"The Mother Of All Meltdowns" -- A Great Mother's Day Gift For The Young Mom

The Mother Of All Meltdowns is a

great Mother's Day gift for the 

young mom. Find it here.

How I wish this collection of essays was available when I was a young mother! It would have provided me with much-needed relief and an emotional lifeline! “The Mother of All Meltdowns” is a collection of essays from 30 of the today’s most popular mommy bloggers who share personal parenting meltdowns. I really like it for a couple of reasons.

First, 30 moms totally spill regarding some of their biggest parenting meltdowns -- what got them there, the fallout and what they learned. I expected a humor book, and while there were plenty of funny moments, there were a lot more poignant and relatable ones. Feelings of  “Oh, I remember having a day like that,” alternated with feelings of “Wow! I’ve never had it quite that bad” while reading it. These moms bare it all – the good, the bad, the ugly and the funny. In doing so, they make you feel normal, relieved and connected to the greater sisterhood of mothers. While there are tales of mothering meltdowns involving kids of all ages (there’s an entertaining story about a meltdown with teenagers that results in a memorable powdered sugar war), it’s an especially great read for the young mother. I know I would have loved to have a copy when my now 21-year-old boys were little. At that time, I felt too ashamed to admit that once in a while, motherhood had me screaming on the inside! These moms are brave and generous to share these stories.

Second, this book is a great way to get a “taste” of and introduction to 30 great blogs! If you get the kindle edition (a real bargain at just 99¢!), you can link to the blog of each author with the tap of a finger! It’s like a wonderful sampler box of chocolates -- some are rich and deep, some are a little nutty, and some are really sweet! All are deliciously satisfying!

“The Mother of All Meltdowns” is a terrific gift for the young mother or mother-to-be this Mother’s Day. The paperback version is just $8.99 and is available for two day shipping with amazon prime membership! Pair it with her favorite bottle of wine and take the kids for a few hours for a most-appreciated Mother’s Day gift combo. 

For the, ahem, more mature mom, may I humbly suggest a copy of “Aging With Ungirdled Passion” also available on amazon.com? Don’t worry about getting her a bottle. The more mature mom has learned to keep herself well-stocked. Happy Mother’s Day!

Audrey Hepburn On Beauty, Aging And Chocolate Cake

I have been collecting quotes on growing older and thought I'd share them with you. I especially love this one from Audrey Hepburn: 

Audrey Hepburn was a true beauty inside and out, not to mention a talented actor and devoted humanitarian. Adore the following advice and "beauty tips" from her:


"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." More words of wisdom:

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person."

"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others."

"I heard a definition once: Happiness is health and a short memory! I wish I'd invented it, because it is very true."


"Let's face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me."

Amen to that, Audrey!

Meryl Streep on Aging

Snow Storm Survival

If you're like me and everyone else I've talked to, you are OVER snow this winter. Here on the Virginia coast, we are snowed in for a third time in six weeks with schools and most everything else closed. I can only imagine how ungirdled sisters up north are handling it. Thought I'd share this handy guide for surviving being snowed in with good spirits - namely vodka - but gin or tequila will work equally well. We ungirdled girls are flexible and able to improvise in the worst of conditions. 

Stay warm and well hydrated! Spring HAS to be coming soon!

Happy Holidays Ungirdled Friends!!

The Creative Wedge at Hilltop West Shopping Center

in Virginia Beach. You will love it! Cutest gifts ever - 

like a etsy store come to life AND gourmet wines and

cheeses! All either handcrafted or made in the USA

This holiday season, I am grateful for all my wonderful ungirdled girlfriends (as well as my husband, children, family, good health, home, beloved Bogie dog, brownies and the newly-expanded Total Wine store down the street!) I wish all of you a wonderful, happy, healthy, peaceful, blessed holiday season and 2014!

