Organization means going beyond picking up clutter around your home. It also means managing your time, taking captive negative thought patterns, and crafting a healthy and ordered lifestyle overall. Here are five books to help you get organized in each part of your life, from mental health to your kitchen; ladies— it’s time to get in formation!
Home: “Iconic Home”
Written by June Reese, vice president of Black Interior Designers Inc., this book offers a fresh perspective that features Black interior designers who offer advice, their inspirations, and the challenges they face within the industry. Sure to provide you with some quick organization and styling tips, this is a great read. It also has a beautifully illustrated hardcover, which means it can double as a gorgeous coffee table book.
Food: “A Confident Cook: Recipes for Joyous, No-Pressure Fun in the Kitchen”
Whether you’re just beginning to level up your cooking game, or have been cooking for years, this book has something for everyone. Our favorite daytime talk show host, Tamron Hall, and her good friend, Lish Steiling, take the pressure off by leading you to select must-have kitchen tools, pantry staples, and more. Featuring a Baked French Toast and Crispy Fried Chicken recipe, this cookbook has something tasty for everyone.
Body: “The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom”
Look, under the category of “body” you may have thought we would suggest something like the hottest new Pilates workout book, or a “100 Yoga Poses” picture book— but this is just as important; if not more. Knowing how racism and diet culture impact us will help you unlock some biases and unhealthy notions about wellness. And we all know our mental state and physical health are interconnected. Part memoir, inspiration, activities, and prompts for reflection; free yourself alongside Chrissy King, via The Body Liberation Project.
Mental Health: “Protecting My Peace: Embracing Inner Beauty and Ancestral Power”
Black women have been “reclaiming our time,” “protecting our peace”, and “glowing up” since forever. As they say, we aren’t new to this; we are true to this. From Queen Afua’s Sacred Woman to the healing verses of Beyonce’s Lemonade, we have had to look to ourselves and each other to heal. From working through trauma to tried and true African American home remedies, this book by Elizabeth Leiba allows you to find your inner strength via ancestral wisdom.
Work and Finances: “Your Journey to Financial Freedom”
If you work hard every day, you should be able to buy that new Ralph Lauren Purple Label bag you saw online at Nordstrom and not worry about starving for the next two weeks. Jamila Souffrant, popular podcaster and first-generation Jamaican immigrant, believes you can take control of your finances to spend and save responsibly. This book will help you map out what stage of your career you are in, how to plan financially to quit your nine to five, and create a perfect debt payoff plan that fits your lifestyle.