Carrie Talbott Carrie Talbott

Jesus Follower | Word Stringer | Avocado Eater

  • Home
  • Blog
    • Declutter & Organize
    • Faith
    • Health & Wellness
    • Neighbors
    • Parenting
    • Recommendations
    • South of the Border
  • About
    • Family
    • Faves
      • Blogs & Sites
      • Books
      • Magazines
      • Ministries
    • Home Savvy Organizing
  • Book & Articles
  • Connect
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Declutter & Organize
    • Faith
    • Health & Wellness
    • Neighbors
    • Parenting
    • Recommendations
    • South of the Border
  • About
    • Family
    • Faves
      • Blogs & Sites
      • Books
      • Magazines
      • Ministries
    • Home Savvy Organizing
  • Book & Articles
  • Connect

No Widgets found in the Sidebar Alt!

  • Books,  Entertainment,  Gifts,  Mother's Day,  Reading,  Rest

    Fun Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

    May 1, 2020 /

    Besides the fact that Mother’s Day is definitely not canceled this year, most moms I know need a little boost. From more cooking and creativity to more discipline and boredom busters, quarantine fatigue is real, y’all.  But just because our great-grandmas might have wanted rose perfume and lace aprons doesn’t mean we do. Fun gifts to the rescue! Click the pics for the easiest shopping trip ever. Pink Queen Women’s Mama Bear Shirt Almost 2,100 happy reviewers can’t be wrong—this super cute crew neck comes in 10 colors and boasts elbow patches and pockets! Perfect for the soon-to-be mom. Or the young mom. Or the midlife mom.  * Knock Knock Vouchers…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Father’s Day Gift Guide for the Young & Old: Cool, Trendy, & Fun Ideas Your Dads & Grandpas Will Love

    May 20, 2023

    Spring Decluttering with an Organizing Pro: 20 Items You Can Quickly Donate or Toss This Weekend

    May 13, 2022

    A Unique Mother’s Day Gift Guide for all the Young Moms, Busy Ladies, and Older Women

    May 3, 2022
  • Courage,  Faith,  Honesty,  Humility,  Judging

    Boring Testimonies: No Drama Necessary

    March 7, 2020 /

    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…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    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

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

    September 23, 2022
  • Attitude,  Honesty,  Humility,  Marriage,  Pride

    Young Bride, Thick Pride: Choosing to Stay

    August 11, 2019 /

    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…

    Read More
    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

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

    September 21, 2019
  • Attitude,  Gratitude,  Pride

    Trading Sorry for Thank You

    March 9, 2019 /

    “Sorry I’m late.” “Sorry I didn’t call.” “Sorry about the mess.” “Oh, sorry!” “Oops–sorry.” Enough already. Of course, sometimes a genuine sorry is exactly what’s needed. But I’m referring to all the times when sorry becomes excessive… unwarranted… over the top.  What in the world would a public bus be sorry for? That it’s winter? That’s you have to step out onto slush? Have you ever wished someone would stop saying sorry so much? Maybe (like I did) you realize you’re the one constantly saying it. Whether it’s intentional or not, if we’re consistently spewing the word, it tends to lose its effectiveness. It can also make us look guilty,…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    August 5, 2022

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

    September 21, 2019

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

    November 12, 2016
  • Attitude,  Humility,  Stress

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

    February 16, 2019 /

    Almost a month into my new job and I’ve collected just enough data to tell you what I’ve learned about being a working mom in the States. It’s complicated.  Being a working mom in Baja looked super different for many reasons, most of which revolved around flexible hours and not having to tell anyone when I went to the restroom. Now I’m on the clock for very specific hours and learning to resist checking my cell every 12 minutes for fear someone needs me.  No one’s gotten sick or impaled lately, but I assured my youngest he could still reach me. “Buddy… if there’s an emergency, call my office. I’m…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    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

