Family Friday Five: The Odyssey, Marriage Therapy and more
I can’t believe I finally get to say HAPPY WEEKEND! It’s been a full-on wild ride this past week. A skateboard accident where a child’s teeth met with the pavement (the pavement won, so we have some significant dental work coming up) and school revving up… it’s been nonstop. And
How to be an Adult: On The Vanishing American Adult
As the new school year kicks into gear, my thoughts turn to education, learning, and how best to serve my kids’ needs. Their schooling is constantly on my mind – Are they in the right classroom/school? Are they learning the right things? Are they advancing well enough? Yet this pressure
Places & Tips for a Vacation in Roatan, Honduras
Years ago, Mr. Family Trip and I were able to sneak away for a long weekend (thanks to the grandparents!). But we were stumped on where to go. We yearned for some place with a new-to-us culture; a new stamp for our passport; warm, tropical breezes; and also feasible to
Family Friday Five: Books That Build Character, Nuns and more
It is hard to find the new normal, lately. As a person who generally has a hard time with routine, I appreciate that my job is NOT a routine grind. That said, as summer is in the throes of ultimate laziness, I find myself missing adventure and the outdoors (as
A Family Trip to Vail, Colorado
It seems bizarre writing about our family’s snow-filled trip to wintry wonderful Vail, Colorado earlier this year when I am currently sweating and in flip flops. But this popular destination books quick, so if you are thinking of going, then let’s get on it! Before you hit “reserve” on that
Family Friday Five: Overtourism Debates, Neck Issues & Pretty Cookbooks
I am excited to get back to sharing our top family picks for you this week. AND, I am excited for the weekend! We are still running around, feeling out of sorts because we still aren’t settled in our new house and life here in Virginia, so I will likely
Internet Safety (& Balance) For Kids
This post is a labor of love, a personal research project months (years) in the making. This was almost two posts but, really, Internet safety and screen-time balance for kids are two topics intricately linked. We have kids who love devices – WE love our devices. They are powerful and
Does Self-Care Mean Working Out MORE? (I tried it.)
I know self-care is important. One of the things modern-day parenting pounds into us is that we have to look out for ourselves, to treat our spirits like fragile baby birds. Nurture. By listening to our inner hearts and tending to them we can be better parents, spouses, and friends.
Renting an RV Through RV Share
If your parenting is trending like ours (and like the rest of the citizenry obsessed with that bewitching little Marie Kondo), you are currently encouraging “experiences” over “stuff,” especially when it comes to gifting. So when our youngest asked to spend the night in an RV for his birthday, we
What I Learned When I Did 108 Sun Salutations
In retrospect, I was pretty dumb. I walked into the yoga studio, willingly and blindly skipping into a class that promised 108 sun salutations. “Come Renew and Refresh Your Spirit in This Ancient Practice!” The signs all made me promises. I was clearly naive. The biggest piece of me treated this
Why is a Weekend Alone So Hard?
As a busy mom, I am pretty good at complaining. One complaint I have perfected: “All I want is to be completely alone, do whatever I want when I want, without anyone asking me for anything.” Sound familiar? But it turns out that when the rubber hits the road, it
The Benefits of Journaling Every Day
There has been a lot (a TON) going on behind the scenes in my life right now. And, for our family’s sake and to try to maintain our sanity, we’ve maintained a careful relationship with social media and the Internet. But that’s hard because one of the primary ways I
Why Pink Hair?
Ed. Note: this post was written last year. The pink hair is gone, life is moving forward, but if you are wondering why ladies are popping up with colored hair lately, read on. Look, the reason why Gilmore Girls is brilliant is not because of the quick, witty dialogue. Its
On The Fringe Hours: Having it all.
