With Thanksgiving and Black Friday ‘09 a thing of the past, it’s on to Cyber Monday! Since my shopping list is almost complete (yes, I made it back to my comfort-zone stores on Friday to take advantage of some great deals), I’m running my own Cyber Monday giveaway. Listed below are books that I am giving away to you, my favorite readers.

Take a look at the titles and leave a comment with your top three (3) choices:

1. The Toddler Bistro by Christina Schmidt, M.S. Nutrition

2. Beyond Bandages & Kisses, First Aid Care for Children by Marilyn G. Hatch, RN, CEN

3. This is Not How I Thought It Would Be, Remodeling Motherhood to Get The Lives We Want Today, Kristin Maschka  (2 copies)

4. Four Wives by Wendy Walker

5.Healthy Home Tips, Jeff May & Connie L. May

6.Reading Together, Everything You Need to Know to Raise a Child Who Loves to Read by Diane W. Frankenstein

7.Raising Twins from pregnancy to preschool by Shelly Vaziri Flais, MD, FAAP

8.It’s Just My Nature! A guide to knowing and living your true nature, by Carol Tuttle

9.The Superior Wife Syndrome, Why women do everything so well and why-for the sake of our marriages – we’ve got to stop by Carin  Rubenstein

10. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Raising Girls, by Dr. Gary J. Weisenberger, Kathy Sherwin and Deborah S. Romaine (2 copies)

11. Eco-Friendly Families by Helen Coronato

12. The Green Year (365 smalls things you can do to make a big difference) by Jodi Helmer

13.Pressured Parents, stressed-out kids by Wendy S. Grolnick, PhD, and Kathy Seal

14.A Cup of Comfort for New Mothers, stories that celebrate the miracle of life, Edited by Colleen Sell (2 copies)

15.My two-year-old eats octopus, raising children who love to eat everything, by Nancy Tringali Piho

16.I Love the New Baby at our House, Most of the Time by Leslie Kimmelman

17. Stepmonster, a new look at why real stepmothers think, feel and act the way we do, by Wednesday Marin, PhD

18.Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You: Kids, Carbs and the Coming Hormonal Apocalypse by Anita Renfroe

19.No One’s the Bitch, a ten-step plan for the mother and stepmother relationship, by Jennifer Newcomb Marine and Carol Marine

20.What is your self-worth? A woman’s guide to validation by Cheryl Saban, Ph.D.

21.The Colic Chronicles, a mother’s survival guide to calming your baby while keeping your cool, by Tara Kompare

22.The Agony and the Agony, Raising your Teenager Without Losing Your Mind, by Betty Londergan

23.Sparks, how parents can help ignite the hidden strengths of teenagers by Peter L. Benson Ph.D.

24.The WholeHearted Marriage, fully engaging your most important relationship, by Dr. Greg Smalley and Dr. Shawn Stoever

25.Stay Home, Stay Happy, 10 secrets to loving at-home motherhood by Rachel Campos-Duffy

26.The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding, everything a nursing mother needs to know, by Marianne Neifert, MD

27. The Organized Mom, Simplify Life for You and Baby, One Step at a Time by Stacey Crew

Submit your three (3) choices by Monday, December 7th at 9 a.m. for the random drawing at noon. You will receive one book in this giveaway. Keep it to read yourself or give it to someone as a holiday gift. Either way…enjoy!

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only 3 days away. While our house prepares for the Feast of Thanksgiving, I’m also preparing something else…my Holiday Shopping List!

Yes, you guessed it. I’m one of the Black Friday shoppers ready to divide and conquer to get my holiday gift shopping done before December 1st . This surprised Mary, my newest team member, when we talked last week about holiday gifts and shopping. While Mary thought I wouldn’t do the “crowds” at the big retailers, I gladly admitted that I am one of those people who get up at the crack of dawn to hit the stores and find the best deals on the busiest shopping day of the year. This didn’t surprise Amy, my “right-hand” team member, who correctly commented that it’s no big deal for me to be shopping that early as I’m up at sunrise anyway starting my day with a 10-mile run.

So after my run and while the rest of my clan is still recovering from their Tryptophan-induced food lethargy, I’m heading out to 2 or 3 stores armed with a detailed shopping list, lots of coupons and sale circulars. I’ll be back home, with my holiday shopping finished, before the kids are out of their jammies.

