Uncle Ben’s is introducing two new Ready Rice varieties, Jasmine and Basmati this June. I love Indian and Thai food, so I previewed the products. You just pop them in the microwave for 90 seconds and that’s it. Honestly, I was only able to taste a bit of each because my husband and sons gobbled them up first. (I’m the “potato” girl from the South, but all of my guys prefer rice.)

The fun part: Mom in the City has been chosen to be one of ten sites involved in Uncle Ben’s ‘Simplify Your Life’ contest. One lucky Mom in the City reader will win $100 worth of UNCLE BEN’S® READY RICE® Basmati and Jasmine products. In addition, the winner will be entered to win a grand prize: a personal chef for a work week (5 days worth of meals)!

To win, share a cooking or food tip that helps you simplify your life (i.e. prepping a week’s worth of meals on Sunday; grocery shopping with a list; etc.) in the “Comments” section below by June 1st.

(Everyone please enter and spread the word! This contest is for a great cause. For each submitted tip, Uncle Ben’s will donate $1 to Feeding America, a national food bank network / hunger-relief organization.)

aden + anais Discount
Aden + anais (www.adenandanais.com) is having a sale on their Winter Warmth and Dream blankets in April and May. Winter Warmth Swaddles are on sale for $29.95 (normally $49.95) and Dream Blankets are on sale for $39.95 (normally $59.95). You can visit adenandanais.com and enter promo code “wintersale” to receive the discount.

Free Eye Screenings for Tri-State Low Income Families
Prevent Blindness Tri-State (PBTS) has created a program that provides free eye screenings to low income families throughout the Tri-State (CT, NJ & NY) area called The Healthy Eyes for Kids Program. It provides vision screening, eye exams, glasses, and other vision services for low income children to help prevent permanent vision loss and learning difficulties. (Children’s vision should be tested between 3 and 4, either during a well-child visit to the doctor, a visit to an eye doctor, or at a vision screening such as those performed by Prevent Blindness Tri-State.) If you or anyone that you know could benefit from this program, please visit their site.

Free Resources on Child Development for Parents
The CDC has a “Learn the Signs. Act Early” campaign which is designed to educate parents about healthy child development and how to detect the early warning signs of autism and other developmental disabilities. They are offering a variety of information and free resources to help parents learn the signs of positive development and then take action if they notice a lapse. You can visit their online resources including web videos discussing developmental milestones at the www.cdc.gov/actearly site.

Vote for Your Favorite Sesame Street Moment
Genius Products and Sesame Workshop have teamed with Amazon to allow fans to take a stroll down “Sesame” lane and vote for their favorite classic Sesame Street clip to be included in a DVD compilation due out later this year. Beginning April 1st, fans visiting www.amazon.com/sesamestreetvote can view 10 clips from some of the series’ best classic episodes and vote for their favorite one. The clip with the most votes by April 28th will be featured in the Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days DVD that is set to be released in November 2009.

Wake Up Call
Recently, Mott’s partnered with actress Marcia Cross on a program called Wake Up Call. With Feeding America, a hunger relief organization, they are working to help provide one million meals to hungry children and families in the U.S. If you go to www.motts.com and send a wake-up call from Marcia to your friends and family, Mott’s will donate one dollar to Feeding America for every call placed. (Each dollar will provide more than seven meals to children and families in need.)