It’s January in Minnesota, which means the days are dark, bleak, cold and completely and utterly blah. It’s like this every year, but the older I get the more the change of seasons impacts my own state of being. I find myself bemoaning the fact […]

Hey guys! You probably don’t remember me. It’s been over seven months since we last connected, which in the online world is a lifetime-and-a-half. We used to talk about all kinds of things: my crazy life as a homeschooling mom, my failures, chickens, goals, a […]

When I was in junior high (because back then “middle school” wasn’t even a thing) a few times each year my schoolmates and I were tested beyond our physical limits and forced to endure the most grueling of preteen athletic pursuits, the mile run. O.M.G. […]

This is our sixth year of homeschooling and it has been quite the journey. Some days I can’t believe I get to do this; some days I can’t believe I have to do this. And somewhere in the dichotomy of our reality, I feel the […]

We’re continuing to craft our way through our first real Christmas tree! This week we busted out the serious crafting supplies like paint, glue gun and googly eyes to make these super cute wooden snowmen. These can be customized in countless ways and the base snowman […]

About 20 years ago, my nephew made the sweetest Christmas craft, gifting his mom, grandma and me the most adorable little hat ornament made of yarn. Since then it has been one of my all-time favorite Christmas ornaments, making me smile every year when I […]

My husband grew up having a real Christmas tree. I did not. And for 16 years of marriage, I told him we could not EVER have a real tree, mostly because of my crippling fear of fire. You’ve seen that video circulating on Facebook, right? […]

“You hate Halloween?!,” the well meaning mother of one asked me incredulously. “WHY?!” Well… THE PRESSURE Every year at this time, I feel like I’ve barely survived the chaotic back-to-school craziness when out of nowhere it’s Halloween season. With five children to dress I can […]

This year I spent my Labor Day the same as the previous five, filled with anxiety and an unshakeable sense of dread. I tried to busy myself with a trip to the grocery store, but for me that means Walmart, where the disheveled bins of […]

WHAT IS A HAPPY PLANNER? A few months ago I was wandering around Hobby Lobby and discovered the aisle displaying Happy Planners. Where have you been all my life, Luhva?? If you’re not familiar with Happy Planners, they’re one part planner, one part scrapbook and […]