My annual shopping excursion makes my family, especially my mother-in-law, crazy as I usually get all of my shopping done and out of the way. Armed with my list, I knock out the gift shopping with surgical precision, down to every person who will be at our house on Christmas, and even those last-minute Secret Santa and teacher gifts, gifts for the kids’ friends, school and church charity toy drives.

What about you? Are you up with the birds with your nose pressed to the glass of your local retailer, waiting for the doors to open at 5 a.m.? Or will you be home relaxing and enjoying your day off in front the TV watching all those great college football games?! Wherever you are on Black Friday, I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Congratulations to Bethany Graff, winner of the Fisher-Price Trio Building Set giveaway. Bethany will give it to her boys for Christmas. Enjoy!

I have one more fabulous Fisher-Price Trio Building  Set to give away for the holidays! This one is for the “older” crowd…3 – 5 years old. The Trio Building Set is “bricks, sticks and panels” and offers endless fun for any child, boy or girl, as they can build and create anything they can imagine, then start all over again. The set I’m giving away comes in a storage box with a top that acts as the base when children are building their creations. (I always prefer the toys that come in their own storage containers…who wants to constantly pick up pieces?!)

Now, to sign up for the giveaway, send me a comment including who would get the Trio, and what you and the child would build with it. Entries must be received by midnight, Nov.24th with the drawing for one Trio Building Set on Wednesday, Nov. 25th at 9 a.m.

The holidays put me in a great gift-giving mood, so stay tuned for another giveaway! This one is for moms…books to choose from, and lots of titles and topics.

Last week marked the start of “race season”, and no, I don’t mean Nascar. It’s marathon time for me and last week’s Miami Beach Half Marathon was the first of many races I will compete in this year.  At 13.1 miles, this number will soon become my average distance.  So what does race season mean? It means between this week and March 15^th, I will run 3 full marathons (26.2 miles each) and 3 half marathons (13.1 miles each).  If my math is right, that’s over 115 miles in race miles but also includes over 200 miles in training miles.  That’s a lot of time running.  One foot in front of the other.  Run, run, run.  

Running, however, is my sanity.  I love to run. I like the solitude of running. When you are a mom of 4, running 13 + miles is the only way to get alone time.  I love to run and I love to listen to my ipod along the way.  Do you know how many songs one listens to during  a 13-mile run?  72 or more. No matter how many songs on your playlist, the songs seem to replay numerous times.   All of this leads me to an idea I had during the Miami Beach Half Marathon.

Why not ask my Twitter friends and mom friends to compile a play list for me for the upcoming race season? I can listen to your songs and think about our friendship along the way!  So I’m asking you for a favor. Please submit your favorite song or one that you would think would be fun for running in the comment area of my blog.  I’ll download each song and think of you on the way to the finishline.  I’ll also publish my friends’ playlists in a future blog.

I’m looking forward to your suggestions. I know I’ll get some great ones that will help me keep running and running and running……

Congratulations to Miss Behavin’, Danielle Meek and Stacey on winning the Fisher-Price Toys! Stay tuned as I have one more fabulous Fisher-Price Trio Building  Set to give away for the holidays! And for those moms who love to read, I’ve got a giveaway in the works for you, too! Check back soon.

When I hear Fisher-Price, I think of colorful, fun toys for kids that parents love, too! My childrens’ Fisher-Price toy days are behind them, but I fondly recall having plenty of them around the house, even when I had to put them away or step over them.  So, just in time for the holidays, I’ve got Fisher-Price toy sets to give away for those of you who have children, grandchildren or friends with children in the Fisher-Price age range.

To be eligible for the Fisher-Price Giveaway, leave a comment below on “Who would receive the Fisher-Price toy and why?”  (You do not have to leave a child’s name.)

One name will be randomly drawn for each of the following toys (3 total winners):

A Laugh & Learn™Learning Farm for ages 6 – 36 months.

A Laugh & Learn™ Smart Bounce & Spin Pony™ for ages 12-36 months.

A Laugh & Learn™ Fun With Friends™ Musical Table – for ages 6 – 36 months.

