MamaPop™

Win one of two copies of Microsoft Office from MamaPop!

*UPDATE: WE HAVE WINNERS! Find out who won after the jump!*

Psst! Hey you! want a free copy of Microsoft Office?

Find out how to get yours after the jump!

You Can Has Beatles!

So, last month the entire original Beatles catalogue was released in fully digitally re-mastered form. I don't actually know what that means, but I think that I can say that it's a good thing and that everyone will just nod their heads, except for maybe a small handful of vinyl enthusiasts who will swear to their dying days that Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band can never be fully understood unless it is listened to on LP in a wood-panelled basement.

ANYHOO.

We don't have the entire digitally re-mastered Beatles catalogue to give away, BUT, we do have two limited edition lithographs! Of the Beatles! Back when they were cute! YOU CAN HAS.

All you have to do is leave a comment, sometime between now and midnight next Wednesday, naming your favorite Beatle and/or your favorite Beatles tune.

Extra street creed to anyone who can justify Ringo as their fave.

WINNERS! Bitchilla and Suzy Q! You'll be hearing from us! CONGRATS!

Last week, we offered a giveaway of fantabulous Dexter merchandise. Today I am happy to announce the winner in that giveaway is:

*drumroll*

Steff! Steff, we'll be contacting you shortly to arrange the delivery of this very grisly package that will probably put you on a watch list with your local FBI bureau. Thanks to everyone who entered!

See what I did there? Because Dexter's a serial... never mind.

Ahem. Attention Dexter fans! MamaPop and the generous folks at Showtime are happy to present this latest giveaway of Dexter Season 4 promotional merchandise, including: a Dexter bib for your little sociopath's next feeding; 2010 Dexter calendar; tote bag; commemorative buttons; and, la pièce de rèsistance, a Dexter action figure with detachable, interchangeable arms, enabling you to change your Dexter from "Daytime" Dexter to "Nighttime Bay Harbor Butcher" Dexter. Fun for the whole family! 

You want a piece of this? Hit those comments. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, same bat time, same bat channel.

I'm going to start off this review of Clive Owen's new movie "The Boys Are Back" the same way I started it off when I told my girlfriends about it: Clive is HOT.

That should convince 85% of the women reading (and a percentage of the men as well) so here's a review for everyone else.

Based on a true story, "The Boys Are Back" follows the life of sportswriter Joe Warr (Owen) and his journey to rebuild his world and conquer the challenges of single-fatherhood after the death of his beloved wife Katy.  The film is directed by Scott Hicks (he directed the amazing 'Shine') and is set against the breathtaking landscapes of Australia. Did I mention Clive was pretty breathtaking, too?

After months of looking at perfectly sane and respectable adults reading Harry Potter books on my daily commute, I finally gave in and picked up a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It seemed strange that perfectly grown adults would go ga-ga over a children's series; it just seemed so infantile (says the woman who had a Tamaguchi on her keychain that she faithfully took care of until the poor thing pooped itself to death when I left it in the car overnight. That unfortunate incident scared me out of becoming a parent for years.)

Anyhow, I read that first book and never again poked fun at an adult reading Harry Potter on the subway. I may have poked fun at them for other reasons, but never for the Potter books. That book grabbed me like A Wrinkle in Time and had me hooked like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe y'all. And that pre-teen magic is hard to replicate, know what I mean?

If you don't, you really must enter this contest. And if you do know what I mean, you should still enter this contest.

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Like seriously, you totally want this. Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

So you want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that someone who means so much in your life that you are willing to give up something so awesome? BECAUSE WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is tell us, in the comments, what song you would you choose to dedicate to the one you love (be it your significant other or dog or aloe plant -- because aloe plants need love too!) and why.

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday (EST) - that would be August 14th - and we'll pick a winner.

(And I promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself. I know it would have to be a pretty special aloe plant if I was going to give that puppy up.)

