Congrats to winner: Jennifer G.

Sometimes, a picture doesn’t do justice. That’s the case when you look at the adorable baby wear items (onesies, t-shirts, caps, bibs, infant gowns and blankets) from Do-Dah Doodles online. This line was created by talented artist/mom/grandmom Judy Vartan.

I was sent one of their “Frolicking Frog” short sleeve t-shirts to review. (I picked the frog, but there are 24 designs from which to choose.) The shirt is so cute and soft. I like that it is made out of pre-shrunk 100% cotton. (My kids sweat a lot, so they need to wear breathable clothes!) I also like the lap style neck, because it makes it easier to pull the shirt on over Sean’s head. Lastly, I like that the t-shirt has a tagless label. (I usually end up cutting out labels on clothes, because they bother my kids.) And did I mention that the frog is super cute? The only thing that I don’t like is that this line wasn’t introduced earlier. It only goes up to sizes 18-24 months, so my kids have pretty much aged out of it! (On a side note, Judy has also designed a line of organic cotton clothing featuring endangered animals. The proceeds from the sale of that line go to the World Wildlife Fund.)

Now, here’s the fun part. Judy is offering a Mom in the City reader one garment of their choice from the Do-Dah Doodles site.

To win, please visit Do-Dah Doodles and share which design and garment you would like in the “Comments” section below by July 15th.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

20TH CENTURY FOX and MGM are doing a special Valentine’s Day promotion where they are offering over 55 romantic DVDs perfect for that “special someone”. Many of the movies are Oscar nominated favorites like An Affair To Remember, The Princess Bride, Lars And The Real Girl, The Devil Wears Prada, Moulin Rouge and When Harry Met Sally. Select DVDs also include an exclusive film-themed Valentine’s Day postcard featuring memorable quotes and romantic movie images. (All of the DVDs can be purchased at foxstore.com.)

The best part is that they are giving away a bundle of the following five DVDs to one lucky Mom in the City member:

-4 Weddings and a Funeral

-27 Dresses

-An Affair to Remember

-Princess Bride

And

-Moulin Rouge

To enter this special one week giveaway, leave the name of your favorite FoxStore.com romance movie in the “Comments” section below by noon on 2/9. The winner will be notified and must respond with their shipping information by noon on 2/11. Good luck!

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

STOP SELF-SABOTAGE! Get Out of Your Own Way to Earn More Money, Improve Your Relationships, and Find the Success You Deserve is a new book by popular clinical psychotherapist Pat Pearson. It really focuses on helping people grow in a variety of areas – primarily health, relationships and career. Pat’s premise is that we unconsciously sabotage ourselves because we don’t truly believe that we deserve happiness in every area of our life.

The book shares exercises, quizzes, and stories along with personal reflections on breakthrough moments from Pat’s own life in order to help readers break the tendency to self-sabotage and to make their dreams a reality.

Although I’m not big on the whole “deserve” mentality, I understand the gist of what she’s trying to get across – that people need to feel worthy of their desires. (Honestly, the life that I have is much better than what I “deserve” based on some of my past attitudes and actions. As such, I focus on what I want rather than what I deserve!) I do agree with Pat that practically everyone engages in some (or many) forms of self-sabotage. I think that being more aware of our patterns can definitely help us to stop doing this as much. The other thing that I really agree with in this book is when Pat writes about Self Talk. We really do have to be careful regarding the thoughts that we allow ourselves to think and the things that we say to ourselves. Study after study has shown that our thoughts affect our emotions which affect our actions! In any event, I recommend this book to those who are trying to work on various aspects of their lives, (After all, aren’t we all “works in progress”?)

To win this book, share one way that you have “sabotaged” your health, relationships or career in the past in the “Comments” section below by January 31st.

(To read about what others are reading this month, visit What’s on Your Nightstand. Also, don’t forget that the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival is this week!)

