Doin' it in style

I love clothes. I love handbags. Shoes, not so much, but mostly because they don't like me very much. When I lost almost 50 pounds two years ago, I totally revamped my way of dressing. Gone were the schlumpy mom jeans, anything with an elastic waist that wasn't workout gear or pajamas, and the boxy oversized jackets. I felt good about myself and wanted to project myself in a way that reflected it to the world. Even still, I felt gripped with insecurities - does this look right, do I look stylish without appearing ridiculous?

So when Parent Bloggers Network asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing the new book, The Little Black Book of Style by Nina Garcia, I practically fainted at my desk. If you've been living under a rock, Nina is one of the judges on the popular Bravo show Project Runway, in addition to being the fashion director for Elle Magazine. Obviously, she knows what she's talking about. When my package arrived, I eagerly ripped open the envelope and dove straight in, eager to find out all of the deep, dark secrets about being a Person of Style.

What I found wasn't what I expected. What I expected was a diva-like list of Things You Cannot Live Without but Will Have to Sell Some Vital Organs to Afford. You know, like you must be kidding yourself if you think you can live one more minute without a Hermes Birkin bag.

What I got was a common-sense guide to style, with the most important tip being that being stylish is having confidence and presenting yourself to the world in a confident manner. It isn't about spending gobs of money on designer labels or expensive jewelry. It's taking basic pieces like a white shirt or a trench coat and turning them into a personal statement. Mixing things like some inexpensive earrings or a chunky necklace with a basic white shirt turns it into a Shirt as a Statement. A tailored tote bag is just as classic as an expensive designer handbag.

Garcia lists tips of what to wear for certain occasions (like it's not a great idea to wear fishnets and stilettos when meeting your boyfriend's parents) as well as her ten basic rules of style including a list of basic items that everyone should have in their closet. One of the most interesting parts of the book is how Garcia reviews the influence of film, music, and art on fashion. She also sprinkles the book with interesting quotes not just from fashionistas but also people as diverse as Einstein and Da Vinci - and it all ties together beautifully and makes it a really fun read.

If you are a fashionista or just someone who wants to ditch the mom jeans, you should definitely pick up a copy of The Little Black Book of Style. I think anyone could pick up at least a few good tips and inspirations from this book - and it's a good, fun read.

Just in Time - School Zone!

As I've mentioned ad nauseum over the past few weeks, Monkey Man started kindergarten yesterday. Like normal parents, we have obsessed over everything he's been bringing home from pre-K and wondering how he was going to fare in the public school system. Heck, we weren't even sure the kid could read anything - which was causing huge anxiety in our house.

Enter School Zone and their "Start to Read Level 1" kit and their "Kindergarten Magnetic Tin". And all I have to say is that it was just in the nick of time to keep me from having a nervous breakdown as well as giving my son the refresher that he needed before school started, since he was too busy in summer camp doing face painting and making blue goo to worry about silly things like spelling or reading.

School Zone is an award-winning educational company that has developed over 200 educational products for teachers and parents to use with students. What impressed me upon opening our package was the quality of the materials - everything is durable and well-constructed and will hold up to a lot of use. Not to mention that everything was portable - we have been hauling these all over the planet in a backpack and haven't lost a thing nor has anything gotten dinged-up, bent, or damaged in any way. Considering how hard we can be on things, that's pretty darn impressive.

The "Start to Read Level 1" book is geared to beginning readers. What you get is a large, hard-cover book that you open up to a bounty of fun. Two different stories - "Jog, Frog, Jog" and "I Want a Pet" are included - each has a book, a read-along CD with songs included, and then activities with each. The activities are on laminated pages and a wipe-off marker and eraser are included along with the pages. The laminated pages encourage reading comprehension, spelling, and other fun activities. Then, each story comes with a journal book with stickers, a pencil and a stencil. Monkey Man could not tear himself away from the journal - he carried it around with him for days and would add things to it now and then. Overall, it's a very complete package the likes of which I have never seen before - and to me would be a great gift for a kindergarten-age child or even for your own child!

