Miscellaneous Mentionables

I frequently receive email from companies asking me to share news or discounts with my readers. Each week I’ll gather the best requests and share them with you here.

WE tv NEW SHOW – I WANT TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

WE tv’s all-new original series I Want to Save Your Life showcases undercover health interventions by Charles Stuart Platkin, a nutrition and public health advocate, also known as the Diet Detective. After struggling with weight loss in the past, spending most of his childhood and early adulthood overweight, Charles lost more than 50 pounds and has kept it off for more than 10 years. This series, inspired by Charles’s own success, follows him on an incredible mission to bring Americans back to a healthy lifestyle. The series premieres Sat., April 25 at 10p|9c.

WOW WOW WUBBZY, WUBB IDOL & BEYONCE

Beyonce Knowles will star as a very special guest in Wow! Wow! Wubbzy – the hit Nick Jr. series – as Shine, a member of the super-popular “Wubb Girlz” in Wubb Idol – the movie event of the season! Beyoncé rocks from Wuzzleburg to Wuzzlewood with her original tune, “Sing a Song,” in her first-ever children’s project and voiceover debut!
The celebrity songstress is excited about her role in “Wubb Idol” because of her commitment to serve as a solidly positive role model for children. She also knew all about the series from her beloved 4-year-old nephew, who is a major Wubbzy! fan. Beyoncé has said this is the one role her little nephew still can’t believe she landed. Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is just the coolest thing in the world to him and, no matter what she’s done and who she’s met, in his eyes, it all pales in comparison to being on Wubbzy!. She also obviously knows a thing or two about being the leader of a girl’s group…!
The #2-rated preschool series on Nick Jr. (second only to Dora), each episode of Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! is a music-filled preschool extravaganza featuring an original pop song, like the one performed by Beyoncé. The series is seen more than 40 times each week on Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon’s NOGGIN and reaches in excess of 19 million U.S. viewers per month and is broadcast in over 60 countries worldwide.
“Wubb Idol” mania continues with the premiere of new half-hour episodes featuring The Wubb Girlz with Beyoncé as Shine – Monday, April 27 – part of a “Wow! Wow!” week-long celebration, April 27-April 30, at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nick Jr.!
The all-new one-hour “Wubb Idol” special premieres Friday, May 1, at 1:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nick Jr.!
Primetime “Wubb Idol” debut follows, Sunday, May 3, at 7:00 p.m. (ET) on Nickelodeon’s NOGGIN!
“Wubb”able activities and new interactive game, “The Great Microphone Hunt,” bring the fun of “Wubb Idol” online at www.nickjr.com, beginning Wednesday, April 15! A multiplatform mega-hit, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! currently has the #1 game for preschoolers on NickJr.com with more than 220 million game plays to date!

STEAK-UMM HOMETOWN BURGER CONTEST

It’s time to show some hometown pride with the Steak-umm “Hometown Burger’ recipe contest sponsored by Quaker Maid Meats. Simply use a special local food in a dish built around Steak-umm Burgers. Who knows – maybe you’ll invent the next Philly cheese steak! Each entry will be judged on originality, taste, visual appeal, creative pairing of your hometown ingredient with the Steak-umm product, and the extent to which the recipe brings out the essence of the local cuisine.
The grand prize is a Weber Q 100 Liquid Propane Gas Grill – just in time for summer barbecuing. The two runners-up will receive a 10” limited-edition Steak-umm frying pan.
The contest runs from March 15 through June 15. Winners will be selected by June 25. Recipes can be submitted to hometownburgercontest@sspr.com with the subject line ‘Hometown Burger Contest.’

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME PREVENTION TIPS FROM BABY SLEEPS SAFE

American SIDS Institute Celebrates SIDS Awareness Day on April 24th
Having a baby is a wonderful experience that can be rewarding and challenging at the same time. New parents must learn to master an array of skills from feeding and burping to changing diapers and getting their little one ready for bed. While many parents are most preoccupied with activities that take place while their infant is awake, it is also very important to be vigilant while babies are asleep. Parents must educate themselves about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the leading cause of deaths in infants, as it claims the lives of more than 2,000 sleeping babies each year.
“Parents must be informed about the very real risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and the various precautions they can take to significantly impact their infant’s vulnerability to this tragic occurrence,” states Baby Sleeps Safe President Dr. Vicki Folds, Ed.D., a renowned child development expert with more than 35 years of hands-on and research experience.
What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a sleeping infant under one year of age. In most situations, infants show no physical signs of distress and are perfectly healthy. Ninety percent of all SIDS fatalities occur before an infant reaches six months of age.
What can you do for your baby?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the following measures that may help to prevent SIDS:
Baby Sleeps Safe is a Sleep Panel and Sleep Pouch which work together to position babies on their backs and prevent them from rolling onto their stomachs while sleeping.

• Place infants on their backs to sleep. As sleeping preference is a learned behavior, parents should consider using products such as Baby Sleeps Safe, a two-piece infant safety product that keeps babies sleeping safely and securely on their backs, to ensure their baby is comfortable with the position.
• Do not place your infant to sleep in your bed. Instead, bring the crib into your room until your baby is at least six months old.
• Make sure the crib has a firm mattress and avoid soft surfaces. Remove blankets, bumpers, toys or pillows.
• Overheating an infant is a risk for SIDS. Clothe your infant to keep him warm, but avoid too many layers or warm room temperatures. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests placing an oscillating fan in the room to help circulation and cooling of air.
• Offer your infant a pacifier. Studies have shown a lower rate of SIDS with infants who use pacifiers.
• Breast-feed your infant whenever possible. Natural milk decreases the likelihood of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, known to contribute to SIDS risk.

PG KEY

Parents worried about what their kids are doing online need to worry no more. The PG Key (a brand new device) is now available and it has revolutionized how parents protect their kids online. The key simply plugs into your computer USB port and filters unwanted content. The added bonus of the PG Key is its ability to record everything you do while online. Parents can now watch, like a movie, everything their kids have been doing on the internet. Parents can also stop a person’s internet usage by simply removing the key, putting a virtual lockdown on the computer.

THE FRESH AIR FUND

In 2008, The Fresh Air Fund’s Volunteer Host Family Program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes for two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.
The Fresh Air Fund needs hosts for the Summer of 2009. The Fresh Air Fund relies on donations to raise the funds needed to give these children the experiences they deserve.
The Fresh Air Fund is an independent, not-for-profit agency, that has provided free summer experiences to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually.

MAMAPEDIA

Mamapedia is a one-stop-shop where moms can tap into the wisdom of other moms on an array of topics – everything from potty training to weight loss.
This amazing tool gives moms the power to ask any question and get real-scoop answers without judgment. Questions they can’t ask their mother (for fear of not following her advice) or are too embarrassed to bring up at a playgroup.
The site tracks the top searches and makes it super easy for moms everywhere (no registration required) to search and find.

ONE WORLD HEALTH

This Mother’s Day, a dozen roses or a fancy dinner out might seem too rich for the times. But every mom wants to be recognized and OneWorld Health (www.oneworldhealth.com), the non-profit that provides life-saving medicines to the poorest people on the planet, has an affordable luxury that’s just right for the times because it helps other mothers and their children survive.
The OneWorld Health charm features a distinctive water drop dangle, which symbolizes the hope OneWorld Health provides with every drop of life-saving medicine it develops for poorest mothers and children on the planet.
The OneWorld Health-Pandora partnership has already yielded more than $200,000.00 in donations to OneWorld Health and the Glamour Woman of the Year-founded organization is hoping their “Charm Your Mother and Save a Life” Mother’s Day campaign will help support its new efforts to save poor women and children from dying of preventable diseases.

STRAIGHT LACED

NATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILM TOUR WILL CHALLENGE GENDER STEREOTYPING AND HOMOPHOBIA AMONG TEENS
GroundSpark, a non-profit that creates visionary films and educational campaigns, is igniting a national dialogue about gender stereotypes and pressures among youth with its new feature-length documentary, Straightlaced—How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up.
Straightlaced is directed by Academy Award® -winning filmmaker Debra Chasnoff, and is the latest documentary film production from GroundSpark’s highly acclaimed Respect For All Project. The film will be coupled with an educational curriculum and professional development series to train both professionals and youth to challenge these stereotypes.
Straightlaced, which features unscripted high school youth from around the country speaking candidly about harmful pressures caused by rigid gender roles and homophobia is surprisingly uplifting and entertaining. From girls who dumb down so they don’t intimidate boys, to boys who are sexually active just to prove they aren’t gay, to non-conforming teens who face relentless bullying, the students in Straightlaced show how gender expectations are having unhealthy and often dangerous impact on the lives of today’s teens.
“No matter where we filmed, students jumped at the opportunity to speak their mind about this very taboo subject,” says Chasnoff, who is also GroundSpark’s executive director. “It was shocking to hear that the same pressures that led to the murder of Lawrence King in Oxnard, CA in 2008 are being intensely felt by all students, all day, every day.”
In early test screenings at high schools in California, students have given Straightlaced two major thumbs up. “I want EVERYONE to see this film,” one 11th grader at Oceana High School in Pacifica commented. “It could really make them think about what’s really going on in schools and in the whole country.”
“Thank you, Thank you. Thank you,” said another. “This film makes me feel honored to be me.”
The film and educational curriculum will be presented in all 50 US states as well as in film festivals and symposia worldwide. Already seen in Atlanta, Greensboro NC, Columbus OH, and San Francisco, Straightlaced is scheduled to screen in Montgomery AL, Laramie WY, Chicago, Garden City and Dodge City KS, New Orleans, Oakland, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Minneapolis, Boston, New York City, and St. Louis. Events are on the horizon in over 55 other locations across the country. For an up-to-the-moment schedule, please see http://www.groundspark.org/upcoming-screenings.

Tags: Fresh Air Fund, mamapedia, One World Health, PG Key, SIDS, SteakUmm, WeTV, Wubbzy

Category: Announcements