Claire Ashby gets with the times...plus a book giveaway

Claire Ashby and I already have something in common...we both become mothers in the first decade of the 21st century, also known as the "zeros," "noughties," and simply the 2000s. A lot of new fads and trends have come about since the turn of the century, and I'm sure our kids will one day be telling their kids that they had an iPhone...and that will be such an ancient and outdated item by then! (Just like our record and cassette players are to them...) Claire is here to talk about her favorite fads and trends from the 2000s in honor of Nostalgia Month. She also has one copy of her debut novel, When You Make it Home, for a lucky US reader!

Born and raised in the heart of Atlanta, Claire Ashby now resides in Austin with her family and a pack of wild dogs. When she’s not reading or writing, she spends her time watching extreme survival shows and taking long walks after nightfall. She has an unnatural love of high places, but still regrets the time she skydived solo. She believes some things are better left to the imagination.

Visit Claire on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

My Favorite Fads/Trends of the 2000s

My life forever changed in the 2000s. I became a mom. One of the first rites of passage into motherhood is the rapid accumulation of stuff. The 2000s turned out to be a great time to start a family. Check out some of my favorite fads and trends of that time:

1. Baby wearing – As if a baby wasn’t the best accessory of all time, you can wear them too! I had a Baby Bjorn and a sling, but my favorite was the Ergo Carrier. The hubs preferred to tote the little monsters in the manly metal-framed backpack carrier.

2. The Bob Stroller – Move over Graco. Hello freedom. Not to be confused with a jogging stroller, these streamline strollers with the large single front wheel that swivels in all directions create instant stroller envy. With this stroller, people didn’t stop you to check out your baby – they stopped you to check out your wheels.

3. Oversized Sunglasses – With the new millennium, over-sized sunglasses came back around, which is a total win for a new mom. Running late to a play date at the park? Skip the eye makeup and throw on your mega shades. They’ll cover those puffy bags better than concealer anyway.

4. Cargo Capris – Best invention ever. Sure, you’re not supposed to put anything in those big thigh pockets, but has there ever been a better place to store a Sippy cup while changing a diaper in public?

5. Ugg boots – The only footwear that can compete with the versatility of flip-flops for a mom of little ones is a pair of Uggs. They work with jeans, shorts, skirt…heck, just pair your Uggs and oversized sunglasses and you can get away with wearing your t-shirt nightgown to get the mail.

6. Facebook – Thanks to Facebook, new mothers everywhere could toss all their scrap booking supplies. Nothing better than showing off baby in real time and getting instant feedback. For all the ways Facebook changed the world, I’d like to click the like button on making first time moms feel a little less alone.

7. Reality TV – Sure, people like to dis it, but come on. In the early 2000’s it was a blast. Especially if you had brain mush from changing diapers and nursing all day. Who needs complicated plot lines and witty jokes when you’re covered in baby snot and drool?

8. GPS – Because finding your way anywhere with a screaming baby in the backseat is near impossible.

9. Mommy Blogs – I don’t know where all those brilliant, driven women came from, but thankfully they knew how to do everything and found time to blog about it.

10. Google – One day I’m going to say to my kids, “Hey, when I was growing up we didn’t even have Google. We had this place called the library.”

Synopsis of When You Make it Home:
Meg Michaels, a bookstore owner, has already walked away from two cheating exes. She’s learned her lesson and has her mind set on success—until she gets knocked up. Embarrassed and unwilling to discuss her situation with friends and family, she wears layers to hide the pregnancy.

When Meg gets sick at a party, she’s mortified. Even worse, Theo Taylor, the guest of honor, discovers her secret. Theo, an Army medic wounded in the war, agrees not to reveal her condition, and the two forge a bond of friendship that blossoms into love.

Theo is soon filling all of Meg’s late-night cravings—and not just the pregnancy-induced ones. But can their love overcome all the obstacles that stand between them and creating a happy family? (Courtesy of Claire's website.)

Thanks to Claire for visiting us and sharing her book with our readers. Thanks to Red Adept Publishing for including us in their blog tour and offering a swag giveaway.

~Introduction by Melissa Amster

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


US only. Giveaway ends September 22nd at midnight EST.