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Create Giving Lists

After your research is complete, create a list you can share with family and friends that includes charities that are important to you and your family. Create a second list to use for friends and family that includes charities that are important to them. Keep it in an easy to access place you can refer to often.

Create a Savings/Giving Plan

Come up with a solid, easy to follow savings/giving plan that works for you and your family. This can look like setting aside one day a month to volunteer. It can look like taking a % out of each paycheck or birthday gift to set aside for charity. It can look like setting an honest limit of what you can and cannot give when asked (i.e. we’ll give to two charities per year when randomly asked and politely decline every other time). This doesn’t have to include specific numbers just yet—we’ll get to those next week. Today is about taking a look at the broader picture to see what your plan will include (%s, time, etc).

Include boundaries. Creating boundaries around giving is healthy! We’re asked to give all the time—at events, at the grocery store checkout, sports fundraisers, church, etc. What can you realistically give without creating hardship for your own family? You don’t have to light yourself on fire to keep others warm. Knowing what your boundaries are surrounding giving takes the pressure off of situations when you are asked to give. It allows you to tell the store clerk “no, thank you” when you’re asked if you want to donate on top of your purchase and move on without guilt because you know you already have a giving plan in place. You don’t have to question whether you have a generous heart because you said “no;” instead you can rest easy knowing what is realistic for your family and stick to your pre-established plan.

Giving doesn’t have to be emotional, even when there is an emotional pull. We can take a step back and look at what is: can we realistically afford to give? Having a plan in place will give us an immediate answer we can feel good about.

If you already have a giving system in place, does it need any fine-tuning? Does it include boundaries?

What Really Helps?

Part of responsible giving is also finding out what is (and isn’t!) genuinely helpful to an organization. For example, clothing exchanges or shelters might have lists of items they do not need or requirements for the condition of items that are donated. Doing even a small amount of research can avoid a lot of misguided offers to help.

The intention and desire to help can be pure and loving, but some organizations can become bogged down with donations they do not need or cannot use. Some don’t speak up about this because they don’t want to seem ungrateful. Let’s move beyond that song and dance and look closer at what organizations need when we are going to give. A simple phone call or email asking for specifics of what they do and do not need (and then sticking to that list!) can go a long way in genuinely helping a charity.

Research Friends/Family’s Interests

Part of responsible giving is researching charities. Take yesterday’s list and research the charities friends and family suggested. Find out how they use their funds, what they use them for, if they have ratings online, etc. Figure out what criteria are important to you when giving. Write about it.

Ask Friends/Family for their Interests

Reach out and ask friends (in person, online, or over the phone) about what causes are important to them. This is a great way to get ideas about charities you might not know existed before asking. Write down their answers.

This is also a great way to compile a gift list for later so that when birthdays or holidays roll around, you have the names of charities that are important to them and can make a donation as a gift.

Research Your Family’s Interests

Same journal prompt from yesterday, but with each family member’s favorite causes. What are they? What do those organizations need at the moment? Email, call, or look them up online. Write down the details. You can do this separately or with your children. Share the results with them either way.

If they didn’t have specific charities in mind, research causes locally or globally using key words that are important to them. Write down ideas that speak to your (and their) hearts.

Research Your Interests

Take a look at your list of causes from last week, specifically the ones you’re interested in. What are they? What do those organizations need at the moment? If you have specific causes in mind, email or call them. Look them up online and see if they have a list of items of specific events they are hosting. Write them down.

Didn’t have a specific charity in mind? Research causes locally or globally using key words that are important to you: childhood hunger, horse rescue, clean water, mental health, cancer, refugees, native plants…the possibilities are endless. Try not to get hung up on what you *think* you should care about as a mom or woman, but rather what truly speaks to your heart. There is no tier system when it comes to giving—one idea doesn’t have to be more valuable than another. It takes all of us caring about a wide variety of things to make a big difference. Be true to what call is placed on your heart.

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Glacier 2022, our first RV adventure We caught t Glacier 2022, our first RV adventure 

We caught the travel bug in Glacier. 😍 Now we want to see all the parks & RV everywhere! 

Last fall we rented a travel trailer (to test out a trailer vs motorhome) and drove to Glacier National Park for a few days. We stayed at the West Glacier KOA… full-time travelers told us it is one of the nicest KOAs in the country and that we set the bar too high for a first trip 😂 

Stay tuned for more about our #roadschool adventures ⛰🚐
Align your actions and your values. It’s how tru Align your actions and your values. It’s how true change happens and where peace resides.

I was such a “good customer” with Target, they moved me to the front of the line to speak with a customer representative. I was referred to as a “frequent” for years. No more. I’m walking the walk and deleting everything Target from my life. If you feel convicted, stirred, or uncomfortable with the swift downhill slide of Target, I want to encourage you to sit with thise feelings…then align your actions and your values.
Imagine if more of us could see that living is lea Imagine if more of us could see that living is learning and learning is living. And that we spend our whole lives learning well past any graduation ceremony. The world would be a different place if we embraced and encouaged a #lifelonglearning mindset. Childhoods would be different…dare I say happier? Easier? More fruitful?  I’m not going to give up on the paradigm shift that is happening, one homeschool family at a time 🙏🏼 #realeducation #realeducationreform
I get asked ALL THE TIME…”Why Idaho?” Chri I get asked ALL THE TIME…”Why Idaho?” 

