I read it first from the library but bought a copy because a) I will definitely re-read this with a highlighter in hand, and b) I convinced my book club to make this our next pick 🤣
Beautiful! I love the sweet family performances, though they are becoming rarer as my kids get older. 🥹 I agree about HSK being a top inspiration for writing! And I wish I could talk to you more about being extracurricular minimalists. We are too, but sometimes it’s so hard because it seems like we are the only ones. I was talking to a friend today who has 4 kids all the age of my youngest (so, 8) and down and she has them in three sports plus a church activity. I’ve come to where we are the hard way, and I don’t regret our decisions... but still, it can be tough to feel like the only ones. Thanks for another great piece!
I have A Lot Of Thoughts on this ... and actually wrote some of them down as an end-of-summer reflection, but never ended up publishing it and now it's October and feels too late? 🤣 Am I overthinking that?
You’re overthinking that ;) A lot of us would love to read it!
I wrote a piece that touches on that topic this summer called medium capacity mom. I straight up called out the travel soccer people around me in my community…we just aren’t those people 😅
Joy, I’m right there with you!! It’s so hard to make different choices than *seemingly* every other family around you…but it’s so worth it to follow your convictions. Reading about how you navigate life with older kids is always a treasure for me!
I've been mulling over this idea of creativity and how much I need to do something for myself daily that doesn't *have* to be done. It feeds my soul to be creative and I have to purposefully remind myself to make it happen.
After reading your newsletter, I promptly requested your book and "How to Stay Married" from the library. Until those come in though, I'm currently reading "Modern Miss Mason" by Leah Boden, about home educating and "Northanger Abbey".
I loved The Midnight Library and begged my book club to read it last year, and it was one of my favorite book club discussions ever. We read Homecoming by Kate Morton last month, which was also fantastic, if not a little long.
We just finished up the current season of Only Murders in the Building, and I am so sad it's over. That cast is perfection.
I just bought your book at Target and I can’t wait to read it! 😊 Cooking, well these didn’t require cooking or baking but I just made these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars and they were so good!
Love the photos of Presley! I can just imagine my girls doing the same. They love doing shows for me on the trampoline ✨
And we are extracurricular minimalists too. I think I read that article you linked when you linked it on notes and it resonated so much. I want a simple life for me and my family so we can actually just enjoy being home together when we're not at school!
I feel like I'm still on a book hangover after HSK's book; so I ordered two more of his to read next. I finished Megan Stielstra's "Once I Was Cool" and am currently reading her other book of essays, "The Wrong Way to Save Your Life."
Hi Ashlee! I'm loving finding you here recently and reading all the things.
Reading: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. A friend who recently moved is reading it with me and we have a mini book club over FaceTime every few weeks. It's delightful but makes me miss her so.
Wearing: Can't wait to get into fall, because it holds my favorite clothes. Hoodies and sweaters and jeans and fun shoes. I just got some orange pants in a subscription box and they're already my favorite.
Cooking: My husband does it when he's home. It's a gift. He was gone at the beginning of this week and let's just say we didn't eat as deliciously.
Watching: We are going through Band of Brothers on Netflix.
I do all of my audiobooks via Libby app (I’ve never purchased one) but 1000% bought How To Stay Married after you and Jenny F. gave raaaaave reviews. And it was 1000% worth it.
Reading: Demon Copperhead (wow), You Could Make This Place Beautiful (also wow), also enjoying a Bible Study from Elizabeth Woodsen titled, “From Beginning to Forever.” Thank you for sharing your thoughts ❤️ yes to minimalist everything but at the same time maaaay have to get that Everlane sweater for 70% off?! It’s all about balance, right? (:
I am currently reading All Who Are Weary and loving it. Adding How to Stay Married to my tbr immediately. We have a Yoto, which I have heard is similar to the Toniesbox. My kids love it. I signed up for the book club chat, especially to hear from you about starting one. I have tried in the past, resulting in an epic fail. Do I keep trying? Please share your book club wisdom.
