Purr-ifier Makes Cat Stink a Thing of the Past

This is going to sound like a completely made up lie for the sake of this review, but I assure you it's 100% the truth:

One day, as I sat down at the sofa table that serves as a desk in my toddler's bedroom which serves as my office (because I'm fancy), Chauncey (my cat) availed himself of the litter box, which is conveniently (for him - not me) located in the bathroom right next to my office/toddler bedroom.

I'll spare you the details because I like you, but suffice it to say - the smell was bad.

Really bad.

Like, I'm-not-going-to-be-able-to-get-any-work-done bad.

Exactly.

But unfortunately, not getting work done isn't really an option, so as I'm often forced to do, I opened the window and pressed my face against the screen to gasp at the fresh air while I checked my email.

Now, that's not the part that sounds like a lie - I'm sure that's exactly how glamorous you envision my life to be, on the rare occasions when you bother to envision my life.

The part that sounds like a lie, but is true, is that right then I happened to open an email from Purr-ifier, the nice people with an awesome system that's reported to be a "powerful new way to control litter box odor," asking if I'd have any interest in reviewing their product. Nice timing!

"UM, YES PLEASE," I typed while holding my breath, vowing not to burn the litter box down and salt the earth where it stood until I gave Purr-ifier a chance to work its magic.

Not my actual cat.
Not my actual bathroom, either
- no way has it ever been that clean.

When the device arrived, I sent my husband in with his hazmat suit to install it. It was really fast and easy to set up - it just goes right on top of the litter box - aside from the fact that, since the cat's occasional stench prevents us from ever using that bathroom, we'd completely forgotten the only outlet in there is ON THE CEILING.

Because, as I mentioned, we're fancy.

So he draped the cord across the room and up to the ceiling (good thing the cord's nice and long!) and immediately declared the Purr-ifier was... broken.

"What? NO! It can't be!" I exclaimed, holding my sleeve over my nose to protect myself from the air in that general area.

But my husband, being a clever fellow with excellent mechanical skills, quickly discovered the problem - he just couldn't hear it. Yup, the Purr-ifier is SO QUIET, we couldn't even tell it was working!

But soon enough we could definitely tell it was working; we still couldn't hear anything, but we couldn't smell anything either.

It's been glorious.

No more checking email with my face pressed up against the window screen! The down side is I don't have an excuse for not getting any work done, but as a bonus we've gained a bathroom that you can actually use now because it doesn't smell like litter box anymore! I mean, you can use it as long as you don't plan on trying to plug in anything, like a hair dryer or curling iron, since the outlet is in the ceiling and all. But I wasn't planning on doing that anyway.

I'm not that fancy.

I was compensated for this review, but the opinions and new ability to use my upstairs bathroom are MINE, ALL MINE!

Yay, the cat is less annoying now!

I'm here to tell you the story of how cat food helped my sweet, beloved cat become slightly less annoying.

I've already told you about my occasional plans to punt Chauncey cross-country,* and why I was sorry-not-sorry for ignoring him after the baby was born, and that he'll barf at the drop of a hat if he even thinks about maybe getting stressed out.

*Not literally - please don't send me cat-loving hate mail.

Anyway, aside from barfing on the stairs and waking the baby up late at night, he also works vigilantly to irritate me first thing in the morning. For some reason he acts like I'm going to forget to feed him when I wake up, probably because I usually do, so he circles my feet and meows loudly and tries to trip me on my way to the all-important, life-giving coffee maker. It's a gigantic production, during which he acts like he's about two milliseconds from starving to death. Finally I relent and dump a can of food in his dish, and he... walks away.

He doesn't even sniff it.

So annoying.

Enter LUVSOME, a new brand of dog and cat food sold exclusively at Kroger stores. I liked them right away because their logo is cute. JUST KIDDING (although it is cute) - I liked that they've partnered with Best Friends Animal Society. In fact, each time someone - like you, hint hint - uses the hashtag #luvsome on social media, they donate a bowl of LUVSOME food to BFAS! Awesome.

Anyway, the kind folks at LUVSOME sent me a really cool "switch kit" to introduce the food to Chauncey, and I figured it couldn't hurt to try it since the worst thing that could happen is that he'd barf, which he was 100% definitely going to do anyway because he barfs all. the. time.

