Hi there Reader,

A few months ago, we had quite a bit of drywall damage throughout the house. Slowly (vvvvvery slowly), I’m taping, priming, and finally painting. I’ve been chipping away at this project a few hours at a time while my kids are out of the house.

In some ways, it’s meditative. The sound the brush makes, the look of the new paint, the ache in my arms as I reach the ceiling. In other ways, it's a forced mindfulness. I have a hard time paying attention to what I’m doing.

When I lose focus, I miss spots or it becomes uneven. Or worse, I make messes (I spilled at least a few cups on my arm while priming the bathroom ceiling. I had three shirts on, so I didn’t even notice until it was dripping from my pants onto my barefoot. First lesson in paying attention. There were so many more to follow!).

All this solitary painting (which feels more alone than working or cleaning, for whatever reason) has given me the chance to catch up on a few audio books, work through a few personal struggles, and lean in to my own mind wanders.

With this leaning in, came a desire to write, as a way to work out some of these mind wanders. I’ll tell you more next week, or as I work through some of the heaviness of last week.

But, today, I’m just going to share a few things that I’ve listened/ found useful this week you know, just in case you have any big projects, car rides, or expanses of alone time where you’re not working.

1. ​The Libby App. Ok, I may be super late to the game on this and maybe you already have it and are Libby’s #2 fan (second to me right now!). If you don’t, it’s the public library’s audio and e-book app. I canceled my audible subscription because this app has everything I want. I may not work if you’re in a book club or want the newest releases, but if you don’t mind waiting, or are just as happy to listen to an older book, this is for you. And it’s free. And Which leads me to…
2. My newest bedtime hack. I love reading to my kids, it combines two of my favorite things. I usually get to pick the chapter books for bedtime, which makes this even more enjoyable. But, every once in a while, I’m exhausted and they want more stories. The Libby App to the rescue. We just started listening to The One and Only Bob (read by Danny Devito) and it is such a relaxing way to wind down the day. Bonus: my kids don’t “interrupt” an audio book nearly as much, allowing them to settle down faster (WIN!).
3. ​The Things You See Only When You Slow Down. I started listening to this a few days ago. It has been on my BWB wishlist for a while. When I saw the audio version, I jumped on it. But, I don’t recommend listening. This feels like something to have around the house to refer to when things feel overly busy, a book to take solace in. I will keep it on my wishlist.I’ll leave you with this quote that I went out of my way to write down, "When someone swears at you, stay calm and collected for 30 seconds. Then, that is the end of it. But if you fight back and demand what is your problem, you'll have to spend more time with that unhappy person."
4. Books. I have been reading and listening a lot lately. It has been a bit of a method of procrastination (reading) and a motivator (listening). If you are looking for something, here are my favorites from this month. I was going to give you a little recap, but this email is already long and the editors and booksellers can do a better job! (I haven't finished these ones*)
   • ​The Book of Goose by YiYun Li.
   • ​Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You* by Celeste Ng.
   • ​Tom Lake* and Commonwealth* by Ann Patchett
   • ​I Liked My Life* by Abby Fabiaschi
5. Lastly, if you didn’t get a chance to download Arien Bacon’s Accepting Yourself, Finding Peace guide. You can get it here. I found Arien through a bundle I signed up for in December. I loved her soul-care message, so I reached out to her to a resource for you. If you’re having a hard time letting go of self-judgment and want deeper self-awareness, this is for you.

PS I still have a lot of painting to do, so if you have any other books that I must listen to, reach out.