Need I say that I am thrilled that Dr. Laura has written about the issues that affect stay-at-home moms? I think she has given a face to the argument for being an at-home mom and that we’ll continue to see the trend of moms choosing to stay at home continue. I do, of course, have high respect for working moms as well – you all do what needs to be done and that deserves much respect – but I do agree with Dr. Laura that there are benefits to our kids by being at home with them.

I encourage you to check out Dr. Laura’s book for some encouragement and a good dose of “you can do it!”

A little more about the Book:
They number in the millions and they are incredibly important to families and to our society, yet are underappreciated, little respected and even controversial. Who are they? Stay-at-home moms.

These are women who feel staying home to raise their children is the right choice for the whole family. Some plan to stay home right after getting married, while others make the difficult transition from career-driven women to homemakers after they have children. Either way, it is a choice that is incredibly rich and rewarding, not to mention challenging.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s latest book, IN PRAISE OF STAY-AT-HOME MOMS, builds on principles developed during her long career as a licensed marriage and family therapist and provides a wealth of advice and support, as well as compassion and inspiration, to women as they navigate the wonders and struggles of being stay-at-home moms.

More information about IN PRAISE OF STAY-AT-HOME MOMS and Dr. Laura can be found here and on Dr. Laura’s official website at DrLaura.com. She also writes a monthly column for NewsMax, a daily blog (DrLaurablog.com) and posts videos weekly on The Dr. Laura YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/drlaura).

About the Book:
Has she fallen in love with a man who cannot love her back?

Elizabeth O’Connor has been like the little sister John Brady always wanted, sharing his love of literature and his thirst for God. But in the throes of the reckless Roaring Twenties, Lizzie has grown up. Suddenly she wants more from the man who has been her friend since she was a child. When this shy little bookworm blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving John, she discovers that his past won’t let him return that love. But Lizzie refuses to give up–until his shocking secrets push her away.

Can true love survive the betrayal and deceitful of a painful past . . . or will it be shattered like the fairy-tale dreams of a girl in love?

Brimming with romance, longing, and redemption, A Passion Denied, will quicken your pulse and gladden your heart with a riveting story of the true power of love.

This book isn’t an easy read. It will make you stop and think about your life. It will challenge the ideas and paradigms that you grew up believings. And it will help you see “why your faith does not work” (which is, in fact, the title of the first chapter). If you’re ready for a change, pick this book up and dive in.

There is also a DVD Series that goes along with The Trouble With Paris.

About Mark Sayers:
Mark Sayers is an author and speaker who specializes in interpreting popular culture from a Christian viewpoint. Mark is the Director of Über a ministry that specializes in issues of youth and young adult discipleship. He is also leader of Red East in Melbourne, Australia, an innovative Christian community specifically reaching the young adult demographic. He is a highly sought after speaker, consultant and thinker in the areas of popular culture and faith. Mark is the author of the Trouble with Paris: Following Jesus in a World of Plastic Promises.

Mark has been in full time ministry for 15 years. In this time he has been involved in a variety of ministry appointments. From Youth Work with the Salvation Army, to ministry with the poor, to denominational roles, to writing for Christian popular culture magazines, to lecturing, to Research and Development positions, and roles as a Church Planter and Pastor.

If you’re just starting out or if you’ve been marketing online for years, there is information in this book that will help you take your internet marketing to the next level.

From Digital-Engagement.com:

Harden and Heyman’s books are noted for being chock full of strong, practical how to advice and for providing great case studies to show how the strategies they illuminate are put into action. Check out the Table of Contents here and note the logos of companies featured in the book below. You’ll learn from some of the best in the business, veterans who’ve been down the road before you.

“Digital Engagement” covers the strategies you’ll need to master the tools for a strong online marketing program:

• Search Engine Marketing
• Search Engine Optimization
• Buzz Marketing
• Word of Mouth/Word of Web
• Viral Marketing
• Viral Video
• Web Video, Webisodes, Mobisodes
• Affiliate Marketing
• Online Public Relations
• RSS Feeds
• Widgets
• Wikis
• Blogging
• Social Network Marketing
• Effective Online Advertising
• Online Marketing Metrics and Measurement
• Virtual Worlds
• Advergaming
• Wireless Mobile Search

MBA in a Book

If you’re looking for a book that will help motivate you while you learn, this is the book for you.

About the book:

MBA IN A BOOK offers the kind of information graduates of MBA programs ought to have, but usually gain only after years of hard-won experience. This volume contains essential advice about the fundamentals of business, sales, and leadership from some of history’s most influential thinkers and doers: entepreneurs, executives, scholars, statesmen, and philosophers.

