11/23/16: Lola the Therapy Dog Book Series

Reading is so important for kids so this is why the next cool gift in my Holiday Gift Guide is a book series about Lola the Therapy Dog written by Marcia Goldman who is her owner.  Our new puppy Shellie the Sheltie decided to check out the books too with real pictures of Lola.

These books are adorable talking about visits to the doctor, going to work, first day of school and being a tattletale.  Lola is a little Yorkie.  I had a little Yorkie named Rocky when I was growing up.  They are great little dogs but not usually therapy dogs but Lola overcame the odds and became one.

How cute is she?

Lauren read to Shellie about going to the doctor.  Even Shellie was really interested in the cute pictures of Lola.  Lauren loved reading the books and thought Lola was adorable.

This is a such a wonderful book series because it teaches kids how to overcome their fears.  Children will identify with the feisty Lola as she struggles going to school, passing tests, and finally achieving her Big Dog dream.  If Lola can make it in a world of Great Danes and Labradors, so can anybody who's feeling like a runt.  The book shows children how through hard work and determination, anyone can achieve their goals.

You can purchase the books on Amazon.  What a great gift for your budding reader.  They are easy to read for young children and would be perfect for Kindergartners to Second Graders.

Disclosure:  I was provided with the set of four Lola books and small stuffed animal.  No other compensation was received and as always all opinions are my own.

1/30/16: The Perfect Portion Cookbook Pre-Order Special Price

Everyone is trying to eat healthier and watch their portions.  I know our family is watching our calorie intake and I am always looking for easier ways to do this.  I often time finding myself buying those 100 calorie pack snacks or taking a bowl with a snack in it instead of the whole box or bag.  With this in mind The Perfect Portion Cookbook was written.  Read on for special Pre-Order Pricing.

It features actor/director Anson Williams from "Happy Days," and The Perfect Portion cookbook launches February 7th on QVC.  It is written by New York Times best-selling cookbook author, Bob Warden and food and nutrition expert, Mona Dolgov of Natick, Massachusetts and was just featured on the TODAY show and on The Doctors as a new way to think about portion control and nutrition.  

Here is a breakdown of the calories you should eat in a typical day.

These recipes are all divisible by 100 so you can watch your calorie intake by controlling your portions.  There are delicious recipes like French toast, chili, chicken pot pie, and lasagna.  In the recipes ingredients are swapped out for better-for-you ingredients that don’t sacrifice flavor and taste better than the originals.

Here is a sample:

It is available for pre-order now on Amazon $29.95: http://amzn.to/1Jb44BZ and sold on QVC with a special pre-order price of $19.95​ if you us​e​ this link: http://qvc.co/1O8Qgzp

I can't wait to try some of these recipes out!

Disclosure:  I was provided with a copy of The Perfect Portion Cookbook for promotional purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

4/8/14: Frozen Storybook App and Books

Unless you have been living under a rock you have heard of Academy Award winning film Disney's Frozen.  It is the hottest movie right now and parents and children alike are listening to the Frozen Soundtrack on an infinite loop.  All Frozen products are so hard to find and I daily see pictures of Disney Stores with lines at opening to get Frozen products.  I previously reviewed some Disney Frozen Products, but now I wanted to share some books created by Disney Publishing Worldwide.  These would all be perfect for Easter Baskets. 

My daughter is having a Frozen theme for her birthday party this weekend and was so excited to receive these books.  Here she is reading Frozen: A Sister More Like Me.  It is a beautiful hard cover picture book.  It is an original story about Anna and Elsa.  It is beautifully illustrated and she really enjoyed reading it.

 She was reading it after gong to breakfast with the Easter Bunny and has her face painted like a bunny.  She loved this book and kept it in bed with her to read at night.

 Here it is.

 My personal favorite is the Frozen Read-Along Storybook and CD.  It is a USA TODAY best-selling novel.  It tells the story of Anna when she goes on her journey to find her sister Elsa.  I love the CD, this is so great for kids to hear the book being read and look at the words.  It is a great way to learn to read.  It even has the original voices from the movie.

The next book Frozen: A Tale of Two Sisters we had previously received through Scholastic at school.  Lauren's teacher gave them a book each for Valentine's Day and Lauren went right for this book.  In fact I saw this book flying off the shelf at the School Book Fair.  It is a great level 2 book for young readers ages 4-6.

Last but not least is Frozen: The Junior Novelization which is a New York Times and USA TODAY best-selling novel.  It is a great Chapter book and good for grades 3 on.  It retells the whole exciting story and features eight pages of full-color scenes from the movie!  My daughter really likes looking through this section.  

Plus there is the Frozen: Storybook Deluxe App.  It introduces young readers to Frozen.  Children and families can relive the epic adventure by flipping the device upside-down to hear the story from sisters Anna and Elsa's points of view, using "ice craft" tools that let kids create and build their own frozen scenes and crystal palaces, and watching video clips from the film itself.  It is super cute.

These are such great products for any Frozen enthusiast!

Disclosure:  I received these books and a code for the app in order to review it.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own. 

5/10/12: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms Review and Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED: Congratulations bloomerbear

As a Mom we juggle quite a few duties however the most important part of being a Mom is having a happy family.  Learning to stress less about everyday issues is a key to this and now there is a community and a book focused on just this.  "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms”.  Plus it is a perfect gift for Mother's Day.

It is so hard sometimes to let things go for me, however lately I have been really trying to take things day by day and stop worrying about things I can't control (weather, etc).  This is my way of trying to not sweat the small stuff.  I love a lot of the content especially Chapter 1 - There is no such thing as a perfect Mom.  I feel like we are often so worried if we are "doing it right" when in actuality there is no "right".  This took me a while to learn being someone that went to school for engineering and loving Math that always has constants like 2 + 2 = 4.  There is no ambiguity there, but in parenting there is.

I would love for you to join me in this community of Moms choosing happiness over stress.  

You can be an official Don’t Sweat Mom too, just go here: http://www.dontsweatmoms.com/ 

You can get the book on Amazon and Barnes and Nobles.

As one of my readers you can also get the 1st Chapter free by going here! Plus read on to find out how you can win the book.

 More info here about the book:

"In the first new Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff book in nine years, Kristine Carlson shows how moms can live with less stress and more happiness. Kristine Carlson gives mothers tried-and-true advice that will empower them to find greater peace, joy, and harmony within themselves and their homes. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms reveals how to: be a mom (not a friend), balance being a woman and a mom, pursue your passion (but not at the expense of your children, and reclaim your family time."

Check out the book trailer:

Find them on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/DontSweatMoms

Twitter:  @DontSweatMoms #DontSweatMoms

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dontsweatmoms

Here is how to enter to Win a Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms Book!

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

- Tell me what you do to de-stress.  (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you.  Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries Optional:

- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and then comment here that you did.

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side) and leave a comment that you did.

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are.

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.
- Follow @DontSweatMoms on Twitter.  Then leave a comment here that you followed them.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): #Win Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms @DontSweatMoms from @galiberti http://bit.ly/JiBWxQ #Giveaway #DontSweatMoms

Contest closes Friday, June 1st, 2012.  US residents only. 

Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Disclosure:  I received this book for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

4/9/12: Howard B. Wigglebottom Book Giveaway and Review

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS KELLY FOR WINNING THE BOOK!
A very difficult skill for kids is learning about sportsmanship.  I find my son specifically struggles when losing when playing a board game or video game.  Being a gracious loser is difficult, especially for kids.   It is hard if your team loses at Soccer or any sport.  I was happy to see there is a cute kid's book to address this called:  Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Sportsmanship: Winning Isn’t Everything.  Read on and you can win a hardcover copy. 

My son really enjoyed the book as the characters played Soccer and so does he.  He liked reading the story to see what would happen at the end and couldn't believe the way Howard acted at some points in the book.  It made for great discussion with him about he would handle different situations and how important it is to have fun playing and to shake the other teams player's hands after a game.

More about the book:

The book introduces 4-8 year olds to concepts like respect, camaraderie, teamwork and the playing games and sports for the fun of it. There are several free resources to support the book at http://www.wedolisten.org: including the Winning Isn’t Everything song, a printable poster, lessons and discussion questions.

How do you deal with sportsmanship issues with your children?  Add a comment below as an additional entry for the Giveaway.

Here is how to enter to Win a Wigglebottom book of your choice:

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

- Look at http://www.wedolisten.org and tell me which Howard B. Wigglebottom book you would like.  (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you.  Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries Optional:
- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and then comment here that you did.

- Like Howard B. Wigglebottom on Facebook http://on.fb.me/iB9dWN and then comment here that you did.

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.
- Follow @hbwigglebottom on Twitter and leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): #Win a Howard B. Wigglebottom book from @galiberti  http://bit.ly/Hot0XL #Giveaway @hbwigglebottom

Contest closes Saturday, April 28th, 2012.  US and Canada only.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and their prize will be sent to them.

