I am relieved that Trump will be leaving office, but I am genuinely despondent that the majority of white Christians voted for Trump again, even after all the racist dog whistles and his bastardization of the Christian faith. We seemed to have learned nothing from this summer of visible and violent racism. Instead we are ready to “seek unity” and be embraced kindly across the aisle now that the so-called “Christian” candidate is no longer in power. I am writing this out for me and for those of you who recognize Trumpism as the idol it is, who are trying to figure out how to love one’s enemy ..read more

There are so many great reasons to choose natural dye. It’s cheap, it’s ecologically friendly, and it’s likely sitting in your kitchen as we speak. Since your husband won’t let you dye your living room’s white curtains, let’s dye a boring white t-shirt, the third white t-shirt in your wardrobe, the one that you exclusively wear under your spaghetti strap jumpsuit to make it work-appropriate. Let’s dye it a warm cappuccino brown using — of course — coffee! First, gather all your materials: a white t-shirt (preferably 100% cotton, though in a pinch, 48% cotton, 4% spandex, and 48% modal works t ..read more

I struggle with social anxiety. A lot. When I was a young teenager, I attended a fabulous princess birthday party. As part of the royal treatment, fellow homeschool boys had been recruited to play butlers. One of their jobs was fetching our drinks. At a snap of a finger (or really, a breezy, “Brent, could you refill my glass, please?”) they would happily ladle in some sherbet-colored punch. This was a nightmarish situation for me. For one, boys. I was intimidated by boys my age for a variety of incomprehensible reasons that left me in a sweat. For two, inconveniencing people. I could get ..read more

Hosanna, I was reminded on Palm Sunday, doesn’t mean hooray! It means Please save us. I forget this, because the Palm Sunday processional is such fun. We’re bouncing on our toes to keep warm as we wait outside the church. (It’s always miserable weather on Palm Sunday…except for this one time we’re all stuck at home in quarantine.) Our deacon is double-checking to make sure everyone’s got an oversized palm branch — and take a folded palm cross. Or two. Then we get the signal, and everyone starts marching or sashaying or traipsing around the parking lot, over the grass, across the sidewalk, awk ..read more

If you scrolled through my Pinterest boards, you’d think I’m some sort of DIY goddess with a great affinity for decor, a pioneer who’s not afraid to go big and bold with a dark accent wall, an eclectic stylist who collects tons of house plants and meaningful knickknacks (but also super into minimalism). I mean, that’s the plan, but the reality is I am terrified of DIY projects. And home decorating? The thought of it makes me sweat. It’s an extension of my anxiety around change and decision-making. What if I repaint the ugly dresser and hate it? What if I spend a bunch of money on new furniture ..read more

There’s nothing quite like the bond of reading and rehashing a book — even a terrible one. Unfortunately, my husband and I aren’t usually on the same page in our personal reading lives. He likes dense books and technical nonfiction, classics and sweeping five-hundred page narratives. He’s been begging me to read a fantasy trilogy for years that I just can’t work up the interest in. I love character-driven modern novels about relationships, different cultures and lifestyles, and self-discovery. I don’t even bother suggesting my favorite books anymore — though I did buy him Trevor Noah’s Born a ..read more

It used to be more stressful for me to send my husband grocery shopping than simply doing it myself. I’d still be the one coming up with the meal plan, then making the list itself—a long process that involved us texting back and forth on what he needed from the store, writing specific brands and quantities, then verbally reading it out loud to him to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. Plus there was the issue of what platform to write and save lists on. I used my phone’s notepad, I printed out Word documents, I wrote with dry erase markers on laminated paper. A pain. Enter Cozi! It’s a fa ..read more

This is definitely what my table looks like at every meal. *cough*I’m always looking for something simple and quick to throw on the table for those days when I don’t have much time or energy to cook. Two mindset shifts have made my cooking life much easier: 1. Decide on what food groups I want to serve in each meal, and plug in foods that meet that requirement. Duh, but I used to think in terms of planning whole meals (quiche on Wednesday, pizza on Friday, etc.) and shopping specifically for those meal only. This is great — unless I’m too busy on Wednesday to make quiche, or I used up the eggs ..read more

Via My BabaSometimes the worst parenting days are the ones where you’ve got a plan and a positive attitude. You know what I’m talking about? Those days when you’ve finally got enough energy and inspiration to do something fun? Your toddler starts putzing around the house, bored, and instead of flipping on the TV, you say, “Oh! I have an idea! You’ll love this!” So you set up that activity you’ve had pinned on Pinterest for two years, that one where the kids hammer golf tees into styrofoam. It’s perfect because your toddler loves “booming” things. You don’t have golf tees or styrofoam, so you r ..read more

I’ve got a toddler and a newborn, and often their needs conflict in a way that leaves me feeling stretched thin and not enough. Even when there aren’t two voices begging for my attention, and both babies are content, I sometimes feel stretched thin and not enough. I’m parenting from the couch. All I want to do with any spare time is nap. I haven’t taken my kids outside in a few days. It’s too hard to go on fun outings right now with a baby still learning to breastfeed. I made cereal for breakfast again. My toddler’s been playing from a bunch of scattered toys on the playroom floor instead of ..read more