Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms [Paperback]

Tami Kiser (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 22, 2010

Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. Luke 10:41

Motherhood is so demanding, it s easy to become a Martha always worried about the next thing we have to do and rarely choosing the better part, as Martha's sister Mary did.

Tami Kiser understands. She's a busy mom of nine who juggles teaching at her children's parish school, volunteering at her parish, running a household, and many other responsibilities. Her Smart Martha seminars have helped thousands of women learn to set their priorities so that they still have ample time for Jesus throughout the day.

This is the book that can help any frazzled Martha become more spiritually focused, more holistically fulfilled, and more mentally prepared than ever before. Discover practical tips that will help save time and your sanity. Learn how to:


--Approach every Martha task with a Mary attitude.

--De-clutter your children's toys for faster cleanup and more meaningful play.

--Manage technology to enhance your family's spiritual health.

--Create mealtimes that nourish both body and soul.

--Tackle household chores as a family.

--Foster spiritual beauty in your children. And much more!


Your maternal instinct as well as constant demands from family members may call for a Martha mom, but trust in the Lord that they need a Mary mom, too. Be a Smart Martha, with one eye on the task at hand and the other on the Lord.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As a big fan of Tami Kiser's Smart Martha tips and techniques for years, I'm thrilled to find all of her words of wisdom compiled into book format. With Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms, Tami gives moms practical solutions for managing their homes but more importantly for nurturing their souls and familial relationships. From prioritizing family dinners to organizing your home and schedule, Tami gives moms the tools they need to help themselves and their families live happier, holier lives." --Lisa M. Hendey, author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (September 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592767923
• ISBN-13: 978-1592767922
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars very clear and helpful hints for busy moms December 13, 2010

By Nicole Samuelson

Format:Paperback

Tami Kiser is a mom of nine children. She knows what it means to be busy!

The biblical story of Martha and Mary is one that resonates with a lot of Christian moms - how do we get all the Martha jobs done, and still have the heart of Mary?

This book was written to give mothers practical advice, ideas, and tips on how to be a "smart Martha" - a mother who, while taking care of her home and family, remembers that the best thing she can do for her family is to treat each child (and her husband) the same way Mary treated Jesus in the biblical account. Mary sat with Jesus; she spent time focused on Him, listening to Him with her heart, not running around "worried and anxious about many things" as was Martha.

This really struck a chord with me, and has been something I've been thinking about for the past couple of years or so, so I was eager to read this book.

It's a balancing act really, this being both Mary and Martha, and a mother must have her priorities clearly set before her in order to be at all successful in accomplishing what needs to be done while still listening to her family with her heart.

Tami Kiser has a lot of practical tips to share, and she writes in a friendly, familiar way, with some great humor thrown in occasionally.

Many of her tips about organizing toys, and general housekeeping were either unrealistic for me or things I already do, but they were written well and I do think would benefit many mothers. The author's idea of how many toys are "a few" toys for each child was "a lot" of toys in my opinion; perhaps I was looking for a more simplify-and-minimize approach than she uses in her home. This is fine, and I understand that each family must do what works for them; but this along with her feelings about children and video games and the use of other electronic media just aren't my feelings and thus I didn't get much out of these sections of the book.

I also hoped for more wisdom and guidance about balancing activities that provide spiritual nourishment with all the down-to-earth responsibilities. I found that, while this was discussed a couple of times, the book was mostly about being as organized as possible to allow for more time, the idea being that this freed up time will allow one to be more of a Mary to her family. This is fine, but personally I know that if I don't have clear priorities laid out for me, extra time will simply be spent doing more "Martha" activities.

Overall I enjoyed the book. I appreciated the writing style, which kept me engaged and interested, and I did learn quite a few useful things that I hope to implement into our routines and home life.

Thank you to The Catholic Company, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinion stated is fully my own.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Reference for Young Catholic Moms November 15, 2010

By Shaina M. Raile

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a young wife and stay-at-home mother making decisions about how to run my household both now and thinking ahead to when my husband and I have more children, I have found myself drawn to what I call the "Catholic Mom" genre. As the latest in the genre, this book certainly did not disappoint; I inhaled it in days!

Tami Kiser has found a particular niche with her writings in this genre. Her overarching message of balancing Mary and Martha dispositions is timeless in the way that many of the other "Catholic Mom" books are, but her book is unique in that it is also very now, very 2010. Kiser directly and specifically references technology today and how to use it for the good (organizing a family of 11!) and what evils it may bring (explicit images, etc). She talks about particular websites, specific movies, new phones with internet capability, the latest video gaming systems, and so forth. I would love to see a revised version of this book in a few years since she seems so up-to-date on everything out there and technology is changing so quickly!

Even when she is not talking about technology though, she does a great job about being specific on how she goes about a certain task, explaining both the theoretical and practical application. For example, she does not say something like "Keep your purse organized," leaving a clutter-prone reader to wonder how that might be possible. Instead, she tells you exactly how she organizes hers and includes pictures so the reader can do the same if desired. This sort of clarity is very helpful to someone like me who is looking for very specific ideas.

My daughter is 20 months old so I found the chapters on toys (chapter 1) and on memorabilia (chapter 6) to be particularly helpful, along with Chapter 7, which offers shorter discussions on a variety of parenting topics. In the first chapter, Kiser gives fabulous tips on how to think about choosing toys and how to organize them in a way that is helpful to both the education of children and the sanity of parents. In Chapter 6, she lays out exactly how to keep "memory clutter" to a minimum and store it in a way that makes it easily accessible. I am so glad to be able to start my parenting days with some of her toy and organizing suggestions and will continue to reference the book in the future as some of the other chapters gain greater relevance to my situation!

I highly recommend this book to any mom looking for ideas informed by the Catholic faith on making her every day life run a little more smoothly. The author does a lovely job of sharing how she does things (with details and pictures at times!) and why and even throws in some other suggestions she has picked up along the way, but never makes you feel like her way is the only way. It is like chatting with a wise friend or mentor - absolutely refreshing and inspiring!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book! Great book for busy moms! November 24, 2010

By Kay

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is invaluable for busy moms who want specific examples on how to live more organized, simplier, and happier while still serving the Lord and having time left for your kids. I loved the real life photos and examples of how the author accomplishes this. I know that I will reference this book as my children grow. The book gives great ways to communicate with your kids, to have them help with the household duties, to organizing all the 'stuff' that comes with having kids. This will help your life run more smoother and efficiently so that you have more time! It's a great book for any mom, and all the Catholic things it contains are just a bonus for us Catholic moms! It contains ideas to help foster traditions and faith into your regular family schedule.

This book is not over the top, meaning all this can be accomplished. Its not some super organized mother you won't be able to keep up with. The author comes across as a regular busy mother who knows that some of these things can help other mothers and it is all do able!

You will love this book!