But what about the man in that woman's life? How does he deal with his own fears and frustrations? And how can he best help his wife? Sister? Mom?

John W. Anderson had four women in his life go through breast cancer: his wife, mom, sister and his mom's best friend. He chose to use what he learned through this difficult journey to help other men who are going through the same thing.

Written exclusively for men, Stand By Her (2009, Amacom Books) talks about what guys can expect, both before and after the woman's treatment. Anderson doesn't avoid tough topics such as family relationships, sexual issues, financial issues.

I'm so glad to share this book with you. I hope the man in your life never needs it. But I'm glad to know that Anderson has shared his hard-won knowledge to help others. When it comes to fighting cancer, no one should feel alone.

In December, world leaders will meet in Copenhagen to hash out a climate treaty that will shape our planet for generations to come. The time is now to speak up about your family's concern about climate change.

Tomorrow is International Day of Climate Action. Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Change Kids' Site for kid-friendly info, games and links.

And to help spread the word, Mother Jones magazine has created a fun way to put your child, your pet, even your entire family on the cover of the magazine in support of this effort. Check it out here.

After you create your cover (it's easy!), you can save it as a jpg, email it to members of Congress or to President Obama with a personal message, send it to friends and share it on Twitter and Facebook.

P.S. This photo of my son, Matt, was taken in Yosemite National Park.

She and her family will enjoy a special day with my family and me — along with other parenting bloggers and their guests — at Disneyland in November. They'll love all the color, excitement and fun of Disneyland during the holidays!

Thanks to all who entered. Your Disney memories are amazing! If you haven't already read these in the comments, check 'em out. They're funny and often very touching. 

And stop by here frequently for more contests and giveaways as the holidays approach. We have more great stuff coming up!

I've loved reading all your wonderful comments about your Disney memories. Some are sweet, and some are a hoot!

Be sure to leave a comment about your favorite Disney memory on this post so you will be entered in the drawing. See all the rules here.

The winner will be announced here on Friday!

I was jazzed to answer his excellent questions. But halfway through the process of thinking about my answers, it occurred to me that I've apparently hopped over some sort of invisible fence.

It doesn't seem that long ago that I was in journalism school at Arizona State University. Asking people for interviews. Trying to impress my editing professor, Bruce Itule, whose voice I still hear in my head. (Itule has since defected to the University of Arizona, but I'm trying not to hold it against him.)

OK, so I'm old enough to be Tyler's mom. We won't go there. But it feels good to be able to give something back, even something small like this, to the next generation of journalists. To encourage them to make the most of this exciting digital world (I wrote my college assignments on a TYPEWRITER) while still holding onto the values inherent in good, solid journalism.

Go knock 'em dead, Tyler.

Talk about getting a jump start on your holiday shopping! Check it out.

 P.S. GoodyBlog is associated with Parents Magazine. Check out the three-years-for-the-price-of-one subscription deal they have going right now. Only 12 bucks! 

She has created a fun blog carnival, "Talkin' About Thursdays," where bloggers concentrate on a particular topic and we all chime in. This week, the topic is "laundry," and that prompted me to share one of my favorite posts from the past, "Cell Phone in the Washing Machine!"

*  *  *

Talk about timing...

So I'm sitting here working on a magazine article on kids and cell phones, and I decide to take a break from the home office and switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer. (OK, and maybe grab some Triscuits and cheese... If there are downsides to working from a home office, like the constant reminder of dirty laundry, there ought to be upsides. Like snacks. Right?)

Perfect time to discover that my 12-year-old son left his cell phone in his pants pocket and it went through the wash cycle. &*^())#$#^!

I knew I wasn’t alone with this problem when I Googled “cell phone in washing machine” and up popped 332,000 results. That seemed a bit overwhelming, so I decided to go straight to our cell-phone service provider, who suggested removing the battery and letting the phone dry out for a few days. Sometimes that does the trick, they said — but often it doesn’t.

Unfortunately phones that are damaged by liquid aren’t covered by most manufacturers’ warranties. So this may be an expensive lesson for one young man regarding always emptying his pockets at night. (But his dad’s wallet went through the laundry — again — two weeks ago, so this may be a genetic problem we’re dealing with here!)

Hey, anything for a good article-sidebar idea, right?

Caramel apple, cotton candy... it doesn't matter. Just take it from this mom of a middle schooler: a few years from now you'll treasure the picture of your little guy or gal with a big sticky grin (if that grin isn't obscured by the next bite of cotton candy, that is)!

That's right! A family of four. For free. You'll get the VIP treatment while previewing Disneyland's holiday happenings. What a great way to get in the holiday spirit!

If you've never been to Disneyland at the holidays, you're in for an amazing experience. Sleeping Beauty's castle and It's a Small World will be decked out with unbelievable lights. The smell of gingerbread on Main Street will entice you to stop by the bakery for a bite. And don't forget the Haunted Mansion, all set for the holidays in true Jack Skellington fashion...

And did I mention carolers? A parade? Santa? It will be an unforgettable day for you and your guests.

Want to enter? Here's all you need to do:

1)    Subscribe to Parent Talk Today.

2)     In "Comments," tell us your favorite Disney-related memory. It doesn't have to be specifically about Disneyland. One of my favorite Disney memories is seeing my son Matt, at age 3, watching "Toy Story" and then (wearing his "Woody" jammies, which he got for Christmas) riding his stick horse around the house.

This giveaway will remain open through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The winner will be drawn at random and will be announced here on Friday, Oct. 23.

Hey, I'm a mom. I have my rules! The winner will receive parking and admission to the park that day (for 4 people) along with participation in our activities and one meal as part of the Holiday Celebration reception on Saturday. While you don't have to live in Southern California to enter, you must provide your own transportation and lodging if you are coming from out of the area. The winner and guests must attend the event and must be willing to remain with the VIP group for the entire event. You must be willing to be photographed by Disneyland Press Relations and by Parent Talk Today. This giveaway is non-transferable.

I can't wait to hear your Disney memories!

P.S. Want more shots at winning? Some of my favorite parenting bloggers are running their own contests:

Domestic Chicky

Alive in Wonderland

Babes in Disneyland

Metropolitan Mama

The Glamorous Life Association (The contest is closed here, but you can help choose the winner!)

Rules vary on each blog, so be sure to read the entire post on each one before entering. Good luck!

I'm so excited to share this terrific guest post from Irene S. Levine, Ph.D., author of the just-released Best Friends Forever — Surviving a Breakup With Your Best Friend. Dr. Levine appeared recently on the Today Show to talk about women's friendships.

On The Friendship Blog, she explores the nature, meaning and depth of female friendships. In reading this Q&A guest post, I felt a bit like I was back in junior high. Does any of this sound familiar?

QUESTION

Hi Irene,

It's been two months since I attended a Mom's group and had a falling out with two of the mothers. They have pretty much soured my relationship with most of the other mothers in the group.

Three months ago, I canceled a play date at my house because a predicted snowstorm was announced on the news. One of the mothers, Sandy, tried to make me look bad by sending out an e-mail to the whole group saying that she was shocked that I was canceling. I was mad so I sent another e-mail to everyone explaining that the mayor had asked people not to drive and that all local schools were closed.

Sandy de-friended me on Facebook, I assumed, because I had cancelled the play date. Another mother, Beth (who is good friends with Sandy), told me that she thought that Sandy was overly upset, but that I shouldn't have sent my e-mail afterward. I was really good friends with Beth whom I trusted. I shared my thoughts and feelings with her when I was unsure of someone in our group and she did the same with me.

Anyhow, she went behind my back and started talking to Sandy about me. I later talked to Sandy, who told be that Beth went back to her telling her all this stuff I had said about her. Beth said I was exhausting her with my worries about who was mad at me and she made me feel terrible. She later told me that she didn't want to hang out with me any more so I de-friended her on Facebook.

I apologized to Sandy and said I wasn't serious about most of the stuff I had said about her (that she thought I was a bad mother; that she was overly opinionated for believing that babies should be trained a certain way, etc.). I explained that I was upset when I said those things to Beth and that I needed a break to forget about it.

After that, things seemed good. I ran into Sandy at our babies' swim lessons and she was friendly and sweet but since the swim class ended, I haven't heard from anyone in the group. Only two of the eight Moms seem like they still talk to me. Since then, Beth has become friends with the moms who used to annoy her.

