Product Review & Giveaway: The Golden Pickle – CLOSED

As part of my blogiversary celebration, Judy Kirby, author of The Golden Pickle, sent me her CD to review (and giveaway!!). Her company makes an audio CD for children called “The Golden Pickle” and it is full of stories that she told to her own children when they were young.

I’ll be honest, when I first received the CD, I didn’t know how I was going to get my son to listen to it. He is always so busy and very visually oriented. If it was a movie, I’m sure he’d watch it! But just an audio CD? I was skeptical…

A little bit about the CD. The CD has stories mixed with riddles and rhymes from traditional children’s lore. The stories have 2 main characters “A Pirate Boy” and “A Balloon Girl”. Most stories feature one main character or the other. In each story, The Pirate Boy or The Balloon Girl are in search of a “Golden Pickle.” Interspersed between the stories are riddles and rhymes targeted at children.

Once upon a time there was a boy. A pirate boy. And he had a ship. A pirate ship with monkeys. A hundred pirate monkeys with banana swords. The Pirate boy was looking for a golden pickle. Just like every other day.

Here are two clips from the CD for you to listen to (you’ll need to click the link below and then click the link again when the new page appears – I’m not sure how to insert the clip in an easier way):
1) Davy Jones – one of the Pirate Boy Stories
2) Rhymes Set 1

One day, I decided to just start playing the CD while my son was playing. The first time I did it he was too busy and he didn’t pay attention. I was playing it on my computer. But the second time I did it, I put the CD into our DVD player while my son was playing in the living room so that the sound actually came out of our TV. Within minutes, my son was sitting next to me on the couch “watching” the blank TV while we listened to the stories on the CD. He was giggling and asking questions and really getting into the story!

In today’s world, which is filled with TV and video games, it was so refreshing to sit down and listen to a story that relies on our imaginations to make it complete! My son had to VISUALIZE the story! As soon as the first story ended, he asked to “watch” it again! I convinced him to go on to the next story instead. so we listened to each story on the CD and after each one he would say “Can we watch that again?” Or “Can we watch the one with the Pirate Boy?”

Did you notice that my son asked to “watch” the stories over and over? Maybe it was his limited four-year old vocabulary, but I actually think he “saw” the story unfold in his mind. To him, we were watching the Pirate Boy and his band of monkeys or the the Balloon Girl and her friends the baboons! We listened to the entire CD and at the end he asked to listen to the very first story again! My son doesn’t even get this engrossed by movies! I was stunned and so pleased! It was fun to sit on the couch and snuggle up under the blanket with my son and listen to these wonderful stories. And watch his expressions. He really “lived” the stories. And I enjoyed the time it gave us together giggling and listening. And if you have a daughter, she will easily connect with the stories focused on the Balloon Girl. This CD was a life-saver when we took our 12 hour flight to Hawaii just recently – my son listened to it and it kept him occupied for at least an hour on the flight! And there aren’t many things that can keep a 4 year old occupied for a whole hour!!

This CD has something for every child – from toddler hood, through preschool and beyond – for boys and for girls! Don’t be surprised if your little one starts their own quest to find the Golden Pickle!

Would I change anything? There is always something you’d change right? Remember how I mentioned about the riddles and rhymes that are interspersed between the stories? Well, for my son’s age group (age 4), I would get rid of them. Maybe when he is older he might enjoy them more, but we basically just skipped over them and went on to listen to the next story. The only other thing I would change would be to list on the CD cover which stories feature which characters. My son often asked for “the one with the Pirate boy” or the “one with both the boy and the girl” and I had a heck of a time figuring out which one he wanted to hear!

All in all – I was pleasantly surprised by how much my son enjoyed this CD. We will definitely be in line when the sequel comes out!!

Guess What – We have reserved a copy of The Golden Pickle CD for you to listen to with your child!! To enter, leave a comment telling us what your child’s age is and what their favorite story is. (Mandatory)

One lucky winner will be chosen by random draw – so spread the word. You can get extra entries to win by tweeting, facebooking, myspacing or blogging about this contest. Leave a separate comment for each activity. You may enter for each activity once per day. Do you want to get a preview of this CD? It is available on iTunes! Purchase an iTunes story for your child and you will get 5 extra chances to win the whole CD – be sure to come back here and leave us a comment with your order number!!

This contest ends 11/22/09 at 5 PM. All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry before completing the ‘extra’ entries. Invalid entries will be disqualified. This contest is open to people with US mailing addresses only. Winner must respond to email within 48 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner.

Disclaimer: We received a complementary CD to evaluate as part of this review. This gift enabled us to properly review this product and did not affect the objective nature of our review.

Blogiversary Celebration: Ameda Purely Yours Breastpump – CLOSED

We are thrilled to be kicking off our Blogiversary Celebration with a breastpump from Ameda! The Ameda breast pump is our favorite and the only one that we carry in our boutique. Ameda is a great company to work with – they care about moms, they employ lactation consultants to help moms with questions and to help out stores like me! So you might wonder – beside Ameda being such a great company – Why do we like the Ameda pump?

The Purely Yours Breast Pump is the only portable double breast pump that combines the legacy of hospital-proven technology with mom-friendly features. It’s ideal for moms working full-time or for anyone who wants a quick, easy and effective breast pumping experience.

• The Purely Yours does not require inspection of tubing or a six step cleaning process for milk/moisture. No worries about mold growing in tubing or alcohol vapors from cleaning. There is no air exchange between the tubing and expressed milk. The Purely Yours has a diaphragm barrier that protects baby’s milk. This FDA Cleared Viral Barrier does not require inspection or cleaning of tubing. There are only four parts to wash. This barrier also keeps outside air out of baby’s milk that may contain pollutants, allergens and smoke.
• The Purely Yours is Piston-driven – for comfortable and efficient pumping. This is the most recommended form of breast pump technology!
• The Purely Yours is Compact and lightweight – weighs only 1 pound.
• The Purely Yours has individually adjustable cycle and suction controls — you create a pumping experience most comfortable and effective for you.
• The Purely Yours saves you time – its unique design prevents milk and moisture from entering tubing, so there’s no need to clean pump tubing!
• The Purely Yours kit is the same as the kit for all Ameda Products – no extra expense for extra parts and no troubles with reconfiguring. Switching from dual to single pumping does not require levers or plugs.
• Use it anywhere! Operates using 3 power sources – AC adapter, AA batteries or car adapter.
• The Purely Yours is appropriate for mother’s who are returning to work full time, as well as for occasional pumping needs.
• All of the components and accessories for this pump are BPA Free! So you can be assured that the milk you are working so hard to pump for you baby is safe for him to drink!
• It’s AFFORDABLE! With four models to choose from – any mom can afford this pump!

The Ameda Purely Your Breastpump comes in four different models. All models contain a base pump and the patented Ameda Dual Hygenikit accessory package which contains all of the parts/pieces that you need to get started pumping. And when you get your pump from our Boutique Store, you also get a copy of our great Pumping and Working Tips article which will get you started on your journey with breastpumping! Our favorite model (and our best-selling one!) is the Purely Yours Breastpump with Carry All Tote. It has the perfect amount of accessories whiile still maintaining a very affordable price – so that you can get everything you need with your pump (carrying case, extra bottles, milk storage case, etc) and sill have room left in your budget for some other things that you might “want” or “need”.

Below is a comparison chart showing you the different Ameda Breastpumps and their included accessories.

AMEDA BREASTPUMP COMPARISON CHART
	Ameda Purely Yours Pump Basic Model	Ameda Purely Yours Pump with Carry All	Ameda Purely Yours Pump with Backpack	Ameda Purely Yours Ultra Breastpump
Hygenimilk Collection System	YES	YES	YES	YES
AC Adapter and battery pack	YES	YES	YES	YES
Carrying Case	NONE	Carry All	Back Pack	Ultra Tote
Cool N Carry Tote with 3 cooling elements/6 bottles	NO	YES	YES	YES
12V car power adapter	NO	NO	YES	YES
Breast Flanges	25 mm ONLY	25 mm ONLY	25 mm ONLY	25 mm/28.5 mm/30.5 mm
2 Cotton breast pads	NO	NO	YES	YES
One-hand manual pump assembly	NO	NO	YES	YES
Milk Storage Magnet	NO	YES	YES	YES

This is ONE GREAT BREAST PUMP – but don’t just take my word for it – check out what @MommyMelee thought of her Ameda Breastpump in her blog post “Ameda? I’m Purely Yours” – she converted and LOVED IT!!

So now for the BIG NEWS – Ameda has graciously offered to give away one Purely Yours Breast Pump with Carry All (Retail value $199.99) to one of the Mommy News and Views readers as part of our Blogiversary Celebration! Would you like one? Do you have a friend who needs a new pump? Well sign up here – this is your chance to get one – absolutely free!!

To be entered into this contest please leave a comment on this post which tells us about your breastpumping history and why you would like this pump. – This is MANDATORY in order to be considered for a prize.

But you don’t want just one chance to win do you? How about a few more! You can enter for extra chances to win this pump by doing any of the activities below. Just be sure to come back here and leave us a comment letting us know which ones you completed.

1) Visit our Pumping and Working Tips Article and tell us which tip helped you the most.
2) Sign up to follow our blog using your favorite reader or sign up for email updates.
3) Grab one of our blogiversary buttons and add it to your blog, webpage or facebook page.
4) Spread the word! Tweet about this post and link back to it – be sure to include @MommyNews in your tweet and leave a comment here with a link to your tweet (you can do this once per day during the contest).
5) Spread the word some more! Post about this contest on facebook and tell all of your friends about it!(you can do this once per day during the contest)
6) Don’t have a blog, not on facebook or twitter? No problem, we want you to have extra chances to win too – so go ahead and send an email to any of your pregnant or nursing friends. Be sure to cc: us on your email (blogiversary@mommynewsblog.com) and leave a comment here too! We promise not to add anyone to any mailing lists unless they specifically request to be added.
7) Purchase anything in our Boutique Store - and leave a comment here with the last 4-digits of your order number. You will get 2 extra chances to win for every purchase!

That’s it! Lots of ways to win an Ameda Purely Yours Breastpump!! This contest ends 10/31/09 at 5 PM. All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry before completing the ‘extra’ entries. Invalid entries will be disqualified. This contest is open to anyone - no matter where you live!! Free shipping will only be given to addresses in the United States. If you live outside of the USA, then you can still win, but you will need to pay for shipping/insurance to your destination. Winner must respond to email within 48 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner.

Product Review: Schlage Keyless Door Lock

When I was contacted to review the Schlage Keyless Door Lock, I was thrilled. I have always hated my front door lock. It is difficult to open, I often can’t tell if it is locked or not and because of this, I never use my front door. Well the wonderful folks at Schlage contacted me and asked me to review their Keyless Door Lock. They have several choices of styles, colors and door lock types. I choose the deadbolt lock in aged bronze to replace the lock on my front door.

I have heard many moms say that installation was a piece of cake and I’d have to agree. I didn’t do it myself, but had my Dad do it for me and it took him about 30-45 minutes. It took a little longer than some others have quoted because my door wasn’t quite configured properly, so we had to really squeeze it in. But once it was installed it was SUPER EASY to program and EVEN EASIER to use.

What I liked:
1) This lock is very good looking. so no matter how fancy your door is, you’ll love to have this lock as an addition.
2) This lock is super easy to program. I can have separate codes for my housekeeper and my neighbor – I can activate and de-active the codes as needed. This keeps my house safe and secure and doesn’t compromise the security of the code that I use myself. The “master” code is for my husband and I to use – and no one else uses it. When we go away and we have the neighbor watch our house, they get a code that is easy for them to remember. The housekeeper only comes once every two weeks, so she also has her own unique code that is easy for her to remember. When I change housekeepers or go away on vacation, I can deactivate her code in a jiffy!
3) This lock is even easier to use! I LOVE LOVE LOVE not having to dig around for my keys when I am coming home. I just punch in my 4-digit entry code and my door is ready to be opened. It is fantastic!! If I am carrying groceries or carrying my son, all I have to do is punch in my code and I am good to go! If I am in the car and I forget something, I don’t have to turn off the car and take my keys with me. I just run up the front steps and open the door. Did I mention that I love this feature?…And for a new mom carrying a baby and a diaper bad and god-knows what else – this lock is a LIFE-SAVER! Now that I have one for the front, I’d love one for the back and side doors as well!
4) The inside is as easy as the outside. To lock the door, I simply turn the lever to the lock position. To unlock, turn it again. It couldn’t be easier. It’s so easy, that I have a child-proof knob on the handle so that my son doesn’t escape all by himself!

What I wish this lock had:
1) This list is going to be short….in summary, I wish this lock either came in more colors or had matching door handles that could be purchased along with it. I love the aged bronze color, but it doesn’t really match my existing hardware. My hardware is aged bronze (but a different shade) on the outside and shiny bronze on the inside. I would like to have either been able to match my existing hardware better (different color outside than in) or even better yet, get new hardware for my door to match this beautiful lock! Schlage does sell handlesets separate from the keyless lock, but they have regular locks included, so it doesn’t’ appear that they have just the handle to pair up with the keyless lock.

The Schlage locks, in all of the styles and finishes, are available nationally at The Home Depot, Lowe’s Home Improvement stores, and Menard’s.

Do you have keyless entry on any of your doors? What do you like about it? Do you wish you had it? How would you use it if you did?

Reviews & Giveaways Featuring Our Boutique

We always like to keep you posted about any reviews and/or giveaways for items in our boutique and today we have five great items to tell you about.

1) Ameda Purely Yours ULTRA Breastpump: When we heard that @MommyMelee was going to BlogHer and was going to be away from her baby for nearly a week, we jumped at the opportunity to help her out and we sent her one of the most fabulous breast pumps available – the Ameda Purely Yours Ultra! Well, she loved it! You can read her entire review here.

“Every pumping session went great. More than great. Actually, so great I sort of wanted to marry the pump. I was able to pump more than 100 ounces to freeze for my trip….” READ MORE.

2) PumpEase Hands-Free Pumping Support: Well, @MommyMelee knew she would need to be hands-free while she was away, so she purchased one of our hands-free pumping supports and reviewed it as well.

“It’s an awesome little band that goes over your nursing bra and fastens in the front. It holds the “honkers” (pump shields) snugly but not too tightly against your chest while you pump…” READ MORE.

And not only did @MommyMelee love this item, but she is going to be giving away one to a lucky reader, so stop by and sign-up to win! Contest ends 9/8/09.

3) Annee Matthew Melia Ruched Top: Recently @HappyMomAmy contacted us on Twitter to see if we wanted to sponsor her Breastfeeding Awareness Week Celebration on her blog Makes Mom Happy. We checked her out and looked at all of the great items she would be reviewing as part of her breastfeeding celebration and decided that it was the perfect match! So we happily sponsored her. Well, then she told me that she didn’t like nursing tops. Since I founded this company because I loved nursing tops and wanted to make them easier for moms to have access to – I had to try and convince her otherwise. I sent her our Melia Ruched Top – which was one of our best-selling tops this season and she loved it!!

“It’s versatile, it looks great, and it works well. It’s high-quality fabric and it’s really comfortable. Basically, I wish I’d known about nursing tops like the Annee Matthew line when I started breastfeeding!…” READ MORE.

And she is giving away TWO – yes that TWO gift certificates to our boutique – so be sure to stop by and sign up to win! This contest ends 9/19/09.

4) A Mother’s Boutique – that’s right – Your Mama Reviews took a look at our boutique and decided we were worth mentioning! They wrote a fantastic review of our store.

“Thank god for the Internet and websites like A Mother’s Boutique. A Mother’s Boutique is run by a very smart and helpful mother who has managed to find the best of the best for all things mama…” READ MORE.

To celebrate – we are working with Your Mama Reviews to give away another TWO gift certificates to our store. Be sure to stop by and enter to win – this contest ends 9/10/09.

Reviews & Contests Featuring Our Boutique

We always like to keep you informed about the latest reviews and contest featuring items from our boutique and we have two more to tell you about today.

The first is a review of our stunning Vanna Tank Dress. This dress is perfect for use while pregnant and also great for after the baby comes as it offers gentle rouching to help cover up your tummy and super easy nursing access. This dress is one of my personal favorites and you have all heard me talk about it before. So now, I am going to let the Metropolitan Mama tell you what she thinks of this fantastic dress!

“…The Vanna Dress is an excellent “little black dress” for nursing moms. It’s simple, classic, and ideal for a date night out with your husband…”

READ MORE of this fantastic review! And – best of all, The Metropolitan Mama Blog will be giving this dress away to one lucky winner. This contest ends 8/16/09, so visit her blog to sign up today!

The second review that we want to tell you about is a review of our Capri Pajamas on the Blacktating Blog. As Elita says

“…These PJs are super comfy! The cotton spandex blend was very soft against my skin and had plenty of stretch to move with me…”

READ MORE of this great, honest review here!

Have you tried either of these items? Well try them today and save 15% by using coupon code MAMAREVIEW at checkout. This offer is good in our boutique for one week only – so act fast! (expires 8/20/09)

Contests & Reviews Featuring Items From Our Boutique

Hello Mommy News and Views readers! I just wanted to let you know about some great reviews and contests that are going on right now that feature items from our boutique. Be sure to visit each one and sign up so that you can win some great maternity and/or nursing attire!

1) Capri Yoga Pants – these great pants are so versatile they can be worn during and after your pregnancy! Felicia from the CollegeSAHM Blog has reviewed them and she says “..These are the most comfortable maternity pants that I ever owned and they fit me perfectly..” Please visit her blog to read more about her review and to sign up to win a pair of these great pants for yourself! Contest ends 7/7/09.

2) Drop Cup Cami Nursing Tank: This tank is wonderful for breastfeeding moms! Suzie Q Homemaker reviewed it on her blog and she loved it. She says “…Not only is this nursing tank beautiful, it is extremely user-friendly…” Please visit her blog to read more about her review and to sign up to win one of these great tanks for yourself! Contest ends 7/11/09.

3) Kelly Two-Tone Nursing Tee: This beautiful basic is perfect for any new mom! It was reviewed on the Sage & Savvy blog and she said “…It’s made out of soft cotton spandex, so it’s stretchy, meaning it’s very possible that you can use it from right after the birth of your child until you stop nursing…” Please visit her blog to read more about this great top and to sign up to win one for yourself. Contest ends 7/11/09.

We are thrilled to have these great blogs review our items and even happier to be able to give away items to all of you. So be sure to visit each blog and sign up to win something today!

Reviews And Contests Featuring Our Boutique

Hello Mommy News & Views Blog Readers!! Today we would like to tell you about a number of reviews and contests that are currently going on which feature items from our boutique. It is a great way to see what other moms think of some of the items in our boutique and a great way to sign up for a chance to win something from us too! Visit these great blogs to see reviews and enter for a chance to win a great item from A Mother’s Boutique! There are more contests coming, so stay tuned, we will send out another update for you at the end of the month!

Annee Matthew Obi Nursing Top

• Annee Matthew Obi Top: This great top was reviewed by the Celebrate Life With Bargains Blog. Please visit her blog today to read a review of this wonderful top and to enter for your chance to win one! This contest ends 6/30/09. Best of all – this beautiful nursing top comes in sizes S-3X, so there is something to fit everyone!! Read a snippet of her review here: “…Not only was it the most comfortable breastfeeding top that I have ever worn, but it was made with high craftmanship so that it was easy to nurse or to pump with ease…” READ MORE & ENTER TO WIN


Majamas Organic Easy Bra

• Majamas Organic Easy Bra: This is a great bra for day time or night time use. Check out this review by Mommy Melee on her review blog called Your Mama Reviews. She was in search of the perfect sleep bra and found it in the Organic Easy Bra. This wonderful bra comes in Ivory, Black or Pink in sizes S-XXL. It has enough support for wearing around the house and is comfy enough to sleep in too! Read a snippet of her review here: “…I wear it daily and sleep in it. I find that it offers support without being restrictive, which is important to me…” READ MORE


Dynabelly Soft Cup Nursing Bra

• Dynabelly Molded Cup Nursing Bra: This wonderful bra is even more wonderful because it is SUPER AFFORDABLE!! Check out Your Mama Reviews as she reviews her use of this bra. We are also giving one away through her blog – so be sure to visit and sign up to win!! This contest ends 6/11/09. This wonderful bra comes in sizes 34-44 B-DD and nude and white colors. And for only $18 – it is a STEAL! Read a snippet of her review here: “…As soon as I tried the bra on, I could tell it fit great…This bra looks great under tanks and under tee shirts thanks to the design and the slight padding…” READ MORE & ENTER TO WIN


Nursing Bra Washing Cube

• Nursing Bra Washing Cube: Another review and giveaway from Your Mama Reviews. This time she is reviewing our nursing bra washing cube. Sign up to win one for yourself on her blog! This contest ends 6/12/09. Here is a snippet of what she had to say: “…I’ve been using the Bra Washing Cube for a few months now, and it works wonders…This is a great tool for your nursing bras, but it’s really wonderful for any sort of bra, so I think this is an appropriate tool (must-have even) for any woman who wears bras they don’t want to hand wash or destroy…” READ MORE & ENTER TO WIN

Please visit these great blogs to read reviews of some of the items that we carry in our boutique and to sign up for the give-aways! We will let you know when there are more contests available for you to enter!!