Motherhood & Family Living

10 Reasons We Opted to Give Birth at a Birth Center

May 9, 2012 By Leigh Ann 3 Comments

There are few things more special than the birth of a brand new life. The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me. We start out as a little tiny dot, no bigger than the period at the end of this sentence, and then we transform into this person, this life, this wonder.

The birth of our little boy was a day of so much joy, as is the birth of any baby, of course! One of the things that I love about where we live is the freedom to choose the setting in which we would like to bring our bundles of joy into this world.

My friend, Erin, from The Humbled Homemaker, is in the middle of a natural pregnancy and birthing series. I have been learning so much! She has asked me to share about our wonderful experience with labor and delivery in a birth center. We chose a birth center over a hospital and home birth for several reasons. Join me at The Humbled Homemaker today where I share 10 reasons we opted to give birth at a birth center. {Click here to continue reading…}

What about you? What do you think of giving birth at a birth center?

Filed Under: Motherhood & Family Living, Pregnancy & Childbirth

7 Busy Bags to Engage Your Toddler {12-18 months}

May 8, 2012 By Leigh Ann 12 Comments

Samuel, who is just shy of sixteen months old, loves to learn. He’s always busy discovering, playing, and exploring. He’s not one to play all day in the corner with his toys. He likes to be engaged and given a task to complete. Therefore, along with coming up with fun indoor activities for my toddler, I started putting together little busy bags for him.

I found clear plastic zipper bags at the Dollar Tree in the bath and body section! I literally squealed in the middle of the aisle they were so perfect! All of the items for each bag fit perfectly inside, and once zipped the fact that it’s clear makes it easy to tell what is inside. We keep all of our busy bags in a basket on a shelf. Samuel uses his sign language to request busy bags during the day when he wants to play with them.

7 Busy Bags to Engage Your Toddler {12-18 months}

1. Pom-Pom Stuff It In – This is as easy as up-cycling a plastic container, making a couple of slits in the top, and grabbing some pom-poms. This is great for working on fine motor skills. Samuel loves pushing the pom-poms through.

2. Pom-Pom Freedom – I give him a couple of bowls and sticks. He creates and plays with his imagination. I have found that he loves to transfer, dump, and stir. Oh, and repeat.

3. Magna Doodle – He loves his magna doodle. I use this for car rides. He’s learning cause and effect. It’s cute. Bonus? I got it for less than a quarter at our local thrift store!

4. Mini Ring Toss – This is by far Sam’s favorite busy bag. Eventually, it will be a great way to teach colors. For now, we’re working on our fine motor skills. He’s really super at getting the ring on the pawn. I found these at the Dollar Tree in the party favors section.

5. Magic Ribbon Pull – I sewed several strands of ribbon together that I had lying around the house. Then, I stuffed them in an empty diaper wipes container. We used them on our recent plane ride, and Samuel loved it. It’s like having a tissue box, but less messy.

Before

After

6. Manly Paper Dolls. I was thinking about how girls get paper dolls, but boys get the short end of the stick. Of course, from my womanly opinion that is. Since we don’t live near either of our families, I’m trying to find creative ways to work pictures into Samuel’s play. My brother is in the U.S. Army. I found several pictures of my brother, along with some magazine cut outs, and laminated the pieces. I stuck magnets on the back, and now, Samuel has a portable G.I. Joe set.

7. For the love of buttons. This stage of learning is all about button pushing. Samuel loves to flip switches, press buttons, and turn things on and off. We gathered items from around the house that we thought he would enjoy and put them in his bag. These every day items are a huge hit.

Busy bags are a great way for a little extra structure while still having fun. The added bonus, it helps Mama get a few things done during the day.

We pop a few in the diaper bag for church, long car rides, and even the grocery store on occasion. However, the best time to use busy bags is during dinner preparation!

As I’ve been preparing 20 Minute Meals: Giving Weary Chefs Grace While Keeping Families Healthy (to be released at the end of this month!), I have found busy bags to be a life saver. Generally, one or two busy bags will keep Samuel occupied for at least 20 minutes! The key is putting him in his high chair so he stays focused longer.

For more busy bag ideas, be sure to check out my Teaching Moments Pinterest Board!

What busy bags have you used for occupying your little ones?

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Filed Under: Learning Together, Motherhood & Family Living

Reflections of an Ordinary Mom

May 7, 2012 By Leigh Ann 5 Comments

The cool breeze of a Colorado night grazes my cheeks from forgotten windows raised on this exceptionally warm day. Things are different here. The birds sing funny, and I miss my Cardinal birds. Today was long, the baby tired with teeth breaking skin. The to-do list lengthens and the dreams broaden; yet, all I want is to sit. I want to sit and savor.

He sorts and stacks and does it all over again. He talks and babbles, but more talking less babbling. The imagination takes over and the temper shows. The tears flow, but the smiles fill the entire universe. Books, cars, and dogs make up our days, the days I wouldn’t trade for anything.

My back aches today. Too many hours at the desk, brainstorming, writing, organizing. My desk is organized, which is a rarity. Maybe that’s why I feel so constricted. My personality screams chaos in the work area. I’m organized, but eclectic.

“Beep, beep, beep says the Little Blue Truck.” The sounds of a father and son can warm any cold heart, strengthen any weary bones. My husband, the man of prayers, strong and able, competent in the routines of his child. I’m thankful.

Last week, I enjoyed a girls’ night out with girls I didn’t know. Mark kept the baby, more toddler than baby, but still yet, Mark kept him. They went for ice cream, boys’ night out. Never once did I worry. Never once did I wonder. I knew my son was safe, cared for, and even cared for better than I could have managed. Daddy is involved, very involved, and I often take it for granted. They sing, read, and pray at night. We take turns, laying the babe to sleep. I miss my nighttime cuddles when it’s not my turn, but I enjoy the extra time to write and reflect. Like now, this ordinary day is closing.

It’s date night. We ate way too much steak and potatoes at dinner. Date nights are special. Mark cooks. I eat. We talk. I’m grateful to have these back. We let them slip for far too long. Tonight, we’ll soak in the hot tub, the answered prayer we didn’t know we requested. We’ll talk about our dreams, our plans, our son, and anything in between. I love these nights of quiet and rest.

It’s quiet here, too quiet. But it’s our quiet. It’s the sounds of our home after the baby is down for the night. It’s my life. My time. My blessings. Let me count the ways.

Are you taking time to savor these ordinary moments?

Filed Under: Motherhood & Family Living

New Rules for Announcing a Pregnancy

April 25, 2012 By Leigh Ann 33 Comments

This is a guest post from Brenda at Triple Braided Life.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons: Lina Smith

The double line showed up before I could even put the stick down – the stick that revealed to me that there was not only one person in the small powder room of the downstairs in our house, but that there were really two.

Disbelief crowded my mind especially since only four days earlier a similar stick only showed one line. I guess He didn’t want me to know yet. This day was the day after Valentine’s Day after all. That would make the date easy to remember at least.

But the disbelief didn’t last long before I began pacing around the house, my husband still at work, and saying out loud, “Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.”

Finally, I landed in a chair with my head in my hands bawling my eyes out and thanking God over and over again. He heard me. He answered my prayers. Finally I was a mother. At 35 years old, after a season of discontented singleness, and now a wife of four years to a husband who underwent a heart transplant two short years after the wedding, I often wondered, “Why God?” Today my “Why God?” became “Thank you, God, for hearing me.”

Standing back up with tears now matted to my face making it hard to move my cheeks, I was ready to get on the phone, log onto Facebook, and write a post to the world saying “I’m a mommy!”

But something held me back.

In the back of my mind I remembered “the rules” I had heard other women talk often about announcing pregnancies.

“Wait three months.”

“Don’t tell your employer.”

“Just make sure everything is o.k. first.”

“Have your first appointment.”

“It’s best to keep it a secret for a while.”

As I contemplated the best time to make my grand announcement, the thought of waiting too long became heavy on my soul. I couldn’t help but sense that behind all of these well intentioned words there was more than just a proper time to announce a life. There was an anchor of fear that gave the words their weight. Fear of all the what-ifs that could go wrong with this life inside of me.

I did tell a few people. I couldn’t help it. But I was still holding back from telling others, and the more I held back the deeper the anchor of fear settled.

A few days later my sister-in-law and I finally connected after playing phone tag, and I told her the news. I mentioned that I had not told a lot of people, and the fear of what might happen in my young baby’s life was holding me back.

