Mother’s Day Give-away with Author Cindy Dagnan

Welcome to Mother’s Day week—the time when moms receive an assortment of lovely gifts from their dear offspring– you know–perfumes, coffee gift cards, lotions and potions. Okay, and if a dad is involved in the selection, perhaps an iron or vacuum or another such usefull, yet romantic present! Well, our family has a few other practical presents to give out to deserving moms this week.

A few years back, when speaking at a Hearts at Home National conference, I met a delightful speaker named Cindy Dagnan. She writes and speaks on the many of the same topics I do—organization, hospitality, marriage, etc… and just being around her for a few hours made me know we were kindred spirits. We’d love to be next door neighbors and chat daily while we were each hanging out laundry to dry. Alas, we can only keep in touch through cyber-space, see each other a few times a year at speaking engagements and use the US mail to deliver a handwritten note now and then. We have decided that, since I live in Michigan and she dwells in Missouri, at least we might be able to choose the same nursing home someday so we can finally be neighbors!!!

Cindy’s book Who Got Peanut Butter on my Daily Planner is a useful tool for any mom trying to get her act together. She has graciously offered to give away copies of it this week to three moms who leave a comment here on my site. Below is an interview with Cindy showcasing just what the book is all about. You’ll have to read to the end to see just what kind of comment we are looking for, because there is a slight catch to it!

In addition, I served as project creator on the Hearts at Home Just For Moms Planner, a tool designed for moms, not for professionals in the business world.  My sweet friend and national award winning graphic designer Amber Fuller did the wonderful design on the project. It is whimsical in contemparary shades of brown and teal. It is the size of a normal planner, yet has sections to record grocery lists, menus plans, your family medical information and other such details important to a mom. There are week and month-at-a-glance sections and an address book. Hearts at Home is allowing me to give away two of these resources this week too!

So, enjoy the interview with my friend Cindy. Check out her book. Take a peek at the planner. Then read about the rules for leaving a comment and leave one!! Don’t feel rushed…this post will be left up all week and the winners announced Sunday.

This is a crazy, busy week for us. Kenzie has her play performance at the homeschool academy, we have out of town relatives coming for two days, more out of town company coming for one more day and then our garage sale is Saturday and Sunday!!!! No, I am not trying to kill myself with busyness. We had to hold our garage sale this week since we live in the sticks and no one usually comes. This coming weekend, however, a great apple cider mill by us holds a huge Mother’s Day craft sale drawing thousands of people. We won’t even need to take an ad out in the paper. We’ll get lots of lookers! This all adds up to lots of activity around here. Thus…the reason I’ll only post once this week!! Now….for the interview…… 

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Cindy, Tell us a little bit about your real life, outside of being an author and speaker.

I am a preacher’s daughter, a wife, mother of four girls and a recovering Type A personality.   When I have to drive into town twice a week for errands, my highlight is stopping at Starbucks for a grande non-fat hot chocolate with whip and a regular blueberry muffin.  It’s the simple things, really.

What prompted you to write Who Got Peanut Butter on my Daily Planner?

When I began staying at home, there were only a few books out there specifically for stay-at-home moms.  Many of them seemed too lofty and unattainable, or to “expert-y” for me.  I wanted to share some humor and practical things that women could use that I have learned along the way.  I wanted it to feel more like curling up for a visit with your girlfriend.

What areas of a busy mom’s life does your book address?

5 main areas:  1) Your time and home; 2) Your marriage; 3) Your children; 4) Your self [yep, you!] and 5) Your God.

What is the most difficult aspect for you of juggling all the many tasks a mom must do?

Guilt.  Hands down.  I know I’m not a perfect mother, but I have waaay high expectations of myself and when we run into a crazy-busy week and I’m cranky, or haven’t had the amount of face time with each girl individually, guilt climbs on my shoulders and has a hey day!  I know I’m not alone in this, because I hear it from women all over the country.

