Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 7

Weekend reading: July 23, 2016

From Instagram: Happy birthday to this guy! He works so hard at everything he does, loves his family fiercely, dreams big dreams, teaches our kids to wonder at the beauty around them, AND supports me in everything I do. We are lucky, indeed!

We spent four days this week at Wintergreen, a four-seasons resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the land where we’ll be building in the coming years. It was a simple, laid-back vacation that included curling up in the condo to watch movies, sitting on the balcony to listen to the live music being played during their summer music festival, and good eating (always with the eating!).

Yesterday we stopped and got a cake on our way home to celebrate Sean’s birthday, and I’ve decided that vacations that end on Friday are perfect because you get the whole weekend to recover from your vacation!

What I’m reading: The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson and For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

For the work-at-home mom

One Secret To Having More Time This Summer | Nesting Place


5 Tips for Productivity | One Little Momma


Neuroscientists say multitasking literally drains the energy reserves of your brain | Quartz

When you’re overwhelmed

20 Things To Do When You Feel Powerless | Mt. Hope Chronicles


Living After, In, and For | Deidra Riggs


I can’t write about simple living when life isn’t simple. | The Art of Simple

Marriage, parenting & self-care

Don’t Go 50/50 | cuppacocoa


Saying yes | The Art of Simple


Making sure YOU fit into the homeschool plan | Simple Homeschool

Have a great weekend!

P.S. This special Caldrea offer ends tomorrow. We came home to a stale house after being gone for four days with the windows shut and the a/c off during the high heat and humidity, and I loved wiping down my kitchen with the counter spray to freshen things up!

Related posts:
Weekend reading: August 22, 2015
Weekend reading: October 24, 2015
Weekend reading: November 14, 2015
Weekend reading: December 12, 2015



     

Because it doesn’t have to be boring to be functional

A few years ago, when Life Your Way was more of an online magazine covering a broader range of topics, I posted about the tension between form versus function in home design. My husband and I are complete opposites in this area—as an artist, the form or beauty of our home is his highest priority. For my type-A personality, on the other hand, function is more important.

Thankfully, we’ve learned to balance our desires to create a home that has both form and function, and I’ve discovered that I really do like being surrounded by pretty things, even if that’s not my top priority.

That’s why I love the Caldrea line of cleaning products. Not only is the packaging elegant and beautiful, but they’re made with safe, non-toxic ingredients and they smell divine.

And right now Grove Collaborative is offering you a FREE summer entertaining set with your first purchase!

Choose from four light, summery scents: ginger pomelo, sea salt neroli, pear blossom agave, and tangelo palm frond. It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I can’t get enough of the sea salt neroli right now. It makes my kitchen smell like a beach house, which makes doing the dishes a treat!

The set also includes this Grove Collaborative Be Good dish brush, made with BPA­-free recycled plastic and bamboo. It’s tough on messes and leaves dishes spotless…plus it makes my kids fight over who gets to do the dishes.

You can get this set free with purchase when you place your first order of $20 or more from Grove Collaborative.

If you haven’t heard me talk about Grove Collaborative before, it’s an easy, affordable way to create a healthy and beautiful home with the convenience of home delivery! With a carefully curated collection of products, including favorites like Mrs. Meyer’s and Method, you’ll find yourself excited each time you get a delivery!

My monthly orders include Acure facial wipes for my girls, Mrs. Meyer’s cleaning supplies, and the amazing Full Circle cellulose sponge cloths.

And don’t worry: If you already use and love Grove, there’s something for you too! You’ll get the Grove Collaborative Be Good Dish Brush when you order using this link.

This offer ends Sunday, July 24, and supplies are limited. Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up for Grove Collaborative here and you will receive the Caldrea offer for free!

2. Answer 4 quick questions about your home that Grove Collaborative will then use to customize your products — this takes under 30 seconds!

