It’s been several weeks since I participated in Ten on Tuesday, but I enjoy answering the random (and sometimes bizarre) questions so I thought I would play along again this week. For more Ten on Tuesday, visit Root and Rings.

1. If you could trade lives with another blogger for a day, who would it be and why?
I thought of a couple of answers to this question, but I think I would have to choose my sister Lu. If I traded lives with her for a day I would get to spend the day playing with and loving on three of my nephews and she would get to spend the day with my kiddos.

2. Do you prefer receiving handmade or store bought gifts? Be honest!
It all depends on the gift, and I don’t mean that as a non-answer, it’s the truth. A couple of my all-time favorite gifts have been the beautiful apron that Matt’s grandmother made for me a couple of years ago and the various quilts my grandmother has made for me over the years.

3. Would you rather camp or stay in a hotel?
I prefer to stay in a hotel if we are going to be doing anything other than staying around the campsite. If we are going somewhere where all of our activities will be outdoorsy (hiking, playing in the river, etc), then I really enjoy camping (or at least I enjoy the idea of camping, we’ve never been camping with our kids).

4. What’s your favorite comfort food?
That’s gotta be either homemade mac & cheese or mashed potatoes.

5. You’re having a really bad day at work. How do you unwind when you come home?
Since my work consists of staying home with the kids, I like to get out of the house (either with the girls or alone) for a bit. If that’s not feasible, I hang out with Matt in the evening and/or read, blog hop, or watch TV.

6. What’s your favorite chore? (Or, the chore you hate the least)
Hmmm…It’s not that I mind cleaning the house, I just try to do it as little as possible. My favorite chore is probably laundry – I can throw a load in and go do something else until it’s done.

7. What got you interested in blogging?
I started reading blogs (Amy’s Humble Musings was the first one I read regularly) in late 2005 or early 2006. Matt has blogged off and on for several years (and is a web designer and developer), so when I found out I was pregnant with Little I asked him to set up a subdomain on his domain for me to blog about the pregnancy (we had recently moved away from all of our family and friends, so it was a way to keep them informed – most of these posts can be found in my archives). In early 2007 I decided I wanted to pick blogging up again on my own domain, and sidetrack’d was born.

8. Are you currently reading a book? What is it?
Currently I’m reading Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger and Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. I highly recommend Don’t Waste Your Life.

9. Do you have a favorite artist?
I’m taking this to mean all forms of art, not just visual art. But still I can’t say that I have a favorite artist that I can think of.

10. Have you ever met someone famous?
I met one of our state congressmen when I was in 5th grade, but I think that’s the closest I’ve come.

I would love to respond to every comment posted on Sidetrack’d – and there aren’t that many, so it really isn’t an unreasonable goal – but WordPress will not forward comments to my e-mail address. We’ve tried several different e-mail addresses and Matt has spent a good deal of time researching the problem, and yet we cannot make it work. Apparently this is a pretty common issue in the world of blogs, but that doesn’t make me like it.

So, for now I will respond (when appropriate) to comments in the comment threads. Not what I would prefer, but it takes a significant amount of time to reply by e-mail at this point.

I do love to read your comments and hope that, on occasion, we might have some good discussions. Granted, the latter requires me writing posts that inspire discussion, but a girl can always dream, right?

NAP, Inc., the makers of the fabulous Sleepy Wrap and Boba Baby Carrier, is partnering with PlantABillion.org to provide each of us an opportunity to help with reforestation efforts. For every new Facebook fan or Twitter follower this week, NAP, Inc. will plant a tree. All you have to do to help in this effort is click on the links below and become a fan or follower. How easy is that?!

Sleepy Wrap on Facebook
Boba Carrier on Facebook
Sleepy Wrap on Twitter
Boba Carrier on Twitter

NAP, Inc. is a very eco-concious company who strives to reduce, reuse, and recycle wherever possible. For more information on their Earth Day Celebration, check out the post on their Facebook page (click the link).

And a disclaimer (just in case): no compensation was provided in exchange for this post. I just feel it’s a great (and easy) way for each of us to plant trees.

A few months prior to Boo’s birth, Lu gave birth to my precious nephew, Peanut. Lu had a Sleepy Wrap and told me how much she loved it. That testimonial was all I needed to invest in a Sleepy Wrap of my very own. Over the last two years, I’ve tried several different types of carriers, and hands down, the wrap is my absolute favorite for wearing a newborn. In fact, I could not wait to get Baby Girl in my Sleepy Wrap after we got home from the hospital!

