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Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web
By metropolitanmama | April 15, 2008
Welcome to “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web” where I serve as your tour guide and showcase the best contests, freebies, deals, and reads for moms on the web…all in one convenient location.
This week’s round-up is jam-packed!
Contests
5 Minutes for Mom is hosting “2 Weeks of Toys” between April 9 and April 23.
The Scootababy carrier looks comfortable and perfect for carrying older babies and toddlers. Leave a comment with CPA Mom before April 16 for your chance to win one.
My husband will rejoice if I win this $20 gift card to Best Buy, currently up for grabs on the Close to Home blog. He likes spending time in electronic stores. Me, not-so-much. Enter before April 16.
Mattress covers are lifesavers for new parents. Right now, you can win a high-quality Protect-A-Bed cover on the Seven Dogs and a Baby blog. (P.S. If you decide to purchase one, hold on to your receipt. You might need it for something…) Deadline: April 17.
The “Last Minute Party Girl” book looks fun, but I’m really in this contest for the $100 gift card to Crate & Barrel! Leave a comment at Hostess with the Mostess before April 17.
Win a widescreen projector, a speaker system, and pizza for life from Freschetta. Fill out the form before April 28.
Win a 5′ x 7′ rug, valued at $329, from PlazaRugs.com. Leave a comment at Shakadoo before April 29.
Bravado! Designs is hosting a contest where you could win a library of pregnancy/parenting books from Chronicle Books, plus a complete nursing bra wardrobe. Submit the entry form before April 30.
If you have a budding artist between 6 and 11, encourage him/her to draw a picture of a fairy for the Borders dream rewards contest. One winner will receive a trip for four to Walt Disney World, including a one-night stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite. Parent must sign up to be a Borders rewards member prior to 4/22. Entries must be received by April 30.
Ann Taylor LOFT has some very cute maternity clothing options - especially in the business and business casual categories. Enter to win a $100 gift card by leaving a comment with One Chic Mama before April 30.
I’ve been thinking that I seriously need to upgrade my phone to enter the 21st century (Steph just did - she’s so cool). Perhaps I’ll win the Palm Treo 755p, which is currently up for grabs on The Mommy Insider site. Enter before April 30.
Nursing covers are *wonderful* for the early days (and months) after baby arrives. Win a Bebe Au Lait one from Love & Blessings. Leave a comment at Mamanista before April 30.
Good Reads
Kim wrote a beautiful post about looking at the “Mommy Wars” in a new way on the Graco Blog.
Would you rather your children grow up in Uganda or America? The answer may be more complex than you think.
Decisions about vaccines are never easy, but the more informed that we are as parents, the better! Colleen (Classy Mommy) recently interviewed Dr. Sears, author of the Vaccine Book. She obviously has a knack for interviewing - this is one Q & A you will want to tune into.
Also about vaccines: Read this excellent article about “Creating a Selective/Delayed Vaccination Schedule” over at Blissfully Domestic.
Public, private, or homeschool. Tough decisions that parents have to make. Read Steph’s take on the subject on the Chicago Moms Blog.
Cheap clothes make for a bad long-term investment. This is my mantra and I’m glad that USA Today agrees.
MainStreet published an article entitled “Top 10 Children’s Birthday Gifts Under $20” that highlights classic, interactive gifts that don’t break the bank. Sometimes simple gifts are the very best.
Should you pay for your child’s college education? Michelle over at Scribbit says: maybe not.
You’ve been reading blogs and now you want to start your own. Find out how at Blogging Basics 101.
Freebies
If you like in the L.A., Minneapolis, or Phoenix area, you can get a FREE lifetime membership to Freepeats (”baby, kid, and maternity stuff…FREE near you!“) if you sign up before April 30.
Take your little one (3 months and under) in to Olan Mills for a FREE “New Baby” Portrait Package.
Get a free vision screening test for your infant or toddler, courtesy of InfantSEE, “a public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child’s quality of life.”
Join the FamilyFun Magazine Reader Panel for your chance to win free books, a free magazine subscription, or cash.
Send away for a FREE lemonade stand…a great way to teach your child (ages 7-12) about entrepreneurship and charity.