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

    August 5, 2022
  • Attitude,  Faith,  Honesty,  Humility,  Pride

    Praying for Closed Doors

    January 26, 2019 /

    “I don’t know which college to pick. I got into these two schools and I like them equally, but I’m afraid to pick the wrong one.” When we ran a GAP-year program in Baja, MX, each class of students lived with us from August to June. They were all recent high school graduates and no one had lived away from home yet.  Tied in knots between quality universities, we watched them makes lists of pros and cons and worry for weeks, sometimes months.  Cal Baptist or Moody? Point Loma or Liberty? Baylor or Westmont? Azusa or Biola? If you attended one of those schools, you most likely have a gut…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    November 12, 2016

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

    August 5, 2022

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016
  • Clutter,  Missionary Secrets,  Missionary Shenanigans,  Organizing

    Donate This, Not That: Tips to Donate with Dignity

    January 12, 2019 /

    I know… I’ve had good intentions that went awry too. I’ve donated things I probably should’ve thrown in the trash. I felt guilty about the blatant waste though, so I passed it on for someone else to hopefully benefit from. Trouble is, if an item falls into that category, it’s probably going to end up costing the recipient more time than it’s worth.  I never truly understood this principle till I moved to a 3rd-world country. Pretty sure the ministries in Mexico get more donations from the U.S. than any other nation, but after living there for 12 years, I’m not confident the helpful handouts outweighed the inconvenient/annoying ones. For…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Quickly Saving Drowning Memories, One Wet Photo at a Time

    April 30, 2021

    4 New Tips & Tricks I Learned from My First Out-of-State Decluttering & Organizing Job in Seattle This Week

    June 22, 2024

    8 Simple Things We Can All Declutter and Donate Before Spring Cleaning Our Homes This Year

    February 24, 2023
  • Christmas,  Cooking,  Gifts

    My 2018 Favorite Christmas Gift Ideas

    December 1, 2018 /

      I couldn’t find a “Favorite Things” list for normal people with normal money, so I made my own. Unlike Oprah, my favorite gifts for Christmas don’t cost the same as a car payment or mortgage. Grouped from the five-dollar range to a fifty-dollar max, I did all the scouring so all you have to do is the clicking! To ring in the season, here are my faves….   Gimme $5! 1. Ginsco 7-pc Succulent Transplanting Minature Fairy Garde Planting Gardening Hand Tools Set The tiny tools with the giant name, perfect for the succulent addict. I gave these to my sister last year and they’re so stinkin’ cute. Don’t…

    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

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

    December 12, 2020

    5 Ways to Untangle Your Tinsel: Tackling Christmas Without Tackling Your Family

    December 3, 2022
  • Attitude,  Honesty,  Humility,  Patience,  Pride

    Back to Work, Back to Reality

    October 20, 2018 /

      His calm voice sounded kind, but his words surprised me.  “We’re spending too much and not bringing in enough. I think we need you to start working.” My husband was right, mostly, but the hardest part of his comment was that I already feel like I work. I wish my writing provided a full-time, regular income, but while keeping up a blog and writing a book pushes me forward, neither are helping our bottom line at the moment. I countered with logic. “I’m happy to work a conventional job, but don’t you think we could just cut some corners and spend less?” “Maybe a little, but I want to go out…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    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

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018
  • Attitude,  Gossip,  Honesty,  Humility,  Judging,  Pride

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018 /

    Though some exasperated parents might joke about dropping their sassy Tweens on an island, I’m fairly certain no parent would want the experience to resemble William Golding’s version.  My son brought home his 7th-grade required reading list last month. I scanned it, unfazed until I reached the one title that zipped me right back to my 7th-grade English class and made me cringe.  Lord of the Flies still remains one of my all-time least-loved books. Ever.  Visions of being totally grossed out to the max and putting it down after reading each chapter still linger. Bloodthirsty boys painting their faces, stalking a beast, killing pigs, and eventually turning on some…

    Read More
    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    August 5, 2022

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

    December 3, 2021

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016
45678

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.

Amazon Affiliate
“I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

  • Character
  • Declutter & Organize
  • Faith
  • Friends
  • Health & Wellness
  • Holidays
  • Insider Scoop
  • Marriage
  • Neighbors
  • Parenting
  • Reading
  • Recommendations
  • Rest
  • South of the Border
  • Stress
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Uncategorized
  • Vacation
  • Wedding
  • Writing
© 2025 Carrie Talbott Ink.
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About
  • Book & Articles
  • Connect