Yo Gabba Gabba Ticket Giveaway (CLOSED)

I have to confess that the first time I turned on Yo Gabba Gabba back in 2007, I was not sure what to make of it. LJ found it fascinating, so I left it on and quickly found that its catchy songs and skits had some very good messages in them.

So fast foward to today, and LJ still enjoys Yo Gabba Gabba as one of his favorite shows. I have even downloaded many of the songs onto my iPod to listen to in the car.

If your little one is also a Yo Gabba Gabba fan, you don't want to miss "Yo Gabba Gabba Live - There's A Party in my City!" The shows will be on March 14th at the Milwaukee Theater and go on sale today.

But wait!!!! One lucky Wisconsin Mommy reader will win a family four pack to the show.

Want to win?? Here's how:

1. Leave a comment telling me who your favorite Yo Gabba Gabba character is.

2. For an additional entry, follow @Wisconsin_Mommy on Twitter. Then come back and leave a comment letting me know that you did this.

3. For another entry, Tweet the following : "I want to win tickets to @YoGabbaGabba Live from @Wisconsin_Mommy http://bit.ly/cYPie3" and leave me a comment letting me know you have Tweeted.

4. For another entry, become a fan of Wisconsin Mommy on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you have become a fan!

The contest will close at midnight Central time on March 3rd and a winner will be chosen by random.org and notified by email. Please make sure that you leave a valid email address!

updated:
A second prize set of TWO Yo Gabba Gabba music CD's will also be awarded!!

Airwear Eyeglass Lenses Review

Do you wear glasses?

I have to admit that I do. I have been wearing glasses since the age of five and am pretty much blind without them. And I mean literally blind - as in I have an eight inch focal point. (For all you 20/20 people, that means I cannot see farther than eight inches without my lenses.)

Since I have another condition that makes me ineligible for Lasik surgery, I have pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I will be wearing glasses (or contacts) for the rest of my life. Having accepted that fact, I am pretty picky about what glasses I wear. When Mom Central contacted me to ask if I wanted to review a new lens that is reported to be lighter, safer, and better for the environment, I jumped at the chance.

Essilor (who I have trusted to make my lenses for years) has introduced their new Airwear lenses. Airwear polycarbonate lenses are half the weight of traditional plastic and virtually unbreakable measuring in at 12 times stronger than plastic lenses. They also provide 100% UVA and UVB protection. These features make them ideal for children's glasses.

For the fashion conscious, let me point out that Airwear lenses are 30% lighter (no more squished noses) and 25% thinner than plastic which results in a better look in today's fashion frames. You eco-conscious eyeglass wearers will be happy to know that the Airwear lens packaging is made from 100% recyclable cardboard and the lenses themselves are made using 100% recycled water.

Unfortunately, due to my unusually strong prescription, the Airwear lenses were not the best choice for me. Essilor generously replaced my lenses with their Thin & Lite high index lenses which are a perfect match for my prescription.

If you have a mild to moderate prescription, be sure to learn more about Airwear lenses when it is time to update your glasses.

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Airwear and received a pair of Essilor eyeglass lenses to thank me for taking the time to participate

Protect Your Identity with a Shredder

Despite the frigid temperatures and never-melting-snow outside my window, that wonderful time of year is almost here.

No, not spring (I wish!!).

Tax time.

Every year, I gather up the ridiculous amount of paperwork I have saved for twelve months and sort through to see what I actually NEED to send to our accountant. Usually I am left with a giant pile of papers that were not really needed but still contain personal information that I do not want falling into the wrong hands.

So what to do?? Shred! No, not the Jillian Michaels workout, but with a paper shredder. I used to dread this since J has a habit of burning out the motor on every shredder we have ever owned. (I think it has something to do with shoving paper in ten sheets at a time.)

About a year and a half ago, I ran a giveaway for a Fellowes shredder and received one myself. I am happy to report that the shredder is still up and running smoothly despite all of J's attempts to break it. I call a win for the shredder as J has not managed to even jam it - not even once. (I equate him to the gorilla in the Samsonite commercial who jumps on all of the luggage. He is the gorilla of shredders!)

Now I'll bet you are thinking, "I'd like to get myself one of those gorilla J-proof shredders" aren't you?

Great news - you can WIN one at Fellowes' Facebook page. Just go to www.Facebook.com/Fellowes and click on the "contest" tab.

Hurry, the contest will be ending soon. And good luck!

The Elysian Provides an Oasis of Luxury in the Heart of the Gold Coast

J and I are enjoying a quick weekend away in Chicago before heading back up to Wisconsin Sunday afternoon. We accepted an invitation to try out the one of Chicago's newest hotels, The Elysian, located at 11 East Walton. It is located in the heart of the Gold Coast and is near tons of shops and convenient to many activities.








