Today is another exciting day in Mommy Shorts history as I am giving away my biggest prize to date. One lucky reader will win an iPad 2 (which starts at $499 for those of you who are not already actively coveting one).
The giveaway is being sponsored by Vonage "Time To Call" in return for promoting their new cheap and easy international calling app.
Since I am currently family-less in Argentina (and perhaps stranded for longer than I planned due to the hurricane), the timing of the promotion seems oddly fitting.
The Vonage "Time To Call" app is a free download for your iPhone, iPad or iTouch that lets you make 15 minute calls to 190+ countries with a flat rate that gets billed directly to your iTunes account. (100 countries are 15 minutes for $1.99 or less and 90 additional countries are 15 minutes for $2.99 – $9.99— excluding applicable taxes.) The app works on Wi-Fi worldwide and on 3G in the US and Canada. Plus you don't have to be a Vonage home customer to use it. You can download the app for free here.
It's incredibly easy-to-use interface looks like this:
Argentina, if you are curious, clocks in at just $1.99 for a 15 minute call.
And let me just say, as much as I love talking to my 20 month-old daughter while I am out of the country, I have learned that a 15 minute phone call from her is more than enough time. (I'm speaking of the video-less variety.)
Have you ever talked on the phone to a one-year-old in front of a group of co-workers? How 'bout on a crowded plane before take-off? No way in hell I would want to be the childless stranger privy to that nauseating five minutes of baby talk screamed at top volume.
(I think I'm screaming because I know Mazzy doesn't necessarily have the phone diligently held up to her ear, but I cannot be sure.)
Besides yelling at the top of my lungs, I am also aware that I use only two or three toddler-friendly phrases because they elicit an understandable response and then repeat them over and over again.
So my side of the conversation might sound something like this:
"HI MAZZY!… HI!…. HI!… IT'S MOMMY!… HI!… IT'S MOMMY!… I LOVE YOU!… I LOVE YOU!… I LOVE YOU TOO!… HI!… HI MAZZY!… DID YOU GO OUT TO PLAY TODAY?… DID YOU GO OUT TO PLAY TODAY?… YES, IT'S MOMMY!… I LOVE YOU!… HI!…"
Lucky for everyone, Mazzy knows when to call it quits before I do. Ten minutes in, five "I love yous" and one "Hokey Pokey" singalong complete, my daughter will take it upon herself to say— "Bye! See you!"
"BYE! SEE YOU!" I shout loud enough to reverberate off the walls, kill various forms of wild life and break every plate within a five mile radius.
I guess the rationale is— she might not be able to see me but GODDAMNIT, she is gonna HEAR ME!
Along with every other person from here to Chile.
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iPAD 2 GIVEAWAY RULES
You must be a Mommy Shorts facebook fan to enter. If you are not already a fan, you can easily become one by clicking "like" on the facebook widget on my right sidebar or by clicking here. I would also appreciate if you "liked" the giveaway by clicking the facebook "like" button below this post, but it is not required.
There are THREE POSSIBLE ENTRIES. For each entry, please leave an additional comment below the post. It's the only way to keep track.
1) Leave a comment below answering the following question: If your child could call anyone in the world, who would it be? Extra credit if you tell me what they would say. For instance Mazzy might call me in Argentina to say "Come home, Mommy!" or more likely she would call Elmo to say, "More celebrity duets, less Mr. Noodle please!"
2) Upload a photo of your baby/toddler talking on the phone to the wall of the Mommy Shorts facebook fanpage. Again, tell me who they are calling and/or what they are saying.
3) Tweet the giveaway link using both @mommyshorts and #timetocall within the tweet.
Winner will be announced on Tuesday, August 30th.
Good luck!!!
UPDATE: This contest is over. Click here for the winner.
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If you want to increase your chances of winning, Vonage is giving away 75 more iPads through other blogs. You can find links to all the participating blogs by clicking HERE. You cannot win more than one iPad in the competition. Also, depending on where the winners live they may receive the Apple iPad 2 32 GB WiFi, or the equivalent Apple Gift Card to use at an Apple retailer.
Ironically this is my son’s favorite game to play. He has quite a selection of cell phones and is constantly walking around with at least 2. He is usually on the phone with Babci (Polish for grandma). He asks what Dixie’s doing (their dog) and if Dziadzia (grandpa) is in the pool.
My youngest would call my mom – to ask all the “Mommy when you were little did you……?” questions that I respond to with the answer “You’ll have to ask Grandma Lori….I can’t remember”.
I’m a FB fan. My 3 year old would call my mom and tell her to drive from TN to FL to come pick him up and take him to her house. Seriously.
