Over the last couple of months Nate Berkus (yes Oprah’s beloved Nate) and I have become great friends. Okay, not really. I did attend two of his events though.

Back in August, I attended the launch party for The Nate Berkus Show. What I remember the most is how he took time to speak with each blogger who wanted to speak to him. He was very warm and personable. Because I live in NYC, I get to go to several events with various celebrities. I haven’t had one bad experience, but I must say that (to date) Nate and Tyler Florence stand out in regards to how available they make themselves to those who come to see them. Kudos! Most recently, I went to a special 9/21 taping of The Nate Berkus Show. The audience was composed primarily of design bloggers. Somehow, a few of us moms who blog received invites too. (Maybe someone from his staff read that I’m going to be focusing more on “home” for the next few months after my whirlwind summer. Maybe not. Who knows?) Anyway, I went with Becca and Amy since they both love Nate. Personally, I think that Nate is a very natural host. It is obvious that he cares about helping people. Once again, he is also very generous with his time. At the end of the show, he answered questions from the audience after the taping ended until he needed to leave. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a chance to ask my question. So, I’m going to ask you…

My question is, “How do you hang curtains when you can’t put holes in the wall?” . That has been my dilemma since moving into our current home about a year ago. We have blinds covering the window, but I don’t especially love blinds. I want curtains! Curtainworks.com had even reached out to me and sent me a lovely curtain set to review. I chose the Lexington curtains.

I looked over on Apartment Therapy where they had a discussion thread on this very topic. Score! Not. Whoever suggested using 3M hooks owes me $20. My husband went out and bought some hooks and hung the curtains while I was out. He was so pleased with himself (and rightfully so) that I had to bite my tongue…you can see those ugly white hooks peeking through the curtains. Back to the drawing board. Well, just because I’m having curtain issues, doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a set of curtains from Curtainworks because their customer service and curtains are both really great.

To win a set of curtains (you would get to choose the curtain/color/length on Curtainworks.com), simply let me know which set of curtains that you would pick. For an extra entry (leave it separately), let me know if you have any answers to my curtain dilemma. Leave your answers in the “Comments” section below and I will pick a random winner at the end of the month. Good luck! (I also have 5 coupons for 25% off at Curtainworks.com to give away.)

Thanks to the Nate Berkus Show for the party and show invite. Thanks to Curtainworks for the review and giveaway set of curtains.

I think that you all will appreciate the following three discounts (especially if you are a “plan ahead” type of person. In the past, my family has been sponsored guests of the WNBA and MSG for all three events. We had a blast and I am sure that you will too!

-WNBA New York Liberty Game: Use the code WNBABLOG to recieve 20% off tickets, free popcorn and soda AND the opportunity to park at the discounted rate of $10 near The Garden. You can take advantage of that offer at TicketMaster.com/wnba.

-Wintuk from Cirque du Soleil: This will be Wintuk’s final season. You definitely don’t want to miss this experience. You can see my thoughts and pictures (Michael was so happy when it “snowed” inside) from our experience on these two posts.

If you use the code FAMWN2, you will receive a family 4-Pack for $199 (a savings of $199 when you purchase before June 30th). You will also received a free popcorn and soda voucher for each ticket purchased. You can take advantage of this promotion here.

-Radio City Christmas Spectacular: My family had such a great time at the show last year. You can read about our experience at “More Than Materialism: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular”. With this particular offer, you can buy four Orchestra/First Mezzanine tickets for $199 by using the code JUNE through June 30th. You can take advantage of this promotion here.

Congrats to the winner: Lisa

Update: I found out that the winning tickets are for the Sunday, 4/18 at 5pm performance. As such this giveaway is being extended to Wednesday (4/14) at noon.

Dog lovers are going to be thrilled with this promotion…

The 101 Dalmatians Musical is beginning today. My kids are so excited that MSG Entertainment invited us to attend the show along with a preshow meet & greet this upcoming Friday. It’s their consolation prize. Over Spring Break, we had finally decided to get a small dog until our building’s superintendent told us that we could not. It’s a “cats only” building (although I see little dogs living here, but that is another story)…

Update: I saw the show with my sons and their fake big sister last Friday. All three of them have been talking about it every since then. They loved taking pictures with Rascal (one of the 12 live dogs) in the show. When I asked them what was their favorite part of the show, they all responded, “Everything!”. I thought that it was cute how the “dogs” narrated the show – referring to their human “pets”. Everyone especially liked the end where the live dogs did various tricks. Besides the actual show, I especially liked that the dogs used in the show were dogs that had been rescued and that will be put up for adoption after the show. You can learn more on the main 101 Dalmatians Musical site. Meanwhile, here is a photo of my two “rascals” with Rascal.

Anyway, I have not seen the show yet, so below is what MSG has to say about it:
The 101 Dalmatians Musical is an experience for the entire family about what it means to be a family, canine and courageous. More than a simple story about good versus bad, the family bands together to overcome every hurdle and hardship in the most difficult times.

Led by the creative team of Jerry Zaks (La Cage Aux Folles, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Everybody Loves Raymond), B.T. McNicholl (Spamalot, Billy Elliot, Cabaret) and Dennis DeYoung (founding member of the rock group Styx, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), The 101 Dalmatians Musical will transport audiences to a slightly topsy-turvy, exciting, and altogether fantastic reality that gives grand license for song, dance and spectacle in a one-of-a-kind show that will leave everyone cheering.

(I’ll let you know my opinion of the show after we see it.)

One of you will also get to take her family to see The 101 Dalmatians Musical at The Theater at Madison Square Garden because MSG Entertainment is giving away a four pack of tickets to one lucky Mom in the City reader. The show only runs from April 7th – 18th, so this will be a special 2 day giveaway. To win, let me know what you think it means to be a family in the “Comments” section below by Friday (4/9) at 6pm. Good luck!

Even if you don’t win, I have a special 25% off select ticketsdiscount for Mom in the City readers. Simply use the code PAWS at The Theater at Madison Square Garden site. Please note that this offer is only valid on select performances and expires on 4/18. (As an FYI: you can avoid Ticketmaster surcharges by purchasing directly from The Garden Box Office.)

Everyone knows how much I love Oprah. So, when I received an email from harpo.com (Oprah’s company), I was like, “Yes!” Well, it turned out that Oprah didn’t want to have a lunch date. Rather, it was an introduction to The Oprah Store. That’s alright though, our (Oprah and my) degrees of separation are much smaller now. Smile. In any event, something cute for one expecting Mom in the City reader came out of it. I was sent a blanket and bib to review…along with a discount for Mom in the City readers.

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As much as I like Oprah, I have never really thought of The Oprah Store as a place to buy gifts…especially for little ones. I was pleasantly surprised when I received an O baby! bib and baby blanket to review. The O baby! cotton bib with the embroidered baby giraffe is nice and soft. I like that the “O” is not super obvious, because I am not a fan of kids (or adults for that matter) being walking logo billboards. I especially liked the “O” baby blanket. It is so soft and snuggly. I could easily see it becoming a young child’s lovey. The only thing that I would advise is that you wash it before letting your kid sleep under it, so that it won’t leave any residue on their skin.

Between the Baby Bunch and these Oprah Store baby gifts, I’m starting to crave a baby! Then sanity returns…and I’m just happy that I get to be around a lot of them. I know a Mom in the City reader/friend who is expecting her second child soon, so this will make a great gift for her little one. (I especially like that the review items are in yellow, since my friend is one of those “we will wait until the baby is born to find out the sex” people!)

Mom in the City readers are being offered free shipping (with no minimum purchase) from now until the end of February on all Oprah Store purchases. Simply type in Mother247 at check-out. If you are buying for an infant or toddler, be sure to check out their O baby section, because they have some really cute clothes and accessories.

Thanks to The Oprah Store for sending the bib and blanket for review. It will be given to a Mom in the City reader.

Congrats to the winner MJ

I don’t have any more babies, but I still interact with a lot of new and expecting moms – on a professional and a personal basis. When I was sent a Baby Bunch Baby Bouquet to review, I ended up giving it to one of the newest “moms in the city” who has an adorable baby daughter.

First, I’ll let you read what the company says about itself:
“Combining practicality with presentation, Baby Bunch gifts delight new
moms and dads with super soft, 100% cotton baby clothes craftily rolled into blooming baby bouquets and other creative shapes. Unique newborn baby presents, the Baby Bunch is safe for hospital delivery where ordinary flowers may not be permitted and makes an extraordinary baby shower gift basket.

Organic Baby Gifts make a perfect pick for eco-minded parents. And with our latest launch – onesies rolled to look like cupcakes and lollipops, baby gifts have never been sweeter! The best part? Baby Bunch baby clothing bouquets and other gifts need no additional wrapping. Buy online and ship direct to enjoy these worry-free baby presents and skip the hassle of packaging.”

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Now, let me tell you the reaction (from personal experience) that you will receive when you give the Baby Bunch as a gift…

I like to give out items in group settings so that I can get a variety of responses. I took the Medium Pink Bunch to church to give it to my friend’s husband (since she is still at home with the baby). I spoke to several people before I saw him and they all commented on how pretty the bouquet was. I could tell that they had no idea what it was initially. When I turned the box around to show them what the bouquet was composed of (onesie, tee, bib and socks), everyone was like, “Oh, that is so neat. Did you make that?” That’s sweet that they thought I could make something that artistic and useful, but I have no delusions. I can’t. So, I gave credit where credit was due…Baby Bunches. Anyway, I finally saw the new dad. I gave him the box and explained what it was. He is a “guy’s guy” – tall, blonde, “manly” man – and he was delighted by the gift. (Side note: Is there anything cuter than a new dad? I overheard him sharing how amazing it was to want to look at his new daughter for 24 hours a day. Awww.) In any event, if you want to get both a crowd-pleasing as well as a parent-pleasing baby gift, strongly consider buying a Baby Bunch gift.

Now, I have two great things to share with you.

1. A discount. If any of your friends are having babies soon, you can receive a 15% discount off any Baby Bunch products (excluding shipping costs) by using Code: BUNCHGW10. You can use this code from now until March 31, 2010.

2. A giveaway. U.S. Mom in the City readers can enter to win a yellow, blue, or pink Baby Bunch Bouquet. Simply let me know your favorite baby gift (that you either received or gave) in the “Comments” section below by 2/22/10 at noon. Good luck! (As always, newsletter subscribers receive an extra entry, so be sure to leave an additional comment stating that you are a subscriber.)

Thanks to BabyBunch for providing both the review and giveaway Baby Bunch Bouquets.

I have a couple of special discounts for Mom in the City readers this week:

-GIFT HERO is offering 30% off a selection of gifts on their site until January 25th. Although the holiday season is over, it’s never too early to stock up on birthday gifts for all of the parties that you will be attending this year – for better or worse. Smile. You can check out the deals on GIFT HERO at http://www.gifthero.com/Sale/products/106/.

And

-Trendy Twin Shop is offering Mom in the City readers 20% off at checkout until Friday, January 22nd. Simply use this link: http://www.trendytwinshop.com/?code=MITC. The site (which has received even greater press since I mentioned them back in October of 2008) has a bunch of really cute clothes, accessories and gifts for twins and siblings.

I love to share about special discounts from past Mom in the City supporters. Here are a few…

-My Princess Academy has announced the launch of its 2nd annual Princess in the City Search (for aspiring “princesses” ages 3-12). The grand prize includes a trip to New York City and a professional princess photo shoot with Marlene Wallach, President of Wilhelmina Kids & Teens modeling agency. To celebrate, they are offering 20% off and $5 shipping on any order at www.MyPrincessAcademy.com using code 20PrinFun.

-The Big Apple Circus is helping moms to save up to $30 on select performances. Simply click on a performance time in the calendar found at http://bigapplecircus.org/mommy.aspx and enter code MOMMY10 in the “Promotional Code” box. (The discount is for Lincoln Center performances now through January 18th.

-Coco Bonbons, which has some really great clothing for both girls and boys, has a lot of items on sale (i.e. coats for $20, pants for $10, etc.) until the end of the year. Their giftcards are also 20% off.

Last year, I did a review and giveaway post for Wintuk. This year, every Mom in the City reader gets a deal! If you use the code EM1540, you will get a 40% off discount on select performances through December 13th. You can purchase those tickets at http://www.ticketmaster.com/. Also, kids 12 and under can save 30% off for all shows by using the code KIDS25. You can purchase those tickets here at http://www.ticketmaster.com. Enjoy!

Have you ever been to Raymour & Flanigan? When I was shopping for a television stand for our television earlier this year, my aunt-in-law found the perfect one there…the day AFTER I had already purchased mines. Oh, well. Anyway, they recently opened a Manhattan store at Broadway and 66th Street. To celebrate the opening I’m going to do a Q&A with their design expert Kristan Cunningham next week. (Do you know of her? She has a HGTV show called Design on a Dime and she is a regular guest on the Rachel Ray Show.)

Please let me know if you have any questions that you would like for me to ask Kristan regarding holiday decorating (or decorating in general). I know that I can definitely use some help. I’m still trying to figure out my window treatment situation…and I moved six months ago! If you would like to ask her something, you can either leave it the “Comment” section below or send me an email.

Meanwhile, I wanted to let you know Raymour and Flanigan is also offering a coupon for $100 off every $1000 spent at the new store for members of their Facebook fanpage. (Also be sure to visit their Twitter account for updated information and special values. Happy Decorating!

Did you see the 11/25 Rachel Ray episode? If not, I wanted to let you know that Snapfish is giving her viewers (and anyone else with the correct code!) the opportunity to receive 50% off their own customizable photo book. Just use promo code RRBOOK until December 2nd to get the discount. (On a charitable note: $1 from each purchase will go to local food banks nationwide.) For more details about the promotion, you can visit www.snapfish.com/rachaelray.

On a side note, photo books are a great gift for those people on your gift list who have everything (or could easily get whatever they want for themselves!). Last year, we bought a photo book for my husband’s aunt (AKA my fairy godmother). It was filled with pictures of her with the kids from the past year. She loved it!