I fell in love with Mary Engelbreit’s unique colorful style when I first saw her stationary at my mother-in-law’s house and I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. The illustrations are so full of life and dynamic colors…it’s almost mesmerizing. When I sat down with my children to choose a book for our 10 […]
ABC Egg Hunt FREE Printable
One of the most wonderful things about this time of year is…the dollar store! I have to tell you how much I love hunting for thrifty, diy activities to do with my kiddos from the dollar store. Today I’d like to share with you one of the ways I use those adorable plastic dollar store […]
Egg Number Hunt DIY Poster Board Game
As Easter nears, it is so fun to bring out some seasonal items for learning, like plastic Easter eggs! There are so many possibilities for fun learning, including making these engaging DIY number sense games! Poster board games are my favorite center and small group activities for SOOO many reasons. They’re cheap! I buy all […]
Textured Butterfly Art
Spring is coming…at least that’s what we keep telling ourselves! Everybody loves butterflies and kids are especially fond of them. My kids and I were recently deciding what to do with some extra crafting supplies we had on hand and we came up with this adorable Textured Butterfly Art project! Find my guest post and […]
Clothespin Art Gallery
Are you unsure of what to do with all of the artwork that your children or grandchildren bring home from school and gift to you? I know it sounds awful but some days the stacks of paper are just too much! So, not only do I lose important papers in the mix but my kids’ […]
Family Love Notes + FREE Printable
My children love to receive “sweet something” notes from me. I decided that during Valentine week I would make it a point each day to leave them a sweet note handwritten from me, or a piece of candy, a prayer card or a poem. This idea was born a few weeks ago when my oldest […]
DIY Valentine ABC Game
I HEART Valentine activities! Each year when my kids and I get out our Valentine box of activities and decor we are gitty! We LOVE the month of February. We especially enjoy this board game that we made together for ABC practice (you could even create one that focuses on number sense). Find my tips […]
Christmas Tree Clay Ornaments
The kids are out of school this week and super excited for Christmas! With that comes some down time, rowdy time, and overall kids getting bored at home while they wait on Christmas. What’s a mom to do in this situation? I think these Christmas Tree Clay Ornaments are perfect for an easy, hands-on Christmas craft! […]
DIY Felt Nativity Scene
Deck the Halls and prepare for His glory fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la! I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that it can be tough to teach kids to stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas in all the hustle and preparations of the Christmas season. We try each year to stay focused on the birth of […]
5 Ways to Give Back When You Have Nothing to Give + Tips for Kid Participation
Do you have a desire to help those in need but aren’t sure HOW you can be a gift to somebody else when you are struggling to make ends meet? Let me be honest here…we are a growing family of 7, living on a single income (God bless my husband), always in search of how […]
Christmas Tree Race Poster Board Game
I LOVE me some poster board games! They are frugal, easy to make and encourage hours of family fun! What I secretly love most about poster board games is…my children don’t realize that I’m tricking them into learning! Not that they make a habit of {whining and complaining…ahem} about academics but they most certainly do […]
3 Questions That Have Transformed Our Family Dinner Table
Have you ever felt like dinner time was a three-ring circus? A time when total chaos ensued no matter your efforts to thwart it from being so? It’s a strange phenomenon really. Our children are actually well-mannered, polite individuals but for some reason the dinner table had turned into a free-for-all, silly, obnoxious fest! Something […]
Welcome Video + bloopers
You guys! I am not comfortable in front of the camera at all. My poor husband was a trooper (saint, my hero) while he helped me record my welcome video. It went something like this…we spent 5 hours recording a 1 minute welcome video clip. That doesn’t include editing. Nope. That’s just filming the raw […]
Lessons Learned from a Meal Delivery
*I wrote this post months ago and never published. I waited for the right time. It only seems fitting that now is the time… the anniversary of the death of a saint who has gone home to Heaven. Angela Faddis, you are not forgotten, you taught us so much about redemptive suffering and how to […]
Fall DIY Family Games + Other Fun Fall Activities for Kids
Fall is here for the majority of the country. In the desert…not so much. Therefore, us desert folk surround ourselves with fall decor, delicious pumpkin recipes and fall activities to get in the “spirit of fall.” Here are 3- easy, DIY fall games that we’ve played on our family game night. I’ve also used these […]
How I really feel about “back to school”
*disclaimer- this is NOT a post to make other moms feel guilty about how they feel about their kids going back to school. This is a glimpse into how I feel about it and the VERY real struggle that many of us face with anxiety. Remember…this community isn’t here to judge. I’m here being real. […]
Family Affirmation Tree Project and Mission Statement
This incredible “family night” craft project came to me one night while my husband and I joined other married couples at our church as we discussed effective parenting. This session touched on the various habits that effective parents incorporate into their daily lives. During our conversation, we were discussing the idea of having a collective […]
I Have Ad-Match Items @ the Back…
“I have ad match items at the back.” Gasp. Breathe. It will be okay. Your life will not curtail while you wait for me to pay for my “price match” items and redeem my coupons. Thank you, in advance if you are ever behind me at the checkout stand. That’s right! I’m one of “those” […]