PSA Friday, death-of-summer edition

Welcome to the death of summer. Okay, okay, fall is pretty great too, but I do always fight the blues a little this time of year. How about you?

Here are some of my favorite things recently and some FYIs worth passing along:

• Good podcasts. I listen to a few podcasts a week, and I had a couple favorites this summer:

“The Oldest Child Relationship” by Light the Fight. A couple months ago, my mom recommended this podcast episode on oldest children, specifically on raising oldest children the same gender as we are. I had a lot to think about after listening—so much so that I listened to it twice. My biggest beef (always) with any information like this is the application or lack therof. I wish this podcast had specific tips for making these relationships strong, but it was a worthwhile listen nonetheless.

I am an Oprah devotee, so discovering she had not one, but TWO podcasts really made my day. First up is Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations. To be honest, every episode is deep and thought provoking, so I only listen to one a week and process it for several days. I adored this one and this one. Good stuff.

Also a new favorite is Oprah’s Master Class: The Podcast. I’ve listened to several episodes with my kids, and the older boys have really loved it. The one featuring Jay-Z is a good place to start.

• This article about how our brains work on solutions to our problems even when we aren’t consciously thinking about those problems. Our brains are amazing.

• Wide-leg pants (aka culottes). I love them both cropped and long. (Also, Boden might be my favorite brand.)

• And this book: A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner. I also read her novel Secrets of a Charmed Life and enjoyed it, but Marigolds is better. It tells the story of two women living 100 years apart in New York City who experience similar tragedies and learn that oftentimes expectation is better than reality.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Bring on September, right? •