Picture 151

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:

Picture 152

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.

————————————–

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.

————————————–

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.