The winner has been selected and congratulations: Bitchilla from Me Me Me

So, for the last week and a half, I've been on a road trip. Across Canada. With my children. Which, yes: I AM CRAZY.

What is saving my life: an in-vehicle DVD player and a whole lot of XM radio, which is less than optimal, because you can't program radio. You never know what music is going to come on the radio. Which is why you need some sort of digital music player when you're road-tripping. Like the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player, which I don't have yet (Tracey is bringing one with her to BlogHer that has my name on it (rubs palms together greedily)), and so want. Badly. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. Which, when you're traveling with three year olds, amounts to a whole lot of Jack Johnson, but still. Having the right music when the kiddies start going batshit is PRICELESS.

So, you want one? All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song would at the top of your road-trip playlist? Kid-friendly or not kid-friendly, doesn't matter. Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be July 12th - and we'll pick a winner.

And the winner is.... Diamond Cait! Congrats!

I totally want to see Away We Go. I really, badly, seriously do, because, um, hello? JOHN KRASINKSY AND MAYA RUDOLPH. Starring in a movie directed by SAM MENDES and written by DAVE EGGERS AND VENDELA VIDA.

JOHN KRASINKSY. DAVE EGGERS. Yes, this warrants ALL CAPS, because seriously: here is my TV geek crush working with a script from one of my biggest contemporary lit crushes and his totally also-lit-crushable wife and directed by a crush-worthy director who is married to one of my biggest all-time girl crushes and also starring another totally crushable girl and also? It's about becoming parents, which, come on. This movie was made for me.

That said, we don't have a regular babysitter, so it might be a while before I have the pleasure. So I'll probably just mope over the soundtrack until it's released on DVD or Planet Nanny starts making regular deliveries to Earth, whichever comes first.

So, what are we giving away?

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Or, to be a little clearer about it, you know that there's a man in your life who may or may not be a dad and who may or may not be expecting a little sumthin-sumthin on - what's it called again? - FATHER'S DAY who wants this.

Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

You want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that man in your life? WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song you would dedicate to the dad in your life to commemorate Father's Day. And you could, maybe, you know, write it as a dedication, to make it extra speshul. Dear Dad: did you know about this song by Madonna? Papa Don't Preach? Yeah, that...

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be June 12th - and we'll pick a winner. And we promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself.

. . . . .

Bonus Round! Please vote for MamaPop for "Guilty Pleasure" Blog! For your trouble? Yet another chance to win a slot radio! Who's a big winner? YOU ARE.

........

And the winner is.... Bessi Viola! Congrats, lady! (And, all y'all? YOU MADE ME CRY DAMMIT.)

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

Dexter Giveaway Winner!

Last week, we offered a giveaway of fantabulous Dexter merchandise. Today I am happy to announce the winner in that giveaway is:

*drumroll*

Steff! Steff, we'll be contacting you shortly to arrange the delivery of this very grisly package that will probably put you on a watch list with your local FBI bureau. Thanks to everyone who entered!

See what I did there? Because Dexter's a serial... never mind.

Ahem. Attention Dexter fans! MamaPop and the generous folks at Showtime are happy to present this latest giveaway of Dexter Season 4 promotional merchandise, including: a Dexter bib for your little sociopath's next feeding; 2010 Dexter calendar; tote bag; commemorative buttons; and, la pièce de rèsistance, a Dexter action figure with detachable, interchangeable arms, enabling you to change your Dexter from "Daytime" Dexter to "Nighttime Bay Harbor Butcher" Dexter. Fun for the whole family! 

You want a piece of this? Hit those comments. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, same bat time, same bat channel.

I'm going to start off this review of Clive Owen's new movie "The Boys Are Back" the same way I started it off when I told my girlfriends about it: Clive is HOT.

That should convince 85% of the women reading (and a percentage of the men as well) so here's a review for everyone else.