3. Once you’ve answered the questions, you can finalize your basket of products to suit your household needs by adding or removing items. (Just be sure to leave the Caldrea set and dish brush in your cart!)

4. To receive this offer, your order needs to be a minimum of $20. Choose the combination of products and scents you love and receive in your first box.

5. You made it! Click Finish & Pay and place your order.

6. Bonus summer savings tip: Don’t forget to sign up for Grove Collaborative’s free 60 day VIP trial after you complete your first order! I love being a VIP ­­ it saves me time and makes shopping with Grove even more affordable. For 60 days, you can save too, with free gifts and shipping, price matching, exclusive sales, and personal service.

This post includes referral links, but our UPS driver will tell you that I place a Grove order each and every month!

Related posts:
Let’s talk about planners and to-do lists
The 2016 printable calendars are finally here!
Rotating seasonal wardrobes with older kids
When the clutter is getting to you…



     

A simple rule for traveling {and life} with kids

Last week the boys and I flew to Florida to spend six days with my sister and grandmother. Traveling with two kids under three isn’t exactly the most relaxing activity, but I really love traveling with my kids, and I’ve been looking forward to this trip—and Jack’s first time on a plane since he was itty bitty—for months.

Despite the two-and-a-half hour drive from our house to the airport, the early morning flights, and the physical work of getting two littles and all of our stuff through airport security, it was as much fun as I hoped it would be.

Yesterday when the passengers in front of us started telling me about their friend’s fear of traveling with a toddler next month, I started to think about the most important lesson I’ve learned about traveling with kids, and it struck me that it’s pretty good advice for parenting and life in general:

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

These eight words are really about attitude and expectations, and while they don’t change the number of dirty diapers you have to change in-flight or how long you have to sit on the runway (or in traffic), they really do make the difference between an enjoyable trip and a nightmare.

When traveling, preparing for the worst looks like leaving lots of cushion time, packing several extra outfits, taking plenty of snacks, and being ready for fussy, grumpy children.

It means not setting your expectations for the best case scenario but instead imagining the worst and being prepared—physically and emotionally—to deal with it.

Because I’m as type-A as they get, I spent the weeks before our trip thinking through our travel plans and deciding what I needed to pack in our carryon to be prepared. I travel fairly lightly (because the second piece of advice I’d add is that struggling to carry everything physically makes me feel overwhelmed and grumpy!), but I wanted to be prepared for hunger and boredom and messes.

But here’s the caveat: if you’re only preparing for the worst, it can be easy to get caught up in the stress of everything that could possibly go wrong so that you’re overwhelmed before the trip even begins. Dreading those things can make you tense and snappy during travel, and because it’s our role to set the tone, our stress inevitably leads to grumpy, bickering children as well.

That’s where hoping for the best comes in. While preparing for the worst, it’s important to dream about all of the good parts of the trip as well—the spark in the two year old’s eyes the first time he sees a plane on the tarmac, the memories to be made, the fun times ahead. Don’t expect those things to all happen (and definitely don’t count on every bit of it being magical), but look forward to the magical parts while preparing yourself for the inevitable meltdowns and spills.

Building your expectations around preparation and hope allows you to switch between dealing with the hard parts—a toddler who melts down because “the peoples are looking at me,” the heat and stuffiness on the jetway, the 45-minute wait for a hotel shuttle—while simultaneously delighting in the sunrise over the coast, the anticipation of seeing the people you love, and the wonder of a plane actually leaving the ground.

It helps you avoid frustration when the trip doesn’t go according to your ideal plan and overwhelm as you manage all of the details. And that makes it a whole lot more fun for everyone!

What struck me yesterday is that the same principle applies to life with kids in general. Unmet expectations are a huge source of parental frustration: when we expect our kids to behave perfectly or things to go smoothly or everyone to sleep through the night, we end up disappointed and frustrated when those things don’t happen.

On the other hand, when we prepare for interruptions and bad attitudes and children who need to be corrected and disciplined, we’re not caught off guard by them, and we’re able to handle them appropriately.

