Doodah Diva

I’m always amazed at the things people – and animals – can overcome, when given a chance.

There’s a new book out in October called, Winter’s Tail – How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again (Scholastic). I cannot WAIT until Miss J. is a little older and will sit still while I read books to her (or she reads them herself). Right now, she just wants to eat them or tear them apart.

But this is a wonderful book. It’s the story of Winter, a two-year-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Winter was rescued from a crab trap off the east coast of Florida when she was just a baby – three months old. Rescuers brought her to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Experts at the aquarium nursed Winter back to health and, against the odds, she survived and is doing great. But the trap had damaged her little tail so badly that it eventually fell off, leaving Winter with just a stump.

But animals, like people, learn to adapt and Winter learned to swim with her little stump. She had to use a back and forth motion, different from the normal up and down motion and her caretakers recognized that swimming in way would ultimately damage her spine. So experts designed a prosthetic tail for her and Winter now swims like dolphins were intended, using an up and down motion with her tail.

Authors Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff and Craig Hatkoff, also wrote the bestselling Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship and other books about animals beating the odds.

The books are available in stores October 1 as well as on Amazon and other online booksellers. There is also a Web cast on October 7 that features a virtual field trip to Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Sign up here.

Today is National Play-Doh Day. Who knew? Miss J. is only one year (and two weeks!) old, so she’s not playing with Play-Doh….yet. Although I’m sure if I gave it to her, she’d have a blast. Eating it.

I’ve recently learned about alternatives to the Hasbro Play-Doh we all know and love from our childhood. I can even SMELL it as I write this. But, like most things these days, it’s laden with chemicals and preservatives. No offense to you, original Play-Doh. I have nothing but good memories about you.

But many of us are looking for greener options. For Play-doh, there is Miss Brittany’s Organic Preschool Fun Dough.

Miss Brittany is a preschool teacher in New York City. She was determined to find an alternative to the original Play-Doh that was environmentally friendly and safe for kids. Now, her line includes five colors of dough as well as various accessories. Everything is 100% organic, even down to the ink used on the packaging.

I requested a sample so I could feel it, smell it and play with it a little. It’s a little sticky at first but once you work with it a little bit that goes away. It has a very mild, salty smell and no, I did not eat it. Neither did Miss J.

In honor of National Play-Doh Day, Miss Brittany is offering a 20% discount – just enter code NPD09 when purchasing through the website.

So you get to try the dough….and save a little too. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!)

xo

I never really “got it” until J. was born in August 2008. Motherhood, that is. Everyone talked about it and gushed about how your life would change but I just didn’t quite realize what they meant.

Now I do.

I didn’t know I could love a little person as much as I love Miss J. She is the most amazing little creature and I am so so, so, SO lucky to be her mom.

So when the lovely people at Chicken Soup for the Soul Publishing offered to send me a couple of books on mothering to review, I accepted. Just to see if I would relate.

Of course I have a mother who I love dearly. She is very special to me and we are best friends. So I get the whole mother-daughter bond thing. But it takes on a whole new meaning when you’re the mother, doesn’t it?

All of you mothers out there are probably nodding your head in agreement and thinking, “Uh, yah. DUH.” But just let me enjoy this discovery, people!

Anyway, I received Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons. And I loved them both! Even the son book had a whole new meaning now that I’m a mom. I read and passed along the Moms and Sons book to my mother-in-law who has THREE sons. She definitely appreciated it.

Each book is a collection of stories written by moms and their daughters and moms and their sons about their mutual respect for one another. They are part of a “101 Best Stories” series that Chicken Soup’s new publisher has released. All I can say is, “Thank you, new publisher!”

If you’re looking for a good, touching read these Chicken Soup books are perfect. AND for someone like me who can only read for a few minutes each night before I pass out, the short stories are ideal.

I’m more than halfway through the moms book now and I am looking forward to reading the rest!

You can get Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons at any bookseller. Or you can check out the Chicken Soup Web site.