Instructions for my Husband: Please stop snoring.

I know this may be a little bit hard for you to do, because as you always tell me, you're asleep so you can't control when you're snoring.

Still, I know there has to be something you could do. Get the breathe strips. Or the mask contraption breathe-y thing. Or the spray. Or just anything. I don't care. I just don't want to listen to your snoring every single night for the rest. of. my. life.

I just typed "stop snoring" into Google, and 2,140,000 entries were returned. That's over two million options to choose from to stop snoring! Today! Low Cost!

239,000 results provided the additional promise that they are GUARANTEED TO WORK! Certainly there must be something out there on one of those sites that will help you snore less, even if it won't stop your interminable snoring completely.

At the very least, don't get all annoyed with me when I wake you up because I can't sleep... because you're snoring.

Does anyone else have a snoring mate? What do you do?

This is the eleventh post in my ongoing series of Instructions for My Husband. {He has yet to follow any of them.}

ENDED - Giveaway! Win Tickets to Rated P... for Parenthood: May 5-8 at SOPAC

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winners!

Photo: Jeff Larkin

Today I had the phenomenal experience of watching an open rehearsal for a fantastic new musical comedy from Midtown Direct Rep Rated P... for Parenthood. And, it's local. That's right - Rated P... for Parenthood is playing at SOPAC right here in my neck of the woods - scenic South Orange, New Jersey.

First, let me tell you this show is hysterically funny. But it's also more then just a good time. It really captures the poignancy of parenthood with sketches focusing on familiar milestones such as your daughter's first day at work (with dad videotaping, of course) to riding shotgun with your teenage son at the wheel (don't worry, the mom survives). The one I related to the most? The mom admitting to her eighth-grade son she can't help him with his homework. I'm already there with my daughter's second-grade math.

Photo: Jeff Larkin

An ensemble cast of four phenomenally talented players cover dozens of characters we can all relate to - the football-watching dad, the laundry-obsessed mom, and of course, the gay dads raising straight triplet boys. 

With three young kids of my own, I'm often still in the will-this-day-ever-end stage of parenting. So today, I was more then a little bit grateful for the reminder that my kids will grow-up much too quickly. (Full disclosure: I will completely forget this sentiment when they climb into bed with me at 5:36am tomorrow morning.)

Tickets to Rated P: The Musical are $35 to $45 and are available online at SOPACNow.org. Performances are Thursday, May 5 to Saturday, May 7 at 8:00pm and Sunday, May 8 at 3pm. There is a talk back with the cast and creative team after every performance. Please note: performance is not suitable for children.

Win tickets to see Rated P at SOPAC on Sunday, May 8 at 3pm!

SOPAC has generously provided two pairs of tickets to readers of Random Handprints. To Enter:

1. Just leave a comment here with your email address. I'll draw one random winner from all comments received.

2. A second pair of tickets will be awarded via Twitter. Just follow me (@RandomHandprint) and tweet me letting me know you'd like to enter the contest. Sample Tweet: I want to win tickets to Parenthood @SOPACNow from @RandomHandprint

~ Good luck! Enter now - Giveaway ends on May 4 at 10pm ~

Giveaway small print: Contest open to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Contest ends at 10:00pm EST, Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Winners will be randomly selected via Random.org and announced here as well as emailed or direct messaged on Twitter with the good news. Two separate drawings will be held for each pair of two tickets, so one individual could win both pairs of tickets for a total of four tickets. Entrants must provide contact information in their comment. If winner does not respond within forty-eight hours, a new winner will be selected. Prize supplied and fulfilled by the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC). I was not compensated for this post or promoting this contest.

For more information and full giveaway rules please contact anna@randomhandprints.com.

High Tea with the Minis - Guest Post from MiniMunchers!

With the Royal Wedding mere hours away, I have all things British on my mind. What better way to celebrate The Wedding then by enjoying the wonderful English custom of High Tea here in New York City? Carla Sullivan, the Mommy Muncher from MiniMunchers, was kind enough to share her picks for enjoying High Tea with children. Cheers!

Some traditions are worth keeping (or starting), and high tea in NYC with your mini(s) happens to be one of them.

While dining with your children can be difficult (can I say even disastrous) at times, High Tea for a special occasion, i.e. Mother’s Day or even a momentous birthday, for some reason lends itself to well-behaved children. Could it be the scones with clotted cream, tea sandwiches and silver settings? I am not an expert but I think it is the fact that mommy (or daddy) is sharing a unique experience.

Here are a few of my family’s favs in the City – Cheerio!

Russian Tea Room - One of the LAST remaining iconic restaurants in Manhattan, the Russian Tea Room is a treat for children and adults! Just step into this jewel-box restaurant, and your tot will know it is a special day! Conveniently located on the same block as Carnegie Hall, it is a great place to come after a concert or a carriage ride in Central Park. The children’s tea is $25 a child (under 12) and the multiple courses will be sure to please any budding foodie.

Alice’s Tea Cup - True to it’s name, Alice’s is THE place to tea. With quirky décor at each of its three locations, you do feel like you have stepped into a child’s fantasy land when entering these whimsical restaurants. What you might not be ready for is the extensive menu – Alice’s does MORE then tea – featuring such wonderful (and appropriate) items for Minis as Apple slices with peanut butter or Nutella, celery sticks with peanut butter (obviously NOT nut-free) and homemade banana bread. Word of caution – each location has an adorable shop that you WILL have to drag your minis away from.

American Girl Café - Tea and Dolls…what could be more perfect? Served at 4pm daily, at $20 a person, the food and selection is surprisingly good (for both adults and kids) and who can resist the teeny highchairs for your tot’s doll! I personally love the questions on each table (“What do you want to be when you grow up," “Who is the person you admire most,” etc.) to stimulate fun and entertaining conversation between you and your mini.

Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel - If you grew up on Madeline books and are hoping to get your Mini equally hooked, High Tea at Bemelman’s is a must! With live music and Madeline dolls scattered throughout the restaurant, the scrumptious buffet-style tea is a treat for all the senses. Although the Saturday tea service is on hiatus until October – it is a great special occasion destination if planning a special outing in the City in the fall/winter. The price however is NOT something to look forward to. At $20 for children 3 and under and over 3 at $40 a child, you might as well take this time to have your Mini start counting their pennies!

A ten-year resident of Manhattan, Carla Sullivan is the founder and “Mommy Muncher” of the internet’s only source of kid-friendly restaurants in NYC, www.MiniMunchers.com, the Ultimate Source for Children's Menus in New York City.

To check out restaurants children's menus or see reviews on these and many more NYC kid-friendly spots visit MiniMunchers.com. You can also find MiniMunchers on Twitter (@minimunchers) and on Facebook.

May Handprint Crafts for May Day, Mother's Day & Memorial Day

May is almost here. And that means we get spring weather and fun handprint crafts you can do with your kids!
Celebrating May Day? Make a May Day Basket from cut-out handprints and paper plates.

Photo from DLTK's Growing Together

And before you know it it will be May 8. A Sunday. Also known as Mother's Day. You could use any of the heart handprint crafts from Valentine's Day and just substitute "Happy Mother's Day" where the craft suggests "Happy Valentine's Day."

Or, if you think dear old mom will remember hey, didn't you give me something that looked just like this back in February? you could make this cute handprint tote from Paint Cut Paste:

Photo from PaintCutPaste.com

Or, choose from any of the truly touching I-might-even-cry-they're-so-sweet options over at Handprint and Footprint Art. She has choices like creating an I love you handprint in sign language and a handprint poem and picture frame.

And last, at the end of the month comes Memorial Day - Monday, May 30. I've always been moved by the reason behind having Memorial Day even if between barbecuing, beaching and generally enjoying a day off we forget how fortunate we are to have this day of lazy in the first place.

I think it's nice to make a small gesture of remembrance of the many who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and to honor their memory. You can find lots of ways to express patriotic spirit in handprint art, but my favorite from amongst the sea of flags and red, white & blue, is this Handprint Bald Eagle. You can paint the handprints or cut them out of brown paper.

