Monday, June 25, 2012

Baby Gear I will NOT be asking for...


This all started when I was at a friend's house talking about if I needed a baby shower for my second baby. I was flipping through a magazine and saw this advertisement for a Juju Band.



According to the ad, Juju Bands navel protectors help create the perfect innie. I laughed so hard at the idea of worrying that much if your child has, not just any innie, but the "perfect" innie belly button! Even the idea that it protects the fragile stump made me smile. Lydia's fell off in PJ's truck the first time he took her out for some daddy/daughter time. He didn't even notice until I pointed out that it was gone. Unless there is a Juju Band stump finder apparatus, I don't think I am interested. On second thought, I am not interested under any circumstances. So, while I contemplate what baby items I do need for this new baby, here are some items that I definitely WILL NOT register for!



Baby Bangs. Seriously. It's a baby TOUPEE, so your girl baby doesn't have to bear the social stigma of being called a boy! Lydia had hair, then went bald and eventually grew hair again. You know what we did? A headband with a hair bow, and people still called her a boy! My understanding is that the baby bangs are attached to a head band, so if you have a bald baby without the product, you will have a baby with the friar tuck hair do with it and people will still probably call it a boy! Besides, this one is just creepy.


Stroller Fan. OK, I can give one pass on this one to the parents of any child with a medical issue where temerature regulation is an issue. If being stuck in a crowd may cause your child's health to become compromised because it suddenly gets warm, by all means buy a fan, buy a big fan for your stroller. Otherwise, I am reminded og the late commedian Mitch Hedburge. He did this bit about broken escallators not needing out of order signs. They just need new signs that say stairs! It seems to me, if your kid is hot, and you have them in a stroller, your kid doesnt need a fan. They need a breeze...so MOVE!

The Tummy Tub and Steps Combo Product pack..... This may take a little while to explain. The theory is that placing your newborn in this bucket of water will force them back into a fetal position womb like experience. The only problem is in the womb, a baby didn't need to worry about pesky issues like BREATHING! The parent is asked to hold baby's head above water so they don't drown. Looks fun, doesn't it?

Seems to me if a similarly shaped plastic bucket has to carry a warning label NOT to allow babies to play in it, then actually paying big bucks for a baby bucket/tummy tub is counterintuitive. But wait, there's more! The makers of the Tummy Tub also sell a product called "Steps". Steps are designed to start out as the base piece to hold up your tummy tub so you can focus on holding baby's head above water. But steps are multifunctional and can transform into a practice potty (so one kid can pee into the plastic piece that can later hold up your baby's bath bucket). Sounds GREAT, but it gets even better. When all the kids have moved out of bucket bathing and onto a real toilet, Steps can transform into a stylish ottoman. That's right, mom! Take a load off and rest your feet on your kid's former practice potty! Um, no thanks!

Last, but certainly not least, is the Zakky pillow. For the low price of $45, you too can have disembodied hands trick your baby into thinking you are holding them! I have no words. Just soak in that picture and know that while their are several baby items that I would love to receive, I will not be registering for any of THESE!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

And the WINNER is.....

With all the comments posted, numbered,  and a number selected by Random.org.......

Thank you to EVERYONE for playing along!  I will be in touch with the winner soon regarding delivery of tickets.  Hopefully, this is the first of many fun giveaways on this blog!  If you didn't win, you can visit the TN Theater Website to find out more about getting tickets to the July 21st show.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Craft Wars is Coming SOON!

OK, I'm starting to get pretty excited about Tuesday's Craft Wars premier!! TLC seems to be ramping up the excitement as well and a whole bunch of new photos and videos are popping up on the Internet.

Seriously, how cute is Tori Spelling in this picture?!? It looks like a Craft Wars PARTY!

We will see if I still think Tori is adorable after watching the show and hearing all the things the judges were saying about us while we were so busy with our crafting!

Speaking of which, here are some random still shots of Team Burchett working away on the show. Some of these are on TLCs website here and some of these popped up on some random website here.

And here is a dorky looking picture of me looking dorky! We had to pose for a few photos for the opening of the show and this is one of the posed shots. I hope they aren't using this one! I also hope that I look pregnant and not just fat!

Lets talk about what i do live about that picture. I am standing in front of the Michael's Craft Closet and that thing is GORGEOUS! Here is a long shot of the whole thing. I think it might be my favorite part of the show. Being able to grab and use ANY supply without worry about cost or wrangling kids and driving to the store!

