The best gift we have ever gotten.

I'm sold on the Radio Flyer All Terrain Wagons. Hands down our Radio Flyer #29 All Terrain Wagon is the best toy we have ever gotten and with care it may just outlast me. We have had other wagons and yes plastic wagons are lighter and easier to load into the back of a car, trust me when I say there is no comparison on how smooth and well the All Terrain Wagons ride.

The good people over at Radio Flyer would most likely have a heart attack if they heard this, sorry guys, and I'm sure I've mentioned it before but the moment I knew that every penny that my #29 Wooden All Terrain Wagon costs was worth it was about two weeks after it arrived. I pulled Connor the four blocks in it to my friend's house and once we got there it started raining. She gave us a ride home but our wagon ended up getting stuck at her house. The weather was still icky and the last thing I wanted was to leave my wooden bottomed wagon out in the rain so I convienced Chris to drive us over there and I'd walk it back if I had to. Well I ended up sitting in the back of our SUV and holding the handle. We actually pulled the wagon behind the car at over 20 miles an hour the four blocks home. I kept screaming at Chris to slow down that he was going to break Connor's wagon. Needless to say that wagon was totally fine though I really do not at all recommend that others try this as it did scare me a few times.. its a fine testimate to the fact that this wagon is solidly made and how smooth the tires are as it really did not vibrate at all on the trip home. Really the only sign of stress it showed was wiggling back and forth as the wagon was most certainly not intended to make that sort of speed.

Since our Wagon is part toy part workhorse. I use it to drag Connor around the yard, Connor likes to put things in it and drag them himself, and its the perfect companion for yard work as we do not own a wheel barrow so if I have something heavy I need to move around it makes for the perfect transportation. If I'm gardening I can also just take off the wooden slats and sit on the wagon while I work. I don't for see that this toy will be forgotten when Connor outgrows it as we can always find a way to use it. I'm sure it will be going with us on many family vacations in the future, sports games, and picnics.

I'm so excited to say that Radio Flyer is giving away a #32 All Terrain Wagon. It's basically the same wagon that we have only it has a metal base and wooden sides unlike the wooden/wooden wagon we have. I can't wait to see who wins!


To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out the Radio Flyer's wagons and tell which wagon you'd most like to have and why! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out Radio Flyer's website and take a look their toys! I spy a wagon even little ones can play with!! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Radio Flyer" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

This umbrella stroller is fully loaded!

Connor has an army of strollers fit for a celebrity as his mommy has serious issues when it comes to strollers. Some people are obsessed with cars, some people jewelry, I seem to have a stroller addiction that is downright embarrassing at times as the big question is which stroller should I take today?

Well all the kings horses and all the kings men cannot help us when it comes to taking one of our massive luxury strollers on vacation and I am way to spoiled to accept just any stroller. I've had several lightweight umbrella strollers in the past but I end up wishing I had brought my bigger stroller every time and usually I just make an excuse as to why I don't need a suitcase on a road trip so I can cram my huge stroller in my pretty tiny small suv along with all the other stuff we need any time we leave the house. Connor's babysitter was the most in need of an umbrella stroller as seeing as she only has him two days a week at most and the fact that she babysits his cousin as well, luging a large stroller around is just not practical.

Well I think I've finally found a really affordable really cool umbrella stroller I can totally fall in love with. The Delta Products - Disney Pixars Cars Stroller is super affordable at only $19.99 it's the cheapest stroller in my army of toddler transportation. Though it holds its own against its luxury priced competition as it offers a few key features that makes it incredibly useful and super portable. It only weighs a few pounds and it folds up super small to fit basically anywhere. Usually Connor's Aunt Betty has it in her car as she has banned bulky strollers from her house and she keeps it on the floorboard of the back seat most days.

What really stands out about this umbrella stroller is the xl sun shade it offers. I am really sort of jealous of the fact that this $19 stroller offers a larger sun shade than a good majority of the strollers I have tested that cost 10x this one! The sun shade also folds backwards and virtually dissapers when its not in use and does not affect the size of the stroller when folded. I've honestly seen nothing like it in this price range or even on umbrella strollers this small/light before! Living in Alabama with our hot summers it's by far the best feature I've seen on an umbrella stroller to date.

We've been using the stroller for a few weeks now and I'm very pleased. Connor loves the design and we love the light weight especially for short trips in and out of a store!

You can check out all the products from Delta Children's Products on their website!

I have a Disney Pixars Cars Stroller to give away to one very lucky winner!

o enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Delta Children's Products and tell about a product you find in their selection you love (other than the stroller)! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out Delta Children's Products website and take a look their childrens products! I spy something that would be perfect for a home who has a new baby and limited space!! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivi question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Delta Stroller" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

What is that I see?

Finding things that will entertain Connor in the car these days is getting harder and harder. He just wants to be up running around and needless to say we are off to FL for a week here shortly and I'm starting to dread the car trip down. What has changed recently is Connor's ability to recognize items and his vocabulary so when the new Peek a Boo Bag from International Playthings arrived I knew we had a winner.

The Peek-a-Boo Bag is a pretty simple idea, a cloth bag with a clear panel filled with plastic beads and colorful little shapes. Call it a portable Ispy game (ironic seeing as we are running an Ispy game of our own for the party! heh) as the bag comes with a little detachable tag on the back that lists all the shapes inside the bag. One person can hold the list of shapes and ask the child holding the bag to find them. Connor has yet to learn all the shapes yet but he has the best time finding each shape and then asking me "What's this?" but it totally cracks me up when he sort of knows what something is and gives me a general answer. All balls are balls to him regardless if its a football, baseball, basketball ect. I'm still not sure how he identifies a football as a ball on this tiny scale as well its not round but he picked that one out first! He also identifies all bugs as bugs regardless if its a spider or whatever... again he labeled the spider as a bug and to be honest with you I'm not even sure he has ever seen a spider. Then he proceeded to tell me that we "squish" bugs.. heh.

Perfect for a road trip, a way to entertain a little one at a doctors office, or even just for quiet play when you've totally had it with playing marching band in the living room. Ohh for a few minutes of quiet every day. Wouldn't that be fabulous?

The Peek-a-Boo Bag is available at the International Playthings website.

We have one Peek-a-Boo Bag to give away to one lucky winner!

To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out the Peek-a-Boo Bag and tell something you spy in the picture of the Peek-a-Boo Pack! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out International Playthings website and take a look their toys! I spy something that is fun to ride on and makes for a good walker for baby too!! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "International Playthings" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

Go Natural Baby is a must have!

I really don't care if your knees go limp when I talk about awesome organic clothing or if you think its all unnecessary but seriously enough I'm not some granola eating mamma who preaches on a soapbox about why you should live green. Mind you I just got done eating granola and I'm about to tell you why being green is cool, heh, but if you met me on the street there is nothing about me that would automatically tip you off. Actually most people seem suprised when I ramble off my green living stratigys. Maybe thats because I'm no green saint or wear obviously organic clothing, but then again maybe its because we live exactly like everyone else.. just trying to make a few better choices.

My green stratigy is really all about saving money, looking cool and feeling comfortable, and well bettering my own life while helping the planet. This means I make green choices based on what is actually best for our family. Mind you if you offer me two identical products.. one made "green" and the other made normally unless its outragiously more expensive I will always choose the green product. With all that said I know it sounds like I'm rambling but I promise I'm not. The whole point is people tell me Connor has a super cool wardrobe when half of them would not even guess that a good 50% or better of the items in Connor's closet were made from bamboo or organic cotton. Unlike what most people on the street think about organic clothing being plain, Connor's closet is a rainbow of blues, greens, reds, and even prints. Many of which are green and/or fair trade driven.

Ironically one of my first real green clothing "love" was the Zah Organics line over at Go Natural Baby. I remeber it as Go Natural Baby was one of the first companies I really got in touch with about organic clothing and it was all because of the Zah Organics Hawthorne Tshirt in Sea Glass. I've been drooling over it since last winter and it finally arrived a few weeks ago. I have to say it's as pretty in person as it is in the pictures and regardless if it was organic or not I'd have to have it. A pretty light blue for the main shirt flanked by two sea green sleeves it looks amazing on Connor with his bright blue eyes. Match the outfit with the Fairfax Vest and the Coco Pants you have yourself a pretty rocking outfit! It's starting to get warm here now but we still find use for the Fairfax vest and Hawthorne Tshirt quite often as if its rainy or a cool night both are perfect for layering. The Coco Pants are actually pretty warm but they actually have a decent amount of give to them so I'm sure we will be wearing them all fall and into next spring. I can't wait to put the entire outfit back together again!

We are headed to flordia next week on vacation and I packed the whole outfit as it gets cool at night on the beach and I hope to take Connor down to the sand after dark and see if we can spot some crabs or other small animals. Even just the vest will be perfect for the cool sea wind over his summer tee and shorts!

Regardless if your looking to make those first few steps towards green living or if your already a pro or even if you just want a beautiful outfit for a child you love you really have to check out Go Natural Baby. She just expanded her online catalog and added some items, including some organic pet bedding and acessories that we are already drooling over. One aspect of our life that I really have not branched out in is dog items when it comes to living green. Maybe its time I did!

Check out the entire selection at Go Natural Baby!

Go Natural Baby has offered two full outfits to two lucky winners. You can choose either the boy's outfit which includes a tee, coco pants, and vest in your choice of sizes or the girls outfit that includes a tee, coco pants, and kimono dress in your choice of sizes.


To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Go Natural Baby and tell me if you won what sizes and colors would you want for your outfit! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out Go Natural Baby and take a look at their clothing and accessories line! I spy a little bobble that sparkles and jingles, I know I'd love to have one for a future baby! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Go Natural Baby" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

Talk about a show stopper!

Connor's birthday party was hands down a HUGE success. I rented a carnival sized bouncy house shaped like a castle, had his cake custom made to look like the castle house, stocked up with water guns, outdoor play toys (most coming from the birthday reviews) and even made some kickin party favor bags. What really surprised me though is the one toy that totally stole the show above all others was a water slide that we got to test out from One Step Ahead. I knew that the water slide would be popular but I really thought that the bouncy house would be shock and awe. Do you know that the kids barely even looked at the bouncy house before I turned off the water slide?!?!

The water slide I'm talking about is the Safe Ride Water Slide from One Step Ahead. I was pretty excited about it before it arrived as I knew it would be a huge winner with Connor as well it combines two of his favorite outdoor activites, water and sliding, but I really had no clue until it actually arrived. Setting it up was pretty simple. I do recommend however that you at least have a really good air pump or electric pump neither of which are included with the unit. The first time we set it up we did it via a dual acton air pump and I was pretty winded after blowing up the slide part. When taking it down after the party I ended up using my electric air pump and let me tell you I wish I would have done that from the beginning as it made my life so much easier. Seeing as there are only a few air compartments to blow up its really quite painless and the whole setup of the unit only took us about 10 minutes though it would have gone much faster with a proper pump.

Once the slide was set up all it took was us to hook up the water hose and we were in business within a few minutes. I let the slide run a bit before I let the kids on just so we would have some water in the pool at the end. What really surprised me about the whole thing is just how much all the kids at the party enjoyed it from age one to ten. The smallest kids had a good time just slashing around in the pool end of the unit and the larger kids including Connor had a blast sliding and the Safe Ride Water Slide is really quite versitle on how you can use it. The little kids sat on the slide and slid down but the older kids would slide on their stomachs for a little extra thrill. I was a little jealous as it looked like tons of fun.

The real reason we went to check out One Step Ahead for Connor's birthday was the fact that we were looking for a safe floation device that would allow us to start really teaching him to swim. Connor has always refused to use any sort of sit in type float such as an infant or toddler float since he was old enough to crawl. He really more than anything else wants to be mobile in the water on his own but obviously thats out of the question at this point as he can't swim and even if he could he's so little I wouldn't trust him in the water even near an adult without some sort of flotation device. We have a small above ground pool and last summer anytime we were in it someone was always holding him but he pushes away from you as hard as he can attempting to swim and the only time he is even halfway happy in the water is if you hold him out from your body and let him pretend he is swimming. So the goal was to find some sort of floation device where he could really start learning to swim, most importantly something the he could not crawl/climb out of or remove easily, and though I still don't trust him without super close supervision something that may give him just a tad more freedom than being held in a death grip at my side.

The Power Swimr from One Step Ahead seems like the perfect middle ground for Connor. The first thing that got me intrested was the adjustable crotch strap. We have tried several other floatation devices that had "pants" which is great as it makes them really unremovable for Connor but seeing as he is pretty short there was no way to adjust them for his height so as soon as he gets into the water they end up riding up around his face so badly he can't stand to use them. The Power Swimr can be adjusted with the strap that goes between the legs so that the Swimr stays lower on the chest and will not ride up between the child's ears. The elastic on the side of the Power Swimr also keeps the vest against your child's chest again this means more comfort in the water.

The Power Swimr is very unique as unlike a traditional life vest this vest has removeable floatation pads, nine in all, that allow you to adjust them to your child and his or her swimming level. Connor obviousy has all nine in but as his skill increases I can remove pads to put him farther down in the water and allow him to swim less upright, sort of like having the ability to gradually wean a child off of training wheels. I'm not sure if he will make it out of any of his pads this summer but who knows he's a pretty determined little person. Thus far we haven't had a ton of true swimming time to really put the whole system through its paces but in the little water time we have gotten thus far, due to the weather, its by far the best swimming floation device we have used.. not to mention I've yet to see it be possible for Connor to escape from it once he is in the water which is by far worth every penny.

I highly recommend you check out the summer gear at One Step Ahead. If your looking for a very reasonably priced, not to mention large, blow up toddler pool they have a really cool option as well as you can't go wrong with the Safe Ride Water Slide. Even if you don't own a pool you can keep it out all summer (though I do recommend storing it for bad weather) and belive me Connor would be just as happy playing on his slide than playing in our small pool. I'm half tempted to not set up the pool this year and just let him hang out on the slide as it would save me a fortune in chemicals!

I have an extra Power Swimr to give away to one reader. Its a size M (for children weighing 35 to 55lbs) and is sized for a 3-6 year old. Connor is still only 23lbs so I don't think he will make it into a size medium until at earliest next summer at the very earliest. Who knows he may be able to stay in his small until he can actually swim with the big kids.

o enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out One Step Ahead and tell what one summer toy or accessory you'd most like to have from their online shop! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out One Step Ahead and take a look their summer accessories! I spy something most people complain about getting lost in the wash except these ones are meant for the beach! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivi question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Happy Panda" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

I'm positive these are the radest kid shoes ever.

If my feet were just a tad smaller I would wear the Eleven Collection myself without even blinking. I have to say until Connor was born I really was not that into shoes. Sure I enjoyed a good, pretty, pair of shoes but I never really sat and thought about them. My very first pair of See Kai Runs, Eleven's sister company, totally and I do mean totally changed my perspective on shoes. Not only on children's shoes but my own as well. I find myself downright jealous of Connor's shoe collection and in turn I've invested in a few nice pairs myself. Not that I will be dropping a month's paycheck on a pair of expensive designer shoes anytime soon as bills come first but I've certainly paid more attention. Connor on the other hand totally notices what he is wearing on his feet. This rang loud and clear when we took him into a discount shoe store while visiting his grandparents to buy a pair of sandals. Basically in not so many worlds he told me flat out that all those cheap shoes were "ugly and uncomfortable" heh... I think I've created a shoe monster.

Regardless of all my shoe envy I still hold firm on my long standing belief that regardless of what a shoe looks like you should buy something that really is supportive and function and this is very important when it comes to children's shoes. I really truly believe that even if you can only afford one pair of shoes, which for a boy is easy to do, you should buy the best you can afford. Growing feet need the support and it will pay off more than you know in the long run. This coming from the girl who had to wear corrective braces on her legs and still walks on the outsides of her feet. What kids wear while they are growing absolutely affects their adult feet. With that said Eleven delivers on both fronts. They are downright gorgeous, for once I'm pretty torn when it comes to picking out a new pair each season. They are all beautiful and I would be happy to own a pair in every style in each size. I can tell you without any doubt in my mind that you will be overly happy with how well they hold up as well. Connor has been wearing See Kai Run for some time and his first few pairs are now in the attic awaiting the day when we are blessed with another baby to share them with. I'm sure our Eleven shoes will get the same honor without a doubt.

Now lets talk about the styles for this year. Wow. I swear each season the new additions only keep getting better and better. This season there were three pairs that really gave me a run for my money when it came to choosing a style for Connor. The Iggy was the obvious choice, totally rocker totally vintage rock something I could absolutely see Connor wearing in LA when his music career goes big (lol I'm so kidding.. he will end up wanting to be an accountant because I said this.. mark my words). I'm still totally mesmerized by Iggy but they seemed a little bit formal for Connor's summer wardrobe of mostly shorts and tees. Come winner I'll totally be after them as they would look amazing with a pair of blue jeans and a hoodie. Then that brings me to Josef.. totally sporty.. very much a traditional sneaker with a very fashionable edge with the two colors of blue. Connor's daddy loved them and they are still his first choice. But after drooling over Iggy I really felt I needed a middle ground, something with a bit of a edge but would still be at home with a pair of cargo shorts and a tee shirt with grass all over it from being in the yard but still appropriate for Connor's dressier outfits too.

In the end it was Caper that won our hearts. A traditional shaped tennis shoe with a super fashionable look that would be at home today and will still be just as awesome ten years from now. Olive and grey leather will go with everything and the orange stitching really gives them a little something extra. I'm absolutely in love and I really wish I had a pair myself! I may be gushing but its no lie when I tell you I'm crazy about both Eleven and See Kai Run. When those little red boxes arrive I get all giddy as I'm always pleasantly surprised regardless that I already know I'm going to love whats inside!!

If you've not taken a look at the Eleven Collection before now what on earth are you waiting for? Some of our favorite styles are on sale right now including the Iggy!

Connor is my Happy Panda!

Happy Panda has been a household name around here since Connor could barely sit up by himself. Though traditionally Happy Panda serves the bigger babies, Connor even with his smaller size, loves how soft and comfortable the Happy Panda collection are!

Happy Panda's clothing items are sized large.. much larger than normal clothing.. to compensate for all those super sized babies that seem to be growing out there. Heh. I was reminded of this when Connor's guests started to arrive. The first being a neighbor from down the street who up till recently had been buying Connor's hand me downs at our yard sales. It seems yesterday he was hanging out in his infant carrier just as tiny as can be and now at one year he is bigger than Connor. Lets not even talk about Connor's smaller cousin who is just now a year old and already outweighs Connor and is several inches taller. My poor little man, lets just hope he outgrows his Mama as I never even made it to five feet.

Connor is currently wearing a size 18m in most attire and weighs around 23lbs. However the Happy Panda outfit you see him in is actually a 12-18m as well and it fits its just a little loose compared to his normal clothing. I ordered it a big on purpose as its been some time since Connor shot up a size and he has been complaining lately which usually means he is due for a big growth spurt. Regardless he will be able to wear his Happy Panda outfit for some time. Isn't he adorable? heh.

Without question from the very beginning our favorite Happy Panda outfit was by far the Panda Face tee or onesie and the Panda Pants. We have a cream colored Happy Panda Face onesie that Connor wears to bed quite often and I still can't help to crack up every time he turns around when I see that little panda looking back at me. Connor really appreciates the fact that all of the Happy Panda clothing comes tagless as he is just starting to really complain when tags rub his neck. I for one can't blame him as I still hate tags in my clothing and I end up either cutting out or buying tagless items for myself as well. I can also tell you that all of the Happy Panda clothing we have owned washes wonderfully. I've already packed up his smaller Happy Panda items in the attic so they will be ready and waiting for the next baby to use them!

You really gotta check out Happy Panda for yourself. You won't be dissapointed.

Happy Panda is giving away a $25 gift certificate to only lucky reader in honor of Connor's birthday!

To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Happy Panda and tell me how you'd spend your $25 if you won! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out Happy Panda and take a look at their tees! I spy a Happy Panda in red who is obviously in love! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Happy Panda" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

2 Little Stars for your birthday!

We did a review of the 2 Little Stars adult throw blankets awhile back and its still amost impossible to separate me from my favorite blanket. It's divine! When 2 Little Stars heard about Connor's birthday they enthusiastically pointed out that they make personalized tees and onesies as well and that Connor really had to have his own onesie made just for his birthday!

Connor ended up with a personalized applique tee with the number two on the front. The number itself is cut out of a really cute fabric and its sewn down around the number, or letter if you perfer, with a matching thread so there is never any worry of unraveling. You choose the fabric, thread color, the tee shirt color, and even if you want it lower or upper case if your doing a letter. So you end up with a tee shirt all your own with very little worry that another kid will show up at the party with the same tee!

2 Little Stars also offers a really cool selection of applique tees as well that you can personalize with your childs name. We really like the dump truck on blue, what little boy would not want a dump truck shirt with their name on it?

Visit 2 Little Stars to see the entire selection!

2 Little Stars was generous enough to offer one of our readers there very own tee! Initial or number tee.

To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out 2 Little Stars and tell me which tee you'd want if you won and what you'd want on it.!! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out the 2 Little Stars and take a look at the accessories line! I spy something that rhymes with "ertle" and will keep your little person clean! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "2 Little Stars" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

This is totally unbelievable.

For some reason I was convinced that "scooters" were purely for older children. Over Easter, however, my entire opinion changed when I watched my three year old cousin and Connor operate a "big boy" scooter pretty well. Mind you it was way too tall for them and they were not exactly masters but it was certainly possible. You know up till I started this blog I would have never even considered a bike or a scooter for anyone under five. I've totally been proven wrong on the bike aspect with all the amazing new balance bikes out on the market so why not scooters?

Radio Flyer sent over their My First Scooter for Connor to try out and wow talk about being mobile at an early age. Connor is just now two and he still has issues with tricycles and balance bikes purely from the fact that his legs are so short... but this thing really has no limit as he can easily reach the handles and the extra wide base makes it super stable for his little legs and feet.

The Radio Flyer My First Scooter is not exactly like big boy scooters. It features a rather large base so even wobbly kids can easily get their feet on and off the scooter. Totally a great feature for the accident prone types like this family. heh. Instead of one wheel in the front it has two which adds to the stability. Connor has no clue how to stear it, though thats a common issue as he cannot stear his tricycle or moterized ride on either but he compensates by just stepping off and changing directions. The handle bars are appropriately sized for his little hands and are around two feet tall so he can reach with no issues either.

I'm really quite surprised how durable it is. Though I'm not sure what the maxium weight capacity is its built for a two to five year old but It can easily handle a larger kid if they don't mind the short handle bars. My favorite part about the entire scooter though is the fact that it folds up for storage or travel. Coming from a household that has limited storage space the fact that I can just fold it down and hang it on the peg board in the storage room is truely a dream come true... now if we can only talk about having all those other outdoor toys adding that feature life would be good. heh.

You can learn more about the Radio Flyer My First Scooter on it's website or purchase your own on Amazon!

A birthday letter to the most important person in my world.

Connor,

I can’t believe your two already. It seems like yesterday that you came into my life. I remember vividly the day I found out I was pregnant, the first time I felt you move, how absolutely beautiful your little tiny face was, the way you smell and still smell when your sleeping. How far you’ve come and how much you’ve grown in such a short amount of time I can barely believe it.

Your so fearless, so full of wonder, so without judgments… you make me wish I had half the view of the world you do. Everyone you meet is a friend until proven otherwise, a game can be found in almost anything, and bugs might as well be tiny diamonds as you think they are amazing, well all but those evil fire ants in the back yard that “bite”. You love your puppies, this crazy show called Yo Gabba Gabba, shoes of all things, and you might as well been born with fins as I can’t keep you away from water.

I have two wishes for you as you grow up. The first of which sounds the simplest but as you get older you will realize just how hard it is… Whatever you decide to do in life do it because its what you want and love not because you ever feel you have to prove anything to anyone. The second is only that you call your Mommy every day, heh, ok once a week to tell her how your week has been. If your as adventurous as an adult as you are as a child your bound to be off doing something somewhere, and I have to admit as much as I want you to experience everything in this world it will be hard not to see your face every day.

I just want you to know that I’ve waited so long for you to be part of my life and every second of that wait was worth it 1 million times over. I could never even have imagined how amazing you would be and how much I would love you. Even on the days where you’ve opened all of my makeup and “colored” the couch and for that flash of a second I tell you I’m half tempted to sell you to gypsys, I’m only joking. Heh. Really It would take an army and an act of god for me to let you out of my sight. Nothing and I do mean nothing is better than hearing you giggle or your incredibly wet kisses.

Here’s to another year little man, just don’t grow up too fast I still have so much to share with you.

Yours forever and always,

Mommy

Beep Beep!

Connor has a great tricycle in the backyard that he got for his birthday last year. Mind you there is no way he will be able to ride it on his own at least for another year as his legs are ridiculously short and its rather large. However he has really enjoyed being pushed around the yard as it has a parent’s handle. He does try to petal it though and its just a hopeless cause. We have hardwood floors inside and a really good path for riding in circles between our kitchen and living spaces and I’ve had the idea in my head for some time that we should really try to find him a cute small tricycle for inside that he may actually be able to reach the petals on.

