Last night’s triple overtime thriller of a game meant a late night. My friend Greg was able to fly up to Detroit and get a couple tickets to the game. It would’ve been cool to see the RedWings win it all. Greg is a RedWings fan, and I would’ve loved for him to see his team win the Cup. I’m a little fried today between a late night and an early morning meeting with a client. I’m going to make this quick.

JustDaddys.net is a new forum for dads. Jason, the site administrator extended me a personal invitation to join. It’s still in the early stages, but this is where it can be fun. As an early adopter, you have a chance to shape the tone and feel of the forums.

The user base is growing every day. Jason already has tons of great discussion forums already in place. Everything is covered – you can get advice on dealing with an unruly teen or how to calm a colicky baby. Not only is this a place for dads to be dads, but it’s a place for dads to be men. There are discussion forums about plenty of guy things, like sports, cars, and gaming. It’s not a total sausage fest. Moms are welcome too.

When you sign up, please be sure to put “Elliott” (spell it with two T’s please) as the user who referred you. I’ll be totally transparent here. Jason is running a contest and awarding a prize to the top referrer of new users. Don’t let me have all the fun. Spread the word and you’ll get a chance to win too.

If you want to get in on the fun, here are the rules:
1. All referrals must sign up with the site by 11:59PM July 3rd 2008 to be considered a complete referral.
2. All referrals must have a minimum of ten (10) posts before July 13th 2008 to be considered a complete referral.
3. Both Referrer and Referral need to PM me the below items in order to be considered a complete referral.
a. Referrals PM me the name of the Referrer
b. Referrers PM me the name of the Referral
4. For each referral that is completed correctly the referrer will earn a chance to win the prize.
5. Prize will be a $30 dollar gift certificate to the store of your choice (limited to what is in my area to purchase, PM me with requests)
6. Decision of winners and prizes is completely up to me and names will be drawn from a hat randomly at the conclusion of the contest.

Please visit JustDaddys.net and take a look around. You’ll be glad you did.

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Last week, I went to 3 events I found through Meetup.com:

• South Florida Graphic Design/Creative Meetup
• South Florida Web Design Meetup
• Babies, Toddlers, and Little People Meetup

So far, meetup.com is 3 for 3. I met some great folks in my industry at the design meetups. I was especially looking forward to the Babies, Toddlers and Little People meetup. Renee was at one of their meetups earlier this year.

The organizer of this particular meetup is Jordanna Egan. She runs a licensed home day care center here in South Florida. She uses the group to promote her business and foster a sense of community. Renee and I felt an immediate kinship with her. Her two children are named Austin and Erianna.

Renee and I continue to get better networked locally. One segment of our circle of friends is an older bunch without children. That was the group we spent most of our social time with until the baby was born. They are a wonderful bunch, but we were hungry for circumstantial peers – other local folks our age with children. Meetup.com is proving to be a great way to fill that need.

If you haven’t checked out meetup.com, it’s worth a look. This concludes my wholehearted, sincere, unpaid, and unsolicited endorsement of meetup.com.

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Are you one of those people who likes shiny, brand new things? Get over it! You’re about to have a baby. Some outfits are worn only once or twice as babies grow so rapidly. Clothes still look fresh enough even after several hand-me-down cycles. Maternity clothing only gets a couple months of wear as moms expand into the next size up.

Friends and Family

Once you share the joyous news, anyone with available hand-me-downs will speak up. The easy way out would be to just donate the items, but most people would rather offer their help someone they know. Our friend Barb has a daughter a year older than Twilli. She gave us an entire suitcase full of very cute and stylish clothing.

Thrift Stores

You can’t blog about bargains without mentioning thrift stores. Just about everything you’d need except diapers, wipes, and formula is available here. If the expectant grandparents are around, bring them along. The Goodwill chain of thrift stores here offer discounts to senior citizens. On a recent trip to the thrift store, we found an outfit identical to one Twilli had as a newborn, except this one is her current size.

Freesource and Freecycle

I’ve used Freesource and The Freecycle Network to de-clutter my house. When we learned the joyous news, we knew we had to work the groups for free baby stuff.

In large metropolitan areas, there are several groups that you can join within reasonable distance. Baby items are abundant, offered almost daily. You might also score some items that aren’t posted to the boards when you pick up the item you claimed. We got most of the clothes, bedding, blankets, a bath basin, a bassinet, and some toys.

Craigslist

We got our crib for $40 and changing table for $35. The lady who sold us the changing table also threw in a bunch of other goodies she had lying around. Children grow out of things. They are fickle creatures. Many nearly-new toys and items are sold here too.

The Baby Shower and Gift Registry

My wife and I were overwhelmed at the show of support at our baby shower. We’re socially outgoing and we were able to leverage the relationship equity that we spent years building up. Traditionally, this is a women-only affair, but we elected to have a co-ed baby shower to be more inclusive of all our friends. The friends who could not make it to the big bash and our out-of-town friends also came through. We got to know our UPS driver very well.

We couldn’t have pulled it off ourselves. Our dear friend Shantelle is a party and event planner. Part of her gift to us was to provide her services. Now she has built up a successful business organizing tea parties for young girls. You better believe that in a few years, Twilli will be having a tea party.

Take What You Can Get… You’ll Need It.

The arrival of a child is an exciting time. It’s easy to get carried away and fall into the trap of consumerism. You want the very best for your child, but the very best also means that you, as parents, are financially responsible parents too.

When you announce that you are expecting your first child, everyone you meet, especially people who already have children, become very supportive. You’ll need all the help you can get. Accept it graciously. It takes a village.

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Renee originally posted this early last month. She’s added several new locations to the map since then. Keep your eyes peeled and shout out in the comments below if you find more!

I highlighted a few of our favorite bloggers over at ReneeAndElliott.com. Some of our friends are a little slow getting on board with Web 2.0. This list here is parent-centric. Long-time readers may recognize that some of these are recent additions to the Blogroll.

Parent Hacks – Asha Dornfest

Parent Hacks. I hack my kids. Do you? You should too. Asha has really built a sense of community on her site. She’s got plenty of great hacks of her own to share and readers are encouraged to submit their own hacks. It’s a daily read for me.

Metro Dad – Poppycock from a Cocky Pop

MetroDad is brutally honest and forthright. He doesn’t post daily, but when he does, it’s always entertaining. If you’re offended by the occasional (or frequent) F-bombs, then proceed with caution. I get a little sneak preview of what my little one might be like 3 years from now. I hope he doesn’t mind that I’ve branded him as “The F-Bomb Dad.”

Thingamababy

Thingamababy makes me feel good when I read it. AJ, the writer, takes the high road with product reviews. He doesn’t take kickbacks from affiliate programs and writes extensively on products that he really uses. Occasionally, he’ll highlight cool things he’s seen online, but the true value comes from the real-life use perspective. Hooray for investing in some graphic design for the blog header.

Shooting The Kids

Amy and Chris Frazier bring us Shooting The Kids. They have great tips and tricks for everyone, regardless of what camera you own. This is a topic I just started covering myself. There’s room for both of us in the blogosphere but my kid is cuter. Amy is a fellow Nikon DSLR shooter. Yay!

Rice Daddies and Kimchi Mamas

The Rice Daddies (and the Kimchi Mamas) are helping me reconnect with my Asian heritage. When the Korean population in my house increased by 0.5 people, I took notice. The Little One will want to know about where she came from. The whitewash is starting to wear off a little.

Baby Cheapskate

Being a parent means you’re watching your finances more closely. Baby Cheapskate is a one-stop shop for finding amazing bargains, coupons and deals.

Daddy Types

Can’t mention the Yin of Baby Cheapskate without the Yang of DaddyTypes. DT is like the Gizmodo of parenting. I had no idea you could spend $6000 on a crib.

Renee over at 21st Century Parenting put together this wonderful map with a little help from Google. It was something I had planned on implementing, but why duplicate the efforts? Renee decided that she couldn’t simply copy someone else’s idea. Her map is annotated even further.

“Dad 2.0″ is here to stay. We do everything but breastfeed. Despite this, I suspect the ladies’ room changing table gets more use and abuse than the ones in the men’s room. The men’s room changing table may be in better shape germ-wise.

The lack of a changing table is highlighted even further by the family-friendly image an establishment tries portray. If a business wants to be family-friendly, then make it family-friendly. Cheap food and a kid’s menu aren’t the only qualifications here. A changing table goes a long way. Bravo if the men’s room is so equipped. Thoughtful placement of the changing table goes even further. You win even more points with me if you have family-friendly policies for your employees.

Stop by 21st Century Parenting and leave a comment. Let us know how your favorite hangouts fare.

If this information is useful to you, please make a donation.

21st Century Parenting is my wife’s blog. There is some topic overlap, but with more of a natural childbirth, attachment parenting, and baby wearing bias to it.

As a longtime member of Toastmasters, I’m a firm believer in developing your communication skills. That importance is highlighted when you have a teenager in the house. Teenage boys place higher priorities on other things. Communication skills just aren’t on their radar. You can prevent them from taking poor communication skills into adulthood by starting now.

Read the article.

If you find the information in these pages helpful, please make a donation.

Parent Hacks a collaborative effort of multiple contributors plus a ton of contributions from readers. There are hacks for infants all the way up to those 20-somethings who still live at home. It’s broken down even further by topics of interest such as potty training, toys, behavior, etc.

Graphic designer is one of the many hats I wear, so I appreciate the effort was taken to really brand their site with something clever like the “Swiss Army Knife.” The tips contained within their expansive archive are equally clever. We recently tried out the homemade baby wipes to great success.

I have my own series on hacks too, but any help is appreciated. In a web2.0 world, it’s all about information and easy access to it.

Go check it out. There’s tons of useful stuff on Parent Hacks.

If you find this information helpful, please help me continue helping others.

The Freecycle Network is a non-profit organization based in Arizona. The mission of The Freecycle Network (or TFN) is to keep usable goods from finding their way into landfills. You can rid yourself of unwanted items and reduce clutter in your own home. Items you desire can be had for free.

