How To Simplify Your Blog-Reading Habit

In honor of the Ultimate Blog Party going on this week, we wanted to share our very best advice for others who read blogs as a hobby.  I mean, sure, you can just keep on manually typing in url’s, scanning blogs to see if they’ve updated, or going through the blogroll on your own blog.  But what if there was a better way?  What if you could streamline the way you read blogs?  What if you can save time, keep track of what you’ve ready, and only read new content?

These are out best tips for maximizing your blog-reading enjoyment:

1. Subscribe to your blogs in google reader. 

First you need to be signed in to google.  If you don’t have an account, you can create one in a few minutes.  Whenever you visit a blog that you would like to read regularly, look for the “subscribe” button.  It usually looks something like this:

When you hit that subscribe button on a favorite blog, it will take you to a page that lets you choose how you would like to subscribe.  It might look something like this:

From there, you choose the button for the “reader” (the service that will keep track of your subscriptions).  I definitely recommend google, because of the feature I will talk about next.  But the other options are fine, too. 

If you choose google, it will then take you to a page that looks like this:

Choose the google reader option.  Once you’ve added a couple of blogs, you can then go directly to www.google.com/reader to read all of your blogs in one place.  The beauty of the reader is that it pulls the blog posts from the blogs you love and puts them in chronological order.  You can choose if you want it to show the oldest posts first, or the newest posts first.  Then, as you scroll down and read, it “remembers” what you have passed and takes it off the list,  So the next time you visit google reader, it will only show blog posts that you’ve not yet read.  Get it?  No more visiting blogs to see if they’ve updated only to see the same ole’ post that was up the last five times you checked.  Google reader has your back.

For example, here’s a little snippet from my reader today.  (This is just a small little portion.  There are a lot of blogs in my reader.)

Okay, once you’ve gotten all the blogs you frequent into your subscription list, it’s time to add the magic of the Next button.

2. Put the “Next ” button on your browser.

Oh, how I love the Next button.  See, reading blogs in google reader is efficient, but it’s a little cold.  You miss the full experience of seeing the post where it was meant to be.  It’s kind of like eating take-out instead of eating in the restaurant.  You miss the ambience. It also makes it harder to comment.  So the Next button eliminates the need to read blogs in google reader (even though it is a function of google reader). 

You can install the button by clicking here, but make sure you’ve established a google reader account first.  Then, hit the “goodies” tab and scroll down until you see the Next bookmarklet.  Click and drack it up to your toolbar, and it should add the button there.

Now takes you to the next blog in your subscription with new content.  It takes you straight to the blog page instead of to google reader.  IT IS MAGIC.  And then, when you’ve read that page, and hopefully commented so that blogger’s fragile self-esteem can remain intact, you can just hit the button again and go to the next blog.  (Note: this is totally different from the “Next Blog” button that appears on the top of a blogspot blog.  That thing takes you to random blogs, not blogs of your choosing.) This is how the button looks, all nice and nestled into my firefox browser:

I really can’t tell you how much I love this thing.  If my browser were a remote control, this would be the button with all of the text rubbed off from using it so much.

3. Add the Alexa toolbar to your browser.

The last tip is really more self-serving, but if you read a lot of blogs, you should add Alexa to your toolbar.  Alexa is one of the main ways a blog’s popularity is counter.  It’s kind of like the Nielson Ratings for blogs.  If you recall, back in the olden days, only the Nielson families contributed to television ratings.  And so it goes with blogs – only those people who have downloaded the Alexa toolbar are counted in a blog’s Alexa rating.  So, if you want to “pay it forward” to the blogs you read, I would recommend it.  It’s a quick and simple download and you won’t even notice you have it.  It gives you an option of where to place it, and you can choose to put it down on the bottom of your browser.  See the little text at the bottom of the page?  That’s it.

If you have firefox and you want to download it as a statusbar, you can click below. 

Or, if you use internet explorer, you can download it here.

 

Those are my three big tips.  If you’ve stumbled over here for the Ultimate Blog Party link-up, I’m guessing you might read a lot of blogs, too.  Do you have any other tips or tricks for blog-reading?

The Case Against Homework

I have a confession.  I am really not a fan of homework for kindergarten.  I LOVE my son’s teacher.  I mean, seriously, she is amazing – and the homework thing is a school-wide choice.  I also love the public school that he attends.  But I don’t love the fact that every week, he comes home with a packet of 6-10 worksheets that require me to hover over him to complete.

