June marks the end of our family’s first elementary school year and the beginning of our first elementary school summer – a departure from the previous summers of more or less consistent, continuous care! We have a plan (of course we have a plan) – and I look forward to sharing my reflections and how we handled it as two working parents after we’ve lived it – but I’m also going in expecting to iterate and ready to give us all lots of grace. A few things that have been helping at the start: these summer tips from Janssen (gold, all) and printing and hanging this calendar and this summer reading chart in the 24×36 size. Keeping things fairly light on the goal front as we move into this new season!

May Articles Club in the backyard at the height of jasmine season: bliss!

On my calendar this month:
— Our tenth annual camping trip with the Rays! We’ve opted for a glamping-adjacent site in honor of a decade of adventures.
— Graduation parties for our two beloved high school babysitters! These are the girls who got two working parents through a 19-week COVID preschool closure, so we are doing it up big for them: Away suitcases and copies of three of our favorite formative books: The Psychology of Money, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, and The Coddling of the American Mind. Plus cards from the kids, of course :) How lucky are we to get to be a part of their lives!
— A fun event with Thrive Motherhood here in Cary, NC! I’m the guest speaker on June 23 and would love to hang with you to talk about one of my very favorite topics: making everyday magic as a mom. There’s a $15 ticket fee and I can guarantee you’ll walk away with some fun Cultivate goodies :)

What I’m loving right now:
— Oh my gosh, John and I saw the new Top Gun movie on opening night and it was FANTASTIC. I am an unabashed fan of Tom Cruise movies and if you loved the original, the new version just will not disappoint. So worth seeing in theaters!
— There’s been a lot written recently about the mental health crisis facing Americans right now, and especially teens, but I found this one (“Parenting Against the Spirit of Fear”) especially thought-provoking. This one (“How to Quit Intensive Parenting”) feels like a good next step.
— I am militant about sun protection on my face. I never leave the house without sunscreen, and I’m usually wearing my hat if I’ll be outside for awhile, so it hardly ever gets color. I’ve been using these tan drops (one drop mixed into my moisturizer every other night) for a few months on the rec of an Articles Club friend, and they’re brilliant! A little sun-kissed glow does wonders to even out my face and make foundation even less necessary.

As a reminder, you can find alllll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!

What I read in May:
— Without a Hitch | Lisa lent me this book based on our shared experience in the world of Southern weddings, and it was a fun romp through a very familiar landscape.
— Apples Never Fall | My Mom asked me to put this book on hold at the library for her when she was coming for a visit. Turns out she was #645 in line, so it came in several months after she went home, ha! I’d never read anything by Liane Moriarty, but she’s kind of a big deal (Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers), so I figured I’d give it a shot. I hadn’t read a thriller in several years and enjoyed it!

My reading list for 2022, if you’d like to follow along!

Revisiting my May goals:
Download Blurb software, get familiar with it, and complete 2008 in book (Ugh – nothing!)
Start to memorize 1 Corinthians 13 with June (In progress! We memorized the first two verses and will continue! We practice on our walks to school.)
Edit Annie in April, Volume 1 (In progress!)
Go on a family bike ride once a week (Didn’t happen.)
Add bookshelves to our loft and Shep’s room
Add artwork bulletin boards to the loft (I was fully prepared to go the DIY route until I found these ones for a steal of a deal. So far, so good!)
Write out one spring/summer “brainless” meal plan (This took me approximately 20 seconds but I know it will save my rear several times over coming to and from travels this summer!)
Cull and sort January 2021 photos (Nope.)

June goals:
— Download Blurb software, get familiar with it, and complete 2008 in book
— Finish memorizing 1 Corinthians 13 with June
— Finish editing Annie in April (and film June in June, Volume 7!)
— Plan Shep’s fourth birthday party (and plan for John and Annie’s July birthdays, too)
— End the school year and begin our summer well
— Write the service I’m giving at the Island later this summer
— Pick blueberries, many times over

As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2022 goals!