Home Development

I became obsessed with mum hacks when a friend showed me a game-changing tip during my baby days - that baby vests can be pulled down (not up) in the event of an explosive poo. I couldn't believe I had been a mum for so long and not known! Things I Wish I'd Known will bring you hundreds of quick and clever solutions, just like this, all to make the parenting juggle easier.

Not long ago, Christine Carter, a happiness expert at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and a speaker, writer, and mother, found herself exasperated by the busyness of modern life: too many conflicting obligations and not enough time, energy, or patience to get everything done. She tried all the standard techniques—prioritizing, multitasking, delegating, even napping—but none really worked. Determined to create a less stressful life for herself—without giving up her hard-won career success or happiness at home—she road-tested every research-based tactic.

Homeschooling can be a tremendous gift to your children—a personalized educational experience tailored to each kid’s interests, abilities, and learning styles. But what to teach, and when, and how? Especially for first-time homeschoolers, the prospect of tackling an annual curriculum can be daunting. In Home Learning Year by Year, Rebecca Rupp presents comprehensive plans from preschool through high school, covering integral subjects for each grade, with lists of topics commonly presented at each level, recommended resource and reading lists.

In Material, Kary takes listeners along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful listen, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society. Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes, and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create.

The Organised Mum Method is the housekeeping bible that will completely revolutionise your home. Say goodbye to mess, clutter and weekends spent tidying and cleaning! Gemma Bray (aka The Organised Mum) is a firm believer that there is more to life than housework, and over the last decade she has perfected The Organised Mum Method (TOMM).

Conflict Resolution Strategies for Work and Life gives you all the professional tips, tools, and insights to settle friction with your colleagues, partners, parents, and friends. Conflicts are a normal part of life. In fact, in some cases, it’s necessary in order to express your unmet needs, communicate your boundaries, and find common ground.

On television, Coffey is known for using tough love to overhaul failing businesses and help owners take charge of their future. In Own It!, Coffey takes her trademark no-nonsense style and business expertise to provide small business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to “own their lives” with the keys to success. Combining her own experiences with those of everyday people who have faced challenging transitions, Own It! will help listeners reach their goals.

In Cheerfulness, veteran radio host and author Garrison Keillor reflects on a simple virtue that can help us in this stressful and sometimes gloomy era. Drawing on personal anecdotes from his young adulthood into his 80s, Keillor sheds light on the immense good that can come from a deliberate work ethic and a buoyant demeanor.

They number in the millions and they are incredibly important to families and to our society, yet they are underappreciated, little respected, and even controversial. Who are they? They are the stay-at-home moms. In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms is a special book, a profound and unique understanding of how important it is for mothers to raise their own children.

In A Simpler Motherhood, Emily's on a mission to remove stress from the lives of moms and busy families seeking less stuff and more joy in their daily life.

Each time she knelt to "catch" another wriggling baby - nearly 3,000 times during her remarkable career - California midwife Peggy Vincent paid homage to the moment when pain bows to joy and the world makes way for one more. With every birth, she encounters another woman-turned-goddess: Catherine rides out her labor in a car careening down a mountain road. Sofia spends hers trying to keep her hyper doctor-father from burning down the house. Susannah gives birth so quietly that neither husband nor midwife notice until there's a baby in the room.

This book teaches you the vital skills you need to confront others, communicate effectively, and live a more conflict-free life. In this updated edition, communications expert Barbara Pachter shares a practical, step-by-step guide to tackling conflicts in any situation, including a new section on navigating sticky situations online.

When Mark Doty went looking to adopt a small dog, a cuddly creature who might comfort his terminally ill partner, Wally Roberts, he was surprised to find himself returning home from an animal shelter with a full-grown golden retriever, a dog whose "absolute openess of regard", and paw gently offered through the bars of a cage, proved irresistable to him.

Is clutter draining your energy and stealing your peace? You’re not alone. Studies show that a messy home can increase stress, overwhelm, and even decision fatigue—but decluttering doesn’t have to be an all-consuming, exhausting process.

Does the thought of going ‘bigger’ or ‘harder’ wear you out? Do you crave a simpler life, one that is filled with joy and fun instead of merely hustling to pay the bills and doing the laundry on your day off? Stop waiting for permission to enjoy yourself. Welcome to your epic small life, where you get to choose. You get to choose exactly how you’d like it to be, from the big picture right down to the tiniest and most delicious details.

At just 10 years old, Kirsty has already suffered a lifetime of heartache and suffering. Neglected by her teenage mother and taken into care, Kirsty thought she had found her forever family when she is fostered by Pat and Mike, who she comes to see as her real mum and dad. But when Pat has a heart attack and collapses in front of her, Kirsty's foster family says it's all her fault. They blame her temper tantrums for putting Pat under stress and they don't want Kirsty in their lives anymore.

Unlock the secret to a clutter-free home with the power of the 5-minute task—an easy, practical method to help you get organized and thrive with ADHD, one small step at a time. If you’re exhausted by the constant struggle to control the chaos in your living space, overwhelmed by an endless to-do list, or frustrated by ADHD's impact on your ability to stay organized, this book is for you!

When death touches your family, you are never quite prepared. Complicating your personal pain and the need to grieve is the equally important task of helping your children understand and process the loss of a loved one. How should you answer your child's questions about death? Should you let them see you cry? How can you support their resilience? How can you help preserve memories? Drawing from their own personal and professional experience, Erin Nelson and Colleen Montague help you navigate loss alongside your child.

The creator of the popular cleaning website Clean Mama and author of Clean Mama’s Guide to a Healthy Home shows you how to establish systems and rituals to transform your home into a clean, organized, and comfortable space for you and your family.

Having recently lost his mum to cancer, when eight-year-old Tom comes to live with Maggie, he is scared and alone. Tom has been taken into care following concerns from his teachers about his dad Mark's ability to cope as a single parent following the death of his wife. As a former soldier, Mark has resorted to his military training in order to cope with his young son, forcing him to scrub the floors until his hands bleed and perform repeated push-ups as punishment for his misdemeanors.