Now, that August has passed I can say tell you it feels like I was run over by a truck in more than one way. Buttercup… Since today is September1st it feels like the perfect time to stop for a minute, take a deep breath, and look at what we’ve been doing here at Greatful Moments.

Not because everything has gone wrong. And definitely not because we’re giving up. Quite the opposite. In my family there are times when I have to step back, look at what I’ve been doing both in my personal life and also in my business life.

Then I have to decide what is working, decide what could work better, and then make a few changes. That’s what September is going to be about. We’re regrouping, refocusing, and rebuilding. And one of the biggest things we’re changing is our reading challenge.

When we first started talking about our reading challenge, the idea was simple: set aside 30 minutes a day to read and I would share the books we’re reading along the way. Then ask you to do the same.

But as the weeks went by, we realized something. There are so many different kinds of books we want to talk about that trying to squeeze everything into one general reading schedule just wasn’t working as well as it could.

So instead of giving up on the reading challenge, we’re giving it some structure. Starting in September, we’re giving different kinds of books their own days. Monday will be Adult Books.

Monday is our day for adult reading. These might be novels, inspirational books, fiction, nonfiction, or books that simply catch my attention and make me want to sit down and read.

Wednesday will be Cookbooks. Because cookbooks deserve their own category around here. Some cookbooks are meant to be read just as much as they are meant to be cooked from.

We’ll look at recipes, stories, ideas, family cooking, and those books that make you want to head straight into the kitchen. Come and join us as we discover new recipes to make for our family.

Friday will be Children’s Books because children’s books have always had a special place in our home and on this blog. Friday gives us a dedicated day to share children’s books, reading ideas, memories, and books that families can enjoy together.

And now we’re adding something new. Saturday will be Anime & Teen Novels. This is a category we realized we needed to make room for. As Charlie has been sharing more of the books he has been reading.

There more books Charlie shares with me the more I found out that there is great teen novels and anime-related books and stories that deserve attention, and Saturday gives us a place to explore them without trying to make them fit into one of the other reading categories.

That means our weekly reading rhythm now looks like this:

Monday — Adult Books

Wednesday — Cookbooks

Friday — Children’s Books

Saturday — Anime & Teen Novels

And the other days of the week can be used for everything else that makes Greatful Moments what it is—family stories, faith, recipes, local adventures, homeschool ideas, shopping finds, gift guides, interactive activities, home projects, and all of those little moments that turn into stories.

We’re also going to be redoing some of our book reviews. Also, sometimes on different days a book feature may pop up because it would be a review I need to share or a Guest Post from the Author or a book I found while out shopping.

That doesn’t mean we’re throwing away the reviews we’ve already done. It means we’re looking at them with fresh eyes. Some books deserve a little more attention. Some reviews need to be expanded. Some books have more to say now that we’ve had time to think about them.

And some of our newer readers may have never seen the original posts at all. So we’re going back, revisiting books, refreshing reviews, and giving some of those stories another chance to be discovered.

That’s part of rebuilding, too. We have a lot of content here at Greatful Moments. Sometimes, when you have been blogging for a long time, it’s easy to think you always have to move forward.

New post. New story. New idea. New day. That isn’t always true. As I’ve found out there is nothing wrong with going back and saying, “Wait a minute. This was good. Let’s do something more with it.”

That’s exactly what we’re doing. September isn’t about starting completely over. It’s about taking what we already have and making it better. We’re going to regroup. We’re going to refocus. We’re going to rebuild. And we’re going to make room for the things that matter most.

There will still be plenty of everyday family stories. There will still be faith and encouragement. There will still be recipes, shopping adventures, homeschool fun, local places, gift guides, seasonal activities, and all the unexpected little moments that somehow become stories worth telling. Along with the free printables and homeschooling resources. As well as Charlie and David’s and even the Dog’s thoughts.

But we’re giving ourselves permission to organize things a little differently. Because sometimes the best way to move forward is to stop and rearrange the pieces. So welcome to September. Pull up a chair. Grab your favorite book. And let’s see what happens when we regroup, refocus, and rebuild together. Buttercup.

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

Thank you,

Glenda, Charlie and David Cates