That doesn’t mean that we don’t set and work toward high standards of good behavior for our kids, but it’s possible to train them to obey and correct bad attitudes while still acknowledging that they’re kids who will inevitably make the wrong choices along the way. When we view their behavior through that lens and remember that they’re little people with good and bad days just like us, we’re able to parent without reacting emotionally.

And then—with those preparations in place—we can focus on building relationships and making memories without letting frustrations and overwhelm get in the way!

Related posts:
6 lessons I’ve learned about kids in the kitchen
Are you attending this year’s online Mom Conference?
The importance of teaching over-the-counter medicine safety
When you blink and they grow up right before your eyes



     

Weekend reading: July 9, 2016

From Instagram:He may get his love of vacuums from Daddy, but he gets his love of nectarines from his Mama!

It’s been a heavy week, y’all. And if I’m honest, I’d like to hide from it all, share a cute baby picture (okay, still couldn’t resist that part!), a few tasty recipes, an encouraging post or two and move on.

I’m afraid of controversy, afraid of ridicule, afraid of saying the wrong thing and adding to the hurt.

But I was reminded this week, as I attempted to bury my head in the sand, that the silence of their white friends adds pain and heartache to the burdens the black community is already carrying. I was reminded that we’re called to mourn with those that mourn, that it’s up to all of us to stand against inequality and demand justice, and that our voices really do matter.

So this weekend I’m sharing a list of links that I hope will make us all stop and think about the hard things. I’ve pored over links for the past three days, and I’ve agonized over which ones to include and how to categorize them so that they’ll actually be read. To be clear, I don’t think a few articles will change anyone’s mind, but if you’re seeking to understand, my prayer is that these will provoke thought, start conversations, and guide our responses.

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

Noting the good

Building bridges


Hugs for police officers in Dallas


The power of peaceful protests


No words necessary

For the church

What Shootings and Racial Justice Mean for the Body of Christ


Is Black Lives Matter the New Civil Rights Movement?

To understand

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard to Talk to White People About Racism


Yes, Black America Fears the Police. Here’s Why.


Institutional Racism Is Our Way of Life


Advice for White Folks in the Wake of the Police Murder of a Black Person

In their own words

Benjamin Watson


Deidra D. Riggs


We, A Great Parade

Moving forward

On Mothering White Sons To Know #BlackLivesMatter


Concrete Ways to Be an Actual Ally to Black People


Fumbling Towards Reconciliation


Re-Educating Myself (On Race, America, Learning, and Loving Others)

And finally…

“Black Lives Matter does not mean ‘black lives matter only.’ It means ‘black lives matter too.’ It’s a contextualized statement, like saying ‘children’s lives matter.’ That doesn’t mean adult lives don’t matter. . . . Ironically, saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ is really a contextualized way of saying, ‘All Lives Matter.’” ~Mika Edmondson

P.S. I’d also encourage you to read about Dallas Police Chief David Brown and the changes that have happened over the past 6 years in that community.

Related posts:
Weekend reading: August 15, 2015
Weekend reading: August 29, 2015
Weekend reading: December 5, 2015
Weekend reading: February 13, 2016



     

The art of juggling for work-at-homeschooling moms

I’ve been a work-at-home mom since the moment I became a mom—by choice, by necessity, by calling.

I’ve also known I wanted to homeschool my kids since I was 16 years old.

Reconciling those two things has not always been so easy, though. Any homeschool mom will tell you that homeschooling is basically a full-time job. Add another full-time job on top of that plus a couple of little ones, and my days—like many of yours—are pretty much go-go-go.

While busy is an apt description of my life, I try to avoid using it because there is a growing idea that a full plate or schedule is a sign that you’re wasting time, making the wrong choices, or living without intention.

But I know I’m supposed to work, and I know I’m supposed to homeschool, and there’s no way to do both of those things without staying very, very busy. So instead I use the word “full.”

