Review: Adopted Ed

While neither of the wee ones is adopted, with Mister Man being autistic, I'm always somewhat sensitive to the aspects of childhood that set people apart and make life more difficult for them. When we received the autism diagnosis, we searched for books on autism and Asperger's - not just for us to better understand it, but also for Mister Man and his peers to be able to better understand and accept it.

Adoption is much the same in that many children feel pushed to the side and different and special - and not always in a good way. Darren Maddern has recently written a children's picture book based on his story of adoption to help children feel more comfortable with who they are.

I love the big pictures, and at the end, the book lists famous people who were adopted from Malcom X to Faith Hill to Nelson Mandela - showing that there are role models to look up to and follow after, no matter the interest of the child.

The book itself is written in verse, and honestly some of it is a bit trite in an attempt to make it fit. The message is great, however, and any child struggling with adoption wouldn't get stuck on that one bit. The message is far more important here.

I like how adoption is shown how it is for many children - something they discover as they grow older and are frequently fine with until other children make them uncomfortable with it. In the book, Ed (the adopted child) is presented with a great comeback that puts the bullies in their place, one I'm sure the author had to use more than once.

For anyone with a child struggling with adoption, this is a great addition to the repetoire of strategies to help the child become comfortable with himself. And even for me, not having an adopted child, the book opened up some great conversations amongst me and the wee ones about adoption and what makes people different and how different people would feel in different situations.

You can learn more about this book here.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with a copy of Adopted Ed for review purposes (which I am donating to our school library for their use). I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Winners!

I had two giveaways end over the past couple days - the FiberOne Gift Pack and the InchBug Orbit Labels. And something fun happened... the same person won both giveaways - I think that Amy Anderson is now very happy with random.org!

Congrats to Amy from FunnyYellowMom for winning those giveaways. There are more up and more coming - so keep watching for your chance to win something fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Winner!

Congrats to Niecey from The Monkeys and Me for winning the Activeion Ionator HOM. She has 48 hours to get back to me from the time she was contacted before random.org chooses a new winner. Congrats!

And don't forget all the other giveaways I have going on right now. Lots of them - and more to come - most with really great odds!

Fiber One Prize Pack including a $25 gift card here

InchBug Bumpy Orbit Labels here

MASTERMIND and Animal Mastermind Towers board games here

$50 77kids gift certificate here

Little Wonders Company personalized hardcover book here

$25 Build-A-Bear Workshop gift card here

Giveaway: Build-A-Bear Workshop Giftcard

I have been a fan of the Build-A-Bear Workshop for a long time. I love how friendly they are and how you can personalize your bear with everything from the sound you put inside to the outfit to the name you give on the birth certificate. The store is so friendly and inviting, and there's always something new. I suppose there's a reason Little Miss's bed is completely covered in animals. And Mister Man's, too.

The Build-A-Bear Workshop regularly comes out with new animals from those that support a particular charity such as Turner the Owl, who supports literacy and education programs and the new Star Wars bear. This holiday season, there is a whole line from Rudolph, including Rudolph himself, Clarice, and Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster. Hal and Holly Moose are also back, as is their holiday special.

Just as Build-A-Bear Workshop supports charities with the specially designated bears they sell, you can help, too. Through the end of November, you can donate $1 for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In December, you can donate $1 to support Toys for Tots. The weekend of December 3-6, there will be a toy drive for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation in all stores if you have any new and unwrapped toys to share.

Mister Man and I visited a Build-A-Bear Workshop near us to make a new bear for Mister Man from one of their new lines. Not surprisingly, Mister Man immediately gravitated towards the Star Wars collection. He decided upon the Midnight Teddy immediately, but the clothing was a more difficult choice.

Fortunately, I forgot my camera, so we had to head back to my car to retrieve it, giving him more time to think about his choice. Of course, it wasn't in my car either, so I was reduced to using my phone, but it works.

Once we returned to the store, Mister Man finally decided on a Darth Vader costume, and we were ready to stuff. Interestingly, we had yet to be approached or even acknowledged by any of the four people working at Build-A-Bear in either of our trips into the store or around the store. Mister Man actually had to walk up to the counter and interrupt three of them having a conversation (and not about a work topic, mind you) to ask if he could stuff his bear. Fortunately, he wasn't bothered by it, but it definitely was not their usual above and beyond customer service this time around.

As always, he did the extra special wishes for his bear's heart before he put it in, rubbing it on his muscles to make it strong, on his cheeks so his bear would always smile, on his ears so his bear would always be there to listen to him, and the like. He loves all the ways he makes that heart really mean something rather than it simply being a piece of the puzzle.

Once his bear was adequately stuffed, he gave it a bath. I cracked up as Mister Man held it under the "shower" and made the water noise before using the brush to scrub it. The imagination brought out by Build-A-Bear Workshop is always precious to me.

The Darth Vader costume Mister Man chose included the (correct color!) light saber, a cape, a hood, and the main costume. Because it had multiple pieces, it requires an adult to carefully remove the tags to ensure the costume doesn't rip before you get it out of the store. Getting it on is fortunately something that Mister Man can do (mostly) himself. We did discover that the costume would have better fit the smaller $10 bear, but we got it on. It gives me leverage for a $10 bear next time! And you know there will be a next time - the two Star Wars costumes I've already purchased and have hidden away in the basement are testament to that.

Once his bear was fully costumed, Mister Man went to create his birth certificate. I learned the last time we went to Build-A-Bear workshop to make a bear that I want to leave myself plenty of time so we aren't rushed at any particular spot. Creating the birth certificate is something that Mister Man is old enough to do, but it takes him time as he thinks about what each question is asking and then has to find the keys on the keyboard. I love giving him this bit of independence, and kudos to Build-A-Bear Workshop for making it simple enough that a child can do.

The process may have taken us longer than I anticipated (partly due to my own forgetfulness with the camera!), but Midnight the bear is now a happy member of our home. And Mister Man couldn't be prouder.

Yes, I have lots more photos, but I'm still waiting for them to arrive from my phone to my email - I'll update as soon as I can!

Are you jealous? Build-A-Bear Workshop has exclusive offers available on their Facebook page, and they now have an iPhone app, too! I've heard that there will be great offers on Thanksgiving Day and Black Monday online, as well as in stores throughout the weekend. I advise you go check it out.

Oh, did I forget to mention that I have a $25 gift card to Build-A-Bear Workshop to give away? Silly me. Apparently it's not just my camera that I'm forgetting!

So what do you have to do to win the gift card? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Tuesday December 7 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What furry friend would you create from the Build-A-Bear collection?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Win a $25GC from @buildabear from @honestandtruly. Details: http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway-build-a-bear-giftcard.html" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a $25 gift card from Build-A-Bear to purchase a bear for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: Little Wonder Book

When I was a child, my mom purchased several personalized books for me. They were generally Sesame Street or another book with a "Michelle" who was mentioned but never - or rarely - pictured who was the star of the book helping to track down a missing pigeon or involved in some other mystery. The fact that I can remember the story of the detective Michelle and the missing pigeon for the Great Pigeon Race is a testament to how much I loved having a book that was "about me."

Today, books like this are still sold, and we recently experienced one that is far more personalized than any I'd seen previously. Not only was Mister Man's name in the book, but I was able to write a personalized message to him that was printed at the beginning of the book and we also designed the look of the Mister Man character.

Yep, we designed it. For the Little Wonders books, you go online to create your star. There are characters for both boys and girls, and you select the appropriate face shape, skin tone, hair style, dimples, freckles, eye color and shape, etc.

Granted, when Mister Man and I designed his character together, he started out creating a ... unique looking fellow. After playing with it for a bit, we decided to make his character look like him. It obviously isn't exact but to be able to have a boy with light brown hair with hazel eyes really makes it perfect for him.

There are two different kinds of books - soft cover and hardcover. The hardcover is $29.99, while the soft cover is $12.99, plus shipping and handling. You could also do a digital download for $4.99.

Once the book arrived, I couldn't wait to show it to Mister Man. As he saw what was inside the box, his face lit up. He and the book disappeared for a good half hour before I tracked him down and turned on the video camera.

Of course now I can't figure out how to make the video upright - anyone who can tell me how to make it so you don't get a crick in your neck watching this wins my undying gratitude.







And of course... you can't make a video without the outtakes!





I loved that the book wasn't short or skimpy and had a pretty decent story to it that draws you in rather than just relying on the fact that the book has a child's name in it to be the attraction. It is a pretty decent quality binding and book, so I'm not worried that it will fall apart anytime soon, as this is definitely one that we'll keep forever.

Love the idea? Order yours by December 10 to ensure that it arrives in time for the holidays. Or you could be the lucky reader to win your choice of hardcover either Little Boy Wonder or Little Girl Wonder.

So what do you have to do to win a personalized book like this? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Monday December 6 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: What was your favorite book as a child?

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Personalize a book for the special child in your life - giveaway from @honestandtruly here: http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/giveaway-little-wonder-book" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a Little Boy Lightning book from MomSelect for review purposes. I received no compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Giveaway: 77kids Gift Card

Have you heard of 77kids yet? It's a new children's store from American Eagle that started opening up this past summer. I wrote a little about them back in July. With their grand opening near me in the Chicago suburbs, I headed out to the store at Woodfield to see it in person.

The store focuses on sizes 0-14, leaving a wide age range. Although I didn't see the infant clothing at first, there is actually another section for just that in an area behind the cash wrap away from all the older children items, which I think is a smart move on their part.

As part of their plan to keep kids shopping with their parents occupied, 77kids has a variety of entertainment spread throughout the store. This isn't the movies of some other retailers but rather interactive pursuits. Children can take pictures of themselves then decorate them onscreen before printing them at the register. Two photos are printed, with one to take home and one to hang in the store.

There is also a magnetic drawing board mounted on an easel and a fun mirror toy on the other side. Giant pillows (that are not for sale, but apparently given all the requests from customers someday might be) line the floors for kids who just need a break from the tough shopping trip.

Oh - and the evidence that 77kids recognizes the issues we have when shopping with children continues. There are two family restrooms in the store with changing tables. And drinking fountains, too. No excuses for the wee ones to need to leave now!

Rather than the metal shoe measurer that has a tendency to disappear, there is a sizer painted onto the floor so that you can easily turn your child's foot to see what size he now it.

And oh the fun of the dressing rooms... I'll admit that the wee ones aren't yet old enough to try on clothing at the store (or maybe I'm just not brave enough), but once they are, I love the idea of the portholes in the dressing rooms that the child can open for mom to see how an outfit fits rather than a potentially shy child having to parade through the store.

The fun continues when you're ready to check out, too. Assuming your child has been well-behaved, 77kids also has a "Pick Yer Prize" Goodie Bar with assorted candy and small items for children to select. Tell me that isn't cute!

You can tell the store is braced for fun before you even get inside. On the front display of the store right now is a Holiday Magical Window. Children can simply press a button on the display to "race" little birds down a ski slope.

The window is the first point you learn about the current charity promotion the store is holding - Wish-4-Snow. From November 15 to December 14, people can create snowflakes either online or in-store to support children's hospitals. In-store, by donating 77 cents (or more), children receive a snowflake to decorate with their name and their wish that then hangs in the store. In Chicago, the donations support Children's Memorial.

Online, you can make a snowflake for free. The goal is to have 100,000 snowflakes created during this month - so go make yours; it's fun! If the 100,000 goal is reached, 77kids will donate $25,000 to the children's hospitals. You can create as many snowflakes as you want, and for every snowflake you create, you're eligible to win a daily $77 77kids gift card and the grand prize of a block party for you and 77 people.

Want to explore 77kids yourself? I am giving away a $50 77kids gift certificate. Don't worry if there isn't one near you (there are currently only 7 brick and mortar stores) as there is an online store. Just in time for your holiday shopping!

So what do you have to do to win the gift card? First of all, let me stress that you must follow all the rules. If you do not follow the rules, your entry will not count!

This contest is open until Monday December 6 at 7pm CST. I must have a valid way to reach you, so leave me your email address in your comment or be sure your profile has your email address visible. No duplicate comments will count. This giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and older. Winners will be selected via random.org and must respond within 24 hours of being notified by me or I will select a new winner.

Mandatory Entry: Create a snowflake on the 77kids website. Leave me the email addres you used to create the snowflake.

Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each entry - if you put it all in one comment, I'll count it as one entry):

1) Earn one additional entry for following me and 77kids on Twitter and tweeting this contest with the following tweet: "Help 77kids donate money to children's hospitals by making a snowflake. Details at http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com/2010/11/giveaway-77kids-gift-card.html" (leave a link to your tweet as your comment and make sure you do all the steps!)
2) Earn one additional entry by following this review blog publicly via Google Friend Connect.
3) Earn one additional entry by following my “regular” blog Honest & Truly! publicly via Google Friend Connect.
4) Like 77kids on Facebook, leaving me the name you liked them under.

Good luck!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received a stipend from theMotherhood and a $50 gift card to 77kids. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

Holiday Gift Guide

I can't believe it's already almost time to start thinking about Christmas and Hanukkah. I say "almost" because in my world, we have to fully celebrate Thanksgiving before we really start doing up Christmas. However, that doesn't mean that I don't need to start thinking about what I'll be doing. I've already planned out my Christmas cards, although I won't be sending them until after Thanksgiving. I've also started compiling my list of gifts for family members, wee ones, teachers, and the like.

Lucky for me, a few companies have helped me make things a little easier, which brings me to my first ever Holiday Gift Guide. I love being able to showcase some of the things that I love from various brands - and who I'd be buying them for!

The wee ones are easy. The big winner at our house right now is action figures. Little Miss has a Batman figurine that has been her favorite for awhile now - he even went to Grandma's for an overnight and snuck into her leotard for a gymnastics class. The Spiderman action figure is a new favorite of Little Miss. It is one of the many Marvel superheroes available for imaginative play. With both villains such as the Hobgoblin and Doc Ock, as well as every variation of Spiderman you can imagine from the battle glider black to arctic attack to mega arms, these $6.99 toys are great for stocking stuffers!

Mister Man prefers Star Wars, and we are working on adding to his collection whenever we get a chance. He is a huge fan of the Clone Wars figures and plays with his Han Solo and Princess Leia and other characters all the time. He especially loves that many of the figures come with firing weapons that launch with a spring. He hasn't yet gotten into the galactic battle game - each figure comes with a battle game card - but we've saved the cards knowing that soon he'll be begging to play. At just 7, he's on the cusp of figuring out those games. I've noticed that every time we go to the store, we see new characters that we hadn't before. It is beginning to make for a great adventure story for Mister Man. At $6.99 per figure, you can bet that Santa will be leaving a few of these in stockings!

Another favorite for the wee ones is movies. As we do a Movie Night with Mommy about once a month, they are a Big Deal. I select a movie for them, and we pop popcorn on the stove before sitting down together to watch it. Their first "big kid" movie was Ramona and Beezus - still rated G, mind you - a movie based on a book series I loved as a kid. It doesn't follow the books exactly, but it is still sweet and innocent and something that I feel good about giving the wee ones or other children their age. I was a little nervous at first that the movie would be too mature for them, but after checking out reviews, I felt more comfortable - and I was right. Mix in some popcorn, and we're set! This movie is available on both DVD and Blu-Ray for a suggested $29.98 and $39.99, respectively (although you know you can always find DVDs on sale!).

Speaking of popcorn, it is always important to me to find gifts for the support staff at the wee ones' schools. They do so much for the students and are so often forgotten by families. Being married to a teacher, I know that food is always a winner. A two gallon tin of popcorn from The Popcorn Factory? That is perfect, as it has three different flavors (butter, caramel, and cheese) so everyone always gets their favorite. At $24.99 for this poinsettia tin, it's a gift that looks good and goes over well for the people you need to thank this year. And if you have people who want more flavors, there is also a four flavor tin (adding white cheddar - yum!) for the same price. Larger tins are also available if you have more people to include - the 3 1/2 gallon tin is $29.99 and the 6 1/2 gallon tin is $39.99. Each tin also includes a personalized gift message so you can express yourself perfectly.

I like providing food for teachers, as well. Knowing how many Barnes & Noble gift certificates my husband receives each year, I try to be a little more ... creative, but not to the point of the hand painted ornaments he received one year. Cheryl's Cookies are a great compromise, as the individually wrapped cookies mean the teachers can share or save their treats. I tried out the buttercream frosted cookies, and they were delicious! I would recommend finding a cookie that doesn't have any sprinkles on it, as the majority of mine had fallen off by the time they arrived at my house, but that didn't affect the taste any! There are also cookies that are snowflake shaped or simply circlees to be less Christmas-y as well as trees and wreaths. The cookies range from $22.99 to $34.99, giving you a wide range of ... how much you like the recipient!

My other favorite food to give is Fannie May. This is a Chicago company, and my Gram adored them. The mint meltaways were a fixture at every family gathering - and dI do mean every family gathering. They still remind me of her, and now that Fannie May is back again - for a time the company had gone bankrupt and they weren't made anymore - these are the ideal gift for my mother who has everything but would never indulge in purchasing chocolates for herself. The Holiday Mint Meltaways are $22.99, which means I obviously need to keep searching for something else for her, but this makes a good start.

This year, we won't be spending Christmas with my in-laws, as we trade holidays with them and my parents. Although we go down near Christmas and celebrate with them, on the years we aren't with them on Christmas itself, I try to remember to send them something special. A gift basket always works nicely, and I love the ones from 1-800-BASKETS.com. They provide a variety of treats that can be shared amongst those who are there and has a great presentation that always brings a smile to the face of those who receive it. There are plenty of options from $19.99 to $199.99 depending on who you're buying for and your budget.

The other option for my in-laws is a plant from 1-800-FLOWERS.com. Flowers don't last, but I love the idea of a plant that they can keep around for a period of time. Frosty the Snowplant is a great example of this, and oh so cute. I appreciate that after the holidays, you can simply change the pot it's in, and it will still be appropriately seasonal. I will say that the plant I received was much smaller and thinner than the one shown in the picture. It will take some time to grow into the pot, but it is still cute - and something I know my mother-in-law would love. As these are created and shipped from local florists, they will vary somewhat. It was also somewhat daunting to put together. I had to hunt for the top of Frosty and assemble that. Had I not been looking for it, I might have missed it. Going forward, I might choose a different plant, but I do like the plant idea - and for $29.99, it's a cute and reusable gift.

I feel pretty good about having made a dent in my Christmas shopping with it not having even made it to Thanksgiving yet. Starting next week, I need to get serious about placing my orders for my family and friends - and teachers and support staff. The items I discovered for my gift guide definitely gave me inspiration, and I hope they did for you, too!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received one each of the Star Wars and Spiderman figures, a DVD of Ramona and Beezus, a 2 gallon tin of popcorn, a sample of Cheryl's frosted cookies, a box of Fannie May mint meltaways, a Comfort and Joy Sweet Treats gift baskets, and a Frosty the Snowplant for review purposes. I was not compensated in any way, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Ringling Bros Circus

Last night, the wee ones and I headed to the circus for the opening night at the United Center. Knowing it was going to be a late night, we brought along their pajamas to change into during intermission. Good thing we did - as much as the wee ones enjoyed the circus, they somehow managed to relax again enough to fall asleep in the car.

This year's show is FUNundrum, celebrating the 200th birthday of P.T. Barnum, the founder of the Ringling Bros Barnum & Bailey Circus. As such, they integrated a number of acts that were traditionally in circuses in a humorous way, such as the bearded lady, the strong man, the wild man from Borneo, and more.

It seemed like it was a very quick show, but we were there for more than two hours - not counting the hour preaccess show where we were able to watch an elephant make a painting, try on some outfits from the circus, see previews of some of the upcoming acts, and - of course - get our clown noses.

Once the show began, everyone was enthralled. Of course, the initial items of fascination were the cotton candy and the shaved ice my dad purchased the wee ones. Thank goodness I kept Mister Man in short sleeves, as I couldn't believe how sticky he got!

The show itself seemed to have a bit of an Asian influence with lots of acrobatics and contortionist acts and the like. That isn't to say that there wasn't the requisite tiger and elephant acts, along with a dog and pony show (that included an elephant and llamas and a donkey) with the cutest little girl assisting what I assume was her mom.

The show was set up with three rings for much of it, making it hard to focus on just one place - you frequently felt like you were missing something, but whatever was right in front of you was so compelling that you couldn't look away. The main acts such as the trapeze and high wire were the only acts going on at the time, fortunately. It would have been hard to look away from the Globe of Steel and the seven motorcycles racing inside!

The one distraction I had - and my mom commented on it, as well - was the video screens that were new this year. There were various screens around the arena between the seats and the show. They would raise and lower based on whether the act was in the air or on the ground. While they were always relevant and sort of cool, they were distracting from some of the acts themselves.

That aside, everyone loved the show - and the finale, which was the cutest little baby elephant (not yet two years old!) who came out at the end with her mom. Adorable!

There are still several shows running at the United Center:
Thu November 18 7:00PM
Fri November 19 10:30AM, 7:00PM
Sat November 20 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM
Sun November 21 1:00PM, 5:00PM
Tue November 23 7:00PM
Wed November 24 7:00PM
Fri November 26 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM
Sat November 27 11:30AM, 3:30PM, 7:30PM
Sun November 28 1:00PM, 5:00PM

Don't miss it! You can still get your tickets at a discount. Simply use the code MOM to purchase a family 4 pack of tickets for $44 Monday-Thursday and Friday matinees or (and?) to save $4 off all weekend shows. Enter the code in the "MC Promotions Box" on Ticketmaster or provide the code when purchasing your tickets via phone (1-800-745-3000) or at the box office. The offer is not valid on Circus Celebrity, Front Row or VIP seats. No double discounts. Service charges and handling fees may apply.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was provided with tickets to the circus. I did not receive any compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.