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.

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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!!