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Making Positive Changes in the New Year
Setting New Year’s goals is crucial for personal growth, transforming vague dreams into actionable plans. Research shows that writing goals increases success rates. Utilizing the SMART method—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound—helps create clear objectives. Progress comes from taking actionable steps and maintaining motivation throughout the year.
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Taking time to be in the Moment this Christmas
I reflect on the contrast between childhood excitement for Christmas and adult preparations that can overshadow the celebration. Acknowledging the stress of organizing, I emphasize the importance of shifting from preparation to celebration. Deliberately finding joy in the moments and creating family experiences enhances the holiday spirit and allows for genuine enjoyment.
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Fall: A Surprisingly Important Time for Gardening
As a non-gardener, the first thing I think of when it comes to fall and gardening is, “Whew! Gardening is over and I get a break from keeping up with it.” When the weather turns cooler, the plants stop producing, and no more fruit will grow. Then the leaves dry up and fall off, sometimes…
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The Secret to Decorating…and more
While I have a fundamental objection to decorating for fall when it’s 100 degrees out, it’s September now, and when I look at the trees outside, I see that even God has started. So why am I fighting this? While warm Septembers and Octobers are common in our area, even despite the heat wave of…
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5 Great Back-to-School Photo Ideas Over the Years
When I was getting ready for my oldest child’s first day of Kindergarten, I did a search to come up with some good photo ideas for the first day of school. I found some that seemed fun and like they would be meaningful as the years passed, especially when comparing the most recent photos to…
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Our Family’s Month as Vegetarians – Both Easy And Hard
My kids and I tried being vegetarian for a month, which turned out easier and more enjoyable than expected. Despite the challenges of ensuring complete proteins and planning meals, we appreciated the variety and ease of vegetarian cooking. While we resumed eating meat, we’ll include more vegetable-forward meals for health and budget benefits.
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5 Helpful Tips on Packing for a Long Trip With Kids
Packing for family trips can be challenging, as it involves ensuring everyone has what they need while fitting everything into limited luggage space. Here are some ideas that can help.
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9 Summer Activities With Kids That Won’t Break the Bank
Now that school is out and my kids are home all day, I want to make sure to plan some fun activities for us to do together, and of course, they need to be affordable. I want to use this time to make memories, without breaking the bank to do it. Having planned, fun activities…
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Shopping AND Roller Coasters ? That’s Amazing! – Exploring the Mall of America
Ever since I heard about the Mall of America as a little kid, I wanted to go there. I was told that it was a mall so big, they fit a roller coaster inside it! My little kid mind = blown. Taking my two favorite things, shopping and roller coasters, and combining them into one.…
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Make This Common Decluttering Trick Work For You
We’ve probably all heard the closet decluttering technique involving turning our hangers around. The idea is that when we wear something, we can hang it with the hanger facing the opposite way and then at the end of a certain period of time, get rid of all the clothes on the hangers that haven’t been…
Karie Writes About Life
Ideas, inspiration, and fun as you build a life that lights you up.
Karie Writes About Home
Here I explore topics related to the home and family. Home is our haven. My goal is to make mine a warm and comforting space for my family to come home to, as well as a welcoming space for everyone we invite into it. This includes how it looks, how it runs, as well as the joys and challenges of family life. This will be a place to share about everything that goes into that.