What We're Reading Wednesday

I have a fun assortment of things to share with you today!  I've read a couple of books, tons of great blog posts and have some of my favorite bloggers to share with you today.  I also thought today was a good time to announce that I'm going to take Thursdays off from blogging this summer.  I have a long list of things I'd like to work on and read this summer so I think writing a little less will give me more time for that.

Hope you enjoy these reads as much as I did :)

BOOKS:

The Turquoise Table by Kristen Schell was a really inspiring read.  It's the perfect book for summer!  The book is gorgeous.  It is filled with pretty pictures and recipes throughout the story.  I loved the idea of going out of your comfort zone to notice your neighbors and to build real relationships in a busy world.  Her ideas to build community were simple, straightforward and really motivating.  Schell gives personal examples and many testimonials about the impact of these turquoise picnic tables in various communities.  

I had never heard anyone talk about hospitality vs entertaining before.  She drove home the point that hospitality is about serving others and entertaining is about putting the focus on yourself.  When your goal is being hospitable you don't have to stress about how clean your house is or all the party details.  You can just make plans to listen, care for and serve people.  I loved her message of slowing down, paying attention to the people around you and taking time to connect with others.  She didn't abandon her motherly responsibilities or do anything crazy - she just dedicated time each day to build her community.  I don't plan to put a picnic table in my front yard, but I loved her message of being front yard people and looking for ways to connect with the people around you.  I took notes and am excited to put her ideas into practice this summer.

*I was gifted a copy of this book from BookLook to review.  All opinions are my own.

I've been using my swimming lesson time to catch up on reading.  Olive is happily swimming, Fletcher is happily snacking so I'm trying to happily read.  Seems like a good plan to me.

I finished Unglued - Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotion - by Lysa Terkeurst this month.  It was a good read.  I appreciated her message and her talking about how to keep your emotions in check when you're busy parenting and doing life.  I think this book would be great for anyone with quick tempers or anyone who wanted to focus on taking control of their emotions.  It was relatable and a good read.  I didn't personally connect with the book so I would say it's best for more of a target audience.  I've really enjoyed other books by Lysa more - The Best Yes is one I'd HIGHLY recommend.

BLOGS:

I've tried many times to make a delicious Key Lime pie like we eat on vacations at the beach, but they never work out.  I'm hopeful that Sally's Baking Addiction Key Lime Pie will be my new summer go to recipe!

It's Never A Good Time to Invite Kids In gave me a lot to think about with neighbor kids and future play dates that are bound to happen.  What are our rules for play dates?  Where can friends play?  Is my house welcoming?

There's No Love Like Your Kids Have When They Are Small made me cry.  The days of parenting little people can be long and exhausting.  The kids are so needy and depend on you for so much.  This article was a great reminder that even though the days seem long, it won't be long before they've outgrown their neediness to some degree.  They'll always need you, but not the same way they do when they are small.  Great reminder to savor the moments now.

Cara's recipe for Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Roll Ups sound amazing!  They'd have to be delicious combining pizza and lasagna and they're so cute!  Can't wait to give them a try.

I am really tempted to order these Women's Dillion Laser Cut Booties in taupe from Target!  My friend Courtney looks so cute in them and I know I'd wear them a ton in late summer through Fall.  Should I bite the bullet and snag them now??

I love family photo shoots and I really loved seeing this one done at Elise Blaha's home.  It seemed to perfectly capture their life right now.  I think it would be fun to do a photo shoot at home some day.

This tradition of Skip Days from Shay sounded like so much fun!  I'm sure her kids will grow up with great memories of how they spent their skip days.

52 Thoughts // Unbranded from Jessica @ What I Wore was an interesting read about the importance of doing things that interest you and are interesting rather than trying to fit yourself into a specific box or character.

BOOK CLUB with the kids:

We set aside time each day for book club.  I turn off all tv, music and other distractions.  Each child picks out a handful of books they want me to read and then we take turns reading books from their stacks.  It's been a fun way to enjoy books together.  Here are some of our favorites:

What have you been reading this month???

It's time to link up for What We're Reading Wednesday.

Join us with all the things you read in May.

I can't wait to see what everyone has been reading!

Johannah: https://johannahsirois.blogspot.com/

Crystal: http://www.masonsmama.com/

Justine: http://www.littledoveblog.com/

Whitney: https://polka-dottyplace.blogspot.com/

Heather: http://www.myglitteryheart.com/

Keri: https://www.kerilynnsnyder.com/

An InLinkz Link-up