Midlife Makeover Virtual Conference July 31-August 4, 2023
Attention, fabulous women! Get ready to embark on an exciting journey of reinvention, renewal, and redefinition at our virtual summit, "Midlife Makeover: Embrace Your 2nd Act." This empowering event is designed to inspire and motivate you to make the most of...
DRIVING THE OREGON COAST
During our trip to the Pacific Northwest to see the National Parks in this region of the country we had the opportunity to drive the Oregon Coast. I purposefully routed us on Hwy 101 along Oregon’s coastline so we could see the beautiful scenery along the coastline. I...
WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT BRYCE NATIONAL PARK
Bryce National Park is located in Utah. It is only a two-hour drive from Zion to Bryce. If you are planning a trip to Zion, then you should plan one day at Bryce. You can drive there and back, while also having enough time to hike in the park all in one day. We drove...
TWO MUST DO ACTIVITIES ON YOUR REDWOODS VACATION
There is a great deal to see and do in the Redwoods. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out what to do during your visit to the Redwoods. There are Redwoods National Parks, State Parks, and beaches all intertwined in the same region. After researching the area...
TOP THREE STOPS IF YOU VISIT AMARILLO TEXAS
We did an overnight stop in Amarillo, TX on our annual National Parks trip. We are headed to the Grand Canyon as our first National Park stop and then onto Zion, Bryce, Great Bassin, Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods, Crater Lake, Olympic, Mount Rainer, and North Cascades....
WHAT TO DO IN LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK IN ONE DAY
Lassen Volcanic National Park is one of the less traveled parks in the United States. It is a great park and will likely be increasing in popularity as the more popular parks experience overcrowding. If you want to get away from the crowds to experience nature in a...
TIPS TO DO ZION’S TWO MOST POPULAR HIKES: ANGELS LANDING AND THE NARROWS
There are two hikes at Zion National Park that are notoriously their most popular. They are both rated as “strenuous”, but they are feasible hikes for the majority of hikers if you plan correctly. I will provide you with some tips so that you can make these hikes...
A HIKE TO REMEMBER AT MOUNT RAINIER: SKYLINE TRAIL LOOP
There is a great deal to see and do at Mount Rainier National Park. Our group decided to do a hike on our first full day in the park. It turned out to be one of the best hikes ever! The experience hiking up to Mount Rainier, seeing three avalanches happen, the kids...
What to See and Do at Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is located in the middle of nowhere, Oregon. If you are planning to make a trip out there, make it worth your while by at least staying a few days. It is a beautiful area to vacation. We did three nights at Umpqua’s Last Resort in Idleyld,...
Go See the Oldest Living Organism at Great Basin National Park
We have a goal of visiting all the United States National Parks while we are raising our kids. We have now done 39 out of the 63 National Parks. Yes, there are now 63. They added The New River Gorge in West Virginia as a National Park in December 2020. Great Basin...
10 Tips to Enjoy Your Trip to the Grand Canyon
1. Plan ahead to book ahead. If you can, book your accommodations well in advance. The lodges on property, along with camping, book up months in advance. We wanted to camp at Trailer Village inside Grand Canyon National Park. I booked our spot 11.5 months in advance....
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is in Washington state. It is made up of diverse regions including rugged Pacific coastline, rain forests, and mountains covered with glaciers. To visit Olympic National Park properly you really need at least three days. The regions of the park...
13 PrActical Pieces of Advice for New Parents
I have given birth to four babies (in the span of five years, all full term babies too). I have been a foster parent to several babies as well. Our first born only lived 8 weeks. He was diagnosed with a fatal genetic disorder several weeks after birth. Our second baby...
Hearing the Voice of God
A friend recently asked me how I know that I am hearing the voice of God. I had recently written in a blog posting that I heard God tell me to do something. Actually, I heard Him give me instructions several times to help this pregnant mom in a difficult situation. He...
