From Frazzled to Fun

Helping moms create space for fun, family, and faith

When Growing Kids to Greatness, Don't Praise Them This Way

parenting Feb 12, 2022

We as parents are always looking for ways to support and encourage our kids, right?

Did you know tweaking one subtle angle in the way you praise your child can make all the difference in their development?

I was stunned this week to see Trevor Ragan's presentation sharing what Carol Dweck's study showed.

What you learn from the above video will likely revolutionize the way you cheer your kids on to be the best they can be.

As the Coach Mom Tribe works through our action steps to organize or homes and families each week this year we will be keeping this at the forefront of our minds.

As we praise our children, we will make sure we put more emphasis on the process and effort rather than their intelligence or abilities.

Here's to raising kids who are always growing toward greatness!

One way we can coach them toward greatness is to train them how to organize their own room and stuff.

To get Brenna's free OAK (Organizing Alongside Kids) Mindmap, click...

Super SIMPLE yet Meaningful Thanksgiving Activity

faith inspiration Nov 20, 2021

Mama, have I got an off the chain Thanksgiving activity for you!

Why so OTC?

So simple
Inexpensive
Requires very little prep
Meaningful
For all ages
A great around-the-table activity
Is useful after the activity is over

What is it?

A THANKSGIVING PAPER CHAIN!

In a meeting this month with my Coach Mom Triber moms, they each shared at least one favorite holiday tradition. They had so many great ideas!

Veronica Bezanson shared what a hit a Thanksgiving paper chain was with her family.

I realize you kindergarten teachers, first grade teachers, and homeschool moms are already on this, but many of us have forgotten about paper chains!

I challenge you to do this Thanksgiving Paper Chain activity for your family this Thanksgiving:

Get paper (even copy paper white will do! That weight is the best because you don't want it to be too thick.)
Turn your paper landscape
Using a ruler, take a pencil and score it the width of the ruler top to bottom all the way across...

Are you Centered?

faith inspiration Nov 13, 2021

One day in June I was laid out in a lounge chair feeling lifeless and discouraged because I was on Day 12 of COVID.

Answering a FaceTime call, I saw my son Micah. He was calling from Guatemala where he was serving on a medical mission.

I was clearly not looking my best or sounding my best and he could read the discouragement all over me.

He happened to be sitting at a keyboard, and, after letting me share a little with him about how things were going he played a chord and started singing. "Jesus at the center of it all, Jesus at the center of it all...." (And he went on to sing all the verses of the song.)

Tears streamed down my face as the song lifted my spirits and the hope and peace of God washed over me.

Reality sunk in -- this was a temporary trouble. And Jesus, the always faithful and always able One, is at the center of everything in my life.

Besides that, I was blessed to have a son who cared so much...

Chris’ Award-Winning Sonoran Chicken Chili Recipe

recipes Nov 06, 2021

Reposted from November 3, 2009...(because yes, people are still asking as the word has spread) :)

For all the people beating down my door for my husband’s award-winning recipe since last week’s chili cook-off, this one’s for you.

It is a "chopping intensive" recipe, but if you don’t mind spending a little more time in the kitchen, this one seems to be one that all people do prefer to eat (and will actually fight over for the last bowl)!

Drum roll, please…

Chris’ Award-Winning Sonoran Chicken Chili

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkg. of Eckrich skinless smoked sausage, sliced/diced
1 whole white onion, diced

1 bulb fresh garlic, minced <or> 2 T. minced garlic

2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 pkg. frozen white corn
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
6 habanero peppers <or>
2 large poblano pepper + 1 jalapeno pepper + red/yellow bell peppers
½ cup cooking white wine <or> ½ c. ginger ale (optional)
1 can...

FLY CHEAP - How to pack for a BACKPACK ONLY weekend trip

home organization productivity Oct 08, 2021

Last month I flew to Dallas and back for less than the cost of what it takes to fill up my car with gas!

How does the sound of a super cheap weekend trip sound to you?

Airlines like Spirit, Allegiant, and Frontier offer some unbelievable flight prices! Check it out.

But BEWARE! These airlines make most of their money on the a' la carte items, such as bags, seats, early boarding, snacks and drinks.

On my Spirit Airlines trip to Dallas, even if I had just added in a carry on bag, my travel costs would have increased by time and a half!

With some strategy and a little planning, you can hurdle right over those extra charges and maybe afford to take your whole family away for the weekend!

Because of this strategy, everyone from our family of 7 was able to fly from Phoenix to Dallas to see our college son perform when he had the leading role in his university's musicals.

After flying on two dozen...

Practical Steps to Move From Frazzled to Fun

faith home organization inspiration parenting Sep 25, 2021

I want to share with you a podcast that came out this week.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Courtney Lowman of Journey of Ruth podcast on the topics of:

questions to ask yourself when home organizing
teamwork tactics and how the benefits can continue to bless you for years
encouragement for mamas of newborns
fun ways to get your kids to want to behave
boundaries and screen time for kids
gettin' 'er done as a mama but keeping it fun

If you want to feel encouraged, be more equipped to be intentional, and be inspired to return to the fun mom you know you really are, Courtney and I invite you to listen in (also includes a link to watch on YouTube).

Miracle in My Kitchen and What it Means Today

faith inspiration parenting Sep 11, 2021

It was baking day. Dillon and Derek, ages five and six, put on their favorite baking aprons, and we were ready to begin our bread making.

The boys meticulously measured the yeast, flour, sugar, and salt into two bread makers with dreams of sweet rolls we would enjoy.

I was disappointed when I went to get the oil from the pantry and remembered I was almost out. As I tilted the container, it looked like we had a tablespoon of oil at the most. We needed two-thirds of a cup.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, guys! I forgot we were out of oil," I said. "We're not going to be able to finish these recipes today."

Their eyes cast downward. Then my six-year-old looked at me and said, "Remember that story about the woman who needed the oil to bake with?"

I took a deep breath and hesitantly said, "In the Bible?" By this time, both boys were excitedly nodding their heads with anticipation. The ball was in my court. "So what you are saying is that we should pray, and the Lord will multiply our oil like He...

Don't Fear for Your Kids

faith inspiration parenting Sep 04, 2021

Here's a good word for the times, from Alex Cravens. I agree with him and want to spread this faith-filled word! I hope we will all, no matter how difficult, take it to heart:

"Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God.

Train them up in the authority of His Word.

Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control.

Empower them to know they can change the world.

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it.

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

He knew Daniel could handle the lions...

Get Organized This Way -- it's FAST and FUN!

home organization Aug 21, 2021

Do you want to start the semester organized and on top of things?

Check out my strategies in the OAK Mindmap.

These strategies not only get you organized 3-4x faster, they also help you raise confident, competent kids.

I will soon be opening a free 5-day training explaining the mindmap and giving small action steps to get you kick started toward your goals.

The training will be held within a private group only open for a short time.

Do these strategies really work?

Yes! They are tried and true...and FUN!

Coach Mom Tribers applied these strategies in July and made a boatload of progress toward their goals.

Clara Carr really shined. This is what her July looked like:

Organized 19 areas in her home and posted before and after photos in the group
Sons organized and maintained their bedrooms 15 min/day
Created cool family slogan to boost morale
Wrote notes of appreciation to her family members commending their work
Honored accomplishments with a...

Kids Off Screens: The Unplug & Create Challenge Results

parenting Aug 13, 2021

More than two hundred hours of creative fun. That was what Elisha Scarborough, one of the Coach Mom Tribe kids, pulled off last month during the Unplug & Create Challenge.

But he wasn't the only one. Coach Mom Tribe kids earned a total of more than 5,000 stars, with each star equating 15 minutes of non-screen creative play. That's more than 1,000 hours documented of creative fun in the month of July.

With a goal to help moms get kids off screens this summer and into more enriching activities, last month the focus of the Coach Mom Tribe was a challenge designed just for the kids!

The Challenge was to do as many creative activities as they could in the month of July. The object:

greatly reduce brain-numbing screen time spent on things like iPads, phones, video games & TV
exercise their brains
have fun

While I gave them an extensive list of almost thirty fun and creative things they could do, they put my ideas in the dust with the fun things they found to do...

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Author

Brenna Stull

Author

My joy is seeing even the most disorganized and defeated moms say goodbye to overwhelm and self-doubt, and move from frazzled to fun as they apply the Coach Mom 7 strategies and move closer to an organized home and family life that runs peacefully and purposefully. I love to hear my readers and clients express the realization that they can faithfully parent, keep an organized home, and enjoy a refreshing return to fun mom...all at the same time.

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