Without hesitation she replied, “Even from the beginning I thought of my babies as lives worth celebrating, and I told people I was pregnant whenever I wanted to. But I did things a little different than most people.”

Her words helped me to see my baby’s true worth for the first time.

This baby deep inside of me, ever so small, is a child of God. A child that God gave to me to take care of whether for a day or for years. That care began at conception. Whether he or she lives or dies each day I am with him or her is a gift and has a purpose with eternal consequences. My baby is now a part of my life, my testimony.

God did not give me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), and I did not want to make decisions out of fear. From that moment on I prayed for God to release me from a spirit of fear. I did not immediately make a grand announcement on Facebook, but I became aware of my motives and guarded my heart. I specifically called the people closest to me and told other people as I saw them. I asked every person I told to pray for the sweet soul that was now with me. And slowly, after overcoming all the “what ifs”, there was an army of prayer warriors praying for my new baby.

When have you announced your pregnancies to others? Do you feel like it was our of discernment or fear?

Brenda Rodgers: After years of living a discontented single life, Brenda laid down her dreams and began focusing on the only One who can truly give her the desires of her heart. A few years later she found herself laying down her dreams again as her new husband underwent a heart transplant. Now she encourages other women to live a life surrendered to Jesus through every season – singleness, marriage, and motherhood – at her blog Triple Braided. She is also learning to be a mommy for when she welcomes her first baby in October!

Filed Under: Motherhood & Family Living, Pregnancy & Childbirth

Children’s Books We Read Over and Over

April 23, 2012 By Leigh Ann 10 Comments

I am an avid reader. Mark became one when he married me. One of our favorite date nights consists of a book store, coffee, and a comfy chair. As parents to a fifteen month old, we also read a lot of children’s books. I thought it would be fun to share a few of our favorites that we read over and over again.

Little Blue Truck is hands down Samuel’s favorite book. I love that it teaches animals and the sounds they make without saying, “The cow goes, Moo! The dog says, Woof!” It has a great moral of the story, rhymes in a fun way, and has beautiful pictures.

Biscuit Visits the Petting Zoo is a fun book that has a dog, Biscuit, as the main character. This kid loves dogs. So we say woof a lot, but we also enjoy teaching Samuel to pet the animals gently since this is a book he can interact with to feel different textures. The spine of this book has already started to wear off. We read it multiple times a day.

Bright Stanley and the Cave Monster is a colorful, fun book. Samuel loves looking at the pictures, and especially loves if you use different voices for each of the sea creatures.

Elmo’s Birthday Party is for whatever reason a really popular book around here. It’s a touch and feel book, but from an adult’s perspective, I have no idea what makes it so special. However, this is a book that we read over and over again in the same sitting. It’s strange. However, even though I disagree, the kiddo loves it.

Truck (First Words)is popular because it contains Vroom Vrooms. Samuel hasn’t been super fond of easy first words books, but this one along with Tractor (First Words)totally intrigue him. The pictures are very unique, subtle, and not cheesy. The pictures are fun to look at and the books have a boyish feel about them.

Where’s Spot is a fun book with a lot of opportunities to play peek-a-boo! Samuel loves lifting the flaps to reveal a new animal as we look for … wait for it … a dog!! Did I mention that Samuel loves dogs?

Good Night Moon is a classic. Samuel’s cousin recorded himself reading this book. It was a really sweet birthday present, and Samuel enjoys listening to the book over and over.

Guess How Much I Love You is another classic. Samuel’s Grammy is a librarian, and so she’s been gifting books to Samuel since he was born. This was one of the first ones she gave him, and it’s also a recorded version of her reading it. I often find Samuel sitting with his legs sprawled and this book on his lap. It’s such a sweet story.

Be My Friend, Floppy Puppy is a great texture book. It’s beautifully illustrated, and has a fun story line. Again, I’m a broken record, but Samuel just loves dogs. Mark says it’s God’s sense of humor …

So what about you? What are some of your favorite children’s books for 12-18 months?

Filed Under: Books & Reading, Learning Together

Sometimes You Have to Rock A Crying Baby

April 9, 2012 By Leigh Ann Leave a Comment

We’ve long since parted ways with the nursing world. At fifteen months, Samuel no longer takes his sustenance from me, not physically at least. However, I’m learning he still needs his mama in a deep, comforting way.

