This post may contain affiliate links. My 3rd child finished his 6th grade math book in homeschool this week. He is my first child to reach this milestone by the age of 12. We celebrated his unique learning pace, just like we did his older siblings, who took a little longer to complete those first…
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How to Make Hanukkah Donuts – Sufganiyot Secrets
This is my perfected recipe for making filled Hanukkah Donuts or, Sufganiyot. We like to observe Jewish feasts and memorial days as a family. We’re not Jewish, but we have learned so much from following the feast calendar, and it’s added depth to our faith as a family. We’ve done Passover for years, but the…
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Adventure Breakfast Cookies (gluten free and sugar free!)
When I want to make breakfast SUPER simple, I make a batch of these and I DOUBLE it. Plenty for breakfast, and a great snack or even meal later in the week. We call them adventure cookies because when you have a batch of these on hand, you can jump into any kind of spontaneous…
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Dessert Hummus Secrets and Three Flavor Variations
Guess what? I have made dessert hummus more than regular hummus. Now you know how I really feel about garbanzo beans…I like them with honey, apparently. But seriously, this was how I finally got my kids to eat hummus, and it makes a great snack. It provides protein and good fats so it qualifies as…
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Three Weird Secrets to Save $100’s While Traveling as a Family
Do you love to travel but it’s just not in the budget? Think again. In the last year our family of 7 has traveled all over the country, learning and making amazing memories–on a budget. In fact, we paid of 28k in debt WHILE visiting over 15 states! How did we do it? Well, we’re…
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Real Food Travels: 3 tips for taking home cooked meals on the road
It all started when we wanted to pay off our debt. But we also wanted to travel. Must figure out a way to cut expenses….eating out was so expensive….home cooked meals were so much cheaper! What if we took our food with us? There were logistics to work out, I had to get to know…
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How to De-Stress Your Kitchen for Summer
Who wants a summer vacation from cooking? Yehaw! That sounds amazing! Sign me up! No, seriously! There has got to be a way to simplify the kitchen this summer so that we can all have a little bit of a break, right? OK, you got me–I have a solution. That’s why I’m writing this post….
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How to Make Homemade Bagels: Faster and Easier Than You Thought!
When you don’t have time for homemade bread, but are desperate for something to smear butter on and stuff in your mouth (#buttervehicles!), why not try making your own homemade bagels? If you start the dough by 9am, they’re ready for lunch, and your kids will think you are THE BOMB. Here’s the whole process so you…
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High Protein Pancakes for the Whole Family
Who loves pancakes! Mmmm. My favorite butter vehicle. But indulging in a pile of them used to leave me with a lump in my stomach for the rest of the morning. Then along came this simple, gluten free recipe that my whole family liked, and now we enjoy them at least once a week. Plus, they’re…
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Super foods that actually save you money!
This month I made a crazy vow: I disowned all my other grocery sources to give my undivided loyalty to my humble little Aldi store. Their prices are better and I can shop so much faster in that store! But can a real foodie really get everything her heart desires at her local Aldi? Why,…
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Is your kitchen missing these secrets to sanity?
Is your kitchen working for you, or do you feel like you’re entering a battleground when it’s time to make a meal? If your kitchen is not set up well, it’s like trying to fight a battle with stone age weapons, or run a sprint in high heels. It’s time to set your kitchen up…
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High Protein Muffins Your Kids Will Love
It’s time for breakfast (again) and the kids are tired of eggs. “Can you make muffins, Mama?” You wanna say yes, but you know you need protein to build bodies and fuel brains, so you decide to make muffins and eggs (comfort food + protein). But then suddenly breakfast is this huge production that doesn’t…
Continue ReadingMama’s Power Drink (Homemade Gatorade)
Do you wish you had something a little more tasty plain water–but not too high in sugar–to get you through morning errands, or the witching hour? This cocktail is full of trace minerals, good bacteria for your gut, and great flavor. Think of it as healthy, homemade Gatorade. It’s a variation on Trim Healthy Mama’s…
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Welcome, Elaina Jantine!
Oh, friends–forgive me! I forgot how to blog this summer. Something about welcoming the fifth child into our family…Then I got a sweet note from one of you yesterday that reminded me that I’ve not yet done an official announcement for #5…so, here you go! Elaina Jantine Holden arrived at 4:40 in the morning, June…
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6 Ways to Prepare {Heart+Body} for Labor and Delivery
I’m 33 weeks today and feeling large and in charge. I’m also feeling like, “Whoa, this baby’s almost here!” Nesting urges have certainly set in, and I’m working on a few organizational and design things around the house that I want done before baby, but I realized the other day that preparing my heart and body…
Continue ReadingHumpty Dumpty Ponders a Great Fall {God and Mountains, Part 9}
As I tell the next chapter of our love story, I’m at a loss as to how to accurately paint the extreme emotions that were rushing along beneath both me and Jeremy’s calm demeanor those first few weeks. One moment I was euphoric that I’d actually officially begun a relationship with someone, and that that…
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