Carrie Talbott Carrie Talbott

Jesus Follower | Word Stringer | Avocado Eater

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  • Attitude,  Faith,  Gratitude,  Humility,  Missionary Shenanigans,  Neighbors

    When You Don’t Wanna Bloom Where You’re Planted

    July 21, 2018 /

      When the Mary Englebreit craze invaded 1996, I joined millions of other fans and hung her calendar on my wall. I liked her one-two faith punch: “Everything is a risk. What if it doesn’t work out?”  “Oh—but what if it does?” Over the years my floral style changed, but I now see that she produces black and white art, and her sayings/phrases are clever with a side of sass. For example, you’ll find these on some of her recent cards: “When you thought everything would be easy peasy lemon squeezy, but it’s actually difficult, difficult, lemon difficult.” “When life shuts a door, open it again. It’s a door. That’s how…

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    Carrie Talbott

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

    August 5, 2022

    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
  • Attitude,  Humility,  Judging,  Neighbors

    I Moved Into Our New House and Met 19 New Neighbors on Our Street! It Was Weird.

    July 7, 2018 /

      It started five months ago with the people who share our fence. They were nice and we were new, so the conversation revolved around our dogs, mail for the former owner, and if the HOA is strict about paint colors. They are.  Handshakes and names quickly moved to swim invites and baked goods, with a walk for the ladies and a beer for the guys.  Southern California fence culture says, “That side’s yours, this side’s mine. Keep your tree limbs trimmed.” But since I’m not originally from here, Carrie culture says, “Let’s knock the fence down and have a BBQ!” The first thing we noticed about our new neighborhood…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    November 12, 2016

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

    February 16, 2019

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016
  • Faith,  Friends,  Gratitude,  Honesty

    The Day I Deleted Her Info: Saying Goodbye to a Lifelong Friend

    June 18, 2018 /

    Just because two sets of parents are good friends doesn’t mean their offspring will follow suit. So was the case with Chelsea and me. We saw each other every summer at Mount Hermon and ran through camp together while our parents hung out and caught up. It took 358 days to bring us together again, and we continued that pattern through childhood and adolescence. I’m writing a book for a woman about grit and resilience. Besides living in another country for 12 years, I haven’t had many events or occasions that forced me to dig in and claw my way out. And in a weird way, I feel bad about…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Morning Has Broken Me: Why Early Peace & Quiet Usually Wins the Daily Struggle Over Sleeping In

    April 12, 2024

    September Fire, Welcome Rain: The Disaster in SoCal This Week and How Your Family Can Help

    September 9, 2022

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

    February 4, 2022
  • Honesty,  Humility,  Judging,  Mexico,  Parenting

    Classy Smut: TV Shows That Suck Us In

    May 26, 2018 /

    I walked by the dilapidated Baja house with the window open and heard it. I visited Porvenir friends in the middle of the afternoon and saw it. Almost every time we ate tacos early, like old people, we saw it again—at our favorite stand, just above the raw meat. Ask any woman in most Latin American countries what rules the mid-mornings and afternoons at home and they’ll probably say the same thing: Novelas. Known as Soap Operas in English, the name originated from the squeaky clean stuff we call soap. Since most women worked at home in the 1930s, daytime dramas targeted them and their cleaning needs. The networks required…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    April 27, 2019

    The Day I Deleted Her Info: Saying Goodbye to a Lifelong Friend

    June 18, 2018

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

    September 21, 2019
  • Honesty,  Humility,  Judging,  Pride

    Your Hoopie’s Showing

    May 12, 2018 /

      My grandma. So sweet and helpful. If you ever wore a necklace in her presence and the clasp slid around toward the front, she was your girl. “Oh here, honey, let me help you. Your hoopie’s showing.” I naturally learned from an early age how hoopies should be on the back of my neck and only the back. Letting them rotate to the front looked unkept/disheveled. I also learned wrinkled clothing was a no-no. From t-shirts and jeans to knickers and parachute pants, everything qualified. Does this give you hives?   Let’s be clear though: I’m still a fan of ironed clothes if I’m going somewhere that demands a grown-up…

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    Carrie Talbott

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

    April 27, 2019

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

    The Day I Deleted Her Info: Saying Goodbye to a Lifelong Friend

    June 18, 2018
  • Gossip,  Honesty,  Humility,  Pride

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

    February 22, 2018 /

    I’m weak, okay? There–I said it. I’d like to think I can handle whatever gets thrown my way, but no. So in an effort to change and grow, I’ve made a list. These random observations have been bothering me lately so I thought I’d bother you with them. In no particular order, I offer you three things I like to hear: Numero Uno: Your Kids Are So Tall! I know—I’ve done it too. Well-intentioned words that sound like compliments, as if the child got that high on the measuring stick based on talent. Besides the fact they already know it, there’s nothing inherently wrong with telling kids they’re tall. The…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018
  • Christmas,  Gratitude

    The Secret Society of Christmas Anxiety: How to Calm the Expectations

    December 4, 2017 /

      No pressure, but have you poured your own candles with beeswax from your backyard colony yet? …gotten your hollyhock dipped and your mattress flipped? …added plumbing to your gingerbread house? …drained your hot tub and refilled it with mulled cider, orange slices and cinnamon sticks? Is there a wreath on your grill and a candle on your sill? …gold glitter on your babysitter? …a candy cane on your windowpane? …jingle bells on your dusted shelves? Good tidings, no. Martha Stewart’s still alive and well, but let’s all give an eight-clap to the fact we don’t live in the ‘90s anymore. If she wants to stencil her driveway, God bless…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Christmas Card Burnout: Why I Chose to Stop Sending the Iconic Greeting

    November 27, 2016

    All I Want for Christmas This Year is a Book. And Star Wars Baby Yoda.

    December 12, 2020

    Mary, Did You Sew? My Questions for the Mother of Jesus

    December 18, 2017
  • Cooking,  Gratitude,  Organizing,  Thanksgiving

    How To Hack the Heck Out of Your Thanksgiving Turkey Day

    November 13, 2017 /

      Photo by Gemma Evans on Unsplash   No boring twine and brine reminders here. I dug deeper, scoured the sites and compiled a list to make your turkey day a tad easier. Some of these items I own, some I’m buying, and some I’m loving from a distance, but they are definitely mother-in-law approved. Most of us are about to host or join a gathering that begs for planning, cooking and manners, but fear not. You still have time to order these helpful goodies from Amazon and get them way before Aunt Nelda pushes your buttons doorbell.   Affiliate Lingo: Purchasing these products costs you nothing extra, but swings a little kickback…

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    Carrie Talbott

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

    September 15, 2018

    It’s Beginning to Look a lot Like Chaos: 4 Ways I Fight the Christmas Crazy

    December 14, 2019

    Starting the Fall Season with Non-Annoying Orange Autumn Items for All You Undercover Pumpkin Spice Fans

    October 22, 2021
  • Humility,  Pride

    Need Attention? Please Don’t Spin Like a Record, Baby.

    October 28, 2017 /

      Organizing one college boy and six high school girls into two cars proved simple. Life in 1992 revolved around a manageable amount of activities, so none of us had a problem scheduling a date for the shoot. Three of us sat on the brink of caps and gowns, ready for diplomas but not ready for goodbyes, so our last attempt to commemorate our friendship and seal our bond came in the form of photos. From conservative Mount Hermon to liberal Santa Cruz, we made our way to 701 West Cliff Drive with windows up to protect our amateur makeup and Aqua Net perms. May at the beach didn’t always…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Kicked Out of the Bank: When Rejection Suddenly Strikes You and Your Family

    October 24, 2020

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

    February 22, 2018

    When You Stand to Teach & Sit Back Down Taught: Unexpected Lessons in the Trees

    April 1, 2022
  • Judging,  Parenting

    ‘Adulting’ Just Grew Up. Please Follow Along, Gen Z.

    October 1, 2017 /

      “The kid called the officer a pig. To his face.” “A student challenged me in the middle of class about how my assigned homework was unnecessary.” “A parent told me her son can’t pass P.E. because he has a reading disability.” Wouldn’t you love to see the research that connects Shakespeare to dressing out? ‘To change or not to change: that is the question.’ These real-life examples and similar instances are popping up all over middle and high school campuses. But that shouldn’t cause any old people to murmur, “Dang those teenagers,” while shaking their heads and alphabetizing their VHS tapes. If you’re of a certain age and hold…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    Dear Stay-At-Home Mom: I Figured Out Your Problem

    October 1, 2016

    No Longer a Reflection: How My Adult Children Helped Me Ditch Legalism & Embrace Freedom

    August 30, 2024

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 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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