Being a mom isn't always easy. In fact, it rarely is. But with a big dose of humor and a few tricks up our sleeve, we're better equipped to get through the day. Crime reporter, mother and now author, Amanda Lamb, sure knows how to keep smiling through the worst of it. I just finished reading her memoir, Smotherhood: Wickedly Funny Confessions from the Early Years, and took heart that other moms have to deal with some of the same, crazy and at times, laughable, stuff that keeps life interesting.

As a crime reporter, Amanda is often on the beat with her local newsteam. She somehow manages to balance this aspect of her life with that of a mom. This may find her on her cell phone with the district attorney about an important case, while simultaneously fielding calls about dance lessons and playdates, during the drive to school. Amanda navigates her way around the guilt many of us working moms have, and which seems to be an integral part of being a parent. She tells it like it is, and encourages women to get real about parenting and to say exactly what's on our minds - but not in front of the kids!

My favorite chapter was "Nipping It In the Bud". Amanda discusses her husband's vasectomy in a humorous and very real way we can all relate to. It was laugh-out-loud-funny, yet I was glad to have read it so that if and when my husband decides that's the route to go, I'll know to have a scrotum holder at the ready.

For all you mamas who can use a shot of humor at the end of a long day, Smotherhood is a great read for you. It keeps it real and gives us humorous tales of the trivial and the mundane. It's a reminder that we're all in this parenting thing together, and if we don't laugh about it, we just might lose our minds!

Exclusive For One Chic Mama Readers
Amanda Lamb has offered up three copies of Smotherhood: Wickedly Funny Confessions from the Early Years to be given away. Just email us with the word "Smotherhood" in the subject line before Midnight, EST, January 28th, with your name and mailing address. Three winners will be chosen at random.