Wordless Wednesday

Here is D, really getting into the water play exhibit at the Children's Museum.

I admit it.

I am a little bit of a t-shirt snob when it comes to my son. Anything baby blue or featuring a cartoon animal typically gets sent to the back of the closet and never seen again. I like fun, funky shirts that reflect his (okay, my) personality. That's why I am so hooked on Threadless Kids - the shirts are all super cute and cheeky, most definitely NOT your everyday tees!

My favorite is Big Hoax - I love the idea of a bunch of bunnies pulling a fast one on the people reading Weekly World News at the checkout counter.

Right now, Threadless is running a Back to Old School Sale - a ton of their kids tees are only $10 each, and kids' hoodies are $20. Time to stock up for D. Day care counts as school, right?


You can win a $25 Threadless gift card at Faithfully Frugal and Free, click here to enter!

If I Had $1,000,000...

While driving home the other day, we passed a billboard for the state lottery advertising a jackpot of $35 million. We don't play the lottery, but that didn't stop me from asking my husband what he thought we would do if he won that jackpot and cleared, oh, say, $20 million after taxes. Not surprisingly, the answer was pretty similar to what we're trying to accomplish now. We'd keep working, but I would maybe take some time to explore my options. We'd pay off my student loan, which is our only remaining debt. We'd pay off our parents' homes. We'd add a chunk to D's 529 plan. And then we'd save and invest the rest, hoping to live comfortably off a conservative amount of interest. No boats, no fancy second homes, no diamond-crusted toilets. Man, we are boring.

The Plastic Fantastic

I will admit it: I used to be afraid of plastic. Don't get me wrong, I love having a toddler, but I thought I could have him plus maintain a pristine, grown-up home, devoid of anything in a primary color that could be wiped down easily. Oh boy, did those dreams fade quickly...

Now that we're looking to buy a home with a big backyard (fingers crossed!) I'm actually excited about getting a big collection of fun outdoor toys for Dex to play with! Little Tikes is a great place to start. These are the classic toys I remember from when I was growing up, including the Cozy Coupe which I always wanted but never had (but I'm not bitter.) They've got a great selection of toys made here in the U.S.A., so you know the quality is top-notch.

I've been looking for great deals on Little Tikes gear, and hoping to pick up some wherever I can find it! Right now on the Parental Views Online Mag, there is a giveaway for a Little Tikes Builder's Bay Sand and Water table - check it out for your chance to win, or check out some of the other great reviews they have, by parents, for parents!

Witty for Sure

New Age Mama introduced me, via her blog, to what I think is my new favorite website. Have you seen BabyWit.com? I thought Threadless was clever, but BabyWit offers so much more than tee shirts. I'm browsing the site now and mentally composing Dex's Christmas list. Hey, while he's still too young to ask for anything, I am going to make sure he's stylish and cool.

Check out their site for more ridiculously awesome baby (and grown-up clothes) and gear. I am torn between the Bill Murray and Big Lebowski onesies.

Right now, visit New Age Mama's blog and you could win a $25 gift certificate to BabyWit!

The Very Useful Crew

If your toddler is anything like mine, your house is starting to look more and more like a depot these days. That's right, we've got trains on the brain! Fortunately, Thomas the Tank Engine is children's programming that I can enjoy with D. I have to say, I even found myself singing the theme song to myself on the way to work today! We catch episodes when we can on PBS, but as we let D watch a little more TV here and there, it's important to me to make sure that what he's watching is monitored - meaning no chances to change the channel to something inappropriate, and no commercials. We can wait a few more years before he's begging for toys and sugary cereals, thank you!

That's why Thomas the Tank Engine DVDs from HIT Entertainment are a great idea. I can pop one in for 20 minutes, D can enjoy something he truly loves (Train! Train!) and I can get a little something done around the house!

You can win a copy of the exclusive-to-DVD "Thomas and Friends: Creaky Cranky" right now at Sweeps4Bloggers.com!

Dress You Up in My Love

I have to say, I have...unconventional taste in children's clothing. I abhor baby blue. I have been known to lose some of the more "precious" items that people have purchased for Dex to wear. Let's just say I hope this kid turns out to be a little rocker and I dress him for the part!

I've been loving the music-themed tees at Target lately. So far, Dex has tee-shirts featuring Queen, AC/DC, and The Grateful Dead (pictured here.) I can't say he's truly a fan of any of these bands yet, but hopefully his parents' influence will push him in the right direction.

I think this is why I find the current collection from The Children's Place so appealing! It's Rock and Roll while still maintaining a little bit of cute to keep the grandparents happy. You can win a $25 gift card to The Children's Place right now at Serendipity Mommy - check it out! And if you win, maybe pick up a little something punk for Dex.

To Enter or Not To Enter?

As a new blogger/follower, I see tons of contests that I can enter to win all kinds of goodies. From shoes to shampoo, pet food to pyrotechnics (okay, maybe not pyrotechnics) you can win it all. Where do you draw the line? Do you enter a contest just to enter, or do you only enter to win the prizes you'd genuinely love to have? Let me know how you decide whether or not an entry is worth your time!

I'm doing my best to stick to entering only for things I would love to win! For example, check out this Guidecraft Transportation Table and Chairs and Toybox Giveaway on SerendipityMommy.com. Or don't, because that will decrease my odds of winning. As someone who is new at blogging and contesting, for a lack of a better word, I think this is how you do it. A great prize that is in demand (look at the number of entries so far!) because it is a great product. I'll be keeping my eye on this site for sure!

Ha! Might have to think twice about AdSense - they keep posting to buy Dexter on DVD. Not the same guy.

Time to Revive

It's been a while, baby! Thinking about what it means to be a mommy blogger, and wondering if I should get this puppy going again.