love and a family bond creates a great story no matter what.

How to Win a Copy of A Plumm Summer on DVD

Have we sparked your interest in A Plumm Summer? I hope so, because I absolutely loved it! Then enter to win by leaving a comment below to win a copy of it on DVD, or buy A Plumm Summer on Amazon.

Entry Deadline: May 20, 2009

Sears has hired me to help spread the word about their Spring Clearance Sale. At first, I thought to myself “Yeah, yeah, just how cute can their winter clearance stuff be now that it is almost April?”. Well, let me tell you. Their stuff is dang cute. And holy moly = dang cheap!

But even better, they have also given me a $250 gift card to give away to a lucky Momsational reader. And when you see what $250 can buy during this sale, you will be impressed (I was, and I’m kind of hard to impress).

Check it:

The $6 Buck Sweater Dress	The $9 Buck Swinger	The $28 Sag Harbor Bag	The $18 Buck Halter Dress
The $6 Buck Sweater Dress	The $9 Buck Swinger	The $28 Buck Sag Harbor Bag	The $18 Buck Halter Dress

At these prices I could care less that I can’t wear that cute coat until the fall. I am ALL OVER IT for $9 bucks!!! Even better, this isn’t just a women’s clearance sale. So if your DH or the kids need something, you can deck them out too (and still have some leftover for that strappy halter dress. YUM.).

Since this Clearance Sale ends April 18th, I’ll have the contest end April 15th. That way whoever wins will not only have a little time to shop the clearance, they will also get a bit of good news on tax day! (Blech)

How to Enter to Win a $250 Sears Shopping Spree from Momsational

We like making contests easy to enter around here. There are two ways to enter:

1 - Leave a comment on this post telling me what you’d get with the $250 (Just because I’m curious!)

2 - Follow @BustedMoms on Twitter (because this contest is peanuts compared to the $2500 Mommy Makeover they are giving away and I want one of you to win that too!)

You can enter both ways and get two entries to the contest. And if you are already following @BustedMoms on Twitter, you are already entered once!

Want to Sponsor a Giveaway?

Here’s how!

_________________________________________________________________

Retail value $250.00. Open to legal residents of the United States 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. One entry per person. Void where prohibited by law. By submitting your Name and Email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from Momsational and Sparkplugging.com, in compliance with our strict privacy policy and giveaway rules. Your information will never be rented or sold to third parties. Frequently Asked Questions.

The event will take place on Tuesday, March 24th between 2-4 pm EST.

Mary Ann and Alicia (@todaysmoms) would also like to encourage you to ask questions ahead of time using the tag #asktodaysmoms or leave a question on their facebook page.

And for the actual event they’ll be using the tag #todaysmoms to keep up with the tweets.

So join us with your burning questions and learn how these two busy executives and the other co-hosts from the Today Show managed to survive parenthood amidst their crazy lifestyles!

And of course, if you missed Wendy’s recent appearance on the Today Show, you can check it out here

My girls absolutely loved the Kung Fu Panda movie! So needless to say they were thrilled when its sequel came out . . . Secrets of  the Furious Five. If you too have kids that loved Kung Fu Panda, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away the Secrets of the Furious Five DVD, the sequel to Kung Fu Panda!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

My family eats a lot of yogurt! But we all like different flavors of yogurt . . . until now. Now we have found a flavor that we all like! It’s the new flavor of Yoplait Yo-Plus yogurt called Blueberry Acai. We all like it because it’s very creamy! Another bonus is that this yogurt is a good source of fiber, calcium, vitamins A & D and includes probiotic cultures. So if your family likes yogurt, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away three Yoplait prize packs that include a coupon for a free 4-pack of Yo-Plus yogurt, a Yoplait cooler tote bag, water bottle and a nutrition journal.

If you want to save money trying this new Yoplait flavor, you can get a $1.50 off downloadable coupon for a 4-pack of yogurt here. 

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

I think it’s so important to cultivate a love of reading and learning with my kids. So we frequently go to the library, the bookstore and read together at home from our vast selection of books. And although our bookshelves are crammed with books, we’re always looking for more great books! If you’re looking for great children’s books too, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away three fabulous sets of books for kids 8 and up. This set of Silver Dolphin books includes the following:

Explore Within a Medieval Castle

Explore Within a Medieval Castle takes young readers where they’ve never gone before: over the drawbridge and into a mighty castle. Once inside, they can explore its secrets, layer by layer, with a unique sculpted 3-D model.

Model Masters Dragons

Embark on an adventure into the enchanted lands of dragons, where you will discover the origins, powers, and legends of these mythological beasts. From the fire-breathing Western dragon to the three-headed hydra, assemble, paint, and display these magical and mighty creatures from worlds beyond your imagination!

The Field Guide to Safari Animals

Each page is filled with stunning photographs, maps, illustrations and fascinating facts about Africa’s most majestic animals. At the end of this incredible journey, kids can recreate animal scenes by setting up their own stunning display featuring a cool diorama and 8 different animal models.

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

I love Disney movies! So whenever I have a chance to give one away, I take it! Therefore, in addition to having a chance to win the recently released Beverly Hills Chihuahua movie, you can now enter to win a Disney classic!

Momsational is giving away two copies of the newly released 45th Anniversary Special Two-DVD set of Disney’s Mary Poppins!

I remember enjoying watching Mary Poppins as a kid and now enjoy watching Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke in this beloved classic with my own kids!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

My girls love to accessorize . . . everything! Not only do they love to adorn themselves with earrings, bracelets and various hair accessories, they love decorating their notebooks, backpacks and purses! That’s why I was psyched to discover a product created by two moms from Oregon called PakNaks.

PakNaks are decorative accessories that transform plain backpacks, bags and other stuff into personalized, ever-changing, colorful works of art without any ironing, sewing or pinning! Unlike stickers, you don’t have to worry about these decorations tearing, wearing out or coming off.  PakNaks are weather-resistant and adhere to things with self-adhesive Velcro. That way you can interchange your PakNaks whenever you want!

And PakNaks aren’t just for girls either! There are 40+ designs, including various animals and sports themed ones.

If your kids like to decorate their belongings, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away three sets of PakNaks! Each set includes four different PakNaks that every kid will love!

Don’t want to wait to get some PakNaks? You can save 10% when you buy some at PakNak.com by entering the coupon code PAK10 at checkout.

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

There are so many movies, so little time! That’s why I’m glad movies are released on DVD so quickly because I didn’t get a chance to see Disney’s Beverly Hills Chihuahua when it was in the theaters.  If you too wanted to see this movie with the voice talents of Drew Barrymore and Andy Garcia, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away two copies of the newly released Beverly Hills Chihuahua DVD!

For even more Beverly Hills Chihuahua fun, play this lost and found game!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

One of my favorite all time movies is Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. It’s one of those movies that I watch whenever it comes on and I can recite most of the dialogue! However, the copy I own is on VHS. Which of course does me no good because we no longer have a VCR! If you too love the movie Pretty Woman and want to see it in the best quality available,  this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts on the newly released Blu-Ray Disc!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

It’s no secret that one of our favorite family pastimes is to watch movies together. Since we still have young children, we watch a lot of Disney movies on our family movie night. If you too like Disney movies, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away the 20th anniversary edition of Oliver and Company!

This classic Disney movie about how an adorable stray kitten takes Manhattan by storm includes the voice talents of Joey Lawrence, Billy Joel, Robert Loggia and Bette Midler.

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

I almost feel bad about how much fun we had on this trip - I don’t really want to rub it in. But we got the VIP tour of the park with front of the line ride access, lunch with the Sharks, dolphin petting and feeding (OMG), and center-stage seats for the Shamu Believe show. I normally try to put some kind of ‘constructive criticism’ into my review posts to keep them real. But this trip? Flawless.

I asked one of our tour guides how much the park has changed in the last 30 years. I knew it was a lot, but didn’t expect her to say, “Hmmm… well, I think the Penguin Experience was here back then. But that would be it”. But if you think the reason they invited us is because of all the new stuff they have added over the years, you would be wrong.

They invited us because of The Manta. I seriously can’t do this ride justice in a post. Ted comes close in this video of our hard hat tour of the construction of this unbelievably cool new roller coaster:

The Manta is opening in May of 2009. And someone who enters this giveaway is going to be one of the first people to ride it!

It is so completely easy to enter this giveaway that it’s not even funny:

1 - Blog Comment:
Leave a comment on this post sharing why you want to take your family or friends to SeaWorld to ride Manta.

2 - Twitter Tweet:
Tweet out why you want to go to SeaWorld and ride Manta in 140 characters or less. Be sure to include http://urlbrief.com/f4fae1, #mantamania and @eMom in your tweet to be registered. For example:

@eMom I want to go to SeaWorld because @tedmurphy made the best Manta video ever! #mantamania http://urlbrief.com/f4fae1
(But you really should put in your own reason, because, well, just because we want to know. )

3 - Blog Post:
Write a post about why you want to take your family or friends to SeaWorld and ride Manta. Be sure to leave a comment or trackback on this post with the URL of your post.

Each tweet, comment or post counts as one registration. A person can enter up to three times. The winner will be chosen at random by IZEA based on all valid entries.

We will be giving away a SeaWorld Schwag Bag to one winner who enters on Momsational. IZEA will choose the grand prize winner randomly from all entries on the 6 blogs participating in the giveaway. The bloggers participating in the giveaway are the ones who went on the SeaWorld trip with me - Julia Roy, Sarah Austin, Lucretia Pruitt, Alex Schek and Ted Murphy. There we are!

The Manta Mania Contest (the “Contest”) is open to anyone who (i) is a legal U.S. resident and legal residents of Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, or Dominican Republic and (ii) is at least eighteen (18) years of age. Official contest rules.

Quaker Start with Substance Campaign

Today I am participating in the Quaker Start with Substance campaign, and I am shooting for a great ‘prize’. But the prize isn’t for me, and it might not even be for you - it is going to be for the community who’s food bank needs the most help this winter.

