Book Review: Must. Have. Wine. A Toast to Motherhood

I’m a Mom.

A single Mom.

With two kids.

And two dogs.

And a full time job and a three bedroom house and four loads of laundry calling my name from the very messy garage.

Yes, I’m tired. Not unhappy — not unfulfilled — but very tired.

The hardest thing of all is that sometimes, since the moment they were born, I forget that I’m not alone in my quest to not ruin my kids. Being a good parent and raising good people is so very important to me, but there are days when I feel like it was all I could do to just make it through to bedtime. Those are the days that I seek out the tiny little moments of peaceful bliss that is squeezed between the children falling into dreamland and me crashing into unconsciousness. Thankfully those days don’t happen all the time, but when they do, I now have a book to pick up to help me through those lonely moments where I worry about failure.

If you are experiencing what I’ve just written, you need to read this book. Or, at the very least, have it on your bookshelf so that you can open it up on any given day and remind yourself, through much laughter, that every crazy thing you’ve experience in motherhood has been experienced by others, too. We’re not alone!

Must. Have. Wine. It’s a modern mom’s mantra, no matter what type of day we’re having; when we’ve come to the end of our rope, had the best day ever, or simply just want to unwind.

Our book is a collection of real-life, relatable mom stories assuring moms that we’re all in this crazy race together; nobody is perfect, and other moms have been where we are… all the while, inviting them to sit with their favorite bottle of wine and share the ups and downs of this wondrous yet challenging role we’re all living.

If you are looking for just one reason to pour that glass, we’ve got it covered. Always feeling guilty about something you did or didn’t do?“Guilt Will Always Be There, Let Love Triumph” is the story for you! Tired of your hubby putting the moves on you when all you need is another hour of sleep? Been there! You must read “Midnight Lovin’!”Think you’re the only mom who can’t brave the McDonald’s playland slide to save your toddler? You’ll laugh out loud when you read “I’m Not Lovin’ It!””

Right off the bat I love the cover of “Must. Have. Wine.” It’s got the feel of an exhausted mother trying to stick to a routine on a notebook that has been stained and lovingly used. Been there!

The chapters are broken down into types of wine and types of stories. For instance, “Chapter 3: PINOT NOIR: When you need to be encouraged,” or Chapter 6: WHITE ZINFANDEL: When you need to be indulged.” This helps if you just have time for a few stories and you know what kind of encouragement or solidarity you need. I say solidarity because we moms have GOT to stick together, and this book gives you the chance to mentally high five other moms who’ve “been there/done that.”

Please get this book (available on Amazon for under $10 and a Kindle version), enjoy it with a glass of wine at the end of a long day, and I promise you your spirits will be lifted!

Merrie is a writer for the Jen is on a Journey and you can also find her at her blog, Sleepless Mornings: “I’m the mother of two beautiful children, an Executive Assistant, a scrapbooker, a baker, and sometimes I’m even fun to be around!”

Book sent to facilitate post, all opinions my own.