Deals & Steals – 10/11/09

Hi all! I have to apologize for the extended break that I’ve taken from this site over the past week. I was sick (as mentioned in my Lysol review, lol) and am just now starting to get caught back up on everything. I am feeling much better now other than a pesky ear that’s clogged and sore, but at least I can think straight now.  And write. 

This post will include the usual information that I would’ve posted on Friday if I were able. I will not be posting a Contest Round-Up this week, but as usual the listings on the main page of this site are up-to-date and I will be adding more throughout the week so that I can get caught back up and post a Round-Up next Saturday as usual. I also am not going to post a new Sunday Sneak Peek since I barely got to the reviews that I meant to do last week – I’ll work on getting those posted this week, and I have some other exciting ones coming up as well.

I will be pulling winners for the Zhu Zhu pets giveaway that ended last week tomorrow – thanks for your patience!

Here’s the information I’ve come across this week and want to pass along to you! 

Note: Many of these are not in my own words, but taken straight from the e-mail or press release that I received. I have re-worded or re-written where I thought it was necessary or helpful, but am not responsible for the content of these items or anything that may be posted on their sites.

Moms’ jobs are hectic year-round and when the holidays arrive, they go into overdrive to create amazing memories for their families. From Halloween celebrations to New Year’s fêtes, the months from October through December are packed with opportunities to gather with close friends and family. Luckily, Kelly Ripa and Electrolux ,along with some guest “experts,” want to help make your party planning easier and more enjoyable! You’ll find exclusive tips, recipes and party planning solutions on the Kelly Confidential site, starting with everything you need to host the ultimate Thanksgiving celebration.
This week, make sure you check out the site for tips from celebrity party planner and lifestyle expert, Colin Cowie.

Cowie is widely known for designing and producing the most spectacular celebrations across the globe and offers ideas for setting the mood for your own occasion. In addition to the great tips and suggestions, you’ll also have the chance to win an amazing prize which will be the perfect complement to any holiday celebration! Each week, a top chef or party planner will present three options for an element of the ultimate celebration. You choose your favorite to drop into your party plan and the most popular choice will be entered into the Kelly Confidential community party plan. Every week you come back and select your favorite theme to add to your party plan you are entered to win an Electrolux Double Wall Oven with Perfect Turkey® Button.

To  connect with Kelly and Electrolux through social media, check them out on Facebook and Twitter!

Tiny Prints has just launched a brand new product called Personal Shopper Service. Right now, this service is complimentary – but only for a limited time, (expires 10/31).

It was born out of popular demand by so many busy customers who needed professional assistance putting together their order. You no longer need to spend hours shopping for the perfect design – let their professional designers choose, create and customize your Tiny Prints Christmas cards completely free of charge!

Healthy Moms is planning on having their 2nd annual 12 days of Christmas giveaway on December 1-12, 2009 and are looking for some talented designers to design a button for it. The winner of the button design, which will be voted upon by Healthy Moms readers, will have her button displayed across the blogosphere and win a $25 gift card for Target.  All designs must be submitted to talbertcascia@yahoo.com no later than October 15, 2009.

Nickelodeon premieres four new episodes of The Fresh Beat Band, the hit live action preschool music series that teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement, song and music, on Monday, Oct. 19 — Thursday, Oct. 22.  Nickelodeon will roll out six new music videos from The Fresh Beat Band — two will premiere every Friday, from Oct. 16 through Oct. 30.

The episodes scheduled for the premiere week are as follows (all times are 12:00 p.m. ET/PT):

• Monday, Oct. 19 — “Hocus Pocus” – There’s a Talent Show at music school and Twist wants to do magic tricks, only his tricks don’t quite work.  First he makes the Fresh Beats’ instruments disappear, then he switches everyone’s voices and finally he makes them all disappear.  Luckily, the re-appear at music school just in time for the talent show, but there’s one problem – the still don’t have their signature instruments.  Will the Fresh Beats be able to pull out a magical performance?  Music Curriculum: Drum roll
• Tuesday, Oct. 20 — “Freeze Dance” – It’s a scorching hot day and Melody leaves The Fresh Beat band in charge of making smoothies for her customers while she goes to the market.  But the Fresh Beats have a hard time remembering the ingredients, and the smoothies are so ice cold that everyone who drinks them freezes.  Music Curriculum: Music cue
• Wednesday, Oct. 21 — “Sing with Me” – When Ms. Piccolo picks Kiki and Shout to write a duet together about something they love, they each come up with different ideas – Kiki wants to sing an opera duet, and Shout wants to sing a rock & roll song.  The Fresh Beats need to figure out a way to combine both ideas into one duet for Ms. Piccolo!  Music Curriculum: Duet
• Thursday, Oct. 22 — “Smoothies To Go-Go” – Melody’s Groovy Smoothie is hopping with customers wanting smoothies, and she can’t supply them all with smoothies fast enough. It’s a good thing Kiki put on her new roller skates that morning because it gives her an idea.  She’s going to go Allegro, a musical term that means quickly and lively, and create a smoothie delivery service -Kiki’s Allegro To Go-Go!  Music Curriculum: Allegro

The Fresh Beat Band centers on four best friends – Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout – in a band who attend music school together and love to sing and dance.  Set to original pop songs, the half-hour series teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement, song and instrumental music. Kids will also be introduced to the fundamentals of music such as melody, rhythm, tempo and performance styles.  In each episode, preschoolers will sing and dance along as they help The Fresh Beat Band solve everyday challenges.  Viewers will also learn the importance of friendship, working together in a positive way and respecting each other’s differences.

