The Daily Grind of a Work @ Home Mom...

Into the Wild - A Review

I saw the 2007 movie, Into the Wild, this past weekend.  It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of true stories about things I would never attempt myself, and as I was going through the movies playing On Demand, I recalled a point in the Aaron Ralston book where he mentioned being inspired by the story of Christopher McCandless, the protagonist in Into the Wild.  So I got comfortable, ordered in sushi, and hit Buy on my remote.  Ironically, the movie was listed in the Summer Reading section of my guide; books I could never seem to get through when they were required reading.  These days I'm pretty sure three quarters of my books would qualify.  

Anyhow.

The movie is about a kid who graduates college and almost immediately after the big day, donates his life savings to Oxfam, gets rid of almost all his worldly possessions, and takes off to travel across the country with little to no plan.  After assuming a new name, "Alex Supertramp", Chris begins his journey, making pit stops along the way to earn enough cash to get him to his next destination, and making connections with people that he meets.

The relationships Chris makes are actually one of the most poignant parts of the film.  Though what we see is just a snippet of what had to have been a huge experience, the connections we do see are intense, and viable.  People seem to be attracted to this kid everywhere he goes, and while he is living on the cusp of society where people are not as integrated and harried as they would be in a city setting, the generosity and friendliness of the folks he meets along the way is spellbinding.  It's these relationships that make this story so interesting, since Chris's ultimate goal is to venture to Alaska and live alone, in the wild.  The irony of this piece was not lost on me as I watched the film.

I wanted to like Chris as much as the people he met along the way.  I wanted to feel about him the way I felt about Aaron Ralston.  I wanted to root for him.  But the fact that he just disappeared from his life after graduating and never once told his family where he was going or what he was doing, and showed no regret over this, just really broke my heart.  His family was somewhat dysfunctional, putting him pretty much on par with almost everyone living in America so the sympathy card, notsomuch.  I think Chris thought of himself as a victim of his well-off but sort of impaired family, and disappearing was his way of saying screw you.  As a mother, no part of me thinks it's ok to fall off the face of the earth for two days, let alone two years.  This was on my mind the whole time.

But this fact didn't take away from how interesting Chris's journey was.

It takes about two years of traipsing through Arizona, California, and South Dakota, before he finally makes his way into the wild in Alaska.  Dropped off by a a local whom he'd befriended on his journey, Chris begins his trek at the head of the Stampede Trail.  Before long, he stumbles on an abandoned old bus and it becomes home for the next 113 days.  Unprepared and with few supplies, Chris eventually starves to death (since this is a true story, this isn't a spoiler). 

The movie was riveting.  There's no doubt that Chris's charisma and likable personality got him across the country on almost nothing.  But what really intrigued me was the fact that this charismatic, personable young guy not only sought aloneness, he craved it so badly that he trekked all the way from Georgia to Alaska to find solitude.  I kept thinking to myself, what is he going to do in the Alaskan wild?  How will he pass his days?  He didn't seem to have goals of hiking or hunting for sport (Ralston was/is an avid adventurer) so I couldn't imagine how he would pass the hours.  I can't even go for a run without a distraction like my iPod, so while I am a person who values solitude, I can't relate to Chris's singular goal of being totally alone to survive, or not, the elements in the Alaskan bush.

I haven't yet read the book that inspired this movie but I'm certain I have it buried somewhere in my basement.  Until then, I urge you to watch the movie and I'd be curious to hear from others who have seen it as well.

Waiter Rant - A Review

After a long hiatus involving too many People Magazines, visits to TMZ.com, and various other mind-numbing tabloidy destinations, I'm back to good old fashioned reading.  I'm sure I've said this here before but it feels good to be back.  It's just that it's not easy to find books that grab - and maintain - my attention for longer than a few chapters.  But last weekend while visiting friends, my girlfriend offered my her husband's copy of Waiter Rant and told me he loved it. 

