I had the privilege of interviewing Sally Clarkson this week for my podcast. Sally joined me to chat about how we can cultivate a life-giving family revolving around meal times and making special memories!

I was so glad to get to sit down with Sally, chat about these topics, and ask her my own questions about overwhelm and implementing all these new ideas.

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

Sally just came out with her latest book, The LifeGiving Table. I read it in just a few days, I loved it, and I walked away with a few questions about how to best implement the ideas for someone like me who is utterly overwhelmed with young kids in the house.

So if you have some questions about how these concepts apply to seasons of life that are crazy, no worries, we are going to cover that! So listen to the podcast episode above.

Want to read her newest book?

You can find her book on Amazon

You can find her book on Christian Book

OR get it for FREE with a trial membership on Audible (see below)

I love listening to her books as audiobooks because so much of what she shares is story based. So they are great books to listen to out loud. If you've been wanting to get her new book, then I highly recommend you sign up for a FREE 30 day trial of Audible and you will get TWO FREE audiobooks of your choice.

My two favorite Sally Clarkson books so far are The Lifegiving Table and Own Your Life, both of which you can use your two free credits on. Then just make sure to cancel in those first 30 days if you don't want to continue your membership (although Jason and I have had an audible membership for years and LOVE IT)! Even if you cancel your membership, you will get to keep those two free books...you own them!

You can sign up for your FREE trial here! 

2018 Devotional Planner

I am so excited to share a brand new sponsor to the podcast, Anchored Press!! They sell devotional planners and a quiet time journal. I've been chatting with the owner, Deana and I love that we both have the same heart for encouraging women to dig into God's Word!

Deana sent me two of her devotional planners - a weekly layout and a daily layout and I am in LOVE!! The pink one in this picture is the daily format and it just so happens to match my blog colors which makes me love it even more!

One of the really special things about the planners is that there are devotionals sprinkled throughout. So not only are you doing your weekly planning - but you are also focusing on Christ along the way! (My sister loved these ones so much that she is using the daily one for 2018! She's very excited!!)

Deana is offering you guys a super special offer (you will WANT to take advantage of this)! When you purchase a 2018 devotional planner from Anchored Press, you will her Quiet Time Journal for FREE!!

All you have to do is add both items to your cart and then use coupon code: YOUNGWIFESGUIDE at checkout and you will get the $19 quiet time journal for FREE. (and you guys - this isn't a digital item, this is the physical printed quiet time journal!)

Find out more about their devotional planners here!

I did an episode back in the beginning of Summer on fun summer hospitality ideas. And I realized that other than that, I haven't covered hospitality here on my podcast since episode #5! So it's time to do a mini-series on hospitality. 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

Hospitality is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. I am very passionate about it and have honestly fallen in love with it over the last several years. 

But since starting to practice hospitality I've also had 5 babies, lost my mother, moved five times, etc. Life gets busy and overwhelming and the thought of starting or adding back in hospitality can be daunting! 

But hospitality can also be an amazing way to serve throughout the busy seasons! Especially for me in this season of little kids, hospitality becomes the #1 way in which I can realistically serve. 

It’s really easy in the busy seasons of our lives to feel like there’s not a lot of time to serve. We want to serve our neighbors, be good influences for extended family, and reach out and serve within our local churches.

 But it can be tough when you are working full time, or you are homeschooling, or you have a house full of littles. It can be tough to find areas to serve. 

The importance of serving in every season

 As Christians, our lives are one big call to serve. We are to actively seek to die to ourselves and live for Christ. As we will discuss, what this looks like changes from season to season and family to family. But the Bible is clear: Our live purpose is most fulfilled when we seek to serve.

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” -  John 12:26 

“Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” - Joshua 22:5

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” - Galatians 2:20

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” - Luke 9:23

 It’s not an easy task, but God has called us to a life of serving. He has called us to deny ourselves and think of Christ. Of course, we will never be perfect in this, but it is what we are to strive for. Serving others and laying aside self. 

So regardless of the season, we are called to serve with our lives. We are to serve God and serve others.

Our service goes far beyond simple good acts

“We’ll talk about this much more in due time, but for now, fellow nurturers, know this: When we serve others – discipling, changing diapers, saving lives at a pregnancy resource center, stacking chairs after Sunday School – it is more than human do-goodery. It is holy and acceptable worship done unto the Lord. All of it is possible because our High Priest, Jesus, went before us. His blood speakers for us in our atonement and in our priestly work done here in the outer court of the world. Your service unto God is holy.” Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman

But different seasons come with different responsibilities. As a believer, I am called to use my life to serve. But in this current season,

I read a great new book this Summer all about learning how to pray for your girls and with your girl. If you are a girl mama, or just want some encouragement on praying with your kids, then we've got a great episode for you today! 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

Meet Our Guest Today:

The guest on the show today is Teri Lynne Underwood, author of the new book Praying for Girls! 

In today's episode, Teri Lynne and I chat all about the importance of praying for our girls, how this is unique to the mother-daughter relationship, and then we also venture into a discussion on social media that is very encouraging for everyone to listen to! 

Teri Lynne Underwood is a Word lover and idea slinger. Passionate about encouraging others to embrace the abundant life God promises, she is especially fond of busy women and girl moms — mostly because that’s exactly what she is. Teri Lynne loves good coffee, great books, and lingering conversations. She also believes laughing until you cry is a really good thing and sometimes you just need a nap.

Teri Lynne’s greatest joy is teaching women to experience life to the full by encouraging biblical focus, celebrating the generosity of God, and learning the beauty of rest. Teri Lynne’s newest book, Praying for Girls: Asking God for the Things They Need Most is now available at LifeWay, Barnes & Noble, and all major online retailers. She is also a contributor to (in)courage’s new 365-day devotional, A Moment to Breathe. Teri Lynne is the author of Prayers from the Pews, a invitation for church members to pray for their local congregations using the book of Acts as a guide.

A popular women’s ministry speaker, Teri Lynne serves in her local church as a Bible study leader and teacher. She blogs at www.TeriLynneUnderwood.com and is a contributing writer for several other websites. In 2015, she launched Prayers for Girls, a ministry to encourage and equip girl moms to invest in the spiritual growth of their daughters through prayer. (www.PrayersforGirls.com)

Teri Lynne has been happily married to Scott, the Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, Florence, AL, since 1996. They have one teenage daughter, Casiday, and a crazy Basset hound, Buddy.

Links & Resources Mentioned Today:

Teri Lynne Underwood's online home

Teri Lynne's new book Praying for Girls

Prayers for Girls Website

Prayers for Girls Instagram

NewsFeed Burner Chrome Extension that blocks your FB feed on computer

Taking Action in Your Home – FREE SERIES! 

I’ve got a super fun new video series coming up next week – October 16-20th called Taking Action in Your Home and I would love for you to join us!

We are going to cover 5 video lessons (with printable worksheets)! It’s going to be a blast. You can join the videos live, or of course you can catch the replay later! I’ll have the official schedule coming soon, but for now, make sure to sign up for the email updates! 

Sign up for the FREE workshop here!

It's been a busy few months. In fact, Jason and I just got through our busiest (and also most exciting) time of our entire year! You see - our annual online homemaking conference just ended. It was a wonderful time, but I'm desperate now to get back to some normal routines. 

So today on the podcast, I'm going to share what routines I'm trying to jump back into and what I'm trying to work on. Are you feeling a little apprehensive as we head into this busy holiday season? Then follow along today for some inspirations and encouragement! 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

During our annual homemaking conference last week, I got so many ideas from the speakers on things I want to implement in my home. Like, so many things!!

But there's only so much time in the day. So I'm going to be smart and implement new things slowly, plus pick up a few habits that have been neglected lately. So here are some of the things I'll be working on. 

Recording Family Memories

My word for 2017 is Create. Because I had a baby in January (which I suppose is a very valuable expression of creating!) I haven't done as many projects as I would have liked. But as of the last few weeks, I've finally been giving myself space to do a little more crafting, and it's been so fun! 

I've been working on some Project Life stuff and I got a start on Magnolia's baby book as you can see on my Instagram. My plan is to get caught up on her baby book (she is almost 9 months old) and then work on my family photo album for 2017. The *goal* would be to get current and stay current...but we'll see if that's realistic! 

 

CREATE ~ 2017! My word for this year and I'm finally working on Magnolia's baby album!! Our conference ended yesterday and while I still have a mile-long to do list...I'm taking some fun time for me!! ? I can't wait to work on the rest of this album but it's a good start! See my insta story for a peek inside!! ????

A post shared by Jami Balmet (@jamibalmet) on Sep 30, 2017 at 11:27pm PDT

Meal Planning - Back at it AGAIN! 

