Diary

  • Big Boo Cast: Episode 115

    In this episode we discuss various things that I can barely remember now. But I know there was talk of Sophie’s computer meeting a tragic end, our upcoming trip to Chicago to do the Popcast Live Show with Knox and Jamie, and the fact that Caroline and I are going to Universal Studios in Orlando over Thanksgiving.

    You can click here to listen. Or here. You can even listen right here on the blog.

    And if you’re on the Facebook, well, we are, too.

    We’d love for you to subscribe on iTunes, and we’d be honored if you’d leave us a review.

    Here’s where you can get more info on the stuff / products / places we mention:

    – Fearless Faith – Melanie’s brand-new devotional book for girls

    – Universal Studios in Florida (one of Sophie’s favorite places on earth)

    – Hamilton Chicago

    – Erin Moon’s tabbed Hamilton spreadsheet

    – The Popcast Live in Chicago with Knox and Jamie (come see us!)

    – BP Brice Notched Bootie

    – Closing Song

    Sponsors:

    – PrepDish (promo code BIGBOO for two free weeks)

    – Simple Contacts (promo code BIGBOO for $20 off your first order)

    – Casper (promo code BIGBOO for $50 off select mattresses)

  • Fashion Friday: Edition one week of summer left

    That’s right.

    We are down to our last week of summer over here. And the truth is that’s probably a good thing. I’ve enjoyed my late nights and living the schedule of a college frat boy, but it doesn’t necessarily do wonders for my productivity.

    Before we get to the fashion portion of the day, I wanted to remind you that my brand new devotional for girls ages 8-16 came out on Tuesday. It’s called Fearless Faith and I couldn’t be more excited about it. And it especially warms my heart to hear from so many women about how much their daughters are already loving it because that’s really the whole point.

    You can find it here on Barnes & Noble or here on Amazon. It’s also available just about anywhere books are sold.

    It would make a great gift for the girls in your life and I’ve heard from several women who are going to use it for the small groups they lead or even Sunday school classes. We’re also going to do a read-a-long for 100 days this fall starting Tuesday, September 4th and you can read more about that here if you’re interested.

    Now for some cute things I found this week that are a random mix of fall things and summer things because August is a weird fashion time.

    1. enesta embroidered top

    This top is even prettier in person. It’s on sale for $49.95.

    2. zella post-studio dress

    There isn’t much I like more than a comfortable cotton dress to wear when the weather is hot. I also love that you could throw a denim jacket over this later on. However, I don’t see it as something I wear post-studio because my life isn’t that fancy. I’d just wear it. Most likely to soccer games.

    It’s $59 and also comes in black.

    3. linen yarn-dyed sleeveless buttondown

    The colors in this are so pretty and it just looks airy and cool which are my fashion goals right now. It’s on sale for $49.95.

    4. starstruck hooded pullover

    I can tell I’m getting ready for fall because I can’t quit looking at hooded pullovers. They are my comfort garment of choice. This one is on sale for $49.95.

    5. gap raglan pullover sweatshirt tunic

    See what I’m saying? A sweatshirt. But a cute sweatshirt. This is $49.95 plus 30% off everything with the code DOUBLE at checkout. This comes in several color options but the bottom line is that this is the kind of thing I’d wear all winter long.

    6. mid rise camo print stretch ankle leggings

    I nearly bought these all year last year and then I finally decided to and they were sold out in my size. But they’re back and on sale for $39.90 along with all other jeans at Express right now. I have worn my other pair of camo jeans out and I know these will be the same.

    7. old navy open front cardi

    This is the perfect fall layer over a tank or tee. It’s on sale for $29.99 with an extra 30% off taken at checkout. It also comes in black, camel, and olive green.

    8. express v-neck essential tank

    These tanks from Express are a great basic. They’re just a little bit drapey, have a great v-neck which looks on everyone, and come in a ton of color options. They are $24.90.

    9. h&m patterned dress

    This dressed popped up in my sidebar in that creepy way that the internet has of letting you know that it knows you better than you know yourself. I really like this floral print and it would be a great dress for work. Even better? It’s $24.90.

    10. jayant genuine calf hair pump

    Leopard print is a big trend for fall and I love these shoes. However, my life doesn’t need these shoes. They would probably look weird with all my hooded pullovers. But if I were in the market for a great pair of heels, these would be the ones. I love that chunky heel and I love that they are calf-hair. These are $119.95.

    That’s it for today.

    Have a good Friday.

  • Fearless Faith – It’s book release day!

    So I have a new book out today.

