Perhaps you’ve envisioned yourself as a mother ever since you dressed and cuddled your dolls. Or maybe you never really pictured motherhood until you got that positive test result or received word that your baby would finally be coming home to you. Even if you’re not a mother yet, or you never will be, you’ve had a mother of your own or a motherly figure in your life. Paint for us your portrait of a mother.

Microsoft is celebrating motherhood and Mother’s Day with a “Portraits of Mom” campaign that runs from April 19-May 11, 2008, and we’re helping them spread the word.

Not only can you visit a neighborhood Windows Live Portrait Studio in San Francisco or Brooklyn where you’ll be treated to a free professional family photo that you can edit and share with your friends and family, there are lots of fun activities for moms and children happening live in the studios throughout the promotion. Stop by the photo studio or send an email to learn more details - sfstudio@portraitsofmom.com or nystudio@portraitsofmom.com

If you can’t make it to the studio in person, you can still honor your mom by submitting a photo from your Windows Live Space and invite your friends to vote for it and win prizes that every mom will enjoy! It’s simple and fun way to show your mom some love and appreciation.

For more info you can check out all the details at www.portraitsofmom.com.

Here’s how to participate:

Write a post on your blog describing your portrait of a mother. Post anytime this weekend - Friday, April 25 through Sunday, April 27 and include links to http://www.portraitsofmom.com and http://blog.parentbloggers.com.

Make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up right here all weekend long - so give your post a creative title!

What can you win?

A $250 gift certificate to your local photography studio of choice! Just tell us where you want to go, and we’ll get you set up.

And of course we encourage you to enter “Portraits of Mom” yourself!

From killing spiders to mowing the lawn, and from fixing leaky faucets to changing tires, there are a lot of tasks that women often prefer to leave up to the men in their lives. But that doesn’t mean we have to!

There’s certainly no reason why women can’t be self-reliant where it comes to vehicle maintenance. This week, we’ve teamed up with Ask Patty, the premier automotive web site for women, to promote their new feature - MyCarPage.

By registering your vehicle on MyCarPage at Ask Patty, you can have your own personalized web page for your car, truck, or SUV. MyCarPage provides automatic service reminder and recall emails, vehicle resale values, service histories, access to local gas prices, DMV information, online service appointments, sales and service specials, traffic reports, car clubs, maps, directions and more.

Maybe you’re still learning how to check your oil, but we’re sure there are plenty of other traditionally male pursuits in which you excel. Tell us about it!

Here’s how to participate:

Write a post on your blog telling us what you can do just as well as any man out there. Post anytime this weekend - today, April 11 to Sunday, April 13 and include links to http://www.askpatty.com/mycarpage.php and http://blog.parentbloggers.com

Make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up right here all weekend long. Give your post a creative title so that it stands out!

What can you win?

We’ve got thirteen CarMD handheld testers (valued at $90 each) to give away! These handy devices plug into a port on your dashboard and check the status of your vehicle’s computer system, telling you exactly what’s working - and what’s not - with your car. Pretty nifty gadget for both men and women!

Don’t forget this Friday’s Blog Blast, sponsored by Discovery Health and their new series “Deliver Me”. We want to hear your truth: What is it about pregnancy, parenting, and motherhood in general that only a girlfriend will tell you? Tell us what you wished you knew before becoming a mom.

Just write a post on the truth about motherhood on your blog anytime this weekend - Friday, March 28 to Sunday, March 30 and include links to: http://discoveryhealth.clinicahealth.com/comments.pl?sid=08/03/25/1130242 and http://blog.parentbloggers.com. Send a link to your blog post to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up here all weekend long. Plus you’ll be entered to win a Discovery Health diaper bag filled with a ton of goodies!

TBE topic coming this weekend, meanwhile, do this Blog Blast!

No matter how old they are, kids require a lot of gear. From bouncers to bikes, and from highchairs to hockey skates, all of these items can really add up over the years. Wouldn’t it make more sense - economically and ecologically - to share those items that our kids have outgrown?

