The Must-Have Mom Manual: Two Mothers, Two Perspectives, One Book That Tells You Everything You Need to Know [Paperback]

Sara Ellington (Author), Stephanie Triplett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2009

Whether it is bottle- or breast-feeding, cribs or co-sleeping, getting back to the office or staying home with the kids, best friends Sara Ellington and Stephanie Triplett, the team behind the popular book and radio show The Mommy Chronicles, rarely choose the same option. Lucky for us, in The Must-Have Mom Manual, they discuss the pros and cons of every aspect of child raising, from pacifiers to potty training, bedtimes to birthday parties, day care to Disney World.

Their philosophy is simple: There is no one right way to be a mom. Sara and Stephanie just want to make every mother’s life easier. So, with a healthy dose of humor, they share their parenting triumphs and disasters, marital challenges, public meltdowns, and all the knowledge they’ve gained as authors and radio show hosts, with hundreds of tips for moms everywhere.

• 10 things not to feel guilty about–because every mother feels bad about something
• Answers for new moms about leaving the house with baby for the first time, postpartum depression, accepting help, car seats, and dining out with baby
• Sticky parenting decisions–including the consensus on little white lies, family nudity, “correcting” homework, and leaving your child in the car (just for a second)
• Managing your household and how to conquer the clutter with special strategies for organizing every room in your home
• Products for moms, the best mom-gear, cleaning products–including technology, gadgets, stores, and places to take the kids
• Marriage 911, sleep or sex?, how to keep the home fires burning–plus four people who can sabotage your sex life

Covering “all things Mommy,” Sara and Stephanie are real mothers delivering real insights, with real laughs, as they tackle and celebrate the challenges and drama of motherhood in the best, easiest, most mom-friendly guide to life with kids today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former radio show cohosts and authors (The Mommy Chronicles), Ellington and Triplett are an odd couple—best friends with differing views who happened to have been pregnant at the same time. Ellington is the organized stay-at-home mom who ended up bottle feeding and preferred her baby to sleep in a crib; Triplett is a working mom who breastfed and embraced the family bed. Together they prove that there's no one right way to be a good mom, as they dole out advice on an array of topics ranging from recovering from the giving birth to dealing with sticky decisions like whether to let kids eat Pop Tarts for breakfast. While the authors have thoroughly researched their material, they've also lived it, and along with tips from medical experts and other resources, they include insider advice readers won't hear from their pediatricians (i.e., to avoid embarrassment, practice collapsing the stroller before going out in public). Though the two occasionally disagree, they do so in a genial manner that demonstrates how working and stay-at-home moms can get along and learn from one another. They also offer an occasional tip for dads (i.e., after the delivery, you can never go wrong with diamonds). This breezy, chatty read is filled with practical information as well as laughs. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Hosts of the Sirius radio show The Mom Chronicles, Triplett and Ellington offer sage advice in the practice of “momology” based on their own experiences—one a mom with a career outside the home, the other a stay-at-home mom. Interspersed throughout is advice from other similarly situated women as well as doctors and child psychologists. Ellington and Triplett were best friends even before they embarked on their careers as advisors, and their close friendship is evident throughout this casual and highly accessible book. Sections focus on broad topics—after the baby comes home, marriage, work-life balance—with individual chapters alternating between the two authors. They offer advice on everything from breast-feeding to hosting birthday parties to managing a household with children from birth through age six. Among their soundest advice: trust your instincts, accept help. Each chapter ends with a listing of the most highly recommended “clutter-busting” resources and product recommendations. Readers will appreciate the decidedly unglamorous, often humorous, and always practical advice. --Vanessa Bush

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (April 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345499875
• ISBN-13: 978-0345499875
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,055,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sara Ellington is author of The Mommy Chronicles (Hay House, 2005) and The Must-Have Mom Manual available from Ballantine Books in 2009. She is a graduate of Lynchburg College and the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. After the birth of her first child, Sara went through a difficult battle with postpartum depression, which she shares candidly in The Mommy Chronicles.

From 2005 through 2006, Sara was co-host with Stephanie Triplett of a weekly radio show for moms called The Mommy Chronicles Show, which aired live on HayHouseRadio.com and Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 114, LIME. She and Stephanie have appeared on NBC's TODAY Show and were selected as "spokesmoms" by Johnson & Johnson for a national satellite media tour announcing the birth of the 300 millionth American.

In addition to being an author, mother and wife, Sara is a freelance writer. She has written for Charlotte Ventures magazine, Mothers & More's national newsletter, Forum, and a NASCAR television pilot. Currently she writes a blog for MomsCharlotte.com, a partner with The Charlotte Observer. Prior to becoming a mother, she worked for several advertising agencies as a copywriter. Sara's advertising work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Southern Living, and The Charlotte Observer.

In 2007, Sara's life took a drastic turn when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. After six months of chemotherapy, Sara remains cancer free.
Sara lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband David Behnke and their two children, Anna and Cade, a Golden Retriever named River and a turtle Anna has given the unlikely name "Slash."

www.saraandstephanie.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining, yet seriously helpful "manual" with a pair of views, April 14, 2009

By 

Mary Troy "Miss Mary" (Milford, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Must-Have Mom Manual: Two Mothers, Two Perspectives, One Book That Tells You Everything You Need to Know (Paperback)

I am really enjoying this book. It gives you two different point of views (through their own experiences) as moms to moms from the delivery of your first child to healthy child-rearing to work-life balance to marriage to education (and many other subjects). I also found great appreciation for many websites they include throughout and at the end of each chapter. Don't let the colorful, cute cover deceive you. It is not only humorous and girly, but it also gives great, much-needed advice and facts for serious life challenges. I'm going to always keep this book within arms-reach!

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book!, June 10, 2010

By 

Patricia S. Delfin - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Must-Have Mom Manual: Two Mothers, Two Perspectives, One Book That Tells You Everything You Need to Know (Paperback)

I'm about halfway through this book and so far, I absolutely love it! I've read a few of the more conventional baby books (What To Expect, The Baby Book, Dr. Spock, etc.) and while those are definitely informative and also a 'must-read', I am enjoying The Must-Have Mom Manual because it's brings a more real-life perspective to parenting. Being a (first-time) mom-to-be, it's nice to take a break from the heavier parenting books, while also feeling that I am getting valuable information in raising my future children. Another thing I really like is that they cite the books and websites they use at the end of each chapter, so if you would like to read more on a particular subject, you can get the book(s) or go to the website(s).

I definitely recommend The Must-Have Mom Manual!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, highly recommend it!, May 12, 2010

By 

Modern Mommy (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Must-Have Mom Manual: Two Mothers, Two Perspectives, One Book That Tells You Everything You Need to Know (Paperback)

This is an amazing book that tackles a broad range of mom concerns and challenges from pre-baby through young adulthood. It is great to get the two perspectives, since there is truly no one "right" way to parenting. I will buy this for all of my expecting friends!