Famecrawler
From Punky to Parenting: Happy Chaos Book Giveaway
Punky Brewster was one of my favorite shows when I was growing up. Next month, Soleil Moon Frye has a book coming out called Happy Chaos: From Punky to Parenting and My Perfectly Imperfect Adventures in Between. As soon as I heard about it, I put it on my must-read list. And one of you will win a copy, too!
In case you are wondering about the title of the book: Soleil believes that Happy Chaos is a sign of a family operating at its best—when parents accept that they’ll make mistakes, there will be messes, tears and skinned knees.
I had a chance to ask her a few questions about parenting.
What has been the hardest part of parenting for you so far? “Trying to find the balance between being a great parent and also juggling work. I try to involve my kids as much as possible. They were my inspiration for Happy Chaos. They also help me design clothes and they are always coming up with fun ideas. I literally learn more from them than I could ever teach.”
How do you find a balance between parenting and the rest of life? “I do my best and on the days when I fall down and am not the perfect parent I try harder the next day. I love having lots of amazing things going on but I also try and be very present with my little ones. So when I take a break in the middle of the day, we get on the floor, we play and get messy, it is just us, no distractions.”
Tell me something funny your kids have done lately. “My 3 year old started calling out to a guy running shirtless the other day ‘Hey naked boy, I want to marry you’ We are in trouble :)”
Soleil sounds like such a regular mom! I had a hard time not asking her if I could be her BFF: was having flashbacks to Punky days.
Giveaway: One of you will win a copy of Happy Chaos, to be shipped after the release date of August 23.
Entry #1: Simply leave a comment telling me you want to win.
Entry #2: I shared that I adored Punky Brewster when I was growing up. Leave a second comment telling me what show/star you liked as a child.
Giveaway will close July 30 at 11:59pm and winner will be announced on July 31st. If you can’t wait, you can pre-order your copy of Happy Chaos.
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73 Comments
Sarah commented on Jul 26 11 at 8:25 amI would love to win this book! I just loved Punky Brewster as a kid!!
Sarah commented on Jul 26 11 at 8:40 amMy favourite show/star growing up was probably Mike Seaver/Kirk Cameron from the Growing Pains. I absolutely loved him!!! Even before it was a crush, it was because he made me laugh!!
Cindy G commented on Jul 26 11 at 8:46 amDefinitely want to read this book. I was a big fan of Punky growing up and I like what I hear when I read about Soleil Moon Frye.
Cindy G commented on Jul 26 11 at 8:46 amAgain, I was a big fan of Punky Brewster and later as I got a little older, Growing Pains.
susan varney commented on Jul 26 11 at 9:20 ammy granddaughters have started to do the potty dance its so cute
mverno@roadrunner.com
Denise commented on Jul 26 11 at 9:22 amI really want to win! Trying to get adjusted to the happy chaos that our house has become since bringing home our 5 week old daughter! :)
Denise commented on Jul 26 11 at 9:23 amI loved Clarissa explains it all!
susan varney commented on Jul 26 11 at 9:25 ami’d love to win thank-you
susan varney commented on Jul 26 11 at 9:27 ami like the dukes of hazzard
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amy commented on Jul 26 11 at 10:10 amI loved Little House but I also loved Punky! I even had my mom buy me shoes that were different colors, (pink, mint, blue Reeboks) and she still has them under the stairs!! LOL Punky was the first to break out and wear whatever she wanted. I loved Blossom too! They were my friends. I would love to win a book and will buy it if I don’t! I can’t wait to read it! (And . . . I had a really huge boobs too and got a reduction also!).
Shannon Baas commented on Jul 26 11 at 1:56 pmI want to win.
Dana commented on Jul 26 11 at 2:45 pmI would love to win this book! I am a HUGE Punky fan. I can remember going to the bank with my mom as a kid dressed with different color socks, a bandana around my knee, and pigtails. Punky Power!!! Please pick me!
brittany commented on Jul 26 11 at 3:27 pmLove it!
crystle tellerday commented on Jul 27 11 at 5:51 amid like to win
crystle tellerday commented on Jul 27 11 at 5:52 ami loved full house
angie commented on Jul 27 11 at 7:44 pmI watched Punky Brewster when I was a kid. I would love this.
renee walters commented on Jul 27 11 at 8:00 pmI would LOVE to win this book! I grew up watching Punky Brewster, and loved it! I even ordered the DVD set’s and had my kids watch them. It was a good, wholesome show. Thanks so much!
