Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom

by Kristin van Ogtrop

Kristin van Ogtrop knows she's lucky--fulfilling career, great husband, three healthy kids, and, depending on the hamster count, an impressive roster of pets. She also knows she is tired. Always.

Using stories and insights from her own life, she provides a lexicon for the half-insane working mom. Anyone who has left a meeting to race to the Halloween parade immediately understands van Ogtrop's definition of " Kill the messenger" as "The action you must take in order to forget about the office for a time--that is, to remove your Blackberry/Treo/iPhone/whatever from your person and store it as far away as your neurotic self will allow." Filled with essays, lists, and resonant observations, JUST LET ME LIE DOWN establishes van Ogtrop as the Erma Bombeck of the new millennium.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Biography, Adult, Self Help

272 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2010

About the author

Kristin van Ogtrop is the author of Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom. The former longtime editor-in-chief of Real Simple and “The Amateur” columnist for Time, she is a literary agent at InkWell Management. Her writing has appeared in countless publications, and the New York Times bestselling collection, The Bitch in the House. She is a wife and mother of three, but sometimes loves her dogs more than anybody else.

Reviews

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

My book group is reading this book, and I was expecting to find it trivial, possibly even annoying. I read "Didn't I Feed You Yesterday?" not too long ago, and I was pained by the author's attitude in that book, so I feared the same from this one. I was pleasantly surprised. The book is indeed a light read, but van Ogtrop is bright, clearly loves working, and thinks deeply about her role as a mother in her children's lives. Every few pages I came across a thought that resonated so closely with some of my own experiences as a working mother, that I kept reaching for a pad of paper to scribble quotes down. Her entry on perfect husbands, "Dudley-Do-Everything", leads into a meditation on loss of control, which culminates in my favorite quote of the book: "[M]uch of my life as a wife and mother is about vacillating between wanting to do everything myself and being really, really mad that no one is helping me."

[Susanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very fortunate woman who has it all; a high-paying job, a full-time nanny to care for his three sons, a nice house, family pets, and a husband. In a sense, this is a half-insane working mom writing a half-interesting book.

I personally like to read about real average women who raise children on an average income. I find it inspiring to see them working hard to pay the bills, fighting their health problem (for the unfortunate ones) and still keeping their full-time jobs, pulling their hearts out to care for elderly parents/in-laws, in the meantime helping their children to build more 'characters' and becoming 'survivors' of the real world.

Nonetheless, this is a good book for mindless reading.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is best if read in small doses. It's well-written, funny and it points out truths about motherhood that most can probably identify with. The downside is by mid-way through I felt as if I had been listening to someone complain for a while. I needed a break from it.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the time since I became a mother seven years ago I have both worked and stayed home. I worked for the first year and a half of motherhood. After adding a second child to our family and trying a job sharing plan that didn't end up working out as planned which coincided with a decision to relocate across the country and sell our house (which meant I wouldn't be able to stay at that job anyway) I started staying home and I have been home now for a number of years. I know that the clock is starting to wind down to my going back to work outside of the home, but I also know in my heart that right now I am not ready to do that. This book works well for both working outside of the home moms and stay at home moms. I hate the fact that stay at home moms are viewed as not working, as if every day is a day off, but that is a whole different topic.

Kristin van Ogtrop is the editor at Real Simple Magazine and has been working since before her first child was born. Her writing is funny and easy to read. I got through the book in just a few days mostly while I was nursing my son or winding down before bed. Each chapter is arranged with a letter and alphabetical listings of terms for moms. Some examples are "accounting error" when you accidentally have one more child than you can handle, "boredom fantasy" when you remember back to when you were much younger and actually had enough free time to be bored, "ignore the tray" where you must act like a waiter and not look at all that is on your plate otherwise it will all tip- just keep you head up and keep going and you will be fine, and "that-sounds-like-fun-I'll-try it!" where you end up thinking you can do more than you can and end up in a situation that may be uncomfortable or just a pain like having your house renovated while you are still living in it.

