Happy Halloween to all the Cool Moms!

Book Review: The Boy Who Grew Flowers, from Barefoot Books

Rebecca and the delightful folks over at Barefoot Books sent me a gorgeous book to read, and the story really tickled me, too.

The hardcover book, titled The Boy Who Grew Flowers, is beautifully wrought on smooth, glossy paper, like the satiny smooth pages in the classic kids' stories I remember poring over avidly as a child. This is the kind of book you may very well keep as a family heirloom, passing down to future generations to enjoy. The quality is just that good; the book was a joy to read. Simple, kid-friendly artwork greets the reader at every turn, with special attention paid to fine details (nice little touches include colorfully painted flowers woven in amid the rhythmical prose).

The Boy Who Grew Flowers is a sweet, touching story that teaches how important it is to accept the differences in others, without becoming overly preachy or heavy-handed. The protagonist, a shy boy named Rink, has a special secret to hide. Worried about fitting in, Rink keeps to himself, until one day a strange new girl comes to school. Rink is emboldened to befriend her himself...only to find that she has secrets of her own to keep!

If you are looking for a wonderful gift for a child, consider Barefoot Books. In addition to The Boy Who Grew Flowers, they have many other wonderful selections to choose from.

The Boy Who Grew Flowers (Barefoot Books) is highly recommended.
Recommended Age Group: Read-aloud 2-6 year olds. On Their Own 6- 10 year olds.

Halloween is Almost Here, But You Still Have Time to Party!

With Halloween just less than 2 weeks away, it's time to start partying! Invite some kids over and throw your own bash, thanks to this Halloween Party kit put together by Cool Moms Rule!

Here's what's in the Halloween Party kit:

• Black Crepe Streamers for decorating
• Halloween Confetti
  
• Halloween Tablecloth, black with Jack O' Lanterns
• Spooky Black Plastic Cups
• Spooky Black Tableware
  
• Halloween Paper Plates, white with Jack O' Lanterns
  

All you have to do to WIN THE HALLOWEEN PARTY KIT is leave a comment on this post with your email! Tell your friends to drop by for a chance to win, too! We'll announce the winner and have the kit out to you over the weekend.

~Viv

Update: Congratulations to MamaZen, who won our Halloween Party kit! Stay tuned to Cool Moms Rule for more contests coming up soon! Oh, and please consider voting for us over at Fuelmyblog, via the button on the sidebar>. Thanks!

Oopsie Dazie! Great Gifts for Girls

I was browsing the internet recently, because with Christmas coming up I am always on the lookout for gift ideas.

Yes, I know, Halloween hasn't even passed yet, and what about Thanksgiving? But I have a friend who says, "Christmas is tomorrow!" which is his way of reminding you that the year is just flying by, and before you know it, you are scrambling to get those gifts wrapped up and sent out to all the nieces, nephews, sisters and brothers, cousins and aunts, uncles and grandparents. Every year, there's more people to buy for (at least it seems that way), and we don't want to forget anyone! Amirite, Moms?

So, surfing along, I happened upon this fantastic site, and I wanted to share it with all of you. It's called Oopsie Dazie, and it's just a little, home-grown business still on the small side yet, run by a stay-at-home Mom, which right away caught my eye, because I always like to support other Cool Moms who are out there, doing their thing.

Oopsie Dazie is all about girls and their hair. Which, if you know any little girls, is a huge market! ; ) The site has all kinds of cute, unique, Mom-designed and kid-approved barrettes and hair clips in pinks and purples, blues and greens, stripes and flowers and bling, just perfect for any little girl on your list!

Cindy, the Mom behind Oopsie Dazie, sent me some samples from her fantastic site, and let me tell you, they are cute as a button! Just adorable. I right away thought of how my two nieces would love these.

And the best thing is, these hair fashions are really affordable. Oopsie Dazie, as I said, is still getting the word out there, and I feel it's an undiscovered treasure. Which means all you Cool Moms out there reap the benefits. I mean, really, $3.00 for adorable, fashionable hair styling that's unique to your little girl? Who wouldn't pay that? And since hair clips and barrettes are also tiny and so very light, you won't blow the bank on shipping costs when you pack them off and send them out to that special someone.

So...check out Oopsie Dazie today for great gift ideas, and perfect little stocking stuffers for all the girls on your list.

Oh, and you're welcome!

~Viv

Awww...Isn't that little doughboy the cutest?

Disney Family Costume Entry: Easiest to Make (and funniest idea!): Pillsbury Dough Boy.

I'm a sucker for Halloween (Snicker's bars, anyone?), and I love dressing up. This year, my boys are too "cool" to dress up (they feel, at 12 and 14, they are too old for costumes), so we are planning a special alternative to a traditional Halloween party (check back later for more info on what we have up our sleeves).

Over at Disney Family, though, they have a fantastic costume contest going on for the whole family, and some of the entries are really creative. They have categories for Best Family Costumes, Most Unique, and Easiest to Make (with instructions! What a great idea).

You can upload photos to take part in the contest, or you can vote on the costumes already uploaded by others (and get great ideas for your Halloween costumes).

Here are some more of my personal favorites:

Most Unique: Cinderella's Carriage.


Best Family Costume: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? (Even the family pet took part!)



Head over to the Disney Family Costume Contest site for more cute costume selections!

~Viv

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Thanks!

New! Exclusive "Cool Moms Rule!" Designs now available

Thanks to requests from our wonderful readers, you can now find "Cool Moms Rule!" apparel over at the Young at Heart cafepress store.