Cool Deals
Surprise your friends with a subscription to FamilyFun Magazine this Mothers Day. Get FOUR gift subscriptions for just $20 - only $5 each!
APRIL 30: 31 Cent Scoop Night at Baskin Robbins. Enough said.
Announcements
Hybrid Mom is a new magazine for moms. I just got my first issue and enjoyed it immensely. You can subscribe for $11.95 per year.
Melissa Garrett is currently accepting article submissions for her new parenting website - Root and Sprout.
Jo-Lynne of DCR Design just “made over” Brine’s Comfort Joy Designs blog - and she did a fantastic job. If you need a blog makeover, you should really give DCR Design’s work a look-see. She’s great.
Miscellany
I want this business card (well, not this exact business card, but I like the “pull-strip-to-reveal-contact-info” concept).
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*** If you have a contest or an announcement that you think might be a good fit for Tuesday Tours, e-mail me at stephanie@metropolitanmama.net.
Topics: Tuesday Tours, Uncategorized |
April 15th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Thanks for the mention! I have to say that the steamer is GONE!!
I just skimmed through the article about buying inexpensive vs quality clothes. I do agree with it. However, there are a lot of families (mine included) that feel the financial strain so acutely that Target is our only choice (especially since we have three children to outfit besides ourselves). I wish that my husband could afford $300 for a new suit, but it’s totally unrealistic for us. And when I forked over $60 for a pair of GAP jeans, I just about had a heart attack. My MIL gave me a coupon for Gymboree, but I don’t shop there. Ever. I balk at their little girl sundresses for $34.50 (when I have a hard time spending that much money on myself). But there’s the rub - everything worthy anything costs a bit of money. So people with really tight budgets end up buying cheaply-made goods that fall apart quickly, and we end up spending more in the longrun anyway. Sigh.
April 15th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Thanks for including me on the reads list!
April 15th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Wow! So much stuff to comment on, not enough time to, so I’ll just do two: First, I needed the blogging basics 101, so thanks for passing that along. Second, although the business card was cool, I thought it slightly odd for a couples therapist; you have to rip the heart apart in order to find her info, and it doesn’t look whole once you do? I’d think the card would look slightly broken on the front, and then when you rip it open it “mends” itself (in the picture, at least) and has your info on it. That way finding her means mending your relationship. Maybe I’m thinking too much about it. Anyway, thanks for another terrific tour!
April 15th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
You are so awesome. Thanks for the amazing linkage - as usual!
April 15th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Thanks for the link and for a great list!
April 15th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Great edition this week.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Stephanie - once again what a wonderful wrap up. You do your homework covering all these sites! I love reading this piece every Tuesday! Thanks for highlighting my Dr. Sears Interview. I’d love to get more comments from readers on their personal experiences with vaccines and alternative schedules.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:55 am
What’s up with the PS on the Protect-A-Bed?
April 16th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I was wondering the same thing as Shannon. Is it a bad thing, in case we win and want to return the one we bought, or is somethin’ special coming up?
April 16th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
This has been a fun tour, I too was wondering about the P-A-B postscript.
April 16th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
whoa.
first time caller, err, visitor and there’s so much to see!!
thanks.
April 16th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
A few of you have asked about my mysterious Protect-A-Bed “mention.” I can’t let the details out just yet, but there just might be a *really* cool giveaway coming up that has something to do with Protect-A-Bed mattress covers. Stay tuned!
April 16th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Thanks! I’m tuned!
April 16th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
Stephanie, you always find the neatest contests, freebies and blog news. Thanks for your hard work.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:06 am
I love the Tuesdays! I tried to go get one of the lemonade stands for my 8 year old. I love that it involves making a pledge to a charity THEY care about and donating to charity. The sites says they are already gone (15,000 of them!). I read on the comments on the Sunkist site that someone said to keep checking back — maybe especially after May 1st as the’r site potentially will be updated and more given out then. (just a heads up!) If not, I think we’ll go it at our own and still make one to raise money for a charity. There are a couple that have already captured my daughhter’s heart — and anything that can encourage that and spur her on is a great thing in my opinion!