Cleaning House

Wyma, Kay Wills. Cleaning House: A Mom’s 12-Month Experiment to Rid Her Home of Youth Entitlement. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2012.

If there is a mom that hasn’t fought the battle of clutter and bedrooms that constantly look like they have been hit by a tornado, I want to meet that woman. As I do struggle with clutter, bedrooms that regularly do not pass inspection, and what those familiar with the FlyLady would call C.H.A.O.S. (can’t have anyone over syndrome) when the opportunity to read the book Cleaning House came along, I jumped. With the title Cleaning House, I expected, or maybe hoped for, another book that would help me be better organized and tackle the problem of my less than Better Homes & Gardens home once and for all. What I found when I opened this gem of a resource was even better.

Kay Wills Wyma’s Cleaning House does not focus on a 12-step, or 12-month, program on how to clean your house or tackle your clutter program. Instead, just as the sub-title indicates, Wyma focuses on the issue of youth entitlement she saw exhibited in her own children and rampant in society. From the first page, she opens the doors to her mini-van and home allowing us to peek in to her family. I’m so glad she did because now I know I’m not the only “mean mom” and that kids come pre-programmed to say certain things. As Wyma becomes keenly aware of the entitlement culture we live in and how we as parents have created, or at least contributed to, this culture, she decides to tackle these issues in her family head-on.

Wyma tackles one specific type of job or activity a month. For example, the first month of her experiment focuses on having her children clean their bedrooms. Later months focus on yard work, cleaning the bathrooms, and doing laundry. However, Wyma does not solely focus on cleaning tasks. Some months her emphasis is on “soft skills” such as hospitality, being a team player, serving others, and manners. Another month focuses on working outside the home in a paid or volunteer capacity. Frequently monthly activities, such as keeping your room clean, continue throughout the 12 months although not in the same focused matter.

Throughout the book, Wyma shares stories of real life events that occurred with her children to depict the events that happened during each month of the experiment. In addition to these real-life examples, Wyma includes research to demonstrate the problem of youth entitlement and stories of what has worked by other parents or individuals who work with youth. In this way, readers benefit not only from Wyma’s experiences but also the experiences of others. I particularly appreciated her list of what her children learned at the conclusion of each month as well as what she learned during the course of the month.

While reading Cleaning House, my new motto quickly became “Whatever the kids can do themselves, they are going to do (or at least attempt).” I’m looking forward the conducting my own 12-month experiment in our home which will most likely be the subject of future blog posts. My list of what kids should know before flying the coop may look a bit differently than Wyma’s, but there is quite a bit of overlap. In addition, I will certainly be borrowing numerous ideas such as the dollar a day in a jar (for more information see chapter 1). I have also started following Wyma’s blog, the MOATblog and encourage you to do so too.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blogging for Books . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

More Than Enchanting

Saxton, Jo. More Than Enchanting: Breaking Through Barriers to Influence Your World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012.

Before winning this book, I had not heard of Jo Saxton, but since I'm usually very pleased with books by InterVarsity Press (Go IVCF!), I thought it would be good. Now that I'm finished with More Than Enchanting, I am so glad I have been introduced to this amazing author and speaker and her work.

More Than Enchanting kept me enthralled from page one. As a woman working outside the home and having leadership roles in our church and community, the emphasis on being a leader, even when women leaders are not encouraged, was a breath of fresh air. My notebook quickly filled with quotes and thoughts as I engaged with this work. Saxton does an excellent job of including Bible study concerning the role of women as leaders and includes a variety of word study resources as the basic of this content. She then proceeds to cover a variety of issues related to leadership and how to increase your effectiveness as a leader. My one regret while reading this work was that I was reading in it alone. I hope to read it again soon with a group of other women leaders in the huddle format Saxton describes.

Beyond the content, which was excellent and thought-provoking, I loved the way this book was set up. Many book have discussion questions at the end of chapters or the end of the book. However, More Than Enchanting has discussion questions incorporated right into the text of the book. The end of each chapter also contains reflections written by many leaders, both male and female. The end of the book also contains discussion questions which encompass the content of the entire book and help to complete a study on this book. Author, Jo Saxton, also includes a nice, but not comprehensive, listing of sources for further reading and study.

