Book Review & Giveaway: You Cannot Be Serious (Tips for Balance)

Update: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen:

• Laurie from Cuddle Hugs
• Cyndi from So Much More Than a Mom

I have the utmost respect for mothers.

Their daily lives require an aptitude for all the qualities that make us good people: love, kindness, patience, generosity, and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of balance. If anyone knows chaos, it’s a mom.

With this in mind, I was thrilled to read Elizabeth Lyons’ book You Cannot Be Serious and 32 Other Rules That Sustain a (Mostly) Balanced Mom.

Make no mistake: I don’t have any children. Or friends with children. Or even access to children—there appear to be none in a fifteen-mile radius.

What I do have is a need for balance in a world that is never predictable and rarely calm.

Elizabeth’s book provides just the right anecdote, and it was so easy to relate to her reading it.

She’s not the high-waisted jeans kind of mom who fills her days with baking and gardening (through she does both). She’s the mom who runs her own business, writes her own rules, and still manages to run a household without any hired help.

Elizabeth outlines a series of steps to manage chaos without sacrificing joy in a fun, witty tone that translates across generations, and, I believe, even gender.

Every section includes profound yet accessible wisdom, exemplified through stories from her every day life. Glimpses into the innocence and antics of her five children—yes five!—make the book both entertaining and joyful.

Though many of the tips speak directly to moms, the majority contain wisdom for everyone. Some of my favorite tips include:

• Fly your freak flag high
• Have a dedicated treat of the moment
• Go with your gut
• Have no expectations (but expect the unexpected)
• Know what inspires you

And then of course, there’s the titular rule: you cannot be serious. It’s not always easy to follow that suggestion when money is tight, relationships are tense, or times are tough, but never is it more important to focus on the good things.

Perhaps that’s what I loved most about You Cannot Be Serious: I smiled the entire time I read it. It’s a light, fun read that reminded me of what’s most important in life–spending quality time with family, being true to yourself, and finding joy in every day.

The Giveaway

If you’d like to find a little balance in your life, enter to win a copy! Here’s what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment below. Be sure to include an email address (in the comment form) that you check regularly so I can contact you if you win.

2. Tweet the following:

RT @tinybuddha You Cannot Be Serious Book Giveaway–Comment on the blog & RT to win! http://bit.ly/9agw7h

You can enter until midnight PST on Friday, June 11th. I will announce the winners on the following Monday.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on a copy, you can grab one here on Amazon.

FTC Disclosure: I receive complimentary books for reviews and interviews on tinybuddha.com, but I am not compensated for writing or obligated to write anything specific. I am an Amazon affiliate, meaning I earn a percentage of all books purchased through the links I provide on this site.

About Lori Deschene

Lori Deschene is the founder of Tiny Buddha. She started the site after struggling with depression, bulimia, c-PTSD, and toxic shame so she could recycle her former pain into something useful and inspire others to do the same. You can find her books, including Tiny Buddha’s Gratitude Journal and Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal, here and learn more about her eCourse, Recreate Your Life Story, if you’re ready to transform your life and become the person you want to be.

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