This Thing Called Home: One busy mom's thoughts on changing the narrative, embracing possibilities and re-making home

by Brooke Sailer

Longing to be a good homemaker but not knowing if it’s even possible? (It is.)
Feeling like a failure amidst chaos and mess? (You’re not.)
Looking for motivation and inspiration at home but have no idea where to start? (I have some ideas.)
This book is for you.

Dive in to a heart-wrenching conversation full of stories, evidences, questions and answers. You will not be disappointed!

If home is chaos. If home is mess. If home is doubt and overwhelm. If home is defeat and failure. If home is despair, discouragement, and disappointment.

Let’s…
Rebuild a new framework.
Rewrite the narrative.
Construct a different layout.
Re-set the space.
Ponder a different theory.

You have choices.
You have options.
You aren’t as stuck as you think you are, and you are not hopeless.
You are just beginning.

This book gives you permission to begin or begin again at home. Successful home-making, start to finish woven into real life home order and organizational strategies. It is a hopeful book for the woman who wants so badly to thrive at home. It’s a story of beginnings for beginners. Every word is brave, bringing possibilities to life straight from the mind of one busy mom.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 22, 2016

Reviews

[Heather Hoyt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Borrowed from the Kindle library.

I loved this book, actually. When I started it, I thought it would be a lot of practical advice. And it wasn't, really. But that was okay. It was more of a conversation, with someone very enthusiastic and interesting cheering you on and telling you that you could have a well-run home. And giving you more suggestions about how to figure it out than telling you exactly what to do. I think I am well organized and function pretty well, but there is always room to grow. And I don't love my home right now, and I think it gave me added motivation to clean up more corners, reorganize better, and make something that I do like, or least attempt to. Because home is important.

So if you are a stay-at-home mom, or you just want to figure out how to take care of your home better, I highly suggest this book.

[Alison Sheffield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book in both Kindle and paperback. I am SO glad I bought the paperback to work through the extensive workbook pages in the back. This book has been extremely helpful in this busy family of 5. Not only does it contain practical applications, but it really helps create a mental shift. Brooke Sailer does a great job of encouraging and offering support, while being firm and practical. I am so glad I read this book!

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not at all what I expected! This quick little read is a just encouragement for women with their housekeeping sprinkled with a few practical tips for doing housekeeping better. Most of the book’s bulk is journaling pages in the back. It was nice and a light read, but for a practicing minimalist well on her way to streamlining her home (and writing her own book on the subject), I probably had only one real takeaway. Disappointing, but I now know I’m not the target audience! Still appreciate the good work Brooke is doing. I do recommend this for a women who maybe actually feel like they’re “failing at this thing called Home.” The brevity and simplicity is perfect for someone in that state of perpetual overwhelm.

[Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially, a quickly written and friendly casual piece intended to help motivate one to take care of your home. Hardly anything at all concrete, but the motivation can help some. Disappointed there wasn't more of practical value here. Do your dishes every day, don't get behind on them. And read a Mari Kondo's life changing art of tidying up. That is basically the whole book, paired with her being really excited to be Devi Titus' granddaughter. (Sorry. No clue who that is.)

Nice enough, but I really hoped it would have more intrinsic value. Though perhaps the reality is that if you want to take care of your home, stop reading and start working towards it.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Honest, engaging, and well written, with actual solutions for common homemaking situations. Brooke is authentic, someone you'd like to sit down and have coffee with. She helped me see that I really am "winning" at this thing called home!

[Laura Jones, LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great motivation

Need a little boost for my life as a stay at home mom. This book did. Stock up on trash bags.

[Rachel Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Brooke reminds us to consider that what drives us nuts can have a solution instead off simply surviving. We can thrive!