Hillary…The Woman, The Mom, The President…

Hillary Clinton…The Woman, The Mom, The Grandmom, The President?

Hillary Paradox

How do you feel about the former First Lady’s bid for the Presidency? Do you want to know what other women think and feel about her candidacy?

If you do then Love Her, Love Her NotThe Hillary Paradox edited by Joanne Cronrath Bamberger is the book for you.

Fantastic book that was given to me by the author and signed in exchange for my thoughts about it.

I am honored to do this review for Joanne Bamberger because she has compiled a book about what many accomplished women think of Hillary Clinton. This compilation of essays has touched me by both challenging and supporting what I myself feel and think about Mrs. Clinton and the possibility of her becoming the first female President of the United States, (POTUS)!

Hillary is ambitious both personally and politically and undeniably intelligent. It seems most women either fiercely like her or fiercely dislike her. There are few women who sit on the fence when it comes to their feelings and thoughts about the former First Lady.

If she is wins the Presidency, the United States will have elected their first woman as POTUS after having elected their first African-American as POTUS. This says so much about our country and how much we value competence and good qualifications in our President and the fact that we are able to look beyond race and gender. Yes, it has taken many years but I think we are there and ready for this milestone.

Bamberger’s book has come along at just the right time for me as I have always had my opinions of Hillary swayed by the many contradictions that I have witnessed during her political life. She is my contemporary and that makes me measure her against many of my own experiences during the 60’s, 70’s 80’s 90’s and now into the 21st century.

“She embodies almost every human contradiction as she seeks to make her mark in politics, where we look for certainty, even when we know that our own authentic selves have those same contradictions.”

Love Her, Love Her Not is the perfect book for those who desire to know more about Hillary and are curious about what other diverse women think of her and why. It endeavors to answer the question that Lisa Belkin asks on the cover “Why are we so conflicted about her as with no other politician?”. Reading the thoughts of others may help to tease out our own thoughts about why we feel the way we do about Mrs. Clinton and her bid to be POTUS.

Who better than women to share their ideas and thoughts concerning Hillary Clinton. Women understand women is what I consistently have found. Although I might not agree with all of these women I loved reading what they had to say. It is my way of searching for the information I need to make an informed intelligent choice when I step into my voting booth next November.

I would recommend this book to my friends and others. The time has come for a woman to be President!

Don’t you agree?

Will it be Hillary?

Learn more about Joanne Bamberger and her book tour.

Follow Joanne Bamberger on Facebook

 

 

About

Mindful Parenting…Solutions for Parents

Hand in Hand Mindful Parenting

Mindful ParentingAlong about twenty years ago, mindfulness came into my life. At the time, my own children were young and day to day living was anything but mindful.

After learning biofeedback techniques to overcome anxiety due to mitral valve prolapse, Jon Kabat-Zinn came into my life through his book

Full Catastrophe Living.

It was life changing and helped introduce me to yoga, which helped to prepare me for my inevitable open heart surgery 6 years ago.

So when I came across Kristen Race‘s book,

Mindful Parenting

I jumped in to see how I could relate my mindfulness practice with my “work” as a grandmother. Nothing is more important to me than family, children and grandchildren.

Kristen Race has helped me to effectively live the mindful life with my granddaughter in today’s fast paced world.

She explains in clear and simple terms how our brains work and how our stress effects  our own overall well being and that of our family. She goes on to give many helpful techniques to implement in our busy lives. Her tips help you to find the balance that is essential to manage stress. Balance is an integral part of living happier lives through “mindful parenting” and “mindful” grandparenting.

This is a book I will continue to read and dog ear the pages for years to come. It is one I will recommend to friends. As a therapist myself, I will recommend it to parents as a must read to help them parent mindfully!

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post. I was given a copy of “Mindful Parenting” for review.

“Simply Saline”….Rescue from a Cold

 In winter, a cold is my number one enemy!

Suffering through the stuffiness and the sneezing seems like part of the season but I have learned it does not have to be that way, since discovering

“Simply Saline” from Arm and Hammer.

Simply Salline for Cold ReliefLast  summer, when cold season was the least of my worries, I was at BlogHer13 here in Chicago. It was my pleasure to meet many of its sponsors especially the group from Arm and Hammer which has always been a favorite of this mom and now grand mom.

I did not know that they had a line of products known as “Simply Saline”. One of the representatives kindly sent me some samples to try …little did I realize then, this product would come to my rescue several times over the  longest and most frigid winter.

First off, my little granddaughter had early winter sniffles and we tried the children’s formula…it relieved her congestion and was so easy to use.

Next…I caught her cold…I knew how well Simply Saline Children’s had worked so I grabbed my grown-up Simply Saline Nasal Relief. It helped my congestion immediately.

As a mom, grandmother  and former mother/child nurse I am concerned about products that I use for

cold relief.

When it comes to children especially, a parent needs to select carefully any over the counter product.

For me, the more natural the product the better…what could be more natural than saline nasal spray when it comes to relieving congestion and stuffiness symptoms?

This past week, I have had my third cold of the season! UGH!

Simply Saline again came to my rescue…between the dry air in our house and the frigid temperatures outside it was a miserable bout with nasal congestion, relieved in part by this wonderful natural Arm and Hammer product.

Arm and Hammer products have been in my home for as long as I can remember and for me that is quite a number of years.

It is a product label, my grandmother and mother trusted…and now I am passing that on to my family…five generations later.

Thank you, Simply Saline, for helping me through this cold and flu season.

Disclosure:

This post is sponsored: I was given product to review, all opinions are my own.

Chicago Holidays…Lincoln Park Zoo

Chicago is a world class city.

Being a native of New York, I really thought that I would never get used to living away from it.

But Chicago is where I have been at home for many years and where my children have grown up. Now, as a grandparent, it is my turn to enjoy Chicago and all it has to offer.

Chicago Holidays...zoo lightsLast night was unusually warm for December, so we took advantage of the balmy weather and made a spur of the moment plan to have dinner downtown and try to take in the Zoo Lights at Lincoln Park.

First, we stopped at Viaggio on Fullerton and had an excellent meal with our granddaughter.

Chicago- Viaggio on Fullerton

To our surprise, it was child friendly and they were very accommodating with our late arrival due to horrendous traffic.

Viaggio came recommended to us just that afternoon so it was a new find and a wonderful one. We met the owner, Dave and his daughter.

I think we will find our way back there soon maybe without our granddaughter so our meal can be more leisurely.

Chicago Holidays-Christmas at Lincoln Park Zoo 2013

Unfortunately, our attempt to visit the Zoo Lights was limited to driving along Stockton with the rest of mankind, looking for parking. It seems that everyone was taking advantage of the unseasonable weather.

Chicago Zoo Lights-Lincoln Park

The light show was fantastic even from a distance and Lakeshore Drive lived up to my expectations on a clear night.

The lights along “The Drive” make me so happy to live near Chicago, such a gorgeous city.

Chicago-The Drake

My granddaughter thought all the lights were pretty fantastic and exciting… her enthusiasm was contagious!

“Naughty Nana”…A Beautiful Kid’s Book for the Holidays

naughty nana

Naughty Nana

Guest Blog

By Saralyn Richard, Author of Naughty Nana

Naughty Nana is available from the website:  https://www.palmcirclepress.com.  

 

NAUGHTY NANA is a children’s book based on the real-life interactions of our grandchildren with Nana, our Old English sheepdog.  Writing it was a truly joyful experience.

Observing childhood through a grandmother’s lens has given me fresh insights, as I watched my grandchildren’s willingness to connect fully with animals.

Now, I realize how vital it is for children to experience positive messages while forming relationships, which are trusting and supportive with both people and pets.

Nana, the puppy, speaks for herself.

Her exasperating antics are not as amusing to Grammy and Papa as they are to Jason and Gaby, who recognize that Nana is child-like in her desire to “just have fun”.  The children’s visit with their grandparents and with Nana creates a dynamic in which everyone learns and grows.

Naughty Nana is available from the website:  https://www.palmcirclepress.com.

Do Homework Before Holiday Shopping for Kids

Toys

Thanksgiving is tomorrow so I have been hearing and reading a lot about Black Friday and shopping for kids.

When it comes to our children and grandchildren careful thought will go into Holiday gift choices.

I know that screens for kids are somewhat controversial. Let’s face it, eventually your kids will be exposed to the iPad and various other tablets both adult and child friendly. It seems important to know about the various available tablets.

So here is the link to Consumer Reports’ info on tablets specifically for children.

The market for kids’ tablets is growing dramatically. Just two years ago, only 8 percent of children had access to a tablet at home. Today, it’s 40 percent!

Consumer Reports tested six tablets especially designed for children costing between 70 and 230.

You never expect toys to harm your child or grandchild but we know they can… so here is a list of toys that you might want to avoid as they pose a safety hazard to some children.

 

November 26, 2013 (CHICAGO) (WLS) — As the holiday shopping season begins, the Illinois Public Interest Research Group is out with its annual list of dangerous toys that parents should avoid.

Illinois PIRG: Trouble in Toyland Report

Shoppers hitting the stores this holiday season should look out for toys that can be harmful to children.

Children with special needs and parents get help with toy choices from aToys R Us website. Thank you Toys R Us.

 

Toys R Us toy guide for differently-abled kids makes it easier to find the right toys for a child with a disability. The prices range from $5 – $100.

The toy guide is available at all Toys R Us stores and can also be found online:

http://www.toysrus.com/differentlyabled

 

Help for Holiday Photography

 

This is a sponsored post by LightScoop. I was given a Lightscoop for my personal use.

It is holiday time.

Thanksgiving is here and most of us will be taking photographs indoors which require the use of flash.

When you introduce flash the quality of your photos can be affected and not in a positive way.

Enter Lightscoop, which will change the quality of your indoor photographs with you DSLR camera.

Click on the Lightscoop link on flickr to see the quality of the Lightscoop photos. http://www.flickr.com/groups/lightscoop_user/pool/

 

Lightscoop® is a smart low-tech device that creates soft, flattering light by redirecting your camera’s built-in flash to a ceiling or wall.

 

Don’t let your convenient little built-in flash flash ruin your photos with evil red eye, ugly shadows, hot spots, bleached out faces, underexposed colors, and blurry movement that exist only in your photographs, not in the real world.

 

Slip a Lightscoop® on your camera and never miss out on another fabulous picture! Lightscoop creates soft, natural light and lets you capture the scene the way you see it.

 

I cannot wait to use my Lightscoop at Thanksgiving and will post my photos afterwards.

In the meantime, take a look at Lightscoop’s website and get one for your holiday and everyday  indoor photos.

“Delivery Man” Review

deliveryman525d72c66b571
"Delivery Man" premieres this weekend. My husband and I had 
the pleasure of seeing Delivery Man this past July at a 
Disney sponsored event.

Both of us found "Delivery Man" very entertaining, it was not only 
funny but it had a serious side to it as well.

Vince Vaughn's character, David Wozniak, is a thirty something, meat 
delivery man, who finds out that 533 children have been delivered
with him as their sperm donor father. 

The writers and actors did a wonderful job making the movie 
premise work.

Vince Vaughn's character, who is basically a professional and 
personal screw-up is both funny and serious as he tries to 
become each child's "guardian angel". I found myself laughing
and crying as Vince's character took control of his incredible  
life predicament.

I think Delivery Man should be added to your list of entertaining 
movies to see during the upcoming Holiday season.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband and I did. 


 

Where to find Unique Baby Gifts…

Strange Birdy

I have fallen in love with another blog for babies and kids… Strange Birdy

I hope you like it.

A funny coincidence is that the blogger is from Stockbridge MA. I used to spend many summers there with my own grandmother. Those were simple times but so meaningful!

Strange Birdy

What are some of your favorite blogs?