Win Tickets to the Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx #giveaway

I just posted about Boo at the Zoo last week and this week I have tickets to give away.

 

 

Boo At The Zoo Photo Contest This October “Boo at the Zoo” at the Bronx Zoo is the place to be for Halloween in New York City! October 10-12, 17-18, 24-25 and Oct. 31-Nov. 1. Family and friends can enjoy all of the spooky fun, including the first-ever Haunted Safari Adventure. Embark on an incredible journey as you walk, crawl and slide through huge fantastical environments, designed to delight.  Take your family on a wondrous adventure through a bat cave, the belly of a snake, a rainforest swamp and much more, as you are challenged to find the whereabouts of a lost species.

 

 

Bronx ZooThere’s a lot more fun to be had at this spook-tastic event! Go batty for special wildlife magic performances and pumpkin carving demonstrations. Don’t miss live musical performances with Annie and the Natural Wonderband, and sing along to some of your favorite animal-inspired tunes. Let yourself get lost at the Bronx Zoo’s Halloween Hay Maze, or take a spin on an eerie hay ride through Creepy Hollows. Learn about amazing bats as our fabulous Wildlife Theater Players perform of It’s a Wonderful Niche. You can also join Scrap Kins and turn trash into treasure as you create an animal mask from recycled materials. Best of all, come visit with our bats, cats, reptiles and creepiest critters!

Kids in wildlife costumes get in free to enjoy this hauntingly good time!

To help get everyone bat crazy excited, we are hosting a photo contest for the zoo with early entry prizes and a Grand Prize worth the weight of an elephant. Photo contest details below. Please get into contact with me if you have questions or send me a link if you post a placement on your site!

Photo Contest Details:

October 7th – November 2nd (12:01am)

The Theme: Upload a photo taken of you, your child or your family in a wildlife costume on Facebook or Flickr! There are 100 entry-first prizes that will be awarded, one grand prize and one runner-up prize. The Grand Prize is complimentary entry to a group of 25 to the Bronx Zoo redeemable up to six months from being awarded! The runner-up prize is a digital camera. There are also entry-first prizes of a free Boo at the Zoo t-shirt for the first 100 entries.

A panel of judges will choose from the entries the best photo they feel best represents the following:

· Best fits the theme

· Shows inspiration and creativity

1 Grand Prize winner receives the following:

· Free entry to the zoo, good for usage from six months from winning date for a group of 25 that includes free food and private tour.

1 Runner-Up winner receives the following:

· Digital Camera

100 of the first entries into the contest will receive the following:

· Bronx Zoo “Boo at the Zoo” t-shirt

Rules of Entry: There are two points of entry for this contest…

· Via Facebook – Become a fan of the Bronx Zoo fan page and upload your photo to the “Fan Photos” section. Use the Caption: “Boo At The Bronx Zoo” Check out the Bronx Zoo Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/bronxzoo

· Via Flickr – Post your photo onto Flickr photo group for The Bronx Zoo. Make sure to tag your photo with “Boo At The Bronx Zoo” Check out the Bronx Zoo Flickr Group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/1222821@N20/

Contest begins on Wednesday, October 7th and runs until Monday, November 2nd.

Enter to Win:

Two winners each get 2 tickets.

Extra Entries:

Parenting

Vote for me for 5 extra entries

Comment on any other post and come back here and tell me you did.

Non-bloggers get an extra entry for every e-mail they send out linking to this giveaway cc louise@looksblue.com (be sure to leave a comment for every person you e-mail, for example if you e-mail 10 different people leave 10 different comments)

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and to the sponsor for 10 extra entries
Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!!
Add my button to your blog/blog roll 10 extra points if it is on your homepage
Dig, Stumble, or fav me on Technorati (two entries for each one)

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until October 23, 11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

Colgate Loves Halloween, Brush your teeth love your smile #giveaway

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We took our kids to the Dentist yesterday and they both received a’s. Kids need to start going to the Dentist before they are age three and most kids don’t go until they are starting to get their permanent teeth. However, if we’re talking about a great smile adults need to be taking care of their teeth too. I’m not a good example for my kids in that area. UUGGH. I hate going to the dentist but I do brush my teeth and even though I couldn’t convince Colgate to send me something for this post, they are still my favorite brand of toothpaste. They are the only kind my husband will use.

Colgate believes that a smile is the universal expression of humor, love and joy and it exemplifies moments in our lives that are significant.

As part of the Colgate Smiles campaign, Colgate invites consumers to celebrate those moments and spread the joy of a smile and share what makes them smile! There are a variety of fun photo-sharing tools to help show off those significant moments.

Each month Colgate Smile will have new developments so be sure to check in for the new updates in the upcoming months. Let us know if you would like us to contact you with fresh Smiles news.

Every Colgate Smile marks a special moment. Celebrate those moments by connecting with friends and family using these photo sharing tools:

 

Enter to Win

Visible White
Colgate Total Advanced Whitening
Colgate Motion Whitening Battery Powered toothbrush
Colgate Sensitive Enamel Protect
Colgate 360 sensitive toothbrush
Dora the explorer and Sponge Bob square pants toothpaste
360 Sonic Power Toothbrush
Wisp
Colgate Total Mint Stripe
Colgate Max Fresh Cool Mint

To Enter:

Your Colgate Smile:
Join Their gallery of smiles and show off your Colgate Smile to the world.

 

And /Or

Send someone a Colgate Smile:

 

e-card

 

And/OR

create a video

 

acolgate

And/Or

Follow Colgate Smile on Twitter

And/Or

Become a fan of Colgate Smile on facebook.

 

And/Or

Non-bloggers get an extra entry for every e-mail they send out linking to this giveaway cc louise@looksblue.com (be sure to leave a comment for every person you e-mail, for example if you e-mail 10 different people leave 10 different comments)

Subscribe to my blog
Follow me on twitter tell me your twitter ID
Blog about the giveaway include a link to me and to the sponsor for 10 extra entries
Tweet the giveaway (every time you tweet you get an entry) Link to the giveaway please!!

Leave a comment for every entry

The contest will run until November 2nd11:59 pm Pacific. The winner will be selected by www.random.org

Remember to teach your children about saying “no” to strangers

This story was forwarded to me by a friend and happens to be in a nearby neighborhood. It terrifies me how easy it can be for our children to be in danger.

 

—– Original Message —–

Hi all,

I wanted to inform all of you in the neighborhoods surrounding Woodin about a frightening incident that happened to Brenna on her way home from school this afternoon.  She was bringing up the tail end of walkers along 130th, lagging a little way behind the rest of the kids/parents who were walking up ahead of her (but still within eye sight), when she was stopped by a man in his late 40′s in a red SUV (possibly a Ford Expedition) who was stopped at the on the road exiting Upland View.  She had been reading a book while she was walking, so hadn’t noticed exactly how long he’d been sitting there when she looked up from her book to see if it was clear for her to cross the street over to the other side where the "Upland View" sign is located.  Before she stepped off the sidewalk to cross, he called to her out his open driver’s side window in a soft voice saying, "wanna see a pig, wanna see a pig?".   Because he was talking softly, Brenna said she had to ask, "could you say that again, please?" because she wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.  Then he repeated in a "soft voice" again (possibly trying to get her to come closer, so she could hear him), "wanna see a pig, wanna see a pig?"…"here, come over and touch it", motioning her over to the SUV.  During the entire interaction, he was holding & wiggling around what Brenna described as a "rubbery brown salami stick" on top of a "white blanket or towel that was on his lap".  At this point, Brenna became increasingly terrified and firmly said "no, thank you" and started running down the hill into Upland View as fast as she could.  She said it very briefly crossed her mind to try & get a look at the license plate, but she was so afraid that he might turn around and try to grab her that she didn’t want to slow down enough to look.

We called 911 & the police came and took a statement/description from Brenna immediately after she got home.  I called the school promptly to warn Theresa of the incident & later spoke with Jill, who said she would get something out to notify other parents tomorrow.  Tonight, we are thanking God for watching over her and thankful that Brenna knew exactly what to do in this traumatic situation, due to the many "What You Should Do, If…" conversations we’ve had with her & her sister in the past…they paid off today!!

Please take a moment tonight or tomorrow morning to remind your children about "What They Should Do, If…" and remind them to always, always walk in a group or better yet, with an adult when coming or going to school!

Thanks,

Becky

 

With Halloween coming up we need to be extra careful of where are children are going, who’s houses they are going into and what they are taking from strangers. I love Halloween just as much as the next person but remember, this candy is coming from strangers. I know the above story has nothing to do with Halloween, but that’s what is on my mind. I feel as a mom with influence I need to help people remember the scary stuff out there too. I’m working on a Halloween Safety story that should be ready before the end of the weekend. Sometimes I do actually put some thought into what I write.

Five for Fighting’s new CD Slice Music Review

Five for Fighting has captured my heart with Smallville and their hit song Superman. I never get tired of listening to it. It’s the same way with their new CD Slice. The One2OneNetwork picked me to be one of the reviewers of the digital download and let me say it’s about time reviewers received downloads. I’ve never been big on CD’s. ;-)

 

 

 
 
The new album Slice is my music. What i mean by that is my kids have music and this is mine. However, my kids like listening to it. It’s just easy going music, upbeat and about me. I think the title song is my favorite because it describes me. “hey have you read my blog today” “we more than just a slice of American Pie” and “I caught your heart on a summer breeze”.
My Second favorite would have to be Tuesday. The key it is in is one of my favorites. “Tuesday gave me away”
 
These things all paint pictures and bring memories flooding back to me. I can’t explain all of them but music is my zone. I just get into it and fade away.

 

Album Tracklisting:

 

1. Slice            
2. Note To The Unknown Soldier            
3. Tuesday            
4. Chances            
5. This Dance            
6. Above The Timberline
7. Transfer            
8. Hope            
9. Story Of Your Life            
10. Love Can’t Change The Weather            
11. Augie Nieto

TV Appearances:
CBS Saturday Morning 10/10
The View 10/14

 

The Today Show 10/16

Tour Dates:

John will be hitting the road in October with An Acoustic Evening with Five For Fighting.  The songs are great on record, even better live!  Definitely a show worth seeing! To find out about how to get tickets in a market near you, go to his site.
18-Oct            Toronto, ON                                           El Mocambo             
20-Oct            New York, NY                                         City Winery            
22-Oct            Bay Shore, NY (Long Island)                    YMCA Boulton Center            
23-Oct            Uncasville, CT                                        The Wolf Den            
24-Oct            Washington, DC                                      Jammin Java            
26-Oct            Boston, MA                                            The Paradise            
27-Oct            Philadelphia, PA                                     World Café Live (downstairs)            
29-Oct            Nashville, TN                                         The Belcourt            
30-Oct            Chicago, IL                                            Lakeshore            
3-Nov             Salt Lake City, UT                                   The State Room             
5-Nov             Seattle, WA                                           Crocodile            
6-Nov             Portland, OR                                         Aladdin Theater            
10-Nov           San Francisco, CA                                  Swedish American Hall            
11-Nov           Los Angeles, CA                                     Largo at the Coronet 

Really fun Kids Music Announcements from Disney to Beyonce and the Beach boys to Yo Gabba Gabba

Beach Boys Meets Disney

Two giants of popular entertainment have come together as Brian Wilson, the pioneering musical genius who co-founded the Beach Boys and wrote many of the band’s greatest hits, has signed with Walt Disney Records.
In the months ahead, Wilson will record two new solo albums for the label’s Disney Pearl imprint, including one featuring covers of classic songs by great American songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin. For that recording, the Gershwin estate has given Wilson access to rare, unfinished pieces of music by George Gershwin, with which he will craft collaborative compositions unlike anything the world has seen.
He will follow that with an album of classic Disney songs, which the artist promises to “Brian-ize” with his trademark vocal stacks and unique arrangements. Release dates for each album have yet to be determined.

Wubbzy Idol

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Wubbzy, his best friends, Walden, Widget and Daizy, can’t wait for the most popular girl group, The Wubb Girlz, to pay a visit to host the “Wuzzleburg Idol” talent show!  Everyone in town hopes to win the contest.  If Wubbzy can wow the judges, he’ll get the chance to go on to Wuzzlewood and perform with Sparkle, Shimmer, and Shine at their big concert and maybe even become a movie star!  But will he remember the importance of just being himself?

Multi-award-winning international pop sensation Beyoncé Knowles makes her voiceover debut in “Wubb Idol” – her first-ever children’s project – as Shine, the lead singer of the most awesome girl group, The Wubb Girlz!

 

 

Yo Gabba Gabba Sold Out

 yogabbagabba YO GABBA GABBA! infuses retro-style and beat-driven music to teach simple life lessons through music.  The series stars DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) and a cast of colorful characters, including: Brobee, the little green one, Foofa, the pink flower bubble, Muno, the red Cyclops, Toodee, the blue cat-dragon and Plex, the yellow robot. Today’s most popular names in movies, television, music and sports flock to guest star in the groundbreaking show, including Jack Black, Rachel Dratch, Melora Hardin, Tony Hawk, Biz Markie, Jack McBrayer, MGMT, Mark Mothersbaugh, The Roots, Andy Samberg, Amy Sedaris, The Shins, Amare Stoudemire, The Ting Tings, Jimmy Eat World and Elijah Wood, among others.  YO GABBA GABBA! toys, apparel and other merchandise are sold in stores nationwide in the U.S. and have skyrocketed in popularity.  The series is now shooting its third season in the U.S. and airs in several major international territories, including Australia, Canada, Israel, Latin America, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.K.  YO GABBA GABBA! is recommended as a trusted program for preschoolers by The Smart Television Alliance, a non-profit organization comprised of leading non-profit children’s media organizations including Common Sense Media, Parents’ Choice Foundation, Parents Television Council and Coalition for Quality children’s Media: KIDS FIRST!.  Visit www.yogabbagabba.com

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY

*Recently Added

Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall         

Saturday, November 14, 2009 11AM and 3PM 

*Sunday, November 15, 2009 11AM and 3PM

New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre              

Saturday, November 21, 2009 11AM – 2PM – *5 PM

Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre          

Saturday, December 5, 2009 11AM and 3PM

Rockin it out with Los Lobos

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Rock icons Los Lobos are back with a new album for the whole family.  The three-time Grammy award winners have recorded an album of Disney Classics and a few obscure gems, but with a distinctive Latin rock n’ roll twist – Los Lobos Goes Disney.  Songs from Snow White, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, The Jungle Book, Toy Story and more round out this 13-track CD that will have fans young and old dancing and singing along.   See below for the full track listing.  A video featuring a montage of classic Disney clips is in production and will be released soon, so stay tuned.  

Los Lobos Goes Disney will be released in stores on October 27th, but it is available now exclusively on Amazon.  Buy it here, and visit LosLobos.com for more info on the band. 

Track Listing
1.   Heigh-Ho - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2.   I Wan’na Be Like You  - The Jungle Book
3.   Not in Nottingham – Robin Hood
4.   The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room – The Enchanted Tiki Room
5.   Grim Grinning Ghosts – The Haunted Mansion
6.   I Will Go Sailing No More – Toy Story
7.   The Ugly Bug Ball – Summer Magic
8.   Cruella De Vil – 101 Dalmations
9.    Bella Notte – Lady and the Tramp
10.  Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah – Song of the South
11.  The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book
12.  Oo-De-Lally – Robin Hood
13.  When You Wish Upon a Star/It’s A Small World


Use PayPal at Walmart

greendot

 

Well, almost! You can now transfer funds from PayPal to Greendot and then you can use Greendot to buy things at Walmart. I’m glad that things like this are happening because I find that using my paypal funds is difficult sometimes.

Read the Press Release for more information:

 

 

Green Dot Corporation and PayPal today announced a new agreement that will allow U.S. consumers to load money directly to their PayPal accounts using Green Dot’s MoneyPak.  This will enable people to shop anywhere PayPal is accepted without the need for a bank account or credit card.
MoneyPak can be purchased with cash at a retail store, then the money can be loaded directly into a PayPal account and used to shop online anywhere PayPal is accepted, including eBay. MoneyPak is available at more than 40,000 stores nationwide, such as Walmart, CVS/pharmacy, Kmart, Rite Aid and Walgreens.
The new agreement provides a convenient option for customers who prefer to use cash when shopping. MoneyPak has been fully integrated into PayPal’s site, allowing money to be added directly, without needing to link to any personal financial accounts.
“This relationship is transformative,” said Steve Streit, founder and CEO of Green Dot Corporation.  “It creates a cash-based solution for millions of people who want to use PayPal to shop online, but don’t have a credit card or bank account.”
“Working with Green Dot, PayPal can now reach the large audience of people who prefer to fund their accounts with cash,” said Dickson Chu, vice president with PayPal. “We are thrilled to offer this new service to our customers.”
In addition to funding a PayPal account, MoneyPak enables people to reload prepaid cards, make cash payments, pay bills and fund other accounts. MoneyPak is powered by Green Dot’s industry-leading cash acceptance network, and costs $4.95 or less.  For more details, visit www.moneypak.com.

About Green Dot Corporation:
Green Dot is the leading provider of prepaid financial services in the United States, and owns and operates the Green Dot Network, which is the largest cash loading and reloading network in the United States.  The company offers consumers a comprehensive portfolio of financial products and services through thousands of leading retailer locations nationwide including Walmart, CVS/pharmacy, Fred Meyer, Kmart, Kroger, Radio Shack, Ralphs, Rite Aid, Smiths and Walgreens.  Green Dot’s products include Green Dot MasterCard® and Visa®branded prepaid debit cards and the Green Dot MoneyPak®. The Green Dot MoneyPak provides a convenient and efficient way for consumers to load cash to prepaid cards, use cash to make purchases and pay bills, and add cash to a variety of accounts. Green Dot is headquartered in the greater Los Angeles area. To learn more about MoneyPak, visit www.moneypak.com.  Green Dot and MoneyPak are registered trademarks of Green Dot Corporation.

About PayPal
PayPal is the faster, safer way to pay and get paid online. The service allows members to send money without sharing financial information, with the flexibility to pay using their account balances, bank accounts, credit cards or personal financing. With more than 75 million active accounts in 190 markets and 19 currencies around the world, PayPal enables global ecommerce. PayPal is an eBay company and is made up of three leading online payment services: the PayPal global payments platform, the Payflow Gateway, and Bill Me Later. More information about the company can be found at https://www.paypal.com.  Located in San Jose, California, PayPal was founded in 1998 and was acquired by eBay in 2002.

Annies Costumes are on sale

Shop for Your Halloween Costume Online at AnniesCostumes.com

 

Star Trek - Uhura CostumeOver 15,000 costumes featuring an amazing selection of costumes for all sizes and costume accessories to make your Halloween costume extra special.

Choose your own costume coupon discount on top of our already low prices!

 

Save 10% OFF on any order over $100! Use Coupon Code: ML10

Save $5 on your next purchase over $75! Use Coupon Code: ML5

Get FREE Ground Shipping on orders over $65! Use Coupon Code: MLFGS

 

Choose one coupon only. Good thru October 25, 2009

|Enter the code at checkout. Coupons cannot be combined or used with any other offer.

Stony Rewards with Leap Frog Tag Junior

YoBaby has just teamed up with LeapFrog.  They have come up with a promotion called Stony Rewards. Just like most rewards programs you have to find the code on specially marked packages and enter them on-line. WHY couldn’t they have done this sooner when I was spending a fortune on their yogurt. Or, perhaps it’s because I wasn’t in the “know” then like I am now. So help a mom out by spreading the word about what she can get for her kids by buying healthy yogurt.

Stony Rewards

Stonyfield  is now offering consumers the chance to earn special freebies as part of a unique loyalty program. From free yogurt to carbon offsets, the rewards possible through the myStonyfield Rewards Program “show this isn’t your typical loyalty program,” says Stonyfield President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. The process begins by consumers looking for reward codes on Stonyfield yogurt products, and then signing up on-line for a myStonyfield Rewards account at www.mystonyfieldrewards.com. Once registered, consumers enter the lid codes in an online account, save up points, and redeem them for rewards that will be shipped free.

The promotion begins in October and the Leap Frog item should be added before the end of the month. Consumers can buy any four YoBaby Yogurt products, Multipacks, YoBaby Drinkable Yogurts, or the new 3-in-1 YoBaby Meals and enter product codes online to receive a FREE Tag Junior ABC Animal Orchestra book.

discover oikos organic greek yogurtThe promotion continues through December, and you can find all the details on specially-marked packages or at YoBabyYogurt.com/Leapfrog.  Like the Tag Reading System for older kids, Tag Junior uses a Pal – a handheld pen with a small, sophisticated infrared camera that recognizes or “reads” letters, words and symbols printed on the page.

The Pal allows children to hear each page read aloud, hear fun sound effects embedded in the pictures, and listen to music

Global Hand Washing Day is Today the 15th RT

In order to keep the flu and other viruses at bay, we should be washing our hands. Maybe even obsessively. I wash my hands a dozen times while I’m cooking. I have an issues with cross contamination while cooking and I hate having dirty hands. So making messy food is hard for me.

This flu season, I need to try and wash just as rigidly as I do when I cook. I was just notified that October 15, is global handwashing day.

Go Bananas 2

 

The popular Australian children’s entertainers, The Wiggles, have once again partnered with UNICEF to help raise awareness around importance of washing your hands with soap.

“Teaching children to wash their hands with soap and water from an early age helps instill this behavior for life,” said Murray the Red Wiggle. “Handwashing with soap positively impacts children, families, communities and nations by reducing disease, and increasing productivity,” he added.

Children play a central role in the awareness raising for Global Handwashing Day. Under the slogan of “Clean hands save lives” the second annual Global Handwashing Day focuses on schoolchildren as effective communicators and motivators for change, who take good hygiene practices learned at school back into their homes and communities.

The direct involvement of children instills a sense of empowerment and ownership in them ultimately making behaviours, such as handwashing with soap, stick for a lifetime.

Young children are most vulnerable to the ill effects of unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene. The Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child has the right to the “highest attainable standard of health” – children can only be healthy if they have access to safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene and handwashing is a key foundation of child health.

Last year over 80 countries participated in GHD activities, with about 200 million children washing their hands with soap and water. Activities ranged from school events and contests, government outreach initiatives, SMS messaging, photo exhibits, and celebrity involvement.

This year, again, Global Handwashing Day is being celebrated around the world with renewed enthusiasm. Some highlights include:

Nepal: Planning a host of activities including, the promotion of handwashing within the health institutions, and the development of a Teej festival song with handwashing with soap messages.

Japan: Has developed an international handwashing dance to raise awareness both in Japan and beyond.

Cote d’Ivoire: Training of restaurant workers on handwashing techniques and prevention of H1N1. Production and broadcast spots on handwashing.

China: GHD celebrations in 10 counties in Sichuan Province. TV spots on GHD and H1N1 virus. Official government letter sent from the provincial level for GHD.

Guatemala: Media education programmes to be broadcast on 12 channels. Joint action with the Ministry of Health and Education in schools.

Mali: Field visits by journalists in two regions. Practical handwashing demonstrations in 336 schools. TV spots and radio transmissions.

Global Handwashing Day is an initiative of the Global Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap, and is endorsed by a wide array of governments, international institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, private companies and individuals worldwide.

Free Bird

10380_FB_stitched_messenger_

Check out FreeBird‘s Stitched Messenger, casual and down-to-earth, for $79 at www.thesak.com/freebird.