Motorola is coming to the Twin Cities

June is National Safe Driving Month, and Motorola’s “Get Smarter”™ cars will be making a stop in Minneapolis to make sure consumers are driving responsibly and staying legal this summer. Starting June 1st follow Motorola on Twitter and Facebook for a chance to win an H17txt with

MotoSpeak™ and a free ride in Motorola's "Get Smarter"™ car on June 18th and 19th.

Mother's Day

This year I'll be out of town for Mother's Day, but I know I can count on the 1800flowers.com to deliver a gift that's both beautiful and of the highest quality to all the moms on my list.

1800flowers.com has a wide variety of bouquets to fit every budget and desire with flowers starting at just $19.99. They even offer same-day delivery for a last minute gift.

Trust 1800flowers to make your mom feel special this Mothers Day.

Nadya Suleman on the View

On Wednesday, Nadya Suleman, the infamous octuplet mom, made a trip to NYC to chat with the Women of the View.

Did you watch? The lady acted like a maniac. I spend a lot of time shaking my head at the television, but I couldn't help but laugh along with Nadya's insane laugh. She almost seems self-aware, but in a weird, maniacal way.

See for yourself.



I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.

The View Sweepstakes

I've been watching The View since it first aired more than 12 years ago. The View has been a hit from the beginning. A group of women all from different generations, different backgrounds and with different views discussing politics, pop culture, news and celebrity gossip. Back in my office job days, my sister and I would record it, mostly to watch Hot Topics, so we could be witness to Elizabeth Hasselbeck and scream at the tv that she certainly wasn't representing our view. We still call each other to discuss and shake our heads about Hot Topics.

The conflicts and controversies just make The View all the more exciting and interesting.

So I'm honored and pleased to announce that I am an official The View Brand Ambassador. Which means I get to share all kinds of inside info about what's coming up and the latest happenings on everyone's favorite daytime talk show.

My first order of business is to tell you about the The View sweepstakes. One lucky winner will be chosen at random to receive a trip to New York City to watch a taping of The View. You only have until February 28th, so go enter today!





“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

1800flowers and Twilight

You don't have to be a vampire to impress your sweetheart this Valentine's Day. With the Twilight flowers DVD offer from 1800flowers.com the Edward and Bella fan in your life will receive 24 beautiful long stem roses, collectible Twilight chocolate candy bars and the New Moon DVD and poster.

Save and additional $20 on your purchase with a Blockbuster online free trial, which will give you unlimited DVD rentals by mail.

Recommended by MSNBC for no hidden fees, you can be sure that when you shop at 1800flowers you are getting a great deal at a fair an honest price.

Colonial Candle :: Coupon and Giveaway WINNER!

And the winner is Julie! Whose favorite scent is lavender.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I say this every time, but it's always a joy to read all of your answers.

Colonial Candle :: Coupon and Giveaway

Not to brag, but I have an amazing sense of smell. I've never really put it to good use, but I'd probably make a great parfum tester or maybe a detective. When I was little my mom always asked me to smell the milk to see if it was bad, but other than that I really haven't used my talent.

Henry has inherited my hyper-sensitivity and we often commiserate over strange smells that no one else seems to pick up on. And together we celebrate the good smells in life.

So I had him help me test all the wonderful candles that Colonial Candle company sent me to review. My house smelled divine for two weeks while we burned candles smelling of the beach, leather and Tibetan Sandalwood.

The 2-Wick Jar comes with a convenient top.

Our favorite is the Go Green candle in Clean, which is made from recycled wax in recycled glass. It smelled fresh and light, a perfect summer scent. I also loved Platinum Pearl, which has a sort of perfumy, boudoir smell of cinnamon, pink pepper, patchouli, cedarwood and vanilla. It's intoxicating and sexy.

Colonial Candle is offering BlahBlahBabycakes readers
$10 off any order of $30 or more.
Coupon Code: BLAH10
Good through August 31, 2009


I'm also giving away this adorable sock monkey courtesy of Colonial Candle. Isn't he cute? Reminiscent of the sock monkeys popular during The Great Depression, Genuine Sock Monkeez encourage imaginative play.

