Marie Leslie
Resources for a Productive & Creative Life
The right cleaning products are essential for a healthy home. Household cleaners are great. You can buy them at the store, you can make your own, or you can use some combination of the two. But there are some common cleaners you should never mix. Whether you are using store-bought products or whether you want …
Going home for the holidays can be a challenge for many. We’ve all heard stories about chaotic holiday events that turn family disagreements into verbal Armageddons. Some of us may have even experienced them. I may be an optimist, but I believe most people go “home” to reconnect with the people they love, not to …
Could you use a little extra cash in your bank account? Even if life wasn’t crazy right now, I certainly wouldn’t object to being able to save more and spend less. Wouldn’t you like to have more to spend on what you want instead of just what you need? For most of us, a new …
This month really has felt like it’s been about 100 days long. Having to “socially distance” ourselves and then being under a stay-at-home order for nearly a month (are we sure it hasn’t been a year?) are beginning to take a toll on just about everyone. Even for the most introverted among us, having to …
Are you stressed? Who isn’t—at least in some fashion—these days? There are as many ways of dealing with stress as there are stressed-out people. Some are good, and some are not so good. But one of the easiest and best ways of managing and letting go of stress is journaling. Yes, simply grabbing a notepad, …
Are you planning a road trip this summer? We have one somewhere just about every year. While I have nothing against air travel (it’s the best way to get to faraway road trip destinations), I LOVE road trips. My dream summer would be road tripping all over the US and Canada. I’ve road tripped …
Are you ruining family events with your camera? Is taking photos for the family scrapbook spoiling everyone’s enjoyment? I know you don’t mean to spoil the day. In fact, you have the best of honorable intentions. You just want to document your beautiful family for generations to come. I’ve been there. I love being …
Happy New Year! It’s time to ring out the old and ring in the new. Are you a New Year’s Eve partier or do you prefer a quiet evening at home to celebrate the change of calendar? Though we occasionally venture out on New Year’s Eve, we’ve developed our own fun family traditions, the most …
Are you water safe? Do you know what drowning looks like? Chances are it doesn’t look like what you think it does. With the hot summer season upon us, the water is calling. We love to spend time in the pool, the lake and at the beach. This makes water safety and knowing what drowning …
It’s the start of another year. Have you said to yourself over the last days or weeks that “this year it will be different?” “This year things will be better?” Are you still dreaming of those changes, dreaming of that success—or are you ready to make the change and do the things that will lead …
Every website needs a good Christmas story. I’m sure that’s a rule somewhere, and if it’s not, it should be. I love Christmas. I love baking, I love decorating, I love the music, I love the family time, I love celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ—and I love Santa Claus. In fact, after the story …
Stress affects everyone. When was the last time you felt stressed? Was it a looming deadline, an unexpected bill, a work assignment, a family disagreement. . . or just about any part of everyday life? We all feel stressed from time to time. As I write this, I have a long to-do list on the …
Teenagers are naturally known for being moody and even unpredictable. They are often a drag on any kind of family activity that one might like to do. They are just not often all that interested in doing family activities most of the time. It is hard to blame them considering that they are at an …
When I was growing up, Saturday was always chore day at our house. We spent pretty much every Saturday morning cleaning bathrooms and bedrooms, changing sheets and mopping floors. And pretty much every week about halfway through, I would start feeling ill, sometimes even light-headed and my lungs would get tight. My sisters thought I …
I thought I had this marriage thing down. We’ve been married 32 years, after all, and known each other for 15 more. And then I read Love Me True, and learned that I still have a lot to learn. Love Me True, by Jason Whiting, PhD, is a short book packed full of great advice …
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and while I’m not a big mushy, romance kind of person, I am a fan of Valentine’s Day because it comes along just about the time I have fallen out of love with winter and gives me an excuse to decorate and brighten up my house–and my life–a little …
Have you set goals for this year? Are they the same goals as you set last year? Do you even remember the goals you set last year? Do you want to be more successful with your goals this year? If you want to achieve your goals this year, you need to review last year’s goals to …
You may be in your twenties and regretting you didn’t go to college. Or, maybe you’re in your forties — stuck in a job you hate and wishing you had had the resources to go in a different direction. Whatever your age may be, you’re probably thinking that it’s way too late to go back …
Goals are an important part of a fulfilling life. Sometimes, however, we get hung up on our big goals, and sometimes end up giving up instead of pressing on and achieving them. History and literature are full of examples of those who succeeded through perseverance. Author Stephen King tossed his novel Carrie into the trash …
Money allows your family to purchase food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities, and managing a household finances becomes an unavoidable part of life. You must develop a comprehensive budget to pick and choose how to use your money. Building a good budget can you ensure the bills get paid, debts grow smaller, and a rainy …
Is your marriage good? Or is it just ok? Would you like it to be better? Wife for Life: The Power to Succeed in Marriage by Ramona Zabriskie is full of actionable, do-able ideas and strategies to make your marriage the “happily ever after” you have ever dreamed of. Yes, this is a book for …
Happy back-to-school! I don’t know what time it is at your house, but at my house August means back to school. With one of our school districts having the ridiculously early start date of August 5th, our back-to-school preparations are in high gear. I have two high school students this year–and I’ll readily admit that I’m …
All families need strengthening. There are so many stresses and challenges in today’s world that every family, no matter its make-up is potentially at risk. There is no such thing as “rock solid” without constant reinforcement. Both anticipated and unanticipated stresses can weaken what might appear to be even the most solid of foundations. I …
12 Weeks to a stronger, happier family? Who wouldn’t want a stronger family with more peace, joy and love? I know; silly question. My family life isn’t awful. In fact, life at the Leslie household is usually pretty good. But it could always be better. Like most families, we have our challenges and our, umm, …
