summer reading and rhythm

I've been trying to read a lot this summer, since that seems to be the determining factor of whether or not I feel as though I've had a relaxing vacation. I just finished reading Simplicity Parenting after reading about it on Rachel Wolf's blog, Clean. Rachel's business is LuSa Organics, making lovely, natural, handcrafted body care (more about that in a minute). Pretty much everything in Simplicity Parenting is what we work hard around here to live by. It was one of those books that reinforced what we believe and how we try our best to parent the boys, which is always nice. There were some new-to-me ideas in it, too, and it's full of practical, hands-on kind of stuff.  One of the main themes is rhythm and its importance in giving kids a solid base to 'go forth' from, and how that impacts everything in the long run, from academics to interpersonal skills. I won't go on any more about the book specifically, other than to say that if you have kids (particularly small ones) it's absolutely worth reading. There's also a fantastic Simplicity Parenting website with a blog and all kinds of great stuff. Great stuff, I tell you - go check it out.

So, I've been thinking a lot about rhythm, and of a bunch of things to share with you. Guaranteed, I'm going to forget some and mention them in the comments or in another post. I'm also planning ahead a bit for the changes that will come to our house when I go back to work in September and Phillip starts at pre-primary. I think that rhythm will absolutely be more important than ever, so I'm starting to build some things into our days now that will hopefully carry us smoothly through September. If this is piquing your interest, here you go:

Rhythm of the Home.  Poke around here for a little while to find tonnes of inspiration, ideas, craft-y things, and on and on.

Rachel's recent post on rhythms at her home and her enthusiasm about the rhythms they've been working on fits right in with all that I've been thinking and reading about, and Amanda Soule's new book came out this week and it's all about - you guessed it - rhythm! For routines specifically tailored to mealtimes, I've also been reading The Family Dinner, and there are lots of good ideas and suggestions in there, too. From recipes and setting the table tips to suggested rules to abide by (no answering phones, everyone stays at the table, etc.)

Bringing things back around to Rachel, I was lucky enough to win a giveaway over at her blog, (the canning and preserving she's been doing have me in awe this summer!) and I am thoroughly enjoying all of the goodies I received. You may remember that I've sung the praises of her Baby Wipe Juice before - I love the stuff - but this time, I got to choose things for me! The Lavender Lotion Bar is superb, and I also really, really love the essential oil roll-on. I chose Energizing (Like I need that! I should have chosen something mellow) and it's great. Because it's essential oils, of course, it doesn't last in the way that a synthetic perfume does. It is lovely and natural and I don't mind rolling it on through the day at all. Thank you so, so much, Rachel, for the goodies and the inspiration that your blog provides!

And I wish you all a lovely weekend!