This post is sponsored by Oils by Katelyn. Katelyn is wonderful to work with and has taught me so much about essential oils! I’m glad to pass on to you what I’ve learned!Essential oils are something I never got into because they seemed too complicated. I had friends who raved about them but I didn't have the least idea how to begin using them in my own home.Thankfully, that's changing now!For me, the key to simplifying essential oils was to get an essential oils mentor--someone with experience in using oils safely and educating others about effective usage. I introduced you to my mentor, Katelyn, in my first post on essential ... Continue Reading
7 Accessories to Make Your Kitchen More Efficient (and Pretty)
Accessorize your kitchen! These 7 things will simplify your life AND give your kitchen a touch of personality and coziness!Want to breathe new life into your kitchen--without spending much money? Just like you can wake up a mundane outfit with a few well-chosen accessories, your kitchen can benefit from quick, frugal additions.Over my six years of marriage I've collected a few favourite kitchen accessories that not only simplify my life, but give my kitchen a touch of personality and coziness. When we lived in a series of apartments these items helped to make each new kitchen feel like home. They're a small but worthwhile ... Continue Reading
Quick Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Bites
These Cinnamon Roll Biscuit Bites are light and fluffy with just the right amount of buttery sweetness. You can have them in your mouth in 30 minutes, easy. Serve them for breakfast, brunch, or any time you want to enjoy a sweet snack with your cup of coffee!You know how it is when two separate people you really like get to know each other--and end up getting along really well? It's satisfying and gratifying when your friends get along with each other. And it opens up new possibilities for fun!I've discovered that this doesn't just happen with people but with food, too. For instance, I love biscuits and I love cinnamon rolls. I ... Continue Reading
Essential Oils, Simplified.
I've been in love with the idea of essential oils for several years, but I haven't fallen in love with the actual oils until very recently.I found essential oils intriguing, promising...but overwhelming.With no idea how to distill the vast stores of information on essential oils into applicable, practical uses, I stalled with a hodge-podge of bottles from various brands, all barely used.I finally starting moving forward with essential oils when Katelyn Neil contacted me a few months ago. A former firefighter and paramedic, Katelyn now runs a work-at-home business selling essential oils and educating other women on how to safely ... Continue Reading
How to Live a Luxurious Life (your income has nothing to do with it!)
Remember how I chose less?I said "no" to a crazy busy, climb-the-ladder, never settle, achieve-wealth-and-fame life.But forgoing "Success" as the world defines it doesn't mean giving up happiness--or even luxury.A week ago as I relaxed in a hot, fragrant bath by candlelight I thought "this is luxury." And it was, even though it was practically free.All my life I've had a proclivity for luxurious experiences, and I've done my best to create them for myself--or fully appreciate them when others supplied the experience. You see, luxury isn't necessarily something you're born into or need to buy. As long as you're defining it ... Continue Reading
Using Seaweed and Botanicals for Happier Hair and Skin
I've been on a long and sometimes painful odyssey to healthy, happy hair. I've tried a range of shampoos from the cheapest conventional options, to slightly more pricey concoctions, to bottles with varying percentages of "natural" ingredients.The conventional shampoos dry out my hair, increase my dependency on shampoo (the more you use, the more you need to use), and dull my hair's natural colour. And to make matters worse, they're full of toxic chemicals that are either entering my skin or flowing into the water supply (or both!)On the other hand, I've had very mixed results with the natural shampoos. Some of them have mysteriously ... Continue Reading
Charlotte Mason for Babies and Toddlers: A Simple, Intentional Approach to Parenting
They say you're never too old to learn something new; and I say you're never too young, either!I've watched in amazement as my now nearly two-year-old son absorbs his surroundings with a vigour I wasn't prepared for. I want to guide him in knowledge, even as he grows in stature day by fleeting day.People have asked me how my simple, intentional approach to life translates to parenting, and today you get at least part of the answer: Charlotte Mason.Although there are a plethora of modern-day, cutting-edge parenting gurus to learn from, my chief inspiration is a British educator who lived and wrote over a hundred years ago. ... Continue Reading
How to Simplify Tax Season: 3 Keys to Make it *Much* Easier
Thank you TaxSlayer for sponsoring this post. Get simple pricing with no surprises when you e-file with TaxSlayer this tax season!Taxes are just one of those things you have to do as a grownup, but contrary to popular belief, they don't have to be stressful.Each year, our tax situation has changed--sometimes slightly, usually dramatically. We only recently "settled down" in Alabama, so there's always been something new to account for at tax time. Graduate school, income fluctuations, relocating, starting a home business, and becoming parents are all things that have threatened to make tax time complicated.Nevertheless, we've ... Continue Reading
10 Signs You’ve Become a Responsible Adult
Hello Adulthood, when did you get here?You kind of sneaked up on me after college...you know, when I thought you'd already been around for four years at least.But, Adulthood, you didn't get here right away. Not even when he and I got married and moved away and made our first few homes together.I certainly thought I was an adult back then, but you see, I was still leaving dirty dishes in the sink at night. I was still making stupid, newbie mistakes and binge-watching Netflix shows.But somehow as I've slid closer to 30 I've found my footing in this new stage, and I know just where I am going forward.Adulthood, you feel ... Continue Reading
10 Tiny Decluttering Tasks to Do Once a Month
Maintain a tidy home and streamline your daily life by repeating these tiny decluttering projects every month. None of them take more than 20 minutes!Sometimes decluttering sounds and feels like such a capital "P" Project that you have to write it on your calendar or your New Year's Resolutions if you ever want to get it done! And it's true, there might be some pretty clogged areas you need to simplify--like your closet or the garage. But for a quick zip of productivity look to small, lowercase "p" projects that won't be more than a blip in your day.There are certain small decluttering projects that I like to do every month. A ... Continue Reading
