Midwest Mimi

  • 🌱 How Childhood Creativity Shaped the Woman I Am Today

    Growing up with a sewing room in the den and a woodshop in the barn shaped the way I see the world. My childhood was filled with handmade things, faith, curiosity, and endless creativity, long before I knew how much I would need it. Art was not something I added to my life. It was…

  • Being Thankful in the Middle of the Mess

    Thanksgiving doesn’t pause for real life. Chronic pain, grief, overwhelm, and sensory struggle still show up at the table. This is an honest look at how gratitude can sit beside the hard things, without pretending the hard things don’t exist.

  • The Kind of Strength That Holds a Family Together

    Disabled motherhood builds a kind of strength people rarely talk about. From crisis moments to chronic illness days, this is what it looks like to love a family fiercely while carrying more than most people will ever know.

  • Royce and the Mystery Bolt of Doom

    Royce and the Mystery Bolt of Doom

    Royce handed me a random bolt today, and I had no idea what in our home it belonged to. Moments like this are the perfect mix of chaos and comedy in a neurodivergent household, and they remind me how curious and creative my kids truly are.

  • The Real Rhythm of a Disabled Household

    Some people assume disabled households cannot function, but the truth is far more nuanced. In our home, each of us has needs, rhythms, and strengths, and together we have built a life that works. This is the real rhythm of our disabled and neurodivergent family.

  • The Privilege of Forgetting What Hunger Feels Like

    When SNAP benefits are delayed, millions of families face hunger again. We won’t go hungry, my family has helped when we needed it most, but so many people don’t have anyone to fall back on. This isn’t about soda or candy. It’s about dignity, belonging, and love that keeps showing up even when the world…

  • Lessons from Wonderland: What Alice Still Teaches Me About Life, Parenting, and Growing Up

    Lessons from Wonderland: What Alice Still Teaches Me About Life, Parenting, and Growing Up

    During a fall evening photo shoot turned Wonderland adventure, I realized how much Alice still has to teach us. Through curiosity, slowing down, difference, imagination, and growth, I found reflections of motherhood, healing, and becoming — lessons tucked inside the golden light of an ordinary day.

  • The Legacy of Reading: How Books Build Connection and Resilience for Kids and Adults

    I grew up surrounded by books. Both of my parents were avid readers, and the legacy of their love of reading shaped who I am and how I see the world to this day. My mom, Elaine, was both our homeschool teacher and our church’s librarian. She chose a literature-based curriculum that placed stories at…

  • The Real Heart of Midwest Mimi

    This blog started as a place for accessible nature reviews and homeschooling resources. But it’s become something bigger: a story about resilience, family, and belonging, with nature, books, and art still at the heart. From Accessible Nature and Homeschooling to Something Bigger When I first started Midwest Mimi, my focus was clear. I wanted to…

  • How a Four-Day School Week Makes Homeschooling with Chronic Illness Possible

    Some days, parenting while living with chronic illness feels like climbing uphill with no end in sight. The body aches, the migraine fog, the nausea all show up uninvited, but parenting does not stop when my energy does. And because I homeschool my kids, teaching does not stop either. But over the last two years,…

  • 6 Ways Nature Works as a Reset Button for Sibling Rivalry (and One Way it Benefits Parents, Too)

    “Mimi,” Channing’s complaining tone rang out, “Raeleigh yelled at me.” “I only yelled because he was being annoying!” Raeleigh chimed in from the other room. It wasn’t even 10 a.m., and we’d already had multiple variations of this same argument at least three times. Clearly, it was time for a reset. Sibling squabbles like this…

  • The Difference Between Canceling and Choosing Rest

    When you live with chronic illness, disability, or even just the daily realities of parenting, plans don’t always unfold the way you imagine. Sometimes, life forces you to cancel. Other times, you make the choice to rest. On the surface they can look the same: you’re not showing up. But the meaning and the weight…

  • Why Vacation Is So Special: Healing, Reconnecting, and Starting Fresh

    Vacations aren’t just an escape from everyday life. They are a powerful pause, a chance to reset our hearts and minds, and a moment to build new, joyful memories with loved ones. The Science of Vacation Magic Boosts longevity and heart health: A longitudinal study of over 12,000 high-risk men found that taking an annual…

  • When the Plan Changes: Flexibility in a Neurodivergent Family

    Change is hard for most people, but if you live in a neurodivergent household like ours, you know it can hit differently. When the plan shifts, whether it’s a sudden rainstorm canceling a hike or a store being unexpectedly closed, it’s not just a small inconvenience. It can throw off the entire day’s rhythm and…

  • Why Nature Is One of the Best Grounding Tools We Have

    And why that matters for those with sensory sensitivities or mental health struggles Grounding helps calm the nervous system and brings us back to the present. Nature might be the most powerful (and underrated) grounding tool available. Here’s how the outdoors supports mental health, especially for neurodivergent families like mine. What Does It Mean to…