Despite the fact that we live in a digital age, I receive an inordinate amount of catalogs.  And, because I am a voracious reader of the good, old fashioned paper-style books, it is not surprising that some of my catalogs are from purveyors of the written word.

I discovered a favorite when I was a project coordinator of a special collection in a college library. Good old Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller, or as I like to call them,  Eddie H.,  offers all manner of books for sale  (along with great DVDs, especially documentaries).  It’s also the perfect place to find old comic treasuries like Snoopy, or Blondie or The Far Side…or so I am told.

The other day, I was flipping through the catalog and found an amusingly categorized title.

Suppose I ordered this help-yourself  book?  What if things don’t work out as planned?  What do I do if the CIA refutes my claims of culpability in the unlikely event that I get fingered picking a lock I shouldn’t have?

No worries. Edward R. Hamilton has just the thing–

These should really be sold as a set.

Many thanks to the good folks at Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller Company for keeping me amused!  This is NOT a sponsored post.  I’m directing you to their website because I like to share.  The shipping fees are SUPER CHEAP:  for a flat rate of $3.50, you can get a box full of great titles–also discounted, sometimes deeply, so bargain hunters, pay attention!

You should know that no one asked me to write this, nor was I compensated in any way for doing so.

The Verilux Happylight Liberty Energy Lamp is a great price and its size is perfect.  Plus, you can adjust the angle of the unit, it’s easily mounted on the wall, or can be used  on the desk- or countertop.  The original one I had test driven last year,  The Deluxe , offered 10,000 lux.

It was also, quite frankly,  enourmous.  When I went to buy one for myself, I chose the two pack of 2500 lux lamps.  This was for cost and size reasons.  Now with the twin pack, you’re supposed to set them up on either side of you, but instead, I opted to have them at two different locations within my home.

I’ve since learned, this isn’t optimal usage.  It hardly made a bit of difference,in fact, it just took me a while to realize it.  The Liberty Lamp is like  a flat-screen version of the small ones I have, only a little taller.  It’s certainly not the behemoth that the Deluxe one was, though it too offers a whopping 10,000 lux.  Even better, it comes with a choice of lenses–the “Comfort Lens” and the “High Energy Lens”, along with two brightness settings so you can truly customize your usage.

The Liberty is also a great deal.  For just under $100, you’ve got summer sunshine, your way, all winter long and it won’t take up the whole desk.  That’s better (and cheaper) than a trip to Miami for February vacation.  For more information on the benefits of light therapy read my original review at Prime Parents Club.

Disclosure:  This is not in any way a sponsored post (though links are Amazon affiliate links).  I purchased the Verilux Liberty with my own funds, and my opinions are entirely my own.

Not too long ago, I headed down to Long Island, NY for a very special baby shower.  My sister’s daughter is expecting…twins!  These are her first children, but if she’s anything like the rest of us women in the family, all she has to do is trust her gut, check with her mom,  and she will be just fine!  She has tons of family in the area, too, so that will be a huge help.

Smart girl has already decided to have diapers delivered.  A weekly shipment of Pampersmeans no running out in the middle of the night after an evening of unexpected  blow-outs (or in her case, double the blowouts, because don’t twins do everything together?)

Plus it saves money.  Hi!  That’s been my mantra lately!  You know me, the Amazon fan.  But have you heard about their program for parents and caregivers (that’s YOU, grandparents!)…Amazon Mom?

Here’s the long and short of it:  Try it out free for three months.  That’s three months where you can enjoy a 20% discount on dipes and wipes, and they are delivered.  Your brand.  Your size.  Two days.  No worries.

It’s a variation on their Prime Membership, of which I am an enormous fan.

With a Free Trial going on, you can’t afford NOT to at least try it!

 Together, Mothers Are Powerful. 

Last month’s furor over the remarks of political pundits and candidate’s wives launched a flurry of conversation among mothers.

Mothers have a voice of their own to add to the discussion. Authors, activists and others have been writing and identifying the issues raised this political season for decades, and women have been listening, again and again.

It’s time for mothers’ own voices to be heard.

We are a bi-partisan coalition of women’s organizations, experts, and writers who have diligently worked on bringing mother’s issues into the mainstream political discussion.

Some of us are advocates, and some are community organizations. Many of us are authors and experts about mothers’ lives as well.  All of us recognize the value of a mother’s contribution to her family, both the paid and unpaid work that women do.

Our message is simple: all mothers need more support.

This Mother’s Day we want to get the word out about our ideas, our work, and our priorities. We offer the following list to provide resources for real information and places for women to gather for intelligent discourse on the many problems — and solutions — to the issues facing mothers and families.

We offer this list as an alternative to the tired and cliched coverage of mothers in the mainstream media.

Please join your voice with ours this Mother’s Day. Together, Mothers are powerful.

* * * * *

ANN CRITTENDEN

Author, The Price of Motherhood

Co-founder “MOTHER: Mothers Ought to Have Equal Rights”

DEBRA LEVY

Past President, Mothers & More

THIS SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2012 — Mother’s Day in the United States — women everywhere will simultaneously post this letter to their blogs, websites and Facebook pages, to honor the work of Mothers around the world.

YOU ARE INVITED TO ADD YOUR VOICE. To join our Mother’s Day Blog-In Visit The Mothers Speak Out Facebook Page.

So for my birthday the hub brought home a delicious assortment of cupcakes from Concord Teacakes in Concord, MA.

To say these were delectable is to do them an injustice…so a picture is surely worth a thousand words in this case…

A sampling of the cupcake joy