Twitter Party Calendar This Week - April 16-22 - for Women & Moms to Win Brand Name Products

Twitter Parties

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Updated 4/20/12

This week's Twitter Party schedule lists parties women and moms will enjoy attending April 16-22.  Be sure to check back as this schedule will be updated frequently all week so you don't miss updates and additions as they become available. Also get a sneak peek at Twitter parties coming up soon in subsequent weeks. Want to be the first to know when next week's Mommy Blog Expert Twitter Party schedule goes live? Then consider following MBE on Twitter and Facebook and by subscribing to this blog.
 

THIS WEEK

Monday, April 16

Join @ResourcefulMom and @RBabyFoundation for the #RBABYMoms Twitter Party at 8 pm EST. Prizes include GlassyBaby Candle Set valued at $132 each.  RSVP

You're invited to @Travelingmoms weekly Twitter Party with sponsor @layngo at 9 pm EST where they'll be talking about entertaining kids while traveling. Prizes include Four (4) Lay-n-Go LITEs (this ingenious invention retails for $64.95 each)  #TMoms  RSVP

Make a date to attend the @MelissaAndDoug Twitter Party tonight w/ Prizes at 9 pm EST. NO RSVP needed, just use hashtag #mdparty

@5minutesformom hosts 6th Annual Ultimate Blog Party #UBP12 from 9-10:30 pm EST. Grand prize is a Nook Color plus they're also giving away THREE (3) $100 Target Gift Cards and TEN (10) signed copies of the book Hurry Less, Worry Less for Moms. RSVP


Tuesday, April 17

Get in on the fun and join @Staples and @AudreyMcClellan for a Martha Stewart Twitter Party at 8 pm EST. Prizes TBA. Use hashtag #MarthaAtStaples to participate

Come to the @MonroeandMain Twitter Party at 8 pm EST talking all about shoes. RSVP by tweeting #StepIntoSummer and following Monroe and Main. Prizes will be given away every 10 minutes.

You're not going to want to miss @MomItForward and the @FacesofMBC #gno #facesofMBC Twitter Party on breast cancer awareness at 9 pm EST. One winner will be awarded a $250 donation to the breast cancer charity of their choice. RSVP

Join in the fun at the Twitter Party @Savvysassymoms is hosting for @Britax and Bob Trailers Baby Buggies Twitter Party at 10 pm EST benefiting @LoveRecycled #MayPAM. Four (4) prizes will be given away; by participating in this party you have the chance to win a five piece prize pack of Britax & Bob baby gear valued at almost $1,400  RSVP

Wednesday, April 18

Join the #XboxFamily Twitter Party at 1 pm EST. More details to come.

You're invited to the #MomsandBrands Earth Day Twitter Party at 7 pm EST. Prizes from natural band sponsors: Rockin Green Soap, Manitoba Harvest, Bambooee and Love Grown Foods. Follow @MomsandBrands and RSVP

Don't miss the weekly @TheOnlineMom Family Friendly Tech Twitter Party at 9 pm EST. Grand Prize is a brand new iPad (3rd Generation). Must RSVP & participate in party to be eligible to win.  

Thursday, April 19

@Champions4Kids @lomargie @MommaDandDaBoyz hosts the #OdwallaCFK Game Day Challenge Twitter Party at 2 pm EST. They'll be talking how to get the kids off the couch. Prizes: 4 Walmart gift cards (3-$25 and 1-$100). RSVP

Join @Momcentral for the #GladBlackBag Twitter Party at 3 pm EST. Prizes include SIX (6) $50 Amazon gift codes + Glad sample will be given away during the party and TWO (2) $50 Amazon GCs + Glad product for pre-tweeting before it starts.  Details

If you or your child loves My Little Pony you must attend the @MyLittlePony #PonyWedding Twitter Party that @ModernMom is hosting at 4 pm EST. SIX (6) My Little Pony prize packs will be given away and the Grand Prize includes a Sony Bloggie, the MLP Friendship Train Express and other cool swag. Opp to Tweet abt the party before party starts too!  RSVP

@SheSpeaksUp invites you to the @StyleUnited Glam Hour Twitter Party at 9 pm EST. $1000 in prizes to be given away including a $50 Zappos gift card, a B. Makowsky Holly Hobo handbag, a CHI Ceramic Flatiron and more; grand prize is a $200 Macy’s gift card. #StyleUnited RSVP

Hot Twitter party hosted by @Spokesmoms and @CalissonInc celebrating @SophieGiraffeUS Big Birthday at 9-11 pm EST. 57 fun prizes for kids and moms to give away. #Spokesmoms RSVP


Friday, April 20

Join the #theonlinemom #VZWBuzz @VerizonInsider for their weekly Twitter Party hosted by @theOnlineMom and @RobynsWorld at 3 pm EST. Prizes include a 4G LTE Spectrum by LG and other great prizes. To be eligible to win participate in the party and RSVP

Next Week

Monday, April 23
Thomas & Friends Celebrate Earth Day Twitter Party at 2 pm EST. Hosted by @Babygoodbuys w/ Thomas expert tweeting from @TrueBlueEngine. Prizes include 5 Thomas & Friends Up Up and Away DVDs, Trackmaster R/C toys. #totsyparty


Tuesday, April 24
Join @GrillHappiness @Sears @theBlogFrog and @ShibleySmiles for the #GrillingisHappiness Twitter Party at 1 pm EST. Talking about outdoor grilling with Sears. Prizes! Details  


Wednesday, April 25

@MomSparkMedia invites you to the Duda Farm Fresh Foods Twitter Party at 8 pm EST. They'll be talking about how to get your family to #snacksmart. Prizes include FIVE (5) $50 American Express Gift Cards. RSVP
  

Thursday, April 26

Join @shespeaksup at 9 pm EST for the #RecallsPlus Twitter Party. Prizes include $50 gift cards to the stores you shop at for yourself and your kids PLUS a brand new iPad. RSVP #styleunited


Friday, April 27

Get in on the @ShotatLife Twitter Party from 9 am- noon EST celebrating World Immunization Week! #vaccineswork #socialgoodmoms 

Sunday, April 29 
@Resourcefulmom hosts a Baby Shower Twitter Party for @BookieBoo where YOU can win prizes such as Baby Trend Jogging Stroller and a $75 ecoStore baby basket and other great stuff. RSVP


Coming Soon 

Monday, April 30

Join the @Mamavation 12th Mom Boot Camp Launch Twitter Party 8-10 pm EST. Prizes include Omron Pedometers (2 winners), Omron Body Fat Analysis Scales (2 winners), New Balance Tennis Shoes (2 winners) & other healthy lifestyle products. RSVP

Tuesday, June 5

The @FortyliciousCA and @RandomHouseCA Twitter Party at 9 pm EST. Prizes: 10 copies of new book Shelter Details

About this Weekly Twitter Party List Compiled by MommyBlogExpert.com

Twitter Parties are listed free of charge in this weekly schedule. If you'd like to add an event to the Mommy Blog Expert Twitter Party Calendar please email janis at janiselspas dot com with Twitter Party in the subject line including all the details and links in the body of your message.

I'm also available, for a nominal fee, to host or serve as a panelist for your own brand Twitter party, email janis@janiselspas.com for more information with Consulting Query in the subject line.

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert does attend some Twitter parties as a Guest and also hosts some. However, I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Bop It XT Game Toy for Ages 8+ Review

Games

Toy Review and Giveaway

For this review I called on my girl, girl, boy teen triplets to test the product. Having owned and really enjoyed both predecessors to the Bop It! XT -- plus the fact they love action toys that challenge physical and mental coordination -- it doesn't surprise me that I didn't have to twist their arms too much. They were more than glad to oblige and eagerly give me their feedback on the newest version of this fast reaction game that Hasbro just launched.

MBE partnered with Hasbro, post contains affiliate links

My daughter cracks open the new Bop It! XT

The packaging says Bop-It! XT is for ages 8 and up. I think it's worth emphasizing, though, that tweens and teens in particular will get a naturally-induced adrenaline rush with this game that can be played alone at home or with friends at a party. 

Like the earlier models of this battery-operated hand-held reaction challenge game the object is to think as quickly as possible and respond to the commands correctly. My kids are competitive by nature so they've been playing against each other when ever they can fit it in to their already very busy freshman high school schedules. But they've also been challenging themselves to beat their personal best scores, too.

The original Bop-It only had three commands that were delivered by an electronic voice that said "Bop it," "Pull it," and "Twist it" in random order. The second version appeared more sturdy as it was better constructed than the first game was and included a few more bells and whistles. The newest version basically works the same way the earlier generations did using the original commands but it adds three more call outs and more sophisticated actions including "Flick it," "Spin it," and "Shake it." The added action this toy now involves really challenges kids to think and react even more quickly.


Here my teen shows how fun this toy is in action

 

In addition to playing this solo or with just two players taking turns competing against each other, there are lots of other ways to have fun with the Bop It! XT with groups, teams, and at parties. The game now offers four progressive levels of play: Novice, Expert, Master and Pro. Advanced levels of play require gamers to remember the sounds and associated colors as well as the word commands that are delivered more rapidly as you progress to the next tier. My kids -- one now at the Expert level while the other is at the Master level -- are quite coordinated and athletic as well as sharp thinkers. Nevertheless this is really giving them a run for their money and they are working hard to keep moving up in the ranks.

With spring already here and warmer days ahead this is a good game to play indoors or outside that will get boys and girls moving and more physically active.  Encourage your kids to use their imagination for playing this game, I've no doubt that those who get hooked will have no trouble thinking up even more ways to entertain themselves with this.

Bop It! XT from Hasbro is available on Amazon and in stores nationwide where games and toys are sold. Requires three AAA batteries which are not included with the game which retails for $24.99.  

Hasbro BOP IT! XT

GIVEAWAY
Ends 4/25/12

Product image provided by Hasbro Games

HOW TO ENTER

Just leave a comment(s) below this post. Contest ends April 25, 2012 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. One winner will be selected at random from all entries and notified via email. 

Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying why  you'd like to win this great prize. Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook and/or Twitter contact info in the initial comment section so the winner can be contacted.

Optional Extra Entries 
Earn extra entries to win for doing one or more of the easy options listed below. Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your additional chances to win.

1. Follow @mommyblogexpert on Twitter

2. Like @mommyblogexpert on Facebook

3. Follow @Hasbro Twitter

4. Like @ Hasbro on Facebook

***Bonus Entries***

You can earn even MORE chances to win each time you TWEET the message below, up to 3 times each day. Don't forget to return to leave a comment on this post with the direct link right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for each of your RTs.

Tweet:

BOP-IT! XT Electronic Reaction Kids Game Toy GIVEAWAY - Enter up to 3x/Day, Ends 4/25 http://tinyurl.com/7bvjy7e RT 2 #WIN

Find More

Family-Friendly Giveaways

HERE

MBE participates in the Amazon Affiliate program and we receive a bit of compensation, at no extra cost to you, when you click on links within this post and make a purchase.

FTC Disclosure: Hasbro Games provided product to facilitate this review. The brand is also supplying the prize and handling shipping to the winner at the conclusion of the contest. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

Future Friendly Outreach Urges Consumers to Make Small Changes for Impacting Environment in Big Way

Eco Living 

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Regular readers know that MBE writes frequently about living green and has already published a number of eco-friendly blogposts in April. Since it's Earth Month and Earth Day will soon be here, this post couldn't be more timely to add to all the content already on this blog to reach out and educate consumers about living a more green and eco-friendly lifestyle. My hope is that this inspires each of us to commit to do at least one small thing to make the world better right now as well as for our children and for future generations.

Vanessa Lachey at L.A. Event w/ Tide Coldwater Detergent

Bet you didn't know that 

• Heating water for your washing machine accounts for about 80% of the energy used per wash load.
• If all households in the Los Angeles metro area switched to cold water laundering for a year, it would save enough energy to meet all the electricity needs of L.A. city streetlights for 4.1 years. 
• If the entire U.S. washed in cold water for just one day the energy saved could power the Empire State Building for 444 years or could power the city lights of New York City for 71 years.*

*Data provided by Alliance to Save Energy   

I know. That's really graphic. I hadn't realized the impact washing the laundry with cold water could have, either. That is, until I got recently got involved in the Tide Laundry Detergent #TakeaLoadOff Awareness Campaign.

It has been a whirlwind week working in concert with P&G's Future Friendly and Tide Take a Load Off effort to bring about more awareness and to encourage U.S. consumers to switch to cold water laundry washing to help save energy and reduce household utility expenses. 

So, I'd just like to share some of the highlights with readers not only about the Take A Load Off event that was sponsored by Procter & Gamble and their Future Friendly line of products that I attended here in L.A. but also give you some new ideas to think about on how we can each help reduce the sizes of our carbon footprints.

It is an honor to be tapped as one of a handful of VIP mom bloggers to take an active role in this project. My journey began on Tuesday when the driver of the limousine service that the Future Friendly brand had arranged picked me up at home and whisked me and a fellow blogger to Hollywood & Highland. Right next door to the Grauman's Chinese Theater, this world-famous center is just as famous as it is the present home of the annual Academy Awards ceremony.

Flowers cascading down Take a Load Off display wall

After the limo dropped us off in front, we met up with the other women bloggers that had also been brought in from throughout L.A. and Orange County by car service including my good friend Valerie of Mitchell Sweeps4Bloggers.com 

First we met up with the staff of PR agency Citizen Paine. They walked us through the pop-up laundry lounge exhibit that had been erected for the day right on the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard, probably the highest foot traffic location in all of Los Angeles.

Everything about this free educational presentation open to the public that day was green as in eco friendly. The public in New York City is invited to join the brand as the event repeats there on April 18.

Adirondack Chair in Future Friendly booth made of reclaimed wood

Future Friendly's full line of consumer products were on display as was a washer and dryer set like the ones they're giving away in a Facebook sweepstakes that you are invited to enter (see below for more info).

Not only were fresh flowers such as petunias planted in the slots in the walls, the entire temporary structure was actually made from a refurbished shipping container and included comfy Adirondack chairs crafted from reclaimed wood. In keeping with the Take A Load Off theme, passersby were invited to enjoy a neck massages courtesy of the brand.

Next our small group was ushered through the Hollywood & Highland plaza to the Renaissance Hotel and up the elevator to the Twist restaurant. There we enjoyed an intimate chat and lunch with the Procter & Gamble product manager for the Future Friendly brand along with spokeswoman Vanessa Lachey who is best known as host of the TV show WipeOut.

Us mom bloggers chat with P&G and Vanessa Lachey

Lachey, who is expecting her first baby, spoke intelligently about why it's important for parents to educate our children about what we are doing to recycle and be more energy-wise. "We must teach our kids that sustainability is being good to the Earth," she says. "Simple changes like washing your clothes with cold water make meaningful impacts that we can all benefit from."

Here's two easy ways you can get involved right now:

Tonight at 9 pm EST - You're invited to the She Speaks #TakeaLoadOff Twitter Party sponsored by Future Friendly and Tide. They'll be giving away over $1000 in prizes so don't miss it. RSVP is required to be eligible to win. 

Now through May 13 - Enter the Future Friendly Sweepstakes on Facebook where P&G invites you to commit to washing with cold water. In exchange you'll have the chance to win Tide Coldwater detergent or one of the sets of high-efficiency washer and dryers they're giving away weekly for this giveaway.

Vanessa Lachey and Me at Twist in Hollywood

About Tide Coldwater

Tide Coldwater detergent, one of the products in the Future Friendly line, was developed by P&G to work most effectively in cold water conditions and recently ranted among the top detergents. Specially formulated with efferent enzymes and surfactants, the detergent allows consumers to live more sustainably and save money without sacrificing the results they expect from a trusted brand such as Tide.
 

About Future Friendly

Procter & Gamble (P&G) is committed to a global strategy to grow responsibly and work towards long-term sustainability. This includes powering its plants with 100% renewable energy, using 100% renewable or recycled materials for all products and packaging, having  zero consumer and manufacturing waste go to landfills, and designing quality consumer products that also maximize conservation of resources. For more information, visit FutureFriendly.com

FTC Disclosure: I have written this blogpost on behalf of SheSpeaks and Tide and received VIP perks for attending the live L.A. Take A Load Off event. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.