There is a 3-day sale going on this weekend (Dec. 10-12th) across all Whole Foods Markets in Southern California. With the holidays upon us and festivities in full swing, Whole Foods Markets is offering a variety of ways to make it easy to celebrate.

Need some ideas for a side dish to bring to a holiday party or a hostess gift? Here is a sample of some of the specials going on:

• Mini Dungeness Crab Cakes are 10 for $10 (regularly $1.59 each)
• Organic 100% Grass-Fed Ground Beef will be $4.99 per pound (regularly $7.99 per pound). Here’s an easy recipe for Beef and Quinoa Meatballs!
• Wild Caught, Frozen, King Salmon Filet will be $15.99 per pound (regularly $22.99 per pound). Impress your family and friends with this simple recipe for Grilled Salmon Spread with Fennel and Chives

Everyone brings wine or champagne for the host/hostess. Instead, gift something different and eco-friendly like reusable Sigg Bottles, which will be marked 50% off.

One great feature about Whole Foods Markets is how easy is it to order holiday menu items online. I know, because I order my turkey online from Whole Foods every Thanksgiving! If you’re in Southern California and would like to sample some of their prepared holiday dishes before ordering, all SoCal Whole Foods will be offering a tasting event this Sunday (Dec. 12th) from Noon- 3pm. Don’t miss out!

As a special treat to my readers to help prepare for Whole Foods holiday grocery shopping, Whole Foods Markets has generously offered one of my readers a $10 gift card. To enter the give-away, just leave a comment below and let me know what you enjoy most about the holidays. For additional entries, you may: subscribe to AYMB, tweet this post, or post on your Facebook page.  Please leave an additional comment for each entry.

I will select a winner on Tuesday, December 14th via www.random.org.

Good luck!

FTC Disclaimer: I was not compensated by Whole Foods Markets for this post or give-away.

Congrats, Rita! I hope you enjoy reading with the Literati as much as I do. Please e-mail your mailing info through my contact page.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Sharper Image Literati e-reader give-away!

Skin MD Natural

A few weeks ago, I was approached by Skin MD Natural to test out their Face, Hand & Body Shielding Lotion. I have face creams for day and night, body lotions for day and night, and creams just for my hands and feet. To me, there is no one-lotion-fits-all when it comes to moisturizing. So when I learned that Skin MD Natural is for ALL of your body parts, including your face, I thought it might be worth a shot to check it out.

I tried the lotion for exactly 2 weeks straight. The only problem was that I could only use the product at night. The lotion I received to test did not include SPF, which I believe is absolutely essential to wear everyday, rain or shine. Please note that they do carry the lotion with SPF, but I was only able to sample a small packet of it which was not enough to give a valid review.

I found the lotion to be somewhat sticky and tacky. It doesn’t absorb right away, which I suppose is why it’s called a “shielding” lotion. One thing I did like was that had a cooling effect on my skin, which might be nice during hot weather. There is also a slight scent of aloe and floral upon application, but I found it very subtle and pleasant. Once the lotion was absorbed, I didn’t smell anything at all.

Although I wasn’t too keen on the texture of the lotion, I did notice a difference with my skin in only two weeks. After my evening shower, I would apply the lotion everywhere, including my face. In the mornings, the dry and patchy areas of my skin felt much more smooth. I was even more impressed with how the lotion worked on my face. I have combination oily and dry skin and am prone to breakouts, so I was very concerned about using the product on my face. Surprisingly, my skin seemed less oily and my breakouts have decreased in the past week. I’m going to keep using the product to confirm whether or not that was some hormonal coincidence or the lotion actually works really well for me as night-time face moisturizer.

A few things that I really appreciated about  Skin MD Natural is that it is paraben-free, hypoallergenic, dermatology tested, fragrance and colorant free, made in the U.S., vegan, gluten-free, 90% natural, and is not tested on animals.

Want to check out Skin MD Natural for yourself? Enter my give-away and Skin MD Natural will send you a full-size bottle! Just leave a comment below for one entry. For additional entries, you can tweet or blog about this review. I will use www.random.org number generator to select a winner on March 17, 2010.

Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was not monetarily compensated for this review. I was given one free full-size bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding lotion to test and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The 3 winning numbers!

Random.org selected comments #12, #14, and #18!

Congrats to the 3 winners! I will e-mail you your $25 gift certificate code.

Congrats again and happy shopping!

Yes? Well, then. You’re clearly a very smart shopper.

No? OK, I don’t want to alarm you, but your blood pressure is about to go through the roof when you add up all the money you may have thrown away over the past few years.

RetailMeNot is an incredible coupon website, and they are about to celebrate their 3rd anniversary on Friday, October 30th. In the three years RetailMeNot has been operating, they have offered more than 400,000 coupons for 80,000 retailers, restaurants, and brands. I can’t tell you how often I have used promo codes off their website in order to get great deals. Needless to say, I never shop online without checking out the current promotions at RetailMeNot.

In celebration of RetailMeNot’s upcoming anniversary on the 30th, I have been given* THREE $25 gift certificates for www.threadless.com! Have you checked out threadless.com yet? I LOVE their concept and the beautiful, funky, and unique t-shirts they sell. Mamas, have you seen their baby/toddler/kid size t-shirts? Too freakin’ cute for words. I’m a fan. There is a huge selection of t-shirts for all sizes and they make such a cool gift.

In order to WIN one of THREE $25 gift certificates, I’ll need you to do the following:

1. Post a comment! Tell me about RetailMeNot and your experience with their website and coupons. If you haven’t paid them a visit, do so now and let me know what you think.

