Hiding from my Kids in my Prayer Closet

Finding grace and laughter when motherhood gets real

Soon after Jessica Kastner became a mother, she wondered if she was the only mom who found pretend play more boring than watching playdough harden and who dreaded yet another friend’s Instagram post of homemade deliciousness.

In Hiding from My Kids in the Prayer Closet, Kastner shares her experience as an “unmom”—a mom who loves her kids more than she loves the daily experience of mothering. She helps readers laugh at the ridiculous, delight in the unpredictable, and enjoy being the mothers God made them to be.

My thoughts: While I didn't totally relate to Jessica with this book, I do feel like she hit the nail on the head at times and that this book is a fun addition to the genre. This book if for any mother who has felt out of her league navigating parenthood, mom groups, or the loneliness that comes with staying home with your little ones. While one might not be able to relate to everything, Jessica has a lot of truths in this book that help other (un)moms know they are not alone. I enjoyed what she had to say and the humor she said it with!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Stepping on Cheerios

Being a mother isn't easy. Sometimes it's hard to experience a personal connection with God and community when you are caught up in the chaos of just -doing family-.
Independent and self-sufficient, author Betsy Singleton Snyder lived a full and busy life as a pastor, missionary, and wife to a husband who served in the U.S. House of Representatives. She had her first child at age 44, then at 47, she found out she was carrying triplets. Suddenly finding herself overwhelmed is an understatement.
Stepping on Cheerios is a collection of funny, warm, and charming tales from the frontlines of parenthood, written for women who are juggling to accomplish everyday feats of work, motherhood, marriage, church, and more. It's a comical story of one woman's realization that her crazy life is a gift and how she found the grace in it.

My thoughts: This book is an excellent resource for those feeling like they are juggling a lot with being a wife, mother, and the plethora of other roles that life sends our ways. I thought that this book was interesting, since Betsy invites the reader to see how motherhood has changed her, and yet helped to deepen or broaden her ministry. I thought that it was interesting to read about life with triplets.;)
If you feel like you are having a hard time seeing the gifts in the craziness, then this is an excellent book to pick up!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Tightropes and Teeter-totters

Do you wonder if you will ever find balance?

Lisa Pennington knows how to get up after losing her balance, even with a full house, a not-so-full bank account, and never enough energy. In her latest book, she offers readers:

—Strategies for finding balance in marriage, motherhood, and bad moods
—Playful yet biblically based tips for turning hard days around
—Inspiration for shaping obstacles into opportunities
—Ways to respond to irritations with gratitude
—Enthusiastic encouragement for living out God’s purpose.

For every woman who wonders if her satisfaction in life will ever match her dreams, Pennington has real-life answers full of hope and humor.

My thoughts: I very much enjoyed this book! The other does a wonderful job of making the reader feel like this is a chat between friends. She is hilarious as she shares about discovering balance in your life. I love that she is in the same journey as well, which makes it even easier to relate to her and enjoy this book. Whether you are looking to balance your life in the area of finances, being a wife or mom, or friendships, along with a myriad of other topics, this book is an excellent one to pick up.
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my review.

Long Days of Small Things

Rich, soul-inspiring practices for moms who have neither quiet nor time.
Dirty laundry, crayon-smeared bills, and smashed crackers . . . And there’s your Bible—buried under a pile of diapers. Bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, without a moment of peace and quiet, you wonder if the spiritual life you crave is even possible. But God sees you. He designed this parenting journey, after all. He understands the chaos of motherhood. And he joins you in everything—whether you’re scrubbing the floor, nursing a fussy newborn, or driving to soccer practice. Catherine McNiel invites you to connect with God right here, in the sacred mundane of every mothering moment.

My thoughts: This book is just what I needed! Within the last year, we made the switch to my staying home full time with our two little ones, and it was a harder transition then I thought it would be! While there is always a lot to be done, sometimes I feel like I'm not making much headway. This book was an excellent reminder of how important those little things are when raising children. I loved how open Catherine is, since I think most of us have imperfect moments during our journey of motherhood.;) This is a must read for mothers, especially those who have small children or are just starting out on their journey as a mother, though this book is not limited to those two groups. This book is a beautiful reminder of how motherhood can refine us and teach us important things, like implementing the fruits of the spirit.
I received this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.

Growing Up Social

Is technology drawing your family together or driving it apart?

In this digital age, children are spending more and more time interacting with a screen and less time playing outside, reading a book, or interacting with a parent. While technology can benefit us, it can also erode a sense of togetherness and hinder a child’s emotional and social development.

In Growing Up Social, Gary Chapman and Arlene Pellicane will empower you with the tools you need to make positive changes . . . starting today. Through stories, wit, and wisdom, you’ll discover how to take back your home from an overdependence on screens. Plus, you’ll learn to teach the five A+ skills that every child needs to master: affection, appreciation, anger management, apology, and attention.

Learn how to:

Replace mindless screen time with meaningful family time
Establish simple boundaries that make a huge difference
Discover what's working for families that have become screen savvy
Equip your child to be relationally rich in a digital world
Learn healthy ways to occupy your child while you get things done

Now is the time to equip your child with a healthy involvement with screens and an even healthier involvement with others.

