It’s hard to believe we’ve already moved on from our summer confessions — whether you were dreading it or loving it — and are now fully immersed in our back-to-school thoughts, secrets, and woes, isn’t it? Feels like just yesterday we were all commiserating with each other about how summer is the worst, or how summer is our favorite, or how a lack of routine really might be the end of all of us as we serve popsicles for breakfast again. And now it’s time to dive deep into the back-to-school confessions of moms just like you. Moms who are ready for the school year to start, moms who are beyond tired of a feral summer, moms who are feeling a mixed bag of bittersweet emotions. Read ‘em and weep – or laugh!

When you’re running on fumes (and caffeine), MERIT’s award-winning Flush Balm is the kind of low-effort, high-impact product that makes you look like you’ve got it all together — even if you definitely don’t. This cream blush melts into your skin for an instant flush of color that makes you look more awake in seconds, and it’s earned a serious following (one sells every 30 seconds) for good reason. Clean, vegan, and packed with skin-friendly ingredients like vitamin E, it’s part of MERIT’s mission to simplify beauty routines with well-edited essentials that do more with less. No brushes, no complicated techniques — just one swipe and you’re out the door.

This month’s That Mom – our monthly interview with a mom you’ve definitely seen all over your Instagram feed – is Anna Connelly, a Minneapolis-based mom who is unafraid to take on MAGA disinformation with humor, facts and grace. She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s got it all, and you’ll want to follow her.