Princess Leia – Preggatini Halloween Contest Winner!

The mother of this adorable mini Princess Leia wins a copy of “Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be” for cutest costume. She even made it herself!

Congratulations, Your Inter-Galactic Highness!

Powell’s Books Carries Preggatinis!

If you are in the Portland, Oregon area, and are looking for the perfect gift for a preggie friend this Christmas, head over to one of Powell’s Books several locations:

1005 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209

3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005

3723 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214

7000 NE Airport Way, Suite 2250
Portland OR 97218

Thanks, Powell’s for bringing “Preggatinis: Mixology for the Mom-To-Be” to the thirsty mamas of the great Northwest!

Mom To Be Depot

If you haven’t checked out the Mom To Be Depot, its about time you did, hip mamas!

Lauri Harrison, who also blogs at Working Mother magazine, features all kind of cool stuff on the Mom To Be Depot Blog (even my upcoming Preggatinis book – thank you, Lauri!)

Some of Mom To Be Depot’s blog also has articles such as “Trick or Treat for Children with Disabilities,” and the website has sections dedicated to “Must-Have’s,” “Experts,” “Household,” “Health,” and “Beauty.”

This Depot is one stop shopping for the Mom To Be!

Live from New York… It’s Archie Arnett!

Congrats to Amy Poehler! Our favorite “Weekend Update” gal on Saturday Night Live gave birth to a baby boy, Archie, Saturday night. She and husband Will Arnett welcomed the 8 pound, 1 ounce fellow this past Saturday night. (How terribly appropriate.)

You may remember that just last week, Poehler delivered a hilarious rap performance roasting GOP Vice-President hopeful Sarah Palin. I wonder how many women can give that kind of high-energy performance – even when not mere days away from delivering a baby?!

Only bummer for us – Baby Mama is leaving the show. I guess I’ll have to turn to exclusively to Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report for my news, now. Too bad they don’t sing.

The Liquid Muse Presents Lipton PureLeaf!

I was honored and excited when the folks from Lipton chose me to be one of their presenters at the 2008 Celebrity Food Show in Anaheim, California. I was in good company with MattBites and Oishii Eats who also did tea presentations, and write mouth-watering food blogs for you hungry Southern California residents…

The Lipton PureLeaf line features four tasty flavors: Green Tea with Honey, White Tea with Tangerine, Black Tea with Lemon and Black Tea with Raspberry and regular unsweetened tea. I like them all but Green Tea with Honey and White Tea with Tangerine were my favorites both on their own and mixed in nonalcoholic cocktails (aka: The Liquid Muse Virgin Mixology)

Still, the most exciting thing about doing this drink demo was meeting some of you Sipsters! You may recall the contest I ran for the funniest, thirstiest, most compelling reason YOU wanted the tickets. Here are the winners, and I think you’ll agree that they deserved to join in the fun!

Who could resist Christine Chang’s email, proving that flattery truly does get you everywhere. (Well, into my drink demos, anyway):

“I think I should win because I am your biggest and longest lurking fan of your a-musing blog!! I love reading your fabolous posts and hopefully meeting you too!! I would realllyyyy love to win this!!”

Matt Robold (aka: RumDood) won for being the thirstiest rum-lover in So-Cal (after that bike ride, who wouldn’t be?):

“I’m the obvious choice because I could ride my bike out to the convention center, allowing me to build up a hefty appetite for both food and refreshing, frosty beverages!”

And, Erin Williams won for the email which most pulled at my heart-strings. I was happy to meet the bff’s in person:

My favorite friend in LA is the awesome gal who makes super fun, heartfelt, personalized cakes for everyone’s birthdays and events – as her gift. Each cake gets more impressive and gets lots of “ooohs and aaahs.” For example, my favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the singer, Anthony Kiedis is my “pretend boyfriend” (Yes… I’m 12). She made me a Chili Peppers themed cake for my last birthday and even made a little Anthony out of fondant. Cutest thing ever!

Although we were both recently laid off from our jobs, we both love food and drink… I mentioned the event to her and could actually feel her excitement when she realized that Ace of Cakes will be there. I offered to buy tickets because I know how much she would enjoy this event, but she won’t let me spend the money on such a ‘frivolous thing’ when the rent needs to be paid.

I would love to be able to take her to see her cake hero and to get the chance to sample all kinds of fun foods and drinks… and still be able to pay the rent.

Does Pregnancy Make You "Haute?"

Tatyanna Wright thinks so!

Check out Haute Mama for fashion tips for everything from sexy nursing bras to maternity wedding dresses… and lots of celebrity style.

Clean Your Baby the Green Way!

Method launches its line of baby and kid products!

I’ve been touring the country with Method on its “Detox America” campaign teaching The Liquid Muse Sustainable Sips cocktail classes to “greenies” from Seattle to Manhattan. Since becoming intimately acquainted with Method’s delicious smelling, non-toxic cleaning products, I use nothing but those in my home. And, now… I know what I will use on my future baby!

The Method kid and baby line is a great way to keep your baby free of chemicals right from the get-go. Not only does it smell great and clean the little tyke, the packaging is so cute, he or she will love bath time!

