From Frazzled to Fun

Helping moms create space for fun, family, and faith

Are you Centered?

faith inspiration Nov 13, 2021

One day in June I was laid out in a lounge chair feeling lifeless and discouraged because I was on Day 12 of COVID.

Answering a FaceTime call, I saw my son Micah. He was calling from Guatemala where he was serving on a medical mission.

I was clearly not looking my best or sounding my best and he could read the discouragement all over me.

He happened to be sitting at a keyboard, and, after letting me share a little with him about how things were going he played a chord and started singing. "Jesus at the center of it all, Jesus at the center of it all...." (And he went on to sing all the verses of the song.)

Tears streamed down my face as the song lifted my spirits and the hope and peace of God washed over me.

Reality sunk in -- this was a temporary trouble. And Jesus, the always faithful and always able One, is at the center of everything in my life.

Besides that, I was blessed to have a son who cared so much...

Chris’ Award-Winning Sonoran Chicken Chili Recipe

recipes Nov 06, 2021

Reposted from November 3, 2009...(because yes, people are still asking as the word has spread) :)

For all the people beating down my door for my husband’s award-winning recipe since last week’s chili cook-off, this one’s for you.

It is a "chopping intensive" recipe, but if you don’t mind spending a little more time in the kitchen, this one seems to be one that all people do prefer to eat (and will actually fight over for the last bowl)!

Drum roll, please…

Chris’ Award-Winning Sonoran Chicken Chili

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 pkg. of Eckrich skinless smoked sausage, sliced/diced
1 whole white onion, diced

1 bulb fresh garlic, minced <or> 2 T. minced garlic

2-3 stalks of celery, diced
1 pkg. frozen white corn
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
6 habanero peppers <or>
2 large poblano pepper + 1 jalapeno pepper + red/yellow bell peppers
½ cup cooking white wine <or> ½ c. ginger ale (optional)
1 can...

FLY CHEAP - How to pack for a BACKPACK ONLY weekend trip

home organization productivity Oct 08, 2021

Last month I flew to Dallas and back for less than the cost of what it takes to fill up my car with gas!

How does the sound of a super cheap weekend trip sound to you?

Airlines like Spirit, Allegiant, and Frontier offer some unbelievable flight prices! Check it out.

But BEWARE! These airlines make most of their money on the a' la carte items, such as bags, seats, early boarding, snacks and drinks.

On my Spirit Airlines trip to Dallas, even if I had just added in a carry on bag, my travel costs would have increased by time and a half!

With some strategy and a little planning, you can hurdle right over those extra charges and maybe afford to take your whole family away for the weekend!

Because of this strategy, everyone from our family of 7 was able to fly from Phoenix to Dallas to see our college son perform when he had the leading role in his university's musicals.

After flying on two dozen...

Practical Steps to Move From Frazzled to Fun

faith home organization inspiration parenting Sep 25, 2021

I want to share with you a podcast that came out this week.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Courtney Lowman of Journey of Ruth podcast on the topics of:

questions to ask yourself when home organizing
teamwork tactics and how the benefits can continue to bless you for years
encouragement for mamas of newborns
fun ways to get your kids to want to behave
boundaries and screen time for kids
gettin' 'er done as a mama but keeping it fun

If you want to feel encouraged, be more equipped to be intentional, and be inspired to return to the fun mom you know you really are, Courtney and I invite you to listen in (also includes a link to watch on YouTube).

Miracle in My Kitchen and What it Means Today

faith inspiration parenting Sep 11, 2021

It was baking day. Dillon and Derek, ages five and six, put on their favorite baking aprons, and we were ready to begin our bread making.

The boys meticulously measured the yeast, flour, sugar, and salt into two bread makers with dreams of sweet rolls we would enjoy.

I was disappointed when I went to get the oil from the pantry and remembered I was almost out. As I tilted the container, it looked like we had a tablespoon of oil at the most. We needed two-thirds of a cup.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, guys! I forgot we were out of oil," I said. "We're not going to be able to finish these recipes today."

Their eyes cast downward. Then my six-year-old looked at me and said, "Remember that story about the woman who needed the oil to bake with?"

I took a deep breath and hesitantly said, "In the Bible?" By this time, both boys were excitedly nodding their heads with anticipation. The ball was in my court. "So what you are saying is that we should pray, and the Lord will multiply our oil like He...

Don't Fear for Your Kids

faith inspiration parenting Sep 04, 2021

Here's a good word for the times, from Alex Cravens. I agree with him and want to spread this faith-filled word! I hope we will all, no matter how difficult, take it to heart:

"Don’t feel sorry for or fear for your kids because the world they are going to grow up in is not what it used to be.

God created them and called them for the exact moment in time that they’re in. Their life wasn’t a coincidence or an accident.

Raise them up to know the power they walk in as children of God.

Train them up in the authority of His Word.

Teach them to walk in faith knowing that God is in control.

Empower them to know they can change the world.

Don’t teach them to be fearful and disheartened by the state of the world but hopeful that they can do something about it.

Every person in all of history has been placed in the time that they were in because of God’s sovereign plan.

He knew Daniel could handle the lions...

Get Organized This Way -- it's FAST and FUN!

home organization Aug 21, 2021

Do you want to start the semester organized and on top of things?

Check out my strategies in the OAK Mindmap.

These strategies not only get you organized 3-4x faster, they also help you raise confident, competent kids.

I will soon be opening a free 5-day training explaining the mindmap and giving small action steps to get you kick started toward your goals.

The training will be held within a private group only open for a short time.

Do these strategies really work?

Yes! They are tried and true...and FUN!

Coach Mom Tribers applied these strategies in July and made a boatload of progress toward their goals.

Clara Carr really shined. This is what her July looked like:

Organized 19 areas in her home and posted before and after photos in the group
Sons organized and maintained their bedrooms 15 min/day
Created cool family slogan to boost morale
Wrote notes of appreciation to her family members commending their work
Honored accomplishments with a...

Kids Off Screens: The Unplug & Create Challenge Results

parenting Aug 13, 2021

More than two hundred hours of creative fun. That was what Elisha Scarborough, one of the Coach Mom Tribe kids, pulled off last month during the Unplug & Create Challenge.

But he wasn't the only one. Coach Mom Tribe kids earned a total of more than 5,000 stars, with each star equating 15 minutes of non-screen creative play. That's more than 1,000 hours documented of creative fun in the month of July.

With a goal to help moms get kids off screens this summer and into more enriching activities, last month the focus of the Coach Mom Tribe was a challenge designed just for the kids!

The Challenge was to do as many creative activities as they could in the month of July. The object:

greatly reduce brain-numbing screen time spent on things like iPads, phones, video games & TV
exercise their brains
have fun

While I gave them an extensive list of almost thirty fun and creative things they could do, they put my ideas in the dust with the fun things they found to do...

A Prescription for America's Identity Crisis

inspiration Jul 31, 2021

Imagine the map of the United States of America decked out in red, white & blue and lounging on a long couch as the doctor sits beside taking notes. "Doctor, I'm afraid I'm in a bit of an identity crisis," it said.

While identity crises typically happen for teens, I believe events the last years have landed the United States of America in its own identity crisis.

Identity Crisis (n): A developmental event that involves a person questioning their sense of self or place in this world.

Could we agree that the past years' events have left our country questioning its sense of self and place in this world?

Quotes from our Founding Fathers clearly show our foundation and identity. Research of Founding Fathers' writings shows they considered God and the Bible an important part of government and that America was founded in partnership with, and under, God.

George Washington, the first President of the United States, is a great example. He once wrote,"Of all the...

12 Fun Ideas to Get Kids Off Their Screens

parenting Jul 17, 2021

We are in the midst of an "Unplug From Screens & Create" Challenge in the Coach Mom Tribe this month, complete with a grand prize incentive.

I'm so excited about the great non-screen things that the kids are doing! Cooking/baking, climbing trees, walking dogs, making homemade "hurdles" to practice with, harvesting garden veggies, creating robot costumes out of extra boxes, making edible slime, even inventing some homemade mouse traps to serve the family!

Would you like to get your kids off screens and on to beneficial activities?

Here are 12 of the many ideas I had for my Coach Mom Tribe kids:

Play outside in sprinkler
Write a letter to your grandparents
Speed stack cups (can buy online)
Make inventions out of recyclable materials such as buttons, bottle caps, yarn, leather strips, wire, boxes, etc.
Write a poem
Collect insects, leaves, grass, etc. and study them under a microscope or magnifying glass
Cut...

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Author

Brenna Stull

Author

My joy is seeing even the most disorganized and defeated moms say goodbye to overwhelm and self-doubt, and move from frazzled to fun as they apply the Coach Mom 7 strategies and move closer to an organized home and family life that runs peacefully and purposefully. I love to hear my readers and clients express the realization that they can faithfully parent, keep an organized home, and enjoy a refreshing return to fun mom...all at the same time.

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