I am so thankful for my dear friend, Brooke Dobberstein, who is guest posting today on a topic that just about all parents struggle with in 2017: our smartphone addictions. Here is her takeaway after 48 hours away from her phone. Dear Smartphone, I'm sorry but we need to stop seeing each ...
Parenting
Thoughts After a Grandma Shamed my Parenting at Dairy Queen
Here's the scene: We walk into Dairy Queen for the after-doctor's-visit-ice cream I promised my boys. The line was six people deep from the register, and given that this location only opened a few weeks ago, I didn't expect it to go quickly. I might've chosen a less lunch-heavy place for a treat ...
To the Empty-Nester-Me with Love from the Still-Feeding-the-Chicks-Regurgiated-Worms-Me
Dear Empty Nester Me, It's hard to imagine me as you. Or them as adults. It doesn't seem like these boys whose behinds I'm wiping multiple times a day could ever grow up enough for you to be out of a job. Will they ever be capable of wiping all of the poop themselves? (This is a real question. ...
The Year our Heroes Showed their Mortality
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Create the Good. All opinions are 100% mine. It was midnight. I remember walking through the door to transfer our clothes from her washer into her dryer--chores I was always doing at odd hours while we lived in a camper twenty feet away from my ...
Mom Must-Haves for Cold and Flu Season
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TempTraq for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. October is like the Friday of the holiday months. It's the month where all things festive start to take shape, and there's still so much to look forward to! I love all things October--from the crunchy ...
Snacks On-the Go for Picky Toddlers
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprout Organic Foods. All opinions are 100% mine. It never fails. We're out and about running errands and the hanger hits. (That's hunger and anger coming together to form a monster inside of your precious, adorable toddler's body.) I know ...
The Day I Realized that Kindness Mattered more than Accomplishment in my Kid
We had practiced all week. And I was realizing how fantastic my three-year-old was at memorization. It made me want to stretch and challenge him to memorize more. So we did, two verses instead of the usual one. We showed up for his Wednesday evening "Knight School" at church where I stay with him ...
Dear Stranger on the Street, Regarding My Closely Spaced Kids
Hi there! I'm thrilled to have my dear friend and former roommate write a guest post today! She is a great source of encouragement to me as a mother and I hope she can be that for you, too. <3 Kate This morning I attempted to get out the house for a walk before the temperatures soared. In our ...
Must-Have iPhone Apps for Parents
Hey parents! In the age of the iPhone, there are thousands of apps available to us. These little handheld computers have so much potential to help us optimize our lives. Orrrr they can clutter up our screens and slow things down. That's why today, I'm sharing my top five apps for parents--apps that ...
The ME time vs. FAMILY time dilemma all moms face
For as long as we've been married, my husband has worked six days a week. Just recently, he started getting two Saturdays off per month--which is AMAZING. It has opened up a new world of fun day trips and quality family time. It has also made it possible for me to have a little bit more time to ...