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Post updated Feb. 2021. I updated this post with new ideas and brand-new resources just released this year!

What started with a quick idea to put together a playlist for me to listen to this week, then a thought to share it with y’all, became a huge list of resources for us to put to use during Holy Week.

There are not a lot of frills or pictures in this post. Like I said, it was a last minute decision! But what you will find is a really wonderful list of music, simple activities, videos, books, articles, and more to help you and your family focus on Jesus’s death and resurrection each day. 

At the end of this post, there is also a list of delicious recipes that are perfect for a simple Easter dinner.

Check back as I will likely add a few more resources to the list.

Easter Resources for the Whole Family

Music ::

HOLY WEEK PLAYLIST

I put together a playlist with 50 songs to help us prepare for this week. If you listen without shuffle mode turned on, the songs will be in order for the events of Holy Week.

• Amazon Music
• Spotify 

You can also find the rest of my favorite playlists here.

ANDREW PETERSON CONCERT

Easter Monday concert Live from the Ryman, April 5th

Andrew Peterson’s Easter albums are some of my favorites. While I do wish I was seeing this show in person again, I’m very thankful that live-streaming concerts is an option now. Live-stream tickets for families or churches, and in-person tickets to watch the show at the Ryman in Nashville are available now.

For the Kids ::

CURRICULUM

• An Expectant Easter from Treehouse Schoolhouse :: I used Lyndsey’s A Connected Christmas curriculum in December and loved it. Having everything laid out for me with hymns, poetry, art studies, crafts, and more was incredible. As she said on Instagram, it’s easy to spend week anticipating Christmas, but Easter often sneaks up on us. This three-week plan will help you prepare for Easter and making learning beautiful all at the same time.
• Holy Week morning time plans from A Gentle Feast :: Another option for one week of daily plans to incorporate a hymn, poem, prayer, Bible readings, and a picture study into each morning of holy week. Do all of it or just some; these plans take the work of planning out of your hands.
• 20+ Adaptable Easter Activities :: lots of variety and creative ideas for kids from SPED Homeschool

RESOURCES

• Easter ABC Cards from Tiny Theologians :: I love the resources that Tiny Theologians puts out. These beautiful cards will double as decor and teaching tools.
• The Biggest Story by Kevin DeYoung :: this is one of my favorite Bible picture books. It tells the big picture story of the whole Bible, from creation to the new heavens.
• Resurrection Eggs set :: here is a ready-to-go set of Resurrection eggs to help you tell the Easter story in a tangible way if you don’t want to make your own.

SIMPLE CRAFTS

• Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs :: easy project from The Kitchn
• Resurrection Eggs :: make a set of plastic resurrection eggs to tell the Easter story in a hands-on way, from Teach Beside Me
• DIY Wooden Resurrection Eggs :: an easy project to make resurrection eggs (without pieces that can be lost) from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
• Salt Dough Easter Tomb :: I love salt dough because it’s so easy to stir together and work with. Here are instructions to make an empty tomb to talk about the Easter story.
• Easter Egg Story Hunt :: a fun indoor literacy activity from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
• Easter Cross Activity :: super simple craft using tape and watercolors from Apples & ABCs

JESUS STORYBOOK BIBLE VIDEOS ::

These videos will take you in order through the Holy Week and Easter chapters in the Jesus Storybook Bible.

• Washed with Tears 
• The Servant King
• A Dark Night in the Garden 
• The Sun Stops Shining
• God’s Wonderful Surprise
• Going Home 

Books for Adults ::

• Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die :: John Piper
• God is the Gospel :: John Piper (daily meditations– would be good as an audiobook to listen to each morning)
• The Gospel Primer :: Milton Vincent (EXCELLENT short read, great to revisit again and again. We have this in paperback and audiobook versions).
• Your Sorrow Will Turn to Joy :: morning and evening meditations for Holy Week (free online download on Desiring God’s site)
• The Cross He Bore :: very highly recommended meditations on the cross and Christ’s sufferings
• To Seek and Save :: daily reflections on the road to the cross. (I’m not saying the audiobook is the only way to go… but I am saying that you won’t regret listening to Sinclair Ferguson read this book).

Online Reading/Listening ::

If you want to skip investing in a new book, there are still plenty of articles, videos, and sermons available for free online. Here are a few I found:

• Holy Week reading plan from Desiring God :: an article to read each day of the week from various DG writers
• Christ Our Hope in Life and Death :: read about this new Easter hymn from the Getty’s
• How to Get Kids As Excited About Easter As Christmas :: great ideas to increase your family’s anticipation of Easter
• Live Stream Tenebrae service, Friday 6:30 CST :: Good Friday celebration at Christ Community in Franklin, TN featuring Andrew Peterson
• Four Things to Teach Your Children this Easter :: excellent article by Christina Fox
• Six Things You Should Know About Holy Week :: video from The Gospel Coalition

Easter Sunday Menu Ideas ::

You may be at home with a smaller group than usual this Easter, but you can still enjoy a delicious, homemade meal to celebrate with your family!

BREAKFAST

• Amazing 30 Minute Cinnamon Rolls
• Blueberry Orange Breakfast Cake (GF & DF)
• Simple Honey Cake
• Cinnamon Raisin Drop Biscuits (GF)
• Quick Homemade Sweet Bread

MAIN MEAL

• Honey Mustard Ham in the Instant Pot
• Whole Chicken in the Instant Pot 
• Rosemary & Parmesan Squash Casserole
• Cauliflower Au Gratin
• Maple Brussel Sprouts with Bacon
• Creamiest Instant Pot Mac’n’Cheese
• Skillet Garlic Green Beans
• Honey Ginger Carrots in the Instant Pot 
• Everything Dinner Rolls 
• One-Hour Focaccia 

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I asked what you all wanted to hear about first in 2021, and what books are on my reading list this year won. I’m so glad, because this just means we can be friends.

Books have always been exciting to me, and even though it can be a lot harder to work in time to read these days, it’s definitely not impossible. Audible and bluetooth headphones have helped tremendously, in addition to starting out the year with a break from screens to give me a chance to reset some habits.

I’ve put together a list of the books I hope to read this year, organized by categories. I hope that you enjoy finding some new titles, and by all means, let’s chat about some of them in the comments!

A few things to know about this list before we jump in: 

1. I’ve filled this list with wonderful books that I hope to read this year. I fully expect to not get through all of them, though that would be great if I did. I like to read multiple books at a time and will usually be halfway through a handful of books on any given day.
2. I like to do a mix of hold-in-my-hand-flip-the-pages books as well as audiobooks. We’ve been Audible members for several years and love the service. The quality is excellent and there are so many books that we listen to again and again. I made a note next to the books I plan to digest as audiobooks.
3. I already have at least half of this list, but will get the books I don’t have during the year once I have finished the ones I own. I do purchase a lot through Amazon, but also have a wonderful used bookstore nearby.
4. I don’t read all books the same way. Some nonfiction books I skim or pull off the shelf to read a chapter when an occasion or mood calls for it. There are also books on the list that I plan to read together with my husband or with friends. I looooove talking about books with other people.

When to read: 

This is always the question, isn’t it? When exactly can we make time to read? You’ve probably heard the general advice of making sure you have books in reach in different spots in your house. That definitely helps. It’s also as simple (and as hard) as making the choice to open a book when it would be easier to sit and scroll.

In addition to that basic advice, these are some of my favorite times to read:

• When I’m cleaning. I wear my bluetooth headphones almost all day, so it’s very easy to turn on a book to listen to while I wash dishes, tidy the house, and so on. (Listening to books also make these tasks much more enjoyable).
• At the park. When the weather is nice enough, we can head to the park to let the kids play and give mama time to read. I usually pack at least three books so I have options.
• Family reading time. We don’t do this consistently, though I’d like to make it more of a habit. Everyone reading together (different books) is also just a great way to model a love and enjoyment of reading for your kids.
• After the kids go to bed. I’ve started a habit most nights of making myself a cup of tea and reading in bed.
• As I go to bed. My husband and I both listen to books when we are going to sleep. I usually choose something I am mostly familiar with, and set a sleep timer on my phone.

My Reading List for 2021

Finish from Last Year

• In Vital Harmony, Karen Glass — This book has been so helpful in learning more thoroughly about the principles in a Charlotte Mason education.
• Warmth of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson (Audible)– My husband started listening to this last month (and says it’s transformational), so I’m waiting for him to finish before I resume so I don’t lose his place.
• The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Adachi — I have been taking my time working through this book so I can really digest and consider all of Kendra’s excellent advice.

