Sunday, November 1, 2009

Stay Home, Stay Happy!

I just finished reading Stay Home, Stay Happy: 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood by Rachel Campos-Duffy.  Most books I have seen about "surviving" staying at home have been over-the-top and not at all practical for my family, but this one really delivers, and I can see myself reading this book again and again over the years!    This book is full of great ideas (my husband and I can't wait to try the "knock on the door" approach to discipline), inspirational passages, and great tools (I'm a huge fan of her lists)!  It is not at all about "surviving", but about enjoying staying at home!


A theme that repeats throughout the book is that you have to take care of you before you can be happy taking care of anyone else.  I know that is something that makes you want to say, "Oh that sounds great on paper, but it's not practical, and I don't have time for at-home spa treatments and long baths," but Campos-Duffy truly shows how to make it happen.  She wipes away common guilt ("it's okay that I didn't take advantage of every single teachable moment today") and shares examples from her own life that demonstrate that I am not alone in my stresses and concerns.


Most importantly, it's an easy read.  I read a chapter each night before I fell asleep and never felt that I would rather be sleeping.  It left me motivated and inspired to start the next day!  In repeating and reviewing what I learned from this book, I 100% believe that the way I view my time at home will change and my family will be happier.


Now that I have finished the book, I'm taking her "20 Mom Must-Haves" and creating my Christmas list.  Yes, some of the things are expensive indulgences, but we're worth it!  After that, I vow to catch up on my scrapbooking (I'm only 2 years behind), so that I can honor my legacy as a stay at home mom.
I highly recommend this book to any mom (it's principles can be shared with working moms too)! Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. That sounds like a great book! SOmetimes I want to pull my hair out on the days that I stay home. And I know I feel this way because I don't know what I'm doing or how to manage my time and our time together.

    I will check if my library has it in stock. If not, off to Amazon I go!

    http://www.thewannabewahm.com

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  2. Thanks for the recommendation. Money is tight for us right now, so I will also be browsing for it at the library. Now that I have a 2-yr-old and a newborn, I have NOT been enjoying my time as a SAHM. Maybe this can help me recapture what I used to love about being there full-time for my kiddos.

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  3. I definitely want to check out this book! Putting it on my list to read. Thanks! :o)

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  4. Staying home can be a great opportunity to submit in your love for reading and writing. Consider exploring affordable science fiction ghost writing services to turn your ideas into captivating stories while staying safe and happy indoors.

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