Whether your stores are out of stock, or you just like to make your cleaning supplies at home, these wipes are a great alternative to the commercial options. And you can reuse the rags over and over again! Print DIY Disinfectant Wipes Ingredients 1 Cup Distilled Water 1 Cup White Vinegar 1 Cup Isopropyl Alcohol 1 Tsp Dish Soap 20 Drops Germ Destroyer Essential Oil Blend Can be substituted for 10 drops tea tree and 10 drops peppermint essential oil. Instructions Combine ingredients and pour over a jar stuffed with clean rags. Close jar and set aside unti ..read more

When you’re a freelancer there is one thing for certain, you should never get too comfortable with your freelance job. They come, they go, but they are very rarely forever. I broke that rule. For over a year I was working the same freelance job and I became comfortable with that income, instead of throwing it all towards debt, or trying to stay fresh with new prospects, I decided to focus solely on that job. Last week they let me know that they had no more work for me past the middle of October, that they would give me a raving reference, but there simply wasn’t any more work they could con ..read more

It wasn’t too long ago that almost all the women in our family were homemakers once they got married. Many worked outside of the home before tying the not, and a few until they had children, but once the children came, they stayed at home. It has only been in the last 2-3 generations that this has started to change, and with it so have our homemaking habits. Now, I am not saying we should go back to the way our ancestors cleaned completely. I like my vacuum and carpet cleaner, thank you very much, but there are some habits that I think we should reconsider. I know now that I have it has defin ..read more

Dear Fellow Special Needs Parents, What I am going to say is going to sound harsh, but every once in a while we all need a little dose of reality, don’t we? I am here to tell you, no to beg you, to stop saying you have PTSD. As special needs parents, we do not have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And I’ve become really tired of hearing everyone say we do. Now, before you start throwing garbage my way, hear me out. I want us to stop saying we have PTSD because we don’t. I am here to theorize that we have CTSD instead. “CTSD, what the heck is that?” Well, let me be honest. I used to use the term ..read more

This summer, I have felt a tug, a tug I know came from God. I know it came from God because His voice is the only one I would ever listen to when it told me I needed to rest. So many things have gone on this year, from wrecking my car to waiting five months to get on this drug trial for Austen. I have been so tired and exhausted. So much so that I went to my doctor to have her recheck my thyroid levels. I was sure that they were once again high, and that was the cause of my neverending exhaustion. It turns out they weren’t high, and I needed to look elsewhere from some relief. Sabbath. That’s ..read more

I have to be honest. From January to July this year we did not make a lot of progress on our debt. We really didn’t make any progress at all. One thing after another seemed to hold us back. It felt like we were constantly trudging along, not praying it would get better, but praying that it simply would not get any worse. Austen threw my phone into water-twice. I wrecked my van. Addi’s laptop broke. The list goes on…it’s not a fun way to live. I don’t know what happened in August, but things have started to look up. We were not only able to avoid any major setbacks, but we were able to add mone ..read more

“No one likes a brat.” That’s the one piece of advice the resonates the most with me. This piece of advice was given before I ever had a special needs child. Before I ever had any children at all. This piece of advice was given to me from another special needs mom who’s child, now a man, has a different condition than Austen does. No one likes a brat. The first of many pieces of advice I would cling to in my journey as a special needs parent. No one likes a brat. Trust your gut. Don’t be afraid to question doctors. Don’t be afraid to switch doctors. You know your child best. Thank you. Each of ..read more

It’s that time of year again. The nights are turning cool, school is back in session, and our schedule has gotten crazy. Usually, I meal plan for about 2 freezer meals a week, September will be different. In September over half of our meals are freezer meals, and that is because we have soccer five days a week between Atlas and Addi, and Addi also has violin one day each week. On top of that Austen has therapy twice a week, and we have homework, and church…the list could go on. I’m counting on freezer meals to be my savior this month. You will also notice a few ways we have simplified our week ..read more

Oh, snap, I said it. I’m not a natural homemaker. In fact, if I’m being honest, it is something I have struggled with for most of my 9-year marriage. Even though I’m from the south, where everyone and their fat cat in the window is a natural-born homemaker. Somehow I missed that memo. I struggle to keep on top of laundry and housework, I struggle to find a schedule that works for me and my family. Yes, I could blame it on having a special needs kid. But I struggled before Austen was born too. Some would blame it on being the child of a single-mom growing up, but the truth is my mom was a pret ..read more

“Remember to always stand up for what is right, even if your standing alone.” – Me every single day when dropping my oldest off at school. Like many other parents on the planet, it’s important to me to raise kids that are kind and caring to those around them. I don’t care if they get the best grades, are all stars in sports or are a part of the popular crowd. I simply want them to make a positive impact on this planet in some way. Or simply not be jerks-I’m okay with that too. A few weeks ago I found myself sitting in the waiting room of the dentists office. Austen, my four-year ..read more