restful productivity to live deliberately & avoid overwhelm 

Blue Dots, Feeling Fearful & Tackling Overwhelm

Blue Dots, Feeling Fearful & Tackling Overwhelm

The Blue Dot Effect study shows how our brains tend to find something “wrong” or “scary” in situations—even if the actual danger has disappeared. The Blue Dot Effect study — here’s how it works: In the study, participants were shown a series of colored dots and were asked to identify which ones were blue. At…

An Overachiever’s Thoughts on Managing Expectations

An Overachiever’s Thoughts on Managing Expectations

Ever feel like your own expectations are tripping you up? Let’s break them down, examine what really matters, and find freedom in embracing the season you’re in. “There is no expectation without explanation.” – Leah Boden I have used this quote to improve my relationships with my kids, in homeschooling, and even in my marriage.…

New Year, Same Old Me

New Year, Same Old Me

The calendar change does not require an upending of my life, just encouragement to make small adjustments. Yesterday I sat in my quiet kitchen with gingerbread toast, a mug of English tea, and listened to a podcast that reminded me of a few of my foundational truths. “I want us all to have the foundational…

My Top 5 Tips from 23 Years of Marriage

My Top 5 Tips from 23 Years of Marriage

Relationships are hard. Humans are flawed and messy. (Especially me.) In honor of our anniversary, here are a few things that I have learned over the years. In the last 23 years, we have had some great moments and hard ones. We have had seasons of closeness and times when we each did our own…