Win an Unboring Nintendo DS Case by BagEnvy

It's just a matter of time before Nick and Henry start asking for a Nintendo DS, and when we do eventually cave in and buy one (no use kidding ourselves), I will definitely pick up an adorable DS case by BagEnvy to keep everything organized.

BagEnvy carries awesome DS/DS Lite cases in boy-friendly styles like the BOYS ROCK electric guitar print ($15.00), left, that has cool black and white contrasting fabric inside. BagEnvy's cases are great quality, fasten with Velcro, and are the perfect "fashion" accessory for any gamer. They keep everything neat with straps inside to hold the DS system securely, 8 slots for game cartridges and loops for the stylus. And they can be customized to hold more games and even a charger. They fit the DS original, Lite and DSi.

We have a blue BOYS ROCK electric guitar Nintendo DS/DS Lite case from BagEnvy up for grabs! Entering is easy! Just browse BagEnvy's collection of Nintendo DS cases, and e-mail unboringboys@yahoo.com with BAGENVY in the subject line and tell us your favorite style. We'll pick one lucky Unboring Boys reader at random March 25th. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck! Psst! BagEnvy carries some chic pieces for moms like iPod and cell phone cases in gorgeous prints so check those out too.

Fun for Earthlings: Alien Mittens from Saint Reagan's Hollow

Snowmageddon, snowpocalypse, snowtorious, snowverkill...here in Northern Virginia we've had almost 50 inches of snow so far this winter. And after power outages, endless snow shoveling, school cancellations, and being stuck inside with two cranky 6-year-old boys, I'll scream if one more snowflake falls from the sky.

But these awesome hand-knitted wool alien mittens from Saint Reagan's Hollow ($24.99) give me the strength to make it through the rest of the winter because they are just SO unique and fun. Boys of any age--Dads too--will love them! If your unboring boy isn't into aliens, check out the brown T-Rex mittens, complete with felt claws. Winter's not over yet (sigh). So now's the perfect time to replace those mismatched and worn-out mittens with some cool ones that your boy will love to wear and that will bring a smile to your face even when school's out again and the neighborhood is impassable with no snow plow in sight.

Mix it up with Kool Kid Legs from Mamarunswithscissors (plus giveaway!)

The layered look, or twofer, is a simple but revolutionary idea--take a tee shirt and sew on long sleeves in contrasting colors. Twofers remain a top trend and are now a staple of most boys' wardrobes. While sleeves in unexpected (or even clashing) colors make otherwise ho-hum tees look cool, prints, plaids and stripes make them look even cooler. Which is why I was thrilled to run across Kool Kid Legs by Mamarunswithscissors.

Kool Kid Legs are handmade arm/leg warmers that can be mix-and-matched with any tee to create something unique, one-of-a-kind, and a little wild. I LOVE the argyle print and the Tim Burton-esqe black and red stripes, above. Kool Kid Legs are super cozy, stay put, and save money too, because adding long sleeves extends the life of pricey designer tees. They are the perfect accessory for spring, when it starts out cool in the morning and gets warm later. If your boy gets too hot on the playground, he can just slip off his sleeves! For those of you with baby boys, Kool Kid Legs are great to pair with onesies.

Mamarunswithscissors is giving away a pair of 14 inch Kool Kid Legs to one lucky Unboring Boys reader! Just visit Mamarunswithscissors' shop, then email unboringboys@yahoo.com with KOOL KID LEGS in the subject line and tell us what design you like. We'll draw a winner at random February 28th. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck! In the meantime, Mamarunswithscissors is offering free shipping on all orders through 2/28 for readers. Just use the keyword "Unboring" when ordering.

Cloth Napkins from JuniperBerries (Win a set!)

Even small changes make a difference, so last year, my family resolved to use reusable bags for all our shopping. For 2010, we're using cloth napkins instead of paper.

To get my boys excited about the switch, I searched for some fun designs that boys would like. I knew I'd found the coolest napkins ever when I ran across Juniperberries' Mad Kitty napkins ($7/set of 2). Even if you aren't a cat person, it's hard not to fall in love with these adorable tabbies in lab coats!

Juniperberries is giving away a 2-piece set of Mad Kitty napkins to one lucky Unboring Boys reader! Just visit JuniperBerries' Esty shop, then email unboringboys@yahoo.com with MAD KITTY in the subject line and tell us what other napkin designs you like. We'll draw a winner at random February 7th. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck!

P.S. Moms, while you're looking at napkin designs, check out JuniperBerries' to-die-for collection of aprons. Even if you're just making macaroni and cheese from the box, you will look chic in their gorgeous black and white floral half apron, just $18!

Win a Set of Thank You Notes for Boys from Bugaboo Announcements!

Writing can seem like a chore for my 6-year-old son, Nick, who is still working on strengthening his grip. That's why I love these fill-in-the-blank notes from Bugaboo Announcements (13.95 for 12). They're the perfect "training" notes for kids like Nick, who are learning the importance of thanking others but struggle when it comes to writing whole paragraphs.

Even for confident writers, composing a stack of thank you cards can seem overwhelming. Here, some ideas for making it fun:

1) Put together a box of special markers, pens and stickers only to be used for writing thank you notes.

2) Give your unboring boy a set of cool personalized note cards, like Alien note cards (16.95 for 12) and matching return labels (7.95 for 24 labels). Bugaboo Announcements carries an awesome collection of cards with fun, original, and all-occasion designs that boys will love.

3) Do your boys need a little extra motivation to write thank you notes? Allow them to play with new toys the day they are received. After that, put the toys away until thank you notes have been written and mailed.

4) Before sitting down to write, talk to your child about the gift. What does he like about it? Who gave it to him and what makes that person special? This will help him figure out what to write.

5) Involve your son in every part of the process, from stamping the envelopes to dropping the cards at the post office.

6) Set a goal of writing one or two thank you notes a day, depending on your child's age, to keep the task from becoming overwhelming.

Bugaboo Announcements is giving away a set of 12 note cards from their Bugaboo Notes stationary line to one lucky Unboring Boys reader! Just visit Bugaboo Announcements's Etsy shop or their website at www.bugabooannouncements.com, then email unboringboys@yahoo.com with BUGABOO in the subject line and tell us which card design you would choose should you win. We'll draw a winner at random January 24th. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck!

BoyMom Designs Giveaway!

Amy Williams, owner and designer behind BoyMom Designs, admits she didn't really understand the opposite sex until she had boys of her own. Creating her own line of limited edition t-shirts was a way for her to celebrate her sons and to "capture the interesting journey of mothers who love their boys for exactly who they are."

BoyMom Designs carries a fun collection of t-shirts for moms, boys and babies. Our favorite design is their signature We Fight Bad Guys, above, for moms, but we also love the I Fight Bad Guys tees and onesies for kids. As if their designs aren't cool enough, a portion of every sale goes to provide orphaned children in Southeast Asia with food, shelter and medical supplies.

We have three tees from BoyMom Designs up for grabs for THREE lucky Unboring Boys readers, including a fabulous "We Fight Bad Guys" burn-out tee (women's size Large), an "i fight bad guys" short sleeved tee in size 3T, and a gray Army Man short sleeve tee in 3T (for more about sizing, click here). All three shirts are incredibly soft and made in the U.S.

To enter, simply visit the BoyMom blog, then email unboringboys@yahoo.com with BOYMOM in the subject line and tell us which famous poet said "If I have a monument in this world, it is my son." (hint: you'll find the answer in Amy's About Me on her blog). Remember to tell us which tee you would like should you win. We'll randomly draw three winners on January 1st. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck!

Unboring Boys Fashion Blog has a New Look!

I am SO excited about our new look and wanted to give a shout out to Natalie at Modern Sugar who took my vague descriptions--"something offbeat but clean, you know, with maybe some graffiti-ish fonts"--and came up with exactly what I wanted.

Modern Sugar offers custom boutique website design with a full line of professional online web design and website services, from fun girly boutique websites that are pre-made to custom eCommerce sites. Check out their gallery of work here.

Our cool new look has inspired me to work on our editorial calendar, lining up even more fabulous features, insightful interviews, giveaways and exclusive savings for readers in 2010--starting with a cool giveaway coming up this week for all you BoyMoms out there (hint, hint)!

Be the first to hear about our giveaways and exclusive discounts. Sign up for e-mail updates, or follow us through Blogger or on Twitter. And please share Unboring Boys children's fashion blog with other moms of boys you know.