Simple Memory Keeping

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At the end of the year, I start to feel all the feels about looking back and looking forward. This year was a sweet one for our family—lots of travel, settling into our home, and feeling more at ease with our homeschooling systems and routines. I know that not all years will look like this—so I am thankful that this year has held a lot of sweetness. Looking ahead, I’m not sure what 2024 will bring, but I do hope it brings growth, togetherness, and joy too.

For many years, I’ve felt a little stuck about how to best preserve all these family memories when it seems like life is zipping by so fast. I’ve tried online photo books (which are fun—but more time-consuming than I liked). I’ve also tried printing off a lot of photo to display and keep. Even though I loved having them physically in my hands, I didn’t really do anything with them. Oops.

This year I was determined to stick to something that I knew I could do (aka simple!). So, I grabbed a basic photo album, got my pictures printed (a few times throughout the year), and spent a little time slipping them into their spots (and writing down little notes about what we did). I mostly put in travel photos (since it seems that’s when we take a gazillion photos), but also added in some everyday photos and family fun at the end of the album too. Plus, I plan to grab a storage box to put in all the odd and ends from travel, life, and events.

Here’s what I used:

  • I bought this photo album. I actually bought two (one for this year and one for 2024). I like that they have five photos (mixed vertical and horizontal) on each page. Plus, they were on sale—so that made them super affordable! And now I’m ready for next year ;)

  • I print my photos using Mpix. I’ve printed with other companies, but Mpix is my absolute favorite. I’ve been so impressed with the quality and clarity of the photos. I even got a few pics from our Italy trip printed as an 8x10s and use them as art prints in our home. Ps. You can use this link for $10 off your first order. They also have so many other wonderful products to create!

  • For our trip to San Diego, I gave the boys each a disposable camera and got the photos developed. It was such fun to add those photos to our album. And also give our kids a taste of our childhood ;) I have this photo album that I’ll give them to put the extra photos in.

  • For photo and memory boxes, I am tempted to get this simple one for storing the extra photos and tidbits I have from the year (like ticket stubs, medals, drawings, etc). These ones are also on my list.

  • I made 4x6 inserts to add to the album to slip in and write about those details from our trips or everyday life. Ps. you can download them for free if you want to have them too!

Whether you make fancy scrapbooks, make photo books online, or do it the old fashioned way (like me!)—keep it up! Find a way to preserve and keep those memories even if you’d never done anything before (it’s never to late to try something new!).

Someday, it will be such a treasure to have these to look through and enjoy.



Adventure Together: A Family Trip to Washington DC

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A few months ago, I was on the hunt for a quick getaway we could squeeze in this fall. I was looking for somewhere that we didn’t need a rental car, had affordable activities, and also cheap flights to book with miles. When I found a super slick point deal on Southwest, I booked tickets to Washington DC for a few days :) Ps. I’ll share more about miles + our free hotel stays at the end of this post!

It was such a beautiful time to visit the DC. Although the trees weren’t super colorful, the weather was perfect! Especially since we did so much walking (a LOT of walking), I was thankful we had nice fall temperatures and no rain.

To be honest, we didn’t plan a lot before this trip. We had our flights and hotel booked, a short document with a list of places we’d like to see, and that was about it! We didn’t even tell our kids we were going until about three days before the trip. Since I had snuck in some books about DC for the weeks leading up to the trip, they were super excited about going!

I’m far from an expert on Washington DC, and I feel like we hardly skimmed the surface of the city. But I’ll still share what we did (and what I wish we had time to do too!).

Day One (our first full day there): We hit up the Smithsonian Zoo because I have always wanted to see a panda in real life. And we got to see the pandas—and they were absolutely so adorable and cute! The crowd was full of giggles and laughing while we watched their clumsy and silly antics. This was definitely a highlight for me! During the second part of the day, we did a lot of walking around the city (due to some mishaps on lunch plans). We stopped at the Old Post Office building and took an elevator up to grab a great view of the city. Then, we finished our day with a visit to the National Archive Museum to see the Declaration of Independence.