Van Ogtrop is really funny, it is nice to read about other mothers who don't feel like they have it all together all the time. I really enjoyed the alphabetical nature of the book, it made it feel organized. Earlier this year I read a book called Mother Daze and this reminded me of that one. It was also written by a working mother who had three children and they both did a good job with relating to the reader and using humor. For all mothers and maybe even all women, there is such a balancing act going on in our lives with how much time to give to our jobs, our families and ourselves and it is so hard to achieve what feels just right for all of those areas and really, sometimes if we just managed to get a bit more sleep it would go smoother but it feels like there isn't enough time to get that rest since so much needs to be done and we just keep going around on this treadmill.

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

really more of a 3.5, & i imagine maybe even more if i were actually a mom! this is another in the long line of parenting memoirs i am always compelled to read despite not actually being a parent myself. kristin is also the editor of "real simple" magazine, & full disclosure: i love "real simple". i am not crazy about the recent re-design (though i do like that they made more space to talk about books in every issues), but whatevs.

this is formatted as a glossary of terms to describe various scenarios & moments in the day of an average working mom. kristin has three sons ranging in age from fourteen to two & has been working in magazine publishing for most of her adult life. although it was an incredibly fast & breezy read (over 200 pages flashed by in perhaps two hours), i was entertained & amused & occasionally even faced with an insight that seemed remarkably feminist & radical to me (even those i was put off just a smidgen by kristin's suggestion that the word "feminist" is a term that has lost its relevancy--i disagree, but considering that kristin seems quite feminist, this might just be a matter of taste in relationship to a loaded word). i kind of felt like kristin is the somewhat older, more experienced mom that i would want to have around when i am ready to have a kid--someone to help me understand what to expect & make me feel better about inevitably dropping the ball on occasion. i am curious about what my mom friends would make of this book!

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom is a reflection on the perils of working moms by Kristen van Ogrtrop. Van Ogtrop is the editor of Real Simple – one of my favorite magazines so I was very curious about this book. The book is written for moms who work. As I am not a mom who works, I may be judging this book too harshly, but mostly I just don’t get it.

The format of the book is odd. She approaches the subject of working motherhood by coming up with “terms” that apply. The book shines when the terms are actually poignant stories about her struggles with balancing her career and motherhood. Otherwise, it reads as a series bad punch lines to jokes I don’t understand (see note about not being a working mother). It’s as if she didn’t have enough stories to qualify for an entire book so she just added some of these terms to fill space. I would have preferred a shorter book with her stories as the focus. \

I don’t recommend this one. Some working moms might appreciate knowing that the editor of a great magazine also left her kid at church, struggles to find a way to turn off the Blackberry, and realizes her babysitter may just be better at raising her children. But for me, I’ll just read my working mom friends’ posts on Facebook - they tell the same story.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Van Ogtrop's honest portrayal of life as a working mother is a must read for all. Not only does it allow us working mothers to see the hilarious side to our everyday lives, it enforces the fact we are not alone in our never ending chaos, even though it often feels like we are. It is a refreshing look at trying to multitask with children.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My girlfriend gave me this book for a Christmas present and I was excited to read it. I'm not sure what took me so long, other than I'm just a busy working mom. In any case, this book offers a humorous look at the life of a working mother, using the format of a dictionary of different terms and sayings, with witty anecdotes and reflections. It's refreshingly candid and sincere.

I thought the book was an entertaining read, with many of the terms resonating soundly with me. I found a slew of quotes that really made an impression on me, the most common of which was, "Wow! She really gets it - at least I'm not the only one!" It took me a long time to read this book - I thought I would fly through it, but either I had a really busy week or I needed the time to digest the material. Or both.

At times I found it difficult to relate to her stories - after all, I'm not the editor-in-chief of a popular magazine, working in NYC. And there were a few stories that seemed to ramble on with no clear point. But overall, I found myself chuckling and nodding my head in agreement more often than not. It was a welcome break from some of the other books I've been reading and a kind of self-affirmation for doing my best at my job and at home, even if I'm not super-mom.

