Recent Posts
Book Review: Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity by Charles Marohn
American cities are failing. Most cities are insolvent, carrying debt they can't pay off as instructure maintenance costs loom and land values fall. What do we do?
Tutorial: How to Make a Camp Sink/Dishwashing Station with PVC (In Three Easy Steps!)
Dreading washing up after camp meals? This sink/dishwashing station, based on one I used with girl scouts as a kid, makes it easy!
How Do We Fix Sprawl? Book Review: Sprawl Repair Manual by Gail Tachieva
Suburbia sprawls endlessly. Cities are insolvent. Entire neighborhoods slump into disrepair. How can we fix it all? This practical manual details a difficult, but doable, way forward.
Forest School, Books and Crafts: Reflections on Our Homeschooling Year (2023-2024)
What does education look like when you're always learning? Here's what my kids and I have been doing this year—books, crafts, forest school, and more!
Backyard Suburban Garden Plan, Year 6 (2024)
I'm growing tomatoes (of course), repeating other favorites, trying new veggies, and planting more flowers than last year! Read how my crop rotation is panning out, and goals for this year's garden.
Bees: Splitting a Hive That Survived the Winter
Northern winters can be rough for beehives. Not all of our hives made it. Instead of buying a new nuc or queen, here's how we've attempted a split! Plus, read what I've been doing with the harvested honey and beeswax.
Book Review: Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure by Maggie Jackson
Uncertainty can be stressful. We crave predictability and answers. But uncertainty enables creativity, better performance, predictions, life planning, leadership, and more.
Is Going to Graduate School Worth It?
Considering applying to graduate school? Many factors go into deciding whether or not to apply: personal, practical, financial.
PUBLICATION DAY: Grad School Life: Surviving and Thriving Beyond Coursework and Research
Publishing a book can be a long road—but here we are at the destination! Read about my book: How to thrive in graduate school while keeping a healthy personal life!
Journaling to Set and Achieve Writing Goals
When I was a foil fencer, I kept a meticulous journal to track progress, practice, and goals. Now, here's how I'm applying what I learned to writing.
Book Review: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Extroversion is the gold standard of personality in the Western world—but why? How can introverts get ahead and use their own strengths? This book explores the impact our temperaments can have on careers, learning, creativity, and more.
Tutorial: Super Simple Crocheted Water Bottle Holder in 5 Steps (Great First Project!)
Never go thirsty with this straightforward and functional water bottle carrier! Comes together fast. A good project for beginning crocheters!
Projects: Learning to Crochet! Scarves, Water Bottle Carriers, a Hat, and Shawls
When your friends decide to learn to crochet at book club, you bring yarn and join in! Here's what I've been making from yarn this winter!
Book Review: When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
Have you wondered how to take the ideal nap? When to take breaks for improved performance? The best way to start a new project? <I>When</I> has the answers.
How to Harness Patience, Expectations, Flexibility, and Relationship in Parenting for a Smoother, Less Stressful Life with Your Children
Tantrums, meltdowns, anger, sadness: How do we deal with children's normal emotions? Here are some tips from a mother of three.
Proactive Parenting: Preventing Meltdowns, Managing Emotions
Children are still learning to regulate their moods and emotions. If we help them head off problems before they arise, everyone will stay happier and less stressed.
Book Review: Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne with Lisa M. Ross
Make your home quieter and calmer, with less clutter, less media, and less stress. Home is supposed to be your restful home base. This book shows you how to make it so!
Backyard Suburban Gardening: My Year 5 Harvest
This year's expanded garden was more work, but the increased yield was worth it! I added to the front flower garden, too. Here's how everything grew and what I want to do differently next year.
Book Update #5: Grad School Life: Publication Day is March 19, 2024 + Cover Reveal
Exciting news: I have a book cover and pub date! Plus, details on the rest of the book production process, receiving page proofs, and figuring out book promotion.
Winterizing the Bees, Year 1
Northern winters are cold—so what do the bees do? Here's how we prepared our hives for the snowy months.
3 Years Blogging: Why Write a Blog? How Do You Balance Blogging with Life?
Time flies like an owl! Here's why I continue to write a blog, and why—even when scaling back to fit blogging better in my life—it's still worth it.
Book Review: Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World by Henry Grabar
More space in America is dedicated to parking cars than to housing people. How did our built environment become this way? Why is parking so frustrating, the center of every zoning debate, and the key to reviving our towns?
Switching the Blog Schedule to Biweekly
With all the other projects I'm working on, this blog will be taking a backseat. I'll still be writing here, just a little less often!
"School-Age" At Last: My Homeschooling Plan for School Year 2023-2024
My oldest will be seven years old soon and people keep asking me what curriculum I'm using. Our plan is more eclectic: lots of outsidetime, fun co-ops, farms, play, life, and more!