Hi Reader -

Can I tell you something that might surprise you?

Despite all the emails I send, all the creations I share, and all the planning tools you see on the blog… I’m not a natural planner.

At all.

I don’t run our summer on a color-coded schedule. What I do have — and what’s helped our family the most — is a rhythm.

It’s flexible. It shifts day to day. But it gives our home a gentle flow, and it keeps us from feeling like we’re just reacting to chaos all summer long.

What’s a rhythm, anyway?

A schedule says: “This must happen at 10:30.”
A rhythm says: “This is what our day usually feels like — but we’re okay if it changes.”

Rhythms are more forgiving. More real. And honestly, they’re the only reason I survive summer with five kids.

Here’s what our rhythm looks like:

🌞 Mornings with Intention​
I try (key word: try) to start the day with something small — a walk outside, a chore, a book, or just breakfast together without screens. Some mornings we hit it, other mornings… not so much.

🚲 Middays with Activity​
This is when we need to get the energy out.
Sometimes we go explore. Sometimes I shoo the kids outside to the creek or the trampoline.
And yes — I’ve absolutely told them to run to the top of the hill on our street and come back… just to move their bodies and reset the mood.

🎨 Afternoons with Space​
This is when my kids need a little freedom — and honestly, so do I. Sometimes it’s screen time, sometimes a LEGO challenge or building a fort or obstacle course. Other days they’ll pull out a craft and surprise me. I try not to overthink it… just let the afternoon breathe a little.

🌙 Evenings with Connection​
We wrap up with something simple — a walk, a quick game, or one conversation question over dinner... and honestly, sometimes that conversation is through the McDonald's drive through.
The point is — you don’t need a tight plan to have a good summer.

You just need a rhythm. A little bit of room. And maybe a few popsicles.

Here’s to doing less, enjoying more, and making the days count… even when they don’t go as planned.

XO, Ashley