Homemade Mom

Q&A with author of The God Box

Heather — Sat, 05 May 2012 19:20:45 +0000

Remember my post about the book The God Box a little over a month ago? The author Mary Lou Quinlan did a Q&A session that I wanted to share with all of you.

THE GOD BOX: ROLE MOMMY BOOK CLUB Q&A WITH MARY LOU QUINLAN

Mary Lou Quinlan: This is the favorite project I’ve ever worked on and I feel terrible saying this, but if I died tomorrow I would say I was so happy I did this. It’s just a joy telling my mom’s story and best of all, people read it and say, “Oh, Mary is just like my mom. And I think ‘Oh my gosh, you’re talking about MY mom.’ I just love that and that’s my story – I’m here, just all daughter, all daughter all the time.

Question: When I first heard of the book, originally, I didn’t want to read it because I am not a religious person at all and when I saw The God Box, it was not something I would normally pick up but then when I read about your story, I thought this was my life. Other than the God Box part, the whole part about losing your father and your mother, I even have one brother – and the ages are so similar – I found when I was reading it I was able to keep the religion part out of it because the story could have been her hopes and dreams for you really. To me I could look it as putting in those things as putting in those things for you. I want to start doing it myself – not necessarily a God Box but I love the idea of writing something down for my family – I still believe in the power of people – the more people you have on your side – so to me – the book still makes so much sense.

Mary Lou Quinlan: You picked up on two messages, particularly this idea of a legacy to children. My mom died of a stroke that just wiped her out and we didn’t have time to talk. And yet what she left behind – all those notes of love, it was just like getting her. You could tell she was tuned into every little hiccup of our lives. When you see it written down, it’s just such an affirmation of that love. So if you take away that for your children, it is so cool. And the other idea is asking for help. Some are very good at it, some are better than others. I have never been that good at it. And I think that the nature of admitting that we need help is very powerful too.

Question: The most powerful lessons I found in the book was the power of your mom letting things go. Your mom was able to write it down put it in the box and let it go. How did she do that?

Mary Lou Quinlan: We do hold on and think that we can do everything. We just mull and mull and chew and chew and stay up all night, your head is rolling with a million things. And I’m not saying my mom was perfect and she never worried, but certainly some things she asked for again and again. In the case of her illness, it wasn’t like she had this cancer and it was over and out. As she experienced new levels of it she would ask again. It wasn’t about giving up. It wasn’t really a persistence but she did learn to let go. That’s why when we would keep nagging about whatever we were complaining about, she would say you really have to stop thinking you can fix this. She had this belief that it will be handled as it should be. She was amazing. She was a working mom in every way and a great wife to my dad, mother to us and just did her thing, day by day.

Question Did you find it cathartic writing the book or did you find it difficult going back to those parts of your life?

Mary Lou Quinlan: It continues to be cathartic because I guess the play makes it never over. I found that when I’ve written business books before, it’s so easy to be arm’s length from a subject and be all smarty pants but when you’re writing about your mother… it had to be the best I could ever do. That’s why I kept thinking the book had to be good for her.That makes you think deeply about what was the truth and what did I feel. And it’s very cathartic, particularly about my dad because he died more recently. If you have experienced this and I’m not saying things get better with time but it does help, with my Dad’s memory being so fresh when I write about him, I can say that was the harder part. I could still see him. And I also took care of him for six weeks in hospice which was different than my mom’s situation so the death part of it was so palpable to me and writing about it was probably the hardest part. But I knew he wanted me to do it. When I first told him I was going to be doing it, I didn’t know at the time that he was going to die.

Question: How is the show changing when you perform it?

Mary Lou Quinlan: The process of writing and developing a play is very iterative. For instance, I just had four hours of rehearsal. What happens is that is as you’re developing a story, Martha Wollner who is the co-developer and director will say, wait a minute, take yourself back. For instance, when my dad dying. When I went to his house and he was sleeping in his bed and she said, ‘tell me what you’re seeing.’ And so each time I take myself back and I’m seeing how he looks and that his hearing was bad. So the play becomes more specific, it becomes funnier and in some ways sadder. But what I hope is that as the play is developing, it brings me closer to the audience. I feel that it’s becoming more interactive even though the audience isn’t speaking but they are connecting more with it.

Question: Are you setting up these things or is the publisher setting up? What are the logistics of the speaking engagements?

Mary Lou Quinlan: Because I’ve done it before I started with a blank slate and I grew my list – who do I know or what conferences are happening. I remember sketching out a book tour and it had a little bit of this, a little bit of that. The Pittsburgh one connected me to two events. I told another woman and she said, I’m associated with Chatham College Then we called Barnes and Noble and they said let’s do a book signing. So bit by bit, they are building out. And it’s very hand made, that’s what I would say.

The harder part is after the book is completed – we have huge social media activity, an app, a documentary film. Thanks to my father and the small but meaningful money he left me, I decided to spend it on honoring them and that’s what I’m doing.and the proceeds will go to cancer organizations since that is the disease that took their lives.

Question: Tell us about The God Box App you’re developing.

Mary Lou Quinlan: We hope the app will be ready in May and it will be free for the iPhone. It’s very simple and you can choose your little note paper – just like my mom had different papers. It says Dear — you fill in the blank and you have your message, sign it and then there’s animation as it goes in the box. My mom always told people that you were in my God Box and now everyone can do it.

I keep running alongside this ice cream truck of possibilities. I can’t believe it’s next week. I better go buy some Spanx or something! It’s all happening like it or not. The clock has ticked.

Question: How is your family involved in the launch of the book?

Mary Lou Quinlan: I have a ton of family and nieces and nephews and my brother. For me and my brother it’s a wonderful experience to share this together. My nephews are putting alerts out to their network. I feel like I have a big family hug around this book.

Question: Did you share the same compassion for faith:

Mary Lou Quinlan: First of all, I was aware of my mother’s faith from the get go and I knew how deeply she believed. It wasn’t like I went from zero to 100 when I saw the God Box. It was the casual, open way she talked with God – that was an eye opener. The compassionate part – my mother was overwhelming to me in her heartfelt beliefs. I was relying on her to do the heavy lifting instead of me working through my own faith and beliefs. I find I am offering prayers more often. I have a long way to go to catch up to her.

Question: What was the inspiration behind the book?

Mary Lou Quinlan: If it hadn’t been for The God Box, I don’t think there would have been a book. I would start to tell the story in an anecdotal way, the more I realized there was something there even if it’s in a storytelling form. When I first wrote about it in Real Simple, I was amazed at how many people connected with the story and I knew from that experience that I wanted to turn it into a book.

Question: How are you utilizing social media to spread the word about The God Box?

Mary Lou Quinlan: Before this book, I had never tweeted a thing. I nagged about it and said I’m better in person. At first, I whined about having to use Twitter. Now I’ve got my hootsuite and I’m sitting in front of the TV – it’s not that I didn’t know social media. It’s just such a surprise that I like it and I now know how meaningful it can be.

I guess if you think about it, my mom was tweeting God – she really wrote these short messages straight from the heart. She would scribble around the corners, around the back – she would have multiple messages on piece of paper. When she wrote about my brother she used the same piece of paper and the same color ink and if something else went wrong, she’d scribble another note with same pen on that sheet of paper.

It was amazing – she was a secretary back in the 50′s like the Mad Men. She took shorthand so I would sometimes need to find someone to decipher them.

Question: Did your mom want to be a writer?

Mary Lou Quinlan: She was a writer in her own way. And she wrote and self published her own story. At the time she was in her 70s and she was the only woman in the retirement camp (which I called it) who used a computer. The computer room was all men and her. And we got her a Mac in the early 90′s and she did the whole book herself, she laid it out. And she was a very good writer, a clear honest kind of writer, not contrived at all. And when I look at all the things she wrote beautiful notes, the cards and letters that she wrote to my dad, the very beautiful book that she did, she was a writer.

Question: Where is the play running?

Mary Lou Quinlan: It doesn’t run in the traditional sense. I’ll be doing it on the road in five different venues. I’ve set up different events – the proceeds of the book are going largely to cancer causes. It’s really interweaving what works for the various audiences I’m performing it at a synagogue, at a hospice. For the next three weeks I’m at a different place every day.

I’m doing a half hour version as part of the book tour vs. the theater crowd. What I’ve identified are the most important themes. The thing that I have heard when I talk about my mom, people say “but I hate my mom, I can’t believe you never had a fight,” I’m not going to make up a conflict. The conflict is more in me grappling with my ongoing relationship with letting go and having the courage to admit that something is wrong.

Cutler and his Happy Napper Dragon.

Heather — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:37:56 +0000

Have you seen these cute little transforming stuffed animals? Happy Nappers?

Right now they are 25% off! Just $14.99 + shipping and handling. Cutler got to try out the Dragon Happy Napper and he LOVES it! Just watch and see:

This would make a great gift for a birthday for any child boy and girl alike! Order today while they are still on sale! Click here for a special deal that will allow you to enter the Promo Code: SPECIAL4U to get FREE shipping!!!

If you make a purchase you should know that a portion of all Happy Nappers’ proceeds will be given to the Home Sweet Home Fund benefiting the Children’s Brain Tumor Foundation.

* Disclosure: I received this item for review from Jay at Play. All opinions are my own.

Savvy-Cents Wallet coupon code for $5.00 off!

Heather — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:01:27 +0000

Are you currently working on a budget? Need a way to organize your money? Have you seen the Savvy-Cents wallet? I was able to review one back in May 2011 and I’m proud to say that I’m still using it today!

If you are interested in getting one for yourself or for your Mom for Mother’s Day save $5.00 by using the coupon code mothersday at checkout!

Seriously, the best wallet I’ve ever owned.

SlimKicker Calorie Counter app review

Heather — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 04:16:49 +0000

I got the opportunity to try out a new fitness app that’s been in the works for quite some time called SlimKicker. There is a great review on LifeHacker that you can read by clicking here if you’d like. So what is SlimKicker? It’s a program & app that keeps track of your diet & exercise so you can be accountable and lose some weight.

Currently I’m using it on my iPhone, but you can use it on the computer too. It’s not available for Android yet but SlimKicker admin says it’s in the works.

I’m HomemadeMom on SlimKicker if anyone wants to join me in my fitness challenge!

The nitty gritty:

This app provides challenges that you join. Like no snacks after dinner, 10 wall squats a day, move during commercials, a salad a day, and then some! Each challenge is for 7 days. After completing that challenge you get points that will help to move you to the next level, or “level up”!

If you’ve been using My Fitness Pal this is very similar. You can chat with friends, login from a pc as well as an iPhone, track your meals & workouts, but no challenges in My Fitness Pal. The challenges really help keep you motivated!

The only negative I’ve seen is that if you do this only on your iPhone you cannot change the avatar picture to one of yourself. This can only be done on a computer.

Here are some helpful screen shots from the app:

This part is one of my favorites! I like how easy it is to visually see where I’m lacking, but not just that. It quickly shows you when you go over too! This was extremely helpful when I learned that I exceeded my sugars by lunch time! Yikes!

You can download it for FREE from iTunes for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. So download it NOW, friend me and force me to walk away from the computer and work out! That’s what I need to be doing!

Sumo Wrestling the easy way.

Heather — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 03:18:57 +0000

I saw this idea on a blog the other day and thought it was genius! I wish I could remember which one so I could link to it because her pictures were so much better than mine. But here goes. Have your kids put on a Large T-Shirt and then stuff 2 queen size pillows into the front and back of the shirt.

Let the sumo wrestling begin! Camden was feeling all tough.
Cohen absolutely loved it! I was worried they would bonk heads, but they didn’t.

Cohen couldn’t stop laughing. It was so cute!

The giggling was insane! I would have sworn I had a house full of kids instead of just 3.

For whatever reason Cutler wanted to like it, but he just didn’t.

His brothers bumped him a few times and the major meltdown ensued.

Poor baby. He was just too small I think.

Very happy tough guys. I don’t think they could get over the fact that I was letting them wrestle in the house!

Want to see how much fun they had? Watch the video:

LifeTopix App Review

Heather — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:55:49 +0000

LifeTopix

The most complete personal organization app. Period.

Too many overly simple, one-trick-pony apps just do lists, to-dos, tasks, notes or shopping, leaving you to constantly hop between them with totally disconnected data and no reuse. Now you can capture, track, connect, know and act upon all the information in your life — EVERYTHING — and get things done your own way, from one place. LifeTopix™ is a complete life organization app designed from the ground up to redefine productivity very differently from the same old daily planners, personal organizers, to-do lists and calendars, with natural connections and reuse across topics and data.

End “App-Hopping” with LifeTopix^™

Whether you want to do something basic like set reminders for trash and recycle, or something as involved as plan a wedding, LifeTopix™ saves you time and enables you to achieve better results with less effort. Take control of your life information, easily access your online documents, bookmarks, and services, get things done faster and better, and have more information at your fingertips.

Buy once and use this universal app on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Works fully on device, no new online logins required. Works with Evernote, Dropbox, MobileMe, Online Docs, Facebook, Twitter, Email, SMS, and more. Get organized, be productive, and stay on task!

I like that the tasks can be integrated into my calendar. I have to-do’s that I need done someday, you know, my honey-do list. Then I have things that need to be done by next week. So this feature is great in my book.

Shopping isn’t just your basic shopping list. You can have multiple lists. You may wonder why. What if you have a shopping list for Wal-mart that includes deodorant, shampoo and cleaning items, and you have another shopping list for the Farmer’s Market. It would be nice to keep those lists separate but in one place. I LOVE that this also lets you record gifts given and received! That’s handy!

Events, well, I don’t have much going on here, but I know many of you do. This would be a great asset if you are self employed, like Pampered Chef, 31 bags, Scentsy, etc. You can keep track of your parties planned and who’s attending! Genius!!!

How cool is this trip calendar? I don’t go anywhere but I may start actually typing in places I want to vacation to and just not put a date on it. Do you see the bookmarks? You can link to websites here. Woo hoo!!! This way when I see an amazing place I’d like to visit someday I can add it here and when we actually have the money to go there I can just refer to my list.

This section I’m sure I haven’t properly utilized yet. I’m thinking it would be great for grouping people that offer services. Like, grouping people in the automotive field so I’d have my muffler guy there along with the body shop, glass repair shop, engine repair, etc.

Home & Assets is a work in progress for me. My mom had a friend a few years back that lost everything they had in a house fire. We helped them for a week or so transferring handwritten lists to a typed list of ALL their belongings. This is so important for all of us to do for insurance purposes to get reimbursed for all of our belongings. So if you haven’t done it yet, DO IT!

Education is for all of us, not just students. If you have areas you want to focus on, like personal growth, learning a language, wood working, then put it here. It’s all in one place. Never stop learning!

The other topix:

Health & Activity – activity log, nutrition log, health stats log (weight, height, cholesterol), medication log, wellness log, healthcare providers, health services.

Finances – Your balances, expense tracker, payments calendar (I NEED THIS), financial assets, charitable donations, banks, accounts.

Notes & Files – folders, files, checklists, online notes. This is a quick way to access your notes in every topic. If you have notes in the travel section and events section you can view them all here.

Media – audio, photos, videos, media services, media bookmarks, home theater assets and media projects.

Bookmarks – access all your bookmarks in various topix in one place.

As you can see you can easily organize your entire life in one app! What do you think you’d pay for an app like this? My guess would be $9.99 but it’s only $0.99!!! For real, that’s crazy cheap for all it has to offer. It’s not available on droid yet, just iPhone and iPad. You will LOVE it! Buy LifeTopix it on iTunes here.

What’s your favorite app?

Smitty – movie review

Heather — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:54:41 +0000

On March 1st the kids and I got a dog. Since then we have been obsessing over heartfelt puppy movies. This movie, Smitty, was incredible!

SMITTY is a family film about a rescue dog. When life gets tough for Ben, a friendly paw is all it takes to pull him through. Mischievous thirteen-year-old Ben is sent to his grandfather’s farm for the summer, where he crosses paths with a lovable mutt. With help from the unlikely canine companion, Ben learns the importance of friendship, family and responsibility.

Just look at this list of amazing actors: Peter Fonda, Mira Sorvino, Louis Gossett Jr., Brandon Tyler Russell, Jason London and Booboo Stewart.

You can like Smitty on Facebook or talk with them about the movie on twitter. It’s for sale for $29.95 right now. It’s seriously a great family movie that I would recommend to anyone that owns a dog.

What’s your favorite dog-centered family movie? What do we need to watch next?

Zooper hook-on chair review

Heather — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 22:28:21 +0000

Have you ever seen these space saving high chairs? Zooper makes this amazing hook-on chair. Isn’t it awesome!

My niece Kinsley loves it! My sister likes that it takes up less space than the big ole traditional high chairs.

Amazon has them for $49.00 and free shipping! They also come in 4 different colors so there is a color for every one! I imagine this won’t work for every type of table. I’m sure some tables have a skirt that makes it difficult to attach the chair to.

I think it seems very sturdy, she has had no complaints about it. I would have loved to use it for myself but my dining table isn’t very heavy or sturdy. I was worried that it would tip over. Her dining set is perfect for this type of chair. Strong, solid oak.

Do you have one of these space-saving chairs? What do you think of it?

Interested in trying Rogaine for FREE?

Heather — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:38:43 +0000

EXPO has teamed up with the ROGAINE® Brand to give our members the chance to receive a 4-Month Supply of one of the latest ROGAINE® products for men and women. We are excited to give these members who are looking for a hair-loss solution the chance to try this ROGAINE® treatment. They will even be receiving the newest packaging before anyone else even sees it! →http://bit.ly/RogaineTryologyProgram

To apply for this program all you have to do is sign up to be an EXPO member and take the short screener. Qualifying members will receive an invitation to try and review the product. It’s that easy! You can find more information about this program and others just like it, check out http://bit.ly/RogaineTryologyProgram. The application will be closing soon on April 23rd.

“The God Box” – the next book you HAVE to read! I promise it will change your life!

Heather — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 23:00:45 +0000

Just got this book a few days ago and I finished it in record time!

You have to run out and buy it!!!

So what’s this all about?

Watch the trailer:

The book is written by Mary Lou Quinlan. You can check out the project at TheGodBoxProject.com it’s worth your time. It’s a fast read too. I probably read the whole book in a little over an hour, but the inspiration will last well beyond that.After I read it and shared my pic on Instagram and Twitter she tweeted back! How amazing to be able to reach the author and chat with her in real time! Here’s our conversation: Want to chat with Mary Lou Quinlan on twitter too? You can. Just click on the picture to be taken to her on twitter:Want to chat with her specifically regarding The God Project? Click on the pic to be taken to that twitter page:Best book I’ve read in a long time! You have to get it! To chat with others out there with similar stores use the hashtag #godboxprojectYou can also talk with people on Facebook on the God Box Project page.