The "Kindergarten Magnetic Tin" is a great concept. Included are small magnets with shapes, different items (like a saw, a baseball, etc.), letters and numbers. These can all be used with laminated activity cards. They also have magnetic animals to use to learn about animals but also colors since both sides are different colors. We used that a lot in restaurants this summer because not only can you use the cards, but you can also use the grid on the back of the tin to just do silly stuff like making patterns or even spelling out words or using numbers. Monkey Man really thought that was cool.

I was really impressed by School Zone's products and wouldn't hesitate to order more or recommend them to a friend. So, friends, stop by their site and check it out!

Holy cow...I mean two cows...it's Noah's Pals

My son Monkey Man loves animals. If he's not pretending to be an animal, watching a show about animals, or asking a thousand questions about animals, it's not a regular day. Don't even ask me about the two months that he pretended to be Baby Buffalo. Really.

Parent Bloggers Network asked me if I was interested in reviewing Noah's Pals and I hesitated. We're not religious people. It's not like we don't believe in God and the Bible and all that stuff, we just don't attend church except on special occasions. So I kind of wondered how Noah's Pals was going to be received in our house. We've read the story of Noah before (we might be worshippers at the Almighty House of the Waffle on Sundays but we do read to him out of a children's Bible) so I knew it wouldn't be a total unknown to him - but what exactly was this going to be like?

The night that the package arrived, Joey and I had a business dinner so Monkey Man's former teacher was going to babysit. Marie usually brings her son Austin with her - he is four years old and when he and Monkey Man get together, they have a total blast playing. So I let the boys tear into the boxes (praying all the while that they wouldn't lose anything before I had a chance to check things over).

It was like magic. They carefully opened the boxes, identified the animals, asked for their names (each pair of animals is given a set of names), and then played with them. And played with them. And played with them.

Noah's Pals, developed by Caboodle! Toys LLC, are designed to not only be realistic but also educational. The Noah's Ark set comes with an ark, Noah, and 40 sets of animals. The animals are divided into three categories - Common, Endangered, and Vulnerable. Caboodle! has made only 10,000 editions of the endangered animal pairs, and 20,000 editions of the vulnerable animal pairs.

Each pair comes with a laminated identification card, which describes the animal, its scientific name, the average stats (height, weight, length), their habitat, and where they are usually found. Each pair also comes with a unique identification number that can be logged onto the Noah's Pals website in order for you to create a virtual "boarding list" and track what you have purchased.

Personally, I was impressed with the quality of the animals. Each pair is individually hand-painted and created from sturdy PVC, and managed to withstand some pretty rough play from two boys. The detail is really amazing - one set that we received was the snow leopard, and they are just incredibly well done. Some of the animals are very small, like the doves that we received in our shipment; however, the toys are aimed for ages 4 and up so people with younger children should keep that in mind and perhaps save the smaller figures for when the kids get a little older.

Although it's called Noah's Pals, that is the only religious connotation associated with these toys. They are really an extensive collection of animals from all seven continents that any kids that love animals would enjoy playing with. They have barely gotten a rest at our house since the day they arrived, and have happily taken up residence along with the Power Rangers and Transformers. And Caboodle! Toys donates 5% of the net profits from the sales of Noah's Pals to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which just makes it a win-win for everyone. There's also a blog all about Noah's Pets too!

If you're looking for a great gift for the little animal lovers in your house, scoot on over to Amazon and pick up Noah's Pets for only$269 - that's a $30 savings over the regular price. Not to mention that once you collect all 40 sets of animals, you get a special reward called a "Caboodle" from the manufacturer which is a box of special, exclusive rewards. The animals, the ark, and Noah are also available for purchase separately. And if you want to read more reviews on Noah's Pets, stop by Parent Bloggers and check out what everyone else had to say!

When Parents Hurt

I looked at the email from ParentBloggers asking if I was interested in reviewing this book and thought, "Well, I'll sign up for this and maybe it'll be kind of interesting."

Interesting indeed.

