Chicken Soup For The Soul: All In The Family Giveaway

I just finished reading Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. This book was co-authored by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Amy Newmark, and Susan M. Heim. Susan Heim is a fellow blogger. Her blog is entitled Susan Heim on Parenting. As the mother of four boys (two twin preschoolers and two teenagers), she uses her own insights into parenthood when writing. Her site is very uplifting and informative so I urge fellow moms to visit to see what she has to say.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family is the perfect holiday read, since for many of us, this is often one of the few times we get to spend time with our family. The illustration on the front cover is a spoof of Norman Rockwell's classic "Freedom From Want" painting. Not everyone is smiling nor are they wearing their "Sunday best". One young man is texting at the table (cell phones were unheard of in Rockwell's day and age). This illustration embodies what you will find within the pages of this book.

Most of us would not consider our families "normal", not if we were going by the standards set by the Cleavers, the iconic TV family from the early 1960s. Many of us have wacky relatives and family baggage. Sitting down to a meal together is often not a quiet nor a harmonious affair. No amount of planning can account for those family gatherings that go awry.

This book has chapters on in-laws, eccentrics, forgiveness, memories, and even family secrets. Some are hilarious like "Family Antics in Fancy Places" and some will move you to tears such as "On Esther Time", one of my favorite stories. These stories are written by the people who experienced them. You will see yourself and your family members in many of these stories. One thing this book will remind you of is that there is nothing like family and the lessons that they can teach us.

Win your very own copy of
Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family

To win your own copy, all you have to do is one (or more) of the following
and leave a comment for each:

*Share a story or anecdote about your "dysfunctional" family

*Become a follower of The Practical Mom Guide and if you are already a follower just leave a comment stating that you already follow

*Subscribe to The Practical Mom Guide

*Tweet (maximum once daily) about this giveaway (don't forget to leave a link)

*Add The Practical Mom Guide to your blogroll

*Become a fan of The Practical Mom Guide on Facebook

This giveaway will end on January 6, 2010. I will announce the winner on January 6th here at The Practical Mom Guide. Please make sure that you leave an email address or some way of contacting you (if your email or blog is not on your blog profile) in the instance that you are the winner. If I am unable to contact the winner within 24 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Good luck and thanks for participating!

*Contest only open to U.S. residents.