O's Big Book of Happiness

The Best of O, The Oprah Magazine
Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews,
and Inspiration

O's Big Book of Happiness is a must for every coffee table in every home! Since it's been on my coffee table, it's been picked up by several visitors including my mother. They've all been drawn in by it! I fear that my mother may try to walk off with it! Don't worry....I'm loaning it to her!

If you're looking for an article to lift your spirit and enlighten just open the cover and you'll soon find just what you need. O's Big Book of Happiness contains more than 100 articles drawn right from the pages of the magazine. This book addresses three major avenues to a fuller life: Your Mind/Your Body focuses on emotional and physical well being. Maintaining health, building confidence, finding a sense of purpose and happiness. Dating, Mating, Relating provides tools and insights needed to forge better connections with partners, families, friends, and co-workers. Dreaming Big offers inspiration and practical advice to aim high and realize aspirations on all aspects of life, from work to money to heeding your inner voice.

Writers, artists, entrepreneurs and political leaders including Barack Obama, Alice Sebold, David Sedaris, and Elizabeth Swados reveal life lessons that have set them on the path to joy and success. Financial columnist, Suze Orman defuses the minefield of money management. Suzy Welch writes about how to win at art - even with dysfunctional colleagues. Life coach Martha Beck discusses how to handle your own worst critic - you. Advice columnist Dr. Phil sheds new light on the push-me-pull-you confusion of intimate relationships. Also included are Oprah Winfrey's interviews with individuals she credits with inspiring her.

Buy one here and you'll be holding happiness in your own hands!

Land's End Windfall Snow Sport Jacket (Giveaway)

Land's End has always been known for their impeccable quality! The Land's End Windfall Snow Sport Jacket was kindly sent to me for review just a few weeks ago and I fell in love with it!

Winters are cold here in Michigan and I have a terrible time staying warm. I enjoy walking during my lunch hour. You know...step away from the phone, emails, annoying co-workers...burn a little butter! Anyway, the temperature has been dropping here and I took a walk last week while it was about 42 degrees, it was windy, and drizzling. I stayed warm, dry and best of all, I couldn't feel the cold wind at all! The Land's End Windfall Snow Sport Jacket is not heavy and bulky like you might expect from a warm winter jacket. It's amazing!

Here's a few other fun facts about my experience with Land's End: They offer outstanding quality products, fast and accurate order processing, and most important to me - stellar customer service! All of this at a price that cannot be beat!

More information on Land's End Windfall Snow Sport Jacket:

· Waterproof/breathable AquaCheck® laminate, DriOff™ finish and sealed seams

· Polarthin™ insulation in jacket for warmest protection without bulk

· Interior and exterior storm shields for double protection

· TEMPERATURE RATING: -5°/5° Fahrenheit. Over layering pieces, this Windfall Technical Snowsport Jacket will keep you warm in -5° weather; over a light layer, in 5° weather.

Click here to order your new Windfall Snow Sport Jacket!

Land's End Giveaway

You could be the lucky winner of a Land's End Half-Zip Pullover! Click here to choose your favorite color and size.
To enter: Post a comment with your size and favorite color.
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you.
Contest ends November 15, 2008

Green Christmas

Green Christmas
How to Have a Joyous, Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

Jennifer Basye Sander and Peter Sander, along with Anne Basye show you how to choose the right tree, have warm and cozy green fires, avoid the holiday catalog crunch, and make gifts that are green and teach green.

I didn't realize just how wasteful we can be during Christmas until I read this book. Did you know that between Thanksgiving and Christmas, American produce and extra 2 billion pounds of garbage per week? There are enough holiday cards sold to fill a ten-story football stadium. If every child under the age of 6 received a wood toy in place of a plastic one, we'd avoid 17 million tons of plastic landfill.

This book is a great guide that provides many tips to having a green Christmas. Tips for recycling Christmas trees to be used as mulch, opting off catalog mailing lists to save paper, having fires using logs made of recycled materials such as coffee grounds. Shower with your love you on Christmas morning (or Christmas Eve after the children finally turn in) . It will do your relationship and the planet some good at the same time. Small gestures really do add up - just cutting a 10 minute shower down to 5 minutes can save 20,000 gallons of water per year. C'est Le Champagne - it's more economical to drink champagne and less glass is used. Wow, tons of helpful fun facts!

Click here to purchase Green Christmas.

Jennifer Basye Sander is the author, co-author or ghostwriter of more than thirty books and has been featured on CNBC, CNNfn, The View and It's a Miracle. She recycles and repurposes constantly, and is raising her children to have a green awareness of the world around them.
Peter Sander is an author, researcher and consultant in the fields of business, location reference and personal finance. To help his wife Jennifer green the household, he splits his own kindling from discarded lumber and grows vegetables in a community garden.
Anne Basye is the author of Sustaining Simplicity: A Journal. Though she spends time and money on good wine, opera, and international travel, she doesn't own a car or microwave and hasn't bought a Christmas tree in three years.

Million Dollar Mom

No Sweepstakes Necessary to be a Stay-at-home Mom

Written by Andrea English and Elaine Shepherd (Tate Publishing), this book is the ultimate "how-to" guide for moms that want to trade in their suits, attache cases, and laptops for play dates, fun, and gratification!

There seems to be a false notion that you cannot afford to stay at home with your children and successfully live off one income. As widespread as this notion may be, it could not be further from the truth. This book is for those of you with hopes and dreams of one day staying at home. Hang on to those dreams as you ponder and cherish the words in this book.

Million Dollar Mom is full of tips, tools, and experiences for those of you who yearn to stay at home and raise your children. ".......Million Dollar Mom inspires mothers to reclaim a true labor of love, and will improve the lives of families - one mother at a time.

Million Dollar Mom is available for $12.95. Click here for more information or to order your copy.

Mommy's Best Helper

Mommy's Best Helper, written by Simone O. Nooks (Tate Publishing), is a great book to encourage your little ones to be mommy's best little helpers!

Robbie is five years old and he knows that mommy has a busy day. As mommy's biggest helper, Robbie knows just what to do! Robbie helps with many things: getting himself ready for the day, taking care of his little sister, and even running errands with his mommy. Even after a long day filled with lots of helping, Robbie knows what really matters: his mommy loves him.

Join Robbie as he helps mommy through the excitement of a busy day and discovers that he truly is Mommy's Best Helper!

This book is available through Tate Publishing in paperback, CD audio, and you can also purchase as a digital download. Click here for more information.

Christmas Sucks by Joanne Kimes

WHAT TO DO WHEN FRUITCAKE, FAMILY, AND FINDING THE PERFECT GIFT MAKE YOU MISERABLE.

Just in time for the chaos of the Christmas season, this book discusses the downside of this hectic holiday in a hilarious manner. You'll find a ton of practical tips to get you through this next holiday! We could all use some humor around this time of the year! Christmas Sucks had me laughing over and over again!

The following chapter titles should give some insight. Shop 'til you drop dead, All I want for Christmas is my retirement account in tact, Here comes Santa Claus: Ho ho ho hold me back, The twelve days of Christmas parties, Gifts: It's the thought that counts (good one, huh?), Deck the halls with tons of crap, I'll Be Home for Christmas....if I can get through the flippin crowds, Family Squabbles: All We Want is a Silent Night, It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas, and The Big Day.

Are there 12 days of Christmas because.....
It takes that long to untangle all those Christmas lights you shoved into a box last year?
You need 12 days of therapy to prepare yourself to see relatives you don't like anyway?
You need 12 days off before you can show your face after drinking too much eggnog at the office Christmas party?

About the author: Joanne Kimes is the author of the bestselling Sucks series. She has written for a number of children's and comedy television shows. Ms. Kimes begrudgingly celebrates Christmas with her husband, Jeff, and their daughter, Emily. Her website is www.sucksandthecity.com.

Get a copy here today and save your sanity!

Pea Soup accessories for kids

Pea Soup offers the perfect finishing touch for all girls and boys! All of their items are custom designed and made in the USA! And let me tell you that they are super duper adorable! Pea Soup accessories have been featured in Earnshaw's and It's a Kid's World.


Each item is handmade in the United States with the finest ribbons and embellishments.
Pinch clips - measure 2" and are lined inside with Velcro, so they will stay in even the tiniest pieces of hair.
Snap clips - covered in beautiful ribbons and crystals, flowers, and bows, giving each clip a special sparkling touch. Measures 1 5/8".
Baby snap clips - perfect for those adorable babies with just a "wisp" of hair. Measures 1 1/4" in length and literally "snap" into a tiny piece of hair.
Headbands - wrapped and covered in the finest ribbons and trims. They are flexible and can be gently adjusted to ensure a comfortable fit.
Soft headband - measure 2 1/2" wide and are made of a stretchy, cotton/polyester blend. Pea Soup soft headbands are great for ages four and up.

Pea Soup was started by two sisters (Lori, former social worker and Marcy, former teacher) almost ten years ago. Here's how it all began: Eight years ago Marcy and Lori were inspired by Marcy's bald little baby, Jordyn. They began playing around with hair clips and experimenting with ways for them to stay in place...and along came the Pea Soup hair clip. When Jordyn began wearing these beautiful hair clips, people would stop Marcy in restaurants, parks and grocery stores to find out where to buy them. With the enthusiasm of their family, friends and community, Marcy and Lori left their teaching and social work positions and began selling the line to retail stores.

As Jordyn's hair grew, so did the Pea Soup hair accessory line...to include wonderful pinch clips, pony tail holders and headbands. Then along came Marcy's son Andrew, and Marcy and Lori realized that baby boys need great accessories too! They added hats and socks adorned with adorable embellishments to the line. When Lori's son Noah was born, they were inspired to create Pea Soup Baby, a fantastic layette line for boys and girls. With the recent addition of Lori's daughter Hailey, they added snap clips covered with beautiful imported ribbons and crystals and mini snap clips that will grasp the tiniest "wisp" of hair!

Marcy and Lori are constantly adding new products and unique designs to their lines. The spirit and energy of their children, combined with the silliness and chaos of everyday life are the inspiration behind their wonderful products.

Pea Soup is offering a 15% discount until November 30,2008. Enter the code PWS at checkout for your discount. Click here to shop.

Fall Family Pictures

The seasons here in Michigan are absolutely gorgeous! We had the opportunity to get out last weekend for some family photos. Here are two pictures. One family photo with my wonderful daughter Haley, my supportive fiance Scott, and myself. The second photo is our engagement photo. We're planning a weddingmoon for Spring 2009. I'm super excited! As Thanksgiving is coming soon, I realized that we should reflect on all things we are thankful for. We should reflect on them everyday! What are you thankful for?

The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kid's Favorite Meals

From the Author of The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on your Man in the Kitchen. This book will teach you how to sneak nutrient rich fruit and vegetable purees into the foods that kids love.

These healthy and delicious recipes couldn't come at a better time: Two new studies, published in New England Journal of Medicine, warn that obesity in children today is likely the result of a significant increase in coronary heart disease among adults in the near future. Fortunately, a report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association noted that when kids improve their eating habits (including lowering their intake of saturated fats and increasing their consumption of fruits, berries, vegetables and whole grains), they can lower the risk of hear disease later in life.

Brainy brownies - hidden with spinach and blueberries
Masterful mac-n-cheese - hidden with spinach and cauliflower puree
Magic meatballs - tricked-out with eight hidden vegies
Mystery Mashed Potatoes - smashed with protein-rich white beans
Chocolate Banana Ice Cream - made extra-rich with avacado

About the Author: Missy Chasse Lapine is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine and the founder of a natural baby product line Baby Spa. She is currently on the Culinary Arts faculty of The New School, in New York City and is also a collaborator with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William . Clinton Foundation, helping schools serve healthier lunches. Missy serves on the Children's Advisory Council of Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian where The Sneaky Chef recipes are served to patients. She and her husband and two daughters live in Westchester County, New York.

Click here for free recipes and more great information.