How would you like to win a trip to Lolapalloza in Chicago?
Or be in New York on New Years Eve?
Maybe even win a trip to the Winter X Games in Aspen!
You could. In fact, you could win one of FIVE Blu prizes. Check is out at BluFrog
I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to win the trip to NY. I've always watched on TV, the clock strike 12 as the ginormous ball begins to drop. 
Plus, included in the trip are the following:
- Round Trip Air Fare for 2 from Major Gateway Airport
- Ground Transport to and from the Hotel
- Luxurious Hotel for 3 nights
- Helicopter Ride for 2 over New York
Mmmmmm, doesn't that all sound awesome?!
Are you on twitter? Tweet to win!
Be sure to include #bluworld and http://bit.ly/UiiJy in your tweet.
...a thing of the past?
It's about time for an update on the thumb sucking issue.
For a little while, the Thumb*Guard worked like magic. Princess let it be and as long as the guard was on, she wouldn't suck on her thumb.
After about 2 weeks she decided she didn't care about the Guard and we'd catch her holding onto her blanket tag with her thumb placed loosely in her mouth. The guard prevents the child from forming a suction around the thumb, but that didn't keep her from mouthing the sucking motion. We decided at that time the beloved blanket was standing in the way of breaking this habit and it was time to:
A. Get rid of the blankies!
~or~
B. Cut the tags off!
It wasn't a hard decision because I was traumatized as a child when my mom got rid of my blanket before I was ready. So.... off to the kitchen I went one morning and snipped the tags off when she wasn't looking. Of course, she was horrified when she discovered the tags on her blankies were gone!! I played dumb and she quickly recovered (within minutes) and I haven't heard a peep since.
It's been about 2 weeks since I cut off the tags and I'm almost ready to declare the thumb sucking habit a thing of the past!!
I'm sure you're wondering... ALMOST? So I'll explain, every once and awhile we'll go in the middle of the night and find that she has her thumb in her mouth (again, there's no suction, it's just kind of sitting in there and her tongue will be moving as if she were sucking on it) which tells us subconsciously she still has a bit of the habit left. We will press on and continue to use the Guard at night, if we need to. As far as daytime is concerned, she's been without the Thumb*Guard for 4 days now and hasn't even tried to suck on her thumb. Not even once.
Whooohoo! I highly recommend the little plastic apparatus for thumb and finger suckers (did I mention they have a Finger*Guard too didn't I?) everywhere!
I give it 4 Stars (...and NO I'm not being paid to say that. This is an independent product review and I am in no way being compensated. Just sayin'. )
The only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is because the clear plastic has stained from regular everyday use over the last 5 weeks. I haven't found anything to get it to clear again. It's kind of a turn off because it appears dirty no matter how clean it actually is. I guess that may be kind of a silly reason to take away a star, but I'm kind of snob like that though. ;-)
Get your tissues ready and listen to this beautiful song by One Republic.
I have been deeply touched by this story ever since I first saw debut on Dateline several months ago.
I've tried keeping up to date with the case since then and it seems to just keep getting knocked down by the Brazilian Government. I can't even imagine what this Father must be going through. We need to spread the word. Tell everyone you know. Copy this video and share it with your friends and family.
To read more about the story of David Goldman and the fight for his son visit Bring Sean Home
I know, I know you're shocked because I've posted twice in one day right?
Well, I wanted to share that beautiful picture I got of Princess this weekend but I also want to tell you about something else going on...
We're trying to raise money to be able to attend Discover Camp, a camp for Neurosurgery patients at the University of Chicago. Our son Nicholas is a patient there. If you'd like to read more about Nicholas, please visit his Caringbridge page.
For a limited time I have slashed prices on my website:
All Bracelet's are now $5 (or less*)
*Cat's Eye Special- 3 for $10 (Not good on Swarovski Crystal Bracelets)
Please share this special with your friends and family. These make great gifts!
My Bracelets are excellent quality and last WAY longer than any store bought child jewelry. I started making them when Princess was just a baby. I had become frustrated when the cheap bracelet I purchased for her at Clai*res broke apart within hours. I knew there was a better solution and so I set off to make high quality, yet affordable bracelets for kids. You gotta trust me, these are TOUGH! As a toddler, she couldn't get them off no matter how much tugging she did. She gets so many compliments by people whenever she wears her Bella Bracelets.
So, take advantage of this fabulous sale now. Also, don't forget about upcoming Birthday or Christmas.
Thank you!!!!
I was contacted and asked to review a brand new book by Ninni Holmqvist. Unfortunately, I just didn't have time to read it and passed it off to a friend of mine. I have posted her wonderful review below...
The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
Holmqvist’s novel which takes place in the near future is beautifully written; sometimes the language is almost painfully descriptive. At times; reading this novel is more like watching a movie, with ever single action described in extensive detail. The main character, Dorrit is a woman who has just turned 50 years old and is now deemed as a “dispensable,” in her society; someone who is no longer needed in the community as a whole being. Women over 50 and men over 60 are required to move into the unit, where they are to participate in experiments of all different sorts, with their lives ending by making their “final donation,” which means donating vital organs to those who are “needed,” out in the community. The majority of needed people are parents, who are wanted to be kept alive to raise their children. The novel spans over two years, and at the beginning, other types of needed (or protected) people worked in professions such as in the government, are teachers or doctors and didn’t necessarily need to have children. Nevertheless at the end of the novel, even those involved in those professions are no longer protected from having to make the ultimate sacrifice. Women and men, who do not produce children in the outside community, are seen as outcasts. Even though this novel takes place in Sweden, there seems to also be a stigma against people who do not have families in our own country. People with children and people without are considered worlds apart.
I find it interesting that the word community is relegated to more of a negative thing, even though everyone in the unit, ends up making the ultimate sacrifice to the community. There are negative and reciprocal feelings that the “dispensable” and the “needed” have for each other. I also found it interesting that people with children are rarely referred to as husband and wife. They are referred to as “partners,” who do not have to necessarily be married or even be of opposite genders. Another issue that disturbed me is that the leap does not seem to be a very large one between our current assisted living centers or nursing homes for the elderly to places like the unit. One issue that bothered me about this book is that Holmqvist never seems to state whether the need for vital organs has increased dramatically due to a rise in cancer or other factors, or if it is just a natural progression. There is a huge movement in the U.S., for people to donate their organs if they die. In this state, you can check a box on your drivers’ license that states you are a donor. My father thinks that everyone should have to donate their organs that die. He sees it as a waste when people do not. So in reality, how far are we away from places like units?
Dorrit is a writer who never has constant work and she was poor. In the unit, she never has to worry about buying food, clothes or any other necessities. She has access to state of the art exercise machines, gyms, classes, a swimming pool, a sauna as well as wonderful dining and entertainment. However, there is this constant underlying feeling of panic. People never know when their friends might disappear; they never know what negative effects they could have from the medical experiments in which they are forced to take part. The generations within the unit are very short. Living over 3 years in the unit is something of an anomaly. Within these walls with no windows but a domed ceiling that lets the “dispensable” look at the night sky, Dorrit finds friends that she never had out in the community and she also falls in love. The twists that happen at the end of the book are interesting but the decisions she makes because of what happens to her are remarkable. I recommend this book to people who enjoy fiction that may be closer to the truth, to those who enjoy friendship, love, but are willing to deal with disturbing issues that are raised within the pages.
--Review by Heather Cory
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Unit-Ninni-Holmqvist/dp/1590513134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243206307&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Unit/Ninni-Holmqvist/e/9781590513132/?itm=1
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