Social Media for Good
Sometimes God tells you to do something and you may ask "why me?" I recently had that experience. Shame on me, because when I finally did obey I saw God work through many ladies to deliver a huge blessing to a pregnant mom in need. It was a good lesson to me about...
Master Bedroom Redecorating Project
We recently redecorated our master bedroom. I had been wanting to do this for several years. We had made do with the furniture that was Justin’s before we got married. It was a solid wood Lexington bedroom set that wasn’t my style. However, since it was quality...
The Joy of OrganizinG: My Closet and Home Edit
I recently started watching a new show on Netflix called Home Edit. I actually started watching it while cleaning out my bedroom closet. I needed to do a purge of clothes, shoes, and accessories. There was simply too much stuff in my closet that hadn’t been worn in...
Verses to Pray Over Our Children
Bible Scripture is important to learn and to teach to our children. We can also pray Scriptures over our children. Below are some Bible Verses that you can use to pray over your children. Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by...
The Joy of Floral Arranging
Floral arranging brings me joy. They don't have to be real flowers. They can be silks or faux floral and they make my heart happy as well. Another thing that makes me happy is good deals. When you can combine the two I am extra excited. I recently made several new...
Indiana Dunes National Park and The St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park
Two of our newest National Parks in the United States are the Indiana Dunes NP and the Gateway Arch located in St. Louis, Missouri. We saw both on our summer 2020 National Parks trip. There are now 63 National Parks in the United States. There are many more lands...
My Close Encounter With a Bull Moose
Our trip to Isle Royale National Park did not disappoint. My goal was to see at least a single moose. I saw five and heard some more in the distance. Four of the moose that I saw were not far from me, however I didn't feel threatened by them. That wasn't true for the...
Isle Royale National Park: 6 Tips to Plan Your Visit
We have been planning to see Isle Royale National Park for over 9 months. Our trip was booked well before all of the Covid stuff was even known. We didn't cancel our trip, but debated what to do about Isle Royale because it is on an island and we would need...
VOYAGEURS National Park
We spent 6 days and 5 nights at Voyageurs National Park. My sister Natalie and her son, along with a friend and her son, joined us at The Pines of Kabetogama Resort. This resort is located on Kabetogama Lake which is part of the National Park. Voyageurs NP is located...
Cooper Lake State Park
We stayed at two Texas State Parks during the month of June, 2020. Cooper Lake State Park and Lake Whitney State Park were our stops. Cooper Lake State Park was well with writing about and sharing for others who enjoy camping in Texas. Cooper Lake State Park hit all...
Free Mini E-Book “13 Tips to a More Joyful Life”
Life is hard! We can all use more joy in life. I have a free mini e-book for you that includes 13 practical tips that will help you life a more joyful life. These tips include scripture application. God knows better than we do, so what better way to direct our lives...
Protected: 13 Tips to Live A More JoyFul Life
6 Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families on the Debbie Chavez Podcast
My book, 6 Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families was released at bookstores and booksellers online this week. I have been invited to participate in interviews on TV, radio, and Podcasts to discuss the book and the topic of problems within extended families. A few...
Easy Grout Cleaning
Easy cleaning projects make me happy. If you are the same, you will appreciate this information. Grout can make your floors look dirty even after they have been freshly scrubbed. Stained grout makes a floor look awful. When we moved into our home almost 7 years ago we...
6 Hidden Behaviors That Destroy Families
The day has come! 6 Hidden Behaviors that Destroy Families: Strategies for Healthier and More Loving Relationships is available at major book stores everywhere including Barnes and Nobel and Amazon. You can find it at: https://amzn.to/2ZiCX9L Every Family Has...
New Guest Room/ Office Space For Me
Our guest room has been used as a storage space for the past six months. A friend who moved back to England gave me furniture and decor, as did a neighbor who moved out of state. Thank you so much to both families for the lovely items! Both friend and neighbor had...