It is National Preparedness Month again, so individuals all across the country are taking steps to get their homes and communities ready for potential disasters. As I’ve done for the last several years, I’ll be joining in by taking a straightforward look at a disaster preparedness topic. First aid kits are an essential component of … [Read more...] about Dare to Prepare: What You Really Need in a First Aid Kit
10 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Grandparents Day
National Grandparents Day, celebrated annually on the first Sunday after Labor Day, is a day set aside to (1) honor grandparents, (2) give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children, and (3) help children become aware of the strength, information, and guidance older people can offer (source). Though National … [Read more...] about 10 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Grandparents Day
4 Ways to Embrace Inconvenience
I don’t like being inconvenienced. When I’ve got my 3-year-old by the hand, the diaper bag on my back, my 14-month-old on my hip, and we’re headed out the door, I don’t like having to stop and reverse because my younger girl just pooped in her diaper. I don’t like when we’re poised to arrive at an appointment in the nick of time, but then … [Read more...] about 4 Ways to Embrace Inconvenience
Book Review: Pierced and Embraced
I’ve read a number of Christian living books that were written specifically for women. I feel that many of these are a bit cheesy or superficial. This may be because I’m not a “girly girl” or because I’ve benefited so much from books written for broad audiences. Regardless of the reason, I was uncertain what to expect when Moody Publishers … [Read more...] about Book Review: Pierced and Embraced
Balsamic Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner
Because we thoroughly enjoyed the Ranch Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner I made a few weeks ago, I wanted to try another sheet pan meal. This one tastes quite different from the ranch one, but it is still yummy, rich in veggies, and convenient. Ingredients (Adapted from this recipe.) 4 small/medium boneless, skinless chicken … [Read more...] about Balsamic Chicken and Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner
Our Casual, Play-Based Preschool Curriculum
As many of you know, we’re not enrolling our 3-year-old in a formal preschool program. In lieu of a formal program, we’re providing her with a casual, play-based preschool experience at home. As I noted last week, we’re doing this with the help of a customized Timberdoodle curriculum kit. I explained then why we chose this instead of … [Read more...] about Our Casual, Play-Based Preschool Curriculum
6 Ways to Cultivate Silence
As we saw last week, there are numerous benefits to carving out periods of silence in our daily lives. Given most of us are busy and are surrounded by technologies that make noise, this isn’t easy to do. Let’s consider some simple ways to cultivate silence. We’re never going to experience complete silence, of course. There will always … [Read more...] about 6 Ways to Cultivate Silence
Our Casual, Play-Based Approach to Preschool at Home
Three weeks ago we considered if preschool is really necessary and two weeks ago we discussed four questions that parents can ask themselves when determining if preschool is right for their child. As promised, today I’m going to discuss the decision we’ve made for our preschool-age daughter. We’ve decided that she does not need to … [Read more...] about Our Casual, Play-Based Approach to Preschool at Home