Submit a comment and your email or Twitter address below to enter your name for the free Fisher-Price toy. We’ll make Friday, the 13th (of November) a lucky day when we randomly draw for the toys at 12 Noon EST. If your name is chosen, you will be contacted by email or Twitter for your mailing address.  Good luck!

How do you describe a fine piece of chocolate? Or try to communicate the sight of a beautiful sunrise? How do you attach words to an experience that is so unreal that it defies words? An experience where the sights, sounds and interactions are so remarkable you stop taking pictures because you know there’s no way to capture it? These are my thoughts as I attempt to describe my family’s recent summer vacation with Adventures by Disney.

It’s important to relay, before I go any further, that my family has had the great fortune to travel around the world. We also take our vacations very, very seriously. They are an important time for us to reconnect with each other, learn about history, discover different cultures and enjoy time away from everyday chaos. Our vacations aren’t always relaxing. We have been known to explore seven countries in Europe in seven days or backpack via train. Last year we covered the entire country of Ireland in a minivan which eventually overturned on a back road thanks to a tractor running us off the road. (Thankfully no one was hurt other than the totaled van.) My children have always refused to do an all-inclusive club vacation or cruise where they are shuffled off to a camp because as they say, “vacations are a time to be together.” Thankfully, they still like me and my husband enough to want to vacation with us.

All of this I had in mind when we booked our Adventures by Disney trip to Peru. We have never vacationed with others, never had someone else plan our travel, never allowed ourselves to be bound to a group. All of this made me apprehensive about booking a tour. However, I was comfortable with two things. First, I loved the destination of Peru. My children had never seen South America or the poverty that I knew existed there and I felt it was important to allow them to experience it firsthand. Secondly, I trust Disney. Even my husband, who is not a very big Disney park fan voiced his trust. “Disney doesn’t do anything half-baked.” I don’t say this often, but my husband was more than right on this account. Disney showed our family the most remarkable experience we have ever had on any vacation and that’s what makes it so difficult to describe.

The Disney touch started in the booking process when Mary, our travel consultant, took care in every detail from coordinating frequent flyer tickets with paid fares and room arrangements. Throughout the six months leading up to the trip, we received mailings with updated flight times, changes and itineraries. Two weeks prior to the trip, the kids opened boxes from Disney that contained backpacks and a countdown calendar. Disney told us what to pack, what to wear and where we were going each day. We were excited to see so many active activities such as river rafting, hiking and dancing. I can honestly say that I have NEVER prepared so little for a vacation. And you know what? It was great. I didn’t even pack a map! The kids laughed that this would be the first time my head wouldn’t be looking down constantly into a tour book.

When the day finally arrived, we were pleasantly surprised by an upgrade to Delta Business Class. That didn’t have anything to do with Disney, but it started the trip off right. We traveled all night and were delighted to find the Adventures by Disney guide waiting right at the gate for us. They whisked our luggage off to a waiting bus and truthfully, we NEVER touched our luggage again until we were departing to return home. It was wonderful. The magical luggage transfer from bus to hotel and back again seems a small detail but it was a nice bonus! We simply left it outside our door and each day it found its way to our new room.

We arrived late because of lines at customs in Lima. However, our Adventures by Disney guides stayed up and met us in the lobby. Alexandra was a local Peruvian and Kory was an energetic high school teacher who did guide work during the summer. We went to bed feeling good about our choice. Little did we know, it would only get better every single day of the trip.

Stay tuned…Part 1: The Bailey’s Trip – Adventures by Disney:Peru.

Any Mom of older children knows of Billy Ray Cyrus. Maybe it’s from his life as a successful recording artist, but more likely it’s as his role as the TV Dad to real-life daughter Miley Cyrus on the wildly popular Disney show, Hannah Montana. I had the chance to meet Billy Ray at a New York City event, where he was promoting a very worth cause – the Sandwich Swap ‘n Share to benefit Feeding America.

Billy Ray and me in NYC!

For every sandwich created on Hellmann’s page on Facebook, Hellmann’s and Best Foods will donate 7 lunches to Feeding America, a network of food banks that supplies food and groceries to more than 25 million Americans each year. Since this program started in August, over 700,000 lunches have been provided to the Feeding America organization. But it’s not too late. You can still visit the Hellmann’s Facebook page, create a sandwich and also have your name entered for a $250 grocery gift card.

Katja and Wendy at Billy Ray Cyrus event

My friends Katja Presnal and Wendy Stetson joined me for the event and we enjoyed catching up with each other and meeting Billy Ray Cyrus. The fact that Billy Ray is putting his name behind the important and worthy cause of feeding the hungry in America makes him an even bigger star in my book.

As a mother, I know many people influence the lives of my children. People who shape their character. People who make a mark.  As a mother, I would like to think that my husband and I make the greatest mark on their lives, decisions and actions. But that would be a true sign of vanity.  I need only to look at myself to realize that some of the greatest impressions can be from people other than mom and dad.  A quick look in the mirror actually gives me the reflection of my grandparents, all six of them- parents of my mother, father and stepfather.  So in celebration of Grandparents Day, I thought I would honor my grandparents by posting about the impression each of these wonderful people  (some here, some gone but never forgotten) made on who I am today. 

To be fair, I am going to list my grandparents not in order of influence but in the order that they left my life. 

Grandpa Jack- 35 years after his death, I still stop at his grave whenever I’m in Miami.  Sometimes, I sit there and talk to him about challenges I’m facing and at other times I share good news.  Grandpa Jack was my mother’s father.  He was a great fisherman and I know each time I cast a rod that he’s looking down at me. What I remember most is he believed in giving each of his grandkids a gift regardles whose birthday it was at the time.  I recall getting my favorite dress from him on my sister’s birthday.

Grandma Betsy- She was a pistol.  I got my red hair and fiery personality from Grandma Betsy. Growing up I spent many summers with her while she was living in Venezuela.  Grandma Betsy never learned to drive and kept the cleanest house you could ever imagine.  Every time we ran water in her kitchen sink, she required us to wipe it dry so that the stainless steel didn’t show water spots. Her need to clean definitely rubbed off on me.  I hate clutter and can spot a dust flake from across the room.

Grandpa Alligood- He was my stepfather’s dad and the man who taught me how to sell pecans to the wholesalers.  He was a southern farmer who sold cars on the side at the local Ford dealership.  I have fond memories with Grandpa Alligood. He taught me to drive a tractor, fish for catfish, ride a horse and pull peanuts from the field.  I loved spending time on his farm with him and driving up to town in his truck. I gained my love for trees and anything country from Grandpa Alligood.

Grandma Eleanor- She was a my mother’s mother and self-proclaimed gypsy.  She told us a tale that she was born with a mask on her face which was stolen by a nurse. From that day on, her spirit was unable to remain still, always looking for her mask.  This was a good explanation for why she owned no fewer than 4 homes and would appear in our driveway sometimes pulling a camper behind her car.  I remember her living on a houseboat as well.  She spoke several languages and lived in multiple countries while married to an Embassador.  I’ve been told I got my looks from Grandma Eleanor, but I bet I gained my love for travel from her as well.

Grandpa Louie- He was my father’s father and was born on the boat over from Italy.  His name can be found at Ellis Island.  Grandpa Louie was a very accomplished businessman who worked for the Rockefeller family in Venezuela, pre-Chavez.  He was proud and very, very conservative in his views on life.  He loved God and worked very hard.  He taught me how to hit a golf ball , how to pick wild orchards in the mountain of Venezuela and how to catch fish with spit balls.  I gained my love of people and the desire to give back from Grandpa Louie.

Grandma Alligood- She was my stepfather’s mother. Although she lived the longest, she left us many years ago when Alzheimer’s took away her sharp mind.  She was a country lady to the core.  A member of the Southern Baptist Church, she cooked for the sick, taught bible study and visited shut-ins.  I loved reading her Reader’s Digests and spending time in her enormous garden.  When we visited her in Meigs, Ga, I would wake up early just to sit at the kitchen table and chat with her as she prepared the day’s meals.  She always cooked my favorite foods: cheese toast, pound cake and country fried chicken.  We had a special bond and even after she could no longer speak, I know she knew who I was when I visited her in the retirement home.  I spoke at her funeral in the same Baptist Church where she so often taught me bible verses.  I gained my love for life and family from Grandma Alligood.

Today,  I go out of my way to make certain my own four children have the opportunity I had to develop a deep relationship with their grandparents.  I strive to have them touch their lives just as my own touched mine.   So, on this Grandparents Day, I celebrate the lives of my Grandparents and encourage you to do the same.

