Inspirational

Seriously, she's 53. I should totally join the roller derby… aside from what a lousy skater I have always been, that is. And my dislike of going fast. Still, those skates and fishnets are pretty stinking cute!

Gummy Lump Toys

When I was pregnant with Roo, I had a vision of a rambling ranch house that looked like something out of Dwell magazine, with a few casually scattered wooden blocks and maybe one of those bentwood, vaguely anthropomorphic rocking toys perched proudly upon a flokati in front of a flagstone fireplace. Alas, that picturesque vision of parenthood has been sullied by the realities of baby swings and walkers and primary and pastel-colored space-takers masquerading as playthings and, not least, actual children who leave rainbow colored trails of toy detritus strewn in their wake.

I've come to the conclusion that I should have started off parenthood with a zero-tolerance policy on plastic tchotkes. It definitely would have helped my state of mind. As it is, I am overwhelmed by the STUFF that a baby can accumulate. And when they start actually interacting with toys, it just snowballs. I think those Waldorf parents, with their focus on nature and naturally-derived playthings, might not be crazy hippies, after all…

Of course, prior to my first pregnancy I had no idea there were retailers like Gummy Lump Toys who specialize in experiential play instead of branded, packaged toys. The emphasis is on usefulness and fun, instead of sheer consumerism. Good toys don't have to be expensive, just well-curated.



Gummy Lump Toys sent me a set of wooden blocks that trump all other sets I have seen. The Russian Block set features arches and domes to inspire little builders for hours. It comes with 55 blocks, each carved out of maple and smooth and appealing to the touch. I want to build basilicas with these blocks, and I have never been much of a wannabe architect.



Gummy Lump carries a wide variety of blocks and building toys, at a variety of price points. You can choose natural wood finishes or a rainbow of colors. (I wish I had confined my kids to a palette of neutrals early on, but that's just me…) Everything from basic shapes to kooky architectural wonders- Mayan and Egyptian pyramids, castles galore, Roman arches and everything in-between.

If your kids' toybox isn't already a lost cause, you owe it to yourself to check out Gummy Lump Toys!

Just Say WEN

My hair has been a total nightmare since my kids were born. I swear I have less hair than I used to before I was a mom and what I do have left is limp, lifeless and thin. To make matters worse, I am obsessive about washing it every day, which only adds to its dry, flyaway charm. Not to mention the dry, windy climate in Kansas isn't particularly easy on the old follicles. I am always on the lookout for new haircare products as potential miracle workers, so I was excited when I was asked to review samples of WEN by Chaz Dean.



WEN takes a drastically different approach to haircare by eliminating shampoo. No, you don't leave your hair dirty, but instead of stripping your delicate hair follicles with harsh lathering detergents and chemicals, it introduces a single product: WEN Cleansing Conditioner. I was skeptical and I have to admit that I initially missed the sudsing action but once I relaxed and let the gorgeous sweet almond mint scent wash over me, it felt good. And it did make my hair feel softer and fuller, especially after using it for about a week.



I also loved the additional products included with home delivery of the WEN by Chaz Dean system. The wide tooth shower comb really works well to distribute the WEN Cleansing Conditioner and Re Moist Intensive Hair Repair Mask, which can be used in tandem. WEN Styling Creme is a non-sticky gel/lotion that can be used to hold styles and also to add polish after styling. The only item that wasn't such a great fit for me was the WEN Texture Balm, which is sort of a waxy pomade in stick form. I think would work better for people with shorter hair, especially men, or for more layered, piecey long hair styles. After a couple of weeks using WEN by Chaz Dean, my hair does indeed feel and look healthier.

Order the WEN® Healthy Hair Care System 30-day supply in Sweet Almond Mint for only $29.95 plus $5.95 s&h. You'll receive your first 30-day supply with free bonuses, and you’ll automatically receive a new 90-day supply delivered to your home every three months, locked in at the discount price of just $29.95 a month plus $7.95 s&h per shipment.

