Deals & Steals – 2/26/10

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.

Target^® has great deals on video games and on-the-go gadgets to fill your spring break with family entertainment at exceptional values.

Great Gadget Deals:

• Target’s lowest price of the season on Garmin nuvi 205W GPS navigation system with 4.3” touch screen, only $99 this week (save over $50)
• $15 GiftCard^® with purchase of either Apple 8GB iPod nano ($145) or Flip Ultra camcorder ($145)
• Clearance on Nikon COOLPIX S203 digital camera (10 megapixels), with 2.5” LCD screen, only $89.98 (save over $20)

Great Gaming Deals:

• Free Ho-Oh or Lugia Pokémon figure when you buy a $1 reservation card for Pokémon SoulSilver or Pokémon HeartGold game for Nintendo DS (arriving March 14). Bring the reservation card back within seven days of the game release and receive a $5 GiftCard to put towards a future purchase.
• Select video games on sale this week, including iCarly (DS, $19.99), NBA 2K10 (multi-platform, $29.99) and Dante’s Inferno (multi-platform, $39.99)
• Pick-up the newest releases available March 2^nd: MLB 10 The Show (PS3, $59.99, PSP, $39.99) and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition (PS3 and Xbox 360, $59.99)

Gather is hosting some great Gather Giveaways:

• Share Your New Year’s Resolution Journals. Win a $25 Gift Card and 100 Calorie Packs Samples Deadline: March 9^th
• Win a DVD of “The Fourth Kind” Deadline: March 14^th

Don’t forget about Friday Freebies, a special weekly giveaway hosted by Gather for anyone that joins the Friday Freebies group!

Also, FYI – Gather members earn real money through the Gather Points™ program, a popular site feature that rewards members for creating great experiences for the community. Gather Points can be exchanged for gift cards from partners like Amazon.com, Starbucks, Target, The Gap, and Home Depot; new partners are added all the time. Members can even redeem points for cash through PayPal.

Cheating in school is easier and more popular than ever. According to recent studies, 64 percent of high school students admit they cheated on a test within the last year. Nick News with Linda Ellerbee’s Cheaters Never Win: True or False? premiering Sunday, March 7, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon, explores today’s reality of kids and cheating.

“Who doesn’t cheat?” says Andrea, 15: “We have politicians that have cheated, and look where they are today.”

“If a kid hears that politicians cheat, corporate executives lie, athletes take illegal steroids (or parents cheat on their income taxes), and that these people often get away with it, why are we surprised at the message that kid is getting?” says Ellerbee. “And it’s not just about bad influences. Why students cheat is a complex question. But I was stunned at how common cheating is today.”

Begin with this: Advances in technology have made cheating easier. Matt, 12: “I see lots of kids hiding their cell phone under the table and texting each other the answers.” Richard Muszalski, a teacher at Northeast Middle School, Creve Coeur, Mo.: “They are literally just copying stuff right off the Internet, and trying to pass it off as their own.”

Many kids say they cheat because they feel pushed to succeed. Tara Rosipal, teacher at North Middle School, Great Falls, Mont.: “We have seventh and eighth graders who are worried about college and fear that if they don’t have straight A’s here, it’s going to affect their ability to get into a college. Kids that I talk to and I say, ‘Why did you cheat?’ They say, ‘Because I needed the A.’”

Christine, 13: “I can find myself in a lot of pressure because I do a lot of activities out of school,” she says. “Last year, I was just so overwhelmed, and I caught myself cheating sometimes. You never wanna see a bad grade on your paper.”

“I hate cheating,” says Jackson, 15: “I go home with guilt piled onto me. I just feel like probably one of the worst kids ever, but I still wanna get good grades and I still wanna make my family happy and get into a good college someday.”

What classifies as cheating may not always be so clear. Nick News asked kids across the country to weigh in on a series of potential “cheating situations.” Randy Cohen, ethicist for The New York Times, addresses the issues surrounding what the right thing to do is in each scenario — and why.

While it has become increasingly difficult to detect cheating, schools are finding new ways to prevent it, including the use of plagiarism prevention websites. “I don’t want to catch cheaters,” says Susan Heckman, English teacher at Coronado High School in Las Vegas. “So why do I put the time and effort into it?  It’s for all the students out there who have the courage to put their very own work forward. So I feel like it’s my job to protect the honest students.”

Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 19th year and is the longest-running kids’ news show in television history. It has built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the important issues of the day. Nick News recently was honored with its first ever Edward R. Murrow Award for “Network News Documentary” for the documentary special, “Coming Home: When Parents Return from War,” marking the first-ever kids television program to receive the prestigious award. Over the years, Nick News has received more than 20 Emmy nominations and recently won its seventh Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Program for “Coming Home: When Parents Return from War.” Additional Emmy wins for Outstanding Children’s Programming include: “The Untouchable Kids of India” (2008); “Private Worlds: Kids and Autism” (2007); “From the Holocaust to the Sudan” (2005); “Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan” (2002); “What Are You Staring At?” (1998). In addition, in 1994, the entire series won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming. Nick News has also received three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for her coverage for kids of the President Clinton investigation, as well as two Columbia duPont Awards and more than a dozen Parents’ Choice Awards.

Have a funny vacation story? Or one that’s just plain weird? Well, until monkeys crawl on your car windshield, or you’ve locked yourself out of your hotel room’s balcony in the nude, or have gotten a little TLC from a giraffe, Endless Vacation Rentals^® (EVR) begs to differ. The 25 finalists of EVR’s Laugh Out Loud Vacation Contest (“LOL Vacation Contest”) have been through it all and now it’s up to the public to decide whose embarrassing moments are deserving of a vacation redo by voting for their favorite at www.YourFatChance.com.

Maybe the winner will be the woman who ran into one of her colleagues at a topless resort in Mexico – a teacher from the local school system no less! The competition is tough and each one of the 25 stories are all really LOL.

Since the LOL Vacation Contest began on Nov. 2, 2009, hundreds of travelers from across the country entered their funniest vacation stories at www.YourFatChance.com and now the EVR judges have chosen the top 25 entries. Starting today through April 2, 2010, visitors can vote for their favorite entry up to once per day. Don’t forget to try your luck at the online instant win game to win a vacation: a total of 13 Last Minute Vacations^SM each valued at $379 USD will be randomly awarded throughout the duration of the Contest. Full contest rules are available at  www.YourFatChance.com.

The Grand Prize winner of the Laugh Out Loud Vacation Contest will receive a one-week vacation rental stay, valued at up to $5,000 USD, through EVRentals.com, plus a cash prize of $5,000 USD. First and second place winners will receive a one-week vacation and cash in the amount of $2,500 USD and $1,000 USD respectively. Winners will be announced the week of April 19, 2010. To read all the funny entries and vote for a favorite finalist, visit www.YourFatChance.com.

As part of the contest, visitors were also able to tickle Fat Chance, the pink hippo and YourFatChance.com’s mascot. Endless Vacation Rentals has surpassed its goal of collecting 100,000 tickles, and will send two deserving families selected by Christel House International Foundation and the Starlight Children’s Foundation on a vacation. Visit the tickle counter on www.YourFatChance.com to read each family’s story.

Toys“R”Us has announced that it has expanded its popular in-store layaway program, offering customers the opportunity to make small payments over an extended period, is now available on everything needed for warm-weather fun.  With layaway, items purchased now such as bikes, ride-on toys, swing sets, trampolines, pools, water slides and basketball systems can be in the backyard and ready to be jumped on and splashed in before school is out for the summer.

The company also continues to offer layaway on a selection of must-haves for infants and toddlers in Babies“R”Us and Toys“R”Us stores nationwide.  Whether setting up a nursery or preparing baby for travel, new and expectant parents can take advantage of layaway’s flexible payment plan when purchasing select furniture items or baby gear.

“Thousands of customers took advantage of layaway during the 2009 holiday season, so we’re pleased to offer this service as customers count down to warmer weather and outdoor play or begin designing a nursery,” said Greg Ahearn, Senior Vice President, Marketing and e-commerce, Toys“R”Us, Inc.  “Whether customers are looking to purchase pools and swing sets to provide hours of at-home, affordable fun or baby necessities like cribs and car seats, layaway provides families a convenient way to make smaller payments over an extended period of time.”

Toys“R”Us stores are the destination for everything needed to keep kids entertained during the not-so-lazy days of summer, offering hundreds of timeless favorites such as BMX bikes, Power Wheels and Cozy Coupes, all available on layaway.  By giving parents convenient and flexible payment options, layaway makes it even easier to create a backyard play area that will provide hours of fun all summer long and for years to come.

Layaway is also offered on select dollhouses, play kitchens, karaoke machines, keyboards, musical instruments and indoor table games, including air hockey, foosball and table tennis – playthings that are perfect for both rainy summer days and year-round entertainment.