Picture from AllKidsNetwork.com

And just one more.... if after this winter you're like me, you'll just want to celebrate the sunshine with a Handprint Sun:

Photo from About.com Family Crafts

Happy May!

Wordless Wednesday: Passover's Over, It's Cookie Time!

For the Eight Days of Passover it is traditional to refrain from eating leavened foods as a reminder of when the Jews fled from Egypt with such haste they didn't have time to wait for their bread to rise.

In our house we keep Passover loosely - essentially eating everything but what I think of as "blatant bread," or as I overheard my daughter telling her friend, "We're not strict, but we're not careless either. We get the Passover cereal."

Needless to say, the kids were happy to go out and get a cookie at (almost) sundown.

ENDED - Win Tickets to New York Theatre Ballet's Sleeping Beauty: May 14-15 in NYC

~ This Giveaway is  now closed ~

Congratulations to the winner, Ida!

New York Theatre Ballet's final performance of the season is Sleeping Beauty, with performances the weekend of May 14-15. This one-hour ballet is the perfect length for young audience members, and is recommended for ages 3 to 12.

Performances are at 11am and 1pm (with an additional 3:30 performance on Sunday) at Florence Gould Hall, 55 East 59th Street (between Madison and Park Avenues), and dangerously close to FAO Schwartz (East 55th Street and Fifth Avenue).

Tickets are $40 for adults and $35 for children age 12 and under (plus a $1 facility fee).  Go to http://www.nytb.org/, or call Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787 for tickets and more information. 

My daughter (age 5) attended a performance of Cinderella this winter, and adored everything from the gorgeous costumes to the beautiful sets to the magical dancing.

I am delighted to be able to share this wonderful experience with a lucky reader, and have two tickets (one adult and one child) to giveaway to Sleeping Beauty! (Winner's choice of performance date and time.)

To enter just leave a comment here with your email (or make sure your comment links to where I can find it).

For extra entries leave a comment and let me know you:

• Follow this blog publicly via Google Friend Connect
• Follow @RandomHandprint on Twitter (or already follow)
• Like RandomHandprints on Facebook (or already like)
• Like New York Theatre Ballet on Facebook (or already like)

Good luck! Giveaway ends at 8:00pm EST on Wednesday, May 4, 2011.

Giveaway small print: Contest open to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Contest ends 8:00 pm EST, Wednesday, May 4, 2011. Winners will be randomly selected via Random.org and announced here as well as emailed with the good news. Entrants must provide contact information in their comment. If winner does not respond within two days, a new winner will be selected. Prize supplied and fulfilled by New York Theatre Ballet. I was not compensated for promoting this contest. For more information and full giveaway rules please contact anna@randomhandprints.com.

Happy Easter!

We may not celebrate Easter, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to take this excellent opportunity to show my kids masquerading as bunnies:

Magpie the Bunny

Kay the bunny

And hatching from eggs!

Kay in an egg

Magpie in an egg

All photos are from the Central Park Zoo, Summer 2009.

Happy Easter!

In Honor of Easter... A Tale of Bunny Baby Brother

Before Ziggy was born, I told his sisters (then ages three and five) that they could pick out something for him to wear home from the hospital, and maybe also a blanket for him to sleep with... and, sure, maybe a toy or stuffed animal, too. 

My two daughters, who are usually willing to argue over anything at anytime, proceeded to have a quite pleasant conversation indicating that they were both clearly on the same page about what to get for their new baby brother:
Kay: Let's get him a bunny outfit!

Magpie: Yeah, and a hat with bunny ears!
Kay: In brown! So he'll look like Cottontail! (Cottontail is the name of the wild bunny who lives in our yard.)

Magpie: And then we'll leave the baby on the porch, or maybe the yard if it isn't raining, and we'll put a tail on his bunny outfit...

Kay: Will the outfit have a tail?

Magpie: ...and then Cottontail will follow the baby inside the house!

Two years later, I still tease the girls about how they wanted to dress their baby brother up as rabbit-bait.

And two years later, the girls are still mad at me that Baby Ziggy wasn't used to lure that bunny.

Instructions for my Husband: Trash needs to find its way out of our house and into the garbage cans outside.

Maybe one day we will be master composters. Maybe one day we will have a domestic employee whose sole job is waste removal. We could call him the Trash Butler, or perhaps she would be the Ambassador of Rubbish. Maybe even the Garbage Czar. You get the idea. All these details can be worked out at a later date.

But right now? We just have me. And you. And the trash. Trash that is inside our house and needs -some way, any way - to get outside our house and into the trash cans patiently waiting for it outside.

And as an extra free instruction, if you smell something that smells like (you guessed it!) trash... IT IS TRASH. And it needs to go out.

And while I'm at it, Don't Put Ice In the Trash!

Please tell me your husband takes the trash out.

This is the tenth post in my ongoing series of Instructions for My Husband.

Happy Earth Day!

I can't believe how many posts I've written about Earth Day. Three posts complaining about the corporate machine and what it's doing to the earth. A positive one about companies doing good for the earth. A futuristic one about lunch transportation for the green generation. I shared my favorite books for tree-huggers and an easy craft using recycled crayons.

And yet... I'm writing one more post. Here's my list of easy-being-green ways to celebrate Earth Day.

1. Go Outside. Enjoy nature. Take a hike. Remember why we care about the Earth and even have Earth Day in the first place. (No latex balloons needed!)

2. Do something nice for the earth. Make a donation to EarthDay.org. Or Plant a tree. You could even just be nice to a person living on the earth.

3. Start a compost. I had to include this one because I'm obsessed lately with composting. And yes, I know it's not for everyone.

4. Ride your bike, walk or take the bus instead of driving. If you are a must-drive kinda person, carpool. Just this once.

5. Leave the TV off. It's Screen-Free Week after all. And doing this small but symbolic gesture of conservation - isn't that all Earth Day is about anyway?

Got some better ideas? Let me know how you plan to celebrate Earth Day tomorrow and every day!

Fun and Easy Earth Day Craft Project: Make Recycled Crayons.... Out of Crayons

We're pretty crafty here at the Random Handprints household, but it I am the first to admit we are often more about process then results. Rarely does one of our projects come out well enough to be blog worthy. So, it is with great happiness that I share with you a super-fun project I did with my girls (ages five and seven) that was easy, and had great results.

Best of all, this project uses up all the old bits and pieces of broken crayons so it's eco-friendly, too.

Here's what to do:

1. Gather all the broken crayons you can find. Personally, I turned this into a clean-under-the-beds and look-behind-the-books kind of project since the kids were inspired.

2. Take the paper off the crayons and discard any cheap ones that aren't likely to be made of wax, because if they aren't the don't melt as well.

3. Arrange the crayons artistically in muffin tins.

4. Put them in the oven (preheated to 200 degrees) for five or ten minutes. You can watch them melt (which my kids loved) and when they've liquefied, they're ready to come out.

5. Let them cool (at least thirty minutes), and they should pop right out of the muffin tins once they've hardened.

6. Enjoy drawing with your new crayons, or give them as an eco-fabulous present.  I think they'd make great birthday party favors, too.

7. Try not to think too hard about what it means to have just spent an hour making crayons out of... crayons.

Wordless Wednesday - Obligatory Passover Pictures

Monday night was the first night of the eight-night holiday of Passover. We had a great time at our seder, spending it with my brother and his new bride, and our very dear friends who were nice enough to not only lead the seder but to also bring the best apple kugel I've ever eaten.

For those of you who celebrate, the scenes below will look familiar. For those who don't, this is Passover...

Brisket fresh from Citarella in Manhattan, ready to cook:

Toddler eating matzoh:

Seder Plate:

Children noshing gefilte fish before the guests arrive:

And of course, what seder could be complete without guests dressed-up like plagues:

Chag Sameach Pesach!

In honor of Earth Day... A few companies Mother Earth would be proud to call friends

I figured since I took the time to complain about a pile of companies doing crappy stuff in the name of Mother Earth, I should also take the time to commend a few fabulous companies putting the green in, well, being green.

One of my favorite kids products is Planet Box ($34.95-$59.95), I went on and on about how great they are on a Momtrends post already, but this lunch transportation for the green generation not only will cut your kids lunch waste down to nothing (most kids generate ninety pounds of lunch garbage a year) the ingenious bento design really will encourage your kids to eat healthier. Just look out yummy this lunch looks:

I'm also a big fan of Hape International toys, which are designed with the belief that Whatever you do to the earth, you also do to your children. This company's vision and dedication to social responsibility is inspiring, not to mention the toys are well-made, sold in ecologically-sound packaging, and fun.

My son loves his car, the e-racer Monza ($19.99):

And last, there's Green Toys, made in the USA mainly from recycled milk jugs. My kids have the Indoor Gardening Kit ($19.99) from which they were able to grow real-life plants. And I like the look of the sweet yellow pots sitting in my kitchen window.

For my picks for great books to read with your kids for Earth Day, check out my post on Momtrends.

I was not compensated for this post. I purchased all these toys for my kids who don't need any more toys, so I guess I too could work on being a better friend to Mother Earth.

I'd love to hear about any other great green companies. Please share in honor of Earth Day!

We're Going to Madagascar!

Tomorrow the girls and I are going to see Madagascar Live! at Radio City Music Hall. We're loved the Madagascar movie since we watched it for the first time about five years ago when Auntie Liz was visiting us.

To this day I can't even say the words "Auntie Liz" to my kids without them breaking out into a full-length chorus of "I like to move it move it." 

So, yeah, my kids are looking forward to seeing the stage version of the movie tomorrow. Like won't-stop-asking-when-Sunday-will-be-here excited. Constant yelling-and-singing excited. Now that I think about it... I want Sunday to get here fast, too.

If you like to move it move it, Madagascar Live has discounted tickets available here, just use promo code EM412. 

Madagascar Live is in New York City from April 15 to April 24.

Read my full review of the show and the Stage Door Tour on MomtrendsNYC.com: Get Ready to Move It! Move It! at Madagascar Live! at Radio City Music Hall

Three Great Passover Desserts

Passover will be here on Monday. Which means, I'll be cooking between now and then (even on Shabbos, but shhh about that).

I always make the matzoh ball soup ahead of time, as well as a side dish or two. I also make sure my Passover plates and Seder plate are ready to go. And my tablecloth. Where did my "fancy" one go?

This year for Passover I'm also going to make some desserts ahead of time. Passover desserts used to be the brunt of holiday jokes, but today there are so many yummy options.

In researching Passover for an article on Momtrends, I read about a tradition dating back to the '80s (1980s that is) to add an orange to the Seder Plate to represent groups often left out of mainstream Judaism.

I'm not sure if the purists I celebrate Passover with would be ok with adding an orange to the traditional Seder Plate, so I thought instead I'll sneak it in with an orange-themed dessert. I'm planning to make the Food Networks Chocolate Orange Mousse from the Barefoot Contessa as well as this Passover Orange Sponge Cake:

From DianasDesserts.com

And last, there is always the traditional macaroon for dessert. No recipe is better then Mark Bittman's Ultimate Minimalist Macaroon. Using just five ingredients, these were a treat to make with my daughters using my Mom's secret-stolen recipe:

 

Happy Passover! Do you have a favorite holiday recipe? Please leave a link and share in the comments below!

More Companies Mother Earth Won't Be Liking on Facebook

Earth Day is April 22 and it seems just about every company has seized upon this day for what it really is - a super-awesome marketing opportunity. They seemed to have made a slight change from EarthDay.org's slogan "a billion acts of green" and made it a billion acts of greed.

I've already posted about the atrocities committed in the name of Earth Day by Oriental Trading Company and Gymboree, but a quick look around on the Internet showed me many, many companies doing things market-y but not particularly love-thy-earth-y.

Just a few of the many examples:

• Target is holding a Refresh Your Nest contest (part of their entire Earth Month!). And while the premise is that the Grand Prize Makeover will make your home more "sustainable" it's also worth up to $50,000 so I'm guessing it's going to include a lot of new items, which aren't exactly earth-friendly.
• FAO Schwartz is selling a line of Greenzys stuffed animals, such as Peat the Penguin. 



Photo from FAOSchwartz.com

I am less convinced of the toy company's commitment to the environment and more convinced of their commitment to sell more stuffed animals. This is after all the same store that is selling a collection of Christian Laboutin Shoes for your Barbie. For $74.99.


Photo from FAOSchwartz.com

• And Disney. Thank you, Disney for never letting me down when it comes to exploiting a marketing opportunity whether it is Earth Day or a new Mom in the hospital.  It was hard to choose from the character laden totes, tees, mugs and water bottles. Thank goodness there is a photo of them all together in (that's right!) the online Earth Day Store - with the tag line I helped the Planet today. Really? Does buying more stuff you don't really need help the planet just because it's under the guise of reusable?

Photo from DisneyStore.com

Sadly, the list goes on and on. If you want to read more, The New York Times had a good article last year: Earth Day is Now Big Business and I love Inhabit's Top Five Dumbest Greenwashed Earth Day Gimmicks - which includes junk food marketed as "eco-food."

This is my last post complaining about dumb marketing for Earth Day. I'm moving on to dumb marketing for Mother's Day.

Gymboree - Someone Else Mother Earth Won't Be Friending on Facebook Anytime Soon

After ranting about the earth-destroying products Oriental Trading is selling in the name of Earth Day, I can't help but notice that they are sadly so not alone in their marketing exploitation of Earth Day.

Next up for Public Enemy #1 of Mother Earth: Gymboree. To be fair, I already don't really like the store because they have been so rude to me the few times I've tried to return something, and I think their clothes are a little bit too much geared-towards-the-pageant-set for my lil' Manhattan Fashionistas.

Yet, there I was, at the mall and my son needed pajamas. So in I went. And this is what I saw:







Now, keep in mind, except for printing those pro-green messages on the clothes, there is absolutely no other indication that Gymboree gives a damn about the planet. In fact, there is every indication they don't. These aren't organic cotton clothes. These aren't recycled materials clothes. These aren't even Made in the USA clothes. These are Made in China clothes. Made, I'm guessing, in a traditional, polluting, nothing-green-about it, factory.

But wait. I saved the best for last. This shirt:

'Cause, you know, all the trendy Eco Warriors are wearing Gymboree this year.

Know any other Earth Day offenders? Let me know below!

All photos from Gymboree.com

ENDED April 11, 2011 - Win a Fabulous Doll from Go! Go! Sports Girls!

This giveaway is now closed.

Congratulations to the winner: tamiv!

Thank you to everyone who entered!


Go! Go! Sports Girls where have you been all my life? Finally... a doll I actually can't wait for my daughters (and son) to play with for years and years. That's right, after spending most of my days hiding away the Barbies, Polly Pockets and truly evil Flairies, along comes a doll that sends a great message to live a healthy lifestyle and to dream Big and go for it!

And YOU can win one a doll, too! See full details at the end of this post.

Go! Go! Sports Girls rock, or more to the point, these dolls kick, run, swim and swing. And, they aren't just dolls a mother could love, my five-year-old daughter Kay instantly adored them, too. (Dolls are recommended for ages three to twelve.)

M.C.

The Go! Go! Sports Girls portray girls with a variety of appearances enjoying a wide-range of sports, including Brooke the Golfer, Maya the Gymnast, and M.C., the dancer, who"enjoys all types of dance, but Hip-Hop is her favorite." 

Kay really liked the dolls shoes. As she put it, "they all had nice sandals or sneakers." (Ha, take that Barbie, with your excessive high heeled shoe collection! Real kids like dolls with real shoes!)

