My monthly “Just a Minute” newsletter went out yesterday with an essay about getting the right vacation balance. Some are relaxing, some are adventurous. It’s good to have both! My weekly “Week’s worth” newsletter goes out tomorrow morning, and I have to say, I really enjoyed this week’s topic. You can sign up for my newsletters by filling in your email on my home page (for the free time makeover guide).

Over at Vanderhacks I did a kitchen + food theme for the week. I suggested “Don’t store produce in your produce drawers,” and that you can save time, money, and mental space when you “Pack a snack (and water).” The post behind the paywall was “Laura’s little list of kitchen hacks.”

The Before Breakfast podcast covered that you should “Make complete plans, even if they’re tentative,” and that it might be fun to “Run into people.”

Over at the Best of Both Worlds Patreon community page we had an 80-comment discussion on the idea that “Kids need time and money.” I feel like a lot of the discussion of mothers working for pay centers on potentially “losing” time with kids, but there are a lot of upsides to what gaining extra income can afford a family — as many people who grew up in more tight circumstances have commented on. Please come join us!

We are doing celebratory dinners this weekend for good grades in the spring (sometimes it takes a while to schedule things…) and there may be peach picking. Stay tuned…

Over at Vanderhacks I wrote that “No one wins a misery contest” and that “Smart categories create variety.” Being creative about how you make your lists can nudge you to make better choices. The post behind the paywall was about “3 ways to make any work day more enjoyable.” Not all work is the same by any means, but I think these three strategies can make the vast majority of work days better.

The Before Breakfast podcast suggested that life might be better if we “Cultivate a Saturday vibe.” I suggested that “If you can’t get out of it, get into it.” For those who are looking to spend more time with friends and boost focus I suggested people try to “Work side by side.”

The Best of Both Worlds podcast was about rest and trading off. Over at the BOBW Patreon community page we’re discussing strategies one member can use while her husband will be away for 3 days every week for the next 3 months. We’re also sharing lists of things that are fun for us…and NOT fun for us (even if they are for other people). Please come join us!

Also, I write a weekly newsletter that comes out on Saturday’s (“A Week’s Worth”) and one that comes out monthly (“Just a Minute”) — the latter will be published August 1st. You can sign up for either/both here.

Finally, I was just reminiscing that 15 years ago I was putting the finishing touches on the manuscript of what became 168 Hours. Let me know if you’ve read it (and when!)