Carnival of Family Life #21 at Play Library

Welcome to Play Library! We’re proud to host the Carnival of Family Life #21, one of the fastest growing blog carnivals around founded by Kailani at The Pink Diary. Why don’t we take a tour of Play Library and you can decide where you’d like to hang out on your visit.

Play Library is an all purpose play center for both children and parents. We’re all about anything and everything related to stuff that makes families happy and more thoughtful. There’s the hall where announcements and special events take place, the cafe where parents and caregivers can have more serious conversations, the indoor playroom where more peaceful play goes on, and the outdoor playground with the sandpit and ride-on toys so kids can get as mucky, as loud, and as crazy as they like. Let’s visit each room and see who’s there!

The Hall

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Thank you, everyone, for visiting Play Library today for the Carnival of Family Life. We have an incredible showing of 48 whimsical, serious, and thoughtful posts. Let’s give ourselves a round of applause!

Now, we’d like to announce the winner of the weekly drawing who will receive macadamia nuts or Kona coffee. Congratulations, Steve at steve-olson.com! Please email Kailani to claim your prize.

Other special posts in the hall today are:

• Peter Kua introduces the Hipster PDA for families who are juggling multiple schedules. I love the bright colors!
• Lisa Mitchell at Let’s Talk Babies worries about overscheduled kids and suggests that parents go through a checklist when deciding whether to enroll their child for yet another activity.
• Heather at Everything Under the Moon knows that money doesn’t grow on trees, but how do we teach our kids that? She’s got some great ideas and stories.
• Jennifer at Snapshot tell us to reach for the brass ring even if we’re afraid to fail.
• Kelly at Pass The Torch shares her gratitude list with us at the end of her family’s 30 Days of Nothing project. Very inspiring!
• Kristina Chew, mother of an autistic son and prolific autism blogger, shares two of her favorite posts - The [autistic] Child is father of the [autistic] Man and Of Course: Nearly Nine Years with Charlie (#316). If you’ve never read Kristina’s writing, you must go do so NOW.
• Kate at Babylune crafts a letter to her sister that we’ll all wish we received when we became new mothers.
• Anna at Widows Quest has some thoughts on the essence of families that will make all of us glad to be here at the Carnival of Family Life.

The Cafe

• The perfect post for the cafe, Kelby Carr has some healthy kid snack tips and recipes.
• Another perfect post for the cafe. Ruth at allergizer.com suggests using pumpkin seed butter instead of peanut butter. I can already imagine how yummy it is.
• Amanda at following an unknown path wishes her mom a happy birthday by writing a wonderful and touching tribute.
• Dr. Aleksandr Kavokin at rdoctor.com tells us more about SIDS and how to protect your newborn baby.
• muse at me-ander wonders about the best way to care for the elderly especially when they may need to move homes. She also contemplates the difficulties of missing someone and not being able to celebrate the sad and joyous occasions with them.
• Jen at Stay-at-Home Motherdom tells us how she was able to get over a fight with her husband. It’s not easy, but most times it’s worth it.
• Loni at Finding Joy in the Morning recounts her daughter’s open heart surgeries. An incredible experience for their entire family.
• Supermom at Getting Out of Debt did very well when her family was in crisis mode. She was able to take care of everything without using her credit card! Bravo!!
• Robyn Tippins at Inside Motherhood wants to warn you about the fastest way to find your email in my (her) delete box.
• Elizabeth at Genbetween has been taking care of her elderly father who’s now in a wheelchair. It’s not an easy job at all and she has to be very mindful not to treat her father as she would her kids.
• Kelly at Thrifty Mommy mourns the shooting tragedy in Colorado.

The Indoor Playroom

• Kerri at My Name is Mommy has three very individual children, all of whom have special, sparkling qualities. Lucky mama!
• Jenny Ryan at Using My Powers for Good wants to sign up for a policy that would give her the right NOT to know some things.
• Jennifer Miner has some great ideas for a real upscale celebration for Halloween. Hey, if you’ve got it, spend it!
• Regardless of what your kids decide to dress up as for Halloween, SP has a suggestion for a knitted wonder adults can wear.
• Ask Patty - Automotive Advice for Women tells us that Ford Motor Company has been named a “100 Best” Company for working mothers. I still think the best place to work is from home (ha!), but companies like Ford make working much more tolerable
• Amy Clark at MotherLoad comparison shops for baby formula. With the huge selection available, it’s not an easy task.
• Melissa at Making Things Up tells us about her unexpected day. I’m sure all of us can identify with plans going awry.
• Stephanie at Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood wonders if she should quit coffee. I say, party on!
• Matt at Romantic Tips for Married Couples has some great romantic movie suggestions for your next date night.
• Keith at SkillZDesign has a couple of sick kiddies at home enjoying a snotfest. Hope they’re feeling better now!
• Tiredbuthappy’s son is a great dancer with the exception of…rock and roll. Come to think of it, I’m not sure I can do rock and roll either.
• Tricia at Blogging Away Debt reminds us to TURN THE LIGHTS OFF! Even her four-year-old knows that already.
• Gina at Portrait of a Writer… Interrupted has been teaching her son phonics with some unexpectedly dangerous results….
• Steve at steve-olson.com has been learning a lot from his 4-year-old. A fresh perspective on parenting.

The Outdoor Playground

• Jennefer at Three Sons and a Princess needs lots of open space to maintain her sense of humor.
• Suldog at Suldog-O-Rama reminisces about two of his cats - Coalie & Tigger. Brought back some fond memories of my family’s two cats - Meowmi and OG.
• Cameron Henkel at Pine Needle Lawn introduces the concept of Resort 2.0 where you manage a group of cabins for owners instead of owning all the cabins and renting them out. I’ve never actually been to an outdoor living, lake front-type resort before but it sounds awfully nice.
• Christine at Are We There Yet tells us why her grandmother is so special.
• Madeleine Begun Kane at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog has a suggested contract for planning vacations. A great idea for many families I know!
• Mert at Almost Somewhat Positive had to give up their puppy, Sasha, but she is now with a loving family and will get to spend lots of time outdoors. Don’t be sad anymore, Mert!
• Carnival founder Kailani has had to lock her daughter’s imaginary friend, Sassy Girl, out. Kailani wants to know if your kids have an imaginary friend but I think I might have a little fun at the imaginary friend’s expense first.
• Zen Kitty at Droplet of Life shares some beautiful pictures of the regal monarch butterflies.
• I wonder if Ruth at Eating Fabulous saw any butterfiles when her family went autumn fruit picking in Germany! Also some beautiful lush pictures in this post.
• Susan at 5 Minutes For Mom has a very clever nephew who took care of her daughter when little tot got her first skinned chin. What a sweet story!
• I’ve got a gift suggestion at my personal blog for any partner or spouse who’s just a tad forgetful…ouch!
• And last, but not least, Mommy the Maid talks about the mommy anxiety she felt when she made a rare trip without her baby but there was plenty to enjoy once she got home.

Here ends the tour of Play Library. Please enjoy yourself and roam wherever you like. Don’t worry about spilling stuff because most everything here is washable and spill-proof. If you have any questions or concerns (like if I left you out of the carnival by accident), please let me know in the comments.

Next week, the Carnival of Family Life #22 will be held at Of Noble Character. You can submit your posts via http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_294.html by Sunday, October 8th. For more information, visit The Pink Diary.

Have a great time and come visit Play Library again soon and often!!