iCarly Releases Season 1 Dvds

Odds are if you've got kids and cable/satellite) you've heard of iCarly. Miranda Cosgrove plays Carly, a girl from Seattle who lives with her big brother and hosts a fun on-line show with the help of her two best friends. The name of the webshow? iCarly.

The television show has grown into Tv's top series amongst kids (ages 2-14) drawing an average of 5.6 million viewers an episode. My son Seth? Is one of those rabid fans.

Recently, dvds of the first season of the Nickelodeon hit were released. We received the season 1 volume 2 dvd. (The one pictured here.)

Seth was more than happy to watch and review. He's seen alot of the episodes countless times but still... It doesn't matter. He loves to watch.

Disc 1 contains episodes such as iAm Your Biggest Fan, iHeart Art, iHate Sam's Boyfriend, iDon't Want to Fight iPromose Tech-Foots and iGot Detention. The second disc contacts iStakeout, iCarly Saves TV (the extended version) iMight Switch Schools, iFence, iWin a Date and i Have a Love Sick Teacher.

You might recognize Miranda. She was the very clever little sister on Drake and Josh. And as with Drake and Josh, the story lines center predominantly on the kids. You can buy this dvd online at Amazon for $18.99.

Can 10-10-10 Transform Your Life?

We make decisions everyday. Some are easy but others? Not so much. That's why you might want to check out Suzy Welch's book 10-10-10.

According to the sleeve on the book's jacket, the book is "a transformative new approach to decision making. 10-10-10 is a tool for reclaiming your life at home, in love, and at work. The process is clear, straight forward and transparent."

Basically, when you make a decision, ask yourself how will this affect you (and others, if others are affected) in the next 10 minutes. Then ask yourself how this will affect you and others in 10 months. Then ask yourself how this would affect you in 10 years.

Welch explains in the book that idea came to her while vacationing in Hawaii. (Over the years, she's refined the technique.) When she first began to share her theory with friends and family, the response was overwhelmingly positive and over time, strangers were starting to ask her about this theory.

She gives many an example throughout the book and talks about how you can apply this decision making process to pretty much any delimma you encounter. According to Welch, "All in, 10-10-10 markedly decreases the days when parenting feels haphazard and overwhelming." Another person in the book claims, "It's just like a GPS device: it keeps us on track."

So what did I think of the book? Well, I'm not exactly sold. Alot of times you can't predict the future. Well, I'm a bit skeptical. Life changes in an instant. And I'm not in the same place emotionally that I was 10 months ago or even six months ago. So alot of my decisions and outlooks are going to be different. And you never really know what kinds of life-changing events are coming your way.

I do like the fact that it makes you stop to think about your actions long term. Doing so definitely gives one more clarity. And that's a wonderful thing.

This post was written on behalf of MomCentral.

PR In Your Pajamas? Here's How...

You've got this fabulous product. And you KNOW the public is going to love it -- if they knew it existed. This is where a little public relations know-how can help you. This is also where the book PR In Your Pajamas can help you.

PR In Your Pajamas, written by Elena Verlee, is a practical guide that can help the many business owners who don't have the big budgets needed to hire a public relations agency. Verlee's book can help those pr novices seeking media attention and help you outline your public relations action plan.

The guide, which is written in a clear, concise way helps explain what grabs the attention of a reporter. The book and also addresses how public relations differs from advertising as well as why great public relations can be more effective. Need to learn how to write press releases and talk to the media? Check out the book. You can also read up on how to identify opportunities and how to develop a rapport with those writing about your product or service.

Verlee knows her stuff. She's been in the biz for ten years now and runs her own international public relations firm.

So you may know how to approach a writer but which media entities are the best fit for your product or service? Which places are looking for a product or service like yours? Verlee has a new endeavor out now called Moms Media list. For more information on that click HERE.

For more information check out her site, PR In Your Pajamas. Her blog can be found HERE.

The Household Guide To Dying - A Novel Approach to Life

Delia is a mother, wife, lover of chickens and an advice columnist. She also has cancer and has been told there's nothing else that can be done for her. In her final months on this earth, she thinks about all of the years she'll miss with her family. And she can't help but wonder, will her husband be able to run the household as smoothly as she does? Who will help her daughters plan their weddings someday? She decides to write a book to help not just her family but those people who are dying and the loved ones left behind.

Debra Adelaide is the author of The Household Guide to Dying (The book is named after the book Delia creates.). Her other works include The Hotel Albatross, Serpent Dust and Acts of A Dog.

Adelaide's book begins with Delia fully understanding that her time is limited. Instead of feeling sorry for herself, she takes a very practical and proactive approach. She starts to make the most of her last few months. And we learn much about her present as well as past in the process.

Delia is a very strong woman and throughout the book we learn why. We learn about her time as a young single mother starting out in a new town, her courtship with her husband, the death of her first child, her career path, her experience as a mother of two daughters as well as her time as a cancer patient. We see she's done alot of living.

I did find the book confusing at times. I've got to know exactly where and when a story takes place. I normally assume a story takes place today and the character lives in the United States unless stated otherwise. While this story takes place "today" it doesn't take place in the United States. There were alot of references that left me puzzled as to the time and place. I didn't sort it out until I read the author's bio and realized the story takes place in Australia.

For me, this confusion takes away from the story. (What's a "shandy?" And when she mentions living in a "caravan" I can't help but wonder, if she means a Dodge minivan?) The ability to bond with the main character is lost because I'm too busy wondering about the details.

But once I was over the confusion, I did develop an affection for the character. She seems like a REAL mom. She curses in front of her kids. She worries. She wonders. She's driven crazy when her daughters fight. She seems like the kind of woman I'd be friends with.

All in all, this book is not a light-hearted romp. It deals with a heavier subject. But for those people who want some substance to their story? This fits the bill.

This post was written on behalf of Mother-Talk.

Social Skill Builder - Software for Life Skills

One of the biggest challenges in parenting a child with ADHD or autism is the social aspect. I've talked with friends who are in the midst of raising children with ADHD as well as friends raising children with autism many a time. This is a subject we often address.

Some kids have a difficult time understanding social cues. Others don't quite understand what is appropriate behavior in varied social situations. And still others just have a problem with impulse control. And these difficulties lead to a social awkwardness for the child as well as those people they deal with. The end result can quickly become one where a child feels isolated and ill equipped socially.

That's where http://www.socialskillbuilder.com/ and their software can help. The Social Skill Builder software helps kids learn about proper social skills in a fun and positive way. The software starts out with a map that has images of common public and private places. A child can choose the place and level of difficulty before beginning the game.

First a video of a common circumstance is played. Then children are asked a few multiple choice questions. If the child answers wrong, no big deal. The software provides gentle help and gives a "reward" when the question is answered correctly. The segments are short. And after each session children get to play a quick game.

Want to reinforce proper behavior while riding in the car? No problem, there are video scenarios for that followed by a question/answer session. What if you're planning to go to a movie? Or want to show your child the correct way to wait in the pediatrician's waiting room? Simply click on the appropriate topic. Your child can see positive (as well as negative) behavior demonstrated.

My son has ADHD and has a difficult time controlling his impulses. He also has a difficult time controlling his emotions if he feels hurt by a friend. We sat down together to watch the scenarios and work through the answers. He enjoyed watching the situations where the kids would act out and was quick to point out what about the behavior was wrong and why. He seemed to take great pride in the fact that he knew how to act accordingly. He was also able to tell me what the proper behavior was in the situation.

One of the biggest battles is that some kids don't know how to act appropriately. But then again, some (like Seth) do but at times get so excited that this knowledge seems to fly out the window. We have gone through several of the situations a few times, hoping that a reminder will help. (He's not a bad kid. Just has lots of energy and doesn't always know how to constructively channel it. But then again, that's what we parent are for, yes?)

I highly recommend. Actually, I think even regular kids could benefit from this social skills software. It could even be an interesting tool to use in a classroom.

This review was written on behalf of Parent Bloggers Network.

For A Good Cause...

April is National Volunteer Month! And Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) is encouraging people to get involved through its “30 Ways in 30 Days” campaign. Simply visit www.rmhc.org/volunteer to get daily tips on how you can help. Or use the charity’s
new partnership with VolunteerMatch to find other opportunities in the area.

RMHC is also spotlighting volunteers and asking people to share their own stories through an online community powered by Facebook Connect. For more information on the campaign, including the daily tips on how to help or to share a personal story, visit www.rmhc.org/volunteer.