by Alissa | Nov 28, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog
Every year when I pull out my Christmas decorations, amid the knitted stockings from my amazing mom and the ornaments we’ve had for 15 Christmases, I extract the same tiny gift bag. The bag is a little crumpled and the shine has dulled on the laminated paper....
by Alissa | Nov 21, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, giveaway, lifehacks, self-improvement
Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I find myself thinking about individual words and their meanings quite often. Yeah, I’m OK if that officially makes me weird. For the past few weeks I have been thinking about the word “Thanksgiving.” Most of all, I have considered why...
by Alissa | Nov 16, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, Friday Favorites
I’ve told you about my love/hate relationship with meal planning here. Today I want to share some of our current favorite meals. These are four easy recipes that I have made more than once. They aren’t just pins I’ve admired. If you are looking for something easy and...
by Alissa | Nov 9, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, Friday Favorites
Do you ever feel stuck in a rut when it comes to gift-giving ideas? Especially for acquaintances you may not know well or for people you should know well but you realize you don’t know much about them at all? Well, if you know (or can find out) their favorite...
by Alissa | Nov 7, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, motherhood, random thoughts
Everybody has them: the days when we question why we ever thought we could do this parenting thing in the first place. Those are the days when we realize that we know absolutely nothing and we were silly for ever thinking otherwise. They are painful, isolating days....
by Alissa | Oct 31, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, Writing
I am participating in Susanna Hill’s fantastic Halloweensie contest for the second year in a row! The rules: write a 100 word Halloween story appropriate for children (children here defined as 12 and under) (title not included in the 100 words), using the words...
by Alissa | Oct 24, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, lifehacks, random thoughts, self-improvement, Writing
Failure is an inevitable part of life. And it is not fun. The bigger the dream, the harder we fall when failure even hints at arriving. And sometimes when we have those big falls, we begin to wonder if it is worth it to even get back up again. We entertain the notion...
by Alissa | Oct 17, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, motherhood, reading with kids
I was recently asked this question: How can I get my kindergartener–who is a very strong reader–to start reading longer books (like chapter books)? Before we dive into some fun with literacy and encouraging our children to grow as readers, I just need to...
by Alissa | Oct 10, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog
We equate success with speed. We applaud the new business that explodes “overnight.” We celebrate those who “get rich quick” and then we expect comparable results ourselves. There’s quick weight loss. Fast food. Shortcuts and...
by Alissa | Oct 5, 2018 | Alissa McClure blog, Friday Favorites
A few weeks ago I shared my issues with clothes and how I am trying to do better at paring down my wardrobe. I want to be more intentional about the few items I keep and any new things I buy. I shared a little in that article about my experience with what is arguably...
