Learning at Home
We’re all trying to teach our kids what matters most to us: being a person of good character, the family faith, life skills they’ll need someday as adults, to love all kinds of people, and to enjoy learning new things.
I give myself lots of grace, and I hope you do, too. Because you know what? I also want to create fun family memories that serve no other purpose whatsoever, preserve the health and excitement in our marriage, and take care of myself. It’s A LOT to manage.
Let’s just take little manageable steps and don’t try to do everything at once. Remember, our kids don’t need perfect parents, they just need loving ones. It’s hard to be loving when you’re obsessing about getting everything right. So let’s just get the things right that matter most to us.
Growing in Confidence
A Parent’s Ultimate Guide to the Parent Teacher Conference
In my second year of teaching third grade, I was simultaneously stressed out about my first parent teacher conference day, and also so excited to meet with my own child's pre-k teacher for the first time. I knew from talking with other teachers that a back-to-back...
The Best Children’s Bibles by Age
There are a lot of children's Bibles out there, and it can be hard to know which ones are worth the money. Some of the ones below we own, and others have been checked out at our local library. (PS: I'm a big believer in the library). These are the best children's...
How to Talk to the Teacher about Too Much Homework
As a former 3rd grade reading teacher and current elementary school parent, I hate homework. It's not that I'm lazy and don't want to grade the homework or oversee it in my own house. It's just that I think too much homework in elementary school is doing a disservice...
Growing in Brains
A Parent’s Ultimate Guide to the Parent Teacher Conference
In my second year of teaching third grade, I was simultaneously stressed out about my first parent teacher conference day, and also so excited to meet with my own child's pre-k teacher for the first time. I knew from talking with other teachers that a back-to-back...
The Best Children’s Bibles by Age
There are a lot of children's Bibles out there, and it can be hard to know which ones are worth the money. Some of the ones below we own, and others have been checked out at our local library. (PS: I'm a big believer in the library). These are the best children's...
How to Talk to the Teacher about Too Much Homework
As a former 3rd grade reading teacher and current elementary school parent, I hate homework. It's not that I'm lazy and don't want to grade the homework or oversee it in my own house. It's just that I think too much homework in elementary school is doing a disservice...
Growing in Character
My Ugly Closet Refresh: How I Spruced It Up for Free!
Ladies, I am not a great photographer, and my closet is STILL not fit for a magazine. However, it started off HIDEOUS. Now, it's not an ugly closet anymore! My "new" closet feels bright, fresh, and well organized. It perfect for me! You know what it's still missing?...
37 Easy Self Care Ideas for a Busy Mom on a Budget
Girl, I bet you came to this page because you're hanging by a thread. You've got too much to do and not enough time to do it. You feel exhausted. You've got no money for extra fun stuff just for you. Your kids might be doing well, but you are definitely NOT. What's a...
Washing Cloth Diapers: 7 Reasons Why Yours Still Stink
You spent an arm and a leg on good quality cloth diapers, but now you're really in a pickle. Sure, they don't have gross stains on them, but there's a faint whiff of something in them. Perhaps it's that scary ammonia smell or the "barnyard" odor other mamas complain...
Display Kids Art (and then Cherish it Forever)
Recently a friend and I were discussing that awful moment where you sneakily toss a kid's artwork into the trash, hoping they don't notice. When your child is obsessed with paper crafting like Turkey Burger, it can be difficult to manage the constant overflow of paper...
17 Heartwarming Ways to Help a New Mom
When I became a new mom, I couldn't believe how much my world felt turned upside down. I know not everyone feels this way, but I was so overwhelmed and bluesy, too. Of course I loved Turkey Burger; I knew that from the early days of the pregnancy. I just wasn't sure...
21 Meaningful Etsy Christmas Gifts for 2020
I absolutely love shopping on Etsy for the holidays. First, it makes me feel good to support small businesses, especially during this Covid crisis that has been hard on some families. Second, while ordering personalized gifts for people requires some advanced...
Testing for Gestational Diabetes at Home
The gestational diabetes test is the absolute worst, if you ask me. When I got pregnant with my Chicken Patty, I worked with my midwife to come up with an alternative that would make both of us comfortable. Lo and behold, when I had an OBGYN for my third pregnancy,...
Addressing Unmet Expectations in a Relationship
Even healthy marriages suffer from internal grumbling and complaining by both spouses. Addressing unmet expectations in the relationship can be tricky, but if you learn to do it well, you'll end up with a more vibrant and growing relationship rather than a struggling...
30 Unique Christmas Gifts for Kindergarteners
I've already created a post with my favorite 10 Toys that Make Kids Smarter and Healthier. I hope you'll check it out! Now, I'm ready to dig deeper into even more Christmas gifts for kindergarteners. I do like to think outside the box, but we're also quite possibly...
9 Special Family Halloween Activities
We're still not sure how we're handling Halloween with the Covid business happening. I've got decision fatigue about everything Covid-related, so I'm betting we'll end up staying around the house. But I've got a six year old and a two year old who need their holidays...
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