This post is made possible with support from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication, part of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. All opinions are my own. As someone whose love language is gifts, it can be hard for me to receive, and Max is the same way. There’s nothing quite like losing everything you own […]
A Place in the World: A Teen Milestone
This post is made possible with support from the Center for Parent and Teen Communication, part of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. All opinions are my own. Young children are still developing the ability to think beyond themselves. That means sometimes they can seem incredibly selfish, like the entire world revolves around them, and they aren’t […]
How to be an Etsy shop owner’s favorite customer
This post contains affiliate links. There’s been a huge resurgence of the homemade in recent years, whether you’re looking at fashion, home decor or just people filling their time with hobbies. As part of that resurgence, there has sprung up a new generation of makers, and many of those makers are looking to turn their […]
Three Months After the Fire
This post contains affiliate links, which means we may make a small commission if you purchase through our links. Thank you for the support. It’s either been three months or a million years, I’m not sure which. Three months since the fire. Three months since we said goodbye to our house and all our plans […]
Advent calendars for the family – Updated for 2021
This post contains affiliate links. When I was a kid, a chocolate advent calendar was PEAK excitement. We usually got just the plain ones that rewarded us with a bible verse or maybe a line from a poem, but sometimes we got that weird waxy chocolate and we were thrilled. These days, advent calendars are […]
River Fire Fundraiser
As we settle into our new/temporary “normal,” I’m getting antsy and need to do more. So this morning, I launched a fundraiser for our local community fund. I designed these two custom ornaments, and you can buy one for yourself, or one to donate to a family here who lost everything. They’re $20 each, and […]
Other Families in Need
We have been overwhelmed by the love and support we’ve been shown by our community and strangers, and will spend the rest of our lives repaying the gratitude we feel today. Here’s the list of ways to help our family directly. We’re in touch with our insurance company and are making progress there. As the […]
Porter Family Update
Hi friends, I know I haven’t posted much lately, but life’s been weird, and just got weirder. Short version: Our house burned to the ground last night in the #RiverFire that swept through our area, and everything is gone. We’re safe, our pets are safe, we grabbed most of our family photos and sentimental belongings, […]
The Best Way to Paint Laser Cut MDF
This post contains affiliate links. When I’m designing for my laser cutter, I actually like using MDF (medium density fiberboard) quite a bit. I like it because it’s inexpesnive and easy to work with, but it doesn’t always get the best finish when I paint it. Well, I’ve figured out how the get the best […]