Book Reviews: Summa Domestic and The Stocked Kitchen
Summa Domestica
Vol. 3
Housekeeping
By Leila Marie Lawler
This is probably the best book on homemaking basics that I have ever read. It is funny, winsome, sound, and sharp when needed. Lawler covers three basics: cleaning, laundry, and cooking. She also addresses decorating, moving, being frugal, and organizing. What I love is that she’s a mom of seven who homeschools, now has grown children, and lived on one income. She’s been in the trenches. This is not information from a career woman. This is boots on the ground reality.
Lawler provides systems for cooking, cleaning, and laundry that are simple and effective for nursing, homeschooling, dealing with home imperfections, and lots of kids. Her advice on being frugal and organized is down-to-earth realistic. And she doesn’t place a burden. She isn’t implying she had a perfect home or demanding that you should. She talks about the messes, the chaos, the places she didn’t want to clean, and the mistakes she made. She talks about how to rest and grow.
On top of all this, she constantly encourages us homemakers on the importance of our role in the home and making the home beautiful.
I was grateful and relieved to see many of my thoughts and opinions shared here mirrored in her book! Ha! It’s always nice to know you’re not crazy and that if you are, you’re not alone.
Busy moms, her chapters are short and easy to read and digest so this is a good book to try when life feels so busy. She has advice for newlyweds, using Pinterest, avoiding home perfection, and has a high standard of home without being unrealistic.
I loved the two cornerstones of her homemaking;
1) Sunday should be about church and rest. Set that up and everything else will fall into place. This isn’t just a single chapter on the side for her, but something woven into both her books that I read. (I didn’t read Vol. 2 which is about homeschooling, but if it is anything like Vol 1 and 3, I’m confident it is solid gold.) It is a strong theme with her that I find so encouraging.
2) The master bedroom is your starting point. Lawler makes a point that you start in your master bedroom when cleaning, decorating, and organizing because this is the visible bedrock and foundation of your family: your marriage. Plus, it shows your hard-working man that he’s seen and appreciated, not always getting the shortest straw or no straw at all. A strong family always starts with a strong marriage and Lawler reminds us to communicate that by homemaking our bedroom first.
I love it so much!
From beginning to end, Lawler extols the woman in her home as vital and indispensable along with the importance of beauty for the soul, while reminding you that beauty isn’t perfection where no one lives, nor is it only found at Target.
Lawler strongly, strongly emphasizes the wife not working a job other than her homemaking with lots of good reasons, even in the case of debt. But she doesn’t call it a sin, so even if you have a side gig, read and ponder what she says, but without shame, guilt, or discontent.
This book is practical, philosophical (delving into the whats and the whys), realistic, and encouraging. Lawler even had a chapter that encourages those of us who regret not getting on the ball earlier in life with the whole homemaker thing.
Finally, my dear Mrs. Lawler is a Roman Catholic, so she tends to treat prayer as a physical altar, talks about praying to saints and guardian angels, as well as quoting popes. As always, practice discernment, apply the good, and discard the things that are Biblically unsound or don’t suit your unique family.
I highly recommend all three books to you, dear ladies. This is worth the investment. You will be able to mine them for lots of wisdom and encouragement.
The Stocked Kitchen
By Sarah Kallio and Stacey Krastins
I didn’t read this book, only glanced through it, but it seemed like an excellent resource for a woman just starting out as a homemaker. It gives you lists of things to stock your pantry with and the recipes that use those ingredients. This is very handy to have all in one book and will keep you from buying expensive ingredients you only use once.
It doesn’t seem to take any food allergies or dietary requirements into account, so if you deal with those you’ll have to do some modifications.
I also think it is a great example of a kitchen journal. Pantry supplies and the recipes to use them. So, if you’re looking for ways to set up a kitchen journal, this might be a good source of inspiration. This would also make a good gift for a new homemaker.