Based on a true story, "The Boys Are Back" follows the life of sportswriter Joe Warr (Owen) and his journey to rebuild his world and conquer the challenges of single-fatherhood after the death of his beloved wife Katy.  The film is directed by Scott Hicks (he directed the amazing 'Shine') and is set against the breathtaking landscapes of Australia. Did I mention Clive was pretty breathtaking, too?

After months of looking at perfectly sane and respectable adults reading Harry Potter books on my daily commute, I finally gave in and picked up a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It seemed strange that perfectly grown adults would go ga-ga over a children's series; it just seemed so infantile (says the woman who had a Tamaguchi on her keychain that she faithfully took care of until the poor thing pooped itself to death when I left it in the car overnight. That unfortunate incident scared me out of becoming a parent for years.)

Anyhow, I read that first book and never again poked fun at an adult reading Harry Potter on the subway. I may have poked fun at them for other reasons, but never for the Potter books. That book grabbed me like A Wrinkle in Time and had me hooked like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe y'all. And that pre-teen magic is hard to replicate, know what I mean?

If you don't, you really must enter this contest. And if you do know what I mean, you should still enter this contest.

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Like seriously, you totally want this. Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

So you want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that someone who means so much in your life that you are willing to give up something so awesome? BECAUSE WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is tell us, in the comments, what song you would you choose to dedicate to the one you love (be it your significant other or dog or aloe plant -- because aloe plants need love too!) and why.

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday (EST) - that would be August 14th - and we'll pick a winner.

(And I promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself. I know it would have to be a pretty special aloe plant if I was going to give that puppy up.)

The winner has been selected and congratulations: Bitchilla from Me Me Me

So, for the last week and a half, I've been on a road trip. Across Canada. With my children. Which, yes: I AM CRAZY.

What is saving my life: an in-vehicle DVD player and a whole lot of XM radio, which is less than optimal, because you can't program radio. You never know what music is going to come on the radio. Which is why you need some sort of digital music player when you're road-tripping. Like the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player, which I don't have yet (Tracey is bringing one with her to BlogHer that has my name on it (rubs palms together greedily)), and so want. Badly. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. Which, when you're traveling with three year olds, amounts to a whole lot of Jack Johnson, but still. Having the right music when the kiddies start going batshit is PRICELESS.

So, you want one? All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song would at the top of your road-trip playlist? Kid-friendly or not kid-friendly, doesn't matter. Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be July 12th - and we'll pick a winner.

And the winner is.... Diamond Cait! Congrats!

I totally want to see Away We Go. I really, badly, seriously do, because, um, hello? JOHN KRASINKSY AND MAYA RUDOLPH. Starring in a movie directed by SAM MENDES and written by DAVE EGGERS AND VENDELA VIDA.

JOHN KRASINKSY. DAVE EGGERS. Yes, this warrants ALL CAPS, because seriously: here is my TV geek crush working with a script from one of my biggest contemporary lit crushes and his totally also-lit-crushable wife and directed by a crush-worthy director who is married to one of my biggest all-time girl crushes and also starring another totally crushable girl and also? It's about becoming parents, which, come on. This movie was made for me.

That said, we don't have a regular babysitter, so it might be a while before I have the pleasure. So I'll probably just mope over the soundtrack until it's released on DVD or Planet Nanny starts making regular deliveries to Earth, whichever comes first.

So, what are we giving away?

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Or, to be a little clearer about it, you know that there's a man in your life who may or may not be a dad and who may or may not be expecting a little sumthin-sumthin on - what's it called again? - FATHER'S DAY who wants this.

Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

You want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that man in your life? WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song you would dedicate to the dad in your life to commemorate Father's Day. And you could, maybe, you know, write it as a dedication, to make it extra speshul. Dear Dad: did you know about this song by Madonna? Papa Don't Preach? Yeah, that...

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be June 12th - and we'll pick a winner. And we promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself.

. . . . .

Bonus Round! Please vote for MamaPop for "Guilty Pleasure" Blog! For your trouble? Yet another chance to win a slot radio! Who's a big winner? YOU ARE.