Expectant parents can continue to take advantage of layaway’s flexible payment plan when purchasing cribs, bassinets, dressers and high chairs to get the home ready for baby’s arrival.  Items such as car seats, play yards, travel systems and strollers that will keep baby safe on-the-go can also be put on layaway.  Purchasing these items early via layaway can help parents ensure they are paid for in full before welcoming a new baby home.

Following are the layaway terms and conditions at Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores:

• Orders require a 20 percent deposit of the total purchase, including all applicable taxes, and a $10 service charge.
• Customers have 90 days to pay for their items, with 50 percent of the total due 45 days after the initial purchase date.
• Payments may be made at the store in the form of cash, check, or credit, debit or gift cards.
• Merchandise will be made available within 14 days of final payment.
• A fee will apply to canceled layaway orders [Ohio and Rhode Island have different policies for canceled orders. See stores for details].
• Video game hardware is not eligible for layaway.

Layaway will be promoted in print and online advertising, as well as through extensive in-store signage.  More details on the program will be included in brochures available in all Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores nationwide [the program will not be available in Maryland at this time].

Toys“R”Us, U.S. today announced that its fundraising campaign to benefit Autism Speaks will begin Sunday, February 28 and continue through Friday, April 30.  Throughout the campaign, monetary donations will be collected at all Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores and online at Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks.  Autism Speaks is the nation’s leading organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

“Autism impacts countless families, including those of our customers and employees,” said Jerry Storch, Chairman and CEO, Toys“R”Us, Inc.  “As a company that loves kids, we are proud to lend our support once again to help Autism Speaks find the missing pieces of the autism puzzle by raising money and awareness for this disorder.”

Skill-Building Toys and Safe Play Tips:

As part of this philanthropic initiative, Toys“R”Us has created several programs to help parents and caregivers of children with autism.  The company collaborated with Autism Speaks and the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making play accessible for children with disabilities, to identify toys that can help little ones with autism develop language, creativity and social skills, among others, while playing alongside siblings and friends.  The “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism,” a special subset of the annual Toys“R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, provides toy suggestions specifically for families and friends of children with autism.

Research shows that children with cognitive, emotional or social limitations, including those with autism, are more prone to accidental injuries.  With guidance from leading safety organizations and Autism Speaks, the Safe Play Tips are relevant for children with autism.  These tips include:

• Avoid Trigger Toys:  Opt for toys that have volume control for children who are adversely affected by loud noises.
• Read Labels for Ability:  Choose toys that correspond with a child’s learning level rather than merely matching a toy with his/her actual age.
• Never Leave a Child Unsupervised:  It is especially critical that a child with special needs is properly supervised by an adult or trusted caregiver at all times.

“The “R”Us family and its customers have continually opened their hearts to support Autism Speaks in its mission to advocate for the nearly 750,000 children on the autism spectrum in this country,” said Mark Roithmayr, President of Autism Speaks.  “Toys“R”Us, Inc. is such a valued partner, and we are excited about the fundraising potential of this year’s program.”

Comprehensive information about the 2010 campaign is available on the company’s dedicated website, Toysrus.com/AutismSpeaks.  The “Ten Toys That Speak To Autism” and a full list of Safe Play Tips can be found here, as well as a blog titled “Speaking About Autism,” which offers updates and information throughout the nine-week fundraising effort.  The website, as well as campaign signage in Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores, features the “Faces of Autism,” a striking series of portraits highlighting children with autism taken by photographer Thomas Balsamo.

Walking the Walk for Autism Speaks:

In addition to the fundraising campaign, Toys“R”Us is kicking off its national sponsorship of Walk Now for Autism Speaks, a year-long series of more than 80 walk events in communities throughout North America.  Teams of regional employees will walk alongside the company’s iconic mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe and individuals with autism, their families and friends to raise money and awareness.

All funds raised in Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores, online and through the Walk Now for Autism Speaks events will go directly to Autism Speaks to support research and advocacy efforts.  Earlier this month, the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund kicked off the 2010 campaign by providing a $400,000 grant to Autism Speaks.  Customers who donate $10 or more to Autism Speaks at any Toys“R”Us or Babies“R”Us store in the United States will receive a colorful, floral-themed reusable shopping bag designed by a talented artist with autism, James Hogarth, while supplies last.

Since the partnership launched in 2007, Toys“R”Us, Inc., the Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and customer contributions have combined to provide Autism Speaks with more than $5.5 million.  Last year’s in-store and online fundraising campaign raised more than $1.9 million for Autism Speaks.  This year, for the first time, Toys“R”Us, Canada will lend its support to the cause by collecting donations in its nearly 70 stores and online at Toysrus.ca.

