What? A new blog post on Shaping Up To Be A Mom?! Shocking. It’s been two and a half years since my last post, and at that time I wasn’t sure about the future of this site. In January 2020, I started a travel blog into which I’ve put all my extra time and energy (cause there’s sooo much of that…). I love writing over there, it’s gaining some traction, and it’s a better fit to move forward with. When I turned 35 in 2019, all I could think was, “I’m almost 40!” So I made a list of goals to achieve between 35 and 40. One of them was “make the blog work or let it go.” I turn 40 this year. I’ve en ..read more

Spring 2021 felt so far away, 7 years ago. Even just saying “twenty-[anything]” felt so odd. Yet here we are! 7 years ago, to the day, I published a blog post about my “7-year plan”, and since then I’ve kept it at the forefront of my mind as life moved forward. It became a 6-year plan as the first year passed. Then a 4-and-a-half year plan. A 2-year plan. Then finally, today. I thought it would be fun to look back at my original plan and see where I’m at with the goals I set, which plans became reality, and how life is different from how I pictured it would be. Let’s take a step back into 2014 ..read more

Need to keep the kids entertained while you make Thanksgiving dinner? Why not give them some handwriting practice? But not on just any old handwriting practice paper — on my Thanksgiving handwriting worksheets! Our alphabet practice paper has been such a hit that I was inspired to create some new handwriting printable packs for the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving Handwriting Printables Handwriting practice might not be the most exciting part of the school day, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Younger kids who are just learning to write need a lot of practice to get used to holding their ..read more

Thanksgiving is almost here, and that means it’s time to start thinking about your Christmas shopping! Here you’ll find Christmas gift ideas for everyone in the family. Gift giving in 2020 The holidays look a little different this year, but people are excited to celebrate. Many put their trees up in early November so they could start feeling that Christmas spirit as soon as possible. Others are just ready for this year to be over and that’s part of what they’re celebrating. According to the National Retail Federation, the top categories of gifts that people are both giving and want to receive ..read more

I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. My husband and I are trying to be better about our eating habits lately, paying much closer attention to our calorie intake and macros. It’s always a thrill when we come up with a new meal idea that fits our needs AND is super tasty! This week we cooked up some chicken in our crockpot, seasoned it with enspice’s chipotle bbq, and served it shredded on lettuce wraps with a little shredded cheese and some grilled veg ..read more

This post was sponsored by Gray Away as part of an Influencer Activation and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. What’s the one ingredient you need to look good? Confidence! When you feel good, you look good. And when you look good, you feel good. It’s a great cycle! I’m in my mid-thirties now and no stranger to gray hair. While my roots don’t (yet) grow in completely gray, I get plenty of individual gray hairs. Gray hair can be beautiful, but in this in-between stage, I personally feel better when I cover them! Gray Away for root coverage and maximum confidence The past few weeks I ..read more

Ready to spice up handwriting practice? What if I said we were “pumpkin spicing” it up?! Our alphabet practice paper has been such a hit that I was inspired to create some new handwriting printable packs for the upcoming holidays. First up, Halloween! Halloween Handwriting Printables Handwriting practice might not be the most exciting part of the school day, but it’s essential for young ones just learning to write and older kids who need their print to be more legible. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! This handwriting printable pack includes 26 Halloween handwriting worksheets — one page ..read more

When the girls I work with started talking about elderberries, I thought we were doing a Harry Potter book club kind of thing, but then I realized they were talking about how to boost their immune system! I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. As we head into fall, especially during a hectic year that included a worldwide pandemic, keeping your immune system strong will be essential. Nobody wants to spend the holiday season under-the-weather, so give y ..read more

I’m a huge hypocrite when it comes to teaching my kids handwriting. I won’t say that I do most of my writing online solely because my handwriting is terrible — but it is, in fact, terrible. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting my kids to have good handwriting, so handwriting practice is part of their homeschool day! We keep our homeschool supplies to a minimum because we are full-time travelers and do most of our schooling online, but handwriting is one area where supplies are necessary. So in this post I’m going to share with you our go-to tools to improve handwriting. Affiliate links are u ..read more

My days are usually go-go-go, so it’s always nice to snuggle on the couch with my little one at the end of the day and read some books together. Even better if those are sensory books that are beautiful to look at and fun to read! I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links. Melody and I were sent a selection of books from the Priddy Books Early Learning Collection to read and enjoy together, and we just adore them! They have such gorgeous imagery and engagi ..read more