I know that my baby and I are better off without most of these people, but I'm still bothered that most of these moms took Beth's side. It bugs me that things ended so badly with them. I had fun times with this group and I had hoped to watch our babies play together into toddlerhood. I have joined other groups, and this has helped me feel better. I still wonder how I should act if I run into these former friends around town. One of my friends, who wasn't in the group, thinks I should give Beth a dirty look if I ever see her again.

I haven't been through something like this since junior high. A lot of these moms are not true friends. It still hurts to be the one that everyone excluded.

Signed,
Leticia

ANSWER

Dear Leticia:

It's a horrible feeling to be excluded from a group and I'm sure you are reeling from the experience. You chose to respond defensively to Sandy in a very public way. While Sandy shouldn't have sent the initial email to all the other moms criticizing your decision, you only escalated the conflict by responding with an email that went to all the moms. It might have worked out better if you had called her directly and explained your position. My guess is that someone else would have come to your defense online.

Then you made the mistake of gossiping about Sandy to Beth, whom you knew were both good friends. When Beth got upset about this, you de-friended her on Facebook. Although it's someone else's suggestion, now you are considering giving her a dirty look.

This is a mom's group that came together because you all had kids of similar ages. You probably should have eased yourself into the group and studied the people and their relationships with each other before you treated them as close friends with whom you would share confidences.

You made the mistake of lashing out at Sandy by email and de-friending Beth on Facebook, actions I suspect you would have been hesitant to do face-to-face. Although this commonly happens on the Internet, it's something you should be careful about in the future.

It does seem like at least some of these moms act like adolescents but you also bear some of the blame. Try to learn from this experience. Next time, take it more slowly when you join a new group. Another suggestion: Always take the high road and treat people the way you would like to be treated---especially if you are going to see them again! As easy and tempting as it may be, don't respond to a nasty email with another. Don't de-friend someone on Facebook when you are likely to encounter her again in your town.

I'm glad that you have found a new group where you can start anew. Since your child is so young, it should be easy for her to adjust to the new kids. Act friendly and open when you bump into these other women. Since they live in your town, you may find yourself on the same committee of the PTA or sharing the duties of class mothers. By then, this upset will be long forgotten by everyone.

Best of luck,
Irene

Have you seen the amazing Halloween fireworks at Disneyland? Our family got to see then when we were invited there for a parenting-bloggers tour, and I have to say, we were blown away by the display, the music, and the special added touches that made our orange-and-black-striped socks go up and down. Check out the video.

According to researchers who just completed a small study, playing Tetris can actually rewire your brain to make it more efficient. (What parent’s — or kid’s — brain couldn’t use a bit more of that?)

The non-profit Mind Research Network for Neurodiagnostic Discovery in Albuquerque, New Mexico performed the research. (NOTE: The study was funded by Blue Planet Software, the owner of Tetris.)

Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study brain activity in girls who played Tetris regularly for three months. They compared that data with the brain activity of 26 girls who did not play the game. The girls who played Tetris showed greater brain efficiency. The brain used less energy when it worked on familiar processing patterns.

Other studies have looked at how brain games can help older people as well, leading to Nintendo launching their “Brain Age” game for the Nintendo DS a few years ago. More research needs to be done in this field, but the results so far are certainly encouraging. Tetris, anyone?

While some of the other mom bloggers will be sharing their thoughts on younger kids and Disneyland, I'm coming from the perspective of teens and tweens. And my teen and his buddy definitely weren't disappointed in Disney's ghostly changes.

I have to admit, when I told Matt that his favorite ride, Space Mountain, was temporarily being transformed into "Ghost Galaxy," his first reaction was to say (insert jaded teen mumble here) "So, are they going to have some glow-in-the-dark pumpkins floating in space, or what?"

Let's just say Matt's socks were sufficiently knocked off (check out this photo of the view you have from the ride!) that he and his friend, Nick, went on Ghost Galaxy FIVE times over the course of the day. (OK, the day and NIGHT. Did I mention that we Senas arrived at 8 a.m. and didn't leave until midnight? The Sena men are lunatics committed when it comes to all things Disney. Me? I love it all, too. But we're talking 16 HOURS on your feet here!)

My dogs started barking after the first, oh, 12 hours, and I did request Diet Cokes now and then (plus a lunch break with Billy Hill and The Hillbillies at the Golden Horseshoe Saloon), but I made it 'till midnight! Must have been that smooch with the hubs on the Jungle Cruise (or was it the smooch on Pirates of the Caribbean?), while Matt and Nick were hitting Ghost Galaxy for the fifth time, that kept me going. That and the wonderful BBQ dinner we had at Big Thunder Ranch Round-Up.

Speaking of dinner... We had never eaten at the Big Thunder Ranch Round-Up, and now I see we've been missing out all these years. Matt keeps talking about the "bucket of meat" that was delivered to our table. (You know me. I had to take a picture. But see what I mean? Bucket. Of. Meat.)

The dinner included "all-you-care-to-enjoy" (nicely worded) ribs, chicken, sausage, cornbread, coleslaw, and baked beans, served family style. There's live entertainment on stage, and little ones are invited to get up on stage and participate. 

Halloween Time at Disneyland lasts until Nov. 1. I think Matt would suggest checking out Ghost Galaxy, oh, half a dozen times.

After that? Pardner, you'd better just order up a bucket of meat.

P.S. While Matt, at 13, LOVED Ghost Galaxy, young kids may be pretty freaked out by it. I know Matt would have been when he was younger. Disneyland has signs posted both inside and outside to warn parents that this ain't your usual Space Mountain. And blogger Suzanne Broughton over at Alive in Wonderland says "though it is a cool ride, it is VERY scary (particularly the soundtrack) and if you have a sensitive kid, have someone take them on Buzz Lightyear while you get the bejeepers (it's a word) scared out of you on Ghost Galaxy."

Some amusement parks are just too darned scary for little ones at Halloween, and I love that Disney keeps the fun G-rated and great for families.

Highlights will include:

• 25 "Treat Stops" located throughout Disney’s California Adventure

• All California Adventure rides and attractions

• A Hollywood Bat-Lot Bash in Hollywood Pictures Backlot

• A nightly “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat on the Street” cavalcade

• Character-photo locations featuring Disney villains, princesses and other favorites

• Pirate’s Wharf, a transformation of the Pacific Wharf area into an entertainment, photo location, craft area and games area

This separate-ticket nighttime event gives children and their families a chance to dress as their favorite princesses, goblins or heroes and trick-or-treat throughout the park. Tickets purchased in advance are $32 most days, while tickets purchased on the event day are $39. For Oct. 30 and 31, tickets are $42.

Click here for more information. The info will be updated frequently as Halloween approaches, so keep checking back. (The website itself is lots of fun, too!)

With everyone's concern about H1N1 flu in mind, hand sanitizer is even more popular these days. Personally? I wish we could all just wash our hands more often. But realistically, that's not always going to happen at school. So I'm glad these little bottles of gel kill germs so effectively.

Only one problem. They dry out your skin something fierce.

So I was jazzed to try a sample of Infectigard Hand Sanitizer. This stuff kills the germs, but it also contains a moisturizer that left my hands soft, but not sticky at all. After it dried, I noticed a faint scent that smelled a bit like baby powder. Nice.

So I thought I'd share the news with you. I'm going to share the bottle of Infectiguard with my son's science class. Along with a few boxes of Kleenex, of course.

As mothers of varying ages and backgrounds, they express their thoughts and experiences with parenting, often clashing on their individual approach to rearing kids in an ever-changing world. Take spanking, for instance...

“A healthy fear, I feel, turns into a healthy respect later on.” — Sherri Shepherd

“I believe that there are some times when a swat is what you’ve got to do and it’s okay that other people don’t feel like that.” — Whoopi Goldberg

“Let me just say I believe you should never spank a child. I don’t think even a little. We’re putting out a message to the world and to women, who are at their tethered edge and who might lose control and say it’s okay to spank and then they go over the edge.” — Joy Behar 

Of course, a little controversy on The View is what it's all about. But what about when you go out with your mom friends? Does the subject of spanking come up? Or is it a topic you and your friends avoid?

Photo credit: Copyright Bob D'Amico/ABC (American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.)