Alaina Pangburn
Alaina is a transplanted Georgia peach who came to Texas as a newlywed in October 2010. She has an M.A. in Renaissance Studies from the University of Alabama and B.C. (before children), taught college-level English courses. She spends most of her time running after, feeding, and breaking up fights between her precious offspring. In between all that, she's a freelance writer and editor. She loves starting her day with a cup of coffee and ending it with a good book.
Where to Go :: A Guide to Berry Picking and Local Farms
Updated 2022 by Katie Lewis.
It's May in North Texas, which marks the start of berry and peach season in the DFW area. Visiting a local pick-your-own farm is a great way to enjoy some...
Jazz Up Your Joe :: How to Make Great Homemade Iced Coffee
Iced coffee is the perfect summer drink. It’s cold, it’s refreshing, it’s caffeinated. It’s also the perfect homemade coffee drink. Whether you use a regular brew or prefer a strong cold brew, homemade iced...
6 Clean Sunscreen Options for Fun in the Sun
Summer means a lot of extra time in the sun, especially for kids. And whether you’re at the pool, the beach, or just outside, it’s important to wear good sunscreen in order to prevent...
Teaching Poetry to Kids :: Tips and Resources for Parents
For me, the highlight of the recent presidential inauguration was Amanda Gorman reciting her poem, “The Hill We Climb.” Seeing and hearing this bright young woman express her ideas through such an inspiring facility...
Celebrating the Unseen Work of Motherhood
I always look forward to the first signs of spring. As the sun shines a little longer each day, the trees begin to bud, and tulips and daffodils send green shoots out of the...
4 Things You Should Do to Protect Your Online Accounts
A friend of mine recently sent a frantic group text to me and several other friends. “My bank account was hacked!” she told us.
What started as an ordinary day turned into an extremely stressful...
{microblog} The Changes I’m Taking into 2021
Looking back on the past year, it is easy to focus on all that I lost, how I had to grapple over and over again with my plans, my hopes, and my expectations having...
I Give Up Shopping Once a Year :: The Contentment Challenge
I first became aware of blogger Nancy Ray’s Contentment Challenge a few years ago, and it quickly became one of my annual goals: three months of not buying anything that I didn’t expressly need....
Calling it Quits on Screen Time :: No-Screen November
After some soul-searching and the realization that my preschooler is planning her day around what shows she will watch and when, I am declaring it to be No-Screen November in the Pangburn household. This...
Sex Trafficking in Dallas :: What You Can Do to Help
Sex trafficking has gained a lot of attention in recent months, especially on social media. And while it may be easy to dismiss it as an issue that only affects other countries or a...
Creating Margin :: What Can I Say No To?
What can I say no to?
It’s the question on my mind every August. As summer starts to wind down and all the activities and opportunities loom, I consider how to best spend my time...
5 Tips for Homeschooling with Toddlers and Preschoolers
One of the unique challenges of homeschooling and other forms of at-home learning is the question of “What the heck do I do with my younger child(ren) while I teach my student?!” And it’s...