I've combined my favorite homemade play dough recipe with an easy, natural way to dye it green. It's just in time for St. Patrick's Day! Here's what you need: 1 cup all-purpose flour* 1/4 cup salt 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 tablespoon matcha powder** 1 cup water 1 tablespoon coconut oil or avocado oil Optional: Essential oil (we used sweet orange) Instructions:  1. Stir together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and matcha powder in a pot. 2. Add water and oil and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it forms a ball and is no longer sticking to the sides of the pot, abou ..read more

  I am thrilled to share our family's choices for this year's March Book Madness! This has become one of our favorite yearly traditions to encourage a love of reading. My children and I have carefully selected 16 picture books from various genres that we hope you'll love, and we've put them into brackets in a printable format. Here's how it works: Download a bracket here. Print it out, then during the month of March, read the books aloud at your own pace. Let your children vote on their favorites, and add each favorite to the line in the next round. Keep reading and v ..read more

Do you need a simple, meaningful way to show your child love this Valentine's Day? Let me show you how to create a special Valentine's Day photo keepsake that your child will love.  Here's how! Go to Canva.com and create a new 8.5 x 11 document. (Or use this template that I created.) Upload a photo of your child. I just screenshotted a favorite photo of each child and dragged it right into the document. Go to "edit photo," then click "BG Remover" to remove the background. Adjust the photo size to your liking. Add a text box and type in your child's name. Add the year, if you'd li ..read more

For the last two years, I've been making trips to a local nail salon every 2-3 weeks to have my nails "dipped." While I have loved the results (and the 2-3 weeks I'm able to wear these nail colors without chipping), I haven't loved my dependence on the salon or the need to return in order to remove them.  So I've been looking for a more natural nail color option that I can do from home that lasts. I'm not interested in re-painting my nails every 2-3 days or wearing chipped polish. I asked my Instagram community for recommendations, and here were the top 3:  Dazzle Dry Bubble Pop Cl ..read more

Salted Caramel Cookie Crumble Bars from the Paleo Baking at Home cookbook Sugar is everywhere, hiding in places you'd never think to look (like bone broth, bread, savory sauces). Sugar is a known neurotoxin, linked to anxiety, weight gain, heart disease, and even cancer. If a food or drink is processed at all, it likely contains sugar. If you read labels, refined sugar can masquerade by many different names including white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, and sweeteneres ending in "-ose" (including fructose, maltose, sucrose, dextrose).  When ..read more

Happy December! I hope you're staying warm and cozy and preparing your heart for the Christmas season. It can feel like a chaotic month, so I thought I'd share some of my December favorites with you… books that are stirring my affections for Christ, cozy pajamas, a few Christmas gift ideas, and more.  01. This morning, I finished reading Season of a Mother's Heart by Sally Clarkson. I've read at least 10 of Sally's books, but this might be my very favorite. It's written specifically for homeschool moms and offers deep biblical encouragement for every season you might face. I hi ..read more

It’s gift-giving season, and I’d love to share a few gift ideas (for kids, women, and men)! As we’re contemplating what we might give our children, let’s lean into their interests. Instead of just filling their stockings with the latest “it” toy, let’s think about what inspires them and purchase (or make) things that encourage them in that direction! Here’s what I mean: our daughter, Lanie (almost 9), has taken an interest in learning more about the human body and how to apply first aid. She is quick to hand out bandaids when her brothers scrape their knees and is growing in compassion. So to ..read more

Each November, I ask my children to choose their favorite book from the past year, and I paint it onto a Christmas ornament. This has quickly become one of my favorite Christmas traditions, and I hope to continue this for years to come. I even hope to make these for my grandchildren one day! It is such a joy to pull these out and remember the beloved books we’ve enjoyed.  I’d love to show you how to make your own book ornament, including all the supplies you need. I’ll even show you a much simpler method if painting feels intimidating. You can get these supplies at your local craft ..read more

Whether your marriage is thriving or just hanging on, prayer is powerful not only for changing others' hearts but for aligning our own hearts with the will of God. Let's commit to covering our husbands in prayer. Write these short Scriptural prayers in your Bible or on a notecard and personalize them to fit your family. Then set a daily alarm on your phone to remind you to pray. Begin by praising the Lord for the good gift of your husband, then turn to a few of these ideas... Download a printable version here For his eyes: Lord, I pray that my husband would fix his eyes on you, the au ..read more

It is a joy to share our brand new watercolor class: Watercolor Class: Winter & Christmas I’ve chosen a beloved winter- or Christmas-themed picture book to accompany each of the ten watercolor tutorials. These are completely optional, but would make a lovely addition to the time you spend with your children. I recommend these books for ages 4+, but truly, children of any age will enjoy them. I’ve included Amazon affiliate links to each book as well as a link to watch the book being read aloud on YouTube. Enjoy! 1. Lamppost in Narnia: Finding Narnia by Caroline McAlister (watch on Yo ..read more