Contest - there's still time to enter to win a UV Skinz Rashguard

There's still time to enter to win the Frisco Kids' contest for a UV Skinz rashguard of your choice! For details click here.

Sleepover at Children's Fairyland

Children's Fairyland in Oakland is hosting a sleepover! You'll pitch your tend in the teddy bear picnic area and go on night-time rides, with dinner and entertainment too. After a restful night's sleep, you'll be fed again with a continental breakfast.

Sleepover dates:
When: July 11, July 25, August 8, August 22
Cost: $40/adult, $20/kid
Registration: required at this web page

Shutterfly and Snapfish coupon deals

Got summer pictures to print? Or books to make? Here are a few deals to consider:

Snapfish: Get 50 prints (4" x 6" mail-order) for only 1 cent each. Anything over 50 - you'll get for 9 cents each (plus shipping). Use coupon PENNY at checkout before 7/10/09.

Shutterfly: Save 20% on photobooks, and get free shipping for orders over $40. Coupon code: SUMMERSAVINGS. Get volume savings on prints - 10% off 50-74 prints, 20% off 75-99 prints and 30% off 100+ prints. Use code SAVEPRINTS. Offer ends 7/13/09.

Free National Parks weekend - July 18-19

Now that your national spirit is in full gear (yay Independence Day!) - get excited to explore a national park July 18-19th. That weekend, the park service is offering a fee-free National Park weekend. Locally (as in California), a few of the parks included in the fee-free weekend are Yosemite, Lava Beds, Sequoia, Lassen, Death Valley and Joshua Tree.

No excuses! Plan that camping or hotel trip to the park you most want to see - in California or elsewhere.

One more free National Park weekend is planned this summer:
August 15-16

Contest! Win UV Skinz Rashguard for You or Your Kid

A few months ago I reviewed UV Skinz, colorful rashguards that protect the wearer from harmful sun rays (read review here). The company graciously offered to give one Frisco Kids reader the choice of any item from the catalog!

UV Skinz was started by a mom of three kids, Rhonda Sparks whose husband died of melanoma. The Mercury News recently reported that the melanoma diagnoses rose 5% annually among white folks during the study (1992-2004). BTW, 90% of melanoma sufferers are caucasian. And 65-90% of melanomas are caused by UV exposure via sunlight.

Hopefully you're covering up with at least sun block this summer, but a rashguard like one from UV Skinz is even better.

To win your choice of items (which includes short or long sleeve shirts, shorts and hats too), leave a comment below with your fantasy location for wearing your swim gear.

In order for me to contact the winner, I'll need your email address in the post (or you can send it to blog@friscokids.net and tell me which comment is yours). But to win, YOU MUST STILL COMMENT ON THE BLOG, NOT JUST VIA EMAIL. Yes, I'm yelling this in all caps, but you won't win if you don't follow directions. Winner will be chosen randomly.

I'll announce the winner on July 13.

Jelly Belly Contest - We Have a Winner

Congrats to Elizabeth for correctly guessing the top 3 Jelly Belly flavors: Very Cherry, Buttered Popcorn and Licorice (which Elizabeth rightly said "yuck").

Elizabeth very generously offered that if she won, Tracy should get the Jelly Belly prize. But I like random acts of kindness (like Elizabeth's) so I'll give away a bag of Jelly Bellies to both of them. Unless Elizabeth doesn't like the beans, in which case I'll keep 'em.

Happy munching! And keep an eye out for the next contest - win a UV Skinz rashguard item for you or your family!

Budget Birthday Bashes in the Bay Area

Birthday postings are one of the biggest draws to this blog, so I thought I'd share an article just published in Bay Area Parent. It's on Budget Birthdays, a popular theme this year given the dreadful economy. Looking for ideas to save some money? Looking for entertainment ideas? Looking to see how to incorporate themes? Read on.

Okay, so I was interviewed for the piece, so you can also look for details of my kids birthday parties in there, including the Race Car theme birthday we did the last two years. And you can get some great ideas from others as well!

As long as we're talking about budget Bay Area birthdays, I'll point you to a post on Birthday Freebies. And one more - on Bay Area birthday party locations. Please add your favorite locations to that post!