Parenting books – *Mom Loves Reading*

💁🏼‍♀️Welcome to Mom Life Monday! If you’re a mom, especially to a daughter, you’re going to love this upcoming 4/5/22 release & want to get it pre-ordered & on your TBR lists ASAP. And the cover is super cute, too!

📚I’m a huge fan of women’s fiction, more specifically “mom-com” or “mom-lit”, which is like “chic-lit’s” cool mom. Like Amy Poehler once said in one of my fave movies, ‘Mean Girls’, “I’m not like a regular mom. I’m a cool mom!” Me, too, Amy. Me, too! (At least I think so…🤔)

🐓’Welcome to the Neighborhood’ by Lisa Roe is a heartwarming & life-affirming story of family dynamics, mother/daughter relationships, & second chances—perfect for fans of Maria Semple, Laurie Gelman & Abbi Waxman. I’ve read & loved all of Waxman’s books, so I was excited to read Lisa Roe’s debut novel after seeing Abbi’s blurb, which I think sums up the book perfectly:

📖As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for…

After years of struggling to make ends meet, Ginny, a single mom from Queens, falls for a hard-working & loving man, & relishes the idea of moving w/ her quirky 11-yr-old daughter, Harri, to his home in an upscale New Jersey suburb. Though she’s never been impressed by material things, she is thrilled that getting a second chance at love comes w/ the added bonus of finally giving Harri everything she never could before.

And then she meets the neighbors.

Ginny is quickly thrust into the complicated realities of a neighborhood defined by the ever-shifting alliances of PTA moms, Real Housewife contenders, & their mean-girl daughters. When the neighbors’ secrets, back-stabbing, & bad behavior take a devastating toll on her daughter & new marriage, Ginny must decide what really matters—& protect it at all costs.

🗣What other authors have said about ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ by Lisa Roe:

“We need Lisa Roe’s side-eye on navigating a new marriage, a quirky child and a fresh start for everyone, with neighbors who put it all at risk. Warm, funny, heartwarming, and heartbreaking.”―Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of I Thought You Said This Would Work

“A heartfelt and endearing story about keeping one’s feet firmly planted while simultaneously dreaming big.” ―Kathleen West, author of Are We There Yet?

“A love letter to mothers of tweens everywhere.”—Kelly Harms, bestselling author of The Seven Day Switch

“A must-read. Readers will cheer for Ginny as she stands her ground.”—Jamie Beck, Wall Street Journal bestselling author

Click HERE to visit Lisa Roe’s webpage (which is beautiful!)

Click HERE to add ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ to your Goodreads list. (Add me as a friend while you’re there!)

Click HERE to goto BookStoreLink & pre-order/find the book at a local indie bookstore.

Click HERE to visit Lisa Roe on Instagram (PS: Don’t forget to visit me on Instagram, too, & be sure to check out my latest giveaway in a previous post.

After graduating from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University & spending many years as an advertising creative director & copywriter in New York City, Lisa Roe accepted the tougher job of stay-at-home mom & turned to writing fiction — mostly to entertain her kids, but then to tell her own stories. A classic first born, a reluctant empty nester, & a Dr. Doolittle wannabe, Lisa lives in New Jersey with her husband & three incorrigible dogs. Welcome to the Neighborhood is her debut novel.

Happy Book Birthday Week to @nina.restieri & her new, non-fiction release ‘Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis: Ditch the Guilt, Put Yourself on the To-Do List & Create a Life You Love‘! (pub 4/6). Thank you to @Booksparks for my gift copy of the book & for inviting me on the pop-up book tour!

As a super busy mother of 5, it’s far too often that I forget to or run out of hours in the day to make time for myself. As you’ve seen in previous posts, my 2 kids at home are autistic (click HERE for a recent Instagram post for World Autism Awareness Day) & you probably don’t need me to tell you what a toll that can take on me some days. And yes, 3 of my 5 kids live on their own, but as any mother knows, the job of “MOM” is full-time, 24/7, all day/all night, every single day, forever & ever. I never stop thinking about or worrying about any of my kids. Yet, there’s one person I forget to prioritize & show love & care to…ME!

A perfect mom (or parent) is as mythical as unicorns: they don’t exist. We’re all flawed in some way, but still doing our best, still deserve a break & self-care, so we can embrace a more fulfilling life & remember we’re blessed just to BE parents. This book helped open my eyes & heart to the pressure I’ve been putting on myself & the ‘ME-time’ I need to recharge, but rarely give myself.

‘Overcoming the Mom-Life Crisis‘ is perfect for mothers like me who are often overwhelmed by the non-stop demands of parenthood & exhausted by the day to day hustle. The book is soulful & excruciatingly honest, & is the essential handbook for stressed-out & overwhelmed moms & offers up steps for creating your own “momAgenda” & finding lifelong happiness & fulfillment.

From the founder of momAgenda comes the ultimate guide to navigating the mom-life crisis, with a simple process for putting your own long-forgotten needs back on the to-do list.

Nina Restieri was a wife, a mom of 4 young kids, & a successful entrepreneur. Despite having what most people would consider “it all,” happiness eluded her. She beat herself up daily for not being grateful. But as she looked around, she realized most of the moms she knew shared that same sense of sadness, stress, & overwhelm, all while working hard to keep up the “perfect mom” appearance. Desperate for a change & tired of crying behind a locked bathroom door, Nina embarked upon a 10-yr journey that led her to unexpected places—including a pole dancing studio—for peace & solace.

After digging deep & facing some painful truths, Nina emerged knowing she deserved more than she was giving herself & figured out that a mom can take care of her kids, AND take care of herself. Like a permission slip for mothers to love themselves as much as they do their children, this book chronicles Nina’s journey to putting her mom-life crisis behind her—forever—& offers up a roadmap so you can too.

Click HERE to visit Nina Restieri’s blog.

Click HERE to visit momagenda.com (it’s a beautiful site w/ even more beautiful planners! And I LOVE planners!)

Click HERE to visit my Instagram post & give is some LIKE love, maybe even share it!😉

Click HERE to add ‘Overcoming Mom-Life Crisis’ to your Goodreads lists.

Click HERE to find the book at a nearby independent book store using BookStoreLink.

Nina Restieri is the founder and president of momAgenda. Previously, she has spent time as an advertising executive, as the president of a family business, and as a stay-at-home mom.

She started momAgenda when her four kids were seven, five, three, and one, to create organizing products to help make moms’ lives (and her own life) easier. momAgenda has grown to include a diversified range of products that help organize the lives of mothers and others, including day planners, home organizers, pads, journals, and accessories. The collection is sold at leading national retailers and regional boutiques throughout the U.S. Over the past fifteen years, Nina Restieri and momAgenda have been featured in numerous outlets including NBC’s Today show, The Early Show, MSNBC, Real Simple, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Huffington Post.