In 2025, I did a personal readathon where I read all of the Little House on the Prairie books. I had read them as a child, but hadn’t revisited most of them since then. It was delightful and I’m now rereading the series aloud with my kids–it’s extra fun, as my four year old son is very into them. I had so much fun, I wanted to do something similar in 2026 and decided to read the entire Anne of Green Gables series!
I have read Anne of Green Gables many times and have read a few of the other books once, but I haven’t ever read the entire series, so I’m very excited.
Here is my plan for reading the Anne series in 2026:
March
Anne of Green Gables
Because there are only 8 books in the series, I decided to wait and start my readathon in March. My first read of the series will be rereading Anne of Green Gables. I love the idea of reading in spring, when the world is just warming up, and I’m also excited to read it as part of Middle Grade March.
April
Anne of Avonlea
I have recently reread Anne of Avonlea, which picks up right after Anne ends. I love the book, watching Anne grow up a little but also seeing all her antics continue.
May
Anne of the Island
I know I’ve read this one before, but I don’t remember it very well. Anne of the Island follows Anne’s life at college and is also a book in which her romance with Gilbert begins to bloom. My review of it says I loved it the first time, so I expect to love it when I revisit it in May.
June
Anne of Windy Poplars
Now we’re getting to books in the series that I haven’t read before. In this book, Anne has her first job out of college as a principal, with a big-name family not happy that she was picked. This sounds charming, I’m very excited to read it.
July
Anne’s House of Dreams
This is one of the books that I’m most looking foward to reading in the series–the book in which Anne and Gilbert get married and start their life together.
August
Anne of Ingleside
In Anne of Ingleside, Anne is now a mother of 5. As a mother of 5 myself, I am very ready to relate to Anne and her life in this book.
September
Rainbow Valley
I think Rainbow Valley follows Anne’s six children and some of the adventures they go on, which sounds so fun! I love the way LM Montgomery writes about children.
October
Rilla ma Rilla
I’ll be finishing up the series in October with Rilla ma Rilla. This final book follows Anne’s daughter Rilla as World War II starts. I’ve heard it has all the charm of the previous books, but with more depth and I’ve also heard many people who say it was their favorite of the series.
I am very excited to be reading Anne this year! I have wanted to finish the series for years now and I’m also excited to revisit some of my favorites. What is your favorite Anne book? Will you be reading along with me? Let me know in the comments below!
I am very excited for March and to participate in Middle Grade March again this year! It’s one of my favorite reading challenges of the year. The Middle Grade age category has so many fun books included in it and there are a lot of great ones I’m looking forward to reading this year.
To participate in Middle Grade March, all you need to do is read at least one middle grade book. That’s it! If you want to do more, they also have a group read, some different categories to pick books from, and fun merchandise on their Etsy.
Here are the books I have on my Middle Grade March TBR:
Group Read:
Max in the house of Spies by Adam Gidwitz
The group read for Middle Grade March this year is Max in the House of Spies. It is a middle grade historical fiction during World War II, following a Jewish boy who, in his attempt to get home, becomes a British spy. This sounds so interesting, I can’t wait to read it!
Prompt 1: Name in the Title
Olivetti by Allie Millington
For this prompt, I picked Olivetti, as the main character of this book is a typewriter named Olivetti. The idea of the typewriter being the POV is really intriguing to me and the story itself–of a family looking for their missing mother and having to deal with their family drama along the way–also sounds very interesting.
Prompt 2: Books on the Cover
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery
I actually had the hardest time finding a middle grade book with books on the cover. I finally found Anne of Green Gables, with this cover of Anne holding a book. I was wanting to reread Anne anyway this year, so I am going with it!
Prompt 3: Historical Fiction
The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson
The Star that Always Stays is a middle grade historical fiction inspired by the author’s family history. It’s set in 1914 and follows a girl who moves from the country to the city, but needs to hide who she is and where her Native American origins are from. I love including some historical fiction each year. This is a historical fiction I’ve been wanting to read this year, so it is perfect for this prompt!
Prompt 4: Siblings Featured
Okay for Now by Gary D. Smchidt
Okay for Now is a coming of age middle grade following a boy named Doug and his friend Lil. It sounds like there are quite a few heavier themes, including his relationship with his brother (there’s the sibling relationship!) Vietnam veteran older brother, his abusive father, and his peers. I am expecting to feel all the feels with this one.
Prompt 5:
BIPOC Author
Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
BIPOC stands for Black, Indigineous, or Person of Color. This is a book I’ve heard a lot of good things about and am really excited to try. Blood in the Water is a middle grade thriller, a genre I’m not sure I’ve ever read before. The main character Kaylani is from Boston, but is spending her summer on Martha’s Vineyard when a body shows up at the beach. Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery and change her life in the process. I love thrillers and murder mysteries and I love middle grade, so I’m really excited for this one.
Other Middle Grade Books I want to read in March:
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
The Candymakers is an audiobook I bought on sale recently that my oldest daughter listened to and loved. She really wants me to read it and I thought March was the perfect time to do so. It is a fantasy mystery that sounds light hearted and charming.
Allies by Alan Grantz
I read another Alan Grantz book last year in March and loved it (he writes middle grade historical fiction). Allies follows a cast of characters on different sides of the conflict on D-Day, in the heat of the battle. I’ve heard it’s a book you can’t put down and that the audiobook is particularly well done.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This is my read aloud with the kids for March, as my third book in our year of reading all the the Little House books together. We are having fun with it!
