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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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Oh, don’t you worry…we’re having FUN over he Oh, don’t you worry…we’re having FUN over here! 😻 

Welcome, Charlie cat! 🥰

Mahalo, @shinewildfamilyfarm 😻 We’re in love!
✨ We had THE BEST day! ✨😻 @shinewildfamily ✨ We had THE BEST day! ✨😻

@shinewildfamilyfarm let us have a raggamuffin kitten playdate with her 3 available kittens. 😍 OMGoodness. This is how to choose a kitten! After hanging out with them for a few magical hours, we’ve decided to add the black kitty to our ohana. At the moment, his name is Charlie. 😍

I had a girl kitten named Charlie before I had babies. It feels full circle. I hope they stick with the name 🥰 My girl Charlie was hit by a car the week before my first baby was born and it’s always bummed me out that none of my kids got to know her. It would be nice to have a Charlie cat around once more 🥰

Thank you so much, Jess!!!!!! We’re so grateful!
We can see the grass again in North Idaho. We see We can see the grass again in North Idaho. We see a lot of snow and ice, too, but there is grass. ❄️🌾

Makes me think of last summer and hope for next summer. 🙂

I’m liking seasons. They feel very purposeful. Makes me sad when folks don’t see it and simply complain about the weather. But what good does that do? The sun will shine when it shines. The weather is what it is. And there’s beauty to be found in it—rain, snow, ice, sleet, mud—all of it. 💜

For me, today’s beauty is in the memory and in the hope. It’s also in the laughter of my children and their neighbor friends as they play. 🥰

I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that “we’re not here for the weather.” 😉 

Photo: @daniwalkerphoto_
Our hearts are forever full & forever broken. Our Our hearts are forever full & forever broken. Our beloved Grandma Huck went home to heaven this week. We’re in Ohio to celebrate her & lay her to rest. I’ll share more about this incredible woman at some point. For now, please pray for our family as we navigate the grief of losing her while rejoicing she is with Jesus.

Many of you knew her in some way…through stories I’ve shared over the years or from a trip to her house for food and cards. Her light shown bright and far. 

The transition of loss is complicated & all your prayers are appreciated. Mahalo nui loa 🌺

Photo from her 91st birthday, May 2022
Books are incredibly powerful. We know this and ye Books are incredibly powerful. We know this and yet as moms we don’t always make time to read. The world tells us that there is no time for anything, ever. And in the same breath often tells us what to do, what to read, how to think, how to mother…and a lot of that messaging leaves us feeling fearful, unworthy, and like we aren’t doing enough. 

What if there was a way to step off the hamster wheel of modern motherhood and find ourselves feeling more whole, more worthy, and like we’re getting it right? And what if the secret to that was found in reading more books? 

Today’s conversation with @jenniferpepito is so enlightening. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a changed person, a changed mother, and I believe a better mother because I read books. Namely the books of the authors I have interviewed here on the podcast, including Jennifer’s book Mothering by the Book: The Power of Reading Aloud to Overcome Fear and Recapture Joy. Jennifer is here to expand our book lists and shine a light on our motherhood journeys with deep, mature insights, ideas for battling comparison and other daily fears that arise in our mama hearts. 

Jennifer’s Bio: Jennifer Pepito is the author of Mothering by the Book and the founder of The Peaceful Press. Jennifer is on a mission to help moms overcome fear and love their life, and her homeschool curriculum empowers this through heroic stories, heartwarming poetry, and engaging life skills development. Her resources help create joyful memories among families, which leads to deeper connections and lasting relationships. Jennifer’s writing has been featured in several online and print journals, including Wild and Free, Commonplace Quarterly, and Home Educating Family. She’s a Wild and Free podcast host and has made guest appearances on popular podcasts such as 1000 Hours Outside, At Home with Sally, and Charlotte Mason Poetry. Jennifer lives in the mountains with her beloved family, where she enjoys reading aloud, working in her garden, and watching the sunset.

