I used to work at a pizza place all through high school. One day, during a busy shift, I called to a co-worker, “Hey, they need you back here.” He grumbled, “They don’t need me. They just need somebody.” At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but over the years, that phrase stuck with me. For a ...
Learn Something New
My friend Jennifer came over last weekend and taught me how to knit. I'm thankful for this new activity, & getting to spend time with her. I'm not sure if it is something I will keep up, but it has been fun to try. As I struggled with how to hold the needles and where to put the yarn, I realized ...
How to Melt Old Crayons
What would you do with an ice cream bucket FULL of broken crayons? Here’s what I did: Sort by size & color.I set aside any crayons longer than about 2 inches for little hands to color with. The shorter pieces went back in the bucket — ready to be melted down into new, exciting shapes. ...
Time Flies When You’re Learning Together
You know the saying, time flies when you’re having fun? Well, it’s true! It’s been such a full season in our home, and I can hardly believe the progress we’ve seen. A few months ago, we learned that my daughter is dyslexic. At first, that news felt heavy. I cried, I worried, and I wondered how we’d ...
How We Make One Income Work as a Family of Four
People sometimes ask (and I even ask myself), “How do you make it on one income while you stay home?” First, praise God. Without Him, we couldn’t do this. He’s been so faithful. Second, thank you to my husband for working hard every day to provide for our family. I'm grateful he has a career he ...
A Simple Upgrade for a Healthier Home: Shower Filters
This post contains affiliate links Back in 2011, we installed our very first shower filter. At the time, I didn’t know much about water quality, but I wanted to do what I could to protect my family from the chlorine and other chemicals that can make their way into our homes. Now, all these years ...
Unplugging the TV for Better Things
Last week, I decided to unplug the TV. Not because it’s all bad, but because it was stealing time we could be using better. Instead of watching shows that don’t add much to our lives, I want to spend those minutes helping my kids learn new skills, reading together, or simply catching up on things ...
Inspiration to be Slightly Better
Have I ever told you what inspired me to start being better? It was a book I bought on a whim for a buck at Dollar Tree in the Mall of America. Yes, I went all the way to the MOA and still shopped at Dollar Tree. So, this book is titled: 1,000 Ways to Be a Slightly Better Woman. It's full of ...
Why We Ditched Plastic Storage Containers
My husband mentioned how the toy aisles at Wal-Mart smell like plastic. Our bodies know that is toxic, and we turn up our noses at it. It made me think of where we had plastic lurking within our home. We had a kitchen drawer full of Ziploc containers. Sure enough, when I opened it, I noticed that ...
Godly-Givers
I’ll start by confessing: I’m a purger. On a whim, I’ll decide to throw or donate tons of things all at once—it usually turns into a big production. I’ve always known this about myself, but a good friend recently pointed it out, and it made me stop and think. The next time I was in a purging ...
Cutting Cable
About two years ago (2009-ish), I made the decision to cancel our cable TV. It wasn’t really a financial choice, it was about getting the awful, horrible media and pushy ads out of our home. My husband and I were watching grown-up shows, thinking the kids weren’t paying attention… but they were. At ...
I Swear.
Last night my husband was working late, so the kids and I decided to make homemade brownies and serve a candlelit dinner to daddy to show him our appreciation when he came home. I had the radio on, and my daughter started doing dishes, without being asked. John Michael Montgomery's song, "I Swear" ...
Homemade Butter Recipe
One of the shifts we’ve made as a family is moving away from those big tubs of plasticky margarine to the real thing: homemade butter. And let me tell you—it’s far easier than I ever imagined! All you need is one simple ingredient: heavy whipping cream. Here’s how I make it with my KitchenAid ...
Choosing Better Nourishment for Our Family
One of the biggest changes our family has made over the years has been in the area of food. When I was a young wife and mom, I used to get so excited over a sale on boxed meals or snack packs. At the time, I thought I was winning at homemaking by stretching the budget that way, and in that season, I ...
Living with a Clearer Focus on Christ
The most important change our family has made, and continues to pursue daily, is following Jesus Christ. We have both believed in Christ for as long as we can remember, but over the years our passion and devotion to Him have deepened. More and more, our focus has become aligning our lives with what ...
How to Make Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
I really love pumpkin. I think I could happily eat pumpkin muffins all day long. This week I baked a batch using a recipe from my “homemade cookbook.” It’s nothing fancy, just a three-ring binder I filled years ago with family recipes. One of my favorite aunts once sent me nine emails, each with a ...
THANKSGIVING
Philippians 4:6 (Worldwide English (New Testament)) Do not worry about anything. Talk to God about everything. Thank him for what you have. Ask him for what you need. Thank you God for: Loving me, unconditionally. Really, no one else could do it like you do. The family I grew ...
I Will Rise
Proverbs 31:15"She rises also while it is yet night and provides food for her household." Over the years, I’ve come to realize that this verse speaks to more than just breakfast. Yes, it can certainly mean the literal food that nourishes our family’s bodies, but it can also point to the spiritual ...
My Journey to Becoming a Slightly Better Wife
I found my old diary today. The dairy is from 1999, when I was in middle school. My parents had separated for a year, my oldest brother joined the army, my second oldest brother was in his senior year of high school. He was in love and was getting married soon. He was my best friend, and I couldn't ...
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