Practical Help for Everyday Life
Being a stay-at-home mom of six, homeschooling our children, and living on one income has never been easy.
There were seasons when unemployment meant relying on food stamps and food banks. There were years when our daughters' medical diagnoses caused our financial obligations to grow exponentially. We went from being debt-free to carrying more debt than I ever imagined.
None of it was easy.
But I'm thankful for one thing. I was raised with very little, and because of that, I learned how to cook from scratch, stretch a dollar, make something out of almost nothing, and find contentment no matter what our circumstances looked like.
Over the years I've shared these ideas through social media, blogs, and classes. I've taught ways to make birthdays magical without spending a fortune, how to celebrate the simple joys of everyday life, healthy swaps for your home, and practical ways to make life work when money is tight.
This blog gives me a place to gather all of those ideas in one place.
Here you'll find things like:
- Favorite family recipes
- Weekly meal plans
- Cook once, eat for several days ("planned overs")
- Healthy and simple swaps for your home
- Gardening tips
- Crafts and DIY projects
- Family Fun Night ideas
- Homeschool encouragement and resources
- Natural living
- My favorite products
- Holiday traditions and ideas
- Home organization
- Money-saving tips
- Daily encouragement
- And whatever else life teaches me along the way.
I think this may end up being my favorite section of the website because it reflects so much of who I am.
These are the things I have loved for more than 30 years—raising children, homeschooling, cooking, baking, creating traditions, living as naturally as possible, and making a home where people feel safe, loved, and welcomed.
This is where I'll probably pour out the biggest pieces of my heart.
Of course, grace will still be woven through every post.
Because you need a lot of grace to be a stay-at-home mom and homeschool teacher to six children.
You need grace when you're staring at a pantry that looks nearly empty, trying to figure out what to make for dinner.
You need grace when life doesn't go according to plan.
Grace is what carried me through the years of having six children under eleven.
Grace carried me through the years of homeschooling.
Grace carried me through financial struggles, sleepless nights, and seasons I wasn't sure we'd make it through.
And grace is what has brought me to this stage of motherhood, where I can finally look back, see what worked, laugh at some of what didn't, and hopefully encourage someone else along the way.
My prayer is that you'll find something here that makes your life a little easier, your home a little warmer, your budget stretch a little farther, and your heart feel a little lighter.
I hope you'll stick around.
And if you know a young mom who could use a little practical help and a whole lot of encouragement, I hope you'll share Everyday Grace with her.
Because I want to be for other moms what I wish I had when my children were little—a friend who's willing to say, "I've been there. Let me help."
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