Valentine's Day is fast approaching, which means a slew of love-centered books have hit the shelves - and I'm not talking about romance novels, either. We're celebrating five great non-fiction books about love all week at Athena's Bookshelf during this, our Love Week.

If you missed the Golden Globes on Sunday, you missed some fun fashion disasters and Kate Winslet's gushing acceptance speech declaring her undying love for Leonardo di Caprio. At least that's how my gushy-crush radar took it.

Two weeks with no work and three young 'uns and a couple of national holidays thrown in for good measure sounds pretty divine to this mod mama. In my fantasy, we'll all sleep in every day, play quietly until it's time for lunch and then spend the afternoon playing board games, watching movies and reading books. Ahhh. Just don't tell my kids my fantasy. They'll laugh it all the way to the moon. But, maybe, just maaaaaaybe, you can squeeze in a new movie or a great book over the holidays. Here are some for your consideration:

The best part of the holiday season? For me, it's the small stuff. Like hot chocolate with mini marshmallows and holiday decorations with lots of my favorite color, red. Here's a list of more things I'm "holidelighted" about this year....

Whether it's a Girls Night In or just an evening for yourself curled up in your jammies with some hot cocoa (or Flirtini, read on), I've got a hot ticket for you this Saturday night courtesy of Lifetime TV at 8 p.m. CST. Heather Locklear and Lipstick Jungle's resident hottie Robert Buckley, many years her junior, star in Flirting with Forty, a tale of a divorced mother of two who spends the holidays in Hawaii since her kiddos are with the ex.

Due to award season, a lot of the great movies are released in the fall. Fortunately, for the ladies, a lot of them feature super hotties, too. It's okay, gals. There's nothing wrong with looking.

My husband loves horror flicks. Is it a guy thing? Too much testosterone and all that? Now, to be fair, I know there are girls out there that love a good scare. Me? Not one of them. In fact, after I was traumatized for life after seeing bits of The Excorcist when I was a tween, I should've known to stop right there. But did I listen? Nooooo.

If there's a techie bandwagon, I'm typically the one holding the reins. I'm what tech marketers refer to as an "early adopter." If there's a a new widget, gadget or electronic what-cha-ma-cal-it, I'm your girl to try it out. In past posts you've heard me rave about Tivo and my iPhone and I'm pretty much all over the web with guest blogging and social networking on places like Facebook and Twitter. What I've found is people are usually really into blogging and updating their social networking sites, or they're a lurker. But not in the creepy sense.

I always look forward to Fall for two reasons: 1) kids are back in school after a long summer together and 2) the new TV season kicks off. Here's a look at what one mod mama thinks of the boob tube's offerings so far....

I watched two things this weekend. One was entertaining, the other decidedly not. Which was what?

This week as the political sphere gets weirder and smearier, I'm heading back to safer pop-cult waters. Modmama's Family Flick Pick? Son of Rambow starring...

I don't feel like talking about music or movies or fashion this week. Can you blame me? With the hurricane threats, the start of the Republican National Convention and the huge news that McCain picked a working mother of five as his running mate, well, you tell me what movie is juicier than real life right about now.

I can't think of two more likeable comedians than Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, two SNL alums whose careers are only getting bigger. Fey can be seen as a stressed-out producer on 30 Rock (co-starring Alec Baldwin) and Poehler is said to be getting her own upcoming sitcom, but they transition very well to the big screen.

One of my favorite parts of the Olympics is hearing what the athletes are listening to just before their performance. Do they like slow music to settle them down or rock music to pump them up?

August is a scorcher in Oklahoma so staying in and watching a movie is the ideal evening family activity. (Or post kids' bedtime.) Thanks to Netflix and Cox Movie-on-Demand, you don't even have to leave the house to pick out the flick. If you don't subscribe to those services, get to your nearest McDonalds for redbox's $1 a day rentals.

I didn't exactly go to San Francisco to find a Wii Fit, but that's how it worked out. On a break from a writer's conference on the cool and crowded streets of downtown SanFran last week, I asked my pals if I could pop in to the Game Stop to see if they had any of the popular fitness video games. I'd been desperately searching for the game (which comes with a balance board) since May with no luck.

