The Refine Blog

Starting last year, it’s been a challenge to find clothes that are appropriate for a not yet teen but not young girl. Clothing sizes tend to span sizes 6-14 in the exact same style, which can look inappropriate if you fall at either end of the spectrum. In general, shorts are short and shirts are […]

Sharing one of my favorite summer recipes today that serves a crowd! This has been a favorite Rowenhorst family recipe that I received from Todd’s aunt, and I make it multiple times per summer, especially if we’re getting together with friends. It honestly lasts for several days in the fridge and works great with your […]

I’m not great at resting. I’m not great at leaving space or even minutes unfilled in my day or in my planner. Whenever I drop one thing I’m immediately tempted to say yes to another. I wrote about rest just a couple weeks ago, but rest and margin are not exactly the same thing…both however […]

What position did you give birth in? If you’re like 60-70% of women, you gave birth on your back. Why is this the most common birthing position? It’s the one most preferred by providers. It’s the position they’re most familiar with and have a great visual of what’s going on. 🤰🏼 Why isn’t it the […]

Having 5 kids in 9 years is not easy on a body. My body has carried, nourished, and grown 5 full-term babies. It has stretched and been worn thin. It has given birth vaginally 5 times, been torn, been cut, and also…it has recovered. I’ve recovered from chronic back pain. I’ve recovered full pelvic floor […]

Aren’t s’mores the iconic treat of the summer season? 😋 Sharing today my go-to summer treat to bring to a gathering that will have everyone asking for the recipe, but will also be the easiest thing you make. If you are new around here, I’m all about fueling my body with nutrition that helps me […]

How’s your relationship with food? This is something I used to feel so much shame over. For years I didn’t want to share that I had food issues. And then once I started sharing, I realized that I’m not alone. Our relationship with food is complicated. Food is necessary. We need it to survive. There’s […]

How many of you often feel like you’re walking a tightrope with 10 clumsy hats on? There is SO much advice on balance – balancing all the roles we have as moms, wives, business owners, leaders, and all the things you’ve been called to do. Goodness, you could read 100 different books on it, and […]

At the beginning of the New Year, I knew I needed to give my home life an overhaul. 2020 was quite the year for all of us, and though there was also GOOD in 2020 and so many ways I saw God work, I knew that God was calling me to less so that I could […]