Lianna
Lianna is a homesteading mama of three: a sparkly seven-year-old daughter, a joyful five-year-old boy, and a confident three-year-old boy. After graduating from the University of Iowa’s college of education, she started Wondergarten Early Enrichment Home, a multi-age, play-based early childhood program. A self-proclaimed Queen Dabbler, she has a long list of hobbies (from gardening and canning to sewing and painting), and doesn’t mind being only mediocre at all of them. She lives with her husband, mother, three kiddos, dog, cat, rabbits, dwarf goats, and chickens on an acreage in the country. The Cornally family spends their time talking about education, learning how to grow and preserve their own food, and romping around in their woods.
I Lost My First Baby to Miscarriage, and I Almost Lost Myself
October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. This year, by the grace of God, my baby boy turned 10 months on that day, and my daughter decided she wanted to have a...
Coming Home to Iowa City: A Tribute to the Town I Love
The University of Iowa is celebrating Homecoming, a week for returning to the city that you once called home.
I moved to Iowa City fresh out of high school, an excited Hawkeye freshman from rural...
Summertime Squeeze: 3 Activities to Enjoy Before Summer Ends
I like to think of these dwindling warm days we’ve been having lately as the Summertime Squeeze: Like a fast-dripping ice cream cone on a 100 degree day, we try to savor every bit...
The Blurry Masterpiece of Memory
Dear Baby Boy of Mine,
You’re almost 9 months old now, and this is the first letter I’ve written to you since before you were born. Your big sister had a whole book of letters...
Five Ways to Save Money on Your Kids’ Clothes
We mamas are a thrifty bunch. But it’s inevitable—kids grow out of their clothes faster than we can say, “They aren’t high-waters; they’re capris!” We often try to save money on all these new...
Breastfeeding Advice to Ignore
Everyone seems to have an opinion about breastfeeding, whether they want you to do it, want you to do it differently, or want you to stop doing it. Sometimes those opinions are a wealth...
Objective: Joy | Lessons Learned from Messy Preschoolers
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Understatement of the year, eh, mamas?
Earlier this spring, I had the great idea to pack a picnic lunch, a blanket, and a bag full of books, and spend...
The Lazy Girl’s Guide to DIY Homemade Cleaners
I don’t know how, but somewhere along the way, we Do-It-Yourself-ers got pigeon-holed as ambitious, crafty, and talented. It’s just simply not true. I, for one, am actually quite lazy, awkward, and mediocre.
This couldn’t...
Magnificent Mediocrity: Celebrating a Life Filled with Imperfection
At my core, I am a perfectionist: the child who was afraid to try something until she was sure she could do it perfectly the first time, the adolescent who pretended to dislike activities...
Repurposed Preschool: Water Beads
You may have seen them filling vases under a bouquet of cut flowers or amongst floating candles in wedding centerpieces, but these nifty little spheres, called water beads, have another purpose you may not...