I'm sharing ten simple shifts that made our home calmer, kinder, and more joyful, from fall break routines and kid chores to one-pot dinners and paper cycle tracking. The theme of this episode is gratitude!

1. Long fall break without school rush
2. Kids stepping up with dishes, sweeping, resets, laundry
3. Monochrome gym uniforms to cut decisions
   • Favorite cropped tee
   • Plum quarter zip
   • Navy quarter zip
4. Building a small real-clothes capsule
5. Early mornings with Scripture and prayer
6. One-pot curries, rice on repeat, frozen ginger cubes
7. Habit stacking coffee maker and feeding sourdough starter
8. Boxed pumpkin bread as a seasonal shortcut
9. Page-turner thrillers to restart reading joy
10. Paper cycle tracking with daily body cues

#44: 10 Things Simplifying My Life Right Now, Part I, #115: 10 Things Simplifying My Life Right Now, Part II, #131: 10 Things Simplifying My Life Right Now, Part III

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Our first sukkah, a broken foot, and a reminder that curveballs aren’t rejections — they’re invitations. This week taught me about slowing down, showing up anyway, and finding joy in the middle of the mess. 🕊️

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This week I’m sharing about one of my favorite rhythms in our family life: Sabbath. Why we keep it, how it shapes our week, and why rest is good for everyone — body, soul, family, and culture.

I’ll talk about our own Sabbath table, the prep that makes it possible, and some wisdom from Genesis and beyond that has helped me see rest as not just a pause, but a gift.

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Today's episode is a Part II of breaking free from cell phone addiction by turning smartphones into "dumb phones." Reclaiming our attention through intentional boundaries, mainly by living like it's 1995 again.

• Deleting apps like banking, email, shopping, and browsers forces intentional computer-based usage
• Setting boundaries like no phone before 7am and designated check-in times reduces compulsive checking
• Switching to paper grocery lists and physical tracking systems eliminates constant phone dependency
• Leaving the phone in the car during errands creates freedom from constant digital connection
• Using an actual camera instead of phone camera brings back nostalgic imperfection in photography
• Placing the phone in one location at home (like an old house phone) prevents room-to-room carrying
• Weekly 25-hour "phone Sabbath" provides complete digital detox from Friday to Saturday night

If this journey inspires you to make changes in your own phone habits, I'd love to hear about your experience!

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I share my journey through 14 books read this summer - ten adult fiction and four children's books - reviewing the highlights, disappointments, and unexpected emotional moments along the way.

• My standout favorite was "The Wedding People" by Alison Espach, likely to be in my top five books of the year
• "Ask for Andrea" by Noelle Wehe captivated me with its unique perspective from murder victims in the afterlife
• Some highly-rated books like "The Grace Year" and "Don't Forget to Write" fell completely flat for me
• "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo made me ugly cry twice while reading it to my children
• Children's book "Pax" by Sarah Penny Packer dealt with themes too heavy for young children despite my initial excitement
• Some unexpected additions to my summer reading included Taylor Jenkins Reid's "Atmosphere" and Dr. Becky Kennedy's parenting guide
• Books that receive universal acclaim online can still be disappointing to individual readers
• The most satisfying reads often come from unexpected places

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Digital clutter may not take up physical space, but it consumes valuable mental bandwidth and creates background anxiety we often ignore. This episode provides a comprehensive September reset for five key digital areas.

• Phone usage is examined through the lens of "pickups" rather than screen time—revealing how we check phones every 8 minutes on average
• Simple strategies for breaking phone addiction include app deletion, grayscale display, and designated check-in times
• Computer organization focuses on desktop cleanup, download folder purging, and refreshing wallpapers
• Email management tips include separate addresses for different purposes (personal, kids' activities, shopping)
• Photo organization works best with timed 10-minute sessions, starting with older photos where emotional attachment is lower
• Color-coded family calendars serve as the "single source of truth" with different colors for each family member and activity type
• Breaking digital decluttering into small, manageable 10-minute sessions makes the process less overwhelming

Join me in this digital reset journey—I've already reduced my phone pickups from 90 to 37 per day and feel mentally lighter. I'd love to hear your thoughts on phone usage and digital decluttering strategies!

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"The Bright Years" by Sarah Damnoff is a debut novel that explores addiction's devastating impact across three generations of a family. This powerful story unfolds over three decades through alternating perspectives, weaving together themes of alcoholism, adoption, redemption, and the resilience of imperfect love.

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Ever wonder what a real family budget looks like? This week I’m opening up our June 2025 numbers — every dollar we spent on groceries, clothes, dining out, birdseed (yes), birthday parties, and last-minute ice cream runs.

I’m sharing where the impulse spending sneaks in, what makes it worth it, and how I think about money not just as math but as a living record of our values, chaos, and care.

Come peek behind the budget curtain. I hope it inspires you to look at your own spending with a little more honesty — and a lot more grace.

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