Happily (un)Haunted Halloween Photo Contest

So little time!

I'm a busy little (okay, not so little) beaver these days.

I've been taking photos, getting ready for Vegas, writing at my other blog (and writing for cash!), and getting ready for one of my favorite "holidays" of the year...

Halloween!

That's right, people, we are officially doing the countdown to Halloween over here.

We host an annual Happily (un)Haunted Halloween Bash for our neighborhood which takes hours of precise planning (picture me frantically scribbling the guest list out while I sit in the car waiting for #2 to get out of preschool), back breaking labor (not my back, silly, Hubby's, duh!), and expertise in the kitchen (think I'm gonna go with the pigs in a blanket this year. Again).

Luckily I've enlisted the talents of an amazing party planner (aka BFF) to manage the large part of the preparation (I wonder if she'll come with walkie talkies and headsets?).

It's the only way things are gonna really get done this year because I have some serious stuff going on right now.

"Why, what sorta stuff, Dumb Mom?"

Well, if you must know...

Yours truly is hosting her very first Happily (un)Haunted Halloween Photo Contest!

Oooohhh! Ahhhhhh!

That's right peeps!

I'm doing it big over here. Well, not too big (please note that I am a low budget blog owner), but there will be prizes.

And, anyone (with a photo of their kid in a costume) can win!

Dying to know what is up for grabs?: You (my lucky friend) will get a $25 gift card for Spa Finder and (that's right, A-N-D!), a $20 gift card to Snapfish, Starbucks, or Toys R Us (your choice)!

Here's some inspiration to help you get started:

Powered by Whrrl

Now that you're all excited, try to calm down, focus your mind and read the fine print.

Rules to enter:

1. Locate your most awesome photo (aka most appealing composition and capture, meaning the photo matches the theme, it's a cute shot, and the quality of the picture is good, read not all blurry and grainy and gross) of your kid in costume.

2. Email (parentingbydummies[at]gmail[dot]com) it to me (agreeing to allow me to post it on the blog) and put photo contest in the subject line (so I can find it).

3. Leave a comment here saying I'm the most amazing blogger you've ever seen you've entered to win!

4. Follow me.

5. Tell all your friends about me. This one is optional, but I feel like it's really the most important factor.

Contest opens today and runs through October 31,2009.

Top five finalist will be chosen (by me) and posted on the blog for votes.

Voting will begin Monday, November 2nd, and will be open until midnight Friday, November 6th.

Winner will be announced November 7th.

Before I go, let me also take a moment to recognize this week's Thursday Thank You recipients.

Gratitude is shared equally between 2 amazing companies who have made my life easier recently: UPrinting (who provided the thank you cards seen below that have forever transformed PBD's Thursday Thank Yous), and Celebrate Express (who sent out the super costumes (seen in slideshow) for the dudes to sport this Halloween).





Card reads: Dear UPrinting and Celebrate Express, Thank you for making things run a little more smoothly around Casa de Dummies. I'm so not smart enough to figure this whole mom business out on my own. Thanks to people like you for making it so I don't have to. You rock!

P.S. If you want to enter to win the Looney Tunes basket, click here. Contest ends tomorrow so hurry up!

Saturday Swag-urday: The End is Near

Actually, it's here.

This is the last weekend of #1's summer break.

Monday is D-day (and D in this case stands for Dammit-gotta-get-up-even-earlier-to-sneak-in-time-alone-with-my-coffee-and-my-blog).

So, to commemorate, or lament, the end of summer, here is a summery shot I took of #2 at Mimi's house this week.



And, I know it was only a coupla short months ago that I was all OMG-totally-freakin'-out-people-what-will-I-do-when-the-dudes-are-eagerly-trying-to-kill-each-other-for-the-summer.

And, you're probably wondering why I'm all sentimental and whiny about them heading back to the grind now.

So, I'll tell ya'. I'm huge into overreacting, dramatizing, and basically putting a lot on situations that involve me and my kids (but mostly me).

It's sorta my thing.

I like to work myself into a frenzy over small stuff, make it seem all daunting and insurmountable. Then, when I overcome it, I feel even more triumphant and those around me are more appreciative of my awesomeness.

Yes. It really does work.

So, here goes my next hurdle...

Getting ready for school!

Kidding, I'm totally done already.

Even got my dudes' stuff labeled.

The nice people over at Lovable Labels, sent us a lovely package of labels to try out.



They stick on shoes, clothing, binders, backpacks, lunch bags. Pretty much every piece of junk your kid hauls to school (and normally doesn't ever haul home) will probably make it back to you if you affix one of these personalized, custom made, bad boys to it. Check them out here: Lovable Labels

#2 doesn't start until...actually, can't really even recall when he starts (go me!), but just so he doesn't feel left out when the big day finally arrives, the happy people at Tattoos for Tots sent him some tattoos (#1 won't go near them with a 10 foot pole because they are "for babies"). He has affixed them to various parts of his body, and he even shared them with #3.

We call this look fish belly...



They have tons of different collections to chose from: animals, pirates, automobiles, fruits, insects, plus tons of other girly, cutsie stuff.

Best part. They have the word on the back, so they're kinda educational too!

So, if your little curmudgeons are bath boycotters like mine, they could potentially wear their educational tat for like two weeks straight.

Seriously, who can't learn how to spell sun in two weeks?!

Genius.

And, a giveaway.

It's been a while, right.

Something from UPrinting perhaps?



How about 250 custom greeting cards (you know how I love stationary)?

There are tons of ways to use these. I like to make invitations to star studded events and fan cards for the dudes to hand out to adoring fans.



Basically, I use them as birthday invitations and Valentine's Day/Christmas cards.

They tend to be a hit with friends, family, and adoring fans alike:)!

Want to win your own set of custom postcards?

Two of you can. All you need to do is:

1. Leave a comment telling me how you would use your winnings.
2. Follow PBD (+1)
3. Follow the Tweets (+2)
4. Tell me I'm awesome (no extra entries for this one, but you know you want to do it!)

Contest ends Friday at midnight and winner will be announced on the next Saturday Swag-urday (8/29).

The Thirties

So, this Friday is a big day @ Casa de Dummies.

The fearless leader (that would be me, people), is celebrating a birthday.

I'm turning the big 3-1.

Some people think that turning 30 is monumental, I'd like to posit that it's actually the thirty first year when all hell breaks loose.

'Cause at 30, I felt like I was still a lot closer to the twenties. You know, 'cause I just left them.

Now, I'm officially in my thirties. I'm not just 30; I'm in my thirties. Totally different.

Anyway, in an effort to shift the focus away from my oldness and onto my awesomeness, I'm having a giveaway. Make that giveaways!

That's right, I'm giving you gifts on precisely the day that I should be expecting them for myself!

Hold your applause, people.

The issue is, what to give?

Ok. I've decided.

Or, it's been decided for me.

I will be hosting my first ever sponsored giveaway!

It is with a fantastic company called UPrinting.


They do all kinds of awesome stuff like business cards, postcards, and poster printing.

Online poster printing? Awesome, right?

You know how I love pictures, so how awesome is this?!

So, I am offering a free 16x20 poster print to 2 lucky people!

That means you can take one of your awesome pics like this...



Or, this...


And blow it up big for your wall.

Please refrain from blowing up pics like this, though because that is just mean (for the record, he's not picking his nose)!



To enter, you must do at least 1 of these things (double chances for doing both):

1. Leave a comment here telling me how you would use your free print. A link to your photo of choice would be perfect.

and/or

2. Write a post on your blog linking back to moi and Uprinting.com

I know you are wondering why we are celebrating my birthday on the 13th, when it's not until the 15th.

Well, little miss nosy pants, we are not actually celebrating the day I was born, we are instead celebrating my mom's birth experience, because she had the unfortunate circumstance to be in labor with me for more than 40 hours (good things come to those who wait, while screaming in pain).

That deserves a little celebration (give it up for Mimi).

Contest starts now (day her water broke), and ends Monday, 5/18/09 (day she took home the awesome gift that was me).

Good luck!

P.S. Shipping is included if you live in USA or Canada, all other countries have to pay for it (sorry, they made me say that part).