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Category: gifts

gifts/giving/Printables

Back to School: Honor Your Teacher

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Jolie / 0 Comment

Back to school around here means I start thinking of ways we can honor our teachers. This year, especially, I feel like they’re going above and beyond for...

gifts/Printables

Treat Yo’ Teach(er)

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Jolie / 1 Comment

Last year, I shared our teacher questionnaire that we had our teachers (and the nurse) fill out at the beginning of the school year. This was such a helpful too...

gifts/giving/Printables/school

Giving Good Gifts: Teacher Edition

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Jolie / 1 Comment

Every year around Christmas, I realize I don’t know my child’s teachers as well as I would like and that makes gift-giving a little harder than it s...

2015/end of year gift/gifts/Happy House/Printables/summer

Summer Fun Printable

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

It’s the boy’s last day of school today. We couldn’t bid farewell to our classroom friends without a fun little parting gift, of course! We gr...

#teddyelf/2014/gifts/giving/Happy House/teacher/Teddy

Classroom Treats: Reindeer Food

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 3 Comments

When I was teaching, I made reindeer food for my students each year. Then I forgot about it–until last night. Baby Gray’s class party day crept up o...

2014/Christmas/gifts/giving

Stocking Stuffers for the Family

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 2 Comments

Stockings have almost always been one of my favorite parts of Christmas morning. “Santa” used to do a great job with mine growing up, and luckily, &...

Adoption/family/gifts

Time for YES

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 0 Comment

Adoption is near and dear to my heart. If you’ve been around a while, you probably already know that our family plans to expand through adoption in the fu...

Christmas/gifts/giving/kids/preschool/shopping

Perfect Preschool Presents

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 2 Comments

Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s time to start getting people crossed off your list. Looking for the perfect present for the little guys in y...

2014/crafts/diy/gifts/Happy House/kid-made/teacher appreciation

You Rock!

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 4 Comments

One of Baby Gray’s favorite things to do is decorate rocks. Why not oblige and let him create what he loves while giving a great big thank you to his teac...

2014/coffee/favorites/gifts/Keurig

It’s More than Coffee!

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Mrs Gray / 3 Comments

People ask me all the time if, after a year, we’re still using our Keurig. Yes, yes, and YES! If I love an appliance enough to leave it on the counter, it...

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Hi, I’m Jolie…

jolie-gray
Wife to Josh, mama to Hays (7), hopeful adoptive mama, and Jesus lover. I founded Purpose Box in July of 2014. I'm all about open sunroofs and coffee dates. Welcome to my space; have a click around. I hope you feel loved, encouraged, and empowered.

Texas forever.

Purpose Box

purpose-box

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The latest adventure. Part of our story is that The latest adventure. 

Part of our story is that God has asked us to be good stewards of what we have. We discovered a love of kayaking a few weeks ago and then made the best of finding some to meet our needs. 

We snagged some kayaks from our favorite outfitter and set out for our favorite river spot. Adventuring at its finest. (Several years ago that was my word for the year.) 

We had a blast, found a great spot, and learned a few lessons. 

Here’s to learning as you go!
Allow me to introduce {our}selves: I’m Jolie. Allow me to introduce {our}selves: 

I’m Jolie. Wife, mama, teacher, friend, daughter, Aggie, writer, encourager, reader, letter writer. 

That’s the boy. LEGO builder, author, advocate, fundraiser, creative, friend, Type One butt-kicker. 

That that’s Mr. Gray. Husband, father, friend, role model, coach, teacher, learner, discerner. 

This is us! (Except now Mr. Gray cut his hair. 😭😭😭) Sometimes we match when we go out. Sometimes we laugh too loud. Sometimes we overreact. We love and forgive each other. We work together to help others and make the world around us better. 

Who are you? How are you? 👇🏻
So, I didn’t tell y’all, but when I posted yes So, I didn’t tell y’all, but when I posted yesterday, I also challenged myself. I challenged myself to show up. For seven days. Or ten. Or twenty-one. Or thirty. I’m not sure how long yet, but I’ll be here. For some consecutive days. 

I want to show up here in laughter or tears in such a way that you can take a little nugget, stick it in your pocket, and save it for a rainy day. 

Sometimes you just have to laugh. Laugh at yourself. Laugh with your spouse. Send your ridiculousness to your friends. Take a moss to dinner. Embarrass your husband. Don’t take it all so seriously. Step back a bit and step out of the deep. Smile. Breathe.
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, I wro Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, I wrote every single day. If I were going to be gone, I wrote ahead of time and scheduled it to post. In a more recent place in time, I jumped online each Friday and discussed the week via Facebook live. In an even more recent realm, I started a weekly newsletter in an effort to get back to some writing roots and offer up another form of sharing ideas and tips. 

Then I stopped. All of it. 

Everything around me began to just sound like noise, and I didn’t want to contribute to that. I wanted to be sure what I bring to the table has some value (even if sometimes that value is that it’ll show up in my @chatbooks later).

Mostly, though, I want what I share to be thoughtful and representative of a safe space in this big ol’ (sometimes mean) internet world. I want people to peek in—to any of my spaces—and see something that saves them time, a way to give back, a reminder that Jesus loves them, a family working on getting back to the basics and focusing on each other.

I want to be a brand and make an impact and be something bigger, but not in such a way that I blend in with the noise. I want to make you think and challenge you and offer up ways to make your life and systems simpler and work for you. I want to be a resource and an encourager.

So, I’m getting back in the game. And I’m starting with this little space. 

*laces up shoes and jogs onto the court*
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