Move Over Nerf, Here's Something Tastier!

Little boys love to play with toy guns, and The Marshmallow Shooter is the best by far! The Marshmallow Fun Company has created and extremely safe shooter. This Marshmallow Shooter can shoot 30 feet and hold up to 25 rounds of the yummiest and softest ammo ever.

The Marshmallow Fun Company was founded by a few parents after a riotous fun little boys birthday party. They discovered what a truly great product they had come up with and put attention to the littlest details.

Safety was their biggest concern. The Marshmallow shooter inflicts NO PAIN and causes NO MESS! This shooter will only shoot objects that can be compressed and regain shape. It WILL NOT shoot rocks, sticks, or even stale marshmallows! A target can be shot from close range with out any pain. I know this because my son sneaked up on me while I was doing dishes and shot me in the back from only a couple feet away.

This extremely safe Marshmallow Shooter is virtually mess free! While other shooters use lung power, this one uses compressed air. We had another marshmallow gun that fired the marshmallows by the shooter blowing hard into a pipe. Not only did it not go far, but the tube became sticky and would get clogged quickly due to the moisture in your breath. We've all seen a child blow out birthday candles and can see how much moisture comes out with each blow! The compressed air allows for mess free, rapid fire without becoming light headed. Should your shooter become dirty or sticky all parts that come in contact with the marshmallows can be disassembled and washed on the top rack or the dishwasher or hand washed in hot water.

This Marshmallow Shooter is so safe and easy to use even my 4 year old daughter got into the action! We had a blast running around our backyard having our own little marshmallow war.

Visit marshmallowville.com and check out all of their affordable and fun Marshmallow Shooters. While the Blue and Red Shooter is their Classic they have also come out with: a Cheetah Shooter, Daisy Shooter, Skull & Crossbone Shooter, Peace Shooter, Zebra Shooter, and Camo Shooter. There is a shooter for everyone. They have even come up with a Bow & Mallow Shooter and a Mazooka that shoots the larger marshmallows.

The Marshmallow Shooter can be found online at marshmallowville.com or Hammacher Schlemmer, Toys R Us, Drugstore.com and on Amazon.com.

A Magical Journey for Tiny Daners

Prima Princess has come out with a new DVD just in time for the holiday season! You will fall in love with the new "Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker" DVD.

This wonderful DVD introduces your little dancers to the beauty of The Nutcracker. With excerpts from the San Francisco Ballet performing the Nutcracker, your ballerinas are told the story as it is being preformed. The DVD is full of all the Christmas wonder. They will learn to understand how a story can be told through dance while being delighted with snow fairies, toy soldiers, ballerinas, and a sweet Sugar Plum Fairy!

The story of the Nutcracker is broken up into acts with breaks for your little ones to learn a few of the movements and practice themselves. They will learn the names for movements such as: passe, glissade, saute, and arabesque. The breaks are placed perfectly so that your little dancers can get their wiggles out and dance along as they enjoy the story of The Nutcracker.

My 4 year old daughter has fallen in love with this newest DVD. I see her practicing the ballet movements and using the correct words to describe her dance. She loves ballet and I have the Prima Princessa DVDs to thank for that.

My daughter wants to see the ballet live, and I couldn't of thought of a better way to introduce her to the fine arts during this holiday season. The "Prima Princessa presents The Nutcracker" has given my young daughter the understanding she needs to be able to enjoy and understand The Nutcracker live and in person.

If you have a little ballerina in your household you need to visit PrimaPrincessa.com. The DVD can be ordered from their website or at amazon.com.

Swanky Prize: $150 GC from Zutano

A gift card for a full layette ($150) at the Zutano Itzy Bitzy boutique
at zutano.com Itzy Bitzy is newborn sizes only.

1st Entry (mandatory) Visit zutano.com and tell us what your favorite gift set is and add it to the comments (must register to leave comments) below.

Additional Entries

1 Entry per day-Follow @zutano on Twitter and tweet the following: I just entered to win a $150 Zutano GC @swankymom http://bit.ly/G44HZ

1 Entry-Subscribe to Swanky Moms' newsletter - send us your username and/or email and we'll add you

2 Entries-Blog about this giveaway and send us the link.

3 Entries-Grab a Swanky Moms button and put it on your blog and send us the link!

Contest open to US and Canadian residents ONLY. Contest will end at 11:59pm September 30th. If winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be randomly selected.

