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Maggie Whitley

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

You are here: Home / inspiration / books / Babies, books, and going on dates!

Babies, books, and going on dates!

July 31, 2015 · 6 Comments
Filed Under: books, for fun, Maxwell, Natalie

Natalie Maxwell maggie whitley

Where in the world have the last two years and four months GONE? Max and Natalie are growing like adorable weeds (comparison photo from last month) and more & more often at night I find myself choking up while putting them to bed. They are so precious and fun to be around, I am loving their current ages so much. I don’t know what’s better, seeing Max walk over to Natalie so he can cup her cheeks and coo in her face, or watching her eyes light up as Max talks to her. They are both absolutely amazing.

Natalie Maxwell maggie whitley

We’ve been going to the park in the morning nearly every day, which I’m all HELLO, three hour naps — for both of them! (#momwin) Their long naps mean I can sit down with a book and basically watch the clock tick by, a dream! I put together a list of recent books I’ve read, but I’d love to know in the comments below any suggestions you have for me to read next. For our August book club read we’re reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I started listening to this via audio book and it’s pretty darn great. I can’t wait to go through our apartment and make some changes ;) Watch out Zack.

date zack maggie whitley

And speaking of Zack, he took me on a super fun date last weekend. We stopped for burgers & beer before grabbing an order of ice-cream and eating it on the beach. And you guys, what a treat it was to be alone with him for three hours! (We do babysitting/date swaps with friends.) During that time there were no diaper changes, no one ate sand, and no one fought over beach toys. But we did laugh a lot, and it felt like we were 18 again ;) I loved our date so much, SO MUCH HAPPY!

This weekend we’re heading to the beach as a family (any bets on who’ll eat sand first?), and I’m going on a solo run Saturday morning, which I’ve been looking forward to all week. How about you?

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6 Comments
Filed Under: books, for fun, Maxwell, Natalie

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Comments

  1. Laura says

    July 31, 2015 at 4:12 am

    Your kids have the BEST hair! Lucky ducks! :) So glad you guys had a fun date! I hope the beach is great this weekend, and enjoy that solo run! Have a great weekend, Maggie!

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      July 31, 2015 at 3:00 pm

      HA, thanks! :D happy weekending, Laura!

      Reply
  2. Southern Gal says

    July 31, 2015 at 4:44 am

    Your babies are such cuties. I smile every time I see their faces on here.

    I’ve read Marie Kondo’s book and now have to implement it!! I have been on a WWII binge lately, All The Light We Cannot See and The Hiding Place (reread) specifically. (The Book Thief from last year fits in that category.) I’m reading Fahrenheit 451 for a book club and it’s taking all I’ve got to get through it. Definitely not my genre. I can’t wait to read Amber Haine’s new book, Wild in the Hollow. I love her style of writing.

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      July 31, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Ohhhh, thank you so much for the book suggestions!

      Reply
  3. Tahnie says

    August 1, 2015 at 9:03 am

    Have so much fun at the beach! Your kids are darling and you can tell you are a great momma!

    I recently shared my summer reading stack!

    http://www.ahappygirl.com/2015/07/summer-reading.html

    Reply
    • Maggie Whitley says

      August 1, 2015 at 3:17 pm

      Have you read The Pact by Picoult? Whoooooo, add it to your list! And make sure you get to The Fringe Hours, that book changed my life as a mama and individual :)

      Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in metro-Detroit. She has been writing online since 2008.
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maggiewhitley

JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

maggiewhitley
Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect o Reflecting on this today 💓🕊 When I reflect on the moments I’ve felt my mind spinning, my emotions swirly, it’s almost always when I’m not feasting on the word of God. Not that reading scripture is the cure for anxiety —no! Rather, it’s hard to worry when we’re worshipping.
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#womenintheword #wearethehomemakers #scripture #dailyintheword #titus2woman #healthylifestyle #mentalhealth #anxiety #anxietyawareness
Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️ Current backyard status: stunning in wonder ❄️✨
A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is A quiet night: the furnace is running, the tea is hot, and the whisper of a page turning. ♨️☕️📖 // We are breaking from school this week, my plan is to read a lot, walk a lot, and rest a lot. How about you?

#mothersofinstagram #tea #winterreading #hygge
I fought every internal comment I could think of a I fought every internal comment I could think of and took my kiddos for a looooong walk today before dinner. ❄️✨ There’s just so much work required to raise children! I’m feeling like a tired lady. But sunshine & fresh air are good companions to keep around. 

We came home and I made “the best dinner ever”. Max specifically announced, “it’s so great you’re launching new meals to the world”. LOL— kids! 🤣👏🏻💓
How about a little Wednesday night introduction? 😘Social media sure has changed over the years and we don’t always SEE who we’re following or remember WHY we’re following certain accounts. 

So, hello! As you can gather, my name is Maggie ;) 

I started writing online (almost 13 years ago) to share the handmade products I was sewing. My shop was called Gussy Sews. ✂️👛I love the community that has grown from sewing & sharing online.

Let’s FFW to today: Zack and I live in Michigan and have four young children (2 boys & 2 girls). I slowly left the handmade industry and walked right into homemaking, homeschooling, and encouraging women through writing. 💕📝

Motherhood has been very hard on me. (And not just because of how close in age our four children are.) It’s been hard for me because I fought for years to accept that *it’s supposed to be hard*. 

I mean, how do you effectively teach another person to know and love the Lord? Bc that’s how I think of motherhood: a calling to nurture others by studying the One who nurtures me. So I gotta make the first move: study the Bible and seek Him first. As my friend Autumn reminded me, vulnerability births transformation. 

(I’ve had to be really vulnerable!)

So, yes motherhood has fully transformed me. But even more so, Christ has fully transformed me. My list of “all that He’s done for me” is off to a beautifully long start.

Something else I want you to know about me: I stalled for years before acknowledging I have anxiety and depression. It’s hard to talk about this because of course this isn’t forever “my hardship”, but rather because acknowledging this means to heal I have to work through some really difficult things. ✨

But my friend Jesus walks alongside me. He’s already done a mighty work in my heart, including helping me process my anger in healthier ways. I’ve also adopted a heart for sisterhood, mothering, and Titus 2 mentorship.

Sometimes our greatest losses are our greatest gains? That’s what I’m clinging to!

How about you? Tell me something about yourself so I can get to know you on a deeper heart level. 🖤🖤
How do you play in the winter? // We had a really How do you play in the winter? // We had a really great time visiting family in northern Michigan. On my blog I share a few ways we played outside, plus I describe a memorable childhood game ❄️☃️. Did you play it as a kiddo?
We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens We had gotten a bit lazy with our rhythms: screens in the morning (HGTV), playtime before lessons, and not enough quiet time after lunch. This made for a really, ummm, unenjoyable learning experience. 

But today! Today we reset the rhythm, and we have had a much happier home & time learning together. 👏🏻
Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — t Visit my stories for a quick message from ME — think outside the box in terms of how you view the definition of “motherhood” 💓😘 (also: look at my little friend, she’s sooooo snuggly)
It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hop It’s another cold, winter day. ❄️Today I hope to bundle up for another family nature walk, knowing the fresh air sweeps out any & all frustration, inviting inspiration inside. ✨That’s something we all need more of.
seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming seriously LOL: I’ve found the secret to calming the Laundry Beast (as a family of 6). Who wants the inside scoop? ✔️🧺👏🏻
Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomo Another batch of “fun mail” is headed out tomorrow :) small celebrations like this are very life giving! PS. thinking of starting a zoom book club — I need more sisterhood in my life. 👏🏻📖
The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are The house is quiet. The heat is on. The pages are turning. The tea is calm. 🖤☕️🧺📖
Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his ful Breakfast with Buzz! If only you could see his full costume and laser blaster and of course the Buzz action figure he flys around 🌟💚💙💨someone has discovered a superhero crush! #joyinmotherhood #slowmornings #surprisedbymotherhood // Landon @ 2.5yo
Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to Today on my blog I have a list of books I hope to read this year. Plus my reading goal for the year. And a few practicals ways I fit in reading as a mama of four young children & homeschooling them. Basically, all the good stuff ☺️💓📖 #maggiewhitleydotcom #readersofinstagram #read #readmorebooks
It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the fu It was the perfect opportunity to rearrange the furniture as we took the tree down Tuesday midday. Def one of my fav things to do.🎄👋🏻 We made it through our first week back to school since mid-December! It was rough to begin but ended with high fives. ⭐️✏️This morning I zoomed with a mama friend and I’m impressed with the many topics we covered. Sisterhood is sooooo necessary! ☕️👩🏽‍🤝‍👩🏼

Just a few cheery memories from my week! How about you?
Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activiti Book reading! One of my best “Maggie” activities. I finished my last book moments before 2020 ended, which brought my started list to a close. Small joys add up to big joys ;)

What are you reading this year? Currently?

How many books are you planning to read? What’s your goal?

I’ll share what’s on my list for 2021 soon as I received some nice titles at Christmas. 📖✨🤍
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