The 20% off any color service coupon is valid at 1,200 salons under these 9 salon brands – Best Cuts, BoRics, Famous Hair, HairMasters, Head Start, Holiday Hair, Saturday’s, Style America and TGF Hair Salons. To find a salon near you and print your 20% off coupon, simply head to http://bit.ly/Kt8B36 or fill in your info below!

Source: Uploaded by user via Megan on Pinterest

GET BOLD SUMMER COLOR
Normally I do a simple dark brown or black. But this summer stylists are saturating the season with a bold, bright look that screams fun in the sun. Update your look with a brand new hue and remember to save 20% off your color service! Some 2012 hair trends to consider:

• A few well-placed streaks of color that contrast with your hair color. I love purple for dark hair and pink for light hair.
• Go ombre with darker near the roots and lighter at the ends. For example, I could go from ebony on top to a glossy light brown on the bottom. Blondes can try sun-kissed ends and medium-blonde lowlights.
• Multi-hued is hot, adding definition to your style with 2 or 3 colored hues featured in your hair. You can stick to hues that blend in or opt for the bold trend by trying unique hues of reds, blues, and violet in your hair.
• The color this summer season isn’t blonde or over the top highlights. The word on the runway is that coppers, auburns and chestnut browns will have plenty of fun this summer.
• Finally, Pinterest is full of rainbow-inspired dip-dyed multi-lights. Try it out on summer vacation to let your wild side loose!

SHARE THE SAVINGS! Tweet the deal to friends, family and followers!

Ready 4 a new look this season? Get 20% off summer color @ ur choice of 9 hair salon brands! bit.ly/Kt8B36

— theMomBuzz (@theMomBuzz) May 22, 2012

Disclosure: Don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz received compensation from Southwest Media Group on behalf of Regis for sharing this buzz. 

At ages 4.5 and 6, my boys already receive the LEGO Club magazine (FREE) and National Geographic Kids (thanks Mom). They LOVE getting these in the mail. And it encourages them to read. So a big plus there. And if they can’t get all the info themselves, their dad and I are there to help read the fine points to them.

So now onto Marvel Super Heroes Magazine. Every issue features:

• Aaction-packed comics with a never-ending cast of villains ready for battle
• Brain teasing puzzles
• Cool activities
• Cut-outs
• Posters

Issue #1 features the Avengers on the cover – Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Hulk and Iron Man. The pull-out poster is actually the cover of the magazine. So if you take off the poster, you are removing the cover. I wish the poster was actually in the middle to pull out. There is also comic about Thor entitled “If He Be Worthy”.

There is a section of the Daily Bugle re: The Avengers, Roster Changes. Editorial by J. Jonah Jameson and photographs by Peter Parker.

There are fun activities, where you have to use clues to find an imposter, crack a hidden message, find your way out of a maze and more.

Also included are more “interactive” pages. For example, Clip & Collect pages where you can learn about different heroes, their origins and their powers. Issue #1 features Black Widow and Hawkeye. And a Super Hero Smash Up page, where you can “mix up” some Marvel Super Heroes – how many combinations can you come up with?!

Marvel Super Heroes Magazine is designed for children 8 – 10. But my 6 year old will devour it right now! It’s retail prize is $4.99. It can be found at Wal-Mart, Target,, B&N, Kroger Stores and Comic Book Stores. You can also get an annual subscription (8 issues) for $29.92. That’s 25% off the cover price.

Overall, LOVE THIS MAGAZINE! Comics, puzzles, activities, cut-outs and posters for our youngest super hero fans! Thank you Disney Publishing Worldwide! Ready to order online, click here: Marvel Super Heroes Magazine

One reader will win a 1-year subscription to Marvel Super Heroes Magazine ($29.92 value)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is open to the USA. Please refer to complete contest rules. Contest ends 6/05/12. The entries listed above are the ONLY entries for this contest. Winners will be notified by e-mail (if supplied in the entry or on profile page), as well as on the Winner’s Wall. This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contestsso you can win and try buzzworthy products! Links within this post include links to magazines we receive and a link to the Marvel Super Heroes Magazine online order form.

