Jumping through hoops, going over hurdles and chin ups were not required to enter this Non-Contest. The response was amazing and Mabel’s Labels thanks each and every one of you who entered and wishes they could take you all!

Congratulations Emily Vanek from Colorado Moms. We can’t wait to meet you and your lucky friend this August in San Diego, California at the BlogHer’11 Conference.

Kathy Buckworth is a multiple award winning author, TV personality and public speaker, with numerous publishing credits in both print media and online. kathybuckworth.com.

Scott Stratten is President of un-marketing.com and an expert in viral, social, and authentic marketing. His first book is set to be published this summer.

Erica Ehm is the multi-talented Founder and Editor-in-Chief of yummymummyclub.ca, the online destination for modern moms looking for adult stimulation.

Think you’ve got what it takes?! Write a blog post in response to the following hypothetical situation: Electrical storms are going to wipe out the Internet (perhaps forever). You have one day left to write about your passions: what do you want to say to the blogosphere in 300 words or less? Entries will be received until March 15, with ten finalists notified April 12th and the grand prize winner announced May 1, 2010.

Visit our BlogHer ’10 Contest page for all the exciting details and join the fun!

Mabel’s Labels is running a contest to search for its next blogger. You could win an all expenses paid trip to BlogHer ’10 in New York City, August 6-7^th, 2010 PLUS a 1 year contract as a paid blogger for Mabel’s Labels.

Entries will be accepted until March 15^th 2010. Visit our BlogHer ’10 Contest Page for more exciting details!

Kim from Prairie Mama and Lolli from Better in Bulk will be heading to BlogHer10 in New York City! Mabel’s Labels will be providing transportation, conference pass and three nights at the conference hotel. We cannot wait to see you again Kim, and are looking forward to meeting you Lolli!

Thanks again to all the amazing entries to Mabel’s Labels “Wish You Were Here” Contest. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did!

View Kim’s reaction to the news here.

View Lolli’s reaction to the news here.

An Admiral Road Personalized Camp Blanket of your choice, including shipping. Camp blankets are perfect for twin beds, bunks or the couch. Cozy and durable, Admiral Road camp blankets are made to suit any member of the family.

and

A Camp/School Combo Pack of Mabel’s Labels, including shipping. We don’t let our kids take anything out of the house unless it’s got a Mabel’s label in it. Mabel’s Labels are perfect for the stuff kids lose.

Here’s how to enter:

Leave a comment here or on the Admiral Road blog; Blanket Statements. We’ll randomly select a winner on August 1oth.

Good Luck!

The Grand Prize winner will receive The grand prize winner will receive a trip to BlogHer’s Annual Conference in Chicago, July 24-25, and will be featured as the event’s chief correspondent on Mabel’s Labels’ blog. The grand prize includes flight, two day conference pass and two nights paid at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers.

Please take some time to check out the entries then head over to www.mabel.ca/poll
to cast your vote!

Best of luck to all the finalists!

Darcie @ Such the Spot
“Finding Me”

Kim @ Prairie Mama
“Get me to Chicago with Mabel’s Labels”

Robyn @ Who’s The Boss?
“Community”

Deb @ Mom of 3 Girls
“Why I blog…”

Katrina @ Fickle Feline
“The Rewards & Benefits of Blogging”

Dani @ Postcards from the Mothership
“In which she counts her bloggy blessings”

Kim @ What’s That Smell?
“Who am I and why are you talking to me?”

Piera @ Jolly Mom
“Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ’09 Contest Entry”

Tanya @ Mommy Goggles
“Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ’09 Contest”

Melanie @ Mel, A Dramatic Mommy
“Mabel’s Labels BlogHer 2009 Contest”

Thank you for all your wonderful entries to Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ’09 Contest! We have truly been impressed by the quality and depth of every entry. The contest is now closed and the ten finalists will be announced here on Thursday February 12. At that time, voting will begin. Listed below are all of the entries to the contest. Bloggers were asked to answer the following question. What have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community? Grab a cup of coffee, a box of tissues and enjoy these amazing reads.

