The word “homemaker” gets a bad rap. Somehow it seems to make people think of apron-wearing women who are constantly mopping or folding laundry, and no woman seems to want to be associated with the oppressive images that the word “homemaker” conjures up. When I was a child, it seems that the word was already…
The Visiting Teaching message for September is “Divine Attributes of Jesus Christ: Powerful and Full of Glory.” When I first read the title I thought that the lesson would be something entirely different than it actually was. I figured we would be talking only about the power and glory of Christ himself. While the lesson…
A couple of days ago, my 9-year-old had her very last violin lesson. Yes, you read that right. I let her quit music lessons after four years of sticking it out. It wasn’t an easy decision for me at all and I feel like a great big failure of a music mom. My husband is…
Why is decluttering so hard? Sometimes it’s surprisingly difficult to get rid of the things that clutter our homes and our lives—here’s how to finally let go. I recently went through all of my scrapbooking supplies in an effort to clean up my office before school starts. My two big goals yesterday were to clean…
Big school transitions can be stressful for both students and parents. If you have a student making a transition between schools, these three simple tips can make it easier for all of you. Transitioning into middle school, high school, or even kindergarten can be difficult on children and their parents. Last year, I had two…
Discussion questions, craft projects, enrichment activities, and refreshments to go with The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate This post is part of an ongoing Summer Reading for Kids series. Click HERE to find ideas for reading activities, reading lists, and reading incentives…and keep checking back for more! For the last few summers, my girls have enjoyed…
If you want to be more organized, make sure you’re actually using your planner My new planner for the academic year recently arrived and I am in love with it! There’s nothing like having a new, blank planner to get me thinking about how I’m going to be so much more organized this school year…
How do people afford to go to Hawaii? Learn how to save money on a Hawaiian vacation with these easy tips! Our 2014 Christmas gift to the girls was a trip to Hawaii. Lately we have been trying to give experience gifts instead of stuff gifts, and so we didn’t give them very much else….
I’m sure I’m not the only mom in the world who is concerned about the rate at which my children consume the internet. Whether it is Instagram or Pinterest or Facebook, my children seem to spend a ton of time sitting on the couch looking into their mini-screens. Even though I have placed plenty of…
Do you have so much jewelry that you can’t find what you need? Here are some quick and easy (and cheap!) ideas for organizing your favorite jewelry. You guys, I love jewelry. I have a big, fat, jewelry loving problem. I have a ton of it, but I continue to buy more because I swear…
A great money management activity for kids is to take them back-to-school shopping. Give your kids a budget and let them pick the school clothes they’ll purchase by themselves. It’s a wonderful lesson in sticking to a budget! Back-to-school shopping can be frustrating for me as a parent. The girls bombard me with their needs…
This post is part of an ongoing Summer Reading for Kids series. Click HERE to find ideas for reading activities, reading lists, and reading incentives…and keep checking back for more! This summer I made a goal to read out loud more to my kids. Life has gotten in the way lately, and I haven’t been reading to them…