Written by Mandi Ehman, author of Easy Homemade.

Why do we as women carry around an all-or-nothing mentality?

It’s the one that says, “If I can’t do this perfectly, there’s no point in trying” or “This is all too overwhelming; I’m just going to stick with the status quo.”

I know this mentality well because it’s one I struggle against myself. It’s often been referred to as perfection paralysis, and it’s this paralyzing fear that makes us think that baby steps aren’t good enough!

Slowly, I’ve started to overcome this fear in my own life, especially when it comes to making “real food” changes in our kitchen.

You see, I’ve never been a great cook – even when I was simply throwing together ingredients from various boxes to make a meal – so the idea of cooking from scratch has been overwhelming to me from the start.

It may seem crazy that someone who starts a post that way is writing to share her new cookbook with you, but what I’ve happily discovered is that cooking from scratch – even kitchen staples that you may never have considered making from scratch before now – is a lot easier than you’d expect.
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Written by Aimee of Simple Bites.

It’s nearly that time of year again, when we round up the water bottles, inspect the thermoses, and sniff the lunch boxes to see if they are deadly or not. Yep, lazy summer lunching on the back patio is giving way to bagged lunches for school days.

Whether you pack a meal for your work day or the kids school lunch, you’re probably always looking for ways to change things up and when you’re facing picky eaters, allergies, or school policies, feeling inspired each time you face an empty lunchbox can become quite challenging.

Here are a few approaches I take to school lunches on those early mornings when I’m waiting for my coffee to kick in and time seems to move twice as fast as usual. All are simple, and as I parent a picky eater, you’ll find my menu choices are appealing to most children.
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Written by regular contributor Sandy Coughlin of Reluctant Entertainer.

“Do what you’re good at and everything else will fall into place.” -Willnett Crockett

You don’t have to do something perfectly just because someone you know does it perfectly.

My friend, Krissy, is an amazing designer. Everything she touches with design turns to gold. My other friend, Michelle, knows how to throw a party. She adds the little touches, plans the menu effortlessly, and makes sure everyone has a good time. Another person in my life, Barb, was an incredible mom and homemaker who gardened, canned, cooked, farmed, and raised four kids who are now all fabulous adults. Jeannie, a diligent gardener; Annie, a talented artist. The list goes on and on with friends who inspire me.

I, on the other hand, many times feel like “a jack of all trades but a master of none.” Do you ever feel that way? When it comes to hospitality, however, I know where my heart is, what are my strengths and weaknesses, and I try to focus on what I’m good at: hosting dinner parties.

I finally learned not to compare myself with others because it became a robber of my energy and efforts. Keeping a simple frame of mind and not over-doing have kept me sane.
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Written by Lisa Byrne of Well Grounded Life.

There is just something about that after school hour that can get dicey. It’s a natural lull in the day, and this low energy often means a mood crash.  And if you have kids in school, the transition home from school just adds to the perfect storm.

I’ve come to know the 3 o’clock hour as ripe for low energy, grumpy moods, and a major temptation for some serious snacking. If this sounds familiar, choosing the right mini-meal at this time of the day is crucial for a more pleasant transition into the evening hours.

I keep a list of healthy, veggie-focused snacks on the refrigerator.  Hungry and grumpy are not the best times to rely on your creative powers to think of an energizing snack. 

Here are nine ways to make snacking healthy for everyone.

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The buzz about green smoothies is everywhere these days.  And it is absolutely true; they are nutritional powerhouses. But if you’re a busy mom, it needs to be quick, easy, and tasty to the whole family to make it really work for you.

This video will showcase my six best tips for making green smoothies — not only smooth and convenient, but great-tasting, too.

I also wanted to share with you a free, three-part class series I’ve released that shares some of my best and most powerful strategies to help busy moms have calmer, more productive, more upbeat days — every day.

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