More Reviews on Book from Other Authors

If you think THE WHITE TRASH MOM HANDBOOK is about funnel cakes and double-wides, think again.  Here are some of the latest reviews by some amazing authors.  

"My book questioned the assumption that organization is better than disorder. Michelle's book shows us that some messiness in parenting is a a good thing. She reminds us to forget being the perfect parent---and get real." -Eric Abrahamson, Ph.D.
Author of A PERFECT MESS: THE HIDDEN BENEFITS OF DISORDER

"This book will make you want to buy a can of Aqua Net and some tater tots and get to livin' the White Trash Mom lifestyle!  Insightful and outrageous, Michelle Lamar has given us all permission to be who the hell we want to be.  She teaches us to stop striving for Ozzie and Harriet and fall comfortably into being The Beverly Hillbillies.  Send your kids to therapy, guys, and read this book!”  -Adrianne Frost,Author of I HATE OTHER PEOPLE’S KIDS

“This book is bursting with good advice but my favorite tip was how to dress artsy to avoid being recruited for ‘volunteer’ work at your kid's school. Picking up Precious while wearing cowboy boots and/or anything tie-dyed? Sheer genius.”  -Celia Rivenbark, Author of HOW TO STOP DRESSING YOUR SIX-YEAR OLD LIKE A SKANK

Buy a Fake Purse and Other Tips for Working Moms

New book gives working moms irreverent but real world advice. Despite the title, The White Trash Mom Handbook is anything BUT trashy.

New York, New York (PRWEB) August 1, 2008 -- Want to leave the office early to pick up the kids? Parenting author Michelle Lamar advises the "Fake Purse Escape". One of Lamar's tips for working moms is to buy an extra purse to keep at the office for days when family duty calls before 5pm. She advises leaving the fake purse on the desk and keeping your desk light on so the office tattle tales will think you are still at the office.

"Buying a fake purse is completely twisted," says Lamar. " But what is really sad is that there are no good child care options for families. Since the modern work place pretends that children don't matter, mothers have to get creative."

Lamar's book The White Trash Mom Handbook is not your average parenting guide.    Far from "trashy", early reviews hail the book as 'The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy for the School Years" and has been praised as a "veritable encyclopedia of common sense wisdom...a modern-day 95 Theses nailed to the pre-school door."

Not usually the kind of kudos associated with the words "white trash". But the author of White Trash Mom Handbook is not your average mom. Michelle Lamar is a marketing guru turned fashion designer who created the persona of "White Trash Mom" to help other moms. Lamar has ranted for years against the myth of the perfect mother and the pressures of modern motherhood.  Molly Wendland contributes to the blog and book as "Tacky Princess", a "recovering" school volunteer.  According to Lamar:

"The book gives moms some irreverent but real advice. Having a fake purse is a twisted solution but if the working world is going to pretend I don't have kids, I say we have to find ways to work around it. It's not the best solution but desperate times call for desperate measures."

The White Trash Mom Handbook is published by St. Martin's Press and will be in stores on August 5th, 2008. Early reviews from some very non-trashy people praise the book:

"If you like your kid's peanut butter sandwich fried and then dunked in Fluff or made from specially picked organic peanuts crushed individually by fully unionized workers, you'll love The White Trash Mom Handbook by Michelle Lamar. I aspire to the life lessons here, especially how to fake it for the bake sale."
-Kara Swisher - Co-Executive Editor of All Things D

"Take it from a Yellow Trash Dad that The White Trash Mom Handbook is a book that you should read. Actually, you don't have to read it. Just buy it. Michelle will be just as happy either way--as would I be."
Guy Kawasaki-Founder of Alltop, Co-Founder Garage Technology Ventures and Author

"Buy it for your sister-in-law who gives you the stink-eye every time you give your kid an unthawed eggo. Buy it for the woman in your mommy-and-me group who makes you feel like crap for not making your 3 year old go to Violin/French/Juggling lessons and send another copy to the bitchy chick down the street. The White Trash Mom Handbook is not about money or status or education. It's about giving yourself the freedom to be yourself, and that is a good thing indeed." Jenny Lawson-Houston Chronicle

"Michelle Lamar's irreverent handbook is a must read for all mothers. It's a reminder that no mom is perfect and offers tips and tricks even the trashiest Mom can use to help navigate the mess of love that is parenthood."-Erin Koteki Vest -Huffington Post

The Myth of the Perfect Mother

Real Mothers Speak Up. New Books Featuring Honest and Irreverent Advice for Moms.

