You’ve heard of Chicco, that Italian baby gear brand, and right now they’re having a contest of their own where they’re giving away one stroller every day for the month of September. To enter, just fill out this entry form — you do need to answer all 9 of their questions in order for your entry to be valid, but it looks to me like that would take me about one minute to do. You don’t have to write out answers, just click little buttons :) The sooner you enter, the more chances you have to win, so get cracking.

And since I am always looking out for you, if you don’t win one directly from the fine folks at Chicco, check back here soon and I’ll be giving one away too. Yes, that’s right, you’ll get a chance to win a fancy-pants European stroller. Thank me later :)

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My First Jumbo Book On The Go

When Chip, my 2 year old, first got this book he refused to put it down or share it with his big brothers. I mean, it’s got cars, trucks, helicopters, buses, fire engines, ambulances - all his favorite things.

But wait there’s more, it even has popup pages, sliding parts, and all those fancy page tricks that I’m amazed can be done in a mass-produced book. The pages are thick, shiny and sturdy and give me hope that this book will last for quite a long time

Chip insists on having this book in his crib with him every night, and frequently when I go check on him before I go to bed, he’ll have fallen asleep under it. I could even describe the shape of the dent this leaves on his sleeping face, but that’s probably not information you’re going to need in order to make your purchasing decision…

So I’ll just say that this is a really fun book and I highly recommend it for any child in your life who has an obsession with all things vehicular.

Good Night, Sleep Tight

There’s a pocket in the book that houses a tiny, soft blanket, and while you read the story, the child gets to tuck in all the animals for bedtime. When I first saw this book I thought it was going to be just a silly gimmick, but all three of my boys love it.

Chip, 2.5, enjoys saying goodnight to the animals and making sure they’re comfy in bed, and Mike, 5, has noticed some interesting details in the illustrations. (I won’t spoil it for you, but as you turn the pages, just pay attention to the stuffed toys that each of the animals sleeps with.)

This is a sweet, calming book that is great at bedtime.

Five Little Ducks

This board book tells the story of five little ducks and is great for learning basic counting as well as just being fun to read.

Five little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the pond and far away.
Mother Duck said,
“Quack, quack, quack…”
But only four little ducks came back.

And as a surprise at the end, opening the final page (spoiler!) shows all the ducks coming back and the book quacks. This never fails to get a laugh out of Chip! There are lots of other books in this series that feature shapes, colors, and other “countables” like stars. If you’re looking for a durable board book to make your child laugh, check this one out.

Scholastic sent me these books, but they’re all available at Amazon through the above links for pretty reasonable prices.

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Remember when Easy Spirit had that commercial featuring women playing basketball in conservative-looking pumps? It was an effective way to demonstrate how comfortable their shoes were on your feet, but it never made me want to run out and grab a pair for myself.

Enter the 20th anniversary of Easy Spirit shoes, and you now find that in addition to making supremely comfy shoes, they are focusing on providing up-to-date styles as well.

Don’t believe me? Check out their new Wedge Clogs. I would totally wear these - would you?

I hope so, because I’m giving a pair away!

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post between now and 5pm Pacific Thursday, September 27, and you’re entered into the random drawing - simple! Details.

Popularity: 72% [?]

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Today is the official launch of this blog and I couldn’t be more excited! It has been a supreme pleasure working with Wendy while she burnt the midnight oil to launch this new blog network, and I can tell that the fun is just beginning.

But enough about me, what’s in it for you? Hmmm… Well, I like to give stuff away, so that’s pretty sweet, right? I like to give you a heads-up when I find stuff you can’t live without — aw shucks, you’re welcome. And I also love to tell you when I find products that really don’t measure up so you steer clear of them and save your money.

Let’s start this site off right

I’m launching a big giveaway today: three people will each win a two month supply of diapers! The only thing worse than changing a poop-filled diaper is the realization that you paid for the privilege, so for two months you’ll be on easy street. Or at least not paying for diapers… So go enter already.

Don’t have kids in diapers?

No problem. Stay tuned for upcoming giveaways of shoes, books, movies, toys, and more. It’s going to be fun. Are you ready?

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I freely admit it: I have only ever used Huggies diapers. Mainly because they are easy to get at our local warehouse store, they’re easy to find online, and they’re what our daycare uses.

It isn’t the most scientific method for trying out new products, but it is what I had done for the past 5 years until I was recently contacted by LUVS. They wanted my son Chip — he’s 2.5 — to try out their new diapers. They have just added stretchy side panels to give a better fit, and I thought Chip was just the dynamo to give them a serious run for their money.

The new diapers arrived and the first thing Chip said was “Look Mommy — it’s Blue!” Being a big fan of Blues Clues, the character decoration was a big hit.

The first thing I noticed, however, was that they were scented. I was initially disappointed, but it turned out to be no big deal. The scent was stronger when I first opened the package, but now I rarely notice it. I’m very picky about scented items, and these don’t bother me at all.

The new side panels, the “Bear Hug Stretch”, were definitely stretchy enough to accommodate my incredibly active toddler, but of course, with diapers the number one (ha ha) question is: do they keep the hazardous materials contained? And to that question I can answer a hearty “Yes.” Chip didn’t notice a difference and was as comfortable as ever. I didn’t have to change him more often than usual, and frankly that made me comfortable as well.

So they sound good, right? Want some?

That’s right, I’m giving a BUNCH of diapers away. Whoo hoo!

Would you like a 2 month supply of these new LUVS diapers in Size 3? That’s 8 boxes — 32 packs of 40 diapers. WOW!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post before 5pm Pacific time on Wednesday, September 26th and you’ll be entered to win. I’ll randomly choose THREE winners and you’ll each get your SIZE 3 diapers in the mail. Did I mention these diapers are size 3? Just checking… Details.

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The folks at LEGO sent my kids one of their LEGO Mosaic Kits and I have to say I am impressed. Not only are they more fun than I thought they would be, but they have lead my kids to use their LEGOs in a whole new way.

The set comes with a clear, flat LEGO board that you set on top of one of a number of included paper patterns. You then use those tiny, square LEGOs to create a mosaic. Very cool! And now my boys have yet another LEGO-ing technique under their belt. I may never get them out of the playroom at this rate…

I’d also like to mention a contest that LEGO is having where you have a chance to win $5,000. Just go to Lego Creation Nation and click where it says “Creativity Awards.” Entries must be received by Monday, September 17, 2007, so get cracking!

And just to spice things up, I’m having a giveaway too. Just leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a cute LEGO keychain. You’ll be the coolest parent or teacher on the block… well until they see you drive away in your minivan.

Leave a comment on this post by 5pm Pacific time, Tuesday, September 25th and you’ll be entered to win one of three LEGO keychains. Details.

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