Re-Read/Re-Listen

These are the books I tend to re-read every year, or ones that I have simply been wanting to revisit.

• Adorning the Dark, Andrew Peterson (Audible) — I have this on Audible and paperback. I love listening to books read by the author, especially memoir type books, so I will listen again sometime this year.
• Mere Motherhood, Cindy Rollins– I’ve read this memoir by Cindy Rollins a couple of times. It’s so encouraging and instructive.
• Stepping Heavenward, Elizabeth Prentiss– inspiring and instructive story about a woman and mother striving to live for God.
• Little Women & Little Men, Louisa May Alcott (Audible) — I listen to both of these books at least once a year. They are some of the best parenting books I’ve read.
• Blue Castle, L.M. Montgomery (Audible) — I have listened to this book by the Anne of Green Gables author multiple times, and I just love the story so much. I’m sure I’ll listen at some point this year, probably to keep me company while doing chores.
• Gospel Primer, Milton Vincent (Audible) — I have this on Audible and paperback. I will likely try to take in both formats. This book is a short book, but such a wonderful refresher on the gospel that we can all use over and over.

Spiritual/Personal Growth

In addition to regular Bible reading and the devotionals I switch between, these are the books on my list to ready for my faith and my soul this year.

• Everlasting Is the Past, Walter Wangerin, Jr — I found this memoir style book on Rabbit Room Press. The description sounded relatable. I’m enjoying so far.
• Share Your Stuff, Laura Tremaine — This book releases in February and I’m so excited to read it! I will definitely be forcing my friends to read it with me.
• Hinds’ Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard — I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while after hearing positive reviews of it (beautiful illustrations, allegory similar to Pilgrims Progress). I grabbed it when it went on sale with the last Amazon B2G1 free sale.
• Heaven in Ordinary, Malcolm Guite — Short reflections on God and nature. Also from Rabbit Room Press.
• Another Gospel?, Alisa Childers — I have seen this book on progressive Christianity recommended multiple times. I’m looking forward to reading it this year.
• The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, David Johnson — Very interested to read this author’s insights and counsel.
• Bittersweet, Shauna Niequist — Coping with change and disappointment.
• Every Moment Holy Volume 2, Death, Grief and Hope — VERY much looking forward to this second volume of everyday prayers, especially with its focus on sorrow and hope.
• Hidden Art of Homemaking, Edith Schaeffer — This book has also been recommended many times by likeminded women. I’m looking forward to reading her practical, creative, and God-centered approach to keeping a home.
• The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel van der Kork, M.D. — I’ve heard that this is both a very heavy book, and a very good one too. I’m sure it’ll take me a while to read, but will be very insightful at the same time.

Parenting & Marriage

• Five Love Languages for Children, Gary Chapman — I know my love language and my husband’s, but I want to intentionally consider how to best express love for my kids this year too.
• Mama Bear Apologetics, Hillary Morgan Ferrer — Another book constantly recommended, and one very timely and needed, I’m sure.
• Introverted Mom, Jamie Martin — A friend loaned me this book because both the title and the author make me want to read this book!
• Families Where Grace is in Place, Jeff VanVonderen — As we have gotten older and wiser, not to mention having more kids, we have shifted from a more authoritarian approach to parenting to one more rooted in grace and understanding. This book looks so good and has great reviews.
• Communication in Marriage, Marcus & Ashley Kusi — Honestly communication is not a strength of our marriage. We are going to read or listen to this book together and discuss.

Homeschool/Education

• Mother Culture, Karen Andreola — Homeschooling isn’t just about the kids. It’s about the rich life of the mother too. That’s what this book discusses.
• Mind to Mind, Charlotte Mason & Karen Glass — I love all of Karen Glass’ books and read at least one each year. This one puts Mason’s last work in contemporary language.
• Educating the Wholehearted Child, Clay & Sally Clarkson — This book has been on my “to read” list since we started homeschooling. I’m going to try and finally read it this year.
• Literary Life Commonplace Book, Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, & Thomas Banks — Honestly, I’m here for anything Cindy and Angelina put out.

Fiction/Light

• Becoming Mrs. Lewis, Patti Callahan (Audible) — I’ve actually already finished this one this year! Its SO GOOD. I will definitely be listening again at some point.
• The Scarlett Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne — I read this in high school, but am sure reading it as an adult with more life experience will be completely different.
• The Queen’s Gambit, Walter Tevis (Audible) — This book is free on Audible Plus and has great reviews…so why not?!
• Blood, Bones, & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, Gabrielle Hamilton (Audible) — I totally stole this book from a friend’s reading list. It sounds great!
• The Man Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard, John Birdsall (Audible) — My mother-in-law introduced me to James Beard. I can’t wait to hear more about his life. (This and the one above will definitely be books to listen to).
• Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis (Audible) — I want to read/listen to this book after hearing about it in Becoming Mrs. Lewis.
• Fantastes, George MacDonald — Same as above.

History/Social

• A Hobbit, A Wardrobe, & A Great War, Joseph Loconte — This topic and these authors fascinate me so much! I’m going to try and read this one with my husband, probably after the kids go to bed.
• Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson — I’ve wanted to read this book for a while. It’s always highly recommended, and a needed subject to learn more about.
• Seeds of America Trilogy, Laurie Halse Anderson — I started this trilogy last year, but hope to finish this year. The books are very well written.
• Jayber Crow, Wendell Berry — I’ve wanted to read this author for a while after seeing a friend share so many of his quotes!
• Under A Wild Sky: John James Audubon, William Souder — Audubon is our focus for nature study/artist study in homeschool this spring, so I bought a biography to learn more about him myself.

LITTLE HOUSE DEEP DIVE

We’ve listened to the Little House books for years, but since this time period is our history focus this year, I figured it would be the perfect time to go a little deeper.

• Caroline, Sarah Miller (Audible) — I’ve already listened to this book, and while I had high hopes for it, I would only give it three stars. Good, not great. I returned it on Audible.
• The Wilder Life, Wendy McClure — I’m super excited to read this book! I’ve already started and so far its funny and interesting.
• Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Family Collection — I found this book of Laura’s newspaper articles in a used bookstore a while ago. It’ll be great to read while learning more about the family and the time period.
• Letters of A Woman Homesteader, Elinore Stewart — So happy to have stumbled upon this book at a used bookstore recently!

Professional

• Stretched Too Thin, Jessica Turner — If this title isn’t my life, I don’t know what is. I hope this book gives me some practical strategies for being a work-at-home mom!
• Atomic Habits, James Clear — This book is on everyone’s list! I bought it last year, but 2020 wasn’t the year to adopt new habits. Let’s see if 2021 will be…
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, David Epstein — This concept fascinates me!
• The Flavor Bible, Karen Page — Of course a food blogger should read this, right?!

What is on your reading list? When do you find time to read? I’d love to hear! 

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The links below may be affiliate links, meaning I earn a small compensation at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure policy here. 

Kids’ bedrooms tend to be an area of our house that I re-evaluate and re-organize regularly. I’m always on the search for the BEST WAY TO KEEP KIDS ROOMS TIDY, hoping that if I luck up on the perfect combination of minimalism, organization, and shelving their rooms will cease to look like a bomb went off in there.

(This was my mom’s favorite phrase to describe our rooms growing up. True to form, I have now inherited the mom-isms and use them without shame).

The truth is, there’s no magic formula to perfectly organized rooms that tidy themselves every day. The magic is simply in implementing a few helpful principles and following through with habit training.

Which is where regular evaluation comes into play. Recently, I was noticing a pattern in my kids’ rooms of excessive messiness. Clothes all over the floor, multiple types of toys scattered around, and papers and items that didn’t belong in their rooms poking up from underneath. The mess was in part because my kids are slobs, errr I mean because I needed to be better about training them to clean their rooms, but also in part because the organization that I had in place from my last “mom clean up” was no longer working for the space or meeting my kids’ needs. 

So, I took a few days to re-evaulate and reorganize. The biggest problems were:

• Too many toys accessible at once. (specifically in the girls’ room).
• Lego bins left in reach meant that anyone could easily play/make a mess, then leave it whenever. Constant access also often meant shorter, less intentional play times. (legos are kept in the boys’ room)
• Clothing bins all on one level (horizontal shelving rather than vertical) making it easier for younger brother to dump older brothers clothing.
• Just needing help getting back to a clean/fresh slate to return to practicing daily tidying habits. (i.e. help them dig themselves out of the hole they are in)

15 Tips for Organizing Kids’ Shared Bedrooms

I shared the “before” of my kids’ rooms on Instagram, basically just to let someone know where they could find me if I didn’t surface again in a day or two.

So many replied that they have similar issues in their house (re: their kids are normal). I asked for tips and ideas on what was currently working for families with room-sharing kids, and y’all came through with some great suggestions.

And because so many also replied asking for me to share the wealth, I’ve compiled the best tips here. Many were repeating the same basic idea, so I combined them into 15 tips for organizing (and keeping clean) kids’ shared bedrooms.

Keep reading to see all the best tips, what I did to solve the problems in my kids’ rooms, and a collection of great organizers and resources! 

The “after” in my boys’ room. I put the lego boxes out of reach so they can be brought down with help, played with, and cleaned up again intentionally. I also rotated the storage cube shelves to stand vertically so the older boys’ boxes are higher up. (Each boy has a box for bottoms and a box for tops. Underwear and socks are kept in boxes on the very bottom). I gave each older boy a basket for papers and notebooks (on the bookshelf), and gave my youngest son the bottom shelf for his special items (my oldest son already has a shelf for his personal books, and both my older boys have a shelf just for their lego creations out of reach of younger siblings). 

My older boys each have their own cork board and shelves for items they want to keep out of reach. My youngest also has a net for his favorite stuffed animals (almost all dogs). 

15 Tips for Organizing Kids’ Shared Bedrooms

1. Limit the number of toys stored in bedrooms.
2. Set a regular daily cleaning time.
3. Incentivize extra/special chores with small rewards.
4. Consider a family closet or out-of-the-room clothing storage.
5. Designate specific areas/tasks each child is responsible for maintaining/cleaning. (This helps to see who is not pulling their weight).
6. Give each child a special box (bonus points if it locks!) in which to keep their special belongings.
7. Keep toys stored by types so it’s easier to clean.
8. Rotate toys or store toys out of reach until kids learn to clean up before moving on.
9. Create a “capsule” wardrobe or simply keep a minimal amount of clothing for each child.
10. Set a timer, turn on music, and make clean-up time fun.
11. Regularly or seasonally donate/throw away unwanted toys and broken toys.
12. A triple bunk gives more free space in the bedroom.
13. Daily alarms for cleaning times (so kids can be self-directed, rather than mom-instructed all the time).
14. Teach HOW to clean well. Start with trash, then papers, then clothing, and finish with toys.
15. Provide individual shelves, corkboards, stuffed animal hangers, etc, by their beds for personal items and favorite artwork.

The “after” in my girls’ room. The biggest change was to move the cube organizer from being on the floor in their closet to being on the closet shelf out of reach. My older daughter can reach the baskets from her bed, but my toddler cannot get out multiple baskets at once. The goal is to continue training them to clean up before moving on to a new activity. 

I also shifted the dresser and play kitchen, put some other items higher on the bookshelf (still accessible, but a little harder to get). I also just did a general purge and clean up of unused/broken toys and stuffed animals so there would be less in general for them to tidy. 

Recommended Organizing Items ::

1. stuffed animal hammock (animal hammocks make cleaning up stuffed animals so easy!)
2. corner shelves
3. clear floating wall bookshelves (I love these for displaying treasures or current reads!)
4. book ends (these are so helpful for keeping bookshelves tidy!)
5. cube organizer
6. storage cubes
7. under the bed storage boxes (we store legos in these because their shallowness makes them better for finding pieces)
8. corkboard (a perfect place to hang special drawings and papers)
9. hanging storage organizer with pockets (I sewed something like this for my oldest, but this would be a great option to hang on the wall next to a bunk or from the side of a bunk to keep personal items in reach)
10. IKEA wooden shelves (we have these shelves in both kids rooms, as well as a large wall of shelves in our dining room. I love how easily adjustable they are.)
11. IKEA bunks (we have these in the girls’ and the boys’ rooms)
12. kid lock boxes

Do your kids share rooms? Do you have any additional tips to share on encouraging and equipping children to be in charge of keeping their rooms tidy? Please share in the comments! 

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