If you're still looking for a great girlfriend gift, may I humbly suggest "Aging With Ungirdled Passion" on amazon? Scroll through the Ungirdled Passion facebook page for some great ideas for pairing the book (it's really a great price, I think you'll agree) with another appropriate gift item your girlfriend will cherish. If you wanna go ahead and "like" the page while you're there, I wouldn't mind a bit. Rumor is you automatically lose 5 pounds when you do! (It's a rumor I'm starting right here.)

You can buy "Aging With Ungirdled Passion" online here at amazon (who ships really fast) or if you're in Virginia Beach, a really cool, new shop, The Creative Wedge at Hilltop West, is now carrying it! This is a really great shop you don't want to miss - everything they sell is either handcrafted or made in the USA. All kinds of great gift items, wine and gourmet cheeses! If they had buff cabana boys serving you brownies as they massaged your shoulders, you'd confuse it with heaven.

Thanks so much to Morgan Chase and Cathy Lewis who had me as a guest on my FAVORITE local radio show yesterday, "HearSay With Cathy Lewis," and all the wonderful, supportive friends who were more than generous for listening and saying such kind things after the show. Love that show, and Cathy Lewis is a marvel - warm, funny, gracious, firing on all cylinders as she does 17 things at once. I want to be her when I grow up.

Thanks so much for your wonderful support and friendship! Have a fabulous holiday season, and remember, the tree isn't the only thing to be lit during the holidays! Make spirits bright WITH spirits - gin, vodka, tequila for example - in a fun, responsible way! 'Tis the season!

PERFECT Gift For A Girlfriend's Special Birthday!

Looking for the perfect gift for a girlfriend's 40th, 50th, 60th or 70th birthday? This gift basket is the gift that she'll appreciate no matter what birthday it may be! The centerpiece is the hilarious book on aging for women of "a certain age," "Aging With Ungirdled Passion." You'll score big points by giving her lots to laugh at when it comes to the "gifts" that come with aging along with items that will actually come in very handy! Readers have suggested other additions like sleep aids, Estroven, Prozac, support hose, and nose hair trimmer. You can customize basket contents for your friend's special needs. You can even add a copy of the book with a personal inscription from the author at no additional charge by going here! What a fun, savvy and thoughtful friend you are! Happy gift-giving!

"Aging With Ungirdled Passion" - Great Pick For Fun Book Club Meetings

Looking for a great pick for your book club meeting? Last night, I attended a wonderful book club meeting where "Aging With Ungirdled Passion" was the book pick of the month! OK, so it was MY book club, but I was honored when one of the very wise, insightful women - a visionary, really - picked the book. I was even more impressed with the dinner menu! She served the TOP TEN ANTI-AGING FOODS! How clever is that?! She even made up little cards to place by all the dishes highlighting the benefits of the foods included in them. Everything was delicious! We devoured:

• Wine
• Bean salsa  and guacamole with whole grain chips
• Wine
• Salad of fresh greens with nuts, berries and grilled salmon
• Dessert of fresh berries and dark chocolate!
• Wine

If you want to do the same, you can google "Top Ten Anti-Aging Foods." You'll get tons of articles.

Topics we discussed from the book included:

• How we feel about aging and the phrase "50 is the new 30"
• How friendships really are like underwear
• Physical changes that occur with age and how we handle them
• How our generation is "aging" vs. our mothers'
• Uterus-falling out syndrome
• Vagazzling

Being that we are all of a "certain age" (mid 40s to mid 50s), we had a great, insightful, hilarious discussion and laughed our heads off! Not to mention a fabulous meal! I think we all looked like teenagers by the time we finished all those anti-aging foods! We certainly acted like them while discussing the book. I had honestly not thought of the book as a centerpiece for book club discussions, but I have to say, it was terrific! You have to admit, it's also a quick, economical ($2.99 for ebook; $6.29 for paperback) read. I am nothing if not cheap and easy! I am so grateful for the support of my wonderful friends and Ungirdled sisters everywhere, and wanted to pass on my friend's wonderful ideas for a book club meeting! Happy reading!