Isn’t it funny how we think that we know the answers to most parenting dilemmas before we experience them with our own kids? (Or maybe that’s just me!) In any event, I had very definite opinions about “picky eaters” before I had one of my own. Logically, I thought that if a kid gets hungry enough, they’ll eat whatever you give them. That theory worked pretty well with Michael, my oldest son. It’s not working so well with Sean, my younger son. At first, I called him “our little vegetarian” because he ate fruit, veggies, and pasta…pretty much everything but meat. That quickly changed though. Now, it’s a battle to get him to eat…period! We keep on introducing a variety of foods to him though. (Sometimes, kids “change their minds” and like things that they didn’t previously.) He’s tough though. We’ve even tried bribing him with the “good stuff” after the “good for you stuff”, but he is a stubborn one. He’ll simply opt out of getting the goodies. My little one has a strong will!

In any event, I was excited to hear about Gerber’s “Start Healthy, Stay Healthy” campaign. It is focused on educating people about the importance of starting good eating habits in children from birth to preschool. Recently, Gerber did a Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) which revealed amongst other things that as many as 25% of children did not consume a single fruit or vegetable serving on a given day(?!). (Okay, I must admit that made me feel a bit better about the state of my finicky eater.)

To help, Gerber is encouraging mothers to take the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy pledge. You can create your own pledge, by going here. You can also see some of the videos (like the one below) on the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy YouTube channel.

Gerber – Really?! Video

To help spread the word about this campaign, Gerber is giving away a Gerber diaper bag backpack filled with a teddy bear and recipe tin to one Mom in the City reader. To enter this giveaway, visit Start Healthy, Stay Healthy and share your pledge in the comments section below by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday , Contest Monday or Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival.)

Warm Whiskers offers unique animal-shaped gifts for both humans and pets! I’m excited that they’re giving away one of both their “Dog Eye & Dream Pillow” (Price: $18.00) and a pair of their “Cat Slippers – Medium: 8-9″ (Price: $30.00) to one lucky Mom in the City reader.

“Whether heated up in the microwave or cooled off in the freezer, the soothing aroma of lavendar combined with the comfort of buckwheat relieves tension instantly.

Warm Whiskers know that our pets calm and decrease stress. They brilliantly combine their aromatic and healing properties with the snuggly comfort of our favorite animals. Perfect for anyone that needs a little relaxation in time in their day. Warm Whiskers are portable enough to use when you travel, comfortable enough to nap with and cute enough to make the perfect gift!

On a cold night pop your warm whiskers in the microwave for a quick and toasty solution to work wonders on stiff necks, back spasms, poor circulation or arthritic pain. Only 90 seconds in the microwave will provide an hour of fragrant herbs and gentle warmth to bring you back to life. Melt away tension and pain while cuddling with our adorable critters.

Cool off with your chilled out Warm Whiskers! Getting a bump, bruise or inflammation is never fun. Taking a Warm Whiskers out of the fridge and applying it to a little one’s boo-boo not only helps to heal but helps dry the eyes as well. Kids can’t help but smile when draped with one of our furry companions! Draped around the shoulders on a hot and humid day, they make adults smile.”

To enter this giveaway, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of your favorite Warm Whiskers product by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday , Contest Monday or Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival.)

Jennifer Garner hosted Baby Einstein’s 10th Anniversary Celebration back in August of 2008. In the December issue of American Baby magazine, she also mentioned that she gives away Baby Einstein books at baby showers. To celebrate Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s new baby daughter (Seraphina Rose Elizabeth Affleck), Baby Einstein is giving away a collection of five books to one lucky Mom in the City reader!

Below is some information on each of the books in the prize pack:

“Alphabooks
Discovering the alphabet has never been more fun than with these 26 mini board books. Real-life photos and illustrations of everyday objects introduce Baby to each letter, and every mini board book can be stored and carried in a colorfully decorated Alphabooks box.

Neighborhood Animals
A delightful introduction to eight familiar animals. With infants and babies, point to each animal as you say its name to reinforce the connection between the name and image. Have fun making animal sounds with your child! Observe animals with your child at home (if you have a pet) or in the park or playground. Talk about what they look like, how they move, and what and how they eat. Encourage your child to make his or her own observations.”

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of your favorite Baby Einstein product AND the name of your favorite baby shower gift (to give) by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

Sleep is one of the important foundations to good health, so I’m excited about this wonderful giveaway from Brookstone. They are giving away one of their Tranquil Moments White Noise Sound Machine for Baby (PRICE: $69.95) to one lucky Mom in the City reader!

