Kid Goodie Giveaway: Win a $100 toy and game shopping spree!

As you may know from that to-do list for parents of kids with special needs I did, I have a thing against toy companies that rip off parents of kids with special needs. Fun and Function, which designs special needs toys, autism toys and therapy products, is most definitely NOT one of those companies. Most of their stuff is reasonably priced, creative, and just plain smart.


The site recently sent us the Mad Magnet-Match Combo Pack to check out. Developed by a speech-language pathologist, it comes with three games (Opposites, Part-to-Whole and Associations) that have magnetic tiles with images and words on them. You basically have to correctly pair the tiles with each other. For example, in the Opposites game, you place eight tiles on the board that have words like day, clean, happy, and then the player has to find the opposite tiles to go with them (night, dirty, sad). All the games also have suggestions for variations; for example, you can set up three tiles with only one correct opposite pair; the child has to identify the tile that doesn't belong.

These games are cool for encouraging Max to make both concrete and conceptual connections. I also get him to try to say the names of the images, which helps him practice vocabulary and articulation, and I spell out the words. These games are basically one of the ONLY games I can get the kids to sit down and play together, unless you count the Let's Try To Pull Out Each Other's Hair Game!, which I do not recommend. The site also has the By Kids Only line that features soft, tagless clothes for kids with sensory issues. Kids can even make their own design.

Fun and Function is offering up a $100 shopping spree to one of you, plus free shipping. To enter, just check out the site and leave a comment below about what thing (or things!) you'd most love to get for your kid. I've got my eye on their plastic scooter board.

Note, you must leave your e-mail if yours isn't on your blog as my ESP is still on the blink.

BONUS entries: After you leave your main comment, you can leave a separate one for each of the following that you have done:
• Follow LoveThatMax on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with your tweet time stamp (translation for Twitter newbies: click on the time below the Tweet, which shows you the URL). Try this tweet: Win a $100 toy shopping spree from @FunandFunction & @LoveThatMax, ends 7/21, http://tinyurl.com/266o62k, #SpecialNeeds #Giveaway
• Subscribe to the To The Max feed; you can do that here, or another way, and leave a comment saying how you subscribed.
• Follow this blog on Blogger.
• Join the To The Max fan page on Facebook.
• Add my button to your blog and post a link to your blog in the comment below.
• Mentionthe giveaway on your blog or website, and link back to here. Leave a comment below with the URL to the post.
• Come to our house and tell the kids to stop fighting over Max's iPad. Kid-ding!

This giveaway is open until Wednesday, July 21, 11:59 EST, and is for United States and Canadian residents. I'll announce the winner on this blog the next day and alert you by e-mail. Good luck!

And the winner is... ANewKindOfPerfect. Congratulations! I hope you and Peanut have fun shopping for stuff.

A book that makes it clear how awesome our kids are

I'm feeling a little weepy tonight, because I keep going back and reading the comments from the last two days' posts on the guilt we feel about our children's disabilities. Like I said, I don't place a whole lot of blame on myself, but it's clear many of you do, and that is one serious weight to bear. I'll have more to say about that next week.

Today, I have something really cool—and not at all depressing!—to tell you about. Actually, it's downright inspirational. A few weeks ago, I found out that actress Holly Robinson Peete, a mother of four and national autism spokesperson, wrote a book with her daughter Ryan called My Brother Charlie. Ryan's twin brother, RJ, has autism; they're 12. The book mirrors their lives: It's written from the p.o.v. of a girl, Callie, whose twin brother has autism, but it's helpful for any family with a child who has special needs.

I received a review copy in honor of National Autism Awareness Month and read it to Sabrina and Max several times in recent weeks. The first time, I was only a few pages into the story when Sabrina asked, "Does that boy talk?" I answered, "He can, but he doesn't do it all the time." She said, "Like Max?" and I said, "Max can also talk, he just does it in his own way." I loved that this book sparked conversation. Sabrina only occasionally asks stuff about Max or makes comments, and usually they're of the "Ewww, he's drooling" variety, but I know she's processing a lot about him in that head of hers. When I directly ask her questions she doesn't like to talk, so having a book like this is really helpful.

Max kept gesturing at Charlie and saying "MAX!" then he'd touch the girl's picture and say "Sa" ( for Sabrina). He was totally drawn to the illustrations, which are gloriously colorful, big and eye-catching.


Sabrina was mildly obsessed with why the twins in the book were dressed alike. I think she saw kindred spirits because she still only wants to wear Max's clothes.

The book is really sweet and clear; it explains, in a very basic way, that kids with autism are sometimes quiet and want to be alone—but also makes it clear that like other kids, they enjoy having a good time. And that they have their own way of saying "I love you." Which, as we all know, is very true.

