Books Archives - Just to Claireify

5 Great Books I’ve Read in 2026

April 21, 2026 by Claire Leave a Comment

2026 has been a great year for books so far. While in recent years, I’ve often stuck to nonfiction (mostly the parenting, sustainability and lifestyle genres), I made a promise to myself to branch out this year. So far, it’s paid off. I’m learning a lot and escaping from my real life a little bit. And, I feel somewhat more “with it” given that most of my friends are fiction readers and now we have something new to chat about.

These books really span a variety of genres, but I hope you find something for you on this list!… Read More »

A Reading List for Decluttering & Minimalism

February 9, 2026 by Claire Leave a Comment

I’ve written about decluttering quite a bit on the blog–but what’s my inspiration behind it?

When I was fresh out of college, living in the Bay Area, I lugged a LOT of items out to California from my childhood/high school/college days. Items that, it turned out, were pretty useless now that I was adult with a job and wedding to plan. Whether it was totally outdated clothes and shoes, the bike I never rode and later gave away, or kitchen gadgets like three different mixers–I could have taken less than half of what I moved with and been completely fine. Probably better, since I wouldn’t have been trying to squeeze things into every corner of a one-bedroom apartment!… Read More »

25 Nordic Lifestyle Books for Your Inner Scandi Girl

September 12, 2025 by Claire Leave a Comment

I think most people have that one genre of books they can never get enough of. Chick lit… thrillers… mysteries… or for me, Euro lifestyle books. I can devour them one after another for months—years!—on end and still have an insatiable appetite for more.

One of my most popular blog posts is 25 French Chic Lifestyle Books, but I don’t just read French lifestyle books. I’m also partial to Nordic lifestyle books. It’s a combination of the simple/minimal/cozy aesthetic, the down-to-earth-ness of the authors and the fun of imagining myself living this outdoorsy, pared down life as I read. … Read More »

How to Teach Kids About Financial Literacy (With Tips from a Financial Manager)

June 17, 2025 by Claire Leave a Comment

I was gifted a copy of Math Hack Secrets to read and review on Just to Claireify. All opinions expressed are my own.

Personal finance: a topic that’s always intimidated me, and even more so as a parent. I didn’t learn much about money management at home as a kid, and it wasn’t covered in-depth at school. And I know I’m not alone in that, either. Eric and I have done fairly well in life; we’re both thrifty personalities. But when it comes to teaching our kids financial literacy… well, let’s just say I was clueless. I didn’t even know where to start.… Read More »

My Top 10 Books of 2024

January 6, 2025 by Claire Leave a Comment

Happy new year, friends! I’ve sat down several times in the past couple of weeks to write about our not-so-minimalist Christmas and my thoughts on holiday celebrations–but, there are too many strong emotions there right now to write anything productive. So we’ll let sleeping bears lie for now.

In the meantime, we’re back to cold weather here, which feels right. January and February are mentally strenuous months for me with the extreme cold, ice and snow. Yet it feels unsettling not to have that weather, either, like last year. Our post-Christmas thaw was reminiscent of the 2023-2024 winter, and seeing the grass turn green in December makes the thought of climate change impossible to escape.

At any rate, onto more positive things. Last year was a big reading year for me, and I wanted to share some of my top books of 2024!… Read More »