The Christian Mama's Guide to Having a Baby

I was recently approached to review a copy of The Christian Mama’s Guide to Having a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Survive (and Love) Your Pregnancy by Erin MacPherson. I might not be pregnant and I might not go to church often enough (make that only for events with invitations and religious holidays involving rabbits and chocolate), but I had taken a peek at Erin’s blog, liked her style, and figured my ability to say The Lord’s Prayer in two languages qualified me to give my opinion on this book.

First, let’s get the fine print out of the way. Again. Yes, I received the book for free. In fact, I didn’t pay for it. And? There was no monetary exchange involved. But maybe more importantly, my blog belongs to me and so do the opinions expressed within. That being said?

This book is awesome.

With a bit of sass, a lot of humor, and a great blend of expert with a dash of girlfriend thrown in, Erin MacPherson covers pregnancy from the obsessive days of peeing on a stick to, “Holy Wow-the baby has to come out where?” While it might not be a necessary read for experienced mamas, I would definitely recommend to first-timers who are searching for a pregnancy book with a practical and sweetly-stated spiritual side.

But enough with the pleasantries. It’s time to talk. Read on for a fun interview with the author.

***

Berrie Sweet Picks: Fact or fiction: praying really, really hard will make all labor pains magically disappear.

Erin: Fiction. Well, I don’t want to put God in a box so I’m going to go ahead and say that God COULD take my labor pains away if he wanted to, but so far, no matter how much I prayed and moaned and groaned, labor still really hurt for me. And, similarly, I’ve been praying and moaning for two weeks now that God would make my water break or put me into labor again and I’m still huge and pregnant… so that’s not working so well either.

BSP : You talk about pretty much every aspect of pregnancy, labor, and the first few days after baby arrives in The Christian Mama’s Guide. And you do it with adorable sass and an authoritative but encouraging manner. So my question is: Can we go shoe shopping together?

Erin: Yes. Please. But if you’re looking for someone to help you, let me warn you ahead of time… I’m not the best at doling out shoe advice but I will definitely buy you an iced coffee and chat with you while you try on a million pairs.

BSP: You asked for potty training advice (on your blog). As the proud mama of a recently potty-trained almost four-year-old, allow me to shed some light on the subject: pray for patience. It will happen when they are da..uh..darned good and ready. But turnabout is fair play, so I’d like some advice, too. Please explain how I might avoid gaining 45 pounds the next time around…

Erin: Thank you for this. I have a friend who just potty trained her one-and-a-half-year-old and she’s just ranting about how EASY it was and how it just takes patience and dedication and well, darnit, I don’t have patience and dedication and it took me almost a year to potty train my second. And, she peed her pants yesterday while we were at Target. I think you’re right, they must be darned good and ready or you’re going to end up with a lot of wet panties to clean. As far as the 45 pounds, I can’t help you. I’m not sure how much weight I’ve gained this time (I conveniently avert my eyes at the doctor’s office) but I’m sure it’s not pretty.

AM: *Running out of material* *Thumbs through book again for more questions* *Lightbulb* *A-Ha!* What do you mean I was acting psychotic while I was pregnant? Have you been talking to The Husband? And if so, nothing he says is true.

Erin: Well, I certainly haven’t acted psychotic at ALL during this pregnancy (Case in point: I did NOT wake my husband up at 3 am this morning to tell him that he was “breathing too close to my pregnancy pillow”)… but apparently a lot of women (not me, of course) get all hormonal and cranky when they’re pregnant. Who knew that being 50 pounds overweight and throwing up every 10 minutes could do that to you?!

BSP: Will there be a Christian Mama’s Guide to Not Going Crazy the First Time Your Kid has a Public Tantrum in the Toy Section at Target? ‘Cuz I would totally buy that.

