Hi there! I’m Kayse, wife to Jon, my musician hubby, & mom to Emily (5) & Nathan (2). I’m a tiny bit addicted to sweet tea, good fiction, and planners. (You too? Let’s be friends!) Jesus and family are the two most important things in my life, and I’m so grateful for a job that allows me to keep those important things important! I’m a blogger, so I get to work from home, and I write to share Biblical encouragement and practical resources with moms.
How do you take care of yourself so that you’re physically and mentally prepared to be your best self for others?
To be honest, I’m not always the best at this! But it’s something I’m working on. I try to be in bed by 10 each night so that I can get up early and read my Bible & get a short workout in. When I start my day with jesus, I’m just a better wife to my husband and mom to my kids. I need that quiet time in the morning to settle in, fill up, and get ready to take on the day. And the workout is a new habit I’m trying to start! It’s not always (ever?) easy, but I always feel great afterwards.
What’s your favorite beauty secret?
I’m a simple girl, so I don’t have too many beauty secrets! But I love love love the skin care line I use. I never had nice skin in my life until I found dōTERRA. I use the Veráge line every day – face wash, toner, & the best moisturizer in the whole world. I also got hooked on Bare Minerals makeup a few years ago, and I’ve never looked back.
What’s your favorite go-to outfit for a quick polished look?
Nice jeans, this flowy black top that I love, & red flats. I’ll throw on a big necklace or some fun earrings and feel fancy!
What’s your favorite quick-prep dinner for your family?
Oooh I have a lot of these. My favorite quick dinner is my Grape & Shallot Chicken recipe. It sounds (& tastes!) gourmet, but it takes like 10 minutes to prep. I throw together an Easy Homemade Pasta Bake a couple times a month, and we’re also big fans of Taco Night!
Tell us your favorite Instagram account to follow and why?
I’m a little bit obsessed with @JellyBirdSigns. I love her work, and I’ve snagged three signs in her flash sales! I consider that a personal victory. I also follow @EmilyLey & @SimplifiedPlanner, of course, & love when Emily shares real life.
What tradition or routine is important to you?
My morning routine is absolutely the cornerstone of my day! I get some time with Jesus, time to pray, and get a short workout in. With a little time to myself each morning, I’m just able to have such a better day (or respond a little better when the day goes crazy). And when I miss that time? I really feel it!
What’s in your purse?
My navy & white striped wallet from Target. It’s my fave. Sunglasses, SoftLips Vanilla chapstick, dōTERRA’s Citrus Bliss Hand Lotion, diapers, wipes, sippy cups, dinosaurs, dolls, and crushed crackers. Always.
Where do you find your inspiration?
This could be a really long answer, so I’ll try for the short version. I had a pretty good life growing up – great family, good grades, perfect job. And then my life fell apart in every way. My mom died, my marriage broke, we almost lost my daughter at birth & we did the whole NICU thing with her, and then I suffered a double pulmonary embolism after giving birth to my son. It’s fair to say I was a pretty broken person after all of that. But out of the brokenness, the Lord saved me. I’m learning so much about His goodness in the midst of hard circumstances, and I’m learning how to rest in the fact that my faith (and my life) doesn’t depend on me, because GOD is the faithful one. I want my kids to know the goodness of His gospel, and I want the same for moms everywhere. That’s why I stay home with my kids, and that’s why I write. Jesus is my only hope, and my singular inspiration.
We know you’re a busy lady! How do you balance all of your work responsibilities with your home life? Any tips for our readers?
I’m still figuring this out! Family comes first, and that’s just the bottom line. I try my best to keep work within my office hours, and right now I’m trying to scale back so that everything fits within those office hours! That means letting some things go, hiring help, and saying a lot of “no’s” in this season. I also go through my own course every 6 months, called Stop Settling For Overwhelmed. It’s a step by step process that helps me clear my plate off completely, find a focus for the season I’m in, and then create a routine that actually works for our family, keeping the important things important. I’ve used this process consistently for the last few years, and it’s helped me so much that I turned it into a course for my readers, too! It’s the most popular purchase in my shop now – I think so many of us feel overwhelmed as mommas! (You can read more about it here.) But learning to accept your season, and then creating a realistic plan for what you can and can’t do? That’s incredibly freeing, and probably the best tip I’ve got.
What’s your favorite app (or other tool) for helping you do life?
I use the Notes app in my iPhone constantly. I’m such a list maker, and the Notes app is just so simple! I love it. I keep everything there – grocery lists, blog post ideas, book notes, etc.
Follow along with Kayse:
Blog: http://kaysepratt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaysepratt
Pinterest: @kaysepratt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaysepratt
Pinterest: @kaysepratt
Instagram: @kaysepratt
