It's gonna be May...
AKA May the 4th be with you/Cinco de Mayo/Maycember madness
Is it just me or does life seem to somehow get busier every year?? This year is no exception for me, between my careers (hello EVERY BEAT AFTER coming out June 2, and the end of the school year madness at the commercial preschool I own and run), and my family’s all going eight million directions, too. I know we’re all short on time, so I’ll keep this newsletter short, too.
Here are two quick pieces of advice for surviving times when you feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water:
PRIORITIZE. As much as we want (or even try to) we can’t do everything. Something has to give. One way I try to manage this is to sit down with a paper and write two columns: GLASS BALLS and RUBBER BALLS. The glass balls list are the things that HAVE to get done—you can’t let them drop or they’ll shatter. And the rubber balls list are the things I want to get done, but if I “drop” them, they’ll go bouncing around my feet, but they won’t break.
AKA: take care of the most important things, and let the rest slide if you have to. Tell me this: What are you glass balls or your rubber balls? Some of my rubber balls this month are: organizing my room (hello piles of books and random papers and who knows what else), putting way the laundry (it’s in nice piles on the floor), and so many more. You just can’t do it all. And everyone will survive in wrinkly but clean clothes.
GRATITUDE: take just two minutes each night to think of (and preferably write down) three things you’re grateful for that day. I also call these “tender mercies”, where I’ve seen the Hand of God in my life that day. This habit helps me calm down, refocus my energy, and recognize the good in otherwise hectic days that can feel extremely overwhelming. (And when I often feel like a failure as I’m finally going to bed around midnight.)
Maybe it’s something bigger, like someone showing up to help you or bringing you a treat without being asked, or maybe it’s small: a brief moment when you paused, looked up, and noticed how gorgeous the sunset was. . . and for a second, you were able to breathe a little bit easier. What you focus on grows. What you look for, you’ll find evidence of and prove to yourself. So make it things to be grateful for, and I promise you’ll feel better each night, regardless of how many balls you might have dropped.
Good luck to us all, as we endeavor to make it to June! And speaking of making it to June…
Upcoming Events (to add to your Maycember list!)
WED. MAY 13th : 6:30 - 8:00pm — BOOK SIGNING — Orem Deseret Book (w/ multiple authors) for Storymakers : YES they will have early copies of my book for sale that you can purchase and get signed! If you can’t make it to my launch party (or you just can’t wait until June to read it) you can nab EVERY BEAT AFTER and some fun swag.
FRIDAY MAY 15th —WHITNEY AWARDS — I’ll be there supporting my friends! (I didn’t have any books eligible to nominate because they changed the publication deadline to Oct 1st…so please don’t forget about A Promised Vengeance and Every Beat After for nominations when they open this year!)
THURSDAY MAY 28th —LDSHE Homeschool Convention — Teaching w/ Esther Hatch (see website for details) — signing 12:35-1:05pm at Shadow Mountain Booth
*TUESDAY JUNE 2ND - LAUNCH PARTY* - Corner Canyon Academy, Draper, UT - 7pm : Come party with me as I celebrate the official launch of EVERY BEAT AFTER with an author chat, giveaways, Swedish baked goods & treats, and copies for sale via Poppy’s Books and Gifts. It will be a night you don’t want to miss! RSVP HERE!! (YOU CAN ALSO ORDER SIGNED BOOKS AND POPPY’S WILL SHIP TO YOU!)
If you can’t make any of those events and don’t care about a signed book: PREORDER EVERY BEAT AFTER HERE!!
As always, thank you for your ongoing support! It means the world to me! And good luck juggling Maycember! May the force be with us all!