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.
I SO like you on fb. If I could call anyone it would be my relatives I’m Finland. And would spend 37 minutes trying to tell them “hello”.
If my child could call anyone in the world it would be Sponge Bob! She would probably say something funny like “why do you live in a pineapple under the sea” or “i want a crappypatty”
Just tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/anagonzalez1224/status/107662420612362240
yes i like it give here
yes looks good to me
My daughter would call her cousin – they don’t see each other much and would love to catch up! (facebook name Sk Sweeps)
She would call Selena Gomez to ask for more songs.
https://twitter.com/#!/sohamolina/status/107643098477236224
My kids would def call their aunt in Brazil and learn some new words.
I tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/NewYorkChica/status/107668972173930497
My kids would call their Nana and Papa and tell them to come visit.
Squiggle would likely call “Boo” from “Monsters, Inc.” to tell her to come back to the monsters.
My daughter would call my brother, who is visiting Mexico, and complain that mom won’t let her play with the new iPad2 that she just won!!! HA! HA! HA! HA!
I posted a photo on your FB fan page.
My kids would call Grandma. I get yelled at regularly because I won’t let them go live with her.
I tweeted – http://twitter.com/#!/prettybabies/status/107680069614444544
My daughter would call her grandma over in Vietnam and chat for hours!
tweeted!
http://twitter.com/#!/lily1L/status/107683399862468609
My friend’s grandson would call his friend in Sweden and ask when he can come and play.
Thanks for the contest.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=265289760155345&set=o.153515434662274&type=1
FB fan (kristin k).
My child would most likely call Beyonce. And she would, without question, ask her a) what it’s like being married to Jay-Z, b) when she’s going to have a baby, and c) what exercises she should do to get in the kind of shape she is in.
https://twitter.com/#!/slehan/status/107691216468054016
Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/#!/kristinnw/status/107691416905453568
tweet:
https://twitter.com/saudthakur/status/107701267710754816
My daughter would call Georgia to talk to her aunt and cousins. She’d ask when she’s going to see them again?
If my child was to call someone it would have to be his grandparents in mexico .. he loves them so much.. he never gets a chance to talk to them.. he would tell them how much he loves them and how much he misses them. if he could could them on his own ..
If my child was to call someone it would have to be his grandparents in mexico .. he loves them so much.. he never gets a chance to talk to them.. he would tell them how much he loves them and how much he misses them. if he could could them on his own ..
They would probably call their grandparents to tell them they love them.
Tweet
http://twitter.com/?_twitter_noscript=1#!/clc408/status/107765740509200384
My kids would call there Dad to talk about what was happening with there day.
My 3-yr. old would call any of the four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and say, “Kowabunga, Dude!” He runs around saying it all of the time.
Tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/mail4rosey/status/107816825835880448
iT WOULD BE SANTA CLAUS…LIKED YOU ON FACEBOOK AS CATHY MARSH CASPER
My sons would call their cousins in Colorado. They would talk about going to Disney together,LOUDLY, so their parents would get the hint. 🙂
tweet –http://twitter.com/#!/HMB99/status/107830953270972416
My daughter would totally call Chuckie Cheese and invite him over to dance to the “Cupid Shuffle” on repeat! She loves Chuckie like he is some sort of Iconic figure!
TWEEEEET!
https://twitter.com/#!/Halliekaypee/status/107832352499171328
I tweeted this giveaway:
http://twitter.com/#!/PTsweeper/status/107833497716129792
I follow you on Facebook – Pt Sweeper
My son would call his dad or grandpa and say, “lets go swimming!”
My son would call his Uncle to find out if the fish are biting dguillen at kc dot rr dot com
http://twitter.com/#!/guillenwins/status/107843886705160194
https://twitter.com/#!/Santiago911/status/107844346035978241
Ian would call my mom and say I want to come to the beach with you gramma, when can I come to the beach?
http://twitter.com/#!/dddiva/status/107846087347408897
My little ones would call their grandparents in Italy! They’d most likely try to get some form of “buonjiourno” out – precious!
e-mail: lucky02130 (at) gmail (dot) com
Have Liked you on Facebook
the cats litter box at yahoo dot com
My child would call home and say I MISS YOU!
the cats litter box at yahoo dot com
Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/CatsLitterBox/status/107857357970735105
the cats litter box at yahoo dot com
I think we’d be placing a call to Germany to our family friend who we really get to talk to because of international phone charges. It would go like this:
“Hi!”
“Hi…” – little one
“Where are you?” – little one
“I’m talking to you”
“I can’t see you, where did you go?” – little one
“You can’t see me, we’re just talking”
“I know. But, where?” – little one
Yeah, it would totally be like that 😉
Thanks for the chance to win!
I tweeted:http://twitter.com/#!/roomofmyown/status/107860734347706368
My son would call Eddie VanHalen and ask how he can learn to play the guitar with a drill like he does!
My daughter would call her big brother and beg him to move back home!
I’m a FB fan!
Child C would call Lightning McQueen just to say “Kachow”.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to enter.
She would call Cinderella and tell her to she really wants those glass slippers.
Tweeted.
https://twitter.com/#!/imaclutz89/status/107877446304538624
My 7 year old would call Justin Bieber and tell him Selena Gomez is too old for him.
I will tweet in 10 seconds, honor system right?
Right now we would love to call “aunt crissy” in Australia. And pretty soon a few other loved ones will be traveling to AU for a few weeks so we would love to call them as well!
fb fan: xferriza2 danielle b
tweeted @xferriza2
http://twitter.com/#!/xferriza2/status/107885088859099136
ferriza2(at)yahoo(dot)com
I retweeted one of your tweets on my account, @sureditsallgood.
My kids refuse to talk on the phone. They like to dial and know someone is there, but they will not say a word.
My 4 year old daughter, Ava would Swiper from “Dora the Explorer” and tell him to stop swiping! lol. It’s been her favorite show for a year now and she still asks me all the time why Swiper is always, “such a bad fox”. 🙂
Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/lgraves9114/status/107894104658153472
I’ll try to win, but really, came to tell you how funny this was:
Loved this:
“If she can’t see me well then SHE”LL HEAR ME!”
WOnderful mama love.
So sweet.
My daughter would call her dad who is in Afghanistan with the Army and ask “can you come home yet” She is 3 and her dad has been gone for 6 months. Every time he calls she always asks if the Army will let him come home now.
if my child could call anyone in the world, she would call justin bieber (i just asked her!) and she would ask him to sing at her birthday party in a month because she wants it to be the best birthday party anyone’s ever had.
My daughter would definitely call her “Nana”. She is the light of her life!
nrdunningATgmailDOTcom
tweet
http://twitter.com/ohstac/statuses/107902118383452160
nrdunningATgmailDOTcom
May would call Mazzy and say, “Hiieeeeee! Sing the ABC’s for meeee!”
my 3 year old son would call my beautiful wife and tell her that I am back from iraq!
Im a FB friend (Priceless Writers)
The son that I don’t have yet would call Santa Claus and asked for a 2nd christmas by june
tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/darcy1956/status/107928409291763712
The kids would call their dad in Pennsylvania (we’re in CA). My husband’s been working back east for the past 10 months and we have to fly back and forth every month (or every other, depending on $$) to see each other. The iPad would be great for some Facetime with him.
They’d probably say, “Daddy, we miss you. When are you coming home? And can you bring us a cheesesteak?”
My 2 year old son would call Thomas & Percy (the trains) and ask “Thomas and Percy, hi, come over and visit me, I won’t cry again when the train goes in the tunnel.”
i tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/JCoyne1031/status/107940134472781824
my grand daughter would call Santa to tell him she is being good today.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/hbbs55/status/107940355260952576
My 3 month old baby girl would probably call her grandma (my mom)! She just adores her!
if my kid could call anyone she would call justin beiber just to say she did.
My grandson would call Spongebob and tell him he wants a Crabby Patty.
Thanks for the giveaway!
eswright18 at gmail dot com
I think my tween would call Justin Beiber and tell him how much she enjoys his music.
I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/#!/Elkaye/status/107950795860881408
Spongbob square pants! She is nuts about him
My kids would call their Grandma and say, “More cookies please!”
Posted a photo of my grandson, Josef, on your wall.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=266700270025196&set=o.153515434662274&type=1
My little girl actually tried to call “Mr. Ford” to tell him that we needed a new car when ours broke, needless to say we didnt get a new car but hey maybe I’ll get my first touchscreen thingy (Im Waaaay behind the times, I just got my 1st laptop in feb of this year) thanks for the chance!!!
Tweeted
@journeyof82 (Twitter handle)
Tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/benzadrine316/status/107958799364657152
tweet
https://twitter.com/#!/eswright18/status/107958846798049280
My daughter would call “LaLa” (her aunt) and recite her new favorite saying; a quote from Little Rascals: “Dear Darla, I hate your stinkin’ guts. You make me vomit. You are scum between my toes. Love, Alfalfa.” Hope she doesn’t tell that to her Sunday School teacher! 🙂
Please choose me for the iPad 2!!!
My “child” (13-year-old daughter Layne) would like to call Lane Meyer, the character from “Better Off Dead” and tell him that he is the first person that she knew of who shared her name, and that he is “justly awesome” – meaning that he is awesome enough to merit the name.
They would call their cousin!
My daugher would call Michele Obama to say “I always wanted to meet you.”
I followed and tweeted.
My kids would call for pizza!
tweet
http://twitter.com/#!/Louie842/status/107982585317171200
Tweeted http://twitter.com/#!/Tifflonn/status/107987393780523008
My son would call his God mom and complain that I “never cook his favorite food”! He’s done it before so I know he will do it again.