........

And the winner is.... Bessi Viola! Congrats, lady! (And, all y'all? YOU MADE ME CRY DAMMIT.)

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

Killer Dexter Giveaway!

See what I did there? Because Dexter's a serial... never mind.

Ahem. Attention Dexter fans! MamaPop and the generous folks at Showtime are happy to present this latest giveaway of Dexter Season 4 promotional merchandise, including: a Dexter bib for your little sociopath's next feeding; 2010 Dexter calendar; tote bag; commemorative buttons; and, la pièce de rèsistance, a Dexter action figure with detachable, interchangeable arms, enabling you to change your Dexter from "Daytime" Dexter to "Nighttime Bay Harbor Butcher" Dexter. Fun for the whole family! 

You want a piece of this? Hit those comments. The winner will be announced next Wednesday, same bat time, same bat channel.

I'm going to start off this review of Clive Owen's new movie "The Boys Are Back" the same way I started it off when I told my girlfriends about it: Clive is HOT.

That should convince 85% of the women reading (and a percentage of the men as well) so here's a review for everyone else.

Based on a true story, "The Boys Are Back" follows the life of sportswriter Joe Warr (Owen) and his journey to rebuild his world and conquer the challenges of single-fatherhood after the death of his beloved wife Katy.  The film is directed by Scott Hicks (he directed the amazing 'Shine') and is set against the breathtaking landscapes of Australia. Did I mention Clive was pretty breathtaking, too?

After months of looking at perfectly sane and respectable adults reading Harry Potter books on my daily commute, I finally gave in and picked up a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It seemed strange that perfectly grown adults would go ga-ga over a children's series; it just seemed so infantile (says the woman who had a Tamaguchi on her keychain that she faithfully took care of until the poor thing pooped itself to death when I left it in the car overnight. That unfortunate incident scared me out of becoming a parent for years.)

Anyhow, I read that first book and never again poked fun at an adult reading Harry Potter on the subway. I may have poked fun at them for other reasons, but never for the Potter books. That book grabbed me like A Wrinkle in Time and had me hooked like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe y'all. And that pre-teen magic is hard to replicate, know what I mean?

If you don't, you really must enter this contest. And if you do know what I mean, you should still enter this contest.

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Like seriously, you totally want this. Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

So you want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that someone who means so much in your life that you are willing to give up something so awesome? BECAUSE WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is tell us, in the comments, what song you would you choose to dedicate to the one you love (be it your significant other or dog or aloe plant -- because aloe plants need love too!) and why.

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday (EST) - that would be August 14th - and we'll pick a winner.

(And I promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself. I know it would have to be a pretty special aloe plant if I was going to give that puppy up.)

The winner has been selected and congratulations: Bitchilla from Me Me Me

So, for the last week and a half, I've been on a road trip. Across Canada. With my children. Which, yes: I AM CRAZY.

What is saving my life: an in-vehicle DVD player and a whole lot of XM radio, which is less than optimal, because you can't program radio. You never know what music is going to come on the radio. Which is why you need some sort of digital music player when you're road-tripping. Like the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player, which I don't have yet (Tracey is bringing one with her to BlogHer that has my name on it (rubs palms together greedily)), and so want. Badly. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. Which, when you're traveling with three year olds, amounts to a whole lot of Jack Johnson, but still. Having the right music when the kiddies start going batshit is PRICELESS.

So, you want one? All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song would at the top of your road-trip playlist? Kid-friendly or not kid-friendly, doesn't matter. Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be July 12th - and we'll pick a winner.

And the winner is.... Diamond Cait! Congrats!

I totally want to see Away We Go. I really, badly, seriously do, because, um, hello? JOHN KRASINKSY AND MAYA RUDOLPH. Starring in a movie directed by SAM MENDES and written by DAVE EGGERS AND VENDELA VIDA.

