Rolemommy

Book Club

Role Mommy Book Club

Let me just say that I get most of my best book picks from two places - my girlfriends on my 8:48 commuter train and my mom. So when mom was raving about Firefly Lane, a new book she was reading while we were aboard our Princess Cruise, I told her if she loved it that much, then why not write a review for Role Mommy. And guess what, Role Bubbe came through with flying colors.

In the summer of 1974 Kate Mularkey meets Tullah (Tully) Hart. They become BFF.
Tully is raised by her grandmother. Tully's mother is a pot smoking hippie who manages to come back into Tully's life when she takes her to live on Firefly Lane. After a traumatic incident, Tully and Kate become best friends.

Tully is driven by her desire to be famous, while Kate although claims to want the same thing as Tully just wants to be a wife and mother.

Firefly Lane is set in Washington State and is a wonderful story of two women who share a 30 year friendship. Loving the music of ABBA and Fleetwood Mac makes this novel a must for all those who came of age in the 70's and later - it is also a terrific read for anyone with a close girlfriends and most of all, should be shared with your best friend.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club on 03/06/2010

The Power of Half: Book Review & Excerpt

The one thing I love about going on vacation is getting the chance to kick back and curl up with a few great books and luckily, the folks at Houghton Mifflin sent me an advanced copy of The Power of Half, one American family's inspirational story of giving, written by a father-daughter duo, Kevin Salwen, a reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal and Hannah Salwen, a junior at the Atlanta Girls' School.

When Hannah and Kevin were stopped at traffic light near their home, their lives were forever changed when Hannah noticed a homeless person begging on the street and then glanced over at a man driving a Mercedes Benz. As she contemplated the disparity between both men, she suggested to her dad that if the driver in the fancy car downsized to a vehicle that was half the price, he could potentially donate the rest of the money to the homeless man and perhaps help him off his feet so he could rebuild his life. The conversation continued at home when Hannah shared the story with her mom and brother and before long, after several family meetings, she convinced her family to sell their multi-million dollar Atlanta home so they could donate half of the sales to charity.

The Power of Half is told from the point of view of Kevin and Hannah which makes it a perfect read for adults and kids (tweens through teenagers). We even have an excerpt from the book - check it out and then order it today on Amazon because for every book sold, $1 will be donated to The Hunger Project, a foundation which helps women, men and children in Ghana by not only feeding them but by empowering them with the tools to become self sufficient and potentially start their own businesses.

About 111 women die of breast cancer every day in the United States. A million teenagers get pregnant each year. Someone dies every thirty-one minutes because of drunken drivers. I'm not writing this to bum you out. But you might be thinking, There are so many problems, there's no way that I or any one person could solve anything.

When civil-rights activist Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a public bus in 1955, she never dreamed of the impact she would have on millions of lives. "I didn't have any idea just what my actions would bring about," she said years later. "At the time I was arrested I didn't know how the community would react." The reason Ms. Parks didn't get up is that she knew the racist laws were wrong.

Rosa Parks is just one of the thousands of influential people whose actions changed the views of many people today. Think about Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Greg Mortenson, John Woolman, Madame Curie (if you don't know them, check them out; they're all remarkable). Sometimes small acts significantly affect a large group of people. But even when they don't, they can have a big influence, maybe on just one individual.

So don't get discouraged because you can't solve a whole problem alone. As the British philosopher Edmund Burke said, "Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little." I know exactly what he was talking about. Before our family project I kept telling myself that no matter how hard I tried or how much money I gave, I would never be able to fully solve any of the world's big problems. When I worked at Café 458, the Atlanta restaurant for homeless men and women, I saw dozens of people come in looking depressed and lonely. But still I didn't see them as individuals, but instead as a group, "the homeless."

Then one day at Café 458 I heard two homeless men talking about a college basketball game that I had watched with my dad the night before. I snapped to the realization that these people are people. How stupid and rude I had been to see them as different from me. I realize now that having that epiphany was a big step for me. In that split second of comprehension, I switched from seeing them as a group of people to viewing them as individuals. When I started seeing people in need as individuals, the problem of homelessness and hunger seemed smaller and I felt like I could make more of a difference. I also started believing that I could help because the problem was on a personal level.

Activity

Think of a person from your community who inspires you. Look beyond his or her specific actions to the kind of qualities that person brings to work or volunteer activities. For example, some people are better at creating new programs than at actually putting them into action; other people are doers, ready to take someone else's ideas and run with them. Is that aunt in your family a problem-solver? A good listener? An inspirer?

Now think about your strengths in the same light. If you took your best characteristics out into the world, how could you use them to make a difference? Are you patient? Maybe you would be a good tutor. Are you musical? Maybe you could be playing the guitar at a nursing home (and bringing your family along to sing -- no talent required). We all have gifts the world can use.

The above is an excerpt from the book The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back by Kevin and Hannah Salwen. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

Copyright © 2010 Kevin and Hannah Salwen, authors of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back

Author Bios
Kevin Salwen, coauthor of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, was reporter and editor at The Wall Street Journalfor over 18 years. After his tenure at The Wall Street Journal, he started a magazine, Motto. He serves on the board for Habitat for Humanity in Atlanta, and works with the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Hannah Salwen, coauthor of The Power of Half: One Family's Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back, will be a junior at the Atlanta Girls' School, where she plays for the varsity volleyball team, and is her grade's representative to the student council. She has been volunteering consistently since the 5th grade at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Cafe 458, among others.

For more information, please visit www.ThePowerOfHalf.com. For every book sold, $1 will be donated to the The Hunger Project.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club, TV on 02/22/2010

Guest Post Corner: Author & Dad Barack Levin

One Easy First Lesson Toward Raising Independent, Happy Children by Barack Levin

Once I saw a three-year old and his mother going to daycare. It was winter time, and the mom was loaded down, carrying her son, his bag, a rain coat, umbrella and his stuffed toy. That simple picture drove me crazy and made me sad for both child and parent. It was not raining and so the mom had no reason to carry the child and his entourage. I decided then and there it would be different with my child.

In my opinion, the key to raising independent kids is to teach them responsibility and accountability. Obviously, you can't go up to a two-year-old and say, "Listen, Alex, today you will be responsible for cleaning your room and if it is not clean, I will hold you personally accountable for it!" So instead, I am taking small daily actions that teach him these values.

I came up with the following little nifty trick. It works for any toddler who is stable enough and comfortable enough walking on his own. In my case, it happened when my kids were about 14 months old and it always worked:

Step 1:
For a week, start to show your toddler that mommy and daddy carry their own bags, purse, or wallet to work, store, restaurant and friends. Let your little one check the bag contents and go over it with him. (I suggest taking out any "personal" items to prevent embarrassing questions!) On a daily basis, ask your toddler to help you by putting or taking out a needed item into or from the bag. Stand by him while he gets the comb or pen for you and opens the bag and drops it in. Compliment him on a job well done! You'll see that he is supercharged with excitement because he is "helping" you.

Step 2:
At the end of the week, start showing your little one that big kids from his daycare and friends or relatives carry their own bags. Wouldn't he like to have one, too? If you've done your job exciting him in the build-up about your bag, he'll probably jump at the chance to be like the older kids! "Now let's go to the store and let YOU choose your very own, because you are a big boy too!"

Step 3:
Take him to Wal-Mart or Target. They have small carry-ons with wheels for kids. Have your child go over ALL the available bags and choose his favorite. You want your child to be as involved as possible, leading the process. Don't choose for him. Resist the impulse to say, "Now, dear, wouldn't you rather have this one instead?" You'd be teaching him not to have confidence in his own decisions. After choosing a bag that he wants, let your little one be in charge of actively paying for it and taking it out of the store. Let him show it off and tell everyone about it!

Step 4:
At home, ask him to bring his favorite items--toy, stuffed animal, snack or pacifier--and place them on the kitchen table or countertop (or any other place he can easily reach). Now ask him, "What would you like to put in your new bag? Go get it!" He'll run to get it--or all of them--as fast as his little legs will carry him. Let him open the bag and place them inside. Once the items are inside, walk around with him and let him proudly wheel his carry-on around.

Step 5:
Leave the bag close to the door so that every time you leave the house, it will be there, reminding him to take it. You and your little one may be forgetful at first, but within two to three days, it will become second nature for him to take the bag with him. This is wonderful training for taking the bag to and from daycare everyday--not to mention that you can hitchhike on this and put the rest of his items in it as well: such as diapers, towels, food, change of clothes and more.

Just think how this one simple habit will make life so much easier for your child and for you throughout all the school grades! I'd be so happy if the rest of you parents shared your stories and advice about helping our children become happily independent kids.

You may send your stories and comments to me via my site: http://www.baracklevin.com

Barack Levin is the author of The Diaper Chronicles - A stay at home dad's quest for raising great kids - http://www.baracklevin.com.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club, Guest Post Corner on 09/29/2009

Half Pint, I Hardly Knew Ya

Here's a special alert to all our Reading Role Mommies. Hopefully, that's all of you. If you've been visiting my site for a while, then you know most of my tastes are trapped in the 70's, 80's and 90's (I'm just like a Lite FM station). That's why, after hearing Melissa Gilbert on the radio with Leeza Gibbons sharing details from her memoir "Prairie Tale," I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of that book.

