WIN A KITCHEN AID MIXER- PERFECT FOR MOTHER'S DAY

WELCOME TO THE KITCHEN AID MANIA GIVEAWAY!

We are giving away a white KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer to one lucky reader! This is a perfect Mother's Day gift to every one who loves baking or simply just being in the kitchen! This was made possible by Bay Area Mommy, American Family and some of the most awesome bloggers!

KitchenAid KSM150PSWH Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer
- Retail Value: $349.99

- Color: White

- 325-watt mixer with 10 speeds; 5-quart stainless steel bowl

- Tilt-back head for easy access to mixture

- 1 piece pouring shield with large chute for adding ingredients

- Includes flat beater, dough hook, and wire whip

- Measures 14 by 8-2/3 inches by 14 inches; 1-year warranty

Giveaway will run from April 29 at 12AM EST to May 9 at 11:59PM EST. Open to the US only. Must be at least 18 years old to be eligible.

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WELCOME TO BLOGMANIA- WIN A GIFT CARD OR PAYPAL CASH (WORLDWIDE)

BlogMania has finally arrived!  There are so many blogs participating in the Hop. There is a linky at the end of this post.  After you've entered here, hop on over to the next blog on the list and keep going as long as you'd like!  The more you enter, the more likely you are to win. See all the links at the end of my post.

I will be giving away to TWO luck readers either a:

 

$40 gift certificate  (Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com or any other online retailer of your choice that has a way for me to send you a $40 online gift certificate.

                                   OR 

                                             $40.00 Paypal Cash.






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ENTER THE JERUSALEM ASSASSIN "DON'T BLOW YOUR COVER" SPY CONTEST

 Jerusalem Assassin "Don't Blow Your Cover" Spy Contest

You could win $100 and a Signed Copy of Avraham Azrieli's Spy Thriller the 

The Jerusalem Assassin.

About the Jerusalem Assassin-

In the wake of the 1995 Oslo Peace Accords, a wave of Palestinian terror hits Jewish targets. Israel responds with a clandestine war in Paris, Zurich, and Tel Aviv. When a beautiful Mossad agent is critically wounded in Amsterdam, master spy Jerusalem Gerster pursues the attackers back to Israel, where he uncovers a sinister conspiracy to perpetrate an unprecedented national catastrophe—the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.

Check the book out on Amazon today 

How to enter:

1- Get tips from your friends on Facebook and Twitter (tag #spycover) on what the best identity would be to go undiscovered as a spy in in the town of Zurich, Switzerland. 


WHAT IS YOUR BEST UNDERCOVER DISGUISE?
 

2- Share your best covert ID as a comment on my blog AND on  Avraham Azrieli,s Facebook Page

3- You must become a fan of Avraham Azieli for the comments to be counted.

3- Tell others about the contest by sharing on Facebook and Twitter (tag #spycover).

4- Contest ends on 5/15 and the winner will be the person who commented with the most clever covert ID.

5-  Learn more about the contest here: http://spycover.pen.io/

5-  Have Fun and Good Luck!! 

Check out a review of the book!

THE PERFECT PROM DRESS

 The Perfect Prom Dress Helps Her Look Beautiful,

 Not Objectified.

By Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

 

 

Prom season is right around the corner, and as I see photos and video clips of the dresses worn this year, a sympathetic grimace creeps over my face. I remember all too well the dilemma of finding the perfect prom dress. Proms are a 4 billion dollar a year industry, and advertisers and department stores are not about to lose money. The dresses are incredibly revealing this year, and that has nothing to do with fashion. What is hot in Italy right now is a more elegant, almost demure look on young women. The focus is on the face, not the body.

The dresses girls are choosing today, focus on sexualizing and objectifying young women. The girls who are buying the dresses to do not understand what is fashionable, rather they are trying to look attractive and "in" with their friends, who are also trying to look attractive and "in." I am no longer sure who is "in," but I am sure of one thing: this is a time parents must be "out" rather than be buddies with their child. They must be parents, ready to set a boundary and follow through with rules.

I do recommend moms shop with their daughter. Moms have watched their daughter's body change and understand their style. Moms also usually control the pocket book, and setting limits with costs is a big part of shopping for anything, including a prom dress. It is important for girls to feel attractive and good about their choice of dress, so moms don't need to make the decision. However, moms can provide insight. Moms should know the school requirements for prom dresses and be supportive of them. I would suggest that Moms dialogue with their daughter about the dress she chooses. The big picture is something many girls don't see, so asking simple questions such as, "Can you dance or move in this dress?" is important. Moms also can have the foresight to question how her daughter's date may feel about the dress, or even more so, what kind of a message is the dress sending to her date's parents (who will no doubt want photos)? Being comfortable in your dress and not worrying something will show or hang out or over are questions moms should remember.

A prom is a rite of passage, but it is also a wonderful opportunity to teach your daughter the importance of making choices. We encourage our children to grow up and be able to make choices and learn from their mistakes. They need to practice this at home. Parents create the opportunity by setting clear boundaries, choices and follow through. Below are a few suggestions that can help you help your daughter learn from the consequences of their choices. Choosing a prom dress is a great place to practice this. 1.    Explain why a particular dress is inappropriate (it shows too much skin; it doesn't flatter her body in a beautiful way, it makes her look as if she is trying to get sexual attention).

2.    Explain why the behavior is inappropriate (rather than sexual attention, she may want attention in general). Explaining that if she wants to be respected, a different dress would help her attain that. Explain also that girls who wear explicit garments many times feel undesired and have a shallow self-esteem. They then attract people who will make them feel even more that way. 3.    Give reasonable choices and consequences. When you give choices where your daughter can choose A or B (and both are still within your rules as a parent), you are teaching her a lifelong lesson. This also limits acting out, and power struggles. Following through with consequences teaches them early that for every behavior there is a choice and consequences. The phrase "this isn't fair" is used by a child whose parents have not followed through with choice consequences. Healthy parenting means the child knows and understands the choices at hand, and they also know the consequences of breaking a parental rule!

4.    Allow time for your teen to think about their choice, as this helps them rationalize it in their mind, vent to a friend, and also helps them make the wiser choice. 5.    Be prepared to enforce your consequences. Limit setting is silly if you want to be your child's friend and not a parent. It's tough work to be a parent, but you must follow through with the consequences of a poor choice.

Prom is a wonderful event, but left to the kids without parental guidance, it can turn into a nightmare. Your daughter wants to look beautiful and sexy, but some dresses send the wrong message. If you are a mom, you have such a voice and so much to offer your daughter during this special time in her life. Be supportive of her feelings, but keep the big picture in mind. Within a few short years, she will understand that what she chooses to wear affects peoples' judgment forever. The part of parenting we often neglect is the most difficult. It's the part that teaches choices, consequences, and following through. In the teen years, many times loving means saying, "NO, you are much too wonderful to stoop that low." Love her enough to help her choose a prom dress, but don't let her walk out of the house looking less than the beautiful child you held in your arms at birth.

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl's Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.

REVIEW OF DON'T PANIC (QUICK AND EASY MEALS FOR YOUR FAMILY

Tired of cooking the same old meals for your family then you need to get a copy of Don't Panic--Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for Your Family.

Your family can have great meals even when you are on the run. The ladies who brought you Don't Panic--Dinner's in the Freezer now offer busy cooks Don't Panic--Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals for Your Family. From quick meals made on the grill or in the sauté pan to crockpot dishes that require little prep and cook while you're out for the day, the recipes in this cookbook are tasty, nutritious, and require less hands-on preparation than traditional meals. Easy appetizers and desserts, one-dish casseroles and pastas, simple soups, salads, and side dishes, and even fast breakfasts round out the selections. Meals that are freezer-friendly are marked for those who want to make ahead.

You don't have to settle for feeding your family commercially packaged meals full of sodium and preservatives or fat-laced fast food. Serve them quick and healthy meals from your very own kitchen with this easy-to-use cookbook. The book includes recipes like:

• Southwestern Baked Cheese Dip
• Thai Chicken Wraps
• Walnut Spinach Salad
• Homestyle Mac & Cheese
• Slow Cooker Pork Chops
• Oven Roasted Orange Chicken
• Grilled Flat Iron Steak Sandwiches
• Spicy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
• Fruit Pizza
• Mexican Chocolate Mousse
• and many more

 Read an Excerpt.

My Thoughts:

The book is full of great recipes that your whole family will enjoy. I am a great fan of the crockpot and use it quite often. My family loves chicken so I decided to try the Succulent Teriyaki Chicken. The recipes are easy to follow and includes all of the nutritional information for the dish. All of the ingredients I had in in cupboard and it was so easy to make. Everything was combined in one bowl and cleanup was a snap. I served it with brown rice and a salad and my kids loved it. There are so many great recipes that even the fussiest eater will enjoy. You can even make some of the recipes ahead of time and can be frozen for later use. In the back of the book, there is a section that includes helpful measurements, equivalents and weights to aid you when purchasing the ingredients for the recipes. Life is sooo busy but having a meal with your family is very important and gives you a chance to spend quality time with your family. So pick up a copy of the book and try an new recipe.

VERY YUMMY!

About the Authors:

Bonnie Garcia is a busy mother of three sons. She works as a part-time pediatric nurse, where she enjoys working with newborns and their parents. In her free time, she enjoys downhill skiing and reading. An Iowa native, Bonnie has been married to her husband, Steve, for twenty-six years. She is active in her local church, where her husband is the senior pastor. After recent trips to Greece and Israel, Bonnie has discovered that she is hooked on international travel.

Vanda Howell is a busy mom who works part-time as a kitchen design consultant. Vanda is a Denver native and has been married to her husband, Mike, for twenty-seven years. She is absolutely in love with (a.k.a. addicted to) dark chocolate, espresso lattés, and going to movies. In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, gardening, and wakeboarding with her husband and teenage son.

Susie Martinez is a professional counselor with a private counseling practice in Colorado. She has been married to her husband, Joe, for twenty-two years and has two teenage children. Susie adores her family, her Kitchen Aid mixer, and her purple PT Cruiser. In her free time, she enjoys shopping with her daughter, taking long walks, and home decorating. Susie also struggles with a particular weakness for palm trees and white sandy beaches.

Available April 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of the book for my honest review and I was not compensated for my review