Why every Disney fan needs a Disney Visa Card

How is it possible that it took me this long to become aware of the Disney Visa Card?  I guess I've always known that Disney does have a branded credit card, but I didn't realize that it was such a great deal for people who like to visit Disney parks. You can actually earn money to spend at Disney and help offset the cost of your Disney vacation!  I'm going to add the Disney Visa Card to my list of tips for saving money at a Disney park! I recently applied for (and received) a Disney Visa Card; here's a list of reasons you should apply for one too:

Fabulous introductory offers
The offer that finally convinced me to get a Disney Visa card was the $200 gift card offer -- charge at least $500 to your Disney Visa card in your first 3 months and you get a $200 Disney gift card!  How easy is that?  I use my credit cards for everything, so I can rack up $500 in a week!  I've also seen introductory offers for a $100 Disney gift card and a $50 Disney gift card, which are still pretty sweet deals. Obviously the $200 gift card is the best offer, but I can't guarantee you'll get the same offer when you apply.

Earn Disney Dollars for every purchase
Every purchase made with the Disney Visa earns you 1% in Disney Dollars.  You can start redeeming your Disney Dollars in the form of a Disney gift card when you've made at least $2,000 in purchases (and accumulated at least $20 in Disney Dollars).  You'll be surprised how quickly you can earn Disney Dollars that you can spend at the Disney Store or in Disney Parks!  I've been using my card for less than a month, and I've already earned about $50 (like I said, I charge everything to my card).

Get Disney discounts and perks
Disney Visa Cardmembers get a LOT of special perks year-round, including:

• discounts on select merchandise at the Disney Store
• discounts on restaurants at the Disney locations
• discounts on park guided tours
• 0% financing on Disney Vacations and special financing rates on Disney Vacation Club
• Disney Cruise shipboard credits, 
• character meet-and-greets

... and more.  For a full list of perks (plus terms and limitations), go to the Disney Visa Rewards website

Special character meet-and-greet sessions
This perk is so cool, it deserves its own paragraph! Disney Visa Cardmembers get a special meet-and-greet character session AND a free 5x8 souvenir photo.  You can do this once per day. Per day!! The Disneyland Visa meet-and-greet is located in DCA's Hollywood Land, and it is open between 10:30am and 1:30pm.

When I was there, the characters alternated between Daisy, Stitch, and Minnie, changing every 20 minutes.  I highly recommend getting there early, because the wait can get long. Yes, only Cardmembers can line up, but Cast Members let them spend more time with the character so it's a more personal (but time-consuming) experience.

Limited time perks
In addition to the year-round perks, Cardmembers get special limited time perks such as special ticket packages for Aladdin on Broadway, discounts with the Disney Movie Club, and limited edition trading pins just for Cardmembers. I couldn't resist taking advantage of the trading pin offer, and bought a 2015 Disney Visa exclusive Captain Hook's Treasure Chest pin.  The pin features Hook and Smee, and it has flashy jewels and "Visa Cards from Chase" printed on the pirate flag.  It's so cool, and I can't wait to see the 2016 version!

Adorable credit card designs
You love Mickey on your shirts, mugs, hats, bags... why not on your credit card! I went with a classic Mickey design, but there are other cute card designs featuring Minnie, Cars, Toy Story, Tinkerbell, Nemo, the Fab Five, and more.

No Annual Fee
You get all these benefits, with no annual fee!

If you like Disney, and especially if you like going on Disney vacations, the Disney Visa card is a no-brainer.  The only question is whether you should get the Classic (no annual fee) Visa card or the Premier Visa card, which has a $50 annual fee, but earns you 2% for purchases made at restaurants, gas stations, groceries, and Disney locations. The Premier Visa also lets you redeem your reward points for airline travel.  Using a Disney Visa Card to help offset the cost of your Disney vacation is a great money saving tip, and it's one that I intend to add to any list of tips I offer for ways to save money on a Disney vacation!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. . The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Get 20% off your order at Night Owl Paper Goods

I've blogged about Night Owl Paper Goods before; out of all the online stationery stores, they are quite unique in that their medium of choice is wood, not paper.  I'm not talking about chunky tablets; their personalized cards and journals and other stationery products are made of the thinnest sheets of wood, giving them the thickness and weight of stiff cardboard, but with a texture and feel that is beyond compare. Their designs are as unique as their medium: whimsical, rustic, modern, and folksy all at the same time.

