Happy Housewives: I Was a Whining, Miserable, Desperate Housewife--But I Finally Snapped Out of It...You Can, Too!

Darla shine asks desperate housewives everywhere: What have you got to complain about? Here's a modern-day guide to keeping house, raising kids, and loving life. After leaving her glamorous, high-profile job when her son was born, Darla Shine quickly learned what it's like to be home with a baby. It was absolutely the hardest job she'd ever had -- but it was by far the best choice she could have made. At first she refused to admit that she was "just an at-home mom" and employed babysitters and housekeepers to take care of her home and family while she went to the gym, the salon -- anywhere to keep from turning into a "frumpy housewife." But one day she made the mistake of complaining to her mother, who called Shine and her friends a bunch of spoiled brats. Her mom told her to wake up and start enjoying her family -- before it was too late. It was just the dose of reality Shine needed. Once Shine finally allowed herself to let go of her "ridiculous" expectations of having it all, she was able to truly embrace motherhood, marriage, and homemaking. She got herself into shape, put herself on a schedule, and began to realize that being an at-home mom was the best gift of her life. Shine's brutally honest -- and hilarious -- ten-step program helps moms everywhere realize that they can be hot mamas, they can rekindle the romance in their marriages, they can reinvent themselves -- and they can do all this without getting desperate. She includes daily and weekly schedules to show how she pulls it all together, fast and easy recipes for even the most kitchenphobic, and online and magazine resources to help you embrace your inner housewife. Says Shine, "Let's start promoting thegood mother, the happy homemaker, the woman who has her act together, the woman who takes pride in being a housewife. Let's lift our spatulas and start demanding some respect!"