Many of you are familiar with The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I have not yet read her first book, but the moment I opened Happier At Home - I was eager for the journey I was about to take.

“Ain’t no one happy if mama’s not happy” is the old adage we are all familiar with. It behooves us moms to take the time to create our own happiness journey. Gretchen Rubin provides the inspiration, ideas, and permission to make it possible.

I love the beginning quote in the book: “The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.” For moms who try to live a mindful and intention-filled life, curiosity and inspiration will be peaked. Rubin applies her principles to the details of your home, marriage, and family.

I am a big fan of the innate paradoxes that exist within life and living. Gretchen Rubin has identified several. In order to pursue happiness with fervor, she discovered that one must confront and accept these inconsistencies.

Accept and expect is one of the paradoxes of happiness that she introduces. People must simultaneously accept themselves as they are and expect better things. The eternal path of growth requires constant change but that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t be happy where we are.

She also mentions one of my favorites – discipline leads to freedom. When we follow a rhythm, commit to something, and observe rules – we open up greater freedoms for our selves and our life. I also love Rubin’s assertion to plan for spontaneity and that it takes hard work to make things easier.

Step by step and month by month, Gretchen Rubin puts the process of pursuing happiness into action. She helps us examine our marriage, our bodies, and our homes. Each chapter of this book represents a month of work.

It took me more than a month to get through each chapter and put its principles to work. I’m ok with that, and you should to. Don’t rush the journey. While it is convenient to rely on the monthly timeline, sometimes you just need more time. It’s the commitment to actually do what you are learning and reading about that is important. You certainly do not want this book to become decoration on your coffee table. Make sure you put it to use.

Gretchen Rubin’s Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life is a workbook, a source of entertainment, and an inspiring guide to live life with intention and pursue happiness.

She writes with honesty, sharing examples from her own journey. Her insights will energize and excite you to lead a more purposeful life.


I checked this book out of the library. It was on my “to read” list. I think this is a great book to have on your bookshelf. You (and I) can purchase this book at Amazon: