Helping Families Minimize Chaos and Maximize Joy
I get asked frequently how we can afford to homeschool our large family. I now have over 20 years of homeschooling under my belt. Our journey has been rocky and we faced challenges I never dreamed of, but here we are. My grown children have graduated from high school with AA degrees thanks to dual…
Why oh why do meal plans cause so much stress?! The absolute easiest way I have found to create my large family meal plans is to use a Trello board. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel when it comes to meal planning. After all, we eat every single day and most of us…
Want to Read More Books This Year? Have you set a goal to read more in 2020? I have been an avid reader from the moment the magic of written language was open to me. When my kids were young, I plowed my way through endless stacks of books. How you ask? Because we didn’t…
Can a four-year-old learn to read? And more importantly, should they? Here are my thoughts as a mom of two four-year-old boys who learned to read…and are now 22 and 15-years-old. This post contains affiliate links. Originally written in 2008: Four-year-old Hezekiah can read. And it came on rather suddenly. Hezekiah has known all of…
Quick and Easy Instant Pot Dinner for Busy Weeknights Looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner for your family? This beef barley stew is perfect. You can throw it together in minutes with my quick kitchen hacks and the help of your Instant Pot. This post contains affiliate links Beef Barley Stew is a…
My personal list of books read in 2019. I don’t know why but I have always felt the need to document my life. Whether through writing or photos, I have always been compelled to record things. Keeping a list of books I’ve read throughout the year has been a goal of mine for, well, a…
I was introduced to a version of this chalupa years ago when I had ten children under ten and was pinching every penny. It came from another large family mom. I have tweaked and altered it over the years and it has become a family favorite. I am so excited to share this recipe with…
Favorite Christmas Tradition Cookie decorating has been a tradition in our family for years. It is one of my favorites. When the kids were really small, we did it with just our family. As they got older and began homeschooling we started inviting some of our homeschool friends. Eventually, our parties got so big that…
This makes the perfect dessert for cold winter days and holiday gatherings. Rich, spicy, and not-to-sweet. You will want to serve this with hot coffee for the adults and cold milk for the kids. Post contains affiliate links REAL Gingerbread is Amazing I remember my mom making gingerbread when I was a teen. She baked…
Why We All Need Clutter-Free Gifts No one likes clutter. Deep down, even the die-hard hoarder longs for inner (and outward) peace. If you’ve poked around my site at all you know I sit firmly in the minimalist category. Sure, my home doesn’t always reflect that, but that’s because I live with a wide mix…