Naturally, this kind of quality does not come at a bargain basement price; you get what you pay for.  But I have two pieces of good news for those wondering whether they can afford Night Owl Paper Goods' adorable cards this holiday season:  first, their holiday designs are also available in cardstock!  That's right, you get to choose between wooden cards and paper cards (which are less expensive and quite reasonably priced).  Second,they are having a fantastic Early Bird Special: use code SHINE2014 and get 20% off all Personalized Holiday Cards PLUS free domestic shipping on all orders $49+ until October 31!

Night Owl Paper Goods' 2014 holiday collection has larger size standard cards, more ornament shapes and more back designs than ever before. Here are the deets:

• Choose from 200 modern-yet-folksy designs, custom-printed on sustainably-harvested birch wood. All designs also available on budget-friendly FSC certified paper.
• Quick and easy personalization! Simply add your own greeting, photo, photos or logo and let our professional graphic designers do the rest.
• 12 unique back options: 2015 Calendar, Photo, Text, Festive Patterns, Faux Walnut, Postcard & more
• One-of-a-kind ornament cards: Gingerbread, Angel, Reindeer, Otters, Birds, Dove, Bulb & Scalloped Round
• Envelopes contain 30-100% recycled post-consumer waste.
• All Night Owl Paper Goods products are handmade in the USA.

Here are some of my favorites:

Night Owl is known for their forest creatures.  I love their otters and their deer, but I can't resist these holiday hedgehogs:

It's a card.... it's an ornament.... it's a keepsake.... it's a one-of-a-kind!

Many designs can be personalized with your favorite photos..... (love that tree icon!)

... and you can personalize the back of the card with a message, your choice of patterns, a photo, or a 2015 calendar!

Disclosure: I am receiving a gift card as compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Bender's Rye Whiskey -- special Father's Day Deal

Can't figure out what to get Dad for Father's Day?  Why not go with a classic that every father is sure to love, like wine or spirits.  Just because it's a tried-and-tested present doesn't mean it has to be boring!  Go with high-quality, artisanal blends or look for up-and-coming trends like small batch bourbon, flavored whiskey, and Asian spirits.

One kind of brown spirit rising in popularity is rye whiskey. I didn't even know what rye whisky was, or how good it tasted, until I received a bottle of Bender's Rye to review.  I normally hate whiskey, I can barely even let it touch my lips without feeling nauseated, but Bender's Rye whiskey is so smooth and sweet, it really goes down easily, leaving just a nice fiery warmth!  Alfie loves it -- he's already made lots of hot toddies and Irish whiskey to savor and enjoy on the couch after the kids go to bed!  What a great gift idea for Father's Day!

About Bender's Rye
Raise your glass for the dads in your life with a 7 years-aged spirit that boasts exclusivity and character. Bender's Rye was aged in American White Oak Barrels and produced at The Treasure Island Distillery in San Francisco and only 3,348 bottles made.

Bender's Rye is a true hipster's drink -- trendy, small-batch, impeccable packaging, whimsical and unpretentious labeling, and of course, the highest quality.  Since Bender's Rye is brewed in San Francisco (lucky us!), Bender's Rye can be found in wine and spirit stores across the Bay Area.  You can also purchase Bender's Rye online from Bounty Hunter -- and they have a great deal running for Father's Day!  Their special pricing for Father's Day includes free shipping and 10% off a purchase of 3 bottles or more, a savings of $25.  Don't miss this chance to show Dad that you've inherited his good taste!

Disclosure: I received a sample for review. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Fall in love with Bargains at Grocery Outlet (and win a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card!)

