Author: Mackayla Turley

Find yourself wishing you had a friend that does a specific thing? Oh happy day, great news, shout it from the rooftops, you can BE that friend! Wish someone would invite you to events? Get to planning and inviting – if you’re hosting, you’re automatically invited. Can’t think of what you’d like to attend but want community and connection? Start by browsing low-key party ideas on Pinterest. Or think of something enjoyable you already like to do and invite some friends to join. It doesn’t have to be big – a bonfire, a walk to the duck pond, a trip…

 False spring gets me every year. The sun pops out for a week or two mid-January and I will whole-heartedly believe this is the lucky year spring has arrived early. My naivety makes for a great couple sunny weeks, but the gloom when winter returns is rough. Over the years I’ve started finding small, non-clutter ways to add some cozy to our home during the winter. I try to keep fresh flowers in the kitchen. Nothing fancy, just a plain-jane store bought bouquet to brighten my mood for a couple weeks. It costs less than a coffee run, and is…

 All three of my children clambered into my bed at 5:45 this morning. It was entirely too early – the sun hadn’t come up yet and I was still groggy. As the three of them tussled like playful puppies, I tried to cajole them into going back to their own beds without having to get out the covers myself. A futile task, really. My middle kiddo piped up “but this is my favorite place!” and it stopped me mid-sentence. This is her favorite place. Not the Princess Breakfast at Disneyland. Not the shark tunnel at the aquarium. Not her best…

The concept is simple: out-love everyone you love. Don’t track it, don’t worry about if it’s reciprocated equally, don’t weigh up the risk of looking weird. This can be applied in some way or shape to everyone you love. How do you out-love your spouse? Throw a towel in the dryer to warm up when they hop in the shower. Make their favorite dinner on a  Tuesday just to see them smile. Put toothpaste on their brush when you do your own. Be the first to say “hey, you’re my best friend” in the middle of an argument. Genuinely ask…

I’m a bit of a control freak. That’s weird to put on the internet, but if you know me in person – especially well enough to have been in my home – it’s pretty obvious. I like my kitchen towels folded a particular way, the beds made a specific way, the walls an intentionally chosen color. I have a method for wiping down the kitchen, resetting the living spaces, and even the fridge. Don’t get me started on the proper way to load a dishwasher. My books, clothes, and aprons are organized by color. My drawers are in order, our…

Seven years into this parenting thing, and I’m just now learning how much easier loving is when you’re not tracking. I’m not talking about tracking the basics. Go ahead and keep tracking who needs to eat a snack before they get hangry, which kiddo needs the next size shoes, the newest veggie they’ll actually eat, where you’re at on teaching them to read, which friends have birthday parties coming up, and all the other day-to-day comings and goings. What you can (& should) stop tracking is the emotional score. Stop counting how many weeks you’ve gone without a full night’s…

When’s the last time you waved to your neighbor? I may be biased, but we have the best neighbors I’ve ever met. Our neighbors make sure our kiddos have the real trick-or-treating experience, smile and chat over the fence, and have even spotted the tooth fairy with a last-minute $1 bill when she only had quarters. I always offer to share chocolate chip cookies or banana bread on baking day. One of my neighbors makes the best ribs I’ve ever had, and always smokes us an extra rack – in exchange, I make buttermilk cornbread for the meals. My other…

A few decades ago, you would only know the inside of a few homes and lives. Your own home, some family members’ homes, and maybe a few friends’ and neighbors’ homes. Sure, you’d be able to buy some home decor magazines and browse decor books at the library, but in doing so, you’d know those photos were curated and staged. Today, you can find thousands of pictures and videos of home interiors with a quick tap-tap-tap on a keyboard. That’s great for inspiration, but not so great for comparison. It’s easy to get caught up in the swirls of Pinterest…

I’m a sucker for improvement. Goals and challenges are my bread and butter. Though I’m a big advocator of making big changes the moment you realize you want to make them, I can also appreciate the anticipation of planning out smaller adjustments. Every year, I print out what I call “Turley Traditions”. They’re small, monthly checklists that go in my command station. It started a few years ago when I was in the throes of baby + toddler chaos. I wanted to list out the monthly traditions that tend to slip past unnoticed. By doing these consistently throughout their childhoods,…

With any luck, you’re reading this on Christmas Day, sitting in your pjs, sipping on a cup of hot cocoa or peppermint mocha coffee while the kids happily play with their new gifts. I want to take this moment to congratulate you, Mama. You did it. You created the magic, and whatever that looked like, it is enough. Elf on the shelf or not, perfectly wrapped presents or not, fancy dinner or not, your efforts are enough. Instead of scrolling through social media and letting the mom-guilt build, put down your phone and enjoy what you’ve built. Remind yourself that…