Wordless Wednesday

This is Pudding Pie in monkey-girl mode on Christmas Day.

Pardon our absence from the bloggy world, we have been caught up in the swirl of activity that always surrounds the holidays. We wish readers a happy and peaceful 2009, may all your resolutions be fulfilled! For more Wordless /Wordfilled Wednesday fun, visit MomDot, 5 Minutes For Mom and Angie's Circus!

Wordless Wednesday

My sassy girl.

Check out other Wordless/Wordfilled Wednesday posts at 5 Minutes For Mom, Momdot and Angie's Circus!

Save with the Safeway PowerPump Program

It's the holiday season at last, and along with all the extra fun comes extra expenses. With the recession, times are already tight and adding the holiday fun tab to everyday bills like groceries, prescription co-pays and gas can leave us gasping. Now is the time when loyalty cards are invaluable for the benefits they provide during everyday shopping.

Safeway and its family of grocery stores (Vons, Dominick's, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Pavilions, Carrs and Genuardi's) are helping make this season a bit easier. Shopping with Safeway's Club Card offers the chance to earn gas rewards whenever we grocery shop, buy prescriptions, and even gift cards.

Most significantly, you can earn double PowerPump Gas Rewards for every $100 in gift cards purchased with your Club Card at Safeway stores. The stores offer gift cards from over 300 retailers, restaurants, sports and entertainment companies (including Best Buy, The Home Depot, Macy's, iTunes, plus many more!). To find a participating store near you, go to www.Safeway.com/PowerPump and enter your zip code.

Big Savings Alert!! Not only can you buy gift cards as presents this season, but they can also be great for personal use to receive the extra benefit of double gas rewards at the pump. But don't wait too long to take advantage of this offer of double PowerPump gas rewards on gift cards, as it will only be available through the holidays!

Wordless Wednesday

Pudding Pie's beloved 'Ganny' left for the other side of the pond earlier this week. Here she is watching Ganny go 'byebye.' (Sniff, sniff.)

For more Wordless/Wordful Wednesday posts, visit 5 Minutes For Mom, Momdot and Angie's Circus!

Mom Central's Holiday Gift Guide

I must share with you Mom Central's utterly fabulous First Annual Holiday Gift Guide. With this, Mom Central has come to the rescue of moms everywhere. They've done the rsearch for us, they've evaluated and even neatly categorized loads of products for us - all we have to do is browse through their research and pick what we like! Also . . . Mom Central is holding daily giveaways, where you can enter to win wonderful prize packages. But hurry, the first seven giveaways of sixteen giveaways are completed, and the eighth giveaway ends today! All you need to do is register with Mom Central, then be sure to log in each day and enter to win!

Click here to register with Mom Central!

Hidden Valley's 'Search for Veggie Champions'

I’m lucky, I have a daughter who thinks peas, corn, broccoli and the like are pretty tasty foods to chomp on. She hasn’t yet learned that she’s supposed to balk at these foods, and I’m going to keep her from this kid truth for as long as possible!

However, I do know that as we become more comfortably ensconced in toddler hood, it is entirely possible that the day will come when she won’t let a vegetable cross her pursed lips. Not to worry, I am prepared for this. My weapon of choice? Ranch dressing! See, I love my veggies too and I never have to be persuaded to munch on them, but throw some ranch dressing into the mix and I get downright piggy about things. I'm thinking that if there is ever a danger of veggies becoming passé in our home, a potentially more picky Pudding Pie will be no match for the tasty combo of veggies and ranch dressing!

In fact, the makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings launched the Love Your Veggies™ campaign soon after a 2006 study by the University of California Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and the Butte County Cooperative Extension revealed that kids ate 23% more vegetables when they were served with ranch dressing.

The Love Your Veggies™ campaign teaches families how to eat healthfully, purchase and grow the best veggies, and find innovative ways to serve them. The campaign has a site full of information at http://www.loveyourveggies.com/, and is offering a school grant program to provide students with better access to fresh produce. The campaign is also offering a mom retreat hosted by celebrity chef, Art Smith!

