Vanessa

Spring Home Tasks

A Simpler Home

Spring is here and there are a million posts, printables, and check lists out there about Spring Cleaning. It’s basically the second new year. Spring feels like a new start and it is the perfect time to freshen things up in our homes. Today I’m sharing some Spring Home Tasks, but before we get to those I have a very important disclaimer. These tasks are meant to be inspiration. My hope is they will encourage you to figure out what you and your home need to be prepared for this next season.

Before beginning any Spring Home Tasks, I think it’s best to start with a notepad and a walk through our homes. What needs tending, organizing, cleaning, mending? What has been driving us bananas since last September or the September before that? Which projects have we put off long enough? What things simply need our attention for 15 minutes so they are out of our minds for the rest of the season? Let’s begin here. So grab a notepad and take a walk through your home with eyes looking for the undone, the unclean, the unorganized.

It’s imperative to understand this: Our homes are meant to serve us, not the other way around. We create more room to love and serve our people, enjoy our spaces, and live the lives we were intended to live when our homes serve us. Let’s get to it.

Spring Home Tasks

Cleaning Tasks

Grab a bucket, some hot water, a microfiber cloth, and some powdered Tide. Put one teaspoon of powdered Tide in a gallon of warm water and wipe down baseboards and doors. The house smells amazing after this and you will feel like a superhero.

Pull down cloth shower curtains and wash in the washing machine. Hang to dry.

Do the powdered Tide thing again and wipe down kitchen cabinets, mudroom cabinets, kitchen chairs, dining room chairs. Again, you will feel so good.

Wash all bedding, including mattress covers. Be sure to follow the washing instructions.

While bedding is off, vacuum mattresses and couches.

Grab a magic eraser and clean doorknobs, light switches, and any random marks on walls.

Do a self cleaning cycle on the dishwasher and washing machine.

Clean carpets by hiring it out, renting a RugDoctor, or purchasing or borrowing a carpet cleaner. The snow and mud needs to go.

Decluttering and Organizing Tasks

Declutter the toys. It’s been a long winter and we may have needed the extra coloring books and happy meal toys when we were stuck inside, but now those things are in the way. Go through toys with your kids and let go of what no longer gets play time.

Purge kids’ clothing. Go through each closet and decide what still fits. Look at bottoms, tops, dresses, underwear, socks, and shoes. Donate, sell, or pack away the rest. Make a list of clothing items needed for spring and make plans to purchase.

Shoes. Why are there so many? Purge grown out and destroyed shoes (you know you have some). Make a list of shoes needing purchased for spring.

Projects

Is there a wall or room in your home that needs a fresh coat of paint? I know it’s a commitment, but a coat of paint always always freshens up a room. (I did this recently to our main bath that hasn’t been painted in more than 10 years and I kept asking myself why I didn’t do it sooner.)

Quiet the house. Clear surfaces, put away winter decor, get rid of the unnecessary. This is the perfect time to quiet the house before adding spring decor. The Nester introduced me to this and it makes such a big difference, especially in-between seasons.

With notepad in hand, decide if there are any bigger projects you want to tackle this spring or this year. A bathroom refresh? A toy overhaul? A master bedroom makeover? This is a good time to notice what you want done.

Spring Home Tasks don’t have to be daunting. Let’s prioritize what needs to be done and let the rest go. What tasks will you accomplish this spring?

Vanessa

A Day in the Life Away from Home

A Simpler Childhood, A Simpler Motherhood

How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives. -Annie Dillard

This quote gets me every time. I love reading/watching/listening to A Day in the Life posts. Reading about how others do life gives me perspective and I enjoy getting a peek into someone else’s day to day. Today I’m sharing A Day in the Life Away from Home. As most of you know, our family enjoys travel. Check out Simpler Travel with Kids for more on that. This Day in the Life came from when we were in South Padre, Texas this February.

Here we go…

A Day in the Life Away from Home

Sometime between 5-6 a.m.: Jack climbs in bed with us.  I spend the next hour with feet in my face teetering between being awake and asleep.

6:40: I roll out of bed and Jack jumps out of bed.  I get dressed, brush my teeth, drink a glass of water.

