Book Tour Review: The Pregnancy Journal

I am very excited to participate in the current Mother Talk Book Tour for The Pregnancy Journal: A Day-to-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy by A. Chrstine Harris, Ph.D. I realize that my reviews and contests have moved over to Berrie Sweet Picks, but I signed up for this tour before that blog went live, so Deadlines and Diapers readers get a special treat.

The Pregnancy Journal has sold over a million copies, and I can see why. For one, it actually looks like a journal, and the sweet spiral-bound packaging, along with the soothing image of a mother and child on the cover make this a comforting place to get answers and record thoughts.

But this book is more than just a blank canvas. It's filled with helpful information on every possible stage of pregnancy (along with your baby's daily development) and divided by months, weeks, days, making it easy to pinpoint where you and your body are on the pregnancy journey.

Facts are stated in a straight-forward and easy-to-read manner, covering everything from nutrition to to medical data to childbirth customs in other cultures. One especially nice feature is the "Childbirth Then and Now" snippets, which put the miracle of pregnancy in perspective for today's moms-to-be.

I also like the weekly section for notes and "How are you feeling today?" If you are very wordy, you may want to invest in a traditional journal to accompany The Pregnancy Journal, but if one liners are enough for you, this is perfect for capturing the essence of your experience.

What would mine have looked like?

* Mood: Excited but miss seeing my feet!
* Energy: Tired. All.The.Time.
* Appetite: Wendy's is my new addiction.
* Baby Movement: Only when I sleep. Figures.
* Morning Sickness: Hyperemesis, anyone?

I'll admit that I spent countless hours at the bookstore and online while pregnant in search of the perfect pregnancy book to immortalize my anxieties and joys, but I missed the mark on that one because I didn't come home with The Pregnancy Journal.

So, in an effort to save another mother from regret by getting her the right one on the first try, I'm giving way one copy of The Pregnancy Journal right here. Just leave me a comment telling me if the book is a gift or for yourself and when the baby is due!
Contest ends at midnight (EST) on July 2.

It took me a year to figure this out

Buttercup may have just celebrated her first birthday (sniff, sniff!), but I deserve some happy wishes, too.
Why, you ask?
You pushed a baby out, too, you say?
(Well, congrats to you. Seriously.)
I'm talking about the fact that I am now a veteran of Mommydom. I have made it past the one year introductory period where gimmicks and stupid and useless products are aimed at the ever-impressionable new moms who truly believe that they'll use that bottle warmer they registered for faithfully (meaning, like, more than one week after it's out of the box.)
In the year that Buttercup has grown from a defenseless little six-pounder into a 20-something pound Diva with a 'Tude, Momma has grown a little herself.
What have I learned, you ask?
Let me share:

* No matter how much hearing "Enjoy your sleep while you can" while still pregnant makes you want to strangle every. single. person. who shares this trite little gem with you, you will find yourself biting your tongue to keep from saying it to newly pregnant friends and relatives after your precious baby turns you into a walking zombie.
You will literally have to not only bite your tongue, but draw blood, to keep from saying it after you have crossed to The Other Side. You know, that little place where parents actually can decent snatches of sleep in one shift before they wake to laugh and point at the walking zombies.

* No matter how much you thought you could love, multiply it by infinity.

* Barney is no longer the Devil.

* You might not want to admit it to the family, but you will find it hilarious when your baby says "shit." You may even try to get them to say it again just for some cheap, side-splitting entertainment.

* It is okay to take a while to fall in love with the screaming little infant everyone tells you that you must be so proud to have. After all, while they may have been hanging out for the last nine months, you really just only met face to face.
Me? I fell in love when Buttercup was six-weeks old. Before then, she was a really demanding house guest.

* Your husband or partner will never look more sexy than when they are asleep in bed, snuggling their child in their arms.

* Everything you said you were not going to do once you had kids, no matter how much you believed it at the time, was a total crock. (See above. Cuz that wasn't supposed to E-V-E-R happen in our house.)

* While milestones are great, life is actually easier (read: laundry, showering, peeing without an audience) before your child can roll, crawl, or walk. Sure, I'm lovin' each new discovery with Buttercup, but I sometimes find myself wistfully thinking about the times when I could put her down and not have to worry about her wandering off when I blinked.

* Baby poo stinks before you have a child of your own. After? It's the topic of the day. Maybe new moms become immune to the smell?

* Before you have a baby, every new mom is a fat, lazy slob who "let herself go" if she does not magically lose all the pregnancy weight over night. After the baby? Reality takes an upswing upside the back of your head and knocks you on your ass. Then you realize that you were a vain and selfish idiot who would like to publicly apologize to every mother in the world.
Excluding the Hollywood momlets. They cheat. I'd get my body back in five minutes, too, if my baby came with a personal trainer, home gym, personal chef, nutritionist, and plastic surgeon attached to the umbilical cord.

* Your baby's smile is the only thing that can make a truly bad day disappear.

* You will turn into your mother. And you'll like it.

* You also will realize that your mother was a saint. You are still alive, after all.

* That minivan you swore you'd never get? That will last for about a week after the kid pops out. Then you'll start drooling when you see your neighbors. Feel free to act like your husband made you get it to save face after a new one shows up in your driveway.

* The new "crazy night out" with the girls is reduced to checking in on the baby and having to stay sober enough to still be mom when you get home. So that's like, one margarita?
Right.
Party on.

* Having dogs is NOTHING like having a baby. The dogs you can leave home unsupervised without social services knocking on your door.

* Don't waste your money on those grocery cart covers or high chair covers or portable placemets. You will care for about about a minute and then realize that if they are already eating the cheerios that hit the ground while playing with the dogs on the floor, the grocery cart is nothing to be concerned about.

* Getting out the door on time is a thing of the past. And you'll enjoy life so much more when you just learn to accept that fact.

* It's true...they do grow up too fast.

So what did you learn in your first year as a mom? Leave me a comment telling me your mommy lesson and I'll pick one winner for a nice little prize of a pink toiletry bag gift set.

Father's Day give-away!

Slackers of the world, raise your hand!
Father's Day is right around the corner and gift ideas are flying around the Internet. But if you haven't had the chance to get anything yet, or are hoping to win a free $10 gift card to Boston Market by leaving a comment on my blog, then this is a major coincidence, because guess what I have?
That's right! A $10 gift card to Boston Market! What are the chances?
So if you want a shot at topping off Dad's day with a free lunch for some tasty chicken and yummy sides, leave me a comment by midnight,(EST) Friday, June 13, telling me why the Dad in your life Dad rocks, and I'll send it out the the winner I have selected on Monday, June 16. They might get the card a few days late, but when has he ever complained?
Enjoy!

Rock Fuse contest

For any mom bloggers out there interested in a great resource site with solid tips for increasing blog traffic, making money with adsense, and other important blog tips, you really have to check out this site.
And while you are at it, enter this contest. There's some major bloggy loot goin' on here.

There are chances for everything from entrecard tickets to free blog consulations with professional bloggers to cash to e-books. The prize total comes to $1,600, so we are not talking chump change.
Check it out!

Who's your Momma (of invention?)

So, how many times have you heard of a great new product and than smacked yourself in the face for not patenting the idea when you thought of it, like five years ago? Well, the folks at Whirlpool want you to know about their Mother of Invention contest.

For those of you who read Berrie Sweet Picks, I also am posting this over there since I think this is such a great contest for Moms.
I've been a bit busy and not able to post about this immediately, but the contest began May 11 and runs through July 31, 2008.
Here are the details:
If you've got an idea for a business or invention but need help marketing it, this is definitely something you need to pay attention to! The Whirlpool Mother of Invention Grant can help you get from idea to reality with necessary business resources (like seed money and expert advice).
Now for the other kind of green.
*The Grand prize is $20,000 in grant money, choice of Whirlpool brand Duet Steam washer and dryer pair or Whirlpool brand Cabrico washer and Steam dryer, Whirlpool Brand dishwasher, and a stipend for a new home office.
*First Prize is a $7,000 grant, a Whirlpool brand dishwasher and Duet Sport pair.
*The Green Frist Prize is a $7,000 grant and Whirlpool brand refrigerator with water filtration.
*Second Prize is a $5,000 grant, a Whirlpool brand dishwasher and Duet Sport pair.
*The Green Second Prize is a $5,000 grant and a Whirlpool brand refrigerator with water filtration.
And it pays to go that extra mile for the Mother of Invention Contest. Those with a prototype, business plan, trademark or trademark pending will earn extra points for their entries!
Ideas will be judged on uniqueness in the marketplace, if it meets a consumer need, and if it could be a viable business, and more.
To enter and for official rules, click here!
Entries will be accepted through July 31, and winners will be notified around September 8, 2008.
Better get crackin'! I'm sure the competition is going to be fierce!

Blah Blah Blah

So, tell me, really...Do ya like it?
*eyelashes fluttering*
Do ya really like it?
Well, I do!
And while the new look might actually be the new base for comparing all things cool (sliced bread is so yesterday), don't even look at me for compliments on the design. I can't even figure out my own RSS feed or whatever the hell it was I was trying to do last night, remember? Yeah...
Nope, all this, my friends, is the genius of See My Designs by Shauna, who happens also to have a pretty cool blog over at Blah Blah Blog. Stop by and take a look.
Oh-and if you get a second, click on over to the Ruff Ruff Review, too to see what Shauna did to add some bite (pun totally intended) to my dog blog!
I am so excited; it's like my blogs went and got a boob job or something equally perky just to make me feel better.
So who else wants their own blog makeover?
Shauna is giving away one free blog makeover to a lucky winner who I will choose as randomly as possible (how's letting Buttercup draw a name out of a hat and reading it before she eats the paper for random?)
To enter, leave me a comment to this post telling me why you and your blog deserve some "plastic surgery." Be creative, it might just boost your chances at this being less random. You also can earn an extra entry by blogging about this contest and leaving the link here in the comments.
Contest ends at midnight on May 23.

The Diaper Bag with a lot of Buzz

I'll admit that the perks of reviewing mommy and baby products for my Five Fabulous Finds column is rather nice.

One plus is that I get to meet, even if only through cyberspace, so many new people. The other is trying the newest and coolest products I might otherwise never have heard of or had the chance to get my hands on.

One such product are the diaper bag line Hollywood is buzzing about from Bumble Bags. I absolutely love my Natalie Travel/Multiples tote, which I wrote about here.

Not only can I fit enough for a weekend-trip for Buttercup, it's easy to clean, has enough space and pockets for me to stuff a few of my own things in there, and it has its own attached loops to hang it from your stroller for ease of use.

I happen to have a brand new Madeline Stroller Backpack in Buttercup Bliss up for grabs for one of my lucky readers. Here's what to do to snag it for your very own:

* Sponsor me or my team with a donation of $10 (by clicking on the badge on the left-hand side) or more for the March for Babies walk. This is a great way to give to a great cause, get your name in the bucket for a pricey and coveted diaper bag, AND use the donation as a tax-write off for the next year. Just post a comment letting me know you sponsored me, and your in the running with a bonus entry, just for helping me do my part to help premature babies! Click here to sponsor my team.

* Visit my Five Fabulous Finds column and tell me what you think! Rate the column on the Metro Parent web site, and then leave me a comment letting me know what your fave product in the column is.

* If you blog, write a post telling your readers about my contest and then leave me a comment with the link.

Contest ends at midnight on April 29.

Good luck!

Who wants free stuff?

Just a quick note to let you all know about another great contest over at Seven Dogs and a Baby. (I'm becoming addicted to that blog!)
Click on over for a chance to win a beautiful necklace from designer Lisa Leonard. It would make for a great Mother's Day gift!
And while you are at it, check out Lisa's blog. She's got some great family snippets and beautiful pics of her kids.

Cool contest on Seven Dogs and A Baby

I was going back and forth about posting a link to the very cool contest on Seven Dogs & A Baby, if only for the very fact that I'd be limiting my own chances of winning! But alas, it would not be fair of me to keep this information to myself. (Although I was highly tempted.)
For those of you who think sock monkeys are adorable, this one's for you. Seven Dogs & A Baby has a contest running for a very cute sock monkey inspired onsie (size 12-18 months) from Sycamore Baby. Guess I need to check out the Etsy site a little more often for some very original ideas!
The contest on Seven Dogs & A Baby ends April 9th at midnight. Good luck!

Discount and contest for my readers

Hello all.
It is late and I am tired but since I'm up with a teething Buttercup, I may as well make myself useful and tell you about a pretty cool contest for my readers.
If you've checked out Alli's Originals, I know you already have a mental wish list of what you want to buy. Will a chance at a $20 gift certificate help? To enter for the contest, you must visit Alli's Originals and virtual window shop. Then hop back on over here and leave a comment to this post telling me what you would use the gift certificate for. You must have a valid email address to participate. The contest will end on Oct. 25 and the winner will be notified by October 30.
Alli is also graciously offering a 10 percent discount to anyone who shops her site and mentions Deadlines and Diapers at checkout. Alli will then contact you with a new total.
(Ooooh-me thinks Buttercup may have fallen asleep...could it be? Yes! It is true!)
I am off, cyber friends, to sleep so I can wake up refreshed and ready to crank out another deadline assignment. And deal with my normally cute, totally crabby, teething babe, of course.