Would you like to transform a room of your house into a peaceful meditation room, a play room, an office, or maybe a room with sound proof walls where you can go when you need to scream*?  You have a chance to win $25,000 to renovate any room in your house! 

From January 28 to February 15 2008, one person per weekday will be announced on The View and win $25,000 to renovate any room in their house (cozy new living room or spa bathroom?). That is 16 $25,000 winners!!  The final contestant winner will be announced March 21st on the "Room–a–Day
Giveaway" website. Contestants can enter the sweepstakes daily by
filling out tear pads that will be distributed at retail stores
nationwide or via http://www.roomadaygiveaway.com/.

Good luck!

Click the widget below to enter the Room-A-Day-Giveaway contest or click on the Room a Day Giveaway link above.

*I’m not sure if the giveaway covers sound proof walls. 🙂 It would be nice though.

I’m sure you know the scenario.. you are trying to clean the dishes or organize the kitchen cabinets and your toddler wants nothing more than to help you.  Madelyn is a pro at trying to help me but it never fails that I don’t even finish the job when she ‘helps’. We end up in a different room doing something totally unrelated to what I wanted to do.  I decided that I had to come up with something for Madelyn to do on her own while I was cleaning.

During the warmer months we had a wide, short storage bin full of play sand on our front deck that Madelyn loved to play in.  While I was cleaning the kitchen a few days ago it occurred to me that she might be able to entertain herself for longer than two minutes if I put some warm water in the bin.  Knowing that there was a huge potential for water making its way out of the bin, I put an old bath mat on the floor first and a towel around the perimeter of the bin.  Needless to say, by the time all was said and done there was about a 3 foot area of water around the bin, she had painted the refrigerator with water, and she had generously ‘shared’ some water with her doll that isn’t supposed to get wet.  Oh well, I finished the kitchen and Madelyn had a good time playing by herself for a few minutes.

I love personalized gifts for kids and clothing is no exception.  Done right, personalized clothes can make passers by
say "awe" and Grandma and Grandpa run for their camera. 

My Princess Closet has done it right with the Bon Bon Corduroy Dress by Princess Linens. My Princess Closet recently sent Madelyn this adorable corduroy dress with her name monogrammed on it.  I am very impressed with the quality of the monogram, and the soft corduroy fabric which is perfect for cool weather.  The buttons on the shoulder make it easy to get the dress on and off and look really cute and the color combinations beautiful.

Available in two colors and sizes up to 4T your little girl is sure to feel like a princess in her very own, personalized Bon Bon Corduroy Dress. 

This dress starts at $60.  Customers who would like to have their child’s name monogrammed on the dress can choose from four fonts.

Visit My Princess Closet to view a larger image of this dress and browse their store.

I never thought I would hear my son (8 years old) ask me to blow dry him.

At first I thought he meant his hair. What 8 year old boy wants his hair blow dried?  He had just gotten out of the bathtub and was very cold.  Squatting on the bathroom floor with a towel wrapped around him and shivering, he asked me if I would blow dry him.  I thought why not blow dry his hair so he will warm up quickly?  It is after all a chilling 68 degrees in the house.  We went into the other bathroom where the blow dryer was and he stood up and dropped his towel!  I started to blow dry his hair and he said "no mom, blow dry ME! I’m freezing!"  After just about loosing my bladder control (laughing), I waved the blow dryer up and down as he spun around until he was dry.  His body was dry in not time but I was wrong to assume that he would actually let me blow dry his hair though!
Mommy Tip: Blow dry your kids when they get out of the bath to help them warm up quickly.  🙂

Just when I was coming to terms with the loss of my identity after being ‘just a mom’ for over 8 years, it paid
me a visit.  Mind you, a short visit, but it was nice getting acquanted
again after such a long time.

I dropped the kids off at my mother’s house a few days ago
after a frantic morning at home. I felt guilty but I needed time alone,
away from the kids.

After I left my mother’s house I went
straight to Be
st Buy to buy a new wireless mouse as the kids destroyed my last one. That is no one’s fault but my own though.  That in itself was a feat as I HATE
shopping.  I needed the mouse ASAP though, so I had to go to the store instead of buying the mouse online like I wish I could have.

After
getting over the hassle of having a shopping cart run into my car, I went inside Best Buy and was  shocked by
the number of people in the store. Whoa!  It was almost too much. I hadn’t been around so many people at one time in a long time. Sad.  I
went to the computer area, picked up the mouse I wanted, then thought I
would leave but I thought I might as well browse and enjoy myself while I was there.
I enjoyed being around other people of the non-parent variety.  It was nice to see different types of people other than parents, from young kids with spiked hair to college kids with their bellies showing.
I
browsed the store a bit, then after about 15 minutes I decided it was
time to go as I was being totally non-productive which I can’t have.

Continue reading Reward! Lost identity →