Carrie Talbott Carrie Talbott

Jesus Follower | Word Stringer | Avocado Eater

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Clutter, Declutter & Organize, Thanksgiving

Fantastic Fall Fling: How to Get Rid of Excess Items Before the Holidays!

If you’re anything like our family, Thanksgiving and Christmas mean lots of food and people. Before that happens this year, wouldn’t a little more space be nice? It’s okay if…

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October 13, 2023
Gratitude, Marriage, Rest, Road trip, Vacation

3 Trips, 2 Countries & a Ring: The Benefits of Travel & How it Can Energize Your Family

Did you get away this summer? Doesn’t matter if it wasn’t a gigantic vacation; even a day trip can get you out of your normal routine mentally and emotionally.  With…

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September 1, 2023
Organizing, Recommendations, Road trip, Vacation

Three Summer Vacation Hacks to be More Organized: How to Pack Smart, Move In, & Return Happy

Happy Summer, Friend! I hope you get to go somewhere fun in the next couple months. Even if it’s not tropical or bougie, just getting out of your normal routine…

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June 30, 2023
  • Cooking,  Music,  Reading,  Recipes,  Recommendations,  Rest

    Sunday Night Sadness: 8 Ways I Prepare to Beat the Monday Morning Blues

    March 4, 2022 / 6 Comments

    I assumed it was just me. Then a friend commented how she doesn’t enjoy Sunday evenings because it’s like the fun party she knows is coming to an end. Her mind vacillates between enjoying the evening and dreading the next morning filled with work, chores, errands, and crazy.  Coming in the door from church always gets my brain playing tug-o-war too. But I get giddy when I remember how Sunday is the only day of the week I read, watch something, and nap with zero guilt. If that sounds impossible to implement in your life, believe me… I wasn’t always this way.  For a Type-A human with a strong “keep…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    October 22, 2021

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

    December 14, 2019

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

    September 15, 2018
  • Courage,  Faith,  Humility

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

    February 4, 2022 / 18 Comments

    Living in Mexico brought a ton of unusual, funny, memorable experiences. Even the hard times sound like a picnic compared to the night the cops dropped off an unexpected guest. Our large property consisted of five double-wide mobile homes, a fire pit, trash and tool hut, huge water tank, fig and pomegranate trees, laundry lines, small patch of grass, and enough parking for about 25 cars. Some locals knew exactly why we were there, and others had no clue. Like all the other nights, I stood in our double-wide, all jammied up and cozy, brushing my teeth in peace. Between spits I saw lights flashing through our small bathroom window,…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    April 1, 2022
    Perfect Piano Practice Perfection

    When Daily Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect

    March 19, 2021

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

    January 10, 2021
  • Clutter,  Organizing,  Spring Cleaning

    Creating an Organized New Year: The 3 Best Places in Your Home & How to Start

    January 7, 2022 / 22 Comments

    If you’re assuming this post is all about turning your whole house upside down and starting over, you can exhale now. This isn’t for the expert organizer, the detailed filer who never has a paper out of place, or the housekeeper who scrubs with a magnifying glass and Q-tips. And all the normal people said amen.  But… it is definitely not too early to think about spring cleaning. I’m guessing I’m not the only one who’s wondered, Wow… it would be so much easier to clean around less stuff. Let’s back this train up though. First of all… Feliz Año Nuevo! I realize new beginnings aren’t everyone’s cup of chai, but…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Quickly Saving Drowning Memories, One Wet Photo at a Time

    April 30, 2021

    Fantastic Fall Fling: How to Get Rid of Excess Items Before the Holidays!

    October 13, 2023

    I Decluttered and Broke Up With 500 Things. You Can Do It Too!

    April 29, 2017
  • Attitude,  Christmas,  Humility,  Pride

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

    December 3, 2021 / 12 Comments

    The morning of Christmas Eve 2019 in NorCal started like any other: frosty, sparkly, and bulging with practical anticipation. But the way it ended messed with my mind pride in ways I didn’t think possible. Without fail, every Christmas Eve of my whole life consisted of the same things: nice clothes, hair-sprayed hair, and a calmness about the impending church service.  Cramming into as few cars as possible with aunts, uncles and grandparents, we drove the rainy or snowy roads to a large church and settled in. I was always happy to see people we knew, especially since we smelled great and looked put together.  We chose seats toward the…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

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

    August 5, 2022

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016
  • Cooking,  Gratitude,  Thanksgiving

    Hosting or Being Hosted: Helpful Ideas to Get Your Heart & Home Thanksgiving Ready

    November 19, 2021 / 19 Comments

    We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you… your relatives.  Raise your hand if you’re prepped and organized for Thanksgiving. It’s okay… most people aren’t. You’ve got this though. You’re stronger than you think, you can juggle more than you realize, and I have some tips. Depending on your hosting situation, I’ve crafted three possible scenarios. And within each of those, I’m giving you different levels of being ready. Pick and choose according to your home, drunk uncles, and level of crazy that’s on its way. 1. They’re Only Coming for Dinner If you were raised in a casa where your parents regularly hosted Thanksgiving, good news! Having people…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    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

    Thanksgiving Hacks to Keep You Grateful. And Sane.

