Foods 
Need a healthy and delicious coffee alternative? Give this Iced Coconut Matcha Latte a try! It's packed with nutrition and ready to give you a gentle energy boost. Easy mornings. As a mom of five little ones, I like my mornings easy. That includes whatever I'm drinking. Normally, I just go for a cup of room temp water to wake me up, but some days you just need a little something special—you know. During the chilly fall and winter months I might opt for a mug of pumpkin spice or gingerbread latte. If I'm feeling under the weather I brew myself a nice cup of immune-boosting herbal tea. But when it starts warming up, ...Read More
Archives for 2018
“Did God make them gay?” (And other tough questions Christian kids ask)
"Did God make them gay?" What a whopper of a question. I groaned a little bit inside as my inquisitive 13-year-old asked me this. He was peering over my shoulder at the computer screen. I was looking at pictures on Facebook of recent wedding pictures—two women holding hands in brides dresses. "That's an interesting question," I replied. "What do you think?" This prompted a discussion—as you can imagine, a little more than I had bargained for—about same-sex attraction. Here are my thoughts on handling the question "Did God make them gay?" So, are they born gay? Did God make them gay? Our children ...Read More
Lavender Essential Oil Bath Bombs
I'm not really a bath person, but every once in a while I have the urge to get in the bath if for no other reason than to use one of these fizzy lavender essential oil bath bombs. I know. Goofy, right? I'm not one of those daily, weekly, or even monthly bathers (showers for this girl—in and out, get the job done!). So when I finally take the time to slow down and take a bath, it's always because I'm tired, sore, and usually achey. The hot water and the ingredients in these lavender essential oil bath bombs are the perfect before-bed recipe for relaxation and relief! Key Bath Bomb Ingredients What makes these ...Read More
Homeschooling Homeschool Planning 101: Setting Realistic Goals
Moms have drastically different feelings about planning their homeschool semester or year. Do you shake and tremble, then hide in the closet at the thought of planning out the whole year? Or gleefully grab the sticky notes, pen, highlighter, and calendar? If you approach planning for the year with a sense of doubt and dread, maybe it's because you have a looming sense of fear that you aren't planning things out the right way and you'll somehow screw your child's education up forever, or maybe you're filled with boredom as you sift through everything. Or maybe you're a mom like me. We love to plan the school year. ...Read More
Rich and Delicious Gluten-Free Sugar-Free Brownies
This rich and delicious gluten-free sugar-free brownies recipe is an incredibly tasty chocolate dessert and yes, despite no sugar, it actually tastes really good! I'm not really big into chocolate (don't be a hater, that is just the way it is), but my kiddos and husband really enjoy chocolate and occasionally I can enjoy nice gooey brownie batter ummm...I mean brownies. Ok, I admit it, I'd rather eat the batter than the brownies. I'd rather eat cookie dough and cake batter than the cookies and cake too. Why does it taste so much better in the raw state? Never mind that. Even I can enjoy these rich and delicious, ...Read More
Sibling Squabbles: helping your kids be at peace with one another
Sometimes I feel like parenting would be a breeze if my kids would just get along. Can you relate? My husband and I, along with our three children, recently added a group of three siblings to our family through adoption. It has been a wonderful experience in many ways, but also a challenging one. On any given day, the boys are bickering with the girls, the older kids are fighting with the younger ones, or the sibling groups are at each others' throats. Blended families certainly pose extra challenges to sibling relationships, whether those families are a result of adoption or remarriage. But the truth is that ...Read More
Moms Guide to Choosing the Best Baby Ointment
My, how things have changed! 13 years ago when I had my first baby, I stocked up on all the baby standards for the bathroom cabinet. You know: the best (cheap) baby ointment a girl could find, baby shampoo, baby lotion, and don't forget the lanolin nipple cream. Fast forward 13 years, and I'm happy to say I've learned a thing or two (even if some of my friends think I've turned a little hippy dippy in the process). But just because I did things like wait a week after birth to give my baby his first bath doesn't mean I'm coo coo (no really...there's a good reason for that, you can read about it here). Special ...Read More
Cheesy Bacon Lentil Stew
Full of comforting flavors, warmth, and packed with nutrition, this Cheesy Bacon Lentil Stew is a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy. Cheese + bacon = mom win. There are very few foods that my family doesn't like. Unfortunately, lentils are one of them. I say unfortunately because lentils are not only cheap, they're actually quite good for you. Thankfully, over the years I've been able to come up with a few lentil-containing recipes my family doesn't mind. This Cheesy Bacon Lentil Stew is one of their favorites! How could it not be, with cheese and bacon in it? I'm pretty sure my family would eat anything ...Read More
