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## Posts

- [2026 Summer Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2026/05/23/2026-summer-reading-list/) - Life has been crazy over here, but one thing that never changes? My enthusiasm for a great book to read on a hot summer afternoon. My reading life isn't as robust as it used to be since I now run my own full-time business, but when I do get a chance to sit down with
- [Books That Have Made Me a Better Parent](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/30/books-that-have-made-me-a-better-parent/) - If I'm being honest, parenting books make me wary--I've so often found that at the same time they give me concrete strategies that I can put into practice, they also give me a guilt complex that I'm not doing everything I should be doing to be the best parent I can be. True, I have
- [39.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/10/16/39/) - I'm a bit late, but every year around my birthday, I try and do a reflective post to look back at the year I just completed and look forward to the new year ahead. It's always interesting to me to look back on these posts to see what was most on my mind at that
- [Let's Just Get Through "May-Cember," Eh? {May 2025 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/05/31/lets-just-get-through-may-cember-eh-may-2025-goals/) - To the surprise of nobody, we're here at the end of May, and I'm only just trying to get the recap out for April and get out May's goals...clearly blogging has had to take a major backseat at the moment. And since we're in the weeds right now (literally) with the last of the spring
- [This Season Will Be Different {The Big 3 for April 2025}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/04/28/this-season-will-be-different-the-big-3-for-april-2025/) - Can you tell our flower farm season has started by the fact that I all of a sudden dropped off the face of the blogosphere? Just as is the case with every spring now, as soon as the weather starts to warm up enough in March to unfreeze the ground and allow us to work,
- [The Big 3 for March 2025 (+ February Recap)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/03/09/the-big-3-for-march-2025-february-recap/) - February draaaaagged by for me this year. Short month aside, it felt like it lasted a year of Februaries. What's been funny is that January used to be the month I dreaded the most in winter, so I made sure I always built in fun plans for January to help me through it. Well, that
- [The Great Freezer Clean-Out, Week Three](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/03/05/the-great-freezer-clean-out-week-three/) - Recap of Last Week's Challenge Just to refresh your memory (or catch you up to speed), here were the items in last week's freezer challenge I wanted to use up: Here's what I was successfully able to use: I used both packages of the pork stew meat in an Indian-style garam masala dish, which I
- [The Great Freezer Clean-Out, Week Two](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/02/22/the-great-freezer-clean-out-week-two/) - One of my big focus goals for February is to clear out both of our freezers of all the food that's been sitting in there for more than a few months. I already went through and chucked everything that was no longer good or that I knew for sure I would never use, and now
- [The Great Freezer Clean-Out, Week One](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/02/14/the-great-freezer-clean-out-week-one/) - In case you missed it, one of my big focus goals for February is to do a big clean-out of both of our freezers (we have one attached to our refrigerator in our kitchen, and another stand-alone freezer out in our garage). I've already cleared out everything that I knew we were never going to
- [Year in Review: 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/02/11/year-in-review-2024/) - Even though I'm a bit late getting this out, I still wanted to keep up my yearly tradition of doing a recap of our last year as a whole, as well as share all of the photos we took every Sunday throughout the whole year (something we've been doing since 2018!). It's so valuable for
- [My Top 10 Favorite Books of 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/02/13/my-top-10-favorite-books-of-2024/) - Most years, I've done a reading recap of some kind gathering together my favorite books of that year. I totally dropped the ball on doing this for 2023, but I was determined not to let the same thing happen again. Note: This post contains affiliate links. This means that if you click on one of
- [The Great Freezer Clean-Out of 2025](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/02/12/the-great-freezer-clean-out-of-2025/) - If you've read my Big 3 post for my February goals, you'll know that one of my main goals for this month is to do a big clean-out of both of our freezers, since we have stuff that's been in there for AGES. As our income is on the lighter side in the winter anyway,
- [The Big 3 for February 2025 {+ January Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/02/11/the-big-3-for-february-2025-january-recap/) - Coming at you with another Big 3 Goals post for February, as well as letting you know what we've been up to for the past month! January 2025 Recap Highlights (Personal + Family) January was all about finding a rhythm with Matt being away from us during the week for his winter job while I
- [The Big 3 for January 2025 {+ December Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2025/01/20/the-big-3-for-january-2025-december-recap/) - I've known for awhile that my monthly goals posts needed a refresh. I still believe in the power of setting monthly goals, but in this season of life, I don't have the bandwidth to have a very wide spread of goals; instead, I have much more success when I hone in on just a few
- [Christmas "Card" 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/12/25/christmas-card-2024/) - Merry Christmas from our family to you!! I feel like I've said this every single year for basically the last decade, but wow, this was another year for the books for our family! 2024 will basically always go down as the year that the flower farm went full-time, and it sure came with a pretty
- [Loving and Learning Lately {51}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/12/21/loving-and-learning-lately-51/) - Welcome to Round 51 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // A New Winter Job](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/12/18/weekly-frugal-wins-a-new-winter-job/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and post
- [The Last Monthly Goals Post {Sept, Oct, Nov 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/12/09/the-last-monthly-goals-post-sept-oct-nov-2024-goals/) - Judging by the fact that this post is now covering the monthly goals for August, September, and October PLUS the recap for all of the above AND November...I'm sure you can imagine how life has been over here. I've been on the fence about if I want to keep on doing these monthly goals posts
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Discount Zoo Days + Black Friday](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/12/09/weekly-frugal-wins-discount-zoo-days-black-friday/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and post
- [How to Roast a Turkey the Night Before + 4 Other Friendsgiving Tips](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/13/how-to-roast-a-turkey-the-night-before/) - This week, we're hosting our fourth Friendsgiving, which was a tradition that we kind of started by accident but that's one that we'd love to keep on doing. However, in these four years, I've come a loooong way when it comes to making the event be as stress-free and smooth-running as possible, and today, I'm
- [16 Favorite Christmas Picture Books](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/11/12/16-favorite-christmas-picture-books/) - A few years ago, we started one of my very favorite Christmas traditions where we wrap up new Christmas picture books (2-3 for each child) and let one of them open up a book each night for the week and a half or so following Thanksgiving. Thanks to this tradition, we've started to amass quite
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Diet Changes + Fall Baking](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/10/30/weekly-frugal-wins-diet-changes-fall-baking/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and post
- [38.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/10/01/38/) - My birthday was actually back on the 29th, but life has continued to be pretty frantically busy over here. My actual birthday wasn't too crazy (being on a Sunday), but we ended up going on a picnic hike for the afternoon, which normally would have been the time I had to work on a post.
- [Weekly Frugal Wins //  It's Hiking Season Again!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/09/10/weekly-frugal-wins-its-hiking-season-again/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Walmart Hacks + A New Router](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/09/03/weekly-frugal-wins-walmart-hacks-a-new-router/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Loving and Learning Lately {50}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/08/29/loving-and-learning-lately-50/) - Welcome to Round 50 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Just Hang On, Just Hang On {August 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/08/20/just-hang-on-just-hang-on-august-2024-goals/) - I wish I could convey to you the intensity that is August on a flower farm, but perhaps the best way to show you is through a picture: This is just a sliver of our flower farm at the moment (only showing you part of 3.5 rows out of the 11 on the rented land,
- [How to Stop Activewear from Stinking {+ 4 Other Things I've Learned Lately}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/08/18/how-to-stop-activewear-from-stinking-4-other-things-ive-learned-lately/) - Every fall, I try and share five random lessons (mostly practical) that I've learned recently in honor of back to school time. And this year, I'm gonna try to make at least some of them not growing- or flower-related, just so I don't sound too much like a broken record over here :) So without
- [Wardrobe Basics: The Gaps](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/04/24/wardrobe-basics-the-gaps/) - With all my informal research on minimalism, I have discovered that most people looking to simplify eventually end up drastically paring down their wardrobes so that they mostly include well-made classic pieces and just a few "fun," trendy/colorful items. As my own look has evolved from mostly t-shirts and jeans to a more professional,
- [I Kept Track of Every Single Item That Entered Our Home Over a Month](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/08/12/i-kept-track-of-every-single-item-that-entered-our-home-over-a-month/) - As I continue on in my journey towards minimalism, I am officially somewhere in the "messy middle" -- that transitory state between The Constant Chaos That Once Reigned and Ultra-Streamlined Minimalist Zen. (And, depending on the day, I can't even decide which extreme I'm actually closer to at the moment.) The thing about this messy
- [Time to Focus More On Home {July 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/07/17/time-to-focus-more-on-home-july-2024-goals/) - June was planting (soooo much planting) and harvesting masses of pink flowers and not nearly enough weeding. June was a frantic-paced month following on the tails of the three frantic-paced months before it. It was birthday celebrations for Mathias squeezed in between doing wedding florals, and it was up and down uncertainty as to whether
- [5 Questions that are Helping Me Ruthlessly Declutter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/06/29/5-questions-that-are-helping-me-ruthlessly-declutter/) - While I still haven't quite gone through the whole list I made as part of my "Minimalist by 2024 Challenge," I've still been continuing to peel off layer and layer of clutter as I get a spare minute, and the more simplicity I gain in my home, the more that I crave even more simplicity.
- [Racing Against Nature {June 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/06/23/racing-against-nature-june-2024-goals/) - Note: There may be affiliate links to books or products mentioned in this post. Yup, it's almost July, and I'm just getting out May's recap. And yup, that just about sums up how things have been going around here...busy busy busy, behind, behind, behind. Plus plenty of random jolts of stress, adrenaline, triumphs, failures...just to
- [Summer 2024 Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/06/01/summer-2024-reading-list/) - This will be my 7th official summer reading list, and it's one of my favorite book round-ups of the year. Rather than most of my round-ups, which usually only include titles I've read in their entirety, my summer reading list is a curated blend of books that I'm particularly EXCITED to read next and that
- [On Setting Goals in a Busy Season {May 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/05/16/on-setting-goals-in-a-busy-season-may-2024-goals/) - Comin' at you again with another mid-month goals post. Seriously, it's like I blinked, and another month has gone by. I knew taking our flower farm full-time for both me and for Matt would stretch us both, but I really had no true concept of the sheer time commitment required of BOTH of us every
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // (Almost) All About the Flower Farm](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/05/02/weekly-frugal-wins-almost-all-about-the-flower-farm/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Spring Planting Madness {April 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/04/21/spring-planting-madness-april-2024-goals/) - I know, I know -- we're almost at the end of the month. You guys, spring planting is no joke!!! This is our fourth season doing this, but I don't think I'll ever quite get used to the hectic pace that is April and May. This year is, of course, even more crazy since we've
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Make It Do or Do Without](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/26/weekly-frugal-wins-make-it-do-or-do-without/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [The Homestead Weekly, 24 March 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/24/the-homestead-weekly-24-march-2024/) - Years ago on my other blog, I started a series called The Homestead Weekly, which basically was just a little weekly peek into various areas of our “homestead,” like the kitchen, garden, and so on. It was one of my favorite blog series of all time, so I decided to bring it back, but on
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Spring Officially Arrives (Along w/ All the Bills)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/19/weekly-frugal-wins-spring-officially-arrives-along-w-all-the-bills/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [The Homestead Weekly, 17 March 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/17/the-homestead-weekly-17-march-2024/) - Years ago on my other blog, I started a series called The Homestead Weekly, which basically was just a little weekly peek into various areas of our “homestead,” like the kitchen, garden, and so on. It was one of my favorite blog series of all time, so I decided to bring it back, but on
- [Better Late Than Never {March 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/12/better-late-than-never-march-2024-goals/) - Yup, here we are, almost halfway through another month, and I'm just getting these up again. Remember when I used to get these up by the first? The problem with waiting so long is that now I'm struggling to remember what happened in February. Let's see...we celebrated Valentine's Day a day late, as always. We
- [The Homestead Weekly, 10 March 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/10/the-homestead-weekly-10-march-2024/) - Years ago on my other blog, I started a series called The Homestead Weekly, which basically was just a little weekly peek into various areas of our “homestead,” like the kitchen, garden, and so on. It was one of my favorite blog series of all time, so I decided to bring it back, but on
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Seasons Collide](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/05/weekly-frugal-wins-seasons-collide/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [The Homestead Weekly, 3 March 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/03/03/the-homestead-weekly-3-march-2024/) - Years ago on my other blog, I started a series called The Homestead Weekly, which basically was just a little weekly peek into various areas of our "homestead," like the kitchen, garden, and so on. It was one of my favorite blog series of all time, so I decided to bring it back, but on
- [The Homestead Weekly, 25 February 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/02/25/the-homestead-weekly-25-february-2024/) - Years ago, when I first started my other blog (which is now exclusively about flower farming), I used to run a series every Sunday called The Homestead Weekly. It was basically just a weekly round-up of everything we were doing around our home, and it actually was probably my favorite blog series of all time.
- [Change It Up - Style Blogs](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/09/17/change-it-up-style-blogs/) - Okay team, so maybe this Change It Up isn't exactly this-week-recent, but I feel like this week was definitely a sign of how far I'd come in this area since coming home from a mission last year. You see, up until semi-recently, I wasn't quite aware that style blogs existed. Let me rephrase that: I
- [Colored Pants: Yes or No?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/03/15/colored-pants-yes-or-no/) - I have a dilemma, folks: To buy colored pants, or not to buy colored pants? I have seemingly seen colored pants cropping up everywhere, like on blogs and on Pinterest and all around our little ol' town of Logan. I think I like the idea of them, and I've been toying around with the thought
- [Day in the Life of a Farming Mom of 4](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/02/21/day-in-the-life-of-a-farming-mom-of-4/) - Every February for the past several years, I’ve done a traditional “Day in the Life” post just to show how much changes (and what doesn’t!) from year to year. In last year's post, I was 5 months pregnant with Naomi and we were buried under so much snow that there wasn't much flower farming stuff
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // We Are Holiday Rebels](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/02/20/weekly-frugal-wins-we-are-holiday-rebels/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Do I Keep Setting Monthly Goals Or Not? {February 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/02/15/do-i-keep-setting-monthly-goals-or-not-february-2024-goals/) - Confession: When I opened up last month's goals post to copy over the list to do an update on them here, it was the first time I'd looked at them since actually publishing it. Needless to say, I got almost none of them accomplished. I'm in a weird season right now. Often, winter is slightly
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Let's Pretend It's Spring](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/02/13/weekly-frugal-wins-lets-pretend-its-spring/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [A Day in the Life of a SAHM (One Kid)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/09/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-sahm-one-kid/) - Two and a half years ago, when I was still pregnant with Raven, I did a "Day in the Life" post about what a typical weekday looked like for me. At the time, I thought it was almost silly to detail it all out like that, but now I'm so grateful I took the time
- [How to Make Money from Buying Up Storage Sheds](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/08/how-to-make-money-from-buying-up-storage-sheds/) - Since Matt and I started buying storage sheds up for auction last October, I've gotten a LOT of comments that hinted (or outright asked) for me to detail more of the process. So today, I'm going to deliver just that! First, for some background, storage sheds go up for auction when the person owning the
- [5 New Things I've Been Trying Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/03/5-new-things-ive-been-trying-lately/) - Winters are always kind of a tough time for me anyway (what with the limited sunlight and the below zero temperatures outside that cut into my running and the nearly constant feeling of being cooped up indoors), but the beginning of 2017 has been especially tough. In addition to dealing with hard things in our
- [The Story of My Hair, In Pictures](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/01/the-story-of-my-hair-in-pictures/) - My hair is currently about the longest it's ever been (or tied with the longest, at any rate). And if you look back over this blog for the past six years, there isn't much variation with my hair--- Sure, I might sometimes have blunt bangs and occasionally get it into my head to dye my
- [Reset and Resume](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/30/reset-and-resume/) - First, I wanted to thank everyone for the extra prayers and support you have given us after my last post. It's been a difficult couple of weeks, but it's looking like (fingers crossed) the worst is behind us. My father-in-law is doing a lot better and will probably be out of the ICU today, and
- [Waiting.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/25/waiting/) - I debated whether to write at all, but if I didn't, I feared the silence would stretch into an endless thin line, a string I could never pick back up again. This is not my story to tell, so it will be sufficient to say that my father-in-law has been in the ICU for almost
- [17 Books to Fit Whatever Mood You're In](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/18/what-ive-read-lately-recommended-reading/) - I happened to be looking through some old blog posts the other day when I realized that I haven't done a full update on what I've read lately since August of last year. Whoops. Sure, I covered some of the more recent titles in my post on the top 10 books I read last year,
- [Hi, I'm Torrie, and I WAS a Social Media Addict](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/16/hi-im-torrie-and-i-was-a-social-media-addict/) - One of my resolutions for 2017 was to drastically limit the amount of time I spent on social media, especially because, only recently, I discovered how toxic it often was for my mental and emotional state. Well, with very few slip-ups, I've managed to stick with my social media plan-- Facebook for 10 minutes on
- [10 Healthy Habits I'm Glad I Adopted in my Twenties](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/14/10-healthy-habits-im-glad-i-adopted-in-my-twenties/) - With the onset of my thirties, not much obviously changed for me, aging-wise. Sure, I'd noticed for years that my body was becoming more sensitive to things like bad mattresses and not warming up properly before a hard workout. I also found my first gray hair when I was probably around 26, and I've had
- [Why It's Sometimes Best Not to Expect Too Much](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/12/why-its-sometimes-best-not-to-expect-too-much/) - Upon embarking on any venture in life, most of us have some kind of expectation attached to the outcome of that venture. I decided to make cookies yesterday...I expected they would be delicious. (They were.) I went to a kickboxing class last night...I expected it would kick my butt. (It did. I can barely move
- [10 on 10 (On Time, For Once)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/10/10-on-10-on-time-for-once/) - Raven's been sick with a nasty mucus-filled cough for days now, and for most kids, that would mean more naps (or maybe longer naps), but for Raven, that means that she sleeps less, and more fitfully at that. As of now, during her one "nap time" of the day, she is proceeding to name every
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Yay for Flowers, Even If They Aren't Mine!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/02/06/weekly-frugal-wins-yay-for-flowers-even-if-they-arent-mine/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // A Glutton for Working, Apparently :)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/01/30/weekly-frugal-wins-a-glutton-for-working-apparently/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [What I've Learned About "Alternative" Treatments for Back Pain Over the Last 2+ Years](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/29/what-ive-learned-about-alternative-treatments-for-back-pain-over-the-last-2-years/) - In November of 2018, I was starting to get into the best shape of my adult life--I was exercising 4-5 times a week, eating reasonably, had shed the last of the pregnancy weight less than 6 months postpartum with my second, and I was seeing my stomach muscles for the first time in, well, ever.
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Seed Starting + Soda](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/01/16/weekly-frugal-wins-seed-starting-soda/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [A Fresh Start + A General Direction {January 2024 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/01/15/a-fresh-start-a-general-direction-january-2024-goals/) - Wow, I'm getting this out halfway through January! Normally winters are a tiny bit slower for us because we're not in active growing season, but this winter has been quite full of lots of to-do lists since we're currently working on carrying out how to take our farm full time (as well as looking into
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Winter Officially Arrives](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/01/09/weekly-frugal-wins-winter-officially-arrives/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Nose Suckers + Small Town Musings](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/19/weekly-frugal-wins-nose-suckers-small-town-musings/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Year in Review: 2023](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2024/01/01/year-in-review-2023/) - Happy 2024! I always love when a new month starts on a Monday, and I think it's beyond satisfying to have the whole year starting off on a Monday. I know Mondays often get a bad reputation, but it's usually the day of the week when I'm feeling the most motivated to get stuff done,
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Solstice + Christmas Celebrations](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/26/weekly-frugal-wins-solstice-christmas-celebrations/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Our Family Christmas Card 2023](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/25/our-family-christmas-card-2023/) - A very merry Christmas to you from the Meidells! What a year! I stopped trying to predict what would happen in any given year a long time ago, but WOW, was 2023 a year to remember for our family! Pretty much every member of our family had a huge milestone; we completed our family with
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/12/weekly-frugal-wins-scraping-the-bottom-of-the-barrel/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [How Our Financial Goals Have Changed This Year](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/11/how-our-financial-goals-have-changed-this-year/) - Back in January, I shared our financial goals for the year, just as I have done for the past few years. Perhaps some of you detail-oriented readers noticed that after my first quarterly report, I stopped posting progress reports for 2023. There were three main reasons for this. First, our lives were turned upside down
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Way Too Many Medical Appointments](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/05/weekly-frugal-wins-way-too-many-medical-appointments/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Wrapping Up a Life-Changing Year {December 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/12/04/wrapping-up-a-life-changing-year-december-2023-goals/) - Wow, November went by fast! So many good things...Thanksgiving (complete with plenty of card games for all!), our new full-time business plan for the flower farm going even better than we'd hoped, lots of fall prep work like putting in tulip and daffodil bulbs, time out in the sunshine as a family... This year has
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Rollerblading Accidents + Clogged Heating Ducts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/28/weekly-frugal-wins-rollerblading-accidents-clogged-heating-ducts/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Loving and Learning Lately {49}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/24/loving-and-learning-lately-49/) - Welcome to Round 49 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // The First of the Christmas Prep](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/21/weekly-frugal-wins-the-first-of-the-christmas-prep/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Back to Basics](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/14/weekly-frugal-wins-back-to-basics/) - This is a series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I post weekly about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play along and
- [Apparently Being a Full-Time Business Owner is Insane {November 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/13/apparently-being-a-full-time-business-owner-is-insane-november-2023-goals/) - You guys. Can I just say that ever since my husband and I decided about a month ago that we were officially going to take our flower farm full time and not have my husband look for another job elsewhere that life has been a little insane? True, it's been insane in the best kind
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Truckloads of Compost (Literally!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/07/weekly-frugal-wins-truckloads-of-compost-literally/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Halloween + Fall Farm Chores](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/31/weekly-frugal-wins-halloween-fall-farm-chores/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Preserving Applesauce + Going "All In"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/24/weekly-frugal-wins-preserving-applesauce-going-all-in/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // All the Fall Vibes](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/17/weekly-frugal-wins-all-the-fall-vibes/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [And That's a Wrap for the Season {October 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/11/and-thats-a-wrap-for-the-season-october-2023-goals/) - I don't think September could have been any busier than it was. Every day started early, ended late, and usually had little to no rest time in between. It's not a state that's sustainable, but I knew it was only until the flower farming season ended, so we soldiered on. We made huge strides in
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Family Hikes + Cold Cycles](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/10/weekly-frugal-wins-family-hikes-cold-cycles/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [37.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/05/37/) - Somehow, another birthday has come and gone, and boy, what a year it's been! I like to do a reflective post around each birthday to look back on the year that's just passed and to dream and plan and try to anticipate the year ahead. I'm a little late in getting this post out (my
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Pitching for Gold + More Land!!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/10/04/weekly-frugal-wins-pitching-for-gold-more-land/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Our NICU Experience with a 34-Week Preemie {Part One}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/27/our-nicu-experience-with-a-34-week-preemie-part-one/) - In April 2023, my water broke unexpectedly at 33 weeks and 6 days, and I ended up giving birth to my daughter Naomi the next day, at 34 weeks gestation exactly. Although this wasn't our first rodeo with having a preemie who needed to spend time in the NICU, this time around we were there
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Business Pitch for $3,000, Please](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/26/weekly-frugal-wins-business-pitch-for-3000-please/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // No More $350K Hospital Bill!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/29/weekly-frugal-wins-no-more-350k-hospital-bill/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [20 Things I Quit In Order to Simplify My Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/18/20-things-i-quit-in-order-to-simplify-my-life/) - Back in 2013, I discovered the idea of minimalism and simple living and was immediately hooked. Ever since, I've been on a slow but steady course of paring down, intentionally setting parameters and limits around our days and time, and looking to cut out any excess that wasn't adding value to our lives. Now, over
- [The Last Decade In Pictures and Bullet Points](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/08/the-last-decade-in-pictures-and-bullet-points/) - I debated doing this post or not (because I didn't know how interesting it would be to anyone other than me and my family), but after seeing Steph's recap of her past decade this morning, I just couldn't help myself! I mean, it's not often you get to start a brand new decade (this is
- [Our Christmas Card 2018](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/18/our-christmas-card-2018/) - I tried to send out traditional Christmas cards in the mail one year but decided it way too much hassle, so for the majority of the years since we've been married, I've been doing our family Christmas card via the blog instead. Tacky? Maybe. But I'm all about things that save us money and stress!
- [Consider This Our Christmas Card for 2016](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/07/consider-this-our-christmas-card-for-2016/) - After trying to get into the Christmas card tradition a couple years ago, I decided the stress it caused me wasn't worth it. So consider this the yearly update for the Meidell fam. Update on Work: This was a big year for us in terms of work decisions! This year, I decided to quit my
- [Our Current Fork in the Road](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/10/our-current-fork-in-the-road/) - I have a Big Life Decision coming up---well, both me and the hubby do. The time has come (sorta) for me to decide one way or another if I'm going to quit teaching after this year or not. The question is not whether or not I want to (I do), but more one of logistics--will
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Trade Outs and Dog Grooming](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/19/weekly-frugal-wins-trade-outs-and-dog-grooming/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // No More Earwigs!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/12/weekly-frugal-wins-no-more-earwigs/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [101 in 1001 List #2 {Final Report}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/09/101-in-1001-list-2-final-report/) - At the beginning of 2018, I decided to vastly change how I approached goal-setting, and instead of setting my usual New Year’s resolutions, I decided to hop on the bandwagon of doing 101 goals in 1001 days (which is just under 3 years). After completing over 60% of my first list (you can see the
- [Only Fun Surprises From Hereon Out, Please {Sept 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/06/only-fun-surprises-from-hereon-out-please-sept-2023-goals/) - August was...something, all right. I knew we'd have some big things happening, like our kids starting school (including our second oldest starting kindergarten at "the big school") and the usual flower farming craziness since August and September are peak season, but we sure hadn't anticipated that there would be a super unexpected job loss thrown
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Potluck Party](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/09/05/weekly-frugal-wins-potluck-party/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Snapshot of My Life Today 8/31/23](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/31/snapshot-of-my-life-today-8-31-23/) - I'm trying to get back into the habit of doing these once a month, just because I personally think they're a lot of fun to look back on and see how much changes from year to year. Once again, I slightly changed my original prompts thanks to Stephany. Overall, here's a slice of our life
- [Goodness + Beauty {7}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/30/goodness-beauty-7/) - I started this series to encourage me to 1) put a little more effort into my photography again, and 2) notice and acknowledge some of the many wonderful things and ideas that are all around me on a regular basis. For these posts, I’m challenging myself to take at least five pictures of beauty, as
- [The Goal: Minimalist by 2024](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/26/the-goal-minimalist-by-2024/) - About six months ago, I wrote a post all about how I've been pursuing minimalism for the past ten years, what the process has looked like over that period of time, and some lessons I've learned. While discovering the concept of minimalism a decade ago has overall affected my mindset and given me a greater
- [How I Taught Myself to Be Tidy (in 3 Steps!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/09/25/how-i-taught-myself-to-be-tidy-in-3-steps/) - Ask any person who has ever lived with me (especially my college roommates and/or my mother), and you will quickly learn that I was not exactly the cleanest person growing up (or throughout my college days). While I've always known HOW to tidy up and the importance of BEING tidy, I've just always had a
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // The Job Search Begins](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/22/weekly-frugal-wins-the-job-search-begins/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [July: The Calm Between Two Storms {+ August 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/20/july-the-calm-between-two-storms-august-2023-goals/) - Yikes, I'm getting this out super late. Between Matt unexpectedly losing his job and school starting up again and us being in the peak of flower farming season, things have been crazy over here. I'm not even going to try and make this as detailed as I normally do, simply because I just need to
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Dealing with Unexpected Loss](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/15/weekly-frugal-wins-dealing-with-unexpected-loss/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Gleaning Apricots](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/08/weekly-frugal-wins-gleaning-apricots/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [A Weekend of Both Loss and Celebration](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/13/a-weekend-of-both-loss-and-celebration/) - I won't deny that 2017 has been a turbulent year for us so far, full of joyous highs and terrifying lows, sometimes within mere hours of each other. This weekend was another such indicator that our lives can have both joy and sorrow simultaneously living side by side, and it's been a 96-hour period marked
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // The Hot Tub is Gone!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/27/weekly-frugal-wins-the-hot-tub-is-gone/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Thoughts On Simplifying & Taking Back Control of my Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/04/14/thoughts-on-simplifying-taking-back-control-of-my-life/) - If you've been a blog reader of mine for a long time, you might remember my post on minimalism last summer or even my whole 50 Weeks to Organized project I worked on all last year. Basically, the drive behind both of those was that I was feeling an intense desire to simplify my life
- [Thoughts on Making a Difference](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/04/11/thoughts-on-making-a-difference/) - Today has definitely been one of those days: the kind of day when I ask myself, over and over again, "Am I making any kind of difference in my students' lives? Or am I just here to make sure they stay busy and don't hurt each other?" I often wonder if other teachers think of
- [When You're Stuck Inside, All Day Every Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/06/when-youre-stuck-inside-all-day-every-day/) - I'm currently on Day 3 of this business known as Not-Leaving-the-Apartment, and poor Raven is on Day 4. It all started with an insane winter storm that dumped over 12 inches of snow in about as many hours, followed by a string of sub-zero days (like today, when we woke up and it was a
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // (Reluctantly) Buying A New Dryer](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/08/01/weekly-frugal-wins-reluctantly-buying-a-new-dryer/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (My Husband's Favorite!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/10/18/creamy-chicken-noodle-soup-my-husbands-favorite/) - I would say we eat a decent variety of different meals for dinner, a fact I'm rather proud of, actually. I'm the kind of person who likes to try a different thing every time I go to the same restaurant until I've tried most everything I care to, just to make sure I know what's
- [Snapshot of My Life Today 7/31/23](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/07/31/snapshot-of-my-life-today-7-31-23/) - I took a looooong break from doing these posts, but when I re-read one of them the other day, I remembered how much I loved the format and how much fun it is for me to have these to look back on from year to year. My last snapshot post was last summer, and quite
- [In Defense of Cooking](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/03/28/in-defense-of-cooking/) - At every full-time job I've ever had, I've noticed something: I am usually the only one in my workplace that brings lunch that I have cooked myself. At my last job (which was the first job I got after I was married), I quickly realized that due to financial reasons, I pretty much had to pack
- [Six-Year Blogiversary](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/07/13/six-year-blogiversary/) - It just so happens that while I was checking my blog archives today, I found out that today (yes, TODAY!) is the six-year anniversary of me starting this ol' blog. Of course, I didn't regularly start blogging until a couple years ago, but I thought I'd take this moment to thank you---my lovely readers---for this
- [I Officially Quit My Job! + 4 Other Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/23/i-officially-quit-my-job-4-other-things/) - 1. Since I never made it known here on the blog, I figured now is as good a time as any to say that I signed the resignation papers at work almost two weeks ago now, so as of summer, I will officially be unemployed. The funny thing is, I thought I'd be panicky and anxious
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Drip Irrigation, More Medical Bills!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/07/25/weekly-frugal-wins-drip-irrigation-more-medical-bills/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [How to Become a Smoothie Pharaoh (aka How to Make a Perfect Smoothie Every Time)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/06/20/how-to-become-a-smoothie-pharaoh-aka-how-to-make-a-perfect-smoothie-every-time/) - When I was a wee sophomore in college, I had the glamorous job of working at the on-campus eatery called The Marketplace. Lucky for me, they stuck me in the desserts bar, where I restocked plates of truffle pie and stacks of chocolate-slab cookies and learned how to fold cloth napkins to look like poinsettias. But
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Medical Discounts + WIC](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/07/18/weekly-frugal-wins-medical-discounts-wic/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Home Again, Home Again (with Four Kids!) - July 2023 Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/07/12/home-again-home-again-with-four-kids-july-2023-goals/) - I wonder when this year will stop feeling like a total blur...maybe when I'm less sleep deprived? Basically ever since Naomi's unexpected early arrival at the end of April and everything that's happened since, I feel like time is flying. The biggest news for June was that we were able to finally bring Naomi home
- [Suggestions for Reading Classics](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/08/07/suggestions-for-reading-classics/) - Maybe it's just coincidence, but I've had several experiences (like I mentioned in this post) that basically prove to me that many people just aren't familiar with the classics anymore, even by name. Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not intimately familiar with every single classic (yet), but because I set the crazy
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // At Home Therapy](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/07/11/weekly-frugal-wins-at-home-therapy/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Say Yes to Free Lunch!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/07/04/weekly-frugal-wins-say-yes-to-free-lunch/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Naomi Jean's Birth Story](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/06/29/naomi-jeans-birth-story/) - The birth of each of your children will change your life, but the birth of our fourth and final child -- Naomi Jean -- dramatically altered our lives in completely unexpected ways. I've struggled to articulate each of my children's birth stories, just because I've found each one to be a sacred and singular experience,
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Pumping, Formula, etc.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/06/27/weekly-frugal-wins-pumping-formula-etc/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Life After the NICU {+April, May, June 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/06/23/life-after-the-nicu-april-may-june-2023-goals/) - I started typing up this blog post around the 26th of April, and I literally had NO IDEA of how much things were going to deviate from what we thought was going to happen. My originally title for this post was "May 2023: The Month Where We Become a Family of Six," but we'd already
- [Summer 2023 Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/06/20/summer-2023-reading-list/) - Every summer for the past several years, I’ve been creating a summer reading list for myself of sorts. This year's list was especially hard to choose, simply because there is SO MUCH GOOD STUFF out there right now, so while I usually try to keep my summer list to a dozen titles, I let this
- [Naomi Jean Makes an Early Debut!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/05/13/naomi-jean-makes-an-early-debut/) - In the last two weeks, our entire world has been turned upside down by the six-weeks-early arrival of our last baby, Naomi Jean. She was born on April 28, 2023, at exactly 34 weeks gestation after my water broke unexpectedly the morning before. I plan to do a separate post all about her birth story,
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Pregnancy Brain Errors + Homemade Remedies](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/25/weekly-frugal-wins-pregnancy-brain-errors-homemade-remedies/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [I Decluttered Every Day for a Month](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/20/i-decluttered-every-day-for-a-month/) - My husband and I are in the middle of a huge decluttering binge right now -- I'd say the biggest we've ever had (and that's saying something, considering we've been pursuing a more minimalist lifestyle for ten years now). While we'd pared down many of the most used and most visible areas of our home--like
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // A New Dishwasher At Last!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/18/weekly-frugal-wins-a-new-dishwasher-at-last/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // DIY Portraits + Telehealth Consults](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/11/weekly-frugal-wins-diy-portraits-telehealth-consults/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [2023 Financial Goals: Q1 Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/10/2023-financial-goals-q1-update/) - Welp, the first quarter of 2023 is now in the books, and it's time for the (first) day of reckoning this year -- how did we do on our financial goals during these first three months? I will say this -- while we haven't made the progress we would have hoped for yet this year
- [2023 House Projects To-Do List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/20/2023-house-projects-to-do-list/) - I skipped doing a house and yard projects to-do list last year because I got swept up in flower farming planning and tasks, but some of these projects are now going on more than two years of being half-finished, so I figured that maybe posting about our to-do list will be the nudge we need
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Case Lot Sales + Compost](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/04/weekly-frugal-wins-case-lot-sales-compost/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Sorting Baby Clothes Already?! {+ Other April 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/04/03/sorting-baby-clothes-already-plus-other-april-2023-goals/) - March basically consisted of two things: potty training and sickness. Almost all plans had to be cancelled (including a highly anticipated trip back up to Northern Utah to our old stomping grounds) because of one or both of those things, and the major sickness affecting everyone in our house meant that potty training kind of
- [Grocery Spending Report: March 2023](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/31/grocery-spending-report-march-2023/) - This new monthly series is by reader request, and it lays out all our grocery expenses each month (including how much we spent in each broader category, such as dairy or produce). We are a family of five (with one on the way) living in Central Utah, and our kids’ ages range from 7 down
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Homemade Strawberry Jam + Plumbing Fixes](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/28/weekly-frugal-wins-homemade-strawberry-jam-plumbing-fixes/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Goodness + Beauty {6}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/27/goodness-beauty-6/) - I started this series to encourage me to 1) put a little more effort into my photography again, and 2) notice and acknowledge some of the many wonderful things that are all around me on a regular basis. For these posts, I’m challenging myself to take at least five pictures of beauty, as well as
- [Budgeting Magic: Planning Yearly One-Off Expenses](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/25/budgeting-magic-planning-yearly-one-off-expenses/) - I've always considered myself to be pretty decent with handling my money, but I would also admit pretty readily that in the past, I was a bit lazy about it. Sure, I'd made a loose budget of some sort or other most months since my husband and I first got married nearly 12 years ago,
- [Loving and Learning Lately {48}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/20/loving-and-learning-lately-48/) - Welcome to Round 48 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Free Pet Grooming + A "Green Feast"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/21/weekly-frugal-wins-free-pet-grooming-a-green-feast/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Meatless Cooking . . . Hearty Potato Soup](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/01/17/meatless-cooking-hearty-potato-soup/) - Well, here we are--in the thick of being part-time vegetarians. Basically so far it's consisted mostly of either dishes involving beans or pasta and way more salads in a week than we eat in a few months. I decided I need to find more meatless recipes. (Or maybe just more motivation to try out new
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Potty Training + Toddler Beds](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/14/weekly-frugal-wins-potty-training-toddler-beds/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [How 10 Years of Pursuing Minimalism Has Changed Me](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/13/how-10-years-of-pursuing-minimalism-has-changed-me/) - Just over ten years ago, I published a post titled "Thoughts on Minimalism," which was all about this new minimalism movement I'd recently discovered that I quickly became obsessed with. I talked about the modern influencers I'd found whose ideas I rapidly started devouring, and I also talked about classic examples throughout history of people
- [Raven Jade: A [Natural] Birth Story](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/04/16/raven-jade-a-natural-birth-story/) - I deliberated for awhile about posting a birth story--it's such an intimate thing, yet at the same time, it's an experience that leaves you so filled up with so many feelings that you just want to tell the world. In the end, I figured that those who would want to know can read on, and
- [Pregnancy Update Baby #4: Finally In the Last Trimester](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/10/pregnancy-update-baby-4-finally-in-the-last-trimester/) - Today I hit 27 weeks and am officially in the third trimester of my very last pregnancy. I was randomly calculating numbers the other day (because that's how my brain works), and I figured that by the end of this pregnancy and including all miscarriages, I will have spent about three and a half years
- [Why Tracking My Net Worth Has Been a Game-Changer (& Why I Think Everyone Should Do It)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/22/why-tracking-my-net-worth-has-been-a-game-changer-why-i-think-everyone-should-do-it/) - If you would have asked me what associations I had with the idea of tracking my net worth a few years ago, I might have told you that it conjured up images of Prince John in the Disney movie Robin Hood--in other words, someone who greedily counted every coin and dollar and was constantly thinking
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Tulip Orders + Cheap Medicine](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/07/weekly-frugal-wins-tulip-orders-cheap-medicine/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [One of the Greats](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/05/05/one-of-the-greats/) - Yesterday my husband got put into the bishopric of our ward as the second counselor. A quick little bit of background for you---in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, members are called to serve in various capacities in the congregations to which they pertain. All callings are voluntary and unpaid, and no one
- [Officially Hitting the Third Trimester...Come On, Nesting Urge! {March 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/03/02/officially-hitting-the-third-trimester-come-on-nesting-urge-march-2023-goals/) - Whew, February usually goes by pretty fast (ya know, short month and all), but this year I feel like it went by glacially slow. I blame the snow. The endless, endless snow. We haven't seen our grass since November, and we also haven't seen temperatures above about 40 degrees since November. Most of the time
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Bike Tuneups + Dental Cleanings](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/28/weekly-frugal-wins-bike-tuneups-dental-cleanings/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Some of My Favorite Resources on Living Simply & Minimalism](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/31/some-of-my-favorite-resources-on-living-simply-minimalism/) - I first encountered the idea of minimalism back in 2013, and it has held me riveted ever since. I first got into the idea while I was in the throes of doing my 50 Weeks to Organized Project and was looking for inspiration to keep on going. Since then, what had simply been a way
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Eye Exams + New Contacts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/14/weekly-frugal-wins-eye-exams-new-contacts/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Grocery Spending Report: February 2023](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/23/grocery-spending-report-february-2023/) - This new monthly series is by reader request, and it lays out all our grocery expenses each month (including how much we spent in each broader category, such as dairy or produce). We are a family of five (with one on the way) living in Central Utah, and our kids' ages range from 7 down
- [How to Know If You're Ready to Train for a Half Marathon](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/23/how-to-know-if-youre-ready-to-train-for-a-half-marathon/) - One of my new year's "challenges" was to sign up for another half marathon, a distance I haven't run for two years (almost to the day). After successfully running 4 - 5 mile distances (without stopping to walk) for several weeks now, I figured it was time to bite the bullet and just sign up
- [101 in 1001 List #2 {Second to Last Update}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/22/101-in-1001-list-2-second-to-last-update/) - At the beginning of 2018, I decided to vastly change how I approached goal-setting, and instead of setting my usual New Year’s resolutions, I decided to hop on the bandwagon of doing 101 goals in 1001 days (which is just under 3 years). After completing over 60% of my first list (you can see the
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Valentine's Day Hacking + Tax Returns](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/21/weekly-frugal-wins-valentines-day-hacking-tax-returns/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [8 Clever, Not-Totally-Fluffy Romances](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/13/8-clever-not-totally-fluffy-romances/) - It's funny how book tastes change over time. A decade ago, you would have NEVER found me reading anything that could be categorized as a "romance" -- I thought the whole genre was predictable, stereotypical, and not at all worth my time. In fact, I even wrote a book round-up several years back that was
- [Thoughts on Minimalism](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/07/11/thoughts-on-minimalism/) - For the past several weeks, I have been fascinated with the idea of minimalism = the concept that by living with the most minimal amount possible (of material things as well as unworthy time commitments), you bring much more satisfaction into your life. Come to think of it, I've been drawn to the idea of simplifying
- [Day in the Life - 6 February 2023](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/08/day-in-the-life-6-february-2023/) - Every February for the past several years, I’ve done a traditional “Day in the Life” post just to show how much changes (and what doesn’t!) from year to year. In last year's post, I was recently coming off not only a two-week-long COVID bout, but also a missed miscarriage and a subsequent D&C procedure. This
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Grocery Clearance + Decluttering](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/07/weekly-frugal-wins-grocery-clearance-decluttering/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- ["File Taxes" Is Always First {February 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/02/03/file-taxes-is-always-first-february-2023-goals/) - You guys, I did it -- I got through a January that I didn't just feel like I had to grit my teeth through! In fact, I actually ENJOYED quite a bit about it!! This is a major, major win for me since I've had winter blues for about as long as I can remember,
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Tax Preparation](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/31/weekly-frugal-wins-tax-preparation/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [10 Memoirs About Establishing, Renovating, and/or Moving to a New Home](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/26/10-memoirs-about-establishing-renovating-and-or-moving-to-a-new-home/) - Over the past few years, I've noticed distinctive trends in the types of books I gravitate towards, especially during certain seasons of life. Considering that we've moved pretty much every 3 years since we've been married, perhaps it should come as no surprise that one niche I've read a lot of is memoirs that fall
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Piano Lessons at Home](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/24/weekly-frugal-wins-piano-lessons-at-home/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Pregnancy Update: Halfway Point with Baby #4](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/23/pregnancy-update-halfway-point-with-baby-4/) - I've never been great at doing pregnancy updates, but since this is my last pregnancy, I figured I could at least do a few. I did a similar update back when I was pregnant with my second, so I just took the same topics from that. I officially hit 20 weeks last Friday (Jan. 20).
