Who would have thought my inspiration to movewould arrive at my doorstep in a small box?

I was recently sent a digital fitness pedometer called Striiv, which I had heard about while at a BlogHer event hosted by my friends in the Blogging Angels a few months earlier, and I supposed I offered to be a early reviewer.  Now maybe now I wouldn’t just think about walking to my kids to school or taking the steps instead of the elevator into my doctor’s office. Now I would realize that even walking from one room to another burns calories, and that seeing the results in my hand on a device would actually inspire me, all with the help of a gadget you can git into the palm of your hand.  Using TruMotion technology based on an accelerometer and gyroscope, the gadget figures out whether you’re jogging, climbing stairs, dancing or doing some other type of exercise.  If you want to see what I’m talking about, watch this:

Striiv is challenging.  It inspires me to get up and move.  There are personal challenges, games and even donation opportunities based on how much exercise I get.  The more I move, the more I achieve.  I can play games and spend my points on trophies or badges (you have to see these to understand what I mean) and they push me to work harder.

But what I really like best about Striiv is that the more you walk or exercise, the device calculates your every move and donates to a charity on your behalf.  It’s very special. and very motivating.  Striiv, with the help of sponsors, has carefully chosen charities to donate to, including GlobalGiving which donates clean water to children in South America or a polio vaccine to children in India.

So, now when I am sitting at my desk, working or blogging, I sometimes still wear my gym clothes that I throw on when I work from home.  Only now, I grab my Striiv and head out the door, even if I have a short time period, feeling motivated to earn points to give back and shed some pounds. All while giving back.  How cool is that?

Striiv retails for $99 on the official Striiv website.

Disclosure: I was provided with a Striiv gadget to facilitate this review, but all opinions are my own.

This past Saturday I dragged my husband and kids into the city bright and early, not an easy feat in my house.  For one thing, my hubby is english and he likes to call home on Saturday mornings.  For another, my family just aren’t morning people, none of us really are.  On the weekends, we all like time to CHILL OUT.  But I was invited to what I thought was going to be quite a special event hosted by Disney and I was quite demanding that we get up and out.

And indeed it was worth the early trip in.  It was a an event hosted by the folks behind the new line of Cars 2 inspired toys, the new Disney/Pixar film.  The line is called Ridmakerz.  It’s a car set that kids can easily customize by collecting different cars and accessories.  There’s Lightning McQueen and his friends, Mater, Finn and Francesco, and they come with custom options as tires and wheels, blown engines and hood scoops, side pipes, spoilers and much more.

Built on RIDEMAKERZ’s patented customization system, each custom accessory is designed for easy interchangeability and maximum customization across all characters and across the entire line.   With additional accessories available, there are nearly endless customization options.  Kids can mix and match to create millions of combinations, tricking-out their favorite Cars 2 characters with snap on spoilers, tires, side pipes, rims and magnetic roof accessories, engines, hood scoops and repositionable decals.  My son has really embraced the line.   They make great additions to his play dates and he is really proud of his set of new, innovative cars. They each came in a box that is meant to be each car’s garage.  After my son uses them, he neatly places them back inside their respective garages.

I have to also add that this event was superbly run.  There was a table full of kid-friendly food, a full bar with kid’s drinks (i.e. juice boxes), lots of photo opportunities and the brand’s “ZEO” walked around and introduced himself to all of us. He answered questions and really embraced all the media in the room.  Even better, when I got home, there was a thank you email in my inbox from HIM.  Usually these emails are from publicists.  I thought this was very cool. Here’s his message:

Hi Holly,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say Thank You for taking the time to come play with us today! I am so excited about the opportunity we have to empower kids by letting them turn their favorite toys into THEIR toys…expressions of themselves that THEY create. It’s only through people like you that we can let more people know, and that only happens if people like you truly make an effort to see and experience us. You did, so I am grateful.
Thank you and RIDE ON!
Larry

The entire line of Disney•Pixar Cars 2 toy cars from RIDEMAKERZ is designed for kids ages four and up.  For more information, connect with RIDEMAKERZ online at RIDEMAKERZ.com or facebook.com/ridemakerz.

Disclosure: I was provided free admission to this event and free merchandise to facilitate this review but all opinions are my own.

When it comes to teaching kids about money, the sooner the better.  This is something I’ve known for a long time.

