Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin

Title: Happier at Home

Author: Gretchen Rubin

Publisher: Harmony 2013

Genre: Nonfiction - Memoir; Self-Help

Pages: 304

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure (perpetual); TBR Reduction; 52 Books - W42; OLW Home

In The Happiness Project, she worked out general theories of happiness. Here she goes deeper on factors that matter for home, such as possessions, marriage, time, and parenthood. How can she control the cubicle in her pocket? How might she spotlight her family’s treasured possessions? And it really was time to replace that dud toaster. Each month, Rubin tackles a different theme as she experiments with concrete, manageable resolutions—and this time, she coaxes her family to try some resolutions, as well.

A bit of a disappoint after loving The Happiness Project so much. This one reads almost like a redone Happiness Project without a huge amount of new insight or experience. I read it and added some of her resolutions to my ideas for 2016, but overall I wasn't deeply entrenched in this book.

Young House Love by Sherry and John Petersik

Title: Young House Love

Author: Sherry and John Petersik

Publisher: Artisan 2012

Genre: Nonfiction - Home

Pages: 336

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; OLW Home

Packed with 243 tips and ideas--both classic and unexpected--every project pictured was exclusively executed for the book. With more than 400 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Adding a little wow factor to your home has never been more fun!

A nice little home decorating book. Packed full of ideas and projects. I had a nice few hours flipping through the projects and getting some ideas for our own house. Unfortunately renting has its limitations. Thankfully there were some easy cheap projects that we could do in our rental. Nice book although I could have done without the incredibly peppy commentary.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Title: The Happiness Project

Author: Gretchen Rubin

Publisher: Harper 2009

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 315

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure (perpetual); TBR Reduction; 52 Books - W29; OLW Home; Dewey Decimal

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

After my less than stellar review of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, I'll admit to being a bit apprehensive about this volume. But I shouldn't have been worried. I loved this little book. Rubin has a great way of laying out her ideas and stories that is accessibly and not pretentious. I was a bit afraid that I would be preached at throughout the book. Instead, I felt myself wanting to be friends with Rubin and join her crazy project. By the end of the book, I was convinced that I need to do my own Happiness Project. I know I won't have the exact same monthly focuses or resolutions as Rubin, but I'm sure many will be similar. As I am in the middle of trying out Ali Edwards' One Little Word project, I'm going to sit on the Happiness Project until January. And it will give me time to reread the book, host a book club meeting on it, and formulate my own resolutions and focuses.

Minimalist Parenting by Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest

Title: Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less

Author: Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest

Publisher: Bibliomotion 2013

Genre: Nonfiction - Parenting

Pages: 243

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; OLW 2015 Home

We’re in the midst of a parenting climate that feeds on “more”: more expert advice, more gear, more fear about competition and safety, and more choices to make about education, nutrition, even entertainment. The result? Overwhelmed, confused parents and overscheduled, over-parented kids. In Minimalist Parenting, Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest offer a fresh approach to navigating all of this conflicting background “noise.” They show how to tune into your family’s unique values and priorities and confidently identify the activities, stuff, information, and people that truly merit space in your life. The book begins by showing the value of a minimalist approach, backed by the authors’ personal experience practicing it. It then leads parents through practical strategies for managing time, de-cluttering the home space, simplifying mealtimes, and streamlining recreation. Filled with parents’ personal stories, readers will come away with a unique plan for a simpler life!

So it turns out that I'm already following most of the points from this book. But it was an interesting book laying out the minimalist parenting philosophy and giving specific tips. Mostly I liked reading about the tips. They gave me some good ideas of how to implement my own parenting philosophy. I also liked the guiding questions for each chapter. Answering the questions definitely helped to execute my more vague ideas and thoughts. I am not usually a fan of parenting books, but this one held my interest throughout.

Geek Mom by Natania Barron, Corrina Lawson, Kathy Ceceri, and Jenny Williams

Title: Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st Families

Author: Natania Barron, Corrina Lawson, Kathy Ceceri, and Jenny Williams

Publisher: Potter Craft 2012

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 224

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; 52 Books - W20; OLW Home

It’s fast becoming a geek world out there, and all moms need to show off their tech smarts and superhero-like skills in order to keep their savvy kids entertained and engaged. Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families explores the many fun and interesting ways that digital-age parents and kids can get their geek on together. Imaginative ideas for all ages and budgets include thrifty Halloween costumes, homemade lava lamps, hobbit feasts, and magical role-playing games.

A random pick from the library and such a great find. I am a huge fan of the blog, but it was nice to spend some time in the physical pages. The book covers a wide range of interest areas and fun projects. My favorite section was the one about superheroes and comics. I bookmarked a few of the activities to try out this summer with the boys.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

Title: The Art of Asking: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help

Author: Amanda Palmer

Publisher: Hachette Books 2014

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 337

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; 52 Books - W3; OLW Home

Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter.

Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of THE ART OF ASKING.

I'm not sure where to start with this book. It was an amazing read, but I feel like I'm still processing a lot of the ideas and concepts. I've been a fan of Amanda Palmer since "Coin Operated Boy." This book gave me insight into who she is and why she does what she does. Not just the music, but the social connections, the media, the side projects. I loved learning more about her. That part of the book I got. The larger scope of the book about asking and human nature, I'm still processing. I think this is one of those books that I will have to read a few times to truly understand everything. An amazing project that will stay on my shelves for years to come.

As an added bonus, here's Amanda's TED talk:

A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

Title: A Hundred Pieces of Me

Author: Lucy Dillon

Publisher: Berkley 2014

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 447

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: TBR Reduction; Mount TBR; A to Z - H; New Author; OLW Home

Reeling from her recent divorce, Gina Bellamy suddenly finds herself figuring out how to live on her own. Determined to make a fresh start Gina knows drastic measures are in order.

First up: throwing away all her possessions except for the one hundred things that mean the most to her. But what items are worth saving? Letters from the only man she’s ever loved? A keepsake of the father she never knew? Or a blue glass vase that perfectly captures the light?

As she lets go of the past, Gina begins to come to terms with what has happened in her life and discovers that seizing the day is sometimes the only thing to do. And when one decides to do just that...magic happens.

Our book club selection for January. This one spoke to me from the back cover. I really wanted to find out more about Gina's journey. While I've not gone through a recent divorce like the main character, we have just moved and I feel like we've made a huge change in our lives. I'm currently loving the idea of re-examining our possessions and memories attached to those possessions. Gina was a great character to follow along this path. While I wanted to smack her a few times for her thoughts/actions, I grew to love her. She seemed so real. I felt that I was reading a memoir instead of a novel. At times I wanted to give her a big hug and tell her that things were going to get better. Somehow Dillon made Gina so real to me. I really got sucked into the book.

Connection to OLW: One of my reading challenges this year is to read books related to my One Little Word: Home. Initially I didn't connect this book to my word, but by the end it was screaming at me. Part of creating a home is examining the contents. Are they things you love, hate, or are neutral about? Are there specific memories associated with your possessions? This book made be realize that I want to take a closer look at some of the things in our house. I want to only buy things that I love or are absolutely essential (like toilet paper) for our new house. I love that a novel made me connect to my OLW.