Category Archives: Giveaway

Tillamook Yogurt: Spoonfuls of Flavor from Oregon Creamery

My whole family has been longtime fans of Tillamook cheese, especially sharp cheddar slices, which work really well for my daughter Anna’s favorite sandwiches. So we were naturally delighted to learn that Tillamook had branched into yogurt and that it was available in our local stores.

I bought a few different flavors and brought them home. In addition to cheese, I’m a longtime yogurt eater. (Never met a dairy product I didn’t like.) Anna and yogurt, however — that’s a different story. She never liked any yogurt I urged upon her (and there have been many.)

And then she tried Tillamook. And things changed.

What did she like so much? She and I both like the lowfat strawberry. (All the flavors we tried were lowfat.) The Oregon strawberry yogurt is very bright and full of sweet strawberry taste. It’s very pleasing and bound to be a kid favorite in many homes, just as it now is in our house.

The raspberry yogurt is also bright and fruity. The blueberry yogurt has a very nice distinctive  blueberry flavor, partly drawn from sweet bits of fruit. Mountain huckleberry boasts a big, dark berry flavor. We found the marionberry yogurt tasty and the most subtle of the berry yogurts.

French vanilla bean yogurt is also wonderful. The vanilla flavor is extremely smooth, distinct and tasty.

All the flavors and textures we tried were very kid-friendly — pleasing, full, a bit on the sweet side, and very yummy.

The Tillamook web site reveals 31 yogurt flavors in all, including lots of exotic ones that sound fun to try, such as strawberry lemonade, pomegranate blackberry, dark cherry, baked apple pie, and country orange cream, just to mention a few intriguing sounding ones.

Tillamook yogurts have a very smooth texture, with the fruit already mixed in.

All Tillamook yogurt contains no artificial sweeteners, no artificial flavors or colors, no high fructose corn syrup, and no artificial growth hormones.

Click the coupon above for a chance to win free Tillamook yogurt for 6 months.

Tillamook provided sponsorship and coupons to facilitate this review. The opinions expressed are my own.

BabbaBox Provides Fun, Easy Activities to Engage Kids

In the course of speaking to people about my book, Fed Up with Frenzy, I’ve met many parents who want to do more fun things with their kids, but don’t know how to get started. Some don’t know the rules to playground and other games and some are intimidated by gardening or crafts. While my book contains hundreds of simple activities that families can do right away and either require no materials or basic items that they probably have around the house, some people would still like a little more help, particularly when it comes to crafting.

That’s where BabbaBox comes in. BabbaBox makes it convenient to start spending quality time with your kids because all the materials and content for a variety of activities are included in each box. Boxes can be purchased individually or by a monthly subscription that provides a different themed box each month.

These are some of the upcoming monthly themes: Royal Kingdom,
Rainforest, Recycling, Awesome Artist, and Gratitude.

Each BabbaBox includes four major components centered around the ways kids engage and learn: Create, Explore, Story Tell and Connect. Children create through two or more projects they make themselves.  A thought-provoking activity helps them explore.  Also included in the box are a book that presents the monthly theme, and links to digital downloads.

 

This is included in the Gratitude Box:

CREATE: Materials to make three projects, including a serving tray, thank you cards and a hot pad to gift.

EXPLORE: A disposable camera and photo album to make a gratitude journal.

STORY TELL: Giving Thanks, an illustrated book about a father-son nature walk.

CONNECT: Gratitude app downloads that helps kids bake their own cookies to virtually gift.

Click to watch a video preview of another wonderful box, the Awesome Artist box.

With the holidays coming, BabbaBox, at $24.99 a month, makes a reasonably priced gift that provides more long-lasting, quality play than a lot of other toys.

Would you like to win a free annual BabbaBox membership, $1500 in cash, or gift cards from Starbucks, Target, Diapers.com, or others?  Enter the BabbaCo Holiday Sweepstakes.

Have fun engaging with your family.

Photos: BabbaCo

This post is sponsored by BabbaCo. The opinions expressed are my own.

‘Fed Up with Frenzy’ Blog Tour Coming to a Screen Near You

 

As many of you know, my book, Fed Up with Frenzy: Slow Parenting in a Fast-Moving World, will be out August 1.

I am very eager for you to learn about all the fun ideas and projects I’ve collected to help your family slow down and reconnect. To do that, I’ve assembled an all-star team of bloggers to join the Fed Up with Frenzy Blog Tour to share their thoughts about the book and some of the ideas and projects inside.

 

Here is a partial list of bloggers and dates on the Fed Up with Frenzy Blog Tour. Please visit their sites for reviews, activities, tips and book giveaways! (And also, because they’re all wonderful sites with great information about kids, crafts, gardening, nature, free play, education, slowing down, creativity and family fun!)

August 1                                      Power of Slow     Review

August 2                                     Grass Stain Guru     Guest post

August 4                                       Exploring Portland’s Natural Areas Review

August 7                                     Red, White & Grew     Guest post

August 9                                     Slow Family Living     Review/Activity

August 15                                     Fun Orange County Parks     Review

August 17                                      Let Children Play     Guest post

August 22                                     Jen Spends     Review

August 24                                     Becentsable     Review

August 27                                     Real Moms Love to Eat     Recipe

August 28                                     A Place Like This     Review

September 5                              Rhythm of the Home     Guest post

September 5                               Mummy’s Product Reviews     Review

September 6                               Jump into a Book     Review

September 6                               Modern Day Moms     Review

September 7                               7 on a Shoestring     Review

September 8                             Dad of Divas     Review

September 10                            Go Explore Nature     Interview

September 12                           Active Kids Club     Podcast!

September 13                            Love, Life, Family and Then Some     Review

September 14                            Go Explore Nature     Activity

September 14                           Adventures of the Alpha Mom     Review

September 15                            What Mama Wants     Review

September 18                            Traveling Mel     Review/Activity

September 19                            Allison Abramson     Review

September 20                           Imagination Soup      Review

September 21                          Chi-Town Cheapskate     Review

September 21                          Frugal Mama     Review

September 24                          Go Gingham     Review

September 24                         Adventures of the Alpha Wife     Review

September 25                          Play Equals Peace     Interview

September 26                          A Little Yumminess     Review/Recipe

September 27                          Bright Copper Kettles     Review/Craft

September 28                          Parent Palace     Review

October 1                                   Noble Mother     Review

October 2                                   Frugal Mama   Guest post

October 3                                   A Little Bite of Life     Review

October 4-18                           The WELL Inkwell     Online Discussion

October 8                                  Love, Live, Grow     Review

October 12                                 Skinny Mom     Review

October 15-24                         Erin Goodman     10-day Family Recharge

October 17                                 Erin Goodman     Review

October 20                               I’m a Teacher, Get me Outside Here   Review

November 14                          Mama Scout     Review

November 15                          Frog Mom Blog     Review and Activity

November 27                          Salt and Nectar     Web chat

December 4                     Bliss Beyond Naptime  Audio, Frenzy-Free Holiday
Plus Video, Simplicity Parenting with Rhythm

December 7                      Polliwog on Safari     Review

January 3                          Non-Toxic Kids     Review

July 27                                Hill Babies     Review

Dates To Be Announced (this site will update):

Life as Mom

Nature Moms

Ask a Nanny

The Movement Academy Project

Connecting Family and Seoul

Would you like to join the blog tour? Please give me a shout. I’d be thrilled to have you join.

Blog tour badge by my talented husband, and the book’s illustrator, Lippy.

Peter Rabbit Organics and Giveaway

Too bad Peter Rabbit Organics weren’t around when my daughter was little. We would have snatched the pouches up by the dozen. For starters, they’re delicious — extremely flavorful and unusually fresh tasting, not qualities normally associated with purchased baby food. They’re completely organic and contain 100% fruit or veggies — no added sugar, salt or artificial ingredients. The portions are generous – each pouch contains 70-85 calories and plenty of fiber and vitamins. The pouches are easy to use, either with a spoon or to eat directly from. They’re extremely portable and durable and don’t need refrigerating before opening. And, unexpectedly, you can even re-cap each BPA-free pouch and refrigerate to finish later. All good!

Our testers of all ages (kid to adult) enjoyed all 5 sample flavors. “Strawberry Banana” and “Mango, Banana and Orange” were exact blends of those ingredients, resulting in flavors that were very bright and evenly balanced. “Sweet Potato, Corn and Apple” had a deep and distinct sweet potato-and-apple taste, with a subtle hint of corn. Both squash and apple flavors came through nicely in the bolder tasting “Carrot, Squash and Apple” blend, with the carrot being exceedingly subtle. “Pea, Spinach and Apple” offered a nice taste appropriately dominated by fresh pea, with a hint of sweet apple. (We couldn’t taste any spinach, though we’re sure it was there!)

All the flavors we tasted were quite good. You’ll have to try a few to find your little one’s personal preference. (Older testers liked the fruit flavors and thought those would make good on-the-go snacks for sports teams.) Peter Rabbit Organics are available at lots of stores around the U.S. and online. (I also learned that the products are U.S.-made.)

I’m giving away a box with 12 assorted flavors of Peter Rabbit Organics, so that one lucky reader can try them, too! To enter, leave a comment on my blog and let me know what flavor you or your little one is most looking forward to trying. I’ll choose a computer-generated random winner. The giveaway closes Friday, March 9, Midnight, Pacific Time. Good luck!

Please note: Though I am occasionally sent products for review, I am not compensated, and reviews are honest, factual to the best of my knowledge, and my own.

I Won a Costa Rica Gift of Happiness!

What do you do when, out of the blue, you get an e-mail, inviting you and your family to visit the country the Happy Planet Index has rated Number One in national happiness? When the country is Costa Rica, you immediately picture lush rainforests, gleaming and growing under a canopy of bird calls and life, miles of gorgeous coastal beaches, and, yes, happy people in a mellow, ecologically sustainable, place. I’d heard about “pura vida”, the phrase that denotes the Costa Rican spirit, a “bounty of life”. People I’ve known who have spent time in Costa Rica tell me they can’t wait to return – for the natural beauty, spirit, adventure experiences, and ease.

I read and re-read the email from the Costa Rican Tourist Board I didn’t tell anyone about it or answer right away. The offer came because of my Slow Family blog readership and the alignment the Board felt with the blog’s message of slowing down and enjoying life with family and community. After all, the spokescreature for the Costa Rica’s Gift of Happiness Sweepstakes, which my prize is a part of, is a relaxed and happy sloth.

So many “offers” come by email and phone that I had trouble believing this one. I googled “Gift of Happiness”, liked the Gift of Happiness Facebook page, and made a tentative call to the number on the email, where a very friendly person on the other end of the phone told me that the trip was part of the Costa Rica’s Gift of Happiness program, which is giving away $1,000,000 worth of trips in the next few months (a trip each weekday) to help North Americans experience Costa Rica’s spirit.

The consultant detailed our (!) trip, one of six themed experiences — the 8-day, 7-night Family Happiness package, in which our whole family would stay in three CST-rated (Certification for Sustainable Tourism) hotels in three distinct regions in Costa Rica (Sarapuiqi, Monteverde and Matapalo Beach). Transportation and all kinds of fun family side trips and adventures, from visiting coffee plantations to walking on hanging bridges over the Cloud Forest, would be included. All so we could experience our own Costa Rican “pura vida”, in the happiest place on Earth.

What does one say to that? YES!

Things moved quickly. Family members checked calendars and watched a video of Anderson Cooper sending a surprised pair of honeymooners on their own Gift of Happiness (the Romantic Happiness package, no doubt), just to be extra, super sure this thing was real. I was sent a beautiful wooden certificate for the trip and put in touch with a travel consultant.

The trip is a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to visit Costa Rica with my family. And now we’re going! I will be sure to blog all about our adventures.

Read what another happy winner, Lindsay at Eco-Chick Escapes, writes about her trip and the great things she discovered about Costa Rica’s happiness rates and sustainable practices.

Read more about the Happy Planet Index, which measures countries based on a  matrix of environmental impact and physical and psychological well-being to illustrate that high levels of resource consumption do not reliably produce high levels of well-being. (In other words, simplifying can lead to happiness.)

Enter to win your own Costa Rica’s Gift of Happiness trip by “liking” the Gift of Happiness Facebook page.

Photos: Costa Rican Tourist Board, Lipman Family

Vote Slow Family Online Most Awesome Parent Blogger

Slow Family Online has been nominated for a Most Awesome Parent Blogger Award from Red Tricycle and giggle!

Please help us win by voting for Slow Family by October 31.

 

Vote for Me

All voters in all categories — from coffee shops to baby strollers —  are entered for a chance to win a $500 Gift Certificate to giggle, a Flip Video Camera (value $300) and a large organic plush Winnie-the-Pooh (value $110).

Vote for Slow Family, let me know about it by commenting on our Facebook page or on the blog, and you’ll also be entered for a chance to win a cute, 100% cotton baby “Red Tricycle” T-shirt! The winner will be chosen by random drawing.

Red Tricycle is a wonderful site featuring fun family ideas in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco Los Angeles and San Diego.

Giveaway: Win Tickets to The Wiggles Big Birthday Show in Oakland Aug. 12

Fruit salad! Incredibly, The Wiggles, the colorful, energetic quartet of children’s entertainers from Australia, are celebrating 20 years as a group, with a 31-city North American Big Birthday Tour. They will play in Oakland, CA Friday, August 12.

I am fortunate to have 2 family 4-packs of tickets to give away for each concert — 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. To be entered, subscribe to my mailing list, in the right column of the blog, and leave a comment here or on Facebook to let me know that you subscribed. Also let me know which show you’d like tickets for. Enter to win by Sunday, August 7, 9 pm Pacific Time. The winners will be chosen by random drawing. (If you’re already a subscriber and wish to enter, just let me know in the comments.)

The show promises to be quite participatory. Organizers are suggesting that audience members dress as their favorite characters, yell, “Wake up, Jeff!” whenever the Purple Wiggle falls asleep during the show, and enter the YouTube video contest to become the Fifth Wiggle and perform with the group onstage.

In addition to entertaining, The Wiggles will donate a portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales to support Reach Out and Read, a school readiness initiative that serves 1/3 of the most underserved children in the U.S.

You can also help local animals through East Bay SPCA and ARF at the Oakland shows by donating dog food and new or gently-used pet bedding or blankets.

Show tickets are also available through Ticketmaster. Use the discount code: UKELELE.

The Wiggles Original Album Cover

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