Last week on the blog, I talked about why you should spend less this Christmas. But that presents a problem, does it not? Many of us desire to step away from the consumeristic side of Christmas, while we also desire to give special gifts to those in our lives at Christmas. Gift giving is a godly thing after all. Jesus modeled this… Read more
Photo credit When it comes to overblown Christmas expectations, you can call me Queen Bee. Every year, I would make an insanely long list of people I wanted to bake treats for, I wanted to decorate our house inside and out, and I often overspent our Christmas budget. I also felt slightly crazy throughout December, chasing my tail and all… Read more
“That sweater she won’t like, that random gift card, that toy he doesn’t need.” Why do we spend so much money on gifts that lack meaning at Christmastime? Could it be that we believe the $ spent directly represents our love? Our culture may tell us so. And we do love these people, so we spend, spend, spend. The only problem… Read more
An Advent Experience I am quite excited about the advent experience my kiddos and I are doing this year! It’s all contained in an ebook that’s available for instant download here called Truth in Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands. Each day leading up to Christmas in the month of December you and your children will have a picture clue, a… Read more
What would it mean for you to worship fully this Christmas season? Perhaps that would require pausing, resting, waiting on God and rediscovering awe over what He did at Christmas. Perhaps it would require deeply ingesting the reality that Jesus came as Immanuel, God with us. Advent Conspiracy authors put it this way, “Mary’s worship [the Magnificat… her song]… Read more
If you’re like me, the kitchen is the central hub of your house. As a stay-at-home, work-at-home, full-time mama of two young kids, I am constantly prepping meals and snacks and endlessly cleaning. While I am naturally more of a “clutter person,” my husband is an “efficiency, functional, no-clutter person,” and through the course of our marriage, he has taught… Read more
I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas lately. Anyone else? I love this time of year for so many reasons: the Christmas music, the decorations, the excitement and energy, the family and food. For the past several years, my church has participated in something called the Advent Conspiracy Movement. It has deeply affected me. In fact, it has totally changed… Read more
Now that my kids are getting older, I want to emphasize and celebrate the concept of Thanksgiving. It seems this rich, meaningful holiday can easily get lost in the shuffle of turkey dinners, Black Friday shopping, and Christmas anticipation. As I pondered this, I remembered something my roommates and I had done in college. We made a tree together from branches… Read more
Maybe you’ve noticed, probably you haven’t, but I’ve been a little quiet these past several weeks. Sure I’ve been keeping up with the blog in a minimal sort of way. Publishing new posts here and there (all of them from a store written months ago). A few pins on Pinterest. An occasional article shared on Facebook. But no gusto, just surviving.… Read more
Now 15 months in to life with two kids, I reflect back and recognize a few things about myself as a first time mom. As much as I didn’t want to stand out as a rookie who took everything too seriously, I did in fact, do that. But that second child is a huge dose of reality. So, if you’re a… Read more
We live in a work-a-day world. If we are swept up in the currents of the time, we could possibly find ourselves too exhausted to enjoy the lives we’ve been given. Embracing a simpler life is not just about cutting out stress, it’s also about finding time to do the things that light us up inside. This is different for… Read more
Over the past several years I’ve discovered the beauty and functionality of uncluttered counters. I find it quite liberating. Seeing clean countertops lifts a visual, mental and even emotional burden for me. A few advantages of uncluttered counters: They are easier to clean. Simply wipe and go! There is so much glorious workspace. Cooking dinner, baking, and even the putting away of groceries gain… Read more
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