Typically he can do it himself, but lately the math has been really hard.  They are adding numbers into the teens now.  Today he had to count by fives to fill in the blanks as such:

| 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | ___ | ___ |

Counting by fives?  I swear, I think when I was in preschool we painted, made macaroni necklaces, and learning the lyrics to “This Land Is Your Land”.

But even the worksheets that are easy are still laborious, because he has been at school all day long, and he’s just DONE.  And tired.  And wants to play with his siblings and relax and BE SIX YEARS OLD.  And I want that for him, too, but instead I have to keep redirecting him back to the table to finish his worksheets.

I am a huge proponent of education.  I’m a college professor.  My parents were college professors (they are both still in academia, but now in administrative roles).  I really want my kids to love learning, to develop study skills, and to succeed in school.

But I don’t want them to have homework in kindergarten. Or maybe even for a few years after that.

I’ve usually kept these thoughts to myself, because I feel like people generally hold the belief that there is a value to the way homework develops study habits.  But I was a little shocked (and relieved?) to see that most of the commenter’s on Scary Mommy’s blog post on the subject were in agreement – and many of them were teachers themselves.  Now, obviously, comments on a blog post are not necessarily a reflection of academic research . . . but apparently there is solid research that says that homework in the early grades does not actually determine study skills for later grades.  Which begs the question, why are schools still giving it?  And why does it seem to be increasing every year?

I don’t believe that I had homework until about 5th grade.  And I did okay in high school. And yes, I realize that sentence just pushed me into cranky-old-lady territory.

I admit, there is some personal bias in my anti-homework views.  Just getting Jafta to complete his is such a battle, that I really cringe at the thought of this for all four of my kids in a few years.  But I also think that at the public school my kids are attending, the day is long enough for them to complete everything they need to learn at school.  I feel like when I pick them up, I want it to be family time.  And I want there to be time for them to be involved in enriching activities like music lessons or sports,  I hear so many friends talk about how the nightly homework takes up a big portion of their evening.  Do kids really need to be doing homework EVERY NIGHT when they have spent 6-8 hours in school all day?  Am I the only one who thinks this is excessive?

Anyways, I am curious to hear your thoughts.  A few of the commenters at Scary Mommy said that they actually refused to have their kids do it, and spoke with administrators and teachers at the beginning of the year, informing them their kids would not turn it in.  This seems absolutely crazy to me – I am such a people-pleaser, and I cannot imagine being “that mom” and what the school staff would think of me (shudder). Jafta always turns in his completed homework, despite how much I despise it.  But at the same time, I wonder what would really happen if we just stopped doing it?  Would it affect his learning?  Or would it just make our afternoons a lot more peaceful?

What do you think about homework? 

Knudsen Sparkling Grape Juice Winner

Congratulations to Virginia, Tabathia B, and Vickers!

Shoot us an email by 4/10 to mamagiveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your prize in the subject line, and we'll hook you up!

Talk Back: 'The Orphan Seat'

I'll admit, when I first heard the AAP's new recommendation that babies should ride in rear-facing car seats until age 2, I winced at the thought. Most all of my kids- as babies- have hated car rides, rear-facing seats being a big contributing factor!

But, I'm also a huge stickler for car seat safety... just ask my husband how many times I've double and triple-checked his install jobs! So this Chicago Tribune article really got my attention.

"Each step "up" is actually a step down in terms of the protection provided."

WOW. I had never thought of it in those terms. I have always anxiously awaited the approach of the first birthday. The flip of the car seat. A step UP! And yet, a step down in protection.

My seven-month-old hates the car more than the others did. Maybe I'm not as anxious to make the step "up" this time.

photo source

***

What are your thoughts on the new infant seat recommendation?

School: The Ultimate Label Maker

Last week, two envelopes arrived in the mail from of our school district, one addressed "to the parents of" my third-grade son, Gobez, and one "to the parents of" my third-grade daughter, Didi. My chest tightened with dread. With experience I've learned that such envelopes often mean, We've made an important decision about your child's educational program. By law we are required to notify you, but we don't have the time or resources to answer any questions, so we are not enclosing the name or number of a contact person. Thank you.

I opened my son's letter first: he had tested into the district's Gifted and Talented Education Program (GATE.) Okay, so this was good news -- but the letter went on to explain that the GATE program consists primarily of differentiated instruction in the classroom whenever possible/as determined by the individual teacher, or enrollment in optional after school courses available through the rec department. In other words, the district has no money to lavish on educating the "gifted."

I sighed as I turned to Didi's letter, for I knew what it would say: she was not chosen for GATE. She is a special education student because of dyslexia, and though she participates (and excels) in a regular classroom, she is pulled out for 25 minutes per day for one-on-one reading instruction. She's also entitled to special classroom accommodations, including extra time on written tests and a separate room for test-taking to limit distractions. Did she receive those special accommodations on GATE testing day? Since there isn't really a gifted program, only the GATE label, it seemed pointless to inquire.

Even though Gobez and Didi attend the same grade, they aren't twins or even biological siblings. We adopted Gobez at the age of 4 from Ethiopia. Didi arrived at age 5 from India, in the middle of the school year, and so we opted to wait until the following fall to enroll her in kindergarten, when Gobez would also be starting. It was the right decision, though she would have preferred to be a year ahead of her brother in school, thereby cementing her alpha dog status. It's been extremely painful for her to struggle so profoundly with reading while her younger brother just breezes along with the same material. If Didi were to know the outcome of the GATE test, she would be devastated.

My husband and I have decided not to tell either of the kids their test results-- and I was happy to learn from my son's teacher that many parents choose not to reveal "GATE" status to their children. The information will simply become part of his academic file, a positive label that teachers attach to his name. Ever since Gobez started school, we've been worried about the teachers pegging him as a future pro athlete. His kindergarten teacher has even joked that she is saving his autograph to sell on eBay when he makes it big. The black male athlete is a powerful cultural stereotype; the black male scholar is not. Perhaps the "gifted" label will encourage his teachers to see him more clearly as the well-rounded child that he is, a boy with a keen math mind and a powerful drop kick. As his mom, I believe his greatest gifts are his relentlessly cheerful disposition, his energy, and his compassion. I marvel at these strengths of his every day.

The list of talented, accomplished people with dyslexia is long-- Leonardo Da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Davis, Bill Gates -- but my daughter wears the label heavily at school. Her peers and probably many of her teachers don't know that researchers at the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity believe this learning difference to be "a hidden source of great abilities." Like so many with dyslexia, Didi is an unusually talented artist, a creative problem solver, and a startlingly hard worker. Though she is only nine, I regularly turn to my daughter for advice on everything from decorating to fixing broken household items, for her mind works in nimble, inventive ways that mine does not.

As parents, we cannot help but want the best for our children. We want them to excel in school, to be labeled by the powers-that-be as "good" and "gifted," but maybe the gifts that will bring them the most success in life cannot be captured in a classroom or quantified on a standardized test. In the words of another famous dyslexic, Albert Einstein, "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking it is stupid."

SUNDAY GIVEAWAY: Knudsen's Sparkling Concord Grape Juice

We are big fans of the R.W. Knudsen product line. In 1961 Russel W. Knudsen and his family began bottling fruit juices at their organic grape vineyard in Paradise, Calif. This was a time when synthetic pesticides and herbicides use was soaring on conventional farms, and beverages were increasingly made with artificial ingredients. But, Knudsen was singularly committed to producing the finest, healthiest juices available.

We LOVE that all their products are still made using 100 percent natural ingredients, without any added sugar, preservatives or artificial colors.

Behind the scenes, R.W. Knudsen Family is committed to sustainability, organic practices, waste reduction and environmental stewardship. In 1997, its processing facility became the first certified organic processing facility in the U.S. To minimize its environmental footprint, the company uses clean, renewable energy sources at their facility.

This is a company we get excited to promote! I love their sparkling essence drinks, and my kids love their sensible sippers (half water, half juice).

In celebration of 50 Years in business, and doing business well, we are offering a super fun giveaway from the Knudsen family to our Mama Manifesto family. They are going to give 12 readers a bottle of their special edition grape juice. It tastes like a picnic! You will love it.

The Knudsen family is also giving away a week of vacation time in NAPA in their "Grape Escape" giveaway. Go here to enter!

I'm entering myself. And my hubby. And, making my sister enter herself. And her hubby. A week in Napa sounds like heaven.

