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Perfect for Mother’s Day! Q&A and Giveaway of the Hilarious Book “Love, Mom”

Winners have been notified. Check your email! Ah, motherhood. So rewarding, so challenging, so…hilarious? Mother’s Day is just around the corner, girlfriends, and it’s not too early to start thinking about your mom and all she means to you…and Mother’s Day gifts, of course! We’ve got just the antidote to those sappy Mother’s Day cards and gifts. Have you visited the website PostcardsFromYoMomma? It’s a hilarious collection of emails from people’s moms. Started by two girlfriends, Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose, PostcardsFromYoMomma became an online sensation just days after launching. Now, these smart ladies are bringing us an alternative to mushy Mother’s Day items with Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home(248 pages, 2009, Hyperion). This little hardcover is filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Warning: It’s hard to put down! Doree and Jessica were kind enough to answer a few questions just for GirlfriendCelebrations.com. Read on for the interview. Then, see the end of this post to find out how you can win one of FIVE free copies of the book. It makes a great, giggle-inducing gift for anyone who is a mom or just has a mom!

Q. How did this project get started?

Jessica: My mother sent me a particularly ridiculous email, and I thought it was so funny I sent it to Doree. Her immediate reaction was, OMG, my mom sends me emails just like this! It was during the work day, and Doree went out to get some ice cream—upon her return she said, let’s put these up on a website. So we started the site and sent out an email to our closest friends asking for submissions. After only a few days, we realized we had stumbled on something that people really related to.

Q. Were you girlfriends before this project? How has working together affected your friendship? (or vice versa?) 

Doree: We were friendly before the project started but we didn’t know each other very well—we mostly IMed during the day but we hadn’t hung out that much one-on-one. One of the nicest parts of doing this project together was that we became much closer friends. We also (fortunately!) discovered that we work really well together.

Q. What have you learned about moms or about motherhood from doing this project?

Doree/Jessica: We realized that no matter what a mother is saying—whether she’s nagging you about writing thank-you notes, gabbing about her latest shoe purchase, or just saying hi—she’s doing it from a place of love and concern. Even though we sometimes roll our eyes at our moms’ emails, doing this gave us a greater appreciation for just how much they want the best for us.

Q. What advice can you give to moms trying to communicate with their grown kids?

Doree/Jessica: Moms have to tread a fine line between staying in touch with their adult kids and not being overbearing. Kids, no matter what age they are, still want that love and affection from their parents, even if they sometimes pretend they don’t. So moms need to show that they’re interested in their kids’ lives without treating their adult kids like they’re still in high school. (Frantic emailing/texts if they don’t hear from their kids within three hours counts as being overbearing.) Moms are starting to venture onto Facebook and Twitter, and this is another potential minefield—if a kid posts photos of herself drunk on spring break on Facebook, should mom comment on them? (Answer: no.)

Q. What is your favorite thing to do with girlfriends?
Doree: I like to travel with girlfriends—there are certain trips that my boyfriend just doesn’t want to go on. At home, I’ve grown to value just carving out the time to be able to catch up with my girlfriends over dinner or a glass of wine—everyone is always so busy, myself included, that it’s really nice to have a chance to relax and have a long conversation without any other distractions. I also have a group of girlfriends from graduate school with whom I get together once a month or so–I usually don’t see them outside of our monthly gatherings, and we’ll usually do something like go to a play or a museum and then grab a bite to eat. It’s a nice way to get out and do something cultural in the city.

Jessica: I like to go out to dinner with friends one on one, especially in my neighborhood in Brooklyn. Many of my friends are buddies I’ve had since college or high school, and my favorite thing to do after work is meet one or another of them for a good meal and a catch-up conversation. I also like to spend time doing active things with friends, whether it be walking in the park or doing something more athletic. Doree and I have a standing date for a Monday night spin class that we look forward to every week! 

Jessica Grose is an editor at Jezebel.com, Gawker Media’s website for women.

Photo by Brad Walsh
Photo by Brad Walsh
Her essays and reported features have appeared in the New York Times, Salon, Marie Claire, Women’s Health, the Village Voice, Radar, and several other publications. She lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend. Doree Shafrir is a senior editor at The New York Observer, where she writes about culture, society, and ideas, and has profiled everyone from comedian Jimmy Fallon to 85-year-old gossip columnist Liz Smith. She has a dog, a nearly 12-year-old pit bull who doesn’t wear lipstick, and lives in Brooklyn.

And now for the giveaway: We are giving away FIVE copies of Love, Mom, courtesy of Hyperion (Thanks!). What do you have to do to win? There are three ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling us why you want this book OR the funniest thing your mom ever said (or emailed) to you OR the funniest thing you ever said (or emailed) to your kids.

2. Become a new email subscriber by clicking here and leave a comment letting us know.

3. Tweet or blog about this contest and leave a comment and link letting us know.

Contest will remain open until 11:59 P.M. CST on Wednesday, April 8, 2009. Five winners will be chosen at random from the qualifying entries. Winners will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address or a new winner will be chosen. Only U.S. shipping addresses are eligible to win (no P.O. boxes, please.) Good luck, girlfriends!


26 Comments

  1. I had been dating a guy for about 2 years and living with him with my 3 year old daughter. My mom was desperate to have more grandchildren. We were sitting at the dinner table with my very Christian father, mother, and boyfriends. We were talking about the upcoming valentine’s day and how my parents no longer celebrate it. I said that my boyfriend & I don’t really celebrate it. My mom said ” Well you could put down some saran wrap and spread chocolate all over his body and then maybe you’ll get busy with another grandchild for me!” After the sounds of me chocking on my meal…there was dead silence!

    Comment by LM — April 1, 2009 @ 9:41 am

  2. My mother was killed when a plane crashed into her house and I was 25 years old and newly married. I just turned 40 and not a day goes by when I do various things that I wonder what some of her comments – sincere or sarcastic would be in my travels of life.
    I think it would be incredible to see what other peoples mothers say and would love to read about their comments and suggestions, etc. on life.

    Comment by JC — April 1, 2009 @ 11:17 am

  3. I would love to check out this book so I know that my desire to be a fun, silly, down to earth, full of laughter, yet nurturing, compassionate, loving Mom is something that other Moms have accomplished and have written about it.
    I want my kids, in this world of so much seriousness, to stop and smell the roses and to see the laughter in life.
    This book looks fun! Thanks for offering it!

    Comment by Hollie — April 1, 2009 @ 11:26 am

  4. My mom is really technologically savvy, and very good at teaching herself new things– which means two things. First, that she’s usually far ahead of me on anything technology related, and second, that there are usually generational things lost in translation. She’s figured out emoticons, but hasn’t made the distinction between smiling and winking yet, so I got this message the other day:

    “meeting your father for lunch ;) don’t know what we’re eating yet”

    Comment by Katie — April 1, 2009 @ 2:47 pm

  5. I decided to teach my nearly 2 year old daughter the proper names for her “private parts” so one day my Mother, who is a devout Christian who never spoke about “private parts” stared dumbfoundedly at me when she told me that after a trip to the potty, my daughter was running around the house naked screaming, “I LOVE my Gy-na!”

    Comment by Megan — April 3, 2009 @ 12:04 am

  6. Tweeted your contest here!

    And here:

    Comment by Megan — April 3, 2009 @ 12:10 am

  7. The funniest thing my mom ever said? Which one?!!! Most recently:

    “If the phone rings, answer it.”

    Ohhhh-kay…

    Comment by styleandsubstance — April 3, 2009 @ 10:48 am

  8. i take care of my mom and a little bit of levity concerning moms would be like a breeze on a warm summer night thanks for the giveaway

    Comment by mindy — April 6, 2009 @ 2:43 pm

  9. funniest thing is are you wearing clean underwear in case theres an accident- ok just before a flight she asks that- so I tell her mom I am gonna poop my pants if I crash so it doesn’t matter and by the way I am wearing the wrong day of the week

    Comment by MRS.MOMMYY — April 6, 2009 @ 3:30 pm

  10. Watching her tiny great granddaughter pulling her arm out of the sleeve of her little shirt my mother said, “What would the baby’s stripper name be?” Oy.

    Comment by Susan — April 6, 2009 @ 7:38 pm

  11. I would like to share this book with my mom.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    Kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Comment by kim v — April 6, 2009 @ 8:26 pm

  12. My Mom still calls on cold mornings to remind me (her 43 year old daughter) to put hats on her two grandsons (ages 15 and 17)…..COME ON!!!!

    Comment by Shellie Seering — April 6, 2009 @ 10:01 pm

  13. I can’t think of the funnies thing she said to me, but it’s always funny when her New York accent comes back after she’s had a few drinks.. I’m sure I’ve said plenty to my kids and they’ll bring them up and embarrass me in the future.

    Comment by Toni — April 6, 2009 @ 10:01 pm

  14. I’ve subscribed to your emails.

    Comment by Toni — April 7, 2009 @ 6:26 am

  15. Honestly, my mom could have written this book all by herself… She tells it like it is and sometimes catches you off guard… It makes for great times when she is around my husbands father that is so straight laced you don’t even mention anything riskay..

    Comment by Brooke — April 7, 2009 @ 10:57 am

  16. I want to win because I love these type of books. My Mom is constantly emailing me questions and then calling me to see if I read her email and what my answer is :) She’ll also email me notes telling me not to let the kids go outside because it’s the type of weather to cause colds. I’ve gotten emails reminding me to cover up the baby, worrying if they are eating right or worried about something else involving my kids. Funny thing is she only lives 10 minutes away.

    Comment by Paula H — April 7, 2009 @ 8:51 pm

  17. I want this book!! I am a single mother and sometimes it is hard to keep up with everything. I would love to have a chance to see that maybe I am not doing so bad after all!

    Thanks for the great interview! Love it!

    Comment by MMW — April 7, 2009 @ 10:09 pm

  18. I get parenting advice via Dr Phil print outs from my mom each time I see her. Dont get me wrong I love Dr. Phil BUT, each family is different. Time outs do not work in our family of 4 (3 the same age) children with one mommy. My motto is you do what you can when you can. I need a little humor in my day especially today after my 5 year old thru a rock and hit a parked bus window. We are now paying for a safety glass window to be put into that school bus!

    Comment by kelly — April 7, 2009 @ 10:22 pm

  19. I always laughed at my mom when she’d tell me that whatever I lost would surely be in the last place I looked for it!!! heh…

    emvark at gmail dot com

    Comment by Emilie S — April 7, 2009 @ 10:24 pm

  20. Subscribed!

    Comment by Emilie S — April 7, 2009 @ 10:25 pm

  21. Tweet!!!

    emvark at gmail dot com

    Comment by Emilie S — April 7, 2009 @ 10:29 pm

  22. after my divorce and I lived on my own if I am not home I come home to a frantic “where are you call me ASAP” I have to remind her I am a big girl now and to stop scaring me with those phone calls….
    sounds like an awesome book any mom would love to have and your interview is awesome.

    Comment by Pamela — April 8, 2009 @ 7:34 am

  23. I subscribe

    Comment by Pamela — April 8, 2009 @ 7:35 am

  24. I am tweeting this

    Comment by Pamela — April 8, 2009 @ 7:35 am

  25. I’d love to win this book and use it cheer up my sister-in-law, who became a mom three weeks ago. Thanks!

    Comment by Bing — April 8, 2009 @ 6:32 pm

  26. Tweeted

    Comment by Bing — April 8, 2009 @ 6:33 pm

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