You know how I love China’s Orphans. After all, they gave me my P3!  Now, of course, times have changed and it is difficult to get a healthy child from China but there are many, many children still available with what could be very remediable medical conditions here in the US and other economically advantaged countries.  Of course, you really want to be able to bring home a child who has had all of the loving care possible, just like my P3 – Not an easily guaranteed thing.

Well, at …

 
It was the night before Christmas, when all thru the abode
Only one creature was stirring, and she was cleaning the commode.
The children were finally sleeping, all snug in their beds,
While visions of Nintendo 64 and Barbie, flipped through their heads. The dad was snoring in front of the TV,
With a half-constructed bicycle on his knee.
So only the mom heard the reindeer hooves clatter,
Which made her sigh, “Now what’s the matter?” With toilet bowl brush still clutched in her hand,
She descended the stairs, and saw the old man.
He was covered with …

I do not know what to say.  Shellie over at MomDot and her own blog of Blog 4 Mom, has had a horrific and indescribable nightmare occur – the drowning of her precious 2 year old son last night.  I don’t know all of the details and it really does not matter.  Losing your child would be horrible anytime but especially at Christmas.  I cannot imagine their grief.  Anything I would do or say seems so inadequate.  I just pray they can find the peace and comfort they so desperately …

With our eldest child being exceptionally bright and inquisitive, the question regarding Santa’s authenticity has already come up several times….although, as you can see from this picture taken only last year, when faced with reality, she still believes.  Nevertheless, we have been working through how to help P1 understand yet not spoil the magic of Santa and all he represents.  This article below written by Martha Brockenbrough and posted on Cozi, provides the perfect answer for us.  I thought it might help a few of you out as well.:)
Ho, Ho, …

Well, it’s been a great couple of weeks, and we were able to donate some wonderful toys to some needy children. Again this year, our Because It’s Christmas Kids & Charity Giveaway is a success because we had very generous sponsors who helped support and charities and provided prizes for the giveaways.
For each prize pack, the entries were tallied in the order the gifts were revealed, so while the counts for each post started over at #1, we added them all together in the orders below.
Prize Group 1 …

Toys are very important for all children so if you can get a toy that they enjoy and encourages exercise, that is a decided plus.  Add to that the fact that said toy is safe, fun, made in the USA, and made from recycled plastic milk cartons and you would really have a great toy.
Meet that great toy.
I give you the Purple Jump Rope from Green Toys.
Top features:

100% cotton rope
Handles made from 100% recycled plastic
6 ft adjustable rope
Super safe: no phthalates or BPA
Made in USA

Crisscrosses, can-cans and double-unders are all …

It is not unheard of for a child to request an animal for Christmas ~ a kitten, a dog, even a horse.  However, when the Holiday has passed and the novelty has worn off, sometimes that is when the problems begin.  Well Hasbro to the rescue.
This cute little pooch is a whole lot less trouble the traditional sort.  He is 8 x 8 x 11 inches ; 1.4 pounds and soft as can be.  He comes in White, Pink and Light Blue but that is only the beginning.

Meet I-DOG …

Don’t you just love Build-A-Bear Workshop?  It is a fun and happy place that becomes magical to your child as they  build their own furry friend.  They carry everything from traditional Teddy Bears to Zoo Critters, Donation Animals to clothing for them all, Build-A-Bear really has so many different choices and allows for such personalization that you are sure to find the perfect Christmas gift for each person on your list.  In fact, Santa may even shop there…they are that good!

While I have yet to have the opportunity to build …

Books have always been a wonderful thing for me to have.  My parents always read to me and books were something that could transport me from this world  into another.  Now, even as an adult, this magic is something I love to share with my own children, especially special books we read only during certain times of the year.  Brought to us by the wonderful folks at Leaping Antelope Productions and by Marilee Joy Mayfield and Tracy La Rue Hohn, The Snowman’s Song is a Christmas Story that we can …

Bella Sara….the name synonymous with beautiful and magical horses who are loved by children – especially girls – world wide.

Bella Sara™ is a magical world of horses where children can expand their imaginations through play. Originally launched in Denmark by Gitte Odder Braendgaard through Conceptcard, Bella Sara inspires and empowers children with positive messages and the magic of North of North.  Published by Seattle-based game company Hidden City Games, Bella Sara began as a trading card game that has since expanded into an international product line. With three set releases …

Can you believe that the Play-Doh brand is over 50 years old? Now known for the ability to give hours of colorful, creative play, Play-Doh was first introduced in 1956 and for quite some time, it only came in white.(You could win a Trivia Contest with that knowledge!)  Now owned by Hasbro under the Playskool division, Play-Doh has continually come up as The toy to get by children around the world.  In f 2003, the Toy Industry Association even named Play-Doh to its “Century of Toys List”.  That really says …

Due to some late additions and to give you all extra time to get in on the fun, we have extended the closing date for Because It’s Christmas Kids and Charity Giveaway 2!  You now have until this Friday at Noon CST…BUT NO LATER so get in on the fun and watch for the latest additions later today!!

Welcome to our special Thanksgiving Day edition of the 3Ps in a Pod Goody Roundup!
After all of the Turkey and Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie has been cleaned up, sit down, relax and put your feet up and surf a bunch of fantastic giveaways.  Don’t worry…you can still hit the Black Friday specials!
Anywho, time to go win some stuff, right? Right!
Remember, if you would like your giveaways listed here, just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will …

Build-A-Bear Workshop really amazes me with depth of their creativity and the generosity of their hearts.  Every year they have something or someone new that will light that spark in a child’s eye, and more accessories than imaginable to dress them up in.  Kids really love and need a special friend that is all their own -  I know my girls sure do – and Build-A-Bear makes quality and unique toys that can hold up to all of the loving a child can give them.
This is especially important this time …

Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products.
Featured Reviews Pouchees -
Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. …

I love the Salvation Army.  They do good things for people and make it easy for the rest of us to bring out our best selves by caring about others.  I love it at this time of year when we to a store and the bell ringers are there, greeting you and hoping that you will your donation to the little red kettle.  I love to give my girls the chance to learn compassion and to have giving hearts when we see them by giving them whatever change or cash …

When you are waiting for your precious child, it can seem like forever and as we all know, money does not grow on trees.  Most adoptive families get very, very creative in ways to save, find and/or make the money they will need for the expenses that just normally accrue with the adoption of a child.  In our case, we held some awesome garage sales, saved, and incurred some debt.  We were incredibly blessed by the kindness and generosity of others and will be forever grateful.
Listed here are some of …

“Mo-om, are we there yet???”  If you have kids and take them any further than next door, you have likely heard this in one form or another.  Well, have I found the cure for that – and no, I do not mean extra Benadryl all around!;)
Meet TravelKiddy, our next giveaway in the Because It’s Christmas 2 Kids and Charity Giveaway.  TravelKiddy is a company that has taken a fun and amazingly simple approach to the issue of traveling with children and trying to keep them entertained.  Jen, the Momprenuer behind …

The next gift in our Because It’s Christmas Kids and Charity Giveaway is from one of our wonderful sponsors from last year, Petit Baby.  They carry a complete line of toys to entertain and amuse children of all ages so run on over to Kim’s blog What’s That Smell? and get yourself entered for another wonderful Group One gift, an adorable animal puzzle from Djeco!  Bonne Chance!

Over on Today’s Mama, they are hosting a Holiday Wish List Meme and I love memes.  It’s like someone asking my opinion on things.  It’s cool.  To top it all off, TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing the meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
5 huh?  I guess a Wii, a Cricket, a healthy family near and far, creative ideas for improving our financial situation, and um, I guess …

Spunky Sprout.com, a company who is a firm believer in  doing good and charitable deeds, is our next sponsor for Because It’s Christmas 2 with their Splat Floating Ring Toss toy. What child would not enjoy playing with this in the tub?
So head over to What’s That Smell? and enter to win all of the toys in Group One!

Once upon a time I was a little girl (shut up – I said it was once upon a time) and every Christmas season, I looked forward to getting to see my favorite shows, shows like Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer, The Year Without a Santa Claus (my v-e-r-y favorite!), Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, The Little Drummer Boy, and Frosty the Snowman.
Well, the good people at Build-a-Bear have come up with yet another adorable rendition of a cuddly creature – Frosty the Snowman!  This is first of the gifts for Prize …

I thought we would try something new this year for Christmas on 3Ps in a Pod – a Christmas Gift Guide.  In it there will be some great Christmas gift ideas for the entire family!  This was not our original plan but there are so many wonderful ideas rolling around in my head that I thought I would share them and maybe they will get a spark going for you too.  How I wish this could be like Oprah’s Favorite Things and I could just give them all to you!
This …

Automoblox is a company that has taken the toy car to the next level and luckily enough, it is the wonderful company who has provided the next prize!

So head over to What’s That Smell? and enter to win all of the toys in Group Three!

If you have a little girl in your life, chances are that at one point or another she will be head-over-heels for horses.  I know I sure was and in a way, I still am so nothing is more fun than sharing that with my middle daughter, P2.  A while back, I had the chance to post about Bella Sara and Baby Bella. That is when I introduced P2 to them for the first time.  Since then we have learned about Treasures & Miniatures compliments  of Team Mom, helped with …

While you may or may not have heard of Bravo Sports, you are sure to know about Barbie.

At Bravo Sports, we don’t just sell sporting goods, we live the lifestyle behind our brands. Whether it’s fun, funky, or functional, mass-market, specialty or core, we provide today’s sporting goods market with a full line of quality outdoor products. Employee approved from suits to sneakers – Bravo Sports.

When my girls first started to want to ride a scooter, I was not at all sure that was something I wanted my little girls …

The first gift in our Second Annual Because It’s Christmas Kids and Charity Giveaway is up!!

It is an adorable plush Portuguese Water Dog from Build-a-Bear Workshop!
Head over to What’s That Smell? and enter to win all of the toys in Group One!

Because It’s Christmas Kids & Charity Giveaway 2 – Prizes

Wondering what the prizes are in the Because It’s Christmas Kids & Charity Giveaway? Right here is where we are going to “unwrap” the prizes as the giveaways become live!
There are a total of five prize packs to be given away, but you will be able to enter numerous times for each prize pack because each item in the pack will be shown as a separate giveaway. Entry into each separate giveaway makes you eligible for the entire prize …

Hard to believe but it is time – time to start our 2nd annual Because It’s Christmas Kids and Charity Giveaway!
Today is THE Day!! The day we are kicking off our Christmas giveaway event, Because It’s Christmas 2 that we are doing as a partnership with Kim and Lori from What’s That Smell? The event will be run here, on 3 P’s in a Pod AND on Kim and Lori’s What’s That Smell? Talk about a party!
Let me give you an intro post about the charitable organizations …

Last year, Kim and I ran what we called “Because It’s Christmas, Kids & Charity Giveaway” which was an event that included some great giveaways and some great gifts for charity. We were able, thanks to our sponsors, to donate over $900 worth of toys to charity, and we had over 9,000 entries into the giveaways. It was a fun and successful event so we have decided to do it again.
The Second Annual Because It’s Christmas Kids & Charity Giveaway (or BIC 2.0 for short) will be kicking …

Well, welcome to this week’s edition of the 3Ps in a Pod Goody Roundup!
Anywho, time to go win some stuff, right? Right!
Remember, if you would like your giveaways listed here, just leave a link. Make sure this link is to the giveaway post itself and not just the blog or it will be deleted. If you listed it last week but your giveaway is still open, by all means, list it again! Also, if you wish to send in your contest listing, feel free.  This post goes up each weekend …

Merry Christmas my friends. You do indeed Light up my life!
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Lots of us are at the point where we are running around like chickens with our heads cut off, trying to be ready in time for tonight and tomorrow, right? (Please tell me I am not the only one?!) Time is at a premium and dovetailing is the name of the game, right? Well, there is no better time to take advantage of Safeway’s PowerPump Program!
You may say, “But I do not have any Safeway’s near me.” Check this out -
“Safeway and its family of …

The TRUE Meaning of Christmas…P3, December 2008
Thanks for stopping by! Head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordless Wednesday HQ for the full scoop and bigger list!

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This is the prize list for the GROUP 1 PRIZE PACK for our Because It’s Christmas Kids and Charity Giveaway.

Group 1 is geared towards boys or girls 12-18 months old.

As we “unwrap” a prize each day, the gift will be revealed and the link to enter the giveaway will be made active. If the link is not active, we have not yet revealed the prize.

You will be able to submit an entry for each gift in the group and they will all be combined and one winner will win the …