Ep #78: How Do You Want to Grow This Summer? With Kelsey Sorenson

If you are a teacher or a homeschool mama, what is one of the best things you can do this summer to really just rejuvenate yourself and maybe educate yourself a little bit as well? Today, my guest Kelsey Sorenson and I had the best chat about this. This was actually an episode we co-hosted together and it was a lot of fun. She’s been a dear friend of mine for years. We’ve attended conferences together and grown our businesses together.

Kelsey is a former third grade teacher and a substitute teacher. She’s now a homeschool mom and a certified life coach, and she is the author and owner of Educate and Rejuvenate. Her company has been featured on We Are Teachers, Teachers Pay Teachers, Show Up for Teachers, Teach Your Heart Out, The Deseret News. She and her team have helped hundreds of thousands of educators cut down planning time and balance the many roles in their lives with her teacher life coaching program, Educate and Rejuvenate Club and Educate and Rejuvenate conferences, time-saving resources, Educate and Rejuvenate, the podcast, and her upcoming book, which you guessed it, is called Educate and Rejuvenate.

Kelsey is a huge Swiftie, which is so fun and can always be found listening to Taylor Swift’s song with a Coke Zero in hand. That is if she’s not listening to her favorite podcast or an audio book. Hopefully you enjoy this co-hosted episode. We’re also talking about how to maybe start a side hustle or even start working towards being able to leave the classroom, if that’s something that you are interested in, by starting your own education business and kind of giving you some tips on how you can figure out how to do that. So I hope you enjoy this amazing episode. It’s coming up right after this.

Welcome to the Raising Healthy Kid Brains podcast where moms and teachers come to learn all about kids’ brains, how they work, how they learn, how they grow and simple tips and tricks for raising the most resilient, kind, smart, compassionate kids we can. All while having lots of grace and compassion for ourselves because you know what? We all really need and deserve that too. I am your host, Amy Nielson. Let’s get ready to start the show.

Kelsey Sorenson: I am so excited to be here with Amy today for our co-hosted episode here on both of our podcasts.

Amy Nielson: I know, this is so fun. This is my first co-hosted episode, so I’m like feeling kind of fancy today. This is fun.

Kelsey: So today we’re kind of talking about, well, we’re talking about a few things. First, we want to talk about kind of the summer and how a lot of us feel like if you’ve gone through the school year, and this is whether you are like a stay-at-home mom who’s teaching her kids at home, or you’re a teacher in a classroom, like a lot of times we feel during the summer like, oh, I just need to rest now. I need to not think about teaching at all. I just need to focus on my kids, and my family, and not think about teaching at all. But I feel like sometimes with that, we then aren’t quite ready for the school year when it comes up. What are your thoughts about that, Amy?

Amy: Oh my goodness. I think summer burnout is so real. We’re at the end of the school year. In my business, and Kara, my business manager, and we always joke every May, it’s like May-cember is what she calls it, right? Oh, yeah. It’s just like all the everything in May. And by June, I’m just like, I am so done, right? And so we just want to rest. And I think that rest is like such an important thing, but I have this belief and now I’ve heard it on other podcasts, like Jay Shetty and people that I trust.

So I think there’s some validity to it. But this idea that like resting doesn’t always mean just like laying around and binge watching your favorite Netflix show, right? Like sometimes that’s healthy, but a lot of times rest is actually about just using a different part of our brain or doing something a little bit different. It’s not just like trying to numb. I think sometimes we go from like resting to numbing instead of it being like just using a different part of us. And I think, you know, when you go to the gym, right, and you have like days that you switch, right, between muscle groups, and I kind of see that for our brain too, and it helps your whole brain be strong and get better, right, when we’re switching.

So I kind of look at it as that way, like, yes, we want some, you know, rest days in there, but we’re also like, how do we just use our brain in maybe a little bit different way that’s really building and strengthening our brain and helping us feel healthier when we’re coming back, if that makes sense.

Kelsey: Yes, that totally makes sense. And I think there’s room for both too, because maybe, for example, even this week, we’ve been putting together our Educate and Rejuvenate Conference for the past few months, and it’s now we’re less than a month away. And I guess we’re about a month away right now. Probably by the time everybody’s listening to this, so it’d be less than a month away.

But with that, there were some days that were like, oh, we’re doing a lot and I’m switching, I’m doing a podcast and then I’m doing preparing content and then we’re troubleshooting website issues and having with our rebrand and all that. And then I had one day this week where I was like, no, I need to rest. And by that, I mean actually rest. So it’s really knowing yourself and what you need. Sometimes, yes, I’m not saying don’t rest all summer or rest in the way you might typically think. Sometimes maybe it is like taking a long afternoon nap or it is binging that show on Netflix.

But other times, like we just don’t want to do that all summer because I mean, I really kind of think of even like, what is it? Like Newton’s law of, I should know this. I’m a teacher, but like, you know, some motion stays in motion, right? So if we’re like all summer, just like being a couch potato, like watching Netflix and not keeping our brain engaged in something, then by the time the school year comes around, how do we go? Like from no motion to suddenly like, Oh, I need to be running full speed at the beginning of the school year. Whether you’re like running kids to all their things at the beginning of the school year, there’s kind of like that May-September you were talking about, and then there’s back to school, right?

And they’re kind of like two sides of the same coin. Yeah, it’s like you’re just going to go from all out in May to like, oh, I’m going to just lay back and then all out again in August. What if instead we kind of try to find some balance all along the way is kind of what I’m thinking.

Amy: I love it. I think it’s so healthy. And I think one of the things I talk to my people about, right, is too, if you’re like feeling burnout, right, and you’re kind of getting just really exhausted with what you’ve been doing, like in teaching specifically, right? One of the best things I encourage people to do is to go learn something. Like when it was the last time you went and learned something new, right? Because it kind of, I think, brings back that excitement around learning, right? And we get so stuck in like teaching and we’re doing our same routine over and over and over again. But when we stop for just a second and we go learn something ourselves, I think we like remember how much fun learning is and it gets like that excitement back inside of us.

And then we can carry that to that excitement about learning, right? To the kids that we’re working with, right? Whether they be our own kids or, or kids we’re teaching in a classroom or any of those things. And it’s just, I feel like one of the best ways to like reinvigorate our brains. And of course, naps are wonderful. Like sometimes it doesn’t happen all the time, but there is the occasional day where I’m like the very best thing I can do for my children, for my business, for everything today is to go take a 30 minute nap.

Or like even my team will say, Amy, I think you need to go on a hike today. And I do some of my best thinking like out on a hike. And that to me is a version of rest because it’s resting from some of the other stuff I do. Anyway, so yeah, I think finding ways to keep learning in the mix with the rest, maybe active rest some days, and sometimes it’s just rest, rest. But I think having that mix and using our brain and learning and growing is such a way to keep ourselves healthy and be able to rejuvenate like you’ve talked about. And I think that’s so valuable.

Kelsey: Yes, I love what you’ve been mentioning about like wanting to learn something new, because I really think the reason why anybody who’s listening to either of our podcasts is doing so is because they love to learn new things. And that’s why we teach, right? Because I feel like teachers, they are lifelong learners, whether you ‘re a teacher.

And when I use the word teacher, I want to explain when I use that word, I mean, if you teach in a classroom, or you teach your kids at home, because they know some parents like, Oh, I’m not a teacher, but you are, you’re teaching your kids things every day. So just want to clarify that. But again, I think We love to learn new things, but sometimes we put off learning new things ourselves to focus on teaching them the new things, and then we get burned out from teaching them the new things.

So teaching ourselves a new thing or learning from somebody else, like finding that resource that we want to use to learn something or to do something that’s been on our heart or our mind for a long time, like starting a side hustle, but maybe you don’t even know what you want that to be, or reading a book for fun or for knowledge. I want to learn more about the nervous system. I find that fascinating. Or I want to learn more about, it can be anything, I want to learn more about how to cook, how to cook something, or I want to try some new recipes or whatever it is. Just learning something new to get, kind of feel like this is something for me to grow and improve myself, to kind of educate.

And really what I talk about too is, with my brand now especially, we just rebranded to Educate and Rejuvenate. So it’s really about educating both the kids and yourself and rejuvenating yourself too. And again, that rejuvenation can also be in learning things too. So I love talking about this.

Amy: I know. This is a happy place for me. And I love that this is what you do at your event because I think it is such a good mix of those things and kind of brings that in in the middle of summer, which I think is something so valuable and a way to learn. I love being able to learn from conferences and go and just have exposure and ideas that maybe I don’t normally get on my own.

And I think sometimes when you set up and you’re like, I’m going to go to an event, those are the times I’m like, I literally have like set aside this time for myself to go and like have this space to just like go and be there and learn and get to, you know, have that experience. And it just feels like, it feels kind of restful somehow because you’re separating yourself from what you’re normally doing, right? But then you’re also getting that like growth because you’re getting that, I’m learning something new. And anyway, I just think it’s one of the really nice, really growth happy things I do for myself during the year, so I love that for summer for our audience.

Kelsey: For sure, and the other thing I love about that is it’s that growth in, oh, I’m learning these things, I’m setting aside that time for myself, being really intentional, like I am doing this for me. I feel like that’s the initial decision, and then when people get there at this virtual event, because a lot of times you think, oh, in-person events are all about community, and you get to meet people.

But what I’ve found is the type of people who get drawn to this Educate and Rejuvenate event, because we have both that Educate and Rejuvenate side, everybody there is really wanting to up-level themselves too. So the chat in these conferences, like, I mean, and you know, cause you’ve been part of it all three years now, I think. So it is just like on fire, like everybody there and supporting. up lifting each other and some, there’s like all these side conversations going on. Like somebody’s like, Oh, I’m going through this or whatever. And people are like chatting with each other.

And I had people, I’ve had people say like they’ve met friends through the event, whether they just stay online friends or some of them have actually met in person. Like one person messaged me a picture like, Hey, we drove an hour to meet each other and we met through Educate and Rejuvenate. And I’m just like, I love that. And I love that an event is a way to find like your people. Like if you feel like maybe you don’t have what you’re looking for in your school or your community or neighborhood, you can find people who are like-minded online. And that’s the beauty of the internet is we can meet people from anywhere.

Amy: Yeah, I love that too. And I love the messages. So the session that you’re having me teach or the general session is about a unique approach to teaching kids to read. And I love that there’s just so many cool things to get to talk about. And like you said, I’ve been able to participate for three years, which has been amazing, but what a cool thing to be able to go and learn. I know this is such a concern that so many parents have, right?

And I get to talk to parents essentially every day that have this concern. And of course, teachers struggling with as well, because the stats show that like 67% of our fourth graders are falling behind grade level in reading, which is crazy. That’s like two thirds of our kids. And, and the stat I just saw recently too, is that like 27% of our 12th graders are like below proficient in reading. And that just made me sick because I have a kid that just graduated, a 12th grader that just graduated this year.

You know, I’m at her graduation ceremony in this enormous building, right? There’s between 700 and 800 students graduating from high school in this class. And just looking at this group of beautiful, beautiful humans moving out into the world and thinking, wow, over a quarter of these kids, according to the statistics, are below proficient in reading and the impact that has. It’s devastating. And yet the statistics show that if we’re doing it right with the right tools and strategies, 95% of neurotypical kids can learn to read by the end of first grade.

And so I’m like, we got to do this. Like, let’s spread the word. We need to do it right, yeah. Let’s spread the word. We have the tools and strategies. Let’s get them to everyone so that we can, you know, let’s get them to teachers. Let’s get them to parents. Let’s get them as far and wide as we can so we can all work together to change this because we have to.

Kelsey: Yeah, we want that statistic to change, right? Like, we want those kids learning how to read, especially where it’s shown that they can. And it’s just like the ways that we can do it. And again, and what I’ve been telling teachers too is like, there’s no need to feel guilt about like ways you might’ve taught before. Like I even have things in like our resources where I’m like, oh yeah, like that we need to update or whatever, because we’re learning. Like it’s a thing in life and in teaching reading. Like as we learn something new, we get better.

But this is an opportunity to do that in a really fun way. And I love that your title is like a unique approach to teaching kids to read. I feel like I’m just so intrigued by what you’re going to teach in that session. I don’t want you to give it all away today, but I’m sure it’s along the lines of what you were just talking about.

Amy: But yeah, I think it’s really fun because one of the things that I’m known for, I used to think, I don’t know, like there’s this idea that we’re supposed to like try to fit in and you know, whatever, this has never been me. And I think it was partly I get it from my parents, but yeah, I like uniqueness was something very celebrated. And we say, we have a saying in my house with my kids that whatever makes you weird makes you awesome.

And so like, I’m all about unique, let’s do it. But yeah, when you can find something that just works so beautifully well, and taking everything that – we have the most amazing science that we’ve ever had in the history of the world, right? And so we can take what science is telling us works, right? And those strategies and those principles, and then add this other piece onto it that just up-levels it in such a beautiful way. And it just works, and it’s so, so incredible.

So I can’t wait to share it and talk about it at your event, and maybe we all get to learn something, you know, a little bit more about reading because we’ve got to do this together. Like, one person isn’t going to make the difference in those statistics, but if we team up and we all work together, we can change it, and we have to, right?

Kelsey: Yes, and it is a lot about teaming up and doing it together. And I know you mentioned, because we were chatting a bit before we hit record on this episode, about how you can’t do it all alone either. You’re like, I am doing everything I can to get these tools to every teacher, every parent. But obviously, you can’t do it all by yourself. And so I know you’ve created this awesome certification program where people can learn to be reading coaches.

But other than that, you’re also teaching about it to people who upgrade their ticket to platinum at Educate and Rejuvenate. You’ve got a special session about basically learning about becoming a reading coach, right? Can you tell a little bit about that?

Amy: Yeah, of course. So this is a huge thing for me. One of the things I learned, and I learned this from this amazing woman. Her name’s Eileen. And Eileen was like a pastor for 20 years with her husband and they were broke. You know, like her husband was like driving Uber to survive. But one of the things that she learned was like the way to help more people was to be able to help people help other people. And like, that’s the way it’s sustainable and you can keep. going. And so anyway, so I learned that from her and some other mentors I’ve had, but this idea that like the way to reach more people is to help people reach more people.

And so I’m like, okay, how do I do this? How do I reach more kids? I need to find people that can reach kids and then find a way to help it be a win for them. And so that they, like, it makes sense for them. It makes sense for their family. It helps and blesses their family to go and help them bless other people. And so I’m like, okay, I can do this. It’s gonna be amazing. So yeah.

So we created this incredible programs, certification program that’s meeting this need, and we’re going and we’re teaching teachers and parents and people that have the skills and ability to work with children, and we’re teaching them the science of reading, we’re teaching them these skills and strategies and our unique approach, right, and then giving them the curriculum to do it, and then certifying them. We’re also giving them the business side and teaching them exactly how to start a business because this is something I know how to do, right? I’ve got a team. We’ve done this really well.

Kelsey: Yeah, you’re doing it.

Amy: Yeah. And so combining those two things, like this incredible power of using this system and program and unique approach to learning how to read, to teaching kids to read. And then, you know, this business side and teaching them step by step, walking them through how to set up a business and doing both of those things together. And my gosh, like we have people that have like their waitlist full before they’ve even opened their dates yet. It’s amazing. And we’re doing it.

