Carrie Talbott Carrie Talbott

Jesus Follower | Word Stringer | Avocado Eater

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  • Courage,  Honesty,  Stress,  Thanksgiving

    Baby Steps, Bob: How to Replace the Overwhelming Thing with the Next Thing

    September 23, 2022 / 16 Comments

    If you’ve seen one of my favorite movies, What About Bob, you know taking baby steps (literally) is what got Bob Wiley out of his own head.  Repeating the words “baby steps” also got him on a bus, through a sliding door, and on a boat… all things that previously terrified him. Similarly, if you’ve read Bob Goff’s books or listened to his podcast, you know he loves the word ambition. Always challenging people, he does a great job of encouraging his audience to figure out what they want and go for it.  Sounds effortless coming from a man who already possesses ambition… and a bank account to back up…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Corner Office Syndrome as a Boss: When it’s Always Lonely at the Top of the Business or Ministry

    January 10, 2021

    Mexican Manna: Do You Know What You Need?

    April 11, 2020

    Two Cops & a Black Eye: Our Up Close & Personal Encounter with Physical Abuse

    February 4, 2022
  • Attitude,  Honesty,  Stress,  Vacation

    Dealing with Disappointment: 5 Things I Learned from a Rough Family Vacation Last Week

    August 5, 2022 / 14 Comments

    I know, I know. Simply being on vacation should be reason enough to not complain, right? Having money to pay for gas, a cabin, and fun activities should override any thoughts of disappointment if it didn’t go as you planned. Aaaaand there’s the issue: it didn’t go as I planned.  Before you roll your eyes and label me “entitled,” hear me out. I realize none of us actually deserve to go on vacations. The majority of the world has probably never come close to even having such thoughts.  But since I live in middle-class America and my husband and I both work hard to be able to play, here we…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

    Dumbing Down Our Kids: 11 Rules of Life to Challenge the Teens in Your Life

    September 21, 2019

    Christmas Eve Chaos: The One Where We Went to Church Dirty and Avoided Our Friends

    December 3, 2021
  • Courage,  Honesty,  Humility,  Pride

    Optimists and Their Kryptonite: Why Blowing Sunshine Doesn’t Always Work

    August 1, 2020 / 23 Comments

    Just because I normally see my kombucha bottle as half full doesn’t mean I don’t get sad when it’s empty.  A large portion of optimists I know tend to be funny, super friendly, or both. One friend said she’s the funniest on social media when she’s depressed or going through muck.  Another posts closeup pics of calm objects and events even though her life is falling apart behind the scenes. I belong to the optimistic lifers club. And I married a pessimist. Of course I didn’t know he was a pessimist when I walked down the aisle, but I figured it out pretty quick.  He says assuming the worst makes…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    In the Eye of the Swarm: Learning Patience While Waiting for Everything to Change

    October 15, 2016

    Two Cops & a Black Eye: Our Up Close & Personal Encounter with Physical Abuse

    February 4, 2022

    Mexican Manna: Do You Know What You Need?

    April 11, 2020
  • Courage,  Faith,  Honesty,  Humility,  Judging

    Boring Testimonies: No Drama Necessary

    March 7, 2020 / 14 Comments

    My second boyfriend acted like a goody-two-shoes, but mostly wasn’t. My third boyfriend had a long scar on his face. I never asked why. My fifth boyfriend lived in a group home and wasn’t that into… talking.  My sixth got kicked out of school, but I don’t remember why. My husband tells stories of his past that make you wonder how and why he’s still alive.  He sold pot in middle school, went to church hungover, and almost blew up his high school gym, but eventually, he grew up and started a nonprofit ministry. He also got stuck on the back of a motorcycle while the driver flew through the…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Baby Steps, Bob: How to Replace the Overwhelming Thing with the Next Thing

    September 23, 2022
    Perfect Piano Practice Perfection

    When Daily Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect

    March 19, 2021

    Carols In The Closet

    February 20, 2016
  • Attitude,  Courage,  Honesty,  Humility,  Judging,  Pride

    Dear Gray Hairs: Stop Yer Moanin’

    February 11, 2020 / 26 Comments

    Nothin’ like receiving a personalized letter from my healthcare provider to make me feel cared for.  And geriatric.  Dear Carrie, The recent x-ray of your neck shows degenerative disease. Arthritis, also called osteoarthritis, is a breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your joints.  How can you care for yourself at home? Use a cane, crutch, walker, or another device if you need help to get around. These can help rest your joints.  You also can use other things to make life easier, such as a higher toilet seat and padded handles on kitchen utensils. Fantastic. As soon as I slide down from my higher toilet seat I’ll pad all my…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Working Moms: Killin’ It or Barely Makin’ It?