    In case you’re keeping count at home, YES, this is my 74th book to come out in the last ten months. Some days I wonder why I have felt so tired and burned out and all out of words and then I remember I WROTE THREE BOOKS IN ONE YEAR. I realize this is probably significantly less books than Francine Pascal wrote in a year during the height of the Sweet Valley High series, but WHATEVER. It’s a lot of books for someone whose life motto could be summed up with the phrase, “Work smarter, not harder”.

    Well, either that or “What can I binge-watch on Netflix this week?”

    This new book, Fearless Faith, is a 100-day devotional for tween girls and the truth is that I originally did not want to write this book. My reasons were two-fold:

    1. I had just turned in the manuscript for my Everyday Holy 100 day devotional for women.
    2. See above about Netflix.

    But God wouldn’t let it go in that annoying and endearing way that He has when He’s trying to get my attention and so I finally agreed to it. It also helped that I have a daughter in the target age group and I am fully aware of how much our girls need to have faith that is fearless in this world. I so want these girls to know how much God loves them and that he is the source of everything that will bring them joy and contentment and peace as they live in a world that is constantly trying to tell them something different and all the ways they could be better. So I essentially wrote down everything I’ve ever shared with Caroline about God and who he is and how he loves her. How different could this next generation of women be if they really learned to believe it?

    As it turns out, Fearless Faith is maybe my favorite thing of all the things I’ve done. Isn’t it funny how that works out?

    First, look how pretty it is.

    Can we talk about that lion? He is magnificent. I would like to call him Aslan but I assume the estate of C.S. Lewis would have copyright issues with that. But that’s what he is to me…the perfect depiction of Aslan. Strong and beautiful and loving and majestic. A big thank you to Heather Gauthier for continuing to go above and beyond with my cover art.

    Second, I followed the same themes and scripture references for Fearless Faith that I did for Everyday Holy. The idea is that they could be great companion pieces for a mother and daughter or aunt and niece or mentor and mentee to do over a 100-day period together and know they are learning some of the same verses and truths about God.

    Third, several people have asked and I know the “tween” description can be vague. I would say Fearless Faith could work for girls as young as 8 years old through about 16 years. There are activities throughout the book that might feel silly to older teens, but the daily devotions were written in a way that I hope will appeal to them. I will tell you that Caroline has been reading it over the summer and she has really enjoyed it. Or maybe she’s lying to me. But she seems sincere and I’ve noticed that she’s put up Post-It notes all over her mirror with various scripture references from the book.

    Finally, I thought it would be fun and encouraging to spend this fall doing a 100 Days of Everyday Holy and a 100 Days of Fearless Faith read-along because I believe that committing to spending 100 days of fall, reading truths about who you are and who God created you to be are the very heart of what can make us view everyday as holy and have faith that is fearless. Those five minutes a day could change your life and the life of a young girl or girls in your life. My prayer will be that we will look back on this fall as a time when God grew us and challenged us and made us more than we were before.

    Here’s what that looks like:

    Day 1: September 4 (This is the Tuesday after Labor Day and everyone will be back in school by then.)

    Day 25: September 28th

    Day 50: October 23rd

    Day 75: November 17th

    Day 100: December 12th

    There will be no official group or anything that fancy, but just a lot of girls and women reading either Everyday Holy or Fearless Faith over those 100 days. And we can all share what we are learning and what God is teaching us by posting and using the hashtags #100DaysOfEverydayHoly or #100DaysOfFearlessFaith to help us all stay accountable and on track

    And then we’ll celebrate on December 12th with a fun giveaway for two people that will be chosen at random from everyone who participates with the hashtags on social media.

    What do you need to join?

    -A copy of Everyday Holy and/or Fearless Faith or both!

    -Five to ten minutes a day

    -A journal might be good for writing thoughts down, but not necessary

    -It might be fun to have some real life friends join in as well but, again, not necessary

    -If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them or find people who know the answers.

    So if you’ve wanted to do something like this but needed the push or if you’ve wanted to do it but didn’t want to do it alone or if you want to invite friends to all do it together as part of a small group, this is the time. I so hope you’ll join in with us starting September 4th. And in the meantime, get your copies of Fearless Faith and Everyday Holy anywhere books are sold.

    You can find Fearless Faith here on Amazon and here on Barnes & Noble.

    You can Everyday Holy here on Amazon and here on Barnes & Noble.

    I’ll be posting reminders as we get closer to the start date, but in the meantime you can go ahead and get your books and mark your calendar for September 4th. It’s going to be a great fall.

  • Fifteen

    Dear Caroline,

    Today you are fifteen. What on earth?

    Later this morning we will brave the atrocity known as the DPS office and bring in seventy-eight different pieces of paperwork and sixty-four different forms of identification so that you can get your learner’s permit and officially start getting behind the wheel of a car. Which is so weird considering that you looked just like this yesterday.

    Those fairy wings may make it hard to fit in the driver’s seat.

    It’s such a cliche to say that the time has gone by so fast, but it has. The time has gone by so fast that it takes my breath away.

    In some ways it feels like a lifetime ago that I was a brand new, teary-eyed mom being handed this little five pound miracle wrapped in a hospital blanket, but in other ways it feels like it was last week. I can hardly remember life before you were here, yet it’s hard to imagine that we are just three years away from moving you into a college dorm that will hopefully not be too far away because your mother can only bear so much.

    Here’s what no one tells you about motherhood. Or maybe they tell you and we just choose to not believe it or think it will be different. Just about the time that your little people turn into these hilarious, remarkable, engaging creatures is when you’re on the precipice of having to launch them into adulthood. It’s the natural order of things. I get that the whole idea of parenthood is to raise self-sufficient people who will make their own way in the world and I can’t wait to see where you go and what you do, but there are days I wish I could just keep you here with us forever.

    Here’s one of the things about you that I love. You make us laugh every single day. From the Avo-cardio pajamas that you had to have that feature an avocado doing a workout wearing a sweatband, to the way you made fun of me for how excited I got in the orthodontist’s office the day your braces came off, you are one of the funniest people I know. And we are a family that prizes a sense of humor over just about all other traits. Am I proud of you for being a good person? Yes. Am I maybe even more proud every time you make a sarcastic comment that makes me laugh out loud? PERHAPS.

    During this last year, I’ve watched you grow up in a million different ways. You’ve never been one not to speak your mind, but you’ve become more secure and vocal about who you are and what you believe. You’ve had hard conversations, you’ve dealt with injuries and other disappointments, you’ve pushed yourself academically and athletically, and your dad and I couldn’t be more proud as we’ve watched you grow and change.

    This year has been the year that I’ve prayed Jeremiah 17:8 over you more times than I can count:

    You will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
    It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
    It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.

    Of course I decided to turn to the Bible for wisdom after you totally busted me for quoting from the movie Mulan and telling you after a hard day that “the rarest orchid blooms in adversity”. Who knew I’d even accidentally memorized part of Mulan?

    Jeremiah 17:8 is the verse God showed me for you. Because here’s the thing, life is hard. Drought and heat will come. Disappointments will happen. Things won’t always work out like you hope or pray they will. But when you continue to find your confidence and your hope in who God created you to be and the plans he has for you that may sometimes look different than you imagined, then your life will never fail to bear fruit. Your life will never fail to be an adventure. That is my deepest prayer and wish for you from now until forever.

    Last fall, we were killing time in a hotel room in Houston and I had you take an Enneagram personality test even though I was already pretty certain you were a Type 8, otherwise known as The Challenger because you have challenged me since the day you were born on everything from potty-training to your wardrobe. Sure enough, your answers proved you are a solid Type 8. Here’s a brief excerpt from the official description:

    “They take the initiative and make things happen with a great passion for life. They are honorable and authoritative—natural leaders who have a solid, commanding presence. Their groundedness gives them abundant “common sense” as well as the ability to be decisive. Eights are willing to “take the heat,” knowing that any decision cannot please everyone.”

    That pretty much sums you up. I’ve always said that you’re like your dad and firmly believe that if someone doesn’t like you, then it’s their own personality flaw and no comment on you. As a confirmed lifelong people-pleaser, this trait of yours leaves me in constant awe and amazement. You know what else? You challenge me to approach life more like you do.

    Last night we went to dinner, just the two of us. And as I looked at you across the table, you took my breath away. You are everything I ever dreamed about and so much more. You are light and love and joy and strength. Daddy and I couldn’t love you more. We couldn’t be more proud of the person you have become and the determination that you show in every aspect of your life. We think you are magic.

    Happy Birthday, sweet girl. Drive safe and have patience with your mom as she grips the dashboard and applies an imaginary brake while she sits in the passenger seat.

    Love,
    Mama

  • Fashion Thursday: Edition Thursday is the new Friday this week

    So Fashion Friday is today since Friday is Caroline’s birthday and I always write a birthday letter on that day. But it just means you can shop that much sooner.

    You may also want to keep in mind that the Nordstrom Anniversary sale ends on Sunday so if there’s something you want, you need to go ahead and get it. Plus, some things that were out of stock are back in stock. Personally, I’d been stalking a North Face coat and finally got it at 2 a.m. the other morning when a medium popped back up for sale. If I used this kind of dedication for other things in my life, there’s no telling what I could accomplish.

