Outback Special for Father's Day

I haven't been to Outback in a long time. Gabe and I used to go at least once a month, but that was before we had kids.

I kind of miss it. I was close, it was easy and we could get a really huge mug of Fosters on tap.

This Father's Day, Outback is offering kickbacks! Check it out -

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Outback would like to help satisfy what all dad’s are craving this Father’s Day – food! If you bring dad to Outback on June 15, he’ll receive a $10 certificate valid on your next visit. Dad will need to need to activate the certificate online at where he’ll also automatically be entered in an online sweepstakes to win a $100 gift card when they enter the promo code found on the bottom of the $10 certificate.

The certificate can be used at any Outback location from June 18th– July 20th with the minimum purchase of $25. You can learn more about this promotion and some of Outback’s new menu items by visiting: http://outback.com/.

Sarah Reviews: Rockabye

When Rebecca Woolf's book "Rockabye:From Wild to Child" came out I made a note to get it. I've been a fan of her blog for a while and her column on Babble.com. I also had the pleasure of meeting her at BlogHer last year and I was amazed that she is ten times more beautiful in real life.

I'm not sure why, but when I saw the "Mother Talkers" offer to review her book I didn't take them up on it. I felt like it might be weird to review the autobiography of someone I (kind of) knew. Plus, sometimes great blogging doesn't necessarily translate into "really good at keeping my attention for 288 pages".

In addition, I've been reading Girl's Gone Child ever since someone pointed out that Rebecca and I both wrote posts about raisins in poop on the same day. I felt like I was already pretty familiar with her whole story - cool L.A. party girl, unplanned pregnancy, young mother, happy ending.

But after reading 30 of my favorite bloggers rave reviews of "Rockabye" I went out and bought it. And sure I knew the outline of the story, but I didn't know the whole thing.

I couldn't put the book down. It was riveting. I felt her pain, her fear, her frustration.

I finished the book about two hours ago and I immediately sent Rebecca an e-mail. I pretty much gushed. I think it would even qualify as fan mail.

It was a great story and even better - it was a really well told story. I found comfort in it as a mother who doesn't always parent the way the books say I should, as a mother who doesn't always fit in with the other moms, and as a woman with a body and a life that will never be the same as it was before my kids were born.

Sarah Reviews Circle of Friends Bath Products for Children

A couple (fine, probably six) months ago the lovely people at Circle of Friends sent me some bath products to try out on the Goon Squad.

Each product has a child on it (a cartoon child) and information about the country where the kid came from and little facts about the region where he or she lives.

My children and I love the bath products. My kids really identify it as something that belongs to them.

"Where is my Ana Banana shampoo?"

The products work well and my kids love to use them which is good because it means they are cleaner.

My only concerns are 1) My husband thinks that the Safari Detangler is racist. I disagree but I can see where he is coming from and 2) I am afraid to use the duck sponge because it looks like a sandwich from a gas station. Fortunately, they aren't all brown and I doubt you could confuse the other ones for stale wheat bread.

Over all I have a very favorable impression of the Circle of Friends products. They are as gentle as any of the other baby washes we use on a regular basis.

The Nintendo DS Potty Trained My Children

I'm not trying to be crude here, I swear, but let me tell you a little story about how my Nintendo DS (Lite) helped to potty train my kids.



Back in April I went to Johnson and Johnson's Camp Baby one of the things I left with was a Nintendo DS Lite. I was very excited. I figured I would give it to my husband and he would forgive me for abandoning him for three days to go hang out in New Jersey for three days with a bunch of other lady bloggers.

I was right.

In fact, he bought Super Mario Brothers for the thing before I even got home.

What I didn't count on was the fact that my children would also be obsessed with it.



I figured that this was something I could use to my advantage.

Look, I know that nobody (well, not nobody, but most people) wants to sit around and discuss their bathroom habits, but how many people can honestly say that they don't read in their own bathroom?

Well, my kids can't read yet and they would get really bored sitting on the toilet trying to poop.

Enter the DS.

The kids are allowed to use the DS if they are on the potty and trying to poop.

I don't know if that is healthy or not, but I do know this - they've been doing a much better job of pooping in the toilet instead of in their pants.

I'd like to also believe that it helps their eye-hand coordination.

Maybe problem solving skills? (Is that pushing it?)

Either way, thank you Nintendo. It never would have occurred to me to go out and buy a DS as a toilet training tool but it really seems to be working for us.

Now I just wish I had two.

Heads Up - Palm Technical Support

Those of you who read my other blog may know that I read a lot of books on my Palm Pilot. I used to be a huge Palm supporter.

No longer.

I got my 4th Palm Pilot in December. It is my third in three years. I don't blame Palm for the death of the first of those three. Ian spilled water on that one.



The second Palm shit the bed died in six months and one day after I bought it. How can I be so sure of the time frame? It had a six month warranty. I called two days after my warranty expired.

The third one (my fourth Palm, but the third in three years) has been having problems since the third month I had it.

Did I mention that you have to PAY for technical support over the phone if you call Palm more than 90 days after the purchase of your device.

Screw that.

Who do they think they are? The thing cost less than $200 and I have to pay them $20 for a phone call?

I chose to chat with representatives online (free) which in the last six days has sucked up at least seven hours of my time. If I charged them $20/hr I could almost buy a new one.

But I won't be buying a product from the Palm Corporation again.

Who knows of a good way for me to read books electronically? (I would love to get an Amazon Kindle but I don't have a spare $400 right now.)

Me and Ted Allen at Camp Baby

Sarah and Ted are on the same wavelength
Originally uploaded by ninjapoodles

Ted and I enjoy looking goofy together.

He was really great - even though he refused to give us any inside scoop on "Top Chef". (Did I mention this hotel doesn't get Bravo. What the hell?)

I'm having a fantastic time at Johnson and Johnson's Camp Baby, Bravo or no. I wish I had met the sleep specialist (Jodi A. Mindell, PHD) two years ago. She could have changed my life. Of course the kids sleep now. Mostly.

More later. Or sooner if I get organized.

Thanks to Belinda for this picture.

Forgive Me Readers

Forgive me readers for I have slacked.

I'll be back soon with a review for Circle of Friends children's bath products and a book about emotionally healthy twins.

I just have to finish the book.

I also have some unsolicited reviews I would like to offer. Some good, some bad - so nobody piss me off (I'm looking at you Spirit Airlines*).


* Have I mentioned that Spirit Airlines ripped me off?