Now the word is PREVENTION. Right? And I am not just talking about sunscreen. It’s also UV clothing, hats and sunglasses. There is even powder you can put in your hair to keep your scalp from being burned, just in case you aren’t wearing a hat.

My favorite lotion is the Coppertone Water Babies Foaming Lotion. I just discovered it this Spring! And I was thrilled when, as a Coppertone Water Mom, it was included in my kit. It shocked me the first time I used it, thinking it was the traditional spray. But instead it comes out like shaving cream! And then you lather it all over the kids (and yourself). They laugh and say it tickles.

I prefer to use the Water Babies line because it is the most comfortable on my skin and gentle on the kids’ eyes. No stinging, no greasy feeling. And by applying it 30 minutes before you go out and every few hours once you are out playing. You also need to reapply after heavy sweating and getting wet.

And it’s not just skin that gets burned. Remember to protect eyes from UV rays too! Sunglasses do more than protect against glare, they protect against sun-related damage, like cataracts, pterygium, skin cancer around the eyes, and macula degeneration.

Here are some links to some of my favorite sun protection items! Click around!

• Sunscreen for the whole family: Coppertone has sunscreens for a variety of needs and skin types. My favorite line is the Water Babies line. But they also have Sport Sunscreen, Oil Free, Sensitive Skin and other options.
• Children’s Sunglasses: If you are putting on your shades, the kids should be putting on theirs! Not just for style (although it’s a cute perk). You are protecting their eyes and surround skin from cancers and damage that can lead to blindness. Our kids sunglasses always come from EyesCreamShades – durable and well-made, they last for years.
• UV Shirts and/or Rash Guards: Once again, surfer style with sun protection! My favorite online store is UVSkinz. Their UV Skinz’ UPF 50+ sun protection clothing blocks out 98% of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. Right now they have two fabulous deals going on.

1. First, they are giving away a FREE BABY “Skinz” with every order in the month of May!
2. Second, visit www.uvskinz.com and enter coupon code MELMON12 to SAVE 25% off your entire online order! With these kind of savings you could score a UV Skinz swim shirt for the price of a bottle or two of suncreen.

And if you see me ’round town, ask me for a Coppertone Water Babies sample! I’m passing them out at school, the playground and Disney … until they run out!

Disclosure Statement: As a member of the Coppertone® Water MOMS group, I received product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit.  No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience. I was a Coppertone fan BEFORE receiving my package and will remain one long after!

For Babies, it means you can keep the kids in an easy-access diaper at home but still keep their legs warm enough in air conditioning.

For Crawlers, it can protect their knees from carpet burn when their wear their summer shorts as they get their groove on.

For Toddlers, Preschoolers and Kids, I like them for multiple reasons. One, they just look cool. You can wear matching pairs with shorts. Use one as an Arm Warmer and one as a Leg Warmer for some serious style. I personally like to bring them to the pool. When the kids come out they are often shivering in the breeze, so BabyLegs help warm them up a little quicker. They are also great for additional protection from a steamy sun, offering protection from UV rays.

The BabyCool collection has BabyLegs made with a Rayosan process to provide UPF protection of 50+!

Tweens, Teens and Adults can also benefit from BabyLegs for style, warmth and protection. Is a classroom or office too cold? Keep BabyLegs in a backpack or purse to add some warmth as they study or you work! And for moms who get too much sun while watching their kids play at parks or in the pool, once again BabyLegs is there to offer some sun protection.

Top 3 Picks for Boys:

Top 3 Picks for Girls:

Overall, we love them and I keep a pair close-at-hand all the time! BabyLegs brand is super soft and very durable. They fit my kids when they were babies and still fit now that they are 4 and 6. BabyLegs retail for $10 – $15 each on www.babylegs.com. There are SO MANY styles to choose from! Stripes, Spots, Dinosaurs, Ruffles and tons more. Go ahead and pin your favorites! You can shop by collection, color, gender and design!

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contestsso you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz received samples to review.

Walmart (and Walmart.com ) offer bikes and biking accessories to help you Gear Up for National Bike Month. You can shop for every member of the family at everyday low prices! Look for:

• An assortment of girls and boys bikes starting at $58
• Several bikes available only at Walmart including the Kent Super 32-inch Cruiser for $199 and Girls 20-inch Schwinn-Quality Spirit Bike for $99
• An assortment of Schwinn helmets starting at $16.96
• An assortment of air pumps starting at $9.96
• $20 eGift Card with every Cruiser purchase at Walmart.com (available online only in celebration of National Bike Month)
• More than 20 bike trailers available on Walmart.com that can be shipped for free to a Walmart store through Walmart’s Site to Store service

When you shop for Walmart for your biking needs, keep these fun facts in mind:

Now let’s chat! Tell me, What do you love about biking? Do you have any favorite biking memories? Are you planning to bike with your kids on the first-ever National Bike to School Day? By sharing your answers in a comment below, you may win $25 to spend at Walmart!

One reader will win a $25 Walmart Gift Code!

FIRST: MANDATORY ENTRY:

Answer any of these questions as your mandatory entry, just leave your answer in a comment below. You can also all three in separate comments for three entries.

1. What do you love about biking?
2. Do you have any favorite biking memories?
3. Are you planning to bike with your kids on the first-ever National Bike to School Day?
   

SECOND: EXTRA ENTRIES:

To receive these extra opportunities for entries, you must fulfill the first REQUIRED/MANDATORY entry. But for extra entries, you can do the following – leave a comment for each:

• Add theMomBuzz to your Twitter
• Share this contest on your Facebook page – Link it to @theMomBuzz – Here is the text:

Win a $25 Walmart Gift Card @theMomBuzz to celebrate National Bike Month. Give-away ends 5.31.12 http://themombuzz.com/?p=22100

• Tweet the following – can be done daily:

#win a $25 Walmart Gift Card at #themombuzz o celebrate National Bike Month- Visit http://themombuzz.com/?p=22100

• Leave a comment on any other post or give-away here at theMomBuzz – let me know where you left a comment
• Add the Mom Buzz to your blogroll (Feed: http://themombuzz.com/feed/)

Contest ends 5/31/12. Please refer to complete contest rules. The entries listed above are the ONLY entries for this contest. Winners will be notified by e-mail (if supplied in the entry or on profile page), as well as on the Winner’s Wall.

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contestsso you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz will receive a $25 Walmart Gift Card for sharing this buzz.

Here are few of my favorite items from the catalog – along with a personal review of some summer essentials – TOWELS!

IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN POOL:

Community pools are fun, but face it – they put a lot of restrictions on what you can and can’t have in the pool. But if you have your own pool, you have to get your hands on this Inflatable UFO Squirter! The price actually rocks, at $24.95 each. You actually get $2.00 off/each if you buy 2 or more. They sit back, recline and squirt using the pool water! I might actually get 3 of these … one for each of my sons plus one for my nephew. It’s just AWESOME! And even though it floats, it’s a “big kid toy”, holding up to 185 pounds and recommended for ages 4 and up.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE A POOL, BUT WISH YOU DID:

Get a load of this Typhoon Twist Water Slide! I actually own an inflatable water slide and LOVE IT! The kids get so much use out of it during the summer. And it’s great for summer parties too! This one really differs from mine in that it has a water gun attached, as well. Great for ages 2+, with parental supervision. But after age 8 this one might be too small for big thrills among ‘tweens.

IF YOU NEED TO DRY OFF:

Whether you got wet in your own backyard or have been visiting the beach and community pools, one thing you’ll need for sure is a towel. We love our Kids Super Hero Hooded Towel from OneStepAhead. It isn’t flimsy and thin, like some of the cheap towels my husband has brought home for the kids in the past. Although, it isn’t overly plush either, which is a plus. Overly plush attract too much sand at the beach and take FOREVER to dry. It has a hood to help it stay on a child to keep them dry and warm, plus little hand pockets to keep them all tucked in. Very snuggly!

OneStepAhead can personalize the Super Hero Hooded Towel for $6 extra. And if you are looking for something a little more “pink”, they have a Butterfly Hooded Towel option.

