Happy Monday, friends!
We’ve got a big week this week! We’ll be celebrating Noah turning TEN! Double digits, what?! We also have friends coming to stay with us from the Philippines, as well as a three-day binge of hosting events surrounding our friends being here. I am so excited for March! There’s a twinkle in my eye anticipating our big kids being off school for spring break, and we’ve got some travel plans that I’m so excited about!
I’m wrapping up this month with none other than, my FEBRUARY BOOK REVIEW! This month’s reads were short and sweet, just like February. A habit development book and a memoir.
First up…
…The C.H.A.O.S. Cure. I just love the acronym for CHAOS…Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome. I mean, what woman can’t relate?! This was an easy read, really straightforward and simple, practical tips for how to incorporate small bursts of cleaning with a 15 minute maximum time spent doing so. The author’s goal of the book is to “help discover the joy of maintaining your house in a way that makes you happy…to guide you to establish simple habits that will set up your home to be ready for company-without having to shout orders of play the martyr.” Can I get an amen?! How does she know me? 😂
My biggest takeaways from this read are:
- Take no more than 15 minutes to clean the “thing” that needs cleaning or tidying. We often procrastinate because of our perfectionism. So when we scan the room for what needs to be done, we tell ourselves that we don’t have time. But what we’re really internalizing is, we don’t have time to do it right. Just get to it, set the timer for 15 minutes. (I’m lookin’ at you, Laundry). A hot tip given for laundry: Toss one load in after dinner, move it to the dryer the next morning, then fold and put away before dinner. And repeat.
- Too many clothes make life harder and get in the way of your routine. Hot tip given: At the beginning of a season, turn all the hangers backward in your closet. When you wear each item, put it away in your closet the correct way. After a few months, you’ll be able to see what you haven’t worn and you can get rid of that item. This way, you will pare down your closet and be wearing only what you love. Genius!
Next up…
…The Rural Diaries. This memoir was such a cute read and highly applicable to our life transitioning to living on a farm. I had never heard of Hilarie Burton Morgan, or her husband, Jeff Morgan, both a successful Hollywood actor/actress-turned-farmer. Honestly, the lives they lead are almost like a fictional plot. I loved reading about how they entered into a small-town in Rhinebeck, New York, and settled in and proved themselves to be willing to do the work to transform their farm and develop lasting, meaningful relationships with people in town. In this book, Hilarie shares recipes, home renovation tips, her heartbreaking struggle with secondary infertility, her journey of acting in roles that went from abusive and degrading to only doing roles that supported and empowered women. My FAVORITE though, is her gardening advice and advice on farm animals to have around. I mean, I was laughing and reading these page-long tips to Ryan and we would make decisions for our future garden and livestock plans. Keep an eye out, llamas may be our next endeavor! 🦙😉
I’m excited to dive into my next round of books. I’ve got some lined up already, just in time for Spring Break! Would love to know what books you’ve been reading! Comment and share, please!
To see the books I read in January, click HERE.
Alright, that’s it for today! I’m headed off to take my girls to a dentist checkup. Excited to see you back here on Wednesday for the first post of March! xoxo
