This December, THQ Inc. and Mattel bring families everywhere the ability to experience Apples to Apples, the game of hilarious comparisons, on their favorite game consoles. Additional social and mobile applications are set to launch later this winter.

This holiday season, Apples to Apples will delight players and bring families together using PlayStation Network for PlayStation^®3and Xbox LIVE^® Arcade for Xbox 360^®, just before expanding onto Facebook and mobile devices. The digital versions of Apples to Apples will feature social gaming connectivity capabilities, allowing family and friends to share or play anytime, anywhere – in the same room or on opposite sides of the world!

“We are thrilled to work with Mattel to bring Apples to Apples to the digital gaming space – it’s the perfect fit for social and mobile play. With multiple platforms and innovative connectivity, players will be able to enjoy the game wherever and whenever they want to play,” said Martin Good, Executive Vice President of PlayTHQ^®, the company’s division for kids, family and casual games. “We built a truly dynamic digital environment for Apples to Apples and can’t wait to deliver it to the fans.”

Loved for its zany spontaneity and humorous results, Apples to Apples is the ultimate icebreaker. The family game favorite challenges players to outwit and anticipate the actions of others while taking into consideration personality, preferences and individual senses of humor. Apples to Apples is a word comparison game that requires strategic thinking and allows players to learn while having fun.

On Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Network for PS^®3 the game will feature single-player, local and online modes for up to six players.  Apples to Apples also comes packed with all-new customizable play modes, vibrant backgrounds, and Golden Apple cards, which can be used to change the rules in fun new ways. Participants can choose between 16 animated avatars such as Pirate Apple, Cowboy Apple and Ballerina Apple. Players will also be able to post game results and boast of their clever comparisons on Facebook to earn additional rewards.

Upcoming downloadable content for the console versions will include new Golden Apple cards, party backgrounds, and new playable apples. More than 1,000 additional cards are also bundled into the content packs to keep gameplay fresh and exciting.

Later this winter, Apples to Apples fans will be able to enjoy the classic card game experience on Facebook and mobile devices.  Players will be able to simply jump into existing games within the growing Apples to Apples community, or create their own custom experience for their friends and favorite players.  Innovative cross-platform play means the experience is as mobile as it is social. Facebook users will be free to challenge their friends using their smartphones, making Apples to Apples a truly connected digital experience. In Facebook and mobile application gameplay, participants will earn Apple Coins, Apple Cash and Apple Achievements, which unlock additional avatars, playing cards and themed backgrounds.

Apples to Apples is scheduled for release this winter on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 (800 Microsoft Points), PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3 ($9.99 USD), Facebook and mobile devices.

We don’t have a PlayStation or an Xbox so I’ll have to wait for Facebook and mobile play but I’ll be playing as soon as I can! What about you? Are you an Apples to Apples fan?

The post This Winter Apples to Apples Goes Digital and Social! appeared first on The Mom Maven.

This free, limited edition app will give you a glimpse into ToonUps’ larger Facebook game launch of A Better World next month.  A Better World is a fun and exciting game where players can do good deeds and get rewarded – allowing you to focus on the positives in your life, and even bringing in elements of real-world altruism.  Just by using the Gratitude Grotto and Positive Post, you will earn Do-Good Gold that can be used in the full game. Not only will you find it lifts your own spirits, it is a fun activity to share with your children.  Through A Better World, teach them the importance of giving back to their community and to appreciate the good in their own lives – all in the form of a game!

I’ve enjoyed using the app and truly thinking about what and who I am thankful for. Hop on over to Facebook and give it a try.

Disclosure: This post is part of a Global Influence campaign and I am receiving a gift card as compensation for my time.

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Don’t forget to enter my Disney’s Tangled giveaway which ends 11/24/10.

Please remember to vote for me daily. We are doing pretty well but voting has slacked off some and there are 10 more days to go!

The post UNO Chicago Grill $25 Dough Winner appeared first on The Mom Maven.

So, how do you win?

Mandatory 1st entry: Become a fan of UNO Chicago Grill on Facebook and leave a comment that TheMomMaven.com sent you. Then come back here and leave me a comment that you became a fan and left a comment AND your Facebook name so that I can verify your entry.

Bonus Entries:

• Visit UNOS.com and use the restaurant locator to find the closest restaurant to you and leave me a comment as to which one it is. The closest one to me is 2 hours away at Crossroads in Lake Buena Vista-right off of Disney property and I can’t wait to eat there in December!
• Follow @UNOChicagoGrill and @MomMaven on Twitter and tweet this “I want $25 in Dough from @UNOChicagoGrill & @MomMaven #win http://bit.ly/bN2bRD ” you may do this 2x a day.
• Subscribers, GFC friends and Networked blog followers each get 1 entry.

Giveaway is open to US residents only. The winner will be chosen by Random.org. The giveaway ends at 12:01am EDT Nov. 1, 2010.

Disclosure: UNO Chicago Grill will be sending me $25 in Dough to spend on my next visit to their restaurant as a thank-you for supporting this campaign.

The post Win Some Dough from UNO Chicago Grill This Weekend appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Since Facebook is such a powerful social networking community, Pine-Sol® has launched the Powerful Difference Facebook Page, allowing fans to connect with and get inspired by other difference makers.  There, you’ll find an easy-to-use Facebook application which allows you to display on your Wall the five women who have made a powerful difference in your life, helping inspire others to do the same.  Honor someone you know today at http://apps.facebook.com/powerfuldifference.  You can also learn more about the program and get ideas on how to take action by visiting www.PowerfulDifference.com.

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.

The post Pine-Sol Powerful Difference appeared first on The Mom Maven.

Visit the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Facebook page and send a virtual Secret Santa warm fuzzy to all of your friends and family members. They won’t know who it came from until reveal day, December 21st! You and the recipient will receive a 15% off discount code for sending or opening your gifts, this way you can send even more holiday cheer.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM will donate $5,000 to Toys for Tots if warm fuzzy Secret Santa gift is sent 10,000 times, so have some fun and send some warm fuzzies today.

The post Be a Secret Santa and Help Toys for Tots appeared first on The Mom Maven.

When I went away to college I moved in with two girls I had never met before. We had a good size triple room but I did not fit in at all with the other 2 girls. I had an 8am class, they came in most mornings at 3am after partying all night and slept until noon. I thrived at campus activities, mixers and club meetings…they partied. It was not a match made in heaven. Sears has created CampusReady on Facebook a set of apps aimed at getting to know your roomate, decorating your dorm room and going back to school in style.

There are 3 parts to Campus Ready: RoomMate Matchup, Dorm Room Designer and Gift Getter. RoomMate Matchup is a great tool to see how compatible you and your roommate will be. It is a quiz that explores your likes and dislikes. This is a great way to start communicating with the stranger you will be rooming with. Once you get to know each other Dorm Room Designer helps you design your room before you step on campus. Last, but most importantly Gift Getter is a gift registry for decking out your dorm room and going back to school in style. Just will out your wishlist and share it with your friends and relatives and (hopefully) the gifts will start rolling in.

The post Sears CampusReady appeared first on The Mom Maven.

From Unigo-

For years, prospective college students have had to rely solely on costly print guidebooks for
their research. These books offer limited information, are typically written by marketing
professionals, have few photos, no videos, and no interactivity. Launched in September 2008,
the free website Unigo.com is quickly replacing these outmoded resources, with tens of
thousands of interactive reviews of America’s top colleges by the real experts – the students
who attend them.
These reviews were described by The New York Times Magazine as “…so evocative they make
the one-page U.S. News summaries read like junk mail … they are vivid in a way no guidebook
can match,” and The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg called Unigo “…a college information
resource built for the age of YouTube and Facebook.”
Pre-launch, Unigo’s team of 19 editors spent months researching America’s top 250 colleges,
and networking with tens of thousands of students to give them the opportunity to tell their
stories. They made sure to contact a diverse range of students within each university –
students from every class year, major, ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation,
etc.

After more than 30,000 candid and original reviews, videos, photos, documents and more
poured in, Unigo’s editors viewed and organized all of it, working with students on campus to
ensure accuracy and making all of it available at Unigo.com. At many featured colleges, close to
10% of the student body contributed content.

Since Unigo is a new site and currently only has full profiles of the top 250+ colleges and universities, it has a long way to go. I searched for 6 universities that my son is interested in and none of them are profiled on Unigo at this time. To do my research I finally went to my alma mater The University of South Florida.
Unigo has a very nice review of USF with pictures and videos as well as reviews by students. I was impressed that in the sidebar of the page there are quotes from students that are the “Best things about USF” and the “Worst things about USF”. The content is real and regularly added to by students. Unigo also has a forum section where students can talk with prospective students and answer some of their questions before they ever step on campus.

Unigo is free to join and is a worthwhile place for you and your high school junior or senior to start researching and planning for their college career.

The post Unigo appeared first on The Mom Maven.

As a mom, my children’s healthcare is important to me. Praise God that my children have been healthy and haven’t needed a lot of medical care beyond their well child visits. I know that is not the case for all families. I also know how hard it is to afford medical insurance. My husband and I have not had health insurance for the past 15 years, we are both self-employed and though we have tried, we have never found a plan that would fit our budget given our priority for the best car insurance overall. Our children have been covered for the last 12 years by a CHIP plan through the state of Florida. It is very affordable though the care is greatly lacking. Recently, the state changed our insurance provider and none of the caregivers we have seen in the past will participate in this program. That has left us with no participating hospital or walk-in clinic in our county and the only pediatrician that participates is the one at the Medicaid clinic. I am thankful they have some coverage but the quality has continued to decrease year-after-year.

Speak Now for Kids is a grassroots effort to make sure that children are represented in Washington, D.C. as healthcare reform discussions are undertaken by our government. “Speak Now for Kids in Health Reform urges parents, family members, health care providers and other advocates to tell Congress why children matter in health reform – through stories, photos and videos. Be a champion for children and Speak Now.”

What can you do to help?

Visit Speak Now for Kids and learn the facts about children’s healthcare in America.

Speak Using the form on the Speak Now for Kids website, you can let congress know that you care about children’s healthcare. You can also upload videos and pictures to share your message.

Share follow Speak Now for Kids on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook. Blog about what you have learned about this worthy cause and e-mail your friends and family and ask them to also get involved.

Party Join us Wednesday night 5/6/09 from 9-10pm EDT for a Twitter Party to share the message of Speak Now for Kids. Use hashtag #speaknowforkids and make sure you follow @speaknowforkids and our host @resourceful mom. I’ll be there so please follow me too, I’m @MomMaven.

Get involved in this grassroots effort and help us take care of the kids.

The post Speak Up-Speak Now for Kids appeared first on The Mom Maven.

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!

The post Carl Edwards Fan appeared first on The Mom Maven.