New York (24/7PR) July 30, 2008 - The "Perfect Mother". Portrayed on TV as Donna Reed or Carol Brady, the perfect mother is the standard that modern moms are compared to as they rush from work to kid's activities, stopping at the drive-thru for dinner. The shadow of this mythical mother is the 300-pound Gorilla in the living room, the ghost that lurks in the shadows of our subdivision.

But two new parenting books battle the myth of the perfect mother with humor and honesty as their weapons of mass destruction.

Popular parenting blogger Michelle Lamar (www.whitetrashmom.com) has spoken out passionately for years about the myth of the perfect mother. St. Martin's Press will release Lamar's book, THE WHITE TRASH MOM HANDBOOK on August 5th. Despite the title, the book is anything but trashy. Lamar's irreverent and honest parenting advice strikes a chord with modern mothers because it's true...and because she dishes it out in a fun manner.

"I wanted to get the message out that being the perfect mom is insanity, that no one could do it," says Lamar. "But most moms are so tired and stressed, I thought a preachy tone would be a turn off. I began writing under the persona of "White Trash Mom" as a way to deliver a message with some fun added in."

Study after study proves that modern mothers are overworked, strung out and tired. There is more than enough research that proves most mothers can't "do it all" without a lot of support. But despite all this, many women hear the voice of the perfect mother as they are rushing from one task to another.

Early reviews hail Lamar's book as "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy for the School Years" and a "veritable encyclopedia of common sense wisdom...a modern-day 95 Theses nailed to the pre-school door." Not exactly the words usually associated with books that have "white trash" in the title.

Lamar's irreverent handbook offers practical tips served with humor. Lamar's friend, writer Laura Lowell, also published a book aimed at moms, 42 RULES FOR WORKING MOMS (http://www.42rules.com). Lowell's book offers wisdom from mothers around the world on how to balance family, life and work.

"Who knows best how to survive and exceed in the hectic world of working motherhood?" says Lowell. "In coming up with the idea for this book, I wanted to assemble the sensible advice of moms who tell it like it is, so you can laugh and learn from their mistakes and triumphs."

Real Moms are In. Perfect Moms are Out. Houston Chronicle writer Jenny Lawson loves THE WHITE TRASH MOM HANDBOOK because it's not about perfect mothers...it's about getting real and being the best mom you can be. Lawson sums up why her readers should buy the book:

"Buy it for your sister-in-law who gives you the stink-eye every time you give your kid an unthawed Eggo. Buy it for the woman in your mommy-and-me group who makes you feel like crap for not making your 3 year old go to Violin/French/ Juggling lessons and send another copy to the bitchy chick down the street. THE WHITE TRASH MOM HANDBOOK is not about money or status or education. It's about giving yourself the freedom to be yourself, and that is a good thing indeed."

Parenting Blogger and author Michelle Lamar is available to discuss the Myth of the Perfect Mother. Please contact John Karle at St. Martin's Press at 646-307-5546 for a review copy of THE WHITE TRASH MOM HANDBOOK, or to arrange an interview with Michelle. You can also contact Michelle Lamar directly at 816-590-7043 or lamar.michelle@gmail.com if you are unable to reach John and you are on a deadline.

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New Parenting Guru Named White Trash Mom

Far from trashy, a new parenting book has fans from Silicon Valley to Washington D.C. to Hollywood. The White Trash Mom Handbook gives irreverent but wise advice for parents of school age children.

New York (PRWEB) July 7, 2008 -- Getting parenting advice from a book with "white trash" in the title is usually not a good idea. But fans of the upcoming parenting guide "The White Trash Mom Handbook" are anything but trashy.

Fans of the book include Silicon Valley Tech Guru, Guy Kawasaki, Washington D.C. writer Amie Adams and Hollywood "Queens of Mean" Authors Jessica Morgan, Heather Cocks.

Far from trashy the book has been hailed as 'The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy for the School Years" and has been praised as a "veritable encyclopedia of common sense wisdom...a modern-day 95 Theses nailed to the pre-school door." Not the usual kudos associated with the words "white trash".

But the author of The White Trash Mom Handbook (http://www.whitetrashmombook.com) is not your average mom. Michelle Lamar is a marketing guru turned fashion designer who created the persona of White Trash Mom to help other parents.

Here are some links to read more about the book:

The White Trash Mom Book (http://www.whitetrashmombook.com)

Quotes for Book Reviews

"I love it! The immediate comparison is to my favorite pregnancy book, 'The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy'. I think every mom sending her child to kindergarten needs to read this book before Labor Day."
-Amie Adams
Writer for DC Metro Moms, Online Community Kirsty

"Michelle Lamar's refreshingly realistic take on motherhood never fails to amuse -- and inform. " -Jessica Morgan, Heather Cocks
Authors of "Go Fug Yourself" and "The Fug Awards"

"Some clarification is due here: Michelle is being ironic when she uses the term White Trash as in 'My house doesn't look like the pages of Martha Stewart's Living -- I guess we're White Trash.' If you are looking for decorating tips for your doublewide trailer, this book is not for you. But if you'd like some real advice on juggling motherhood and work, navigating the hierarchy of your kids' schools or how to deal with the PTA, you will enjoy Michelle's book."
Donna Schwartz Mills
Writer for LA Moms Blog, Momocrats and popular blog SocalMom

"The White Trash Mom Handbook is a book that you should read. Actually, you don't have to read it. Just buy it. Michelle will be just as happy either way--as would I be."
Guy Kawasaki-
Co-founder of Alltop, Author of The Art of the Start, founder of Garage Ventures

Read more reviews about The White Trash Mom Handbook
(http://www.whitetrashmombook.com/buzz-about-book/)

Boilerplate About Book
The White Trash Mom Handbook is a parenting guide published by St. Martin's Press. Book will be released August 5, 2008.

Author Michelle Lamar began writing a blog with the persona "White Trash Mom" to help other parents cope with some of the crazy expectations of modern parenting. The message of the blog and the book is that being perfect is just a myth that makes modern moms feel lousy.

Her friend Molly Wendland contributes to the book and blog as reformed school volunteer "Tacky Princess".

Quotes from Michelle Lamar, author of The White Trash Mom Handbook
"White trash is my short-hand for IMPERFECT. I read all the baby books when my girls were little but when they hit elementary school years, I felt like I was in the middle of the ocean without a paddle. No one told me about some of the unwritten rules associated with the school years. I looked everywhere for a 'Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy' book for the school years and had no luck. So I started writing my own."

"As soon as I started blogging as White Trash Mom, I was flooded with emails and comments from other moms. I found I was not the only one feeling pressured to put the kids in soccer at age 3 and I wasn't the only one that went to the store at 11pm to get store bought cookies---so I could make them LOOK homemade. Everyone was doing the same thing."

"There's this unwritten pressure that we have to be "perfect" in our society. If you're not perfect, pulling down six figures while homeschoolng your kids with a size 2 body---you're washed up. That's insane and White Trash Mom is just a way to shine a little light on the insanity so we can laugh a little."

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parenting parenting advice motherhood advice for parents parenting book new book mommy blogger humor family kids

Why I Love Blogging-Blogher 08

You are looking at a picture of some of the most powerful and influential people in the online/social media world.  In case you just landed on Earth from Mars, this is a picture of the founders of Kirtsy and Guy Kawasaki.  Guy only wears the boa during the Alltop-Kirtsy parties.  The rest of the time he is "your-average-silicon-valley-tech-guru-who-is-nice-to-little-people-like-WTM".

Here are some additional pictures from Blogher 08. 

More Blogher 08 Pictures

Picture above is Michelle Lamar (whitetrashmom), Liz Gumbinner (Mom 101) and Guy Kawasaki. Taken at the Alltop-Kirtsy party during Blogher 08. Pictures below are some of my favorite people and best memories of Blogher 08. I have a million more pictures and people I am going to include, here is the first wave.

Press for White Trash Mom Blog

Lamar Press

Press Coverage for Michelle Lamar
The press coverage for the start-up company and the press I've received from my blog have made life crazy but wonderful.   Below are a few of the events and media that featured me or my work in the past three years.

GRAMMY® and OSCAR® Events
Within months of starting the brand, we had products featured in the GRAMMY® and OSCAR® gift bags.   My tiny little company had Sting, Tom Hanks, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Gwen Stefani and others getting my products. 

Press from GRAMMY® and OSCAR® gift bags
E! News, CBS, Inside Edition, Access Hollywood,  Entertainment Tonight, CNN, CMT, The Today Show, Teen People, Time Magazine, USA Today, Variety, In Style, The London Times, Extra, US Weekly.

Black Eyed Peas 2006 Tour
After the Grammy® awards and Oscar® event, I got a call from APL of the Black Eyed Peas group and I created two custom jeans for him for the Black Eyed Peas 2006 Tour.    In 2006 and 2007, the products received more national press due to being featured in the following:

The Surreal Life-VH1-Spring 2006 Season
In the “Surreal Life” the participants are all “has been” actors/celebrities.  Robin Leach was the host of the show .  The “Surreal” participants will be wore both my shirts and my jeans in the show.

41st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards- May 2006
People who received my products are as follows:  Dixie Chicks, Lee Ann Rhimes, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Randy Travis---to name a few.   

Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards-April 1st, 2006
High profile event for cable TV network Nickelodeon.  Media coverage for this event was 12.5 million viewers in the U.S. and an audience of almost 300 million households worldwide.  Celebrities that received my product included:  Adam Sandler, Halle Berry, Justin Timberlake, Cameron Diaz, Johnny Depp, Mischa Barton Chris Rock and Hillary Duff to name a few.

Washington Post
Washington Post did a story in March 2006 called "The Selling of Trailer Park Chic" by  Ylan Q. Mui. 

Extreme Makeover-Home Edition on ABC 
My jeans were part of a 2007 Extreme Makeover-Home Edition show, because of the jeans were so positive and upbeat.

STAR TV!
Canadian based TV network that is very popular is Canada, Europe and in homes all over the globe. 

Read about other press coverage on the PRESS page.

Washington Post

The Selling Of 'Trailer Park Chic'

One Person's Trash Is Another's Marketing Treasure

By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 18, 2006; Page D01

Perfect is out. In its latest twist, marketing has taken up what Michelle Lamar describes as the anti-Martha Stewart, the anti-Pottery Barn. Offensive or not, it's called white trash.

"If you're not that ideal person, then you're white trash," says Lamar, a mother of two from the outskirts of Kansas City who runs online retailer White Trash Palace.

Second Chance jeans ($150), marketed by White Trash Palace, were part of the gift bags at this year's Grammys. (White Trash Palace)

The book "White Trash Etiquette" dispenses advice on how to win bar fights. Earlier this month, gift bags for the Oscars included kitschy T-shirts, from White Trash Palace, with slogans such as "Every mother is a working mother" -- alongside a pair of $1,000 black diamond Havaiana flip-flops.

Once strictly a pejorative label with racist undertones, the term "white trash" is now being taken up by marketers and retailers. Call it white-trash chic, redneck couture or trailer fabulous -- whatever it is, the idea is to make it cool.

Lamar calls herself white trash and proud of it. Just read her blog, titled White Trash Mom. Her Christmas lights stayed up months after all the gifts were unwrapped. She has mastered the art of driving while talking on her cellphone and yelling at her kids in the back seat. And sometimes -- just sometimes -- she buys cookies from the store and crumbles them at the edges so that they look homemade.

Now she has an agent who is shopping a White Trash Mom book. That's a sign that "white trash" has shed its connotations of rural poverty and poor education to become a symbol of everyman, said marketing consultant Simon Sinek. It now evokes a simpler life and more comforting times -- terrorists don't attack trailer parks.

"We live in times of high stress," said Sinek, who also teaches at Columbia University. "Messages that are simple, messages that are inspiring, messages that are life-affirming, are a welcome break from our real lives."

The trend has been percolating in pop culture for several years: Think Von Dutch trucker hats, Kid Rock's White Trash on Dope tour and the recent MTV trailer-park home makeover show.

Pennsylvania State University sociologist Karen Bettez Halnon, who finds the selling of white trash troubling, describes it as the latest incarnation of a broader movement she calls "poor chic," in which well-off consumers mimic the culture of the lower class. From punk to grunge to hip-hop, American consumers are constantly seeking ways to keep it real.

"What consumers are shopping for more and more is authenticity," Halnon said. "And where they can find authenticity . . . is to go through traditional activities of the lower class."

She worries that sends the wrong message.

"This is making fun of poverty, making it recreation," she said, ". . . but divorced of any kind of social obligation."

The term "white trash" still carries a heavy stigma in many communities. Sociologist Carl Taylor of Michigan State University said he has seen young people fight over the label.

"They may call each other and may laugh and make reference to being white trash," he said. "But if I was doing a survey and said, 'How do you feel about the words white trash?' they would reject the word itself, the label."

Second Chance jeans ($150), marketed by White Trash Palace, were part of the gift bags at this year's Grammys. (White Trash Palace)

Writer Pete Kotz has written an entire book about the ins and outs of white-trash living, "White Trash Etiquette," due to be published in June by Broadway Books, a division of Random House Inc. Booksellers will receive a promotional beer cozy that reads, "Light beer is for guys who cried during 'Sleepless in Seattle.' "

Kotz, who lives in Cleveland and writes under the name Dr. Verne Edstrom, Esq., said the premise of the book is that white-trash tendencies are universal. His topics include "How to scam out of your gambling debts" and "Is eloping bad financial management?"

"It's kind of a state of mind, I guess," he said. "I used to get letters from black guys who wanted to be white trash. . . . You just have to follow the belief system and not turn yuppie."

Lamar started her retail Web site in August on a lark. The response was almost immediate, with as many as 4,000 visitors a day, she said. She had no previous retail experience, but her career in advertising had honed her instincts for what consumers want.

"You just get used to the lowest common denominator," she said.

Her business received celebrity cachet when Distinctive Assets, a Los Angeles-based entertainment marketing and corporate gifting firm, discovered her site. They tagged her products for awards-show gift bags and the VH1 reality show "The Surreal Life."

"I was like, 'I love it!' " Lash Fary of Distinctive Assets said of his reaction when one of his sales reps bought him a Lamar creation. "It's not like they're in every hot-spot boutique in L.A. -- yet."

Jason Saffer of Alexandria may be trying to make just that happen.

He operates a Web site called Jolene's Trailer Park and claims to be one of the first white-trash retailers on the Internet. He sells T-shirts along with novelties such as trailer-park awareness bracelets ("in lovely wood-paneling brown," he says) and light-switch plates.

Business is booming, he says. He is developing a fragrance called Trailer Park Woman, along with a line of shampoos. Saffer also hosts a regular comedy night at Freddie's Beach Bar in Arlington and teaches a cooking class as the larger-than-life character Jolene Sugarbaker, Queen of the Trailer Park. He is negotiating with several producers to create a TV show.

"It's a way of living," he said. "White trash with class: That is real Americans."