First of all, I was a huge fan of "Little House on the Prairie" and wanted to read all about how she got her start in showbiz. Next, back in the day, I had the biggest crush on Rob Lowe (who didn't?) and wanted to know all about their rocky relationship too. After finding the book in the back of the store at Borders, I devoured it in two days. In fact, I found myself so immersed in her story I could not put down. I read Gilbert's book on the train, subway, bus, at home, in bed and finished it this morning and even read the acknowledgements page, where she shares hilarious titles that her famous friends suggested for the book too.

What I found surprising is that Gilbert is brutally honest about everything that's happened in her life - from the strange story surrounding her adoption, to growing up in a showbiz family (her grandfather was famed comedy writer Harry Crane and her dad was also an entertainer), her auditions as a budding child star, her experiences portraying Laura Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie," what she really thought of her TV family and how she confronted the tragic the loss of Michael Landon. Gilbert also shares details about her bouts with alcoholism and drug addiction, her rocky first marriage, her triumphs both on screen and behind the scenes, her tenure as president of SAG and much more. And of course, she also tells of her relationship with her first true love Rob Lowe, the current love of her life, her husband Bruce Boxleitner and the births of her children.

Prairie Tale has everything you look for in a book rolled into 350 pages - humor, surprises, bittersweet moments, brutal honesty and is in a word, unforgettable. If you were a fan of Little House, you will love reading Gilbert's story and even if you weren't, trust me when I tell you that Prairie Tale is the perfect end of summer read.

Want to find some more great reads, then just visit the Role Mommy Book Store!

Posted in: Blog, Book Club on 08/25/2009

Mother's Day Book Pick Alert!

We've got another great book pick for any new mom who is feeling down in the doldrums because they haven't had a chance to take a shower, get a manicure or hit the gym in months. It's time to get back in the saddle! And this latest book by Olympic athlete and mom Dara Torres is the perfect remedy to inspire you to pursue your passion at any stage of your life.

Recently, Dara, a multi-tasking mom with a young daughter met with a group of mom bloggers as spokesperson for HP's newest laptop computers. Unfortunately, while I was all excited to see Dara in action - she actually swam for the group first before they went to lunch with her, it was the second day of Passover so I was home cooking up a turkey for 16 attendees. And so, sadly, I missed meeting her in the flesh. But lucky for me, one of Dara's other spokesperson duties is for the Drink Well Live Well milk campaign and coincidentally, they sent me a copy of her latest book, Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life and I read it this week - at the gym, on the train, at night - whenever I had a waking minute and I wasn't dealing with work, the kids, or my computer, all my time outs were devoted to Dara and I have to say, I loved every minute of it.

The book, which is written by Dara and Elizabeth Weil shares the incredible story of how this dynamic woman managed to compete in four Olympic games spanning two decades (1984-2008)! If you ever thought you were too old to do what you love, read this book and get inspired. If there were more Dara Torres' in this world, there's no telling what all of us can accomplish. So today, we're adding Dara's book to our must-have Mother's Day book list. Visit our Amazon Store for more great book picks.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club, Role Mommy Recommends on 04/18/2009

Robin McGraw Appears on Role Mommy

We just interviewed Dr. Phil's better half, Robin McGraw, who stopped by our site to talk about her latest book, What's Age Got to Do with It?: Living Your Healthiest and Happiest Life. Robin is a fabulous storyteller who shares some great anecdotes from her book, which is sure to be a hit not only with the 55 and over crowd, but for those of us looking for ways to stay healthy and fit at any age.

What I love about the book is that it covers every aspect of a woman's life, from health, diet, fitness, hair, fashion and make-up. Robin's decision to maintain a healthy lifestyle was caused after mother died of a heart attack at 58. While her mom put everyone else's needs above her own, Robin realized that if you don't take care of yourself, the people who eventually lose out are your family if your life is cut short by a disease or health issue that could have been avoided with preventative care.

For those of us battling the bulge, Robin offers a two week nutrition plan that's sure to help us shed excess weight. Plus, she outlines her entire fitness routine with her personal trainer; and she shares the secret behind her flawless face. She has never had plastic surgery but does monthly medi-facials that stimulate her facial muscles and keep her skin looking fresh and youthful. She also drinks tons of water (which I totally need to do), stays out of the sun and now avoids sugar because she learned it not only makes you fat, but it causes wrinkles!

And she even shares a great hair story about Michael Bolton - but I don't want to give everything away! Click on the link below as Robin shares her personal stories and advice about how to look great at any age.

Posted in: Blog, Blog Talk Radio, Book Club on 04/08/2009

Role Mommy Mother's Day Book Picks

You've gotta love this time of year. First, because it's finally starting to warm up...are those buds I see out on the trees from my sunroom? And second, it's the time of year when my writer friends' books are hitting the stores just in time for Mother's Day! For now, here's a look at three great reads that will be available starting this April plus, in the carousel above, you'll see some more picks that are on the Role Mommy must-have book list.

Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress is the latest book on motherhood by Lee Woodruff, the author of the New York Times bestseller In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing. Lee is also a regular parenting contributor to Good Morning America and she's one of the most gifted writers I've been lucky enough to know over the years. She shares her funny and poignant mom-oirs in this much-anticipated April 21st release by Randomhouse. Visit Lee's website for more information about the book as well as her tour schedule and trust me, if she's coming through your hometown, you won't want to miss her. Check out the video below as she reads a chapter from her book about losing something near and dear to heart. Ironically, the same topic has been a sore subject for me these past few months too!

Stop Second-Guessing Yourself--The Toddler Years: A Field-Tested Guide to Confident Parenting is Jen Singer's latest release and this time, she focuses on one of the most difficult ages and stages to understand and satisfy - although my friends tell me the teen years are even scarier. Jen is going to be embarking on a really cool blog tour where she'll be dropping by select blogs and imparting her sage words of wit and wisdom. And, she's also one of our contributors to C:// Mom Run, a humor anthology (Release Date November 2009/Plain White Press) and road show where she will be sharing one of her personal stories on stage on May 7 in New York City when we showcase some of America's favorite humor bloggers and authors. Visit Jen at Mommasaid.net.

Because I Said So - I've plugged it before and I will just keep plugging it every chance I get. This is my blogger BFF Dawn Meehan's first book release in what I believe will turn into one of many books on her life as a mom of six who named her kids after cities in the Rand McNally Atlas. Dawn's blog gets thousands of visits per month and people return to it because the things she writes, and vlogs are just laugh out loud funny. So if you're looking for a fabulous humor book for moms, then we've got just the answer. Buy Because I Said So - this one is destined to be a best seller.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club on 03/28/2009

A Sneak Peak at My Next Book

Okay...so I admit I am the worst person in the world to keep secrets. So I'm going to let the cat of the bag. I'm working on my next book and am so beyond excited about how great it's going to be. It's called C:// Mom Run and it's going to be a humor anthology featuring essays from some of the funniest mom authors, syndicated columnists and bloggers that I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past few years.

While you may have heard of a few of them, what I can tell you is that these women are the Nora Ephron's of our time. Every single one of them will share a story from their lives that some mom in our country (and probably abroad) will be able to totally relate to and laugh their sides off. I will share the names of our contributors soon, but in the meantime, take a look at some of the comments that were flying back and forth when I shared the book cover with them.

Many thanks to my publisher Julie Trelsted at Plain White Press who is embarking on this exciting journey with me and these fabulous women. While the book will be released this November, we're actually going to be giving audiences a sneak peak this May when seven of our contributors appear at an event in New York City showcasing their incredible comedic writing talents. So strap on your seatbelts ladies, it's going to be a wild ride! Oh...and if you want to listen in to a podcast of an essay I'm contemplating using in the book, then click on the video below and let me know what you think.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club, Role Mommy Recommends on 03/22/2009

Role Mommy to Interview Jodi Picoult!

I have some news to share with all our Role Mommies. In a few days, I will be interviewing New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult on my Blog Talk Radio show!

Picoult, whose latest novel, Handle With Care, has just hit book shelves, is about to embark on a whirlwind tour. But before she does, Role Mommy will get the chance to catch up with this incredibly talented mom of three. I just received a copy of Picoult's new book and am so excited to dive in. So while I'm doing a little speed reading, here's my question to all our faithful subscribers, readers, and Jodi Picoult fans. If you had the chance to ask her one question, what would it be? Comment now with a link to your blog and we will give you a shout out on our show if your question makes the cut.

Meanwhile, in addition to our Role Mommy on the Run show that airs Fridays at 2pm, we're going to be kicking off a new primetime show, called Role Mommy & Friends that will air on Wednesday nights at 7pm. Time to get ready for my close-up - or is that my pod-up?

Posted in: Blog, Book Club on 03/07/2009

A Few Good Book Picks of 2009

Lately, I've been doing a lot of vlogging and all I have to say is that I never anticipated that video editing would be consuming most of time. Last night, I was busy editing together a reel for more than five hours. Then, the following morning, I continued editing throughout the day and finished the project at 5 pm!

Unfortunately, all this video stuff has prevented me from writing about all the things I've done this past week. Hmmm...you've seen the videos from our Moms Night Out and Moms Night In so I don't need to write about that but - I have been out and about with my family - we saw Pink Panther 2 - which we agreed that while it was cute, it wasn't as good as Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I know, my taste in films has something to be desired.

I've also been hitting the gym a lot - haven't shed any weight but at least I've settled into a routine and I've managed to read a few books while I've hit the elliptical machines. I'm reading "What Would Google Do?" by Jeff Jarvis and I just got an advanced copy of The Difference by Jean Chatzky and I have to say...I am loving that book. I saw Jean Chatzky speak at a More Magazine event a few months ago and her advice motivated me to fine tune my business and focus in on the things I love doing. And as a result, things are really starting to fall into place. So thank you Jean Chatzky! My payback to you is to highly recommend your new book - which hits stores on March 10 to as many people as I know. If you'd like to pre-order The Difference, then click here.

In the mom book category, I have two great picks for you. Though both don't hit stores until April, you definitely should pre-order them so you can devour them once they arrive. The first is Because I Said So, by one of my favorite mom writers, Dawn Meehan - a mom of six from Chicago who is one of the funniest and sweetest moms I know. Dawn and I became BFF's at the Glamour Reel Moments red carpet event and as soon as I received it, I read it cover to cover and laughed out loud at how this mom of six has masterfully captured her chaotic life. My second book pick which hasn't hit stores yet but I'm sure will be amazing is Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress by Lee Woodruff. Lee is a NY Times bestselling author of In An Instant and is one of the most personable, funny and genuine women I know. I'm sure her second book is destined for bestseller status and I am always happy to spread the word about people who make the world a better place.

And yours truly contributed to True Mom Confessions: Real Moms Get Real
which will be released this April and was edited by the fabulous Romi Lasally. Finally, on the Role Mommy news front, I'm going to be spearheading a humor anthology for parents called C Mom Run which will be released by Plain White Press in November...check back for updates on some of the incredible writers/bloggers/authors who will be featured in this destined to have you ROFL (rolling on the floor laughing for all you web novices - thanks to Creole Princess for teaching me that one).

Anyway, I have to say, I am happy to be reading again - there's something to be said about cracking open a book and learning something new or just laughing until your sides hurt.

Posted in: Blog, Book Club on 03/03/2009

Older Entries

01/17/2009: New Section...Kids Book Reviews!

12/19/2008: Rolemommy Books of 2008

09/22/2008: Want to be Inspired...Read The Last Lecture

07/03/2008: Great Summer Reads

06/12/2008: Your On Ramp and Lawscope Coaching!

06/09/2008: The Role Mommy Book Store

05/26/2008: Our Latest Book Review...Writing Motherhood

04/26/2008: Meet the Author of Somebody's Always Hungry

04/17/2008: TV Reporter, Writer, Breastfeeding Mama

04/16/2008: Role Mommy Book Club Review

02/17/2008: Book Club

02/16/2008: Secrets of a Writer Mama by Joanne Rendell

01/27/2008: Award-winning Author Hosts Online Workshop for Aspiring Mom Writers

01/09/2008: More Great Book Recommendations From our Readers

12/16/2007: Role Mommy's Favorite Books of the Year!

10/28/2007: Carpool Confidential by Jessica Benson

10/04/2007: THE CHOICE BY NICHOLAS SPARKS & AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

09/16/2007: The Other Mother by Gwendolen Gross

08/28/2007: Water For Elephants, Hillary Clinton and More Summer Books....

07/01/2007: Second Chance by Jane Green

06/15/2007: Reading with Robin's Summer Book List!

06/12/2007: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

05/19/2007: SEE JANE LEAD by Lois Frankel

03/25/2007: In an Instant by Lee & Bob Woodruff

03/03/2007: SHOPAHOLIC & BABY by Sophie Kinsella

02/16/2007: SUPERMOM SAVES THE WORLD!

02/16/2007: The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood

12/27/2006: I Feel Bad About My Neck...by Nora Ephron

12/11/2006: "Reading with Robin" Radio Host Picks Top 10 Books of the Year

10/04/2006: Bitchfest...Review by Joanne Rendell

09/20/2006:

09/10/2006:

07/22/2006:

07/22/2006:

07/22/2006:

07/22/2006:

07/22/2006: