BRIGHTER DAY PRESS BLOG

Spring Craft: Pressed Flower Laminated Bookmarks
  This is the perfect craft for little hands. There's no wrong way to arrange the flowers and it's very low mess. These would make lovely grandparent gifts, too.Here's what you need: Dried pressed flowers (if you don't have some...
Sing. Pray. Read. Our 20-Minute Rhythm
This 20-minute rhythm is simple enough for any family to implement, and I believe it has the power to change the world.  Our family begins our day this way, but you could easily do this at night when your husband...
Navigating the Library With Wisdom
Last summer, my children and I walked into the children's section of a local library and were confronted with a display that flew in the face of our Christian values. It was unavoidable, and it brought lots of questions from...
How I Edit My Photos
For the last few years, I've taken photos almost exclusively with my iPhone. It's super convenient, but depending on the lighting, the photos aren't exactly photo album worthy without a little bit of editing.So I thought I'd share how I...
My Top 10 Favorite Picture Books
As a homeschool mom with a passion for children's literature, I've read and enjoyed thousands of picture books. So to narrow it down to just 10 favorites is nearly impossible! But for me, these 10 have risen to the top....
Dear Brand New Homeschool Mom...
To the brand new homeschool mom who's choosing curriculum, reading blogs, and feeling nervous about the beginning of something new...Do you have a willing heart to learn alongside your children? Access to great books? Time to spend outside? Those are...
The Story of Our First Year of Homeschooling
It's easy, as a new homeschool mom, to scroll through social media and feel defeated when looking at other homeschooling families who have been doing this for a while. (Trust me: I did it.) So for those who might feel...
Curriculum Review: Early American History by Beautiful Feet Books
As we near the end of our school year, I wanted to share one resource that has been a joy to use: Early American History by Beautiful Feet Books. For reference, we have a 2nd grader and a 4th grader...
Recipe: Overnight oats
Overnight oats make the perfect, easy breakfast with so many flavorful, nutritious options to try. Have your children help with the measuring, stirring, and of course, eating. This big batch of overnight oats will last up to three days covered...
Easter Basket Ideas!
Easter baskets have never been a must in our house. There have been years we've put them together, and other years we've kept things more simple and given only a book and a sweet treat. I wanted to share some ideas for...
My 10 favorite Earthley products
If you're new to natural wellness and looking for a trusted company to support you, I can't recommend Earthley enough. Their products are affordable, made in the USA, are created with the best natural ingredients, and they work.  Use code BRIGHTERDAY10...
March Book Madness 2023
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 that we...
Our family's gluten free story
Gluten free bread pictured was made by Liam (age 10) from the book Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, which he highly recommends! My gluten free story Nearly 15 years ago, I was diagnosed with Celiac disease after...
Fighting the Flu Naturally
Our family recently endured the flu (all except me) and each person was sick for 3-4 days with high fevers and nasty coughs. The symptoms were intense, but thankfully short-lived. I’m a registered nurse, but as a mom, I’ve been...
Two simple rhythms for the new year
Dear friend, Like you, I wear many hats. I’m a pastor’s wife, a homeschool mom, and a small business owner. Over the years, I’ve found that having a solid foundation in God’s Word and in physical movement greatly improves my...
Gift Guide for Women 2022
If you're anything like me, it's much easier to think of great gifts to purchase for others, but much harder to add to your own wish list. I put together a list of my very favorite things that I have...
A Picture Book a Day, Our Favorite Christmas Tradition
Happy December, friends!!! It is officially the joyful month of anticipation as we celebrate our coming King! This month can be simple and not so chaotic, if you prepare your hearts, minds, and home towards that end. For the cozy...
Favorite Games for Learning
Learning is made fun through playing games in our home! Here are my top recommendations for learning games that your whole family can enjoy playing together. Math games: Math is not always my children's favorite subject in our homeschool. But when we pull...
A Simple Gift Guide for Kids
Since having children, we’ve adopted a 3-gift rule at Christmas: everyone receives something to read, something to wear, and something to play with. This keeps gift-giving delightfully simple. We also give stockings, filled with items from our local dollar store...
Our kids' newly redesigned bedroom!
Our four kids (ages 10, 7, 5, and 3) have chosen to share a room. And recently, we decided to give their shared room a happy upgrade with new bedding and accessories. I was going for a relaxed boho feel that...
Where are the best places to buy books (without destroying your budget)?
Creating a robust home library has been a goal of mine for the last 5 years, simply because when timeless, quality books are available, my children are more likely to read them. We do utilize our local library as much...