Disclosure: I received the Howard B. Wigglebottom Learns About Sportsmanship book using MomBlogSociety.com to review it. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

3/7/12: The Mother Company Helping Kids Express their Feelings With Great Products

I was lucky enough to get to have a wonderful brunch with the owners of The Mother Company when I was at Toy Fair.  The Mother Company was started by guess who???  Mom's like us of course!  I love that they focus on an area that is sometimes neglected in books/videos:  FEELINGS!

As a company they are "all about the social and emotional issues and everyday challenges we face as parents of young children today. As a parenting tool, we not only make helpful products for children, but also offer insightful articles on our site to help take some of the stress out of everyday parenting."  Here is one of their wonderful books.  It is a beautiful picture book with empowering messages to learn about feelings.  They also now have this available as an App for kids for iPhone and iPad on iTunes for only .99 cents. 

 

How appropriate is it that there was a heart with foam in my cappuccino when I attended the breakfast. How super cute?

Abbie Schiller telling us all about their products.  You can see the enthusiasm in her face.  It was so inspiring hearing from her about her struggles as a working Mom and then deciding to stop working and starting The Mother Company.

Another super cute product that my kids really got in to as they love stickers is the "My Feelings Activity Book".  Through drawing and coloring kids get to learn more about their feelings.  

Another mission of The Mother Company is for kids to redefining TV time for kids offering a DVD with content for kids that model good behavior. “Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show” is an educational program that teaches them about their range of feelings. It features the voice of Mel Brooks and the music of Elizabeth Mitchell. Optional “Pop-Up Parenting” feature offers helpful tips from parenting guru Betsy Brown Braun. Recommended by pediatricians, educators, parents and kids!

Here is a trailer you can watch:

"Ruby's Studio: The Feelings Show" - Sneak Peek Trailer from The Mother Company on Vimeo.

Want to give The Mother Company some Love?:

Check out all their products here:

 

Follow them on Twitter: @TheMotherCo

Like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheMotherCompany

Disclosure:  I received these products for review purposes.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

2/10/12: Book By You Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS TO AILEEN
I love personalized items.  Personalized books are also a hit in our family.  The kids love to read and see their names mentioned.  
I am happy to share with you personalized books from Book By You!  Read on to win a book of your own!
Recently we have seen Peter Pan 360 and Peter Pan with Cathy Rigby so I thought what better book to personalize for the kids than Peter Pan.  My daughter Lauren has all the feistiness of Tinker Bell and loves her so I thought she would get a kick out of being Tinker Bell in the book as Lauren Bell!  My son Evan is of course Peter Pan (Evan Pan) I am Wendy, and my husband John is John (of course).

Here is an excerpt (personalized characters are not in bold in the book, just shown here for emphasis):
“Second to the right, and straight on till morning...”
      While the children had started flying toward the island, Evan Pan had let Lauren Bell sleep on his shoulder, but now he wakened her and sent her on in front. Sometimes he poised himself in the air, listening intently, with his hand to his ear, and again he would stare down with brown eyes so bright that they seemed to bore two holes to earth.
      His courage was almost appalling. “Would you like an adventure now,” he said casually to Gilda, “or would you like to have your tea first?”
     Gilda said “tea first” quickly, and her little brother Michael pressed her hand in gratitude, but the braver John hesitated.“What kind of adventure?” he asked cautiously.

 What features can you personalize:

Each novel has a unique cast of characters to personalize, with names, eye colors, hair colors and styles, and more! You select the featured names (displayed on the front cover for paperbacks, and on the first page of hardcovers) and add a dedication. You even have the option to upload a photo for the back cover!  You can even preview your personalized book and have it emailed to you to decide if you like it.
Of course they have more than kid's books.  There is Romance by You which was even featured on The View.
 

Or Mystery by You.

Or Teen books, here is one for those Twilight fans.

As one of my lucky readers you have the chance to win a Personalized Book from Book By You, you will get a Gift Certificate for any paperback - Classic, Teen, Mystery, Romance or Kids.
This giveaway sponsored by http://mamamob.com/ and http://bookbyyou.com/

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Here is how to Win your own Personalized Book By You:

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

- Go to the Book By You Website and tell me which book you would like to personalize.  (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you.  Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Like Book By You on Facebook:  Kids Book By You Facebook Page or Romance Book By You Facebook Page

- Like Mamamob on Facebook 

- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and then comment here that you did.
- Once you Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook share the link to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook.
- Grab my Blog Button and add it to your site and comment here you did.  +2 entries 

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.
- Follow Book By You @bookbyou on Twitter and comment here you are a follower.
- Follow Mama Mob @mamamob on Twitter and comment here you are a follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): Win a personalized book from @bookbyyou, @galiberti and @momamob. http://bit.ly/xIQUch #Giveaway #Win
Contest closes Saturday, February 18th, 2012.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be sent the Gift Certificate for their personalized paperback book.

Disclosure: I received a Personalized Book By You book to review it. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

1/1/12: Win an I See Me Who Loves Me Personalized Book

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA B.  ENJOY YOUR BOOK!
Well now that the Christmas decorations are down (we took ours down today) and we have rung in the New Year I thought I would share some great Valentine's Day Gifts with you.  I have bought numerous books from I See Me.  They are wonderful personalized books for any special child in your life.  They make wonderful baby shower gifts as you can personalize them with a dedication from you.  Evan has the "My Very Own Name" book that spells out his name with animals, and Lauren has the "My Very Own Fairy Tale" book with lots of fairy princesses.  Recently they have come out with a "Who Loves Me" personalized book.  How adorable for Valentine's Day!  You can take a virtual tour of the book here.

One thing I love is that you can add multiple people.  There are 6 spreads of pages making up a 20 page book.  To add more people you can put Mommy and Daddy as 1 and have room for 5 more.  I included both Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.  And I was able to write the book to both children in one.  As you can see here they were reading the book together.

 I love it!  It is so adorable!

 Sharing the book.  You can see some other reviews here.

 Evan checking it out and practicing his reading.  He felt so special reading his own name and all of his family who love him.

Both of my kids love their books from I See Me, and I bet yours would too so I am giving you a chance to win one!

You can also give I See Me some love:
You can like them on Facebook here.
You can follow the author on Twitter at @ISeeMe_Maia 
You can also watch a short video here from the Author.

Here is how to Win your own personalized book for Valentine's Day:

1 entry for each item:

Mandatory Entry:

- Have you ever bought from I See Me?  Go to their website and let me know which book you like best.  (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you.  Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Like Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog on Facebook and then comment here that you did.

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): Win a Personalized Book from I See Me and @galiberti. http://bit.ly/uH0Lz3 @ISeeMe_Maia #Giveaway #Win

Contest closes Saturday, January 14th, 2012.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be able to customize their book.

Disclosure: I received this book to review it. All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.

12/3/11: Baby Santa and the Lost Letters Book Review and Giveaway

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATS TO JEN!

Tired of reading Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Polar Express or other Christmas books.  Here is a new super cute one that will teach your kids some Geography at the same time.  Baby Santa and the Lost Letters.  My 4 and 6 year olds loved it.

 Book Synopsis:

Only a week until Christmas, and the last delivery of children's Christmas letters to Santa have not arrived at the North Pole!

Santa and his elves are ready to finish making presents . . . but where is the last batch of Christmas letters? For the first time in history, the mailbox at the North Pole is empty. If Santa can't find the missing letters, Christmas will be ruined for children across the world.

Just when it seems that all is lost, out jumps Baby Santa. The youngest member of the Claus family relies on his quick wits, his winning attitude, and his endless energy to solve the mystery of the lost letters with help from remarkable animal characters around the globe.  Responding to a cry for help, penguins, kangaroos, and even a three-toed sloth cooperate with friends on every continent in an amazing race to save the holidays.

 I love that on the pages there is a little illustration of the world with the continent the animal is on highlighted.

It is sold on Amazon for $14.95 or Barnes and Nobles or you can win it here.

Here is how to enter to win this Wonderful Book:

1 entry for each item:

- Comment here on this post on who you would like to give the Baby Santa and the Lost Letters Book to.  (comment section at the bottom). Note if you are logging in anonymously please include your email so I can contact you. Also if you have problems, just Preview the comment and it should work. Make sure you see comment posted.

Additional Entries:

- Subscribe to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (and verify the subscription to be valid) and leave a separate comment that you did.

- Subscribe via Google Friend Connect to Evan and Lauren's Cool Blog (on the Right hand side)

- Already a subscriber (thank you) then leave a comment stating you are

- Share this link on your Facebook page and leave a comment here stating you did.

- Follow me on Twitter @galiberti If you already follow me, just leave a comment here that you are a Follower.

- Tweet this Giveaway (you can do this daily): Win a Baby Santa and the Lost Letters Book from @galiberti. http://bit.ly/usU1e8 #Giveaway

Contest closes Saturday, December 10th, 2011.  US only.

Winner will be chosen by Random.org.

Disclosure: I received the Baby Santa and the Lost Letters Book in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.