Carrie Talbott Carrie Talbott

Jesus Follower | Word Stringer | Avocado Eater

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  • Easter,  Parenting,  Recommendations

    8 Sweet Easter Ideas: Fun Gifts for Kids, Teens & Adults

    March 17, 2018 /

    Tired of the same old eggs and chocolate bunnies? Welcome to Easter Twenty-18. It’s time to shake things up a little, amigos. Photo by Kelly Neil on Unsplash From basket stuffers and silly fun, to t-shirts and Christian eggs, I’ve scoured Amazon so you don’t have to drive from store to store looking for this goodness. Click your favorite pics for easy Easter bliss delivered straight to your doormat! Mixed Emotions Jelly Beans Your Personal Flavor Decoder: Happy tastes like refreshing lemon Playful teases the taste buds with sour apple Grumpy sears like sizzling cinnamon Sad envelopes you in berry blue Love warms the soul with orange crush Perfect for…

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    Carrie Talbott

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    New Media to Buy for Yourself and Give Away: 4 Books and 2 Songs by My Talented Author Friends

    March 17, 2023

    Easter Fail

    March 26, 2016
  • 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
  • Chores,  Recommendations,  Spring Cleaning

    7 Clean Cleaning Songs + 7 Cool Cleaning Solutions

    January 23, 2018 /

    Hosting 23 people for Thanksgiving became a distant memory. Having the parentals in the guest room for Christmas is over and done. Sucking 2018 glitter out of the carpet ended almost a month ago. It’s not spring yet. So why are we talking about clean cleaning songs and cool cleaning solutions? Because maybe you have pets. Or kids. Or both. Or maybe you just want to take care of what God’s given you. Or… perhaps we’re all afraid of each other’s air this month and want to disinfect the heck out of every handle, candle and sandal. Ladies and lads… in order to get your clean on without utter boredom,…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    February 24, 2023

    An Open Letter to My Kids – I Fired the Housekeeper

    May 28, 2016

    Stop Hulling Their Strawberries: 5 Things I Did to Not be a Helicopter Parent ~ Part 1

    January 16, 2016
  • Christmas,  Parenting

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

    December 18, 2017 /

      Dear Mary, Is it true you weren’t in a barn when you gave birth? Was it better than what artists always draw? I hope it was better. Smart people who study your era tell us it was probably a cave. That doesn’t sound better. I gave birth in a sterile building, complete with a bed, fire sprinklers and female helpers who tended to my needs until a blurry-eyed man ran in with untied shoes to catch my son so he didn’t touch the ground. And it still hurt like hell-o. I don’t know many young teenage girls who could have done what you did. I see you wrapped in…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

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

    December 12, 2020

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

    November 27, 2016

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

    December 3, 2022
  • 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

    You May Also Like

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

    November 27, 2016

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

    December 18, 2017

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

    December 3, 2021
  • 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

    You May Also Like

    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

    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

    You May Also Like

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

    October 1, 2016

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

    April 1, 2022

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

    December 3, 2021
  • Uncategorized

    Top 12 ‘October Days’ w/a Dash of Pumpkin Spice

    October 14, 2017 /

    I scoured the sites and the results are in. Though I probably won’t be trying Pumpkin Spice Deodorant anytime soon, the 26th holds me captive for way too many reasons. Love ‘em or leave ‘em… here are my favorite National October Days, with facts and recipes to boot: This post contains affiliate links, which is just a snazzy way of telling you I receive a small kickback when you buy something based on my recommendations. And if you don’t buy anything? I might not make you pumpkin horchata, but we’ll still be friends. On to the goodies!  October 1: Homemade Cookie Day Move over, store-bought. You might look tasty, but when your ingredients…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    My Kids Can’t Spell “Sabbath.” But They Love It.

    September 3, 2016

    Satan Isn’t Stupid

    May 14, 2016

    Her Jewelry, My Truck

    July 2, 2016
  • 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

    You May Also Like

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

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

    August 30, 2024

    The Circus Next Door

    March 5, 2016
  • Humility

    Gym Rookie: Humbled Under the Barbell

    September 16, 2017 /

      My doctor told me women my age should lift weights. Pause right there. “Women my age?” One perk of moving back to suburbia is living within a few miles of my former gym. Since I took my membership card to Mexico twelve years ago, and then brought it back, I figured I’d take a shot and see if I still existed in their system.   Week One: I opened the glass door in a slightly self-conscious manner and approached a young, over-bubbly staff member. “Hi! Can I help you?” “Uhh, yes… are there a maximum amount of years you’ll hold a frozen account?” “I don’t think so. Let me…

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    Carrie Talbott

    You May Also Like

    Lord of the Flaws

    October 6, 2018

    When it’s Finally Time to Launch Your Business Idea. Small Starts are Better Than No Starts, Right?

    February 27, 2021

    Quickly Saving Drowning Memories, One Wet Photo at a Time

    April 30, 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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