This week’s giveaway is all about giving you the opportunity to get your kids some awesome tees or hoodies that are unique to their personal style. Threadless Kids features tons of designs created by and voted on by the Threadless community of nearly one million members, so your kids are bound to love these funky, creative pieces that are sure to make a statement!

The Prize

Five lucky winners will each receive a $50 online gift certificate to use at Threadless Kids.

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following three requirements and leave a separate comment for each, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @ThreadlessKids on Twitter.
2. Visit Threadless Kids, check out the Threadless Babies and/or the Threadless Kids catalogs, come back here, and leave a link on this post to your favorite onesie, tee, or hoodie design.
3. Tweet the following:

• Chat back2school/style/clothes shopping @ #gno Twitter party Tues 9/7 w/@ThreadlessKids http://bit.ly/a99AhW #gno PLS RT
• GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win $50 online gc 4 @ThreadlessKids (5 Winners!). http://bit.ly/bflPMz PLS RT #gno #contest

Optional Entries

The following two entries are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry per item for this giveaway. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed entry.

1. Like the Threadless Kids page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/threadlesskids.
2. Tweet the following:

• Skip the chaos of back2school shopping. Shop online w/@threadlesskids. http://bit.ly/aRHKRu #gno #ThreadlessKids PLS RT

Terms and Conditions

No purchase necessary to enter. Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at midnight ET Wednesday, September 8, 2010. See all terms and conditions here.

The great thing about shopping nowadays is that you can accomplish a lot online. You and your kids can peruse through tons of clothes online with various styles and designs that reflect your child’s interests and personality – sure to get them excited to strut their stuff all the way to their classrooms. So what are the hot clothing items for your kids this season? And what does your child REALLY look for when selecting a new tee or hoodie?

Party Topic

This Tuesday, join the #gno Twitter party from 9-11 ET (8-10 CT, 7-9 MT, 6-8 PT) with Threadless Kids and chat about back-to-school, your child’s personal style, shopping trends and more for the upcoming school year.

Be sure to click here to check out this week’s giveaway where you can enter for a chance to win one of FIVE $50 gift certificates to Threadless Kids, a new kids’ t-shirt line from crowdsourcing poster child Threadless.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• Sponsor: Threadless Kids
• When: Tuesday, September 7 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8-10 CT, 7-9 MT, & 6-8 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! Check back Tuesday for the link to the grid. (Use hashtags #gno and #ThreadlessKids.)
• Topic: Back-to-School Tips for Success
• Who: Brand Panelists: @ThreadlessKids @ThreadHelp Community Panelists: @designmom @digitalkadi @soulfulparent Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee and @momitforward
• Party Favors: Enter for a chance to win one of FIVE $50 online gift certificate to Threadless Kids: http://bit.ly/bflPMz.

RSVP

Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

I took a four-day business trip over the weekend and arrived home to a living room full of musical instruments, carefully crafted by my mom (aka: Rock Star Grandma) and two daughters.  With the simplest of materials and the grandest of imaginations, they created an entire music department’s worth of guitars, drums, microphones and maracas—and rehearsed a performance that is deserving of a tour bus and summer 2011 concert schedule.  Is there a family band waiting to form in your garage or basement?

Maracas

Thank goodness Rock Star Grandma had the foresight to save so many empty toilet paper rolls.  (I say that because if she didn’t see this project coming, then I’m sorta worried about why she had such a stockpile!)  With two small squares of wax paper, secured by rubber bands and covering the open sides of the holder, along with a handful of dried beans poured inside, the Band members created great shakers to keep rhythm and hold a beat.

Microphones

If you’ve ever heard my daughters sing, you know they do not need any amplifying devices to make their voices heard.  Nonetheless, one decorated paper towel tube, topped with a ball of black construction paper on one end and sporting a long piece of yarn/string/curly ribbon from the other made for simple, realistic (from a distance) microphones.  And according to my girls, “voices really do sound prettier” when using a homemade microphone.

Drums

What is a band without drums?  Oddly enough, this instrument most needs to withstand a beating.  Yet, it was originally crafted in the most delicate way.  The kids collected every tin can in the recycling pile and covered each with aluminum foil, wax paper, or construction paper, then gently tapped on each to create a variety of sounds.  The beats they created really were catchy—but as you can guess, their appetites for banging were soon too much.  When my younger daughter dug out a large plastic barrel previously used to hold hard pretzels and my older one followed suit with one of those old, giant popcorn tins, the percussion was perfected.

Guitars

These were my favorite of their instrument collection—certainly the most creative!  They took empty tissue boxes (or should I say they emptied tissue boxes) and cut a hole on one end, just large enough to insert a cardboard paper towel tube.  They secured the tube with tape and added 3-5 rubber bands around the center of the tissue boxes, to mimic guitar strings.  Voila!

The Family Band is jamming!  Their current playlist is an eclectic mix of Lady Gaga, Laurie Berkner, The Beatles (I am so proud!), and Hannah Montana.  Costumes seem to be next on their agenda.  Wonder how Rock Star Grandma will look in hot pink hair extensions?

If I want to make sure I am dressed to the 9s (which happens to be my fave number BTW), I call my sister Melinda (who is a stylist and makeup artist) or Allison from Petit Elefant (who knows more than a thing or two about fashion and how to look fabulous). Or, I go to one of my happy places… the MAC counter at our nearby Nordstrom.

Last weekend, I did the latter. I had a justifiable reason for going (why I felt the need to justify it is beyond me). I was fresh out of blush (Pink Swoon to be exact. Isn’t that name the best? Reminds me of OPI and their clever nail polish names.) Anyway… while there, I ended up having a MAC attack! Have you ever had one? It’s awesome defined.

A MAC attack is where you walk into the store completely sane, but end up going nuts at the MAC counter. Now don’t get me wrong. I didn’t spend a gazillion dollars or have an out of body experience (almost!). But, I did check out the fall flavors and indulged in a few, getting giddier by the second. (I call them flavors, because MAC’s eye shadows are seriously that delicious!)

My new beauties? A basic, matte brown called Espresso. How Italian! A cool looking dual concoction called Fresh Green Mix. And my favorite? Club. Because I love dancing almost more than life? I won’t lie. That may have had something to do with it. But more, I think, because of its blueish/brownish shade that spices up the traditional brown, making fall feel even more fun than normal this year! I can just imagine the sassy wool tights and boots I’ll wear with it, which I may need to go and buy tonight since tomorrow’s September and fall is right around the corner. Yay!

Next time you’re in the mood for a little pick-me-up or just want to get in the mood for autumn, head to your favorite make-up counter and check out the fall line up and get carried away in the colors!

What’s on your fall fashion line up and what fun makeup are you looking forward to wearing with it?

Disclosure: Unfortunately, I was not given any free product to write this post. I just love it that much! Thankyouverymuch, FTC!

Why Families Don’t Eat Dinner Together

I can’t speak to the challenges other families face. Why doesn’t our family eat dinner together regularly? I want to say time. But, I know better. I believe the adage that we make time for the things most important to us. And the truth is that I find that I have more time to take dinners in to families dealing with sickness than I do to regularly make and eat dinner with my own family. Why is that and what does that say about my priorities? Do I care more about those families than I do my own? Of course not.

So the reasons we haven’t made family dinner a common practice in our home? You name it. I feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day. I don’t know what to make. It feels confining. I’m not that structured. I can’t do it like my mom did. It makes a mess. I could come up with as many reasons as you have time for. The truth? I just haven’t made it a priority.

Making Family Mealtimes a Priority

So this week, we did it. We turned over a new leaf. We had Sunday dinner together, just the four of us. We even put a table cloth on the table. I made the meal. Nothing fancy. Something simple. Chase set the table. And what was the result? Laughter. We have these Child Chat story starters from Cherish Bound. They are cards with questions on them that help spark conversation between you and your children. I asked a question and we took turns going around the table, answering them. About two cards in, we started laughing and it took an hour for us to finish our meal we were laughing so hard.

Then because we had so much fun, we repeated the experience last night. Troy said he would cook. The scent from the kitchen took me downstairs where I discovered yummy pasta with fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes. I scratched my head, trying to figure just when @troypattee had time to go gourmet on us. Then, I discovered he had made Bertolli’s Mediterranean Style Rosemary Chicken, Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Spinach in a White Wine Sauce. The amazing part—and everything about this meal was nothing short of AMAZING—was that it went from frozen bag to gourmet meal in 10 minutes.

I can honestly say this week’s dinners and the time we spent sharing them as a family have been one of my favorite memories of this entire summer. And I’m glad to be back on track with placing top priority on my family.

What are your favorite family mealtime memories? And how do you overcome the challenges eating together as a family poses?

In short, the fable tells of a goose that laid golden eggs, bringing the farmers who owned it many riches and much happiness. However, the farmers, in a spirit of capitalizing on their good luck and in hopes of getting more gold and even richer than they already were, killed the goose in their get-richer-quicker scheme.

If we look at this story and put ourselves in the place of the farmers, the moral is about taking care of our resources. Resources can be many things—both tangible and intangible—from finances, friends, and employees to knowledge, our children, and our talents.

When we max out or neglect any of our resources, their ability to yield a return decreases and ultimately, can cease to exist altogether.

Consider for a second that you are your most important resource. What happens if you don’t take time to recharge, renew, re-energize, and give back to yourself? How does that impact your ability to give to your family? What impact does it have on others around you? And, how likely will you be able to volunteer and help influence changes in your community and in the world at large if you’re maxed?

Five Tips to Renew, Recharge, and Re-Energize Yourself

To take care of your most valuable asset—you!—consider following these five tips:

1. Carve out time for regular renewal. Remember that we make time for the things that are most important to us. If you make yourself a priority—even if this means sacrificing things that feel more important or urgent—you will increase your capacity and ultimately, will be more productive and happy.
2. Find a happy place and visit it regularly. A happy place is a place that uplifts, inspires, and recharges you. It can be inside or outside the home or even a place you can visualize. I have several happy places—some I’m able to go to more frequently than others: flower gardens, aquariums, interactive children’s museums, the ballet, New York City, book stores, or anywhere where I’m hanging with my friends and family—even if it’s just on the phone!
3. Identify activities that recharge you and make them part of your regular routine. Activities that re-energize are those that give you that extra boost and help make day-to-day living meaningful instead of mundane. Some tasks that recharge me include: playing the piano, listening to music, dancing, getting a massage, road trips, reading a thought-provoking book, watching movies, laughing, etc.
4. Make time for reflection. Pondering life, assessing where you’re at, and looking for meaning and purpose can help you identify areas of improvement and ultimately lead to growth and happiness.
5. Recognize the beauty in this world and show gratitude. Life wouldn’t be what it is without the many resources that surround us. Whether it is a higher power, your family, your friends, or others, take time to stop, recognize whose hands created the beauty around you, and give thanks.

Don’t forget that you are your greatest resource! Making time for yourself and finding ways to renew, recharge, and re-energize helps you increase your capacity to be a better you and in turn, give more to others.

Where is your happy place and what is one thing you will do this week to renew and re-energize yourself?

Growing Independence

From teaching him how to get dressed to toilet training and tying his own shoes, you have spent the last several years fostering your child’s independence.  Get ready to watch him leap forward in the proud world of “I can do it myself.”  There is just something about “being a Kindergartner” that makes kids want to do more on their own.  Encourage it!  A child’s self-esteem is linked with the knowledge that he can accomplish tasks independently.

Encountering a Bully

If it didn’t already happen on the playground or during pre-school, expect that your child will meet his first bully at some point during this school year.  Be aware that it will break your heart to see your child hurting and that you will have to control the claws that instinctively extend from your Mama bear paws.  While most schools have “No Bully” programs and actively intervene in kids’ conflicts, there is bound to be a mean girl or a rough boy who finds ways to bully beneath a teacher’s radar.  Before the school year begins, equip your child with specific strategies for handling bullies.

Losing A First Tooth

There’s quite a bit of variation between children when it comes to losing their baby teeth, but chances are good that you can expect at least one visit from the Tooth Fairy during your child’s Kindergarten year.  Do some research on the going rate for teeth in your child’s class; see what you can do about dissuading that one “Fairy” in the neighborhood from giving out $20’s for teeth!  If you’re really lucky, school picture day might even coincide with your child’s new, toothless smile.

Loving Learning

Maybe you’ve long-suspected that your child will need some extra assistance when it comes to learning to read. Perhaps your gut tells you that you’ve got a gifted son or daughter whose creativity needs to be nurtured.  You can expect that in Kindergarten, your child’s individual learning needs will be identified and tended to.  Plan to be an advocate for your child.  Use school conference times and IEP meetings to voice your observations, concerns, thoughts, and requests and consider yourself a partner with school personnel in shaping your child’s educational experiences.  When kids’ individual learning needs are met, they are most likely to develop a lifelong love of learning.

I got an email from Renee Ross in July, letting me know that she had set a goal to run a half marathon in an effort to help her friend’s daughter who was suffering from Leukemia. As part of the Mom It Forward mission, I am committed to helping change the world one mom at a time and when I heard about Renee’s initiative, I knew a #gno Twitter party was just the thing to get the word out.

Renee lined up many panelists, including members of the American Cancer Society (ACS). As word spread, cancer nurses and those struggling from cancer caught wind of the event and RSVPed.

The Twitter party generated nearly 8 million impressions from 235 participants. The information shared was amazing. I learned so much and at times, just sat back and took it all in, remembering my mom’s best friend who had died of Leukemia when I was 15. I wondered what tapping into such a community would have been like for my mom and for her friend Diane. To feel the strength  of a group of women sharing with and caring for each other was powerful.

Today, I received an email from Renee. She stated:

I think it is so important to use influence for good. Thank you so much for offering to host this special GNO. BTW, I ran 10 miles today before church. I am just so excited that I completed what I thought was an impossible task just a year ago!

Not only is Renee making a difference in others’ lives, but she is also momming it forward to herself. Way to go, Renee!

If you know of someone who is a Mom It Forward mom, please submit their story to momitforward [AT] gmail [dot] com.

My mom, my sisters, and I at the Evo Conference.

Characteristics of a Friend

So much of friendship for me comes down to values. I love Wikipedia’s definition of friendship:

The value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis:

• Desire what is best for the other
• Sympathy and empathy
• Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one’s counterpart
• Mutual understanding and compassion
• Trust in one another; ability to go to each other for emotional support”

Me and Rachael from TodaysMama.com at Evo Conference.

What characteristics and values are most important to you in a friend?

For me, I’d add integrity to this list as well, because while people may have these values, the most important thing is their desire and effort to live in accordance with them.

Tips to Being a Good Friend

While keeping great company helps define us, it is only one half of the friendship equation. We also need to be great company for others in return. Here’s a few ways to be a good friend:

• Uplift Your Friends
• Love Others for Who They Are
• Serve Your Friends How They Want to Be Served
• Apologize and Change

Uplift Your Friends

Relationships need to be mutually beneficial and one of the best ways for people to benefit is when they are uplifted by another individual. Actions that are often uplifting include: validating, affirming, looking out and sticking up for, taking care of, being loyal to, trusting and being honest with, and being there for others.

When I think of uplifting friends, they are those that I have on speed dial. I can call them any time—for a good laugh, to share some news, when I’m having a tough day, or when I need a pick-me-up. They are my peeps—those that get me and in essence, make me a better me!

Kami from NoBiggie.net, Allison from PetitElefant.com, Marie from MakeandTakes.com, Casey from MooshInIndy.com, and me at BlogHer'10.

Love Others for Who They Are

The lens through which we see the world and the belief systems we cling to shape most of our perspectives. As I look at the company I keep, I am increasingly amazed and in awe at the diverse personality types, skills, attributes, and talents those closest to me bring to the table. As they help me see things through their lens, it changes my outlook, adding color, beauty, and clarity to the world around me.

Trying to force others to be more like you or only choosing friends who are your same type is limiting. Adversely, choosing friendships based on values instead of personality types and learning to love people for who they are enhances your experiences.

Serve Your Friends How They Want to Be Served

Service is a great way to show love in any relationship.

Me and Amy Belgardt from MomSpark.net at Evo Conference.

I wrote a post once about how to raise giving children. In it, I promoted the concept of doing unto others as they need you to do unto them and not “as you’d like done unto you.”

I’ve had many opportunities to be the recipient of service in my life. After one surgery, I was flat on my back in bed for 6 weeks. I discovered the way in which I needed to be served when a friend came to visit. She brought Yahtzee, magazines, treats, and spent 2 hours with me chatting, playing games, and just hanging out. I was in so much pain and so happy all at the same time. I learned that when I am out for the count, the biggest gift someone can give me is time. Just be with me.

Books like the 5 Love Languages are great at helping you figure out ways in which you want to be loved and served as well as helping you notice what your friends’ needs may be. The catch is that sometimes it is tough to figure out how others want to be served. And sometimes, they don’t even know. But, paying attention or trying a variety of things to see what works best and doing those things helps you meet their needs best.

Apologize and Change

Friendships grow and change and need to be strengthened like any other relationship. The goal is to create positive experiences, be there for each other, and have the relationship be mutually beneficial. If you veer off the path of being a great friend, apologize and change. It takes a second to offer a sincere apology. It may take months to change your behavior. But it is nearly impossible to replace a fabulous friendship. The time required to apologize and change is a drop in the bucket compared to the time it took to create all the amazing memories.

Evaluate your friendships and ask yourself:

• If you are the company you keep, who are you? And, is that the person you want to be?
• If your friends are the company they keep, who are they? And, are they a better person because you are in their lives?
• What is one thing you can do this week to be a better friend?

What’s the Best Age to Start Teaching Your Child Sign Language?

Research has clearly demonstrated that the early years—ages 2 to 5—are the best time to educate children in different modes of communication and language. This goes beyond the spoken word (though it is an optimal time for children to learn a second language); many young children have an aptitude for signing as well.

Many indigenous peoples around the world, including American Indian nations, have used sign language for centuries to facilitate communication with other tribes with whom they do not share a language. Some paleontologists and anthropologists theorize that Neanderthals—who apparently lacked the vocal mechanism to produce many spoken words—depended a great deal upon hand gestures to communicate.

In fact, recent research suggests that sign language is innate. An article published in the Boulder Daily Camera in 2003 presented strong evidence that babies as young as six months old communicate with their hands:

“…by 6 to 7 months, babies can remember a sign. At eight months, children

can begin to imitate gestures and sign single words. By 24 months, children

can sign compound words and full sentences. They say sign language reduces

frustration in young children by giving them a means to express themselves

before they know how to talk.” (Glarion, 2003)

The author also cites study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development demonstrating that young children who are taught sign language at an early age actually develop better verbal skills as they get older. The ability to sign has also helped parents in communicating with autistic children; one parent reports that “using sign language allowed her to communicate with her [autistic] son and minimized his frustration…[he now] has an advanced vocabulary and excels in math, spelling and music” (Glarion, 2003).

What Competitive Advantages Will Children Who Know ASL Have?

Evidence suggests that the best time to start learning ASL is before a child can even walk.  The implications for facilitating the parent-child relationship are amazing.

One of the keys to surviving in a tilted economic system in which opportunities to achieve a decent standard of living will be limited is versatility and the ability to communicate articulately in a variety of ways with the widest possible audience. This includes bilingual ability as well as the ability to communicate in non-verbal ways for the benefit of the disabled—primarily the deaf.

At the same time, a growing shortage of qualified interpreters fluent in American Sign Language has led to more career opportunities—and if current trends continue, it’s likely that skilled ASL interpreters will have little problem securing lucrative employment in a society where such a commodity is destined to be in short supply.

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Zionsville educational child care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of Indiana educational child care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.