Today is 9/9/09, a date that has people planning their weddings and hoping their babies will arrive at 9:09 pm on the dot. But if you aren’t planning a big life event around this special day, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate with your family! Read on for some ideas that will have you dressed to the nines, singing “99 Bottles of Coke on the Wall” and feeling as happy as a cat with nine lives.

1. See “9,” the latest animated film from Tim Burton about nine cute little robots trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
2. If it’s your 9th or 99th birthday, you can get a free $25 gift card from Domino’s Pizza.
3. Join a few notable Republicans and log in to Twitter at 9pm EST to join the “largest Twitter tea party ever.”
4. Send a summary of your day to “A Day on the Planet,” a project designed to capture the diversity of the planet by collecting stories that take place on this one day from all over the globe.
5. Do some of these fun 9/9/09 lessons with your elementary school-aged kids.
6. Make a wish at 9:09 pm.
7. Watch Manny Ramirez (number 99!) play with the Dodgers against Arizona tonight.
8. Bake cookies in the shape of this number 9 cookie cutter.
9. Leave the little ones at home and head out for a 9 course meal at delicious restaurants like Napa’s French Laundry.

Mom Talk Contributor, Susan, talks about some of her favorite meal-time solutions …

As many of my fellow Tiny Prints staffers know, my 15 month old daughter is now able to tell us she’s done eating. No, not by signing “all done” as I have taught her. No, that would be too easy. Instead, she uses her chubby little arm and in one sweeping motion transfers all of the food from her highchair tray onto the floor. And as if that weren’t enough, she follows that up with a sippy cup right to the hardwood floor.

I know there’s not much we can do about this since she’s exploring and learning how to feed herself.  In fact, she’s pretty insistent now on “feeding” herself from a bowl and “using” a spoon, which makes mealtimes even messier than before.

Since I can’t do much except be patient and remember to be consistent about teaching her table manners, I thought I’d share some of the great little gadgets I am currently using to try to keep the messes to a minimum:

• Prevent flying sippy cups and protect your hardwood floors with this Booginhead SippiGrip Cup Tether. We use it for bottles and toys and works great on the stroller and in restaurants, too.

• We use this Oversized Spill Mat to catch food and spills. The smooth plastic material makes it really easy to wipe up messes and once a week we shake it out and hose it down in the backyard for a deep cleaning.

• These Stay-Put Suction Bowls are a lifesaver when your baby insists on feeding himself or herself from a bowl. Notice in the photo below how the bowl stays put while the food ends up all over Baby D!

• When traveling, we use these Disposable Stick-on Placemats to 1) make sure baby D has a clean surface to eat from and more importantly 2) make sure she doesn’t leave a sticky mess on the restaurant table!

• Last but not least, for the messes that are bound to happen, my husband swears by the Bona Hardwood Floor Care System. It keeps our hardwood floors clean and shiny, even around the highchair area.

If you have any tips on how to keep mealtime messes to a minimum, please share them with us!

With long days, warm weather and lots of sunshine, summer is one of the best seasons to hit the pavement in search of your personal fitness goals.

If you need a little motivation to get back into your running routine, kickboxing classes or yoga practice, I think there’s nothing wrong with splurging on the right fitness equipment to help you achieve your goals. Check out some of these fun fitness finds to get started now!

BOBgear Running Stroller

Running moms know that BOBgear is the way to go when it comes to workout-ready strollers.

Nike + iPod

I love this workout tool. You attach a tiny receiver to your iPod, which connects to a chip in your Nike+ shoes. It allows you to track your runs on Nike.com, set goals for yourself (and meet them!), see how many calories you’ve torched and participate in an online community of runners. I particularly love my little Nike+ Mini, who helps keep me motivated by dancing around (or absentmindedly playing paddle ball) in conjunction with how much I workout.

SIGG Water Bottles

Eco-friendly, and super cute, too!

Nike Workout Gear

I love their bright colors and fun prints. Plus, Nike Dri-FIT is a blessing during the hottest summer months!

Stretching Tips from Self Magazine

Don’t forget how important it is to stretch! Self Magazine makes it easy with a ton of free online resources.

Soleo Organic & Natural Sunblock

Even the best bikini body isn’t worth it if getting there means wrinkles, sun spots and increased chances of skin cancer. Lather up with organic sunblock first to avoid unnecessary damage!