by Alissa | Mar 6, 2019 | Alissa McClure blog, Joy, random thoughts, self-improvement, Writing
I am sitting at my computer screen, wishing words–inspiring, profound words–would somehow appear on the blank white. Nothing. I have some ideas, but none of them seem to be just right for today. I think of weeks or months when that content will fit better....
by Alissa | Feb 27, 2019 | Alissa McClure blog, Joy, lifehacks, random thoughts, self-improvement
Most weekday mornings after we drop the boys off at school, my daughter and I go to a nearby park. She typically rides in the stroller while I walk for about two miles. But at the end of our two miles, we must “go see the fishies.” There is a lovely koi...
by Alissa | Feb 13, 2019 | Alissa McClure blog
Love is a word that gets a lot of use and turns flashy and almost gimmicky during the month of February. I used to dread Valentine’s Day and all of the awkwardness and insecurity of it all. Even now, my husband and I celebrate a day in February that is more special to...
by Alissa | Feb 6, 2019 | Alissa McClure blog
A few weeks ago I deep cleaned and organized my kitchen as part of A Bowl Full of Lemons’ Home Organization Challenge. One of the biggest parts of that challenge—for me—was in pulling everything out of each cupboard, cleaning out and re-lining the cupboards, then...
by Alissa | Jan 30, 2019 | Alissa McClure blog, Joy, motherhood, random thoughts, strengthen family
PC: LeilaEllice This time 10 years ago I was in the hospital. I shared that adventure here if you need a refresher. And now, our house has seven people living under its roof: five of which are our children! Sometimes I have to say it out loud because it doesn’t seem...
by Alissa | Jan 16, 2019 | Alissa McClure blog, Joy, lifehacks, random thoughts, self-improvement
At a recent Houston SCBWI meeting, I sat in the back of the room with a dear friend and listened to two fantastic (and successful) children’s book authors discuss some of the challenges they face now and some of the challenges they faced early in their careers. I was...
by Alissa | Dec 20, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, random thoughts, self-improvement
You know those weeks where you feel like you should be doing about 99,956,789 things and you just can’t get them all done? I am having one of those weeks. It’s the end of the year, we’re preparing to go out of town, and everything seems to require a...
by Alissa | Dec 14, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, Friday Favorites, reading with kids, recommendations
Reading with your little ones before they go off to school is a double win: you spend time building memories with your children AND you teach them to love books and stories long before they can read them for themselves. Reading books aloud with your children builds a...
by Alissa | Dec 12, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, random thoughts, self-improvement
I had a short list of words. Profound words. I thought one of those words would be the word for my 2019. I thought the word I chose would double as a mini-mantra for my writing. I mulled over these words for a few weeks before I determined to sit down and really—you...
by Alissa | Dec 5, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, lifehacks, random thoughts, self-improvement
About a year ago, I shared with you my long-standing tradition of choosing “One Little Word” each year on which to focus my efforts instead of a laundry list of resolutions. My 2018 word has been LISTEN. As this year comes to a close, I have been...