6:50: I head out to the beach for a walk. While I’m walking, I listen to the Raising Boys and Girls podcast.

7:30: I walk to the grocery store for a few things (sticky notes and postcard stamps) and then head home.

7:31: The kids have already completed math with Kevin.  Luke completes his Language Arts lesson with me.   

8:00: Lily gets out of the pool to do her language arts lesson. We do her lesson together while I simultaneously play Phase 10 with Jude. I ask God for patience a few times. Kevin begins work.

8:45: We all head outside for the kids to swim.  I complete a Motivated workout on the deck.

10:00: We get cleaned up and head to the coffee shop.

10:15: We all enjoy coffee and snacks. The coffee shop is full and quiet, so we take our treats outside to not disturb the peace.

10:45: We get back home and the swimsuits are back on and the kids jump in the pool.

11:15: I make a snack tray for lunch. I put chicken thighs in the oven for Kevin and I. The kids eat and continue to swim.

12:00: We all clean up for bike ride.

12:45: We bike to the end of the island and hang by the ocean. It’s windy. We look at sand dunes. Luke falls and scrapes his knee. He shakes it off and rides home.

1:45: Everyone is in their rooms for quiet time. Kevin and I head outside for some quiet time ourselves. We read and dream about future travel.

3:25: The kids are up from quiet time and are swimming. Jack takes awhile to wake up. Lily ends up falling asleep on me. I think the bike ride wore her out.

5:00: We all go inside and get clothes on to ride to dinner.

5:30: We pack the cooler and bike to the sunset and dinner.

5:45: We look at sand castles and go on the ferris wheel. The kids have been asking to do this since we got here. Luckily, Jack is tall enough.

6:00: We order food from a food truck: burgers for the boys and quesadillas for Lily and I. Kevin and the kids play football on the green space and we watch the sunset.

7:00: It’s getting chilly so we head home. Kevin puts the bikes away while I get the kids inside.

7:35: The kids brush teeth. We read Mercy Watson and the Bible. Kevin prays.

8:00: All the kids are in bed. Luke comes to our room to watch basketball. UCONN beats Villanova in an exciting game. I read a new book in-between watching the game.

9:15: Luke goes to bed. Kevin and I read a little bit longer.

9:45: Lights are out and we are all dreaming about tomorrow.

It might not be super exciting, but this is what A Day in the Life Away from Home looks like for us.

Vanessa

Simpler Travel with Kids

A Simpler Childhood, A Simpler Motherhood

My husband and I have the travel bug. I caught it in high school while visiting the British Virgin Islands with one of my best friend’s family. Pretty sure it’s in Kevin’s DNA. Either way, being on the road or on an adventure or someplace new is our happy place.

Photo credit Brilliant Studios

As I write this, we are driving on the interstate in our mini van, another destination just a few hours away. The kids have finished up school and are on their screens, happily eating fig bars and counting the Teslas on the road. My husband is on a work call and I am typing away to you.

Travel with kids isn’t easy. It’s risky and exhausting and takes thought and preparation. But I will always argue it’s worth it. Experiencing different places with our family of six has allowed us time together to laugh, struggle, fight, make up, and create unforgettable memories. It’s given us time without distractions, without the busyness to just be together in the same place doing the same thing. And while travel with kids isn’t easy, we have found ways to make it simpler. Through (lots of) trial and error we have created some rhythms and rules to make travel with kids work for us. Our Intentional Living Experiment helped a lot with this.

My hope in sharing our rhythms and rules is to make travel more accessible, doable, and less stressful. The things we do will not work for everyone, but hopefully will inspire you to create your own rhythms and rules around travel to make it simpler and less stressful.

Simpler Travel with Kids

Decide Once Rules

I have cited The Lazy Genius principles more than once because, well, they are genius. Decide Once is a Lazy Genius principle and it is a life saver when it comes to travel. For us, we have a few Decide Once rules. We have made these rules slowly over time and they ebb, flow, and change as we do. Here are a few examples of our current Decide Once Rules.

