Dr. Scott at Carnegie Museum of Natural History

My daughter is a huge dino fan. Like, she could name dinosaurs most adults can't pronounce when she was two. Her 3rd birthday party was a Dino party and when asked what she wanted to do on her "real" birthday, she opted for the museum for the umteenth time. This fall, we were so excited for the premiere of "Dinosaur Train" on PBS. We love it! The way the mesozoic period is represented is such a great idea! The main characters are dinosaurs and pterosaurs that lived in the Cretaceous period. They encounter dinosaurs from the Triassic and Jurassic period as well, but they board a train and travel back in time. This is a great visual for kids! And, if I've lost you with the different periods, it is a great visual for adults, too! It is very important to me that dinosaurs (and science in general) be realistically represented. Despite having talking dinosaurs that play games and travel on a train, there is real science behind this show. At the end of each episode, Dr. Scott Sampson talks to real kids about the info that was presented. We have found out that Dr. Scott will be at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History on January 30th. I've contacted Dr. Scott and this is a child friendly lecture where he will also be signing a copy of his new book. Because my daughter has taken such a serious interest in dinosaurs, I've become a Dr. Scott groupie too! If you haven't checked out Dinosaur Train, you really should! If you have and you are Dr. Scott fans too, you might want to check out the lecture.

This info was taken from CMNH's website:

Dinosaur Odyssey
Scott Sampson, PhD
Saturday, January 30, 2010
CMA Theater, 2:30 p.m.
Free with museum admission

One hundred million years ago, the American West was separated from Pennsylvania by the Western Interior Seaway. This “lost continent,” Laramidia, was the home of giant and often bizarre animals. Dr. Scott the Paleontologist, host of Dinosaur Train on PBS and renowned scientist/educator, takes us on a journey into this lost continent and addresses a variety of mysteries, such as the enigmatic presence of so many giant, plant-eating dinosaurs, and the evolution of the tyrant king, Tyrannosaurus rex.

Free Baby Einstein Mozart Download

In honor of Mozart's birthday on January 27th, Baby Einstein is offering a free Mozart download for your baby. Download HERE. You will need to sign in or register to take advantage of this offer. Offer ends 1/27/10

IMO-Freebie Worth Your Time Signing Up For

A couple of weeks a go I came across a signup for BeingGirl.com. The sample includes 1 pad, 2 pantyliners, 1 wipe & 3 different tampon sizes. I signed up because I hate spending money on feminine products. It is like I'm flushing money down the commode. But, if I must deal with such things I like to have a nice assortment. That said, my sample arrived today and it also included a $2 Tampax coupon and a coupon for a FREE Always Infinity 18 ct package.

Sign Up HERE.

Giveaway Link Up!

In honor of my first giveaway, I'm adding a linky to link your giveaways. Please post the direct link to your giveaway and not to your blog's homepage. Please leave a comment after linking! Thanks!!

CONTEST CLOSED_My Very First Giveaway, Ever!! Julie & Julia DVD and Book!! -1/28

I'm really happy to be hosting my first giveaway! I watched Julie & Julia this weekend and couldn't help but notice some similarities with myself and Julie & Julia. No, I'm no Julia Child but like Julia, I'm an American taken with French culture and like Julie, I'm going to turn 30 this year, just started a blog and have been trying to grow as a cook. So, I thought that an appropriate giveaway would be the Julie & Julia DVD and book. (1) lucky reader will win a copy of each. Giveaway ends 11:59 EST January 28, 2010. A random winner will be chosen on or around January 29, 2010.

1. Mandatory Entry- Subscribe to Mama Wants a New Pair of Shoes and leave a comment letting me know that you do!

2. Additional Entry- Include a link to this giveaway in your blog. Make sure to leave a comment including the link. If I've placed this giveaway on a linky on your blog, you can include that in a comment for an additional entry.

As a new blogger, I'd like to thank everyone that enters and want to wish you good luck!!

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The teacher inside of me couldn't resist posting this. If your kids are wondering why they have a day off of school, why not share some of these activities with them? Click HERE for MLK activities from KABOOSE. Enjoy.

Attention Moms: Pittsburgh Area Consignment Opportunity

If you're a mom in the Pittsburgh area you may have heard about Snuggle Bugs & Co. Instead of a store, they have 2 consignment events a year. I received notice that the spring event is coming up in March. I registered to be a consignor for the fall/winter event last year and registration was easy. I did not, however, participate. Unfortunately, we were on vacation during the drop off period. I have talked to several moms in the community that have participated as both consignors and patrons and some of them have made some serious cash - like, a huge chunk towards your vacation fund! (or, anything else worth saving for!) I'm going to register and plan on participating. For more info, check out their website HERE.

The details (taken from their email notice):

Sale Dates: March 13th - 20th
(Volunteers, Consignors, and Guests shop BEFORE we open to the public!)

# of Consignors: 700 Maximum (so don't delay!)

# of Items per Consignor: Up to 150 High Quality Items

# of Items for Team Snuggle Bugs participants: Unlimited High Quality Items

Clothing Sizes: Newborn to kid's Size 12

We do not handle maternity fashions or car seats, but just about everything else under the sun!

EARN a shopping spree or a higher consignor payout by referring NEW consignors! See the 'New This Sale' tab on our website for contest details.