Can we just say it: After you become a parent, the first few months are brutal, yes? Well, they were for me, with Ethan (our first son, in 2002): NICU for a week I had mastitis for a solid, bloody-cracked-painful month Trying to figure out every single thing, and feeling like it mattered so very…
8 Practical Ways to Show Affection to Your Preschooler
Here’s a video my almost-3-year-old Theo & I made to share our favorite snuggly and silly things. These are eight of the fun and easy ways that I practically show affection to my 1-5 year old kiddos, and enter into their little preschool hearts and have fun with them: VIDEO 0:59- #1– zuburts & kisses, “big ones”…
You CAN Make Your Own Baby Food
Hi there. I bet if you’re reading this, you’re a happy mama with a cute baby you love… I can relate to that. Luke Ebenezer (A.K.A. Lukearoni, Lukey, cutest-baby-in-the-whole-wide-world) is our 7th baby, and like I’ve done for all 6 babies before him, once he was ready to start eating solids, I started making the food…
Have You Heard About These Christmas Gifts?
This is a sponsored post. This Christmas, Do you want to do your part to fight human trafficking? Is the advance of the Gospel through practical means a passion for you? Would you like to provide practical help for refugees? Are you looking for a way to teach your children about Christmas GIVING rather than…
6 TIPS for Choosing TOYS THAT LAST
As a mom of seven kids, you might imagine that I have some strong opinions about what makes a good toy. You’d be right. In fact, let’s just call them my personal rules for choosing toys that stand the test of time. As a family one of our guiding principles is to be good stewards of…
The Truth About Jess Connell
So you want to know the truth? Not just the lovely bits, hmmm? Well, I don’t blame you. Here at JessConnell.com, I try to share from both my weaknesses and strengths… however, there’s always that niggling sense that other people are better than us, isn’t there? It shows up often in our online interactions, because these…
Motherhood as Artistry
As I’m typing this my daughter is practicing sixteenth-note scales on her violin. 1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a,3-e-&-a, 4-e-&-a, and on and on it goes. Though her violin is in tune, and though she’s playing just as she should, it doesn’t yet sound proficient. Her sixteenth notes are uneven, and her finger placement lacks the precision required to…
A Christmas Printable, for Holiday Sanity
This poem, Do the Next Thing, is a long-time favorite of mine. During holidays and stressful moments, I refer to it even more often. My hope for you is that this simple printable image– hung on your refrigerator, taped above your busy kitchen counter, or framed on a shelf– can make your coming Christmas season “doings” a…
Top 10 Newborn Tips
A young friend of mine, going through her first pregnancy, asked on Facebook for ten newborn tips. And since I try to use all my writing from other places, I figured I’d share my advice to her with you. Here are my top 10 newborn tips: Stay in bed for a week. Minimum. (See the comments for…
Best Picks for Non-Electronic Toys Kids Actually LIKE
In this frenzied toy-buying season, let me offer our recommendations for kids up to elementary-ages. We have seven kids, ages thirteen and under, so I’ve got a little more than a decade, and many different personalities’ worth of “experience,” invested in this advice. These are the non-electronic toys kids actually LIKE. (In fact, if you add up my kids’ ages…