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!