1.
5am Third Trimester Morning Routine
5am - The alarm goes off and I roll out of bed to my workout clothes sitting on the floor. Water bottle, journal, Bible, devotional, laptop, notebook, and prayer guides in a perilous stack, I tread down the hallway in socked feet, stopping at the laundry room.
2.
#70 Small wave.
Sarah, now seven, is packing for her first real camp—sleeping in a tent, showering in a river, the whole wilderness vibe. I watch her excitement and feel a tug in my chest; she’s growing up faster than I’m ready for. I turn to Idris, our older kid, and joke that he can’t keep up with her, and he gives me a half‑hearted “okay.” It’s a small, quiet moment that says a lot about how we all feel watching a child step into independence.
I ask Sarah if she’ll miss me, and she shrugs, “maybe, whatever.” Her answer is honest, a little non‑committal, and it makes the night feel both ordinary and a little bittersweet. The whole scene is a reminder that these milestones—packing a bag, heading into the woods—carry a mix of pride and a quiet ache.
It’s a simple slice of family life, a snapshot of a mother watching her little girl become a camper, and the subtle, shared realization that time is moving on, even when we try to hold onto the small moments.
3.
Jewish Cook Nigella Lawson Is Joining ‘The Great British Baking Show’
Nigella Lawson, the British cookbook author and TV personality, is stepping in as a new judge on The Great British Baking Show for its September 2026 season, replacing the long‑time judge Prue Leith. This will be the first time the show has a Jewish judge, which feels like a meaningful shift given the occasional missteps in Jewish representation over the past fifteen years.
Lawson grew up in a culturally Jewish household, with parents who emphasized food and hospitality. She’s known for weaving Jewish dishes into her own cooking shows, calling chicken matzah ball soup “the real McCoy” and referring to rugelach as “scuffles,” a term she’s popularised with a cinnamon‑sugar roll‑up tip that many fans love.
Prue Leith, now retiring at 86, praised the choice, and Lawson expressed genuine excitement about joining a program she describes as a national treasure. She looks forward to sharing her love of baking with the contestants and viewers alike.
If the new season lives up to the buzz, we’ll likely see some Jewish‑inspired challenges, perhaps even a rugelach round, adding fresh flavor to the beloved tent of dreams.
4.
What Brings Suzy Ultman Jewish Joy
Suzy Ultman, the illustrator and author we’ve followed for years, just released “The Art of Jewish Joy,” a craft book with fifty holiday‑themed projects. It’s a natural extension of her work, and she’s also co‑hosting a Rosh Hashanah card‑making class with co‑author Amanda Kingloff.
In a quick interview she shared the personal things that spark her joy: baking challah (she’s swapped her grandma’s recipe for a new “Nosher” version), elegant Shabbat candleholders she was gifted, and two pieces of family jewelry—a Yad from her grandmother and a charm bracelet from her mother. She also loves a spicy sauce for shakshuka, the movie “Dirty Dancing” for its rare Jewish representation, and the board books she created that sparked family conversations.
All of this ties back to her mission of keeping Jewish joy accessible, and she’s inviting donations to help meet her year‑end goals.
5.
The Grace We Give
I got a call from my 85‑year‑old mother after years of silence, and we talked for forty‑five minutes—something she rarely does. In that conversation she was simply my mother again, not the person who’d left me and my brother when I was four. The call sparked a deeper look at how we use family histories.
The author explains that digging into our ancestors’ stories used to be about understanding, not about gathering evidence to blame. She describes her own childhood—abuse, abandonment, and the lingering impact on her own parenting—yet she never framed forgiveness as something she could “bestow” on them. Instead, she let curiosity keep her heart open, allowing peace to emerge before any verdict.
She warns against turning family narratives into courtroom cases, where we judge and withhold forgiveness. Grace, she says, isn’t about erasing hurt or responsibility; it’s staying curious enough to see the whole person, just as we’d like to be seen. That curiosity can create space for healing without demanding a formal pardon.
Ultimately, the piece suggests that true peace comes from humility and grace, not from escalating conflict or cutting ties. It’s a reminder that even a brief, unexpected call can open a path toward understanding and a softer, more compassionate view of our tangled family ties.
6.
15 Late-Summer Book Releases You Won't Want To Put Down
I’ve pulled together the new titles hitting shelves in August and September, and there’s a little something for every mood you might be in. If you love a road‑trip story with a single mom learning to put herself first, the first two releases on August 4 follow Chrissie and her best friend on a cross‑country drive, and a retired Michelin‑star chef who secretly cooks for a nursing home. Both are character‑driven, low‑key dramas that stay grounded in everyday choices.
For romance‑readers, there’s a light‑hearted take on love‑after‑breakup with a writer staging meet‑cutes (August 11) and a celebrity stylist navigating ambition and attraction in London (August 18). If you’re craving something darker, the August 25 books dive into mystery: one about a husband’s disappearance that unravels a past murder, the other about a young man uncovering a pharmaceutical conspiracy after his parents’ deaths.
September leans into family and speculative fiction. A three‑generation saga set in New York looks at how mothers and daughters see each other differently, while a post‑collapse Los Angeles novel (Sept 15) plays with identity and memory in a near‑future setting. There’s also a disaster‑management story rooted in 9/11 loss and a thriller about a farmhouse, grief, and a returned brother.
The final stretch includes a Hollywood‑dream biopic, a horror‑tinged investigation of a “trad wife” influencer’s farm, and a few more suspenseful tales about secrets and survival. Pick whichever vibe feels right for the evenings you have left—there’s a fresh page waiting for you.
7.
'Frozen 3' Has An Official Release Date & Olaf Is Getting A Love Interest
Frozen 3 is slated for a theatrical release on November 24, 2027. Disney shared a handful of concept images at D23, showing Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf standing in an icy meadow under the Northern Lights, but there’s no trailer yet.
All the main voice talent is confirmed to return: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff are all on board, and Gad even sang a short number about Olaf’s new love interest, a snowwoman named Samantha.
The story will revolve around Anna and Kristoff’s wedding and introduce a new villain. Elsa’s journey is billed as the “biggest” yet, hinting at a dangerous frozen landscape beyond Arendelle. There’s speculation that the plot may tie into Norse mythology, with Elsa’s role as the fifth spirit potentially putting her against an Odin‑like figure.
So, if you’re hoping for more sisterly magic, a wedding, and a budding romance for Olaf, the basics are now out there—just a few more years until we can see how it all unfolds.