Memory Making Mom (book review)

Be a different kind of mom. Break through the distractions and create lasting memories.
What’s the solution to gaining the balanced, meaningful life you desire with your family? Create traditions that bring joy and significance. Popular "Smartter Each Day" blogger and mom of three, Jessica Smartt explains why memory-making is the puzzle piece that today’s families are longing for. She highlights ten tradition-gifts kids need most, including a rich resource of two hundred–plus unique traditions. She also offers practical encouragement to modern parents to keep on adventuring—even when they are fighting distractions, are on a budget, and exhausted.


I am a big fan of Sally Clarkson's Life-Giving Home, so I jumped at the chance to read this book as well. Over 200 ideas for specific traditions? I love reading big, unwieldy lists like that. Most of the time, less than 10 percent of such lists is usable, so the more ideas on there, the better. Bring it on.

Apparently, the author is a blogger, though I've never read her writing before. I can't say how much of this content is unique and much is pulled from blog posts, but in my case it doesn't really matter. If you're a follower of her blog, well, you'll have to decide for yourself whether it's worth it to buy the book as opposed to scouring past posts.

The book places traditions into categories such as food traditions, work, rest, seasons, faith, etc. Each chapter has a discussion about the whys and whens and whats, then a short list of ideas you could incorporate into your family life or use as a jumping-off point for creating something unique to your family. Those ideas are also compiled into one long list in the back of the book, in case you want to skip all the chit chat and get right down to business.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's one of those inspirational type books that makes you feel sortof warm and cozy and excited to do stuff with your kids even though you fully expect it to be a little painful and stressful. (#reality) I don't know that I would ever go back and re-read this content, though. I'm already convinced of the value of traditions and shared experiences, so I'm really just interested in the list of ideas. And the list was just fine. Some good thoughts, nothing mind-blowing or really groundbreaking, but usable stuff. If you've never considered your family traditions or tried to be intentional about cultivating them, then this is a good book for you. If you've started down that path already, then maybe check it out from the library instead.

Rewire Your Heart (book review)

"Many Christians believe the only way to fight sin is to grit our teeth, strengthen our resolve, and rise above the onslaught of temptation. But in reality, we have a far better weapon in our struggle with sin than the will-power mantras associated with diet and exercise. This weapon is not saying "no" to sin but saying "yes" to God. In Rewire Your Heart, David Bowden helps us discover God's plan to overcoming sin by rewiring our desires with the Gospel. When we invite the Holy Spirit to transform our underlying affections with the good news of Jesus, we begin to break free from the patterns of sin, guilt, and determination, and discover the richer fulfillment found in joyfully obeying God's commands."

To be perfectly honest, I still haven't finished this book. It's taking me a long time to get through, because kids. But I wanted to get on here and talk about it, because this book does something that I haven't seen others do in an accessible way, and I think it does it well. The author dives into the heart work required to reorder our affections and desire holiness. He doesn't address the graces of the sacraments or the help of various Catholic devotions, but he does discuss a sortof psychological approach to sin. He looks at how the ways we talk about and think about avoiding sin do or do not address our hearts, helping us to desire Jesus more than the sin itself. He then goes on to discuss sanctification and growing in desire for God, for holiness. I think having this understanding of ourselves and our inner workings, combined with what Catholics have long known about the sacraments and devotions, would be of great help to an individual. 

Of course, there are some ideas discussed, though not recommended by the author, that do not mesh with the teachings of the Catholic church. In chapter 8, for example, the author spends some time talking about the idea of "rededication," where a Christian who has lapsed back into a life of sin is called to return to his or her faith and follow Christ again. It seems that the point made in that process is that dedicating one's life to Christ means living a sinless life from that point forward and that that somehow affirms one's salvation. To be fair, the author calls out this idea as false. But readers should be aware that the author himself does not hold a Catholic view and be careful of anything that smacks of a typical "born-again" view of salvation. Overall, however, I appreciate this book's detailed discussion of how sin works and how we can effectively battle it in this life.

Reading lately

Preach to Yourself, Hayley Morgan

"Break the cycle of doubting yourself, take God at His word, and talk back with truth - a new message of freedom from bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Hayley Morgan.

We know Christ came to speak life, but then how come our inner critic keeps showing up and stealing the mic? If we’re honest, she’s a harsh one, saying things we’d never dream of saying to others: You’ll never measure up, you’ll fail again tomorrow, you just can’t get it right.

I Can't Believe You Just Said That [book review]

"But I don't waaaaaaannnnt tooooooo!" Some days, it seems like this is my 3-year-old's favorite phrase. The whiny-er she can say it, the better. So. Much. Whining. It's one of those unbearable, universal kid-isms I swore I'd never allow--but somehow, despite my best efforts, my kid is really good at whining. So I was looking forward to solid advice from Ginger Hubbard's book, "I Can't Believe You Just Said That: Biblical Wisdom for Taming Your Child's Tongue." Whining is chapter two--perfect.

Easter books for the girls

Have you gathered the goodies for your kids' Easter baskets yet? You've got one week, people. One. Week.

Because I always do, I snagged some books for the girls' Easter baskets. I selected them without the opportunity to flip through them first, so it didn't work out like I'd hoped. Here's hoping the rest of my basket shopping goes a little better.

Reading Lately: Family Edition

C: Personal Finance for Dummies
This is the third finance-related "Dummies" book C has read since after Christmas--all, I believe, by the same author. He likes the guy's sense of humor and gets nerdy for the topic. He does say, repeatedly, that the author comes across as pretty arrogant, but it doesn't seem to bother him because he keeps reading his stuff. When I asked him what he's gotten out of this one so far, he said it was a decent introduction to basic personal finance, but he learned more from the author's book on mutual funds.

A book for the history buff in your life

C and I are very different people. He is logical and detail-oriented, while I'm more emotional and like considering the bigger picture. He doesn't like to spend money, while I love to shop. He would eat pasta at every meal, but I don't want it too often. He wears socks and undershirts with giant holes in them, and I replace things long before they get to that level of worn out. We often ask each other "How did we end up married?!" The struggle is real.

There are a couple of things we share, though: an appreciation for cheese, particularly smoked gouda; a preference for staying home for fun rather than going out (though I'll break that for a shopping trip); a tendency not to drink very often; and a love of reading.

We read different things, but we both really love books. So much so that our Valentine's Day tradition is to go to a bookstore and buy each other a new read. Books are a bridge for us. So I thought it would be fun to bring C in to review one of HIS recent reads. You hear from me all the time, but what about a book for the men in your life? Well, if your guys like WW2 history, C has a book they may be interested in.

Hello Mornings [book review]

I *almost* didn't bother with this book. I read the title and the description and thought That's nice, but I'm not really that interested. I have a pretty good morning routine already, so what do I need with a whole book about improving my mornings? A few weeks later, I was ready for a new book and not super excited about anything in my current to-be-read stack. I saw the Hello Mornings title again, shrugged, and went for it.

It happens to me quite often: these "impulse decisions" turn out to be the best ones. (God totally orchestrates that, y'all.) Same story here. Hello Mornings (by Kat Lee) is excellent, and the content can be applied to so much more than just a morning routine.

I've already discussed my 2018 goals to some degree, and I'm feeling pretty good about them. But Hello Mornings gave me a good boost of motivation, some clarity about exactly what I'm after, and a few tools to use this year that are going to be super helpful.

Welcome 2018

Christmas is my favorite holiday, and I love that the new year starts right in the middle of the Christmas season. Fresh starts, new goals, a clean slate. Diving into a new year is like taking that first deep breath of fresh air after a long car ride. Call me a sap, an idealist, or a dreamer, but it's the best.

Be the Gift [book review]

I don't know what it is about Ann Voskamp, but I find myself both drawn in and repelled by anything she writes. It's got to be her writing style--there are times it doesn't make any sense to me at all, and I get all eye roll-ey. And then there are times when the way she writes strikes me as beautiful and poetic and I get all swoon-ey for it. It's a love-hate relationship, pretty literally.

Be the Gift is Ann Voskamp's newest contribution to the world of printed media. It's sortof a weird book, to be honest. It looks and feels like a gift-able book. It's a small hardcover book with lovely photography and the title scripted in gold. But the subject matter--about using your own personal brokenness to bless others--seems like an odd thing to be giving as a gift. I mean, if I know someone who is going through a tough time, it feels a little pretentious to give them a book that tells them to put their struggles to work, ya know? But if it's a close friend who will understand your heart, it could work.

Lately 10/27/17

+ We're still waiting for baby girl to make her grand entrance (official due date is the 30th). Honestly, I'm OK with the waiting. C and I were talking at dinner last night about how the whole we're-going-to-have-more-than-one-kid-in-the-house thing hasn't really hit home just yet, and we think stretching out these last few days with just the three of us is a good thing. So take your time, sweet baby.

+ I've been reading a little bit out of You are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living each morning. It's a devotional consisting of excerpts from Henri J.M. Nouwen's writings. Nouwen was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and prolific writer who died back in 1996. He wrote more than 30 books, but his name was totally new to me until earlier this year. I've actually never read anything by Nouwen before, so this devotional is a nice little taste. (At the library book sale this week, I spotted his name on the spine of one of the books in the religion section and snatched it up, so soon(ish) I'll be able to change that.) The book is dated, so I started near the back in the month of October and will just flip back to the front when the calendar rolls over. Most of the excerpts are about a paragraph in length, so it's a really quick read right away in the morning. I like that it's so short--if I'm pressed for time, it's still easy to get it in. And if I have a few moments to sit and savor, the day's reading makes for good journaling fodder. Each entry also notes which book of Nouwen's it is taken from, just in case you want to go read the complete original.

The Sacred Slow [book review]

Let's talk about buzzwords, shall we? The last couple of years, we've been all about creativity, intentionality, and "slow" living. Don't feel bad if you've jumped on the bandwagon--I have, too. And there's actually nothing at all wrong with any of it. Being intentional and living at a slower pace are GOOD things. And God himself is the ultimate measure of creativity, so why would anyone disparage us, His creations, from developing or expressing the measure of His creativity in us?

The issue I have is when authors take those buzzwords and use them to repackage and resell a basic concept. They're not coming up with anything new at all--just reframing something old with whatever is cool at the moment to sell more books.

What We See in the Stars [book review]

Having not been homeschooled myself, it's a little tricky to figure out exactly what I'm doing, especially when it comes to the books and such that we'll be using. Thank goodness E is only three and I have time to research and gather. I'm collecting books little by little--my favorite thrift-store scores are copies of classic books. I figure we'll be reading those at some point no matter what, so they're a perfectly safe investment (and at thrift store prices, it's not like it requires much investment). Other than that, though, I try to stick to things we'd use in preschool or kindergarten, so I'm not getting too far ahead of myself before I really have a feel for what this looks like in reality. Some books are too interesting to pass up, however, and that's how I end up with volumes like What We See in the Stars.

Talking to kids about handling their fears

Toddlers are afraid of all sorts of things: the vacuum cleaner, the dark, loud noises, swimming pools, going to the bathroom when we're out in public... the list goes on. And those are just the ones MY toddler is afraid of. If we took a public poll, I bet we could get quite the list going.

Of course, most kid fears are completely irrational. And sometimes, the work they put in to avoid their fear actually causes more issues (like avoiding public bathrooms and the resulting bladder explosions... not that I've had experience with this recently or anything). It can be frustrating as a parent trying to walk a kid through such things--sometimes I have to bite my tongue to keep from shouting "GET OVER IT!" But we're not supposed to dismiss a kid's feelings like that. (How would you like it if "get over it" was the response you got when confiding your fears?) Of course, going along with it isn't always an option, either. (She HAS to learn to use a public bathroom at some point.) So what's a parent to do?

Lately 9/8/17

+ We took E to the apple orchard last weekend, and she got to be "Annie the apple farmer" (it's a little board book she got as a gift and has been obsessed with off and on for a while now). The guy working the u-pick stand let her take a wagon--I'm not sure if they normally charge for that or not, but we were the ONLY people there so we got to just grab and go. E rode out in her wagon, then started pulling apples off the lowest branches of the trees. It only took her about five minutes to fill up her bag--turns out, apple-picking isn't quite the all-day adventure I had imagined. Dad lifted her up on his shoulders so she could snag a few from the higher branches, too, just for fun. Then we went back to the snack barn and nibbled on popcorn balls and apple donuts for a while before heading home. Fall bucket list win, right there. E hasn't stopped talking about it since, and she loooooves eating the apples she picked herself. I think she'd eat herself sick on apples if I let her.

10 parenting books that are actually worth reading

In my humble opinion, a lot of parenting books out there today are junk. That, or they promise to focus on something specific that will impact your life raising little humans and then fail to deliver. It bugs me when I waste time reading something that turns out to be fairly worthless. But not all books are that way--in fact, I've shelved several that I found worthwhile over the last few years. Here are ten of my current favorites.

Our favorite books to help teach little people big stuff

Our Father, Ignatius Press 
We have this particular book, and there's also a Hail Mary version. It's simply the text of the prayers paired with beautiful illustrations (that E is fascinated by). I like that the words of the prayer are allowed to stand on their own, and it's a great way to familiarize a child with these beautiful prayers. I'll be sticking our Our Father book in our morning basket this fall so we can practice and E can memorize it, and I'm hoping to get my hands on a copy of the Hail Mary book in the near future.

Life of a Saint series
We have two of these books so far--Bernadette and Francis of Assisi. They are WONDERFUL. The story is told in "chapters" that are very short and easy to understand. I love, love, love these for sharing the lives of the saints with E, and I very much hope that Ignatius publishes more in the near future (the collection in this particular series is relatively small).

The Weekly Prayer Project [book review]

When I first signed up to review this book, I thought it was a book. I expected some insightful discussion of prayer and journaling and then a challenge or project to help get readers started. I'll tell you now: this is NOT that. I was disappointed at first, but the more I've sat with it the more I see how The Weekly Prayer Project can be valuable--it's just in a different way than I originally expected.

Creating Calm in the Center of Crazy [book review]

To be perfectly honest, the best thing I can say about this book is that it was a quick read. I started it on a Sunday afternoon and was finished by Monday afternoon. And I suppose it did something to renew my commitment to a regular quiet time. But I think it fell far short of its promise.

2017 Easter basket books

Easter is just about HERE. I feel like it snuck up on me this year. Luckily, much of E's Easter basket has been gathered in our gift closet already, and she's got plenty of dresses she can wear to mass. So, other than spiritual matters, there's not much that needs taken care of at this point.

E's Easter basket this year was incredibly easy. Somehow, I ended up with an extra little tub of sidewalk chalk from last year's trip through the Target dollar section. I also have a couple Disney princess barbies and a pack of new crayons in the gift closet that I can stick in there. I'll grab some candy (because it's a celebration, right?) to add in, but otherwise that's about it. Except for the books. No gift-giving celebration is complete without new books. Here are the ones I selected for E's basket this year: