Simple Meals + Honest Book Reviews + Practical Living
Back in May, I outlined my summer reading list: 10 fiction books for myself and 4 chapter books to read with my kids.
Summer, for me, is all about light, breezy reads—the rom-coms, the murder mysteries, the “turn your brain off” novels. Fall and winter are when I dig into heavier nonfiction, but summer? Loosey-goosey, popcorn reading.
So—here’s how it went. Some hits, some duds, and a few surprises.
I’m so excited about today’s digital reset because it ties directly into my goal of using my phone less. Think of this as a quick, practical guide — 10 minutes at a time — to clean up the digital clutter that drains your focus.
I feel like so much of our world is digital now, and it’s easy to let things pile up because it’s not physical clutter. Who cares if your camera roll has 14,000 photos or your inbox 10,000 emails? You can ignore it—until you realize it’s quietly taking up mental bandwidth.
I grew up in a world where phones sat on the kitchen wall, not in our pockets. Where we printed MapQuest directions, checked email once a day (if that), and boredom wasn’t something to be escaped with a quick scroll. Now, as a millennial mom raising four kids in the smartphone era, I’m reckoning with how radically different their childhood memories will be from mine—and how much my own attention has been stolen by the little screen I carry everywhere. This is the story of how I realized just how often I was reaching for my phone, and the system I’ve started using to reclaim my focus, my faith, and my life.
Today we’re diving into a book club episode, and you all know I only reserve these episodes for books I really, really loved—books I want to sit with, process, and share with you.
This week’s pick is The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff, a debut novel that completely broke me open… in the best possible way. 💔✨
Today’s post is a little different—it’s a peek into something I normally keep pretty private: our family budget.
We’re not going to break down every single dollar, but I’ll share how we structure our finances as a family of six—our living expenses, savings, bills, and even impulse spending. Think of this less as a “how-to” and more as a “here’s what it really looks like.”
👉 Spoiler: It’s not perfect, and that’s the point.
This is our first week back to school 🍎. Back-to-school season always brings excitement, fresh energy, and change—but I can’t help feeling a little wistful about saying goodbye to summer (see photo above). By the end of August, our family had found such a good rhythm, and everything felt like it was flowing. And now, with school starting, everything shifts again—new routines, new schedules, new energy. It can feel like a lot, especially with Labor Day around the corner and the holidays quickly piling up. The last third of the year is always a whirlwind: birthdays, school activities, holiday prep, meal planning, home projects, and travel. This year, I wanted one place to hold it all—so I created something I call The Fall Dashboard.
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