It happens every year around this time- the Christmas season burnout. I start off bubbling over with joy and intent on focusing on the Nativity, right after putting up the tree and all the decorations. I'm on top of making each day of Advent meaningful. I execute crafts and lessons that center around Jesus' birth. As it draws closer to Christmas, however, I start fearing I won't get to everything on my checklist. My mind races as I mentally plan out how I can cram all of those special activities and memories with my children in the days left until December 25. Then I get stressed, doing the very things that were supposed to help me focus on the true meaning of this holiday. My natural inclination is to do more, when in fact I ... Read More...
The One Thing You Must Do to be a Great Homemaker
My family and I recently experienced an unexpected move. Things were just settling down after another unexpected event, the passing of my father. We had fixed up the school room with a new coat of paint and gotten everything organized. Then, we learned that the owner of the house we've been renting for the past two years wanted to sell it, so we moved into another development about three minutes away. And for the past couple of weeks, I've mainly been consumed with unpacking, organizing, and decorating the new house, trying to get "a place for everything and everything in its place". If you've read this blog for a while, you know my struggle with anxiety, fear, perfectionism, and allowing myself to rest. Having a neat, orderly home helps ... Read More...
5 Ways to Create a Christ-Centered Home
So many of us desire a home where Jesus truly is the center. But we aren't really sure how to get there. If we want to keep Jesus at the forefront, then everything we do in our home- our priorities, our speech, our behavior, and even what we allow into our homes- must revolve around Christ. Here are five ways we can intentionally create Christ-centered homes this year: Read the Bible regularly with your kids Don’t leave their training in Scripture to happenstance or abdicate your responsibility to the church. Without thoroughly knowing what God's Word says and how to read it, your children's spiritual development will be significantly compromised. They’ll learn to depend on what other people tell them about Christianity. Through holding ... Read More...
DIY School Table
For the past five months, we've made due with our little folding table in the school room. It was fine for actually getting work done on, but there was very little room to spread out and the kids' supply caddies always threatened to crash onto the floor because they kept sliding too close to the ends. The three of us inevitably got a little cranky sometimes being in each other's way, which puts a damper on the whole learning process. We had talked about purchasing an old dining or kitchen table, but after I mentioned this one from Confessions of a Homeschooler, my husband was sold on the idea of building a similar model. So this weekend, we went to Lowe's and bought all of the supplies: 4 shelves in espresso color, 4 Closet Maid Storage ... Read More...