Andrea Dekker

Blog

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The 60+ Simple Tasks Our Children Do Every Day

I am continually asked what “chores” or responsibilities our kids have, and/or if we recommend any specific simple daily tasks for children at various age levels.

I’ll be honest, even though our family is very routine-oriented and scheduled, we haven’t found a chore chart or reward system that works well for us. Our family seems to function best with a handful of basic expectations that, although unwritten, are known and (usually) remembered by all… I’m sharing 60+ of these unwritten tasks or expectations in today’s post!

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How We Make More Produce Work For Our Family

In some ways, I feel like a broken record sharing yet ANOTHER post about our fruits and veggies. However, based on my email inbox, it’s a topic MANY of you are still so interested in learning more about! 

Today I’m sharing 3 very specific reasons why eating more produce works for OUR family for now… but might not work for YOUR family! 

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My Slightly More Ergonomic Office

After suffering from mild to moderate lower back and neck pain for the majority of my adult life, I FINALLY started to see a chiropractor a few months ago… and I’ve made a couple really SIMPLE changes in my office space to make it slightly more ergonomic!

I still have a LONG way to go to heal my back, but I’m taking small steps in the right direction!

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Why I Save Butter Wrappers :)

As you know, I’m fairly frugal — and I’m also quite resourceful in the sense that I LOVE finding another use for things I already have in the house!

Our butter wrappers are one of those things I have found a “second use” for — and although I’ve been saving them for YEARS, I’ve never thought to share the idea on the blog until now!

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A Peek Into Our Week

We’re 7 weeks into the school year already and so far, things are going quite well in the world of 2nd grade, Kindergarten, Preschool, and Pre-Calculus! 🙂

Today I’m sharing a peek into our week — what I’m reading, what I’m purging, what I’m baking, what the kids have been up to, our weekly meal plan, and lots of cute pictures!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Scotcharoos (no corn syrup)

Scotcharoos are one of our family’s most favorite sweet treats, and although I shared my recipe for Scotcharoos WITHOUT peanut butter several years ago already, it recently dawned on me that I’ve never actually shared my recipe for “regular” scotcharoos! 

That all changes TODAY! YUM!

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A Few of My Favorite Things {October 2019}

October is a good month… we’re settled into the back-to-school schedule and the busyness of the first month is behind us, the weather is cooler but not cold, Candy Corn is on sale at almost every grocery store, and it’s apple season in Michigan.

These are just a few of the MANY reasons Fall is my favorite season! I’m sharing a few more of my favorite things in today’s post! 

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How To Make Bunk Bed Quilts from a Full Size Comforter

Two years ago, we moved Nora out of a full-size bed and into bunk beds (that she will eventually share with Clara). Since we loved her current comforter so much, I turned it into 2 bunk bed size comforters instead!

The whole project took me around 15 minutes, it didn’t cost me a dime, and it turned out so cute! I’m sharing this simple “how-to” in today’s post!

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Homemade Taco Seasoning (mild)

This MILD taco seasoning is very flavorful and only takes a few minutes to mix up a BIG batch!

There are countless ways you can play with the flavor combinations to make it work for you and your family too!

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Why We Stopped Eating Dessert After Meals

Over the course of my life, I recall very few meals that did NOT end with dessert… just a little something sweet to finish the meal — even if we weren’t actually hungry anymore (most of the time, we were not).  

This trend of enjoying dessert after every meal continued into adulthood, up until this past summer when Dave and I decided to try something different…

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A Quick Tip To Save Time In Doctor Offices

Thankfully, our family does not spend all that much time waiting in doctor offices.

However, after 8 years of regular prenatal, postnatal, and well-child visits, I have learned a few tips and tricks to spend as little time as possible in waiting rooms (especially when I have other children along!) 

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Simple Ideas to Repurpose Glass Food Jars

Although I don’t buy nearly as many store-bought products as I have in years past, I still end up with a handful of glass jars from store-bought salsa and other sauces. 

These jars have a special storage spot in my kitchen cabinets because I reuse them for SO many different purposes — watch today’s video to see how!

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When Simple Isn’t Popular

I’ve been striving to live simply and to be more organized for as long as I can remember… and although “simple living” is an extremely popular topic in today’s society, my real-life simple choices are not always equally as popular.

I hope today’s post gives you the confidence to make simple living choices that work for YOU, even if they aren’t the most popular!

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30-Minute Tomato Soup, From Scratch!

Need an easy dinner idea for those busy nights when you don’t have a plan? This homemade tomato soup comes together in 30 minutes or less using simple, easy-to-stock ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Pair it with grilled cheese or some crusty bread, and you’ve got a warm, comforting meal without a trip to the grocery store!

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8 Tips That Help Me Avoid Writer’s Block

I’m often asked how I come up with enough content to update my blog 5 times each week… or how I’m able to fit writing into my days with 4 children at home.

As a “writer” I have a handful of tips that help me simplify the writing process as well as stay consistent in my writing efforts throughout the years. I’m sharing those in today’s post! 

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READER QUESTION: What Are Your Thoughts on The Whole 30

Surprisingly (to me) I get quite a few questions about the Whole30 diet — many from readers who assume I’ve already completed a Whole30 challenge (nope!)

I have read and learned quite a bit about the Whole30 way of eating over the past few years… but I am far from an expert. So instead of me sharing what I don’t know, I thought this might be a great “Reader Question” — I’d love to hear from those of you who HAVE completed one or more Whole30 challenges, as well as from those of you who tried but didn’t finish!

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Andrea Dekker
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