Erin: I’ve been scheming The Christian Mama’s Guide to the Terrible One-and-a-Halfs but perhaps your idea is better. And, if you want my advice, get an iced vanilla latte at the Starbucks at the front of Target and when your kid starts throwing a fit, turn across the aisle to the electronics section and yell “Hey, someone’s kid is really losing it over here? Does anyone know where his mom is?!” Then stand back and enjoy your latte. Works like a charm until your kid is old enough to say something like “Mommy?! I don’t see anyone ELSE throwing a fit!”

AM: Number three just joined your family. Any new pregnancy insight to share with the world? Or does Fudge Ripple still reign supreme for cravings?

Erin: Coconut Frappucinos. Pregnancy craving #1. They’re new at Starbucks and so, so yummy. And, they’re coffee-free so they don’t mess with my coffee aversion. BUT, word to the wise, if you have kids, it’s NOT a good idea to share your coconut frap with them or you’ll end up with a sugar-fueled meltdown which is NEVER fun when you’re nine months pregnant. Just sayin’.

***

It’s giveaway time, people. Up for grabs is one copy of Erin’s book. All you have to do is follow Erin on Twitter or stop by her Facebook page and click the like button. Stop back here and leave me a comment telling me what ya did and boom.

Done.

Entries will be accepted through midnight, EST, on Monday, Oct. 3.

Forget envy! Turn green with pride!

So are you "green?" Do you try to do your part to help protect our planet for future generations by preserving its natural resources?

Yes and yes? Sweet!

Now, take a look in the closest mirror and see if you have actually turned green as a way to show the world that you are doing your part! (Yes, I'm kidding...you can put the compact down now.)

But seriously, though, wouldn't the concept of turning green be a great way to help bring home the point of conserving natural resources for our kids? A new book series from The Little Environmentalists does just that, and from a kid's point of view, to boot.

"I'm Turning Green" shows how the little things we do, like turning off the water as we brush our teeth, can make a big diference! Check out Buttercup enjoying the story for the first time as her Abuela reads it to her!

I love this story, and I am pretty impressed that 18 mth-old Buttercup not only sat through the whole book, but eagerly requested a second reading (and sat through that one, too!)

And in case you're wondering, Little Environemtalists are a company worth promoting. It's refreshing to see a such a positive for kids reinforce the importance of "going green" with their dedication to producing environmentally-friendly products. All books are printed using 100 percent recycled paper that is 1200 percent post-consumer waste and chloring free. And if that wasn't enough, the ink is eco-friendly, too.

Can it get any better than that? Retailing for $7.95, "I’m Turning Green" can be found at The Little Environmentalists and Amazon.

So who wants to "go green" with their kids? One lucky U.S. winner will get the chance to bring the "green" home by leaving a comment on this post.

To enter, ask your children for their best eco-friendly tip and share it with my readers here! Entries will be accepted until midnight, EST, December 29 and the winner will have four business days from the announcement date to contact me with their information or an alternate will be selected. US entries only, please. What a perfect way to bring in the New Year!

Additional extra entries are also available if you:

* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.

* Blog about contest and link to this post.

* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!

* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!

* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)

* Tweet the contest leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!
Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Get Excited about Books!

Everyone is asking me what to get buttercup for Christmas and I have two set answers: Clothes and books.

"Okay," said one of my sisters. "What books do you want for her?

Well, I wasn't expecting to have to provide specific answers, so I pointed my sister to Excite Books and told her she could buy Buttercup a monthly membership. I'll have to wait until Christmas morning to find out if she took my advice, and can honestly say that I am really hoping she did.

So what's Excite Books? It's the brainchild of a pilot-turned-business man that combines the thrill kids get out of mail addressed just to them with the love of reading a new set of books each and every month. You sign up for one, two, or three age-appropriate books to be shipped to your door each month, and then when your kids tire of the books or their interests just change, the books can be donated to a needy library with Excite Books pre-addressed and pre-paid envelopes! Donate some or all of the books, or keep them if you wish--the point is to spread and keep the love of reading alive in our children.


Talk about a win-win situation (and a gift you can really feel good about giving for Christmas!)

Monthly prices are $4.99 for one book, $9.99 for two, and $15.99 for three and shipping and handling is $4.95 no matter what package you decide on.