Want to see more than just STILL photos? TLC now has FOUR craft Wars videos up on their website. You can get to links for all four videos by clicking here. "Introducing Craft Wars" is the original 30 second promo. "This is Craft Wars" is a longer look at just the first episode, our episode! "Spray Glue is an Issue" is focused mostly on my issues with sewing over glue. I cry...and curse... MULTIPLE times....and it's not THAT long of a video! The last video "On the Craft Battleground" is another general promo. I don't think you see Team Burchett much, but if you ate enjoying the advanced details, it's a fun glimpse at the show!

Want to see more than just video? PJ and I will be meeting up with friends and family at Latitude 35 to watch the show. We will arrive around 8 or 8:30 to hang out, eat, and drink before the show starts at 10. Let the Craft Wars BEGIN!

Friday, June 22, 2012

FINAL Super Why Giveaway Posy!

Today is the FINAL post for Super Why Live giveaway for FOUR tickets to the July 21st show at the TN Theater in Knoxville. Today's post is all about my personal favorite super friend, Wonder Red!

She starts out as Little Red Riding Hood, but when she changes into Wonder Red she gets a pair of skates and the power to rhyme.

Wonder Red sings a little song about rhyming, something like "day, say, pay, wonderific your terrific!" After a year of watching Lydia do pattern stuff at preschool, it suddenly occurred to me that READING involves sound patterns and simple rhymes are an easy way to learn these similar sound words.

In honor of Wonder Red and, my own pattern making word rhyming red head, today's comments (which count as your daily entry into the contest) can be anything you want but they need to RHYME!

I'll start us off.
Thanks for playing along.
I can't wait to hear a Super Why Live song!

Comments will close and a winner will be selected tomorrow. If you missed any earlier posts, you have TODAY to go back and add your comments! Links are provided below.

Day 1Monday
Day 2 Tuesday
Day 3 Wednesday
Day 4 Thursday

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Super Why Giveaway Day 4

This is Alpha Pig, our third character from Super Why and just one of the Super Readers you can see in the super new musical, Super Why Live.

Alpha Zpig has alphabet power. He uses tools, like a magnifying glass and a letter lasso, to find hidden letters that are needed in a story.

For your forth chance to win FOUR tickets to see Super Why Live at the TN theater on July 21, let's take a cue from Alpha Pig with his amazing abilities to find hidden items. If Alpha pig came to your house looking for hidden letters, where eould you suggest he look. In other words, where is the place that all lost and forget items end up. (Mine would be the mail pile. I do all my important stuff online so the mail pile is an overwhelming stack of junk, odd scraps of paper, and unexpected bills and notices. The whole alphabet could hide there and I wouldn't know about it! Yikes!)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Super Why Giveaway Day 3

Princess Presto is the Super Why character with the power to spell.

She has a magic star wand that she uses to spell words.

In honor of Princess Presto, and to be entered in the drawing for FOUR tickets to see Super Why Live at the TN Theater on July 21, simply comment with a word that you often spell around your kids do they don't know what the grown ups are talking about. (I love that my kid is learning to spell, but what am I going to once I cant use this trick?) Remember, you can enter multiple times, just by commenting on each separate Super Why Giveaway post!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Super Why Giveaway Day 2

There are four more days to enter the Super Why Live Giveaway (you can enter once a day, by leaving a new comment on the new Super Why post) and there are four main Super Why characters. So, today's post and today's comments will focus on Wyatt.

Wyatt is the lead Super Reader with the power to read. When he transforms into the title character, "Super Why" he searches for the answers to everyday problems by looking in a book. Wyatt's secret weapon is his "why writer" that highlights the text on the screen as Whyatt reads the story. Wyatt is able to change words to help the story work out right.

This ability to change a word and, thereby, change the outcome of a story has become a running gag in our house. Lydia loves watching "Super Why" and every so often, when she is feeling saucy, she will say something that is obviously unacceptable. I will look at her sternly and tell her she needs to change the story. She and I will both smile knowing that she is now playing at being a Super Reader and not just being disobedient. Lydia will change one word to make whatever she said acceptable.

OK, now it's your turn! For an entry into the drawing for FOUR tickets to the Knoxville Super Why Live, post a comment about something that you or someone else said that needs a once over with Wyatt's Why writer. What story, sentence, or saying needs a re-write in your world? Comment below and you will be entered in the drawing. (be sure there is a valid email address associated with your comment so I can get in touch if you win.)