by Jess Connell · October 20, 2014 Awhile ago (actually several years ago–oops!), a reader asked: I’d love to hear your thoughts/tips on things you do during pregnancy to ease nausea, to get the rest you need, to keep the household running smoothly, etc.  HOW I DEAL WITH PREGNANCY NAUSEA First, I should say, I don’t […]

This morning, we’re starting our 2015-16 school year. In our homeschool this year, we have 8th, 6th, 4th, and 2nd graders (and a kindergartner). Phew! Just writing that makes me tired. But let’s talk about grade levels. When people ask my kids what grades they’re in, my homeschooled kids (mostly) know what to tell them… […]

by Jess Connell · March 14, 2016 Pandora is something I use almost every day. I’ve got a variety of playlists there, for when we’re feeling silly, worshipful, mellow, dancy, quiet, or happy. I love the control it gives me, to set the tone and go on with the day. I’ve got a question for you: If your life […]

Death and life are in the power of the tongue Proverbs 18:21 You may remember; my husband and I sometimes do marital counseling together. It’s heartbreaking to hear from a husband at his wits end. He comes downcast. Disheartened. He wants to be faithful to her; he wants to please her. He’s not perfect, of course, but he longs for […]

by Jess Connell · December 5, 2016 Two days after having my precious new son, I shared a picture on Facebook with the following comments: I love the sleepy quiet snuggled-in days after a baby arrives, in general… and I love this quiet day, in particular.  Seeing my babies love on my babies… and getting […]

by Jess Connell · April 22, 2015 First. Why am I talking about this? Don’t I normally talk about mom stuff? Dear Mom in the throes of raising little ones, here’s the thing: YOU’VE GOTTA FIGURE THIS STUFF OUT. Our culture is ramming gender-sameness down our throats. Male and female are exactly the same. You’re […]

by Jess Connell · February 23, 2015 One of the things I was at least mildly concerned about at first, in regard to having a big family, was the common observation that in a large family, the younger children often grow up in a quite different way from how the older children were raised. Accusations […]

by Jess Connell · May 27, 2015 In parenting, not everything can be in bold print. We can’t emphasize EVERYTHING and have our children “get it” all. We just can’t. IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN SOMEONE WHO TYPES EVERY MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK IN ALL CAPS, you know it’s true. After a few sentences, your eyes glaze over. […]

by Jess Connell · November 17, 2014 The topic is one that makes some (nearly all?) parents “gulp” and feel a little nervous. Do we really have to talk about it? How do we talk about it? What should we/shouldn’t we say? What if we say too much? What if we don’t say enough? What […]

This morning, we’re starting our 2015-16 school year. In our homeschool this year, we have 8th, 6th, 4th, and 2nd graders (and a kindergartner). Phew! Just writing that makes me tired. But let’s talk about grade levels. When people ask my kids what grades they’re in, my homeschooled kids (mostly) know what to tell them… […]

by Jess Connell · March 4, 2016 For many years of my life, I was a slave to potty training with the little kiddy chairs. We’d tote them around the house, dutifully emptying out the little chamber underneath the plastic seat multiple times a day, even for the tiniest drops of pee (for which we’d […]

Wanna know what my kids have for lunch these days? It’s pretty much the same thing every day: homemade lunchables. Thin deli-sliced ham or turkey, and cheese, with Ritz. Sometimes I have fresh fruit on hand to go with it. Other times, it’s canned fruit, nuts, or packaged cookies. It’s not in cute Bento boxes. It doesn’t […]

by Jess Connell · March 14, 2016 Pandora is something I use almost every day. I’ve got a variety of playlists there, for when we’re feeling silly, worshipful, mellow, dancy, quiet, or happy. I love the control it gives me, to set the tone and go on with the day. I’ve got a question for you: If your life […]

by Jess Connell · February 10, 2016 Q: I would love to know some things that have helped you how to simplify homeschooling in order to do things WELL. Everyday life with a large family (I have 5 kids under 10) in itself makes just the basics challenging some days!!! I would love to know some ways to […]