Juicy Couture $25 Gift Card Giveaway

Congrats to Tara H, the winner of the Juicy Couture Gift Card giveaway.

Juicy Couture, originator of the iconic velour sweatpants has expanded into various lines including sleepwear, kids, handbags and shoes.

Just for fun, NYC Single Mom Reviews is offering one lucky NYC Single Mom Reviews reader the opportunity to win a $25 Juicy Couture gift card.

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How to Train Your Dragon Review

(Photo by Paramount Pictures)

Last night, we were invited to an advance screening of Dreamwork's "How to Train Your Dragon." From the previews, I wasn't really keen on seeing the movie but my daughter expressed interest in seeing it so off we went.

How to Train a Dragon is based on the book by Cressida Crowell and is set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons. The main character is Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel), a Viking teenager who is a misfit and the son of Stoick (voiced by Gerard Butler.) He does not fit in with the tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. One day, he encounters Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, befriends and protects him from the tribe.

Because of his friendship with the dragon and his not being able to fit, there are issues with his father, Stoic, the head of the Vikings.  Just in case you are wondering, there is a romance between Hiccup and Astrid (voiced by America Ferrara) who is the requisite tomboy and sassy competitor turned girlfriend.

What I liked about How to Train Your Dragon

• The 3-D animation and CGI effects 
• The visuals are fantastic especially when Hiccup and Toothless take to the air 
• The story is somewhat formulaic but still engaging, boy hates family tradition of dragon slaying, befriends and protects dragon, family/tribe changes opinions of dragons, boy and father become close friends
• The story works for both adults and children. My daughter loved it. 
• It was funny but did not try to hard to be funny. 

What I didn't like about How to Train your Dragon

• The 3-D animation - Confusing right. I just hate the glasses plus some parts of the movie screen were just plain distorted. There were characters that were in the corners that just looked out of place. 
• The rather awkward mention of the mother. The mother is obviously dead but the only reference to her is when the father gives Hiccup a helmut made of the mother's breastplate. Ewww, right, even the boy gives a funny look, like huh! Just odd. 
• The jarring back and forth voices between Stoic (Gerard Butler) and Hiccup (Jay Baruchel.) Just imagine a conversation between a booming Scot and a skater boy. That's what it was like listening to the two characters.
• The inclusion of the word hell. Again odd. I believe the phrase is "All hell is going to break loose" was said by Stoic before going to battle. 
• The somewhat distorted and romanticized version of Vikings. When my daughter asked me what a Viking was, I was stumped. Let's face it they were warriors and pirates who raided and colonized parts of Europe, not the cute animated characters from a Dreamwork's movie. Oh well, it's Hollywood. 

So what did the target demographic think. My daughter really liked it especially the dragons. Did she notice the voice changes, no. 

My recommendation: See it 

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NY Times Financial Checklist

Unless you are billionaire and even I think they have people who review their financial status on a yearly basis, you should check out the series of articles in today's New York Times focused on giving yourself a financial tune up.


31 Steps to a Financial Tune- Up  has an well thought out comprehensive to do list from credit cards, savings, insurance, budgeting, loans, to name a few and it tells you exactly how long it should take as well as provide related links that help you figure out what you should be doing. According to the article, it should take a day but I think it would take longer.

The number one to do on my list is to catalog all the stuff in my apartment, it may not be much but imagine if there were a fire. In no way could I estimate/remember everything to submit a claim to my insurance company. The best advice the author gave was making a video and putting the inventory listing on google docs or vimeo.com for the video, because it won't do you any good if it's on your computer.

Good Luck

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April Showers Means Raincoats and Umbrellas so head to Children's Place

Since the rain doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon, you might as well head to Children's Place to keep your kids dry and looking cute. Children's Place is  offering head to toe gear in the coolest colors and patterns all at budget-friendly prices. 

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Real Simple and iVillage Get an Extra Weekend Challenge

Who doesn't want an extra weekend? No matter what category you fall into, working moms, single moms, stay at home moms, single ladies or dads, everyone is always looking for ways to save time. And to me, getting an extra weekend to do whatever sounds like a good deal, right?

So in lieu of your own personal assistant, (hey, I win the lottery, that's my first priority), check out the Real Simple and iVillage's Get an Extra Weekend Challenge.

The premise is that they give you small, manageable steps to make your day more efficient, giving you a weekend's worth of free time.I have no idea what the assignments are (I admit it, I am skeptical, too)  but hey I am counting on the fact that since Real Simple is involved that they will actually give me  truly doable daily time saving assignments.

You can sign up now and starting Monday, March 29, you will get a doable daily time-saving assignment.

I already signed up so we will see. 


Disclosure: I was not paid for this post but sure wish I was since I love Real Simple and am a devoted subscriber. Hint, Hint. 

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Spring Break Activity - Basketball Clinic with Knicks and Knicks City Dancers

Looking for something different to do during Spring Break. 


There will be a Knicks Spring Break Basketball Clinic & Knicks City Dancers Clinic at Chelsea Piers on Thursday, April 1

Choose from either clinic and each child's registration includes:

(1) three-hour clinic

(1) ticket per participant to the 4/12/10 Knicks v. Washington Wizards game at Madison Square Garden

(1) Knicks t-shirt and other Knicks premium items

Autograph session with Knicks Legends and Knicks City Dancers

Basketball Clinic:

3-hour basketball clinic and games for boys and girls age 8-18 includes:

   - drills and fundamentals

   - games

   - shooting contest

Dancer Clinic:

Open to beginner and intermediate levels

Participants must be between 8-18 years old and need not have previous dance training

3-hour clinic includes:

   - warm-up

   - proper strength & technique training

   - learn an actual Knicks City Dancer routine

   - performance and conclusion of clinic

Knicks Basketball Clinic and Knicks City Dancer 

Thursday, April 1 at the Field House at Chelsea Piers

Fee: $125 per participant for either clinic

Location: Field House at Chelsea Piers

Time: 3-6pm

Register your child today! http://www.chelseapiers.com/acrodocs/fh-knicks-springbreak-clinic.pdf

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1800 Flowers.com $100 Gift Card Giveaway - CLOSED

Congrats to Jennifer McC on winning the 1800flowers.com giveaway.

There is nothing like a wonderful bouquet of flowers to lift one's spirits after a tough week or day. As many of you know, I have been to many 1800 flowers.com events and have had great experiences ordering flowers from the company.

Now one lucky NYC Single Mom Reviews reader has the opportunity to win a $100 gift card from 1800flowers.com. To win, visit 1800flowers.com and tell me which bouquet of flowers you would like to buy for yourself or as a a gift for someone special.








Disclosure: 1800flowers.com  gift card was provided by 1800flowers.com.

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Care4hire.com Review and (Giveaway)

Congrats to Heidi C. the winner of the care4hire.com giveaway.

Since I don't have any family in the area, finding quality child care to fill in when I need to work late or just plain need mommy time is the bane of my existence.

So I was excited to learn about Care4hire.com, an online and caregiver database providing not just babysitters but housekeepers, tutors, pet sitters, elder/companion care and other miscellaneous services.

What I like about Care4hire.com:

• A free preview is available of services so you can get a look at available service providers
• Offers all around help for all your family needs from babysitters, to tutors to elder care
• Caregivers can be hired for few hours to a few days, which is nice to know since there is always an occasion when I want to get away for just a night
• Care4hire.com provides you with sample interview questions and a sample reference form, to help you in your hiring process
• Care4hire.com has babysitters throughout the United States and Canada 
• Dr. Phil has used their services. Pretty strong endorsement in my opinion. 
• 
  
  
  
  
  There are two cost options for memberships and once registered you will have immediate access to caregiver profiles, email and phone numbers.
  
  
  1. Yearly Plan - $79 billed at the inception and good for one year membership
  2. Monthly Plan - $34.99 one time payment billed in the first month and $9.99 billed each month thereafter

What I did not like about Care4hire.com

• While Care4hire.com provides one stop shopping and allows  numerous choices for services, you are responsible for performing background and reference checks. This can be time consuming for someone who needs a caregiver immediately. That said, there is a wide variety of caregivers to choose from which is fantastic. 

Care4hire.com is offering NYC Single Mom Reviews readers the opportunity to win a gift certificate for free membership ($34.99 retail value) to Care4hire.com. This gives you one month to log in and contact caregivers.

To win, enter the required information in the entry form below.
For additional entries:
1. Link to this giveaway post on your blog and leave a comment with the link.
2. Follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/NYCSingleMom
3. Become a subscriber
4. Become a Follower
5. Become a Facebook Fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NYC Single Mom

For more details go to Care4hire.com 

Disclosure: Gift certificate is being provided by care4hire.com. NYC Single Mom Reviews did not receive compensation for this post. 

 

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Manhattan Mini-Storage Contest to find the most cluttered, disorganized NY apt

Attention pack rats, small apartment dwellers or large apartment dwellers with too much stuff, Manhattan Mini Storage is having contest.
The winner receives:

• One free storage room for one year
• Seven hours with a professional organizer

All you have to do is submit a short video (up to 2 minutes.)

Go to Manhattan Mini Storage's Facebook Fan Page  for all the details. 

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post. 

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How You Can Partner With NYC Single Mom Reviews - Hire Me

How can you partner with NYC Single Mom Reviews? 

Marketing Consultant Services:

Linda is a marketing executive with over 15 years of proven experience working at Fortune 50 companies. She has expertise in all areas of marketing communications including both direct marketing and social media. She is available to consult on a variety of marketing and promotional services for your company or clients. Linda's linked in profile @ www.linkedin.com/lindamgrant  can provide you with details on her marketing experience and background.

Event Planning and Marketing: 

Linda has  numerous online and offline relationships with mom blogger/entrepreneurs throughout the tri-state area. If you want to reach moms with children of all ages, Linda can act as a liaison and consultant to propose, create and execute targeted networking events that generate buzz about your products to these influential moms and entrepreneurs. Most recent event for Pearl S. Buck organization. 

Corporate Events: 

Linda is available to attend corporate events within the continental United States. Linda can provide reviews and promoting your products to her readers. Linda regularly attends New York City events.

Travel Destinations: 

Linda has traveled to several domestic and international destinations which include family friendly "Beaches" in Jamaica, numerous European and Southeast Asia locations and of course, several U.S. cities. Linda would love to feature and review your fabulous destination or hotel.

Sponsorships/Advertising:

Linda is interested in working with family, kid and female-friendly companies who are interested in providing her readers with valuable information that will help moms in their daily life. Advertising promotion includes placement on New York City Single Mom.com and updates on  Twitter and Facebook. NYC Single Mom is currently ClubKids13 Ambassador. Please contact directly to inquire about advertising and sponsorships or serving as Brand Ambassador for relevant products. 

Speaking Engagements:

Linda has extensive presentation experience from her years working at Fortune 50 companies which makes her a valuable resource. She is available to speak on a variety of topics such as online mom communities, traditional media vs. social media, parenting young children,  juggling work/life balance, and adopting as a single woman.

Contributing Writer:

Linda is a contributing writer at NYC Momsblog, NY Metropolista, travelingmom.com  is the NYC Single Moms examiner for examiner.com. She is available for writing assignments which include writing for corporate blogs o

Contact Information:

Email:       nycsinglemom@gmail.com

Twitter:     www.twitter.com/nycsinglemom

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/newyorkcitysinglemom

Linkedin:   www.linkedin.com/lindamgrant 

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Baby Star Totes On Sale for $29.99 (Sale Ends Midnight, March 3, 2010)

We are long past the diaper bag stage which is too bad. Cool diaper bags have come a long way in the last few years. Baby Star has some of the coolest bags around. Their bags have modern classic feel to them which I like. Who wants to carry around a diaper looking bag? We are  a new generation of moms who refuse to give up their hip, cool factor just because kids entered their lives.

Baby Star diaper bags has room for all the things any mom (or dad) needs. The bag features a wide zipper pocket and two open pockets to hold wipe case, bottle or cellphone. It also includes a BPA free wipe case and best of all it can also hold your lap top. All baby star products are safe for the baby and the environment.

Now until midnight March 3, 2010, babystar.com has their cool totes on sale for $29.99.  Don't miss out, shop for totes here.

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