-
Minimalist Coolies (Teething Toys)
The minimalist purge continues, and I tackled the coolies (baby teething toys). Now only does my youngest show a very uncommitted interest in chewing on these, but we had so many you’d think she used them 24 hours a day! Before Minimalism Before the minimalist teething toy purge we had 16 coolies (only 14 are pictured because 2 were in the dishwasher). Several in the photo are duplicates of the same exact toy! During the Minimalist Process I pared it down to what I thought would be a smaller but functional selection of 6 coolies and, satisfied with the elimination of 10 unneeded teething toys, I took this photo: After…
-
Minimalist Baby Bibs
We’re going minimalist, and there is a common misconception that babies ‘need so much stuff’. How many times have you heard (or said) that very phrase? It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and if you believe that babies need lots of gear, all the extra stuff will find its way into your house. Trust me, you’ll look around one day and wonder (if you haven’t already), “Where did all this baby stuff come from? Some of it has never been used…” You can , in fact, be minimalist with babies! Our minimalist switch has continued to every member of the family, and that includes the babies. We were supposed to have…
-
Minimalist Move – Still Going Strong
I’ve found each day of decluttering during the last month to be challenging and liberating at the same time. I’m going through every single box, every drawer, even paperclips- I’ve decluttered paperclips.
-
DIY Craft Project: Easy Valentine Gift Bag Mail Boxes
Our fantastic Valentine gift bag mail boxes are a perfect fit for your home décor. They are ready for your family to put their Valentine’s Day cards, candies, and treats in for a fun holiday exchange.
-
Snapshot of Our Life: 40 Below, Temperature Low
It’s the daily life that gets lost and forgotten over the years. I want to remember these in-between times, not only for the little memories that might not seem significant now, but to be able to have these stories to share with our kids in the years to come. Some days blogging is hard. Some days living is hard. Some days all you can write about is what you see around you. That is the snapshot of our life. Snapshot of Our Life: January 16, 2012 Where are we? We’re living in Fairbanks, Alaska in the first house we ever bought. We are moving away and planning to sell the…
-
Pantry Challenge: Just Do It!
You know I recommend doing frequent grocery shopping fasts during which you don’t buy any new groceries and simply use up everything you have on hand. This is called using up the pantry or the pantry challenge, and if you haven’t done it before, it’s about time you started! We’ve vowed to use up the last of our pantry stockpile to start off the new year (which I’ll admit is pretty meager at this point) before we buy any new groceries. The exceptions to this off-limits grocery shopping are milk, baby food, baby formula, and diapers. Most of the time we only do a pantry challenge for about 2 weeks,…
-
Where to Find Matching Family Outfits and Matching Kids’ Outfits
Last year before Christmas, I started searching for places to find matching kids’ clothes for siblings, both big girl / little girl matching dresses and brother / sister coordinating outfits. That is why I made the complete list of where to find matching family outfits and matching kids’ outfits. During this process I also stumbled upon matching family outfits, which are great for family portraits. These aren’t identical so each person looks like a carbon copy, but they are different clothing pieces in matching or coordinated colors or patterns. Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. It won’t cost you any extra if you shop there, but…
-
{Mobile Lifestyle} There’s No Place Like Home, But…
There’s No Place Like Home, But… The saying goes that there’s no place like home, but does it really matter where home is? I feel that no matter where I am, as long as I’m with my family, that’s home enough for me. So what if our home has to become the open road? Let me explain what’s been going on over the last 4 months, and why my mindset has shifted to living more minimally and happily. Takedown #1: Goodbye husband’s income. In September 2011, my husband and I got the shock of our lives: he was laid off from his job of 11 years with no warning. After…
-
Perfect Poinsettias in a Holiday Glow Christmas Tablescape
I’ve loved Poinsettias for as long as I can remember, and after I found the Christmas poinsettia cottage I knew I wanted to do a whole Christmas in a poinsettia theme. For Christmas 2010 (yes, this was last year’s beauty that I’ve been hanging on to!), I decked out our brand new home in poinsettia fare, including one dedicated Christmas tablescape that even had my new poinsettia dishes by Better Homes and Gardens. The table looked almost too pretty to eat a meal at! The red stemware was paired with my red satin poinsettia napkins. Metallic red chargers served as the bottom layer for our gorgeous plates and rested…
-
Good Morning! It's Time to Get to Work on What's Important
Good morning! It’s 4 am here in Alaska and I get up this early for a good reason. No, not because I’m crazy or have bad sleeping habits! In Alaska we’re way behind the other time zones, so I have to start my day very early to communicate with businesses on the East Coast during business hours. Even more important than that, though, is the fact that what’s important has to come first. On New Years do you look back and wonder why you didn’t accomplish those big life goals in the past year? I’ve been there, I’ve wondered with you, I’ve vowed to do a better job in the…