I'm playing Bargain Cupid today, giving away a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card!  Scroll to the bottom of this post to enter.

Love is in the air, and it's time to celebrate!  I love spending time with my family, and I love a good meal.  Do you know what else I love?  A good bargain.  That's why I shop at Grocery Outlet every chance I get.  And when Grocery Outlet Bargain Market challenged me to shop for a Valentine's Day meal at one of their stores for just $25, I accepted with pleasure, knowing that if anyone could help me meet that limit, it would be Grocery Outlet.  I decided to give myself an additional challenge:  instead of a couple's meal, I shopped for all five of us!   I shopped at Grocery Outlet this morning, and here's what I came up with:

A fancy dinner calls for steak and potatoes.  I found a family-size pack of New York sirloin steak for just $8.57 (1.43 lbs at $5.99 per lb, this can easily cost $12 per lb!).

Did you know that asparagus is considered an aphrodisiac?  Hopefully eating steamed asparagus ($1.99 per bunch at Grocery Outlet, MSRP $3.99 per bunch) will inspire my kids to give me an extra big kiss!

I'll probably have all my attention on the steak, so this pack of Potatoes O'Brien are an easy, no-fuss side dish ($1.99 per bag at Grocery Outlet, MSRP $3.49)

For dessert, another Valentine's classic:  ripe, juicy, red strawberries, just $1.99 for a basket at Grocery Outlet, compared to $4.99 elsewhere!

You can't have berries without whipped cream ($2.99 per can at Grocery Outlet, MSRP $5.49)......

..... or dipping chocolate! ($2.99 per can at Grocery Outlet, MSRP $5.99)

Grand total so far for our family Valentine's dinner: $20.54.  It's so far under our $25 budget that I have enough left over for some Valentine's Day candy!  These heart-shaped boxes of Twix (Alfie's favorite) are just $2.99 (MSRP $4.50). I could even splurge on a big box for $5!  And there you have it, a wonderful Valentine's Day meal for just $25!  The amazing this is, if you have bought everything at MSRP instead of at Grocery Outlet, you would have spent as much as $45!  I'm definitely feeling the love......

Of course, I didn't stop there.  Grocery Outlet has so many bargains, and you never know when they are going to run out of any item, I just had to stock up!  I ended up getting about $200 worth of groceries for $100, for a savings of about $100..... which Alfie and I can use towards our own Valentine's Day date!

Grocery Outlet Bargain Cupid Giveaway
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will receive a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card.

Required Entry

Leave a comment on this post and tell me what you would buy with $25 at Grocery Outlet.

Extra Entries

For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like" Bonggamom Finds on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):

I entered the Bargain Cupid giveaway for a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card! http://ow.ly/tutmj 

6) Tweet this (1 entry per day)

Enter to win a $25 Grocery Outlet gift card!  Giveaway ends  3/1/14 on @bonggafinds: http://ow.ly/tutmj  #bargaincupid

7) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry per giveaway you've joined)

The Rules

This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on Feb 28, 2014; I will draw a winner at random on March 1 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: Thanks to Grocery Outlet for providing a gift card for me to shop for bargains at Grocery Outlet, as well as a second gift card to give away. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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IHOP All You Can Eat Pancakes are back

Hurrah, IHOP's All You Can Eat Pancakes deal is back!  From January 2 through February 9, 2014, guests can order one of IHOP restaurant’s delicious combos featuring eggs any style, crispy hash browns, and a choice of pork sausage links, crisp bacon or ham — all with a plate of two delicious signature Buttermilk Pancakes, or they can order a stack of five Buttermilk pancakes as a main course. Either way, when those pancakes are gone, guests can get an additional serving of two pancakes. And when those are gone…they’ll keep on coming as long as the guest can keep eating them!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Cyber Monday deals at AmericanGirl.com

If you've been stalking the American Girl website for as many years as I have, you'll know that although they have a sale section, deep discounts are few and far between.  Your best chance of scoring a great deal, by far, is their Cyber Monday sale.  No dolls are on sale, but they do have lots of doll clothes, accessories, mini dolls and books on sale at 50% off!  

