With a combined total of over 300,000 Girlfriends' Guides in print, Vicki Iovine offers the kind of tongue-in-cheek humor and straight-from-the-hip advice that has made her one of today's most popular authorities on child rearing. Now she takes the next step in the Girlfriends series by helping mothers deal with that mysterious, baffling, often adorable and frequently alarming being their baby has become--a toddler.

WHO KNEW BABIES NEEDED SO MANY ACCESSORIES? 

 

It’s official. You’re pregnant. Get used to the fact that life is never going to be the same. And break out the credit card, because that little bundle of joy is going to cost you. The list seems endless—from car seats to changing pads. But don’t despair. The Girlfriends are here to take some of the guesswork out of shopping for baby-to-be. We’ll tell you when to skimp and when to splurge, and which hand-me-downs are safe and which are sorry. You’ll get advice on…

 

  • Where to get what you need
  • Crib and car seat do’s and don’ts
  • Wardrobe musts and misses—for mother and child
  • Stocking the nursery and the rest of the house
  • What every new mom should have on hand for herself
  • The Master Shopping List—don’t leave home without it!

Plus the Top 10 Things to Do for Yourself Before the Baby Arrives, the Top 10 Baby Items You Won’t Find at a Baby Store, the Top 10 Best—and Worst—Things to Borrow, the Top 10 Signs of a First-Time Mom, and more…

 


Bust out of that mommy rut and get into the groove!

When a mother finally emerges from the mommy mole tunnel of pregnancy, breastfeeding, potty-training and preschool, she comes to the inevitable realization: The road to maternity is a one-way street. No U-turns allowed. You’ve survived the battles of baby- and toddler-hood, playdates and temper tantrums to time-outs. And just when it seems your former life is within reach—taking up neglected jobs and hobbies, committing to a fitness program, rediscovering the boyfriend living in the body of your husband—you crash headfirst into the wall of reality. The kids may be able to fasten their own seatbelts and pour their own cereal, but the homework, tucking in, car pools, and birthday parties have just begun. Let Vicki Iovine, author of The Girlfriends’ Guides, show you how to navigate the twists and turns of family life—and find time for your kids, your spouse, your home, your work, and yourself. You’re not alone in this “mommy adolescence.” In The Girlfriends’ Guide to Getting Your Groove Back, Iovine provides her trademark sage, witty advice on:

- How to focus at work when things at home are in chaos—and vice versa
- Making time for yourself—and not the PTA
- Getting over the romantic myth of “date nights” and weekends away from the kids
- Homework help—your transformation into a human flashcard
- The dinnertime crush and how to relieve frozen pizza fatigue

Iovine puts the perils of perpetual parenthood into perspective. You’ll feel like you do after a long chat with a good friend—relaxed, refreshed, and ready to reclaim your life …


When it comes to your new baby, everyone from Dr. Spock to Dr. Brazleton has an armful of advice. But no one's delivering any tips on how you can care for yourself. Now, four-time delivery room veteran Vicki Iovine answers your questions, calms your fears, and cracks you up as only a girlfriend can, with straight advice and hilarious observations on...

"Baby euphoria": Is it a mind-altering drug?

"Husband? What Husband?": Taking care of the big baby, as well as the little baby

"I Want My Old Body Back!": What you can fix and what you can't

"The Droning Phenomenon": The inability to discuss anything but your baby for more than thirty seconds

"Do I Have to Become Carol Brady?": Conquering your fear of being a less-than-perfect mother

"Competitive Mothering": Coping with know-it-alls, finger-pointers, and others who try to "Out-Mom" you

NOTE: Pausing to read this book may be the only selfish thing you do all year, since you'll have time for nothing else!