Nobody came! I reached out to about five neighbors and acquaintances. Three said no right away. The others said yes but then backed out a few days before. This was many years ago. My twins were tiny and I was lonely. I had just read Melanie Dale's Women Are Scary and felt ready to find friends. I took it as a personal rejection and have never tried again. I feel ready now, though. Plus with your help, maybe it's possible.
My kids are so much older now but oh how many nights my husband and I were the audience when the kids produced nightly shows complete with posters, tickets and spotlights (i.e. flashlights). Between the art-filled kitchen table and the dramatic performances, the kids were my creative community for a long time.Thanks for taking me back there again.
Joined Exhale yesterday, looking forward to jumping in!
Loved reading this from you, Ashlee! I love how your family just welcomes creativity into your home culture. Also I too have *ahem* thoughts on AI (🫠🥴😬).
As for what I’m reading, wearing, cooking, watching...Reading: The Lord of the Rings (hosting my annual read-through for the 1st time here on Substack!). Wearing: this is a struggle for me. At 34 years old, I want to overhaul all my clothes and don’t know where to start. Cooking: dairy free potato soup and scratch made chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. Watching: There’s a new National Park doc on Disney+ I want to check out!
I am waiting for the hold for how to stay married but after reading this review I feel like I should probably just buy it 😂
You should buy it. ;)
Just ordered it! Along with the shell game thanks to Molly talking about it on the exhale podcast. 😂
SAME!!!
I did, and I buy almost no hard copy books because of how often we move! 😅
Literally, same 😂
I read it first from the library but bought a copy because a) I will definitely re-read this with a highlighter in hand, and b) I convinced my book club to make this our next pick 🤣
Beautiful! I love the sweet family performances, though they are becoming rarer as my kids get older. 🥹 I agree about HSK being a top inspiration for writing! And I wish I could talk to you more about being extracurricular minimalists. We are too, but sometimes it’s so hard because it seems like we are the only ones. I was talking to a friend today who has 4 kids all the age of my youngest (so, 8) and down and she has them in three sports plus a church activity. I’ve come to where we are the hard way, and I don’t regret our decisions... but still, it can be tough to feel like the only ones. Thanks for another great piece!
Oh and I’m also listening to Demon Copperhead right now and feeling sad that I’ll never be able to write like Barbara Kingsolver.
I have A Lot Of Thoughts on this ... and actually wrote some of them down as an end-of-summer reflection, but never ended up publishing it and now it's October and feels too late? 🤣 Am I overthinking that?
You’re overthinking that ;) A lot of us would love to read it!
I wrote a piece that touches on that topic this summer called medium capacity mom. I straight up called out the travel soccer people around me in my community…we just aren’t those people 😅
Mine was about swim team 🤣🤣🤣
🙌🏼😂
Joy, I’m right there with you!! It’s so hard to make different choices than *seemingly* every other family around you…but it’s so worth it to follow your convictions. Reading about how you navigate life with older kids is always a treasure for me!
I've been mulling over this idea of creativity and how much I need to do something for myself daily that doesn't *have* to be done. It feeds my soul to be creative and I have to purposefully remind myself to make it happen.
After reading your newsletter, I promptly requested your book and "How to Stay Married" from the library. Until those come in though, I'm currently reading "Modern Miss Mason" by Leah Boden, about home educating and "Northanger Abbey".
Love this, Janel! I hope Create Anyway meets you right where you are ❤️
YOUR PHOTOS OF PRESLEY. 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼
I don't usually take darker images like that, but it was fun to experiment with that kind of lighting!
I loved The Midnight Library and begged my book club to read it last year, and it was one of my favorite book club discussions ever. We read Homecoming by Kate Morton last month, which was also fantastic, if not a little long.
We just finished up the current season of Only Murders in the Building, and I am so sad it's over. That cast is perfection.
I still haven't seen that!
I just bought your book at Target and I can’t wait to read it! 😊 Cooking, well these didn’t require cooking or baking but I just made these No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars and they were so good!
Ahhh thanks for the support, Mackenzie! Do you have a recipe for the bars?! I love all things chocolate + peanut butter ;)
You’re welcome! 🙂 The recipe is from The Minimalist Baker, it’s on her website, and the recipe is called No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Bars. So good! 👏🏼
Love the photos of Presley! I can just imagine my girls doing the same. They love doing shows for me on the trampoline ✨
And we are extracurricular minimalists too. I think I read that article you linked when you linked it on notes and it resonated so much. I want a simple life for me and my family so we can actually just enjoy being home together when we're not at school!
Always love your book recs! And what a sweet story about your sweet family ❤️
I feel like I'm still on a book hangover after HSK's book; so I ordered two more of his to read next. I finished Megan Stielstra's "Once I Was Cool" and am currently reading her other book of essays, "The Wrong Way to Save Your Life."
Hi Ashlee! I'm loving finding you here recently and reading all the things.
Reading: Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. A friend who recently moved is reading it with me and we have a mini book club over FaceTime every few weeks. It's delightful but makes me miss her so.
Wearing: Can't wait to get into fall, because it holds my favorite clothes. Hoodies and sweaters and jeans and fun shoes. I just got some orange pants in a subscription box and they're already my favorite.
Cooking: My husband does it when he's home. It's a gift. He was gone at the beginning of this week and let's just say we didn't eat as deliciously.
Watching: We are going through Band of Brothers on Netflix.
Orange pants! I wish you could attach a picture!!
I do all of my audiobooks via Libby app (I’ve never purchased one) but 1000% bought How To Stay Married after you and Jenny F. gave raaaaave reviews. And it was 1000% worth it.
Grateful to hear this because I am always worried I overhype things 🤣
Reading: Demon Copperhead (wow), You Could Make This Place Beautiful (also wow), also enjoying a Bible Study from Elizabeth Woodsen titled, “From Beginning to Forever.” Thank you for sharing your thoughts ❤️ yes to minimalist everything but at the same time maaaay have to get that Everlane sweater for 70% off?! It’s all about balance, right? (:
Seriously it was too good of a deal to pass up!!
I am currently reading All Who Are Weary and loving it. Adding How to Stay Married to my tbr immediately. We have a Yoto, which I have heard is similar to the Toniesbox. My kids love it. I signed up for the book club chat, especially to hear from you about starting one. I have tried in the past, resulting in an epic fail. Do I keep trying? Please share your book club wisdom.
Tell me more! Did it fail as in: nobody came? People weren't interested? Books were a flop?
Nobody came! I reached out to about five neighbors and acquaintances. Three said no right away. The others said yes but then backed out a few days before. This was many years ago. My twins were tiny and I was lonely. I had just read Melanie Dale's Women Are Scary and felt ready to find friends. I took it as a personal rejection and have never tried again. I feel ready now, though. Plus with your help, maybe it's possible.
All Who Are Weary is fantastic. Such a helpful, gentle, timely book.
My kids are so much older now but oh how many nights my husband and I were the audience when the kids produced nightly shows complete with posters, tickets and spotlights (i.e. flashlights). Between the art-filled kitchen table and the dramatic performances, the kids were my creative community for a long time.Thanks for taking me back there again.
Joined Exhale yesterday, looking forward to jumping in!
Aww yay, looking forward to getting to know you better over there, Aimee! Welcome!
the photos of presley are wonderful 🤍 and that photo series you shared from the new yorker is amazing
Loved reading this from you, Ashlee! I love how your family just welcomes creativity into your home culture. Also I too have *ahem* thoughts on AI (🫠🥴😬).
As for what I’m reading, wearing, cooking, watching...Reading: The Lord of the Rings (hosting my annual read-through for the 1st time here on Substack!). Wearing: this is a struggle for me. At 34 years old, I want to overhaul all my clothes and don’t know where to start. Cooking: dairy free potato soup and scratch made chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. Watching: There’s a new National Park doc on Disney+ I want to check out!
I have legit thought of writing a post about the current state of fashion 2023 because I seem to be having this conversation with EVERYONE right now.