I did some online searching and it looks like there are other Wen by Chaz Dean Haircare fragrances available, too: Cucumber Aloe, Tea Tree, Lavender, and the one I'd like to try next, Fig!

Robot Love

Jasper is obsessed with robots. Seriously obsessed. He and Roo are both gigantic fans of My Life as a Teenage Robot, so I thought I would try to see if it's available on DVD. Apparently not (although the first season is available on iTunes), but there is a dizzying amount of fan art online dedicated to XJ9, aka Jenny Wakeman. Or "Bobot Grrrl," as Jasper likes to refer to her.

It's a couple of years before I imagine he'll be hanging pin-ups on his walls (thank goodness) but this cartoon by XJKenny cracked me up because it features his two loves: Jenny from MLaaTR and Bumblebee from the Transformers Animated series.



Obviously it doesn't take much to amuse me these days.

Misty Beethoven DVD review (adult)

The following review/giveaway is for adult eyes only because it involves sex. Mommy and daddy sex. (Everyone under 18 just clicked away, right?) No super explicit stuff here but the links might contain NSFW content. Consider yourself warned.



Babeland sent me a DVD of The Opening of Misty Beethoven and I hemmed and hawwed about watching it. I'm not much of a porn viewer, especially now that we have kids. Whenever we actually have time to sit down and watch a movie, it's more likely to be something that won't incite us to any… action, if you know what I mean. Contemporary porn freaks me out, what with all the fake boobs and fake tans and hairlessness in high resolution digital. At least seventies-era porn has a kitsch factor to go along with the gratuitous sex, with its deliberate artfulness (storylines! scripted dialogue! shot on film! actual acting!), cool soundtracks and funky hairdos and way-out clothes…



The Opening of Misty Beethoven was released in 1976 and it's a pornographic retelling of the Pygmalion/My Fair Lady story. Actually, it's basically Pretty Woman with penetration and no moral agenda. The cinematography and acting are impressive and the acting is surprisingly good but it is hardcore pornography, so there is definitely a gross-out factor. Still, the dialogue is witty and amusing. If you're going to watch porn, you might as well watch some that's could almost pass as a real movie.

The Opening of Misty Beethoven, $24.99 at Babeland.com- free shipping on orders over $50 through August 31st.

Don't forget to enter Babeland's Summer Love Sex Toy Contest, which also ends on August 31st. You could win your wish list, up to $500 worth!



Probably TMI but here's my Babeland toy wish list:

1. Sasi - $185/ now on sale for $148 - Sleek, modern design combine with intuitive technology that remembers what you like. Wow!

2. We-Vibe - $130 - Waterproof, rechargeable, and meant for a couple to use together…

3. Pure Wand - $108 - Is it art or is it a sex toy? I'd like to find out.

4. Better Than Chocolate - $80 - I'd like to see if it lives up to its name.

5. Hello Kitty Vibrator - $40 - I actually was given one as a gag gift from a friend's trip to Japan about 15 years ago. The cuteness is unbelievable. See for yourself:

Roo's New Addiction (free offer)

Last Christmas, one thing kept appearing on the top of Roo's lists for Santa: Puppy in My Pocket. I knew she was obsessed with dogs but when she kept scrawling it all over, I assumed it was something she'd made up. Umm, no. Puppy in My Pocket is a line of teeny-tiny flocked puppies (and kitties and ponies and jungle animals, and now babies!!! scroll down for a picture…) that are ultra-collectible in the preschool/kindergarten/early elementary school girl world. You can even wear them as charms these days. Who knew?



Now Roo's discovered Pocketville, an online world where kids can play games, decorate their own environment, and adopt virtual "In My Pocket" pets. She loves creating and making over her own avatar and playing the free games to earn Paw Points to buy food and toys for her puppy, BoneCupcake.



