I just love little books like Simple Tips for Simple Living for Women. Long title, simple book. Our resident future homemakers love books like this, too. A little larger than palm-sized, with a silky cover; an undistracting monochromatic color scheme with dreamy purple-toned photographs against a creamy white background; and lots of white space on the page to rest the eyes even as you're reading the selection of hints, tips, inspirational snippets, quotes and Scriptures, most of which have to do with the dailiness of life. Dailiness? Is that a word? You know what I mean, I'm sure. Whether you're a woman whose work is centered in the home, or a woman who goes outside of the home to work, it is most likely that you still have to come back to a home at some point in the day.

After all, no matter who you are or what you spend your hours doing, there are still dishes to wash, beds to make, meals to manage, and relationships to nourish.

And so, in this little book, you'll find a "Recipe for a Joyful Day," along with a description of "God's Garden" and "10 Commandments to Live By," while being reminded - or perhaps learning for the first time - how to get gum out of hair, remove ink stains, relieve toothache, and get the last word in an argument (The solution might surprise you!).

Ostensibly there are sixty-six tips in the book, but actually there are many more, as under each "tip" there might be several sub-bullets. The quotes and inspirational writings are short, but uplifting, and often good for a smile.

This book is perfect for short breaks, just long enough to catch your breath, before launching yourself once more into the demands of the day. My mom kept books like this one in a pretty, fabric-lined basket in the "powder room" (as she called it) to bless her guests.

So I know just where this little gem is going to take up residence in our house. Welcome!