*I received Memory Making Mom from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
From the moment I picked up Memory Making Mom: Building Traditions that Breathe Life into Your Home- I couldn’t put it down. I read through it at a lightning pace. Jessica Smartt has packed it with practical and fun ways to make memories with your family- and she’s done it without overwhelming you as an already harried mom.
Jessica starts off the book with a disclaimer: that this book is a book of suggestions, not a must-do manual. And I LOVE that. Because so many times these types of books can make us feel convinced that we’re not enough- not doing enough, not being present enough, not fun enough. But, this book is the opposite of that. She shares her parenting triumphs and woes, and gently suggest ways we can be more fun and present in our children’s lives.
One of my favorite chapters in the book talks about making memories with food. And I didn’t realize it, but so many of my happiest memories, and traditions from my childhood were centered around special meals as a family. She talks about ‘staple meals’ that you have as a child and how they make an impact for the rest of your life:
“These “staple” meals that your family loves are anchors, memories, ministry. Mom’s chicken noodle soup, Dad’s chicken hot off the grill, steamy tortilla soup on wintry nights: these casual, normal, nothing-special meals will be the meals your children will ask for when they are home from college, the ones they long for when they’re sick, the ones they will attempt to reproduce in apartments with their new spouses.”
That is so true! And I’m not even going to lie- I teared up when I read that passage. Because as a new wife, I was fumbling around in the kitchen trying to make my favorite childhood recipes. And I still crave my mom’s homemade chicken and noodles when I’m sad. Or even the McDonald’s chicken nuggets my dad always picked me up on his way home when I was sick, when I’m ill now.
Memories aren’t only made on expensive vacations or lavishly planned trips. They’re made in the every day. Those small traditions that you start with your family are sometimes carried on for generations.
This book was such a blessing to me at the stage of life I’m in, as a homeschooling Mom to a 7 year old. Time is flying by and I’m willing it to slow down. And I’m also remembering to enjoy each day, because they are passing so quickly. So, our Friday pizza and movie nights or our weekend visits around our home state are really even more special to me now. I’m hoping my son will pass them on to his family someday.
If you need a fun and practical guide on how to add some fun and whimsy to your parenting days. Or how to start traditions in your family without feeling overwhelmed- this book is it! I highlighted so many passages in mine I’m almost embarrassed…almost.
What are some of your favorite family traditions?
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{Check out some of my other Book Reviews.}