All he had to do was sniff the can and stay in focus.
IT'S LIKE HE WASN'T EVEN TRYING.

Shut my mouth, though, because:
A) He didn't throw up AT ALL during his LUVSOME trial, which is pretty unheard of, and
B) I didn't throw up either, because somehow the wet cat food magically didn't smell like rotten bile, unlike his old food, which come to think of it might explain some of his past barfing, and
C) After whining and begging for his breakfast in the morning, he actually ate it - enthusiastically - instead of just making sure I put it in the bowl and then trotting away.

I would say actually eating the food he begged for and not barfing is a serious win, and a serious improvement in the cat-annoyance category.

But wait, there's more! Because LUVSOME knows you guys love your pets (whether they're being adorable or irritating or out of focus) too, they're going to send fun switch kits to TWO of you lucky pet-loving folks, each with a free coupon for LUVSOME and a $50 Kroger gift card.

YAYYYYY!

To enter, just leave a comment below telling me something about your pet! Make sure to include your email address, and on Friday, 8/29/14 at noon EST I'll pick two winners at random (U.S. residents only - sorry, international friends, maybe you should petition you government and ask them to open some Krogers in your country?) and send an email request for your mailing address. If I don't hear back from you in 24 hours I'll pick an alternate winner. LUVSOME will handle prize fulfillment; Hollow Tree Ventures assumes no responsibility for that junk, because I don't have the prizes, okay? Easy? Easy. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was compensated for this post, but all opinions, weirdly double-jointed thumbs and Chauncey's giant clumps of gray fur are my own. Also, I'm trademarking the phrase, "Wet cat food that magically doesn't smell like rotten bile" in case I start my own pet food company some day.

Toys "R" Us connects me with K'NEX

Announcement: The amazing post you are about to read has been sponsored by K'NEX, insofar as I received cool toys in exchange for telling you about them. All opinions are my own.

Do you remember Lincoln Logs?

Of course you do, unless you were born on some planet other than Earth. They're only one of the greatest toys ever, encouraging kids to use their imagination and building skills - and NO BATTERIES.

That's right - a fantastic toy that does not make any noise.

I think I'm in love.

We have a set from when my husband was a kid, but a lot of the pieces are broken or missing - nevertheless, my kids love building stuff over and over with the pieces we do have. My toddler, particularly, likes to build structures and then try to climb inside them.

Come to think of it, I might know how some of those pieces got broken...

Anyway, K'NEX has this Lincoln Logs Redfield Ranch set exclusive to Toys "R" Us, and they generously popped one in the mail to me so we could check it out.

Again, I'm in love.

It's super cute, easy to build, QUIET, and fun to play with. And look at those characters! No more pretending your hands are people with finger legs, walking around your Lincoln Log cabin - this ranch includes a cowboy and horse that are just the right size. It's great for that age level when babyish blocks aren't quite challenging enough, but other building toys are still a wee bit too advanced. And, as if you needed another reason to love it, too...

It comes in its own storage container.

Add easy-to-clean-up to the long list of reasons to want this nostalgic, classic toy for your own kids or grandkids, and you just can't miss.

Huge thanks to K'NEX and Toy "R" Us for bringing us these fun toys, and for sending this one to me! Make sure to check out this set - and the other six K'NEX products exclusive to Toys "R" Us - when you're out shopping for the holidays!

how K'NEX taught my kid about musical icons

Now hear this: The amazing post you are about to read has been sponsored by K'NEX, insofar as I received cool toys in exchange for telling you about them. All opinions are my own.

I'm going to say something right now that might surprise you: I recently discovered that my daughter didn't know who The Beatles are.

I KNOW. I blame myself. I think when I became a mom I assumed that certain things - hair color, a hatred of lima beans, awareness of major musical icons - was encoded in the DNA.


As it turns out, a human being has to be told about certain major events, important people, and cultural phenomena, and that includes The Beatles.

I was surprised, too!

Well, K'NEX afforded me with the opportunity to discuss Beatlemania as well as basic engineering skills with my daughter, by graciously inviting me to check out some toys they're offering exclusively at Toys "R" Us, like this Beatles Yellow Submarine building set. Naturally she already knew what K'NEX are. She doesn't lead a completely sheltered life.

