Bonggamom's Friday Finds -- list your giveaways here

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Welcome to Bonggamom's Friday Finds! I'm glad so many of you are finding this to be a useful way to get more traffic to your giveaways. And as a person who loves entering giveaways, I have to admit it's a great, easy way to find out where all the best giveaways are.

So feel free to leave links to your giveaways, everyone. And don't forget to get cracking and enter everyone else's, too!

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Kid-Friendly Touches at Disney's Grand Californian

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Out of the 3 hotels of the Disneyland Resort, the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa is considered the luxury property, and it's easy to see why.  Just enter the lobby, and it will take your breath away.  Throughout the hotel,  the luxurious Arts & Crafts-inspired fittings and furniture really make you feel like a pampered guest.

The Grand Californian reminds me of the stately Ahwahnee in Yosemite Park, where I always feel like kids have to tiptoe around in fear of disturbing some grand old dame -- but as you'd expect from Disney, kids are more than welcome here.  Here are some of the kid-friendly touches around the Grand Californian:

* There's a kid-sized lounging area in the lobby, where kids can wait while their parents check in at the hotel.  Kid-sized armchairs and rocking chairs surround a giant tv screen playing Disney cartoons, so there's little worry they'll be wandering off.

* Kid-friendly dining options are available right in the hotel.  The Storyteller's Cafe features a daily Character Breakfast hosted by Chip 'n Dale, and kids' menus for lunch and dinner.  The White Water Snacks eatery has a kids' menu and lots of family favorites.  Even the swanky Napa Rose Cafe has a truffled mac & cheese dish , as well as ice creams and sorbets for dinner.

* Need some time away from the kids? Pinocchio's Workshop is located provides group child care seven days a week from 5 p.m. to midnight. The center accepts children ages 5 to 12 and the hours of this special babysitting service are also 5:00pm to 12:00 Midnight.   My friend Beth left her 9 year-old twins there while she attended the Cars Land opening with the other bloggers, and she said they had a blast.


* Family rooms have a queen bed plus twin bunk beds, with an extra trundle bed, so up to three kids can sleep in the room with mom and dad!

* You get Chip 'n  Dale chocolate coins on  your pillow every night, one for each registered hotel guest.


* The pool area has 3 huge pools and 2 hot tubs, so families with kids don't have to disturb couples or adults looking for some kid-free time.



* The kids really enjoyed the pool slide, and a few game adults (including Alfie) took a turn on the slide as well.

On the afternoon that Cars Land opened (Friday, June 15), cast members hosted a Cars-themed poolside party, with a DJ, conga line dancing, hula hoops, coloring activities and goodie bags filled with candy.  It was so much fun!  I'm not sure if this was a one-off event to celebrate the Cars Land opening, or whether they do this every weekend, but we certainly made the most of it.


Thanks to the Disney magic, everyone -- kids and grand old dames included -- can have a great time!



Disclosure: The Disneyland Resort provided accommodations for me and my family for part of our stay.  Additional days stay were incurred at my expense. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Summer Fun with Coppertone Giveaway

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Now that summer is here, we have lots of fun beach trips and picnics and park outings planned.  There's nothing better than relaxing in the sun with an ice-cold drink while watching the kids play!

Spending so much time outdoors does come with a price, though:  the increased exposure to the damaging rays of the sun.  Sun safety is a Big Deal in our household. Alfie is English, and my kids are half-English, and we all know fair skin is particularly vulnerable in sunny places like California. Alfie lived in Australia for 5 years, and he saw first-hand how the strong Australian sun have sent melanoma incidence rates skyrocketing in the fair-skinned Australian population.


THIS is what happens after a day without sunscreen, and it's a very bad thing, both short-term (the pain, the redness, the peeling) and long-term (skin aging, the increased risk of skin cancer). I still feel pangs of parental guilt looking at it. Avoiding sunburn can be as simple as practicing a few sun safety tips, such as wearing a hat and sunscreen.  For sunscreen options, check out 3 of Coppertone's latest products:

* For active adults, Coppertone Sport Pro Series 50+ sunscreens stay on strong and move with the skin in hot and humid weather as well as during intense exercise.


* For active kids, Coppertone Wet ‘n Clear Kids SPF 45+ simplifies reapplication. There’s no need to towel them off before reapplying and it sprays on clear.


* For the little ones, Coppertone Water Babies Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 is a hypoallergenic, oil and fragrance free lotion made specifically for babies’ delicate skin.

Coppertone sunscreens are a household staple, year-round, so we never have to give up a fun day outdoors!




Win a Coppertone Prize Pack
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a Coppertone Summer Fun prize pack, which includes:

* one beach mat
* one beach mat
* one bottle of Coppertone Sport Pro Series 50+ sunscreen
* one bottle of Coppertone Wet 'n Clear Kids SPF 45+ sunscreen
* one tube of Coppertone Water Babies Pure & Simple Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50


Required Entry
Come up with your own name using the Name It widget above, then leave a comment on this post and tell me your name.   This entry must be completed before any extra entries will count.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).


1)  Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Repin any of my pins on Pinterest (1 entry per repin, maximum 5 repins/5 entries)

5) Like Bonggamom Finds on Facebook (1 entry).

6) Write this on the Bonggamom Finds Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered the Coppertone Summer Fun giveaway! http://bit.ly/NM9mFL

7) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day):
RT @bonggafinds Enter to win a summer fun prize pack:  beach bag, mat & Coppertone lotion! Enter by 7/25 at http://bit.ly/NM9mFL

8) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds.


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on July 25, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on July 26 and post his/her name after she/he confirms acceptance.  For additional giveaway rules, click here.


Disclosure: Coppertone provided the prize pack for the giveaway, as well as a second prize pack for me as a thank-you for hosting and administering the giveaway. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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My American Girl Dolls Without Hair

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One of the highlights of The Pea's childhood has been playing with her My American Girl Doll.  It was the very first American Girl doll she received, and even though now owns four, there will always be a special place in her heart for Natalia, the doll with green eyes and curly, honey-colored hair that looks so much like her.

However, not all little girls fit the "standard" mold, especially those suffering from a medical or physical condition.   American Girl has long offered glasses,  wheelchairs and crutches so girls can customize their American Girl dolls to reflect themselves -- and now they have gone one step further by offering a new line of dolls without hair, just for little girls who have lost their hair temporarily or permanently.


About Dolls Without Hair
American Girl has announced a new line of dolls without hair as part of the My American Girl® line for girls affected by cancer, alopecia, or any medical condition causing hair loss. This new product line provides even more possibilities for a girl to create a doll that's as unique as she is.


Customers can choose from a total of five different dolls in light, medium, and dark skin tones. In addition, girls can choose their dolls’ eye color from a selection of options.


Finally, because we know that not all hair loss conditions are permanent, American Girl is proud to offer one free doll head replacement should a girl’s need for a doll without hair ever change.


Availability:
Because of the special handling and customization associated with these dolls, orders are being taken exclusively through American Girl’s contact center at 1-800-628-5145.


Charitable Giving:
To help provide comfort to kids who may be affected by medical conditions that cause hair loss, American Girl is including the new dolls in its annual $100,000+ donation to the Children’s Hospital Association. 




Now every little girl can find a special doll that looks like her!  American Girl has definitely taken a step in the right direction.  I applaud them for sending the message that every little girl is beautiful, and I couldn't be more proud to be a fan.


Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. Product information (in italics) was provided by American Girl at my request. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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American Girl's Secret Wardrobe app for iOS

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Here's a girly twist on Tetris -- American Girl's Secret Wardrobe app has players scrambling to catch falling clothes and accessories and dragging them to their matching boxes.  In this app, American Girl historical characters Marie-Grace and Cecile need help getting dressed for the masquerade ball.  As the game begins, all the pieces the girls need for their costumes are lined up in boxes on either side of the screen, and a variety of pieces begin falling from the top of the screen.  Players have to drag the correct pieces into the correct boxes.



Unlike Tetris, no points are deducted if a costume piece falls onto the floor, but if you drag a costume piece into the wrong box, you'll get a big red X.  After 3 mistakes, the game is over.  After you've dragged all the costume pieces necessary to complete Marie-Grace and Cecile's costumes, you move on to the next level.  All your mistakes are erased, and you start fresh, so it's easy to rack up points.  It's lighthearted fun, good for a couple of minutes of girly play.


Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Brave: Lords, Triplets, and Witches!

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It's incredible the amount of Brave videos that Pixar and Disney have been uploading to the web lately. Here are some that you may have missed.
In another "Family Portrait", Merida talks about "the neighbors"; the Lords Dingwall, Macintosh, and MacGuffin and their sons.


In this featurette, Merida's mischievous little triplet brothers, Hamish, Hubert, and Harris, put up a little show for Fergus and the Lords as Elinor narrates. Watch as hilarity ensues.


Finally, in this new parody of a television commercial, we get our first glimpse at the Witch, who grants Merida a wish to "change her fate". Now, with Witch's Magical Mystery Brew, you no longer have to wish your problems away, you can witch them away. But beware some minor side effects.


With only 10 days to go until Brave, I am getting more excited than ever.

'Monsters University' Teaser Coming Wednesday!

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With Brave coming out this Friday, many fans were also eagerly anticipating the teaser trailer for Pixar's following film, Monsters University, to arrive in theaters on that same day. Now, Pixar has announced that we won't have to wait until Friday for this teaser, as it will arrive online this Wednesday!
Scheduled for release on June 21, 2013, Monsters University is the prequel to one of Pixar's most beloved films, Monsters, Inc., and follows Mike and Sulley during their days in college, when they weren't exactly the best of friends.
On Friday, the following message was posted on the official MU Facebook page:
"You’re about to discover a bit more about Mike and Sulley’s days at Monsters University."
It was accompanied by a picture with the text "5 Days" written in the iconic Monsters, Inc. lettering. Five days from Friday would be June 20, which is this coming Wednesday. I think the best guess at as to what is being released on Wednesday is the teaser trailer, don't you? After all, what else could it be?
This is actually quite an exciting event for Pixar fans around the globe, as it marks the first time we see Mike and Sulley since 2001 when the original Monsters, Inc. debuted. The teaser was screened a couple of months ago at CinemaCon, and there were reports that the whole audience had been laughing. We've heard that this teaser revolves around Sulley pulling some sort of prank on Mike, so the results ought to be hilarious.
Check back here on Wednesday (that's June 20) for the new teaser!