Andrea Dekker

Blog

12 Comments

My Morning Productivity is Making a Comeback!

Almost exactly 2 years ago, I wrote a post with 7 of my best tips for a more productive morning… but then went on to explain why I personally was NOT following most of those tips. At the time, I was already pregnant with my 3rd child and the other 2 still weren’t sleeping through the night yet.

Mornings were crazy in our house and there really wasn’t anything I could do about it… thank goodness things have changed a bit since then and my morning productivity is finally starting to make a comeback!

28 Comments

My Meal Plan (5 years and 3 kids later)

Way back in September of 2011, I shared the brand new way of meal planning I had been using for only a few weeks at that time.

Now, 5 years and 3 children later, I’m sharing how one small modification has allowed this same basic meal planning method to continually work so well for us!

29 Comments

Our Non-Toy Christmas

After shopping a local second-hand sale last week, I realized that I’m actually DONE with all the Christmas shopping for our kids (and I spent less than $50 total!) Also, I realized that out of everything I have for them, there are only 2 toys!

If you’re looking for a few non-toy gift ideas — or if you just want to know what our kids are getting for Christmas, check out today’s post (but don’t tell my kids!)

16 Comments

A Mudroom Update

It’s been just over 2 years since we finished our glorious mudroom addition between the back door of our house and our garage… and we have used and loved this tiny space every single day.

Since then, we have changed a few things and made a few tweaks to help the room function better for our growing family. Nothing too crazy or dramatic, but since I always love seeing how other people utilize their mudrooms, I figured it might be time for an update!

11 Comments

A Peek Into Our Week

Last week was a very full week for our family. Believe it or not, I actually went out of the house with ALL 3 kids in tow at least once every single day… and it wasn’t horrible!

Nora officially started school, we put a new window in our living room, we got (another) new-to-us stroller, and so much more!

17 Comments

Homemade Butter {Kids In The Kitchen}

After reading through most of the Little House on the Prairie books and the Kirsten American Girl books, Nora has been begging me to try making our own butter — “just like Laura and Kirsten did with their moms”.

So a couple weeks ago we made our own butter — and even I was shocked at how simple the whole process was. Plus, it was REALLY fun for the kids!

23 Comments

A Tour of our Shed and How We Organize It

Today’s post has been in my drafts for months and months, but I never took the time to snap all the photos I wanted to share (despite unending requests to see the shed!)

Now I have the photos, and I’m finally sharing a mini tour of our shed, almost ONE FULL YEAR after we actually built it — better late than never right? 🙂

28 Comments

Pre-Order and Pickup – My New Way to “Shop”

If you hate shopping, if you have lots of small children, if you struggle with impulse purchases while shopping, or if you don’t live extremely close to your local stores, I hope some of my pre-order and pickup (or pre-order and have it delivered) options will help you too!

This is quickly becoming my favorite way to “shop”!

38 Comments

5 Ways I Try to Promote a Healthier Lifestyle

As with all aspects of my life, when it comes to health, wellness, nutrition, exercise, and body image, I strive for “all things in moderation” and “gradual forward progress”.

Today, I’m sharing 5 ways I try to promote a healthier lifestyle… as well as a few thoughts on positive body image.

24 Comments

A Peek Into Our Week (back to school)

We officially have one week of school under our belts for Dave — and it feels good to have more of a routine again! Nora goes to preschool in a week, Simon is officially sleeping in the big boy bed, and James is jabbering ALLLLL day long!

Come read what else we’ve been up to!

27 Comments

It’s Not Magic… It’s Maintenance

In a world of quick-fixes, diet pills, and DIY manuals that promise to solve all our problems, it’s easy to forget that the key to most of our problems is simply hard work, determination, and baby steps in the right direction.

It’s not magic… it’s maintenance!

26 Comments

A Few of My Favorite Things {September 2016}

How is it possible that September is here already! Wow!

I’m back with a few more of my favorite things today — and as always, be sure to check out some of my favorite things from past months and share your favorite things in the comments!

15 Comments

My Favorite Canning and Preserving Recipes

Over the years, as I shared some of my canning journey here on my blog, I have been continuously asked for my “favorite” canning and preserving recipes.

So in an effort to compile all my favorites in one convenient location (both for myself and for you) I thought it might be nice to link to them all in one post… just in time for peak canning season here in West Michigan!

26 Comments

Can You Find It In the Dark? My Organizational Litmus Test

Maybe I’m a little bit strange… and maybe my mind works in slightly abnormal ways, but a recent tornado and power outage got me thinking about just how well our organizational systems work (or don’t work) based on whether I could or could not find what I needed in the dark.

I’m calling this my “organizational litmus test” and it’s not a bad thing to think about!

25 Comments

How I Handle Hand-Me-Downs

Since I am regularly asked about how I handle kids’ clothing (specifically hand-me-downs) I thought the back-to-school time would be a perfect time to share the questions that help me control the amount of clothing my kids have without being super minimalistic or feeling like I have to do laundry every other day.

And I’d love to know how YOU handle hand-me-downs as well!

28 Comments

Snapshots of Summer

Today is the last official day of summer for the Dekker family as Dave goes back to school on Monday.

As I thought about how I wanted to close out the summer on my blog, I realized there were SOOOOOO many photos I’d love to share… I hope you enjoy a few “snapshots” of our summer!

20 Comments

Save Space by Separating Your Sets

If you’re like most people, you have gotten sucked into buying a full set of something just to get the few pieces you really want or need… yes?

Today I’m sharing how I save so much space by purging items I don’t need, use, or want (even if they are part of a set!)

24 Comments

Make-Ahead Belgian Waffle Mix

Over the past 5-6 years, I have thought about sharing my extremely simple Belgian waffle recipe countless times; but for whatever reason, I always decided to share a different recipe… until today!

If you’re looking for a super simple, make-ahead breakfast recipe, give this one a try!

Footer

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Andrea Dekker
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.