My hubby enjoys playing video games, but they are often too violent or complicated for my kiddo to really “get.” I hate the shoot ‘em games especially, and have tried to limit his game time to times when my oldest is napping or down for the night.

But does that mean that I have to ban him from all video games? No…you just have to find the right games. Something that is fun, not violent…and the big one AGE APPROPRIATE.

The folks at Jumpstart (you have probobly seen them on shelves at best buy or wal-mart)  were generous enough to give us a subscription to their 3D Virtual World, and threw in a free 3 month subscription to one of my lucky readers. Now your kids can jump, explore (and learn) in a fun 3D world.

The rules to enter are simple and you have 3 chances to win:

1. Leave me a comment letting me know who will be playing the game

2. Become my twitter friend

3. Twitter or Retweet the contest info

I will choose a winner at random on March 20th!

And the winner is…. #3 Sherri!

The folks at Silver Dolphin Books were generous enough to send me a whole mess of books in time for Christmas, and I have to say that they are by far one of SUB’s favorite new playthings.

Last night at our New Year’s party- the kids were fighting over the spinning wheels Race Car book, The wheels pop out and you can put on the different vehicles though out the book- there were 3 toddler boys fighting over who got to put the wheels on the next car. LOL

My favorite was the Baby Signing book- we did baby sign language with SUB, but I am in dire need of a refresher course and this book was just what I needed. The pictures were great, and had all of the signs that you need to communicate with your kiddo.

We also got (there may be a few more but they are all in SUB’s room and he’s napping..):

Five little ducks

Jingle Bell Baby

Rainbow fun

To the Rescue

Dear Santa

You can also get these books at Barnes & Nobles, Amazon.com, Costco and Borders.

This also gave me a good idea- maybe for SUB’s birthday I should have a book party. So instead of being over run with toys that he won’t even play with, we just ask for books to build up his library. Hmmm….

The farther along in the pregnancy you get, the dirtier your house tends to get. At least that’s the way that it works for me. Part of me could care less that the house is a disaster area and that there is a film of dirt and grim on the kitchen floor and the sink is full of dirty dishes. But then the other part of me is slowly losing my mind. The part that wants to nest and make sure that the house is clean and sparkly when baby Z makes his arrival. (which may be another 4 long weeks…but that is another blog)

The blog fairies have sent a few cleaning products my way in the last few weeks, perhaps as a means of telling me that I need to actually get off my duff and clean because it is getting downright scary around here…or maybe they are just being generous. Either way, here are a few of the things that have crossed my path lately.

First, we have

Clorox Green Works Dishwashing liquid. I have long been a fan of the Green Works line of products, so when they offered to send me a sample I was pretty stoked. The natural derived soap smells light and airy, and works really well on just about anything. The big plus for me was the fact that it didn’t irritate my hands like other soaps. I have really sensitive skin, and dish soaps tend to make them red and raw, which is yet another reason that I love Super-daddy for picking up that chore. So, if you have a sink full of dirty dishes and don’t want to put unnessary chemicals on your dishes and hands, then this is the stuff to try.

Second, while a little different area of expertise, it’s still an important matter that needs to be attended to. Spitup Boy is now potty trained, as many of you know, and for those that are parents of toddlers you also know that regular toilet paper doesn’t cut the mustard when it comes time to cleaning up after #2.  I was using those flushable wipes, but we would go through quite a few and I hated the expense and the waste. Not to mention the silent prayer I would say each time I flushed too many of them down the toilet at one time. So when I got a sample of Aaah Toilet Paper Foam in the mail I was excited to try it out. This stuff is similar to what I used for cloth wipes when he was in diapers, but you can use this stuff with regular toilet paper. You squirt a little on the paper, and then wipe away for a clean bottom. Spitup Boy seemed to enjoy the foam, and his little bum stayed rash free which is always a good thing. (apparently he got the sensitive skin from mommmy)

So there you have it, I have clean dishes and Spitup Boy has a clean butt….now if someone wants to have me try out merry maids for free or something that will sweep and mop my floor without me having to bend over. I am accepting offers now.

There aren’t too many things that Lil refried bean needs. We have all the toys, and enough clothes to get by for a while, and we all know that this child will not need diapers ever.

The carseat is one of the major purchases on the list, and one that I had been putting off for a while. I planned to get a Britax Marathon, since they go from 5-60 pounds, and I really love SUB’s. But the $280 dollar price tag kinda stinks. I broke down and bought one tonight though…

The damage $134 bucks on clearance.

I am a bargain shopping goddess. Just thought you should know…LOL