When he’s hurt, he reaches for me.
When he’s scared, he reaches for his mama.
When he’s tired, he lays his head on my shoulder.

Even though Daddy gives Samuel his bath and often, holds the dropper for him to take his nightly herbs, baby boy still longs for me to put him to bed. Mama is his comforter.

Today, I’m over at As Jules is Going sharing about a recent experience I had rocking a crying baby … when the baby was the grown up. Will you join me? Click here to read the rest of this post.

Filed Under: Motherhood & Family Living

Intentional Conversations: Teaching Your Baby Sign Language

April 5, 2012 By Leigh Ann 19 Comments

Welcome back to another week of Intentional Conversations! Today, I want to talk about how to have intentional conversations with your babies.

I’ve found it surprisingly easy to teach Samuel simple baby sign language in order for him to clearly communicate his needs. I started showing him signs when he was about seven months old. It seemed silly to start so early, but I thought, “Why not?” I’m glad I went for it. I think through continuous repetition, he was able to more quickly begin to communicate with us.

To give you perspective, Samuel first signed “hungry” around 9 months. The next sign he learned was “all done,” which he began doing around 10 months. These were the only two signs he would do for a while. However, they were his basic needs, and I was thrilled that he could tell me. After his first birthday, he began to sign “please” and “thank you.” In the last week, he’s picked up “more” and “eat.” I think these were entirely instinctive for him, as I had not shown them to him since he was about 9 months. We are currently working on thirsty/drink. This one has been tricky for him, and I’m trying to modify it to make it easier.

My focus is not on perfection, or even correct signs for that matter. My focus has been on showing him a way to communicate with me, as well as a way to teach him a few polite manners. Through careful observation of my toddler, I’ve learned that toddlers know and understand far more than we give them credit for regardless of their verbal skills.

In the following video, I run Samuel through a string of baby signs that has mastered – eat, more ,all done, please, thank you, and hungry. Again, they may not be 100% correct, but we are able to communicate basic needs, and we’re continuing to teach him new signs along the way.

(If you’re having trouble viewing the video, then click here – Teaching Your Baby Sign Language.)

Do you use baby sign language?

By the way, if you’re enjoying this post, please consider subscribing to my blog and receive a FREE copy of my ebook – A Surrendered Marriage: A Guide to Intentional Conversations.

Filed Under: Learning Together, Motherhood & Family Living

5 Board Games to Play as a Couple

April 4, 2012 By Leigh Ann 6 Comments

During our A Surrendered Marriage Series, I talked about having fun together as a couple and even gave you 42 date night ideas to enjoy together. It is so important for you and your man to continue having fun together long after the initial spark of honeymoon bliss wears off.

In her book, The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex, Shelia Wray Gregoire addresses an underlying cause of many marriage problems today:

We’ve stopped being able to talk and solve problems, and the reason is usually quite simple: we’ve stopped doing things together. Two people can’t solve problems if they don’t first have a foundation of liking each other and laughing together. Before we can attack our marriage problems, we need to remember why we enjoy each other in the first place. We need to spend time together (page 188).

The man of my prayers and I love spending time together. One thing we enjoy doing often is playing games! Rarely a week goes by that we don’t pull out a board game or a deck of cards to have a go at each others pride. Through the years, we have discovered five games that we go back to time and time again.

5 Games to Play Together as a Couple

Monopoly – It’s a classic. Generally, Mark beats me. However, there are those rare, but very fun occasions, when I hoard hotels on Boardwalk and Park Place leaving him broke as a joke. It’s glorious.

Blokus Duo - We keep this one by the bed. It’s a great strategy game that is very spatial. Interestingly, I’m not great at strategy or spatial activities, yet I almost always beat Mark’s socks off. We’ve even played this game into the wee hours of the morning at I-hop on one of our weekend getaways!

Sequence – Great mix of board game and cards. This game is addicting. We are pretty evenly matched on this one, so it’s always up for grabs who will win.

Yahtzee- Our first year of marriage, this is all we played. We called it Yatzee Wars. True story: We left a New Year’s Eve party early so we could go home and battle it out until midnight. We played as many Yahtzee games as we could until the ball dropped! It was INTENSE! In case you’re wondering, I won the 2008 Yahtzee Wars. Sadly, no one believed us when we said this was our reason for leaving early.

Jitters Word Game – I found this game buried under some children’s game at a local children’s consignment sale. It was a huge event, and the line to check out was about a mile long. I was sifting through the tables of stuff along the way and discovered this little jewel … for a dollar! One solitary buck! It’s the classic model in great condition. I didn’t even know what a steal it was until I searched it on Amazon for this post! It’s a very fun game. You roll the alphabet dice; and you get cards; and you make words; and you do it all really, really fast with this buzzer thing chiming as you try to make your words; and it’s just crazy fun. You have to try it. *breathe* It’s so fun! We have to make sure the baby is good and asleep before we begin. It gets kind of loud!

Another great way to grow your marriage is to pray faithfully and fervently for one another. Right now, registration is open for you to join A Surrendered Marriage Challenge, which begins April 16th. You can read more about the challenge here.

For those of your already registered, here is a sneak peek of the book we’ll be working through in our prayer groups!

Design by Jami from Young Wife’s Guide!

By the way, if you’re enjoying this post, please consider subscribing to my blog and receive a FREE copy of my ebook: A Surrendered Marriage: A Guide to Intentional Conversations.

What are some of your favorite games to play as a couple to ensure that you’re having fun and building a lasting friendship?

This post contains my referral links. Please see my disclosure policy here.

Filed Under: Faith & Womanhood, Making Memories, Marriage

12 Ways to Naturally Relieve Teething

April 3, 2012 By Leigh Ann 7 Comments

Samuel has been full blown teething these last several days. I feel so sorry for him. This round seems to be the hardest yet. He’s so cranky, and we constantly refer to him as, “Drool Monkey.” Poor thing.

We have found several ways to help relieve his teething discomfort without using Children’s Tylenol, which is full of high fructose corn syrup. I thought I’d share them with you.

1. Chicken Bone. Great for the baby who feeds himself. When Samuel began exploring food, I would pull off the chicken for Samuel to eat, and hand him the clean bone to gnaw on. Now, I just pull the grisly part off and let him go to town. He LOVES pulling the chicken off the bone with his teeth, and when he’s done, he gnaws to relieve the teething pain. We’ve also done this with rib bones. This kid can eat some ribs! Ask Mindy from The Purposed Heart. She’s witnessed it with her own eyes!

2. Frozen cherries in a mesh feeder. Frozen cherries are flavorful, but hard enough that they stay firm. Great for gnawing. Put them in a mesh feeder for easy holding.

3. Ice cube in a mesh feeder. My sister-in-love swears by this method. It gets a little messy, but since it’s just water, let them go at it. Not to mention, it’s fun for them.

4. Cold wash cloth. Wet a clean wash cloth in cold water (can even stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to get it really cold). Let baby suck on it. Samuel just slings it around, but I’ve heard other mommy’s have great success.

5. Gum-o-mile. We LOVE Gum-Omile , which is a great alternative to Baby Orajel. Just a few drops rubbed straight on the gums every few hours. Samuel sees the jar and begs for it. I think he just likes how it tastes.

6. Whiskey. Don’t judge. You know you’re tempted to pull out the good ol’ whiskey and ~~take a shot to alleviate your pain~~ let the alcohol calm your baby’s inflamed gums. Our grandmaw’s did it, so it must work, right? Note: I’m not implying that you let your baby drink the whiskey. You can, but not your baby! Just dab a little on your baby’s gums.

7. Wooden teething ring. We’ve not used a wooden teething ring this personally, but there are other mommy’s who swear by it. I keep forgetting to order one. Otherwise, I’d be all for giving it a try.

8. Mama’s finger. Great for when you little one is just getting started in the teething world. This is not a great method once your baby gets any teeth. Baby or not, biting hurts.

9. Frozen celery. Great for baby’s gums and to help introduce them to the flavor of celery! Samuel is really enjoying this right now even without freezing.

10. Carrot stick. When cooking dinner, I will wash a big carrot stick for Samuel and let him go at it while I finish dinner. He enjoys the flavor, and it’s great relief for his gums.

11. Highland’s teething tablets. I will never be without these tablets. Seriously. They are amazing! Samuel loves them, and they help him, especially at bedtime, to relax and rest. They help with irritability no matter what the cause. We bought ours from Vitacost, but you can find them on Amazon too!

12. Cold orange. Samuel is an orange fanatic. I give him triangle wedges still on the rind to gnaw on. Leaving the rind on gives it the extra teething benefit.