The world is a bit different from the time of my Grandparents.  For today’s Grandparents, there are wonderful resources like www.grandparents.com which provides tools, resources and content to help grandparents  maintain the bond that will last a lifetime and beyond.

Happy Grandparents Day.

It’s no secret that Moms who blog are asked to review all sorts of products. Sometimes, they are quite unusual and sometimes you wonder “what am I supposed to say about this product?” Well, last week’s pitch goes down in my book as the craziest pitch to date.

The product is KY’s Intense Arousal Gel for Her. At least they got my sex right and sent me the correct product sample. I’ve contemplated for almost a week as to what I could say about KY Intense. True, it comes in a cute little black pouch and is in a small, discreet pump container that will get through TSA’s 3.0-ounce screener…but a product review? Does that mean I actually have to use it? Isn’t that a bit too much information for my readers? I guess it’s not nearly as bad as having the box sit on my desk for a week. I wonder what my father-in-law thought when he came to my office to ask me a question. I just hope my kids didn’t see it when they stopped by the office over the weekend to leave me notes on my desk.

So the point of this blog post? I guess to laugh together. To tell you that if you are looking for Her Intimacy- search no further than KY Intense. If you need to pack for play and the TSA, this is your product. To ask future product pushers to make it easier for me and please send me products that I can really share with my readers.

With the start of school last week, I’ve been hearing many comments and concerns from parents about swine flu and the measures schools are taking to address the continuing threat.  So it was timely that I received information from Medisim, makers of the Temple Touch Thermometer, on how to prepare a “Swine Flu Combat Kit”  for under $20.

The Temple Touch Thermometer is quick, easy and non-invasive. In about 6 seconds, you get an accurate temperature without any of the issues of other thermometer types (probe covers, accuracy, invasive models). And if you’ve ever been awake at 3 a.m. with a feverish child, you know that the less time and fuss required, the better!

Swine Flu Combat Kit

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned that 2009 could be the worst flu season the nation has seen in years, thanks to the infamous Novel H1N1 virus or “swine flu”. Some doctors say that last year’s flu season never really ended with outbreak of the swine flu. Regardless, the CDC expects flu activity to rise again, ahead of the regular flu season, as 55 million students and 7 million staffers head back to the nation’s 130,000 schools.

The “Swine Flu Combat Kit”, which can be assembled for just under $20 dollars, is recommended to avoid spread of the disease. Swine flu may infect half the U.S. population this year, hospitalize 1.8 million patients and lead to as many as 90,000 deaths, more than twice the number killed in a typical seasonal flu, the White House advised this week.

The “Swine Flu Combat Kit” includes:

1. Temple Touch Thermometer – Advised are noninvasive, digital forehead thermometers, like the Temple Touch thermometer available at Wal-Mart for under $10.00. These thermometers do not cross-contaminate dangerous germs like traditional digital stick thermometers.
2. Hand Sanitizer - Pocket size bottles can easily be kept in book bags and lockers, briefcases and desks. Can be purchased at any drug store.
3. Soap & Water – You should keep these items handy at sinks. School children should wash their hands every hour at school.
4. Baby Wipes – Parents and students should use these to wipe down hands, lunchboxes, notebooks and all other school supplies daily.
5. Tissues – Should be used to cover coughs and sneezes.

Other suggestions for the Combat Kit can be found at www.Flu.gov.

To keep panic and the spread of the contagious disease at a minimum, many school systems are advising students and businesses are warning employees to stay away for seven days if they exhibit any flu symptoms.
Symptoms include:

1. Fever. The number one symptom of any flu is a fever. Although, there are many similarities between the common cold and the flu, the key difference between the two is running a fever. According to the Mayo Clinic, more children miss school over the common cold over any other illness. To avoid a misdiagnosis, you should look out for a fever and then heed warnings to stay at home if a fever is detected.
2. Cough
3. Sore Throat
4. Runny or Stuffy Nose
5. Body Aches
6. Headache
7. Chills
8. Fatigue
9. Diarrhea*
10. Vomiting*
* Only reported in some cases.

While the information above doesn’t take the place of a doctor’s advice when anyone in your family is sick, it’s worth a look and a trip to the store.