Managing the MotherLoad by Jennifer Applin

Book Review: Healthy Child Healthy World

I have a new favorite color...GREEN!

When I first heard that MotherTalk was hosting a blog tour for Healthy Child Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan I knew this was a book I'd like to review. One of my goals this year is to form better habits that help us minimize our carbon footprint. The problem is that I've been confused with the tidbits of enviromental info I've heard and I needed more of a concrete guide to green living. With Healthy Child Healthy World that is what I got...and so much more!

I knew this book was about "green living" but I mistakenly assumed most of the information would center around our enviroment in a global sense. I wasn't prepared for so much of it to hit home-quite literally! Here I was hoping to learn about steps to take to make the world cleaner and safer. Little did I know that I'd learn so much about making our immediate environment (our home) cleaner, greener and safer and how that can directly affect us. 

The book is divided up in chapters discussing the various aspects of our everyday environment such as cleaning products, the foods we eat, caring for our lawns, the beauty products we use, and the purchases we make for our children like toys and clothes. Although parents and parents-to-be will benefit the most from this book, anyone who cares about the toxins in their home will get something out it.

One of the things I love best about this book is the way the material is presented. An item is evaluated (such as nail polish, car seats, cleaning products, or regular milk), an explanation is given regarding the potentially harmful enviromental factors, and then simple solutions or alternatives are suggested. You are left feeling aware, educated and empowered.

For me this book comes down to choices. We do have choices regarding the chemicals our families are exposed to. Gavigan is not an alarmist and does not come out and say that using typical cleaning products will directly result in devastating illnesses in our children. But what he does suggest is that there is so much that hasn't been tested, so why take that chance, especially when there are safe alternatives.

Also, when it comes to the solutions suggested in this book, such as buying organic food and using stainless steel water bottles, at first glance it may look like you'll blow your budget. This isn't the case if you also follow his other suggestions such as using cloth diapers, buying wooden toys that don't require batteries, and making your own cleaning products (he includes the recipes). When you implement these changes your spending simply shifts. Some things will cost your more, others will cost you less. It pretty much all evens out.

The book also features contributions from celebrities including Kate Hudson, Tom Hanks, Keri Russell, Brooke Shields, Courteney Cox, and Tobey Maguire. Some reviewers found this distracting, but I liked it. To me they are just examples of concerned parents trying to sift through the information like the rest of us and make they best choices they can. They acknowledged that it's a struggle at times to make the necessary changes, but even baby steps help and we all need to just do the best we can.

To say that this book is life-changing is an understatment. I immediately started making changes and will continue to blog about these under the catergory Green Living Mother here on this blog. I have been telling my friends and family about this book and naturally they ask to borrow it. Sorry, no can do! This book is not leaving my house. They'll just have to buy their own copy, or maybe I'll just buy it for them. Yes, it's that important!

To read other reviews of Healthy Child Healthy World check out the MotherTalk Blog Tour. To learn more about the Healthy Child Healthy World nonprofit organization check out their website at healthychild.org. 

DVD Review: Disney Princess Enchanted Tales

photo from Amazon.com

I was recently sent the Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams DVD to review. I've been a big fan of Disney movies for many years and my kids are definitely following suit. I'll admit, though, that sometimes the spin-offs involving the same characters haven't been as good as the original movie. So I was a bit skeptical about this one.

Well it turns out to be a hit in my family :-) The DVD is really two separate tales in one. There is a story about Princess Aurora (my daughter's favorite) and a different one involving Princess Jasmine. With a total running time of 56 minutes the movie isn't long and has a "simple" feel to it. One of my favorite aspects is the slower pace of the storyline. I think this really helped my children focus on the good character-building messages (trust in yourself, the importance of hard work, and never giving up), which is what I liked best about the movie. My kids enjoyed seeing more of their favorite characters and the fun new songs. Their only complaint was that they wanted to watch more stories that involved the other Disney Princesses too. I explained that there may be more DVDs coming out with the other princesses later and they were satisfied with that answer.

So the Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams DVD has been added to our collection of favorites and I'm sure will be viewed many times in the years to come.

MotherTalk's new feature

I'm a big fan of MotherTalk and they have some fun new features for 2008! Those same great books that the bloggers review now have an interactive online book club to go along with it so readers and writers can really connect :-)

With MotherTalk you can:

-check out the many blogger reviews collected in a nice and neat central location. With a few simple clicks of your mouse you can read what others are saying about the book (and check out some new blogs in the process).

-read useful background information on the book, interviews with the author, etc. The staff at MotherTalk really helps you get the inside scoop.

-feel confident that reading the book will be a risk-free investment of your time and money because you'll be "armed" with all of this helpful info.

-complete your reading adventure by participating in the online book club. No need to coordinate a babysitter and work around the schedule of others. Simply poor yourself a cup of coffee and participate in the book club when it works for you.

Later this week I'll be contributing to the MotherTalk book club discussion on Kelly Corrigan's memoir The Middle Place and posting my own review of the book here on my blog :-) 

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

I recently finished A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and I LOVED it! In all honesty I have a tendency to read more nonfiction these days. That's not to say that I don't like novels, it's just that what little time I do have to read I usually spend it reading books about how to keep your potty-training son from putting his head in the toilet (as a side note there is no book like this, but I could now write one!). So reading Hosseini's book reminded me of all of the great reasons I need to make time for novels.

First of all I realized after reading this book that I really prefer novels that deal with different cultures or history. If a book is set in a different time or different place I'm immediately drawn to it (which makes sense since I initially planned on majoring in International Studies). A Thousand Splendid Suns does not disappoint in this area. I was often in awe over the fact that this sort of oppression was/is going on during my lifetime. It gave me a lot to think about and helped me put the minor annoyances of my life in perspective.

I also loved the pace of the book. I'm a big fan of short chapters. I feel a greater sense of accomplshment when I can say I read 10 chapters. Plus with shorter chapters I'm able to read more during the day with kids around. Even with the many interruptions I make progress because it's easier to stop and start again with short chapters.

Additionally the way the book was written was wonderful. I was constantly engaged! On a number of occasions I'd read a bit at night, tell myself one more chapter, and the next thing I knew it was 2 AM (three hours later)! The feeling of not wanting to put a book down was well worth the next day's sleep deprivation :-)

I'm now a big fan of Khaled Hosseini and I've definitely added his popular book, The Kite Runner, to my list of books to read in the near future. So if you haven't read A Thousand Splendid Suns, check it out!

Coming Soon....

I have a lot of new plans for this blog all set and ready to go for 2008. The new content includes:

-book reviews

-organization tips

-parenting advice

-suggestions for making time for yourself and others

-ideas for being charitable

-ways to live a faith-filled life

-Featured Resource Friday

Stay tuned....the new blogging format starts today :-)

Works For Me Wednesday: Diaper Bag Alternative

Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer hosts the Works For Me Wednesday carnival and here's my contribution:

With four young children I really don't have a free hand. Therefore lugging a big diaper bag containing supplies to meet all of their needs really is not an option. I think it was after child #2 that I wised up, got rid of the big diaper bag and came up with a different solution.

I now have a "keep-it-in-the-car-bin" that stays in the back of my van. It is a medium-sized under-the-bed type of storage container. Here are some of the items it holds:

• a few diapers
• wipes
• a change of clothes for each child
• a few disposable bibs
• sippy cups
• disposable cups
• snacks, water bottles
• a few books, matchbox cars, etc.
• swim diapers (yep even in the winter in case we make an impromptu visit to the YMCA)
• sunscreen
• first aid items
• a clean shirt for me

Now the clean shirt may sound odd, but it has come in handy. We were attending a baptism and at the luncheon afterwards my son (2 months at the time) had a diaper blow-out while I was holding him. Thankfully I was all set with a change of clothes for him AND a clean shirt for me, waiting in the back of the van. Of course the shirt didn't match my skirt, but it definitely beat the alternative!

In the spring and fall I bring the bin in the house, restock it, change out the outfits according to season, etc.

With this in the back of my van I rarely need to carry even my small diaper bag. I simply throw a baggie of wipes and a few diapers in my purse and head off to our destination; knowing that if there is any type of *emergency*, I have supplies waiting for me in the van :-)

Crazy Eights Meme

Christina at The Writer Mama tagged me for this Crazy Eights Meme. So here I go :-)

8 Things I'm Passionate About:

1. My children.

2. My husband.

3. A strong faith.

4. My family and friends.

5. My writing career.

6. My role as a wife and mother.

7. Living a life with integrity.

8. Finding some balance in life.

8 Things I Want to do Before I Die:

1. Watch my children grow up.

2. Have grandchildren (I hope my kids are on board with that ;-).

3. Travel a lot with my husband.

4. Write a book.

5. Get published in the "big" magazines.

6. Reach a point where I feel completely organized (a girl can dream, right?).

7. Feel strong, healthy and fit.

8. Build a house on my dream piece of property.

8 Things I Say Often:

1. The first and middle name of my daughter and oldest son when in trouble.

2. Didn't I just clean up this kitchen?

3. The nicknames of my 2-year-old and 17-month old.

4. Not tonight, honey, I'm tired. Honey, can you run some errands and take some kids with you?!?

5. Leave the cat alone!

6. What did I say? (replying to my children's insistent nagging)

7. Thank you (I must say it a lot because this has been one of the first words for all of my kids).

8. Mama loves you.

8 Books I've Read Recently (or am still reading):

1. The Department of Lost and Found by Allison Winn Scotch

2. The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey

3. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

4. The Renegade Writer by Diana Burrell and Linda Formichelli

5. The One-Minute Organizer Plain & Simple by Donna Smallin

6. Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely

7. 10-Minute Life Lessons for Kids by Jamie Miller

8. The Red Tent (again) by Anita Diamant

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over:

1. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

2. I Could Not Ask For More by Sara Evans

3. You Are Holy by Michael W. Smith

4. Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion

5. It is You by Newsboys

6. My Savior My God by Aaron Shust

7. Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks

8. When You Say Nothing at All by Alison Krauss & Union Station

8 Things that Attract Me to My Best Friends:

1. Their supportive attitude.

2. Their dedication.

3. Their sense of humor.

4. Their loyalty.

5. Their integrity.

6. Their acceptance.

7. Their values.

8. Their honesty.

8 People I Think Should do Crazy Eights:

I'm going to leave this part open to everyone. If you'd like to participate consider yourself tagged :-)

A Book A Week

There's no need to wait until Jan to start something new. I need to make reading for enjoyment a daily habit. So to help *push* me a little I'll be posting about it here :-) I'll feature a new book that I'm reading every week. Sometime the following week I'll do a brief review. There will be a mix of fiction and nonfiction. I'll have a running list of the book schedule in case you'd like to join me as I force myself to take more "me-time"! Also, recommendations are always welcome!!!

Below is the schedule for the next few weeks.

Nov 11: "Table for Eight: Raising a Large Family in a Small-Family World" by Meagan Francis

Nov 18: "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everthing Across Italy, India and Indonesia" by Elizabeth Gilbert

Nov 25: "Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You" by John MacArthur

Dec 2: "Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids" by Christina Katz (I've read this once, but the thing about books regarding a writing career is you can always learn even more by reading them again as your own career progresses.)

Dec 9: "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Dec 16: "Five-Star Families: Moving Yours From Good to Great" by Carol Kuykendall

Conscious Consumer Meme

Megan at Having Enough tagged me for this Conscious Consumer Meme (fun, fun!-I haven't done one of these yet :-) Here's the description:

Here’s how it works: post the directions on your blog, tell everyone who tagged you, answer the questions, and tag five or more people. That’s it! And if you want to grab the graphic to put on your blog as well, feel free.

The purpose of this meme is to inspire some reflection about how we shop and what we purchase. The idea isn’t that consumption itself is somehow bad, but that we all could probably stand to put a little bit more thought into what we buy. And, of course, it’s supposed to be fun.

So here goes! Pick a recent shopping trip — for clothes, shoes, groceries, doesn’t matter. The only guideline is that it will be easier to play if you purchased at least a few things.

Now tell us, about your purchases:

1. What are you proud of?
2. What are you embarrassed by?
3. What do think you couldn’t live without?
4. What did you most enjoy purchasing?
5. What were you most tempted by? (This last one may or may not be an actual purchase

Okay, I'm not much of a shopper, but I did recently purchase a bunch of items online at Kohls (I heart Kohls!) Now what is truly rare is that all of my purchases were for MOI! Ideally I would have actually gone into the store and spent a few hours browsing, trying clothes on and buying what I really wanted, but those hours weren't showing up in my schedule. So I took advantage of the 30% code, spent enough to get free shipping and stayed up late "shopping." Here's my take on my purchases once they arrived:

1. What are you proud of? I'm proud that I was being very selective about what I decided to keep. Even if it meant making the trip to return some items I wasn't going to keep it unless I really loved it and it fulfilled my purpose of updating my wardrobe to look nicer and get me out of yoga pants on a daily basis.

2. What are you embarrassed by? Actually it's the way some items fit now compared to my pre-birthing four babies figure. I really don't need to lose weight, but I'm definitely feeling the need to tone some areas. The only good thing is that this kept me from keeping all of my purchases and my little spending spree didn't cost as much.

3. What do you think you couldn't live without? I thought I couldn't live without this really cute long plaid wool skirt. Not something I would normally buy but I loved how it looked in the ad. This was also the most expensive item. But when it turned out that I wasn't as crazy about it in person (the colors didn't appear the same) and I wasn't thrilled with the shirt options, I was fine with "letting it go."

4. What did you most enjoy purchasing? There were three other skirts that fell in the "sure I'll stick it in the cart and check them out" category, but I LOVED them in person.

5. What were you most tempted by? (This last one may or may not be an actual purchase!) More yoga pants ;-) But I did good...well, okay, I did buy one microfleece set, but in a bargain with myself I did purge a few older similar items from my closet :-)

Okay, I tag: Sparkly Like a Holiday, Owlhaven, Ramblings of a SAHM, April Showers, Motherhood...and My Crazy Life

New Post up at Larger Families

I'm a contributor to the group blog at Larger Families. This is an informative, inspirational, and entertaining blog dedicated to those with more than the "average" number of children. The current topic is about some of our favorite resources (books, blogs, websites, etc). Here's A Few of My Favorite Reads.