Vanessa

The One Thing

A Simpler Home

The spaces are simplified. The decluttering and purging is complete. Boxes are donated. And suddenly, out of nowhere, the living room looks like it did two months ago with dirty socks and random toy cars and hair clips under the ottoman. The One Thing can keep the clutter and stress at bay and is a powerful way to keep our spaces simplified.

The One Thing

There are a few things that need to happen in order to keep our spaces simplified, but The One Thing is the most important. The One Thing is this: keep things from coming in. Stop bringing things into our homes, stop purchasing, stop grabbing the free whatever, stop clicking Buy Now, stop picking up the random seasonal thing on the Target end cap. It’s simple and yet extremely challenging. I struggle with The One Thing on the daily and is something I have to be super intentional about.

Although we all need stuff to live an optimal, intentional life, there is a point when more can lead to a life of less (thanks to The Minimalists for that aha moment). If we want our homes to be filled with the most important things that don’t distract us from the ones we love, we need to keep things from coming into it.

How?

Decrease the number of advertisements we see.

Americans see anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day. That number is significant and can highly affect us on a daily basis. One way to stop bringing things in is to try to eliminate the number of advertisements we see. Pay the extra couple of bucks for ad free streaming. Unsubscribe to catalogs and email advertisements. Scroll Facebook and Instagram less. Eliminating ads we see allows us to be in control of our purchases instead of letting marketing companies sell us things we don’t need.

Stop shopping.

I sometimes find myself on Amazon searching for random stuff, usually when I’m bored or think I’m going to solve a problem with a magical product. Choosing not to scroll online shops helps curb boredom shopping. Every time I get the urge to shop, I try texting a friend or reading a book or moving my body instead.

The 1 in 1 out rule.

Every time something comes in, something has to go out. This helps us be more intentional with the things we bring in, because we know something has to go out.

Borrow instead.

Instead of buying new all the time, consider borrowing. Utilize the library for books. Ask friends or family to use a large serving tray or bundt pan or massive ladder. Considering borrowing instead of purchasing when possible.

We all want our hard work to be worth it. We want our simplified spaces to stay that way and for the stress and clutter to not creep back in. The One Thing will help us maintain our homes and live a more intentional life.

Vanessa

Edit Any Space

A Simpler Home

It’s the new year and this month is full of goals and words of the year and decluttering. It’s a time when we want a fresh start and a clean slate. There are a million ways to edit a room and today I’m sharing one of them. Use what makes sense to you and let the rest go. Here is one way to Edit Any Space.

Edit Any Space

1. Choose the space, drawer, or room to edit.

If this is the beginning of your simplifying journey, start small. Begin with a drawer in the bathroom or your purse. If you’ve been simplifying for awhile, go with the whole bathroom or corner of the living room. And if you’re wanting to go all in, choose an entire room to edit. Think through which space is either driving you bananas or will give you the most bang for your buck. Commit to staying the course and editing this space before moving on to anything else.

2. Gather supplies.

You will need supplies to edit. Grab three boxes and one grocery sack. Label the boxes: Donations/Gifts, Sell, Don’t Belong. Also, grab some headphones and find a good simplifying podcast to listen to while you edit. I love Minimalist Moms Podcast, The Minimalists, or Clutterbug Podcast.

3. Motivate yourself.

Dangle a carrot for yourself at the end of this edit. Treat yourself to coffee or a walk around the block sans kids. Or maybe it’s a long bath or watching This is Us when you’ve completed your edit. We all like a little reward at the end of our hard work.

If you are struggling with motivation, think about setting a timer for 10 minutes and working for that amount of time and then giving yourself grace to take a break or keep going, depending on how you feel.

4. Do a trash walk through.

Take 5 minutes or less and remove any obvious trash and put in the plastic grocery sack. Wrappers, empty La Croix cans, used Kleenex (my kids drive me crazy with this). Do a quick sweep of the space you are editing and get rid of the trash.

5. Ask the Questions.

You have the choice to either remove everything from the space (except the furniture) or keep your stuff right where it is and edit. Removing everything from the space seems to be more effective, but do what works for you.

There will be items that don’t belong in the space. Place these in the Don’t Belong box and put away later.

For every other item, ask these questions: Do I love it? Is it useful or beautiful? Have I used it in the last 90 days or will I use it in the next 90 days? If the answer is yes, the item stays, and if not, it’s time to let it go.

edit any room

If the item is no longer serving you and it’s time to let it go, decide quickly if you want to take time to sell it or if you will donate or give it away. Put it in the designated box.

6. Organize what’s left.

After you have edited out the things no longer serving you, it’s time to organize what’s left. Everything in the space, drawer, or room should have a place to live.

Before you run off to The Container Store to buy some cutesy stuff to put your stuff in, sort and organize first. This will help you decide what you need or if you need anything at all.

Quick Edit Organization

If you kept everything in it’s place, now is the time to rethink where your stuff lives. Ask yourself: Does where my stuff live serve me and my family? If you’re always having to reach around the rarely played with board games to get the remote, it probably needs a new home. If you’re having to dig through your utensil drawer to find the wooden spoon you always use, it’s time to put it in an easy to grab place. Rethink where your stuff lives and if moving things around would make things more accessible to you and your family.