Waiter Rant is yet another blogger success story.  Started as a weblog by an overworked, less-than-satisfied waiter in 2004, Waiter Rant is probably an assortment of posts, manipulated into short-story format in order to work as a book (I haven't spent much time with the blog yet).  But work it does.  The stories speak to the underbelly of the restaurant world in a way that captivates.  The part of dining out that we, as mere patrons, never get to see or and most of us don't bother to think about.  Topics like seating (my own father is famous for never accepting the first table offered), to ordering, to proper wine etiquette and tipping - all fodder for stories in Waiter Rant.  It almost gives the reader a sense of voyeurism into the restaurant world.

The author, Steve Dublanica, who blogged anonymously and stayed in the proverbial closet even after the first edition of the book came out, comes across as an intelligent, if not slightly underwhelmed by life, jaded guy.  A waiter by circumstance as opposed to choice (one year fell into the next), it's his view from the top that makes the stories interesting.  It's that he knew what readers wanted to hear about.  Sex in bathrooms, hand-jobs under tables, the rich guy dining with the whore, and all make for an interesting read.

I was surprised to learn that not all waiters spit in their customers food (I've worried about that more than once myself) and that most servers live on tips (15-20% is standard).  I'd never considered the competitive nature of the business (weekend shifts, holidays...) or how waiters relationships suffer as a result of their absurd schedules.  Overall, these are topics I've just never thought to consider, because I didn't realize I cared.

I could have lived without reading Waiter Rant.  It was a laugh-out-loud, flinch outwardly, beach-read that didn't so much as teach me anything as much as it made me think about stuff I'd never thought to think about.  But now that I know, I'm thinking I might be a much better customer next time I eat out.

Part of the appendix, I loved this and thought it was worth sharing:

What Your Drink Says About You.

Vodka Martini – Sophisticated. You’re classy, old school or a James Bond wannabe. I’ve been known to drink these.

Cosmopolitan – Prissy, over ordered and passé. Favored by Manolo Blahnik wearing Candace Bushnell devotees who spend all their money on shoes but live in rathole apartments. Rapidly becoming an old lady drink.

Sidecar – The last time you got laid was 1932.

Chardonnay – You know what you like. Boring. Predictable. The Missionary Position of White Wine.

Pinot Grigio – You’re pretentious or don’t know what you like. You follow the herd. The Circle Jerk of White Wine

Beer – Blue collar, simple, and an old standby. (I think a girl wearing a t-shirt and jeans while drinking a good ‘ol Bud is very sexy.)

Chocolate Martini – You’re immature or have a sweet tooth. Good for masking the taste of Roofies.

Vodka on the Rocks – You want to get drunk as fast as possible.

Malibu Bay Breeze – A gay man’s drink. (According to Louis)

Sloe Gin Fizz – Same as above.

Gin neat – Only for mad dogs and Englishmen.

Sour Apple Martini – You have a sense of fun but overindulgence might cause dancing on tables and bad karaoke singing. (Beth?)

Negroni – Fluvio’s favorite drink so I can’t badmouth it. I like my job.

Campari and Soda – You’re a gourmand. A good aperitif. A bitter drink for bitter people.

Manhattan – Old fogey drink. Stuffy. Where did I put the bitters?

Sweet Vermouth on the Rocks – You’re so old that if you’re not already in the grave you soon will be.

Pinot Noir – You’ve seen Sideways. Nuff said.

Sex on the Beach – You’ve been to Club Hedonism haven’t you?

Sex up Against the Wall – You own shares in Club Hedonism don’t you?

Galliano –You’re a waterbed, lava lamp, reel to reel, gold chain wearing, wall to wall shag carpet loving, swinging 70’s disco fool.

Gimlets – You’re old fashioned and like to drink. Usually the provenance of classy cerebral babes.

Rob Roy – You’re an alcoholic.

Margarita – You’re fun, good in bed, and naughty with a sense of style. If you don’t have it with salt you’re a wimp.

Shirley Temple – What? Are you five years old? On the wagon? Get the fuck outta here.

Bloody Mary – You need an excuse to start drinking before lunch.

Gin and Tonic – You’re kinda boring but an excellent drink when it’s hot outside.