A new Disney•Pixar “Cars Toons” short will premiere FRIDAY, MARCH 12 (8:55 p.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel.  The animated short directed by Academy Award®-winner John Lasseter with Rob Gibbs and Victor Navone co-directing, will also be presented on Disney XD on Monday, March 29 (7:23 p.m. ET/PT).  BT (“The Fast and the Furious”), a prominent composer of dance and electronic music, scored the episode.

In the episode entitled “Tokyo Mater,” a routine towing assignment lands Mater in Tokyo where he is challenged to a drift-style race against a nefarious gang leader and his posse of ninjas. With the help of his friend, “Dragon” Lightning McQueen, and some special modifications, Mater attempts to drift to victory and become “Tow-ke-O Mater, King of all Drifters.”

The popular “Cars Toons” shorts debuted in October 2008 and reached 78.3 million unique total viewers in 2009, including 26.6 million among target age group kids 2-11.

Later this year, Disney Online will launch the World of Cars Online (www.WorldOfCars.com), a virtual world that allows fans to immerse themselves in Radiator Springs and beyond, to interact with other players and to create an online community alongside their favorite characters including Lightning, Mater and Doc.

Of course eating at home is healthier than eating out or ordering take-out but who has the time? Pasted below are 5 tips for time-crunched parents to cook healthy at home. The tips are offered by Ziporah Janowski, co-owner of the Camp Shane weight loss camp for children and young adults.

“When they first come to us, eating out has become a habit for many of our campers,” says Ziporah, also a mother of two teenagers. “We try to educate them that cooking at home doesn’t have to be an onerous task. In addition to saving money, preparing meals at home can be a simple route to weight loss and to building a healthy lifestyle for the whole family.”

She has also released her favorite recipes for quick & healthy dinners, such as “1-2-3 Simple Pea Soup” and “Rush Hour Rainbow Primavera,” here: www.campshane.com/blog.

1. Make frozen veggies your friend. Stock up on frozen veggies like spinach, peas and broccoli florets to add to main dishes or serve as sides by themselves. In addition to lasting longer, research shows that today’s “flash frozen” vegetables can be just as healthful as their fresh counterparts.
2. Choose longer-lasting lettuce. Sure, the triple-washed bagged lettuce is easy, but it costs a fortune and it doesn’t last very long.  Try seeking out lesser known types of fresh greens that last longer than the traditional green leafy lettuces. Examples of nutrient-rich lettuce types that last a long time–and are very inexpensive–include things like chicory, romaine, radicchio, kale and dandelion greens.
3. Get Technical. Subscribe to an e-newsletter that will email you healthy and quick recipes each week. There are thousands of them that you can sign up for on sites like FoodNetwork.com and RecipeNewsletters.com.
4. Leave the skins on. Not only will it save you tons of time from peeling, if you leave the skins on vegetables such as potatoes and carrots when you are cooking, it helps them to retain more of their nutrient value and fiber and keep you full longer.
5. Make it a family affair. One of the best ways to prevent childhood obesity is getting kids into the kitchen. Encourage your kids to ask questions and help out while you are preparing the meal.

With energetic, fun-filled songs for children and parents alike, Laughing Pizza brings joy to families everywhere with the highly anticipated digital release of their new album Let’s Go Play.  With natural musical talent and original pop songs, Laughing Pizza’s new album provides energetic, dance-filled tracks, while promoting positive messages about family togetherness, love and the importance of being active.

Laughing Pizza is helmed by mom and dad, Lisa and Billy, who are award winning song-writers with a #1 Billboard Dance Hit and credits with the Olsen Twins and the Cartoon Network show, Big Bag, as well as having written and produced an entire math CD titled Make it Count which has been used to support the curriculum in the nation’s public school systems.  Rounding out the Pizza pie is fourteen-year-old daughter, Emily, a multi-instrumentalist who plays flute, drums, guitar and piano.  Together they create fun, inspiring (and educational) music for the whole family!  The talent, love, and energy that Laughing Pizza has for their music truly shines through on the new album. By their combining classical musical training (Julliard, Berklee) with an ear for infectious pop, Let’s Go Play is composed of 14 new playful rock n’ roll tracks for music lovers of all ages to sing and dance to.

