Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I really want to be able to give this book 5 stars. I've been following Emily's work for quite some time now and I always find her to be so inspiring. So I'll start with the good. The book is easy-to-read and is filled with good intentions. Much of her advice is practical and beneficial to those of us (which is basically all of us) with very busy lives. The book is elegantly designed and I loved the "worksheet" style pages that allowed me to take time to reflect and engage with her words and my own life. The pages are thick enough to write on with marker-style pens with no bleed-through and it is well bound. The images throughout are gorgeous and there is a nice balance of personal reflection with practical advice. The book gives me something to strive for (although it seems like that "something" is perfection--or my idea of it) and it allowed me an opportunity to slow down and give myself permission to enjoy her book instead of the million other insane tasks I've set for myself. Although it may seem like her advice is "easier said than done," there is a lot of truth to her wisdom and although it may be difficult, I'm going to try to take her suggestions to heart. And the not-so-good. I love the idea of this book. But as some other reviewers have mentioned, it's not always easy for many of us to achieve--especially without ample income. As much as I'd love to buy the Simplified Planner, for example, (which is routinely referenced in the book--no surprise, so I'm not sure why people are upset by this), I simply can't afford $58 for a planner when I can buy one that does much the same thing--albeit not nearly as pretty--for a fraction of the price. And I know the point of including such picture-perfect images throughout the book is to sell the book and to sell what she's talking about. But if she's trying to convince me that I should be happy with my house and life as it is, I wasn't entirely convinced. Professional photography equipment and lighting and staging don't seem "simplified" to me. And it's not necessarily Emily's fault that I feel this way, but if I'm not supposed to chase perfection, why do I feel like after reading this (and following her blog) that I need to have clean white walls and carefully articulated displays of my life in an almost art form with perfectly photographed children (in my case, pets) and a tailored wardrobe and perfect handwriting and be full of abundant creativity (etc. etc. etc.)? Looking at her photos, I got the opposite impression that she was trying to make. But then again, messy carpets and dirty dishes probably wouldn't sell many books. So I understand the point. All of this is to say that if you're looking for a magic book that will transform your life in a matter of seconds, this isn't that book. There is no such book. But if you truly take Emily's beautifully crafted words to heart and realize that the advice is difficult and--for some of us impractical--it's definitely worth a read. Her book isn't perfect, but neither is she, neither am I, and neither are you. And that's the point. Live. Love. and strive for grace.