by Laura Falin posted in Life

My favorite day of the month is coming up.
It's less than a week away, in fact. It's a glorious day the entire family celebrates every year and it makes me feel so special. And it's this Saturday.
Right. Saturday. Not Mother's Day. The day before Mother's Day, when my husband takes the four kids and they all head out to buy something -- maybe a gift, maybe something special to make for dinner the next day, maybe some fancy coffee or something. Doesn't matter. I might be fine if they came back with nothing. Because in the meantime I have the ENTIRE house to myself!! It's a magical, wondrous holiday.

I have to make myself not do laundry or dishes or catch up on work while they're gone. I make myself take advantage of the downtime and do something I enjoy. And since I'm not really a hot bath kind of person, I usually make myself a good cup of coffee and settle in with a book. A book I read with no interruptions for a long, long time. If you're lucky enough to get a little downtime this Mother's Day (or the day before!), here are five great books to check out: -You're Doing a Great Job: 100 Ways You're Winning at Parenting -- With entries like, "You acquired a kid somehow. Congratulations!" this book is a big ol' high five to everyone doing the hard work of acquiring and raising kids, however they choose to do it. I suggest keeping it on your nightstand. Refer to it when your two-year old is melting down in his room because you woul...