Latest news with #MagnoliaJournal
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joanna Gaines Admits Fears Over How She'll Stay Close to Eldest Kids While They're in College: ‘I've Found Myself Without the Right Answers'
HGTV star Joanna Gaines has candidly opened up about her struggle to navigate the latest "chapter" of her role as a mother—voicing her fears about how she will maintain a close bond with her two eldest children while they are away at college. The mother of five, whose eldest daughter, Ella, 18, recently moved out of the family's farmhouse in Waco, TX, to start her freshman year, revealed the evolution of her parenting journey now that two of her children are no longer living at home. "Being in close proximity to my kids is the only way I've known to parent," Gaines, 47, wrote in the latest issue of the Magnolia Journal. "My confidence as a mom is deeply intertwined with physical presence. I know how to read their faces. I know what foods heal wounds. I know how to stay up late. To be here when they need me." After finally finding her footing as a parent, Gaines admitted that her confidence was shaken after she bid farewell to son Drake, 20, who is in his third year at Baylor University, and Ella, who has traveled "across the country" to attend an unnamed college. "I've had to refine how to show up for each of them, all being so different, but almost 20 years in, I started to feel like I finally had the hang of it ... until a couple of years ago, when my oldest headed off to college," she went on. Gaines explained in her "Note From Jo" that a big part of her confidence as a parent was rooted in her ability to keep a close personal eye on her kids. Being able to check in on them, even secretly, helped to quell any concerns she might have. "Like every mother reading this, I've always slept better knowing that all of my kids are safe and sound. When I can go room by room and count heads, listen for shallow breaths, sneak in kisses on cool cheeks as silently as I can," she shared. "For all the worry that seeps into the cracks of daily life, I've wondered how much is squelched by evidence of rising chests and peace-filled sleep. Of reaching out and finding them there." The renovations expert admitted that she has found herself "without the right answers" for how to quell her parenting concerns—while asking other parents who have "walked this path and hold the secrets to success" to share tips for how she might navigate this unknown territory. Until those answers present themselves, Gaines said that she plans to "experiment" with different ways of preserving her special relationship with each of her two oldest children, whether that involves sending care packages or surprising them with a visit. 'The best advice I'm offering myself this season is to be there for them the same way I always have: surely and steadily," she wrote. "For Drake and Ella, it might look like experimenting: care packages with their favorite cookies and surprise visits for an afternoon coffee. But it will also look the same way it always has: a listening ear, texts that let them know I'm here. "Because the hope, I think, is that my children will know—no matter how far or near they are—that proximity isn't what truly connects us." Gaines' candid parenting confession comes just a few days after she revealed on Instagram that she had packed both of her children off to school—explaining in a heartfelt post that she was overcome with different emotions in the moment. Sharing a photo of her eldest son's room filled with boxes and suitcases, Gaines examined the many feelings that she was grappling with after Drake and Ella left the nest. "They told me it would go by quicker than I think. That the days are slow but the years are fast. And darn it if they were right. This beautiful gift of time has roared past us all just like I was told," she wrote. "My oldest son left for his third year of college while my oldest daughter packs for her first year across the country. "This season already feels like one big, breathless surrender. Lord, how do I hold them close while also letting go?" Gaines went on to note that, while she feels a strong desire to keep her kids with her, she knows that they are "made for more" than they can experience inside the family's home. "Help me to embrace change with a heart filled with hope for the part I know to be truer than the rest—my kids and I may have been made for each other, but I also believe they were made for more. More experiences, more knowledge, more growing than could ever happen within our walls," she added. The mother of five concluded her post with a message to other parents who have yet to experience what it's like to have a child leave home. "To all the parents packing up and moving kids to new places, and to all those with years still to spare: hold them close, hold them well, and let's all lean on each other when the time comes to hold it together," she said. The night before the big farewell, Gaines revealed that the family was sharing one last meal together, posting a video of the fun-filled dinner at their farmhouse. In the clip, the family of seven could be seen turning out some homemade pizzas in the wood-burning oven in their backyard, before heading into their immaculately decorated dining room to tuck into the feast. After the meal, Gaines pulled all five of her kids in for a group hug outside their home—before treating herself to a ride on her youngest son's mini motorbike, joking in the caption that it made her "feel like a kid again." "Gulp. Last dinner together before our oldest heads back to college and our second is about to leave home for her freshman year," the Magnolia mogul wrote. "Thankful for the group hug and all the puppies to help me work through my wide range of emotions. And also Crew's motor bike, it made me feel like a kid again. I love you kids so much." The Magnolia Journal Fall 2025 Issue hits newsstands on Friday, Aug. 15, and can be purchased online now at Solve the daily Crossword
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-magnolia-journal-summer-cover-MAGNOLIASUMMER0525-b1cc6fbfdd9c491cb40661b89670eb1d.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
Joanna Gaines on Her Family's Summer National Park Adventure—Led by Her 6-year-old Son
Exposing kids to travel is essential, but the reality of tearing little ones away from their familiar environments and routines can be a challenge. That's exactly why Joanna Gaines feels so passionate about family vacations. 'We're mostly all homebodies. We love to be at home,' the 47-year-old mom of five shared in a statement exclusively obtained by Travel + Leisure . 'But as our kids get older, I've learned what a gift it is to step away from the day-to-day with its schedules and rhythms and to-do's and have that intentional time as a family.' The Summer 2025 issue of Magnolia Journal, the quarterly magazine from the brand she created with husband Chip Gaines, focuses on the theme of "boundless" living, pushing ourselves beyond the everyday—and travel is arguably the best way to do that. 'We grow up and begin to sense the weight of life's parameters in ways we didn't when we were younger, so the idea of this season seeming 'endless' might actually feel overwhelming, even uncomfortable,' the interior designer, best known for HGTV's Fixer Upper, wrote in the issue's editor's letter. The idea was made especially clear during a family trip to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, last summer. The family followed the lead of the youngest of their five children—who range in age from six to 20—since he still encapsulates that childlike sense of freedom in his exploration. When an afternoon freed up, the six-year-old came up with the idea to go hiking in the park, she writes in the Magnolia article. 'I can't overstate how little hiking I've done in my lifetime, but with Crew as our fearless guide, the journey was fun and light,' she said. They followed their youngest to the water's edge and ended up jumping into an inflatable raft and riding down the Bow River—a moment so memorable it became the cover of the magazine. The Gaines family on vacation in Banff, Alberta, Canada. ' To me, the picture captures so much more than a cover-worthy location,' she explained. 'It was the way the day unfolded, how one yes led to another, and then another—no destination in mind other than 'farther'—that kept my gaze up and out at this big, boundless world.' The fact the thought was sparked by her little one just emphasized how powerful childhood wonder can be, especially when kids are provided the palette to explore their curiosities, a trait she believes Crew inherited from Chip. 'When Chip and Crew are leading the pack together, there's almost no stopping them,' she said, adding that they both have a sense of adventure, plus a love of skipping rocks! 'Honestly, if we hadn't already been in a spontaneous state of mind, I'm not sure any one of us would have sought out this experience,' Gaines said. While it may have felt outside of their norms, the reward was well worth any sense of unease. 'Whenever we do get away, we're given the space to really be present,' she told T+L exclusively. 'So, for us, unhurried time together is really what we're after—so we limit phones, we pick a few 'things to do' that everyone is excited about, and we toss the schedule out the window.' By sharing her own transformative family travel moment, she hopes to inspire others to really push the boundaries of expectations and let the adventures unfold. 'We often crave what's out there—and while it's so, so good to chase those dreams and venture past our comfort zones, in recent years I've learned it's possible for 'boundless' to thrive right here too,' Gaines also wrote in the issue's letter. 'There's newness and adventure to be pursued in wide-open spaces and close to home.' Read the entire story in the new Summer 2025 issue of Magnolia Journal when it hits newsstands Friday, May 16. The issue can be purchased online now at
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Copy Joanna Gaines's laid-back chic with the Converse All-Stars she wears on repeat
It's a dilemma as old as time: When we're shoe shopping, we want something comfortable, fashionable, classic yet trendy — and versatile enough to wear with jeans, dresses and everything in between. Is that too much to ask for? Few shoes can meet those high standards, but the classic Converse All-Stars have been delivering on them for decades. Right now we are taking a cue from Joanna Gaines, who's been rocking the comfy kicks on repeat over the last few months. She wore a high-top pair while reading her new book, The World Needs the Wonder You See, to kids in their classroom, and she sported a low-top style while shooting the fall 2024 cover of her magazine, Magnolia Journal. In a world where brands come and go and trends are here one day and gone the next, it's pretty remarkable that Converse's iconic All-Star sneakers have been around for over 100 years. Originally designed as a basketball shoe, All-Stars have since become an everyday lifestyle sneaker that works for casual office days, weekend errands, and everything in between. Another reason these kicks have such staying power? They're priced just right. Not everyone wants to drop $100+ on a pair of walking shoes, and All-Stars complement far more outfits than a typical athletic shoe. Both the low-tops and high-tops pair effortlessly with leggings, jeans, skirts, and dresses. If you're ready to give these classic sneakers a try or need to replace a well-loved pair, Amazon has lots of color and size options, some of which are on sale. See what's up for grabs below. The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Fox News
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Chip Gaines doesn't want his 5 kids to focus on success and miss 'joy of the journey'
Former HGTV star Chip Gaines is teaching his five kids a valuable lesson. While he and his wife Joanna Gaines raise their large brood and expand their growing Magnolia empire, the couple recently opened up about struggling to find balance and peace "within the tensions of life." Chip, 50, recently shared how he wants their children to embrace "the joy of the journey" rather than focusing solely on success. "For me, the reward isn't when I make it to my destination. It's how I rode out the waves," Chip wrote in the latest issue of Magnolia Journal. "How many times I was willing to take big swings even if it meant losing my footing. How often I dared to pivot not for the sake of danger but deep delight." He continued, "While there's nothing inherently wrong with moments of comfort and reprieve, sometimes I worry our world has put those ideals on a pedestal. Happiness has started to look like ease and success like finish lines." "I already know these types of images will be fed to my kids every day of their lives. I don't want them to have an unrealistic or discouraging grasp of the alternative: the joy of the journey." The "Fixer Upper" star added that everyone is going to get the ending they're destined for and believes the person you become depends on the choices you make in life. "Despite what's commonly thought of as the good life — one where you're resting on the beach with a piña colada and a fat 401(k) — we are happiest when we're rocking and rolling and figuring out complicated things," he penned. The couple share five children: Drake, 19, Ella, 18, Duke, 16, Emmie, 15 and Crew, 6. Chip and Joanna, 46, were already parents when they were launched to stardom in 2014 with "Fixer Upper" on HGTV, which originated out of the home flipping business Chip started and Joanna joined after they were married in 2003. Joanna's blog about their experiences drew the attention of five seasons, the Gaines moved on from HGTV and launched their own media enterprise with Magnolia Network in 2020. A version of "Fixer Upper" was relaunched on the channel, as well as other home improvement shows. With their growing Magnolia empire, Joanna admitted she previously felt she "hasn't succeeded at balancing her life," as she struggled to juggle five kids and a booming business in her 20s and 30s. "It didn't seem to matter how often I reorganized my schedule, chose this over that, or simply said 'no.' There were very few seasons that felt like I'd nailed it—like I was flourishing on every front in brilliant, shimmering unison," she penned in the Magnolia Journal. "Balance, to me, was the light at the end of the tunnel, the antidote of sorts for whatever chaos was swirling nearby. In my 20s, for instance, I was mothering small children and a small business, and I longed for the secret to make it all achievable," she remarked. "I was exhausted, so I sought balance for the promise of peace. Then, in my 30s our business grew overnight, and our dreams were taking off, and I longed for the secret to savor every moment." The Magnolia Journal Spring 2025 Issue hits newsstands on Friday, Feb. 21.
