bring joy

How running is like getting out of debt fast

debt-free

Tuncay via flickr

Okay, well, to be fair, I ran this morning. And I decided I would continue. You know, like, make it a habit.

The weather is cooling down, which makes those early morning runs exhilarating (rather than like running through a swamp, which is how it pretty much is from April-September here in Texas). It’s also starting to get a wee bit too chilly for swimming (probably only a week or two more left in the swimming season here anyway), so I decided I needed to change things up in the cardio department (an important thing to do every so often, which is one of the main premises of my ebook, Fit, Strong, Lean: The Fitness Plan).

I ran the same route I usually walk.

When I walk, I push two of my kids (the baby & the 3 year old) in the jogging stroller. It takes me a little...

Get your preschooler to love books: 5 books for preschoolers {Guest post by Alysa Stewart}

literacy

I haven’t forgotten about our “Creating A Literacy Rich Home” series –it’s just been on hold through my summer hiatus. Before I jump back into the series, I asked Alysa Stewart, of Everead, to share some tips for getting the reluctant reading preschooler to join the “I ♥ reading club.”

I’ve got thoughts of my own to add to Alysa’s words (but I’ll wait until I resume the series, which will be soon, promise), but if I could just say one thing right now, & it’s this. DON’T FORCE READING. Don’t use reading as a punishment, & never show impatience at the fact that your preschooler won’t sit still for more than a book or two at a time (completely normal!).

Show by example. Expose them to (lots of different) books. Make it fun, exciting, & an intimate personal experience by reading...

Project Downsize: Is a big house better?

debt-free

We’re not quite going this far, but we’re moving in that direction…

Richard Elzey via flickr

We don’t need a 3,000+ ft2 house.

I’ll explain.

When we moved here nearly two years ago, my mom was with me. Joseph was at training in another state. She & I looked at houses.

I was coming off a six month stint of living with our four kids in my parent’s basement. To say I was thrilled to have a bigger space to live in, would be an understatement.

Mine & Joseph’s criteria for a home was this: close to base (15 minutes or less), had a community pool, safe neighborhood, & was under our BAH (for non-military folks, that is the housing stipend we get each month). That was pretty much it. I thought it would be great if we could save a few hundred a month (the difference between our BAH allotment...