Buttercup is too young to know what who Blake Michael, the 11-yr-old host of Cartoon Network's Fried Dynamite is, but older children will certainly relate to Excite Books celebrity spokeskid! He appears on the Excite Books site wearing a large exclamation point to signify the excitement of reading books.


The Excite Books introductory package offers 3 excite books, 1 educational activity, and 8 free gifts. And except for the $4.95 shipping, it's all free! You can choose a package for infants to teens, plus puzzle and cookbooks for all ages. And you can chart your child's reading progress with Excite Books reading completion stickers in their own Reading Progress Calendar!


Buttercup is an avid little reader, so this is all perfect for her and a great way for me to keep her busy and stimulated. We got to try out the toddler introductory package, and Buttercup received a matching items book, a bath-time book, and a book with the characters from Monsters Inc.


Her favorite right now, of course, is the bath-time book. Check out how the book is already helping her grasp the concept of colors!

So...anyone else wants to get their kids excited about reading? Excite Books is offering one of my lucky readers the chance at an introductory package with three free books in the age-group of your choice plus the eight free gifts!

To enter, visit Excite Books and leave me a berrie telling me what you think about the program. why you think Your entry also must include the age group you'd like your prize to be for, if your comment is selected the winner. Entries will be accepted until midnight, EST, December 13 and the winner will have four business days from the announcement date to contact me with their information or an alternate will be selected. US entries only, please.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:

* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.
* Blog about contest and link to this post.
* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!
* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!
* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)
* Tweet the contest leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Building character with Life's Building Blocks

Remember how effective the ideals of Jiminy Cricket were in helping us distinguish right from wrong when we were kids? Well, today's kids have a ficticious friend to help guide them-their own little angel on their shoulder.

Thanks to the award-winning company,Life's Building Blocks, Buttercup and I have spent the last few days playing with Zaki, the character chameleon. He's cute,he sings songs and tells stories about character and making the right choices, and speaks in an Australian accent that sure got Buttercup's attention.

Zaki also has color-changing fins on his back which help kids, ages 3-6, determine when they should stop, slow down and think, or just go for it!

Buttercup loves her Zaki, and trust me when I say that I have listened to his rhyming stories and character-building fables so many times in the past few days that I have them memorized now.

Zaki retails for $30 and Buttercup approved for Christmas-gift giving!

Life's Building Blocks also offers other age-appropriate products for older kids with stories and activity books about a group of friends in the thirs grade known as The Spruce Street Six. With stories and activities about the common ethical issue that kids face everyday-like why telling the truth is so important-the Spruce Street Six and Zaki are a great way for connecting with kids and helping them make better decisions for themselves.

With characters like Honest Jake, Jessica the Brave, Calm Carlos, Lauren Never Wuits. Jarrett the Just, and Kind Shawnie, it's easy to set a good example for our kids to follow.

Spruce Street Six books, geared for kids ages 6-10, retail for $5.99 and activity books, for ages 6-9, go for $5.99.

Now for the really cool part. I have three great contests to announce in just this post alone! Thanks to Life's Building Blocks, I am offering up one Zaki, one set of Spruce Street Six Chapter Books, and one set of activity books! I will be selecting one winner for each, so make sure your comment indicates which you would prefer if selected the winner.

To enter, visit Life's Building Blocks and then let me know why you think this would make a great gift for your child. Entries will be accepted until midnight, EST, December 12 and the winner will have four business days from the announcement date to contact me with their information or analternate will be selected. US entries only, please.

Additional extra entries are also available if you:

* subscribe to my RSS feed and comment letting me know you did so.

* Blog about contest and link to this post.

* Non-bloggers can email three of their friends about the contest at berriesweet.info (at) gmail (dot) com and CC me on the email. Girl Scout's honor that I will never bother these sweet people. I promise!

* Grab my Berrie Sweet Picks button and place it on your blog page. I'll check!

