Archive for the ‘Stuff That Makes Life Better’ Category


Posted on July 25, 2011 - by

Back-to-School On A Budget

If you’re like me, you can hardly believe the start of a new school year is just around the corner. Where did the summer go, anyway? With the first day of school fast-approaching, back-to-school shopping is a necessity.

Fall clothes, backpacks, shoes—the list looms large, and can weigh heavy on the family budget. But, you can save a bundle with a bit of creativity and careful planning. Here are three ways to get what you need and keep more money in your pocket:

1. Plunder Consignment Sales

Don’t let your budget dictate your style, just shop smarter. Consignment sales are a hot trend among savvy moms looking to outfit their kids in high-end brands without forking over the big bucks. On average, you will pay between 25-50% of retail, depending on the quality and desirability of an item. Here are some great consignment sale shopping tips to get you started.

My sister Mindy and I own the Little Sprouts Sales, which sell only upscale clothing brands. If you live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, come check out our Franklin sale beginning on Friday. Not in our area? Click here to find great sales where you live.

2. Discover Coupon Codes and Online Deals

I don’t enjoy digging through racks of clothing at a department store sale to find deals, but I do love finding coupon codes and other online deals that save me money. If you order online and don’t pay tax or shipping, you will likely save 25% right off the bat. Sites like Zappos and Shoebuy offer free shipping both ways too. (more…)


Posted on July 8, 2011 - by

Teach Your Kids to Help Clean House Without Losing Your Mind

Recently, I realized that my kids were old enough to start helping with my weekly house cleaning routine. With two more kids on the way, I figured it was time to stop carrying the entire load of cleaning chores by myself. If I needed more motivation, I just imagined my children as adults, living in filth and squalor unless I decided to take action and train them to keep house.

At first, I went in without much of a plan. I figured it was fairly self-explanatory. Not so much. After a bit of reflection, I realized a few things were necessary to ensure my success and sanity.

1. Define the End Goal

Training kids to do anything can be an exercise in frustration. At first, it will make your life harder to teach them to clean than to just do it yourself. You need a bigger vision to carry you through the moments when it seems futile. Personally, my goal is to lighten my own load (eventually) and to send my children into the world as adults capable of caring for their own homes.  (more…)


Posted on June 30, 2011 - by

The Work-at-Home Mom

Thanks to the availability of inexpensive technologies, a fierce entrepreneurial spirit, and a desire to call the professional shots, countless moms are staying home with their kids. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t bringing home the bacon.

Some work for employers out of the home, many run their own businesses, and others, like me, do a bit of both. However it’s done, working from home can provide an ideal solution for moms looking to relieve family financial pressures, while still maintaining a hands-on approach to caring for their families.

An Old Idea for a New Time

It turns out that working from home isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s really a return to the normal way of earning an income before the Industrial Revolution. (more…)


Posted on April 15, 2011 - by

Use Lunch Box Notes to Encourage Kids

Lunchbox Notes

When I was a little girl, my mom wrote notes to me on 3×5 cards and tucked them in my lunch box. Every day, I looked forward to reading my special note from Mom.

I’ve carried on that tradition with my kids. Though I don’t do use stickers, or draw as much as my mom did, I have found Lunch Box Notes are a fabulous opportunity to encourage my kids in a meaningful way. The best part is that it takes almost no time.

I recently posted on how to pack a lunch in 5 minutes here. I’ve made Lunch Box Notes just another part of that routine. I keep a stack of brightly colored Post-It notes in my kitchen drawer to make it fun and easy.

There are several approaches to Lunch Box Notes depending on your goals and the ages of your children

If you have little kids or children just learning to read, less words and more pictures are probably best.

Lunchbox Notes

Perfect for younger ones and those just learning to read.

Whether or not you children attend Christian school, lunchtime offers a chance to fill their hearts with God’s Word as well as their tummies with good food.

Lunchbox Notes

Use Lunch Box Notes as a way to feed Scripture to your children.

(more…)


Posted on February 10, 2011 - by

Hospitality: Creating an Atmosphere of Connection

Hospitality: Creating an Atmosphere of Connection

What is the goal of entertaining? Is it about demonstrating your domestic acumen or creating an atmosphere of connection?

Tonight, I have the joy of hosting some of the young moms from my church for a “Mom’s Night In.” Usually, we gather once a month at a local restaurant or coffee shop. But recently,we thought it would be nice to meet in a quieter, more relaxed setting. We wanted to really get to know one another and hear each other’s stories. A restaurant just isn’t conducive to that.

As I thought about inviting these women to my home, I started thinking about how we might create an atmosphere of connection. Afterall, soul connection is really what we’re after, isn’t it? We all want to feel heard and known.

As women, it’s easy to hide our hearts and our struggles behind casual conversation about husbands, careers or kids. (Men do this with work and sports.) Certainly there is a place for this, but it will not sustain us. Our hearts are hungry for the meat of real friendship.

How, then, can we use our homes as places that nurture deep friendship?

1. Set the Mood for Connection

Though the physical aspects of hospitality aren’t the most important thing, they do matter. Think of them as non-verbals ways of expressing love. When we host someone, our goal is to make them feel comfortable.

People feel most at ease when there is music in the background; silence can make us edgy. Light a few candles, turn off the overhead lights, and even build a fire in the fireplace. Offer your guests a drink, whether hot tea, coffee, or wine. Everyone is more comfortable with something in their hand.

2. Remember, Every Person Has a Story

Hospitality is others-focused, not self-focused. Instead of worrying that your house or your appearance isn’t perfect, focus on those walking through your front door. What are they struggling with? What is their story? What do they need to share with you? Watch this short video and be inspired.

3. Ask Good Questions

Questions give us access to a person’s soul. (I talked about using questions to deepen relationships with our children during family dinner here.) Questions draw others out and invite them to share deeply.

You can even plan ahead if your guests are new friends. Think of 3-4 good questions before your guests arrive and keep them tucked away for the right moment. Make sure to ask open-ended questions. Pay attention for cues to ask follow-up questions. Be curious. Don’t interrupt. Use eye-contact. Really listen.

Creating an atmosphere of connection is as much about preparing your heart as it is about preparing your home. What would our relationships looks like if we intentionally cultivated space in our homes and our hearts for deep connection and friendship?


Posted on January 31, 2011 - by

How to Pack a School Lunch in 5 Minutes

pack a school lunch

I hate making school lunches. That is putting it nicely. In my ideal world, nobody would need me to do anything before 7 a.m. I try to get up about half an hour before the kids wake up for the express purpose of cafinating myself in peace. But one pesky chore threatens to disturb my precious 30 minutes of solitude—lunch-making.

About a year ago, I discovered I could get my morning back if I was willing to spend about 30 minutes on Sunday night or Monday morning doing a bit of prep work. It was a rare stroke of brilliance I knew I had to share with you. After following the simple steps below, you’ll be able to pack a school lunch in 5 minutes or less.  (more…)


Posted on January 13, 2011 - by

Using Chore Charts to Build Character

Photo by Cielo de la Paz

To run a home well, everyone—including the kids—must pitch in. Beyond the practical considerations, one of our goals as parents is to disciple and train our children to become responsible, contributing adults.

“It’s a question of discipline,” the little prince told me later on. “When you’ve finished washing and dressing each morning, you must tend your planet.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

In our house, using chore charts helps us lighten the parental load, while also building character. Here are a few of the benefits we’ve experienced. (See below for three fantastic chore chart solutions.)

1. Connects the idea of work with money

I don’t like the concept of allowance. I think creates a sense of entitlement. Rather, I want to make sure my kids understand that money is the result of work, and of diligently tending your responsibilities. Consequently, our kids have the chance to “earn” money at the end of the week by doing their “responsibilities” each day. (more…)


Posted on January 6, 2011 - by

Make the most of dinnertime conversation


I’m an advocate of the family dinner. Joel and I make it a point to protect this time with with the kids, believing it is critical to nurturing their sense of belonging, security, and connection with us. Recently, I found a great tool to help make the most of our time together as a family. It’s called the Family Dinner Box of Questions from the Box Girls.

Growing up, my family had the ritual of “Best Things.” Every night, we went around the table, asking each other what was the best part of the day. While this offers a great place to start, I think we can make our conversation around the dinner table even more meaningful and fun. The cards contained in the “Dinner Box” are a great way to do just that. (more…)


Posted on December 9, 2010 - by

Christmas Gift-Giving Made Easy: A Want, A Need, and A Surprise

Do you ever feel like trying to decide what and how much to buy for your kids at Christmas is a set-up to fail? I do. It seems no matter how hard you try, you end up busting your budget while trying in vain to make things “fair” between kids, or falling prey to marketing ploys that encourage you to make Christmas bigger and better every year. I was recently talking to my sister, Mother Extraordinaire Mindy Spradlin, when she mentioned a great idea for simplifying the whole process.

This year, Mindy and her husband Nathan decided to implement a new plan that offers a more reasonable approach to Christmas shopping, one that ensures less stress and helps manages their kids’ expectations. It’s called, “A Want, a Need, and a Surprise.” I think this idea actually came from another blog that Mindy read a while back.

Here’s how it works. Essentially, you decide on a total amount that you can spend for each child. Next, each child gets to tell you one things that he/she wants. Assuming it reasonably fits in the budget, that will be what they receive as their “want.” Then, parents get to choose something the child needs, as well as a surprise. 3 gifts. How easy is that? (more…)


Posted on October 25, 2010 - by

A few of my favorite things

Have you ever stopped to think about how it cool that there are people out there, dedicated to solving life’s annoying little problems? This thought came to me as I was looking for a paper towel holder at Target that wouldn’t end up halfway across the counter every time I tried to pull off a section of paper toweling. Come to find out, there are paper towel holders made to solve this exact problem. Who knew?

Consider the power-lift tailgate on a minivan. Um, if this had existed (along with iPhones, eBay, and email) in my mother’s child-rearing years, I think that season of life would have been a much more enjoyable experience for her. Seriously though, someone who I will never know had the ingenius idea to create a button that would open my tailgate before I even got to the car with my groceries. Pure brilliance. (more…)


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