Holiday Giveaway! Crayola Prize Pack!

My little girl, doing one of the things
she loves best: coloring

The smell of a fresh pack of Crayola crayons always conjures up memories of happy first days of school. My just over two-year-old daughter loves to color, and spends more than an hour each day, sitting at the kitchen table or on the living room floor, cuddled up with her Crayola crayons and a coloring book or just plain paper.

I am so happy to offer a great Crayola prize pack giveaway - just in time for Christmas! One lucky reader will win: a Crayola Jewelry Boutique, a Glow Book, 150-ct Crayon Tower, and last but not least an Ultimate Art Supplies case. My daughter loves the Crayon Tower, with its 150 colorful crayons, while the Jewelry Boutique is the perfect gift for the tween in your life. And what kid wouldn't appreciate the Ultimate Art Supplies case?

To enter the giveaway, answer the following question in the comments below (be sure to indicate your email address so I can contact you!):

Which of these products from Crayola would you most like to give as a gift to a special child in your life to inspire creativity, and why?

I'll be randomly choosing a winner on Friday, December 3, at noon! The winner will be contacted via email and I'll also post the winner here on the blog.

Meanwhile, check out the Crayola website for coloring pages, craft ideas, and games for all ages. Like the Crayola Facebook Fan page, for even more fun!

Disclosure: The Crayola Innovative Holiday prize pack, product information and prize pack for giveaway have been provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark. Special thanks to MyBlogSpark for sponsoring this post/giveaway, and for providing me with a selection of Crayola products.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals at RadioFlyer.com

I'm not a big fan of Black Friday. Our family will be celebrating Black Friday by staying at home in our jammies, eating leftovers, and, if the weather is bearable, catching ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo in the evening.

That said, I wanted to share a classic Chicago toy company's awesome Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals:

On Black  Friday, Radioflyer.com is offering 40% off three items: the Scoot 2 Skate, the Inchworm, and the Tailspin (Friday only, while supplies last). All weekend long, Radioflyer.com is also offering up to 25% off the entire site (for 4 days!) and Free Shipping on most orders over $100! (Certain exclusions apply)
On Cyber Monday (this upcoming Monday), Radioflyer.com is offering 50% Off 1 special item every 2 hours from 10am to 6pm.

My daughter, age 2, adores her Radio Flyer Scoot N'Zoom: she whips around our home doing her "errands" like it's nobody's business. Meanwhile, Santa Claus is eyeing the Inchworm for her, as a surprise on Christmas morning. I had one when I was a little girl, and I am still miffed at my Mom for not saving my (beat up but adorable) inchworm!

And what family with littles doesn't need a classic red wagon?

Meanwhile, there's also a giveaway going on: One toy will be given away each day through Dec 19, 2011. Enter to win at RadioFlyer.com. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm Thankful...to Be Living and Raising My Kids in the City

Here's an article I just recently wrote for ChicagoParent.com: I'm Thankful...to Be Living and Raising My Kids in the City. For more Thanksgiving perspectives from some other members of the ChiTown Parent team, check out http://www.chicagoparent.com/community/chitown-parent

It's not always easy being an urban mom, and the city of Chicago tends to take more criticism than applause. This season though, I'm giving thanks for the city I live in: Chicago.

Here seven reasons why I'm thankful to be living and raising my kids in this Windy City:

1. Lake Michigan is our swimming pool. There is nothing quite like jumping into a cool Lake Michigan on a hot summer day. My kids have grown up with Foster Avenue beach as their sandbox and Lake Michigan - the 2nd largest of the Great Lakes - as their swimming pool. The lifeguards keep things in check, the water is remarkably clear, and the people watching is sublime.

2. We can travel the world, one restaurant at a time. We can "visit" other countries on a whim - via the huge selection of delicious ethnic restaurants that dot our city. From naan to lassis, from bulgogi to kimchee - my kids have tried it all.

3. Amazing things are happening in our public schools. While much of the news is doom and gloom, my son is enjoying his elementary school experience at a fantastic CPS magnet school. Involved parents, super teachers, and a rigorous curriculum make his school one of the best in the city. Best of all, the rich cultural diversity of our world is reflected in his classroom. Something to look forward to: of the 500 top high schools in the U.S. rated by U.S. News and World Report, Chicago has three (Northside College Prep, Lane Tech, and Lincoln Park High School).

4. We don't have to depend on a car to get from point A to point B. My kids love taking public transportation. They beg me to take the blue line downtown on a regular basis. I'm fairly certain that I could drop my 10-year-old off at a random spot in the city and he'd be able to find his way easily and confidently home on public transportation. We also have been enjoying riding our bikes, and I'm finding that Chicago is becoming bike friendlier by the day.