My thoughts: So much has changed on the technology front even since I was growing up (which doesn't seem like it was that long ago! lol). With the technology boom has come new problems and the dilemma of how to deal with kids and all the screen time they get. How do we, as parents, figure out a good balance for them? Gary and Arlene do a wonderful job of showing parents how to help their kids balance technology and living life, along with how to be screen savvy (something that each parent needs to keep up with their kid!). This is an excellent book for all parents!
I received this book from Moody in exchange for my honest review.

Life Creative

What was God thinking when He created you creative and then gave you children?

Creative moms often feel as though they must lay their passions down. But God had something special in mind for the creative woman during this intense season of mothering.

In this Pinterest age of handcrafted children’s parties, Instagram photos of beautifully decorated homes, and blogs filled with poetry and prose, it is clear that we are in the midst of a brand new artistic renaissance. Not one born in Italian cathedrals or Harlem jazz clubs, but rather in kitchens, nurseries, and living rooms around the world. Mothers, working in the cracks and crevices of each hectic day, are adorning the world with their gifts, and they’re showing all of us the beauty of this Life Creative.

In this book, you’ll learn:

—Why the world needs your art
—How this Life Creative begins at home
—When art can turn a profit
—Your part in this modern day Renaissance

Life Creative paints the stories of moms, just like you, who are fitting their inspired lives into the everyday, ordinary places of motherhood. Women like home decorator Melissa Michaels and jewelry designer Lisa Leonard, author Angie Smith, recording artist Ellie Holcomb, and many more.

My thoughts: This is a great book for mothers of all ages! I enjoyed all the stories in this book and feel like it is a wonderful, easy read for busy women. It's a fun call to pursue your talents and make a home beautiful. I feel like I especially needed this book, since we have been doing a huge remodeling project with our home and have only just gotten to the point where I feel like I can actually decorate and put the little touches on our house that make it more of a home. This book helped to inspire me.;)
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

40 Days to a Joyful Motherhood

Nourishment for a mother’s soul through 40 days of devotion and . . . doodling!

Wouldn’t it be marvelous if mothering came with a concrete set of instructions—an easy recipe we could follow? Instead, motherhood challenges women to find their faith, their true selves, and their family through daily doses of trial and error. It is a brilliant and healing time of life that is full of joy, pain, and beauty with a small side of crisis (and humor). What mothers do not know, they learn. And through this lifelong process of learning, they nurture and care for the most precious gifts on earth: children. In a modern society where moms often have a full and busy plate, these 10 minute daily devotions focus on six key topics of motherhood:

—Self-acceptance
—Self-care
—Reconciling with grief, hope and expectations
—Generosity
—Presence
—Forgiveness

In addition to the devotions, these beautiful pages are adorned with handmade illustrations to help you refresh from long days or even occasional sleepless nights. So, grab your colors and a little quiet time for yourself while doodling at the kitchen table. You will be grateful you did!

Learn more here

My thoughts: Part coloring book, part devotion, and a whole lot of fun, this book is an excellent resource for mothers! I loved the chance to stop and take time to read through the devotions. With a wide variety of topics, I found that most of them hit home. I needed this book, since I just had my second child this year and I am still learning to juggle everything that comes with a toddler and new baby.;) So, the reminder of taking care of myself as well as my family was timely.
I think that this book would make a wonderful shower present for a new mother!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

(un)Natural Mom

Do you feel like you’re the only mom who serves store-bought birthday treats, dreads school plays, and misses the days of going to the bathroom by herself?

Unnatural Mom gives you permission to say that mothering doesn’t always come naturally to you. Parenting expert and self-proclaimed unnatural mom Hettie Brittz helps you…

—Recognize how unrealistic our culture’s standards of mothering are
—Move beyond the myths of “supermom”
—Complete a profile to determine your own parenting style
—Understand and forgive the mothers who hurt you
—Embrace your capabilities as well as your challenges

Come find new hope in discovering that every mother has unique gifts. In Christ, the “unnatural” mom becomes the supernatural mom who is just right for her family!

My thoughts: There is so much mommy guilt and judging, that this book is just what mothers need! Hettie is very real and open about the mistakes she has made with her motherhood journey. I was struck by how God has used her unique situation for His purposes. I think that is the best part of this book, it does show how each of us are the best mother for our children.
The parenting styles are interesting to read about, though I feel like I am in kind of a mixture of a couple of them.
This is a wonderful book for mothers in all walks!
I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Mommy Needs a Raise

Goodbye, Board Room and Legal Briefs--Hello, Dimples, Diapers, and Destruction
Women know that raising children will be different from climbing the corporate ladder. But nothing can truly prepare them for the mind-muddling world of motherhood. It doesn't take long for a new mom to question whether her tyrannical, diapered boss really understands her value to the organization. Because honestly? She's not always sure herself.
With her signature wit, lawyer-turned-full-time-mommy Sarah Parshall Perry says what all new moms are thinking when they trade annual reports for homework help and yoga pants. Perry invites moms to laugh alongside her amidst the "Are you kidding me?!" moments that come with the job of raising humans. This book is story of every mother who gives up one thing to get something better--and ends up finding out what she's worth along the way.

My thoughts: While I didn't give up being a professional to be a stay at home mother, I do appreciate a lot of the thoughts in the book. Sarah is a very engaging writer as she shares her journey from board rooms meetings to play dates. While the whole book is excellent, filled with humor and keen insight, I especially appreciated the last chapter and the reminder to live in the moment, since raising children can seem like you are stuck in the same place for eons, but it really does go quickly. It's deceptive that way.
I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.