We love the power and influence music has on children–old and young!! Did you know that music stimulates the brain and helps people remember things? Music helps calm anxiety and depression, encourages healthy movement, and classical music enables people to sharpen their focus! I grew up in a home that was constantly filled with music, …
Thinking out of the Box for Family Night Ideas!
We love to meet once a week as a family on Monday night and have a lesson, scripture and activity! This is a joyful tradition that is a part of our family culture. However, sometimes we just mix it up for fun! After all the point is to create memories, learn life lessons and connect! …
The Power of Napping: Unlocking the Amazing Benefits of a Midday Rest!
I’ve started a new full time job as a High School teacher! It is a mental, physical and social work out! I am creating curriculum for the Family and Consumer Sciences Classes, I am overseeing the student council and all the activities, and crazily enough I am also in charge of the yearbook. Honestly, I …
A New Favorite Picture Book to Read With Your Kids!
If you’re new around here, you may not know how much we LOVE books!!! Big books, small books, picture books, graphic novels, give us all the books! Well, let me restate that. Give us all the GOOD books! We go to the library once or twice a week and usually get 30-50 books, depending on …
3 Different Approaches to Connection as a Teacher: One Superior!
The school year has started. I am teaching 4 new classes to High Schoolers, which means consistently striving to develop and deliver powerful curriculum for young minds. It is a hard fought battle to stay a couple steps ahead, and yet in some ways amazing to prepare all of the wonderful topics! While preparing, I …
Be Kind to Hard to Love People
Everyone has people in their life who are hard. It’s definitely part of the learning curve of life. There are people who are onery, argumentative, rude or dismissive and more. Some days we are in the right frame of mind, to just let it roll off of us, but some days we want to retaliate …
The Power of Choosing to be Helped
This is just a friendly reminder that we can make a difference in the lives of other people. Even if we feel like they’ve got really complicated things going on in their lives. Even if WE’VE got really complicated things going on in our lives. Even if we don’t feel appropriately equipped. Even if we …
A Quick & Blissful Balanced Morning Smoothie
This smoothie has protein, carbohydrates and chia seeds! It is delicious and packs a nutritional punch! Plus is comes together in just a few minutes!
That Time a Tornado Came Through My City
A little over a week ago a tornado ripped through my city. Now, I’m from California and am used to earthquakes, fires, and droughts, so when I hear people talk about tornados, I think of that movie “Twister” and the absolute destruction that was left in the wake of each of those storms. Apparently the …
The Best Ideas to Add to Summer!
I love it when my kids are home for the summer! It’s our best chance to play. Honestly it is chaos of course. There are definitely more quarrels and messiness, but there is also an abundance laughter and new happy memories! Hooray for Summer! Here are some of our favorite ideas for day trips and …