I love mornings. This, coming from the girl who used to need to set an alarm to get up at the crack of 10. I have created a well-established morning routine* that has taken me years (!) to tweak and perfect. As my kids grow and seasons of life change, so do some of the details of my morning routine, … [Read more...] about How Routines Help Us (and Tips for Establishing Them)
First Ask Why: A New Book by My Friend Shelly Wildman
Today I am handing the blog over to my blog-friend-turned-REAL-LIFE-friend-Shelly. Over the last 10 years, Shelly and I have had extensive conversations over email and in person and met up at conferences all over the country, where we shared our mutual love for writing, cooking, parenting, and … [Read more...] about First Ask Why: A New Book by My Friend Shelly Wildman
Throwback Thursday: Rapid Weight Gain and Fitness News
This post came up in my Facebook Memories a few days ago. It was perfect timing, because I had just posted a 27-minute Facebook Live disclosing my continuing weight-loss struggles, now eight years later (scroll to the end of this post for that video.) In 2010, I wrote a weekly Fitness Friday post … [Read more...] about Throwback Thursday: Rapid Weight Gain and Fitness News
10 Years of Blogging–What?????
March 4th marked the 10th birthday of my blog. I tend to wax all nostalgic on birthdays and anniversaries, so I thought maybe you'd like to take a stroll down memory lane with me, beginning with my blog's birth story. (Every proud momma likes to share the birth story, right?) The Blog … [Read more...] about 10 Years of Blogging–What?????
Recipe: Tuscan Potato, Spinach (or Kale), and Sausage Soup
A few weeks ago, I had the Bible Study Babes to my house for lunch, and I served this soup. They all asked for the recipe. And when I didn't send it in a timely manner, they hunted me down like a dawg. Even though it has a long, fancy name, we've decided to rename it: Life-Changing Soup. Yes, … [Read more...] about Recipe: Tuscan Potato, Spinach (or Kale), and Sausage Soup
How I Manage Anxiety Every Day
During my long break from EVERYTHING in January, I rediscovered the invaluable practice of radical self-care. Within a few short days of clearing my calendar, prioritizing sleep, nourishing my body with the best foods, and staying off social media, my anxiety level dropped to zero and remained that … [Read more...] about How I Manage Anxiety Every Day
3 Ways We Can Stay Connected in January
In the world of “balance,” December can be a radical swing of the pendulum into extreme busyness, over-spending, over-eating, loss of margin...loss of sanity. How are you handling it all? You doing okay? I don’t know about you, but my best efforts at keeping things low-key still involve … [Read more...] about 3 Ways We Can Stay Connected in January
Will You Answer a Quick Question for Me?
I had (what I thought was) this really great idea. But now, I'm not so sure. For the entire month of January, I'm planning to be completely off the grid. Well, except for my phone and email, because apparently, this is how the humans communicate these days. But all social media and blogging will … [Read more...] about Will You Answer a Quick Question for Me?
Dear Mom: Thank you.
Dear Mom: If today you woke up in the early morning darkness to spend a few minutes alone with your coffee and Jesus before the alarms sounded, and then proceeded to make sure everyone was awake and out of bed, and then helped little ones tie shoes and button pants and tuck shirts, and then fed … [Read more...] about Dear Mom: Thank you.
21 Questions to Ask Yourself When You’re Feeling Off-Balance
A few months ago, I bought a new car. My old car served me well through seven years and 140,000 miles—even in the midst of countless spills, potty accidents, and 18-hour road trips. My poor car bears the scars of a family, for sure. It has long scratches down each door where kids scraped their bikes … [Read more...] about 21 Questions to Ask Yourself When You’re Feeling Off-Balance