    November 16, 2019
  • Cooking,  Gifts,  Thanksgiving

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

    October 22, 2021 / 6 Comments

    If you live in my area of SoCal, you know it doesn’t exactly feel like fall yet. With temps still bouncing into the 80s this week, I can barely wear shoes much less think about sipping hot cider. But autumn’s comin’! I gathered these items with my faithful readers in mind. (That’s you!) Most of us aren’t hard-core pumpkin spice fans, but most people love pumpkin something. Are you a low-key, undercover pumpkin spice fan? I get it. Do you occasionally dabble with pumpkin spice in the kitchen? Same here. Maybe you cringe at shirts that say  “Live, Laugh, Love Pumpkin Spice” or “My Blood Type is Pumpkin Spice” or…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Sunday Night Sadness: 8 Ways I Prepare to Beat the Monday Morning Blues

    March 4, 2022

    Thanksgiving Hacks to Keep You Grateful. And Sane.

    November 16, 2019

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

    December 14, 2019
  • Faith,  Grief,  Neighbors

    A Neighborhood Divided: Years of Friends, Months of Loss, Weeks of Grief

    September 24, 2021 / 44 Comments

    When we moved out of Baja and back to Cali, I wasn’t what you’d call… excited. Besides the whole experience feeling anti-climactic (we already lived in SoCal once), track houses aren’t really my jam. Apparently, the neighborhood cookie-cutter fairy put all of our floor plans on a blueprint and the creativity stopped after five. Five similar shapes, five coordinating paint schemes, and that was it.  Match-y match-y ain’t my style. Plus, I didn’t see a whole lot of ministry taking place between getting the mail and pulling in trashcans. I don’t mean to sound like a whiner. I’m truly grateful for Model #3 to call home and know millions around…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    June 18, 2018

    Easter Fail

    March 26, 2016

    Mexican Manna: Do You Know What You Need?

    April 11, 2020
  • Entertainment,  Humility,  Music

    Yellow Lights, Red Flags: Warning Signs That Help Keep Our Noisy Lives in Check

    August 20, 2021 / 12 Comments

    I ran a big fat yellow light this week. Actually, if you must know, it looked a tad orange. How a human brain can go back and forth that many times in a matter of 1.8 seconds is beyond me, but there I was: Slow down. Punch it.  I’m good. This isn’t good.  Cops? No cops.  I got this. I don’t got this.  Gahhh! Don’t judge. I’m guessing you’ve been in an orange light situation at some point, yes?  Those split-second decisions don’t exactly give me time to wrangle my best drawl, sing Jesus Take the Wheel and then wait for Him to move. Most of the time I’m relying…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Fun Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

    May 1, 2020

    Thanksgiving Hacks to Keep You Grateful. And Sane.

    November 16, 2019

    Simple Family Thanksgiving Ideas: Goodies & Gifts to Keep it Basic This Year

    November 14, 2020
  • Insider Scoop,  Writing

    New News – Welcome to the Inside Scoop!

    June 18, 2021 / 30 Comments

    Since most lists have at least three points, here are mine: Uno, thank you for opening this new post. Whether you’re stretching your way to getting out of bed, busy making breakfast, lounging with your café, hustlin’ on a treadmill, waiting in a line, watching TV you’re not really into, or winding down before you zonk out, I am grateful you clicked here.  B, a writer friend reminded me that my email list has only been used for alerting you about new blog posts and that you might want to hear about other insider things going on with me. I’m not sure I’m that interesting, but I’m ready to change…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott
  • Family-friendly Movies flicks films
    Entertainment,  Movies,  Parenting

    15 Favorite Family-Friendly Flicks to Watch at Home With the Kids This Weekend

    May 28, 2021 / 16 Comments

    There are tons of great animated movies that we adults can love right alongside the littles, but this is a list of our family’s favorite real-life flicks when our kids were in elementary and middle school. Depending on your strict meter, most of these are for ages 8/10 and up, and they’re all rated G or PG. Even when I got a movie recommendation from a friend, I still jumped on a review site to double-check how appropriate it was for our kids. My favorite is pluggedin.com from Focus on the Family, but crosswalk.com, movieguide.org and kids-in-mind.com are also great. In alphabetical order, so no one gets their feelings hurt……

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Fun Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

    May 1, 2020

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

    December 12, 2020

    Yellow Lights, Red Flags: Warning Signs That Help Keep Our Noisy Lives in Check

    August 20, 2021
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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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