What Makes My Kids Cry Today

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  • December Meal Plan – Peace on Earth, Pizza on the Table

    December Meal Plan – Peace on Earth, Pizza on the Table

    Dear Friend,

    If November is for gratitude, December is for grit.

    It’s the month of tangled lights, sugar highs, crowded calendars, and more glitter on the floor than anyone ever asked for. And somewhere between the wrapping paper and the baby Jesus figurine someone lost under the couch—we’re still expected to feed people. Every. Single. Night.

    But here’s what I’ve learned: peace doesn’t come from a perfect meal plan.

    Peace comes from knowing we don’t have to do it all to be loved deeply by the One who already did it all.

    This December, I’m not chasing Pinterest meals or perfect place settings. I’m building a menu full of cozy dinners, budget-friendly favorites, and room for leftovers (and grace). There’s space for birthday celebrations, freezer nights, and the sacred tradition of Christmas leftovers.

    It’s not just a meal plan. It’s a pause plan. A way to say, “Let’s make space to slow down, gather close, and remember Who we’re doing this for.”

    🍽️ December 1–10

    • Chicken Stir-Fry w/ Rice
    • Tacos
    • Pasta Bake w/ Side Salad
    • BBQ Chicken & Potato Wedges
    • Breakfast for Dinner
    • Veggie Fried Rice w/ Eggs
    • Baked Potato Bar
    • Turkey Meatball Subs & Fries
    • Tacos w/ Beans & Rice
    • Chicken & Stuffing Casserole

    🍽️ December 11–20

    • Cheesy Pasta w/ Steamed Veggies
    • Mini Flatbread Pizzas
    • Special Birthday Dinner 🎉
    • Cheesy Potato Soup & Bread
    • Baked Ziti
    • Turkey Tacos
    • Garlic Parmesan Chicken & Mashed Potatoes
    • Sloppy Joes & Chips
    • Another Birthday Dinner 🎂
    • Chicken BBQ Flatbreads
    • Egg Roll in a Bowl w/ Rice

    🍽️ December 21–31

    • Pasta Primavera
    • Tacos (yes, again — and no shame)
    • Italian Sausage & Potatoes
    • Christmas Dinner & Lunch 🎄
    • Leftovers
    • DIY Sandwiches & Chips
    • Mac & Cheese, Broccoli & Cheese
    • Rice & Bean Bowls w/ Cheese
    • Tacos
    • French Bread Pizzas

    💛 What I’m Holding Onto This Month

    Feeding your family in December isn’t about impressing anyone.
    It’s not about holiday spreads or matching dishes.
    It’s about presence — yours and God’s.

    Jesus came into the world through the ordinary —
    a feeding trough. A tired mom.
    No oven. No Pinterest board. Just grace.

    So if you’re making tacos again, serving cereal for dinner, or wrapping gifts in leftover grocery bags…

    That’s okay.
    You’re doing sacred work.
    You’re showing up — and that’s what counts.

    📖 Scripture to Anchor the Season:

    “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” —John 1:14

    God showed up in the middle of mess and manger.
    And He still does — right in your kitchen, at your table, through every meal offered in love.

    The Gospel at the Table

    This is the season where we celebrate Emmanuel—God with us.

    Not just with us in the sanctuary or on the silent night—but with us at the sticky table.

    In the kitchen chaos.

    In the grocery aisle when the budget is tight.

    In the weariness when the holiday noise feels too loud and the toddler cries because his cookie broke.

    You, mama, are doing sacred work when you feed your people.

    When you warm up leftovers, cut the crusts off sandwiches, or serve boxed mac with love—you are mirroring the One who came not to be served, but to serve.

    He doesn’t just show up in the manger.

    He shows up in your Monday meatloaf and your freezer night French toast sticks. (Well… maybe not those. But close.)

    Make Room for Peace

    This meal plan won’t save your December.

    But it might give you 31 fewer things to stress about—and one more chance to light a candle, gather your crew, and say a prayer over dinner.

    Want your printable grocery lists and recipe links?

    Check the Free Resources tab or subscribe below for weekly downloads—because sometimes God’s provision looks like an organized grocery list and someone else deciding what’s for dinner.

    A Christmas Blessing for You:

    May your December be messy and meaningful. May your meals be simple and satisfying. May the leftovers stretch, the birthdays be sweet, and the presence of God be felt in every small act of love you serve at the table. You are not just managing a home—you are ministering in it. He sees. He knows. He is with you.

    With Christmas cheer and crushed crackers under the table,

    Lizzie

    Mom of Five, Light-Hanger, Birthday-Cake Baker, and Still Forgetting the Rolls

  • You’re Not Behind — You’re Just Tired

    You’re Not Behind — You’re Just Tired

    There’s a lie that creeps in around Sunday evening.

    It whispers that you should’ve gotten more done.

    That the laundry should already be folded.

    That you should’ve meal prepped, caught up on emails, or made some kind of magical family memory between church and snack time.

    It tells you that you’re behind.

    That other moms are more prepared, more balanced, more on top of things.

    And that somehow, if you were stronger or more organized, life wouldn’t feel so heavy.

    But can I tell you the truth I’ve been preaching to my own weary heart?

    You’re not behind.

    You’re just tired.

    And tired people need grace — not guilt.

    God Doesn’t Grade You on Productivity

    He’s not measuring your worth by your checklist.

    He’s not keeping track of how many things you crossed off this weekend.

    He’s looking at your heart. And He sees a woman who keeps showing up.

    Even when she’s exhausted.

    Even when the dishes are still in the sink.

    Even when she doesn’t feel very strong or spiritual.

    And you know what? That’s enough.

    Rest Isn’t a Reward — It’s a Command

    We forget that God built rest into the rhythm of creation.

    Not as a luxury for when everything’s done — but as a rhythm for being human.

    So if you’re reading this while your house is loud, your back hurts, and your list is longer than your energy… take a breath.

    You’re not lazy. You’re living a full, giving life.

    And God isn’t asking for more from you — He’s offering rest to you.

    Let Him carry what you can’t.

    Let Him cover what you missed.

    Let Him fill in the gaps where you’ve run out.

    Because you’re not behind.

    You’re just tired.

    And He’s still enough.

    With grace (and zero guilt about that pile of laundry),

    Lizzie

    Mom of Five, Sunday-Night Sigh Specialist, and Firm Believer in Naps + Jesus

  • “When the Road Isn’t Straight—And Neither Am I”

    “When the Road Isn’t Straight—And Neither Am I”

    I wish I could explain how heavy my chest feels just seeing the entrance to the interstate.

    Not even the traffic.

    Not even the speed.

    Just… knowing it’s not a straight shot.

    Knowing there will be turns. Merges. Overpasses. Unexpected curves. Too many exits. Too many decisions in motion.

    Sometimes I slow down so much I feel like I’m holding up the world.

    Sometimes I hyperventilate.

    Sometimes I cry.

    And sometimes… I have to pull over, because my body says, “No further.”

    And my kids are watching.

    That’s the part that breaks me.

    I see them in the rearview mirror.

    Wide-eyed. Silent.

    Not scared of the road — but scared of me.

    Scared because I’m scared.

    And I know — I know — I can’t keep doing that.

    When Panic Becomes a Passenger

    People say “just breathe” or “just trust God,” and while I believe in prayer and breathing and calm…

    none of those things feel automatic when your chest tightens and your hands go cold at 70 mph.

    This isn’t about logic.

    It’s about fear.

    Fear that I’ll freeze.

    Fear that I’ll crash.

    Fear that I’m not safe to trust myself — and yet I have to keep going because I have these little ones watching me from the back seat.

    I Don’t Want My Kids to Inherit My Panic

    I don’t want them to think fear is how we respond to challenge.

    I don’t want them to believe that tears mean we’re done.

    I don’t want them to internalize my anxiety as their own.

    I want them to feel held — even if I’m shaking.

    So I’ve started doing something that feels both small and radical:

    I speak out loud, even if it sounds silly. “Okay, we’re going over this bridge. It’s okay. I’m okay. We’re safe.” I slow down, but I don’t shut down. I tell them, “Mommy’s a little anxious right now, but I’m taking deep breaths and doing my best.”

    Not to put it on them — but to show them it’s okay to struggle and still move forward.

    This Is My Real Talk

    I’m not writing this for advice.

    I’m not asking for tips.

    I’m just saying: this is where I am right now.

    Behind the wheel, on edge, trying to stay steady for the ones who trust me most.

    I don’t have a pretty ending. But I have this:

    I keep showing up. I keep getting behind the wheel. And every time I do, I get one step closer to being the kind of calm I want my kids to remember.

    Even if the road isn’t straight.

    Even if I’m not either.

    —Have you ever had a moment where anxiety caught you off guard in a place where you had to hold it together? Especially for your kids? You’re not alone. Feel free to share — or just sit with this knowing someone else gets it.