- [Grocery Spending Report: January 2023](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/20/grocery-spending-report-january-2023/) - Back when I was talking about how 2023 was probably going to be "The Year of Frugality" for us, I had several readers who were interested in me posting our grocery spending report each month, especially because by most counts, it's pretty low. For some background, we're a family of five consisting of two adults
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Frugal Vacations, Soap, and Duvets](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/17/weekly-frugal-wins-frugal-vacations-soap-and-duvets/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Loving and Learning Lately {47}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/16/loving-and-learning-lately-47/) - Welcome to Round 47 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Final Gender Reveal! We're Having a...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/11/final-gender-reveal-were-having-a/) - Some women have a sixth sense about the gender of each of their babies (and often about the gender of other women's babies, as well). I am not one of those women. For my first three children, I was 1 for 3 on predicting gender correctly. I thought my first was a boy (nope), my
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Home Haircuts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/10/weekly-frugal-wins-home-haircuts/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Finally, a January I'm Not Dreading! {January 2023 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/06/finally-a-january-im-not-dreading-january-2023-goals/) - December always passes by in such a whirlwind, but it's so fun having so much to look forward to throughout the month. I especially was feeling grateful because the beginning of December marked my transition into the second trimester of this pregnancy, which came with a definite easing up of symptoms. We also found out
- [2023 Financial Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/09/2023-financial-goals/) - Last year wasn't a great year for us financially due to a lot of factors, but I'm harnessing the hope of a fresh start and counting on 2023 being better. I ended up just throwing out my 2022 financial goals halfway through the year when I could see that very few were going to even
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Christmas Clearance + Fast Food Apps](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/03/weekly-frugal-wins-christmas-clearance-fast-food-apps/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Year in Review: 2022](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/01/02/year-in-review-2022/) - This is now the third time I've done a yearly recap complete with the family pictures that we take weekly on Sundays. It's always amazing to me to look back and see just how much can happen in the span of the year, and this last year was just as eventful as the years before
- [2023: The Year of Frugality?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/12/2023-the-year-of-frugality/) - Being the goal-oriented person I am, I always seem to be about a month or two ahead of myself. When I was younger, it used to drive my friends a little crazy because when someone would ask me how old I was, I would more often than not say the next age up ("I'll be
- [Best Reads of 2022](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/31/best-reads-of-2022/) - Every year's end, I try and do a recap of my reading year - how many books I read, the split of fiction/nonfiction, and which books rose to the top in my memory. While 2022 was definitely one of the lower reading years I've had in the last decade, it also held plenty of books
- [Tightwad Gazette Deep Dive: School Lunches](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/21/tightwad-gazette-deep-dive-school-lunches/) - This series takes a deeper look at different articles from The Complete Tightwad Gazette, which is a compilation of frugal tips and articles that were published in a monthly newsletter from the 1990's. While much of the information is timeless and the tips still useful, I'm looking at how the issues currently stand today and
- [Weekly Frugal Wins // Cheap Neighbor Gifts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/20/weekly-frugal-wins-cheap-neighbor-gifts/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl’s Five Frugal Things, where I’ll be posting weekly(ish) about what I’ve done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [Keep Calm and Read On (+ 15 Titles I Consider "Comfort Reading")](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/05/keep-calm-and-read-on-15-titles-i-consider-comfort-reading/) - This post is part of Bookroo's campaign to "Keep Calm and Read On." Bookroo is a subscription box for kids that we recently fell in love with (and which I'm now a proud affiliate for!). If you decide you want to try Bookroo for yourself, you can get 30% off by going through my referral
- [Weekly Frugal Wins / (Nearly) Free Stocking Stuffers](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/13/weekly-frugal-wins-nearly-free-stocking-stuffers/) - This is a new series in the style of The Frugal Girl's Five Frugal Things, where I'll be posting weekly(ish) about what I've done lately to save money and make things stretch in order to further our financial goals, which currently include us paying off a decent hunk of debt. I encourage you to play
- [First Trimester's Over - Let's Catch Up! {December 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/12/02/first-trimesters-over-lets-catch-up-december-2022-goals/) - I'm amazed I got ANYTHING crossed off in November. Granted, I made sure to keep the list pretty easy since I knew I'd likely be feeling crummy the entire month, but still. The first trimester and I have never gotten along too well, and basically every day was just a loooooong slog through morning sickness
- [My Last Pregnancy](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/11/28/my-last-pregnancy/) - On July 27 of this year, I had my second D&C operation of 2022, due to a missed miscarriage a few weeks prior. That day was definitely one of my lowest points this year, and Matt and I had a deep and serious conversation on our long drive home from the hospital after the procedure
- [Mortgage Payoff Update: Two Years In](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/11/13/mortgage-payoff-update-two-years-in/) - We moved into our current home on November 27, 2020 after a whirlwind several months of house hunting during a hot housing market. We were very fortunate to find the house we did at the price we did, which was largely thanks to us stumbling across a For Sale By Owner listing that happened to
- [And Then We Rested? {November 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/11/10/and-then-we-rested-november-2022-goals/) - October came as somewhat of a surprise since our first freeze came weeks and weeks later than expected...in fact, I sold my last bouquet of the season on October 18! Because our growing season lasted so much longer than last year, it meant that all of our autumn tasks were put off until that hit,
- [Loving and Learning Lately {46}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/10/11/loving-and-learning-lately-46/) - Welcome to Round 46 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Still No Frosts...But We're Not Complaining! {October 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/10/10/still-no-frosts-but-were-not-complaining-october-2022-goals/) - Even though I know from years and years of experience that time speeds up crazy fast once a new school year starts and zooms through until Christmas, I'm still taken aback by it anew every fall. September was such a blur, largely because we were doing a ton of fun family stuff like weekly hikes
- [August Reading](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/09/11/august-reading/) - My plans to read at least five books a month in the summer crashed and burned there at the end---between being away from home half the month and starting up school again, I just didn't have nearly as much time as I thought I would to read. That said, I am pretty proud of the
- [Tuesday Tell-All](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/09/03/tuesday-tell-all-12/) - *Oh man--are we really only one week into school? That seems utterly and absolutely impossible, considering that I've already not-slept enough in the past week to make me tired for a month. *Here's the good news, though: after last week's first-day debacle, I purposely tried to scare the pants off of each and every student
- [Goodness + Beauty {5}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/09/30/goodness-beauty-5/) - I started a new series this year to encourage me to 1) put a little more effort into my photography again, and 2) notice and acknowledge some of the many wonderful things that are all around me on a regular basis. Each month(ish), I’m challenging myself to take at least five pictures of beauty, as
- [36.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/09/29/36/) - Each year on my birthday for the past several years, I've done a post reflecting on the growth of the previous year and setting intentions for the year ahead. While the intentions and the growth don't always match up, it's fascinating to follow along and see that that growth usually DOES come...eventually. For example, in
- [The Only Christmas Card You'll Get From Us This Year](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/04/the-only-christmas-card-youll-get-from-us-this-year/) - Sometimes we have traditions we feel like we "should" do but that don't really get us excited--for me, that includes sending out Christmas cards. Now, don't get me wrong: I love getting Christmas card updates from family and friends, and I think it's a great way to force yourself to remain in touch with people
- [The Goal: To Not Totally Burn Out {Sept. 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/09/12/the-goal-to-not-totally-burn-out-sept-2022-goals/) - Phew. That's how I think I'm going to feel after every August that we do the flower farm. August was nuts. And of course, because I sometimes have a hard time pacing myself, I also decided that it was a great time to take on massive amounts of decluttering and simplifying in the house, which,
- [It's No Joke: The Craziest Things I've Done to Make Ends Meet Over the Years](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/01/its-no-joke-the-craziest-things-ive-done-to-make-ends-meet-over-the-years/) - Note: There are affiliate links to the products and resources mentioned below. This is the last post I'm doing as part of my special Finance + Frugality Week, and I sure hope you've enjoyed the series! Remember, if you're wanting one of the best available resources to help you in ALL aspects of managing your
- [Goodness and Beauty {4}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/08/18/goodness-and-beauty-4/) - I started a new series this year to encourage me to 1) put a little more effort into my photography again, and 2) notice and acknowledge some of the many wonderful things that are all around me on a regular basis. Each month, I’m challenging myself to take at least five pictures of beauty, as
- [101 in 1001 List #2 Progress Update - One Year Left](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/08/07/101-in-1001-list-2-progress-update-one-year-left/) - At the beginning of 2018, I decided to vastly change how I approached goal-setting, and instead of setting my usual New Year's resolutions, I decided to hop on the bandwagon of doing 101 goals in 1001 days (which is just under 3 years). After completing over 60% of my first list (you can see the
- [Taking Time to Heal + Selling All the Flowers {August 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/08/05/taking-time-to-heal-selling-all-the-flowers-august-2022-goals/) - July ran the gamut of emotions just about as much as it could have. We started the month off with the incredible high of being on our long-awaited family vacation in Hawaii, and we came home to do an ultrasound for my pregnancy that showed that everything sounded perfect. Although I felt sick with the
- [Helping Our Preschooler Cope With a Celiac Diagnosis](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/08/04/helping-our-preschooler-cope-with-a-celiac-diagnosis/) - Last month, we discovered that my second child, who's 4, has celiac. The diagnosis didn't come as a complete surprise as my husband has celiac, as do several members of his family (and one member of mine). While my husband Matt is asymptomatic, my son (Mathias) was not, which was what prompted me to get
- [To Love and To Lose](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/07/25/to-love-and-to-lose/) - I can't believe I'm writing this post. Again. Last Friday, July 22, the whole family accompanied me to an ultrasound appointment I had at my doctor's office. Spirits were generally high since we'd gone to an ultrasound two weeks prior -- when I'd been 8 weeks and 2 days along -- and everything looked great.
- [Creamy Ranch Italian Chicken and Potatoes {Instant Pot}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/07/17/creamy-ranch-italian-chicken-and-potatoes-instant-pot/) - While I have no ambitions of being a straight-up food blogger, occasionally I'll invent a recipe that's just so good I have to share it. (And sharing it on my blog makes it super easy for ME to access it from my phone anytime I want to whip it up myself for dinner.) Ever since
- [Loving and Learning Lately {45}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/07/13/loving-and-learning-lately-45/) - Welcome to Round 45 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Back From Hawaii + My To-Do List is Insane {July 2022 Goals + June Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/07/10/back-from-hawaii-my-to-do-list-is-insane-july-2022-goals-june-recap/) - Yep, we're a third of the way through July and I'm just getting around to posting my July goals and June recap. We've been intensely busy over here! At the end of June, our whole family flew to Hawaii to stay for a week thanks to my in-laws, who rented a house and took turns
- [Snapshot of My Life Today 6/23/22](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/06/23/snapshot-of-my-life-today-6-23-22/) - I got too busy last month to do one of these Snapshot posts, but this week has been much slower than usual because the peonies are finished blooming, which means I've had a slight lull in harvesting and arranging for the flower farm. I still made up a few CSA bouquet subscriptions this week, but
- [2022 Summer Bucket List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/06/11/2022-summer-bucket-list/) - Going a little old school today with my blog post. Remember when everyone used to publish their seasonal bucket lists? I always thought they were so fun, and they definitely pushed me to seek out more adventures and memorable experiences than when I didn't make one. Now that things are opened up again and basically
- [Summer is Here, But the Flower Farm Isn't Planted Yet! {June 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/06/07/summer-is-here-but-the-flower-farm-isnt-planted-yet-june-2022-goals/) - Time flies when you're racing against the sun to get everything planted out! We weren't able to start planting out the warm-weather crops of the flower farm until the very, very end of the month since we had several late frosts right in a row. Once the 10-day forecast showed we were the in the
- [Goodness and Beauty {3}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/05/27/goodness-and-beauty-3/) - Like the rest of the nation, my heart has been heavy with the news this week. I'm sure like many of you, I took more moments than usual to slow down, hug and cuddle my children, and be more fully present with my family. In times of heaviness and worry, I find that it's more
- [Summer 2022 Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/05/11/summer-2022-reading-list/) - Every summer for the past several years, I've been creating a summer reading list for myself of sorts. While my reading life is often entirely dictated by my moods, I find that in the summer, I want my reading life to be especially GOOD -- I want thrillers and entertainment and fluff and love stories
- [Loving and Learning Lately {44}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/05/13/loving-and-learning-lately-44/) - Welcome to Round 44 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Holidays are Just Suggestions {May 2022 Goals + April Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/05/07/holidays-are-just-suggestions-may-2022-goals-april-recap/) - April was a whirlwind of activity, but we got a LOT done. April is when our flower farming season officially opens to the public, so I was harvesting and selling bouquets by the last third or so of the month. When harvesting starts to collide with all the usual spring craziness of planting and prepping
- [2022 Financial Goals: Q1 Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/04/25/2022-financial-goals-q1-update/) - When setting these goals back in early January, I definitely was going with a "go big or go home" kind of a theme. The reasoning behind it was that the financial goals I'd set for my second 101 in 1001 list, which I had considered real "stretch" goals, have now all been completed except for
- [Goodness and Beauty {2}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/04/27/goodness-and-beauty-2/) - I recently started a new series to encourage me to 1) put a little more effort into my photography again, and 2) notice and acknowledge some of the many wonderful things that are all around me on a regular basis. Each month, I'm challenging myself to take at least five pictures of beauty, as well
- [Snapshot of My Life Today 4/23/22](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/04/23/snapshot-of-my-life-today-4-23-22/) - I figured I'd shake things up a bit today and come at you with a Snapshot post that happened on a Saturday rather than during the week! It's been a super busy past several days here as our flower farm's bouquet subscriptions started up this week since we finally have enough flowers coming on to
- [The Month Where Mother Nature is My Boss {April 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/04/07/the-month-where-mother-nature-is-my-boss-april-2022-goals/) - March was a blur, wasn't it? Between all of us coming down with the flu, which lasted for multiple weeks for each one of us, we also were using every spare second that we weren't sick or otherwise engaged working on flower farm tasks since spring is the season that's by far the busiest. Our
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 3/30/22](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/03/30/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-3-30-22/) - Here we are, at the end of another month, and I'm (yet again) scrambling to get in a monthly snapshot of my day post so I can keep up this good streak we've got going. I took a break last month since I did a full Day in My Life post near the beginning of
- [A Tax Boo-Boo, Two Dinner Parties, and (Unbelievably) More Sickness {March in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/06/a-tax-boo-boo-two-dinner-parties-and-unbelievably-more-sickness-march-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me to
- [15 Titles I've Read For My Book Club {Hits + Misses}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/03/28/15-titles-ive-read-for-my-book-club-hits-misses/) - It had always been a dream of mine to join a book club, but I didn't have a ready opportunity present itself until we moved to our first home back in 2017, which just happened to be in the neighborhood of an established (and very welcoming!) book club. When I found out in 2020 that
- [Loving and Learning Lately {43}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/03/14/loving-and-learning-lately-43/) - Welcome to Round 43 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Money Saver #1: Tackling the Freezer](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/23/money-saver-1-tackling-the-freezer/) - Last week, I announced our intention of adding $1000 to our emergency fund over the next 100 days. Now, for some families, this wouldn't be too much of a stretch, but for us, trust me when I say that this is going to be a true challenge (especially as we are expecting the hospital bills
- [How We're Keeping Our Food Costs Low Despite Inflation + Rising Food Costs](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/03/08/how-were-keeping-our-food-costs-low-despite-inflation-rising-food-costs/) - Like the rest of the world, we have not been immune to rising food costs, empty grocery shelves, and inflation occurring on everything from our heating and utility bills (which were already on the high side due to our home being older) to the gas we put in our vehicles (which was already more expensive
- [Prioritizing the Most Essential {March 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/03/03/prioritizing-the-most-essential-march-2022-goals/) - February ended up being exactly what I needed, at least the last half of the month. After I found out about my missed miscarriage and had the D&C procedure done, I definitely had an active grieving period when I felt down and cried quite a bit. Once I started physically feeling better again--for the first
- [Goodness and Beauty {1}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/03/01/goodness-and-beauty-1/) - I've been wanting to start a new blog series for awhile now, but I just couldn't pinpoint exactly how to go about doing it. I wanted it to focus on the joy of ordinary moments, and I wanted it to force me to slow down long enough to not only notice all the good things
- [Loving and Learning Lately {42}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/02/22/loving-and-learning-lately-42/) - Welcome to Round 42 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Day in the Life of a Work-at-Home Mom of 3 (16 Feb 2022)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/02/17/day-in-the-life-of-a-work-at-home-mom-of-3-16-feb-2022/) - Every February for the past several years, I've done a traditional "Day in the Life" post just to show how much changes (and what doesn't!) from year to year. I'd anticipated that this year's DITL post would show a pregnant work-at-home mom of 3, but I recently had a missed miscarriage, which has been hard.
- [Coming Back After a Gut Punch of a Month {Feb. 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/02/10/coming-back-after-a-gut-punch-of-a-month-feb-2022-goals/) - Note: I just wanted to say a warm thank you to the outpouring of love, prayers, and support you have showed us since my last post. Going through a loss is never easy, but we are so grateful to have so many good people in our lives. Oof. Even though I struggle with January every
- [What Might Have Been: Our Second Miscarriage](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/02/06/what-might-have-been-our-second-miscarriage/) - On Wednesday, I will say goodbye to our baby that should have been born in late August, at the peak of flower season. The baby I found out about just two days before Christmas. Obviously, this is not the post I wanted to write. The post I wanted to write was one I was going
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 1/27/2022](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/01/27/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-1-27-2022/) - Greetings from the land of the eternal January! I almost didn't get this post done because our life has looked pretty boring lately, but I figured I have a nice little streak of doing these once a month, so I'd best get on with it! Outside my window, we have a layer of thick, crusty
- [Supporting Family: Isn't It About . . . Time?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/02/03/supporting-family-isnt-it-about-time/) - In my Language Arts classes, I've been teaching my students weekly out of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. In the book, the author (Sean Covey) talks about how we can liken our relationships with other people to a bank account---each action that builds and strengthens the relationship is like putting a deposit into
- [Tuesday Tell-All](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/28/tuesday-tell-all-4/) - *Last night, I reached into my filing cabinet eagerly to pull out my book lists so that I could make that delicious check mark through yet another book title that I'd read. And there my highlighter sat--poised with eagerness over the columns of book titles--when I saw it: I had read the WRONG book. Apparently,
- [Big Moments VS. Small Ones](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/27/big-moments-vs-small-ones/) - Over the weekend, I had the chance to take some pictures for some pretty big milestones: my nephew Nicholas celebrated his first birthday (complete with fistfuls of cake that so thickly coated his hands that they looked like gloves), and I took some portraits of my nephew Logan who is about to be baptized next
- [Thoughts on Babies and Having a "Mother Heart"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/24/thoughts-on-babies-and-having-a-mother-heart/) - Obviously it's been no secret (if you read Wednesday's post) that I've been a little gloomy, woe-is-me lately. Then today, after a third hour that dragged as slowly as tar drips (for me anyway---I can't speak for my students), I was just rejoicing in the fact that there's a weekend ahead of me that involves Leatherby's
- [These Pictures Kind of Sum Up January](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/22/these-pictures-kind-of-sum-up-january/) - Matt and I wanted to take advantage of the holiday on Monday (since both of us had it off), so we decided to finally catch Frozen (so cute!) and then attempted to go on a little photo walk after. Honestly, I don't know why I even bother going on stuff like that in January---unless it's
- [Developing Talents: Easier or Harder With Time?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/21/developing-talents-easier-or-harder-with-time/) - So I'm the type of person who's always working on something, right? Pretty much I can guarantee that on any given day, if you ask me what I'm working on as far as goals or hobbies or skills go, I will have a ready answer for you. That's just how I am. But something that's
- [8 Things That Surprised Me When I First Started Running](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/20/8-things-that-surprised-me-when-i-first-started-running/) - All posters via Runner's World When I first started really getting into running, I was totally a newbie to the sport--I'd never done track in middle or high school, I'd never enjoyed any time I'd spent on a treadmill, and I'd never run more than 4 miles at a time EVER before I started training for a marathon back
- [Even Though I Know "Death By Phone" Is Not a Thing...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/19/even-though-i-know-death-by-phone-is-not-a-thing/) - (Photo taken with friends 3 years ago on New Year's Eve 2010) Here is a great secret of adulthood: maintaining friendships sure is a lot harder when you don't have school together every day and church activities together every week. But here is another great secret of adulthood: we all need friends beyond our spouses (and
- [Second 101 in 1001 Challenge: Update #3](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/01/20/second-101-in-1001-challenge-update-3/) - In case you’re new around here, I’m currently working on my second 101 in 1001 list, which is a list of 101 goals or things I hope to complete/do in 1,001 days (which translates to about 2.75 years). This format for goal-setting has been highly motivating for me because it combines the power of a
- [2021 Year in Review {+52 Weeks of Family Pictures}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/01/01/2021-year-in-review-52-weeks-of-family-pictures/) - One lesson I definitely learned from 2020 was that I really can't even begin to predict what each new year will have in store for us, and that trend of being endlessly surprised by life's curve balls continued in 2021. To be honest, I didn't have much of a definite life plan for 2021 other
- [Loving and Learning Lately {41}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/01/15/loving-and-learning-lately-41/) - Welcome to Round 41 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [2022 Financial Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/01/10/2022-financial-goals/) - Confession: I don't even really think it's remotely possible for us to complete all of these this year, unless Matt gets a large raise at work and we actually make a decent profit this second year of flower farming. However, considering that I thought our last batch of goals would take us nearly 3 years
- [Are These Goals Even Possible?! {January 2022 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2022/01/07/january-2022-goals/) - After having a slow, (mostly) restful last week of the year, we're ready to hit the ground running in the new year! We have a ton of stuff that needs to happen this month -- largely with the flower farm -- which I'm actually pretty excited about because I think that keeping busy will help
- [Top Reads of 2021](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/30/top-reads-of-2021/) - If I thought 2020 was a weird reading year for me, I had no idea how much weirder 2021 would be. Between starting a flower farm, taking on a part-time job at the local newspaper, and just dealing with the general craziness that is life right now with 3 young kids, I did not read
- [Our 7 Current Financial Goals // Final Report](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/22/our-7-current-financial-goals-final-report/) - When I first sat down to make these financial goals for my current 101 in 1001 list, I thought of them as being "stretch" goals--I figured that they'd be "do-able" in the 2.75 year span, but I also thought they'd be a real challenge. Imagine my surprise, then, upon finding that we were able to
- [Top 10 Blog Posts of 2021 {+ Instagram Top 9}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/27/top-10-blog-posts-of-2021-instagram-top-9/) - Ever since 2016, I've done a round-up at the end of year of the top 10 posts on the blog as well as the top 9 posts on my Instagram. Now, my personal IG took a beating this year -- I only posted 6 pictures total, so clearly that won't be the IG account with
- [Santa Always Comes Early At Our Place](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/24/santa-always-comes-early-at-our-place/) - I've mentioned this on here before, but Matt and I do Christmas a little strangely---since we typically spend Christmas Day not at home (instead, we're down in Bountiful with our parents and siblings), we always do "our" Christmas for each other a few days before the actual holiday. This year, our Christmas hit especially early---Saturday
- [2021 Christmas "Card"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/25/2021-christmas-card/) - Merry Christmas from the Meidells! I hope you know how grateful I am that you still keep showing up here, even though blogging has supposedly been "dead" for many years now. I appreciate every single one of you, and I hope you have a restful end to your 2021! Yesterday (Christmas Eve), we spent all
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 12/21/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/21/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-12-21-21/) - Comin' at you on the Winter Solstice today! Something seemed off from the get go this morning since I seemed to have woken up grumpy from the second my eyes opened, but we're working on turning things around thanks to dropping off some donations, getting surprise visits from generous neighbors, and having a special candlelight
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {Final Report}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/18/zero-food-waste-challenge-final-report/) - I started this Zero Food Waste Challenge on a whim on October 14th, so about two months ago. Since then, I've done several weekly reports on our food waste to report what we threw away and how much that food waste cost. I'm pleased to report that for the last week and a half of
- [Loving and Learning Lately {40}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/15/loving-and-learning-lately-40/) - Welcome to Round 40 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [15 Books to Help You Get Your House in Order](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/05/15-books-to-help-you-get-your-house-in-order/) - One of my greatest struggles in daily life is keeping my physical spaces clean and tidy. As a kid, I basically always had a somewhat messy room. When I was in college, my then-boyfriend happened to get a glimpse of my room, with its piles of clothes everywhere and teetering stacks of books and my
- [Seeking Rest {December 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/12/07/seeking-rest-december-2021-goals/) - A few months ago, I naively thought that once the growing season was over, I wouldn't have that much I needed to do with the flower farm. WRONG. In fact, I now know that throughout the year, there really is only a single month that's going to not have much (if anything) to do with
- [To-Be List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/02/20/to-be-list/) - While the rest of our holiday weekend hasn't exactly been as magical as planned (for starters, our heater blew out last night and we have been freezing all day, hence the Matt-burrowing-into-his-coat picture above), I did have the chance to get started on this week's To-Be List. Can I share something pretty miraculous first? So
- [To-Be List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/02/16/to-be-list-2/) - A few months ago, the woman teaching Relief Society made a comment like this, "We make to-do lists, but why not to-be lists?" Although the comment made a strong impression on me, I didn't really do much about it at the time. Meanwhile, over the past two weeks or so, I've had the awesome opportunity
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 11/30/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/30/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-11-30-21/) - Considering it's the last day of the month, I figured I'd best try to squeak this in before I break up my months-long streak of doing these! I've felt super unmotivated to do pretty much anything productive since Thanksgiving, so today's post isn't terribly exciting. But I will give you a little peek at the
- [Food Storage 101: How Do I Afford It? {+ Why Should I Care?}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/05/food-storage-101-how-do-i-afford-it-why-should-i-care/) - For many years now, Matt and I have had a decent food storage cushion---at almost any given time in our marriage, we've had around a 1-2 month supply of pantry staples and shelf-stable food on hand, for whatever unplanned event might come up, whether that was a smaller-than-expected paycheck or getting sick and being unable
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {1}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/14/zero-food-waste-challenge-1/) - Several years ago, when we were on a very tight budget, I started looking into all the different ways I could possibly think of to get our grocery bill down as low as I possibly could. I clipped coupons, only shopped the sales, made basically 99% of our meals, and cooked and baked as much
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {6}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/18/zero-food-waste-challenge-6/) - I wasn't surprised that this week was one of the biggest food waste offenders since the first week I recorded because we're now at the point after my big monthly shop that the quickly perishable produce has all had sufficient time to spoil. However, we wasted quite a bit less than we have in the
- [Mortgage Payoff Update: One Year In](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/16/mortgage-payoff-update-one-year-in/) - We moved into our home on November 27, 2020 (Black Friday, coincidentally), which means that this marks our one-year anniversary of being in our new place and in our new community. While I have mixed feelings about how this first year has been moving to a rural county at a further distance from family, for
- [Loving and Learning Lately {39}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/15/loving-and-learning-lately-39/) - Welcome to Round 39 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {5}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/11/zero-food-waste-challenge-5/) - Another week into the challenge, and I'm feeling good about our progress! I'm far from perfect and far from where I'd like to be, but all in all, I've seen an enormous difference from simply paying attention. While some food waste is seemingly inevitable, I've seen for myself that the vast majority of it can
- [Sometimes We Do Weird Things at Night](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/08/28/sometimes-we-do-weird-things-at-night/) - Truth be told, Matt and I aren't exactly the most adventurous of people--our day-to-day lives rarely hold too much variation, and more nights than not, we're usually more content to just sit at home and watch another movie rather than go out and experience the world. But apparently last week, the end-of-summer slump had weighed
- [No One Does Tired Like a Teacher](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/09/05/no-one-does-tired-like-a-teacher/) - My teacher friend tagged me with this cartoon after the first week of school, and I just couldn't have put it better. Seriously, you've never experienced tiredness until you've enjoyed an entire summer's worth of delicious sunny free time and then had to whip your butt into shape to teach full-time again. The only other
- [To-Enjoy List: Fall](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/09/13/to-enjoy-list-fall/) - I seem to always forget how much school consumes my life, especially at the beginning of the year. When you go from having free rein of your time to working 50-60 hours a week, it all of a sudden seems like I have no time for fun anymore (especially since our weekends lately have been
- [Oh Sure--All of our Saturdays Look This Grand...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/09/15/oh-sure-all-of-our-saturdays-look-this-grand/) - Well, we got a good start on my to-enjoy list for fall---right after I hit "publish" on my last post, I looked up the info on the closest you-pick apple orchard and found that it opened that very same day! Since mine and Matt's Saturday didn't have anything else set in stone, we packed
- [Birthday Week](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/09/30/birthday-week/) - Well folks, I'm 28 big ones today. You wanna know how I celebrated? By having to work over 12 hours due to parent-teacher conferences while running on way less sleep than normal. Luckily, although Matt nor I celebrated much for our birthdays this year (his was last week), we have an awesome trip
- [Blogging is a Daily Exercise in Vulnerability](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/15/blogging-is-a-daily-exercise-in-vulnerability/) - Back when I originally started my blog in 2007, I didn't have any definite plans for it---in fact, I wasn't even sure I was planning on telling anyone I even had a blog because I kind of liked the idea of just keeping it private (kind of like an easier form of journaling, but
- [Tuesday Tell-All](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/14/tuesday-tell-all-5/) - *Well folks, it's one of those weeks--a week when the universe conspires against you to make all of your least favorite things happen all at once: parent/teacher conferences, hall duty, monitoring lunch detentions, and midterm grades being due. It's the perfect storm, and I can't believe it's only Tuesday. *I've been thinking a lot lately about
- [Is Exercising While Listening to Music Really Better?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/13/is-exercising-while-listening-to-music-really-better/) - Image via The research on listening to music while exercising is a bit confusing if you've ever taken the time to wade through it. Even while googling "exercise while listening to music" for an image, I saw multiple posters with sayings like "Listening to music while exercising can increase endurance by 15%" or "Music blocks
- [Yes, I'm Crazy . . . More Goals (January 2014)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/09/yes-im-crazy-more-goals-january/) - I discovered a recipe of what to do when I'm feeling unmotivated: Set yet more goals for myself. Weird, but I'm hoping it's going to work---like reverse psychology or something. If you remember back from my new year's resolutions post, I mentioned that every month I want to set sub-goals to help myself start crossing
- [Marriage May Not Make You Blind, But...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/08/marriage-may-not-make-you-blind-but/) - One thing I love about blogs is that they've opened up little windows into a lot of issues that many people don't talk about too openly: money, marriage, parenting, fears--they're all out there on some blog, all the time. Call me a nosy bat-face, but I kind of love to hear about the little details
- [November & December Reading](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/07/november-december-reading/) - I've been going back and forth lately about whether I still want to be doing these book review posts this next blogging year---while I freely admit I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to reading (and book lists), I realize that not everyone shares my same obsession. So, on that note, I'd
- [It's Only January 6th, and I'm Already Unmotivated](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/07/its-only-january-6th-and-im-already-unmotivated/) - These pictures might make it look like I'm feeling all sorts of inspired to take on the world in my power pencil skirt and coral boho top, but the truth is... I'm feeling a little spent. Which totally doesn't make sense, by the way, because I've just been on holiday for a week and a
- [New Year, I'm Ready For You](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/01/new-year-im-ready-for-you/) - Yesterday was the first day I'd ventured outside (or bothered to dress) in almost a week--this flu I've been riding has really been something else. But, despite my sickness, I still feel the familiar enthusiasm that always accompanies a brand new year---the world around me may be gloomy and well below freezing, but my motivational
- [Okay, I'll Bite: 2013 in Review](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/31/okay-ill-bite-2013-in-review/) - The blogosphere has been overflowing with "year in review" posts----people reflecting on new houses bought, babies born, college graduations attended, trips to Europe, yada yada yada. I'm usually not one to participate in such posts---I mean, even just reading about some people's years makes me feel a little inadequate because we haven't exactly reached some
- [Day of Reckoning: 2013 Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/30/day-of-reckoning-2013-goals/) - As the excited buzzing of a new year approaches, new resolutions are being made left and right everywhere I look (mostly, it seems, due to overindulgence by the population at large over the long holiday). And while I myself am gearing up for a new year filled with new goals, I can't very well move forward
- [Christmas 2013 in Pictures](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/27/christmas-2013-in-pictures/) - I'd planned to do a big, fancy-pants write-up of our Christmas this year (honestly, more for my sake than for anyone else's), but then I got knocked flat on my back by the flu, which meant that I spent Christmas hacking it up and the day after Christmas barely able to move, watching old seasons
- [Holiday Card Outtakes (aka What Makes a Picture NOT-Holiday-Card-Worthy)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/23/holiday-card-outtakes-aka-what-makes-a-picture-not-holiday-card-worthy/) - One nice thing about a blog is that I get to control the content. And in particular, the nice thing about a blog is that I get to control what pictures of myself are released into the wild of the World Wide Web for all the universe to see. It's not like a driver's license
- [How a Bunch of 7th Graders Brightened My Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/21/how-a-bunch-of-7th-graders-brightened-my-day/) - (Picture taken today at our "candy bomber" activity at the school, which was inspired by the famous Gail Halvorson) It is hardly a secret that the age group I teach is often referred to as "difficult" or "awkward." Whenever I tell someone that I teach 7th graders, I usually get a reaction like the following:
- [Lights, Camera, and Music (...and Ice Cream... and Traditions)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/18/lights-camera-and-music-and-ice-cream-and-traditions/) - Matt and I have a longstanding tradition of going to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert each year (a fabulous---free!---way to quickly get into the real spirit of Christmas) and stopping by Leatherby's before. Leatherby's is "our" place ever since we first played hooky one day and sought it out (because I'd eaten there a
- [Maybe the January Diet Needs to Start Early...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/17/maybe-the-january-diet-needs-to-start-early/) - I am currently reading Happier at Home, in which Gretchen Rubin talks about two types of dieters: moderators and abstainers. She says that some people in their diet will only succeed if they eat in moderation---in other words, if they try to cut anything out of their diet or make something "off limits," they are
- [Red, White, & Blue for Christmas](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/16/red-white-blue-for-christmas/) - (Note to self: do not put hand over stomach like so in pictures--makes it look like I'm preggers) Yesterday was our Christmas program at my church, which I was a part of (as a member of the choir). Generally my plan on such occasions is to look a little festive for the holiday as I'm
- [5 Things About My Family](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/14/5-things-about-my-family/) - 'Tis the season to spend with family, and like any other family, me and mine have our own little special quirks. Here are five random things about my (extended) family: 1. From a young age, I have been accused of being overcompetitive. All I can say to that is this: You should see my family.
- [If I Had to Choose a Motto for This Year, This Would Be It](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/12/if-i-had-to-choose-a-motto-for-this-year-this-would-be-it/) - As the year grows ever closer to its end, I inevitably find myself reflecting on the past twelve months. It's certainly been a packed year full of its usual ups and downs, but I think that this year---more than any other year---I have learned the following great and valuable truth that will forever impact the way I
- [Baubles and Bells and Balls (and a Frog)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/11/baubles-and-bells-and-balls-and-a-frog/) - When the time came to pull out our tree to decorate this year, Matt grumbled a little (as usual) as I rushed to get my favorite Christmas station on Pandora. I've long since accepted that Christmas decorating is not my spouse's favorite way to spend his free holiday time, but he helps me out
- [Stream of Consciousness and Yada Yada Yada](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/10/stream-of-consciousness-and-yada-yada-yada/) - I didn't know what to write about last night (which is when I normally schedule a post to go up on Monday morning), so here I sit, at 5:04 PM, wondering what on earth to write about. It's not that I didn't have options of what I could do a post on---Matt and I went to
- [My Christmas Gift to the World](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/07/my-christmas-gift-to-the-world/) - Since Christmas is a time for good cheer and presents and all that, I've been thinking a lot lately about how I can get more into the Christmas spirit, especially since I seem to be so busy most of the time. And I don't know how I came upon the idea, but I've decided that the
- [His/Hers: Special Talents](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/04/hishers-special-talents/) - We've all got our special talents in life. Here are some of ours: HIS *peeling off price stickers (or any sticker) without leaving behind residue *making dainty icicles with frosting on gingerbread houses (who knew?) *taking pictures of my bum (embarrassing, but apparently it's a special talent since he's always doing it) *making up really
- [The Part Where I Have No Arm (aka Tuesday Tell-All)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/03/the-part-where-i-have-no-arm-aka-tuesday-tell-all/) - A few things you must know right away: 1. These pictures are titled "Red Skunk Hair." (Mostly because, in case you couldn't figure it out, I got my hair done again in the "skunk" style over the weekend, which is where you have wide color panels on either side of your head which are usually
- [Our Minimalist Gingerbread House](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/02/our-minimalist-gingerbread-house/) - Apparently all the studying I've done this year on minimalism and simple living is making a difference after all-- Over the weekend, Matt and I made the cutest little minimalist gingerbread house you ever did see. After our Thanksgiving festivities, my mom pulled out all the trimmings for making gingerbread houses for all of us
- [I Wouldn't Trade This For the Best Shopping Deals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/11/29/i-wouldnt-trade-this-for-the-best-shopping-deals/) - Despite the slew of Black Friday circulars flooding our doorstep and inbox, I knew that nothing--NOTHING!--was going to prevent me from spending one of my favorite holidays of the year the way it should be spent: Surrounded by family and food (not by grumpy shoppers and long lines). And I knew it wasn't just me
- [Putting the Farm to Bed for Winter {November 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/08/putting-the-farm-to-bed-for-winter-november-2021-goals/) - I feel like this whole last month got away from me without much to show for it in the way of completed tasks. However, we did do some really fun things together as a family and created some great memories--like attending a few Halloween parties and fall events, taking the kids to a nearby national
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {4}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/05/zero-food-waste-challenge-4/) - The last three days of the month got a little interesting as far as meals went, just because we were out of most of the "fresh" stuff and living much more off the shelf-stable pantry items. We were able to successfully conserve the milk to last through the month though (which helped significantly), although we
- [Why I Finally Gave In + Let My Husband Get a Puppy](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/11/02/why-i-finally-gave-in-let-my-husband-get-a-puppy/) - A few of you longtime readers saw my Instagram post over the weekend and were clearly shocked, judging by the many comments of surprise that started rolling in. You see, I've been crystal clear on this matter from the beginning -- I did not want a dog. Ever. I've written posts about why I didn't
- [Why Getting a Puppy May Not Ever Be For Me](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/11/07/why-getting-a-puppy-may-not-ever-be-for-me/) - Ever since we got married, Matt has begged me for a dog. Since two of his brothers have recently acquired puppies (like the one pictured here), the begging has only gotten worse. I get it---they're cute and cuddly and totally lovable. But here are some reasons that a puppy may not ever be for me:
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {3}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/28/zero-food-waste-challenge-3/) - The last week of the month is always a bit interesting with our meals since we do a gigantic grocery haul at the beginning of a new month, a very small trip or two in the middle of the month for milk and maybe some fresh produce, and then nothing for the last 10-12 days
- [Financial Friday: Not Wasting Food](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/03/07/financial-friday-not-wasting-food/) - While Matt and I are not in dire financial straits, I still have been looking for ways to cut costs wherever we can lately because the saver gene (which I inherited from my mom) just will not quit griping at me that we're spending too much on the basic things every month (cell phone,
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 10/25/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/25/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-10-25-21/) - Since we're rapidly approaching the end of October, I figured I'd best squeeze in a Snapshot of Today post before I ran out of time! I've loved doing these every month for the past several months, as it's fun to look back and see how much things change (and don't change) as time goes on.
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge {2}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/21/zero-food-waste-challenge-2/) - Ever since the first post in this series that I posted a week ago after cleaning out my refrigerator, I've been focusing daily on trying to use up any odds and ends we have before they end up in the trash can. While my weekly record isn't perfect, we did use up a LOT of
- [10 Lessons Learned From My First Year in Business](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/12/10-lessons-learned-from-my-first-year-in-business/) - As I prepare to close the books on my first year of being a flower farmer, I've been reflecting a LOT about what I've learned, what needs to change, and what my plans are for next year. While I've done side hustles before -- including doing part-time photography work for years -- I've never thrown
- [What the Kids Have Been Loving Lately // Vol. IV](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/07/what-the-kids-have-been-loving-lately-vol-iv/) - Wow, it's been nearly a year since I've done one of these round-ups, so I'd say we're a bit overdue! While I obviously can't cover even close to everything we've read, done, and enjoyed over the past year as a family, I'll go ahead and share some of what we've been loving recently (with the
- [7 Current Financial Goals // Update #3 {+ a BIG Change}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/04/7-current-financial-goals-update-3-a-big-change/) - Considering that the last update on our current financial goals showed very little change in our numbers, it was exciting to see some definite forward momentum happening again in this last quarter that just ended! Granted, much of the progress has been due to the monthly Child Tax Credit payments coming in, but we've also
- [Adjusting to a New Job + Prepping Farm For Winter {October 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/10/01/adjusting-to-a-new-job-prepping-farm-for-winter-october-2021-goals/) - It is officially fall around here, both shown by the calendar AND by what you can see outside -- we woke up to a layer of frost on the flower farm this morning, and the huge trees in our front yard are turning gold. The chickens' egg production seems to be slightly tapering down, and
- [35.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/09/29/35/) - 35 feels a lot different than 34. I don't mean physically, of course, but mentally this year when I shifted that number from 34 to 35, it felt momentous---like I immediately felt much older now that I'm halfway through my 30's, rather than being at the start of them. Every year for the past several
- [We Made It Through "Slog-ust" & I Still Like Flower Farming! {August 2021 Recap + September Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/09/06/we-made-it-through-slog-ust-i-still-like-flower-farming-august-2021-recap-september-goals/) - I said in last month's goals round-up that August would be the month where we were drowning in flowers, and . . . I was right. I put in crazy hours this last month harvesting, prepping bouquets, and then marketing those bouquets (or directly selling them at the local flower's market), and I can definitely
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 9/23/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/09/23/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-9-23-21/) - Unbelievably, almost a month has passed since my last Snapshot of My Life Today post, so it looks like we're due for another one! While a lot looks similar to last month, there are several new things in the mix too. For starters, my middle child (who's 3) just started going to preschool twice a
- [You Can Wash Your Couch Cushion Covers?! + 4 Other Things Learned Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/09/21/you-can-wash-your-couch-cushion-covers-4-other-things-learned-lately/) - Every fall for the past few years, I've done a random round-up of life hacks or other little things that I've learned lately. These usually aren't anything too deep or profound, but they ARE things that have improved my life, productivity, homemaking, ability to keep my house clean, etc. In the comments below, I'd love
- [Cooking From Food Storage {+ Recipe for Chicken Soup Over Mashed Potatoes)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/09/18/cooking-from-food-storage-recipe-for-chicken-soup-over-mashed-potatoes/) - Note: There are affiliate links to books and products mentioned below, which means I may get a small commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you. Although I haven't (yet) done the next two planned posts in my Food Storage 101 series -- the ones on long-term food storage and water -- I
- [My Best Sources For Finding What to Read Next](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/16/my-best-sources-for-finding-what-to-read-next/) - After going through both dry spells and true torrents in my life when it comes to reading motivation, I'm firmly convinced that about two-thirds of the battle of reading more is simply finding the right books to read in the first place. For a long time after I graduated college with my degree in English,
- [Loving and Learning Lately {38}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/09/15/loving-and-learning-lately-38/) - Welcome to Round 38 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [All Moved In & Nowhere To Go {July 2020 Goals Recap + August Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/08/04/all-moved-in-nowhere-to-go-july-2020-goals-recap-august-goals/) - We survived the move. There were moments when I wasn't sure we would--at least not with our sanity entirely intact--but we survived. Of course, we were terrified we were going to end up on the local news because our chicken coop door flew open while driving on the freeway (with the chickens inside of the
- [Loving and Learning Lately {27}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/08/14/loving-and-learning-lately-27/) - Welcome to Round 27 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Back Family Room Makeover {w/ Before + After Pics and Cost Breakdown}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/08/30/back-family-room-makeover-w-before-after-pics-and-cost-breakdown/) - I know I've been promising house updates and before and after pics for several months, but now that my first flower farming season is finally starting to wind down, I'm able to focus a bit on the house again and actually follow through on that promise. The majority of our big house updates that we
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 8/24/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/08/24/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-8-24-21/) - Another month, another Snapshot of My Life Today post! Today's is a little different as I'm completing it late at night instead of early afternoon like I normally do. My oldest started 1st grade last week, and we're definitely still adjusting to how to fit in all the flower farming stuff into the new school
- [2021 House + Yard Projects Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/08/09/2021-house-yard-projects-update/) - Seeing as it's been a loooong time since I've done a house update (around 6 months, in fact), I figured it's high time I give a progress update on how the house and yard projects we wanted to complete in 2021 are going. When I made up the list in February, we were still riding
- [Loving and Learning Lately {37}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/08/17/loving-and-learning-lately-37/) - Welcome to Round 37 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [How We Bought A House Making Under $35K a Year](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/27/how-we-bought-a-house-making-under-35k-a-year/) - Note: There are affiliate links in this post, which help support To Love and To Learn. In case you're just tuning in, I'm doing a special Finance + Frugality week here on the blog in honor of the Master Your Money Bundle, which just became available. Whether you're just starting out your journey with being
- [Second 101 in 1001 Challenge: Update #2](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/08/04/second-101-in-1001-challenge-update-2/) - In case you’re new around here, I’m currently working on my second 101 in 1001 list, which is a list of 101 goals or things I hope to complete/do in 1,001 days (which translates to about 2.75 years). This format for goal-setting has been highly motivating for me because it combines the power of a
- [The Month That We'll Be Drowning in Flowers {August 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/08/03/the-month-that-well-be-drowning-in-flowers-august-2021-goals/) - Well, here we are in August already -- my oldest starts first grade in two weeks (seriously?!), everyone's trying to cram all the last-minute summer parties and fun in, and we are positively swimming in flowers from our cut flower farm here at the house. As I type this, market bouquets are all over our
- [What I Learned From Decluttering 1,001 Things {Final Decluttering Report}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/07/23/what-i-learned-from-decluttering-1001-things-final-decluttering-report/) - If you’re new to this series, in 2021 I've been working on decluttering 1,001 items from our home as part of one of my goals for my 101 in 1001 list. Back in 2013, I did a massive decluttering project I called 50 Weeks to Organized, where we got rid of approximately 50% of our
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 7/20/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/07/20/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-7-20-21/) - Back with some old school blogging again today! This Snapshot a Day series is way quicker than doing a full Day in the Life post, but I think they're both really fun to look back on and see how much changes from month to month and year to year. Here's how things are looking today!
- [Hyrum Matthew's Birth Story](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/21/hyrum-matthews-birth-story/) - Well, it's official---I should no longer predict how future births will go based on past experience. The birth of my third child--Hyrum Matthew--was wildly different than my experiences with my other two. Part of that was because I went in with a very different birth plan this time around, and the other major part was
- [Hyrum turns ONE! {+ Reflections on My First Year as a Mom of 3}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/12/hyrum-turns-one-reflections-on-my-first-year-as-a-mom-of-3/) - It's been a big week over here in the Meidell household -- not only did Hyrum turn The Big ONE yesterday, but our oldest (Raven) started kindergarten for the first time on Tuesday (she was being homeschooled before while we waited to move to our new house). This last year has been such a blur.
- [Suburban Homestead Diaries: Using Winter to Improve My Homemaking Skills](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/31/suburban-homestead-diaries-using-winter-to-improve-my-homemaking-skills/) - Now that I'm a so-called grown up and can largely choose where to live, I sometimes wonder how I've somehow managed to land my winter-hating self on a property where winter can last up to 6 months out of the year, where you drive down the hill into town and see yourself descending into The
- [Day in the Life of a SAHM of 3 During a Pandemic](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/10/day-in-the-life-of-a-sahm-of-3-during-a-pandemic/) - Every February for the past few years, I've done a Day in the Life post to see how much changes from year to year. Last year's post was all about life with a preemie newborn, a toddler, and a preschooler, and although life was chaotic (because life with young kids just is like that), I
- [Our Plan to Pay Off the Mortgage Early](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/05/28/our-plan-to-pay-off-the-mortgage-by-age-50/) - In case you missed the announcement, I posted earlier this month that my husband and I are now officially planning on retiring by 50. Or, more accurately, we're planning on reaching a level of financial independence by 50 that would allow us to only work part-time if we so choose, and at doing whatever we
- [Summer 2021 Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/05/20/summer-2021-reading-list/) - Even though I haven't been reading as much as usual this year, I'm still as excited as ever about putting together this (now annual) summer reading list for the blog! In case you're new here, none of these titles are ones I've read yet, but rather they're the books that I'm most excited to get
- [Our Plan to Retire Early (By Age 50, To Be Exact)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/05/17/our-plan-to-retire-early-by-age-50/) - If you've been hanging around this blog for awhile, you probably already know that I've been a bit obsessed with the idea of FIRE (financial independence / retire early) for several years now. However, while I've mentioned my enthusiasm and passion for this subject in the past, I've never actually set a hard and fast
- [Readjusting Back to "Normal" Life {July 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/07/06/readjusting-back-to-normal-life-july-2021-goals/) - While we still had a good number of things we had to work on and do in June, it was overall a much more laidback month than any of the previous spring months as the flower farm was mostly all planted out by the end of May (which freed up an enormous amount of time
- [Our 7 Current Financial Goals // Progress Report #2](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/07/05/our-7-current-financial-goals-progress-report-2/) - Even though it's been three months since my last report and I've been planning to do these quarterly, I was seriously tempted not to post an update this time around. You see, it feels like we've made almost no progress over the last quarter, at least when you compare it to the quarter just before
- [These are the 101 in 1001 Goals I'm Changing {+ Why}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/06/28/these-are-the-101-in-1001-goals-im-changing-why/) - Welp, it's happened again, just like last time---I've found that so much has changed in the last 8 months since making my second 101 in 1001 list that many of the goals are no longer relevant, or at least no longer top of mind. (I mean, I didn't even CONSIDER that starting a flower farm
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today 6/21/21](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/06/21/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-6-21-21/) - I thought I'd do a little old school blogging today because I've missed doing stuff like this. I did a couple of other posts using the prompts below in the past, and I want to get in the habit of doing these again just for fun! If you want to play along, you can copy
- [Declutter 1,001 Challenge: Progress Report #4](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/06/17/declutter-1001-challenge-progress-report-4/) - If you’re new to this series, I’m currently working on decluttering 1,001 items from our home as part of one of my goals for my 101 in 1001 list. Back in 2013, I did a massive decluttering project I called 50 Weeks to Organized, where we got rid of approximately 50% of our belongings. Since
- [Loving and Learning Lately {36}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/06/15/loving-and-learning-lately-36/) - Welcome to Round 36 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [I Can Actually Clean My House Again! {June 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/06/09/i-can-actually-clean-my-house-again-june-2021-goals/) - Since March 1st, I have literally been going pretty much nonstop on flower farming stuff with every single spare second I had. But now, after three solid months of craziness, the flower farm is basically 100% planted out (with the exception of a few succession plantings of things that are still in the grow room),
- [Loving and Learning Lately {35}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/05/13/loving-and-learning-lately-35/) - Welcome to Round 35 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- ["Balance" Might Be Impossible to Obtain During This Season {May Goals + April Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/05/09/balance-might-be-impossible-to-obtain-during-this-season-may-goals-april-recap/) - While some of my recent implementations -- like a weekly must-do list I create each Sunday on my computer -- are helping me to not neglect the most important things, my life is still way out of balance right now with the flower farm eating up every spare second I have and then some. I
- [Food Storage 101: Short-Term Food Storage {aka, Creating a Revolving Pantry}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/04/27/food-storage-101-short-term-food-storage-aka-creating-a-revolving-pantry/) - This is part two in a 4-part series I'm doing on food storage and emergency preparedness, which is something our family is currently working on. The first post was all about how to actually AFFORD to build up your food storage (and why it's important to do so), and this post is going to be
- [My Summer Reading List (& Books You Should Read Next)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/31/my-summer-reading-list-books-you-should-read-next/) - Not being a teacher anymore has been as glorious for my reading life as I'd hoped it would be, and if you're on the lookout for a few great new reads, me not being a teacher anymore will be glorious for you, too, because I'm here to recommend a whole lotta fabulous books today! These
- [Settling In to the New House (+ Recipe for Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/18/settling-in-to-the-new-house-recipe-for-cinnamon-apple-baked-oatmeal/) - Our move this time around could not be more different than the last time we moved -- last time, we only moved 15 minutes away from the apartment we were in before, which meant that friends and family (thanks to the lack of a pandemic, of course) could stay all day and help us get
- [Declutter 1,001 Things Challenge: Progress Report #3](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/04/09/declutter-1001-things-challenge-progress-report-3/) - If you’re new to this series, I’m currently working on decluttering 1,001 items from our home as part of one of my goals for my 101 in 1001 list. Back in 2013, I did a massive decluttering project I called 50 Weeks to Organized, where we got rid of approximately 50% of our belongings. Since
- [Our 7 Current Financial Goals // Progress Report #1](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/04/08/our-7-current-financial-goals-progress-report-1/) - Well, it's been three months since my last update on our current financial goals, and what a decent quarter it's been! Between the second and third stimulus checks and our tax return, we were able to make some definite progress on many of our goals (and even unexpectedly were able to completely cross one of
- [Flower Farmers Ain't Got No Time For Goals! {April Plans + March Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/04/06/flower-farmers-aint-got-no-time-for-goals-april-plans-march-goals-recap/) - I knew that starting this business of running a flower farm (even on such a small scale as we're doing it) would require a lot of time and hard work. But you guys---I had NO IDEA how intense it would be during this first part in early spring! I've been doing gardens for years, but
- [Loving and Learning Lately {34}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/03/22/loving-and-learning-lately-34/) - Welcome to Round 34 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [I'm Starting a Business! {March 2021 Goals + February Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/03/04/im-starting-a-business-march-2021-goals-february-recap/) - You'll notice that I'm quite a bit late in posting this since I usually publish my monthly goals on the 1st of every month. However, I have an excellent reason---I'm starting a business! Since we were finally able to move to a home this last year that had a bit more land than we had
- [Declutter 1,001 Things Challenge: Progress Report #2](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/24/declutter-1001-things-challenge-progress-report-2/) - If you're new to this series, I'm currently working on decluttering 1,001 items from our home as part of one of my goals for my 101 in 1001 list. Back in 2013, I did a massive decluttering project I called 50 Weeks to Organized, where we got rid of approximately 50% of our belongings. Since
- [Why I'll Probably Never Have a Sugar-Free Month Again {+ Recipe for PB Cookies Made with Honey}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/04/why-ill-probably-never-have-a-sugar-free-month-again-recipe-for-pb-cookies-made-with-honey/) - You expect that most posts where someone has just come off of some kind of sugar detox would be filled with enthusiastic epiphanies all about how the month started bad and then miraculously fixed everything wrong with the person's gut, skin, and emotional health in general, which would then be rounded off with a dramatic
- [Home + Yard Plans for 2021](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/19/home-yard-plans-for-2021/) - Back in 2019, I started sharing the plans we had for projects in the house and yard that year, along with what we actually were able to accomplish. While last year's ended up being a total bust (since we ended up moving, which was never in the original plan), it's still something I want to
- [Loving and Learning Lately {33}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/16/loving-and-learning-lately-33/) - Welcome to Round 33 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Second 101 in 1001 Challenge: Update #1](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/08/second-101-in-1001-challenge-update-1/) - In case you're new around here, I'm currently working on my second 101 in 1001 list, which is a list of 101 goals or things I hope to complete/do in 1,001 days (which translates to about 2.75 years). This format for goal-setting has been highly motivating for me because it combines the power of a
- [A Fresh Start After a Rough Month {February 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/02/03/a-fresh-start-after-a-rough-month-february-2021-goals/) - Is January a hard month for you? I have a long history of not feeling warmly towards this particular month---I always seem to get the blues amid the seemingly endless winter, with day after gray day all seeming the same. This particular January was especially hard, as my husband was away for much of the
- [A Year of Weekly Family Pictures + Year in Review {2020}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/27/a-year-of-weekly-family-pictures-year-in-review-2020/) - Whew. 2020. The year that many of us will be trying to process for the rest of our lives, I think. Honestly, we're almost at the end of January, and I STILL feel like I don't know what to make of the last year. It was messy and hard and unexpected. It brought big (unplanned)
- [What I'm Planning to Read for the Unread Shelves Challenge](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/22/what-im-planning-to-read-for-the-unread-shelves-challenge/) - Thanks to Stephany's post, I discovered a new-to-me challenge that PERFECTLY fits the bill on what I was needing from my reading life this year. One of my 101 in 1001 goals is to start reading a lot more from my own shelves (50 books, in fact), but I was struggling with a way to
- [Our 7 (New) Big Financial Goals: Initial Report](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/01/our-7-new-big-financial-goals-initial-report/) - Happy new year, everyone! We made it to 2021!!! Because I'm in the middle of working on my new 101 in 1001 list, I'm not setting any traditional New Year's resolutions this year, but in honor of the beauty of a brand-new year and fresh start, I figured I'd bring some goal inspo to you
- [Loving and Learning Lately {32}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/15/loving-and-learning-lately-32/) - Welcome to Round 32 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Declutter 1,001 Things Challenge: Progress Report #1](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/11/declutter-1001-things-challenge-progress-report-1/) - Like everyone else, January often hits me hard with the urge to declutter, simplify, pare down, eat less chocolate...you get the idea. While I got rid of about half of my possessions back in 2013 as part of my 50 Weeks to Organized project, I have acquired PLENTY more stuff since then, especially as we've
- [A Big Purchase + More House Projects {January 2021 Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2021/01/06/january-2021-goals/) - I'm late in posting these because our plans had to change a bit this week. We'd originally been told that Matt would no longer be needing to travel up to the old location for work starting in mid-December (and he did, in fact, work the last two weeks of the year from the new location,
- [Top 10 Reads of 2020](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/31/top-10-reads-of-2020/) - This was a weird year for a lot of things, but it was also a weird year of reading for me. Like many others, I often struggled to find the focus or willpower to read much of the time, and when I did have enough of those, I often turned to comfort reads or books
- [Top 10 Posts of 2020 {+ Instagram Top 9}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/30/top-10-posts-of-2020-instagram-top-9/) - Well, everyone -- we made it! We made it to the end of this looooong, hard, rollercoaster year. And while we literally have no clue about what surprises 2021 has in store for us, we at least have the promise of a fresh start, which is always hopeful in and of itself. For the past
- [Our Christmas "Card" for 2020 {+ Snippets of Holiday Decor}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/24/our-christmas-card-for-2020-snippets-of-holiday-decor/) - How do I sum up this year? Do I even try? A pandemic. Two moves. An election. Protests. Living apart from my husband due to his work. An earthquake. Living with family. Buying a new home. Selling our old one. Saying goodbye to the place we'd called home for over a decade. Saying hello to
- [A Hot Breakfast on a Cold Winter's Night (Creamed Eggs Recipe)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/19/a-little-hot-stuff-on-a-cold-winters-night-creamed-eggs-recipe/) - I think everybody has their go-to comfort foods for cold winter nights when the thermostat seems frozen at about 15 degrees---whether it be hot cocoa, herbal tea, or a hot meal, there's just something so festive about a steaming dish warming up cold hands. Last night, after a rather unsuccessful run (in which I had
- [It's Official: Our House is Under Contract--We're Moving!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/06/29/its-official-our-house-is-under-contract-were-moving/) - Funny how fast life changes, huh? At the beginning of this year, we had zero intentions of moving anytime within the next several years and were happily planning out our yearly house and yard projects for 2020. Even when the company Matt works for started throwing around plans to move the business, we didn't really
- [Loving and Learning Lately {31}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/14/loving-and-learning-lately-31/) - Welcome to Round 31 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Big Picture Goal: Unpack and Settle In {Dec 2020 Goals + Nov Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/12/04/big-picture-goal-unpack-and-settle-in-dec-2020-goals-nov-goals-recap/) - This past week has been such a blur...I feel like I'm going to need the entire month of December to recover from the move (except that I don't have that luxury because we're currently living in a state of construction/chaos). We originally had thought that the company Matt works for would have moved down to
- [All Moved In! {+ What I Love Most About Our New House}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/11/30/all-moved-in-what-i-love-most-about-our-new-house/) - Well, we survived our second move of the year (and hopefully our last move for a good, long while!). And, in all actuality, it really went as smoothly as a move can go, honestly -- we had a lot of help on both ends, everything fit into the moving van and other vehicles (unlike last
- [Life Around Here Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/06/27/life-around-here-lately/) - Note: There are affiliate links to products mentioned below, which means I may get a small commission on any purchases made at no extra cost to you. Eating Lately: More greens than I should (my GI doctor told me to lay off 'em, but I can't help myself) and equal weights of fresh produce and
- [Replicating Swig Drinks at Home (+4 Other Things I've Learned Recently)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/11/24/replicating-swig-drinks-at-home-4-other-things-ive-learned-recently/) - I promise I haven't meant to fall off the end of the earth lately -- it's just that apparently getting ready to move, trying to do a bajillion house updates, and taking care of the three kiddos (especially during the week when my husband is staying away from us because he's still working at the
- [Loving and Learning Lately {14}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/05/20/loving-and-learning-lately-14/) - Welcome to Round 14 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Loving and Learning Lately {30}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/11/13/loving-and-learning-lately-30/) - Welcome to Round 30 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Our Experience Having a 35-Week Preemie](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/07/14/our-experience-having-a-35-week-preemie/) - Our happy Hyrum boy is 7 months old now, and as I happened to see some of the pictures the other day of when he was in the NICU, I was reminded that I'd never shared our experience with him being born premature in much detail. I think it would have helped me a lot
- [What I've Learned From Homeschooling (+ Why We're Calling It Quits)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/11/09/what-ive-learned-from-homeschooling-why-were-calling-it-quits/) - I've officially been homeschooling my oldest (who's in kindergarten) for more than one school term (almost a trimester at this point!), and I've gotta say, I've learned a LOT. By and large, it's been a very positive experience for both me and for my daughter Raven, but we have officially decided to call it quits
- [We Have a Moving Day Scheduled! {November Goals + October Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/11/02/we-have-a-moving-day-scheduled-november-goals-october-goals-recap/) - Unless you count all the mask-wearing and the fact that Halloween parties were staggered with who was coming when, this last month was the most "normal"-feeling of any month since March, at least as far as what we did as a family. There was a trip to the pumpkin patch, trick-or-treating (albeit a socially-distanced version),
- [Required Reading](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/10/01/required-reading/) - Looks like Matt and I have some required reading to do... good thing we've got until April 12 to do it!
- [Thoughts on Pregnancy {Part One}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/10/02/thoughts-on-pregnancy-part-one/) - (pics taken on the day we found out we were expecting) First of all, THANK YOU for your warm wishes and congratulations on yesterday's post. I have felt overwhelmed with love the past 24 hours, and I appreciate all your kind comments! When I first found out I was pregnant, I was dying to
- [A Shifting of Priorities](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/10/20/a-shifting-of-priorities/) - I made a comment today that pregnancy has made me feel like a completely different person--one I've never met before, and one I'm definitely not used to. If you had asked me before to describe myself in 3 words, one word that I would ALWAYS include on the list would be "motivated." Pregnancy has changed
- [Thoughts on Pregnancy {Part Two}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/11/02/thoughts-on-pregnancy-part-two/) - (Sorry for the poor-quality phone picture--I still haven't upgraded to a smartphone. Notice the SeaBands snugly in place on my wrists! Picture taken at about 9 weeks along) These thoughts were written down five weeks ago when I still hadn't gone completely public with the announcement. I am now 12 weeks along, and while
- [The Lost Weeks](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/11/16/the-lost-weeks/) - Sometimes I wonder if I'll look back at the last four and a half months of my life and wonder what in the world I was up to. I had relied on blogging as my personal journal for so long that now, looking back at the scarcity of posts, I'm wondering how I let so
- [Guess I'd Better Get Used to Pink...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/11/22/guess-id-better-get-used-to-pink/) - Matt and I went in for my 20-week ultrasound this week, fully expecting that our hunch would be confirmed and that we would be told by the tech that it was a boy kicking around in there. Guess we'll never be trusting our hunches again! Baby girl wasn't exactly being cooperative though, so it
- [Matt & I Must Have a Problem with Celebrating Early...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/11/23/matt-i-must-have-a-problem-with-celebrating-early/) - Matt and I found out soon after getting married that it can be tricky establishing holiday traditions for ourselves since we live so close to our families. Because our folks live just over an hour's drive away, we've spent all three Thanksgivings and Christmases as a married couple with them. We consider it a
- [I'm Glad God's the Editor of My Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/11/24/im-glad-gods-the-editor-of-my-life/) - I've known for quite some time now that I really like feeling in control of my life---in control of my time, of my body, of my future, and of my circumstances. Of course, life experiences have taught me over and over again that although it's important for me to plan out the "story"
- [A Day in the Life of a Pregnant Teacher](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/12/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-pregnant-teacher/) - Note: I found this post filed under "drafts" and realized I'd never published it (because when I wrote it, no one knew our happy news). Even though I'm now more than 2/3 of the way through my second trimester (and this post deals with all the not-fun symptoms of my first trimester), I
- [We've Reached the End](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/12/11/weve-reached-the-end/) - It's taken seven years, 15 semesters, thousands of dollars, and countless hours of work, stress, and anxiety, but guess what? Matt finally took his very last final of his whole undergraduate career yesterday afternoon. It's bad enough to go through the stress of college yourself, but I think it's infinitely harder to stand to
- [Tuesday Tell-All](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/12/16/tuesday-tell-all/) - Because I've got some random photos I need to dump somewhere and a lot of disconnected thoughts running around in my fuzzy little brain, I thought we'd do a Tuesday Tell-All for old times' sake. *As an early Christmas splurge, Matt and I bought ourselves a new lens for the camera (although, if we're being
- [Habits vs. Goals {Part Two}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/12/31/habits-vs-goals-part-two/) - (all photos taken on our recent Kanab/Arizona trip, where I crossed two things off my life's bucket list) Back in the summer, I wrote a post all about how, after a massive life revelation, I was spending far too much time worried about "goals" and not nearly enough time worrying about "habits." From that time
- [What the Kids Have Been Loving Lately // Vol. III](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/10/27/what-the-kids-have-been-loving-lately-vol-iii/) - Welcome to Volume III of this series that details all of the books, products, activities, and more that me and the kiddos have enjoyed doing together lately. This particular edition is heavier on the Halloween stuff, but there are things that can be enjoyed year-round here, too! (For past editions of this series, click HERE.)
- [My New 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/10/20/my-new-101-in-1001-list/) - While at times I got sick of looking at the same goals over and over again for my last 101 in 1001 list, I overall really enjoyed the format of setting 101 goals to try and meet in 1,001 days (roughly 2.75 years)---it meant that I could set more long-term, "bucket list" items than I
- [The Numbers Are In: Final Report for 101 in 1001](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/10/09/the-numbers-are-in-final-report-for-101-in-1001/) - Well, we've made it to the deadline of my first 101 in 1001 list! And I've got to say, while at times I got sick of the list, for the most part I have LOVED doing goals this way. I have found that the expanded timeline of nearly three years is useful for allowing myself
- [Loving and Learning Lately {29}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/10/13/loving-and-learning-lately-29/) - Welcome to Round 29 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Here's What's Cooking...Creamy White Chicken Chili](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/03/27/heres-whats-cooking-creamy-white-chicken-chili/) - Okay, so I know I already did a white chicken chili recipe on here. But this new recipe that I got from a friend at church is just WAAAY too amazing not to share. Seriously, I just made this recipe last week, and I'm already itching to make it again. The best part? It's much
- [Updates We're Planning to Make Before Moving In To Our New House](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/10/12/updates-were-planning-to-make-before-moving-in-to-our-new-house/) - Good news! All systems are go for us closing on the house this month, and it's actually looking like--knock on wood--we *might* even be able to close a little earlier than planned (though if we can't, that's okay too!). While we love our new place and can't wait to move in, there are a few
- [Before/After: $10 Jewelry Box Makeover](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/25/before-after-10-jewelry-box-makeover/) - Something that has become more and more clear to me over the past year or so is that I really want to become better at home renovation and design. In the past, I've always relied on my mom or my husband to carry out the actual work to bring most of my visions to life,
- [Why My New Morning Routine Might Just Change My Life Forever](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/14/why-my-new-morning-routine-might-just-change-my-life-forever/) - For years I've read countless blog posts and magazine articles touting the life-changing magic of set morning routines--from CEOs to famous yogis, prolific writers to politicians, it seemed that everyone was jumping on the morning routine bandwagon, and it made me feel, for awhile, that because my day didn't start with a green detox smoothie
- [Hopefully the Month We Close on the New House! {October 2020 Goals + September Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/10/01/hopefully-the-month-we-close-on-the-new-house-october-2020-goals-september-goals-recap/) - After an August that basically just had STRESS written all over it, it was nice to have the feeling like things had at least *somewhat* settled down in September. We're getting a lot more used to Matt's work schedule, we've hit quite a good rhythm with homeschooling, and we made a lot of fun memories
- [34.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/29/34/) - Another birthday. Another year filled with growth and joy and challenges and triumphs. I might understand all too well what Madeleine L'Engle meant when she referred to this decade of life and motherhood as "the tired 30's," but this season feels like such a gift. Yes, even amidst a pandemic. Yes, even with two kids
- [I'm Calling It: My 2020 Resolutions Are a Wash](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/16/im-calling-it-my-2020-resolutions-are-a-wash/) - For awhile there, I was trying desperately to hang onto the idea that even with a pandemic and a move and all sorts of other craziness this year, I would still be able to complete many of my 2020 resolutions. But now? I have entirely given up that delusion. And am thanking my January self
- [Loving and Learning Lately {28}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/14/loving-and-learning-lately-28/) - Welcome to Round 28 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [We're Under Contract For a House!!!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/10/were-under-contract-for-a-house/) - If you would have told me two weeks ago that we would be under contract for a house by now, I wouldn't have believed you. You see, we had the WORST home showings day ever a couple weeks ago, and I was seriously doubting whether I even wanted to make the move two hours south
- [Board Books Make the Best Stocking Stuffers! (12 Great Titles!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/20/board-books-make-the-best-stocking-stuffers-12-great-titles/) - Looking for (inexpensive) gifts that will work as stocking stuffers can be one of the trickier aspects of holiday gift giving. (Of course, that might only be because when I was buying up Christmas stockings for our first Christmas together, I never considered the SIZE of the thing!) When I'm buying stocking stuffers for my
- [Secret Family Recipe: Chocolate Eclair Pie](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/29/secret-family-recipe-chocolate-eclair-pie/) - When I was 12, my mom and all three of my older sisters worked at a reception center, doing everything from prepping the little finger sandwiches to cleaning up spills during the reception to getting the knife and plate all ready for the bride and groom to cut the cake. And when the reception involved
- [My 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/11/my-101-in-1001-list/) - For years, I've seen 101 in 1001 lists floating around the blogging world. A cross between a bucket list and new year's resolutions, a 101 in 1001 list is basically a list of 101 concrete things you hope to accomplish in 1,001 days (which is approximately 2.75 years). As I thought about setting my usual
- [Secret Family Recipe: 10-Min. Prep Chicken & Rice](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/13/secret-family-recipe-10-min-prep-chicken-rice/) - I grew up in a family with six kids, and my mom, for all 18+ years that I was at home, had dinner on the table by 6:00 p.m. sharp 90% of the time (or at the very least, we knew that we could expect a home-cooked meal at roughly the same time each night).
- [12 Love Stories For People Who "Don't Do Romances"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/09/12-love-stories-for-people-who-dont-do-romances/) - " target="_blank" rel="noopener">here.) These is My Words by Nancy Turner This is a perennial favorite with local book clubs around here for a reason, though it took me really getting into the heart of the book to see why. Basically, this book follows Sarah Agnes Prine as she makes her way out West with
- [14 Books for the Foodie (Beyond Cookbooks)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/07/14-books-for-the-foodie/) - When my husband and I lived in our first apartment, there used to be a fabulous local bookstore just down the street from us that we would frequently haunt on the weekends whenever we needed something to do. They sold a huge variety of used and new books, movies, and music, they always had some
- [Current Mission: To Hang On & Survive This Season {Sept 2020 Goals + Aug Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/09/01/current-mission-to-hang-on-survive-this-season-sept-2020-goals-aug-goals-recap/) - This last month has been a total doozy--I don't think I've ever been so relieved to see a summer come to a close, though the advent of the new school year comes with its own challenges (especially since we unexpectedly ended up homeschooling this year). I don't tend to delve into problems much on the
- [Our 5 Big Financial Goals // Final Report](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/08/17/our-5-big-financial-goals-final-report/) - My original plan was to do my final report on these goals around the same time I did my final report for my 101 in 1001 list, but since I don't anticipate that too much will change between now and then as far as these goals, I figure I may as well give you the
- [Let's Talk About Losing the Pregnancy Weight After the Third Baby](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/08/13/lets-talk-about-losing-the-pregnancy-weight-after-the-third-baby/) - For years, I attended a hip hop cardio class taught at our local rec center. Since I was such a regular and rarely missed, I often would talk to the instructor after class was over and just get to know her a little bit. When we both happened to be pregnant at the same time
- [Halfway Through Kayla Itsines's BBG (Bikini Body Guide): My Thoughts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/19/halfway-through-kayla-itsiness-bbg-bikini-body-guide-my-thoughts/) - For several weeks now, I've mentioned in passing several times about how I've been working my way through the popular Kayla Itsines BBG program, an exercise regime largely based around resistance training with short bursts of intensity (HIIT) mixed in. Although I'm technically halfway through the original 12-week program, I've actually been doing the program
- [Our Decision to Homeschool...For Now](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/07/20/our-decision-to-homeschool-for-now/) - Wow. 2020 has literally looked basically nothing like I expected it to. I never expected that this year we would be facing a worldwide pandemic, an economic recession, AND race riots and protesting all across the nation. I never expected that we would be selling our little suburban homestead and moving three hours south to
- [How We're Starting Our Homeschool For Under $160](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/07/27/how-were-starting-our-homeschool-for-under-160/) - In case you missed it, we recently made the decision to homeschool our oldest, who is entering kindergarten this year. Homeschooling our children was never in our plans, so this has been eye-opening and a bit overwhelming, to be honest. But, after a few weeks spent looking into various homeschool options and philosophies and curriculums
- [What We're Looking For in Our Next House](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/08/08/what-were-looking-for-in-our-next-house/) - In case you're not currently looking for a change of home yourself, lemme just summarize the whole process as being ABSOLUTELY CRAAAAZY right now. Utah has one of the hottest housing markets right now in the country, and prices are sky high, mostly thanks to a major housing shortage in the state. To catch you
- [Living with the Ghosts of Weights Past and Future](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/07/31/living-with-the-ghosts-of-weights-past-and-future/) - Time to get real here, folks--- I have been 100% guilty of spending a lot of time lately with the Ghosts of Weights Past & Future. In other words, instead of focusing on my current body shape and what I'm currently capable of, my mind keeps drifting back to "happier" weight times (like back
- [Raven's Big Debut (aka, Raven's Baby Blessing)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/10/ravens-big-debut-aka-ravens-baby-blessing/) - In my religion, we believe in giving children a special blessing (usually when they're infants) in front of the church congregation. It is partly to formally present the child into the church as a child on the church's records, and it's also a way for the child to receive certain blessings by virtue of a
- [What's Been Worth Reading Lately (+ What Hasn't)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/21/whats-been-worth-reading-lately-what-hasnt/) - When I stopped reading mostly just from recommended reading lists and started reading whatever the heck I wanted, I was able to go a miraculously long time without hitting a bunch of duds in a row. Sure, I hit a few books I could have done without (The Signature of All Things, anyone?), but overall,
- [Loving and Learning Lately {26}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/07/17/loving-and-learning-lately-26/) - Welcome to Round 26 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [A Summer Lunch in Solitude](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/07/26/a-summer-lunch-in-solitude/) - I learned an important fact about myself this week as Matt's been away: I eat about a bajillion times healthier when he's not around. This totally blows my mind because I'm constantly trying to sneak vegetables into all of our meals because heaven knows that man would never think to eat them of his own
- [Our Goal This Month: To Move and Not Go Crazy {July 2020 Goals + June Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/07/06/our-goal-this-month-to-move-and-not-go-crazy-july-2020-goals-june-goals-recap/) - Welp, June was crazy. I didn't do so well on some of my goals, but that's to be expected, really---getting a house ready to sell is no walk in the park, especially with three small children underfoot. Honestly, I'm sitting in my kitchen right now typing this up and relishing the fact that there are
- [Mistakes I Didn't Know I Was Making Until We Staged Our House to Sell](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/07/01/mistakes-i-didnt-know-i-was-making-until-we-staged-our-house-to-sell/) - In case you missed it, our house went on the market last Thursday and is now currently under contract as of last night. While we did get four offers on it, this is not a post on how you can sell your home quickly, or on how you can get top dollar for your home.
- [Motherhood Diaries: Mathias Turns Two](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/06/25/motherhood-diaries-mathias-turns-two/) - Since we've been working nonstop to get our house ready to put on the market, I'm a bit late on posting this, but our sweet Mathias turned TWO last Friday! We kept our celebrating pretty simple with an afternoon spent at the park (the first time since the pandemic hit in March) and a pizza
- [Checkpoint #5: 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/06/22/checkpoint-5-101-in-1001-list/) - I'm now just about four months away from my end date on my 101 in 1001 challenge, so this will be my last checkpoint before the final count in October. I've thought many, many times over the past couple months of just ending my challenge early (esp. because many of these will likely not be
- [Preparing For Changes Ahead {June 2020 Goals + May Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/06/08/preparing-for-changes-ahead-june-2020-goals-may-goals-recap/) - I didn't mean to go so long without posting. Like many others, I didn't always know what to say, and I also found myself emotionally spent for many different reasons. This is a time of a lot of uncertainty and change in our nation, and it's also a time of a lot of uncertainty and
- [Loving and Learning Lately {25}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/05/30/loving-and-learning-lately-25/) - Welcome to Round 25 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [What the Kids Have Been Loving Lately // Social Distancing Edition](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/03/23/what-the-kids-have-been-loving-lately-social-distancing-edition/) - I was overdue for a second post on what the kids have been into lately anyway, but now these things that we're loving at the moment might be even more helpful than ever since we're all basically stuck inside + away from everyone else for the foreseeable future. Related Post: What the Kids Have Been
- [Our 5 Big Financial Goals // Progress Report III](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/05/18/our-5-big-financial-goals-progress-report-iii/) - I never dreamed when I started tracking these goals quarterly last year (or especially when I set most of these goals in the first place in early 2018) how much would be changing for us over the course of 2020. In addition to the pandemic that no one predicted, there's also been the unexpected news
- [My Summer 2020 Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/05/14/my-summer-2020-reading-list/) - Pandemic or not, summer has always been a time for me to look forward to reading lots of new releases, not feeling one iota of guilt for turning to more "fluffy" reads rather than my usual more "literary" fare, and for challenging myself to maybe try out a few wild cards. It feels like summer
- [How to Make an Income Stretch with Six Kids {An Interview With My Mom!}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/05/09/how-to-make-an-income-stretch-with-six-kids-an-interview-with-my-mom/) - I've been wanting to try something a little different on the blog for awhile and see how you lovely readers liked interview-style posts. (So if you like this, let me know in the comments and I'll do more of them!) And in honor of Mother's Day this weekend (and in honor of the best mom
- [Saving Vs. Splurging on Backyard Projects](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/23/saving-vs-splurging-on-backyard-projects/) - This last weekend, my husband and I did more yardwork in one 48-hour period than we've probably ever done before in our adult lives. Between building raised garden beds, picking up loads of compost (and spreading it out, one wheelbarrow load at a time), attempting to transplant seeds, moving rocks and rearranging flower borders, and
- [A Week of Quarantine "Making It Stretch" Lunches for the Kids](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/05/05/a-week-of-quarantine-making-it-stretch-lunches-for-the-kids/) - I have to admit, "quarantine cooking" doesn't look much different than my regular cooking, because I was already in the habit of doing just one big grocery shopping haul at the beginning of every month with minimal (2, maybe 3) very small grocery trips in between for things like milk and produce (where I try
- [What Month Is It Again? {May 2020 Goals + April Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/05/04/what-month-is-it-again-may-2020-goals-april-goals-recap/) - Welp, last month was a doozy. Not necessarily because anything new happened, but just because of that---BASICALLY NOTHING NEW HAPPENED! Other than the fact that it's starting to look more and more likely that we'll be moving at some point this year (see my post on my other, more personal blog for details). Basically, since
- [What It Takes to Not Gain Weight on Prednisone](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/21/what-it-takes-to-not-gain-weight-on-prednisone/) - (pic from about a month ago, since I apparently don't get myself in front of the camera anymore) If you've been following my blog for a few months, you might have noticed that I stopped doing "Body After Baby" posts on my postpartum weight loss progress. My excuse? There hasn't been any progress, at least
- [Here's What's Cooking . . . Pepperoni Pan Pizza](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/12/13/heres-whats-cooking-pepperoni-pan-pizza/) - Despite my best intentions, Matt and I don't *always* eat super healthy. My very favorite non-healthy thing to make is a slightly modified version of this amazing recipe for pepperoni pizza that I got from Taste of Home's Prize-Winning Recipes 2007 (aff link). What I particularly like about it is that it includes a recipe
- [Instant Pot Mexican Ground Beef + Rice Casserole {30-Minute Pantry Meal!}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/04/20/instant-pot-mexican-ground-beef-rice-casserole-30-minute-pantry-meal/) - Even before quarantine life started, I was a big fan of pantry meals because I usually only do one big shopping trip per month and try to minimize trips to the grocery store for the rest of the month. I'm also a big lover of my Instant Pot, which I got for Christmas and use
- [Checkpoint #1 // 2020 Resolutions](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/04/22/checkpoint-1-2020-resolutions/) - Seeing as we're almost a third of the way through the year, I figured I probably should do a check-in with my 2020 resolutions, even if the current pandemic conditions make some of these impossible to work on or predict at the moment. The other thing that's making life unpredictable at the moment (and therefore
- [Loving and Learning Lately {24}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/04/14/loving-and-learning-lately-24/) - Welcome to Round 24 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Why Adjusting to 3 Kids Has Been Easier Than Adjusting to 2](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/04/09/why-adjusting-to-3-kids-has-been-easier-than-adjusting-to-2/) - Over the years, I've gleaned a few pieces of wisdom from other moms that I've learned the truth of firsthand myself now through experience. Two that have particularly resonated: "5 kids is as hard as 4, is as hard as 3, is as hard as 2, is as hard as 1." My mother-in-law said this
- [Favorite 20 Books of the Last Decade](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/04/08/favorite-20-books-of-the-last-decade/) - I intended to get this post up back in January, when the whole "We're starting a brand-new decade!" felt a bit more relevant. Needless to say, having three kids now is keeping me busier than ever, and now that my oldest's preschool has been canceled due to the pandemic, that designated blogging bit of time
- [The Monthly To-Do List During Quarantine {April 2020 Goals + March Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/04/02/the-monthly-to-do-list-during-quarantine-april-2020-goals-march-recap/) - In about 3 weeks, our entire world has seemingly been turned on its head, and even though you'll notice that March was a pretty great month as far as goals went, it's still very apparent how much everything has been affected by the current pandemic. I already tend to be a bit anxious anyway, so
- [This is What Turning 30 Looks Like, Torrie Edition](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/30/this-is-what-turning-30-looks-like-torrie-edition/) - This is not going to be a post about all the things I've done in my life that I'm the most proud of (that post was last year, on my Golden Birthday). This is not going to be a post bemoaning the fact that my twenties are now a thing of the past, an age
- [Ladies' Night Out](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/09/07/ladies-night-out/) - Every time I go out for a ladies' night, I always think to myself, "Why on earth do I not do this more often?" I mean, I love spending time with the hubby and all (of course), but sometimes a little woman-to-woman chat time is exactly what the mental doctor ordered. I served with all
- [Shelter in Place (aka, How We're Trying to Keep It Together Through This Pandemic)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/03/19/shelter-in-place-aka-how-were-trying-to-keep-it-together-through-this-pandemic/) - Hello, world. What have you done over the last week? We've had church at home, coordinated with neighbors on Facebook to find out which stores have certain staples in stock (bananas, bread, milk), done an equal amount of stress baking and forgetting to eat (well, just me, anyway), and, oh yeah----we had an earthquake yesterday.
- [All Moved In...Now Where To Put It All?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/05/22/all-moved-in-now-where-to-put-it-all/) - Less than a week ago, we returned from a week of bliss, relaxation, and no responsibilities…to this: The only saving grace from the massive chaotic disturbance known as our apartment was the fact that Matt's awesome sisters-in-law had broken in while we were gone and left us lots of surprises--balloons, streamers, rose petals, chocolates, candles...and
- [Greetings From Sunny St George!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/05/13/greetings-from-sunny-st-george/) - Hey everyone! Quick greetings from sunny St George, where Matt and I are enjoying the last few days of our honeymoon reading in the breezy shade of the balcony, eating oreos and milk while catching up on our favorite t.v. shows, and taking long dips in the resort's hot tub. After all the stress of
- [Checked Out](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/04/27/checked-out/) - I have officially (officially!) checked out mentally from school. Well, almost anyway. I hardly have anything left to do, but these last few assignments just aren't motivating me very well to get started on them...I've never been so ready for school to end and just want to get married already. For example, right now I
- [Engagement Photos](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/04/26/engagement-photos/) - You know, I realized I never posted any of our engagement photos on here. Now, I'm sure that many of you have seen them already, but we absolutely just LOVED how they turned out. My friend Chelsee Hanna did such an amazing job. So here are just a few of our favorites (get ready for
- [Here's What's Cooking...Chicken Pot Pie](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/04/18/heres-whats-cooking-chicken-pot-pie/) - Note: There are affiliate links in this post, which means I may get a small commission on any purchases made at no extra cost to you. Matt and I have a terrible habit of getting really hungry around 10 or 11 p.m. and wanting more than a bowl of cereal or a sandwich. So last
- [Change It Up Challenge - Subway's Meatball Marinara Sub](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/04/08/change-it-up-challenge-subways-meatball-marinara-sub/) - I used to pride myself on being the person who tries a new entree with every trip to the same restaurant--I don't know if I just got to the point where I had tried everything at all my favorite restaurants or if I had just gotten myself into a same-food stalemate, but I stopped trying
- [Loving and Learning Lately {23}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/03/10/loving-and-learning-lately-23/) - Welcome to Round 23 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Day in the Life of a SAHM of 3](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/02/12/day-in-the-life-of-a-sahm-of-3/) - Each year for the past few years, I've been doing a "day in the life" post once annually (usually in February). Sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that our days will "always look like this," but even from year to year, I'm surprised by how much things change. Last year at
- [The "Cook Your Shelves" Challenge (+ 11 Family-Friendly Cookbooks!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/02/24/the-cook-your-shelves-challenge-11-family-friendly-cookbooks/) - If you're anything like me, you have scads of cookbooks shoved on a shelf somewhere. Some are well-loved, with spatters of grease and chocolate smeared across multiple pages and several handwritten notations on favorite recipes. Others are in pristine condition, maybe having only been cracked open once or twice soon after being acquired. With the
- [Things That Bring Me Joy: Baking](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/07/17/things-that-bring-me-joy-baking/) - I know I've blogged a bit about my love of baking before, but this is just too big of a passion not to write about a little more. For a long time (up until about three years ago), I didn't call myself a cook: I only referred to myself as a baker, since my specialties
- [Suburban Homestead Diaries: Home/Yard Plans for 2020](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/03/05/suburban-homestead-diaries-home-yard-plans-for-2020/) - Last year, I compiled a list of home and garden projects we hoped to complete by the end of 2019, which helped to keep us on track with our goals as we had a "big picture" to look at. However, if you actually look at what we were able to accomplish on that list, we
- [With Spring Comes a Long To-Do List {March 2020 Goals + February Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/03/03/with-spring-comes-a-long-to-do-list-march-2020-goals-february-recap/) - February felt long this year, even though it usually passes by so quickly for me. However, a definite turn was taken for the better about a week and a half ago, when we glimpsed the first tulip bulbs poking out through the soil and made a spontaneous trip on Friday afternoon to the garden store
- [5 Non-Fiction Books that Will Change Your Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/03/06/5-non-fiction-books-that-will-change-your-life/) - Even though much of my reading each month is based around books on my lists (which mostly just include fiction), I actually read a significant amount of non-fiction as well---in fact, if I had to take a guess, I would say that about a third of what I read is purely informational (but not in
- [March Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/03/05/march-goals/) - I already warned you that my success rate on my February goals was truly abysmal, so let's get this over with fast---like ripping off a Band-Aid. *Decide on name for photography business. This one has been on my mind a lot lately, but I haven't decided on anything officially. The idea of opening up a
- [Our 5 Big Financial Goals // Progress Report II](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/02/25/our-5-big-financial-goals-progress-report-ii/) - Another 3 months gone, which means time for another progress report on how our financial goals are going! If you're just tuning in, we're currently working on five big financial goals, which we originally wanted to complete by this October (because that's when the "deadline" for my 101 in 1001 goals list is). Right now,
- [Why We Converted Our Old 401K to a Roth (+ Why You Might Consider Doing the Same)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/25/why-we-converted-our-old-401k-to-a-roth-why-you-might-consider-doing-the-same/) - Hey, everyone! I'm really excited about this week because I'll be doing a Finance + Frugality theme all week here on the blog in honor of the brand-new Master Your Money Bundle! Whether you're a seasoned personal finance nerd (like myself) or just wanting to get a better handle on your finances, there's something in
- [How We Spent Just $60/Family Member on Clothing Last Year (Without Buying All Used Stuff!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/29/how-we-spent-just-60-family-member-on-clothing-last-year-without-buying-all-used-stuff/) - My Greatest Spending Weakness To people who are even more frugal than I am, $240 spent in a year on clothing for a family of four might still seem high, but buying new clothing has always been a big spending weakness of mine. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I remember I spent around
- [Loving and Learning Lately {22}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/02/14/loving-and-learning-lately-22/) - Welcome to Round 22 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [From-the-Pantry Honey Muffins](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/02/07/from-the-pantry-honey-muffins/) - I've always tried to keep our grocery costs relatively low (usually around $450/month for our family of 5, which includes all household supplies like toilet paper and laundry detergent and diapers as well), but lately I've been trying to keep it even lower through meal prepping and not buying treats (oh M&M's, how I miss
- [Red Velvet Love Cookies](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/02/11/red-velvet-love-cookies/) - I may not get into Valentine's Day as much as some people (meaning, I don't decorate my apartment with pink heart garlands or expect my hubby to get me some big elaborate gift or plot what I'm going to wear on the 14th). I DO, however, wholeheartedly support any holiday that gives me an excuse
- [We Made It Through Another January! {January Goals Recap + February Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/02/03/we-made-it-through-another-january-january-goals-recap-february-goals/) - While January has always been my least favorite month (and the one that feels eternally long), this year wasn't too bad actually, which was surprising because we hardly left the house at all (#newbornlife). A lot of that can be chalked up to the fact that I feel better than I have in a long,
- [90-Minute Italian Bread](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/11/19/italian-bread-princess-bride-snuggles/) - Finally, a weekend when I finally felt I didn't need to run around and around like a decapitated chicken. I actually had time to do some real pen-and-paper writing, sleep in until 9, AND go to the temple with Matt and our dear friends The Roses. Not to mention get a little fancy with my
- [Motherhood Diaries: Sick Days](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/28/motherhood-diaries-sick-days/) - Back in 2017, I opened a Google Doc and started an online diary of sorts to write down the daily happenings of motherhood that are more of interest to me and my family than they would be to anyone else. Occasionally, I'll share one of those entries here on the blog. For past posts from
- [Checkpoint #4: 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/17/checkpoint-4-101-in-1001-list/) - I'm now less than a year away from my end date for my 101 in 1001 list (Day #1,001 is Wednesday October 7, 2020), and I'm quickly starting to realize which goals still have a solid chance of getting completed and which ones will probably only happen by a miracle. But through it all, we
- [Loving and Learning Lately {21}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/14/loving-and-learning-lately-21/) - Welcome to Round 21 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Stuff You Should Stop Assuming About English Teachers](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/03/stuff-you-should-stop-assuming-about-english-teachers/) - If I had a quarter for every time someone started freaking out about their grammar or their lack of good reading/writing habits around me the second they found out I was an English teacher, I could eat out every meal for a year. The truth is, we often define people by their jobs: Oh, you're a
- [2020 Resolutions](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/06/2020-resolutions/) - Here's what I've decided---while I love a lot about my 101 in 1001 list, I've decided that almost 3 years is a LONG time to spend on one list of goals, especially since it's hard to predict what will be important to you that far out. While a part of me was seriously tempted to
- [A Year of Weekly Family Pictures](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/04/a-year-of-weekly-family-pictures/) - Back in September of 2018, we kind of fell into the habit of taking a weekly family picture every Sunday. It had been an easy enough habit to get into, since we'd gotten first into the habit of taking a picture of my growing belly each week when I was pregnant with Mathias, which then
- [In Which My Mom Completed Most of My Goals For Me {December Goals Recap + January Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2020/01/01/in-which-my-mom-completed-most-of-my-goals-for-me-december-goals-recap-january-goals/) - Well, December was a bit of a whirlwind. Between being on strict bed rest and then having a newborn, it's amazing anything got done at all. And you wanna know why it did? Because I didn't have to do almost any of it, ha ha---between my mom and my husband, a lot of my nagging
- [Top 10 Posts of 2019 {+ Instagram Top 9}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/12/31/top-10-posts-of-2019-instagram-top-9/) - Happy last day of 2019, everyone! It's been a whirlwind of a year, which was definitely reflected in my Instagram Top 9 (above)---we've got a pregnancy announcement, a newborn who arrived a month early, a new car (#minivanlife), a chicken palace that's finally complete, and lots of ups and downs, though it's been a very
- [Top 10 Reads of 2019 {+ A Summary of My Reading Year}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/12/30/top-10-reads-of-2019-a-summary-of-my-reading-year/) - With a new baby in the house, I'm so far behind on everything (including all I'd like to be blogging right now) that it's not even funny, but I did want to squeeze in this end-of-year review while it would still be relevant. 2019 ended up being a better reading year than I thought it
- [My Imagined Family Christmas Card Vs. Reality](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/12/24/my-imagined-family-christmas-card-vs-reality/) - Here's what I imagined our family Christmas card would look like this year (and by family Christmas card, I mean my annual "blog card," since I've only ever mailed out one Christmas card in my life): I imagined I'd be ready to go into labor any minute, or *maybe* that I would be in the
- [Merry Christmas!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/25/merry-christmas/) - Here's the card I actually managed to print and send out to a few people this year. (Note to self: next year, I definitely need to print out more copies.) This was the first year in history that I actually followed through with my goal to do the "Christmas card thing," and I have to
- [Secret Family Recipe: Fudge Revel Cookies](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/12/23/secret-family-recipe-fudge-revel-cookies/) - I used to think I had a great memory, and then I became an adult (ha!). The older I get, the more I FORget, and now, when long-forgotten memories pop up from my childhood, it's a bit of a delightful surprise, since I seem to be getting more and more details mixed up or lost
- [Introducing---Hyrum Matthew!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/12/14/introducing-hyrum-matthew/) - Our Christmas elf arrived a little early this year! Hyrum Matthew Born: 12/11/2019 @ 8:09 p.m.Weight: 6 lbs., 12 oz. Height: 18" Due to being born at 35 weeks, 5 days gestation, he had to spend two days in the NICU, but he's home with us now and healthy! Birth story and more details to
- [With Gratitude That Anything Got Done At All {November Recap + December Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/12/04/with-gratitude-that-anything-got-done-at-all-november-recap-december-goals/) - Even though I'd been having *some* preterm labor at the beginning of November, I didn't dream that I would be on full-time bed rest by the end, with the hope that the baby could at least stay put until December at the very least. With that change in plans, many of my goals went on
- [What It's Like Being on Bed Rest {34-Week Pregnancy Update}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/29/what-its-like-being-on-bed-rest-34-week-pregnancy-update/) - This post contains affiliate links through Amazon, which means I may get a small commission on any purchases made through the links, at no extra cost to you. Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! We've been down at my mom and stepdad's for much of the week since Matt got an unexpected extra
- [What the Kids Have Been Loving Lately // Vol. I](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/27/what-the-kids-have-been-loving-lately-vol-i/) - I've read nearly 800 different books with Raven over the past couple years as part of the 1,000 book challenge we're trying to complete before she enters kindergarten, but I've hardly talked about kids' books (or toys or activities or crafts) here on the blog at all. I figured it might be fun to do
- [Secret Family Recipe: Almond Punch](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/15/secret-family-recipe-almond-punch/) - One of my most treasured possessions from my grandmother is a cookbook she gave me years ago for one of my birthdays that's filled with family recipes---from her, from my great-grandma, from my mother, from my aunts--all written out in her elegant script handwriting. While I wouldn't say anyone in my family is OBSESSED with
- [Our 5 Big Financial Goals // Progress Report I](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/18/our-5-big-financial-goals-progress-report-i/) - Back at the beginning of August, I laid out five of our current big financial goals as of now, along with the starting numbers for each. My goal was to do an update about once a quarter, so we're due for another one! (If you want to see the original post, you can click here.)
- [State of the Family Address {+ 32-Week Pregnancy Update}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/14/state-of-the-family-address-32-week-pregnancy-update/) - Do you like how I said back in April that I was going to be doing State of the Family Address posts monthly, and that I haven't done one since? Well, I intend to remedy that. I still haven't decided how I'm going to go forward exactly with these (with the format or the series
- [Book #5 - Fires in the Bathroom](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/02/20/book-5-fires-in-the-bathroom/) - Title: Fires in the Bathroom (aff link) Author: Kathleen Cushman Pages: 190 It's a good thing I can count books I read for school, because I'm a bit behind on my 50-Book Challenge (but not too much--if I managed to pop out 3 more books by the end of this month, I'd be about right
- [Book #3: Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/02/23/book-3-teach-like-your-hairs-on-fire/) - Title: Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire (aff link) Author: Rafe Esquith # of Pages: 240ish Last year, Matt and I checked out the Scholastic Book Fair mega-sale on USU's campus, where we ended up spending about $180 on two dozen books that would have cost us $500 anywhere else. This book by Rafe Esquith
- [Loving and Learning Lately {20}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/12/loving-and-learning-lately-20/) - Welcome to Round 20 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Why I'm (Probably) Changing My Birth Plan for My 3rd Baby](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/09/24/why-im-probably-changing-my-birth-plan-for-my-3rd-baby/) - Note: If you're sensitive to medical complications or only want to hear positive birth stories, I would suggest you skip this one. Some Background I come from a family of women who "do" unmedicated childbirths, from my mother--who had five out of the six of us without any pain medications, though the first was not
- [Sweet Potato + Black Bean Rice Bowls](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/22/sweet-potato-black-bean-rice-bowls/) - Back when I first started to get into cooking, around 2008 or so, I lived and died by recipes. In other words, I followed those things to the LETTER, and if I didn't have a listed ingredient for something, I didn't make it. In fact, I distinctly remember in the first couple years of marriage,
- [These are the Chores I Hate (and This is How I Make Myself Hate Them Less)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/19/these-are-the-chores-i-hate-and-this-is-how-i-make-myself-hate-them-less/) - If you've been a blog reader for any length of time, you should know that being tidy + doing household chores like dishes and vacuuming are NOT strengths of mine (and, as I told my (shocked) mother, I legitimately prioritize reading over cleaning, so...there's that). But, in my quest to become a better homemaker (especially
- [Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese, 3 Ways](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/11/easy-homemade-mac-and-cheese-3-ways/) - I grew up with three older sisters who all, to some degree, liked to cook (or at least had certain "specialties" that they were known for). While I remember loving my sister Hannah's homemade donuts and personal pizzas and my older sister Jill's banana drop cookies (which I am definitely posting the recipe for
- [Secret Family Recipe: Banana Chocolate Drop Cookies](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/09/secret-family-recipe-banana-chocolate-drop-cookies/) - It's so random what I remember from my childhood--while I don't remember some bigger things hardly at all (like the first time I was asked to play the organ in church or my first day of kindergarten), I do remember odd snippets here and there about memories seemingly unconnected to anything important, like wheeling the
- [Creamy Butternut Squash Soup + Our Favorite Breadstick Recipe](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/07/creamy-butternut-squash-soup-our-favorite-breadstick-recipe/) - I'm not a fan of winter, but one thing I DO appreciate about the colder weather is that it greatly simplifies my dinner planning since I can start rotating soups and chowders back into the picture. At least once a week (usually on Mondays), we do a soup-and-breadstick night, which my kids are big fans
- [Reclaiming the Garage + Early Christmas Prep {November Goals + October Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/11/01/reclaiming-the-garage-early-christmas-prep-november-goals-october-goals-recap/) - I just hit my 30-week mark in the pregnancy today, and lemme tell you---I am FEELING it. That being said, I'm also feeling a strong nesting urge to attend to All the Things, just because I still have a hunch this baby might come on the earlier side (like Mathias did, who came at 37
- [A "Hoot"enanny Halloween Party](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/10/29/a-hootenanny-halloween-party/) - Each year, my mom puts on the party of the year right before Halloween, each with a different spooky theme. This year's theme? Owls. How cute is that? And how awesome are these cupcakes?! Amazing. We started off the festivities by making owl decorations out of cupcake liners and toilet paper rolls (and by we, I mean the
- [A Spooky Spider Halloween Party (+ Game Ideas)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/10/28/a-spooky-spider-halloween-party-game-ideas/) - Each year, my mom throws a huge Halloween party for all her grandkids (and for us). This year's theme? A Spooky Spider Halloween. With Halloween being this Thursday, I thought I'd break down what a successful spider party looks like (in case you want to steal some last-minute ideas). Step One: Have everyone don
- [12 Compulsively Readable Memoirs/Biographies](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/11/12-compulsively-readable-memoirs-biographies/) - As I've mentioned before, I try to always be in the middle of several books at once so that I've got a pick to fit every mood that might come up. My "ideal four" genres to always have going on? An adult fiction, a young adult fiction, a nonfiction (often a self-help or religious title),
- [Mathias David's Birth Story](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/24/mathias-davids-birth-story/) - Here's a post I definitely didn't think I'd be typing up this soon! I'm still a bit in shock that our sweet Mathias joined our family a full three weeks before his due date, but I'm not complaining about the extra time to snuggle him on the outside AND the fact that I don't have
- [Cooking for a Crowd: 3-Ingredient Pesto Ranch Chicken {Slow Cooker}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/08/cooking-for-a-crowd-3-ingredient-pesto-ranch-chicken-slow-cooker/) - Something I learned quickly upon marrying into my husband's family was that my in-laws have the concept of an impromptu party DOWN. Not ones to usually plan too far ahead, it is often the case where once one son and his family show up (my in-laws had five boys and no daughters), before you know
- [The Challenge: Save $1000 in 100 Days](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/16/the-challenge-save-1000-in-100-days/) - Note: There are affiliate links in this post, which means I get a small commission on any purchases made, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting To Love and To Learn! As we recently crossed the halfway point this year (what the what?), I was reviewing my 101 in 1001 list of goals
- [Secret Family Recipe: Open-Faced Tuna Sandwiches (A Quick Meal From the Pantry!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/27/secret-family-recipe-open-faced-tuna-sandwiches-a-quick-meal-from-the-pantry/) - As I mentioned earlier this week, we're working on clearing out our freezer and cooking up meals from our pantry in order to keep our grocery budget at $250 for this month, all as part of our challenge to save $1000 in 100 days. This is a quick meal option that uses ingredients I almost
- [How the Postpartum Period Has Gone the Second Time Around](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/07/how-the-postpartum-period-has-gone-the-second-time-around/) - In recent years, the postpartum period has been re-dubbed "The Fourth Trimester" for good reason--your body is still undergoing massive changes, you're still pumped full of crazy hormones, and you're still not getting any good sleep (albeit for a different reason than before). I'd learned the first time around that this postpartum period is truly
- [How We're Getting Started on Our Homestead Dream Now, In the Suburbs](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/07/10/how-were-getting-started-on-our-homestead-dream-now-in-the-suburbs/) - It's hard to say when my husband and I first started entertaining ourselves with the idea of owning our own homestead out in the country. Perhaps it started with an article I read years ago in the Oprah magazine about a couple who bought up hundreds of acres in a former wasteland and worked tirelessly
- [9 Books I've Abandoned {+ Whether or Not I'm Willing to Give Them Another Shot}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/08/20/9-books-ive-abandoned-whether-or-not-im-willing-to-give-them-another-shot/) - Truth: I am not good at abandoning books. In fact, up until about two years ago, I basically never abandoned any book I started (unless you count the ones I was assigned in school that I didn't finish before the deadline and just never bothered to get around to finishing). In fact, it was/is such
- [The Backlist Blowout Winter Reading Challenge (+ 15 Backlist Titles On My List!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/10/22/the-backlist-blowout-winter-reading-challenge-15-backlist-titles-on-my-list/) - For me, summer is the time to catch up on all the latest releases that everyone is buzzing about. This summer was no exception, as my library agreed to purchase about a dozen brand new titles for me (many on my Summer Reading List), which meant I was first in line to see if the
- [Loving and Learning Lately {19}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/10/14/loving-and-learning-lately-19/) - Welcome to Round 19 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Sweet Apple and Carrot Casserole](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/10/21/baking-up-a-little-autumn/) - Even though this here blog might not show it, I've been doing pretty well at going through my "To-Enjoy List" for autumn. Just last week, Matt and I went to the Thriller dance performance (so fun!), and I finally squeezed in a mini fall photo walk last weekend while we still have some leaves. While
- [Suburban Homestead Diaries: Early Frosts + Still No Eggs](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/10/10/suburban-homestead-diaries-early-frosts-still-no-eggs/) - Hello, friends! In case you're just recently tuning in, my husband and I have had the dream of living on a "real" homestead (ideally at least 5+ acres) for years now. However, since our reality currently means that this dream is nowhere close to being in reach, we have decided to do what we can
- [Selling Cars + Early Nesting for Baby {October Goals + September Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/10/03/selling-cars-early-nesting-for-baby-october-goals-september-goals-recap/) - Welcome to October! I'm a bit late to the game this month with my goals...it seems like the further I get into this pregnancy, the less I'm able to do and the less I'm wanting to move around, ha ha. And I've still got 3 months to go! Anyway, September was enjoyably busy all the
- [33.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/09/29/33/) - I've apparently now gotten to the point where I have to start doing calculations from my birth year to make sure I'm telling people my correct age (and I'm not the only one---until I wrote it on his birthday card earlier this week, Matt genuinely thought he was turning 32 rather than 33 this year,
- [My Birthday Suit at 27](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/09/30/my-birthday-suit-at-27/) - I always thought by 27 I'd be totally sophisticated---I'd be a published writer, I would have fully learned to appreciate jazz music, and I'd definitely have learned how to stop leaving my shoes by the front door. While I'm not exactly as chic as I thought I'd be, I figured that for my birthday, I
- [How I Meal Plan (+ A Month's Worth of Meal Plans)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/05/how-i-meal-plan-a-months-worth-of-meal-plans/) - FYI: Today ONLY (Tuesday 9/17/19), there's a flash sale going on for the Ultimate Healthy Meal Plan Bundle. If you love the IDEA of meal planning but don't really have the time/desire/energy to do it all yourself, you will definitely want to check this bundle out! It includes over $1,000 of resources (including recipes, full
- [What's On My Summer Reading List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/05/30/whats-on-my-summer-reading-list/) - Even though I'm no longer doing my self-assigned reading (and so should therefore feel free as a bird anyway to read whatever I please), there's just something about the long, lazy days of summer that lends itself to allowing myself to, well, indulge a little more in the books I choose. I mean, I pretty
- [$100 Bathroom Makeover (with Before/After Pics)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/25/100-bathroom-makeover-with-before-after-pics/) - Remember when we moved into our new house a year and a half ago, and for the first few months, I did all sorts of fun house update posts? And then remember how it's been radio silence ever since?? REMEMBER THAT?! I have six words for you: No time. No money. No energy. Or just
- [Loving and Learning Lately {18}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/09/10/loving-and-learning-lately-18/) - Welcome to Round 18 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Motherhood Diaries: Preschool](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/09/03/motherhood-diaries-preschool/) - Today, my oldest started her second year of preschool--her last before she heads off to "The Big School" (as she calls it). While summer was fun in its relaxing, no-schedule kind of way, we have all been craving more of a routine lately. We were ready for this school year to begin. Of course, ready
- [The Month that Will Hopefully Involve a New (to Us) Car {September Goals + August Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/09/02/the-month-that-will-hopefully-involve-a-new-to-us-car-september-goals-august-goals-recap/) - September is coming in a blaze of high hopes, mostly for two reasons: 1) it's my birthday month, which always feels like a bit of a fresh start, and 2) Raven starts preschool again, which should hopefully buy me about 4 hours a week of "me" time to work on personal projects (since it's right
- [When You Want to Be Pregnant But Aren't](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/11/when-you-want-to-be-pregnant-but-arent/) - (Picture from when I was pregnant with Raven) I feel like I need to start off this post with a whole bunch of disclaimers: I'm not sure I'll even publish this. I know I have nothing to complain about compared to many women who so desperately want a child and don't even have
- [Because Even While Waiting, Life Goes On](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/17/because-even-while-waiting-life-goes-on/) - Before I go into any other thoughts I had today, I wanted to thank everyone who has sent love and support and prayers our way since I posted about our miscarriage. While it's still not the path we wanted, we feel very fortunate to be surrounded by so many people both in "real life"
- [Our Other Loss](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/14/our-other-loss/) - I mentioned in yesterday's post that it had been a weekend of both loss and celebration for us, but I hadn't mentioned another loss that we sustained (in addition to the passing of Matt's grandma)--- The loss of my pregnancy. It seems awfully hard that the first news that most of you hear about my
- [May Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/05/07/may-goals/) - Since creating my massive to-do list at work for the month, I'm beginning to wonder if I should set goals at all for this month. But in keeping with my new year's resolution to set mini goals to help me reach the items on my life's bucket list and to become a better homemaker, I
- [Tie-Breaker Baby: Boy or Girl?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/08/23/tie-breaker-baby-boy-or-girl/) - We're currently at 2 girls and 2 boys in our family. As of our ultrasound yesterday, we now know which side is about to pull ahead!
- [Loving and Learning Lately {17}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/08/13/loving-and-learning-lately-17/) - Welcome to Round 17 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Book #1 - The Kite Runner](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/01/07/book-1-the-kite-runner/) - Note: There are affiliate links in this post, which means I get a small commission on any purchases made through the links, at no extra cost to you. My first book read in 2011, and I couldn't be more pleased! I got my copy of The Kite Runner for about 50 cents at a library
- [50 Book Challenge](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/01/07/50-book-challenge/) - I've been a proud member of shelfari since 2007, which is how I came across the idea of "The 50 Book Challenge." This year I grew a bit tired at the idea of setting a million resolutions that I usually just forgot about anyway, so I decided to have a little bit of fun this
- [2010 Rundown in 20 Words or Less](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/01/07/2010-rundown-in-20-words-or-less/) - Hard to believe that I went from there to here and then to that in just one year. WHEW!!!
- [11 Things That Have Surprised Me About Pregnancy](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/12/13/11-things-that-have-surprised-me-about-pregnancy/) - Even though I've kept myself reasonably well-informed this pregnancy (by regularly reading books like What to Expect When You're Expecting and frequently doing Google searches on questions I have), there have still been several things that have totally surprised me about pregnancy. In no particular order, here are 11 things that I DIDN'T exactly
- [Gotta Watch That Budget {June Goals + May Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/06/03/gotta-watch-that-budget-june-goals-may-goals-recap/) - I've always been guilty of perhaps usually setting too many goals on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis, but lately, I've also been guilty of setting too many goals that require a certain amount of the green stuff to complete...without actually budgeting enough of said green stuff. Whoops. Such was the case with May's goals---I managed to have
- [Progress on Our Big Financial Goals, Initial Report](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/07/22/progress-on-our-big-financial-goals-initial-report/) - We currently have five big financial goals, all of which are on my 101 in 1001 list. Some of those goals are rather urgent--like the fact that we need to buy a bigger vehicle before our baby arrives in December/January--while others would just be nice (buying a new laptop). This year has been pretty crazy
- [The (Not) Lazy Days of Summer {August Goals + July Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/08/01/the-not-lazy-days-of-summer-august-goals-july-goals-recap/) - There's nothing like finally being out of the first trimester of pregnancy to make me want to do All The Things! (Plus it helps that I know I have a deadline coming up in about 5 months that will make it harder to get things done!) Here's how July shook out, and the goals we have on the roster for August.
- [2019 House Projects Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/07/30/2019-house-projects-update/) - Back in January, I did a post on seven of the house and yard projects we wanted to try and tackle this year. Now that we're over halfway through 2019, I figured it's time for an update! (Plus I'll give you a mini update on a room that I HADN'T anticipated on changing!) I've copied
- [12 Recent Reads I'm On the Fence About (Some May Surprise You!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/08/14/12-recent-reads-im-on-the-fence-about-some-may-surprise-you/) - Any reader will tell you that reading tastes vary widely--that there are as many tastes in books as there are colors in a paint store. But still, there are SOME books that MANY, even MOST people seem to like, or at least to widely recommend. This is largely how I've come across the majority of
- [A Massive Photo Summary of Most of December](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/01/a-massive-photo-summary-of-most-of-december/) - Until I really discovered blogging, I was an avid journaler. And by "avid," what I really mean to say is that I at least HAD a current journal at every stage of my life and wrote in it anywhere from a dozen times a year to almost daily. As anyone who's ever tried to
- [Financial Friday: Spending Freeze](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/02/financial-friday-spending-freeze/) - I think I wrote down once that December was a time for excess and that January is a time for paring down. It seems it happens every year---after the decadence of overeating, overspending, and over-receiving, I am ready come the new year for eating healthier, spending less, and downsizing. This month I want
- [26 Weeks & I Feel Like I've Been Pregnant Forever](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/06/26-weeks-i-feel-like-ive-been-pregnant-forever/) - Today, my first day back at the school in two and a half weeks, brought comments like the following: "I probably shouldn't say this, but over the break, you got REALLY pregnant." (from a fellow teacher) or "Mrs. Meidell, you came back! I thought you would have gone and had your baby!" (from a
- [Spending Freeze: Week One](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/08/spending-freeze-week-one/) - One week into January's spending freeze, and I'm somehow already broke. I know exactly why, of course-- You see, my school district does this thing that I HATE where they pay us much earlier than normal "to help with the Christmas expenses." Normally, I get paid the last day of each month (as
- [Bucket List: Volunteer at an Animal Shelter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/17/bucket-list-volunteer-at-an-animal-shelter/) - One lesser-known fact about me is that dogs kind of freak me out---stemming back from a bite I got in the face when I was 3 and continuing throughout the years, my semi-fear of dogs has been pretty constant. If I know the dog and it obviously is friendly, I'm fine. If I don't know
- [What Was Worth Reading in 2014 (& What Wasn't!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/20/what-was-worth-reading-in-2014-what-wasnt/) - I mentioned in several posts back that the first 13 weeks of pregnancy made me too sick to even read, which is partly the reason I took such a long break from blogging about what books I'd finished lately. However, it's been several months since then, and I'd like to get back on track (especially
- [Work Wellness Challenge? But I'm Pregnant!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/22/work-wellness-challenge-but-im-pregnant/) - One thing I quickly realized about being pregnant is that I can basically use it as an excuse for everything-- I forgot we had that meeting today? Blame it on pregnancy brain. I was late for work yesterday morning? Blame it on morning fatigue and my struggle to move quickly. I almost started crying over
- [That Time I Failed My Glucose Screening Test](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/01/29/that-time-i-failed-my-glucose-screening-test/) - Ever since I found out about gestational diabetes, I've been worried that I'd have it when I got pregnant. I don't know if it's because I know how much I love chocolate and fruit and feared the worst (that I'd have to go off of them for months), or if my rational self knew I
- [Final Report: January's Spending Freeze](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/02/02/final-report-januarys-spending-freeze/) - January has come and gone, quicker than almost any other January has ever passed for me, it seems. Usually, January seems to be a gloomy month that drags and drags, but this year, I was pleasantly surprised that I got through it without too much doom and gloom. (The lack of snow and all this
- [Strawberry Shortcake + Anticipation of the Future](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/02/09/strawberry-shortcake-anticipation-of-the-future/) - Today my Sunday schedule was totally thrown off (thanks to my calling, or volunteer work, at my church). Instead of attending choir practice in the morning and church for 3 hours in the afternoon, I went to church meetings from 9-12 and spent the afternoon at home while my husband was attending our regular meetings
- [February Focus: Step It Up](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/02/10/february-focus-step-it-up/) - I never made it official here on the blog, but the way I'm doing new year's resolutions this year is to pick a different thing to focus on each month. That way, I won't be torn into a million different directions like I usually am with resolutions, but at the same time I'll be
- [Where I'm At On My Road to Simplicity](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/02/26/where-im-at-on-my-road-to-simplicity/) - Although it's been awhile since I blogged about my minimalism/simplicity journey, don't let that fool you-- It's still as much on my mind as it ever was. Here's the problem with where I'm currently at though---I've realized that when you're about to have a baby, you suddenly acquire a LOT more stuff. Like, a
- [Bucket List: Photographing the Slot Canyon](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/02/28/bucket-list-photographing-the-slot-canyon/) - Something I didn't realize at 16 (when I made my first bucket list) was that life dreams change (sometimes drastically) over time. At 16, one of the first items on my bucket list was to travel to every country in the world. Now, at 28, I realize that that dream is, besides being a
- [It's True---Money Bought Me a Better Life Last Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/03/06/its-true-money-bought-me-a-better-life-last-weekend/) - After three years of teaching a whole unit on how money doesn't buy happiness (while my classes read A Christmas Carol), you'd think I'd be pretty dead-set sold that no amount of money could improve my life that much. Last weekend, I discovered how very wrong I'd been. Apparently, the amount of a tax return
- [I Would Procrastinate My Own Labor & Delivery If I Could](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/03/09/i-would-procrastinate-my-own-labor-delivery-if-i-could/) - Each month this year, I've decided to focus on just one area of my life intensely rather than pull my mind in a million different directions with a whole list of goals and expectations having to do with everything from how many books I'll read to how much exercise I plan to do. For
- [7 Things Never to Say to a Pregnant Woman](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/03/23/7-things-never-to-say-to-a-pregnant-woman/) - --Me at 37 weeks-- (And yes, I have indeed heard all of these over the course of the last 8+ months): 1. "My daughter's due at the same time as you, and she's already gained THIRTY-TWO pounds this pregnancy!" (said incredulously, as if she's never heard of any woman gaining such a massive amount of
- [What a Difference 7 Months Makes, Eh?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/04/03/what-a-difference-7-months-makes-eh/) - Same skirt, 7 months later. (First picture taken at almost 2 months pregnant, second picture taken at more than 8.5 months pregnant (aka, now)). It is disturbing to me now that I originally thought that I looked a little bloated and full in the face in that first picture when I posted it back
- [Welcome to Our World, Baby Raven!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/04/15/welcome-to-our-world-baby-raven/) - Our daughter, Raven Jade, joined us at sunrise on Sunday April 12th weighing 7 lbs., 6 ounces, and being 19 inches long. She came after 12 hours of labor, and I finally understand why people say they are "so in love" after being blessed with a newborn. (I mean, you know it's true love when
- [Change It Up - Yoga](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/02/09/change-it-up-yoga/) - My first change-it-up challenge was easy: two weeks ago, I joined USU's Fun Fit Forever Club, which basically just grants me access to all sorts of different exercise classes offered throughout the week. As anyone that knows me well has heard, yoga and I have not had the healthiest relationship in the past--I always complained
- [Thoughts on My First Week of Motherhood](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/04/20/thoughts-on-my-first-week-of-motherhood/) - We've officially survived our first week with a newborn baby, and I've got to admit, it makes me feel both like a rock-star champion and a totally worn-down rag doll. But I have a feeling that overall, those kinds of contradictions might be pretty prevalent in this thing called new parenthood. Here are a few
- [Top 5 Chick Flicks of All Time](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/08/16/top-5-chick-flicks-of-all-time/) - Something I've noticed lately is that there aren't really any great chick flicks being made anymore. So many of the movies coming out feel the constant need to throw sex, explicit language, and violence at us to make them more "exciting" to the point that the story gets lost in the muck. Plus they keep
- [Movie Marathon Ideas (Chick Flick Edition)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/08/movie-marathon-ideas-chick-flick-edition/) - Today is Teacher Prep Day, and even though I technically had the "day off," my eyes have been bugging out of my head since 5:15 this morning trying to get all my grading done before the deadline early tomorrow morning. I have literally spent over 20 hours this "long" weekend grading, and now that I
- [Inspiring Mothers from Classic Novels](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/04/26/inspiring-mothers-from-classic-novels/) - Since becoming a mother myself, I seem to be keenly aware at all times of the mothers all around me--I marvel at them in the supermarket as they wrangle with four small children, I nod in sympathy as a bleary-eyed mom attempts to shush her wailing newborn as she straps him in his carseat,
- [A Surprise ER Visit + 4 More Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/04/27/a-surprise-er-visit-4-more-things/) - Remember how I haven't done a little 5-things-update for, like, months? Well, I figured it's high time I'd better fix that, so here you go: 1. Five days after giving birth to Raven, I started having these odd chest pains. Sometimes they would just be dull and heavy--like I had a baby sitting on my
- [Gallbladder-Less and Surviving](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/02/gallbladder-less-and-surviving/) - It's true, folks---you can actually, legitimately live and survive without your gallbladder firmly in place, dishing up extra bile to your kidneys (or whatever the heck it does). I'm living proof. It's been an odd week, though--there have been stitches to get used to, some interesting trips to the bathroom (TMI?), and a lot of
- [Yesterday Matt Graduated & I Wore Real Clothes](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/03/yesterday-matt-graduated-i-wore-real-clothes/) - For months, Matt has been telling me that he would absolutely not walk at the commencement ceremony at his graduation. And for months, I thought I was fine with his firm decision to ditch out on tradition and stick it to "The Man" (I figured I'd just make him dress up in the cap and
- [Four Years in Numbers](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/07/four-years-in-numbers/) - 4 years of marriage, 2 college graduations, 7 vacations, 6 jobs, 1 marathon, 8 church callings, 2 apartments, 5 major purchases, and 1 perfect baby girl. It's been a blissful four years together Matt, and I can't wait to see what "numbers" are ahead of us for the next four years -- Here's to eternity
- [My First Mother's Day as a Mom](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/11/my-first-mothers-day-as-a-mom/) - Yesterday was my first time being a mom myself on Mother's Day. And you know what I decided it was like? You know when you first get married, and you're super conscious of the fact that you have a new last name? And that, despite that fact, sometimes, when you're not thinking about it very
- [Baby Raven: One Month](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/12/baby-raven-one-month/) - Hard to believe that we've all survived one month already, but here we are, and I've got to say-- This baby gets cuter every day. (But I'm a little biased.) Quick Stats: Height: about 22" Weight: 10 lbs. Eye Color: blue (and we think they just might stay that way) Clothes Size: She's starting to
- [Last Weekend We Actually Went Out On a Real Date](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/14/last-weekend-we-actually-went-out-on-a-real-date/) - Throughout our marriage, Matt and I have been on and off successful at going out on formal "dates." For our first year of marriage, because of completely opposite work schedules and a lack of extra money, we didn't make too much of an effort to do the whole restaurant-and-movie combo much (but because we were
- [Let's Talk Body After Baby: 1 Month Postpartum](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/15/lets-talk-body-after-baby-1-month-postpartum/) - You all knew this post was coming, right? I mean, with as many posts as I've done on running and clean eating and health in general, it should come as no surprise that I'd have to do some kind of conglomeration of thoughts on body after baby. And boy, do I ever have thoughts on
- [Beating Back Stay-At-Home Boredom](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/19/beating-back-stay-at-home-boredom/) - There have been a lot of things that have surprised me since bringing Raven home just over five weeks ago--my maternal instincts kicking in, the sheer amount of excess skin around my middle, how many hours a day I can spend just looking at my baby, the delirium that seems to come with the 3
- [I Went to a Hip-Hop Class & It Was Laughable + 4 Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/05/22/i-went-to-a-hip-hop-class-it-was-laughable-4-things/) - (It's sad when the baby's got more street cred than I do) 1. On Tuesday, I actually made it out to that hip-hop aerobics class I'd mentioned in my post the other day. Even though the pants (and top) I wore totally had spit up on them and weren't really exercise clothes, I still strapped
- [The 8 Commandments of Baby Hair Accessories](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/02/the-8-commandments-of-baby-hair-accessories/) - When we first started telling people we were going to have a little girl, almost every woman I talked to (okay, at least 50% of them) said something to the effect of: "Oh, you're going to love dressing her! Little girls are just so much fun to accessorize." I thought the whole thing a little
- [The New Year's Resolutions I Didn't Tell Anyone About](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/08/the-new-years-resolutions-i-didnt-tell-anyone-about/) - (What?! You kept a secret from me?!) Most years, I can't wait to post my New Year's Resolutions on the blog--I usually spend weeks thinking about my "Big Focus" goals for the new year, and I make sure to post about them so that I'll keep myself accountable. And even though I haven't been perfect
- [Body After Baby: Two Months Postpartum](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/12/body-after-baby-two-months-postpartum/) - It seems like the last month went by really fast, and it makes me freak out a little inside to know that my baby is already two months old. (FYI, Raven will get her own little update after she has her doctor's appointment on Monday, in which she has to get all those dang shots.
- [Baby Raven: Two Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/16/baby-raven-two-months/) - Well, my baby survived her two-month shots today like a champ--she cried for about twenty seconds, and then promptly started looking around again, observing her surroundings. She was asleep ten minutes later. Hallelujah. Side Note: I am almost positive the shots were just as hard for me as they were for her. But the good
- [Daddyhood Sure Looks Good On You](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/22/daddyhood-sure-looks-good-on-you/) - (pic taken just a short while after Raven was born) There have been many moments in our courtship and marriage when Matt has melted my heart--watching him become a dad two months ago (and live up to the fullest measure of that title ever since) has put them all to shame. Daddyhood sure looks good
- [In Which I Post About a Million Pics of Raven's First National Park Experience](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/07/in-which-i-post-about-a-million-pics-of-ravens-first-national-park-experience/) - The reason I've been a bit MIA from the blog is because we just got back from road trippin' it all the way to Missouri to celebrate my dad's recent marriage (big post with lots of pics to follow). When we visited my dad two summers ago, Matt and I just gritted our teeth and
- [Books Everyone Has Read But Me](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/08/books-everyone-has-read-but-me/) - As I've mentioned before, being an English teacher means people automatically assume I've read just about every book ever published. I can't tell you how many times I've admitted to someone that I haven't read something, only to have them say (with a smug little smirk), "What?! I can't believe YOU haven't read that. Even
- [Everyone Loves a Wedding Celebration...Esp. One Involving BBQ](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/09/everyone-loves-a-wedding-celebration-esp-one-involving-bbq/) - The whole reason we drove to Kansas City, Missouri last week is because my pops got married in May, and he and my new stepmom were having their wedding celebration/reception on July 3rd. Miraculously, my five siblings were also all able to be there (albeit without their spouses and kids), and so this ended up
- [Baby Raven: 3 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/13/baby-raven-3-months/) - In talking to Matt the other day, I made the comment that I feel like we're in the "golden hour" of parenthood--we're not stressed out from tantrums or teething or potty training, we only have one (blessedly easy!) baby to love on, and we're regularly getting plenty of sleep at night. Before having kids, I
- [Body After Baby: Three Months Postpartum](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/15/body-after-baby-three-months-postpartum/) - First off, I wanted to thank everyone for all the love and support I felt after my post yesterday on my AI disease diagnosis. I felt such a boost from all the comments and messages and texts--it was just what I needed! With my recent health problems in mind, you can probably understand why my
- [Road Trippin' It With a Baby: Tips and Tricks](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/16/road-trippin-it-with-a-baby-tips-and-tricks/) - Before we left on our road trip to Kansas City a couple weeks ago, we basically only heard two comments when we told people we were about to make a 16-hour drive with a two-and-a-half-month-old child: 1) You guys are crazy, and 2) The time to take a road trip with a baby is now--she'll
- [I'll Probably Never Be Much of a Camper, But I Like S'Mores](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/17/ill-probably-never-be-much-of-a-camper-but-i-like-smores/) - Confession: although I love the idea of campfires, I really hate smelling like one. In high school, it was The Thing to gather around a campfire about every weekend and roast Starburst or s'mores while someone (sometimes me, many times not) strummed a guitar while the night got blacker and stiller. Those were good times,
- [Experiencing Labor & Delivery From the Other Side](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/20/experiencing-labor-delivery-from-the-other-side/) - Even though my own natural birthing experience with Raven had its complications at the end, I will always be an advocate for unmedicated labor and deliveries because I can still recognize all the positive side effects that came from it (some far-reaching and long-lasting, like the fact that natural births are correlated with lower rates
- [She Ain't Heavy . . . But I Can't Carry Her](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/21/she-aint-heavy-but-i-cant-carry-her/) - Growing up, I often heard people say that one of the top things we take for granted as humans is our health. Being a person who is somewhat preoccupied with gratitude, I tried not to let that become my tendency growing up, especially because I fully realized that I was blessed with an abundance of
- [On Egg Whites & Avocados & Breakfasts that Taste Like Dessert](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/23/on-egg-whites-avocados-breakfasts-that-taste-like-dessert/) - While in Kansas City with my siblings a couple weeks back, it came to my attention that I am now The Least Healthy Sister. As my sisters gabbled in the kitchen about levels of protein found in their favorite energy bars and talked about the virtue of eating every two or three hours and did
- [Today](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/24/today-3/) - Today an old man at the grocery store was solidly convinced Raven was a boy "because she's dressed in blue" despite the woman he was with trying to point out the white hairbow and the fact that the blue outfit was actually a dress with polka dots. I still don't think he was fully convinced,
- [Sunday Portraits with The Fuzz](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/27/sunday-portraits-with-the-fuzz/) - Often, Sundays mean that Matt is away from the apartment from 9 a.m. until about 6 p.m. due to his church responsibilities, but let the record reflect that we had him all to ourselves yesterday until 11:25 in the morning, saw him all through church from 1-4, and then had him back in our kitchen
- [Celebrating Medium(ish) Victories--40 Lbs. Down!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/28/celebrating-mediumish-victories-40-lbs-down/) - It's not much of a secret that I'm a pretty driven person--generally when I set out to do something, I hit it pretty hard until I actually meet my goal or admit fair defeat. While my single-mindedness when it comes to reaching my goals can be (and often is) a great thing, it does sometimes
- [Blogging Back the Lost Weeks & Marveling Over the Length of My Hair](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/30/blogging-back-the-lost-weeks-marveling-over-the-length-of-my-hair/) - Having summers off has always been one of the greatest perks about being a teacher--it means sleeping in past the sunrise, reading a book while eating breakfast, and having all the time I want to experiment in the kitchen. Nowadays, it means glorious days spent at home with Raven, cheering her on as she is
- [Books I've Read Lately That I'd Recommend to Just About Anyone (& Some I Wouldn't)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/31/books-ive-read-lately-that-id-recommend-to-just-about-anyone-some-i-wouldnt/) - One great thing about not being pregnant anymore (besides having skinny ankles again) is that reading no longer makes me sick, which means I've been doing quite a bit of it. Because I believe in spreading around the wealth of good books, here are a few books I've read this year that I'd recommend to
- [My First Foray Into Brooch-Wearing + Mommy/Daughter Color Coordination](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/03/my-first-foray-into-brooch-wearing-mommydaughter-color-coordination/) - I used to scoff when I saw color-coordinating mother/daughter pairs holding hands in the street and buzzing around the grocery store doing errands. "What is this, the Brady Bunch?" I'd think to myself, wondering why on earth any mom would purposely try to match her mini-me daughter (unless, of course, they were taking family pictures
- [Siblings Pics That Didn't Involve Trespassing](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/04/siblings-pics-that-didnt-involve-trespassing/) - Once upon a time in Kansas City, we attempted to take sibling pictures out by a lake--we semi-coordinated outfits (mostly involving black and denim with one distracting splash of pink), we were about to take a giggling picture of us all dipping our toes in the water, then all of a sudden, we almost got
- [The Moment I Realized I No Longer Have a Newborn](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/05/the-moment-i-realized-i-no-longer-have-a-newborn/) - There are a few things that it seems like all mothers say-- "The first month is all about survival," "After awhile, you forget what pregnancy and labor are really like," and, by far the most common--- "Children grow up so fast (and it will break your heart to watch it happen)." With all these truths,
- [Body After Baby: 4 Months Postpartum](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/12/body-after-baby-4-months-postpartum/) - Wow--4 months postpartum already? A part of me balks at the idea that I already have a 4-month-old baby, but another part of me rejoices at the fact that slowly but surely, my body is looking recognizable again. Even though I only lost 3 pounds this month, I'm feeling pretty darn proud of that number
- [When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/13/when-life-doesnt-go-according-to-plan/) - On Monday and Tuesday, I spent about two hours in the hospital getting checked for cancer by having a chest ultrasound and a CT scan. If you had asked me ten years ago what my life plans were at almost 29, I never would have thought the above sentence would even be in the realm
- [Soaking In the Last of Summer While Trying to Avoid the Sun](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/18/soaking-in-the-last-of-summer-while-trying-to-avoid-the-sun/) - I'm trying desperately not to count down the days until summer ends for me and I have to go back to teaching, but I do this every year around now---I become determined to make every last summer weekend count, and I plan getaways and hikes and ice cream dates to try and savor every last
- [Raven: 4 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/19/raven-4-months/) - Today at Raven's doctor appointment, the pediatrician remarked that the 4-month checkup was probably his favorite of all the checkups because the babies are interactive, they don't fear him yet (ha ha), and they're really starting to show off their personalities. Amen to that! Having a 4-month-old is definitely a lot of fun. Quick Stats
- [Loving and Learning Lately {16}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/07/15/loving-and-learning-lately-16/) - Welcome to Round 16 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [Thoughts on Going Back to Work After Being a SAHM](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/24/thoughts-on-going-back-to-work-after-being-a-sahm/) - It is a truth universally acknowledged that Mom Guilt is a real thing. Even when you have done pretty much everything within your power to be the best mom you could be, to protect and nurture and teach and care for your kid(s), The Guilt seems to remain--The Guilt over what you could have done
- [Fiction Vs. Non-Fiction: Which Camp Do You Fall In?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/25/fiction-vs-non-fiction-which-camp-do-you-fall-in/) - Image via I've always believed you can tell a lot about a person by what they read (or what they don't)--perhaps this is why, when I come into someone's house or apartment for the first time, I will often poke around their bookshelves a bit if given the opportunity because it makes me feel like
- [Let's Decide This Once and For All...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/28/lets-decide-this-once-and-for-all/) - When Raven was first born, pretty much everyone told us she looked like a perfect blend of us both. However, lately, it seems like absolutely everyone has been saying she looks like Matt (although I don't see it as much). So let's settle this once and for all: Does Raven look more like Matt... Or
- [My Last First Day of School as a Teacher?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/01/my-last-first-day-of-school-as-a-teacher/) - I always forget how much my feet hurt after the first day back at the school after a whole summer off--it doesn't matter which shoes I wear, I always walk out of the building feeling like I've just done a half-marathon or something. Oh, and I always end up with a sore throat because of
- [In Which Raven Does Me a Solid & Narrates Her Own Post](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/03/in-which-raven-does-me-a-solid-narrates-her-own-post/) - Seeing as how I seem to have melted my brain somewhere in the 30-minute drive between my work and our apartment (or maybe it was already melted from my 85-degree, un-air-conditioned classroom), you won't be hearing much from me tonight. Just this--- About two weeks ago, we started Raven on solids, a positively delightful experience
- [Does It Count As a Date If the Baby Comes? + 10 Dates to Try Now](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/05/does-it-count-as-a-date-if-the-baby-comes-10-dates-to-try-now/) - Let's talk dating as a new parent--I mean, how does anyone do it? Okay, I know how people actually do it (after all, we've somehow managed to get out on three (?) dates since having Raven), but the thought of being able to go out regularly on dates again just seems an idea too impossible
- [What I've Learned From Taking a Picture of My Daughter Every Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/09/what-ive-learned-from-taking-a-picture-of-raven-every-day/) - (Alternative titles for this post: - Favorite Raven Pics from the Last Month - Way Too Many Pics of My Baby (For Everyone Else, Anyway) - I May or May Not Have the Cutest Baby in the World. Just Saying.) I mentioned once a long time ago (okay, like four months ago) that Matt and
- [I Found the Secret to Work/Life Balance (For Now, Anyway)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/11/i-found-the-secret-to-worklife-balance-for-now-anyway/) - I've officially been back teaching 7th grade for two weeks now while simultaneously being a new(ish) mom, and surprisingly (?) things are going really quite smoothly. Well, for the most part. (There have been a few days during 1st hour that I'm a bit of a zombie from how many times I woke up the
- [Raven: 5 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/12/raven-5-months/) - Quick Stats Weight: about 15 pounds Height: a little more than 25" Clothing Size: still 3-6 month size, although some of the onesies are getting a little too snug This is now the fifth time I've done one of these little "photo sessions" of Raven, and after last time, I was feeling pretty confident about
- [I Actually Managed to Surprise Matt w/ an Overnight Getaway](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/23/i-actually-managed-to-surprise-matt-w-an-overnight-getaway/) - I've decided that either A) it's hard to plan a surprise for your spouse (in general), or (B) I'm not very good at planning surprises, because it has taken me almost four and a half years to successfully plan a big surprise for Matt. Sure, I've planned some small little treats as surprises (like picking
- [A Little Apple Picking, A Lot of Apple Eating](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/28/a-little-apple-picking-a-lot-of-apple-eating/) - When asked the other day how we found out about the u-pick apple orchard a few towns over last year, I had the most cliché answer in the book: I had googled local u-pick orchards last September because it seemed like "all the other bloggers were doing it" come autumn-time, and I didn't want to
- [On This, My Golden Birthday (29 Things to Rejoice About)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/29/on-this-my-golden-birthday-29-things-to-rejoice-about/) - Today on the 29th, I am 29 years old, making this my "golden birthday." I am baffled to think that I am almost 30 years old---that just sounds so...mature. *Gulp.* Lately I've sometimes been plagued with thoughts that I'm not where I want to be and that because everything is not as I wish it
- [There is (Still) Much Good in the World](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/30/there-is-still-much-good-in-the-world/) - I often find myself fearful when I hear of all the evil in the world, and it seems like the past couple months have been especially difficult to bear between the publicity of the late-term abortions being performed by Planned Parenthood (not to mention the other atrocities going on there), the rising wave of terrorist
- [Why I Haven't Bought a Smartphone...and Why It's Both Great & Terrible](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/10/01/why-i-havent-bought-a-smartphone-and-why-its-both-great-terrible/) - Image via I don't think you need me to point this out to you, but smartphones are ubiquitous nowadays, it seems. Everywhere I look, people are tapping on screens, bringing up apps, and checking their Instagram accounts. And then there's me, still with my "dumb phone." (Remember those? They're the ones that flip open and
- [Raven: 6 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/10/15/raven-6-months/) - My original plan when the school year started was to continue trying to blog at least three times a week so that this beautiful season of our lives could be documented, but I honestly haven't had the time and/or energy to devote to it like I'd originally hoped. But I did at least want to
- [I Thought I'd Be Ready to Move Her Into Her Own Room at 2 Months, But...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/10/17/i-thought-id-be-ready-to-move-her-into-her-own-room-at-2-months-but/) - You know what's crazy? Parenthood has been about 20% what I expected, and 80% (mostly delightfully) not what I expected at all. I guess my problem has always been that I tend to pay much more attention to all the negative hype around something rather than the positive. That was definitely true of marriage--for
- [Remember When We Ate Sandwiches and Cold Cereal for Most Meals?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/10/24/remember-when-we-ate-sandwiches-and-cold-cereal-for-most-meals/) - One truth I've stumbled across as an adult is that it's a Good Idea to look back occasionally at goals or aspirations or habits you set a long time ago and compare them against how you're doing now. I've often found myself pleasantly surprised upon doing so because many times, the change has happened so
- [A Berry Quick Post](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/03/a-berry-quick-post/) - You know life is hectic when I can't even find time to blog (which I actually desperately want to do but just can't fit in at the moment). The amount of half-written blog posts I have in my drafts folder is getting to be a bit staggering, actually. So, in honor of making things a
- [The Bare Necessities](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/04/the-bare-necessities/) - You wanna know the truth? I went to bed at 8:45 the other night and at 7:30 the night before. In fact, I have only gone to bed past ten o' clock maybe a handful of times in the last several weeks. The truth is, my body is really feeling the side effects of one
- [Celebrating My Inner Harvest](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/22/celebrating-my-inner-harvest/) - The past week or two has found me hurtling full-throttle towards burnout (despite my best efforts to thwart it), and I was all set to write a rant-type post about how this always seems to be the hardest part of the school year for me, when I found a beauty of a post that talked
- [Friendsgiving + Matt Always Decorating Our House + Other Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/29/friendsgiving-matt-always-decorating-our-house-other-things/) - Before this year, I honestly never knew "Friendsgiving" was its own concept--I mean, when I had the idea last year to get a bunch of our local friends together for a pre-Thanksgiving night of feasting and games, I was naive enough to think that I had somehow come up with the most brilliant idea ever.
- [Why Writing a Book is Both Easier and Harder than I Thought It'd Be](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/01/why-writing-a-book-is-both-easier-and-harder-than-i-thought-itd-be/) - Image via I've had the dream of writing a novel for as long as I can remember, a dream which was only fueled by almost all of my creative writing teachers telling me that they fully expected a signed copy of my first book when I finally got around to pumping it out. And because
- [Baby + Tree](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/06/baby-tree/) - The old saying proves true--holidays really are even more special with a child. Even though Raven basically understands next to nothing about the whole Christmas thing, she definitely appreciates a few things about it already, like the plethora of twinkling lights and the fact that she gets fed a lot more finger food (because we
- [Today](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/08/today-2/) - (I call this one "Raven in Motion") Today I woke up with a sore throat and aching body, but since I took off the one day I could afford to take off this month (last Friday), I bribed myself to get out of bed this morning at 5:25 with the promise of 7-11 hot chocolate.
- [Growing as an Artist Through Doubts and Triumphs](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/09/growing-as-an-artist-through-doubts-and-triumphs/) - As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I have been up to my neck in photo editing the past several weeks. In fact, it seems like all my free time (aka, time when Raven is sleeping) has been spent either working on photos or reading (or blogging, obviously) in order to calm my mind from
- [My 1,000th Blog Post (+ List of 13 Favorite but Forgotten Posts)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/09/my-1000th-blog-post-list-of-13-favorite-but-forgotten-posts/) - This very post marks my 1,000th blog post. I am not even kidding. The majority of my brain is impressed by that feat, but the other part thinks--"Wow, I've spent a lot of time on this hobby or whatever you want to call it. Imagine if I would have spent all that time learning how
- [You Can't Take Christ Out of Christmas](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/15/you-cant-take-christ-out-of-christmas/) - When I was young, perhaps 9 or 10, I was at a friend's house making Christmas door hangers from half-circle blocks of wood and curled wire strung through holes punched in the sides of the blocks. I had carefully painted my wood block an appropriate seasonal color, and, realizing that I probably would not have
- [Why I'm Doing an Elimination Diet During the Holidays](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/15/why-im-doing-an-elimination-diet-during-the-holidays/) - If I hadn't typed up the words of that post title myself, I might have had a hard time believing that it was me putting the words "diet" and "holidays" together in the same sentence (unless, of course, we were talking about the usual plans to go on a diet AFTER the holidays). This year
- [Raven: 8 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/20/raven-8-months/) - Raven turned 8 months old over a week ago, and here I am, still trying to pull off another monthly update. At least I actually took the photos this time on the actual day, eh? Quick Stats Weight: about 17 lbs. Height: about 26.5" Clothing Size: 6-9 months Diaper Size: 3 Milestones Reached Got her
- [Ten Days In - Elimination Diet Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/23/ten-days-in-elimination-diet-update/) - It is a miracle I haven't given this up. (In case you don't know what "this" is, here's the original post on the diet and my reasons for doing it.) If I had a dollar every time I thought of just sneaking a roll or taking a huge bite out of the whole cheese block,
- ["I Will Honor Christmas In My Heart, and Try to Keep It All the Year"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/25/i-will-honor-christmas-in-my-heart-and-try-to-keep-it-all-the-year/) - I read A Christmas Carol every year out loud to my students, and it never ceases to bring the light of the Christmas season into my heart. A few of my favorite lines for you now, and here's wishing all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year: "He became as good a
- [December Adventure: Elk-Watching and "Sleigh" Rides](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/28/december-adventure-elk-watching-and-sleigh-rides/) - Remember when I made a goal a few summers back of planning out some sort of "adventure" every month to ensure that we were continuously trying new things and not getting into the trap of "same ol', same ol" all the time? No? You don't remember? Me neither, because it's been so long since we've
- [First Christmas with a Baby, In Pictures](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/30/first-christmas-with-a-baby-in-pictures/) - Christmas with a baby-- It's like, to paraphrase Charles Dickens, "having...the lightest license of a child, and yet being [wo]man enough to know its value." Our first Christmas with a baby was everything it ought to be--full of family, parties, gifts, giggles, and an occasional fussy fit or two when naptimes were ignored or pushed
- [15 Things I Learned in 2015](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/31/15-things-i-learned-in-2015/) - (showing off my new 'do--I sure have missed having a little red in my hair!) Here we are, on the cusp of the new year, and I've been debating for days on what kind of "year in review" post I wanted to do. I thought for awhile of doing a traditional month-by-month approach, but that
- [A Promising Start](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/02/a-promising-start/) - A good holiday break needs to have a good dose of crazy loud fun with family and friends (check), a healthy taste of something new (check), and a big ol' dollop of just quiet contentment. Because, let's face it, as an instructor of over 150 students, "quiet contentment" is a commodity that's hard to come
- [How I REALLY Did on Last Year's Resolutions](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/05/how-i-really-did-on-last-years-resolutions/) - With all the valuable lessons I learned last year, you'd think I would have crushed my new year's resolutions for 2015. Well, not exactly. Actually, I didn't complete a single one. This is unprecedented for me, I think--most years, I complete at least half my resolutions, and there have been a few notable years when
- [A New Way of Doing Resolutions in 2016](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/07/a-new-way-of-doing-resolutions-in-2016/) - Partly due to my failure to complete any of my resolutions last year and partly due to all that I've learned and postulated about habits vs. goals in the past few years, I'm doing my new year's resolutions a little bit differently in 2016. After much informal research (aka, me learning by trial and error),
- [Oh, Happy News!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/12/oh-happy-news/) - January does not typically seem to be the month for happy news--instead, it usually suffers in gloomy silence as the ugly middle child squashed between buoyant December and perky February, and it and I have a long history of grey moods and general dreary demeanors together. BUT! Today---today I have joyful news to share with
- [Body After Baby: 9 Months Postpartum](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/13/body-after-baby-9-months-postpartum/) - There's a common saying that says that since it takes 9 months to grow a baby, you should expect it to take at least 9 months to lose the baby weight. Or something like that. Well, today I am 9 months postpartum, and ***SPOILER ALERT*** I haven't lost all the baby weight. BUT! I'm a
- [Raven: 9 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/21/raven-9-months/) - Quick Stats Weight: 17-18 lbs. (?) Height: about 27" (I don't know on these--we'll find out for sure at her appointment next week) Clothing Size: 6-9 month size Diaper Size: 3 Milestones Reached Pulls up to standing on pretty much everything, including in her crib Holds on to and uses furniture, toys, and/or people to walk
- [What Was Worth Reading the Last Half of 2015 (& What Wasn't)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/21/what-was-worth-reading-the-last-half-of-2015-what-wasnt/) - Thanks to the habit I started in November of reading about 40 pages on most days (by reading ten pages of four different books a day), I got a decent number of books finished before the year petered out. I thought I'd pass along a few of my thoughts since I know that many of
- [100 Hours in the Kitchen Project](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/24/100-hours-in-the-kitchen-project/) - As I mentioned in my blog post about my new year's resolutions, I'm trying out a new project this year that's meant to reignite my passion for cooking (which has severely petered down the last several months due to all the dietary changes I've been making). There's a theory that says that you need to
- [January Adventure: Dinosaur Bones & Gluten-Free Bakeries](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/26/january-adventure-dinosaur-bones-gluten-free-bakeries/) - The original plan for our January adventure involved large amounts of salty air (not from the beach, unfortunately, but from Antelope Island) and plenty of outdoors time for all three of us, but the real January adventure ended up involving large amounts of really, really old bones and some pretty delicious gluten-free fare at a
- [Today](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/29/today/) - Today I took a sick day from work due to the fact that our entire household seems to have come down with something. Owing to our slightly varying symptoms, it's been difficult to tell if we've all come down with the same something or with three different somethings, but either way, it's not been much
- [The Worst Times Make for the Best Stories](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/02/the-worst-times-make-for-the-best-stories/) - Giving Raven a bath after a particularly gross blowout (which, coincidentally, is always more funny after the fact than during) I was thinking the other day about how I hardly ever blog about teaching anymore. I also was thinking that when people ask me lately about how my job is going, I don't have much to say
- [10 on 10 (+ a Video)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/11/10-on-10-a-video/) - Bonus Pic (not counted in the 10) I've been seeing this little thing around called "10 on 10," where you post ten photos on the 10th of the month of what life has looked like lately. Because I've been diligently taking a photo of Raven every day, I figured this was an easy way to
- [To Read or Not to Read (Off of Recommended Reading Lists)...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/12/to-read-or-not-to-read-off-of-recommended-reading-lists/) - I am currently in the middle of a reading revival, and one that I hadn't even known I'd needed because I hadn't realized (at least not for a very long time) that anything was lacking or lackluster or generally uninspiring in my reading life before. As I've mentioned before (like here and here and here),
- [Raven: 10 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/16/raven-10-months/) - Don't be fooled by these pictures--it took a LOT of wrangling with an overexcited, giggly baby in order to get most of these, and it made me wonder how much longer I'll be able to trick her into doing a "formal" photo session on a monthly basis. But for now, I present for your amusement,
- [If We Do Not Take the Time to Be Well...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/19/if-we-do-not-take-the-time-to-be-well/) - Sigh. We are sick again this week. Well, rephrase that--the hubby and baby are sick, while I am still miraculously holding on to some semblance of health (although how long it will last, no one can be sure since I started feeling a bit sick myself yesterday). I have taken off the afternoons over the
- [February Adventure: Midway Ice Castles](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/20/february-adventure-midway-ice-castles/) - Let the record show that I have actually wanted to go to the Midway Ice Castles for a few years now, long before they became as insanely popular as they were this winter. But I guess it took making a new year's resolution to go on a monthly day adventure in order for me to
- [5 Reasons I Decided to Try the Capsule Wardrobe Trend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/23/5-reasons-i-decided-to-try-the-capsule-wardrobe-trend/) - Fun fact: this post was originally titled "Why I'm Hesitant to Hop on the Capsule Wardrobe Bandwagon," but then, as logic would have it, the more I tried to think of reasons why I shouldn't try this particular trend, the more I came up with reasons why I SHOULD. Funny how that happens sometimes. That
- [5 Pep Talks I Frequently Need to Give Myself as a Teacher](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/24/5-pep-talks-i-frequently-need-to-give-myself-as-a-teacher/) - Cartoon via I don't think it's any secret that teaching is a challenging profession (especially when you're a middle school teacher, like I am). You're expected to work overtime without extra pay, keep up with all the state-, district- and, school-mandated paperwork and agendas, ensure that "no child is left behind" (or whatever the latest
- [My Capsule Wardrobe: What Made the Cut](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/27/my-capsule-wardrobe-what-made-the-cut/) - If you happened to miss my first post on my decision to finally try out a capsule wardrobe, go ahead and click here first. Like I mentioned in my first post, my capsule wardrobe is a bit bigger than most people's. From what I've read on the subject, most people keep their capsule between 30-40
- [Grading Papers is the Worst Way to Spend a Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/28/grading-papers-is-the-worst-way-to-spend-a-weekend/) - Our hopes are that this is my last year of teaching for a long time, and while there are many things I know I will miss about being a teacher, I know for a fact that I will never once miss the intense workload and mental strain of grading papers and tests (especially when I
- [What I Learned From Doing an Elimination Diet](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/01/what-i-learned-from-doing-an-elimination-diet/) - You might remember (if you've been reading for awhile) that I did an elimination diet over the holidays (~like a total crazy pants~). You might remember that 10 days in, I'd lost a few pounds, felt my gut acting quite a bit happier, and had noticed a subtle improvement in my autoimmune disease symptoms. Then
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/11/10-on-10-10/) - Bonus Pic (one of these days, I might actually limit myself to 10...ha ha ha ha ha) Some snapshots of life around the apartment lately... 1 // Sick days call for a really great hairdo 2 // THE DISHWASHER IS THE MOST FASCINATING THING IN THIS PLACE!!! Every. Day. 3 // Just realized lately
- [Raven: 11 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/15/raven-11-months/) - Raven is now less than a month away from being a year old, a fact that seems at odds with the motherly part of my brain that insists that she's still my tiny baby, only a few months old really. But eleven months sure is fun (even if it seems like my girl has a
- [The New Year's Resolutions that are Proving the Hardest to Stick With...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/20/the-new-years-resolutions-that-are-proving-the-hardest-to-stick-with/) - We are fast approaching the end of the first quarter of the year, and my new year's resolutions have (still) been on my mind constantly (an overall good sign). However, several of them have largely been on my mind constantly because I feel guilty that they're not exactly happening as I'd like them to be...*cough
- [My Capsule Wardrobe: One Month In](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/25/my-capsule-wardrobe-one-month-in/) - I think that with a capsule wardrobe--like with so many things--there is a "honeymoon" stage, a "reckoning" stage, and a "peaceful acceptance" (or "give up entirely") stage. Or maybe that's just my experience of it? Basically, for about two weeks after starting my capsule wardrobe experiment one month ago, I was unequivocally in love with
- [Why It's Okay If Your Mornings Aren't "Ideal"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/25/why-its-okay-if-your-mornings-arent-ideal/) - It seems that I've been reading a lot lately about morning routines, specifically what "power people" do in the mornings to make sure their day gets off on the right foot. Maybe it's just the type of blog I follow or maybe it's just the type of magazine I subscribe to or maybe it's just
- [Easter Portraits](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/28/easter-portraits/) - Because sometimes you all just need to dress up in colors reminiscent of Easter eggs and take family pictures on the most hope-filled holiday of the whole year. Hope you and yours had a beautiful Sunday yesterday! "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at
- [Things I'm No Longer Self-Conscious About](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/29/things-im-no-longer-self-conscious-about/) - Being a middle school teacher, I see a LOT of self-consciousness happening (some of it for good reason, some of it not). Basically, I feel like on most days, I can literally almost smell the awkwardness and hormones and puberty craziness going on (no, really---sometimes the stench in my classroom is enough to make me
- [March Adventure: World's Largest Migratory Bird Refuge](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/03/30/march-adventure-worlds-largest-migratory-bird-refuge/) - Okay, okay---so I'm not exactly positive it's the world's largest migratory bird refuge. But as we drove through Brigham City (which is where it's located), the signs hanging over their Main Street said that exact thing, so if my facts are wrong, I blame that! Matt and I had talked months and months (maybe years?)
- [Why I Don't Do My Best at Everything](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/01/why-i-dont-do-my-best-at-everything/) - I've long since thought that our society has a bit of a superhero complex---not only are superhero movies bigger and more popular than ever, but I've noticed that even for us "regular humans," we're often expected to be "superheroes" in the sense that we put this pressure on ourselves to do everything (and do it amazingly
- [100 Hours in the Kitchen: Second Quarter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/05/100-hours-in-the-kitchen-second-quarter/) - As I mentioned in my initial post on my 100 Hours in the Kitchen project, it only takes about 100 hours of doing something to become significantly more advanced than a beginner (as compared to the 10,000-hour theory that says that you must spend 10,000 hours to become a master at anything). Now, I know
- [I Don't Feel Like Being an Adult Anymore Today](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/06/i-dont-feel-like-being-an-adult-anymore-today/) - Today has been one of Those Days. You know the ones I mean---the one where from the get go, you feel like you're failing in general at this thing known as Adulthood and Life in General (or at the very least scraping by with perhaps a D+). And then things pile on top of that
- [April Adventure: Baby Animal Days](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/08/april-adventure-baby-animal-days/) - Confession: I have spent the majority of my spring break cleaning the apartment and trying to prevent Raven from pulling all our DVDs off the shelf about every other minute. However, before I went into full-on spring cleaning mode, I made sure we did a little adventure-ing last weekend (while I still had plenty of
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/11/10-on-10-9/) - Remember how I said that one month, I was actually going to stick with just 10 photos? News Flash: This is not that month. (I mean, look at that face---how could I resist?) But here are the "official 10," in no particular order: 1 // Everything is about walking these days. EVERYTHING. Matt and I
- [Today, You Are One (+ Thoughts on My 1st Year of Motherhood)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/12/today-you-are-one-thoughts-on-my-1st-year-of-motherhood/) - Photo courtesy of my sis My baby Raven, Today, you are one. WOW. What a year it has been! From the moment you first drew breath, you have seemingly been determined to learn as much as you can every day and to try to hit as many milestones as you can before each new month
- [Things Helping Me to Keep My Sanity](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/20/things-helping-me-to-keep-my-sanity/) - The last part of the school year is a rough time, full of end-of-level testing, massive amounts of grading, and a general sense of "can this be over already?" from students and teachers alike. I devoted yet another whole weekend to grading just barely, and I stayed up until past eleven last night grading, too
- [Why Today DOES Matter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/25/why-today-does-matter/) - So. It's Monday. Hmph. I have loads of stuff I SHOULD be doing today (especially since, because my students are end-of-level testing this week, I have some extra time), but I'm finding it difficult to make myself work (aka, grade my students' book projects and start prepping for my departure from the teaching profession by
- [A Walk in the Park](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/27/a-walk-in-the-park/) - I wish I could tell you that these photos were from today---that after a super long day at the school (made even longer by the beyond-depressing end-of-test results that started coming in for my students), we struck out into the sunshine for some quality family time that involved a picnic of gourmet cheese and fruit
- [Guess Who Hit Her Pre-Pregnancy Weight?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/29/guess-who-hit-her-pre-pregnancy-weight/) - Although happy about my achievement, the deliriousness of this picture is caused more by the wind and the attempt at a "jumping picture" rather than just the joy of the milestone. Just clarifying. Sadly, this is about the best picture we got, ha ha. Well, it's happened---it might be about six or seven months later
- [Ahhh....Friday.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/04/30/ahhh-friday/) - We've got a busy weekend planned, which is why you'll find me tonight with my butt planted firmly on the couch, soaking in as much "nothingness" as possible (especially after my insane week of end-of-level testing and end-of-month loose ends to all get accomplished). While busy weekends are what eventually make for the best memories,
- [The Blessings and Burdens of Getting Older](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/01/the-blessings-and-burdens-of-getting-older/) - I had a different post planned for tonight, but the thing about tragedy striking is that it's always unexpected, which is what makes it so difficult to process. About an hour ago, I checked my phone and got the message that a fellow teacher at my school had died during a rock climbing accident while
- [Mom With a Capital "M"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/09/mom-with-a-capital-m/) - Last year on Mother's Day, I was so new to the whole motherhood thing that I described it as feeling like I knew I was a mother, but I didn't feel like a "Mom with a capital M" yet. Sure, I'd managed to keep us all alive for a few weeks, but I was in
- [Happy 5 Year Anniversary to Us!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/09/happy-5-year-anniversary-to-us/) - Marriage always requires taking a risk because no matter how well you think you know someone or how long you date someone, only time and experience and the experience of a shared life will expose someone's true character to you. Lucky for me, Matt is good and honest and true down to his core, and
- [10 on 10 (uh...16 on 10)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/10/10-on-10-uh-16-on-10/) - So...there may or may not be 16 pictures in this post of 10 on 10. Oops. (But about 5 of them are concerning her new birthday toys, so really those should all count as one. Yeah, I know---my justification skills are amazing.) Of course, if I were really amazing, I would cut it down to
- [An Adventure That Didn't Go As Planned](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/17/an-adventure-that-didnt-go-as-planned/) - When my dad called me a few weeks back asking if we would be able to make it out to Moab on a weekend getaway with him and my stepmom and the rest of my siblings, I was nothing but excited--I had wanted to go to Moab again for years, and I conveniently had enough
- [Scenes from a 4th of July Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/05/scenes-from-a-4th-of-july-weekend/) - Last year, we sort of skipped the 4th of July festivities since we were driving back from our road trip out to Kansas City to see my dad and stepmom. In fact, I think the most we did for the holiday was watch The Music Man in our hotel room and order an extra slice
- [Slow Days](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/06/slow-days/) - After a fun (but slightly frantic-paced) weekend, we've been enjoying some sloooooow days around here, which consist of lazily folding laundry amidst reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? approximately eight times an afternoon and building towers out of wooden blocks so that Raven can have the pleasure of destroying them soon thereafter.
- [Bippity Boppety Boo, We Went to the World's Smallest Zoo](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/08/bippity-boppety-boo-we-went-to-the-worlds-smallest-zoo/) - At first glance, this will seem like a picture-heavy post that lightly pokes fun at the fact that our town's "zoo" features nothing more exciting than a few squawking peacocks and a couple of monkeys (but I'll love it forever anyway). In reality, this post is about friendship and saying goodbye and moving on and
- [10 on 10 (A Day Late)....uh...Part One](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/11/10-on-10-a-day-late-uh-part-one/) - The process to do these little 10 on 10 posts is actually the most time-consuming of all the posts I do in a month (easily)-- Basically, I have to go through and open 30+ different folders (one for each day of the last month), select all the possibilities, export them, edit them, and then whittle
- [10 on 10 {Part Two}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/12/10-on-10-part-two/) - Last night, I told Matt that one of my favorite things about blogging is watching him read over the posts for the first time (usually soon after he gets home from work, after we've had dinner). He's almost never seen the pictures beforehand and usually doesn't know what I'll be posting about from day to
- [Quick Raven Stats: 15 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/19/quick-raven-stats-15-months/) - Because I don't dare try to do a photo shoot with her on our bed (as per my previous baby stats posts), I figured I'd just drop in these photos instead (from when she was about 14 1/2 months, if we want to get technical). I mean, they were pretty cute, so I had to
- [A Party Worth Driving 4 Hours For](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/19/a-party-worth-driving-4-hours-for/) - You might remember (since I just posted about it last week) that our good friends moved to a place two hours south of us not too long ago. Well, despite my despair at maybe never seeing them again (okay, only seeing them once or twice a year maybe), my fears have (so far) been unfounded
- [A Tale of Two Friends](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/22/a-tale-of-two-friends/) - If our kids' gibberish could be articulated out into English, this is probably exactly what happened that day in the pool. Ice cream and all.
- [How I'm REALLY Doing on my New Year's Resolutions](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/24/how-im-really-doing-on-my-new-years-resolutions/) - pic of one of my successful resolutions---our latest "day adventure"! Truth: I was due for another resolutions update all the way back at the end of June, but I put it off so that I could get myself back on track before posting. (I know, I know--sneaky.) Now, two months later, I'm going to just
- [This Would Have Been the Last Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/22/this-would-have-been-the-last-weekend/) - It was everywhere I turned this weekend-- It was in the way that the mornings felt a little chilly, in the way that the parks overflowed with children and parties and the smell of hamburgers grilling. It was at the farmer's market, puddling out of the stands along with the stacks of zucchini and bushels
- [How I Keep My Creative Mojo Going](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/19/how-i-keep-my-creative-mojo-going/) - Currently, I'm in the middle of reading Elizabeth Gilbert's Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear (aff link), and even though it's not quite as life-changing (for me, anyway) as every reviewer has seemingly made it out to be, it's still given me some good things to think about. For starters, now that I'm over halfway
- [Because It Really Is Possible to Get Burned Out From Summer Living](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/17/because-it-really-is-possible-to-get-burned-out-from-summer-living/) - For many of us, summer is the time of year we most look forward to due to its never-ending supply of sunny days and outdoor fun and feelings of freedom and play and relaxation. As a (former) teacher, summers took on an even more special tone, as they were literally what helped me regain my
- [Taking Pictures is One of the Best Things About Traveling](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/15/taking-pictures-is-one-of-the-best-things-about-traveling/) - Throughout my life, I've loved hearing stories about people who had an out-of-this-world passion for something--people who felt like they'd discovered their "calling" in life, and who subsequently did whatever it took to chase after that passion. I would guess that most people have a similar affinity for these types of stories, maybe because they
- [10 on 10 (a day late again)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/11/10-on-10-a-day-late-again-2/) - Well, here we are--another month over, another 10 on 10 post (and I, once again, am a little late to the show, this time due to a hair appointment yesterday an hour's drive south for me, which somehow basically took up our whole day). To say that this summer has been passing by insanely fast
- [Scenes From a Busy Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/08/scenes-from-a-busy-weekend/) - We just got back from a whirlwind of a weekend, which included a wedding, a photo shoot, and a baby blessing, all of which led to me taking around 1,000 pictures in a 48-hour span. And you know what I didn't realize until it was basically too late? There were almost no photos of my
- [We Now Interrupt the Travel Posts to Talk About Style](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/05/we-now-interrupt-the-travel-posts-to-talk-about-style/) - I thought once I got back down to my regular size that my style would pick up right where I'd left off, with everything belted and at least a few layers to switch things up and a pair of colorful heels a few times a week (not too mention the hairstyle-rotation thing I used to
- [We'll Laugh About This Someday](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/03/well-laugh-about-this-someday/) - It is a truth sometimes acknowledged by the more optimistic among us that the best vacations always contain an element of surprise, an experience that seems somewhat (or completely) awful at the time, but that turns into one of the fondest moments of spontaneity from the whole trip. That's why, years down the road, Matt
- [Traveling w/ Kids: It's Not Awful, But It IS Different](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/01/traveling-w-kids-its-not-awful-but-it-is-different/) - Lately, I've seen a lot of posts from parents that basically all say that traveling with kids is the pits: no rest, no relaxation, no fun--just supervision and crankiness and stress the vast majority of the time. (Or my own personal favorite: "Let's get real--it's really only a vacation for the kids.") I get it.
- [Honey, We're Home (Again)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/31/honey-were-home-again/) - Yesterday we got back from spending a week out in forested, cabin-filled, wildlife-everywhere-you-turn paradise, and it was awe-inspiring and creativity-fueling and (surprisingly) body-rejuvenating while still being stuffed full of memories of family and adventure and just a wee bit of craziness. In other words, it was everything a vacation should be. And, while I can't
- [Checkpoint #3: 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/07/11/checkpoint-3-101-in-1001-list/) - As it's been over 7 months since I posted any kind of update on how I'm doing on my 101 (Goals) in 1001 (Days) list, I figured it was high time I checked in. Of course, as time goes on, most of the "easier" goals have been completed, and many of the goals left are,
- [With Hope That the Morning Sickness Will Be Gone {July Goals + June Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/07/01/with-hope-that-the-morning-sickness-will-be-gone-july-goals-june-goals-recap/) - Now that the big secret of me being pregnant with our third child is out, the fact that I only set seven goals for June will probably make more sense. And the fact that we only completed half those goals will make even more sense. So it goes. Since I'm now passing the 13-week mark,
- [This Couldn't Even Qualify as Glamping](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/26/this-couldnt-even-qualify-as-glamping/) - When we first started doing the (now) annual campout with my family, Matt and I went along with the whole sleep-in-tents thing just like everyone else, despite the campsite being literally up the street from our apartment. Because, after all, how could you do a campout without actually, you know, camping? So we tried to
- [Choose Your Path, Choose Your Problems](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/18/choose-your-path-choose-your-problems/) - When I was still young and single and slowly wising up about the Truths of Life, I stumbled across a life-changing personal revelation after pondering whether or not I should break up with my then-boyfriend. My thought process went something like the following: There isn't really anything wrong with [Boyfriend]. There's not really anything seriously
- [Finally Fitting Into "The Goal Skirt"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/23/finally-fitting-into-the-goal-skirt/) - Back before I was diagnosed with my AI disease and I was just barely starting out on my postpartum weight loss journey, I saw this pleated mint skirt online during Nordstrom's big anniversary sale and just fell in love with it. Never mind that I'm normally too cheap to shop at Nordstrom and never mind
- [Too Busy For My Liking](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/28/too-busy-for-my-liking/) - Years ago, I thought I thrived under the guise of busy-ness-- I overplanned my days, jam-packed my schedule, and found myself frantically running around everywhere because somehow, deep down, it oddly made me feel important. Needed. Productive. Accomplished. Then I got into the whole idea of minimalism and simple living, and I started to cut
- [What I've Loved Reading So Far in 2016 (& What I Haven't)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/29/what-ive-loved-reading-so-far-in-2016-what-i-havent/) - Ever since deciding to go "off-book" (or rather, "off-list") for my reading, I've been reading some really GREAT stuff. (Who knew there was such gold to be found OFF of recommended reading lists?!) So, instead of a whole list of books that I've just felt so-so about (as in years past), the majority of the
- [The Calm Before the Storm](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/31/the-calm-before-the-storm/) - It's about to hit, friends-- The Last Week of School. In addition to having a chaotic school schedule this week (like dances and performances and awards shows and such), I have the most insane grading load, despite having spent almost ten hours over the weekend sifting through it. (Spoiler: I barely made a dent, it
- [What I Will (& Won't) Miss About Teaching](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/04/what-i-will-wont-miss-about-teaching/) - It was a slightly eerie thing today, seeing my classroom with naked bulletin boards and bare walls and no signs that I had ever been there. It was an even weirder thing to load up my trunk with the few boxes of my possessions I'd brought with me to my second home for the past
- [How Our Lives Have Changed Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/08/how-our-lives-have-changed-lately/) - When I stop to think about it, it is staggering how much my life has changed over the past week-- It's like I'm a completely different person. (No, but really...) And, since I missed the boat yesterday in doing a throwback Tuesday Tell-All post, I figured I'd update you all a bit on what's going
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/10/10-on-10-8/) - Let's just not even pretend anymore that I'm trying even the slightest to get these posts down to 10 photos because...I'm not. (And you know that if I ever do, I'll be bragging for weeks about it, so maybe it's better this way.) But if you're here, it's to see adorable photos of my adorable
- [Cooking Economically: Cutting Down on Food Waste](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/13/cooking-economically-cutting-down-on-food-waste/) - In one of the books I just finished reading, The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn (affiliate link), she cites a pretty staggering statistic -- American consumers throw away approximately 25-30% of the food we buy, which accounts for hundreds and hundreds of wasted dollars per year, not to mention a strain on our
- [A Rainy Trip to Antelope Island](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/15/a-rainy-trip-to-antelope-island/) - We seem to have an uncanny ability for planning our day adventures for times when it's going to rain since our last three excursions have involved some amount of umbrella usage or refuge-seeking from the storm. Luckily, the rain brings down the sweltering temps we've been having lately and amps up the coolness factor in
- [Matt & Raven's Early Hits & Rarities](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/20/matt-ravens-early-hits-rarities/) - As official Keeper of the All the Pictures in the Meidell house, I am basically the one in charge of making sure Matt sees any particular gems as they come through the magical conduit from the camera into the computer (or post said gems to this here blog so that he can be sure to
- [My Stay-at-Home Mom Routine (with One Kid)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/22/the-necessity-of-routine-in-the-stay-at-home-life/) - Several times in the last few weeks (since I've quit teaching, maybe forever), I've been asked the following question: "So what do you DO now? How are you filling up all that spare time?" First off, I always have to inwardly chuckle a little bit at the question, especially when I get it from moms
- [Paying the Price of Improvement](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/24/paying-the-price-of-improvement/) - Whenever I get an extra chunk of income in one swoop, there are only two things I'm tempted to spend it on--laser hair removal, or new photography equipment. With the income I just received for putting in extra time all school year to attend a professional development course, I'm leaning towards buying a new camera
- [Strawberry Fields Forever: Michaelis Farm](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/28/strawberry-fields-forever-michaelis-farm/) - I can credit an ex-boyfriend actually for my interest in the Beatles less-well-known stuff--as a child, I was familiar with all of their #1 hits, but I'd never ventured into their actual albums (just the compilations of their top songs or whatever the oldies station played). To me, the Beatles were synonymous with "Love, Love
- [My Most Effective Workout Mantra](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/29/my-most-effective-workout-mantra/) - News Flash: I'm insanely sore from my group aerobics/hip hop cardio class last night. (Think hard-to-walk-up-stairs and cringe-anytime-my-trunk-twists kind of sore). Note: This is a news flash because it means I am unable to help anyone move any large pianos or participate in any push-up contests for the next 48 hours or so, and I'm
- [Thoughts on Having my 2nd and 3rd So Close Together {+ How the 1st Trimester Has Gone}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/06/26/thoughts-on-having-my-2nd-and-3rd-so-close-together-how-the-1st-trimester-has-gone/) - In case you missed our announcement earlier this week, I'm currently pregnant with our third. If the baby comes right on his/her due date of January 10th, my 2nd and 3rd kids will be about a week shy of being 19 months apart. However, since my second came exactly three weeks early, I have a
- [How to Enjoy Running More](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/16/how-to-enjoy-running-more/) - One thing I was most excited about when it came to quitting teaching was the opportunity it would give me to start running more, especially more in the mornings. If you would have told me that fact six years ago, though, I would have laughed in your face and called you a liar-liar-pants-on-fire. You see,
- [Top of Utah Half Marathon](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/08/29/top-of-utah-half-marathon/) - Sometimes when you run a race, all the variables seem to be against you--you don't get any quality sleep the night before, the sky decides to have a temper tantrum and rain down sheets of cold rain from the moment you step onto the starting line, the inevitability of personal loss looms over your head
- [Some Final Remarks on the Great Capsule Wardrobe Experiment](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/13/some-final-remarks-on-the-great-capsule-wardrobe-experiment/) - Once upon a time, all the way back in February, I was finally convinced to try out the capsule wardrobe trend (aka, where you severely edit your closet down to a certain number of mix and match pieces and put everything else into storage for a season). Well, a month later, you got a mini
- [100 Hours in the Kitchen: Dealing with (Almost) Wasted Food](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/15/100-hours-in-the-kitchen-dealing-with-almost-wasted-food/) - Note: There are some affiliate links in this post, which means I get a small commission on any purchases made through the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting To Love and To Learn! We are officially in the third quarter of the year, a milestone that definitely snuck up on me
- [How to Eat More Fruits & Vegetables](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/06/30/how-to-eat-more-fruits-vegetables/) - About a year and a half ago, I set a goal to eat more fruits and vegetables every day. I'd been feeling bloated and sluggish and unhealthy, and I knew I wasn't getting nearly enough fresh produce in my diet. The adventure that followed was a little unexpected--what started out as a simple quest to
- [A Bit of an Announcement...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/06/24/a-bit-of-an-announcement/) - Our little family is about to get less little! The official due date is at the beginning of January, but if I were a betting kind of person, I would bet that this Little Peanut will make his/her debut sometime around Christmas. That should make things interesting :) More details to come in a later
- [Mathias Turns One! (+ Our Gift Philosophy for Babies)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/06/20/mathias-turns-one-our-gift-philosophy-for-babies/) - It's definitely true what they say about the years just going faster the more kids you have. When Raven turned one, I remember feeling in awe that we were already there, but at the same time, it felt like a looooong year (mostly just because I was still working full-time as a teacher, I think---and
- [Raven: 12 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/05/05/raven-12-months/) - Here we are, almost a month late, but better late than never, right? Actually, this will be the last of the monthly updates, mostly just because I (obviously) have a hard time keeping up on them. The photo shoots have gotten pretty crazy (both in execution and in editing), and I think any updates from
- [Loving and Learning Lately {15}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/06/18/loving-and-learning-lately-15/) - Welcome to Round 15 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [The 100 Most-Recommended Classics](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/06/20/the-100-most-recommended-classics/) - When I was a high school senior, my AP Lit teacher gave us several book lists at the beginning of the year to help us become more well-read. I set a goal then and there that I was going to read every single work listed on the "100 Most-Often-Recommended" list (list taken from here). I
- [I Asked 6 Different Readers for Book Recs...and These are the 15 Titles I Got](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/19/i-asked-6-different-readers-for-book-recs-and-these-are-the-15-titles-i-got/) - For years now, I've had my tried-and-true sources for finding great books (you can find the post with those resources by clicking here). But lately, I've also been itching to venture a bit off the beaten bath--to get a little outside of my usual comfort zone and to maybe see what would happen if I
- [It Will Be a Miracle If All This Gets Done {May Goals + April Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/05/02/it-will-be-a-miracle-if-all-this-gets-done-may-goals-april-recap/) - This post contains some affiliate links, which means I may get a small commission on any purchases made, at no extra cost to you. As always, I only include my honest opinion and link to stuff I love or that I would want to get for myself. April was a month of doing a lot
- [State of the Family Address {April 2019}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/30/state-of-the-family-address-april-2019/) - After receiving lots of feedback in my latest reader survey (which you can still take if you haven't yet--click here), I've decided to do away with the Sentence a Day posts. However, because there were enough people who said they really liked them and would be sad if they went away, I've decided to meet
- [That Time Last Week When I Was Diagnosed With an Autoimmune Disease](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/07/14/that-time-last-week-when-i-was-diagnosed-with-an-autoimmune-disease/) - I've always considered myself to be a healthy individual---I've only had to take off one "real" sick day from work in the past 3 years (the others were used up for maternity leave and mental health days), I went years without having a doctor to call my own, and the greatest health challenge I'd ever
- [Lazy Gardening Hacks Learned From Our First Year of Having Our Own Yard/Garden](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/10/lazy-gardener-hacks-learned-from-our-first-year-of-having-our-own-yard-garden/) - Here in Northern Utah, the nights are getting COLD, and the days are pretty brisk as well (we've been around 45 degrees for a lot of today). As it's clear that our growing season is quickly coming to a close, and I've been harvesting the last of our vegetables and trying to savor the joy
- [Why I Don't (Usually) Hide From My Daughter That I'm Getting Rid of Her Stuff](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/23/why-i-dont-usually-hide-from-my-daughter-that-im-getting-rid-of-her-stuff/) - Note: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions, as always, are my own. Now that spring has finally decided to grace us with her presence, I am in full-on Spring Cleaning Mode over here. I am re-reading Dana K. White's How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind (which I talked about extensively in
- [What I Learned From 7 Terms of Self-Assigned Reading (+ Why I Finally Quit)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/19/what-i-learned-from-7-terms-of-self-assigned-reading-why-i-finally-quit/) - I've always known I'm a little on the unusual side when it comes to my reading life--I'm a bit obsessive about tracking my books, I've kept pretty much every recommended reading list ever given to me (including some given to me in high school around 15 years ago), and I basically have to read multiple
- [How to Make It Through Church With Young Kids (5 Actionable Strategies)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/18/how-to-make-it-through-church-with-young-kids-5-actionable-strategies/) - Hey! Today's blog post is inspired by a reader's response to last week's blog survey (if you still haven't taken that, click here!), and I thought it was a brilliant idea for a post. I know many families have a tradition of making sure they go to Sunday worship services on Easter Sunday, so since
- [Loving and Learning Lately {13}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/09/loving-and-learning-lately-13/) - Welcome to Round 13 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [What Do I Do First When It ALL Seems Important? {Thoughts on Priorities}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/23/what-do-i-do-first-when-it-all-seems-important-thoughts-on-priorities/) - Starting about a week and a half after my second child was born, an interesting phenomenon started to happen with alarming frequency-- One or both of the kids would be either down for a nap or at preschool, leaving me some much-needed time to "get things done." Knowing that this precious gift might last for
- [What It Takes for a Book to Get a 5-Star Rating From Me (+ 10 Novels That Made the Cut)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/10/what-it-takes-for-a-book-to-get-a-5-star-rating-from-me-10-novels-that-made-the-cut/) - A little more than a year and a half ago, I made an important shift in my reading life---I started not only recording the books I was reading on Goodreads (on a regular basis) and giving them ratings, but I also made the decision to always, ALWAYS give a review of some kind once I
- [15 Absorbing Historical Fiction Reads that are NOT Set During WWII](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/10/15-absorbing-historical-fiction-reads-that-are-not-set-during-wwii/) - As I'm sure you've noticed, there have been a LOT of books published lately set during World War II, many of which are excellent (which is why I wrote a whole post dedicated to books featuring that time period). But, for awhile there, I felt like I read SO many books about that period of
- [8 [Unexpected] Things I've Learned From 8 Years of Blogging](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/06/18/8-unexpected-things-ive-learned-from-8-years-of-blogging/) - Note: This post contains affiliate links, which help support To Love and To Learn. As always, I only promote products I've used, loved, or that I would seriously consider purchasing for myself! This year marks the point when I've been "seriously" blogging for eight years. EIGHT YEARS! I can hardly think of any other hobby
- [2019 Reader Survey!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/11/2019-reader-survey/) - It's been a hot minute since I've last done a reader survey (not since the beginning of 2018!), so I thought it was high time I sent around another one. So, whether you've been a follower for over a decade or you just started following last week, I genuinely want to know what you think!
- [2019 List of Home Updates We Hope to Tackle](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/07/2019-list-of-home-updates-we-hope-to-tackle/) - (Today's post inspired by In Honor of Design's similar post) A funny thing happened once we become homeowners for the first time---the first couple months, we were all gung ho about DOING ALL THE PROJECTS, and we got a ton of painting done, the majority of the unpacking completed, and a bunch of work done
- [An Upcoming Surgery + A Farewell {March in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/05/an-upcoming-surgery-a-farewell-march-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter – and now my son, too – every day since they were born, and this
- [Grocery Store Face-Off: Which Grocery Store Will Save YOU the Most Money?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/08/grocery-store-face-off-smiths-vs-walmart-vs-sams-club/) - Which grocery store is cheapest--Smith's, Walmart, or Sam's Club? This post compares prices at the 3 stores to let you know which one will save YOU the most money.
- [Why Every Pregnant Woman Should Take a Hypnobirthing Class (Even if She Wants an Epidural!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/13/why-every-pregnant-woman-should-take-a-hypnobirthing-class-even-if-she-wants-an-epidural/) - Something I quickly learned once I was pregnant with my first was that as your due date draws ever closer, a LOT of women feel compelled to tell you their birth stories. (Of course, now that I've had my first child and have my own birth story, I TOTALLY GET WHY, but it IS pretty
- [How Not to Be Closed-Minded About Food {Or, Thoughts on Cooking Through a Whole Cookbook}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/10/how-not-to-be-closed-minded-about-food-or-thoughts-on-cooking-through-a-whole-cookbook/) - A long time ago (okay, about six and a half years ago), I went on a cruise to Alaska. Each night, we went to the formal dining room for a multi-course dinner, and I came face to face with a truth I had never considered before: I was a LOT pickier than I thought I
- [Some Reflections on Serving an 18-Month Mission in a Foreign Country](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/29/some-reflections-on-serving-an-18-month-mission-in-a-foreign-country/) - Ten years ago yesterday, I wheeled my two suitcases into the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, said goodbye to my family for a year and a half, and began what will surely remain forever as one of the greatest adventures of my life--the chance I had to serve a religious mission for 18 months
- [Surviving the "Why" Stage With Your Sanity Intact (5 Strategies I'm Using)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/15/surviving-the-why-stage-with-your-sanity-intact-5-strategies-im-using/) - Before I was a parent, I thought the "Why" stage was funny---I imagined a 4-year-old thoughtfully asking simple yet profound questions ("Why aren't there always rainbows after it rains?" "Why do I have hair on my arms?" "Why do your shoes have heels and mine don't?") that would give her parents pause, make them wonder
- [The Worst I've Ever Done On My Monthly Goals {March Goals Recap + April Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/04/03/the-worst-ive-ever-done-on-my-monthly-goals-march-goals-recap-april-goals/) - A truth I'm having a hard time swallowing as a mom, especially now that I'm a mom of two, is that my time to work on my personal projects is becoming more and more limited. In March, I made a pretty big decision about a week in to enroll in EBA (Elite Blog Academy), which
- [Taking Advantage of "The Golden Trimester" {March Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/01/taking-advantage-of-the-golden-trimester-march-goals/) - Once upon a time, I posted my monthly goals up on the blog regularly. Sometimes they were focused around just one "theme" for the month (like "Finances" or "Fitness"), and sometimes they were motivated by trying to regularly get items checked off my bucket list. Nowadays, my monthly to-do lists are a combination of big
- [Mathias @ 8 Months (+ My 8-Month Postpartum Update)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/19/mathias-8-months-my-8-month-postpartum-update/) - There's the old joke about how in large families, the younger kids never seem to have any pictures of themselves while the oldest has a fully finished baby book, scrapbook, monthly update log online, etc. Well, we don't have a large family, but one thing is for sure--I definitely have written up much less about
- [Here's What Surprised Me When I Tracked How I Spent All My Time for 2 Weeks](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/22/heres-what-surprised-me-when-i-tracked-how-i-spent-all-my-time-for-2-weeks/) - Note: There are some affiliate links in this post, which means I get a commission on any sales made, at no extra cost to you. As always, I try to only promote stuff I use, love, or want to buy myself. Thanks for supporting To Love and To Learn! Managing time and productivity in general
- [How to Perfect Your Homemade Pizza (+ 2 Recipes!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/22/how-to-perfect-your-homemade-pizza-2-recipes/) - Over the years, I've perfected a decent number of dishes (or at least gotten to the point where I could serve most anything to company without embarrassing myself too much). Except for pizza. First, there was the time that we tried grilling pizza, just because we'd heard it was so amazing. (Yeah, that was the
- [Saving For a Down Payment: Keep Your Eye on the Prize](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/12/05/financial-friday-keeping-an-eye-on-the-bigger-picture/) - If you've been a follower for a long time, you *might* remember that I participated in a spending freeze in January in order to try and curb our spending and be more mindful about saving. The spending freeze proved to be like a great big "reset" button for our money habits, which was great--up to
- [The Problem with Being Content](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/24/the-problem-with-being-content/) - A couple years ago, when I served as the secretary of our stake's Young Women organization, I would travel to the different wards (aka, congregations) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in our area and give a lesson to the young women there. Since we never had to give more than one
- [A Summary of My Reading Year (+ the Best Reads of 2018)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/31/a-summary-of-my-reading-year-the-best-reads-of-2018/) - Initially, I did not have sky-high expectations for my reading life this year. While I still set a fairly high Goodreads challenge goal to finish 50 titles, I had no intention--not in the beginning, anyway--of trying to surpass last year's impressive (for me, anyway) total of 65 books read. After all, I knew that pregnancy
- [Learning to Embrace Plan B](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/10/30/learning-to-embrace-plan-b/) - Every fall for the past three years, we've made a yearly tradition of going to a local apple orchard as a family. It was part of The Plan that this tradition would be long-standing and annual, with nothing or no one standing in the way of us getting our yearly cider fix and hundreds (!)
- [Loving and Learning Lately {12}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/12/loving-and-learning-lately-12/) - Welcome to Round 12 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [A Soup That Looks Like Spring - Creamy Broccoli Chowder](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/03/14/a-soup-that-looks-like-spring/) - With the onslaught of March, I have found myself positively clinging to all things spring (me and the rest of the world, it seems). Considering how long and dismal this winter has been, it's totally understandable (although Matt reminded me the other day that people complain every winter and that this winter is hardly different
- [Simple Living Has to Be About More than Closets and Schedules to Be Fulfilling](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/15/simple-living-has-to-be-about-more-than-closets-and-schedules-to-be-fulfilling/) - Two months ago, I attended a church meeting that has had me pondering its messages ever since. A couple times a year, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints meet together for something called Stake Conference, where all the local congregations of the Church meet in two general sessions over a weekend
- [Zucchini Enchiladas (Meatless, Quick, Delicious!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/08/08/zucchini-enchiladas/) - One thing I love about late summer is the abundance of fresh produce everywhere, whether you have your own garden or not. One key variable to saving money on food is to buy it in season (or to accept free vegetables whenever they happen to come your way). And, as I'm assuming is the case
- [Financial Friday: Easy Meals Based on Pantry Staples (Ground Beef Edition)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/07/11/financial-friday-easy-meals-based-on-pantry-staples-ground-beef-edition/) - If you're anything like me, I imagine you're probably constantly on the lookout for recipes that are quick enough to prepare on a weeknight, don't require special ingredients, and are ridiculously easy to prepare. Well then, you'll love the 4 recipes I'm including in today's Financial Friday post---each of these recipes is largely based around
- [Restaurant-Quality Garlic Beef Enchiladas](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/01/26/heres-whats-cooking-garlic-beef-enchiladas/) - When we went down to a single income a few years back (so I could stay home with our kids), one of the first things to be cut from our budget was eating out. Before, Friday night was our "night on the town," and I used to love looking forward to a hot, delicious meal
- [30-Minute Chicken & Dumplings](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/05/19/heres-whats-cooking-chicken-dumplings/) - Well, after a too-long pause in blogging, I think I am officially back...but, since I have so much to catch up on blogging-wise, I figured I'd just start in the now and eventually build my way back. Today, after our third consecutive day of unpacking/organizing/tossing/going crazy, I decided it was time to take a break
- [Here's What's Cooking...5- Ingredient Apricot Chicken](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/11/08/heres-whats-cooking-apricot-chicken/) - Lately, I've been trying to experiment with a different slow cooker recipe every Sunday to make the day feel a little more lazy, yet at the same time a bit luxurious--there's just nothing like a warm home full of simmering smells to bring all sorts of happy into the weekend. (Plus, I don't know about
- [Here's What's Cooking . . . Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/10/25/heres-whats-cooking-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bread/) - So I just had to share this with you--I mean, it's only the most delicious pumpkin bread recipe ever, and you know I love you, right? Plus, there's just nothing that makes a frosty autumn afternoon better than a hot loaf of pumpkin bread with a cold mug of milk. You're welcome. And enjoy :) Pumpkin
- [Here's What's Cooking . . . Crescent Rolls](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/07/29/heres-whats-cooking-crescent-rolls/) - Are you sick of roll recipes? I sure am not. It's like I have this crazy roll addiction that seems to come around every Sunday, just begging to be satisfied... Anyway, I found this recipe in The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner, and it is amazing (I think Matt ate 8 or 9 rolls the first
- [Here's What's Cooking...Golden Honey Pan Rolls](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/04/06/heres-whats-cooking-golden-honey-pan-rolls/) - I've been on the lookout for the perfect roll recipe and while I haven't quite found my goes-with-everything bit of fluffy roll perfection, I sure have had fun trying! I think that Matt secretly hopes that I'll never quite find it so that we can keep trying out all sorts of yummy new rolls. One
- [Here's What's Cooking: Low-Calorie White Chicken Chili (Gluten-Free!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/07/14/heres-whats-cooking-white-chili/) - Since starting the diet changes I mentioned in my last post, I've been on the lookout for recipes that are actually good for me AND that taste good. I know, it sometimes seems like an impossible mission, but someone has to do it, right? This particular recipe was adapted from one I got from my
- [10 Books the English Major in Me Would Recommend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/02/27/10-books-the-english-major-in-me-would-recommend/) - There are few things I miss about being in school---I don't miss the homework load (where I'd usually be assigned to read literally around 1,500 pages per WEEK), I don't miss the critical analysis essays dissecting every last bit of minutiae in whatever text we were studying, and I don't (usually) miss the pompous, verbose
- [How to Take Portraits of Your Kids at Home](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/07/how-to-take-portraits-of-your-kids-at-home/) - Something I've heard a lot of people say since I joined the photography business world is that they would love having more professional pictures taken of their families, but that they just can't afford the prices (which I totally understand!). I've also had quite a few people tell me how much they love the monthly
- [Finally, Some Back Relief + a Return to Running! {February in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/04/finally-some-back-relief-a-return-to-running-february-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter – and now my son, too – every day since they were born, and this
- [Creamy Bow Tie Pasta (aka, What I Make When My Pantry's Almost Bare)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/18/creamy-bow-tie-pasta-aka-what-i-make-when-my-pantrys-almost-bare/) - Because of one thing or another, we've been doing a lot of living off of our pantry lately. Tonight, when I had about 20 minutes to get dinner on the table, I was fresh out of ideas, and since the fridge looked pretty bare, I wondered what on earth I was going to throw together.
- [How Much Did I Get Done in the Shortest Month of the Year? {February Goals Recap + March Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/03/01/how-much-did-i-get-done-in-the-shortest-month-of-the-year-february-goals-recap-march-goals/) - Phew! We've officially made it past my least favorite part of any year (I REALLY don't do well with winter, guys--it just gives me the blues), and I'm feeling all sorts of invigorated about the month ahead because we're about thisclose to spring! Parts of February were really frustrating because of the back problems I've
- [Loving and Learning Lately {11}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/15/loving-and-learning-lately-11/) - Welcome to Round 11 of this little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge
- [A Day in the Life - 2/7/19](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/08/a-day-in-the-life-2-7-19/) - For the past two Februaries, I have chronicled a day in our life, just to see how much changes from year to year. Last year, I was still pregnant with Mathias at this time, and two years ago I had a two-year-old that still took a long nap in the afternoon and went to bed
- [Physical Therapy, A New Church Calling, + House Projects {January in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/06/physical-therapy-a-new-church-calling-house-projects-january-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [Kickin' Off 2019 With Some Major Wins {January Goals Recap + February Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/02/01/kickin-off-2019-with-some-major-wins-january-goals-recap-february-goals/) - January always seems to be about three times as long as any other month (not in a good way), but at least this year, we got some wins under our belt during that eterna-month! Sticking with tradition, we got sick right after the holidays (no surprise there), which extended into the first part of the
- [Raven: 7 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/11/23/raven-7-months/) - These monthly updates seem to be coming later and later than they should, which must be a sure sign that time seems to be passing by quicker and quicker. I am now finally beginning to understand why other bloggers stop doing these updates after awhile (and I don't even have a second kid as an
- [Arroz Con Leche (Rice With Milk)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/02/25/arroz-con-leche-rice-with-milk/) - Ever since getting back from my mission to El Salvador two and a half years ago, I have a harder time being alone than I ever used to. It takes me several hours to finally embrace the loneliness, and wth Matt being gone for most of this weekend, I had plenty of time to myself. Maybe it
- [Negotiating Like a Ninja + "That's Depressing as Frome" {Self-Assigned Reading, Winter Term}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/28/negotiating-like-a-ninja-thats-depressing-as-frome-self-assigned-reading-winter-term/) - If you've been following any of my posts recently, you might already know that this is the term of self-assigned reading that very nearly did not happen. Like, at all. In fact, there were several points throughout the last month when I was seriously tempted to just call quits on the whole thing (this "whole
- [Loving and Learning Lately {10}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/16/loving-and-learning-lately-10/) - Welcome to Round 10 of this new little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a
- [Why I Changed Over 10% of My 101 in 1001 Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/08/why-i-changed-over-10-of-my-101-in-1001-goals/) - Each year, January comes with a burst of energy that comes from having a fresh start, and people everywhere make sweeping declarations of all that they hope to change this year -- I'm going to lose the weight! I'm going to stay off my phone! I'm going to read more books! And then, so often,
- [Financial Friday: Where Our Money Goes Each Month](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/17/financial-friday-where-our-money-goes-each-month/) - These pictures have nothing to do with the topic at hand, but they're cute, so they had to go somewhere, right? I've always found it particularly fascinating to study other people's finances---not because I necessarily want to compare or to see how we're "measuring up" to other people, but just because I think it's so
- [Cooking Economically: Making Your Own (Foolproof) Broth](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/07/01/cooking-economically-making-your-own-foolproof-broth/) - Probably about half of the meals we make around here require broth of some sort; whether it's a skillet chicken and rice dish from my favorite cooking blog or some pronto penne pasta, broth (especially chicken broth) is an absolute staple in our kitchen. Theoretically, I knew in the back of my head somewhere that
- [Final Grade on My Winter Term "Assigned Reading"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/29/final-grade-on-my-winter-term-assigned-reading/) - If you're just tuning in, at the beginning of this "school year," I decided to set myself some assigned reading to rev up my reading life and motivate me to read some of the books I've been putting off for years. Each term, I assigned myself three books and awarded each book a “percentage”—how much
- [Top 10 Nonfiction Reads of 2017](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/07/top-10-nonfiction-reads-of-2017/) - As I mentioned in my last post, I've read a LOT this year, so narrowing it down to 10 nonfiction (and later on, 10 fiction) titles is not as easy a feat as you might think. I read about an even split of nonfiction and fiction at any given time, and this year, of the
- [A Christmas Card You Won't Wanna Miss](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/19/a-christmas-card-you-wont-wanna-miss/) - Merry Christmas to All, and May the Happiest Blessings of the Season Be With You! Love from Matt, Torrie, Raven, and Baby #2 (who will give us a nice little Christmas in July!) I'm sure that few people will be surprised by our news (especially seeing as I'm the WORST at hiding pregnancy), but we're
- [My First Ever Blog Survey! (Pretty Please Fill Out?)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/06/my-first-ever-blog-survey-pretty-please-fill-out/) - This picture of me posing in my first maternity-wear of this pregnancy and of Raven checking out her silver shoes is totally relevant to this post. Why do you ask? Well, I've finally decided that after almost ten years (yep) of blogging, it was probably time I conducted my very own blog survey. Why have
- [Top 10 Fiction Reads of 2017](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/26/top-10-fiction-reads-of-2017/) - As I mentioned in my post on my top 10 nonfiction reads for the year, I did an almost even 50/50 split of nonfiction and fiction this year, and narrowing it down to just ten of each was TOUGH. I tend to be much more critical of my fiction than my nonfiction, so it's super
- [Baby #2: Boy or Girl?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/15/baby-2-boy-or-girl/) - Ever since I was convinced Raven would be a boy and then found out she was not, in fact, going to be a boy, I've basically stopped trusting any instincts I have one way or another when it comes to predicting the gender of my pregnancies. But, just because people would ask if I had
- [Officially In the Third Trimester Now! (+ Progress on Pregnancy Goals)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/10/officially-in-the-third-trimester-now-progress-on-pregnancy-goals/) - Well, I've made it folks--- I'm officially in the third trimester of this pregnancy, and we are officially feeling a bit, well, large. And, uh, very pregnant. The first part of this pregnancy seemed to fly by, so that when we reached our gender ultrasound at about halfway through, I could scarcely believe we were
- [Final Grade on Summer Term Assigned Reading (+ Thoughts on the Past Year of Self-Assigned Reading)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/04/final-grade-on-summer-term-assigned-reading-thoughts-on-the-past-year-of-self-assigned-reading/) - Last Friday marked the end of the school year around these parts--the yellow buses shuttled kids home for the last time, my Instagram feed filled up with posts comparing 1st day/last day school shots from proud parents, and I reached my self-imposed deadline for my own "academic year." If you’re just tuning in, at the
- [The Best Books I Read This Summer](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/11/the-best-books-i-read-this-summer/) - Although my overall reading habits for the past few years have been much less restrictive than they used to be, I still use summers as a time to let myself read as much "fluff" as I want, which to me means books that are full of more fun/entertainment than substance. This summer I seemed to
- [Why I'm Doing a Refresh of the 50 Weeks to Organized Project](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/24/why-im-doing-a-refresh-of-the-50-weeks-to-organized-project/) - Really, I could just post these quote-unquote "Before" pictures and call it good on posting today. But I'm nothing if not a little long-winded, so we just can't have that. A brief summary for those of you who haven't been reading this blog since 2013: Five years ago, I decided to tackle my clutter habits
- [Loving and Learning Lately {9}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/17/loving-and-learning-lately-9/) - Welcome to Round 9 of this new little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a
- [The Top 5 Resources I Use for Finding What to Cook For Dinner](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/10/25/the-top-5-resources-i-use-for-finding-what-to-cook-for-dinner/) - While I haven't always been a huge fan of cooking, it has blossomed into one of my favorite hobbies since getting married. However, though I usually enjoy cooking more than the average person, I also have my moments of pre-dinner panic, when I realize that everyone is expecting to be fed sometime within the next
- [Why Experiences (Often) Make the Best Gifts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/06/06/why-experiences-often-make-the-best-gifts/) - Turning 16 was a Big Deal where I came from--it was the age where you were able to get a driver's license and, in my case, the age where I was allowed to start dating. Basically, I counted it as one of the first milestones in that long and elusive journey known as "becoming an
- [Muvvy the Elf, Back Problems, & a Christmas Surprise {December in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/04/muvvy-the-elf-back-problems-a-christmas-surprise-december-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [New Year, New Goals! {January Goals + December Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2019/01/03/new-year-new-goals-january-goals-december-goals-recap/) - I had the best of intentions to have this posted on the first day of the new year...then we all came down with some sort of plague that has just kept producing new symptoms with each coming day, and a whole lot of not sleeping well at night, all of which has combined into a
- [Top Posts + IG Pics of 2018](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/27/top-posts-ig-pics-of-2018/) - At the end of each year, I like to take a look back at all the posts I've published and do a fun little analysis of the results. I also like to do a separate round-up of my own personal favorite posts (because as experience has told me, the lists rarely overlap). Blogging regularly got
- [Do Goals and Holidays Play Well Together? {December Goals + November Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/03/do-goals-and-holidays-play-well-together-december-goals-november-goals-recap/) - While I'm not one to EVER give up on setting goals (I mean, did you SEE my goals list right after having a baby? My motivation for goal-setting seriously knows no bounds...), I have been wanting for awhile now to ease up on certain areas, and I figured December is a great time to implement
- [Checkpoint #2: 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/10/checkpoint-2-101-in-1001-list/) - On January 11th (just a few weeks away--so weird!), I'll hit the year mark of when I started working on my 101 in 1001 list. All in all, I have completely fallen in love with this new way of doing resolutions/goals/bucket list items/what-have-you, and I might not ever go back to the traditional practice of
- [A Mission Call + A New Dog {November in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/12/05/a-mission-call-a-new-dog-november-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [Never Say Never {Or, Why We Currently Have a Dog in the House}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/30/never-say-never-or-why-we-currently-have-a-dog-in-the-house/) - Before we got married, there were three things I told my husband we would never own: 1) a gun, 2) a motorcycle, and 3) a dog. Well, I'm still holding out the for the motorcycle. (For the record, I lost the gun battle years ago.) To start with, I am not a dog hater (or
- [Final Grade on Fall 2018 Term Self-Assigned Reading: B+ (Whaaaat? a B?!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/26/final-grade-on-fall-2018-term-self-assigned-reading-b-whaaaat-a-b/) - It will probably come as a surprise to no one that I was the student growing up who obsessed over grades--the only A- I ever got in my public school career was in 9th grade geography (and let's be honest--it's a fact that still rankles today as I feel it was undeserved). In college, I
- [Loving and Learning Lately {Black Friday Edition}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/21/loving-and-learning-lately-black-friday-edition/) - Welcome to Round 8 of this new little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a
- [How We Saved $1000 in 100 Days](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/12/how-we-saved-1000-in-100-days/) - A few months ago, I was pretty frustrated with our financial situation. Despite my husband having received quarterly raises this year and me getting more jobs through my photography business than I ever have before, it seemed we were never gaining any real traction on our goals. Back in January, as part of my 101
- [A Healing Broken Arm + Photography's Busiest Season {October in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/07/a-healing-broken-arm-photographys-busiest-season-october-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [Loving and Learning Lately {7}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/05/loving-and-learning-lately-7/) - Welcome to Round 7 of this new little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a
- [Cinnamon Love Knots // The Perfect Cold-Weather Treat](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/10/11/cinnamon-love-knots/) - Outside, late fall is in the air in the form of fog in the mountains, drizzly rain in the mornings, and the occasional snowflake in the afternoon reminding us that winter is not too far off. With days like today, when even with all the windows open, it still seems dark, I'm most in need
- [Just So I Won't Slack Off During the Holidays... {November Goals + October Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/11/02/november2018goals/) - The end of October went MUCH more smoothly than the end of September (for starters, we didn't have to deal with any more broken bones, and Matt could finally start using his right arm again!), but as years past have taught me, from about Halloween until the end of the year, life tends to get
- [Holding On and Letting Go](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/02/holding-on-and-letting-go/) - Those first few nights of being a mother, I set my alarm for every four hours out, full of paranoid panic that if I didn't, my baby would starve while I slept, zombie-like, in various stages of new parenthood dreams. My own mother, upon hearing of this particular branch of insanity, had to reassure me
- [My Love/Hate Relationship with Social Media](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/05/my-lovehate-relationship-with-social-media/) - pics taken of the insanely red sun we saw one night from all the local forest fires happening Over the last week, I finally hopped on the Instagram train (@torriemeidell), used Facebook to discover that no fewer than ten (and I might have even missed a couple) of my various acquaintances welcomed new babies, jumped
- [Caffeine Withdrawal is a Real Thing](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/07/caffeine-withdrawal-is-a-real-thing/) - There's all sorts of things I could have blogged about today. There are several hundred images just sitting there staring at me from my Lightroom folder, waiting their turn to be chosen, edited, and then summoned up to the big leagues (aka, The Blog). I have topics that would make the most sense if done
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/10/10-on-10-7/) - Welcome to a special Saturday edition of 10 on 10 (because that's what happens when the 10th falls on a Saturday--it's special). Between us trying to cram in lots of outside time before the weather turns too cold and me trying to incorporate a lot more novelty and "enrichment" into our day-to-day living, it's been
- [A Weekend to Get Us Out of Our Ruts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/12/a-weekend-to-get-us-out-of-our-ruts/) - There once was a guy named Newton, who discovered a truth he might have thought was just about physics but that applies equally well to life in general: "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." To me, this theory correlates with one from the field of psychology called opponent process theory, which
- [Ideal Mom Goal: Go Outside Every Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/14/ideal-mom-goal-go-outside-every-day/) - I have a lot of "Mom Ideals" that I'm constantly trying to live up to: - no screen time while Raven is awake! - fresh produce at every meal! - read books to her whenever she asks! (which is all. the. time.) - have enrichment activities with her each day! While I'm definitely not 100%
- [Why I'm Glad I Worked Before Staying At Home](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/16/why-im-glad-i-worked-before-staying-at-home/) - Telling people recently about my decision to quit and stay home full-time with Raven has gotten me comments from both ends of the spectrum-- I've had moms who expressed sadness that I had to work my baby's first year of life, who have told me that it must have been hard to miss milestones and
- [This is How I'll Measure You](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/19/this-is-how-ill-measure-you/) - This is how I'll measure, you I think--- In trips to the orchard, in the fall. This accidental tradition--started when you were still inside me, when I still had yet to announce to the world the news of your presence, when I still had yet to feel your tiny kicks and your baby hiccups-- This
- [True Story: I've Lost the Motivation to Run](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/22/true-story-ive-lost-the-motivation-to-run/) - Uh oh... It's happening: The dreaded post-race running slump. If you took a peek into my running log today, you would see (perhaps with your eyebrow arched a little in surprise) that I've only been on 3 runs since my half marathon a month ago. Logging only one run the week after the half was
- [Why I'm (Mostly) Okay with Having a Small(er) Income](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/23/why-im-mostly-okay-with-having-a-smaller-income/) - Lately, Matt and I have enjoyed having a series of "What If" conversations, the most frequent of which has been, "What if we got gifted 20 million dollars? What would we do?" While it's proved to be an interesting character study into the values of both of us (and provided many an enjoyable conversation while
- [What Your Photographer REALLY Wishes You Knew Before Taking Family Pictures](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/28/what-your-photographer-really-wishes-you-knew-before-taking-family-pictures/) - Historically, fall has always been (by far) the busiest season for family photographers, at least around here. With the trees bursting into fall colors and the temperatures down to a more comfortable range, autumn has always been the darling of the family photography world. This year marks my fourth year in the world of doing
- [Loving and Learning Lately {6}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/15/loving-and-learning-lately-6/) - Welcome to Round 6 of this new little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you’ll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a
- [A Broken Arm + A Baby Blessing {September in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/04/a-broken-arm-a-baby-blessing-september-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [Settling In {October Goals + September Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/10/01/settling-in-october-goals-september-goals-recap/) - I (perhaps naively) thought that once we'd settled in a bit with the new baby, I would be able to get into some kind of a semblance of a workable routine, especially when it came to pursuing my own projects like blogging or photography again. Well, we have definitely settled in more than before, but
- [32.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/29/32/) - Today I turned 32. If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you'll know that my day (and mine and Matt's birthday week in general) did not go exactly as we'd hoped. But rather than talk about all that went laughably not-great this week, let's talk about how now, at 32, I actually kinda sorta
- [Loving and Learning Lately {5}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/20/loving-and-learning-lately-5/) - Welcome to Round 5 of this new little series I started of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately! Here you'll find everything from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a
- [Motherhood Diaries: The Sticker Book](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/21/motherhood-diaries-the-sticker-book/) - At the beginning of last year, I started keeping an online journal of sorts (just in a Google Doc) that I affectionately dubbed "The Motherhood Diaries." Since there is much of my day-to-day life that I don't share on the blog but that I still want to remember, this was my best solution to ensure
- [Welcome, Mathias David!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/20/welcome-mathias-david/) - At exactly 37 weeks (and definitely earlier than planned!), we welcomed our son, Mathias (muh-THIGH-us) David Meidell, into the world at 5:34 a.m. after a whole two hours (!) of labor. He was 6 lbs., 13 ounces, and 18.5" long, and he reminds me a LOT of Raven when she was a baby (but just
- [My Self-Assigned Reading for the 2018-2019 School Year](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/23/my-self-assigned-reading-for-the-2018-2019-school-year/) - Seeing as my social media feeds have been taken over by parents posting pics of their kids going back to school, and seeing as my own daughter is starting preschool for the first time tomorrow (eek!), I figured it was time for me to hide myself in a quiet corner somewhere to figure out
- [7 Ways I've Been Saving Money Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/08/18/7-ways-ive-been-saving-money-lately/) - With only one income and a new mortgage payment to worry about, our budget lately has been tighter than ever, which has forced me to dig even deeper to save pennies wherever I can. As I mentioned in my last post, staying at home right now is a tough call, not just because I'd
- [Financial Friday: 10 Tips for Spending Less on Groceries](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/04/04/financial-friday-10-tips-for-spending-less-on-groceries/) - I always thought that our spending habits when it came to groceries were pretty normal (maybe because for the first six years of our marriage, we lived in a poor college town full of poor college students), but based on some of the comments coming in lately asking how we manage to spend
- [An Unexpected Surgery + The Start of Pre-K {August in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/07/an-unexpected-surgery-the-start-of-pre-k-august-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [The Second Fresh Start of the Year {September Goals + August Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/09/04/the-second-fresh-start-of-the-year-september-goals-august-recap/) - I guess the 20+ years I spent in the educational system in one form or another must have permanently influenced how I view the year, because I (still) think of September as a fresh start, as do most people, I presume. A lot of days, I feel like I hardly get anything "done" (or at
- [Loving and Learning Lately {4}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/30/loving-and-learning-lately-4/) - Welcome to Round 4 of this new little series I started to compile of all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately, from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge t.v.
- [This is What Turning 30 Looks Like, Matt Edition](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/26/this-is-what-turning-30-looks-like-matt-edition/) - There are a lot of fun things about having a birthday within a week of your spouse's-- The party seems to last for about a week and a half straight, you get to hit all the same milestones close together (but still say that he's five days older), and it makes it REALLY easy for
- [Ideal Mom Goal: Let Her Do It](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/09/28/ideal-mom-goal-let-her-do-it/) - A couple weeks ago, I talked about one of my "ideal mom goals" (which was to try and take Raven outside every single day). I'm here today to share another one: My philosophy of letting her do something if she's capable of doing it. At first, as a brand-new mom, I was obsessed with reading
- [Scenes from a (Late) Birthday Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/03/scenes-from-a-late-birthday-weekend/) - When I think of turning 30 years down the road, I'm sure I won't remember the kitchen gadgets I got, or the fact that we had creamed eggs over toast on the actual day. I won't remember that for Matt, I bought a book he'd been wanting for awhile and a new cover for his
- [How I Cut Our Food Waste in Half](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/07/how-i-cut-our-food-waste-in-half/) - (making muffins to use up our brown bananas) It's October, which means that we're officially in the last quarter of the year. You might remember that I've been working on my cooking skills this year with my 100 Hours in the Kitchen Project. You also might remember that for the last quarter, my focus has
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/10/10-on-10-6/) - Every month on the 10th (or thereabouts), I post ten (ahem, ISH) pictures of my daughter Raven, who we've been taking a picture of every day since she was born. I'll have you know that this month is the closest I've ever come to actually keeping the photo limit at 10. Progress! 1 // Bedhead
- [I'm Too Tired to Seize the Day Every Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/12/im-too-tired-to-seize-the-day-every-day/) - I've been thinking a bit lately about what it means to live life to the fullest, to "carp the deem," if you will. On the surface, the adage that tells us to "seize the day" has been interpreted as being a sort of early front-runner of sayings like YOLO ("you only live once," for those
- [Your Obligatory Fall Photo Shoot in the Leaves + 5 Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/14/your-obligatory-fall-photo-shoot-in-the-leaves-5-things/) - I figured I wouldn't be a real lifestyle blogger at all if I didn't post some autumn-related pictures in the leaves, so here you go-- A peek into our day yesterday (+ 5 other random things on my mind). 1. I think my body's been trying to put itself into hibernation mode lately because it's
- [Let's Talk About Vests](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/17/lets-talk-about-vests/) - On this chilly, rainy Monday morning, I wanted to take the opportunity to talk to you about something that's become very near and dear to my heart... Vests. (Because heaven knows, I'm so sick of hearing about the election that I could just weep.) So...vests. I used to be very "meh" about The Vest---I mostly
- [Elevating Family Mealtime (& Bringing Back the Joy in Eating)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/19/elevating-family-mealtime-bringing-back-the-joy-in-eating/) - With October well underway, we are now firmly in the last quarter of the year, which has got me thinking long and hard about the resolutions I set all the way back in January. One of my biggest challenges for myself was to complete my 100 Hours in the Kitchen project, which, surprising even to
- [Quick Raven Stats: 18 Months](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/21/quick-raven-stats-18-months/) - I took Raven to her 18-month doctor's appointment yesterday, and let's just say that her memory of her last trip there must have been crystal clear since she immediately looked terrified. Poor girl! Luckily, she only cried for about 15 seconds while getting her shots and then was happy to nestle her face into my
- [A Few Snaps of the Weekend + A First Haircut](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/24/a-few-snaps-of-the-weekend-a-first-haircut/) - I think I'll be needing to nurse myself through the first of this week with some Diet Dr. Pepper and fresh strawberries (not mixed--that would be weird), but we aren't (totally) sorry for our full and busy weekend--it's definitely one that we won't be forgetting for a looooooong time, anyway. 1. We knew it would
- [What I Learned in October](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/26/what-i-learned-in-october/) - Today I'm taking a page from the Emily P Freeman and Modern Mrs. Darcy blogs and doing a post all about what I've been learning lately in October. 1- The best $14 I've ever spent was on getting our knives professionally sharpened. Five and a half years ago, when we got married, we used some
- [Why I Can't Buy Any More Books For At Least 8 Years](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/28/why-i-cant-buy-any-more-books-for-at-least-8-years/) - Let's play a fun game, shall we? I'm going to call it--- "Things I'm Going to Stop Spending So Much Money On." You see, this year (and especially these past 3 or 4 months or so), I've really been trying to cut down on needless spending. Lately, much of it has been out of sheer
- [My First Halloween Costume in 8 Years](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/31/my-first-halloween-costume-in-8-years/) - Fun fact #1: This is the first time since 2008 that I've dressed up for Halloween. Yes, I officially know how lame I am. (And let's face it---we wouldn't have done half of the stuff we have (or will) for the holiday if it weren't for Raven. That's the glorious thing about having kids-- it
- [Apparently I Look Pregnant + 4 Other Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/02/apparently-i-look-pregnant-4-other-things/) - Just dropping these Halloween pics in here for fun since I don't know what else to do with them... And yes, I know Raven's trick-or-treat bucket is the ghetto-est of ghetto. At least I washed it beforehand, eh? 1. On Sunday, I had a 4-year-old ask me if I was expecting another baby. I'm sure
- [10 Riveting World War II Reads](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/04/10-riveting-world-war-ii-reads/) - Maybe it's just because I'm actually writing a novel myself about World War II, but it seems like there has been a vastly huge crop of new books about WWII that have come out the last few years. In fact, I've read seven books this year alone that were set during the period of World
- [A Weekend I'll Be Happy Never to Repeat Again](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/07/a-weekend-ill-be-happy-never-to-repeat-again/) - So. BLEGH. Sigh. Oof. AAAAAGGGGHHHH!!! *runs and grabs Hershey kisses for comfort* Okay, guys--- This was just not the best of weekends. Of course, whenever anything bad happens that's unexpected, my first instinct is to cry, and then that's usually followed pretty quickly thereafter with gratitude that it wasn't so much worse. And this weekend
- [Why I (Still) Love Living in America](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/09/why-i-still-love-living-in-america/) - For all you politically-averse people out there (or for the politically-weary, which is seemingly the majority of us), don't worry--- I'm not going to get too political over here. The fact is, politics aren't really my thing. I've always been one who believes in keeping the peace rather than getting divisive, in finding common ground
- [10 on 10 (a day late again)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/11/10-on-10-a-day-late-again/) - It's been an exhausting month. Between the physical strain of taking on those storage sheds as a second job and the financial strain of a huge unexpected car repair and the mental and social strain of an election that has brought out some of the worst in so many, I'm just done. So I'm trying
- [5 Happy Things From the Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/14/5-happy-things-from-the-weekend/) - Considering that the past month's worth of weekends have been almost nothing but stressful, it was pretty amazing to have a weekend where the stress level was back down to normal (which is borderline low-ish). Here are five happy things from our weekend: 1. The photo shoot I did with my sister and her family
- [An Autoimmune Disease Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/15/an-autoimmune-disease-update/) - Hey! So Tuesday isn't my normal posting day, but I've made a special exception this week because I wanted to point you all towards a special guest post I did today for Stay Gold Autumn, one that's been in the works now for several months. As longtime readers of my blog will know, I've been
- [A Raven in the Snow](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/17/a-raven-in-the-snow/) - Her first glimpse at the snow this morning Last winter, Raven was too young to appreciate the snow too much, so we didn't take her outside hardly at all. This year, we were actually kind of excited for the first snow--we were excited to see her reaction to this strange cold white phenomenon that had
- [Our Smallest Friendsgiving Ever](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/21/our-smallest-friendsgiving-ever/) - We almost didn't do Friendsgiving this year. (And, really, it's not like we were under *too* much pressure to do anything of the sort since we've only done it for the past two years, not like for our whole married life or something like that.) This weekend before the actual holiday (which is when we've
- [Getting Dressed Every Day: The Struggle is Real](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/23/getting-dressed-every-day-the-struggle-is-real/) - I've talked before about how I used to kinda sorta judge stay-at-home moms who stayed in their sweats all day and talked about how it was such a struggle to get dressed. At the time, I was a full-time teacher who needed to dress somewhat professionally every weekday, so it was no problem for me
- [(Black & White) Scenes From a Thanksgiving Weekend](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/28/black-white-scenes-from-a-thanksgiving-weekend/) - I fully intended to do a Thanksgiving post on the actual holiday (or shortly thereafter)--I had packed up the laptop (okay, I'd asked Matt to pack up the laptop), I'd made sure my camera cord was in the case to transfer pictures, and we had plenty of gaps of time without anything planned that
- [When You Know It's Worth It, But It's Still Hard](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/11/30/when-you-know-its-worth-it-but-its-still-hard/) - In a time of year when I should be feeling beyond motivated to set resolutions for the new year, I'm feeling a little lackluster in the dreaming department. During a season when I should be feeling grateful and counting my blessings, I find that once they're counted, I might feel content for the next ten
- [Tips For Birth Coaches and New Dads-To-Be](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/05/tips-for-birth-coaches-and-new-dads-to-be/) - On Saturday, I had the opportunity for a second time to be a birth coach to a friend as she went through the exhausting and exhilarating experience of labor and delivery. Although I'm by no stretch of the imagination an expert after helping with only two deliveries, both of my experiences with coaching and my
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/12/10-on-10-5/) - Let's just say that as long as I get this 10 on 10 post done within a day or two of the tenth of the month, it's a success, okay? Okay. This last month, I kind of went through a subtle but important change with my picture-a-day goal. Before, I worried a lot more about
- [Ten of our Favorite Board Books for Babies/Toddlers](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/13/ten-of-our-favorite-board-books-for-babiestoddlers/) - As I mentioned in my last post, we've been participating in a little library challenge over here that involves reading 1,000 (different) books to Raven before kindergarten. (And, thanks to Steph who gave me the great idea to open up a separate Goodreads account to track all of them!) Although 1,000 books can seem daunting
- [A Snapshot of My Life Today](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/14/a-snapshot-of-my-life-today-2/) - a picture of me right now Time I woke up: 7 A.M. (a little early for me--normally I wake up closer to 8) First thing I did upon waking: said a prayer, then sneaked into the bathroom as quietly as possible so as not to wake up Raven Current weather: snowing (and pretty hard, too)
- [Thoughts on Tantrums and Tree-Gazing (as a Distraction)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/16/thoughts-on-tantrums-and-tree-gazing-as-a-distraction/) - I think sometimes people (myself included) forget that even though you might have an "easy" (or a "happy" or "good-natured") child, that same child is still entitled to her fair share of hard moments, toddler meltdowns, and general whiny-ness. And that those moments are okay. They are normal. They are part of growing up. As
- [My Successes (and Failures) this Year](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/19/my-successes-and-failures-this-year/) - I usually wait until the last week of the year before posting how I did on my new year's resolutions, but my answers won't change much whether I do it now or wait, so I figured I should just do it today since I'm not in much of a photo-editing mood, and this post is
- [My Top 10 Books for 2016](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/21/my-top-10-books-for-2016/) - 2016 was a huge reading year for me---in fact, it's the biggest reading year I've had as an adult since I started faithfully tracking all my books (back in 2011). Ranking books is always a hard process because different books bring up different feelings and fulfill different needs, but I decided to pick the top
- [Merry Christmas to All](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/23/merry-christmas-to-all/) - As today (and the rest of this weekend, obviously) is going to be so busy with last-minute gift wrapping and meal prep and white-elephant-finding, I'm going to make this post short and sweet. I hope you and yours have a joyous Christmas holiday this weekend, and I hope you find some quiet moments to yourself
- [The Christmas of Pearls](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/27/the-christmas-of-pearls/) - The longer you're married to someone, the fewer surprises there tend to be, simply because you come to know the other person so well that you can often anticipate their next move, their daily routine, and even sometimes what they're about to say. But one thing I've always loved about Matt is that he does
- [Christmas 2016 Wrap-Up](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/28/christmas-2016-wrap-up/) - The first holiday season that Matt and I were married, I remember being a little overwhelmed by all the people everywhere when we went to his huge family functions---I remember particularly that after our first Thanksgiving together, I had to escape outside and take an hour-long walk by myself in the snow to be free
- [Top 10 Blog Posts and Pics of 2016](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/12/30/top-10-blog-posts-and-pics-of-2016/) - This wasn't originally the post I'd planned to publish today, but I had the unexpected (and happy) surprise of being able to get together with some of my old college roommates today for lunch (see pic below), so the longer post I had planned will just have to wait until the new year to
- [Money Saver #2: Ask for the Discount (esp. on Medical Bills!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/21/money-saver-2-ask-for-the-discount-esp-on-medical-bills/) - In case you're just tuning in, my household is currently in the middle of trying to save $1000 in 100 days, a challenge I created to stretch my frugal muscles and finally make some headway on our larger goal of trying to save $10,000 in our emergency fund. The $1000 in 100 goal was going
- [Book #5: Crossed](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/03/14/book-5-crossed/) - Title: Crossed Author: Ally Condie # of Pages: 367 Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Series I seem to be finishing the majority of my books at the plasma center lately...it must be because I have nothing else to distract me, like our laptop or Matt. I debated whether I should put off reading Crossed until the release date
- [What I've Been Loving and Learning Lately {3}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/15/what-ive-been-loving-and-learning-lately-3/) - Welcome to Round Three of this new little series I started to compile all the things in life I’m loving and learning lately, from the books I’m currently reading to the products I’m loving to the shows I’m watching (which, spoiler alert–won’t be very many or very exciting, since I’m not a huge t.v. watcher).
- [16 Things I Learned in 2016](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/02/16-things-i-learned-in-2016/) - As I mentioned in my last post, I'd meant for this to be my last post of 2016, but as I had some unexpected (but very wanted and appreciated) plans come up, this post will just have to ring in the new year. I first tried doing this last year and ended up loving
- [My 2017 Resolutions](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/01/04/my-2017-resolutions/) - 2016 was a really big year for resolutions---big not just in what I managed to do, but also big because I just set SO MANY. Now, I'm all for making a little bit of progress in a lot of different areas, but in 2017, there are a few areas I'd like to make a
- [This Is What Adjusting to Two Kids Looks Like {July in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/10/this-is-what-adjusting-to-two-kids-looks-like-july-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (but not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter–and now my son, too–every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [What I've Been Loving and Learning Lately {2}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/02/what-ive-been-loving-and-learning-lately-2/) - Welcome to Round Two of this new little series I started to compile all the things in life I'm loving and learning lately, from the books I'm currently reading to the products I'm loving to the shows I'm watching (which, spoiler alert--won't be very many or very exciting, since I'm not a huge t.v. watcher).
