Top 3 Books to Add Magic to Your Life as a Mother

       Motherhood has been the most difficult, but also most beautiful and rewarding season in my life. These 3 books helped me and inspired me during this transition.  

    During my 20's a friend of mine gave me the first book I enjoyed reading. "The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown" Of course it had to include the Louvre, my favorite artist and paintings :) I picked a few books after that, but nothing caught my attention as much. Until... I had my first child. I started reading to her since she was born. I always read before nap time, night time and during our mini story times. She loved it and to this day, this is one of our favorite ways to bond. This reminded me of how much fun reading can be if we find the right books. I started doing research, and after reading several, here they are; the top 3 books that helped me and inspired me during this transition of becoming a mother. Not in a particular order, I love them all.

The Motherhood of Art, Marissa Huber & Heather Kirtland. I picked this book during maternity after giving birth to my second child. Let me just start by admiring the cover. The images are just so inspiring and though there is a significant amount of color, it is so very pleasant to the eye. 

This book is about empowering women and how their creative and artistic life evolved after becoming mothers. The book describes how they struggled to find a balance between their creative careers and motherhood, but how rewarding it was when they found a way to make it work. The Motherhood of Art reminded me of how important it is to carve time to do what fulfills us the most, to let go of perfection and enjoy the process! It also helped me understand that I do not have to be siting at my desk, working on an architectural concept to ensure I am still utilizing my creativity. To me, Art is not just about painting, drawing new buildings or dancing; it is about finding beauty in the things that bring joy to our life and depending on the season we are in, that might change!

THE MONTESSORI TODDLER, by Simone Davies: I read this book for the first time when my daughter was 6 months. Then a second time when my son was a baby. I loved this book from the very first page and its introduction. Simone explains why she loves toddlers so beautifully. Some examples are: "Toddlers are innocent, Toddlers live in the present moment, Toddlers are authentic and do not hold grudges". Simone explains these and other reason in such a relatable way. Then, Simone gives a bit of history of Montessori, explains its principals and gives examples of several spaces and activities that can be implemented at home. My favorite part of this book is when Simone goes in depth about toddlers behavior and how we can better understand them. She emphasizes on how important it is to see the world throw their eyes. Montessori is not just pretty spaces or expensive materials, it is a slower and respectful way of living with little ones; it is discipline with love, encouragement to explore nature and much more. Simone gives several tips on how to implement these ideas and principals. 

MAMA BE PRESENT, by Brit Stueven. I came across Brit's book on Facebook. After months of deleting my account. Brit's profile showed up as "someone I might know". I was on the hunt of a new book that would resonate with me and I saw she just launched a book. I read the cover, read the reviews, then found out she was local and I am all about supporting local, so it was a no brainer. That very night I ordered her book from amazon and I am so glad I did!

I opened it up and couldn't even make it through the first page without crying. I could relate to everything Brit was saying. My kids were playing in the back yard, but when my daughter realized I was there,  she asked if she could sit on my lap while I read it out loud. That made for such a special moment and even more crying :) 

I started taking the book every time I went to the lake and enjoyed every minute of it. MAMA BE PRESENT is all about enjoying the moment, the process, life with our little ones even if messy; because it goes by fast! Brit not only reminds us to find joy, but gives very easy steps on how to do it. Things that we can implement in 5 mins, or really any time we might have each day. The steps are so enjoyable and we have had so much fun! One of my kids favorite is eating under the table. When my husband cant join us for dinner, instead of complaining because he is at work, we now make the most of it and this has made our night routine so much easier!! My personal favorite is "Stop. Drop. Breath" and her quote "Sometimes doing nothing is the best way to move forward." This one is hard for me to do, as my creative brain is always working, but I realized the importance of it!

    My hope with this review is to remind you about the importance of taking the time to do something you love and trying something new. Do not wait any longer, life is too short! Remember it is not always about the end result, it is about the process and the things we learn along the way!

Tinkering Hearts

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