My six year-old son has an obsession with money.  I’m telling you, it’s a genuine obsession.  A few months ago he went to a friend’s house whose older brother had a computer, and my son decided he had to have one.  He immediately started saving every penny he got a hold of.  Unfortunately, some of that involved stealing money out of my husband’s wallet, but in any case he became intrigued with the concept of money.  He had piggy banks for a long time.  At one point, he collected so much money that when we took him to the bank to exchange it for dollars, we realized he had over $100, with which he used to purchase a Nintendo DS (which he later lost, but that’s another story).  He had learned to save any money he earned from relatives or for helping in the house.  But does he understand the meaning of really earning money?  I’m not so sure.  According to Prosperity4Kids, a recent survey shows that 80% of parents hand over money when children ask for it.  I don’t want want to be one of those parents, but sometimes it just happens.  I have been feeling like I needed assistance in the whole work ethic/earning money for good behavior and helping skills department.  He’s always asking me for money, and I find myself giving it to him for either no reason or to get him to do something, and I know both tactics are wrong.

So, when I received a copy of “It’s Only a Dollar..Until You Add to It!”  Allowance Chart Calendar, I was really excited.  My son really listens to new information, and depending on how it’s presented, he really pays attention.   The allowance chart shows seven days, Sunday through Saturday with plenty of space to write in the morning and afternoon chores with a wet erase pen (included), plus a “Goals, Dreams, & Desires” page so children can plan and work towards special items they want to purchase.

Every night before my son goes to bed, he and my husband go through the book and pick out the chores he performed that day. Some examples have been “Wake up on time” or “Behave in public” or Take a bath/shower” or “Make breakfast”.  We’re working towards more of the housework-orientated tasks, but for now, behavior-orientated tasks work just fine.   My husband decides what each task is worth, and my son writes the amount each day.  There are magnetized stickers – dollar bills – to put on each page, which he likes doing.  He feels very motivated by the process and conversation.

This process is supposed to show how money grows and demonstrates why “It’s Only a Dollar…Until You Add to It!”  The parent pays the child on a daily basis or at the end of the week.  Then they have that money to spend and carefully use on items they want to purchase.  My son is more inclined to save the money, since he’s saving it for a computer or something big.

The chart is just one of the many items produced by Prosperity4Kids.  If you’re looking for creative ways to teach your kids about money, check it out.

Disclosure: The folks at the publicity firm for Prosperity4Kids sent me an Allowance Chart to facilitate this review but all opinions are my own.

So, naturally, when I was contacted by a similar company to review their products, I was intrigued.

The Leakey Collection is another Fair Trade company that designs and manufactures contemporary jewelry, as well as home decor products.  The products are all hand-made by the Maasai women and men of Kenya.  Its founders actually live among the Maasai in Kenya’s rural Rift Valley.  Their collection promotes stability by encouraging disadvantaged populations to become participants rather than spectators in their society and economy.  Utilizing fair trade practices to provide sustainable income allows underprivileged communities to quickly attain ownership of land, create their own businesses and gain a better overall quality of life.

The collection is also unique in that it offers employment to over 1200 Kenyans.  The women work in the shade of acacia trees using mobile work stations.  Their work stations span over 150 miles across the Rift Valley.

The materials used are sustainable and include Zulugrass beads, fallen Acacia wood and fallen marula nut oil.  Each piece of Zulugrass is designed by the founders and assembled by Maasai women of Kenya.  The environmentally sustainable harvest of the grass, used to make the Zulugrass beads, works to preserve a wetland since the communities no longer burn the grass.  The grass beads are dyed using textile dyes.  The jewelry also contains hand-blown Czech glass beads and Japanese glass beads. These beads are known for reflecting the most striking rays of pure color.

The sample products that came from the Leakey Collection were impressive.  They have beautiful color quality and shine.  More importantly, I could feel the love of the people who have them made for the people of Kenya.  The packaging states that “5% of all purchases goes back to local communities in the form of education and health benefits.”  I hope they sell a lot of jewelry to help the people making it.  Meanwhile, go their web site and check it out, and please consider picking some up.

Disclosure: The Zulugrass products were provided to me to facilitate this review, but I was not asked to express any particular opinion.

