It’s back! Our most popular e-Newsletter giveaway ever is back this week… the Strider running bike from West Coast Strider Sales!

As always, this giveaway is exclusive to people who receive our e-Newsletter – a monthly inside scoop on the Vancouver Island Baby Fair –  you can be the first to know about Baby Fair announcements and we always have a giveaway to offer to subscribers only.

In recent issues, we’ve given away subscriptions to Chirp magazine and a $50 gift certificate to Abby Sprouts…

In our next e-Newsletter going out the morning of Friday, Sept. 10, we’re giving away one of these cool West Coast Strider Bikes! To sign up, fill out the form over in the right-hand column of the blog, or visit our e-Newsletter sign-up page.

Strider Running Bike

Skip the tricycle and the training wheels!
Strider running bikes are two wheeled bikes designed to allow your child to teach themselves to balance on two wheels, without the interference of pedals or chains. Weighing only 6.9 lbs and with a seat that lowers to just 11″ from the ground, children as young as 12 months up to 5 years (50 lbs) can easily handle the Strider running bike and gain the confidence they need to balance on two wheels. Stand back and watch as they teach themselves to balance. You will be amazed!  Strider running bikes come in six vibrant colors: Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Orange and Yellow.

Your preschooler can come try out a West Coast Strider bike in the Kids Corner at the upcoming Vancouver Island Baby Fair, September 25 & 26, 2010 at Pearkes Rec Centre in Victoria, but in the meantime, check out their website for full details on these great bikes!

One of the coolest things we’ve discovered lately as parents of a 4-year-old and a 6-year-old is a magazine made just for them – Chirp! Chirp is a magazine especially for 3-6 year-olds.

Our 6-year-old just loves reading and devours his copy of Chirp every month when it arrives in the mail. Our family likes it so much, we wanted to share!

In our August e-Newsletter (coming to an inbox near you on Friday!) we’re giving away 5 Owlkids prize packages – each one includes a 6-issue subscription to Chirp, sample magazines, activity pages, a poster map of Canada, stickers, bookmarks, and a t-shirt (approx $35 value)!

If you don’t already subscribe to our e-Newsletter, sign up now to get in on the action! Only current subscribers of the Inside the Pea Pod e-Newsletter will be eligible to win. You can fill out the form in the right-hand column here on the blog, or follow this link.

More about Chirp

Chirp is a unique magazine for children ages 3 to 6. Designed for preschoolers and beginner readers, each issue is bursting with puzzles, crafts, games, rhymes and read-out-loud stories. Chirp is a perfect way to introduce your children to the joy of reading and learning!

Readers will enjoy every issue jam-packed with:

• Well-loved Robbie & Emily stories and Chirp comic strip
• Age-appropriate puzzles, connect-the-dots, mazes and simple board games in Puzzles and Fun
• Special Chirp cut-out for readers to make and play with
• Chirp Crafts, even the littlest hands can master
• Fascinating facts about animals in Amazing Animal
• Original fiction and artwork by well-loved children’s authors and illustrators in Rhyme Time and Let’s Read
• Hilariously funny jokes in Laugh with Chirp

We are very excited to announce our upcoming giveaway in the next issue of our monthly e-newsletter going out May 5th!

Skip the tricycle and the training wheels!
Strider running bikes are two wheeled bikes designed to allow your child to teach themselves to balance on two wheels, without the interference of pedals or chains. Weighing only 6.9 lbs and with a seat that lowers to just 11″ from the ground, children as young as 12 months up to 5 years (50 lbs) can easily handle the Strider running bike and gain the confidence they need to balance on two wheels. Stand back and watch as they teach themselves to balance. You will be amazed!  Strider running bikes come in six vibrant colors: Red, Blue, Green, Pink, Orange and Yellow.

Your preschooler can come try out a West Coast Strider bike in the Kids Corner at the upcoming Vancouver Island Baby Fair, June 5 & 6 in Nanaimo but in the meantime, check out their website for full details on these great bikes!

Just in time for summer, we will be giving away one West Coast Strider bike in the colour of the winner’s choice in the May issue of our e-newsletter, “Inside the Pea Pod” so subscribe today (right hand side of our blog) for your chance to win!

We recently did some giveaways in our e-newsletter “Inside the Pea Pod” and would like to send out a BIG Congrats to:

Jennifer B. from Gold River, BC who won the Milkie’s Milk Saver from Bellies In Bloom Maternity

Leslie D. from Victoria, Chrissy W. from Duncan and Julia W. from Campbell River- Each won a pair of tickets from our recent Franklin the Turtle giveaway!

There are still tickets available at each of the upcoming Franklin shows in Victoria, Nanaimo & Campbell River! Check here for details!

In our May issue of “Inside the Pea Pod” we are giving away an awesome bike from West Coast Strider Sales. Sign up on the right hand side of our blog to receive our monthly e-newsletter & to be eligible for our exclusive prize giveaways!

Franklin the Turtle is coming to Vancouver Island for a series of live shows, and we’re going to give you a chance to win tickets to the shows in Victoria, Nanaimo and Campbell River!

The ticket giveaway will happen in our next e-Newsletter, going out on Wednesday, April 7 – if you don’t already receive the e-Newsletter, you can sign up using the form in the right-hand column of the blog.

Join Franklin on a quest to recover the lost “Golden Necklace” of Princess Harriet. Along the way, the gang must prove themselves worthy in an attempt to win the “Silver Shield” – the most treasured prize of knighthood.

On their crusade, they come upon all sorts of obstacles, including a fierce fire breathing dragon, 2 riddle loving Gargoyles, and a Wily Winged Beast!

Is Snail too small to be a hero? Will Beaver outwit the Gargoyles? Who will prove the mostworthy knight and win the treasured “Silver Shield”?

This musical adventure will have the whole family cheering and clapping to the original songs, music and dance as they join Franklin and his courageous friends and save the day!

Franklin The Turtle – The Adventures of the Noble Knights

Monday, April 19, 2010 – McPherson Theatre in Victoria
#3 Centennial Sq., Victoria, BC
Doors 3:00pm – Show 3:30pm
Tickets: $25.50 + s/c. Available at: McPherson Box Office, by phone: 250-386-6121 or online at www.rmts.bc.ca

Tuesday, April 20, 2010 - Port Theatre in Nanaimo
125 Front St., Nanaimo, BC
Doors 3:00pm – Show 3:30pm
Tickets: $25.50 + s/c. Available at: Port Theatre Ticket Centre, by phone: 250-754-8550 or online at www.porttheatre.com

Wednesday, April 21, 2010 - Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River
1220 Shoppers Row, Campbell River, BC
Doors 3:00pm – Show 3:30pm
Tickets: $25.50 + s/c. Available at: Tidemark Theatre Ticket Centre, by phone: 250-287-7465 or online at www.tidemark-theatre.com

Today we attended Baby Days at Sears in Nanaimo North Town Centre and had the pleasure of meeting many new and expecting parents and grandparents! We did a draw for 4 pairs of Weekend Passes to the upcoming Vancouver Island Baby Fair, June 5 & 6 and would like to congratulate winners Rhonda S., Chrissy T., Trevor H., and Sue P.

Thanks to everyone for entering to win!

Those who missed out can still take part in upcoming giveaways by signing up for our e-newsletter. (See e-newsletter sign up on right hand margin of our blog)

We are giving away a Milkie’s Milk-Saver in our next Vancouver Island Baby Fair e-Newsletter coming out on March 15th!

Milkie’s Milk-Saver helps moms conveniently collect and store breast milk and reduces the need for disposable nursing pads. Milk-Saver has a slim discreet design and comes with a travel case that keeps it clean, and also doubles as a stand to eliminate spills during your breastfeeding session.

Simply slip Milk-Saver into your bra-cup on the non-nursing side before you breastfeed. It then collects the breast milk that is leaked out when your milk lets down. You can store this milk and save it for any time you need it.

Bellies in Bloom Maternity is proud to serve the breastfeeding community by providing more choice in nursing bras and other nursing products. Their goal is to make our breastfeeding customers feel confident, comfortable, and stylish. We do proper nursing bra fittings in the shop as well as being a breastfeeding friendly zone!

Sign up now for a chance to win a Milkie’s Milk-Saver! Only subscribers to the Vancouver Island Baby Fair e-Newsletter will be eligible to win!