I will certainly recommend this book to other working mothers.

interesting quotes:

"There are things we do because we love our families and there are things we do because we love our jobs, and sometimes these things try to cancel each other out." (p. 8)

"Because my struggles are not all that serious, and almost entirely self-induced, I try to laugh when things go wrong (unless I am too tired to laugh, which leads to charmless and unattractive outbursts that I usually regret later)." (p. 9)

"The net result is that all of my boys project the same message: our mother does not care how we look. Which, sad to say, is pretty close to the truth." (p. 37)

"But finally, and most important, she realized that in many areas of life you have to work within the system, and that you can do it without your soul turning completely black." (p. 44)

"I waste no time in bitching about carrying the domestic burden, but there is something tremendously empowering about doing it all, because it means you are making most of the decisions. Would I really want to give up that level of control? I'm not sure. And so, much of my life as a wife and mother is about vacillating between wanting to do everything myself and being really, really mad that no one is helping me." (pp. 57-58)

"I submit that you reach maturity when you realize that, despite everything your parents have told you over the years, you really are fundamentally just average. And that is - shockingly - OK." (p. 65)

"Existential lethargy: The state you're trapped in when you're so overwhelmed that nothing - and I mean nothing - interests you, not even Starbucks or a York Peppermint Pattie. This state is particularly acute at the beginning of school year, the end of the school year, any time from November 23 to January 2, and on Halloween." (p. 69)

"My children know that I am hyperactive, and stomp around if I've had too much coffee, and attach entirely too much importance to silly things like the fact that there are always dirty socks on the floor of every single room of our house. But they also know that when I am stomping around and going on about dirty socks, or the fact that our oldest son must listen to loud music while he does his homework, or that our middle son insists on bouncing balls off every hard surface in the kitchen, they just have to ride out the storm because soon enough I will go to work and stop bugging them." (p. 74)

"Note: full-stop moments are vital to life in general and your well-being in particular, as reminders that much of what you think is important actually isn't, in the grand scheme of things." (p. 78)

"One angry mother: Any woman who is over the age of forty and trying to balance a job, a husband, children, and running a household. If she has pets, then she may be extra angry. Maybe it's hormones; maybe it's a life stage; maybe it's mortality nipping at the heels, but most of the over-forty working moms I know are just pissed off. Still, they sure do get a lot done." (p. 156)

"What has worked for me may never work for them; everyone must forge her own path through the briar patch of motherhood, and you've got to find the thorns for yourself." (p. 187)

"Working motherhood is nothing if not the ultimate triumph of multitasking over sustained focus. Because I am always doing five things at once, I am never really present. Short of becoming a Buddhist, I'm not quite sure how to change." (p. 217)

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I've never reviewed this book...here are some snippets of things I said about this book (from December 2010)...

While I was on maternity leave I became the woman I secretly desired to be..."A Stay At Home Mom". I took 10 whole weeks of slow it down ‘bliss’. It was only when I started going back to school to teach the beginning of a unit, grade and import grades, give test or explain a concept that I realized that I didn’t really want to be a SAHM, I just wanted to make my own hours.
I had a lovely routine going during this time, however, and it was this theme that afforded me the privilege of watching some day time television. It was during one of these days of getting up early, breast feeding, grading, breast feeding, “Today” show, feeding myself, 4th hour or “Ellen” that I stumbled upon this delicious read, Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom.
Kristin van Ogtrop was on the “Today” show talking about her book and about how to simplify some aspect of your life if you have a busy life with kids and a husband and they’re always hungry and wanting something from you while your job is also hungry and wanting something from you…I don’t know what it was she wanted us to do… I just remember liking the title of her book, the way she laughed at herself and the feeling I had; the feeling that I was listening to a woman who could teach me a thing or two about work-life balance.
I bought, in hard cover, and read her book. She talked about being tired in a way that I was only beginning to understand, and about husbands who try, but just can’t sometimes (for all those clichéd reasons, and more reasons you realize are unique only to you and your family situation) and about families who help and hinder and for the first time I was beginning to relate to a woman who just years, heck months before, I perceived I would have had nothing in common.
Now, I’ve tried to read books about achieving a life balance, Eat, Pray, Love comes to mind, that just didn’t cut it because they were too religious, or not religious enough, or too wishy washy or too exacting. It wasn’t that this book was teaching me how to have a life. It was and still is showing me how my life will be.
I’ve been sitting here trying to think about my favorite word she defined and I can’t come up with one (trying not to look at the book to search for a word), but I can tell you that I read it in a week, between ‘sleep[ing] when the baby sleeps’ and learned that, while my life is not unique and while the over the top gush I feel for this woman, van Ogtrop, is not original in any way, I am and will succeed at being a mother without turning into Chopin's dreadful 'mother-woman'. I can tell you that I have taken many deep breathes, yelled at my husband when he doesn’t help and am unforgiving about the fact that sometimes he has to watch the kidlet while I grade, or go to a conference for a weekend or go to a meeting that last past 7pm. On the other hand, I feel no guilt about leaving a meeting early to pick up my kiddo at 4.30p, or about spending a whole weekend outside on the swing set not looking at a single essay that needs to be graded or lesson that needs to be written, or about being too tired to cook and vegging out, tiny tot in my lap as we watch Brian Williams and the husband cooks (after all he is faster at it and gets hungry first).
From the 1,691 word count introduction, she had me hooked. This book, silly as it is, has become one of the many books that are my foundation, without it, I’m not sure that I would have survived being a mother, a wife and a member of working society. I find it interesting that I have become that woman, I have become a ‘working mom’ and I'm not worried about being perfect at anything. I'll just work my best at all the facets of me.

