This week will be all about National Emergency ID. To get this extra entry, follow National Emergency ID on Facebook and then post the following to their wall.

I’m following thanks to Tim And Angi’s Blog & looking forward to BLOGMANIA on Sept 15 http://bit.ly/bqhuC0

After you have completed these tasks, fill out the entry form here and use the Bonus Code NEIDF. Remember the information you use on this form will be matched to your mandatory entry when Blogmania comes around in September so make sure you use the same email throughout all entries.

Make sure you subscribe via RSS or email to get all the benefits of being a regular reader. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

You might also like:

• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Coupons Are GREAT!

The following is taken directly from their site:

Every parent has experienced it – you’re in a crowded public place with your children – it could be a zoo, a ballpark, an amusement park, a tourist attraction or even the mall. Suddenly, you notice one less child. Instant panic, frantic fear and desperation quickly set in.

Arm.ID.illo bandz, the new, highly-visible children’s safety bracelet displays your child’s key contact phone number enabling others to immediately contact you and safely return your child to where he/she belongs. Arm.ID.illo bandz are constructed out of a durable, weatherproof, hypoallergenic material.

Each child safety band adjusts to fit little wrists and comes with a series of number “pupz™” allowing you to easily change the contact phone number displayed on the bracelet so your child’s closest guardian is always only a quick phone call away.

One Arm.ID.illo bandz

Come back and enter our Blogmania giveaway on September 15th-16th, 2010.

Site: http://www.armidillobandz.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/armIDillo-Bandz-Kids-security-ID-Bracelet/277267668384
Twitter: http://twitter.com/armidillobandz

Blog: http://blogmaniaevent.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Blogmania
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Blogmania2010

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Coupons Are GREAT!

This week will be all about National Emergency ID. To get this extra entry, follow National Emergency ID – @National_ID – on Twitter and then tweet the following.

Following @National_ID thanks 2 @amboutwe & @nonparity Looking fwd 2 #Blogmania (@Blogmania2010) Sept 15 http://bit.ly/bqhuC0

After you have completed these tasks, fill out the entry form here with a link to your direct tweet and use the Bonus Code NEIDT. Remember the information you use on this form will be matched to your mandatory entry when Blogmania comes around in September so make sure you use the same email throughout all entries.

Make sure you subscribe via RSS or email to get all the benefits of being a regular reader. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Coupons Are GREAT!

The Couponizer® is a complete set of tools designed to make saving money easy. It is made up of 18 category pockets for grocery coupons and other coupon and discount category pockets.

Amy Bergin, mother of three children, creator of The Couponizer®. The #1 best selling coupon organizing and shopping system in the US and Canada. To find out more visit her website.

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• Radio Flyer: World’s Largest Wagon Mosaic
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• Share The Joy Of Reading
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• Bras… Who Needs Them?

We’re renting a mini van to allow ample space for everyone and all necessary luggage. It was really hard to find a mini van, or any large vehicle, that had unlimited miles that weekend. One place even said that she was surprised it didn’t have unlimited miles and asked if there was a special event because normally that changes the mileage allowance. After lots of phone calls and many online quotes, we settled on Hertz. The customer service was fantastic at working around their system to get us the best deal AND keep unlimited miles. We pick up at one place because they have the van available but we’ll drop it at the airport because it has a later drop off time. This allowed us to keep the van the extra few hours we needed without having to pay for an entire day or for every mile over the very limited mileage.

We researched online for things to do while in New Mexico and stumbled across some local coupons for visitors. One of the coupons was for a free night at Red Roof Inn if you stayed three nights. We already had made reservations but thought we’d call and check out the price with the free night. It was a tad bit more than our current reservation but it included a few things that the first hotel did not and it was worth the few bucks more.

We’re planning on spending one day neighborhood spying, as I’m referring to it. We’ll drive around to the different areas in town and get a feel for the good and bad things about each area. We’ve done some research on home price and rental prices to help us with our spying.

Another coupon was for a local shop that was offering a free dreamcatcher. Drama King has been asking for one of these for the longest time. He wakes up frequently by bad dreams and the only time he doesn’t is when he’s at Grandma Deb’s house. The difference: She has a dreamcatcher on her bed and he doesn’t. See how that could lead him to believe that he needs one, too. I haven’t found a place online that sells them because of their unique qualities and we haven’t had a chance to go to the reservation to pick one up for him. This will be a perfect solution.

