BRIGHTER DAY PRESS BLOG

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...
Liam's latest piano pieces (with downloadable MP3s!)
Our son Liam (age 9) is a passionate and gifted pianist who loves writing and arranging his own pieces. Recently, while visiting my parents in Mississippi, he was able to record three songs. It was a dream come true for him! I...
Explaining 9/11 to our children
September 11 is coming. Why talk about it with our kids?  While none of our young children were alive to experience 9/11, it still affects our country and is an important piece of American history. And all of us can,...
What your children really need.
If I've learned anything in 5 years of homeschooling, it's this: When we decided to homeschool, all I could envision was "school at home." I'd stand in front of a chalkboard and teach lesson after lesson to my son at his desk....
All About the Yoto Audiobook Player
I was a hesitant customer of the Yoto audiobook player for two reasons: 1. It's not cheap. 2. My kids have never been big audiobook fans. Turns out, the Yoto has completely surprised me and has been 100% worth the investment... and...
To the mama considering homeschool...
Only you and your family can make the decision to homeschool. Consider it for one year at a time. Make a list of your fears and hesitations and pray through each one. Reach out to women in your local church...
5 books we read (almost) every day!
I'm excited to share 5 books that our family references nearly every day. All of these books appeal to multiple ages and different styles of homeschooling and have become anchors in our homeschool!   Click on the titles below. Some...
5 homeschool supplies we use every day
Are you new to homeschooling? Planning for the upcoming year? Our family is entering our fifth year of homeschooling, which is hard to believe! I want to share the supplies that we use nearly every day. They work for multiple ages...
Sheet Music: Dreamer's Melody by Liam Newby
Dreamer's Melody Sheet Music by Liam Newby When our son Liam was 5, his grandma led him to the piano and taught him a simple song. Almost immediately, he was hooked. We put stickers on the piano keys so Liam...
How to keep up with a voracious reader without pre-reading
How do you keep up with a voracious reader without pre-reading all the books?  Liam is nine years old and an insatiable reader, and it would be impossible to pre-read every book I hand to him. At this stage, I've...
2022/2023 Curriculum Choices: 2nd & 4th grade & Kindergarten
I am delighted to share what we've chosen for our upcoming school year, which we'll begin in mid-July! Choosing curriculum can be enjoyable and... daunting. While we should definitely do our research, I believe there comes a point when we...
DIY: Wildflower Seed Bombs
This summer project is found in our newest guide, A Simple Summer, and it has already been such a hit! We did it with our local nature group and kids from ages 3 to 15 participated and enjoyed it.  What...
The simple question that has shaped my experience of motherhood.
"What is my assignment, Lord?" This is the simple question that has shifted my perspective in the most demanding moments of motherhood.As a brand new mom in the throes of sleepless nights, I learned from Gloria Furman to see the near-constant "interruptions"...