Our Summer Bucket List 2021
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
At the start of each summer, I love to sit down and create a Summer Bucket List. This helps me to be intentional with our precious summers together. Now that my oldest son is 12, I am realizing just how few summers we will have left together as a family of five! This list includes family activities, couple activities, and a few solo experiences. I hope that it inspires you to create your own summer bucket list! Our Summer Bucket List 2021 Visit the Dr. Pepper Museum We moved to Waco, Texas last summer, but because of the pandemic, we haven’t yet visited many of its museums. Now that we are vac ..read more
Visit website
My Morning Routine: 2021 Version
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
I am something of a time management nerd. I seriously love setting up schedules for myself, making chore checklists for my kids, and even tracking my use of time over a week. It’s the kind of thing that makes my Type A, Upholder self (see Gretchen Rubin’s The Four Tendencies for more information about Upholders, Obligers, Questioners, and Rebels) really, ridiculously happy. Because of this, I thrive on a morning routine. I love the structure of having a set of tasks or rituals that I complete each morning. When that routine is thrown off, I feel completely overwhelmed and out of sorts. Can you ..read more
Visit website
A Simple Holy Week: Ways to Reduce Stress and Focus on What Really Matters
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
Holy Week is one of the reasons I became Orthodox. Seriously. The beauty, the intensity, the sheer joy of it immediately drew me in. As a Protestant, I had always believed that Good Friday and Easter should be, well….more. And, thanks be to God, I found that more in Orthodox Holy Week. As a young, engaged woman, my first Holy Week and Pascha was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Now, fourteen years, one husband, and three kids later, I still experience the awe. However, I also experience another emotion: stress. Recently I’ve been noticing this same trend in various Orthodox social media groups ..read more
Visit website
Our Simple Plan for Great Lent
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
At the beginning of each Lent, I like to sit down (preferably with a cup of tea and a warm blanket) and reflect on the upcoming season of the Church. In my mind, I envision Lent as a slow time. A time to ponder. A time to move through life at a different pace. In reality, Lent becomes busy. It is often during one of the busiest times of the schoolyear (I’m a teacher) with tests, evaluations, projects, and activities. My kids generally have more on their schedules. Plus, there’s the extra services, the increased time needed for meal planning, and the list goes on. If I don’t make a plan and de ..read more
Visit website
Why I Don’t Do Crafts with My Kids: Being Yourself as a Parent
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
It seems like lately, on every social media site I glance at or in every online Orthodox motherhood group I am part of, all I see are posts about doing crafts with your children. I probably exaggerate. Slightly. All the Crafts…. Especially now as we are approaching Great Lent, there are a plethora of beautiful, educational, kid-centered craft projects that Orthodox mothers (because, let’s be honest, these are always geared at the mothers) can do with their children. I am sure that many mothers look at these resources and find genuine joy in planning ways to integrate them into their homeschool ..read more
Visit website
My Favorite Books of 2020
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
This is one of my favorite posts of the year! Each December I share my favorite reads from the past year. These are books that I read in 2020 regardless of publication date. This year was, obviously, quite different. For a few months (from March to June) I found myself in the strange position of being nearly unable to read. The anxiety from the global pandemic combined with the extra pressure of working and schooling from home made it difficult if not impossible to indulge in my favorite pastime. I got my second wind in June, however, and ended up reaching my goal of 100 books for the year. He ..read more
Visit website
Our Cozy Thanksgiving Plans
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
It was an agonizing decision, but my husband and I decided not to invite family over for Thanksgiving this year. We had been looking forward to hosting Thanksgiving at our new house, especially since we now live within a few hours of most of our family members. However, we wanted to take precautions and protect the more vulnerable members of our immediate and extended families. So, Thanksgiving will be small and simple this year. I am excited that we have an entire week off for Thanksgiving, though, so I want to make the most of it. I thought I would share our plans in case you are looking for ..read more
Visit website
6 Ways to Focus on Gratitude During the Nativity Fast
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
On Monday I wrote about the framework I am using to focus myself and my children on Christ during the Nativity Fast. You can check out that post, but the basic breakdown is: Focus on Gratitude (Nov. 15-Thanksgiving Day) Focus on Service like St. Nicholas (November 27-December 6) Focus on Anticipation (December 7-December 24) Today I want to offer some simple, practical ways that you and your family (and me and my family!) can practice gratitude during this first section of the Fast. 6 Ways to Focus on Gratitude During the Nativity Fast 1. Offer Gratitude During Prayer One of the simplest yet ..read more
Visit website
Ways to Observe the Nativity Fast When You Are Overwhelmed
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
1y ago
When I was a young mother (Wow! That makes me sound ancient now….), my priest gave me some very sound advice. I had been talking with him about how I felt overwhelmed by the Nativity Fast. There was just so much going on during the season and fasting felt like one more thing to check off my list. Plus, with children, I felt the added pressure to make their fasting experience meaningful as well. Now I feel overwhelmed for a different reason: the pandemic and all that goes with it. Should I invite family over for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Will my school and my children’s schools go virtual soo ..read more
Visit website
Our Summer Bucket List 2021
Orthodox Motherhood
by Sarah
3y ago
At the start of each summer, I love to sit down and create a Summer Bucket List. This helps me to be intentional with our precious summers together. Now that my oldest son is 12, I am realizing just how few summers we will have left together as a family of five! This list includes family activities, couple activities, and a few solo experiences. I hope that it inspires you to create your own summer bucket list! Our Summer Bucket List 2021 Visit the Dr. Pepper Museum We moved to Waco, Texas last summer, but because of the pandemic, we haven’t yet visited many of its museums. Now that we are vac ..read more
Visit website

Follow Orthodox Motherhood on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR