Changing Our Relationship With Food For years I battled for control over food and my body, and used food to medicate myself against loneliness, anxiety, boredom, and anger. I ate to take the edge off the rejection and disappointment I felt in my relationships and I ate to squash down the fear inside me that ...
Simple Living
Letter to Myself – Stop Putting Off Happiness
Stop Putting Off Happiness “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein Why is happiness and contentment so elusive? Why, even when we accomplish our goals, or get what we want, do we so quickly find ...
Living in the Moment – Finding Peace in Nature
Sometimes we get so caught up life's dramas, don't we? We slide through our days preoccupied with unhappy thoughts, fretting over the past, worrying over the future, and despite our highly connected world, we feel deeply disconnected from ourselves. It’s too easy to live a distracted life. It’s easy to forget our ...
How to Stay Motivated on a Budget – 6 Ways to Stay on Track
Sometimes it feels hopeless. Like you’re swimming just as hard and fast as you can, and yet you are still drowning in financial burdens. You work so hard to keep up with the bills and just when you think you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and start feeling hopeful, life gives you another kick and ...
Weekend Book Review: Homegrown and Handmade A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living
Homegrown and Handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living, by Deborah Niemann - a book review. Deborah Neimann's book Homegrown and Handmade: A Practical Guide to More Self-Reliant Living is great for information and inspiration. If you are dreaming of starting a homestead, or already started, ...
Designing a Life You Love
Sometimes it takes tremendous courage to just keep going in life, doesn't it? It takes courage to meet the daily challenges - sickness, death, divorce, job losses, unexpected bills. We carry our burdens bravely, afraid or too ashamed to let others know how much we are struggling. But I tell you there is hope. ...
Slowing Down and Living Joyfully
Sometimes I feel like I am on a treadmill and running through my life. Going to work all day, then coming home to take care of the cooking, cleaning, paying bills, doing laundry, and tending to my family’s needs. And worse, despite working really hard, I rarely enjoy any sense of accomplishment – in all the rushing ...
Anxiety and Overwhelm – Discovering Your Strengths
Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time. It’s the fear of failure but no urge to be productive. It’s wanting friends but hating socializing. It’s wanting to be alone but not wanting to be lonely. It’s caring about everything and then caring about nothing. It’s feeling everything at ...
Prepping for Beginners – How to Start Prepping and Keep It Simple
Prepping for beginners - what do we need to be prepared for, how to start prepping, and how do we keep it simple? Prepping used to be considered a radical activity, but more and more we are realizing the need to be prepared for all kinds of emergency situations. When you consider the definition of Prepping, it becomes ...
From Fear to Gratitude
From fear and overwhelm to gratitude In the Darkness of Night... The distant call of a great horned owl echoes down from the mountain behind us. Dawn is still hours away, and the moon hangs low in the sky. My breath fogs in front of me and I wrap the old blanket tighter to keep out the chill. From the shelter of ...
Beating the Winter Blues
Five Ways to Beat the Winter Blues This is the time of year that many of us start feeling down, as the days turn gray and the long nights leave us missing the sun. Instead of suffering another year with the winter blues, and trying to find relief through caffeine, sugar, and comfort foods, let's make a promise to take ...
Enjoying a More Peaceful and Productive Home
Exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, and cranky. This wasn’t how I imagined parenting to be. What was wrong with me, and why couldn’t I just get it together? I suspect chaos, overwhelm, and a sense of failure are a normal part of running a household and parenting young children. As moms, we are expected to do ...
Seeking Joyful Simplicity is about living your best life after 40. I write about using a holistic approach combining herbal remedies, nourishing foods, and self-care to reduce overwhelm, manage our weight, and enjoy more vibrant health in our 40's, 50's, and beyond.