What advice can you give to those moms who are trying to “do it all?” Should we even attempt to do it all?

Snort!  I’m dyin’ laughing here.  We absolutely CANNOT do it all at any one given time.  Trust me, I know.  I tried and fell down hard.  I used to be the President of the “I Hate the Proverbs 31 Woman Fan Club”.  I would read that chapter and freak out!  When I studied further though, I realized it’s more a seasonal thing.  The quote I fell in love with from your new book, Karen, was that if we approach mothering like we approached our outside jobs, we will lose our minds!  We won’t always plow through our to-do lists, but we will always, always be doing something eternal.

What is your prayer when it comes to the readers who will view this book? How do you hope it helps them in their daily life?

I know that every mom’s time is precious.  Valuable.  When I read, I’m looking for two things: entertainment and take away value – something I can use; I assume my readers are the same.  I hope the women who read anything I’ve written will laugh, cry, get inspired, feel less alone and have a tangible something they can truly use in their world.  Precious moms, seize this day – it may be the only one you’ve got.  Cherish, savor, treasure.  Know that no one else can do what you do like you do it.  God sees you, every exasperated, exhilarating moment.

Do you have a favorite peanut butter recipe or memory to share with us too?

My very favorite peanut butter thing to eat is the old-fashioned homemade Buck-eye candies.  Someone always brought them to church for the fellowship linger-longer after Christmas Caroling.  I, um, don’t exactly make them very well.  My friend Vickie, however, has a fabulous recipe which I’d gladly e-mail to anyone who asks – she says mine don’t turn out because I won’t use the paraffin wax.  I must also confess to having wildly jealous feelings when my youngest 3 were all under the age of 5 and my husband would tell me about his working lunches at big people restaurants – “Well,” I’d reply, sometimes huffily, “I’m at home having PBJ and Goldfish crackers – again!  Not to worry though, today I cut them in triangles instead of squares!”

Thanks Cindy for taking the time to chat with us and give away these copies of your fabulous book!!

You are more than welcome!!!

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 Okay ladies, now for the give-away. Simply post a comment any day this week in order to be entered in the give-away. The only catch is this: you must do one of two things when you leave your comment. Tell us your best mommy moment memory that has to do with peanut butter or share with all of us your favorite peanut butter recipe. You have until Saturday night at midnight Eastern Standard Time to do so. Then, on Mother’s Day, my three peanut-butter crazed kids will each select one winner of a copy of Cindy’s book. 

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The winners of the two moms planners will be chosen at random. I do ask that if you are interested in winning the planner, you make sure to leave that info with your comment. These Hearts at Home Just for Moms Planners are the biggest gift we’ve given away so far and we want to make sure they are going to someone who will use them.

Have a great Mother’s Day week!

Peanut Butter Blessings,

Karen

27 Comments

  1. Oh, fellow mothers in the trenches — I so enjoyed reading your stories and am game to try the the recipes. Thanks for participating in the fun; hopefully by now, you winners have received the loot! Have the best day!

    ~ Cindy
    -Up to her knees in peanut butter, elbows soaking in a pool of Kool-Aid. Fruit punch, of course.

  2. I saw Cindy this year at my first Hearts At Home Conference, and I loved her seminar.

    My Mother in law is a wonderful mother, but she worries over the kids all the time. The last words out of her mouth are always “Be Careful.” Anyway, when my daughter was 11 months old, we all went to get some ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery (what I hope Heaven will be like when I get there) and we were on our way home with our delicious treasures, and my MIL asks me if she can feed ice cream to the baby. I say, Sure, because she’s fussing and everybody else is having some and a few bites weren’t a big deal. I realized later that there was PB in the ice cream, and I’m not supposed to give peanut butter to a child under 1. She wasn’t allergic, PTL, but it was funny, because the most overprotective person in the world was the one who broke the rules! (this is the same woman who wouldn’t touch the baby after she made a PB pie until she had taken a shower to wash off all the PB smell)

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