In The Mix with The Family Groove

For those among you who have recently become parents, who are thinking of becoming parents or are long-time parents… you may like some delicious summer cocktail suggestions to fit your parenting style.

This month, my article on that very topic appears on The Family Groove. Happy sipping!

Summer Entertaining Without the Liquor!

If you are throwing a party or attending someone else’s, why not consider bringing along some alcohol-removed champagne and wine to add a festive sparkle without the booze?

I’m currently on a coast-to-coast promotion of non-alcoholic cocktails with Fre by Sutter Home. This morning I hung out with Holly and Evan (the dynamic duo or Rochester’s 13 WHAM TV and did two segments on their morning show featuring of my colorful and delicious (if I do say so myself) recipes using Fre.

Watch the segments on their website to see how to make the cocktails and hear more about beinga “Thoughtful Entertainer,” (the new-and-improved “Hostess With the Mostess!”)

And, if you’re tempted to whip up intoxicatingly fun non-alcoholic libations for your celebrations today, here are those recipes:

The Liquid Muse Virgin Mixology
Designed for Fre by Sutter Home, Summer 2008
(all rights reserved by The Liquid Muse, LLC)

Tokyo Dreams (Martini Glass)
1 chopped lychee
1/4 ounce lime juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 ounces mandarin orange juice
3 ounces Fre Alcohol-Removed Premium White
Garnish: 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, 1 whole lychee on a cocktail skewer

Rim a martini glass with powdered sugar. Muddle lychee, lime juice, sugar and ginger in the bottom of a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, add wine. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass. Place the cocktail skewer across the rim of the glass.

Tropical Tease (White Wine Glass)
1 heaping tablespoon diced fresh mango
3 torn mint leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 ounce lime juice
3 ounces Fre Alcohol-Removed White Zinfandel
Garnish: 1 lime wheel

Muddle mango, mint, sugar and lime juice in the bottom of a mixing glass or cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, add wine. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled champagne flute. Place the lime wheel on the rim of the glass.


Sparkling Sangria Cooler (Collins Glass)
1 tablespoon Marinated Summer Fruit
4 ounces Fre Alcohol-Removed Brut
Garnish: Sprig of fresh mint and colorful straw

Prepare Marinated Summer Fruit at least 2 hours before a party (serves 10): Dice 8 strawberries, 2 large (peeled) peaches and 3(peeled) kiwis into a large bowl. Sprinkle fruit with 2 tablespoons raw brown sugar, and pour in1 cup of peach juice, Refrigerate.

When ready to serve, spoon 1 tablespoon of Marinated Summer Fruit mixture into each glass, along with at least 1 tablespoon of the liquid from the bowl. Fill glass with ice and top with Fre Brut. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint and a colorful straw.

Yankee Doodle Candy Cocktail (Champagne Flute)
1 package pop rocks
1 ounce mango juice
1 ounce pineapple juice
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce grenadine
2 ounces Fre Alcohol-Removed Spumante or Brut

Rub the rim of a champagne flute with a lime, then dip the rim onto a small plate sprinkled with pop rocks, set aside. Pour juices into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, then gently strain into the champagne flute. Slowly add the Fre sparkling wine, then the grenadine.

Let the fireworks begin!

In Praise of Lazy Parenting by Brett Paesel

I am a fan of Brett Paesel’s witty insights… and frankly, who wouldn’t love a woman who writes a book called Mommies Who Drink?! Here is a little sample of her writing. Look for the article in the March issue of Wondertime Magazine:

It’s still dark when my seven-year-old son wakes me, “Mom. The tooth fairy didn’t bring my dollar.” I roll over slowly to face him. I’m buying time — willing my brain synapses to fire away so I can come up with a crafty excuse as to why the tooth fairy would have neglected to replace his tooth with a dollar. For the third time.

“Hold on,” I say, “maybe you’re just not looking well enough.” My bones creek as I stand. “Let me get my glasses.” I trudge over to my desk while Spencer bounces around me. As I reach for my glasses, I open the drawer with my other hand to retrieve a dollar. I palm it as I turn to put on my glasses, “Let’s go look.”

It’s easy to slip the dollar under Spencer’s pillow while I pretend to look. It’s so easy, that I wonder why I didn’t think of it the last two times – when I suggested that maybe the tooth fairy was out sick or on vacation.

When I tell a friend about it later, she says, “Wow. I do this whole routine of sprinkling glitter near the bed, and writing a note in silver ink with a fairy-sized font.”

Why do these things never occur to me? So many moms I know knock themselves out. One impossibly industrious mom personalizes each cupcake in icing for her daughter’s birthday party at Kindergarten. Last year, I forgot to make cupcakes for Spencer’s school birthday celebration until that very morning. I had to resort to snagging two plastic containers of mini-blueberry muffins at a 7-11. When I placed the containers on the teacher’s desk and popped them open, a little girl yelled, “Those aren’t cupcakes!” – for which her clothespin got moved down a notch on her behavior chart. I felt a bit guilty about the demerit since she was only stating the obvious, but it’s an unfair world out there. Maybe she’s better off learning that sooner than later.

Brett Paesel is the author of Mommies Who Drink, Sex, Drugs, and Other Distant Memories of an Ordinary Mom (mommieswhodrink.net).