I tweeted too. 🙂
i just asked my son and he said he would call 911!?! he said he would call to say that somebody is hurt, so that they could come and help them. lol
I’m pretty sure Hazel would call me, because that’s who she says she’s calling every time she uses her play cell phone in the car. I also know what she’d say, “hello? I’m talking.”
And I figured out how to tweet! Because I could really use a sparkly new iPad2
Tweet, tweet! “@mommyshorts is giving away an ipod2 #timetocall http://bit.ly/nTK5Y3 I hope I win, not you! :)”
My kids would definitely call their Pop and tell him “I love you the most!”
My son would call Grandma. More cupcakes, please!
Elli would call me. “Hi mom, I love you, I miss you. Will you make me noodles when I get home?”
I tweeted.
I tweeted it!
Posted picture on Facebook wall. Yay!
I have a feeling that my 5 year old would try calling someone by the name of Justin Bieber.
My 5 year-old would call my mom and beg her to not go out of town tomorrow night…for some reason Abby freaked that grandma was going out of town for one night and proceeded to sob for 45 minutes that she was going to miss her. It was so sad that she was so heartbroken but it was also hilarious…I had to hide my face so Abby wouldn’t know I was laughing.
I asked my daughter and she said she would call her best friend, but then said she didn’t know when I asked who her best friend is. My guess is that she would call Dada to remind him to get milk. She likes to know there’s plenty of the stuff she likes around.
I posted a photo and now I have commented about it. So there.
My son would call his Mimi, and tell her he needs her to come to KC and babysit him. He told me a few weeks ago when we were talking about wanting to visit her in STL and that I should just tell her, my husband and I are going on a mexico vacation and Jackson needs to stay with her for a week. I told him,”Were not going to mexico this year.”, and he said,”I know but tell her that so I can stay for a week.”
And I posted a pic on the wall
And now I have tweeted. Go me!
Photo from Riki Dee uploaded to your page. My son, the boy: Hey, Santa – You can bring a puppy right???? I mean, yeah we already have a dog but she needs a new friend. Nevermind that she’s 13 and doesn’t like other dogs, she’ll like a puppy because they’re cute and won’t annoy her at all.
Tweeted
I tweeted… and my kids (9 & 7) are already on our phones all the time… they don’t need more phone time! I however, would call my college roommate in Canada to catch up on life 🙂
My children? Would call Chuck Norris. No brainer. Ummm…they’ve already tried. “Hello? Is Chuck Norris there? No? Of course not…he’s out being AWESOME.”
My 4 year old twins would call different people…my daughter would call her dad who recently had an accident(from vacation) and say: “when you get better daddy, i will take you to florida and show you how to build a sand castle”. And my son would call his grandmother (my mom) and ask” “did you buy me cookies?”.
@jenn-keeton tweeted about the giveaway!
My son would call his nana and pop pop because he doesn’t get to see them very often. He would say, ‘pppfffffttttt’ and then spit up all over himself cuz he’s a baby.
My 8 year old would call her chinese great grandmother in Taiwan and tell her about her first week at school. She’d try to say it in chinese, get frustrated, and go ahead and say it in english.
tweet success!!
My daughter would call her cousin Chloe. Until recently they went to the same daycare. But Chloe is a year older and just started school. She would just say “What you doing?”
Check out the tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/thewoolyb/status/107102665170878466
If my daughter could call anyone in the world it would have to be the one and only Justin Beiber. She would tell him that she is one and only true Beleiber. She would also tell him that Selena is too old for him and it’s more common for men to date younger women. Last but not least would would scream I love you into the phone so loud that he’d go deaf and never be able to sing and swoon millions of girls again.
My son would call the garbage man because he is obsessed with garbage trucks. I’m sure the conversation would go something like, “Can I drive your garbage truck?” “No…but why? I drive your garbage truck…Maybe for Christmas or on my birfday?”
My 10-month-old would defintely call me if I were away, although she’s currently the best Skype user (I’m sure she’d love to try it out, with Vonage on her new ipad2 though!) with grandma and grandpa. She even touches their faces on the screen.
I’m a Mommy Shorts FB fan
(my FB is nxlcsdeo)
My daughter would call her Nana and then get struck dumb when Nana picks up…this is a re-occurring theme at our house. Good in theory, but then when the pressure to talk kicks in, she’s absolutely silent every time.
My child would call Aunt Luisa and Uncle Kike in Madrid and say, “When can we come for a vist?” and “Are you footing the bill?” 🙂 Great contest! Thanks.