5. Our family pets live at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Who needs a pet cat or a pet dog when you can have a pet lion, gorilla and sea lion? We don't have to feed them and they don't shed on our sofa. Our pets live at the lovely Lincoln Park Zoo, and we can ride our bikes over and visit them for free, whenever we want, year round (during visiting hours).

6. Backyards are overrated - especially when you're surrounded by beautiful city parks. We have a huge backyard: our city is dotted with parks, both big and small. From the big - Humbolt Park (the ducks living at the pond are especially friendly) and Lincoln Park - to the small - Adams Playlot (with its awesome water play equipment) and Holstein Park - our parks are beautiful and simply made for fun.

7. There's no excuse for boredom. With so many gems just a short skip, hop or a jump away, there's no excuse for boredom. Feel like flying into space? Rocket on over to the Adler Planetarium. Undergoing a dinosaur phase? Trek on over to the Field Museum, and say hello to Sue. In the mood for exploring a forest of ferns? Pop into the Garfield Park Conservatory. There are so many neighborhoods to explore on a whim - our favorite is Chinatown - and the Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry are just right for just right rainy days. Any ordinary day can be transformed into an day bursting with adventure and new discoveries when you're living in Chicago.

#makesmesmilemondays Mr. Apple's Urgent Chest Surgery

My 10-year-old son loves medical dramas and medical reality shows. Inspired by a Grey's Anatomy episode, he robbed my sewing kit of needle and thread and with a scalpel he cut open Mr. Apple's chest then deftly sewed it back together. He worked on a few more Mr. Apples until he got the entire procedure down pat. 

This is the kind of oddball stuff my son is inspired to do in his free time - and it really makes me smile.

I need to look into finding some sort of Medical Summer Camp for him - do they offer anything of the sort, anywhere? 

#makesmesmilemondays Gatto Silvestro

Here is Chiara's latest love: Gatto Silvestro. Even if you don't speak Italian, I promise you'll enjoy this cute video of Gatto Silvestro and Titti (Sylvester the Cat and Tweety Bird) in Venice - one of Chiara's faves.

Goodnight, Moon! at the Chicago Children's Theatre

I'm always a bit nervous before taking my daughter - age a little over two years old - to the theater. I keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. The first play she ever attended was the Redmoon Christmas Pageant (don't forget to buy your tickets for this year's show here!). She was a little over one then - and she was enthralled - dancing to the beat of the musical numbers - and mystified by the bubble machine grand finale. The next play I took her to was Dot & Ziggy, presented by the amazing Chicago Children's Theatre: aimed at toddlers, I was extremely skeptical before the show, envisioning a madhouse of toddlers running around. Instead, the babies and toddlers at our showing - including my baby - were quietly engaged in the simple storyline about the friendship between a skunk and a ladybug. It was incredible - how did they do that!?

Still though, I was nervous as we set out to see Goodnight, Moon! this past weekend. I should have known better, though. The Chicago Children's Theatre once again proved me wrong: their shows are so skillfully presented by such talented actors, that kids are automatically captured by the story being told. In Goodnight, Moon!'s case, the great green room came alive before our eyes. The two little kittens, the pair of mittens, the quiet old lady whispering hussshhhh - they were all there, vibrant and alive before my daughter's eyes and she was thrilled. She talked about the show all afternoon and evening, and even this morning, she once again brought up "Bunny" - the little guy who just did not want to go to sleep (I think she identified with Bunny in a big way...).

I am so thankful for the Chicago Children's Theatre for raising our city's littlest residents to learn early about the joy of live theater!
If you've got a child ages 2 - 6, don't miss Goodnight, Moon! - now playing at the Victory Gardens Biograph Theater. Buy your tickets now, here.

Giving Thanks: Creating Thanksgiving Family Traditions



I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving. While I don't like turkey, I do like gathering with my family to  celebrate the start of the holiday season in a grateful way. The tradition in our family is to go around the table and name one thing that we are thankful for this year before digging in to the meal. And my one thing is usually the same old boring one - I'm thankful for my family! Because honestly, that's the one thing that stands out before all for me. I could find a way to live without a roof over my head and shoes on my feet - but my family - how could I ever live without them?

We are adding a new Thanksgiving family tradition this year: on Saturday, my husband, 10-year-old son, some of my highschool students (from an organization I volunteer for), and I are going to be heading to a local charity to help hand out coats and serve a meal to the homeless. I know that volunteering has a tendency to put the endless wishlists to Santa in perspective.

Here are some other Thanksgiving ideas and more:



Thanksgiving coloring pages for little tots: http://www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/holidays/thanksgiving-coloring-pages/

For older kids: History.com offers several video shorts on the history behind Thanksgiving: http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

Ideas for starting Thanksgiving family traditions: http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-traditions/

10 Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dishes (for those of us who can't stand turkey!): http://www.chow.com/food-news/54785/10-vegetarian-thanksgiving-dishes/

Ideas for Thanksgiving crafts and activities: http://www.daniellesplace.com/html/thanksgiving.html



One of our favorite Thankgiving books:
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims





Giveaway winners!

