I thought December was supposed to be a restful month, full of Christmas joy. Instead, it’s turned into a whirlwind of activity. I’m not even talking about parties. I’m not sure what happened.

Maybe it was the garage sale that we decided to forge ahead with the weekend before Thanksgiving. We got rid of a ton of stuff to make way for all the stuff we have to bring back home for our new baby girl’s arrival. The sale was a success, but I was exhausted for days.

Maybe it was going away for the entire Thanksgiving weekend. We had a great trip visiting family, but came home exhausted.

Maybe is was the glucose test I took on Monday, having to fast since the evening before. Dying for something to eat or drink in the morning. Only being allowed the dreaded sweet drink the lab gives you that make me feels nauseous and dizzy.

Maybe it was the lice scare at my son’s school. The other day when I was picking him up I got the dreaded note “You’re child (check box) has, (check box) doesn’t have lice. OMG. Read that sentence again.

Which box is checked?

Whew! Doesn’t have lice. (check)

But someone in his class does have lice. Bring on the stress. I can’t imagine having to deal with that this month. Washing EVERYTHING in the house. All the stuffed animals, sheets, sofas, carpets, hair, everything!

Maybe it’s the call I got after my glucose test the other day “The doctor would like you to go take the 3-hour glucose test. Due to the high number of your first test and your advanced maternal age.” I love the advanced maternal age part.

Maybe it’s the not eating since midnight, getting up and out of the house early today so I can make it to the lab early, so I can get blood drawn 4 separate times – once before and three times after I gulp down that nasty orange syrup they call a drink. Maybe it’s feeling sick again from the drink and not having eaten.

Maybe it’s all the stuff I still have to do and plan for the rest of this month. And, I haven’t even gotten to do anything fun this month.

I’ve decided that I need to get organized, prioritize and take it easy a bit.  Yeah, maybe that’s it.

Collecting quotes from my TV watching is something I do when I hear one that I think stands alone. The other day I heard a good one during a commercial of all places:

If your heart is open,
love will always find its
way in.”

– Jane Seymour
TV Commercial
November 24, 2008

• Read past Quotes from TV.

You saw last week that I was going through all of my son’s old clothes trying to determine if girls can wear blue. The clothes can hardly be called old though — they get worn for 3-6 months at a time then they are too small.

I began packing the clothes in boxes to give away, but couldn’t bring myself to put a few items in the box. They are three of my favorite items from his second year and I want to make sure that some other child will be wearing them.

To eBay I went.

I’ve eBayed before, but not in awhile. It’s time consuming. I did it anyway, but have no bids so far. If you have a boy, size 2T take a look

Cars Lightening McQueen jeans

Thomas the Tank Engine jacket.

Super sweet turtle neck top with beige pants and matching socks.

“Seven in ten girls believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.” (source: Real Girls, Real Pressure report.) This is astonishing. We have to do something about this.

I often get asked why I blog. Several reasons, but mainly because I hope to inspire women to be the best they can be. By inspiring mothers I hope to help enrich their lives, which will, in turn, inspire their children.

Recently, I was contacted and told about the Dove (you know, the soap people) Self-Esteem Fund. Dove’s been doing a great job over the past several years by doing provocative commercials with their campaign for “real beauty” where woman (of all shape, race and size) are shown just as they are in real life. They represent all of us. Now, Dove is helping young girls with self esteem — this is something we can all grab onto to help the next generation grow up to be strong, smart women.

Here are some statistics from a report that was commissioned by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund.

Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem, reveals that there is a self-esteem crisis in this country that pervades every aspect of a girl’s life including her looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members

• 62% of all girls feel insecure or not sure of themselves
• 57% of all girls have a mother who criticizes her own looks
• More than half (57%) of all girls say they don’t always tell their parents certain things about them because they don’t want them to think badly of them
• The top wish among all girls is for their parents to communicate better with them which includes more frequent and more open conversations as well as discussions about what is happening in their own lives

Wow. These statistics are powerful. Only three in every 10 girls feels worthy. What is wrong with this picture?

On Dove’s Web site they have set up an area with tools to help parents teach their girls about self esteem. You can view and download several tools to help you start the conversation. Visit the site here.

• “Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds from Now” by Jessica Weiner
• “Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters” by Courtney E. Martin
• Dove’s “You’re Beautiful pass it on” T-shirt

Just submit a comment to this blog post. (Be sure to fill in your email address on the comment form so I can contact you if you win. Those without an email address will be disqualified.)

The lucky winner will be randomly selected.

Deadline for submission is 11:59 p.m. Eastern time, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008.

Only one entry per person please.

The winner will be announced on the blog after Dec. 9.

Good luck!

Click the comment link below to submit your comment for inclusion in the contest.

This month we need to be reminded to do things that are meaningful. Here’s a list of things to help keep the spirit in the holiday season while not overdoing it:

• Make a list of everything you want to do this month. Then, make another list of everything you think you have to do this month. Make sure your want-to-do list is greater than your have-to -do list.
• Skip events if you don’t really want to go to them and cross at least one event off your list entirely.
• Bake cookies only if you truly love baking.
• Reduce your Christmas card list to only those with whom you truly connect.
• Send a soldier a Christmas card. Send to:
  A Recovering Soldier
  c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
  6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
  Washington, D.C. 20307-5001
• Put at least one coin in the Salvation Army kettle every time you see one.
• Spend every evening this month listening to Christmas music before your kids go to bed.
• Finish your Christmas shopping early. Make a list and stick to it.
• Put a date on your calendar now as a deadline for shipping boxes.
• Read Christmas books to your children every night this month. Visit the library to find new ones your family can enjoy together.
• Put an extra strand of lights on your tree this year.