December 1, 2017 · 12:16 pm

“The Stable Cat’s Christmas” Book Tour & Review

Can you believe it is almost Christmas? I feel like the last part of this year is zooming so fast, I can barely keep up. With all the hustle and bustle of the season, it is nice to just slow down, and sit together with my kids and read a book that brings us back to the true meaning of Christmas.

With all the commercialization, it can seem like everyone’s focus is on the latest sale or chasing after this year’s hottest toy. The Stable Cat’s Christmas  by Christina Vrba is a timeless picture book that celebrates the fact that everyone has a gift they can bring the newborn King, no matter their size or stature.

This message resonates so well with children, who sometimes feel their size or age limits them in contributing something that matters to our world.

The Stable Cat is worried that it has nothing to offer the newborn king. The cat has no jewels, riches or gold to bring this very special baby. However, when the cat notices the newborn king shivering in the stable, there is no doubt, this stable cat can help. Curling up with the newborn baby Jesus, the stable cat offers its warmth to our tiny king.

This is a heartwarming story and it will be one you will want to share with your children or grandchildren every season.

Giveaway:

Worthy Kids/Ideals  is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of The Stable Cat’s Christmas! Thank you to Worthy Kids/Ideals  for the review book and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Open to US Residents.

The Stable Cat’s Christmas Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget. Good Luck!!!

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November 28, 2017 · 6:10 pm

Red & Lulu Book Is Sure To Be A New Christmas Classic #Giveaway

I want to share a very special book with you, that I find just amazing. It is a children’s book, one that is sure to become a traditional favorite in our home. One of my favorite books as a child was one about the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center and where it came from.

Over the years, I have shared books with similar tones with my children. This year, we were introduced to Red & Lulu by Matt Tavares. From the first time I opened and read the large, hardcover book with my kids,we were hooked.

For me, it had much to do with the bonded pair of cardinals, Red and Lulu. Cardinals are very special to me and if you have been reading this blog for a while, you may remember my post about the significance of them in The Cardinals’ Kiss.

Beyond the cardinals, we live in Upstate NY where many of the trees that have graced Rockefeller Center have come from. Put the two together and add the magic of the Christmas season, and you have a recipe for a new holiday classic. I know we will read this book many times this season.

Red and Lulu lived happily in the tree that was going to be cut down and transported to New York City. The problem was not that they were going to lose their beloved home, it was bigger than that!

The morning the tree was cut and loaded on the truck, Lulu was in the inner branches. Lulu was in trouble because Red was not with her at the time and now she was on her way to The Big Apple.

Red caught sight of what had happened and  flew as fast as he could to catch up to Lulu, but before long, he lost sight of the truck. Red did not give up, he flew all the way to NYC and eventually found Lulu and their tree. Reunited, they happily explored this big, bustling city and made many friends in beautiful Central Park.

Red and Lulu were so happy to be together again. They would sit in the branches of their tree and admire the lights and the people who came from all over the world to see the majestic evergreen.

When the season was over, Red and Lulu made a new home with their new friends in Central Park. One of the perks of their new location, was that every year they could return to Rockefeller Center and sit on the branches of a new Christmas tree. The whole season long, they could happily enjoy, the sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps, during the most wonderful time of the year. This book shows there is no distance too far to keep a determined cardinal from his loved one in an ode to serendipity and belief that is destined to be a new Christmas classic.

This book pulls at my heartstrings in so many ways. That is why I have added it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide. 

Candlewick Press is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own hardcover copy of Red & Lulu! Thank you to Candlewick Press for the review book and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

Red & Lulu Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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· 2:18 pm

Is Your Toothbrush Eco-Friendly? #DitchThePlastic #Giveaway #WooBamboo

Do you do your part to make the Earth a better place? Are you recycling your cans and glass jars? Do you compost your organic waste?

Maybe you feel like you are doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint and leave the world a better place for your children and grandchildren. Take a look at your toothbrush, it is probably made of plastic.