Kay also especially liked that the dolls come with the accessories for their sport of choice. And as a mom, I like they come with the accessories, and that there is no pressure to fund decorating entire rooms, filling wardrobes, or maintaining an online home. With the Go! Go! Sports Girls, a kid can enjoy a doll just being a doll - and more importantly: a kid can enjoy just being a kid.

Last in Kay's list of kid-approvals was the range of sports that the dolls played, because"girls do play lots of different sports, but they don't do all the sports, so that is nice to not just pick one sport, which I might not even like." 

Gracie

My daughter's favorite doll was Gracie,who plays tennis, because "she has a nice outfit and a nice ponytail and she looks happy."  Best of all, this mother and daughter look happy, too.

Thank you Go! Go! Sports Girls for providing great role models and inspiration for kids everywhere.

Go! Go! Sports Girls are available online, including from Amazon where they are currently selling for $17.10, which is a bit less then the manufacturer's recommended price of $23.99.

Win a Go! Go! Sports Girls Doll of Your Choice!

Go! Go! Sports Girls is generously providing one lucky reader with a doll (winner's choice!) from the full line of Go! Go! Sports Girls.

To enter to win, just leave a comment with the name of the doll you would like to win.

You can also receive one extra entry for doing each of the following (up to three extra entries!):

• Like Go! Go! Sports Girls on Facebook and leave a comment on their wall that Random Handprints sent you
• Like Random Handprints - Anna's Blog on Facebook
• Follow @RandomHandprint on Twitter

Please leave a comment below for each of the above you do so I can make sure your entry gets counted.

Other contest small print: Contest open to U.S. residents age 18 and over. Contest ends 8:00 pm EST, Monday, April 11, 2011. Winners will be randomly selected via Random.org and announced here as well as emailed with the good news. Entrants must provide contact information in their comment. If winner does not respond within two days, a new winner will be selected. Prize supplied and fulfilled by Go! Go! Sports Girls. I was not compensated for promoting this contest. I received a free doll for review purchases. For more information and full giveaway rules please contact anna@randomhandprints.com.

Wordless Wednesday - Kay and Kluckers

My daughter's school awards Kluckers the Chicken to a different kid each week. Kay was delighted when it was her turn to take Kluckers home, and even gave Kluckers his own little pillow so she could sleep tight.

Sweet Dreams to you, Kluckers. And to you too, Kay.

Fun Crafts For Passover - Seder Plates, Handprint Matzoh Covers and a Frog with Handprint Feet!

Passover is one of my favorite holidays, but it also one of the most labor-intensive. It involves burning (at least symbolically) all the chometz in the house, preparing the Seder plate, and cooking a festive meal which is made more challenging since you cannot use any leavening at all. Oh, and you have to keep the no-eating-leavening going for eight days. These eight days, for me, will seem like about eight-hundred days, because my charming daughters are home from the school for the whole entire week.

But enough about that, and on to what Google Analytics tells me you really care about... handprint crafts and art projects for Passover!

Creative Jewish Mom has too many amazing ideas. I visit her blog for inspiration to be crafty with my kids - but I will admit our projects do not end up looking quite as good as hers do.

I am in love with the Ten Plagues Placards for Passover Seder, because the recitation of the ten plagues is a cherished tradition at our annual Seder, and I know this will help get the kids more involved. Best of all, the frog's legs are made with handprints!

Photo from CreativeJewishMom.com

Education.com has directions to Make a "Handy" Matzoh Cover, and it really is a wonderful addition to have as many parts of the Seder meal include items made by the kids who will be there. We have a nice collection of matzoh covers, as well as Cups for Elizah and Seder Plates, all hand-made and all the more precious because they are.

Photo from Education.com

And last, Sucre, spice & everything nice has perhaps the best Passover Kitsch seder plate I've ever seen:

Photo from Sucre and Spice

Look closely, it's all made from candy and was used not on Passover, but on... April Fool's Day.

Chag Sameach Pesach! Next Year in Jerusalem!