Monday, August 30, 2010

Another Totally Desperate Mom Story

This TDM moment was submitted by Sherry Wolfe. Can't you relate?! . . . 

OK, it was the day before our vacation, and I had to run about 10 errands, with both kids, and the weather was 100 degrees!!!!  We got to my daughter's speech evaluation and they had our appointment written down for the wrong time.  I begged and pleaded for them to still see us because I had moved heaven and earth to be there and we were leaving the next day for 2 weeks.  So they moved things around and the nicest lady did the evaluation for us.

Then, we went to my doctor's office to pick up some copies of medical records.  On the way back out to the car, I noticed my daughter had a stinky diaper.  (Side note:  She is 2 1/2 and has chronic diarrhea ..... like, the worst diarrhea I have ever seen come out of anyone!)  Sure enough, this stinky diaper was bad.  It was soaked through her clothes and running down her legs.  I always keep a change of clothes for her in our van, specifically for this reason.  Keep in mind, it's 100 degrees out, and I'm already frazzled from all the errand-running with a 2 and a 3 year old!  So I stripped her in the back of the van and wipe her down the best I can with baby wipes.  I completely changed her and we finally kept going on our errands.

We still had several errands to run and I was so desperate .... Calgon, take me away!!!!!




Friday, August 27, 2010

Fun Friday: Our Totally Desperate Mom Winner!

Congratulations to Dana Bicker! Wendy Hagen has chosen you as the winner in the Totally Desperate Mom contest! E-mail me (heycarriepartridge@gmail.com) with your address, and we'll get Totally Desperate Mom to you!

And now for the rest of us Mamas--here is Dana's winning story. (Bless her heart.) The story will also be posted on Wendy's blog on Monday . . .

How could a good story not involve poop?! Here's one of my desperate mom stories.

My exciting adventure was on Easter morning. My husband was working but regardless I wanted to venture out (my new mom mission) to share my then 4 month old Munchkin with the family for brunch. That morning we both dressed up. Munch had his cute matching shirt, pants and shoes. Crazy first time mom mission. And then to top it off, Heels for me. Heels people! That alone is a huge feat for me. I regretted that decision as soon as I sat down at the table. I digress.

The whole back seat car ride (a whopping 20 minutes) was quiet. Strangely quiet. Pulling up to the restaurant, Munch was still smiling which later tuned me into the idea that smiles do not always mean good things. Grandpa S was the initiator once our seating had been arranged. The whole thing was almost slow motion. Seat belt clicks open, hands reach in, Munch (still smiling) is raised into the air, and wham. A vertical stripe of yellow is up the shirt, into the hair, into the car seat and onto Grandpa S' hands. 

Whoa. 

The worst blow out I have ever experienced. 

Newbie mom here goes into gear and starts to gather the necessities for an emergency baby wipe bath and change. I grab the Stinky Smiling Munchkin and head off to the bathroom - Plan A. Of course. No changing station.  Plan B. The back seat of my Saturn out in the parking lot. 

To fully grasp the scene, please close your eyes and imagine with me. Very low "slanted" back seat. Mom in a skirt AND heels. Wind and rain picking up very quickly. Poop everywhere. Apparently a pair of scrubs should be included in every diaper bag for an occasion such as this. 

By the time the clothing, diaper and changing pads were cleared (forever stained by the way), my legs were shaking, my back was throbbing and I was wet. All from holding the awkward lunge position necessary to change Munch in the back seat of my car. I 

I learned some valuable lessons that day.
1. Heels are evil.
2. Cute outfits are not meant to last and should be avoided.
3. A petition should be signed forcing every bathroom to have a changing station... or a counter...or a wood plank. SOMETHING that is not a slanted backseat of a car that hugs the ground.
3. Baby smiles may be cute but oh man are they sneaky.
4. Poop stains. Oh how it stains. 
5. I faced the sad reality that I am desperately out of shape. I literally could not walk for two days without hobbling after that lunge position.


-Dana Bicker
Just another mom.




Thursday, August 26, 2010

My OWN Totally Desperate Mom Moment (and Last Chance for the Giveaway!)


Well, it just wouldn't be right if I didn't tell of one of my own Totally Desperate Mom moments . . . 

It was Thanksgiving, and Katie (my youngest) was only two months old. We were having a lot of people over for the lunchtime feast, which meant that I had a lot of cooking to do. And since I had a ginormous turkey to cook, which would take several hours, I had to get up early to prepare it and pop it in the oven.

But first Katie had some things she wanted me to do.

