It’s always sad when a pet dies, but there is something different about the heartwrenching guilt that comes from a pet dying from something 100% preventable. Something you did or didn’t do that caused it. Most nights we let our hens free range for about an hour before bed. We hang out for a bit then leave the run open, they go into their coop when it starts to get dark, and the automated door makes sure they’re locked in safe all night. Then we go and shut the chicken run gate after putting the kids to bed so they’re…

I avoided spending $50 today. With our move coming up, I’ve TRIED to be more mindful of our budget since we’re going to have some big expenses take place in the next few months. But we are so spoiled with eating out. It’s hard to stop that habit! It’s getting better, but the days when I work a lot I just don’t want to get in the kitchen and cook. But I held strong at lunch time at Panera when I really wanted some French onion soup, and the app tried to entice me to get a pastry or cookie…

We finally have a closing date for the Oregon house my sister is buying for us to live in. January 31st! We’re house swapping. My sister and her family in our rental in California while we live in their house in Oregon. Just until we find a house and they’re ready to make the big move. The house is amazing! An acre of fenced land with lots for the kids to do. The house is a good size. It does have some flaws and it isn’t “nice” by California standards, but it has everything any of us want or need.…

Another Christmas wrapped up and lots of happy kids. Lots of toys. Possibly too much? I guess with a family of 5, it’s hard to be too minimal. There’s a fine line between a good amount without going overboard and being so minimal they’re disappointed. A few things I’ve learned in my 8 Christmas’s as a mother: This last year has been a lot harder than the last few, financially. While we’re making it, there’s less to play with, a lot more budgeting (and actually following it) to try and stay within a safe range, and our personal savings took…

One thing I’ve really started to focus on is really taking in little moments. Like right now. I got up early, because E (18m) decided he wanted to start harassing me before the sun even started peeking over the horizon by hitting me in the face and asking me to nurse (I’ve decided to stop nursing in the morning to try and break him of this). After fighting it for a while, I left the room and came down to make breakfast at 7am, while Blaine stayed in the room with E to try and get him to go back…

Now that I’m planning to blog about my life again, it’s time to discuss the topic of posting about kids online. In the past, I’ve shared my kids freely. But in recent years, especially after someone online crossed the line in an attempt to make me and my business look bad, I’ve pulled back a lot. These days, I share them on private social media with people I know. I don’t post them on anything public. I know that private on the internet is still not that private, but I’m comfortable with it for the most part. To be honest,…

With social media taking over the world, and all of my mental space some days because I “need” it for work, I crave the days when we could just sit with our thoughts or the same song on repeat for hours. Or maybe that was just being a teenager. Ha. Do they still do that or do they get lost scrolling endlessly on TikTok like me? Since my last post months ago where I “quit social media”, I gave in. And every time I do, I regret it. It’s just so hard to feel like it’s the one way to…

I’m not original. I literally just read (ok skimmed) a post by a blogger who says she quit social media. Like actually quit, not just took a break. Some of the things she wrote kind of hit me right in the gut. And while I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing right now, I do know that I’m taking a step back. I know that in taking breaks from social media in the past I’ve been able to learn that it does take a toll on me, it takes up way too much of my time, my mental space and…