We’re teaming up with Zwaggle, an online community of socially responsible parents - just like you - who want to do their share to give back to other parents, their kids and the environment. At Zwaggle, parents get what they want and get rid of what they no longer need, all while saving time, money - and the most important thing of all - resources. Simple, safe and secure, Zwaggle makes sharing with neighbors across the street or across the country easier and more effective than ever before. Share, shop and learn more at zwaggle.com.

Here’s how to participate:

Tell us how you’re saving, sharing, and simplifying. Just write a post on your blog anytime today, March 14 (by midnight PST) and include links to: http://www.zwaggle.com/request-invitation.php?code=ZPBN and http://blog.parentbloggers.com.

Everyone (including you!) who signs up for Zwaggle with this invitation link (http://www.zwaggle.com/request-invitation.php?code=ZPBN) will get extra Zwaggle points - or zoints - to use toward their first Zwaggle transaction.

Make sure to send your blog post link to parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll round them up right here!

What can you win?

We’ve got two $50 gift cards to giggle and two $50 gift cards to Patagonia, so we’ll choose four winners at random.

And remember, everyone who signs up for Zwaggle via this link - http://www.zwaggle.com/request-invitation.php?code=ZPBN - will earn bonus zoints!

One of the best parts of parenting is being able to engage in activities with your kids that you did as a child. Perhaps it was sharing a favorite movie, beloved book, or memorable song. Regardless of the chosen activity, it’s a wonderful opportunity to share your childhood memories with your kids while creating new memories with them!

For today’s Blog Blast, we’re teaming up with Highlights Magazine (now celebrating 60 years - can you believe it?) and their new publication for ages 2-6, High Five. We want you to talk about things you used to do as children that you are engaging in with your kids now. Be it books, songs, activities, sports, crafts, hobbies, or even Highlights magazine, we’d love to hear your experience with bringing your own kid loves to your kids.

Here’s how to participate:

1) Write a post on your blog about your favorite childhood activities that you’re sharing with your kids - anytime before midnight PST today, March 7.

2) Make sure to link Highlights High Five - http://www.highlights.com/highfive and PBN - http://blog.parentbloggers.com in your post.

3) Email us the link to your post (parentbloggers@gmail.com) and we’ll be rounding them up all day, right here on this post.

We’ll pick five posts at random to receive a free year subscription to either Highlights or High Five. Your choice!

Check out all the posts below about what these parents are sharing with their kids! And read below (and here) to see what our bloggers have said about High Five Magazine!

So often, parents hear where their kids are lacking, what they need to work on, and what changes they need to make. Well, we think it’s high time that we get a chance to tell the world about how great our kids really are without feeling bad for trying to show up other parents.

So, we’re asking you to get out your brag books and tell us all about the wonderful, fantastic, and brilliant things your kids can do.

We’re collaborating with author Jenifer Fox to promote her new book Your Child’s Strengths, a book that will give parents the tools to help their children discover strengths in three main areas: Activity Strengths, the tasks that make you feel engaged and energized; Relationship Strengths, the things you do for and with others that make you feel valued and competent; and Learning Strengths, the unique ways we approach and understand new information.

Pairing inspiring and funny stories with practical workbook tools this much-needed book is a user-friendly guide for parents that will improve individual performance and an indispensable road map for young people and society to a future that plays to strengths.

To participate in this Blog Blast, simply write a post on Friday, 2/29 (by Midnight PST) and tell us all about your own child(ren)’s strengths (how easy is that?!)

Make sure to link http://blog.parentbloggers.com as well as http://www.jeniferfox.com somewhere in your post (be creative!).

Send the link to your post to us at parentbloggers@gmail.com and we’ll link your post on our blog.

Two randomly picked winners will receive the following –

- Autographed book “Your Child’s Strengths”
- Choice of tee from Emotional Armor (www.emotionalarmor.com) — fantastic positive message tees
- $50 Amazon Gift Certificate