From Kayla:

It’s been a few years since I finished reading Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner, but it is one that I recommend time and again. I’ve noticed that Mom’s posts about organizing her sewing room inspired by Dana K. White’s books (How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, Decluttering at the Speed of Life) have really resonated, so I wanted to pop in and recommend this one as well.

Using her “fringe hours” wisely is the secret to Mom’s success. She’s one of the hardest working people I know, but she still reads regularly for enjoyment and sews or stitches almost every day.

The Fringe Hours is for women who make time for everyone else but slowly get to realize that days and weeks have gone by without doing something to care for themselves. When life gets busy, things that enrich our spirit like making, baking, or reading seem to go by the wayside. This book helps explain the importance of maintaining a sense of self throughout life’s stages.

This book was recommended by a friend, otherwise, I honestly might not have picked it up. On Amazon, it is listed as a “Christian Living” book. While I am a Christian and I am living, I often find it hard to relate to that genre as someone with no children and a husband who does a majority of shares the housework. Although the author references making time for reading her bible, I never would have put it in that category.

The author of this book is an author (obviously) but also works full time, prioritizes family, and is active in her community. She interviews people throughout the book who have similarly full lives but still make time for self-care. The book kept me interested throughout and inspired afterward.

I’ll end with Mom’s typical closing: Amazon gave this book 4.3 out of 5 stars. The one-star reviews are from people who already know how to do it all and found this book to be a waste of time. They also complained about the author being too self-focused. It is a book about self-care. It is a book about finding time for yourself. Someone like Mom might feel like it reiterates things she has already learned, but I would rank it higher than that because it was helpful to me in my life stage.

I just finished listening to the audio book The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron.  I was hoping this would be a good book as I saw there’s another book that goes with it.  This one came to me via Hoopla when I was looking for another book.

The cover doesn’t look it but after a few chapters in I found this was a christian fiction book.  I’ll admit, at times, christian fiction books can be a bit much for me.  I am a christian but sometimes books can get a little preachy and that drives me crazy.  This one was okay…The story was good and definitely kept my interest.

Here’s what Amazon had to say: Continue reading →