I’m reading a great book right now called Spontaneous Happiness by Dr. Andrew Weil and last night I came to a passage about how creative-minded people often do the most self-reflection. This can be both good (leading to positive changes in oneself) and bad (leading to regret and bouts of depression).

Just a few hours before I read that section, I went on a walk and actually yelled at myself to stop looking at everything metaphorically. Every falling leaf is not a sign that I’m getting old, every flower blooming from a crack in the pavement is not me reaching beautiful heights despite broken beginnings. I think Dr. Weil has me nailed.

Honestly, if I were to really look inside myself I’d likely just see cell inflammation and I’ve yet to find a metaphor for that in nature. I think the only way I’ll really know what’s lurking under my skin is if I come across a puffy, bloated, dead fish.

The thing about the brain is that it never stops. You can not set it to pause or control its reactions. The brain has a mind of its own. Get it?

So, while the massive self-reflection I’ve done lately is leading to bettering myself, I’m kind of in this non-stop spiral of looking inward. I barely have a second to figure out how to improve upon a flaw, before I find something else to fix. Hello, chaos? It’s me, Momo. My hygienist is totally going to yell at me for all of this teeth-grinding.

What I want is immediate change so I can get to the next task. Find it, fix it, move on. This, to me, is the key to happiness, but of course it’s completely unrealistic. My expectations are set to freeway driving, while real life is in a school zone. I think I have metaphor problems, for real, you guys. *adds it to list of things to work on*

While this book has been incredibly beneficial to me, I think it should have been named Slow, Steady Happiness, because happiness doesn’t come with the snap of one’s fingers. We have to search, then focus on what brings us joy and work to maintain it. Unsolicited, permanent, giddiness is not a normal human condition. Apparently, hot flashes are, but that’s another blog post.

It’s hard to know this is going to be a long journey when I just want to get to the finish line, but at least I have well-fitting, comfortable shoes. I can’t stop. I just can’t. Before I can start, though, I have to wrap my mind around the long haul. I have to know that the first few miles are going to be painful, I will feel heavy and every step will be a struggle, but by the end I will be lighter and happier.

Then, and only then, will joy be spontaneous. It’s not going to happen without much toil and trouble, but I like to think you get more satisfaction when you’ve tried really hard.

On my next walk, I’m going to go ahead and think metaphorically. I choose to believe that someday my happiness will be evergreen.

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You know what’s awesome? Having fabulous, talented, generous friends.

You know what’s extra awesome? Having fabulous, talented, generous friends who want to give my readers free stuff!

Meet Ree.

I know, I know, some of you are saying, “Hello, Momo? We KNOW Ree, thankyouverymuch. She’s only a best-selling author and the host of her own Food Network show. Duh.” But, maybe there are a few of you out there who don’t know the wonderfulness of this blogger turned multi-media superstar. And, as you can see from that picture – complete goofball.

If you don’t know her, you’ll want to read this. My son thinks she makes the sun rise and set.

Now let me say that Ree is a great friend. She’s smart, kind, funny, and she likes wine. That’s pretty much all I ask for. But, more importantly, she changed the way I prepare food for my family. Like completely.

She just released her third cookbook and like the two that preceded it, it’s chock full of delicious, easy recipes that anyone can make. Sure you’ve heard “delicious, easy recipes” before, but those were lies. LIES, I tell you! I have never made one of her dishes that wasn’t a huge hit, nor have any of them taken me more than 15-20 minutes to prepare (not counting cooking time because she’s not a magician, but give her time and she’ll have that mastered too).

Isn’t this the cutest picture? It’s of Ree keynoting at BlogHer ’13 and explaining to the audience how much she loves me. “I love Momo THIS MUCH.” (Photo credit: BlogHer)

In the meantime, while we’re waiting for her to learn how to pull a rabbit out of her hat, THREE lucky readers will get a signed copy of “The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays” to read, and dog-ear, and highlight, and get grease and flour all over. Hypothetically.

Enter for your chance to win by leaving a comment telling me your favorite holiday dish (any holiday, any dish) and/or tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

Good luck and happy cooking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Please note: This movie review assumes you have read The Hunger Games (as in, the first book of the trilogy). If you haven’t read the book, you should stop reading lighthearted blog posts and go snuggle up with a blanket and some post-apocalyptic, young-adult fiction. Go on, now!

First, let me start by saying that I’m not a typical reader of young-adult fiction. I have never so much as opened the cover of a Harry Potter book (GASP!) and I stopped reading the Twilight series…well, right after Twilight. *insert long passage of angst-ridden, teen girl staring upon glittery, vampire skin* There, now you’ve read Twilight, too.

But, when my then 12 year old became fascinated while reading The Hunger Games last year, and I watched the excitement, anger, sadness and disbelief on her face, I decided to give it a shot.

And, it was good. Really good. Of course, you know that, because you read the book too. If you didn’t read it, what are you waiting for? Also, there are spoilers ahead, so git!

It is rare when I see movies that I find more intriguing than the books on which they are based. Lord of the Rings and its stunning visuals comes to mind (and I’m not just talking about Viggo Mortensen, *wink*). More often, the movie leaves me disappointed because I have become engrossed in the story and created vivid imagery in my mind; then the movie comes along and wipes that all away.

That was not the case with this film. Everything about The Hunger Games, absolutely everything, was exactly as I had pictured it to be. Well, except for one thing.

Peeta.

Look, Peeta is great and I’m totally Team Peeta, and I’m sure the actor who played him is a perfectly nice guy, but he is just too little for this role. It’s one thing to have a guy play a sensitive character as a star-crossed lover, but when he is sensitive, injured, and physically smaller than the girl he’s in love with? He comes off as a weakling.

Maybe he was cast to make Katniss look more powerful, because she does, but it also makes any semblance of a love story completely unbelievable. There was no chemistry, put on for the arena cameras or otherwise. I don’t know how the Districts could have bought such an awkward love story without the male, at least, being a little more impressive in the height department.

The rest of the casting was spectacular. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman (just wait until you see that grin), Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, and Woody Harrelson as mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, were superb choices. And, who would believe that Elizabeth Banks would make such a perfect Effie Trinkett?

Image Credit - Murray Close

The movie did a great job of detailing Capitol excess, the desperation in the Districts, how the gamemakers work their magic, and for a moment, I felt like I was in the field with Katniss as Rue slipped away.

I am not, however, a fan of the shaky camera syndrome employed during parts of the film, including every fight scene. It has its benefits, as you get the impression of a violent encounter without actually viewing any gore (good for my 13 year old daughter, who was sitting next to me), but flat-out, it makes me dizzy.

I also would have liked to see more development of the prep team characters, but that may have stretched the movie to an unreasonable length.

Overall, this movie did not disappoint. For me to stay up until 3:30 AM and still say that? Well, that means it was a pretty good flick. It was well worth the money and the lack of sleep.

But, to be honest with you, I hope that Peeta grows a few inches by the time the second film is made.

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I started this blog back in 2007 because I was longing for a creative outlet and I wanted a way to journal the crazy things my kids said and did. There is no way that I’m ever going to let my son forget all the times he’s embarrassed me. Not a chance, kiddo.

After I initially told about 30 friends and family about it, I began to seek out other blogging parents. In doing so, I found a community of people who shared my love of writing and who could see the humor in being a parent. Poop is funny, people.

Very early on, I made a good friend in Joe Schatz from Joeprah.com. Joe is a stay-at-home dad of three great girls. And, Joe totally gets that whole poop thing.

Joe led me, and my blog, in bigger and better directions. He made me realize that I had a genuine audience and that lots of people get the poop thing. Joe was a reader who really believed in me. I owe him so much.

I was incredibly proud of him when he started Dad-Blogs.com. He asked me to write a column there and I jumped on board immediately. Then he got me a writing gig at Examiner.com. Unfortunately, after a couple of months, I had to bow out of both because I, quite simply, had too much on my plate. I am still sick about it.

So, when Joe went and wrote a book and asked me to read it, I have to be honest and say that I was kind of nervous. I’ve always related to his stories and loved his writing, but what if, by some itty-bitty chance, I didn’t like it? I couldn’t bear to let him down again.

I put off reading it. Joe e-mailed me. I put it off again and promised him that I would get to it next week. Joe e-mailed me one more time and said he’s going to be on The Tyra Show on February 18th, and if I could just look at the book before then, it would be great.

Here I am on February 17th, and I just finished reading Joe’s book. So sue me, I’m a procrastinator! And, you know what? This book is brilliant.

I’m not saying that because Joe is a friend, who helped me expand my audience, and who I have disappointed (at least three times now). Though, I can understand how you might think that. Trust me, if I didn’t like the book I would have found a way to blow Joe off yet again.

I’m saying that because it is really, truly great. “Daddy, where’s your vagina?” – What I learned as a stay-at-home dad is touching, funny, informative and different. In a totally good way.

Joe talks about everything a parent needs to know, but not the stuff you find in most books. A typical parenting book might tell you how to change a diaper, but Joe’s book mentions the epic nature of an infant’s “up-the-back” poop. I’ve never read about up-the-back poops in any other book, but mercy me have I experienced them.

My daughter’s UTB’s always happened in the middle of the night and I can vividly remember holding her under the running water in the bathtub hoping the poop would run off and down the drain. But, UTB poop is like tar and you have to get your hands dirty. THIS is the kind of thing that new parents need to know about. That you will be wiping poop tar OFF OF YOUR CHILD’S NECK at 3:00 AM.

This book is a must-read for any parent…not just dads. And, because I really want everyone to read it, I am giving away a copy! Just leave a comment here, with a valid e-mail address, before February 24th at noon EST and I will pick a winner at random.

Maybe I can even get Joe to sign it. That is, if he’s still speaking to me.

*UPDATE* Congratulations to HockeymanDad! You’re the lucky winner!

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