The Empowered Mama: How to Reclaim Your Time and Yourself while Raising a Happy, Healthy Family

by Lisa Druxman

The Empowered Mama is a practical and interactive workbook full of simple, powerful tools to help moms reconnect with themselves on the journey through motherhood.

Moms often try to juggle the roles of wife, mother, and homemaker while also being professional, competent women. Many moms feel like they can't take time to replenish their bodies and minds, despite their many roles. There's just not enough time in the day, and it seems selfish to take time when families and work still demand more.

The Empowered Mama is a practical workbook full of simple, powerful tools to help you reconnect with yourself on the journey through motherhood. Author Lisa Druxman uplifts, inspires, and takes moms on a journey not just to rediscover themselves, but to fall in love with motherhood again. Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, this book will add balance to your life.

Since there will never be more hours in the day, The Empowered Mama will help you maximize the hours you do have to accomplish what matters most. This guide focuses on all parts of a mom's life—work relationships, built-up stressors, cleaning up your diet, even going green and being more mindful about the environment—all with the intuitive understanding that getting the rest of your life in order will only reap huge dividends for your family.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2017

About the author

I've dedicated my career to empowering women to move from overwhelm to a life filled with health, happiness, and passion.

As a speaker, author, podcaster, and #momboss, I love to share tips, strategies, and life hacks I've developed to help you design a life that’s deeply meaningful and filled with joy.

Reviews

[Katie at Book Ink Reivews · Rating 2 out of 5]

A copy of this review can be found at Book Ink Reviews.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Druxman, and Quarto Publishing Group-Fair Winds Press for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

In a sweetly colored work-guidebook combo, Druxman encourages mothers to take back their sense of self. Through exercises in self-care, encouragement to say no, and monthly challenges, mothers are reminded that they matter, too, and are given the tools to live a purposeful life while gaining the keys back to the soul they may be out of touch with.

While her heart seems to be in the right place and some of her suggestions hold true value, I also found myself raising my eyebrows at suggestions of hiring a laundry company or a virtual assistant to free up time during the day. Add in that the entire introduction is about "getting your body back" and a discussion on the evils of GMOs--while some are not the best to eat, others are healthy (think seedless grapes and sweet corn)--I found myself eye-rolling more often than nodding along.

I stuck with it until the very end and I found it redeemed itself a bit with the sections on giving, courting your spouse, and practicing gratitude.

If you're a mother desperate for any answers to help your mind and your life find peace, this is absolutely for you. But, if you're like I was and just looking for a sweet soulful lift on motherhood itself, take a pass.

[A. R. Parr Burdett · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting it to have more substance and more authenticity, but it felt basic and was more of a workbook. While there were some interesting aspects throughout, the majority of the book was filled with simplified concepts that didn’t help me progress. It didn’t feel like it took the reader in a journey and was more of a textbook.
But maybe I’m just at a different place in life than the audience this book is for 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the impression, and this is only my opinion, this book was written for the overwhelmed mother that did not have the needed support of her partner. I fortunately have that and beyond from the wonderful man I share a life with. Although this book wasn’t for me, and my take away was very minimal, I did enjoy that the author’s writing style was as if you were hearing the advice from a friend. This is an easy and quick read filled with a multitude of workbook activities. I found these to be be insightful and a good place to reflect. I appreciated the clean, clear and bright layout of this book as well.

If you are an overworked mama struggling with time management when caring for your whole family and you would like insight on ways to refocus and improve on your time to improve the well being of your family as a whole, then this book is recommended for you.

A copy was kindly provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publisher.

[Alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a book organised like a yearly challenge, through 12 chapters. Although peppered with some common sense, useful advice, it is also equally peppered with tiresome hashtag style ads to the author's business and impractical or plain awkward advice for the average person (e.g. hire help; organise family meetings - I get the idea, but it sounded so forced... same with getting kids used to money being taken away by skimming 10% off their allowance for charity). Read it as it is a short read and take out of it the useful and relevant stuff and skip what you don't like. A very good resources list at the end to explore the topics most interesting to you.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lovely, colorful layout and gives encouragement and practical tips to help you care for yourself. It includes lots of room to journal about reflection questions. It would make the perfect gift for a new mom, or any mom!

I received an ARC from NetGalley. It will be released on November 17, 2017.

[Helena · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun/easy read with space to reflect and take notes! I recommend it for new moms.

[Kenzie Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book! Lisa writes about a lot of great practices to help moms take care of both themselves and their families while staying relatively sane XD I wish I would have known it is more of a "workbook" style book with exercises, rather than the pure self-help content I was expecting, but the exercises were really good for putting the material in practice. The book is also set up to be started in January and have monthly goals/topics, but that wasn't the biggest deal; it's more that the advice is meant to be applied over a year rather than binged in a library book that needs to be returned.The only thing that kept me from loving it is that for a few chapters, the advice was "Moms of toddlers/babies, you probably won't be able to do this right now, so just keep surviving." Which is fine, but not the most helpful thing, as that is where I am at right now. Overall, it was a good book and I will probably read it again!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky to receive a copy of this book as a giveaway in my Fit4Baby class. I didn't attempt the workbook components, and this is not my usual style of book (I'm not a big self-help reader). I also think this might be better suited to a (non-pregnant) mother of older children However, I enjoyed some of the tips and tricks, and reminders of good habits and mental work.

[botanyh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Applicable and encouraging

I finished the book in two weeks and started to change my daily life. I read book and listen to news everyday to recharge. I feel great about myself by doing those.

[Danahamm2 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked more of an emphasis on getting postpartum body back in shape given the authors background in fitness.

[Nadalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of helpful tips being a mom. I have 2 boys (2.5 & 5) and it can be challenging, so this helped.

[Mandy Umberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for every mom. The book itself is beautiful. It’s easy-to-apply workbook style advice has helped me feel more calm throughout my day. As a mother to 2 young children, I feel more in control and less overwhelmed. I like Lisa’s writing style, like you are chatting with a good friend. I also listen to her podcast, I can’t get enough. :)