Gamewright

I received a whole box of board and card games from Gamewright. I am really impressed with their games and so are my sons!! We received: Too Many Monkeys, Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game, Ring-o Flamingo, and Say Cheese! Wow, my boys and I were SO excited when we opened the box so we started testing and playing the games right away! We tried each of the games and our favorites were: Ring-O Flamingo, a fun ring tossing board game and Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game, a matching game. We keep Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game in our tent trailer for camping as it is a fun game for all ages. The cards are super thick and have a special coating on them so spills and greasy fingers’ don’t stand a chance! Gamewright has over 50 games to choose from and has won over 150 awards, including our “So Swanky Award”, so check them out!

Visit http://www.gamewright.com/

Cocoozy

Be prepared for back to school with Cocoozy’s fantastic lunch bags! They are PVC-free, light, durable and moisture resistant. The Snazzy Lizzy Lunch Bag is a small lunch bag, just the right size for preschool or kindergarten lunches!! The Swanky Franky or Yuppy Puppy Lunch Bags are a bit larger, the perfect size for all other ages, even adults!! Just add an icepack and Cocoozy lunch bags will keep your lunch cold for hours with their safe neoprene lining. Also, Cocoozy has FREE shipping on all orders over $50!

Visit http://www.cocoozy.com/

Are you a Lego fan in the D.C. Area? If so, head on over to the Smithsonian this coming weekend! If not, keep reading to find out how you can participate in some super fun Lego activities in your local area.

The Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center’s research declares that “Play” leads to invention and innovation and now, more than ever, it is vital to get parents excited about inspiring an inventive spirit in their children.

WHAT: Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation has joined forces with the LEGO Group to celebrate National Inventors Month by building an 8-foot-tall by 6-foot-wide model of Thomas Edison’s light bulb – the universal sign of a big idea! This free, two-day collaborative LEGO build will help demonstrate Lemelson Center’s research linking the importance of “play” to invention and innovation. Spark!Lab, the center’s hands-on invention space, will feature special building and engineering-related activities throughout the weekend.

WHO: Museum visitors of all ages are welcome to join the LEGO Master Builders as they endeavor to build this larger than life light bulb completely out of LEGO bricks in two days! Families not in DC can get involved by visiting their local LEGO Brand store and participating in the simultaneous building events, or simply sign up for the 3^rd Annual LEGO Click Awards for a chance to win a $5,000 savings bond.

WHEN: Build: Saturday, August 1^st 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 2^nd 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

WHERE: The National Museum of American History’s First Floor Plaza- 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.

NOT IN D.C.? READ ON!
Families not in DC can still get involved in a number of ways.
1. Kids age 6-13 can participate in the 3^rd Annual LEGO Essay Contest – the LEGO Click! Awards which will be launching on Saturday, August 1^st. The contest asks children to write about a time when they were inventive. 5 children will win a $5,000 savings bond.

2. LEGO Brand Stores throughout the United States will host simultaneous National Inventors Month building celebrations this weekend as well so if you are near a store, feel free to pop in!
Find a store here.

3. Parents looking to incorporate fun Invention lessons at home can tap into the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center resources by visiting www.InventionatPlay.org or http://invention.smithsonian.org/home/ to download free educational PDF’s and check out information regarding inventor fun facts, stories and activities. Now, go play, preferably with some Legos.

FANTABULOUS Swanky Prizes ~ ONLY 2 days left to enter!!

Win a Womens Apron from Crooked Brook.

Win a $20 Gift Certificate from Piggy Paint.

Win a 1 year subscription to Slacker Radio Plus.

Win a bottle of Votre Vu's Cheveux Heureux Shampoo Riche.

Win a bottle of Lash Food.

Win an organic aden + anais wrap.

Win a 1 Year Gold Membership (3 to be won) from Classmates.

Sound like good prizes??!! All you have to do is leave a comment on the Swanky Giveaways Page and the WINNERS will be randomly selected on JULY 30TH!!

Summer Fun with Crayola!

We're half way through summer and we've been busy, busy, busy! It's not realistic to have on the go plans all day every day, so I'm always looking for fun, simple, & easy activities to keep the kids occupied while we're at home. Luckily, Crayola is always coming up with fun new things to back me up when I need it!

My boys are super in to "decorating" the concrete around our house. Whether it's the patio, driveway or even the walkway out front, side walk chalk has always been a favorite activity. This summer we've been using some great products from Crayola. Their Color Blenders are super fun. Chunky and easy to hold, the pack comes with 3 different multi-colored "blenders" that work great on the cement. The colors are bold and the shapes make them fun to work with.

We've also been LOVING our new Sidewalk Crayons. Washable, yet bright and bold, they write super smooth and look amazing. Sidewalk Crayons add a whole new element to outdoor art. There are 15 different colors in the package which makes for a great variety. They are also the same size as Crayola's regular Sidewalk Chalk, so they work with all of Crayola's Sidewalk Chalk Tools.

When we are on the go, our new favorite "car product" is Crayola's Color Wonder Stow & Go Studio. I've been a huge fan of Color Wonder for quite some time. So when I saw a portable set, I was thrilled. Especially since my 5 year old is addicted to Color Wonder! This great set comes with a Color Wonder activity book, 4 mini Color Wonder markers, and a storage case that holds it all while acting as a surface to color on, genius! For those of you who are not familiar with Color Wonder, familiarize yourself ASAP. This amazing product allows your children to color with markers that will not color on anything but Color Wonder paper. So, no mess at all! Truly a MUST HAVE item.

Visit the Crayola site today and surprise your family with Summertime fun activities. My guess is that you'll have as much fun as them, I did!

Plan a Playdate with Mommy Calling Cards from Shutterfly

Shutterfly has done it again! A new product to make keeping in touch as easy as a handshake. With Summer in full swing, we've been out and about for a month now. We've met with friends and we've met new friends! With my new Mommy Calling Cards from Shutterfly, it's been super easy to plan playdates. Keeping them in my pocket or purse I just pull one out when I want to share contact info with a friend quickly and easily. With over 40 designs, you'll be sure to find the perfect one for your family. I chose the "Bubble Red" card to the left and included my name with my boys' names underneath, my e-mail, and phone numbers. They came out so cute, I just love them! The cards are printed on high quality cardstock and come in sets of 50. Trust me when I say your mommy friends will be impressed when you come prepared for playdate planning!

Visit Shutterfly today and check out all of their great products! They also have a new baby site that can help moms with photography tips, creating the right birth announcement, and much much more!

Precious Pics Will Last Forever with the Picture Keeper

Around here I am called the paparazzi. I am notorious for taking too many pictures and my kids know that they'd better not move Santa's display or their Easter Baskets before the perfect pic has been snapped. I've got TONS of pics, so many in fact that over the last three years I have gone completely digital. I don't even have them printed anymore. So, when I had the opportunity to check out the Picture Keeper, I jumped at the chance!

The Picture Keeper is a genius little device that helps photobug moms like myself keep all of those precious pics safe and sound. Don't get this baby confused with your average flash drive, it's so much more! Simply insert the Picture Keeper into your USB port, click "Start Backup" on the pop up, and watch the magic happen. The Picture Keeper automatically finds all of the photos on your computer. With a laptop and a desktop that are inundated with photos, I love the fact that the Picture Keeper has built in software. This means that you can switch it from computer to computer and it will save the photos from each. Another bonus? It keeps track of the photos stored, so when you update it, it only takes a few seconds to add just the new pics.

Depending on how trigger happy you are, the Picture Keeper comes in various sizes. Be sure to check what resolution you take your photos at. I take mine high, so I needed a larger capacity Picture Keeper. There is a link on the site to help you determine which size best suits you. The Picture Keeper's customer service has been wonderful, above and beyond with help and I love that you can sign up for monthly reminders to back up those pics. I recommend that every household have a Picture Keeper. Store it somewhere safe (like in a safe!) to ensure that your memories will be picture perfect for generations to come.

For more info, visit www.picturekeeper.com

Techie Facts for you Swanky Moms are as follows:

Specifications Windows XP/Vista and Mac 512 MB RAM ReadyBoost Compatible USB 2.0 and 1.1 Compliant Advanced Options Available

Features 1 Year Warranty Easy to Open Packaging Lanyard Included 30 Day US Based Support Reminder Service

Sponsor: Tano Jewelry

A bow headband is one of the most timeless hair accessories and goes with everything! Whether your attire is a solid color, prints or other designs, a bow headband can make a big improvement to your overall look. These headbands go just as well with jeans and a tee as they do with a dressy outfit for a big celebrity party. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Scarlett Johansson has been seen wearing bow headbands to Hollywood events. Bow headbands are a fashion essential if you want to be stylish and look your best!

Zing Zang Zoom on Over to the Circus!

This week, a few of us Swanky Moms had the privilege of being guests at the 139th edition of The Greatest Show on Earth. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey is currently featuring Zing Zang Zoom, a fun filled show where classic circus acts combine with magical illusions to create an evening your whole family will enjoy! From the minute we walked in, we were treated like royalty. An easy entrance, helpful employees, and great customer service. I had the pleasure of sitting next to my hilarious 5 year old who gave me a play by play commentary the entire night! Rather than me dishing out my favorites (I was pretty impressed with the human cannonball action), I thought I'd share his perspective. After finding our seats, we had just a few minutes to settle in and then the magic happened, literally. A disappearing elephant. From them on, my son was hooked! Enjoy the recap.

"Those are some talented dogs!" Referring to the adorable pups on stage. One even rides a scooter.

"Should I try that on your blue exercise ball mom?" On wanting to walk on a ball like the clowns.

"They're probably going to say: Don't try this at home." His thoughts on jumping through a ring of fire...

"Those elephants are probably nice, wow I never saw one that close!" Referring to the parade of elephants around the ring.

"He must be crazy." I agree with this one, anyone who wants to jump rope on a moving circular metal contraption might have a touch of crazy!

And for the grand finale, he was very concerned with the magic of "sawing someone in half." The quote of the night, "They should only put him back together if he is a nice person, if not, they should leave him sawed in half."

My whole family had a wonderful time at the show. I think though, that I had the most fun! I got to watch a great show and listen to a hilarious 5 year old commentary while doing it. From the magic to the tigers, from the elephants to the human cannonballs, we thoroughly enjoyed Zing, Zang Zoom. I highly recommend it for a fun family night out.

Zing, Zang, Zoom is currently in Southern, CA, but will be coming to a city near you! Visit the tour schedule page and enter your zip code to find out when. You won't be disappointed!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR YOU SWANKY MOMS!
Purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto
www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM

Check out our "Swanky Kids" below.
Swanky Mom Lynne's on the left, mine on the right.

Play Safe This Summer!

Play Safe this summer! That is easier said than done for some people, including my son, he is always falling and getting cuts and scrapes, especially during the summer months as he is outside more often. I feel so bad for the little guy but as soon as you place that Band-Aid on, it’s like instant relief for him! Thank you Band-Aid!!! I actually keep Band-Aids by my front door so I’m prepared to fix boo boos when he comes through the door! The Band-Aid Plus Antibiotic is a super product, healing wounds faster and minimizing scarring in one easy step!
Another great product is the Neosporin Neo to Go! First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Relieving Spray. I keep one in my purse, medicine cabinet, and trailer, for camping. Just a quick spray will fight infection and also alleviate some of the pain. Anytime, anywhere you will be ready with Neo to Go!

To find out more about these fabulous essentials for families on the go visit, http://www.band-aid.com/and http://www.neosporin.com/

Vincent Summer Sale: Save Even More!

Just a note to let all you Swanky Moms know that Vincent Shoes has slashed prices even lower for their Summer Sale. Visit the site today and save up to 75% off on some great styles!

Vincent also has a new Facebook page, be sure to become a fan, I did!

Zing, Zang, Zoom: Bring on the Circus!

The circus is coming to town and Feld Entertainment is sending us to check it out! Keep an eye out Swanky Moms, because we'll have an update soon. Meanwhile, visit the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey site to see when the circus will be in your area. While you're there, check out the special offers, like "Baby's First Circus." So fun!

This year's tour is the 139th edition of "The Greatest Show on Earth" and is called Zing Zang Zoom. It features lots of magic, which we're really excited about!

Stay Tuned!