Mint Julep – You’re a hospitable Southern guy/gal. Good stuff. Rarely ordered.

Tequila – You’re not afraid of spending a little time in jail.

Champagne – You’re reserved, classy, or a stripper.

Vodka Red Bull – Party person, young, possible cokehead.

Southern Comfort –Where’d you put the Lynyrd Skynyrd eight tracks? I know I saw ‘em around here somewhere.

Mojito – You’re not afraid to try new things, have low frustration tolerance and are prone to wild rages.

Rum and Coke – You’ve been arrested for assault once or twice.

Whisky Sour – Have another one Grandma.

Alabama Slammer – You’ve read the “Have a Cocktail” placemat at the diner once too often.

Whisky, Single Malt Scotch, Bourbon – You’re a sexual athlete. Women want you and men want to be like you. You have class, talent, wit, and brains. Of course, this is what I drink.

James Frey on Oprah. Again.

A Million Little Pieces by James Frey is one of my favorite books.  It was powerful when I first read it back in 2005 as a memoir, and it was riveting when I re-read it recently, knowing it was part fiction/part true.  I don't know exactly which parts were embellished but no matter what genre of book A Million Little Pieces falls under, I do know that it was one of the most compelling reads of the decade.

I remember when the book took a spot in Oprah's coveted Book Club, and James Frey showed up on Oprah to collect his accolades.  I remember, even more vividly, the day he took the hot seat across from what appeared to be an outraged Oprah, after reports that the book was not all non-fiction spread like wildfire. 

On that second show, Oprah called Frey a liar.  She put him on the spot, demanding answers about the story and what was truth and where he took creative license.  She was mean, she bullied him, and it was uncomfortable to watch.  She behaved as if he had personally affronted her in some way, and that he had committed some heinous crime.

How's this for body language?

Throughout that interview, Frey didn't really make excuses for himself, instead he submitted to Oprah (which made me slightly insane).  He not only took responsibility for altering facts in the book, he almost lied about why.  He blamed himself, his disease, his ego.

Realistically, James Frey spent 10 years writing a book based on his experiences - not a memoir - that he wanted to sell.  When no one wanted to publish his work of fiction, he was advised to package it as a memoir.  So he did.  And it sold.

And I'll bet almost every single memoir writer out there takes creative license in their writing.  Because for the most part?  Our lives are boring and not book-worthy.  And no one can recall so many details from their past in order to weave together a cohesive story.

This week, the Queen of all media had James Frey back on her show, in a two-day interview nonetheless, to sort of apologize and sort of exploit James Frey.

The first half of the interview included a lot of questions about how Frey felt after the public hanging, what he did, said, and thought.  I felt like Oprah had no right to intrude on Frey's emotional state after ripping him to shreds on her show in front of THE WORLD.  My thoughts during the show ranged from, man, she has a lot of nerve, to, why is he answering that?  Why was he there?  Why didn't he tell her producers to fuck off when they came calling?

But I don't need anyone to tell me why - it was Oprah after all, and maybe Frey thought he could get his side of the story across now.  After all this time and damage.  All I know is I would not have trusted Oprah, her producers (who apparently told him total lies about how the second show would go), or anyone on her staff if I were James Frey.  Incidentally, Frey has written two novels since the memoir debacle and I read both - and both were awesome.

The best thing to come out of the recent Oprah/Frey show was that Oprah Winfrey acknowledged that her own ego, and her own feelings of being "duped" after providing the golden endorsement, both having played a role in her intense anger toward him at the time.  While she did not apologize for what she said, she did feel sorry for how she said it - and I was glad to see some humility come through.

I guess the moral of the story for me is that we are all just people.  Not all things unfold as it might appear and there are two sides to every story.  I hope that Oprah learned a lesson from this and that James Frey will continue to find success in the literary world as well as continue down his road of sobriety.

If you haven't read A Million Little Pieces, I HIGHLY recommend it:

That 'Best Of' post you've been waiting for...

