Like most women, Brooke Burke wears many hats: former Playboy model, current co-host and season seven winner of Dancing with the Stars and online entrepreneur. But, first and foremost, she’s just your average mother of four, struggling to find the time to pick up after her children, connect with her husband and get the grocery shopping done.
Burke’s first book, The Naked Mom, is a breezy, delightful read that will have readers chuckling as she recounts what she’s learned about life, love and herself along the way. In it, she shares these 10 tips on how to survive the crazy, and while you’re at it, regain a little piece of yourself. [Ed note: All quotes from preview galley may differ slightly from finished book.]
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Take advantage of the free makeovers offered at department store makeup counters; then use the color diagram they provide you as a paint-by-number for your face.
Take an opinionated, chic friend with you when you shop, and don’t be afraid to change up your style and make a statement.
A glass of water twenty minutes of so before a meal gives your stomach a chance to feel fuller from the get-go.
Every mom needs an inner bitch…she’s not a reaction, she’s a reinforcement—of my presence, of my boundaries, of my commitment to being always true to myself.
The biggest gift you can every give yourself as a mom is permission. You have to allow yourself to find your own way, define your own boundaries and shaping your own philosophies, without holding yourself hostage to the ideals of that nonexistent “supermom.”
I hide in my closet when I need a good cry. (It’s the only space that’s all mine.)
Every woman needs another woman to count on. One you can always run to when you feel lost, one who picks up the phone at 2 a.m., one who says you and your four kids can move in if need be, one who tells you, yes, your ass looks fat in those jeans.
Treat yourself to one of the burlesque how-to videos you can easily shop for online, or even better, take your man on a date to enjoy a live show. Make a few mental notes about the moves that seem to grab his attention the most.
Sometimes it seems like we have a birthday party to go to every weekend. I look for toy-of-the-year awards and buy a dozen of the same thing in each of my kids’ age ranges. Then we prewrap and label them so they’re ready to go.
It’s good to break the rules once in a while! Because I’m the mommy and I said so, that’s why.
Pub info:
The Naked Mom: A Modern Mom’s Fearless Revelations, Savvy Advice, and Soulful Reflections
Brooke Burke
NAL / Feb. 1, 2011 / 9780451232335 / $25.95
