You want the best for your kids, but resources are limited and you’re overloaded with information. From the moment your kids are born, the kiddie-perfecting complex is pushing you to buy-buy-buy. And playtime is no different. You feel pressured to sign the kids up for an ever-escalating array of classes and clinics, send them to the right sleep-away or math enrichment camp, soccer clinic, ballet, art, and music classes—or else they’re doomed to fail. Right? Not so fast. Lifestyle guru Rosalyn Hoffman knows that kids need balance: time to be bored and find their own inner resources, time to ride their bikes and shoot hoops, time to experience the joy of free play. And when it’s time to sign them up for organized activities, Hoffman offers sane guidance for navigating the world of lessons and programs, explaining how to get them in everything from art classes to music lessons to sports to camp—without breaking the bank.

Discover the power, joy, and love of living a present, authentic, and intentional life despite a world full of distractions. If technology is the new addiction, then multitasking is the new marching order. We check our email while cooking dinner, send a text while bathing the kids, and spend more time looking into electronic screens than into the eyes of our loved ones. With our never-ending to-do lists and jam-packed schedules, it's no wonder we're distracted. But this isn't the way it has to be. Special education teacher, New York Times bestselling author, and mother Rachel Macy Stafford says enough is enough. Tired of losing track of what matters most in life, Rachel began practicing simple strategies that enabled her to momentarily let go of largely meaningless distractions and engage in meaningful soul-to-soul connections. Finding balance doesn't mean giving up all technology forever. And it doesn't mean forgoing our jobs and responsibilities. What it does mean is seizing the little moments that life offers us to engage in real and meaningful interaction. In these pages, Rachel guides you through how to: Acknowledge the cost of your distraction Make purposeful connection with your family Give your kids the gift of your undivided attention Silence your inner critic Let go of the guilt from past mistakes And move forward with compassion and gratefulness So join Rachel and go hands-free. Discover what happens when you choose to open your heart--and your hands--to the possibilities of each God-given moment.

Following three teenagers who chose to spend one school year living in Finland, South Korea, and Poland, a literary journalist recounts how attitudes, parenting, and rigorous teaching have revolutionized these countries' education results.

"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things." -- Luke 10:41 Tami Kiser understands the demands of motherhood. She's a busy mom of nine who juggles teaching at her children's parish school, volunteering at her parish, running a household, and many other responsibilities. Her "Smart Martha" seminars have helped thousands of women balance their priorities so that they still have ample time for Jesus throughout the day. Become more spiritually focused, more holistically fulfilled, and more mentally prepared than ever before. Discover practical tips that will help save time and your sanity. Learn how to: Approach every "Martha" task with a "Mary" attitude. De-clutter your children's toys for faster cleanup and more meaningful play. Manage technology to enhance your family's spiritual health. Create mealtimes that nourish both body and soul. Tackle household chores as a family. Foster spiritual beauty in your children. And much more! Your maternal instinct -- as well as constant demands from family members -- may call for a "Martha" mom, but trust in the Lord that they need a "Mary" mom, too. "As a big fan of Tami Kiser's 'Smart Martha' tips and techniques for years, I'm thrilled to find all of her words of wisdom compiled into book format. With Smart Martha's Catholic Guide for Busy Moms, Tami gives moms practical solutions for managing their homes -- but more importantly, for nurturing their souls and familial relationships. From prioritizing family dinners to organizing your home and schedule, Tami gives moms the tools they need to help themselves and their families live happier, holier lives." -- Lisa M. Hendey, author of The Handbook for Catholic Moms

Parents often feel overwhelmed and defenseless against a never-ending recall list of toys and baby products. Deciphering unpronounceable chemicals they encounter every day can be daunting if not impossible. With environmental exposures being closely linked to 70 percent of birth defects, new parents faced with the overwhelming responsibility for their babies' health frequently turn to organic products. But they quickly find they don't have the time to practice a completely green or natural lifestyle. The Smart Mama's Green Guide delivers the information busy parents want and the tools to make informed, individual choices without the demand to go all-out green. Packed with practical tips on eliminating or reducing the hidden dangers of toxic chemicals that lurk everywhere, this book will empower readers to control what comes into their homes and make informed decisions instead of relying on government regulation of harmful chemicals.

Quiet the voices of "not good enough" and step courageously into guilt-free homeschooling Many homeschool parents have a long-term relationship with self-doubt. "Did I make the right decision?" "Could someone else do this better?" "Am I robbing my kids of something by not sending them to ‘regular school’?" What if there’s a better way? Not a 3-step technique or a shiny, new curriculum, but a change in perspective that transforms the way you plan, teach, and homeschool? Homeschool Bravely teaches you to see homeschooling as a calling, helps you overthrow the tyranny of impossible expectations, and guides you through the common bumps in the road, including how to: juggle school and parenting with toddlers at home teach a struggling learner plan with the end in mind accept your own limitations without feeling guilty stay the course even in the face of criticism Reclaim your hope, renew your purpose, and transform your homeschool. Because the truth is: God will use every part of your homeschool, even your fears, faults, and failures, to weave good plans for your kids.