August Book of the Month: What to Expect Book Giveaway

The birth of McKalyn was a a long awaited blessing for my husband and I.  However, the duration of my pregnancy was filled with many ups and downs.  After several miscarriages,  I was considered a high risk pregnancy.   Knowing that I only had a 25% chance of carrying to term, I found that I was constantly worried about every twitch and hiccup.  I was given several books on pregnancy by friends and family with the hopes of helping me calm my nerves.  I read several though not all. Some helped ease my nerves, some only made it worse.  It wasn't until I picked up What to Expect When Your Expecting that I started to enjoy my pregnancy.  On the first of every month I read the entire chapter for that month.  I highlighted important information, dog-eared pages to refer to again, and even wrote in the margins. I would go back to that chapter several times over the month to check my progress and to learn what to expect.

A few weeks before I went on maternity leave I walked over to our local bookstore and picked up What to Expect the First Year and What to Expect the Second Year.  I knew I would want these books on hand and did not know if I would be able to get out and purchase them once Mak was born.  I was right, I referred to them daily.  Every month I was excited to learn what milestones McKalyn would reach. It was exciting to see how she was ahead in many areas and behind on others.  I swore she would never crawl since she refused to do tummy time, but to my surprise she learned to crawl and stand at 6 months. I read those books religiously for 2 years, right up until her second birthday in April.

We are now on our third year and loving every minute of it.  We have an amazing little girl who makes everyday a blessing.  I never knew my heart had the ability to love so much.  I am so grateful for these books and how they have helped me.

I am honored to announce that I have been asked to team up with What to Expect!  To celebrate this union, What to Expect has given me the opportunity to give away two sets of the series to two lucky readers!

Each lucky follower will receive:

• What to Expect When Expecting
• What to Expect the First Year
• What to Expect the Second Year

To enter this giveaway you must follow DIY Trophy Wife publicly, and leave a comment telling me which book you will enjoy the most. Please include your email. You must do this before you complete any of the extra entries! Even of you are entering for yourself and your little one is almost a year, or your little ones are grown, fell free to give them away to someone who is expecting. Enter for yourself and a girlfriend!

Extra requirements  – leave a comment telling me you have done each of these:

1. Like DIY Trophy Wife on Facebook
2. Follow Emfitchic on Twitter 
3. Follow what to Expect on Facebook
4. Follow What to Expect on Twitter 
5. Mention this give away on Facebook or Twitter tagging both DIY & What to Expect  in your post.

You can also follow my What to Expect Blog at http://www.whattoexpect.com/profile/emfitchic

If you like you can also friend me on my personal page on Facebook I would love to get to know you! 

This giveaway will end August 31 at 11pm EST. Good luck to everyone! 

More Books of the Month & Reviews

June Book of the Month: Have a New Husband by Friday

I have so many books it is ridiculous! One of my favorite things to do is browse the bookstore and drink a skinny latte. Never do I leave without at least one book. Considering that I used to go every day when I was pregnant (I worked across the street) I have accumulated quite the library. So, my summer goal is to read a minimum of one book a month. This month I pulled Have a New Husband by Friday: How to Change His Attitude, Behavior & Communication in 5 Days by Kevin Leman. I picked up this book primarily because the title made me laugh and it was in the bargain bin for $3.50. "Have a new husband by Friday? Is that even possible? Dr. Kevin Leman says it is. The New York Times bestselling author and self-help guru shows even the most frustrated wife how she can have a new husband by Friday. Leman reminds any wife that if what she's doing to get better behavior out of her husband isn't working now, it never will. So it's time for a change. That means it's time to change her own patterns of behavior." I will let you know if it works ;)

See more Books of the Month and their reviews here

Herbal Decongestant Steam

(not for those with weepy acne, rosacea, sunburn, sensitive skin or asthma)

3-4 c distilled or purified water

2 tsp peppermint or eucalyptus leaves

1 tsp comfrey or marshmallow root

1 tsp rosemary leaves

1 tsp thyme leaves

** mix as needed.  In a med size pot, bring water to a boil.  Remove from heat & add the herbs, cover & let seep 5 min. Place pan somewhere safe where you can sit comfortably for 10 min.  Remove cover from pan. Drape a large bath towel over your head & shoulders & the steaming herbs to create a tent. With your eyes closed and your face 10-12 inches from the edge of the pot, breathe deeply & relax as you all the steam to reach deep into the sinus cavities, lung & throat.

Pole Dancing for Kids

Now don't get me wrong, I love Pole Dancing classes. I took my first class at Hype Studios in Hermosa Beach, CA.  It was a great way for to get over my inhibitions and to allow myself to really become comfortable with my sexuality. Not to mention the AMAZING workout!  I gained a new respect for those women who do the real pole dancing for a living. Not the cheapo places but the real ones like the ones in Vegas where it is an act.  The amount of strength it takes to do those tricks is incredible. I  recommend taking a class to everyone.....well almost anyone. 

I saw this first on The View and was a little taken back then.  While I am all for children's fitness, I am not really sure that this is the perfect venue for young girls. I am a former dancer and am very liberal when it comes to performing.  When the Single Ladies video came out I thought people were over reacting.  While some people saw sexually explicit movements, I saw incredible talent.  However, I can not seem to find the justification in this. Yes it is a great workout, I agree.  However, so is gymnastics. What do you think?

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4301082/pole-dancing-for-kids/

Product Review: My fav Pilates Video

I have been a Pilates lover for about 10 years now. I swear no other workout can strengthen the body the way Pilates can.  While I have been doing the workout videos at home since 1992, I had not taken a real class until I attended a class at Gold’s Gym in Jupiter, FL taught by Ronda Callaway. Oh my gosh!! I remember I used to take her step class followed by the Pilates class and my body would be completely wasted!! I took her classes whenever I could.  When I moved out to Los Angeles, I could not find a Pilates class that was her caliber or as challenging. So I decided to get certified and teach it myself.  I taught classes very similar to hers at Gold’s Gym in Redondo Beach, CA for 3 years. Unfortunately after moving to Montgomery, AL to be near family I gave up the luxury of a gym with classes I could take or teach. I would love to say I have the motivation to workout at home alone, but I just don’t. It was my sister who said I should try Physique 57.   Can I just say I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these videos. While they are not quite Ronda, they are pretty friggin’ good!  I would recommend these to everyone. You can look more into it at www.physique57.com

Thou Shall Obey

So I was at church last Sunday when the pastor started ranting about how women who were in the Women's Rights movement were out of line and most were 60 years old childless and alone. Well, as a child of a woman who was a part of that movement and a very strong woman and business woman I was a bit irritated. (My mother was in front of me I would have loved to have seen her face.) He went on to say that women should be submissive and shouldn't be a nag to their husband. Again, miffed. However, he did recover. He stated that women should not be doormats either. They should support their husbands and take care of the household. Men should be men so that the women could be women. They should lead the family and lead by example. They should be strong enough so that women did not feel that the needed to step in out of necessity.

This struck a cord with me.  As a wife and a mother there are certain things I am just naturally better at.  There are certain instincts I have that my husband does not. For instance, knowing when McKalyn is hungry vs tired.  Then there are things he is just naturally better at. He is a hard worker and likes hard work, I on the other hand do not. I like to work but I like to do it my way. I am a leader and an organizer. He is the hunter and gatherer.  As I watch McKalyn I notice that without prompting she is also an organizer. She also likes more feminine things even though she has never been taught to. (I am sure this is not unusual but as a first time mom I was intrigued) I am also happier when I am at home with my daughter and managing the household and Quad is happier when is able to work and provide for his family.  Does that mean that I feel the women's place is in the home? ABSOLUTELY NOT! I am natural worker. I like to work and I like knowing that I do not need to depend on someone else. I love my independence. That's why I work for myself. I believe we need to do what comes naturally. Maybe if we did we would have much happier homes and much lower divorce rates.