It’s really simple to sign up:

1. Search Yahoo Groups for a Freecycle or Freesource group near you.
2. If you are not signed up with Yahoo, sign up. It’s free.
3. Wait for the moderator to approve you.
4. Each group’s policies are different. Generally, you post an offer before you post a “wanted.” You also offer an item before you claim one.

Here is the procedure for offering items:

1. Send a message to the Freesource (or Freecycle) group on Yahoo. You can do this via email or on the Yahoo Group’s homepage. Policies differ, but you generally put “OFFER: <insert item here>” in the subject line.
2. Write a brief description of the item.
3. Include your general location, such as the intersection of two main roads.
4. Watch your email.
5. Make contact with the person claiming the item. I generally do first-come-first-serve.
6. If you cannot connect with the first person, offer it to the next person who replied to your post.
7. Make arrangements for the person to pick up the item. Sometimes you can leave the item on your front porch with a note.
8. After the item is picked up, post to the Yahoo Group, “TAKEN: <item>”

Here is how you claim an item you want:

1. If you see an item you want, reply to the person directly. Most people do first-come-first serve.
2. Make arrangements with the person offering the item and pick it up. That’s it. It’s so simple, a caveman can do it!

You can also post “WANTEDs” to the list. Consult the guidelines of your particular group.

Some of the great items we’ve gotten from Freecycle:

• Barbecue grill
• Baby clothes, toys, other necessary items
• Baby Björn baby carrier
• Maya Wrap baby carrier
• A set of dining room chairs
• Several great books

Some of the great items we’ve given away:

• Cell phones
• CD player boom boxes
• Dinnerware
• Dining room chairs (replaced by the ones we got)
• Computer desks
• Computer parts and accessories
• Office chair
• Cordless electric screwdriver set
• Office supplies
• Books
• Computer equipment
• Cleaning supplies
• Clothing

You also meet great people. I have made friends and business contacts by engaging in “freecycling.” Everyone I’ve met is friendly and genuinely appreciative when you offer the item. When the item is for a child, it makes you feel even better.

Can’t you just donate the items to a charity or a thrift store? Of course you can, but the positive impact is in your face when you offer an item someone really needs or wants. It’s a win-win scenario, whether you are claiming an item or offering it. If the item goes unclaimed, you can exercise the Goodwill or Salvation Army option.

Find a group

• Freesource Yahoo Groups
• Freecycle Yahoo Groups
• The Freecycle Network homepage

This site is free and so is Freesource. However, if you find the information in these pages helpful, please make a donation.

At 5am on Friday morning, I was happily asleep. I have never been out shopping on the day after Thanksgiving, and I don’t plan on braving crowds like that without a really good reason (like a Dream Theater concert). I avoid crowds whenever I can. The closest I ever got to a Black Friday shopping experience was through my friend Val.

A few years ago, Val was drawn out by the $99 deal on the digital camera she had been wanting. This was enough to lure her to the Target parking lot at 5am. She reported that several shoppers do this every year! Every year?!!?!?!?!!??! Retailers are always doing plenty to feed this by conjuring better deals and opening earlier and earlier.

It is becoming an American tradition. People are lined up as if they are about to start a race. This is just another brand of rush for a particular type of adrenaline junkie. Perhaps it’s the promise of unadvertised deals on Black Friday that keep people coming back year after year.

E-Commerce To The Rescue

I often retreat from retail during the month of December. If I want to buy something, I’ll buy it online.

Shopping online has transformed our lives. It’s easy, safe, and convenient. We have access to just about anything we would want and at great prices too. E-commerce has changed our lives and I’m sure it has changed yours:

• It saves you time – Ever think about how much time it takes to go to the store? You will be as shocked as I was when I discovered that it takes 40 minutes just to buy a stick of butter at the grocery store.
• It saves you money – Shopping online saves you money. In many cases, you don’t pay sales tax. You don’t use gas to go to the store.
• It’s safe – credit card information is encrypted online. It’s far less likely that a human will see your credit card number when you shop online. There is actually a bigger risk when you whip your card out at the store. The holiday shopping season also sees an increase in retail crime.

What About Shipping Costs?

Shipping costs are negligible when compared to your time. Shipping is often a point of contention, especially if the shipping costs approach or even exceed the cost of the item, or if the item is shipped locally. Shipping is cheaper than you think.

The cost of shipping is recouped by the deals you can score by shopping online, not paying sales tax (most of the time), and saving yourself a trip to the store. Every time you start your car, it costs money. It takes a significant chunk of time to go to a retail store locally. There’s more to it than the round-trip time. You have to park, walk into the store, find the item, check out, and walk back to your car. It took me 40 minutes to buy a stick of butter once. The supermarket is a mile from my house. You’ll save even more time by avoiding holiday crowds.

If you shop on Amazon, you can sign up for Amazon Prime. For $79 a year, you get unlimited free 2-day shipping on most items. Upgrading to overnight shipping is only an additional $3.99!

Shop Online

At our my blog, Renee And Elliott, we’ve set up a Shopping page just for you. When you shop at our partners’ sites, it doesn’t cost you an extra penny and it helps us out. You might even save money, or something more valuable, like your time.