http://www.mommyq.com MommyQ

I love warm (okay, make that disgustingly hot) weather, but seeing all of these cute Fall clothes for kiddos is putting me in the mood for cold! Crisp, cool days with scarves and sweaters, sipping a hot Starbucks…mmm, sounds yummy!

Take a look at these colorful & fun Corduroy Ruffle Jumpers. These cute dresses feature tiers, tiny ruffles and button straps. They come in three cute colors, blue green or hot pink. You can order yours today at Chasing Fireflies, but they won’t ship until early October. Jumpers retail for $44.

MommyQ is in love with a hilariously simple game for iPhone called Sheep Launcher Free. My hubby, DaddyQ, downloaded this entertaining game on his iPhone and when he showed it to my kids, they went bonkers. The game is quite simple, yet quite contagious and amusing. Your goal is launch the sheep as high into the stratosphere as you can by tapping him before he “falls” off the screen.

The sound he makes at blast off sends my kids into hysterics. And when they laugh like that, we laugh too! My four-year-old plays it by himself and thinks it’s just great. After the kids go to bed, my hubby and I play it too. I think the best part is the old fashioned helmet. That is such a clever twist.

You can read more about it and download it here. I guess I’m just a sucker for a flying sheep. Read about it on Droolicious here.

It’s time to take a peek back in time and figure out which post deserves “The Best of MommyQ” title. From WeeGo bottles to knitted cupcakes to Autism, preggo celebrities and outlandish shopping centers, I’ve pretty much covered it all. As a favor to my readers, I never dive too far into the weird, scary or just downright depressing stories because I want MommyQ to be a place for relaxation and fun, not stress and sadness.

I’ve taken great joy in discussing meaningless dribble, like proclaiming my love for the CHI Flat Iron. Now it’s time for YOU to decide which blog post should win. Here is a list of my all-time favorite posts. Leave me a comment and vote for your fave!!!

7 Things Moms are Thankful For (Whether They Know It Or Not!)
I had a blast writing this post and was amazed at the rude feedback it got from moms who thought I was being totally serious. Duh?!?

Toy Nostalgia: Fashion Plates and Barbie’s Corvette
This post practically wrote itself! It captures some of the best memories I have from my childhood and got a tremendous amount of feedback from readers with similar funny stories about Barbies.

One Day My Babies Will Be Men
I think this post expresses the sheer panic all of us mommies encounter when we realize we’re raising men, not boys.

Excuse Me, Please Don’t Seat Us Near That Baby
No explanation needed for this one…

Retail Slump, Spoiled Kids and Rush Limbaugh
MommyQ was ridiculed by Rush Limbaugh. He said my real name and made fun of me. How can this post NOT be considered?

Elizabeth Adeney:Really? Come On.
This post was picked up on MSNBC and got about 1,000 views in 24 hours. It must be a good one.

Obama Wears (Gulp!) Dorky Denim
Again, people went totally bonkers on me about this one because they thought I was being literal. Sarcasm does not translate well online.

Again, please pick your favorite or top three faves and leave a comment. Thanks for your help!!! MQ

For most families, birthday parties are a no-brainer. You get a cake, buy decorations, invite all of your family & friends and celebrate the big day. As the mother of a special needs child, birthdays are a slightly different reality. Why? Because that inherent excitement about birthdays most children seem to be born with often escapes the grasp of a special needs kiddo.

For example, my son who is ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) does not like loud noises. When a big group of people get together to sing “Happy Birthday,” it would upset him because it was too loud. Many autistic kids are also only comfortable in routine situations.  Since birthday parties are spontaneous types of events, they are hard to prepare for even if you go over all of the different expectations and aspects. (Obviously some non-special needs kids also have these types of reactions to birthday parties too.) It can be an overwhelming event, even if you only have a few family members around.

This is why I think the My Singing Birthday Cake from Ohio Art Company is such a cool toy. It’s ideal for a mildly autistic child because you can prepare for the party through pretend play. You can explain how the candles work, how the cake will be cut and shared. You can also practice the singing with the actual birthday song. I know it might seem silly to “practice” a birthday party, but this would have been a great tool for us to use when my son was smaller. I think it would’ve made him much more comfortable at the real thing.

You can find this cake at Amazon for $50! It was also mentioned on Droolicious.

Last week, MommyQ came across an interesting story about a college student at University of Texas who is trying to prove that $20 is a decent amount of money. David Lee, a senior at UT and an advertising major, decided to see if he could exist on $20 worth of food for 20 days. He got the idea from a contest being hosted by UFCU (University Federal Credit Union), ‘What Can You Do With $20.09?’

First, the serious…

I blogged about David’s quest to survive on $20 on Strollerderby and the responses were a bit more controversial than I anticipated. Obviously, in this economy everyone is feeling serious financial pressure.  To make a long story short, readers were upset that David was feigning to be poor to prove a point.  Quick to respond, David eloquently restated his reasons for doing the challenge. He was surprised that his actions were offending anyone and he apologized for any misunderstandings. (I encourage you to read the original post and comment!)

As someone who has been a member of blogosphere for almost two years, I understand David’s surprise. I have blogged about seemingly harmless topics like Jennifer Aniston and President Obama’s ‘dad’ jeans and have been berated by readers for my opinions. As David states on his blog, “I wonder what positive influence this challenge will have in my life…” He has certainly learned more lessons beyond what $20 can buy you in the grocery store. He has learned the lesson every blogger quickly learns, personal opinions are plentiful and people love to disagree.

Second, the fun…

I applaud David for his idea to survive on $20 for 20 days and think the results are quite positive. Today, many of us withdraw a $20 bill from the ATM and feel like it is chump change. He has shown us that with some ingenuity and help from his online community, he can make the most out of it. The rules he made for himself are clever, like he cannot accept free food from people, but he can eat free samples. If a question comes up about rules, he lets his readers decide. His blog journaling his cheap foodie adventure is funny and entertaining.

The average person seems to think this challenge isn’t challenging. I think those people are a bit delusional. They seem to think Ramen noodles is the answer. Let me say this, the notion of living on only Ramen noodles for 20 days is totally absurd, not to mention unhealthy. David isn’t sitting around eating junk food either. He’s trying to be healthy too and that in itself is quite courageous.  He has four days left and I wish him all the best.

I vauguely remember wearing reversible dresses as a child. My mom was (and is) quite the seamstress. She made my sister and I many halters and smock dresses. What I’m wondering is why didn’t that concept catch on for women? Would it really be that difficult to make a reversible, fashionable dress for women? Hmmm.

Anyway, for now I’ll rave about this beauty for little girls. This is the Reversible Smock Dress for toddlers and youths. It’s a wonderful vintage-inspired look featuring retrolicious prints. It buttons at the shoulders. Easy-fitting and adorable. Cotton. Machine wash. Made in USA and imported. It’s $48 at Chasing Fireflies!