The Story On Sunday, July 24th, our 7-year-old nephew, Arlyn, was taken to the local ER because he had a fever and looked jaundiced. Within 24 hours, he was airlifted 5 hours away to the children’s hospital in Minneapolis due to the doctors being very concerned about his liver function. Over the next 2 weeks, Arlyn’s […]
FREE 12-Day Winter Cleaning Schedule
I have been BUSY the last few months and the house is a mess. I am trying to get my house cleaned up after Christmas, and some of it just ain’t happening. Maybe you can relate? Here is an easy to follow 12 Day Cleaning Schedule to help get our houses tidy for the new […]
WORLD News Magazine: Fun Facts for Christian Kids!
I remember when I hit middle school age my mom began a subscription for me to, at the time, a popular Christian girl’s magazine. I looked forward to that new issue that would show up in our mailbox each month. It was also something my parents felt they could trust because it came from a Christian publisher. […]
Finding Grace for those that Defend Abortion
As a Mother Maybe I am having a more emotional kind of day. I posted yet another call for action against Planned Parenthood on my Facebook page. When you use the hashtag #defundPP on your business page you will find that you get some unwelcome guests. With my hands shaking and tears rolling down my cheek, I […]
Spelt: A Wheat Alternative Review and GIVEAWAY! {Ends 9/28/15)
We are not a gluten free family, but when I heard about Nature’s Legacy Spelt foods I was intrigued. I had heard of spelt but honestly had no idea what it was. I have also had poor experiences in the past with alternatives to wheat and gluten free foods tasting less than appetizing, but I […]
Equipping our Families to Stand for Religious Freedom AND A GIVEAWAY!
Did you watch the Republican Debate last night? It was more than frustrating to see the panel primarily focusing on Donald Trump’s personality rather than the real issues like our national security, the state of the economy, and the value of the traditional family and life in the womb. When I think over the past […]
Our Family Vacation: A Series on Twin Cities Family Fun
Imagine this… You take a step through wide glass double doors into a bright white foyer with a sitting area on the left and to your right you are greeted with a smile and your room keys. Walking into the large center court you find sounds of the ocean surrounding you as water cascades down two fountains mimicking a […]
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month!
The month of September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month! When childhood should be a time spent getting dirty outside, playing with friends, and learning new things while scraping your knees, for many children that is only a dream they have while sitting in a hospital room undergoing another round of chemotherapy treatments. This week we […]
Richard Scarry’s Busytown: Eye Found It! Board Game Review
We are always looking for new board games. Our children love them. We love them. It is a quick way to invest in a little family time at home without having to pay big bucks. Of course there are a few classics that we enjoy like Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders, but I want to […]
Our Favorite Family Games and a Giveaway! {Ends 8/31/15}
We love playing games with our children. It makes for a fun family night AWAY from the television. Games help you to interact with your children. They provide learning opportunities as well as memories that will last a lifetime. I highly recommend setting aside a regular family game night with your children, if not weekly, […]
The Well Planned Day Planner Review and Giveaway {Ends 8/23/2015}
The Want-to-Be Organized, Unorganized Mom I am that mom that rebels against anything labeled for organization. Is this healthy? No, probably not, but the truth of the matter remains the same, I am a major procrastinator and in the past planners just have not worked for me. I can have all the right intentions but I […]
When You Are Not the Woman You Thought You Would Be
There’s just something about playing dress up and make believe that captures the hearts of young girls. From wearing a princess dress to gently mothering a plastic baby doll, girls can’t wait to play the grown up version of themselves. As a young girl with stars in her eyes, I would envision “grown-up me” always smiling, […]
5 Ways a Friend Can Support a Grieving Mother
I lost my daughter almost 7 years ago. I was 18 weeks pregnant and it all happened so fast, that I was left completely empty and with my husband’s job, I felt alone a lot of the time, too. Over the years, it seems that about once a month or so, I get an email, […]
FREE in July Homemaker’s Companion Financial Planning Edition
Have you heard of The Homemaker’s Companion? It is a full planning system for the home …. you could call it a homemaking notebook on steroids. I am offering our Financial Planning Edition for FREE during the month of July to all my new and veteran subscribers. This was one of our most popular installments […]
How We Eat Out for Less than $30 for a Family of 7
Do you like to eat out? I REALLY do! We just don’t do it very often because it is not nearly as healthy as cooking at home, and it is definitely NOT a frugal option for feeding a large family. Why do I like it so much then? Because in some ways eating out makes […]
To the Woman Waiting on God
To the woman who is waiting on God, There you are, in the waiting room of life; a place you’d never thought you’d be. As a child with grand hopes and dreams, you never imagined yourself here, waiting on God and longing for Him to move. You never imagined you’d be lonely for a husband. You […]
Everybody Judges Somebody
FREE to Be ME! Have you noticed a trend in society that is building? Its banner is “Do whatever, be whatever, and love whoever makes you happy!” If anyone disagrees or has a classical moral compass they are immediately labeled “judgmental”, “ignorant”, even a “bigot.” Let’s get this straight right out of the gate … […]
5 Things I Could Be Doing Instead of Surfing Facebook
The Social Media Black Hole Does your time seem to find a black hole during the day? The black hole that seems to eat up many a mom’s schedule is social media. I found myself confessing to a few friends the other day just exactly how far social media invades my thoughts. It was embarrassing but it […]
How to Be Content in a Materialistic World
Humble Beginnings I grew up in a family where money was always tight, and we had to visit the church food pantry more than a few times. I remember my parents scraping together what they had to make food last for our four, hungry mouths. New clothes came from yard sales and there were very […]
6 Tips for Saving Money While Homeschooling
Homeschooling can get expensive if you allow it. Certain curriculum sets will take your breath away at the price they set per grade level, per year. As your children get older there are costs that will inevitably creep up as your children near college age; however, I believe for the majority of the homeschooling years there are […]
8 Encouraging Summer Reads for Moms
An Embarrassing Confession I need to humbly admit that I have not read an entire book in probably a couple of years. With 4 moves and 2 new babies, life has just been busy and most days I feel like I am just getting by. I have many aspirations. I would love to exercise more […]
NEW FREE Homeschool Mom’s Lifeline Prayer Guide!
