Growing Up

Easy and Inexpensive Ways to Give Back During the Holidays I love giving to others during the holiday season. Whether it’s the perfect gift for a friend or an item to someone in need, giving to others completes my family’s holiday traditions. Children have a tendency to get so wrapped up in getting gifts at Christmas time. When my daughter was a toddler, I set out in a mission to involve her (and now my son) in easy ways they can help us give to those in need during this jolly season. We don’t have a large sum of money to give or a tremendous about of time to donate to a cause, but my family is blessed to have...

I think that if you were to take a  peek inside of my head, you would see something that would much resemble Target after Black Friday: everything everywhere, in desperate need of organizing, and too much chaos. There are wheels constantly in motion, trying to get ahead of the game but never quite succeeding.  You would see the woman who tries to be a good wife, who tries to remain calm in those moments where she wants to throw her hands up and walk away. She can’t stand arguments with her husband and apologizes at the first chance she gets. The divorce rate is increasing. She would never want to be that statistic.  There is the mom who does way too...

Christmas time is near! We are beginning to decorate our homes and preparing for Jesus’ birthday! In my house, I have a 12 year old son and 6 year old daughter so their Christmas experiences are a little different. For us, a few of years ago is when the magic of Christmas faded for our son. We began to try and think of ways to keep Christmas fun and magical for him. We are part of the crazy fad of Elf of the Shelf. I get it. It is a lot; there are times people go overboard, and let’s be honest, it is one more thing for us moms to remember to do before we go to bed. There are lots of reasons...

We have a 4 yr old, a 2 yr old, and 2 babies ... grocery shopping can get CRAZY. And don't even think about looking to Pinterest - I don't have the time or energy to do grocery bingo cards or come up with elaborate activities each week. But I love grocery shopping! Well, not really in and of itself, but grocery shopping with my girls is usually one of our favorite things to do. Here are some simple tricks I've used to make our shopping trips enjoyable.  Be Prepared. I usually look at my calendar and do a rough meal plan and create a quick grocery list from that. I include things like "3 types of fruit, 5 veggies and 2 kid...

We’ve all heard it before. “I hope you get one just like you.” It was usually said during a battle of wills or after a trip to the principal’s office and more than likely, muttered under their breath like a curse. You almost forgot about this hex placed upon your firstborn until your mom starts saying “just wait” when you find out you’re pregnant. Just wait for what? Super sweet baby snuggles? Adorable sleepy smiles? Nope. Revenge in the form of a tiny version of yourself. In one last attempt to drive my mom crazy, I vowed to see this curse as a blessing. It’s all in the interpretation, right? “I hope you get one just like you (because you were...