Remove Everything Organization

If you removed everything, now is the time to sort. Sort items and put like things together: books with books, toys with toys, kitchen utensils with kitchen utensils, etc. You can either make piles or use small containers or boxes to group like items together. After you have items grouped, it’s time to put them back in the space. Make sure where you place things will serve you and your family. And if the stuff doesn’t fit in the place you want it to, it means you need to let some more go.

7. Make it pretty.

Some of us like a pretty esthetic, some of us could care less, and some of us land in-between. Decide if you care enough to have cutesy, matching baskets for the space. It might depend on whether you see it on the daily. If it’s a corner in your living room, you might want to make it esthetically pleasing. If it’s your bathroom drawers, dollar store baskets might be just fine.

Shop your house to find bins or baskets you could use in the space. If you aren’t finding the things you need, give yourself permission to gather the specific items because you have done the work and know exactly what you need.

8. Donate, Gift, Sell.

You have a box of things to donate, gift to people, or sell. Get the donated and gifted items out of your home as soon as possible. Sell items on Facebook Marketplace or a local swap page. Give yourself an amount of time to sell an item. For example, if my items doesn’t sell in 30 days, I will donate it.

9. Reward yourself.

Take the bath, go for the walk, watch This is Us, grab a coffee. Reward yourself for a job well done and for sticking it through to the end. Good work, friend!

There are a million ways to edit a space and this is just one of them. Take what works for you and leave the rest. Tell me: what space have you been wanting to edit?

Vanessa

21 Simplifying Tasks for 2021

A Simpler Home, A Simpler Motherhood

It’s a new year, friends. Although all our problems aren’t going to magically disappear with the turning of the calendar, there are some things we can do in our homes and with our families to make it a simpler, more joyful 2021. 21 Simplifying Tasks are a good start.

“Of all modern notions, the worst is this: that domesticity is dull. …Inside the home, they say, is dead decorum and routine; outside is adventure and variety. But the truth is that the home is the only place of liberty, the only spot on earth where a man can alter arrangements suddenly, make an experiment or indulge in a whim. The home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks.” 

GK Chesterton

Home is the one place it can be whatever we want it to be. That’s no small thing, friends. Here are 21 Simplifying Tasks to simplify and live a little more life.

***Note: This is NOT a to-do list. It’s meant to inspire you to try a task or make up your own. The intent is for it to be purposeful and fun. Give a task a go, or make you own path…it’s up to you!

21 Simplifying Tasks

1. Name your why.

If you want a simpler life, why? Less stress? Less cleaning? More time with your people? Take a minute and really think about why you want a simpler life and write it down.

2. Get rid of 10 things right now.

Grab a grocery sack or Amazon box and grab 10 things you no longer need or want. Motivate your kids to do the same. This is a surefire way to build momentum towards a simpler home.

3. Set Quarterly Goals

It’s a New Year and Quarterly Goals is one way to live life a bit more intentionally. You have not missed the bus if you didn’t set goals on January 1st. Check out how we set Quarterly Goals.

4. Clear a surface.

Clutter affects us. For women, the amount of stress we feel at home is directly proportional to the amount of stuff we have. Choose one surface to clear and keep clear. The dining room table, the kitchen island, an end table. Clear spaces lead to a clear mind.

5. Say yes to your kids when you want to say no.

Play the game of Monopoly, build the snowman, play cars, bake brownies. Saying yes is powerful, strengthens relationships, and creates memories.

6. Rethink where your stuff lives.

Do you have to walk downstairs to get the art supplies or down the hall to gather the tile cleaner for the bathroom? Many times we move into a home and put things away not knowing how we will use each space. Begin in one corner of one room and evaluate if the stuff there serves you and your family in that room. Re-think where your stuff lives and decide if it makes sense to move things around.

7. Do a Daily Delete.

At the end of each day, go through your pictures and delete the duplicate pictures or the ones with eyeballs closed. Only keep your favorites. It’s a great task while you catch up on The Crown.

8. Choose a book to read and actually read it.

Some on my list for the next few months: You Be You, Rhythms of Renewal (rereading this one), Becoming Mrs. Lewis, The Library at Mount Char, New Minimalism.

9. Find and listen to a podcast that fills you up.

Some of my favorites: uncomfortable, Minimalist Moms Podcast, The Lazy Genius Podcast, Read-Aloud Revival, MommyLogians, and ClutterBug Podcast.

10. Plan an adventure.

Plan an adventure with your people or maybe just your spouse. I know many aren’t traveling right now, but hopefully that will be more of any option soon. Whether it’s across the street, across town, or across the country, plan an adventure to do this next year. Simply planning and anticipating an adventure can make you happier.

11. Write a letter.

In a time when snail mail is one of the biggest gifts, write a letter to a loved one. A beautiful card with some kind words can do wonders for the people we care about.

12. Rethink towels, pens, and kitchen utensils.

These are small things, but they add up. Go through your linen closet and ditch any ratty towels. Ruthlessly declutter the pens in the junk drawer. Do you really need 13 spatulas? You will feel lighter after letting go of the excess.