These are just a few things we’ve been using to relieve Samuel’s teething discomforts. My friend, Erin at The Humbled Homemaker, shared 8 Alternatives to Orajel (Holistic Teething Remedies) a little while back that I found super helpful. She mentions teething biscuits, which I forgot all about. Check out her post for a few other tips on how to naturally relieve teething pain.

What about you? What creative ways have you found to help relieve your baby’s teething discomforts?

By the way, if you’re enjoying this post, please consider subscribing to my blog and receive a free copy of my ebook: A Surrendered Marriage: A Guide to Intentional Conversations.

Filed Under: Motherhood & Family Living, Natural Living

How to Intentionally Select the Best Books for Your Children

March 27, 2012 By Leigh Ann 10 Comments

Today we have a guest post from Ashley at Tips4Mom.com. This is a woman after my own heart. Well, actually, God’s, but I really love this post (and her blog, oh my gosh, I love her blog). If you know me, then you know I adore books. My son has more books than most kids, and I follow all of Ashley’s suggestions. Enjoy!

Navigating the library with kids in strollers and kids in tow can sometimes feel overwhelming. There are hundreds of books from which to choose. Books are pulled off the shelves, perused excitedly, and then stuffed in our bag, full to the brim with this week’s reading.

But what are we actually bringing home? What diet of literature are our children feasting on? How can we ensure we are intentionally offering them the best?

Reading has always been a staple past time in our family. From the start, I determined that I would raise my kids to love books. I wasn’t an avid reader in my own childhood, so I really didn’t know where to start. With the advice of a mentor and a few book guides, I jumped in to accomplish over time the goal I’d set.

But I think the best teachers have been the books themselves. The best books are like chocolate. Once you’ve tasted the “real” thing, anything less just doesn’t compare.

Literature is a formative tool in our children’s lives. When we intentionally choose the best books, we invite our children into a life-changing journey.

Gladys Hunt says, “I cannot believe that children exposed to the best children’s literature will later choose that which is cheap and demeaning. That is why only the best is good enough for children, for we are shaping a future” (Honey for a Child’s Heart, p.40).

Criteria for Selecting Quality Children’s Books

From board books to chapter books, each stage has a rich storehouse of treasured books to be had. Set a high standard of what you allow on your bookshelves. Your standard becomes theirs.

The best books have “ingredients of human life…found in depth and leave a residue of mental and spiritual richness in the reader” (Honey for a Child’s Heart, p. 45). Offering them a wealth of the best literature will give them a love for books. You’ll be raising life-long readers!

Here are some of the criteria I use when selecting books for my children.

The book must…

Have Beautiful Illustrations

This is a rather subjective criteria. However, the illustrations are another portal into the story through which our children enter. In fact, when they are pre-readers, they’ll spend hours pouring over pictures rather than words. My little ones call this “reading.” In my book selections, I must give equal weight to the writing and the illustrations.

Be Enjoyable for Grown-Ups Too

“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” C.S. Lewis. If we dread reading to our children, then we are probably not reading them the best books!

There are times when I will be as engrossed in the story as my children. They’ll beg for another chapter. I gladly comply because I too can’t wait to see what happens next.

Have Stood the Test of Time

I’m not saying we won’t read books by current authors, but I tend to lean towards the classics. Many of today’s books seek to be politically correct and often focus on adult topics rather than on preserving the innocence of childhood.

A good rule of thumb: Look for books written before 1960. They are more likely to portray Judeo-Christian values.

Be Unabridged

There is a tendency to simplify great works of literature into water-downed versions for younger children. Although it is tempting to want to read my sons an abridged version of Peter Pan or Robin Hood in their early years, the real magic of the stories lie in the beauty of the original words. These greats are truly worth the wait!

Next time you visit the library, try going armed with this criteria. Just wait and see what treasures you and your children will uncover!

What is your criteria for selecting the best books for your children? Please share!

Ashley Brendle

She is the proud mama of 6 boys (including 1 set of twins). She and her husband live on a small sustainable farm in Oregon where they love to integrate homeschooling, faith in Jesus, family, and ministry into one big, happy life! She believes God wants mothers to thrive in their homes. She writes at Tips4Mom.com and shares her journey via podcast at ChristianMommyMinute.com.