Swanky Prize: FurBuster

Bamboo pet products helps moms control this hairy situation with the FurBuster grooming tool, an affordable and professional grade quality tool that incorporates interchangeable blades so you can quickly groom pets of all sizes.

The reasons why we feel this product is so unique and useful to your readers is twofold:

• Versatility: with the interchangeable blades, pet owners can groom their cats and dogs – no matter what size – thus eliminating the need to purchase multiple tools.

• Savings: FurBuster is one of the most affordable professional-grade grooming tools available on the market. Plus, pet owners can save up to $300 dollars a year with routine grooming at home.

To help your readers keep their homes clean, we’d love to offer the opportunity for one of them to win the FurBuster kit with interchangeable blades.

1st Entry (mandatory) Visit Bamboo and tell us what your favorite product is and add it to the comments (must register to leave comments) below.

Additional Entries

1 Entry per day-Follow Bamboo on Twitter and tweet the following: I just entered to win a Furbuster @swankymom http://bit.ly/G44HZ

1 Entry-Subscribe to Swanky Moms' newsletter - send us your username and/or email and we'll add you

2 Entries-Blog about this giveaway and send us the link.

3 Entries-Grab a Swanky Moms button and put it on your blog and send us the link!

Contest open to US and Canadian residents ONLY. Contest will end at 11:59pm September 30th. If winner does not respond within 72 hours, another winner will be randomly selected.

Swanky Moms Please Help Layla Grace

Layla Grace Marsh is almost 2 years old. Six months ago she was a happy, healthy 15-month-old girl living with her parents in Cypress, Tx. Now Layla is in a fight for her life, battling an extremely aggressive form of cancer.

At 16 months old, her sleeping habits and appetite changed, and she started to become more irritable. In May, when Layla woke up with a swollen eye and her parents took her to the doctor, they were told she had an ear infection. But her parents knew something else was wrong. They noticed her belly was hard and swollen, and she was not having bowel movements. Then Layla stopped eating. Still without a dirty diaper, the little girl became lethargic. The family was referred to a GI specialist and that’s when they got the news that no parents ever want to hear: Layla was suffering from Stage 4 Neuroblastoma.

Layla has a massive cancerous tumor extending from above her left kidney, around her side, over her belly and wrapping around her aorta. The cancer has also attacked Layla’s bone marrow and bones. Six surgeries, five rounds of chemo, eight days on a ventilator, multiple blood transfusions and many lengthy hospital stays later, Layla is still fighting. She still has to undergo extensive radiation, a bone marrow transplant and six more months of chemo. She will also receive six experimental immunotherapy injections. These six injections are crucial to her treatment, and raise her survival rate from 30% to 40%. Because they are in the experimental phase, they are not covered by insurance and are $18,000 each.

You can show your support by purchasing a Layla Grace t-shirt for only $10. 100% of all t-shirt sales will go towards Layla's medical bills. Please email your order to fightforlayla@gmail.com and send payment via PayPal http://tinyurl.com/kvee97 by October 1st. If you have any questions, please email fightforlayla@gmail.com. You can follow Layla's progress at www.laylagrace.org and http://twitter.com/LaylaGrace. Thank you for your support and prayers!

Sponsor: Tano Headands

2010 fashion styles and color are being revealed in runways around the world. Celebrities are driving accessory styles at the hottest hollywood events. Some of the latest celebrity fashions can be seen on your favorite TV shows. The celebrity accessory we continue to love is our favorite hair accessory - the fabulous headband!


Headbands continue to be seen on your favorite celebrities. Some of the most popular headband styles of 2010 are bound to be double headbands and cloth headbands that don't hurt your head. You can find headbands that are fashionable and that don't put pressure on your head at Tano Jewelry

The 3 Sisters: Let the Domino Effect Begin!

