Go-Go Babyz Black Friday Sale

Go-Go Babyz makes the wondrous gogo Kidz Travelmate, which essentially turns your carseat into a de facto stroller for ease of use when traveling. You wouldn't use it as a normal stroller but when faced with the gigantic nightmare that is holiday travel, it is a total lifesaver to be able to strap the carseat into the airplane with the gogo Kidz Travelmate attached and wheel your kiddo off the plane and through the airport. I highly endorse this product- it keeps kids amused and restrained without making you feel like you have a leash on them.

Add in a Black Friday discount of 30% off all Go-Go Babyz online purchases with code "cyber09" and you have the perfect gift for parents of infants or toddlers who have imminent air travel in their futures...

Check out My Black Friday Deals for more up to the minute news and tips for holiday shopping! (look for deals I have submitted like this one and vote for them- I could win some seriously needed blog redesign help and pointers…)

Oxfam America Unwrapped

I think the first time I ever really thought about charity and what it really means was in 1984 when the UK single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was released. It was all over the radio and MTV that holiday season and the American counterpart, "We Are The World", was released soon afterward. I was still pretty young but had never contemplated the idea that people could be hungry, even starving, somewhere in the world. Shockingly, people are even starving in our own country. How could that be true?

Nowadays, the concept is never far from my thoughts, especially as holiday season rolls around each year. Of course, there are lots of high-profile charities to donate to these days and many of them make it especially convenient to help with online donation methods. One of the most well-reputed of these benevolent societies is Oxfam. Established in the UK in the 1940s, Oxfam is a secular group (unaffiliated with religious or government entities) committed to fostering independence and sustainable change in communities all over the world- at home and abroad. From Wikipedia: Oxfam International is a confederation of 14 organisations working with over 3,000 partners in around 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.




Oxfam has a great way for you to give the gift of charity this holiday season: Oxfam America Unwrapped.



You select from a wide range of charitable gifts to help those in need and your gift recipient receives a card showing the gift. You can personalize cards online or have them shipped to you so you can write your own message. It's amazing to see the variety of gifts and the change they will foster within their communities: $20 will irrigate a farmer's land for two months, $25 will provide one child with a school lunch program, $1500 will rebuild a primary school…



If you have someone on your list who is hard to buy for or if you're in charge of a corporate giving program, Oxfam America Unwrapped is a unique solution with a long-lasting impact. I think it would be a great class holiday gift idea, too.

Disclosure: “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxfam America Unwrapped and received a credit for a gift on the Oxfam site.”

Make a K’NEXion

Back before I had kids, I assumed gender identity was largely a construct of socialization. Roo has always been interested in building blocks primarily as a way to make accoutrements for her dolls and stuffed animals but Jasper sees them as a way to create new toys and worlds to play with them in. Ever since he was able to sit up and put two pieces together, the kid has been trying to make things. I'm not sure if its his latent male need to put pegs in holes (seriously!) or the familiar creative drive, but Jasper likes to take things apart to see how they work and then put them all together again. I was pretty excited when Team Mom offered to send me some of the season's hottest building toys from K'NEX.



We received the 400 Piece Value Tub, which is technically recommended for ages 7 and above because it has such teeny tiny pieces. Jasper has never been much for sticking things in his mouth, though, so we let him play with them under direct supervision. The 400 Piece Value Tub comes with building ideas for 20 different models and a convenient storage tub (bright red- perfect for the holidays!) that will fit many other sets, including other popular brick brands. Jasper loves the nubby tires for creating his own vehicles but, admittedly, his favorite thing to do with the set right now is dump everything out and sort the rods, connectors and bricks by size and color.



The other set we received was probably more age-appropriate for Jasper: the Neighborhood Collection Police Car Building Set, featuring Elmo as a friendly policeman. K'NEX has a whole range of Sesame Street Building Sets that are perfect for 2-5 year olds. (We actually have the Oscar the Grouch so I am looking forward to playing "Oscar gets hassled by the Man" after the kids go to sleep. Just kidding.) The new Sesame Street Neighborhood Collection Building Sets let children build brownstones and police stations and play with their favorite Sesame Street friends, including Elmo, Cookie Monster, Grover and Ernie.



K'NEX has building toys that are sure to please everyone on your holiday list, from preschoolers to adults. (The 6-Foot Ferris Wheel is the largest K'NEX set of all time, featuring 8550 pieces and a plug-in motor!) K'NEXis also helping to spread the holiday spirit by donating 10% of online sales during the heavy shopping months of November and December to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. For more information about their charitable partnership, click here.

And now through December 7th, you have the chance to win over $1,000 worth of K'NEX toys and be featured on KNEX.com. To enter the Make a K'NEXion Video Contest, submit a video showcasing the way you use K'NEX products. The possibilities are endless - just use your imagination! The top ten videos will be featured on KNEX.com and the grand prize winner will receive $1,000 worth of K'NEX toys!



Disclosure: We received the two sets shown above from Team Mom in return for writing this review.

Black Friday with JC Penney Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 12/4***

The retail total of the items is $148.96, according to our sponsor. Sorry if the sale prices were different on the day you entered, this is the list I was given:

Men’s American Living Half- Zip Sweater $30

Piano Gloves – $49.99

Statement Bib Necklace for Her - $23.99

Kid’s Arizona Puffer Vest - $24.99

Cooks 3-1 Grill: 19.99

***CONGRATULATIONS, Mannequin!!!***

her comment...
Well.I would say for $150 I could get all that stuff! And boy do I need STUFF.

Better to give than to receive. Let me help by receiving.

Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is traditionally the busiest shopping day of the holiday season and most retailers are planning even more spectacular deals than usual this year. JCPenney is no exception, featuring bargains in every department for everyone on your shopping list.

To get the word out about their Black Friday sales, JCPenney is offering one of my readers a $150 shopping spree. Leave a comment on this post guessing the combined retail price for all the items pictured below - five of JCPenney's hottest-selling gifts this season. The closest guess will win!

Cooks 3-1 Grill

Kid’s Arizona Puffer Vest

Statement Bib Necklace for Her

Piano Gloves

Men’s American Living Half- Zip Sweater

To enter and win a $150 gift certificate to JCPenney, please comment on this post with your best guess at the retail cost of the items above.


Entries will be accepted through December 2nd and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry (in case of a tie, I will pick the person with the most extra entries!), post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Disclosure: I did not receive anything in consideration for writing about this giveaway, aside from the chance to offer one of my readers some retail therapy. Sometimes it's better to give than receive. I read that somewhere once…

How to Break My Heart

Roo brought this home from school today. She even drew the retractable leash. I miss Ludella.

Ludella

Last night, I went to a charity dinner with my mom and Bob called around 8:30 to tell me that Ludella had run off. I guess she'd pooped in the studio and he'd put her outside, hooking her leash onto his carving bench, just while he cleaned up the mess and when he came back outside a couple of minutes later, she was gone. Of course, my mom and I hurried home and I changed into comfy shoes and we searched the neighborhood for our little puppy. So many of our awesome neighbors came out to help us, searching yards with flashlights and even driving around the outlying neighborhoods but she was nowhere to be found. We searched until almost midnight and I even made flyers that Bob posted in the hopes someone took her in to keep her safe overnight. She was only three months old and so tiny.

Well, you obviously know what comes next. Bob found Ludella this morning around 6:30 in the ditch on the street parallel to ours. I'd walked it twice last night looking for her and I honestly don't think she was there when I was. She'd been hit by a car and her poor, sweet nose was completely bloody. We made the decision to show the kids and Roo thought she looked like a clown. Her first question was "can we get another dog?" but I don't think she was trying to be callous. She watched as Bob buried Ludella. Jasper said "puppy hurt?" but I don't think he really understood. Roo was about his age when we had to bury our cat, Lum. I printed off the last pictures I'd taken of Ludella for Roo to put in her photo album to take to school. I'm putting them up here, I guess as some sort of makeshift eulogy.










Ludella was my first dog and it might sound a little insipid since we only had her for six days but she was such a good one. She slept through the night in bed with me and Bob and was very gentle with the kids and cats. She loved to play in the yard and sleep on the couch equally. I hate that the last thing I did with her was crate her before going to the charity dinner, since Bob was at the park with the kids. (He didn't take Ludella because she wasn't supposed to be around unvaccinated animals until she had her vaccines finalized. We actually had her first vet appointment scheduled for this morning after we dropped Roo off at school.) I wasn't looking forward to taking her on the big cross-country road trip for Thanksgiving but, then again, I'm not looking forward to spending that much time in the car with Jasper, either.

I hate that we won't have the chance to watch her grow up. I miss her already. Ludella was a great puppy and such a good fit in our family. She and Jasper had a great bond, too, I wish I'd taken more pictures of them together. She was the dog that Roo's been asking for over the last year and a half. Gone in six days. I have no idea what to do next. I can't imagine the Humane Society allowing us to adopt another dog in the future- we didn't even give this beautiful puppy a whole week of happy family life. I'm surprised I've managed to keep Piewackett relatively safe and happy for 17 years now. I feel like curling up and dying because we failed Ludella. And she was my girl, too.

