I’m a full month late in posting this review, darn it. I don’t know what it is about the 4th quarter of the year always slipping by in the blink of an eye, but I suspect it has something to do with all those little kid cold germs and all the preparation for the holidays. Anyway. I’ve been remiss in sharing this, and I apologize for that.

My son and husband were lucky enough to sample a 400-piece K’Nex building set, courtesy of K’Nex and Team Mom We aren’t new to K’Nex. When Pablo was paired up with his full-time aide, Barb, she introduced him to the magic of K’Nex. Kids with autism often like to sit and work on something obsessively and with meticulous concentration, and K’Nex is perfect for this. They’re designed to work with the typical building sets you probably already have (the ones that rhyme with Eggo) but they are a thousand times better than those other building sets – you can make the most amazing things, and the design that allows the the itty bitty pieces to fit together is just…genius.

Here’s my boy checking out the big tub of K’Nex.

Um…just so you know, 400 pieces of K’Nex is not a lot. Many of the pieces are miniscule – smaller than a raisin – so don’t expect to buy this tub and have it appear anywhere near FULL when you open it. Have you ever opened a bag of potato chips and realized the bag was only about a third full? Well, the K’Nex tub is about one tenth full when you buy it. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll realize that you need a whole bunch more of these, and you’ll run right out to your nearest retailer to stock up. I think the K’Nex people are counting on that – fill up that tub, consumer! Or, use the extra room as a garage for your spiffy K’Nex truck.

Really, nothing makes my engineer husband happier than sitting down with the boy and building stuff. They sat like this for HOURS. Hours, I tell you. They made a few things shown in the big instruction booklet, but had even more fun making their own creations.

Huge thanks to K’Nex and Team Mom for letting us try these out. You can find this same product at Target, Walmart, and Toys ‘R Us for around $20.99.

I would have posted this sooner, but everyone in my house has been sick for days. You shouldn’t even be here – go wash your hands after you read this.

Anyway! The winner of the Glade basket has been selected, and I’m pleased to announce it here, almost a week late: it’s Comment #5, KIM! Yay, Kim!

I’ll be contacting you for your shipping address!

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Anne Marie of A Mama’s Rant hosted an intimate little event which was sponsored by Glade. It was so much fun. I’ve gone to lots of blogging events in the past, and while it’s always a blast to meet other local bloggers, it’s usually crowded and noisy and hard to hear what people are saying. This event wasn’t like that at all. We gathered at the fabulous Warwick Hotel in downtown Denver and enjoyed some great appetizers and drinks while we heard about the Glade Sense & Spray products. Here’s a little info about the Glade Sense & Spray – it’s pretty neat!

Glade® Sense & Spray™ is a smart air freshener that automatically freshens only when you need it, and the new Clear Springs™ scent is specially formulated to eliminate odors. Motion-activated Glade® Sense & Spray™ helps busy moms keep their home smelling fresh with the personalized fragrance they deserve, while conserving the refill and enjoying a value-conscious lifestyle.

Glade® Sense & Spray™ is available in six fragrances. The starter kit is offered in new Clear Springs™, Clean Linen™ and Apple Cinnamon, and refills are available in new Clear Springs™, new Hawaiian Breeze™, Clean Linen™, Apple Cinnamon, Powder Fresh® and Country Garden®. This innovative air freshener is available in the air-care aisle of most food, drug and mass-merchandise stores such as Target, Wal-Mart and many more.

We had a good time making up names for new Glade scents – somebody actually suggested bacon. Haha! My suggestion was, “Newborn baby head” although I’m not sure how they’d get that scent into the can. Everyone also had a blast making gift baskets, which contained a mug ready to decorate with markers, a chenille throw blanket, a jar of homemade cocoa mix, a satin sleep eye mask, and the Glade Sense & Spray. The blanket and the basket itself were provided by IKEA – they’re awesome! Each of us was able to make two baskets – one to bring home and one to give away to a reader. Yay! A giveaway! I’m actually giving both away. The one I brought home with me is going to make an awesome teacher gift for my favorite para. Hope she doesn’t read my blog, or it’ll spoil the surprise! (Surprise! Your house stinks! No, not really. But kind of funny, huh? Hee!)

Want to win the basket I created? Here it is. This is the EXACT BASKET you will receive, if you win this little contest!

Look closely, because my basket is extra special. I’ve already decorated the mug with Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba. Now you really want it, don’t you? Imagine sipping your coffee out of this darling mug!

Also, I agonized over the decision of which color throw to put in my giveaway basket. I loved the red throw and the green, but ultimately decided the green would be prettier in the giveaway basket. Yay, green blanket from IKEA. Yay, nice smelling bathroom. Yay, Yo Gabba Gabba inspired coffee mug! If you want this basket, I would love for you to have it. All you have to do is leave a comment on this very post. That’s it. You don’t need to Tweet about it, post about it, follow my RSS feed, or anything else. (Although you can if you want to! Share the love!) Comment as often as you’d like. One winner will be chosen at random on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. (That would be the 27th, if you’re keeping track.) The basket will be shipped to you directly, so you’ll need to provide me with a shipping address.

Please see review policy and contest rules linked at the top of this page for more info.

I’m kind of tired of keeping separate sites for my regular blog, LaLaGirl – Twinfinite Chaos, and this site, LaLaGirl Reviews. I’m about 98% certain I’m going to start posting reviews and contests and stuff on my regular blog. Sooooo. Just a heads up, I guess. (Because I’m sure you care! Yay!)