Does anyone else feel like there are way too many things competing for kids’ attention these days? We have a lot of extended family in town, so the kids always make a killing on their birthdays. On my son’s 7th birthday last month he got Legos, Minecraft and a new bike. But he also gotContinue Reading
How To Practice Hospitality When You’re Busy and Exhausted
When I reflect on why I decided to become a Christian fourteen years ago, I think part of it was because of the food. There’s the spiritual food of course (John 6), but I’m talking about the literal FOOD food. I was a college freshman, and there was this young married couple that was leadingContinue Reading
10 Easy Bible Verses for Kids—To Improve Behavior
I don’t know if it’s a girl thing, but we’ve got a case of the whiiiiines in my house. My daughter is four. Her two older brothers certainly had issues at this age, but they were mostly involved destruction and throwing epic temper tantrums. The whining though? The scope of it is new to meContinue Reading
5 Ways To Spend More Quality Time with Your Kids
It’s funny how you can spend all day with your kids and yet feel like you didn’t connect with them at all. This is especially true when you’re busy getting stuff done with multiple people in the house: homeschooling, housework, chauffeuring, ministry, etc. And while you might technically be “together,” you’re missing out on aContinue Reading
3 Strategies to Strengthen Sibling Relationships
I was vacuuming the other day and really enjoying the “quiet” that comes with that task. You know what I mean: by drowning out all the noise in a busy household, I could get a few minutes of mindless peace. Or not. Slowly but surely above the low, loud hum, I heard an unmistakable crescendo:Continue Reading
5 Time Management Tips for Moms—When Life is Crazy
I talk to young moms a lot. We are all a very worried, guilty and overwhelmed bunch of people, right? There’s a lot we can talk about in our crazy busy lives regarding our kids, our parenting, our faith and our marriage. But a surprising need that I hear again and again? Time management tips.Continue Reading
How To Banish Mom Burnout & Embrace What Makes You Amazing
The condition called “mom burnout” seems like a right of passage. It starts with your newborn when you’re physically exhausted to the max; there’s not a whole lot you can do about that. But, the mom burnout evolves as you add kids and as they get older (especially for Americans, in my observation). You mightContinue Reading
Become a More Patient Mom with These Simple Practices
Becoming a mother makes you grow in all kinds of ways you don’t expect. In pregnancy, childbirth and those early precious moments, your physical endurance is nothing short of miraculous. Your capacity for love expands with each little soul you add to your family. I’ve also personally experienced a significant softening of my heart andContinue Reading
10 Awesome Non-LEGO Building Toy Sets
Christmas is just around the corner, and in our house that means it’s time to assess our toy situation. We recently decluttered a massive amount of toys, so I’m pretty picky about what I allow back into the house (nonetheless they’re still breeding—where do they all come from???). We’ll do another decluttering session soon beforeContinue Reading
Dos and Don’ts Your First Year Homeschooling
When my husband and I were in premarital counseling, he expressed an odd expectation. He asked that someday, when our kids were old enough, I consider trying to homeschool. He had been homeschooled, but other than that I was unfamiliar with the practice. In fact, I thought it sounded strange. But sure, I thought, whyContinue Reading