Comment below and tell me what your favorite scent is and you'll automatically be entered to win.

Jasper is 14" tall and made of acrylic yarn.
Head, hands & feet have magnets, so they stick
to all things metal or each other!

Enter to Win:
Comment below by Tuesday, July 28th at 11:59pm CST and a winner will be chosen at random. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you. Winner must respond within 48 hours of being notified to claim the prize or another winner will be chosen. US Shipping Addresses only. Good luck!

Win $10,000 for your Fresh Start

When MomCentral asked me to review Carefree's new Ultra Protection Pantiliners (with wings!) I hesitated, because I knew it would mean having to use unsavory words like "moist" and "discharge".  I think I can avoid that by simply saying that these pantiliners are the best. They're absorbent, thin and most importantly, soft.  Keeping you comfortable and fresh all day long.

Get your free sample of Carefree Ultra Protection Pantiliners here.

Tell Carefree your plans for a fresh start and enter to win $10,000

SKILLMAN, N.J., June 3 /PRNewswire/ --Whether changing jobs, starting a new relationship, losing a few pounds or even simply getting a makeover, who hasn't wished they could make a fresh start on something, at some point in life? The makers of CAREFREE(R) pantiliners are partnering with First30Days.com - experts at helping people through change - on a new program to help women turn that very common wish into a reality. Women who visit the campaign's new Web site, CarefreeFreshStart.com, will find tips on how to successfully make a change and the chance to receive up to $10,000 through the CAREFREE(R) Fresh Start Fund.

To apply for funding, women simply need to share why they want a fresh start, plans for reaching their goal, and how the funding could help. Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges including Ariane de Bonvoisin, the founder of First30Days.com, based on the strength of the plan, use of funding and persuasiveness. Ten finalists will receive funding to help make their fresh start a reality, and the public will then have the chance to vote online for the best plan.

The top three winners will receive $10,000, $5,000 and $3,000 respectively, as well as a personal consultation from Ariane and a three-day/two-night trip to New York City to be honored at the CAREFREE(R) Fresh Start celebration event in partnership with Step Up Women's Network, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening community resources for women and girls. All other finalists will receive $1,000 to help begin making a change. The deadline for submissions is July 10, 2009.

Vroom Your Room

When the Vroom arrived it sat unopened on my front porch for longer than I should admit. I knew it required installation and Nick isn't known for being handy and I can't put anything together without a lot of cursing and without causing injury. So on the porch it sat and sat...

Finally, on a chilly Saturday morning I opened the box and installed it under my kitchen sink in less than 30 minutes. No swearing and I didn't hurt myself. It was easy as pie, but I will say that the pictures on the black and white instructions were not so helpful. I like and need large colorful illustrations that leave nothing to the imagination. (The instructions sucked, but not in a good way.)

With the Vroom properly installed I sat and waited for a mess.

None came.

I don't own any kind of vacuum, so I thought perhaps I was missing some obvious vacuum cleaner moments, but then one day Henry dropped an open box of Cheerios on the floor and there it was! A Vroom Moment! I pulled out the hose and sucked every last Cheerio up off the floor in a matter of seconds and I was sold.

My Vroom also came out for a quick clean-up during a baby shower I hosted, impressing my lady friends (and scaring one small child). Now I use my Vroom whenever I can. Even if I have to spill something on purpose.

This is not actually me,
but isn't that a lovely green shirt?

Mother's Day Gifts

April showers bring May flowers and what better way to show your mom you love her than a beautiful bouquet for Mothers Day.

1800Flowers.com has an amazing selection of flowers at a great value. Choose from roses, lilies, carnations, tulips and many more. They also have a wide variety of potted plants, including the exotic orchid and a great selection of delicious snacks and gourmet gift baskets. The options are endless and you're sure to find something for every mom on your list.

Shop early for Mother's day and receive 20% off your order.

Amos Taman: Urban Hero

As someone who rarely carries more than two dollars in my wallet, I owe a huge thank you to Amos Taman. He's the genius behind the technology that allows you to pay for your cab with a credit card.

Amos Taman moved to the United States from Israel in the 1980s looking for a brand new start in the land of opportunity. An electrical engineer trained at Tel Aviv University, Amos began servicing taxi cabs in New York City. 20 years later he's the CEO of Veriphone Transportation Systems, the industry leader in wireless technology that enables taxis to accept credit cards.

Next time you pay for your $50 cab ride from JFK, think of Amos Taman and remember that the American Dream is not dead...yet.

The Double-Dare Book for Girls ::Giveaway:: Winner!

Congratulations to mail4rosey, the lucky winner of The Double-Daring Book for Girls.

Enjoy!

And a big thanks to everyone that entered. It was really fun to read your tales of dare. You are some brave people.

I Double Dare You ::Giveaway::

The Double-Daring Book for Girls is exactly the kind of thing I would have devoured as a little girl. I would have made a blanket fort in the living room, hid inside and read every single page, dreaming and scheming of ways to use the information.

The sequel to The Daring Book for Girls, set to release next week, is filled with even more daring ideas. It includes: fun games for slumber parties, how to prepare a Japanese Tea Ceremony and my personal favorite, how to go Camping in Your Car. (Which could be really useful in this economy, if you know what I mean.)

The Double-Dare Book for Girls is a great gift, loaded with stuff to keep young girls busy. (Busy until their double dares turn into things involving boys and seven minutes in heaven.)

Someone once triple-dog dared me to run around the outside of my parent's 1970s split-level house totally naked. I did it.

What's the most daring thing you've ever done? Tell me about it in your comment for a chance to win a hardcover copy of The Double-Daring Book for Girls.

Enter to Win:
Comment below by Tuesday, March 24th at 11:59pm CST and a winner will be chosen at random. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you. Winner must respond within 48 hours of being notified to claim the prize or another winner will be chosen. US Shipping Addresses only. Good luck!

Future's So Bright

Round is the new black.

The hot trend at the 09 Spring Fashion Shows was round glasses. It's not a style everyone can pull off, but if you can, now is the time to put away the Jackie Os and the Wayfayers and give the circular look a try.

Whatever style of glasses suits you best, nothing beats the convenience and selection of eyeglasses.com. You can count on their outstanding customer service to make sure you get the perfect pair of glasses at a great price.


Proenza Schouler, Spring 2009.

Geek Like Me

So, you birth a baby boy and he's pretty cute and not too much of a bother...a few years go by and then all of a sudden he's tall and wants you to get off the computer so he can feed his Webkinz and check his Gmail. He's all "mom, it's my turn, you're hoggin' it".

It doesn't matter that he can't read. He emails with his father using emoticons. ;-)

Henry loves the computer and I'm amazed at how skillfully he uses it. I properly safeguard him from harm, but sometimes I get nervous that it's too much too soon. And then I wonder if perhaps I'm just like a mom in the 1930s concerned about the children listening to too much radio. Egads!

The first time I sat down in front of a computer I was twelve. It had a greenish screen with a blinking cursor and I tried unsuccessfully to teach myself DOS.

In high school I passed around a notebook to friends and asked them to write down their feelings and observations and then pass it on for others to make comments and write their own entries. I suppose it was kind of like my first blog. You can imagine my excitement when the internet was born. I sent my first email when I was a freshman in college. It was to a boy I liked and he replied, "You know I have a phone, right?" I guess not everyone was excited about it as I was.

For today's growing children the computer will always have existed. And just like other medias in the past, it has its controversies and concerns when it comes to young minds and the potential harm of overuse. I'm not too concerned about it. The rule in our house is: if you're a good listener and you don't pee your pants, you get computer time. However, I think it's time we all had one of our own.