Don't worry, they haven't forgotten Dads, either. They also have great kids apparel.

In fact, you can find something for everyone in the family, just in time for Christmas!

Check out the great deals over at cafepress and the Young at Heart store by clicking on the link below.

Our First Book Review: Twilight

Title: Twilight (1st Book in The Twilight Saga)
Author: Stephanie Meyer
Age Range: Young Adult/Teen Readers

When Bella Swan starts high school in the perpetually rainy town of Forks, she misses her sunny former life with her newly-remarried Mom. Bella, attempting to forge a closer relationship with her Dad, Charlie, is anxious, fearing that her native klutziness will keep her from fitting in.

Instead, Bella finds that as a newcomer and novelty, she is surprisingly popular.

Everyone seems to like her.

Except her lab partner, Edward.

Smart, charismatic and charming, Edward is surely the golden boy of Forks. So why does no one befriend him? And why does he find the mere presence of Bella in the same classroom so disturbing that he tries to switch classes just to get way from her?

Confused by his behavior and seeking a solution, Bella instead discovers the clues to a much darker secret Edward is trying desperately to hide. As the clues come together, Bella begins to decipher the puzzle that is Edward, and discovers why he may be both the most intriguing--and the most dangerous--person she has ever met.

Such begins the Twilight saga, a series of three books (so far) for young adults. The author, Stephanie Meyer, would tell you herself that she never intended to write a young adult series. Her works are strongly character driven, and the Twilight series started out as, of all things, a dream about two teenagers engaged in a serious conversation about their future--the characters that became Isabella and Edward.

What sets this series apart from others is that one of these characters, Edward, is much more than just another high school student. I won't give his secrets away, but suffice it to say that teenage girls will identify with Bella and fall in love with Edward.

The saga continues with New Moon and Eclipse, each book as good as the first.

Notes to Parents: This series, ultimately, is about the triumph of true love over all else. The books contain little profanity and no sexual content, though the relationship between Bella and Edward is an intensely emotional one. The books deal with supernatural themes, but there is no reference to witchcraft, satanism or the occult, other than the legends of the native American tribes living in the Forks area. Good and evil are clearly defined. The heroine serves as a moral compass to young adults, making choices and learning from her mistakes and triumphs. Bella is a "good" character in every sense of the word.

The Twilight Saga is: Highly Recommended

UPDATE: MARSHWINS is brilliant! Marsh, you are the winner of the first book in the Twilight saga! Thanks for paying such close attention to ALL the posts in the 7 Days of Giveaways...you knew the book was our last giveaway! I do need your email, though! Make sure you send that over to me, ASAP, so I can get your prize out! ~Viv

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Our Newest Giveaway! Playskool Baby Care

Today's giveaway is from a company I'm sure you have all heard of, Playskool! These items are from the Playskool Baby Care line available exclusively at CVS Pharmacies that Viv reviewed here. The Teething Ring was given away to one of our Mom friends over at Maya's Mom right after that original review, but we still have these great items to give away:

The Playskool Baby Care Easy-Grip Bowl, with it's easy, convenient one-thumb grip. We all know we could use an extra hand! The bowl is sectioned for smaller portions and is both microwavable and dishwasher-safe.

And the Playskool Baby Care 9 oz flip-top cup. I love this cup because it is so portable! The top flips over the straw to close the cup up tightly and then flips back when your little one is thirsty.

How to Enter Today's Giveaway:

It's easy! Just 2 steps!

1. Write a post on your blog linking back to THIS contest.*

Remember, Cool Moms Rule is giving a new prize away every day for a week in honor of our new feature, Book Reviews! You can come back every day and enter all of our giveaways!

2. Leave a comment on THIS post with your link and your email included.

*Don't have a blog? No problem! Just leave your comment with your email to be entered in today's giveaway. Don't forget to tell your friends about Cool Moms Rule! and our week of giveaways!

And please go and vote for Cool Moms Rule over at Fuel my blog, okay? We promise, when we win, we will spend the prize money on our wonderful readers!

Thanks!

UPDATE: The Winner of the Playskool BabyCare goodies is Ashley L in Tennessee! Ashley, I need your email and shipping address! contact Viv at vbruss@cfl.rr.com. Thanks, and Congratulations from Cool Moms Rule!

Oh, and hey, if you're enjoying all the giveaways, please do this!

Because you all know I share what I can with my readers, if I win the $500, I'm going to be getting more stuff to giveaway to YOU! That's right, if I win, you win! So please go and vote for me over at Fuel my blog, okay?

Thanks!

Catching Up!

What with all my current health drama, I am a little behind on the blog, and I realize that! So, here are some answers to the questions out there, and just general catching up on what's coming up here at Cool Moms Rule!

• YES, I DO have more prizes to give away! I promised you a week, and that's seven giveaways! So there will be MORE giveaways coming your way this week!

• BOOK REVIEWS will start tomorrow, one day behind schedule. However, good things come to those who wait! In addition to our first teen/young adult reader review of the Twilight series, I have received an absolutely gorgeous book for younger children (elementary school age) from Barefoot Books called The Boy Who Grew Flowers, and I will be reviewing that for you as well in our very first week of book reviews.

• To all of our WINNERS : if you haven't received your prize yet, all the prizes awarded to date are going out in TODAY'S mail, provided I have your shipping address! Make sure you reply to the notification email with that info.

• What's coming up next week? More product reviews!