We’re reaching, we’re like stretching and reaching more people and helping these like teachers that are either wanting to earn money on the side or leave the classroom. And we have moms or retirees that are like trying to find a way to still help and make a difference in their communities and provide for their families or ease their financial situation or save extra or whatever. It’s just like, it’s incredible.

And I love that we can feel really good about what we do every morning when we wake up and just feel like, oh my gosh, you’re so proud to tell people what you do for a living and you get paid to do this and change the world. And I’m like, I can preach about this all day. So yeah, I’m going to come to your event and share that information with the people to upgrade your platinum pass and say, oh my gosh, here’s this incredible opportunity. And you can like actually earn money and help your family while changing this statistic and changing the world.

And the more I can help you do that, the more kids you can reach. And so this is like my new best strategy for reaching more kids and changing these statistics, which is my goal, we’re doing this. Kelsey: I love it so much. So what I love too is that, because you’re teaching the general session where you’re kind of teaching like, you know, okay, this is what everybody needs to know that everybody who attends the event will get. But then when they upgrade to platinum, we have this whole side hustle track where people are going to learn different side hustle things or business if they want to start something.

And if people are really interested in the reading side, which we get a lot of people who are like, oh, I love the reading sessions, those ones tend to be really popular. So they should definitely come to your platinum pass session too, where they can learn about maybe that opportunity where if they’re in the classroom and they’re looking for something different or they just want to know how to apply it better in their classroom, or they’re like maybe a homeschool mom and they’re like, this could be a really cool opportunity to learn something to do on the side while also learning how to benefit my kids with all these strategies, right?

I just feel like it’s such a great opportunity for them to learn about this and especially for those who are like, oh, that sounds like a dream, like that sounds amazing. I love it.

Amy: I just think it’s such a beautiful, beautiful thing to be able to do and it comes with so many benefits, right? So the fulfillment and the knowledge you gain yourself, it’s so fascinating. You love to learn, right? You want to learn about the nervous system, right? Oh, yeah. I love learning about the brain. I’m obsessed. My podcast, Raising Healthy Kid Brains, right? I love the neuroscience and all this stuff.

I heard someone on my podcast say she was an armchair neuroscientist, and I just thought that was the best expression. I love it. But yeah, right? So we love to learn. And so I think learning about how the brain works and how reading looks in the brain, because now we have these people doing the imaging, and they can see exactly what’s happening. It’s magic, right? So we can learn all about that, and that piece is so fascinating.

But then, yes, you can take that and then go change the world with it and feel so good about what you do and still have more flexibility than you’ve ever had. You get to pick who you work with in your hours, and how does it get any better than this? I think it’s amazing.

So I’m so excited to share it and excited to come to your event and get to talk more about that because I think it’s going to be a really powerful tool. I’ve watched it changing lives already. And I’m excited to do more because again, the more that I can help moms and teachers be able to find ways to support their family by doing this, the more kids we can reach overall. And so I call it my win-win-win, right? It helps my team and it helps your family, right? And it helps the kids that you’re reaching.

And so if I can make it a win for all three people, then that’s just sustainable and growable. And we can just keep going and going and going until every kid everywhere can read, right? And so that’s the ultimate goal, right?

Kelsey: Yeah, that’s definitely the ultimate goal. And I just love that this sort of this, like what you’re teaching at this event is really going to help like get one step closer towards that goal. And so for all of you listening, whether you’re on Raising Healthy Kid Brains or Educate and Rejuvenate the podcast, make sure to grab your ticket. We’ll both have a link in our show notes.

And then if you want what Amy was talking about, if you want to be able to learn about becoming a reading coach, be sure to upgrade that ticket to Platinum because you’ll not only get that, but you’ll get extended access to all the sessions. You’ll get the whole side hustle track where you’ll get some general ones about how to start a business or how to do TPT and other different things.

So if you’re kind of exploring ideas, if you’re like, I might wanna be a reading coach or I might wanna do this, you’ll get all the information there. So be sure to come. It’s going to be a great time. And again, there’s sessions on everything, not just reading too. We’ve got it on math, science, social studies, burnout, homeschooling. For those of you who are parents who are teaching at home, we’ve got classroom management. We’ve really got experts in everything. And it’s not to overwhelm you. It’s so you can pick what is applicable to you and watch what you need. You don’t have to watch everything, but you can. It’s kind of like you choose your own adventure.

Amy: Yes, which is good. That’s very healthy, yeah. I love that about your virtual event too, because I’ve attended quite a few events. We’ve gone to some events together, right? I think we went to our first TPT conference together years ago, right? What I love about this is you get to pick.

Kelsey: Oh my gosh, yes, that was when I was terrified to go on an airplane. Do you remember? And you were like, do you remember this? [Crosstalk].

Amy: I know, I laugh because [crosstalk].

Kelsey: I’ve gone on it so many times.

Amy: Yes, I know. I think I was so cute. And Kelsey hadn’t been on an airplane without your husband, right, for like years and years and years or something. I don’t know. Anyway, she was really nervous going on an airplane. And she was like, can we, can we just go together? I’m like, yes, you betcha we can. And so we, we went together and it was so much fun. And then I think, didn’t we get like stuck in an airport on our way back or something? Like there was a storm in Dallas or something.

Kelsey: We did. Our flight was canceled. Our flight was canceled. And then I was like totally panicking. And you were like, so calm and collected and in control. And see, now, like, I’ve had that happen so many times that I’m good with that now. And at that time, that was before I’d, like, even found, like, all the coaching tools and got diagnosed with, like, anxiety and everything that I had. And so it’s just really – it’s really cool when we see how far we’ve come in life in general, you know.

Amy: Yeah. And that we can be there for each other because the reality is, is we all have our things where we need someone, which is so good because that’s how we get that connection, right? If none of us ever needed anybody, then we’d just be off-loaners, right? We know that our human bodies and our minds and hearts need connection. I love that we can be there for each other in all kinds of different ways. It’s just beautiful. This is what connects us and brings us together. I love the piece where, at your event, we got a little sidetracked on the airplane thing, but that was really funny. I’m glad you brought it up.

Kelsey: We did. Sorry. [Crosstalk].

Amy: That’s what makes this more fun to listen to. Some of those conferences you go to, and I go to conferences, and you’re sitting there for three days or whatever. And you’re like, oh, this really is not something that fits me. You don’t know if you can lead, you know, and like, where do you go anyway? So I love that yours is like, you get to pick and choose like the parts that fit you, the parts that you really want to grow in.

Instead of just having like, so, so, so much, you get to pick the pieces you want and, and have access to a wide variety of things so you can really choose how you want to grow this summer when you’re doing your rejuvenating and, and learning. Right. And so I think that’s so fantastic about this event. So everyone go get your tickets is basically what we’re saying, right. to Educate, Rejuvenate 2024.

Kelsey: Come join Amy and I. We’ll both be there.

Amy: Yes. It’s going to be a party, and come see us. And no airplanes involved this time, so everyone’s safe. And it’ll be amazing. And yeah, I can’t wait to chat with everyone there.

Kelsey: Yes. Did you want to share where people can find you? So if they’re on my podcast, where can they find you in general? If they’re like, oh, wait, I just want to hear more about all the reading things she’s talking about or whatever.

Amy: Absolutely. Yes, of course. Come find me all over the internet. So we’re at Planning Playtime is like kind of our core like place where we kind of have all of our stuff come from. So you can come find me at planningplaytime.com. We’re on Planning Playtime on Facebook, Instagram, all over the place.

