Life changing magic journal

This gratitude journal from lifestyle guru Marie Kondo provides a space for you to notice and record the things that spark joy in your life each day. By asking yourself "Does this spark joy?" about not only the objects in your home but also the activities and relationships in your life, you can mindfully zero in on your ideal life. Peppered with inspirational quotes from The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, this 365-day, 3-year record is the perfect way to spark joy, one day at a time.

My thoughts: We are all busy and sometimes fail to take the time to smell the roses. With this journal, I think that those who use it have the rare opportunity to just take a couple of minutes a day to jot down the things that spark joy for the day. I love the idea of looking for those bits of magic that are there, even when you have had a crummy day, there is usually something that sparked joy.
The journal is set up to write in over the course of three years, and I love that there are quotes sprinkled through (like "Things that are cherished shine" and "everyone needs a sanctuary")!
While this is a great companion to Marie Kondo's books, I think that it could be used outside of her other books as well.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Hutterite Diaries

What would it be like to share all your possessions and live in Christian community?

In Hutterite Diaries, Linda Maendel offers a rare glimpse into the daily routines and communal faith of her people, the Hutterian Brethren. From stories of working together to bring in the fall potato harvest to laugh-out-loud tales of sisterly love laced with revenge, Maendel invites readers into her Bruderhof, or colony, nestled on the prairie of western Canada. Here children and adults work, play, eat, and worship together, crafting a community of goods and living out an alternative to the individualism and consumerism of mainstream society.

Few outsiders know anything about the Hutterites, a Plain Christian group related to the Amish and Mennonites. Maendel’s story invites readers into deeper understanding of this community of faith, calling us to take seriously the example of Jesus and the early church in our daily living.

My thoughts: While I have heard of the Hutterites, I didn't know what set them apart from the Amish and Mennonite communities. In this book, readers are invited to read about how the Hutterite community lives. While her stories are all enjoyable, I think I liked the "day in my life" part the best, since it was interesting to see how the writer spends a normal day.
If you would like to read more about the author, check out Linda's blog.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.