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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