Giveaway - Win We Ski & Snowboard for the Nintendo Wii!

Random.org has selected the winner: #9, Eugene from CA!!! Congrats!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered and keep checking in as more swell giveaways are in the pipeline.

I've been skiing and snowboarding for years. But now that I have two toddlers, it's easier to hit the slopes in my living room by jumping on my Wii Fit Balance Board and shredding it up with We Ski & Snowboard. This game is perfect for beginners to experts. You can attend snow school to learn the ski and snowboard ropes and then you are off. Ski tricks abound including backwards riding, flips and helicopters. Snowboarding is either regular or goofy foot and you can twist, turn and flip to your hearts desire. They even have a We Ski and Snowboard Fun Park, complete with a huge half-pipe, rails and fun boxes. It really is a nice escape for me, the scenery is really nice with 7,000 vertical meters and two huge mountains. It's fun to see all the spiffy details like cottages and other skiers skiing along with you. You also pick up little pieces of conversation here and there as you zip by. So it's really a full sensory experience! There is also day, afternoon and night modes which are fun to try out.

Hey, times are tough and lift tickets are more expensive than ever. Add the cost of equipment and the fact that most people have to drive or fly quite a distance to get to a resort. Good lord, you've blown a ton of cash. So, why not just kick it at home with friends and family? We Ski & Snowboard allows for multiple players (up to 4 players) and lots of friendly competition.

We Ski & Snowboard game has just been released this month by Namco Bandai. So here is your chance to be among the first to try it out. How to enter: Simply leave a comment, any comment and make sure you include your e-mail address. One entry per person. Entries limited to addresses within the United States. I will utilize the services of Random.org to select one winner. Contest period runs from Monday, March 23 until Midnight Wednesday, April 1, 2009. Remember, you can't win unless you enter!

Natasha Richardson Was A Mom

I'm over on the LA Moms Blog today. Natasha Richardson Was A Mom. I'm so, so sad.

Shamrock Shakes

When I was in second grade, our class had a contest for St. Patrick's Day.  The student who wore the most green items would win lunch at McDonald's with the teacher and a Shamrock Shake.  I vividly recall planning my ensemble for days.  I carefully collected anything and everything that could be worn by me and was green.  I even secured green underwear.  I won--handily.  So off we went to McDonald's: Mrs. Mayo (my teacher), Cathy (the girl who won from the class next door) and her teacher.  I had my first Shamrock Shake, the year was 1977.  Jimmy Carter was the new President.  Today, 32 years later, I had my most recent Shamrock Shake.  Barack Obama is the new President. 

I was able to find solace and comfort in a childhood favorite, the minty, refreshing, creamy Shamrock Shake.  Back in '77 there was only one size shake and there was a character named Grimace who drank them.  Now McDonald's shakes come in 3 sizes, each one bigger than the '77 version and most Americans are as big as Grimace.  It used to be you could count on two things in March, the Shamrock Shake and the NCAA Tournament.  The former is no longer a given.  They are not available everywhere and are not available every year.  In 2007, they were not to be found anywhere in the Los Angeles basin.  Frustratingly.   I even recall pulling up to drive thrus and asking "Do you have Shamrock Shakes?"  The person would always respond "Yes."  Excited, I would pull up to the window only to meet someone who had only a passing command of English and was probably experiencing their first St. Patrick's Day in this country.  I would repeat "Shamrock Shake."  And they would respond, "Wha' kind o' eeee-shake, you want?"  I would ask them to get their manager, who luckily had been in the country at least a couple of years.  They would come to the window and explain that they didn't have them this year.
I'm always amazed when I meet people, fellow Americans, contemporaries, if you will, who do not know what a Shamrock Shake is.  I cannot be friends with them.  I. Just. Can't.  I don't care if you think they are disgusting.  Just that you KNOW of them.  That you are part of my tribe.  There is even a website dedicated to the Shamrock Shake.  They are only available for a limited time.  And oh-so-delicious.

Out Sick

I'm really sick. Ailing. Sooo tired. I will be back. Thanks for your understanding.

Only in a Woman's World

I was very excited when Frito-Lay invited me to be a part of the Red Carpet Premiere of Only in a Woman's World this past week. It's premiering tonight on Bravo and then there will be new episodes every two weeks, viewable online at AWomansWorld.com. The series is about four friends named Anna, Cheryl, Maya and Nikki. Here is the trailer:

The party was held at the oh-so-wicked-hip Coco de Ville in Hollywood and was hosted by Brooke Burke, mother of 4 and winner of Dancing with the Stars. Also in attendance was Mel B., aka Scary Spice, another Dancing with the Stars contestant. I got the chance to hang out with Mel for a spell and she kindly offered to do a giveaway on my blog! Watch for an upcoming post with all the details. Mel said she really enjoyed watching the premiere of Only in a Woman's World. So of course I had to ask her about her most famous pals...The rest of The Spice Girls. She told me they are all great friends and talk all the time. Well, that was certainly nice to hear. It was fun to walk to red carpet, dodge the paparazzi and have the chance to mingle with my fellow mommy bloggers, many of whom flew in for the event. The food was yummy with the mini-cheeseburger sliders being my favorite. They had cocktails named after each of the girls, and I sampled ALL 4 of them. Tasty.

Frito-Lay had several products at the party and in our gift bags. Smartfood Popcorn Clusters in Chocolate Cookie Caramel Pecan were my friend Linda's favorite. They also had Baked Lays in the Southwestern Ranch flavor, YUM! I'm a fan of their Flat Earth line and they had a big bag of Spicy Salsa for me to take home and my family inhaled them. My favorite is the introduction of the 100 Calorie Fritos. When I was in first grade, I brought a ham and cheese sandwich with yellow mustard and a bag of Frito's and a Drake's Devil Dog every day for lunch. It had to be an actual Fritos Snack Size bag, no Fritos in a ziploc bag for me (what a little twerp I was). Heh. Anyway, you can check out all the snacks at the Only in a Woman's World site. Fun night, fun series and yummy snacks! Thanks for inviting me Frito-Lay!

Brooke & Mel B.

Random Part

Don't you hate it when you find a random part in your car and have no idea where it came from? And you just stick it in a cupholder or other nook and it just sits there. And every time you look at it, you get annoyed and wonder if it's important.

Oscars - The Gold One & The Grouch

This past Friday, I was invited to bring my children to visit Sesame Street Presents: The Body, an interactive exhibit that teaches kids about their bodies.  It is running through April 26th at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, CA.  Coincidentally, Hollywood & Highland is also the home of the Oscars which is just wrapping up at the Kodak Theater as I type this.  So it was with great trepidation that I headed with my one year old and two year old to the EXACT location of the Oscars, 48 hours before the show.  Street closures were already in effect.  But, that's my neighborhood so I know my way around.  I expertly guided my minivan through Hollywood avoiding BOTH Hollywood Blvd and Highland Ave.  I whipped into the Orange Dr. entrance to be greeted by about 7 security personnel.  They searched my vehicle and ran those mirrors on sticks under the body.  Apparently my frazzled mom appearance and two babies strapped into carseats wasn't enough to give me a free pass.  I got a nod from the security chief and proceeded into the underground parking.  Down, down, doooowwwwwn.  Two thirds of the parking was roped off for "OSCARS".  Finally, I got to the bottom level and said, screw it!  And whipped through the roped off area.  A nice guy helped me get a spot.  I cranked open the double stroller and locked and loaded Chip and Lulu.  I cruised into the elevator/escalator area and looked around for signage to indicate where I could find the Sesame Street exhibit.  Nothing.  I looked at the signs by the elevator.  Nothing.  I got into the elevator. Nothing.  I even asked security guards.  They had no idea.  I got off at the first level and there was no signage and no one to ask.  All this in the midst of the craziness of the Oscar preparations.  Security everywhere, workers with credentials around their necks, walkie-talkies going.  Everyone I asked had no idea what I was talking about.  Finally some random guy suggested I go up a level to the Plaza Level (level 2).  So I did.  When I got off  and headed towards the plaza.  Finally a sign, but the sign didn't say WHERE the exhibit was.  Ok, I kept pushing the stroller into the main plaza and blessedly found a security guard who knew.  He pointed me to a ramp that lead right to Sesame Street Presents: The Body!!!  May my exasperation be your salvation, the exhibit is directly across from California Pizza Kitchen on the second level.

We cruised right in and were just in time to see Elmo.  Elmo comes out once per hour for about 20 minutes and interacts with the kids.  Chip and Lulu smiled and gave Elmo high fives.  I met with the PR rep who was very nice and gave me a rundown of the event.  The exhibit was fun and had a lot going on, but Chip had no interest in getting out of the stroller.  Something was not right.  I put my hands on him and he was burning up, he said he didn't feel well.  Great.  I excused myself and went on a mission to find a drugstore.  I found the same angelic security guard who helped me find the exhibit.  He actually lead me on a shortcut to the best exit to approach the drugstore.  Chip and Lulu's hair blew in the breeze as we cowboyed it with the security guard through the Oscar melee, through the tourists gawking at the melee, over the electrical cords strung across the floor with temporary speed bumps over them, thunk, thunk went the stroller.  We whipped past reporters and all sorts of event staff.  The security guard secured a back elevator and bid me godspeed.  We went down to the Graumann's Chinese Theatre side of Hollywood & Highland.  I was really cooking with gas now.  The stroller was cruising over the handprints and footprints and signatures in the cement in front of the theater.  We whipped onto the sidewalk and bobbed and weaved around foreign tourists bent over looking at the stars on Hollywood Blvd.  A block later I secured a bottle of Children's Motrin, gave Chip a shooter of the stuff and headed back through exactly what I had gone through.  I felt lame that I had bailed out on the PR event.  We made it back in good time.

Chip came back to life and we were able to take in the event!  The Body allows kids to explore their insides, their outsides, how the body works and how to stay healthy, all within the familiar world of their favorite Sesame Street Muppets.  Chip and Lulu loved the obstacle course area, all padded including a fun slide that Lulu couldn't get enough of.  Next they went to Mr. Hooper's Store and picked out healthy (play) food and rang them all up at the register.  Chip loved playing the cashier.  While we were in the store, Elmo came in!  Chip had a blast putting food in Elmo's shopping basket and helping him decide what to buy.  It was really neat for the kids to be able to interact with Elmo.  But, by far, the BEST part of the exhibit was Oscar the Grouch!  Over at the street area of the exhibit, sits Oscar's Trashcan.  If you rattle the can and pull on the lid, Oscar yells from inside!  Chip was desperate to see Oscar.  Well, there is no Oscar, just a motion activated voice coming from the can.  Chip kept yelling, "Where's Oscar?"  I was chasing Lulu, so I yelled back, "Oscar is in the can!"  Then I realized how that sounded....Oh...Well.  Chip could not be bribed to leave, he was obsessed with seeing Oscar.  I had to keep yelling, "Oscar is in the can!"  I wanted out.  It was time to leave, we had seen it all and I was wiped.  I said, we'll see Oscar on the way to the car!  I finally got Chip and Lulu into the stroller.  Bid thank you to our PR hosts and headed towards the home of the Oscars while leaving Oscar in his home.  As promised, I took a loop down to the grand entrance and showed Chip the big gold statues.  He could not have cared less.  He wanted the REAL one, in the can.

If you happen to be in the Hollywood area and your kids are Sesame Street fans, I highly recommend stopping into Sesame Street Presents: The Body.  It is open Fridays-Sundays 10:00am-5:00pm in addition to Spring Break Weekdays.  Visit their site www.sesamestreetpresents.org for full info.  $10 per child and includes one adult.  Parking at Hollywood & Highland is $2 with validation from exhibit.  Group rates available.