OK, Contest Alert! As part of the Love Your Veggies™ campaign, Hidden Valley has created a “Search for Veggie Champions” contest. They are inviting Moms to submit their brainstorms for a community garden and this garden can be at a school, religious organization, neighborhood park, etc. and would ideally help to get the community involved in and excited about eating and enjoying more vegetables.

The ten lucky winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Chicago for classes and lessons on selecting and cooking the best vegetable dishes, dinner at Chef Smith's restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, lots of pampering, and $5,000 to create or maintain their community gardens.

What are you waiting for?! Click over to loveyourveggies.com and find out more about how you can be a Veggie Champion!

Review courtesy of Mom Central

Ultimate Party Meatballs

I love meatballs, and I've tested a lot of meatball recipes: Swedish Meatballs, Italian Meatballs, Chili Meatballs, Meatballs Stroganoff . . . the list goes on. I mean it, I really do like my Meatballs! I also love digging up quick, easy and guaranteed-to-be-a-success recipes for entertaining over the festive season. So, when I got the chance to test the Ultimate Party Meatballs recipe, I couldn't believe my good fortune! I raced to tie on my apron and get down to business.

I like to make my own meatballs from scratch but, because I was in a hurry to test these babies, I did what the recipe recommends and zipped down to the grocery store to buy a bag of pre-cooked, frozen cocktail-size meatballs. That was the hardest part.

The recipe basically calls for combining a 16-ounce can of Ocean Spray Jellied Cranberry Sauce with a 12-ounce can of Heinz Chili Sauce and cooking over medium to low heat. Once the sauce is smooth, add the meatballs into the mix and cook about 15 minutes more until the meatballs are heated through. After that, arrange these savory treats on a serving platter and voila! Your guests will be mightily impressed -if you can keep from plucking these meatballs off the platter and stuffing them all into your own mouth before said guests arrive!

I tested the recipe this evening and my family made very short work of them, so I'm judging the meatballs a roaring success - and talk about easy! I haven't yet served these meatballs to guests, but I will be, you can sure of this!

Log on to http://www.ultimatepartymeatballs.com/ to test the recipe for yourself and to find other great recipes and entertaining tips. Also, while you're there, enter the sweepstakes for a chance to win a $3,000 Ultimate Party!

Review courtesy of MomCentral

Wordless Wednesday

Thanksgiving Day. I love the hot pink tights.

Check out Momdot, 5 Minutes For Mom and Angie's Seven Clown Circus for more Wordless - or Wordful - Wednesday fun!

Now you can save big on a SeatSnug!

A short while ago I blogged here about the wonderful SeatSnug. This device safely secures your child in a booster seat to prevent potentially life-threatening injuries. It easily attaches to an existing seatbelt and stops seatbelt slack from developing, thus ensuring that your child's seat is properly and safely secured during travel.

Now for the good news . . . just in time for the holidays, Mom Central is providing us with a coupon that will save you a bunch on new SeatSnug products! Use the coupon code MOMCENTRAL at seatsnug.com and you'll save $5.00 on your next purchase! The regular price is $34.95; one is now $29.95 and two are just $54.95!). The discount will automatically be received at checkout.

Tune Up Your PC

I did something good for our PC today, I gave it a much-needed tune-up! OK, I'll admit it - I didn't actually do the tune-up, I called the Norton PC Tune-up Service and had an agent do it all for me. First, an evaluation was performed on our PC and then an agent worked remotely to fix any problems and get things running like new. Once the agent was finished, our PC was re-evaluated and a report with recommendations was generated. The agent worked quickly and efficiently, he kept me informed the entire time, we were done in 45 minutes - and I didn't have to leave the comfort of my office chair once!