Tune in, be encouraged, give @jenniferpepito and @thepeacefulpress a follow + share your favorite takeaways from the episode! 💕😘
Mele Kalikimaka from our new Idahome! 🎄☃️😘

A cozy white Christmas in our new house with old traditions felt just right. Going to bed with happy hearts. 

Also…great job, mamas. 🥰 Another year in the books. Months of planning, weeks of pouring over the details, & countless hours of putting this day together…you nailed it. I’m sure of it. 😘 I don’t have to see what your Christmas day was like to know that YOU 👏🏼 ROCKED 👏🏼 IT. 👏🏼 Well done, mama!!! Thanks for all you do for your family 😘 You are seen and so, so appreciated 💕

Cool backdrops: @reallife_postfalls 
Photo cred: @angela.k.correa 😉

#melekalikimaka #firstchristmasinournewhome #idahochristmas #idahome #christmasinidaho #whitechristmas
I’m prepping all the doughs for Christmas week w I’m prepping all the doughs for Christmas week while the snow falls (& falls & falls…) outside. 🎄 

This morning we ate homemade sourdough bagels for breakfast…then ate them with soup for lunch (they really are that good!) 🤤

I love the anticipation during Christmas week. The purposeful preparation. The rush of extra tasks. They could be “added stress” if I put on those glasses, but why? We are blessed with one more magical Christmas with littles gathered around the tree, wide eyed and excited. I’m not gonna let any messages about gift giving, buying, traditions, or expectations cloud this special Christmas. 

It takes a lot of internal work on my part to drown out the constant messaging and doubt that creeps in. But if it does, there’s always a bright eyed child in front of me to snap me out of it. There’s always prayer to center me. And the beautiful mundane tasks that make up our everyday life.
In case you were wondering, they really do grow so In case you were wondering, they really do grow so so so so so so fast. 💕 

This was this past summer. We’re only a few months past when this photo was taken and he’s already one. 🤯 ONE! How? When? I was there the whole time! …but he grew anyway. He’s walking around and even dancing. Sigh. 

I know as moms we’re “supposed to” be glad they are growing strong. And I am. I totally am. I’m also sitting here shaking my head in disbelief that he is as big and strong as he is. Double sigh. 

Time flies. Time is a thief. I’ll say it again and again…hold them close. Love them. Grow with them. Because time really is all the cliches they say it is. #babiesdontkeep 

Photo: @daniwalkerphoto_
As homeschool parents we need to be aware of homes As homeschool parents we need to be aware of homeschool laws, policy suggestions, and voices that are speaking out against homeschooling. 

Here are some action steps on how to get started: 

1. Become more aware of homeschool laws: join HSLDA or at the very least use their free resources online. See if your state has homeschool organizations (i.e. Homeschool Idaho) that offers support and insight specific to you 

2. Learn about policy suggestions (at the state and national level): this starts with understanding current homeschool laws and policies. What are some local policies affecting you? Does your state have a “pay you to homeschool” program? (i.e. Tech Trep in Idaho) If so, what are their restrictions (i.e. you’ll get $1800 a year but you have to have your kid tested and use only approved by them secular curriculum) 🤔 

3. Become aware of who is speaking out about homeschool: the easy place to start is a quick online search for Elizabeth Bartholet from Harvard. 

Homeschool might feel like the free and easy choice (or not somedays), but a lot of us take that ease and freedom for granted. The cluster of the last two years has left a lot of folks calling hybrid and/or crisis schooling “homeschool” but neither truly is. This confusion has raised some red flags with “experts” who know nothing about what TRUE homeschooling looks like. And it has many of us who have been homeschooling for a long time a little on edge. But we’re not going to stay on edge. We’re going to be proactive in our fight to keep homeschool from becoming another failed gov’t program. Get started. Take action steps now to protect your homeschool freedoms.

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