Day Two: We started with a visit to the Natural History of Museum (mostly to see the rock/geology floor for my rock-loving middle guy!), enjoyed a lunch on the National Mall, and then hit up the Air and Space Museum. We wrapped up this day with some pizza and shoe shopping for one of the kids (which is what happens when someone brings shoes that aren’t super comfy for all the walking and standing—oops!).

Day Three: Hopped on the metro again (we loved using the metro!) and went to see the White House and the Lincoln Memorial. We ate lunch at the Ag building (open to visitors), but honestly, I wasn’t super impressed with the food or the prices. Oh well! We then zipped over to the Postal Museum for a quick stop, hit up the Washington Union Station for coffee, and then went on a Capital tour. And if that sounds like a lot—it was ;) We also got to go in and watch the Senate with passes from our state Senator. The kids weren’t super interested in this—but my hubby and I loved getting a front row seat to watch the government in action.

Day Four: We had some time in the morning to burn, so we took a bus to Georgetown and wandered around (with a stop for treats and coffee of course!). My hubby and I enjoyed this more than the kids—but it was a nice ending to a quick trip!

I wish we would have had time for an art museum or American history museum, but I think we squeezed in as much as we realistically could with three young kiddos. We also tried to pick things they would be interested in seeing + including them in our plans and agenda for the day :) My oldest got to be quite the pro at using the metro!

A few places we enjoyed eating:

  • District Tacos (we saved some $$ by sharing meals)

  • DC Pizza. Super yummy pizza + affordable too when you split a pizza!

  • Blue Bottle Coffee. This was inside the Union Station + so delicious! It was a bit of a splurge for coffee (but we like our afternoon coffee—ha!)

  • Falafel Inc. We grabbed a bite here in Georgetown before heading to the airport. It was so yummy, but we didn’t like that there was nowhere to sit and eat it. But, it was definitely one of the cheapest places we found to eat in DC.

How we kept this trip affordable:

  • We took the metro instead of renting a car. The metro was still a cost that added up, but it was less than renting a car and paying for parking. Plus, it was easy to navigate!

  • We used airline miles and hotel points to book free flights and hotel stays. Yes, free :) We did pay $50 for flight taxes, but that’s it!. We do a bit of “travel hacking” (building up travel points with sign-up bonuses and using our credit card instead of our debit card for normal spending). I am far from an expert in this (and we don’t go bonkers with it)—but if you are interested in how we did it, just zip me an email and I’ll share more!

  • We ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Yep. Living the vacation dream there ;) We had free breakfast at the hotel, packed one meal per day, and went out for one meal per day. This helped us save so much $$—especially in a city like DC where food can be spendy. I purposely chose a hotel within walking distance to a grocery store so that we could grab some food options for meals on the go.

  • I used some cash back I had built up on Rakuten to help cover a few things here and there. It adds up :) Ps. You can grab $40 dollars to start out just by using my link (if you don’t already have an account). It’s super easy to use!

  • We stuck with the free activities/places. So many things are free in DC (so that helped!), but we didn’t do any special tours or go to any museums that weren’t free. For us, we do less (avoid a lot of extras) when we travel so that we can travel more. In other words, we try to keep our costs low when we travel so that we don’t blow our entire travel budget on one trip since we like to travel multiple times a year. I know many who love to go all out when they travel—and that’s okay too!

  • I looked ahead and created a short list of affordable places to eat. This helped us not wander around with rumbly stomachs and just eat at the first place we saw. Having a short list of food options also helped us plan a bit better too!

  • This isn’t really a “keep it affordable tip” but more of a “keep it doable” perspective. We prioritize travel in our budget, so that means we set aside money every month so that we can draw from it when it’s time for a trip. This helps us stick to our budget as well as not go into any travel debt. If you want to travel more, saving even a little bit every month can add up! Ps. YNAB is a great budget tool that we use and love!

Here’s what we don’t leave behind when we travel:

  • Our Yoto players for the kids (so helpful on the plane and in the hotel at night when everyone needs to just chill!)

