Categories
books calendar

Happy New Year! #NewYearNewGoals #calendars, journals and more

I cannot believe it is 2017!  It was a busy Christmas season for us and now onto the new year. I am on the search for a new calendar but I am all for creating your own. I have a hard time finding a really good calendar. I like a month at a glance but also wanted to work on goal setting and I do like my to do lists.  I usually just write down my to dos by the week and found some great free printables online. I also picked up this journaling book and makes each week of the year more thoughtful. I am going to do this every week!  For right now I have this monthly view calendar that I customized the front with photos of the girls.  What works for you for planning, journaling and list making??

 

 

My homemade calendar and goals sheet
My homemade calendar and goals sheet

 

 

Categories
books calendar

Happy New Year! #NewYearNewGoals #calendars, journals and more

I cannot believe it is 2017!  It was a busy Christmas season for us and now onto the new year. I am on the search for a new calendar but I am all for creating your own. I have a hard time finding a really good calendar. I like a month at a glance but also wanted to work on goal setting and I do like my to do lists.  I usually just write down my to dos by the week and found some great free printables online. I also picked up this journaling book and makes each week of the year more thoughtful. I am going to do this every week!  For right now I have this monthly view calendar that I customized the front with photos of the girls.  What works for you for planning, journaling and list making??

 

 

My homemade calendar and goals sheet
My homemade calendar and goals sheet

 

 

Categories
books calendar

Happy New Year! #NewYearNewGoals #calendars, journals and more

I cannot believe it is 2017!  It was a busy Christmas season for us and now onto the new year. I am on the search for a new calendar but I am all for creating your own. I have a hard time finding a really good calendar. I like a month at a glance but also wanted to work on goal setting and I do like my to do lists.  I usually just write down my to dos by the week and found some great free printables online. I also picked up this journaling book and makes each week of the year more thoughtful. I am going to do this every week!  For right now I have this monthly view calendar that I customized the front with photos of the girls.  What works for you for planning, journaling and list making??

 

 

My homemade calendar and goals sheet
My homemade calendar and goals sheet

 

 

Categories
books

A review: A new, fun cookbook @100CalPortions The Perfect Portion Cookbook

As a busy mom and businesswoman I am always on the lookout for quick, tasty and easy recipes!

I found that and a new way to look at recipes all divided by 100 calorie portions in a new cookbook. I was lucky to receive a copy of The Perfect Portion Cookbook (new this month!) that makes it easy to enjoy favorite comfort foods by using this unique first-ever 100-calorie-counting system. Happy Days TV star and director Anson Williams was inspired to write the book after visiting the supermarket and seeing all the 100-calorie snack packs. The Perfect Portion Cookbook was co-written with New York Times best-selling cookbook author Bob Warden and food/nutrition expert Mona Dolgov.

This very visual, colorful and easy to follow cookbook is filled with over 150-family favorite recipes. I cannot wait to try to stovetop mac & cheese as well as try to make my own classic tomato soup! It has a recipe for everything from vegetable fried rice to French toast and even sauces like pesto, tzatziki and dressings. There is a great desert section too including recipes for lemon bars, chocolate chip cookies and even fudge. Most of the recipes include better for you ingredients like Greek yogurt, olive oil, fruit and veggies. What I really like about The Perfect Portion Cookbook is how it is color divided with a quick look at the top right hand corner of each page you can see the recipes divided by color for breakfast, casseroles, everyday meals, etc. I also like how each recipe lists prep time and bake time and some even provide a quick helpful tip at the bottom of the page!

This remarkable cookbook is a go-to eating guide with recipes, meal plan tools, tips for 100-calorie smart snacks and a list of everyday exercises that are essential for a healthy lifestyle.

This book provides a great way to watch your calories and manage portion sizes so it’s easy to follow. So whether you want 100, 200 or even 400 calorie portions – you can eat what you want without the guilt. The recipes are “comfort food” oriented too so all my favorite snacks, meals and deserts are listed in the book! Check out the web site  and you will find lots of good information.

Here is a link to purchase it on Amazon.

Disclosure: I was sent a preview copy of The Perfect Portion Cookbook to review. All opinions are my own.

A fun, new colorful cookbook on the market: The Perfect Portion
A fun, new colorful cookbook on the market: The Perfect Portion
Every page of The Perfect Portion Cookbook has easy, yummy recipes
Every page of The Perfect Portion Cookbook has easy, yummy recipes

 

Categories
books

Time for a new calendar! @PlanAhead

It is that time of year when I look for a new, hard copy calendar. Yes, I still use a calendar that you actually write in and not my iphone. I just like seeing my schedule in writing. Plus there are ones that have room for all your kids activities. That is why I love this one from Plan Ahead.  It is their mother’s 18 month planner which starts July 2014 and runs to December 2015. It has room for a photo of your kids up front. It shows a month at a glance and the week at a glance with space for you to list out your kids activities. It is small enough to carry around and it’s just perfect.  This one also has a space in back for notes and a vacation planning section too.  Plan Ahead has lots of organizers and address books to choose from. And yes, I still have my contacts in a hard copy book, because you never know. I’m odd school like that. Check out all their products from back to school online and then head to your favorite retailer like Walmart or CVS to purchase.

Disclosure:  Plan Ahead sent me the calendars and address books to review. All opinions are my own.

Calendars and address books from Plan Ahead
Calendars and address books from Plan Ahead

 

 

 

Categories
books

Time for a new calendar! @PlanAhead

It is that time of year when I look for a new, hard copy calendar. Yes, I still use a calendar that you actually write in and not my iphone. I just like seeing my schedule in writing. Plus there are ones that have room for all your kids activities. That is why I love this one from Plan Ahead.  It is their mother’s 18 month planner which starts July 2014 and runs to December 2015. It has room for a photo of your kids up front. It shows a month at a glance and the week at a glance with space for you to list out your kids activities. It is small enough to carry around and it’s just perfect.  This one also has a space in back for notes and a vacation planning section too.  Plan Ahead has lots of organizers and address books to choose from. And yes, I still have my contacts in a hard copy book, because you never know. I’m odd school like that. Check out all their products from back to school online and then head to your favorite retailer like Walmart or CVS to purchase.

Disclosure:  Plan Ahead sent me the calendars and address books to review. All opinions are my own.

Calendars and address books from Plan Ahead
Calendars and address books from Plan Ahead

 

 

 

Categories
books

Women in Business @momincbook

Today on WCAP-AM 980 we are talking about moms and women in business.  Can you do it all? What about job searching in today’s tough economy? Here is a clip of the trendymommies weekly radio segment along with a few books as resources. READ THEM!

MOM Incorporated A Guide to Business & Baby by Aliza Sherman and Danielle Elliott Smith

Discover Your CEO Brand by Suzanne Bates

Trendymommies.com WCAP-AM 980

Categories
books

Summer Reading: WGBH-TV & Bark About Books

What a day!  We had the opportunity to attend the kickoff event for the Bark About Books initiative at the Tadpole Playground in Boston Common.  Mayor Menino, Billy Costa of Kiss 108 FM and Susan Meddaugh – Martha Speaks author/illustrator, and Creative Producer of the TV show Martha Speaks helped kick off the event. Ms. Meddaugh spoke about her wonderful series Martha Speaks.  She along with Mayor Menino read to the kids. It was fun! They also talked about the importance of having your kids continue to read in the summer!

WGBH-TV partnered with ReadBoston and WGBY to provide readers in Boston and Springfield with access to high quality children’s books, coupled with activities and reading incentives. Over the summer the Bark About Books! Massachusetts Summer Reading Initiative will distribute more than 5,000 books to children in Boston and Springfield communities.

So happy reading to you and your family!

WGBH-TV event with Boston Mayor Tom Menino
WGBH-TV event with Kiss 108 FM's Billy Costa
Susan Meddaugh of WGBH-TV Martha Speaks
Categories
books Uncategorized

Summer Reading: WGBH-TV & Bark About Books

What a day!  We had the opportunity to attend the kickoff event for the Bark About Books initiative at the Tadpole Playground in Boston Common.  Mayor Menino, Billy Costa of Kiss 108 FM and Susan Meddaugh – Martha Speaks author/illustrator, and Creative Producer of the TV show Martha Speaks helped kick off the event. Ms. Meddaugh spoke about her wonderful series Martha Speaks.  She along with Mayor Menino read to the kids. It was fun! They also talked about the importance of having your kids continue to read in the summer!

WGBH-TV partnered with ReadBoston and WGBY to provide readers in Boston and Springfield with access to high quality children’s books, coupled with activities and reading incentives. Over the summer the Bark About Books! Massachusetts Summer Reading Initiative will distribute more than 5,000 books to children in Boston and Springfield communities.

So happy reading to you and your family!

WGBH-TV event with Boston Mayor Tom Menino
WGBH-TV event with Kiss 108 FM's Billy Costa
Susan Meddaugh of WGBH-TV Martha Speaks
Categories
books

A chat with award winning filmmaker and author

As I have mentioned before I find inspiration in other’s stories of turning their passion (or their problem) into success. It’s Q&A time!  This week Andrea Buchanan, author of Live and Let Love, Notes from Extraordinary Women on the Layers, the Laughter and the Litter of Love answers our quick Q&A.

Q:  Tell us in a nutshell about your career and how you became a writer.

I write books as well as television and film and I’m a director and a producer.  My work has been mostly in the non-fiction/documentary area, however, over the last four years, I’ve been doing more scripted television and co-directed a short film with Jennifer Aniston which I wrote called “Room 10”.   I always wrote poetry and journaled, and just took that interest to the next level in non-scripted shows: The most famous is Behind The Music, where I honed my writing chops.

Q:  What would you tell other writers who are struggling?

There’s not a writer who isn’t struggling, so just know that you are not alone. It’s a very isolating business and there are days that are less productive than others. But if you sit down and work everyday, at least for an hour, something will come from that hour.  Something I learned from one of my writing mentors, is that there’s no such thing as a crappy first draft.  Write it, get it out, let someone read it, and then improve upon it.

Q:  Any advice for other women owned businesses?

Try to be kind to yourself every day. Stay present, have goals set, put them up somewhere so that you can see them. Surround yourself with people who will lift you up instead of tear you down.

Award Winning Filmmaker and author Andrea Buchanan’s new book is called Live and Let Love, Notes from Extraordinary Women on the Layers, the Laughter and the Litter of Love. It’s an essay of love written by some of America’s most fascinating and vibrant women.  Find out more here.Â