13. Watch a documentary.

What do you care about? Chances are there is a documentary out there pertaining to the issue. Take time this month to sit down and watch it. Some of my favorites about simplicity: Minimalism, The Social Dilemma, and Less is Now.

14. Choose one space to declutter.

Choose one room, drawer, or closet that is driving you bananas. Focus on the space and commit to completing it before starting any other projects. As you edit the stuff in the space, ask yourself these questions about each item: Is it beautiful or useful? Do I love it? Have I used it in the last 90 days or will I use it in the next 90 days?

15. Learn something new.

What have you always been wanting to learn to do? Bake? Sew? Make homemade pasta? Snowboard? Knit? Paint? Gift yourself the time and space to play around and learn something new.

16. Create a toy closet.

Are you tired of picking up a million toys at the end of every day? Rotate toys out of a toy closet. Take half the toys and house in a toy closet, organized by whatever system works for you and your family. Bring out new toys every few weeks to a month and be sure to put some toys in the toy closet that are currently being played with. ‘New’ toys can equate to hours of play.

17. Go for a walk.

My daughter’s Quarterly Goal is to get outside 30 minutes everyday. I should join her. Walking improves your mood, not to mention the physical health benefits like strengthening your bones and muscles. Bundle up and take a walk, even when you don’t want to.

18. Tackle your closet.

The t-shirt with the stain that won’t come out. The holy jeans that weren’t meant to be holy. The sweater from junior high. It’s time to let those things go. Do a closet overhaul and only keep the things you love, that fit well, and that you would buy again.

19. Call someone important to you.

It seems that phone calls are things of the past, but they don’t have to be. Take 20 minutes to call someone you’ve been meaning to call or haven’t talked to in longer than you’d like to admit. Make it a priority and invest in a relationship you value.

20. Be still.

Mindfulness is a way to be present and fully live. Be still and listen. Where does your mind go? What is God whispering in your heart? Start with 1 minute and build up to 10 minutes each day, being still, quieting your mind, listening, and being present in the moment.

21. Create something.

I was chatting with a girlfriend the other day and she said something that had me nodding my head and saying YES: God made us to work. Although that work looks different for all of us, he put us on this earth for a purpose. Take a minute, an hour, a day to create something on your own or with your kids. A batch of chocolate chip cookies, a drawing, a flower arrangement, a curated shelf in your dining room, a delicious dinner, an art project with your kids. Find joy in creating something.

This list isn’t meant to be checked off. Choose one thing or let the list inspire you to create your own task. 2021 will be what we make it. Although there will be things out of our control, we can choose to live each day thoughtfully, intentionally, and joyfully, especially at home. What tasks speak to you?

Vanessa

Quarterly Goals

A Simpler Motherhood

Resolutions.  Goals.  Mantras.  Plans.  Word of the year.

There are about a million ways to celebrate the New Year and many of them include some kind of goal setting.  Many Americans make fitness or work goals.  Others will land on a reading or decluttering goal.  Still others will make it a goal to learn a new skill or save money.  Whatever the goal, research shows only 8% of Americans actually achieve their New Year’s resolution or goal.  That’s a pretty low number considering all the New Year’s hype.

I don’t have the answer to why New Year’s resolutions don’t stick, but I can guess if other Americans are anything like me, it’s because we get overwhelmed with the prospect of striving to meet a goal for 12 months and then we give up or forget or put it on the back burner.  I am great at justifying a reason to abandon a goal or (full disclosure) I get bored or lazy.  It’s not too hard to give up some arbitrary goal that’s 300+ days from completion.

A few years ago around this time my husband and I started making Quarterly Goals.  Every three months or so we sit down, think through, and write out our Quarterly Goals.  We do this together and while it would be nice to have a long, luxurious date to discuss and ponder them, most of the time it’s done over a quick glass of wine after the kids go down for the night.

Why Quarterly Goals?

Quarterly Goals are more manageable, more motivating, and allow us to achieve wins in just three months. Here are two really good reasons why we choose to do Quarterly Goals.

  1. Having a light at the end of the tunnel keeps us motivated to stay on the path.
  2. Ninety days is long enough to form a habit. Understanding how habits are major influences in our life is a key breakthrough in being able to lead a life of intention and it can begin with Quarterly Goals.

Our Quarterly Goal process is pretty straight forward, simple, and has renewed my excitement about goal setting and motivated me to actually meet my goals.  Here is our fuss-free process.

Reflect alone.

Take some quiet moments to reflect on the past year or past three months. It goes without saying 2020 was unforgettable. Lots of hard, lots of weird, with some silver lining mixed in. These three questions reflect on the past and look forward to the future.

What was good the last 3 months?

What was hard the last 3 months?

Where I am feeling pulled to make a change?

Do a gut check and answer these questions honestly and thoughtfully. Pray and ask God for direction. Ask your spouse do the same. Choose one to three categories for your goal setting and think through what Quarterly Goals will get you where you want to go.

Here are some examples of goal setting categories to choose from: Diet, Exercise, Faith and Devotion, Financial, Parenting, Marriage, Career, Household, Friends and Mentors, Hobby or Travel.

Sit down and talk.

If you have a spouse, set aside 30 minutes to an hour to share and discuss what your answers were to the reflection questions. You can also do this with a friend, another family member, or an older child.  Welcome feedback and be open to suggestions.

Make the goal specific and actionable.

When creating goals each goal should be actionable.  Make sure the goal is specific and you can see it in action.

Most of us find it easier to conceptualize what we want to accomplish rather than focusing on how we are going to do it. We want smart kids, more financial flexibility, less flab; but how are we going to accomplish those things?

Some examples:

Instead of Get healthy use Go to the gym 2 days a week for the next 12 weeks.

Instead of Save money use Put aside 5% of each paycheck into savings.

Instead of Learn more use Read three times a week instead of watching TV at night.

Make the goal measurable.

At the end of the three months you should be able to tell, without a doubt, if you met your goal or not.  For example, instead of  the goal: Eat Better. Try the goal: Eat at home 6 nights a week.  It’s a specific, actionable goal and while trying to meet the goal, you have a clear standard on what it looks like and if you meet it or not.  Make the goal measurable.

Ask yourself, “How will I know whether I accomplished this or not?”

Keep one thing in mind: the goal that is measurable might be less inspirational than the intention that came behind it. “Lose 30 pounds” is way more exciting than “abstain from sweets for 90 days”. So, as you identify and progress through your quarterly goal, remind yourself WHY you are doing it; this will help keep you on the path.

Write down your Quarterly Goals.

You have heard this before, but it’s true.  Write your goals down.  Research done by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at the Dominican University in California, found people who write down goals are 42% more likely to achieve them. 

Keep it simple and use your ‘Notes’ app on your phone or go all out with a whiteboard or bullet journaling.  My husband and I use our ‘Notes’ app to log our Quarterly Goals.  I have kept all past goals there, so it’s interesting to see what we have done and how we can move forward with new goal setting.

Quarterly Goals

If you are just getting started on this, for the first quarter set one to three goals you absolutely know you can accomplish; then start ratcheting them up each quarter. Accomplishing goals is a huge booster in confidence and self-esteem, which in turn helps us to accomplish more things in life.

Not only is it powerful to write your goals down, it’s also powerful to track your progress. Habit tracking can lead to more success in meeting our goals. Use a calendar or your notes app to ‘check off’ each time you complete a step towards your goal. For example, if your goal is to Eat at home 6 days a week, simply put an X on the calendar everyday you eat at home.

Reflect on past goals.

Quarterly Goals offers built in time to check in.  At the end of each quarter, meet and discuss the goals from the last three months and set goals for the next three months.  Reflection on how it went will keep you accountable and help you set your next goals.

Put reminders on your calendars to meet back up in three months to go through this process again. We set goals in January, April, July, and October, but make it work for you and your schedule.

My Quarterly Goals

Because telling the internet your goals really helps with accountability, I’m going to share mine for the next three months with you.  

Goal 1: Cut phone use by 30% by keeping my phone in a drawer when not in use.

Goal 2: Do a morning basket with the kids 3 times a week.

These goals are specific, actionable and measurable.

That’s it for Quarterly Goal Setting.  Tell me, are you a Resolution Setter?  How do you set goals for the coming year?

Vanessa

Post-Christmas Purge

A Simpler Childhood, A Simpler Home

Wrapping paper strewn across the living room.  Cardboard, those annoying white plastic strips, ribbon, coffee mugs, lone Reese’s tree wrappers and fuzzy blankets.  An accurate picture of our living room after the big day.  A picture of a morning savored.

In an ideal world, the kids play happily the rest of the waking hours as Kevin and I cuddle on the couch, drink our coffee, and sneak bites of quiche and muffins.  The quiet, slow beauty of Christmas morning is one I savor each and every year.  And every year I wish it would last a teensy bit longer.

Post-Christmas Purge

But, it doesn’t and inevitably over the next few weeks we teeter back and forth between routine and cookies for breakfast.  Somewhere between the blurry days of Christmas and New Year’s we get in a good Post-Christmas Purge.  If you were around before Christmas, you know we did a Pre-Christmas Purge, but it’s inevitable we need to do one after the big day as well.

From experience, I think a good Post-Christmas Purge is best done the week or so following Christmas.  A few reasons:

1.  Kids are excited about new stuff and are more willing to part with old stuff.

2.  It relieves some stress and frees up space when our homes (could) look like a toy war zone.

Let’s get to it.  Here is how we do a Post-Christmas Purge and if you’ve been following along you might notice it’s pretty similar to the Pre-Christmas Purge.

Post Christmas Purge

1. Motivate your people.

Announce that your home looks like a Toy Story movie.  Remind your people they just received some fun things from friends and family and it’s a good time to let other things go.  I can’t emphasize this enough…make this purge fun.

This is a great opportunity to talk about how letting go of old things will bring joy to someone else.  Maybe do some research with your family to see if there is a certain organization that will take gently used toys and books. Kids knowing where their stuff is going can be a motivator.

If you or your spouse need some motivation or more of a why behind a Post-Christmas Purge, this is it. Studies have shown kids who have less toys to play with have more quality play.

Another simple way to motivate your people is to go first. Go through your closet, kitchen, or storage area and part with some things of your own. Actions speak louder than words and our people want to see us getting our hands dirty, too.

If you have older kids, they could sell their gently used toys online through Facebook Marketplace.  I have done this a few times with my two older kids (ages 8 and 6).  Cash=More Motivation

When you’re telling your people about the Post-Christmas Purge, try and dangle a carrot.  What I mean is, tell them First we purge, then we ____________.  Have a movie night or take them for ice cream or hot cocoa after the purge.  Motivating your people with a family experience after the reward has all kinds of benefits.

2. Get organized.

Decide how you want your Post-Christmas Purge to work.  A few options:

Option #1

Have each child choose 10 things to donate.  Take a tote or box (not see through) into each child’s room or playroom and have them choose 10 things to put into the tote.  Anything goes (except for the new stuff, unless you’re cool with it).  This is hard, but if your child doesn’t find value in a stuffed animal from their 2nd birthday, it’s okay to let it go.  A caveat to this:  If the thing has real sentimental value, put it away in a closet and decide at a later time.  Don’t let a sentimental item hold you back from completing the Post-Christmas Purge.

Option #2

Maybe you need a big purge.  Take 30 minutes for each kid and go through their rooms and the playroom to purge unneeded and unwanted stuff.  This can be a big undertaking, but a worthwhile activity for Christmas break. If you have big kids, ask for their help. For littles, decide if it would be best to go it alone or get their little hands involved.

Option #3

Maybe your kids aren’t old enough to purge and make decisions.  Go through each child’s room and the playroom and do a quick declutter.  Put the items in a box in a closet and write the date.  In 3 months if no child has asked for the toys in the box, it’s okay to let them go.

3. Do it.

Begin the purge.  I like to do it in a day, but if you have a lot of kids or a lot of stuff, it can be done over the course of several days, say the week between Christmas and New Year’s?  Make it work for you and your family and don’t let yourself get overwhelmed.  Progress takes work and making your home manageable, simple, and a fun, cozy place to be requires some effort.

There is no substitute for hard work.

Thomas Edison

4. Celebrate your Post-Christmas Purge.

If you have a reward to look forward to at the end of your purge, the work doesn’t seem so bad.  Reward your people with a movie night and popcorn, pizza, an ice cream cone, hot cocoa, or their favorite board game. If you dangle the carrot (or ice cream), they will purge.

5. Enjoy.

Enjoy your simplified spaces with less toys and less stuff.  Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.  You deserve it.

Are you in for a Post-Christmas Purge?  Tell a friend and make it a challenge with each other to see how full you can get your tote or box.  You and your home will feel lighter when you’re done.

Vanessa

What I’m Loving

A Simpler Motherhood

There is so much to love about this magical month of December. Today I’m sharing a few things I’m loving in the last month of the weirdest year of my life.

Kids Singing Christmas Songs

My babes singing a Christmas song makes my heart happy. We had a little Christmas program with our co-op and have been practicing Away in a Manger and Silent Night for the last few weeks. Little voices singing about the glory of our Savior is something I have been savoring.

We will get another chance to sing along this week with our church’s Christmas online service, An Unexpected Christmas, which will be all online this year. I am so looking forward to this.

Over the past few weeks my kids have also learned the lyrics to All I Want for Christmas is You, which makes me proud. Wink, wink.

Christmas Books

Books is not a category I can call myself a minimalist. Although I do subscribe to the belief of only keeping books I find value in and enjoy, it still adds up to be a lot of books. If I have any collection, it is a book collection and I have a soft spot for children’s Christmas books. Some of my favorites this year: The Story of Holly and Ivy, The Sparkle Box, The Nutcracker, and The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.

Christmas Pajamas

‘Tis the season for jammies. I’m not a pajama person, as in, I have worn sweats to bed for as long as I can remember. However, I purchased a pair of Target pajamas and have been converted. These jammies are comfy and make me feel just a little bit festive since they are candy cane striped.

My kids have been living in a these and these. I feel like it’s totally appropriate to wear them in public, which may be off base on my part. We splurged on a few pairs of pajamas this year since there was less of a need for dressier duds.

Hot Chocolate Bombs

I can’t get enough of these, especially with a little decaf nespresso mixed in. They have been a fun little treat for our family this season. I’ve heard you can make your own. If you are the kind of person who likes to melt chocolate in the microwave (I am not), here is the simplest recipe I found for hot chocolate bombs.

Supporting Friends and Small Businesses

In a year when businesses have had to shut their doors for various lengths of time, it feels good to support real people living out their passion. Supporting friends with small businesses and side hustles has been something I have tried to do the past several months as well as supporting small (sometimes local) shops. A few of my favorites: Natural Joy Boutique, Charli Dean Designs, Lottie Mae Made, Wax Buffalo, Alice and Ames, Childhoods Clothing, Dark Horse Salon, RAR Premium, and Motivated. There are so many small businesses out there with real people filling orders, making the goods, doing the work. Buying from people I know is something I am loving this season.

There is so much to love about December, even this year. What are you loving right now?

Vanessa

Pre-Christmas Purge

A Simpler Home, A Simpler Motherhood

Christmas morning. Saying those words brings me back to my childhood. I remember sneaking out of my bed before dawn as a kid.  My brother, sister, and I would round the turn at the top of the stairs and peak around the corner at the tree in all her glory with presents scattered around the living room.  It was an extraordinary morning and almost always ended with a surprise.

My mom did Christmas well when I was a kid, keeping the magic alive and curating an environment that made Christmas morning special, magical, and full of wonder. I can maybe (maybe) tell you a handful of gifts I received on those mornings growing up, but I can absolutely describe the way Christmas morning made me feel. Safe, warm, loved, cherished, celebrated, and part of something bigger than myself.

Before we get to the magical few hours on Christmas morning, what if we prepare?  Prepare our hearts for the miracle of Christmas and our homes for the abundance Christmas brings.  The past few years we have done a Pre-Christmas Purge to prepare for the upcoming gifts coming into our home.  It is always well received because we do it under the pretense that we will be receiving gifts very soon and others may find value in the things we no longer need or want. A Pre-Christmas purge can help us with A Simpler Christmas.

You may have seen a version of this on social media. Families are setting out a box labeled ‘Old Toys for Santa’ or a box with the child’s name on it. The idea is for kids to go through their toys and donate toys no longer used. Essentially, that is what the Pre-Christmas Purge is all about.

Maybe you are needing to implement a Pre-Christmas Purge into your home.  You see the knick knacks, the books, the Chick-fil-A-whatevers piling up.  Here is a breakdown of how our family does a Pre-Christmas Purge.

Pre-Christmas Purge

1. Set a Time

Since Christmas will be here (like really soon), try and implement this in the next few days or week. Put it on the calendar or your to-do list in the next day or two.

I understand there could already be 1,000 things on your to-do list at this very moment, but a little Pre-Christmas Purge doesn’t take long and I personally think it’s incredibly worth it.  But if you can’t find the time, feel free to stop reading and come back after Christmas when we will do a Post-Christmas Purge.

2. Announce the Pre-Christmas Purge

Tell your family.  Tell your people there is abundance in the house and you need to make room for all the fun things coming at Christmas.  This would be a great time to discuss how it’s important to give to others.  We always tie this in as one of our gifts to Jesus on his birthday.  If you have littles, maybe start with having them find 10 things they would like to donate or give away.  We always start there.  Most of the time it snowballs and turns into much much more.

3. Get to it

It’s time to get to it.  I think the best way to begin a Pre-Christmas Purge is by Mom or Dad initiating it.  We need to lead by example. Go to your closet, the bookshelf, or the kitchen drawers and find 10 things you no longer need. Grab a bin and put the items inside, while talking to your family about it. Encourage each member of the family to find 10 things to put in the bin. As your family goes through items, decide if the items need to be recycled, trashed, or still have life and can go to a new home.

4. Praise

After everyone has found the things they want to donate, PRAISE your people!  We all love some good words said about us, so let’s not hold back when our family has done something to make our homes simpler and more manageable.  Praise the ones you love for purging before Christmas.

5. Donate…SOON

Take 20 minutes and get those items out of your house.  Find a church, school, Goodwill, or other mission-oriented organization and donate those items.  I speak from experience when I say if you keep them around, there is a good chance those toys and books and what-nots could creep back into your home.  Make it a learning experience and take your kids to help you with the drop off and grab hot cocoa after.

A Pre-Christmas Purge always makes me feel lighter and the incoming plethora of gifts from the ones we love more exciting and manageable.  It allows me to accept the gifts without thinking about where we are going to put them or how we are going to manage them.  The Pre-Christmas Purge sincerely allows me to enjoy the season a tiny bit more.

Tell me, will you do a Pre-Christmas Purge this year?  If time isn’t on your side, stay tuned for a Post-Christmas Purge coming after the big day.

Vanessa

Christmas At Home Bucket List

A Simpler Motherhood

Let’s make the last month of 2020 the best month. I know what you’re all thinking: that’s not hard to do considering the last nine months. And it’s not, so let’s have some fun, spread some cheer, and make some memories with our people with a Christmas At Home Bucket List.

Today I’m sharing some fun things to do (mostly) at home during this season. Our family will not get to all of them this month because we are not superheroes. Instead, each family member will choose one thing to do together. Here are some ideas for a Christmas At Home Bucket List.

Christmas At Home Bucket List

Get 3D Christmas light glasses and take a drive to look at lights, hot chocolate in hand of course.

Send a video Christmas card to the ones you love.

Make cinnamon rolls, banana bread, or chocolate chip cookies and deliver to neighbors on a random December morning.

Buy coffee for someone in the coffee drive thru.

Make Christmas cookies and slip a plate into your mailbox for your mail carrier.

Get on Christmas pjs and have a dance party to your favorite Christmas tunes.

Get dollar white mugs and DIY them for Christmas using this easy and cheap tutorial. Give away to grandparents or keep at home for special hot cocoa mugs.

Check out a load of Christmas books from the library and read them by the Christmas tree. Bonus points: Have a picnic while you read under the twinkly lights.

Write and decorate festive letters to service men and women thanking them for serving our country.

Learn to sing a few Christmas songs. Record your littles singing and send to Grandma and Grandpa.

Send a mini Christmas tree and a heartfelt note to an elderly relative who may not be able to see loved ones this year.