    Also, I only needed a new coat because I left my other winter coat on a flight home from Las Vegas last February. The airline couldn’t find it and it was sad times because I loved that coat. But hopefully this new coat will work out and we’ll develop a meaningful relationship this coming winter.

    Here are some cute things I found this week.

    1. all things new gameday earrings

    You know what’s exciting? It’s August. Which means we are now in a month where there will be college football. It’s the best time of the year. I love this time in college football because the hype is huge and the possibilities are endless.

    Even better? My sister has a whole collection of college gameday earrings that are perfect to wear during a football game because they are leather and not too heavy when you’re doing all the jumping up and down and stress yelling. Or maybe that’s just me.

    They are $12 each or you can buy 3 or more for $10 each plus shipping. And she’ll also take custom orders for specific colors, shapes and sizes if you don’t see exactly what will fulfill all your gameday hopes and dreams. You can shop here at her Etsy shop or find her on Instagram or Facebook.

    2. Adidas swift run athletic shoes

    I love these Adidas because they are perfect for both working out and athleisure wear. They are $84.99 and come in that pretty pink up above and this olive green that I’m now obsessing over.

    They also come in some other colors but I cannot look away from the pink and the olive green.

    3. gibson convertible cozy wrap fleece cardigan

    This is the same cardigan worn two different ways. And it’s made by Gibson and their fleece things are always the coziest. This comes in several color options and is normally $68 but on sale for $45.90 until the Anniversary sale is over.

    4. madewell whisper cotton v-neck tank

    These Madewell tanks are so soft, a great length and I love that they are v-neck because I think a v-neck is universally flattering. And they are just $18.50. They are great all alone but perfect for layering under things like the Gibson cardigan up above or various other jackets and such.

    5. v-neck blouse with tie sleeves

    This cute top is just $24.99 which is why I love H&M. It also comes in a pink stripe, green stripe or solid black which would be a great transition top for fall.

    6. loft meadow cap sleeve swing dress

    This is a great dress for the office or the classroom, but could easily be dressed down as well. It’s currently $59.50 but there’s a good chance Loft will have some sort of sale soon. Also, they have all their sale stuff an additional 60% off right now so you may want to check that out.

    7. monogram pendant necklace

    I’ve been wanting one of these forever and I’m not sure why I haven’t bought myself one yet. And then I saw that Alexis had one on Schitt’s Creek and that made me want one even more. They are $38 and would make great Christmas gifts if you’re the type of person who thinks about Christmas shopping in August.

    8. loft striped drapey tie top

    This is a cute top from Loft that could work for the office or just with jeans. It’s $39.50.

    9. talese wide leg pants

    I’ve had my eye on these pants and have been waiting for them to go on sale. They are $69.95 plus there’s an extra 25% off all sale at Anthropologie. They come in other colors and patterns but this blue is my favorite.

    10. wayf blouson midi dress

    I was looking at dresses this week and came across this one. It has great reviews, comes in a bunch of different color options and is $69.

    And I feel like I also need to share this band of gypsies floral print wrap dress that I think is so pretty.

    It’s $98.

    That’s it for today.

    Have a good Thursday.

  • Big Boo Cast: Episode 114

    This is a fun one because Travis joins us again and it’s a super sized edition of seventy-three minutes worth of content. What on earth do we talk about for over an hour? All the important things like how many pillows we sleep with (My number is RIDICULOUS), hypothetical dinner party guests, and what book and/or T.V. show we’d want with us on a desert island. So, you know, all the pressing issues of the day.

    You can click here to listen. Or here. You can even listen right here on the blog.

    And if you’re on the Facebook, well, we are, too.

    We’d love for you to subscribe on iTunes, and we’d be honored if you’d leave us a review.

    Here’s where you can get more info on the stuff / products / places we mention:

    – The Office

    – Peace Like A River

    – Friday Night Lights

    – The Great British Baking Show

    – Angela Cottrell’s Chocolate Gravy

    – Amy Grant’s Lead Me On

    – Whitney: Can I Be Me

    – Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy

    – Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

    – The Popcast Live Show in Chicago (we can’t wait!)

    – Closing Song 1

    – Closing Song 2

    – Our Big Boo Cast t-shirts from Milk and Honey Tees! (and for the record, this shirt is CRAZY soft)

    – Schneider. You’re welcome.

    Sponsors:

    – PrepDish (promo code BIGBOO for two free weeks)

    – Care/of (promo code BIGBOO for 25% your first month)