The rooms are exceptional and have every luxury you could desire including fireplaces, furnished outdoor terraces, operable windows, multiple closets and a private bar complete with refrigerator, freezer, microwave and stovetop. The white Carrara marble bathrooms boast soaking tubs, separate showers and dual vanities with inset LCD television, 460-thread count Rivolta Carmignani Italian bed linens, lavish bath amenities and plush terry cloth bathrobes, advanced in-room technology including LCD high-definition televisions, touch screen Voice-Over-IP telephones with complimentary national calling, complimentary wireless Internet, international channeling, CAT 6 wiring and Bowers & Wilkins integrated sound system.




We enjoyed an amazing dinner at Balsan, the beautiful European-inspired bistro located on the third floor. The food was amazing. I enjoyed the fresh oysters (flown in daily) while J dined on a baby lettuce salad. Appetizers were followed by a Margarita pizza (proclaimed by J to be the "best he has had...ever") and delicious soup. Dessert was a hazelnut cream pastry that perfectly rounded out the excellent meal.

Any issues Balsan may have faced when they first opened have been entirely ironed out. The service was beyond attentive and the timing of the courses was perfect. The restaurant was comfortable full and each patron was waited on as if they were the only one there. Servers are very knowledgeable about the menu and offer helpful insight and guidance when asked.

We also had the chance to try out the state of the art health club located within the hotel. The main room has all new Matrix treadmills, bikes, elliptical machines, and weight equipment. All of the cardio machines have in-screen televisions and are iPod compatible. There is also a Pilate's room and a beautiful lap pool. The locker rooms have showers, saunas and steam rooms.










Whether you are looking for a luxurious weekend getaway or just a spot for a delicious dinner, Elysian is a sure bet.










Disclosure: The Elysian invited us as their guests for the weekend and generously picked up the tab for our stay. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and are not influenced by any compensation.

Biggest Loser Giveaway (CLOSED)

In honor of this third Wellness Wednesday and the second Biggest Loser Mom's weigh in (I'm down almost 4 pounds this week thankyouverymuch), I am hosting a Biggest Loser Prize Pack Giveaway. This Biggest Loser kit will help you get and stay motivated to get into shape and drop those unwanted pounds!

The kit includes 7 tools to help you build your healthy lifestyle:

• The Biggest Loser game for Wii or Nintendo DS (winner's choice)


• an Audio Journal (press the "Daily Dose Button" to hear 365 motivational, inspirational & informational messages from winners of season 4 & 5 Ali & Bill)


• Recipe Easel and Recipes from Biggest Loser Cookbooks


• Meal & Exerciser Planner (Track your Fitness & Food Log, Calorie Counter, Flexible Format and Easy-to Use Planner)


• Exercise Music CD (30 minutes of music at 126 BPM)


• Tape Measure


• 10 Day Trial at Biggest Loser Online Club

Here's how to enter:

1. For two entries, blog about this contest and include a link back to it. Be sure to leave two separate comments letting me know you have done this.


2. For an extra entry, become a follower of this blog by clicking on the "follow" button in the right hand column. Please leave a comment letting me know you have done this.


3. For another entry, follow @Wisconsin_Mommy on Twitter. Again, leave a comment.


4. For another entry, Tweet the following: "Win a #BiggestLoser Prize Pack from @Wisconsin_Mommy http://bit.ly/7hpYwn". Please leave a comment after doing this.

5. For TWO extra entries: become a fan of Wisconsin Mommy on Facebook. Be sure to leave two comments!!

If you have done all these things to enter, you should leave five (5) separate comments to count as your entries.

The contest will end at midnight Central time on February 28th. A winner will be selected using random.org and notified by email. Please be sure to leave a valid email address if one is not visible on your profile. The winner will have one week to respond back with a valid US address and his/her choice of a Wii or DS Biggest Loser Game.

Thanks for playing and if you have a Wellness Wednesday post or giveaway, please feel free to add it to Mr. Linky below. I just ask that you only add posts having to do with wellness and that you add the Wellness Wednesday button to your site.

Pants on the Ground???

This new American Idol classic is even a hit with the kindergarten crowd!!

Wellness Wednesdays: a tool to help on your quest

Have you watched The Biggest Loser and wondered what those black bands were that all the contestants wear on their arms? You may have heard the trainers refer to them as "bodybuggs"and mention things like "hitting your burn" and wondered what the heck they were talking about.

The devices that The Biggest Loser contestants are wearing are made to monitor several aspects of activity and weight loss. They go beyond the limited capabilities of heart monitors and pedometers and actually monitor steps & calories burned and give you a summary report at the end of the day. (If you include the wrist display, your results are updated in real time.)

I've been wearing my BodyMedia device for two weeks now and it has proved invaluable. I was not nearly as active as I had liked to think and the device showed that. (Apparently chasing a kid around doesn't burn as many calories as you'd think.) I find that the immediate feedback of seeing how many calories I have burned in a workout provides added motivation when I feel like skipping it. I've made changes to my routine based on the information I've gotten from my BodyMedia armband and have already seen results.

I also like that it gives me the ability to monitor my progress throughout the day. If it's mid-afternoon and I am not halfway to where I would like to be (either with steps taken, minutes of activity, or calories burned) I know I need to put some more activity into my day.

The bodybugg devices that The Biggest Loser contestants wear are made by BodyMedia and run about $199 for the armband. BodyMedia also makes the GoWear Fit (which as far as I can tell is virtually identical to the bodybugg but ALSO measures the length and quality of your sleep) and starts at $159.

If you are ready to take your workouts and weight-loss to the next level, you might want to invest in one of these monitoring devices.

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GoWearFit may be purchased at the BodyMedia website or at Amazon.com.

Happy Birthday, Milwaukee County Zoo!!

Today we attended the Centennial Celebration Kickoff at the Milwaukee County Zoo. It's hard to believe that the zoo has been around for 100 years! Of course, back in 1910, it looked much different (and they have a whole display of pictures to prove it!).

The celebration included yummy treats, folks from Old World Wisconsin dressed like it was 1910 again, games, crafts, and a cake decorating contest. The cakes that were created were amazing!! Here are just a few:

We were able to sample some of the cake and it tasted as good as it looks!! We had a very happy guy on our hands after that!

The Zoo has several new animals you can check out - the two new tiger cubs are adorable and Happy the Hippo is adjusting nicely to his new home and loves to have visitors.

The Zoo's winter hours are Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

FedEx Out of Office Blog

I had the good fortune of attending a FedEx Twitter party several weeks ago. It was being held to celebrate the launch of their new blog "Out of Office". Shortly after the party ended, I headed over to the Out of Office blog to look around and check it out. I expected to find some tips on shipping presents and things like that.

What I found was a great collection of blog posts that live up to the blog's tag line: Unexpected Ideas for Creative Projects. They are currently running a series on New Years Resolutions complete with great down loadable templates to keep you organized.

The blog contains articles on everything from building your brand to cool projects to do with leftover wrapping paper. I have to admit that my favorite section is the "Parenting Projects" that has given me ideas about what to do with the piles of artwork my little guy brings home from school. And I'll bet I won't be buying any new place mats for a while. Wondering what I'm talking about?? Go check out the FedEx Out of Office blog!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of FedEx Office. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Wellness Wednesdays: The Biggest Loser edition

Did you watch The Biggest Loser premier last night? This season has started off like no other with no less than FIVE people leaving the ranch on the first week. I have to give MAJOR credit to those contestants who weighed in before their friends, family, and in some case, entire schools. Wow.

If you've ever thought that you might like the motivation that The Biggest Loser prize money can generate but have no desire to appear in a bra and shorts on national TV, you should check out the Biggest Loser Moms contest. There's prize money to the biggest mom loser and you don't have to share your numbers with anyone but the contest runners (I can vouch for them - they're good people.)

I myself signed up yesterday. So far there are over 25 people signed up. Go check out the details and come back and let me know if you signed up!

And if you'd like to link to your own Wellness Wednesdays post, sign up on Mr. Linky below and email me for the button code to put on your post.

Introducing Wellness Wednesdays at Wisconsin Mommy

I don't know about you, but the end of 2009 left me with a feeling of being out of control. Not the kind of "out of control" that implies crazy partying, but the kind that leaves you helpless and feeling like things are going on all around you that you have no control over. Uncontrolled spending by the government, politicians who don't seem to listen to what their constituents are telling them that they want, an economy that seems to keep sucking more and more money out of our savings accounts...

Well, I've decided that for 2010, I am going to focus on the things that I CAN control. One of those things is my health. I've been lucky enough to enjoy fairly good health for most of my years (not counting that little tonsil issue), but have been slowly packing on the pounds for the last couple of years. Nothing like seeing yourself on TV to give your motivation to exercise a huge kick in the butt. They say that the camera adds ten pounds and I DID have three cameras on me but...

This year, that changes.

This year, I am getting in control. Care to join me?

I am starting with Wellness Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, I will be writing a post that features something to help us on our journey to wellness. I will be doing interviews, hosting giveaways and pointing out what has (or hasn't) worked for me so far.

And I'm inviting you to join in as well. Write your own wellness post (your own recommendations, wellness product giveaway, or just a report on how you're doing on your quest to be well) and come back here to add it to the list below. Include the Wellness Wednesdays button (you'll need to email me for the code until I figure out how to post it easily) on your sidebar or in your post and you're good to go.

Wii Squeeballs Party Game Giveaway Winner

Random.org has chosen comment #29 as the lucky winner. An email has been sent to the winner.

Please stop back often as there are many more fabulous giveaways scheduled for the upcoming weeks.

Thanks for being a Wisconsin Mommy reader!!