I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

words can not express how much I love this book!

I am a mother of 4 and could relate so much to Ms. Dineen. I honestly need to know can we be best friends Whitney?!?! .

If you are a mother, or soon to be mother, or thinking about being a mother, PLEASE read. These stories are sooo true....

P.S. Costco should really be sponsoring your book tours and sales........ just sayin....

If you are that parent that says " oh no my child has never.... or if you are that parent that has not thought once your child was an A**hole, than you are lying.... and honestly we cant be friends.

A 100 % laugh out loud, down to earth, totally relatable book.

Please write more about your adventures with your children!

well...this book is kind of my worst nightmare! i mean, been a mother and all the responsability, sorry, is just freaking scary. At least I have books like this that, even when presents the same I see in other places, makes fun and easy to assimilate that new. A good reading, really fun and relaxing, but I think that actually parents will enjoy it more than me.

This is a collection of short essays/memoir pieces that focus on three themes: motherhood, martyrdom, and Costco. In the book itself, Dineen says that this is the perfect book for working moms, since the snippets are short and the book would make for great bathroom reading, the only time some people can find to read. I will say that it's a fast, fun read, that has a few heartwrenching moments, but that is mostly filled with laughs and optimism, so her assessment is spot-on.

I can't help but love Whitney Dineen after reading this book; she opens herself up so completely that I feel like we got to be friends just by way of me reading her book. She's generously honest about her experiences with kids, post-partum depression, and her feelings of how the world just seems to be unfair sometimes. Even as a non-mom who has taken care of her share of baby cousins and baby nieces and nephews, I related so much with her experiences trying to balance being fun and giving kids good experiences while also teaching them to be good, decent, functional humans. My favorite subjects were always about her kids, especially when she was telling them about what life was like when she was a kid, as well as the conversations she overhears from them (HILARIOUS!).

Essay collections always seem to be a struggle for me, because I can't find many that fit an organizational structure that makes sense to me; that's my only complaint with this book: I wanted the essays to have more flow between them. The essays themselves were great, but I think they could have been arranged in a way that made more sense.

Other than that, however, I greatly enjoyed this book. It's not an idealistic look at life, it's open and honest, which I appreciated so much. It also had me laughing out loud on the bus a couple of times, looking like a total psycho, so thanks for that, Whitney. Definitely pick this up as a gift for someone who has experience with kids -- I think this is going to be my go-to gift for new moms or moms-to-be. So funny, so real, and so enjoyable. It's a treat.

Quick essays...cute, light...better as a blog...she REALLY loves Costco!

I was looking forward to a fun, light hearted read with this book. After reading the blurb I was interested to learn how Whitney coped with the "the three Es of parenting.

I think the cover really sets the fun tone for the book. It shows Whitney dressed in her business suit with a pair of goggles and a cape whilst posing as a superhero! The background is a Costco store (not that I have been in one) though I know it is a trade warehouse store.

The genres on Netgalley for this book are humour, and parenting & families, and I think the book fits those genres perfectly. Its the kind of book you can shove in your handbag and read as you travel to work on the bus or train. The anecdotes and stories are presented as chapters/vignettes so it is all delivered in fairly small bite sized pieces.

So Whitney Dineen is a "normal" everyday person like you and I. Whitney had suffered miscarriages before the birth of her daughter Margery, and then once again suffered a miscarriage before having her second daughter called Hope. There is a little more background about Whitney where she discusses miscarriage, pregnancy tests such as amniocentesis, disabled children and abortion. I found myself engrossed in her opinions and I totally agree with them, The medical profession seriously takes your opinion for granted, they presume far too much for liking! I think Whitney is the sort of person I would certainly be a friend with! Whitney actually says in the book that she hopes we enjoy the laughs, tears, and eye-rolls her stories will give us. So as i have already said Whitney suffered miscarriages so ended up being a middle-aged mum rather than the hip young mum that all her children's friends would love too! Instead she ended up being a mum for the first time at age forty. Whitney was scared she would be labelled an old mum or may even get mistaken for her off-springs grandparent at the school gate. As it turned out her children's parents vary between age 32 to 52 and no matter the age they still have the same issues. Lets admit it we all dream of a clean spotless, nothing out of place home, we can all feel over tired and end up screaming at the children when they don't do as we ask within the first three times of asking!

I guess I should share a couple of her funny situations. . . I loved how when she tried to explain the 70's and 80's to her young children saying there was no dollar store (pound shop for us in the UK), no home computer, no games or apps etc. The first thing her five year old daughter says is If there's no home computer how did you print off colouring pages!

Another thing I can totally empathise with Whitney on is when she talks about 'finding the balance' she estimates her real needs such as needing 36 hours per day, and 9.7 days in a week to be the type of wife, daughter, mother, writer,and friend successfully. It's either that or she needs two clones, a cleaning lady and a cook!

A couple of phrases she uses which made me smile and think yes I totally identify with were 'If you do touch much for others and don't do for yourself, you'll wither on the vine'
and 'Me time is mythical like unicorns and fairies'. Like all mums Whitney has realised she can only do her best.

Another major part in the book that made me laugh was the different upbringings herself and her husband had. Whitney basically calls it like it is, whereas her husband is more reserved and refers to 'girls parts' and 'boys parts' , her children have decided on using "front door" or "back door". Then whilst out one day one of the children refers to cleavage as a "book crack".

This book really does have you giggling and literally laughing out loud. I really don't want to share anymore of the stories or expand on the ones I have mentioned as I think it would spoil your own reading experience. There is so much more in the book.

My first thoughts on finishing this book were this book was such fun to read, it felt more like having a chat with a friend! It really does have you laughing out loud. It is a very easy book to dip in and out of so great for journeys to and from places. The perfect book to have in your handbag (as a paperback) on your kindle, or on your phone. You certainly won't be bored with this book ready to whip out and read as much or little as you wish.

The author kept hinting that she was famous, but I can't for the life of me think of a time I've ever seen her name before. The book itself, though, made me feel so much better about being the mom I am.

I loved Ms. Dineen's stories and essays. I laughed so much reading this! She doesn't hide behind motherhood or try to glamorize it, she is honest and that is what I love!

After yesterday’s post about the things my daughter has done in the past month to drive me crazy, I read the very relatable Motherhood Martyrdom & Costco Runs by Whitney Dineen. It was just what I needed to laugh and focus on my thoughts on the crazy that is motherhood and the joy it brings.

This book is a collection of short essays about Dineen’s personal experiences and thought on mothering, along with several stories about her love of all things Costco (who can blame her?). She is honest and funny. However, she does a nice job of reminding readers that while motherhood involves plenty of hysterics, children are a joy. After her personal struggles with miscarriage, she is especially sensitive to the fact that children are a gift – even when they drive you nuts.

I liked that the book is a series of short essays. They are short enough to read in between chores, in the car pickup line, or even during a restroom escape break from the kids. It is a nice little reprieve in the endless tasks of mothering to read someone who understands and commiserates with you.

If you are looking for a fun, quick read this summer (or anytime you need to be reminded that mothering is hard, but beautiful), give this book a try.