Most of the bloggers are choosing which food bank to award the $5000 campaign prize to should they win the competition. I’ve decided to let you choose it - I live near Chicago, and while we certainly have our share of hunger and homelessness, our city is also comparatively well-equipped to help our residents. There are many communities that aren’t so fortunate, and if I win the Start with Substance campaign, I’d like these dollars to go to a community that you think needs it the most.

How can we win this thing together?

I need all the support I can get to win this with you, so here’s what we need to make this happen. Please note that all steps must be taken for it to count towards our goal:

Step 1 - Go to the Quaker Start with Substance Facebook page, easily found on their site.

Step 2 - Scroll down to find the printable Quaker man like you see me holding above and print him out.

Step 3 - Take a picture or video of yourself or your family with the cute little Quaker man. (Keep it clean peeps!)

Step 4 - Upload that photo to the Start with Substance Facebook page under the Photos section (about half way down the page).

Step 5 - Leave a comment here with a link to your photo

Step 6 - (Optional) Let me know what food bank you are nominating to win the big prize if we win the campaign. This campaign is happening on 25 different blogs over 25 days - the blogger with the most submissions by the end of the campaign gets to award $5000 to the food bank of his or her choice.

Lastly, I also have some Quaker coupons for people who participate in this campaign with me today (just a few, will select winners randomly). In fact, I will also throw my own money down on the line - I will pick 5 random people who submit their photos today and send them each $10 gift certificates from Amazon. (And this is one contest in which Sparkplugging writers can actually participate, too!).

The cool part about this is that just for putting up this post, I get to give my local food bank a case of oatmeal.

All official rules and legal garbldygook can be found on the Quaker Start with Substance site.

Remember we only have 24 hours to make this happen - photos must be uploaded and linked in the comments here before 9:00am CST on Thursday February 5th!

Since I have lived on food stamps in the past, and even eaten at the Salvation Army, it is a wonderful feeling to be able to be on this side of the fence and able to give back to the organizations who once helped me when I was down.

I love having a camera phone because I never have to miss capturing a moment if I forget to bring along my digital camera. However, I have to admit, I’m not completely impressed with the quality of the photos my camera phone takes. And while I’m stuck with my camera phone, you have an opportunity to win a camera phone that produces excellent quality digital photos because . . .

Momsational is giving away the new Motorola ZN5 camera phone!

This latest camera phone from Motorola produces fantastic photos because it includes Kodak Image Processing technology, 5-megapixel resolution, Xenon flash and auto focus! And we all know that Kodak knows a lot about taking great photos! However, to take advantage of this advanced technology, you do need to be on the T-Mobile Network.

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

I think reading to babies is one of the most important things you can do to promote their development. I even read aloud to my babies while I’m still pregnant with them! That’s why we have dozens and dozens of books in our home for our children to read and why before they can walk we go to storytime at the library. So although we are lucky to have plenty of children’s books already, I’m always on the lookout for more quality books for kids. If you too are looking for fantastic books for kids, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away three fantastic sets of books for babies and/or toddlers. This set of Silver Dolphin books includes Amazing Baby Rainbow Fun and Amazing Baby Five Little Ducks.

Both of these engaging books are full of vibrant colors and made from sturdy cardboard so they’ll hold up for hundreds of readings! It’s no wonder Silver Dolphin has won awards for their interactive children’s books!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

I love classic movies, especially those starring Audrey Hepburn. She epitomized grace, elegance and class not only on screen, but off screen. And while I’m sorry she is no longer with us, I’m happy to help continue her legacy by giving away one of her most famous movies. If you too are an Audrey Hepburn fan, or just love classic movies, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away the Breakfast at Tiffany’s DVD!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

Well the historic election has come and gone and the inaugural festivities are over. Now it’s time for President Barack Obama to embark on a bipartisan effort to renew the promise of America. While he has a rough road ahead of him, as John F. Kennedy said, “One person can make a difference and every person should try.” If you too believe one person can make a difference in the world of politics, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away the new DVD release Swing Vote starring Kevin Costner!

In this hilarious comedy, the fate of the nation rests on one man’s vote. Will he make the right choice? You’ll have to watch to find out!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

My daughter loves her Nintendo DS. She brings it with her in the car whenever we go somewhere, which is often! Therefore, I’m very conscious of the games she plays on it. I want to make sure her Nintendo DS games are brain stimulating, not brain numbing. If you too want your child’s Nintendo DS games to be challenging to the mind, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away three copies of the new Nintendo DS game Zenses Rainforest from The Game Factory!

What I like about Zenses Rainforest is that it consists of fun and challenging puzzles and brain training games. Nothing brain numbing about that!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!

With President-Elect Barack Obama’s historic inauguration next week, I’m thrilled to be able to commemorate the occasion by offering Barack Obama coloring pages for the kids and the most complete and intimate portrait of Barack Obama compiled from two years worth of 60 Minutes coverage . . . the soon to be released Barack Obama’s Road the White House DVD. If you too are looking forward to the dawn of a new era and want to know the details of how Barack Obama got to where he is today, this is the giveaway for you!

Momsational is giving away Barack Obama’s Road to the White House DVD by 60 Minutes!

Want to Enter This Giveaway?

Click on Page 2 to find out how!