JOHN KRASINKSY. DAVE EGGERS. Yes, this warrants ALL CAPS, because seriously: here is my TV geek crush working with a script from one of my biggest contemporary lit crushes and his totally also-lit-crushable wife and directed by a crush-worthy director who is married to one of my biggest all-time girl crushes and also starring another totally crushable girl and also? It's about becoming parents, which, come on. This movie was made for me.

That said, we don't have a regular babysitter, so it might be a while before I have the pleasure. So I'll probably just mope over the soundtrack until it's released on DVD or Planet Nanny starts making regular deliveries to Earth, whichever comes first.

So, what are we giving away?

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Or, to be a little clearer about it, you know that there's a man in your life who may or may not be a dad and who may or may not be expecting a little sumthin-sumthin on - what's it called again? - FATHER'S DAY who wants this.

Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

You want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that man in your life? WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song you would dedicate to the dad in your life to commemorate Father's Day. And you could, maybe, you know, write it as a dedication, to make it extra speshul. Dear Dad: did you know about this song by Madonna? Papa Don't Preach? Yeah, that...

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be June 12th - and we'll pick a winner. And we promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself.

. . . . .

Bonus Round! Please vote for MamaPop for "Guilty Pleasure" Blog! For your trouble? Yet another chance to win a slot radio! Who's a big winner? YOU ARE.

........

And the winner is.... Bessi Viola! Congrats, lady! (And, all y'all? YOU MADE ME CRY DAMMIT.)

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

A Review of 'The Boys Are Back' And Screening Tickets To Win!

I'm going to start off this review of Clive Owen's new movie "The Boys Are Back" the same way I started it off when I told my girlfriends about it: Clive is HOT.

That should convince 85% of the women reading (and a percentage of the men as well) so here's a review for everyone else.

Based on a true story, "The Boys Are Back" follows the life of sportswriter Joe Warr (Owen) and his journey to rebuild his world and conquer the challenges of single-fatherhood after the death of his beloved wife Katy.  The film is directed by Scott Hicks (he directed the amazing 'Shine') and is set against the breathtaking landscapes of Australia. Did I mention Clive was pretty breathtaking, too?

Before the Vampires, there were Wizards (psst... want to win Harry Potter Books? -- Yes, Plural)

After months of looking at perfectly sane and respectable adults reading Harry Potter books on my daily commute, I finally gave in and picked up a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It seemed strange that perfectly grown adults would go ga-ga over a children's series; it just seemed so infantile (says the woman who had a Tamaguchi on her keychain that she faithfully took care of until the poor thing pooped itself to death when I left it in the car overnight. That unfortunate incident scared me out of becoming a parent for years.)

Anyhow, I read that first book and never again poked fun at an adult reading Harry Potter on the subway. I may have poked fun at them for other reasons, but never for the Potter books. That book grabbed me like A Wrinkle in Time and had me hooked like The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe y'all. And that pre-teen magic is hard to replicate, know what I mean?

If you don't, you really must enter this contest. And if you do know what I mean, you should still enter this contest.

This One Goes Out To... (Psst, Wanna Win A SlotRadio?)

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Like seriously, you totally want this. Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

So you want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that someone who means so much in your life that you are willing to give up something so awesome? BECAUSE WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is tell us, in the comments, what song you would you choose to dedicate to the one you love (be it your significant other or dog or aloe plant -- because aloe plants need love too!) and why.

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday (EST) - that would be August 14th - and we'll pick a winner.

(And I promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself. I know it would have to be a pretty special aloe plant if I was going to give that puppy up.)

The winner has been selected and congratulations: Bitchilla from Me Me Me

So, for the last week and a half, I've been on a road trip. Across Canada. With my children. Which, yes: I AM CRAZY.

