Hi, All!

Hope you are enjoying your summer like I am. Many of you requested your f.r.e.e. copy of my first book. Incase you missed the news in the previous ezine, I am offering the book again.

Right now I'm in the middle of republishing (new cover and new title!) and so for a short while will offer you an electronic version of the book for no cost.

So...if you would like me to send a copy to you, email me by midnight tonight.

Before getting to the feature ariticles, I have other fun news to share. In January, I have been booked as a destination speaker for Princess Cruise lines. Going to the Caribbean and can't wait!

Okay, now to the articles. Remember if you don't want to visit the blog site where the articles are posted, simply scroll down below.

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Feature Article #1: My Momma Done Told Me So
This is actually a string of quotations women told me when I interviewed them for my first book. Some are old sayings you might have heard. Others are rare and entertaining. Some statements made by other women are very telling. Enjoy: www.allynevans.blogspot.com

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Feature Article #2: Girl Pushed, Mother Approved
This is an article about products for girls...ones both parents and children like. Plus the article includes a tip for mothers who are facing the "But I want to shave my legs, Mom," issue.
www.thealertparent.com
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Article #1

My Momma Done Told Me

When I wrote my first book, we ended up with lots of quotations that were not used. My editor put them all together on one page and we ended up including them in the book. She titled it:

My Momma Done Told Me. No, these weren't things my mother told me. Although some of the sayings were heard by many of us as we grew up. Primarily, these are things the women interviewed were told by their caregivers and also some of their random thoughts about life in general.


Behave yourself and remember whom you belong to. If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Birds of a feather flock together.


People judge you by the company you keep. What will the neighbors think? Good girls don’t talk like that.


No time to do it right, just time to do it over. It’s the poor dryer that can’t help the washer. Shut the door. Were you raised in a barn?


Spare the rod; spoil the child. Children should be seen and not heard. If I told you once, then I’ve told you a thousand times.


I’d be thinner and a little shorter. When it mattered, I wanted to be thinner. I’d change the sagging of my body that is happening as I’m getting older. I’d change my feet. I hate my toes. I would have fuller lips and thicker eyelashes.


I’d be like Ruth Lovely—she’s as good as she is beautiful. I wouldn’t change anything. I’m quite satisfied with what God gave me.


Yep, I have a regret! I regret that I married the wrong person. I have some regrets. It’s hard to say that things didn’t turn out like I planned because I never had any definite plans for my life. I always wanted to be married, have children and a home.


I had to wear dresses and ruffled socks and ruffled underwear. I wore Mary Jane’s, a hand - smocked pinafore and a bow in my hair. My cousins wore little suits. We looked like dolls . . . they looked like grownups.


No, my mother didn’t make a difference. She told us she was an equal opportunity ass whooper. She’d whip us all. They treated us equally. My mother and father dealt with us the same.


He always got off lighter and had more freedom. I felt stifled in that way. I can’t say there was a difference in the way we were disciplined. The Queen says the things we wish we could!


Why dogs are men’s best friends? I’m a girl and Snow is my best friend!


My goodness, what will they think? How will it make your family look? What about your reputation?


My dad's mother used sickness a lot when she was raising a family of six kids. Her's was "bed" rest though. She'd say she was "sick" and go to bed for a day or two. I'm sure others coped this way.


If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. Can’t tell you how many times I was pinched or jabbed in the thigh with a hatpin for messing up that one! I think that children should be seen not heard so much.


They weren’t heard as much in my day and time. We were told to leave when adults had company. The grown ups would get the bigger pieces of chicken and the children would take what was left over.


We played domestic games, so the fact that I couldn’t wear shorts or pants didn’t hinder my play. The girls had to do the inside chores like laundry, cooking and housecleaning. The boys did anything outside the house such as yard work. But, we all worked in the fields—chopping and picking cotton.


We did the inside chores. My brother’s job was to take out the trash. He only had to do one job—take out the trash. I was encouraged to spend time in the kitchen, but I really didn’t like it. I knew how to clean up real well. I sure didn’t care about doing that on a regular basis.


We all had to share in the household chores before we could go outside and play. When my little brother got older, though, he was only required to take out the garbage.


Yes, I try to avoid conflict. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells. I always worry that I’m going to offend someone or step on somebody’s toes. And, it’s hard for me to realize I can’t make everyone happy.


And finally, more than one person told me the following...some used different words, but the point was made repeatedly: "I had to suppress the real me."

Allyn Evans
www.allynevans.com
www.thealertparent.com


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Article #2

Girl Pushed, Mom Approved

After Googling gift ideas for my favorite pre - teen this spring, I didn’t want to wait until Christmas to tell you about a list of “Girl Pushed, Mom Approved” products and brands recommended by 108 members of AllyKatzz.com.

(AllyKatzz just happens to be the country’s largest and only Children’s On - line Protection Agency’s compliant safe social networking site for tweenage girls.)

Gift Cards to favorite retailers topped the “Girl Pushed” list, followed by music/CDs. Moms, of course, loved Disney CDs the best. Many of the tweens did, too. If you have questions about music choices, specifically whether lyrics are appropriate for your tween or not, you can easily find them on - line. You know, Google it! Some retailers, including on - line stores, will also allow you to test before you buy.

Not surprisingly Ipod or MP3 players also topped the list. The big winner was Ipod Touch ($229) and Nano ($149). The first Ipod we gave Addy was the Shuffle. Although it has no screen or way to track songs you are playing, it’s more affordable for a first - time gift ($49).

Another favorite gift item was clothing, followed closely by books. Of course, seeing books make the top five made my day. For tweens in late 2008 Twilight, The Clique Series, Dear Dumb Diary, Beacon Street Girls, Petty Little Liars, Nancy Drew and Wicked seemed to be the most popular. Another popular gift request, and it was first on Addy’s list for this year birthday wishes, was a mobile phone. Neither girls nor moms seem to care about the brand. For mom, it was more of practical nature…“what plan are we currently on?” For daughter, it was more about features and color. Pink topped the list and girls listed keyboards and texting capabilities as a must have.

Another favorite listed by girls is a laptop computer. Although many moms reported they approved a laptop purchase, they simply were making other less expensive choices. And hopefully, for those girls who do receive a laptop for their next birthday gift, a conscious parent will be aware of wireless network capabilities and require the computer stay in common areas of the house.

Finishing off the list were cosmetics and hair accessories, video games and systems, digital cameras and DVDs such as Camp Rock and High School Musical.

And although it’s not a birthday gift recommendation, I do have a great tween product recommendation to include.

I had been searching for “bladeless” shaving alternatives for my daughter (chemical hair remover products were too strong and caused rashes. Laser and waxing, which I really like to use, were not “my - child - friendly” options) when my friend and hairstylist asked me, “Have you seen those commercials on TV about the Smooth Away pads that remove hair?”

“Yes, but I don’t believe them.”

“They actually work,” she said. “I will never use a razor again.”

I discovered my local Walgreen’s and Sally’s carried them, and I could also order them on - line. The next day I purchased the pad and the sheets (all under $15) and we tried it out.

The product worked!

No mess, no rashes, no cuts. Smooth Away is an excellent product for pre - teens. It’s safe and gets the job done effectively. The one drawback is time, but can be done while watching TV, talking to friends or reading a book. How does it work? The pad is covered with a sheet of superfine crystals that buffs away unwanted hair while exfoliating skin.

Although we have since switched to a more traditional way to remove hair, I will always be grateful for Smooth Away and I highly recommend it for pre - teens.

Allyn Evans
www.allynevans.blogspot.com