In last week's blog post, I shared that in the process of minimalizing, I realized that there was a heart issue attached to our accumulation of stuff. I saw three specific areas that I had to deal with in order to build a content spirit in my kiddos and myself. To do this, we grabbed garbage bags and dove in. How to Minimalize Using the KonMari ...
Mommyhood
Project Minimalization, Part 1
Doing more with less. Minimalizing. It sounds so Christian, doesn't it! Yet commercials, items on a sale rack, or seeing things the neighbors have (coveting) leads many to purchase more stuff. Stuff that requires us to cram our closets to the max, rack up $1,000's of credit card debit, and rent storage units. A friend has been ...
Visiting Zion National Park with Kids
View from Kayenta Trail If you ask each member of our family what their favorite National Park is, each will adamantly state "Zion." If you ask what park we would like to visit again, we will unanimously state "Zion." In our trip to Southwest Utah and Northern Arizona, we loved Zion. We loved the scenic stops, the gorgeous Virgin River ...
Tips to Have Successful Meals with Children
From a young age, my dream was to have the "Walton" family. The icon of the perfect American family shown on a popular TV series in the 1970's. I dreamed of fun family devotions. Going camping. Serving neighbors and those in need. I envisioned our family of six sitting down to meals while everyone talked about their day and laughed over the ...
Visiting Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon with Kids Part 1
The closer to summer one gets, the more often small talk centers around vacation plans. Are you taking a vacation this summer? Where are you going? As I answered these questions from people I came in contact with, I found many responded with longing in their voice when they heard our plans. They shared that visiting Zion, Bryce (pictured ...
Photography 101
I have a love affair with still photography. Since a child, I have loved looking at the photographs entered in the county and state fairs. The emotions portrayed in photos from historical events always move me. It’s been a goal of mine to learn how to take quality photos of our family and activities that we do together. For my birthday, my ...
Creating a Travel Journal with Your Family
Several months ago we began planning a dream family vacation to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and the Grand Canyon. Some of God's most beautiful creation...or so I have heard. While I am super excited to start this vacation, there is a great deal of anxiety as this vacation involves a lot of travel and hotel time. For Little Man, ...
Are Constant Interruptions Frustrating You?
How many times has this happened? You fill the sink full of hot soapy water and dirty dishes. You get four dishes cleaned, rinsed, and placed in the drainer only to hear, "MOOOOMMMMM!" You step away to take care of the issue. After multiple interruptions you remember the original task at hand - the dishes. Entering the kitchen you drain the cold, ...
Best Parenting Advice from Experienced Parents
Am I doing enough to train my children to be responsible adults? Do you have questions like this keeping you up at night, too? Parenting is hard, confusing, and humbling. Which battles do I fight? Which do I let go? A few weeks ago, I headed to Facebook to talk to parents who have gone through the trenches and lived to tell ...
How Much Technology Use is the Right Amount?
A few days ago a question was asked on the ABCJLM Facebook Group about the amount of media use allowed each day. Great question. It was interesting to read the range of answers... from no media use to no limits. Risk of Technology Use The research is unanimous. It doesn't matter if it is educational or not...it is media. Use of and watching ...