OneStepAhead also has a Sun Smarties Beach Towel in a Bag that I tried. The bag is built into the towel, so that it can be easily folded into a small tote that can hold other beach items for the kids – maybe a juice box or sunglasses. I have to admit, if I had to choose between both towels I’d go with with the Hooded Towels I mentioned above. It’s hard to roll the towel back into the tote – and I don’t want to roll it into the tote when it’s wet because it’ll get musty. And when my son uses it to dry off, the pocket/handle part are a tad awkward. So the clear winner is the Hooded Towels (to me) are the hooded towels over the Sun Smarties Beach Towel in a Bag.

IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GET WET:

Finally, if you don’t want to get wet and need some dry outdoor time – get a load of this Dome Climber! My boys would LOVE this in the backyard. Very sturdy, supporting up to 10 kids and 1,200 pounds. Perfect for “monkeying around” as they climb and hang with friends. It measures 9′ 4″L x 9′ 4″W x 4′ 10″H and is suggested for ages 3 and up.

OVERALL: You should check out the full  inventory at OneStepAhead! Even without a catalog to dog-ear, you can keep your smart phone busy pinning away all of your summer must-haves!

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz was not compensated for this buzz. The Mom Buzz did receive the towels for review. All other mentions are simply products she is excited about and HAD TO SHARE!

The game is Pengoloo. It’s basically Memory with penguins. There are 12 penguins that “nest” 12 eggs. There are actually only 6 different colors, so there are 2 eggs for every color. To play you roll the die and whatever colors appear on the die, you have to find. You get to look under two penguins each time.

To make it harder for ME when playing with my little ones, I only roll one die. So it takes longer for me to find 6 penguins who are the right color. I suggest that most parents try to play with their little ones that way, otherwise you’ll almost always beat them.

As the kids get older, you can make the game harder by allowing them to “steal” eggs that are already on another player’s iceberg. Since penguins are covering the eggs, it increases the level of difficulty as eggs are caught.

Pengoloo reinforces memory, color recognition, and taking turns. The wooden characters and their numbered icebergs are durable and have staying power. It’s not a game I’ll get rid of at a garage sale, instead I’ll keep it for YEARS to come for younger cousins/nephews/grandchildren that will come and visit.

Pengoloo makes me want to buy more Blue Orange Games! You can see their whole collection at their website. They have wooden games, tin games and travel games – great for summer! When searching, I highly suggest the high-stacking game of Zimbbos, which I equally love.

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz was not compensated for this buzz. The Mom Buzz did receive Pengoloo for review. I just LOVE it!

Zimbbos is a short, quick stacking game to play with lil’ ones. It’s a mix of coordination, luck and strategy. It comes with 10 elephants, 3 different sized stacking bars and 5 “jokers”. The jokers are made up of 2 clowns, a gorilla, a lion and a bear. You roll the die and it tells you whether to stack 1, 2 or 3 elephants OR if you get a star on the die, you can either choose a “joker” or a stacking bar.

So you roll the die and follow the directions. You can stack up or sideways. But you can’t stack UNDER where the last person put their pieces. So once you start stacking one column, you are almost stuck until someone places a bar that can carry more characters.

The jokers and bars can be added in any order. But the elephants all have to be stacked numerically. Whoever stacks the tenth elephant without knocking over the tower wins.

A few adults playing would have no problem, but kids sure do add to the difficulty of making a sturdy tower of balancing elephants! The wooden pieces can be added standing up on their legs or upside down. It’s fun to try different designs as you stack.

I think the wooden characters are adorable. They are well-painted on BOTH SIDES and durable. Overall, a great game for kids that requires no batteries and lots of ingenuity. I suggest saving it to your Amazon Wish List for upcoming birthday and holiday gift ideas.

And if you are looking for another awesome Blue Orange game, try Pengoloo. We love it!

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz was not compensated for this buzz. The Mom Buzz did receive Zimboos! for review. I just LOVE it!

But really, when we were in Puerto Rico the Piragüero would have flavors like Cherry and Strawberry, too. Usually the Piragüero would drive around the neighborhood with a block of ice in the back of his car. We’d go running out with change in hand and he’d make us our favorite flavors. If we didn’t buy them from the neighborhood truck, then we still had the option to buy one after school from a push cart!

What is the difference between an icee or piragua? Really, it depends on where it’s from. Although, some purists may say that Snow Cones are made of crushed ice, so they don’t hold the syrup as well. Piraguas and Snow Balls are shaved ice, which hold the flavor of the syrup more. And Piraguas have that Pyramid Shape to them.  Also, in Puerto Rico you have more fruit flavors (Coconut, Cream, Sugar Cane, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, etc.) while I think Snow Cones offers different flavors, like Root Beer, Banana and Blue Raspberry. But there are crossover flavors, like Cherry, Grape, Strawberry and so on.

So, since shaved ice is superior (in my opinion), how can you make this sweet, cool treat at home? Well, the easiest way is with an ice shaver. There are manual and electric ones available. I’ve tried the Jelly Belly Manual Ice Shaver, which is fine if you are just doing 2 – 4 at home. If you are going to make shaved ice for a party, buy or rent an electric ice shaver!

The Jelly Belly Manual Ice Shaver comes with two circular freeze trays. You will want to use them to create a block of ice, because trying to use regular cubes or crushed ice is harder in this machine. Put your block in and start cranking the handle. Since it doesn’t have suction cups, you have to hold down the machine with one hand and you can’t easily crank the handle where you think you would, you have to hold the handle further down the arm. That’s why this is only for home use, because you won’t want to make more than a few at a time with the combination of needing a specific ice block and the awkward way of holding the machine down and cranking it.

But for $12, it works and the shaved ice is so SOFT and melts easily in your mouth. It absorbs the syrup perfectly, making each bite delicious. My kids LOVE this treat and so do I. Next year I think I’ll splurge on the $24 Jelly Belly Electric Ice Shaver though.

I’ve used two different Snow Cone Syrups with our shaved ice. One was the Blue Berry from Jelly Belly. It was sweet and delicious. The other one was a Strawberry Syrup from Costa Rica. YUM! My kids and I liked mixing them together for the 4th of July effect – hello Red (Strawberry), White (Ice) and Blue (Blue Berry)! There is a huge selection of Jelly Belly syrups, from the traditional (Very Cherry) to the unique (Cotton Candy).

Here are links to the products I used (or suggest trying) to make your own Shaved Ice treats this Summer and Spring!

• Jelly Belly Electric Ice Shaver – $24
• Jelly Belly Manual Ice Shaver – $12
• Jelly Belly Snow Cone Syrups

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz was not compensated for this buzz. The Mom Buzz did receive the Jelly Belly syrup and manual ice shaver for review.

Summer screams Bathing Suits, Towels, Beach Totes, Flip Flops, Umbrellas, and Sunglasses. And you can save with promo codes from Old Navy, Target, and Amazon – just to name a few of my favorite retailers!

And when it comes to PLANNING your trip, look for their Bookit promo code. Where do you want to go, when do you wnat to get there, what do you need for traveling and where are you going to stay? Like many online travel companies, Bookit can help save you money as you book a hotel, flight and rental car through them. They offer deeply discounted travel arrangements and can really save you money, so that you won’t mind buying a few tacky souvenirs for yourself and the kids.

Bookit lets you plan by Destination (ie: Caribbean, Mexico, Florida) or Travel Theme (ie: Disney Vacation, Islands and Beaches, Ski Travel). And I love that you can even see what activities you can book at different destinations. For example, we always spend time in Ormond Beach and St. Augustine during the summer. But we end up doing the same thing year-after-year. With Bookit, I am able to see what “hidden” activities I might be missing out on – like Kayaking in Ponce Inlet or riding the Banana Boat.

So what are you summer plans? Staying close to your backyard or venturing out in the world to make some summer memories?

And remember, with PromoCodes2012 you can save even more on your vacation with a  Bookit promo code. I see codes for $10 off, $15 off, $25 off, and depending on where you stay – 50% – 65% off. It’s definitely worth looking into!