“Don’t forget that your real life is in the ‘doing’, not in the achievements.” –SuChin Pak

It’s true, isn’t it? When we get caught up in reaching the next level (grades, promotions, awards), we fail to appreciate that the real fun and learning opportunities come with the process, not the prize.

This new body image guide by Dara Chadwick is a must-read for every mom–and dads will find plenty of helpful tips, too.

I’m giving away a copy to one lucky reader. Enter here! The winner will be announced on June 25th.

Here it is! The cover of my next book, co-authored with Magali Amadei.

Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat? The Essential Guide to Loving Your Body Before and After Baby is “due” October 1st, 2009. We surveyed and interviewed more than four hundred women for this project and we were absolutely floored by their honesty. We know you will be, too. A few things we learned:

Seventy-eight percent of women we surveyed who do not have children yet or don’t plan to have children said they have concerns about how pregnancy and motherhood will change their bodies. At the top of the list of concerns? Weight (how much they’ll gain during pregnancy and how soon they’ll be able to lose it after delivery).

Women keep their body worries to themselves. Fifty-seven percent said they don’t talk about the connections between body image, pregnancy, and motherhood with their friends. Fifty-one percent said they never discuss the connections with their partners. Many told us that they don’t want to admit to their fears because others might deem them “selfish.”

Perhaps most disturbing is the silence between patients and doctors. Of the pregnant women and mothers we surveyed who said they have a history of body image issues, disordered eating or eating disorders, seventy-six percent said they did not discuss this history with their OB or midwife.

For all the buzz about celebrity mom slim-downs and “how to get your body back,” there are some serious insecurities that mothers and mothers-to-be just aren’t talking about. Our hope is that this book will spark those conversations and help women find the support they need and deserve. We’ll be previewing more stats, facts and quotes in the months leading up to the book release, and we invite you to share your thoughts and experiences.

We’ll also be at Book Expo. If you are there, please stop by and say hello! Take a sneak peek at our Healthy Beauty Pledge (more on that soon) and pick up a gift bag filled with goodies from Mama Mio, Carol’s Daughter, Preggie Pops, and more. We’ll be at the HCI booth (#2559) on Friday, May 29th from 3-4 p.m. and in the central signing area on Saturday, May 30th at 11:30 a.m. And yes, we’ll be tweeting.

This is just one of many activities and tidbits of info you can find in the Double-Daring Book for Girls by Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz, a follow-up  to their wildly popular Daring Book for Girls. I did attempt to dye my own hair with Kool-Aid once–I’m certain the process would have gone a lot more smoothly had I owned this book.

You can also learn how to play the harmonica, build a raft, impress people with your knowledge of the longest words in the dictionary, and much more. The mix of how-to and history puts The Double-Daring Book for Girls in that rare category of books that parents will find educational and girls will find a whole lot of fun!

May 4-8, 2009 is Girls Inc. Girls’ Rights Week! It is time to celebrate your rights:

What would the world look like if all girls had their rights? Here’s a list of ways you can be a part of Girls’ Rights Week!

Pitcher MacKenzie Brown retired eighteen boys on Tuesday and became the first girl in Bayonne Little League history to throw a perfect game. Go MacKenzie! She’ll be throwing out the first pitch at Citi Field when the New York Mets play the Washington Nationals tomorrow. [ESPN]

I’ll be at Girls Inc. of Sarasota tonight giving a talk on how to give up the quest to be a supergirl and start celebrating what makes you an amazing girl. If you’re in the area, the event is open to the public and begins at 7 p.m. All the details are here. Hope to see you there!

The winner of the autographed copy of RED: Teenage Girls Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today is…Jen!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Jen, check your inbox for more details.

I went over to The Grove today to leave a copy of my book in a public spot for Operation Teen Book Drop. I found the perfect bench–right in between Anthropologie and Forever 21.

I did a little stakeout in my hat and dark sunglasses (okay, maybe just the dark sunglasses–but it WAS really sunny) and actually spotted the couple who picked it up! Of course I am imagining that they have a daughter or niece the perfect age for the book.

How fun would it be if everyone who participated got a chance to see where those dropped books ended up? I would love to hear some follow-up stories!

I will be dropping copies of my book around LA for Operation Teen Book Drop. Can’t wait!

Any other other authors or teen readers who want to participate? Get more info here. See you at the after party.