Been There with Kids

2012 Book List

  1. Shoe String Chic- 101 ways to live the fashionably luxe life for less By: Kerrie Hess – A fun read with some logical tips on how to get the luxe lifestyle on a mediocre salary.
  2. The Harvard Medical School Guide To Lowering Your Cholesterol By: Mason W Freeman, M.D. – My husband was recently told he has high cholesterol. This book gave me a ton of information that will be helpful not only in lowering his cholesterol but also for helping my future patients. It is not a particularly long book (roughly 250 pages) but it is at a decently high reading level. If you are struggling with your cholesterol I highly suggest this book. It explains things very well and has resources to help.
  3. Live More, Want Less- 52 Ways To Find Order In Your Life                            By: Mary Carlomagno – I enjoyed this book on getting back to a more simple and less cluttered way of life. A good read 🙂
  4. The Wisdom of Gandhi – A great book of Gandhi’s wisdom that will give you quotes to think deeply about you.
  5. The Art of More for Less – Savvy Chic By: Anna Johnson -This was a great read for a girl on a budget who loves to experience life to it’s fullest! I have a list of fun things to try that I would have never thought of on my own. The only issue I had with this book was the multiple typos and wording issues. They jarred me from the fun a few times but it’s still worth the time. Fun, Informative, and Interesting to the end. A must read!
  6. P.S. I Made This… By: Erica Domesek – I saw this book mentioned everywhere from blogs, to magazines, to Rachael Ray. I had to get my hands on it. The craft projects are amazing and so easy!! It’s so fun 🙂
  7. Style on a Shoestring By: Andy Paige – A great overall guide to buying the basics, getting the perfect fit, and getting a designer look on the cheap.
  8. The One Hundred – A guide to the pieces every stylish woman must own – By Nina Garcia – I loved this book! It was a fun read! I loved the little historical points, where to find the pieces, and the pictures are great.
  9. Born-Again Vintage By: Bridgett Artise & Jen Karetnick – Great ideas and step-by-step instructions on ways to recreate your old duds or the duds of others. I would totally rock these looks and have started working on making some! Thanks for all the fab ideas!
  10. Fashion Geek By: Diana Eng – There is a ton of Cool things to make in here! Think I might modify the lightning bug costume to a butterfly for Bella. She is obsessed with butterflies 🙂  I suggest this book to anyone who wants to combine their love of tech with their love of fashion. Great ideas!
  11. Where Valor Rests – Arlington National Cemetery By: Rick Atkinson – I cannot stress how amazing this book is! National Geographic did Arlington proud in this book. It is a must read!
  12. The Steamboat Shuffle By: Michael Capek – A great book! It’s historical fiction. It’s based on President Harding’s Visit to Cincinnati in 1922 but the actual story line is fictional. If you are into history or are planning a family trip to Cincinnati I highly suggest this read!
  13. Style Yourself – This book is written by many beauty and fashion bloggers. As a blogger I had to give this book a try. It was pretty good and introduced me to a few new faces. A lot of it is really basic but the photographs are still really inspirational!
  14. Humming Birds By: Malanie Votaw – I read this book with Ivy. I learned loads about humming birds and the shots are beautiful!
  15. How to Shoot Great Travel Photos By: Susan McCartney- This book is a little out of date on the technical side but the suggestions and photography know how are spot on. I highly suggest this is anyone interested in learning more about photography and the secrets of a pro with loads of experience.
  16. The Swimsuit – A history of twentieth-century fashions By: Sarah Kennedy – A fun read about the progression of the swimsuit. It seemed a fitting read for the beginning of summer. It is truly shocking to see how far swimwear has come in the last century. I was amazed to find  that they used to make swimsuit from tight-knit wool and the often weighed as much as the women wearing them when fully wet! Swimming was dangerous because so many people drowned because of the sheer weight! Suggest this to curious people and fashionistas that want a like history.
  17. Dirty Little Secrets from otherwise perfect moms By: Trisha Ashworth & Amy Nobile – Guaranteed to make any mommy laugh! Shocking, Entertaining, and Down Right scandalous! A short summer read fit for any mom!
  18. Old Roses By: Graham Murphy – Very informative book on the old varieties of roses. I read this to Bella as a bedtime story for a few weeks. It was calming with large, beautiful photographs which made it the perfect pre-bed read.
  19. 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People – What scientists have learned and how you can use it By: David Niven, Ph. D – An interesting little read about what is proven to make people happy or unhappy.
  20. Lady Gaga Style Bible By: David Foy – I LOVE Lady Gaga! This book has a short back story, tons of photos, and descriptions of what she wore and where she wore it. An amusing, summer read!
  21. In Step With Fashion – 200 years of shoe style By: Norma Shephard – Do you love shoes? I mean, really love them…then this book is for you! I adore shoes and history so this book was a perfect match.
  22. 50 Rules Kids Won’t Learn In School By: Charles J. Sykes – I loved this book! It is a complete reality check for parents and teens alike.
  23. Thrifty Chic – Interior Style on a Shoestring By: Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell – I found this book inspiring. There are a few things in here I’m dying to try! I loved the painted stairs! We don’t have stairs in our flat but if we did I would so do this!!
  24. The Little Black Book of Style By: Nina Garcia – This is a fun little book for anyone interested in fashion. I love her books. They are written with whimsy and character but they do lack good editing. There are often grammatical errors in her books which drives me batty! I loved the interviews with designers, models, and various fashionistas.
  25. A Short Guide to a Happy Life By: Anna Quindlen – A truly amazing little book!
  26. Being Perfect By: Anna Quindlen – Liked the last one so much I read this one too. It was just as good!
  27. Plato in 90 Minutes By: Paul Strathern – The perfect overview for somebody just getting started on Plato’s work and philosophy in general.
  28. Natural Beauty Recipe Book  BY: Gill Farrer-Halls – I am not new to making beauty products at home but this book was on a whole new level. I’m more of a make your own face mask kind of girl but this book goes into making everything beauty related. I was amused by the idea of making soap but I honestly doubt I’ll ever take the time to pursue it. The section on facial masks and creams got some serious use though!
  29. Raising Bookworms – Getting kids reading for pleasure and empowerment By: Emma Walton Hamilton – A must read for parents of children age birth through 8th grade! I am a huge reading advocate. In fact I spent years as a reading aid in a public elementary school. I think that we would raise a nation of smarter, more grounded, well-balanced children if they spent more time reading and studying classic literature. I loved the lists of her top picks for each age group. I have been working my way through them with my kids. Thanks to Emma for such as wonderful, eye-opening book!
  30. Penny Saving Household Helper By: Rebecca DiLiberto – Who doesn’t like to save money? Well written and to the point.
  31. Lift By: Kelly Corrigan – Beautifully written! Brought a tear to my eye and a warmth to my heart! Suggest to Mothers everywhere!
  32. Mamarazzi – Every Mom’s Guide to Photographing Kids By: Stacy Wasmuth – Highly informative with great photographs. The tips are useable and approachable for a normal mom with an average camera! I hate when books only focus on the high-tech crowd. This one has plenty of chapters for the plain old point and shoot cameras. There are loads of tips about when and how to get decent shots out of your kids.
  33. The No-Cry Potty Training Solution By: Elizabeth Pantley – Straight forward and very useful. No gimmicks or crazy talk about potty training over night. Easy to read!
  34. The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins – Incredibly sad and beautifully written book!
  35. The Life Cycles of Butterflies By: Judy Burris & Wayne Richards – A peek into the world of butterflies. I loved the step-by-step photos of the life phases. This was a “Bella Book” and she really enjoyed it too!
  36. Catching Fire By: Suzanne Collins – Simply Amazing!!!
  37. Mockingjay By: Suzanne Collins – A great final book for the girl on fire! Once again Collins plays on all your emotions and worst fears. Somehow she helps you to see beyond heartache.
  38. The Illustrated Timeline of Religion By: Laura S. Smith – A good overall view of religion starting with the oldest known religious artifact. It also gives you some insight into religious culture.
  39. Stress Reduction for Busy People By: Dawn Groves – This book is the perfect remedy to the everyday grind. I could not have stumbled upon it at a better time.
  40. Being Logical – A guide to good thinking By: D.Q. McInerny – A great little book on thinking clearly and logically.
  41. 10-Minute Kid Clutter Control – Hundreds of proven tips even kids can do! By: Rose R. Kennedy – Tons of tips and tricks for getting and keeping kids organized. Easy to read on the go!
  42. Organizing Solutions for people with attention deficit disorder – Tips and tools to help you take charge of your life and get organized By: Susan C. Pinsky – My oldest was diagnosed with ADD a year ago. It is mild and she is still able to read, do school work, and live her day-to-day life with one exception. She is very disorganized. This book was exactly what we needed to streamline things for her to help her stay organized. It was a huge help in making needed changes. It is always easier to get a preteen or teen on board if the information comes from somewhere besides their parents. We read through this together, marking reference pages for each other. I suggest this to anyone struggling with the disorganization of ADD.
  43. The Only 127 Things You Need – A guide to life’s essentials By: Donna Wilkinson – This book is about what you really need in life. It covers everything from sleep & food to clothing & shelter to intellectual stimulation & spirituality. It is straight forward and includes many inspiring quotes.
  44. How Children Succeed – Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character By: Paul Tough – This book is an amazing look at how a child succeeds from a scientific/sociological view with studies, individual cases, and statistics to back up his beliefs. I loved this book! It looks at how people of all different classes are being failed by the education system in the United States. There is a lot of emphasis on children raised in poverty and why it is so hard to go beyond the class you were born in to. I suggest this book to anyone interested in how children really learn and what attributes make a child most likely to succeed both in college and in life.
  45. The Casual Vacancy By: J.K. Rowling – Nothing less than I expected from such a great writer. The book pulls you in and makes you feel like you are part of this little town. By the end you love the characters and it is heart wrenching.
  46. How to Raise an Amazing Child – The Montessori Way By: Tim Seldin – This is not a parenting guide. It is more of a list of ideas including instructions of things to do with your children. I liked the book. We tried quite a few of the projects and ideas but not all of them were for us. The walnut sail boats are adorable!
  47. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo By: Stieg Larsson – This book was hyped to me by so many people. I had to read it. It lived up to the hype! It is a very good book! It is difficult to not adore Lisbeth. She is a strong, smart women who has had a horrible life. The mystery is intense and drags you in to the point that you are working through it…rolling it around in your mind even when you are not reading.
  48. Many Ways to say I Love You – Wisdom for parents and children from Mister Rogers By: Fred Rogers – This book is so sweet. It makes you stop and truly be thankful for parenthood. The little things that make children and parenting so special are the basis of this book.
  49. How to Ruin Your Financial Life By: Ben Stein – This book is hilarious! It has great points and can teach you what not to do with your money. I laughed the whole way through!
  50. Same Homework/New Plan – How to help your disorganized kid sit down and get it done By: Sally G. Hoyle, PhD – My oldest daughter has ADD. She is intelligent but incredibly disorganized. I was told by one of the students at my college that she loved this book and it helped her to get organized. She said highschool was hell until she found this book. We went through it together. The many questionnaires to determine what kind of learner the student is and what organization techniques might work for them. It is full of ideas! Be prepared to take notes.

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