    February 16, 2019

    8 Things I’m Teaching My American Pre-Adults in Mexico

    November 12, 2016

    Christmas Eve Chaos: The One Where We Went to Church Dirty and Avoided Our Friends

    December 3, 2021
  • Attitude,  Honesty,  Humility,  Parenting

    Dumbing Down Our Kids: 11 Rules of Life to Challenge the Teens in Your Life

    September 21, 2019 / 6 Comments

    If an adult called all teens young, dumb and broke, there would most likely be a hormonal backlash with a protest march and a side of attitude. But for some reason when a teen writes a song with the same title, his young followers blare it like their mantra and dance like someone’s watching. When we adults think of our own teen years, most of us probably agree… young, dumb and broke sounds fairly accurate.  That’s not our dream for the next generation though. So how do you think the majority of our young people drifted so far from our grandparents’ standards of working hard, saving before you spend, and…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Christmas Eve Chaos: The One Where We Went to Church Dirty and Avoided Our Friends

    December 3, 2021

    Working Moms: Killin’ It or Barely Makin’ It?

    February 16, 2019

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018
  • Attitude,  Honesty,  Humility,  Marriage,  Pride

    Young Bride, Thick Pride: Choosing to Stay

    August 11, 2019 / 8 Comments

    I never excelled in math.  So the first time someone told me having small kids was when the days dragged and the years flew, it didn’t make sense.  But I loved it. Exactly! Someone finally understands the weird time warp. I occasionally feel the same in my marriage. Since working and writing and constantly feeding my people, individual days don’t usually drag.  But over the years I’ve caught myself in the middle of a particularly rough marriage patch thinking, “How many more years is it going to be like this?” And then last week I woke up and thought, “How did we get here?” If you think you have a…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Working Moms: Killin’ It or Barely Makin’ It?

    February 16, 2019

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016

    Dealing with Disappointment: 5 Things I Learned from a Rough Family Vacation Last Week

    August 5, 2022
  • Gossip,  Honesty,  Humility,  Judging,  Missionary Secrets,  Missionary Shenanigans,  Pride

    Above Reproach: 3 Stories with Men That Changed My Ways

    June 29, 2019 / 10 Comments

    At the ripe old age of 16-ish, I’m pretty positive I couldn’t have told you what living above reproach meant.  Fifteen years later I moved to Baja and lived above a roach (a colony of them actually), but that’s different.  The appearance of evil is a tricky thing. If you’re not actually doing anything evil/wrong/illegal, it’s easy to argue it’s no biggie. How it appears to outsiders looking in is whole ‘nother ballgame.  I didn’t realize it for years, but I’ve had three similar experiences that could’ve flipped me on my head and changed the trajectory of my life. They didn’t just happen to me though—I chose them. I just…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

    I Like it When You Say That. Now Please Stop.

    February 22, 2018
  • Attitude,  Faith,  Honesty,  Humility,  Missionary Secrets,  Parenting,  Patience,  Pride

    The Hungry Games

    May 18, 2019 / 8 Comments

    (Shared with permission) Age: nine Child: mine Attitude: fine Until it wasn’t.  When one of our kids got in trouble for a garden-variety no-no, I figured the next steps would resemble the rest. Too tall to spank and not naughty enough to ground, I sent him to the back room where his timeout minutes matched his age. He knew the rule: any yelling or screaming made the time start over.  Normally, regret bubbled and his demeanor recovered before I returned. But this time it elevated from mad to angry to ballistic in way less than nine minutes.  In a house on a foundation, the muffled sounds of fists beating floors…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

    Christmas Eve Chaos: The One Where We Went to Church Dirty and Avoided Our Friends

    December 3, 2021

    Dumbing Down Our Kids: 11 Rules of Life to Challenge the Teens in Your Life

    September 21, 2019
  • Health & Wellness,  Honesty,  Rest,  Stress

    Reclaiming Minutes & Health: 5 Things I Stopped Doing & 5 Things I Started

    April 27, 2019 / 14 Comments

    Skimmers appreciate writers getting to the point sooner than later.  And since I’m a reader, a writer and a skimmer, I feel ya. Scrolling through a recipe blog and passing 14 photos of different angles of quinoa makes me crazy. Yes, I see the bran and germ and appreciate the endosperm. Just give me the dang recipe! You’re most likely busy and tired, so I’ll skip the details of why I wrote this or how it’s changed my life. It’s just a free list from me to you. My 5 Most Annoying Time Wasters 1. Corporate Emails But I can’t be inundated by your email announcements because you keep sending…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

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    Heart Attack vs. Acid Reflux: How Our Trip to the ER Taught Us the Difference and How To Be Prepared

    January 14, 2023

    Not Your Typical Pediatrician (Weight While You Wait)

    February 6, 2016

    Cooking Tips & Tricks from My Classically-Trained Le Cordon Bleu Neighbor Chef

    September 15, 2018
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Welcome!

You’re here! And I’m Carrie. From full-time camp kid to unconventional missionary for 12 años in a 3rd-world country, I’m now a profesh organizer and writer who loves plants and guac. Life is short, so I’m smiling while I have all my teeth, but I still have issues. Always remember… when life hands you lemons, give them back. You deserve avocados.

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