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.

Contests

Stop in at After a Cup of Coffee or Two on New Years Day (today) for your chance to win free blog designs! Cool!

Susan and Janice over at 5 Minutes for Mom are at it again. Stop in every day between January 1st and January 8th for a new giveaway as part of their New Habits in the New Year promotion (actually you should just stop by there every day because their blog is so awesome…).

Win a Peanut Shell Sling and Peanut Shell Nursing Cover over at Close to Home (maintained by Stephanie from Adventures in Babywearing – isn’t she great?). The deadline is Jan. 4.

Win a $150 gift certificate to Nature’s Child, a new boutique stocked with “wholesome goods for mother and child,” over at Mamanista. Enter before Jan. 5.

Regis & Kelly are conducting a Beautiful Baby Search. The winner will be featured on the cover of Parenting Magazine and will win $125K toward a college education. The deadline is Jan. 11.

Good Reads

Scholastic’s Parent & Child Magazine featured a fantastic article in the December 2007 issue, entitled “Children Changing the World,” that gives ideas about how to help your child get involved in philanthropic endeavors.

I totally relate to this article by Shelley Abreu, entitled “Game Over: I hate playing games with my kids.”

Announcements

Are you a mom in need of a makeover? E-mail Parenting Magazine and tell them why…and you might end up on the pages of their magazine. Scroll down to the bottom of the Mom Squad to the Rescue! page for the complete details.

Are you planning to attend or coordinate an outdoor fair, concert, or expo? Invite Mom’s Breastaurant to come and provide a clean, private place for nursing mothers to change and feed their babies. What a great concept! Owner Nonie Veccia is also looking for volunteers to help out and possibly even start up other chapters…

Miscellaneous

Planning an upcoming vacation and dreading those tiny hotels with just one room and not enough space for your active kids? Rent a house instead…seriously! Check out all of the incredible options at HomeAway. In many cases, it’s the same price…and you can have the luxury of a full kitchen, a backyard, even a private swimming pool!

Happy New Year!

*** 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.

Welcome to “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web” (I know it’s not Tuesday…but I thought I’d get a head start since I won’t be blogging on Christmas! Enjoy!) 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.

Contests

Win a $50 gift card to gifts.com from Mom Finds. All you have to do is subscribe to their e-newsletter and tell them how much shopping you have left to do. Entries must be received by December 26.

Win an “Orville popcorn for a year” coupon book, along with a 12 month, 2 at-a-time subscription to Netflix at 5 Minutes for Mom! This would be the perfect thing for any couple who has little ones. We haven’t been to the theatre in ages, but movies from Netflix…that we could do! The winner will be announced on January 1st, 2008.

If your baby is born in December 2007, you can enter his/her photo in America’s Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction Contest for a chance to win a $5,000 United States Savings Bond. The deadline is Jan. 9.

Good Reads

If you’re still rushing around trying to pick out stocking stuffers for your husband, dad, brother, or another guy in your life, check out this list of Stocking Stuffers for Men.

Melissa Garrett, a freelance writer and mom of three, hosts a weekly “Up for Debate” column where she invites other mom bloggers to submit a short article about a “controversial” topic (like butter versus margarine, for instance). This last week, there was a great post about the lost art of thank-you notes.

Announcements

Do you have a question about vaccines? Unsure about the risks of the flu shot or if you should give your child Tylenol before her check-up? Ask Dr. Bob Sears, author of The Vaccine Book! Send your question to stephanie@metropolitanmama.net with “Ask Dr. Sears” in the subject line.

Miscellaneous

Check out this funny card that I would love to give to my sister or a good friend…perfect for those of us who love the miracle of life, but aren’t as fond of the nine months of misery.

Here’s a great way to teach kids about giving. Purchase a MarkMakers gift card for the kid in your life. The child then gets to “spend” the card online to help other kids around the world. They can “shop” for twenty pounds of food or a cow for Kenyan kids or adopt an injured seal…

*** 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.

Welcome to the third edition of “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web.” Every Tuesday, I’ll serve as your tour guide and will showcase the best contests, freebies, deals, and reads for moms on the web…all in one convenient location.

Contests

Win a $200 gift certificate to True Jeans from 5 Minutes for Mom. Those twins always have the best giveaways!

If you haven’t been to Prizey yet, you are seriously missing out. It’s a great site that highlights all of the best contests with mom and baby-related prizes on the web. Right now, they’re even having their own contest called “Parents Night Out.” You could win a $284 prize package. The deadline is 10 p.m. on December 17.

I showcased Along for the Ride on my blog several months ago (here). Now, they’re offering a chance for one reader to win a $250 gift certificate to their online store (they have a great selection of wraps, slings, and carriers). The deadline to enter is December 31, 2007.

Cool Deals

I’ve been watching the Mom 4 Life business grow and expand over the past year…and I am impressed. They have a great selection of practical and fun products for both baby and mom. Plus, they offer free shipping, free gift wrapping, and a free gift with a purchase. Right now, you also will get $10 for every $50 that you spend. With their competitive prices, this is sure to be one of the best places to buy a Christmas gift for the mom or mom-to-be on your list.

Good Reads

Parenting Magazine had an excellent article in the December/January 2008 issue entitled “I Breastfeed, Therefore I Read” by freelancer Lauren Freer. I related to her “reading while breastfeeding” stories and appreciated her honesty about the “sometimes dreariness” of early motherhood.

Traveling with a toddler can be challenging. That’s why I appreciated Debbie’s helpful article about that very topic – “Ten Tips for Keeping a Toddler Busy on a Plane.”

Announcements

Nominate an inspiring mom that you know for Cookie Magazine’s annual Smart Cookie Awards. In 250 words or less, you’ll have write an essay about why your nominee should be the Smart Cookie Award honoree. The winner will be flown to NYC and will be able to donate $35,000 to a charity of her choice. The nominating mom will also receive a prize…a spa vacation in San Diego. Enter by December 13th.

Join a Luna Moms Club in your area to get to know other local moms through playgroups, Moms’ Night Out events, and Mommies with a Mission activities. It’s free to join!

Are you flying this holiday season? Will your flight be departing from New York (JFK), Los Angeles, Miami, or San Francisco? Then, you should fly with American Airlines! If you do, you’ll receive a free Kiwi Care Package for kids (brought to you by Kiwi Magazine) that includes an issue of Kiwi Magazine, fun activity pages for kids, and sample snack items. I can’t wait for Kiwi to expand this program to other airports (ahem…Tucson, AZ or Phoenix, AZ…please).

*** 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.

Welcome to the second edition of “Tuesday Tours: What’s Happening on the Web.” Every Tuesday, I’ll serve as your tour guide and will showcase the best contests, freebies, deals, and reads for moms on the web…all in one convenient location.

Contests

Enter Oxygen’s My Mama Always Said Contest for your chance to win a brand new iPod. The deadline is December 5.

goodyblog, powered by Parents Magazine, is having an incredible Holiday Blog Party. There are tons of cool prizes, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the $250 gift card to Zutano or the gaming systems from Sony. You have from December 1 until midnight December 14 to enter.

Enter to win one of five Munchkin Hook-on Chairs worth $42.99. The deadline is January 30, 2008.

Announcements

Become a beauty tester for Self Magazine: “If you’re at least 18 years old, you could put the latest beauty booty to the test and help SELF select the 2008 Healthy Beauty Award winners.” 800 testers will be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Complete the online questionnaire before Friday, December 7.

Share your maternity and newborn preferences (best maternity store, best maternity jeans, best baby shoes, etc.) with Pregnancy and Newborn Magazine for their 1st Annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

*** 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.