-Being a mom – 99.9% of the time it’s fantastically awesome to be a mom to my amazing little family members.

-My husband’s hugs. He can always make me feel better, even when I’m hemorrhaging.

-Being busy. Sure, I haven’t been caught up on my to-do list in two years but I’d rather that than have nothing to do.

-Our weekly schedule. Monday is errands and family stuff. Tuesday is the spray park. Wednesday is nature class. Thursday is play group. Friday is Costco. All with friends.

-My friends. They’re fab.

-Our weather. Sure, it’s WAY too windy at times but most of the time it’s absolutely gorgeous. In the summer, anyway. Well, today.

-Having a neighbour with a waterfall. We get to enjoy the beautiful sound alongside the wind rustling the leaves of our trees, but we don’t have to maintain a waterfall.

-Having a small yard. It’s so much less work than the huge one at our old house.

-Having a huge stack of books waiting for me to have time to read. There’s a slight feeling of pressure to get them done, but it’s so nice to have them here and not be searching for decent things to read next.

Speaking of books…

-I read Mama Rock’s Rules: Ten Lessons for Raising a Household of Successful Children a few weeks ago and it’s definitely on the ‘doesn’t suck’ list. In fact, it’s on the really really doesn’t suck list. I love reading a book that it so common sense. It’s like talking to a veteran parent (she’s a mother of 10 and a foster mother of 17) who tells it like it is. She agrees with my take on what’s missing in many kids today – but my theories come more from teaching than parenting at this point. Kids need boundaries, discipline, and consequences, and they need to be able to make choices. They also need family dinners, and I really want to have dinner at Mama Rock’s house some day.

-I’ve also found a few minutes to read Sephora:The Ultimate Guide To Make-up, Skin, and Hair From the Beauty Authority. I’m a yoga pants and pony tail girl at heart but I do love to look good and I really enjoyed this easy to read and far more down to earth than I expected book. I love that many of the tips are practical for someone who’s at home with kids, someone who works in fashion central Manhattan and someone who’s in between like me. I’m trying to put in a little more effort even when I’m just going to the spray park thanks to the inspiration of Sephora.

-I’m currently reading The Sky Isn’t Visible From Here by Felicia Sullivan and if I was my former childless-with-time-to-read self I would never put it down. It’s that good. I never thought I was a memoir person but this is the second one I’ve read that has made me change my mind. I ordered it from Amazon when it was first released (simply because I heart Felicia) and it sat in the aforementioned pile for an embarrassingly long time. With a life such as Felicia has lived, I am amazed at her eloquence and at her success. She makes me appreciate my mom even more than I already did. Felicia, please come to my house – we need to eat together and chat.

What doesn’t suck for you today?