Celebrating Joy - Grace - Embracing Simplicity

I love Emily's vulnerability & her practical wisdom that she shares in this book. I'm not a mom, but I am a business owner and I related so much of what she talks about in regards to the expectations that we place on ourselves. It was an easy read & I loved the photos that were included.

So helpful, like a breath of fresh air, with lots of good tips, written as if you're talking to a friend. Totally recommend it. Gives you permission to give yourself Grace and take care of yourself and enjoy beautiful things, also some decluttering and organizational tips lots of good practical info!

Relatable and applicable to any stage of this life, this job does a great job of putting life's rush into perspective and giving practical solutions for helping you to get control. Biblically based and not at all preachy, this book has been a blessing for me.

This is not only a wonderful read with inspiring but it is also a gorgeous coffee table or bedside stacking book. Emily Ley wrote a book that all women should read and take to heart. I bought it for a coworker, sister, sister in law and close friend.

Emily really pours her heart out into these pages. I couldn't put it down, from the truth that every person needs to hear, Emily really hit this on the head. The best way to describe it as if a friend is sitting with you over an iced coffee telling you the hard truths you need to hear. Everyone needs this in their life!

Emily Ley is such a sweet and positive influence on the internet when a lot of other people are just posting about clothes. Her words have meaning and this book is a reminder to look around and be grateful for what you have in your life. I love it! She is so sweet, I hope some day I can be an amazing mom like her, she is so patient and stops to appreciate her kiddos and the amazing craziness that they have brought to her life.

I purchased the Simplified Planner for the last three years, attended MTH in 2013 and was familiar with Emily's stories through these experiences. She continues to live out her mission and I felt her words through this book were just another way to do just that. To showcase to the world what imperfection and grace look like in daily life. I love the practical tips she gave for simplifying life and can't wait to see what her next book brings!

I loved this book and am looking forward to Emily's new book coming out this year! I enjoy following her on Instagram and have actually purchased two of her simplified planners that she describes in this book. I highly recommend them as well!

What an amazing book!!! I really connected with Emily on so many levels. It was like talking to a friend that knew exactly what I needed to hear. From one mama to another - no matter what you are trying to balance it helped me realize - I need to give myself more grace! I’m a proud mama of 2, that’s doing my very best homeschooling my kiddos, working full-time from home and trying to balance everyone’s schedule. This is going to be my new motto!! “Grace Not Perfection” And a new favorite book I’ll be recommending to everyone!
Thank you Emily!
Tonya

It started out really good, but it seems as though she repeats herself a lot throughout the whole book. Her whole book is talking about her simplified planner that she sells. That got annoying. And she talks about not being perfect, so why put the most perfect pictures in your book!?!?

My book arrived today in very poor, beat up condition. I was very excited about this, but don’t feel it was worth $13 in this kind of condition. I have tried to contact seller/company, but cannot find any place to do so but here. If someone can contact me about this, I will remove this review and the photos. Thank you!

I'm only halfway through and I absolutely love this book! I'm currently 38 weeks pregnant and have been going crazy stressing myself out trying to make sure everything is perfect. This book has really opened my eyes and helped me relax!

This book speaks directly to my lifestyle - I am a perfectionist, and like Emily, have felt the exhaustion that comes along with it. This book has religious undertones, but don't let that scare you! Emily is a clear, succinct writer, and provides activities throughout the book to help you aim for grace, not perfection.

Love, love, love this book! I love Emily's honesty and encouragements throughout the book. There is so much truth spoken when it comes to trying to do your best on an empty well. I would encourage any tired momma, stressed out college student or struggling Christian to read this book.

This book inspires me to lead a more peaceful life and not worry so much about controlling every little aspect of it. To be alot more forgiving and loving towards myself and to enjoy my loved ones and little moments with them. Thanks, Emily Ley, for writing this great book!

I read this cover to cover pretty quickly. I have been a fan of Emily Ley and Simplified Planner for a couple years now. I think I really needed this book in my life right now. She puts her heart on paper and it speaks to so many of us I am sure. So many times through reading, I found myself thinking, Yes, I am not the only one!
Aside from the above, the book and pages are top quality and format on pages makes it easy to read. She includes areas to jot down your own notes and reflections. I found that very helpful.
I can't say enough good things about Grace, Not Perfection. It was truly wonderful!

I read this cover to cover pretty quickly. I have been a fan of Emily Ley and Simplified Planner for a couple years now. I think I really needed this book in my life right now. She puts her heart on paper and it speaks to so many of us I am sure. So many times through reading, I found myself thinking, Yes, I am not the only one!
Aside from the above, the book and pages are top quality and format on pages makes it easy to read. She includes areas to jot down your own notes and reflections. I found that very helpful.
I can't say enough good things about Grace, Not Perfection. It was truly wonderful!

Alright, let's start with this: if you are looking for a book that is going to completely 100% transform your life after reading it, this is probably not the book for you. However, if you are simply looking for an encouraging book with some great tips on how to simplify your life, be more efficient, and will encourage you to find joy in your current season of life, then this IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

I honestly have no idea why there are so many haters on here upset at her advertising her planner. If you can't afford one, that's perfectly fine. You can definitely still get through life without it. But if she created the planner with simplifying her life in mind and she believes it really helps her stay organized, I don't see why she shouldn't be allowed to talk about it. And this is from someone who didn't have a clue who Emily Ley was until I bought her planner (which, by the way, HAS ACTUALLY transformed my daily life and I am obsessed with it and can say it's worth every penny).

Anyway, I love love love this book, and I love love love Emily's heart! Just like everything else from Emily Ley, it leaves me feeling inspired, encouraged, and has helped me start to develop new habits to make the little things in life more efficient and leave more time for the really good stuff. I love the worksheet-style pages that make this book 1) more personal for the reader and 2) make the book a bit of a keepsake! And this is all coming from a full-time stay-at-home homeschooling mom of three. ;)

Enjoy and don't be afraid of the negative reviews! This book is worth the money.

This message will never, ever get old! I highly recommend this book. As a mama of a toddler and a business owner, I can't hear this message enough. We live in a world of comparison, striving for perfection in every way. When we aim for perfection, we miss out on the truth of GRACE that is ours daily - but it's up to us to take hold of that Grace.

In GNP, Emily guides us through practical ways to take hold of that grace and provide order and love and family memories in our own homes. The pages are colorful and beautiful. They are personal, down to earth, and practical. They are even interactive - inviting the reader to write and participate in the truth she shares.

My favorite quote so far: "If we don't intentionally slow down, this precious, messy season will pass us by." - EL

LOVE the heart and message behind this book! It'll be one I keep on my coffee table for sure.

I finally had some free time from dental school and I prayed to God to send me to the right book. I typed a few keywords into Google and Bam, this book. I was like, sure, it's pretty. Little did I know, this is the refreshing step I needed before my next semester comes up. Don't miss out on this GREAT READ!

Loved the majority of the content of the book, highlighted and took notes on many aspects, but marked this down one star because of the constant pitch of her planner. I do commend her for her company! It just felt strange reading and knowing I won't spend that much on a planner.

I started following Emily Ley's story and jumped right on board with Grace Not Perfection. What a wonderful message we need to be reminded of daily. It's always easier to read and say than do, but I believe her passion behind her words are going to inspire so many women like myself to embrace that grace; drop that desire for perfection, and enjoy life to its fullest.

Disappointed. I ordered this book before (new) from another seller and it came with a nice cover on it. I ordered this particular book for a friend of mine as a gift. When it arrived, it did not have a nice cover on it and also had a few scratches which makes it appear used. The book (content) is great that's why I ordered it a second time however, I'd be skeptical that it arrives in "New" condition.

Emily Ley has bravely written the words that many women battle on a daily basis and I, for one, need them! I'm grateful for a book that is so candid but yet practical. She leaves you space to jot your thoughts, make plans, and reflect-- perfect for someone like me who wants to be a good journaler but just isn't! It's also just a really beautiful book, from the cover to the imagery and use of color. This is going to be my go-to gift for the women in my life! I'm so glad I already have 2 copies!

Emily truly speaks life through her message of Grace not Perfection! This story is truly transparent and encouraging for women at different stages of life. As a wife and small business owner with no children, this message rings loud and clear. The book itself is beautiful, the paper is magnificent, and the full color pages bring this story to life. It would make a great gift for so many ladies out there. Thanks Emily and team!

I really tried to love this, and approach it positively and participate, but it was just so. basic. The "tips" were so obvious, and played out - like planning meals in advance? I felt like she was speaking to women who have never actually been adults. It was also a little odd, the book would discuss the importance of looking for joy and celebrating life beyond perfectly constructed social media photos - and was then accompanied with perfect social-media worthy photos. I know no one wants to see a bunch of pics of someone's filthy kitchen, but it just rang as insincere. It also had a pretty religious slant that didn't resonate with me, so the explanations on how to alter your perspective I wasn't fully buying into. Likely a better read for very young, religious moms who have never tried any other forms of organization.

Over the past couple months, I've discovered how much I really enjoy reading self-help books, particularly inspirational and motivational ones. I'm always looking for new books to read and came upon this one, which was recommended based on some of my recent purchases (the store's product recommendations snagged me again!). I've read some books in the past that I haven't enjoyed too much so I was lucky to find this book in our local library so I could read it first. Shortly after finishing it, I ended up purchasing my own hardcover copy since I want to be able to reference it again!

Grace, Not Perfection is a wonderful inspirational book written by Emily Ley, creator of The Simplified Planner. She is a busy wife and mother who knows what it's like to want to do everything perfectly and still manage a family, household, and career. Once she realized it's not possible to do everything perfectly without struggling emotionally, she discovered it's far more rewarding to do everything with grace and embrace the joy that comes along with this crazy, busy, chaotic life!

This book is divided into three parts: Grace with Yourself, Grace with Your People, and Grace in Your Calling. Within each section are chapters that help you identify how you can best achieve grace in different areas of your life. While some of the ideas mentioned may seem obvious and repetitive, sometimes when we are stressed out and not thinking clearly, it helps to have them gently laid out in plain sight so we can say "Oh yeah, that's a much better way of handling myself" or "I hadn't considered that option before and maybe I should try it that way!". I love how Emily Ley brings God, scripture, and Biblical teachings into this book so we can think about how those can apply to our lives as well.

This book is written in an enjoyable way that's easy to read and doesn't drone on and on. Emily Ley is very identifiable and comes across as a real person as she relays her life, struggles, insecurities, and doubts. Through it all, she's learned some ways to make her stress less about the things that are bringing her down and ways that make life more enjoyable so she has time to focus on what's most important to her. This book contains a number of worksheet pages where she asks some questions and allows us to write down thoughts and ideas of what we could do to simplify our lives to make room for more joy. This book measures 6 1/4 inches by 8 1/4 inches by one inch so, if you own a large purse or carry a tote with you, you could easily bring this with you to work, school, or wherever you'd like. The hardcover edition contains a ribbon bookmark and the design is very happy and pretty with the stripes and bright pink color.

I very much enjoyed this book! I'm glad I checked it out from the library first so I could see if I wanted my own copy and it turns out, I loved it so I've ordered my own for reading through again and again. I'm also a perfectionist but have found that trying to maintain that mindset while raising young children hasn't been working too well for me. It's made me frustrated because I've been trying to do it all. I've let go of some things and this book has given me ideas of other areas where I can simplify. I have a friend who's currently reading it and she said she loves it as well and it's the book that brought her out of her book funk. One of my close friends enjoys reading many of the same books I do and I have no doubt she will enjoy this one as well. Personally, I could identify with the author since my husband and I also struggled with infertility and now we have twins too! I feel this book is mostly geared towards Christian mothers but I don't see any reason why men and pastors, to name a few, can't read it to help loved ones and parishioners. There are so many inspirational self-help books out there and I've found a number of them to be very helpful. If you, too, are a mother who wants to find ways to embrace more joy during your crazy and chaotic life, I highly recommend this book!

I absolutely love the Emily Ley products and heart behind them. This book was good, but not exactly the book I was expecting. It seemed to be very repetitive in almost every chapter. I guess I wanted the book to be "deeper" than it was to me. I wanted to cry and dig deep and be challenged. Some things were very admirable, such as starting a debt free company! But some things I could have done without--such as outsourcing home cleaning services and having groceries delivered in the name of simplifying? I simply can't afford it but power to those who can! If life is about grace and not perfection, I'll stick with cleaning when I get around to it :)

Overall the book was ok. It should have been called “Grace not Perfection for Moms”. Several chapters are devoted entirely to parenting and making more time for your children. However, as a woman in my 30s without children, I found this information unhelpful and didn’t realize there would be such a large emphasis on this in the book. It was not marketed as a family help book.

I enjoyed the overall principle of the book and it was a fast read. It could have been condensed as large parts of the book were filled with one page quotes and pictures.

It was an easy read, pretty pages, but shallow advice. I laughed off most of it, but 3 years ago when I was over my head in postpartum depression, this book would have sent me over the edge of “I’m not good enough.” Emily Ley lives in her own world. I got a good chuckle out of the chapter that advised overwhelmed moms to hire a cleaning service and have groceries delivered. I’m laughing typing it right now. If I could afford that kind of thing I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. And yes, the book did make me want to buy one of her planners (as it was meant to do) but when I saw that they were 58 bucks I rolled my eyes so hard they got stuck in the back of my head. 58 bucks to us is almost a tank of gas, a few groceries from the Dollar Store, or a couple of prescriptions. If I had an extra 58 bucks, I’d hire that cleaning service she was talking about.

This is the last thing a new, vulnerable, anxious, or depressed mom needs to read. For me, it was frilly chick lit.