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 – $9.99โ 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 sayโ "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 isโ 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.
Posted a photo on FB! ๐
Like you on facebook as Kathleen Porteous
kport207 at gmail dot com
I’m already a FB fan
my 4year old would call her great-grandparents to tell them about our new fish, new geckos and new dog, over and over again
Let’s see…my daughter would call one of her four BEST friends and probably say, “Wanna come over?”
I tweeted and retweeted. So do I get the iPad?
Hope you aren’t stuck in Argentina for too long due to weather.
I liked your site on Facebook.
pd6914 at gmail dot com
My kids would call their cousins in Michigan and rub their faces in the fact that THEY won the ipad2! heh heh heh
Tweeted this awesome giveaway too!
No matter where in the world they are. My kids would want to call Grandpa.
My son would call their grandparents and he’ll probably tell them to come here (to NZ)
Have tweeted. http://twitter.com/#!/crissykiwi/status/107328196428562432
My Miss 3 and Miss 5 would call their Aunty Dippa (Philippa) and ask her when she is coming home from the snow in Australia because they miss her soooo much.
My 3 and 4 year olds would call their grandparents in the UK and ask when they are coming to visit them in New Zealand, then they could stop asking me! My 1 year old would hold the phone to his ear like he’s seen mummy and daddy do, babble a bit and then try to eat it ๐
My son would likely (try to) call Little Bear so they can eat pie together or go on an adventure. He loves that show.
Also tweeted a contest entry as @Gram_Cracker.
Thanks for the contest!
My little guy would want to call Elmo. Yes, the little red monster. They would sing songs together over the phone – so cute.
tweet – http://twitter.com/#!/Facetwit17/status/107407664333586432
My daughter would call any of the living Beatles and tell them that she is a huge fan and they are the reason that she wants to be in a band one day
My youngest would call her pepe. She absolutely adores her pepe who is her grandfather and she would ask him to take her on a horse ride
thank you
tatertot374@sbcglobal.net
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/ginette4/status/107427575743258624
They would call grandma and “tell her how school is doing”!
tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/mrcheapo/status/107437250215817217
My kids are teenage boys, so they would probably want to call some cute teenage girl…your guess is as good as mine what they would say!
tweet https://twitter.com/#!/annedoggett/status/106727757605634049
anichiro77 Ana Rodriguez
Thanks a lot for this opportunity i really need and Ipad2….@mommyshorts #timetocall
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2344139524002&id=153515434662274
https://www.facebook.com/mommyshorts/posts/275508249129552
Ana Rodriguez
according to my husband our twin girls would first fight over the phone….then the winner would call Elvis (because he isnt really dead you know) and ask him when he is making a come back album….
Keep in mind my twins first need to say a complete sentence….we have Hi, Dada, Mama, Ga! BA! down…ahh 8.5 month olds. ๐
great contest
My 2.5 is mostly nonverbal, but loves to call her Daddy or Grandpa. The conversation then consists of the few words she can say clearly (“Hi! Hi! Shoes! Daddy! Hi!”), lots of babbling that the recipient enthusiastically pretends to understand, and sign language that I have to holler interpretations of toward the phone over the gibberish (“She’s signing train! She heard a train! She’s signing juice – because she just drank some!”)
Phone calls are interesting around here…
https://twitter.com/#!/DuckyBunny/status/107478552332603392
Tweeted!
soluckyducky at gmail dot com
follow fb jen twark gersch and link to tweet http://twitter.com/#!/jtwark/status/107478868247588864
she would call Santa Claus becuase she still believes
I don’t have a child but if I did he or she would call some friends in the USA.
Tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/slugbug55/status/107515308901797889
Facebook fan
call selena gomez
No doubt my daughter would call Justin Beiber and ask him where his girlfriend was so she could fight her for him
My kid would call his cousin, and then point things out to her even though she has no idea what he’s talking about.
I left a photo on your FB page ๐
My toddler would be talking to his Nonna ( my mom ) and tell her the following:
1. “When are coming to visit?”
2. ” Can you take Hallie home with you?” ( his sister )
3. “PerryisasecretagentandheliveswithPhineasandhegoesdownthetubetothebair(lair)and*breath*andhegotinthemachinewithTheBeakandheflysandPhineastalkedtoIsabellaand IT WAS SO CoooooLLL!!!!!
If my daughter could call anyone in the world it would be me.. but since i am here with her.. it would be Justin Bieber and she would ask him for concert tickets and backstage passes…lol
my child would call her grandma and tell her to come over for a piano lesson.
My son would call his grammie to tell her he loves her cookies~
https://twitter.com/#!/mkjmc/status/107554432962662400
Uploaded a pic of son calling Grammie about her cookies~
Sorry I scanned the pic but it won’t let me upload~ I could email you~
kathypersons@yahoo.com
My child would phone our friends in Amsterdam to make plans for a visit.
I also tweeted (@calioop13)
My child is all grown up with a baby of his own, and that’s who I have those conversations with now: “Hi CJ, it’s Nonna. Nonna loves you! Peek-a-boo! Did you go swimming? Nonna loves you!” etc. Now, this is my first grandchild, and I just adore him. I’m in the US, he’s in Turkey. All he can say back is “Dada” and “a-boo” and “baba” and “deh.” But I know what it means! ๐ So of course, CJ would call me and say “I love you Nonna, tell Daddy I want to come visit you for a week again!”
If your child could call anyone in the world, who would it be?
My daughter would call her new husband, who is stationed in Japan until 2013! She misses him very much
Extra credit if you tell me what they would say.
I’m pretty sure that might be xrated so not sure I’d want to know….. *-*
Mine would Nana and ask for cookies. She always gets sweets from grandma.
My niece would probably call the North Pole to talk to “you know who” to ensure she got all the things she “needs”.
http://twitter.com/#!/dropastitch/status/107564300511625217
Just tweeted. http://twitter.com/#!/Rick64/status/107565577618460673
If my son could call anyone it would also be Elmo and he would ask him to come over and play.
Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com
B would call my nieces. To be honest I couldn’t guess what they would talk about as I can’t follow most of the their conversations. (I follow on Facebook under John Crabbe.)
If either one of my daughters could call anyone, I’m sure they would call their “boyfriends”. As to what they would talk about, it’s anyone’s guess, but would most likely involve anime.
Tweet;
https://twitter.com/#!/Timshaun291/status/107573974606680064
Shaunda.Eppes at gmail dot com
I tweeted at the following link: https://twitter.com/#!/JKrabbenstein/status/107573930562306048
I liked the FB and sent out the tweet(GDE71).
Thanks very much for the giveaway.
Hmm my grandchild would probably call Mickey Mouse and ask if he could come and place at Mickey’s House ๐
If my god-daughter could call anyone in the world, it would be to call Mordecai from “The Regular Show” because we both love watching the show together!
He would call Nana and ask if he could come to her house.
Mine would call grandma and grandpa to ask them to read a bedtime story.
My kids would call Grandma and Granpa in Canada and tell them they love them and miss them.
My daughter would call daddy and say I want Dora Dora movie!
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/dahliamomma/status/107602683170525184
I forgot to post the other day- i put a pic on your page ๐
My daughter would love to call her best friend who moved to Japan.
Sorry I hit the button before I could finish….My daughter would call her best friend who moved to Japan to talk about starting school.
if my youngest could call anybody it would be BBC Earth to say “more antartic documentaries please” (she is a nut)
liked you on FB
My kid would call barbie and ask her why she she got back with ken!
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/#!/OMGacsl/status/107612581979635714
My son say’s he’d call his grandmother in Arizona if he could call anyone right this minute.
I put a picture of my son on your FB wall calling his Grandmother.
http://twitter.com/#!/SweepstakesBox/status/107617752344301568
Posted on Facebook
@sweepstakesbox
Thank you!
My 6 year old would call her grandma in Chicago and ask her to come over to play.
My son said he’d call he’d call his Aunt in Northern California. He loves his Auntie.
I have 4 children so I will pick my 10yr old Daughter Leann, because if by ANY Possible way on Gods green earth she could get the number to Justin Bieber she would call him and tell him she LOVES him SO much!! She has Bieber Fever for Sure ๐
I posted my son on your FB page calling his Aunt.
Posted on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/#!/FrankThePO/status/107624752075653121
I like both you and this giveaway on Facebook -my FB name is Amanda Moore. If my daughter could call anywhere in the world, she would call her grandma in Romania to tell her how much she loves her Turkish delights! And ask when she can come visit of course ๐
I tweeted the giveaway link including @mommyshorts and #timetocall. I’m @AmberGoo and here’s a link to my tweeted:
https://twitter.com/#!/AmberGoo/status/107625961658396673
My daughter would call her Nana in Texas and probably report about her day and about Mommy & Daddy.
My children are grown, but my 9 year old granddaughter would probably call her great-grandma Martha in Indiana.
Tweet.
http://twitter.com/#!/mgoss123/status/107628282605862912
my son would call grandpa and ask if he can come visit again
My Kid would call her grandpa in Tennessee that she has not seen in 7 years. ๐
And She would tell him to come to Texas to see her.
liked
would call Nana
My daughter would love to call her older sister because they haven’t seen each other in such a long time.
alittlepieceofheaven777(at)yahoo(dot)com
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/hle123/status/107647772601229312
I dont have kids but my niece would call Sleeping Beauty !
tweet http://twitter.com/#!/aes529/status/107651491002720257
If my daughter cud call anyone in the world it would be her best friend Sam, in Japan at the moment, and she would say “I am lost without you, come back to me!”
tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/107654044067172352
https://twitter.com/#!/cooper_nation/status/107657487171338240
My daughter would call her BFFs and tell them she’s taken over my new iPad.