I have three of the books to give away, including one copy autographed by Holly Robinson Peete, each worth $17. To enter, leave a comment below. Any kind will do. And if your e-mail is not apparent on your blog, please mention it your comment so I can get in touch with you if you win.

This giveaway is open until Thursday, April 22, 11:59 p.m. EST, and is for U.S. and Canadian residents. I'll pick the winners via randomizer.org, announce the winners the next day, and alert you by e-mail.


Thanks to Holly Robinson Peete and her daughter (above, with RJ) for a great book. They are one beautiful family.

Update: And the winners are Witkowski Family (they get the autographed copy), Pia and remarker/fcffollower. Enjoy the book!

Photo: Chris Voelker, VoelkerStudio

Kid goodies giveaway: a DVD and CD that rock

Here's Max using cymbals in both hands for the very first time. His inspiration: The Trying Funny Stuff DVD by The Jimmies. That's them playing in the background (squealing sound effects provided by me). The Jimmies are geared toward kids but let me just say, their music is totally enjoyable for grownups—compelling, creative and a whole lot of fun. And their videos are a riot.

Ashley Albert, the lead singer, has kindly offered to give away one DVD and two CDs. So leave a comment below about what kind of stuff music moves your kids to do, and I'll randomly pick three winners by next Thursday, 3/18, and announce them the following day.

Max's fave Jimmies video is "Spanimals," I'm partial to "Bedhead" (and Ashley, doll, your bedhead is nothing compared to my bedhead in the morning). You can see both videos here.

And the winner of the $655 Rebecca Minkoff bag is...

Big congrats to Pamela S, the proud new owner of this gorgeous purse. Pamela, maybe I could borrow it sometime?! Wear it in good health, as my mother's always said to me. And many thanks again to Rebecca Minkoff for this exceptionally generous giveaway.

You guys pack some fascinating stuff in your purses. Some of my favorite comments:

"I keep a note the love of my life wrote to me when we first started dating in my wallet. It makes me happy just knowing it's there. we've come so far but the sentiment is still the same: 'I love you.'"—DolphinV27

"I have a tiny purse in my big purse that looks like a NYC coffee cup (you know the ones?) and inside it are my treasures: Sophie's pacifier clip, a note from my father telling me that everything would be all right, a NYC subway token, a silver angel, tiny photos of my three children and a lucky coin."—Elizabeth

"We went to Disney World when my daughter was 6 years old...my daughter bought me a brass Minnie Mouse key chain there...she's a teen now...and I still use and treasure it! It's always in my handbag."—LilyBiscuit

"My son's epi-pen. I feel like I can save him if the worse case scenario happens. And that makes me happy."—Stacy.

"The best thing in my purse that makes me happy is the picture of me shot by my late brother taken on the day, 19 years ago, that I finally gave up smoking after 25 years of sucking on the coffin nails. The second thing is knowing that my inhaler is there if I need it to help my breathing."—Mensa63

"My children make small drawings for me which usually say 'I love you.' I always try to keep some in my wallet, and some in my purse, so as a go through my things I spot one and think of them!"—drmomof2

"I keep a photo of my wonderful husband—the only person who has ever cared for me and protected me in my life. I feel so lucky to have found him."—Sharon

"I keep a beat up copy of Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt in my purse. It's timeless magic has kept my son entertained for countless hours waiting in doctors' offices. Happy baby = happy mama. :) (Plus, Daddy's scratchy face has made a great emergency nail file!)"—Cristina

"Dad's business card. My dad passed away three years ago."—smgoodie

"I ALWAYS HAVE MY ELVIS MONEY WALLET IN MY PURSE WITH ALLLLL MY HARD EARNED CASH!!!! WHEN I TAKE IT OUT TO PAY I ALWAYS END UP IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT ELVIS—AND THAT MAKES ME HAPPY!!!"—Babcia

"My kids collect little stones, bits of glass etc whenwe go for a walk on the beach or by the river...they all wind up in the bottom of my purse...and when I reach in looking for something and grab a smooth stone instead it always makes me smile." —Jes

"I keep a note from 8 yr old ds in my pocketbook. I had a bad headache and he got me a book, cold glass of water and set it by the bedside with a note telling me to get better soon and how much he loved me."—Deborah Curran

And I'll tell you right now, this one's going to make you cry. Hugs, Melissa.
"I have a picture of my twins taken in the NICU hours after they were born. They were two months premature and in the picture they are covered with tubes and wires and look terribly fragile and ill. I carry it to remind me that they have come a very long way. Yes, they both have CP and one also has autism. However, they are here, and healthy, and each day they blow my mind with how incredibly ABLE they are to fill my world with love and wonder. I need that picture when I get too bogged down in being a mom of preemie twins with special needs....it reminds that it all could have turned out sooooo much worse."—Melissa

Mom goodies giveaway: Win an Amy's foods gift bag

In the hierarchy of comfort foods, for me, tomato soup rules. Growing up, on cold days my mom would serve it to me and my sister for lunch, with Ritz crackers. It's still my go-to winter eat and, bonus, I can down gallons of the stuff and it won't pork me up. Max is a major soup man; he thinks it's fun to eat, and I love how it encourages him to feed himself.

