Daddy & His Hair

Just a little background on my husband:

1) Shortly after we began dating (back in 1999 when he was 21 years old) his hair started to thin. To this day, he likes to joke around and blame it on me (but trust me, it's in his genes). By 2005, he was shaving his head because he didn't like the look of receding hair line. Seeing as my son was born in 2006, he has only known his daddy to have a shaved head.

2) My husband is also part italian and has a thin layer of hair over his whole body. His hair is light, but it is there.

So now that you know the background, my poor husband is already taking abuse from his 4 year old son...

Here are 2 conversations we have had recently:

Conversation 1:

My son: Mommy, why didn't dinosaurs have fur?
Me: Because most likely it was too warm when the dinosaurs lived so they didn't need fur. Plus I believe dinosaurs were considered reptiles and those types of animals didn't have fur.
My son: So fur is used to help keep you warm?
Me: Yes, like dogs and cats - they have fur to help keep them warm. Lots of other animals have fur too.
My son: Do people have fur?
Me: No, people have hair. Like you and I have hair on our heads. That hair is used to help keep us warm too. But we also put on winter hats when it's very cold outside to help keep us warm. And when you get older, you will also get hair on your arms and legs like Daddy has.
My son: So Daddy doesn't need a winter jacket then? Daddy has hair on him to keep him warm. (This was said with a completely straight face - no joking at all).

Conversation 2:

My son walks by a shelf with a bunch of picture frames on them.
My son: Mommy, I love all the photos you have here.
Me: Thanks buddy!
My son: (picks up an old photo of my husband and I during college) Mommy, Daddy looks so funny in this picture! Look at his hair!!!! That looks so silly! (while he is almost in hysterics laughing). Daddy's not supposed to have hair on his head. I like Daddy in this picture better (the one from this past Christmas with his head freshly shaven).

Some of the funniest things come out of kids' mouths, huh? What funny things have your kids said?

Looking for Mommy Thoughts - Picking Out a Preschool

I think it is time for me to start letting go of my kids just a little bit. Since I stopped working after my second baby was born, I have had my kids home with me full-time. Although I may feel like I have officially gone crazy some days, I really do enjoy spending my days with my 3 children. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to stay home with them and watch them learn and grow on a daily basis.

But, my son did just turn 4 and I feel that he really should have the opportunity to attend preschool this fall to help prepare him for kindergarten the following year. I almost sent him last year when he was 3, but held back for various reasons (I enjoyed having him at home and wasn't ready to send him to school yet, during registration time last spring we were in preliminary stages of trying to move about an hour away so didn't want to sign him up to only have us move a month or so after he started, I had just had my 3rd baby and a few registration deadlines passed before I decided to just wait). But there are no excuses this year - I really do feel that he is ready and this will be a great opportunity for him. He is also asking me lots of questions about school (especially since all of his cousins currently go to school and he looks up to all of them) and seems very anxious to go himself.

Now when my son was first born and I knew I would have to go back to work, I did TONS of research on daycare centers in our area. I can't even count the number of centers that I visited (I remember the number of ones that I comfortable sending him to though - 1!). So far though, I find that looking for a day care center for a newborn is very different than looking for a preschool for a 4 year old. The things that I was very concerned about when he was a baby aren't even an issue anymore (SIDS, proper segregation of pacifiers/bottles (yes I did have 1 daycare tell me that they would not allow breastmilk in bottles in case any of the bottles got mixed up between the babies during the day!!!!), routine diaper changes, and an individual crib with our own sheets).

Now I am looking at the structure of their day, class size, discipline, the experience of the teachers, etc. I want to make sure that his day there will have a good mix of playtime (because I feel so many kids learn a lot through play) and structured learning time. I also want there to be music time and arts & crafts and outdoor play. I am wondering if the teachers make up official lesson plans and schedules for the kids each day, or are they just winging it? Will there be time for the teacher and I to talk about my son and his progress (or will I just be rushed out of there everyday)? If food is provided, is it healthy? If not, will I be able to send my son to school with a healthy alternative that I want him to eat. These are just some of the questions going through my head right now.

So I figured that since I am not the first mom to ever have to find a preschool for my son, I thought I would ask all of you other moms (and dads) out there for advice on finding a good preschool for us. Are there specific questions that you think I should be asking? Do you have any experiences you want to share that may be helpful for me with this process? Anything at all would be great!

Thanks!

Giveaways I've Found This Week

Here are some giveaways I've found over the past few days that I thought you might want to know about:

Are you a Twilight fan? I am. That's why I entered a giveaway for a New Moon Party Kit at Tara's Twilight Blog. Giveaway ends on 2/13.


Room To Inspire is giving away a Footed Pedestal - ends 2/7 so hurry on over!


Luvn Life is giving away a Aden and Anais sleeping bag of your choice. Giveaway ends on 2/28.

Here is a fun giveaway to enter at Fun On a Dime - it's for your choice of a Melissa & Doug Shape, Model and Mold kit or a Child Size Apron. In order to enter you need to make a snowman and send in your picture! Giveaway ends 2/16.

Heck of a Bunch is giving away a $25 gift card to Creative Toy Shop. Giveaway ends on 2/10. She is also giving away a pair of Women's Chenille Lounge Socks. This giveaway ends on 2/17.


Fairytales and Puppydog Tales has a Baby Shower Extravaganza going on right now (ending very soon actually!). Here are a couple of cool baby items she is giving away right now:
Halo Sleep Sack and Swaddle Blanket (ends 2/8)
A Modern Cloth Diaper with small Zipper Dry Bag from Cutey Baby (ends 2/11)
A Dittany Baby Baby Lua carseat cover (ends 2/14)

Newly Wed, Newly Bred has a few good giveaways too: $25 gift card to ecostore USA (ends 2/20) and a Softbums diaper (ends 2/20)

Rave & Review is giving away a pair of child Nowali moccasins. Giveaway ends on 3/4.

Good luck!!!!

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Review & Giveaway!

Until I became a stay at home mom, I rarely cooked dinner. It never really interested me - my husband used to cook on the weekends back then and we did LOTS of take-out during the week. Granted, we were both CPA's and worked crazy hours and were rarely home for dinner most nights. Now though, I really do enjoy cooking dinner and I love to try new things: whether it be recipes or types of foods. I also love to cook different things in order to give my kids a variety of food. I love for them to try new things - I'm trying so hard to not raise totally picky kids who won't try anything new.

I was very excited to find Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce and equally excited to have the opportunity to try it out with my family and share some with my readers! The day my Country Bob's sauce arrived in the mail, I had chicken breast defrosting for dinner that night. I had a few hours before dinner so quickly openned up the bottle and started to marinate the chicken. I was a little sad that my husband was traveling out of town that week because I had a feeling he would love it! (He loves BBQ!). I was also a little nervous because it was just the kids & I (and if the kids didn't like it, well I would have a lot of chicken leftover). And as much as I would love for my kids to not be picky, and I try hard to offer a variety of things each day, there are just days where they say they don't like it.

Well, when our chicken came out of the oven and I served it up (with some steamed brocolli and homemade baked french fries), the kids and I were in heaven! I couldn't believe it, but both my 4 year old son and 2 year old daughter ate every single piece of chicken I gave them (and actually asked for seconds - that's unheard of from them!). I must say, that the sauce was delicious! It isn't as sweet as barbeque sauce but definitely not as bold as a steak sauce. It was the perfect mix of sweet, tangy and a little spice. Of course, as soon as my husband returned from his business trip, his first meal at home was some chicken with Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce (I know it sounds silly, but I cooked the same meal because I thought it was so good the first time and I was bummed he missed out on it). My husband LOVED it!!!!!! He said it was the best sauce he has ever tasted. (wow, huh?)

About Country Bob's (from their website):
In 1968 Country Bob perfected the sauce of his dreams. After years of giving the sauce to friends and family he began to sell it in 1977. The reaction was overwhelming just as it is today. Almost everyone who tries Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce becomes a lifelong user. And why not, it is the perfect complement to practically any meal set on your table.

Also, did you know that if you have not tried Country Bobs yet, you can go to their website and request a coupon for a free bottle to try!

So are you interested in trying some Country Bob's All-Purpose Sauce? Here is how you can:

Buy it ~ You can buy Country Bobs online in cases or just pick up a bottle at you local store
Win it ~ Two lucky readers will win 2 bottles of Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce.
To Enter ~ Go to Country Bobs and find what recipe you would like to try. This entry must be completed first before or your extra entries will be deleted.

Extra Entries:
1) Follow Country Bob's on twitter
2) Follow my blog publicly
3) Follow me on twitter and tweet this giveaway (can be tweeted once per day for an additional entry)
4) Blog about this giveaway (2 extra entries - just leave 2 separate comments below)

5)Add me to your blog roll
6) Enter another giveaway I have going on
7) Leave a comment on any other non-giveaway post (1 entry for each comment left on a separate post)

Giveaway is open to US only and ends on 2/28 at midnight. Thank you Country Bob's for sponsoring this giveaway and thank you to The Product Review Place for linking me up with Country Bob's!

Disclosure: I was given this product for free for the purpose of reviewing it. I did not receive monetary compensation and all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Make Laundry Time Better with a New Frigidaire Affinity Washer and Dryer

How much would you LOVE to win a brand new Frigidair Affinity Washer & Dryer? I know I would!!!!! Lucky for us, Frigidaire is giving away 3 more sets of washer and dryers between now and April. All you have to do is play their Spin & Win game to enter to win! And even better, each day that you play their Spin & Win game, Frigidaire will be donating $1 to Save the Children.

Here is a little background information on the Spin & Win game: Frigidaire and Jennifer Garner have teamed up to support Save the Children's U.S. Programs,which are dedicated to help children that are living in poverty in the U.S. The Spin & Win game gives me & you the opportunity to win gift cards for spending quality time with our children - whether it's curling up with some new books, starting a craft project or watching a family movie. A prize will be given away every day! And then at the end of each month, they are also giving away a brand new Frigidaire Affinity washer and dryer, with time-saving features that give you more time for the important things in life.

And like I said before, every time you play, Frigidaire will donate $1 to Save the Children, as part of their $250,000 commitment to support Save the Children's CHANGE program, dedicated to providing nutritious snacks and promoting healthier lifestyles for children living in poverty in the United States. Once you spin, there are also opportunities for bonus entries by sharing links to their game via twitter and facebook.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over to http://www.maketimeforchange.com/ and start spinning!

Disclosure: I was not given any compensation or product for this post. I am a member of MomSelect and was asked (If I wanted) to share in spreading the word about this great campaign. By sharing, I am entered into a drawing for a brand new Frigidaire Washer and dryer.

A Black Tie Affair Giveaway Ends Today!

My giveaway for a copy of A Black Tie Affair ends today. I will have 5 winners so make sure you click here to enter before midnight tonight!



Good luck!

Aloha Friday - Plastic Surgery

From Kailani at An Island Life:

In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too. Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response.

If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your link HERE. Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

I'm sitting here watching a news segment about plastic surgery, so my question today is, would you (or have you already) have plastic surgery?

As much as I don't like seeing the little signs of aging that I keep spotting on me, and even though there are certain body parts that I wish were either bigger or smaller or shaped differently, I don't think I would ever be able to go through with it. But that's just me...