PJ Media Parenting's Best of the Web

Welcome to the weekend! You made it!

I just got my school room in order (finally) and a really embarrassing amount of laundry started. If you’re anything like me, you start to feel a little anxiety going into a new school year. Regardless of your school status, homeschool or out of home school, August holds a new start, and with it come a lot of unknowns. Hoping your weekend is filled with ways to connect to your family and some rest for your souls.

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I was delighted to find a new site to follow this week. September, over at One September Day, writes so honestly about her emotions and growth that I thought she might be reading my mind! Such an encouragement to hear blunt truth, and to hear that I’m not the only one struggling as a mom.

” I was a young college girl, with my head in a book and my heart flaming wild for a young builder with muscles poking through his work shirts. And when I said “I do,” I thought happiness was at the end of the aisle and life would happen happily ever after. I had a lot of growing up to do.

And then we had a passel of kids, moved away from our hometown, stood by the graveside of our babies, raised a few beautiful kids and I still felt like a child at the end of a day. Wondering when I would ever get the memo that happiness would happen tomorrow. Oh, I loved my life. I loved my kids. I loved my builder.

But, happiness seemed allusive [sic]. I realized that I needed to grow up and out of living in a perpetual place of wondering when life might get easier, simpler or just plain more. More of something.”

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Raise your hand if you are a morning person. Now close your ears and have no judgement on the rest of us, non-morning people. Folks, mornings and I do not get along. But, I have three little ones who seem to love to rise and shine early. Like before the sun. I know I’m a better mom when I get up before them and have a cup of coffee in the morning, and a little time to think before the day begins. But, it’s so hard to get out of bed. Well, if you’re like me- be encouraged! The post below is motivation for you. I’m ready to try something new.

“Actually, summer is the time when we try to “re-boot.” We train kids on new chores. We do our “spring” cleaning in summer. We do a lot of things that we don’t always have time to get to throughout the year.

Well, in my home it’s time to declare war on our morning mayhem. Really the mornings aren’t always that bad, but if I let things get too “loosey-goosey,” then our whole day gets thrown off.”

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Be still my soul. It’s zucchini season, and I’d much rather eat my vegetables this way. Wouldn’t you?

Check out more great recipes at Our Best Bites.

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Also check out this great recipe from PJ Media’s Lauren Spagnoletti:

Summer Salmon with Fresh Avocado Salsa Recipe [With Video]

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I love bucket lists! And ideas I don’t have to think about!

Here’s your one stop shop to finish your summer well and make lots of memories.

“As a mom I worry when my kids don’t want to be outside too. With eight kids at home sometimes I hear, ‘I’m bored.’ This means two things: 1. ‘Mom, entertain me’ or 2. ‘Mom, I want to play on my tablet/watch TV’…Are you ready to finish your summer well? Here are fifty summer bucket list ideas for your kids. Cut out the options and put them in a bucket. Pull out one each day. Or pick your top ten favorite things to do before summer ends.”

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I’ve really enjoyed getting into the podcast world the last few months. I find it much more rewarding to listen while folding laundry or doing dishes, than it is to turning on the TV. This one resonated so much with me that I’m excited to read her book and be more encouraged.

Hope you enjoy it!