This week’s post includes ideas for tackling home projects and living with bored and hungry kids in the summer months. I’m sure it isn’t just me who has trouble with getting anything done around the house when it is crazy hot, and the summer schedule isn’t very predictable.

Between outdoor water activities and more time with friends and family, we are all about flexibility in our meals and what we can accomplish in the summer months.

After reading, please share in the comments what you’re doing to thrive in the summer months.

*If you see an asterisk next to a link, it links to a video with sound. Just a heads-up in case you need to turn the volume down or pop on your headphones.

($) If you see this dollar symbol in a post, the link is an affiliate post. I will receive income or a discount on products if you purchase that item on Bookshop.org or anything on the Etsy or Prana website using my link. Income from the products in these links helps me to keep this blog growing.

HOME

The spring got away from me and I didn’t complete some of the little cleaning tasks I like to do a few times a year. Summer cleaning seems like even more of a chore with the heat and family activities filling the schedule. We finally have open days now that school is over, and we want to spend them having fun after all these months of feeling cooped up and reigned in by school and work responsibilities. I rarely have huge swaths of time or energy for cleaning, so it works best for me to chip away at the cleaning projects over time. The hot afternoons (when we aren’t cooling off in whatever body of water we can find) seem to be the perfect time to check off a few organization or cleaning tasks and call it a day.

Cleaning chores like wiping down fan blades, baseboards, vacuuming and mopping under couches and beds always take a backseat during the busier times of the year, so the summer months seem like a perfect time to knock out a few of those chores.

I’m also using this time to do even more decluttering. Summertime screams for a simpler lifestyle and that makes it easier to focus on keeping only the objects that are useful and important to us.

We’re streamlining meals so that we can grab something quickly from the fridge in between activities. Bowls with veggies, rice and some form of protein, breakfast for dinner, and cleaning out the fridge and making a creative meal are the name of the game right now. We’re also supporting local businesses that serve healthy bowls and salads. Eating summer-inspired fresh and healthy meals and not trying to prepare meals with long cook times or complicated ingredients like we do in the fall and winter months is saving us time and energy right now.

I’m sharing a few of my favorite resources for starting your summer out with ease and flexibility.

*The Summer Meal Formula

*Eating simply and “like you’re on vacation” even at home saves money and energy during the summer!

How to Organize a Small Kitchen

*Revisiting Your Morning Routine (task zones)

Check out my Celebrating Dads Etsy favorites list ($)

GARDEN

How to Save Seeds

Central Texas Seeds Savers

Central Texas Wildlife: Which Are Friends or Foes of Your Pets - The commentary in this article cracks me up!

WELLNESS

*Thoughts About Mental Health While Cleaning the House (subtitles available)

*How to Keep Your Surfaces Clear - a tidy (read: not perfect) house = a clear mind

Need a little boost to begin your morning, get you through your household chores, or the more mundane tasks at work? Begin your day with *Lovely Day by Bill Withers and then check out a few of these playlists on Spotify.

*Cleaning Kit - Spotify Playlist

*Poolside - Spotify Playlist

CREATIVITY

*I Wake With Wonder - A Crowdsourced Poem by Kwame Alexander

*Kids Know How to Occupy Themselves. We Need to Let Them Do It

BOOKSHELF

I still feel the churning of the cold Atlantic waters after finishing Luck of the Titanic ($) by Stacey Lee. Luck of the Titanic is yet another stellar book by this talented author. Her strong, witty, and adventurous female characters have me adding more of her books to my TBR (To Be Read) wishlist ($).

Lately I’ve been reading about all the in-person book clubs that are getting back together and the joy we feel at reuniting with friends and family to read and discuss books together. I’m researching the book clubs available at our local library, both virtual and later in-person, for the summer and fall.

Looking for ideas to keep your reading life thriving over the summer or encourage your kids to keep reading?

• Host a book swap! Consider hosting a book swap for adults and kids for the summer. This could happen on your front lawn, at a table by your mailbox, or a community space (with permission). When my son was young, I would host swaps for baby and children’s clothing and gear and they were always a big hit. Gather up all the books you’ve been reading over the last year and set them out for someone else to enjoy.

• Encourage your kids to read a book at the same time as their friends and celebrate with a backyard movie adaptation of the book! Have them plan themed drinks, snacks or games.

• Raising Kids Who Want To Read - Even During the Summer

• Pride Month Book Picks and Juneteenth Book Picks from Maya Smart

• LeVar Burton Podcast

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner is going to be a movie!

While I must admit it took me a while to get into the book People We Meet on Vacation, I found myself making connections with some of the vacation stories, especially ones that I took when I was in my twenties. The book touches on how common it is that we find ourselves with partners who have different interests, habits, upbringings, and even views about life than us. It can be both frustrating at times and also pushes us to grow and understand each other.

This Saturday, I’m watching When Harry Met Sally with the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club online. Join me by becoming a member of the MMD book club!

In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.

Reading: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous ($) by Ocean Vuong, The Secret World of Weather ($) by Tristan Gooley, The Language of Flowers ($) by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, and Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man ($) by Emmanuel Acho

Listening to: We’re Going to Need More Wine ($) by Gabrielle Union

Recently Finished: Luck of the Titanic ($) by Stacey Lee, People We Meet on Vacation ($) by Emily Henry Crying in H Mart ($) by Michelle Zauner, Midnight in the Blackbird Cafe ($) by Heather Webber, The Downstairs Girl ($) by Stacey Lee

Up next: Sparks Like Stars ($) by Nadia Hashimi, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together ($) by Heather McGhee, Refuge ($) by Dina Nayeri, The Stationery Shop ($) by Marjan Kamali, and Caste ($) by Isabel Wilkerson

In case you are looking for book recommendations for kids (or yourself!), gift ideas for all ages or want to peek into my TBR List for 2021, head over to the 52 Seasons Book Shop on Bookshop.org.

COMMUNITY

Wish Dragon (8+) is a heart-warming movie with some great laughs to keep the storyline going and a lovely reminder of what is truly important in life.

I’m sharing this one again because it is such an important watch. So many of the things we eat have a whole storyline behind them that is worth uncovering, especially when it includes a painful past. The docuseries, High on the Hog, is a true testament to the soul behind soul food. We are watching it as a family, and the stories that are shared give us a whole new appreciation for the okra growing in our garden, the rice we take for granted, and the multitude of comforting recipes that grace our plates and bowls throughout the year.

Code Switch - The Truth of Tulsa is Hard to Stomach & Tulsa 100 Years Later

Just Fund It TX - Don’t Mess With Texas Kids

"Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world." - Desmond Tutu

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read 52 Seasons. I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas so that we can grow together.

Check out some of my favorite resources here.

If you’d like to receive the 52 Seasons blog post each week, be sure to subscribe to the blog. I’ll see you next week in your inbox!