It’s Friday. I say it each week, but I’m always shocked when another weekend rolls around and I realize a whole week is gone. I’ve been so absorbed in work and family this week, that I don’t have any favorite reads to share, but here are my three favorite things from the week:

1) I am always thrilled by how much work I can pack into three hour chunks. As a freelancer, the summer is always a little tricky for me because my kids don’t have school and Madelyn is too little for camp. This week Evan is at camp in the afternoons, so I am working from 12:45 to 3:30 while Evan plays and Madelyn naps. With advanced planning and good time management, I have been able to knock out every interview I needed to do this week. That means I can spend the weekend writing away and wrap up the stories that are due next week.

2) Each day when I pick Evan up from camp, he “has some love for me.” That love is in the form of a piece of mulch or a rock he has found for me. Yesterday it was a red piece of a broken balloon. I love that during outside time he scours the ground for something special and tucks it into his pocket. As I pull into the carpool line, I see him retrieve the little gifts from his pocket and he offers them up as soon as he gets into the car but before he is seat belted in. On Wednesday he lost “his love,” which broke his heart. It was a special piece of mulch that looked like a heart, he said. He gave me a kiss instead and I melted inside. I love that I get to spend my days with that little guy.

3) Even with all the “must-do’s” in our day, we’ve made plenty of time for some summer fun. We’ve taken in play dates and a concert, run through the sprinklers and gone for ice cream twice this week. I still feel like summer is slipping away, but it makes me happy that we can take advantage of it at least a little.

What are your favorite things from the week?

Yeah! It’s Friday again. Do you have fun plans for the weekend? I plan to wrap up a handful of stories and hope to take my kids to the pool.

Here are a few of my favorite reads from the week:

I’m loving this book about nutrition and kids. I’ve been a little worried about a few things with my little guy, and I’ve wondered if nutrition could be the key. The book is a great eye opener. I highly recommend it for every parent.

My real-life friend Sarah shared great tips on handling email. I need her discipline!

Justine Musk says when you say no to one thing, you’re really saying yes to something else. This blog post is a great reminder of that. 

Picture book authors Tiffany Strelitz Haber and Corey Rosen Schwartz have launched a new blog called The Meter Maids dedicated to rhythm and rhyme. They taught a great session at the NJSCBWI conference and I can’t wait to learn more from them via their blog.

This week has gone by in the blink of an eye. It has been as productive as I hoped–hooray! Here are some of my favorite reads from the week:

I’m starting to spend more time on Twitter, and I love this suggestion from Porter Anderson on agent Rachelle Gardner’s blog about adding your Twitter handle to your blog byline.

I’m trying to learn all that I can about picture books, and this post from Debbie Ridpath Ohi (who also designed my blog header–yeah!) is a wealth of information.

This post from a fellow freelance mom on what your jealousy is trying to tell you resonated with me. Next time I feel jealous, I’m going to embrace the feeling and use it to help me shape my priorities.

This essay on balancing motherhood and career by author Allison Winn Scotch in Pshychology Today is a brilliant piece.

How about you? What were your favorite reads this week?

Alexis Grant has a great post on pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.

I can’t wait until writer and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi publishes a book of her comics for writers, which she has tentatively titled Will Write for Chocolate. Her comics are always right on and the perfect way to brighten my day. This Valentine comic was a favorite this week.

Freelancer Steph Auteri reminds us to be generous with our writing community. Her post goes along well with this one from Seth Godin on the sad irony of selfishness.

Linda Formichelli (aka the Renegade Writer) shared a successful query letter on her blog along with a link to the final article. It is an awesome example and the article is a great read, especially if you’re a BPA-, perchloroethylene- and pesticide-fearing momma like me.

I can totally relate to this post about Girl Scout Cookies from freelance writer Jennifer Larson. She has pledged to buy the overpriced cookies from anyone who asks because she remembers selling them. I’m right there with her and have spent too much on Girl Scout cookies this year.