Category: book reviews

It is no secret that my six-year-old self wanted to be a homemaker when she grew up. I even have a book to proof it. My mom wrote “homemaker” on the line next to “What do you want to be when you grow up?” in my School Days memory book. I don’t think I used the word homemaker. I think I said “mommy” or something like that, but my mom knew what I meant.

So it was a surprise to me as a 33-year-old bride when I discovered how bad I am at homemaking. I couldn’t keep up the laundry. My shoes adorned the floor all over the house. And take-out was our staple. Needless to say, management is lacking in my spiritual gifts department!

But I pressed on.  I tried every home management system given to me by mommy-bloggers from the ends of the Internet. I downloaded meal plans and schedules and, let me not forget, daily docket after daily docket. Some with colorful flowers and some plain-jane. All with the hope of conquering this homemaking thing.

Some of these printables and systems have been helpful, and I continue to use them. And some are just not for me.

Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed Homemaker is the latest eBook I have read about homemaking. And this one question changed everything.

“Do you have trouble keeping a detailed schedule or staying consistent in filling out a daily “docket” or to-do list?

Yes, yes, yes! I can’t even remember to carry my shoes upstairs much less abide by a detailed daily schedule or fill out a daily docket!

Reading Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed Homemaker showed me that there are others options to managing a home without having to become someone I’m not and feeling guilty about it. In this eBook, Jenni suggests a variety of solutions for common issues with managing a home instead of just introducing one.

For instance, if a home-management binder doesn’t work for you, go paperless and make it electronic. If you have young children and maintaining a completely clean house is an unattainable goal, then define your personal “clean enough” and stick to it.

Jenni shares with the reader very practical systems she uses in her home. My favorite is using a timer to “speed clean” an area of your house. Also included are recipes for making homemade cleaners and steps to become more disciplined (an area I desperately struggle in!).

Whether you are a full-time homemaker or a woman who works outside of the home, too, managing a home completely  is a tiring and many times overwhelming task. But what we must remember is that God gave us the privilege to take care of our home and our family. When we see it as a privilege, then the sacredness of what’s before us becomes evident. This eBook, Clean Enough, helps us see the sacredness of the present time God has called us to while also providing very practical help to stay motivated and organized.

What is your biggest frustration with keeping your home “clean enough”?

 

*I was given this eBook free of charge to review. However, all of the opinions are honest and my own. There are affiliate links in this post.

 

 

 

I have been a mom for two months and already I am Desperate.

Each day I wake up and wonder, “What is wrong with me? Why can’t I get this together? I’m not even a young mom. I’m an oldish mom, so what is the problem? I wanted a baby ever since I was a little girl. This is my dream come true. So why is this so hard?”

My husband puts his thumbs right beneath my eye, gently rubs, and says, “You have bags.”

As I get up for the second feeding of the night the bags grow along with the feeling of hopelessness. I love spending those moments in the dark quiet of the night with my precious baby girl, but I have to make myself enjoy them. I know that in a few hours she’ll be ready to eat with the sunrise, and I’ll have to get up and start the list in my head.

Laundry.

Clean.

Think about dinner.

Feed on-demand.

And of course I’m supposed to be working out now, too.

All of that with the three-hour increments of sleep I got the night before.

I joined Sarah Mae’s launch team for her and Sally Clarkson’s new book Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breath thinking that I would reap some small nuggets of wisdom about motherhood for later on – when I’m really a mother. Like when we hit the terrible twos and I have the oh-so-famous “strong-willed child”.

I didn’t expect the introduction to be about me – already. After all, I’ve only been a mom for two months.

“Exhausted, out of my mind, and still hormonal, every day felt like a fight. Feelings of desperation were like an ever-present shadow over the good in my life. Experiencing hope in Jesus felt like chasing gold at the end of the rainbow . . . getting to it was always out of reach. Motherhood was something I planned for, something I wanted, so why was living it out so drastically different from my expectations?” ~ Sarah Mae from Desperate p. xvi

My first thought was, “How did she know? How did Sarah Mae know that this is me?”

I will be honest in saying that I have not finished reading Desperate yet. I’m on chapter 3. But with only two months in of motherhood, this book is already teaching me to breathe.

See, I am no different from a lot of other women. My ideals are high. My expectations are even higher. I went into motherhood thinking that it would be something I could control – make into what I wanted it to be.

And then I was quickly humbled – starting with the labor and delivery – and ever since God has pricked my heart slowly and steadily as He whispers, “You can’t do this without Me”.

Each chapter of Desperate starts with Sarah Mae explaining her struggles with motherhood. Then Sally Clarkson replies with the wisdom that only a woman who’s been in the trenches can give. It’s like having Sally as your personal mentor right there with you – right where you live.

“This is the true beginning point – God. He is the one who created babies bursting with life and the mamas who love to care and watch over them. He brought forth from His imagination the most beautiful of gardens, threw galaxies of stars into orbit, and painted our world with color. In keeping with His character, He must have intended something beautiful in creating a woman with this ability to give life, nurture with love, and cultivate the soul of a precious human being entrusted into her hands.” ~ Sally Clarkson from Desperate p. 9.

Today starts Launch Week for Desperate, and you don’t want to miss the fun!

Visit the SarahMae.com and DesperateMom.com  for gifts, giveaways, to join a Facebook group, or to host a small group and read Desperate with your in-real-life friends!

Be sure to join the No More Desperate Mom Movement! 

And read other Desperate mom stories here!

 

Share with us. What is your most desperate mom moment? 

My mom was an amazing homemaker.  She baked from scratch – I mean never using a box. She made some of our clothes and all the drapes in our house along with handmade soap, candles, and greeting cards.  There were no junk drawers or piles or times when we just needed to “pick up”.  Everything seemed to always be picked up.  And she was late to bed and early to rise. 

And me?  I seem to have gotten very little of those talents and to be honest, not much interest in them either.  When I read Proverbs 31 I immediately think of my mom who seemed to have done it all, and then I think of myself and feel defeated – and pretty exhausted. 

But living a life like the Proverbs 31 woman’s is not living a life of doing but living a life of being, and this is what Amy Bayliss beautifully highlights in her new book and Bible study Pursuit of Proverbs 31.  Pursuit of Proverbs 31 focuses on this woman being a description of the Bride of Christ, and out of love for God she is given the ability to love her husband, care for her children, pursue ministry, and provide economically. 

So why should unmarried women read Pursuit of Proverbs 31 and pursue a life of a woman who had a husband and children?  Does this book apply to unmarried women?

Absolutely!  Did you know that Proverbs 31 was written from the thoughts of King Lemuel’s mother as she described the wife she wanted for her son?  This was her wish list for her son’s future wife – not an actual wife at the time.  This is your perfect opportunity to read, study, and mediate on these verses so that God will prepare you for the marriage and family he has for you one day. 

Pursuit of Proverbs 31 is a great way to start your study. Amy’s book is divided into ten easily read chapters that you can expand upon as desired.  Each chapter ends with Focused Thoughts, Scripture for Memory, and Essential, Useful, and Bonus exercises to help you study deeper if you wish.  The study can be done individually or in a small group. 

What I loved most about this book is the focus on our relationship with God and from that all else flows – our marriages, children, homemaking, ministries.  The relationship with our Heavenly Father allows us to be the Proverbs 31 woman. 

Click the book cover below to find out more about Pursuit of Proverbs 31, the author Amy Bayliss, and to order a copy for only $4.99!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.