Pocketville is 100% secure and no open chatting is permitted. All users are anonymous and can't share personal details with other players. Kids can learn responsibility by taking care of their virtual pets and virtual piggy bank account. I think it is helping Roo to learn hand-eye coordination and keyboard/mouse skills, too. The only drawback I can see with Pocketville is that Roo wants to monopolize my computer all the time now…

BlueSuitMom got us started in Pocketville with a voucher for 250 free tokens and the same offer is available for everyone! Simply use code B9GX8NUDYS when you register to play in Pocketville. (Offer expires on September 30th, 2009.)

The Big Click– Sam's Club Giveaway

***WINNERS PICKED 1/2 WITH RANDOM.ORG***
***CONGRATULATIONS!!!***

#9 Tamara B. (non-blogger)
(she also wins the $25 Sam's gift card for being first random comment selected!)
#6 Mannequin
#12 windycindy (non-blogger)
#20 Keonte' S
#2 Independent Mami





Now through September 4, shopping at Sam's Club can help you maximize your school's earnings with bonus Box Tops for Education coupons on your favorite back-to-school items (including Cheerios, Ziploc containers, Ziploc sandwich bags, Honey Nut Cheerios, Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookies, Fiber One Oats and Chocolate Bars, Nature Valley Bars, Scott Paper Towels, Huggies Baby Wipes and Kleenex Facial Tissues).



Buying school supplies in bulk can also help you save a lot of money when compared to regular grocery store prices, easily covering the cost of your annual Sam's Club membership. A 10-pack of Kleenex tissues (for wiping all those runny noses throughout the year) retails for $12.98 and will earn 20 Box Tops for your school! My personal favorite is the Betty Crocker® Ultimate Chocolate Brownie Mix-4pk, which I like to keep in the house AT ALL TIMES. I justify stockpiling it because it costs just $6.58 (less than it would cost to buy all the ingredients from scratch) and earns 10 Box Tops for Roo's school. It's philanthropic to gorge on brownie cookies, people…

Box Tops for Education is also giving away one million Bonus Box Tops to America's schools: enter The Big Clip Sweepstakes for a chance to win the Grand Prize (500,000 Bonus Box Tops) or one of two first prizes (250,000 Bonus Box Tops)!



My BlogSpark has provided me with a free one-year membership pass to Sam's Club to take advantage of the savings and help spread the word about the Sam's Club and Box Tops for Education BIG CLIP campaign. My BlogSpark and Sam's Club would like to offer five of my readers one-day passes to see how many Box Tops coupons you can collect for the school of your choice. Additionally, one of those five winners will also receive a $25 Sam's Club gift card.

To enter and win a day pass or $25 gift card to Sam's Club, please comment on this post with your favorite way to earn Box Tops for Education or what your school's Box Tops earning goal is this year. There will be five day pass winners and one of them will also receive a $25 gift card.



Entries will be accepted through September 4th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person, please.
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!***

Winged Migration

Here's a video Bob filmed of birds in flight last fall. Crazy little critters.

Wordless Wednesday- Fresh Image Visuals

All of these pictures were taken by Kevin of Fresh Image Visuals, who is much more patient than I could possibly imagine. Believe me when I tell you my kids are not the most willing subjects. (Roo made the poor guy check out her room and meet her fish and Jasper wouldn't sit still so he had to chase him down, literally.) Obviously, being a trained professional makes a big difference: these photos are a step above my usual WW fare. Tweet Kevin @freshwichita for rates and more information about making your kids look pleasant to be around…



Share your own pictures this week at Wordless Wednesday HQ!

Bag It Up

I have a new crush. It's the Elliott Lucca Zooey Hobo in pyrite metallic and it makes my knees weak. Call me fickle but I wouldn't say no to her plus-sized sisters, the Zooey Shopper or the Zooey Drawstring. I'm a sucker for the shiny, what can I say?



Deal Alert! Get 5% off anything on the Elliott Lucca website if you take their Customer Survey.

And NY fashionistas, FYI:

The Sak, Elliott Lucca and sakroots (eco-friendly bags) Sample Sale

Thursday, September 10th 9-5 pm and Friday, September 11th 9-3 pm
339 5th Avenue, 2nd Floor (between 33rd and 34th)
Bags range from $5-$60
Subway: 34th Street at Broadway– NRW, FV
212.329.4500
American Express, Visa and Mastercard and Cash accepted; No checks please.

