Happier at Home ((book review))

In February, I picked up Happier at Home from the library expecting that it would take me a while to read it (I always have good intentions, but rarely make time to sit and read). I didn't actually open the book until I was traveling for work the second week of March.

Not having read The Happiness Project, I wasn't sure what to expect in this book. I was quickly pulled in by the author's conversational style and practical approach. She tackled one theme of the home per month, focusing on how she could simplify or change it in the 30-day period.

I found myself thinking a lot about parenthood while reading this book and I don't know how someone who doesn't hope to be a parent would enjoy it (the author's children and family life in general are central to her writing). I honestly, wish I would have taken notes but I'll blame it on the pregnancy brain I have these days.



In summary, my takeaways include:

• Take time to evaluate how you do life. Whether it's on an academic calendar as the book lays out or not, I agree it can be helpful to life's rhythm to consider why you do things the way you do and perhaps change it up (even if only for a short time).
• Write down your goals or things you want to try.
• Enlist others as you try new things, but don't force it on them. There was one particular idea the author had about adding a date night/activity to an already busy schedule, but her husband was not fond of the idea. She decided to drop it, since it wasn't worth disagreeing over.

While I won't apply a lot of the book to my day-to-day, I'm glad I read it. I appreciate another perspective on how to approach life as a busy mom, balancing her family's needs and taking a step back to evaluate everyone's happiness. It was also a welcome change from the childbirth books I've been drowning in in recent months!