Have a great school year everyone!
Anticipate the nerves. Leaving home for the first day of school can be nerve-wracking at any age. However, for young children, nerves can set in and that means their first day can go from exciting to scary. In order to make sure that your child has a stress-free first day, try Kids Relief With Calming Effect Syrup! This safe, homeopathic product is perfect for children suffering from hyperactivity and restlessness! It also cures irritability and nervousness, two symptoms that can arise for kids on the first day of school! Not only is Kids Relief with Calming Effect Syrup easy-to-administer and delivers fast-acting relief, but there is no risk of overdose! Kids Relief With Calming Effect Syrup is available at CVS locations nationwide, and retails for $6.99  

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare. When a new school session starts, one thing increases – the possibility of a lice outbreak. Though, before your worries get the best of you, start preparing in advance. Fairy Tales Lice Good-Bye Survival Kit includes everything you need to get rid of lice naturally and effectively! By having this kit stored in your house, you will know how to instantly combat the critters if your child comes home itching his/her head. The kit includes Lice Goodbye natural lice treatment, the #1 metal Terminator Nit-Free removal comb, an Easy-Grip sectioning clip and Rosemary Repel Conditioning Spray. The kit is pesticide-free, safe for repeated use and retails for $29.95 at all Ulta and Bed Bath & Beyond locations nationwide, and online at fairytaleshaircare.com. By purchasing Fairy Tales Lice Good-Bye Survival Kit in advance, you will be ready to concur your child’s lice outbreak when it occurs.   

Get your child excited for school. Sending your child off with a pout on the first day of school is not good. What is the best way to get your kid pumped for the new school year? Shopping, of course! Kids love back-to-school shopping because they get to pick out all the latest and greatest gear to show off to their friends. Dabbawalla Bags have perfect products from backpacks to lunchboxes that will leave your kids grinning from ear to ear. Not only are they cute for your kids entertainment, but they also are functional! Created by a pair of sisters frustrated by the lack of functional, appropriately-sized bags available for children, Dabbawalla Bags are designed specifically for pre-school and early elementary school children. Their backpacks and lunchboxes are durable, usable and fully washable, and are available in wholesome, colorful designs that are free of cartoon characters. They’re also made with eco-friendly materials free of PVC, BPA, lead and Phthalates. Your kids will surely be excited to show off their new backpack and lunchbox to their friends and you will be happy knowing that the products are both environmentally friendly and functional. Backpacks retail for $40 while Lunch Bags retail for $24 and up, and can be purchased at dabbawallabags.com.   

Know the school‘s policies. Most schools do not allow students to chew gum, and for some kids, that means they will be worrying about their breath after lunch. Lucky for kids, there is a solution to the no gum rule! Spry Gem Mints are a new treat that do more than just freshen breath – they actually improve oral health! Gems are sweetened with 100% xylitol, an all-natural, tooth-protecting substance. Available in berry, cinnamon, spearmint and peppermint flavors, each container holds about 40 mints. One pack of mints retails for $1.99 and a 6-pack of mints retails for $11.94 online at www.xlear.com. Now your child can pop in a mint and not feel embarrassed and as a parent, you will be happy knowing that they are eating something with health benefits.

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

Update: It looks like 7-Eleven had a little trouble with their mobile app which upset some of their customers.  As a result they’ve extended their offer and it looks like you need to download the app (here) to get your freebies
The party just doesn’t stop.

7/20 – Free Big Gulp

7/21 – Free M&M’s Candies

7/22-Grandma’s Cookies

7/23- Free Big Gulp

7/24- Free Slurpee

Happy birthday to Krispy Kreme who is looking pretty great for 77.  In honor of their 77th they are giving away a dozen original glazed doughnuts on July 11 for just $.77 when you purchase any dozen doughnuts.  They are also celebrating their birthday with a cake batter doughnut.

7-Eleven is taking a whole week to celebrate 7/11 this year with freebies all week long.

And, as expected, 7-Eleven’s freebies are actually less healthy than just eating cardboard or possibly even dirt… but, it’s summer so, let’s live a little:

7/11  Free Slurpee  (the classic)

7/12 Free Big Gulp

7/13 Free M&M Birthday Cake Chocolate Candies

7/14 Free Grandma’s Cookies

7/15 Free Hostess Twinkies

7/16 Free Snickers or Twix Ice Cream Bar

7/17 Free Quaker Chewy Yogurt Snack Bar

7/18 Free Pillsbury Cookies

7/19 Free Slurpee

July 11, 2014 is also “Cow Appreciation Day” according to Chick-fil-a, which is celebrated by eating the cow’s feathered friends.
Come dressed up fully as a cow and eat a free chicken meal or come partially dressed up as a cow and eat a partial chicken meal.  The choice is yours.

Hopefully August will be free personal training and diabetes screening month, ’cause after all this, we’re going to need it.

Two chances to win:
Outback Bloomin’ Zone hospitality passes for 4
to see the ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race

You’ll get a great view of the race, complimentary food & drinks, photo ops, and giveaways!

The ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race pits young up-and-comers, as well as wily veterans and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars, all battling it out around the ¾-mile D-shaped oval.

Friday night will be topped off with the BLUE OX 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series features separate schedules and championships for the East and West and makes up the top step of the NASCAR Home Tracks ladder—a launching pad for developmental drivers and home for veterans of motorsports. Some of NASCAR’s stars have made starts in the series: Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Kevin Harvick, Trevor Bayne, Austin Dillon and Ryan Truex.

The Details:
Last Day to Enter: April 23, 2014.
Winner will be notified by e-mail April 24, 2014

Race day is Friday, April 25, 2014 at 4:00pm
at the Richmond International Raceway
600 E. Laburnum Ave., Richmond, Va

Sorry this contest has ended.

The Dome at the Science Museum of Virginia is opening on March 15th and it’s going to be AWE-INSPIRING

We want you to be one of the first to check this out!
Read all about The Dome and it’s transformation here.

We’ve giving 37 families 4 tickets to see
The Wildest Weather in the Solar System
at 4pm on Saturday, March 15, 2014

There are two ways to enter:

Enter the contest here for an one chance entry
(easy-peasy)

OR

Answer these 4 trivia questions for not one, but two chances to win!
(Come on, flex that brain and show us what you got)
Enter the bonus question and you might get a 5-pack!

Check the answers to our trivia questions here.

Then check out this trailer and get totally excited about seeing movies at the Science Museum of Virginia in a whole new way.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Science Museum of Virginia is a site sponsor of Richmondmom.com

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® is coming to town and it’s going to be AMAZING!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® is proud to announce that Built To Amaze! is coming back by popular demand to the Richmond Coliseum February 26-March 2, 2014. Built To Amaze! will be an extraordinarily engineered circus experience where Children Of All Ages® discover what it takes to build The Greatest Show On Earth®. The foundation is set and the rising anticipation of high-energy, high-jinx and hilarity is ready to be transported by colorful circus machinery and unleashed from shipping crates right before the audience’s eyes!

“Ringling Bros. Presents Built To Amaze! takes a child’s curiosity of how things all around us work by showcasing the very best performers from around the world, both human and animal,” says Nicole Feld, producer. “Ringling Bros. Presents Built To Amaze! is a blast of excitement created in a fun way of girls versus boys that will leave audiences cheering for their favorite performers!” Built To Amaze! performances will be held at the Richmond Coliseum February 26-March 2, 2014. Tickets can be purchased at www.Ticketmaster.com, by calling 800-745-3000, or in person at the Richmond Coliseum box office. Show times will be as follows:

Congratulations Melody!!
Winner of the family 4 pack!

Schedule of shows:

• Wednesday, February 26 – 7:00 p.m.

• Thursday, February 27 – 10:30 a.m., 7:00 p.m.

• Friday, February 28 – 3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.

• Saturday, March 1 – 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

• Sunday, March 2 – 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

We’ve got a code for a free screening of Pompeii February 12, at 7:00 pm
Regal Virginia Center Stadium 20
10091 Jeb Stuart Pkwy.
Glen Allen, VA 23059

Follow this link to get your free tickets to Pompeii!
(Hey, free tickets it’s worth it’s weight in babysitter money)

Here’s a little bit about the movie

POMPEII
In Theaters February 21
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson

Cast: Kit Harington, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica Lucas, with Jared Harris and Kiefer Sutherland

Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Kit Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

This film is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for the following reasons: intense battle sequences, disaster-related action and brief sexual content.

Now, enjoy these terribly attractive people in the official trailer
(Jon Snow! My my my!)

Click here to view the embedded video.

National Frozen Yogurt Day is February 6th and Menchie’s is giving away free 6oz cups of their delicious soft serve. Don’t believe that Menchie’s is delicious? Check out our Real Richmond Review

No wonder it’s so tasty, Menchie’s takes its yogurt seriously:

Our frozen yogurt is a good source of calcium as it is made with fresh milk from our California dairy, and our “smiley” California cows have not been treated with artificial growth hormones (rBST). Our product line boasts gluten-free, vegan, and no high fructose corn syrup options and we strive to use natural flavors including real cake, cookies, spices, fruits and nuts. Our entire line of frozen yogurt is certified Kosher and is awarded the live and active culture seal by the National Yogurt Association.

Menchie’s offers premium rotating flavors and more than 70 mouthwatering toppings to create the perfect dessert.

Get the coupon on the Menchie’s Facebook page and use it at any one of the Menchie’s locations.

Sure, you could eat it, but what else could you do with that fruitcake? The Science Museum is on a mission to find out. Does it float? What happens if you burn it? Can you conduct electricity with it? Don’t find these things out at home check it out at the Science Museum of Virginia with these 4 passes!

Fruitcake Science
December 26, 2013 to December 30, 2013
9:30am to 5:00pm

Here’s how to enter:

-Enter your name and email address on the “Polar Express” 
tab on our facebook page or by following this link
- Get additional entries to this contest by sharing your link with your facebook friends and twitter followers (no need for a twitter account to enter the contest)
-Check Richmondmom.com for the winner on Friday, December 20th at 3PM to see if you are the lucky winner!

Congratulations Ginger Good Henley!!!

Have a great time!!

One entry per email address. Enter by 11:59pm, 12-19-13. Winner announced 12-20-13 on our website.