Together, she and I discussed the origins of rock 'n' roll as we assembled the Yellow Submarine in K'NEX form, then had a raucous time fighting the Blue Meanies with the Beatles figures. (Well, with most of them - she wouldn't let Ringo play. Poor Ringo.)

They're rocking out on the stage - groovy, man!

I can't say for sure my 8-year-old fully grasped the cultural importance of the Fab Four, but she did have a great time with the set, and I slept easier knowing Pepperland was safe. What more can you ask for in a toy?

Huge thanks to K'NEX and Toy "R" Us for bringing us these fun toys, and for sending this one to me! Make sure to check out this set - and the other six K'NEX products exclusive to Toys "R" Us - when you're out shopping for the holidays!

Sitting in the Lap(top) of Luxury

This is a sponsored review of the Acer Chromebook from Staples; as a matter of fact, I'm typing on it right now, partly because I'm excited to tell you about the sleek laptop that has my husband all drooly with jealousy, but also because I'm on a train (I know, I didn't know they still did trains either) with no internet connection and no other entertainment besides the adorable little girl across the aisle who keeps informing her mom that WE'RE NOT ON THE TRACKS! She's also out of Cheetos, in case you were wondering, and I can't help but laugh because the mom keeps getting blamed for eating them all (if she's like me, she probably did).

My apologies to the person behind me,
who seemed puzzled about why I kept getting in odd positions
to take this photo. Although really, you should probably
consider just minding your own business, Train Person.

Anyway, I'm super grateful for the Chromebook's entertainment value, and that Staples' lightning quick shipping got it to me before I left in this trip, and that I'm not trying to type with my thumbs on my phone, and that I get to use this crisp 11.6" screen, and that it's nice and lightweight. However, as pleasant as this is, I can't help but notice that no one is bringing me (or the poor mom across the aisle, who's probably thirsty after eating all those Cheetos) a beer from the concessions car - though that can hardly be blamed on the Chromebook.

I am, as I write this, on my way to BlogHer'13, where I intend to learn a lot about writing and drink my weight in cocktails (NOT REALLY). But I will be taking notes and yukking it up on social media and staying in touch with those suckers - ahem, I mean my family - back home using this nifty new gadget, and I'll tell you all about it on the Chromebook because yes, you can blog on this sucker, too. It's all going to happen in Real Time, though you'll just have to trust me on that since you'll be reading it all at once later.

Thursday, 12:02 PM - Writing interrupted by arrival in Chicago - popping the Chromebook into my bag, and I'm off!

Thursday, 5:45 PM - Stopped by the room to get beautiful (read: brush my teeth) before dinner. Thankfully this laptop wakes up the very split second you open it, giving me time to check email and type this!

Friday, 10:28 AM - Waiting for my first session to start at the conference, still feeling shy. Glad that I brought the Chromebook so I can hide behind it while pretending to be Super Busy and Important.

Friday, 2:00 PM - Second session of the day and just made a new friend (which is news to her, as she watches me type this as a demonstration of how cool the Chromebook keyboard is). Sorry, new BBF, you're stuck with me sitting next to you - no turning back now!

Friday, 5:23 PM - Just being productive again before my book signing (shameless plug). Note: "being productive" is secret code for "goofing off on Facebook."

Saturday, 9:00 AM - Early to an appointment at the expo hall. Thanks to this little gizmo, I can use these few minutes to write instead of hiding in the bathroom (not that I would do that) (yes I would).

Saturday, 3:46 PM - Last session is wrapping up, and I can actually read my notes because they're typed and my hand didn't get all cramped up from scribbling as fast as I could all weekend!

Saturday, 8:23 PM - Got to say hi to the family on the Chromebook with the HD webcam via Google Hangouts! Downside - it's hard to convince husband we're going to crash in the hotel room early when he can clearly see I'm dressed to go out and party.

Sunday, 1:12 PM - It's over already?!? Oh well, I learned a lot, and now I can be productive on my new laptop while my husband drives me home (please note definition of "being productive" above).

So there you have it, proof that the Acer Chromebook from Staples is handy dandy, in real life. Be sure to pick up a case for it like I did, too - not that the Chromebook isn't sturdy, but because OH MY GOSH, SO CUTE! Plus, if you're clumsy like me, you can't be too careful.

This post was sponsored by Staples - all opinions, social awkwardness, and sudden cravings for Cheetos are my own.

Better Together

I keep my wardrobe pretty simple in the summertime.

And by simple, I mean I have about six articles of clothing that I wear over and over.

And by "six articles of clothing," really I mean just one style of tank top and one style of capris, which I bought in three colors each when I finally found some that fit, so technically that might only count as two articles of clothing.

The waist of the capris covers the old muffin top nicely, but still falls low enough that it doesn't look like I imported them from 1974. The leg goes near enough to the ankle to cover most of the spider veins, but also comes high enough that they look like actual capris and not full length pants that shrunk in the dryer.

The tank tops don't show any my middle real estate when I bend over, but they're short enough not to cause a bulky pocket-lump over the seat of the capris. The arm holes fall perfectly under my arms, neither choking off circulation to my armpits, nor hanging so low they show the world the side of my fancy hot pink sports bra.

Put the two together and you have an unbeatable summer clothes combo - perfect for cook outs or veg outs, never looking like I tried too hard to get dressed up, but also looking slightly more pulled together than my winter wardrobe of yoga pants and sweatshirts.

In any case, comfort is key. Also, never going shopping for summer clothes again is key, because I deeply value my time and sanity and self esteem. So making my beloved capris and tanks last as long as possible is one of my top priorities, even more important than figuring out why we never seem to have any sunscreen except for 37 half-empty bottles of SPF5000 for the kids.

I'm having really good luck so far with my new wardrobe-saving laundry regimen. We're using Tide detergent, Downy fabric softener, and Bounce dryer sheets. Together, they're keeping my precious capris and tanks from getting threadbare and falling apart at the seams, which is saving me from having to view myself in any changing room mirrors. Not only that, but my clothes are soft, and they smell good - but not so good that I get chased by bees when I go outside. Winning!

Attribution Statement: This post is sponsored by P&G. With Tide®, Downy® and Bounce®, you can keep your summer fashions looking new up to 50% longer.* Text CLEAN to TARGET (827438) for mobile coupons. *vs. leading value detergent alone

Loveagram App

Sometimes, as a blogger, I get to do really cool stuff. It isn't all typing-induced carpal tunnel syndrome and Googling euphemisms for body parts, ya know.

Last night I got to test out the new app, Loveagram, from WhatDelay Industries. They're finding new ways to help people express their emotions, and we all know I could use some help in that department. Here's what they have to say:

Loveagram is a new iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch application that allows you to share love and affection with those you care about, via short video clips that you create with graphics and sound. The process is simple. You take a picture of someone you care about, choose a graphic; heart, kisses, flowers, or a combination of all three, record the video, and watch the graphic appear one by one with the sound of your voice. After you're done recording your video, you can share it on Facebook or Twitter for others to see.

"Ha," I thought. "These people have no idea how tech-dumb I am. It can't be that easy." I downloaded the app anyway, because I like making an idiot of myself, but you know what? It was  super easy. Madeline helped me make this Loveagram, in which I finally  got a recording of her saying her own nickname (she normally stops talking as soon as she realizes someone's trying to record her, but those hearts popping up kept her distracted) - then Gerry came along to see if he could make a giant heart appear just with the power of his own dorkiness.


Cute, right? And it's not just for Valentine's Day - yes, you can make a Loveagram with a picture of your sweetie and whisper sweet nothings to them, but you could also send a picture of your kids to Grandma with a recording of them singing Happy Birthday to her! How many brownie points would THAT get you? What about sending a little "thank you" message to your Mom on Mother's Day, or a love note to your hubs on your anniversary? They're quick and easy to make, personal, and you can share them on Twitter, Facebook,  or YouTube, or maybe just email it, depending on how public you want your affection to be. Hey, no judgement here.
As a bonus, through Valentine's Day the app is only $0.99! Quite a bargain, for all that fun and adorable love sharing, amiright? So get the app, check out Loveagram on Facebook and Twitter, and tell them I sent you! Or better yet, just get right down to sharing the love.
This post was a sponsored review. As always, my opinions are my own. For example - Love: good. Loveagram: also good.

