Today I’m tackling my dresser drawers. For almost seven years straight, I’ve been either pregnant or nursing or both. Needless to say, my drawers hold a huge array of sizes. I need to get rid of the stuff that’s the wrong size or that I don’t like or that’s worn out.
I’m not posting a picture. No one needs to see pictures of my old underwear.… Continue reading
Our local markets all have a section where they sell fancy soaps. Frequently, sitting with these soaps, are a bin of bath bombs. My 5-year-old has become obsessed with them. The idea of having something that smells good and fizzes in his bath is really appealing to him. The biggest problem: they’re $5 each.
The high cost, in addition to some questionable ingredients, led me to decide that we were going to make our own bath bombs.… Continue reading
Part of simplifying your life can entail delegation. This typically involves asking or paying someone else to complete a particular task, thereby freeing you from doing it. That type of delegation works well.
Today, however, I am going to engage in some digital delegation. I am going to put every possible bill on auto-pay. Many (most?) of you may already do this, but for a long time I did not.… Continue reading
As part of my ongoing quest to remove controllable toxins from our lives (I figure there will always be things beyond my control, but I try to eliminate chemical nasties where I can) I started making my own cleaners to use around the house. I love knowing exactly what’s in the cleaners I’m using. Further, I can use essential oils not only to make them smell great, but also to increase their effectiveness.… Continue reading
“There is nothing more beautiful than living a simple life in this complex universe!”
— Mehmet Murat ildan
After the feeling of lightness that came from cleaning out and giving away nearly 50 things last week, I decided to again aim at simplifying through decluttering. I promise, these posts will move beyond decluttering at some point, but I think most of our homes could use a reduction in stuff.… Continue reading
My boys love to be outside in any weather. Even when the temperature drops into negative territory — which thankfully doesn’t happen too often here, at least when using the Fahrenheit scale — they want to be outside daily. Currently, my 5-year-old plans to homestead at the North Pole when he grows up (just to show how much he loves winter).… Continue reading
I’ve been thinking a lot about simplifying our lives. We live in a culture that exonerates busyness, that carries the message – both implicitly and explicitly – that the busier we are, the more worthwhile and important we are. Our culture also tells us that having lots of stuff, especially lots of expensive stuff, will make us happier.
I don’t believe either of those things.… Continue reading
Have you ever suddenly realized that you’ve been neglectful of something that you care about? This morning I looked at my plants and realized it has been over two weeks since I’ve watered them. Yikes! (There’s also evidence of toddler damage, but that’s a different matter.) Between the holidays and traveling, I simply forgot to do it. They didn’t call loudly enough to be heard over the hustle and bustle of everything else; they just slowly started to wilt and dry out.… Continue reading
A few days ago a friend came over with her two children. One of them had a drippy nose.
While my boys are typically very healthy, I know there have been a couple of terrible cold and flu bugs circulating about town. My toddler’s teething is tough enough; I really didn’t want to face two sick children.
But instead of calling off our playdate, I added a drop of Thieves essential oil and a drop of Orange essential oil to my diffuser and turned it on (I get my essential oils HERE).… Continue reading