Squinkies – Who would have known that these little miniature collectibles would be such a hit with my daughter? She takes them everywhere she goes in a bag and her friends bring them over on play dates and they trade.  Squinkies are found in different shapes of animals, pets, ponies, kittens, girls, fairies and many more.   SRP: Ranges from $13.99-$19.68 for packs of multiples.  Great stocking stuffers or small Hanukkah gifts for one of the eight nights you need smaller gifts before the bigger ones come.

Mixed Pups – The Mixed Pups are the newest and some of the cutest collectible toys this holiday season.  Mixed Pups are created by Jazwares and geared toward girls ages 4-7.  Mixed Pups are pocket sized dogs that girls can take apart and use their imaginations to create their own Pup design.  Mixed Pups, for kids ages 4 and up, range in price from $5.99 for the single packs, $9.99 for the double packs, $4.99 for the accessories, $19.99 – $24.99 for the playsets and $7.99 for the plush.

Fin Fin Friends – My daughter digs having Fin Fin Friends, pretend fish live in an aquarium in her room.   When she pours in water, the fish come to life and swim, express emotions and act like real fish.  It’s almost as good as having real fish in her room.  The fish have a SRP of around $10 and the play sets are around $30.

Paper Jamz Instant Rockstar – My son is a musician-wannabe and loves these feather-weight musical instruments he can carry around the house strumming tunes he knows.  The Paper Jamz guitar combines technology and play which allows for circuit-embedded paper.  There are no strings.  SRP: $24.99

Pinkalicious Large Soft Dolls - An 18″ doll that comes with a magic wand, tiara and wings.   My daughter, who is now 7, loves the majestic way about her and the fact that she is, of course, pink. SRP $19.97 She also loves the Pinkalicious Small Soft Dolls. This 12″ doll is outfitted in a medieval dress reminiscent of Goldilocks.  SRP: $9.97

Electra Doodle by Cra-Z Art - The CRA-Z-ART™ Electra Doodle Creative Light System is the first product of its kind to hit the market. The Electra Doodle allows young artists to design, create and animate using colorful light.  The Electra Doodle™ allows children and adults to play electronic games, solve mazes, do dot-to-dot games, and create kaleidoscope designs. My kids love drawing and doodling on an electric board that lights up.  It’s great for their senses, as well as their reflexes.  Made for children ages 5 and up. SRP: $29.99

Kidz Bop – The new Kidz Bop Dance Party for Nintendo Wii that just hit stores last month.  Labeled as the “ultimate party in your own living room,” it really is.  My kids are moving and grooving and loving this new game.  It features 24 songs from current top 40 musicans like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Keha, Michael Jackson, Disturbia and Rihanna.  Kids are the singers of the songs, just like on the Kidz Bop CDs.  Some of the lyrics have been altered to fit the tates and minds of children. SRP: $39.99

Kung Zhu Pets – The Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters, the militant arm of Zhu Zhu, is a hit in my house.  The new line will feature Special Forces, Ninja Warriors, Rangers, and the Skull Tribe Battle Hamsters, along with armor/battle gear, vehicles, and training arenas.  They dart around, scurry from place to place, and coo and squeak based on the unique environment they encounter. But all that changes when the hamsters encounter the magical “Tablet of Zhu,” a special training ground that transforms the Zhu Zhu Pets into Kung Zhu Special Forces or Ninja Warriors, ready to do battle against each other. Great for boys who are into war and battles, like my five-year-old.  SRP: Retail on each set, zhu zhu pet and armor, is about $20.

B-Smart Barbie Laptop -  Girls age 3-6 will enjoy the 8 interactive educational activities and games featured in this Barbie Little Learning Laptop.  It’s really for children about to start pre-school.  I love any toy that advances girl’s technology skills. SRP: $19.99

Best Pals – The Best Pals dolls remind me of the rag doll that I loved as a child.  They are traditional rag dolls, made of soft cloth and yarn.  They have embroidered faces and yarn hair.  They come in a variety of hair colors, blond or brown, and skin colors, white or black.  Their dresses are old-time and they come with Mary Jane shoes, knit stockings and beaded baby bracelets.  They are inspired by the original hand sewn rag dolls made for Kathy and Janet Lennon by their mom and nana when the sisters were 6 and 3-years old.  Their line also includes mini dolls, a tea set, a doll trunk gift set, paper dolls and several CD sets. Dolls are $24.95.

