We are huge fans of Barefoot Books, what with its mom roots and sprouts (the business was founded by moms and supports mom resellers), and its amazing line of beautifully illustrated, culturally aware products. Today, South Shore based Barefoot reseller Alpha Sanford contributes to our online birthday party with a gift set of books, including Swing High, Swing Low, Never Say Boo To A Goose! and There's a Billy Goat In The Garden. Simply check out the rules after the jump and leave a comment on this book collection to enter to win.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Jenn S.!
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Rules:

Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (your name but NOT your email will be published with your comment. Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK.)

One comment permitted per person; US entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes tonight at midnight EST, Thursday, July 10, 2008.

So today I *tried* to work from home, but apparently some patch or something that was installed on my computer last week flipped my computer all the hell out. Now it won't boot in less than three hours, and I couldn't get it started at all.  It was incredibly frustrating, to the point where I seriously had to take deep breaths and leave the room to keep myself from smashing it to bits.  After an hour with the help desk and two hours trying to get it to boot, I rode my bike to the gym in an attempt to exhaust myself.  It felt a little like the first two weeks of motherhood: out of control, exhausting, frustrating when nothing works. 

ARGH.

I'll be meeting with the help desk tomorrow morning.

So anyway, tonight I'm trying to excise that frustration from my life by concentrating on the positive.  I did wipe Bella's ass with a wet towel, cleaning her thoroughly. I've never had a long-haired indoor cat before, and let me just tell you, they need regular shaving, which we have not been good about.  Otherwise, nastiness ensues. Also, in the second month of my attempt to lose the five stubborn pounds that have been hanging around my hips for a quarter (I know, right? It's not that much, but seriously, makes the clothes look BAD), I have a) added ten minutes to each workout b) started biking to the gym and c) reduced my intake of fries and nachos to nothing.  Today I tried a little reduced-carb-intake, as well, to see if that would work. I am really tired of this five pounds.  It hasn't been this hard to get five off in a while.  I think I might be almost 35.  Lord, help me. But the positive part is that I. Am. Trying.

Finally, Beloved cleaned the ceiling fan in our bedroom. The ceiling fan I have been staring at every night, thinking how disgusting it is and how I should clean it, only I am too lazy at that point in the evening.

So that's good.

Sometimes it's the little things. 

I hate my work computer. So much.

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But I've done some reviews!  Get free Off! products and read about cheating wives at Surrender, Dorothy: Reviews!

Today, Suz reports on a local spot for therapeutic horse riding:

“When Evan was born with Down syndrome, I did not appreciate the amazing experiences his therapies would bring to our family. Among them is the pleasure we have experienced in taking him to Greenlock Therapeutic Riding Center in Rehoboth for hippotherapy.

Hippotherapy allows Evan to ride horses and work on his core strength, muscle tone, and coordination in efforts to develop his physical ability to walk. (It is a lot of hard work to ride a horse!) The added bonus is that with the wonderful staff of physical therapists and volunteers, plus the beautiful horses, Evan gets to have a whole lot of fun too. Greenlock is nestled amidst a breathtaking setting, and lessons go on rain or shine.

Parents can check with their Early Intervention Center or The Genesis Fund for assistance with the cost associated with hippotherapy at Greenlock. We are glad we have found this experience, and that the horses are such great therapeutic partners.”

Amidst the many ups and downs associated with pregnancy and postpartum, one constant is that your body weathers a major storm, complete with stretching, discoloration, and a variety of discomforts. Luckily for moms looking for cover and relief, there’s Bella B Natural Bodycare. Rich, creamy, and gentle in texture and smell, this paraben-free skin care line offers treatment for woes of the face (pregnancy mask, dark circles), breasts (nursing discomfort), belly (stretch marks, itching), and body (firming, revitalizing).

Want to win a Bella B Natural Bodycare prenatal or postnatal gift pack*? Here’s how:

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Jenene C.!
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Visit the Bella B Natural Bodycare site, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Bella B’ in the subject), and name a product you would love to try.

One entry permitted per person; US & Canada entrants welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Wednesday, July 9, 2008.

*The winner will receive their choice of a prenatal or postnatal gift pack (valued at approximately $58).

After 3 years of resisting periodic friendly nudges from friends and family (primarily because I couldn't bear the idea of tracking yet another username and password), I finally joined Facebook. If you’re already part of the (addictive) FB craze, please consider visiting the Boston Mamas page and becoming a fan. The page imports this blog’s content so you can get your friend and fan fixes all in one place.

It's after the July 4th holiday.

It's bright and sunny outside.

BlogHer is but ten days away.

My sailboat is now rigged.

I don't have time to do anything fun during the work week.

I'm having a bit of trouble with focus.

Last night at dinner I was antsy and irritable, thinking about race relations in the United States and the layer of slime that insists on living on my kitchen floor no matter how many times we clean it and the long summer of presidential mud-slinging that's sure to come and this incredibly mind-boggling task I'm doing at work that totally blows and any matter of other things that make me antsy and irritable. 

Me: "I'm grumpy."

Beloved:  "Why?"

Me:  "I don't know why.  I just am.  Wah."

Little Angel: "Mommy, you're whining.  You know we don't whine."

Damn.  She's right.  Let me just reach down and pull that burr out of my ass.

These days, one of Laurel’s favorite playground games is "T-Rex" (as in, stomping, growling, and prowling like a T-Rex), so clearly we need to check out the acclaimed Walking With Dinosaurs extravaganza that hits Boston's TD Banknorth Garden July 16 – 20. Fabulous for the whole family, the production features life-size, surprisingly nimble dinosaurs that will give new meaning to your kid’s favorite dinosaur books, puzzles, and toys.

Want to win a 4-pack of tickets to Boston's Walking With Dinosaurs show? Here’s how:

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Jennifer Y.!
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Visit the Walking With Dinosaurs site, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Dinosaurs’ in the subject), and name another upcoming city on the tour.

One entry permitted per person; local entrants welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Friday, July 11, 2008.

**And if you’re looking to buy tickets now, use promo code insightgroups here to receive $5 off your ticket price. For more Walking With Dinosaurs footage, check out their You Tube page.

There’s no denying the abundance that is summer’s fresh fruit, but if you’re looking to tote a healthy, drip-free fruit snack, FruitaBü is a fine option for kids and grownups alike. Today, FruitaBü contributes to our online birthday party with a Sploooshers & Twirls Gift Pack, including 3 boxes each of their organic unwrap and unroll Fruit Twirls and their squeeze tube Sploooshers. Simply check out the rules after the jump and leave a comment on this product to enter to win.

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Suanne G.!
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Rules:

Include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (your name but NOT your email will be published with your comment. Including just first name or first name + last initial is OK.)

One comment permitted per person; US entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes tonight at midnight EST, Tuesday, July 8, 2008.

*The winner will receive one box of each of the three flavors of Sploooshers and one box of each of the three flavors of Twirls for a total of 6 boxes (value: $24).

Today is Average Jane's birthday (if my Outlook calculations are correct).  Average Jane and I met 10 years ago, when we both worked for a now-defunct Internet start-up.  She's a rock band frontwoman and a hell of a good cook.  When I see her, I'm never quite sure what color her hair will be.  And she's one of the most authentic people I know.

All hail Average Jane!  Head on over there and tell her happy birthday!

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Posting on the tornado-related Boy Scout deaths today at BlogHer.