Radio Flyer makes a really pretty tricycle that looks just like a vintage moped that has really turned out to be just what Connor needed. The classic lights and sounds tricycle easily fits children from aged two to five with no adjustments needed. The seat is pretty long so as your child grows they just sit farther back on the seat which is great as its always my luck that once something needs to be adjusted I’ve lost the manual and spend hours trying to figure out the right way to adjust a toy or furniture piece. The Radio Flyer Classic Lights and Sounds Tricycle is actually on the petite end of tricycles though it would appear otherwise as it has a pretty solid frame but the size is actually a huge advantage as it works perfectly for indoor use and its not nearly as wide as some of the larger tricycles so it weaves in and out of doorways with no issues.

Connor is still working on learning how to petal his tricycle and his legs just barely reach the petals (though an average 2 year old would have no issues.. Connor is about the size of an average 12-17 month old) but if he really concentrates he can reach and we have made our first few independent feet without Mommy helping thus far. He did figure out the little secret to the tricycle almost immediately. The seat lifts up and reveals a storage compartment which Connor has been using to hide his pacifiers from me as I’m slowing starting to wean him from them. Heh. The tricycle also features a sound panel as well including turn signals and a horn which Connor uses a little too often! lol

Putting together the Radio Flyer Classic Lights and Sounds Tricycle was actually pretty easy. Everything was self explanatory and I didn’t have to spend much time reading the directions. I do really recommend an extra set of hands when your screwing the base to the frame as it gets a little tricky to screw the bolt and hold the wrench at the same time. I luckily had help and the whole project took us about 10 minutes at most.

You can pick up your own Radio Flyer Classic Lights and Sounds Tricycle on Amazon!

Getting wet is always Connor's top priority.

Its officially hot here in Alabama and with warm weather comes Connor’s favorite activity of all time, getting wet. That leaves his Mommy wondering about safe ways for him to enjoy his favorite activity of all time, playing in water, without putting him at risk as thus far regardless of what he may tell you he can not swim quite yet. Not that he isn’t trying.

Small World Toys offers quite a few really cool and really affordable ways to keep cool this summer as well as some really fun outdoor toys that you really have to have. I really wanted to have something for Connor and his smaller cousins to play in at his birthday party that would be safe and no intimidating to his younger cousin. While browsing the Small World Toys website I found the coolest option that not only would be fun for the smaller children but its really portable as well. Once your done playing you can dry it off and fold it up small enough to fit into your beach bag to take to the grandparents house! The Active Edge Soft Sprinkles Tide Pool is genius! Though it only holds about an inch or two of water and the size is on the smaller side its perfect for babies and toddlers. Toddlers will love playing in the built in sprinkler around the edge of the pool and infants will love hanging out in the middle. Connor loves bringing all of his boats into the tide pool and sitting in the middle. Usually once we have it filled I turn the water almost down to a trickle from the faucet so we don’t waste too much water and surprisingly even with the water turned down low the sprinklers still shoot up a few inches. W hen its time to store the pool you just drain it and let it dry and then it folds up into a tiny square that will fit anywhere. Dads will love the fact that there is nothing to blow up.. Just attach it to the hose and it fills with water, no need to hyperventilate.

A huge hit at the real birthday party was our Active Edge 18” Hoppity Ball. My dad first brought hoppity balls to my attention when he came home all excited about seeing a kid jumping on one in their driveaway. He had debated on stopping to ask the child where they got their ball then realizing that might freak them out, so of course he comes to my house exclaiming that we must get one for Connor. The Hoppity Ball is a great way not only to have some fun but exercise as well! Though Connor’s legs are just a tad bit too short for the Hoppity Ball at the moment he will be bouncing around the yard on it before I can blink I’m sure. In the meantime his cousins had a blast and the ball is sturdy enough to handle even the larger kids play. It comes in a 18 inch and 26 inch size for larger kids. Actually I’m half tempted to buy the 26 inch one for myself as I really need some exercise and I think it would be tons of fun to hop around the yard with Connor.

If your looking for a unconventional way to cool off you really should check out the Active Edge Beach Ball Blast. Part beach ball part sprinkler the inflated beach ball squirts water in every way imaginable. You can throw the ball in the air or just lay it on the ground and play around it, it’s a whole new take on the traditional sprinkler toy. It comes with a smaller hose connector that makes throwing and passing the ball much easier than if it was attached directly to the main hose. When you turn it on it wiggles and giggles in your hands drenching you with water. It makes for a really fun game of hot potato! Heh.

Check out all the great summer fun toys at Small World Toys!

I have a Active Edge Beach Ball Blast to give away to one lucky reader!

To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out Small World Toys and tell me what toy you'd most like to have for summer!! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out the Small World Toys and take a look at the Active Edge line of toys! I spy something that that makes a traditional table game wet and fun! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Small World" Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!

Read me another story!

Books…. Connor says it.. Signs it.. And even takes them to bed with him. I’m not really sure what he does with them once he gets them in bed with him but its not uncommon to go into his room in the morning and find him snuggled in his bed hand on his favorite bedtime story. The kid is a honest to goodness bookworm and he comes by the trait honestly as his mother adores books as well. As much as I love books I do have a limit as to how many times in one day I’m willing to read the same board book over and over and its hard to get Connor to sit still long enough to read him a longer picture book. He does however sit still long enough to watch a short cartoon, so the Scholastic dvds are pure genius.

We recently got a copy of the new My Very First Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics Preschool Stories from Scholastic and wow.. Talk about an instant library. This collection is so large it will keep you busy for days as it’s compiled on SEVEN dvds. Seeing as we tend to only play one or two stories before bedtime it seems to take forever before we start the list over again. Almost all of my childhood favorites are featured and a large amount of them were totally new to me as well. Harold and the Purple Crayon, Happy Birthday Moon, Corduroy, Good Night Gorilla, and Is Your Mama a Llama are just a few of our favorites included. Not to mention one of our newest favorites Knuffle Bunny!

I’ve mentioned before how much we love the Scholastic book adaptations on dvd. As much as I love reading to Connor its always nice to get a break or to introduce books to him that otherwise he may not have the patience to listen by me reading it to him. What I really approve of is the fact that the dvds are read along meaning the words to the books appear on the screen as well so your child can learn to read along with the dvd just as they would if you had them on your lap as you read. What really cool feature about the stories as they are narrated by some people you may recognize. Including Cindi Lauper one of my childhood idols.

For those of you on a budget or who have space constraints I can tell you right now without any question even at used book price the cost to buy this dvd set is far less than the cost to buy fifty children’s books! Lets not even talk about how much space you need to store that many books. Coming from the girl who had to invest in a larger than life bookshelf for Connor’s room to store his book collection and seeing as we own quite a few of these books it becomes a challenge all on its own. I’m really quite relieved as many of the books included on the dvds are books we had thought about adding to our collection but the question is where would I have put them? Not to mention that adding 50 books at new prices to our collection would have easily cost us several hundred dollars.

You can pick up your own My Very First Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics Preschool Stories on DVD right now at the Scholastic website use coupon code sevendogs to get 10% off your total order!

Scholastic is giving away one My Very First Treasury of 50 Storybook Classic Preschool Stories to one lucky reader!

To enter : (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE BIRTHDAY POST!! You must be entered into the birthday bash to win this contest!)

• Leave a comment on this post. Check out My Very First Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics Preschool Stories and tell me which book on the dvd is your favorite!! Make sure you read below to earn extra entries including a scavenger hunt entry.
  
• Make sure there is a way for me to contact you - if your email address is not on your profile or you are not a blogger you may leave it in your comment or email it to me directly (angelaandconnor at gmail dot com) We have had to disqualify a lot of potential winners as of late as many people do not have emails available in their profiles or leave anonymous posts without any way to contact you.
• Please US entries only.
• To get extra credit :
  • For an extra entry :
  • Bloggers - Blog about this contest and leave me the link on your comment, or add me to your sidebar and let me know its there.
  • Non Bloggers (or bloggers) subscribe to my mailing list/RSS feed and earn another entry!
  • Answer the I Spy trivia question "Check out the Scholastic website and take a look at all their dvds! I spy a dvd collection that is so big it could qualify as a libary! Do not leave this entry in your comment all trivia question answers go to contestsatsevendogs@gmail.com. Use the subject "Scholastic " Posting "I spy" answers in comments will disqualify you!
    
  • Let people know about the giveaway on Twitter with a link to the giveaway!
    
  • THREE extra credit per person. Please post your extra credit in a separate post.
  • This contest will end May 30th at midnight!