Small, scarce, serene, systems, schedules, storage solutions, and speaking up — what do all those “S-words” have to do with Simple Living?
Keep reading to find out 🙂
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My Week In Review (July 23-29)
Christmas in July… How Do You Handle Gifts?
After several requests to share more about how our family handles Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, and other gifts throughout the year, I figured today was a great day to finally share (after all, it’s exactly 5 months until Christmas!)
I’d also love to know how you handle gift-giving throughout the year. Happy Christmas in July!
How I Get and Keep My Kids Organized With Simple Systems
I’m convinced our home is more user-friendly, more functional, and (best of all) STAYS more organized if I simply put a little extra thought into how I set up my kids’ closets, toys, crafts, and anything else they access on a regular basis.
If you currently struggle to get your children to stay somewhat neat and organized, I’m confident some of the ideas in today’s post will be helpful for you! And yes, these ideas work for teens and adults too!
Why We DON’T Budget for House Projects
Over the last 6.5 years, Dave and I have spent a considerable amount of money fixing up, renovating, remodeling, and decorating our home… and since I share the renovations on my blog, I’m regularly asked how we budget and plan for all our home projects.
I’m guessing many of you would be shocked to know that Dave and I actually DON’T budget for house projects… that’s what I’m talking about today!
My Week In Review (July 16-22)
4 Steps to a Clutter-Free Closet
Easy Chocolate Covered Banana “Popsicles”
My kids love any type of frozen treat (especially during hot summer months). And while we do have some popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, and freeze pops, I also freeze gogurts, we make our own juice and pudding pops, AND I’ve started making chocolate covered banana pops (and bites) — which the kids think are so fantastic.
If you’re looking for a frugal, simple, delicious summer treat — give these a try!!!
A Super Simple Way to Dye Fabric
Last week, I shared Nora’s bedroom makeover — along with her super cute loft bed with “secret” play area underneath.
Today, I’m sharing how I dyed the curtains for her secret play area — and if you’ve ever been intimidated by using fabric dye (like I was), I hope this post will lay it all out step-by-step to show you how simple it really can be. Just think of all the things you could refresh with a little fabric dye!
My Week In Review (July 9-15)
In current “Dekker news” — Nora lost her first tooth, Simon loves having crazy hair, James turns TWO, we welcomed a new baby cousin, Dave has 5 more weeks of summer break, and I’m telling myself that 9-10 weeks isn’t really that much longer to be pregnant 🙂
And of course, I’m also sharing what I blogged about this week in previous years, in today’s Week In Review Post!
A Tour of Nora’s New Bedroom
Our Favorite At-Home Date Night
At-home date nights are one of Dave and my favorite ways to celebrate special occasions (like our recent anniversary).
I know they might not be enjoyable for every couple, but if you’re the type who prefers a night at home versus going out, I have a feeling you’ll also enjoy Dave and my most favorite at-home date night!
Home Renovations and Newborns
After 6.5 years of continual house projects, pregnancies, and newborns, Dave and I will both say that all our house projects and all our babies have required more work, time, patience, and energy than we originally envisioned… but both the house projects AND the babies have most definitely been worth it all!
In fact, as I thought more about it, I realized that home renovations and newborns surprisingly have many similarities!
Our Favorite Inside Toys
I know it might seem weird to do a post about inside toys in the middle of the summer, but here in West Michigan, it can get REALLY hot and humid in the summers, so we often play outside in the morning and inside in the afternoon, where the air conditioning keeps things very pleasant!
The toys listed in today’s post are things ALL 3 of our kids (ages 5, 3, 2) play with and enjoy almost every single day!
My 2-Minute Tip for Gourmet-Looking Cookies
A Love-Hate Relationship With Routines
As many of you know, our family is very “routine oriented” — it seems to suit us all quite well. We all have various morning, nightly, daily, and weekly routines that help to simplify, streamline, and de-stress our lives.
These routines work wonderfully… until they don’t! Today I’m sharing a few instances where our routines have stopped working, and I’d love to know how YOU handle situations when your routines stop working.