As I've written on my main blog off and on for the last year, my family has a pretty strained relationship with my oldest brother Paul. There wasn't a culminating, tragic event - but a series of small incidents that all added up into an odd kind of estrangement with him. Finally, things came to a head recently after a family gathering which was ironically right around the time that I received the book in the mail. I dug right in.

When Parents Hurt by Dr. Joshua Coleman is based on personal experience. After experiencing a painful estrangement from his own daughter, he felt compelled to write a book to help parents cope with these situations. As he notes, there are no manuals to deal with the complex relationships between parents and their adult children, and he offers advice to parents to help them "get back on their feet" again after estrangements occur.

Dr. Coleman pointed out a few things that really hit the nail on the head with our family's situation. First of all, he discusses how siblings within a family can have a completely unique perspective of their parents and childhood. In our family, my dad is the warm and fuzzy type to three of us - always the great, loving father ready with a hug and a kind word. To my brother Paul, however, my father is nothing short than his own personal version of the father in The Great Santini. And see, I totally don't get that at all and neither do my other siblings. It doesn't mean, however, that my brother's viewpoint is invalid - it's his viewpoint and is unique based on his perception of their relationship.

Coleman also brings home the point that sometimes parents can be as loving, giving, and nurturing as possible to their children and the relationship still doesn't work. He encourages parents to not only have compassion toward their children and their pain, but also compassion for themselves - a wonderful concept in an age where society has turned so many people into self-flogging parents who second-guess every move they make in raising their children. He does a great job exploring the societal changes in childrearing over the years and how it affects our relationships with our grown children in this day and age.

The book offers a very good chapter titled "Where Did this Kid Come From?" which explores what Coleman calls "mismatches" between parent and child. For example, he gives advice on relationships between an authoritative parent and a sensitive child, or a depressed parent raising a very active child. I hadn't given much thought to the idea of being mismatched, but the explanations and tips he gives for these situations are well thought out and listed as "Strive to avoid" and "Strive to".

I could go on and on about this book, because I believe it's not only a must-read for people in strained relationships with either their own parents or with their grown children, but also for people raising children who would like to avoid the pitfalls that come later on when the kids are grown. I even found myself quoting from the book this week when discussing a friend's marriage troubles with her, because I believe that a lot of the principles that he discusses are good for all adult relationships - not just parent/child ones. Dr. Coleman does an excellent job delving into this topic with a candor and sensitivity that is a rare find in this genre of book.

When Parents Hurt is available on Amazon. And be sure to check out the podcast with Motherhood Uncensored's own Kristin as she discusses the book with Dr. Coleman...as usual, Kristin does a great job!

Finally, some alternatives - The 24-Hour Pharmacist

Two years ago when I shed almost 50 pounds, I started a new lifestyle of trying to take better care of myself. Yes, I became the dreaded "hi-may" type of person obsessed with exercise and looking and feeling better about myself. I've done the dreaded cleansing diets, I've popped vitamins, I've rubbed lotions and potions all over. And despite all of that, I'm always looking for the next best thing.

Enter The 24-Hour Pharmacist by Suzy Cohen, R.Ph. Ms. Cohen is the author of the syndicated column "Dear Pharmacist" and has compiled this incredible reference book focusing on personal health and well-being. Divided into sections - Above the Waist, Above the Neck, Below the Waist, And Everything In Between, it focuses on health issues like fatigue, insomnia, depression, libido, arthritis, and a multitude of other topics.

I immediately dove in and found a multitude of topics that I've dealt with over the years like cervical dysplasia, antibiotic overusage, weight loss, and skin revitalization. What I liked most about the book is not only does she discuss prescription drugs, but also non-prescription remedies that range from vitamins to "Suzy's Secrets from Behind the Counter" which are basically home remedies - for example, drinking rosemary tea to combat dandruff or seborrhea. She also includes warnings for drug interactions as well as consulting your physician when necessary. It's very, very thorough.

