Welcome to Time Spent Home

Our First Home

The first “home” my husband and I ever had was a room at Homewood Suites in northern San Antonio. We were young, newly married, and he was going through his first active duty training as a newly commissioned officer. We had left our hometown in upstate New York to start our new life together.

We brought our own bedding and quilts to make it feel more like home, and for my birthday, Andy spent time picking out small fall decorations he knew would help make our hotel life a little cozier. Those tiny gifts, a pumpkin, a candle, and a pretty wax melter, became the foundation of what “home” has meant to us ever since.

After a few months, his training ended, and we finally moved into our first real house. Nineteen years, several states, and many homes later, I still unwrap those first decorations every fall. Each one brings me back to our 22- and 23-year-old selves, doing our best to create comfort, beauty, and belonging wherever we landed.

Looking back, I realize it wasn’t the space that mattered, it was how we made it ours. That simple act of creating home, no matter where we were, has guided me ever since.

Why Home Matters

Home has always been my anchor. It’s the place where life slows down enough for me to notice what truly matters. Over the years, I’ve learned that home isn’t defined by the location or the four walls around you, it’s built through the small rituals that ground us: Sunday dinners, coffee on the porch, the routines and flow that make your home uniquely yours.

Every move, every season, every home we’ve lived in has taught me something new. I’ve learned how to adapt, how to rebuild, how to make space for joy even in chaos. Creating a home has always been my way of creating stability and peace.

What “Time Spent Home” Really Means

For me, Time Spent Home is both literal and the core of who I am. It’s the quiet acknowledgment that the time we spend within our own walls shapes us. It’s where we practice who we are becoming, as parents, partners, individuals.

It’s the meals, the messes, and the laughter. The sight of a clean kitchen after a delicious dinner, the hum of the dishwasher, the candle you light just because it feels right. These ordinary moments rarely make it to social media, but they’re the ones that hold our lives together.

Time Spent Home is about rediscovering the beauty in those small, overlooked things and learning to see home not as something to escape, but as something to celebrate.

What You’ll Find Here

This space is a blend of reflection and practicality. Part journal, part guidebook for the everyday.

You’ll find:

• Routines that make life smoother and more intentional

• Recipes that invite gathering and connection

• Reflections on motherhood, purpose, and presence

• Home ideas that bring warmth and order without perfectionism

My hope is that this becomes a gentle corner of the internet that reminds you that creating a meaningful home life isn’t about doing more, it’s about being present for what’s already here.

Stay Connected

That young couple in San Antonio couldn’t have known how much that small act of creating a home would shape the rest of their lives. But now, nearly two decades later, I see that “home” has always been the starting point for everything good that’s come since.

If you believe home is more than a place, that it’s a reflection of who you’re becoming, I’d love for you to stay awhile.
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The 15-Minute Evening Reset (That I’ll Probably Never Master)

Let’s be clear right up front ….. I am not the 15-minute evening reset queen. That crown belongs to my husband, Andy.

He’s the early riser in our house, the kind of person who’s already been to the gym, showered, and halfway through a protein shake before I’ve opened my eyes. To make that possible, he’s perfected what I call The Evening Reset Routine of Champions.

Every night, he grinds the coffee beans, fills the water, and sets the pot so that all he has to do in the morning is press start. His gym bag is packed and waiting by the counter, right next to his keys, AG1 bottle, and whatever snacks he’s taking to work. It’s a tidy little launch station. Efficient, predictable, and entirely his domain.

Meanwhile, I’m usually wiping down the kitchen, loading the dishwasher, and declaring victory once the counters are clean. My kind of reset ends when the dishes are done. His involves strategic deployment for the next morning.

Different Seasons, Different Systems

When the kids were little, I did the full prep: outfits laid out, lunches packed, backpacks lined up like a tiny army by the door. That phase had its purpose….survival. But now, with everyone 12, 16, and 17, I’ve happily retired from the evening logistics department. They handle their own mornings, and I get myself together at my own pace (and with my own coffee).

So while Andy’s over there living his best reset life, I’ve learned that my peace comes from ending the day with a sense of closure, not necessarily a perfectly prepped tomorrow.

What the 15-Minute Reset Really Means

Here’s what I’ve realized: the 15-minute reset doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. It’s not about checking a box or matching someone else’s system. It’s about setting yourself up for the kind of morning you want to wake up to.

For me, that means:

• A clean kitchen and a quiet house

• A candle lit while the dishwasher hums

• Maybe jotting down tomorrow’s to-dos so they stop looping in my brain

That’s my version of calm, and it works.

If You Want to Try It

Whether your reset looks like Andy’s perfectly orchestrated coffee station or my “just-make-sure-the-sink-is-empty” approach, it all counts. Here are a few small ideas that make a big difference:

1. Reset your main space. Wipe down, clear clutter, dim the lights.

2. Prep one thing that matters most. Coffee? Outfit? Lunch? Pick your poison.

3. Set a cue for calm. Light a candle, read a book, or start your favorite show.

4. Write down tomorrow’s top three. Let your brain rest knowing it’s captured and you can think about it again tomorrow.

Fifteen minutes, no more, no less, can turn chaos into calm.

Final Thoughts

Watching Andy move through his routine every night reminds me that structure looks different for everyone. His reset is all about efficiency; mine’s about exhale. Both serve the same purpose, to make mornings feel lighter.

So no, I’ll probably never be the 15-minute evening reset queen. But I do like the version I’ve claimed…cozy, realistic, and perfectly me.

From the Classroom to the Living Room: What Kids Really Need to Learn

We are parenting in an age that is unlike any other generation before us, and the rules keep changing underneath our feet.

Technology is everywhere we turn, mental health is at the forefront of every conversation, and parents are stretched thinner than ever. It’s no wonder we feel like we’re navigating uncharted territory most of the time.

In my adult life, I’ve been a teacher without children, a stay-at-home mom, and a teacher/working mom. Each version of me has shaped the way I see kids and how they grow. Those experiences led me to dive deeply into both psychology and education, always circling back to one question:

How can I help you become the best version of yourself?

Do I have all the answers? Absolutely not.

Do I make mistakes? Every. Single. Day.

But I’ve learned that so many of the choices I make, both at home and in my classroom, come from the same place: teaching kids habits, routines, and mindsets that help them thrive long after they leave our care.

Here are a few of my favorite lessons.

1. Build Independence Early

What does this look like? It starts small: teaching kids to put a straw in their juice box, open their own snack, or zip their own jacket.

As adults, it’s often quicker to just do it for them, but every time we step back, we’re giving them something far more valuable than efficiency: confidence.

Later, that independence looks like packing their own backpacks, remembering what they need for school or sports, and learning to take ownership of their day.

When we give children the space to do things on their own, we give them the tools to problem-solve and the belief that they are capable.

2. Let Them Work Through Challenges

Growth always comes through challenge. Kids need to experience small failures like the tower that falls down, the project that doesn’t go as planned, or the frustration of something taking longer than expected.

In education, we call this a growth mindset, the understanding that ability develops through effort, reflection, and persistence. These aren’t just academic skills; they’re life skills.

As parents, our role isn’t to remove every obstacle, but to stay close enough to support them as they learn to climb over it.

3. Teach Emotional Awareness

Just as children need to navigate external challenges, they also need to understand their internal ones.

Teaching kids to name their emotions—angry, sad, nervous, proud, frustrated—gives them language and power. Once they can identify how they feel, we can help them learn what to do with those feelings: take a breath, ask for help, pause before reacting.

Emotional regulation doesn’t come naturally; it’s taught through modeling, consistency, and time. And the earlier we start, the better equipped they are to handle the bigger emotions that come with adolescence and adulthood.

4. Empower Them to Take Ownership of Their Learning

This one evolves as kids grow. For the little ones, it’s as simple as unpacking their backpack after school, handing over papers, or doing their homework without being reminded ten times.

For older kids, it’s learning how to communicate directly with teachers, asking for help, clarifying assignments, or taking responsibility for missed work.

These small acts of self-advocacy prepare them for the future: for high school, for college, for life on their own. When kids start speaking up for themselves early, they’re ready to handle what really matters later.

5. Focus on the Long Game

By teaching and guiding children toward independence, we aren’t just making our mornings easier; we’re giving them the foundation to build successful, resilient lives.

Every moment we let them try, every challenge we let them face, every conversation we have about feelings or responsibility—it all adds up.

The goal isn’t to raise perfect kids; it’s to raise capable ones.