“With programs developed by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research, Brookstone Tranquil Moments® white noise machines for babies are clinically proven baby sleep solutions for parents looking for a little sleep themselves! Wonderfully effective sleep aids, these white noise machines calm restless children and help them sleep more soundly.

Set the 30-, 60- or 90-minute sleep timer and select from Prenatal, Lullaby, Dolphins, Car Ride, Heartbeat, and White Noise programs. Exclusive Sleep Enhancement Technology™ gradually slows down the program and decreases volume to gently lull your child to sleep. Uses AC adapter (included) or four AA batteries (not included).”

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of your favorite Brookstone product by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

One aspect of Personal Growth that we’re focusing on this month is “Health and Wellness”. Exercise definitely falls under this category. After the holidays, I want some sort of incentive to get back into my workout routine. One thing that helps spur me on is having some cute, new workout clothes. As such, I was super excited when Jockey sent me a few pieces to review (and a couple of great pieces to give away to one of you too!).

I was sent the Soy Cropped Yoga Pant in black. I love that these pants are both eco-friendly and super-comfortable. Personally, they’re not my “style”. I’m 5’2, so cropped pants don’t look so great on me. However, these pants are so cozy that I find myself reaching for them again and again.

I also received the Double-Layer Ribbed Tank Top in coral berry and the Zen Dance Pant in gracious gray/coral berry. They are very cute and comfortable. Later in the month, I’m going to post a video “The Real Mom’s Workout” of me doing my daily Tae-bo workout (it’s only 20 minutes, but without fail one or both of my kids bang on my back/crawl through my legs or some other crazy thing!). I’ll be wearing this outfit in it, so you’ll be able to actually see the pieces “at work”.

Now for the fun part…one lucky Mom in the City member will receive:
-Spliced Crop Pant in gracious gray/gold (size small) Price: $32.00

And

-High Impact Wicking Cotton Bra in white (size medium) Price: $36.00

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of your favorite Jockey Activewear item OR by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Jockey” and the answer in the Subject line by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

Are you a football fan? I’m not, but my husband definitely is. He is especially excited about this year’s Super Bowl and is considering hosting a Super Bowl Party. If he does, I’ll enjoy getting together and hanging out with our friends. In any event, whether you are a diehard football fan or are just looking for an excuse to throw a party, you’ll enjoy this giveaway! Pepsi (RefreshEverything.com), the sponsor of the NFL Rookie of the Year, is giving away an Ultimate Super Bowl Party Pack (valued at $250) to one lucky Mom in the City reader so that you can enjoy your own at-home viewing party!

The package includes the following:
• 1 football
• 1 beverage pail
• 1 snack helmet
• 2 key chains
• 2 hats
• 2 t-shirts
• 5 Pepsi 24 pack coupons
• 5 Frito Lay coupons

To enter, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of who you think should be the 2008 Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year OR by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Super Bowl” and the answer in the Subject line by Friday, January 23rd at noon. The winner will be notified and must respond by Sunday, January 25th by 5pm (EST).

Game on!

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)

Who says that Valentine’s Day is just for adults? We are giving away a copy of Elmo Loves You! just in time for that special day!

“Always thoughtful and kind, Elmo is making a surprise card for someone special in Elmo Loves You!, debuting on DVD January 6th from Genius Products and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street. Everyone’s favorite furry red monster is joined by Rosita and heroic helper Super Grover on an important quest to save the day and make someone feel loved. Building upon Sesame Workshop’s legacy of engaging educational programs, Elmo Loves You! is a joyful adventure that imparts valuable life lessons about love, emotion and friendship in a memorable way that resonates with preschoolers and young children. Boasting special performances by some of music’s greatest talents, Elmo Loves You! features Grammy® Award winners Trisha Yearwood, John Legend and R.E.M., along with a toddler-ific new tune, “Elmo Loves You.” Children will learn how to sign the words “I Love You” from a delightful new music video. A perfect gift for Valentines Day or any day, Elmo Loves You!, will be available for the suggested retail price of $14.93.”

To enter to win the DVD, leave your name in the “Comments” section below along with the name of your favorite Sesame Street character OR by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Elmo” and the answer in the Subject line by January 31st.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday or Contest Monday.)