This is a sponsored post written on behalf of Behr. The opinions and text are my own. Winter is right around the corner here in Northern Indiana, and for all of us who live in cold and snowy climates we know that along with winter comes lots and lots and lots of winter gear. Our entryway becomes overrun with snow boots, coats, snow pants, hats, gloves, and scarves, in addition to our regular bags, backpacks, shoes, and more. Since we use this gear for as much as five months out of the … [Read more...]
30 Practical Items to Pack in an Operation Christmas Child Box
Instead of Operation Christmas Child, I am recommending you choose a gift from World Vision's Gift Catalog this year. Unfortunately, I can no longer recommend that you participate in Operation Christmas Child. I will not support or promote the ministry of an organization that is headed by Franklin Graham after his un-Christlike and anti-Gospel actions during this election year. Also, here are 7 Reasons not to Participate in Operation Christmas Child this Year. … [Read more...]
Managing After School Screen Time for Kids
I don't know about your kids, but almost every day when my kids come home from school, after grabbing a snack, they ask for screen time. Whether it's watching a show, playing a game on the iPad, or checking out one of their favorite You Tube channels it was becoming a default for them which was something I wanted to avoid. Torch, a new and exciting wifi router, is sponsoring this post and I'm excited to share with you how it can help you to manage your kids' screen time. In order to … [Read more...]
6 Lessons We’ve Learned in 12 Years of Marriage
"Hey!! Daddy stop scoochin' mommy!!" Our 3 year old pulled on our pant legs as she tried to wedge herself between us while we stood in the kitchen kissing one evening when Jer got home from work. Somehow "scoochin'" has become the term for mommy and daddy kissing in our house and it cracks me up every time. Jer and I have been married for 12 years on September 20th, and I am so thankful to say that we are in the best place our marriage has ever been. We're proud of our relationship because … [Read more...]
How NOT to Save Money by Protecting Your Cell Phone
So what is more expensive? A quality protective cover for your cell phone? Or replacing a cracked, broken screen twice in three months? Well I can tell you, it's definitely not the cover! And I'm thankful to OtterBox for sponsoring this post and providing my phone with a case that will protect it from my kids and me from now on. I don't know about you, but my kids use my iPhone a lot. They play games, read books, watch shows and YouTube videos, FaceTime family, and listen to music. The first … [Read more...]
3 Kid-Friendly Ways to Enjoy Smoothies
Now that our kids are back in school, I'm making a point to be more intentional about planning ahead for our breakfasts, packed lunches, and after school snacks. I need to make sure I have quick, easy, and healthy options available. Fortunately, our family loves smoothies. (I mean really, who doesn't?!) And I love that smoothies are a great way to pack a lot of nutrition into a meal or snack without a lot of work! Here are some of the ways our family enjoys smoothies: For Breakfast You … [Read more...]
4 Things I Want to Say to My Kids Every Day
Several months ago during a Bible Study group we were studying Psalm 90 as a part of the life of Moses. It's a Psalm that talks about how the days of our lives are numbered and will pass away quickly. It can be a little depressing, but one of the ladies in our group shared how she viewed this passage in a different way regarding being intentional with our days and using them to leave a legacy. She encouraged us to count up the number of days we have left to live if we are blessed to live until … [Read more...]
Why we choose to send our kids to public school
As our oldest two kids head back to school this week, I wanted to share our family's reasons for sending our kids to public school. This will be our kids' 3rd and 5th years, respectively, in public school because they attended two years of public preschool before beginning kindergarten. We have never regretted our decision to send them to public school! I know some families face community or family expectations about where and how to educate their children and sometimes have to make a … [Read more...]
3 Fun & Frugal Back to School Traditions for the Whole Family
*This post was originally posted on Aug. 16, 2011, but I love these ideas so much and with my kids heading back-to-school tomorrow, I wanted to share them with you again today! I'm still catching up from being on vacation, so here's another great guest post for you! I love the idea of the time capsule, since this is my daughter's first year in school, it would be a great time to start that tradition! Guest Post by Stacey at A GOOD and SIMPLE Life: Back to school is just around the … [Read more...]
15 Favorite Classic Children’s Books for Every Family
Do you know what I think is absolute magic? Watching your child learn to read and then grow in their love of reading! This summer, I've had the pleasure of watching both of these happen with my two older kids. Kaelyn, who's going into 2nd grade, has been reading for a few years and has always read above her grade level, but this summer, she really started to dive into books and is reading a chapter book every few days! I love it when she brings her book to the breakfast table, in the car with … [Read more...]
