BRIGHTER DAY PRESS BLOG

Recipe: Matcha-dyed Green Playdough
I've combined my favorite homemade play dough recipe with an easy, natural way to dye it green. It's just in time for St. Patrick's Day! Here's what you need: 1 cup all-purpose flour* 1/4 cup salt 2 teaspoons cream of...
March Book Madness 2024
  I am thrilled to share our family's choices for this year's March Book Madness! This has become one of our favorite yearly traditions to encourage a love of reading. My children and I have carefully selected 16 picture books from various genres...
DIY: Valentine's Day Door Love Letters
Do you need a simple, meaningful way to show your child love this Valentine's Day? Let me show you how to create a special Valentine's Day photo keepsake that your child will love.  Here's how! Go to Canva.com and create a...
Dazzle Dry Nail Review
For the last two years, I've been making trips to a local nail salon every 2-3 weeks to have my nails "dipped." While I have loved the results (and the 2-3 weeks I'm able to wear these nail colors without...
Why (and how) we cut out refined sugar.
Salted Caramel Cookie Crumble Bars from the Paleo Baking at Home cookbook Sugar is everywhere, hiding in places you'd never think to look (like bone broth, bread, savory sauces).  Sugar is a known neurotoxin, linked to anxiety, weight gain, heart disease,...
December 2023 Favorites
Happy December! I hope you're staying warm and cozy and preparing your heart for the Christmas season. It can feel like a chaotic month, so I thought I'd share some of my December favorites with you… books that are stirring...
2023 Gift Guide
It’s gift-giving season, and I’d love to share a few gift ideas (for kids, women, and men)! As we’re contemplating what we might give our children, let’s lean into their interests. Instead of just filling their stockings with the latest...
DIY Book Ornaments (2 ways)
Each November, I ask my children to choose their favorite book from the past year, and I paint it onto a Christmas ornament. This has quickly become one of my favorite Christmas traditions, and I hope to continue this for years...
5 ways to pray for your husband
Whether your marriage is thriving or just hanging on, prayer is powerful not only for changing others' hearts but for aligning our own hearts with the will of God. Let's commit to covering our husbands in prayer. Write these short...
Winter & Christmas Picture Books
It is a joy to share our brand new watercolor class: Watercolor Class: Winter & Christmas I’ve chosen a beloved winter- or Christmas-themed picture book to accompany each of the ten watercolor tutorials. These are completely optional, but would make...
Homeschool Tip: Independent Notebooks
I want to share something that has been a game changer in our homeschool, especially as our kids have gotten a little older: independent notebooks.  Here's what I do.  I've created weekly checklists for each of our kids (you can find...
Three ways we use technology in our homeschool
When we first began homeschooling six years ago, I was wary of introducing technology into our daily rhythm. Research has shown the many cognitive, emotional, and social advantages of limiting screen time for kids—so we did our best to use screens sparingly. Doing...
Travel Tips for NW Arkansas
  Our family just spent seven days in northwest Arkansas and it was truly one of the best family vacations we've ever taken! We stayed in Bentonville at this adorable Airbnb that we loved and would recommend for families.      When...
Homeschool Printing & Binding at Home
This year, our homeschool curriculum requires quite a bit of printing and binding. And honestly, I don't mind at all! I truly enjoy and prefer printing from home instead of outsourcing this job to Staples or another print shop. If...
2023/2024 Curriculum Choices!
I am delighted to share the curriculum we've chosen for our upcoming school year, which we began this week! This year, we have a 5th grader, a 3rd grader, a 1st grader, and a preschooler. A reminder: Choosing curriculum can...
Praying for our Children
In the fog and busyness of motherhood, it's easy to fall out of the habit of praying for our kids. Or when we do remember to pray, sometimes it's hard to know what to pray. I've written a few prayers that...
Make Your Own Yoto Cards: Tips & Tricks
For the past year, our kids have used (and loved) their Yoto audiobook players. If you're unfamiliar with Yoto, I've written a post with all the information you need and a list of our favorite audiobook cards: All About the Yoto...
Seek to Serve.
In the last few months, the Lord has repeatedly impressed this phrase on my heart:Seek to serve.Could there be more countercultural words?The idea of seeking to serve others flies in the face of a world that's constantly pushing us to...
A Love Story of a Reader
I get a lot of messages from moms who are discouraged that their kids don't like to read (or be read to).My best advice? Just keep reading.This, of course, isn't a guaranteed formula to raise a voracious reader... but perseverance...
Lean in.
I'm learning the enormous value of two tiny words: Lean in.   On our best days, you might look in our window and see this:Our family reading a bible story,singing a hymn, rehearsing a memory verse.You'd also see a child climbing on...
Watercolor Supplies for Ages 2-5
I've learned over the years that what often brings peace to our chaotic days with toddlers and preschoolers is to make art. While it feels a bit counterintuitive to hand art supplies to lively little ones, it's pretty amazing what...