June 2026 goals
I’m feeling the wave of energy that comes with a new season! Yes, I know summer officially begins later this month, and that’s part of it, but my reasons are more personal: our two big home projects are complete, I finally edited Annie’s annual video, swim season has begun, I’m back on track with strength training and daily walks, and my parents are coming to visit this week — which means I will finally get to check off two little home projects that have lingered on my lists (hanging our height ruler and our backyard string lights — thanks, Dad!!). Plus, our trips to Michigan and Maine are drawing ever closer (YAY!) and planning for two July birthday parties has me excited. Lots to look forward to over here. I hope you’re feeling the same way!
On my calendar:
— The last day of school! Currently plotting details for our kick-off-to-summer celebration dinner and TTT.
— A beach weekend in Emerald Isle. We’ve loved exploring different coastal towns in NC for the past few Junes and are crossing our fingers for the same excellent weather we’ve enjoyed in recent years. (A few past trips here: Bald Head Island, Beaufort, Swansboro/Hammocks Beach)
— Father’s Day! I’m organizing a hot sauce bar for the men at our church and celebrating my own wonderful husband, Dad, and father-in-law.
What I’m loving right now:
— This is admittedly niche, but in light of last week’s ode to neighborhood swim team, I thought I’d share. One reason my kids love swim is because they get to be part of a team but also compete against themselves. To track their improvement over a season, I made simple charts in Canva, and they love marking off progress after each meet. Feel free to steal and adjust for your own fridge!
— This smocked tank dress was my big purchase this spring. Even though I opted for a bolder pattern, it has seen SO much wear – the silhouette is just so easy to pull on and feels like the right choice for occasions both casual and fancy. A few other versions: red gingham and pale yellow.
— John’s sister and brother-in-law brought this board game with them on a recent trip and the same day they left we bought our own copy at Barnes & Noble! While it is one of those complicated games that’s tedious to learn, it’s not hard to play, and it’s genuinely as enjoyable with two players as it is with four.
As a reminder, you can find allll the things I’ve loved over the last few years neatly organized right here!
What you’re loving right now:
This is where I highlight a few items here that have been popular in the last month with fellow readers, based on my analytics. Here’s hoping this will help you find something you’ll love!
— The magical, shape-shifting puzzle we took on our spring break road trip
— My giant sun hat, because we all know skincare won’t go too far without physical sun protection.
— The pastel snackle box we used for Teacher Appreciation Gifts this year. Perfect for pool trips, picnics, and beach days, too!
— The cleansing balm I’ve added to my skincare routine. I’m now a double cleanser and I’m not mad about it. Easy to travel with, too!
— The book we have June’s teachers sign at the end of every school year. More on this tradition here!
Last month on The Connected Family:
— How do we become wise in the age of the bottomless scroll? | An ode to Reader’s Digest and the commonplace book
— Plan a low-screen summer with me! | Boredom, a kindness challenge, and a fill-in worksheet for kids and parents
— Plan an analog summer with me — for you! | Strategies for putting down the phone and picking up real life ☀️
— The best activity you can do this summer | It will take over your life for eight weeks and you’ll be nothing but grateful.
What I read in May:
— Meditations for Mortals | This book is akin to a secular devotional based on the author’s previous book, Four Thousand Weeks, which I read a few years ago. Though I took issue with some of his ideas in the original, he also genuinely changed my thinking and behavior as it relates to productivity and time management in lasting ways. I’m reading one (brief) chapter a day and enjoying the refresher.
— The Correspondent | I finally read this incredibly buzzy book — and it was worth the wait! (Speaking of wait — I was number 1,364 on the hold list for this book at my library, by far the longest wait list I’d ever seen. I eventually borrowed a copy from a friend to bypass the list!) This epistolary novel, containing letters written by the aged protagonist Sybil and her correspondents, unfolds with richness and surprise. Because Sybil reminds me SO MUCH of my maternal grandmother – rigid, gruff, but also caring and generous – I know this novel will stick with me for awhile. For more on the author’s unlikely story, don’t miss this WSJ feature.
— Isola | On to the next buzzy novel! Based on an incredible true story, Isola is the tale of a 16th-century heiress who finds herself abandoned on a tiny island off the coast of Canada with her lover and her nursemaid. As the weather turns bleak, she fights to survive — and finds new dimensions within that will change the course of her life. Recommend!
My reading list for 2026! I’m 10 / 24 so far.
Revisiting my May goals:See our renovation projects to completion (Done! They finished the final details the day our weekend houseguests were set to arrive!)
Hang string lights in our backyard (Lights were purchased and we will hang them with my Dad’s help this weekend.)Edit Annie in April (Done! So cute!)Refresh our plan for summer days at home (More here!)Tend to this month’s clutter spot: the attic (Switched the spot to our master bathroom as I prioritized organizing our new space, so calling this good!)
Get ahead on summer TCF newsletters (A little bit, though not as much as I’d have liked.)Block out birthday party details for both Shep and Annie, our July babies (Done! Annie is having the most low-key party possible and Shep is having the most complicated, over-the-top party possible, ha. Looking forward to them both :))
Complete the first draft of my Sunday service (No progress here.)
Hang curtains for Annie (They haven’t arrived yet, so no progress here!)
June goals:
— Hang string lights, curtains, and, height ruler with my Dad’s help
— Film June in June
— Book our 2027 Yosemite trip!!
— Tend to this month’s clutter spot: the attic
— Film June in June
— End the school year and begin summer well
— Prep for sleepaway camp
— Organize the hot sauce bar at church for Father’s Day
— Celebrate Annie’s Walk Around the Sun. This is a very Montessori tradition that we’ve never participated in, despite having Montessori preschoolers for many years now. Looking forward to wrapping up our time in the Montessori tradition with this sweet moment!
— Continue planning for the neighborhood kindergarten ice cream social, Annie’s birthday party, and Shep’s birthday party, all in July
As a reminder, many of these are drawn from my 2026 PowerSheets goals!
To close, I would love to hear one thing you’re doing to prepare well for summer! No matter what season of life you’re in – whether you have kids or not, a job that shifts or not – a new season on the calendar always feels like an opportunity to be kind to our future selves :) It could be putting books on hold at the library, deciding on a lunch you can repeat, planning now for a trip, or resetting toy storage… the smallest things can make a big difference! Please share in the comments, if you’d like.
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I love reading your updates. I can hear the joy and anticipation in your writing. Your note about the birthday party contrasts made me laugh. I asked Josh what he wants to do for his birthday this year and his answer was the most complex, multi-day celebration. He loves his friends, and wants to do it all with them! So happy your renovations are complete. Tell your parents hello for me.
Any chance his plans involved airsoft? 😉
Yay for Summer!! 🙌🏻 A couple things I’m doing to prep for Summer are 1) Some friends and I set up a weekly play date group so that we all have something to look forward to on Thursdays throughout the summer! And 2) I’ve been thinking about what would be best utilized on an upcoming vacation roadtrip to keep my kiddos entertained driving 8hrs there and 8hrs home. I finally made decisions and ordered a few things today to have on hand when we leave this week. Very excited to see my kiddos enjoy the different books, stickers and safari backpacks as we drive :)
Love this, Lindsay!! I’ve done a standing playdate/friend date in the past and it has worked out so well!
I was very inspired by your TCF summer prep posts, so I did two big things to prepare for summer and so far — one week into my kids’ summer break (ages 7, almost 6, and almost 3) — they have helped SO much.
1) I made a lose structure/routine and posted it on the fridge. None of it is set in stone, but it gives my kids an idea about what to expect from each day, and it also incorporates things that I know are good for them. Starting the day with chores and then outside time, having pre-established snack times (versus the “can I have a snack” all day long problem, which we’ve had in the past), and then having designated alone time have made for much more peaceful days.
2) Inspired by your music/composer activity, I made (with the help of ChatGPT) a 12-week “preparing for The Met” curriculum, as we are ending our summer with a long weekend trip to NYC over Labor Day and are planning to visit the Met. Every two weeks focuses on a different painter and incorporates reading children’s books about the painter, painting in the style of the painter, and keeping coffee table art books out and about so that we can immerse ourselves. My kids are LOVING it. I’m home with them on Wednesdays, and we all painted our own versions of Starry Night yesterday (even the two year old was into it, which I didn’t expect). Not only are my kids getting a look into different kinds of art, but the story of Van Gogh has brought up a lot of discussions about mental heath (that cutting off his ear piece really intrigued them…).
Anyway, THANK YOU for inspiring me in so many ways. The tl;dr here is: I prepared for summer by reading YOUR posts about summer prep. :)
Teresa! This is so kind. And also, you must have read my mind — I had already thought that if the composer study works out, it would be fun to do an artist study next summer. So glad to hear a good early report from your home!
Count me as one of the people loving your snackle box – I bought one so that we can have a better structure for dinners packed up and taken to the park, one of our new summer traditions with our 4yo! I think (hope) it will inspire us to bring veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, etc instead of just PBJ or takeout Chipotle. :) And planning 2 trips to Story Land in NH, one with each set of grandparents!
Megan!!! I have the SWEETEST memories of going to Story Land as a child – we vacationed at Lake Winnipesaukee with friends many summers and Story Land was always a highlight! It is so perfect for little kids ❤️
I just had to jump in because the Story Land mention brought me back to some very sweet memories from my childhood of going there with my family and my cousins! We had an extended family relative who owned a condo on Loon Mountain and my mom and her sister would pile all (at the time) 6 cousins into my aunt’s station wagon and we’d drive up from Boston and spend a few days there and Story Land was always a stop! The best.
Sounds like such a fun summer ahead for your crew! I love it! I would love to hear more about how you plan well for your kids birthdays (admittedly something that can overwhelm me!)! A couple items that are helping me live intentionally this summer:
Love this, friend! Treating birthday parties like other projects — breaking them down into small tasks — is key for me. Something else that I’m learning that seems counterintuitive is not planning too far ahead, as it can make the project feel more overwhelming than it needs to. The execution of most parties doesn’t actually take more than a week or two of runway (aside from sending out invites!). Of course, Shep’s massively complicated party this year is definitely the exception 🤣
I love using your posts to get me into a new season mood! One thing we’re trying this summer is a daily writing prompt that they find on the table in the morning to do some writing practice. My 6 year old doesn’t love it so far (even though it is mostly for her benefit!) but my 10 year old has really taken to it. They are both recording their responses in a journal and so far it’s been so fun to see what they come up with. Some example prompts (none are complicated!) – “If you had a sports team what would its name and mascot be?” “What is your favorite meal and why?” “If you took Fozzie [our dog] on an adventure, where would you go?” “What is your dream vacation?”
Thanks to your TCF prompting, I have a whole wall full of papers that include a summer bucket list, summer at home expectations, $3 jobs, a boredom list, and the kindness challenge! That kindness challenge has a reward of going to a skating rink and it has been so motivating!
Other ways I am adjusting for summer include putting away everything hot from my closet and wearing mostly tennis skirts and athleisure tops (the heat is coming, woof), putting leftover coffee in the fridge for iced coffees, and watering my garden every night before I take a shower. In an attempt to be a Fun Mom this summer, I am trying to air dry my hair and style it less. So far I really need to figure out what products can tame the frizz… but I am much more likely to jump in the pool with my kids when my hair doesn’t look great to begin with, ha! We will see how long this one lasts.