I have a ton of respect for people who choose to invest their time and resources in cultivating food that will nourish. I know the farming industry is a tough one and I love when I see companies that stand behind standards like the Knudsen family has. Remember that we vote every time we spend our money at a grocery store. Spend well, y'all. Lets show the industry that we value healthy food.

Enter to win by leaving a comment:


How to earn additional entries in this giveaway:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.

4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.

5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway- Win a bottle of R.W. Knudsen sparkling grape Juice from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"

6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.
This giveaway will be closed Saturday at 11 p.m. and the winner will be announced next Sunday!

Cheap, Healthy Options for Drive-Thru Desperation

It happens to the best of us.  We are running late, or have an awkward window between pickups, or don’t have enough groceries to pack an adequate lunch for the day at the park.  And so, with our heads hung it shame, we take our families through the dreaded fast food drive-thru.

Okay, maybe the shame is my own issue.  I really do try to feed my kids healthy, but I am also always on the go.  I hate the idea of fast-food, but I have found a few options where I can feed my family (relatively) healthy fast food without breaking the bank.  To do this, though, you must adhere to two rules:

1) No “happy meals”.  They are never the cheapest option and they are rarely that healthy, either. 
2) No soft drinks.  Again, unnecessary calories and money, when water will do.
Both of these rules may be met with whining and crying from your children . . . but fortunately they aren’t the ones in charge here.

These are a few of the drive-thru options that we’ve been using in those moments of deperation.  They are smaller entrees, so I usually either plan on a healthy snack in a few hours (i.e. a smoothie).  Or if the drive-thru act is premeditated, I might through some apples and carrots in my bag on the way out the door, to round out the meal.

Del Taco

Del Taco has a new value bean & cheese burrito for only $49.  Their beans are slow-cooked and lard-free, and the burrito is 320 calories.  I can feed myself and the kids for under $5.

McDonalds

Forget the fried and processed chicken nuggets at McDonalds.  The snack wrap can be ordered with grilled chicken and is only 260 calories and $1.29.  A side of apples is available for $99.

Starbucks

There are a few heavenly drive-thru Starbucks near me, and their Spinach, Feta, and  Egg White Wrap is full of protein and only 280 calories.  At $3.50, it’s also cheaper than their packaged sandwiched.

Taco Bell

I love Taco Bell's Fresco menu and the fact that you can get almost anything on the whole menu "Fresco-style”, which means that it is topped with fresh salsa instead of cheese.   A chicken soft taco ordered this way is only 170 calories.  If I order two per family member, I can feed our family of 6 for $10.68. 



How about you?  Do you have issues with going through the drive-thru?  Have you found any healthy options for your family?

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

Need a dose of yummy with your coffee? Make this biscotti! So easy and yet blissfully delicious. Need even more of a decadent treat? Drizzle them with some white chocolate or even better, dip the suckers right in a pool of white chocolate bliss so that they are coated with the good stuff at both ends.

And THAT'S how you enjoy your morning cup of coffee or your afternoon tea! Mmmm! Mmmmm!

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
(Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time: 75 minutes. Yields 14 - 16 biscotti.)
Ingredients
1/4 cup light olive oil
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups unsalted pistachio nuts (or slivered almonds)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts, and zest then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture. Mix in cranberries and nuts by hand.

Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough may be sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.

Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, cover with clean kitchen towels and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F.

Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. (lean into biscotti with a large knife, do not saw, to get nice even pieces.) Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.

Cari Snell is a mom, wife, caterer (http://www.sweettreatcatering.com/) and the editor and recipe wrangler of Can I get the Recipe? An online source providing weekly printable recipes, shopping lists, great giveaways and more.

Check out an abundance of family friendly recipes at http://www.canigettherecipe.com/

Mama Love: more baby gear!

Babywearing is pretty new to me, and I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the Moby Wrap.

This is really a great wrap! It is a long, wide piece of durable fabric that you wrap over both shoulders, making for a super comfortable fit for both mom & baby. My newborn feels perfectly secure and happy in it. There are no buckles, snaps or other fasteners, and it's very easy to figure out how to wear.

There are many reasons to love babywearing, but for me it is all about having two free hands while chasing three other little ones! The Moby Wrap is ideal for this. I also love how soft the fabric is, and that there is an organic collection. Plus, you can't beat machine washable baby gear! I'm a big fan.

*****


We love Bumbleride and are excited to pass along the announcement of their latest edition coming this Spring, the "Movement Edition"!

This collection- featuring water-resistant sport fabrics and SPF 45 sun canopies- was designed for the active, action/sports lifestyle and has a very unique look compared to other strollers in the industry. Inspired by Southern California’s surf and skate culture, the Movement Edition strives to offer what action sports parents have long been waiting for- cool functional products suited to their lifestyle that make their lives easier with baby.

The Movement Edition will be shipping in April and featured in two colors- Jet, a sleek black; and Fog, a warm grey. It will be fitted on the Indie (all-terrain model), Indie Twin (double all-terrain model) and Flite (lightweight/umbrella model). FUN!

How To Waste A Weeknight`

Winter nights can be a challenge.  We are anxiously awaiting the time change and some warmer weather, so we can get back to playing outside in the evenings.  In the meantime, we go to the mall.  A lot.

 

Our typical routine:

Carousel Rides ($1 each)

 

Letting the kids pound on computers in the Mac store (free)

 

Mini cones at the Ruby’s counter ($1 each)

 

If we are feeling particularly generous, we might stop by Sees Candy for some free samples.

How do you waste a weeknight?

Finding Our Thing

When I was writing out the story of my relationship with Mark last week, I had a wave of nostalgia for the couple we once were.  It was weird looking through old photos and remembering our life before kids. So much of our relationship, and even our initial attraction to one another, was based on a sense of adventure.  We loved to travel, to get out in the world, and to experience different things.  We were active and spontaneous.  If I’m honest, I would even say that the number of our passport stamps was a part of our shared identity.  I used to joke that if I didn’t drink a Fanta out of a glass bottle at least twice a year, that I would die a little inside. 

Once kids came along, obviously our lifestyle changed.  It’s hard to be spontaneous when your entourage requires sippy cups, booster seats, and portable cribs.  Travelling at this stage is more work than it is worth, and quite a bit pricier, too.  Mark and I don’t get to be as adventurous as we once were.  And while I wouldn’t change a thing and love my kids to pieces, I think it’s also important to recognize that we need to find new activities that bond us together, both as a couple and as a family.  We need to find a new “thing”.  Preferably a thing that is toddler-friendly.  And it’s probably not going to be international travel, huh? 

We are still hoping that kayaking can be one of our things, but it hasn’t really been kayaking weather.  Today we decided to give geo-caching a try.  It’s adventurous . . . in a lame, family-friendly sort of way.  Although I feel this would be a much more attractive activity if it had a less dorky name.  Can we change it to “rugged urban reciprocal treasure hunting” or something?  Just so we don’t sound like total geeks? 

Our first geocaching foray was not so great.  We went out armed with an iphone app on a non-GPS phone.  We could see a blinking dot where we were standing, and a blinking dot where the geocache was hidden.  We had no compass or directions to tell us which direction that elusive dot was in relation to where we were standing.  So I spent a good hour just running in circles trying to figure out how to align myself with the dot, which never happened.

 

We may have built the expectations up too high, because the kids were bent on finding all kinds of buried toys, and all that was really happening was two adults arguing over whether or not there was a way to auto-refresh our google maps while the kids whined about being bored and tried to run through mud puddles.  At some point I tweeted:

And really, that’s kind of what the day boiled down to.  Finally, we were able to find a geocache that was hidden on a bridge, so we didn’t have to rely on a blinking directionless dot.  It was full of a few real and fake coins, which Jafta loved – he called it his pirate’s booty.  The trinkets we brought to exchange wouldn’t fit into the rusted Altoid tin, so we ended up leaving the $5 bill I had in my pocket.  Mark was a bit annoyed that we basically bought fifty cents and a couple plastic coins for $5, but I reminded him that it was all about the experience.   Those two hours of searching and five tantrums along the way were SO WORTH IT!

    

Despite our day, we aren’t giving up on the idea of geocaching.  It was still great to get out, and to have the dangling carrot of a treasure to keep Princess India moving.  Mark has his eyes set on a directional GPS toy that will make the searching a bit easier.  I have a feeling he will be buying it tomorrow.

Incidentally, this week a friend of mine celebrated her 40th birthday at a roller rink.  And this guy and his wife showed up to bring the Xanadu.