Let’s start with the basics. The Sleepy Wrap is one long (5.5 yards) piece of heavy, high quality, stretchy knit fabric that you wrap (thus the name) around your body and tie at the waist. Your baby sits on the “x” formed by the crossing pieces of fabric as you tie the wrap around you, and then you pull the front panel up over baby’s bum (see tying methods). This swaddles baby close and secure at your chest.

With Boo, I used the wrap on the go and at home. Because he had reflux we had to keep him upright or he was screaming (pretty much all.the.time). There were many days in his first year of life that the Sleepy Wrap saved my sanity (due to the decrease in screaming) and was the only way I could get anything done around the house. It was also just about the only way he would nap for the first few months.

Now that Baby Girl is here, I have three children ages three years and under which means that I don’t have enough arms to keep up with everyone when it’s just the four of us. I must have Baby Girl in a carrier for any trip, activity, or errand where I will have all three kids out of the car. I wore Baby Girl in the Sleepy Wrap for the first time at 3 days old when we made her first pediatrician’s office visit. It was so nice to know that the baby was safe, secure, and snuggly in the wrap while I wrestled the other two in and out of the car and building!

There are several things that I absolutely love about this wrap. The material is soft and comfortable for mom and baby, the stretch of the fabric makes it easy to get baby in and out, it keeps baby snuggled close to me while my hands remain free to handle my preschooler and toddler, it makes baby feel safe and secure, and my babies sleep well when in the wrap. I also like that I can tie it on before I leave home and just get baby out of the carseat and pop her into the wrap at each of our stops instead of having to put on and take off a carrier each time (or even worse, lug the heavy and cumbersome infant seat everywhere). Most of all I love to be able to bend my head and kiss the top of that sweet little baby head, because, really, can you ever get too much of that?

I’ve found very few drawbacks using the Sleepy Wrap over the course of these two years. The biggest one is that, due to the weight of the material and the fact that my wrap is black, it gets hot on me and baby when we are outside for an extended time on a hot, sunny summer day. The only other one I would say is that due to the stretchiness (is that a word? it is now) of the fabric it gets looser as the day goes on and as baby gets bigger. Neither one of these are issues that can’t be easily solved (by taking the wrap off every now and then (like when you stop to nurse) on hot days and tying it tighter to compensate for stretching), and certainly wouldn’t affect my recommendation of the Sleepy Wrap.

Literally, just about every time I’ve worn my Sleepy Wrap I’ve received inquiries about and comments on it, and every time I’ve told the person how great this product is. In fact, several of my friends have used them after seeing me in mine and hearing about it.

So, in conclusion (because I haven’t used enough words already), I would (and do) whole-heartedly recommend the Sleepy Wrap! It makes a great carrier for first time babywearers because it is easy to use (really, it isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks) and is wonderful for tiny babies right on through infanthood (and into toddlerhood). If you are expecting or know someone who is, a Sleepy Wrap would make an excellent shower gift.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Sleepy Wrap, head over to their site and check out the great selection of colors. (It’s also available in organic now.)

If you’d like a chance to win one, the wonderful folks at Sleepy Wrap have given me the opportunity to sponsor one of their great products as a prize at Ultimate Blog Party 2010 (prize number USC 61).

Thank you Sleepy Wrap for making a great product!

Disclaimer: I received no compensation (either monetary or products) for writing this review. I truly do love my wrap and am thrilled to be able to share one with another mom via the UBP’10 giveaway.

Note: this post is a sticky post. It will remain at the top until Friday, April 16. For newer posts, please scroll down.

Welcome to Sidetrack’d! For those of you visiting from the Ultimate Blog Party 2010, thanks for stopping by; I hope you will hang out for a bit.

Chez Sidetrack’d consists of myself, my husband, tech guru, and all around great guy, Matt, and my little people – Little (3.5 years old), Boo (2 years old), and Baby Girl (3 months old). What’s that you say? We have our hands full? Why, yes, we do; thanks for noticing. We lead a crazy, hectic, and fun-filled life of kids books, activities, and toys with a little Mom and Dad time thrown in when we can.

Sidetrack’d came into existence a little over 3 years ago as a way to journal, connect, and help Momma maintain the small thread of sanity she had at that point. (Said sanity was subsequently lost upon the arrival of Boo, but that’s another story.) Over the years I’ve come to claim blogging as a hobby and have met some great people through this crazy little medium.

I don’t have anything big and impressive to attract your attention, just the ongoing story of this average family of five. I write about my kids, my faith, just the day to day of life. I hope you’ll stick around, follow along, and maybe get a laugh or two from time to time.

If you’re interested in learning more about me, check out the Ten on Tuesday and Meme sections of the archives. You’ll gain interesting, obscure, and sometimes bizarre insight into my person and life.

If you like what you see around here, I’d love for you to subscribe via RSS feed, or follow sidetrack’d on Twitter.

This year I also have the pleasure of sponsoring one of the UBP ‘10 prizes: a Sleepy Wrap baby carrier in the winner’s choice of in stock color! Check out my review and be sure to add prize number USC-61 to your list of preferred prizes.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you again soon. Happy partying!

A big thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom for throwing this great party each year. And, of course, there is a chance to take home one of many fabulous prizes. If I am fortunate enough to be chosen for a prize, my top three picks are:

USC 17 – $200 Apple Gift certificate from CmomGo

71 – $50 Bear Bucks Card to Build A Bear Workshop from Liza Schwab

49 – $25 gift card to Starbucks from Janice Yurek

If those are already taken, I would be pleased with any of the following: any of the Amazon, Target, or Visa gift cards, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 15, 16, 19, 22, 23, 30, 33, 39, 50, 53, 61, 62, 69, 70, 75, 77, 84, 85, 91, 101, 107, USC4, USC5, USC13, USC19, USC22, USC25, USC30, USC33, USC43, USC57, USC63

Addendum: I have visited and commented on at least 20 blogs this week. (and added several to my reader!)

Every Spring the Mom-blogging world anticipates the announcement of 5 Minutes for Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party. This party is filled with chances to find new blogs, meet new bloggers, develop new networking opportunities, and win great prizes!

The 2010 edition of UBP begins this Friday, April 9th. If you want to join in the fun, check out the Everything You Need To Know About The Ultimate Blog Party 2010 post.

Hope to see you there!

For the last few weeks my BFF, Lindsey, and my wonderful SIL, Lu, have participated in Ten on Tuesday at Roots and Rings. It looks like fun, and I like this week’s questions, so I thought I would play along. (seeing as how I’m blogging semi-regularly again and all)

1. If you could open any type of store/place of business (money is no obstacle), what would you open?
A used bookstore would be an option since we don’t have a good one in our area, but the only real business idea I’ve had is for Lindsey and me to open a stroller and baby carrier “rental” company where new moms and moms-to-be could try out different kinds of carriers and strollers without having to make the financial investment that is generally involved in these purchases. We would also rent carriers and strollers for people who were traveling or only needed them for a short time for whatever reason. Our husbands laugh anytime we bring it up.

2. If all jobs paid equally, what occupation would you want? Why?
Right now I’m perfectly happy as a stay-at-home mom. At some point in the future, however, I would love to train as a lactation consultant or doula (or possibly both).

3. If you could be any animal in the world, what would you pick? Why?
I have no idea. Can’t say that I’ve ever really thought about it.

4. If offered one “service” free of charge, which would you choose? (chauffeur, maid, personal shopper, chef, etc.)
Absolutely, positively, no doubt about it, it would be a maid! I’m good with cooking, laundry, shopping, etc, but I cannot stay on top of cleaning these days (could, just possibly, have something to do with having a newborn, but still) and it’s not something I enjoy most any time.

5. What is one habit, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to break?
I actually have 2: popping my knuckles and biting my lips. I’ve tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to stop doing both

6. What is one thing that no matter how many you own, you still love to buy all the time?
If I had the money, this would definitely be baby carriers, as it stands right now, I’ve gotta say cloth diapers.

7. Out of all the game shows (past and present), which would you want to be a participant on and play?
I would love to be smart enough to be on Jeopardy.

8. If you could play the lead role in any movie that’s already been made, which movie would you pick?
ooo…I don’t know. Probably either Jo in Little Women or Elizabeth Bennett in the BBC Pride & Prejudice. I think I’m enough like both of those characters to pull it off (if I could act).

