Mandi Ehman's Blog, page 69

Living Creatively Even When You Don’t Feel Creative

source: Mandi Ehman

Yesterday we talked about living intentionally and what that actually means. Today, I want to talk about the second word in our tagline: creative.

What is creative living anyway?

creative


1. having the quality or power of creating.


2. resulting from originality of thought, expression, etc.


3. imaginative.


4. originative; productive.

Let’s start with what it doesn’t mean. Embracing creative living doesn’t mean this is a site for hipsters, artists and creative types, although we certainly welcome you here too! But honestly, I don’t really fit under any of those labels myself. I’m not an artist: I see things in black and white and straight lines. I am more likely to prioritize function over form. And while I’m a noncomformist, I prefer objective, follow-the-rules activities to subjective art.

source: Mandi Ehman

You can see this part of my personality in the activities I enjoy:

the rules of grammar as opposed to creative writing
coloring books but not drawing/painting
building and coding a website

“What is art? You are. And the mayfly. And every wasp novel ever lived. And the hard Winter overthrown by Spring. Motherhood. Grass. Jupiter. Your annoying neighbor. Art is.”


–N.D. Wilson, Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl

But while I may not be an artist or especially creative according to the conventional definition, I still want to live a creative life. I want to see the beauty in every day, make time for laughter, embrace the imperfections of this life, and pursue my passions.

source: Mandi Ehman

I love the phrase “live your art”, and that’s what I want to do. I may not be able to paint a canvas, but I want the days of my life to paint their own canvas. I may not be the greatest chef, but I want to nourish my family with love and a passion for living. I might be awkward, but I want to dance through my days anyway.

In a post on The Art of Simple earlier this week, my friend Katie said this: “I once had the gorgeous experience of listening to singer-songwriter David Wilcox play a show in a little town outside of Cincinnati. When he finished singing, he looked out at us and said, ‘Sing your life. Live your music.’”

That’s what I want.

We always joke that our third daughter dances to the beat of her own drum, and there are times that I truly think she has her own soundtrack that carries her through life. While I might be a bit more grounded, I can’t help but envy her unconcerned, joyful approach to life.

And that’s the point: Creativity isn’t necessarily separate from the everyday. We can be creative in the midst of dirty diapers and driving kids too and from school and all the other tasks that fill our days. We can sing our life even when no one is paying for tickets to hear us.

source: Mandi Ehman

On the other hand, sometimes we do need to make room for more overt creative pursuits. We need to limit our time on Facebook or zoning out in front of the TV to leave time for creating in the kitchen or building a Lego set or coloring outside of the lines. We need time to stop and smell the roses, to pull over on the side of the road to watch a sunset or to dance in the living room with our husband or kids.

One of the top books on my reading list for 2014 is Emily Freeman’s A Million Little Ways. The description of the book says this: “A Million Little Ways uncovers the creative, personal imprint of God on every individual. It invites the discouraged parent, the bored Christian, the exhausted executive to look at their lives differently by approaching their critics, their jobs, and the kids around their table the same way an artist approaches the canvas–with wonder, bravery, and hope.”

I’m not letting myself buy it until I finish a few of the books I’ve already started, but I think about it often. And I hope that Life Your Way encourages readers to do the same:

Live your art. Sing your life.

Creative living is about embracing the beauty in every day. Do you consider yourself a creative person? How do you live creatively outside of typical “art” pursuits?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Living Creatively Even When You Don’t Feel Creative

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

    Related StoriesWhat Does It Mean to Live Intentionally?Where Life Your Way Went Wrong…And What I’m Doing About ItDear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {December 2013}

What Does It Mean to Live Intentionally?

source: Mandi Ehman

Yesterday I announced some pretty big changes to Life Your Way. While the design changes will take a little more time to implement, you’ll notice the changes to the content right away.

As we kick off the New Year, I wanted to start by looking at our tagline — intentional & creative living– and what that actually means.

You may have noticed that in yesterday’s post, the header in the screenshot of the new site said “creative & intentional living” rather than the other way around. I’ve actually gone back and forth about the order of those two words, but I ultimately decided that intentional needed to be first because it’s that intentionality that makes room for the creative even in the midst of commitments and chaos and everything else we have going on in our lives.

Today, let’s look at intentional living: What does it even mean to live intentionally?

Intentional living is about knowing why you do what you do and why you don’t do what you don’t do.

We are faced with dozens of choices every day — some little, some big. From whether to choose a salad or a chocolate sundae for lunch to where our kids go to school, our world today is full of options. The thing is, sometimes it’s much easier to just go with the flow and not think about those options — choosing public school, paying for cable every month, etc. — but that doesn’t make them the best choices for our families. On the other hand, it’s tempting for some of us to choose the unconventional choice just because we’re nonconformists, and that’s not necessarily best for our families either.

In fact, living intentionally doesn’t have anything to do with the specific choices you’re making at all. I know, I know — we tend to have a picture of what it means to live intentionally: it’s about being organized and choosing to serve our families only real food and eliminating TV and drinking fair-trade coffee. But honestly, you can make those choices just to fit in with the “cool” crowd and miss the point entirely.

In fact, I would argue that you can live intentionally and eat fast food, watch cable TV and collect knick knacks like there’s no tomorrow.

Rather than trying to define a set of choices that are characteristic of living intentionally, it’s about knowing why you do what you do, or why you don’t do the other things.

Whether your family “does” Santa (or not), sends your kids to public or private school, eats McDonald’s or watches cable TV is not the point. It’s about thinking through each of those decisions, considering their consequences and making your decisions with your eyes wide open.

Intentional living is being willing to take a step back and evaluate the things you’re doing.

On the other hand, living also means being willing to evaluate those decisions as you go rather than just making a decision once and sticking to it no matter what. I think that’s probably where we get our picture of what living intentionally looks like — over time, if you’re really evaluating your food choices, you’ll probably tend to move in the direction of eating more food. And if you’re really evaluating the things you own, you’ll probably end up decluttering along the way. But it’s not about waking up on January 1st and making those decisions; it’s about making choices and evaluating them all throughout your life.

It also means being willing to ask other people for their input and even to look for the truth in criticism, however harsh it may be.

Funny enough, it was a harsh review that someone left on Amazon about How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too (my first ebook) that really sparked my desire to simplify my business model and focus on my core businesses. She said:

“It felt like Mrs. Ehman was trying too hard to convince readers that doing and being everything as a mom, wife, homeschooling teacher, and entrepreneur without dropping balls was possible…However, this book helped me in that it made me remember why I let my business go in the first place- you truly cannot have it all without dropping balls….It’s apparent in reading this book that the author struggles with this too. Her pace seems frantic…”

While I stand by the advice in that ebook and disagree 100% with her assertion that I have made sacrifices for my own personal success and not for the benefit of my family, once I was able to step back and think about her words, I realized I had in some ways become addicted to the frantic pace and starting new things rather than looking for ways to enjoy some of the benefits of the hard work I put into my business in the early years.

It would have been easy to just dismiss her entire review because of the tone or the overly harsh criticism, and I think a lot of people would have advised me to do that, but if I had, I would have missed out on the chance for some introspection and the nuggets of truth it contained.

Intentional living is about doing the things that are important to you even when they’re not easy.

I remember feeling like a fraud as a young mother; I was reading to my baby because it was important to me to raise readers, but it felt forced. And then I realized that sometimes that’s what intentional mothering looks like: choosing to do the things that are important to us even when they’re not easy or don’t come naturally.

Living intentionally means defining your values and making choices that reflect those values.

It’s making a commitment to look your children in the eye when they talk to you or putting down the phone when you know you’re just zoning out. It’s choosing to get up and exercise even though you hate it. It’s making time to serve in your church or community or giving up conventional chocolate.

It doesn’t mean you have to bike to the grocery store just because your neighbors do, but it does mean evaluating your family’s values and goals and intentionally choosing activities that align with those, even when those activities take effort on your part.

Intentional living is about evaluating the advice and example of other people and taking from it what works for you.

I’ve always thought the controversy over Gary Ezzo’s Baby Wise was a bit dramatic. While I now understand that some people have followed his advice to the letter of the law and it has actually hurt their babies, it always seemed obvious to me that when considering any advice — about parenting or marriage or gardening or business — you should evaluate it with an open mind, take what works for you and leave the rest.

Bloggers, authors and so-called experts may have a lot to offer from their own experience and knowledge, but that doesn’t mean that life is one-size-fit-all or that there is only one right way to do things.

In this age of social media and instant access to the lives of everyone around us, it can also be easy to create an unrealistic checklist of what the “perfect” family looks like just by watching the other families you know. But if you try to do all the “good” things other families are doing, you’ll end up stressed out and without a strong family culture of your own. Living intentionally means being able to see the things that other people are doing, appreciate them and then pick and choose the ones that are the best fit for you or your family.

Intentional living helps you set a course for your life and your family rather than just wandering aimlessly through life. It gives you the freedom to make time for the things that are truly important and to discard the rest. How will you live intentionally in 2014?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

What Does It Mean to Live Intentionally?

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     
Comments“And then I realized that sometimes that’s what intentional ... by MalloryI love that you note that living intentionally can look really ... by nurturedmamaI absolutely love this explanation. I don't live as ... by JennieRelated StoriesWhere Life Your Way Went Wrong…And What I’m Doing About ItDear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {December 2013}Dear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {October 2013}

Where Life Your Way Went Wrong…And What I’m Doing About It

source: Mandi Ehman

Happy New Year! As we kick off 2014, I’m sharing my heart and announcing some exciting changes to the site.

But first, the back story…

There once was a girl who set out on an adventure with the boy next door-turned-husband and moved far away from everything and everyone she held dear. She sent regular email updates back to her family and friends, and — as the birth of their first child grew near — her email updates grew more frequent, until one day a friend suggested she started a blog.

There once was a girl who stumbled across her first professional blog (Money Saving Mom, if you must know) and discovered that a world of opportunities lay at her fingertips, quite literally.

There once was a girl who loved to experiment and try new things. She was an entrepreneur at heart. In a world dominated by artists and writers who couldn’t not write and create, it was the business side of things that got her blood pumping.

There once was a girl who took a step back to evaluate things and realized the site she’d birthed no longer looked as she had imagined.

***

This isn’t popular to admit, but I blog for money. I’m an entrepreneur, not a writer. Which isn’t to say that I don’t blog for my readers, because I do! I love providing tips and tricks, sharing my heart and offering encouragement. But writing? That part I don’t especially enjoy; it just happens to be the medium that works for sharing those ideas and stories with you.

It probably makes sense, then, that I blog because it puts food on the table for my family and not because it’s a creative outlet for me.

As the primary breadwinner in our family, I’m so very privileged to have a job I love and to get to do it from home with my girls, new baby and husband all around me.

But — there’s always a but, you see — I can’t do it just for fun; it has to actually pay the bills to justify the time I spend on it.

***

source: Mandi Ehman

Earlier this year I announced a change. I’d been itching for change for a while, to be honest. After years of experimenting and trying new things and discovering my passions and skills — and the things that aren’t a good fit too! — I am ready to settle down and focus on my core businesses.

So I announced the change and we scaled back the site, letting some contributors go, reducing the number of posts and leaving more time for me to share my heart and thoughts and talents rather than just managing the site from afar.

But despite those changes, the itch was still there. The itch for something cleaner, simpler. Our house has been called cold and stark, but the truth is we love the white walls, the empty surfaces, the space to breathe and dream and just be. And yet somehow my online home had become cluttered and messy.

I tried cleaning things up a little at a time, but it just seemed to get messier. There were still bills to pay, but the sponsored posts started to feel suffocating. And the design — oh, the design. I have definitely outgrown it, no doubt.