My dad in Russia, who never met her.
tweet tweet 😀 http://twitter.com/#!/BBPorter1969
If Presley could talk….:-) She would call her mama while she was at work and say “Hurry the hell up and get me so we can go to the pool!”
Dying for an Ipad!
I love your blog even though my daughters are 16 and 19. they don’t call so much but sure love texting 😀 if they were to call someone it would probably be their grandma, and if it was after winning the iPad it miht be their uncles, to rub it in that we have one and they don’t. we are a very technological family so these things are important 😀
my 6-year old would call his mother because she is his favorite parent. He has told me this.
Charlie is all about talking on the phone these days… except when there really is someone on the other line (he won’t say a word if someone is really on the line). He loves to pretend talk on our “old phone”. Most of the time he calls Grandpa and Grandma. The conversation goes something like this:
“Hi, Grandpa and Grandma. Are you there? We go get a muffin tomorrow. Ok. Bye.”
Every time his Grandpa and Grandma come to visit us, Grandpa always takes Charlie to the local bakery to get a blueberry muffin. It’s so cute that he pretend calls Grandpa to get a muffin now.
My son would call grandma (my mother-in-law) he is crazy about her, he loves my mom too but I’d say that’s her fave grandma.
I posted the picture on your wall
If my 9 month old could call anyone it would be his dad while he’s working late. The phone conversation would include lots of yelling and drool and I love yous.
I follow you (@cdhabolt) and tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/cdhabolt/status/107072548461740032
My son would call his mother-in-law on Skype and blow her a big kiss, game-show host style!
My two year old would call China or some such expensive-to-call place as she would just random dial. Then she would babble things like “Hi! Gramma? Gramma? Whatchadoin’? HI!” etc. My eight year old would call Justin Beiber and the call would consist of either (1) dead silence as she would be struck with shyness or (2) screaming at a level only dogs could hear … 😉
P.S. I am a fb fan but under different name … let me know if my “real” name is needed. Thx!
My child would call her Nana (my mom) and tell her that she’s tired of her parents, and please come back to visit/stay!
My son Luka will call his grandparents in Peru and coo….he’s 3 months old.
My Child would call one of the ‘hot’ girls from a nickelodeon show, and say ‘whats up hot stuff’! Seriously, He’s only eight too! Silly kid!
I tweeted also
https://twitter.com/#!/R_SassyNails_SD
…and I took a picture and posted it to your FB page. Meanwhile, the almost-1-year-old made his first phone call (Auntie Joy will be so proud to hear that message).
My daughter would probably call me, which makes me very happy.
tweeted from @gweiswasser
thanks!
My kids would call their cousins to plan summer fun for next year, when they all get to see each other again!
Would call grandma on the iphone and hang up “on accident” from trying to eat the phone.
My little one would call the dog next door. They would bark “WOOF” at one another. Oh wait, this already happens daily when we have to go out on our deck and “talk” with the next door dog. In fact, I’ve recorded barking on his toy cellphone so he can “call dog up to chat” when we don’t see him outside.
My three year old son is addicted to Strawberry Shortcake (go figure). I’m sure he would call her and tell her all about how he has all her friends and how he switches out their dresses and has mommy change their hair and how he made her a Mii on the Wii (and Blueberry and Plum Pudding and Lemon, etc), and on and on and on………….
My youngest and oldest would both call Daddy. He’s been gone a week and they miss him! Youngest would say “Daddy, accchhkk!” Oldest would ask what he’s bringing her:)
My 3 year old son would call his Dad and say, “I made a massive poop!”
I tweeted!
I left a photo on your Facebook wall!
If my 4 year old could call anyone right now he’d probably call me. He’s at school so he’d probably tell me “I missed you while you were at work”.
Avery would call daddy at work and say thank you. It’s her favorite word and he’s her favorite person 🙂 (I am not hurt by that fact)
And if my daughter could call anyone in the world, it would probably be my mom – her Nonnie. And after whispering, “Hi Nonnie,” – because the phone makes her shy – she’d ask her for a piece of cheese. Because that’s all she does anymore. To anyone who will listen. “Cheeesh. Cheeeesh, pleeeeash?”
I asked my 5 year old son and he said he would call his friend RJ and ask him to come over to our house to play.
My child would call Dad and ask “Daddy, when are you coming home to stay?” because his work has had him working projects in many other states for the last several years.
she said that llamaria to portugal to speak with his best friend who lives there and who goes years without seeing
Max would probably want to call his cousins Faithie and Josie, and what would they talk about? I have no idea… their phone conversations are usually unintelligible. But they laugh a lot, and it’s hilarious! Or Dora.
I’m a fan on Facebook and I tweeted this.
My daughter would call her grandparents living in Japan. They have been there for the last 10 Years. She would probably be telling them why it is not a good idea to take a skunk to school for show and tell!
Tweeted! http://bit.ly/n2SlES
tweeted!
http://twitter.com/#!/NearNormalcy/status/107123958591135744
my 5-year-old would no doubt call Ariel the Little Mermaid to inform her that “mommy has red hair now but it will never be as beautifully perfectly voluminously gloriously red as yours, and I tell her so at every opportunity!”
My sister calls me all the time, so my 2 year tends to think that the phone is a direct link to Auntie Ray-Ray. He’d probably talk with her about fire trucks or Elmo (his two favorite topics!).
Posted a photo on your Facebook Wall. He was calling his Grandma in Canada and telling her about his new baby brother Quinn.
I tweeted the link too. (@lesliedf) Crossing my fingers, I want one so bad!!
If my daughter were to call anyone in the world it would be her Granna. She loves to call Granna on the phone to ask for things we, her parents, will not buy for her. The most recent thing being a white horse. Chloe says: “Mommy, I want a white horse.” I say, “Chloe we don’t have room for a horse in our yard.” Chloe replies, “But we have a horse barn that has room for 3 horses in it.” (we do but we only have 2 acres of land with 2 dogs and a huge garden) I tell her, “I know baby but the horse barns are full of yard stuff.” Chloe’s rebuttle: “You clean the junk out of one horse barn. I’ll call Granna to buy me the horse.” Chloe is 4 years old.
My son would call my sister. “Auntie Shell, when are you coming to go marshmallow camping with us?” (He’s been waiting!)
My daughter would probably call Santa so she could give him a sneek peak at her Christmas wish list.
My six year old would call his dad and want to talk about rattlesnakes and other wild animals..my two year old would call ‘guh guh’ and ask for chocolate!
My son (almost 3yrs, gasp!) would call me while I’m at school at night. We have the same convos as you and Mazzy! I LOVE YOU! MOMMY I WENT POO POO!! MAMA COME HOME, I WANT YOU! OK, BYE! O how I love them so! I’m in the hallway talking about poop to a 2 yr old, awesome!
Love your blog and your awesome design work, I am a month away from a graphic design diploma. I definitely look up to you and all your hard work!
Tweeted! (Also, I thought I was following you but I wasn’t! Stupid Twitter.)
My 4 year old daughter says she would phone her best friend Kiera (who is also 4 and lives two blocks away) and ask if she could come over to play! LOL, so much for thinking it would be mom or dad!
Lindsey (17 months) would call our sitter’s dog, Jedi. She talks about him all the time (“De-di? De-di?). Her end of the conversation would be a series of “De-di”s and “pupeeeeee”s.
Right now my daughter is more interested in playing Zebra than talking on the phone, but when the mood strikes she likes to call any of her grandparents. Her favorite thing to do is put them on speakerphone, tell them a random 3-5 sentence story and then proceed to move on with her day, expecting them to stay on speaker phone with her, just in case something comes up she would like to share.
Just tweeted, too: @planetkendar
He would call me on the cell and tell me to stop working and play with him. He would also call Peppa Pig and beg her to come and live forever at our house. 8)
tvollowitz at aol dot com
My children love to call Daddy.He works and goes to school so is often now home. They call and they always say “Daddy what time are you coming home?”
My son would make a trans-dimensional call to the animals on Word World.
Tweeted the giveaway
http://twitter.com/#!/ageorgiamomma/status/107136978390228992
tweeted it here https://twitter.com/#!/Jimmy_The_Geek/status/107136671270699008
If my child could call anyone in the world…I know exactly who he would pick….he would call his little sister in Heaven. He has already told me exactly what he would say…..”Maeve, I love you very much and did you get the balloons I sent up on your birthday?” 🙂
Rebecca would call her grandma (Oma – she’s German) and ask to watch Elmo 🙂
She’s actually in her crib right now singing the Elmo’s World theme song instead of napping…
My 2 year old would call his Gammi and he’d say “Remi have to go to Gammi’s, and see Uncle Ben and ride the wheeler!” He loves the 4 wheeler around the farm.
My daughter would call every cousin she has! And talk about nothing, as she does already.
I posted a pic on Facebook
My son Danny (3), would call his Dad and ask “Are you coming home tonight or are you coming home late?”. Daddy often gets home after bedtime, and Danny always wants Daddy. Plus, Danny loves the phone. Any phone.
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/#!/MommaTiff83/status/107141155057184769