Bluebird Books

It's the final week before school starts around here.  That means we are scheming to get to the beach once more and trying to cram 1,000 fun activities in (laser tag, arcade, movies) before those yellow buses come around.  We hosted a big party last weekend.  Like BIG.  63 guests.  We had never done anything like this before and I worried I made a terrible mistake but it was great.  Everything worked out and fun was had by all.    When my schedule is full of cleaning, parties, work, and fun, I always think, "I will have no time for reading" and yet somehow, love finds a way.   I am reading in all of the nooks and crannies of time that I can find.  A few minutes before my daughter gets in the car after volleyball camp, a few minutes before dinner, and a very few minutes before bed.  (I am tired.) All these times all add up and by the end of the day, I'm surprised that I've crushed another 50 pages or so.  This time of year also makes me reflect on w

I am a woman, a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister.  I teach kids in China how to speak English each morning over the internet.  I have friendships to maintain, a home to care for, and I am a resident of this world.  If you can identify with any of these things then you too probably face some amount of stress.  I know I do. not. When I saw the book Burnout on bookstagram I knew I had to read it.  I bought it and set it aside, a bit intimidated.  Honestly, a book with the subtitle, "The secret to unlocking the stress cycle"  seemed like it would stress me out more.   After reading You're Wearing That?   I thought my reading life could use some more nonfiction.  And then I heard Annie Jones talking about Burnout on her podcast and I thought, "Ok...I'll give this a try."  From the start, I liked the voices of the authors (twin sisters), who felt like friends who were looking out for me.  They had great insight into the stress cycle women fe

Despite being at home with four kids I did a lot of reading this month.  I think I've learned the value of little moments here and there reading just another few pages.  I never leave home without a book.  And, during the summer months, I make everyone read so it becomes a family activity.  Disclaimer: Whenever we have reading time I always have to yell to get my kids to come and then the first five minutes is spent grumbling and fidgeting and making rude noises.  But once they've settled, they read for way longer than I ever expected and only grudgingly get up to move on to the next activity.  But it always starts with yelling.  Me Also me I don't mind the heat because it forces me to slow down and not feel so guilty about reading on the couch for an hour with a cold glass of seltzer next to me.  It's the same for rain and snow.  I guess I just love extreme weather for the reading benefits (not the damage and destruction they cause, though, that part rea