Happy Monday! I am so excited about this Monday because it’s the first Hello Monday I am hosting with Holly! I hope you’ll join us! Grab our graphic and link back to us, too please!

Usually, I recap our weekends in my Hello Monday posts. I am trying to do a better job joining some linkups with my blogger friends this year. So today I have a weekend recap for you and a Not Just A Mom topic post.

If you read my post on Friday, you know we started our day with a two hour delay for snow. We ended up getting a snow day and I made the most of it! I don’t have any pictures of my kids playing in the snow, but they were out most of the day. They headed out around 8:30, came in for lunch around noon, and then went back out until 4:15 to get ready for swim team practice. We had snow day s’mores and hot chocolate bombs to warm up when they finally came in.

I spent Friday and Sunday going through our house and cleaning out/organizing/purging. On Friday, I stayed in my pjs until almost 4 and went through my closet and dressers. I organized, purged, and reset everything. It felt great to see what I have, plan some outfits for work, and purge some items that don’t feel just right. I also tackled our guest room closet and found something that I thought was lost forever. I have been searching high and low for something with my grandmother’s handwriting and signature on it. I didn’t think I had anything left, but I found one card that she wrote at my baby shower. I burst into the happiest tears! I am so grateful to have it.

The kids’ rooms have been on my list of places to clean out and this was the weekend for it. I also purged and organized the kids’ bookshelves in their rooms, the guest room, and the basement. I went through both boys’ closets and dressers with them and went through the clothes in the basement that are too big for Jack or Luke. Another huge job, but I am so glad it’s done. I have a great idea of what they have for spring/summer and what they’ll need.

We had a great Saturday. Luke had an early basketball game. Jeff ran the clock and Jack did the book. I cheered on all three Parsons!

We celebrated Christmas with Jeff’s family on Saturday afternoon. The cousins had so much fun together. The adults had a great time, too!

Jack had an evening basketball game and we all went to cheer him on. Luke sat on the bench with the team and I cheered them all on from the balcony.

My snowflake necklace was perfect for the weekend! Don’t forget you can use code SUNSHINEANDBOOKS10 to save 10% on any purchase.

I think the Not Just A Mom topic for today is perfect for hosting my first linkup! The topic is favorite bloggers. I have a bunch of blogger friends who I read every day, or at least read every post if I have to catch up later in the week. I love our online friendships and have learned a lot from these ladies.

• Holly from Pink Lady, of course. 😉
• Jen from Show Me and Sweet Tea
• Amy from Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa
• Joanne from My Slices of Life
• Steph from Life According to Steph
• Tanya from The Other Side of the Road

I also read some other blogs pretty regularly but don’t interact with very much. Their blogs are fun to read and I usually get recipes, outfits, ideas for fun with kids, and book recommendations from them.

• Lauren from Don’t Mind Our Mess
• Dara from Not In Jersey
• Jana from Jana Says
• Narci from Grace and Love
• Amanda from That Inspired Chick
• Erika from A Little Bit of Everything
• Shay from Mix and Match Mama
• Andrea from Momfessionals
• Alison from Right Up My Ali Way
• Patty from Good Better Best
• Alli from Simply Small Town
• Heather from My Glittery Heart
• Anne from In Residence

I also listen to quite a few podcasts by people who also write blogs or share on social media. Here’s what I’ve been listening to.

• The Lazy Genius by Kendra Adachi
• The Mom Hour by Meagan Francis and Sarah Powers
• What Should I Read Next by Anne Bogel
• The Girl Next Door by Kelsey Wharton and Erica Ladd
• Another Mother Runner by Sarah Bowen Shea and Dimity McDowell
• Happier with Gretchen Rubin

These lists are always a little stressful to write. I am hoping I didn’t forget any bloggers. I can’t wait to discover some new to me bloggers today! Hopefully I’ll find some in our linkup and in the Not Just A Mom posts. I’ll be back linking up to share what I’ve been reading. Have a great day full of sunshine and books!