And then of course we can, we can get you from there to our, our resources. We’re actually getting ready- I haven’t even told anyone about this, like Kelsey, but we are getting ready to launch a whole new, like, I know, can I tell secrets? [Crosstalk]. To a new social media account that we’re getting ready to start and launch here shortly that is all about reading. And that’s all it is.

And it’s going to be so incredible. I’m actually like so, so excited about it. And so every day the content is just all focused around reading, around this mission of helping parents and teachers just have the information they need. And in just in little, tiny bite-sized pieces, a little tiny bit every day to just give you little ideas on how to help your kids read in a really beautiful structured way. And using this like pieces of this unique approach to make it amazing.

So that’s coming. But come find it all, Planning Playtime. I’m planningplaytime.com, Planning Playtime on all the social media platforms. And we can get you from there to our reading curriculum, to our reading coaching program, all that kind of stuff right from there.

Kelsey: Awesome. Okay, well, and then I guess if they’re listening on your podcast, mine’s pretty easy to find everywhere. It’s also educateandrejuvenate.com. Educate and Rejuvenate almost everywhere, except we haven’t rebranded our TPT yet. I was actually nervous to do that before the back to school because people were looking for stuff. So our TPT is still Wife, Teacher, Mommy, so.. But everything else is under Educate and Rejuvenate. The book coming out August 13th is Educate and Rejuvenate. And yeah, that’s basically. where you can find me?

Amy: Amazing. And Kelsey’s fantastic. So if you’re listening from the Raising Healthy Kid Brains podcast, come check out Kelsey. And I’m excited for your book, Kelsey. We’ve been talking about this for like, I don’t know, a year now or something. I know. I’m so excited for you.

Kelsey: It’s been over a year and it’s coming out now. And yeah, I’ll get you the link to the waitlist too, because there’s actually like, if you buy a ticket, if you’re listening now and you sign up for the waitlist for the book, there’s an opportunity to get a ticket to the event that way as well. So I’ll get that to you as well. Yeah, I know, it’s kind of a little secret fun way.

Amy: It’s like back end, sort of. Yeah. Fun. Amazing.

Kelsey: We didn’t even plan this. This is what happens when you get two friends just kind of chatting and co-hosting.

Amy: Well, and here’s a funny thing. I don’t think we’ve told everybody, but Kelsey and I are actually almost neighbors, which is so funny, because we met in business land. This is what we call it. My kids and my family, we call it business. There’s my regular life, and then there’s business land. So Kelsey and I met in business land and then found out that we live really close to each other. So we actually get to go to lunch in real life.

Kelsey: We don’t do it as often as we should. We were just talking about that.

Amy: I know. We’re planning it. We’re doing it soon. Yes.

Kelsey: It’s going to be great. It’ll be great. OK, well, thank you, Amy, for agreeing to do this episode together. It was so much fun to just co-host and talk about all the things.

Amy: This was so fun, and I’m so excited. Thank you for joining me and letting me come be with you. And I’m super excited for your event, and it was fun to get to chat with you about reading and educating and having a little bit of rest while maybe actively learning a little bit this summer. So I’m excited for everyone to get to figure out their way to do that and invite them to come join us at this event.

Kelsey: Okay, we’ll see you all there. Don’t you just love all the fun things we’re learning on the show together? Well, we wanted to give you a chance to practice a little bit of it at home. And so, we made you a special freebie just for being a listener here and you can grab it at planningplaytime.com\special-freebie. That is planningplaytime.com\special-freebie. So what this freebie is, I’ll tell you, is an amazing alphabet activity that you can start using with your kiddos and it is based in play and is so fun.

You can use dot markers with it, you can use Q-tip painting, you could use circle cereal. There’s all kinds of options, but you can print it out today and get started. Just head over to planningplaytime.com\special-freebie and we’ll send that to you right away.

Thank you for hanging out with me today for this fun chat on Raising Healthy Kid Brains. If you want to see more of what we’re doing to support kiddos and their amazing brains, come visit us on our website planningplaytime.com. See you next week.