Sample sale highlights: The Sak signature leather styles including crossbodys, satchels and totes. Sakroots eco-friendly styles including drawstrings and hobos. And Elliott Lucca leather and woven leather totes, demis and satchels.

Virtual Sandwich Swap'n'Share

MomSelect clued me in to an easy way to help raise money for Feeding America (formerly known as America's Second Harvest), the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity: a virtual Sandwich Swap 'n' Share program sponsored by Hellmann's and Best Foods.



Together with Billy Ray Cyrus (Hannah Montana's dad!), the venerable mayonnaise makers are encouraging Americans to share virtual sandwiches via the Sandwich Swap'n'Share Facebook application. For every sandwich created as part of the virtual Sandwich Swap 'n' Share program on Facebook, Hellmann's and Best Foods will donate 7 lunches to Feeding America. If charity isn't your scene (you cold-hearted brute!), remember that each sandwich created will automatically enter you for a chance to win a $250 grocery store gift certificate. Do-gooders and social media addicts alike can feel good knowing that for every friend on Facebook that you share your sandwich with, Hellmann's and Best Foods will donate an additional 7 lunches to Feeding America. Not a bad trade-off for a few clicks of the mouse.

My sandwich is called the Grilled Yumness and includes a bunch of grilled peppers and sausages on focaccia, plus Hellman's Mayonnaise Dressing With Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is my condiment of choice. By posting about the Sandwich Swap'n'Share program for MomSelect, I am eligible to win a $250 grocery store gift certificate and a 6-month supply of mayonnaise. Just so you know.

A Parent is Born

My mom says she used Pampers with me, although I can't remember, obviously. I've always been partial to Pampers, even though our birth care center distributed the other big brand. They fit Roo and Jasper best and provided the best leak protection. Both of my kids are prone to skin irritation from dyes and fragrances and I wish that Swaddlers Sensitive had been available when they were infants. We still use Sensitive Wipes for Jasper and flushable Kandoo Sensitive wipes for Roo.

Anyway, I tend to think pretty highly of Pampers (especially their funding of UNICEF projects in Africa with the lovely and talented Salma Hayek) so when I was asked to view their new web series about pregnancy, I didn't hesitate. "A Parent is Born" is a 12-part documentary about real-life couple Suzie and Steve and their journey to parenthood. Now, I have watched many an early '80s-era educational film about pregnancy and childbirth and this is thankfully nothing like them. It's heartwarming in a realistic way, not a cheesy, eye-rolling way… kind of like watching home videos, actually. It's easy to identify with the couple, especially with chapter 9 ( "The Racing Minds of Pregnant Parents") which shows the emotional teeter totter that expectant parents are on, balancing excitement with abject fear and worrying. You generally don't see that on tv…



If you're expecting your first child or you know somebody who is, "A Parent is Born" is definitely worth checking out. Each episode is about four minutes long, so it's not a major time commitment. It might give future dads a heads-up on what to expect, too, without too much of the fluffy baby stuff.

Back to School with TwitterMoms and My Coke Rewards

Roo started kindergarten today. It's the same school she was at for preschool last year, so she knows all of the kids in her class and the teachers, but it was still a bit daunting for her. And for me! I kept feeling like I was forgetting something but I guess she will let me know when I pick her up. And how!

I'm trying to be more involved with her school this year so I am keeping my eyes open for new fundraising opportunities. We already save labels for rewards but I was surprised to find out that Coca Cola (and sister brand Sprite!) offers a program to use My Coke Rewards for Schools. We already save the codes from our out-of-control Diet Coke habit but it's nice to know that I could turn our addiction into school supplies. They have everything from construction paper to gym equipment. I just need to get our school registered in the program!



Sprite and TwitterMoms are partnering to give you My Coke Rewards points that you can use towards lots of rewards for yourself, or donate to your child’s school via the My Coke Rewards for Schools program. To participate, just write a post on your own blog about your back-to-school experience and share tips with your readers. Then install the Sprite/TwitterMoms Back to School widget (above), and you’ll automatically get 500 My Coke Rewards bonus points.

Sprite is also giving you a chance to win cash! Every ten minutes through August 31st, Sprite is giving away up to $100 cash (as downloadable eCash from MasterCard or as a check reward redeemable at a network of retailers). Once you're registered for My Coke Rewards, type in 100876829464 to see if you’re an instant winner! The code can be used once per individual.

The Problem with America

280,000 viewers tuned in for President Obama's National Health Care Forum this week, to learn more about the struggles we face in trying to create a universal healthcare system to cover each and every American.

4.2 million viewers tuned in for the season premiere of Project Runway to see who will be in or who will be Auf't.

For the record, I watched both. (I liked Carol Hannah's dress best, in case you were wondering.) But I can't help but think it's so important for all Americans to listen to what the President has to say about what is already a seriously flawed healthcare situation, regardless of where you stand on the reform issue. I am personally of the opinion that some change has to happen– our insurance costs us almost six hundred dollars a month, plus we have a $25 copay, and our expenses just for having natural childbirth in a hospital still cost $8000. (And that was Roo, who didn't have any health issues! Jasper's birth was even more expensive since he developed breathing issues and was kept in the NICU for an extra week.) We need a way to make sure every American can afford to go to the doctor before it becomes an issue and doesn't avoid seeking treatment because of prohibitive costs. Reduce emergency visits and promote preventative care. It just seems like common sense. I'm not sure how to effect that change with the least impact on our taxes but I want to hear from anyone who has ideas about it before I yell "NO!!!" and run screaming.

Tarte Bargain Weekend

Yesterday, my mom asked me if I was going someplace, why I was so dressed up. I was wearing a t-shirt and a gym skort with my hair wet from the shower. I know I am usually pretty slovenly these days but it was a little unexpected. I didn't think I had extended any unusual effort.

"You look so nice!" she gushed, "are you wearing makeup?"
My mom is not prone to obsequious compliments so I was sort of suspicious.

"Uh, no. Well, I do have on some concealer and a little blush…"

"You look like you have eye makeup on! You look like you're going out or something."

"Umm no. Just concealer and blush."

"Can you go get it? I want to try it on!"

So I ran upstairs and got my secret weapons: Tarte dark circle defense natural under eye corrector and natural beauty cheek stain. The dark circle defense comes with its own brush that lets you get the coverage you need without being too cakey or mask-like. The blurb on the website claims that dark circle defense "is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of eye puffiness in just 4 weeks. Finely milled light refracting minerals actually brighten skin to help camouflage dark circles, puffiness, refness, fine lines and wrinkles." I honestly don't doubt it. My saggy baggy eyes are looking a bit brighter these days. I was surprised because there are only two shades offered and my skin tone is usually pretty hard to match but the medium-to-deep shade worked on me and on my darker-skinned, tan-loving mom.



The cheek stain is in a no-brainer push up stick that you can dab on anywhere (I like it on my cheeks and lips) and blend with your fingers. There are a dozen or so cheek stain shades to choose from, but the natural beauty is their completely-green version, with natural ingredients and colorants and their proprietary T5 blend of antioxidant superfruits. Even the packaging is recyclable! And the shade is totally perfect, despite looking like a black cherry push-up pop; you can use it sheer or layer it on for a richer color. Seriously, Tarte has made makeup so simple that even I can do a passable job.



My mom was so impressed, she decided she needed to order a zillion things off the Tarte website. You should, too, if you're in the market for beauty products: Through Monday, August 24th, you can get 40% off of everything in the store (even the super covetable Femme Fatale eye palate pictured below) by using code FF09 at checkout.

Sick of the SIGG

Z Recommends posted an informative, albeit disheartening, article about SIGG knowingly distributing water bottles that contained hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). Shock! Horror!!! Don't these people know that new parents were buying their supposedly safe bottles in droves largely because of the BPA scare?! Unbelievable.

