I’m all about the useful, practical gadgets and gizmos that make things easier for me. When I’m traveling, I’m even more in love with handy products, particularly those that pack well and pack a lot of usefulness into their compactness. Here are a few products I find indispensible when I’m on the road:

1. Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger - This charger turns a single wall outlet into a charger for three devices plus has two USB ports to charge other devices. I’ve found this device particularly handy when I’m at conferences where power outlets are at a premium. I can share a single outlet with several people at once so we all get a charge.

2. Cobra CPI-150 Micro Port 150 Watt Power Inverter (Black) - I use this power inverter above and carry it with me to use in rental cars when I’m traveling on business to charge my inevitably low-on-power laptop. It comes in a small pleather zipped pouch to compactly hold both inverter box and plug. My ony complaint about this device is that it is small, and I often overlook it or forget it on some of my trips. I’ve thought of keeping it in my car but then tend to forget to grab it and put it into my bag when I’m getting on a flight. I need to start keeping it in my computer bag!
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I’ve asked some talented women to help me judge submissions for the Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken book giveaway.

All three of these women are entrepreneurial moms.

Here they are:

Aimee Giese

Aimee Giese is a business owner, graphic designer, web developer and photographer based in Denver. She and her husband Bryan have one son, Declan, who is in third grade and who I’ve met and is a brilliant kid.

Aimee says she is proud to call herself a mommy blogger, but confesses she is probably more of a lifestyle blogger who talks about her kid a lot.

She is a brilliant photographer (I love her work) and also loves music, travel, social media, technology and liberal politics, all of which inform her blog Greeblemonkey.

Danielle Elwood

Danielle Elwood is the mother of two boys, Camden, and Benjamin, and married to a veteran Marine and volunteer fire fighter.

She authors Momotics.com and writes for various other projects including her blog on Being Pregnant at Babble.com.

She is a self described birth activist and feminist, and is expecting her third child in May of 2011.

What she doesn’t mention is she’s also a “Wine Fairy.”

Maya Bisineer

Maya Bisineer is an entrepreneur and the founder of Memetales - a place to share and celebrate children’s stories. I presented with her this past year at Blissdom and really respect her work and vision.

Maya also helps individuals and companies build their brands using social media.

You can read all about her at http://thinkmaya.com/about-Maya

Thanks to these three creative, awesome celebrity mom bloggers for agreeing to help me select the upcoming winner of the book Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken.

I haven’t ever run a contest here before but received an email offering up a copy of the book Percy, The Perfectly Imperfect Chicken by Rick Rieser (Author) and Dan Seward (Illustrator) and published at FastPencil.com. Having a four-year-old daughter, I’m always looking for books that teach good lessons. Percy deals with what it’s like to be different and what it means to be “perfect.”

This illustrated book creatively addresses the issues of prejudice and tolerance, two things that I have tried to address with my daughter even though she is only in preschool. I don’t think you can start too young with these kinds of important lessons.

The author has a daughter, too, so I’m sure he thought of this story with her in mind. He’s also a chicken farmer in addition to being a writer, by the way, so has some good experience observing chickens!

Do you have or know a child who would love a free copy of this book?

The giveaway is simple:

1. Must be based in the U.S.

2. Post a comment here on this blog stating why you’d like a copy of this book.

3. Deadline Oct 10.

4. Make sure to include your email address and/or URL in the comment form when you submit your comment but do NOT include your email in the body of the comment. We just need a way to contact you easily if you win. Even your Twitter handle could help us track you down!

I’ll ask 3 of my mommy blogger friends to judge the comments based on:

• creativity (I leave that up to you)
• emotional impact (funny or touching, etc)

So sharpen your pencils…I mean ready your typing fingers!

Why would YOU like to receive a copy of this book for a child you know?

I received a review copy of Simple Wisdom for the Not So Simple Business World by Lynda Barbaccia. The book incorporates the author’s suggestions for infusing the workplace with more positive energy and less stress. She emphasizes rituals, creating a sanctuary, and incorporating more mindfulness into one’s day. Chapters in the book are short but each guides you to a new activity or new way of looking at the old ways of work.

Here are some of her ideas for transforming work and the workplace:

1. 1. Lessen mess to create more harmony.
   2. Use a lamp versus overhead lights to add warmth to your workspace.
   3. Add color to your workspace understanding the energy of colors.
   4. Build a workplace shrine including a bowl to contain written intentions for improving business.
   5. Learn to meditate to bring more mindfulness to your work day.
   6. Let go of power struggles.
   7. Bring laughter and humor to your work.
   8. Smile.

Barbaccia’s book is compact, easy-to-read, and you can enter it at any chapter and receive some advice or guidance to making positive change in your work and work environment. I actually carried it around with me while traveling on business and found I could apply many of the practices in the book to any space and any work.

Buy the Book.

Download the Kindle version.

Also on my reading list:

Taming the Monkey Mind by Thubten Chodron

Comfortable with Uncertainty by Pema Chodron

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

What’s on YOUR reading list?