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All mommies know that even at a very early age – like two – your child can destroy a backpack. I have no idea what happens to these little bags, but they take some serious abuse.  From rips and tears to splatters and drips, they never seem to look as great as they did on that historic ‘first day’ of school.

Why not go for cute and durable? This is Rory The Lion Little Kid Backpack. It is made from nylon and laminated canvas so it’s easy to clean. For extra comfort on little bodies, it has a padded  back panel and padded straps. It also has a patch on the back for your little cub’s name. It’s on sale now at Posh Tots for $36!

The line of eco-friendly knit toys from Yellow Label Kids is hard to beat. Take a look at this delicious Sushi Rattle Set. Cuddly, creative and made through fair trade practices. The perfect gift for your favorite eco-conscious mommy and her sweet ‘green’ baby.

This yummy set retails for $34 at Arte Bebe. The only thing missing is a knit chunk of wasabi and a knit ice cold Sapporo…

Michael Jackson was my very first idol. I was a child who happened to love dancing, whether it was tap, ballet or jazz, and I loved pop music. My first memory of Michael Jackson was dancing to ‘Beat It’ during a dance recital. I was the only girl in the class who had fully mastered the ever-popular moonwalk. It came to me naturally and I remember trying to teach other girls in the class how to do it because they had trouble figuring it out.

I was a huge Michael Jackson fan for many years. Thriller was my most favorite album and I listened to it on a daily basis. I knew every song by heart and absolutely loved them all. After much pleading and begging, I finally convinced my mom to let me hang two of his posters in my room, as long as I didn’t use too much tape as she didn’t want me to ruin the walls when they came down. I also remember innocently thinking to myself, “why would I ever take them down?”

My cool friends were all into Duran Duran and other more hip groups during that time. I was often the butt of jokes for liking Michael Jackson, owning two pair of parachute pants and wearing big white socks with black shoes, but it didn’t phase me. Watching him sing and dance was electrifying. His talent and skills moved me in a way I couldn’t explain. He was mesmerizing and seeing clips of his performance at the Motown 25th Anniversary show still gives me chills.

I even used Michael Jackson as a gauge for how bad my colds were when I was a kid. For example, if I were home sick, was I too sick to dance with Michael? Like if he magically showed up at my door and wanted to dance with me, was I too sick to dance with him? If so, I was pretty darn sick and probably running a fever. If not, I wasn’t very sick.

Needless to say, the posters eventually came down. I don’t remember what motivated me to take them down, but they were never replaced with someone new.  It may be selfish, but this is how I will always remember the King of Pop. I do not care to think about his scandals, his eccentricities or his surgeries. He will always be an inspiration to me and I hope others choose to remember the good years too. Rest in peace, Michael. And thank you for the memories.

While it may seem like I’m addicted to Facebook like everyone else, I’m not. I use it for business purposes too like promoting my MommyQ blog and the blogging I do for Droolicious on Babble.com.

Anyway, when I post items to my profile sometimes I quickly scan my home page to see what’s going on. I was scanning it today and noticed a very popular photographer in Austin TX,  John Langford, was having a special promotion. His ad read, “Get a New Photo & Get Noticed.” In my haste, I read it as, “Get a Nude Photo & Get Naked.”

Needless to say, I was like, “what in the world???” As soon as I re-read it, I laughed and laughed. MommyQ  hopes you got a giggle out of my “mind in the gutter” moment! If you want to take advantage of John’s “new” photo promotion, check it out on Facebook!

If you want real news from the mom trenches, follow MommyQ on Twitter. Find me at http://twitter.com/mommyq and stay up-to-date about baby gear, nursery items, baby and toddler clothes, crib bedding, eco-friendly toys and more! Not to mention my goofy perspective on mommy moments — how can you miss those!?! – fashion and celeb gossip.

If you’ve followed MommyQ at all, you know how much I relish in making fun of Burberry. I have no real rhyme or reason to do it, but I do. I’m not a plaid hater and I didn’t have a horrible plaid incident as a child. I did have a goose sweater incident, but that’s an entirely different post.

Anyway, this adorable little Ruffle Neck Dress is 100% Burberry, yet you probably wouldn’t know by looking at it. No plaid! And might I add, Hallelujah! This pink pique knit dress features a sleeveless A-line shape.  Okay, so there is a bit of plaid inside the neck placket…but that doesn’t really count. Retails for $120 at Nordstrom.

Have you thought about throwing an eco-friendly baby shower? Why not, it’s all the rage. Just because you have to skip lots of the wrapping paper fun, doesn’t mean it’s a boring alternative. Pregnancy Today writer Katherine Bontrager explores lots of great ideas for showering mommy with a party that is fun and green.

Forget the pink and blue, folks. Get your creative juices flowing and make plans to throw one of your own. You can read the full article here. And looks for MommyQ’s input starting on page 2. You know I have a lot to say about this topic.

If you’ve had a c-section, you know exactly how difficult those first weeks after surgery can be. In addition to the wacky hormones, helpless newborn and post-delivery fatigue, you have this brand new incision to worry about.

Enter C-Panty! I’ve seen a lot of “new” baby and maternity products over the years, but this one is really top-notch. It is a panty designed specifically for post cesarean use. Instead of wearing those big, mesh, hospital-issued boy shorts or granny panties, you can wear these. They have special panels and a silicone layer to protect and support your new scar during healing.

Hop over to Droolicious (a Babble blog) to read more about the C-Panty. Now that’s one smart pair of undies! If you have mom friends with a c-section on the calendar, make sure you send them a link to this post!