Maggie Whitley Designs

joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith & simple living

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December 20, 2011 · Leave a Comment

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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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recent posts:

10 “field trips” ideas for your homeschoolers (Detroit & beyond) September 2, 2020
7 books we are reading aloud this year August 19, 2020
A fall-themed homeschool resource! August 12, 2020
Studying the Bible July 30, 2020
What do you consider “a good book”? July 23, 2020
A tour of my houseplants + care tips July 14, 2020
Soap suds and long-lasting comfort July 2, 2020
Our summer schedule with young children June 23, 2020

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TOPICS I WRITE ABOUT

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JOY in motherhood & homemaking 🧺🌿💓✨

This morning I sat on the front porch and read my

This morning I sat on the front porch and read my book & drank coffee. The birds were with me, nearly a hundred of them. Fluttering from rooftop to treetop to hiding inside the bushes. So beautiful and calm. Mother culture... the path to joy in motherhood & homemaking.

Well kiddos, we had a great summer together! 🥳👏🏻🛴⛱🍦🤸🏼‍♀️🎨🎹🏊🏻‍♂️🧺🎠📚📺🍿🌿🌷☀️🚲

Thanks for coming along with me to the pool, nature trails, the park, hosting friends in our backyard, reading adventures, popcorn & movie night, art, planting flowers, planting a garden, bike rides, neighborhood walks, lake swimming, and supplying the ice cream truck w/ roughly $84 this summer.

I loved our time together! 🥰🧒🏼👩🏻👧🏼🧒🏻

And the great news is this: we have autumn to enjoy together, too! 👏🏻🌾🍃🍂 so thankful.

Even if you don’t have students learning at home

It’s come to my realization there’s plenty of

It’s come to my realization there’s plenty of time these days to craft a letter when I wash dishes, take my kids on a walk, or take care of our garden. All that silence, it makes my internal monologue even louder 🤣.

Many times we are out & about in the neighborhood and I think, “oh the flowers surrounding your porch are lovely!” Or, “wow” (to the elderly man) “you have such a great smile, thanks for sharing it with us!” Wouldn’t it be great to jot that down in a card and send it through the mail as well?

We are always in need of community & kind words! 🌷💬

I remember many years ago, when nearly pregnant with another baby and our personal finances were THE PITS, my best friend came over with $500 cash. Just to bless us. She also included a personal note. Of course, I’ve always known how special personal notes are, but this card really meant so much.

And so I’ve decided as the year-end nears: wouldn’t it be nice to send a letter a week for the final 20 weeks we have left in 2020. Me thinks so 🙂.

Community & kind words: I’m coming for you!

PS. wanna join me in sending 20 cards by Dec. 31?

🖤working on our school room, mid-process update

🖤working on our school room, mid-process update! this wall is inspired by @mygrandparentschair 👏🏻

I saw her feature in a recent issue of “Better Homes & Gardens” and I was all 🤩🤩over her foyer. I’m using 1/2” black masking tape (mistake-making friendly) instead of paint, also renter friendly.

Working on this project has been so good for my mental health. Doing > worrying.

Yesterday I took just my boys to the beach 🔵💙🏖. It was so much fun packing up & driving to the sandy spot.

I knew yesterday had the potential to be a long, emotionally hard day for me. I decided to take action, plan some thing ✨we would all enjoy✨ that would make the time pass nicely.

What started out as one decision for an activity happily spiraled into many other fun activities to follow. Can you relate?

Do you have a chunk of time nearing that you don’t know how to spend well? How to spend it so you enjoy it?

May you feel encouraged to think outside the box… And leave a comment if you need any help planning ;) #sisterhood👭

This week I made an effort to take my kids out for

This week I made an effort to take my kids out for long walks. My mind and body need exercise for the stress to release. We even had three neighbor kiddos come with us one day this week. Along with our dog 🥳. It was a impromptu park party.

