Books for Parents

Congratulations to Karen R., winner of our 2010 back-to-school BusyBodyBook giveaway!

School's about to start and getting organized both for yourself and the kids is a must. Our favorite way to get organized is with the BusyBodyBook! The BusyBodyBook is a stylish and easy-to-use family organizer designed specifically for families. It allows you to keep track of the entire family's schedules at a glance, and it's something I can't live without. BusyBodyBooks are available for both 2010–2011 school year (August 2010–August 2011) and traditional January–December, 2010 calendar year versions. This year, they have some really new cool designs.

To help you get organized, we're giving away a free BusyBodyBook to a lucky Marin Mommies reader! Send an e-mail with BUSYBODYBOOK in the subject line to contests@marinmommies.com by midnight (Pacific time) this Friday, August 6, 2010 One winner will be selected at random, and we'll announce the winner on Saturday, August 7. Good luck!

In today's economy, families are always looking for ways to maximize their budgets without skimping on the fun. That's why a resource like Free San Francisco: The Ultimate Free Fun Guide to the Bay Area (Corley Publications, 326 pages, $15.95) is a great thing to have around. While it's small enough to fit into a coat pocket, purse, or backpack, this pocket guide is filled with over 400 things for families to do all over the Bay Area without breaking the bank.

The book's sections cover the city of San Francisco itself, Bay Area venues ranging from art museums and galleries to nature centers and zoos to parks and historic sites, free activities like art walks, hikes, bike rides, concerts, and film screenings, and a roster of free or almost-free Bay Area events for every month of the year. It's a lot of fun to read to discover a new place to go or activity to do, and it's indespensible when out-of-town guests make an appearance.

In honor of Mother's Day, we're giving away a copy of the new book Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond. To enter, send an email to contests@marinmommies.com with "Mom" in the subject line no later than Saturday, May 9. We'll select a winner at random on Mother's Day, May 10. You can read our review of the book here.

Special thanks to Because I Love Her editor Nicki Richesin for sponsoring this giveaway.

I think all mothers, especially those with daughters, will agree that there's something extremely special about the mother-daughter bond. That is the premise for a new book of essays on the subject titled Because I Love Her: 34 Women Writers Reflect on the Mother-Daughter Bond. Because I Love Her was edited by Marin mom and writer Nicki Richesin, and includes short pieces by authors including Joyce Maynard, Sheila Kohler, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Ericka Lutz, and others.

The essays are in turns poignant, profound, funny, uplifting, and comforting. They're all short, and it's the perfect volume for a busy mom to pick up during one of her all-too-rare breaks and take in a story or two. Many of the works included in Because I Love Her remind me of my relationship growing up (and to this day) with my mother, and of course make me consider my relationship with my own 3-year-old daughter and how it will evolve over time.

2008 is out and 2009 is here, and now's the time to get organized in your busy life. If you're a regular reader of Marin Mommies, you know that I love my BusyBodyBook! The BusyBodyBook is a stylish and easy-to-use family organizer that allows you to keep track of the entire family's schedules with its handy and easy-to-read Weekly Grid. 

BusyBodyBook features include a spacious 5-column layout with enough room to write everyone’s appointments and activities in detail, a planning calendar to record birthdays and anniversaries, a month-at-a-glance for a quick overview, and plenty of space for notes. They're available in both calendar year and academic year versions.

Marin childcare expert Alyce Desrosiers, LCSW, is for many Bay Area families the specialist to go to when searching for the perfect nanny or other childcare solution. Her new book, Nannies for Modern Moms: The Essential Guide for Hiring the Right Nanny for Your Child and You, is required reading for any family seeking to navigate the waters of searching for, choosing, and hiring the right nanny, babysitter, or family assistant.

Nannies for Modern Moms is filled with important information on all practical and emotional aspects of the nanny search process, as well as a breakdown on different types of nannies, childcare providers, and childcare options. The book also includes legal information necessary to hiring a nanny, and an extensive list of resources for the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Also included are numerous worksheets and checklists to help parents organize their thoughts, needs, and information throughout the nanny hiring process.

If you're currently looking for a nanny, or if you're planning on hiring one in the future, Nannies for Modern Moms is an invaluable resource. Highly recommended!

Looking for a good read this summer? Jane Porter, the award-winning author of Flirting With Forty and Odd Mom Out, shared 10 of her favorite titles for moms on View From the Bay. Listed below are a few of the books. To get the complete list, go to their website.

The New Year is here and it's not too late to get organized in your busy life. One of the tools that I have to do that, which I absolutely love, is my BusyBodyBook! The BusyBodyBook is a stylish and easy-to-use family organizer that allows you to keep track of the entire family's schedules. My BusyBodyBook is for the 2007–2008 academic year, but they also offer a traditional 2008 calendar year version which could definitely come in handy right now at the start of the year.