Beachside Book Review #4
July 27, 2006
I spent some time at the beach last week and completed my fourth fun summer novel, Two Little Girls in Blue, by Mary Higgins Clark.
I’ve been reading Mary Higgins Clark books for years and I’m pretty certain I’ve read them all. This one was good, not her best, but good. It was a little emotional to read as a mom, since the book is about twin 3-year-old girls that get kidnapped for $8 million ransom.
The kidnapping occurs the evening after the girls third birthday party while their parents, Margaret and Steve Frawley are at a dinner party. The Frawley’s are able to meet the kidnappers ransom demands, but only one twin is returned to them, the other presumed dead. However, the twins appear to be communicating with each other through twin telepathy, something that the Frawley’s have been studying and observing since the girls were born.
The book follows Higgins Clark’s usual pattern of making everyone seem suspicious and keeping you guessing at who’s guilty right until the end. That made for a quick, easy read. Exactly what I’m looking for at the beach! I’m not sure about this twin telepathy thing, that’s something I’d have to personally experience to believe, but it was interesting to read about.
Let us know which Mary Higgins Clark book is your favorite.
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Clear the Clutter, Clear the Mind (Motherhood & The Art of Organization, Part I)
July 26, 2006
Over the next couple of weeks be on the lookout for a series of posts discussing Motherhood and The Art of Organization.
Clear the Clutter, Clear the Mind is the first post in this series of four. Enjoy!
One of the most important things a SharpMom can do for her family is to bring order to the natural chaos. So, let’s take the first step in organizing our lives by “clearing out the clutter!”
There are three steps to Clearing the Clutter and once completed they will lead to a Clear Mind!
- Keep a List: Organization is the key to survival for anyone but especially for a busy mom. And, the best way to get organized and stay organized is to keep a list. There is no way a busy mom can remember everything. So, write it down. Keep a list and carry it with you. Think big here. This isn’t just a grocery list. This is a to do list, an errand list, a shopping list, an idea list, a honey-do list, a phone list, etc. In fact, get yourself a small notebook and make a page for every different list. Be sure to cross off what you’ve done. That will make you feel good about what you’ve accomplished.
- Find a Home for Everything: It doesn’t matter the size of you house or family, but if there is more than one of you than everything needs a home. And, everyone in the family needs to know about this “home.” Now, we are talking about jackets, umbrellas, flashlights, lunch boxes, remote controls, board games, etc. Hours will be saved if everything has a place and everyone in the family takes a second to return items to their respective “homes” at the end of the day.
- Schedule a Routine: This is about automating daily processes. Sorting through the mail, paying bills, making school lunches, doing homework, bath time, etc. Kids like routines and consistency. Schedule certain times each day to take care of all that “stuff” that has to get done. This way, it gets done quickly and efficiently and you can move on to enjoying yourself and living your life.
No clutter equals a clear mind and won’t we function better as moms with a clear mind?
I hope this information helps you organize your life. Remember, this won’t all happen overnight and things may still slip through the cracks. Invest in a family calendar and keep it in the kitchen where everyone can see it and contribute to it. That will help you keep on top of everything and hopefully minimize those little things that tend to slip by!
Best Baby Books of all Time
July 25, 2006
Parents magazine published a list in its August issue entitled,”Our Favorite Baby Books of All Time.”
We all know how important it is to read to our children and we all know how quickly a SharpMom can memorize a board book, so I wanted to pass this list along to you. Hopefully, you’ll find a few on here that you don’t already own! Keep in mind these are all board books, so most appropriate for 0-3 year-olds. And, in case you notice right away that the “book board of all time” is missing, note that Parents mentions at the start of the article that these books are ones you’ll want to read in addition to Goodnight Moon.
- Animals
- Baby Beluga
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See?
- Daddy Kisses
- Dear Zoo
- Freight Train
- I Know A Rhino
- Let’s Play
- Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
- My Car
- The Going to Bed Book
- The Napping House
- Pat The Bunny
- Where Is Baby’s Belly Button?
- Where’s Spot?
My family owns several of these books, but not all of them. My favorite one on this list is Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? But, this got me thinking, what’s missing from this list? My vote: Snuggle Puppy. That’s one of our favorites. What else is missing? Please add your comments to this post and let all the moms know!
About SharpMom
Hi, I'm Katie. I’ve been successfully working at home and homeschooling my kids for the past 14 years, so I figured it’s time to get out there and start sharing what I’ve learned along the way. I'm glad you're here to join in the fun!