Each night before bedtime, listen to a Christmas audio book. A few to choose from: A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Candle in the Window.

Slow down one night each week. Turn off the television, put the phones away, and gaze at the Christmas tree with the ones you love. A little Silent Night playing in the background wouldn’t hurt.

Make an easy bird feeder and watch the birds enjoy their Christmas present from the window.

Make a decadent meal together as a family. Each person chooses one dish and either makes the dish or helps make the dish. Get dressed up and end the night with a fancy dance party by the tree.

Choose one Christmas movie no one has seen before and watch together with popcorn and Christmas M&Ms.

Roast marshmallows in the fireplace. My kids love the colorful Lucky Charms marshmallows.

Bundle up and go for a walk outside to look for pinecones. Fresh air can do wonders this time of year.

Make gift bags with colorful notes for residents at a nursing home.

Christmas is here and coming to life around us. What is on your Christmas At Home Bucket List?

Vanessa

A Simpler Christmas

A Simpler Motherhood

December is here and the Christmas season is in full swing.  It truly is a magical time of year. I have been a mom for eight years and have slowly learned my heart longs for A Simpler Christmas. This year, more than ever, the savoring and slowing down of the season is just what my soul needs.

What seems like just yesterday (and which was actually four years ago), I was met with the dilemma of being very pregnant with two babes, little energy and the same four weeks in front of me.  I decided to simplify our Christmas season while holding tight to the joy and magic.  Friends, it was one of the best things I have done as a mom. I learned a lot that year about how I wanted Christmas to look and feel and have tweaked it each Christmas. Here are some ways I have found to A Simpler Christmas…

Simpler Gifting

If you’ve been following along with the Christmas Gift Challenge, you know I am done Christmas shopping! I set a goal in My Christmas Plan to be done shopping by December 1. I am so incredibly happy to be finished and enjoying this season with my people.

This year I simplified gifting by shopping online as much as possible. I also am gifting similar gifts to groups of people.  For example, I am giving one simple gift to neighbors and one simple gift to the kids’ friends. I want friends and family to feel loved and appreciated this season, but I think it can be done in a way that doesn’t bring loads of stress to the giver.

Simpler Fashion

Dressing myself and four children during the holidays is no joke.  Although there aren’t many places to go or things to do this year, I still want our crew to be festive to make the season a bit more fun.

Christmas pajamas will be our go-to the next month. I have one festive out-of-the-house outfit for each of us this season. The boys have a festive shirt and joggers and Lily some Christmas dresses (Lily has more than one festive outfit because she is Lily). For myself, I have a sweater with leggings paired with a pair of Charli Dean Designs Christmas earrings, along with a pair of pajamas. In the past I have needed a dress, but that won’t be the case this year. Kevin is on his own, because he always looks good and selecting male clothing is not my gift.  A festive outfit ready to go will eliminate sifting through closets the next month.

Simpler Decorating

We are a family who bundles up, trudges out to a tree farm, and chooses a Christmas tree to cut down.  It’s one of my favorite traditions we have as a family of six.  In the midst of Covid, it is one of the things that isn’t cancelled! After cutting down the tree, we spend the rest of the day pulling out ornaments and lights. We decorate the tree and the rest of the house.  It is a fun day and usually ends with something slow cooking in the oven, crusty bread, and hot chocolate. We did this last weekend and my heart is still full.

The easiest and most straight forward way I have found to simplify Christmas decorating is this: Use less stuff.

The year I was very pregnant, I cut back on decorating a ton.  And you know what, it was still magical and we all still had a wonderful Christmas.  I have found twinkle lights do wonders and the kids each have their own special decorations that make the season magical for them.

Candles, fresh flowers, and cut greens are simple things I do to make our home festive.  And a bonus, I don’t have to store them away when the new year rolls around.

Simpler Advent Calendar

Lucky for me, I have an eight year old this year.  He doesn’t let me even think about forgetting the Advent calendar.  Mommas of super littles, someday you will have a little person to keep you on track (whether you want them to or not).

Our advent calendar this year looks similar to the past few years.  I decided on three random acts of kindness and the rest of the days are filled with simple things like ‘have a pajama day’, ‘make cookies’, ‘sip hot cocoa’, ‘watch a Christmas movie’.  The week of Thanksgiving I planned our countdown to Christmas activities by looking at things we already had on the calendar.  There are many nights I will do some late night switching because I realize we just aren’t going to ‘make cookies’ the next day.

I use this super simple Advent calendar to help us remember everyday the ‘why’ behind Christmas.

Fewer Gifts

If you’ve been around here long, you know our family tries to limit the amount of stuff coming into our home.  Toys, too.  Two of our kids have birthdays in November, so they are already overloaded with stuff come Christmas.  In our early days of being parents we did four gifts at Christmas: something to wear, something to read, something you want, something you need.  While four gifts seems simple enough, there were times our babes didn’t need anything and I was buying things unnecessarily to fit each gift into a category.

My mother-in-law told me about giving three gifts to each child to represent how Jesus received three gifts. I grabbed hold of that and we have been doing it ever since. Each kid receives three gifts, no guidelines involved. They will also get their stockings filled with small consumables like new toothbrushes, Reese’s treats, and a craft.  This simple way of doing Christmas has worked well for us.  