The Dark Knight has broken all kinds of box office records, and I'm sure by the time you read this, it will have broken some more. The "Batman" series has come a long way since Michael Keaton first donned the bat suit on the big screen twenty years ago with Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Fast forward two decades and the unbelievably-cool special effects bring the good versus evil plot to a whole new level.

If you haven't jumped on the XM Radio bandwagon, you just don't know what you're missin'. Some of my friends have been on XM since it's conception, and though I'm usually an early adopter of technology, I just never got around to buying the receiver radio that you need in your car.

I’ll admit I’m not much of a TV watcher, so it’s not often I’ll comment from personal experience about what’s happening on the “boob tube.” Sure, there are hundreds of channels to choose from, but few, in my view, are really must-see TV.

I heard a dismal statistic not long ago that the average American reads one book per year. Many people who tell me they “don’t have time to read,” of course either spend that time watching TV or happen to be in the depths of child-rearing unable to keep their head lifted for the amount of effort it takes to read and then comprehend what one has read. I get that. I still suffer from mama brain quite often.

Branson Landing, the newest area in an old resort favorite, gives Branson, MO some much-needed cache with a row of luxury retail options nestled next to the river. Shopping enthusiasts could easily while away an entire day on Branson Landing before heading off to a show.

I'm going to admit it. I'm a Sex (and the City) addict. Because my hubby and I never splurged for HBO, I watched every season on DVD, typically in half-day increments or late at night on my laptop after the kids had gone to bed. I actually think it's the preferable way to watch it.

Designer trends come and go, but one that looks like it's here to stay is the popularity of outdoor living. More and more homeowners are adding on "outdoor rooms" or dressing up their former bland patio to create an outdoor oasis fit for the king and queen of the house.

If you’re, say, an eleven-year-old boy, then this summer’s box office blockbusters will be right up your alley.... Don’t despair, fine lady, there are a few just for women flicks this summer.

One may not want to think of their lifestyle as “trendy,” yet that’s the word that comes to mind when thinking of the popularity of loft-style living popping up all over the metro.

Anyone else use the sixty-degree high as an excuse to drag out your flip-flops? Yeah. So maybe flip-flops are officially a summer feet treat, but I like to introduce them into my spring wardrobe as soon as I get my first pedicure.

For manic mamas, TV time comes intermittently and I’m not talking about catching bits of Phinneus and Ferb. I’m talking grown-up, chick TV. Some shows are starting back up this week, including the ever-funny The Office. But until then, check out the offerings on....

The must-have fashion accessory for mod mamas this season isn’t a lemon chiffon-colored bag, but the sleek black iPhone inside of it. The do-everything device seems custom-made for harried moms and being one myself, I’ll take a whack at justifying the expense. One raises a suspicious brow when something is said to be “life-changing,” yet I find it apropos. After all, the thing is glued to my hip like a child.

Anyone else out there an AI fan? Come on, now. Admit it. I tell people I watch because it’s “the only thing I can watch with my kids”, but truth be told, I dig it. I like the early auditions full of beauty and the beasts, I like hellacious Hollywood week, and getting down to numero uno ain’t half bad, either.

I’ve got a mad crush on Michael Bublé. With Sinatra-esque stylings and the charisma of Elvis, Bublé is the rare throwback entertainer who manages to make everything old new again. The fact that he sings about love is just the icing on the cake. This coming from a mod mama who prefers listening to rap music over golden oldies whilst cleaning the toilies. True story. But that was before Oprah introduced me to MB.

What are you wearing right now? Did I catch you in your velour tracksuit? Or your favorite holy sweats you wear religiously about four days a week? Hey, I know it’s Monday and it’s snowing outside, but if you’re dressed like that and would be willing to leave the house in it, you could be a schlumpa-dinka.

Thank God the Writer’s Guild strike is over. Sure, I care that a billion bucks were lost during the strike and that it’ll mean I won’t get my IV of new Grey’s Anatomy ‘til fall. But the real reason I and the rest of you fashion-lovin’ fems needed the strike to be over, was because Oscar wasn’t going to cross the picket line.