Balancing these two roles in life (in addition to my roles as wife, mom and homemaker) means that I’ve had to come to peace with certain things about my life…including letting go of the illusive idea of balance.

Head over to Simple Homeschool where I’m sharing more about this journey!

Related posts:
On recognizing & accepting limits and living my priorities
What is a classical Christian education?
We’re planning an 11-month RV trip…for real! #EhmanAdventure2018
Discovering the joy of morning time



     

How Leadership Education is changing our homeschool

In addition to reprioritizing, one of my top personal goals while we were in Florida in May was to complete the Focus & Align Masterclass.

I was reminded through that process that while academics are definitely one of my top goals, book work isn’t.

As I went through the class, I thought these seven guiding rules would mean a bigger focus on morning time as well as scheduled one-on-one time with each of the girls, and I’d even started sketching out a schedule to that end.

Then, at the Classical Conversations practicum we attended right before coming home, I picked up A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver DeMille. At the time, I had no idea it would be an utterly life changing book, but the more I read, the clearer my vision became. It was as if it took all of my educational goals and the ideas I’d been reaching for in our homeschool and boiled them down into a single laser focus.

For me the part that was both the most challenging and the most, well, inspiring was one of the 7 Keys of Great Teaching: “Inspire, not require.”

Our past school year has been successful by almost any measure: we were consistent, there was little grumbling, we found a routine that works, and everybody buckled down each day to get their work done. We focused on independent work (or partnering the girls together in some cases), and it allowed me to meet the boys’ needs and work while homeschooling.

Except for one huge problem: we had completely lost our love of learning. The goal became getting done as quickly as possible in order to move on to the enjoyable parts of life, and I hated that.

As I was reading the “inspire, not require” section of the book, I couldn’t imagine what that would look like. I wasn’t willing to just simply let go of all of my expectations and leave them to their own whims, especially since we were coming into it without a love of learning. But, oh, how I want to inspire them to love learning and not to view it as something they just have to get through each day.

On the heels of feeling overwhelmed by this impossible mandate, the next key—“Structure time, not content.”—resulted in one of the biggest aha moments of my homeschooling journey. By requiring a certain amount of time to be spent on academic endeavors, but not requiring specific activities, it’s easy to imagine how they’ll rediscover a love of learning in the process.

And the last of the keys—“You, not them.”—helped me realize that I need to inspire them by coming alongside them as a fellow learner rather than as the boss who was simply making the assignments and supervising their completion.

In fact, a friend of mine had shared before we left that her daughter was taking a difficult Latin class and each day they would lock themselves in her bedroom and work through the Latin together. I didn’t realize it at the time (although it sounded beautiful), but this is a perfect illustration of this principle at work.

After finishing A Thomas Jefferson Education—and underlining multiple passages on virtually every page—I revamped our entire schedule, setting aside a significant portion of each day (8am – 1pm) solely for school, tossing our checklists altogether (sniff…I loved those checklists), and approaching our school time as a family rather than as individuals.

What does this look like in practice?

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we decided to start with a geography-based study of Africa, using many of the books listed in Give Your Child the World. So far we’ve learned about Wangari Maathai and the incredible impact she had on Kenya’s culture and the environment, which led to a study of plants and photosynthesis and a search for the plants that grow in our own backyard; Jane Goodall and the animals of Africa plus principles for observing and studying animals; common foods in various parts of Africa plus words in Swahili (which has me so excited to start learning Swahili once it becomes available on Duolingo next month!); and more. We’re also rereading Dr. Doolittle, one of the books that inspired Jane Goodall as a child. And we’re drawing and redrawing Africa, learning the countries little by little as we go.

We start each morning with breakfast and chores, followed by Bible and read alouds—as many as we can read before the little guys completely fall apart. Then we play a math game before splitting up to do math individually (I work with our 2nd grader and kindergartener during this time). I also do reading with our kindergartener while the bigger girls are finishing up. Then the little girls draw or read while the big girls and I do English grammar or Latin together.

Our goal is to stick to that schedule 3 days a week. On the other two days I have them do science and math.

We’re not doing any assigned writing assignments right now, but both big girls are writing books (and emailing their drafts to a friend who is acting as editor for them!), which seems to confirm that this is the right approach.

Still learning

Although I’m very happy with this change and can already see the fruits of the new approach, I’m also still learning.

Jamie Martin (author of Give Your Child the World and the editor of Simple Homeschool) has been raving about leadership education for years—I still can’t quite figure out why I hadn’t picked up one of the DeMille’s books before now!—and she recommended that I read Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning next, so I’m currently diving into that one.

Also on my nightstand: For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay and Consider This: Charlotte Mason and the Classical Tradition by Karen Glass.

In addition, I’ve been anxiously waiting for this month’s Read Aloud Revival masterclass, Ancients to Zoology: Teaching History & Science Through Story, which offers more practicalities about using read alouds to inspire the whole family. When we first started homeschooling, I planned to use Sonlight for our curriculum. In the end, juggling multiple cores has just never worked for us, but I still love this literature-based approach, and I’m looking forward to Pam’s ideas on making that work for the whole family!

***

Have you read A Thomas Jefferson Education? What book has had the biggest impact on your homeschool? 

Related posts:
Remember, Classical Conversations is just ONE option
The hardest part of my homeschool year
Homeschool language arts options {and what we’re doing…for now}
The most important part of any language arts curriculum



     

Weekend reading: July 2, 2016

{From Instagram}

I’ve started calling these boys the “bonus babies.”

We thought we were done having babies after our 4th daughter, and we were D-O-N-E after Jackson, but I’m so glad we didn’t have the final say at that point because their relationship and sweetness outweighs the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and numerous trips to UVA for a variety of medical issues.

They both have smiles that just light up the room, and I love to watch the dynamics between them and the girls as well as the way that they both absolutely worship Sean.

I am still D-O-N-E having babies—and our family, vehicles, and home all feel like they’re at capacity!—but it turns out some of the best things in life are the unplanned and unexpected!

What I’m reading: Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin, Landline: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell, and Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning by Oliver & Rachel DeMille

What I cooked: 

What I’m thinking about:

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

Inspiration for your homeschool

How lifelong learning has changed our homeschool | Simple Homeschool


We’re Looking for Glue (or: Why Reading Aloud Matters) | Sarah Mackenzie


5 Tips for Your Morning Homeschool Routine | A Brave Writer’s Life in Brief

Celebrating who we are

Don’t tug on capes, share them | Seth’s Blog


Stop trying to impress people | Money Saving Mom

Summer goodies

{Healthy} Cheesecake Cupcakes | Chocolate-Covered Cupcakes


Strawberries and Cream Oat Bars | The Vintage Mixer


Strawberry Jello Recipe | Mommypotamus

Have a great weekend!

Related posts:
Weekend reading: July 11, 2015
Weekend reading: July 18, 2015
Weekend reading: October 24, 2015
Weekend reading: November 7, 2015



     

How to find Kindle deals on the books you actually want to read

When I got my first Kindle for Christmas almost 7 years ago, I had almost completely given up reading altogether due to the busyness of those early years of motherhood. I always had a baby in my arms, which made it hard to turn pages, or a toddler bouncing around and getting into things, which made library books more stress than they were worth. The Kindle changed my reading life and allowed me to dive back into one of my favorite past times, and I haven’t looked back!

Back then, I was so excited to just be able to read again that I read anything I could get my hands on, which means I pretty much lived off of Kindle freebies. As long as it had decent reviews, I was willing to give it a try, and it’s hard to beat free books.

Over the past few years, though, I have gotten choosier about the books I read, preferring those that have been personally recommended and choosing certain genres over others. Which means I no longer browse free deals to find my books.

That said, it’s a rare occasion when I actually buy a book at full price—most notably for a much-anticipated sequel or continuation of a series (like The Lunar Chronicles or The Winner’s Trilogy) or a new book by one of my favorite authors (like Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty). Okay, and I couldn’t resist Hamilton by Ron Chernow either!

But I have dozens of books in my “Books to Read” folder on my Kindle, and they’re all books I actually wanted to read and picked up for sale at $1.99 or $2.99.

Today I’m sharing my secret for finding Kindle deals on the books you actually want to read!

1. Kindle Deals at Modern Mrs. Darcy

Knowing that Anne handpicks the books that make it onto her daily Kindle deals list AND often links to her review of the books is almost as good as a personal recommendation to me, and I’ve found lots of deals on really great books through her. So much so that while I faithfully read the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog, I try not to check the deal page too often because I find too many books I want to buy…and $2.99 books still add up quickly!

2. Ebook deals from Goodreads and Amazon

A couple of weeks ago I got my first “deal alert” email from Goodreads, letting me know that a book from my Want to Read shelf was available at a deep discount.

I think this feature has a lot of potential, although there are a couple of drawbacks…

My Want to Read shelf includes books I’ve already purchased (through the Amazon > Goodreads sync) as well as those that I’ve seen other people recommend, so some of the deal alerts I get are for books I already own.
There’s no defined criteria for what books are emailed. They promise to email “noteworthy” deals, but there are some books I would buy at $4.99 and others that I won’t consider until they hit $2.99, and I’m not yet sure what they consider noteworthy.


I haven’t been great about adding the books I find on various blogs (usually with an Amazon link) to my Want to Read list, but Goodreads makes it easy to do that with a bookmarklet, which you can find on the Widgets tab of your settings.

3. Using Amazon’s wishlist feature

Finally, if you’re not on Goodreads, Amazon’s Wishlist feature is an amazing tool. These lists let you save and organize your wishlist items and use them a variety of ways: to share gift lists with other people (like a baby or bridal registry), to stay organized (with project and curriculum lists), or to make a list of books to read.

To add a book to your wishlist, click on the Kindle version of the book and then look for the Add to List menu. If you click the button itself, it will automatically add it to your default list, or you can click the arrows to  choose a different list.

It’s important that you add the Kindle version to your wishlist if you’re going to use it to watch for deals; otherwise you’ll only see deals on the physical books.

Once the books are on your wishlist, you can click Lists in the menu (under the search bar and next to Your Account) to see your lists.

Then, click on Filter & Sort and select “Price (low to high)” from the Sorts menu.

Voila! Any ebooks that are on sale will be at the top of the list, with information about the change in price so that you can decide whether you want to buy or not. I check every couple of days and scoop up any books that I truly want to read while they’re on sale. I also delete any that go on sale that I find myself reluctant to buy. If I’m not willing to buy it at $1.99, I probably don’t really want to read it.

***

Searching for deals on the books I want to read is one of the ways I’m able to read so much without it taking up a huge portion of our budget. (Although at this point I could probably read for the next year without spending a penny if I would stick to the books I’ve already purchased!)

How do you find deals on the books you want to read?

Related posts:
Embracing the summer reading slump {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}
My favorite books of 2015 {and how my opinion changes in hindsight}
Inspirational Kindle books for the New Year on sale for $1.99
10 books to inspire you to take back your life



     

10 books to inspire you to take back your life

The last week of April was a bit of a hot mess here. Sean was out of town for a couple days taking care of his grandfather, we were in the middle of our biggest bundle launch to date at Ultimate Bundles, Lucas and Jackson both had colds, and we were preparing for a month in Florida.

It’s fair to say that there was a bit of poor planning at play, as well as circumstances conspiring against me, and by the end of the week, I knew I couldn’t handle a repeat of that…ever.

As I considered what needed to change with my work schedule in order to prevent a repeat, I realized that I’d been heading back toward workaholism for a few months and there were some bigger changes that needed to happen. I shared a bit more about those already, but I also found myself reading books about intentional living and parenthood, not so much in the hopes of having a huge epiphany as wanting to remind myself of the principles I already knew in order to identify where I’d gone wrong.

I still haven’t made it through the stack of books that I started with this goal in mind (and I’ve added a couple of more in the meantime), but the ones I’ve ready so far have already had an impact on me. There are a few more specifically about parenting (a genre of book I don’t typically read) that didn’t quite seem to fit on this list that made a difference as well, so I’ll share more about those later!

Breaking Busy: How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy by Alli Worthington

I’ve known Alli Worthington since the very beginning of both of our online careers, and I knew she had been on a similar journey as my own—to burnout and back—so I was anxious to read her words. Breaking Busy was the first book I read out of the stack, and I found it encouraging but not preachy, like sitting down with Alli over coffee. It helped me to refocus my priorities and embrace the right kinds of busy while letting go of the need to “do it all.”

“Embracing the season of life we are in and the limitations that come with it helps us break busy and live life at a saner, more sustainable pace.” ~Alli Worthington

 

Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende

Find the Good is a series of essays about the people in a small town..as told by the local obituary writer. I loved the title and cover so much because it epitomizes the kind of person I want to be, but it’s really just a series of nice stories, and short stories aren’t my favorite, so I’m making slow progress.

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon Self-Control, and My Other Experiments in Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin

I love Gretchen Rubin, but the mixed reviews on Happier at Home kept pushing it to the bottom of my to-read pile. When I saw Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy give it high marks, though, I picked up the audio book to go with my Kindle edition, and I’ve been making my way through it—sometimes at night on my Kindle and sometimes on my morning walks. While it’s not my favorite Gretchen Rubin book, I find it both encouraging and practical!

The Abundant Mama’s Guide to Savoring Slow: Simplify, Embrace the Chaos and Find an Abundance of Time at Home by Shawn Fink

I almost abandoned The Abundant Mama’s Guide to Savoring Slow in the first chapter because it came across as super preachy and judgmental to me, but I stuck it out, and—thankfully—the author’s tone changed after the intro. That said, I feel like there is a bit of personality at play in many of the suggestions she made, and a lot of them I just read and discarded immediately because they’re not a fit for me or our family. It was this book, in part, that inspired us to institute family meetings, though, so I’m definitely glad I read it!

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau

Chris Guillebeau first began blogging about his quest to visit every country in the world, and while it’s not a goal I’d set for myself, I’ve always found both his travel hacks and his approach to life inspiring. Although I haven’t started it yet, I’m excited to read The Happiness of Pursuit, which talks about the power of a personal quest and how it relates to happiness and personal satisfaction.

The Listening Life: Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction by Adam S. McHugh

I just happened across this book the other day, but I loved the subtitle (Embracing Attentiveness in a World of Distraction) so much that I went ahead and got it. The truth is I live distracted a lot of the time, and I appreciate that The Listening Life is not just about the power of listening in everyday life but also how listening relates to our spiritual health.

“Listening is a practice of focused attention. Hearing is an act of the senses, but listening is an act of the will. In listening you center not only your ears but also your mind ,heart and posture on someone or something other than yourself. It is a chosen obedience, like soldiers falling into line the moment their commanding officer calls them to attention.” ~Adam S. McHugh

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard A. Swenson, M.D.

The principle of margin is one I’ve talked about often, so I almost didn’t purchase this book when it showed up in my wishlist on sale. However, I typically think of margin only in terms of time, while Richard Swenson talks about it in relation to emotions, our bodies, finances and more, so I’m anxious to read what he has to say in Margin!

Own Your Life: Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love by Sally Clarkson

Sally Clarkson is an incredibly encouraging speaker and writer, and her approach to motherhood is one that I can only dream of emulating. I’ve heard wonderful things about Own Your Life, and the tagline—Living with Deep Intention, Bold Faith, and Generous Love—speaks to the kind of life I want to live, so I’m anxious to read it!

Hamlet’s BlackBerry: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age by William Powers

When it comes to my phone, I tend to swing wildly between two extremes—when I don’t have my phone, I don’t miss it at all (except for the ability to take photos!), but when I do have it, I can’t seem to help but pick it up distractedly every few minutes. I’ve had Hamlet’s BlackBerry on my to-read list for a couple of years now, and I’m hoping it offers some insights or inspiration to help put my phone in its place for good!

 

Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford

Rachel Macy Stafford’s first book, Hands Free Mama, is a wonderful manifesto about intentional motherhood. Like Savoring Slow, there were parts of it that I discarded as not a great fit for us (she talks about not working on the computer in front of her kids, a principle I vehemently disagree with), but I’ve been looking forward to reading and listening to this one for several months now!

What books have you read that have helped you live more intentionally?

Related posts:
Embracing the summer reading slump {Quick Lit with Modern Mrs. Darcy}
An update on my 2015 Reading Challenge progress
My favorite books of 2015 {and how my opinion changes in hindsight}
Inspirational Kindle books for the New Year on sale for $1.99



     
CommentsI wanna hear why you vehemently disagree with that “don't be ... by Jess 

Weekend reading: June 25, 2016

From Instagram: This is becoming a habit.

While baby sleep has never really been my strength as a parent, this guy really threw us for a loop. On our first night home from the hospital, at just 24 hours old, he flat out refused to sleep anywhere except my arms, a pattern that has continued for much of his first 8 months.

I’ve considered everything from online sleep courses to sleep consultants, but my gut has told me that a) some of this is just his temperament and not parenting and b) I am not willing to entirely give up holding him while he sleeps, which would be a prerequisite for training him to not rely on me for sleep. And so we’ve just kept plugging along.

Over the past couple of weeks, though, I’ve been reminded of what I knew deep down…eventually babies learn to sleep on their own. Without a whole lot of fanfare or fuss, I am now able to move him from my arms or nap to the bed in the early part of the night, where he’ll sleep for as much as 5 hours before he needs me. The rest of the night is still a bit of a mess, but it’s progress! Now to convince myself to go to sleep when he does so I can start catching up on some sleep…

What I’m reading: Windfallen by Jojo Moyes, Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin, and Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning by Oliver & Rachel DeMille

What I’m thinking about (with an extra category this week because there was just so much good stuff!):

{Follow my personal Facebook feed for the things I’m thinking about and talking about all week!}

On putting your phone in its place

How to slow down – gaining control of your smart phone | Planning with Kids


The End of Reflection | NYTimes

Let it go, let it go!

Ten Ways Intentionally Living Small Can Improve Your Life | Smallish


Write a Break-up Letter to Your Stuff (to help you let go) | Be More Wixth Less


3 Unexpected Emotional Benefits of Decluttering | No Sidebar

For the love of books

How Busy People Make Time To Read—And You Can Too | Fast Company


How to Read More Books | Scott H. Young


How We’ve Become a Family That Reads | My Humble Kitchen

It doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful

Enjoy ONE Moment (but maybe not every moment) | Andrea Dekker


Darn It! I Missed the Longest Day of the Year. Again. | Gretchen Rubin


My Struggle With Fear & Anxiety (+ 3 practical ways to overcome it!) | Money Saving Mom

Have a great weekend!

P.S. Are you interested in learning more about herbs and essential oils? Head here to learn more about this incredible “super” bundle, with more than 20 high-quality, practical resources on using natural remedies!

Related posts:
Weekend reading: July 11, 2015
Weekend reading: July 18, 2015
Weekend reading: October 24, 2015
Weekend reading: November 7, 2015