The word I came up with after reading the book:

Tiny Person
The person who has your ears, hair and toes, but your husbands’ eyes and nose. She makes you laugh just by being and your world…well it’s no longer your world, but hers, everything is hers…is aglow because of her laughter, her smile and her ability to mimic you in the most personal of ways. The person you’d quit your job for, the person who has taught you to breath and slow down. And, although this person is less than half your height and just now walking without looking like a drunk orangutan, she towers over you and commands you to the task at hand, the task of being ‘mommie’.

[Tabatha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really only okay. I expected more from a magazine editor. I was expecting wit mixed with anxiety and humor about the crazy mixed up the life of the working professional mom. I think this book is getting great reviews
because the author is famous, not because this is even a good book. I found myself speed reading the dictionary style definitions, thinking my friends are more humorous and original than this.
This could be definitely be skipped for a better quick read.
Added later: Looking at other reviews, I almost think people like this book just because they like Real Simple. If your a mom, SAH, working or PT of each, you've made all these jokes before at a play group. If not, I am blessed to have a charming, intelligent and interesting group of inside and outside of the home moms.

[Nora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, but the author's arrogance and presumptuousness make it nearly impossible. Her wacky foibles, involving being a working mom with a full-time nanny and at least one administrative assistant at work didn't translate well for the rest of us, who have much more to balance than our conscience and our need for a nap. Every once in a while, she mentions something that strikes a chord with me, but then she invariably returns to unrelatable tales of being wealthy, getting annoyed that the nanny doesn't know how to assemble a lacrosse kit, and feeling saddled with a barely-competent husband. Thanks, but I guess I don't need a book to help me fend off dirty looks from the stay-at-home, yoga pants mafia in my neighborhood.

[Davida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it all the way through with a lot of chatter in my head as I read. This might be another book I’m just too woke for: very heteronormative, no awareness of her privilege in the world, just a lot of hand-wringing and whining mostly. I’m not saying I don’t do any of that myself; but then again, I didn’t publish all of those whiny thoughts. Who is this book helping? Is it to assuage women’s guilt? Is it to help the author feel better about her own choices? This book sums up a lot of what is wrong with people in general and with our world today. Van Ogtrop’s world is so small and protected and frankly, boring. I can’t feel bad for her mishaps with her dog or her son’s lost lacrosse equipment. Boohoo.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Thought she would have some tips and tricks. Mostly a "woe is me" tirade about how hard it is to be a working mom. "Terms" means an entire book of silly definitions; not essential conditions or rules to go by as I had hoped. Oh well. At least I don't feel as sorry for myself as Ogtrop does. Especially hard to read since I had just finished Half the Sky - who the hell are we to complain in this cush world we live in?

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever given a 5 star rating, but this book was so funny and hit so many chords with me I just must. A fun, quick must-read for every woman who's in the midst of juggling career and family. She does a great job of capturing all the odd, funny and horrific things that go through your head in the midst of a chaotic life! I only wish I had written this myself.

[Kim White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any working Mom to learn you are not alone. Simply hilarious and one you can easily pick up and put down as there is no plot. I would read this on the train especially on the way home. It would be a great gift from one "half-insane working mom" to another.

[Sarah Costello · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times hilarious, at times depressing. I had a lot to relate to her but a lot that was very very different from her. A quick, funny read for any working mom of any capacity.

[Kari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, Just Let Me Lie Down was an enjoyable read. van Ogtrop is a witty and likable person, therefore her take on working-motherhood is also endearing. The aspects to this book that slowed me down and made me drop the rating was the format. I don't mind lists. I write them everyday. Reading a book that is semi-list format is annoying. At times I was reading little vignettes. Other times I was reading only a sentence or two under a heading. I enjoyed figuring out van Ogtrop's headings and why she labeled things as such, but the disjointedness of the writing really slowed me down and the constantly changing gears made me less interested. I forced myself to finish quickly because I knew as I went through the alphabetical categories I'd have lost serious interest by X, Y, and Z.


All that said, there were a couple headings and the following insights I found hilarious, relatable, or clever in her thinking. One of those was Decision Saturation. I know I can relate to feeling burnt out by the end of the day when it comes to disciplining my children. I've just spent eight hours disciplining 8th graders and now I've got another 4 hours disciplining my two children. I can relate to the feeling that "if I have to make one more judgment call on whether or not to fight this battle or let it slide I'll go into a coma" she talks about. I can also relate to Midconversation Screen Saver. By the end of the day...wait. I need to retract that. Depending on who I am speaking with, I inadvertently go into screen saver mode while I'm 'supposed' to be listening. I can't help myself. Either I'm so tired, worn out, preoccupied with things that actually matter, or simply don't like the person I'm talking with, that I completely zone out what they're saying and start thinking about something I find important. It's a daily occurrence with 8th graders and their excuses. The last that I'll elaborate on is the title of the book: Just Let Me Lie Down. There have been so many times I've just wished, craved, hoped, and prayed for a couch or bed somewhere nearby that had my name on it in the middle of my work day. Life would be so much better if everyone had a decent nights sleep.


There are two others I found hilarious, which I fear mentioning because I know how it makes me look. One is the Dudley Do-Everything section and the other is Women Not On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. I'm going to leave that hanging so that you'll have to read the book in order to judge me (and enjoy my folly) or enjoy a laugh at yourself.


I can't say this is a fast, devour-able read, but it is a good one. I enjoyed her insights and can relate to much of what she writes. If you're a working mom, stressed out of your gourd and barely making it from day to day on time, this is an enjoyable read.

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of a self-indulgent but well-written and wry look at the daily ups and downs of being a mom and a full-time professional anything at the same time. I had more than a few "that's exactly right!" moments: relying on the same trusty black pants (or in my case, skirts) to carry one through months and months of work-wardrobery; knowing full well one should get school lunches packed and bookbags ready the night before, and still relying on yelling in order to get everyone out the door on time; family photos kept jumbled in boxes - that is, when photos are even taken, and accepting the fact that your children's early lives are going largely undocumented; and thinking "Are you kidding?" when asked to produce something like a birth certificate with a mere 24-hour notice. von Ogtrop earns a lot more than I ever will, and so can write at length about the experience of competing with friends over good babysitters/ nannies, or the stress of losing a good nanny; but those are the same feelings any of us have about our children's long-term caregivers, whether they be nannies or, in my case, warm and attentive teachers and assistants at my sons' daycares. Recommended as a fun, satisfying, light read for any mom...because it's really about the daily challenge of balancing "myself the mom" and "myself the individual", whether that be a professional, a volunteer, an activist, an artist, a writer, anything BUT the person your children see.

[Monica Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fabulous!

This book is a great read, and I recommend it to ALL working mothers. And those that have been stay at home moms and inadvertently gave me the look that made me feel like the worst mom ever for working.

I laughed and I cried.

..the clothing horrors...I have girls and I can relate to Kristin's story about her boys...just remember that girls have several levels of clothing...play, dressy, fancy, school....and each of these need different shoes...in different colors too...

...the over scheduling...I even did that to myself this past Mother's Day...where I had more things to do than humanly possible...

But the best is the organization of this book. It's in alphabetical order, MY FAVORITE! And the stories are in snippets, so as reality hits us, we can pick it up and read one story at a time (if you're lucky you may get two or three in) as you are sitting in your car waiting for kids to exit dance class, or at soccer practice, or even in the bathroom!!!

