April Edwards – Page 14 – Embracing Home

The Overstuffed Suitcase vs. Nurturing My Children

I often add a sense of urgency to education which is not helpful for a learning atmosphere. When I was a teacher in the public school system, I was pushed to have my students perform well on test scores. To fill them up with as much information as I could. The goal was to meet…

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Work From Home Tip – Use Timers

April EdwardsProductivity

“Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” – Parkinson’s law. We all fight against different forms of procrastination. The honest truth is that the work will not get completed if we do not have a deadline in front of us. Whether that deadline is made by someone else or by…

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Sabbath Q + A the Top 5 Questions Answered

April EdwardsSabbath Living

I am learning how to create an atmosphere of rest. I am making space for life-giving activities amidst all the things that my weekly schedule holds. I tend to be overly productive and not very fun. But each step I take toward resting well is a healthy step in the right direction. As I wrestle…

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Practical Tips for a Hard Season

April EdwardsMom Life

Life is hard. Sometimes it just sucks. I’m sorry to be blunt but it’s true. I have had some hard seasons lately that have rocked me and stopped me in my tracks. But, I have learned beautiful things in the midst of hard circumstances too. Today I want to be extra practical for those of…

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Tips for Clarity when Juggling Multiple Roles

April EdwardsProductivity

This life is a complicated balancing act. We each have different roles we play, things we manage, and jobs we do. The more responsibilities you have the more complicated your life gets. So how do we move forward and not get stuck? How do we keep going? There are unfinished lists, unhappy people, and a…

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Navigating Friendship – the Key to Finding Connection

April EdwardsMom Life

Okay, you did it. You got past the schedules, you found a place, and found some people. Awesome! You are headed toward a new goal of creating friendships. You showed up and talked with people. You made some connections. You have a few class members and acquaintances that you want to get to know better.…

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Navigating Friendship – 4 Ideas for Where to Start

April EdwardsMom Life

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…

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

April EdwardsWriting

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.…

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Taking a Summer Break from Homeschool

April EdwardsHomeschooling

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.…

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Teaching My Teen to Leave Gracefully

April EdwardsMom Life

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…

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