She had on a very sparkly skirted leotard under that trenchcoat.  I must confess, we had a little chuckle at their expense, and I was certainly not the only one trying to steal a picture of Big Red with my iphone.  But then I thought, you know what?  GOOD FOR THEM.  They’re getting out there, they are active and staying fit, and they have a thing.  A thing that they obviously love, that they are doing together.

I’m hoping we find our new thing.  And I’m really hoping it isn’t competitive roller skating.

Happy International Women's Day

Today in the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, dedicated to promoting opportunity and empowerment for women around the the world.

Have you seen the provocative PSA starring Daniel Craig and voiced by Dame Judi Dench designed to raise awareness about the day? It makes me love the James Bond actor just a little bit more. What's your reaction?

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup

I love my slow cooker. Love, love, love my slow cooker! Especially when all I have to do is throw everything in the pot, turn it on and walk away.

This recipe is inspired by cabbage rolls and it is absolutely delicious. Serve it with a little crusty bread, grated cheese or even a dollop of sour cream for a nutritious abd filling meal.

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup
(Prep Time: 15 minutes/Total Time: 8 - 10 hours. Serves 6 -8)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
3/4 cup uncookerd parboiled long grained white rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chickeen stock
1 28 ounce canned tomatoes, with juices (I use San Marzano)
1 10 ounce can condensed tomato soup, undiluted
4 cups packaged coleslaw mix or chopped kale or bok choy (any type of green cabbage like veg!)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a medium fry pan, cook ground beef until done. Place beef in the slow cooker and add all other ingredients except for the parsley.

Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours or high for 4 - 6 hours until hot and bubbly. Before serving, stir in parsley.

Cari Snell is a mom, wife, caterer (http://www.sweettreatcatering.com/) and the editor and recipe wrangler of Can I get the Recipe? An online source providing weekly printable recipes, shopping lists, great giveaways and more.

Check out an abundance of family friendly recipes at http://www.canigettherecipe.com/

SUNDAY GIVEAWAY: TurboTax

We're all about products that make our busy lives easier, and TurboTax 2010 is a perfect example of that. TurboTax- the #1-rated, best-selling tax software from Intuit Inc.- makes tax preparation easier than ever by providing:

Greater Ease and Accuracy: Automatically transfer essential tax information from last year's return and from hundreds of thousands of employers and financial institutions. Instantly transfer data and simply confirm it's correct.

Customized Guidance and Recommendations: Unique GPS feature provides additional guidance and recommendations, based on each customer's individual tax situation. TurboTax recommends the deductions and credits that will help customers get their maximum refund.

Better, Faster Answers: Customers have easy ways to get answers to their questions, when and how they need them, including instant answers from other TurboTax users and tax experts online via the TurboTax Live Community.

We are giving away three online credits, redeemable at TurboTax.com and good for one free federal + state preparation and e-file with TurboTax Premier Online 2010.

Enter to win by leaving a comment answering the question below:

Do you prepare your own taxes?

How to earn additional entries in this giveaway:

1. Follow our blog (publicly) and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

2. Subscribe to the Mama Memo and leave another comment (or let us know if you already are).

3. Blog about the giveaway, and link back here. Post your blog entry before you comment.

4. Add the Mama Manifesto button to your sidebar.

5. Follow us on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway: "Giveaway- Win a TurboTax online credit from @MamaManifesto. Enter at mamamanifesto.com"

6. Become a fan of Mama Manifesto on Facebook by clicking the button on the left.

This giveaway will be closed Saturday at 11 p.m. and the winner will be announced next Sunday!

Congratulations to the winner of last week's giveway:
{{{Diana Costello}}}

Shoot us an email by 3/13 to mamagiveaways(at)gmail(dot)com with your prize in the subject line, and we'll hook you up!

A Second Chance to win a Copy of MAMALITA: An Adoption Memoir

Mama Manifesto recently awarded copies of Mamalita: An Adoption Memoir by Jessica O'Dwyer to two lucky readers. If you missed out on that giveway, here's another chance to win. I'm hosting a drawing this week at my personal blog, and I have two more copies to give away courtesy of the author, who even autographed them during a recent appearance at a local library.

To enter, please stop by my blog, Whatever Things Are True: the Good, the Bad and the Beautiful in the World of International Adoption. The contest closes Sunday, March 6.

If you'd like to know a little bit more about Mamalita, you can visit Jessica O'Dwyer's blog or check out the book trailer: