{friday mixing bowl} rapping, running, and signs of life from the editing cave

Hello from my editing cave! How is it Friday already?? As we speak, my princess-loving daughter is at Disneyland for the first time with her dad, and the bear child and I are relaxing and holding down the fort at home. Here’s what my week has looked like:

<< I’m currently… >>

hoping…

…everyone had a good Mother’s Day, even though I know it’s such a hard day for many.  Can I just tell you how much I was thinking of all of my brave single mama friends I respect so much, the girls with complicated relationships with their mothers, my mamas who have lost babies this year, and my babes who have lost mamas this year. I hope you felt love and comfort that day whether you are a mama or have a mama <3

you guessed it…

…still in my {messy} editing cave. But this time, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! I have so much I want to share in this space that my poor brain is about to burst like a biscuit can. (Ooh — I need to add that metaphor to my book! LOL) After four edits/rewrites/fast drafts in a row, my final send button is at the ready!

listening on repeat…

…to DC Talk. On the way to church, I may or may not have turned to the kids in the backseat: “Just a minute. Please don’t talk while mommy’s rapping!” In the ’90s and 2000s, this band was every youth group’s soundtrack, and I listened to their cassette tapes on repeat for ages (when repeat mode meant popping open the cassette deck, flipping the tape, and pressing play again). For the last few weeks, they’ve been counting down to a big announcement, which I hope hope hoped would be a new album of upbeat songs I can run to. Speaking of which, I am reviving my running hobby! But — spoiler alert — it was a one-time cruise we likely won’t be able to get to go on. Womp womp. But that won’t stop this girl from rapping along <3

making time for…

…relaxing in the midst of the crazy! On my first night lassoing the cub for bedtime, I treated myself to a magazine I don’t normally read plus some Good Pops for a little relief from our Oklahoma heat wave. Sometimes mamas just need a quiet house, a reprieve from work, and to let the dishes sit in the sink for a bit. Not pictured: Jamie Oliver’s 15-Minute Meals playing in the background on Hulu.

fighting HANGRY with…

…this amazingness! Sargento recently came out with these snack packs in different flavors. This one’s my favorite: almonds, cranberries, and natural cheddar portioned for a perfect snack when you’re out of time or meal supplement when your children end up eating most of your meal. Don’t get hangry; get this!

looking forward to…

…tackling this gold TBR pile and sharing some book recommendations with you next week! Seriously, y’all. I love writing and plan to do it {almost} every day for the rest of my life.  But back-to-back-to-back-to-back edits, rewrites, fast drafts, and more edits is a lot of hustle. I am also looking forward to getting back on a semi-normal sleep schedule, deep cleaning my house, going on cooler early morning runs, making a giant meal plan of healthy and delicious recipes, saying no to more good little things to make room for big fantastic things, catching up on my blog reading and writing + podcasts, plotting my next book, and (leisurely) working on a super secret project I’m really excited about! Can you tell I’ve thought about this list just a little?

<< link love >>

• A Kickstarter all book lovers can get behind! How awesome would it be to wear your favorite writing — or get it for your favorite author’s book launch? Looks like their goals were reached and then A LOT, so I can’t wait to see what they do with it!
• Bookmarking this list of lighter iced Starbucks drinks so I can keep cool and caffeinated without sacrificing my health goals!
• Google Calendar has a new Goals feature inspired by an app it acquired called Timeful. This article shares a little more about how it can help with your productivity!
• Do you regularly communicate via pen or keyboard? Here are 10 common mistakes to avoid that are even helpful reminders for the most stringent of grammar geeks!

<< in case you missed it >>

• A Pantser’s Guide to Plotting – I shared my plotting process on The Writer’s Alley this week, an oldie but goodie post 🙂
• There’s still time to enter to win the copy of Rachel McMillan’s The Bachelor Girl’s Guide to Murder that I’m giving away!
• In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s another one from the archives called When Mamas Create, a commission for mamas to create without fear that was inspired by Liz Gilbert’s Magic Lessons podcast!

Hope you had a wonderful week! Shout out in the comments if you’re reading this and tell me what you’re up to this weekend so I can have a little glimpse of life outside the editing cave <3