This weekend after the little angel kicked some serious preschool ass at her dance recital, Beloved, she and I spent several hours cleaning up our 1974 AMF Puffer.

Source -- this is not my boat.  If you haven't noticed, I hate taking pictures.  But mine looks exactly like this one. 

The Puffer is 12 feet long, which is essentially like sailing your bathtub.  I can't WAIT to get it in the water.  We bought new sails for it last year, but we never got the chance to put it in the lake because we were, oh, moving, and painting every wall in our upstairs and stuff like that.  This is Puffer's year. I can feel it.  Even though you should never, never go to Bass Pro Shop and look for new sailboat lines, because they will look at you as if your lily sailboat ass has just ripped off their fishing/motorboat heads and shit down their throats.  Then they will point stupidly at utility rope and indicate you should cut your own.

To which you will respond by laughing at them and buying a jolly roger flag and a Diet Coke and storming huffily out of the establishment.

Ahoy!

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Writing about downsizing the family auto today at BlogHer.  And I promise I will get around to picking the Lee Jeans contest winner this week, but I was distracted because I've been buying books to sell at BlogHer, which is three weeks away.  Yikes!

It’s hard to believe that Boston Mamas turns 2 in July, and that - over 1100 posts later - there’s still so much in my mental queue. I'm grateful to all of you who tune in to and tell your pals about this independently operated site; your dedication has helped put this niche blog on the map, both locally and nationally.

And since I love a good party, I’ve rounded up a fabulous line up of small and large companies to help celebrate our birthday. On random days through July and August, we’ll be giving away the cool stuff seen here (with even more items to be added shortly!). Check back daily starting tomorrow; each birthday draw will close at midnight the day of launch.

I have this thing about wall fixings. If I’m going to commit with nail and hammer, the item must be cool, meaningful, and/or relatively timeless; or even better, it’s multifunctional. And for parents looking for wall décor off the beaten path, Crib Rock Couture recently launched Metal Mania, a collection of steel graphic wall panels, wall décor inspired by their nursery rock tees, and – my favorite – wall hooks. These pieces are coated with lead free paint, and the hooks – such as the green octopus – will last well beyond the baby years while providing a way to get backpacks, jackets, tubby towels, or other high traffic items off the floor.

Want to win a Metal Mania wall décor or hook? Here’s how:

+ + + + +
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Sarah B.!
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Visit the Metal Mania collection, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘Metal Mania’ in the subject), and name your favorite Metal Mania design.

If you would like to opt in to the Crib Rock/Metal Mania email list for news about sales and new styles, include “OPT IN” in the body of your email.

One entry permitted per person; US entrants welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Monday, June 30, 2008.

*Winner will receive their choice of one wall décor or wall hook design (i.e., not the large graphic wall panels) from Metal Mania (subject to availability).

Pursuant to yesterday’s broadcast of my NECN interview on cool kitchen gadgets for parents, you now can see the video at NECN or on our press page. Meanwhile, here are specifics on the gadgets I chatted about with host Beth Shelburne, including a few we didn’t have time to discuss.

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Panini Grill
Perfect grilled cheese (and grown up sandwiches) every time! No matter how long I get distracted and leave a sandwich in the press, it never burns! [See full feature with recommended product links.]

Popsicle Molds
Great for making summer treats while being able to control sugar content compared to commercial pops. [See full feature with recommended product links.]

Mandoline (Swissmar Borner V-Slicer Plus)
Great for slicing veggies super fast. The pretty, petite julienne cuts even have inspired Laurel to eat veggies she normally wouldn’t touch.

Wüsthof Come-Apart Kitchen Shears
Great for snipping everything from herbs to your kid's food into bite size chunks. These scissors are sharp, strong, and easy to clean, which makes them particularly good for cutting meat. One mom I know carries a pair in her diaper bag for on-the-go food cubing.

Cooking Tongs
Terrific for maintaining control at the stove or grill while holding a baby on your hip at a safe distance. The tongs I showed on NECN were from a Brookstone BBQ set similar to this one, but the handles on ours are not wooden (more of a plastic/rubberized blend) and the tongs extend for extra length for improved safety.

Zyliss Salad/Dessert Knife
This item was recommended to me by my nutrition guest writer Michelle Stern and it was love at first slice, as it were. This plastic serated knife is great for cutting lettuce or anything in a metal pan (like brownies), while being safe for little hands. The feel of it is very similar to a real knife, so kids (I’d recommend preschool and up) can safely learn cutting skills. Laurel calls this tool “my green saw!”

Collapsible Measuring Cups
Measuring cups may seem like a ho-hum pick, but there’s no denying that kids love scooping and dumping in the kitchen. Plus, the Chef'n SleekStor collapsible measuring cups are cool looking, easy to store, and dishwasher-safe.

Apple Peeler
Essential in the fall for making quick work of the otherwise tedious apple peeling and coring process, off-season the resulting spirals create fun apple snacks for kids. [See full feature with recommended product links.]

Cherry Pitter
Another seasonal gadget, but cherry pitters make easy work of depitting cherries for your clamoring kid. Otherwise, if I spend all my time halving and depitting with a paring knife, there's usually no cherries left for me by the time I finish. [See full feature with recommended product links.]

