As we near the close of another decade, the word that continually comes to mind is… SIMPLIFY!

Simplify is a BIG word for my home, my family, my business, and my life. I think you’ll understand why it’s the final word I want to share with you this decade.

Are you still contemplating gift ideas for that one person on your Christmas list who seems to have everything? Or the person who insists they don’t want anything? Yes, we have a few of them on our shopping list too! 

Whenever I’m unsure what to give to someone who has everything, I almost always resort to one of the options in today’s post!

Every year I get lots of questions about what we give our children for Christmas… specifically, if we give them used and second-hand gifts. 

I’m sharing all the details in today’s post — including how we managed to get all 4 of our children 12 gifts for less than $100 total (thanks to used and second-hand gifts)!

Have you ever wondered how to clean battery corrosion (or even if it’s possible to do so)? Yes, it is possible to clean mild to moderate battery corrosion — and as I’ll show you, it’s actually really simple to do! 

If you use batteries, you’ll want to read today’s post!!  

In an effort to simplify entertaining, I have a favorite go-to easy appetizer platter I can whip up in minutes if we have last-minute guests. I can also make it well in advance if I have the time.

These easy appetizers are perfect at any time of year, for any type of party, with any budget, and can accommodate almost any dietary restriction or food allergy. It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it!

I know we’re already half-way into the Christmas season, but there’s still plenty of time left to simplify your days and cultivate a more meaningful Christmas season for you and for your family. 

Here’s how our family is attempting to do that THIS year. 

The last 8 years of my life have been filled with more sleepless nights than I care to recall! As a coping mechanism for my ultra-structured self, I came up with a short list of survival techniques — all of which I’m sharing in today’s post!

If you struggle with sleepless nights (for whatever reason) today’s post can help!

As a human being, it’s so easy to fall into the mindset of thinking “more” is always better and desirable — however, there are many hidden costs of “more”. Some of these hidden costs are very obvious… others might not be! 

My goal is to help you think through some of those hidden costs instead of blindly assuming “more” is always the best choice for you and for your family. 

Over the past several years, I’ve shared many Clutter-Free Gifts posts; so this year, I thought I’d try to compile ALL those posts and ALL those ideas into one Ultimate List of Clutter-Free Gift Ideas!

I’d love for you to share your favorite clutter-free gifts in the comments!

Deliciously smooth and creamy, these mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish to almost any meal in almost any season.

If you’ve never tried making potatoes from scratch, this simple recipe will wow you with how easy the process can be!

I love giving simple holiday gifts to all the special people in our lives. However, my clutter-free lifestyle means I’m always searching for disposable and consumable gifts. And since I give LOTS of gifts, I need to come up with a way to keep the cost and time-commitment in check.

My gift idea this year is quite possibly my simplest one yet! In fact, I made more than 30 gift bags in under 30 minutes for under $30! Get the details (and free printable gift tags) in today’s post!

I’m back with more of my favorite things!

All of the goodies on my list would be excellent Christmas gifts — I’ve even included a variety of price-points and age levels, so there’s something for (almost) everyone!

Dave and the kids are off of school for the rest of the week, so we’re gearing up for a LONG weekend full of board games, craft projects, movie marathons, holiday baking, yard work, and more!

I’m sharing my most favorite Thanksgiving recipes and a little encouragement for those of you who need to re-evaluate your traditions this year!

This amazingly cheesy homemade cornbread is the perfect addition to any holiday table — and a delicious side dish for chili, pork chops, and so much more.

Mix in various “extras” to change up the flavor and let your taste buds come alive!

After researching many different options in an effort to save money on our cell phone bills, Dave and I decided to go with Verizon’s prepaid cell phone plan, and so far we are thrilled!

We are saving hundreds of dollars a year, AND we get 12 times more data usage!

Contrary to what we might see on social media these days, I’m a firm believer that it IS possible to celebrate our children on their birthday (and every day) without tons of stress, financial investment, or a huge mess to clean up the next day!

Since it’s Nora’s 8th birthday TODAY, I thought it was the perfect time to share a few of my tips to simplify kids’ birthday parties!

As you might remember, I ordered both a wall calendar AND a small planner last year… and while this 2-part system worked OK, I decided to switch back to just using a planner again this year.

I explain more in today’s post — and I’ve got another Personal Planner giveaway (and discount code) for those of you who are anxiously waiting to order YOUR 2020 planner!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year — in part because I love all the leftover food! I’ve amassed a pretty impressive list of ideas on how to use Thanksgiving leftovers, and I’m sharing more than 50 SIMPLE recipes in today’s post!

Now you have no excuses! Don’t let your delicious Thanksgiving leftovers go to waste!