Author: Mackayla Turley
I celebrated my thirty-third birthday last week, and in full transparency, as it approached I was in a huge funk. I was grumpy, snappy, sensitive, and an overall kill-joy. I recognized that and knew I didn’t want to spend my b-day wallowing. Instead, the night before I decided to list 33 of my favorite things to do and see how many I could accomplish. 1. Water garden in the early morning (+)2. Get morning hugs & kisses from kiddos as soon as they walk out of their rooms (+/- this was difficult as a couple kids ended up in our…
I love to host, but know many find it daunting. Done right, I truly believe it can life-giving for anyone. Whether you’re hosting weekend guests or a friend that dropped by for an impromptu coffee and chat, the guidelines are the same. #1 – Don’t apologize for perceived flaws. My cousin and his wife from Colorado visited us for the weekend – it was a wonderful time. However, the week leading up to their visit was hectic and I didn’t have time to prepare the house like I usually do for overnight guests. The house was ok-ish thanks to our…
I’ll say it loudly: celebrations have gotten off track. Holidays, birthdays, parties, and get-togethers in general have gotten out of hand. Themes with matching menus and decor, one-time outfits for one-day photos, a plethora of junk goody-bag toys destined for the landfill, over the top everything. What happened to keeping the focus on spending time with loved ones? I think about this every time I walk into Walmart near a holiday, most recently with the large Easter aisles front and center. Does anyone really need another pastel egg decoration? Not a single kid I know needs an Easter-specific water bottle,…
My two-year old is having a moment with klutziness. Everywhere someone is stepping, wherever there is a laundry hamper or large box being moved, and each & every blind spot a family member has, there she is. As frustrating as it is, it’s become a big teaching moment – not for her, but for me. Each time she is accidentally bumped into, knocked over, or smushed, she exclaims, “I is otays! is accident, you no mean it!” Sometimes she throws in, “you love me! you a good mama/brudder/sister/dada!” for good measure. It’s really made me think, what if we all…
Unpopular opinion: I’m not super fond of the original “Hush Little Baby” lullaby. It’s ok, but promising a baby a bunch of gifts that aren’t really meant for kids irks me. It came on the kids’ playlist this morning, and in a fit of inspiration, fueled by caffeine, I decided to write my own. In the hustle and bustle of taking care of children and running a household, it’s easy to forget to do things just for the enjoyment of it. This was fun, and I suggest you pick up a pen and write your own version just because; if…
I’m a self-proclaimed minimalist. Not in an “all my possessions fit in one suitcase” way, but in a “having only what we use and love makes life better” way. I first minimized six years ago, and love our family’s life with less clutter and distractions. If I were starting again from scratch, here’s the process I would use. Start with the easy decisions. Trash and broken items are quick yeses to build momentum. Walk around your home with a garbage bag and pick up any trash you come across; this can range from empty food wrappers and drink containers to…
That’s not a typo. Ducks look calm, serene, and peaceful on the surface – even when zooming across the water, they seem to glide effortlessly. However, under the surface, they are paddling furiously. Ducks aren’t simply lazily moving their feet in a back and forth motion either; they use a complex motion that involves spreading and contracting their toes as they move as well. Social media often reminds me of a duck pond. It seems as if everything is great for everyone, everywhere! My house is always clean, my social life is always amazing, and did I mention my children…
We’ve all heard that classic, catchy saying: it takes a village to raise a child. It’s uttered from grandparents’ lips, plastered on post captions, and frequently found in parenting books. A village is regularly recommended as a cure-all in today’s world, but where do you find one? Motherhood is not for the weak; it is prioritizing others’ needs over your own, managing a household, and sacrificing free time and mental capacity for the good of the family. For many, add in joining the workforce, and juggling it all can seem impossible. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, seventy…