The last day we are deeming kids’ day for two reasons; a) It’s Drama King’s birthday and b) they’ll deserve it after the adults check out the area. We are planning on spending the entire day at the local zoo. They offer a reciprocal 50% discount on admission because we have a membership to our local zoo. However even at their regular admission price, it would be worth it for what you get.

For now, I’m off to finish our itinerary and do laundry to begin packing. I’ve learned through our many trips to pack enough entertainment for each child so I’m customizing their backpacks for New Mexico. I have printed a coloring ABC book, a few activities, and placed blank and lined paper in their binders. I, also, printed a Flat Stanley for them to design on the drive up. And we’re bringing some books, a few toys, and their table trays. I’ll be packing their portable DVD players and a few DVDs for each of them. I’m not sure if we’ll need them but better safe than sorry.

What’s going on with the blog while we’re gone? I have a few Blogmaniacs posts scheduled for some bonus entries. We also have the $25 Kroger gift card giveaway for you to enter.

Any guest posts? I’m looking into that. I’ve never done a guest post but if you’re interested, let me know.

Will we be checking in? I’ll probably check in at least once for comments but am not expecting to write anything until we get back. Our new phones are smart phones so we may check in on Twitter or Facebook so make sure you’re following us on there, too.

Will we get to hear more about the trip? Yes, after we get back. We’ll probably do a post covering the places we visited and things we learned.

Are the boys excited? Oh yes! And so are the adults.

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• No Related Posts

This round will be all about us. To get this extra entry, follow us – see sidebar – on Facebook and then post the following to our wall

I’m looking forward to BLOGMANIA on Sept 15 http://bit.ly/bqhuC0

After you have completed these tasks, fill out the entry form here and use the Bonus Code T&AF. Remember the information you use on this form will be matched to your mandatory entry when Blogmania comes around in September so make sure you use the same email throughout all entries.

Make sure you subscribe via RSS or email to get all the benefits of being a regular reader. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Coupons Are GREAT!

In addition to these great savings, be sure to take advantage of the special Bonus Box Tops Offers and get a jumpstart on helping the participating school of your choice this year.

All you have to do, if you haven´t already, is register at www.RewardYourSchool.com. Once you register, you will automatically receive 5 Bonus Box Tops just for signing up! You will also receive custom offers for Bonus Box Tops for purchasing participating products.

These great offers are:
• Buy any 4 Box Tops products and get 10 Bonus Box Tops
• Buy any 8 Box Tops products and get 25 Bonus Box Tops

The offers you select will then load onto your Kroger Shopper Card to be redeemed once you purchase the items. It’s extra easy because there’s no clipping! Just remember to scan your Kroger Shopper Card and the Bonus Box Tops will automatically go straight the participating school of your choice.

One reader will win a $25 Kroger Family of Stores gift card. The giveaway ends on August 6th. Winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to claim their prize.

Leave a comment on this post telling us what eight participating items you would purchase to receive $4 off during the `Add up the Savings Event´ at the Kroger Family of Stores (OR) tell us how you would use the $25 gift certificate.

1. Follow us on Google Friend Connect. (1 comment)
2. Follow Angi on Twitter. (1 comment)
3. Follow Tim on Twitter. (1 comment)
4. ‘Like’ us on Facebook and post the following to our wall. (1 comment)
   “I entered to win the $25 Kroger gift card.”
5. Tweet the following:  (1 comment per day)
   “Enter 2 win a $25 Kroger gift card thanks 2 @amboutwe @nonparity & #myblogspark at http://bit.ly/dloXZa”

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2

This round will be all about us. To get this extra entry, follow both of us – see sidebar – on twitter and then tweet the following

Can’t wait for the #Blogmania (@Blogmania2010) #giveaway by @amboutwe & @nonparity on Sept 15 http://bit.ly/bqhuC0

After you have completed these tasks, fill out the entry form here with a link to your direct tweet and use the Bonus Code T&AT. Remember the information you use on this form will be matched to your mandatory entry when Blogmania comes around in September so make sure you use the same email throughout all entries.

Make sure you subscribe via RSS or email to get all the benefits of being a regular reader. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Coupons Are GREAT!

The following is taken directly from their site:

This site is written by Leandrea and Jessica. We have daughters who are practically the same age, which means we were pregnant together. We were both registered members of an online forum called Epregnancy. At the time Leandrea lived in Nevada and Jessica lived in North Carolina. During her pregnancy Leandrea and her husband moved to Georgia, about 45 minutes from Jessica’s parents. Since we had been online friends for almost two years we decided to meet in person. We met at a mall in the middle of the day and became instant real life friends. Prior to that neither of us had met someone in real life who she met online first. It turned out to be a great thing, and we have met several other friends from Epregnancy. The internet is a wonderful place! Now Jessica and Leandrea are two couponing friends sharing all sorts of deals in one place.

Leandrea has graciously offered butterfly and ladybug hair bows.

Come back and enter our Blogmania giveaway on September 15th-16th, 2010.

Site: http://couponsaregreat.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CouponsAreGreat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CouponsAreGreat

Blog: http://blogmaniaevent.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Blogmania
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Blogmania2010

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2

These are the little things that a parent of a special needs child celebrate as a huge victory. A couple years ago, I wasn’t sure if Little T would celebrate this milestone before he turned 10. Then, Tim and I found out that our local parks and rec offered adaptive swim lessons. We immediately enrolled him in swim lessons and picked up brand new swim trunks for him. After his first two weeks, we decided to take a two week break because he was a little overwhelmed by the first two weeks. He is now entering his second two week session and he’s loving it.

Drama King has traded in his baby floaties for…Yep, you guessed it, Noodles! Why are those things so much fun in a pool? On Monday, Drama King and I joined up with our local unschooling group for a after dark pool party, although it didn’t get dark until after we left. We took one of Drama King’s favorite snacks – Frozen Gogurts – to share with our friends. I swam and helped him practice his swimming kicks. I borrowed a couple noodles from the kids and decided at the end of the evening that he MUST have his own set and maybe we could get some for Little T. I guess I’ll be watching those for clearance since stores are starting to thin out their summer stuff now.

In other baby news, Erica and Tony had their sonogram a few days ago and found out they are expecting a baby GIRL! They are thrilled because now they’ll have a boy and a girl to round out their family. Erica is planning on getting her tubes tied after the birth so no more unexpected surprises like this little girl was for them.

Tony’s family has taken on the party planning for her baby shower. I’ve offered to help out as needed but planning a party for that many people would be a huge undertaking for me at this time. I am searching for ideas to pass on to them so comment and share your favorite baby shower party ideas.

You know you’re a mom when…

• You celebrate the first time your child blows bubbles in the swimming pool because you know it means he’ll be swimming soon.
• You celebrate the fact that someone else is joining the special division of parents with more than one child because you know their world is about to change forever!
• You sit down to write ‘You know you’re a mom’ and all you can think about is all the stuff you need to do for your children, like setting out swim attire because you have a doctors appointment and someone else (read: Grandma Cindy) is going to have to ready the child or ensuring the sleepy child is actually awake because he’s slept too long already.
• You’re brand new smart phone has a Winnie The Pooh background, Scooby soundboard, Mario tic-tac-toe, and many learning games just to keep your children entertained and learning in the event you ever run out of interesting stuff to do. Because you want to be prepared and you’d NEVER run out of interesting stuff and really HAVE to use the phone to entertain them, right? {insert evil laugh}

You might also like:

• Organized The Boys’ Computer Nook
• Wordless Wednesday – What’s Wrong?
• I Want…Language
• Wordless Wednesday – Now That’s Focus
• Wordless Wednesday

This round will be all about Blogmania. To get this extra entry, follow Blogmania on Facebook and then post the following to their wall.

I’m following thanks to Tim And Angi’s Blog & looking forward to BLOGMANIA on Sept 15 http://bit.ly/bqhuC0

After you have completed these tasks, fill out the entry form here and use the Bonus Code BF. Remember the information you use on this form will be matched to your mandatory entry when Blogmania comes around in September so make sure you use the same email throughout all entries.

Make sure you subscribe via RSS or email to get all the benefits of being a regular reader. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2

This round will be all about Blogmania. To get this extra entry, follow Blogmania – @Blogmania2010 – on twitter and then tweet the following

I’m following @Blogmania2010 thanks to @amboutwe & @nonparity & looking forward to #Blogmania on Sept 15 http://bit.ly/bqhuC0

After you have completed these tasks, fill out the entry form here with a link to your direct tweet and use the Bonus Code BT. Remember the information you use on this form will be matched to your mandatory entry when Blogmania comes around in September so make sure you use the same email throughout all entries.

Make sure you subscribe via RSS or email to get all the benefits of being a regular reader. Or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

You might also want to hop on over to Busy At Home who inspired me to offer these early entries. She has a fabulous Christmas theme.

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2

1. Your first post
My first post was basically an announcement that I had switched to WordPress, followed up quickly with an announcement that I had added photos to our photo album. But my first ‘real’ post chronicled our horrid trip over 4th of July weekend to Disneyland when I was 8 months pregnant with Drama King.

2. A post you enjoyed writing the most
I always enjoy writing reviews of products and announcements that benefit our readers but I would have to say writing about the milestones our boys accomplish are always fun. My favorite, maybe because it recently happened, has to be Crossing The Blue Line where I talk about Little T’s swim lessons.

3. A post which had a great discussion
Not a lot of discussion since originally my blog was only for friends and family. I decided a few months to expand my readership and started out with 5 Minutes For Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party 2010 and soon we’ll be participating in another huge blog event, Blogmania.

4. A post on someone else’s blog that you wish you’d written
Heather over at Shhh… Mommy’s Hiding wrote a particularly home hitting post about Regular Moms vs Special Needs Moms. Every time I read it, yes I marked it as a favorite in Google Reader, I think about all that Tim and I have done or learned over Little T’s life. It’s no wonder when Erica or Rob have a question about a non-traditional method of parenting that they call us for advice.

5. Your most helpful post
My first and only at this moment for On The Grill because it provides a fabulous recipe for the best burgers we make plus a link to a recipe for some awesome fries.

6. A post with a title that you are proud of
I always try hard to come up with a catchy title but I think my iPad iCraze is my best title by far.

7. A post that you wish more people had read
Corn Dogs, Beef Jerky And a Sprinkle of Rain because the title is funny and completely describes our day at the county fair. And it makes me laugh just thinking about our day.

You might also like:

• Crossing The Blue Line
• Monday Mingle – Our Busy Weekend
• Random Ramblings
• My Very First Award
• Blog Shout Outs

The following is taken directly from their site:

Stroller Strides is a total fitness program for new moms that they can do with their babies. It includes Power Walking and intervals of body toning using exercise tubing and the stroller. Taught by specially trained instructors, it’s a great workout for any level of exerciser. Please get doctor’s permission before starting this or any other exercise.

$25 gift certificate to Stroller Strides. However, this fabulous prize is only be available to my local readers in Tucson, AZ.

Find out if Stroller Strides is in your area at their website.

Come back and enter our Blogmania giveaway on September 15th-16th, 2010.

Site: http://www.strollerstrides.com
Tucson: http://classes.strollerstrides.net/tucsonaz
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StrollerStridesTucson
Twitter: http://twitter.com/stridestucson

Blog: http://blogmaniaevent.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Blogmania
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Blogmania2010

You might also like:

• Blogmaniacs – Part 3.2
• Blogmania Sponsor: Arm.ID.illo Bandz
• Blogmaniacs – Part 3
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2.2
• Blogmaniacs – Part 2

Enter the concept of WordPress child themes. I use someone else’s WordPress theme and modify it to meet my color scheme. I’ve been wanting to change up the site as it’s getting quite crowded down the left side of the page.

Enter our new theme…Well theme of the moment. I am working on a WP3 layout and hopefully will have that up and running before BlogMania.

What do you think? If you are reading this in a reader or email, drop by the site to check out the new theme.

You might also like:

• Adding Affiliates
• My Very First Award
• Photo Album Relaunched
• Conversion Complete
• Tickers Added