Archive for the ‘
Giveaways ’ Category
Friday, May 10th, 2013
Can I tell you how many cribs we build here at American Baby? About a dozen a year, sometimes more…enough that we know a sturdy crib when we see one. Bonavita Lifetyle Cribs go in the “built to last” category. They are cribs that convert to a toddler bed, and then to a headboard and footboard for a fullsize bed, so though they cost a bit more, they’re made to last for all of childhood. 
There’s another reason I like cribs that grow with your kid…you’re not tempted to try and make a crib work for new baby siblings. You introduce safety hazards every time you take a crib apart and then rebuild it for another newborn, because you risk screws growing loose or going missing. Keeping a piece of furniture with one child, turning it into a toddler bed and then fullsize bed, eliminates those problems. I am something of a safe-sleep evangelist, so here’s a link with more on making your crib safe. 
In time for what may be your first Mother’s Day, Lajobi, the parent company behind Bonavita, will give you the opportunity to win their “Sawyer” Lifestyle Crib, in Linen Gray. The crib only comes out in June 2013, and will be sold exclusively at Buy Buy Baby for $500. To be eligible to win, leave a comment below, up to one a day between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, May 15. We’ll randomly chose one winner after that. Click here to view the official rules. Goody luck!
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013
When Jane Seymour visited our offices, we totally bonded over all things motherhood. She’s raised four kids (including twins!), and so Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate with her now-big children (those twins are graduating high school!). She also lost her own mother not long ago, which means the holiday is somewhat bittersweet. 
Jane’s jewelry helps her remember both her mom and her brood. In addition to being an actress, Jane paints, and her designs led her to create the Open Hearts jewelry collection with Kay Jewelers. The concept is simple; she likes to paint open-shaped hearts, which reminds her to stay unconditionally loving of the people in her life. We found this sweet video of her elaborating on her inspiration; watch it and feel like you’re having your own deskside meeting with Jane!
In celebration of Mother’s Day, Kay Jewelers will give one winner this diamond “Mom” necklace, made of sterling silver and worth $100. To be eligible to win, just leave a comment below, up to one comment a day between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, May 15. Here are the official rules. Goody luck!
Monday, April 29th, 2013
And be entered to win $250! For the last 12 weeks we’ve been posting polls to find the best baby swing, best car seat, and more. I know you all have strong opinions, so please vote, and tell us in our comments why you love what you love! Here is where you can find all of our polls. Feel free to hit your favorites in each and every one of the 24 polls you can scroll through! Plus enter to win the $250 prize through tomorrow, April 30, 2013. 
The winners will be featured in our October issue. This is our 16th annual awards, and we pride ourselves in getting input from real parents. As a result it’s not a collection of the latest and flashiest, but rather a story on what is already out and working for moms and dads, and definitely worth considering when you’re making your baby registry. Take a look at last fall’s winners to get ideas if you’re registering now and need info ASAP!
And thanks, new moms and dads, for voting for this year’s awards!
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
I think this doll is having the summer I want to have. I’ve gotten obsessed with making it out to Montana and seeing Yellowstone Park and maybe camping…we’ll see if I can make it happen. First I have to save some cash. Here’s my first money-saving tip: The Our Generation line at Target,
which draws obvious comparisons to a pricier, more exclusive line of 18-inch dolls, is a fraction of the price. Robyn, shown here, sells for $23 or less. It’s a good tip if you feel like you’re running to kids’ birthday parties every weekend and want to get gifts that are nice, but affordable!
The Our Generation line, in addition to doll-sized beds and cars, also has this tricked-out camper, which I wish I could have in real life! One person is going to win Robyn, her camper, and also the cute tent set shown below. Lucky! 
To win, post a comment below, up to one a day between now and Wednesday, April 24. After that we’ll randomly choose one winner to win the doll, camper, and tent, worth about $100 altogether. Here’s where you can read the official rules. Goody luck! 
Thursday, April 11th, 2013
You’re not going to get out of parenthood without having had a car seat or two! Here is the latest and greatest from Snugli: Their All-in-One, a convertible seat that aims to be your main seat if not your one-and-only. It’s got a couple of new, unique features: First, a temperature-regulating fabric that keeps your babe cool in hot weather and toasty in cold weather. Second, it holds a kid up to 110 pounds when used in booster mode! That means she can sit in it until middle school (not that she would, but you get the idea). 
It’s also got all the technology you’d expect such as side-impact protection, a recline option, and a LATCH system for easy installation. By the way, do you need a primer on installing and using a car seat? Roll our video!
Ready to win Snugli’s All in One? For a chance, leave a comment below, up to one a day between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, April 17th. We’ll randomly choose one winner for this $330 car seat! And if you don’t win but want to buy or register for this primo seat, it’s sold at Buy Buy Baby. Check our official rules for all the giveaway details. Goody luck! 
Thursday, April 4th, 2013
Baby girls have a lot of pink around them, and I’m not opposed to it. It’s a happy color, a feminine color, and cute as all get-out. I am in the thrilling position of waiting for a new baby niece to arrive this summer (yay!) and so pink little girl clothes are top-of-mind. I know a popular swaddle brand that also has pink on the brain: Aden + Anais. The founder is a mom of four little girls, and this week she announced a new limited-edition Hello Kitty collection.
And who doesn’t love Hello Kitty? Want a chance to win the entire collection for a little girl in your life? Post a comment here between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, April 10th, up to one comment a day. After that we’ll randomly choose one winner to receive this $160 prize, which includes three muslin swaddles, a hooded towel set, the $55 Dream blanket, and three bibs. Here’s where you can read the official rules. Goody luck!
Thursday, March 28th, 2013
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Brandi Tysinger-Temple, the founder of Lolly Wolly Doodle, a kids’ clothing company that makes most of it’s sales, believe it or not, on Facebook. Every day her company posts pictures of new clothes they create at their headquarters in Lexington, North Carolina. Facebook fans (over half a million of them!) can view the clothes and send a message if there’s a look they’re interested in. Lolly Wolly Doodle sends an invoice, which you have a few days to pay, and then the clothes are shipped out. It’s a simple system, and now they are the largest “store” on all of Facebook! 
That a mom of four created a business that went from her and a few friends to about 100 employees in a few short years is endlessly impressive to me! But then, the clothes are very cute and original. If you’ve got a little girl who loves ruffles, you’ve got to check them out! And know this: Brandi says that some styles sell out in just minutes. (Most disappear after about 72 hours. Talk about fast fashion!)
Lolly Wolly Doodle will give away six bodysuits, worth $17 each, to our American Baby fans. If you win, you can tell us whether you want the hot-pink girl style or the turquoise boy style, and in what size. 
To be eligible, leave a comment below, up to one a day between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, April 3. We’ll randomly choose six winners after that. Read the official rules here. Goody luck! 
Thursday, March 21st, 2013
Who doesn’t love Little Critter? We read the books all the time (see my son Joe with our favorite, about going into the city with Mom, down below) and I was thrilled to talk with the author and illustrator, Mercer Mayer, also shown, on the eve of his launch of the Little Critter app for iOS, Android, Nook and Kindle devices. 
Q: First, what is Little Critter?
Mercer Mayer: “He technically is identifiable, but I don’t tell anybody what it is.”
Q: Is he based on you as a child? Or your own children?
MM: “Everything you do as an author is from that well of your own childhood. I got some advice many years ago from a publisher to ‘Just start with your childhood and lie like hell.’ Little Critter is full of things that happened to me as a child and then I exaggerate when I imagine what a kid might go through.” 
Q: You have kids of your own, right?
MM: “Three boys and a girl, and now grandkids. They just added to the whole pastiche. I would love to find a way to get this into a book: When my eldest boy was 9 years old, he would never go to bed. I would throw him up in the top bunk and he’d scream that he was hungry, or had to go to the bathroom. Then one night he said he was sick. I didn’t believe him…and then he threw up all over me.”
Q: Eeek!
MM: “I write about situations that kids get into that can be overwhelming. But now my books are getting an extra kick in the pants with the apps! There are more possibilities with them.”
Q: The apps sound like they’d be good for Spring break and Summer travel.
MM: “The games are simple for 3- to 7-year-olds. There’s animation and the story pops out. So there’s reading, and it’s educational, but also games, such as a hidden alphabet and color-by-number. The GamePak includes DigiStix, which are interactive stickers that a kid can move around. I know some apps are just for reading, but these two create a whole little world of adventure, and it’s a lot of fun.” 
Q: Are you still writing new books?
MM: “Yes, I’m working on Just a Kite now and finished up Just a Little Love. I write about three a year. I’m still doing it. I guess I don’t know how to stop!”
You can get The Trip-Little Critter Reading Adventure for $3.99 at all the usual channels (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Barnes & Noble). And for the first 30 days of the launch, you can buy the additional The Trip-Little Critter GamePak for $2.99 (after that it goes up to $3.99). The GamePack is the one that includes more than 175 cool DigiStix digital stickers.
Want the chance to win both the apps and also a signed giclee print from Mercer Mayer? It’s this collage of Little Critter and his baby brother with their toys, and would look great in a kid’s room! It’s officially worth is $75 but I think it’s fairly priceless. Leave a comment below, up to one a day between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, March 27th. After that we’ll pick one person at random to win both the print and a code for the apps, worth about $83 all together. 
You can click here to read our official rules. Goody luck! 
