Sorry Babe, I've Got A 30 Day Headache.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder but does that also apply to one's sex drive as well? Even a No Libido Jo like me knows the answer to that is more often than not a great big "HELL YES"! What if you took away the boring mechanical sex for 30 days and learned to fill that void with something even better? Something that might change intimacy between you and your partner forever. Would that make you just a big horndog or a better lover because of it?

When I volunteered to review Dr. Ian Kerner's new book, Sex Detox: Recharge Desire. Revitalize Intimacy. Rejuvenate Your Love Life. for Parent Bloggers Network, my hope was that it would help give the hubby and I a little push towards adding more "us" time to our lives. While we definitely love each other, sex and romance are two things that are not in abundance once you take into consideration my constant illnesses, his work schedule, three kids, homeschooling, his classload for his degree, and life in general. I mean, when do we have time for things like conversation much less sex??!! So the thought of a book dedicated to reigniting sparks and renewing interest in each other made me curious and gave me a little bit of hope. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be for us... for now.

While reading Sex Detox I ended up coming down with a sinus infection, bronchitis, and going into adrenal crisis which meant that the only cozy night together the hubby and I got to spend was in the emergency room of our local hospital. *sigh* So I won't be able to give you a review on how well the book may or may not work but I will tell you what interested me about Dr. Kerner's "detox" plan and I do still look forward to putting it to good use in the future.

Sex Detox is based on a 30-day plan outlined by the author to help partners start noticing each other again as something other than just parents. Yes, that means getting you to remember that the person beside you is also an attractive, sexy, and sexual person that has nothing to do with raising babies, spit up, or PTA meetings.

I know, you're probably thinking that sex was something we thought about BEFORE kids and now it's just something you remember having like your pre-baby stomach without stretchmarks... once loved but long gone. This book isn't just about sex though, it's also about digging deeper into yourself and issues surrounding your relationship as well. It's about making it something even more that you crave for a whole new reason.

Sex Detox: Recharge Desire, Revitalize Intimacy, Rejuvenate Your Love Life explores the dynamics of whether or not you are in a positive healthy relationship, how you may feel about your own body and any insecurities you may have lying below the surface about it, gets you thinking about what you put into your body, trusting your partner, and so much more. It seems to me that Dr. Kerner's hope is to not only kickstart a doormant sex life but also get rid of some of the issues that may have led to it in the first place.

Sex Detox is made up of six sections, each with a different focus like; Starting Up, Your Dating Health and Outlook, Influence and Influencers, How You Date, What Do You Want In A Partner? and Ready, Steady, Go! By having each section address a different aspect of our lives, the book also then in turn addresses the factors that can affect how we handle relationships and sex in general. I thought it was cute that Dr. Kerner even has a "diet plan" featuring "menu suggestions" for you each day that include things like quizzes and instructions to get you enjoying yourself again.

To do a sex detox you must first take sex out of the picture for 30 days while you do the things I talked about above. The idea is that by doing this, you will actually start thinking about sex again and then actually even WANTING to HAVE sex again! Can you imagine?! I don't know about you but just thinking the word "sex" tires me out most of the time so to actually get to physically wanting it again... Dr. Kerner has my attention!

As I said, I didn't have a chance to find out if the book actually helps which was kind of a bummer but I still learned alot from it. As to whether or not it will help the hubby and I, well I might have to save the book until there is a time when the thought of no sex for 30 days actually sounds HARD for us to accomplish! At the rate things are going now, we're so damn tired that even a 6 MONTH detox isn't enough to send either of us into a frenzied haze of hormones and worrisome nailbiting!

Now that I think about it, maybe before we try a sex detox we should look into a sex influx right?! *smile*

Parent Bloggers Network: The Ultimate Tea Diet

Like most people, I've known about the benefits of drinking Green Tea and tea in general for several years. There have been studies conducted on its effects in a large number of countries plus, Asian countries have been drinking it for thousands of years so that tells me it's worth at least looking into.

Its no secret that I've been trying to become healthier despite my health problems so when Parent Bloggers Network asked for volunteers to review The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra, I jumped at the chance. I like tea and it's not a crash diet so it's something I could at least give a try and hope to succeed at.

When I began reading The Ultimate Tea Diet I was honestly surprised since I expected it to jump right into how this "diet" works and what all you can and can't have to do on it. Instead this book is filled with possibly everything you could ever want to know about tea. There is info like an in depth history of tea, all the various kinds and flavors that are available, sections that tell you what the benefits of tea are, and even 70 pages dedicated to nothing but recipes! Until you read this book you seriously have no idea how many different ways you can use tea in your food. It is just unreal!

As I said, this is no crash diet. Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra doesn't tell you to drink only tea and immediately lose tons of weight. What he does do is try to help you understand how your body processes certain things and how the chemical compounds in tea can help your body fight their affects. Mr. Ukra knows that along with drinking tea you need to also think positively, exercise, and also eat a healthy well balanced diet. He doesn't offer an overnight miracle cure nor does he send you running to the store to buy the latest fad pill. The advice in this book is some that anyone can understand and follow. Ukra doesn't stop at listing the benefits of tea for weight loss though. He also lists several other health problems that tea can be useful for. That means you can continue to use this book even after you've lost the weight!

One of my favorite things about this book is that Mark Ukra's "tone" reminds me more of talking to a knowledgeable friend than talking to an expert in the field of tea. Any diet book I've ever picked up has read like a medical journal that comes across completely pompous. Dr. Tea on the other hand had me wishing I lived closer so I could come sit in this tea shop and talk to him. Knowing he has had realistic problems in his life too made him easier to warm up to and feel like he really was trying to help you. I like that.

If tea is something you've never really thought much about don't worry, Ukra's book makes it easy for anyone to find a tea they can enjoy. Included in the book is a quiz to help you find the type of tea that suits you best, ideas on how to incorporate tea into your daily life, and even ways to curb cravings for things like chocolate and sweets. The recipes in the back of the book are easy to make and I couldn't even finish reading the book before I had to try a few!

My favorite recipes from the book were the ones for the FrosTEAs and the rubs. You can feel like you're being bad and cheating on your diet while in fact you are helping it right along! Even better, my three children actually begged me to make the FrosTEAs throughout the day and my husband complimented a baked chicken that I used the rub on. AWESOME!

This diet is straightforward, simple, and will actually give you results you can see without worrying about "falling off the diet wagon". There is no set amount of tea you have to drink each day (just drink as much as you can) but the more you drink the better you will feel. It's a win win situation don't you think? The Ultimate Tea Diet is worth reading whether you're trying to lose weight or just want to feel healthier all the way around.

So, has Jo actually lost any weight on this tea diet? Why yes I have. I've lost two pounds in the last week and that is with only adding a few cups of tea in place of a three of my usual glasses of Wild Cherry Pepsi, drinking a few FrosTEAs, and trying a tea rub or two. Considering that doctors told me my chances of losing weight were slim to none because of not having a thyroid or adrenal glands....I'm one excited gal!! Can you imagine what I can do once I've cut down or even cut out soda altogether?

If anyone decides to try The Ultimate Tea Diet please let me know. We can have fun with this together and hold each other accountable. I also plan to put something in my sidebar (right under my Exercise For Comments section) that lists how much weight I've lost on the Tea Diet so keep watching as I hopefully start shrinking. *smile*

Leave a comment telling me what YOUR favorite flavor of tea is. Mine is Moroccan Mint Green Tea. Mmmmmmmm.

Parent Bloggers Network: Jumpstart World

As a homeschooling mom I am always on the hunt for new educational ways for my children to learn. So when Parent Bloggers Network offered us a chance at Jumpstart World 1st Grade, I leapt right on it and now we are quite completely hooked!

Brought to you by Knowledge Adventure, Jumpstart World is a series of 12 adventure packs that teach your child critical thinking skills, reading, math, art, music, and much more. Of course, any of that you can read for yourself from their website if you'd like and don't need me to tell you. What you do need me to tell you is what it's really like to try and enjoy the game up close and personal right? For this I asked my 5 year old to help me test out the game and I figured I would see what both of our views on it were. His answer was (and I quote), "Bubby...Sissy... I get to help mommy review this game. I DO. ME. I get to do a review. Not YOU! ME! Okay Mommy let's go start"! No, he's not the least bit competitive at all.

The very first thing MonkeyBoy made mention of was how much he liked being able to pick which character he wanted to be. As soon as he chose his player (he started with the boy robot) he commented on how much he liked the 3d graphics of the game or as he put it, "Wow, this looks just like Bubby's video games"! I took notice of the fact that it had obviously been quite awhile since I had bought a Jumpstart game because the graphics were much cooler than I remembered them being years ago. It's amazing how much these things change!

As MonkeyBoy explored the Jumpstart World he enjoyed finding new areas to "spring" from, new characters to talk to, and earning gems for games he completed made this "the coolest game ever"! He literally had to be peeled away from the computer to eat meals and go use the bathroom! I liked that it was easy for him to navigate his way through each of the arcades and areas without needing to ask one of us a million times to get him through a certain part. This was a game that he could play on his own and that gave him so much pride in what he was doing. I also liked that this program didn't have that head spinning effect that so many games these days give me as a character walks around their little world. This meant I could actually sit with him and watch him play, enjoying the game with him instead of by him for once.

Once MB realized that the gems he earned could be used to purchase rewards, he was an absolute madman! Whereas before the discovery he just wondered around and played a game here or there, he suddenly had to try out ALL of the games and missions giving him a chance for better rewards each time. Now he would try a game a second and even third time trying to beat it instead of just going off and trying something else. I think all little kids this age love the challenge of not only finishing a game but getting a reward for it and Jumpstart World does not disappoint them one bit.

Needless to say, my son begged to play this game everyday for a week and I think we both learned alot from it. I learned that he knew far more than I gave him credit for which helps me to plan future lessons for him and he learned many new subjects and ideas in the form of a fun and interesting game that held his attention for once.

Last but not least, I like how I can get on the Jumpstart website and check his progress reports, search hundreds of parent tips, personalize his game with holidays and events, and even make special rewards for him to earn from me as he accomplishes each goal. Having the website and program work together made things even more enjoyable and easier for me to figure out what we needed more work on and what things he already has aced.

The things I wasn't too crazy about on this game are the fact that not only do you have to have the CD in to play the game (which is normal) but it must also be connected to the internet in order for your child to play. I'm not big on having to have my 5 year old connected to the internet just to play a game that should be mostly on a disc and this means I can't let him play Jumpstart World on trips and that part is very discouraging.

I'm also not crazy about the fact that every few minutes a "Loading" screen will pop up cutting into the game and making you wait while the game uploads information to the website. I like that Jumpstart wants to help you stay updated and keep track your child's progress but it would do better to have it at the end of a set of games or an area instead of during the game like it does now.

All in all I'm very happy with our experience with Jumpstart World 1st Grade and I'm very glad my little guy has had the chance to discover something new that he likes so much. Would I buy the disc myself? I'm honestly not sure. I suppose I would since I know beforehand that it can only be used at home on our internet connected computer but if I were someone that didn't know that and bought this game, I would be very upset and would probably return it. I love the game and what it does for my son but there is just so much more benefit to something I can take with me for long car trips or airplane rides.

I definately recommend the free trial that the website offers people for download though. It's a game that you should try and decide for yourself whether or not to purchase it plus it's fun and learning that I'm glad my 5 year old had a chance to experience.

Parent Bloggers Network: Beauty Confidential

When Parent Bloggers Network said they needed bloggers to review the book Beauty Confidential by Nadine Haobsh, you better believe I jumped at the chance! Usually I join in on book reviews because I’m a total bibliophile but this book I knew I really needed to read.

When it comes to fashion and makeup I’m about as low maintenance as a person could get. I hardly ever wear makeup because to be honest, I’m not very good at choosing colors or putting it on. My sister works in hair and makeup but me? Yeah, so not happening! While I might be low maintenance it’s only because I’ve never been very good at doing my makeup. I even had a makeup artiste try to teach me about 5 years ago and I’m afraid none of that knowledge stuck.

Up until three years ago I was able to pride myself on “natural beauty”. If I didn’t wear makeup it was no big deal but when a sudden hit by cancer came all that went down the drain. After my second surgery I was left with a very big and very ugly U-shaped scar taking up most of my neck and leaving me feeling immensely ugly. So ugly that I felt makeup was no longer needed because even it couldn’t help stop the stares I get and make people focus on my face again.

Recently though I’ve come to terms with my scar and while I can’t hide it I can do something about the rest of me. I’m 32 years old and have no wrinkles or gray hairs so I’m already better off than many of my compadres (even my sister has a few wrinkles and gray hairs at 30. Is it evil that I laugh every time I think about that?). All I have to do is feel better about my appearance and that is all that matters- feeling good for me.

So the offer to review Beauty Confidential came along at a perfect time and the moment I got it I started to read it from cover to cover. I’ll be honest and say that usually I would lose interest in a beauty book before even getting halfway because they are most times pretty boring but not this one Nadine Haobsh has written. Nadine (or “Jolie in NYC" as she is known the internet over) has something the other books don’t and that’s a very witty and funny sense of humor. She jokes throughout the whole book and really tries to let you know that she’s just as human as the rest of us. Heck, she even reveals her own flaws in the book and makes sure you can relate to her as a person first and beauty expert second.

When the book says “The no preaching, no lies, advice-you’ll-actually-use guide to looking your best”, well it’s truly how Nadine tries to come across. She doesn’t pull any punches yet she doesn’t make herself sound better than anyone else like in most beauty books I’ve read. This is a gal I could sit down for lunch with and probably end up laughing hysterically at her stories. She’s one funny chic!

Ms. Haobsh was a beauty editor for Ladie’s Home Journal until they found out that as “Jolie In NYC” she was exposing secrets of the beauty industry to everyday women just like you and me on her blog. The horror of it all right? Well this led to her being “let go” by said magazine as well as having Seventeen rescind an offer they had on the table. Ouch.

While at the time I’m sure it sucked, she can sure thumb her nose now can’t she? With a successful blog and what I see as a successful book as well added to her resume, those same magazines may soon be banging on her door again. Hopefully she’ll tell them to "bite her" though. Why? It’s the sassy thing to do and she hits me as a sassy kinda gal.

In Nadine’s book she talks about beauty blunders we all make, how to fix several of them, step-by-step instructions on many things like home waxing and make-up selection, and even a product price guide at the end of every chapter so you know the price range you’re looking at if YOU want to have the products. While some of the products she lists are expensive to your average stay at home mom (like moi), she does also list several that are more in our price range as well thus proving that you don’t have to be a beauty editor to look good. We ALL can do it.

Reading this book gave me something that all the beauty magazines I’ve tried reading couldn’t- a guide essentially for dummies also known as the "beauty product challenged" like myself. With her straight foreword advice and tips I found it much easier to get the look I want without all the tears and cringing. Who knew beauty was such a pain in the ass! Thanks to Nadine though it’s only a mild irritation in my life now and I’m actually wearing makeup again.

Since my friends are very much like me (stay at home moms, no time for beauty, feeling frumpy), I will definitely recommend this book to them and even tell my sister to read it and see what she thinks. Heck, after seeing some of the orange eyeshadow sister dear has worn maybe it will help even her! So I will recommend it to them but bitches better not even ask to borrow it! It’s mine and Beauty Confidential is staying close to mama for a long while to come!