At Least I'm Not Killing The Environment

I have to admit, my kids' social lives have probably suffered to some extent thanks to my crippling social awkwardness.

I'm scared of the other moms, I get nervous about my kids playing at other kids' houses, and I don't care much for someone else's offspring coming over to break stuff and eat all my food.

I know! I'm horrible!

I want to be That Mom, the one who always has a house full of random children and never runs out of snacks and doesn't mind when somebody spills red Kool Aid on the carpet or spits gum into the bushes. The one who invites the other moms in and makes a joke that everyone laughs at instead of shifting their weight and staring uncomfortably at the floor.

I'll bet that mom doesn't have to do an Emergency Whole-House Cleaning when she finally decides to host a playdate.

But of course I  did. Because naturally, when I finally called to invite my son's friend over, the only day that worked for his mom was THE NEXT DAY.

Keep in mind, we hadn't met in person yet. If she saw the natural state of my house, I can pretty much guarantee her darling boy would be immediately marched straight back to the car, which I guess wouldn't have mattered much to me because I'd already be dead from the embarrassment.

Thus the full house scrub-down.

However, the only cleaners I had around were "green" cleaners, when the filth in my house normally only responds to a chair and a whip, or heavy industrial solvents.

If you must know (Stop nagging me for all my valuable cleaning secrets!) it was the Elements All Surface Cleaner kit, containing three of the many available cleaning products from Clean It Supply, the largest green cleaning supply source on the innerweb. Don't try to hide it, I know you're impressed.

I was terrified the woman might ask to use the bathroom, so first I rushed the Organic Acid Restroom Cleaner (which manages to sound both earthy and  industrial) into our entirely too organic restroom, and spritzed it in the general direction of the hard water deposits on the sink. I could tell by the way the smell of it didn't burn the hair out my nostrils that it wasn't going to work... except it did!

Emboldened by my success, I used the glass cleaner on the mirror in case she wanted to see her reflection instead of the kids' toothpaste splatters - again, success!

Then the All Surface Cleaner was put to the test in the kitchen. Here we ran into some problems, as I encountered the following:

• milk poured on the counter four seconds after I wiped it off
• multiple snack requests
• baby shaking juice out of her "spill-proof" sippy cup onto the floor
• pretzel crumbs courtesy of curious on-lookers
• one "You missed a spot."
• no less than four "Why are you cleaning?"s

These interruptions resulted in limited kitchen cleaning success, though you can hardly fault the spray cleaner for that. Where my kids didn't undo my efforts, the stuff worked great - as a bonus, it smelled very faintly of pina colada, which helped with the escape fantasy I was living inside my head.

So, much to my surprise, the green cleaners actually cleaned  stuff, plus I didn't have chemical hands when the baby suddenly needed to be picked up rightnow, I didn't ruin my clothes like I usually do with bleachy cleaners, and my nose hair remained intact (okay, the upside of that last one is debatable).

Just in time, too - the kid and (more importantly, of course) his mom were due any minute. I surveyed the house and was pleased. It looked... as good as I could expect it to look.

I was sure to impress her!

Then I heard her pull in the driveway, and what did I see when I looked outside?

The people across the street were parking their car in the yard, narrowly skimming past their two dozen frothy-mouthed dogs, which were roiling around on the muddy ground with several younguns. Meanwhile, the adults set up lawn chairs and rolled a gigantic turkey fryer into the driveway.

I can't make this stuff up, people.

Let me repeat: no doubt to assist me with making a good first impression, my neighbors, for entertainment, were sitting in the driveway (which is on an incline, but I'm not even going to address the stupidity of putting a giant, flaming vat of oil on wheels at the top of a hill), in weather-beaten old lawn chairs to watch a turkey fry and possibly watch one or more of the dogs hump something.

It was like the Beverly Hillbillies had adopted the Bumpus hounds and relocated to my street.

Not the best way to impress a guest.

Luckily, she was very gracious and pretended not to notice. What really saved me, though, was the clean(ish)(er) house, and the fact that I still had the bottles of eco-friendly cleanser sitting on the table, highlighting my virtuous concern for the environment and whatnot.

