Win a Children's Hoodie From Brooklyn Industries!

I'm a huge Brooklyn Industries fan. I own at least four of their hoodies, and whenever I step foot into the Brooklyn Industries store on Union Street in Park Slope, I want to buy everything.

I not only love their women's clothing, but I adore their children's clothes too!

So I wrote to Brooklyn Industries and shared my love for them (as well as my Brooklyn pride) and asked if they would be willing to do a hoodie giveaway.

Teddy (one of the designers) wrote back immediately and said that they would love to collaborate on a giveaway!

Without further ado: I am giving away the children's hoodie that Ari is modeling below!
It can also be found here on their website

All you have to do to enter to win this hoodie is subscribe to the Brooklyn Industries Newsletter by clicking here and entering your email address!  Leave a blog post comment to confirm your subscribed to the newsletter!

And for extra entries see below! Contest ends 6/6/13

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5

Dear Ari,

You are five years-old. I can remember the moment I found I was pregnant with you. I was in disbelief, yet wildly happy and excited. When I was pregnant with you, I was working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor with recovering addicts in the Far Rockaway. I remember you moving in my belly at night every time I ate Hostess cupcakes.

I remember when my water broke and the hospital told me I peed on myself. I remember when my flamboyantly gay doctor marched in carrying a red bull and said "Let's have a baby!"

I remember when you came out of me and I held you and said "My baby! I love you so much!"

I remember making the tough decision to quit my job working with ex-addicts and stay home with you for your first year. It was the best decision I've ever made.

I have loved you since you were growing inside of me and continue to love you as a little person. You have grown so much in your first five years of life. You are inquisitive, bright, stubborn, funny, fun to hang out with, and changing and growing every day.

It's wonderful to watch you grow in front of my eyes, and also scary. 

I want to freeze time. 

I want you to stay five forever. I love you at this age. You're so much fun!

But I know that you're going to get older, it's inevitable. That just means there's more to learn about you as you become a bigger human. 

Happy five to you, my son. I love you.

Mancala Giveaway and Enter to Win a $10,000 Educational Bond From University Games

I was first introduced Mancala when I was nine years-old and in the 4th grade at P.S.87 on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

In Lucy Mahon's class (my fourth grade teacher) we called it "the rock game." It was a wooden board with several slots and colored rocks of all shapes and sizes.

The other day I was in a local toy store looking for a birthday present for a five year-old. The salesperson said, out of the blue, "what about Mancala?"

All of a sudden memories of playing "the rock game" came flooding back, and I knew I had to purchase this game, not for a birthday gift, but rather to play at home with my kids.

I want you to love Mancala AKA "the rock game" as much as I do. So I wrote to Jordan at University Games, and they agreed to do a Mancala giveaway!

But there's more! University Games (makers of this version of Mancala) is hosting the National Young Game Inventor's Contest!

Children ages 5-12 can design and create their board game and enter for a chance to win awesome prizes including a 10,000 dollar educational bond, a trip to San Francisco, and a 
Toys R Us gift card! How cool is that? 

You get extra entries to win Mancala by sharing about this contest.

So, what are you waiting for?

Do it!


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Big Daddy's Rules - Steve Schirripa Makes Me Laugh

When I first read the title of Steve's Schirripa's book, Big Daddy's Rules, I have to admit, I was hesitant to read it. Being a strong maternal figure myself, my immediate reaction was, uh oh, am I going to like this book?

But then I opened it, and began reading and before I knew it, I was laughing aloud as I turned page after page.

Steve Schirripa is best known for his roles on The Sopranos and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Steve describes his journey of fatherhood, filled with hilarious bumps in the road.

My fears about this book being anti-feminist were relinquished with reading the first 15 pages. Here's a particularly significant quote:

"So here's the next rule for new dads: Get your hands dirty. And I mean, dirty. As in, change a goddamn diaper once in a while. Guys act like they don't know how to change a diaper. These are the same guys who can pull an engine out of a two-ton '92 Jeep Wrangler while drinking a beer and watching the ball game on a 12-inch TV they've had in the garage since the first bush administration, and they can't change the diaper on a ten-pound baby? Please." -Schirripa P. 15

Schirripa's writing style is conversational, relatable and downright hilarious. Check this quote out:

"When it comes to my girls, all I want is to raise them to be good people, and I want them to be safe. That's it. You ask me my philosophy? That's it. Not complicated. I don't need them to be brain surgeons. I don't need them to make a lot of money. I don't judge people by how much money they make, because in my business you meet a lot of assholes that I can't stand who are really wealthy. You give me a garbage man and a rich asshole, I'm gonna go have a beer with the garbage man." -Schirripa P. 61.

I love this guy! I want to hang out with Steve Schirripa.

That quote sums up the beauty of this book. It's direct, it's honest and it's fun. And you need to read it.

Want to win a copy of Big Daddy's Rules? Enter below! Winner will be announced 6/1/13


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Wordless Wednesday - Adventures in Babysitting With Alex

Mother's Day Should Be Every Day

I have a tough time with holidays. Mother's Day is a Hallmark holiday. It's a holiday where you are obligated to go out and get your mom some flowers, or a card, or a gift certificate to get a massage or whatever. That's all well and good, but seriously...why do we need one day to celebrate our mothers?

Mother's day should be every day.

Your mother carried you in her uterus for nine months. That's a long time! She endured the joys and the not so fun times of pregnancy all so that you could enter this world.

If you were adopted, your mother nurtured you and continues to do so every day.

My other issue with Mothers Day, is that when you have your own kids, it gets complicated. What do you do? You have to appreciate your mother, and then somehow make time for yourself to be adored. It gets messy and complicated and someone ends up feeling resentful.

Not to mention, what if your mother passed away? Mother's Day might be a tough day for you.

I could go on.

But I'm gonna say this:

Supreme gratitude to all the dynamic, wonderful mothers! You don't need one day to show you that you're amazing. Because let's face it, mother's are super heros. We rock.

I hope that you can enjoy yourself today. This year, I've made some plans to make sure I have a kick ass Mother's Day, because I deserve it!

The Winner of The Listen to Your Mother Giveaway

The winner for a pair of tickets to see Listen to Your Mother is...


Etophia Lane!

Come on down! You won tickets so see LTYM at Symphony Space on Sunday 5/12/13 at 5pm :-D

Enjoy Listen to Your Mother at Symphony Space, my homegirl!