Get Your Game On…Plus a Giveaway!

*Update*

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you so much for stopping by and entering (all 700+ of you!).  The winner is Pamk (#543).  Congratulations!

I still remember the day my parents bought me my first Nintendo Entertainment System.  I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.  Technology has come a long way from this:

 

Gaming is all the rage, particularly now that summer is here!  And with the launch of the Wii (which I’ll probably never get closer to than I did at BlogHer) there is even more reason to get excited about gaming.  Regardless of the gaming system you currently possess, check out GameStop, the world’s largest video game retailer.  I stopped in two different stores (one by our house and one on the way up to visit the grandparents) and I have to say that I have never seen such a diverse and abundant selection of games in one location.  The staff were informative and helpful and moms and dads will appreciate their commitment to safety by adhering to the ESRB’s standards.  I was pretty close to buying Wii Fit….except that would lead to another purchase that I don’t think hubby is quite ready to endeavor.  

 

Kids are getting smarter and smarter these days and it’s very likely that they’ll either get tired of their current collection or manage to finish the game and then get bored. GameStop’s trade-in program allows you to bring in your child’s old games and get credit towards new titles or systems.  I was thinking about bringing in my old Super Mario Bros. but I didn’t want to get laughed right out of the store it may be a classic and actually worth something!  When I walked into the store there was an entire section of gently used games.  We love purchasing DVDs, CDs, etc. used because they’re affordable and usually in excellent condition.  If you like saving money and keeping your kids entertained, this may be the perfect option for you.  

By the way, GameStop’s selection is not limited to Nintendo systems.  You’ll find games for Playstation, XBox360, and even your computer!  Since I’m feeling so generous (wink, wink) I’m going to give one lucky reader a $30 gift card to use to your heart’s content, courtesy of Mom Central and GameStop.  Head on over to GameStop and have a look around.  Come back here and tell me which game you’ll purchase if you win (of course you can change your mind!).  And if you tell me you’re going to buy Wii Fit, you must understand that may entail me becoming a regular frequenter of your pad!

BTW…Comments will close on August 2, 2008 at 10 pm PST and I will announce the winner here and on Prizey the following day. One comment per person, please.  US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn. 

P.S.  You may want to consider coming back VERY soon.  I have several fun giveaways lined up you don’t want to miss out on, including some BlogHer swag!

*Update*  Win something trendy for your little tadpole tot here!

 

BlogHer in the Real…

Where do I begin?  I just attended a conference like no other…  I was inspired to pursue writing which has always been a passion of mine and motivated to explore my interest in photography.  Here is a brief recap…

What better way to kick-off a conference than a party…or four!  Mom Central, Alltop/Kirtsy (pics here), The People’s Party, and The Newbie Mixer were all rockin’ to their own beat…and I managed to frequent all four.  Thursday was just the beginning.  Ruby Skye was hip and loud and the food was fab.  My favorite? The chic and swanky closing reception at Macy’s!  It was all about the food, shopping, makeovers by Bare Minerals, and dancing!  And then there were the “private parties…”  

Blogging is all about community, connection, and relationships.  Some of the most amazing bloggers writers are not only creative, intelligent, and artistic…they’re genuinely great gals to know!  I had a blast hanging out with Stephanie, Nicole and Mom Central’s Kara and Abbey, drooling over Rocco DiSpirito having lunch with Stephanie and Arianne, and chatting with This Military Mama and her adorable babe!  

You’d think that at a blogging conference there would be plenty of time to, you know, blog!  I was completely enthralled with soaking up all I could from the conference sessions and parties and socializing and networking and tweeting that I barely had time to breathe let alone blog!  Fortunately many other bloggers were focused enough to live-blog the sessions. Check them out on the BlogHer website.  While I would categorize myself as a mommy blogger, surprisingly I managed to miss those sessions.  As a relatively new blogger and aspiring photographer I found the sessions on the technical aspects of writing and blogging to be of most value.  My absolute favorite session was Me Rah Koh’s Photography Workshop and the subsequent Photo Walk with the Shutter Sisters.  Stay tuned as I’ll be uploading pictures of the entire conference to Flickr. 

What’s a conference without “stuff?”  The swag was everywhere!  Mom Select even had a suite filled with products I plan on telling you all about!  Stay tuned for your opportunity to score some BlogHer swag!

A huge thank you to Mom Select, Newbaby, and HP for the scholarship I received!  

And a ginormous hug and thank you to my incredible husband who trekked all the way to San Francisco with me so I could be close to our little boy.  

If you absolutely can’t wait for pictures, check out Arianne’s AWESOME shots on Flickr!