Am I living with Diggy Simmons?

My son is a rapper.

I stumbled upon this talent as I flipped through the pages of his infamous "green notebook". There it was -lying on the living room floor in all its doodle glory. What started out as a daily journal (appropriately titled "My Life at School") soon turned into a book of lyrical prose.

It felt like an invasion of privacy as I read the combination of misspelled words and grammatically incorrect sentences (he can thank his amateur, blogging mama for that). But at eight years of age, there is no such thing as privacy, so technically I own the rights to his songs (call me MOMager). Besides, if you don't want to have your words discovered, choose a more inconspicuous color for a notebook. Green will get you noticed in a living room full of neutrals.

I must say I was impressed with the subject of his songs. A song titled "24", talks about the Earth and the creations on land. Check out this verse (verbatim);

There's 24 ailens in the sky
I hope they don't now fly
cause there here there here
There comeing down they in the sky
could the hurt the humen nature

Maybe Jigga (that's Jay-Z to you) won't come knocking anytime soon, but I'm the Mommy, and I think it's wonderful. I mean "humen nature"? Who says that? Only a genius would, and his name is not Lil' Wayne (although even he managed to father a slew of children with seemingly smart women and actually get away with it).

I feel like I'm living with Diggy Simmons. He is one of three sons from the hit reality television series, "Run's House" on MTV. He recently inked a deal with Atlantic records. Check out the video:

This could be just another one of my son's creative outlets, but I welcome it completely. We are conditioned to steer our children on paths that point towards becoming a doctor or lawyer, or some other common career.

I would like to see my son become a master of his craft. If by chance he is destined to become a rapper, well, I'll be sure to keep a bar of soap in my purse. He is never to old to have his mouth washed out with it. Until then, I'll keep plenty of sharpened pencils around in case he decides to pen a chart-topper.

Please...no autographs!

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Blockbuster Express and the "Cheap Date" Challenge

I'm cheap. There, I said it. Now what?

Before you go spreading the word about how much of a tight-wad I am, I think you should continue reading this post. After all, I would not want to waste your time. It's all about the Benjamins baby...or would it be a Rolex in this case?! Whatever it may be, I'm here to tell you how you can enjoy a night at home with dinner and a movie. Call it "Cheap Date. Quality Time."

Thanks to Blockbuster Express, movie night just got a little easier. For just $1 a night, you can rent the hottest, latest, most-talked-about, classic, and entertaining movie titles from a kiosk. Here is how you can save time and money by following these simple steps:

1. Register for an account on the Blockbuster Express site.

2.Search for a location (kiosk) near you.

3. Browse the titles available at your location. Select movies to add to your cart, or to place on your list for future references.

4. Once you've selected your title(s), proceed to the checkout. Here, you will be prompted to enter your credit card information. This is a pre-autorization, and holds your movie until a specified time (check the site for details).

or

Enter a promo code.

SURPRISE...I have one for you! Until March 31, 2010, use the free rental code:

**5G13B9


5. Pick your movie up at the kiosk you specified.

6. Enjoy!

I decided to take advantage of the free rental code and make it a "cheap date" night. Check out my story below:

More check-ins at Kmart

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Okay, so I suck in the romance department, but I never promised you the "Cheap Date" challenge would also be the "Romantic Date" challenge either. After working a full day, and driving during rush-hour in the rain, I was glad I could even stay awake long enough to change into my pajamas. Besides, you can't get away with wearing those to the movie theater now could you?!

I challenge each one of you, who have made it to the end of this post, to take the "Cheap Date" challenge. All you have to do is:

• Decide on a movie for you and your partner.
• Follow the steps above to reserve a movie at a Blockbuster Express kiosk.
• Don't forget to use the FREE RENTAL CODE: 5G13B9 by March 31, 2010.
• Make a meal you love. Doesn't have to be fancy (we actually enjoy tacos). Have fun.
• Commit to one night a week of renting a movie and enjoying a meal and each others company.!

A few "Cheap Date" nights may just create a lot of priceless memories for you and your family. Make it a Blockbuster night!

**Code is valid thru 3/31/2010. When you rent a movie at the regular price, you'll receive the first night's rental on the second movie FREE. Extra night charges and taxes apply. Limit one per customer. May not be combined with any other offer. Rental terms and conditions apply. Not valid at Blockbuster store locations.

Disclosure: "I received a gift card from Collective Bias for participating in the Cheap Date Night promotion for Blockbuster Express"

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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG ZOOM®

Spring is in the air, and so is excitement. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® circus is coming to town. In the Baltimore area, the show starts April 7 through April 18 at the 1st Mariner Arena (Verizon Center – March 18th – 21st, Patriot Center – March 25th – April 4th). This time around, the circus will be magical with a show titled, "Zing Zang Zoom".

"This year, through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, audiences
will be spellbound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents ZING ZANG
ZOOM®, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no
illusion. Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant Levitytia lead audience
members through an extraordinary world of fantasy that celebrates the uplifting
spirit of the circus and also wards off the cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of
Heavies, who try to bring everyone down."

Thanks to Mom Central and the Feld Family Activator Program, my family and I will take part in the excitement on opening night. We had a blast at our first ever circus event through this program.

Want to know how you can participate in all the fun? Well, I have a great deal to tell you about.

Discount:
(Flyer)
Use code MOM at our ticketmaster page: www.ticketmaster.com/mom.
4 tickets for $44 good for weekday shows (Monday through Thursday and Friday morning) and $4 off on the weekend shows (Friday matinees through Sunday). All ticket holders are able to participate in the All Access Pre-Show. To get your child excited about the show, here is a coloring page you can download. Get those creative juices flowing.

***Update: I donated 4 complimentary tickets to the PTA for their Technology Initiative efforts.

Disclosure:

“I am a participant in the Feld Family Activator program thanks to Mom Central and will receive complimentary tickets to the show facilitate my review.”

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What's New on ABC's The View

It's been hard to keep up with life. Lucky for me, I can escape all the madness by watching one of my favorite shows on television. In case you didn't know, I love "The View".

Here's what's going on this week on The View:

MONDAY, MARCH 8 – The day after the Oscars!! It Isn’t over till the co-hosts have spoken! Guest co-host Vanessa Williams (“ABC’s Ugly Betty”); Day of “Hot Topics”; co-host Sherri Shepherd will Skype live from Hollywood post-Academy Awards and share her Oscar experience; Chris Cuomo breaks down crimes in the headlines. First time musical guests – Lady Antebellum perform

TUESDAY, MARCH 9 – Guests -Andy Garcia and his daughter Dominik Garcia-Lorido (“City Island”); Elissa Stein and Susan Kim (author, Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation).

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 – Guests: Forest Whitaker (“Our Family Wedding”); Jesse Ventura (author, American Conspiracies).

THURSDAY, MARCH 11 – Sir Elton John will be sitting with the women at the table and partaking in “Hot Topics”; Guest - Eric McCormack (“Who Is Clark Rockefeller?”).

FRIDAY, MARCH 12 – Co- Host Kate Gosselin is back and will join the women and the return of “The View: Fashion Friday” with designer Carolina Herrera.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@IamKeonte) and watch for #theviewmoms tweets for all the latest discussions and updates on the show.


Disclosure:
“I am a participant in a Mom Central campaign for ABC Daytime and will receive a tote bag or other The View branded items to facilitate my review.”

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