9. Name 5 things on your bucket list (things you want to do before you die).
I’ve never made a bucket list, but I would like to buy a house 100% cash down (which would only happen if we were totally debt free), see my children find their God-given purpose in life, travel Europe with Matt, move back to East TN or western NC, and drive an Audi TT turbo (6 speed manual transmission and convertible would be nice). Wow, that was much harder than I thought it would be.

10. Which one of your birthdays was the best? What did you do that day?
I can’t remember very many of my individual birthdays, but my 19th birthday is definitely pretty high on the list. That year my Mom, brother, sister-in-law, and oldest nephew (who was 9 months old at the time) came to Montgomery (where I was in college) to celebrate with me. It was the first time my family met Matt.

On Sunday morning, January 10, as we prepared to leave for church, my Mom called to let me know that my grandmother, Mema, had been hospitalized due to heart attack. At that point no one really had much information except that she was stable and being admitted to the cardiac care unit for tests and observation.

On Monday morning, January 11, I was awakened about 5 a.m. by contractions that steadily grew stronger and closer together. I was 40 weeks 3 days pregnant, so we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest baby girl…

To read more, click here and check out my entry in PAXbaby.com’s 13 Days of Peace and Love.

Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. I hope everyone has a safe and healthy cold and flu season!

She is an amazing lady whom I love very much, and I would love for you to stand with us in prayer and encouragement as she continues her fight.

It’s the first day of Spring, my thirtieth birthday, and the beginning of UBP ‘09. Definitely time to party!

Hi, I’m Jana. Welcome to my little corner of the world. Come in, help yourself to a piece of strawberry cake, and stick around to chat for a while.

For those of you who are new to these parts, let me tell you a bit about myself…

I am wife to the love of my life, Matt. God has entrusted us with two precious lives in the form of our 2.5 year old, Little, and our 11 month old, Boo; and I have had the privilege of being at home with them since Little’s birth. I lead a life filled with blessings – a great family, great friends, and, most of all, a great God.

I started blogging a little over two years ago and chose to name my place Sidetrack’d because, well, because I’m very easily distracted. You will find me writing on a wide variety of topics – funny anecdotes from everyday life, my faith, books, baseball, cooking, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I write because I enjoy it and because it is a much better way to record my children’s milestones than trying to remember to write in their baby books.

Feel free to hang out for a while, look around, and if you like what you see, subscribe to my RSS feed.

Thanks for stopping by today; I hope to “see” you again soon!

Oh yeah, if you’re interested, here’s the recipe for the yummy strawberry cake we’re enjoying for my birthday I’ll post the recipe the first of next week.

Thanks for 5 Minutes for Mom for hosting another great party! Be sure you check out all of the prizes they are giving away, too. If I were to be so fortunate as to win a prize, my three top picks would be:

Prize 7 – Ergo Baby Carrier offered by A Giveaway Addicted Mommy

Prize 3 – $25 Gift Certificate for Happy Panda

Prize 106 – Melissa & Doug Dress Up Set offered by Good for the Kids

And if those are already taken, I would love any of the following:
1, 4, 8, 16, 18, 19, 21, 26, 28, 37, 38, 43, 44, 45, 50, 52, 62, 70, 77, 78, 79, 83, 88, 91, 93, 95, 99, 105, 118, 122, 123, 125, or any of the other prizes related to babies and toddlers/preschoolers.

If you’re in the market for a double stroller check out the review and giveaway (or don’t and increase my chances to win ).

November 12-18 is International Babywearing Week and to celebrate Steph of Adventures in Babywearing is hosting a carnival where she’s invited all of us to share our babywearing stories.  She’s also giving away a Nest Sling and a Hatchling Sling courtesy of Nonny & Boo to lucky participants.  (I would love to have one of these beautiful slings).

When Little was born a little over two years ago I’d really never heard of “babywearing” and all of the slings, wraps, and other babywearing accessories.  I did, however, feel drawn to the closeness and convenience of having her in a carrier as opposed to pushing a stroller or, especially, toting around an infant carseat everywhere we went.  I registered for and received an Infantino buckle carrier and so began my babywearing career.

