You Cannot Be Serious Review

Every once in a great while a book comes along that you feel may have been written just for you, Elizabeth Lyons' latest, You Cannot Be Serious and 32 other rules that sustain a (mostly) balanced mom, is that book for me. This was confirmed when I began reading rule 4, fly your freak flag high. Sometimes, I think, we need to be reminded that it's ok the smell things a few times before we eat them, or hit the alarm a few times to make sure we set it right and it not be deemed as crazy (see Scott, I'm not crazy, maybe OCD, but not crazy).

The entire book is fabulous and I highly recommend you read it while enjoying a hot cup of coffee or tea. You will feel like you're simply having a conversation with a girlfriend about your lives, or Bret Michaels. I spent most of my time reading nodding my head in agreement and thinking "at least I'm not the only one that thinks/does this". Sometimes you need that reinforcement to move forward with your day. In a world where moms are eager to compete with each other and insist that their way is right and quite possibly the only way, Elizabeth shows us, in a very witty way, that we all do things our own way, and that's perfect.

While the book is hysterically funny, it is also full of real wisdom and great tips that help you find your balance in the craziness that is mommyhood. The final quote in the book, from Gerard Way, says it all, "Be yourself, don't take anyone's shit, and never let them take you alive". I could not agree more!

If you haven't already picked up a copy of this book, you really need to. If you do have it, you need to keep it handy for moments when you need a pick me up.

For a list of all the places you can purchase You Cannot Be Serious, check out Elizabeth's website. Thank you again Elizabeth for an amazing read, a mutual love of Bret Michaels and for letting me know it's ok to label myself as a hostage negotiator.

Review: I love you-now hush

I jumped at the chance to review the book, I love you-now hush because it is basically a Southern take on Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, but funnier and maybe deep fried? My husband Scott was born and raised in Mississippi so I saw this as an opportunity to learn more about his culture. We joke that we have a mixed marriage because we are from opposite ends of the Mason-Dixon line, but honestly our cultures are so different as this book illustrates.

There are 18 different essay categories in the book that range from (not)reading directions, hoarding, to romance, all Southern style of course. The authors, Melinda Rainey Thompson and Morgan Murphy are amazing story tellers and give you the feeling that you are sitting with them enjoying a cup of coffee. Melinda's Southern hospitality and Morgan's Southern charm are palpable. The entire book, cover to cover, was humorous, in good spirits and just a great read. I feel that everyone from the North should read this book prior to any encounter they have in the South. I mean how else would you know what "fine" really means? As my father in law says (he's from Ohio, married to a Mississippian) "fine does not mean fine".

Other standout chapters for me were the chapters on (not)reading directions (got to live this one when we put together the swingset), southern semantics (fine not meaning fine), embrace your inner foodie (I found myself ransacking the house in search of chocolate) and you are what you wear (the checklists at the end are hilarious!). I've already recommended this book to just about everyone I know, and that was just after reading one chapter. Honestly, if you know any person in the South, or are from the South, you need to read this. It is a quality read, entertaining and is sure to lift your spirits. I found that if I was having a stressful day, I would just pick a chapter, read it and instantly be in a better mood. It's that funny.

You can find I love you-now hush on Amazon, Borders and Barnes and Noble.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from John F. Blair, Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

One and the Same by Abigail Pogrebin

This review is also being run on Multiples and More. If you are entering the giveaway you must do so on Multiples and More, entries here will not be eligible.

Even though my twins are fraternal I was still excited to read Abigail Pogrebin's book, One and the Same. Abby is a Yale graduate, author, television producer and most importantly an identical twin. Abby's identical twin is Robin Pogrebin, a culture reporter for the New York Times.

One and the Same covers all spectrum's of the twin relationship, I feel. Each interview she did for the book brought a new, and vastly different perspective on what it is to be a twin. I think as a parent of a twin, having not been a twin myself, this is priceless information. I will never fully understand what my childrens bond is like, but I feel that now I have a slight (very very slight) idea. Abby discusses what it's like for twins with an almost inseparable bond to the opposite end of the spectrum, ones who haven't spoken in years.

One of her many interviews is with Ronde and Tiki Barber (if those names don't sound familiar ask your husband and then get ready to hear some insane stats) who quite candidly admit that their "twinship" comes before their marriages. They even discuss how unsure they were of playing on different NFL teams.



Aside from interviews with other identical twins (including her twin sister Robin, which is some of the most raw reading you will ever do), Abby digs into the research and interviews many of the top experts in the twin field, including someone you may be familiar with, Joan Friedman. Topics range from fertility treatments to how one twin can have a life threatening disease while the other is healthy. One and the Same also devls into twin loss and how the surviving twin copes, whether the loss happened at birth or later in life.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. Even if your multiples are not twins, you should read this book, that's how great and informative it is, and for one lucky reader you have a chance to win a copy of One and the Same. For a required entry simply leave a comment on Multiples and More with one truth/myth you have always heard about twins.

For additional entries:
Become a follower of Multiples and More
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The winner will be announced Wednesday January 27th.

Thank you again Abby for this amazing book and your kind words inside it!

*I received One and the Same via Abigail Pogrebin, no other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in this review are mine, and were not swayed in anyway.*