She woke up around 5:00 a.m. for her regular feeding, after which she normally went right back to sleep. Normally. As soon as she woke up, I changed her diaper and then settled into feeding her. During the feeding, she had a blow-out poopy diaper (You knew it had to involve poop!), so I stopped feeding her to change both her diaper and her clothes. Then I went back to feeding her, hoping she'd get really full and really sleepy, so that we could both doze for a while before beginning our Day of Thanks.

When she finished eating, I worked on burping her. I don't know if she ate too much or I burped her too hard, but out came about a gallon of spitup, drenching us both! So now we're onto clothing change number two. By the time this was finished, Katie was wide awake, so I held her and gave her her pacifier to get her to go back to sleep. By the time she finally gave into her desire/need to snooze, it was time for me to get up and start cooking the turkey! After finally getting it ready and into the oven, it was time to feed Katie again . . .

Think I was ready for that Thanksgiving nap???

Alright, Mamas, now it's YOUR turn! What desperate mommy moment do you have to share with us? Submit it today and be entered to win Totally Desperate Mom by Wendy Hagen. To enter, just e-mail me at heycarriepartridge@gmail.com and share a hilarious desperate mom moment that you've had. You can keep it short and sweet--just hit the highlights. Wendy will judge the entries and choose a winner, whose story will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like and on Wendy's blog! All other stories will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like next week.

And now our last blast from Wendy's past . . . "Growing Pains" and "The New Lassie"--both of which involve a very young Leonardo DiCaprio!








Wednesday, August 25, 2010

"Circus of the Stars" and a TOTALLY DESPERATE MOM Giveaway!


The author of our giveaway book is apparently a woman of many talents. She was on "Circus of the Stars," for crying out loud!!! How many Mamas can say that?! And guess who was supposed to be performing with her. None other than Zach from "Saved By the Bell"! Don't act like you didn't have a crush on him back in the day. :)

It's not too late to submit your favorite desperate Mama moment to win the contest . . .

Wendy Hagen and I are giving away a copy of Wendy's book, Totally Desperate Mom, on Friday! To enter, just e-mail me at heycarriepartridge@gmail.com and share a hilarious desperate mom moment that you've had. You can keep it short and sweet--just hit the highlights. Wendy will judge the entries and choose a winner, whose story will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like and on Wendy's blog! All other stories will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like next week.











Tuesday, August 24, 2010

"The Wonder Years" and TDM Giveaway Week!



Wendy Hagen and I are giving away a copy of Totally Desperate Mom at the end of this week! To enter, just e-mail me at heycarriepartridge@gmail.com and share a hilarious desperate mom moment that you've had. You can keep it short and sweet--just hit the highlights. Wendy will judge the entries and choose a winner, whose story will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like and on Wendy's blog! All other stories will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like next week.

I know you've got something to share. And it probably involves poop.

Now in honor of our author/judge, here she is guest starring in an episode of "The Wonder Years" . . .









Monday, August 23, 2010

TOTALLY DESPERATE MOM Book Giveaway!

Okay, who wants to win a copy of Totally Desperate Mom by Wendy Hagen?! It's a great book, and you can read the first chapter here.

To be entered in the drawing, I'm going to ask you to do something for me. E-mail me at heycarriepartridge@gmail.com and share one of your most hilarious desperate moments as a Mama. Wendy's agreed to be our judge and will choose our Totally Desperate Mom winner, who will be announced this Friday, August 27th!

All entries must be sent to me by Thursday, August 26th. The winning entry will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like this Friday and will also be posted on Wendy's blog! All other entries will be posted on Stuff Mamas Like next week. So take a few minutes and share your desperate Mama stories with the rest of us. You know you have plenty to share!




Now here's a bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Wendy was a childhood actress? How fun is that?! I'll share some clips from her acting days on the blog this week in honor of her book giveaway. Here she is with Kirk Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio!





Saturday, August 21, 2010

And the winner is . . .




Congratulations to Merianne!!! You've won the 3-2-1 Penguins! Blast in Space! DVD! Thanks for following Stuff Mamas Like. May you enjoy many more naps/quiet time. :)









Friday, August 20, 2010

Fun Friday: Spontaneous Giveaway!



Quick! Leave a comment and name something that YOU, as a Mama, like and be entered to win the 3-2-1 Penguins! Blast in Space! DVD for your kiddos. I'll do the drawing at noon tomorrow (Saturday, August 21). Hurry! And tell a friend!






Thursday, August 19, 2010

Bread Bags

Mamas are so creative and resourceful--even when it comes to finding ways to reuse bread bags. When my babies were actually still babies, I found that bread bags were useful for wrapping up dirty diapers to throw in the trash, since they seemed to somewhat contain the odor.

