Books on My Nightstand
These are the books on my nightstand and I’m sure that they say a lot about me. Clearly I am wanting to be a better person, but the fact that I am at various points of completion in all of them tells you that I’m in no hurry to get there and that I have a short attention span. Some things I am learning from each:
FOR THE LOVE by JEN HATMAKER - Though Jen can be a little too Southern folksy for me at times, I do find her relaxed and easy going take on the chaos of parenting refreshing and her fierce loyalty to her friends makes me realize just how much my tribe means to me and that I need to actively make sure we get together more often in order to feed my soul.
THE GRATITUDE DIARIES by JANICE KAPLAN - This was recommended to me by one of my above mentioned tribe. I think that in general I am a positive person, but you can always use more, right? I am so interested in not just the anecdotal research but the actual research she has done in order to write this book. Of course I am not finished with it yet, but so far the point that has struck me the most is that grateful people tend to be happier people and that you can be passively happy but you cannot be passively grateful. I also like the idea of reframing your days looking for things to be grateful or and that if you do you will find it contagious to others around you. Sometimes I gotta dig deep, but I am trying.
ANYTHING by JENNIE ALLEN - This is my attempt to sneak a little spirituality into my life. On a 1 to 5 scale of success I’m sitting at about a 2, but again, I’m trying.
CARRY ON, WARRIOR by GLENNON DOYLE MELTON - I started reading Glennon’s blog because she kinda spoke to me with her ideas on her kids. She wrote an incredibly touching letter to one of her children on his first day of school that basically said that she knew he would learn things at school and that was great, but the most important thing she hoped he learned was how to be a good human and to show compassion for other kids that may need a friend. These short essays help me to realize I’m not the biggest disaster on days when I feel like it and that we are all really just trying our best.
IT’S COMPLICATED by DANAH BOYD - This book is supposed to help me navigate internet safety and help me guide my tween daughter through social media. I wish I could say I’ve learned a lot from this book, but I haven’t read enough of it to call that statement accurate.
QUEEN BEES & WANNABES by ROSILAND WISEMAN - Oh man is this book my new bible. I have 2 daughters trying to navigate Girl World and this book has spot on advice that applies to my tween and 2nd grader. Not to mention this 40-something mom!
MINDSET by CAROL S. DWECK, PhD - I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to not mess up my kids too badly. My husband and have always felt that if we could give them the tools to understand consequences and to thoughtfully make good decisions we should mostly be able to sleep at night when we release them into the wild. This book is helping me focus that intention and helps keep me on track when my mama bear instinct is to hover over my kiddos.
THE BODY BOOK by CAMERON DIAZ - Because, well, who doesn’t want to be as hot as Cameron Diaz in their 40’s? Not that I was ever as hot as Cam in my younger years and she hasn’t grown 2 humans in her flat belly, but a girl can dream of a few magical sentences being the key. So far they haven’t been found.
GARDENING FOR DUMMIES - One look at my backyard will tell you that this book seems to be sitting there for the pop of color it provides.
MAKING THE CUT by JILLIAN MICHAELS - Every now and again I get inspired by the Biggest Loser. When I do I crack open Jillian’s book and write out meal plans and schedule workouts and 3 days later the phase is over.
MAKING FACES by KEVIN AUCOIN - This book made me realize how magical makeup can be. Kevin Aucoin was a famous makeup artist that has sadly since died, but I love the beautiful pictures in which he uses makeup to transform celebrities into other celebrities--Julia Roberts into Ingrid Bergman and Lisa Marie Presley into Marilyn Monroe. He also has tutorials on contouring that were written in 1997 that are often copied today.
