It may not have calories, but I’m so thrilled to be participating in Nicole’s blog tour for her new book 52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family. I was excited to get this book because I’ve been looking for a doable way to add a level of spirituality and scripture study to our home. We’ve tried several ways to get into a good routine, but it’s been tricky finding something that works for all of our kids. Two can read, one can read simple books, and one is three, so sitting down and reading for ten or fifteen minutes wasn’t capturing all of their interest or attention. We started using this book the day we got it, and that first day we had a great discussion about kindness! You can make it 5 minutes, or you can make it longer!
Hi! I’m Nicole Carpenter and I’m so excited to join Bite of Delight today! I’m the founder of
MOMentity.com, a blog and online community for mothers. I help overwhelmed moms find their identity and embrace their dreams while they still nurture their family. I advocate for families and believe in strengthening mothers so they can strengthen their families.
Even though I’m not great in the kitchen, Becky asked me to guest post today as part of the blog tour of my book that was just released, 52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family. And I’m super excited because it’s already an Amazon #1 Bestseller! The book includes an entire year of theme-based daily devotionals all planned and ready to go — perfect for any Latter-day Saint family. They are quick and simple yet very powerful.
52 Weeks offers an assortment of topics from honesty to kindness and repentance and prayer. The coolest part, I want this book to work for your family. You don’t have to follow along week-by-week. In fact, I encourage you to pick a topic best for your family and let the daily scripture, thoughtful questions and quotes guide your family through an insightful conversation all week — whether your kids are toddlers or in college.
I thought it would be helpful today to share with you three tips to help you strengthen your family.
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Encourage your children to think for themselves.
Socrates said “to find yourself, think for yourself.” I think as parents we can help our children find themselves by creating an environment of purposeful questions. I love watching my children learn and grow as we work to figure answers to their questions.
One of my favorite ways to approach the daily devotionals in 52 Weeks is to read the daily scripture provided as a family and then and ask my kids what they think it means. The most value comes when they can apply it to their own life.
2. Make family time a priority.
Time together as a family can be hard to come by. Even if you are just trying to find five minutes to gather together each day. Decide what time in your day is non-negotiable family time and rally your family to participate. Commit to this time just as you would a doctor’s appointment.
3. Frequently tell them (or show them) you love them.
Tell your children you love them every day. Tell them how important they are – no matter their age. Do all you can to make them feel important. In my home, we’ve even had fun creating an I-love-you code. While holding my child’s hand, I’ll often squeeze it three times and we both know the three squeezes mean “I love you.” The other person then squeezes back four times for “I love you too.”
Families are so important. But I know I don’t have to tell you that. Let’s work together to help each other fortify our own family. I’m so excited that 52 Weeks is already a #1 bestseller! If you want your own copy you can grab one online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or in person at Deseret Book or Seagull Book. Or – if you’re feeling lucky – maybe you’ll be the winner of the autographed copy we’re giving away!
WIN THIS BOOK! Becky here again, and I’m so happy to give you a chance to win your own copy of this great book! You can enter two different ways. 1) Leave a comment here on this blog post, or 2) if you follow me on Instagram, see the post about this giveaway…entering is super easy! You can enter BOTH ways for more chances to win!
NICOLE CARPENTER is an advocate for strong families. She believes in focusing first on strengthening mothers so they can fortify their children. Nicole is a mom mentor, speaker and founder of MOMentity.com, a blog and online community for mothers, reaching out to moms in over seven different countries. She is the creator of the Define Your Time™ time-management e-course and the Mothers of Magnitude Academy. Nicole’s parenting column publishes regularly on KSL.com and has been syndicated in several other online news sources. 52 Weeks to Fortify Your Family: 5-minute Messages is her first book.
Nicole graduated with a B.A. degree in Public Relations from Weber State University, where she also met her husband, Marty. They reside in Syracuse, Utah and are raising four incredible children, including a set of identical twins. And to make it all happen, she may or may not rely on Diet Dr Pepper and chocolate-covered toffee hidden in the fridge.
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