Jen Hatmaker

Austin

Writer and Blogger at Freelance

Host at For The Love With Jen Hatmaker Podcast

Articles

Living a Life is Messy Business

1 week ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

The thing about life is that we are surrounded by other people we are expected to live with. Apparently, every last one of them is a human person. These people around us can be irritating, bewildering, explosive, and weird. They make a thousand dumb choices while refusing to operate according to our preferences. Sometimes they are insane. A bunch of them chew too loud. They are too much or not enough depending on our mood that day, and it can be a real trial to be in relationships is all I am saying.
Dear Teachers Everywhere

1 week ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

Happy May(hem), darlings! Nestled among the bazillion other moving parts this month is something I refuse to let get lost in the shuffle: Teacher Appreciation. THEY JUST MEAN TOO MUCH TO US. Having sent five kids all the way through, I consider teachers my coparents, support group, and personal heroes. I wrote a love letter to teachers a few years ago when I had five kids from Buda Elementary to Hays High School, and I’d love to post it again because every solitary word is still true.
The Light Pirate Summary & Book Review

1 week ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

May 2, 2025 Books If you’ve been looking for a novel that lingers long after the last page, The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton is it. I read this months ago for book club consideration, and I still find myself thinking about it. That’s the mark of a special book. Set in a near-future Florida submerged by climate change, The Light Pirate is a harrowing, beautifully written tale of adaptation, survival, and transformation.
What We Can Teach Our Kids This Month

2 weeks ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

I have walked five children into kindergarten and filmed those same five children walking across a high school graduation stage. The oldest one is married with a mortgage — and their own son on the way. The youngest recently earned her diploma. In the life cycle of parenting, getting them to young adulthood closes a loop (IT OPENS A WHOLE ‘NOTHER LOOP THAT NO ONE TOLD US ABOUT but that is another essay). But let’s talk about those pre-graduation years.
Spring Dresses for Women: 2025 Style Guide

1 month ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

As the weather starts to warm and the flowers start to show off, there’s something in us that says: it’s time to shed the winter layers and step into something lighter. If you’re wondering what to wear in spring this year, I’ve got you. Whether you’re headed to brunch, hosting a backyard dinner, or simply in need of a closet refresh, these spring dresses for women are the perfect mix of flattering, comfy, and actually wearable in real life.
Not Normal, Not Numb

1 month ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

Very rarely am I stumped by a blank page. In fact, I recently told my business team that my favorite part of work is opening a fresh blank document and letting my brain do what, I guess, it was designed to do. Today is an exception. I’ve been sitting on my porch swing with this blank page opened for thirty minutes. How do I talk about what it feels like right now in America? How crushing it is to watch this administration abandon our allies and blowtorch our economy?
Life gets better. You will get better.

1 month ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

My oldest son turned 27 today. He texted me this:When I was a young adult, I told people that 50 was the tipping point. We’d have our (obviously) superior youth which we would hang on to with white knuckles through our 40’s, but 50 was the end. Might as well hang it up. We had a good run. Nothing to do but shrivel. I couldn’t fathom being 50. God, how impossibly old. What is there even left to do? And here I am. Unbelievably not in the crypt.
You Asked For It: My Tutorial for How to Curl Hair

1 month ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

You have asked [[consults notes]] approximately 17933901 times for help on how to curl your hair. Look, I am not an expert here; I’m learning right along with you. But I have sort of finally figured out the best way to curl hair when it’s short — at least for me. And so here we are. So, first things first: the hair does not start out good.
4 Simple Steps to Create Sacred Spaces in a Busy Home

1 month ago | jenhatmaker.com | Jen Hatmaker

Let’s be honest: when your home feels more like Grand Central Station than a serene oasis—between pets, piles, people, and the constant ding of devices—creating a sacred space can feel like an actual miracle. Like, do I need to stage an intervention with my laundry room just to sit in peace for five minutes? (Maybe.)But hear me on this: even in the chaos, you can carve out a place of calm.
The Woman in Cabin 10 Summary & Review

1 month ago | jenhatmaker.com | Ruth Ware |Jen Hatmaker

Well friends, if you’re in the mood for a page-turner that’ll have you side-eyeing everyone on a luxury cruise ship while clutching your throw blanket and whispering “what just happened?”—then let me introduce you to The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. This one is classic book club gold: twisty, tense, and totally unputdownable.