favorite thing friday (and 994 silicone bracelets)

**Edited to add: Because someone was fiddling around with their blog settings, they inadvertently turned off all the comments. Oops. That's definitely not the thing to do on a day when you launch a new contest and in order to participate, people need to leave a comment.

The problem has been rectified and those responsible have been sacked.

If you were unable to leave a comment previously, you can do it now. Thank you. An abundance of apologies. Also: May the sun shine on your spirit, always.

*** Edited to add (part deux): I have been awake since 3:45 this morning and have driven more than 300 miles in the past 14 hours. And now, for reasons that completely elude me, my computer is having a tantrum. Until I can fix the link in this post that would take you directly to my fundraising page, please click through by clicking on the button that is brightly present on the left side of my blog that reads, "I'm Walking 60 miles in the Breast Cancer 3-Day!"

Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked.

(Name that movie!)

Thank you again. Another abundance of apologies. Also: May those that love you, love you and may those that don't - may God turn their hearts. And if he doesn't turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so you can tell them by their limping.

******

When I was a child, my best friend's mother was a Montessori teacher.

I always loved going to Amy's house, because she and her brothers had the most wonderful wooden toys to play with. But what I remember most of all, were their wooden blocks. They were smooth, solid blocks that were fun and easy to handle. And even though I didn't know the first thing about geometry or proportions, I knew that I loved playing with these incredible toys.

It might sound crazy, but I clearly recall playing with my friend's blocks, and a feeling of peace would descend over me. The great Maria Montessori nailed it when she wrote,

"The toys and materials in the home and school for this period of development should be of the very best quality to call forth self-respect, respect and care from the child toward the environment, and the development of an appreciation of beauty."

Even before I became a mother, I've been looking for the same quality blocks. And although you can buy toy blocks just about anywhere - I had no luck finding any that had remotely the same appeal as what I remembered from my childhood. I was beginning to think that maybe I'd dreamed up the whole "proportional, beautiful, good quality" block thing.

(Just like I had dreamed up the notion that my family had promised me a pony when I was 10.)

But then. A few years ago, thanks be to the Glory of the Internet, I stumbled upon a company that makes high end wooden toys. They use solid maple and the corners are smooth. They are proportional and beautiful and although I was 36-years old at the time, I couldn't wait to have my very own wooden blocks and build something magnificent.

With the children, of course.

Because these blocks were really for them.

So, I ordered the starter set of blocks - that came in a beautiful roll away cart - and when they were presented on Christmas morning, I felt like I had provided my children (and husband and myself) the best gift of their entire lives.

Our blocks are kept in a central part of the house and it is no exaggeration to say that our children play with them every day. Sometimes, they build things like towers and bridges and roads and tunnels - and sometimes they hide stuffed animals beneath the blocks and pretend that they are in caves.

Every so often, the kids will dump all the blocks out and have fun piecing them all back together like one huge, interactive puzzle.


Seeing my children embrace order and organization, does things to my brain that I just cannot adequately explain.

The fact is, these blocks encourage creative imagination unlike any other toy that we own.

I love these blocks.

The kids love these blocks.

And if you are between the ages of 3 and 100, you will love these blocks, too.

Which is why I am giving away a set.

Because I need to catch up to my fellow teammates on their outstanding fundraising efforts, I am going to be giving away one Introductory Set with Storage Chest.

These beautiful blocks are valued at $305.00 and would make an awesome Christmas / Hanukkah / Enter the Holiday Here, gift for anyone on your list.

Here are the details on how to enter...

For the past several months, I've been trying to figure out how I can host raffles on my blog without breaking any laws. The only thing that I can come up with, is that for every $5.00 donation people make directly to our fundraising efforts, I will send them a silicone bracelet and enter their name in to a drawing to win a prize.

So, you aren't really entering a raffle - you are buying a bracelet.

(Or 20. You can give them to everyone you know!!)

And, you are being entered in to a drawing to win a prize.

Is there an attorney in the house?

If my interpretation of the law is wrong, and what I am doing is illegal, please don't tell me.

To buy a bracelet and be entered in to what I believe is a totally legal contest - please leave me a comment on THIS post telling me the amount of your donation and what size and color bracelets you would like.

• The size choices are large (8 3/8" around) medium (7 3/8" around) or small (5 7/8" around).

• The color choices are hot pink, forest green or royal blue.

Now, if you want to enter this contest and make a $50.00 donation (so that you will be entered 10 times), but you only want one bracelet (and not 10), just tell me in the comments what size and color you want.

Or, if you only want a bracelet and don't want to be entered in to the contest at all (because you already have an awesome block set or don't like blocks at all), leave me those details in your comment.

Then, and this is the most important part, go make a $5.00, tax deductible donation, by clicking through to the button on the LEFT side of my blog that reads, "I'm Walking 60 Miles in the Breast Cancer 3-Day!!"

If you need to make up a pseudo name to protect your identity, that's fine by me. Please just make sure that the name you leave in your comment on THIS post matches the name that you leave on your donation, so that I am able to figure out who is who.

Was that confusing enough?

Fantastic.

(Please send me an e-mail if you have any questions. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.)

Winner will be announced Sunday, October 4.

That's 10-4 big buddy.

Over and out.