Mom Agenda Coupon Code and Giveaway



I can’t believe I’ll be sending my baby girl –now almost 4 years old – back to pre-school again. When I think of “Back to School,” I remember those early years of starting grade school and being excited to interact with other kids. I loved to prepare my new backpack with freshly sharpened pencils, crayons, rulers and more. I also recall the annual shopping trips with my Mom to buy new clothes at the “big mall” 20 minutes from our home.
Beyond the thrill of fabulous new clothes, this trip also marked the only time all year my Mom would get on the highway with me in the car! I can still hear her nervous voice telling me to stop chattering so she could concentrate on traffic. However, my most vivid memory is of our quest for a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox the summer before 1st grade.
This was the early 80’s and nothing was hotter than Strawberry Shortcake and her coveted lunchbox. We looked everywhere but they were all sold out. I remember feeling disappointed and thinking that if I had a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox the transition to 1st grade would be no big deal, maybe even an exciting adventure. Yet without this commercialized tin box I’d never survive the 1st grade. In the end, just 3 days before school started, my Mom’s best friend, whose son was also entering 1st grade and desperate for a Star Wars lunchbox, found a Strawberry Shortcake lunchbox at a store. Oh the joy I felt when she pulled into the driveway to bring us the good news and the beloved lunchbox.
Twenty five years later I still remember how desperately I wanted this lunchbox and wonder if sometimes all the “stuff” really does matter. That favorite backpack, pencil case or lunch sack just might make the unknown a little more comfortable.
Starting pre-school for the first time can be hard for both parents and kids alike. Mom often has to play tough love when leaving a crying child at pre-school drop off. Kenzie was excellent at the separation. She sometimes had a few tears, but when I told her Mommy always comes back she understood I’d be returning in a few hours. However, my fearless explorer, Kyle, is a real Mama’s boy. He is only 18 months, so luckily we’ve got another year before pre-school drop off.
What do you remember best from your school years? Did anything make it easier for you or your pre-schoolers? What advice do you have to prepare Moms and kiddos for starting pre-school??
Lots of us are gearing up for school – an exciting, fun and sometimes, hectic time. Hallmark has put together this great resource to help you calm the butterflies and build your kids’ confidence. Just for joining the conversation you’ll be entered to win $500. Check it out.
We're also giving away $100 Visa Gift card to one lucky Classy Mommy Reader. Enter to win by leaving a comment below sharing a favorite back to school memory or advice to prepare either Moms or pre-schoolers with the Preschool transition by August 8th, 2009. Please include your email address so we may contact you if you win.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Hallmark.
We had an action packed weekend full of Princess themed birthday parties. I love seeing all the fun and creative ideas Moms have planning their kiddos parties. These long tables with mini kid sized chairs were comfy and cozy. I think the Pirates and Princesses felt like they were dining in the Great Hall of a Castle!
And I adore this Princess "throne" for the Birthday Girl Gracie. Kenzie fancied it as well as she requested that the throne be her seat when it was time to sit down. My girl has good taste!
This throne was pretty plush and divine for a child sized plastic backed chair originally bought at Toys R Us. I'm gonna be on the prowl for one of these for our upcoming 4th birthday party.
Talk about some crazy money saving toy deals! The Christmas in July Toys "R" Us sale runs from Sunday July 19th - Saturday July 25th. Here's a list of some of the hot specials below. And, we're giving away $25 Toys "R" Us gift card to a lucky Classy Mommy reader to celebrate the Christmas in July Sale.

Win it! We're giving away two $15 Gift Cards to Domino's! Last Thursday, Domino's kicked-off a new initiative partnering up with GreenGraffiti, a company that was hired by Dominos to go around New York City, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, adding “green graffiti” to the cities on behalf of Dominos. GreenGraffiti is creating graffiti in those cities by power-washing their graffiti onto streets and sidewalks, essentially cleaning the streets. You can enter to win by entering below and you can also win a $15 gift card by being one of the first 250 people to submit a photo to pr@dominos.com of yourself with a Green Graffiti sidewalk Domino's logo. Good luck finding them!


Kenzie is crazy for these adorable headbands. She's been obsessed with the idea of a headband for quite some time and her headband wish has been fulfilled with her new haircut and the charming styles from Little Gal Designs. And seriously these headbands are soooo photogenic!
Pottery Barn Teen is featuring Free Shipping on tons of products on their website! Click here to visit the PBTeen page that features all of the items that are free to ship. Many of the items are just in time for back to school (backpacks, lunchboxes, locker mirrors, etc) and now is the time to do for you and your kids to do your school shopping if you want to beat the rush and make sure you get your favorite items before they sell out. Also included in this great sale are jewelry items, room decorations and wall murals.
The kids and I took a spur of the moment outing to Chick-fil-A, my favorite fast food joint, on Friday. Little did I know it would be Cow Appreciation Day which meant the kiddos and I were able to meet the beloved cow in person. Had we been better prepared we could have arrived dressed like a cow and ate for free. We all enjoyed the people watching as we assessed the various attempts to dress like a cow. Everything from full costumes to white tee shirts with black spots made out of construction paper. Kyle was too cute with his non-stop mooing and waving. Yet, this fearless child is petrified when it comes to getting too close for comfort with any kind of dressed up character. Can't say I blame him!



Kenzie went a little crazy with her Crayola Color Surge Markers when I thought she was carefully crafting a picture for Dad. Instead, she decided to get very creative. Luckily, this stuff is washable and a good scrub in the tub removed her self-made tatoos. Her designs were most impressive and included people, patterns, and she managed to do the same to the back of both legs as well!



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Another scary recall has been announced! About 400,000 Simplicity Drop Side Cribs (see defective model numbers here) are being recalled due to a defect that can endanger your children. Apparently the plastic can deform over time causing the drop side to detach and create a hazardous space between the drop side and the mattress. These cribs have been sold since 2005 and if you have one you are advised to stop using it immediately and return it to the store at which it was bought. Read the report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission here.
This week we bought the Schwinn Double Bike Trailer at Target with valiant hopes of taking the kids for their first bike ride this holiday weekend. I'll let you know how it goes for a long bike ride, but so far we are impressed with the quality after putting it together last night. Awesome wheels, storage pockets for the kids, and cozy seats with plenty of space for our 2 kids aged 3 and 1. And yes a very cool stroller!
Win it! With all the drama surrounding Jon and Kate these days, why not relax and take a look back at the happy episodes that were pre-drama and pre-divorce with the Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht Season 4, Volume 2 DVD. This DVD features the family moving into their new, bigger house and would surely be a relief from the current Jon and Kate news. Three lucky winners will be selected to receive this hot new DVD that doesn't even hit streets until July 21st! This giveaway is open to US residents only.