As you can see, I gave in to temptation!

The other day I was pleased to receive a sample of Keri's Nourishing Shea Butter Moisture Therapy lotion to try out. My Ethiopian daughters both have dry skin, the four year old more than the two year old. And at this time of year we run our wood stove 24 hours a day, which makes their skin even dryer.

I have been using Eucerin, which works well for us when when it comes to moisture- it is the only thing I've found that has enough moisture for my girls. But it is extremely thick. It reminds me of Crisco. It takes lots of rubbing to make the lotion... more

This weekend my husband and most of my teenagers are up in the mountains at snow camp. I wanted something fun to do with my younger children while the big kids and dad were away. So before my husband left, he and I went to the video store and picked out a few movies for a movie night.

Akeelah and the Bee was one of the ones we picked, and I am so glad we did. This movie tells the story of an African American girl from a poor neighborhood in LA... more

I wanted to tell you about a site put together by a mom who is expecting her referral from Ethiopia any day now. In this wait she noticed that it is possible to buy t-shirts for with adoption slogans for families adopting from China and other countries, but nothing for Ethiopia.

She designed shirts for herself and some friends, and in the process discovered that there was broader interest than she'd thought. Her website is called Making A Difference. $4 from every shirt goes towards... more

Back when I shared the petition with you, asking Disney to make an African Cinderella, I can't believe I forgot to mention the Cinderella movie that DOES feature a Black woman. It is my beloved Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella! Here's the Amazon description of the movie.

A prince, a pumpkin, a glass slipper ... history's most enduring fairy tale returns with a thoroughly modern... more

Recently Sourcebooks contacted me asking me to review the book Poetry Speaks To Children. This 104 page book comes with a CD of the poems being read. The poems are written by authors from many eras, from Robert Frost to Sylvia Plath to William Shakespeare.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of the children of every color portrayed on the pages. Since we have become a multi-cutural family, I have become increasingly aware... more

Rebecca asked about Ethiopian folk tales we can share with our children. My favorite author by far in this category is Jane Kurtz, who lived in Ethiopia for quite awhile and has written many stories about Ethiopia. But there are several other books out there worth reading. Here's a list I compiled. I'd be very interested to hear about favorites other people have found, so share 'em in links if you've got some.

Ashabranner, Brent K.(editor ) The Lion's Whiskers and Other Ethiopian Tales- 1997 - Different Ethiopian folktales... more

Just had to mention that Melissa Fay Greene's book There Is No Me Without You is currently in the top 10 on the Powell's Books Bestseller list at Powell's Books in Portland. They are selling signed copies from Greene's book-signing there last week, so if you were planning on picking up a copy, now's your chance to get a signed copy.

Powell's Interview with Melissa Fay Greene

Part 2 Interview with author of There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children

(Part 1 here)

Mary: Did you have any surprising revelations in the research process?

Melissa Fay Greene: Oh good heavens, the last... more

Melissa Fay Greene, author of There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children graciously took time from her book tour to chat with me about her book. I will be sharing this interview in two parts. **** Part 1 Mary: Melissa, what made you first realize that you needed to write this book?

Melissa: I humbly felt... more