  • We invested in a few Walker Family duffles last year + they have been so amazing! I highly recommend them if you are looking for quality travel bags. Ps. They usually have a few good sales per year—so I’d wait and grab items while they are on sale.

  • A flexible mindset. Traveling with kids is simply parenting in a new place. We didn’t always have fantastic attitudes or awesome listening. There were complaints, there were sore feet, there were kids learning how to navigate a new place, there were tired kids (and parents), there were spilled lattes, and there were snags in our plans. But! Doing our best to be patient, including our kids in our plans, and encouraging them when things are less than ideal can go a long way! Ps. We sometimes played a scavenger hunt game when we walked to help distract the kids. I’d say: Find a yellow square, something round, a green sign…etc). They also liked to add their own things to find!

All in all, I think DC in a fantastic place to enjoy for a few days with your family. I know we’ll be back someday!

What places are on your family bucket list?

Yoto for the Win: Our Favorite Audio Tool and Tips to Keep it Affordable

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For years, I had heard about the Yoto play on and off from blogs and social media. I was intrigued, but honestly, it seemed like a lot of money to spend.

Couldn’t we just listen to audiobooks on the bluetooth speaker? Well, we sure could. And we used this method for a long time. However, it became difficult to find content everyone wanted to listen to or for the kids to use it during quiet time.

Then, I noticed that Yoto had the mini’s (which are more portable and individual) than the larger Yoto. So, we decided to grab some for the kids for their Christmas gift last year.

And it has been one of the best decisions ever. Well, you know, as far as buying toys goes—ha!) Even almost a year later, they are still used every single day. Besides LEGO and magnetic tiles, it is the most used and loved “toy” in our house. Plus, they’ve gone on roadtrips, airplanes, and day trips with us :)

Here’s what I love about them:

  • Portable and pretty solid (they’ve been dropped a lot and haven’t broken yet)

  • Easy to use for the kids (no fancy lights, buttons, etc). I like that it takes away the distraction to just monkey with the buttons

  • Everyone can choose audio content they enjoy (and they’ll often enjoy it together too)

  • Can use it for learning and school

  • Gives the kids a screen-free option

What I don’t love:

  • They are small and can get lost easily if the kids aren’t paying attention to where they put it (which has happened many times…)

  • The cost of new content was a bit of surprise for me (but I’ve learned ways to keep it affordable—scroll down for ways I’ve helped keep costs down!)

  • The Yoto club has been good for getting started, but I’m finding less and less options we like as time goes on.

Next, I’ll share some of my favorite ways to get audio content:

Yoto’s Website and Club:

This is the simplest way to get new cards, but the costs can add up. It’s $10 per month for two cards and free shipping—which I think is a great deal if you are just starting. Right now, I plan to do a few more months of the club and then cancel since we have most of the cards I’m interested in. They only offer a certain selection for the club members.

Still, Yoto has a great library of titles that aren’t part of the club. Here are some of our favorites that we have in our home (most of these we’ve gotten through the club). This is not a list of all the cards we have, but I’m just picking our favorites :)

Stories and books:

Music:

Buying the Yoto cards directly is definitely the most convenient, but it is not always the most affordable way to get Yoto cards. What we do most of the time is use the blank Yoto cards to make our own cards. I don’t have a lot of blank cards (just one pack of 10), but I can remove the old content and put on new content very easily. There are a lot of tutorials for how to make your own cards online. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll feel like you are bringing back those days of burning CDs in your dorm room ;)

A few tips for making your own cards:

  • Have a “library card” for each kiddo. I have a card for each of my boys and they can use it to put on any content from our audio library.

  • I sometimes use vinyl printer paper to make my own labels for cards. But I’m often lazy, so I just put a piece of tape on the card and write the title on there with a sharpie.

My favorite resources for getting audio content for the cards are these places:

  • Momma Bear Audio: I love this monthly subscription for fresh (and wholesome!) content for Yoto every month. It’s super affordable (just 2.99 per month). Plus, if you use this code: COLORANDKINDNESS10 you’ll get 10% off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Ps. I am an affiliate—but because I truly love the content!

  • Libro. I have gotten a lot of content for a much lower price than Yoto. For example, I’ve gotten deals on the entire Narnia collection, Henry Huggins, etc. I find a lot through Libro, so I do have a subscription. But you do not need a subscription to purchase on their site. Ps. You can use this link to start a membership and get a free audiobook. The memberships can be canceled at any time. So, even if you don’t continue using it, you still get one free download ;) I’ve also used Downpour to find affordable content. Both Libro and Downpour make it easy to download the audiobooks and add them to your Yoto library.

  • Podcasts. Hands down, these are such an easy way to get quality audio for FREE! You can link the RSS feed and put it on a card. And suddenly, you have hours of content without paying a dime.

Here are a few favorites from other resources:

All in all, the Yoto player has been a much loved item in our home. For me, the biggest downside is the cost of new content, but there are definitely ways to keep it more affordable if you are creative and keep on the lookout for good deals. Plus, Yoto cards have excellent resell value, so you can sell them and use the funds to order new ones (I’ve done this through Facebook Yoto card selling groups).

However, there are many ways to add audiobooks into rotation at home—so this is definitely not the only way (nor the best way for your family). Ultimately, do what works best for your family and budget :)

Adventure Together: A Family Trip to South Dakota's Black Hills

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family trip black hills south Dakota

Beautiful scenery. Gelato. Delicious coffee. People carved in stone.

I’m not talking about Italy this time ;)

I wanted to share about our trip(s) to South Dakota (just in case it’s on your radar of places to go). This is the second time that we’ve gone as a family, but I also grew up visiting the Black Hills—so it feels so fun to introduce my kids to the places I loved as a kid!

Let me first say that we generally have “less is more” philosophy to traveling with kids. We usually pick out a few fun activities, but we don’t do aaallll the things (even if they look super fun). And those fun activities—usually they are on the more affordable side ;)

Here’s my short list of what we’ve enjoyed doing as a family in the Black Hills:

  • Go to Mount Rushmore. Of course, you can’t go to the SD and skip this. However, we didn’t make a repeat visit during this last trip (just gave the faces a wave as we drove by!)

  • Visit Custer State Park. We’ve done this both trips and LOVE it. We know we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s there. The first time, we loved doing the wildlife loop and seeing the animals. On our most recent trip, we enjoyed an easy hike around Lake Sylvan, a picnic in the shade, and a little dip in the lake to cool off. Such a pretty place! A tip: Go early (for the loop and the lake)—a lot less people and more parking :)

  • Take a little trip to Keystone. It’s a bit over-the-top touristy, but it’s still fun to do at least once :) My boys love watching the motorcycles drive through town and the helicopter tours fly by.

  • Visit the Badlands National Park. It’s just so cool to see at least once! We didn’t spend a lot of time there because it was so hot when we went, but we do hope to revisit in the future and spend more time exploring!

  • Check out Reptile Gardens. When we went, our boys really enjoyed it. It was a nice break from hiking/sight-seeing. If your littles love reptiles, this should definitely go on the list!

  • The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs. On our first trip, this was a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon. Somehow, we ended up in a tour group (we were invited to join in!) and got to go down into the pit and also the basement where they store all the bones. Super interesting!

There are so many more things to do, but these are a few of the places we’ve enjoyed while we’ve been there.

Even though we eat 90% of our meals at our vacation stay, we like to go out at least once for meal and a few times for treats. Here are some of our recs for places we enjoyed:

  • Grapes and Grinds in Keystone. Gelato + delicious coffee! Plus, so much fun seating and a pretty view :)

  • Cruizzers in Keystone. We like to split a pizza and save space for a little ice cream later ;)

  • Bumpin Buffalo Bar and Grill in Hill City. Hill City is a cute little town to explore, and this restaurant had delicious buffalo burgers!

  • Black Hills Bistro in Hill City for wonderful coffee. We stopped here for a quick road trip latte and it was SO GOOD.