The Downs Gang
Seeryus Mama: Can We Talk?
Foundation Studios: The rewards and benefits of blogging?? You!!
The Diaper Diaries: Unexpected blogging joys
The Daily Juggle: The Therapist is in
Life Starring Ellie and Eve: So Here’s the Thing
Mommy Mandy: Why I Love to Blog
Double Bugs
Casey Deuces World: Possible Birthday Present
Cheeky Sweetie
Writing Military Mom
Goodies for Mom
I’m an Optimistic Beauty: What blogging means to me
Mom e Centric: Blogging, how it changed my life
Multi-Tasking Mama
Mrs. Shannigan: Nerd Fantasies
Productive Pen: My life as a blogger
Mommy Instincts
La Plates: Blogorama for Mabel
Mom Most Traveled
Moms Favourite Stuff
Who’s the Boss?: Blogging creates community
Sparks and Butterflies
Banana Blueberry
Dinky Pops No More
Diary of a Turtlehead: Part of your world
Mommys Memos: My name is Amy and I’m a Blogger
Bonggafinds
Harvest of Daily Life: I wanna go to BlogHer bad
Tech Mama
Baby Luxe Daily
Hope for Peyton
Dexter’s Super Savvy Mommy
Now Entering Momville
A Mommy’s Musings
Organize Everyday
Quiet Fish
Messy Fun Mommy Life
A Daily Dose of Toni
Mom in the City
Janet Barclay
Snow Covered Hills
Such the Spot: Finding Me
Female ProdigyForever & Always Ashley
Bugs in my Teeth
The Baby Signing Book
Grasping for Objectivity
Fickle Feline
Prairie Mama
Pink and Posh
Scientific Nature of the Whammy
Write on Mama
Postcards from the Mothership
Our Life Upstate
House of Prince
Mommy Melee
Ceaseless Praises
Ima on (and off) the Bima
The Sun Shines In
Catching Casey
SAHM Reviews
oh 21 22
What About Mom Blog
Queenies Little Kingdom
MIT Mommy
Tippy Toes and Tantrums
What’s That Smell?
Esther
Keepin’ the Faith
Tree Climbing Mom
4 Piggies
Cutie Booty Cakes
Jolly Mom
Mom Trends
Lees Voice
Mom of 3 Girls
The Novice Mom
Super Dumb Super Villain
Mom Knows it All
Mel a Dramatic Mommy

Thanks!

-Caitlin

Which baby? What delivery? I can’t answer those questions with any kind of confidence.

I even remember the details about Number One Son’s first year of life. Not so sure about the others, but I can confirm that they wore nothing but sleepers for a year and each additional child spent more time sitting in a bouncy chair with a soother shoved in his/her gob.

There is a clever little joke that circulates on e-mail outlining the differences in parental treatment between first and later-borns. One example is how parents respond when a child swallows a coin:

First child: parent rushes child to hospital and demands an x-ray;
Second child: parent cautiously monitors child expecting coin to pass in bowel movement;
Third child: parent deducts coin amount from child’s allowance.

Subsequent pregnancies are also different. You start dropping things like taking vitamins and caring about eating all the right foods. You can even convince yourself that a glass of wine will do the baby some good.

As I’m gearing up for c-section number six, the actual delivery is being treated differently as well. It is becoming more and more difficult to find a suitable birth date for this child. You might assume that the date would be based on my doctor’s schedule and recommendations, but this is not so. Working around the schedule of this busy family makes any obstetrician’s schedule look like a summer vacation. The date of this baby’s arrival has to work around such factors as when I can line up care for the siblings, a pending business trip I have, violin recitals, dance exams, soccer try-outs, and an important school event for my daughter.

And if that isn’t difficult enough, daddy-o sent me an e-mail this week outlining dates that would best suit his work schedule. Enough already! I told him I had to remove his schedule from the mix. He would simply be required to make himself available on the date provided to him via his Outlook Express.

It may look like this baby is causing a few ‘prior to arrival’ organizational hassles, but I don’t doubt for a second that we will one day fondly remember that busy time when our kid count was rounded out to a half a dozen. Well, if history repeats itself we likely won’t remember, but at least this blog will be hanging around to jog our memories!

***and speaking of blogs, one of the things I love about blogging is having an online journal that helps me connect with readers and other bloggers. We have had some awesome entries to the Mabel’s Labels BlogHer contest, and it’s not too late to get involved. Go to http://www.blogcontest.mabel.ca/

Drop a line to caitlin@mabel.ca and she will sort you out with your holiday gift tags!

Looking for a cool teacher’s present? Make your kid the teacher’s pet by giving some cool Mabel products:

1) Mabel’s Classroom Pack….for the teacher who loves an organized classroom. Put a smile on the teacher’s face for only $12.00!
http://www.mabel.ca/mabel.php?n=classroom%20pack

2) Skinny-minis. Teachers love to label their staplers, pens, books and all that other stuff that has a way of walking out of their classrooms.
http://www.mabel.ca/mabel.php?n=skinny-minis