*post by Shannan Powell, mom of 3 boys, RM Media community and project manager, and Resourceful Mommy contributor.  We’re just a few days away from the official start of fall. While here in the Mid-Atlantic we’re still reaching 80-plus degrees most days, I’m contemplating taking inventory of the sweaters and winter coats and all the…

In 2013 I wrote a book called Raising Digital Families For Dummies, and for a few months I spent countless hours telling reporters, radio DJ’s, and television talk show hosts that parents need to set strict digital limits for their children, creating digital family contracts that legislate everything from screen time allowances to cell phone charging…

Over the last year I have devoted most of my hours to the job of worship director at my family’s church home, working on everything from special services to managing the tech crew. One of my roles has been creating set pieces for the chancel area of the sanctuary. I’ve turned the “stage” into a…

(subtitle: EasyClosets Saved Two Rooms of My House) I’m so excited to unveil the results of my EasyClosets Total Home Tour garage and laundry room makeover. But first, a word about the design and installation. My husband and I worked together on both the design and installation process since we both spend an equal amount…

(subtitle: EasyClosets Total Home Tour Laundry Room and Garage Makeover) When EasyClosets invited my family to participate in the Total Home Tour, the first step after shouting, “YES, PLEASE!!!” was to select an area of my home to renovate. While my basement needs an obsolete toy cleansing and my office needs a full-on professional intervention,…

(subtitled: Why I Said Yes to the EasyClosets Total Home Tour) For a few years now I’ve received Good Housekeeping each month, the result of a gift subscription that I can no longer place, but continue to enjoy. With that said, years of reading this and other lifestyle magazines has done very little to improve my…

To celebrate their 100th anniversary this year, Hellmann’s has teamed up with Mario Batali to create .  I was challenged by Hellmann’s to create one of Mario’s dishes and see if my family could guess the secret ingredient – Hellmann’s Mayonaise!  I love a challenge that involves food and chose . This recipe, featured on the…

I have a confession. While I have had the occasional good organization idea (I still love using bins to turn shelves into drawers), I continue to find myself overwhelmed by the papers that come home each day in my children’s backpacks. My kids’ backpacks are very organized with folders that contain a “keep home” and…

I love onions. I love the way they taste when they’re sauteed and mixed with other vegetables. I love spring onions rubbed in salt and eaten raw. And I love onions diced into tiny little rectangles and placed nicely across a well-done cheeseburger. But I hate the way they make my hands smell. When I…

During my time in Tanzania with Compassion International, I will would like to share some of my favorite posts from the past. ~Originally posted 5/1/10~ Next weekend my baby is turning four, and we will be celebrating with a Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman themed birthday party. When my daughter was born I launched a tradition of elaborate (crazy)…

During my time in Tanzania with Compassion International, I will would like to share some of my favorite posts from the past. ~Originally posted 10/29/10~ If you were to take a look at the papers on my desk, you’d find a running theme whether they are work or family related – tons of lists.  A long…

When I was a kid, my dad used to occasionally put Arm & Hammer Baking Soda in a little cup, wet our toothbrushes, and brush our teeth with the gloppy solution.  My brother and I played along with this periodic routine, and all that we knew was that occasionally our teeth were experiencing a departure…

I grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch county, otherwise known as the land of the baked good.  Okay, so I just made that name up, but the truth is that most of my memories of my grandmother involve her standing in the kitchen, handing me little cups with semi-sweet morsels, baking me tiny milk pies with…

I’m taking some time off this week, but am happy to bring you some of my favorite past posts. If you’re like me and you’ve got a kid in pre-school, you know that back to school time means the return of craft clutter. I’m pretty sure that the teachers at my children’s school held a…

While I haven’t been blogging as much about it lately, in the past I’ve written often about ways to simplify your life.  I’m certainly no organization expert – in fact, organization is a constant battle for me – but I’ve found little resourceful tricks along the way that make life easier.  Some of my favorites…

This week’s deals of the week are in both Dallas and Phoenix.  As I write this, I am taking a little cocktail of antibiotics, ibuprofen, and ice chips to fight my very first bout with strep.  There is nothing I need more than a little pampering right now, so I’m excited to share that the…

Look what I did: I was so inspired after reading and reviewing Pretty Neat that I couldn’t help but attack that horrible problem area.  So how did I do it? I used a few of the tips from the book: 1. The power of NO! – Okay, so I didn’t shout it every time I…

It’s a new year and time to get organized!  Join us for a fresh look at getting your life under control as we chat with experts from buttoned up, the authors of Pretty Neat. It’s time to avoid getting sucked into creating more clutter in your life by the lures of what the buttoned up…

As I enjoy this holiday season with my family, I’d like to share some of my favorite posts from 2010… As parents, we need to have an ever-changing bag of tricks to deal with the challenges of parenthood.  My nemesis is space.  I am constantly looking for new places to store items that make sense,…

It happens every year.  I begin to get excited about the holiday season right after my birthday the beginning of November.  First comes the joy that my family will have a four day weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday.  This is quickly followed by the anticipation of Christmas: the making of the lists, the buying of…

I’m going to admit right now that I am not the world’s greatest housekeeper.  My idea of organization is neatly stacked piles.  My idea of clean is quickly swept heavily trafficked areas and sanitized bathrooms and kitchens. And yet, I know what I don’t like when it comes to cleaning my house.  I don’t like…