I used the front carrier with Little for about 5 months, but it was never really comfortable for me; I felt like I was constantly tightening and adjusting the buckles and straps.  (Not to mention that she’s tall and I’m short, so it wasn’t too long before her feet were hitting me in the knees.)  When Little was several months old I found Steph’s blog and through her writing and a few other resources became very interested in wearing my future babies.  As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Boo I started contemplating babywearing, what types of carriers I wanted to use, and how helpful it would be to wear baby since I would have a not quite two year old in tow as well.

My first carrier was a Sleepy Wrap; I purchased the wrap before Boo was born on the recommendation of my SIL.  I started wearing Boo in the wrap almost immediately.  He was about two weeks old when we took him out for the first time, so that was his first ride in the wrap.  I loved having my tiny baby so close to me and with the wrap I was able to cover his head if needed when we were in crowded places.  It also discouraged random people from asking to touch him which was a very nice benefit.  Any time I wrapped him he fell right to sleep and would sleep the entire time he was worn.  The Sleepy Wrap saved my sanity several times in those first few weeks and months when he was fussy but I needed to be doing something else with my hands (cleaning, cooking, helping Little, etc.).

When Boo was a few months old I gave myself heat exhaustion wearing him in the wrap (black) at the zoo (in June) and decided it was time to invest in a new carrier.  I tried a pouch sling and couldn’t get one to fit properly, so I bought an adorable blue and green ring sling.

I wear my ring sling all the time and love the convenience of slipping it on to run in to a store real quick and for times that we have several errands to run.  It stays in the car so that I always have a carrier handy when I need it.  I do need to learn some new carries (for older babies) because Boo is getting a little cramped in the kangaroo carry and doesn’t like to bend his legs nicely to go into the tummy-to-tummy carry.  Any suggestions for different carries?

My current favorite carrier is my BabyHawk.  We got it before we went to the beach a few weeks ago and I love, love, love this mei tai.  Boo loves to ride in it and look around or sleep sweetly against my chest.  He’s big enough now that we can use the back carry some, and I’m looking forward to trying out the back carry with Little sometime.  It is pretty much guaranteed that he’ll fall asleep in the mei tai if he’s the slightest bit sleepy, so I’ve used it more than once to get him to nap when he didn’t want to lay down.

Babywearing is not a big thing in our area.  I’ve seen a few other moms out and about wearing, and I’ve gotten a ton of questions and more than a few strange looks as we’ve been seen wearing Boo around town.  I’m happy to say that several of my friends are planning to babywear (at least sometimes) as a result of hearing me rave about how much Boo and I enjoy the experience.  Hopefully they will love it as much as we have.

I love having Boo close.  I  love the extra snuggles and kisses I get to sneak in as we go about our day.  I love having my hands free to chase Little or do the things that I need to do.  I love this babywearing thing, and I’m so glad that we’ve chosen to make this a part of our parenting plan.

In fact, I’m trying to convince Matt to add “Babywearing” as a line item in our budget.  Think it will work?

Thanks to all 265 people who left comments entering the giveaway.  It was fun reading everyone’s favorite drink, and I got some ideas for something new to try if I can give up the Pumpkin Spice Latte for a visit or two.  A lot of you love the Caramel Macchiato or the White Chocolate Mocha which are usually my standards when Pumpkin Spice is out of season.  I was also interested in all the comments about the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate; I’ve been intrigued by this drink since it was introduced but was scared to try it (ya know, “don’t mess with a good thing” and all).  Several of you commented that it is very good, so I’ll have to give it a try.

If you came by just for the giveaway I hope you’ll stop back by sometime.  I’ve enjoyed having all the company.

If you’ve read Sidetrack’d for any length of time you probably know I have a love affair with coffee.  Not just any coffee, though; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I’m a coffee snob.  

I’m all about rich, dark, full flavor coffee, and I love me some Starbucks.  And I love this time of year because Starbucks is serving up their scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Latte (or Frappuccino depending on my mood and the weather).

In honor of the return of my favorite beverage, I will give one of you lovely people a $5 Starbucks gift card; a chance to try my fave or to get a cup of your fave.  Just leave a comment telling me your beverage of choice when you visit the beloved coffee shop.

