Summer is fast approaching. Moms all over are pushing their kids outside to play. The older my kids get the harder it is to get them to play outside. Friday night May 1st at 9pm EDT I will be taking part in a Twitter site warming party for TimeToPlayMag.com. The topic of the evening is outdoor play. Jim Silver (@JimSilver) and Chris Byrne (@thetoyguy) both from TimeToPlayMag.com will be guiding us through the maze of outdoor toys on the market today. The party will be hosted by Amy (@ResourcefulMom) and the hashtag of the evening is #outdoorplay. To RSVP for the party and find out how you can put your name in the hat to win some awesome prizes check out Amy’s post here.

Yes, I just said there were awesome prizes, there always are at Amy’s parties. The grand prize is a Power Wheels A.T. Rex with Monster Traction! Other prizes include a Banzai Titan Blast Rocket, Banzai Skimboard Surfer and Banzai 3-D Sharkbite Water Slide!

Today we got to play with the Banzai Skimboard Surfer. Ok, I watched while my son Aaron and his friends, Kenny and Kyle played. The Banzai Skimboard Surfer is for ages 8 and up, Aaron & Kenny are 16 and Kyle is 13. Check out our video.

It took us about 30 minutes to set up the Banzai Skimboard Surfer. You need to find a flat grassy area to use this on. We actually went to a play yard at our church. We thought the area was flat but once we got all set up we realized there were actually 2 raised areas that made it a little difficult. All 3 boys had a lot of fun. They played for over an hour, and would have played longer if it wasn’t 5pm. The boys all agreed they will have a lot of fun using this over the summer. Their skill increased as the time went along and I’m sure with more practice they will get even better. We think we have enough flat grassy area in our front yard that we can try it at home next time.

Make sure you RSVP for the sitewarming tomorrow (Friday, May 1st) so that you can try to win your own Banzai Skimboard Surfer. If you have never attended a Twitter party before I suggest signing into http://tweetgrid.com, click on party in the top navigation bar, the hashtag is #outdoorplay, the hosts are @resourcefulmom, @JimSilver and @TheToyGuy, fill in your Twitter username and the hold on tight and do your best to follow along! If you have any questions during the party feel free to send me a message to @MomMaven and I’ll give you a hand.

Cari from Two Under Two, Whew is the winner of the “It’s Hip Hop Baby!” DVD and CD! Stop on over to her blog and congratulate her!

I have found some cool and unique products that I want to share with you for this Mother’s Day. Maybe you want to get one for your mom or you can always e-mail this post to your hubby so that he will know exactly what to get you. I have included gift ideas in all price ranges so there is something for everyone. Also starting tomorrow, I will be hosting 10 Days of Celebrating Mom. There will be new giveaways everyday! I have prizes for Disney moms, eco-moms, Christian moms, charitable moms, caring moms, outdoorsy moms, moms of boys and moms of girls! please tell your friends we are celebrating moms here at The Mom Maven.

My friend at PartyBluePrints.com has a 13 page FREE e-guide for making mom “Queen Bee for a Day” this Mother’s Day. Just click the link and it will take you to PartyBluePrints.com and you can download from there.

Scancafe.com

ScanCafe.com gives mothers a chance to relive their photo memories—they digitally scan and restore pictures that have been damaged and deteriorated.  For Mother’s Day, they offer a beautiful, unique gift box that people can give as a present.  Once it’s received, mothers can fill the box with up to 400 photos, ship them off, and receive high-quality image scans on a DVD, that are digitally retouched. It’s a great gift for mothers who don’t have the time, or computer expertise to scan all of their family photos.  Cost-$149.00

LaLOOP.com

Is your mom constantly losing her glasses?  Does she forget them at home, lose them at a restaurant or sit on them in the car? LA LOOP is the perfect solution and the must have for Mother’s Day!  La LOOP are stylish necklaces that function as eye glass holder.  Don’t let mom wear the old lady glass holders give her La LOOP.

Each La LOOP has a patented, one-of-a-kind design element – a loop with hinges that move laterally and vertically with the eyeglasses or sunglasses, allowing them to stay in place.  La LOOP comes in over 25 different styles and ranges in price from $25 -$250 and are available at LaLoop.com.

Diaperdude.com
The Lotus Diaper Diva Bag is the perfect gift for Mom the mom-to-be this year.  With Compartmentalized interior for wipes, water bottles, keys  and included messenger straps.  It’s perfect for the fashionable, on the go mom!   The Lotus Bag is available online at DiaperDude.com Cost $114.00 The Diaper Dude has all sorts of stylish diaper bags available from $35 and up.

FLOTV.com

Give your mom something that she’ll actually enjoy while reminding her exactly why she loves you so much – Live mobile TV from FLO TV. FLO TV, available on select AT&T and Verizon networks, is live mobile TV on your cell phone that will keep mom connected to all her favorite shows and news right in the palm of her hand. CNN, NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, Fox News, MTV, Nickelodeon, MSNBC, CNBC, and special event channels from the Food Network and Soap Opera specials provide hours of endless entertainment on FLO TV. Whether mom’s at work, on the go or just looking for a quick fix for temperamental child, FLO TV will keep her entertained and remind her why you have always been her favorite. For more information on FLO TV, visit FloTv.com FLOTV is only available in select areas and on select AT&T and Verizon networks. Plans start at $15 a month. Check the FLOTV website for coverage areas and fees.

RosieKnows.com
If Mom still doesn’t know how to Google, SKYPE, Mapquest or find cheap flights online, give her a RosieKnows.com subscription for Mothers Day. With over 200 lessons and growing, Rosie’s new ‘school’ offers online tutorials in using the Internet to save money, save time, be entertained and stay informed. Each lesson consists of screenshots of the website being covered plus easy-to-follow voiceovers and demonstrations.

Mom can learn everything from basic Internet skills – like how to set up an email account – to how to cut costs at Coupon Clippers, find the lowest gas prices at GasBuddy, order movies from Netflix, research medical questions on Mayo Clinic or Medline, make free or low-cost long-distance calls with SKYPE, and even stay connected with friends and family on Facebook. And she can choose the lessons she wants in any order.

$19.95 plus shipping and handling for a premium enrollment package with a custom vinyl binder and preprinted index tabs to store lessons; basic enrollment is free at www.RosieKnows.com

Snapily.com

The people at , a photo-technology company, developed a new 3-D, animation technology that literally allows you to bring your photos to motion (flip-book style) on a card, invitation, wallet sized business card, scrapbook, or stationary. In a nutshell you can customize a card where 2 to 5 photos can be brought to motion on a card, check it out http://www.snapily.com/b/.

Aside from Snapily just being a cool new gift idea, it has a strong eco-friendly value. Over 7 billion greeting cards end up in the trash every year – something tells me, you’re less likely to throw out photos let alone ones that come to life.

Decleor.com

’t afford to send mom to the spa this year? You can get her candles and at home spa products from Decleor www.decleor.com that will allow her to relax in her own private spa on Mother’s Day and for months to come.  Treatments work out to be less than $5 each.

Kopaliorganics.com

Don’t have enough money for a Mother’s Day Sunday brunch? Instead make mom a new recipe with Kopali’s (www.kopaliorganics.com) organic and fair trade superfruits at home (good for mom and the planet). Kopali products are available for less than $4

Now that you understand the Disney “seasons” and resort categories it is time to make that all-important decision…do you stay on Disney property or off. There are several questions you need to ask yourself before making this important decision.

1. Will you have a car while visiting Disney World?
2. Will you be visiting other non-Disney attractions while visiting central Florida?
3. How many people, adults and children, will be traveling in your party?
4. How much time do you plan on spending in your room?
5. What is your per night budget?

Let’s review the answers to the questions.

1. Will you have a car while visiting Disney World?

a) If you will not have a car I suggest you stay on property. If you fly into Orlando International Airport you can use Disney’s Magical Express Service. They will pick you up at the airport and bring you and your luggage to your Disney resort. You must sign up for this service at least 10 days prior to your arrival date.  Also, guests staying on property do not pay the daily $12 parking fee.

b) If you will have a car, don’t mind driving to and from the park each day and paying the parking fee, you can stay off property.

2. Will you be visiting other non-Disney attractions while visiting central Florida?

a) If you will be visiting other non-Disney attractions you will want a car. The estimated taxi fare from Walt Disney World to Universal Studios (14 miles away) is over $32.00!

b) Your other option would be to rent a car for 1-2 days of your vacation. The problem with renting for only part of your vacation is picking up and returning the car plus a short term rental of a small car can easily cost almost $100.

c) If you aren’t planning on visiting other attractions just stay on property and use Disney transportation, it’s free.

3. How many people, adults and children, will be traveling in your party?

a) Most hotel and resort rooms sleep 4 people, some sleep 5-6 in a family suite. How many rooms will you need? Sometimes 2 connecting rooms still costs less than a large suite or DVC property that sleeps 8 or more people.

b) Some people rent vacation homes so that their kids can be in a separate room or accommodate a larger party.

4. How much time do you plan on spending in your room?

a) Are you using the room to sleep, shower and dress? Then you can stay off property or on property in a value resort.

b) Are you all about using the resort amenities? Laying by the pool, going to the spa, renting a pontoon boat? You can stay off or on property but pay close attention to the amenities the particular property offers.