More about PR Toolkit:

Authored by John Sternal, a seasoned PR professional of nearly 20 years, the new PR Toolkit provides insight into how small businesses can leverage the power of media awareness to promote their companies and generate bigger profits. UnderstandingMarketing.com offers DIY marketing and PR information for small businesses and the PR Toolkit serves as an agency-in-a-box for any company looking to insource and get publicity on a shoestring budget.

“As a small business owner it’s really important to build ‘buzz’ and get people talking about me, but I don’t have the budget to buy lots of ads or hire a PR firm,” said DeAnna Lorraine, professional dating and relationship coach. “John’s advice has really helped me generate a lot of publicity for my services and I’m now appearing on local and national news shows regularly.”

The Small Business Administration is continuously worried over the health of smaller companies. With lending harder to obtain, a more cost-effective approach to marketing and PR is sorely needed, which is where the PR Toolkit can benefit every small business.

Serving as an all-in-one DIY resource, the PR Toolkit shows the small business owner how to easily identify creative angles and topics for stories, write a press release, develop email pitches that get reporters’ attention, and to build useful and lasting relationships with reporters. The PR Toolkit also includes free resources for getting a press release published in search engines and on news wires, and how to get stories placed for business publicity. Small businesses can even learn how to use social media like Twitter and Facebook for national publicity.

The PR Toolkit is now on sale for $29.99 and available for easy download by visiting UnderstandingMarketing.com.

They are simple and elegant – perfect to send to a friend or loved one (think mom - it’s almost Mother’s Day!)

Here are a few samples:

In Come Along: The Journey into a More Intimate Faith, Rubietta invites her readers to a free and more intimate relationship with Jesus.  She leads us into new interactions with Him showing us how to encounter Jesus daily, minute by minute.

She gives us a fresh look at how Jesus really wants us to live.  We tend to make the Christian life so complicated.  We set rules to live by, we depend on Scripture software programs, a new method of prayer, a memory plan, or learning and using the original language.  Rubietta concedes this can all help but it can also get in the way. We tend to focus on the tools not on God. That makes us self righteous when all God really wants to do is manifest Himself to us in a vibrant encounter.

I love the way Rubietta shared her discovery of how Jesus loves us perfectly.  And when she learned that, she felt safe and also changed.  It’s that change that makes us lovely people.  Healing comes when we identify with the encounters with Jesus and pray through our issues.

Rubietta challenged me on how I will live today. Will I grow as a result of encountering Jesus?  How will the effect be revealed to other people?  How will I act as a result of the changes within me?

As you read Come Along don’t walk it alone. Take a companion along with you on your journey.  Included in her book is a Girlfriends’ Guide with ideas on how to use each chapter as a stepping stone to deeper friendships and healing in your life.

Jane Rubietta is an award-winner of eleven books. She also speaks internationally on the topic “when a woman changes, the world changes.”  Jane co-directs “Abounding Ministries” with her husband Rich, a composer, producer and pastor.  She and Rich have three children.

Review By:
Ruth Willms helps Christian parents teach biblical principles to today’s youth. She is the author of The Lion Tree, an exciting children’s adventure novel and A Christmas Present for Goliath, which retells the nativity story from a unique perspective. Visit www.RuthWillms.com to download her free gift to you, How to Introduce Your Kids to Jesus, Their Forever Friend.

About the Author:
Joel Osteen is the pastor of the largest church in America with one  of the most diverse congregations and over 30,000 members attending every week. He has quickly become a leading voice in a new generation of inspirational leaders and pastors. Under his leadership, Lakewood Church has grown in every area of ministry, more than quadrupling in size in the past five years. In the summer of 2005, the church moved into Houston’s 17,000-seat Compaq Arena and become the new Lakewood International Center. Joel and his wife Victoria live in Houston with their two children. You can visit his Web site at www.joelosteen.com.

If you’d like to check out the webinar to see how these products can be useful in your home or home office, you can view the recorded video from the webcast here: http://officemaxsolutions.com/peterwalshblogcast/.

As for the products themselves: first of all, as a mom and as a girl (ok, woman), I like these products because above all else they’re pretty. Instead of the army green and primary colored file folders we’re usually forced to use, Peter Walsh’s line includes clear folders and binders along with pretty inserts, post-its, and more.

I also loved that the post-its are used for labeling – so everything can be re-used, re-labeled time and time again. What more could a mom ask for?!

On the webcast, Peter shared lots of ideas for using these both at home and in our home offices and other rooms.  He also provided a great tip sheet, which you can download here: http://cwahm.com/tip-sheet.

These products are worth it for any mom who is looking to get organized.

One specific thing I liked about the book is that the illistrations are realistic and not cartoonish. It’s hard enough to explain to kids that the stories in the Bible are real when they are so used to fairy tales and so a book like this helps bring the stories to life and make them believable.

Karen Scalf Linamen’s self help book Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight not only jarred me to take action to begin to deal with my bad habits, but also entertained me with humor on every page. She writes as though she’s sitting across the table, sharing my coffee break with me.

If you accept responsibility for your life, why do you sometimes hold back from what you really want to do or be? Scalf Linamen might have some answers. Could you be allowing the memory of other people to hold you back? Do you let what they said about you or to you years ago still define you? Scalf Linamen teaches about the untapped power that will help you to be yourself and live the life you have always imagined.

I always thought poor time management or lack of self discipline were the reasons that I run out of time before I get all of my daily tasks done. I was relieved to learn the real reasons for my procrastinations were emotional. I wasn’t short on self discipline. I was short on better ways to manage the unpleasant emotions that my tasks brought with them.

Karen Scalf Linamen is a motivational speaker and successful author of ten books for women. I agree with Publishers Weekly who penned her as “funny, forthright, and unforgettable”. I dare you to read her book Only Nuns Change Habits Overnight and continue your life unchanged.

Review By:
Ruth Willms helps Christian parents teach biblical principles to today’s youth. She is the author of The Lion Tree, an exciting novel for ages 8 – 12, and A Christmas Present for Goliath, which retells the nativity story from a unique perspective. Visit www.RuthWillms.com to download her free gift to you, How to Introduce Your Kids to Jesus, Their Forever Friend.

Now, all that’s left is the memory of young love, and the desperate need for a child to erase the pain. Until…

When Kinna rescues an elderly woman from the sea, the threads of the past, present, and future weave together to reveal the wonder of one final hope. One final chance to follow not their dreams, but God’s plan.

Can they embrace the redemptive power of love before it’s too late? Or will their love be washed away like the castles they once built upon the sand?

About the Author:
Marlo Schalesky is the author of several books, including Beyond the Night and Empty Womb, Aching Heart. A graduate of Stanford University, Marlo also has a masters of theology with an emphasis in biblical studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. Married over twenty years, she lives with her husband, Bryan, and their five children in California.

The main character, Emma Grant, has loved Jane Austen since she was young. How could she not when she’s named after one of Austen’s most famous characters? She became an Austen scholar and was a college professor with the dream job of teaching, studying, and generally absorbing herself in all things Austen. Then her world collapses. Emma finds out her husband is a cheating rat. In the midst of their divorce he manages to discredit her, get her fired, and make a mockery of her entire career.

Ready for a change in many areas of her life, Emma departs for London to stay in her cousin’s flat and put her life back together. Her main reason for heading “across the pond” is to research Jane Austen’s missing letters. Emma is convinced that if she can find even one of them her career can be resurrected and her life can begin anew.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life was rich and refreshing. It kept me guessing and left me feeling satisfied as well as inspired. Emma is such a great character, easy to care about and cheer for. The history of Jane Austen’s life and times that is folded into the story is done so seamlessly. In fact, it piqued my interest and sent me off to do some Austen-era research of my own.

By the end of the novel I was ready to try new things and reach for new heights. Emma’s quirkiness and spirit were so much fun and I was sorry to see the story end.

Review By:
Jill Hart

Still Going It Alone: Mothering with Faith and Finesse When the Children Have Grown is author Michele Howe’s follow-up to Going It Alone: Meeting the Challenges of Being a Single Mom. In this second book, Howe speaks to single moms who are preparing for an empty nest.

Topics Include:
* Adjusting to a quieter home
* Supporting grown children as they embrace independence
* Managing your career and finances
* Being a grandparent
* and much, much more

Author Michele Howe has written ten books for women specializing mainly in single parenting issues. Her book, “Going It Alone: Meeting the Challenges of Being a Single Mom” (Hendrickson Publishing), provided hope and practical helps for single moms new to parenting solo. She has also authored “Pilgrim Prayers for Single Mothers” (Pilgrim Press) and a third book of helps for single mothers titled, “Successful Single Moms” (Pilgrim Press.) In addition to these resources for single mothers, Michele wrote four separate titles combining real life stories with inspirational prayer retreats. These titles published by (Jossey-Bass) include: “Prayers for Homeschooling Moms,” “Prayers to Nourish a Woman’s Heart,” “Prayers of Comfort and Strength” and “Prayers for New and Expecting Moms.”

All joking aside, this is an issue that hit home with me. My toddler is the pickiest eater I know (and I’m a picky eater myself, so I do know…). He currently lives on hot dogs and chicken nuggets. And while I know this isn’t healthy, I was at a bit of a loss as to how to change his eating habits.

Then along came Judy More (a pediatric dietician and founder of the Child Nutrition consultancy) and Feeding Your Toddler. This is a serious parental reference book. It offers sample routines, menu plans, recipes, advice, tips and encouragement. There is an entire section on “healthy eating for vegetarion toddlers” as well as chapters on handling food allergies, children with diabetes and much more.

If I could give a copy of this book to every new parent, I would. If I had read this book before I had my kids I would have avoided many of the issues we’re dealing with now. However, I’m thankful to have found this book now – the future looks brighter (and healthier) because of it.

When I saw Elizabeth Pantley’s new book, “the no-cry nap solution,” I decided it was worth a look. And I like what I found. Pantley offers practical advice for parents to aid them in the naptime discipline. And she even offers hope for those of use with “non-nappers” – daily quiet times and other suggestions. If you and your child struggle at naptime, you’ll want to grab a copy of this book.

————–

Elizabeth Pantley’s books for parents are as close to a user’s manual as there is. The “No-Cry” books offer remarkably clear and practical advice. This latest book in the series addresses an issue we have all faced and many struggled with: helping our children to nap.

Easy naptime solutions that really work–without any tears.
Kathy Lynn, President, Parenting Today

Naps: Children need them. Parents want them. Here are the tools to make them happen.
Maureen A. Doolan Boyle, Executive Director, MOST (Mothers of Supertwins), Inc.

Does your child:

nap only in your arms, a sling, a swing, or the car?
require elaborate rituals before sleeping?
get fussy, act cranky, or have tantrums due to lack of sleep?
take very short naps–or none at all?

Naps are important to a child’s mood, well-being, and development. The No-Cry Nap Solution offers you a proven formula to allow your baby, toddler, or preschooler to get daily restorative rest. You’ll learn gentle, loving, tear-free techniques, developed by world-renowned parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley and tested by hundreds of families around the world, guaranteed to help you:

Convince any child to nap every day
Effortlessly settle your child for naptime in his or her own bed
Turn short, fitful naps into long, peaceful ones
Establish a nap schedule that works for you and your child
Easily adapt nap routines to your child’s developing needs
Confidently deal with sudden changes, nap strikes, and travel

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elizabeth Pantley’s The No-Cry Nap Solution has been awarded Disney’s 2009 iParenting Media Award for Best Product!

(from pantley.com)

Tune in to hear Ginny talk about what inspired the story and as she shares a little bit about working from home herself.

About Age Before Beauty:
Desperate to stay home with her baby, Allie Harrod launches a new career. Sure, she dropped out of Girl Scouts because she was lousy at cookie sales, but makeup is different, right? She’ll do anything to make enough money to cover her share of the household bills, but how can she focus on her business when her list of problems is growing? None of her pre-baby clothes fit, her checking account is dwindling, and her mother-in-law has decided to move in! To top it off, her husband’s attractive coworker suddenly needs his help every weekend. Middle sister Joan insists that God has the answers to all her problems, but Allie isn’t so sure. Can she really trust him?

FOUR STARS from Romantic Times! “In the second book in the Sister to Sister series, Smith taps into every mother’s heart. Readers will see themselves in Allie as she struggles to be a superwoman. It’s evident that God’s plan is not always our plan, but if we trust Him, everything works itself out.” — Romantic Times

Regal Books has just released a book that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on entitled, duh…duh…da…da…

The Coffee Mom’s Devotional by Celeste Palermo!

Listen in as we discuss what people are looking for when they crave coffee and how that compares to what God craves for us. We’ll also talk about some of the things that God provides that coffee will ultimately fail to do.

Theses devotionals are thought provoking, inspirational, encouraging, and uplifting. The Coffee Mom’s Devotional will do for you spiritually what coffee does for you naturally…except without the side effects of caffeine. This is a great devotional that I recommend to all the mom’s out there, whether you’re a coffee lover or not…this is the “hottest” book of devotionals that I’ve read in quite some time. Warm, rich, full of flavor…it’s everything you’d expect in a cup of coffee, but in a book. So sit back, relax, and enjoy!