Heather Curlee Novak

What if I was willing to pay you to ride your bike? I want more bike lanes here in Valparaiso and I want them protected, too. I want to use my bike as a car whenever possible. It helps my health, reduces pollution and improves my mood. Just you TRY to be in a …

I’m one year away from freedom. One year. And it is a limited freedom, there are mighty parameters to it. But I can smell it: Full Day Kindergarten. Portia will be in school all day long next year. And Libby will be old enough to go to preschool two …

Do you wish you lived somewhere else? Do you want some fabulous life change to shake up your days? More money? An adventure, new job, house, town? Something (anything) different. I bet lots of us wish we could escape the dull ebb and flow and status quo of …

My Mom died of brain cancer suddenly when I was thirteen years old. I had just left her in Colorado to come spend the summer with my Dad in Indiana. In typical Teenage Girl vs. The Mother fashion, I couldn’t wait to get away from her. I remember …

My daughters Libby and Portia are two and four years old and I lie to them on a daily basis. I lie, and I smile, and I take care of them by guarding them from fear and the Boogeyman of Real Life. That is my job, my duty to them as their Mama. Here are …

Do you love taking your toddler into stores? How about NICE stores, with breakable things and sample lotions and tiny stuff at their little kid eye level like jewelry racks, ceramic tea pots and lip balm samples? Me, I love it. After getting complimented once …

I am doing my devotions this morning about kindness and gentleness as a parent. I struggle with this and know I will find encouragement here. (What I am actually doing is just reading through the past two weeks of the study I haven’t done.) I’m not …

Hope you enjoyed my post on being famous earlier this week. Can you BELIEVE nobody knows I’m famous? At least I think I am marvelous once in awhile. And YOU are marvelous too….now look these over and tell me, are you famous? 1) You are ready for …

This is a $5 mug I bought with and for my best friend Jenny and a matching one for me too. It says “Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” Colossians 3:15 I need that peace. One of my “Life (with toddler) Rules” is to CHOOSE …

Father’s Day. Oh you Menfolk. And you tired Mamas. What is the deal with the Daddies? They play with the kiddos here and there, MAYBE change a diaper if you are already tending to a neighbor’s house fire or are indisposed in some serious emergency …