Amazon.com = Bad Influence

I always knew that Amazon had a very special hold on me. It's like thrifting in the comfort of your own home. (Considering I'm about to enter the third trimester, and the "uncomfortable" zone, thrifting via the computer is a Godsend!) I'll admit it--- I once had an addiction. I went through a period where I was ordering books off of Amazon, sometimes multiples at a time, at least once or twice a week. What better option that the buy used for an incredibly, unbelievable low price for a newly released book? I love getting packages in the mail. It's like Christmas. Even though I bought the presents and sent them to myself. Anyway, I hadn't ventured on Amazon.com in ages.

My fellow pregnant friend (which, come to think of it, this is her 2nd appearance in my blog. We should give her a nickname.) and I were discussing the benefits of having the book "Baby Bargains", which contains every piece of information that I could possibly imagine for a company that produces baby items. My main concern, and the sole reason of wanting to own the book, is because I don't want to spend money on big ticket items, like a travel system, if I am buying junk. (Junk that is made to look fancy, upholstered with adorable fabric or finishing spray and made to look... well... NOT like junk in the beginning) I want the items to last as long as they possibly can. Not to mention wanting the best in safety. I've heard Baby Bargains is the way to go.

Oh, it felt like nirvana when I was ordering something off Amazon again.

But Amazon says "Wait! There's more! We recommended all of these items for you!" What do I find? I find bedding collections, nursery decor, parenting books, infant toys... Now, I can totally understand how expectant mothers, especially those who dare not face the cold January weather, go overboard when shopping online. BUT! I'm patting myself on the back for resisting the urge, and putting my debit card safely back into it's slot in my wallet where it belongs.

Too bad. All of that baby goodness would have looked darling in his nursery. Or rather, would have been a fantastic starting point for his nursery to begin. :D

Belly Laughs? Not So Much.....

A fellow pregnant friend has been recommending reading "Belly Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy practically since we've found out that we would be pregnant together. She raved about how witty and hilarious the book was. Eager to finally get out of this igloo, I ventured to the library yesterday. (And paid my fees! Woohoo!) Since it was clear that the snow would not let up and the snow drifts would continue to make my house and the rest of the area resemble Narnia, I snuggled up with my two furbabies and cracked the book. (Note: Stella falling fast asleep before it began should have given me an inclination of how it would go)

All in all, the book is only 165 pages. The chapters, if you can call them chapters, are often 2-3 pages long, which will end in the beginning or middle of the page, starting the next "new" chapter on the following page. So, 165 pages is deceiving.

I took me a total of under two hours to read the entire book. At the end of the two-ish hours, I was reminded even more so why I don't like Jenny McCarthy. The book consisted of her attempts at being blunt and vulgar, while saying "the truth" about pregnancy. Clearly, she didn't have www.thebump.com while pregnant, because what she had written was PG compared to the tell-all I've seen on the message forum. I don't think that she is as blunt and "vulgar" as she thinks she is, and adding a few curse words to each sentence or page doesn't make it funny, it makes her look desperate. Need I mentioned the over-used cliche phrases? Ugh. They drove me nuts.

I'll end on the fact that throughout the book she continued to refer to her celebrity status. Ok, I get it. The book was written in 2002, yet even then she wasn't an A-list celebrity that she believed herself to be. I picked up Tori Spelling's "Mommywood" yesterday as well, and started on that. It was far more up my alley.

/book critic over and out.