Laughing Pizza has appeared on the Today Show and performed at the White House three consecutive years (most recently with Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers).  They have released two DVDs and 4 CDs on their label “Little Bean Family Entertainment” and are the proud recipients of six Parents’ Choice Awards.  Let’s Go Play is the follow-up to their 2008 album Love Makes a Family and their song “On My Way” was recently chosen by Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton to be featured in “Julie Andrews’ Collection of Songs, Poems, and Lullabies” (Little/Brown).

Check your local TV listings to catch Laughing Pizza on the PBS station nearest you.  Let’s Go Play will be available on iTunes and previous CDs and DVDs are available on Amazon.com, among other national retailers.

Track Listing:

• Let’s Go Play
• This Is My Life
• Clean My Room
• Our World
• Pizza Party
• Look In Your Heart
• Pizza Dance
• If You Believe
• Forever Friends
• Take A Deep Breath
• My Family
• Birthday
• Plumpy Nut
• I’m Alive

The Back-up Plan is a comedy that explores dating, love, marriage and family “in reverse.” – after years of dating, Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided waiting for the right one is taking too long.  Determined to become a mother, she commits to a plan, makes an appointment and decides to go it alone.  That same day, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) – a man with real possibilities. Trying to nurture a budding relationship and hide the early signs of pregnancy becomes a comedy of errors for Zoe and creates confusing signals for Stan.  When Zoe nervously reveals the reason for her unpredictable behavior, Stan commits fully and says he’s in.  Never before has love seen a courtship where a wild night of sex involves three in a bed – Stan, Zoe and the ever-present massive pregnancy pillow.  Or, where “date night” consists of being the “focal point” at a near-stranger’s water birth which does for kiddie pools what “Jaws” did for swimming in the ocean.  The real pregnancy test comes when both of them realize they really don’t know each other outside of hormonal chaos and birth preparations.  With the nine month clock ticking, both begin to experience cold feet.  Anyone can fall in love, get married and have a baby but doing it backwards in hyper-drive could be proof positive that they were made for each other.

Jennifer Lopez (Monster-In-Law, Shall We Dance) and Alex O’Loughlin (August Rush, “Three Rivers”) star in The Back-up Plan for CBS Films, the film division within CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS).  The project, which commenced principal photography in Los Angeles on May 11, will debut in theaters spring of 2010. Alan Poul (“Swingtown” and “Six Feet Under”) is directing.  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch (The Pursuit of Happyness, Knowing) are producing through their Escape Artists banner.  Kate Angelo (“Will & Grace,” “What About Brian”) wrote the screenplay.

Below are different assets that you may like to use – synopsis, photos, the official trailer, the Super Bowl spot, official page links, and two fun, free applications (Love Shot game and ‘Back-up Babies’).  Also, be sure to fan the Facebook and Twitter pages to get the most recent updates! I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

• The Back-up Plan on Facebook
• The Back-up Plan on Twitter:
• The Back-up Plan official site (in theaters April 23, 2010)

As a parent, you would move worlds to ensure your children are safe and healthy. And part of that mission is making sure that your children receive regular eye exams. Unfortunately, as our own parents and for some that are lucky enough, grandparents, get older, they may need a little extra nudge. March 7-13^th is World Glaucoma Week – throughout this week people are encouraged to learn about eye health and the importance of regular, comprehensive eye exams. We must take action this month to ensure everyone in our life is receiving their regular eye exams!

Did you know that John Patrick Shanley, Academy Award Winner for Best Screenplay for Moonstruck and playwright of Doubt, was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma twelve years ago and has experienced significant vision loss? “Although glaucoma runs in my family, I took my sight for granted until I was faced with the harsh reality that I could go permanently blind from this condition,” Shanley says. “Fortunately my timely diagnosis and treatment has allowed me to live my life fully and to continue doing what I love.” To hear more of Shanley’s story and why he encourages everyone to receive regular eye exams, please watch this special iPSA: http://www.westglen.com/online/all_eyes_on_glaucoma.htm.

A joint initiative by Pfizer, World Glaucoma Association and World Glaucoma Patient Association, the All Eyes on Glaucoma campaign has been developed to drive public awareness of risk factors for glaucoma and the critical importance of appropriate diagnosis among at-risk populations. I would love if we could work together to spread the news about World Glaucoma Week, by encouraging your Blog readers, friends, family and colleagues to focus on their eye health this week and learn more about the risk factors. Let’s all do our part to keep our loved ones, and ourselves, seeing life to its fullest!

To learn more about the program and who’s at risk, please visit: www.alleyesonglaucoma.com.

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