Critter Keeper {Birthday Week Giveaway}

So, today is the last day of my Birthday Week giveaways, and ya’ll….it has been fun!  I’ve loved sharing the week with you.   Introducing you all to these phenomenal people and artists I’ve featured this week has been just the most fun!

I met Randy, the Critter Keeper, recently at a friend of ours’ son’s birthday party. Ya’ll….this was THE MOST FUN boy birthday party I have attended to date. (I’m sorry to all the incredible moms of other boy birthday parties we have been to.  Yours were fun, but this one was seriously, incredibly cool.  I’m even confessing I liked it more than parties I’ve done for my own kids.  So there…does that make you feel better?)

Randy has a knack for critters.  In my world, most of these critters of Randy’s belong in the “no way in hell that’s coming into my house” category.  But Randy brings them into your house….or your yard….and kinda makes you like them.  Now, I’m still having a few night terrors about roaches the size of a newborn baby’s foot, and watching my son holding a scorpion, but by the same token, I have found myself feeling kinda proud of the fact that I held a snake so large that when it squeezed my hand backwards, it hurt for the next 30 minutes.  Yes friends….I totally was chosen as the adult helper, and I got to hold the bulk of a yellow Burmese Python named Julius Squeezer.  Julius did squeeze…and even as I type, I’m feeling a bit of glee at recollecting my own general awesomeness to hold and to be sore from holding a snake this hard core! (PS. You’ll have to forgive that the pictures I have are totally cruddy….I didn’t realize we were going to a party that would be this cool, so all I had was my camera on my non-iphone phone.)

The official write-up about it says this….

The Critter Keeper provides memorable entertainment, education, and reinforcement of traditional values to children of all ages through “bug”-themed birthday parties, classroom presentations, and other venues where children can be introduced to critters. Kids love meeting Julius and Cleo, the albino Burmese python and boa constrictor; Flash and/or Skid, the iguanas; Mr. Beasley, the large Australian Bearded Dragon; Clyde, the Savannah Monitor; Rosy, the Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula, as well as other reptiles and arthropods from all over the world. Entertaining and exciting, surprising and sometimes a little scary, the Critter Keeper will captivate your children with interesting facts, entertaining stories, appropriate life applications, and of course, all his critter sidekicks.

Look at the kids’ faces above!  I know it’s a bad picture, but seriously, you can tell how engaged they are!  Let me just say this…

It was SOOO Fun!

All of us moms and dads there were just as captivated as the kids by Randy’s hilarious tricks and fascinating creatures.  I learned things I didn’t know before.  He taught us about snakes (did you know that on their markings if “red touches yellow it will kill a fellow?!),”  showed us bugs the size of your hand (which have been the source of my own personal eww-factor), as well as entertain the kids with magic tricks and general funness!  I watched almost all of the kids overcome their fears and hold scorpions, snakes, and even pet a hedgehog.  And then….I earned serious cool factor with my own kids as the grown up Python holder.  I AM AWESOME!  I hold pythons!

I just had to share about the Critter Keeper with ya’ll!  I realize that this giveaway isn’t going to work for you if you don’t live in Upstate SC, because Randy only does shows in the Upstate (think Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson metro areas.)  Honestly though, I just personally had such fun at this party, my kids had a blast, and it’s so much different than anything I’ve been to before as well.  I think it’d even be fun to have a bunch of families pitch in and have Randy come for a super special surprise for your kids and a bunch of their friends too!  Normally, to book a party with the Critter Keeper is around $250.  He spends a solid hour entertaining and teaching, has time for kids to pet and touch a lot of the animals, and also spends some private family time before the party with the birthday boy or girl (so they can investigate the critters a little more closely before the festivities begin.)

Randy has agreed to give away 1 party to a lucky Life for Dessert winner at a hugely discounted rate!  Instead of $250, he’s allowing me to give a party away for just $125!  50% off of the regular price.  Now, I realize all of you like winning something completely free and clear, but Randy has to feed and care for these animals, and transporting them is no small feat either.  It’s a big deal to haul all these guys around and to put on the incredible show that he does!  You will LOVE the Critter Keeper…and $125 is a steal for this fabulous show!  Enter to win below!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS.  The winner from the Rustic Elegance giveaway is Taryn Jones!  Congratulations Taryn!  Looks like you need to figure out a space to put the Salvage Chic Message Board that you loved!!

Also, I’ll be announcing the Red Letter Words and Critter Keeper giveaway winners on Tuesday.  Ya’ll all have a happy Labor Day holiday weekend!