Renee Walters
bored2quickly@hotmail.com
Angie commented on Jul 28 11 at 7:29 amIt is so hard to juggle parenting and work! What a great interview!
Angie commented on Jul 28 11 at 7:30 amI loved Doogie Howser!!!! And Alex Keeten (Family Ties)
Nicole commented on Jul 28 11 at 7:57 amI would love to read this book.. you have peeked my interest :)
Thanks for the shot at it.
mom2kiddos commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:22 amIt was so cool that you got to interview her Shell. Congrats. This book sounds interesting and of course I’d like to win it – that is of course if you’ll ship it over to Malaysia. Anyways, I loved Doogie Howser and had a crush on him.
ashley p commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:25 amWould love to win this book!
ashley p commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:30 amI was a HUGE punky brewster fan! Other than her, I loved Alyssa Milano – I wanted to be Samantha Micelli
RoryBore commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:37 amI loved Punky too!! And this sounds like a celebrity mom book I could actually relate too. For me – since I am a country girl – it was Laura Ingall’s. Really, who doesn’t want to run down a hill covered in wildflowers?
angela commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:51 amI want to win :)
angela commented on Jul 28 11 at 8:51 amI loved The Facts of Life.
Stephanie commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:11 amI love reading parenting books, so of course would love to win this!
We didn’t have a tv until I was 10 and even then had no cable. I did enjoy Full House when we finally got cable (at 13) but honestly can’t say there was a show I was crazy over.
Cindi commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:14 amAwe, “Punky”‘s all grown up. Good lord I’m getting old. LoL.
I’d love to win her book.
Cindi commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:19 amMy favorite show as a kid and still now is Little House on the Prairie. :)
Jill commented on Jul 28 11 at 9:51 amWould love to win a copy of this book! I’m in Happy Chaos every day…or at least chaos. I watched “Little House on the Prairie” a lot as a kid, among others…The Jeffersons…The Monkeys…showing my age so I’ll stop now.
Krista W. commented on Jul 28 11 at 10:10 amOh Punky was my idol when I was a kiddo! And I adored Doogie Howser. If I could only be Punky then Doogie would have certainly wanted to marry me, right?
Happy Chaos – what a great theme and life philosophy with kids. My little one just turned 1 and now that she’s growing into being a toddler instead of baby, we’re having to learn this more and more each day. I would love this book as a guide to find the best way to be at peace with the chaos!
Emmy commented on Jul 28 11 at 10:12 amSounds like a great book and so fun you got to interview her! Hope to win
Emmy commented on Jul 28 11 at 10:13 amI liked DJ Tanner. She seemed so smart and was the big sister instead of one of the younger ones like me.
Mama Zen commented on Jul 28 11 at 10:24 amI would love to read this!
Secret Mom Thoughts commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:04 amI would love to win her book.
Secret Mom Thoughts commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:04 amI loved Punky Brewster.
steph commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:11 amBlossom, Clarissa, Facts of Life, and Little House were all fantastic. I giggle, though, that Ryan Reynolds is now a big star and I remember him as a scrawny kid on Fifteen. Does anyone else remember that show?
Heather H commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:12 amPunky Brewster was my favorite.
finallyMom commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:33 amOMG how awesome for you! :) I loved Punky and even thought my Lovie looked like her: http://finallymom.blogspot.com/2011/04/punky.html. ;D
i would love to win a copy of the book.
Runnermom-jen commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:33 amThat’s awesome, Shell!! I used to watch Punky Brewster all the time…so cool you got to interview her. You rock!
finallyMom commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:34 ammy favorite shows growing up included Punky, of course, Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Dukes of Hazzard, Facts of Life… ah man, the good ole days!
VandyJ commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:37 amI would love to read her book!
VandyJ commented on Jul 28 11 at 11:38 amThe TV start I loved as a kid growing up was Jo from Facts of Life.
HopefulLeigh commented on Jul 28 11 at 12:06 pmI loved Punky Brewster! Totally intrigued by Soleil’s book.
HopefulLeigh commented on Jul 28 11 at 12:11 pmMy favorite shows growing up were Full House, Growing Pains, Family Matters. Basically if it was on TGIF, I loved it.
Robin K commented on Jul 28 11 at 12:26 pmI would love a copy of this book! Not only have I loved her as an actress for decades now, I agree about chaos being good for kids!
Robin K commented on Jul 28 11 at 12:28 pmPunky Brewster was absolutely my favorite show growing up! I even tried to have her style (which never worked out very well) and adored everything about the show…even her dog…:)
Jessy commented on Jul 28 11 at 12:39 pmI would love to win this book!
Jessy commented on Jul 28 11 at 12:40 pmI loved watching Clarissa Explains It All, Punky, Blossom…the list goes on!
Tara L. commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:30 pmI would love to win. My favorite show when I was young was Different Strokes! Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout, Punky?? :-)
S Club Mama - Randi commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:30 pmPunky Brewster as a mom. So cool.
Tiffany commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:38 pmI would be squealing too if I had the opportunity to interview one of my childhood idols. I’d be asking them what is what like to be that person. blah blah blah. I would completely forget my professionalism.
I LOVED watching Punky Brewster when I was kid and I LOVED the Show Silver Spoons, the character Ricky Stratton played by Ricky Schroder. He was SO cute!
S Club Mama - Randi commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:39 pmI used to love Melissa Gilbert in Little House on the Prairie. And Elizabeth on the Waltons. And Punky Brewster (I think I caught the tail end of the show). I also loved Melissa Joan Hart in Clarissa Explains it All. We watched a lot of tv growing up LOL
Missy | The Literal Mom commented on Jul 28 11 at 1:45 pmI loved Blair on The Facts of LIfe! How awesome that you got to interview Punky!
Roxanne commented on Jul 28 11 at 2:04 pmI am so excited to read Soleil’s book! One of my favorite shows/characters was Clarissa from Clarissa Explains it All. Of course, I was a *huge* Punky fan too!
Deb commented on Jul 28 11 at 3:42 pmI would love to win that book! My fave was Winnie on the Wonder Years, Family Ties and Facts of Life.
Hopes@Staying Afloat! commented on Jul 28 11 at 5:13 pmLOVED Punky Brewster! I also loved Sam on Who’s The Boss as I got older. Would love to read her book. I have three boys, Happy Chaos is my life! LOL
Soleil commented on Jul 29 11 at 1:10 amThank you for the awesome comments and support for my book. I was just reading your comments and loving them! XO
Kim Pacanins commented on Jul 29 11 at 8:29 amI would love to win this book, sees like a very fun read!!!! I love Punky Brewster and always watched her show!
Love your blog!
Ryan (The Woven Moments) commented on Jul 29 11 at 9:13 amOh I loved her AND the show growing up. And she looks amazing!
JamieAnne commented on Jul 29 11 at 9:10 pmI would LOVE to win a copy of this book.
Nancy commented on Jul 30 11 at 10:23 amI’d like to win – thanks!
Alissa commented on Jul 30 11 at 1:26 pmI’d love to win a copy.
Alissa commented on Jul 30 11 at 1:26 pmI loved “Sam” on Who’s the Boss?
Debbie commented on Jul 30 11 at 2:38 pmBeing a mommy of 5 I would love this book. I feel overwhelmed sometimes, it helps to have a reminder that not everything has to be perfect. I loved Charles In Charge.
Jennifer Olszowy commented on Jul 31 11 at 2:00 pmPunky Brewster was one of my favorite shows growing up. I’m glad to see see is embracing motherhood along with working.
Jennifer Olszowy commented on Jul 31 11 at 2:01 pmI would love to win this book!
Heather McDonough commented on Jul 31 11 at 3:36 pmI’d love to win. I loved her when I was younger, and I started following her on Twitter and realized she’s totally down to earth and a great mom.
Theresa H commented on Jul 31 11 at 4:58 pmI want to win because I love to read and she seems to be such a “normal” star
Theresa H commented on Jul 31 11 at 5:03 pmI am such a kid of the 80′s!! love punky, blossom, Gimme a Break!!!
James Coyne commented on Jul 31 11 at 6:33 pmi would love to win
James Coyne commented on Jul 31 11 at 6:34 pmi loved Charles in Charges and Gimme a Break
Shari Klyn commented on Jul 31 11 at 10:16 pmI would love to win because I love to read.
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