Blogging is a like a vortex that you enter soon to realize that all your free time has evaporated and been consumed by the blog. It's also the best job in the world. And it has some pretty great perks like getting to know people everywhere and having friends to stay with in every state (just in case you take three small children on an insane trip around the country or something). Or convincing … [Read more...]
5 Things That Make Mothering a Little Easier
I've shared before that while mothering is by far the most exciting role I've ever undertaken, it doesn't come easy to me.....at all. After feeling very successful in school and career pre-kids, the tasks of homemaking weren't just thankless but difficult. I am an extreme P when it comes to the P vs. J part of the Myers-Briggs personality test. That means keeping my home organized is not a … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Climb Out of a Really Bad Day of Mothering
You know those mornings that just start out all wrong? Whatever your expectations were.....they don't come to pass. Maybe you're woken up at 4:30 am by a child who just refuses to go back to sleep. Maybe you set your alarm and dragged yourself out of bed early to spend some quiet time with your cup of coffee and prayer only to hear little feet pitter pattering stomping like elephants down the … [Read more...]
How a Family of Five Got Rid of Half Their Stuff
When we wanted our life to change from Daniel's 9-5 and our urban homeowner life to an agricultural internship on a farm halfway across the country, we knew that part of the deal would be moving into a two bedroom 650 sq ft apartment significantly smaller than our little starter home. So we started decluttering. Big time. And ended up getting rid of half of our stuff. How many things have I … [Read more...]
Fried Rice for Breakfast? Trust Me, Guys. (Recipe, too!)
Part of the transition to life on the farm is getting accustomed to using whatever has been harvested from the garden that day in our meals. Thankfully, I married a man who's really good at putting meals together with whatever is available and one of the tricks he keeps up his sleeve is Fried Rice and it's so good. Fried Rice is a great way to use up a variety of veggies if you don't have quite … [Read more...]
Why Essential Oils Are Like the Grand Canyon
I’ll be honest. I was a little skeptical. I’ve been using Lavender and Tea Tree Oil to make my own cleaning products for years, but I didn’t really jump into the essential oil thing until recently because there was a lot of hype and I typically run away from hype. Mount Rushmore? Not worth the hype. Wish I hadn't gone. But sometimes the hype is merited. Like the Grand Canyon. I … [Read more...]
When My Health Fell Apart This Year
I haven't talked about it much on the blog, but this year my health crumbled and it has been rough. I have an autoimmune disease called Interstitial Cystitis and after four years in remission, it came back with a vengeance this spring. At first I had some weird symptoms that I thought were just stress related, but not like I usually react to stress. I had panic attacks, dizzy/faintness, and … [Read more...]
It’s OK to Skip Your “20s” and Start Your Life
image source I turned 30 today. My 20s are officially over. Oh the 20s. Carefree years between college and the era of serious responsibility. Years to find yourself, travel the world, change your major, dabble in internships, and experiment with romance! At least that’s what the expectation seems to be, right? And popular advice would say that whatever you do, don’t tie yourself down too … [Read more...]
10 MORE Books You Must Read to Your Daughter (Semi-Inspired by Kathleen Kelly)
"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does." - Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail Three years ago one of my posts went viral for the first time. I shared about using good literature to raise strong daughters. I featured heroines that had a lot more backbone and a lot less vampire-obsession than Twilight's Bella Swan … [Read more...]
Every Story Has a Bellybutton
While we're on our adventure across the country, my friend Tyler is sharing a post on the blog today. Enjoy! - Haley Image source By Tyler Blanski Everyone has a story, and every story has a bellybutton. In the shadow of Planned Parenthood and what has been aptly called abortion’s Wilberforce moment, it could be said that bellybuttons are the most natural and prolific pro-life bumper … [Read more...]
