January 29, 2019
by Maralee
2 Comments
My husband and I watched the “Minimalism” documentary on Netflix recently and it definitely made an impact. I immediately started looking around my house for things I could get rid of and briefly considered setting fire to the small piles … Continue reading
September 7, 2018
by Maralee
2 Comments
I’m not sure when the moment came that I started to feel a little conflicted about our current obsession with compassion voyeurism. Maybe it was the photo that went viral of a Chick-fil-A manager praying with a guy who was … Continue reading
August 6, 2018
by Maralee
1 Comment
My Sweet Kids, I know there have been times you have felt poor. There are vacations we can’t go on, the hand-me-down wardrobes, the times we didn’t send you to a friend’s birthday party because we couldn’t afford to buy … Continue reading
November 29, 2017
by Maralee
1 Comment
I am by and large a “live and let live” kind of parent. You do what works for you, Moms. But today I’m just feeling fed up with the whole Santa game and the Santa-infused nonsense this time of year … Continue reading
March 28, 2017
by Maralee
Comments Off on How to Help a Financially Struggling Friend (without making things weird)
A few months ago I wrote about why I cringe when someone’s financial pain goes viral. We love seeing someone in need get their needs met, but it often means we’re witnessing that “needy” person at their lowest, most painful, … Continue reading
March 6, 2014
by Maralee
5 Comments
I recently wrote about some of the common misconceptions I hear about foster parenting and financial compensation. I work hard to help people understand the realities of foster care and I find it hard to do that in a climate … Continue reading
March 5, 2014
by Maralee
21 Comments
There are a lot of misperceptions out there about foster parents and money. The problem is that “good” foster parents know it’s taboo to talk about compensation, so there’s no way to clear up the confusion. We don’t want people … Continue reading
March 26, 2013
by Maralee
1 Comment
I think the more kids I have, the more my ideas on what a baby “needs” have changed. My first baby had a nursery with color-coordinated artwork on the walls that matched the bedding set, and a small mountain of … Continue reading
November 1, 2011
by Maralee
Comments Off on Faith and finances
In my perfect world I’d be doing a better job teaching my four year-old how to handle money. He understands that we only buy the name-brand fruit snacks when they have the sale sticker underneath them, which is a starting … Continue reading