We moms have a lot going on.  Every day is a balancing act.

We juggle our little ones’ needs and nap schedules, the endless tasks of running a home (cleaning, laundry, dishes, errands), and hopefully leave some space for ourselves (exercise, showering, or even just eating).  On top of this, some moms even add office work to the mix.

Like many other moms out there, I worked in a business setting for several years before having my first child.  While the work of mothering is vastly different, I’ve found that applying some of the project management skills from my old jobs has helped me in the home. read more

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.  If you haven’t read it, it’s one of a handful of books I completely recommend.  Especially if your home is in need of some order.

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Top 9 Konmari Tidying Tips You Need to Know

Here are my top 9 tidying tips from the Konmari method:

1. Start with a vision. And realize that your home doesn’t need to look Pinterest-perfect to bring you joy. Instead, consider how you want your home and life to look. For example, I desired a home that felt clean, airy, and uncluttered.  I also wanted to pursue a more minimalistic lifestyle. My son’s nursery encompasses this perfectly for me. read more

Is anyone else as excited for autumn as I am?  We’ve been experiencing a bit of a heat wave lately, but the nights and mornings have been cooling down beautifully.  With the crisp air and the shorter days, I can’t help but think ahead to the holidays. This is already such a sweet and special season, but I plan to relish in it even more with a little bit of hygge.

What is hygge?

Perhaps you’ve been living under a rock (or raising little ones — same thing) and haven’t heard the term. read more

My heart is broken and I am sickened. Another horrific act of senseless violence.

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I’m shocked.

And yet, I’m not. Because this just keeps happening, doesn’t it? Our world seems to be growing more volatile by the day. read more

Why the Best Marriages have Irreconcilable Differences

It’s 7:55pm. I’ve just put the baby down for what I hope will be the night, while Grant tucks Lily in. I’m indulging in a cup of tea after a rather uninspiring week.

I open the cupboard and smile to myself at the label on the box of tea.

My husband.

A few months ago, we got Lily an activity book, boasting more than 100 stickers.  (Yay ~ more to pick up off the floor!)

Some of those stickers were labels, meant for older kids to apply to the corresponding image.

Well, since Lily was too young to read (or to really care about labeling at all), my husband found a better use for them. read more

Kids don’t need a lot of toys. They are gifted with wondrous imaginations that only expand when their toy options are strategically limited.

I love watching my daughter pretend that her wooden blocks are tea cups, sandwiches, and cookies.  Or seeing her use scrap PVC pipe as a microphone. She doesn’t need to be told to imagine. She just does.

With that, I try to be somewhat minimalistic in the toys (etc.) we buy for our kids. I’ve made many purchases that I later regretted (and donated). Here’s my list of keepers. read more

I always smile when Starbucks brings out its pumpkin spice lattes.

I’m not particularly fond of the drink (don’t shoot!), but I love the season it represents.

While September is usually the hottest part of the year for us in San Diego, it brings a certain freshness to it. The promise of cozier times ahead, along with some of that crisp, cold air of fall and winter.

Yes, that “crisp, cold air” for me is a good 58 degrees.

For me, the PSL almost acts as a catalyst of anticipation: warm, comforting meals, picking apples from the local orchard, visiting the pumpkin patch, and of course, trick-or-treating. read more

My name is Christi. I live in San Diego, CA with my seriously wonderful husband, our two kids, one dog, and three chickens.

I love Jesus. I need Him. Every day. When I’m walking alongside Him, everything seems clear and makes sense (even the challenges). When I’m not, it feels like I’m navigating through fog.

I’m passionate about health and balance, both for myself and those around me. Part of what supports my own health and balance is having a home that is beautiful and orderly (at least to the best of my budget and abilities). read more

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Whether we want to or not, we think about clothing on a daily basis. We wake up, brush our teeth, and then decide what to wear. But for many of us, it doesn’t stop there.

If you’re like me, throughout the day you’re thinking about how your pants are digging into you, or how you wish you would have washed that one shirt that you really like to wear, but are now stuck with something that makes you feel frumpy, old, and irrelevant.

Ugh. read more

I’ve heard it said that cleaning with kids is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.

Yep.

Oh well.  Balance in everything, I say.

I do my best to maintain an orderly home, but if it gets to a point where I’m frustrated and wound-up most of the time, then I know I need to take a step back and relax a little. And THIS is what sparks joy for me. Trying to maintain a sense of order and calm in the home while allowing my family and myself to enjoy life together.

(Note: The content below contains affiliate links.) read more