Many women are blindsided by the realities of stepmotherhood, and resentment and frustration over blended family issues and responsibilities can have an adverse effect on one’s marriage and one’s health (according to US Census data, between 60 and 70 percent of second marriages end in divorce). In her new book, The Happy Stepmother, Dr. Rachelle Katz addresses the common causes, complaints, and concerns voiced by many stepmothers on her website, Steps For Step Mothers, and offers up 10 steps that women can take to stay sane, find support, and thrive in their blended families. A psychotherapist, Katz shares parts of her own stepmothering story in the book. Here’s one poignant lesson: “I had to accept the possibility that, despite all my best efforts, my stepdaughter might grow to dislike me because of what her mother said about me, rather than loving me as a thoughtful and generous stepmother,” she confesses. “I was sad that I had so little control over a relationship that mattered so much to me, but I understand that not having control was also a fact in many other aspects of life.” Her solution? “I made a conscious choice to focus on what I could control and to live in the present, rather than worrying about what might, or might not, occur in the future.” Sage advice.

$15.95 at Amazon.

I’ve been trying to pare down to using fewer skincare products and just discovered one that is absolutely awesome. This Drink Up mask from Origins feels just like regular lotion and you put it on overnight. When I do this I find that my skin is softer in the morning and after using it for a few weeks now, I think the overall dryness is improving as well. So big endorsement from me here!

$21 at Origins

If you love Hanna Andersson style, but aren’t wild about Hanna’s regular prices, now’s the time to gear up for Winter. (Oh, I know it seems early. But believe me, the cold weather will be here before you know it!)

Right now you can shop the Hanna Andersson Cold Snap Sale and scoop up those indestructible (not to mention adorable) parkas, snowpants, and other cold-weather goodies at prices that they usually reserve for the end of the season. And then you’ve not only saved money, you’re ready when that first frost hits. That’s a great deal!

Kids love toys that they can twist, turn, and interact with; Twisterz capitalizes on this love of manipulation with their new line of educational toys. They’re ideal for keeping kids occupied in the car — no noisy electronics, no batteries to replace — and they develop kids’problem-solving, reading, and spelling skills as well as their hand-eye coordination. The colorful, durable plastic cylinders have removable rings that kids can twist and turn and line up to create stories, match pictures to letters, or make up words. My nearly 6-year-old loves the Story Starter (she lines up the cylinders and then reads them all, one after the other, to create a complete story, instead of using the sentences as a springboard), and both she and my not-quite-4-year-old got a kick out of the Word Builder, which lets kids string letters together to create their own two- to six-letter-long words (it’s great for practicing phonics). The Alphabet Matcher was also a hit, and would be fun for even younger kids as well.

$12.99 (Story Starter, Word Builder) and $18.99 (Alphabet Matcher) at Oompa.

I’ve never been a big make-up person; the foundations I tried never matched my skin tone, I never felt natural, and I always ended up with bronze powder coating everything in my make-up bag. I tried Brush2Go recently, and was surprised to find that they were perfect on all counts. Their 100-percent pure mineral foundations go on lightly and easily, and their refillable brushes are 100-percent pure genius — twist the container of powder onto the brush, and sweep the stuff over your face (when you’re done, a built-in sleeve protects the puff as you put on the lid and chuck the whole thing into your bag). The mineral makeup is SPF 20, never tested on animals, and free of talc, oil, fillers, perfumes, and dyes. And they actually matched my skin tone. Fabulous!

Foundations and bronzers with brushes are $55 each (refills are $30); pre-filled brushes of blush are $40 at Beauty Cosmetics.

Today the Amazon Gold Box holds the Canon PIXMA MP560 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Photo Printer—which is certainly a mouthful—for just $69 shipped. This is the kind of printer that can complete your home office, or even just serve as the perfect family printer for both homework and photos.

It’s wireless. It can print without borders (yay for perfect pictures!) and even has a setting to default to double-sided printing, saving paper. Hook it up directly, use it over the network, or plug in your camera’s memory card for quick prints. However you use it, you’re getting a highly-rated workhorse for an incredible price.

Though I’m no newbie when it comes to online shopping, I’ve always been a bit leery about ordering groceries or personal products from websites. What if you end up paying a lot more for the same product you could buy at the local store? What if they don’t carry that crazy brand of organic conditioner your teenager insists on using? What if your shipment takes forever to arrive?

The solution, at least for the personal products side of the problem, is Soap.com. You don’t have to worry about missing a great sale or having a coupon code; they offer e-coupons and they even accept manufacturer’s coupons (you know, the old-fashioned kind that you clip from the Sunday paper). Just mail them in — they get filed away in your account and are automatically applied once you place those particular items in your shopping cart. And you don’t have to worry about them not having what you want in stock: With more than 25,000 products from 900 brands, they probably have a better selection that your neighborhood megamart.

Ordering is super-easy (you can pay with any major credit card or with PayPal) and since the site shares a shopping cart with Diapers.com, you can shop for baby and pay for everything at one time. Orders over $49 get free two-day shipping (thought they can’t ship to post office boxes, APOs, international addresses, Alaska, or Hawaii). And they even had the crazy conditioner my kids love — at a price lower than the store from which we usually buy it.

Right now, new Soap.com customers can get 15% off their first order by using promo code WORKITMOM.

If you’re trying to decorate or organize a small space (like a dorm room, a child’s bedroom, or a home office), these brightly colored pieces pack a one-two punch. Covered in polyester microsuede, the 15-inch cubes come in eye-popping colors like fuchsia, teal, and lime green as well as basic black and chestnut brown. Lift the lid to find a surprisingly good amount of space inside — enough for a family of stuffed animals, a fleet of toy cars, reams of printer paper, or even a college kid’s dirty laundry.

$17 each at Target stores.

I promised my daughter a new backpack and lunchbox for the new school year and came across this highly adorable set by Crocodile Creek. Showed her and she is now anticipating its arrival with much excitement. Tons of designs available, for girls and boys, and all materials are PVC, phthalates, and lead free.

$36.68 for the set but also sold separately @ Amazon

Check out our slideshow on the Coolest Back-to-School Items!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… time to send the kids back into the wonderful world of staying out of trouble learning! But what’s this? Your children have seemingly grown an entire foot over the summer? No worries! It’s stock-up time at Children’s Place, with plenty of $10, $7, and even $5 deals (and that’s aside from their clearance sale savings, where it’s a great time to put away clothes for next summer).

Shipping is always just a flat $5, and to make it all even better, through September 1st, 2010, use coupon code C9AG9MP98A to save an additional 15% on your order. Your kids will be stylin’, and you’ll have money left over.