Of course, the Kids in the Hall knew long ago not to trust those wily Swiss…

Jillian Michaels Slimdown

Let's get physical!

Buying Time

Accent Furniture Direct is an online retailer with an unimaginably huge selection of quality home furnishings, most at a significant discount. I was given the opportunity to choose any item from their vast home decor department to review and it was actually a difficult decision… I kept finding tons of stuff I'd like to try out! In the end I decided on a wall clock because the cheapo one in our kitchen has been reading 2 o'clock for several months now. There are over 2000 wall clocks offered at Accent Furniture Direct but luckily you can narrow your search by style, materials, brand, shape, price range, etc. It's a lot of fun to pore through all of the choices but a little exhausting!



I ended up choosing the Glenna Jean Metal Wall Clock, which has a lovely mid-century modern feel. It lists for $147 but Accent Furniture Direct has it for $75.38! Wow. I can't wait to see what it's like in person! I'll be sure to tell you all about it when it gets here.

Have You Met Space Monkey?

My pal Laura from Mums the Wurd has started a new retail venture called Space Monkey. They have a really great contest going on right now so I thought I'd let her tell you about it:



Some people have asked me, “So, what exactly IS Space Monkey? What are you selling?” Well, The Space Monkey Shop offers 12″ x 12″ canvas artwork that comes ready to hang for children’s rooms. (Custom sizes are also available. Just contact us for pricing on larger or smaller items. Imagine the image pictured as a 36″ x 36″ print. Cool, eh?) The prints are as clear and swell looking in person as they are on our website. Our artists have worked together for over 25 years, creating animation, graphic design, and film productions, so you can rest assured that your purchase from Space Monkey will be of the utmost quality. You know that little mouse known as Chuck E. Cheese? THEY DESIGNED HIM! They also create kitschy artwork for adults too. (You can find the big kid’s stuff here.)

As you can see, we only have a few series up right now, but Dan & Charlie are busy creating more art for you and your children to enjoy…

We want to know what you’d like to see in The Space Monkey Shop! And that’s not all…we’re hosting a contest to get the idea wheels turning! Here’s how it works:

Become a Fan of Space Monkey on Facebook, and post your ideas for a series or a design that you would like to see available in our online shop, or follow us on Twitter & DM us your idea, OR enter through MumsTheWurd HERE. We’ll pick one, make it available in the store, and GIVE YOU ONE 12 x 12 limited edition signed/numbered print on archival art paper FREE.

Yes, your idea will be rendered, you will get one of your very own, and your idea will remain in our store. Who knows, we might even name it after you! No idea is too far-out (as long as it’s family friendly): We are SPACE MONKEYS, after all! Now, conjure up some cool ideas and tell them to us! The deadline to enter is September 15th, 2009. Enter now!

FYI- Here's Jasper's favorite, Ro-Bit!

Complete the Cycle - Wash Day Giveaway

***WINNERS PICKED 8/31 WITH RANDOM.ORG***
***CONGRATULATIONS!!!***
#83 Sylvia
#25 Jocelyn
#2 Keonte'
#55 Carolyn G
#111 Tina






I can't say I really enjoy doing laundry. While we have a laundry room, it doesn't have any space to fold laundry unless you count the tops of the machines, which I don't since you can't put another load into the washer without moving everything. (Chalk up another reason why I should have gotten a front-loader set, aside from the fact that the contractors obviously thought I was getting one since they left so much vertical space for the washer and dryer to cohabitat in.)



The sad truth is my laundry tends to accumulate on the kitchen table until I get around to folding it:



I try to fold it in a timely fashion, since we can't eat at the table with all the laundry piled up and also because the cats find clean laundry irresistible to sleep on. That being said, there's a load on the table right now, waiting for me to finish writing this post and get on with the folding! Folding is obviously my least favorite part of my own laundry regimen but the part I love is shopping for and trying out new laundry products. I recently received a $25 gift card to do some laundry product shopping and I headed out to do some damage. Here's what I ended up with:



I'm pretty loyal to my laundry brands but sometimes I like to shake things up a bit. The bug spray has actually been my staunchest foe in the laundry wars this summer. My husband loves to garden and work in the yard and with all the rain we've had, we've developed a huge mosquito population. He douses himself liberally in the strongest DEET concentration sprays he can find… ironic since his garden is all organic. Anyway, the stuff leaves an icky residue and cloying scent on his clothes so I've been washing his laundry separately from the kids' things. Roo has sensitive skin and gets rashy if I use scented products on her laundry. That makes me sad because I love the way scented detergents and softeners can lift your mood. Oh, well. I use the frou frou scents for Daddy's yucky outside clothes and get a vicarious aromatherapeutic thrill while folding them. Yes, I do realize I used the word thrill while describing laundry. My life is that exciting.



Something that is exciting is the Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide, a super-handy laundry cheat sheet compiled by Clorox. This clever guide features tips to streamline your laundry regimen as well as concise explanations of what laundry additives are appropriate for which jobs. I know that my family has always used dryer sheets while Bob's family doesn't. I think most people tend to stick to what they know, laundry-wise, so it's nice to have a reference that isn't biased by nostalgia or tradition. The Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide was created with input from Collective Bias, an online community that I enjoy sharing my opinions with. They sent me this impressive gift laundry basket yesterday:



This Laundry Regimen Kit consists of a hamper filled with Gain Laundry Detergent, Downy Ultra, Clorox 2 Ultra, a Clorox Bleach Pen, Clorox Bleach coupon, a laminated copy of the Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide and a Flip Fold Ultimate Folding Tool. I haven't had the chance to try out any of the detergents yet (the Gain smells great!) but I have a feeling we might use the Clorox Bleach Pen for crafts (and I head acid-wash, bleach-embellished denim is making a comeback… shudder) very soon and the laminated Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide is already clipped to the cabinet above my washer. I can't believe I am hoping for the kids to stain something! My husband was also entranced by the wonders of the Flip Fold, which is funny since he usually leaves all of the laundry to me. (This is a good thing, typically, since the last time he got near the washer he put a camping backpack in it and it caused $300 worth of damage to the machine. Awesome.) But, hey, if he wants to fold his own clothes that would be great… I was skeptical but it does an awfully good job. Now we need to get one of the jr. models for the kids' clothes. If only it could help me with fitted sheets, too… mine always turn out lumpy and bulky, bursting out of the linen closet. Witness the neatly flip-folded tee vs. my slovenly manually-folded tee:



Collective Bias and Clorox have generously provided five additional Laundry Regimen Kits for me to give away to my readers.

To enter and win your own Laundry Regimen Kit (just like the one I described and pictured above), please comment on this post with your laundry regimen stories. If you have a blog, feel free to post about your laundry regiment there and link back in your comment. For this week-long contest, you may enter as many times as you like: Tell me about your favorite brands, stain removal tips and tricks, reasons why I need a front-loader, etc. Maybe even clue me in on the easiest, neatest way to fold a fitted sheet!

There will be five winners.


Entries will be accepted through August 28th and I'll pick five winners 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 (and tweet about this contest using this hashtag: #completecycle ), 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!***

Wordless Wednesday- KC Zoo and Home Again

Share your own pictures this week at Wordless Wednesday HQ!

Get the Party Started…

…I love these party banners from Berkeley Illustration. What a gorgeous way to reuse your mistakes!

Land's End Twitter Party

Join Lands' End and 5 Minutes for Mom for the Ultimate Back-to-School Twitter Party!



Lands' End hosts will be available to answer back-to-school shopping questions and the party will feature more than 20 product giveaways from co-hosts, 5 Minutes for Mom.

Date: Thursday, August 20th
Time: 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. CST
Location: #landsend

Save the date and log-on to Twitter for an evening of shopping tips, socializing and great giveaways!

Don't forget to visit Lands' End and create a Fantasy Backpack at Packlandto get into the Back-to-School mood. Ours is a little bit Jasper and a little bit Roo: