New England Mamas

The Greatest Show on Earth Giveaway

The story of my life, right? A 3-ring circus!

The first time I attended a circus performance as a mother, Eldest was a mere toddler. Hubby and I took him and it was NOT a good experience. Why?

I was 9 months pregnant. Rivaling the elephant in girth. And I think we paid something like $10 for a bag of kiddie crack cotton candy.

Thankfully though, my new friends at Mom Central (thanks Audrey!) have offered me another chance at having an enjoyable circus experience, this time with 3 boyz in tow!

And guess what? All you New England blog readers? They want to offer you the same opportunity! Here's the scoop:

"Attending a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus provides more than just a night out. It creates a memory that lasts a lifetime and a tradition that can be carried on from year to year and generation to generation.

As we get ready for a variety of new and exciting Ringling Bros. shows in cities across the country this fall, Mom Central is pleased to help you share in the enchantment!"

I'M GIVING AWAY FOUR (4) FREE TICKETS TO ONE OF THE BOSTON SHOWS!

The showtimes are as follows:

Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00pm

Thursday, October 9 at 7:00pm

Friday, October 10 at 7:00pm

Saturday, October 11 at 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm

Sunday, October 12 at 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm

Monday, October 13 at 12:00pm, 4:00pm

So you wanna go? Just leave a comment HERE with which show you want to attend (make sure I have a valid e-mail for you, please). I'll draw a name on Friday, September 26. Good luck!

P.S. In case you don't win? Here's a 20% discount coupon code for tickets to one of the Boston shows when you order tickets from the Ringling Bros. website: MCC

It's a Wonder-Full, Chipmunk-Filled Life

(Stay tuned at the bottom of this post for information on my wonderfully fun contest details!)

We just took Sweetie to The Boston Museum of Science this past weekend. For such a smart, curious, silly little girl, there was no greater place we could have taken her!

(While at the museum, Sweetie introduced herself to another mom and little girl, saying - My name is {Sweetie}. I'm really smart and a little curious. And extremely humble too, I might add. What's with this a little curious business? She's been saying that about herself for weeks! I mean, she is curious, but we've not made a habit of telling her she is at all.)

Anyway -

At the museum, Sweetie got electric...

And she boogie oogie oogied....

In fact, she had a fiercely good time with all the mirrors...

Then we viewed some wickedly deceptive artwork...

Before ending the day with a lighter activity - butterfly-making in the Discovery Center!

Yes, we all had a wonderful/wonder-filled day of learning, playing and laughing at the museum. Sweetie's already talking about our next trip there!

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And now for my All-Official-Actually-For-Real-Exciting-DVD-Give-Away Contest!!!

I have been given 3 copies of the brand new DVD Alvin and the Chipmunks. Sweetie actually got her own early copy from the Easter Bunny and has enjoyed both the wide screen and the full screen versions multiple times in the last week. But that's okay because this is one movie that's truly funny - entertaining parents and kids alike.

And now, I'm sharing with you! That's right - I have those 3 copies and I will give them away to 3 of my readers. Here's what you have to do:

If you'd like to be entered into my Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD Contest, please just leave a comment on this post. And if you'd like to tell me A) your most wonder-filled childhood memory, B) A wonder-full moment you experienced with your own child(ren), or C) your favorite Alvin and the Chipmunks related memory - well, that would be pretty dang awesome too.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to leave said comment on said post before the stroke of midnight (EST - or there abouts. I'm not that picky) on Friday, April 4th 2008. From those timely entrants, I will randomly choose 3 winners using a highly scientific names-from-a-hat method. I'll announce the winners in my next Sweetie Saturday post on April 5th.

That's it! May the best reader win!

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Cross-posted at Sweetie & Me - Spina Bifida Moms.

Yes, I'm ready for some football

OK, I'll admit that I've always been kind of a girly-girl when it comes to understanding football.

This year I was kind of forced into "getting it" a little more because my husband coached football at his high school.

But that doesn't mean I completely enjoyed sitting through the games.

It's not that I don't like sports. In fact, I would consider myself an athlete. I swam competitively from age 5 to age 17. I ran track and cross-country in high school, and was even recruited to run in college. I played Little League softball until I was in 8th grade.

I get sports.

I just never got football.

You see, back when I was in high school, going to my school's football games was all about the social aspect. I don't think I ever really even watched most of the action (or lack thereof) taking place.

My college's football team was... a little pathetic. I remember one of my brothers coming to visit me one weekend, and I took him to a game. We were walking into the stadium and he asked me, "Where do we pay to get in?"

I laughed. Pay!? They were begging people to go.

As for watching the professional teams play, I have really only ever followed (and I use that term rather loosely) the Patriots (of course!).

And I've always watched the Super Bowl because, well... what else is there to do that night but eat and do what everyone else is doing? (Yeah, I follow the crowd like that.)

Sure, I've always understood the major point of the game - the touchdown, the field goal, the grown men touching other grown men on their backsides.

But, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that up until this year, I never really knew that there were guys who just played offense and guys who just played defense.  (*Hiding in shame*)

I also didn't get why the words "he's going for it on fourth down" sent people into a panic mode. (*Running away*)

And I swear in the name of Tom Brady, I never knew that the quarterback was only on the field with the offense. (*Changing my name*)

But I'm proud to announce, ladies and gentlemen, that I now get football - for the most part.

I mean, I am still unsure of what the hell everyone on the field is in charge of, what with their fancy names and all - Safety, Linebacker, Tight end, Running back. But I think that's OK, because at least I know what they're trying to accomplish.

In other words, I get the big picture. And I'm cool with that.

So this weekend when I'm watching the Pats play (and hopefully they'll be playing in two weeks, too), I can enjoy the game(s) with my newfound football knowledge. And that makes me happy.

I think it will make the serious-football-fanatic-don't-ask-me-questions-during-these-big-plays men around me happy, too.

- Jane

If you're a Pats fan, or know someone who is, there is a giveaway for 2 wicked awesome Pats T's going on over here.

Welcome to the New Home of the New England Mamas!

The contest is now closed.  A big thank you to everyone who commented and entered!   Winners will be picked randomly and contacted by email.

Whether you're new to the New England Mamas blog or someone who followed us over from our old blog, we're glad you're here!  Grab a cup of coffee and a donut (perhaps from Dunkin'?) and have a seat.  Get comfortable and look around a bit.  The contributing writers that make up the New England Mamas - 23 of us so far - have been working hard getting the new place ready for visitors and writing some great posts.  We tend to focus on topics unique to New England, specifically with a parenting slant, but we've been known look beyond our own porches on occasion.  We're good like that.

In honor of our new blog home we're having a contest!  The rules are simple:

• Leave us a comment on this post - one per person please - with your blog URL linked and/or your email address so we can contact you when you win.  If you don't have a blog just leave your email address in the comment. 
• No anonymous comments will be considered for the final giveaways.
• Individuals entering the contest DO NOT have to be from the New England area.  Contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada.
• Since some of the prizes need to be redeemed in the New England area we'll be picking a first winner who gets first pick of a prize, then a second winner who gets second pick of a prize, and so forth.
• Contest ends at midnight EST on Saturday, December 8.
• All winners will be picked randomly.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, on to the prizes!

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- A $25 Gift Certificate to Sephora.  Perfect for slipping into that certain someone's Christmas stocking... Or your own!

- One Metro Carrier Cover from Brooks Pond, in Taupe/Black.  Fits infant car seats and strollers, as well as soft infant carriers.  With the cold weather coming this would be great for any new parent.

- One set (pouch) of Envirosax , reusable shopping bags.  Colors from the Graphic Series to be determined.

The pouch is small enough to fit into a glove compartment or a medium to large handbag.  No more excuses for leaving your 'green bags' at home! Each pouch contains all 5 bags in the series.

- A gift certificate for a free sitting from Yellowhale Photography.  A $250 value!  This prize is only valid in the greater Boston area.

 

   - Six 2-packs of Days Ago digital day counters .  Three winners can win a combination of four (our choice) of the following types of counters: Suction, magnetic or band.  Two packs per winner, may be combined with another prize.

- 2-$10 gift certificates to Dunkin' Donuts.  It wouldn't be New England without Dunkin'!  One pack per winner, may be combined with another prize.

- 1 - 8.5X11 HP Photo Book in Charcoal/Silver.  Comes with Photo Book Software and HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper
and
3 - 5X7 HP Photo Book.  2 in Seafoam/Stone, 1 in Mauve/Stone.  Comes with Photo Book Software and HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper.  (1 per winner)

- One Skip*Hop Dash Deluxe Edition diaper bag in Chocolate Brown.  Carry around all that necessary baby stuff and do it in style.

- One handmade Christmas ornament by one of our own talented moms, Mom on Coffee.  Winner can choose colors to go with their holiday decor.

- And last but not least, we have a number of t-shirts and onsies from Little New Englander like the one at left.  Two six-month onsies (one pink, one blue), one 12-month onsie (in yellow), and one six-month tee (in gray).  One per winner, may be combined with another prize.

Good luck!