Eyes lit up in wonder. Minds overwhelmed with the magic. Santa is real!

This Christmas, we want to give you the chance to treat your children with their very own, personalized message from Santa Claus!

Yes, Santa is making calls this season — and we have a FREE call from Santa for each of you!

The phone call from Santa is just one of the many personalized messages and customized calls you can send from PhoneGreetings.com. From birthdays to holidays, Phonegreetings is allowing users to give unique phone call personalized greetings cards to family and friends.

PhoneGreetings.com even reports that parents are using personalized “Santa Calls” and kid characters as a new approach to discipline and improved behavior for their children!

“You better not shout, you better not cry” or you may not get toys from Santa Claus, is one of most memorable and respected songs for children during the holiday. For generations, children were told if they do not behave, there would be consequences to their actions which almost always resulted in a favorable response.

Now parents can get that “favorable” response more often with a little help from PhoneGreetings.com and cast of funny, whimsical characters such as, “The Karate Squirrel” who tells your child not to talk back to you or “Trixie the Fairy”, who tells your child to clean up the room, and Santa Claus himself, who says “always listen to your parents” or “don’t pick on your brothers and sisters”.

Here’s how it works: Visit www.phonegreetings.com and select your personalized greeting from Santa Claus or any children’s character. Here you will be able to customize your message with options such as senders (your name) and recipient (your child’s name), specific information about the child, favorite toy or gift he or she wants for Christmas, as well as areas the child is doing well in or could improve on.

With the click of a button, a unique personalized message is created for that child and is ready to be sent to any phone, email or Facebook wall. The message can also be downloaded as a mp3 to be shared with anyone. There are over 15 characters to choose from and 100’s of good and bad behavior dropdowns.

PhoneGreetings.com works with major music labels, entertainment companies, professional athletes, recording artists including Sisqo and Dru Hill, celebrities such as Antoine Dodson “Bed Intruder”, children’s characters, politicians and ad agencies to create and deliver personalized, viral marketing campaigns and audio greeting cards for Facebook, Twitter and various other social media platforms.

“I send personalized calls to my children all the time, especially when they start getting a little rambunctious. When they first hear the message, they get really excited and then they’re angels for the rest of the day”, says co-founder, Jason Birtkett.

PhoneGreetings.com plans to send out one million calls this holiday season. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to various non-profit organizations focused on helping underprivileged children.

Get Santa on the Phone Now…

Whether you want to encourage your kids to keep up the good behavior, or simply wow them with the magic of personal message from Santa, head over to www.phonegreetings.com for your FREE Santa call. Use coupon code 5mform.

(Each additional call to Santa, in case you have more than one child you want to call, are three dollars. SO, if you want, we have arranged with PhoneGreetings.com for you to choose whether you want the free Santa call or a holiday call instead.) Remember to use coupon code 5mform for your free call.

Let us know how your children reacted to Santa Claus phoning them! We would love to hear!

Please Note: PhoneGreetings.com is a sponsor of 5 Minutes for Mom this month. Thanks for supporting us by supporting our sponsors!

Written by Janice Croze, co-founder of 5 Minutes for Mom. Talk with me: @5minutesformom and Facebook.com/5minutesformom.

My kids are constantly turning their bedrooms into makeshift stores. They line their toys and stuffed animals up in rows, grab their toy buckets and begin shopping. My daughter enjoys screaming from her room, “Come one and all. The store is open.”

When I was given the opportunity to review the Neighborhood Market from Little Tikes, I couldn’t pass it up. I knew that they would LOVE it. Isn’t it darling?

I sometimes feel a twinge of anxiety when I know that a toy requires assembly. Thankfully the Neighborhood Market was easy to put together.

In no time at all, the kids were decorating the chalk board marquee, raising up the awning, making ice cream cones to sell and running the cash register. They were very excited.

They have been having so much fun with their Little Tikes Neighborhood Market and I love that they play with it together. They take their turns as store owner and shoppers. In fact, it is one of the few toys that we own that they can play with together, for hours, without erupting into sibling brawls.

My favorite part is that it is actually three markets in one! It can easily go from a fruit stand, to an ice cream shop to a bakery. My children also love turning theirs into a used bookstore.

The Neighborhood Market comes with:

• Clear sliding doors for real shopping fun
• Cash register
• Pretend money and credit card
• 3 lemons, 3 oranges, 4 cupcakes, 2 bunches of bananas
• 1 ice cream scooper, 2 ice cream scoops, 2 ice cream cones
• Chalk board marquee
• Store awning that pulls down and winds up

Of course we have one Little Tikes Neighborhood Market, retail value $99.99, to give away to one of you!

It would make a perfect Christmas present. To enter please leave a comment below. We would love to hear about your favorite Little Tikes product.

Little Tikes would like to offer you ways to earn additional entries into this giveaway.

• Sign up for their newsletter on www.littletikes.com. 

• Become a fan on www.facebook/littletikes
• Follow Little Tikes on Twitter.


Leave an additional comment for each additional entry that you earn. For instance, “I signed up for the Little Tikes newsletter.”

We also have an exclusive coupon just for YOU. Use the coupon code: Moms2010 for 10% off your order at www.littletikes.com. The coupon is good through Dec 31st, 2010.


This giveaway is part of our Christmas Giveaway 2010 event. Guess what? You can earn even more entries! To find out how, be sure to check out our Christmas Giveaway 2010 post to read our rules.

This giveaway is open to US shipping addresses only, is void where prohibited and closes on December 4th.

Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions of Use for more information.

Thank you Little Tikes for providing a Neighborhood Market for our review and for also offering a second market as prizing in this giveaway.

Lori, Suzanne and Karen, are three very different moms with one common goal – to create “a celebration of motherhood” for all types of mothers. Together, this unique trio of women make up PeaceLoveMom, a lifestyle brand company designed to share life’s many moments of motherhood.

With fun shirts, totes and accessories, PeaceLoveMom has something wonderful to help you to express your joys of motherhood.

Their cozy thermals will keep you warm this winter, while their jersey tees are hip and chic. Check out just a few of their fun styles….

By donning one of their shirts, you will join the ranks of some many famous mommies: Kate Gosselin, of Jon& Kate Plus 8; Beth Foraker, David Cook’s mom; Cindy Crawford and Cheryl Hines -just to name a few.

You should also take some time to check out their line of clothing for babies and kids. Just too darn cute I tell you.

We are giving away to one deserving mommy a hip tee from PeaceLoveMom.

We would also like to thank PeaceLoveMom for their donation of a pink tote to our Under the Tree Program.

If you would like to include PeaceLoveMom in your holiday shopping, we have a discount code to share with you. Enter the Discount Code 5forMom for free shipping thru Dec. 1st.

Here’s how you can win a hip tee, retail value $40.00.

1. See our Christmas Giveaway 2008 post to read more about
   participating in our Christmas Giveaway



2. Either link back to this post and include a Christmas Giveaway 2008 button in that post or on your sidebar, or link to the individual giveaways you choose to enter. We have a ton of different buttons and styles for you to choose from. Click here to get the button codes. (If you post and include the button, either in your post or on your sidebar, and link back here, you are good for all the giveaways. No more linking required.)
3. Please leave one comment below to enter this giveaway. You may earn additional entries for the following:
   1. Subscribe to our Feed
   2. Sign up for our Newsletter
   If you are already subscribed and are on our newsletter list, you qualify for these two additional entries. Go ahead and leave your additional comments below.
4. As always, non bloggers are welcome to participate! We understand you can’t link – but please spread the word to your friends via facebook, twitter, etc.
5. Entries are open from Monday, November 24th through Friday, November 28th at 12pm EST.
6. Our winner will be drawn randomly and we will announce the winner Monday, December 1st. Please make sure to check our site and your email address to see if you have won a prize. We must receive your reply within 5 business days. (If you want your prize to arrive in time — the sooner we hear from you, the better!)
7. This contest is open to US shipping addresses. Due to legal restrictions, this promotion is not available in Arizona or Quebec.

   Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions of Use for a complete list of our Contest and Giveaway Rules.

I have such fun with infant toys. I love the thought that goes into creating toys that are safe, fun and perfect for building our baby’s developmental skills.

The new Stepping Stone Play Mat by One Step Ahead, does not disappoint. It comes with 6 large, soft triangles, each with its own captivating activity. The triangles can be placed together in a number of ways, making it perfect for tummy time, crawling time and those times when your baby wants to sit and play.

I love all of the fun that was placed onto each triangle. My favorite is the octopus. His long tentacles can be grasped and shaken to create a delicate chiming sound. The hole in the triangle that he is attached to, also turns it into a shape sorter.

My 7 month old loves the house with the crinkly door and hidden mirror. He spends most of his time with the little door grasped between his dimply hands.

Even my 5 year old enjoys playing with them, arranging them in a zig-zag pattern so that she can play hop scotch.

• This is a One Step Ahead exclusive! The in-house Design Team invests thought and care into
  every last detail, to bring you high-quality products you can’t find anywhere else.
• Three-stage system builds sensory development, tummy time strength, gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, and cause and effect thinking
• Each triangle is nicely padded for baby’s comfort, with appliqués, embroidery, and hook ‘n loop edges

Development activities include:
• Peek-a-boo sailboat with crinkly sail
• Plush, tethered fish rattle
• Spinning sun with squeaker insider
• Mirror flower with crinkly leaf
• House with flip-open door (reveals a mirror inside)
• Chiming, tethered plush octopus. In pyramid mode, it doubles as a shape sorter, since there’s a hole in the triangle fabric behind it.



• Retail Value – $49.95

We have one Stepping Stone Play Mat to give away to one lucky reader. One is also being generously donated to our Under The Tree Program. Thank You One Step Ahead.

Here’s how to enter:

1. See our Christmas Giveaway 2008 post to read more about
participating in our Christmas Giveaway

2. Please leave one comment below to enter this giveaway. You may earn additional entries for the following:
1. Subscribe to our Feed
2. Sign up for our Newsletter
If you are already subscribed and are on our newsletter list, you qualify for these two additional entries. Go ahead and leave your additional comments below.

3. Non-bloggers are welcome to enter

4. Entries are open from Thursday, November 6th at 3:00PM EST thru Friday, November 28th at 12pm EST.

5. Our winner will be drawn randomly and we will announce the winner Monday, December 1st. Please make sure to check our site and your email address to see if you have won a prize. We must receive your reply within 5 business days. (If you want your prize to arrive in time — the sooner we hear from you, the better!)

6.. This contest is open to US and Canadian shipping addresses. “Due to legal restrictions, this promotion is not available in Arizona or Quebec.”
Please see our site’s Terms and Conditions of Use for a complete list of our Contest and Giveaway Rules.

One Step Ahead is also offering a coupon code.

Coupon Code – BLOGSAVE
Valid now through 12/7/08
15% off orders of $85 or more

But then Jane at The Cushie Co. made a special Cushie BabyMat for him, and it helped ease the guilt I felt for not having his special blanket finished yet.

And actually he was a bit spoiled, because The Cushie is super soft, padded and luxurious. We both love it. And it allowed me some more time to finish his quilt, while knowing that he still had his very own special blanket.

The Cushie is much more than a blanket, however. Its padded nature makes it more useful and versatile than a baby blanket. It is perfect for hard surfaces. It is also made from ultra-plush Minky Chenille Plush and Minky Dot fabric. It is so soft and he loves to sometimes bury his head into his Cushie. I have even caught myself rubbing it against my face as well. It is just THAT soft. Because it is padded, The Cushie stays put, even under my wiggly, rolling 7 month old.

The Cushie is also the perfect size to fit into Pack n’ Plays. We seem to use it often in his Pack n’ Play and it is so comfy and cushiony compared to the typical Pack n’ Play pad.

I also love how his Cushie is monogrammed. It gives his special blanket even more of a special touch. For the monogramming, you can chose from 3 font styles and 10 thread colors.

This product fills a need that no other baby product currently satisfies: it creates a cozy, clean & cool place for baby just about anywhere. While on his Cushie baby will be in the soft lap of luxury whether she’s playing on hard wood floors or on any other dusty, unforgiving surface, getting her diaper changed on the Koala changing stations or sitting comfortably in the play pen. Perfect for Mom’s playgroups and baby’s play time. Most importantly, the Cushie is a unique and very impressive baby gift. It is always the talk of the baby shower.

My baby boy and I absolutely adore his Cushie BabyMat. I would definitely purchase one as a baby shower gift. There are so many designs and colors to choose from. It’s one of those items in which the browsing and shopping process is so much fun.

If you would like to win a Cushie BabyMat, please leave a comment below. We will choose one lucky winner to receive a Cushie of their choice. We also have a special discount code for our readers.
Upon checkout, enter in code fiveminutemom15 to receive 15% off. Also, if you sign up for their newsletter, you will enter into the pool to win a free chenille bib and matching burp cloth set.

We will draw our Cushie winner on November 15th.

She owns Corduroy, a fully posable horse. He came with a halter, comb and carrot. She loves that his legs can bend and move and that his mouth opens so that she can feed him.

Corduroy is one of four different posable horses sold by Paradise Horses, and each horse comes with its own story. Corduroy is a chestnut horse with a soft muzzle. He is affectionate and enjoys being pet and groomed.

I think that it is wonderful that they make each horse unique so that children can choose which horse they would like to own, based on its coloring and personality, much like they would if they were purchasing a real live horse.


Your little equestrian will also love Paradise Horses’ line of riders, clothing and accessories for their loved horse.
Realistic jumps can be used for practices and exercise. The Two-Stall barn makes a great home for the horse and also provides room for clothing, tack and accessories. The tack and clothing offered allows for the horse to be dressed and prepared no matter the occasion. Each piece is also highly-detailed and realistic, making it a smaller version of the real thing.

Paradise Horses encourages serious horseplay with realistic horses and accessories that are handmade and hand painted with love. Every horse is an original and once in your child’s arms, can be registered with the Paradise Horse Club, receiving a Certificate of Authenticity.

If you have a horse lover in your home and would like a chance to win one free product of your choice from Paradise Horses, please leave a comment below. You can choose from any of the horses or accessories. This giveaway is only open to US shipping addresses.

We will draw a winner on October 25th.

Paradise Horses also has a promo code for our wonderful readers, just in time for holiday shopping. If you would like to receive 20% off your order, please enter in promo code paradise5.

When Margo Hertzfeld offered to send me her Baby Your Face facial treatment wipes as part of her Get Your Glow Back™ line, I knew the product would be perfect for me. There are countless nights where I find myself crashing out of exhaustion, without first taking the time to wash my face.

Thanks to the Baby Your Face wipes, which I placed on my nightstand, I was able to quickly and thoroughly cleanse my face. The organic Bulgarian rosewater soothed my skin, while the slight hint of lavender helped me to relax after my busy day.

I actually looked forward to bedtime, knowing that I would get to open my lovely case of wipes and take 5 wonderfully refreshing seconds for myself.

An entrepreneur, makeup artist and new mom herself, Rosy Glow founder Margo Hertzfeld was inspired to create the Rosy Glow line after the birth of her daughter in 2005. Enduring sleepless nights and focusing on a new baby first (and herself last), Margo had dark under-eye circles and dry, dehydrated lips. Unable to find the kind of easy-to-use, all-natural products she craved, she decided to develop them herself.

“Looking good is a spirit-booster for all women, but new moms rarely have the luxury of taking time for themselves.” said Hertzfeld. “I developed these products to deliver immediate relief from under-eye darkness and dehydrated lips. Rosy Glow is dedicated to making new moms feel pampered and cared for…just like their babies.”

Along with Baby Your Face, Rosy Glow Beauty currently offers two other individual products:
• Rosy Glow Lips which naturally treat, tint and plump tired lips.
• Get Your Glow Back Eyes, a soothing solution for a tired mom’s dry, puffy and dark under eye area.

The products are also botanically-based and made without synthetic dyes or fragrances.

Rosy Glow Beauty also offers a Get Your Glow Back Pack, which includes all three signature products, a washable cosmetic bag and a comfy sleep mask for those times when the kiddos actually allow a moment to doze off.

And, since we know you can all use it, The Get Your Glow Back Pack can be yours, all you have to do is leave a comment below. We have one pack to give to one lucky reader. If you’d like, you can even share with us why you think you need to get your glow back.

We will draw our winner on October 25th. This contest is open to US and Canada.

Rosy Glow Beauty is offering a 10% off the total purchase discount. Enter promo code RG08TEN at checkout.

The reason is — both Olivia and I LOVE her comfy, cute bunny jammies and so often when I happen to grab the camera, she is in those pj’s!

Here are some more shots of Olivia in her Hatley pajamas. Olivia and I were hanging out on the dock at our cabin while Jackson and Phil went fishing. (Olivia and I stayed in our jammies most of that vacation. But can you blame us – we were comfy!)

And I just LOVE snuggling with my kids when they are fresh from the bath and in a clean pair of pajamas — it doesn’t get much better than that!

Mom entrepreneur, Linda Levine, was so inspired by her love of cozy, quality pajamas for her boys, that she started, My Baby Pajamas.

“My Baby Pajamas is all about providing cute and highly durable children’s pajamas at a reasonable cost with the convenience of buying them online,” Linda explains. “Life is busy and as a parent, I want to make sure that my boys have the best sleep each night and I will do everything I can to contribute to that. After all, a good night’s sleep means less cranky kids in the morning. Our nightly routine along with them wearing our soft pajamas definitely helps that process along.” Linda is thrilled to now make these sweet and comfy pajamas available for others around the country.

If you are looking for a convenient way to get your kids ready for bed, hop over and stock up at My Baby Pajamas.

Not only will you be supporting a work at home mom, but, for the month of September, our readers can use the coupon code minutemom10 for 10% off the entire order.

Shopping Hint: My Baby Pajamas also has some great sales going on right now. In combination with our discount code — you can get some great deals!

And if you want to win some adorable pajamas for your little ones, leave a comment here. We will have two winners who will each win a pair of pajamas of their choice.

We will announce the winner September 20th. This contest is open to BOTH Canadian and US addresses.

Now that my daughter is getting older, I am really bothered when the sag in her jeans reveals skin and underwear. The poor thing, I am constantly telling her to pull up her pants.

Thanks to another mom who had the same dilemma with her children, I now have a solution for my children’s droopy drawers.

With two simple snaps, the Dapper Snapper tightens pants and shorts and keeps them in place. Since it is only placed on the backside, trips to the bathroom are a breeze. The pants easily slide off and on, without having to unsnap or remove the Dapper Snapper.

I tested this ingenious product on both of my children, even placing the Dapper Snapper on the pairs of adjustable jeans that weren’t doing their jobs. The Dapper Snapper worked!!! Their jeans stayed-put, potty trips were easy breezy and I think that both children forgot that they even had it on. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Dapper Snappers really are simple. But in case you are still a little stumped as to how they work, here is a short demonstration:

Dapper Snappers come in a variety of colors. They can be purchased individually or in packs of three.

Lucky for you, we have two 3-packs to give away. If you have been struggling with the toddler saggy jeans syndrome in your home, this is definitely the product for you.

To enter, please leave a comment below. Our two winners will be selected on September 13th.