Spring has FINALLY sprung here in Ohio, and hopefully in your neck of the woods too! Today is kind of gloomy, but yesterday Joshua and I had a great time playing outside with the velcro mitts he’s holding in the picture above and the little ball that comes with them. We got these and lots of other outdoor play toys like sidewalk chalk, a jump rope, bubbles and a frisbee in our Subway P.E.P rally pack! Subway is partnering with the National Institute of Health and their We Can! program (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) to kick-off a really great program, encouraging kids to be more active outside and spend less time sitting in front of a TV or computer screen.

This week is National TV turn-off week, and Subway gave us a P.E.P Rally activity pack to give away to you to encourage your kids to “Play more, Eat right, and Push away the screen”. The activity pack includes lots of great outdoor toys and a $10 Subway gift card so you can get playin’ outside and eatin’ healthy with your kids!

Here’s how to enter:
1) Leave us a comment telling us your favorite outdoor activity to do with your kids
2) Tweet about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with your tweet URL
3) Subscribe to our feed and leave us a comment telling us that you did (or already do)

One lucky winner will be chosen on Saturday, April 25th by random.org. Happy entering!

In the spirit of those of you who are actually partying tonight (unlike me, who will be ordering pizza and playing board games), we’ve got a party-themed giveaway!  It’s everything you need to party like it’s 1999 (a year in which I was much more likely to party than 2009. But anyway.).

One lucky winner will receive:

Balloon Time Helium Balloon Kit

The Balloon Time Latex Balloon Kit includes an 8.9 cubic-foot helium-filled tank, vibrant, assorted-color, 9″ latex balloons, and a spool of ribbon.  Great for your next party!

Chinet Luncheon and Dinner Plates

The white plates that are really green - Chinet understands the importance of protecting the environment now and for future generations. That’s why they pursue sustainable processes when it comes to production of their products. Clean air, clear water, preservation of natural resources—these are issues that they care about. These disposable plates are made from recycled material and will biodegrade in a home composting pile!

Print-at-home stationary from eInvite.com

Print invitations to your upcoming party at home!  Your text can be customized and printed at home using their free web service, EasyInvite.  Couldn’t be easier!  And all of their invitation are adorable.

Gift Certificate to OneGoodie.com

What is One Goodie? It is very simple. They sell one product a day at a great price. Each product makes its debut at 12:00 am EST. If they sell out of the product, a new product is not put up for sale until the next day at 12:00am EST. It’s that simple.  How cool is that?

Custom Invitations from the Celebration Shoppe

Win a set of 12 personalized invitations from The Celebration Shoppe!  When you’re dealing with The Celebration Shoppe, you can expect quality products from a number of designers, superior customer service, deals and unique ideas. The winner gets to pick the design!  Another company created and run by moms!

Zip N Go blanket

This blanket is such a great idea!  It’s a windproof and highly water-resistant tote blanket made from soft velour anti-pill fleece.  It folds and zips to become its own tote bag!  The blanket itself is almost 5×6 feet – plenty of room for the whole family!  It’s got a pocket on the outside, and can also be embroidered.  What a great product!

I know I’m not the only mom dreading the deluge of plastic that will come upon us during this holiday season… and I’m sure I’m not the only one looking for alternatives. That’s one reason I was super excited to come across Little Tikes bamboo games.

These traditional games (like Memory) are made out of real bamboo, which is a renewable, sustainable, natural material. They come in a re-usable case with a bamboo reed handle. They’re a fun, green alternative to plastic or cardboard. I just remembered the first time Kate got a Dora Memory game – she chewed up half of the cards! So in addition to all the other great things about bamboo, add this to the list – it’s not susceptible to toddler saliva!

My other favorite thing about this particular game, though, is the fact that it doesn’t come with 976 cards. It’s a much more manageable amount, which I was very glad to see. Kate got the above-mentioned Dora Memory game when she was just past two, and even now at 4.5, she’s yet to finish an entire game. The sheer amount of matches that are required is overwhelming! The Little Tikes version is finished a lot more quickly and results in much less frustration (for the kids, too).

Anyway, if you’re looking for less plastic and more green, look no further than the game aisle of your favorite toy store. Little Tikes Bamboo Games are great! And, if you haven’t heard how I feel about Little Tikes customer service, click here. They are THE BEST.

As an aside, I’ve also heard that bamboo makes excellent material for floors, so if any flooring people out there want me to try out your bamboo floors, my kitchen is at your disposal (haha!)