Did you grab our FREE Homeschool Mom’s Lifeline Prayer Calendar before? Well here is a newly updated version. We have heard raving reviews over this since Tauna at Proverbial Homemaker shared it with us a couple of years , and I have been blessed to hear of all the homeschool moms who use it […]
FREE Construction Zone Educational Activity Pack
Do your children get excited to play with tools? Do they shriek with excitement every time you pass a construction zone on the road while traveling? This week I have been adding fun “construction zone” themed printables for elementary ages. This fun activity pack for subscribers of The Road to 31, will include the following […]
3 DAYS ONLY! The ABC’s for Godly Children Bible Curriculum FREE for Subscribers!
A Subscriber Freebie to Knock Your Socks Off! What are you looking for when you search for a Bible curriculum for your children? When I first began searching for a Bible curriculum for my then four year old, I could never find what I wanted. I desired something that went deeper than just basic character training. […]
FREE Construction Zone Riddle Reader for Pre-K/ K
Do your children love to play with Daddy’s tools? Do they shriek with excitement every time you pass a construction zone on the road while driving? Well my kids sure do! My son has his own construction zone in his bedroom. My husband enjoys a little project carpentry so my son has to have his […]
DIY Sensory Play, Stress Relief Fidget Balls
Do your children struggle with sitting still? Do they like to fidget? What about you as an adult? Do you have a special needs child that enjoys feeling different textures and playing with colorful sensory centered toys? This project is for you! It is frugal and fun, and my children went crazy over them. I […]
Mini Adventures for Frugal Couples with FREEBIE Pack
Date night is a big deal in our house. The kids are excited because Nana and Gramps get to come over, eat dinner with them and then put them to bed. Hubs and I are usually in an extra good mood, knowing that free time is near and are looking forward to a chance to […]
ONLY $3 for “Drive Thru History” DVD! {FLASH SALE Ends 5/15}
ChristianBooks.com is doing a 2 day flash sale and included are some awesome educational materials for the kids! Check them out below. If you are interested order quickly before all the stock is gone! Discovering America’s Founders: Drive Thru History DVD ONLY $3.00! (80% OFF) Get Ready Activity Packs: Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade ONLY […]
SPICE: A FREE Date Night Fun Pack
Are you looking for something to spice up your date nights with your spouse? Here is a fun FREE printable pack for subscribers to The Road to 31 to help you do just that! Subscribe below to have yours sent straight to your inbox for downloading. What will you receive in this printable pack? A Guided […]
Sriracha Salmon Cakes
My husband discovered sriracha a few months ago and he wants it on everything. It is the new favorite condiment in our household. We put it on our sandwiches and wraps, our eggs in the morning, and our potato fries at night. We did not realize what a viral sensation sriracha was until we saw […]
6 Ways To Spice Up An At-Home Date Night
Last Christmas I gave Hubs the best gift I’ve ever given him: a year worth of monthly dates planned by me. A typical night at home usually involves sweatpants, a computer, and propping up my feet, so I knew I needed to spice things up a bit. Like many married couples with kids, we wanted […]
Waiting to Serve
Feeling Called to Ministry My husband has felt called to ministry since his early college years. I always had this feeling that I would be a pastor’s wife. I grew up engrossed in my father’s ministry and so it felt natural. I really did not know any other way to live but in a full […]
Beautiful Ashes: The Sanctifying Work of Motherhood
The Shameful Event At this particular moment, I find myself sitting in a fairly quiet house listening to the sweet sound of my 7 year old reading his Bible to his 4 other siblings. It’s early, ridiculously early, but this weary and exasperated mother has tucked all of the children (besides the new baby) into […]
10 Ways to Save Money this Spring
The trees are blooming and the birds are chirping, which could only mean one thing, it’s spring. If you’re like our family, your event calendar is full and your to do list is a mile long, and you wonder how to stretch your dollars further this season. As you prepare for fun in the sun […]
Best Advice for New Moms and a Mother’s Day Giveaway
Mother’s Day is right around the corner and I’ve gotten together with a group of bloggers to bring you a giveaway and blog hop that we are hoping will bless your socks off! We not only hope to bless several moms with some pretty awesome giveaway prizes, but we also hope to bless many more […]
“Shoot for the Stars” FREE 8×10 Printable
Here is a special starry night themed 8×10 printable digital graphic available on Hip Homeschool Moms. It would look great in any child’s room or play room! DOWNLOAD IT HERE
“Dream BIG” FREE 8×10 Digital Artwork
Inspire your little boy or girl to imagination with these FREE 8×10 printable digital graphics. Hang in a child’s bedroom, playroom, or even a homeschool room. With pops of color and a dreamy pattern it is sure to brighten a room. Printing Options: I enjoy getting my digital artwork printed on canvas but you can […]
Spicy Dill Tuna Salad
It has taken me years to find my favorite tuna salad recipe. We have tried every seasoning under the sun from creole to classic sweet pickles and salt. None of them worked for me. I like texture. I hate mushy food. Tuna salad has a tendency to be very mushy. I like my tuna salad […]
To the Wife Whose Husband is Unemployed
I Was You I will be honest. I don’t write a lot about marriage. I never feel like I am seasoned enough to be able to give advice in this area. I have done so little right and all I have to offer are a few things I have learned from looking back over the course […]
Real Food, Real Easy
Time Management in the Kitchen Time management is my nemesis. Making everything from scratch can be time consuming, and if you are not a plan-ahead type person you will find yourself scrambling to just get something on the table. I think one of the worst hurdles for me to overcome with eating healthier is that it […]
DIY Oil Pulling Melts for a Cleaner Mouth
Oil Pulling 101 I have been oil pulling on and off for several years now. I was having issues with a tooth that has a crown on it and after going to the dentist to be reassured that nothing was wrong, I decided to do my own research on how to help with tooth pain. […]
How to Create a Method for the Madness that is Homemaking
Unrealistic Expectations I was one of those women that always knew that when I had kids, I would be a stay-at-home mom. I definitely had an idealized version in my mind of what me being a homemaker would look like. I was sure that I would keep a tidy house, never yell at the kids, […]
The REAL Food Version of Sausage and Cheese Balls
Sausage and Cheese balls is a Southern favorite when it comes to brunches. They were always the spotlight at our church potlucks. Often when you search for these classic recipes online, you find a lot of processed ingredients and some like a more savory alternative to that. Here is the Real Food version of one […]
Lemon Chicken Bake {Gluten, Dairy, Sugar FREE}
I love chicken. It is so easy to use in various ways for our large family of 7, and the kids eat it up. We will make a whole chicken once a week. We spread the chicken out through at least 2 meals and then I make bone broth to use for soups. Read […]
4 Prayers for the Hyper-Aggressive Child and FREE PRINTABLE!
An Embarrassing Parenting Moment It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, where the families of our little man’s preschool class could come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I was excited to finally get to know the other families and watch our children play together. Dressed to impress, I sauntered into the […]
Healing and Hiding Diastisis Recti After Baby
Do you have a mummy tummy and just have no idea what to do with it? It was not until my fourth baby that I realized I had developed a very warped abdomen after giving birth. It wasn’t that I was just out of shape or had a jelly belly. My stomach felt oddly lumpy and […]
100 Proven, Simple and Effective Tools to Help You Manage Your Home
THIS SALE IS NOW OVER I stepped into homemaking with high ideals. I thought I would figure it out quickly and that it would all be a fun learning process. Well I got the whole “learning process” right! It has been a learning process for sure, and I still have not mastered any of it. […]
HUGE Homeschool Giveaway (Value $549)
Do you know what I love about homeschooling? I love that it is FLEXIBLE! I love that at any moment you can change things up and have a day where you stray from your regular “curriculum” and do a board game … are you struggling in math? You can try a different math program that […]
Lazarus Come Forth
When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them,“Unbind him, and let him go.” -John 11:43-44 A Familiar and Amazing Story If you have […]
Beautiful (FRUGAL) Gifts for the Women Who Inspire You (Valid through 4/19)
A Big Sale at DaySpring! Mother’s Day is coming quick and I am probably one of the worst at remembering to buy gifts on any gift giving occasion. Well, consider this your reminder ladies (and gents)! DaySpring has some gorgeous gifts on sale right now and they are not just coffee mugs. Purses, jewelry, […]