restful productivity to live deliberately & avoid overwhelm 

Welcoming this New Year

Welcoming this New Year

I love the beginnings of the New Year. I enjoy the fresh calendars, the new planners, the clean crisp notebooks, and the restructuring of my routines. I enjoy having some time for reflection and goal setting. In my time spent planning my next year, I have been thinking about 4 major topics. Ways to find…

Preparing My Heart For Christmas

Preparing My Heart For Christmas

I want to be fully present in this season. As I tackle the long list of all that must be done, I get discouraged. I begin to lose my energy and my enjoyment of celebrating the holidays with my family. I get through, make it special for others, I make all the special dishes. But…

How I Inherited a Love for Hobbies & Insouciance

How I Inherited a Love for Hobbies & Insouciance

We all come from generations of people who worked hard and then had lots of interests so that they could live abundant lives. They did not wait until they had all the knowledge or watch all the YouTube videos. They just tried stuff. When I think about all that my grandparents were able to do…

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. …

Morning Greeting

Morning Greeting

I am typically not a morning person (unless I am sitting in a camping chair). I require lots of coffee, quiet, and slow adjustment to the day. But even when I am half-awake I can see all the things that need to be done. ALL. THE. THINGS. Unfortunately, the listing part of my brain does…

Daily Theme Ideas for Summer

Daily Theme Ideas for Summer

Summer can be very complicated. We all look forward to the different pace that summer brings. I always picture it being simple, full of popsicles, swimming, and fun. But it often does not end up that way. At least for me. Summer does not feel the same as it did in my childhood. It is…

Why Decluttering Clears My Mind

Why Decluttering Clears My Mind

My favorite way to feel in control of my environment is to declutter something when I am overwhelmed.  When I feel emotionally drained, scattered, frustrated, and/or defeated I tackle small spaces that need to be organized. So much of my life is investing into invisible things. I make an amazing, healthy, homemade meal and it…

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,…