One of the frustrations of being at home caring for children is always being surrounded by unfinished projects. At work, you can leave your office with the satisfying feeling that you’ve accomplished something, even if you are really
overworked.

But at home, the work is never finished. There will always be laundry, the next meal to prepare, or the previous one to clean up. It seems that as soon as I sit down to do something, inevitably one of my children will need my help and I have to abandon whatever it is I’d started.

I’ve realised that there’s one way in which I might be contributing to this feeling of incompleteness, and it’s my reading pile. I love books (paper ones!), and the happy feeling I get from a new aquisition. The problem is, whenever I borrow or buy a new book I tend to dive into it without finishing the other books I’ve started.

So here’s a solution

I’ve stopped piling up my books to read, and started displaying them around my home instead. Now there’s only one book on my reading pile, and the display I’ve created looks so enticing and full of possibility that it’s encouraging me to make more time for reading. One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to finally finish all the books I’ve started; I think it’s one I’ll enjoy keeping.

Some intellectual stimulation for Guido! The artwork is by Lunette Puckridge.

I found this book holder in an antique shop. I think it may have once been used to hold prayer books in a church. I’m not a religious person, but to me this is very fitting.

And if you have picture books on your reading pile, it’s a shame to leave them to gather dust. Display their beautiful pictures instead, and it will give your decor an instant lift.

The book is Zenbu Zen: Finding Food, Culture & Balance in Kyoto by Jane Lawson, and the book holder was found on Ebay.