Congratulations to Karen Jones, winner of our Healthy Summer gift basket. Stay tuned for next week’s giveaway: a $100 gift certificate for Best Buy!

Are your children getting a little rusty with their alphabet during their summer break? Expose them to Alpha Buddies’ ultra-cool line of shirts to teach them that “B” is really for Bob Marley.

Alpha Buddies creates unique tee shirts by uniting all of the designs with the common theme, “A is for Apple.” Only instead of this conformist approach, they focus on timeless school-themed subjects such as literature, music and art, as well as an “Inspiration Break” to rejuvenate the mind.

They screen print their shirts locally in Denver Read on …

Congratulations to Linda Quintana, winner of our family-pack of tickets to Water World!

Summertime is alllll about Kool-Aid, popsicles and junk food…or is it?

Three fantastic companies–Zebra Mix, Snikiddy Snacks and bot fortified water–are banding together for our giveaway to provide your children delicious and healthy alternatives this summer!

Zebra Mix: Whole Foods was sampling this product a couple of months ago and it was love at first bite. There are three organic mixes–Chocolate Cookie, Brownie Bite and Zebra Cupcake and Frosting Kit– and a Safari Baking Map, which allows kids to use step-by step-baking instructions.

One afternoon, my daughter and I tackled all three mixes. She took great delight in following the “map,” which had her check off all the steps, play fun games and follow instructions such as “eat three chocolate chips before placing them in the batter.” Oh, and the best part of all? Eating her creations, of course! Zebra Mixes are available at Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage and specialty retailers including the Denver Zoo.

Snikiddy Snacks: I was at the height of my diet when these samples arrived in the mail and I only counted them as “half a cheat” because they are healthy (sound logic, right?) Read on …

Congratulations to the three winners of our VTech prize pack giveaway: Jen Merrill, Allison Wagner and Linda Jones!

I have lived in Colorado for five years and just last weekend, I went to Hyland Hills Water World for the first time. I know. It is tough to believe this Canuck who melts in 80-degree temperatures has survived this long without visiting the nation’s largest family water park a.k.a. ultimate cooldown.

My first visit was with my children to checkout Big Top, their latest family-friendly area. The new circus-themed playground spans three acres and features multiple activities for tikes and toddlers to play on the new slides, in a family-style lazy river and with circus animals galore. The area is adjacent to the newly refurbished Fun H2Ouse, which offers hundreds of water gags and activities, the new TurboRacer (my favorite) and three of the highest and fastest slides in North America. I should know. I careened down so fast I got a royal wedgie on one of them.

My second visit was yesterday with our friends Karla, Ivan and their three children. I was a bit nervous about some of the scarier rides but reasoned I would just hang out with my pregnant friend and her seven-year-old son. Until their two teen-agers Rachel and Jesse took me under their wing and dragged me to every freaky ride in the park. “C’mon, it will be fun, Amber.” Note to the wise: teen-agers have a warped sense of entertainment. Read on …

Congratulations to Julie Weathers, winner of our designer Baby Lulu outfit!

If you’ve had any complaints about boredom from your children, VTech is coming to the rescue! Their fantastic prize pack includes the following:

V-Motion: This is one of the summer’s most educational toys on the market. This Wii-like educational game gets “active minds in motion” when it goes head-to-head with today’s must-have technologies, providing a motion-activated gaming system appropriate for 3 to 7 year olds. $69.99

V-Motion Smartridges™: Children’s favorite characters come to life and encourage action-packed play on the V-Motion Smartridges. The prize pack includes a game from one of the summer’s hottest movies: Kung Fu Panda! $24.99

Movie Theater Prize Pack: VTech will also throw in an AMC Movie Theater gift certificate to go see Sensei Panda, along with candy and popcorn to enjoy. Not that we are endorsing smuggling of any kind. :-)

We are thrilled to OFFER three of VTech’s prize packs! To enter, simply email us at with “V-Motion” in the subject line. Please include your mailing address (this prize is available to Colorado residents only). Contest deadline is July 5, 2008.

This is your one-stop shopping spot for a whole lot of mom-worthy information. What do Hanes and Disney have in common? Where can you find fun activities at a luxury mountain resort for free? Where can you enjoy summer shopping, lemonade and sweet deals on the hottest Colorado-based mom and kid products around?

Look no further!

Hanes + Disney = Family Fun
Hanes makes more than just great undies (I should know—their comfy shirts are a summertime staple at my house.) Hanes is also about making dreams come true! The company is partnering with Disney to give SEVEN families the chance to “Vacation in Comfort” during The Year of A Million Dreams at Walt Disney World® Resort. The contest runs through August 30, 2008. Visit www.hanes.com/vacationincomfort to enter.

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek + Fridays at the Park = Luxuriously Free Fun
Want a taste of the good life without taking a gouge out of your wallet? Fridays at the Park return to the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa. Beginning June 27 and continuing through August 29 (excluding July 4), Fridays at the Park provides FREE activities for all the family to enjoy including gondola rides, live music, fly fishing demonstrations, giveaways and much more. For information, call 970-949-1234.

Colorado Companies + Lovely Confections = Discounted and Tasty Fun
The Sweet Summer Sample Sale is THE place to buy Colorado’s hottest baby and mom items, all discounted 30 - 60 percent! Possibly the best part? The Sweet Summer Sample Sale will be at Lovely Confections Bakery where the true sampling begins! The sale is July 12th from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information on participating companies, go here.

Congratulations to Ashley Marshall, winner of our Mod Mum baby sling!

My children’s daily swim lessons have catapulted me into beach mode. Well, minus the beach. We do live in Colorado, after all.

But the California-based Baby Lulu collection resonates with me. I fell in love with their beautiful garden prints, inspired by Founder and Designer Erin Murphy’s childhood memories of her mother’s lush home gardens that are showcased in this collection within a pink, orange, blue and green color palette. Featured items include adorable cropped leggings–a popular trend in children’s wear–2-piece play sets and whimsical, tiered skirts with mesh overlays.

Baby Lulu has broadened their offerings to include a line of sleepwear, swimwear, undergarments, bedding and necklaces under the expanded Baby Lulu brand. Baby Lulu is available locally at Real Baby and Bambini, Read on …

Congratulations to soon-to-be mom Cynthia G. of Aurora who won a DadGear pack for her husband Joel, a soon-to-be dad!

Pssssssssst! Make sure to sneak away from your Father’s Day revelries to enter Mile High Mamas’ giveaway for a cool Mod Mum baby sling. Because don’t you deserve to be indulged as well?!

When my children were babies, I was never a sling person. I had a Baby Bjorn and then my children graduated to an R.E.I. backpack. On a whim, I bought a sub-par sling off eBay but never used it because 1) It hurt my back and 2) It was ugly. And yes, I really am that vain.

So I was admittedly wary when Mod Mum contacted me to review their slings. Sure, the designer fabrics were absolutely darling but would my 22-month-old toddler tolerate being in it? And more importantly, would my back survive it?

Yes to all of the above. Read on …