Here are the giveaway winners, randomly selected via a random number generator:

Eversave.com $10 credit giveaway: Marla and ChiIL Mama

Tinyprints.com holiday card giveaway: AnimaSola

I will be contacting the winners via email.

Thank you to everyone for entering and be on the lookout for more giveaways in the near future!

$10 Giveaway to Eversave.com!

Here's another little giveaway, just in time for the holidays! I have two $10 credits for Eversave.com to give away to two readers.

Here's how Eversave works: similar to groupon, you'll be notified once a day of a daily deal in your area or an online special. I'm an affiliate, and I have used Eversave to purchase AMC movie tickets, magazine subscriptions, restaurant gift certificates - all at deeply discounted prices.

In addition to daily deals, Eversave’s new Shopping page is designed to be a one-stop shop for gifts of any kind; the page includes a wide range of products from top-notch brands online.

To enter, simply register for eversave.com, then add a comment below answering the question: What's on the top of your holiday wish list this year? Please be sure to indicate in your comment the email you used to register for Eversave, so your credit can be applied. On Thursday, tomorrow, at about noon, I'll randomly select two winners. Winners will be notified by email and I'll also make a note of the winners in the comments section.

Thanks for entering and good luck!

***Special thanks to eversave.com for sponsoring this post!

Tiny Prints Christmas Card Giveaway!

Have you ordered your holiday cards yet??? I'm still working on capturing a picture with both of my kids sitting still and smiling. Meanwhile, I'm happy to sponsor a Tiny Prints giveaway for 50 Christmas or holiday cards just for you!

Here's how to enter: Take a spin around Tinyprints at: http://www.tinyprints.com/shop/picture-christmas-cards.htm and then leave a comment below (include your email too, so I can contact the winner!) on what design you would choose if you won. I'll randomly pick a winner on Thursday, November 10th, at around noon. Winner will be posted in the comments section and will be contacted via email.

Also - note that Tiny Prints is offering a one day only promotion as well (on 11/9/11 - that's tomorrow!) where you can receive a FREE card to your kids from Santa! Visit the Tiny Prints Facebook page at www.facebook.com/tinyprints to find out how to personalize one of the following greeting cards FREE: Checking It Twice or Santa’s Scroll. Hurry! Offer ends 11/9/11 at 11:59 pm (PT).

**Special thanks to Tiny Prints for sponsoring this post.

#makesmesmilemondays

On Halloween Eve, my good friends and I took our kids to a haunted house at the Theatre on the Lake. It was a beautiful night, and afterwards, they ran to Lake Michigan's edge where I caught them contemplating the misty lake and skyline.

I love watching these kids group up together.

Discount Code for Chicago Children's Theatre's Goodnight, Moon!

Thanks to everyone for entering the Goodnight, Moon! giveaway. The randomly selected winner is Rebecca.

I have a special discount code as a consolation prize to everyone who entered:  Enter the code RED BALLOON upon checkout when purchasing tickets to Goodnight, Moon! online, via phone, or in person at the Victory Gardens box office, and you'll receive $5 off per ticket, to any performance.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the show!

Goodnight Moon! Giveaway

We can't wait to see the Chicago Children's Theatre's adaptation of Margaret Wise Brown’s beloved bedtime tale, Goodnight Moon. Both of my children have this book memorized; I must have read it to both hundreds of times. I have a feeling that my daughter, age 2, is going to go berserk when she sees Bunny's room come alive before her eyes. The show also promises catchy songs performed by live musicians, delightful choreography and a colorful set that pays homage to Clement Hurd’s vivid book illustrations. For more info on the show, head over to the Chicago Children's Theatre site.  

I am happy to host a giveaway for 4 tickets to the Sunday, 11/13, 3 pm performance of Goodnight Moon. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering the question "What's your child's current fave book?" Please be sure to leave your email address within the comment, so I can contact you if you're a winner. I will randomly draw a winner on Friday after noon, and I'll contact you by email and post your name here on the blog. Please note that the date and the time of the show is non-transferable.

P.S.: Chicago Children's Theatre is excited to partner with Scholastic Books and The Pajama Program, a non-profit organization which provides new, warm pajamas and new books to children in need in Chicago and around the world. Throughout the run of Goodnight Moon The Musical, Chicago Children's Theatre will post a Pajama Drive donation bin in the Biograph lobby during every performance. For every pair of new pajamas donated during the run of Goodnight Moon, Scholastic Books will donate an equal number of early learning books for disadvantaged youth. So please, wear your pajamas and bring a pair of pajamas with you to donate!