Happy Simple Mom

Hello Reader, My kids (and husband) help clean the house. I do most of the heavy cleaning, as I'm home during the day, but we all live here. That means we all have a role in managing it. Part of our success has been YEARS of training in the making - at least for my kids. It did not happen overnight. Mama cried more than a few pleas for help over the years. However, as with all things when teaching children, eventually, over time, they catch on to routines. When they are simple, they are easy...

Hello Reader, Sometimes, when our homes are too much to manage, we need an easy place to start where we get a win...every single day. The best way I achieve this in my own home is with simple routines: routines that are so simple and happen so often that my family members pick up on them without really being told. These simple routines also help my home feel clean when I have no energy or time to do anything else throughout the rest of the day. Before you tell me, "yeah, but I have no time in...

Dear Reader, Have you heard the Walker Hayes country music song, "Fancy Like"? We laugh in this house, as my husband calls it "Mama's song.". I'm so not fancy. I eat leftovers, shop thrift stores for my clothes, make my kids wait impatiently at the grocery store while I "cut" digital coupons before checking out, and waited about ten years before I replaced my bath towels. I've never set foot into The Container Store, and it hurts me to pay full price for anything. When it comes to my precious...

Hello Reader, It took only one year to change everything for our family. To write about decluttering and simple living is a strange occupation. I have friends and family who can't quite believe I can write about the same topics for years on end. Here's the thing though, decluttering literally changed how my family lives our lives. We value simplicity and time together over everything else. We no longer shop for fun. We no longer go into debt so we can have the newest and greatest. We value...

Hello Reader, Decluttering can put your home on auto-pilot. I know..l know. That seems too good to be true. I mean, how does getting rid of stuff really change that much? You still have to clean. Hear me out… Several years ago, it was nothing abnormal to grab the kids and head to Target on a beautiful sunny afternoon. I would place my sweet toddlers in the cart, and we would first swing by Starbucks. Then I would push them through the dollar section looking for a simple toy to keep them busy...

Hello Reader, Decluttering is more than just creating a clean house. ⁠⁠The act of decluttering and then living in a clutter-free home can help reduce your stress and anxiety. ⁠⁠I always know when things are getting out of hand in my home. I actually FEEL it. ⁠⁠Do you feel it? Today I want to challenge you to find one tiny space in your home that causes you anxiety and give it 15 minutes. Set a timer. ⁠Commit to 15 minutes. ⁠You may be surprised at what you can accomplish so quickly. ⁠⁠Maybe...

Hello Reader, Are your dirty dishes staring at you from a pile in the sink, day after day? ⁠⁠It seems to be a never-ending cycle. ⁠⁠Your root issue may be more than a lack of motivation or willpower. It may be something as simple as having TOO MANY dishes. ⁠⁠What happens when we have too many dishes is we use them…all of them…before we actually clean them. ⁠⁠Why clean them when you have another set ready to go? ⁠⁠This causes your sink to back up, which makes using your kitchen frustrating....

Hello Reader, "Just in case..." I should save this JUST IN CASE my kids/grandkids want it. I should save this JUST IN CASE I can use it in a future project. I should save this JUST IN CASE my next home has room for it. I should save this JUST IN CASE we don't have the money to replace it down the road. I should save this JUST IN CASE... [insert your own reason here]. It's sometimes really, really hard to argue with "just in case". I mean, we don't want to be financially irresponsible. We paid...

Hello Reader, Piles and piles and piles of receipts. I go through phases where I'm really, really good at logging every single receipt into our budget software and then I go through phases where I throw them in my purse to handle "later". This happened around the holidays this past year. I was so busy and taking care of so many things that I just tossed my receipts into my wallet, the outside pocket of my purse, the car center console, and my dresser drawer. I was slightly mortified when I...