A Slightly Better Wife

Me Time, Mom Style

It never fails. The house is finally quiet, the kids are happily playing together or watching a show side-by-side, and I think, “Yes! Finally, some me time.” But as soon as I step toward the kitchen for a cup of coffee, I spot it...the mess. Ugh. I’m in the thick of raising little people, from two ...

Homeschool Fun Friday: Sequence States & Capitals Game Review

We love to incorporate games into our homeschooling. It's a great way to add interest to learning and break up the routine of worksheets and workbooks. The second half of our Fridays we often call "Fun Friday" and spend the afternoon playing games. This doesn't ALWAYS happen, because sometimes ...

Homeschool Fun Friday: You’ve Been Sentenced! Game Review

Baked Potato Soup in the Instant Pot

A few weeks ago I made the best mashed potatoes in the instant pot, and I thought it’d be really easy to turn that into a soup. Turns out, I was right! When I called everyone in for dinner I said I thought I may have made it a little thin, but wanted their opinions. Supportively the all tried it ...

Free Printable Scripture Art

My 9 year old loves writing scripture and posting it around the house, he always has. This year we incorporated it into our school work using Teach Your Child to Read, Write and Spell: 100 Easy Bible Verses. I often have the two older kids create some type of art out of their memory verse for the ...

Homeschool Fun Friday: Blink Game Review

A Mom’s New Favorite Hack: Lock Laces

You know that feeling when you find something so good you almost feel like you invented it? That’s exactly how I felt when I discovered Lock Laces! Why I Love Them As a mom, I’ve kept my kids in Velcro shoes and zippered boots for as long as possible. Eventually, laced tennis shoes become the most ...

How to Make Mashed Potatoes in the Instant Pot

I grew up on instant mashed potatoes. I didn’t know any different. My first Thanksgiving as Mr. Awesome’s girlfriend was full of surprises as I stood around the kitchen of his childhood home, watching his mother cook. I offered to help here and there, and bless his mother’s heart, she let me. I ...

How to Make Cauliflower Into “Rice”

In this blog post you will learn how to turn a simple head of cauliflower into a healthy rice alternative. Step-by-step video included! Let's get started! Tools Needed: Food Processor (I currently have the Ninja Mega Kitchen System, but I've had the Black & Decker Food Processor in the past, ...

The Easiest Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Let me start with saying this recipe makes a massive amount of soup. It's perfect for serving a crowd, or for reheating as leftovers throughout the week. Let's get right to it! What you need:2lbs Cooked Chicken Breasts, cubed.2 lbs Carrots, diced1 pkg of Celery, diced1 box of Chicken Broth (48oz)2 ...

Growing Again

These past months, our home has been filled with the quiet anticipation of a new little blessing. Pregnancy has a way of slowing you down, whether you like it or not, and this season has reminded me that rest is truly a gift from God. As a mom, I tend to keep moving: making meals, washing clothes, ...

Married Life: When It Gets Messy and Hard

Married life is messy and hard. Life with real friends can be messy too. The people who speak the truth in love can offend us or frustrate us, even when they’re just trying to help. I’ve experienced this, and I know many of you have as well. I want to remind anyone feeling like marriage and ...

Happy Birthday, Dorothy. Life is Hard.

My mother-in-law has been with Jesus for almost nine years. Cancer took her far too soon. In August of 2007, we welcomed our first son into this world, and within a week, we learned she had cancer in her colon and pancreas. I remember thinking, how could life give us new joy while threatening hers? ...

Making More Time to do Less Things

There's just something so sweet about a child falling asleep in your arms during a bedtime story. Last night I read my youngest the book "Just in Case You Ever Wonder", a favorite of her big sister's when she was a tot, and one I read to the boy often too. That same big sister walked by and said ...

Craving Calm

When my husband came home from work, we all gathered around the table with a big bowl of pistachios and coloring pages for the bank’s coloring contest. The kitchen still needed cleaning. The mail was unsorted. The pistachios weren’t cheap, and we ate a lot of them. The coloring should’ve been done ...

Our October Sweetie turns 4!

Happy 4th Birthday to this mostly sweet & a little spunky, coffee drinking, Jesus loving, stylish little girl! I am blessed to be YOUR momma. Through your actions you teach this world to face their fears, love deep, and smile often. Never change. Never lose your confidence, never believe the ...

Be Ever Blooming

These once-upon-a-time dying greenhouse plants and 2/$1 seed packets from Dollar Tree have bloomed right where they were planted in my little backyard flowerbed. I didn’t know if they’d turn out. This was my first year planting flowers on this kind of scale. I’ve done small pots by the house (which ...

Making Time for Him

You can read a lot about being intentional with your children, the importance of devotional time, and time spent in prayer. You know what I don’t see written about enough? Being intentional with your husband. As wives and mothers, we can get so busy making sure the children are fed, the laundry is ...

Teaching From Rest

Last week, into the weekend, and now this week too I have been listening to the audio book Teaching from Rest, by Sarah Mackenzie. My first adult audio book was 1,000 Gifts several years ago. I was able to download it for just a few dollars and I plugged away at it while walking on the treadmill ...

Olivia’s Family Restaurant in Owatonna, MN

Our family enjoyed lunch at Olivia's Family Restaurant back in the spring. As the season changes I am finding myself wanting to head back there again for a hot cup of coffee and a warm meal. I was a little skeptical as we pulled in to eat because there weren't many online reviews, and they were ...