* Follow me on Twitter! (nickname: berriesweetest)

* Tweet the contest leave a comment with your username telling me what you said to your "tweeple"!Please note all entries MUST include a valid email address to be considered for the drawing! That means that well, all entries must include an email address to be considered valid. Simple enough, right? ;)

Yummy bites for little tummies

Let me start by saying that I ate jarred baby food. Every one in my family did, too. And none of us grew an extra leg or started laying eggs or anything else weird like that.
And I had no problem with the thought of feeding the same to my own child until I read a magazine article about homemade baby food.
The one line that was seared into my brain?
"Most processed baby foods have been on the shelf longer than your child has been alive."
Or something like that. The point is that I got totally grossed out and immediately jumped on the Homemade Baby Food Wagon and never looked back.
Buttercup's first foods were pureed sweet potatoes and avocado. She absolutely loved them, and still does. But let's face it. As kids get older, the need for variety becomes greater. So what do you do to keep things fresh (in both senses of the word?)I like to refer to the baby or toddler bistro boxesby Christina E. Schmidt, who has a Masters of Science in Nutrition. (Impressive, I know.)
Think of it as a book cleverly designed as a flash card system in a box for Moms who want to make their own baby food.
Only have time to read one card before you are called to scrub crayon off the wall(again) or change a dirty little diaper? Great, just finish up your card and set it back in the handy box. You can pick up later where you left off. Easy as that.
The Bistro Boxes are complete in the sense that each card provides basic info like when to introduce solids, what foods to avoid, the feeding habits of toddlers, shopping tips, and very yummy sounding recipes like Grants Pumpkin Custard and Maize and Manzana Mush.

Even better, each card is color coded by age, so there's no fumbling for the right recipe. And instead of having to take the time to write out a shopping list, it's a cinch to just drop the shopping tips cards into my diaper bag and I'm out the door.
The box sets are sold separately, but it's totally worth the $27.95 a piece. With the Baby set covering the first year and the Toddler taking Mom all the way to age three, buying both as a set would make a great gift idea for new moms.
Still reading? Sweet.
This is a two in one contest post. Just leave me a berrie (read: comment)telling me if you are interested in the Baby or the Toddler Bistro Box and why. One winner will be selected for each product at midnight (EST) on June 17.
Want an extra entry? You can earn one by blogging about the contest and then coming back to let me know!
Good luck and happy eating.

I'm 'Wiped!' What about You?

Call me crazy, but wanna make time to read a book? While I know that the phrases “time to read” and “I have a child” don’t necessarily go together, you might want to keep this one in the bathroom or in your gym bag for those little snatches of me-time you can snag here and there.


I certainly never thought I’d have the time to read this one myself (an entire magazine article in one sitting is my record since Buttercup has been born) but Wiped!: Life With a Pint-sized Dictator
by Rebecca Eckler was worth the berrie late nights after she fell asleep (and a few "bathroom breaks" while Sweeter took care of baby!)


I'll be the first to admit that the book might not be everyone’s cup of tea (just read some of the scathing reviews from readers on Amazon) but I was laughing my head off from page one.


In Wiped, Eckler takes us through her first few years of parenthood in her "We're not rich" life filled with nannies, Bugaboo strollers, porsches, postpartum depression inspired two-month long trips to Hawaii, and the old apartment she still rents "just because" even though she lives in a two-room condo with her fiance.


And while I found myself rolling my eyes when I read "We're not rich", (perhaps the author meant when compared to Paris Hilton???) I was able to look past that little lie (compared to Target, blue-light specials, and making my own baby food because its cheaper) and just enjoy the book for what it was: a blog-style novel written in such a way that anyone can relate (and laugh) with a new Mom learning the frustrations and joys that come with motherhood. She’s honest, witty, and hilariously sarcastic.


If you like my blog, you'll like her book. (Not that I dare to put myself in the same class as a published author!) But be warned, you'll have to be able to stomach plenty of "F" bombs along with the sarcasm.


Me? I drop them at home about as often as I read them in the book, so I was berrie much at home.


*****


So have you read any good Mom-lit lately?