The Marriage Manual - BOOK REVIEW

by Janis Brett Elspas

Note: The publishers of The Marriage Manual are offering a special prize package with purchase to each buyer of their book on 2/2/2010 only*

The challenges of marriage date back to Adam and Eve, the world's first couple. Just think: How different things might have been for all future generations had Eve and her mate not disagreed about whether to eat from the Tree of Knowledge!

Fast forward to 2010 and modern day relationships. If you really think about it, it's amazing how some things -- like the constant hard work of keeping your marriage strong -- haven't really changed much since that first pair of lovers began to build a home and life together. The Marriage Manual, by BJ and Laurie Woodard (authors pictured here), presents a new twist to meet that ages-old challenge.

The essential beauty of The Marriage Manual is that it is short in length, yet it is heavy with solid, practical common sense advice. This book is both for those considering marriage and for the many who are already married but who want to improve their relationships. Simply written, it has an appeal to every socioeconomic group and is equally relevant to both newlyweds and those living out their Golden Years together.

Remotely similar in approach to the popular but much longer book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus that was published almost 20 years ago, the Woodards' book sets up the opportunity to rise to the occasion for both men and women, paving the way to successful conversation, each using your unique "language" or communication style. After all, as many of us who have ever been married can attest, holy matrimony is hard work that never ends. Not only that, but wives and husbands are practically two different species when it comes to our likes and dislikes and the ways we express our hopes, concerns, and wishes with each other, so a little bit of advice from a book like this now and then can only help us.

In just under 65 pages the authors, who have been happily married for ten years, have created a handy guide that reveals the secrets to building the dream relationships both men and women seek. Part 1 is aptly titled "It Is All About Me! How To Stay That Way." Yes, you've guessed right, the first part of the book are answers for her. This is complemented by Part 2: "How to Get Lucky Again And Again" with (you're right again) guidelines for him to live by. The Marriage Manual's suggestions for a fulfilling marriage are clearly quite different for men and women, ranging for example, from encouraging the ladies to show sincere interest in DH's sports or hobbies to advising men, on the other hand, to be more helpful around the house.

The Marriage Manual, by BJ & Laurie Woodard, $19.95/paperback, is available exclusively online from Amazon.com

A portion of all proceeds from this book on February 2, 2010 will go to help Haiti

*Special 24 Hour Gift Package With Purchase Promotion
Buy The Marriage Manual for $19.95 on Amazon.com on February 2, 2010 from 12 am - 11:55 pm CST then visit TheMarriageManual.com to register for your FREE gifts as well as to enter the authors' giveaway of nearly $5,000 worth of prizes including the stunning bejeweled bra sculpture shown here by artist Laura Ann Jacobs and valued at $4,500, plus lots of other prizes.

Also: Be sure to bookmark this page now and watch for an upcoming giveaway contest to be posted shortly to win a copy of The Marriage Manual for Valentine's Day here at MommyBlogExpert.blogspot.com

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received a copy of The Marriage Manual for review but did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

The TOP 25 Female SOCIAL MEDIA LEADERS

Social Media

by Janis Brett Elspas
MommyBlogExpert

Who Are They & What They Can Teach The Rest of Us Ladies

Responding to a list of the best in social media that was dominated by men, TopRankBlog has just released a list called the Top 25 Women to Rock Social Media.

Like most of the women bloggers out there, both with and without children, I'm not one of these top 25 lady social media queens, not yet anyway. But, like many of my blogging female peers, I do aspire to emulate them and perhaps one day to be even considered among them as one of their respected colleagues. But for now, as a rookie mommy blogger for just under a year, preceded by several decades in media relations and as a journalist, I'm more than willing to be one of their most eager proteges.

Who are these cream of the crop ladies, anyway? What makes them tick and what exactly are they doing that sets them apart and is shaking up Twitter, Facebook and other online networks? My assumption is that it would be an gross understatement just to say that these top social media strategists are breaking new ground on the frontiers in cyberspace. They are doing so much more -- they are finally breaking the glass ceilings women in business have been trying to crash through for the last half-century.

When I first took a look at the names of those who made the cut I was surprised about how many of these ladies (both those much younger than I am, as well as closer to my age of 50+ or older) that I had never even heard of. Luckily, I didn't miss the mark altogether and did recognize a handful of the women on the TopRankBlog list that I have been following on Twitter for some time and whom I greatly admire: Sarah Evans, Jessica Smith, Jennifer Cisney, Deirdre Breakenridge, and Sally Falkow, the latter who I have learned a great deal from in just the last six months. I was also reassured to see someone else in the rankings that I have worked with before, Charlene Li, a Forrester market analyst, as I represented various tech clients during my past life in media and market analyst relations prior to becoming a serious mommy blogger.

Motivated scholar that I am, of course I'll be following the posts and tweets more closely now of the top-tier ladies mentioned above that I already know, so I can broaden my knowledge base of social media strategy theory, planning, and execution. I'm also now following the other TopRankBlog listers on Twitter and have my homework cut out for me as I read over the many blog posts of theirs that I must catch up on. Learning all this social media stuff really is a full time job, isn't it? Just keeping up on the trends and movers and shakers makes me all the more in awe about the Top 25 ladies -- they really make it look easy to the rest of us. I may be a newer blogger, but one thing I do know is that I'm certain they invested a lot of work and effort to be where there are now and we all have a lot to learn from everything they're doing.

Read the full story at TopRankBlog.com

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

What's in an Online Screen Name? Apparently PLENTY, especially if you are a Mommy Blogger Who Uses Twitter

by Janis Brett Elspas
MommyBlogExpert

This post honors all the amazing and highly creative Mommies in cyberspace who manage to juggle blogging, kids, hubbies, and sometimes a job outside the home, too. Thanks for keeping all us moms entertained...no matter whether we stay at home raising kids, work at home, or work outside the house all mothers WORK very hard and we deserve to have a LITTLE FUN now and then.

I've seen more than a lifetime's worth of heart-warming, cute, funny, outrageous, and just plain bizarre names that moms who blog use as their undercover personas since I started blogging as a Mom almost a year ago. Whether it's on Twitter and/or their blogs, either for fun or as working bloggers, these mommies collectively take away the boredom for moms like me everywhere, who in my own case work at home blogging professionally while also homeschooling four kids.

Screen names on networks such as Twitter are on unique to each individual or group and mommy blogs also have one-of-a-kind Internet addresses, too. That means that each new mom who wants to join the Tweeting conversation or start their own blog, for example, has to come up with their own "new identity," something that's fresh and truly original. With such limitations and the millions of moms already chattering away in cyberspace, you'd think that the greatest screen and blog names would all already have been taken. But alas, aren't you just blown away by all the wild identities mothers are using in cyberspace these days? And the new ones these clever ladies keep coming up with every day? I know I am.

For sure, moms riding the wave of the social digital revolution, both young and old, never seem to lack for coming up with new and even more catchier personas and names to describe ourselves. This is a natural ability for many of us, I suspect, that comes from our talent to stay sane (barely), while also juggling so many hats in our lives as mommies. Fellow mothers never cease to amaze me: we always seem to be quite resourceful -- especially when it comes to caring for our families.

There are many real "name mommy personalities" now actively tweeting on Twitter and with their own blogs. Here are just a few I personally follow because I think they each perfectly capture the nuances of motherhood in the digital age

WhatsThatSmell
MommyTantrums
DomesticDebacle
MomEWhisperer
BeautyandBedlam
MyChaos
SelfishMom
NoTIMEMom
Clueless_Mama
TheMomSmith
YummyMummyClub
MommyWantsVodka
HerBadMother
MomontheVerge
MouthyHousewife
ScaryMommy
and, last, but not least Mommenator

And the list goes on...Now, it's your turn to add the ones you like best and can relate to as a mother.

What is/are the most MEMORABLE MOMMY name(s) you've seen being used as a Twitter identity or as a Mommy Blogger persona? Please comment below with mommy blog links and/or Twitter screen names of your winners so we can enlighten each other some more.

TEEN Couple Delivers RARE Spontaneous Naturally-Conceived TRIPLETS

MommyBlogExpert's Triplets, plus Big Brother one year older

at Who Let the Dogs Out show a Seaworld in San Diego several years ago

by Janis Brett Elspas

MommyBlogExpert

Note: Since I'm a TRIPLET mom myself (my Girl, Girl, Boy are now 12 years old) as well as media relations director for The Triplet Connection Convention, I often come upon news about unusual cases of triplets, quads, etc. to share with this blog's readers.

Teen pregnancies are typically problematic when the parents-to-be are young and unmarried--a rather common, yet unfortunate, scenario these days. But, can you imagine the challenges ahead when the mom and dad (BOTH teenagers) have a set of triplets?

That's exactly what happened to Courtney Smith (age 19) and her fiance (age 17) earlier this week who became the parents of fraternal (non-identical) triplets born via cesarean section in Portland on January 18, 2010.
Triplets are way less common than twins or single births. But a woman as young as Smith who becomes pregnant with higher order multiples without any scientific intervention (otherwise known as "spontaneous" conception) is extremely rare. That's what makes this particular set of triplets such an extraordinary news story.

I'm just a garden-variety triplet mom myself who had triplets when I was 40 years old and married, so I have a hard time even imagining what this couple is now feeling. What I can do is give them is the same advice that applies to anyone having higher order multiples, regardless of the means of conception and the ages of the parents. To the new triplet mommy and daddy I want to remind them that though the road ahead is filled with lots of work that will tire them (such feedings and diaper changes along with lost sleep). But, don't lose sight of the rewards: there's also triple the joy and love to give and receive from these three babies -- so don't get discouraged.

As teens turned parents of triplets in a matter of minutes, you are about to rise up three times more quickly to the tasks of raising your new family. I wish everyone in the family well and encourage this new mom and dad to welcome all the help offered by their own parents (the triplets' grandparents) and friends when the babies come home from the hospital.

Triplet Connection is the world's largest and oldest organization providing support and information to families expecting or raising triplets, quads, quints, and higher order multiples. The next national Triplet Connection Annual Convention takes place in July 2010 in the Philadelphia area.

For the full KREM-TV news story, slides, and video of the new family visit

http://www.krem.com/news/Teen-couple-has-spontaneous-triplets-81979832.html

Great Park in Irvine, California - Big SNOW FORECAST for FAMILY EVENT

THE GREAT SKATE
January 30, 2010
11 am - 4 pm
Orange County Great Park, Irvine California
FREE ADMISSION, Skate Rentals & Parking
More Information

Snow is coming to Southern California! Just about a one hour drive south of Los Angeles, thanks to Utopia who has partnered once again with the City of Irvine in Orange County for an exciting family event at Orange County Great Park. The Great Skate will be a snow filled day for families to ice skate, build a snowman and just have fun in the snow.

Snow Play Area
Snowman Building
Stunt Snowboard Trampoline Performers
Ice Rink
Street Entertainment
Hockey Play Zone
Photo Opportunity
Food Vendors
and more...

YOU and your kids are invited for a chilly day in So Cal! The organizers say they promise not to throw snowballs at you (too hard). LOL

Map & Directions

BEST OF ALL...IT'S FREE TO THE PUBLIC
Advanced Tickets are Available, but HURRY, they won't last long

MOMMY BLOG EXPERT

Tab Names + Order