The Magic of Ordinary

When I reminiscence on my childhood, I remember holidays with my grandparents. My grandma sitting at the table, chopping vegetables and my mom baking fresh, heaping loaves of zucchini bread.

HomeAlyssa BellDecember 6, 2024the magic of ordinary, loving the life you have, practicing gratitude, practicing contentment, Advent, making the moments count, how to be present, holiday season, Christmas time, Christmas with kids, slowing downComment

The Theology of a Child

The theology of a child is often much less about the words in a book and more about the lives we are building for them.

MotherhoodAlyssa BellNovember 15, 2024theology of a child, theology, motherhood, discipling our children, how to disciple children, childhood wonderComment

Legos on the Sidewalk

The other day he was building one of his new sets at my parents’ house next door when I told him it was time to come home. But at some point along the route, he lost a piece.

MotherhoodAlyssa BellNovember 1, 2024motherhood, tired mom, Legos, raising young boys, raising boys, feeling forgotten, feeling unseenComment

Simple Challah Bread Recipe Cards

It was a bit of an experiment, but I created simple recipe cards with pictures that my 4-year-old could decipher. And it’s now something my boys and I do together every Friday afternoon.

Alyssa BellSeptember 20, 2024Comment

The Serious Work of Play

I’m sitting on the sofa in the living room listening to my boys upstairs. They are master players.

MotherhoodAlyssa BellAugust 30, 2024rest, sabbath, the importance of play, doing what you love, the serious work of play, learning from our kidsComment

An Ode To August

We enter in, clinging to the fringes of summer with gripped hands,
Nostalgic for the days we are still living in.

HomeAlyssa BellAugust 23, 2024poetry, august in the south, august, summer, life in the summer Comment

Third Grade Homeschool Curriculum

We are about to enter our third year of homeschooling, and while we have landed on some wonderful rhythms, we are still finding our footing with curriculum we love.

HomeschoolingAlyssa BellAugust 9, 2024homeschooling, homeschool curriculum, middle ages, medieval history, middle ages unit study, homeschool unit study, third grade curriculum, elementary curriculum, homeschool weekly schedule, free weekly homeschool scheduleComment

Because It's Good

Sometimes I wonder if I am not fully walking out in the freedom Christ gifted me. A freedom that says, “You see this world I created? I made it for you to enjoy.”

SpiritualityAlyssa BellAugust 2, 2024how to live with joy, making hard decisions, eat honey because it's good, faith, looking for beauty, contentment, how to be happy Comment

Willa’s Story

Like most birth stories, ours included a cast of characters, props, and twists and turns that kept us on our toes.

MotherhoodAlyssa BellJuly 5, 2024Comment

Making A Homeschool Yearbook

Because I have gone about organizing our yearbook differently the past couple of years, I am going to share potential spread ideas so you can build your own outline.

HomeschoolingAlyssa BellMay 24, 2024homeschooling, homeschool yearbook, DIY homeschool yearbook, perserving memories with kids, how to make a homeschool yearbookComment

The Forgotten Art of Remembrance

The year had been feeling like a bit of a miss in terms of hitting goals and making memories with my boys. I spent the majority of the fall curled up on the corner of the sofa, nauseous and oppressively tired.

Home, HomeschoolingAlyssa BellMay 17, 2024Homeschooling, Homeschool yearbook, Making memories with our kids, good ole days, reflecting on God's goodness, the forgotten art of remembrance, homeschool mom, summer memories Comment

Timeless Childhood Pleasures

Jumping in mud puddles, a bubble bath during the day, popsicles on the porch, a trip to the local library

MotherhoodAlyssa BellApril 19, 2024summer ideas with kids, timeless childhood pleasures, outdoor fun for kids, free fun for kids, family ideas with young kids Comment

Our Weekly Anchors & Rhythms

Last fall and throughout most of the winter, I felt incredibly off-kilter. I had lost a lot of the rhythms that make life not only tolerable but enjoyable. And this Spring, I am slowly bringing them back.

HomeAlyssa BellMarch 8, 2024weekly rhythms, establishing family rhythms, healthy family rhythms, weekly anchors, homeschooling, sabbath, communion, weekly sabbath, finding our rhythm Comment

Why We Sabbath

Years ago, before kids, when Matt and I had all the time in the world, we began a weekly rhythm of celebrating Shabbat.

SpiritualityAlyssa BellFebruary 2, 2024sabbath, why we sabbath, how we sabbath, what sabbath looks like for our family, how to sabbath, what is shabbat, communion as a family, day of rest, resting as a family Comment

How To Be Makers

With our words we bear our souls, say I’m sorry, tell our kids we love them; we fill books and write songs and give speeches and make campaigns.

SpiritualityAlyssa BellJanuary 19, 2024How to be makers, creativity and motherhood, new years resolution, word for the year, how to pick a word for the year, motherhoodComment

Homeschooling Between The Sweet Spots

When you find yourself in seasons that make this journey a little extra hard. When it’s clunky and imperfect and not at all like the beautifully curated photos filling your Pinterest feed.

HomeschoolingAlyssa BellJanuary 5, 2024when homeschooling is hard, strugging with homeschooling, homeschool, homeschool mom, homeschooling multiples, encouragement for homeschool momsComment

The Most Beautiful Kind Of Home

Alyssa BellSeptember 29, 2023Comment

Goodbye Summer, Hello (More?) Summer

Home, HomeschoolingAlyssa BellAugust 4, 2023summer with kids, homeschooling, homeschool mom, how to survive august, loving the season you are in, summer rhythms Comment

One Year of Homeschooling (An Honest Assessment)

We are about to finish our first year of homeschooling and I wanted to share an honest assessment for anyone who may be considering this path for their child.

HomeschoolingAlyssa BellMay 19, 2023our homeschool journey, one year of homeschooling, why we homeschool, homeschooling, daily rhythms of homeschoolingComment

What Self Care Looks Like as a Christ Follower

Sometimes I find myself on a random Thursday dreaming of a solo trip to the Bahamas.

HomeAlyssa BellApril 14, 2023self care, what does self care look like as a believer, self care for Christians, treat yourself, how to nourish your soul, how to practice self careComment