The Project Heads to the Zoo!

I'm sure by now most of you know that I have a second blog that is for all my non-family stuff. Oh, you didn't? Well hit up The Bowl sometime. It's good fun (or not). Anyway, I digress (imagine that!).

Last week I decided to take on a project of sorts. I am reading. A lot. Now I know that doesn't sound like a project to most but when you are a mom who keeps house, runs carpool, bakes, supervises homework, referees full time aggravation wars, writes, and makes feeble attempts at potty training, squeezing in some time for reading before one passes out from exhaustion is nothing short of a miracle.

So far I am two books into the fifty I am hoping to read in the next year and all is going well. Granted they have been pretty easy reads but I take my victories where I can get them. But I was feeling a bit selfish. I'm getting some pretty decent quality alone time in but I can't help but think that my children could become jealous of the books eventually. Which of course started my brain on a tangent (surprised? I didn't think so.).

Could there be a way to include the children? Maybe not in the books that are on my list of reading material but maybe with a list of their own?

So here it is. The challenge: one book per child per day. That shouldn't be too hard considering the nature of children's literature. And maybe, if I get bold and adventurous, it will be one chapter of a classic story. I have three children and per the bloggy counter over there 315 days before the blogoversary. That means 945 books. That doesn't seem too daunting.

I think the hard part for me will be finding the classic children's stories. And getting my children to read a new book every day - they tend to stick to their faves A LOT! We already have the Beatrix Potter collection so I have Peter Cottontail in my arsenal. I also have a collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales to pull from. (B, who has the copy of Grandfather Tales?) But what are some other classics that you remember from your childhood?

And while you're brainstorming, I'm looking for a name for both Projects. Pop over to The Bowl and weigh in if you have a stroke of genius. Perhaps I'll assemble a collection of children's favorites and run some simultaneous contests for the naming of The Project.

But more importantly, who is ready to mount up with me and give their children the gift of time and literacy? Come on! You know you want to! I'll even let you make up your own rules of participation. Just as long as you are reading every day.

The Blog Party!

Listen. I know I have already posted about the MomDot Christmas Blog Party but I have to tell you that if you aren't part of this - as blogger or spectator - you will miss out big time!

We got the list of topics early this week and there is soooo much blog fodder in this that I have already started working on my posts. People, I don't laugh at my own stuff often but even I think I am coming up with some real gems! And if that wasn't reason enough guess who gets to write a feature for the MomDot home page?

You may bow and peel grapes now. That's right Zoo Butts! I will be writing a feature and if the rough draft is any indication it could be a doozie!

Here. I'll give you a peek at the topic list.

*Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some traditions you want to begin?
*What is your favorite Holiday recipe, describe your Holiday table, biggest holiday cooking disaster (I'm tuning in for the disaster part myself!)
*Favorite holiday memory from YOUR childhood (RD, you better tune in for this one)
*Who’s on your naughty list? Who's on your nice list? Why? (Guess whose feature this is!!)
*Most unusual gift you have received? Best gift? Do you re-gift?
*If you could only eat ONE food on Thanksgiving Day, what would it be? Do you have a homecooked meal for Thanksgiving or do you go out to eat? Does your family dress up?

And that's only half of them! Now tell me that you don't want to get in on this. Think of the stress reliever this is going to be as you face the holiday stuff. I will be adding a Mr. Linky to each post so that folks can drop their posts off for you to visit.

And did I mention that participants can earn entries into a really awesome giveaway pull? So come on! Warm up those fingers and get ready to really have some fun this holiday season!

MomDot and the Christmas of Dreams

A few days ago I told you that I was starting my training for the Christmas of Dreams Blog Party that MomDot is hosting from Novemebre 12-27th right? Well, I still am but I wanted to tell you what happens when the party is over.

On November 28th Trisha and Co. will be pulling a winner of a MASSIVE prize pack worth (and this is just a ballpark until they finalize the prizes) $1000! Can you believe that? Now I know when I post about a prize that big you want to know just exactly what is going to be in it. Check out this list of sponsors for the big Christmas of Dreams.

Sponsors are (and subject to be adding more as the month goes on):
Dyson <---!!!
BabyPop
The Shrunks
Soda Club
Kadi Prescott <---!!!
Uncommonly Cute
Lollipop Book Club
Kuster
Silly Monkeez <---!!!
LA Plates
Natitys Design
Little Black Box
Koshas
Kidz Sunglasses
JAS Creations
Appledonia
LeapFrog <---!!!
Mutsy <---!!!
Kushies
Huddy Buddy
Mimsi-Bags <---!!!
BottleWise
Lets Go Strolling <---!!!
DaBib
Sassy Baby
Baby Legs
Scentsy <---!!!
FeeFiFoto
Randi100
Organic Blankees
Shi Shu Style <---!!!
Georgie Tees

And did you see the part where Trisha said that they could be adding more?!?!? Holy Schnikeys!! A Dyson? A print from Kadi Prescott? Two - count them 2!! - stroller companies? Listen. I don't need all of that. It would be absolutely fabulous though to be able to win a prize pack that big and share it with as many people as possible!

Can you imagine HOW MANY dreams you could make come true? That in and of itself is all the reason I needed to enter! So if you are a blogger you have to SPRINT over to MomDot and enter in this contest. You only have until the 26th so that they can sort through the entries in time for the BIG PULL. Make sure you read all of these directions when you enter. I would hate for anyone to miss out on such a great chance to have a dreamy Christmas!

This is Me Warming up my Typing Fingers

You are probably going to start seeing more typed posts from me. I mean Motherhood Means will continue but I have to start working out. Yes, I just referred to typing as working out. But let me explain and then I bet you'll start training too.

So Trisha and Co. over at MomDot (I have mentioned them only about a million times before!) are about to launch a HUGE, GINORMOUS, MASSIVE, GARGANTUAN blog party leading up to Christmas. I don't think you really understand this is going to be BIG.

Here's how it's going to work. The really awesome bloggers that I hang out with everyday over at MomDot are going to be blogging about different holiday related themes. Over at MomDot, Trisha is going to have a "cheat sheet" of where you can go to see the different perspectives on said themes. When you join us and blog too guess what? You get entered into the party. As with any party there are presents - REALLY cool presents if the Dyson vacuum is any indication!

What? You want more information you say? Well, then ckeck this out (pirated with permission from Trisha)

"In November, we are going to have a BLOG PARTY leading up to our Christmas of Dreams pull on Nov 28th to get everyone ready for Christmas.

The blog party will run from Nov 12-27th and will include some fabulous sponsors and fabulous prizes. We want to bring you to new blogs, participate in a few around the blogosphere games and topics, and highlight some online boutiques. Just meet up here every day during the blog party time to sign our Mr. Linky and we will be giving you lots of blogs to go to, lots of people to party with, and lots of prizes to win! By making it around the blogosphere to participating partying members, you will be exposed to new blogs, let people ‘meet’ you, and earn entries into our giveaways during that time. Only participating members of the Blog Party will be eligible for Blog Party prizes and we will do a mass draw at the end for everything we have and annouce all the winners at once on Nov 27th.

But at the end of the Blog Party, ON Nov 28th, we will be celebrating a Christmas of Dreams, where one person will walk away with an entire gaggle of items from sponsors like DYSON, Mutsy, and More! If you are a mom or a business that would like to be a part of our Blog Party or Christmas of Dreams, there is still time. Please email me directly at MomDot@live.com to secure your spot.

If you are a blogger that wants your blog highlighted during our blog party as a VIP place to visit, please contact me for info on that.

Ill be announcing all of our sponsors around Nov 1st so you can get geared up!

We will be THE place to be in November!! Two great events, One Big Party. Come celebrate how thankful we are to be a part of the blogging community in November with our First Blog Party (and we know how to party)."

So you want a piece of this right? Hop over to MomDot and grab the bloggy buttons to post in your side bar. Then start training! I would hate to miss an awesome party like this because of carpral tunnel or finger cramps!

Wow!

So I just look at my blog count and my Wordless Wednesday for today was #75. Do you know what that means? I am 24 (since I have to count this!) posts away from my 100th post!! Which means by Thanksgiving I will have hit 100!

In other news from the Zoo. Stay tuned. I took a page from Kadi's book (A Womb at the Inn(sane))and a page from MomDot's book and I am about to start a video blog (known as a vlog) called "Motherhood Means..." I'll still be posting the normal nonsense and brain junk that comes along but this is something I hope to burn to CD for Orangutan and Marmoset.

But the idea came from a contest that MomDot posted that Huggies is running. So yes, (insert brutally honest voice) I am going to try to win $30,000 dollars for my children. But in the meantime I thought you would be interested to hear my take. If you pop over to The Bowl you can tell me what motherhood means to you. I am looking for one word answers so don't think that you have to be eloquent or elaborate (thank you Roget's Thesaurus). Just leave me a word.

And the last little bite of Zoo News. I DID end up "launching" (in a puddle) the review blog yesterday - As Seen at The Zoo. You can see the Noodleboro review here and hopefully by the end of the day I will have another review up for your viewing pleasure. If my bloggy buddies have anything they would like to see me review you can drop a note to me at ineedthezoo(at)yahoo(dot)com.

And I guess that answers that question. The most links I can fit in one blog is.....7! I'm getting better at this blogging thing!

You don't want to let her down do you?

So I'm up for "Embrace your Inner Dork" (after being monkey stomped in the Dotties last week) and I really feel that I can take this one!! So here's what you need to do. Pop over to the Inn and tell Kadi that you think #'s 10, 12 and 15 are the biggest dork you've ever seen! Yup! It's me in all three. I wish I could say "You've come a long way baby!"



Mo even did a cheer for me! You wouldn't want to let the poor tyke down would you? So go!! Quickly! Voting ends tomorrow night! Fly little ones! Fly!!