As a wife, grad student, and new mother, it seemed my joy in life was getting lost in exhaustion. I have a great husband, an exceptionally "easy" baby, supportive grandparent-care, and flexible hours...and I was still running out of steam. Reading this book may not have changed what I have to accomplish in a day, but it refreshed my perspective. In this book, Sheila Gregoire gave me encouragement, specific and useful tips on how to simplify and prioritize life, and (perhaps what I needed most) sympathy coupled with hope. Sometimes all I need is someone to tell me that "yes, it IS hard!! But you're doing okay."

As an example, the day after I finished reading the book, I still had to: get everyone ready for the day, express milk, work all day in the lab, go to the gym, come home, do laundry, cook dinner, wash the dishes, pick up the house, entertain my 6-month old while doing all of this, feed and bathe the baby, put her to bed, express more milk, start another load of laundry... But this time, I did all of my morning chores with some fun music on, had lunches ready from the night before, took care of my evening housework with a timer on to finish in a hurry, and had time to go for a walk around the neighborhood with my daughter and my dog while the casserole was in the oven. It was one of the best days I've had in a very long time, although almost nothing besides my attitude (and a few organizational tips) had changed! I even had enough energy left to get romantic with my husband (and I can tell you, he appreciated it!).

Labels: housework, To Love Honor and Vacuum