Book Giveaway - Mom to Mom, Day to Day

Fans of Danielle's first book, My Cup of Tea and her blog will undoubtedly be eager to absorb more of her wisdom and good humor – and with good reason. This, her second book, is aimed especially at younger moms who are overwhelmed and still trying to figure out how to work out a lot of the details of smoothly running their homes (and lives). These moms tend to feel guilty for not “having it all together” and wonder how older, more experienced moms with more kids ever manage their large brood and complex family life. I know I felt that way when I was a younger mom and I would have very much appreciated the gentle wisdom contained in this book.

I found this book "light", but inspiring; helpful, but not preachy. Her writing deserves to be called wise, because she manages something that so few parenting/advice books do – she draws out practical truths that really do apply to everyone and then gives examples of how she applies them to her own family.

The book is organized into six main sections (that are divided into smaller essays):

• How Can I Survive the Preschool Years Without Losing My Mind?
  
• How Can I Fill My Marriage with More of ‘The Better’ and Less of ‘The Worse’?
  
• What Kind of Role Does a Catholic Mom Play in This Great Big World?”
  
• How Can I Get on Top of the Housework When It Feels Like I’m Smothering Under It?
  
• How Can I Make Our Faith an Integral Part of Family Life?
  
• Can I Really Have a Spiritual Life While Caring for All These Little People?

She tops it off with a simple, but helpful resource guide for Catholic families.

Something about the book reminds me of one of my favorite quotes - practically my motto for homeschooling: "Start by doing what is necessary, then do what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible." (St. Francis of Assisi). Danielle lays out a lot of simple ideas for handling the necessary (like prioritizing housekeeping needs and avoiding mom-guilt) and the possible (like suggestions for simple monthly celebrations relating to the liturgical year - a nice simple starting point) that end up adding up to more than we ever dreamed.

Donated by the author, Danielle Bean.

Reviewed by Alicia Van Hecke

View our love2learn page on this book here.

If you'd like to be entered in this drawing, please leave a comment before Thursday night (January 17th) at midnight (Pacific time) and check back on Friday morning to see if you've won!