Ever Think of Moving?

Ever Think of Moving?

Darn you, Zillow. Are you familiar with Zillow? It’s a website with an app where you can browse properties for sale. I’ve loved looking at house ever since I was a little girl living in a mobile home. So, the ability to look at houses all over the country in and well...

Brighten the Winter

Brighten the Winter

Each time I receive an invitation to a Bachman's event I want to say yes. Whether it's touring the dreamy Idea House or visiting the greenhouse, I'm game. Poinsettia Media Day is no exception. For one thing, a trip to a greenhouse in November does wonders for my...

The Gift of Hospitality

Hospitality is one of my spiritual gifts. I'm more comfortable being a hostess than a guest. I love trying to create a atmosphere where guests feel relaxed and welcome. Surely, I love that a coordinated tablescape is pretty to look at, but I am in my happy place...

The Benefits of Being Weighted Down

The Benefits of Being Weighted Down

Sometimes life feels heavy, doesn't it? If you're at all like me when you do get time to relax you struggle to get your mind slowed down. The more tired I become the more likely I am to feel anxiety creep in and then I'm stuck in a nasty cycle that's hard to escape....

This Old Chair

This Old Chair

In reality, it is a dilapidated old chair that would not look out of place if seen along the curb on garbage day. A hand-me-down chair that has never been comfortable or all that attractive. When I sit in it my neck cramps up and I can’t wait to get out of it. I...

If You Give A Wife A Cracker

If You Give A Wife A Cracker

When my husband and I were dating we'd grab some crackers and cheese spread - the healthy kind that comes in a can and doesn't need refrigeration. We'd dine on our fine snack in the lobbies of fancy buildings downtown or in the cab of his truck out in a field. If you...

Some Perspective on Contentment

Some Perspective on Contentment

I’ve been struggling with contentment lately. A large part of me would like to move. It isn’t so much about wanting a different house, it is more about wanting a more expansive and quiet outdoor environment. That isn’t to say I don’t want a walk-in pantry and a...

The Journey to Yourself

The Journey to Yourself

I want to take you on a journey. We’ll only be gone for a few moments. You’ll need to quiet any insecurities and open your heart in order to enjoy the trip. Take in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Now, think of something you’ve always wanted to do. Imagine...

Holiday Idea House

Holiday Idea House

Decorating for holidays is something I love to do. When my husband and I shared a basement apartment in college I insisted we get a Christmas tree and it could've stayed up all winter as far as I was concerned. It fit perfectly between the mini fridge and the hideous,...

Handmade Shopping Guide

Handmade Shopping Guide

Visiting art and craft fairs is among my most favorite activities. I don't always leave with my arms weighted down with purchases but I always leave inspired. I love seeing all of the different things that people create. It sparks my own imagination. Photographers...

Farm to Fork Recap

Farm to Fork Recap

I'm a blogger. Not a serious blogger, not a successful blogger, not a well-connected blogger. But I am a blogger. It is something that I'd like to take more seriously, like to be more successful at. So last summer when I was invited to an event for bloggers it seemed...

First Days Can Be Tough

First Days Can Be Tough

First days can be tough. Especially for the overthinkers. The big feelers. The sensitive ones. For us, the anxious souls who don’t slip into newness with ease, first days are met with dread rather than anticipation. The worst case scenario seems entirely possible....

Write Your Own Ending

Write Your Own Ending

For the majority of my life I've hated Father's Day. A day meant to honor that man in my life that was a solid foundation. A steady presence. A protector. A day set aside for a man I've never known. That not knowing is tough. Harder some days than others, harder than...

Lighting the Path

Lighting the Path

Within an hour of learning that the highly successful fashion designer Kate Spade had taken her own life, I learned of a local teenager who'd made the same gut-wrenching choice. I can think of no clearer example of how nondiscriminatory mental illness is. Kate Spade...

Picking Up The Pieces

Picking Up The Pieces

It is often said that those who serve together in the military or police form a deep bond that the outside world cannot understand. These individuals are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to serve their brothers and sisters. One such soldier came to Acres for...

Pushing Life Away

Pushing Life Away

This is yet another testimony to the amazing, life-saving therapy of Acres for Life. Monica's childhood was nowhere close to idyllic. Instead, it was brutal. Monica's mother had been left on the doorstep of an orphanage as a baby. She wasn't adopted until age seven....

Who We Used To Be

Who We Used To Be

My little family does a lot together. My husband and I don't typically go out much without our son. Fortunately, we enjoy many of the same things and each other. I'm usually happiest when we are together. However, from time to time my husband and I need some time to...

The Days In Between

The Days In Between

Many years ago I purchased a wooden sign that has since hung in our living room. It reads "These are the good old days" and I knew when I saw it that those words were true. I was happily married, lived in a new house, had a decent job, and was enjoying life. Surely...

I Wish I Could Blame the Onions

I Wish I Could Blame the Onions

I cried today. That isn't terribly unusual for me. A typical day involves me tearing up at some point. The tears come easily with empathy. They come out of joy as well. I wish I could blame the onions. Today though, I didn't just tear up, today I wept. My son says...

An Intro to Acres for Life

An Intro to Acres for Life

Have you ever heard a story that gave you goosebumps? Have you ever struggled to make sense of something? Have you ever found a cause you felt called to support? I recently found a place where all three of these things happened. I heard stories that were the most...