Ready to spoil yourself with some super cool, super fun, super unique jewelry? Look no further, I’ve found an amazing line of fantasticness that will be sure to put a smile on your face. Meet The 3 Sisters and their Domino Effect line! The 3 Sisters company makes their pieces out of dominoes, yes, dominoes. They work with three different sized dominoes. Each piece is hand stamped with a funky design then painted to give it some extra pizazz. Each piece is finished with silver leafing around the edge and sealed with acrylic varnish to seal in the art.

What I truly adore about The 3 Sisters is the designs they choose to put on their pieces. It’s not your average day to day imagery. We’re talking everything from Kewpie Dolls, Frog Princes, and Hula Girls, to Martinis, Bugs, and Cows. They even have some limited edition pieces like the “Yellow Brick Road” and “Looking Glass” series, which are two of my favorites. Pieces can be purchased as bracelets, pendants, or earrings and are made with high quality findings. I’ve been donning my Kewpie set and it’s created lots of buzz. After all, who doesn’t love a sweet Kewpie Doll face? I also love that I can flip it over and show the domino side. Sometimes you feel like a Kewpie….sometimes you don’t!

Looking for a great girlfriend gift? Check out their charmed pendants. Images are paired with complementing charms that make them just adorable. I love the cow domino paired with the silver milk carton and the eye domino paired with the piece of candy is pretty clever.

Visit The 3 Sisters site today and treat someone you love to a little eye candy of their own. While you’re there, be sure to pick up something for yourself as well. With all of their unique styles, you’ll be sure to find something that suits your inner mermaid, monkey, or monster! There’s even a frog named Jeremiah…

**Mention "Swanky Moms" in the comment section for free shipping! The 3 Sisters will credit your invoice for shipping after the order is placed.**

Star Wars in Concert

Got a Star Wars fan in your family? Starting October 1st, Star Wars: In Concert will be touring the US. A live orchestra combined with high definition screens playing clips from the Star Wars movies will allow your family to relive the saga like never before! No doubt this show will be amazing. My family will be there! Will yours?

Visit the Star Wars: In Concert to find tickets in a city near you.

Can't make it to the show? Check out the cool merchandise, and pick up some great gifts for the Star Wars lover in your life!

Slimware

If you are trying to watch your weight, as most mommies are, Slimware is a new, hip line of melamine, portion conscious dinnerware. Basically, the theory is, if you eat less, you’ll weigh less! The largest area on the plate is for your vegetables, the medium area is for your carbs or side dish and the smallest area is for your proteins or entrée. It is a simple, visible reminder to help become aware of portion control. No more counting calories or points, just use Slimware!! No one will even know you are “dieting” as they are fabulously stylish as well! And dishwasher safe! Slimware even has Celebrity fans such as Jennie Garth, Rene Russo and Faith Hill!

Visit www.slimware.com

Lansinoh Diaper Rash Ointment

Lansinoh has been well known for years for their breastfeeding products. They now have a diaper rash ointment that you and your baby will be sure to love! It goes on white but rubs in clear, so no mess on you or your baby’s clothing. Made with lanolin, zinc oxide and dimethicone, this triple protection ointment soothes and protects your baby’s sensitive bottom. Lansinoh is hypoallergenic, fragrance free and preservative free!

Visit www.lasinoh.com

Sprout Shell

Looking for a nursing cover... infant carseat cover or maybe a shopping cart or highchair cover?? Well, great news… I have one product that can serve all these functions!! Crazy hey?! The Sprout Shell is definitely not your average one purpose product, it is truly an impressive mom invented product! The Sprout Shell should be a “must have” for any new mom! If you have an upcoming baby shower or know a new mom that would love something stylish and functional, this is it! Get your sprout on with Sprout Shell!

Visit www.sproutshell.com

GoPicnic

Have ready made meals that require no refrigeration or preparation with you at all times! Put them in your cupboard for those days you don’t feel like cooking, take them to work or school for lunch or put them in your vehicle for a quick meal for the kidlets while out and about! My boys love GoPicnic meals! GoPicnic’s customers already include: United Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Virgin America and Amtrak. They are also used by a variety of markets including hotels, military, camps, corporate events, health clubs, university bookstores and school fundraising programs. All GoPicnic meals contain no trans fats, high fructose corn syrup or MSG, and are free of artificial colors and flavors! A fantastic solution for a quick, healthy, snack or meal! With over 29 ready to eat meals, there is something for everyone including kids, vegetarians, and individuals who eat gluten-free and kosher meals! Also, GoPicnic is currently having some fabulous sales, so pop by and check them out!

Visit www.GoPicnic.com

Hell is Other Parents: A Book I Can Totally Relate To!

I'm asked to read lots of books for review, and although I'd love to read every single one, there will never be enough time in my world to get through even half of them. However when this pitch came through, something drew me to it. Not sure what exactly led me to the light, maybe the title, maybe the cover (way to bring back the "Baby on Board" type sign, I actually wish I could get the "Hell is Other Parents" one, I'd proudly display it on my car), or maybe it was the fact that the book is composed of essays instead of a long drawn out biography. Regardless of what drew me to what I consider a mommy masterpiece, I love Deborah Copaken Kogan and think that we should be friends...

With swim school in session, I have exactly 45 minutes a day to myself. I sit by the side of the pool and pretend to watch my boys, "Mom, did you see that? Watch this? Mom, look what I can do." I look up, "Uh huh, awesome." Not even knowing what just happened because I'm too busy reading, escaping the chaos, and trying to look like I don't want to talk to the other mothers sitting around me. This is my time damn it! Wait, maybe I shouldn't admit that. I hope the swim school moms don't read this blog. And I do watch sometimes, I mean after all, my kids can swim, they're just perfecting at this point. I will say I never miss the dives through the hoop at the end... My point is, I will never finish a book unless we have swim school, so this is my time, and during my time this past week I was thoroughly engulfed in Kogan's book.

Kogan's new book, Hell is Other Parents, is comprised of various essays covering significant events in her life. Her style of writing allows you to read with ease and laugh the whole way through. One of my favorite moments is when Deborah is at a park with her daughter, her daughter is climbing a large rock. A "concerned" stranger warns her many times that what her daughter is doing is "unsafe." She basically tells the stranger that she's got it under control, but the stranger won't leave it alone. I won't ruin what happens, read it for yourself and learn about this bad ass little toddler that proves the stranger wrong.

While reading this book, I felt as though Deborah was telling some of my life stories. As a mom of two premature boys, one with cerebral palsy and one with speech issues, I get other people throwing in their two cents all over the place. Just last week a woman (at swim school of course) asked me where my son's accent was from and told me that it was odd I didn't have one. Ummmm, duh, that's because he doesn't have an accent, he has a speech problem, and don't worry about it lady, he's in speech lessons, I've got it under control. See, Hell is Other Parents.

Read Deborah's book. Worth even my precious swim school time!

Check out a trailer for the book HERE!

Back to School with Epson

This week Epson announced it is offering an instant rebate on two of its popular, affordable all-in-ones – the Epson Stylus^® NX415 and Epson Stylus NX515 - to meet the needs of parents, teachers and students during the back-to-school shopping timeframe. The $40 discount will be given instantly at checkout through the end of August, and further increases the value of these all-in-ones to accommodate any budget.

The Epson Stylus NX415 and NX515 are the perfect solutions for school projects and homework assignments, delivering fast print and copy speeds, amazing print quality, 2.5-inch color LCD screens and memory card slots, one-touch copy functions, manual two-sided printing, and instant-drying DURABrite^® Ultra inks. In addition, the Epson Stylus NX515 allows users to scan directly to e-mail with one touch, and offers built-in Wi-Fi and networking capabilities, making it ideal for college dorms or households with multiple users.

The $40 discount at POS on the Epson Stylus NX415 and NX515, regularly priced at $99.99* and $149.99* respectively, make the all-in-ones extremely smart choices for back-to-school. The Epson Stylus NX415 and NX515 are currently available through major computer, office and electronic superstores, a variety of retail stores nationwide, mail order, PC manufacturers, the Internet, and Epson’s own retail site, www.epsonstore.com.

Sponsor: First Impression Favors - The Perfect Thank You Gifts!

Shop Our Boutique Line Of Favors, Invitations And Accessories For All Of
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Swanky Moms Save 10% Off Any Favor Order With Coupon Code
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Visit www.firstimpressionfavors.com

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!