What is saving my life: an in-vehicle DVD player and a whole lot of XM radio, which is less than optimal, because you can't program radio. You never know what music is going to come on the radio. Which is why you need some sort of digital music player when you're road-tripping. Like the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player, which I don't have yet (Tracey is bringing one with her to BlogHer that has my name on it (rubs palms together greedily)), and so want. Badly. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. Which, when you're traveling with three year olds, amounts to a whole lot of Jack Johnson, but still. Having the right music when the kiddies start going batshit is PRICELESS.

So, you want one? All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song would at the top of your road-trip playlist? Kid-friendly or not kid-friendly, doesn't matter. Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be July 12th - and we'll pick a winner.

And the winner is.... Diamond Cait! Congrats!

I totally want to see Away We Go. I really, badly, seriously do, because, um, hello? JOHN KRASINKSY AND MAYA RUDOLPH. Starring in a movie directed by SAM MENDES and written by DAVE EGGERS AND VENDELA VIDA.

JOHN KRASINKSY. DAVE EGGERS. Yes, this warrants ALL CAPS, because seriously: here is my TV geek crush working with a script from one of my biggest contemporary lit crushes and his totally also-lit-crushable wife and directed by a crush-worthy director who is married to one of my biggest all-time girl crushes and also starring another totally crushable girl and also? It's about becoming parents, which, come on. This movie was made for me.

That said, we don't have a regular babysitter, so it might be a while before I have the pleasure. So I'll probably just mope over the soundtrack until it's released on DVD or Planet Nanny starts making regular deliveries to Earth, whichever comes first.

So, what are we giving away?

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Or, to be a little clearer about it, you know that there's a man in your life who may or may not be a dad and who may or may not be expecting a little sumthin-sumthin on - what's it called again? - FATHER'S DAY who wants this.

Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

You want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that man in your life? WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song you would dedicate to the dad in your life to commemorate Father's Day. And you could, maybe, you know, write it as a dedication, to make it extra speshul. Dear Dad: did you know about this song by Madonna? Papa Don't Preach? Yeah, that...

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be June 12th - and we'll pick a winner. And we promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself.

. . . . .

Bonus Round! Please vote for MamaPop for "Guilty Pleasure" Blog! For your trouble? Yet another chance to win a slot radio! Who's a big winner? YOU ARE.

........

And the winner is.... Bessi Viola! Congrats, lady! (And, all y'all? YOU MADE ME CRY DAMMIT.)

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

Life Is A Highway, Or Something. (Hey! Want A SlotRadio?)

So, for the last week and a half, I've been on a road trip. Across Canada. With my children. Which, yes: I AM CRAZY.

What is saving my life: an in-vehicle DVD player and a whole lot of XM radio, which is less than optimal, because you can't program radio. You never know what music is going to come on the radio. Which is why you need some sort of digital music player when you're road-tripping. Like the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player, which I don't have yet (Tracey is bringing one with her to BlogHer that has my name on it (rubs palms together greedily)), and so want. Badly. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. Which, when you're traveling with three year olds, amounts to a whole lot of Jack Johnson, but still. Having the right music when the kiddies start going batshit is PRICELESS.

So, you want one? All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song would at the top of your road-trip playlist? Kid-friendly or not kid-friendly, doesn't matter. Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be July 12th - and we'll pick a winner.

And the winner is.... Diamond Cait! Congrats!

I totally want to see Away We Go. I really, badly, seriously do, because, um, hello? JOHN KRASINKSY AND MAYA RUDOLPH. Starring in a movie directed by SAM MENDES and written by DAVE EGGERS AND VENDELA VIDA.

JOHN KRASINKSY. DAVE EGGERS. Yes, this warrants ALL CAPS, because seriously: here is my TV geek crush working with a script from one of my biggest contemporary lit crushes and his totally also-lit-crushable wife and directed by a crush-worthy director who is married to one of my biggest all-time girl crushes and also starring another totally crushable girl and also? It's about becoming parents, which, come on. This movie was made for me.