Chris & I are planning on sitting down and recording our “why” in an @elevatingmotherhood podcast episode (sorry it’s taken us so long 😂), but I’ll give you the short list. 

We were looking for a place that was:
1. Majestic (Maui is majestic…we were hoping for water and mountains and North Idaho has those things in spades) 

2. Homeschool Friendly (Idaho is the most free homeschool state in the USA) 

3. Freedom Loving (check!) 

We came to Idaho for those 3 main reasons and have discovered 100 more reasons to stay! The people, the community, the churches, the small businesses, the beaches, the lakes, the big sky, the accessibility to other places…the list goes on. It’s the people that touch us the most. We have been embraced by the community—I am overcome with gratitude. They show up in for each other in small and big ways. To be part of something this amazing has blessed us beyond beyond! 

So “Why Idaho?” Pull up a chair—I’ll our you a cup of PNW coffee—plan to stay awhile, because the list of reasons is long and amazing. ⛰☕️🥰

#idahome #mauitoidaho #homeschoolidaho #northidaho #idaholife
There was an election this week. I don’t miss an There was an election this week. I don’t miss an election. 🇺🇸 I vote in person out of conviction. I take my kids with me every time. I share the whole process with them so when it comes time for them to cast their vote, they won’t hesitate to let their voices be heard. 

The volunteers at our voting place are so kind to my family. They recognize us, encourage me as a mother, and dote over what “happy voters” we are. It makes for an incredibly pleasant and empowering experience. I’m so grateful to live in a place where voting is taken seriously and honored as the important responsibility that it is. It’s one of my favorite life tasks…which means it’s one of my favorite homeschool activities. #alloflifeislearning The conversations we have within our family about elections, issues, politics, and community is more inspiring than any conversation I’ve ever been coerced into in a school. 

From Kindergarten to Grad School, I always felt like my thoughts were being guided in one direction—that of a teacher or an agenda. It was one filled with peer pressure and conformity. As an adult and parent outside of that space I can see clearly how my opinions were guided by people who were not invested in me. They did not share with me in a way that instilled confidence  in who I am, what I *actually* believe, nor did they give me a spirit of knowing it’s okay for me to have opinions that are different than others. 

That ends with me. I’m doing things differently. I’m educating my children differently. Change doesn’t look like talk—it looks like action. And action is more do-able than most people would have you believe. It’s as simple as taking your babies with you to vote. It’s as do-able as having open conversations with your children (with lots of listening). There are many different ways to approach heated topics like politics and elections that don’t involve division and hatred…ways that include less talking and more action. Don’t be afraid to take action, mamas. Your growth, example, and bravery make the biggest impact 😘

#vote #idahovotes #homeschoollessons #lifeschooling #lifeschool #homeschoolmama #mamabear #lesstalkmoreaction #homeschoolidaho
Our Garden in the Burbs 👩🏻‍🌾🌱 We’ Our Garden in the Burbs 👩🏻‍🌾🌱

We’re not gonna wait until we have more land to start living an Idaho homestead life. 🥰 We’re filling pots, digging holes, keeping chickens, sowing seeds, and farming as best we can. People like to share the end results of their garden, but I figured I’d share this growing season’s humble beginnings 🥰

So far we’re growing echinacea, borage, yarrow, onions, garlic, strawberries, squash, zucchini, cinderella pumpkins, thyme, basil, jalapeños, bell peppers, dill, cucumbers, beans, raspberries, roses, lilacs, mock orange, rosemary, sage, & tomatoes 👩🏻‍🌾 

What are you growing? 😍🌱👩🏻‍🌾
Idaho Summer Vibes ⛰🤙🏼 *wait until then t Idaho Summer Vibes ⛰🤙🏼

*wait until then the end…we saw a baby 🐐 on the beach*

The last few days I’ve reflected on how grateful I am to be in Idaho. This is where my family is supposed to be right now. We are surrounded by beautiful scenery & beautiful people…just like we were on Maui.

It turns out the world is filled with beauty. Don’t let anyone convince you otherwise 🥰 

#idahome #mauitoidaho #mauinokaoi #idaho #idahome❤️ #idahomom #homeschoolidaho #homeschoolfreedom #openroad #godisgoodallthetime #northidaho
Big cheesy I love being a mom grin…that’s all Big cheesy I love being a mom grin…that’s all you’ll get from me in Mother’s Day photos 😂

Happy Mother’s Day!!! 😘😘😘
I didn’t get what I asked for…the door was ope I didn’t get what I asked for…the door was opened 3 times. Even the cat is reaching under the door. 😂

I know this isn’t my usual encouraging post, but there are a lot of expectations around Mother’s Day. And as the planners, event coordinators, and celebrators in our homes, Mother’s Day can feel…all kinds of things. Disappointing. Extra. Frustrating. Cute. Messy. Grief ridden. Charming. Memorable. Did I already say disappointing? 

Mother’s Day disappointment is real. A lot of moms experience it. I just wanted to acknowledge that with a bit of humor. I wrote a blog post about it on my original blog years ago and it remains my top article. If I find a minute today I’ll try to link to it in my stories 😘

Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day whatever kind of day you’re having 💜😘

Baby Tula

Tula
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