- [What Can I Get Done on Minimal Sleep? {August Goals + July Goals Update}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/08/01/august-goals-2018/) - Now that the baby is a month and a half old (6 weeks as of yesterday, to be exact), I'm now in that awkward stage where we're basically all adjusted and I finally have my motivation back to do ALL THE THINGS, but the problem is, we're still terribly, terribly sleep-deprived, so my motivation is
- [Wedding Wednesday: How It All Began](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2011/07/27/wedding-wednesday-how-it-all-began/) - Okay, so remember how I was supposed to post all these wedding pictures and stuff? Well, obviously I haven't done that yet. So, to give myself a kick in the pants to get going, I decided to copy Sam, who copied the people she mentioned in her first WW post, who probably copied some other
- [What I've Been Loving and Learning Lately {1}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/17/what-ive-been-loving-and-learning-lately-1/) - I've been wanting to start a regular series for awhile now where I can gather together everything I've been loving and learning lately, from books I'm in the middle of to shows I've been watching to recent products I've tried or the links to posts I've been enjoying lately. I doubt this roundup will happen
- [Top 5 Tips for Better Vacation Photos](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/07/21/top-5-tips-for-better-vacation-photos/) - I have always been a bit obsessed with taking pictures---it was an obsession that started with the disposable cameras of my girls' camp days that has continued (with ever increasing enthusiasm) to my latest DSLR purchase. In my friend circle growing up, I was generally the one who could be counted on to capture everything
- [No More Trying to Be Superwoman {Updated}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/09/17/no-more-trying-to-be-superwoman-updated/) - (I originally posted this in September of 2012 while I was trying to manage things at home while being a totally stressed-out first-year teacher. I thought it was a timely thing for me to re-post today, and I've updated some of it to fit my life now and my current focus of trying to lose
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/10/10-on-10-4/) - It's been a roller coaster month, full of cautious highs and terrifying lows, but I somehow still managed to stick with my habit of taking a photo a day. Take a look. 1// Learning new tricks all the time, from scooping the cookies (mostly) by herself to putting on her own boots (even if
- [We Believe in a Low-Key Valentine's Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/15/we-believe-in-a-low-key-valentines-day/) - I've never been one to have strong opinions about Valentine's Day-- I've never hated the holiday (even on the admittedly rare Valentine's Day when I was unattached), nor have I ever expected mounds of attention and gifts to be lavished on me. Growing up, my mom would usually make a nicer-than-usual breakfast on the holiday
- [My Unpopular Opinions on (Some Very Popular) Books](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/16/my-unpopular-opinions-on-some-very-popular-books/) - I saw this blog post idea ages ago on the Lady Okie blog (who saw it originally on this blog), and I've had it in my head ever since that I wanted to do one myself (so thanks to Amanda and Kate for the inspiration!). I've been thinking for awhile that I wanted to do
- [Birth: Always a Miracle](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/22/birth-always-a-miracle/) - On Monday morning (veeeeery early), I got to witness my third birth (of someone other than my own child). And, as a labor and delivery nurse once remarked to me while I was cooing over one of these new arrivals, "You know, I've been doing this for years...and it never gets old. Birth is
- [Tax Returns, Tantrums + 3 Other Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/23/tax-returns-tantrums-3-other-things/) - 1. I've always been the type to file my tax return as soon as humanly possible because in the history of me filing taxes, I have always, ALWAYS gotten a return. In years past, Matt and I did various things with our returns--- The year we were married, I convinced Matt to use his
- [Confession: I Feel Guilty Abandoning Books](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/24/confession-i-feel-guilty-abandoning-books/) - I have a theory that readers tend to lean towards one of two tendencies--- Either they feel the need to push through and finish a book (even if they don't like the book at all), or They grow restless if a book doesn't pick up fast enough or if it slows down too much
- [I Love Being a SAHM, But I Don't Always Enjoy It](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/02/28/i-love-being-a-sahm-but-i-dont-always-enjoy-it/) - It's been a rough start to the week, with February blowing out in a flurry of snow and ice and cold temperatures (nothing new here) and my head feeling like a drifting balloon due to the fact that I'm hyped up on Mucinex (thanks to my first big cold of the winter...woo hoo). I have
- [What To Do When You're Losing Steam on Your Goals](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/02/what-to-do-when-youre-losing-steam-on-your-goals/) - We've somehow all ended up in March already, inching right up on a quarter of the year over and gone. For me, I like to revisit my new year's resolutions every few months or so to make sure I'm still on track, and to re-evaluate if necessary. This year, I kept my resolutions much
- [The Motherhood Diaries: A Failed Bubble Bath](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/03/the-motherhood-diaries-a-failed-bubble-bath/) - While I've been pretty good about blogging three times a week for many months now, there are still many, many things I don't include here on the blog. Sometimes I don't include some events because they're too mundane (like us eating leftover homemade mac & cheese for lunch today for about the 3rd time
- [My Husband's Best Quality](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/06/my-husbands-best-quality/) - Ask my family or friends or any of my ex-boyfriends and they'll confirm it--- I dated quite a lot in my not-quite-a-decade-long dating career. This means that I always have a plethora of highly entertaining material if the conversation lulls and the group at large just needs a fabulously awful train wreck of a story
- [To Blog or to Clean?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/08/to-blog-or-to-clean/) - Even though I am now a full-time stay-at-home mom, I feel like my time to really "get things done" is still quite limited. (If you ever wonder why, borrow a toddler for an afternoon and try to get something productive done. Just try it.) Basically, I only tend to be super productive during her
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/10/10-on-10-3/) - You'd think with February being a short month that I'd have an easier time pretending that I was actually going to stick with just 10, but no such luck---I actually feel like I had MORE great pictures than usual that show what we've been up to over the past month. So here goes our (more
- [Our New Addition](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/24/our-new-addition/) - For the first time since we found out Matt's Dad was in the ER back in January, I went a whole week without blogging. I think that's kind of how it is, though--- I post the initial post about what's going on (see exhibit A about Matt's Dad and exhibit B about my miscarriage),
- [Why I Need to Plan for Fun](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/27/why-i-need-to-plan-for-fun/) - I once read a blog post a long time ago (and of course, I can't for the life of me remember where) that people tend to fall between two tendencies---the tendency to favor work, or the tendency to favor play. For those who favor play, it's best that their to-do list comprises items that
- [The Library is Basically Running My Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/29/the-library-is-basically-running-my-life/) - A couple of years ago, to save ourselves space, sanity, and money, I made an important decision--- I was only going to let myself buy books that fit one of the following three criteria: A) Books I have read and loved and planned to reread again (usually nonfiction, since there are very few fiction titles
- [It's Official: I'm Growing Out My Bangs](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/03/31/its-official-im-growing-out-my-bangs/) - Things you'll most likely never hear a woman say pretty much ever: "Bangs are just soooo easy to style and take care of!" "I love how great my bangs look while I'm trying to grow them out!" and "I have never, EVER regretted getting bangs." The fact is, bangs take a lot of maintenance, styling,
- [How I'm Retraining My Inner Weather-(Wo)man to Stop Predicting Storms](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/03/how-im-retraining-my-inner-weather-woman-to-stop-predicting-storms/) - Whenever something terrible happens (especially something unexpected), I am not one to flee into the dregs of doubt or anger or even the common "Why me?" way of thinking. I usually am quick to accept, quick to cling to my faith, and quick to try and move on with the new reality. While I've
- [Letting My Harry Potter Freak Flag Fly + Thoughts on Cursed Child](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/06/letting-my-harry-potter-freak-flag-fly-thoughts-on-cursed-child/) - Note: There are some affiliate links in this post through Amazon Associates, which means I get a small percentage of any purchase made, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting To Love and To Learn! Although I've briefly mentioned in countless posts how I was listening to Harry Potter in the car while
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/10/10-on-10-2/) - It's been a very full month, full of lots of ups and downs and some great times with family and friends. Most of the big things will eventually get their own posts with their own pictures, but I'm trying to keep these 10 on 10 posts centered around the daily little moments I don't want
- [Today, You Are Two](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/12/today-you-are-two/) - Dear Raven, Two years ago, in the purple darkness of the morning just before the dawn broke, I was in the throes of labor, exhausted from a night of focused relaxation against the intense pressure of the laboring process. But I knew you were close, and I gained heart as the doctor told me
- [Trying to Make Birthdays About More Than the Presents](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/14/trying-to-make-birthdays-about-more-than-the-presents/) - Ever since my big decluttering project in 2013 (aka, 50 Weeks to Organized), I've become increasingly wary of bringing new stuff into our home. Not only does new stuff (often) represent money spent, but it also represents stuff that I now have to find a place for in our small apartment, stuff that I
- [Some Impromptu Easter Portraits](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/17/some-impromptu-easter-portraits/) - Alternate title: Don't let these pictures fool you (taking good pictures with a two-year-old is HARD). Honestly, our Easter would have been about as perfect as we could have imagined it except for one little problem--- I seem to have contracted The Plague over the last 72 hours. A few weeks ago, both Matt and
- [The Last of the Pregnant Days + A New Baby! {June in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/09/the-last-of-the-pregnant-days-a-new-baby-june-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter--and now my son, too--every day since they were born, and this is a GREAT place
- [And It's Time to Slow Down {July Goals + June Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/05/and-its-time-to-slow-down-july-goals-june-goals-recap/) - I remarked to Matt that if I were still pregnant, July would have seemed excruciatingly slow in coming, but as it stands, with a two-week-old baby in the house and with evidence everywhere of the upheaval of life as we knew it before, we hit the 1st of the month without a single new monthly
- [The Ups and Downs of Becoming a Parent for the 2nd Time](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/07/01/the-ups-and-downs-of-becoming-a-parent-for-the-2nd-time/) - We are now almost two weeks into this whole parents-of-two business, and one thing is for sure (at least in our experience): The transition from one to two has NOT been quite the smooth sailing experience that everyone seemed to tell me it would be. Ever since I started paying attention, it seems that the
- [One Year in Our New House (+ 8 Things I've Learned as a New Homeowner)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/27/one-year-in-our-new-house-8-things-ive-learned-as-a-new-homeowner/) - As of last Sunday, we have been living in our new house for a whole year. While on the one hand that seems so crazy, we have felt so welcomed here and so much like this is where we're supposed to be that it doesn't seem really that surprising at all. (I do wonder, though,
- [My Personal History with Money](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/12/my-personal-history-with-money/) - Personal finance has always been a big interest of mine, and if I were ever to go back to school and get a degree in something totally unrelated to my first field (English/Education), I would totally go into finance. Over the years, I've included a lot of tips I've picked up about saving money and
- [(Probably) My Last Pregnancy Update + Maternity Shoot Pics](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/15/probably-my-last-pregnancy-update-maternity-shoot-pics/) - The feeling of time this pregnancy has been all over the place--I felt like the first 20 weeks could not have flown by any faster (and could scarcely believe we were already at our 20-week gender reveal and anatomy ultrasound), only to have the next 3 months of the pregnancy drag on for what felt
- [A Babymoon of Sorts + Changed Church Responsibilities {May in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/06/a-babymoon-of-sorts-changed-church-responsibilities-may-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me to
- [Final Sprint to the Finish {June Goals + May Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/06/01/final-sprint-to-the-finish-june-goals-may-goals-recap/) - Here we are, the 1st of another new month, which means it's time to update you all on my monthly goals. I've been setting monthly goals for quite a long time now, but it's only been recently I've started posting them on the blog to keep myself more accountable. Note: There may be affiliate
- [Farmer's Market Date (+ My Favorite Waffle Recipe)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/07/15/summer-dating-challenge-farmers-market/) - I've been intending to do one of the fun summer date ideas I posted about for awhile now, and Saturday, we were finally able to scratch up some time. Here's the summary of the date idea copied and pasted from the other post: Go to a local farmers' market (check out Local Harvest's website
- [Checkpoint #1: 101 in 1001 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/29/checkpoint-1-101-in-1001-list/) - Seeing as we're now almost halfway through the year (seriously?!), I figured it was high time to do my first check-in with my 101 in 1001 goals, which I set in lieu of the traditional new year's resolutions this year. One thing I've loved about doing this type of list instead is that it has
- [Listening to My Body: A Lesson I Need to Learn Over and Over](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/25/listening-to-my-body-a-lesson-i-need-to-learn-over-and-over/) - I have always been blessed with an abundance of energy and motivation, it seems like--I've always had a high drive to set goals and aim high and go for personal bests. Overall, this is a Good Thing--in fact, I'd count it as one of the things I actually like most about myself. But as
- [Here's What's Cooking . . . Perfect Dinner Rolls](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2012/07/13/heres-whats-cooking-perfect-dinner-rolls/) - The search for the perfect dinner roll is over, my friends, and you didn't even have to go through a million and three recipes like me to get there. You're welcome. Warning: these rolls are the fluffiest, smelliest (in a good way), yummiest rolls in the whole world, and I bet you a batch of
- [7 Years Lucky Together](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/07/7-years-lucky-together/) - Today, Matt and I celebrate our "Lucky 7" Anniversary (though we won't be doing much out of the ordinary to celebrate, as we already went out for our anniversary about a week and a half ago). In honor of the day, I thought I'd share 7 little facts about us: 1) We met in high
- [Garden Projects Most Weekends, Birthday Celebrations, + Baby Animals {April in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/03/garden-projects-birthday-celebrations-april-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me to
- [Almost Crushin' It {May Goals + April Goals Recap}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/05/01/almost-crushin-it-may-goals-april-goals-recap/) - Even though I don't FEEL as motivated as usual half the time (I blame pregnancy exhaustion), I'm still having enough huge pushes of energy and inspiration to somehow ensure that I've been doing *fairly* well on my monthly goals. I'm sure a lot of it is because I am, at heart, a procrastinator---I thrive by
- [When You Know You're About to Leave Your Comfort Zone](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/30/when-you-know-youre-about-to-leave-your-comfort-zone/) - Something I've been thinking about more and more as the time gets closer for Baby #2's arrival is that we are quickly nearing the end of our comfort zone as we currently know it---a comfort zone that's been solidly in place for around a year, if not more. With my daughter's whole first year of
- [20 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Clean the House](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/06/17/19-ways-to-motivate-yourself-to-clean-the-house/) - Here's a Torrie Truth for ya--- I am most motivated when I am incredibly busy, under a deadline, and/or stressed out of my mind. That is probably why I continually put things off until the last minute, even though I know it's an unhealthy behavior. What can I say? I'm a procrastinator and proud of
- [My New "Absolute Daily Minimum" Chore List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/19/my-new-absolute-daily-minimum-chore-list/) - About a month ago, I read a blog post that I've been thinking about ever since--- Basically, the post was all about why you should create a list of things you will do every single day in order to bring a greater sense of purpose/peace/fulfillment/order to your life. The catch? This list has to be
- [This is What Aging 15 Years Looks Like](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/10/05/this-is-what-aging-15-years-looks-like/) - Looking at pictures of myself now at 30, it's tempting for me to say that I haven't aged much (especially since I've basically stuck with the same hairstyle(ish) more or less for several years in a row now) and because I'm only *slightly* starting to get little wrinkles around my eyes and forehead and
- [After Almost Two Decades, I Finally Know My Natural Haircolor Again](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/17/after-almost-two-decades-i-finally-know-my-natural-haircolor-again/) - Last Friday, I got a haircut. Not that anyone will notice, as it was just a trim (she took 3 inches off) and an aggressive thinning out of my super-thick mane. Really, there was nothing notable about the cut--it's basically the same cut I've been getting for over 3 years now, with the exception that
- [Final Grade On My Spring Term "Assigned Reading"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/04/final-grade-on-my-spring-term-assigned-reading/) - I decided school years must go a lot faster when you're not actually, you know, teaching during one because I kind of can't believe I'm already about to start the last quarter of this academic year. (If you’re just tuning in, at the beginning of this “school year,” I decided to set myself some assigned
- [3 Years Ago, I Became a Better Me](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/12/3-years-ago-i-became-a-better-me/) - As I've mentioned before, motherhood has been both everything and nothing like what I thought it would be. Three years ago, literally at the same moment the sun crested the mountains visible through our hospital room window, my daughter came into the world, healthy and pink and with the cutest little cry I'd ever heard
- [Gettin' Stuff Done Before Crunch Time {April Goals}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/04/02/gettin-stuff-done-before-crunch-time-april-goals/) - Although I've been setting monthly goals for quite some now (well over a year, along with sporadic bouts of it before that point), I hadn't publicly posted most of them on the blog until recently. However, for the extra dose of accountability and to keep me motivated (especially before Baby #2 comes in July
- [Bookworm Confession: Reading Just One Book at a Time Drives Me CRAZY](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/28/bookworm-confession-reading-just-one-book-at-a-time-drives-me-crazy/) - Since making myself a fun little "Assigned Reading" list back in September for the school year, I have noticed a distinct pattern---without fail, I have finished my "personal development" (usually self-help or religious nonfiction book) first, read the YA pick within a few days of starting it, and then I've left the so-called "Hard Hitter"
- [I'm All About Simple Living, But I Still Need 3 Wardrobes](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/27/im-all-about-simple-living-but-i-still-need-3-wardrobes/) - One of my goals this pregnancy has been to take at least a weekly photo of myself, something I avoided as much as possible when I was pregnant with my first (or at least I did once I reached a certain point in the pregnancy). Since I haven't been doing regular pregnancy updates here on
- [Open Heart Surgery](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/25/open-heart-surgery/) - No, this is not a post wherein I reveal some devastating medical scare (thank goodness)--- This is a post where I talk about a book that, at just over 100 pages, has managed to change my life...probably forever (and I mean that literally). In fact, it was this book that caused me to stay up
- [A Valentine Exchange in the ER + A Gender Reveal {February in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/03/05/february-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me to
- [Pregnancy Update: Halfway Through](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/28/pregnancy-update-halfway-through/) - Like I mentioned in a previous post, I never planned to do super regular pregnancy updates on here, but because I had several readers request in my reader survey that they wanted me to do "lots of them," I figured I'd at least better give a couple. As of yesterday (2/27), I am 21 weeks
- [Bookworm Confession #7: I Only "Count" Books I've Read Cover to Cover](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/26/bookworm-confession-7-i-only-count-books-ive-read-cover-to-cover/) - I semi-recently read a post by a book blogger who said she read something like 150 titles last year, and that she had only "counted" all the books that she made it to at least page fifty on. I was floored... People actually COUNTED books they hadn't read all of? The horror! The horror! But
- [Why I Challenged Myself to a No-TV Week](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/19/why-i-put-myself-on-a-tv-ban/) - Remember in elementary school, when every year there was always a big push to challenge yourself to a "No-T.V. Week"? For me, being the avid reader I was, No-T.V. Week was never too big of a deal--it's not like I dreaded it or anything. Sure, I had my television programs I liked to watch--Bewitched and
- [My New Rules for Book Buying (+ What I've Bought Since Instigating Them)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/15/my-new-rules-for-book-buying-what-ive-bought-since-instigating-them/) - About a year and some-odd months ago, I wrote a post about our (ahem, mostly my) spending habits when it came to certain discretionary spending categories (such as clothing, books, movies, etc.). In it, I shared that for several years running, I had usually spend upwards of $350-400 every year on purchasing more books (not
- [A Day in Our Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/12/a-day-in-our-life/) - One year ago, almost to the day, I did a "Day in the Life" post to chronicle a semi-typical day for me as a stay-at-home mom, and at the end, I wrote that I should make it a yearly tradition (since though our daily habits might seem routine/normal/even mundane at times for me in the
- [My New 3, 5, and 10-Year Plan](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/07/my-new-3-5-and-10-year-plan/) - In the hours leading up to when I would officially turn 30 (back in 2016), I suddenly realized that all the long-term plans I'd set for myself had basically all stopped at 30. Perhaps it was because that was as far in the future as my 20-year-old self could think, or perhaps it was
- [Obviously, Vomit Was Involved Again + The Flu Too for Some Variety! {January in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/02/02/obviously-vomit-was-involved-again-the-flu-too-for-some-variety-january-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me to
- [Secret Family Recipe: "My Boys' Favorite Cookies"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/31/secret-family-recipe-my-boys-favorite-cookies/) - The past few family recipes I've shared have all been from MY side of the family, but luckily for me, I married into a family of phenomenal cooks (especially my mother-in-law, who has the happy talent of being able to seemingly come up with delicious meals out of the most random odds and ends, and
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 49](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2014/01/29/50-weeks-to-organized-week-49/) - I know that 2013 is over (and thus, also, is my "50 Weeks to Organized" project), but what I didn't tell you was that I still haven't finished posting about my last two projects. So today, you get my second-to-last project of the year (Jewelry) that I had been putting off until the end only because I
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 47 (Photos)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/12/30/50-weeks-to-organized-week-47-photos/) - Here we are, mere days away from the end of the year, and I'm still tying up the last of my organization project for the year. I would have posted on today's subject (photos) about 2-3 weeks ago, but you'll see later on in the post why I waited. For basically my whole life (well,
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 39](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/09/25/50-weeks-to-organized-week-39/) - So you might have thought I'd forgotten all about my 50 Weeks to Organized project--- But nope. In fact, I myself was kind of freaking out about the whole thing the other day, thinking there was no way I'd get everything done in the next 11 weeks, but then I realized something: after the
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 29](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/07/18/50-weeks-to-organized-week-29/) - Seeing as I saved most of my Big Projects for summer, it probably seems as though I haven't been focusing as much on simplifying and de-cluttering as before, but that would be grossly untrue: in fact, this room I'm about to show you has been a constant project for me since I decided to do this challenge
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 26](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/06/28/50-weeks-to-organized-week-26/) - Well, here I am: a little more than halfway through this "50 Weeks to Organized" business and wondering how much real progress has been made. I have learned an important lesson about decluttering this week though: I've learned that I can't let "perfect" be the enemy of the "good enough for now." When I started
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 24](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/06/12/50-weeks-to-organized-week-24/) - After my month of not worrying about anything organizational, it was a bit tough to come back to the game, especially when my spare bedroom looked like this: It is in moments like this that I know I should be mortified to post some of these "before" shots, but one of my number-one blogging rules
- [This Kind of Feels Like Defeat, But Not](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/05/13/this-kind-of-feels-like-defeat-but-not/) - Okay, let's get real, folks: the last month of your first year of teaching is really, REALLY busy/stressful/emotional/tiring/draining/sleep-deprived/crazy. You know it's bad when one of your favorite hobbies (blogging) is starting to feel like just one more thing on that monstrous to-do list. You know it's REALLY bad when you're stressing yourself sick over
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 18](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/05/05/50-weeks-to-organized-week-18/) - If you are a teacher of any kind at all, you will have a hefty paperload: assignments/tests to grade, articles to read, curriculum outlines, lesson plans, literature printouts, etc. But if you are a Language Arts or English teacher (like I am), you can bet that your paper load will be about triple or quadruple of
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 17](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/04/29/50-weeks-to-organized-week-17/) - I start this post with two warnings: one, you will see that it is self-evident from the pictures below that my hubby and I have a teensy little problem when it comes to buying movies, and two, there are no "before" pictures (mostly just because to the regular eye, you probably wouldn't see
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 16](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/04/17/50-weeks-to-organized-week-16/) - In last week's organizational post, I moaned about how I would probably regret choosing to tackle the filing cabinet this week (especially since we're hitting midterms and parent-teacher conferences this week at the school). Surprisingly, I actually ended up getting most of it done over the weekend instead of procrastinating it all until the last
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 15](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/04/11/50-weeks-to-organized-week-15/) - Okay, let's be real for a moment: I'm having a really hard time keeping up with this whole "50 Weeks to Organized" project. No, this is not an "I'm going to give up" post--this is an "I'm finding this whole process a lot harder than I thought it would be and a lot of the
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 14](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/04/04/50-weeks-to-organized-week-14/) - Sorry I'm posting this a day late--like I mentioned Tuesday, we currently don't have the Internet at our apartment, and since I'm on spring break and all, I'm having to get creative with where I do my blogging. Seeing as how I actually wanted a bit of time to relax on my spring break, I'm
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 13](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/03/28/50-weeks-to-organized-week-13/) - Go figure that this week just happens to be the unlucky 13--it seemed like every day that I normally would be doing my organization project, something came up or happened so that I no longer was able to do it. And then, when this morning came and I still hadn't even started to look through
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week Twelve](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/03/20/50-weeks-to-organized-week-twelve/) - Sometimes as I do these posts, I wonder if I should be embarrassed to let the world see some of these horrendous "before" pictures (kind of like my "before" picture of the car, since it is proof of how much I love Tootsie Rolls.) But with each week, I try to squash any feelings of
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week Eleven](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/03/13/50-weeks-to-organized-week-eleven/) - Despite feeling a bit under the weather this last weekend, I still managed to take about 3 hours to go through all my clothes and revamp my whole closet scheme. I managed to part with almost 60 items of clothing and/or shoes, and I felt so invigorated by the whole business that I made
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week Ten](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/03/07/50-weeks-to-organized-week-ten/) - Well, here I am--a fifth of the way through this challenge, and I still feel like I have a LOOOONG way to go. Of course, that's partly because the last couple weeks my challenges have been pretty small (so I haven't noticed as much of an overall difference in our apartment), but it's nice to
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week Nine](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/02/27/50-weeks-to-organized-week-nine/) - Okay, I'll confess: I'm a bit embarrassed to let you see the before shots on what was in my purse. I knew it had gotten bad (really bad), but I guess I was still in a slight state of denial because I had somehow let it get to this: And, if you really want to
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 8](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/02/21/50-weeks-to-organized-week-8/) - I was just remarking to Matt that I don't seem to realize how much I need organization in my life until I see the Before/After pictures side by side. Take this last challenge, for example--in my head, I was thinking that our kitchen drawers really weren't too bad. (Well, I knew our main utensil drawer
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 7](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/02/14/50-weeks-to-organized-week-7/) - Well, I knew it would happen eventually--a week when I really didn't want to buckle down and get organized. When I didn't want to face my "stuff" for two more seconds. When I just wanted to sit down when I had a spare minute (a rare oddity) and watch a movie and eat red love
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 6](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/02/06/50-weeks-to-organized-week-6/) - Ever since I knew I would be doing this challenge, I have been looking forward to being able to finally organize our pantry and food storage. Like, I've been literally counting down the weeks until we'd be able to afford the massive shelf it would take. (For the to-do list for organizing the pantry, go
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 5](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/01/30/50-weeks-to-organized-week-5/) - So this last week's challenge was all about organizing my recipes, and although I knew I needed to go through all mine, I didn't realize how out of control it had gotten. I mean, by the end of it, I had gotten rid of over TWENTY-FIVE cookbooks and cooking magazines. That's just crazy. And as
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 4](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/01/23/50-weeks-to-organized-week-4/) - Even though we regularly (okay, every 3 or so months) clean out our fridge, I was still a little wary of last week's to-do list. I mean, I knew there were containers hanging out in the back that had been there since skinny jeans started becoming big, and I was a little nervous to find
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 3](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/01/16/50-weeks-to-organized-week-3/) - If you remember from last week's post, this week's challenge was all about clearing the clutter from the countertops in the kitchen. Since the kitchen is THE place to be in our apartment, it is also the place that tends to accumulate junk the quickest. A few things were immediately apparent: *I needed a place
- [50 Weeks to Organized: Week 2](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/01/09/50-weeks-to-organized-week-2/) - If you've been following along, you'll know that last week's task (and my first task of the year) was to take on the clutter of my living room. I figured I'd start there since it's the first room people see (including myself), so it sets the tone for the rest of our home. If
- [Results of My First Reader Survey](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/22/results-of-my-first-reader-survey/) - As I mentioned when I shared the initial post with the blog survey, in around a decade of blogging, I've never once done a survey asking for general feedback from my readers. For the first five years or so, it was because I didn't even know reader surveys were "a thing," and for the last
- [11 Free/Cheap Ways to Get Out of the House in the Winter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/18/11-free-cheap-ways-to-get-out-of-the-house-in-the-winter/) - While I overall LOVE the chance to stay at home (and appreciate it greatly, maybe even more so because I had to work the first year of Raven's life), there ARE aspects of it that can become a bit wearing after awhile. After going through somewhat of a SAHM identity crisis last year, I
- [Life After My 50 Weeks to Organized Project (+ An Apartment Tour)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2015/08/20/life-after-my-50-weeks-to-organized-project-an-apartment-tour/) - The fact that the years pass by quickly is a truth pretty much every adult has internalized, and it seems like every other week, I hit the anniversary of some momentous event in my life with yet another year tacked onto it. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how it's been over a year
- [My Weirdly Effective Technique for Keeping our Table Clear of Clutter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2016/01/30/my-weirdly-effective-technique-for-keeping-our-table-clear-of-clutter/) - ***CONFESSION*** Our kitchen table (and all of our kitchen counters, for that matter) are almost always filled with clutter of some kind. After my 50 Weeks to Organized Project back in 2013, I got really good at keeping certain surfaces clean, like the bathroom counter--a major win--and the tops of "decorative surfaces," like the
- [50 Weeks to Organized - Week 1](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2013/01/03/50-weeks-to-organized-week-1/) - And it begins--my biggest new year's resolution of the year (possibly my biggest resolution of all time): The quest to become organized. In case you missed my announcement of my intentions, my new year's resolution for 2013 is to spend the next 50 weeks focusing on organizing different areas of my life and home. My
- [Things I'm Doing Differently This Pregnancy](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/08/things-im-doing-differently-this-pregnancy/) - Although there are a few drawbacks to this not being my first pregnancy (I started showing a lot sooner, I knew what symptoms I was already dreading), I've liked going into this pregnancy feeling like I at least knew mostly what to expect and what was going on. And, importantly, I also knew what things
- [Matt Throwing Up in Public This Time + The Busiest Christmas Season Ever {December in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/05/matt-throwing-up-in-public-this-time-the-busiest-christmas-season-ever-december-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me
- [17 Things I Learned in 2017](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2018/01/03/17-things-i-learned-in-2017/) - I try to have all end-of-year wrap-up posts done by, well, the end of the year, but you guys---this first trimester nausea/fatigue combo mixed with me getting sick over and over again with the various viruses going around have just knocked me flat for weeks, I've felt. So, although I'm still feeling sick, both
- [Top IG Pics + Blog Posts of 2017](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/28/top-ig-pics-blog-posts-of-2017/) - This week after Christmas but before the New Year has always been a favorite of mine, though this year I'll admit my enthusiasm has been dampened a bit by the fact that I still have some lingering nausea and fatigue at the end of my first trimester. Over the years, I've done a lot of
- [Deck the Halls...With a New Couch!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/22/deck-the-halls-with-a-new-couch/) - I wasn't sure if it would ever happen in my lifetime, but here we are---the proud owners of a brand-new couch! People, I've lived on my own (aka, not with my parents) for about 12 years now, and in all that time, I have NEVER owned a new couch. For years, whatever apartment I
- [Baby Animal Days, Take Two](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/18/baby-animal-days-take-two/) - I've mentioned before that it's perhaps best not to get our expectations up too high when it comes to taking our daughter to try new things---while we often expect that she'll react one way (aka, with unbridled enthusiasm and excitement), she often has the opposite reaction of what we'd want (fear, anxiety, trepidation, uncertainty).
- [A Photo Dump of the Rest of Easter & Raven's B-day (aka, the last 2 weekends)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/19/a-photo-dump-of-the-rest-of-easter-ravens-b-day-aka-the-last-2-weekends/) - Back when I was still a regular journaler, there would be stretches of time where so much would happen in a small space of time that I felt too overwhelmed to write about it, so I would put it off...and keep putting it off and off and off, until finally, sometimes weeks or even months
- [Sometimes I Make Cookies When I'm Cutting Down on Sugar](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/04/28/sometimes-i-make-cookies-when-im-cutting-down-on-sugar/) - No, this is not a post about me making "faux" cookies with healthy ingredients like dates and spelt-or-whatever-you-call-it flour. This is a post about how for three days over the past week, I succeeded in going without sugar, and how on the other four days, I ate cookies whose recipe called for a whole
- [The Highs and Lows of Life Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/01/the-highs-and-lows-of-life-lately/) - Let's play a fun little game wherein you, dear reader, are left to figure out for yourselves which statement belongs with which designation (aka, high or low). (Hint: I haven't made it extraordinarily difficult for you.) Last Monday, we finally took Raven to the doctor to see why she wasn't getting any better (to
- [Guess Who Got Prequalified for a Home Loan?!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/05/guess-who-got-prequalified-for-a-home-loan/) - Well friends, it looks like this is really going to happen this year (or that's the new plan at least)--- We're officially in the market for a house! There were a lot of reasons we decided to change our initial plan (which was to save a full 20% down payment before we started our search),
- [Happy 6th Anniversary to Us!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/08/happy-6th-anniversary-to-us/) - The first year we were married, we rented our first apartment together, I graduated from college, we both suffered through the worst jobs we've ever had, and we finished our first (and maybe last) marathon together, hand in hand. The second year we were married, I landed my first teaching job, we went on an
- [10 on 10](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/10/10-on-10/) - I've gotten all thrown off on my usual M/W/F posting schedule because I've been feeling a bit exhausted by this whole house-hunting thing (which is ridiculous, really, since we have hardly even started). But I was determined not to let the 10th pass by without doing my usual 10 on 10, so I've forced myself
- [I Want to Be That Mom For You](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/15/i-want-to-be-that-mom-for-you/) - In the hustle of each day, I don't always take time out to think about my goals as a mother, as a wife, as a friend. Often, I'm just so preoccupied trying to feel like I'm keeping up that I forget to look up and make sure I'm headed in the right direction. I'm
- [Because Sometimes You Just Need to Get Away...or At Least, It's Nice To](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/17/because-sometimes-you-just-need-to-get-away-or-at-least-its-nice-to/) - Before becoming a parent, I was totally behind the idea that sometimes, you just need to get away from your troubles for awhile to sort of hit the "refresh" button on your life. And Matt and I were fairly good at taking those breaks---we usually took a vacation together over spring break, we (okay,
- [So We Made an Offer on a House...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/19/so-we-made-an-offer-on-a-house/) - It's funny, because the home-buying process has been not at all like what I expected--- I expected us to perhaps wait for a home in one of those areas we really liked, or I expected that we would go and see scores of houses before finally settling on The One. And when we did find
- [Buying a Home is No Joke + 4 Other Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/24/buying-a-home-is-no-joke-4-other-things/) - 1. We've been fortunate in that we largely feel this home we're in the process of buying is a really good fit for us and that, in many ways, it does seem that it was "meant to be." So while my emotions--which usually tend towards anxiety and worry--have been surprisingly at peace throughout the
- [Why I'm Scared to Take a Blogging Break](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/26/why-im-scared-to-take-a-blogging-break/) - You may or may not have noticed that I haven't been blogging as much as I was before. (In case you need a breakdown of my "usual" blogging schedule, I usually blog on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, which equates to around 12 times a month). By any standard of regular blogging, 12 times a month
- [Resolutions Recap for 2017 (Yes, From Way Back in January!)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/05/resolutions-recap-for-2017-yes-from-way-back-in-january/) - First off, I am fully aware that there are still three and a half weeks left in the year and thus, a solid 26 days left to me to line up the last of my ducks in a row. However, as past Decembers have proved time and time again, I rarely make any progress on
- [Throwing Up in Public + Two Thanksgiving Celebrations {November in a Sentence a Day}](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/12/01/throwing-up-in-public-two-thanksgiving-celebrations-november-in-a-sentence-a-day/) - If you’re new around these parts, this monthly series is an exercise in brevity as I try (sometimes not very hard) to summarize each day of our month in one sentence. (Also, I’ve been taking a picture of my daughter every day since she was born, and this is a GREAT place for me to
- [Final Grade on My Fall Term "Assigned Reading"](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/27/final-grade-on-my-fall-term-assigned-reading/) - Back in September, I wrote a post about how I sometimes missed being in school and how, though my reading life has been thriving more lately than it ever has before in my adult life, I still often feel like the majority of my reads are "fluff" reads---not the deep stuff of substance and heft
- [Holiday Food is My Kryptonite (Health(ier) Habits, Vol. VII)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/11/17/holiday-food-is-my-kryptonite-healthier-habits-vol-vii/) - Welcome to Health(ier) Habits, a series I started to help keep me on track with my goals to stay healthy, even when (ESPECIALLY when) I don’t always see the progress or results that I would like to as quickly as I would like to! Every two weeks, I list out my progress on my recent
- [Not to Brag, But I've Kinda Been Killin' It Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/05/31/not-to-brag-but-ive-kinda-been-killin-it-lately/) - It's no secret that we had a really rough start to our year---already by the end of March, we'd dealt with death and illness and loss and tragedy, and there was a point around the beginning of April where I was so beset with anxiety over what was lurking around the corner for us
- [5 Products that Surprisingly Make My Life Better](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/01/5-products-that-surprisingly-make-my-life-better/) - If you know me at all, you know I'm not one to push consumerism---I'm all for the old adage to "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." On most days, my goal is to spend absolutely nothing, so I'm not one to really seek out new products or to find
- [I Used to Be Scared of Two-Year-Olds](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/06/i-used-to-be-scared-of-two-year-olds/) - Three and a half years ago, I wrote a post all about how my feelings were finally starting to change around the whole idea of motherhood. In that post, I alluded to the fact that I'd never been baby hungry, and that though I knew that I eventually wanted to be a mom, I was
- [Are We Still Pretending This is Actually Just 10 on 10?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/10/are-we-still-pretending-this-is-actually-just-10-on-10/) - (Because you all should know by now I'm incapable of narrowing it down to just 10 pictures.) 1 // Yogurt face. Also, I live with two people with ridiculous eyelashes. That's all. 2 // The obsession with dandelions continues. 3 // We started pulling back all of her hair into a ponytail for the first
- [Trying Not to Stink at Waiting...and Failing.](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/12/trying-not-to-stink-at-waiting-and-failing/) - On a scale of one to Freaking Out, I am currently at "out-of-my-mind-and-making-cookies-all-the-time" (which, for the record, registers somewhere around an 8.2). You see, we were supposed to close on our new house last Friday. Then we were supposed to close again today at 4:00. And... It's looking like that won't happen either (although it
- [Aaaaand...We're Officially Homeowners!](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/13/aaaaand-were-officially-homeowners/) - Well, it's official---as of this afternoon, we legitimately are the actual and legal owners of something other than a car. It will still be a couple weeks before we actually move everything in, but we're pretty darn excited (in case you couldn't tell!). The main reason why we're not moving in right away is that
- [Happy Daddy Day](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/18/happy-daddy-day/) - Matt and I aren't so great at getting gifts for each other for any holiday other than Christmas...although this year I did, at least, order him a gift for Father's Day from Amazon (though it didn't come in time for him to open it today...sad day...). And because we're basically poor from having just bought
- [12 Things on Our Summer Bucket List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/21/12-things-on-our-summer-bucket-list/) - Even though moving (and everything that goes along with it) is foremost in our minds at the moment, I've still been trying to plan out some fun things we can look forward to this summer so it won't just be house-house-house all the time (which is kind of what it feels like right now). After
- [The Best Moving Tip I Ever Got](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/23/the-best-moving-tip-i-ever-got/) - Well, it's almost here---The Big Move is TOMORROW. Kind of crazy. Although I'm no stranger to moving (I've moved over 15 times since graduating high school), this move feels more momentous. For one, it's our first time moving into an actual house. For two, moves are a lot harder once you're married and
- [Reasons I Already Love Living in a House vs. an Apartment (+ a few drawbacks)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/27/reasons-i-already-love-living-in-a-house-vs-an-apartment-a-few-drawbacks/) - I know we've only lived in our new house for a grand total of about 72 hours, but there are already sooooo many things I'm loving about living in a house vs. living in an apartment. It's funny, because Matt and I had not planned on buying a home this early on---we'd planned to
- [I Have a Problem Finishing Things + The Book That Changed Everything](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/06/30/i-have-a-problem-finishing-things-the-book-that-changed-everything/) - First off, I should clarify---I don't have a problem finishing ALL things. For example, I have no problem finishing books. Or an entire bag of Costco-sized Hershey's kisses by myself. Or following through on commitments I've made to people (usually). No...what I DO have a problem finishing, however, is anything to do with tidiness or
- [The Year is Half Over...Time to Check In](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/03/the-year-is-half-over-time-to-check-in/) - I said in my initial post on my resolutions for 2017 that "this year could honestly go in a lot of different directions," and boy, was I right. For starters, I said that because I was sure I'd be having a baby by the end of the year, which I knew from my experience with
- [How I've Already Read 36 Books This Year](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/07/how-ive-already-read-36-books-this-year/) - First, a caveat-- How many books a person reads in a year (or thinks she can read in a year) varies dramatically, so while for some people, 36 books in six months will seem a small number, for others, that number seems so huge that this post is exhausting you even to read about it.
- [10 on 10 (Half-in-Black-and-White Edition)](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/10/10-on-10-half-in-black-and-white-edition/) - A lot has happened over the last month (and it shows in these pictures, which are a little all over the place). Such can only be expected when one of the events of the past 30 days involved moving to another town. Here we go: 1 // Eatin' grilled cheese ("cheesy toast") for lunch in
- [Confession: Raven's Never Seen Fireworks](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2017/07/14/confession-ravens-never-seen-fireworks/) - I think (super scientifically, of course) that there are two main attitudes of parents, and that people tend to favor one end of the spectrum over the other. The first kind of parent favors schedules, and they will feed their children roughly at the same time each day, enforce naptimes and bedtimes at the same

## Pages

- [About Me](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/about-me/) - Hi! I'm Torrie, husband is Matt, kids are Raven, Mathias (muh-THIGH-us), Hyrum, and Naomi, and this is my blog. Many moms feel like their own dreams and goals have to take a backseat while raising their families, but since goal-setting and self-improvement have always been such a big part of my personality, I really didn't
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- [Recommended Resources](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/recommended-resources/) - Occasionally I'll have people ask me for recommendations for blog hosting, blogging/small business services, etc. Below is a short list of resources I currently use. (These are affiliate links, which means I may get a small commission on any sale at no extra cost to you). For blog hosting: Ramnode My thoughts: Ramnode is one
- [Homemaking + House Projects](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/homemaking-house-projects/) - Some people are naturally good at making and maintaining beautiful homes. I am not one of those people. However, I desperately WANT to be one of those people, so over the years, I've picked up on some tricks and strategies to help me be the best homemaker I can be, and I share them all
- [Books & Reading](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/books-reading/) - Having graduated with my degree in English and having taught Language Arts for four years, I have a LOT to say about the subject of books and reading. Here, you'll find the majority of my book recommendations, my "bookworm confessions," and all good things having to do with the printed word. Book Recommendations: 15 Comfort
- [Simple Living](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/simple-living/) - A few years ago, I embarked on a journey to minimize my possessions to about half of what they were before. Little did I know what a life-changing impact this year-long project would have on me--on my aspirations, on my day-to-day life, and on my happiness and wellbeing. Living simply and striving to keep the
- [Popular Posts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/popular-posts/) - Motherhood-Oriented: Raven Jade: A [Natural] Birth Story This is How I'll Measure You Mom With a Capital "M" Holding On and Letting Go Dermatomyositis-Oriented: That Time Last Week When I Was Diagnosed With an Autoimmune Disease She Ain't Heavy...But I Can't Carry Her When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan Pregnancy-Oriented: 7 Things Never to
- [Sample Page](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/sample-page/) - This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I'm a bike messenger

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- [St. George](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/st-george/)
- [Stay-At-Home-Motherhood](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/stay-at-home-motherhood/)
- [Storage Sheds](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/storage-sheds/)
- [Style Learning Curve](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/style-learning-curve/)
- [Summer](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/summer/)
- [Sunday Delights](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/sunday-delights/)
- [Sunday Portraits](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/sunday-portraits/)
- [Teaching](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/teaching/)
- [Thankful Thursday](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/thankful-thursday/)
- [The Creative Life](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/the-creative-life/)
- [The Little Things](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/the-little-things/)
- [Things That Bring Me Joy](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/things-that-bring-me-joy/)
- [Thoughts On...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/thoughts-on/)
- [Throwback](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/throwback/)
- [To-Enjoy List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/to-enjoy-list/)
- [Today](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/today/)
- [Top 10 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/top-10-list/)
- [Top 5 List](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/top-5-list/)
- [Traditions](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/traditions/)
- [Travel](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/travel/)
- [Travel Tips](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/travel-tips/)
- [Tuesday Tell-All](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/tuesday-tell-all/)
- [Two-Sided](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/two-sided/)
- [Update](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/update/)
- [Utah National Parks](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/utah-national-parks/)
- [Vacations](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/vacations/)
- [Wear It Or Share It](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/wear-it-or-share-it/)
- [Wedding Wednesday](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/wedding-wednesday/)
- [Weekly Writing](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/weekly-writing/)
- [Weight Loss](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/weight-loss/)
- [What I Learned...](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/what-i-learned/)
- [Winter](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/winter/)
- [Work](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/work/)
- [Work/Life Balance](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/worklife-balance/)
- [Working Mom](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/working-mom/)
- [Writing](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/writing/)
- [Yardwork](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/yardwork/)
- [Year in Review](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/year-in-review/)
- [Yellowstone](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/yellowstone/)
- [Yes or No?](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/yes-or-no/)
- [Young Women](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/young-women/)
- [Breads](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/recipes/breads/)
- [Soups](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/recipes/soups/)
- [Main Dish](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/recipes/main-dish/)
- [Secret Family Recipes](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/secret-family-recipes/)
- [Beverages](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/recipes/beverages/)
- [Gift Ideas](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/gift-ideas/)
- [Desserts](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/recipes/desserts/)
- [101 in 1001](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/101-in-1001/)
- [Personal Growth](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/personal-growth/)
- [Birth](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/birth/)
- [Mathias](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/mathias/)
- [Finances](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/finances/)
- [Loving and Learning Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/loving-and-learning-lately/)
- [Save 1000 in 100](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/save-1000-in-100/)
- [Cooking School](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/cooking-school/)
- [Suburban Homestead](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/suburban-homestead/)
- [What the Kids Have Been Loving Lately](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/what-the-kids-have-been-loving-lately/)
- [Kids](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/kids/)
- [Hyrum](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/hyrum/)
- [Interview](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/interview/)
- [Homeschooling](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/homeschooling/)
- [Decluttering](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/decluttering/)
- [Preparedness](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/preparedness/)
- [Food Storage](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/preparedness/food-storage/)
- [Flower Farm](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/flower-farm/)
- [FIRE](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/fire/)
- [Business](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/business/)
- [Zero Food Waste Challenge](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/zero-food-waste-challenge/)
- [Pets](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/pets/)
- [Mortgage Payoff](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/mortgage-payoff/)
- [Goodness and Beauty](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/goodness-and-beauty/)
- [Weekly Frugal Wins](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/weekly-frugal-wins/)
- [Tightwad Gazette Deep Dive](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/tightwad-gazette-deep-dive/)
- [Grocery Spending Report](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/grocery-spending-report/)
- [Budgeting](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/budgeting/)
- [Naomi](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/naomi/)
- [Down Syndrome](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/down-syndrome/)
- [The Homestead Weekly](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/the-homestead-weekly/)
- [Freezer Challenge](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/category/freezer-challenge/)

## Tags

- [Island Park](https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/tag/island-park/)