Renton|Neighbor News|
Finding Your Footing: Preparing for a New School Year While Still Searching for Work
Summer can feel heavy when you’re still waiting for that job offer to come through. Learn how to find your footing.

Swannee Rivers is a nationally credentialed Early Childhood Educator, author, mother, teacher, wife, motivational speaker, and community showcase developer whose work has inspired readers across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. A graduate of the University of Washington, she brings heart, advocacy, and authenticity to every project she touches.
Her published works span more than two decades and multiple genres—from investigative nonfiction to uplifting children’s literature. Her groundbreaking book Healthcare Under Duress (2003) gained international recognition for its bold stance against fraud in the healthcare industry and continues to be used in training programs for insurance institutions and community colleges throughout the Pacific Northwest. She is also the author of Hidden Treasures (2007), Cancer Journal for the Survivor in You (2003), Cancer Journal for the Survivor in You II (2009), and Parents Don’t Know Everything (2003).
Swannee’s storytelling has reached national audiences through her contributions to The Renton Reporter, The Seattle Times, Northwest Baby & Child, Campfire Girls National Campaign, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, where she also helped select incoming story submissions. Her work has appeared on Soap Opera Central, ConsumerReview.com, and in creative media collaborations such as New Play Media’s online Soap Opera Trivia Game. She has been featured in the documentary The Last Swing (2017) and appeared in a 2019 episode of Oxygen’s Criminal Confessions.
Her children’s book collection continues to grow with beloved titles including Fuzzy Ears and the Grocery Store Adventure (2020), Zack the Yak’s Mountaintop Adventure (2022), There’s a Purple Jelly Monster in My Tummy! (2022), Jake Robinson: The Smallest Hero (2024), Bobby Sue’s Hats (2025), and My Big Simple & Fabulous Coloring Book Series (2026).
Today, Swannee Rivers lives in Renton, Washington, where she continues creating stories that celebrate courage, curiosity, and the extraordinary beauty found in everyday life.
Summer can feel heavy when you’re still waiting for that job offer to come through. Learn how to find your footing.

Summer heat doesn’t just affect your energy—it can shift your entire rhythm. Learn to make adjustments.
Hot summer days have a way of draining your energy before you even begin.
Summer brings about a welcome time for breaks, but for many middle schoolers-it means time to sleep.
Summer has a beautiful way of reminding us that joy doesn’t need a price tag.
Summer has a way of inviting us outside, nudging us toward sunshine, fresh air, and simple joys. But when budgets feel tight it's scary.
Daily mantras hit differently in the summer—they don’t just ground you, they wake something up.
The shift from school-year grind, to summer freedom can feel surprisingly jarring. Teachers spend months living by schedules, but what now?
Summer arrives like a long, deep exhale for teachers—a season that finally offers space to slow down, breathe, and reconnect with yourself.
Summer settles in with its warm air, long evenings, and easygoing energy, job motivation can slip faster than ice cream on a hot sidewalk.
For many people, the warmer months bring the opposite: sluggishness, fatigue, and a surprising lack of motivation. Learn to find your spark.
When you’re supposed to be job hunting and your motivation is nowhere to be found, the sunshine can feel like a spotlight. What to do?
Renton author Swannee Rivers proudly announces the release of her second book in the growing toddler‑friendly coloring series.
Have you ever had the feeling of if summer is supposed to be thrilling, why does it feel so flat? Help is on the way.
Summer has a way of exposing everything we hoped would be different by now. But, the job search is stuck in the same place.
Summer rolls in with all its bright energy—sunny days, warm nights, and the urge to do something. What happens when your friends are broke?
There’s a moment every parent knows—the instant you realize summer is almost here, and suddenly the math shifts. You know chaos is coming.
This book is created with toddlers in mind: bold lines, simple shapes, and fun, confidence‑boosting pages that make coloring feel joyful.
Summer has a way of making everything feel possible—road trips, patio dinners, beach days,... But when you're broke everything changes.
There’s a funny thing that happens as summer inches closer: your motivation quietly packs its bags and heads for the nearest hammock.