There is nothing like a good book to quiet a Mom’s soul.  Here are some of our Favorite books that any book loving Mom will happily receive!  And don’t forget to give her the quiet time to read them!!!

Note to Self: 30 Women on Hardship, Humiliation, Heartbreak, and Overcoming It All by Andrea Buchanan: This book features stories and insight from 30 women who have “been there, done that”!   Celebrities such as Grammy Award-winning rock star Sheryl Crow and Emmy Award-winning actress Camryn Manheim tell their most humiliating, challenging and life changing moments.  This book shows that no matter who we are, celebrity or not, we all go through the same issues and feelings as women!  And if they can grow stronger through their tough times, so can we!!

Even June Cleaver Would Forget the Juice Box: Cut Yourself Some Slack (and Still Raise Great Kids) in the Age of Extreme Parenting by Ann Dunnewold, Ph. D.: If you’re feeling overstressed, overtired, or overscheduled, noted psychologist Ann Dunnewold can help you rewrite the rules of motherhood by introducing a new, healthier paradigm–one that replaces the dysfunctional myth of the June Cleaver mom.   We all try our best and we all fail…daily!  But that’s OK!!!  That’s what this book teaches you!  A must read for all busy moms!!

Today’s Moms: Essentials for Surviving Baby’s First Year by Mary Ann Zoellner and Alicia Ybarbo: The first year is hard enough!  Why go at it on your own?!   Two producers of the morning show, Today, share their experiences and wisdom on baby’s first year, along with priceless advice and anecdotes from the anchors and experts on America’s number-one morning show.  Contributors include Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Kathie Lee Gifford, and many others. It’s a delightful book full of honest and insightful advice!  Today’s Moms will help all moms feel more confident about their first year of motherhood!  And what new mom can’t use a little confidence!!

In a world that is becoming more and more techno-savvy and paperless, momAgenda has reminded me of why I love a good old fashioned paper planner!  I love making lists, keeping a tidy (yet very full) calendar and organizing every last detail.  I have tried a few of those techno-cool organizing softwares too.  And while it was convenient to be able to upload my grocery list from my laptop to my phone, do you know how many times I did it?  Umm, that would be a big, fat zero!  But can I count the times I found a straggling piece of paper to make my grocery list on and then threw it in my purse?  Oh, don’t make me count that high!  (I love their Desk Pads for this very reason!!)  momAgenda has made the list-maker, organizer, calendar-crazy and make-life simpler side of this Mommy smile.  If you are not like me and the thought of organizing makes you cringe, these products will make it simple and easy to stay on track and keep your family organized amongst the craziness of every day life!

Let me tell you more about the products that will help you with your New Year’s resolutions of arriving on time more often, planning meals more fervently and attaining the sought after role of Super Mom!  Our Favorite part of momAgenda’s Day Planners and what makes them so unique is the super easy format that makes it a breeze to keep track of multiple family member’s schedules, not just one like most day planners!!

If you are all “Mom Business” and have more little league schedules on your calendar than conference calls, juggle PTA and charity work, and (of course) always bake those ten dozen cupcakes for the bake sale from scratch, then momAgenda will help you be the Bree Hodge of your fellow housewives.  Try the momAgenda All-in-One, the multi-tasking Momma’s life preserver!  And at only $48, you don’t even have to hold your breath when you purchase it!  Just jump right in!

If you are all “Business-Mom”, get ready to have your cake AND eat it too…right down to the last crumb!  You’re a woman on a mission!  Being organized is NOT an option!  It is essential to keep your family life and your career balanced and in control.  With momAgenda you will be able to do it all justice…work hard, play hard and breathe easier!!  Working moms will love, love, love the momAgenda Personal Portfolio.  For $116 you will be the most stylish, put-together It-Girl in the office AND on the soccer field!

There are many, many more cute, classy and oh so practical products that you just have to check out at www.momAgenda.com!!!  So get over there and get organized!  And thank you for always penciling in time to read Bellazia’s Favorite Things into your fabulous, busy schedules!!

There is nothing more precious to a Mother than her baby’s first moments.  Whether it’s your first child or fourth, every “first” matters.  When we found the Mother’s Stork Baby Book it was instantly one of our Favorite Things!  There is no better book for journaling about those precious moments we do not want to forget!

This book is SO luxurious!!  Its price of $135 is completely justified considering the incredible QUALITY of this heirloom keepsake!  The paper is archival quality custom-made, and the illustrations just send it over the top!  It comes in it’s own storage box and includes a black gel pen with archival-quality ink as well!  We are absolutely drooling over the luxury of it all! It is sooooo absolutely BEST of the best.  Nothing else even comes close!!

Congratulations to subscriber Shari and commenter #44, Jennifer S., who are the winners of Alexis Martin Neely’s book, Wear Clean Underwear AND the Kids Protection Planning Kit, a $500 value!!!

Congrats also go out to our 5 lucky winners, David B., Danielle C., Leah, Connie M., and Susan F.  who will all receive a copy of Wear Clean Underwear AND get the Kid’s Protection Planning Kit for half off as well!!  Now that’s some fabulous prizes for some fabulous readers!

Thanks for reading and watch for TWO fabulous SWAG ALERTs this week!!!!

With this week’s SWAG ALERT, we are ready to help you accomplish your New Year’s resolution of setting your priorities straight and securing your family’s future!  To one of our readers, we are giving away Alexis Martin Neely’s book, Wear Clean Underwear AND the Kids Protection Planning Kit, a $500 value!!  We are ALSO giving away 5 copies of Wear Clean Underwear AND offering the Kid’s Protection Planning Kit for half off to those 5 lucky readers as well!!

To enter, visit www.wearcleanunderwearbook.com and tell us what you think!   Are you highly prepared (phew), moderately prepared (hmmm), or not prepared at all (yikes!)?  Tell us how this product would help you in whichever category you fit into.  Comment on these questions and what you think about the company/website/product and you’ll be given your chance to win!

This SWAG ALERT will be open for daily entry until Monday, January 12th at midnight PST.  Our same fabulous SWAG ALERT rules apply, including EXTRAS, but if you need a refresher on the details just CLICK HERE or visit our “SWAG INFO” page by clicking the tab at the top of this page.

Thanks on behalf of Alexis and her great team for your feedback, and of course for reading Bellaziza’s Favorite Things!

Every Mom has said it at one time or another, but this mom/lawyer/author took the phrase to a whole new level when she wrote the book appropriately titled Wear Clean Underwear! A Fast, Fun, Friendly – and Essential – Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents.  Alexis Martin Neely is the ultimate multi-tasking mom that has saved the day and eased our minds when it comes to making sure our kids are taken care of in the event of a tragic death in the family.  With the new year beginning, what better time to set things straight in this area of your life… the most important, by the way!

Have you ever wondered what would happen to your kids if something tragic happened to you or your spouse…or both of you?  We like to focus on pretty things here at Bellaziza, but our kids’ safety is always our number one priority, and we know you feel the same way too!  That’s why we wanted to take a moment on the serious side to tell you about this informative book.  But don’t get bummed out!  Once you read this book and make some easy adjustments to your legal documents you will feel great and your family will be protected!

In an easy to read format, Wear Clean Underwear helps you discover in simple to understand terms exactly what would happen to your kids in your current emergency plan, what would happen if you had no plan at all, and what would  happen if you took the time to be prepared.  It’s an absolute must-read in our opinion.

There is much more than just a paper back book though.  You can also purchase a Kids Protection Planning Kit.  This binder is full of informational instruction on setting up your will and other legal documents (which it actually includes!!) and also comes with a Free Family Planning Session with a Family Wealth Planning Institute Personal Family Lawyer ($750 VALUE) among other things!!  You can purchase the kit at www.kidsprotectionplan.com/kit and while you can not put a price tag on keeping your kids safe, at $497 we think it’s a small price to pay for a complete kit that brings this level of peace of mind for yourself and your family!

Here’s a beautiful video that gave us some ‘bigger picture’ inspiration to start the new year off with…Enjoy!

Have you ever been in a bind for a great gift but weren’t exactly sure what to get?  With kids you can just do an age-appropriate toy and call it a day if you need to, but we think that a Custom Made For Kids Book is your best bet.  It’s very unique and appropriate for kids from birth to age 8.  You can purchase a gift certificate for one and then they (or mom and dad) get to have the super fun experience of creating their own!  It will then be printed and sent in the mail which is even more fun – doesn’t everyone just love getting a special package?  It’s also a great answer to a gift for those kids who seem to have everything, without breaking your bank at only $32.95 at www.custommadeforkids.com.  

Books are always a perfect gift.  This book beats all though, truly capturing your child’s memories and personality all in one beautifully illustrated package.  We were also impressed by the creativity of the illustrations, the quality of the paper and it’s durability.  Being that they are made to preserve these memories of childhood, we loved the fact that they were so well-constructed and thoughtfully meant to last throughout the years.

Sarah and Sarah, owners of Custom Made For Kids have created a very unique product, and one that will help capture the memories of childhood for your family.  Until August 31, they are offering 20% off of your own order with code adventures20 too!  Take this opportunity to check out their website and order one for your family.  We really do love ours!