MY FOOT IS TOO BIG FOR THE GLASS SLIPPER

Practical advice on mothering and being a wife.

When beach-volleyball star and fashion model Reece (Big Girl in the Middle, 1998) became a mother, she tackled it just like she did everything else in her life: head-on and with no baloney. With the assistance of Karbo (How Georgia Became O'Keeffe, 2011, etc.), Reece blends simple wisdom on being a mom, wife and friend with personal anecdotes. The end result is mostly a series of platitudes on life—"exercise is the key to everything," "spending time with couples who are making their marriages work ups the odds that you'll make yours work, too," "eating well is not complicated," "if you want your partnership to last, you better plan on being naked and smiling”—with humorous comments on being a new mom and wife. Reece covers birthing, exercise, diet, sex, commitment and the need for community service, but most of the information is similar to what can be found in many women’s magazines. Reece advocates for less computer and electronic-gadget time—get outdoors and enjoy the scenery, she writes—stresses the importance of children knowing who's in charge while allowing them time to become their own independent selves, and encourages women to take time for themselves, even for an hour. The end result is not that women have it all, but that they are the queens of their domains; if they have the kindness, generosity and work ethic to reach for that goal, then they “will live interestingly ever after."

Often-heard, occasionally useful advice on how to be a successful mom and partner.