restful productivity to live deliberately & avoid overwhelm 

The Moving Finish Line of “Done”

The Moving Finish Line of “Done”

As an overachiever, I can be my own enemy. My own critic who raises expectations. I constantly move the finish line after I accomplish a goal or a difficult milestone. I do not stop and enjoy the achievement. I tell myself that I will. I say to myself in the hard moments when I have…

How I Read Every Day

How I Read Every Day

Why Getting A Lamp and Taking My Shoes Off Helps Me Read. I have a deep love for reading. I have worked to cultivate the consistent habit of reading for as long as I can remember.  When I arrive home from a family vacation I am annoyed that there was no time to read. I…

Tips for Moms with Mental Fatigue

Tips for Moms with Mental Fatigue

Parenting is hard. The learning curve of new parenting skills is always moving forward. There is an exhaustion that sets in from constantly thinking about small things, worrying about big things, and making decisions about what your children need. Each phase is radically different than before. Every few months there is a new skill to…

Encouragement for the Mom of Young Kids

Encouragement for the Mom of Young Kids

To the mom of young kids, I see you.  I hear your need to just sit in silence without anyone touching you. I get it that the laundry situation is impossible. I understand that the floors need to be swept and that you can’t even think straight. Tiny humans are hard in so many ways. …

My Counters Affect My Productivity

My Counters Affect My Productivity

How changing my habits with the dirty dishes and my cluttered kitchen counters rippled into my creativity. My Story – My dad was a professional chef and when I was little I was taught all about kitchen efficiency.  I learned about cooking tools, ways to prep your station, how to chop fruits and vegetables, and how to batch together tasks…

5 Energy Levels in Homemaking & Working from Home

5 Energy Levels in Homemaking & Working from Home

Managing myself is hard. I have to constantly assess what is most important and then spend time on those things. I must be diligent about how I invest my energy or it will be wasted on the unnecessarily urgent, the things that matter to other people, and the tasks that are fun. I have been…

New to Homeschooling? – Start Here

New to Homeschooling? – Start Here

Welcome to Homeschooling! This is a unique lifestyle and can be a place where you and your kids will grow exponentially. Everyone enters homeschooling in a unique way. We each bring different family dynamics, personalities, and relationships to education. Learning at home is a journey for the parent who is teaching just as much as the…

Gaining Control When I’m Overwhelmed

Gaining Control When I’m Overwhelmed

How to gain control when my head is spinning. Productive tips for moms, humans, and homemakers about what to do next. Article Outline: My Story Questions to Ask Practical ways to solve overwhelm Simple Checklist My Story The kids were gone at Home Depot with Jim. I had at least an hour to myself to do whatever…

Why Hobbies Matter

Why Hobbies Matter

My Story –   I have found that hobbies have become an important part of being “just April”. Myself. Just me. Not all the roles I play and things I do. But just me, creating something for the sake of creation. I used to tell myself that I will have hobbies when my kids are grown,…