When my siblings and I were young, my Mama had another creative use for them: she put them on our feet! Why? Well, we didn't have snow boots, so on the rare occasion that it snowed in Memphis, TN, and we wanted to go out and play in it, Mama put Roman Meal bread bags on our feet between our socks and our shoes to help keep our feet dry. And to help keep them up and tight, she put rubberbands around them on our shins. Genius.

Maybe the most impressive re-use of the bread bag, however, was one I observed this summer on our family's vacation with the rest of my husband's family. We were all down on the beach, enjoying an evening of pizza and the sunset, when my almost-three-year-old niece announced that she needed to poop! Not wanting to make the trek all the way back up to the condo, my quick-thinking sister-in-law didn't miss a beat. She quickly snatched up one of the kid's sand pails and a bread bag with which to line the potty/pail, and she and her daughter traipsed up the dunes for a little more privacy. Again, genius.


My niece ended up having a false alarm, but we were grateful for the demonstrated improvisation, because not ten minutes later, my son announced that he had to poop! With great laughter, my husband grabbed the potty/pail, the bread bag, and my son, and they, too, headed for the dunes. A few minutes later, my son proudly held up his bread bag and announced its contents as he walked toward the trash can on the beach. It was pretty stinkin' funny.

Now fast-forward a week or so. My neighbor and her dog stop by to see my kids, who are playing in the front yard. After several minutes of chatting, she tells us that she and the dog need to move along, so she stoops down and picks up these little, filled plastic bags. Curious, my son says, "What is that?" To which my neighbor just smiles and says, "It's poop!" To which my son naturally and innocently asks . . . "Whose?"

Genius.

Mama Question: Do you have another creative re-use for bread bags? Obviously, anything goes!


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Book Review: TOTALLY DESPERATE MOM

Moms, you will love this book by Wendy Hagen! This young mother of three will keep you laughing and nodding your head in agreement as you compare her crazy, messy stories of motherhood with your own. Truly, only other moms can appreciate(?) this stage of life that is just as full of joys as it is bodily fluids.

Reading Wendy's book is like reading a long e-mail from one of your best girlfriends. She spills out all the frustrations of mothering babies and toddlers with both humor and grace (both of which moms REALLY need!). But Wendy also brings encouragement and wisdom to the matter, giving practical tips on how to take care of yourself and your marriage during this hectic time of life.

Totally Desperate Mom is a quick, easy read (very important for busy moms, who may only have time to read while in the bathroom or while cooking dinner)--one that will hold your attention and make you smile. You'll appreciate this realistic approach to what life is really like in "the motherhood." Moms, do yourself a favor and pick up this book. And if you know a mom-to-be, give her a copy of it, too, because she'll want to know she's not alone when she's in the midst of "the Black Hole"! Now you're curious, aren't you?

And here's the really fun news: Wendy and I will be giving away a copy of Totally Desperate Mom next week on Stuff Mamas Like! So keep checking in to find out how to win it!



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The First Day of School

Whether your baby is starting kindergarten or his senior year, the first day of school is still exciting . . . and emotional. Yesterday my husband and I took our youngest to school for the first time. She was so excited, as were her older brother and sister, which only helped. They were all up and ready to go 30 minutes before we needed to leave the house. (This will never happen again.)

Although I couldn't help but shed a few tears as I watched my "big girl" line up with the other kindergarteners, I was still excited for her. I know she'll love school and will make some great friends. Oh yeah--and she'll learn some stuff, too. And honestly, I was excited for me. I think it will help me to be a better manager of my time to know that I have six hours a day, five days a week to focus on writing, running errands, and doing housework. And I think I will be better able to really focus on my children when they are home, because I won't feel these other things looming over me. Also, it's nice for Mamas and their babies to miss each other sometimes. I get some great hugs after school!

So here's to the first day of school, Mamas! It's okay to be excited. :)

Mama Question: How was your kids' first day of school? 


Friday, August 13, 2010

Giveaway Scout

I'm signing my blog up to be a part of Giveaway Scout, in hopes that it will drive more traffic to my blog. Here's why . . .
 
Make the most of your giveaways.
Giveaway Scout is a giveaway search engine. Our users subscribe to receive updates on the latest giveaways on the web. Add your blog and your giveaways will be exposed to our large network or users.
  • We publish your giveaways on multiple channels (Our web, newsletter, Twitter, Facebook and widget network)
  • Get more exposure to your blog and giveaways.
You might want to sign up to get their e-mails! Never know what you'll win.

And the winner is . . .

Congratulations to Christy Bullock!!! You may choose one of the following prize packages.

