MEMORY MAKING MOM: Book Review & Giveaway

by Sally Matheny

How many of you enjoy giving your kids “memories for roots and love for wings?”

If so, then you’ll want to take a look at this book review of Memory Making Mom: Building Traditions That Breathe Life into Your Home, by Jessica Smartt. Plus, there’s a giveaway this week!

And, if you’ve just belted out a snort of laughter, because you’ve got the family love rooted, but it’s the memory making that seems to be what’s fluttering away—then hang on!

Seriously. Who has time to build beautiful traditions and make precious memories? If you read my post on journaling about our children, then you know, life can get a little hectic, especially with little ones! The author of this book knows that, too.

Author, blogger, and mama of three, Jessica Smartt, starts off with a prelude titled Before You Read This Book, that says

    “I don’t want a book that paints this unattainable picture of supermoms and Miss Perfects. I want the everyday mom—you there, you with the oatmeal-crusted bowls in the sink, and the snotty-nosed toddler, and the husband working late, you from a broken home and a lonely neighborhood—you, the real moms, I want you to love this book.
   So before you read, hear me: This is a book of suggestions, not a must-do manual. You can’t do them all, nor should you…”

Jessica Smartt

I like that. Don’t you? It frees us from any guilt right from the start. All that lies ahead is a buffet of rich ideas and things to consider.

What Kind of Book Is It?

Memory Making Mom is a nonfiction, Christian living book published by W. Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.

The 240-page, paperback  book is written in chapters. Each chapter is followed by a brief list of questions to consider and a short list of suggested things to do.

It’s not a devotion book, per se, but there are scriptures used throughout. There is a possibility readers may feel a spiritual revival taking place, especially in the latter half of the book.

The Power of Traditions

Smartt shares about the power of good traditions. 

“Traditions are a planned determination to remember, celebrate, and value what is important. The fun things. The special things.  The things with truth and goodness and warmth. Traditions vary from person to person, family to family, culture to culture. And that’s the beauty; we decide what is meaningful, and we celebrate it.”

Jessica Smartt

Throughout the book, Smartt shares traditions from her family as well as those of other families. She emphasizes how traditions offer security, provide comforting memories, make life sparkle, make our values real, connect us, shower love, and are worth the extra effort.

And yes, she does address the issue of when it may be time to alter, or to lay a tradition aside.

The Contents

There are twelve chapters where Smartt highlights the “tradition-gifts” kids need most with 300+ traditions including food, spontaneity, learning, service, beauty, holidays, relationships, work, rest, and faith.  

Smartt offers “practical encouragement to modern parents to keep on adventuring—even when they are fighting distractions, are on a budget, and exhausted.”

She emphasizes the value of what’s important in life, of relationships, and the value of choosing Christ-honoring activities.

Smartt’s style of writing is down-to-earth, conversational, humorous, and with a Christian worldview. Sprinkle all that with just the right amount of a blend of sparkle and fun factor.

Many of the memory-making ideas sound familiar but what is unique about the book is the commentary Smarrt adds to it.

A Few Familiar Examples

When I say familiar examples, I mean they are familiar to me. To someone who may not have had a strong family unit, or who may not be familiar with some of the Christian-themed traditions, they are sought after ideas and fresh to the ears!

It’s a good reminder to cherish the traditions we may be taking for granted. There are many people who would have given anything, to have had one, loving, family tradition growing up.

Within the book’s chapters, Smartt includes heart-warming and humorous stories.

They’re not all Martha Stewart creations, I promise. Just read about the Christmas tree where her husband had to do some “Smart Man Stuff” to secure it to their window treatments with black camping rope so it would “look like something out of a Pottery Barn catalog, more or less.” By the end of her story, it was reduced to a “crooked, redneck, wobbly Christmas tree.”

I told you she was funny.

An additional, bulleted list of ideas is at the end of each chapter. All of these ideas are compiled in the Appendix.

Some of the ideas for creating memories are ones such as apple picking, baking cookies, and setting aside a special, family reading time.

There are lots of Christian-themed traditions such as creating a resurrection garden, recreating the Passover Seder meal and Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet, and grandparents hosting a VBS for their grandkids.

A Lot of Unique Examples

There are a lot of unique examples written within the chapters. Many of us have heard of some of these things, but we may not have realized their value as traditions.

For example, Smartt mentions her brother, John, who has set a personal goal to sample all the donut bakeries with fifty miles of his home and how his children will have fond memories of visiting different donut shops every Saturday morning.  

Other interesting areas include traditions of serving others who are in need, those who are sick; giving gifts of prayer, love, and rest; setting traditional dates with your spouse and special times with children; how to create special memories during hobbies and even chores!

Also Included in the Book

Also included in the book is a section titled, Questions You May be Asking.

Some of the questions addressed are:

“What suggestions do you have for divorced or single parents as they create traditions?”

“What suggestions do you have for families who have lost someone and are grieving?

“I want to have traditions, but I struggle to make things happen. What do I do if I’m not a planner type?”

“I usually do most of the planning, and my husband doesn’t seem to appreciate what I’m doing. How can I encourage him to be involved?”

My Recommendation

I highly recommend Memory Making Mom for all moms, and even grandmoms—because there are plenty of ways for you to make memories as well.

This book made me pause and think of ways to make a few more special memories with the one I still have left at home, as well as with my grown children and the grandbaby.

And, this book caused me to springboard in a different direction.

My mother is a memory-making mom. She has instilled lots of traditions in our family, but she said she wished she had journaled about my sister and me when we were little. She had her hands full, literally. My sister and I are ten and one-half months apart!

So, my sister, mom, and I are going to start meeting and share what we remember about our childhoods and help my mom compile a journal or two.

Doesn’t that sound like a fun memory-making time?

The Giveaway

Are you a memory making Mom? Would you like to win this lovely book to give you more ideas?

All you need to do is leave a comment below and your name will go in the drawing.

This will be a fast one! A winner will be randomly selected on May 10, 2019.

We have a winner! Congratulations to Rebecca F.! Your name was pulled from the hat. Happy Mother’s Day!

What to comment? Briefly share one of your favorite tradition memories, either one from your childhood, or a tradtion you have now with one of your children.

I’ll start! I have many fond memories of family traditions. But, I’ll tell you the first one that popped into my head. Every summer our family went camping in Linville, N.C. My dad did not cook meals at home. But when we went camping, he cooked a delicious eggs-and-bacon breakfast outside on a camp stove every morning. There’s nothing like the smell of bacon wafting through the fir trees of fresh, mountain air! I thought it was even more special because my daddy cooked it for us.

What is a special family tradition you remember?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

A freelance writer, Sally Matheny’s writing is published in worldwide, national, regional, online and print publications

Sally focuses on the power of story, history, and His Story to tell the next generation wondrous things. Connect with her on various social media sites. But, if she’s not hanging out with family and friends, or engaging in an American history class, you’ll most often find her at SallyMatheny.com or Pinterest.