Nano Bridge Battle Habitat Set – Your kids will love battling their HEXBUG Nanos (crawling bugs) with the Bridge Battle Habitat Set. Nanos can enter the arena through one-way gates and battle against one another until only one remains.  Each Bridge Battle Habitat Sets comes with 2 extremely rare Nano mutations and 29 easy connect pieces, giving your child the freedom to get creative and see how many ways their Nanos can battle!  They crawl around like real bugs.  My kids can play this for hours and hours and never get bored.  SRP: $39.99

ISL Learning System – A learning and entertainment device with a Story Book, Game Player, Music Player, Art Studio, Note Book and Photo Album.  It comes with three colors – pink, blue and silver.  My son has really enjoyed learning about words and it’s been great for word comprehension.  For kids ages 3-6.  SRP: $79.99.

Tangled Rapunzel Hair Braider Doll – My daughter has loved playing with this barbie with hair she can braid.  She has to crank the wheel to get the perfect braid.  It will make seeing the movie next week even more fun.  SRP: $24.99

The products featured in this review were provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This review has not been monetarily compensated and is based on my views and opinions. Please note that these opinions have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Best of all, the CD features musicians and celebrities of my own generation, as well as singers that my kids enjoy now.  Julian Lennon stops by to whip up his personal recipe for Minstrone soup in “Jules in the Kitchen”; Russell Simmons enjoys a bowl of beans; Jessica Harper and Justin Roberts push away the junk food as Tom Chapin gives the rundown on vitamin C; one of my favorite singers, Moby, gets your body moving in a song called “Bodyrock”; Michael O’ Keefe will touch your heart with a story about a child’s first steps; and there is much, much more.  There are two CDs and each is packed full of songs about everything from fruits and vegies to vitamins.  I can honestly say that my son is hooked.  The songs are catchy and teach such valuable lessons about the food we put in our body.  Right now he’s going around my house singing abut being healthy (“It’s Good to Be a Healthy Me”), fossils (“Fossil Fuels”), his     future (“Future”) and green food (“Green Food”).

It’s a pleasure to have a child singing about everything healthy!  For more information and to order this CD, visit HealthyFoodForThought.

Disclosure:  This CD was given to me to review on this blog but no opinions were asked of me.  These are all my own thoughts.

My mom’s favorite story from my childhood is one about a rag doll.  I had spotted it in a window of a shop in Atlantic city while strolling on the boardwalk.  The shop was shut, and my grandmother told me we would go back another time.  We never did, and I talked about the doll incessantly.

Later, I’m not sure how much time had elapsed since the window-shopping trip on the boardwalk, my mother fell ill. We lived in Atlanta; my grandmother lived in Philadelphia.  When my mom went into the hospital, my grandmother flew down to take care of my two sisters and I.  She showed up with the doll in hand.  I called her Jeanie after her blue jeans.  I still have her to this day.  She reminds me of the special times that I shared with my beloved grandmother, who’s life ended tragically when I 22-years-old.

I was lucky enough to recently discover the Best Pals collection.  These dolls remind me of the one that I loved as a child.  They are traditional rag dolls, made of soft cloth and yarn.  They have embroidered faces and yarn hair.  They come in a variety of hair colors, blond or brown, and skin colors, white or black.  Their dresses are old-time and they come with Mary Jane shoes, knit stockings and beaded baby bracelets.  They are inspired by the original hand sewn rag dolls made for Kathy and Janet Lennon by their mom and nana when the sisters were 6 and 3-years old.  Their line also includes mini dolls, a tea set, a doll trunk gift set, paper dolls and several CD sets.  My 7-year-old daughter has fully embraced the collection.  She also loves going to sleep to the soft melodies on the CD, “Best Pals Sing Together,” which has songs about friendship and best friends.  I like the fact that the dolls are completely safe – there are no small pieces, nothing sharp. They are also a throw back to an earlier era.

The Lennon Sisters are part of this other era – they made their debut on “The Lawrence Welk Show” in 1955.  They later performed in their own musical variety show on ABC which featured legends like Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Sammy Davis, Jr.   They have since recorded 100 successful albums and continue to perform concerts nationally.

As the two youngest of the group, Kathy and Janet created the “Best Pals” collection to being the best of their childhood into today’s world.  I recently asked Kathy a few questions about the brand:

The Culture Mom: How did you come up with the name “Best Pals” for your doll collection?

Kathy: We come from a family of twelve children and the two of us were especially close. So when we  were growing up, we always called each other Best Pals, and still do.

The Culture Mom: What is the story behind the dolls?  Who came up with the idea?

Kathy: When Janet was 3 years old and I was six years old, our mom and grandmother “Nana” handmade rag dolls for us.  One Christmas morning, we ran into the living room, and hanging out of our stockings were these adorable soft rag dolls. We called them Best Pals and they were our favorite dolls.  When we would travel with the Lawrence Welk Band on the road, we took them too.  It was always like taking a little bit of home with us . So, we wanted other children to know what it was like to share the love of a rag doll, so we recreated them, right down to the vintage fabric on the dresses.

The Culture Mom: How have you integrated your amazing musical background into the Best Pal’s world?

Kathy: We decided to record our favorite children’s songs,  sung to us by our parents and our older sisters Dee Dee and Peggy. We have always been around very large families, and singing was the most important ingredient in our childhood years.  Everyone in the family sang and continues to sing.  Generation  to Generation.Our children CD’s are filled with so many favorites.

The Culture Mom: I had a rag doll that I loved as a little girl.  My grandmother bought it for me, and it holds such special memories and I have given it to my young daughter.  Is that your hope for these dolls, to be passed down through generations?

Kathy: Yes… we still have our precious original rag dolls, and they are still loved.  Though these new replica’s are collectibles, they are not just meant to sit on a shelf , we want them to be loved and played with and carried around.

The Culture Mom: The dolls are a real throw back to the old days, which makes them very special.  Was this your intention?

Kathy: We felt there was a hole in the Toy Industry for soft huggable dolls, that inspire imagination, pretend play, and sharing time.  With the vintage fabric, yarn hair to braid, old fashioned little long stockings, dresses that have sashes, tiny satin ribbons in their hair, embroidered sweet faces, and no batteries.. they are definitely olden days goodies.

The Culture Mom: You’ve also created CD’s with classic songs from your childhood, tea sets and paper dolls…children’s favorite toys.  Please explain how you have made your choices on what to produce and any future plans.

Kathy: We remember how we loved to have tea parties with our dolls, and our little tea set was metal, so we created a BEST PALS tin set. An added benefit is that mom’s don’t have to worry about  broken china pieces. Our multi-cultural rag dolls are so very special to us. We come from a very American family of many races &cultures, and we felt it was important to produce dolls that could help  children to relate to the different ethnic backgrounds, and identify with their  individual family. We have our first boy doll, named after our first brother Danny Boy.  We have retro dresses and nighties, and mini 5 inch rag dolls in tiny suitcases, tiny little plush pets in a tiny tote.  We also have 18″ suitcases to carry our 16″ dollies and room for clothes and CD’s too.  We have wonderful plans for future products… lots of surprises.  We always let our grandchildren and nieces and nephews play with our samples, to have our own test market study groups.

To learn more about the brand and find out where to buy the collection, please visit BestPals.net.

Recently at an event that I attended about the hottest toys coming out in 2010-2011, I bumped into the author of the series herself, Victoria Kann, and I was so excited that there is now a collection of consumer products to inspire my daughter, as well as other young girls.    The company behind the products sent me a few things to look at.  The line is coming to Walmart just in time for the holiday season and will make great gift items for young children. They are nicely priced for all budgets and are suitable for girls over the age of 3.

Pinkalicious Large Soft Dolls (SRP $19.97) is an 18″ doll that comes with a magic wand, tiara and wings.   My daughter, who is now 7, loves her as she has a majestic way about her and is, of course, pink. She also loves the Pinkalicious Small Soft Dolls (SRP $9.97) This 12″ doll is outfitted in a medieval dress reminiscient of Goldilocks.

The Pinkerrific Princess Slippers (SRP $7.99) are adorned with velour, pink organza straps and have a skid-free sole.  My daughter would have loved these when she was much younger, as well as the Pinkerrific Perfectly Pink Shoes (SRP $7.99).    They are very pretty with their cupcake cameo and satin bow.  My daughter is very excited about the Pinkalicious Cupcake Purse and Gloves (SRP $9.99) which are adorned with sequin trims and beads.