I would highly recommend More Than Enchanting to any woman who is a leader or who wants to be a leader. I would particularly encourage this book to be used in a Bible study or book discussion group among college students or young professionals who are struggling with the issue of how to be a godly woman leader. However, I would not limit the readership to just that demographic. I'm well past that age group now (I'm about to hit one of those milestone birthdays)and found this quite useful and encouraging as I enter new leadership roles in my mid-life years.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through a giveaway from Margaret Feinberg's blog. I was not required to write a positive review or even to review this book at all. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

4-H Adventures in Sewing

One of my daughter's 4-H projects is Sewing I. It's her second year in this project and she is making a top for her 4-H Home and Family show which is next week. So our big project over the weekend was to make the top. About a month ago when we went fabric shopping we bought two different fabrics because she couldn't choose which she liked best and we decided that having two fabrics would be a good idea so that one could be a "practice" shirt "just in case."

She worked on her shirt with supervision Saturday afternoon, took a break Sunday for an unexpected trip to grandma's house, and then worked on it some more Monday and Tuesday evening. Our goal was to have it finished for the Fourth of July as the fabric she chose was patriotic. She was zipping along quite well until she hit a snag Monday evening.

Monday evening she had put the facing in her bodice and was carefully trimming the seam allowance. I warned her to be very careful in cutting. All of a sudden, she cried out "Oh no!" Her scissors had slipped and she cut a hole in the back of her shirt near the nape of her neck. I encouraged her that it would be OK and she went back to trimming her seam. This time she turned the shirt around and was coming from the opposite direction. Then I heard "Oh no!" again! She managed to cut another hole at almost the same location.

She was sure her sewing career was over for good. However, since she also rides horses, I asked "What do you do if you fall off a horse?" As I expected, she responded "You get back on." So I steered her back to the sewing machine and sat her down to sew a seam on another section of her pattern.

Fortunately, the hole was easily mended by some zigzagging and is only visible if you know where to look. She finished the shirt and proudly wore it in the community parade.

We sure are glad we purchased extra fabric and that she has another week to make a new shirt.

Sleeth, Nancy. Almost Amish: One Woman’s Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012.

Anyone who has visited an Amish community or read one of the plethora of Amish novels that are quite popular these days has wondered what it might be like to live like the Amish away from the hustle and bustle, fast paced world we live in. For most of us that wish will always remain just that. However, in her recent book, Nancy Sleeth shares how her family has chosen to become, in her words Almost Amish and live a simpler, slower-paced life. Nancy serves as co-director along with her husband of the organization Blessed Earth an educational nonprofit that inspires and equips people of faith to become better stewards of the earth.

Books on simplicity, sustainable living, buying local, reducing your footprint, clearing the clutter, reducing dependence on technology, enjoying nature more, and getting out of debt are everywhere you look these days. In Almost Amish, Nancy Sleeth takes a smidgen of all of these resources and adds a large dollop of why these topics are important to God and should be important to believers. As the title indicates, Sleeth draws frequently on examples from the Amish community. Yet, she does not suggest we all need to become Amish. Instead, she provides lessons we all may learn from the Amish including a theological statement which grounds the Amish practice and then suggests how average Americans can incorporate these practices into their own lives. While encouraging readers to take steps towards simpler, sustainable living, Sleeth does not disparage those who are not yet ready to take drastic steps and instead encourages readers to take small steps, working their way toward the goal of being Almost Amish.

Many of the suggestions given in this book are not completely new. Suggestions include the typical get rid of excess clutter and possessions, not going into debt, paring your calendar of activities, and enjoying nature. Shopping local and supporting local businesses are encouraged both as part of being simple and building community among friends and neighbors. The importance of school is encouraged alongside the caveat of not letting school run your family’s life. A strong dose of service to God and others is encouraged which fits with the emphasis on being involved in your community and a fellowship of believers, as well as having strong family ties. A newer idea includes being conscious of technology use and setting health boundaries with technology. Sleeth indicates she has chosen not to use FaceBook or Twitter although she uses the internet quite frequently for their organization. Obviously, I have chosen to use FaceBook and Twitter as a means to review this book.

Almost Amish is recommended for libraries where Amish romances are popular. Study groups who are interested in simpler living may find this a useful resource to study and implement together. In fact, much of what Sleeth suggests would be easier to implement in a community of like-minded individuals. Additional resources and tip sheets are available on their website for further study.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Blessed Earth. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Traveler's Guide to the Kingdom

White, James Emery. A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom: Journeying Through the Christian Life. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012.