2. For an extra entry, subscribe to Ain’t Yo Mama’s Blog and/or tweet, blog, or spread the news of this contest in some other way (Facebook, MySpace, etc…).  Post an additional comment if you spread the word.

3. You have until 9pm PST on October 30th to enter this contest. Contest open for U.S. residents only. Sorry, Canadians.

4. I will generate 3 random comment numbers from Random.org. The THREE winners will be announced the morning of October 31st. The winners will receive codes via e-mail for the $25 gift certificate. No mailing address will be needed.  Also, don’t worry about spam. I will only use your e-mail address for the purpose of sending the gift certificate code.

So, go on now, and check out RetailMeNot and threadless.com…and start commenting and spreading the word!

Good luck!

*Disclosure: RetailMeNot has provided me a $25 gift certificate for threadless.com for my own personal use. RetailMeNot did not request an endorsement in exchange for providing me with these coupons. As I have previously written before, I will always disclose if I receive compensation or free product in exchange for an endorsement.

As I start blogging my way into a 2nd month of Ain’t Yo Mama’s Blog, I have some very exciting stuff coming up that I would love to share with you all.

Gimme Gimme!

First, I have more give-aways coming up! I know give-aways are quite popular (duh) and I enjoy them, too. Just like almost every other parent I know, I am a big consumer of all things kid-related. When I need to shop for my kid, especially if it’s for a big-ticket item, I depend on other parents for product reviews and feedback.  I like to do the same for other parents. I have been a long-time reviewer on websites like www.yelp.com (two-time Elite!) and consumer websites like www.amazon.com, so writing reviews is nothing new to me. I have always loved spreading the word about an incredible restaurant, service, product, or company. I don’t believe that reviews and give-aways diminish the primary purpose and perspective of a blogger.  I believe reviews and give-aways can actually enhance the content of a blog.  To know me and my blog is to also know the stuff I like to buy and gift to others.

One final and very important note about that: in the few years I have been reviewing online, I have never ever ever been paid or sponsored in any way. Although, to be perfectly honest, I have been given free frozen yogurt as a thank you for a good review. If, in the future I am paid or sponsored, I will disclose that information. I will always be honest about the products I love and the products I despise.  I didn’t start blogging to make a few bucks or get free stuff. However, I must admit that frozen yogurt usually works well.

Mama Needs a Break Sometimes: Guest Bloggers/Writers

In other exciting news, I will be featuring some fabulous guest bloggers and writers in the upcoming weeks. My guests will be discussing a wide range of topics, from craft projects and recipes to philanthropy and therapy. There will even be a guest post from the Dude himself. I am very excited to showcase a diverse array of people talking about some very interesting things. Things that I know most parents will appreciate. I know I’m excited!

Keep in Touch

I know you’re out there, readers. I don’t know who all of you are (other than you, Mom), but I know you come from all over the world. Feel free to post a comment if something speaks to you or drop a line via the contact form on the menu bar. The readers that have already been in touch know that I will always respond. I would love to hear from you.

Oh, one last thing. For the love of all things muppets, if you love the Yip Yips as much as I do than please read and sign my petition! Our kids deserve more Yip Yips in their lives!

Screen shot of the winning number, generated from Random.org

Ain’t Yo Mama’s Blog Give-Away is pleased to announce the winner of the very first give-away: The Discovery Kids MP3 Boombox!

Comment #6 (Lara) is the winner! Congrats!!!

The winner must respond via the contact form (see the contact section located on the menu bar) with a mailing address within one week. If there is no response, another random number will be generated.

Congrats again, Lara (#6)!

Stay-tuned for the next give-away. Details coming soon!

Discovery Kids™ Digital MP3 Boombox

As a token of my appreciation for all my new blog readers and subscribers, I am offering my very first give-away! (Details below)

I am giving away a brand new Discovery Kids™ Digital MP3 Boombox! Retail Value is $39.99.

The Boombox has been a BIG hit with the Monkey. It is the perfect gift for any young child that loves music.  The Boombox comes pre-loaded with 20 kid-friendly songs ranging from more traditional tunes (like “This Old Man”) to more mature originals (such as the catchy “Bit by Bit” and clever “If You Lived in the White House”).

If you want to add your own music collection to the Boombox, you can connect it to your computer via USB.  (We loaded into the Monkey’s Boombox some Medeski Martin & Wood, Jack Johnson, Hot Buttered Rum*, and other great kids’ tunes that I discussed in this post.)

I really like the fun look of the Boombox and appreciate that it’s very easy for a child to use and carry (big buttons and integrated handle), while being very hard for a child to break (the kid-tough rubber case has protected the player from more than a few of the Monkey’s toy-throwing tantrums!).

Great product. Great gift. And a GREAT GIVE-AWAY!

To enroll in this give-away contest:

1. Please leave a comment below between now and Saturday, October 17, 2009.
2. I will pick one winner at random from the comments section by using a numerical system (comment #1, comment, #2, etc…).I will use random.org’s Random Integer Generator to pick the number of the winner
3. I will announce the contest winner via blog post on Monday, October 19, 2009 .  (So subscribe to the comments or blog so that you’ll know when a winner’s been announced!) The winner will have one week to e-mail their mailing address.
4. I will ship you a new and unopened MP3 Boombox at my expense.  (My international readers need not worry; I will also ship internationally.)

Good luck everyone!

* Hot Buttered Rum disclaimer: I’m a big fan of their progressive Americana style of music. You really ought to check them out live and listen to their new album. They’re one of those rare bands that both kids and parents can enjoy and appreciate.

*Disclosure Updated 12.12.09:  In anticpiation of the FTC ruling for bloggers, I am including a disclosure update for this review and give-away. I did not receive any form of compensation from Discovery Kids for this review and give-away item.