One of my greatest passions is to build a joyful home. Much of this involves cultivating tidy habits in each family member, choosing to own less when it makes sense, and zeroing in on the things that delight us.
When we take away the clutter around us, keeping only the items that serve a purpose (either functionally or inspirationally), we transform our space into a place where we can breathe, recharge, and grow.
My inspiration for a joyful home comes from many sources, including The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, the slow living movement, and minimalism (or partial minimalism).
In this eBook, I share the tidying tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years to keep my home tidy, balanced, and joyful. You will be assigned five tidying tasks per week (one for each weekday), along with one tidy habit per week, which you will cultivate over the course of the 4-week challenge. This eBook also includes a printable handout for each week, complete with your assigned tidying tasks and designated spaces for notetaking.
Whether we admit it or not, fashion plays a role in almost all of our lives. Even those of us who wrangle children all day probably still try to dress themselves in something pleasing (whether from an aesthetic standpoint, comfort, function, or all of the above). Given this, it’s no wonder putting together a capsule wardrobe has become so popular. Maybe you’ve heard a lot of talk about how to put together a capsule wardrobe, but aren’t quite clear what one is.
A capsule wardrobe involves wearing the same basic, interchangeable items, and accessorizing them with season- or event-specific items. The benefits of this approach to fashion are numerous. Below are my favorite reasons for building a capsule wardrobe.
With the ever-increasing busy-ness of life, it’s no wonder self-care for moms is such an important topic. Never-ending streams of information bombard us all day, not to mention the demands of work and family. Our society is quickly becoming accustomed to the instant gratification that seems to be offered everywhere, from having information available at the click of a button to free 2-hour grocery delivery (which, let’s be honest, is the best thing ever). When you add kids to the mix, the idea of self-care for moms becomes even more important.
It all started when Lily was 1 and I had the sudden urge to get backyard chickens. My parents were about to replace their coop with a new one and offered to give us theirs. It was the perfect opportunity.
Rather than chatting with my husband first, I decided to “surprise” him with the “news” that we were getting chickens. (It’s easier to ask for forgiveness later, right?)
My parents and I schemed for a couple weeks. They were able to pick up three hens for us and bring them down, along with their old coop.
Spring really is a magical time of year. After months of cold and darkness, seeing the first blooms of the season is like reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.
It is a season for fresh, new beginnings. A season for celebrating nature and enjoying the sunshine. It’s also a season of anticipation, in many ways.
I can’t help but look forward to the brighter, sunnier months ahead. And of course, I look forward to Easter (which is approaching in just a couple weeks)!
We love celebrating Easter with the traditional egg hunt and Easter baskets. I also love finding ways to emphasize Jesus in all of the festivities.
We’ve sprung our clocks an hour ahead. Our hens are laying double-time, and the hummingbirds are dueling over our lemon tree blossoms.
Spring is here. Hallelujah!
We have Easter in a couple weeks, and I for one cannot wait to set up the kids’ baskets. We’re trying to steer clear of candy this year, opting for some adorable and practical gifts instead.
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Note: This site contains affiliate links. For more information, please read the Amazon Associates disclosure in the sidebar to the right.
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Take a moment to think about your kitchen.
I mean, really… think about it. Reflect on all that it does for you.
Day in, day out, it is always there just waiting to be of use.
As the heart of the home, it singlehandedly hosts everything from daily meals to gatherings with friends. You probably use your kitchen multiple times every day (in some capacity, at least).
If you haven’t heard, the new decluttering trend these days sure is a cheerful one: Swedish Death Cleaning.
Pleasant, isn’t it?
Being the decluttering freak expert that I am, I had to look into it.
I started with a web search and also read the book, which was actually charming at times. Leave it to the Swedes to find ways to incorporate balance and harmony into an otherwise dreary topic. The author, Margaretta Magnusson, lives in Stockholm and is in her 80’s or 90’s and has undergone the “death cleaning” process three times. I’m not gonna lie — a good portion of the book is her reminiscing about events in her life that she was reminded of during the process of death cleaning. I almost felt like I was sitting down for a cup of tea with my great-grandmother, patiently waiting for her to get the point of her story. I suppose it’s a little charming… if you aren’t in a hurry!
I’ve scoured the internet for ways to keep my home cleaner. I keep coming back to the analogy that cleaning a home with kids is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. But after much trial and error, I think I’ve come up with a surefire plan to help us moms keep our homes spotless.
#1 – Always clean up one toy before moving on to another. If the kids can’t manage this, they probably don’t need toys.
#2 – Limit your toy collection to 1-2 per child. Less is more, right? Oh, and try to avoid toys with a lot of pieces. (I’m looking at you, blocks.)
There’s something about the Christmas season that drives me crazy. Don’t get me wrong — there are aspects I enjoy with all my heart, like spending time with family, indulging in too much junk, and pausing to feel the joy of Christ in my life. But, I always seem to get wrapped up in consumerism way more than I would like. I’d love to approach the season more simply with these minimalist gift-giving ideas.
When it comes to avoiding over-consumerism, last year was one of the best Christmases I’ve had. It was sweet and simple, thanks to a new rule we’ve adopted.