We almost always stay in an Airbnb or VRBO when we travel. There are a few exceptions, like when we just need to stay one night or when my husband has an event at a hotel. But otherwise, a vacation rental works best for our family in this season. A washer and dryer, kitchen, and space to spread out is what we need to make travel work best for us.

While we are traveling to and from a destination, we don’t think about screen time or snacks because they are both abundant and we are okay with it. Travel is a change in routine and can be stressful for adults and children alike. When I travel my screen time and snack intake is more than usual and I’m okay with it because it doesn’t happen everyday. For us, the only rule when it comes to screen time and snacks while traveling is there are no rules.

For those of you who are struggling hard with this one, screen time is super limited when we get to our destination because we are out exploring. And since we stay in a vacation rental, we can cook and eat real food during our stay. You may not be able to live with this and that’s a-okay. We all get to choose our Decide Once rules.

To go along with the snacks, I always pack snack bags for each kid. The snack bags consist of a gallon sized Ziploc with non-messy snacks including granola bars, fruit snacks, raisins, crackers. Each kid gets a snack bag at the beginning of the trip and can partake whenever they feel like it.

These rules are specific to our family in this season. They may or may not work for you. My goal is to get you thinking about what Simpler Travel with Kids can look like for you.

Are there any Decide Once rules you can make now to make life easier when you travel?

Travel Rhythms

Our travel rhythms have been intentionally and unintentionally formed over numerous trips away from home. Like our Decide Once Rules, these rhythms have evolved with us as our family has grown.

One of our travel rhythms is straightforward: We like to travel in the winter. Our lifestyle is such that travel in the winter just makes sense. Our farm requires less of our attention and our kids aren’t currently in lots of activities in the winter. Also, we like to be warm and where we live just isn’t warm in the winter. This doesn’t mean we never travel during other seasons, because we do. It just means right now our family rhythm lends itself to doing most of our travel in the winter.

Our family likes to be active. One of our family threads is riding bikes. We do this often in the spring, summer, and fall at home. It just makes sense that we ride bikes when we travel to warm places in the winter. When I’m looking for places to stay, I take where we can ride into consideration because I know we will want to do this. Because this is part of our travel rhythm when we are traveling as a family, many times we drive instead of fly so we are able to take bikes with us.

Another travel rhythm for our family is we try and keep some of our regular rhythms. (I’m sorry, I’m sick of the word rhythm, too.) We still do school when it makes sense and we still have an hour or two of quiet time in the afternoons. Kevin is still in charge of breakfast, while I take lunch and we tag team dinner. Laundry is still being done on the daily and bed time routines are still loosely followed. There are times, of course, when we stray from our normal, daily rhythms. But as a whole, we have found travel to be simpler when we keep some of our daily rhythms in place.

Are there any rhythms that stand out from past travel? Are there rhythms you would like to keep, implement, or let go moving forward?

Travel is a lot with kids. It just is. But, we can make it simpler by implementing Decide Once Rules and thinking through Travel Rhythms. How can you try for Simpler Travel with Kids?

Vanessa

Dreaming of Spring

A Simpler Home, A Simpler Motherhood

February is behind us and spring is in the air. I always start dreaming and planning this time of year for what I want the next season to look like. Today I’m sharing some of those dreams and plans with you as I start Dreaming of Spring.

Dreaming of Spring

The Garden

The past few years my kids have been old enough to help me plan the garden. It’s mostly Lily and I, but the boys will offer an opinion here and there. We sat down and dreamed up what we wanted it to look like this year. Our main focus: zinnias. They were our favorite last year and we want more. Lots more. We harvested seed heads in the fall so there shouldn’t be a shortage. We also are planning on cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. Cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden in July are one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.

After we drew out the garden, we planned when we would plant which seeds and plants. This has us all excited to get our hands dirty this spring.

Maybe you’ve had a garden for 20 years or maybe you’re beginning this year with some herbs in a pot. Start dreaming of the things you would like to grow this spring and make a plan on what and how you will grow them. Seed catalogs or websites are great resources to help get you started. We like Johnny’s Seeds.

The House

Does anyone still spring clean? We do a bit over here and I made a mercifully short list of both cleaning and house projects I want to tackle the next month. My list includes: Dust doors and baseboards, Schedule window cleaning and carpet cleaning (delegating is my jam), Declutter and reorganize the filing cabinet, Paint and refresh the kids’ bathroom.

There are so many lists and printables and charts on spring cleaning out there. Do yourself a favor and do not search Pinterest for spring cleaning. I’m not saying there aren’t good resources out there because there absolutely are, but we all are unique people living in unique houses with other unique people. Instead of going down a rabbit hole on Pinterest, simply look at your house and decide 3-5 spring cleaning or home tasks that truly matter to you. Do your carpets need cleaned from the winter snow and mud? Does your playroom need decluttering? Does your basement need a deep clean? Make your list and let the rest go.

The Activities

For our family, spring gets a little fuller with soccer and Easter and wrapping up school. I like to go through our calendar and make sure I have all our commitments documented so we don’t overcommit or double book ourselves. There is a good chance I don’t have all the dates for the next few months yet, but what I do have I get on the calendar. I also note any travel dates and if there are things we need to dig out or purchase for this spring. I’m looking at you soccer cleats.

Take stock on what is happening in your house the next few months. Get it all on the calendar. Document practices, meetings, travel, and other events. Make a list of any items you may need to find or purchase for the activities on your calendar. Preparing for all the fun that spring brings is one way to look forward to the season ahead.

Spring is just around the corner and I am here for it. How are you Dreaming of Spring?

Vanessa

What I’m Loving in February

A Simpler Motherhood

We are in the in-between place. The place between the long days of winter and the promise of spring. There is much to love about being almost done with winter, but also things to savor about these slow, cold days. Here is What I’m Loving in February.

What I’m Loving in February

The Occasional Collective

Shopping local and small is something I try and do when I can. Our neighbor opened a little shop not far from our house and it is THE cutest. The Occasional Collective is full of small shop goods and is a beautiful, can’t-help-but-be-happy place. Some of my favorite goodies I have picked up are my Iowa t-shirt and this parmesan garlic pasta. I know I will be frequenting this little shop when I am on the hunt for the perfect gift.

Getting outside

I’m sure you’re sick of hearing me talk about walking. If you are annoyed by it, skip to the next paragraph. Truth be told, this is the winter I have gotten outside the most in my adult life. I have walked (almost) everyday, below freezing or not. It has been life giving for me and something that resets my perspective. I come away from my walk more calm, more grateful, and less stressed.

Winter Travel

One thing our family prioritizes is travel. We forego other things to make it happen and we usually travel more in the winter because we like to be warm and Iowa isn’t the warmest place in February. Travel allows us ample family time. It connects us and offers us shared experiences. Travel is a piece of our family’s story and it’s something we don’t take for granted.

Sorel Boots

Okay, this is silly, but true. For Christmas I received a pair of the Sorel Out ‘N About boots and they have been my go-to all winter long. I wear them with leggings, jeans, joggers, everything. They keep my toes warm and make me look cooler than I actually am.

Meet Ups

Meet ups have been life giving for me this past month. Impromptu playdates, birthday parties, cooking club, coffee dates. I know things are still weird and hard, but being in the same space with others has been essential to my well being this past month.

In the month of love, what are you loving in February?

Vanessa

Loving Our Neighbors

A Simpler Motherhood

The past few years have been weird. Social distancing, communicating and socializing on screens, virtual everything, staying home. The introvert in me has savored parts of it, while the Enneagram 2 wing in me has struggled with how to love others when we are all far apart. While things are still weird, I believe it’s more important than ever to love each other: to love our neighbors, friends, family, even strangers. We see videos and stories and posts about people not loving each other everywhere we look, but that doesn’t have to be the norm or how we live. Loving Our Neighbors doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few simples ways we can love the people around us.

Loving Our Neighbors

Snail Mail

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like getting a letter or package in the mail. It’s a simple, low commitment gesture. Who is someone you have been meaning to connect with? Is there someone you have lost touch with the past two years? Snail mail is a simple way to show someone you are thinking of them in a tangible way.

Text

Maybe sitting down to write a letter isn’t your thing. Send a ‘thinking of you’ text or type a prayer to a friend, neighbor, or someone you want to encourage. It’s a simple, but mighty thing. Instead of commenting or liking a post on social media, send an individual text instead. Our words our powerful, so let’s use them to speak life, even through something as simple as a text.

Dinner invitation

There is something special and sacred about being together around the table. Invite friends or a family down the street to dinner. If making dinner for other people besides your people stresses you out, order pizza and play board games or meet at a local restaurant. Loving each other doesn’t have to be fancy.

Make a call

Telephone calls are not dead. When we can’t be together, an old fashioned call or Facetime session can be life giving. We can let the ones we love know we love them through chatting and listening for 15 minutes. Who can you call today to love on?

Take over soup

Kendra Adachi, aka The Lazy Genius, discussed soup in one of her recent podcasts. When you make soup, she suggested making extra and gifting it to a neighbor or friend. She lives up to her name because this is genius. Many of us are in the dead of winter and making and eating soup is the essence of comfort. We can pass along some of that comfort by gifting soup. It’s easy enough to double a batch, throw it in some mason jars, and take down the street to someone, anyone, on a random Tuesday night.

An unexpected gift

Sometimes we want to make someone feel extra special. There is no birthday, anniversary, or baby to celebrate. Sometimes I think that’s the best time to send a gift, when it’s least expected. The surprise is gift enough. A local candle. A bouquet of fresh flowers. A care package with all the fixings for chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa. Is there someone in your life who could use a little sunshine with an unexpected gift?

Loving our neighbors doesn’t have to fussy or complicated, but it does require intentionality and effort. And I think it’s safe to say we were put on this earth, together, for the title of this post: Loving Our Neighbors.

Jesus makes it pretty clear in Matthew 22:36-40.

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

How can you love your neighbor today?

Vanessa

5 Ways to Intentionally Love Our Kids

A Simpler Childhood, A Simpler Motherhood

This month is all about L-O-V-E. Although we don’t need a holiday to love our people, it gives us a good reason to get intentional about loving the ones closest to us, specifically our kids. I want to be super clear, these are things I am hoping to work on this month and the rest of the year. I’m preaching to my own little heart choir here. Let’s talk 5 Ways to Intentionally Love Our Kids.

5 Ways to Intentionally Love Our Kids

Listen.

I know this seems silly and obvious, but I think sometimes as parents we don’t do this enough. Listen to their stories, their tales, all the seemingly unimportant stuff. Listen to their annoyances, their fears, their plights for justice. I know we’ve all heard this quote: Listen to anything your children want to tell you. If you don’t listen to the small stuff now, they won’t tell you the big stuff later.

Let’s love our kids by listening to the small stuff.

Play.

This is a hard one for me. Not because I don’t like playing with my kids, but because I have four kids and they all play together while I do alllll the things. But whenever I make time to play with my kids, I get the gift of seeing the world through their eyes. I get to see the magic, the wonder, the silly. And as much as it fills me up, I know it does the same or more for them. I want to be clear, I’m not talking about entertaining our kids. I’m talking about entering in to their made up game or imaginary world. It doesn’t have to be hours of play, 15 minutes is a good place to start.

Let’s love our kids through play.

Build Up.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the things our kids aren’t doing. He isn’t picking up his room. He isn’t being kind to his sister. She isn’t doing her best on her school work. Although these things can be frustrating and will need addressing, let’s choose to focus on building up our kids. When we see one of our kids doing something kind or loving, let’s notice it. When we see a child working hard on some homework, let’s encourage it. And when we build our kids up, let’s use specific language. Instead of ‘Good job!’ Let’s use: ‘Wow, you are working so hard to get your school work completed today.’ Or: ‘Look at the way you put away your toys. I can tell you took your time to do it right.’

Let’s love our kids by building them up.

Do something together.

Shared experiences bring people closer. Find something you and your kid or kids can do together. Maybe it’s playing a card game (this gets played A LOT around here) or building a snowman. Maybe you read a novel together, paint a picture, or have a dance party. Or maybe you invite your kids into the kitchen to help you make a snack or meal. Find something you can do together and be present while you’re doing the thing.

Let’s love our kids by doing something together.

Date.

If you have multiple kids, chances are one on one time can sometimes be hard to come by. Let’s make time for it and date our kids. It doesn’t have to be fancy or extravagant. Simply playing a game with a child in their room without interruption can be a date. Having your spouse watch the other kids while taking a walk with a child is another way to get in some one on one time. And, of course, you can take your kid to dinner, ice cream, or a museum, too. Let’s not overcomplicate it. Keep it simple and make it work.

Let’s love our kids by dating our kids.

Intentionality helps us do the things we want to do. These 5 Ways to Intentionally Love Our Kids is simply a place to begin. How will you love your kids today?

Vanessa

What I Loved in January

A Simpler Motherhood

Usually I do a What I’m Loving post each month, but this month it turned into What I Loved in January. One month into 2022 and this year is off to a great start. Here is What I Loved in January:

What I Loved in January

Slowing down

Our January began slow and it was the ideal way to start the new year. We played a lot of games as a family, read books, went on adventures in the snow, and got in a lot of school. Unhurried isn’t always the pace around here, so slowing down at the beginning of January is something we savored.

Books > Shows

My husband and I enjoy reading a lot, but haven’t found time for it lately. We realized if we cut back watching a show a few nights a week we could recoup some reading time. This isn’t the first time we have had to (re)begin a reading rhythm. The pendulum swings back and forth and right now we are reading more and it’s been incredibly refreshing. Here are some books I’ve been enjoying: Love People, Use Things, We were the Lucky Ones, The Wish.

Winter gear

For Christmas I received some winter gear and I used it a lot in January. My Carhart hat has been keeping my head cozy. My lower half is snug in big, warm snow pants and winter boots. The winter gear has kept me warm on my daily walks as I try and reach my goal of walking 400 miles this year. I’m 30 miles in.

Chicken Bacon Fried Rice

It’s not easy to find something everyone in our family enjoys eating for dinner. Can I get an Amen? I stumbled on this Chicken Bacon Fried Rice recipe when looking for something to feed my crew with not a lot in the fridge. We have some non-rice eaters who will not be named, but those boys ate up the chicken, bacon, eggs, and veggies and all had good things to say about it. It’s the little wins.

Time with Family

We took a trip with Kevin’s family this month and it was sincerely wonderful. Leaving the country isn’t super easy these days, but our time together was priceless. Cousins playing together uninterrupted, grandparents playing endless card games with the kids and all of us doing life together for a week. We are so thankful we were able to do this.

As a new month unfolds before us what do you want to do with it? What do you want to look back on in 28 days and said you loved in February?

Vanessa

5 Ways to Thrive this Winter

A Simpler Motherhood

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, winter is upon us. Hats and gloves and snow boots and warm socks are necessities in our neck of the woods. Short days and dark nights are the story of our weeks and getting outside becomes a bit uncomfortable. While all these things are true, there are still ways to thrive this winter. We may have to look and try a little harder, but that gives us all the more reason to do so. Here are 5 Ways to Thrive this Winter.

5 Ways to Thrive this Winter

Get outside.

I know it’s cold. I know we need more layers. But getting outside is one way to thrive this winter. There are loads of science to back this up, but I want to focus on one big reason. Getting outside will boost your mood. When we are sluggish or feeling down because of the grayness of winter, getting outside can help improve our outlook. Natural daylight is thought to increase the brain’s release of the hormone serotonin. Serotonin is connected to boosting mood and helping a person to feel focused and calm. Even if it’s for 10 minutes, find a way to get outside as often as possible.

Plant something.

Seeing something grow is soothing and hopeful. While there isn’t a whole lot of anything growing outside my window currently, I do have some things growing inside. Almost every year I plant an amaryllis to watch grow tall as the temps drop low. It makes me happy watching something green grow when everything is brown and gray outside.

Whether you’re a plant person or not, planting something in the winter can bring a bit of joy. An amaryllis is a good place to start. Paper whites are also pretty this time of year. If you’re looking for something you can eat, herbs like basil or rosemary are pretty simple to grow inside. I’ve also grown microgreens in the winter to put on sandwiches and eggs. There are, of course, lots of other options. There is something nurturing about planting something and watching it grow.

Plan a summer adventure.

Did you know simply planning a vacation helps reduce stress? There are loads of other benefits you can find HERE. Whether it’s a summer road trip exploring a national park or a big trip across the country, planning a summer adventure is fun, gives us something to look forward to, and can help us thrive this winter.

Use winter wisely.

Depending on what life season you’re in, winter can be slower. There could be more time at home, less time spent outside because it gets dark earlier, and maybe just a little less to do. Let’s use winter wisely and be intentional about what we do want to do. What is something you don’t have time for during other parts of the year? Reading a book? Trying something new in the kitchen? Working on a hobby or project? If winter is slower for you, decide how you want to spend it.

Begin a new rhythm.

We are at the end of January and all the New Year’s hype is slowly fading. It’s technically still the first month of a new year and it’s never not a good time to begin something new. What rhythm would bring more calm to your day? Is there something you could do each week to ignite some joy and excitement for your family? It could be lighting a candle each morning or evening. Maybe it’s ordering pizza and watching a movie at the end of a long week. Or maybe it’s sitting in the quiet of the morning with a cup of coffee and a devotional. Winter is a great time to begin a new rhythm.

Winter doesn’t have to be dull or lifeless. It can be fun and hopeful and slow in a good way. How will you thrive this winter?

Vanessa

10 Ways to Simplify in 5 Minutes or Less

A Simpler Home, A Simpler Motherhood

Sometimes we need a win in a small amount of time. These small wins shouldn’t be dismissed. Today I’m sharing 10 Ways to Simplify in 5 minutes or Less.

10 Ways to Simplify in 5 Minutes or Less

Clear under the sink.

What’s under your kitchen sink? Cleaning products? Cloths? Dishwasher detergent? Grocery sacks? A mess? Take everything out, wipe down the cabinet and only put back what makes sense. Organize things in a way that makes everything easy to grab. A caddy for cleaning supplies. A drawer for microfiber cloths. A container with a lid for dishwasher pods. Clear it out and make it work for you.

Write down 10 weeknight meals.

Write down 10 meals you want to make this season. Meals that are easy to make, meals that you want to try, meals you will actually cook for your people. Use this list to meal plan this winter.

Grocery sack walk through.

Grab the Target grocery sack you got with your last curbside order and do a quick walk through your main living area. Put trash and unwanted things inside the sack. Don’t let yourself think too much on this one. Let your gut do the decision making. Throw the trash away and donate everything else.

Organize the winter gear.

If you live somewhere it gets cold, chances are it’s cold right now. Quickly go through the winter gear and make sure each person living in your home has the essentials. If there is a lot of excess, consider donating to a shelter to help someone else stay warm this winter.

Think through the laundry.

Is your laundry routine working for you? Is there something you need to tweak or change or do you need a complete overhaul? Think through how you do laundry and what you can change to make it simpler. Maybe it’s a load of laundry everyday or maybe it’s implementing a laundry day. Think about what works for you, your current season, and your family.

Purge your bag.

Grab your purse or bag and quickly look through it for trash and unnecessary items. Let go of those things to make your bag more functional.

Throw away expired food.

Do a quick check in the fridge and pantry for expired food. Toss anything you wouldn’t let your kids eat.

Declutter a bathroom drawer.

Open any bathroom drawer and pull out things that don’t belong and things you haven’t used in the last year. Be ruthless. This task gets you a lot of impact in a little amount of time.

Do a brain dump.

Set a timer for 5 minutes and brain dump everything you’re keeping in your brain. Use this list for your to-dos for the rest of the week and month. Get ready to feel a whole lot lighter.

Opt out.

This one might be controversial, but I’m going to say it nonetheless. What chore or task can you opt out of? Maybe it’s dinner duty on Thursday nights and you order take out. Maybe you need some help cleaning around the house and hire someone to clean once or twice a month. Or maybe it’s asking your spouse to take over a chore that’s overwhelming to you. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to not do it all. Friends, it’s okay to opt out.

We can all simplify something in 5 minutes or less. If you want more ways to simplify, check out this post.

What can you do today to make your life a bit simpler?