Margin on the Calendar

In November, Kevin and I sat down and discussed what made Christmas feel like Christmas.  For me it is cutting down the tree and visiting Santa at the Durham Museum.  It is having lots of time at home to be together, watch Christmas movies, sing Christmas songs, and make cookies. Kevin simply said being home on Christmas together and giving things to people who need them. We also included the kids this year. Luke said he wants to play Outer Rim (totally not Christmas related), Lily said she wants to eat dinner by the Christmas tree, and Jude said he wants to roast Lucky Charms marshmallows by the fire. All doable, praise Jesus.

Kevin and I sat down and mapped our Christmas season on the calendar and put in all the big things and little things to help us visualize the month.  In years past, there were things we would skip in lieu of having time together at home. This year, we simply don’t have to think about the calendar as much as the majority of our Christmas season will be spent at home.

Something I always need to remember during this season when it comes to all the fun Christmas things…when I see a family on Facebook or Instagram doing something totally Christmas-y I…#1 do my best to not feel guilty about not doing said activity and #2 promise myself I will not add it to our plate this year.  Every family is different. There is no right way to do Christmas.

Simpler Mealtimes

We still have to eat!  Even in this full season, my people still need to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meal planning will save me this month.  Even though it’s tempting to put planning dinner on the back burner, I know I will pay for it if I don’t.  Soups and crock pot meals are my go to during this Christmas season.  And no leftovers go to waste. A few hacks that will help me this month: Hack #1: Double the meat for taco night and use the leftover meat in chili the next day. Hack #2: Use leftover rotisserie chicken for chicken noodle soup or chicken pot pie later in the week. 

Some of my favorite meals I will be making this month: chili, change your life chicken, chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pie, butternut squash soup, and tacos (always tacos).

Giving Myself Grace

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year and I want to take in as much as possible and enjoy the magic and wonder that fills December.  This year has been wild, but Christmas is NOT CANCELLED. There is still so much to savor, enjoy, and celebrate.

I love to read a Christmas book and watch Christmas movies on the couch cuddled under a blanket with a cup of peppermint hot cocoa.  I am giving myself permission and grace to do this the next few weeks during nap time or at night after the kids go to bed.  This season only comes around once a year.

As one of the best seasons comes to life around us, I want to slow down, take it in, and make as many memories as possible.  They may not be picture perfect and there might be tears and disappointments intertwined with those memories because #life and #2020, but I’m thankful for this Christmas season nonetheless. Keeping it simple can keep the focus on the real reason for the season: the baby born to save the world.

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I hope your Christmas is merry, bright, and simple!

Vanessa

5 Cozy Gifts

A Simpler Motherhood

Christmas is weeks away and in the year 2020 things continue to stay weird. We are all getting ready for our long winter’s nap quarantine. However, all hope is not lost. We can choose to savor and enjoy this time with our people at home. Let’s get cozy and embrace this season. Today I’m sharing 5 Cozy Gifts for the ones you love.

5 cozy gifts

You may or may not be able to see all the people you want this Christmas season. And let’s name that: It’s hard and disappointing and sad. But, we can still show the ones we love how we feel with some comforting gifts that make spirits bright.

5 Cozy Gifts

A Good Book (or magazine)

We could all use a little escape or some new strategies to do life well these days. Curled up on the couch with a good book can make even the darkest of days a bit brighter. Here are some favorites I will be gifting this season: The Lazy Genius Way, Welcome Home, You be You, Charlotte’s Web, Lola Dutch, Mercy Watson, Rhythms of Renewal, and New Morning Mercies.

Homemade Cards

Now, more than ever, we want to stay connected when we can’t be face to face. Gifting homemade cards can help the recipient stay connected with friends and family near and far. If you’re looking for special and beautiful cards, check out Natural Joy Boutique for some stunning watercolor cards.

Beeswax Candles

Who doesn’t love burning a candle when it’s gray outside? Make your own beeswax candles with a few items using this tutorial. They are super simple and will make the ones you love cozy this season. DIY isn’t for you? Try a Wax Buffalo candle instead. All the scents are yummy.

Survival Kit

I’m not talking bottled water and toilet paper. I’m talking about a get-through-quarantine-well survival kit. A bag of local coffee, some chocolate, a good book or movie coupon, a candle to light, a plant to nurture, the fixings for a comforting meal. Think through what would make this time brighter and cozier for the one you love and package it up in a cute cloth basket with a heartfelt note.

Homemade Goodies

A homemade batch of cookies or banana bread lifts the spirits and feeds the soul. Chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls, homemade bread, pumpkin muffins. Use one tried and true recipe and double or triple it. Then door step drop to family and friends on a December Saturday morning. Another option is to gift all the ingredients for your famous caramel rolls or shortbread cookies and let the recipient bake them at home, fresh out of the oven. People feel loved and cared for with anything homemade, especially if it comes in the form of a warm cinnamon roll.

Let’s treat the ones we love this season with care and give them a gift that will help them to feel cozy during this time at home. Instead of waiting until Christmas day, why not choose a few people to bless in the next few weeks with an unexpected gift? Let’s spread a little cheer and coziness this season!