*Please note that there are affiliate links in this post. Thanks for your support!* This book captured, in a beautifully bound 249-page nutshell, my sincerest struggle since becoming a mother: what do I make time for? When time is such a rare commodity, and the way time is defined has so
5 Things We Learned in January
Life steams onward, with kids and ongoing demands and always the next sports practice. It can be challenging to stop and reflect. It seems self-indulgent to take time once a month to dig in to what is working and what is not. BUT, unless we slow down and do this,
Three Ways for Families to Enjoy NC State Parks
It is hard living at the beach during the winter (I know, you are weeping for us). But, truthfully, we are a family that loves to be outside. When the weather is frigid, the frothy sea is impossible. Luckily, even in the middle of a terrible federal government shutdown, we
Overnight Travel on an Amtrak Train with Kids: The Roomette
Ah, the chugging and rocking and thunder of trains. It is something our culture hangs on to – a throwback to a bygone era, a moment to reminiscence about “the way things were.” Movies remind us how train travel was like nothing else. All the things that could happen on
How to Workout Without a Gym
Ah yes, the New Year’s Resolution. How many of us picked “health” and “work out more” as 2019 resolutions? (I raised my hand, too.) It is no secret, though, that even with beginning-of-the-year incentives, gym membership can be expensive. While I found a secret way to save money on gym
The Best Books Our Kids Read in 2018
When I listed my favorite books in 2018, I looked at my children quietly reading next to me and thought. it would be fun to ask them THEIR favorite books in 2018. What they shared was interesting. I honestly thought it would skew very heavily to “boy” reads. But it
The Best Books I Read in 2018
Reading is an integral part of life in our home. One of my favorite T-shirts says “The Book is Always Better” – I wear it as often as I can. And I can ALWAYS talk books. Always. I read a whopping 54 books this year. (Mr. Family Trip is still
Things We’ve Learned {December 2018 Edition}
I went to yoga yesterday morning reluctantly. I had powered through work on my new passion project, and while I can dream forward I felt concern for how newborn and tender it is. I haven’t been sleeping well, indulging in 3:00 a.m. scenes of “I wish I had said,” or
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Menu and Meal Planning
I love hosting, particularly family. (It is the reason we work so hard on our home – to make it comfortable for entertaining.) Planning the Christmas menus and meals is particularly fun for me. But it is also it’s a lot of work. The key, I feel, is to be
Establishing a Thought Practice: A Write the Word Journal Review
Last Christmas, somewhat on a whim, I mentioned I wanted one of the Cultivate What Matters Write the Word Journals. Please note there are affiliate links in this post. A click provides a small amount of support for The Family Trip. This seemingly came out of nowhere, even for predictably
How to Establish an Attitude of Gratitude in Kids
It is Thanksgiving week. Naturally, in addition to how to cook the turkey and whether it is “stuffing” or “dressing,” our thoughts turn to gratitude – the giving of thanks. Did you know that gratitude has to be cultivated? I am not sure I know many human beings born with an
At The North Carolina Balloon Festival
The tale of our time at the North Carolina hot air balloon festival (called the Carolina BalloonFest) is really a tale of expectations – those lost and those surprisingly exceeded. If expectations could soar, mine were in outer space. And lofty dreams are tough to fulfill when they ride on
Ways to Help During a Natural Disaster
As the world seems to blaze and blow, it starts to hurt the heart. There is so much need and so much devastation lately. The number of natural disasters has steadily gone up since 1975, peaking with over 500 reported natural disasters in 2000. (source) As I shared in our
Finding (& Following) Your Path: Ways to Change
Remember my last post, the one where I shared gratitude and Family Friday Five links? No? Probably not because IT WAS SO LONG AGO. But here I am, months later, and you all are still clicking (thanks) and I am still thinking (fortunately). And I find myself pulled back to
Family Friday Five: Gratitude, Creativity & Life in the Ordinary
It has been a rough week here; a rough summer. We’ve been reeling for weeks from the tragic death of a best friend and Mr. Family Trip’s immense workload. Then, to top it off, this week the cat got fleas (first-time ever) and a routine oil change went bad and
The (real mom’s) Guide to Meal Planning
Meal planning is all the rage. And it should be. Sitting down for 30 minutes to an hour once a week can save a lot of money (for more budget tips, visit our series), headache, stress, and calories. But (Mrs. Family Trip here) it feels like so much of the
Family Friday Five: Parks, Budgets, Mommy’s Time Out & more
There are so many wonderful things out there to help families, kids, and parents live a healthy, satisfying life. Here’s what’s been motivating us this week…. Our Family Friday Five Roundup includes: Please note there are some Amazon affiliate links below. This means that if you click, we see a
Easy Back to School Lunch and Snack Ideas for Kids
We’re engaged in a mighty effort here to get back to reasonable spending after a lazy summer month of too much (costly) fun. And one of the quickest ways to save is by bringing all food in-house. We pack our kids’ lunches and snacks for school every day and have
How to Save Money at the Grocery Store (without couponing)