I like to think she was silently dazzled by the fact that I care enough about the planet to use biodegradable green cleaners, so she gave me a pass on the pretzel crumbs and the Three Stooges action across the street.

Or maybe she was just waiting for me to offer her a pina colada. Hmm, I like her already.

UPDATE: The mom is still taking my calls, and Gerry was curious enough about "Organic Acid" that he used it to clean the toilet. Related: I'm now convinced these bottles have magical powers. Also, I was compensated for this post, but all my opinions remain my own, including the one I have of my neighbors.

The Top Mommy Blog button below probably has magical powers too, but you have to click it to find out for sure...



How To Make Your Family Happy and Lose Your Laptop

It was late at night. We were finally alone, huddled together on the couch. There was grunting. And moaning.

Right there! Right there!

Ooooh, that had to hurt.

Yes! It's the kind with two balls!

This was the scene in my living room over the weekend, as Gerry and I spent some quality time together.

Killing zombies.

Wait, let me back up a little.

That's what she said.  OH! I can't stop. Okay, serious face.

A (long) while back, a very, very patient, semi-angelic woman from Big Fish Games emailed me about video games. "Do you and your family like games?" she wanted to know. "Do you and your readers dig free stuff? Enjoy laughing, excitement, and/or education? Okay, so, I'm sure you like  video games, so please be specific - do you just like them, or do you like  them like them?"

Ignore the quotation marks - I may be paraphrasing, here.

I thought, Sweet! People might be interested in hearing about one of these educational games - I could let Jake play it, and get a fun giveaway for my peeps! Win, win.

Then reality happened, and proved once again that I'm doomed to be a terrible influence at best, even on those rare occasions when I try my hand at Good Parenting.

I'll spare you the details, but instead of having Jake play a game I could feel good about, something involving a math rodeo or a factory that produces animated verbs and nouns, I decided to let Kennedy pick a game. Naturally he was more interested in the arcade and action games, and out of the many choices (wisely) picked Plants vs. Zombies.

Crappy photos courtesy of my shaky hand and a lack of light.

Thus began several weeks of me doing typical Me stuff, like not being able to coordinate with my own kids well enough to orchestrate them uploading a game to a phone, then losing the unlock code, and sheepishly asking for another (which my new bestie at Big Fish Games was super cool about), then getting all distracted by Real Life, then deciding to put the game on the laptop instead of the phone and thus changing the entire plan, such as it was.

Which brings us to the part where Gerry and I were hunkered on the couch, yelling things at the screen and giggling.

Yes, Gerry can play video games AND
check Facebook on his phone. Show-off.

Well, I  was giggling, anyway. What isn't  funny about zombies wearing football uniforms and driving lawn tractors? That's what I'd like to know.

I might have had some wine.

Whatever, it was funny. Especially building our own zombie, even though Gerry wouldn't use the "I heart brains" bib. Apparently he's kind of a purist when it comes to dressing zombies, and Real zombies don't wear bibs. They do, however, rock multiple other accessories.

Hey zombie, remember that time
you were in the Beatles? That was awesome.

Gerry probably doesn't want you to know this, but he stayed up until about 2 AM playing that crazy game. He's a man obsessed. Must. Unlock. All. The. Mini games. Braaaiiiiins.

The next morning, like the Mom Of the Year that I am, I encouraged Jake to start killing zombies at 7:30 AM. He loved it too, and the downside is that, between the two of them, I'm never going to get to use the laptop again.



Yes, that silver thing on the table is used to measure
shots of booze. No, I didn't bother to move it for this picture and
no, I wasn't letting Jake get liquored up.
Maddie was eating pretzel sticks out of it.
Naturally.

All was not lost for poor Kennedy - although we couldn't get the game on his phone (through no fault of Big Fish - I'm just too dumb) he did discover that you can play a trial of almost any of Big Fish's zillion games for FREE for an hour before you buy it, so you never end up paying for something that you later find out sucks big time.

He got quite a bit of mileage out of that feature.

All is not lost for you guys, either, because two of you can get a free game, too! Just peek at Big Fish Games' website, and comment below with the name of a game that looks like fun. They have tons to choose from, from puzzles to adventure, and games for all age levels. I'll pick two lucky readers at random from the comments on Monday and set you up with an unlock code, courtesy of the fine folks at Big Fish Games.

And no, they didn't pay me to say Big Fish Games a kajillion times, it just happened that way. I was  compensated for this post, though. Nevertheless, all opinions remain, as ever, my own, including my opinions about global warming, pumpkin pie, and people who chew toothpicks, though we can no doubt agree that some of my opinions are, for the sake of this post anyway, completely irrelevant, although I sincerely hope that you're impressed, on some level, by the number of commas I used in this sentence, and can glean that, on the subject of commas and Big Fish Games, my opinion is a decidedly positive one.

Click the banner below - because being the Top Mommy Blog ain't no game.

The Shopping Solution

It's no secret, folks - I don't like shopping.

Don't get me wrong, I loooove buying stuff.  But to get to a place that sells Things, I have to load kids into the car, fight traffic, refrain from smacking the children (within view of strangers) when they whine and beg for stuff they don't need, stand in lines, cram the entire family into the germ-infested public restroom when somebody has an Emergency...  Not fun.

Why don't you just shop online, lazybones,  you could suggest with impunity, since I can't hear you or see you roll your eyes about my first world problems.

Because shopping online can be just as annoying.  I could easily waste a whole day searching the innerwebs, comparing prices and shipping and in-stockedness, and still not end up finding what I want.  And let's not pretend like my kids can't whine and beg for stuff just because I'm on the computer all day - they know what Amazon.com is for.

It's overwhelming and time consuming, and I am - above all else - a woman with precious little patience.

Then there's the flip side of shopping - purging.  I can't keep hauling new stuff into the house without getting rid of the old stuff, or else the team from Hoarders: Buried Alive  will be here with a camera crew, and the next thing you know I'll be standing on the porch in my housecoat screaming for them to stay away from all my precious, precious treasures.

Nobody wants that.

But garage sales aren't my cup of tea.  Once I decide I don't want something, the last thing I'm interested in is putting a price sticker on it and spending quality time with it under the hot sun on my front lawn for an entire Saturday afternoon.

Also, no thank you to eBay with their fees and limited auctions, and to Craigslist with the random strangers and creepy creepiness.

Enter my new BFF, Ubokia.

Ubokia is a marketplace for lazy people - I mean, people with excellent time management skills.

You can list stuff for sale, and they find people who want it!  You can also browse the Wants, and see if there's anybody looking for the stuff you're selling - that means you don't have to wait around for people to see the junk you're trying to unload, you can immediately connect with people who are looking for what you have.

And speaking of Wants, you can list some wants of your own - no more searching for the stuff you want to buy, because the sellers come to you!

It's super versatile.  You can use it to:

• List the job/apartment/car you're looking for.
• Ask if anyone has a vacation rental available next week in Key West (I wish).
• Find a math tutor for your kid.
• Say you'd like to borrow a wheelbarrow on Tuesday afternoon next week.
• Offer babysitting services.
• Make some money on the clothes your kids have outgrown.
• Announce that you'd love some tickets to the Big Game.
• Swap recipes.

As for creepity creeps, you have no worries. They have a fancy system for confirming that people are who they say they are (they call it uTrust) which makes it the safest way to buy online, so you don't have to be concerned that you're dealing with a feeble old granny who turns out to be a beefy gun-toting crazypants. Things are much more pleasant that way.

As if all this isn't enough awesomeness, I'm hosting a Ubokia marketplace right here at HTV!

Click me!

You can shop and sell, all from the safety of the bosom of my blog (though I promise no actual bosom will be visible). You'll have access to the whole Ubokia network, but you can also opt to only deal within groups that you're comfortable in. You could even start your own uGroup - a kids' clothing swap in your neighborhood, a marketplace just for the people who work at your company, or a list of Wants for the teachers at your kid's school, maybe? Groups help you find like-minded people, people near where you live, or people with the same interests, making it easier to find what you want from folks you trust.

Get in there and check it out - you won't be sorry.

I was compensated for this post - can you believe it?  All opinions expressed are my own.
Come back and list your heart's desire any time - just click the Ubokia button on the left sidebar!
If you need practice clicking, might I suggest honing your click skills on the Top Mommy Blogs button below?