Recent Posts
Making Rag Rugs From T-Shirts and Old Sheets (Reuse and Upcycle!)
I love finding new uses for old stuff. I had a collection of old t-shirts and ripped sheets... what better thing to do than repurpose them into beautiful rugs?
Book Review: Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
Without external rewards and punishments, people wouldn't do much. Or would they? People are actually driven toward autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
How to Build Self-Discipline: Why Awareness and Intrinsic Motivation Are Key
Self-discipline is the ability to do what needs to be done, to stay in control, to accomplish your goals. How do you build discipline? Here are strategies I use.
Book Update #1: Drafts, Notes, and Editing the Manuscript
I'm writing a book about thriving in graduate school while keeping a healthy personal life. Curious about my progress? Here's where I'm at this month.
Book Review: Designing Your Life: How To Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
How you can use a designer mindset and iterative improvement to build your way forward to a coherent, satisfying life.
A Poem for Identifying Ten North Idaho Conifers
Our topic this week at our forest co-op was trees! I wrote some verses to help us remember how to recognize ten of the most common North Idaho conifers.
Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Belief by Dale McGowan, Molleen Matsumura, Amanda Metskas, and Jan Devor
A great conversation starter, if heavy handed on the nonreligion. See my book club questions!
5 Things I've Made From Old Blue Jeans (Reuse and Upcycle!)
I love finding new uses for old clothes. What could I make with old jeans? Take a look at these five useful ways of using old blue jean fabric, from picnic blankets to children's satchels!
The Tragedy of Marital Strife: Why Marriages Fall Apart (And How To Stay Together)
Two of my friends' marriages fell apart. Why does this happen? And what can we do about it? Here's why I think marriages fail, and the strategies we use to keep ours strong.
Book review: Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity by Ray Bradbury
This essay collection includes tips on generating ideas, composing stories, the nature of writing work, and the importance of practice. Do you know how many words a day Bradbury wrote?
Cooperation without Coercion: How to Motivate Children (5 Things to Try)
What do you do when your strong-willed child won't cooperate? Children love cooperating... but they also love showing their independence. Here are 5 things to try.
Book Review: The Secrets of Happy Families by Bruce Feiler
We're accustomed to working on our jobs, our marriages, and so much else. What about our families? This book explains how families can be happier, healthier, and flourish together.
Why You Shouldn’t Save For Retirement (Five Things to Do Instead)
The future is uncertain, the economy isn't growing, and inflation is rising. It's time to invest in your family and local community, rather than putting money away.
Making Our Own Advent Wreath (Inexpensive and Beautiful!)
A fast and easy Advent wreath for our dining room table that uses dollar store candles, leftover ribbon, tree trimmings, and found pine cones.
Book Deal Announcement: #PhDone
I'm writing a book! Specifically, a pragmatic, up-to-date guide to thriving in graduate school while keeping a healthy personal life. Here's the scoop.
Book review: The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Children More Control Over Their Lives by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson
Why responsibility and a sense of control are critical for children.
Book review: How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough
Why do some people succeed and others fail? This book argues that it's not just how you're born. Instead, the key is noncognitive skills—and the good news is, you can practice and improve them.
The Fastest, Easiest Way to Bake a Great Loaf of Sourdough Bread
Armed with a new sourdough starter, I was on a mission to make a fantastic loaf with the least amount of time and effort. Here's my method.
Book review: Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd
The authors' fundamental assumption is that you can learn to write better. This book is their attempt to help you do that. Here's what I found helpful and inspiring in their work.
Seasonality and Natural Rhythms: Why Growing and Preserving Your Own Food Matters
Having a garden isn't just a hedge against the End Times. Whether canning jam, fermenting cabbage, or dehydrating tomatoes, here's why the natural rhythm of growing and preserving food is good for us.
Gardening, Year 3: What I Grew and What I Learned in My 200-square-foot Backyard Garden
Every year in the garden is different. I never know which plants will grow well, based on the weather and where they're planted. Here's what happened this year: what grew, what didn't, and what I learned.
Ten Things We Learned From One Year Writing Our Blog
We've been writing a weekly blog for a year! Here's what we've learned about meeting our deadlines, writing and editing, building readership, running a blog, and appreciating life!
Why You Shouldn't Teach to Students' Learning Styles
Learning styles have been popular for half a century, but they're not the amazing educational tool some still think. Here's why they don't work, and what you should do instead.
Brainstorming: Are All Ideas Welcome? Why You Shouldn't Discount Ideas Before They're Explored
Why I consider all ideas—not just the "good" ones—and how doing so improves my work, helps me find unique solutions in arguments and software, and leads to counterintuitive insights.