Last year I reviewed the Pinwheel Phone when we got it for our 12 year old son. Here a year later our 11 year old daughter is using a Pinwheel Phone, so I made an updated review. Check it out for all of the details, and be sure to use my promo code FIVEINSIXTEN to […]
Navigating Difficult Parenting Seasons
This Fall I had the opportunity to speak at our church about a topic in which I have a great deal of experience – most moms of 16 years do – hard times. I love when the Lord redeems difficult seasons by not only teaching us more about Him, but also by allowing us an […]
DIY Digital Family Wall Calendar
Calendars. Do they make you happy? Do you feel more organized just thinking about them? Can you even imagine a world without them? Well, then this post is for you! We manage our lives around here with a series of shared Google Calendars. We have a family calendar, I have a personal calendar, the teen […]
Monitor All of Your Child’s Online Activity with One App
This post is one I have been excited to write for awhile. Since I started the series The Parenting Tech Toolbox, I have been highlighting the devices and services we use to manage technology with our children, tweens and teens. We use the tool I’m writing about today on the daily, and it has been […]
Top Resources for Tech Parental Controls and Safety Settings
In my last post, I started a series called The Parenting Tech Toolbox in which I included a Technology Safety Checklist for caregivers to use to ensure every last device, service, and app is set up for safety. Today we are going to look at the next few tools in my Tech Toolbox – the […]
Technology Safety Checklist for Kids & Teens
Like it or not, “technology management” is now a piece of the parenting pie. I don’t really understand how that works because none of the other pieces got smaller. I guess the pie just keeps getting bigger. At any rate, to be a responsible parent in this day and age you have to keep up […]
Kid Activities in the Younger Years – Finding Balance
Having 5 kids within 5 years of each other, there are several topics that people consistently bring up. Kid activities usually makes the list. I regularly talk with frazzled, stressed moms who are drowning in their family’s schedule. When they hear we have 5 kids, after a gasp, they ask how we manage all the […]
Subscription Gifts for Kids and Teens
A few years ago, we started searching for toy and gadget alternatives for Christmas and birthday gifts because adding more ‘stuff’ to the shelves and toy bins with each holiday began to feel excessive. With five kids, our accumulation was getting a bit ridiculous. In our quest, we stumbled upon subscriptions as gifts, and we’ve […]
Bible Verses for Depression
In times of depression, our own feelings and thoughts often betray us. The Truth that we so firmly believe becomes clouded by sadness, doubt and guilt. “Feelings are real, but they are not reliable.” One of my church’s pastors, Todd Wagner, often says this when he is reminding us that our feelings aren’t to be […]
Another Season Passes
I don’t mean the weather, though it finally does feel like winter here in Texas. I’m talking about motherhood. There are so many phases we walk through as moms, and as each fades behind me I find myself sad to see it go. Even when it seems silly and small. The latest – swing sets. […]