But wait! There's more! Jenn is also a winner! (Sorry, your profile doesn't give me your last name. But you have on a really cute green hat in your picture. :) ) Jenn, you'll receive the other prize package!

So I need you ladies to e-mail me with your choice and your mailing address. Send it to heycarriepartridge@gmail.com.

CONGRATS!! And thanks for following!

The Sweetpea Beauty package, which includes:
  • Sweetpea Beauty: A Girl After God's Own Heart (A Lesson About True Beauty) DVD
  • Sweetpea Beauty jigsaw puzzle
  • Sweetpea's Songs for Girls CD
  • Sweetpea Beauty stickers







--OR--



The Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella package, which includes:
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella (A Lesson in Confidence) DVD
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella jigsaw puzzle
  • VeggieTales 25 Favorite Action Songs CD
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella stickers










Fun Friday: Silly Songs

In honor of our drawing today, let's enjoy some VeggieTales Silly Songs, shall we? We'll start with a classic . . .



And one of my favorites . . .



And one from our giveaway . . .




Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Shopping for School Supplies (or Not)

Yesterday I took all three of my children to buy school supplies. This is the first year that we will have all three of them in school, so it's a pretty big milestone. The first stop was for Katie, my youngest, to pick out her first backpack. Huge decision. And it was all craziness from that point on . . .

I was juggling four very specific lists of school supplies, my own shopping list for home, coupons, a shopping cart, Icees for the kids (Maybe my first mistake?), and a Frappucino for myself (Not a mistake.). My children weren't acting bad; they were just excited about school supplies. But when they get excited, they talk loudly, rapidly, and constantly, which does nothing good for my ADDness when it comes to shopping.

We managed to get out in about an hour and a half with an overflowing shopping cart and a lot less money in the bank. And I was in need of both a shower and a tranquilizer. But we're well-equipped for a new school year. We'll just have to hitch up the U-Haul to the back of the van to lug all these supplies up to the school.

Mama Question: What school supplies shopping stories do you have to share?

**Don't forget to become a follower of Stuff Mamas Like and be entered in the VeggieTales giveaway. Drawing is Friday at noon!


Monday, August 9, 2010

A Very Veggie Giveaway!

Wanna win some VeggieTales goodies?! All you have to do is officially become a "follower" of this blog, and you'll be entered in the drawing to win either . . .

The Sweetpea Beauty package, which includes:
  • Sweetpea Beauty: A Girl After God's Own Heart (A Lesson About True Beauty) DVD
  • Sweetpea Beauty jigsaw puzzle
  • Sweetpea's Songs for Girls CD
  • Sweetpea Beauty stickers







--OR--



The Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella package, which includes:
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella (A Lesson in Confidence) DVD
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella jigsaw puzzle
  • VeggieTales 25 Favorite Action Songs CD
  • Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella stickers






The winner will get to choose which package he/she would like to receive. The drawing will be held this Friday, August, 13th, at noon, so be sure to follow me before then! Also, for those of you wonderful people who are already following my blog, you'll be happy to know that you're already entered in the drawing. Thanks for reading!




Friday, August 6, 2010

Fun Friday: David After the Dentist

In honor of my daughter's upcoming dentist appointment . . .




Wednesday, August 4, 2010

VeggieTales Giveaways!


Coming next week . . .



Stay tuned!


Monday, August 2, 2010

Pick-Me-Ups

Last week I asked Mamas to submit their favorite pick-me-ups. Here they are:

  • My favorite pick-me-up is Naptime!!!!!  I have a few minutes to myself .... I can get a few things done, or watch one of MY shows, and eat what I want!!!  Plus, it's quiet!!!!! --Sherry
  • A caramel frappucino...preferably starbucks but I'll take a Mickey D's one.  Makes my day when I have had a long day and my husband brings me one! --Dana
  • Exercise is the best mood altering activity for me right now.  If only I could manage to lose some weight...sigh... --Martha
  • I just LOVE it when my son says, "Mommy, I just love you all the time!"  It just makes my day and all the frustrations melt away! --Sherry
  • around 3pm- cup of freshly ground coffee and one 1 or 2 pieces of realllly good chocolate.--Gini
  • Homemade iced coffee!!!! --Liska
  • I love seeing my adult children passing along words I told them to the third generation. --Edna Ellison (author of Mommy Pick-Me-Ups!

Mama Question: What can you add to this list?


Book Giveaway (on someone else's blog this time)

You can enter to win a copy of Friendship for Grown-Ups: What I Missed and Learned Along the Way by Lisa Whelchel on The Common Room blog! Go to the site for details.