It’s easy for me to forget how wonderful simplicities are... Not using the Internet, obsessing over the sounds of nature. Finishing a book. Enjoying cleaning up the kitchen. Crouching down to my child’s level to speak to her. Pulling my youngest into my lap and instinctively giving him a kiss. Bike rides and (still) not wearing any make up. Preparing for a new season of learning.

After dinner we went on another walk, this time much shorter & with less people 🤣. I love the way I feel after a walk. You too?

Tonight I’m even having a cup of tea with a book, pen, and notepad for collecting my ideas. It just feels GOOD to use my mind for remembering the goodness. It’s near. But it can take effort to notice. 🌾❤️

My goal of filling up this bookshelf is coming to

My youngest two cherub children. Flowers. Summerti

My youngest two cherub children. Flowers. Summertime warmth. Tomatoes from the garden. Genuine hugs. Chalk on the garage. A lone glove. Happiness.

Last weekend we left the house with lunch packed &

Last weekend we left the house with lunch packed & water for everyone, including homemade iced coffee for mom/dad. We ended up at a nature trail and soon enough, our feet were in the water and the kiddos were loving it. It’s always a treat for me to get out and do something fun with my family. And look! We snapped a family photo which is like a quadruple highlight! I LOVE photos of the six of us together! ☺️☺️

An IG friend recently shared she enjoys feeling sm

An IG friend recently shared she enjoys feeling small in this giant, giant world. I have been reflecting on that thought.
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I really enjoy feeling small, too. I enjoy knowing my tiny steps and my tiny details can contribute to the giant beauty of something greater than ME.
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When my daily contributions are in pursuit of greater goodness, truth & beauty... well, that just makes it easier for me to keep going. Even when I don’t see any immediate growth. Even when I don’t know the results or the plan. Even when [x] happens. Can you relate? Perhaps you could embrace feeling small? Take the focus off ME and move it towards WE.
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PS. The IG friend is @lindsay.m.wilkins

Baby tomatoes! From our yard! This is great. Now,

Baby tomatoes! From our yard! This is great. Now, to find some recipe ideas as my family seems to prefer cooked tomatoes over raw. Share your ideas! 👏🏻🍅🤸🏼‍♀️

For as long as I can remember, books have been a f

My summer babies 🌾💞🍡🍉🔵

My summer babies 🌾💞🍡🍉🔵

Ditching our normal Monday morning routine and hea

Ditching our normal Monday morning routine and heading to the beach with the kiddos!〰️☀️💞

This afternoon, everyone found a bed to lay on and

This afternoon, everyone found a bed to lay on and we rested. I could have slept for three hours, but alas it was soon time for me to wake up. Now, more than ever, I am so very tired. Good mothering is taking every bit of my effort. Instead of seeking empty things I’m intentionally seeking that which is life-giving. For me that includes scripture, music, walking, talking with neighbors, sitting in the shade. I can’t do this alone; I am never alone. 🌾

Sometimes our eyes just need a dose of quiet. 💚

Sometimes our eyes just need a dose of quiet. 💚💛🤍resting in this today!

This is my morning view as I sit on my in-laws por

This is my morning view as I sit on my in-laws porch and ☕️☕️📖. The leaves are rousing and there are tiny chirps from above the treetops. Trills and quick songs and flyover squawks. A screened-in porch tucked in the trees is definitely on my house buying wishlist ☺️.

I’m just so happy to have this abundance of fami

I’m just so happy to have this abundance of family time together. My crew has been so good at working through a new rhythm. Natalie is off having her own kind of fun, my little bookworm. The rest of my kids are riding scooters & lawn mowers 👏🏻🛵🚜.

That one time I hung a hand towel and it didn’t

That one time I hung a hand towel and it didn’t end up on the floor 🧡🍋. You can find these happy helpers at @thetowelbarshop, they are handmade, triple-stitched and made with 100% cotton. My friend Courtney started this business; my girlfriends and I have gone bananas over them 👏🏻. I’ve bought 5! ☺️

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devotionals written by Maggie:

the (in)courage Devotional Bible:
Proverbs 14:1 and Lamentations 5

31 Days of Prayer for the Dreamer and Doer:
on Simplicity

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