Homeschooling 
I was homeschooled K-12 and was given a fantastic Charlotte Mason education—a philosophy of education that emphasizes "living books" and no textbooks at all. During High School I actually read through some of Charlotte Mason's books myself. Even as a 17 year old I loved her philosophies and dreamed of the day when I could homeschool my own children with these amazing ideas. And then I had children. Life doesn't always turn out like you had planned. Circumstances alter your dreams and make you face reality. I had to face a few hard facts after some painful homeschooling failures. I'm not my mom, and I'm not ...Read More
Simplify Life: Use This One Word to Transform Your Life
It happens simply, almost innocently, with a phone call. A text. An email. We should get together this weekend, when are you free? They really need help with the four-year-old class . . . You should absolutely take advantage of this opportunity! It’s nothing earth shattering—surely I should be able to do this one thing. Yet my stomach makes that familiar flop, and anxiety settles in because I know in taking on this one thing, someone’s going to be disappointed. In the real world, it’s not just one thing; it’s one thing, after another thing, after another thing. I am a people-pleaser. I hate telling people ...Read More
Simplify Life: Use This 3-Step Checklist for Stress-Free Living
Before I had children I travelled a lot. All that traveling, packing, and unpacking taught me an invaluable lesson for homemaking and parenting. My job took me all round Europe. My husband travelled for work as well, and we’d often meet in odd places just to guarantee seeing each other—Majorca, Malta, Antigua. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t like the stress of packing at short notice because my boss wanted me in Barcelona tomorrow. With such a busy schedule, I needed to be able to pack on auto-pilot. That's when I learned the power of the checklist. Checklists do the thinking for you On 30 October 1935, the new ...Read More
Simplify Housekeeping: One Crazy Idea for Dealing with Kids’ Toys
I really have no idea what got into me. It was all so sudden and unexpected. Maybe it was stress that brought it on. Or perhaps it was a deep, spiritual insight. Then again, maybe it was just the heavy garlic in the pasta I’d had for lunch. In any case, the light went on.... We were burdened with too much stuff. More than I could handle. Certainly, more than this mom could manage. And, clearly, more than our children could control. I knew this because we couldn't seem to stay on top of it, no matter how hard I tried. To be perfectly honest, it had become a source of friction between them and me and I ...Read More
Foods Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake (Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Option)
Sometimes, you need some cheer in your life in the form of a Cinnamon Crumb Coffee Cake. Several years ago, I decided that I needed to go gluten-free. It was a sad day. Then, I decided my whole family needed to go gluten-free. That was a sadder day. Why? Because as most of you mamas know, it's one thing to cut things out of your own diet. But to try to take some of your children's most beloved food from them is just down-right gut-wrenching (pun intended). Looking for gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. I ...Read More
10 Strategies to Creating a More Meaningful Prayer Life
As an extrovert and as someone who was in vocational ministry for several years, I've gotten pretty good at praying publicly. I know how to plagiarize the Bible just enough to sound holy, but not too much to sound unoriginal. I've learned how to keep my prayers short enough to maintain interest, but long enough to sound thoughtful. Yes, I've gotten pretty good at learning how to pray on the street corners with the best of the Pharisees. But when it comes to praying privately, it's hard not to feel like a total failure sometimes. I've gone through many seasons of life where personal prayer has been incredibly ...Read More
Simplify Dinner: 31 Grain-Free Slow Cooker Meals
Let's talk about how to Simplify Dinner with some awesome Grain-Free Slow Cooker Meals. The witching hour. That's what I call the hour in my house that is not my finest. It is the time right before dinner, where I am trying to get the house picked up, the kids finishing up school, my teeth brushed (I'm keeping it real) and trying to get dinner ready. Sigh. Looking for more gluten-free recipes and resources? This Everything Gluten Free page is a library of everything gluten free we’ve worked on. It is so easy to get overwhelmed in those last few hours of the day and it really sets us up for being stressed ...Read More
Simplify Life: The Minimalist Guide to Grocery Shopping
Today, I'm sharing this information about How to Simplify Life: The Minimalist Guide to Grocery Shopping. There are many tips on How to Simplify Life on this website. Check out these other posts: Simplify Life, Simplify Time: 5 Amazing Benefits of Going Green Beyond the Busy: Simplifying Family Life Using Routines Simplifying Housekeeping: One Crazy Idea for Dealing with Kids' Toys Simplifying Your Mornings: 3 Ways to Get Spiritually Grounded Now, back to The Minimalist Guide to Grocery Shopping... In September 2013, I had a one month old, the beginnings of chronic fatigue, a home and a blog to run, ...Read More