Does your PC need a tune-up? Does it take ages to start up, or does it slow down when you open multiple programs? The Norton PC Tune-up Service allows Norton experts to connect with you one-on-one and directly access your computer via the internet so they can run diagnostic tests and fix any problems while you watch. They will do a full scan to evaluate issues affecting performance; they will fine-tune key areas to improve speed and stability; they will assess and ensure comprehensive protection and security and, finally, they will recommend steps to ensure top performance. Now doesn't that sound like some much-needed TLC for your PC?

For more information on this neat service, visit Norton.

*UPDATE: Contest Closed*

I have three Tune Ups (valued at $69.99) to give away to three lucky readers! Just be one of the first three to leave a comment on this post and I'll send one your way.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't you just love a poncho?!

Christmas Giveaway 2008

Over at 5 Minutes for Mom, Christmas is starting early! They're in the middle of their jam-packed Christmas Giveaway 2008 and this one is not to be missed! Hurry over and check out their fabulous prizes. This fun event ends November 28th, come join the fun!

Keep your cuddlebug safe and snug on the road

These days, I seem to spend a lot of time ferrying my daughter from one place to another; my social butterfly has a far more hectic schedule than her dull mom! Luckily, I have a fabulous Britax carseat that leaves me confident she's as secure as she can be on our frequent car trips.

However, I do worry about how safe she'll be when she outgrows her car seat and has to transition to a booster seat. I've seen how easily booster seats can be jostled around, even when executing something as mild as a tight turn. When the lap belt becomes slack on a booster seat, stability is compromised and the child is at risk for injury.

Thanks to MomCentral, I've been alerted to a product that will safely secure a child in a booster seat to prevent potentially life-threatening injuries. SeatSnug provides an easy solution that will allow seatbelts to perform as intended. The small SeatSnug device attaches to an existing seatbelt and stops seatbelt slack from developing, thus ensuring that the child's seat is properly and safely secured during travel.

Once installed, SeatSnug is intended to stay on the seatbelt at all times, but it offers flexibility with it's "on-off" feature. The "on" position is used to safely secure a child in a booster seat, while the "off" position allows the seatbelt to function normally if it is not being used by a child in a booster seat.

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death and injury for children, and the failure of seat belts to properly secure children is a leading contributor. SeatSnug is about "saving children's lives and reducing injuries one seatbelt at a time." Visit SeatSnug.com and learn how SeatSnug can help protect your cuddlebug in the car.

Review courtesy of MomCentral

Wordless Wednesday

We couldn't wait to ride our trike - supposed to be a Christmas gift . . .

Tea Time!

It’s Tea Party Week at Mom Most Traveled! Enter here for your chance to win a Baby-G watch from Casio!

Wordless Wednesday

Aargh! It's been a week since I last posted! Life is a bit of a roller coaster at the moment, please bear with us . . . Here are some pictures of my sweet Trick or Treater, aka 'Madeline'.

Wordless Wednesday

Pudding Pie looking all grown up at a birthday party.

Know Your Health Options

I consider myself somewhat courageous but, when it comes to spending time on an operating table, I am a complete coward. When I went into labor with my daughter I ended up having an unscheduled C-Section and it ranks up there with other 'Most Traumatic Events In My Life'.

After that experience, I prayed it would be a long, long time before I next had to go 'under the knife'. But the fact is, many of us women may find ourselves in a position where we face major surgery for a gynecologic procedure. For example, when our doctor recommends a hysterectomy to solve issues around heavy periods.

Imagine how thrilled I was to learn that less invasive approaches are now available for many of these gynecologic procedures that once needed major surgery. These minimally invasive treatments can be used to treat common conditions, such as heavy bleeding and other common pelvic health conditions like fibroids, stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

When we're faced with surgery, we need to gather all the information we can in order to make informed choices. The doctors who advise us may not necessarily recommend minimally invasive options. They may suggest more traditional, outdated approaches because they lack the skill to perform the newer, less invasive ones or even because new endoscopic procedures bring less income to the doctor or hospital.

The US News & World reported that, out of the one in four women who receive hysterectomies, approximately 85% are still treated with traditional open abdominal surgical methods, despite the perfection of a decades old laparoscopic procedure that leaves the ovaries and cervix in place.