Admit it.  You know you want it. That 'Best Of' post that everyone seems to be curating on their respective blogs.  Truth is, 2010 was a continuation of 2009 in my world, only worse.  My life has changed in dramatic ways and while I don't publicly air my personal issues, suffice to say this year's theme has been "change."

And that's me being eloquent.

That said, in 2010 posts did not come easily.  My creative juices were stilted.  The drought, a result of my own struggles, is done beginning January 1st, 2011, by my own declaration.  I'm done being stifled. 

That's not to say I have nothing to be proud of in 2010.  I do.  I still had days where the thoughts came fast and srong, and they translated into what I deem a worthy piece of writing.  So without further ado...  My favorite posts of 2010:

• Things You Always Wanted To Know About Therapy But Were Afraid To Ask - I'm no stranger to therapy.  And by that, I mean I've been in an on-and-off relationship with therapy for the last decade or so.  Sometimes it gets rocky, other times it's a great love affair, but always it's hard work...

• Devotion by Dani Shapiro: A Review - I don't find enough time to read anymore.  Where once I devoured a novel a week, now I fall into bed at night, a slave to bad television...

• Listening as an Artform - You know when someone close to you calls you up to talk?  I mean really talk.  Like the "I called you because I have all this crap going on in my life right now and if I don't tell someone about it my head my explode" kind of talk?...

• A Really Quick Response to the NYT's Newest Link-BaitI Mean Article About Mom-Bloggers - It's not the first time the journalistic elite over at the New York Times have offended mom-bloggers, nor will it be the last.  So after a day spent using my energy bailing hundreds of gallons of water out of my storm-infested basement, I have but a few words left to lend to this already beaten-to-death topic...

• What to Expect When You're Not Expecting - As a child growing up, I learned many things.  Some continue to serve me well, others, welll... notsomuch.  One of the things I learned is to have high expectations of others...

• On Controlling Our Kids - I have young kids.  As I've heard: little kids equal little problems.  Big kids equal bigger problems.  And short of illness or other nightmarish scenarios, I know it's true...

• Bringing Sexy Back - I'm headed to Vegas in under 48 hours to meet up with three of my bestest, oldest, favoritest girlfriends to celebrate ourselves and (in my mind) my 35th birthday...

• Eat Pray Love - The Movie - I saw my first movie based on a book in 1987, when I was 12 years old.  Flowers in the Attic was my favorite book, my bible...

• The Worst Day - On yesterday's Oprah (which I DVR daily and watch only when the topic interests me), the topic was how to  survive when the unthinkable happens.  The guests, Lori and Chris Coble, lost their three children on May 4th, 2007, when a big rig tractor trailer carrying 40,000 pounds of electronics crashed into the back of their minivan...

• Overcoming Anxiety - I woke up super-early this morning and was channel-surfing before the pitter-patter of little feet hit the floor.  As I got higher up and infomercials became more prevalent, I noticed a show called Overcoming Anxiety and suddenly, I was brought back five to ten years...

• The Murder of a Connecticut Family - I know I'm all doom and gloom these days what with the story about the Cobles on Oprah and now this.  But it seems like everywhere I turn, someone is telling some horribly tragic story...

• Heat Prana OM - In my current quest to find relaxation, peace, and maybe a little physical  improvement, I bought the Groupon last week that offered five classes at the hot yoga place in my neighborhood.  It was a sign, I thought...

Happy reading, Happy New Year, and Happy 2011.

Eat Pray Love - The Movie

I saw my first movie based on a book in 1987, when I was 12 years old.  Flowers in the Attic was my favorite book, my bible.  My copy, which accompanied me from the bedroom to the breakfast table to the bath and back again, was tattered, missing its scary cover, and well-read.  Years later I bought a fresh copy to one day hand down to a potential child.  But as I said, I saw the movie when it was released in 1987.  In short, it was AWFUL.

And that's typically been my experience with movies based on books.  Generally, they're a shortened version of some eloquently written story, rushed, poorly casted, leaving the viewer with new, worse images than the perfect imaginary ones the book's imagery had created.  It's why I am reluctant to see movies made from good books.

Then I saw Eat Pray Love.

I read this book two years ago and fell in love.  I loved the teachings, the insights, the journey, and the woman behind it all. I read books that reminded me of this book.  And now, as a woman who has been through some emotional strife of my own of late, I am back on to this story by means of the AMAZING movie, which came at a time when I needed some reminding that we are all in control of our lives.

Ruin leads to transformation.

Oh. Ok. Good.

So the screenwriters did a phenomenal job of bringing to life the story, which already had unlimited potential since the story takes place in picturesque locations like Rome, India, and Bali.  But still, there was no part that I wanted to see included that wasn't.  There was no scene I had envisioned that left me disappointed.  And Julia Roberts... all I can say is WOW.

I have seen Julia Roberts in many films, I remember thinking how beautiful she was in Pretty Woman 10 years ago.  But I have never seen Julia Roberts like this.  She was almost ethereal, she was so perfect.  Her face just wears every emotion, a face that is so hard to look away from.  Her body, supposedly a few pounds heavier from all that pasta in Italy, was just so... normal.  She really embodied what I envisioned Liz Gilbert to be like, strong, weak, beautiful, distraught, vulnerable, scared, and smart.  Amazing.

The movie was not short, over two hours, in fact.  But I didn't feel it.  I loved it.  Actually, the writer/spiritual/crazy person in me wished I had had a pencil to make notes when something struck me during the movie.  Then I thought, wait - I can just re-read the book.

And so I will.  

The Kids Are All Right: A Review

There's definitely a theme flowing through my recent best reads.  I've just realized, the finest books I've read in the last few years are all memoirs or autobiographies.  They include The Glass Castle, Eat Pray Love, and Devotion.  And now I have a new fave to add to the list - The Kids Are All Right.

In short, it's the story of four kids, ranging in age from four to 16, who lose both parents in a matter of years.

The story is told in the four voices of the surviving children, so that each chapter has a very different feel and writing style.  So if you're up for that, and not too cranky about a perfectly flowing voice sewing the chapters together, you'll adore this book.  It's different in the sense that it might tell one story four times from different perspectives.  But that's also what makes it so interesting.  And it's what seals the fact that four children who emerge from one house might have had vastly differing experiences.

The Welch family is one that starts out living the American dream.  A good-looking well-to-do businessman dad, a soap-star mom (Ann Welch), and four kids, living in an affluent New York suburb.  Then without warning, the father dies in a mysterious car accident, and one-month later, mom is diagnosed with cancer.  And to boot, it becomes apparent the dad had some hefty debt that became the responsibility of the now ailing widow.

Some American dream, huh?

There are some vivid and truly hard-to-swallow chapters describing Ann's illness and how each child coped (or didn't) with it.  Having never lived with someone with cancer, I can't even begin to imagine what daily life was like for these kids.  The images in the book paint a picture of a sort of living hell for these kids, who in some ways, never knew what they were coming home to.  Each had their own way of coping with this (Liz started stealing from stores, Amanda self-medicated, Dan did anything he could to be "cool") and it goes on from there.

It takes about four years, but after a long bout with cancer, mom (in a denial of sorts) passes away as well, without having made living arrangements for her four children, which proves to be disastrous, especially for the two youngest, Diana, eight, and Dan, 14.  The older girls, Liz, 16, and Amanda, 19, somehow seem to muddle their way more or less on their own, but the younger siblings are subject to foster-like living conditions that are without the love and comfort that are so necessary for kids that age.

Diana is sent to live with a family called the Chamberlains, whom from the exterior, appear to be a comfortable, loving family with two younger kids.  Inside the four walls though, Diana is unloved, and made the victim of the "mother's" own insecurities.  Truth is, "Diana Chamberlain" (I'm sure not her real name because she'd be getting death threats by now) had no business taking in a child seeing as her own issues ran so deep, she was incapable of providing what this young 8-year-old girl needed.  Mercifully, after five years (most of which she did not allow Diana contact with her siblings), she gave up and literally tossed out the 13-year-old, thankfully sending her to live with her sister, Amanda, then 24.

Dan gets tossed around from environment to environment and subsequently, obviously, acts out by using drugs, and other deviant behavior.  Sounds reasonable to me, seeing as he has little to no stability in his life.

Liz and Amanda throw themselves into the 80's rock 'n roll scene, recalling the music that accompany their often harrowing memories (makes for a good mix though!).  Liz decides that traveling is her saviour (and in many ways it is) and Amanda enjoys the numbing effects of recreational drugs. 

Again, to me, sounds reasonable.  And almost expected.

What isn't expected is the crazy-strong bond these siblings have with one another.  The force that drives them to stay together even when not physically together, is what eventually brings them back to one another, where clearly they should have stayed in the first place. 

I was moved by this story, simply because it's a story of "you just never know."  From an idyllic beginning to a catastrophic middle to an "all right" present. 

After you read the book (and you won't be able to put it down), visit The Kids Are All Right website where there are family pictures, letters from people who knew or know the Welches, and more glue to bring this story full-circle.  

So the reason a memoir is better than fiction?  You simply can't make this shit up.  Bravo, Welch kids, bravo.

Devotion by Dani Shapiro: A Review

I don't find enough time to read anymore.  Where once I devoured a novel a week, now I fall into bed at night, a slave to bad television.  But I still can't resist when a book calls to me, like Devotion did when I read a review. 

Devotion is a memoir written by a 40-something year-old woman, Dani Shapiro, who finds herself suddenly experiencing panic attacks.  A woman who, by many accounts, has a good life, but who had definitely gone through some of life's toughest challenges (an ill child, the deaths of her parents...).  And so now, she finds herself suddenly questioning some of the beliefs that she had taken for granted growing up as the only child of Orthodox Jewish parents.  Questions about her faith, her belief in God, and what comes next, to name just a few.

As a matter of a review, let me assure you that Shapiro's writing is solid, her story compelling, her intelligence - and endearing insecurities - make Devotion a fantastic read.  In her quest to find answers to her questions, she looks deep into herself, and reaches out to others who she thinks might be able to answer some of her questions.  Or at least help her find a path toward answers.  On her journey, she finds herself exploring her own upbringing, the relationship she had with her parents, and even gains insight into her own parents marriage.  Through yoga, meditation, conversation, and self-exploration, she seeks to understand more about her own self, and what might set her on the path to happiness (or away from the anxiety she feels).

But most importantly, it's the questions she asks - or her cynicism toward what we are taught to believe - that resonated with me. 

Shapiro questions the validity of the age-old adage that everything happens for a reason.  This is the same question I've been long thinking about.  If I'm to believe that all things happen with a greater good in mind, then I'm accept the death of innocent babies, the natural disasters that occur without warning and destroy people's lives, the Holocaust, heartbreak, and other events that seem to pepper our everyday existence.  I'm to accept the death of a friend at age 24 and the mysterious death of a friend's sister at just 19.  And I can't just blindly accept these things.  Because they evoke too much suffering to be part of a greater "plan."  And also, I've yet to see evidence of this "plan" so...

Shapiro questions her faith in God as she has been taught throughout her Yeshiva education and Orthodox upbringing.  While by no means could I compare my traditional Jewish upbringing to her excessively ritualistic childhood, I can relate to the feeling of going with the tide just because that's what we're taught.

This book spoke to me in a way no other book has, possibly ever.  And I'm not saying this lightly.  I'm saying this because it's true.  As anyone very close to me can attest, in recent years I've begun to question my own belief system.  In doing the work it takes to become more evolved as a person, I've uncovered that the beliefs that I took for granted, beliefs that were instilled in me as a child - are not necessarily true.  From my beliefs about the people who have played the biggest roles in my life, to my own thoughts about God, mortality, and whether there is a higher meaning to all this, I was able to relate to Shapiro's questions.

And her experiences!  The author talks about how her mind wanders during yoga - a challenge I face each and every time I practice.  She talks about how she doesn't want to be the mom on every preschool committee, the "good mommy" who stops to chat with all the other "good mommies" at school drop-off, and I could so relate.  She worries that everything falls apart at home when she goes away, as do I , which is likely most untrue in both our cases.

After plowing through Devotion, I can honestly say that I have a little bit of a girl-crush on Dani Shapiro.  Or more accurately, she seems like someone I'd want as a friend, a person I'd like to have dinner with.  Luckily, she's still on her book-tour and will come through Boston in a few weeks, so maybe I can meet her, shake her hand, get an autograph.

But most likely, I'll be too caught-up in my own self-consciousness to tell her that I'm the one with a girl-crush.   

 

Cook Up Some Fun with Lollipop Rascals' Baking Sets!

 

We love to cook in our house.  Or I should say, I have passed down my love for cooking to my oldest daughter, who offers help to Mom for anything kitchen-related.  This includes stirring my morning coffee, shaking the salad dressing, and even pouring her own milk.  So the prospect of baking her very own cookies from start to finish excited her to no end, and well, even Mom took pride in her enthusiasm for anything culinary-related.

The baking kit came to us courtesy of Lollipop Rascals, a wonderful web-store which offers the highest quality in educational toys and gifts.  And by educational, I don't mean flash cards and numbers games.  I'm talking fabulous book sets (It's Me! is one of our favorite nighttime reads), award-winning puzzles, themed-based toys and accessories, and excellent costumes. 

But we really liked the baking set. 

In fact, we are in favor of all things cooking and baking-related so the fact that Lollipop Rascals features an entire Rascal Chefs section is more than just a little bit awesome.  Introduce your child to baking in a gentle, fun way, while still producing a delicious finished product with any one of these baking kits.  Have a budding paleontologist?  Check out the Green Dinosaur Cookie Kit.  Have a princess on your hands?  Then the Fairy Princess Cookie Kit is for her.  There's so many ways to incorporate cooking into your child's life, and Lollipop Rascals will give you many insightful ideas.  Also, many of the baking kits are now up to 45% off - so there's really no risk!

In honor of Halloween, we are happy to give away a set of Witch Pop Up Cinnamon Spice Pumpkin Cookies (beware - these are DELICIOUS!!), and Paint-Your-Own Ghost Cookies to one lucky reader.  Simply visit Lollipop Rascals, and tell us what you like best about their site.  Contest will run through Wednesday, October 28th at midnight.  Open to US residents only.

All products reviewed were provide to me at no cost by Lollipop Rascals.  All views and opinions reflected on this blog are my own and were in no way influenced by any outside party.

PBS Kids Interviews ME!

Not sure why I felt the need to keep waving at the camera, but anyhow...

PaperBack Swap, Anyone?

I can't believe it's taken me so long but I've finally discovered the most useful, fabulous, fantastic website ever (sorry FB, Twitter, Amazon, Alexcaseybaby.com... ok, well, maybe not ever).  At least in the world of books, this is one serious find. 

Get this - PaperBackSwap.com gives users the opportunity to trade books with one another - FOR FREE!

I mean, consider the alternatives: I myself am a library geek but I must say, I hate waiting for my holds to come in.  It could take months before my requested reading gets to me and then I have to pick it up and make sure it's returned on time.  Amazon (or any book store) remedies the waiting part, but I'm shelling out thousands of dollars per year on books that get read and then add to the clutter in my house.  So PaperBackSwap.com is truly the best solution to my book dilemma!

It works like this: you sign up and post 10 books to the site that you are prepared to trade.  Once you list 10, you are awarded two free credits, each good for one book.  People "order" books from you - you are prompted to respond that you can or cannot ship said book (some people have conditions like: "I have an allergy to mold - if your book is moldy or old, please do not send."  You then either proceed with the shipping or not).  The system evenallows senders to print the postage from their computer along with the shipping label.  You then wrap the book in the computer paper label and give it to your mail-person.  Only catch is that the sender pays shipping (around $3 typically) but when you order books, they are completely free to you!

So, since yesterday I've listed 15 books and shipped six.  Not bad for day one.  Now I just need to stop shipping and start shopping!