Product Description

If brushing your teeth provides the only moment of the day when you’re truly alone and at peace, then this book is for you. Sure, you love your kids, but your pre-mom self—the one who savored a glass of wine after work and exercised on her lunch break instead of shopping for baby food—had its perks, too.

The “time-outs” in this book are for moms who love their kids but also long for a few minutes when they’ve got nowhere to be, no one to listen to, and no diapers to change. The authors have compiled 100 imaginative ways they and their friends—including such celebrities as Kelly Ripa and Jill Hennessy—spend their time when they have 10 luscious minutes to themselves. The suggestions for using your moments alone to the max run the gamut from sweet to satiric—treat yourself to a single, beautiful flower for your bedside table or play kickball with your son and punt the ball really, really far. Try surreptitiously rearranging your Netflix queue so your movies arrive before your husband’s and kids’ do. Browse for bling at Harry Winston. Or leave the kids to shop with your husband and slip into Brookstone for a rest in one of their giant massage chairs.

Every good mom deserves a break. This book is a start—to chuckle over with your friends or really use when you need a precious respite.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #292528 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-07
• Released on: 2009-04-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307453716
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
Lyss Stern is the mother of two young boys and the creator of Divalysscious moms (www.divalyssciousmoms.com), New York City’s premier luxury lifestyle company for fabulous moms and tots, with more than 23,000 active members.

Julie Klappas is the mother of two and has spent her career working in television, producing programming and promotions for clients including Lifetime, VH1, and Nickelodeon.

Customer Reviews

Mom's couth with gin and vermouth!
I often hear moms complain that they have no time for themselves. Well, if somebody handed Mommy a book titled //If You Give A Mom A Martini...//she definitely should make time for herself. This book is über-delightful! It was off to the races for me the minute I flipped the first page. It is definitely intended to make life easier for all the stressed-out moms who juggle work, play, marriage, kids, household chores, PTA meetings, baseball practices, and the list goes on and on. //If You Give A Mom A Martini...// encourages moms to set aside ten minutes for ourselves everyday for our own entitlement, since the other 1,430 minutes is devoted to taking care of everyone else. I have a two-year-old myself, and as I spent more than ten minutes reading the book, BAM! He managed to masticate the business card that the pool guy left on the dining room table. Aaaaargh! Fortunately, at least after reading some of the anecdotes in here, I realize that I'm not the only one who has "Bad Mommy Moments."

The book reminds us moms that we can still dance, sing and listen to our own music from the eighties or nineties, even if we are constantly drowned with "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," the complete set of songs from the //Mommy and Me// DVD, and that monotonous "Boom Boom Pow" with the indetectable lyrics. Although I really can't begin to express how grateful I am to Elmo and Barney for the wonder, magic, and help they bring by distracting my kid, because that's a good thirty minutes of "me" time right there. Oh, and what about those text messages you get from your tween? This book will give you a complete run-down of their frequent bizarre cell phone acronyms and their meanings, helping you to translate the hieroglyphics of your child's communications. From dealing with the constant "Mom, what's this?" questions from your toddlers to having to fall in line inside the mall at midnight to get the first copy of the //Twilight// DVD, //If You Give A Mom A Martini...// empowers us to indulge in our own guilty pleasures and reward ourselves, too...because - admit it - kids can be so user-unfriendly and husbands are oftentimes not the most attentive, loving, appreciative and sex-crazed partners we want them to be! Might as well reward yourself from time to time, even if it is as trivial as getting ten minutes in the bathroom to catch up on the latest //US Weekly// magazine, everyone else's cellulite and no-makeup paparazzi shots of "Octomom" Nadya Suleman and Kate Gosselin.

I have my own "Mommy Meltdowns," and it's nice to know that I'm not alone. Unless you've lived in "our" world, you'll never really consider having a martini in the afternoon, gossiping with a girlfriend on the phone for hours, chatting and stalking friends' Facebook profiles, watching //Jerry Springer//, or sitting on a reclining massage chair at the mall as luxuries. Mothering is a noble undertaking and a lifetime commitment, so moms will need all the help they can get to maintain their sanity, to provide a nurturing home, and to be able to always create a circle of love between their husbands and children, no matter how silly or petty it may be. //If You Give A Mom A Martini...// celebrates moms of all kinds and ages, and I give a toast to the gorgeous and diva-licious mom-authors Julie Clappas and Lyss Stern for the great contribution they have written for the betterment of society. May I have the great pleasure and honor of exchanging thoughts and some afternoon Martinis with you both in the future! Cheers!

Reviewed by
Kaye Cloutman

Great gift for all of the moms in your life!
This book is a fun and quick read. It is the perfect Mother's Day gift for all of your girlfriends with kids. I bought it for everyone! It offers great tips for how to remain a "woman" when you're usually known as "Mom." I recommend this book highly!

Wow - A much needed reminder that mom's are people, too!
As an author, I love to read. "If You Give a Mom a Martini" is perfect for busy moms. Quick, easy, and entertaining reading packed with fun and helpful tips to remind all mothers that they owe it to themselves to take a break, indulge a little, and pamper themselves! Great read - great idea!