I think one of the biggest things to suffer in this current season of busy, is my kitchen! We've been doing a lot of quick meals, our grocery budget has been suffering, and Jason and I are starting to eat healthy again. 

Jason and I are both starting on Trim Healthy Mama. We are 3 days in and feeling good so far! We just got the new THM cookbook and I'm in LOVE! It's probably my favorite one so far. 

I need to be taking our health more seriously. Yes, we are in a very busy season! But I need to be making some more time for healthy eating, and that involves being more intentional with our food. I'm happy to report that earlier this week I spent a day and a half doing a ton of freezer cooking and we've been eating well for several days now :D

Jumping on my reading goals! 

In January, Jason and I both set an insane reading goal. Our goal has been to read 104 books in 2017 (that's TWO books a week, every single week of the year)! Needless to say: We are behind on our goal ;) 

At the time I'm writing this, I've completed 62 books for the year so far. Jason and I are both hopeful we will hit close to 104 books as we've had more time to read now that our conference is over. I think my revised goal is 85 books. But I'm even just ecstatic with 62 books read!! 

On my current to-read list: 

What I'm going to read:

Gospel-Centered Mom by Brook McCghoulin

We are back in this week's episode with something special again. Earlier this week I shared a podcast episode from last year's homemaking conference. 

MacKenzie was with us, sharing her session from the 2016 conference and if you haven't listened to the episode yet, you will want to! 

Today, I'm here to share something SUPER special. My podcast episode today is a recording of the first session of this year's 2017 Homemaking Ministries Online Conference! 

Throughout the conference this year (that starts next week!!), I will be teaching through a 5 part series on Finding Purpose in Your Home. And this is the first part of that series on Hope for the Weary Home. 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

I am so excited to give you a sneak peek into the conference this year. If you are attending, then feel free to wait until Monday to go through this live with us - or listen in here! 

And if you haven't purchased a ticket to this year's conference yet, I encourage you to hop over and sign up! 

Finding Purpose in Your Home 

The theme for the conference this year is Finding Purpose in Your Home and all the sessions revolve (at least loosely) around this concept of finding that larger picture - and larger purpose - behind why we do what we do every single day within our homes. 

This is our largest conference ever with 27 sessions and 23 amazing speakers! You can find out more about all the sessions and speakers here. 

While we have 5 full days of amazingness, check out this line up just from the first day!! 

Day #1 (Monday September 25th) Session Line Up

Check out this line up! I'll be kicking off this incredible conference, then Crystal Paine, followed up Amy Roberts, then MacKenzie Monroe, then Katie Orr, and finally Kayse Pratt! <---- How incredibly exciting!! 

Can't watch any of the sessions live? No problem - all of the sessions are recorded. So even if you miss 1 (or all) of the sessions, you can log in and watch them later, whenever you have the time! 

Because guess what? You get lifetime access to the conference sessions! So you can watch them (or re-watch them) anytime you want! 

Want a little sneak peek into the conference beyond my session? Mandy's session is one I am really looking forward to! She is speaking on prayer and how to do deeper in your prayer life! 

So, if you are excited and interested in the conference I encourage you to hop over and grab your ticket today!! The conference kicks off in just a couple of days on Monday, September 22nd. 

Register for the conference here

But hurry, there’s not much time left. The conference kicks off in…

Hope for the Weary Home

Instead of the normal blog post I do with podcast episodes, I am going to share my session notes here so you can better follow along. 

No matter the season or stage of like you are currently in, some days can be really really tough. It's easy to lose hope within our everyday life. So how do we regain that joy in our life? And the purpose behind our day? 

The Bible speaks of this joy, this joy that goes beyond worldly happiness. We know that: 

"Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." - Nehemiah 8:10

When you are feeling burnt-out, overwhelmed, and lacking joy, just remember one thing...

There is Hope.

We have hope because of what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.

I have got a really special podcast episode for you today. I've got MacKenzie Monroe from Bold Turquoise and one of my favorite podcasts, Cultivating the Lovely sharing a very inspiring talk. 

One thing, among many others, that I really appreciate about MacKenzie is her commitment family life and creating homes that inspire, excite, and delight all within its four walls. And today she is going to be talking all about cultivating loveliness in every area of life. 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

This is a special episode of the podcast. Instead of bringing MacKenzie onto the show to do an interview, I decided to give you guys her ENTIRE session from last year's (2016) Homemaking Ministries Online Conference!! 

Her session was hands down one of the attendee's favorites from last year. So if you attended the conference, I encourage you to re-listen to it now a year later. And if you've never heard it, you are in for a real treat! 

So instead of my usual blog post to go along with each episode, I am simply going to share her notes from her session so you can better follow along. See her notes down below. 

Register for the 2017 conference 

And as you listen through this...it might very well convince you to sign up for this year's conference! Because let's face it: It's gonna ROCK! You can register for your ticket here. 

And guess what? MacKenzie is coming back this year with a brand new session. You will hear at the end of this episode, MacKenzie starts to talk about preserving family memories. Well, the conference FB group exploded last year with a TON of amazing ideas about that. 

So I asked MacKenzie back this year to do an ENTIRE session on creating family memories. Here's a quick sneak peek video of what's inside her 2017 session talk: 

So, if you are excited and interested in the conference I encourage you to hop over and grab your ticket today!! The conference kicks off in just a couple of days on Monday, September 22nd. 

Register for the conference here

But hurry, there's not much time left. The conference kicks off in...

Are you busy next week and can't attend live? OR you are watching this weeks or months later? No problem! All of our sessions are recorded. So if you miss any sessions next week (or missed them all), you can still register and get immediate access to all sessions to watch whenever YOU have the time. 

As a busy homemaker myself, I totally understand how hard it can be to tune in and watch. That's why we give you as much flexibility as you need - including the ability to download the sessions to watch offline, stream or download the much smaller audio files, and watch on any device! Grab your ticket here. P.s. Did you see the amazing speaker lineup for this year!?

Okay on to the show notes:

WHAT IS CULTIVATING THE LOVELY?

Cultivation - Labor, Care and Study- A work, a mindset and a pursuit

Lovely - Exquisitely beautiful, pretty, attractive, appealing, adorable, sweet, enchanting, stunning, picturesque, pleasing, magnificent, splendid

So, Cultivating the Lovely is a work, mindset and pursuit to create a beautiful, splendid atmosphere- within ourselves as well as the places that surround us. It is a way of interacting with others and creating a life that draws us closer to God along with our families, friends and others we encounter.

WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO AS CHRISTIANS?

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true,

All Summer Jason and I went back and forth on an important decision: Do we start our oldest twins in Kindergarten this year? Or do we wait a year? 

We went back and forth - because honestly I'm really excited about homeschooling and also totally terrified. We started doing research and came across a curriculum that my friend uses and we got hooked! We got so excited about the curriculum that we decided to go ahead and take the plunge to start this year! 

We are only one week into the school year  - but I think this was a great decision for our family! So while my blog is NOT turning into a homeschool blog, I do get questions about it all the time. So I wanted to share in today's episode all about our homeschooling philosophy and what we are doing this year (and hopefully in future years). 

Disclaimer: I do not believe everyone has to homeschool. I don't think it's the right decision for every family. But it's the right decision for us, this year. So feel free to skip this episode if it doesn't pertain to you! :) 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

What We Value in Homeschool Education: 

Math

Jason's bachelors degree is in mathematics. So it's extremely important to him that our kids have a solid foundation in math. So that IF they choose to continue on into higher education, then they are equipped to do so. 

We want a math curriculum that is fun and hands on, but that also doesn't back down from challenging them. 

Reading

Jason was homeschooling Kindergarten through twelfth grade and I think his mom did a fabulous job with their homeschooling. Most of what we are doing and how we structure our day is based off of what they did and what she has learned through homeschooling 7 children all the way through. 

A ton of Jason's homeschool depended on reading books. Books on all kinds of subjects, science, biographies, history, etc. We have always planned on having a huge emphasis on reading with our kids. As you know, Jason and I both LOVE reading and a large part of our life is oriented around reading. 

Bible

My bachelor's degree is in Biblical Studies so this is a subject that I have been very excited for! I can't wait to incorporate Bible, Church history, missionary biographies and more into our homeschool. This will be a huge emphasis within our daily reading as well. 

Growing a thirst for knowledge in them

A HUGE goal of ours in homeschooling is getting them to LOVE learning and to nurture common sense within them. We want to give them the tools to discover the things they don't know and the thirst to do so. In the young ages, this goes hand in hand with free play and encouraging them to discover and explore! 

All of this has led me to doing a lot of reading about the Charlotte Mason philosophy of education: 

"The Charlotte Mason method is based on Charlotte’s firm belief that the child is a person and we must educate that whole person, not just his mind. So a Charlotte Mason education is three-pronged: in her words, “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.”

An Atmosphere, A Discipline, A Life

By “Atmosphere,” Charlotte meant the surroundings in which the child grows up. A child absorbs a lot from his home environment. Charlotte believed that the ideas that rule your life as the parent make up one-third of your child’s education.

By “Discipline,” Charlotte meant the discipline of good habits—and specifically habits of character.

Welcome back to part 6 in my long running series: Practical Theology for Homemakers! It's been a while since we started this series. Feel free to jump into this lesson or head back to the other 5 first: 

Part 1 we covered: Why theology matters for homemakers - Hf #72, Part 2 is The Goal of Our Christian Life - Hf #74, part 3 is So What's the Big Deal about Studying God's Word? - Hf #76, part 4 is Studying the Attributes of God - Hf #78. And then episode #80 was the last part, How God is Different than Us and Why That's a Good Thing. 

I've been planning to cover this next part, but it has been such a big topic and I really wanted to make sure I was accurately covering it. Today we are going to be covering a VERY important topic when it comes to our theology: how to be discerning with what we read and listen to.

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

(Note: I always publish a podcast episode and a full blog post for you to read through. But this blog post today will serve more as a notes page. Listen to the podcast above for the FULL discussion! 

Being discerning starts with and is grounded in good theology. How can you know when you come across something wrong? By knowing it's wrong in the first place. That's why studying theology, especially systematic theology, is so important. 

Why is this important? 

Partly due to our ability to access eons of information at our fingertips, there is a ton of false doctrine out there. You can pick up any book or listen to any sermon and come across a ton of false ideas about God or the Christian life. And other teaching is just plain fluffy. Maybe it's encouraging or humorous at first glance, but doesn't hold much substance beyond that. 

It's always extremely important for a Christian to be discerning with what they read and listen to, and our present age is no exception to that. 

So we need to be on guard. We need to constantly test what we read and what we hear against Scripture. 

If you want to learn more about this and how we can know that we can trust God's Word, then I have a resource recommendation for you. I highly recommend the book, Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung. It's very clear, straight forward, and extremely practical! If you want to know more about how we can trust God's Word, when God's Word applies, and how to know God's authority more in your life, then I highly recommend this book. I listened to this book as an audiobook and loved it! 

How to Learn Systematic Theology

Another way to learn more about God's Word, is to study systematic theology. This is a systematic, topic by topic approach to learning theology and the doctrines within the Church. 

For example, a systematic approach to studying the topic of Angels would be to look at what God's Word says in it's entirety about angels. And from there, a theology on angels is produced. 

One of the best things I've EVER listened to was the full Systematic Theology series by Wayne Grudem. While I don't 100% agree with him on everything (listen to the podcast episode for a few examples), he did an excellent and thorough course on systematic theology. 

He cover topics such as angels, theories on end times, the sufficiency of Scripture, heaven, and more! You can actually listen through all 117 lessons for FREE on iTunes. 

Jason and I both went through all 117 lessons years ago (it took us a while!) and it was so worth it.

This summer has been one of travel for our family of 7. We've gone on three long trips this summer with our five kids, four and under. It's been mostly fun with a little crazy thrown in. 

Throughout our trips, we've received question after question about how we manage it, what it's like traveling with young kids, and if in fact, we are crazy for attempting to do yes. Yes, I think we are a bit crazy but that comes with the territory of having two sets of twins, five kids under five, AND running a business together from home. 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

While we certainly don't have all the answers and we are still knew to this whole travel-with-little-kids-thing, there are a few things we picked up this summer in our travels. So today I wanted to share a few of those lessons and things we will do differently next time. 

Our first trip this summer was a spur of the moment (I'm talking 2 hours notice before we were packed and in the car) trip to LA for a conference for Jason and a trip to Legoland. This was our very first family road trip and with a 10+ hour drive each way and 8 days in a hotel, we learned a lot! 

Our second trip was with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and their 10 month old. This was a 6 day road trip to Universal Studios, the San Diego Zoo, and the beach. 

And our final trip is one that we do every year: two weeks in a cabin by the lake. By far the most laid back of all our travels! 

Overall, we had no idea how our summer of traveling would go (only ONE of these trips was on the schedule at the beginning of June). We had some rough patches, but overall it was a great summer of making memories. So read on (or listen above) for some trips we picked up along the way. 

Are you curious about how we work from home and can leave on an 8 day trip with 2 hours notice? Come on over to our other blog, Our Work at Home Life, and discover how we make a full time income from home - all while raising our five young kiddos! 

Tips & Lessons Learned on Traveling with Young Kids

Adjust your expectations

We had to learn this the hard way. Traveling with young kids is nothing like years ago when Jason and I would travel by ourselves. We had to quickly remember that we are traveling with young kids and most of the time, we would be traveling at their own pace. 

This meant we had to be fine with the four year old, who was so distracted coloring in the back that he "forgot" he had to go potty BAD (so much so he started crying), needing to pull over right away...even though we had just gotten back on the road after an extended lunch stop. 

Or the accident in his car seat from one of the other four year olds less than two hours later. We had to take it all in stride, because that's just life with five young kids. Overall, we just had to remember that life is just a little slower and a little more chaotic when traveling with young kids. 

Remember they are tired as well

This goes hand in hand for me with point #1. I needed to remember that all these little guys were just as tired (if not more) than myself and Jason and that we needed to give grace. 

This struct me hard one night. We had just left Legoland after an emotional hour (see point #4) and we decided to head out early and go to Denny's for dinner. Jason and I were both drained and the kids were mostly good, but a little wild. They were a bit louder and more rambunctious than I would normally allow at Denny's. 

I always love the beginning of Summer. The open schedule, the opportunities, the promise of lots of time spent outside. Maybe a trip to the lake, lots of trips to the park for fun in the sun. 

But as we get farther into Summer, I find myself starting to crave the Fall. Mostly it's because Fall is my favorite time of the year. Cooler weather, sweaters, boots, and pumpkin everything. But it's also because as much as I love the thought of open schedules and care free summer days, my soul craves rhythm and routine. 

Listen to the Podcast:

We also recorded this blog post as an audio podcast. If you want to listen in instead of reading, click play below or do a combination of both 

And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes.

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

There needs to be those times and days when nothing is on the schedule, when you can kick off your shoes and relax. I've read more books in July than I have in a long time. And we've taken several family trips this Summer. I am thankful for this time, thankful for the memories, but my house is starting to be in chaos. 

My meal planning is non-existent. I've been getting to the end of the day, not sure what I can throw together into a meal. My house has been a wreck for a few weeks. And my Bible reading has been suffering. We will be staying in a cabin by the lake next week, but when we get home...

It's time for me to re-jump into routines and my heart is craving the rhythm and routine! So today we are going to talk about setting up new Fall routines and how my schedule will be changing this fall. 

Schedules Vs. Routines

I used to think that I loved schedules. I thought I was a schedule girl and a planner was my very best friend. Now, I still do maintain that a planner is my very best friend when it comes to running and managing my home, but I've found out that schedules are not the key.

I tried hard. I tried for a long time to make schedules work for me. Day after day I would write out a full schedule for my day, with times attached to it. Of course, I would always over schedule myself and I'd end up feeling overwhelmed because I would maybe only do one or two things on that list.

But I kept trying. I thought that if I could just schedule out my time in the perfect way, and account for every minute, then I could really be on my way to success. After all, the night before when I would dream up my schedule for the next day and get it written down, it seemed like the PERFECT schedule.

But we all know the reality of trying to stick to a strict schedule.

The baby wakes up three times during the night, causing you to sleep in later than you wanted, the strict thirty minute breakfast gets derailed when someone breaks a dish and the toddler needs a bath after he played in his food, you try to get dinner in the crockpot at 10am but it takes you an hour and a half to actually turn it on because you keep getting derailed...and the hours go on.

Finally, you fall into bed overwhelmed and burned out and you got approximately 2 things done on your list that day. What's the end result? You want to give up. You want to throw your hands up in the air and be done because clearly planning isn't the problem. You had the perfect plan - so what went wrong?

Life is messy sometimes!

Life doesn't often fit into those neat little boxes of time. Life is messy, and life is creative, and life is all over the place. So after trying way too long and far too hard trying to make my perfect schedule work, I ditched schedules all together.

And started working into routines. You might think they sound like the same thing, but routines give you flexibility.

What is a routine?