After a summer of extravagance (“yes, boys, we can go to the trampoline park then out to eat!”), it is time to tighten up again. One of the easiest ways I shave money from our expenses is to look more carefully at that grocery store bill. But I am not
A Secret Way to Save Money on a Gym Membership
When I (mom) quit my job to tend to kids, our household had to scale back. But one thing I knew I couldn’t let go was my gym membership. I have met so many great friends there, the community is full of amazing people, and it has shaped my life
Meet Kim Bland: Being a Mom Missionary
Kim was in college and had never been on a mission trip in her life when she came home for break and told her family that she was going to be a missionary. While it may have surprised her parents, Kim knew in heart she was going to serve. For
Inside the Wanderlust Festival Snowshoe
I stumbled on the Wanderlust Festival in Snowshoe, West Virginia quite by accident. Late one night, scrolling through Instagram, something beautiful and yogic caught my attention and by a slew of clicks, I discovered the Wanderlust company. I turn 40 this year and, while not bemoaning the loss of my
Supporting a Child Across the World Through Compassion International
I was about 25 years old. I had started going to a mega-church in Washington, D.C. because my parents had raised me to and, to be honest, meeting good men in the city was tough. (I had to grow into my spirituality it seems.) After one of the services, in
Our AWESOME Family Summer System
There are so many ways to make summer successful for the family. From packing the perfect family pool bag to keeping their minds engaged with podcasts and puzzles, we work hard around here to shape a childhood summer in a way we love. But, then, of course, those kiddos can
Visiting Antwerp, Belgium
It’s funny how we’ve shared here Brussels and Bruges, what we saw and what we learned, but haven’t yet shared our experiences visiting Antwerp, Belgium. In truth, Antwerp, Belgium was the entire reason for the trip! “Dad” had a business trip there, so “Mom” (me) went along, able to use
Classic Cocktail Hour: The Gin Gimlet
Summer days = slow days watching our children chase water toys around the pool and refreshing cocktails in the backyard at night. We enjoy a cocktail hour around this house. It is an opportunity to slow down at the end of a day, reconnect, and occasionally exercise some creativity by
Tips to Seeing an Airshow
We adore going to airshows. Grandpa was a Navy pilot and Uncle was in the Air Force, so perhaps it is in our DNA. But we try to go to an airshow once a summer. Whether you are watching the Thunderbirds or the Blue Angels, the adrenaline rush from the
Keep the Kids’ Brains Engaged this Summer
Ah, summertime with the kids. We love it, but it can also require some huge adjustments. The kids are home all day, or on a modified schedule, and trying to keep the household operating while also luxuriating in lazy days is a precarious balance. In our house, we also try hard to
Hosting a Foreign Exchange Student
This time last year, we were welcoming our first foreign exchange student into our home. Through a Facebook connection, we learned a local organization needed homes for high school students from Russia who would be visiting our area for the summer. Honestly, this had an element of risk attached to
What to Know About a Juice Cleanse
We believe that the body is a temple and we are tasked with taking care of it. Plus, we want to be around to embarrass our grandkids someday and that starts now. So I suppose it should be no surprise that I tried a juice cleanse. Before you decide if
Visiting Bruges, Belgium
On some rare occasions, pure magic happens when you travel. When it does, you grab the day and live it hard. But when it is done, you wonder, was that amazing day a gift from the place (a city or setting that is a hub of magic) or is it
How to Pack The Perfect Family Pool Bag
Pool season is upon us here in the Southeast states, and it is gorgeous. But, as Boys Scouts or someone says, being prepared is next to godliness (or something). We have logged many family pool days in our lives and have a routine down. We promise you will have much
How to Have a Hummingbird Feeder
Grandpa has a hummingbird feeder. He has had one for decades, wherever he has lived. If a hummingbird visits his feeder, we stop all conversation to lovingly stare at the sleek little body warily humming near us. If you are playing Grandpa in Apples to Apples, save the hummingbird card
Visiting Brussels, Belgium
Belgium was never on my radar screen. When I sat with a world map, or when I plotted places to visit in my Bullet Journal, Belgium was never there. Overlooked, forgotten, tiny. Which is a travesty since it is full of some of the best things God gave us. The
How to Get it “All” Done
We had a short conversation about life with a parenting friend lately. “Yes, we are so busy and then I remembered it’s April! April is always our busiest month! When sports are over things will calm down and we can get back to life.” And it got me thinking: is
A Family Visit to Everglades National Park
I am not sure what my expectations were, but I realized suddenly that I was in the Everglades with my children. This is the park of legends…of swamp monsters and mosquitoes…of kayaks and marshes…. Or so I thought. Instead, my family and I were on a pontoon boat in the
22 Easy Rainy Day Activities for Kids
When a rainy day comes and you are stuck inside, kids are stuck inside with you. Things can get tense. And while the Pinternet is full of fantastic ideas on how to entertain your children, no one says that it has to be complicated. There is no reason to run