New Look, New Site, New Book, but it's still all the same. I promise.

Hey! What happened to A Year of Slow Cooking?

it's here! it's all right here!

{if you are reading this in a reader or through email, none of this is going to make any sense. I urge you to click through to the main site to see what I'm talking about}

Welcome to the great-big-huge-honking site redesign! It's new. It's different. But all of your favorite (and even your not-so-favorite) recipes are all here, and all of your bookmarks will continue to work forever and ever.

I've wanted to tie my different writing endeavors together for quite a while now, and Jennette Fulda, of Make My Blog Pretty figured it out.

Because she is wonderful.

I'm still playing around with the features and learning the ins and outs of the software (I'm a slow learner) but I couldn't be happier. 

I hope you enjoy the new design and the new features in the header. There's also a brand new home page that's pretty cool (it moves! and has random generator thingies!) You'll find links to pretty much anything I could think of that you might want/need, and there's a shiny new downloadable page with free stuff on it.

Just for you.

This website makeover is in honor of my new book: Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life

 

I began writing this book when my oldest child was a baby---over nine years ago. I was running a drop-in childcare center at the local courthouse and my little one came to work with me every day. I was listening to time management seminars on tape while I worked, and kept thinking that there should be a day timer for moms. Not a blank one--- those already existed--- I wanted someone to TELL me what to do.  

 I wanted someone (or thing) to tell me to change the sheets, to disinfect the remote controls, to wipe down the blinds, and to call my mom. I wanted to be reminded to do a breast self-exam and to make dental appointments for me and the family. I wanted someone to walk me through the Winter Holiday months (in a non-preachy or judgmental way).

I wanted encouragement.  And someone to tell me I was doing a good job, even when I was sleep-deprived and had spit-up in my hair.

So I emailed the Franklin Covey company and told them that they should make a planner for moms. I corresponded back and forth with their development department a few times before I was kind of blown off (they sent me a 15% off coupon and a form letter). 

I then did what any good red-blooded American would do. I got mad and made one of my very own.

 This book has had a rather long and difficult pregnancy. It took me 2 years for me to find and secure a literary agent, then another 3 years for her to find a publisher (I've got an awfully nice collection of reject letters).

And then that publisher backed out (due to the economy) after it was ready to go to print.

(years 6 and 7)

and it took another year for me to find a new publisher.

(year 8)

meanwhile, the crockpot thing was taking on a life of it's own, for which I am eternally grateful, because if it wasn't for the crockpot thing, this book wouldn't have come to life.

but it's here. And it's because of you.

Thank you.

I really hope you enjoy it.

reprinted from the Introduction:

"There is just too much to do and nowhere near enough time to do it!" All over the world women are faced with the daily dilemma of trying to cram more and more into an already over-crowded schedule. Who has time for a monthly breast self-exam when there is weekly dusting and vacuuming, daily meal planning, hourly diapers to change, a baby to nurse, and a sibling argument to referee every five to ten minutes? How on earth can moms take the time to exercise and floss when showering daily is a luxury in which many don't indulge?

As a new mom I found myself wishing for some sort of guide that laid everything out. Some sort of system that reminded me to make dental appointments for everyone in the family every six months. A planner to help with the daily, weekly, and monthly chores so nothing was forgotten. A little bird to whisper in my ear that it's time to update the baby book and family scrapbook. A pat on the back and a friendly nudge to take a long bath and take the time to shave my legs properly.

I came up with Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life as a way to help me as I waded through the vast number of "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts" that I came across in parenting, housekeeping, and self-help books and magazines. Totally Together gave me the permission and tools I needed to whip through the daily chores and minutiae and move on to what I really wanted to do: spend time with my family and enjoy living life. My hope is that your Totally Together journal will be of help to you and your family, too.

Have a fantastic day. I hope you enjoy the new site, and thank you deeply for your love and support-- it means so very much. xoxo steph

p.s.: if you find any site snafus/weirdness, please email me at contact@stephanieodea.com