Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Mother's Day Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Mama's Got A Fake I.D.


As a mom, many of us find that we lose a bit of our self in the process and wonder where our talents and passion are and how can we balance that in our roles of mom, wife, friend, employee etc. I have been a stay at home mom for the past 10 years, after a long career in health care, including management. I went back to work last fall in a part time, flexible position which forced me to take a look at myself and where I wanted to be and how I could balance it all. Mama's Got a Fake I.D. was offered to me to read and participate in a Mother's Day Blog Tour through Waterbrook Press, a division of Random House. I thought that it would be an interesting book to read and gain some new insights into my own identity struggles.

Mama's Got a Fake I.D. reminds us as readers and moms that we did have lives before we became a mom and how easy it can be for us to lose our own identities after we become a mom. Others often see us as a mom first and nothing else and their preconceived ideas effect how we are viewed. Ms. Rivadeneira spoke from her own experience as a mom and work at home mom and she also tapped into a group of mom friends that helped her to understand how other moms felt. I found it interesting that other mom's had feelings similar to my own as none of my friends appeared to share these feelings.

Ms. Rivadeneira is a Christian and draws upon these beliefs and importance that God wants us to discover who He made us to be and that we need to reclaim that person that is hiding behind that "mom" identity. As we really are more than just a "mom". I found that the author drew from her strong Christian faith and she shares scriptural and biblical references to support her ideas. At the end of each chapter, there are questions for reflection and discussion. These are hepful to reflect on yourself and would be great to discuss with a friend, book club or any other women's or mom's group. You can join an online discussion at Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira's website, here.

If you find yourself in a funk and you are not sure where your identity is as a mom and woman this may be a great book to explore and help you work through your thoughts, feelings and goals. The book is inspiring and is a practical guide that will help you examine false guilt, learn a new language or way to express your identity, tap into your own passions and interests and connect to those things that you may have lost touch with.

I just joined Facebook and a college friend sent me a flair button that said"You don't work Full Time until you're a Mom!" That says it all!!




Author Bio: The former managing editor of Marriage Partnership and Christian Parenting Today, Caryn Dahlstrand Rivedeneira has been a trusted voice writing and speaking to women for more than a decade. Today she is the managing editor of GiftedForLeadership.com, an online community for Christian women in leadership. Rivadeneira works from home in the Chicago suburbs, where she lives with her husband and their three children.


Make sure to visit Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeneira's website, here. You can download a discussion guide and Bible Study based on the book, here.

For information on how to purchase the book go here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giveaway Details:

I am giving away two copies of Mama's Got a Fake I.D. My gently read copy as well as one Brand New copy.


To Enter:

  • For One Entry: Leave a comment and share a way that you've been able to maintain your own identity separate from being a mom. Make sure that you include your email or that your email is in your blog profile. If I have no way of contacting you by email, your entry will automatically be withdrawn.
  • For a Second Entry, In a SEPARATE comment: tell me that you have Blogged about this giveaway and share a link(posting in your sidebar is fine).
  • For a Third Entry, In a SEPARATE comment: Tell me that you Follow My Blog or Subscribe in a Reader (let me know if you are already a follower or subscriber).

This giveaway is ONLY open to U.S. and Canada.I'll use random.org to draw a winner and the contest will end on May 11th, 2009 at Midnight EST. Good Luck!!

19 comments:

  1. One way that I work on maintaining my own identity is through my blog.

    gypsyrover21(at)yahoo(dot)ca

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm a follower.

    gypsyrover21(at)yahoo.ca

    ReplyDelete
  3. As a new empty-nester, I realize how much of my identity was MOM. It's been hard but fun rediscovering the wife and friend parts of me!

    mj.coward[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. When my son was a toddler I decided to start submitting articles to magazines. I wanted to see if I could become the published author that I had dreamed of being since I was a child. Guess what? I am :)

    Sounds like a great book. I remember mourning the loss of my identity after I became a mom.

    jgbeads AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am a follower :)

    jgbeads AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've kept in touch with friends and make it a point to exercise, and keep up my hobbies!

    heatheranne99 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I maintain my idenity by belonging to a book club -- great me time.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  8. psst...i've given you an award here: http://www.savvyverseandwit.com/2009/05/true-fairy-tale-award-more.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. I maintain my "me-ness" through my career as a high school librarian. I become mom when I get home!
    mbrown@hcps.us

    ReplyDelete
  10. right now i am a new mom so I haven't really figured that part out yet, but I hope to eventually set up a once every two months night out without baby.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I make it a point to get out once in a while with my friends like I used to do before I had children :-)

    marielay@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is a tough one because I am a stay at home mother. I am ALWAYS on duty. Even now! LOL But I do think that with reading and working on my blogging (and the wonderful people I've "met" through blogging) I keep a bit of myself separate. It's really hard work to not just fold in on myself as be "The Mom" 24/7.

    Melissa

    must.read.faster@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm also following you!

    Melissa

    must.read.faster@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I also posted a little snippet about this giveaway on my blog! Here is the link!

    http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com/2009/05/mamas-got-fake-id-giveaway.html

    Thanks,
    Melissa

    must.read.faster@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I always make time for myself. I have friends and I got out. I try not to just live to be a mom.

    "Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Fun:
    CoolCanucks.ca"

    ReplyDelete
  16. i follow

    "Canadian Contests, Freebies, Coupons, Deals, Games and Fun:
    CoolCanucks.ca"

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bonnie,
    I loved reading your own personal insights to this book!! How do I maintain my identity? I scrapbook, spend time with my friends, and maintain my blog where I am totally myself and I blog for myself!

    ReplyDelete
  18. 23 yrs ago I had a daughter and gave her up for adoption. 2 yrs ago, we were reunited. It has been a great reunion. So my identity as a mother is all new to me and it has been great. It's been neat being called MOM after all these years.

    sharon54220@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. I am also a subscriber.

    sharon54220@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete