I’m going to start this post off by apologizing to all the mothers of boys out there who read this blog.

As another person who has a son, I totally sympathize with all of the exclusive stuff that goes on with girls, whether it be clothes, or makeup, or whatever that we are usually not a part of.  It’s annoying.  I get it.

But I HAVE to share this website.

You see, I was searching in vain for quite a long time for easy, quick hairstyles for my two year old and her below shoulder length hair.  I know how to French Braid, but seriously, that can only get you so far.

I stumbled across this website and hallelujah! Finally a place with a bunch of great, easy styles and video tutorials to boot!  I actually found them before the 20/20 spot, but kudos to them, they deserve the spotlight!

It doesn’t hurt that Mindy and her entire family are cute as buttons, either.

I cannot believe that in the four years I have been here, that I have never posted this.  Erma Bombeck was the original, and the best.

My Favorite Child

Cracked has some very awesome submissions that envision what popular songs sound like to five year olds.  I have to say, I was so there on that Stairway to Heaven picture when I was young.  There are 27 in all, here is a sampling:

Pure awesomeness.

These girls are BEYOND SUPERFANTASTIC!

via Boing Boing

My love affair with this product began with the Munchkin, and has continued with the Munchkinette. 

Where to start?  It is a no-rinse wash for babies that is perfect for (ahem) the holidays when you are staying out later than normal and possibly skipping baths, yet still needing to cleanse sensitive areas.  It is ridiculously easy to use, smells fabulous, and if you just make sure it isn’t cold before applying to baby, then everyone is happy as a clam.  This is one of my favorite shower gifts to give to new moms. 

 It comes in handy way more often than you would think.  Got a kid who gets carsick often?  This is the product for you.  I used it more times than I can count on the Munchkin, who was famous for his ability to get sick in the car on even the shortest of trips.  Takes the smell right off them.  Same for a diaper explosion or any other of the three thousand things that happen to kids that make them dirty and smell not-so-superfantastic.

If you have a baby or know someone that does, get it.  You won’t regret it.  It’s also paraben, triclosan, and pthalate-free.

It had been a while since I had been to one of my favorite shopping malls, and I happened to finally stop by a couple of weeks ago.  They have done some remodeling and taken out some kid-friendly features in order to appear more “upscale” so I hadn’t been in a really big hurry to go back.

But, a new store that I’d never heard about had popped up in my absence, and I have to say I was really, really impressed with the quality and design of the clothing. I know y’all like to see the goods before buying, but there aren’t a whole lot of these stores in brick-and-mortar form, so online is the way most of you will be able to access their stuff. 

And what wonderful stuff it was!  I liked many, many things, but here are a few of my favorites:

Little Peanut Dress

The fabric is soft and lovely, the garment itself well-constructed.  I adored all of their “little peanut” line.

Stinson Polo

The ultimate in surfer cool, I liked a lot of their shirts for boys.

Frida Skirt

The picture does not do this skirt any justice.  The embroidery is absolutely beautiful, and again, the skirt is well-made.

Junglie Elephant

Their whole line of Junglie and Bunglie animals were some of the softest, cuddliest I’ve ever felt.

Oh, and I always award bonus points to stores who emphasize books, and they had a large and impressive book display in the very front of the store.

*I am not affiliated with Peek…, nor am I receiving any sort of compensation for this review.  Good clothes are hard to find, and I wanted to pass the info along.

“Action, mommy. A really good book has lots of action.”

If you are looking for books that the boy in your life will look forward to reading, take it from my seven year old.  They love action.

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan delivers exactly that.  Beginning with The Lighning Thief  and ending with The Last Olympian, even a fairly reluctant reader will be hard-pressed to put the books down.  Not only do they move along briskly, with plenty of the aforementioned action, but there is quite a bit of humor, topped off with a nice dusting of Greek mythology.  I should know,  because I read all of them before my son did.

For, uh, research purposes, of course.

The books follow demigod Percy Jackson through five years of living out a prophecy foretold by the Oracle of Delphi.  Who happens to be a mummy in an attic at the demigod summer camp.  Percy must battle gods and monsters in order to save Mount Olympus, which is located at the top of the Empire State Building. Natch. Throw in some centaurs, labyrinths, Mist, and capricious Greek gods, and tell me how you can possibly resist.

I highly recommend the books for that certain someone who is bound to be whining about being half-dead from boredom in about two weeks from now.

*I bought all of these myself at Target.  No freebies here. Now normally I don’t buy my books at Target, but I have a seven month old, so you’ve got to cut me some slack.