I have never really considered myself fashionable. In my teens and early twenties, I tried (and failed miserably) to adopt the latest trends, but I always felt like a child playing dress up. So, when thinking about areas in my life to tackle during the Year of Simple, style was high on my list. But first, in order to simplify my style, I had to figure out what my style actually was....
No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as any manner of thy friends or of thine own were; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to...
When thinking of the areas of my life that could use the most simplifying, personal finances were high up on the list. Early in our marriage, my husband and I concluded that I should manage our day-to-day finances. I was, of course, okay with this since we have already established I am quite the control freak and could not imagine being blind to the ins and outs of our financial life....
Last year (The Year of Self Discovery), I picked up a little book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I probably couldn’t tell you 80% of what was in that book now (thank you mommy brain), but the first of Gretchen’s Twelve Commandments of Happiness has stuck with me – Be Gretchen. Gretchen discovered that she could enhance her own happiness by accepting her true likes and dislikes instead...
For the past few years, instead of writing a long list of goals or resolutions that may (or may not) be realistic to achieve, I have been choosing one word for the year. I forget where I first heard of this concept, but it really appealed to me since I can easily get overwhelmed and stressed out if my focus is pulled too many directions. This was especially true my...
I like to control things. I have always been like this. Isn’t this what perfectionism is all about when it comes down to it? We are taught as Christians to “Let go, God is in control”, but this concept has not been so easy for me to put in practice. I was once led through a guided meditation that went a little bit like this: Imagine you are sitting on the...
Marketing to moms is serious business. Not only are we responsible for most of the household shopping, but having a baby forces us into a temporarily sleep-deprived haze and totally shakes up our routine. Don’t believe me? In The Power of a Habit Charles Duhigg tells how Target recruited a young statistician to predict which of the store’s customers were currently pregnant by studying their recent purchases. Target’s goal was...
Oh, the excitement a new baby brings to a couple is palpable! Who can resist dreaming of little baby feet wearing the most adorable baby shoes, and all of the other sweet soft things that go along with them? Nothing gets a bunch of women more excited than shopping for baby things – just ask us. But here is the deal: most of the stuff marketed towards new moms are...
This post should have been written over a year ago. I purchased the domain and hosting for this site in May 2014. I was so motivated at first. I quickly started the setup process… pouring through hundreds of WordPress themes, researching legal requirements of using photos on a personal website, and thinking about the purpose and voice of the posts I would write. And then overwhelm set in… Will I actually find time...