The book also contains a feature called "Finding Your Dream Doctor" which lists professional organizations that can refer you to a good doctor that meets your needs. Also, an extensive list of "drug muggers" which are medicines that rob you of essential nutrients from your body or cause other side effects like muscle pain or interfere with your sex drive. The book is capped off with a jam-packed Resources section that includes a recommended reading list, recommended CD's and DVD's, cosmetic and skin care resources, food resources, labs and testings, organizations, and a myriad of other useful resources.

Of course, you should consult your physician before taking any supplements, herbs, vitamins, or treatments - but The 24-Hour Pharmacist provides a healthy dose of alternative treatments that are worth discussing with your physician. There were so many little tidbits in the book that I had no idea about (like the symptoms of having low acid are amazingly similar to the symptoms of excess stomach acid that many times it is misdiagnosed) that it really opened my eyes to not always taking things at face value and exploring alternative treatments.

The 24-Hour Pharmacist is a great resource to keep on hand to tackle a myriad of problems. This book is available on either Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Want to win a $50 gift card to CVS? Stop on by Parent Bloggers and leave a comment on the kickoff post or the mid-campaign post in order to be entered for a chance to win! Then you can buy some of the cool stuff in the book!

Hey June, it's okay to cut yourself some slack

When Monkey Man was about 18 months old, I remember spending one night obsessing over making the perfect heart-shaped brownies for his preschool class, complete with lightly tinted pink frosting and a chocolate heart placed on top. Each one had to be perfect, you know...so perfect that I think most of the kids licked the frosting off and turned the rest of the brownie into microscopic crumbs that they're still probably trying to get out of the carpet in that classroom. Oops.

Then there was his Halloween party in the 3-year-old class, where I spent two hours making cupcakes that looked like spider webs complete with little piped-on spiders. Again, icing was a big hit and more crumbs. I hope they had a good vacuum cleaner handy.

So other than an obsession with baked goods, I consider these just a few small examples of my effort to be SuperMommy. Minus the cape, because capes make my butt look big. I never wanted to be a stay-at-home mom - it's not me, not my style. By the end of my maternity leave, I was climbing the walls and ready to tie some bedsheets together so I could get back in the trenches again. And I felt awful. Guilty. Ashamed. What mother drops her child off at daycare on her first day back to work and happily walks out the door on her way to work? Um, me.

So when I was asked by ParentBloggers if I would be interested in reviewing a book about parenting, I hesitated. I'm not a "self-help" book type of person. Heck, I barely touched the "What to Expect" book when I was pregnant. Then I read about this book and was instantly taken with the subject and practically fell over my desk trying to get to my email and request a copy.

Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box, by Ann Dunnewold, tackles the battles that many mothers face - we overschedule, overprotect, and overparent our kids to the point that we're doing ourselves a great disservice. Dunnewold explores the idea of being a "perfectly good parent"; you don't have to be perfect at everything, it's okay to cut yourself some slack and live by the mantra that what you are doing is "perfectly good." Yeah, you might not have spent two days making a life-sized donkey pinata for your child's class party, but spending that time on coloring with your kid or going to their T-ball game will mean a lot more to your kids in the long run.

Dunnewold also encourages parents to show emotion around their kids versus trying to mask everything and make life hunky-dory all the time. It's vital that our kids learn that you can be mad and still love someone. It's okay to be sad sometimes, because life has disappointments. And it's okay to celebrate the little victories in life, too. Learning how to cope with these emotions are life skills that our kids need to know in order to be happy, well-functioning people.

Another part of "June Cleaver" that I found helpful was the discussion about competitiveness among parents. Heck, I remember after Monkey Man's entrance exam for kindergarten I must have gotten ten phone calls from other parents in the class wanting to know what his score was. And that irritated me. Yes, he did extremely well, but I don't measure his success by a number - nor do I want him compared to other kids as being better or worse than they are. Dunnewold explores overparenting and how we drag our kids to a zillion clubs, sports practices, and other things with the hopes that this will make them successful people. In reality, her belief is that we should let kids make their choices about what they want to do and not force them into things in order to fulfill our own needs of making our dreams come true.

I found that a lot of my own parenting philosophies were already outlined in the book - and I appreciated having a little confirmation that some of the things I'm doing aren't going to make me a bad parent nor will they have Monkey Man destined for prison or whatever. So when I decided to buy pre-cut canteloupe from the grocery store salad bar last week for his "fruit tasting" at school, I didn't feel guilty about it at all. Not to mention that we got to read two really good books in the time it would've taken me to disembowel enough canteloupe for his class. And that, in my opinion, is how I would rather spend my time as a parent - and Monkey Man will remember storytime long after he forgets that Mommy didn't spend all night cutting up fruit.

I also want to echo what some of the other reviewers have said in that Dunnewold has a really great reading list in the appendix, and I plan on checking some of those books out too.

So if you are feeling overwhelmed by the whole parenting gig (and really, who isn't from time to time?), check out Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box. I promise, you'll feel a heck of a lot better if you do.

Boca Beth es magnifico!

When your five-year-old, who normally eschews all things requiring brain power at the end of his day in favor of Power Rangers, insists on watching an educational video while he's eating his dessert and develops a little bit of attitude when it's time for his bath instead of finishing the video, you know you're onto something.

This something is Boca Beth. Developed by educator Beth Butler, Boca Beth focuses on teaching children a second language in a way that's lighthearted and fun. I received a DVD called "I Like Animals/Me Gustan Animales", a CD filled with songs, a coloring book, a Boca puppet (that was immediately commandeered by Monkey Man), and a little mini-maraca (also stolen by him). It was like Christmas!

The DVD, which features Beth Butler as the narrator, isn't as slick as some kids' videos that are out there. But what it lacks in video wizardry, it makes up for in Beth's sheer enthusiasm for Spanish that shines through the entire DVD. And not only is she enthusiastic, but her voice is very pleasant and soothing. She talks about the animals in English and Spanish, along with subtitles at the bottom of the screen. I found this part of the video to be the easiest to follow along with. Interspersed throughout are songs, which are typical kid songs like "Five Little Monkeys" that are sung in English and Spanish, with some songs given new lyrics to teach new words. It's very cleverly done without being cheesy.

At the end of the video, there is an instructional session that Beth Butler does with a group of preschoolers and toddlers and their parents. While the group is genuinely enthusiastic (and the kids are absolutely a riot to watch as they are totally hooked at this point), the audio quality in this part of the video is pretty disappointing. The songs that she sings while using puppets and props have great promise, but it's hard to understand at points and perhaps either better sound engineering or some subtitles at the bottom would help a lot. Despite this, though, Beth's passion comes bursting through in her interaction with the kids and it's hard not to get caught up in the little class. Even Monkey Man was bopping along with the songs.

We listened to the CD in the car a few times - honestly, Monkey Man is way more visual so he liked the DVD a lot better. He has never been a big fan of children's CD's, much like his mom - if it's not Def Leppard, he's pretty much not into it very much. I thought the songs were very catchy and decided to try them out the other weekend when we had friends over that had younger children. They were dancing out in our driveway like a bunch of fiends, so I would say that despite Monkey Man's music issues, the CD is popular with most kids who don't get into headbanging. Ahem.

Monkey Man was totally enamored with Boca, the puppet that goes along with the set. He has carried Boca around quite a bit since he came into our life! And to go along with that, the coloring book features Boca and is just as good as a textbook in my opinion - each page has a word in Spanish and English, and we've gone through the coloring book a lot to not only color but to go over the words.

Boca Beth might not be as slickly produced as Baby Einstein videos are, but in my own opinion the educational value of the program is far superior. Beth Butler has done an excellent job presenting Spanish in a way that is not only appealing to a wide age range, but it's done in a way that's downright infectious. Not to mention that after watching the video myself, I probably learned more Spanish than I did in two years of college-level Spanish classes!

Check out Boca Beth - they have several other videos available as well as other products. You can purchase them at the Boca Beth website, or at Amazon.

Want to win some cool Boca Beth stuff? Stop by Parent Bloggers and leave a comment about Boca Beth, and you'll be eligible for a chance to win!