***

As usually happens when I dare to take a break from the blog, my maternity leave brought about the perspective I needed to step back and see things as they really are and to dream a new dream.

And then one fall day, Tsh announced a drastic change at her blog — a whole new name after years as Simple Mom.

In that moment, something clicked, and I realized what we needed was “all new”, not just some slick “new and improved” label on something that was more old than new. And I began dreaming and scheming and playing around until I settled on a new design.

It’s not quite ready for the unveiling — I do have a 2-month-old, after all — but I can tell you that this brand new site incorporates everything I’ve been feeling for the last year:

It’s clean and simple, with a focus on the content that brings you here each day.


The printables are easy to navigate so that you can quickly discover the one you’re looking for (or the one you didn’t even realize you wanted!).


The navigation is much simpler and easier to use, and we’ll no longer have channels, just plain ol’ categories like in the good ol’ days.

The name is actually the one thing that isn’t changing. We’ll still be Life Your Way, and now the site will be hosted at LifeYourWay.net instead of our current channels at YourWay.net.

***

source: Mandi Ehman

It’s not just the design that’s changing, though.

No, we have a whole new focus. We’ll still be covering the same topics, but from a new perspective — a slower, more focused perspective. We’ll be scaling the editorial calendar back even more, and I’m going to do my best not to worry about the calendar quite as much so that I have the freedom to publish an unexpected post when I want to, without feeling like I need to follow the schedule. {This is very hard for my type-A, INTJ self.}

I’ll be releasing more great products in 2014 as well, and I think putting the focus back on products will give me some breathing room so I can be even more selective with sponsored posts

Because I love to provide free, helpful content for readers, the challenge has been figuring out how to earn an income while still doing that. And that’s where things went wrong, I think. The type of site that Life Your Way set out to be — a magazine-style site featuring the voices of dozens of contributors — wasn’t the type of site that attracted the advertiser relationships I really wanted, and so I was left with corporate ads and sponsored posts instead.

To be clear, I have turned down dozens and dozens of sponsored post opportunities over the years simply because they’re not a good fit for my personal values or the site as a whole, but obviously I could have been more selective.

***

So my goal in 2014 is to put the focus back where it belongs: on the content. Instead of courting advertisers and sponsored posts, I’ll simply be focused on sharing tips & tricks, lessons and stories from my own life.

I’ll also share the products and services I love, whether the post is sponsored or not.

Of course, there will still be ads on the site and there will still be sponsored posts, because those do pay the bills, but I think the tone of the site will change as we bring that back into balance.

My other plan for 2014 is to provide more digital products — ebooks and courses and, of course, printables.

Oh, yeah…and I’ll be moving Easy Homemade back to Life Your Way because managing two blogs is just too much, and I think it’s a better fit as part of the main site with my new focus

***

To be honest, this is all a bit scary. After all, what we’ve been doing has been working and has, literally, been putting food on the table. But it feels right.

I could use some hand-holding, though. It would be such an encouragement to me if you could drop by and leave a comment now and then on the new site (especially since we lost ALL of our comments in the transition!).

As always, our digital products will be priced so that they’re packed full of value, making the decision to purchase a no-brainer. But even if you’re not interested in paying for products, I hope you’ll consider sharing them with your friends and family since sharing with others is actually a huge way to support the site!

And you can, of course, subscribe to stay connected with all that’s happening. In fact, we now have a new newsletter option. The weekly newsletter will simply be a summary of the posts each week (because I’ve found that trying to create the newsletter each week on top of blog content is also pretty draining for me!), but we’ll have a third newsletter option for those of you who just want to hear about special announcements like new series, product releases and what’s going on behind the scenes. {And if you’re subscribed to the daily or weekly newsletter, you’ll automatically receive those announcements as well.} Head here to subscribe.

I say it often, and I’m afraid that makes it feel cliche rather than true, but — sincerely! — thank you all for reading. I couldn’t do any of what I do without our regular readers and occasional visitors, and I really do appreciate each of you!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.


 

Where Life Your Way Went Wrong…And What I’m Doing About It

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     
CommentsMandi, I'm happy that you are taking these steps to do what ... by MaurikaThis is wonderful news, Mandi. Reading the path that your ... by Jamerrill StewartGood for you for doing what feels “right.” I look forward ... by ElenaThere is nothing inherently ignoble about being an entrepreneur ... by LuAnn BraleyRelated StoriesDear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {December 2013}Dear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {October 2013}Dear Readers… + Desktop Calendar {September 2013}

My 2013 and 2014 Reading Lists

source: Mandi Ehman

2013 was a good reading year for me. I’d hoped to hit 100 books read, and while I didn’t quite make it thanks to 6 weeks of severe morning sickness and several months of working doubletime to prepare for my maternity leave, I’m still pretty excited by what I read.

Looking back over this list, though, one thing I’m determined to change in 2014 is to only read the books I really enjoy. I read a few freebies simply because they were available, but I didn’t really enjoy them, and now I feel a bit like I wasted that time.

As always, my goal is also to read more nonfiction in 2014 as well. I really enjoy nonfiction, but it doesn’t provide the same escape that fiction does, so while my nonfiction wishlist is almost always longer than the fiction list, I move through them much more slowly. I started off 2013 reading two nonfiction books a month, and I think I’d like to get back to that level for 2014.

As for the lists below, I hate trying to categorize books because there are so many that could fit under multiple categories. Is Harry Potter children’s fiction or fantasy? Do I call Kindred historical fiction or science fiction? So instead of stressing myself out trying to come up with the “perfect” categories, I’ve just broken them down into Nonfiction and Fiction and listed them in the order I read them (or at least the order I entered them into GoodReads!).

At the bottom, I also made a reading list for 2014. I’ve actually started a lot of these books — before I decided that bouncing between 5+ books at a time just wasn’t my style — and a lot of them I’ve purchased when they’ve been on sale. There are a ton more in my Amazon wishlist, but some of those have been there for years, so I decided to just stick to the ones I am actually planning to read in the near future. Also, looking at last year’s reading list, I do a terrible job of planning out what I’ll read ahead of time!

And finally, as part of the all new Life Your Way (big announcement with details coming soon!), I’m doing away with both weekly and monthly reading lists. Instead, I’ll just be telling you about the books I read when they’re interesting enough to justify a post. Be sure to friend me on GoodReads for the books that don’t make the cut as well!

Psst…if you’ve posted a 2013 recap or a reading list for 2014, I’d love to read it — so I can fill up my wishlist even more, of course! Be sure to leave the link in the comments.

Books Read in 2013 {Nonfiction}

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff

The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin

Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

5 Days to a Clutter-Free House: Quick, Easy Ways to Clear Up Your Space by Sandra Felton

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie J. Davis

People Before Profit: The Inspiring Story of the Founder of Bob’s Red Mill by Ken Koopman

It Starts with Food: Discover the Whole30 and Change Your Life in Unexpected Ways by Melissa Hartwig

You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You by Holley Gerth

Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit by Francis Chan

The Book of Business Awesome: How Engaging Your Customers and Employees Can Make Your Business Thrive by Scott Stratten

How to Blog for Profit without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup

Books Read in 2013 {Fiction}

The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle

The Moses Quilt by Kathi Macias

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith

Where Wildflowers Bloom by Ann Shorey

When the Heart Heals by Ann Shorey

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn

Free Souls by Susan Kaye Quinn

Moonlight Masquerade by Ruth Axtell

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Love in a Broken Vessel by Mesu Andrews

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Trauma Plan by Candace Calvert

Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad

Grave Consequences by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Outpost by Ann Aguirre

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Rise by Anna Carey

Son by Lois Lowry

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

An Untamed Land by Lauraine Snelling

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Reading List for 2014

The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

THE QUESTION: Teaching Your Child the Essentials of Classical Education by Leigh A. Bortins

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy, Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk

Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger

Hands Free Mama: A Guide to Putting Down the Phone, Burning the To-Do List, and Letting Go of Perfection to Grasp What Really Matters! by Rachel Macy Stafford

The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

Million Little Ways, A: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live by Emily P. Freeman

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Bread & Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

What was the best book you read in 2013?