Jillian Michaels Wii Fit Giveaway

***WINNER PICKED 12/10 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #86 Angela!!!***

her comment...
We were able to use my sister-in-laws Wii when she was here with her family over Thanksgiving. My oldest (4 years old) really loved the hula hoop exercise game on the Wii Fit. My husband and I decided to get the kiddos (and us) a Wii for Christmas so that we can stay active during the cold months. But besides playing tag and hid and seek in the house (wow, can that ever get exhausting!), my husband and I will be walking/running on the treadmill until the spring when it warms up again.




I'll admit it. I have a total girl crush on Jillian Michaels, the badass 5'2" personal trainer from The Biggest Loser. I suppose it's only natural since her 30 Day Shred DVD has been the only workout I have ever managed to stay on for more than a couple of weeks. I've been using it every day for about a month now and while the pounds aren't quite flying off (about 8 lbs thus far), I do feel stronger and my endurance has really improved. As in I am actually completing the circuits instead of laying on the ground panting while staring at the TV…



Anyway, I was excited to hear that Jillian Michaels is the featured celebrity at a special event showcasing Sports Authority's new fitness gaming collaboration with Nintendo tomorrow Thursday, Nov. 19 at Sports Authority in Torrance, Calif. (located at 3610 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA) starting at 9:30 a.m and running through mid-day. (Jillian will be there from 9:30-10, so I'd show up early if you wanted to see her.) There will be a ton of giveaways, including copies of her new Wii game Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 and Wii Fit Plus boards, as well as other prizes from Sports Authority, Nintendo and Nike.




If you're not in southern California, either, you'll still be able to check out the "We know fit. We know fun." experience at 102 Sports Authority stores across the country. Each will feature a dedicated area with a demo console and knowledgeable trainers so customers can try the Wii and Wii Fit Plus before they buy. Sports Authority hopes that this program will encourage workouts that engage and entertain the whole family.

To enter and win a copy of Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 and a Wii Fit Plus board, courtesy of Sports Authority, please comment on this post with your family fitness goal.


Entries will be accepted through December 9th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Disclosure: I did not receive anything from Sports Authority for this post but I thought it was an awesome giveaway for my readers – I know I would like to win this prize!

Wordless Wednesday- Crowning Around

Kathleen sent us the beautiful crowns.
(Look for a tutorial for the fall harvest crown at Katydid and Kid soon!



Share your own pictures this week at Wordless Wednesday HQ!

Before you leave, have you entered all of my giveaways?

Coming Attractions

This week has already been crazy hectic and I am way behind on blogging. Never fear, I have a ton of stuff to post before embarking upon our Thanksgiving road trip. Giveaways, people- lots of giveaways! I promise, you will be subjected to an outpouring of bloggity blogging shortly.

But for now, content yourself with this really random branding I encountered at Target: yes, they really are High School Musical mini cucumbers. I can think of so many inappropriate jokes but I'll let you ponder them yourselves…

Go, Wildcats, Go!

Oh, Yes We Did…

Please welcome the newest member of our family, miss Ludella Black (or Bone Cupcake… we're going to give it a few days to see what sticks.)! The cats are alarmed but I think they'll come around.

Two More Days for Genesis Today Contest

Just a gentle reminder… you have two more days to submit your social media marketing proposals in the $10K Genesis of a Good Idea contest.



I'm sure you can come up with 250 words on the best way to spread the word about Genesis Today and their roster of nutritious (and delicious! really!) superfruit juice blends. The entrants with the five best suggestions will be flown to Austin to present their ideas in person.



If you're culinarily adventurous, why not try your hand at one of the Genesis Today recipe contests? Personally, I think Goji Berry juice would be an excellent base for a hearty fall squash or pumpkin soup and Resveratrol juice would make a nice glaze for pork. Visit these blogs to read more about the Genesis Today recipe contests:

Crafty Mama of 4 is making smoothies
OrganizerSandy is making cocktails
Moms Favorite Stuff is making holiday dinner
Coupon Princess is making desserts
Adriennes House is making everyday dinner recipes


Don't forget to submit your big social media idea at Genesis of a Good Idea before Midnight CST on Sunday!

Naartjie Mommy & Me Dresses

I'm not usually a big fan of mommy & me fashion but when I got the email about Naartjie's more-comfy-than-prissy cotton knit dresses, I have to admit that I immediately envisioned Roo and I holding hands and skipping through a field of wildflowers…



Not too fluffy for mommy and not too boring for Roo. I think I'd pick the truffle dress for me:



And the aloe dress for Roo:



They're all on sale for 30% off right now, so I might even be able to justify getting it in a couple of other less-subdued colors for Roo…