restful productivity to live deliberately & avoid overwhelm 

Navigating Friendship – 4 Ideas for Where to Start

We all long to be deeply understood and known. That is truly the heart cry of humans. It’s why kids spill out long stories and complicated details when they feel comfortable. It is why movies with deep friendships move us and cause us to feel something. Wouldn’t it be great to jump into a TV…

Writing: From Drafting to Publication (w/Reed Mingault)

Sitting on the back porch at a family party this summer my cousin Reed and I got into a conversation about writing. As she shared ideas and tips I got out my phone and furiously took notes. This article is full of great information from her. I appreciate that her approach is different than mine.…

Taking a Summer Break from Homeschool

I think we all deserve a summer break. I have come across an interesting phenomenon in homeschool families. They expect to be doing school work year-round. Whether they are intentionally year-round schooling or just always feeling guilty for “not getting enough school work done”. I have experienced this guilt in my own home as well.…

Teaching My Teen to Leave Gracefully

I am in the midst of teaching my teen how to navigate this world and deal with big decisions. The saying goes that you learn how to do things best when you teach them. I am finding this to be very true. Recently we have learned what it looks like to leave a commitment (and…

Celebrating the End of the School Year

What does Summer Break mean to you? How do you separate that time from the rest of the school year? As a homeschool mom, I have the added challenge of making that time feel different to the kids than the rest of the school year. Sure, we take a break from our school work, and…

Plotting, Pantsing & Progress Trackers (w/Reed Mingault)

Reed sat with me in my quiet kitchen over muffins and tea. We talked about creating structure and putting in the work. She needed to go upstairs and pack her suitcase, but I kept her at the counter asking more questions and taking notes…🙂 (I love talking with writers about the craft. I have so…

Practical Meal Planning #2 (the How)

I am often frustrated by the meal planning systems created by others. They often assume that everything is “just peachy”. Most meal planning that I have found is based on having lots of time, strange fresh ingredients, or chef-style cooking skills. I usually don’t have that kind of evening cooking environment. I am a mom…

Resources for Fiction Writers (w/Reed Mingault)

Reed is a fiction writer primarily of secondary world Fantasy. “I write about whatever shiny has currently grabbed my attention, usually with magic, talking animals, and/or mythological creatures, wrapped up with hope.” she says. She started writing about the characters in her tabletop role-playing games when they wouldn’t stop pestering her, and eventually gave them…

Series Intro: Conversations About Writing with Reed Mingault

I am fortunate to have people in my life who inspire me. Reed Mingault is one of those. She is my cousin and writing buddy. We are both relatively new taking our writing seriously. This sparks great conversation whenever we get together. It is exciting to share the writing process with someone who thinks differently.…