An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me

Reading this book is sometimes like looking at my life from the outside! Alexandra talks about her life experiences in a way that every mom can relate. Her diary-style of writing makes you feel like you are truly getting a inside glimpse into her true everyday life.

I loved getting to see her victories and setbacks along the way of her 9 month experiment. There were so many times that I would read a sentence and think, "Yes! That is so true!"

I can't wait for others in my group to read this book,so we can conduct our own experiment to love our actual life!!!

This book was a great read. Kuykendall is honest and funny in her trial and error approach to finding ways to enjoy her everyday life. Loving My Actual Life is a loving embrace saying that we are not alone in our frustrations over daily life's mundane obstacles and that there is hope to finding ways to actually love life in the season we are in...not waiting until we are living our "idea" life. I highly recommend this for any woman struggling with discontent in where she's at and what her life looks like right now.

If you're struggling with trying to balance everything you feel like you 'should' be doing and are having trouble enjoying the life you're living, get this book! Alexandra is real, honest, and practical in sharing the different facets of her 9 month experiment to begin loving the life she actually lives. You don't come away feeling like you don't measure up. Instead, you feel encouraged and inspired to start making some changes yourself. And if your actual life seems too hectic to fit reading this book into, take that as a sign that you need to read it!
*I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review*

As a stay-at-home mom/homeschooling mom, sometimes its hard to love my actual life. I get bogged down in the minutia, overwhelmed by the huge "to-do" list. So when I saw Alexandra Kuykendall's book, "Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment In Relishing What's Right In Front Of Me," I knew I had to read it.

Now, just to be clear, this isn't really a "how to" book. You aren't going to find page after page of "how to love your life. This is more of a journal of the author's nine month experiment. If you've read Jen Hatmaker's book, 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, this book follows a similar pattern. Mrs. Kuykendall realized what she needed was not a different life, but a way to love the life God had given her. She broke her experiment up into 9 months: quiet, mornings, dates, health, adventure, home, creativity, meals, and passions. Each month she tackled a new area - trying to focus her attention on how to get more - and give more - out of that area of her life.

What I liked about this book:

1.) Its very readable. - Mrs. Kyukendall has a very easy, readable tone. Its not a deep theological discourse. (Although deep theological discourse is wonderful, sometimes a mom needs a book that's easy to understand. Especially when reading time includes breaks to change diapers, break up arguments, and wipe dirty noses.)

2.) The chapters are broken up into daily segments. - Just like Jen Hatmaker's "7," Kuykendall gives you daily "entries" into how the experiment is going. I find books like this refreshing for me, as a busy, easily distracted mom. During the day, I rarely get to sit down and read an entire chapter uninterrupted. And at night, after the kids are in bed, I'm often too exhausted to read. But the daily entries in this book are often just a couple of paragraphs! That makes finishing the entire thought much more doable!

3.) Its the author's personal experience. - As I mentioned before, this book isn't really a "self-help how-to." Mrs. Kuykendall is very forthcoming with the fact that, what worked for her may not work for you. But watching her go through this experiment, try different things, succeed at some and fail at others, is encouraging!

I received a copy of this book, free of charge, from Baker Books, in exchange for my honest review.

This book is fantastic! Author, Alexandra Kuykendall shows that she is an exceptional writer that can connect with a broad audience of readers. This book shares her very personal and unique experiment in taking advantage of the simple things in life and enjoying each and every minute of it! The book is very wise, warm and practical. It is a must read for those willing to make positive changes in how they approach and see their lives. The text is laid out in a very easy to follow fashion featuring Questions of Reflection, Ideas on Designing Your Own Experiment, etc. I highly recommend this book as a book club selection as well as one that can be a total life changer for its readers on a deeply personal level.

Alexandra Kuykendall’s heart shines brightly in this gently written experiment to discovering God’s gifts in the midst of the grind. Alex doesn’t gloss over the painful realities and hardships of our daily lives. Rather, she invites us to savor the goodness that is right in front of us - the goodness that we are prone to miss when we’re always longing for how life “should be” rather than appreciating what actually “is.”

I was captivated reading Alex's first book, The Artists Daughter, in one weekend, so was thrilled to be reading her latest book, ‪‎Loving My Actual Life‬!!!! This book came at a time where we felt in the trenches with parenting, building our dream home, quitting a job I loved, no longer bringing in a duel income and adjusting to SAHM, gaining LOADS of quantity time with my kiddos verses the quality time I thrive in, losing the me time I desperately desire, etc. So many challenges faced us this past month as I kept asking myself, am I loving my actual life throughout this book? The whole concept of this book is relatable in every chapter with great thought-provoking questions at the end of each month. Perfect book for a book club, moms club, goal-oriented club or a book to curl up with and lose yourself in the possibilities for improvement.

It was such an encouragement to hear words from another mom, walking alongside me in this season of raising kids, and her experiment to consciously enjoy her life. It's so easy to become bogged down with the daily tasks and demands of parenting (though I'm positive this is the case as a single person, an empty nester, or a person without children). So making a daily effort to find joy in living, and ways to relish even the most menial of tasks, is a great goal for anyone.

Her steps are relevant, helpful, and applicable. The results are just what I hoped--- I'm finding more joy in each day. An easy read, this one is worth your time! Whether reading it on your own, with a bookclub, or as a ladies' Bible study, you'll find your life enriched and Alexandra to be a relatable, enjoyable writer with a great message.

I started off with a highlighter in hand but quickly found myself highlighting the ENTIRE BOOK! Pointless use of a highlighter because from cover to cover is great stuff. Alexandra Kuykendall eloquently writes the very feelings I have as a mother. My take away from this book is to enjoy life and focus on what matters. Unlike most books that have this same theme, Alexandra breaks it down into bite sized nuggets so that it feels more obtainable. I HIGHLY recommend this book to the mothers out there who want to set their focus back to the things that truly matter. I can't wait to gift this to friends.

This book is an absolute must read for all women! Alexandra does an amazing job of putting things in perspective and helps us to make real life changes to begin loving our life just the way it is starting today. Once I started reading I couldn't stop.. This book is life changing and was exactly what I needed to break out of the monotony of life and start enjoying what I have and appreciating just how blessed I really am. I can not recommend this book enough! Read it today, you won't be sorry!

Reading this book was like sitting and talking with a friend over a cup of coffee. Loving My Actual Life offers wisdom, honesty and grace to those of us who might be feeling overwhelmed and underjoyed by the business of life. With humor and transparency, Alexandra Kuykendall tells stories of personal challenges and change that will inspire readers to reflect on their own lives and encourage them to embrace and enjoy the life that is right in front of them.

I'd never heard of Alexandra Kuykendall when 'Loving My Actual Life' hit my radar screen via Instagram - but now I feel like Alex is a friend!
In the same spirit as Gretchen Rubin's 'The Happiness Project' but with a biblical perspective, 'Loving My Actual Life' is an experiment to improve Alex's outlook on her life. I think there is something here to which every woman can relate. Kuykendall's experiment lasted nine months, and she gives us an in-the-trenches view as she logs her thoughts and activities over each month. Kuykendall is a natural storyteller, and she balances her stories with simple, readily quotable statements of truth. Each month includes questions for reflection useful for the individual reader and also productive for a group study.

This book is life changing! I was an overstressed shell of a woman before reading this book. After reading this book I've cut back as much as I can & my entire family (and house! ) are reaping the benefits.
I plan on ordering several books & doing a "summer project" with some friends. I also intend on sharing it with my MOPS group :)
Thank you, Alexandra for restoring order in my life!

This will change your life!!! As women, with all our expectations, sometimes you need a different perspective!! This book has some great tools and fantastic ideas on keeping you SANE!!! I really enjoyed reading it, Alex is very funny and down to earth. Like talking to your girlfriend!!

Alexandra's writing comes across as though you're having a chat with a girlfriend about the craziness of life. Her honest sharing about the ups & downs of the experiment and the journey bring humor and relatability to the topics. I appreciated how she looked at the bigger picture for believers as well as the practicalities. Overall a very enjoyable and easy read that was still full of substance and meaning.

Alexandra Kuykendall has written a book that speaks to my heart in so many areas of life. Her vulnerability as she shares her life is so refreshing. Her approach to loving her actual life is practical. I have been able to improve some areas of life already by applying her approach or tweaking it to fit our family.

Really enjoyed Alexandra's honesty in her desire to enjoy her "actual life" than to focus on how to get or earn a better life situation. This a great read for parents in any life stage and has very doable steps and ideas for "Loving my Actual Life". Love the book!

Loved this book! It was so challenging and encouraging at the same time. Challenging because it lead me to follow along and try out her ideas, but encouraging because she is so raw and real about how her experiment was personally. I highly recommend this book!

Love love love! The realness of this book spoke to me in so many ways! Its a must read for every woman trying to get through this life with a positive perspective! It affirms that we are not alone in the struggle to enjoy the life we have and also provides some realistic and practical ideas to get there!

This book offered a refreshing change from all the "how-to" books in the Christian market. It was more reflective and inspiring rather than full of bullet points for self-improvement. Love how candidly Alex writes, and how simply she shares her story. You will be encouraged and challenged as you read this book.

Alexandra is very real in sharing about her 9 month experiment within her own life. I was very encouraged by her. The take away for me was to do what I'm called to do, where & when I'm called to do it, within the life God has given me & allow Him to orchestrate it. Thank you Alexandra!

`Loving My Actual Life` is a Christian Living/Personal Growth book written by author Alexandra Kuykendall. The reader follows the author on a 9-month experiment to really love her life.

By intentionally adding quiet to your life you can actually come to love your life. This means turn off Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and email. The author focuses on two areas: actual quiet and virtual quiet. Actual quiet could include 30 minutes of intentional alone time, daily.

The author started this 9-month experiment right in the middle of the Christmas season. (December 1) On top of that her husband gave her an early Christmas present, a new phone.

In the Kuykendall home Sundays are not necessarily church days, because they want to raise the children by the Spirit of the Sabbath, not the rule of it. So the next time I see someone fishing on a Sunday I may have to think who is more in the Spirit, them or me.

The book reads like a diary, but Alexandra ends the book with a `10 Things to try when designing your own experiment` section.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to really `love` their life, or just wants a better life.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Baker Books through the Baker Books Blogger program.

This book offered a refreshing change from all the "how-to" books in the Christian market. It was more reflective and inspiring rather than full of bullet points for self-improvement. Love how candidly Alex writes, and how simply she shares her story. You will be encouraged and challenged as you read this book.