I’m kicking off the holiday weekend early with one of four Four For The Fourth giveaways (aka Operation Clean Out The Giveaway Closet.) Stay tuned for more from Ultreo.com, TinyTagDesigns, and Mudpuppy Friday and Saturday.

We’ve survived the kindergarten party circuit, a social whirlwind that rivals Paris Hilton’s club hopping. I’ve escorted Miss C to a girly girl diva party, a bouncy inflatable jump zone (pray beforehand for no broken bones) party, as well as her own sixth birthday Hannah Montana slash Tinkerbelle slash Princess soiree.

Lisa Khotari is the expert behind Peppers and Pollywogs who has organized hundreds of parties for children of all ages. Her blog features tips for the hottest birthday themes, from High School Musical to Wall-E, the latest Disney/Pixar flick. Khotari helps parents throw the best party for their children with minimal stress. She believes that no matter the budget or amount of time a parent has, an incredible party can always be thrown.

BlondeMomBlog is giving away a signed copy of Khotari’s helpful birthday party resource planner, Dear Peppers and Pollywogs, which addresses such issues as:

• How much should we spend on party presents?
• What happens when my kid invites 50 guests to his party I realize it?
• How do you return the fish your child received as a party favor?

To enter, leave a comment on this post between now and midnight, Wednesday, July 16. For two entries, leave a comment and visit Savvy Housewife and leave a comment on any post. A winner’s name will be drawn randomly from all eligible comments. You don’t need a blog or website to enter, but you do need to leave a valid e-mail address so that I can contact you should you win.

Visit Peppers and Pollywogs through July 31 to enter for a chance to win a prize package worth more than $4,000. Enter the Best Kid’s Party in the USA Contest by describing your Best Kid’s Party Plan for up to 25 kids ages 1-13 in your home. Kothari will organize and execute the winner’s party!

Does anyone else cringe a bit when they see the Jonas Brothers Monsters of Teen Rock Coiffed Hair in Disney’s Camp Rock promos?

Their stylists obviously are obviously getting a lot of hair action. His eyebrows could be insured by Loyds of London. And I am obviously a 38-year-old woman, and not a 6-year-old girl.

When you’re 6 you want boys to have pretty hair, when you’re 38 you want men to have hair.

Miss C, I hope, is several years from buying her first Teen Beat, but when she saw a TV commercial for Camp Rock she quipped, “He looks like a nice boy!”

Nice boy it is, although her mama does love some bongo playin’, surfin’, shirtless Matthew McConaughey. But then I wouldn’t approve if Miss C wanted to plaster this on her wall:

OK, so he needs to lose the headband. But McConaughey does clean up well when he’s not surfing AND he does love his mama.

So what say ye about men and body hair? Are you a “little dab will do ya” kind of woman? Any men out there reading? Do you get it lasered and tasered? I remember in college the swim team guys and Lance Armstrong types shaving their legs. Last weekend when we were at the pool, resident Back Hair Man was out with his family. He had such an impressive back of hair that Miss A looked at him and said, “That man funny!” Yikes. And then I proceeded to hand her a snack bag filled with cookies so she’d quit staring at his shoulder tufts.

Now one thing I don’t care for? Facial hair. I’m not into beards, moustaches, or soul patches. (Sorry Mrs. F!)

Yesterday afternoon a red sheet of construction paper was posted outside Miss A’s daycare classroom.

Ah yes. The party sign-up sheet. Her class is having a July 4th celebration this Thursday, since daycare is closed for the holiday.

Rule #23.B of parenting dictates that you must sign up for school parties as soon as the sheet is posted or you will be the unlucky person who must bring crustless sandwiches or dessert of some sort (bearing in mind the various food allergies of your child’s classmates, most notably peanut butter). Sign up early for the easy items, such as juice or napkins, is my advice. Basically anything that can be procured when you’re filling up at the gas station at 9 p.m. on a weeknight is ideal party sign-up sheet fodder. Just steer clear of the beef jerky. I hear it doesn’t have much of a shelf life. Also, scratch off lotto tickets do not make good last minute party favors.

Horror of horrors, I realized the sheet must have been posted last Friday when Miss A was home with me for the day because ALL the slots were full except for two. I braced myself and read the sheet. Cookie or sandwiches. OK, cookies it was.

On the way home I told Miss A she was having a party. She didn’t really understand that it’s a “birthday” party of sorts for America, but was clearly excited about bringing cookies.

I asked her if she wanted me to bring cookies with red, white, and blue sprinkles and she voiced her opinion:

“Mommy I want cookies with pink and purple sprinkles!”

Happy Birthday America. You’ve had your colors done by a 3-year-old and she’s giving you the princess treatment.

We had a great time with my friend and his “baby” sister and her boyfriend Friday night (although she’s in her 20s and volunteered with the Peace Corps in Africa so she’s hardly a baby). We met for dinner at this place, which is always a good, casual choice central to downtown Nashville. In 1993 I rented an apartment in that same area for six months and it always transports me back to a point in my life when I was young, single, and had more hair.

I had the best time catching up with my friend, whom I hadn’t seen since Miss A was just a baby. At one point during dinner he had me laughing so hard over sharing his little brother’s “city gay” versus “country gay” theories that I was nearly crying. It sounds cliche, but it really doesn’t matter how much time passes for true friends–they can sit down and catch up without missing a beat.

Then we all meandered over to Cabana, which is a gorgeous restaurant and bar with a fun vibe. I could go on about how I couldn’t believe all the single 20-somethings were walking around in shorts skimpier than my favorite cotton underwear, but then I don’t want to sound like an old boring married woman who usually spends her Friday nights face down in her memory foam pillow after flipping through the latest issue of Southern Living.

I drank one of these at Cabana. Huzzah! I guess this wouldn’t be acceptable on Monday mornings when I need a pick me up at work.

Then we headed over to Tribe and I had a Cosmo, which was too sweet but I zoned out when under pressure to order and wanted something festive because I was at a real live bar with lots of fancy al-kee-haul. Thank God I didn’t order something like a Sex on the Beach or a strawberry daquiri. Hello…1989 called and wants its drink specials back. I also willingly chose to drink white zinfandel at a wedding reception and dinner two weeks ago (hubby is now cringing). I think I may need an alcohol intervention of the What Not To Drink variety. Someone tell me quick, what drinks are en vogue these days? It was a leap for me to order the vodka and Red Bull. I am more of a beer and wine girl at home and I always love margaritas.

And then hubby and I took a cab home a little after midnight. Honestly I can’t remember the last time he and I had to take a cab home. I’m sure it was pre-parenthood, which would be 2000 or 2001.

I had asked my mom to not bring the girls home before 9 Saturday morning. When Miss C asked me where my car was I told her we had ridden in a cab home and that my car was downtown in the city. Of course that was not a thorough enough reply and she asked that question that would make all parents billionaires if they had a dollar each time it was uttered: Why? To which I responded, “Because mommy and daddy were out late and we needed someone to drive us home.” That seemed to satisfy her, although I hope she didn’t tell everyone at her Vacation Bible School program last night that mommy and daddy had to take a cab home Friday.

In the past few weeks hubby has bought two gorgeous hanging planters for our back patio, surprised me with a pink digital camera, and suggested after lunch on Tuesday that we walk over to Target because he just loved spending time with me. Sigh…

Now hubby is a manly man. He wears two colors of socks: black and white. He loves beer. He loves football. He’s cooked a whole pig. He’s worked with broken ribs (his own). He’s tended bar. He can open a bottle of beer with his teeth. He’s done a lot of crazy ass guy stuff through the years, some of which may or may not have been illegal.

Hubby’s eyes glaze over if I say the words accessorize, duvet, or exfoliate. When we registered for wedding gifts I remember him slowly meandering toward the electronics department to catch up on NFL football scores while I lovingly gazed at stemware and fine bone china.

Tonight we’re going out with one of my best college guy friends who is flying into town to visit his little sister and her boyfriend. My friend also happens to be gay. We worked together in college as co-editors of the entertainment section of our college newspaper. Our friendship endured me having a hissy fit on deadline one night and me telling him to go to hell. Now that is friendship!

I know hubby won’t order any flirtinis or bust a move on the dance floor (dating myself there aren’t I) or spend more than 1.2 seconds deciding what to wear tonight, but I know he can hang out with the best of gay men and not feel uncomfortable.

Now, I’ve just got to figure out what I’m going to wear.

I’ve been writing a lot at the new digs and elsewhere.

Here’s what’s shakin’:

OopsieDazie hair accessory giveaway at Savvy Housewife (ends tomorrow at midnight)

TripFlix award-winning family travel DVD giveaway at Savvy Housewife (ends next Tuesday at midnight)

A savvy guide to a festive July 4th with delectable recipes, festive drinks, fresh invites, and patriotic wear that won’t make you feel like Betsy Ross

I confess I don’t have my mother’s green thumb over at Deep South Moms

I write about the cost of daycare (and how we are no longer in the double daycare fees days…yee haw) in my Monday working mom post at Blissfully Domestic

You don’t need a blog to enter the giveaways; just a valid e-mail address.

And yes, she does this pose thing completely on her own.