What does my new iPod stereo have to do with this book giveaway? Because when I moved things around to make room for the new stereo on my office shelves, I found a stack of books that I’ve been meaning to give away to readers since… well, whenever.

Less parenting books than books for parents, the books document the life adventure of raising kids with humor, wit, inspiration, love, heartache, and sometimes schmaltz — all the stuff, I guess, that rolls into parenting itself.

If you’d like to receive one of these, leave a comment below with the title you are interested in. I’ll pick winners randomly. (Please be sure to include a viable email address so I can contact you if you are a winner!)

Because I Said So by Dawn Meehan

Meehan, the author of a blog by the same name, has penned this read inspired by life with her husband and six children. From Amazon: “One of the most popular mommy-bloggers thanks to a humorous eBay listing about her child’s baseball which was circulated rapidly until she became a household name, Dawn Meehan offers readers a hilarious journey along with her six kids on madcap adventures, underscoring the notion that a sense of humor is an essential parenting skill. Because I Said So affirms that parents are not alone in the daily chaos, struggles and joys of child-rearing. With a huge dose of laugh-out-loud, real-life examples, Dawn shares hard-won wisdom gleaned from life with six children.”

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Like Mother, Like Daughter by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson, with Amy Newmark

Motivational speakers Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen have published more than 100 collections of these short, inspirational stories and essays since their original “Chicken Soup” title debuted in 1993. From Amazon: “This new collection from Chicken Soup represents the best 101 stories from Chicken Soup’s library on the special bond between mothers and daughters, and the magical, mysterious similarities between them. Mothers and daughters of all ages will laugh, cry, and find inspiration in these stories that remind them how much they appreciate each other.”

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Moms and Sons by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hanson, with Amy Newmark

More soup, this time with Moms and sons. From Amazon: “There is a special bond between mothers and their sons and it never goes away. These heartfelt and loving stories written by mothers, grandmothers, and sons, about each other, span generations and show how the mother-son bond transcends time.”

Interested in any of these three? Give a shout below…!

The Toyota Prius

I was so lucky to sit on the Saturday afternoon keynote panel at the Type-A Mom conference. The topic was ‘Breaking the Mommy Blogger Mold’ and I was chosen because I don’t fit within the mommy blogger mold in the ‘traditional’ sense. If there is one - which was what the panel was about.

If we look at the current Mommy Blogger ‘norm’, a Mommy Blogger is a mom that writes about being a mom, parenting, her kids and, oftentimes, products that her she and her kids use as they live their lives. And then we can easily deduce that I’m not a Mommy Blogger. Because I don’t do any of those things. (Except on this lovely blog on occasion - though I still don’t think I fall into that category because I’m not ooey or gooey about it.)

I really write about writing. But I am a mom and I work in a little shed/office in my backyard so I can see my kids all day (if I want to) and if they need to see me (and I grant them access).

So, this Mom-ness (and my blogging-ness) got me a speaker spot at the Type-A Mom Conference. And it got me something else - my very own product. The best product, if you ask me.

The good, good people at Toyota gave me a conference weekend ride in the form of a gorgeous, energy efficient Prius. It was waiting for me when I got off the plane - sort of like a white horse (I think I was my own knight in shining armor in this scenario).

First of all. I want one. Of my very own. As soon as possible. Please.

Second of all. The Prius looks small, right? It isn’t. It’s kind of huge inside. It reminded me of one of the magical tents in Harry Potter - where it looked like a normal tent (or car in this case), but when you stepped inside, it had 10 rooms and at least 2 floors. The Prius isn’t quite that big, but it sure was roomy. Four of us gals fit very comfortably inside, we easily could have taken on a fifth and we had loads of room in the trunk.

Third of all. Have you been in a Hybrid? This was actually my first one, so I can’t say this across the board, but, it’s really quiet. It took some getting used to. “Is the car on?” I kept asking everyone. It was. It’s just that, in addition to its silence, you press a button to start it, you don’t put the key in the ignition - something that I’ve now come to realize tells my brain that the motor is running. Of course, the gas mileage was out of the park. I drove from Charlotte to Asheville and back (two hours each way) - plus all over Asheville in search of fantastic food - and barely used more than a tank of gas.

Fourth of all. And I know this isn’t something specific just to the Prius, or the Toyota, but it was special to me and my Prius all the same. It’s called ‘built-in GPS’. You see, in my car, I have a dinky GPS box that I plug into my car lighter. It won’t sit on the dashboard, it never listens to me and my requests and, frankly, we just don’t get along. I don’t trust that woman. But the GPS in my Prius was built-in. It lived right in the dashboard with the stereo, CD player and temperature control. It was easy to program and not at all temperamental. It took and gave directions very well. It got me everywhere I needed to go with total confidence and serenity. I didn’t need to look at a map or worry - leaving me free to enjoy the fabulous ride…

Good Karma Soaps is having a contest exclusively for our creative readers.

My friend Blaire Borthayre, a marketer by trade but also Head Soapmaking Woman at Good Karma, is scouting out an idea for a unique soap. Blaire makes every soap by hand using all natural ingredients and none of that yucky, gummy stuff you find in commercial soaps. The Lego soap pictured here, for example, is made from goat’s milk, organic color and scent — meaning that each block is safe for sensitive skin.

Blaire says that coming up with ideas for soaps isn’t an easy task, so she’s looking for your help.

What’s in it for you? Blaire is offering a $20 $50 gift certificate (!) for Good Karma Soaps. Plus free shipping. (Okay, now we’re talking!) Blaire says, “The good news is that even if you don’t win, you still win.” Translation: If you participate, you automatically get a gift certificate for “Buy One Get One Free” for anything in the store until May 30,2009.

Here’s the nitty gritty.

In order to play, all you have to do is:

1. Take a peek at Good Karma Soaps website. Then come back here and post your favorite item in the shop.

2. Here, in the comment section, tell us your idea for a new soap.

3. Tweet about this contest and using this post’s URL: http://bit.ly/yB9eZ

How simple is that? The contest starts today and ends a week from now, next Tuesday, when Blaire picks the winner!

And by the way, 50 percent of all proceeds from Good Karma sales are donated to local animal shelters in Raleigh, where Blaire lives and works. As Blaire says, “A combo of art, common sense and Karma. What’s not to love?”

Thanks for playing!

I just scored a gift-giving home run with a friend of mine who recently became a father (to a beautiful baby girl - I can’t cuddle that kiddo enough, I swear). What could possibly be more exciting to him than the set of purple and brown onesies? Well, I lent him my review copy of Jenna McCarthy’s brand-spankin’-new book, “Cheers to the New Dad!” and his wife  just told me he finished it within a day of getting home from the hospital and LOVED it………..

Do you realized the magnitude of what I just wrote? A parenting book. For Dads. And the dad actually found it useful……and relevant………and READ IT! Not knocking men at all, but from my experience, most guys like to go in and just DO parenting and skip most of the nonstop-parenting-book-reading stuff that women find addicting when newly pregnant and then again when the baby actually arrives.

Whoops, forgot to mention the other half of the book that my friend is dying to start now that her husband is finished with his half - the book flips over and is……….voila……..”Cheers to the New Mom!”

How cool is that? 2 books in one!

This book would be perfect as a gift for new parents or to buy for yourself when you’re getting ready to head to the hospital………I think all parents would agree that we can use all the help we can get!

Check out my review of Jenna’s first book, “The Parent Trip” - another great parenting read!

I was really excited to see this book come up for a review opportunity on TMG. I had just been talking with my fiance about my urge and our family’s need to start being better stewards of our natural resources. Right now, we do pretty much nothing to leave the world in a better environmental state when we leave than when we got here. I have all kinds of excuses for us not being more responsible, but I won’t bore you with them here.

The full title of this book is Eco-Friendly Familes~ Guide your family to greener living with activities that engage and inspire…from toddlers to teens, by Helen Coronato. Final verdict? It’s a really helpful, engaging, interesting book… and it doesn’t make you feel like you are solely responsible for destroying the world.

Four great things about this book:

1. No pressure to become completely green overnight,
2. Not overwhelmed with statistics,
3. A Chapter Checklist at the end of each chapter that goes over what you just read in bullet-point form, and
4. 5-minute makeovers in each chapter.

1. No pressure to become completely green overnight. Coronato is very practical and doesn’t ask for (or want) you to throw out everything you have that isn’t green and start over. She advises slowly integrating green products and practices into your life.

2. Not overwhelemed with statistics. I like statistics as much as the next person, and Coronato uses them well; but, they reinforce her point without cramming stats down your throat, very useful.

3. Chapter Checklist. This checklist is great for both reading before you get into the chapter (especially so you can watch for the parts that really catch your eye), and for making sure you didn’t miss anything when you are done with the chapter.

4. 5-minute makeovers. These are great and practical tips that you can quickly put into place in your home. They include everything from putting a brick in your toilet tank so you use less water to having people take their shoes off at the door so you don’t have as much need for cleaning.

Coronato has done a really good job keeping the topic interesting as well as practical. The book includes recipes (for food and cleaning products), holiday gift ideas, definitions, and great explanations of really complicated concepts for both toddlers and teenagers. My favorite language for toddlers is telling them it’s important to turn off water while you brush your teeth so that there is always enough water for the trees and plants to drink.

If you’re at all interested in simple, common-sense tips for helping your family go green, you should get this book. You can slowly make changes in your lives that will make a difference and teach your children about the responsibility we all have to be good stewards of our resources.

Sherry Carr Deer is a Mommy to Nicholas who just turned 3, fiance to William, the widow of Mark, and a PR professional at a non-profit hospital. You can read more of her posts here.

Let me just start by saying that I am a collector of parenting books and a sucker for anything promising humor combined with motherhood stories - and have been since before I even HAD kids. This explains my mile-high pile of books that I keep pushing onto all of my newly pregnant friends - “No, really, you HAVE TO read this one!” The good, the bad and the ugly, they’re all in there and they’ve all been devoured. I take the advice I want to hear and sneer at and ignore the stuff I don’t agree with. After all, who knows my parenting experience better than I do?

Back in my twitter-holic days of this summer, I came across a new acquaintance named Jenna McCarthy (no, NOT Jenny) who had a pretty cool blog and as I discovered after following the link in her twitter profile, a brand new parenting book! After reading her blog and a few of the excerpts on her site, I knew I had to read the book and I knew I wanted to share it here.

The book is titled The Parent Trip: From High Heels and Parties to High Chairs and Potties and is a completely hilarious look at Jenna’s trip through conceiving, pregnancy, childbirth and new motherhood. Along with the tale of her journey, she offers some great advice for mothers with the real-world spin on them, none of that unrealistic “only the saintly mothers in our dreams” kind of stuff that no one really does but authors want you to think YOU should do. You know what I mean, right?

I love this excerpt about pumping breastmilk - for anyone that has actually DONE this, you know exactly what she’s referring to. If you’re waiting for the experience excitedly, do NOT trust those glazed-eye ladies who tell you that babies know how to nurse on their own and pumping is easy - ha.

Jenna writes:

In more than one awe-inspiring video shown in Prenatal Prep, we watched as a newborn babe wormed its way up its new mom’s belly and located its intended food source. By sheer instinct and fundamental need, these intrepid creatures were able to engage in the act of nursing that is one of nature’s most beautiful and profound.

Pumping breast milk, on the other hand, is about as organic and intuitive as watching a monster truck rally on TV while downing a bag of Doritos.

The Parent Trip made me laugh out loud and remember the days of pregnancy and tiny babyhood and SO wish I would have had this book when I was pregnant the first time. Jenna tells it like it is without hiding the fact that motherhood is pretty darn amazing. I’m planning on making sure all of my newly pregnant friends get this book and am even making all of my been there, done that mom friends read it too! A big hat tip to Jenna, who wrote this hilarious, true-to-life book while raising her 2 daughters.

Want to win a copy? Here’s your chance!

All you need to do to enter is leave a comment here. The contest is open until October 1st and the winner will be notified via email.

Ok, I admit it. When I offered to review Bath By Bettijo’s Sweet B. skin care line for children, my motives were completely selfish. So, when the package arrived with bath products that I could try, too, I was pretty excited.

I tried three products:

Lavender Soothing Baby Oil ($14.50)

Organic Shampoo & Wash ($16.50)

Shea Butter Soothing Lotion ($16.50)

All three felt completely luxurious. I love the smell of natural products. The baby oil and the lotion are my favorites of the three. The baby oil isn’t greasy, smells like lavender and gave me a reason to pause for a minute after a busy day and a splashy bath time to rub Braxton’s feet, legs, arms and belly. And surprisingly, he paused too. Anything that can create special quiet moments with a toddler is worth any price!

The lotion smells like shea butter, which I love, and is thick and soothing. It goes on clean and absorbs quickly. After spending too much time in the sun last weekend, I don’t think another product on the planet could have felt as good on my skin. Oh, and I’m sure Braxton agrees, too. If your tot has mild eczema or super sensitive skin, shea butter can work wonders.

The shampoo & wash was also terrific. We used it mostly as a wash and it had the lightest scent of the three products.

Other products also available in this line: Babybottom Balm, baby powder and hair conditioner.

I absolutely recommend these products. Soothing, luxurious and good for mom and baby.

Win These!

We have 1 Sweet b. Shea Butter Soothing Lotion and 1 Sweet b. Organic Shampoo & Wash for our readers - all you need to enter is leave a comment here. The contest will end September 2nd and the winner will be notified by email shortly after. Super easy to enter, why not try?

Kelli is mom to Braxton, age 2, and partner to Mike. She is an instructor at the University of Oregon and a public relations consultant with her own firm. Thanks to growing up in a large family, she’s learned to manage chaos and still have fun. You can read her posts here.

I had the privilege of reviewing three products from the Dionis Guess How Much I Love You line for my youngest, who has fairly sensitive skin. I usually use only unscented, naturally-based products on his skin in the bath (and afterwards), so I was eager to try something new. We received the Baby Wash, Baby Lotion, and Baby Powder to try out.

As soon as I received the products in the mail, I opened them to see how they smelled (because I’m weird like that!). They were very powdery, and I was worried that while they might soften up my son’s skin, I might not appreciate the scent once we used them. I have a very overactive pregnant sniffer, so things that don’t smell right definitely don’t get used again.

However, once my son and I ran a warm bath and I swirled the Baby Wash into the running water, the scent blended in nicely and was a pleasant, mild smell. The bubbles were gentle and, unlike a lot of sensitive skin bath products, did not disappear right away. The Baby Wash also soaped up well on a washcloth, and my son’s skin felt and smelled clean after using it. It also rinsed away clearly and left no residue behind.

The Baby Lotion was light and was the most powdery smelling of all the products. It was lightweight and easy to massage into an active toddler’s arms and legs, and it actually changed from the heavy powdery scent to something much milder and very pleasant. The scent seemed to combine with my son’s natural skin smell, and quite frankly, he smelled absolutely yummy!

I applied the Baby Powder when I diapered him, and it kept him dry and rash-free. Overall, we were very happy with the Dionis products we received, and I will continue to use them until they’re gone. And maybe purchase more!

Win Some!

We have 2 sets of Guess How Much I Love You products for our readers - yay! All you need to do to enter is leave a comment here telling which of the products you think would be your favorite. Super simple, right?

We’ll pick 2 winners on August 18 and notify the winners by email.

Read more about Rachael on our Contributors page!

Disclosure: Rachael received a free set of products for review purposes.