Where we stay in the Black Hills:

  • Hart Ranch is where we typically stay when we visit. In fact, this is where I went as a kid (so it’s so fun to relive all those mini-golf games). They have nice cabins (or RV pads), a pool, activity center, mini-golf, and little things for the kids to do. Our kids enjoy scootering around and hanging in the pool!

  • This time, we couldn’t get a reservation for our first night in the area, so we booked the cutest spot (Big Bear Cabin) through Hipcamp. It was a mix between glamping and camping—and they have a lot of options there. Our host was wonderful, and even though our stay was short, it was lovely. I wouldn’t mind booking this place again! Super peaceful, clean, and sweet little extras.

All in all, our trips to the Black Hills aren’t over-the-top vacations or crammed with activities, but they’ve been wonderful trips together as a family. If you are close(ish), I recommend putting this on the list of places to go! Of course, you can also stop by the Corn Palace in Mitchell or The Ingall’s Homestead in De Smet along the way :)

Have you been to the Black Hills? What was your favorite thing we should add to the list for next time?

20 Tips to Cultivate a Reading Culture in Your Home (for you and your family!)

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Since I was young, I remember spending my summers lounging on the couch whittling away the hot days with a good book. During the school year, I always had a book in my desk that I popped out after doing my work. And library day at school was one of my favorites—scribbling my name on the checkout card for the next Nancy Drew book on my list ;)

I’ve always loved to read. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine a life without reading or escaping into a good book. But, I know for many reading isn’t really their thing. Or they might enjoy reading, but prefer doing something else with their free time. Or, like me in many seasons, find it hard to gravitate towards a book when your mind (and body) is exhausted.

But I truly believe that creating a reading culture in your home and for yourself is a gift that can enrich your life and those around you. Especially as our culture moves faster, reading can help us pump the breaks a bit and slow down. It’s not about reading 100 books a year, or spending hours reading aloud, or buying every cute book you see. It’s simply prioritizing and setting aside time to read—whether for 15 minutes or an hour (or more!). Just like exercise, even just fifteen minutes consistently can create lasting results and benefits :)

For many of you, these tips will be things you do already. For others, you might add a few to your arsenal of tricks. And for some, it might just be that helpful shove (or nudge) you need to build up this habit for yourself and for your family.

I’m going to start with some tips for prioritizing your personal reading:

  1. Always have TBR (to be read) list. Always. I use Goodreads to keep track of what I want to read, but you could also just write out a list. I also like to have one book in my hand and another ready to read—that way, I don’t find myself at a roadblock and wondering what to read next when I finish a book.

  2. Read a variety of books at the same time. For example, I read a non-fiction book during my quiet time in the morning. I alternate between theology books and Christian biographies. Next, I have fiction book that I'll pick up during the day or before bed. Finally, I have an audiobook that I listen to during house tasks, cooking dinner, or on solo drives. Generally, I stick with fiction for my audiobooks.

  3. Put your books where you see them. I’ll often bring my book from my nightstand to my kitchen counter or side table where I can more easily spot it during the day. This makes it more likely for me to pick it up and read for a few minutes.

  4. Pair reading with something else you enjoy (like a foot soak, snack, coffee break, or bath). In the summer, you’ll often find me outside sipping on a fizzy drink and munching on a little snack with a good book. Sometimes we all just need that little something to entice us to slow down for a few minutes with a book.

  5. Listen to an audiobook while doing chores or walking. Listening to audiobooks is not cheating—it is benefitting you (and it can make those chores just a little more entertaining!).

  6. Ditch a book you aren’t into. I used to be bull-headed and would finish a book I wasn’t into just for the sake of finishing it (unless I was uncomfortable with the content). Now, if I’m not feeling it after a few chapters, I’ll put it down and try something new.

  7. Switch up genres. I love a good historical fiction book. But recently, I felt like every book I picked up was WW2 historical fiction. And I had had enough, so I switched to some present day settings and other historical periods. It was refreshing and just what I needed to jumpstart my reading again.

  8. Be a part of a book club (or start one). A book club is not only fun, but also keeps you accountable. And then you get to have the joy of sharing about that book you loved (or didn’t…) with others.

  9. Recognize and deal with distractions and obstacles to reading. We all are guilty of discovering that twenty minutes of our day was sucked down the social media vortex. Or we find ourselves so exhausted at the end of the day that we can hardly keep our eyes open. With anything, if we want to prioritize something, it often means we have to make space for it. For me, giving myself more boundaries around social media has freed up a lot more space and time for reading.

  10. Bring your book to appointments or when you know you’ll need to wait. Doctor appointments and car pool lines aren’t so terrible when I’ve got a good book to whip out.

Now I’m going to switch gears and share some ways we’ve created a reading culture in our home. For me, one of my greatest gifts from homeschooling has been teaching my kids to read and also enjoying so (so, so, so) many wonderful books with my boys. As much as I love it, it doesn’t mean that we spend hours reading together or even do it everyday. Like anything, it takes consistency and intentionally to keep up this culture in our home. But, I think it is absolutely worth it!

Here are some tips for creating a reading culture in your home and as a family:

  1. Read to your kids (as consistently as you can). I know this is common sense, but it can often get sidelined during busy seasons. Even if it’s just a few picture books a day or a chapter of a read aloud or an audiobook in the car—keep at it!

  2. Use that library card. The librarians know me and my kids by name—because we go there A LOT. The local library is such a wonderful resource! I also like to reserve books ahead of time and then pick them up—it gives me more time so browse and also makes sure that I have a number of quality reads to haul home.

  3. Build a curated home library with a variety of good books. I love to have our favorites on hand to read—and over the years, we’ve added a lot of books :) I almost always buy books used. A few times a year, I take time to purge the books that we really don’t read or grabbed on a whim at the store (and then realized they weren’t our favorite).

  4. Keep books accessible. The more books they see, the more they’ll read or be likely to sit and look at them. We have baskets or shelves in every room. And there always seem to be books on the floor, beds, under couches, on tables, etc. They migrate everywhere—Ha!

  5. Rotate books. I’ll often go through our books, put some away, and then freshen up the shelves and baskets with books that have been out of sight for a while. Suddenly, they are interested in looking at and reading those books again ;)

  6. Start a book club with your older kids. My oldest is 10, and he sometimes wanders off while I read to the younger guys (especially if he’s already read the book on his own). So, we decided to start a mom/son book club. We each read a book separately and then get together over a treat to talk about it. We take turns choosing the book. I have absolutely LOVED connecting with him through our love of reading. I do this with my son, but we are also part of a local kid’s book club and that has been wonderful too!

  7. Pair reading aloud with food. My boys will never say no to a snack—and suddenly reading time becomes much more appealing to them! We’ve had many wonderful memories around the table or outside on a blanket with a good book and a simple snack.

  8. Cater to your kids’ interest. Find those books they enjoy and supply them with a steady stack of books you’ll know they’ll enjoy. However, I like to sneak in something new/different for them too (and often play it cool and not be too pushy about reading it). My oldest is into history and adventure books, my middle guy loves comics and funny books, and my youngest just loves anything with a car, dinosaur, dragons, tacos, or trucks.

  9. Listen to an audiobook during car rides or lunch time. I love when we all share in the experience of listening to a book together. I do like reading aloud, but I also love behind able to sit back and listen too :)

  10. Model reading. If you want your kids to read, it often starts with what they see. I actually love to do this because it means I get to pull out a good book in the middle of the day. I especially love when one of my kids snuggles in next to me with their own book they are reading or looking at.

I hope that some of these tips were helpful for you! I have many more, but I figured it might get to be a little too much—ha!

Let me know what you’ve been reading to your kids or on your own. I’m always wanting to add to that TBR list ;)

Ps. I share some of our tip top favorites on my @thelanternlibrary instagram account

Pss. Be sure to check out the seasonal book lists on the free resources page. Sometimes all we need is a good recommendation to ignite that reading habit again!