Reading A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom felt like sitting down with a friend to look through travel photos and hear the adventures and experiences which accompany the pictures. The travelogue includes places ranging from North Carolina to abbeys, cathedrals, museums, and a pub in Europe, and finally a monastery and museum in Africa. Each stop on this tour is specially selected for its significance to the Christian life.

As is often true when hearing of someone’s travels, the reader’s first response is to want to pack their bags and visit these places in person. However, short of going on an extended leave of absence from work and inheriting a tidy sum of money, most readers will not be able to do so immediately. While saving money for future travels, readers would be encouraged to delve deeper into the concepts presented. Many chapters note spiritual disciplines to practice or other actions to take to help individuals further their journey on the Christian life. The astute reader will turn from this book to the many sources mentioned throughout the narrative or listed in the notes.

The most pleasurable aspect of reading A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom is White’s warm, friendly, pastoral tone. Reading felt like chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. Throughout the book, White is very personable and transparent. In the course of relating several adventures, White openly shares his experiences as well as less than holy thoughts and actions. Doing so portrays him as a fellow traveler who has gone before rather than a tour guide.

A Traveler’s Guide to the Kingdom is recommended for book clubs, study groups, or individuals. With a brief nine chapters, a group or individual could choose to use each chapter as a spring board to further study and exploration into the person or ideas presented. Future editions could be enhanced by the addition of study or discussion questions and a recommended reading list for those interested in pursuing the ideas further.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Church & Culture. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Why I Love Being a Librarian

I serve on the school board for the K-8 elementary school my children go to. The individual who is currently serving as the part-time librarian recently asked for assistance in locating a system to automate the library's small collection. I researched several products and found some nice reviews. I also sent a query to several library related listservs I'm on to get some feedback from various users. The response was absolutely amazing in that I received multiple suggestions from a variety of librarians who currently serve in school libraries or are familiar with the needs of schools and other very small libraries. Today, I was completely blown away in that the librarian whom I've never met and lives in another state and who authored a review of a particular automation system emailed to give her input. After a few emails back and forth, she offered to provide consulting services via email as well. It happens that the product she reviewed is at the top of the short list I presented to our school system as suggested products and is reasonably priced as well so it is quite likely I will have questions for her. This is yet another example of the ways in which fellow librarians have responded to random questions posed to assist with purchasing decisions, technology help, and other needs. I hope I have been able to assist other librarians in similar ways.

104 Days of Summer Vacation

Actually, at our house summer vacation is only 89 days, but that doesn’t quite sound as cool. As of yesterday, my children are officially 2nd and 5th graders and our summer has started! Our summer kicked off with a quick trip to Chicago along with my daughter’s friend on Wednesday. All the kids had a great time although mom and dad were definitely worn out but the end. A variety of activities are on the summer agenda for the kids. I like to keep them busy enough that they keep learning and have fun, yet allow enough down time that they are ready to go back to school in August. My son's first question after getting his report card was if we can do "mommy school." We use that opportunity to review the last year's concepts and get a bit ahead on the next year. Both children will be attending a variety of camps including 4-H camp, church camp, and Cub Scout camp. We plan to do some camping as a family as well. Of course, if you are going camping that also means a lot of swimming and swimming lessons. Other mainstays of our summer are Vacation Bible School and participating in the summer library reading program. Both kids will also spend a week at grandma's house on the farm. Our oldest will spend a lot of time working on her 4-H projects. We signed up for quite a few, but fortunately, there is some overlap between projects. I’m really excited to supervise a vast amount of cookie baking (and eating) for her foods project. She also has a sewing project, several animal projects, child development, citizenship, leadership, photography, and several nature related projects. We will begin working on my son’s Wolf Cub Scout requirements for next year as well. Fortunately, a number of the requirements are activities that are easily incorporated into summer fun such as planting a vegetable garden and flower and planning an outdoor meal. Both kids have been troopers in helping to plant and weed our vegetable garden which has moved from our front yard to a community garden plot. Our front yard is going back to a more respectable flower garden. The highlight of our summer is our planned summer vacation in July, but we’ll keep that destination under wraps for another post. Of course, countless other activities will be experienced “before school starts this fall!”