I’m Not Scared: new children’s book will help your kiddo face their fears

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This is a sponsored post with Blessed Coast Books. All content and opinions expressed are my own. Affiliate links are used, and you may read my full disclosure here.

I decided to take a few days off from blogging to concentrate on my sweet boy. At only 2 1/2, BabyCoolJ has been such a trooper with our move. From staging our home, to running out the door, to living out of boxes, it has been such a great change being planted and building roots in our new community. We are now almost 3-weeks-in! And every day he says “I love our new home.”

For every season and change, I turn to books for my toddler. A good book can really speak to children, and it is amazing how a story can help them get through anything. Before we began packing, we read him Boomer’s Big Day on a daily basis. It really helped the transition of moving.

How to find a new church after a move

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Being a part of a church family is important to my husband and I. We want to be connected, be filled with His Word and grow in community. And we’ve learned (the hard way) what being disconnected does to our lives and our family.

But it can be hard to church shop. Hopping from church to church can be exhausting, and while I look forward to visiting a handful of new congregations, I wouldn’t want our list to be too long.

7 thoughtful & practical gifts to give a new mom

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7 thoughtful and practical gifts for a new mom — First time Tia Ray Ray and BabyCoolJ met, circa 2016

This week my oldest and dearest friend had her first baby! I received the news yesterday, so I immediately did what any long-distance girlfriend would do: ordered a few must-have items on Amazon Prime.

20 quick & easy meals: What to cook while you are staging your home or packing for a move

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I’m going to miss my perfect cooking kitchen!

I can’t stop saying it….we’re almost moved!!! This year has been a whirlwind with making the decision to relocate, staging our home and now getting ready for our big move to New Braunfels this week.

We listed our home the first week in January and had to keep it staged, clean and tidy for two and a half months. Y’all, with a toddler!! A boy toddler. So, needless to say, finding easy meals has been a must.

10 Mother’s Day gift ideas: my top picks from Target

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Mother’s Day has taken all a whole new meaning for me since becoming a mom. I love celebrating the day with my family, and because my love language is gifts I’m happy to be on the receiving end of this beautiful holiday!

This list is admittedly items I would totally want (there ya go, hubby…easy!) and includes things that inspire me. And they are wonderful for any gifting occasion – Birthdays, anniversaries and just “thought of you” gifts. (MEN: take note of that last one!)

10 Mother’s Day gift ideas from (almost) everyone’s favorite retailer, Target:

From faithless to faithful: how I found my way back to God (part 2)

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While there is a lot to share my in my early years, these last few years have been a whirlwind of excitement as I found my way back to God. If you’re just tuning in, I wanted to take some time to share my personal testimony. My most popular posts like this one, this one, and this one are all about God, so what better way to celebrate than with my own faith journey?

If you read part 1, you know a little about my background pre-2010’s. Now I’m going to dive into my favorite part, especially because it includes my husband!

What’s in my diaper backpack: toddler edition

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I’ve fought this whole diaper bag thing for a while. I totally embraced it when my kiddo was an infant, but just didn’t see the point in investing in another bag after he was running around and soon-to-be toilet trained.

My last diaper-friendly bag broke and I was using a regular handbag…which is just not good when you frequent the park.

Then a few things happened to open my eyes on how a new diaper bag would be a really good investment (and how badly I needed one):

From faithful to faithless: a look at my early years with Christ (part 1)

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I’ve been wanting to share my testimony for some time, yet every time I sit down to write it I become distracted or am all-over-the-place with what direction to take. I consider my testimony to have been at it’s peak around 2014, when actually I have so many stories to share from sometime in the 90’s all the way to this year, 2018.

So where do I start? Well, let’s go back a little….

Lisa’s Loves – what I heart in March

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It’s been nearly a year since I unofficially launched my blog, and it sure has changed a lot! In January I finally locked down my branding, domain and focus. One thing I didn’t include was “Lisa’s Loves” ….but I’ve decided to bring it back!

I love sharing my favorite products/buys, and what better place than here? So, let’s jump right in.

12 packing hacks to keep you sane during your move (plus a free printable!)

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We are now in the home stretch! We no longer have to keep our house staged and I finally am past the stress that goes with constant showings. Now, it is all about packing, packing, packing!

As we’re in the thick of it (30 boxes down…30 to go!) I put together a few hacks that are keeping me and my family sane through the process. Feel free to drop in any additional tips or ask questions in the comments below!