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

My 2013 and 2014 Reading Lists

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Get Organized in 2014 with the Complete Printables Download Pack {On Sale for $4!}

I’ve got some big news coming later this week that I can’t wait to share with you, but I thought I’d kick the week off with a special offer on our printables:

This week only, the Life Your Way Complete Printables Download Pack is on sale for just $4 when you enter coupon code NEWYEAR at checkout. That’s the lowest price ever, and this week is the only time in 2014 that you’ll be able to get it for that price!

The download pack includes all 350+ printables that have been published at Life Your Way, including tons of home management notebook printables as well as cheat sheets for your kitchen and home, cleaning checklists, activities for kids and holiday printables.

I’m planning to release printables every week in 2014, and your purchase also includes free monthly email updates with new printables so that you don’t have to go searching for them!

Have an idea for a printable you’d like to see added to our collection? Email me and I’ll add it to the queue!

Get your download pack today!

 

Get Organized in 2014 with the Complete Printables Download Pack {On Sale for $4!}

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

Weekend Reading: December 28, 2013

source: Mandi Ehman

What a week we’ve had!

We kicked off last weekend with a wreath laying ceremony at a local cemetery, followed by our first two family Christmases. My mom and step-dad then arrived on Monday, sent Sean and I out on a rare date night, and Tuesday we had dinner out with my sisters and their families before heading to Christmas Eve service at church.

Wednesday was, of course, Christmas Day, and it was pretty perfect — calmer and quieter than usual but really sweet and special.

On Thursday, the guys took the big girls to see Walking with Dinosaurs, and yesterday my mom and I had some rare time out by ourselves — which we spent at the pottery studio and then seeing Saving Mr. Banks (a great movie!).

Whew.

Today is our final family Christmas, and then Sean’s dad and sister are coming back to spend the night at our house so they can take the big girls skiing tomorrow.

On Monday, life returns to normal (or as normal as it gets around here!), and I have to admit that as much as I enjoyed our full week of celebrating, I’m looking forward to some quiet!

Here are some of my favorite posts from this week. As always, check out what I’m reading and what I’m pinning to see the other posts that make me stop and think (or, you know, drool…). You’ll find new posts all week long!

{Intentional in 2014}

Why some (most) dreams don’t work. | Jon Acuff


The care and feeding (and shunning) of vampires | Seth’s Blog


13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do | Lifehacker

{Just for Fun}

8 New Punctuation Marks We Desperately Need | College Humor


Internet Linguistics | The Toast


Canadian Photographer Creates Split Family Portraits | Enpundit

{On Duck Dynasty}

I’m a little late to the party, but I really loved all of these posts. Since they apply to more than just this particular situation, I decided to link to them even though the drama has died down. Better late than never?

What if we got all worked up about this instead? | Tsh Oxenreider


The Duck Thing: Is There Another Way? | Jen Hatmaker


Duck Dynasty, first amendment rights, and Christian values | Rage Against the Minivan



Dear Kids: What You Need to Know About Duck Dynasty, Justine Sacco, and Christmas | A Holy Experience

Have a great weekend!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

Weekend Reading: December 28, 2013

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

     
CommentsLOVE the Canadian photographer one, I guess the saying is true ... by Victoria HuizingaRelated StoriesWeekend Reading: December 21, 2013Weekend Reading: December 14, 2013Weekend Reading: December 7, 2013

101 Days of Christmas: Individual Ornament Boxes

source: Mandi Ehman

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is to so that they can grow their own collection of ornaments. But for our girls, the best part of this tradition isn’t opening the new ornaments; it’s packing and unpacking their individual ornament boxes at the beginning and end of the season!

I picked up a few tins on clearance after Christmas a few years ago and added each of their names to one of the lids. Then, we began packing up their ornaments in separate tins. The following year, when it was time to decorate the tree, they were so excited to have their very own collection to hang on the tree, and it really does make for a fun decorating tradition as they hang up their ornaments while my husband does his best to make the tree look pretty with our base sets and I hang all the rest.

Then, at the end of the season, it becomes a  game of “I Spy” as they hunt for all of their ornaments to put back in their tins! I have a feeling that at some point we’ll need larger tins because their collections include not just the annual ornaments we give them but also the special ones they make, but I love the idea that one day (in the distant future!) when they move out, they’ll have a tin of ornaments to take with them!

Head here for more tips on packing up and storing your holiday decor.

And that’s the last of the 101 Days of Christmas. See you next year!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

101 Days of Christmas: Read the Christmas Story

source: Mandi Ehman

And suddenly there was with the angel


a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,


Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.


Luke 2:13-14

This post might look familiar, and it’s true that we run it every year, but I think it’s important enough to repeat as part of our annual series:

Sometime tomorrow — whether it’s first thing in the morning or later in the evening, gathered around the tree or cuddling on the couch, while eating breakfast or getting ready for bed — I encourage you to take some time to read the Christmas story together as a family.

Found in Luke 2 in the Bible, it’s the story of a Savior’s birth…and it wasn’t at all what God’s people expected. The Savior and King all Creation had been waiting for arrived not on horseback as a mighty warrior, but was wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger. His birth wasn’t announced with royal declarations, but with the singing of heavenly hosts inviting lowly shepherds to come see.

In that moment, with the birth of a tiny baby, the course of humankind was changed. That baby would grow up and choose to make the ultimate sacrifice — death on a cross — for you and for me.

Pretty awe-inspiring stuff!

 

And with that, we come to the end of our 101 Days of Christmas projects; our last post on the 26th will be about packing up the decorations after the holidays!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

101 Days of Christmas: Read the Christmas Story

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

101 Days of Christmas: Mix-and-Match Oatmeal Cookies

source: Mandi Ehman

I love oatmeal cookies that are slightly crispy on the outside and nice and chewy on the inside, but — for whatever reason — it’s been several years since I’ve made them.

This year, I set out to find a base recipe that I could use with a variety of flavors, and I think this one is a winner!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 – 2 1/2  cups of mix-ins (see list below)

Mix-ins:

dried cranberries. raisins or cherries
diced apple
semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
white chocolate chips
M&Ms
coconut
nuts (walnuts, pecans, pistachios)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla extract and beat on medium-high until creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated.

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix.

Add the oatmeal and any mix-ins and finish mixing by hand.

Use a small cookie scoop to form cookie dough balls and arrange them on a cookie pan or stone, leaving space between them so they can spread.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes on the pan before moving them to a cookie rack to cool completely.

Click here to add this recipe to your Plan to Eat account.

Related Projects:

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Cranberry-Pistachio Biscotti

Join us as we celebrate 101 Days of Christmas with new DIY projects, gift ideas, traditions and more every day from now through Christmas!

Mandi Ehman is the blogger behind Life Your Way. She and her husband have four beautiful girls plus one baby boy on the way, and together, they live, work and homeschool on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia. She loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces.

101 Days of Christmas: Mix-and-Match Oatmeal Cookies

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved

‘Twas the Night Before…Stanley

Although our family doesn’t “do” Santa in the traditional sense, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is still one of our favorite Christmas books, and we read it every year on Christmas Eve while sipping hot chocolate in our new Christmas pajamas!

Verizon FiOS has put together a fun twist on this classic tale, ‘Twas the Night Before Stanley, which is brought to life in storybook fashion with photos from four Instagrammers:

Click here to view the ‘Twas the Night Before Stanley video.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Verizon. The opinions and text are all mine.

‘Twas the Night Before…Stanley

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved