This week has completely flown by and I’m shocked that it’s already time for my Thursday-Must List again!

Thursday-Must List

Warriors in Pink
I had such a great interview with some folks at Ford yesterday about the AMAZING things they are doing for Breast Cancer Awareness (for October and beyond.) For 15 years, Ford has supported Susan G. Komen and breast cancer awareness. Their line up of Warriors in Pink apparel is rockin’ – so no matter how you are supporting this great cause, you can look good doing it. Check out their Warriors in Pink site and apparel. My fav is this Warrior Cap but I love the Warrior t-shirt, the new scarf and so many of the items! Follow Ford’s Warriors in Pink on Twitter.

And check out these 10 other great pink products that support breast cancer awareness.

Dana’s story
Speaking of breast cancer, I want to introduce you to fab mom, wife, career woman, reality star and breast cancer survivor, Dana Hooper. I’ve had the honor to get to know Dana over the last several months through the Real Moms reality show I help promote – Dana is one of four real AZ moms from the show. She went public about her breast cancer on the show and is such an inspiration to all. Please check out Dana’s story and watch her on season one of RealMomsGuide.

Author Susan Crandall
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting women’s romance and suspense novelist Susan Crandall for lunch. I’m doing a feature on her for The Indianapolis Star. We met in person not too far from her Indiana hometown and talked about her 9 books, reading, writing, growing up in Indiana and so many wonderful things. Her newest book – Sleep No More - will be published soon and I devoured it in hours. It’s got everything women want: suspense, romance, danger, passion and characters that are relatable, going through real-life things. You can stop by Susan’s site to register for a chance to win a copy of her new book (beware, however, once you read it you will want to immediately go out and buy all 8 of her other books). Also, several of you have already taken my advice to become a fan of Susan Crandall on Facebook, so thank you! If you haven’t, please become a fan of Susan Crandall here. And follow Susan Crandall on Twitter. You will love her work!

Birthdays
Today is my aunt’s birthday – my aunt who I adore. My aunt who bought me my first bra, embarrassed me in front of high school boyfriends, shares my love of reading, helped me plant a garden. My aunt who showed so much love and forgiveness and grace when my dad died – who also made me get up and dance in front of all the old folks at the nursing home because life is what it is and sometimes you just got to dance. So Happy Birthday Auntie!

And speaking of birthdays, my fast friend, Chick Lit Is Not Dead blogger, and client Liz Fenton has this funny and relatable post on her husband’s Birthday Blunder that is a must-read. Not only did it make me laugh, it made me realize I am also high maintenance when it comes to birthdays and gifts. Thank you for the laugh Liz.

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Related posts:

1. Thursday Must List
2. Thursday Must-List
3. It’s Saturday and I wish I was….

Saturday morning chaos has subsided in my household (big kids are outside playing and baby is down for a nap), and I have a moment to relax before I start baking. Yes, baking. I am no Paula Deen, but I can hold my own in the kitchen. I’m going to make my mother in law’s yummy coffee cake today. Usually reserved for Christmas morning, but why the hell not today, I say?

So, it’s Saturday and besides baking coffee cake, I was on Twitter checking out all the fun things my Twitter peeps have going on today and it made me come up with a fun list (and I love lists!)

So, it’s Saturday and I wish I was…

At the National Book Festival
SO many great tweets on this and it just makes me wish I was right there in the action! Jodi Picoult is speaking and was excited to meet Judy Blume… Apparently, the John Grisham tent is overflowing with thousands of fans…. David Baldacci is a great speaker…one of the Twitter peeps I follow was Sitting. by. Lois. Lowry. Lois Lowry!

Oh, it’s Saturday and I wish I was at the National Book Festival!

Instead, this is what I am doing…which is all good too.

It’s Saturday and I am….

Catching up on RealMomsGuide season 1
There is one more episode left in season 1 and I’m going back and watching all the episodes of this great Web Reality Series that follows 4 Real Moms of Arizona. It’s my guilty pleasure and you should check it out if you haven’t seen it. They are mini-episodes so it doesn’t take long to watch each one. I love the one when Vanessa talks about getting her boob job after nursing 5 babies and the one where Dana talks about her husband Hoop who is a stay at home dad. So many fun, relevant issues these moms discuss.

It’s Saturday and I am….

Lining up guest bloggers
Speaking of RealMomsGuide, several mom bloggers who contributed to the new funny book See Mom Run: Side Splitting Essays by the World’s Most Harried Blogging Moms by Role Mommy founder and author Beth Feldman are going to be guest blogging for two weeks in October to promote the See Mom Run book and tour.

In addition, there is a fun mommy blogger contest over at RealMomsGuide where you can submit your favorite post from your own blog for a chance to win a new Blackberry! Check out some examples from humor author and super cool mom blogger Kathy Buckworth, whose book and blog – Blackberry Diaries: Adventures in Modern Motherhood and The Blackberry Diaries – I’ve recently fell in love with.

It’s Saturday and I am also reading….

So I can’t be at the National Book Festival, but I am catching up some reading, writing and reviewing.

Best Fall Teen Lit
I’m having so much fun putting together my story on the Best Fall Teen Lit. Today, I’m starting Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick (which came highly recommended by teen lit fav Megan McCafferty in my Labor Day Book Picks Story.) about a young soldier who gets injured in Iraq and is putting the pieces back together after his head injury.

Megan had also recommended Adromeda Klein by the ultra creative and talented Frank Portman which I GOBBLED UP and included on my list.

Others that blew me away: Going Bovine by Libba Bray and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (move over Edward and Bella – new teen paranormal romance will blow them away!). Such great YA novelists and books out there right now – which makes it fun to write this story.

And I’m not done yet, so if you have recommendations for this story on great Teen Lit – let me know!

Pieces of Happily Ever After
I shared the book trailer with you on my Thursday Must List and now the book has arrived. It starts off with a woman who is holed up in her house because the paparazzi are outside waiting to get the scoop on something. Liz and Lisa highly recommended this book by Irene Zutell and gushed to me about her on Facebook. I think they are right- Irene Zutell is one to add to our fab list of women authors. Join us and follow Irene on Twitter.

Little Bird of Heaven
If I had to pick one all-time favorite author, Joyce Carol Oates would have to be it. And I’ve just gotten her new book, Little Bird of Heaven, in the mail. This is like her 500th novel or some crazy number. I’ve been hooked on her since We Were the Mulvaneys. And after just three chapters of this new book, I’m hooked again.

So, it’s Satruday… and now the sun is finally out (goodbye rain and fog!)… and I smell coffee cake!

Related posts:

1. Must-Read Monday
2. Thursday-Must List
3. Friday Reads/Spring Break