The Fresh Beat Band features original songs with preschool-friendly lyrics written by series creators/executive producers Nadine van der Velde and Scott Kraft, who have won three Emmys for their work on children’s television programs. The music on the show is composed by Matter Music, an award-winning company that creates original compositions for film, television and commercials.

There’s no better way for kids to kick off the school year than with a cool lunchbox and tasty treats to tote. That’s why Ziploc Brand bags and containers and Taste of Home, the world’s No. 1 cooking magazine, have teamed to create an online recipe guide with more than 30 healthy, delicious lunchbox ideas. Parents and kids alike can use these fun, fresh and easy ideas to create edible characters and yummy eats. With recipes like the “Pepper Dip Man” and “Pizza Bears,” bringing playtime to the lunch table has never been easier!

Ziploc^® Brand bags and containers help transport kids’ lunches from the bus stop to the cafeteria, while protecting food freshness – and parents can feel good about using them because they do not contain Bisphenol- A (BPA).

You can go to www.ziploc.com to learn more information on how to download the recipe guide – you just need to enter two UPC codes and it’s all yours!

Did you know that even the most responsible of us can become a victim of identity theft? The nonprofit organization, National Foundation for Credit Counseling, wants to let you know that Protect Your Identity Week is fast approaching.  And now more than ever it is so important to protect ourselves and our families from theft and invasion.

It’s scary but true that last year alone, nearly 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft, making this the fastest growing crime in America! Everyday we may be putting ourselves and our families at risk by simply writing a check, using a credit card or even our ATM cards. The best protection against such identity theft is education. By visiting www.ProtectYourIDNow.org, you can take a quiz and assess your risk of ID theft and learn helpful tips to keep you and your family safe. Since this crime is not going anywhere, it is time for us to fight back!

National Protect Your Identity Week, a program brought to you by NFCC and Council of Better Business Bureaus, is October 17-24. Thank you for your time and be sure to visit NFCC on Facebook here and on Twitter for all the latest updates.

Hallmark Cards has announced the introduction of Hallmark Personalized Plates, the first product of its kind. The plates give consumers the ability to design attractive, high-quality, paper plates with full-color photos and integrated text. More than 200 plate designs, including birthday, wedding, graduation, pet birthday, baby celebration, retirement and anniversary, are available exclusively at www.HallmarkParty.com. Consumer can add their own photos, write their own personal message or choose from among more than 700 unique suggested messages.

“Hallmark Personalized Plates are a great way to show how well you know and love the guest of honor at the party,” notes assistant product manager Adam Cannon. “Our consumers tell us they are always looking for ideas and inspiration. These plates are a great way to add an element of creative personalization to the party.”

The durable, nine-inch paper dinner plates come in packages of 10. Each package retails for $10. The plates are shipped directly to the customer after the five-day production period. Customers have the option of one-day, two-day or ground shipping. Through the month of October, Hallmark is offering free ground shipping on personalized plate orders with the code PARTY919. Free ground shipping is standard on orders of $50 or more.

Personalized Plates are available in three different configurations:  photo only, text only, or photo and text. Consumers can enhance the party experience by selecting solid-color accessories such as dessert plates, cups, napkins and table covers at www.hallmarkParty.com to go with the personalized dinner plates.

Here’s the new “sneak peak” video trailer for the latest title in the hit series: Ivy & Bean: Doomed to Dance

More than 100 bookstores and libraries will host Ivy & Bean Day Events on November 7^th – excitement is building!

About Ivy & Bean: With over 700,000 copies sold, the Ivy and Bean series is a huge hit with kids, teachers, parents and librarians. The adventures of the irrepressible duo continue in the latest installment IVY AND BEAN DOOMED TO DANCE. Ivy and Bean beg their parents for ballet lessons and swear they won’t quit. Finally, they get what they want…well, not exactly. The girls thought ballet would be leaping and kicking and scaring the heck out of the Prince. It’s not. They have no interest in learning how to dance gracefully and must figure out a way to get out of their dance recital without breaking their promise.

About the author: Annie Barrows is the co-author of the New York Times Best-Selling The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society but Ivy and Bean was her first book for kids. She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. One daughter is like Ivy and the other is like Bean.

Quick! What condition is more common in women than migraines and hay fever but is rarely spoken about by sufferers? Stumped? Bladder Weakness.

TENA and Harris Interactive recently conducted “Bladder Talk,” a survey of 780 women over age 35 in North America, to learn about the emotional impact of bladder weakness – see below for surprising statistics.

We’ve overcome social stigmas from menopause to infertility to PMS, but bladder weakness remains a taboo topic. Women don’t have to be ashamed, and they don’t have to suffer silently. Diet, pelvic fitness exercises, and lifestyle changes can greatly improve your control over the condition.

Despite the fact that they are not talking about bladder weakness, the condition affects women’s lives in significant ways:

• Women would rather discuss sensitive topics including infertility(32 percent), their relationship with their spouse (30 percent), mental health (23 percent) and menopause (15 percent) before they talked about bladder weakness!
• Half of the women (51 percent) surveyed feel that bladder weakness has a strong impact on their daily life.
• More than a third (37 percent) say that they would live differently without bladder weakness.
• One fifth (20 percent) say they think constantly about their problem and it almost controls their lives.
• More than a quarter (28 percent) have planned trips around bathroom locations.
• Almost one fifth (18 percent) have changed the way they dress and yet,
• Forty three percent have never done anything about their symptoms.

Visit www.TENA.us for more information and resources.

That’s it for this week, happy Friday Sunday and check back next week for more ‘Deals & Steals’!