5. What is your per night budget? For this one we re going to assume you are a family of 4, 2 adults and 2 children between the ages of 3-17. You want at least a 3-star hotel from May 4-7, 2009.

a) Orbitz has several 3-star hotels on 192 in Kissimmee (close to Disney) ranging from $48-$100 per night. Most of these properties do not have a restaurant on site and you will need to add $12 per day for parking at the Disney parks.

b) You could stay at a Disney value resort for $68 per night, have a food court on site and free parking.

Other perks of staying on Disney property include discounts on room and ticket packages, ability to purchase the Disney Dining Plan, the very detailed Disney theming, Disney’s top-notch service and the feeling that you are staying in the middle of the magic.

I hope this post has given you some things to think about as you plan your magical Disney vacation. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave me a comment on this post.

I know times are tough right now, we are all feeling the effects of our country’s current economic state. I see people when I’m out and about and they look so down trodden and sad. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) states, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Choose to be cheerful and share your good cheer with those around you.

How can you share your good cheer? Share it with a RAK (Random Act of Kindness). Do something unexpected and nice for someone else. Make a game of it with your kids, it is a lot of fun and doesn’t have to cost any money. Here are some of the things we have done:

• Let the person behind you in line at the grocery store go before you, even if they have a full cart.
• Offer to return a strangers shopping cart back to the cart corral in a busy parking lot.
• Pay the toll for the car behind you.
• Leave a thank-you card for a waiter or waitress.
• Smile at someone who looks sad or lonely.
• Help a neighbor carry their groceries in from the car.

That is just a small list. Try it. See how many RAKs you and your children can accomplish in a day or week. Make it a habit of helping. You will feel better and so will those that you help.

I have been a NASCAR fan for 17 years. I married a NASCAR fan and he taught me the ropes. Hardly a weekend goes by from February-November when we aren’t watching a race. My husband has been a die hard Roush Racing fan forever. Mark Martin was his favorite driver-we still like Mark but just can’t get behind a Chevy 100%. I have been a Carl Edwards fan since he joined Roush. My boys have met Carl Edwards and have gotten his autograph. I am a friend of Carl’s on Facebook and I love the fact that he posts videos from his webcam. There is no question that it is all Carl not some assistant or PR person updating his information.

Yesterday, Carl took a wild ride at Talladega. In case you didn’t see it, check this out.

Today, Carl was in Washington DC for the Ford Fusion Hybrid 1000 mile challenge. When he completed the challenge he took part in a Twitter conference about the Ford Fusion Hybrid. I submitted a question (my Twitter handle is @MomMaven) and Carl answered my question and it was posted on the video of the conference! To some people, this may not be a big deal but I thought it was, and I still am very excited. Here is the video of the conference.

Are you a NASCAR fan? Who is your favorite driver? Leave me a comment and let me know!

“Guide to Pirate Parenting: Why you should raise your kids as Pirates and 101 Tips on How to Do It” is the funniest parenting book I have read in avery long time! I laughed so hard I cried while reading this book. This morning I brought the book with me to the bowling alley while my boys bowled with the Homeschool Bowling League. I read excerpts out loud to the other parents and we were all laughing so loud the kids asked us to be quiet!

“Guide to Pirate Parenting” is written by award winning humor columnist Tim Bette, and his friend Captain William MacDougall a.k.a Cap’n Billy. The book takes a tongue-in-cheek look at raising children today and was recently awarded the 2009 Adding Wisdom Award in the Humor Book category by Parent to Parent. We have had a lot of fun with this book, of course we are kind of “piratey” around here anyway. We live in a Florida near pirate Jose Gaspar’s stomping grounds, our town is the spring training home to the Pittsburgh Pirates, our NFL team is the Buccanneers, we have ridden Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney World at least 60 times and last year we had a pirate themed murder-mystery birthday party for my 15 year old son!

Part 1 of the book is the introduction-How I met Cap’n Billy and Why You Should Raise Your Children to Be Pirates.

Part 2 is the guide to Pirate Parenting which is broken down into seven chapters.

• Baby Pirates-Mapping Out Your Child’s Future
• Belly Timber-Feeding Your Pirate
• Sleeping Like a Seadog and Other Nocturnal Issues
• Quelling Mutinies-Disciplining Your Pirate
• Scurvy and Hook Injuries-Pirate Health and Safety
• Your Pirate’s First Ship- How to Convert Your Minivan into a Pirate Schooner
• As Your Pirate Gets Older-The Teen Years and Beyond

(I haven’t let my boys read the chapter on converting your minivan into a pirate schooner. Though this would make an awesome homeschooling project, I need to keep the minivan intact for a while longer)

Though this is a humor book there is some parenting booty to be pillaged from these pages. ” Cap’n Billy’s tips for disciplining your pirate. Discipline isn’t punishment. Remember, there’s a difference between discipline and punishment. The role of discipline is to teach your pirate the appropriate way to act. The role of punishment is to get prisoners to tell you where their booty is hidden.”

Throughout this treasure trove of parenting advice are pirate nursery rhymes that relate to the topic of the chapter. Here is one about sailing the high seas:

Old Cap’n Rackham (Little Miss Muffet)

Old Cap’n Rackham left port for Siam, sailing the ocean blue.                                                                                                                                        Along came a maelstrom, On an Isle shipwrecked him, And cannibals ate pirate stew.

“Guide to Pirate Parenting: Why you should raise your kids as Pirates and 101 Tips on How to Do It” is a fun read and would make a great gift for the parent-to-be or for Father’s Day. You can purchase the book at http://pirateparenting.com/

Congratulations to Carla! She was the 1st to comment and her daughter wants to go to Arizona State.

Don’t forget to check out  my other giveaway “It’s Hip Hop Baby!”

“It’s Hip Hop, Baby!” is a new children’s DVD series for ages 2 to 6. These videos educate toddlers and preschoolers with fun child-friendly hip hop music. We got to review video 4 in the series “It’s Hip Hop Baby!: Rockin’ Dance Party”. 

This DVD is cute and will definitely have your kids up and moving. You can’t sit still when this music starts playing. The DVD is hosted by a large puppet named Hip Hop Simon. The kids on the DVD are cute. The audio tracks are great, the kids who sing on them are very talented. The songs encourage the kids watching to get up and dance and sing along. Children are also taught to follow simple directions, ABC, numbers and other basic concepts through music, rhyme and movement. Some of the songs are: It’s Bathtime, Exercise, Hip Hop Numbers, and Carrots Peas and Broccoli.

Pros: The children who watch will learn basic concepts, the music is good and it gets kids moving. The kids are cute and they same ages as those who would be watching so kids should feel comfortable getting up and dancing with the kids on TV.

Cons: Ms Dre, an adult, comes out to teach some hip-hop dance moves. She is so over the top that she scared some of the children I watched with. There are also to Zada tap dance segments that don’t fit in the flow of the DVD. They feel like they are just thrown in to fill up space.

This is a cute video and if you have children ages 2-6 this would be a good choice for them.

“It’s Hip Hop Baby!” can be purchased on their website HipHopBaby. OR…you can win some here from The Mom Maven. I have video 2 “It’s Hip Hop Baby!:Get healthy Get Fit!” DVD and “It’s Hip Hop Baby!:Fruit!” music CD to give away to one lucky reader.

Win these!

How to Enter:

You must visit the HipHopBaby website and look around. Come back here and leave me a comment naming a celebrity,not including Justin Chambers, who endorses “It’s Hip Hop Baby!”. Make sure a valid e-mail or twitter user name is in your comment or linked profile.

Bonus Entries
Leave me a comment for each one of these that you complete.
1. Subscribe to my blog’s RSS feed either in a reader or via e-mail (click on the orange heart shaped icon to the right of this post).
2. Follow me on Twitter, leave your Twitter ID in the comment
3. Follow ItsHipHopBaby on Twitter,leave your Twitter ID in the comment
4. Tweet this: “Enter to win It’s Hip Hop Baby DVD & CD from @MomMaven & @itshiphopbaby http://tinyurl.com/cd7883 Pls RT” you may do this once each day and put the URL of the tweet in your comment.
5. Fave this blog on Momfaves

This contest is open to US residents only and will end Thursday 4/30/09 9:00pm

In case you haven’t heard…Care.com is having a FREE weekend this weekend 4/24-4/26!

What is Care.com? It is a website that connects care providers with families that need them. This is not just a babysitting service. Care.com connects babysitters, pet sitters, tutors, elder care givers, special needs care givers and house cleaners with families in their area who are in need of their services.  With summer just around the corner, now is the time to find the caregiviers your family needs. Does your son need a math tutor? Do you need a pet sitter for when you take your family vacation? Do you need a break from caring for great-grandma 24/7? Do you need someone to come in oce a month and deep clean the house? Then Care.com is the place for you.

Normally the Premium membership costs $30 a month or $90 a year. This weekend you can try the Premium membership for FREE! The Premium membership allows you to:

• Post jobs so that caregivers in your area can find you
• Review the full profile of caregivers in your area
• Contact caregivers to schedule interviews
• Check references
• Run FREE background checks

Care.com also has lots of great articles like Nannies: Myths VS Realities, Emergencies and babysitter Safety, Teaching Your child About Their Peers with Special Needs,  The Senior Care Guide, Creating a Mold-Free Home and many, many more.

You owe it to your family to hire the best caregivers you can. Start that search this weekend at Care.com.