Here’s the fine print:

This giveaway runs through noon on Friday, October 31st.  At that time I will close comments on this post and chose a winner using the random number generator at random.org.  To be eligible to win your comment must include your favorite coffee shop beverage (be it coffee, tea, chai, whatever).  Your comment must lead me back to you via a valid e-mail address or link to your blog; if I don’t have a way to find you, I will chose another winner.  The winner will be notified by e-mail or comment on your personal blog Friday afternoon.  All names and e-mail addresses collected for this giveaway will be used only for the purpose of notifying the winner of the giveaway.  This giveaway is limited to US addresses only (I apologize to any international readers).

There are tons more giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival, be sure to check them out!  But if you’re visiting Sidetrack’d for the first time, I’d love for you to stick around for a few minutes and get to know us a little better.  Thanks!

The team at 5 Minutes for Books has created a great new monthly carnival, “What’s on Your Nightstand?”  I thought it would be fun to play along since I usually have several books beside the bed waiting to be read.  In fact, as of this morning, there are 13 books on my nightstand (although 6 of those have already been read or are Matt’s)!  So, here is what I’m reading (sorry, I was too lazy to take a picture)…

The Birth House by Ami McKay – currently reading this one; it was lent to me by my aunt who thought I would enjoy it as it deals with a fictional case of tradition vs. science in the realm of childbirth during the World War I era.

Chocolate Beach by Julie Carobini – I saw this one on several blogs a few months ago and thought it sounded good; I requested it from PaperBackSwap, and, voila, it’s on my nightstand.

The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty – I came across this book on Amazon when I was looking at Listmania lists that included Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

The River Why by David James Duncan – I found this at the same time as The Center of Everything.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – it isn’t often that I take a foray into the fantasy genre, but I do enjoy books of this nature on occasion; Matt read this one and thought I might like it.

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell – basically we wanted to see what all the fuss is about; Matt read it, and now it’s my turn.

My Beautiful Idol by Pete Gall – I’m not generally a non-fiction girl, but Matt said this was a really good book; I’m reading it on his recommendation.

I’ll also mention here that I just finished my first book by Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper.  I know several of you read and love her books, but for some reason I always thought they were your general chick-lit and, therefore, wasn’t very interested in checking one out.  Let me take a moment to say I’m sorry; I was wrong.  

This is a very good book about a family dealing with a terminally ill child; it portrays the struggles of the family, the bond of sisters, and the potential outcome of a family where the parents focus so much energy on one child that there is little left for anything (or anyone) else.  Ms. Picoult’s writing was engaging, and I found myself being swept into the story to the point that at times I thought I might cry right along with the characters (this is not something that happens to me often when I’m reading).  It also made me think about my own children and how our family might look in the face of a similar situation.  I will definitely have more of her work on my reading list in the future.

So, there you have it; that is what’s on my nightstand.  You can always visit the Bookshelf in my sidebar to see a list of books that I’m currently reading, have recently finished, or have on hand to read in the near future; I try to keep it updated as much as possible.  If you would like to participate in this book carnival or see what other bloggers are reading check out this month’s “What’s on Your Nightstand?”.

The ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting a big Mother’s Day Giveaway the next couple of weeks.  They always offer great prizes, so click on the banner above or the one in the sidebar to check out what goodies they are offering.  

Today is a good day because it is:

a) the first official day of Spring
b) my birthday
c) the beginning of the Spring Reading Thing
d) time for a Sidetrack’d giveaway (check it out here)
e) all of the above

If you picked “e”, congratulations and happy March 20th!

I’m having a bit of a tough time with my reading list this Spring.  In fact, I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in SRT at all, but since I know I’ll be reading anyway, I might as well set a few goals.  My reading will be complicated by a few things: first, Boo’s arrival in a few weeks will definitely impact the time and energy I have to devote to reading; second, my local library is changing locations and is closed for the next couple of weeks (this could make it a bit more difficult to get some of my books); and third, I’m having trouble deciding what I want to read.  As always, I reserve the right to add to, subtract from, or alter this list as I see fit.

And with all my excuses out of the way, here is my list…

Non-fiction:
John Adams by David McCullough
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
A Midwife’s Story by Penny Armstrong
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
The Complete Book of Sewing by DK Publishing (won’t finish this one by June)

Fiction:
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
Mater Biscuit by Julie Cannon

Bible Study:
Until the baby arrives, I’ll be continuing my study of the gospel of Matthew through Bible Study Fellowship International; after that, I haven’t yet decided what I will do.

The books listed here will be added to my bookshelf in the sidebar and will remain there until the challenge is completed (or I get them read if I don’t finish by June).

For more information on the Spring Reading Thing or to view the other participants lists, click on the button at the top of this post.

Happy Reading!

An Ordinary Life has teamed up with Sleepy Wrap to offer a great babywearing giveaway – one lucky winner will receive a new wrap (in either black or red) plus $100 cash from Sleepy Wrap!

I’ve had my eye on these wraps since my SIL got hers; she has raved so much about it that I decided I definitely need one when Baby Boo arrives. The Sleepy Wrap website has a bunch of great testimonials as well, such as, “Your Sleepy Wrap is awesome. My son JuÅ¡ likes it very much. I can’t imagine my life without it.” by Nika K.

And now I should say that if you’re interested check out the contest here, but I really don’t want to because I want to win this one myself!

A bit about me…

I am Jana, wife to a wonderful man, Matt, and mom to an adorable 19 month old girl (Little) and to Baby Boo who will grace us with his presence in a few weeks. I spend most of my time chasing Little, reading Dr. Seuss books, and taking care of my family and home. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, blogging, cooking, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors. If you spend any time here, I hope you will realize that I am a Christian and strive to raise my children to know and love Jesus. If you are interested in learning a bit more about me, click here to view my latest meme.

A bit about Sidetrack’d…

I started blogging just over a year ago as a way to stay connected to friends and family and to connect with other blogging moms. Like my life (and the way my mind works), the writing here is somewhat scattered. I write about my family, my life, my faith, my goals with a bit of baseball, books, comedy, and video games thrown in for good measure. I’ve found this is a good way to journal some thoughts, record stories about Little, and “hang out” with some online and distant friends.

Thanks for stopping by to visit; I hope to see you again soon. I look forward to meeting many new bloggers during the party and have a feeling that the Ultimate Blog Party ‘08 is going to be even bigger than last year!

One of the fun things about this party are all the great prizes; if you haven’t checked out the prize list, you really should hop over there. Of all the cool things they are giving away, my top 3 picks would be:

~#26 – Nursing cover by The Pitter Patter Boutique
~#22 – Nursing cover by Peekaboobaby
~#37 – Moby Wrap offered by From Dates to Diapers

If these three are taken, I’d love to have any of the following (in no particular order): 4, 34, 77, 84, 103, 137, 141, any of the Amazon, Target or Starbucks GCs, or anything related to toddlers (girl) or babies (boy).

Thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom for throwing a great party! Enjoy!

And in other blogging news…

It’s that time of year again – time for the Ultimate Blog Party 2008 hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom, and boy do Susan and Janice know how to throw a party! There were about 1000 bloggers who attended last year’s party, and this year will probably be even bigger. There are people to meet, blogs to be discovered, and prizes to be won; the party starts this Friday, March 7th, and continues until Friday, March 14th. Click on the button above, or the one in the side bar, to join in the fun!

The ladies at MamaSpeaks have put together a nice gift guide for your Christmas giving needs this season.  The guide is divided into several categories: Rockin’ Tot, Girly Girl, Daddy Dearest, Knocked Up (for the mom-to-be in your life), Baby Makes Three, and Toy Joy; so there are ideas for people of all ages and areas of life.  They are also giving away great prize packages in each of these categories!  Check it out by clicking the MamaSpeaks button in the right sidebar.

Fall is in the air – the leaves are beginning to change, pumpkins and mums are showing up at the stores, and the overnight temperatures are getting cooler. The new season officially begins today, and so does the Fall Into Reading 2007 challenge at Callapidder Days. I’m excited about setting and meeting some reading goals over the next few months, and I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else will be reading as the cooler days come.

This time around I’m going a bit lighter on the non-fiction since I had such a tough time motivating myself in the Spring. This list is subject to addition, deletion, and any other type of modification as I see fit.

Non-fiction:
The Mommy Manual by Barbara Curtis
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, et al. (finish reading)

Fiction:
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Butterfly Effect by James Swallow
Eden Close by Anita Shreve
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Anne Brashares
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Bible Study:
I’m currently participating in a study of the book of Matthew through Bible Study Fellowship International; the questions and reading required for my class will be my Bible study time for now.

If you would like to join in the fun, or to view the reading lists of other participants, visit Callapidder Days.