I find refuge in reading, wisdom in words, strength in sifting through other people’s strategies and hard won victories. These are some of books that I have most enjoyed and been inspired by in my adventures into motherhood, and that I wish I could buy for every mama I know.
The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You
Life is full. But that doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice looking after ourselves and the things that make our hearts smile. This inspiring and practical book opened my eyes to the pockets of time that exist within the busy rhythms of my everyday for creative outlets and self care. If you are prone to saying you are too busy, and are struggling to make time for yourself, this is a great read for you.
Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What’s Right in Front of Me
Kuykendall chronicles a nine month experiment in better enjoying her everyday, and challenges her readers to do the same. She reminded me that small, intentional steps towards a goal or target can snowball into significant, sustainable changes and improvements over time, and provoked an attitude adjustment in yours truly. A definite read for anyone struggling with vision for or an appreciation of the beauty in their everyday.
Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters!
This is one of the books that first challenged me to put my phone down and prioritise being more present with my children and husband. Macy Stafford chronicles her adventures and progressions towards living a less distracted life, which she terms “living hands free”. She challenges her readers to try out simple ways they can better connect with their loved ones. I found her enthusiasm contagious, her vision inspiring, and her hands-free philosophy the simple solution I needed but didn’t know I was looking for.
Out of the Spin Cycle: Devotions to Lighten Your Mother Load
A gift given to me by my sweet sister in law one Christmas, this is one of the funniest, most honest and inspiring motherhood devotionals that I have ever come across. Covering areas like marriage, money and priorities, Hatmaker delivers succinct and enjoyable chapters that both lifted my spirits and made me laugh out loud as I read it when pregnant with my third daughter. If you are struggling to find grace, encouragement, and humour in your role as a mother, this book is for you.
Love and Logic Magic for Early Childhood: Practical Parenting from Birth to Six Years
This was an absolute parenting life saver for us when our eldest turned two and we didn’t know how to handle all the challenges that came with her pushing boundaries and testing our patience! We’ve found the principles and strategies immensely helpful as we have navigated parenting our little tribe. It’s the sort of book that every parent should be given by their health visitor at their baby’s 12 month review.
Do you have any top mummy reads? Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you.