The Contest
The ‘Etch A Sketch A Burger’ contest, which runs through July 25, encourages the young and young-at-heart, ages five and up, to ‘draw’ their favorite Red Robin burger on an Etch A Sketch and then submit a photo of that drawing online at Red Robin. Fifty contest winners will receive a limited edition 50th Anniversary Etch A Sketch and a $50 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers gift card.
“This contest is a celebration of Red Robin and Etch A Sketch’s shared heritage and commitment to families and fun,” said Susan Lintonsmith, Red Robin’s chief marketing officer. “Etch A Sketch A Burger will bring together generations of families as they try to sketch winning burger designs.

Fun Facts About Etch a Sketch
• The Ohio Art Company, the creator of the famous drawing toy, was founded in 1908 to make picture frames and novelty items
• The first Etch A Sketch was created on the Bryan, Ohio factory line on July 12, 1960
• Since 1960, more than 150 million Etch A Sketch toys have been enjoyed by the young and young-at-heart alike

So grab your Etch a Sketch and enter the contest. What are you waiting for?

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win a $10 gift card to Red Robin and an Etch a Sketch

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Tell me why you want to win this gift card/Etch a Sketch

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries
• Enter the Red Robin/ Etch a Sketch Contest – 10 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on July 25th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

I received a Red Robin gift card and Etch a Sketch to help facilitate this post.  All opinions are 100% mine and no other compensation was received.

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About The Jensen Project:
The thrilling science fiction plot of ‘The Jensen Project’ focuses on the Thompson family, who are reintroduced to The Jensen Project, a secret community of geniuses conducting advanced underground research to solve the world’s most difficult problems. The family is forced into a frantic pursuit to keep a potentially dangerous technology from falling into the wrong hands, and rediscover the importance of honesty, courage and being there for one another. The film features Kellie Martin, Brady Smith, Justin Kelly, LeVar Burton, Patricia Richardson and Alyssa Diaz.

Screening
I actually was invited to a private screening in Austin, Texas a few weeks back to see The Jensen Project. I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect, but had read about the movie and watched the trailer before going.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with the plot, acting, and overall feel of the movie. It’s refreshing to watch a movie that is clean and I would feel good showing to our entire family. Although my kids are still young, it’s amazing what they pick up on, so we have to be careful about what we show them. It’s a movie that parents will have fun watching with their kids.

The Jensen Project will air this Friday, July 16th at 8/7c on NBC. There will be a dvd/cd soundtrack combo pack available for purchase at Walmart the following day. The music is fabulous, is produced by Randy Jackson, and includes great artists like Brooke White and Jordin Sparks. So don’t forget to tune in this Friday!

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win a dvd/cd soundtrack combo pack of The Jensen Project

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Tell me if you will be tuning in to watch the movie.

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry)  – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on July 16th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

I attended a private screening courtesy of Walmart & P&G, where my travel expenses were paid for.  Opinions remain 100% my own.

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Heather says:

“Circle of Life”, you know.

Congrats Heather!  Watch for an e-mail from me.

One of the prizes from the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor giveaway was not claimed! That means I am giving it away in a live giveaway! Up for grabs is a Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razor and coupons for ProGlide products, redeemable at Target.

Here’s how to enter:
Tell me who you want to win this razor for.

After you complete the initial entry, you can comment as many times as you want. After we have reached 75 comments, I will close the giveaway and choose a winner at random. That means the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. Ready, set GO!!  (Comments in moderation will be counted before I announce a winner, and winner will be updated in post shortly after giveaway ends.)

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About the Game
From Learning Resources:

Careful, don’t spill the fruit! Children spin the wheel then use jumbo tweezers to pick or place fruit without toppling them out of the stand. Children learn colors and fruit names, plus get little hands ready for holding pencils and scissors. Includes 40 fruit counters (five different fruits), two 6” tweezers, spinner, Guide printed on back of stand and adjustable cardboard stand measuring

Pros: I love the concept of this game. It incorporates counting, identifying fruit, colors, and fine motor skills.
Each player takes turns spinning the wheel, and then picks fruits off the stand according to what the wheel tells them. You gather fruit in your pile, but if you cause the stand of fruit to fall, you have to put it all back.
Before we got the game, I expected the fruit pieces to be light and plastic. They are actually more of a rubber, and are durable. I also think that helps them stay in place in the game. The tweezers are great for small hands and are very sturdy as well. I’ve played this game many times with Chandler, and it’s really fun. It’s one that I wouldn’t mind playing over and over with him. Plus, Rowan is starting to get the hang of it too.
When it’s time to put it away, it stores nicely in the box.

Cons: In the game, only 2 pairs of 6″ tweezers are included. I think it would be fun to be able to play this game with 3 or 4 people if you want, so it would be nice to see more tweezer included. It’s nice to always have the option to play with more players if you want to.
One other thing that I would add is a bag for the fruit, just for storage reasons. After digging around in our game closet one afternoon, the box spilled, and there was an avalanche in our closet.

Overall, the game is durable, cute, and is a great learning resource. It is suitable for kids ages 3+

Price: $18.99

Where to Buy: Learning Resources, or specialty stores

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win Avalanche Fruit Stand

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Visit Learning Resources and tell me something else that they carry.

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on July 19th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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Camping is a great way to spend quality time with your family. The North Face was actively involved in National Camping month, and with good reason. They have amazing outdoor and camping gear and as someone who has some of their products, they are great quality and really last.

More About National Camping Month
As part of their mission to get kids and families outside, The North Face has created an online community database called PlanetExplore where families can go to find fun, educational outdoor events and activities happening right in their area. Aside from camping, PlanetExplore offers local listings for activities such as biking, running, skiing, volunteering, hiking, climbing and more. Some areas even offer experiences such as surfing and rafting.

I actually just checked out PlanetExplore, and it’s an awesome resrouce to see what is going on in your area.  There was a lot that I wasn’t aware of.

Outdoor Youth Summit
During National Camping Month, The North Face, in conjunction with The Outdoor Foundation, held the nation’s largest-ever outdoor youth summit in central park. The event was called Outdoor Nation and it brought together 500 youth delegates from across the country to discuss important environmental and social issues like park conservation and childhood obesity. At this youth summit, The North Face and The Outdoor Foundation announced the establishment of a grant program called The Explore Fund that will donate $300,000+ in support to organizations that encourage youth outdoor participation, focus on sustainability initiatives, or help to create a connection to nature that will empower the future leaders of tomorrow.

As National Camping Month Comes to a close, Babes and Kids and The North Face wants families to continue to go camping through the rest of the summer months and get outdoors all year long, so we are doing a gear giveaway to get you started!

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win a camping gear prize package valued at over $160, which includes: an Interval 25 day pack, Stowable Vaporwick Endurance Hat, Planet Explore Water Bottle, and 1 year-long subscription to Backpacker Magazine

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Tell me your favorite spot to go camping.

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) – 2 entries
• Follow The North Face on twitter – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on July 14th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The information in this article was provided by the representing PR company and The North Face.  Prize package also provided by The North Face.  I did not receive any product or compensation for this post, and all opinions are 100% mine.

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As mentioned in a previous review, we are big pancake lovers at our house. Dupont & Teflon recently sent us the Flip It pancake pan to review, with this fun patriotic design.

Pros: This is a really fun innovative idea. You allow it to preheat, flag side on the bottom for around 6 minutes. Then you use 1/2 cup of pancake batter, and wait until the batter is bubbly. Lastly, you bring down the top of the pan and flip it. The result is very pretty and gives you delicious pancakes in just a few minutes. My boys think the flag design is really fun, and if it encourages them to eat then I’m all about it.
I like how compact this pan is, it doesn’t take much room to store. Because of the teflon coating it is also easy to clean. There are also other food items you can cook in the flip it pan including omelets and sandwiches. I like this because sometimes it’s hard for me to rationalize having a specialty item like this unless it performs multiple functions. I have to make sure I’m going to use it.
I also thought that the pancakes were more fluffy and airy when using the flip it pan. I wonder if it has to do with the steam that is kept in while they are cooking. They really are delicious.

Cons: Per instructions, it is recommended that you use only 1/2 cup of pancake batter. I wondered what would happen if I used more. I used 3/4 cup, waited until it was bubbly, and then flipped. The batter oozed all out the side and made a huge mess on the burner. So it is REALLY important that you measure out a half cup and not more. The pan also doesn’t clamp down shut, there is about a 1/2 inch opening, so this is one reason that the batter would leak out. I think a good improvement would be to have it clamp all of the way down.

The Bottom Line: Non stick teflon pancake pan that creates fun designs and fluffy pancakes. Needs a few minor improvements.

Where to Buy: Not available in stores as they were made for a limited time as a novelty. However, Teflon has lots of other great products to check out.

Win It
One Babes and Kids Reader will win a Teflon Flip It Pancake Pan

Here’s How to Enter:

• Visit the Teflon Scribd page and tell me one of the recipes you can find there.

Additional Entries:

• Follow This Blog – 2 entries
• Follow Teflon on Twitter - 2 entries
  
• Follow me on Twitter & Tweet this giveaway (daily entry) - 2 entries
  
• Comment on any non giveaway post – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on July 12th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or representing PR agency. Opinions are 100% mine.

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About Dreft
Dreft is a detergent specifically formulated for baby items, and is the most recommended by pediatricians. The brand has been around for over 75 years and is definitely gentle on baby’s clothing. Dreft is available in a High efficiency liquid, 2x ultra liquid, and powder formulas.

Laundry Tips
It’s always nice to have laundry tips, and one thing that I had a hard time getting rid of in the boy’s clothes was food stains. Here is a tip on how to get rid of food stains from Dreft:

While no one detergent can remove all types of stains, we recommend the following for food-based stains such as formula, juice, spit-up, baby food and egg:

* Before treating any garment, always refer to the care label instructions first.
* Colored items must be protected by pre-testing the effects of stain removal techniques on a hidden area on the item.
* Rinse as soon as possible with cold water to dilute the stain.
* Soak up to 30 minutes by adding 1 use Dreft and fill washer 1/3 way full.
* Weight the item with a white towel to keep submerged.
* Discard soak solution prior to laundering by running through a rinse cycle.
* Wash in 1 use of Dreft in warmest water allowed according to garment label.
* Line or air dry, and repeat procedure if needed.
* If stain has set, soak with color-safe bleach added to the Dreft solution for 30 minutes.
* Launder with 1 use of Dreft.

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win a New Mom Baby Gift Basket which includes: Dreft Detergent, Cozy Blanket, and Cuddly Teddy Bear.

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Tell me a tip you’ve learned for laundering baby’s clothes.

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on July 2nd. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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Volkswagen Routan
Before last week, I honestly hadn’t heard a lot about the Volkswagen Routan. My dad currently drives a Volkswagen, I believe it is a new Touareg and it’s a really nice car. So when I heard about the Routan, my interest was immediately peaked.

The Routan isn’t your average mini van. While it has a third row of seating and is big enough for the whole family, I feel like it has that crossover look to it. It doesn’t look like a minivan which I think hubby would love. It includes some awesome features like 12v power outlets, JoyBox™ Entertainment system, UConnect® Bluetooth® system and roof rack. Yes, I’m drooling. It looks like it would be absolutely fabulous to travel in.

To help kick on summer vacations, Volkswagen is giving away a Summer Survival kit!

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win a Summer Survival kit that includes:
Two No-spill cups for babies/toddlers, Travel editions of board games, Travel Candyland® game, Travel Guess Who® game, Coloring book w/ color-changeable markers, Two DVDs of the latest family movies (to be selected by Sponsor) to play in the Routan minivan’s JoyBox™ Entertainment System, One Bluetooth headset to use with the Routan minivan’s UConnect® Bluetooth® system, One Battery Jumper, One Fix-A-Flat Tire inflator, One AAA® Emergency Preparedness Kit, One neck pillow (not pictured)

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Tell me where you are going with the family this summer.

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on June 29th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.  For a list of complete rules, visit here.

This giveaway was sponsored by the representing company and/or PR agency.  I received no product or compensation, I just wanted to share this awesome giveaway!  Opinions are 100% mine.

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About Fusion ProGlide
From Gillette’s website:

The new Gillette® Fusion® ProGlide™ Razor has re-engineered blades with edges that are thinner than Fusion. They are finished with Gillette’s most advanced low-resistance coating, which allows the blades to glide effortlessly through hair. Providing incredible comfort, even if you shave everyday.

Even with thinner, finer blades*, an enhanced lubrastrip and improved blade suspension system, you may not see all of the latest innovations on the NEW Gillette Fusion ProGlide and Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razors with the naked eye but after one shave, you’ll stop shaving and start gliding.

Sounds cool, right? The razor also uses a AAA battery, and micro pulses for comfort. I don’t know very many razors that do that. And just in case you forget to turn it off, it automatically turns off after 8 minutes to conserve battery life. The handle is also big, and easy to grip.

Testing It Out
Hubby shaves everyday and has that lovely stubble by the time he gets home from work. He often has to take long showers to make his skin soft enough to shave and still cuts himself quite frequently.
Since trying out the razor, he’s commented on how much better shaving has been. He says he feels like it does glide across his skin and he doesn’t constantly feel like he’s going to cut himself. He definitely gets a close shave and says he wants to keep using the razor.

Being curious as I am, I wanted to try out the razor as well. What wife doesn’t sneak her husband’s razor occasionally? I must say that I am in love as well. I’m used to using cheap disposables. The ProGlide really glides across the skin and gives a super close shave.

Price  $9.99

Where to Buy: Target, or another retailer near you.

Win It
Two Babes and Kids readers will win a Gillette Fusion ProGlide razor along with coupons for ProGlide products redeemable at Target.

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Tell me something about your dad, husband, or other important man in your life.

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. (daily entry) - 2 entries
• Follow Gillette on Twitter.
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on June 26th. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

The product reviewed in this article was a sample provided to me by the company or PR representative. These views and opinions are my own and I was not compensated by this review.

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First 15 Days
The challenge is 30 days long. I’ve been going a few days over 15 at this point. There are a couple of things that have been hard for me to get used to. The first is washing everything in cold. I generally wash my darks in cold, whites and lights in warm, and towels, dishcloths and sheets in hot. To be honest, I’m not sure why I wash my towels in hot, other than I remember reading somewhere that it is more effective at killing dust mites. The other reason that I was my whites in warmer water is because it seems to get stains out better. Even though I’m used to washing clothes this way, I started washing everything in cold. I was glad to be doing it after reading this statistic:

If the average family washed their laundry in cold water and dried it on a clothesline, they could save almost $200 a year. If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of traditional 100 oz. concentrate laundry liquid with a 100 oz. concentrate plant-derived product, like Seventh Generation, we could save 466,000 barrels of oil, enough to heat and cool 26,800 U.S. homes for a year

Not only does that quote address how cold water can save you money, it also lets you know that by using an eco friendly plant derived detergent, you can do your part to save a lot of oil. It seems like there are a lot of pros to washing in cold. On average, I do about 10 loads of laundry a week for our family of 4. I started looking for any noticable difference in our clothing or towels, and really I didn’t notice anything. I have yet to have any really bad stains to try to get out, so I’ll let you know how that goes down during the rest of the challenge if I get a bad one.

As far as the line drying goes, I’m honestly having a hard time. I feel like I’m a bit pressed for time between work, home, and church. There have been times during this challenge where I have thrown a load of laundry in the dryer because I needed an article of clothing then, and I couldn’t wait for it to line dry. I’m also finding that I’m having to drag out my iron more with line drying, and the indoor rack we have takes up a lot of space. I keep telling myself that our electric bill will go down this month if I just keep trying! I’ve been keeping a small video log along with this challenge, so if you are interested, watch below!

I’m interested to see how the rest of this challenge pans out. Want to win a Seventh Generation laundry pack to get going on your own green challenge? Then be sure to enter on this post! A random winner will be selected and and announced at the end of my 30 day challenge.

Win It
One Babes and Kids reader will win Seventh Generation Laundry Pack which includes: Seventh Generation Natural 2x Concentrated Laundry Liquid (good for 66 loads of laundry), portable laundry line, clothes pins, and laundry basket.

Here’s How to Enter: (This entry is mandatory)

• Do you wash your clothes in cold water or line dry? Why or why not?

Additional Entries

• Tweet about this giveaway. – 2 entries
• Subscribe to my feed via e-mail – 2 entries
• Follow me – 2 entries
• Comment on any non giveaway post that you haven’t previously commented on – 2 entries
• Become a fan of Babes and Kids on Facebook – 2 entries

Please leave each entry as a separate comment. Contest is open to US residents and will end at 11:59 MST on June 21st. Winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning e-mail or prize will be forfeited and given away in a live giveaway.

Seventh Generation and My Blog Spark provided materials needed for this Laundry Challenge.   I received Seventh Generation laundry detergent, a portable clothes line, laundry basket, clothes pin, and a Flip Camera to help faciliate this challenge.  All opinions remain 100% mine.

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