Minimally invasive gynecology is enjoying a growing following of surgeons and patients alike and advances in minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment are expanding the boundaries of gynecologic care. If your doctor is unwilling or unable to perform minimally invasive procedures, you owe it yourself to get a second opinion from a gynecologist who offers less invasive options. Some of the strong advantages to minimally invasive procedures include:

• Reduced risk of infection


• Minimized scarring


• Less blood loss


• Decreased post-operative pain


• Generally quicker recovery time.

Do yourself a favor and examine the minimally invasive surgery option before you commit to any gynecologic procedure. Visit http://www.aagl.org/healthcare-consumer to learn about your options, and to make an informed decision.

This review courtesy of MOMCentral

A Language Explosion

After a long period with just a smattering of words in her vocabulary, Pudding Pie has recently decided that the time has come to embrace language. She's now coming out with armfuls of new words every day and it's an exciting time for both of us. She loves to throw out her new words around me because my reaction is always extreme. I shriek with excitement and ask her to repeat the word. Sometimes she smugly obliges, other times she acts coy and no amount of cajoling will get her to say her new word again - until she wants to. Either way, she knows she's just impressed the heck out of mom and she loves it.

I used to write down her new words in her baby book, but these days the words are tumbling out so thick and fast, I can't keep up. I am so proud of my clever girl, and this confirms what we have both always known: Pudding Pie is not only gorgeous, witty and adorable, she is also quite obviously a genius.

A break in the clouds

The clouds have lifted a little and there's a rainbow in our lives. My darling mom has touched down on our side of the world for a visit and she brings with her lots of love, care and all the stuff only a mom can provide. Pudding Pie hasn't seen her since she was a little over two months old, but she's taken to her without reservation, and has devoted herself to faithfully following Granny's every move.

Absent for a while, but we're still around

I've been absent from the blogosphere for a while. Pudding Pie and I have had some unexpected challenges thrown our way and we are coping the best we can. Otherwise, Pudding Pie is experiencing a language explosion and is communicating marvellously. She has very firm (and unyielding) likes and dislikes and she relays them to me all too clearly. Yup, she really is embracing toddlerhood and leaving babyhood in the dust (sniff).

Own a Bambina Ballerina bowholder - for $1!

How would you like to own a fabulous Bambina Ballerina bowholder - and pay only $1.00 for it?! You have a chance to do just this if you visit Momdot and support Hot Blogger, Trisha in her Auction For The Cause.

You see Trisha is trying to raise funds to help with her expenses while she's in NYC, rubbing shoulders with the other bloggers who made it on to the Hot Blogger Calendar!

Donate to her cause and, for every dollar you donate, you'll be entered to win Cotton Candy: a gorgeous pink, white and blue large hairbow holder. Not a bad deal for a bowholder that retails for $39.99. If your pockets are feeling even deeper, donate $5 and be entered into her second Grand Prize drawing, where you could win your choice of any bowholder on her site - or you can have a bowholder custom made to suit the room it will hang in!

You may enter as many times as you want for either drawing too, so hustle over to Momdot, support Trisha and perhaps your altruism will reap you a delightful reward!

Pretty and practical Shooshoos

How would you like your little one to wear shoes with non-slip soles and no laces to trip over? And wouldn't you love it if you knew these shoes were also made from 100% Nappa leather and non-toxic dyes? Shooshoos fits the bill! Even more good news: Momdot is hosting a contest where you can win a pair of these wonderful shoes in your choice of style! Contest ends September 22nd.

Wordless Wednesday

Her Royal Cuteness in John Deere green.

The Wagon Ride - or - A Glimpse Of What Lies Ahead

I took Pudding Pie for a morning wagon ride today and things went splendidly at first. She adores her wagon, when it gets wheeled out of her grandparents' garage she greets it with jubilant shrieks and immediately tries to upend herself into it.