There are items for older children on the list of new Pinkalicious items – Pinkalicious Junior Scrabble, Pinkalicious UNO, a Lunchbox Game, puzzles and bicycles. There are tea sets, Princess dresses, cupcake activity sets, stuffed unicorns and tiaras.

It is all very majestic…and pink….just like the character Pinkalicious herself.

Disclosure: These toys were provided to me at no cost to facilitate this review, however the opinions are all my own.

The games are easy enough for kids to figure out.  They stand in front of the TV and move the same way the characters are moving on the Wii game, which turns into one big dance party.

There are five choices of game play on the Kidz Bop Wii game: free play, challenge, shop, dance off and dress up.  My kids typically have played the game together, but my son has played alone, too.   When I asked my daughter what she likes most about the game, she said she likes creating different characters to join the dance party.   She also likes earning points for the outfits and accessories.  She said that when you finish the game, you unlock the Mii so they can dance in the game.

The Kidz Bop Dance Party Wii is available on Amazon for $39.99.  I guarantee you that this is an ideal gift for your child, and it’d be perfect for the holidays.  Mine are ages 5 and 7 and they can’t get enough of this new game.  It’s also good exercise for them -  they’re using their hands and feet while they play, so I feel less guilt about them standing in front of the television set.  It’s also a great game for them to play with their friends who come over for play dates and it’s quite active.

Plus, my kids have become much better dancers as a result of being taught some dance moves, which is more than I could ever teach them!

Disclosure: This game was provided to me at no charge, but no opinion was asked in return.  The opinions are all my own (and my kids).

My husband is always asking me why I need so many time-outs.  He has never understood my rationale for wanting and needing to spend time alone.  Sometimes the weight of motherhood falls hard on my shoulders.  After hearing, “Mommy, I need this” and “Mommy, I want this” all day, I sometimes just need a break.  A bit of time to myself has always been the magic cure.  I end up nurturing my soul and come back a better mom, with more patience than I had before I left for time to myself.  I’ve made a concentrated effort to keep up with my interests and see my friends over the years.  Sometimes a simple run to the ocean near my home does the trick.

The bottom line is that I’m not perfect – I’m human.   I need time to myself like any normal person.  I also need to take care of me, after taking care of three other people all the time.  Since I’ve had my kids, I quit my full-time, beloved job, taken several part-time jobs, sometimes longer-term than others.  I’ve taken classes.  I started this blog.  I do what I need to do to get myself through the many changes I’ve endured these past seven years since having children, so I don’t forget who I am and who I can and will be.  While I adore my children and do everything for them, I truly believe that I come first sometimes….definitely not all the time.

That is why I was so excited to receive an advance copy of Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too, a new book by 3 moms, Susan Callahan, Anne Nolen and Katrin Schumann.  Written in a very personable manner, the authors talked to hundreds of woman about they have managed to transform their own lives.  It’s about becoming the best person you can possibly become.  The authors draw on their own experiences and that of hundreds around the world.

I really liked a lot of what they had to say.  For example, in the chapter about attitude shift, where they discuss how it’s important to let go of what is expected of us and enjoy the unpredictability of life, they lay out what’s important for moms to remember (page 25):

- Moms should accept imperfection, perhaps revel in it.

- Moms should share responsibility and let go of the need to always be in control.

- Moms should open their minds to alternative ways of running things.

Another chapter talks about how it’s important to live in the moment.  Sometimes I get caught up in the monotony of parenthood and forget what my own kids can teach ..and do teach…me about life.  They have made me a better version of who I was before.  They challenge me.  Through them, I am also able to experience the best life has to offer.  Culture, history, the outdoors.  They put me back in touch with the person I was once, who for a short time when they were young, I perhaps lost.  With the person I have discovered again.

I highly recommend this book  for moms who need to find ways to rediscover themselves. There are quotes interspersed throughout the book that really spoke to me, like this one which I’ll end my review with:

“Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion.  What is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” – Anna Quindlen, writer

Want to win a copy of Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too?

Comment below and let me how you spend your time alone when you get it.   Please send me your contact information.

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I’ll select one random winner on Friday, October 29th at noon.

Disclosure: This book was provided to me for this review, but no opinion was expected of me.  All opinions are my own.