In this tight economy, I thought that you might be interested in the following promotion….

Staples is holding a Gift it for Free Sweepstakes from November 16, 2008 to December 24, 2008 in which 10,000 people will win their holiday purchases (up to $5,000) for free!

Although Staples probably isn’t the first place you’d normally think of when doing your Christmas shopping, they really do have some great gift ideas. I wrote about some of their offerings last November (my, how time flies!) in the post How to shop for tech gifts…when you don’t understand tech! If my husband wants to enter this contest by getting me some gifts from Staples (hint, hint), here are a couple of options…

-Something to write on (I love, love, love writing!)
M by Staples™ Journals or Boxed Stationery

Or

A digital camera (My current camera is temperamental!)
The 7.2 mega pixel and 4X optical zoom lens Sony W120 Digital Camera in pink would be great as would a compact 8 megapixels, 3x zoom Canon SD1100S Digital Camera

(If I don’t get either option, that’s totally fine. They can wait until my birthday. My husband and I are not big on giving holiday gifts to each other – just to others.)

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Back in June, I reviewed Joy is the Greatest Gift the debut title of Focus Friends, LLC., a series of children’s picture books and related products for ages 2-9. Now, their second book Appreciation Party! is available and they are giving away a copy to one Mom in the City member.

Although I’m not crazy about the main character’s name (Appreciakate), I like this book. Similar to the first title in this series, Appreciation Party! is beautifully illustrated with a positive “non-preachy” message. Eris Klein (the illustrator) is very talented and shares realistic depictions of a racially diverse group of kids. The storyline of the book involves a party being held in order to celebrate the gift of appreciation. Then, various things that kids can appreciate (family, toys, etc.) are revealed. I like that at the end of the book, there is a page that allows the kids to write their own “Appreciation List”.

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the book by leaving their name in the “Comments” section along with one thing that would be on their personal “Appreciation List” or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Appreciate” and the answer in the Subject line by December 15th (just in time for holiday gifting!).

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On Friday, I went to a Baby Einstein Mom Blogger Brunch. It was fun to discuss the brand (which is celebrating their 10th anniversary) with Michelle and Matt from their marketing team as well as catch up with Amy my “mom blogger event friend”. (I also snagged a fun giveaway item for a lucky Mom in the City member.)

Like many moms, I was already award of Baby Einstein. I already like their books and music CDs. I was never a big baby DVD fan though, so I had some questions about that. Their answers were helpful. They emphasized that the DVDs aren’t designed to just sit the babies in front of them as “babysitters”. Rather, they were created to give parents another way to interact with their babies by playing and experiencing the DVD together. I went away thinking that when used correctly, the DVDs are a great idea. I also learned that Baby Einstein offered many more products than I had previously thought including toys and a feeding line. Lastly, we received a “sneak preview” of Baby Einstein’s World Music DVD which will be coming out in 2009. It’s the first time that they are moving out of their “classical music” products in order to expose kids to the sights and sounds of a variety of cultures. Living in NYC, exposing my kids to a variety of cultures is easy, but that’s not the case everywhere. So, I’m excited about this upcoming line.

I walked (well ran – I needed to get my son to preschool!) away from the lunch feeling great about this brand. Not only will I continue to buy products from this company for my kids, but also for children of friends. Speaking (well, writing) about gifts…they have some fun holiday gift ideas on their site which you can find here. Standouts include: the Busy Bellies ($5.99); the Count & Compose Piano ($16.99) and the item that we’re giving away – the 10th Anniversary Special Edition Baby Mozart DVD ($19.99)!

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the DVD by leaving their name in the “Comments” section and their favorite Baby Einstein product below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Mozart” and the answer in the Subject line by December 15th (just in time for holiday gifting!).

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Just in time for Thanksgiving, one lucky Mom in the City member will win an assortment of Libby’s Vegetables and a Mayfair & Jackson Covered Casserole Dish with Rack.

Libby’s also has some budget-friendly dishes for the holiday season. I’ve included a couple of the recipes below and I’ll be sharing a few more next Tuesday.

TURKEY PASTA SALAD WITH BASIL DRESSING
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8-10 minutes
8 ounces uncooked fusilli or rotini pasta
1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s Sweet Peas, drained
1 cup (about 8 oz.) diced cooked turkey
1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced
1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Cook pasta following package directions; drain and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine pasta with remaining ingredients. Toss gently until well mixed. Serves 4

WILD RICE PILAF
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 packages ( 4.3 oz. each) long-grain and wild rice mix
1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s Whole Kernel Sweet Corn, drained
1 can (8.5 oz.) Libby’s Peas and Carrots, drained
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds*
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook about 5 minutes or until soft. Add rice, seasoning packet and amount of water specified on the box (omit butter). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Add corn and peas and carrots; stir gently over medium heat until heated through. Transfer to serving bowl; sprinkle with almonds.
Serves 4
* To toast almonds, place on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win this prize by leaving their name and their favorite Libby’s item in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Libby” in the Subject line by Sunday, November 23rd (just in time for Thanksgiving!).

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Recently, two Mom in the City members (who have daughters) reviewed two fun new items - Polly Pocket™ Pop ‘N Swap and MyMeebas™.

Edith’s daughter enjoyed the Polly Pocket™ Pop ‘N Swap Sport set so much that she wanted to take her new dolls with her to school. (Edith compromised and let her keep them in her backpack during school…) These doll combinations are cute and they come with a variety of fashions to mix and match. The set comes with five heads, nine torsos, and nine bottoms that you simply click together to mix and match. (The only thing that I don’t like is the lack of racial diversity with this set. Polly Pocket does have a Black “Shani” doll in their line, but she’s not included in these Pop “N Swap sets.) At $19.99 for the set though, this is a great pick.

Carla’s family is enjoying trying to get the little MyMeebas™ plush toy to come out of this electronic game fully grown. They are enjoying the games and noted that they keep their daughter occupied for a good period of time. The toy “surprise” comes in a colorful tube that can only be opened through (20+) electronic games and activities being played on the sliding LCD screen. There are over 60 plush toys (including the possibility of twins!) to collect in this unique electronic game series that retails for $19.99 each.

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win both toys by leaving their name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Polly” in the Subject line by December 15th (just in time for holiday gifting!).

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday.)

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Guess what? We’re giving away a fun, new Wii game - Animal Crossing City Folk - combined with the new Wii Speak microphone to one lucky Mom in the City member!

In this game, players have the keys to an entire community as they get themselves and their homes in order as well as socially interact with others. (In addition to a family game, this would make a great party game – both for adults and kids.)

You can see a little snippet about the game and microphone in the TV commercial below:

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the bundle by leaving their name and something they would do in the world of Animal Crossing: City Folk in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Animal” along with their answer in the Subject line by December 15th (just in time for holiday gifting!).

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday.)

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Congratulations to the following Mom in the City newsletter subscribers who will receive the Elmo’s Christmas Countdown DVD:
-Jenn
-Marilyn
-Michelle
-Nancy
-Roselle

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My Princess Academy is giving away one of their adorable Pink Empire Waist Princess Dresses from their Princess Shop in size 3-4 to one lucky Mom in the City member.

“My Princess Academy is a website that offers young girls (approximately ages 3-8) the ultimate princess experience through virtual games and activities as well as a line of quality princess dress-up clothing, accessories and home decor. My Princess Academy.com inspires a new kind of princess that encourages children to define themselves not only by physical beauty but by inner beauty.”

(On a side note, they will have a float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade and kids can log onto their website’s “My Princess Weekend Sweepstakes” page to enter for a chance to win a prize package including VIP tickets to the parade.)

Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win the dress by leaving their name and their favorite item from My Princess Academy Shop in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Princess” along with their favorite item in the Subject line by November 30th.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday.)

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FYI:

HAPPYBABY is proud to announce this new contest in conjunction with HarperCollins:

“Enter for a chance to have your baby appear on the cover of Happy Baby: The Organic Guide to Baby’s First 24 Months, the essential handbook for new parents by renowned pediatrician Dr. Robert W. Sears and Amy Marlow, RD MPH CDN, nutrition adviser to HappyFamily. Happy Baby will be published by HarperCollins.

Win over $1,000 in other prizes too! Enter now through December 30th, 2008.“

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Back in March, I reviewed a book from Custom Made For Kids called The First Adventures of Incredible You. Now, they have a special holiday offer for Mom in the City members…

To celebrate this holiday season, Custom Made For Kids is offering you 15% off your next personalized storybook purchase. Present this coupon code: holiday15 (expires 12/01/08) upon checkout at www.CustomMadeForKids.com to receive this discount.

Please note: All orders placed by 12/14/08 and shipping within the continental U.S. will arrive before 12/25/08!

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