Cuisinart Food Processor
This classic kitchen tool makes baby food pureeing a breeze, but it’s also great for chopping veggies (it comes with multiple blade attachments) and mixing dough if you like baking.

And now for our weekly dose of web highlights from some of our stylish blog partners:

Coochicoos features a great new nursery inspired by elements from nature. And you could win: a Bugaboo Frog from Car & Caboodle, a LeapFrog Tag Reading system from MomFinds, a Twisted Silver bracelet from One Chic Mama, and one of four Boppy nursing pillows from The Nest Baby.

Summer invariably makes me think about being very pregnant, then in a persistent state of swelter during Laurel’s infancy, during which she wanted to be swaddled, cuddled, and slung constantly but was prone to overheating. If only we had know about the awesome cotton muslin wraps by aden + anais. Forty-seven inches square to ensure a snug wrap, yet deliciously soft and light, these open weave Australian wraps offer a breathable, naturally temperature-regulating solution for summer swaddling. And lucky for winter babes, double layered winter warmth wraps also are available.

Want to win a 4-pack of aden + anais wraps? Here’s how:

+ + + + +
THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Cheryl K.!
+ + + + +

Click over to the aden + anais collection, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘aden + anais’ in the subject), and name an aden + anais product you would love to try.

One entry permitted per person; US & Canada entrants welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Friday, June 27, 2008.

*Winner will receive a 4-pack of aden + anais baby wraps of their choice of pattern (subject to availability).

Tonight is the little angel's dance recital. She doesn't even have to be there until 7:45 p.m.  Her bedtime is 8:30.  This will be interesting.  Also? The dress rehearsal is at 10:30 a.m.  Again with all the events during working hours?  WTF?

I'm really excited for her, but also nervous. Will she actually walk out on stage, or will she freak out?  Will she be okay backstage without me?  (If you wanted to be a "stage mom", you have to attend a mandatory meeting today, again during work hours.) Will she like it?  Will she remember her little dance?  Will we be able to get her back up there tomorrow for another two performances?

This morning she was so excited she crawled into bed with us at 6:30 and proceeded to spend the next half hour elbowing me out of the way, demanding her own pillow, stealing all the covers and telling me she didn't like my morning breath.  She has interesting ways of reaching out for support.  And I, in return, respond by trying to squeeze her to death as she attempts to wriggle out of my arms. 

Today, Kate reports on an indoor spot for kids to stretch their legs:

“For those of us raising kids in the city, we all know that space – space to play, space to spread out, space just to run – is precious. Playgrounds and parks are great, but are often crowded, and the weather doesn't always cooperate. For those days when you need an alternative, check out IMAJINEthat in Lawrence.
Located on the second floor of an historic mill building, IMAJINEthat is enormous compared to most indoor playgrounds and offers a wide variety of activities: arts, crafts, a climbing structure, a moon bouncer, a mini supermarket, toys for infants and toys for bigger kids, and private rooms for birthday parties. IMAJINEthat also provides a full calendar of special events – story times, music times, times for art – that can appeal to kids with different interests and attention spans. With plenty of parking, good access to the MBTA Commuter Rail, and affordable fees, IMAJINEthat is a hidden gem for families in greater Boston. Bring your city kids and give them a chance to stretch their legs in a safe and fun environment.”

Well, today I spent three hours at a Toyota dealer.  A man with very bad teeth tried to convince me that Social Security numbers have eight digits, then he asked me how to spell the word "quote."  (Hint to Toyota:  Up your standards.)  The guy who actually sold us the car did a really decent job, though, harried as he was.  *Those who doubt the economy, go to a Toyota dealership -- they are making out like bandits.

And the verdict:  We own a Toyota Corolla.  Yea, verily, we gave up our 17.5 mpg gas guzzling but beautiful Ford Explorer for a cloth-seat, no-moon-roof, fuel-efficient, smaller-carbon-footprint Corolla.  That gets an estimated 35 miles per gallon.

Driving off the lot, I had a moment of angst.  I missed my comfy leather seats. The Corolla is definitely not as posh.  Also, it was weird to be back down on the ground again after a few years of sitting up high and mighty.  I called Pa and told him I was a little weirded out.  "That'll wear off," he said, "the first time you go to the gas station."

And I know he's totally right.

It was maybe a little painful. But the Corolla, which my daughter promptly named "Roxy" after the neighbor's little dog, is now sitting happily in the garage where the albatross SUV used to sit. I think we may actually get my husband's Explorer and the Corolla in the garage this year, AT THE SAME TIME, provided we store our 1974 AMF Puffer, which we bought off my best friend's dad for $10. 

And I'm intensely relieved. I'd say that's my main emotion now. We got almost what we owed on the SUV, which in today's market is unbelievable - we actually got $700 over blue book value for it.  Shocking.  And we got 2.9% financing on the Corolla. Also shocking.  So I think the stars aligned for us. 

Since I've done so much research on this topic, my BlogHer post for Monday will be on this subject. Stay tuned, true believers.

Long live good gas mileage! And Blondie will be so proud, as now her Corolla has a SISTER.

Huzzah.