Because I Said So!!! Mom Knows Best!

I know I have went over play area number one,
two and three with you guys a few times in the past.
Just so new readers understand I have places in the
house set up for Rowan to play since the Winter is
long and that way she doesn't get bored spending all
her time hanging out in the same area. They are:


Area one-In the middle of the living room. A mat filled
with toys she loves right in front of the TV. This is
where she spends a lot of her day for the whole family
is in and out of this area and she gets to be the first
person to greet guests.


Area two-My room. My computer is set up there and I
spend a lot of time so naturally so does she. This also
has a mat and a lot of her best toys are there are well.
She also have TV access and this is where she watches
her favorite videos.


Area three-My Bed. I have a Queen size bed that John
has been booted out of for Rowan and I and the Pooch
fill it quiet nicely. Or I should say, Rowan, her toys, I
and the Pooch and her toys fill it. Rowan has all her
favorite sleep items there and loves them to death and
this is where we nap and just snuggle.


Area four-Her room. This has turned into the Daddy zone.
Since John has been sleeping on Rowans Twin bed or
Rachel's bed when she is here due to lack of room in
ours, it has also become Rowan and his area where
they do their own stuff. The messiest of the rooms for
I get so tired of picking up after a 44 year old man it
also has a mat and mostly electronic and learning toys
that she is still a little young for but is growing into
fast.

The new area five-Corner of the living room. This is
the latest addition for Rowan is a growing and needed
to branch out. It started with her activity table and off
to the side to keep it out of the way. I used to sit there
with her where she would stand and I would hold her but
as she gets older she wants to spend more time there
and I can't hold her there for hours at a time so I
found a booster seat for her and it worked out well.
When she got her step stool it went off to the side and
started out as a little table for toys and snacks but when
this next review item came it changed into a DJ booth.
She received a Keyboard from Baby Genius and that
along with the activity table has became her own little
DJ booth and as of the last two weeks it is where she
spends most of her time. She loves it and dances and
sings and oh yes, she is a star!

Even John has gotten into the act and is often right
there with her and she plays her Keyboard and he the
Bass and they have a blast! She was born to play
music and it shows. I took lesson for the guitar and
Andrew has ones as well but it is her Dad's side of
the family with all the talent for not only do they have
their own mid-life crisis band ( they are good too) John
and his brother are both very talented. They have been
playing for over 30 years and with that much time in
they have to be good and John is the best. He can
hear something and minutes later have it down pat.
He just has an ear for it and it is looking like Rowan
does too. Already she loves to dance and sing and
all it takes is a little song anywhere to get her all
smiles and happy as a clam. This Keyboard could not
have found a better home for it is a big part of her life
right now and it takes all I have to drag her away for
a nap. Her DJ booth is the bomb and she is on her
way to being a star! Now I have to say Baby Genius
is not only a fantastic company these guys are Adult
Geniuses for they somehow managed to get everything
a big person keyboard has into a baby friendly package.
The Keyboard my son has is so similar I couldn't believe
it. It has the same options, can do the same things
as Rowans and I was in shock when I saw they can
both even record. The difference? Andrews Keyboard is
so complicated you need to be a rocket scientist to
operate and Rowans, though offering the same functions,
is so easy a, well, Baby can do it. The Baby Genius
Keyboard allows you to:
Record and playback songs
Plays 7 Baby Genius sing a long songs
Plays 22 other songs
Volume, tempo and beat control
Has four different instrument sounds
The DJ laughs when keys are pressed.
The large keys and buttons make it perfect for not
so gentle fingers and one touch controls make it perfect
for Mommy's and Daddy's to understand how to work it
and unlike Andrews I can even play it too! The whole
thing that really got me was they took something that
is complected and made it simple and they also managed
to encase it in a durable, adorable design that kids will
get a kick out of. Now Baby Genius has only recently
added toys to their line and if this keyboard is an
example of what that future has in store for us I for
one have never been more happy. Their products alone
are fantastic, educational and a great tool to add to your
child's artistic growth as well as fine motor skills and
basic principals. I was please to be able to review a
product line with such a fantastic reputation to begin
with but once I got my hands on their items I was
over the moon. In the next week or so I will bring
you a few more of their items but I just had to shout
about the keyboard ASAP for it is fantastic. The
whole thing comes shaped like an Alligator but this guys
teeth are sharp in another way. They unleash your child's
unseen talents and help them develop a joy for music
and their own creative talents all in one whirl of activity.
The keyboard is going to have your little Mozart rock-en
for hours and if they are anything like Rowan it wont
be long before they have their own DJ booth set up
and are ready to go!

Baby Genius has a history of bringing us Cd's and
DVDs and Books that focus on teaching your child basic
skills by utilizing songs and dance. Sound is the first thing
a child reacts to and they take advantage of that fact and
turn it into a life long love of the musical arts. When
learning language, memory, coordination and social skills
are just a perk and the fact music has been shown to
enhanced brain development only a small portion of what
they offer, how can you ever go wrong with that. Just
try to show me a child who doesn't love music. I don't
believe you can. Baby Genius takes a pre-disposed love
of song and sings their way into your child's heart.
Hey, I found myself dancing along too. As for their
new toy line? One look at Rowans face and you can
tell what a hit it is at our house and I know it will
be on your child's top ten too! They Rock and so will
your little DJ!


Baby Genius also has a Keyboard for one of my
readers for we all know Rowan is going to need some
help with her new musical career! To enter just head over
to their site and take a look around and them come back
here and post what you have learned in a comment. The
contest will start tonight and run to April 28th at Midnight!
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day, every day, and then posting that you did here
and other ways to enter are posted below.


Baby Genius!




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.


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and post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times. You may only do this
one time! This is not a daily entry.


2. Tweet about my blog and post the link
here. 5 entries, please post five times. You
may do this once per day if you post a new
tweet. For Each Daily entry there must be a
tweet for that day!


3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times. You may only do this one time!
This is not a daily entry.


4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries. Please
post five times. You may do this once per
day per new blog post! For each Daily entry
there must be a blog post for that day!






Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Radius Toothbrush and isABelt Contests!

Rowan is a Princess. Rowan is an Fairy!
Rowan is a Arabian Queen! Rowan is the Belle of the
Ball ! Rowan is a Bride and Boo is The Flower Girl!

Rowan is already so many things and well on her way
to having one of the largest imaginations I have ever
seen in a child. For a little girl who is just learning how
to stand and get around she is already head over heels
in love with Dancing and her version of signing. Goes
something like,
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Bounce, Bounce, Smile!
"Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Now I am not sure what song she is singing but I am sure
it is a hit somewhere. She sure thinks so. Another thing she
is really into right now is being apart of the big people world.
What I have she needs. My phone, my coat, my shoes, my
hairbrush and laptop. Whatever I have my hands on she has
to have her hands on. She is not unique in that department for
all children want to be a big person. All children pretend they
are all grown and all children spend a large part of their early
years pretending they are someone else. Not only do they all
do it, the act of pretending is healthy and allows them to figure
out who they are themselves. When they spend so much time
being "other people" they learn so much about their own likes
and dislikes and dreams and fantasy's and it is about one of
the best creative outlets in their arsenal. Plus, come on guys,
what person doesn't go, "AWWWWW, that is so cute!," when
they see a little toddler waddling around in Mommy's shoes?
Rowan will sit with me for hours right now taking off and
putting on hats just so she can hear me tell her over and over
again how cute Baby looks. I know I have told you guys
how my goal is to get a whole collection of pretend toys
and outfits for Rowan to play dress up and I plan on feeding
her imagination as often as I can. I also know I have told
you guys how hard it has been for me to find items for her
to dress up in. Okay, let me rephrase that for I can find
items everywhere, even the dollar store, but finding Quality items
that were made for repeated use is the struggle. I must have
been to a zillion, okay, zillion and one, stores that carry dress
up items and until now have only found one I have wanted to
go back too. Kids Toy stores and chains have a couple of items
here and there but most of the time it is the same revisited
Princess outfit over and over again with maybe a different color
Ti-era tossed in for good measure. Now that isn't a selection.
That is the same dress in five different colors. Not going to
cut it for me and will not even come close to cutting it for
Rowan. The Costume store I found was great, I really like
them but I still would like a larger selection of Toddler items
and would also like better access to the accessories that go
with it. I want the full fantasy.


Eureka, I think I have found Gold in these here hills!


Everything Princess has everything you would need to make
your little charmer look and feel like a well, Princess. They don't
just have a couple of items to help your child slip into a fantasy
world, they ARE a fantasy world. You guys remember how I told
you when we move I want to have a dress up area for Rowan
and build a little Wardrobe and Vanity area for Rowan to make
it look official? Hey, I don't have to do that for these guys all
ready have it built and they even offer a selection so I am not
limited to one choice.

Everything Princess sent a Rapunzel Gown for Rowan to
review. I sort of found that a hoot in itself for Rowan was born
completely bald and is only now starting to grow some hair here
and there and it has been a running joke at our house and then
to do a costume dedicated to a character known for her long flowing
hair gave me a chuckle. Now Rowans hair will come in thick and full
before long and I am sure you guys will here me complaining about
a whole new line of complaints.
Gosh I can never get her to Brush her hair!
I didn't know tangles could get that big!
What was I thinking letting her have hair so long?
and many other things but for now pretending she is Rapunzel is
as close as she is going to get! The costume is only too cute and
I love the details such as the gathered Bodice and its Victorian feel.
Another thing I like about it is unlike other costumes I have seen
this one is comfortable to wear. Others I had seen at Halloween
and a few different pretend wear clothing outfitters I saw were ruff
to the touch and you knew by simply touching them they would be
uncomfortable to wear. Most of the ones I saw at the store left me
thinking what I would have that she could wear underneath for I
didn't want it scratching her skin. This one is a real dress and
feels soft and comfortable enough to wear all on its own.
And what did it look like on?
You be the judge but I think with a couple of braids she would
make the prettiest Rapunzel this side of the Castle! Everything
Princess has items for everyone and a not only a vast selection
of dress up gear for your little Princess but they also carry
items for every other part of her Royal day. You just can't find
so many items made for a Princess in one place anywhere else
and I have been looking for they also have a lot of Pink items
and Pink is Rowans signature color so I have been everywhere
on the prowl looking. Everything Princess is a Pink Mecca. They
just can't be beat. Not only did I find a place that meets all
my dress up needs they do so in a way that brings me the best
selection at the best prices and offer a quality that just can't be
found anymore. Make your Child feel like a Princess every moment
of the day for they also carry outdoor items like Ribbons and some
pretty darn awesome tools for a Sand Castle so the King will rush
home too! They have one of a kind items like the Royal Princess
Throne
( Um, yes it is what is sounds like!)
and the Lounge Chair is going to be under the tree for her this
next Christmas for it is too cute! From Bedtime to the Kitchen to
clothes for dress up, every day or play, Everything Princess brings
you the royal treatment but you only end up paying a paupers
price! That chair I want? Only $79.99. I was looking at a
Pink Bean Bag Chair elsewhere that costs more then that and
this is a chair! They even make shopping easy for you by
breaking it down by age or Princess. I feel like a wicked Step
Mother for not having found this place when Rachel was younger
for I am sure she is going to wish my a nasty Green wart when
she sees some of the loot Rowan ends up with! I started out
looking for something Pink for Rowan, found out she really was a
Princess and now we are living in a fairy tale, Everything Princess
makes any little girls Dreams come True!
Do you have a Princess at home too? The this is
the place for you for Everything Princess is going to give
one of my readers a $50.00 Gift Cert for their store. To
enter just head over to the site and take a look around and
then come back here and post what item you like the best!
The contest will start tonight and run to Midnight on April
26th. USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day every day and then posting that you did here
and other ways to enter are posted below.


Everything Princess




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.


1. Become a follower of my blog or Twitter
and post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.


2. Tweet about my blog and post the link
here. 5 entries, please post five times.


3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.


4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.


5. Follow Everything Princess on Twitter.
5 entries please post 5 times.


Don't forget they also have a Face Book
where all the latest news can be found and
also updates on when new items are on the
way!






Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Girls4Sport and Clip-Money.com Contests!

I love to entertain and throw parties. Not
super huge, spill out onto the lawn type ones,
though I used to. Now I like more simple, 20 friends
good food, entertainment and just plain old fun.
I really make a big deal out of the Holidays and
I went more then a little crazy a few times. Andrews
Birthday was really important to me and though he
never cared for parties because he would rather just
go to his favorite restaurants and a movie or something,
I still made sure that I went all out a few times
in his life. I want him to have some memories of
his Wonder Years and a big old party is always a nice
place to start. I never got to have a party because my
Birthday fell in July and school was out and we were
in our summer home so family was out and friends too.
For most of my Birthdays I didn't even see my parents.
My Mother came up a few years for the weekend but I
think my Dad only came once. For Andrews first big blow
out party I threw I think I invited everyone we knew,
might even be some strangers I ran into at the grocery
store too for I swear I went crazy for a little guy who
can't even walk. I had tons of food and Andrews Cake
and the rest of our Cake and goody bags that were out
of this world and decorations. Wow. Decorations! I
spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars alone on the
decorations. Andrews birthday is right before Halloween
and I just couldn't help myself. I had this Mammoth Spider
that hung on the ceiling in the very middle of a large
room and its legs ran out like streamers to the walls.
Pumpkins for everyone and Dry ice and well, lets just
say it took a while to pay for it. I know just the fact
I hired the Magician to stay longer then normal cost a
lot of cash. BUT, it was worth it. TO see his smile, if
only for a second, is worth anything. Even today I baby
him. Once Andrew got about 9 he put his foot down on
the parties for as he explained that though secretly
everyone was having fun they were in J.r High now and
needed to act a little cooler. I hope Rowan loved them
then and I am not too old to throw them. I am super
excited about her upcoming birthday this year for a few
reasons. One, hey, she is going to be a whole year old.
Two, her birthday is a little over a week before mine and
this makes me very happy. No party's when I was younger
hurt, the boys forgetting  90  percent of the time now hurts
a lot and I don't think I have ever got a present on my
birthday, other then when I was little, that I really wanted.
From the boys I have only gotten a Birthday present once
and it was from Andrew and something HE wanted. I always
end up getting all upset and slamming stuff around and
sometimes those daft boys still don't get it. For years it
broke my heart. Now I don't even bother to remind them
and let the day quietly pass. Truth is, I get so depressed
I just don't want to see a soul. I have never forgot theirs
and never would. Now that Rowans birthday is right before
mine increases the odds of them remembering mine though
I doubt that for the dogs is 5 days before mine and Andrew
remembers her Birthday and still misses mine. But what I
am really looking forward to is I can have all those dream
Birthdays I wanted to have as a child through Rowan! Via
proxy! The lavish themes and costumed characters, and I
have already written down a list of party ideas for the future
for I know she is too young this year for much more then
family. I learned the hard way with Andrew and the Magician
I got on his first and the Clown on the second but I plan
on at least one of her parties at the water park, one at
Jeepers and one with a Moonwalk in the back yard. How
I will pay for it all is another story but I have no doubt
I will find a way. I also plan on themes with her. Dress up,
Rock Stars, Hula at the water park and Movie Stars and
Princesses and Queens and Cowboys and Cowgirls. They
have so many great items for Parties now a days I know
I can make them the best ever!

For the Princess theme I am going to go all Renaissance
Festival and play music from Medieval times and have little
Gift bags for the Adults of Sage a Mirth incense and a burner
and serve Turkey legs and crusty bread and fruit and have
a cake that is a Castle. For the Kids, well hey, that is
the only part that will be a total walk in the park for I
am going to use My Princess Party To Go. Never heard of them?
I have, in fact I was going to use them long before I had
a chance to do a review for them because with so many details
for me to attend too these guys take a lot of it and package
it in a nice box ready to go! They have complete kits for your
party, no matter how many guests your child has, that will assure
you that this party goes down as one for the Record Books! All
you have to do is pick a theme and tell them how many guests
there will be and your Party favors for those kids are done
and over with and taken care off and the end result is a
spectacular party filled with Princess and Knights and laughing
girls and boys. They just don't miss a single trick! For themes
they have:
Princess
Fairy
Diva
Glamour
Knight
Prince
Wizard
Pirate
and you can customize your party as you see fit. Buy items piece
by piece or buy the party in a bag that has everything your guests
will need in a take home carry bag. The prices for the bags start at
13.75 and you can order as many as you like. You can use that right
there for your party favor or really go all out and grab a goody
bag for each guest too that they also have pre-made or piece by piece.
They also sell games and crafts to keep the kids busy during the party
so no more pouring over books and Internet sites to try and find party
games that go with your theme. I swear, that was the worst part for me
with Andrew for I had to hit the book stores and Library's for the
Internet was not nearly as filled with helpful sites back then and you
could not just type in something like "Children + Games + Theme +
Castle and have an array of games pop up like wildfire to make
your party complete. You had to dig! For a review item I
received one of the Tutu and Tiaras packs and it was adorable.
In it we found a Tutu, a Tiara and a Wand and also the foam
Tiara with Jewels to decorate for a craft item. As you can see
by the photo Rowan just loves it and offered the foam Tiara to
her brother as a prize and he was none too amused. Not that
she offered it to him, that he thought was sweet, it was the fact
I made him wear it for a while for this was the first time Rowan
has offered to share something and I didn't want it to be a bad
experience for her. Rowan smiled and Andrew pouted ( no pictures
of him or I would have ended up in the gallows!) and I giggled
like mad. He is lucky I didn't have him wear the Tutu! All of
the items were of great Quality too. They were not at all like
I expected for the price. I was assuming they would be like
the dollar store gadgets, you guys know what I mean. Meant
to last the party but not much longer then that. Best of all,
the whole kit and Caboodle came in a Blue bag with a Ribbon
Drawstring that just made the whole thing come together.
I can't think of a better way for them to take home their
goods too for you know they will also have candy and most
likely some other prizes. For Rowans Birthday I would also
assume there will be some fireworks to take home because
I have an annual Forth of July thing every year with a Huge
BBQ and lots of friends and about 4 years ago we started
letting Andrew light fireworks for a Firework show at the end
of the party. He started with small kits and over the years
as he grew so did the show and it just turned into a huge
event and I also put together children friendly Forth or July
bags for them to do while he lights the big ones. I can pretty
much bank on since her Birthday is right there we will combine
the two events so it is a good thing the bag is also really
roomy for they will end up with a lot to take home! I just
love how they have everything on the site mapped out for
you and everything is so affordable. Now I do not know the
prices now but 13 years ago to have a party at Jeepers was
so expensive. I wanted to have like 15 guests, and 10 of
those were adults so they were not getting the ride tokens
just pizza and it was 400 dollars. Now that is insane.
Pretty much 5 kids for the party and then pizza and pop
for 10 adults. I could have hired a clown and a magician
and got pizza and pop and also paid for the cake and goodies
bags and bought each child a gift for coming and still came
in under that number. At Party Princess To Go you not only get
quality products you get a great value for your money. I was
really impressed what a $150.00 dollars could do in comparison
to the Pizza party I had when Andrew was little. Personally,
I am going to have the Princess and Her Knight complete party
for Rowan. I love the whole thing and I am going to get the
extra goody bags. It is just the perfect fit for us because Rowan
has 3 boy cousins and 1 little girl and then her brother will be
here and wouldn't you know the kits come in 6. Couldn't be more
perfect. My Princess Party To Go is the place you need to go if
you want to make your little ones Birthday dreams come true!
Oh, and I promise to post pictures of Andrew in his Knight
Costume for Rowans Birthday Party!


My Princess Party To Go is also hooking up one of my readers.
One lucky guy or gal is going to win a Princess Party Grab Bag.
To enter just head over to the site and take a look around then
come back here and post what theme or outfit you liked best.
The contest will start tonight and run to midnight in April 24th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day every day and then posting that you did here
and other ways to enter are posted below.


My Princess Party To Go!




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.


1. Become a follower of my blog or Twitter
and post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.


2. Tweet about my blog and post the link
here. 5 entries, please post five times.


3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.


4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.






Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Mommy Tool Box and Port a Pong Contests!

Hey you guys, I have some darling photo's of Rowan wearing
the items from this site but AHEM, little miss thing had my USB
cable when I was not paying attention and drooled in it. I will grab
another one this week and post them for you can't miss these, they
are that adorable!

I just missed the boat with this next review. I am
maybe 5 or 6 years too old but I remember a lot of
my friends little brothers and sisters going absolutely
crazy for the Rainbow Brite Dolls. They had a TV show,
toys and games and then a whole bunch of Branded Items
and everywhere you looked there was Rainbow Brite These
gals made Holly look like she had a pretty lame Hobby!
When my son was born I really didn't see them around any
more and thought it wouldn't have mattered for he is a
boy and wouldn't have played with them anyways unless he
needed something for his G.I Joe's to beat up on. A few years
ago Johns Cousin had a Baby and she showed up here one
day with a Rainbow Brite Doll and I was a little surprised. I
asked her if she got it from her Mommy since Johns cousin
and his Daughters Mommy are a lot younger then we are.
I was thinking it might have been one of her old dolls for
I know I had a lot of my Moms old Doll. The sad part with
my Mom's old dolls is I wrecked them and hers were 1950
something Barbies and I could cry now thinking of how much
they are worth today. Any who, I asked if they were her
Mommies and she told me no, she had just got them for
her Birthday.
Huh?
I thought they sorta disappeared. But here is this little girl with
a brand spanking new one! Hum, what do I know. Well I again
put it out of my mind for if my son would not play with one
when he was a toddler I know he would never touch one now
as a 16 year old. I thought they were pretty darn cute but
all I have is Nephews that are young enough for dolls and
I might look a little, okay, a lot funny walking into Toys R Us
and buying myself a Rainbow Brite doll. Then I found out
I was pregnant and going to have a little girl. The first thing
I thought about was, "How cool, I get to play with dolls and
dress them up and play with them and I can do this and I
can do that!" I didn't think about names or what she is going
to grow up to be or how blessed I was to be having her, I
thought about playing dress up and playing with dolls and little
girl toys. Does that make me shallow? I mean really, I can assure
you guys once I am done playing with the dolls I promise to
give them to her. I just called dibs!  Well shortly after she was
born I got all dressed up to head off to the store and John
stopped me and asked where I was going.
"To the store."
"What store, you just went grocery shopping and when I
asked you yesterday if you needed anything while I was
out you told me no."
"Um, just running to get something for Rowan."
"Like what?"
"A Toy."
"What Toy, she is only 2 months, she doesn't really need
one."
"Nothing special. I just want to have it ready for when she needs
it."
"What Toy?" He repeated.
"Um, " I mumbled down to the ground. " A Barbie."
"Ah What? Did you just say Barbie? She is not
going to be playing with Barbies for many years yet.
You are joking right?"
"AH, well, really," I mean what do you say here?
Should I come clean and say the Barbie is for me
and Rowan is just my scapegoat or do I make
something up. I mean it is pretty hard to explain my
need for a Barbie or a Rainbow Brite doll to an
adult, even more so to a male adult. So I stammered and
made up a silly excuse about a sale and he gave me the
there will be other sales speech and I ended up with
no dolls are all. Now after all that you can imagine my
surprise when last week I went to grab the mail and there
was a box there. In the box was a what? Yes, you guessed
it, a Rainbow Brite Doll! I was delighted and was giggling like
some kind of maniac as I tore into it. Rowan sat in her high
chair just staring at me for I am pretty sure she thought her
Mommy was loosing her mind. Andrew walked in and I was
still giggling and he demanded to know what was wrong with me
and I couldn't tell him about the doll so I told him Rowan had
been making some funny faces. John walked in and took one
look at me then walked over and grabbed the doll, turned around
and gave it to Rowan.
The Horror!

I didn't even get to play with her hair or anything. They have
pretty hair too! I got one of ( Okay, Rowan got) the new ones
and out of the dolls they have today one has pigtails, another
a pony tale but the pony tale is the one I like for she has
little hair ties and you can style their hair in different ways. When
I had my own dolls and didn't have to share with Rowan I didn't
have cool little accessory's like that. The New Rainbow Brite dolls
are celebrating their 25th anniversary and they all have an up-dated
look. Hey, I got a make-over at 25 too! They still have their classic
bright colors but they are just brighter and the 10 inch dolls are
made better and given a brand new wholesome look. They all have
removable fashion accessory's and you can also get their companion
horses and let me rephrase that, you have to get the horsey for
they are just too cute. Rainbow Brite is an Icon for many people
and now with their new look and zest for life they are sure to
be an Icon for many kids today. Rowan loved her baby for she
is at the age where all dolls and stuffed animals are babies and
she has to hug and kiss each one. Now I have to beg that little
girl for a Hug and the plastic dolls get one free of charge. Now
like I said, Rowan loves hers but is still a little young to really play
with it and I can totally see a little girl a couple of years older
going nuts for these 3 little dolls for they are darling. And if the
doll itself isn't enough to keep your little Princess busy for hours
the web site is. Rainbow Brite is a division of Hallmark and via
their site you can get to the Rainbow Brite page where there are
loads of activities and things for your girls to do. The site has
games and activities and animation and tells you all about the
girls and is just a good way to have some fun! The dolls we
have is just too cute and is a great gift for any little girl. Toss
in a Horse to go with her and you have a Birthday gift or Easter
gift your little darling will never put down! Now these ladies
may have hit the scene 25 years ago but they are still stars and
shinning bright!

The folks over at Rainbow Brite also have a doll for one of
my readers. To enter just head over to their home at Hallmark
and take a look around then come back here and post what you
liked best! The contest will start tonight and run to Midnight on
April 20th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.


Rainbow Brite




Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.


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and post that you are. 3 entries,
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3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.


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and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.


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Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
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Rowan is official, she is no longer an infant.
Now she is a toddler with a mind of her own and
tastes of her own and does what she wants to do
on her own schedule. If she doesn't like it, she
isn't going to play with it. If it doesn't taste
good, it gets spit out. If it bores her, now is
a good time for a nap. She still has her top ten
list but start looking for some changes. Gone are
the items that could simply catch her attention.
Now they need to interact with her. She needs to
be able to open and close and hug and kiss and
the noisier the better and the more bells, whistles
and lights, hey, the more the merrier is all she can
say. She does love books, its the page thing right
now for just flipping them is an adventure but I
can also follow the trend of toys that light up
and speak to her slowly starting to weed the less
intrusive versions out of the game. A toy that catches
her attention has to be explored, there is no doubt
about that. Rowan has also started to love some dolls
but that is a different story, today we are here to
talk about an item that has drug her and my 16 year
old son in and she is just fascinated with it. The big
shock to me was this is the first one of her toys my
son had to sit down and play with her for he was just
as hooked!

The Iplay Cash register! One To Grow On is a marvelous
store that offers a bevy of entertaining, educational and
creative products for young children. Everything from books
to trains and dolls and airplanes can be found and they are
careful to bring you only the best selections. A huge
one at that! When I first found out I was going to do a
review for a cash register I was a little nervous Rowan
was still to young for this. It is a cash register after
all and it was not that long ago when her own feet were
the most exciting thing she played with all day. I must
have forgotten over the last 15 or so years how fast
a baby changes from day to day. I know the toy is made
for children older then her but it was my experience
that a lot of toys that are intended for children that are
older should be judged on a case by case basis. Children
all grow at a different pace and I feel they have to rate
a toy at an age that is safe for the masses not just a certain
child. Take Lego's for instance. Andrew was building sets that
were for ages 8 and up from the time he was 3. He was just
a whiz at them and that kid only had to look at the box to
build the set and never needed the directions. Now I understand
why it was rated aged 8 and up, not all kids were skilled like that
and a lot might stick the Lego in their nose or eat it
but Andrew was an exception. Now if I were to have given
him a painting kit that was rated the same age he would
have done the walls and floor and himself I am sure, Lego's
were just his thing. In fact, I would hate to be a toy
company anymore with lawsuits galore for we have scared
them so bad that I am surprised every toy does not have an
open at your own risk label on the box. Any way, back to the
register and my fear Rowan would not know what to do with it.
Truthfully, she doesn't. She has no clue how to use it correctly
but that does not change the fact she loves it to death and
is learning how to use it. The register has so much to offer
a child and I was shocked at just how far they have came from
the little one Andrew had and the really old one I had. Did
I even have one? I remember something but nothing that made
an impression on me. This little guy has everything and is
perfect for growing into. They have little food items, one
in a round shape and the other in a square and a couple of
places to put them. Rowan is too young to pretend she is
shopping but making those shapes fit is a fun challenge she
is all about right now. The belt moves and oh my, that is
a hoot because she is burning her little brain trying to figure
out how to get to those items and why they move. The lights, the
sounds, the mini abacus all offer younger children tons of
things to keep them entertained and active and the fact she
hits a button and is rewarded with a noise or a sound is enough to
make her work all the harder to get another one. The display
doubles as a mirror so when she is not hitting the number
keys she can see her reflection and that is almost as exciting to
her as the register itself. It also has a scale where you can spin
an Apple on one side then flip it to a Tomato and when you press
down the sound effects are adorable and they even have the
"Boing" sound when you release. I would have thought fore sure
this toy would be above Rowans age level but after a week with it I
have came to the conclusion this is sooooooooo for her age level.
Sure she is not adding 1 plus 2 right now but the colors, the
sounds, the shapes but everything else is made for clumsy fingers
and curious little minds. This is a teaching tool if I have ever
seen one and perfect for a child just learning how to manipulate
objects and shapes and buttons for every part is the perfect size
and easy for her to grasp. Though she is in it for the instant
gratification right now I have to say I love the fact she is
being bombarded with numbers and colors and shapes and if she
understands or not she is learning these things through the
constant re-enforcement. Too advanced for Rowan? Hogwash, it
is just her cup of tea! I could not think of another Cash Register
on the market that would be better for children to make the
transition from Baby to toddler for this is going to grow right
along with her! I also can't wait to grab some other little grocery
items and a little shopping cart for her to make her store all official.
One of the little details they included with this register is
they have a store on the back and the check out on the front. SO from
one side she can shop and the other pay. Isn't that too cute? A
double duty toy! I think it is pretty easy to tell the My First Cash
Register is a big hit here but I have a feeling most of the items
they carry at One To Grow On would be!

I love that they have all your classic toys in stock and
also offer new selections that are on the cutting edge. As I went
through the pages upon pages of toys and books I came to the
conclusion that they seek out the best of the best and that is
what they bring you. A wooden Train set never goes out of fashion
and the bring you the best ones they can find. Plush animals that
are perfect for any age and crib toys I have either never seen before
they are that unique or I remember as a favorite from long ago.
There is no middle ground or filler product anywhere, every item I
saw was carefully selected so you can rest assured you are bringing
your children not only the best quality toys for them but the most
entertaining. I adore the fact they offer cooking items for you guys
know how I feel about getting kids in the kitchen and I have
searched high and low for musical instruments for young children
and could never find just what I was looking for to now. One
to Grow on has done a lot more then impress me they have
become one of my favorite toy stores. They even have a Vet Set
so instead of pretending you are a Doctor you can be a Vet and
I love that for Rowan and the Pooch spend so much time
together it is just perfect for our house. Last of all you guys are
going to be shocked when you see just how reasonable their
prices are. I about fell over. Toys I had on my check list to
get for Rowans First birthday I found at some really great prices!
Even better, they have this great little section at the site where
they have free games, trivia and all sorts of other fun things for
your kids to do! Check it out, it is called Critter Corner!
The only complaint I have is my list for her birthday went from
one page to 4 after I saw everything they had at the store!
I just couldn't help myself they grew on me!

One To Grow On was kind enough to offer one of my readers
an Iplay My First Cash Register too! Your kids are going to love
it! To enter just head over to the site and take a look around then
come back here and post what your favorite item is in a comment.
The Contest will start tonight and run to Midnight on April 10th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.

One To Grow On!


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.

5. Tweet about this contest elsewhere. 5 entries
please post five times.

Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Mommy Tool Box and Port a Pong Contests!

What little girl does not like to be a Princess? I
mean Daddy always treat their little girls like one
but sometimes they need just a little more. Little
boys like to play in the yard and get all down and dirty
and little girls like to play pretend and wear Mommy's
shoes and dress like a star. In fact dress up was
one of my favorite things to do. I still remember to
this day a pair or red, white and blue patten leather
boots my mother had that went up to her knees and
my thighs or higher. The were so 60 with thick soles
and she had a jacket to match or at least pretty close
and I loved to dress in it. Now my mother was not
a dress person but she had the hippy styles down
pat and some pretty neat goodies there to get into.
My Grandmother was Mrs Dress but even then I knew
her taste and mine we not the same. Nothing she had
resembled a Princess or Movie Star in anyway so I
never had the hankering to wear her dresses but I hit
up her Jewelry Drawer as often as I could and she had
no problem passing on old beaded Necklaces to me
to wear. Now these were the good old seventy's so when
we played dress up we made do with hand me downs and
our Moms closet but now a days things have really changed.
Costumes are so affordable and you can get Crowns and
Tiera's at the dollar store and even some little plastic
high heels. Dressing up and Playing pretend has gone
to a whole other level and the Kitchen sets look better
then my real one and you can buy ready made boxes
of outfits and accessory's fit for well, a Queen! Even
Birthday party themes have got into the act. For Andrews
first and Second Birthday I hired a clown and then a
magician and the kids had a blast that way but for
Rowan I can have a Birthday party in a box where all
the little girls dress up as Princesses or Fairy's or
even just pile on the glam. It all comes right to you door
and you just let the people know how many guests will
be there. Too bad I do not know many little girls ( maybe
1!) and I am going to have a hard time convincing Rowans
cousins to dress up as a princesses when they are all
Princes!
One of my things I insist on doing for Rowan and I
am sure it every little girls dream is to buy a Vanity for her
room and a Wardrobe and fill it with Dresses and outfits
for her to wear and play in. When we move it will be the
first thing I work on and I have already started collecting
outfits now. I would also love an old steamer trunk to
put her little dress up shoes in and some old fashioned
hat boxes and can't wait to the summer so I can hit some
garage sales to look for those items and handfuls of costume
Jewelry. If the house we buy has a large enough basement I
am going to add building a stage to John's Honey Do list
and I am going to borrow some of the concert lighting for
the show! Now I know I am going over board with the
basement but you got to remember a couple of things,
yes, she will be spoiled. I have waiting a lifetime for a little
girl and I was a tomboy myself then later in life wished I
did some more girly stuff so this is my chance to fix
that with her. The other is the Stage would get more then
just Rowan for a user for John's band Practices all the time
and they do it at his brothers now but it is an hour drive
so if he had the basement all set up they could do it here
instead. Right now we live in a Condo so the basement is
not very large and Andrew's room takes up most of it. The
new house will have him back in a Bedroom for he will
only be there a year or so before he is off to school and
a dorm so he will no longer crave 700 square feet of roaming
room to call his own. This means I can have the basement
back we used to use as a rec room and I plan on claiming
a little part of it for Rowan and I!

My hunt for dress up clothes has been long but
unlike other long searches this one has been fun. Where
else do you get to check out costume shops and novelty
shops and vintage dress boutiques and browse through all
the spectacular dresses and dream about being a princess
yourself. Then when your Hubby asks what you did all
day you get to play it off like it isn't how you
really want to be spending your time and make the
Hubby feel bad for doubting you and say since you are
working so hard for other people why don't you find a
little something for yourself? See, a twofer! I have went to
a lot of vintage stores looking for dresses and though I have
found some really beautiful items I had a big problem with
finding ones that were anywhere near a child's size. Long
gone are the days where Parents dress their children in
formal clothes and it really isn't any fun for the kids to
go and play dress up with a dress they can find on the
rack at Kohl's right now. They want glamor and style and
long flowing skirts and pink taffeta and Empire waists.
I also checked out the little kits at the store and found
a few that were super sweet and grabbed them. The problem
there isn't that they don't fit or make her feel like a princess
and there are only like 5 styles. I want her to be able to
play dress up and have a selection. To be able to play
with her little friends and not all have to wear the same
outfit. I have done some awesome reviews for a couple
of places that sell Tu Tu's and those are coming up but
I still had the dress issue. Then I thought, why at
Halloween they have tons and I mean tons of costumes
that are not only a Princess but a flapper, a rock star, a
Fairy, a hippy. Why you can find clothes for every single
theme you can imagine and more. If your child even thinks
about becoming an Astronaut for 32 seconds before moving
on to a Cow Girl or Boy you can encourage their dreams by
getting them an outfit to help hold their attention just a
little bit longer.

Long gone are the days when Mom spent her twilight
hours working on that perfect costume for her little
trick or treat-er. Or even kids who made it themselves,
for I remember working for weeks on a cardboard box that
I transformed into a TV when I was like 8 or 9. The bummer
there is when I finally got to wear it the weather did not
agree and it started to pour. By the time I got home I
was covered in poster paint and in tears. Now you
can just hit an Internet site or walk into a store and get
everything you need, the dress, the accessory's and the
thrill of wearing it, all in one little kit that costs less then
a pair of shoes at Pay less. I could not believe my friends,
a lot of whom swear they know everything, did not refer
me to a costume shop when I was asking them over and
over again for ideas on where to get clothing to start building
a dress up collection for Rowan. I went crazy for a week
making a list of themes I wanted to get for her ( we must
remember folks, Rowan is still a baby, this is my quest not
hers right now!) and ended up with over 130 different styles
I wanted to cover. Why that would be a fantasy closet every
little child could dream of! Now I was not going to buy them
all at once for I have about 2 years before she will even
get around to asking but I know a lot of you have kids who
like to do this now. Further more I did check out some retail
stores that sell dress up wear but boy were they pricey and
a costume store not only has a wider selection they
also don't break the bank!

I searched a ton but I got hung up on Costumes for Less!
When you go to their web site right in the corner it says they
have everything and boy, they were not joking. I found
everything on my list plus added a bunch more! I also
cracked up for they have the largest line of Pet costumes
I have ever seen and since Rowan and Boo are so close......
well, let's just say I feel bad for that little pooch sometimes!
There were 2921 outfits in the Children's section alone and
Rowan could have dreams of being anything from a doctor to
Little Miss Muffet and more! I was so impressed I wrote them
and let them know that I planned on sharing this find with
my readers and they sent an outfit for review. I was sent an
Adorable Princess dress that has twinkle lights in the skirt.
I was just about drooling as I opened it and floored with
the quality. I just didn't expect it to be so nice for the
price it was listed at. Plus, it has twinkle lights! Now
it is a little large for Rowan to wear right now, like I said
Baby, not ready for dress up unless it is to humor mom,
but when she is ready that little baby will be the sharpest
princess in the court! The have costumes that range in
price from $7.95 cents all the way up to $195.00 and
your child can be anything from a Jedi to Raggedy Anne,
a Zoo Keeper to Wonder Woman. Kings, Queens, Zorro
and a Bee! The list would go on for ever. I have flat out
decided that this is the way to go and Costumes for Less
has saved me more time then I care to admit for I would
have looked from one side of the Earth to the other before
I found a store half as good as this one. Did I mention
the Twinkle Lights? No longer do we have to wait to
Halloween to encourage our children's dreams and Fantasy's
for at these prices your kids can try on a new dream whenever
they get the urge! Costumes for less can also meet your
Halloween and Party needs too, after all that is what they
were built for and offers literally thousands of choices from
Infants and Pets to Adult. For Halloween you can find daring
and sexy for Mom a Couch Potato to highlight Dad's in
the natural world and Pooch can be part of the fun by
dressing up like the little devil she already is! Already
have the costume but its just missing that certain something,
something? They have you covered there are well with loads
of accessories that can add the frosting to any cake! Now you
don't have to be a nut case like me and go all out to have a
dream dressing room for your child that rivals a Hollywood
movie set but if you are looking for something for your
kids, something for a costumes party's or just ideas for
next Halloween, Costumes for less has a vast selection
of great items all at a reasonable prices and they have it
year round! My review of costumes for less may be coming
to an end but my opinion of them is threw the roof and
I will be shopping there for many years to come! Who knows,
next time I tell you my kids and the pooch are acting like
Monsters it might just be because they are! Grrrrrrrrrr!
Costumes for less for also kind enough to offer a costume
of their choice for your little girl or boy! Did I mention mine
came with twinkle lights? To enter just head over to their
site and take a look around then come back here and post
what costume you like best in a comment. You never know,
that could be the costume you win! The contest starts tonight
and will run to midnight on March 19th.
USA and 18 and older can enter daily and the winner
will be contacted by email and have 72 hours to
contact me with their mailing information. As always
you can earn a bonus entry by entering the contest of
the day and other ways to enter are posted below.

Costumes for Less


Extra entries.
Extra entries only count after the initial entry
is completed.

1. Become a follower of my blog or
post that you are. 3 entries,
please post 3 times.

2. Enter any of my other contest. I entry
per contest, separate post for each entry.

3. Grab my button. 5 entries. Please post
5 times.

4. Blog about this contest somewhere else
and post the link here. 5 Entries Please
post five times.

Hey there, while you are here don't forget to enter
my Lyons Creations and Snow Stoppers Contests!