Project: Happily Ever After {Book Review & Giveaway}

Saving your marriage when the fairytale falters.  When your prince charming turns into a frog... can he really turn back into a prince?

This is the very real and very hilarious true story of Alisa Bowman, how she went from wishing her husband dead to renewing her wedding vows and everything in between.  Project: Happily Ever After is her story of going from an unhappy marriage on the brink of divorce to now being happily married for over 10 years.

Alisa's project takes place over 4 months where she devotes her time and energy to fixing her marriage.  She addresses the emotional aspect, the sex (or lack there of), the laundry, and there's even a bikini wax and a eulogy thrown in there, oh my!  She talks about the 12 marital improvement self-help books she read along the way, highlighting the points that worked for her and even gives a 10 step plan to start your own Project: Happily Ever After.

Now even if you've never planned your husband's funeral and you feel your marriage is a blissful paradise, this is an excellent read.  I found it totally relatable and found myself wanting to read more.  The writing style is very easy to read, making it hard to put down.  And Alisa is just so... well, open and honest... talking about things most married couples barely want to talk to each other about.  She may make you blush at times or think 'OMG, did I just read that' but it's all in the name of love.  ;)

Here's a snippet from the book that made me laugh out loud as I could totally relate:

If you are exhausted because you can't get your kid dressed, ask for help and ask for it out loud.  Your husband can't hear the words inside your head.  Only you can hear those!  Be as specific as possible.  "I need help," is good, but "Can you please get her dressed because I'm about to throttle her" is even better.

And check out this cute book trailer for Project: Happily Ever After:

Alisa Bowman is a former senior editor at Runner's World magazine and has co-authored and ghost written on more than 30 books of various topics.  She's been a guest on national television and radio programs and interviewed by many top magazines.  She also created ProjectHappilyEverAfter.com, voted one of the Top 10 Marriage Blogs of 2009 and 2010.

BUY IT:  Project: Happily Ever After can be purchased on Amazon for under $15

WIN IT:  1 lucky reader is going to get their very own copy of Project: Happily Ever After

WAYS TO ENTER (leave a separate comment on this post for each entry you complete):

• Subscribe to Project: Happily Ever After (you get a free 114 page eBook when you do)
• Like Alisa Bowman on Facebook
• Follow @AlisaBowman on Twitter
• Follow my blog publicly via GFC
• Subscribe to my blog via Email
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like my Facebook page
• Enter any of my other giveaways +1 for each
• Post about this giveaway (Facebook, Cafemom, Blog, etc.) +5 entries, leave link
• Tweet about this giveaway (may be done daily, leave link)

#Win your own Project: Happily Ever After from @SusieBHomemaker and @AlisaBowman http://bit.ly/fW3YTv #Giveaway ends 2/6

U.S. ONLY

This contest ends on 2/6/11 at 11:59 pm EST. Open to U.S. residents only.  The winner will be drawn via random.org and has 48 hours to respond to winning notification email before another winner is drawn.  Please make sure your email is visible on your profile or leave with your comment(s).

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.  No other form of compensation was received.  The opinions and thoughts I’ve shared are 100% my own and yours may differ.

Do you celebrate Sweetest Day with your Sweetie?

Disclaimer:  The last link in this post is not G-rated.  I was given a product in exchange for my post.  No other compensation was received.  All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own, yours may differ.

For lots of people, Sweetest Day is just a Hallmark Holiday- thought up by candy and cardmakers to boost sales.  Actually the first Sweetest Day, back in Oct. 1921, began as a day to spread love and cheer to the less fortunate.  It was planned by a committee of 12 confectioners who distributed over 20,000 boxes of candy to newsboys, orphans, old folks, and the poor.  It's now known as a day to show affection to the one's you love, namely your significant other.

I know lots of people don't really celebrate Sweetest Day, but when you think about it- isn't it nice to have a day to remind us to recognize and appreciate the love in our life?  And no, you shouldn't need a holiday to remind you, but with life it's easy to overlook and take for granted the person that means the most to you.

So why not use the day to show your other half how much you love having them in your life?  As women, and more so as moms, we tend to almost always be multi-tasking and thinking of a million and one things we have to get done.  It's good to have a reason, a nudge, a gentle reminder to re-connect with your partner.

Simple ways to reclaim that passion, of course the traditional flowers, card, or candy is a good place to start... but why not make it more intimate?  Schedule some alone time, put on some sexy lingerie, light some candles, and let that special someone in your life know you still care enough to make an effort.  And remember it's ok to be a mom and be sexy, you're a mom because you have kids, and you have kids because... well we all know that story.  ;)  So tell your Sweetie you love them this Sweetest Day, in whatever way you feel comfortable.

The S Word...

  

Well actually the 3 S words- sleep, shower, & sex.  On an almost daily basis I find myself choosing between at least 2 of those S words, and almost always their priority level is that of listed above.  There are days when I desperately need a shower (like now) but have an opportunity to nap or go to bed early and more often than not, sleep wins.  And if it's between sex or sleep, well of course sleep wins in that scenario... to my husband's dismay.  But there are times when, due to another S word, the order may change- my Sanity, and right now mama needs a shower so thank goodness kids are napping!