If you are a working mom, you have to pick this up today...or get it as a gift for a friend.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly, I didn't have a lot of faith in this book when I first put it on my Goodreads list. I thought to myself, "Great, this is going to be another book where one working mother is going to tell me that if I alphabetize everything and lay out the boys' clothes the night before, all will be well." I am happy to say that I could not have been more wrong! Kristin Van Ogtrop nails it on the head, what it's like to be a working mom. She's witty, sarcastic and funny in coming up for definitive terms for working moms. Some of my favorites are coup de moi, Sunday Night Stomp and x-factor.) I laughed, I cried, I loved it! Every working mom out there should read this book.

[Tammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

5/13...I got my book yesterday and spent a few hours reading thru it. Interetsing but not exactly what I expected. Under the impression it was more of a self telling mom tale.............while it really is made up of alphabetical chapters with blurbs that go no where and didn't really grab my interest. Even as the mom of five kids I couldn't truly related to this book. Glad I won it as a free giveaway and didn't pay cover price for it!

5/11...I still haven't recieved my copy of this book. Have any other winners???

I am so very excited I won this giveaway.....
Was. P lanning on buying it if I didn't! As a mom
of five I can't wait to read this.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the many reasons why this book is fabulous is the fact that it is written in very short segments. So, a tired mom trying to find just a few minutes to read (!!!) can actually do so. There are laugh-out-loud stories as well as poignant meditations on family and coworkers and life. You feel like you could have this woman over for dinner. Not only would she be wonderful to talk with, but she wouldn't mind that there's a massive stain on your sweater from who know's what and your dish towels are all over the floor and the toilet paper has to be grabbed from up above one's head as to keep it out of reach of a very active toddler. Love the honesty with which she shares her life.

[Janelle Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Was recommended to me by another working mom, so glad she did. The back cover calls her this generation's Erma Bombeck, and I agree. I remember reading my mom's Erma Bombeck books and knew they were funny before I was even old enough to actually appreciate the jokes. This time, I have had some of these hilarious/heartbreaking moments as a working mom and van Ogtrop provides a vocabulary to go with them. Three favorites - hamster wheeling, list paradox, no visibility on that right now.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristin is blessed with a career of her own, a loving partner and three children, all of which leaves her in a state of exhaustion. This never-ending cycle can drive a parent mad. Even the best of parents need a break, a chance to just "lie down".

Kristin reminds me of what I see as a typical mom. She loves her family more than anything else and needs to take some time out for herself. If you can relate to needing a little "me" time, this is the book for you.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this in the background for a few weeks now. Ogtrop is an editor for Real Simple magazine and has organized this book in a very helpful alphabetical order. Any mom will enjoy this sort of 21st century Erma Bombeck lite, but since she does work outside the home, there is a bit more on the sitter/missing out end of things. It was nice to pick up now and then and definitely brought a chuckle more than once.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a "dictionary" of terms for working moms, providing anecdotes for each term. Some of it was cute, some of it resounded with me, but lots of it fell flat and grew tedious. Perhaps if it were a 5-page magazine article (and perhaps it has been - the author is the editor of Real Simple magazine), I'd have enjoyed it more, but it just doesn't work as a sit-down read.

[Jeannine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I really loved this book because I read it at a time when I needed to justify my own working mom existence. If nothing else, it was a welcome relief to read another working mom's insightful, humorous take on the crazy balancing act we working mom's juggle every day.

An easy, delightful read.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was funny but probably not realistic for most of us "half-insane working moms." It would be nice to read something like this from a working mother who doesn't have so many privileges - lots of money, a nanny, etc. I also was not expecting this to be in the format of lists, and would have preferred it to be in an actual story format.

[KeAnne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly, not as good as I thought it would be. I don't like how it is organized, and it is sort of all over the place. Oh, and I'm a working mother but didn't relate to the points of a lot of her stories and anecdotes.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it got a little redundant toward the end as a one-sitting story, reading it as "a devotional" a couple of entries at a time would be lots of fun. She creatively uses common business and cultural terms in creative ways to forge a witty point.