As a mother of four boys I know there are times I just don't relate to them. When my teen girls come to me in tears for no reason I can relate, but when the boys face struggles and make choices that seem "wrong" to me I'm often at a loss. As a single mother I don't have a husband to turn to in these situations so I have to wing it and do my best.

I was recently given a copy of a new book to review. Mother and Son, the Respect Effect, by Emerson Eggerichs, PhD, explores the relationships mothers and sons have, and the needs sons have for respect from their mothers. The book teaches that boys need their mother's respect even when they're misbehaving. While girls and women are more apt to  crave love during times of stress and conflict boys and men are more likely to seek respect. The key to this book is that mother's need to respect their sons and sons need to know they are respected by their mothers.

Having a son who can present some real discipline challenges I was eager to find new ideas in dealing with him, to help him find ways to grow into a happy, adjusted young man prepared to love himself and corral his own emotions.

After reading the majority of the book I realized that the information presented provided a very new-to-me point of view and that I didn't necessarily agree with everything in it. However, I was able to try a few different strategies the book presented and while I'm not yet sure how successful these strategies will be, but I think they're certainly worth trying. I did appreciate the author's point of view and he certainly gave me some things to think about.

The book, Mother and Son, is available through Love and Respect as is a sneak peek of the book.

To get your own free copy leave a comment on this post sharing a parenting joy and a winner will be randomly chosen for a free copy of this insightful book. Good luck!

*The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent in exchange for a product review. However, all opinions expressed here are my own.

My son Ian graduated from high school at the beginning of May (go Ian!). The evening before his high school graduation he graduated from college with his AA degree (go Ian!!). Icing the cake, he graduated near the top of his class with a perfect 4.0 GPA. He's a smart cookie.


In addition to celebrating Ian's graduation I wanted to use the opportunity that event provided to take a family picture with my parents. Of course, that meant dressing the children in decent clothes when 90% of their wardrobe is swimwear and the other 10% is casual clothes (at least that's how it feels to me). Anyhoo ... dress clothes meant shopping. New clothes were purchased for Adam and Kaden, including a nice solid white polo shirt. Oh, and aren't those neckties fantastic?


After graduation and pictures we went out for pizza. Guess who wore pizza sauce? Yes, the boy in the white polo shirt.

After washing the shirt in my regular detergent the stain was still there.

I was given a bottle of Purex plus Clorox 2 detergent to try and review, with specific instructions to take a before and after picture of a stain. Up for a challenge, this shirt presented either a perfect opportunity to do that before/after picture or a perfect opportunity to tell you the detergent didn't work - after all,  this was an already washed shirt and the stains hadn't budged.

So we have a before shot (sorry for the really bad picture, yikes!):


I pre-soaked with a tiny bit of the bleach free detergent, then about 5 minutes later tossed the shirt into the washer with the rest of the laundry load.


After:


I'm not kidding. It worked great. I had to find my before pictures to figure out where the stain had been to take the "after" picture.

Overall, my whites got whiter with the detergent and it removed set in stains. I couldn't be more impressed and, because it's Purex, the price is right too. As if that weren't enough it smells good and two scents are available - Sunny Linen and Original Fresh.

I'm loving this new detergent and what it's done for our clothes.

Convinced? Want to try it yourself? Enter to win your own bottle by entering below! Good luck!

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Many of my kids are voracious readers and love finding new books to read. We've found, though, especially with the boys, that once you get past the Hardy Boys and Harry Potter you enter an adult world of books which often have a little more romance and graphic violence than middle school kids need or can really relate to.

I was recently introduced to Brian Wells' new novel The League and the Lantern, and I have to say it really fits the bill for middle school boys (and Moms ... I really enjoyed this book) by being entertaining, suspenseful, age appropriate, and a whole lot of fun.



I'll be the first to admit that when I heard it was for middle school boys I was, as is my usual, very skeptical. I was expecting a bit of brain candy with no real substance. Before opening the package I told my son, Kaden, that I needed him to read the book, but inside I was cringing a bit thinking I was giving him something he'd feel was beneath his abilities and maturity.

My bad. This book nails it. It begins with adventure and adventure happens on every page of the book. The words aren't small and simple, with the top 140 works middle schoolers need to know subtly blended into the text, and neither is the plot, full of twists and surprises. The book is very, very engaging, and even I was hooked from the first page.

The book begins when we meet Jake, a seventh grader starting a new school, who is in the midst of recovering from a near drowning in a local fountain. Jake doesn't have the best of luck in social situations and being the new kid doesn't help. But he perseveres as best he can. He and his 7th grade class are having a sleepover which is invaded by a dangerous organization. What follows is 48 hours of excitement as Jake and his new classmates TJ and Lucy fight to survive on the streets of Chicago with new adventures meeting them at every turn of the page. The three unlikely companions learn to work together and develop a strong bond and friendship through understanding, humor, and compassion.

Brian Wells wrote The League and the Lantern to fill a void, seeing a need for great engaging entertainment options for his own kids. To get the book to print and distributed he created a Kickstarter campaign to raise $10,000. That goal was met in the first four hours and amount raised in 30 days was a crazy $62,000.

Kaden, 13, gives the book a thumbs-up, and he's already looking forward to a sequel. He really devoured the book and is excited to have River read it when he's old enough.

You can get your own copy of this book from LeagueandLandern.com, $16.99 plus shipping for the hardcover book and $7.99 for the e-book. The book is written for ages 9-14, but will appeal to older kids/adults as well. You can also find a preview of the first six chapters of the book at that site.

I'm really excited to share that I have a copy of the book to give away! Just leave a comment below (any comment at all - makes no difference what it says, but something fun would be great!) to be entered to win and I'll choose a winner next Saturday morning, May 21st. Good luck!!

When I was given the opportunity to review the movie edition of the book "90 Minutes in Heaven, a True Story of Life and Death" I might have rolled my eyes a little bit, initially thinking it was just another book about a guy who died and went to Heaven. And then I read a little more - while Don Piper, the author of this 245 page paperback book, did die and go to Heaven, he was not happy to have been come back to life, which really sets the story apart and makes it quite interesting and well worth reading.

Don, a pastor, was involved in a serious car accident. Paramedics and rescue workers declared him dead and lay a tarp over his severely mangled body. 90 minutes later, after experiencing the joy, love, and peace of Heaven, while being prayed for by a priest who happened on the accident scene Don begrudgingly came back to life to face the immense pain and agony of his recovery.

Don Piper very honestly shares his story, including his anger, depression, and pain during the year he was hospitalized. He discusses his faith and why he believes God returned him to earth and why he had to go through all the agony that he did, what he gained from his experience, and what he feels his calling is post-accident.

I found this to be a very enjoyable book. It's an easy read, and interesting enough to keep the reader engaged. While it's impossible to fully understand what Don has gone through he did a good job describing his experience, allowing the reader to be immersed in the story.

What was most interesting to me was how many people I know who've read the book. As soon as I'd mention that I was reading it other people would share their take on it.

The new movie "90 Minutes in Heaven" is being released nationwide September 11th. The movie stars Hayden Christensen, Kate Bosworth, Michael W. Smith, Fred Thompson, Dwight Yoakam, and Jason Kennedy. The movie is rated PG-13 because of the intense accident scenes (once you read the book you'll understand).

I'm thrilled to be giving away a copy of the movie edition of the book "90 Minutes in Heaven". Just enter using the rafflecopter below and good luck! If you have read the book, read the book, or see the movie please share your thoughts on it in the comments.

(Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.)

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Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.
 

Have you heard of new Renuzit Pearl Scents?

The long-lasting scented odor-neutralizing gel-type balls are encased in an attractive, decorative container with a slotted lid to release the fresh, gentle air freshener. They blend in well with home decor, so they don't have to be hidden in a secret corner.

I placed my container of Renuzit Pearl Scents near my downstairs bathroom, which is also home to the dreaded, stinky litterbox. The Sparkling Rain scent has been much preferred over the cat box smells, which has been minimized as a result of the odor neutralizers in the formula. Definitely an improvement!

Would you like to win your own container of Renuzit Pearl Scents? Of course! Enter below for your chance to win 2, yes two, coupons for free Renuzit Pearl Scents. Good luck!

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Sweet, gentle Dial Baby Body + Hair Wash for newborn to 2 year olds. This wash very gently removes dirt with an odor-free formula. Perfect for extra soft, sensitive baby skin.

New Dial Kids Foaming Hand Wash with a watermelon scent. River loves the smell of this hand wash and so do I, but for different reasons. He just thinks it's a great scent, but I like it because it's so easy to tell if his hands are clean by the nice, sweet, watermelon scent. He also likes the foaming and how easily it washes off, and that he knows his hands are clean when he doesn't see any more bubbles.


Both of these washes were developed by pediatric dermatologists, with the resources of Dial's 67 years of product development, so they are super gentle and cleansing. Both products are hypoallergenic with no artificial parabens or dyes, and are pH balanced.

Would you like to try your own bottles of either Dial Baby Body and Hair Wash or Dial Kids Foaming Hand Wash - or even one of each? Enter below to win two coupons for your choice of either of these new Dial products. Good luck!

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The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Baby Body and Hair Wash and Dial Kids Foaming Hand Soap in exchange for a product review. All the opinions expressed here are my own. 

In addition to the Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash I reviewed recently, Dial has also introduced new Miracle Oil Hand Soap infused with Marula Oil. As much as I like the body wash, I was super excited to get to try the hand soap and I was not disappointed.


The soap is super gentle on skin and the marula oil keeps hands soft even with frequent washing by nourishing while protecting skin from damaging free radicals. At the same time, the miracle oil has deep cleaning power to remove dirt. What a perfect combination!


I liked the feel and lathering of this hand soap. True to it's word, my hands felt clean and fresh after washing, without feeling super dry.

Would you like your own bottle of Dial Miracle Oil Hand Soap? Enter below to win two free bottles of this wonderful hand soap. Good luck!

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The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Miracle Oil Hand Soap in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own. 

Congratulations to Amy, winner of the Purex Crystals ScentSplash in wash fabric scent booster.


Stay tuned for a new giveaway offer coming up very soon!

Congratulations to Cheryl, winner of the Dial Boutique Collection Hand Soap.

Another wonderful giveaway has started for Purex Crystals ScentSplash, be sure to enter now and often!

Once or twice I've mentioned my happy infatuation with Purex Crystals and how I like to use it in every wash load. I love, love, love the long lasting fresh scent the Purex Crystals provide.

Stinky socks ... no problem, they come out of the wash smelling better than new. Towels left on the floor smell fresh and clean after washing, instead of having a mildew odor. T-shirts in a drawer for weeks smell wonderful.

Well, we ran out and I've been waiting, impatiently, for a BOGO to buy more. In the meantime, our laundry is not smelling anywhere near as super awesome as it used to. When I was given a chance to try and review new Purex Crystals ScentSplash I was thrilled!

ScentSplash is new to the market, becoming available April of 2015. This is a liquid in-wash fragrance booster, different than the previous shake-in crystals. Three scents are available; Fresh Spring Waters, Fresh Lavender Blossom, and Fresh Mountain Breeze.

I was given the Fresh Spring Waters scent to try. For the first load I used about half a cap full, probably about 3 tablespoons worth, in a full load of laundry. That, for me, turned out to be way too much. The scent was a little flowerier than I'm comfortable with and was very strong. For the next load I used just a tablespoon or so of the product. Perfection. The clean laundry smells great, is a much more comfortable amount of scent, and using less took the scent from "flowery" to clean and refreshing. Using such a small amount means this a bottle of this will go a very long way.

It's very easy when folding the laundry to tell which items were washed with the liquid crystals. Even with a fabric softener sheet in the dryer, the clothes washed with the crystals smell fresher and cleaner.

Would you like to try Purex Crystals ScentSplash for yourself? Well, you're in luck! Enter below to win coupons for two free bottles of Purex Crystals. Good luck!

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The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex Crystals ScentSplash in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

Check this out!

Dial is introducing a new hand soap - Boutique Collection Sugar Cane Husk Scrub. The soap is very luxurious, with gentle micro-scrubbers built into the formula, leaving hands and skin clean and healthy. Gentle conditioners moisturize skin and visibly improve dryness. As much as we do, and should, wash our hands this is wonderful news.

With a calming, sugar cane inspired scent this soap is terrific for the entire family, while still feeling like a luxurious indulgence.


I happen to know, based on personal experience and information I've gathered, that boys and men are generally not notorious hand washers. Less than 80% of men wash their hands regularly without being reminded and, in this house, at least 50% of the boys have to be reminded all the time. Well, I'm determined to have my sons be a part of the all-the-time hand washing group! This hand soap, with it's micro-scrubbers, cleans deeply, making it easy for the boys to get the nooks and crannies of their hands clean and the pump bottle is so easy to use there are no excuses for not washing. The hope is that a soap as convenient and effective as this will help enforce that washing habit.

How about a bottle or two to try for yourself? Great! I've got two coupons for free bottles of hand soap to give to one lucky winner! Good luck.

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Splurge. 

Marula Oil is a wonderful beauty ingredient, an all-natural, moisture rich, highly nutritious, light textured oil that hydrates and refreshes skin with nutrient rich anti-oxidents. With new Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash with caring Marula oil you can now splurge on this wonderful oil without spending a small fortune.

I was given a sample of this body wash to try for myself and to try on the family. The scent is gentle, not girly at all, and the kids had no hesitation in using the body wash. Micro Oil Technology creates a luxurious clean-rinsing lather that feels just right and leaves skin feel soft and smooth.

While I did let the kids try this I banned them from the rest of the bottle once I'd used it so I wouldn't have to share! The body wsah felt great and left my skin feel refreshed, clean, soft, and healthy.


Enter below to win two bottles of Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash. One winner will receive two coupons, each for a free bottle of body wash. While most of the entries are one-time deals you are welcome to come back every day to tweet about the giveaway for more entries. Good luck!

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The Dial brand provided me with a sample of Dial Miracle Oil Body Wash in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed are my own.