So which items are the best deals?  I think the best deals are the deals on the items you most want to buy!  Here are my favorites:

I couldn't resist: I got the Real Me Outfit, Holiday Accessories and Doll Tees book. Take note, their pre-Thanksgiving free shipping offer has expired, but with these discounts, even when you add the shipping costs you're still saving money!

The American Girl Cyber Monday sale has just started (since midnight CST, so it has been on for almost an hour now) and it will go on all day until December 2, 2013, midnight CST.  Here's the thing -- supplies are limited, and these deals are going to go pretty quickly, so if you're looking for some stocking stuffers or holiday presents for your little girl, get on over ASAP.  Happy Shopping!


Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Giveaway: Free Shutterfly American Girl Photo Book

A few weeks ago I bought a couple of doll dresses and books at Americangirl.com, and when the items arrived, I got a nice little bonus:  a coupon good for a free American Girl Photo Book from Shutterfly! Each order on American Girl through December 31, 2013 will include a promo code for a FREE 8x8 photo book designed exclusively for American Girl.  The code is printed on a card insert that will be included in your delivery box.  Note that the code does not include taxes, shipping or handling, and must be redeemed by February 15, 2014.   To redeem the code, go to Shutterfly.com/americangirl  and type in your unique promo code.  You will then be prompted to select the type of photo book (select 8x8 hardcover), the number of pages (select 20), and the design (scroll down the list of available designs and select American Girl).

The American Girl theme is so cute.  Shutterfly's software can pre-fill your photo book with American Girl-themed layouts, embellishments and font.  It can even autofill the book with photos from your computer, Shutterfly account and other online photo accounts like Facebook and Flickr.

You can also design each page yourself.  You can choose the number of photos for each page, the size, layout, embellishments, backgrounds, graphics, captions..... if you're the scrapbooking type, you could lose yourself for hours!

Here are a few layouts I created for The Pea's birthday party photo book:

You get only 1 code with each order.... but at yesterday's tour of the new American Girl Store San Francisco, I found out that they were also giving away code cards with purchase, and I was given a few extra codes to give away!

Win a code good for a free American Girl Photo book from Shutterfly
FIVE lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will receive a code good for a free 20 page, 8x8 hardcover photo book from Shutterfly.com.  Note, the code includes only the price of the photo book:  taxes, shipping and handling fees will apply. Any additional pages or premium layouts will incur additional costs. The code must be redeemed at shutterfly.com/americangirl before February 15, 2014.  The code can only be used once.  The full set of restrictions are printed on the card that I will mail to the winners.

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which American Girl doll is your favorite.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Visit my American Girl SF store opening post on Bonggamom Finds and leave a comment there (1 entry).

2) Visit my Inside American Girl SF post on Finding Bonggamom and leave a comment there (1 entry).

3) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

4) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

5) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

6) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

7) "Like" Bonggamom Finds on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the American Girl photo book giveaway! http://ow.ly/qSkko

8) Tweet this (1 entry per day)
5 winners get a code for a free Shutterfly photo book w/ exclusive American Girl design! Enter by 11/30 @bonggafinds http://ow.ly/qSkko

9) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry per giveaway you've joined)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 30, 2013; I will draw 5 winners at random on December 1 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.



Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post.  This giveaway is not associated with Shutterfly or American Girl.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Save up to 20% at a Disneyland Resort Hotel

A visit to the Disneyland Resort is truly a magical experience, and when you stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel, your trip becomes even more magical.  Not only are you as near to the parks as you can possibly be, you also get early entry to the parks on select days.  Everything in the hotel contains special Disney touches like Disney characters on the bedspread and shower curtain, or little Disney chocolate coins on your pillow in the evening.  It all helps extend your immersion in the Disney world long after you've left the park for the day.

As someone who is a very money-conscious traveler, I get it:  their rooms aren't cheap.  But believe me when I say they ware worth an occasional splurge.  If you think you can't afford a hotel room at the Disneyland Resort, think again: if you book select rooms for stays between April 7 and May 22, you can get up to 20% off the regular rate at the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel!  You'll save 20% on a 2 night stay on most weekdays (Sunday through Thursday night) and 15% on most 2-night weekend stays (Friday and Saturday night).  But hurry, you have to book your stay by April 27 in order to take advantage!

Disclosure: I did not receive a sample or monetary compensation for this post. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Save on P&G products at CVS for a limited time {Giveaway}

March has arrived, and green is the color of the month.  There's green for the coming of spring, green for St. Patrick's Day... and green for all the money you can save on Procter & Gamble® products at CVS/pharmacy!  This March, CVS/pharmancy is teaming up with Procter & Gamble® for some money-saving offers on select beauty products.  I'm not talking about a couple of cents here and there, these are really substantial savings!  Check them out:

CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare Offers
During the week of March 3, 2013, CVS/pharmacy shoppers can use their CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare Card at ExtraCare Coupon Centers to get great deals on Herbal Essences® and Aussie® products:

• Get 2 Herbal Essences® Hello Hydration Shampoo or Conditioner (10.1oz) for $6
• Get 2 Aussie® Moist Shampoo or Conditioner (13.1oz) for $6
• Plus, get an additional $1 off when you scan your ExtraCare Card!
• That’s almost $3.60 in savings on 2!

Spend $50, Get $15
From now to 4/30/13, CVS shoppers who spend $50 on P&G Beauty products* will receive a $15 VISA gift card via mail-in rebate. To receive your $15 gift card, go to www.BestOfBeautyRebate2013.com and download the rebate form, fill it out, and mail it in with your original dated sales receipt(s). Be sure to circle the P&G beauty items and purchase price(s). P&G will mail you your $15 VISA gift card in 6-8 weeks. It’s that easy!

*Participating Brands: COVERGIRL®, Pantene®, Secret®, Venus®, Ivory®, Herbal Essences®, Aussie®, Clairol®, Safeguard, Olay®, Crest 3D White®, Head & Shoulders®, Puffs®, Vidal Sassoon®

We always go to CVS/pharmacy because we are ExtraCare program members, and we get such great savings. We get so many ExtraCare dollars and coupons for as much as 25% off our purchase, Alfie won't let me shop at any other pharmacy.  I love not having to clip coupons; all the discounts are automatically taken off when we show our ExtraCare card, and if we forget which coupons we need to take advantage of, we can always scan our card at a CVS/pharmacy ExtraCare In-Store Coupon Centers and check.  I'm a loyal Pantene® shampoo and conditioner user, so I'm definitely going to take advantage of the $15 Visa gift card deal.  Talk about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!


Win a beauty prize package
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a special beauty prize pack from P&G that includes full-sized samples of Aussie and Herbal Essences products, as well as a $50 CVS gift card!  Here's what the winner gets:

· Aussie® Moist Shampoo
· Aussie® Moist Conditioner
· Herbal Essences® Hello Hydration Shampoo
· Herbal Essences® Hello Hydration Conditioner
· $50 CVS Gift Card (so you can take advantage of the spend $50, get $15 offer)

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me your favorite Procter & Gamble haircare product.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)

2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)

3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the P&G / CVS giveaway! http://ow.ly/ibdeH

6) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
RT @bonggafinds You could win a $50 CVS giftcard + Aussie & Herbal Essences haircare products! Enter by March 21 at http://ow.ly/ibdeH

7) Tweet this, up to 5 times before midnight PST on March 9, 2013 (max 5 extra entries by March 9):
RT @bonggafinds Use your CVS ExtraCare Card March 3-9, get great savings on select Herbal Essences & Aussie products! http://ow.ly/ibdeH

8) Tweet this, up to 5 times (max 5 extra entries):
RT @bonggafinds Spend $50 on qualifying P&G products at CVS to receive a $15 Visa gift card via mail-in rebate! Ends 4/30 http://ow.ly/ibdeH

9) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)

The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on March 21, 2013; I will draw a winner at random on March 22 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.

Disclosure: Procter & Gamble provided a prize package for this giveaway, as well as a second prize package for me.  Promo information (in italics) is provided by Procter & Gamble via Blue Chip Marketing. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Why we love Galileo Learning summer camps

This year we're not doing much traveling over the summer, so it's up to me to plan ahead and make sure my kids stay busy over the summer -- and that means more than just renting the latest movies and buying extra batteries for the handheld videogames.  I'm always on the lookout for engaging, entertaining summer camps, and I look to my fellow parents around school for recommendations for camps that their kids love.  The one name that keeps coming back year after year is the one I always recommend to anyone who asks:  Galileo Learning camps.  Here's why:

It's Fun
Camp Galileo (for pre-K to 5th grade) and Galileo Summer Quest (for 5th to 8th grade) have the best themes I've ever seen in any day camp!  The curriculum development staff know exactly what interests and inspires kids.  Camp Galileo themes and Galileo Summer Quest (GSQ) majors (or areas of focus that campers choose) change every week, so kids can attend multiple weeks at camp without getting bored. All activities, from arts and crafts to science experiments to games on the field, are designed to fit the week's theme or major, so kids get to explore their chosen subject matter in depth.

It's Educational
Everything a camper does at a Galileo camp is designed to teach kids how to experiment and innovate.  Last year at Camp Galileo, 3Po and Jammy learned about bridges and basic principles of engineering as they worked to build their own wooden suspension bridges. Even more important, they learned how to plan ahead, predict outcomes, experiment with different variables, and adjust their plans based on preliminary results.  They were probably having too much fun to know or care that they were actually learning, but they were learning just the same!

It's Convenient
Galileo Learning 38 camp locations all over the Bay Area, from Tiburon to San Jose, which means you won't have to drive far to find one near you. Every camp session has optional extended care from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. so working parents can fit camps into their own schedules.  They even offer an optional lunch program, featuring hot, healthy meals!

A word about affordability: Camp Galileo and GSQ are not cheap, but you get what pay for.  They have a full-time staff that works year-round to develop the curricula for each theme and activity.  Everyone, from counselors to instructors to interns, are the cream of the crop; many are professional educators and many have been with Galileo for years.  You won't find any pimply teenagers more interested in texting their friends than interacting with the kids -- every single person on staff that I've met has been enthusiastic and involved.  The tuition rates are higher than city-run summer day camps, but on par -- and actually on the lower end of the price range -- with specialty summer day camps.  And if you enroll before Feb. 28 you'll get the Early Bird discount of $20 per session, on top of any refer-a-friend discount or multiple session discount.  Yes, that's two days from now, so hop to it!

It has been seven years since The Pea first attended Camp Galileo as a tiny Nebula (pre-K), and we've gone back almost every year.  Each time my kids have attended camp they have had a wonderful time.  I can't recommend it highly enough!

Disclosure:This is the first in a series of posts about Camp Galileo and Galileo Summer Quest, for which I am receiving a free week of camp for each of my children. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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Personalized holiday photo gifts from MailPix.com

We live half a world away from my parents, so every year I like to get them some kind of personalized photo gift for the holidays, just a little something to remind them that even though we're far away, we're always thinking of them.  My parents are always so happy and proud to display photos of their grandkids, whether it's in a photo book, calendar, frame, poster or canvas.  They even frame our photo holiday cards!  Who wouldn't love to fill their home with images and memories of the people they love?

Photo gifts can be expensive but MailPix.com, a new photo products website, is committed to keeping quality high while keeping costs low and passing the savings along to their customers.  With MailPix.com you can get photo books for as low as $16, photo brag books for as low as $7, photo ornaments for as low as $12 and photo canvases for as low as $35.  MailPix.com invited me to create some canvas frames to demonstrate how quality and cost don't have to be mutually exclusive.  They arrived early this week and I could not be happier with them!

Turning your photos into works of art with MailPix.com couldn't be simpler.  Just choose your product, upload a photo, personalize it to your specifications and your creation will be on its way to your home.  We used 3 superb black-and-white portraits of the kids, with a good high resolution so you could see every freckle on The Pea's face.  Don't worry, when load your photos onto MailPix.com, the software will let you know if the resolution is high enough for the canvas size you chose (we chose 8x10 canvases).  You will also be able to zoom, crop and position your photo to fit the frame.  You will even be able to see which parts of your photo end up on the edges and sides of the canvas frame, so there are no surprises.

The canvas is neatly wrapped around the edges of a solid wood frame and stapled in the back.  You will need to purchase your own hanging supplies at an art or framing store; once you've done that, just hang them up and start reliving those memories!

Photo canvases aren't the only things you can find on MailPix.com.  You can get all kinds of photo products such as photo ornaments, cards, photo books, even fleece blankets (check out the MailPix Holiday Gift Guide for some great gift suggestions!).  You can upload photos from your computer, or you can import photos from various social networks like Facebook or Instagram -- super convenient!   Each one can be personalized depending on the product.  I found the photo books software a bit too basic (for example, I could not copy page layouts from one page to another) with limited customization, but all the other products were pretty easy to personalize.   Best of all, their prices are so reasonable!  It's hard to believe that the beautiful 8x10 photo canvases we received cost just $35 each!

Whatever you order, don't forget to stop by MailPix.com's Deals & Specials page before you check out.  They offer a revolving selection of their products at deep discounts.  Their current deals include a ceramic photo ornament for $5 (reg. $12), a photo calendar for $9 (reg. $19), and a fleece blanket for $20 (reg $43).  Those prices are fantastic!

In addition to their discounts, they always seem to have some kind of freebie deal going on.  At the time I ordered our canvas prints they were offering 10 free 4x8 holiday greeting cards with promo code 10FREECARDS.  They are basic flat cards on regular photo paper, not cardstock, but hey, free is free and who couldn't use a few more holiday cards!   I took advantage of the deal, and The Pea actually thinks these cards are her favorite out of all the holiday cards I've ordered for us this year.
The offer ends December 31, 2012 so hurry and take advantage.  Other offers that end December 31 include 5 free 5x7 prints, 100 free 4x6 prints or a free 4x6 photo Brag Book.

Wait, did I say OR?  I meant AND!  That's the best part about MailPix.com's deals -- you're not limited to just 1!  That's right, I was able to take advantage of the free 4x8 greeting cards AND free 4x6 prints AND the free Brag Book.  I couldn't believe it when I was able to add both deals to my shopping cart!   All you pay for is shipping.  What a great way to save money, get some great photo products and sample a selection of MailPix.com's product line!


Win a Photo Canvas from MailPix.com
One lucky Bonggamom Finds reader will win a personalized 8x10 photo canvas from MailPix.com

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which photo product from MailPix.com you would most like to receive.

Bonus Entries

1) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (5 entries)

2) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)

3) Pin this giveaway on your Pinterest board (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).

4) Write this on the  Bonggamom Finds Facebook page: (1 entry)
I entered the MailPix.com canvas giveaway! http://ow.ly/fm4yD

5) Write this on the MailPix.com Facebook page (1 entry):
I entered to win a personalized photo canvas from MailPix.com on Bonggamom Finds!  Giveaway ends 12/2 at http://ow.ly/fm4yD

6) Follow @bonggafinds on Twitter and tweet this (1 entry):
RT @bonggafinds Enter to win a personalized photo canvas from @mailpix!  Giveaway ends 12/2 at  http://ow.ly/fm4yD


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on Dec 2, 2012; I will draw a winner at random on Dec 3 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US  residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.


Disclosure: I received a credit at MailPix.com to order personalized photo products of my choosing to aid in my review. Giveaway prize is provided by MailPix.com.  The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
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