If you’re in the mood to feel like a kid again this would be a good excuse to pat the Hamburgler on the head, give Ronald a hug and sail through the golden arches.

So, when Waiwera Water crossed my path, I was excited to try it. The word “waiwera” comes from the indigenous Maori word ‘Te Rata’ or ‘The Doctor.’Legend has it that New Zealand’s Maori warriors would go to Waiwera to bathe in the waters to recover from the rigors of battle. Scottish-born Robert Graham found Waiwera in 1875, decided to sell this “elixir of health” and the family-owned business still thrives.

According to the company, Waiwera water is carbon dated between 7.6 and 15.3 thousand years old, and pumped directly from one of the largest aquifers in the world. The bore is sunk 400m (1/4 mile) to protect against surface contamination and goes through an advanced filtration process before it is bottled, capped, and shipped out.

Waiwera was voted the world’s best water in 2008 by Decanter Magazine and its bottle won several prestigious design awards including “Best Bottle in Glass” at the Bottledwaterworld Design Awards in Milan and the Gold Medal for “People’s Choice for Package Design” at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting Awards.

What I like about both the still and sparkling versions is that Waiwera is not too salty and has low minerality, so it tastes “clean,” and its alkaline (ph 8.5) is believed to help counter the naturally acidic conditions of the modern human body. Waiwera is available at upscale hotels, restaurants and gourmet stores in California and Hawaii. Plus, after hydrating our bodies with refreshing, pure Kiwi water, reusing the decorative glass bottle is a way to keep our whole planet pure.

The “Holidays” chapter includes specialty nonalcoholic cocktails for Hanukkah; Christmas and New Year’s Eve, as well as the “Baby New Year Brunch Punch” for Jan. 1, 2010.  (While the rest of us are nursing a hangover, the mama-to-be will be sipping her sparkling virgin breakfast libation, feeling fantastic.)

As a special thank you for the support you all have offered during the year since the book has been released, I’m also offering a FREE Preggatinis muddler on all orders placed between now and Dec. 31, 2009.

You can ORDER this Preggatinis gift set here and don’t forget to include your personalized inscription when placing the order.

Happy holidays – and Cheers! 

Belli lotions, creams and serums are designed to hydrate and protect the delicate skin on a mom-to-be’s body, face and expanding belly. Created by Annette Rubin, who has 17 years previous experience working with Estee Lauder and Clinique, and her husband Jason Rubin, M.D,, a family practitioner, Belli products take a conscious step toward enhancing maternal beauty.

The Belli line is a luscious addition to your “pregnancy wish list” because although beauty is only skin deep, keeping that skin healthy with safer products will make you feel more blissful and beautiful from the outside, in.

I am so excited to go to the Bellies and Babies Expo this Saturday, September 26. In addition to selling signed copies of my book “Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be,” I’ll be doing four 15-minute Preggatini(TM) presentations so you can see how easy it is to shake and mix your own drinks at home. I’ll also give away one Preggatinis(TM) gift pack after each demo, which will include:

• a signed Preggatinis(TM) book
• a Preggatinis(TM) muddler
• a Preggatinis(TM) cocktail glass
• a bottle of Fre alcohol-removed sparkling wine

Please come by and say hello. I look forward to meeting you.

For more info on The Liquid Muse, please visit my main website. Sign up for the Preggatinis Newsletter and get new recipes each month!

Well, it seems pretty obvious to me, a fellow So-Cal girl, that the gorgeous stretch of Malibu shore called Zuma Beach could easily serve as inspiration. Duh!

Toast little Zuma with a drink created in honor of his big brother. The Kingston Krush is featured in the CelebriBaby Preggatini chapter in my book!