Did you know that over a billion toothbrushes are thrown out every year? They are, and they are ending up in oceans and landfills. It is time we do something about this!  Fortunately, there is an alternative to typical plastic toothbrushes. Now, you can get toothbrushes made of sustainable bamboo that are biodegradable!
WooBamboo makes toothbrushes and biodegradable floss that are a better choice over plastic. They also make toothbrushes for pets and have a toothpaste and mouthwash that will launch soon Their products are artfully designed to be the best, most natural and eco-friendly option to conventional toothbrushes and floss on the market.
Beyond being better for the environment and more natural, WooBamboo’s products are stylish and cool! How many times do you say that about your oral care products?
Today, it is easier than ever to find WooBamboo products. You can find WooBamboo products at major retailers like Amazon, Target, CVS, Costco and many others.
 

We think that WooBamboo toothbrushes and floss make great stocking stuffers so we have added them to Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide! To help your holiday shopping dollars go further, we have an exclusive coupon code to share with our readers. Use MOMMYRAMBLINGS20 to take 20% off when you shop at WooBamboo.

Giveaway:

WooBamboo is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win a WooBamboo adult toothbrush, child’s toothbrush and floss! Thank you to WooBamboo for the review products and for sponsoring this eco-friendly giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! Giveaway open to US residents.

 

 

 

WooBamboo Eco-Friendly Bamboo Toothbrushes and Floss Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!

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November 25, 2017 · 11:24 pm

Parental Control Apps To Track Your Kids’ Locations & More

If you are the parent of a teenager, you probably want to know where they go when they are not at home. You may have heard of physical GPS tracking devices that are commonly used, but why go through the trouble and expense of buying that equipment when you can get the information you want using mobile Apps? Apps like Kidgy.com give parents the control they want to monitor their kids and make sure they are safe. Using the Kidgy App, parents can easily track their child using GPS through their smartphone.

 

Life360

Life360 is available for iPhone and Android devices and keeps millions of families and close friends connected, no matter what chaos life throws their way. Organize your family, friends, caregivers and more easily with circles. Add favorite locations like school, work, home and more and receive alerts when circle members arrive at or depart from them. Message the entire circle at once or privately, eliminating the need for endless texts and calls.

Life360’s free version allows you to set up 2 places and keeps location history for 2 days. The PLUS version gives users full access and maintains location history for 30 days. The cost of Life360 PLUS is just $24.99 a year.

My Family GPS tracker

My Family is another good family tracking App. Unlike Life360, My Family is available for Windows and Amazon powered devices in addition to android and iOS devices. This App has premium features like the ability to save location history for up to 3 years. My Family also allows parents to make force calls to their kids that cannot be ignored. While this may seem intrusive, sometimes parents need to be, when it comes to the safety of their kids.

My Family also has an emergency button that notifies parents if their child comes across some type of trouble or leaves or enters a certain location. The user interface for My Family is user-friendly, so operating the App is simple. Best of all, My Family is free to use for android, iOS, amazon and windows users.

ZoeMob Family Locator

Finally, ZoeMob Family Locator is another useful App for keeping track of your kids’ location. Think of it as a family assistant because it is more than just a family locator. With additional features like calendars, shared lists, built-in messengers and more, it helps you to keep everyone connected.

Despite all the add-ons, this App is simple to use to keep track of your family members, set driving speed limits, program it to receive notifications for certain locations and so much more. The free version of ZoeMob is available for both android and iOS and can be accessed through the product website.

This is a sponsored guest post that does not necessarily reflect the views or ideals of Mommy Ramblings.


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November 21, 2017 · 1:21 pm

Black Friday Sale On The Best StudioPress Themes To Create or Update Your Website!

You are going to be seeing some big changes on our blog in the upcoming weeks. We will be changing our look, and think it is long overdue. I purchased one of the most popular website themes, Genesis Framework, many months ago.

The good thing about Genesis Framework is that once you buy it, it is yours to use for life. This is an extremely good thing when like me, life gets in the way, and your plans to update your website get delayed. I had not decided on a StudioPress Child Theme to go along with my Genesis Framework, and that turned out to be a good thing!

This morning in my inbox, I received an email from StudioPress, letting me know their Black Friday Sale has started early and all New Customers get their themes at 25% Off. If you are a Returning Customer like me, you get your themes at 50% Off! If you are a new customer, buy one theme for 25% off. Start a new order and  get the next theme for 50% off as a returning customer! Since you will want a framework and theme, you can still make out like a bandit!

Every theme is included in the discount!

There are no exceptions!

And yes, this includes the Pro Plus Pack, which gives you instant and immediate access to all StudioPress themes — including third-party themes. (It’s more than 60 themes in all, every one with a unique specialty but flexible enough to fit almost any purpose you can conjure up.)

Maybe you’ve had your eye on their newest themes like Outfitter Pro or Authority Pro since they were launched. Great! They’re both included in Pro Plus, which you can get at the discount … or you can buy either of those themes, or both, or any other theme or combination of themes and get 50% off the entire order.

The only “catch” — which isn’t really a catch, because you’re expecting it — is that the offer only lasts for one week.

This Black Friday sale begins today (11/21/17) and ends one week from now (11/28/17) at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

I wasted no time in shopping for my new child theme. The ones I like the best and have been debating over are: Mom Blogger Pro, Lifestyle and Magazine. However, with the Pro Plus Pack being 50% off too and letting me have access to all the themes, that was very tempting!

I finally made my decision and pulled the trigger this morning. I love that I was able to snatch up such a great theme at an even better price. If you have been waiting to purchase themes for your website, you can also benefit by getting great pricing on all kinds of themes. They have a huge selection of themes to create or customize your website whether you are a foodie, author, online retailer, realtor, photographer or any other kind of professional or business.  

StudioPress Premium WordPress Themes: Foodie Theme
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to take your website to the next level for less than you would imagine. To make a great thing even better, BlueHost has some amazing Black Friday deals of their own on low cost web hosting and domains! I have used BlueHost for almost 10 years and recommend them highly. If you need help starting a blog or website check out How To Start a Blog in 15 Minutes.

Let me know if you do purchase a theme or web hosting. I love sharing great deals with you!

This post includes affiliate links,  if you click and purchase something , I will earn a small percent of the sale as commission. This is a good thing because you will be helping me continue to build my blog and bring you more great content, reviews and giveaways. Thank you for your support.


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· 12:08 pm

“The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature” Available Now! #NutJob2

My kids loved the The Nut Job movie so, when The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature arrived on our doorstep a few weeks ago, they could not watch it fast enough. We set it up in our Epson projector and they were glued to the screen from beginning to end. When I asked them about it, my one son said that the part where (spoiler alert) Surly thought Buddy was dead was really sad. He was really happy when he turned out to be just unconscious. Overall they really enjoyed the movie and it is one they love to watch.

Surly and his friends are back in the action-packed animated adventure, The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature, available on Digital, Blu-rayTM, DVD, and On Demand NOW from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Filled with heart and animal hijinks, this family-friendly comedy introduces new fan-favorite characters including Mr. Feng (Jackie Chan, Kung Fu Panda), the adorable but deadly city mouse, and Frankie, the love-struck bulldog (Bobby Canavale, Ant-Man).

The film also features an incredible voice cast including Will Arnett (Lego Batman), Katherine Heigl (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids), Bobby Moynihan (“Saturday Night Live”), Isabela Moner (Transformers: The Last Knight), Jeff Dunham (Smurfs: The Lost Village) and Gabriel Iglesias (The Fluffy Movie). The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature comes packed with exciting bonus content including deleted scenes, special animation and art reels as well as a feature commentary with the filmmakers, giving viewers a peek inside the making of the film and how the characters were brought to life.

Surly Squirrel (Arnett) and the gang are back, returning to Liberty Park after they are forced to leave their easy life at the nut store. Getting back to nature is the last thing Surly wants to do, but when a greedy mayor decides to destroy the park to build an amusement park, Surly and his ragtag critter friends must band together to save the place they call home.

BLU-RAYTM, DVD AND DIGITAL BONUS FEATURES:

  • Deleted Scene
  • Animation Progression Reels: Watch as two key scenes are brought to life, from storyboard and pre-visualization, to final animation, lighting and effects.
  • Concept Art Reel: See the concept art that inspired animators to create the world of The Nut Job 2.
  • Feature Commentary with Director/Co-Writer Cal Brunker and Producer/Co-Writer Bob Barlen

Running Time: 1 Hour and 31 Minutes

Rating: Rated PG for action and some rude humor

You can watch the trailer HERE!  Get it on Amazon.  To see more you can visit The Nut Job 2 website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.   What do you think? Have you seen The Nut Job 2?


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November 20, 2017 · 12:41 am

The Splendid Baron Submarine #BizarreBaronInvention #Giveaway

With the days getting dark earlier and the temps getting colder, it is so nice to snuggle up on the couch by the fire and read with my kids. A book we have been diving into recently, is The Splendid Baron Submarine by Eric Bower. This is Eric’s second book in The Bizarre Baron Inventions series. This novel follows the Baron family as they set off for an underwater adventure with their steam-powered submarine. It is not all fun and games, their journey is filled with complications that the Baron family is not prepared for.

Young, clumsy and terribly unscientific Waldo “W.B.” Baron is really excited for a deep-sea diving adventure when his clever, inventor parents are hired to go on a secret treasure hunt. This top-secret mission ends up being filled with very unexpected shark attacks, diving mishaps and even a pirate’s curse. Follow as W.B. discovers these complications one stumble, trip and fall at a time.

My boys love this book, and I am enjoying it with them. It is one of those books that we need to read just one more chapter of before calling it a night. If this sounds like something your kids would like, you are probably right! You can purchase this book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and IndieBound.

About Eric Bower

Eric Bower is the author of The Bizarre Baron Inventions series. He was born in Denville, New Jersey, an event of which he has little recollection, yet the people who were there have repeatedly assured him that it happened. He currently lives in Pasadena, California. His favorite type of pasta is cavatappi, his favorite movie is The Palm Beach Story, and he is the proud recipient of a “Beanology Degree” from Jelly Belly University in Fairfield, California. His wife and family have told him that the degree is nothing to be proud of, since “It’s not a real degree. You know that . . . Right?” and “Eric, they literally give them to everyone who visits the Jelly Belly factory,” but he knows that they’re all just jealous.

Giveaway:

Enter to win a The Splendid Baron Submarine themed prize pack!

One (1) winner receives:

  • A copy of The Splendid Baron Submarine, by Eric Bower
  • A The Splendid Baron Submarine themed gift pack. Includes some pirate-themed goodies, Go Fish, and ghostly treats as well.

Giveaway ends December 15, 2017, at 11:59 P.M. MT.

Giveaway open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older.

Prizes provided by Amberjack Publishing

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November 19, 2017 · 10:26 pm

Discover, “The Girl Who Saved Christmas” Today! #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

Oh my, Christmas is definitely in the air! I know we still need to celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, but the excitement is surely palpable. I was out shopping yesterday, and certainly felt that Christmas magic!

It is so fun to share Christmas themed books with my children. If that is something you like to do, I cannot wait to share a new book with you.

If you are a fan of Roald Dahl and Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, you will fall in love with this hilarious and heartwarming holiday tale that is destined to become a Christmas Classic. Author Matt Haig  previously explored the origin story of Santa Claus in his highly praised bestseller, A Boy Called Christmas which is now being adapted for film.

Haig’s new book, The Girl Who Saved Christmas serves as a stand-alone sequel that imagines the story of the first child to ever receive a Christmas present. 

About The Book:

Amelia Wishart was the first child ever to receive a Christmas present. It was her Christmas spirit that gave Santa the extra boost of magic he needed to make his first trip around the world. But now Amelia is in trouble.

When her mother falls ill, she is sent to the workhouse to toil under cruel Mr. Creeper. For a whole year, Amelia scrubs the floors and eats watery gruel, without a whiff of kindness to keep her going. It’s not long before her hope begins to drain away.

Meanwhile, up at the North Pole, magic levels dip dangerously low as Christmas approaches, and Santa knows that something is gravely wrong. With the help of his trusty reindeer, a curious cat, and Charles Dickens, he sets out to find Amelia, the only girl who might be able to save Christmas. But first Amelia must learn to believe again. . . .

Sparkling with wit and warmth, A Girl Called Christmas is a cheeky new Christmas classic-in-the-making from acclaimed author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould.

Praise for the Book:

“Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.” —Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book

 “The story is fast-paced and playful, peopled with interesting characters and unique details . . . but what sets this story apart are the genuine emotions exhibited by all—loss, fear, sadness, and, ultimately, love.” —School Library Journal

“With a little bit of naughty and a lot of nice, this Christmastime yarn is a veritable sugarplum.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

“Father Christmas’s backstory is revealed in British author Matt Haig’s fantastic tale of magic, treachery, disgruntled elves, Truth Pixies and a land where “impossible” is a swear word.” —Shelf Awareness, Starred

“A heartwarming holiday adventure.” —Booklist

We love this book so much, we have added it to Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.  As an early gift to you, we are also holding a giveaway for one copy of this magical book. 

Giveaway:

Random House Children’s Books is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of, The Girl Who Saved Christmas! Thank you to Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

 

 

 

The Girl Who Saved Christmas Book Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!!!

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November 18, 2017 · 1:59 am

Discover The Nocturnals Books & Plush #Giveaway #HolidayGiftGuide

I am so thrilled that all of my children enjoy reading. More than enjoy reading, we are the kind  of people who think, one can never have too many books. Anyone that even hints that we may have too many books, is not our kind of people. We just need more bookshelves is all, never too many books! Speaking of which did you ever see the bookshelves we made out of plastic rain gutters?

Okay, back to books. I recently discovered The Nocturnals. These books feature three unlikely friends: Dawn, a serious fox, Tobin, a sweet pangolin and Bismark, the loud mouthed, pint-sized sugar glider. The stories all play out in their nighttime world with teamwork, friendship and humor in every adventure.

The books are entertaining to both parents and kids alike, since I like to read aloud to my kids, they are perfect. The stories follow these three as they work together to find solutions for problems or mysteries.

The Moonlight Meeting is a banter-filled early reader (level 2) that describes the first meeting between shy Tobin, brash Bismark and kindhearted Dawn. This book works well to set the stage for continuing adventures between this brigade of friends.

After a random encounter with a blood-thirsty snake, the three animals form a brigade of the night. Alarmed that animals are disappearing without a trace, the brigade gets help from a band of coyotes and many others to solve a high stakes game that will determine all of their survival. Read all about it in The Mysterious Abductions.

Moving on to The Fallen Star where Dawn, Tobin and Bismark awaken one night to a disaster: all of the forest’s pomelos have been mysteriously poisoned. The Nocturnal Brigade sets out ot investigate and find answers and the cure before pomelo blight hurts them all.

The Ominous Eye has the Nocturnal Brigade investigating the source of a violent jolt that fractured the Earth. In their search for answers they come across an unfamiliar reptile named Polyphema, who tells them the cause was a giant beast who will soon strike again. Polyphema also states that she is the only one that can stop the fearsome predator…but can she be trusted?

On The Nocturnals website you can even find and download educational resources and activity kits that you can use with the books. You can also read or listen to  a chapter of each book, join reading programs and much more.

We love these books so much we are adding them to Mommy Ramblings’ 2017 Holiday Gift Guide.  You can enter for your chance to win all four books and the plush Dawn fox below! You can check out our video below to see even more about everything you can win.

 

Giveaway:

Fabled Films is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings! One lucky blog reader will win all four books and a plush Dawn fox! Thank you to Fabled Films for the review items and for sponsoring this amazing giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.

 

 

 

The Nocturnals Books and Plush Prize Pack Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Enter for your chance to win using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!!!

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November 16, 2017 · 2:38 pm

Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small: Play Date with Miffy is Available on DVD

This week a new Miffy adventure debuted on DVD. Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small: Play Date with Miffy lets you join this curious young bunny as she learns all about the world around her, along with her best friends Melanie and Grunty.

Miffy and her friends embark on adventures and new experiences and help teach children about colors, numbers, shapes, and songs along the way. All along the way, they have fun celebrating kindness, respect, and friendship.

Jump in puddles, take a ballet lesson, play hide and seek, and much more in these eleven fun-filled playtime adventures! Jump in puddles, take a ballet lesson, play hide and seek, and much more in these eleven fun-filled playtime adventures!

This is a wonderful DVD for any pre-school child. What do you think?

 


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