Parenting in the Technology Age: What Worked For Us & What Didn't
I'll never forget this one time when we were cleaning out a closet and we stumbled across an old VHS tape rewinder. My oldest asked what it was and of course I explained. He simply could not grasp the concept that you had to have a totally separate device to rewind a movie and could not just go to a menu screen. Another time I was trying to explain dial-up internet. Again, the concept that the internet wasn't just immediately available in the palm of his hand seemed completely foreign. I don't share those examples to make us feel old, I share those examples to illustrate that whether we like it or not, technology is so engrained in our children's lives these days.
Splitting A Bee Hive & Bringing Home Bees!
I am not exactly sure when I decided I wanted to keep bees someday. I do remember when I first learned about how important bees are to our food system. Without bees, we would likely lose entire links to the food chain. Our precious earth would struggle even more to feed all of its inhabitants. As scary as that is, and even with as long as we've known it, we are still managing to kill off the bee population in droves. Between pesticides, pollution, and even construction - these busy beauties are having a hard time. If keeping a hive on my land could help keep up their population numbers and help pollinate my crops, then why not?
All My Best Gardening Tips From A Non-Expert Gardener!
Every Spring I get at least a couple messages from friends or online acquaintances asking me their gardening or chickening questions. I love getting these messages, so keep them coming! I figured that more people probably have those same questions, so I thought I'd compile all my best gardening tips into one nice post. Maybe you're just curious, maybe you haven't gotten up the courage to message me your burning gardening question, or maybe you've always wanted a garden but have no idea where to start. Either way, I hope reading about what I am doing helps you in some way.
Bulletproof Diet: A Day In The Life
First, I want to preface this post by saying I am not a doctor or nutritional/fitness professional. I am merely sharing my results with the Bulletproof method and what that journey looked like for me.
The Filter Of No - What It Is & How I Use It
Listen to podcast episode here!
If you know me in real life then you know that I love all things "Real Housewives." One of the reality television franchise's biggest stars is Bethenny Frankel. The "Skinnygirl" brand CEO has a popular book called, "A Place of Yes." Considering my fandom of Housewives and Frankel, I know it must seem really weird that one of my biggest tools in helping me maintain balance in my life is something I call "the filter of no."
Life Lessons From My Favorite Christmas Movies!
Have you seen that post that says something along the lines of, "before you get married find out if your husband's family is the type to have movie marathons during the holidays or the type to run actual marathons"? It's a fair warning. I can totally see how the two categories of families might not be compatible. Funny enough, my husband's family plays a football game every Thanksgiving and my family has a few movies we just HAVE to watch every Christmas. It seems to work for us!
My Favorite Resale Shops!
My family and I have worked hard this year to produce less day-to-day waste. We have eliminated all paper products from our kitchen and use significantly less plastic whenever we can. With sustainability a goal in mind, I was appalled to find out that Americans throw out something like 15 million tons of textiles a year, with most of that being clothing. While 100% of clothing is recyclable, only 15% of clothing is actually recycled. At the same time, Americans are buying an average of 60% new clothing every year. Simply put, we're buying more but recycling less clothing than ever.
Family Vacation: Little Jerusalem State Park
Several months ago I saw a news story about a brand new state park opening in Kansas. It had these amazing chalk formations and great walking trails. I sent that article to my husband Dean and asked if we could go sometime. He replied yes and then we went about our regular business as usual.
10 Life Lessons I Learned From "The Hills"
Listen to podcast episode here!
If you are a girl in your early 30s like me, then you likely were at just the right age to watch "Laguna Beach" on MTV, which morphed into following Lauren Conrad on her coming of age journey to Los Angeles on "The Hills." I used to watch the show on cable religiously. One time my sister heard me yelling at one of the main characters Heidi on screen and later asked me who this Heidi person was I hated so much. It was that real to me! Also, it's no secret that Lauren Conrad is still a major inspiration to me. I recently re-watched "The Hills" on Hulu and wrote down all the life lessons that stuck with me and even some I didn't pick up on when I was younger. I hope you enjoy reminiscing on this sweet time in T.V. history with me or that you pick up a few helpful tips to be successful in life!
Behind The Scenes Of My Former Life
One day over a cup of coffee my new friend asked, "So do you think this town is a good place to own a business?"
