Well, we’re all but there. The end of the year. Again. How does this keep happening? I’ve published over 150 articles on jessconnell.com in 2015. According to the stats, these are the top 10 most-read posts on jessconnell.com from this past year: #1- JOSH DUGGAR & THE PROBLEM WE ALL HAVE Though the news did not surprise me,…
Search Results for: large family
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…
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…
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…
The Unseen Years
We recently participated in a silent, prayerful, smiling protest. We used our rights and stood for life. It was our first time to participate, and we decided to go on the spur of the moment. Of course we talked expectations as we drove to the protest, brought snacks for the 2-year-old to enjoy during the…
9 couches.
The other day, we got a new couch. It’s the biggest one we’ve ever had, and meets my one requirement for a couch. A Connell couch needs to: comfortably hold our whole family so we can all snuggle up for a movie or a read-aloud when we want to. This used to be easy to…
What Keeps Moms From Getting Enough Rest?
I recently asked over 1,000 women: “What things keep you from getting the soul and body rest you know you need?” Here’s a selection of the answers: Laundry, dirty bottles, teething babies and an injured hubby. 🙂 I constantly put high expectations on myself and convince myself that I can do all things. It’s a battleground…
Why I DON’T “Get Out Of the House More”
{Note: This article has been updated from its original publishing in Dec. 2008.} Today I want to share the ethos behind some big choices of my life. I’ve lived as an at-home-on-purpose mom for the last 13+ years of my life because I believe this simple truth: as a mom of young children, the best place for me to be…