Sweet Simplicity

November has arrived, and somehow the holiday season is already knocking at our doors! Before we know it, we’ll be making lists, checking them twice, and trying to remember where we hid the gifts we bought back in September. I love the magic of the holidays, but I...

There is a strange thing that happens when your children start leaving the house: You realize how much of your life has been organized around other people’s calendars. Practice, school events, dinners, rides, homework, activities — one child going one direction and...

Recently, we celebrated the first day of school, and as I welcomed a brand-new group of second graders into my classroom, I greeted everyone with a cheerful, “Happy New Year!” I know, I know. The calendar says September, not January. But as a teacher, the beginning of...

Have you noticed how differently we think about food these days? With the recent news about the Cyclospora outbreak linked to fresh produce, I have definitely found myself paying a little closer attention to where our fruits and vegetables come from. I tend to be a...

As a teacher, July feels a little different than the rest of the year. After months of bells, schedules, lesson plans, and packed calendars, summer offers something we don’t often give ourselves enough of: Permission to slow down. For years, I treated July like a...

Ahh, sweet summertime. The season of flip-flops, dripping ice cream cones, late sunsets, and somehow always needing one more beach towel. Even with the heat, humidity, mosquitoes, and sky-high electric bills, summer still manages to feel like a collective exhale. And...

Spring didn’t just arrive — it came in like Miley and her proverbial wrecking ball, like it had something to prove. After what felt like one of the longest, coldest, snowiest winters in recent memory, we’ve finally made it. You can almost hear the collective exhale....

As I sit down to write this, the forecast is finally calling for 70-degree days — and I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready. Spring has officially arrived, and this winter was brutal! With it comes longer days, more sunshine, and that much-needed boost of...

After a long winter of gray skies, cold days, and way too much time indoors, many of us are stepping back into the world with serious cabin fever. We’re craving fresh air, new scenery, real conversations, and meals we didn’t cook ourselves. The good news? You don’t...

Winter is the season when we spend the most time inside — which means our homes really start to feel ,... well, lived in. If you’re anything like me, the urge to refresh your space hits hard right about now. And yes, I’ll admit it: Stores such as HomeGoods and Hobby...