Get ready for family vacation or a weekend getaway with these travel tips for simple packing! This post is sponsored by EzPacking, a company which I'm so excited to introduce to you! All opinions are mine.A successful trip begins before you leave home. And no matter what's on your pre-trip to-do list, everyone has to pack at some point.Are there ways to simplify the packing process--and your suitcase--so you can set yourself up for a good road trip or a relaxing vacation?Why yes, yes there are!With thousands of miles, dozens of states, and several countries under my belt, here are some of my favourite and most effective ... Continue Reading
Ditch the Sponge: 5 Reasons to Try Swedish Dishcloths in Your Kitchen
Swedish dishcloths replace kitchen sponges and paper towels. They're simple, smart, and pretty! This post is sponsored by MightyNest. As always, I’m happy to recommend them, and grateful that they carry such a wide selection of healthy products for my home!Do you have any pet peeves that you've carried with you from childhood? For my part, I'm afraid I've never liked the ubiquitous kitchen sponge.Kitchen sponges get too nasty too quickly. Yes, you can pop them in the dishwasher, but you need to do this pretty often to offset the smell. And the more you wash them, the faster they break down. Pretty soon you toss them in the trash, ... Continue Reading
10 Popular Essential Oils and Blends (and 25+ ways to use them!)
Here's a guide to 10 of the most popular essential oils and blends. These oils are a great foundation for your natural medicine and cleaning routines. 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 ... Continue Reading
7 Accessories to Make Your Kitchen More Efficient (and Pretty)
Accessorize your kitchen! These 7 kitchen accessories 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 ... 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.
Want to get started with essential oils, but feeling overwhelmed? Here's a simple guide to essential oils for beginners. 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!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 ... Continue Reading
How to Live a Luxurious Life (your income has nothing to do with it!)
Practice the art of luxurious living to remind yourself that you're richly blessed, regardless of your bank account. Here's how to cultivate luxury in your everyday life!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 ... Continue Reading
Using Seaweed and Botanicals for Happier Hair and Skin
Frustrated by conventional shampoos? Ditch the chemicals and try natural seaweed and botanicals instead! Your hair will thank you. These Maine-made body care products contain seaweed and herbs to nourish your hair.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 ... Continue Reading
Charlotte Mason for Babies and Toddlers: A Simple, Intentional Approach to Parenting
Charlotte Mason's teaching methods are widely acclaimed, but you can implement her principles long before your child starts school! Here's how to apply Charlotte Mason principles in the baby and toddler years.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 ... 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 responsible adult, 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 ... Continue Reading
