The Ultimate Mom – Book Review
The publishers of The Ultimate Mom by Maria Bailey sent me a copy of the book for review.
EQUATION: The Ultimate Mom; uplifting stories, endearing photos, and the best experts’ tips on the toughest job you’ll ever love is just that. They’re rather specific on the cover! Personal essays interspersed with photographs, and an appendix of tips. From the publisher:
Whether you become a mom through adoption, by giving birth, or through marriage, your heart is never completely your own again . . . and that is one of the miracles of being a mom.
Just as no two women are the same, the experience of being a mom is different for each of us. In The Ultimate Mom, you’ll follow the journeys of mothers through a diverse collection of stories about this rewarding and challenging job. While some stories are humorous, some are inspirational, and others are poignant, all are filled with the passion, devotion, and dedication every mother feels toward her child.
Words may paint a picture, but photos tell their own story, too. The Ultimate Mom is filled with eye-catching photo of moms and their children celebrating life’s events, both big and small. You’ll also find expert advice from moms in the trenches about finding ‘me’ time, dealing with sibling rivalry, parenting a spirited child, achieving a healthy life balance, and many more timely and provocative subjects.
Join in the celebration of mothers with The Ultimate Mom.
PLUS: I’ll be honest with you. I wasn’t looking forward to this one. Books about motherhood – especially essays – have a tendency towards being mushy and sentimental. I’m not exactly mushy. I love my kids. I’m a good mother. I’m loving and affectionate with them. But when people wax poetic about motherhood, it makes me cringe. I was extremely pleasantly surprised. The essays are simply wonderful. They capture the good and bad, the wonderful and the grievous. I really enjoyed reading them. I was glad to be exposed to these particular writers as well; most of them were new to me.
MINUS: The photographs are all well done. But I would have loved the photographs to be of the individuals in the essays. They definitely are not. The other minus is the appendix of experts. While it says they are there right in the title, they are more clinical in nature, and a bit jarring when you jump into them after the essays.
EQUALS: A positive review. The essays are so well done, and – especially if you’re a mother- relatable. I would definitely recommend this book to other moms.
The opinions of this review are all mine. The book was given to me gratis.
Holiday Gift Guide
Holiday shopping season is here again and the Global Influence network has some great gift ideas for you, tried and tested by real moms. Click on the links to check out what our team of reviewers had to say about each of these gift ideas, and then take a moment to enter our fun giveaway and take a chance at winning some of these fabulous products.
Featured Reviews
Pouchees -
Busy moms need all the help they can get to stay organized and keep life as simple as possible. The Pouchee is the perfect solution to keeping all those little things together, putting everything you need, right at your fingertips.
Duck Hunter turns the excitement of the hunt into an activity the whole family can enjoy. Launch the duck in the air and try to hunt it down with the toy shooter as it flies freely in the air. A fun choice for those who love outdoor sporting.
-Personalized holiday cards are an important item on everyone’s to-do list and often a hassle to create and print. Cardstore.com has everything from family photo cards to invitations for your big holiday party, simplifying your holiday season.
Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry
Animal Planet Polar Land Playset
Animal Planet Dinosaur Playmat
Onionhead Adult/Teen Feelings Pack
OnionHead Children’s Feelings Pack
Onionhead A-Z Feelings Magnet Set
Fun Holiday Giveaway! For this holiday guide, we want to share the love with the blogosphere! Some of our generous sponsors have donated prizes to be given away to lucky readers! To enter to win one of the following fabulous prizes, simply fill out the form here: http://tinyurl.com/y8t92rw Prizes include:
Things Remembered Custom Couture Jewelry
Entries will close on December 6, 2009 at 11:59 PM EST. Winners will be contacted by email after the close of the contest.
Global Influence Member Guides Need more ideas for this holiday season? Check out the guides that some of our Global Influence members have put together on their own sites!
Thrifty Jinxy, Happy Healthy Hip , And Twins Make Five , Because Two People Fell In Love, Mommy Musings , Lipstick to Crayons , Bargain Briana , Mommy PR , Shop With Me Mama, Santa Picks, Rave and Review, Connected 2 Christ , 3 Boys and a Dog, The Classy Closet , Contest Corner, Lisa Reviews , A Giveaway Every Day, HulaHoopinMom, Spalibrations, High Impact Mom, From Cribs to Car Keys
All reviews listed in the Global Influence gift guide were product provided. Featured positions were purchased by sponsors. Member gift guides are not affiliated with Global Influence.
The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bill in Half by Stephanie Nelson
A book that pays for itself! The creator of CouponMom.com, with over 2 million members, shares her strategic money-saving techniques for saving big while living well
Americans are hungry for bargains these days, but one woman has developed the ultimate strategy for enjoying a feast of savings. Taking the nation by storm, with appearances ranging from The Oprah Winfrey Show, Stephanie Nelson has shown countless women and men how to save thousands of dollars by becoming savvy coupon clippers-without sacrificing nutrition or quality.
Now, in The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, Nelson demonstrates all of the tricks of the trade-beyond coupons and tailor-made for a variety of shopper lifestyles. Whether you’re a “busy” shopper and have only a small amount of time each week to devote to finding the best deal; a “rookie” shopper who is ready to put more effort into cutting bills; or a seasoned “varsity” shopper who is looking for new ways to get the deepest discounts possible, this book offers techniques that will make it easy to save money at any level and on any timetable.
Extending her Strategic Shopping protocols to mass merchandisers, wholesale clubs, natural-food stores, drugstores, and other retailers, Nelson proves that value and variety can go hand in hand. With meal- planning tips, recipes, and cost-comparison guides, as well as inspiring real-life stories from the phenomenal Coupon Mom movement, this is a priceless guide to turning the checkout lane into a road of riches.
This is not a book review. I have not yet read the book, however, I will be sent the book gratis. I just feel so strongly in saving money at the grocery store that for once, I thought a press release to be an important addition here.
Winner Announced
We have winner for the Five for Fighting Giveaway!
Theresa, you’re the winner! I’ve emailed you to get your contact information for the CD.
Thank you for playing!
Quick Reminder
Quick reminder! The Five for Fighting autographed CD giveaway ends tomorrow!
Nerf Pocket Vortex – Product Review
EQUATION: The Momfluence Network sent me a Nerf Pocket Vortex flying football for their upcoming gift guide for review. The particular one sent was branded for the Steelers. The label says “Pocket-Sized Football Fun! The Farthest Flying Footballs!” I, alas, do not play with footballs. So, I tasked the usage to my sons. Or tried to, anyway – my husband took over instead, and allowed them to play with him.
PLUS: According to my son, Joseph, the football is “Great! Incredibly awesome! And I got bonked in the head and it didn’t hurt!” According to my husband, it turns “awesome,” is easy to throw, and corrects itself. He also mentioned that when it hits the ground, it flies straight up first, making it easy to retrieve.
MINUS: My son didn’t have any negatives. My husband said that it could be bigger, to which I replied, “Honey, it’s not made for adults.” He poo-pooed that notion.
EQUALS: A positive review! It’s a welcome addition to the outside toys. My husband enjoyed playing catch with it with the kids – and the kids enjoyed playing with it. At only $3.99 at Amazon – you cannot go wrong.
The opinions in this review are my family’s. The product was provided gratis.
Five for Fighting Giveaway and Review
This giveaway is now closed, with a winner chosen.
The One2One Network sent me a download of the brand new Five for Fighting album, Slice, which was released October 12th. Keep reading for a giveaway opportunity!
I’m a fan of Five for Fighting and John Ondrasik, so I was looking forward to hearing the new stuff.
So – what are my impressions? As a whole, very positive. Catchy stuff that kind of gets into your head and you want to sing along (an example is Slice for that.) Tuesday sort of reminds me (and this is a compliment, so if you’re like my husband, hush!) of a mixed song of Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond. It has that feel of a song that might not be that popular now, but endures for years to come. It’s just lovely. The melodies through the album really feel good. I didn’t love Above the Timberline – but I can’t quite put my finger on why. I think it has to do with the falsetto used. Transfer is such a rich song, I loved that one – I really want you to take a listen to that one. The album as a whole is one you should buy. I love it, and will add all the songs (except Above the Timberline) to my iPod.
The Giveaway! An autographed CD of Five for Fighting’s Slice! To enter, it’s very very simple. Comment here. That’s it. One per person, please - Duplicate entries will be deleted. Deadline is 11:59pm Pacific, Wednesday, November 11th. I’ll post the winner and I’ll send the winner an email (so make sure you enter with the correct one!) That person will have 24 hours to get back to me with their address or I choose a new winner. I’ll pass that info on to the One2One Network to send the winning (autographed) music your way.
Links to Take you Away:
Five for Fighting’s YouTube Channel
Album Tracklisting:
1. Slice
2. Note To The Unknown Soldier
3. Tuesday
4. Chances
5. This Dance
6. Above The Timberline
7. Transfer
8. Hope
9. Story Of Your Life
10. Love Can’t Change The Weather
11. Augie Nieto
Back Seat Drawing Junior Review
Out of the Box Publishing sent me Back Seat Drawing Junior to review with my kids.
EQUATION: Out of the Box Publishing creates innovative party, card and board games that provide fresh, fun and engaging ways to enjoy time with friends and family. Games that:
* can be learned in minutes.
* are colorfully illustrated and fun to play.
* can easily be played in less than an hour.
* are efficiently designed in smart packaging.
* feature dynamic player interaction from start to finish.
In Back Seat Drawing Junior Players race to identify a drawing done by the “artist”— but the artist doesn’t know what he or she is drawing! It’s up to the “director” to tell the artist how to draw the picture without giving away the name of the item shown on the picture card.
My kids, husband, and I sat down and played two games worth.
PLUS: The kids “got it” immediately, once explained to them. It was extremely interesting to see their thought process as they explained what to draw as the director. One son, I noticed, was very general in his descriptions and would get frustrated with the artist when they didn’t draw what they had in their head. The other son was extremely precise. “Draw one line straight up. A little shorter. Good job, that’s perfect. Now draw another line from the top pointing right. Exactly. Now…” It was hysterical watching him, and his little signs. They weren’t, however, so good at guessing what was being drawn – but they were trying.
MINUS: The games were very short. Probably great if it’s just kids (as it’s intended for.) The scoring system is such that one person can win in a very short amount of time. Also, we had a little trouble with the dry-erase markers deciding not to draw if the lid was off for a bit (such as when listening to the Director explain what they want drawn.)
EQUALS: A positive review. The kids had a great time, and vociferously demanded we play again. Of course, it’s too easy for my husband and I, but for the kids, it’s great. Pictionary fans would probably love this game. It kept my kids engaged. It moved fast. It was understandable for the kids. I would definitely recommend this one for some good old fashioned family time. Also – would probably be a great thing to do while waiting on other stuff – for dinner to come out of the oven, that sort of thing.
This opinions in this review are my own. I was sent the game gratis.
Michael Buble Crazy Love Music Review
I’ve been doing quite a few music reviews lately and it occurs to me that you might need to know my “process.”
I am by NO means a good critic. I have an inbred appreciation for music having been a musician many years ago, with many years of instruction. As a result, my tastes are rather eclectic. I know what I like, I know what I don’t like, I’m just not very good at expressing it poetically with words that scream “music critic.”
So how do I do my reviews? I sit and listen to the music while I do something else – usually work. I have my blogging notebook open next to me, and when a thought pops into my head in regards to what I’m listening to, I write it down. That’s it. So while you’re not going to get flowery prose strewn about with musician’s vernacular – you ARE going to get my base opinion.
Moving on…
The One2One Network sent me the Michael Buble’ CD, Crazy Love, for my take. If you’ve heard of Michael Buble’ the thought that comes to mind is a modern version of the old Rat Pack classics from the likes of Frank Sinatra. And there is that feel on this CD, however, not in total. It’s really a broad spectrum of songs.
The first song – “Cry me a River” – does have that Rat Pack feel. It’s a great version, and I love the opening. This song (and really the whole CD) has this really sexy sultry feel, envisioning 3 inch heels, wrap dresses, hats, stockings with garters, cigarettes in long holders, dark back rooms full of music, and sexuality holding back. When dancing was dancing, and that was a form of courtship and foreplay. Sorry for the rather graphic display, but that’s really what this CD feels like. Back when the air fairly hummed – and less was more.
I tend to keep music in sections. Not Rock vs. Classical, but more along my moods. These are for when I’m depressed. These are for when I’m cleaning the house. These are for when I’m feeling sexy. These are for when I need to relax. This CD is going in the section for when I’m on the prowl.
The album released on October 9th – Debuted at number 1 I believe, which is awesome.
Album Tracklisting:
1. Cry Me A River
2. All Of Me
3. Georgia On My Mind
4. Crazy Love
5. Haven’t Met You Yet
6. All I Do Is Dream Of You
7. Hold On
8. Heartache Tonight
9. You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
10. Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)
11. At This Moment
12. Stardust
13. Whatever It Takes (bonus track)
Here are some links to take you away:
Where the Wild Things Are at IMAX
Where the Wild Things Are: The IMAX Experience opened Friday, October 16th and today IMAX is launching a promotion just for their Facebook fans! And check below for an offer just for you, my readers!
Each day of this week, two lucky fans who put the Where the Wild Things Are crown on their profile picture and comment on the IMAX Wall will be entered to win an exclusive IMAX Where the Wild Things Are poster, book, and a pair of IMAX movie tickets! The crown image and full instructions will be released on the IMAX Fan Page today (Monday!)
For my readers:
Two readers – across all participating Momfluence blogs (about 30) will win a Where the Wild Things Are Prize Pack:
- An adult Where the Wild Things Are t-shirt (L or XL)
- A kids Where the Wild Things Are t-shirt (size large)
- A Where the Wild Things Are Crown
- An exclusive Where the Wild Things Are IMAX poster
- Where the Wild Things Are book
- A pair of IMAX movie tickets
To enter the contest:
1. Become a fan of IMAX on Facebook
2. Fill out this secure document
The contest ends Friday, October 23rd at 11:59 p.m. ET and is open to all legal U.S. residents age 18 years or older.
ALSO:
There will be a Twitter party – hashtag #IMAXWildThings – Monday from 9 to 10 p.m. ET and even more prizes and tickets will be awarded during that event.
