Do I really need a reason to want a cookie? I say no. And an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie… well, they are deliciously amazing. They’re a family favorite. In fact, if I try to make “regular” chocolate chip cookies, my kids will inform me that I’ve forgotten the oats. And since my kids generally don’t […]
Health
Letting Go of Perfect takes a Village
Reality hit me hard after abdominal surgery. Suddenly, everything seemed impossible and I realized with new clarity why they call it your “core”. I know that moms joke, tongue in cheek, about how hard it is to maintain any semblance of balance between raising kids, caring for a household, and making sure everyone gets fed. […]
5 Back to School Health Questions Answered by a Nurse
School is just around the corner, y’all. And with that, school shopping, school physicals and checkups, and school photos are just a blink away. With only a few weeks to go, you’re no doubt preparing by buying books, crayons, backpacks, and other supplies. And if you’re really on the ball, you’ve probably already pinned a bunch […]
How to Cure Mom Guilt (with Kind Words)
On Monday night, we had plans to take the kids to a local Hawaiian shaved ice shack as a special treat. Then reality (and the mom guilt) hit. My husband came home from work to an exhausted wife, and a screaming, overtired baby who desperately needed a nap, and his 3 sons who hadn’t quite […]
Home & Garden
When 4X or 10X Restore Goes Bad – and How to Avoid it!
Who here likes to do the same work over and over again? Nobody? I’m not shocked. Nobody (sane) likes to do and re-do and re-re-do the same thing over and over again. Not when doing it once should have been enough. Anyway, let’s take a look back at how the Restore 10X (and 4X) by Rust-Oleum […]
My Review of Restore 10X for Deck and Concrete
You know those home projects that need to get done? But you’re too busy living life, so you do whatever you can to avoid doing that project? Well, at our last home we finally had to address a huge, discolored eyesore attached to the back of our house: the back deck. It’d been on the to-do […]
Humor
Why I Can’t Buy Those New Flip-Flops I Love
I have a confession. I severely dislike shopping. Don’t get me wrong. With the right company and a list, I can enjoy it for about fifteen minutes. After that? I’m ready to call it quits no matter what the status of said list is. (Don’t worry: food is kind of an exception. Because, well, food is […]
Why I Never Plan a Family Vacation
Today while the baby napped, I thought (for the eleven billionth time) that we should think about scheduling a family vacation for next year. So I pulled out my trusty laptop, sighed, and started a few Google searches for places to we could go. Living in Utah, there’s a whole lot of great outdoorsy type […]
Inspirational
Why Having a Baby Girl Reminds Me Things Will Work Out
Several months ago, I became a mom for the fourth time. This time, to a beautiful baby girl. Growing up, I’d always thought I’d have all boys. Probably because I have so many sisters… (and I love them all dearly!) But for whatever reason, I had it in my head that I’d have four boys. And I […]
Good Eats
Perfect Wheat Bread
It doesn’t really matter what day it is… there’s just something about fresh, homemade, perfect wheat bread that makes me happy. It could be 100 or -20 degrees outside and it wouldn’t matter to me. Give me a slice of warm, perfect wheat bread with honey butter and I’m your new BFF. (For the record, […]
Deliciously Simple Pumpkin Curry Soup
I know – it seems like Pumpkin and Curry shouldn’t belong in the same recipe. A few years ago, I would have believed you. Then I ate my sister-in-law’s soup, and I became a believer. We had house guests, so I asked her for the recipe or the website where she got it. She searched for […]