Bedknob and Broomstick by Mary Norton
Bedknob and Broomstick is a children’s classic I’ve never read (though I’ve seen the movie many times) and I’m excited to try it! It’s not my top priority for March, so I don’t know if I’ll get to it, but I think it would be a fun addition for Middle Grade March if I do.
The Steps by Wendelin Van Draanen
Wendelin Van Draanen released this middle grade thriller at the end of last year and as I love Wendelin Van Draanen, I’m really excited to read it. I think March will be the perfect time to pick it up! The Steps follows a chess whiz named Ruby who is from a wealthy family. Following the death of her mother and aunt, her father remarries (the “steps”), her cousin/BFF is no longer allowed around, and strange and dangerous things start happening. Ruby has to put up a fight and break some rules to both get her cousin back and beat her new step family at their own game.
That is my TBR for Middle Grade March! I love this readathon every year and I’m really excited for the books I have planned! Are you participating in Middle Grade March? What are you reading? Let me know in the comments below!
I’m a little late with this post (seeing as February is almost over already), but it’s been a crazy month and I’ve had so many other fun posts I’ve been working on. I didn’t want to miss this post, though. In January, I did a month-long social media fast (which I loved!) and I spent a lot of my “extra” time reading instead of scrolling, which felt so nice!
Here are my five favorite five star reads from January!
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion vol. 8 by Beth Brower
I have loved this entire series, but The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion vol. 8 has been my favorite so far! Islington has always been one of my favorite characters and I especially loved his character in this one. I also loved the way the grief theme and the friendship theme were explored. Every time I read a new one, I think, I couldn’t possibly like the next book more, and every time I am wrong.
So, here’s to saying, I couldn’t possibly love the ninth more than this one!
Make the Bread, Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese
I was surprised by how much I loved this book. This is a nonfiction collection of different recipes that the author found or came up with for items often bought at the store or in a restaurant, interspersed with her experience around the recipe and her opinion on whether it is worth it to buy it or make it. It was very enjoyable for me and left me wanting to try some new recipes!
The Last of the Really Great Whangdodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
A neighbor recently came by with some books they were getting rid of and this was in the box. I hadn’t realized Julie Andrews (the actress) had written any children’s books, but she’s written several! I’ve always liked her as an actress and this makes me like her even more.
This was such a fun middle grade read! It follows three children who befriend a professor and go on a quest to find a whangdoodle–the last of its kind. To do so, they have to overcome things like fear and really dig into their imagination.
The Girl Who Kept the Castle by Ryan Graudin
In The Girl Who Kept the Castle, Wizard West has died but his ghost lives on and hosts a tournament to find his successor. The groundkeeper’s daughter must make the tournament a success using magic she shouldn’t be using in order to save everything she loves. This middle grade fantasy was a lot of fun and had a great character arc. I also loved the twists at the end and the cast of characters!
Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt
Buffalo Flats is an LDS young adult historical fiction set in Canada in the late 1800’s. There is romance, history, and friendship as the book explores the hardships faced by pioneers and explores what life was like for early latter-day saints. I loved the characters and the story of this one!
Bonus:
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice For Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers was my main reread of January and I loved it just as much rereading it as I did the first time I read it! I love Vera’s character so much and I love the satisfaction that comes as she meddles in people’s lives by bringing them food and just loving on them.
Those are my favorite reads from January this year! Have you read them? What did you think? What is one of your favorite reads recently? Let me know in the comments below and we can chat!
February was a pretty good reading month for me, full of romance books. We were sick for a lot of the month, which allowed me more reading time as we rested (as well as less reading time when I was so sick I just wanted to veg).
In February, I read 18 books and 4,875 pages, for an average of 270 pages per book. I read 15 books by female authors and 3 by male authors. I read 4 physical books, 7 eBooks, and 7 audiobooks. I borrowed 7 of the books I read and owned 11 of them. I read 5 middle grade books, 3 YA books, and 10 adult books, with 5 read alouds with my kids. Of the books I read, 2 were rereads and 16 were new reads and 3 were new releases. I read 5 books that are part of a series, starting 1 series, finishing 1 series, and reading 10 stand alone books. I read 3 books on my 2026 TBR list (now having read 6 of 33). I read 9 five star reads, 8 four star reads, 1 three star reads, and 0 two or one star reads.
Here are my FIVE favorite books from February:
A Proper Scandal by Esther Hatch
A Proper Scandal is a regency romance following Grace, who has been shuttled from place to place until arriving with her aunt, who gives her two weeks to find a husband before being kicked out. She has a sizable dowry and is beautiful, so she needs to be careful to avoid unscrupulous men in her search, but with such a short amount of time, she might have to put someone in a compromising position herself. I loved the plot of the book, with how often people are trying to entrap someone else. I also loved the romance, the two main characters were great for each other and it was fun to watch them overcome all the obstacles they faced to come together.
Tailored Realities by Brandon Sanderson
Tailored Realities is a new release by Brandon Sanderson. It is a collection of short science fiction stories he’s written over the last ten years, with a new “short story” titled Moment Zero (it’s pretty long for a short story) as the centerpiece of the collection. I loved listening to it! I really enjoyed revisiting the stories I’d already read and it was fun to see the new ones (there were some shorter ones that I’d never come across before that were older) and Moment Zero was a very enjoyable read for me. I also really loved Brandon Sanderson’s postscripts for each story.
Romeo and Juliet for Kids by Louis Burdett
Romeo and Juliet for Kids was a really fun read for the kids and I. It incorporated a lot of the original wording, but put it into a poem that was more understandable. The illustrations are all drawn by other kids and made my kids laugh. I still helped my kids understand some of what was going on as we read the story, but they were invested in the characters (I warned them it was a sad ending). I loved being able to visit the story in a way that was more accessible for them but kept the spirit of the original.
The Cowboy’s Game by Cindy Steel
The Cowboy’s Game was my favorite romance read of the month. I have to admit, I teared up multiple times. It had that light hearted rom com feel to it, with lots of banter and funny moments, but it also had some depth to it as the characters worked through their past and were able to be there for each other. I loved the main character’s sweet little girl and the role she played in everything and the ending was just perfect.
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley was such a fun read! I loved Isadora’s character, even with all her flaws at the beginning of the book. She met such great friends and it was so fun to watch their relationships grow and change her as a person. The romance was so sweet and her character arc was very well done.
Bonus: My favorite reread!
Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
You know I love to include a bonus book in these post–my favorite reread, as I don’t count rereads in my list of favorite books each month. This month, my favorite reread was Book of a Thousand Days. I remember loving this book as a teenager and rereading it now, I still love it! I love Dashti’s character and the romance in it. I also love the way Saren grows, and the role Dashti plays in that growth. This reread was extra fun because my 11 year old daughter was reading the book at the same time and loving it. We kept comparing what day we were on. It is so fun to share things like this with your kids!
Those were my favorite reads from the month of February! What were your favorite books from last month? What is a book you’ve read recently and loved?
Middle Grade books are some of my favorite to read, both as an adult and, of course, with my kids. One of my favorite things is reading a middle grade book that I love and turning around to share it with my kids—and having them love it!
Today I am sharing some of my favorite middle grade authors!
Jennifer A. Neilsen
Jennifer A. Neilsen is such a fun author for both kids and adults! We listened to her new release last year as a family on a roadtrip. My husband had to run into a store and was so invested, he had us pause the book so he woudn’t miss anything. Despite it being a year since we listened, my kids still talk about that book (it was One Wrong Step).
She writes mostly middle grade historical fiction, covering topics from the world wars to Mount Everest to the Titanic. She also has a few different middle grade fantasy series. Her most famous might be A Night Divided. Her most recent release is Magnitude, a story set during the Great San Fransisco Earthquke of 1906. My favorite historical fiction by her is Resistance and my favorite fantasy is The False Prince (I haven’t read everything by her yet).
Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale wrote some of my own favorite childhood books, though some of her newer books have been hit and miss for me. I still love many of her books (old and new) and love to share them with my kids. Some of her books are between middle grade and YA and she has also written some books geared toward adults (though all her content is clean).
She has a chapter book series, The Princess in Black, that is very cute and very much for kids. She has written a few graphic novel middle grade contemporary series (Best Friends and Dream On) that are great for both kids and adults. Dream On is the first book, but the sequel hasn’t been released yet. I cried during both and as soon as I finished Dream On, I took it to my 9 year old because I knew she would love it.
Shannon Hale also has some graphic novel retellings, including Rapunzel’s Revenge, Diana: Princess of the Amazons, and Amethyst. She’s written a middle grade fairy tale series called Ever After High with quite a few books in the series, a super hero duology about Squirrel Girl, and some fantasy books (Princess Academy, Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days) that are great for older middle grade and adults—these were my favorite growing up!
She is probably most famous for Princess Academy or Goose Girl (I love both of them!). Her newest release, Dream Big, will be the sequal to a middle grade contemporary graphic novel, Dream On, and is coming out in September. My favorite book by her is Book of a Thousand Days, though I love her contemporary graphic novels as well. My kids have loved everything they’ve read by her.
Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is mainly an adult author, but he has some great middle grade books that my kids and I have both loved. His main middle grade series is Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians. It has some mild violence, but is lighthearted and silly, my kids couldn’t stop laughing when we listened to them. His other middle grade is a stand alone (with plans to write it into a series later on) called The Rithmatist. This one has some scarier parts, so it’s better for older middle grade, but has a fun friendship, great mystery, and a wonderful character arc.
Brandon Sanderson also has his Skyward series, which is a science fantasy for young adults. I’ve seen other families who have listened to it together with their middle grade-aged kids and loved it (we haven’t done that yet). He also has his superhero series, Steelheart, which is YA but an older middle grade could read.
James Ponti
James Ponti writes really fun adventure mystery books for middle grade kids. His most famous is probably City Spies, an ongoing series following a group of kids who work for the CIA and his most recent release is the newest book in the series. My favorites by him are his Framed! books, a series that follows a kid who works as a consultant for the FBI.
Gary D Schmidt
I’ve only read a few books by Gary D Schmidt so far, but the ones I’ve read make me want to read every book he’s written. He writes contemporary middle grade books that deal with heavier topics in the best way possible, and his books have always made me cry.
He’s probably most famous for his book The Wednesday Wars, following a teenage boy in the sixties. His most recent release is A Day at the Beach, a contemporary he cowrote with Ron Koertge (I haven’t read it yet). My favorite by him has been Okay for Now.
Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo is a very famous middle grade author, for good reason. She writes contemporary books, sometimes with magical realism, and fantasy books. She’s probably most famous for The Tale of Despereaux or Because of Winn Dixie. Her most recent release was Ferris, a contemporary following a girl whose grandmother is sick and seeing a ghost. My favorite book by her is Because of Winn Dixie, though my kids also love her Mercy Watson chapter books.
LM Montgomery
LM Montgomery has such lovely books, both middle grade and adult. She is probably most famous for Anne of Green Gables (one of my favorite middle grade books of all time!) but also has Emily of New Moon (some peope like Emily more than Anne; I am not one of those people, but I do love Emily still). She’s written so many others that I haven’t read yet (but plan to!) including a more episodic story called The Story Girl, Jane of Lantern Hill, Magic for Marigold, Pat of Silver Bush, and many short stories.
Wendelin Van Draanen
Wendelin Van Draanen has written many middle grade books, spanning contemporary, historical fiction, and mystery. I always fly through her books and then wish I hadn’t gotten through them so fast so I could keep reading.
Her contemporary books include ones like Flipped, a middle grade about crushes and growing up, and The Running Dream, following a girl on the track team who has to get a prosthetic leg. In historical fiction, she has The Peach Rebellion, following a friend group of three girls post-WWII, and How I Survived Being a Girl, about a girl who wishes she could do the “tomboy” activities her brothers get to rather than being ladylike. Her mysteries include the Sammy Keyes series, about a girl named Sammy who grows up a lot while always getting herself mixed up in some sort of mystery; Mr. Whiskers and the Shennanigan sisters, where the main character is a stray dog who helps his human friends when their father is dad-napped; and The Steps, a middle grade thriller with family politics.
She’s probably most famous for Flipped. Her newest release is The Steps, coming out at the end of 2025. It’s really hard to pick a favorite by her, because I love so many of her books, but I would either pick Sammy Keyes or The Peach Rebellion.
Karina Van Glaser
Karina Van Glaser writes contemporary books with amazing characters. She often incorporates music into her books and portrays family in a way that I love. She is probably most famous for her Vanderbeekers of 131st Street series, the first book of which follows a large family who are told they need to move right at Christmas and the kids hatch a plan to keep that from happening. Her most recent release is The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli, a historical fiction set in 731 China and 1931 Chinatown. My favorite book by her so far has been A Duet for Home, following two children living in a homeless shelter.
Lisa Fipps
Lisa Fipps has two books released so far, and they are amazing reads. Both are written in verse and both have all the feels. Her debut novel Starfish follows a girl who has been bullied about her weight all her life and has to figure out how to stop the bullying and accept herself. Her most recent release And Then, Boom! follows a boy in poverty whose mother can’t be depended on for anything and he often has to figure things out himself–even in the middle of an actual tornado. I cried and cried during the book and loved the ending. Both of Lisa Fipp’s books cover serious topics that are important for kids to learn about, in a way that is appropriate for kids and could help them to understand people in circumstances different from their own.
Katherine Arden
Katherine Arden’s series Small Spaces is a great one if you have a child wanting to read horror. This middle grade series has four books in it. It follows a girl and her new friends who discover “the smiling man” on a field trip, and the only advice they have to get away from him is to “avoid large spaces, keep to the small.” The first book can be read as a standalone, but of course, the smiling man comes back in the sequels to haunt their lives. I am not a big horror fan (I’m wimpy when it comes to that kind of stuff), but middle grade horror is something I can usually handle okay and I ended up really enjoying the series.
Gail Carson Levine
Gail Carson Levine has written so many different books over the years, many fantasy and a few historical fiction. My kids love her fantasy short story collection, The Princess Tales. She also has many fantasy novels, including The Two Princesses of Bamaare, Ever, and A Tale of Two Castles, all of which she’s turned into series. Her historical fiction are stand alones and include Dave at Night, A Ceiling Made of Eggshells, and Sparrows in the Wind. She has another historical fiction scheduled for release this year called The Unusuals. She’s probably most famous for Ella Enchanted, which is also my favorite book by her (and has been since I was 8!).
Brandon Mull
Brandon Mull is a middle grade fantasy author. He has a lot of series out, including The Candy Shop War, Fablehaven, Beyonders, and Five Kingdoms. He’s probably most famous for Fablehaven, where two kids visit their grandparents only to learn that their grandparents are caretakers on a secret preserve for magical creatures. He recently announced they are making a Fablehaven movie. My favorite book by Brandon Mull is The Candy Shop War.
Christina Soontornvat
Christina Soontornvat’s writing is beautiful. She has some middle grade fantasy, including A Wish in the Dark, which is a retelling of Les Miserables, and The Last Mapmaker, which had a historical fiction feel to it. She’s probably most famous for her nonfiction book All Thirteen, in which she tells the incredible rescue of a soccer team who get stranded in a cave flooding with water. Her most recent release was a soccer memior graphic novel duology called The Tryout. My favorite by her so far has been A Wish in the Dark.
Ben Hatke
Ben Hatke writes middle grade fantasy graphic novels. My kids and I both love his Zita the Spacegirl series and his Mighty Jack series (which crossover on the final books, which is fun). His most recent release is one I haven’t read yet, Things in the Basement. My kids love graphic novels, so I really appreciate when I can find quality ones like what Ben Hatke writes.
Those are my favorite middle grade authors! I love reading middle grade and I love finding new authors so I can read their backlist. What are some of your favorite middle grade books or authors?
St. Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays as a kid, because I did Irish Step Dancing and it was a busy season for us. As a Mom, I have so much fun sharing my love of all things Irish with my kids on this holiday and making it fun for them.
As with all holidays, the best traditions are the ones that everyone in the family loves–and that includes Mom! Lean into your strengths and what makes you happy and that happiness will trickle down to the kids. And if holidays like St. Patrick’s Day aren’t something you want to celebrate, then don’t.
Today, I am sharing some of our favorite traditions for the holiday.
Fun Green Clothes
Obviously, we share in the green clothes tradition, although I have to admit I hate the pinching tradition of St. Patrick’s Day. I love to buy my kids fun St. Patrick’s Day clothes and they have some knee length socks we pull out every year as well.
Scavenger Hunt with Gold Coins
This is probably my kids’ favorite tradition. I put together a really simple scavenger hunt around the house, with clues like “I keep things cold” for the refrigerator. At the end of the scavenger hunt, they find chocolate gold coins.
Irish Step Dancing
Over the years, I have loved teaching my kids some Irish Step Dancing and we always review on St. Patrick’s Day. Then we can dance together!
Watch Riverdance
I also have always loved the show Riverdance and love sharing it with my kids. Sometimes we watch the whole thing, sometimes I find my favorite clips on YouTube to show them. They love to dance along, after learning Irish dance themselves.
Read Themed Books
We are a big book family, so of course a big part of the holiday is reading St. Patrick’s Day themed picture books. We own some, get some from the library, and watch videos online of people reading books we don’t own aloud.
Learn the History of the Holiday
We have a book that shares a lot of the history of the holiday and we love watching the Homeschool Pop video (we love his videos in general and watch them for all the smaller and bigger holidays).
Setting a Trap
I actually don’t do this tradition with my kids, but they love to do it every year—they set a trap for a leprachaun. Sometimes I lean into and get them a worksheet about setting traps, but they spearhead it and try every year. They have yet to succeed in catching one.
Green Food for Dinner
I love to do green food for our dinner–we just take whatever we are having for dinner and turn it green. We’ve done green eggs and pancakes, green mashed potatoes, this year we are doing green stroganoff. I add in green vegetables (like cabbage and broccoli) and this year we’re doing dinner rolls with green sprinkles on top. Top it off with a festive dessert (green rice krispie treats or cupcakes with green sprinkles) and you have a super easy festive evening together!
Those are our favorite traditions for St. Patrick’s Day! What about you? Do you do anything to celebrate this holiday? What are your favorite traditions around smaller holidays?
As Leah nears her first birthday, I am feeling like I am mostly out of survival mode. Life as a homeschool Mom of five is still crazy, but I am able to find time for some of my hobbies again, give my older kids the time and attention they need, and spend some kid-free time with Ben.
Today, I am sharing what our day looked like yesterday.
6:00 am
My alarm goes off. It takes me a minute to wake up and realize it’s my alarm. Luckily Ben is already up and gone to pickleball. I turn off my alarm, get a drink of water, and say my prayers.
6:15 am
I open my computer and start writing on my novel. I’m at the beginning stages and still trying to figure some things out, so I only get about 150 words, but it feels good to be writing again after having Leah. Then I switch over to my blog and work on a blog post. I have a little extra time, so I finish up a blog post on my personal blog (a sort of family journal I keep).
7:20 am
I get up and start making protien hot chocolate. While it’s heating up, I start clearing out the dishwasher.
7:30 am
Oliver comes down and gets his hot chocolate. He likes it best when I have it ready before he comes down. Rylee and Ashtyn also come down and snuggle on the couch with books. I wake up Leah to feed her, but I let Parker sleep a little longer. I read in my scriptures and then in Anne of Green Gables while I nurse Leah.
8:00 am
I finish feeding Leah and let her play on the floor while I drink my hot chocolate. I keep reading in Anne of Green Gables. All the kids except Parker (who is still asleep) get themselves some breakfast.
8:15 am
I’m finished with my hot chocolate. Ashtyn is playing with Leah, so I wake up Parker and read a couple of picture books to Rylee and Oliver on the couch.
8:30 am
I have a pickup at Smith’s, so I get dressed and load Leah up in the car. The kids are supposed to get dressed and start their chores and piano practice while I’m gone.
9:15 am
I get home from my pickup. The kids are in various stages of their list, so I get them going on the rest and put Leah in her high chair for some food.
9:30 am
Leah is done eating and the kids have finished up their chores, but still have piano practicing to do. I do my walk with Leah in the stroller. Rylee and Ashtyn come too (going ahead of me on their bikes) and Parker and Oliver stay home.
10:00 am
We’re home and I put Leah down for a nap. The kids worked on their independent schoolwork some while I was finishing my walk. I make sure they have done it right and then we do some group schoolwork while Leah is asleep and do our homeschool reading. Once we finish, the kids work on their independent schoolwork more.
11:50 am
I’m finishing up a couple things like starting a load of laundry and putting dough in the bread machine when Leah wakes up, so I get her and feed her. I read some and visit with Ben, who comes out of his office, while I nurse.
12:15 pm
Leah has finished eating, so I get a quick snack before Ben and I go in the basement to do our pickleball drills and workout. Monday, we do lower so I do some squats and lunges after our drills. Ashtyn and Parker watch Leah for us (we pay them each a dollar).
1:00 pm
As soon as I come upstairs, Oliver asks to do screens. I get the Switch turned on for him and go in the kitchen. While Ben and I get food, we get in a conversation about modesty and clothes with Ashtyn. We eat leftovers and I put Leah in her high chair to eat some too. I also mix up some electrolytes to drink with my lunch.
1:30 pm
Ashtyn is doing a chore she owed me outside while the kids take a screen break to eat lunch and clean up their school.
2:00 pm
Rylee takes her turn on the Switch and Parker gets on her Switch. Leah and Oliver play in the living room while I put away all the groceries and clean up the kitchen. I get the bread dough raising in the loaf pan and switch the laundry over.
2:30 pm
I get the kids off their screens and we hang out together in the living room.
3:00 pm
I put Leah down for her second nap. Ashtyn comes in from her chore and gets on her Switch. The younger kids watch her play, which isn’t my ideal (I like when they all do screens at the same time and we can just turn them all off, but it didn’t work out that way today). I have a protien drink, figure out some things for our Easter egg hunt on Saturday, write some notes back to the kids (I have a notebook with each one that we trade back and forth), and then start writing in my journal.
4:00 pm
I get Ashtyn off her Switch and the kids go outside with popsicles. A few minutes later, cousins come over.
4:15 pm
I wake up Leah so she’ll go to bed tonight and nurse her. All the kids are outside playing with cousins. Ashtyn and Lizzy pack up to go to the park.
5:00 pm
We do leftovers for dinner. Lizzy and Ashtyn eat some chicken and take the rest of their dinner to the park as a picnic. The rest of the kids play outside and come in to eat alternately. Leah nurses and then Parker wants to take her outside. I finish writing in my journal and make sure the kids all get some food.
6:00 pm
Leah gets grumpy, so I give her some food in her high chair and then she gets to watch some Signing Time. The kids and cousins all play inside and out all evening while Ben goes to help my sister-in-law unload a trailer.
7:30 pm
They are done unloading the trailer. Cousins get picked up and we get our kids upstairs to start getting ready for bed after a quick cleanup. The kids put on pajamas and Ben brushes teeth while I nurse Leah. We read scriptures and say family prayer. Ben reads a chapter book to Oliver and sings a song.
8:00 pm
Leah is done nursing, so I put her down to bed and come back in to read to the kids. We’re reading Charlotte’s Web right now. When I’m done reading, I lay next to Oliver for a few minutes until he falls asleep. Ben is downstairs loading the dishwasher while I do this.
8:30 pm
Our two youngest are asleep and the older three are reading quietly in their beds until 9:00. Ben and I have some of our homemade ice cream and finish watching a movie we started last week (I was falling asleep, so we had to stop it early).
9:30 pm
Ben and I get ready for bed. I like to be going to sleep by about 10. I brush my teeth, get on pajamas, and read in my physical book for a few minutes. Then I fall asleep reading Anne on my kindle.
It was a good and busy day, spending time together and making progress on many of our goals. I feel grateful for the opportunity I have to spend time with Ben, be a homeschool Mom, and pursue my passions. What do your days look like right now?
Easter isn’t as big as Christmas for us, but I have fun with their baskets each year. We kept their baskets under $100 each and decided to only do baskets for the kids this year, not us parents. We always keep candy to a minimum in the baskets, but this year I especially am because that weekend is also General Conference and we have some big candy traditions with that.
Today I wanted to share what we are actually giving our kids for Easter.
My kids love rice bags and I have wanted to get them a stuffie that is also a rice bag for a long while. I wasn’t sure what their main gift on Easter should be and finally decided on these adorable Axilotles that double as a rice bag. We got one for each of the older four kids, each a different color.
Baby Toy
Instead of getting a rice bag, Leah is getting a little baby mirror and a rattle toy. I think she’ll really like both of them. Other than a bag of freeze dried yogurt drops (her favorite treat!) and the books, this is all that will be in her basket. The rest of the gifts we got for the four older kids.
Tracing Paper
One of my kids was recently given tracing paper and all my kids went wild for it. I decided to get them some more for Easter, I know they are going to love it and use it.
Mini Chalk
My kids love chalk and this year I got them each a pack of Kids Chalk from Walmart.
Shovel and Bucket
We have a big dirt hill in our backyard that the kids love to dig with, but plastic shovels and buckets from the dollar store always break so quickly (especially when the kids leave them out in the sun for days). This year, we got them each a metal bucket and nicer little shovel to go out and dig with that hopefully will last longer.
Chocolate Bunny
My kids are used to not getting a ton of candy in their Easter baskets, but they love getting a chocolate bunny every year!
Easter Candy
For other candy, we got some to divide up between all their baskets. We Cadbury caramel eggs (and for Mom and Dad to eat), some Lindor truffle eggs, bubble gum eggs, and a bag of jelly beans. We didn’t buy this specifically for Easter (Ben and I keep these around for us to snack on sometimes), but I am also going to add a snack bag of beef jerky to each of their baskets.
That is what we are doing for their baskets this year! I was really happy with the selection we came up with, I think the kids will really love and use everything we are getting them. I am especially excited about the books! What do you do for Easter baskets? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
The last little while, I’ve been reading Mothering by the Book. It’s a beautiful book about one mother’s journey in motherhood and the impact reading books has had on her motherhood. I have loved it so far and it’s gotten me thinking about my own journey with motherhood and books.
Being a mother is something I always dreamed about being and I feel so grateful to get to live that dream. It can still be so hard sometimes, to measure up to the kind of mother I hope to be and to manage the daily tasks before me. Reading on my own and reading with my own kids has been such a blessing during these last eleven and a half years. Early on in my motherhood, I read about how important read alouds are for kids and implemented systems to make sure I was reading aloud, and as I had more children, I found ways to read more for myself as a mother as well.
Today I want to share how we currently are finding times to read aloud to our kids. I am sharing this in hopes that it might spark ideas for you in your own life, not as a way to make anyone feel guilty. I also want to say that as life has changed, we’ve read at different times or in different ways to adapt to our current stage of life. We read to our children a lot because it’s something both my husband and I very much enjoy, as well as prioritize, but not every family will read this much. Even five minutes of reading aloud a day makes a big difference to kids!
Morning Picture Books
About a month ago, I was realizing that I don’t read picture books aloud to Oliver (currently 4) as consistently as I did with his older siblings. When I did read them to him, he loved them, but I usually waited for him to ask. I wanted to remedy this, so I started to pick out two or three picture books from our shelf each morning after I finished nursing and drinking my protien hot chocolate to read to him. My 7-year-old daughter always sits and reads with us as well, and often Leah (who just turned one) wants to as well. It only takes a few minutes, but we all have come to love this time together. Yesterday we read The Pout Pout Fish,
Homeschool Read Alouds
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is the extra time it gives us to read together. Part of our group study together has always included reading. We read magazine articles, nonfiction books on the topic we’re currently studying, picture books, and a longer book (like a chapter book or novel). I like to save books with pictures, like chapter books, graphic novels, or illustrated novels, because it’s easier to show all the kids the pictures when we’re at the table or couch, rather than when they are all in bed at night. Right now, we’re currently making our way through The Secret Garden and loving it.
Leah’s Board Books
Each time I put Leah down for bed (right now she has two naps and bedtime), I read her one or two board books. I have done this with every child and I love the consistency it brings as well as the way we both look forward to reading together as a part of our daily routine. Her favorites right now are Dear Zoo, Moo Baa La La La, and Ten Tiny Toes.
Oliver’s Chapter Book
Each night after scriptures and prayer, while I’m putting Leah down to bed, Ben reads to Oliver out of a chapter book or graphic novel of his choice. The girls often gather around behind and listen as well. This system started when Ben was putting Oliver to bed in his own room, but now that he shares with his sisters, we have loved keeping it. Two of his favorites are The Princess in Black series and Magic Tree House Graphic Novels.
Novel Reading at Bedtime
After Leah is in bed and Ben is downstairs, I read a novel aloud to the four oldest kids. I often pick novels that the oldest ones will enjoy and let the younger ones get what they will from it (or look at picture books on their own). We read a wide variety of books, from The Rithmatist to Sammy Keyes to Heidi to A Place to Hang the Moon. My only requirement is that I am enjoying the book as well as the kids. Right now, we’re reading Charlotte’s Web at Oliver’s request, and next up we’ll continue in the Little House series with On the Banks of Plum Creek.
Family Audiobook
We are always in the middle of an audiobook together (right now, we’re listening to Harry Potter 4). We listen in the car, whether it is going uptown or going on a long car trip, and we sometimes listen during free time while the kids color at the table. Ben doesn’t have to be with us to listen, but I try to make sure the kids are all there. Right now, Ashtyn hasn’t minded if we listen without her sometimes as she has already read the Harry Potter books multiple times on her own.
Kids’ Opportunities to Read
I am a big believer in giving kids lots of opportunities to read as well. One of the biggest things we do is give them a chance to read at bedtime. We put the kids to bed around 8:30, but then the older kids get to stay up until 9 reading if they would like to. I also give them plenty of free time during the day—I often see my kids reading on their own in the mornings before breakfast or in the afternoon when we’re done with school. The most common time to find all the kids reading is right after we get home from the library. Our two oldest have kindles and headphones, with both eBooks and audiobooks, that they read on often and our third is ready for one this summer.
Silent Reading as a Family
I want to be more consistent with family silent reading. We all gather in the living with a physical book (or our Kindle) and read silently to ourselves. I love to add a little treat (usually it’s something like a box of Good and Plenties that I divide between all my kids). I include my husband and my four year old, who can’t read yet, looks at picture books. Our baby obviously just toddles around doing her own thing. We used to do it often, but fell off for awhile and I am wanting to implement it more often again.
Those are the times that work the best for our family right now. The most important thing is to find a time that works for your situation and stage of life! When I had a new baby, I often read aloud while nursing and we utilized audiobooks way more often. When we had just one child, I mostly just read to her before bedtime and naps, but we would spend a lot longer reading then. When we had two tinies, I would read in the evenings in order to survive until bedtime. I remember walking my fourth baby around and around the table while the older kids were coloring, awkwardly holding a book to read aloud, because he wanted to be walked and I wanted to read.Bedtime is a time that has always worked for our family for reading, but I know many mothers who are too tired then. Don’t feel like you need to do something just because it works for someone else! We’ve never done this, but I’ve heard of many families who read aloud during or after breakfast or dinner. Some moms read aloud on car trips instead of using audiobooks (that would make me so car sick, but it works for them!). It doesn’t matter when you do it, or even that you are one hundred percent consistent at that time. The most important part is that reading aloud is happening often, in a way everyone in the family is enjoying.
Audible is doing a big sale on audiobooks right now and I’m loving it! You do need to be subscribed to take advantage of the sales (libro.fm is an Audible alternative that often does sales as well and you don’t need to be subscribed to get the sale price). These prices only come about once a year, with some of the books under $3 and many under $5 or $6!
Today I am sharing the books I am planning to buy while they are on sale. I’m excited because they are all under $5!
Books I’m buying:
Dragon Masters by Tracey West
All the Dragon Masters books are on sale right now for under $2. We own the first two, but I’m buying 3-8. As an adult, I find the writing very juvenile, but my kids all love the books.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
I didn’t read The Secret Garden until I was an adult, but when I did, I fell instantly in love with it. I’ve read it many times since then and am actually currently reading it aloud with my kids right now. I am excited to have the audio version, both for myself and for my kids.
The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser
I love the Vanderbeekers series and have loved the audiobooks for the previous books in the series. I haven’t actually read this latest book yet and this is a great chance to do so.
Raising Mentally Strong Kids by Daniel G. Amen
I have loved both The Whole Brain Child and No Drama Discipline (especially the latter), so I’m excited to read this one along the same lines.
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Neilsen
I’m getting this and The Shadow Throne to finish off the series, as I have the other three books. My daughter also loved the first in this series, so now that I have all the books, I think she’ll be excited to read the rest of the series.
Messy Minimalism by Rachel Crawford
I just finished reading this eBook and loved it. It’s one of my new favorite books on minimalism. I’m excited to have the audiobook for when I want to revisit it.
The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass
The first in the series, the Candymakers, is also on sale, but I already own it. It was just an okay read for me, but my daughter loved it and has been wanting me to get the sequel. This was the perfect time to do so.
In Grandma’s Attic by Arleta Richardson
This is one I haven’t read In Grandma’s Attic before but have wanted to. Getting on sale is the perfect time to, I’m excited to listen to it (probably with my kids).
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
I love Brandon Sanderson and since I didn’t originally get any of the secret projects on Audible, I am excited that Tress of the Emerald Sea is on such a great deal.
The Martian by Andy Weir
I listened to The Martian many years ago and really liked the audiobook (despite the heavy language). I didn’t realize I didn’t own the audiobook.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
I remember reading Man’s Search for Meaning and enjoying it many years ago. I like to get the audiobook for books that I will want to revisit in the future so I can listen if I want, and for any books I think my kids might want to read.
Loving Lieutenant Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden
I am in the middle of this series by Sarah M. Eden and am very excited to read Loving Lieutenant Lancaster. I was excited to see it on such a good sale.
Other great audiobooks on sale right now:
The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery
The Blue Castle is one of my top favorite classics and also a very underrated classic that I don’t ever hear people talk about. The audiobook is very well done.
Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
I am a big Sanderson fan and Elantris, despite being one of his earlier works, is a great read. The audiobooks for his books are always really well done.
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
I love both Summer of the Monkeys and Where the Red Fern Grows, and the audio on both is excellent. These are great read alouds as well.
The Anne of Green Gables collection by LM Montgomery
Oh Anne. I love the Anne books (and am currently reading through the entire series this year). Getting an entire series in one book like this can be a great deal because you get a lot of listening time for the price of one book.
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt
I haven’t read this book yet, but it’s on my TBR list. I have loved Gary D. Schmidt’s books. He has a knack for writing hard hitting, emotional middle grade books that I can’t put down and that also make me cry.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
I bought this one last year on their sale and am planning on listening to it in the next few months. I was less than impressed with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, so I wasn’t going to read Sunrise on the Reaping, but then I heard so many people loved it who also didn’t love Ballad. So, I’m going to give it a shot.
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
The Hobbit is a classic for a reason. I love The Hobbit and have since I was a child, and the audiobook is very well done.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
I was over 30 before I read the book Jurassic Park and was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. It’s very different from the movie, but both the book and movie do what they are trying to do very well (the book is more of a philisophical scifi and the movie is more of a monster horror). My favorite part of the book were all the discussions and debates about morals.
Snoop by Gordon Korman
I have yet to read a book by Gordon Korman, but he is high up on my list of authors to try. I’ve heard a lot of really good things about his books. He has quite a few on good sales this year.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
A fantasy heist duology, Six of Crows was very popular a few years ago. I really enjoyed it, though it’s a little more violent than my typical read (I also liked it much more than the trilogy in the same world, Shadow and Bone). The story and characters are also highlighted in the show Shadow and Bone and are, in my opinion, the best part of the show.
The Seven Principles for Making a Marriage Work by John M. Gottman
If you are going to read one book on marriage, this is probably the book you should read. It’s short, accessible, and very helpful to married couples. Gottman is the top expert in his field (when I was in school for family studies, we studied a LOT of Gottman).
Louisiana Longshot by Jane DeLeon
If you are a fan of Finlay Donovan, Louisiana Longshot has a similar feel to it. It follows an CIA assassin who is forced to lie low in a southern town undercover. Shenanigans abound as well as murder and investigative work, all in a light hearted style.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I love to listen to classics and Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Jane Austen (and always will be).
Those are the books I’m buying this year during Audible’s big sale and some other books that I think are good deals. Do you listen to audiobooks? Are you buying any during the sale this year?