We set off on our adventure and all was well until Pudding Pie loudly proclaimed she wanted "ou", that's Pudding Pie lingo for 'out'. I told her to wait a bit; we had quite a hill to climb and I wanted her in the wagon so I could use both hands to lug my cargo. Pudding Pie thought this was a weak argument and she said so. Our debate became rather heated, she started hanging herself out the side of the wagon, wailing for freedom. She wanted to pull the wagon herself. I explained that it was too heavy, she stuck to her guns.

I compromised and agreed she could walk beside me, 'helping' to pull the wagon. This didn't go well: once she had her mitts on the handle, she became focused on getting my hand off said handle. We were in the middle of a power struggle and the wagon was swerving all over the place as we tussled for control.

I imagined the neighbors peering out from behind drawn curtains and marveling at this curious sight. Finally, I used the unfair advantage of size and I wrestled her hands off the handle, dumping her back in the wagon. She cried foul and protested very vigorously for a good 10 minutes. I tried to think happy thoughts and labored up the hill with my unhappy passenger.

Back at the house I hauled her disgruntled butt out of the wagon and plunked her down on the grass. She didn't miss a beat, she hustled over and triumphantly reclaimed control of the handle.

I lay down on the grass and let her have all the handle control she wanted.

Having ‘won’, she soon lost interest in the wagon handle and moved onto bigger things, like my camera.

I think we've officially entered the Terrible Two's.

Calling all Godfather fans

If you're a fan of the Godfather trilogy, you're going to love this. As part of her Maternity Week event, Kristin at An Ordinary Life is giving away The Godfather - The Coppola Restoration Giftset DVD. Now, tell me you aren't glad I passed this info on to you!

Win a 10th Anniversary Edition of ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’

This beautiful collectible edition has been produced in celebration of the 10th anniversary of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. It features the following: new Jacket artwork by Mary GrandPre; additional four-color frontispiece artwork from Mary GrandPre; two pages of special content from J.K. Rowling, and a full cloth case with gold stamping. Coming to stores on September 23rd.

How would you like to win your own copy? Scholastic has teamed up with Momdot to sponsor a wonderful contest and the Grand Prize winner will walk away with the following prize package, worth $195!

Complete Box Set Books #1 - #7
Copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’
Collectible Harry Potter Gold Pin

That's not all, four runners up will win a copy of the 10th Anniversary Edition of ‘Sorcerer’s Stone’ and a collectible Harry Potter Gold Pin! So head over to Momdot and enter this contest!

A Vixen in the kitchen

How'd you like to look Vixen hot in your kitchen?! You can with this new Vixen style apron from Carolyns Kitchen! Visit Momdot and enter to win this fabulous apron, perfect for the holiday season. Contest ends September 18th.

Feel like a cupcake?

This scrumptious 10K gold and diamond Cupcake necklace ($250 retail) is being given away to one lucky contest winner by The Cupcakes Club and MomDot.com. All you have to do to be in the running, is sign up for a free membership at The Cupcakes Club! Visit Momdot for more contest info. Contest ends September 26th.

The Responsibility Project and doing the right thing

One night several years ago, while I lay sleeping, a bunch of teenage boys went on a little crime spree. They roared around the neighborhood I lived in and threw several huge rocks through the back windows of cars parked in the street. My trusty old car was unlucky enough to be in their path and I woke the next morning to the sound of a policeman knocking on my door. He told me my car had been vandalized and I burst into tears when I saw it. Rather dramatic, I know, but I was a student struggling to make ends meet, and purchasing a new rear window for my car was not in the budget.

As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our kids personal responsibility; to teach them what it means to do the right thing. The story I’ve just recounted came to mind when I visited Liberty Mutual 's The Responsibility Project. This is an entire website dedicated to helping parents talk with their kids about what it means to be personally responsible.

The site includes resources such as several short films, discussion guides, and a blog to help families teach and talk about personal responsibility. One of the films I watched was Transit, where a man witnesses a woman's purse being snatched just before he happens to board the same bus the thief boards. He goes from being just another passenger on a bus to having to make a tough moral choice.

Another film was Lighthouse, a beautifully animated piece, where a lighthouse keeper’s darkest hour turns out to be anything but - thanks to his altruistic community. Both films were thought-provoking examples of personal responsibility

The kids who vandalized my car while on their destructive spree were rounded up quickly enough. Apparently they vandalized several cars and a golf course, and they hadn’t been that discreet about their activities. The judge made them write letters of apology to delegated victims, and then he made them pay for the damages. My guy wrote his letter of apology, then sent me checks over several months until his debt was paid. I’m hoping those boys learned a lesson in personal responsibility, albeit the hard way.

Liberty Mutual has provided us with a great resource to help steer our kids toward making responsible choices in their daily lives. Visit The Responsibility Project with your kids, watch a few of the short films, then discuss with them what it means to do the right thing. Help steer them away from the kinds of choices those kids made the night they chose to vandalize the property of others, and you'll be one step closer to raising children who will contribute toward making our world a better place.

This review courtesy of Mom Central.

Remembering September 11th

The morning the twin towers fell, I was engaged in the mundane task of working through some math homework. In the midst of struggling with probabilities, my friend burst into my room and told me her husband had called to say a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. I stared at her in disbelief, then raced to the TV. We flicked it on and, sure enough, the ridiculous thing she'd just said was true.

The rest of that day was a blur of shock, dismay, fear, and profound sadness. Like most of the nation, we kept our eyes on the TV, but there were little ones around and we really didn't want them to see what was on the screen, so we turned it on for only brief spells. Even so, it was bizarre to watch something more nail-bitingly sensational than the most high-budget, action-packed drama Hollywood has to offer, and to know it was cruelly real.

A few years ago, I took a book on CD out of the library. It was Let's Roll! by Lisa Beamer, wife of United Flight 93 hero, Todd Beamer. It had been over four years since 9/11, but I cried almost the entire book. It reminded me not only of the tragedy that day, but also of the heroism shown by everyday Americans.

May we never forget.

Feast your eyes on this

This week only at BellazizasFavorites.com you can enter to win a Phil&Teds Vibe with Doubles Kit, valued at $800!This is in celebration of the 100th post on BellazizasFavorites.com, and the launch of their new quarterly“Members Only Swag”. Oh, I'm drooling all over this one! The drawing will take place on Tuesday, December 16th.

Wordless Wednesday

Having a blast at dinnertime.

Win a pair of Umi shoes for your little one

How would you like to scoop up a pair of Umi shoes fot your little one? Two pairs of these shoes, (acknowledged in Consumer Reports® “Best Baby Products” as one of their top recommendations for a first shoe) are being given away at Momdot.com. Click over and enter before September 15th!

Help raise breast cancer awareness and win!

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and Props & Pans is on board with a joint effort by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, MGM Home Entertainment and Susan G. Komen for the Cure to raise awareness for breast cancer.

Props & Pans is offering readers the chance to win something from a great cause - and do something for a great cause. Help raise breast cancer awareness and give yourself a chance to win this DVD’s for the Cure set!

It includes the following 15 romantic comedies in special pink packaging, available for individual purchase beginning September 23, 2008:

A Walk in the Clouds
An Affair to Remember
Ever After
In Her Shoes
Legally Blonde
Moulin Rouge
Never Been Kissed
Say Anything
Thelma & Louise
There’s Something About Mary
The Princess Bride
Just My Luck
Little Miss Sunshine
Edward Scissorhands
When Harry Met Sally.

From the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) site:
Since the program began in 1985, mammography rates have more than doubled for women age 50 and older and breast cancer deaths have declined.

This is exciting progress, but there are still women who do not take advantage of early detection at all and others who do not get screening mammograms and clinical breast exams at regular intervals.