I took a long pause as I thought back over the past few years. I had opened and had been operating a small digital marketing firm in "the biggest small town" in South Central Texas. It was fairly successful, but it had come with costs."
On paper, I think this town has all the resources needed for a new business to be very successful. But in reality, it's not exactly a fair playing field." I replied."
Our Late Dog Wesley: A Cautionary Tale
Okay friends, between Vegas and wine tastings, my last few posts have been fairly fun. I am afraid I have to bring us down a little this month, but I promise I am only sharing to help spare another family from heartbreak. If you aren't one for sad stories, then I suggest you skip this post altogether or skip down to the pet health and safety tips. Also, please note that I am not a veterinarian or animal medical professional. I am simply sharing what we learned in an effort to spare you some mistakes.
My Thoughts On "A Simple Favor"
I was just chatting with another mom the other night about how there is a point in time where you simply miss out on movies. Your kids are a certain age or your life is in a certain stage where having the time to grab dinner and movie is all of a sudden complicated. You have to arrange child care and practically double your date night budget because of it. On the off chance that you do get to go to a movie, it absolutely sucks when the movie turns out to be bad.
How To: Family Budgeting Tips
If you are connected with me on social media (or read last month's post) then you know that I had a hard time choosing a topic. I took a poll and a handful of people asked to hear my tips on family budgeting. In all honesty, this was the last thing I wanted to write about. It was on the list because my husband and I had just revamped how we do our monthly finances. At that same time, a close friend of mine also reached out needing a tool to help her and her husband plan each month. Once I knew that so many of you wanted advice in this area, I started asking my close friends and family how they run the finances in their households. I've compiled the best advice and have linked to our favorite tools below!
The Enneagram 6ness Of Me!
I keep a running list of possible blog topics on my phone. When it’s time to pick there is typically one shouting out at me. This month however I could not decide between a handful of topics. I decided to ask my social media followers to vote on a topic. It came down to a close race between family budgeting tips and the enneagram. I am not quite ready to give budgeting advice so I am going to share with you my enneagram journey so far.
Navigating Adult Friendships
Guys, making new friends as an adult is hard. Making new friends as a wife and mother is even harder. I have stayed in toxic friendships for years because it honestly felt easier than cultivating new friendships. In the past, my husband and I struggled to find even just one couple we could both connect with and that was in the same life stage as us. And what about once you’ve made a new friend? Once the “honeymoon stage” has worn off and you’re dealing with real life issues, how do you navigate the complexities of keeping a friendship?
Dear Entrepreneur, Protect Your Heart
My first stage of entrepreneurship can only be described as an intensely focused drive. It was a balancing act that ultimately resulted in growth for our business. I was able to enlist support both in work and at home. In the moment, all I could see was the business success and I saw the fact that our family was holding it all together as a success as well. Looking back now, I can’t help but wonder what I missed out on during the time I was burning the candle at both ends…
How To: Get Married On A Budget & Why You Should
A couple weeks ago I got to see one of my oldest friends in the whole world marry the man of her dreams in a beautiful backyard farm wedding. I couldn't help but be reminiscent of my own wedding and wanted to share our story. More importantly, I want to share how we got married for just over $3,000 and why that's a big deal.
7 Life Lessons I've Learned From Jurassic Park
I am mama to two boys who have each gone through extensive dinosaur phases. It's safe to say I have seen the Jurassic Park movies roughly 65 million times... each. There are a handful of lessons I derived from the movies that have become part of our daily jargon. I am finally ready to share those lessons with you so, read on if you dare!
How To: Start A Blog
Last month I went home to Texas to visit some of my very best girlfriends in the whole world. While I was visiting, three different girlfriends told me that they had thought about starting a blog at some point. One girl is a millennial marketing student getting ready to conquer the world, one girl is a busy wife and mommy running her own business, one girl is a top notch nurse balancing work and family. I don't know about you, but I would love to read about even just one day in the life of any of those fascinating ladies.
Tech Tips For Busy Families
As you read last month, my family is on a mission for a simpler life. This past year we let things get so incredibly hectic that we had major breakdowns in communication. As I am sure you're aware, it's very hard for any relationship to function without communication. For the past few months we have been working hard, both together as a family and with professionals, on effective ways to communicate. It may sound totally counterintuitive, but we have utilized some great technology to help keep our family running smoothly.