Break the Bed Making Rules!

I received a heads up today from a faithful DeBroff DeBrief reader about the hilarious new competition currently being put on by the furniture store IKEA. The Breaking-the-bed-making-rules competition is encouraging anyone with access to a video camera and a computer to download their videos about how they make their beds in the morning. The current front runner is two adorable twins jumping on a bed while their mom tries to straighten the sheets around them. I know there were always those hilarious morning moments with my own kids, Kyle and Brooks, who made their beds by pulling the sheets over their heads and rolling out the side!

The winner of the competition will receive a $5,000 shopping spree! Five runners up will receive a $500 dollar IKEA gift card. Not a bad way to pick up some new home furnishings! The real voting begins in 12 days, so three is still plenty of time to tidy up. Check out their site and good luck!

A Little K'NEX Contest!

An exciting opportunity has come to me for moms looking for a creative way to inspire their kids to play! K'NEX (pronounced connects) is a common toy in most households today. But believe it or not, K'NEX has only been around for just over a decade! The toy was originally inspired by Joel Glickman, who thought of the idea while he was tinkering with straws at a wedding one day. Who knew that moment would translate to an entire generation's worth of play?!

For those who don't already know, K'NEX come in sets of small pieces which connect to one another in different places. There are a variety of shapes and sizes meaning kids can construct hundreds of things, from a ferris wheels to a space ships. And from my own personal experience, K'NEX isn't just for kids!

So here's the great part! I have 10 LARGE sets and 5 adorable sets for younger kids. You have the opportunity to win one of these sets from me! All you have to do is share a story about an experience you or your child has had while playing with K'NEX. It can be funny, serious, or anything in between! Either post a comment below (and let me know your email address to contact winners), or email me at stacy@momcentral.com. I can't wait to here from you!

Also in K'NEX news, In celebration of its 15th anniversary K'NEX is  offering a $15,000 savings bond – its largest award ever -- to the Grand Prize Winner of the 2007 K’NEXpert Search. Open to children ages 6-12, the Search invites young builders across the country to put on their thinking caps and get to work constructing ultra-creative, original models made entirely from K’NEX parts.

Ten additional winners will each receive $1,500 savings bonds, and all of these winners will also receive building sets, K’NEX gear, and an invitation to visit the K’NEX headquarters and discover, through company designers, how K’NEX is made!

Children everywhere may enter the K’NEXpert Search directly via the K’NEX web site, www.knex.com <http://www.knex.com/> between September 1 and December 31, 2006. Winner will be announced in February 2006! So have your kids stretch their imaginations!