There is wisdom in knowing when to take a break. When things feel like too much. When a period of life becomes extra hectic. When a loved one needs some special attention or tending. At that point it’s wise to step back, re-evaluate, and decide whether it might help to cut out some things – even some great things – for a time.… Continue reading
simplify
A Child in Charge of Dinner
There are many things I want my children to know before they grow up and leave our house. I want them to learn to sew. They need to learn to clean up after themselves (see HERE), and how to clean a house (see HERE). They need to learn how to manage their finances (see HERE, HERE, and HERE). … Continue reading
How I Store my Essential Oils
It’s no secret that I use a lot of essential oils in my house. (You can read more about that HERE.) I use them for making my own homemade cleaners (see my recipes for Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner and Homemade Scouring Powder) and my own beauty products. (See my recipes for Healing Skin Salve, Amazing Face Serum, All-Natural Homemade Deodorant, Homemade Bath Salts, and Fizzy Bath Bombs.)… Continue reading
Simplify Saturday: Create a Master Packing List
We recently returned from a two-week trip to visit family. My husband was on the road for the two weeks before we left, and returned with only one day at home between his business trip and the departure for our family trip. All that to say, the planning and packing largely fell on my shoulders.
While I spent some time the week before we departed preparing myself for the trip, I didn’t worry about packing. … Continue reading
A Quiet Holiday at Home
We were planning to take a road trip out to California to visit my family for Christmas. But between snowstorms in the mountains, sick relatives in CA, and our own exhaustion at year’s end, we decided we would be better off taking the opportunity to rest and spend time together here at home.
While we enjoy these big road trips (see HERE), we always come home exhausted; and often my boys have picked up a cold or other minor sickness while we’re on the road. … Continue reading
Enjoying the Sleet; Enjoying the Moment
When my four-year-old began donning his rain boots to head out into the sleet, I asked him if he wanted help with his jacket.
“No,” he replied, “I just want to taste it. I don’t need a jacket.”
I watched him walk out the back door onto our deck. My husband snapped this picture of him tasting the rain/snow/sleet that was falling from the sky. … Continue reading
My Homemade Calendar Notebook
For two years now, I have made my own calendar notebook, which doubles as a journal/planner. Like many people, I used to buy a paper calendar every year. However, I never found a calendar that allowed me to do everything I wanted to do with it.
When I used pre-made products, something always felt problematic. Sometimes there wasn’t enough space for each day. … Continue reading
Simplify Saturday: When an Object has Outlasted its Usefulness
If you’ve spent any amount of time reading my blog, you know that I’m a big proponent of using things until they wear out (see HERE). In our house, we do our best to use things until they no longer work for us. We wear clothes until they no longer fit or they get worn through. We use appliances until they can no longer be repaired. … Continue reading
Taking a Short Break
It’s always good to know when to take a break (see HERE). Over the last week or so, several factors have come together to let me know that this is the time.
Last week my computer died. One morning it was working fine. The next time I went to turn it on, it simply wouldn’t start. It suffered from a major hardware failure, and was completely done.… Continue reading
When your Car Breaks Down on a Road Trip: Some Helpful Tips
We returned earlier this week from our second big road trip of the summer (see HERE). The trip went well. We had a great time visiting my extended family. We celebrated my brother’s marriage with his fabulous wedding party. It was a good trip.
We drove home and made it from Southern California through Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and through part of Colorado.… Continue reading