The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Since I started homeschooling my middle school daughter, I have read numerous books, websites, blogs, and articles on how to choose a curriculum. This book was one of the best guides in a well-rounded education. I admit that I skipped the elementary section, because that no longer applies to my daughter. I only skimmed the high school section, because I will check this book out from the library again next year to guide our choices in my daughter's education. The section in the back about how to pull your child out of school, socialization, applying for college, etc is not as well covered as in other books and online sources which tend to be more current. I highly recommend this book for the guidance on curriculum and how to instruct your child/student in a classical education. It is thorough, well documented, and easy to follow. I will admit that I spent a great deal more on books this year than last year, but in preparation for a college bound student, it is worth the investment.

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

There are some good suggestions in this book, but I couldn't get past the negativity to finish the book. There are several judgmental statements about people who try to clean/de-clutter over time versus all at once. The author believes strongly in the shock value of having a space perfect in one cleaning session. Unfortunately, I live in the real world and I get 15 minutes here and an hour there for cleaning and house maintenance. I don't get days at a time to completely de-clutter. In my journey towards minimalism, I have had a mental shift to de-own and reduce the amount of stuff in my house. Slowly, I have donated and/or trashed boxes and bags of items I no longer need, want, or use. According to the author, I will never achieve my goals because I choose to do this slowly. I would rather save myself the rest of the negativity in this book than read 1 or 2 hints on how to "tidy" my spaces. There are better books out there, like The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide.

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