Melissa & Doug $500 Shopping Spree

Enter to win a $500 Melissa and Doug Shopping Spree

thanks to AmericanFamily.com and Melissa & Doug!

The Philadelphia International Flower Show: A Date Destination

With Valentine’s Day around the corner,we would be remiss in not sharing with you what an awesome Date Day the Philadelphia International Flower Show could be for you and your sweetheart. What is more romantic than flowers? And food? And the City of Brotherly Love to explore?

With the Flower show at the center ofyour Date Day, plan around the experience. The show runs March 4 – March 11, 2012. So you have several days to choose from. Two great resources to chart your day include VisitPhilly and Uwishuknew.

Start catching a quiet train ride into the city (because, really, do you want to deal with parking?) and grabbing breakfast at the upscale Azalea Restaurant in the Omni Hotel. Looking for more low-key? Consider Sabrina’s Cafe or Cchaya Cafe.

Then head over to the Convention Center to get your fill of Flowers, Food and Fun at the Flower Show. With so many events and activities, you’ll want to come back a second time!

Take a break for a quick lunch at Tazia Restaurant or the infamous Reading Terminal Market. If you’ve never been to Philly, then please let me suggest making the trek south for a famous Philly Cheesesteak at Pat’s or Geno’s .It’s not a real Philly trip without a cheesteak!

Let your food settle with an afternoon stroll back at the Flower Show. If you plan it right, you can catch some great entertainment or cooking demonstrations. There will also be a large Marketplace of vendors to entice you with flowers, furniture, art, clothes and so much more!

Once you’ve sniffed the last flower and marveled over the last exhibit, gear up for a fancy night out. Treat yourself to a grand dinner at the Chart House or Le Bec Fin. If after a fun-filled day you’d like to keep it casual, Villa di Roma near the Italian Market offers delicious Italian cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere.

Are you so excited to start planningyour Date Day?

Wouldn’t this make a great Valentine’s Day gift foryour sweetie?

Hold the presses: Before you book yourreservations, first try your hand at winning today’s VisitPhilly 29 Nights of Dates contest.TODAY’S prize is a Philadelphia Flower Show Date package includingpasses to the Flower Show, lunch at Reading Terminal Market, and a2-Night stay at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel!

Check out Visit Philly’s Facebook page to enter the contest and learn about the upcoming Date Nights that are up for grabs (the contest runs every day through the end of February – that’s a lot of dates!).

If you aren’t today’s lucky winner, then great creative and use the suggestions above to create your own special Date Day at the Philadelphia Flower Show!

More Flower Show info to come. Next post will detail all the Family Fun the Flower Show has to offer –so stay tuned!

This post is brought to you with support of the Philadelphia International Flower Show. (Which runs March 4 – March 11, 2011). Find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Contest and Post alert: CHECK BACK TOMORROW!!

If you were intrigued by our intro post for the Philadelphia International Flower Show and think it would be a great event to go to, PLEASE check back tomorrow for some VALUABLE info on how to make it a DATE DESTINATION (think: Best Valentine’s Day Gift Ever).

More importantly, we’ll be sharing info on a 1-day opportunity (tomorrow) to WIN your way to the Flower Show!

We can’t say anymore (even though we want to!).  The info will be posted FIRST THING TOMORROW – so check back!

This post is brought to you with support of the Philadelphia International Flower Show. (Which runs March 4-March 11, 2011). Find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

West Chester Growers Market ART CONTEST!

The West Chester Growers Market is hosting their first ever ART CONTEST! All ages and artistic abilities welcome. Several prizes will be awarded (in the form of Market Dollars to be used at the West Chester Growers Market) , with the GRAND PRIZE winner getting their design on next season’s Resuable Market Tote Bag!

Are your kids antsy, cooped up from the heat or already bored with Summer? Give them some markers, crayons, colored pencils, paper or even a graphic design computer program – and let their creativity go wild!

Submissions deadline is August 6th. Click on the submission form below to print and hand in at the Grower’s Market before August 6th.

We would LOVE children of all ages to enter – and their parents as well!


Happy Drawing, and GOOD LUCK!

Philly Burb Moms travel to DoubleTree at Willow Valley (Lancaster)

Our family of four, including two daughters (2 years old and 9 months old), was invited to visit the DoubleTree at Willow Valley to stay over night, try the many amenities and learn about a great contest you can participate in too(see details below)!

Upon our arrival at the DoubleTree, we were greeted with deliciously warm cookies! We later learned you can ask for a cookie at any time of day at the front desk… and we took advantage of that perk. We then checked into our room which already had a crib waiting for us. The room was clean and spacious and included a coffee maker and mini-refrigerator! Perfect for the home-made baby food we toted along and my secret to parenting… caffeine!

During our one-night stay we took advantage of some of the many hotel amenities. Friday evening, our 2-year old was entertained by the “craft cart”. There’s a craft room on-site for anyone to visit! Every day it’s open at different times, check the calendar upon arrival. The children made sand art and beaded necklaces and also colored. It was all multi-age appropriate and at a kid friendly station. I was able to watch and help her, while sipping a nice cold Pinot Grigio and wearing the baby on my back. Heaven!

After dinner, we took a stroll over to the duck pond where we sat on a bench and watched a mallard family. If you have a toddler, you can probably relate… no attention span for a family portrait, but stick an animal that waddles in front of them and viola, it’s mass-focus time! When we could finally peel her away from the adorable duck family, we went to the playground. It was so much fun!

The next day, we went to breakfast in the hotel restaurant, Cafe 24 Hundred. It was a buffet with quite the variety; from fresh fruit to an omelet station, we were all stuffed until almost dinner! Unfortunately, it was raining on this day, so we didn’t get to take advantage of the 30-minute horse-drawn carriage ride or the playground/duck pond again as we had planned. So, we went to the indoor pool. The children’s section is rightfully named the indoor water playground. That’s just what it was! At 2 years old, our daughter wasn’t swimming yet, but loves splashing. This was perfect! It was 1-2 feet deep and had a frog slide and sprinklers in the water. There was also a fast tube water slide for slightly older children that fed into a little deeper section of the pool. In the next room was the traditional indoor pool, next to the exercise room, and arcade. A field day!

That afternoon we had planned on taking advantage of the bus tour the resort offers of Lancaster and the surrounding sites. But, the girls were just cranky and it was time to head back home. Next time!

So, if you’ve visited the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton in Lancaster, PA, you probably already have a fabulous story like I just told. We were only there one night, but I can imagine how great some family trips must be given good weather, some shopping (he he), and a nice long weekend getaway! I can also see why the hotel is proudly celebrating their one-year anniversary of becoming a DoubleTree Resort!

Everything that this resort prides itself on has to do with family. From the rooms that have at-home conveniences and comfy beds to the pools, golfing, shopping, swimming, or eating, if you’ve stayed here before, I’m sure you had a wonderful time. Whatever you were doing, you took pictures to capture the memories. (If you’re anything like me, they are printed and sitting in an envelope with other photos dating back to when your first child was born, all waiting to be scrapbooked with love and care.) Anyway, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton in Lancaster is looking for TWO families to represent their hotel (be photographed for postcards flyers, etc) and to win FREE stays at DoubleTree Resorts!

If you’ve visited the Resort since May 2010, search for those photos and email as many as you wish to Will@WillowVal.com by July 31, 2011. Include what that family fun meant to you! The winning photos will be selected on August 1, 2011 by DoubleTree Resort, Lancaster.

Contest photos will be posted on http://www.Flickr.com/photos/doubletreelancaster. The two winning families will win a two-night stay at DoubleTree Resort, Lancaster AND a second two-night getaway to DoubleTree Resort, Pittsburgh! And again, both families will be featured in the 2012 DoubleTree Resort, Lancaster ad campaign!

For more contest rules visit http://willowvalley.com/lancaster–pa–doubletree/contest–official–rules/

Don’t forget to tell them we sent you!

*Disclosure: This post was written by Philly Burb Mom Melissa Auvil. Melissa was offered a complimentary stay and meals at the DoubleTree at Willow Valley in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are her own.

Pocket-Sized Pics for just $5 from Pixable.com!

Great for birthdays, upcoming holidays, or “just because”. Free shipping too!

Pixable Today’s Save:Share your favorite photos anytime, anywhere, with a deck of pocket-sized pics from Pixable.com for just $5, plus free shipping ($13 value)! Expires 11:59 PM – Feb 26, 2011

Also, Click the link below and become a Fan on Facebook and win!

Krispy Kreme FUNdraising Contest

Krispy Kreme Philadelphia is hosting a contest to give away 300 dozen doughnuts to selected community groups in the tri-state area, which includes Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, and Northern Delaware! 100 dozen doughnuts will be donated to three lucky organizations, one in each respective state. 

Krispy Kreme FUNdraising has helped school organizations, youth sport groups and various church groups for more than 50 years. Last year Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Corporation helped organizations raise over 30 million dollars in FUNdraising!

To participate in the FUNdraising contest, please visit krispykremephilly.com/contest to register and fill out the entry form. Entry forms will also be available at the Fox Chase store. In 100 words or less, please answer, “Why should Krispy Kreme Philly donate 100 dozen doughnuts to your organization?” Submit responses no later than midnight on Friday, February 25, 2011.

FUNdraising is simple and easy to get started and Krispy Kreme offers four ways to raise funds: selling Original Glazed Doughnuts, Fundraising Certificates, Partnership Cards or Signature Coffees. These options are great ways to get involved and to earn 50% profit for any non-profit group or organization.

For more information, please contact the store at 215.941.6336. The Krispy Kreme Philly store is located at 7855 Oxford Avenue in Philadelphia at the intersection of Oxford and Hasbrook Avenues in Fox Chase. 

*Philly Burb Moms is providing this contest information to our readers, and is not hosting the contest. All inquiries/entries should be directed to Krispy Kreme.

Crayola "How I Dream in Green" Contest

Here at Crayola, we wanted you to be one of the first to know about the important steps we are taking toward providing a healthier planet for the kids of today and tomorrow, and an exciting way that you can be involved, too!

We believe that the creativity and originality of children will lead the way in making the world a greener place. By using renewable energy, reducing waste and protecting the rainforests, we are committed to doing our part so kids will have a healthier environment for their creative tomorrows.

As part of Crayola’s ever-evolving green initiative, this upcoming back-to-school season special boxes of Crayola crayons, markers and colored pencils will feature icons calling out the ways each product is lessening its impact on the environment. Solar panels are starting to provide power to make more than 1 billion Crayola crayons annually and recycled bottle caps are being used to make 500 million Crayola markers, keeping hundreds of tons of plastic out of landfills. Additionally, since 1987, Crayola has made its colored pencils from reforested wood: for every tree that is used, a new one of the same species is planted. Crayola’s new greener school supplies will be available for this back-to-school season.

As the countdown begins to August 5 when we’ll celebrate plugging our new 15-acre solar farm into the sun, we are launching a search for the inaugural members of the “Crayola Green Team,” a group of 10 children with colorful ideas for protecting the planet.

Here are the details:

1. Crayola is looking for a group of 10 children who have a colorful vision for making their schools, homes or communities greener.

2. Children can participate in the “How I Dream in Green” contest for the chance to win one of 10 spots on the Crayola Green Team. Crayola will bring the team to Easton, Pa., to do the honors of ceremonially plugging our new 15-acre solar farm into the sun on August 5.

3. Parents or teachers can submit artwork through June 28 that illustrates the colorful ways children want to protect the planet either on Crayola’s Facebook fan page (www.facebook.com/crayola) or at Crayola.com.

4. Submissions will be displayed in an online gallery on Facebook open for public voting from July 6-21. Crayola will then select the 10 most creative and original ideas from the artwork that receives the most votes.

5. The winning kids will be honored for the ways they want to do good for the environment during the opening of our solar farm and will have the rare chance to take a VIP tour of Crayola’s manufacturing facility where they can help us package our new solar power crayons AND RECEIVE A CUSTOM 64 BOX FILLED WITH PINE GREEN, JUNGLE GREEN, ELECTRIC LIME AND THE OTHER 15 SHADES OF CRAYOLA GREEN CRAYONS PERSONALIZED WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL NAMES.

If you would like to enter your child’s artwork, it can be submitted either at the Crayola Facebook fan page or at Crayola.com, along with the official rules.

Enter to Win a Backyard Discovery Highlander Playset

Register to Win starting May 1st!

Backyard Discovery® and Women’s World Magazine have teamed up to bring you a Hot Spring Swingin’ Sweepstakes! We’re giving away one of our all-cedar Highlander playsets and you can register to win right here starting May 1st, 2010.

The Highlander is a huge playset with tons of play features. It has a raised fort with four levels that start with a picnic table on the bottom and end up top with a dual roof clubhouse and porch! A solid rock wall and standard ladder are both there for climbing up and you can also climb the levels inside the fort. There are two belt swings and a two-person glider. The 10’ Super Safe Speedy Slide is loads of fun! The Highlander is made from 100% cedar wood and is pre-stained. The Highlander will give your kids years of healthy fun and imaginative play.

Don’t miss your chance! Starting May 1st, 2010 you can register (one entry per person per day) and the drawing time will be here before you know it. One winner will be selected and that winner will receive one Highlander playset including shipping to their home – an approximate $1200 value. Please see the Rules for more important information about this sweepstakes.

* This is not a contest organized by chester County Moms. This contest is organized by Backyard Discovery.

America’s Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction Contest ends tomorrow (12/31/09) at midnight…

All Moms would agree that the joy that comes from having a new baby is priceless! The sweet sounds of cooing, chubby cheeks and the intimate bond between parent and child can make any family feel rich with love. But, as any new parents can attest, raising children can have an impact on your checkbook, as well as your heart. In fact, the typical family spends more than $221,000 raising a child through age 17.

Because we love to bestow gifts on new moms, we are thrilled to pass along the news of a fun contest that might lighten the load of one lucky family! Thanks to TurboTax®, one “last-minute” baby will help his or her parents save a bundle.

TurboTax® the nation’s No. 1 rated, best-selling tax preparation software from Intuit Inc. is conducting its third annual nationwide search for America’s Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction. The parents of one lucky baby, born in December 2009, will win $5,000.

To enter, parents or legal guardians should submit a photo of their baby born between Dec. 1-31, to http://www.cutesttaxdeduction.com/. The deadline for submissions is January 7, 2010. Judges will select 10 finalists, and America will determine America’s Cutest Last-Minute Tax Deduction and the $5,000 grand prize winner!

Good Luck & Congratulations on your new little tax deduction!!!