Happy weekend, friends – and Happy Mother’s Day to all you amazing mamas out there. One of the things that totally surprised me when I became a mom 7 years ago was how there is no playbook; mothering requires an incredible amount of wisdom, creativity, and judgement calls on a daily basis. It’s not for the faint of heart and I’m in awe of every mother I know who is leading her kids with courage and kindness.
One of my favorite books, The Danish Way of Parenting, reminds us:
“Parenting, like love, is a verb. It takes effort and work to yield positive returns. There is an incredible amount of self-awareness involved in being a good parent. It requires us to look at what we do when we are tired and stressed and stretched to our limits.”
Since stress and fatigue are not going away any time soon, I’ve had to learn to put a higher priority on love and connection and memory-making than on my schedule. It means delaying “one more email” in favor of getting down on the floor and building a train with Henry. Realizing that responding to an Instagram comments could wait, because Phoebe is in her pajamas and ready for bedtime cuddles now. No matter how busy things are, I can choose to grab onto life’s most important treasures and let go of my grasp on distractions or others’ demands on my time. But it’s up to me to show up and make the choice, every day.
I wanted to share a few great reader suggestions on last week’s post 7 ways to survive a long flight when you’re sitting in coach.
- From Becca: “Compression socks have been a game changer for me! Change into compression socks at take-off, and use their slippers when you need to get up. Drink some vitamin-c packets, and bring a silk eye mask (there’s a great one on Amazon for $10).”
- From Gabstagramm: “My meditation apps (Calm or Headspace) are my favorites for long flights. I think there’s an inherent anxiety about flying regardless of time and starting the session at takeoff is a guranteed way to settle in for the haul or ideally drift in to sleep.
Scroll on for my favorite reads from around the web this week!
images: karl timpone & kelly stuart via mydomaine
Found! My official makeup routine of summer.
15 decor essentials under $25 to buy when you’re bored.
How to tap into your “fringe moments” to reach your biggest goals.
Magnesium is the new melatonin.
I started binge reading this week, and I’m into it.
I’m dying to visit this winery – dreamy, right?
French girl beauty at any age.
What it really means to have “chemistry.”
and keep scrolling for a few fun things you may have missed!
How to be less critical of yourself.
Here’s what happened when 8 chefs from around the country competed for the title of U.S. Master of Pasta.
All the cute new swimwear brands you NEED to know this year.
These indoor/outdoor spaces will give you instant vacation vibes.