· Women age 65 and older are less likely to get mammograms than younger women, even though breast cancer risk increases with age.
· Hispanic women have fewer mammograms than Caucasian women and African American women.
· Women below poverty level are less likely than women at higher incomes to have had a mammogram within the past two years.
· Mammography use has increased for all groups except American Indians and Alaska Natives.

For more about NBCAM, please visit http://www.nbcam.org/. For additional information, please call one of the following toll-free numbers: American Cancer Society,
(800) 227-2345, National Cancer Institute (NCI), (800) 4-CANCER, Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, (800) 221-2141.

The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month program is dedicated to increasing public knowledge about the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Fifteen national public service organizations, professional associations, and government agencies comprise the Board of Sponsors, who work together to ensure that the NBCAM message is heard by thousands of women and their families.
(NBCAM material taken from www.nbcam.org)

Stop by Props and Pans to learn more about how you can do your bit to raise awareness. Contest open until October 1st, 2008.

Stunning Nankeen tote giveaway

Chic Shopper Chick has a beautiful Nankeen tote to give away. I love this look of cotton and indigo dye; I have a Nankeen coin purse and my husband a has a Nankeen neck tie and we love 'em! To give yourself a chance at a stunning Nakeen tote, stop by CSC and enter before September 18th

Have you ever seen washcloths this tasty?

Check out this Deluxe Washcloth Sushi Set for Baby from Jkalea, have you ever seen washcloths look this yummy? What a fabulous shower gift! The good news: Mommy Mandy is giving a set away! Enter before September 20th.

Fabulous set of travel brushes for a mom on the go

Another birthday giveaway from MommyMandy! The winner will receive a travel set of these quality makeup brushes from addesign . The ideal travel set includes 6 essential mini handle brushes with full size brush heads. (retails for $45). Enter by September 21st.

MommyMandy birthday giveaway: Elliott Lucca satchel

Amanda over at Mommy Mandy is having two weeks of giveaways to celebrate her birthday and she's giving her readers the gifts! Stop by, say 'happy birthday' to Amanda and enter to win this exquisite Elliott Lucca St. Barts Woven Satchel in Raspberry (retails for $348), how can we resist! Contest ends September 25th.

Cute retro tote from Pink Lemonade

That's right, this darling tote is up for grabs. Hop over to Pink Lemonade Boutique Bags and throw your name in the hat! Contest closes September 12th - and is open to all readers, US and international!

Limited Edition handbag giveaway

In honor of Maternity Week at An Ordinary Life, I am hoping to win a gorgeous Elliott Lucca Limited Edition handbag. It's not your ordinary purse either, it can also function as a diaper bag! Maternity Week starts September 13th and there will be tons of great prizes - including another big surprise!

This Elliott Lucca bag is valued at $368.00 and is Limited Edition ONLY! Giveaway ends Sept. 24th

**Updated venue and pricing information**
When it comes to high energy entertainment, there is nothing to beat the circus; It's a rite of passage I think every child should have the opportunity to experience. As a child, I longed to see The Greatest Show On Earth, I read books with circus themes, my sister and I would make believe we were gifted trapeze artists in the circus, and I even begged my parents to let me take riding lessons because I pictured myself some day doing all manner of gravity defying stunts while riding bareback on my circus pony. (I had quite an imagination . . .)

Because we lived in the back end of nowhere, I didn't get to go to the circus until I was in early adulthood, but when I did go, it was exactly the magical experience I had imagined and I was hooked. I've been to the circus several times since that first trip, the last while wracked with nausea during the early part of my pregnancy - the circus was in town and I couldn't bear to miss it!

Yesterday evening, my daughter and I watched Bellobration, a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey souvenir DVD, and it was fabulous! She was thrilled by the Bengal Tigers and I just can't wait to take her to see the real deal, she'll be mesmerized! I know it will only be her first of many family pilgrimages to the enchanting world inside the Big Top.

If you'd like to create some magical memories, you can purchase tickets online by going to ringling.com and typing in your zip code to find the shows, and their pricing. And you can save 20% off your ticket price by using the code MCC!

This discount is available in the following cities:
Indianapolis, IN - Sept. 4-7, 2008
Kansas City, MO - Sept. 10-14, 2008
Grand Rapids, MI - Sept. 18-21, 2008
Denver, CO - Oct. 2-13, 2008
Boston, MA Oct. 8-13, 2008
Cleveland, OH - Oct. 24 - Nov. 2, 2008
Chicago, IL - Nov. 6 - 30, 2008
St. Louis, MO - Nov. 6-9, 2008
Auburn Hills, MI - Nov. 12 - 16, 2008
Highland Heights, KY - Feb 27 - Mar. 1, 2009
Cincinnati, OH - Mar. 4 - 8, 2008

Don’t forget to share this code with your friends, and visit ringling.com for more information on The Greatest Show On Earth.

WIN IT! I'll be giving away a pair of clown noses each to the first two commentors on this post, so tell me what you think about The Greatest Show On Earth!

This review courtesy of MomCentral.

Ooh, another stroller contest!

The ladies at MomDot are really hooking us up this September! At the end of this month, some lucky mom will win this brand-new Trevi Twin stroller by Chicco, valued at $219!

Head over to MomDot, get your blog listed, and enter to win this fab stroller!

Contest ends September 30th.

Childhood is fleeting. If I had a nickel for every time I've said 'they grow up too fast', I'd be a rich woman. It seems one day we're bringing our precious newborns home from the hospital, and the next we're packing them off to college.

We don't want our kids to grow up too fast, we want them to feel special and to savor the joy of childhood, and it is with this sentiment in mind that Precious Moments®, the inspirational figurine and collectible company, has created the Precious Girls Club. The PGC is based on an all-new book series for girls that revolves around the life of Katie Bennett and a diverse group of her friends. Their world is brought to life through books, and through a virtual world where young girls can learn and play in a safe, wholesome environment based on the values embraced by Precious Moments®.

On the website, PGC members create their own characters, “shop” virtually, decorate their rooms, explore our town, socialize and play games. PGC games reinforce such virtues as helpfulness, kindness, responsibility, loving and caring. In addition to points, many activities award “virtual” virtue charms. And, it’s all fun!

The PGC is not only a safe place for girls to play and learn, it is also a great way for moms to connect with their daughters and positively influence their girls behavior in the real world. For example, you can help your daughter create her own Precious Girls Club. If she'd like to host a “real world” party, you can visit Katie’s online clubhouse together and download invitations, activities, recipes and craft ideas.

The first book in the Precious Girls Club series, A Little Bit of Faith, hits stores this month, and other PGC merchandise will be available in select retail specialty and gift stores and online at preciousmoments.com.

WIN IT! If you'd like to own a free copy of A Little Bit of Faith, be one of the first four to comment on this post, and I'll mail you one! You'll also get two scratch-off cards for free premium "Rainbow Membership" trials on PreciousGirlsClub.com.

This review is courtesy of MomSelect.com.

Wordless Wednesday

Partying at Gymboree.

My September eye candy . . .

Momdot has unveiled a stunning September contest. and we're all crowding around to drool over the prize: this quite wonderful Micralite Toro stroller! What can I say, it is a pin-up. If you're in the market for a stroller and you feel like going the fabulous route, consider the Toro - and if you don't want to fork out the $524.00 its valued at, click over to Momdot and enter for a chance to win one! Contest ends September 30th.

I'd really rather keep this one to myself . . .

I can never pass by a pretty purse and, pre-motherhood (otherwise know as the time when I had money to burn - or so I thought), I regularly scooped up 'essential' purses for my wardrobe. These days, that purse money goes toward slightly less glamorous items like diapers and wipes.

Imagine the thrill when I discovered Momdot is hosting a contest where they're giving away this raspberry delight!

I don't know why I'm telling you, I'd really rather keep this one to myself.

Ah, go ahead, click over and throw your name in the hat too! Contest ends September 7th - good luck . . . I guess!