That said, we don't have a regular babysitter, so it might be a while before I have the pleasure. So I'll probably just mope over the soundtrack until it's released on DVD or Planet Nanny starts making regular deliveries to Earth, whichever comes first.

So, what are we giving away?

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Or, to be a little clearer about it, you know that there's a man in your life who may or may not be a dad and who may or may not be expecting a little sumthin-sumthin on - what's it called again? - FATHER'S DAY who wants this.

Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

You want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that man in your life? WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song you would dedicate to the dad in your life to commemorate Father's Day. And you could, maybe, you know, write it as a dedication, to make it extra speshul. Dear Dad: did you know about this song by Madonna? Papa Don't Preach? Yeah, that...

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be June 12th - and we'll pick a winner. And we promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself.

. . . . .

Bonus Round! Please vote for MamaPop for "Guilty Pleasure" Blog! For your trouble? Yet another chance to win a slot radio! Who's a big winner? YOU ARE.

........

And the winner is.... Bessi Viola! Congrats, lady! (And, all y'all? YOU MADE ME CRY DAMMIT.)

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

Away We Go (And Do Another Giveaway!)

I totally want to see Away We Go. I really, badly, seriously do, because, um, hello? JOHN KRASINKSY AND MAYA RUDOLPH. Starring in a movie directed by SAM MENDES and written by DAVE EGGERS AND VENDELA VIDA.

JOHN KRASINKSY. DAVE EGGERS. Yes, this warrants ALL CAPS, because seriously: here is my TV geek crush working with a script from one of my biggest contemporary lit crushes and his totally also-lit-crushable wife and directed by a crush-worthy director who is married to one of my biggest all-time girl crushes and also starring another totally crushable girl and also? It's about becoming parents, which, come on. This movie was made for me.

That said, we don't have a regular babysitter, so it might be a while before I have the pleasure. So I'll probably just mope over the soundtrack until it's released on DVD or Planet Nanny starts making regular deliveries to Earth, whichever comes first.

So, what are we giving away?

Daddy Needs A New slotRadio!

Oh, hey, you know you want this. Or, to be a little clearer about it, you know that there's a man in your life who may or may not be a dad and who may or may not be expecting a little sumthin-sumthin on - what's it called again? - FATHER'S DAY who wants this.

Behold, the Sandisk slotRadio digital music player. It's small, it sounds great, and it comes pre-loaded with 1,000 songs, so you don't have to worry about loading just the right music on to it. All the right music is already there! GENIUS.

You want one? For yourself, or, you know, for that man in your life? WE HAS ONE FOR YOU. All you have to do is this: tell us, in the comments, what - if MamaPop were a radio station or, say, a highly interactive slotRadio - song you would dedicate to the dad in your life to commemorate Father's Day. And you could, maybe, you know, write it as a dedication, to make it extra speshul. Dear Dad: did you know about this song by Madonna? Papa Don't Preach? Yeah, that...

Leave your answer in the comments anytime before noon this Friday - that would be June 12th - and we'll pick a winner. And we promise not to tell if you decide to keep it for yourself.

. . . . .

Bonus Round! Please vote for MamaPop for "Guilty Pleasure" Blog! For your trouble? Yet another chance to win a slot radio! Who's a big winner? YOU ARE.

........

And the winner is.... Bessi Viola! Congrats, lady! (And, all y'all? YOU MADE ME CRY DAMMIT.)

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

American Idol Live, FTW!

So, who won the win that is American! Idol! Live! Tickets!?

Kara/Cape Buffalo wins NYC!
Susan Lerner wins St. Louis!
Natalie Keenan wins Dallas!
Shannon/Mr Lady wins Tacoma!

Are you, like, so excited?!?! You should be! Congrats!

Winners, drop us a line to score your sweet, sweet prize.

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

Who Wants Free Tickets To American Idols Live This Summer?

Oh yeah, you heard me.

Yes! So! We indeed have four pairs of tickets for this summer's American Idols Live tour to giveaway. Let me say that again: FOUR PAIRS OF TICKETS. F-O-U-R. ...Not that any of you would be interested in such a thing, busy as you are with examining the nature of what we call "reality," reading Proust, and listening to NPR, am I right? I mean, how could you ever fit into your busy schedule of intellectual exploration this kind of... OH ALRIGHT ALREADY, QUIT YELLIN' AT ME. JEEZ.

Hulu Ate Mah Braaaaains PLUS Kelly Video Winnahs, Ahoy!

Look at me, I'm multitasking! I'm dang near multitasktastic! Huzzah!

Sooooo you might have heard by now that I've gone cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs over this Dollhouse show, to such a degree that I'm practically harassing the internet about it. The internet might have to take a restraining order out on my ass, in fact. I mean, I am after all a documented stalker. BOO! FEAR ME!!!!

Oh c'mon, please? sigh.

But to give credit and/or blame where credit and/or blame is due, I watched almost all of Dollhouse entirely by way of Hulu.com, that new-fangled TV on the internet thing all the kids have been talking about. And it's really quite remarkable. TV! On your computer! It's like we're living in the 21st Century or something!!! Oh, wait...

Our WINNER of the Sundance Channel eco-Friendly Swag Bag!

Out of 224 entries (holy yowza), I am pleased to announce that our WINNER of the super-cool (and environmentally friendly) haul of free stuff is: Vanessa! Who commented that she's "never won free stuff like this before." Except now she totally has!

Enjoy your swag, but watch out: that Keen bag is mighty coveted by many, many MamaPop readers. You might want to shove a couple bricks in the bottom of it for fighting off disappointed pop-culture addicts (or, you know, ZOMBIES).

Congratulations again, Vanessa!

(As for the rest of you, try your luck again with our latest giveaway. OMG, shoes.)

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.

Premiere Of Kelly's Latest Video "What R U Guys Talking About?"

Like, OMG! MamaPop has a first look at our original mascot Kelly's newest video before it's released internet-wide  -- HERE! NOW! WE R SPESHAL, DAMMIT!

But wait, there's more! And it involves giving you guys FREE STUFF. Yeah, you heard me. Go on, TELL ME YOU LOVE ME.

GIVEAWAY: Sundance Channel eco-Friendly Swag Bag

After a lot of very scientific research and intensive demographic studies, we've pretty much determined that MAMAPOP READERS LIKE THE FREE STUFF. You guys like the giveaways, and surprise! We like giving you the free stuff. See? This is why we work so well together, chickens. We just make sense together, you know? Come here, let's enjoy this moment.

Mmmm. Awkward!

GIVEAWAY! Archie McPhee Unicorn Goodies

If you're like the writers of MamaPop, often you may ask yourself, "What Would a Unicorn Do?" Now you have a chance to take home a set of Archie McPhee "What Would a Unicorn Do?" folders to better guide your daily decisions.

They feature a wheel of unicorny choices on the front and a unicorn spinner that, when implemented, helps you determine just what you would do in a given situation, were you a magical be-horned beast. Whether you are a student (like me) or a professional in a boring, soul-sucking job (like me a year ago), these colorful, interactive folders will make even the lamest class or the most pointless meeting infinitely more enjoyable.

The winner of this giveaway will also receive a set of Archie McPhee Enchanted Unicorn Bandages. In addition to being both pretty and sparkly, unicorns are also known for their magical healing properties. Even if that's all a bunch of hocus pocus, you have to admit your boo-boos will be far more enjoyable if they're covered with unicorns, am I right?

So here's what you do to win: Hit the comments with your best suggestion for what a unicorn might do in a dire situation. Example: "Fight an evil narwhal to the death." The winner will be selected using SCIENCE, meaning I, the scientist, drink a whole bunch of wine, and whomever makes me giggle the most will win. This is what we scientists call a double-blind study.

Now commence to commenting, my sparklecorn pretties! The winner will be announced Wednesday, April 1.