For all of you soup fans out there, here's a treat: The nice people at Amy's natural foods have offered up three gift bags, each worth $50. You get the market bag shown here filled with:

1 Amy's Spanish Rice & Red Bean Soup, 1 Amy's Chunky Tomato Bisque, 1 Amy's Southwestern Fire Roasted Vegetable Soup, 1 Amy's Tuscan Bean & Rice Soup, and three coupons each good for a free Amy's item, frozen or grocery. Plus, lots of cool extras: An Amy's soup mug, t-shirt, notepad, magnet, coloring book, soy crayons and pen.

To enter, leave a comment about your favorite kind of soup!

BONUS ENTRIES: After you leave your main comment, leave a separate comment for each of the following that you have done.
• Follow LoveThatMax on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with your Tweet time stamp (translation for Twitter newbies: click on the time below the Tweet, which shows you the URL). You can use this Tweet: Win a $50 Amy's foods gift bag from @LoveThatMax, three winners, ends 1/26, http://lovethatmax.blogspot.com
• Subscribe to the To The Max feed; you can do that here, or another way, and leave a comment saying how you subscribed.
• Follow this blog on Blogger.
• Join the To The Max fan page on Facebook.
• Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post on this blog, then come back and tell me which post you commented on.
• Add my button to your blog and post a link to your blog in the comment below.

This giveaway is open until Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 11:59 EST, and is for U.S. and Canadian residents. I'll pick two winners via randomizer.org, announce them on Wednesday, January 27, and alert you by e-mail.

Note: I received a few Amy's soups to sample, but the opinions expressed here are my own (and Max's). Slurp, slurp.

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.

Mom goodies giveaway: Win a $165 basket of Burt's Bees stuff

Because nobody deserves treats more than moms, because it is January and I'm sure you could use a pick-me-up right about now, because giving stuff away to you makes me really happy, here you go: This basket of 15 treats from Burt's Bees. I have two of them up for grabs.

I've been using Burt's Bees for years; I have a thing for their Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream, Pomegranate and Soy Shampoo, and lip balms. I like using their products on the kids, too, since they're made from natural ingredients (unlike my kids, who are approximately 5 percent Chef Boyardee).

Each basket has treats for you and the kids. For you: Fabulously Fresh Peppermint & Rosemary Body Wash, Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Orange Wax Body Lotion, Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Bilberry Foot Crème, Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Crème, Therapeutic Bath Crystals, Radiance Exfoliating Body Wash, Radiance Eye Crème, Radiance Night Crème, Radiance SPF 15 Day Lotion, Pore Refining Mask, and a Lip Balm Purse Pack. For the kids: Baby Bee Buttermilk Lotion, Baby Bee Buttermilk Soak, Baby Bee Tear Free Shampoo & Wash, and Baby Bee Skin Crème.

To enter, tell me which part of yours could use the most TLC now. The lower part of my legs look like they could belong to an alligator, they are so crackly-dry; I always forget to take care of them. I need a device that automatically squirts lotion onto them when I step out of the shower, and then I need George Clooney to drop by and rub it in.

BONUS ENTRIES: After you leave your main comment, leave a separate comment for each of the following that you have done.
• Follow LoveThatMax on Twitter.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with your Tweet time stamp (translation for Twitter newbies: click on the time below the Tweet, which shows you the URL). You can use this Tweet: Win a $165 basket of Burt's Bees products from @LoveThatMax, two winners, ends 1/20, http://lovethatmax.blogspot.com
• Subscribe to the To The Max feed; you can do that here, or another way, and leave a comment saying how you subscribed.
• Follow this blog on Blogger.
• Join the To The Max fan page on Facebook.
• Leave a comment on a non-giveaway post on this blog, then come back and tell me which post you commented on.
• Add my button to your blog and post a link to your blog in the comment below.
• Blog about the giveaway on your blog or website, and link back to here. Leave a comment below with the URL to the post.

This giveaway is open until Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 11:59 EST, and is for U.S. and Canadian residents. I'll pick two winners on randomizer.org, announce them on Thursday, January 21, and alert you by e-mail.

Good luck!

Note: I did not receive any products for this giveaway; these are my honest opinions. Note to my husband: Just kidding about George Clooney, but I am now taking applications for the lotion-slathering job.

UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed.