I have been operating at a 1,000% stress level these last few months, and I’ve come to the realization that A) I can’t keep living this way (duh) and I need to start taking action to get a handle on things. I’m one of those people who, when overwhelmed, tends to shut down and hide, and that’s not good. I’ve fallen away from my routine, partly because it’s summer but also because I thought that maybe if I cut back on things, life would somehow get easier. But LOL nope. So I am going to spend today making a schedule for myself and the kids – one that includes going back to things I love, like writing here more and creating DIYs. But also, since it’s summer, I will cut myself some slack and try to do fun things with the kids, like going to the beach. I need to do better at balancing everything!

Around The ‘Net

~How a Muslim doctor changed Minnesota minds

~In Hollywood, Asian American actors see few lead roles, and pay discrepancies when they land one

~Friends rallied to help teenager with cancer complete her bucket list

~The Faces of Intermarriage, 50 Years After Loving v. Virginia

~I Dress ‘Straight’ to Protect My Clients

~Living while dying: ‘Little Buddha’ wisdom from a terminally ill ‘goofball’

~A Widow’s Rage Defense of Patton Oswalt’s Engagement

~An oral history of ‘A League of Their Own’ on its 25th anniversary

~A Plan For Raising Brilliant Kids, According To Science

~Hunter Greene Is Not the LeBron of Baseball. He Wants to Be Something More.

~This Professional Marathoner Outran 2 Bears, But You Should Not Try This

Fun Things

~I might have bought these zombie slippers for Mike as a book-release gift. LOL
~I gave myself these delicate triangle earrings for my birthday (what, you don’t buy yourself gifts? You should.).
~Ordered Annie the “Big Book of Girl Power” because duh.
~Just heard that Target is discontinuing their Merona and Mossimo lines, so stock up while you still can.

The Toddler Survival Guide

When we returned from our trip to Palm Desert, we discovered we’d been sent a package from our book publisher – advanced copies of the book! And even though I’ve been having minor panic attacks over everything book related, holding a hardcover book with MY name on it (and also Mike’s, lol) really made this whole book thing seem real. I never, ever imagined I would be someone who would write a book. I’m just an ordinary California kid, ya know? And if holding the book in my hands wasn’t enough, watching Annabel actually READ it (and see our dedication to her and her siblings) was an out-of-body experience.

P.S. In case you missed it, we released a trailer for the book that you can see here. We also would love your support on the book’s Facebook page! And, if you haven’t pre-ordered our book and would like to, you can get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Indiebound, Powells, QuartoKnows, and in Canada at Indigo-Chapters. 

Happy Sunday, everyone!